You Make Me Feel Safe
The day had finally arrived. A few months ago Ava and Sara had decided to take a short Summer vacation just the two of them for the first time, away from their kids, also known as the Legends.
They said their goodbyes, chose Ray to be in charge of the Waverider and took the jump ship with them. Destination: a small Greek village where no one would be able to find and bother them.
Once at the beach resort and after going through check-in, the couple got to their room.
"Oh my God, babe! Come look at the view!" Ava said in glee once she approached the big windows of the living room. "I have to see this up close!" she added mostly to herself before opening the doors that led to the spacious balcony. She leaned her body against the railing, beaming like a child on Christmas Eve. Her eyes cast over the landscape, trying to soak all the details in. The people having fun in the pool area, how well she could see the deep blue sea, how she could hear laughter mixing with the sound of the waves crashing against the sand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, content to simply be in the moment.
Her face broke into a smile when she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind, followed by a warm body pressing against her back.
"Mhm, I already have the best view right here," Sara murmured, pressing a kiss at the top of Ava's spine.
The tall blonde laughed softly before turning around, "You're smooth," she said, giving Sara a quick smooch.
"Come on little lady, we need to unpack," Ava told her as she walked out of her grasp.
"Ugh, do we have to? We just got here," Sara complained as she followed behind. It personally made no sense to her to unpack their things for just a week, but she wasn't surprised when Ava suggested it.
Ava picked up the suitcase and placed it on top of their bed. "Yes we do. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can just enjoy ourselves."
Sara sighed, dropping into the kingsize bed. "Have you seen the size of this thing? We could be doing much more interesting things instead," she said, batting her eyelashes at her girlfriend.
Ava chuckled at the remark, "Is that all you think about, Sara?"
Sara let out a huff before turning around to lay on her stomach, head propped on her elbows. "No."
Ava narrowed her eyes at her, knowing full well she was right.
It left Sara rolling her eyes, "Okay fine, I do think about it a lot. But only because it involves you, baby. Not my fault my girlfriend is so hot."
And that does it, in a few words she turns Ava into a blushing mess.
"Yeah, yeah," Ava said, grabbing some underwear from the suitcase and throwing it at Sara, "Just help me put these in the drawers, will you? Maybe you'll get a small reward in the end for being so helpful," she added with a smirk.
Sara smirked back at her, getting up and out of the bed. She stopped once she was next to Ava, placing her hands on her waist. "Aves, come on baby. It's just a week, we don't need to unpack," she whispered, followed by a trail of lingering kisses up Ava's neck. "Just leave it be," Sara added once her mouth was inches away from her girlfriend's.
Ava nodded, eyes falling to Sara's mouth before fluttering shut as she felt their lips touching. She moaned at the sweet and familiar taste, tracing the seam of Sara's lips with her tongue as her hands moved to the back of the smaller blonde's neck, holding her in place.
A smile formed on her lips as she drew a moan from Sara, breaking the kiss so they could both catch a breath. Sara smiled back at her, bumping their noses together.
"Okay, I guess you're right. There's no point in unpacking."
Sara laughed at that. "And all it took to convince you was a couple of kisses. I guess I really am that powerful."
Ava smiled sheepishly, tickling her on the sides. Sara immediately squirmed away from her, stepping back until her knees hit the edge of the bed, making her lose balance. As she did she reached out grabbing Ava's hand, pulling the taller woman down on top of her.
She started peppering Sara's neck with small nibbles, tickling her skin.
"Baby!" Sara laughed, squealing and trying to get away from her. "Aves, time out, time out."
Ava took pity on her and stopped, lifting her head to look down at Sara. "I love it when you laugh like that."
Sara blushed at the confession, smiling softly at her girlfriend. "Like what?"
"Like there's not a single worry in your mind," Ava explained, her right hand moving to stroke Sara's cheek, "So carefree."
The smaller blonde cupped Ava's face, tucking her wavy hair behind her ears to uncover her beautiful face. "You make me feel that way."
Ava smiled fondly before pressing a couple of gentle kisses on her lips before speaking, "I was thinking we could go to the sea after this," she mentioned with a hopeful expression. That hope soon faded away once she saw how all the colour drained from her girlfriend's face at her words.
"Uh… I don't know. I think I will take the chance to catch some sun by the pool area. Just lounge on one of the chairs," Sara provided, averting her gaze from Ava's.
Ava frowned at her strange behavior. "What's the matter? You don't seem well," she stated, sitting up and moving away so that Sara could sit next to her on the bed. Once Sara was sitting down next to her, Ava rubbed her small back to offer comfort while her free hand tilted Sara's face in her direction.
As soon as Sara caught the frown on Ava's face, she forced a smile on her own, trying to make Ava's worries go away. Her left hand came up to stroke Ava's cheek, before she pressed a gentle kiss against her lips.
"I'm okay Aves, only a bit tired. Don't worry."
"Are you sure?"
Sara turned her body towards Ava, intertwining her hands behind her neck. She tilted her head to capture her girlfriend's lips in a slow kiss. She tried to deepen it, tracing Ava's bottom lip with her tongue but the taller blonde quickly moved her head back.
Sara whined at that, "Why did you stop it?"
Ava chuckled at that, finding her girlfriend adorable. She came closer again, grazing her nose on Sara's.
"Because I know that you're trying to distract me from what's really going on in that head of yours. So come on, spit it out."
Sara opened her mouth to protest, but Ava quickly shut her up with a finger to her lips.
"And no point in denying, because I can tell when you're hiding something."
Sara sighed, nodding as she dropped her hands to her lap, fidgeting with her fingers.
Ava reached out to her, tilting her head up so she could look at her favourite baby blues.
"Whatever it is, my love, you can tell me," she said as sincerely as she could.
Sara nodded, swallowing her anxiety and pride before speaking. "You know how I went through the sinking of the Gambit… Ever since then, I haven't been able to enter large bodies of water. I also haven't been able to swim, at all. I start panicking."
Ava cursed herself mentally. How could that possibility have escaped her. She pressed a kiss against Sara's forehead, pulling her closer until Sara's head was on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Sara. I can't believe the thought didn't even cross my mind," she apologized, right hand cradling the back of Sara's head as her other one held on to the Captain's small back.
Sara tightened her embrace around Ava's waist, "It's alright, it's the first time I'm telling you. You had no way of knowing."
"Still, I should have considered it and-"
A finger against her lips quickly cut her off, and she relaxed as Sara shook her head.
"Babe, you did nothing wrong. Let's not let this minor detail ruin our extremely deserving break." Sara reasoned, letting her hand fall to her side.
"Yes, you're right my love," Ava eventually agreed, but Sara could tell something was still upsetting her.
"Now you're the one worrying about something. What is it?"
Ava scratched the back of her head, stuttering a bit. "Well, I was just thinking… Does this mean you would mind if I chose to swim? Because if so, I totally understand, I don't mind just catching some sun with you."
"No Ava, absolutely not. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask you that. I don't mind at all."
The smile that appeared on Ava's face made Sara feel warm inside.
"Are you really sure?" Ava asked as she held Sara's hands in hers.
"Yes, baby. I promise," she assured her, bringing Ava's hands to her lips to place a kiss on her skin.
Sara was turning to the next page on one of Mick's novels she had brought with her when she noticed Ava's presence next to her. She put the book down after bookmarking the current page.
"Hey beautiful. How's the water?" she asked, looking her girlfriend up and down with a smirk in place.
Ava smiled sheepishly down at her as she dried her hair and face with the help of her beach towel "Amazing," she said, placing the towel on the chair next to Sara, to lay down on top of it. After that, she grabbed Sara's left hand and brought it to her lips, kissing the back of it.
"How's the book?"
Sara smiled down at their joined hands, caressing Ava's with her thumb. "So far so good," she told her before turning on her side to reach out for her drink.
Ava eyed her curiously, "Is that a Margarita?"
"It is," Sara nodded after taking a sip. "Do you want me to get you one as well?"
"If you don't mind, please."
"Of course babe, be right back," Sara said, kissing Ava's forehead before getting up and making her way to the pool bar.
As she gets to the counter, she is greeted by the bartender with a polite smile.
"Hey there! What will it be this time?"
Sara smiled back at the young man, probably still in his early twenties. He reminded her of herself from her bartending times, so she had sympathized with him pretty quickly.
"Another Margarita, please."
"Coming right up!" he let her know and got to work. As Sara waited for the drink, she felt someone approaching from behind and sitting next to her. She paid him no attention until he addressed her.
"Hey, name's Mark," the guy said, a sleazy smile in place that had Sara scrunching up her nose and desperately wanting to roll her eyes. Out of politeness she gave him a simple hello back.
Sadly, he didn't take the hint and kept chatting her up. "So, I noticed you and your friend over there. I gotta say, I like what I am seeing."
Sara couldn't help but snort at the word friend.
"Something wrong, sweetheart?" the stranger asked her, seemingly annoyed at her response.
"Don't call me sweetheart," she told him, now turning to him with a deathly glare. "And if you so much as come closer to me and my girlfriend, I swear I will break all your bones."
"Ooookay! Here's your Margarita-" the young bartender said, now completely aware of the conversation going on, trying to avoid a disaster.
The stranger was now out of his seat, trying to make himself look bigger. "What's wrong shortstuff?" he spits, eyeing Sara up and down. "Afraid I'll steal her from you?"
Sara scoffs at his words, stepping closer to him, eyes daring him to challenge her. The tense mood is interrupted when suddenly an arm is looping around hers and pulling her away from the bar.
"Okay let's get you out of here. Thanks for the Margarita, but you can keep it!"
"Ava! What are you doing?!" Sara complained as she was being dragged to the chairs area.
"Me?!" Ava asked, turning around to face her as she dropped her arm. "You were the one almost engaging in a fight with some random man! What the hell, Sara?"
"You should have heard the things he was saying!"
"So what? Was it that bad that you had to start a fight?"
"I was trying to defend you!"
Ava scoffed at that, a humorless laugh coming out of her mouth, "Defend me?! Thank you for the concern, but I'm pretty capable of defending myself."
Sara was prepared to fire back, but thankfully realized that it was pointless. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She then stepped closer to Ava, taking hold of both her girlfriend's hands in hers. "You're right, I'm sorry," she told her, thumbs rubbing Ava's skin softly. "I don't want this to ruin our time together." Sara mumbled, looking down at her feet.
Ava let go of her left hand so she could tilt Sara's head up to make her look at her. "Nothing's ruined Sara, don't worry."
Sara smiled at her, thankful for how understanding Ava was. "Good."
Ava then took a quick glance over Sara's head and then back at her. "What do you say we go for a walk at the pier?"
"Is that creep still looking at us?"
"Yes he is."
"Yep, let's go. Before I make good on my promise."
"Sara…" Ava warned, but this time with less seriousness.
"Yeah yeah, I know."
They grabbed their things from the chairs and made their way to the main street after that. As they were walking hand in hand, Ava couldn't resist of staring at Sara, admiring how the sun would turn her hair into shades of bright gold and how her freckles were so much more prominent than usual, painting a beautiful trail from her forehead to her cleavage, and down the soft skin of her arms.
After a while Sara began to notice and confronted her girlfriend about it. "Everything okay? You're staring a lot."
"You are so beautiful," the compliment left Ava's mouth so freely and genuinely, that it made them both blush.
Sara stopped them in their tracks, tugging on Ava's other hand so she would face her. "You're only realizing that now?" she teased, although in vain, because once again Ava was looking at her like she was some kind of divine entity, to the point of making her slightly uncomfortable. She still wasn't used to the extent of Ava's love and admiration for her.
"Aves-"
"So goddamn beautiful…" Ava continued, noticing how her eyelashes seemed like golden curtains to Sara's beautiful ocean eyes. She raised her hands, cupping Sara's face.
Sara walked closer to her, holding on to Ava's waist. "So are you," she said. She stepped even closer, hugging Ava tighter to her. As Sara felt the safety of Ava's arms around her, she felt brave enough to make a decision. She inhaled and exhaled deeply after a couple of minutes, finally asking, "Will you take me to the sea?"
Ava stepped back, surprised at the request. "Are you sure? We don't have to-"
Sara cut her off with a single kiss, smiling against her lips. "I want to," she told her, pressing their foreheads together. "I want to do it with you."
Ava beamed at that, bringing a matching smile to Sara's lips. They made their way to the sand, stopping when they were halfway to the sea. Ava turned to her, squeezing her hand, "You still want to do it?"
Sara nodded at her, her anxiety subsiding as she looked at the woman she loves. "Yes."
"Let's go then," Ava nodded back, tugging Sara by the hand as they walked closer and closer to the ocean. They stopped again, just at the point where the water could reach their feet. Ava let go of Sara's hand to step behind her, arms wrapping around her waist.
As Sara gasped at the first wave that hit her feet, Ava's hold on her tightened. "It's okay, I'm here," she whispered in her ear, resting her head on Sara's shoulder.
The next wave came quicker, making Sara's breath catch as she held onto Ava's arms.
"Just focus on the sunset baby, look at how beautiful it is. Focus on my voice, and the warmth of the sun on your skin. Breathe in the sea breeze and try to relax."
Sara swallowed, trying to follow Ava's advice. She closed her eyes, slowly breathing in and then out, welcoming the light breeze. As she opened her eyes, she focused on the horizon. On the way the orange and red hues would blend in with the deep blue of the sea, resembling a classic painting.
As the minutes passed, she started feeling more relaxed, the water hitting her feet no longer bothering her. After a while, the two women decided to sit down on the sand, now with her hoodies on to protect them from the cold of the night. Sara was leaning against Ava, simply appreciating the quietude of the moment when her girlfriend spoke.
"I'm very proud of you," Ava told her, turning her head to kiss Sara's temple. Sara smiled, looking up at her with an unusual shiness. "Thanks baby," she said, kissing the underside of her jaw before turning to look at the landscape again. After a couple of minutes it was her turn to speak.
"Maybe tomorrow we could try to go in the water?"
She felt Ava nod, a kiss pressed against her neck. "Of course, anything you want."
Sara hummed at the reply, still overwhelmed at how willing Ava always is to give her what she needs. "I love you so much, Aves."
"I love you too, my love."