I haven’t been on a date in 4 years. What the hell was I thinking?
It had been a few days since the bar incident and Sara and Ava had been texting quite a bit and had settled on a location for their first date. Keeping it simple Ava recommended a local diner that she loved, and Sara had jumped at the chance to go there as she had never been there before. Ava said they had a pretty good selection of food and its wasn’t super busy so they could talk and get to know each other a little better. Ava thought this was a good idea because there were definitely some conversations that needed to happen after the Allison incident.
Ava was getting ready when Hannah came into her room and just stared at her. Ava knew what that meant she had probably found out that Ava and Sara were going on a date and she was pissed that she didn’t say anything about it. But she had wanted to test the waters first and make sure all these feelings she was having were valid before involving Hannah in it. She had told Sara as much minus the feelings part of course.
“Mom’s coming!” Hannah fumbled the words as they came out. Causing Ava to stop what she was doing and turn to face Hannah.
“What? When?” Ava was panicking now.
“In two days.” Hannah knew Ava was going to be pissed
“Fuck! Why?” Ava was frozen not with fear but with anger. They last thing she needed right now was Carol. She didn’t need to deal with that. Christmas was only two weeks away and honestly, she wanted to enjoy herself this year. But no Carol never let her have this holiday.
“I tried to talk her out of it, but she was… well you know how she is.” Hannah walked over and threw herself on Ava’s bed. “What the hell are we going to do? We invited everyone over for a Christmas dinner.” And it dawned on Ava if Carol was going to be here that means she was going to be at dinner which meant she would meet Sara. He potential girlfriend, getting a little ahead of herself the only thing she could think was Carol would meet Sara and then Sara would run for the hills.
“Shit.” Ava went and sat on the bed next to Hannah. “That means she is going to meet Sara. Fuck!” she fell backwards, and Hannah looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked.
“Tell you what?” Ava closed her eyes and wished away the annoyance and existence of one Carol Sharpe.
“That you were going on a date with Sara?” Ava’s eyes popped open and looked over at Hannah.
“Truth Gidget.” She kept eye contact as Hannah Nodded. “I haven’t been on a date in four years, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I don’t know what’s going to happen and honestly, I’m sure I’ll mess it up before Carol can get her paws on Sara. I just needed to figure it out on my own without all the extra chatter. Like I didn’t even tell Alex when the date was. She knows there is a date just not when.”
“So, you like her right?” Hannah asked and Ava nodded and a smiled so brightly. Hannah couldn’t remember the last time her sister smiled like that. “Why do you think you’re going to mess it up?”
“I think I’m nervous, she makes me nervous, but she also calms me down at the same time. It’s weird I can’t really explain it.” Ava turns on her side to look at Hannah. “I told you about the bar and the panic attack, but I didn’t tell you what happened before that. We kissed.” She smiled and laid back on her back not wanting to see Hannah’s reaction.
“What? How could you leave that part out?” Hannah hit her sister causing her to push her. “Like what kind of kiss like just a sweet peck, or like long kiss or like full blown…” Her implication caused Ava to look over at her and smile brightly. “Ava!” Hannah hit her on the shoulder and Ava jumped off the bed and went back to getting ready. “I cannot believe you didn’t tell me!”
“I didn’t want you asking her a million questions today at therapy.” Ava smirked. And finished her eye shadow. She stood up and looked at Hannah, “Well? How do I look?” Hannah looked her over and nodded she looked the perfect blend of beautiful and sophisticated. More like normal Ava when she wasn’t trying to be sexy and or being in a uniform as a bossy officer. “okay I won’t be out late just dinner and drinks. Make sure you take your meds at ten.” Hannah saluted her as she walked out. She was happy for her sister she deserved to get herself back out there. And if she was being honest with herself, she deserved someone like Sara. Hannah already approved but now if things got serious well then, a shovel talk was in somebodies future.
As Ava pulled up to the diner and put her car in park, she felt the nerves starting to come back. She would have to explain her panic attacks and the shooting. She was sure Sara would run for the hills once she found out about Ava’s history. And Ava wouldn’t blame her if she did, because for some reason they all did. But she hoped Sara was different that she would understand that some people had demons and maybe explaining she hadn’t had a panic attack in quite some time would help in some small way but she had no idea what would happen after tonight. But in her mind, she had to try, she had never met someone like Sara before. Someone who made her world a little brighter, someone she was so drawn to naturally, someone who made her feel like the smartest person in the room and the dumbest person in the room all at the same time.
Ava made her way into the diner to the booth furthest away from the door. She was early and she knew she was, but she was nervous, and she didn’t want to take the chance to let her nerves and her brain talk her out of anything. She sat there the waitress came and she ordered two waters with lemon on the side just in case Sara like hers with lemon. She her eyes on the door when Sara walked in and took her breath away as soon as she saw her. Sara was wearing tight faded jeans and a shirt that fell of her right shoulder exposing skin and Ava wanted to trace with her lips. Seriously Sharpe get your shit together Ava thought to herself. Sara caught site of Ava as she stood to greet her and Ava swore, she could hear her intake of breath. Ava was wearing some Black jeans and a loose button-down shirt that fit in all the right places and yes, she made sure to unbutton the first couple buttons she accentuates her cleavage. Ava saw Sara’s eyes drop down to her cleavage and quickly shot back up and it caused her to blush uncontrollably. They embraced and then sat at their booth and settled in, Ava spoke first.
“I wasn’t sure if you took lemon in your water.” She said motioning towards the waters on the table and the small bowl of lemons. Sara smiled at her.
“I like it plain for future reference.” She smirked and Ava felt her stomach flip.
“I guess I should just cut right to the elephant in the room.” Ava said and then took a long drink of her water.
“Ava, you don’t have to explain anything really.” Sara said very assuredly.
“I want too.” Ava was nervous but she wanted Sara to understand. “About five years ago I was in Afghanistan Alex and me we had taken guard duty over so a couple corporals could go get Thanksgiving chow while it was hot. And there was a sniper.” Her voice faded as she took a deep breath. “The way it sounded was weird you know; the shot sound came later but the first thing I heard or that I remember hearing was a loud slam of a door.” She looks up at Sara who listening intently. “Turns out that was probably after I was shot when Alex was carrying me to safety. I was shot three times and honestly, I don’t remember much. When I got back stateside and had fully recovered, I met Allison and we started dating and it was good for a while until it wasn’t.” Ava took another drink and Sara still stayed quiet so she could keep going. “I thought I was okay honestly but then I we had our first big fight and she slammed doors and I had my first panic attack. Like my first really bad panic attack, for some reason I God help me I’m not sure why Allison figured out my trigger was the slamming door so anytime we would fight she would slam things and she knew if she did it enough what it would lead too. She almost did it just to cause them, I think. And then she started saying things to me and it made them worse, and she would just leave just walk out and I had to deal with them.” She dropped her eyes to her water. “I felt stuck like this is what I deserved, and I thought I wasn’t good enough for anyone else. That I was broken, and nobody would want me. No matter how many time Alex would tell me Allison was a bad person I just stayed.” Ava felt a hand wrap around hers and she looked up to see Sara’s eyes encouraging her to keep going, she took a deep breath and continued. “So, I stayed and stayed no matter what she said, or did I just stayed stuck in this horrible situation that I honestly thought was my fault and it was what I deserved. And then Hannah was injured, and it sounds weird but her getting hurt probably saved my life too. I got the call I needed to get to Germany because it was bad, so I ran home to grab a bag and let Allison know I had to go. And there she was with Lauren, that’s Alex’s ex. She definitely wasn’t expecting me to come home I worked long hours and it turned out she took advantage of those long hours with Lauren.” Ava took a deep breath and softly spoke. “I told them after the initial shock wore off and I grabbed my bag that when I got back Allison had better be gone and someone had better tell Alex because I was going too. Long story short Allison was gone by the time I got back, and Alex had went there while I was gone and moved everything out and I sold the condo and moved me into the house I live in now. Which was good because Hannah was going to come live with me when she was done with her recovery.” Ava looked up waiting for Sara to basically get up and run but she didn’t she looked deep in thought. “I know it’s a lot I get if it’s too much, but I wanted you to know.” Ava looked back down at her water. Sara’s hand was still on hers.
“That’s not what I was thinking.” Sara said and Ava met her eyes again.
“What were you thinking then?” Ava wanted to know.
“I should have broken both her arms.” Sara said looking angry “For what she did to you, what she said to you and for making you think you weren’t worth it.” Sara’s eyes changed and softened “Because I have to tell you something.” Sara leans in and whispers softly “You are so worth it.” Causing Ava to smile and blush and her whole body to light on fire at the look Sara has on her face. Ava shakes her head breaking eyes contact to hide her blush from Sara.
“You.” Ava can’t find the words and when she looks up and see’s Sara still looking at her and a smile on her face Ava can’t help herself. “Where have you been?” she looks back down.
“Waiting for you.” It was almost a whisper, but Ava heard it loud and clear and when she looked back up Sara had a gleam in her eyes one, she knew was honest and sincere. Ava was lost in her eyes for a moment when the waitress appeared to take their order. Causing them to both look up and then back to each other neither of them had even looked at the menu. “We might need another minute if that’s okay.” The waitress nodded and walked away Sara grabbed the menu and looked it releasing only one hand. Ava still gazing at her, “So are you going to just stare Sharpe or are you going to tell me what’s good to eat here?” She looked over her menu and winked and Ava’s eyes were wide she had been caught yet again staring at Sara.
“Oh, I... I like their lasagna.” Ava fumbles out her mouth embarrassed and looking down at the menu in front of her on the table.
“Well, that sounds perfect then.” Sara puts down her menu and places her other hand back on Ava’s And looks at Ava. Her hair down around her shoulders she looks deep in thought too deep. Like she wants to say more but doesn’t know how and Sara doesn’t want to push her. She just wanted to be near her, there was something about Ava, something that made her feel safe and something she made her feel warm in places she never thought she could.
“Who’s staring now?” A small smile crept onto Ava’s face as she only raised her eyes a little with her eyebrow arches and looked back down, but Sara didn’t stop looking at her just watching her.
“I thought I should tell you something.” Sara said quietly.
“What’s that?” Ava looked up at her.
“You look beautiful.” Sara said and Ava could swear her eyes turned a different shade of blue for a moment almost a darker color and then back to sky blue.
“There isn’t a good enough word for how you look.” It came out so quickly that Ava couldn’t believe it. She immediately put her head down on the table with a thump and to her surprise heard laughing from Sara not laughing so much as giggling. Sara reach over and placed her hand on Ava’s face and wrapped it around under her chin to pull her face back up so she could look into her eyes. “I’m sorry that sounded really stupid. I’m…you...” Ava takes a deep breath. “I told you, you make me nervous.” Sara’s smile never wavered.
“That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.” With her hand still on Ava’s chin she leans over the table and pulls Ava in a little and places a soft kiss on Ava’s lips. And when she pulls away there is that dark color in her eyes again and Ava can see it very clearly and then it goes away again. Once they part, they just look at each other for a moment and the waitress is back for their order.
Ava and Sara talk for two hours while eating what Sara can only states is the best Lasagna she has ever eaten. They talk about work and their past Ava never brings up Allision again and Sara tells Ava about her ex’s and how she had been out of the dating world for a while too. She shows her how she changed Hannah’s name and picture on her phone as requested and Ava explains she can’t tell the Gidget story she has to ask Hannah. Because that’s the rule, and because it really pisses off Hannah when someone asks. They find out that they were overseas and in the same general area on one deployment and that they even had been on the same base some years back but just never met or run into each other. Before they know it two hours have passed, and they realize it’s getting late and both have to work in the morning well Ava was going to go to the school and work on some admin stuff with no one around. Ava walks Sara to her car which happens to be pretty much next to her car since they were the only two still left in the diner. Sara opens her door and throws her purse in the car and closes the door and leans back on her car as Ava stands there looking down.
“I had a great time, and umm...I’d like to see you again. I mean if you want to see me again.” Ava looks up to gage Sara’s reaction. Sara acts quickly by grabbing Ava’s shirt and pulling her into a kiss, Ava shocked at first leans into the kiss. She deepens the kiss, feeling Sara’s hands in her hair her hands are propped up on wither side of Sara’s head on the car they are leaning on. Ava brushes her tongue along Sara bottom lip, and she accepts. Ava feels her entire body light on fire in the kiss she has never felt so right with someone as she does in this moment. Their bodies together felt like missing puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. Ava’s hands move down to Sara’s hips and pull her even closer causing a moan to slip from Sara’s lips which only fuels Ava’s fire into an inferno. Ava had to pull away because if she didn’t, she was going to find herself doing things in this parking lot that should not be done. She rests her forehead against Sara’s as they catch their breath.
“Wow.” Was all Sara could say, Sara could feel everywhere Ava was touching her and her whole body was tingling. She had never been kissed like that before she had never felt that fire before. Ava leaned back and Sara could feel her body react to the loss of contact.
“Are you busy Friday night?” Ava whispered and looked at Sara her face flushed, and lips swollen. Sara had never seen someone so beautiful in her life and she wanted her to feel her whole body react to the feeling.
“I am now.” She smiled “What did you have in mind?” Ava placed a quick peck on her lips and pulled away.
“I’ll text you when I get home.” She smirked and Sara stood there unable to move still leaning on her car. As Ava made her way to her car and looked at her smiling. “I think you’ll like what I have in mind.” Sara gave her a smile and turned and jumped in her car and Ava mirrored her and they headed home both with smiles on their faces and thoughts racing through their minds.
Major Cutey
11:23PM
Sorry I forgot to text when I got home
Hannah bombarded me with a million ?’s
You replied
11:25PM
Laurel is Currently interrogating me. So, I fully understand
Major Cutey
11:26PM
😊 BRB
You replied
11:42PM
BRB usually means be right back. You must have fallen asleep.
Major Cutey
11:47PM
Nope not asleep…
You replied
11:48PM
You don’t want to tell me what you were doing do you?
Major Cutey
11:50PM
If I say avoiding Hannah would that
Suffice?
You replied
11:51PM
Okay don’t tell me that’s fine.
Major Cutey
11:52PM
I was taking a shower.
You replied
11:53PM
Hot or cold?
Major Cutey
11:55PM
I refuse to answer that question.
You replied
11:57PM
Well Then I know what the answer is. 😊
Major Cutey
12:03AM
GIF SENT
You replied
12:05AM
That’s hilarious!
Major Cutey
12:06AM
That’s me right now!
You replied
12:07AM
So, fucking adorable!
Major Cutey
12:09AM
I can’t wait to see you again.
Good night Sara.
12:10AM.
Good night Ava.
Ava just stared at the response and her face was flushed red under her covers. Sara was going to dream about her maybe, she wanted to tell her how she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss and yes so, she had to take a cold shower, but she wasn’t going to tell Sara that in words so sending her a gif of a freezing man in the artic well that was close enough. And then Sara goes and says that it’s been so long since she dated someone, she wasn’t sure what she should or shouldn’t say. Half the crap that comes out of her mouth already with Sara sounds stupid. But she could flirt, she knew how to do that. Tomorrow she was going to make sure Sara knew she could flirt, via text and she was looking forward to messing with the goddess she was dating.