Archive of Our Own ^beta

Beatrice stares at the text message her mother had just sent her, the words replaying in her mind and yet their meaning not fully processing.

“Bea? Are you alright?” 

The soft voice calls out from behind the brunette, who pockets her phone with a swiftness that was a little too hurried. 

Beatrice clears her throat. “I’m fine.”

She turns to face her roommate (and best friend), who is already raising an eyebrow in suspicion at Beatrice’s actions.

“Jumpy today, aren’t we?” Ava teases. She sits at one of the stools in front of the kitchen island as Beatrice stands on the other side. “Did your parents contact you? About that New Years party of theirs?”

Beatrice shakes her head, “Nope. Not yet.”

“They’re not bugging you still about finding a…” Ava trails off before lowering her tone to a theater whisper, “a boyfriend , are they?”

“No, no–” Beatrice shakes her head even more vigorously. Totally not suspicious at all. “Nope.”

(Ava quirks an eyebrow again.)

“ Okaaay ,” Ava replies, dragging the word out a little. She taps her hands on the granite counter. “Ready to head out, then?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Beatrice hums and follows Ava out of their apartment building to get to their workplace. 

–

When they arrive, Mary drags Ava to the meeting room for a debrief and Beatrice finds herself immediately heading to Camila’s room. 

It’s ridiculously bright in the room, as it always is, and Camila barely looks up from the several screens in front of her in acknowledgment of Beatrice’s presence. 

However, when Beatrice closes the once-propped-open door, Camila gives the field agent her full focus. 

“Uh-oh,” she says lightly. “What happened? Why did you close the door?”

“My mother happened,” Beatrice pulls out her phone and shows Camila the text thread. She’s leaning on Camila’s desk as the hacker stays seated. 

Camila’s eyes scan the messages. 

Only several seconds pass before Camila lets out a scandalous gasp. 

“Why did you tell your mother that you have a girlfriend?!”

Beatrice’s eyes widen and she rushes forward to clamp a mouth over Camila’s.

“Tell the entire universe the news, would you?!” Beatrice hisses, very glad that she decided to close the door before having this conversation. 

“Well– atch leasht itch doeshn’t sheem–” Camila’s words are mushed and muffled against Beatrice’s palm. Beatrice lets go and Camila starts over. “It doesn’t seem like your mother took it badly. She even invited your girlfriend to the party.”

“Yes, except for the very obvious fact that I do not have a girlfriend at this very moment in time,” Beatrice mutters through gritted teeth, looking through the text messages for the nth time before sighing and locking her phone. “And I know my mother. She’s just playing nice. When I get there, she’s going to be overly critical of this fake girlfriend of mine–”

“Fake girlfriend ,” Camila repeats as her eyes light up like candles. “That’s it. That’s what you need. A fake girlfriend to bring.”

“What? No,” Beatrice frowns. “I meant ‘fake girlfriend’ as in she doesn't exist–not that I wanted somebody to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“But, it’s an option,” Camila suggests. “That, or I can help you set up some dating app profiles.”

She points to the phone in Beatrice’s hand. 

“Ugh, absolutely not,” Beatrice retorts in disgust. She stays quiet for a couple of moments. “I wouldn’t have anybody to ask, anyway.”

“Well, what you need is somebody who’s extremely lovable. Someone who your parents have no reason to hate.”

Beatrice scoffs. “Yeah? And who’s going to agree–”

“ You know who .” Camila raises both of her eyebrows in smug anticipation.

“No,” Beatrice says firmly. “No. I am not asking Ava to fake-date me.”

“You and I both know that she’s the only option,” Camila smiles as she says this and Beatrice hates that she feels so vulnerable all of a sudden.

“What about you ? Can’t you be–”

“No thanks,” Camila shuts her down. “I’m not exactly the perfect girlfriend to bring home.”

“What do you mean? You’re lovable.”

“I don’t think I could stomach pretending to be your girlfriend for an entire week, no offense,” Camila says casually, a grin on her lips.

Beatrice scoffs. “Offense taken.”

And, technically, it’s not even a week! It’s only six days.

“But I do think you really should talk to Ava about it,” Camila’s grin softens to a smile. “Besides, your parents already know her since you’ve been friends for so long. It’s an organic love-story!”

“Organic…” Beatrice murmurs. Her phone buzzes and she looks down to see a text from Superion. “Ah, I have to go. New case.”

“I understand,” Camila smiles and waves to Beatrice. “Good luck.”

“On the case?” Beatrice questions as she walks to the door to open it. She turns to look at Camila again. “Or on Ava?”

Camila’s back to typing something and staring at her screen. She gives a shrug.

“Both.”

–

“So,” Ava starts off as she sits in the passenger seat of their car. Beatrice is suddenly a thousand times more focused on the road she’s driving on, despite the fact that they’re nearing their destination. “Are we gonna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?” Beatrice replies as casually as she can.

“About why you’ve been so… weird today?” Ava clarifies, vaguely gesturing to Beatrice’s entire body. “You’re jittery when you’re usually very calm. It’s very odd and it’s kind of throwing me off my mojo, too.”

Beatrice can’t help the soft chuckle that leaves her lips. 

“Your mojo ?” she repeats, amused. She puts the car into park. 

She then glances over at Ava, who’s already smiling at her. 

“Yes, my mojo,” Ava nods. The joking atmosphere dies down slowly with the silence that follows. 

Ava bites down on her lower lip for a second, eyes flicking down to her lap. “I thought I forgot to clean a dish or something last night. I thought I did something to make you mad.”

“What? Of course not–why would you think that?” Beatrice’s eyes widen with concern. 

“Because you’re only being this weird around me,” Ava whispers in the most heartbreaking tone. “You were fine talking to Mary and Lilith earlier, so I thought I must’ve done something.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Beatrice reassures her, not able to take the sadness in Ava’s eyes or voice. She reaches over to take one of Ava’s hands into her own. “I promise you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Okay,” Ava whispers. “Then why do I feel like I did?”

“I…” Beatrice tries to speak, but she stops herself. She squeezes Ava’s hand. “Can we talk at home?”

“Sure,” Ava nods shakily before letting out a little laugh. “I suppose having this conversation right before stopping a potential drug traffick isn’t the best time.”

Beatrice tries to laugh too, but hers comes out a little weaker. 

“We’ll talk later.”

–

Five hours and one drug bust later, Ava and Beatrice return to their apartment exhausted. They fall into their natural night time routine: 

- Ava showers first (because she somehow always manages to get the dirtiest when they’re out on missions).

- Beatrice turns on the kettle and makes them both a cup of lavender tea before bed (Ava never finishes hers).

- Once Ava is done showering, Beatrice showers and Ava spends that time picking something on Netflix to watch (it’s usually just background noise for their conversation).

And as Beatrice, now freshly clean, settles down on the couch next to Ava, the shorter of the two turns her entire body to face her. 

“We’re home now,” Ava states. 

“That we are,” Beatrice confirms, trying her hardest to delay the inevitable.

“Alright then. What’s got you so worked up?” Ava questions seriously, immediately cutting to the chase. 

With a heavy sigh, Beatrice hands her phone over to Ava, who takes it with confusion in her eyes. 

“Open my text messages to my mother.”

Ava unlocks Beatrice’s phone, the password not even a problem to her best friend, and does as she’s told. Beatrice watches the emotions on Ava’s face as she does so. 

But Ava’s reaction is very unexpected. When Ava looks up, Beatrice is taken aback. 

She hadn’t expected to see so much… sadness in Ava’s eyes.

“You…” Ava frowns. “You didn’t tell me you have a girlfriend.”

At this, Beatrice can’t help but let out a yelp of a laugh that startles even herself. She quickly contains it and shakes her head. 

“No– no , Ava–that’s–” Beatrice stammers. She stops and then takes a deep breath. “That’s the problem. I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh,” Ava’s sadness turns back to confusion. “Then why did you tell your mother you did?”

Beatrice shrugs and sinks back into the couch, slouching. 

“You saw how incessant she was being with all of the ‘I’ll help you find the right guy’ or ‘my friend has a son your age who’s going to be at the party’ texts.” Beatrice stares blankly at the TV, which is playing some sort of survival reality show. “I just got sick of it and acted out. And now I’m stuck.”

“Oh. What are you going to do?” Ava asks. “Come clean to her?”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe? Are there other options?”

“Camila suggested I go on dating apps.”

“You told Camila before you told me?” Ava asks quietly.

Beatrice’s eyes snap back over to her best friend, guilt flooding her stomach. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

Ava frowns. She doesn’t respond to that, instead opting to say: “You’ll never be able to find a suitable girlfriend by New Years. You only have a couple weeks.”

“Way to have faith in me,” Beatrice mutters sarcastically. Ignoring the slight attack on her ego. 

“I said suitable girlfriend,” Ava rolls her eyes. “I’m sure you’d have girls swarming over you, but that’s not going to fly with your mother, is it? You’d need someone who’s not just looking for quick hook-ups.”

“No, I suppose not,” Beatrice clears her throat, trying not to dwell too much on the fact that Ava thinks she’d have girls swarming over her. 

“Well, did Camila say anything else?”

“Uhm…” Beatrice looks away. “Yes…?”

“Yes?”

“Yes.” Beatrice coughs. “She suggested I get someone to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

“That’s… not the most horrible plan ever, given the situation,” Ava mumbles. “But who would you get to do that?”

Beatrice scrunches up her nose and wordlessly raises a hand to point weakly at Ava. 

Ava’s eyebrows shoot to her forehead. 

“Me?”

“Camila suggested–”

“ Why ?”

“She said I needed someone lovable.” Beatrice explains. “And that it helps that my parents already know you, given it’s just been over video calls.”

“Yeah, and they love me,” Ava scoffs. “But I don’t know how well that would translate over if they saw me as your girlfriend and not just your best friend. For all you know, they might just start to hate me.”

The words shouldn’t hurt as much as they do. Ava never intends to hurt Beatrice–Beatrice knows that–but the thought of Ava being more concerned about how she’s seen to Beatrice’s parents than to Beatrice pulls at the sharpest of heart strings.

“Would that matter to you?” Beatrice asks quietly, mostly to herself. 

There’s a dull pain in her chest, one that reeks of abandonment and rejection. 

It only takes half of a second for Ava to realize what’s running through Beatrice’s brain. 

“ Hey ,” Ava calls out gently. She scoots closer and puts a hand on Beatrice’s shoulder. “You know that’s not what I meant. I don’t care what your parents think of me–well, I do , but not more than I care about how you think of me. I care about them because you do, okay?”

Beatrice hums, trying to ignore the elated numbness her entire right arm feels from Ava’s touch. 

“I don’t want to drag anybody into my own mess,” she shakes her head, tired eyes meeting Ava’s. “I was reckless and let my emotions drive my actions. I acted out and, of course, I regret it–”

“I’ll do it.”

“–I’ll take this as a learning lesson and–” Beatrice blinks. “Wait. What?”

“I’ll be your fake girlfriend.”

“No, Ava, you don’t have to do this for me.”

“I want to,” Ava replies and squeezes Beatrice’s shoulder. “Maybe this’ll finally be the time they start to back off. I know you said that you’ve brought girls home before, but maybe it’ll be different since they sort of know me.”

“Are you sure?” Beatrice asks worriedly. “You know my parents. They’re a lot.”

“I can handle a lot,” Ava says confidently. Her eyes are twinkling now. “Besides, I have so many vacation days to cash in. Superion would be happy to see me take a week off.”

–

Beatrice and Ava don’t speak much about the plan until the week before they’re set to take a week off and head to London to spend time at Beatrice’s childhood home. It’s early morning when Ava brings it up as she sits with Beatrice on the couch.

The mug in Beatrice’s lap is warm with coffee as Ava speaks up.

“I’m guessing your parents aren’t going to be too keen about PDA, right?”

Beatrice scoffs. “Yeah, no. No PDA.”

“But that’s not just because we’re gay, is it?” Ava frowns. “Do straight couples in your family do PDA?”

“They… do,” Beatrice recalls. “Hands on the waist, brief pecks, cheek kisses, hand-holding. Nothing too scandalous.”

Ava nods along. “That we can do, then.”

“I don’t know, Ava,” Beatrice responds nervously. She’s feeling more and more awake the longer this conversation goes on. 

“Oh, come on,” Ava takes the mug from Beatrice and sets it down on the coffee table. She then takes both of Beatrice’s hands into her own, making the girl angle herself in a way to face her. “We’ve already done all of that stuff. The only thing we haven’t done is kiss on the lips.”

“I’m not gonna make you kiss me, Ava,” Beatrice sighs frustratedly. She’d spent the last week already stressing over dragging her best friend into this situation, she doesn’t need to add the thought of kissing Ava onto the list of things keeping her up at night. 

Ava laughs and stares at Beatrice the way she usually does, her eyes are full of a mix of affection and amusement. 

“Bea, you make it sound like kissing you is some kind of torture method,” she jokes. “It won’t be anything scandalous, but I don’t think your parents would believe we were dating if we acted like we normally did on your video calls.”

Beatrice’s heart skips a beat as Ava’s thumbs slowly move back and forth over her knuckles. 

Ava keeps talking.

“I don’t want to force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, Bea. I just want to really sell this so your parents will finally give it up and accept you for who you really are.”

Beatrice nods slowly.

“I know,” she says softly. “I trust you, Ava. We can do what feels right in the moment–as… as a couple.”

Ava’s smile widens and she squeezes Beatrice’s hands. 

“Your entire family’s going to think we’re madly in love,” she laughs. “You do know I’m a fantastic actress, right?”

While Beatrice’s heart races, her stomach lurches and flips in a mixture of excitement and fear. She’s sure her family has already thought that she’s been madly in love with Ava for years, so next week probably won’t come as a surprise to them.

–

On their last shift on Friday, Ava and Beatrice bid goodbyes to their co-workers. 

Camila’s eyes are extra mischievous when she tells the fake-couple to have a nice week.

Walking through the parking garage, Beatrice notices Ava favoring her left leg and limping slightly. She takes note of it and opens the passenger door for her friend, who smiles thankfully and ducks into the car.

As Beatrice slides into the driver seat, she looks over to Ava. Under the moonlight, the Hello Kitty bandaid Camila had given for Ava’s forehead quite literally sparkles.

It makes Beatrice snort with laughter.

“What?” Ava asks, though she’s already smiling simply because of Beatrice’s happiness.

“The bandaid,” Beatrice points out, her hand reaching out as her thumb runs gingerly over said bandaid. “There’s glitter on it. You’re sparkling.”

“That’s a compliment I’ve never had given to me before,” Ava grins, subconsciously nuzzling her head further into Beatrice’s hand. “I’m sparkling .”

Beatrice half-heartedly rolls her eyes and continues cupping the side of Ava’s head. 

She lets her eyes run over the rest of the woman’s face, noticing a few other scratches.

“You’re not too hurt, are you?” she asks quietly. “You were limping.”

“I’m not too hurt,” Ava reassures. “Just need a good night’s sleep is all.”

Beatrice hums, her thumb lowering and gently running over the soft skin of Ava’s cheek bones. Her own breath catches in her throat at how intimate everything feels all of a sudden, and she retracts her hand to start the car.

“We’ll have to sleep early to catch the plane tomorrow,” Beatrice says after clearing her throat.

“I’ve set five alarms,” Ava states proudly.

“I set one,” Beatrice replies, which makes Ava grumble something under her breath along the lines of ‘Sorry we can’t all be Miss Perfect’. 

Beatrice smiles as she peels out of the parking garage and starts the drive home.

-

“The bandaid fell off,” is all Beatrice hears as Ava emerges from the bathroom after finishing her shower.

“Would you like another?” Beatrice calls out from her room. Ava appears in the doorway, her hair wrapped in a towel on her head.

Beatrice looks up from the suitcase she has set on her bed.

“Does it have Hello Kitty and sparkles on it again?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Beatrice smiles. She starts walking back towards the bathroom and Ava follows closely behind her. “But you do know you can put a bandaid on yourself, right?”

“Sure, but I like it when you do it for me,” Ava says casually as she effortlessly seats herself on the bathroom counter. 

“You’re like a child sometimes,” Beatrice states playfully, opening a cabinet and retrieving some first-aid ointment and the box of bandaids. 

“And you’re very motherly sometimes,” Ava replies easily. Their back-and-forth has always been good, but the practice of a few years in each other’s presence has made it flawless.

“This isn’t me being motherly ,” Beatrice mumbles, taking a bandaid out and then moving to uncap the ointment tube. She spreads a little onto the bandaid and then leans closer to Ava to place it on her cut.

“What is this you being then?” Ava’s voice drops in volume due to their close-proximity. 

Definitely due to their close-proximity and not anything else.

But what is Beatrice being when she treats Ava like this? 

Like a sister? 

Or just a friend? 

A best friend? 

Or a lover?

Beatrice uses the pad of her thumb to make sure the adhesive part of the bandaid sticks onto Ava’s skin. She doesn’t meet Ava’s eyes, which have been locked onto her face the entire time.

“This is me being the person who has to listen to you whine about the bandaid on your forehead always being creased because you don’t know how to put it on properly by yourself.”

It’s a safe answer, one that pulls them out of the sudden temperature-risen atmosphere. It’s a breath of fresh air when Ava’s dopey smile comes out. 

“I wouldn’t want anybody else to do it but you,” she smiles before leaning in and placing a quick kiss on Beatrice’s cheek. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Beatrice somehow manages to say, taking a step back so Ava can hop off the counter. “Have you finished packing?”

“More or less,” Ava shrugs, walking to her room.

Beatrice follows quickly. “What do you mean ‘more or less’?” she asks exasperatedly.

“Kidding,” Ava laughs as they reach her room. Her black suitcase is already zipped and standing up by her bedroom door. “I’ve had it done since last night.”

“Oh,” the tension in Beatrice’s shoulders deflates. 

“I know you’re anxious enough about this trip as is,” Ava hums. “My job is to just not make that worse.”

“You’re going as my girlfriend,” Beatrice points out. “That is the exact reason for my anxiety in the first place.”

“Yeah, but I can try to make it as painless as possible!”

“Right,” Beatrice replies, unconvinced. “I’m gonna go shower now. Tea’s ready, by the way.”

– DAY 1 –

After an uneventful flight, Beatrice and Ava land in London to find a chauffeur waiting for them.

“I feel like I’m in one of those movies where the poor girl suddenly finds out she’s actually family to a rich millionaire and goes to live with them,” Ava whispers hurriedly to Beatrice as they follow the man who’d been holding a ‘Miss Beatrice Young’ sign. 

At the very specific plotline, Beatrice looks at her like she’s lost a few screws in her noggin.

“You’ve been watching much too much TV, haven’t you?”

“You watch all of it with me,” Ava replies, her cheeks the slightest tinge of pink.

Their suitcases are loaded into the sleek black SUV parked out front. 

Their driver goes to open the door, but Beatrice beats him to it and nods for Ava to enter. Once they’re settled in the car, the divider between the driver and the backseat passengers gives them the slightest bit of privacy.

“How are you feeling?” Ava asks quietly, her hand reaching out to rest on Beatrice’s knee.

“As good as I usually feel about these family gatherings.”

“So: not at all good.”

“Nope.”

“Okay,” Ava nods understandingly, “Anything I can do to help?”

“Not much besides letting me get back on the next plane to Madrid, I’m afraid.”

Ava flips her hand so it’s palm-up, and wiggles her fingers for Beatrice’s. Beatrice slips her own shaky hand into Ava’s, and finds herself letting out the lightest sigh as Ava squeezes her fingers. It anchors her and sends her soaring at the same time.

“One week,” Ava reminds her.

Beatrice nods weakly.

“One week.”

-

As the car pulls into the Young estate, Beatrice watches Ava’s eyes widen comically.

“Bea, I know you told me you were well off, but holy shit.”

“Language,” Beatrice chastises.

“Oh–right,” Ava presses her lips together with a nod. “No swearing around the parents.”

“This house… is rarely used,” Beatrice states. “Only for big gatherings do we use it. It’s more of a vacation house for extended family.”

Beatrice doesn’t realize how tightly she’s grasping Ava’s hand until Ava struggles to wiggle her fingers.

“Bea, you’re cutting off my circulation here.”

“Oh, sorry,” Beatrice lets go immediately. The car goes into park and they hear the driver get out. Ava takes her hand again and Beatrice meets her eyes.

“Hey, we got this,” Ava whispers.

Before Beatrice can respond, the car door is opened. It’s a bit of a shock to see her parents already standing at the top of the house’s front steps.

“I’m gonna hurl,” Beatrice mumbles.

“Please don’t,” Ava replies. 

The two exit the car and Ava moves to get their suitcases, but Beatrice pulls her back by the hand.

“Somebody will get them.”

“Oh,” Ava clears her throat. “Well, let’s go say hello.”

Hand-in-hand, Ava and Beatrice make their way down the driveway and up the stairs.

Beatrice’s mother speaks first.

“I thought that was you, Ava,” she says, not unkindly. Her eyes linger on the cut on Ava’s temple. “So, you’re the one dating Beatrice.”

“That’s me,” Ava gives her signature grin and nods. She lets go of Beatrice’s hand to hold it out to her mother. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Mrs. Young.”

After a light shake of the hand, she turns towards Beatrice's father.

“And you, Mr. Young.”

This handshake is more firm, and Beatrice’s father doesn’t offer any words or smiles. 

Ava’s smile doesn’t falter the slightest bit. Beatrice gives her props for that. She’s grown up with the man and she still has moments where she can’t shake the way his eyes pierce into her, judging and cold.

“Hello, mother. Hello, father.”

Beatrice’s greeting is touch-less. More-or-less just a slight head bow/nod to each of her parents.

Her mother clears her throat, standing rim-rod straight.

“Very well. Your belongings should already be up in your rooms by now.”

“Rooms?” Beatrice repeats. “Plural?”

“Correct.”

“But–”

“We didn’t think it appropriate to let you two share a room.”

“Did you separate my cousins from their significant others, too?” Beatrice asks coldly. She feels her jaw clench as she stares between her parents. “This isn’t fair. You were the one who told me to bring Ava. And here I thought you were finally starting to make some progress with everything.”

Her mother opens her mouth to speak again, but Beatrice shakes her head and keeps talking.

“No ,” she says. “No. I knew it was a mistake to come here.”

She turns to start to walk away, but soft fingers wrap around her wrist and keep her rooted.

“ Hey ,” Ava calls out gently. Beatrice turns with angry tears in her eyes, meanwhile Ava’s eyes are soft as ever. She steps closer to Beatrice, blocking Beatrice’s view of her parents and vice versa. All she can see and focus on is Ava. “It’s okay. It’s just for a week– less than a week.”

“It’s not okay,” Beatrice grits out, a hot tear rolling down her cheek. “It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Ava whispers, her free hand catching the tear before it falls off her face. “Six days, Bea. It’s only the first day. Let’s just get through this one, yeah?”

Beatrice sniffles before giving a short nod. “Fine.”

“Fine,” Ava repeats faintly.

Beatrice takes another moment to gather herself, and Ava doesn’t move until she’s ready. When Beatrice meets her mother’s eyes again, her mother looks almost satisfied with herself.

“Emotional as ever, I see.” 

From her peripheral vision, she notices Ava tense up. It’s barely noticeable, but Ava is Ava and Beatrice is Beatrice, so she notices.

It’s gone in a flash, and Ava gives a friendly smile.

“If you’ll excuse us, I think we’re going to head to our rooms for a little bit. I feel a little motion sickness after the flight.”

“We’ll have somebody drop medicine off,” Mrs. Young states as she eagle-eyes the hand that Ava uses to take hold of Beatrice’s.

“That’ll be much appreciated. Thank you very much.”

With that, Ava pulls them into the house.

They walk a few steps before Ava stops.

“Bea, I don’t know where I’m going.”

Despite the ridiculously tense situation beforehand, Beatrice lets out a little giggle.

“You seemed confident enough,” Beatrice states and starts leading them down the correct hallway and up some stairs, and then down another hallway. “I’m going to assume Mother put you in the guest room next to mine.”

The guess is correct, considering Ava’s suitcase is stationed just outside of its door. Ava grabs the handle of the suitcase and follows Beatrice into her own room.

“We share a bathroom,” Beatrice states.

Ava scoffs. “Did they think a shared bathroom is going to stop a couple from sleeping together?”

“I don’t know,” Beatrice mumbles. “I’m just kind of surprised that they didn’t put you in the guest room across the house from me.”

“I think I might’ve taken you up on that flight back to Madrid if they did.”

“Yeah,” Beatrice sighs, sitting down on her bed with a huff. “I’m sorry, Ava.”

“What? Why are you apologizing, Bea?” Ava sits down next to her, eyebrows furrowing.

“This was a mistake,” Beatrice shakes her head. “I… I hate the way I feel when I’m home. I don’t know what I was thinking, dragging you into it, too.”

“You didn’t drag me into anything,” Ava replies. “I’m here willingly, Bea. I’m serious. The way your parents act doesn’t make me think any less of you.”

Beatrice stays quiet, just staring helplessly at Ava’s comforting eyes.

“Besides, if us being fake-together really makes them so uncomfortable that they separate us into two rooms, just know that I’m not above some petty revenge.”

“Petty revenge?” Beatrice tilts her head.

“Extra PDA, just to let them really get uncomfortable,” Ava suggests with a teasing grin. “You know, only if you’re alright with that.”

“I don’t know, Ava,” Beatrice laughs hollowly. “We might just get chased out of here.”

“Then so be it,” Ava shrugs. “You hate it here anyway, Bea. I never liked seeing how sad you got when you had to visit home. I hate it even more seeing firsthand how different you are when you’re here. If us smooching in front of your parents gives them the heebie-jeebies enough to the point that they kick us out, I say we head to a hotel and sightsee for the rest of our vacation.”

Beatrice feels her eyes fill with tears once again. She looks down at her lap and sniffles.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Bea,” Ava leans down so she can find Beatrice’s eyes, looking up at Beatrice with her own glossy eyes. “You deserve me and so much more.”

It’s enough to make more tears fall, and Ava leans up and over to hug the older girl. Beatrice buries her face into Ava’s shoulder as toned arms wrap around her body. 

“We can still play everything by ear,” Ava says gently, one hand of hers resting on Beatrice’s lower back and the other gingerly holding the back of Beatrice’s head. “I’m okay with anything you want.”

Beatrice can only bring her hands up and crumple the bottom of Ava’s shirt in response, nose nuzzling Ava’s jawline.

-

After debating on whether or not Ava really shares the room, they decide on Ava taking the separate room so Beatrice’s mother won’t hate her right off the bat. Ava thinks Beatrice’s mother will turn around eventually if she sees that Ava’s respectful of her wishes.

Beatrice knows better and keeps her hope to a minimum.

Still, Ava puts her suitcase in the other room and freshens up in the shower.

“I hate the way I feel after a plane ride,” she says before she disappears into the bathroom.

Beatrice ignores the fact that the door connecting her room to the bathroom is open while Ava’s showering. They’ve showered with the door open in their apartment. 

No biggie.

… 

A knock at her door makes Beatrice jump from her spot on her bed. 

(How long has she been staring at the bathroom entrance?)

She gets up and straightens out her clothes before opening the door.

Her mother’s standing outside.

“Hello, Beatrice.”

“Hello.”

“Is Ava with you?”

“No, her stuff’s in the other room and she’s showering right now.”

“I see,” her mother replies. “I suppose you were not wrong about the roomming situation being… unfair.”

Beatrice’s eyes almost pop out of their eyelids.

Her mother keeps talking.

“It wouldn’t look right to the family if I separated only you and Ava.”

There it is .

She only cares because of her reputation.

“You may share your room,” she says, speaking as if Beatrice isn’t a grown woman. “I expect no funny business.”

“Okay,” Beatrice replies shortly. “Is that all?”

Her mother releases a deep breath. 

“Dinner at seven. Your aunts, uncles, and cousins will be arriving shortly.”

She turns on her heels and walks away.

The shower shuts off and Beatrice slowly closes her door and heads back to her bed. She sits on the edge and flops onto her back, her legs dangling off the side. She listens to the sound of water dripping and of Ava getting out of the shower as she closes her eyes, trying to contain some of her anxiety with deep breaths.

She listens to Ava shuffle into her room and feels the bed dip as Ava lays down next to her.

“What’s up?” Ava whispers.

“Why are you whispering?” Beatrice whispers in reply, eyes opening and head turning to look at her best friend.

“In case you were sleeping,” Ava continues whispering. “But hey, you’re doing it back.”

“You’re ridiculous,” Beatrice says in a normal tone.

“Heh, I know,” Ava grins. “Did somebody stop by? I heard the knock on the door.”

“My mother did,” Beatrice sighs. “She said you can stay in my room because she doesn’t want the rest of our family finding out she put us in different rooms.”

“Wow…” Ava frowns.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I almost can’t wait to see the look on her face when I kiss you in front of her,” Ava laughs, looking up at the ceiling. “She might resort to removing your bedroom door.”

“They’ve done that before, actually,” Beatrice states, ignoring the ‘when I kiss you’ statement because if she thinks about it for more than a second, she might combust.

“You’re kidding,” Ava turns her head to look at Beatrice.

“No. I was in high school when I came out to them.”

“Jeez…” Ava whispers. “In that case, I doubly can’t wait to kiss you in front of her.”

Despite the fact that she’s on the verge of a heart attack, Beatrice smiles and laughs a little with the shake of her head.

“You and your petty revenge.”

–

A couple of hours later, both girls are showered and ready for dinner. Beatrice wears a formal button-up and some dress pants whereas Ava wears a flowy blouse with her own pair of dress-pants. They walk hand-in-hand to the dining room, where conversation and laughter was already heard.

They’re not late by any means, but the extended family had already been at the house for an hour by now. The fake-couple stayed in their room to avoid them at all costs.

But, alas.

All eyes are on them within seconds, and conversation hushes.

Ava shines brightly.

“Hello, I’m Ava,” she waves with her free hand. “I’m Beatrice’s girlfriend.”

There are a couple of murmurs at first, and then an aunt says ‘hello’, an uncle says ‘hey’, and a baby cousin asks what happened to Ava’s face.

Ava grins at the little boy who asked and pulls Beatrice into the two seats besides him. She proceeds to explain (in little kid terms) why she has so many scratches on her face as Beatrice watches along amusedly.

“So you’re a cool super-spy like Aunty Bea!” 

Ava nods with a small laugh. “I’m not nearly as cool as your Aunty Bea, but I work with her, yes.”

A third voice joins in, “Is that how you two met?”

It’s one of Beatrice’s many aunts, Angelie, a quiet but not unkind woman.

Ava’s smile widens as she recalls their first meeting. 

“Beatrice actually beat me up the first time we met.”

The statement causes laughter around the room, and Beatrice looks away from Ava to see that they have an audience now, and it wasn’t just little Tommy listening to Ava speak.

“Ava, you can’t just say that and not give context,” Beatrice says embarrassedly. 

Ava bumps her shoulder lightly into Beatrices.

“Aw, come on. It’s funnier that way,” she grins.

Beatrice rolls her eyes and starts to tell the actual story. 

“I was the trainer that day for the new agents. Ava kept getting distracted so I used her to set an example.”

“Translation: she beat me up in front of twenty-something other agents.”

More laughter.

Beatrice can’t even pretend to glare at Ava, because the girl is just too damn charming and adorable. She smiles fondly at her and shakes her head at the younger girl. 

“Have you been dating since then?” Beatrice doesn’t know who asks, because she keeps her eyes on Ava.

Ava shakes her head, “We were best friends and roommates for three years. We only started dating…” she trails off to look at Beatrice, who smiles.

“It’s been a few months. We started dating in February.”

Ava grins and nods towards the rest of the table. “It helps having a girlfriend with photographic memory.”

Light chuckles.

“It’s not photographic,” Beatrice mumbles.

“It’s scary enough to be photographic, my love.”

My love .

Beatrice nearly swoons right then and there.

Luckily, the focus shifts away from the fake-couple as trays of food are delivered to the table by the chefs. Beatrice stares down at her lap as she wills the redness from her cheeks and the tips of her ears to go away.

Ava’s hand takes her own and she looks up to see everyone holding hands with the person next to them. Beatrice blindly takes the person sitting to her left’s hand as the prayer her father gives goes in one ear and out through the other. 

She lets go of the other person’s hand and keeps Ava’s clasped in between her own. 

Ava turns to her with a slight look of worry on her face.

Beatrice just lightly shakes her head with a soft smile, releasing Ava’s hand to keep her from worrying. Ava doesn’t move her hand away, letting it rest on Beatrice’s thigh.

She frowns but turns away as little Tommy offers her a roll of bread from the basket. She places a piece of bread onto Beatrice’s plate first and then another onto her own. 

With every dish that rotates around the table, Ava always places the food on Beatrice’s plate first (even though Beatrice would’ve been right after her to get the chance to get her own food).

This doesn’t go unnoticed by Beatrice’s family, as a couple teasing comments are made at Ava’s chivalry.

“It’s the least I can do,” Ava laughs, shaking her head. “She does all the cooking at our apartment. She doesn’t let me go near the kitchen, really.”

“She’s burnt a bag of popcorn,” Beatrice states calmly.

“It was one time!”

Beatrice smiles at her and Ava pouts dramatically.

“Alright, alright,” she comforts her fake-girlfriend with a hand on her thigh, patting it a couple of times.

Ava’s pout turns into a grin and she interlaces her fingers with Beatrice’s, raising the hand to her lips and placing the gentlest of kisses to Beatrice’s knuckle. There are a couple of ‘aww’s that circle the table.

The drunk-in-love look in Beatrice’s eyes isn't part of the act, but at least if Ava calls her out for it later, she can fall back onto playing into their fake-couple situation. 

Ava smiles shyly behind Beatrice’s hand and lets go, the two of them returning their attention to the food in front of them. 

-

The rest of dinner goes by with the family catching up with each other and asking Ava a little about herself. Eventually, conversation becomes quiet with everyone’s depleted energy. Little Tommy is asleep in his chair, his head resting on Ava’s lap.

“He seems quite taken with you, Ava,” Angelie says with a smile. 

“I tend to have that effect on kids,” Ava winks. “Are you staying here tonight? I can carry him up to your room for you.”

“That would be wonderful,” Angelie stands from her chair.

Ava turns to Beatrice with a grin.

“I’ll be right back,” she says before leaning in and pressing a quick peck onto Beatrice’s cheek.

She stands and lifts Tommy into her arms easily, disappearing to follow Angelie down the hallway.

“Your girlfriend is adorable,” the uncle sitting beside her tells Beatrice. There’s agreement from other family members and it makes Beatrice burn with pride.

“She is, isn’t she?” Beatrice smiles. Her eyes flicker over to where her parents are sitting, and her father is as expressionless as ever, meanwhile her mother is staring very intensely at her.

-

After helping tuck Tommy into bed and bidding goodnight to Angelie, Ava heads back towards the dining room. She notices Beatrice walking towards the kitchen, and then notices Beatrice’s mother watching her with determination in her eyes. Her mother was still seated at the table and only just started to get up. 

With quick thinking, Ava follows Beatrice.

Beatrice, who’d just grabbed a glass of water, turns from the sink to see Ava standing quite close to her.

“ Holy shi–” Beatrice gasps.

Ava takes the cup from Beatrice’s hold and places it on the counter before rotating their bodies so she’s the one with her back against the counter. She does all of this in one motion, and it leaves Beatrice reeling.

“Your mother is going to come into the kitchen in a second,” Ava says, her left hand reaching up to cup Beatrice’s neck. “I’m going to kiss you.”

“What?” Beatrice’s eyes widen. 

“I’m your girlfriend ,” Ava hisses a reminder, grabbing one of Beatrice’s hands to guide it onto her own waist. “Don’t look so terrified to kiss me.”

“Yes, but–”

Beatrice doesn’t get to say anything because Ava sees motion in the kitchen entryway and pulls Beatrice towards her.

It’s tame in terms of kisses. 

Their lips meet gently and Ava only just begins to move her lips to slot properly against Beatrice’s before there’s somebody clearing their throat behind them.

Ava pulls back in feigned surprise. Beatrice watches as Ava flawlessly smiles at the person who’d intruded.

“Mrs. Young! Thank you so much for dinner. It was delicious,” she then taps Beatrice’s shoulder. “Love? Say thank you to your mother. Don’t be rude.”

Beatrice looks at Ava incredulously, and the corner of Ava’s lips twitch upwards in a half-smirk. 

As if Beatrice’s heart wasn’t already about to beat out of her chest, Ava has to be infuriatingly attractive.

Beatrice then turns and sees her mother standing with crossed-arms.

“Yes, thank you for dinner. It was lovely.”

“Well, I chose the menu to impress,” her mother huffs. She stands awkwardly, unsure of what to do with herself. She manages out a sharp: “Breakfast at 8. Lunch at 2.”

And then promptly exits.

Ava’s hand, which was still on Beatrice’s shoulder, tightens its hold as she lets out a little squeal.

“We totally got under her skin tonight,” Ava whispers, pulling Beatrice closer so they’re basically pressed together. Beatrice’s hand is still on Ava’s waist and her other hand grips onto the counter Ava’s leaning backwards on. Both of Ava’s arms rest on Beatrice’s shoulders as her fingers lightly interlock behind Beatrice’s neck. “Did you see the look on her face at dinner?”

“Oh, she looked pissed,” Beatrice states with a nod. She feels… exhilarated. Excited. She’s never felt so in control of herself in front of her mother. The way the rest of their family reacted so well to Ava also played a hand in her current state of confidence. The feeling is intoxicating. 

“I think the kiss broke her,” Ava giggles.

Beatrice thinks it’s best not to mention that the kiss might’ve broken herself, too.

(Like mother, like daughter…?)

“It was barely a kiss,” Beatrice scoffs.

“ Oh ?” Ava quirks an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge I hear?”

“There is no such challenge,” Beatrice replies quickly. “I was merely stating how prudish my mother is.”

“Prudish? I mean… She had a child, Bea.”

“Ew, Ava,” Beatrice makes a face. “Let’s not talk about that, please.”

Ava lets out a laugh and leans up to kiss Beatrice’s cheek for the second time that night, except there’s no audience this time, and the fact makes the simple peck feel that much more heavy.

“Good job getting through today, Bea,” Ava whispers, her nose brushing Beatrice’s cheek as she fully pulls Beatrice into a hug. “I know it wasn’t easy.”

The hand Beatrice has on the counter behind Ava moves to pull the younger girl closer, both of her hands now wrapping around Ava’s waist.

“Thank you, Ava,” Beatrice whispers. “I really couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Mmmm, I know,” Ava hums. “I’m a pretty good girlfriend.”

Beatrice chuckles at the girl’s cockiness, ignoring the weight on her heart and the little voice at the back of her head wishing this could all be real.

“Let’s go get ready for bed?” Beatrice suggests.

“Two more seconds,” Ava whispers lightly, nuzzling closer to Beatrice. “I ate too much and I don’t think I can make the journey up the stairs.”

“You’re being dramatic,” Beatrice states, though she does nothing to move Ava away from her.

– DAY 2 –

It’s not the first time they’ve shared a bed before–and it’s not even the first time that they’ve cuddled–but waking up to Ava asleep on her chest, in her childhood bedroom, is a whole new experience for Beatrice entirely. 

Ava’s sprawled on the entire right side of Beatrice’s body, and Beatrice can only bend her elbow and run her fingers through Ava’s short hair as she listens to the birds chirping outside. A few minutes later, she hears some noise in the house as other people begin to wake up.

Beatrice tries to close her eyes and bask in the warmth of Ava’s body pressed against her. Not even two seconds after her eyes close, there’s a knock on the door.

She lets out a deep breath and tries to slide out from under Ava without waking the other girl.

It doesn’t work. Ava groans and then whines, trying to keep Beatrice in bed.

“Somebody’s at the door,” Beatrice says quietly. Ava reluctantly releases her grabby hands and slowly sits up, her hair all over her face. Beatrice smiles at the sight and runs her hand over her own hair to make herself look presentable before opening the door.

“Breakfast is ready,” her mother states.

“Okay,” Beatrice replies. “Is that all?”

“Is Ava in here?”

“Yes,” Beatrice answers. “She is my girlfriend. We did sleep in the same bed. Is that a problem?”

A familiar arm snakes across Beatrice’s waist.

“Don’t be so snappy, Bea,” Ava’s voice is croaky with sleep. Beatrice looks over to see Ava, still sleepy but significantly less bedhead-y. “Good morning, Mrs. Young. Beatrice and I will be down shortly.”

“Wonderful,” her mothers replies snappily before turning away.

Beatrice huffs out in amusement at her mother’s retreating figure. She closes the door as Ava’s body leans against her own.

“I’m not sure why she isn’t sending the butlers to call me down. That’s what she normally does.”

“She was staring at your neck, Bea,” Ava says through a yawn. She starts walking towards the bathroom as she stretches her arms upwards. “She’s making sure we aren’t getting frisky.”

“She was?” Beatrice calls out to Ava’s back.

“Mmhmm,” Ava hums in reply. She stops at the bathroom door and turns to wink at Beatrice. “And I have a plan to really rile her up tomorrow morning.”

-

Breakfast is significantly less chaotic than dinner was. Not many of them are morning people, despite being Beatrice’s relatives. Ava never knows how Beatrice looks so put together in the morning.

Little Tommy is there, of course, and he lights up when he sees Ava (and Beatrice–but mostly just Ava).

“Mommy told me you carried me to my room! Up the stairs!”

“Hey, buddy,” Ava grins. “Yup. I sure did. How’d you sleep?”

“Like a rock.”

“Atta boy,” Ava laughs, watching Beatrice walk to the coffee machine. Beatrice grabs two mugs, and Ava’s lips form a soft smile, her attention returning to Tommy. 

Conversation flows easily with six year olds. You just let them talk, really.

Tommy explains something about his daycare or his toys, and Ava replies with ‘No way!’ or ‘Really?!’, which only ramps up Tommy’s excitement.

That’s how all of breakfast goes, everyone is more than willing to let Tommy be the only energetic one at the table.

It seems like everyone in the family has their own plans for the rest of the day as discussion revolves around these plans. 

“What about you two?” Angelie asks as she tries to wipe off some butter on Tommy’s cheek. They’re standing from their chairs. “Any plans for the day?”

“I’m not too sure,” Ava turns to Beatrice, who’s mid-coffee-sip. “Anything on the itinerary, babe?”

Beatrice is extremely glad she managed to successfully drink the coffee in her mouth without sputtering or choking. She shakes her head.

“I didn’t have anything planned,” she says, stomach fluttering. “We can visit the old bookstore and cafe I used to always go to as a kid, if you want? That is–if they haven’t closed down.”

“It’s a date,” Ava winks at her. She looks back at Tommy. “I’ve got a pretty woman to take out on a date, kid. You have fun at the movies with your mom, okay?”

“I will! Have fun on the date Aunty Bea and Aunty Ava!” he runs down the hallway and Angelie chuckles, waving goodbye to the pair before following her son.

Ava wiggles her eyebrows at Beatrice. “I’m Aunty Ava.”

“And I’m a pretty woman ,” Beatrice replies with a laugh.

“Yes,” Ava hums. “You’re a beautiful woman, Bea.”

She reaches for Beatrice’s hand while Beatrice is rendered speechless. Ava smiles widely.

“Take me to this cute little bookshop cafe you were talking about, Bea.”

–

After some back and forth hassle with their chauffeur, Beatrice managed to get the keys to her own car for the day. She and Ava head off of the estate and it feels like Beatrice is driving away from a dark, gray storm cloud as she does so.

“I think this week is gonna fly by, Bea,” Ava says with a content smile as she leans her head towards the open window. “Minus your parents, the rest of your family seems lovely.”

“They are,” Beatrice nods. “They’re the main reason why I broke the no-contact with my parents.”

Ava turns to look at Beatrice as she speaks.

Beatrice swallows the lump in her throat. “I figured they were worth anything my parents would’ve put me through.”

“That’s such a you-thing to do,” Ava states.

“What?” 

“Being that selfless and loving,” Ava explains. “Even though your parents were horrible to you.”

“Yeah, I know,” Beatrice breathes out. “You know, I’m a little surprised at how well you’re doing.”

“What do you mean?” Ava questions.

“Well, I mean…” Beatrice trails off. “You’re usually very… protective over me.”

Protective is an understatement. 

Beatrice tries not to think of how many bones Ava has broken (in other people) whenever she'd been in the line of danger. Ava’s not the most rational thinker when Beatrice is the one who’s hurt.

“Oh,” Ava laughs loudly. “Bea, I’m still protective, I’m just being tactful about it. It’s one thing to punch an asshole criminal in the nose but it’s another when it’s your parents.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

Ava grins. “Don’t worry, Bea. I’m only being cordial with them, but if they really cross a line, I’ll cross it with them.”

And, really, it shouldn’t be such a hot thing to hear, but Beatrice’s stomach does a flip and she tightens her grip on the steering wheel.

“Well, only if you want me to cross it.”

Fuck, she’s so hot.

“Permission granted,” Beatrice manages to mumble.

Ava’s smile, even just from Beatrice’s peripheral vision, manages to make her chest blossom with warmth and she finds her own lips curving upwards.

-

When Beatrice manages to find street parking, she pays the meter and then gestures for Ava to follow her. Considering it’s the middle of the summer, there’s a good amount of people walking around the streets, so Ava curls her fingers around Beatrice’s bicep as they walk.

“I spent a lot of time on this street because my high school was a couple streets down,” Beatrice speaks with an almost melancholy tone. “I never wanted to go home, so I’d just… wander. The bookshop cafe was a nice place to hang out without getting yelled at for loitering. I read a lot of books and drank a lot of coffee.”

Ava snorts. “As one would expect to do at a bookshop cafe.”

Beatrice smiles, knocking her shoulder lightly into Ava’s. “It was run by the mother of a girl in my grade. She and I were sort of friends.”

“Sort of?” Ava questions.

“We never spoke outside of the shop,” Beatrice shrugs. “Especially not in school.”

“Ah, the ‘sort of’ makes sense now,” Ava nods.

“Yeah,” Beatrice chuckles. “I had a big crush on her, too.”

Ava’s mouth opens to say something, but Beatrice stops walking and opens the front door of a shop for Ava to walk in first.

“We’re here,” Beatrice smiles. “I’m glad it’s not closed, actually. I was really worried it would be.”

Ava enters first and glances around. There are a couple patrons inside, but they’re tucked away in their own booths with their noses buried in a book and half-drunk coffees in front of them.

Beatrice follows Ava’s slow walk towards the counter as the younger girl takes in the small shop. It’s cozy. Ava can see why Beatrice liked it so much as a teen.

“Beatrice, is that you?”

Ava blinks at the sweet voice that cuts through the air.

“Oh, wow,” Beatrice’s eyes widen as they stand in front of the counter. Ava looks between her best friend and the barista, a quirked eyebrow as the two of them just stare at each other. “Nina, long time no see.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Nina laughs, resting her arms on the counter and leaning forward. “How are you? It’s been… so many years.”

“Yeah, yeah, it has,” Beatrice laughs, shaking her head. “I’ve been good–”

“You look good, too–”

“Oh, please,” Beatrice rolls her eyes. 

Ava stands awkwardly, feeling more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. She has half the nerve to clear her throat so either of them would acknowledge her presence.

“Where the hell did you disappear off to? I thought you were dead.”

“I moved to Madrid,” Beatrice explains. She then gestures to Ava. “This is Ava, my–”

“–girlfriend,” Ava shoots Nina a smile that’s a little too sweet. Nina looks at her like Ava’s suddenly materialized out of thin air. Rude . “Bea told me about this shop and I couldn’t wait to check it out.”

“Oh,” Nina clears her throat, leaning back and standing up straight, “yeah, yeah–it’s a family business so that’s how you know it’s real good.”

Beatrice’s eyes haven’t left Ava’s side-profile since Ava had cut her off. 

She doesn’t even realize Ava’s ordered drinks for both of them (and paid) before Ava’s taking her hand and dragging her to a booth right by the front door (and furthest away from the counter).

Even once they’re sat on the opposite sides, Ava stays quiet. She stares out of the window and watches people walk by. 

Beatrice stares at Ava, who has the slightest crease in between her eyebrows and the barely-there tension in her jaw.

“Ava,” Beatrice calls out to her lightly. 

Ava looks away from the window with a hum, eyes not as bright as they usually are. Beatrice thinks she sees a hint of shame and/or guilt in her expression.

Beatrice leans forward a bit.

“It’s weird seeing you in a bookstore.”

The randomness of the sentence does its job, because Ava’s tension melts away with the sputtered laugh that shakes her shoulders.

“Excuse me?”

Beatrice smiles with her. “I have never seen you pick up a book in my entire life.”

“You’re not wrong,” Ava rolls her eyes. “I’m just more of a movie person.”

“That should be a crime,” Beatrice jokes. “Movies never do the book justice.”

“They do them justice just fine for my attention-span, thank you,” Ava juts out her chin in playful defiance. 

Beatrice chuckles and then hears Nina call out their order. 

Ava moves to go grab it, but Beatrice pats her hand. 

“I’ll grab them and then we can go,” Beatrice smiles.

Ava tries to reject her offer, but Beatrice is already walking towards the counter.

Nina smiles sheepishly at her.

“Sorry about that,” Nina says as she awkwardly rubs the back of her neck. “I didn’t know you were a taken lady.”

“It’s alright,” Beatrice laughs politely. “I didn’t expect to see you here, to be honest. Just before we got to the store I told Ava that I used to have a crush on you, so you’ll have to forgive her for being a little snappy.”

“Ah, that checks out,” Nina chuckles with a nod. “I don’t blame her. But, hey, if you’re ever in town again and want to hang out as friends, you should contact me.”

Nina reaches into her back pocket to pull out her phone. Beatrice agrees and puts in her phone number before saying goodbye. She has both drinks in hand as Ava stands from the booth. She opens the door for Beatrice.

They walk down the street some more, sipping their coffee and entering random shops that peak their interest. Conversation is kept to a minimum, but Beatrice can see that Ava’s as taut as a bow string. 

Still, Beatrice doesn’t push.

When their stomachs start to rumble, Ava finds a little sandwich shop tucked into the corner of a small grocery store. Two paninis in hand, they keep walking until they find a shitty-excuse for a park/playground. There are, however, several picnic tables. 

They sit at the cleanest one and eat in silence. 

Again, Beatrice doesn’t push.

She knows Ava will talk to her when she wants to. She’s learned over the years that Ava is the opposite of her. While Beatrice is one who needs to be prodded to open up, Ava will run at even just the hint of prodding. 

It’s best to let her process on her own time and open up when she wants to. 

They finish their coffees as well as their paninis, and Beatrice stands to toss their trash. Ava doesn’t look up from the table.

When Beatrice returns, Ava finally meets her eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

Beatrice raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Okay…? I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for, Ava.”

“For saying I was your girlfriend. Back there. To Nina.”

“Oh,” Beatrice replies dumbly. She lets out a shrug. “I didn’t mind.”

“I minded,” Ava states. “Well–I… I mind. She was very pretty.”

Beatrice holds her breath. 

All arrows point to Ava being… jealous. 

But why would Ava be jealous?

“If I hadn’t said I was your girlfriend, I think… I think you two would start to date.”

“Ava…” Beatrice sighs. “It’s okay, really.”

“I saw you give her your number,” Ava says before her teeth worry her bottom lip. She nibbles for a second and then looks away, looks at the chipped paint on the shitty set of swings that keeps on creaking in the wind. “You could just explain the fake-dating situation to her and then maybe you’d still have a chance–”

“Ava.”

Ava’s eyes snap back over to Beatrice upon hearing such a stern tone.

Beatrice’s eyes soften and she lightly kicks Ava’s shin under the table.

“I’m not interested in Nina, Ava.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah: oh ,” Beatrice says teasingly. “You can tell anybody walking down the street that you’re my girlfriend, Ava. I’m not going to get mad at you.”

“But–” Ava frowns. “I’m not your girlfriend.”

“I know,” Beatrice acknowledges with a sharp pain in her heart, the smile on her face not faltering. “But I don’t think I could ever do better than dating Ava Silva, so I might as well bask in the fact that I’m fake dating her.”

To Beatrice’s surprise, Ava’s cheeks color pink instantly. 

“You’re being greasy.”

“Greasy?!” Beatrice repeats with a laugh.

“Greasy,” Ava repeats.

“You’re the one calling me ‘my love’ and ‘baby’,” Beatrice points out. “You kissed me!”

“That’s not being greasy!”

“Oh, it totally is!”

They both laugh at each other, their hands finding each other across the picnic table. 

Ava fiddles with Beatrice’s fingers.

“You’ll tell me if I go too far, right?” Ava asks, some worry in the quiver of her voice.

“Of course,” Beatrice nods. “I already said that I trust you, Ava.”

“Alright,” Ava bites her lip with her own nod.

Beatrice's phone buzzes, and she tenses at the special ringtone she’d set for her mother.

She opens the text with her free hand.

“Everything okay?” Ava asks.

“Hmm? Yeah,” Beatrice one-handedly types out a reply to her mother. “Mother wants us back by seven for dinner, obviously. Something about family movie-night tonight, too.”

“Ooh, fun!”

Beatrice checks the time quickly and sees that it’s nearing five in the afternoon. 

“I guess we should head back. We can shower and laze around in bed before another dinner event.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe .”

–

Dinner consisted of everyone talking about their day’s events. Tommy excitedly talked about the dinosaur movie he’d seen, and then goes on about how he’s excited for the movie they’re going to be watching later, too. 

Ava seems a little embarrassed when Angelie asks about their date. Beatrice answers, instead, and talks about getting coffee and paninis.

“It was a nice way to spend the day,” Beatrice says honestly. “The panini was really good.”

“The company was better, no?” Ava jokes quietly.

Even said under her breath, the table laughs at her, which makes Beatrice laugh and roll her eyes.

“Yes, dear, the company was great.”

Ava dips her head and bites her lip to keep her smile from getting too wide. It’s a new look for her. She’s never seen bashful Ava before–at least not due to her . 

It floods Beatrice’s heart with nearly too much hope.

Eventually everyone gets settled into the living room: some on the floor with blankets and pillows, others on the large couch, Tommy and his mother sharing a huge bean-bag. Ava and Beatrice share the arm-chair, a blanket sprawled over their laps as they sit side-by-side. 

Admittedly, it’s a bit of a cramped situation. They can definitely fit on the chair together, but not in this position. 

The movie had yet to start, but the lights were dim and conversation was still going.

“Ava,” Beatrice calls out quietly, “scoot that way.”

She nods to her right. Ava does as she’s told, and Beatrice leans forward to lift the girl’s legs and rotate her counter-clockwise. 

Beatrice looks at Ava’s face as if to ask if this was okay, and Ava nods. Ava’s bum is pressed against the side of Beatrice’s right thigh. Beatrice wraps her right arm around Ava’s waist and pulls her closer. 

Ava grins.

“Thanks.”

“I’m kind of surprised you didn’t just jump right into my lap.”

“I…” Ava stammers. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Beatrice sighs, kissing Ava’s temple where her injury has started to heal a bit. “You could never make me uncomfortable.”

Ava doesn’t respond to this as the movie begins. She lets out a contented hum and leans closer to Beatrice.

–

Beatrice is startled awake by a tap on her shoulder. 

It’s her mother.

“Movie’s over, Beatrice. You and Ava should head to bed.”

Her mother’s voice is its usual stern tone, but there’s a softness to its volume. Probably only because there are other family members sleeping, too. Surely it’s not just because Ava’s still asleep in her arms right now.

“Alright. Goodnight, mother,” Beatrice nods to her.

Her mother nods and looks at Ava’s sleeping body once more before heading around to wake the other family members. 

“Ava,” Beatrice whispers, gently squeezing Ava’s waist. The girl whines lightly and buries her face deeper into Beatrice’s neck. “Let’s head up to bed, okay?”

“Carry me.”

“You’re being a baby,” Beatrice whispers.

“I’m your baby,” sleepy-Ava grunts.

“ Fine .”

Beatrice sighs and moves the blanket off of them before carefully standing up as she carries Ava bridal-style.

She bids goodnight to any family members who are awake, ignoring the warmth on her cheeks as they all compliment her for being a good girlfriend.

Beatrice thankfully doesn’t stumble going up the stairs. 

When they do get to the top, though, Ava hums, the noise vibrating against Beatrice’s shoulder.

“That was hot.”

“What was?”

“You carrying me and going up all those stairs. It was hot.”

… 

“Ava, I’m going to drop you.”

… 

“Drop me like it’s hot?”

… 

“I cannot believe you just said that.”

Beatrice, upon getting to her bedroom, drops Ava onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. Ava lets out the laugh she’d been holding in.

She’s suddenly looking a lot more awake than she had been less than five minutes ago.

“Come on,” Ava grins, grabbing Beatrice’s hand. “Time to brush our teeth.”

They stand side-by-side in front of the sink as they brush, and when Ava spits for the last time and washes her face, she looks expectantly at Beatrice.

Beatrice, who brushes for a little longer, raises an eyebrow.

“What?” she asks around a mouthful of toothpaste foam.

“Remember I told you I was going to rile your mother up tomorrow morning?”

“Mhm…?” Beatrice spits, washing her mouth and putting away her toothbrush. “What about it?”

“Let me give you a hickey.”

Beatrice stares blankly at Ava. 

And then she promptly turns around and heads out of the bathroom, turning off the light in the bathroom even though Ava was still standing inside.

“Bea!” Ava laughs and whines at the same time. “She was looking at your neck. She was obviously checking for evidence . I say we give her some.”

“No,” Beatrice turns off the bedroom’s main light and switches on the bedside lamp. She sits on the edge of the bed and scowls. “Besides, why am I the one getting the hickey?”

“Oh,” Ava grabs the collar of her shirt and tugs it to the side, giving Beatrice full access to her neck. “You want to give me one instead? That works, too.”

“Ava!” Beatrice hisses.

Ava sits next to Beatrice, raising her hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay,” she relents with a smile. “I won’t ask again. I just thought it’d be funny to see her face in the morning.”

Beatrice admits… it would be really fucking funny. She thinks her mother would probably stare directly at the hickey during the entire conversation. 

She tries to weigh out the pros and cons, but–really–were there any cons? 

Beatrice already knows she’s madly in love with her best friend. What’s one hickey going to do to change that? Besides, it was Ava’s idea in the first place!

“Fine,” Beatrice says. “But you’re the one getting the hickey.”

“Fine?” Ava’s eyebrows shoot up. Beatrice turns to her and nods. “I have sort of had to mentally prepared myself for me being the one giving you a hickey all day today, so this change of plans is really messing up–”

“Your mojo?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Beatrice smiles fondly. “We really don’t have to, Ava.”

“But… petty revenge,” Ava once again tugs a little at her collar. 

Beatrice stomach drops in anticipation (and arousal, but– shhhh ).

“Petty revenge,” Beatrice repeats as she shifts closer. 

Ava only just starts to feel Beatrice’s breath fanning against the skin of her neck when she starts to panic.

“Okay–wait–I didn’t think you would actually–” Ava puts her hands on Beatrice’s shoulders as Beatrice’s hands settle on both sides of her waist. “My neck is actually really sensitive so ignore any noise I make, it’s completely against my will if I end up–”

Beatrice licks her lips and then attaches them to the junction connecting Ava’s collarbone and her neck. Ava lets out a sharp gasp and her nails slightly dig into Beatrice’s shoulders, one of her hands moving to the back of Beatrice’s head.

“This okay?” Beatrice asks.

Ava’s nails only slightly scrape Beatrice’s scalp as she hums in the affirmative.

After the initial kiss, Beatrice tentatively bites the skin, pulling a shaky inhale from Ava.

“Still okay?” Beatrice checks in.

“Beatrice, just hurry and give me a fucking hickey–”

Beatrice gives a broad lick to the skin beneath her lips before sucking the skin between her teeth.

“ Ah –” Ava lets out a half moan that she cuts off by herself, biting down on her lip.

She’s inhaling and exhaling only through her nostrils as Beatrice soothes the bite mark she’d left behind, licking until the pain subsides and then pressing a quick kiss to the skin. 

She leans back the slightest bit to check her work and nods, feeling Ava’s hand drop from her body to fix her shirt.

“That’s a hickey alright,” she states with a bit of a rasp to her voice.

Ava’s chest heaves a bit, her pupils blown. 

“Why are you so good at that?”

Beatrice feels her ego instantly grow so ridiculously, enormously large, she can’t help but laugh.

“I don’t know?”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Ava reaches blindly behind her and throws a pillow at Beatrice, who just catches it and throws it right back at Ava.

This starts an impromptu pillow fight that neither of them end up winning. 

There’s a lot of smacked faces and then scandalous gasps. And then some more smacked body parts. And some more gasps.

They eventually collapse onto the bed into a pile of limbs after Ava suggests a truce.

“What a day,” Ava sighs.

Beatrice hums as she turns off the bedside lamp. “Four more days.”

As soon as Beatrice settles into bed, Ava’s curled into her side.

“Four more days,” Ava repeats with a nod, pulling the blankets up to cover both of them. 

Beatrice lays there, staring up at the darkness as she runs her fingers lightly over Ava’s bicep.

…

…

“You really weren’t kidding when you said your neck was sensitive–”

“Beatrice!”

Ava shoves her off of the bed. 

– DAY 3 –

The next morning, when Beatrice’s mother knocks, Ava’s the one to answer.

As subtle as she can, she cranes her neck to look back at Beatrice, who’s still in bed, giving Mrs. Young the full view of Beatrice’s handiwork. She gives Beatrice a wink.

When Ava looks back, she catches the split-second of Mrs. Young’s eyes on her neck.

She holds back the smirk she so badly wants to show.

“I’ll let Bea know we should get ready,” she says politely. 

All Mrs. Young does is nod curtly and turn away, practically running down the hallway.

As soon as the door is closed, Ava runs back to bed and jumps on top of Beatrice.

“Oh, man, I should’ve worn my fake glasses with the hidden cameras in them. It was too funny, Bea.”

Ava laughs and wipes some tears from her eyes. 

Beatrice laughs along and hums. “It was worth your embarrassment from yesterday then?”

“Hmm? I wasn’t embarrassed–” Ava says. “I was horny , Bea. There’s a difference.”

“You were what ?” Beatrice questions.

Ava doesn’t repeat what she said. She just grabs Beatrice’s hand and drags them to the bathroom.

“Come on, your mother wants us to go outside for breakfast today.”

“Like, at a restaurant?” Beatrice tries to keep up with the sudden conversation switch.

Between Ava being horny and having breakfast with her mother, Beatrice would honestly rather choose the former topic. 

Ava? Horny? Because of Beatrice?

There’s no way.

“No,” Ava replies, pulling Beatrice back into the present. “Outside like, in your backyard.”

-

“You didn’t tell me you had a pool,” Ava lightly pinches Beatrice’s arm, betrayal in her tone. They’re walking through the backyard after having a light breakfast.

Ava put a bit of concealer on the hickey, because there is a child present and she’s not a complete barbarian. 

“It slipped my mind,” Beatrice replies honestly. “Do you want to swim?”

“No, not right now,” Her eyebrows furrow, “Maybe later.”

“Okay,” Beatrice hums, pulling Ava closer by the waist. “Sorry I forgot to tell you. You probably didn’t bring a swimming suit.”

“That’s why I said later,” Ava gives her the slightest of smirks. She leans up to whisper in Beatrice’s ear. “I was gonna go in my underwear.”

“You…” Beatrice doesn’t even get to think of another word to say, because Ava gets swept away by Tommy who wants to show her a chalk drawing he did. 

She shakes her head in disbelief and tries to ignore the mental image of Ava swimming in her underwear.

(It takes a few moments.)

When the idea of Ava clotheless stops hounding Beatrice’s thoughts, Beatrice takes a moment to look around and take in the scene before her. 

It’s the first time Beatrice has really been alone since the first night. She finds herself looking at all the family members in her backyard and wonders how many of them still believe the lies her mother had spread about her when she’d gone non-contact with her parents.

It’s a bitter thought to be having when everyone’s just having a good time, and it makes Beatrice feel dreadful.

The dread doubles when she sees her father making his way over.

“Beatrice.”

It’s the first word she’s heard him say since she got here.

“Father,” Beatrice nods. “How are you?”

“Good,” her father replies. “I’ve missed you.”

Beatrice nods, looking away from him and immediately locking eyes with Ava from across the yard. 

“You have my phone number.”

“You know how your mother is,” her father starts.

Beatrice sighs. 

“Yes, I know,” she says through her teeth. 

That was always her father’s excuse for everything. 

He used to tell her that it was all her mother’s doing, but he was the one with the drill who removed her bedroom door. 

He was the one who stood to protect her mother when she was the one who had laid a hand on Beatrice. 

He was the one that stopped making homemade lunches for her as soon as she’d come out.

He was the one who could never stand to be in the same room as her after she came out.

“You should visit more often.”

“So you and mother can critique my ‘lifestyle’ and try to set me up with more men?” Beatrice asks angrily, looking to stare directly into her father’s eyes. 

As a teenager she’d never have the guts, but as an independent woman, she has all of them. 

“It was never just mother’s doing, and you know that.”

She turns and heads back into the house. 

Ava, who’d witnessed but had not heard the conversation, says her quick goodbye’s to Tommy and hurries to follow Beatrice.

She’s surprised when Mr. Young steps in front of her.

“Ava,” he says.

“Yes, Mr. Young?”

“I’m sorry,” he continues. Ava looks between him and the back door, concern eating away at her. “I’ve been very rude to you. And, truly, it’s not fair as a guest of mine. I should have been more–”

“Yes, sir, I’m sure you are,” Ava interrupts him because he is talking far too selfishly and slowly for her to really care. She speaks fast: “With all due respect, I need to check on Beatrice. She seemed very upset after whatever conversation you just had with her, and as her girlfriend I’m more concerned about her feelings than whatever guilt her father is dealing with– so – excuse me.”

She brushes past him and hurries up to her and Beatrice’s room.

“Bea?” she calls out as soon as she opens the door. She hears sniffling from the bathroom and closes the bedroom door before heading there. She spots Beatrice sitting on the bathroom floor with her knees pulled to her chest. Ava joins her, kneeling in front of her. Gently, she calls out: “Hey, hey.”

“They’re never going to feel sorry for hurting me the way they did,” Beatrice cries.

“Oh, baby , come here–” Ava lets out breathlessly, pulling Beatrice into her arms and letting the woman cry into her shoulder.

“I’m their only child,” Beatrice whimpers. “Why was I not enough, Ava?”

“You’re enough,” Ava says sternly, sniffling herself. “You’re more than enough, Bea. Just because they don’t realize that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

Beatrice clings onto Ava, face still buried between Ava’s shoulder and neck.

Ava rubs a soothing hand up and down Beatrice’s back.

“Say the word and I’ll book us a hotel, Bea.”

“They’re going to think I’m weak. For running.”

“ Fuck what they think, Bea,” Ava replies angrily. Beatrice pulls back at this, shocked. Ava’s anger dies down as she looks at Beatrice’s tear-stained cheeks. She uses her thumbs to wipe the tears away. “They don’t deserve you, Bea. You’re amazing –and you know that you’re amazing. But the second you’re in any type of vicinity with your parents–even just over phone calls–it’s like all of that just–it just disappears. It’s… It’s not healthy.”

“I want to have hope that they’ll change,” Beatrice practically whimpers.

“I know,” Ava nods sadly. “I just hate seeing you constantly getting hurt by them.”

Beatrice gives a weak smile. “Protective Ava coming back out?”

“Protective Ava never left,” Ava lets out a wet laugh. “I practically shoulder-checked your dad on the way here.”

“He tried to talk to you?” Beatrice widens her eyes.

“Keyword: tried ,” Ava shrugs. “I told him I was more worried about you than whatever guilty apology he was trying to give me and then I ran here.”

“ God ,” Beatrice laughs, shaking her head and then pressing her forehead against Ava’s. “You really are just trying to get me kicked out, aren’t you?”

“If it means you’ll stop being so sad?” Ava replies, pressing a kiss to Beatrice’s cheek. “Then, yes. Even if it means you’ll hate me. I’d rather you hate me and be free from them than to have me and be sad.”

“That’s… really messed up.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve been watching too many sad romance films,” Ava giggles.

Beatrice hums and leans back, taking a deep breath.

“It’s too early in the day to be crying.”

“I agree,” Ava sniffles, wiping her own tears. “How about we steal the chauffeur’s car again, drive around, and then sit in the parking lot of some fast food place all day? Just to avoid everybody for a bit?”

“Deal,” Beatrice nods.

–

They eat shitty burgers and greasy fries in the car together as Ava sets up her phone against the dashboard so they can watch some shitty Netflix films together, too.

The sun has long since set, but the pair seem more than comfortable to be in the tinted car for the rest of their evening. As long as they had each other.

“Thanks for everything, Ava.” Beatrice says quietly as Ava tosses their trash into the to-go bag they were given. 

“What do you mean? You’re the one that just paid for our food.”

“I don’t mean for that ,” Beatrice laughs. “I mean for this morning. And yesterday. And the day before that.”

“You need to stop thanking me, Bea,” Ava smiles and reaches across to run the back of her finger against Beatrice’s cheek. “I’m just doing what anybody who cares about you would do.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Beatrice laughs nervously. “Camila cares, but when I asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend, she instantly rejected me.”

“You asked her first, too?!” Ava pulls her hand back with a frown.

“She was the one who suggested the plan, so I thought she’d be okay with it,” Beatrice reasons. “But she seemed very adamant about me asking you.”

Ava’s almost pouting by now. “She could’ve said ‘yes’.”

“She could’ve,” Beatrice nods softly. “She didn’t though–and something about Camila makes me think I wouldn’t have lasted one day here, let alone three–so I think you beat her in that aspect.”

Ava scoffs and side-eyes Beatrice.

“Just in that aspect?”

It seems like Jealous Ava has come out, again. 

“Hey! I didn’t ask her because she’s my type or anything. Camila is pretty and lovable, but I don’t think I could’ve convinced my family that I was her girlfriend. She and I are close, but not that close.”

Ava crosses her arms, her head turning away from Beatrice to stare outside. 

Beatrice sighs. 

“Ava,” she says, reaching out and touching Ava’s thigh. Ava looks back at her. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first. It really was nothing against you.”

Ava considers the apology with a frown. 

“Fine, I forgive you–but only because this fake-girlfriend idea was Camila’s and I probably wouldn’t have come up with it if you’d come to me first.”

Beatrice smiles.

“You probably would’ve told me to tell my family to screw off.”

“Yeah, probably,” Ava shrugs before leaning down quickly and kissing Beatrice’s inner wrist. “Now take us back. I still want to go swimming.”

“You’re gonna get cold, Ava.”

“It’s still warm out–and I’m sure your pool’s heated.”

…

Beatrice wordlessly starts the car again and Ava points at the older woman.

“It is heated, isn’t it!?”

–

Upon their arrival back, nobody that they run into makes a big deal out of the two being missing the entire day. 

Thankfully, her father has already gone to bed. Her mother passes by them as they make their way to the bedroom, but doesn’t say anything. 

She assumes her father has already gone and told her mother about what happened, considering there had been no texts all day demanding where she and Ava were.

“Come on, Bea, grab your bathing suit.”

“I’m not swimming–” Beatrice replies but stops herself short when she sees Ava pulling the puppy-dog eyes. “That is just unfair.”

Ava’s wearing jean short-shorts and a crop top over her undergarments. Beatrice sighs as she goes into her closet to put on her bikini top and swimming shorts. 

She slips back into a shirt and grabs a couple of towels on their way outside.

It’s quiet. With it nearing eleven in the evening, Beatrice isn’t surprised that it’s so quiet. 

Ava, some time between Beatrice walking beside her and then walking slightly ahead of her, is no longer wearing anything more than underwear and a bra. 

She’s the first to slip into the pool, a smile on her lips as she stands near the edge of the pool and looks up at Beatrice.

Besides the garden lamps lining the perimeter of the pool area’s edge and the lights inside of the pool, the only other light source is the moon.

Ava’s always gorgeous, but Ava under the moonlight takes the definition of the word to a whole new meaning.

“Get in, Bea,” Ava beckons. 

Beatrice hums and places their towels down onto a nearby pool chair before taking off her shirt. She feels goosebumps rise on her skin as she turns to see Ava scanning her from head to toe.

Beatrice clears her throat and opts to take the stairs into the pool. She slowly makes her way over to Ava, who’s in the middle of dunking her head. 

When Ava resurfaces, Beatrice is in front of her. 

“Hi,” Ava breathes out. 

“Hi,” Beatrice smiles, pushing away some of the wet strands of hair stuck to Ava’s forehead and cheek. “The pool is warm enough, yes?”

Ava nods, her hands finding Beatrice’s under the water. 

“It feels nice,” she whispers. “If I had a pool like this, I feel like my skin would always be prune-y.”

Beatrice smiles. “I would be the same if it was not for the fact my parents’ bedroom overlooks the entire pool.”

Ava quirks an eyebrow teasingly. “ Oh ?”

She inconspicuously circles Beatrice so she can eye the house and see if they have any spectators. To nobody’s surprise, Beatrice’s mother is standing by the window.

Ava grins and starts backing up, pulling Beatrice towards her. Beatrice is going to ask what’s happening, until Ava’s back bumps into the wall of the pool and her hand rests naturally on the side of Beatrice’s neck. Her thumb soothes Beatrice’s jawline and tugs her closer, and Beatrice is suddenly very on-track with what Ava’s planning on doing. 

“Let them watch,” Ava whispers against Beatrice’s lips just before they kiss for the second time ever. 

Beatrice’s hands find Ava’s waist as Ava hums and lets Beatrice slide ever closer. Their lips move along in tandem, making Beatrice’s body feel like it’s floating. 

This was already so much more than their first kiss. 

Beatrice’s right hand slides up Ava’s body to cup her cheek. She doesn’t miss the gasp that Ava lets out when she accidentally brushes against the side of her breast.

“Sorry,” Beatrice mumbles, pulling back slightly to stare at her best friend. And even though their kisses weren’t heated or rough by any means, both of their chests are heaving like they’d just run a marathon. “Is my mother still looking?”

…

“Yes.”

Their lips meet once more, and Beatrice’s stomach can’t stop fluttering. 

Ava hadn’t even checked if her mother was looking. 

She was looking directly into Beatrice’s eyes when she answered.

Beatrice’s fingers lightly dig into Ava’s waist, pulling a hum from the younger girl as she slightly arches into Beatrice’s body. 

Beatrice’s body is running on autopilot at the feeling of Ava pressed against her. She runs her tongue along Ava’s bottom lip and feels/hears the gasp Ava lets out. 

Beatrice tries to pull back and apologize again, but Ava keeps her close and kisses her with more passion. She hops a little and wraps her legs around Beatrice’s hips, with Beatrice getting somehow even closer to keep them both upright. 

Who knows how long they stay in the pool kissing, tongues gently sliding against each other, but who cares? Beatrice gets to hold Ava in her arms while the younger girl quite literally melts into her every kiss and touch. 

Beatrice could die happy at this point. 

Eventually, their kisses slow and Ava’s fingers tug lightly at the baby hairs on the back of Beatrice’s neck. 

Beatrice hums and her nose trails its way along Ava’s jaw and down her neck. The concealer Ava had used earlier that day wasn’t exactly waterproof, and the hickey Beatrice had given her the other night is on full display. She lets out an exhale to keep herself contained, her breath fanning directly against Ava’s skin. 

“Bea,” she gasps quietly. 

“Hm?” Beatrice can’t help but press a quick kiss to Ava’s neck. 

Ava lets out a sharp gasp and presses Beatrice back a little. Beatrice leans away to stare at Ava’s eyes. 

“We–we should stop,” she whispers shakily. “If you keep going then, I don’t think I would be able to… control myself .”

Beatrice feels something shift in their dynamic. 

“Do you want to stop?” she asks roughly. 

Ava’s eyes roll back–and Beatrice isn’t entirely sure she does so out of annoyance–not with the way she whines a little and tenses her legs around Beatrice.

“That is so not what I said, Bea.”

Beatrice smiles softly. 

The hand cupping Ava’s face trails a thumb over her lips. 

“Okay, okay,” she relents as Ava’s eyes open again. “Let’s go back and shower before bed.”

“Yes, please. I don’t think I can think straight– hah! –if we stay in here any longer.”

When Ava’s feet finally hit the pool floor again and they turn to make their way back into the house, Beatrice notices the curtains to her parents’ room being fully shut. 

She feels something akin to victory bubbling in her chest. 

– DAY 4 –

[Mother | 12:32 AM]: We need to talk. 

Truthfully, Beatrice hadn’t even seen the text until just now. As soon as she and Ava got back and took turns taking very cold showers, they’d both knocked out. 

She groans and rubs a hand over her face. 

“What’s wrong?” Ava’s sleepy voice asks as the palm of her hand stretches over Beatrice’s stomach. 

“Mother texted me saying we need to talk.”

“Ominous.”

“Quite so.”

“I have a feeling she won’t be knocking on our door this morning.”

Our door.

Beatrice hums. “I have the same feeling.”

“Do you want me to come with you? To the talk?”

“Uhm, I don’t know,” Beatrice answers hesitantly. “Maybe?”

Ava presses a ghost of a kiss on Beatrice’s shoulder. 

“I’ll go if you want me there.”

“I know you will,” Beatrice smiles, letting out a deep breath. “I feel like it might just devolve into a screaming match. I’ll go alone but I’ll text you–or just run back here and tell you to book a hotel.”

Ava laughs, but there’s a hint of tension in the noise. “Sounds good.”

-

After breakfast, Ava leans up and kisses just below Beatrice’s ear. 

“I’ll wait in our room while you and your mother talk,” she whispers, patting Beatrice’s arm lightly. 

Beatrice nods, the anxiety building up in her as she watches Ava walk away. She then turns to see her parents waiting for her at the back door. 

Exhaling slowly, Beatrice walks over as her father opens the door for the both of them. They walk silently to one of the sets of tables and chairs scattered around the land. 

Beatrice sits across from her parents without a word.

Her mother is looking elsewhere when she finally speaks. Her father stares stoically at her.

“You and Ava are… serious , aren’t you?”

Beatrice clears her throat. “As serious as I was about every other girlfriend I’ve had.”

“Oh, please ,” her mother scoffs. “You’d barely dated those women.”

“Maybe because you and father always scared them away,” Beatrice counters harshly. To her surprise, she sees her mother’s sass diminish and she deflates. Her father looks away. 

Beatrice frowns. “Any time I would pluck up the courage to bring any of them home, you and father would treat them horribly. You’d even go as far as to try and set me up with men while my girlfriends sat not even five feet away from me.”

Beatrice’s tone is calm and steady. She tries to merely state facts without letting her emotions drive her response, and it is difficult.

“Yes, I am aware of what we’ve done,” her mother says tensely. 

Is that… accountability that Beatrice hears in her voice?

Her mother? Taking accountability?

“Ava is a wonderful girl,” her mother continues. She looks at Beatrice with eyes that usually hold so much anger and contempt, but are currently filled with sadness. It makes Beatrice want to throw up. “I’m sure the other women were fine as well, but... I… apologize for not giving them a chance.”

“You’re… you’re saying sorry to me?”

“Yes.”

Her father chimes in. “We are both apologizing.”

“Oh,” Beatrice breathes out. This was not how she expected the talk to go. “Thank you. For the apology.”

“I always assumed this was how you and her would end up,” her mother states. “You always did stare at her like she hung the moon and the stars.”

Beatrice goes breathless for another reason. Is she really that obvious?

“I can tell you’re happier now,” her mother says quietly. “I was wrong. We were wrong.”

Her father nods along, never being one for words. 

“I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us.”

Beatrice hears ringing in her ears. 

Years and years of never being accepted, always being neglected and told she wasn’t doing enough, getting yelled at for the littlest things, having to run away and cut all contact just to finally be free from it all…

…

… 

“No,” Beatrice chokes out. Her voice doesn’t sound like her own. “No, I don’t forgive you.”

“ Beatrice ,” her mother starts off quietly. 

“No–” Beatrice cuts her off. “I have been through far too much, for far too long, just for one apology to absolve you of all of that guilt and accountability.”

Her eyes flicker between her father’s and her mother’s.

“You’re going to have to do a lot more than just saying sorry to me if you really want me to forgive you.”

Her mother almost looks like she opens her mouth to scold Beatrice, but her father reaches over and takes her mother’s hand into his own, stopping her from speaking.

“We understand, Beatrice,” he says. “It’ll take time.”

Beatrice crosses her arms defensively. It feels too good to be true. 

She’s waiting for the pin to drop. 

“I was doing just fine when I went no-contact with you two,” she says, even if saying it outloud is to help convince herself as well. 

“We know,” her father says. “We know that you’ve never even touched your trust fund.”

Beatrice looks away at the mention of it. There was far too much money in that fund for her to know what to do with it. 

“I almost used the money to pay for my therapy appointments,” Beatrice admits, a bit sheepishly. 

This pulls a rare bark of a laugh from her father, and her mother begrudgingly lets herself exhale through her nostrils in amusement.

Beatrice drops her gaze to the ground as it gets quiet again.

… 

“We will try to be better, Beatrice,” her mother says. 

“Thank you,” Beatrice nods. “And–I agree–Ava is an exceptional human being.”

Her father lets out another laugh. 

“She reminds me of your mother, with the way she’d completely shut me down yesterday.”

Ew, please don’t say that.

Her mother rolls her eyes. 

“Yes, well, I suppose I can understand why you’re so stricken with her.”

If this was a normal family, this would be the moment they all hug it out. But it’s not.

So Beatrice stands with a single nod. 

“Is that all?”

“Yes, that’s all,” her mother answers. “Will you be joining us for lunch later?”

“Maybe,” Beatrice shrugs. “It depends on what Ava would like to do.”

She waves and then returns to her bedroom where Ava’s sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her phone. 

Ava was waiting for a text from Beatrice the whole time.

“Bea!” Ava smiles, rushing over as Beatrice closes the door behind her.

Beatrice’s arms encircle Ava’s waist naturally as the shorter girl hugs her, their bodies fitting together like two puzzle pieces.

“Hey,” Beatrice whispers.

Ava leans back slightly, her hands coming up to cup Beatrice’s jaw on both sides. “Are you alright?”

“I’m alright,” Beatrice answers with a gentle nod. “My parents… apologized to me.”

“They did?” Ava lets out a little gasp.

“Yeah…” Beatrice murmurs, still feeling a little bit in disbelief. “They said sorry for treating my ex-girlfriends horribly, and for treating me horribly. It was all a little disorienting, really.”

Ava frowns with worry written all over her face, eyes searching Beatrice’s. 

She takes Beatrice’s hand and guides her to bed, leading them to sit on the edge as Beatrice continues talking. Ava keeps hold of Beatrice’s hand between both of her own.

“It was so out-of-character for them,” Beatrice says with a frown. “I feel bad for not being happier, but I can’t help feeling skeptical about it all–like they might have an ulterior motive.”

“Did they seem genuine?”

Beatrice thinks back to the way her mother’s usual pristine posture had slouched for the slightest bit and the way her father couldn’t keep eye contact with her.

“I don’t know if they were being genuine or if the guilt has just finally caught up with them,” Beatrice answers. She can’t help the tears that well up in her eyes. “I did tell them that I didn’t forgive them. I don’t think I can yet–or… or ever .”

Ava nods thoughtfully, her thumbs lightly running along the back of Beatrice’s hand.

“Does that make me a bad person?” Beatrice asks in a shaky tone. “If I never forgive them?”

“Not at all,” Ava answers instantly. One hand of hers comes up to wipe a tear that’d just fell from Beatrice’s eye. The hand stays there, resting against Beatrice’s cheek. “You don’t owe anybody forgiveness, Bea.”

“I don’t know why I asked you… you’re a biased party,” Beatrice laughs through her tears.

Ava rolls her eyes. “I would say the same to anybody.”

Beatrice hums, looking up at the ceiling and blinking away the rest of her tears. She sniffles and turns to Ava.

“There was one thing they said that I truly believed was true, though.”

“Oh? What was it?”

“That you’re a wonderful girl,” Beatrice smiles, bumping her shoulder into Ava’s. “I agreed with them on that, of course.”

Ava laughs loudly at this. “I can’t believe they brought me up.”

Beatrice grins.

She opts not to tell Ava that her mother apparently always thought that she and Ava would start dating, or that Beatrice supposedly stares at Ava like she hung the moon and the stars. 

Instead, she says:

“My father said you reminded him of my mother.”

“Oh, ew .”

–

Lunch time is significantly less stressful and tense than breakfast was. Beatrice doesn’t feel like passing out from any built-up anxiety and she can properly enjoy the food in front of her, as well as the company sitting with her.

Ava still places portions of the meal onto her plate for her, always asking if she wants more, and always adding a little bit more even if Beatrice says ‘no’. It spawns a little butterfly in her stomach every time, the fluttering only spurred on by the playful grin Ava gives her.

Because most people are out during the day, the lunch time company is smaller than dinner time. Besides Beatrice’s parents, there are only a couple other aunts and uncles at the table.

Ava and Beatrice sit directly across from Beatrice’s parents, but there seems to be significantly less judge-y stares being directed at them.

After a small bickering fight with Ava, Beatrice looks away and accidentally locks eyes with her mothers. The wide smile on her face slightly falls, but Ava’s there to squeeze her thigh gently.

“What’s the plan for New Year’s tomorrow?” Ava asks, directing the question vaguely to the table.

Beatrice’s mother speaks up.

“We’ll have a cookout for lunch and dinner tomorrow, if the weather is okay. Our backyard gives us a perfect view of fireworks.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful,” Ava smiles. “I’m excited. Will there be hot dogs?”

Beatrice’s father hums. “It wouldn’t be a cook-out without them.”

“I like the way you think,” Ava winks. 

The corner of Mr. Young’s lips quirk up.

Beatrice watches the interaction, mesmerized by the woman sitting besides her. 

“Burgers?”

“Of course.”

“My man!” Ava laughs loudly, raising her hand up to get a high-five. 

And a high-five she receives–from a fully smiling Mr. Young.

What the hell?

Ava turns to Beatrice.

“Babe, I’m going to eat double my weight in burgers and hotdogs tomorrow.”

“If that makes you happy,” Beatrice sighs. “Don’t complain to me when you feel horrible afterwards.”

“No promises.”

-

Beatrice had gone to the bathroom for two seconds and when she returns to the dining room, her fake-girlfriend and her real-mother are nowhere to be seen.

Her father is standing, speaking to one of her uncles. She walks up to him.

“Have you seen Ava?”

“She went outside with your mother,” Mr. Young replies with a nod towards the back door.

Beatrice says a quick thank-you and heads to the backyard. Before opening the door, she checks through the door’s window and spots Ava and her mother sitting next to each other on one of the benches. 

Ava’s smiling bashfully with pink cheeks as her mother speaks to her. Beatrice stands still for a moment, just watching and seeing what’s going on. 

In the next second, Ava lowers her gaze to the ground and shakes her head, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her own ear as she says something to Beatrice’s mother.

Beatrice’s mother reaches over and places a hand on Ava’s upper back, giving her a couple of pats.

Ava stares at Beatrice’s mother, giving the older woman her full-focus as she says something. The smile on Ava’s face has faded, her face more determined and serious now.

Even from afar, Beatrice can notice the crinkle in the middle of Ava’s eyebrow–a telltale sign that something has either pissed her off or she’s just really focused.

Beatrice hopes that it’s the latter.

When Ava’s mouth opens as she speaks, Beatrice still can’t tell if she’s angry or not. She looks like she’s explaining something to Mrs. Young. 

Mrs. Young keeps her hand on Ava’s back as she speaks, nodding along.

This goes on for a while, and Ava finally stops talking. The two just stare for a moment.

Beatrice holds her breath, awaiting the next interaction.

She doesn’t expect her mother to pull Ava into a hug.

Apparently, Ava also doesn’t expect the action, as her hands remain awkwardly beside her. It takes a couple of seconds for Ava’s mind to finally catch up, but she quickly returns the hug. 

Beatrice’s mother pulls away first and pats Ava’s cheek a couple of times before they both get up.

Beatrice quickly turns away, walking to the kitchen to try and not look suspicious as the two make their way back into the house.

They’re in the middle of conversation as they walk through the door, something about how old Beatrice was when she last peed the bed–

Beatrice’s eyes widen. She practically runs over to the two.

“Why are you talking about that?” she asks in embarrassment, pulling Ava away from her mother by the arm. “Any other conversation topic would be great.”

Ava laughs and presses a kiss to Beatrice’s lips. She’s still on her tippy-toes when she pulls back, eyes sparkling.

“Sorry, love.”

Beatrice doesn’t respond to avoid the sputtering mess she would’ve been if she’d tried. She simply huffs out a breath.

“Mid-day naptime?” Ava pleads.

“Sure,” Beatrice sighs, letting Ava take her hand in hers and pulling them away from other’s eyes.

As they’re heading up the stairs, Ava suddenly stops, a single step ahead of Beatrice.

“Ava? Why’d you stop–”

Ava turns around, her nose brushing against Beatrice’s. She smiles before leaning in and capturing Beatrice’s lips in a kiss.

When she pulls back, she turns around and keeps walking towards the bedroom.

Beatrice looks around and tries to see anybody who might’ve been walking by that would cause Ava to kiss her so suddenly (not that Beatrice is complaining ).

“I wanted to see what it’d be like kissing you if we were the same height,” Ava says over her shoulder. She opens the bedroom door and leads them in. “I think I like being the shorter one, though.”

Beatrice lets out a little breath of disbelief. “That’s why you kissed me?”

Ava lets go of her hand, sitting on the bed and looking up at Beatrice with a sheepish smile.

“Yes…?” she offers with a wince. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“It’s fine, Ava. I don’t mind,” Beatrice dismisses it, joining Ava on the bed. “But, I did see you and my mother talking.”

Ava stiffens up slightly. Of course, Beatrice notices.

“Do I want to even ask what you two talked about?” Beatrice gives Ava a way out.

Ava chuckles tensely. “She gave me the usual ‘treat my daughter well’ talk, but–ah, this one was a little remix of the original. She included how your parents haven’t been… the kindest to you, and I got a little angry.”

“Uh-oh,” Beatrice whistles. “Protective Ava?”

“Protective Ava,” Ava nods timidly. “I went on a tangent… similar to the one we had in the bathroom, where I told her how upset you’d be and how it hurt seeing you like that all these years.”

Ava bites her lip nervously.

Beatrice tilts her head. “What’s wrong?”

Ava lets out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. “ Nothing . Nothing–your mother… she… she just…”

…

“Ava?”

“She said she knew we were going to fall in love since the first time she’d seen us on video call together,” Ava says quietly. “She said she’d known it was only a matter of time.”

Beatrice feels all of the breath in her lungs leave instantly. 

Leave it to her mother to say something so blunt.

Beatrice looks down at her feet.

“She said something similar to me during our talk.”

“You didn’t tell me about that,” Ava whispers.

“I didn’t want to scare you,” Beatrice admits, somehow finding the guts to meet Ava’s eyes.

“Why would that scare me?” Ava’s voice is still a whisper, as if talking any louder might make Beatrice run. 

“The same reason you hesitated on telling me about it,” Beatrice shrugs. 

She’s taking a gamble.

“I doubt that, Bea,” Ava’s lips shakily curve into a soft smile. She shakes her head a little, eyes glistening. “I seriously doubt it.”

Beatrice takes in a shallow breath. 

Surely they’re on the same page, right? They wouldn’t be walking on eggshells right now if they weren’t. 

There have been more than enough signs that Ava wasn’t just pretending the past few days.

Beatrice doesn’t think she’d ever forgive herself if she didn’t at least try. She’s spent too long loving Ava from afar to let the chance go.

“Try me,” Beatrice challenges.

Ava’s eyebrows jump up to her forehead. 

She’s quick to recollect herself as her eyes flicker down to Beatrice’s lips, her tongue coming out to wet her own.

They lean in at the same time, kissing for the first time behind closed doors, where there’s absolutely no chance of anybody seeing them together. 

There’s no need to pretend behind closed doors, and there’s no pretending happening here at all.

Ava gently moans as soon as their lips meet, one hand pressed against the side of Beatrice’s neck and the other clutching at Beatrice’s shirt, bundling up the cloth around her waist.

Beatrice places both hands on Ava’s waist, steadying the girl as Ava climbs into her lap, straddling her. 

Ava licks along Beatrice’s lower lip and Beatrice grants her entrance immediately. As intense as it all is, their motions are unhurried. While they kiss, Beatrice lets one hand slowly run up and down Ava’s back with feather-light pressure.

Beatrice hums as the hand Ava was using to clutch at her shirt loosens and slips under the shirt instead, palming at the soft skin beneath. In response, Beatrice takes Ava’s bottom lip between her teeth and leans back slightly. Ava’s pink lip moves back into place with a near-silent wet pop . 

Ava’s eyes are heavy-lidded as she opens them, their breaths mingling. 

Ava presses a quick kiss to Beatrice’s lips.

“Just so we’re on the same page,” Ava says breathlessly. “I’m in love with you.”

…

Beatrice lets out a loud laugh at this, having to pull away and throw her head back to do so.

Ava doesn’t have it in her to even pretend to be embarrassed, simply giggles and hugs Beatrice close. 

She gives a goofy smile as Beatrice’s laughter quiets down, leaning back a little to look at her face again.

“Yes, Ava,” Beatrice nudges her nose against Ava’s. “I’m in love with you, too. I have been for the past three years.”

“ Three years ?” Ava asks in disbelief, gasping with wide eyes. “Am I really that oblivious?”

“I always thought I was really obvious,” Beatrice smiles.

“Apparently you were, because everyone’s been telling me they were just waiting on us to date,” Ava sighs. She tilts her head and stares at Beatrice with that crinkle in between her eyebrows. “This means we’re dating for real, right?”

Beatrice nods, her smile growing.

“Yes, Ava, that’s what this means.”

“Oh, good.”

Ava’s dopey smile is contagious.

Beatrice leans in and captures Ava’s lips again. 

This time it’s much softer, a barely-there push and pull between the two of them–mostly because they keep smiling so much. 

When Beatrice pulls away, she waits for Ava’s eyes to open and look into hers before speaking again.

“My mother told me I look at you like you hung the moon and the stars.”

For the next few moments, Ava just stares, her eyes flicking between Beatrice’s, like she’s searching for truth in the statement. 

Beatrice lets her search.

“I… I can’t believe I never noticed,” Ava says with a slight frown. 

Seems like she’s found her answer.

Beatrice only hums.

“I never wanted you to find out. You’re my best friend. I’d never forgive myself if I messed that up.”

Ava’s nose scrunches up in adorable fury.

“Stupid.” A light punch to Beatrice’s shoulder. 

“ Selfless .” Another punch. 

“ Beatrice .” One last punch.

“ Ow , ow, okay,” Beatrice laughs. “You would think me being super obvious and you being super oblivious would cancel out somehow.”

Ava pouts. “I can’t believe I told your mother that I loved you before I even told you.”

“Is that why you were so red when you were talking with her?”

“Were you watching ?”

“Of course I was watching,” Beatrice replies. 

“Yes,” the girl in her lap narrows her eyes. “ Yes . That’s why I was so red.”

“Poor you,” Beatrice coos teasingly.

“Alright,” Ava rolls her eyes. “Less talking, more smooching.” 

–

When Beatrice wakes up, she feels groggy and wonders where she is. She feels the familiar weight of Ava sleeping on her.

Some time between all of their kissing, the two must’ve started to nod off. Given how intense their kissing had been, it’s safe to say the last few days have completely exhausted them if they were able to fall asleep in the midst of some making out.

Beatrice reaches around blindly to the left of her and manages to find her phone.

She unlocks it to check the time, squinting at the screen. It’s 11:52. 

She also finds a couple of texts from her mother.

[Mother | 6:42 PM]: Dinner is soon. Will you and Ava be joining us?

[Mother | 7:27 PM]: I assume you two are sleeping. I’ll have the chef wrap a couple of plates for you two to eat whenever you wake.

“Bea?” Ava whispers, barely lifting her head from Beatrice’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Beatrice greets. She places a kiss on the side of Ava’s head. “My mother saved us some dinner plates.”

“I’m surprised she let us sleep through it.”

“I think she knows how tired we’ve been.”

Ava exhales in response. 

“Want to go heat up those leftovers and eat?”

“Honestly? I’d rather just sleep.”

Beatrice laughs lightly. 

“We haven’t eaten in hours. Let’s go.”

“Fine,” Ava groans, slowly sitting up. Her hair, as usual after sleeping, is a mess. 

Beatrice’s heart grows double in size as she sits up, hands coming to straighten out the bird’s nest on top of her girlfriend’s head.

“Hi,” Ava says once she can finally see, her vision no longer blocked by her hair.

Beatrice grins. “Hello.”

“I love you,” Ava states.

Beatrice stomach flips. She doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to that.

“I love you too, Ava.”

Ava leans in and kisses her.

And, yeah–Beatrice is never going to get used to this.

– DAY 5 (NEW YEARS’ EVE) –

Beatrice and Ava wake up in the morning in the living room, cuddled on the couch together.

Last night, after eating their late dinner and washing their plates, the couple watched TV in the living room and apparently decided that the walk back to their bedroom was far too much for one in the morning.

Beatrice’s back is definitely going to hate her for this.

The two of them shuffle slowly to their bedroom to get ready for the day. 

When they emerge for breakfast, everyone’s outside already and in high-energy for the day. 

Tommy hands both Beatrice and Ava a glass of orange juice as they walk towards the buffet-style food lined up on an extra-long table.

“Good morning Aunty Bea and Aunty Ava,” he greets them with a bright smile.

“Hey, bud,” Ava ruffles his hair. “Are you excited for the new year?”

“Yes! But I am a little scared of how loud the fireworks are going to be.”

“I have just the solution for that, actually,” Ava’s eyes light up. “I have a pair of noise-canceling headphones in my suitcase. Would you like me to bring them out tonight so you can watch the pretty lights without worrying about the noise?”

“That would be awesome !” Tommy nods vigorously. 

“Sounds like a plan then,” Ava winks. “I won’t forget.”

“You’re the best!” He squeals, hugging Ava quickly before running off to tell his mother the news.

Beatrice turns to Ava.

“Do you want to have kids?”

“Do I want to–Wha–Beatrice!” Ava sputters, turning red.

“I didn’t think it was that scandalous of a question,” Beatrice laughs at Ava’s reaction. “I knew you were good with kids on the rare chance we’d have a case file involving one, but I’ve never seen you like this.”

“I’ve never really thought about it,” Ava shrugs. She leans close to Beatrice as the older girl’s free-hand pulls her even closer. “Why? Do you want kids?”

Beatrice shrugs. “I wouldn’t be opposed.”

“Hmmm…” Ava narrows her eyes. “I’d like to make a baby with you.”

“Wow.” Beatrice blinks, feeling her cheeks warm up. “Wording.”

Ava leans up and presses a kiss against her cheek before whispering huskily, “I think I chose my words just fine.”

She then leans away and shoots Beatrice a bright smile.

“Let’s get our plates of food! I’m hungry.”

Ava turns around to grab them plates, leaving Beatrice standing there with red cheeks and a body that feels like it's vibrating at its highest velocity.

Ava Silva is simultaneously both the angel and the devil in Beatrice’s life.

–

Even though Tommy is the only child at the family gathering, the Youngs rented out a bouncy house for him. It’s set up just after breakfast is finished being cleaned up.

Ava spends a good portion of the day in there with him before taking a break, and then returning back to jumping. 

She manages to get Beatrice to crawl in there a few times, but Tommy and Ava always end up ganging up against her. They continuously jump as Beatrice tries to get back to her feet, knocking her over every time.

Tommy’s squeals of excitement and Ava’s breathless laughing is all she hears for a few minutes.

Beatrice thinks the embarrassment is worth their laughs. 

And, in true Ava fashion, Beatrice eventually finds the girl standing next to her father by the grill. 

The hat she’s wearing is flipped backwards on her head as she smiles in conversation. 

Despite Beatrice’s own rocky relationship with her parents, it’s nice to see how Ava interacts with them. She thinks if Ava can warm up to them, it’ll be a nice segue to Beatrice eventually finding it within herself to forgive her parents.

Beatrice smiles when her father tries to hand Ava the spatula and Ava takes one large step backwards with an immediate shake of her head.

Her feet start moving and she gets close enough to wrap an arm around Ava’s shoulders. 

“Please don’t hand her the spatula unless you intend on giving all of us buckets to vomit in.”

Ava nods in agreement.

Mr. Young raises an eyebrow but retracts his spatula offer.

“Message received loud and clear.”

Beatrice smiles, “See you later, father.” 

She leads Ava over to one of the benches, the two of them sitting side-by-side, hands immediately finding each other’s. 

“Are you having a good day, Ava?”

“Yes,” Ava smiles. “Are you?”

“Definitely,” Beatrice nods. “Minus the bullying that happened to me in the bouncy house.”

“That’s barely considered bullying,” Ava laughs, bringing Beatrice’s hand up to her lips to kiss at her knuckles. 

Beatrice stares at Ava, smiling when Ava can’t resist leaning in and kissing her. The fact that they can just do that now still sends Beatrice’s mind reeling. It’s all so new. 

They’d had the fake-dating situation to fall back on for reasons behind their actions, but it’s all real now.

“Everything has felt like a dream today,” Beatrice admits shyly. “I’m just… really happy.”

“Same here,” Ava replies. “Then again, you’ve always made me happy. I’m beginning to think that I’ve been in love with you for longer than I’ve realized.”

Beatrice kisses her again. 

“Aunties A-B!” Tommy shouts across the yard. “Come help me draw a chalk rainbow!”

“Aunties A-B?” Ava repeats to her girlfriend with a quirked eyebrow. 

Beatrice shrugs. “Come on, let’s go make a gay rainbow.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ava grins. 

–

Ava has eaten three hot dogs and two cheeseburgers. Yes, Beatrice is keeping count. She’s also had two little baggies of potato chips.

And now she’s asleep on one of the pool chairs, curled up like a child taking a nap after a sugar crash.

Beatrice sits on the edge of the chair, stroking the girl’s head as she lightly snores, her hat long forgotten on a nearby table. She’s been out for nearly an hour now.

A few people are swimming, wading around in the pool and having splashing fights. Beatrice burns at the memory of the last time she’d been in the pool with Ava.

As if Ava knows she’s occupating Beatrice’s mind, she stirs. She buries her cheek into Beatrice’s hand, kissing her palm.

“Did you have a nice food-coma nap?” Beatrice teases. 

Ava hums sleepily, slowly sitting up and pressing her body against Beatrice’s. 

“I could go for some more cheeseburgers,” she mumbles, head leaning on Beatrice’s shoulder.

“Ava,” Beatrice says in disbelief.

“They’re good,” Ava argues. 

Beatrice exhales in amusement, kissing Ava quickly before grabbing her hat from the chair-side table and fitting it onto her girlfriend’s head.

“Once the sun sets, we’ll have about two hours before the fireworks begin.”

Ava looks up at the sky to find the sun. The sky has started to turn a light pink-ish hue.

“I should head in and grab those headphones for Tommy.”

“I’ll come with,” Beatrice stands, holding a hand out for Ava, who wiggles her eyebrows.

“Oh? How come?” she asks with a flirty tone as she takes Beatrice’s hand and stands up.

This is it. This is Beatrice’s chance to get payback for earlier.

She looks directly into Ava’s eyes as she speaks.

“I’m sure you know why, Ava. You’re a very smart girl.”

Ava’s jaw drops in shock, a blush quickly building up from her chest to her neck and all the way up to her cheeks.

She only starts walking because Beatrice tugs on her hand.

-

As soon as the door shuts behind Ava, Ava leans her back against it and pulls on Beatrice’s hand, turning the girl and pulling her in.

“That was so hot,” Ava whispers as her lips ghost against Beatrice’s. 

Beatrice turns her head and trails over to Ava’s jawline, placing a soft kiss there.

“Yeah?” she whispers, smiling to herself when Ava’s hand finds the back of her head and placing more kisses against Ava’s skin when Ava’s nails start to scratch at her scalp.

“Oh, Bea –” Ava gasps when she feels Beatrice’s teeth nipping at her.

Beatrice hums and moves away slightly to look at Ava.

“Ava, as ridiculously attractive as you are with a hat on, I’m gonna need you to remove it if you want to really kiss me.”

Ava doesn’t need to be told twice. She immediately snatches the hat off of her head and tosses it somewhere further into the room. 

At the same time, her free hand hooks around the back of Beatrice’s neck and pulls her close, their lips meeting in a bruising kiss.

–

Although they’ve been gone for almost an hour and a half, nobody brings it up when they return. The sun has completely set by now and the garden lamps have turned on.

Ava is beaming as she heads to Tommy to hand him the headphones, showing him how to turn it into noise-canceling mode and adjusting the headband to fit his little head.

Beatrice joins Angelie at the table as they watch the pair test if the noise-canceling truly worked.

“Can you hear me?” Ava asks loudly.

Tommy blinks.

“Earth to Tommy?”

Tommy gasps. “I can’t hear you!” he shouts very, very loudly.

Angelie chokes on the glass of water she was sipping and Beatrice laughs.

Ava winces and takes the headphones off of him, “Yup! I think it works.”

“Awesome!” Tommy grins. “Thank you, Aunty Ava.”

“Of course, bud.”

Angelie reaches out towards Tommy, “Come here, hun. Let me hold onto the headphones for you so you don’t accidentally break them. I’m sure they’re very expensive.”

“I stole it from Bea,” Ava shrugs with a playful grin. “Anyway, I’m gonna grab another hot dog.”

Beatrice watches her girlfriend skip over to the table of food.

“She’s going to be so sick of hot dogs and cheeseburgers after this trip,” Beatrice says out loud, mostly to herself. Angelie laughs as she gently places the headphones onto the table. 

Tommy runs off to do Tommy things.

“Your parents have really warmed up to her,” Angelie points out. Ava’s currently standing between both of Beatrice’s parents, a hot dog in her hand. She’s mid-conversation with them.

“Oh, I know,” Beatrice nods. “It’s kinda hard not to get warmed up to Ava.”

“I can tell,” Angelie laughs. “I’m just a little surprised. I’ve seen how they were with your previous girlfriends.”

Beatrice hums. She tries to ignore the unsettling feeling growing in her stomach. 

“Has my sister finally stopped being a total bitch?”

Beatrice stares at Angelie like she’s grown three heads. 

“I’m gonna take that as a ‘sort of’.”

Beatrice opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out.

Angelie laughs and pats Beatrice’s shoulder. 

“I would hope she’d come around eventually.”

They’re interrupted by Ava returning with an extra hot dog for Beatrice and some sparklers in her hand. 

“You eat,” Ava points to Beatrice and then points to the sparklers, “I’m gonna go hunt down a lighter so we can light these babies.”

-

As Ava and Tommy light the sparklers, Beatrice takes a few photos. Their smiles are wide and Beatrice doesn’t hesitate to make the clearest one of the photos her phone’s lockscreen and homescreen background.

She watches Ava take the sparkler from Tommy and tosses it into the water cup she had prepared beforehand. 

Ava lights one for Beatrice, too, handing it out to her as she lights two more for her and Tommy. Beatrice pockets her phone and stands closer as the three of them try to spell out words using the sparklers for the others to guess.

It’s enough to keep them busy for another hour, before Beatrice’s father announces that they should start bringing out blankets to place on the grass so they can sit and watch the fireworks together.

He’s already set up speakers outside to play the countdown to New Years live later.

Ava and Beatrice share a blanket, but they make sure to set it down next to Tommy and Angelie’s.

Tommy asks Ava for help turning on the headphones again, and Ava’s voice is soft as she directs Tommy’s little hands to press the correct buttons.

When it’s finally on properly, Tommy gives Ava a thumbs-up and then a hug.

Everyone gets settled. The fireworks show starts within a few minutes of everyone settling.

Beatrice has to admit, she’s never really cared for fireworks, but seeing Ava’s awe of them makes up for her lack of interest. She spends more time staring at Ava than she does staring at the fireworks.

At a particularly bright and big firework, Ava’s eyes widen and she turns to check and see if Beatrice reacts the same, but pouts when she sees that Beatrice is already very intensely staring at her.

“Are you even watching?”

“I am,” Beatrice says with a smile. “I can see the reflection of the fireworks in your eyes.”

“Beatrice,” Ava whines.

“You’re prettier than the fireworks, Ava.”

“ Greasy .”

Beatrice exhales in amusement and tugs Ava closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

The show continues on for nearly fifteen minutes before everyone hears the speakers turn on. 

“Twenty seconds until new years,” the voice announces.

Ava shifts in Beatrice’s arms, turning from her spot in between Beatrice’s legs to face her girlfriend.

Beatrice smiles, “Excited?”

“TEN!”

“Of course,” Ava leans in.

“NINE!”

Their foreheads are pressed together.

“EIGHT!”

Their noses brush slightly.

“SEVEN!”

Ava’s lips are curved up into a sweet smile.

“SIX!”

Beatrice is a willingly participant in the way her instinctual reaction to Ava’s smile is to smile back, wider.

“FIVE!”

Ava’s eyes light up as she counts along with the countdown.

“FOUR!”

Beatrice starts to count, too.

“THREE!”

“TWO!”

“ONE!”

– DAY 6 (NEW YEARS) –

Ava pulls Beatrice close and plants the sweetest of kisses onto her lips.

Beatrice hums contently as they pull away.

“Happy new year, Bea,” Ava whispers.

“Happy new year, Ava,” Beatrice whispers back.

Ava giggles, moving forward again and pecking Beatrice’s lips repeatedly until they’re a smiling mess of a pair. Ava hugs Beatrice and buries her face into Beatrice’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Beatrice says quietly into Ava’s ear.

Ava tightens her hold on Beatrice’s waist.

“And I love you, Bea.”

–

Ava and Beatrice’s flight takes off early in the morning, so they had to say their goodbyes before bed. Tommy had hugged Ava tightly and asked Beatrice to bring her again soon.

“I’m not going anywhere without her,” Beatrice assured him. 

Beatrice’s parents send them off from the front door just as they had greeted them when they first came.

“You’ll let us know when your plane lands?” Mrs. Young asks.

“Of course, mother,” Beatrice nods. 

Ava smiles at the couple. “It was wonderful meeting you two.”

Mr. Young shakes his head. “We’re thankful you came, Ava. Please take care of our Beatrice.”

Beatrice scowls, although she feels tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I’m right here.”

Mrs. Young gives a small smile. “Safe travels, you two.”

With polite nods, they turn and are on their way back home.

Ava doesn’t let go of Beatrice’s hand the entire ride to the airport, giving the back of her hand random kisses every now and then. She knows Beatrice is lost in thought, so she doesn’t bother with conversation.

-

“Hey, Ava,” Beatrice says once they’re through security and are on their way to their gate.

“Hmm?” Ava responds.

“You’re still going to be my girlfriend once we’re back in Madrid, right?”

“Yes, baby,” Ava laughs. “I’m still going to be your girlfriend.”

“Okay, just checking.”

“Is that what you’ve been worrying about the whole time?”

… 

“Maybe.”

Ava lightly bumps her shoulder into Beatrice’s. “You don’t need to worry, Bea. I’m still going to be in love with you once we’re in Madrid.”

“That’s good to know,” Beatrice lets out a relieved sigh.

–

Beatrice barely enters the apartment herself before Ava’s quickly closing and locking their front door. 

“Shoes off,” Ava orders.

Beatrice raises an eyebrow, but kicks off her shoes just as Ava does so. 

Their suitcases remain in the entryway as Ava grabs her hand and drags the two of them to the closest bedroom (it’s Beatrice’s).

“What’s this about?” Beatrice asks. 

“We have a whole day off before we need to go back to work,” Ava says breathlessly as she pushes Beatrice backwards onto her own bed. She crawls to straddle the older woman, leaning down close to whisper into her ear, “And I very much intend on showing you just how much I’ve had to restrain myself for the past couple of days.”

And Beatrice, eloquent with words as ever, only manages out:

“ Oh .”

– – – – 

When Beatrice and Ava enter the headquarters hand-in-hand, nobody really bats an eye. 

But when Mary calls for Ava’s assistance and Ava plants a kiss directly onto Beatrice’s lips before leaving? 

The whole station freezes and everyone looks at each other to confirm they truly did just see Ava Silva finally kissing Beatrice Young.

Camila snorts from where she’s standing in front Lilith’s desk.

“It’s about damn time.”