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There was nothing better than waking up wrapped in Ava’s arms. Being able to feel the warmth of her body pressed against hers reminded her that Ava was there, really truly there, no matter what. In Ava’s arms, the rest of the world didn’t matter. There was no timeline to save, no bickering teammates, just warmth. The two constructed their room to be just like that, a bubble. And now that Ava lived on the ship, they could just leave all of their baggage in the night and exist there together as they sleep, most of the time.
This was one of the worst nightmare nights. Sara was in and out of sleep all night, crying and shaking as visions of her murdering her family and friends plagued her. The glazed look in their eyes just felt so real, so wrong. Ava had been there the whole time, hand never moving from Sara’s chest, and was the only thing to pull her out. Ava was alive. She was breathing next to her. Her team was safe. It was ok.
Sara could see her morning light start to dimly glow, a neat little trick she used to wake up in the morning. She knew that she would have to get up soon and face the team as they prepared for whatever the day brought them, but she couldn’t convince herself to get out of bed. She curled up on her side, away from Ava, trying to will herself to move past her unsettled feelings. She could feel Ava shift in bed next to her, starting to wake up and not ready to face her, Sara squeezed her eyes shut.
Ava draw circles on Sara’s hand for a moment, reminding her that she was there, that she remembered what had happened that night. Just as her heart rate was starting to settle down again, Sara felt a shift in weight as Ava crept out of bed, slowly leaving the room. The bed grew cold without her quickly. This was good, well not good, but needed. Sara needed to get out of bed. She needed to be able to pick herself up and take care of herself independently. She began trying breathing exercises that Ray once told her about to curb his panic attacks. She was ok. Her team was safe. Ava was safe. Everything was ok. For now.
Ava. Focus on Ava. God, she loved Ava. How could she ever properly thank her for getting her through the night? Ava had this magical touch that could soothe any nightmare for when reality manages to sneak into the blissful bubble of sleep. Neither of them could forget their past as easily as they would like, but they take turns being at the ready when their girlfriend wakes up in a frenzy of tears and confusion.
Sara had seen a lot of magic in her travels, but nothing compared to the way Ava instinctively pressed one hand to Sara’s chest when it was uncontrollably shaking. She filled Sara with all the love and care she needs to combat the darkness. And she tries her absolute best to give the same to Ava in return. Even from their first night together, Sara couldn’t help but notice a tender difference to how Ava shared a bed compared to other men and women Sara has slept with. Even when they aren’t pressed up against each other, they subconsciously find ways to connect, touching toes, or holding hands.
She yearned for her girlfriend now, feeling slightly silly for how sentimental she was becoming. Sara knew it was obvious to anyone they came across how disgustingly happy they made each other and though it took some getting used to, she was kind of proud of that. Ava made her more than happy. She made her feel strong and vulnerable and human. They didn’t define each other or consume each other’s lives, but they fit each other so well, independent but supported. Ava made her feel like more than a former assassin or a killer, and more than a time ship captain. With her, she could just be Sara Lance.
Sara heard the door creak back open, and she smelled bacon and coffee. She didn’t... Sara opened her eyes and sat up. Ava stood smiling softly in front of her, holding a tray of breakfast.
“I thought that you might want to have a little breakfast in bed,” Ava said, walking over to her. French toast, bacon, eggs, coffee, Ava went all out. She was known on the Waverider as the one to have the most fun with the food fabricator, just beating out Zari for the title.
“Ava, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Hey, I wanted to. I know that you’ve been really stressed with everything recently and were dealing with a lot last night, and you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to but I’m here if you-” Sara cut her off with a kiss. They stopped caring about morning breath weeks ago. God, she loved her so much. She pulled Ava down to sit on the bed with her.
“Thank you. And I’m sorry about last night but I’m fine now, really.”
“Sara Lance, we’ve talked about this. We no longer apologize for the horrors our sub-consciousness creates. I love you and that does not change, no matter what you think.” Ava put her hand against Sara’s chest again and Sara covered it with her hands. Warmth bloomed in Sara’s chest.
“Right back at you,” Sara replied, staring into her eyes. Ava chuckled and looked down. “Seriously, you know you mean the world to me.” Sara wished she knew how to sum up everything she desperately wanted to say. Ava deserved to know how good, how loved she was.
Ava tucked a stray hair behind Sara’s ear. “I know. Now come on, as much as I love this back and forth debate on who loves who more, and I’d definitely win, we should eat before this food goes cold.” They could talk about it later. For now, Sara wanted nothing more than to just exist with Ava in this bubble for a bit longer.