Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You never did call me.”

Amy turned away from the menu board she was contemplating at and came face to face with the model tall brunette she was oh so trying to avoid since she came back into town. She opened her mouth to say something but not peek came out.

“Don’t I at least get a hello?” Hope smirked. She placed a hand on her hip and quirked an eyebrow towards Amy. This was Hope’s power move, one hand on the hip whilst staring at her prey. Amy initially thought it was fear that she felt every time Hope struck that pose but it turned out that the dry mouth and butterflies in her stomach was because she was attracted to her. Even after 7 years, Hope still had that affected Amy.

“Um, hi…” Amy managed to stutter out. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like? I’m getting something to eat.” Hope’s eyebrow quirked further up.

“Yeah… same here…” was all Amy could muster out. What could she say? Sorry for not calling or messaging you while I was in Botswana. Or when I came back. Or when I headed to Columbia. I chickened out and then the moment was gone.

Hope shook her head and walked past Amy to approach the front counter. The subtle hint of spruce and wood flooded Amy’s nostrils that it took her back to Nick’s graduation party. The dim bathroom, the smell of chlorine from her damp hair, the feel of Hope’s breath against her lips… Amy bit back the memory and resumed her attention to the menu board she was eyeing earlier.

“Ah, Miss Hope!” A middle-aged lady came through the kitchen doors and approached the cashier register. “The usual? Lemongrass bean curd sub with extra hot peppers?”

“You know it Mrs. Pham! And whatever she would like.” Hope turned sideways and tilted her head towards Amy. From this angle Amy could tell Hope had gain a bit of muscle since high school. The lanky arms were no longer there. Now there was sharpness in her biceps and a bit of girth in her thighs. The white tank and frayed skinny jeans seemed to accentuate every definition of muscle.

Amy furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Wait, what? No, no, I don’t even know what I want and I can buy my own sandwich. You don’t have to pay…”

“She’ll take the satay chicken, hold the cilantro.” Hope said. Mrs. Pham rang the orders through and hurriedly to the prep station. Hope turned her full attention to Amy and leaned against the front counter. Silence. Dead silence.

“Hope, you didn’t have to buy my sub. Let me pay you back.” Amy pulled out her wallet and fumbled for some cash.

“It’s on me, Columbia. You’ve been gone for like seven years. I might as well treat you to the best Vietnamese subs in the city. How long are you in town for anyways? The weekend?” At the last statement Hope directed her attention to the back of her hand and scratch something off a fingernail.

“Actually, I’m here for a couple weeks before I head back to New York to start my new position at the company I interned at.”

“Damn, I should start calling you New York.”

“Columbia is fine. Or whatever.”

“Whatever? Wow, you haven’t changed, have you?” Hope sneered and shook her head in disgust. “Still a meek person.”

Meek? What the hell did she know? She didn’t know the emotional challenge she had to overcome while being continents away from her family and friends for a year. Then the resiliency of moving to the other side of the country to a university she knew no one at. Having to make new friends. Living with roommates in the shabbiest part of the city. Did she even know how to properly pepper spray a person? Rage was boiling inside Amy.

“I guess you haven’t changed either,” Amy said sternly. She moved closer to Hope to confront her. “You’re still cruel and mean. Acting all tough when you are just all words.” In a second, her eyes dropped to her antagonist’s lips and she watched them part a little. Amy felt herself inch forward but she quickly reeled back and glanced at Mrs. Pham who seemed to be leisurely making their orders.

“The secret to what makes these subs delicious is Mrs. Pham takes her time and pours her heart and soul making them.” Hope smirked, crossing her arms. Mrs. Pham cheered in agreement and began stuffing the loaves of bread with cucumbers.

“Hooooow? How are you reading my mind?!” Amy exclaimed, while creating a noticeable distance between them. How did Hope know she didn’t like cilantro? And that she wanted to leave this situation pronto?

“Come on, New York. We haven’t seen or talk to each other since I gave you my number and it’s obvious that you weren’t expecting to see me. This is awkward, I know. But we might as well make the most of the situation.” Nothing seemed to phase Hope. Always so cool, calm and mean. Amy could only recall a couple moments when the long-haired brunette wasn’t her normal demeanor. It seemed like those moments were rare.

Mrs. Pham wrapped the subs with a familiar white and red checker parchment paper, bagged them separately and handed them over to Hope. Hope thanked the owner and started towards Amy. She handed over the satay chicken sub and continued towards the exit. She reached for the door handle and stopped. She turned to face Amy once more.

“Since you are in town give me a call. We should hang out.”

Amy furrowed her eyebrows. “I don’t have your number.”

“I gave it to you.” Hope said matter of fact. She used her back to push open the door and disappeared.

Chapter Text

Hope quickly tied her dark hair back and jumped on her bike. She made sure her bagged lunch was hanging safely on the handle bars before she pedaled off, turning a corner and letting out a heavy breath. How long had she been holding her breath?

She hadn’t expected to see Amy after all these years. Sure, she anticipated for Amy to come back home to visit but Los Angeles was an enormous city. She could go weeks without running into someone she knew but today had to be the day she would confront the one person she never gotten over. Fate was such a bitch.

Damn, Amy looked good. Her hair was a few inches shorter and she was a bit curvier. Feminine. Sexier.
Gone were the oversize jean jacket and flood pants, replaced with a form fitted green cargo jacket, pale shirt and to Hope’s shock, black leggings. The new fashion choice suited her.

Hope peered at her saw-dust speckled tank top and ripped jeans and shook her head. If she had known she would have run into Amy she would have changed out of her work clothes. But with the LA heat, the breeze from riding her bike was a reprieved against her bare arms.

She rounded one last corner and slowed down to the bike rack against a dusty cream color building. She secured her bike against the rack, grabbed her lunch and made her way inside the building. Her anxiety lower as the scent of freshly cut timber and lacquer swirled her. She walked past a row of newly built dining tables and chairs before settling onto a well-worn black couch located on the opposite side of the room. Ah, sanctuary.

Hope dug her tofu sub out and took a chunk with her teeth. Furiously chomping away to parallel the anger she was feeling for how she behaved earlier. She didn’t mean to come off spiteful to Amy, but she hated how she still felt for the nerd. When she saw Amy at the restaurant, it took all her might to not rush up and kiss her, to find out if she still tasted the same after all these years. Amy had to feel the same. When she was giving Hope an earful of her behavior, she had to have felt the sexual tension. For fuck sakes, she even looked at her lips like she was going for it. Hope let out a harsh groan and took another bite of her sub.

“Geesh, what did that sandwich do to you?” A silver haired woman in red coveralls popped out from behind a table saw.

“The hell, Mom! You scared me!” Hope popped a little from the couch then touched her forehead with the tips of her fingers to steady her nerves. “I thought you said you were heading home?”

At the sight of her uncharacteristic daughter, Sunny knew she had to go into mom mode. She tied her hair into messy bun and pulled a square metal tin from her back pocket.

“Ok, what happened? You were gone for twenty minutes and Mrs. Pham’s subs are practically orgasmic.” Hope’s mom sat beside the frazzled girl and popped open the metal tin to begin rolling a joint.

“It’s nothing.”

“Bullshit. The last time I saw you this strung up you were working on that unicorn wood sculpture. I’ve never seen a fire so enormous….”

That unicorn piece was her pandora box. The client had too many requests, asked for a short deadline and called every day for follow ups. Hope tried to incorporate all the stars, bowls of fruit, and rainbows but halfway through the carving and seventy-six nicks to her hands later, she threw the lumber in a fire drum. The flames almost reached the height of the building. Gratefully the client gave Hope an extension and she restarted the piece with a new attack which resulted the client loving the results. It was the best ten grand she made since she started taking custom jobs.

Sunny moisten the ends of the cigarette paper with her tongue and rolled the perfect joint. She patted her hips looking for a match until Hope gestured at the front coverall pockets.

“What would I do without you, honey?” Sunny retrieved the match box from her front pocket, effortless light the blunt and took a sharp inhale. “Ok, mummy’s here. Lay it out on me.”

“It’s really nothing, mom. I just bumped into someone from high school.” No longer hungry, Hope dropped the remaining of her lunch onto a nearby table. She took the blunt her mom offered her, took a puff but let the blunt linger between her lips.

“Was it Amy Antsler?”

Hope groan, was it that obvious? She shook her head in agreement then let the back of her head rest on the couch.

“Amy is not nothing. You mope around for weeks when it was evident that she wasn’t going to call. Who knew I would miss your surly self?” Hope’s mother chuckled when her daughter nudged her with her elbow.

“Mom, she looked really good. You know how I said she was nerdy in a cute way. God, now she’s a nerd in a sexy way.” She took one more inhale from the shrinking bud and passed it back to Sunny.

“And…” Nothing got pass the eccentric, yet wise older woman.

“I told her to call me. But I may have reverted to my old ways and I don’t think she will.”

Just then Hope’s phone blared the Wonder Wonder theme song with a New York area code displaying on the screen. Sunny quirked her eyebrows and lifted off the couch to give her daughter some privacy.

Chapter Text

Still at the restaurant, Amy pulled out her phone and clicked the first number on her Contacts favorite list. It had barely finished the first ring when the other person picked up.

“Amy! How was your flight?”

“Molly, I saw Hope.”

Silence. Then some distance yelling, rustling of noise and what sounded like a door slamming shut.

“Ames, where are you? You flew out this morning! How did you see Hope? From the distance or up close and personal? DO I NEED TO DEFEND YOUR HONOR?” Molly machine gunned the questions without taking a breath.

It was a coincidence that she had run into Hope the day she flew into town. After her mother picked her up from the airport, she had to head back to work leaving Amy on her own for a few hours. She decided to drive herself to grab lunch and she did miss Mrs. Pham’s subs. The one’s in New York would good but not the same, yet she hadn’t taken a bite of the forbidden sub that was purchased by the woman in question.

“I’m at Pham’s. It was up close and personal. She came into the restaurant while I was deciding what to order. And no, no honor needs to be defended. I just need you to tell me that Hope looked hideous and I totally won the seven years later game.”

“Girl, you are the sun and moon combine! No mountain can compete with you! There are no WORDS in the dictionary to describe how Beautiful. You. Are!” Molly peppered out in their usual compliment-off banter. “Oh, and Hope is hideous.”

Ames chuckled. Her friend could always make her feel better. “Thanks Mols. But she did look really good. God, like, so hot in her sweaty tank top an– “

“La, la, la! I do not need details!” Molly interrupted. “Anyways, so you saw Hope once after all these years. I think your odds are good of never seeing her again.”

But that was the problem. Amy wanted to see Hope again. The sight of her caused a stir that she hadn’t felt since high school. After she had left for Botswana she thought of Hope every day. Tried to muster the courage to call her but thought against it because there was no way a girl like Hope would truly be into her. After a few months busying herself with her daily assignments, it had gotten easier to not think about Hope. Then when she arrived back to Los Angeles after her gap year it didn’t feel right to message Hope that she was back. She convinced herself that Hope wouldn’t respond after this long and most of all she only had one week to get ready for her move to New York. There just wasn’t any time to fit in an awkward reunion.

“Oh no, I recognize that silence. It’s where you think opposite of what I’m saying. You DO want to see Hope!” Molly screamed.

“Well….”

“No!”

“It’s just…”

“NO! Amy!”

“Think about it, Molly. I’m in LA for a couple weeks. I might as well have some fun!” It wasn’t a bad idea. That was more than enough for Amy to momentarily forget about work and the pressures of paying rent, student loans and etc. She needed a good distraction and Hope would be a nice welcome.

“But with Hope? You can do better than that bean. What about Brody from the Music Improv?”

“Hey now, remember you promise to work on supporting other females. It’s bad enough that society pits women against women. No person is better than another person.”

“Except Michelle Obama…” Molly mutter under breath then much louder, “Yeah, yeah, still working on that. What about Brody?”

Ah, yes. Tall, blonde haired, musically gifted, soft-faced Brody. Amy first met they a few months back at the Music Improv during Newbies Night. The Music Improv hosted nightly improvisation jam sessions where musicians created songs with whatever instruments or various objects that could hold a tune. The regulars called it Clomp because some nights it sounded that bad, especially on Newbie’s Night, but it was still a great atmosphere to be part of. The night that Amy worked up the courage to go, she bought her autoharp but was too timid to join the jam. She sat along the wall, enjoying the musicians of all walks string together the beats until Brody swaggered over and pulled her closer to the main orchestra. Brody encouraged her to play her autoharp while they joined in with a PCV pipe and ping pong paddle. Amy was truly in awe listening to the beats Brody was making from the two inconspicuous objects. Afterwards Brody and her spent the rest of the night and into the morning talking.

“Nothing. I went out on a few dates with Brody. I slept with them once and that was it. Brody was going on the road with their band and I wasn’t interested in taking it any further.” That was the half truth. There was a spark between her and Brody and she was hoping it would lead into something serious. But with Brody on the road and Amy busy with school and work, their texts became less frequent until they became non-existent.

“You weren’t interested in that exquisite creature that could fingerbang a guitar like a raccoon grazing for food? I’m not queer but I would be for Brody!” Molly exclaimed. It never failed Molly to be as raunchy whenever she could.

“Oh geesh, well I’ll pass on your phone number to them.”

“Would you, please?”

The two best friends burst out in laughter until Amy could hear someone call out Molly’s name in the background. Molly turned her attention to the voice and Amy listen to murmurs. Molly had to go, she had plans to see a speaking event and Annabelle had arrive to pick her up. After hanging up with Molly, Amy contemplated at her phone. She opened up her contacts list, scrolled down to the “H”s and stopped at the one number she never dialed.

What the hell. Amy pressed the phone icon beside the phone number, placed the phone to her ear and waited.

“Hello?”

“Amy? I mean Hope?” Amy softly cursed at her flub.

“Did.. did you just say your own name?” the voice on the other end asked. Amy could practically hear a smirk forming on Hope’s face.

“Um, yes…” Silence. How more embarrassing could this go? Amy cursed quietly again.

“Did you call me for a reason?”

Silence.

“Can I come see you?”

Chapter Text

Hope gave Amy the address to the shop then cursed loudly after she hung up. She heard her mom give a chuckling goodbye and leave the building.

Why did she agree to meet Amy here and now? She should have suggested they meet in the eveing then she would have had time to shower and rehearse how she thought the conversations would go. But she had 10 minutes, give or take… maybe less if the rumors were still true that Amy was a speed demon.

Hope vaulted to the commercial size sink in the next room and checked her appearance in the mirror. She pulled the hair tie loose and smooth out her dark locks. There were a few flyaways but nothing a bit of water couldn’t solve. She quickly wet her hands and smooth out the strands.

“Hello? Hope?” Yup, she was still a speed demon.

“Come to the back.” Hope tried to call out confidently. She checked the mirror once more then hastily dusted off the sawdust that clung to her clothes. That was the pain of working in a wood shop.

“Hope?” the voice was closer.

Hope moved away from the sink and went to the main floor. She stopped short and her breath hitched as she saw Amy standing in the middle of the room. The afternoon sun was beaming through one of the skylights, directly onto the anxious-looking auburn haired person. When Amy locked eyes with Hope, the anxiousness turned into a smile that left Hope utterly weak that her knees buckled underneath her.

Fuck, get a grip! Hope sneered to herself as she caught the nearest table to prevent herself from falling to the ground.

“Hi, Hope.” Amy took one step closer, “This is a nice place. I’m surprised I’ve never been in here.”

“Why would you? We were never friends in high school so there was no reason for you to ever step foot in my mom’s shop.” Hope tried to sound sincere but the look on Amy’s face said otherwise.

“Your mom did do a lot of work for the school and she did build the wagons we needed for our Clean the Beach fundraiser. I had a choice to pick up the wagons at the shop and bring them to the beach but decided to manage the morning check in.”

“Oh man, I remember that fundraiser. At the end of the night it became a huge rager on the beach! Tanner got buried up to his neck in sand for the entire night.” Hope laughed.

“Wait, you were there? I don’t remember you signing up for the beach clean.”

“I didn’t sign up for the fundraiser. I came after when I heard there was a party. I was at all the parties.”

“Yeah, that party… wasn’t supposed to happen. Luckily Molly and I left before it started.”

“What was with you and Molly? You two were never at any parties, except for that one…”

“Parties were never a priority for us. We both wanted to get good grades and get into good schools.”

“Was it worth it?”

Hope watched as Amy open her mouth then pause. This was obviously as sensitive spot for the former classmate who Hope thought had their entire life mapped out. The last few years Hope had been checking Amy’s Instagram and pretty much got the gist of what she was up to in New York: school, friends, music, work, charities, protests and of course, Molly. She was living her best life through those pictures.

Hope continued to intently stare at the tiny person, patiently waiting for a response to her earlier question. They locked eyes and a flutter stirred Hope below her belly, causing her to internally groan. But Amy must had felt something too, she had turned a shade of red and quickly looked away only to face a wood sculpture of two naked ladies, tangled in an almost kiss. She was now beet red.

“Found something you like, New York?” Hope questioned with a smile and she moved closer to Amy to stand beside her.

“Did… Did you do this, Hope?” Amy gesturing at embracing ladies.

Hope nodded, “Just something I dabbling in for fun.”

“It’s truly beautiful, Hope. The line work and it looks so real. You’re so talented…” Amy looked up at Hope. Another flutter.

“You didn’t think a person like me could do something like this?” Hope said in a lower registered which she didn’t mean to do.

“It’s not that,” Amy began mimicking the low tone, “I just… never expected this was your thing. I’ve never seen you in Art or shop, you just seem to not show interest in anything… except your books. But I guess I should have known. In high school, you always had this hint of pine. In fact, trees still make me think of you…”

A recognizable tension buzzed between them.

“Chlorine has the same effect on me with you.” Hope murmured that it made Amy let out a small grin. “I still think about that night.”

“How I vomited on you?”

“I omit that part. I think about if we had finished it. You know, what it would have been like.”

“It was really a terrible night.” Amy assured her.

“I don’t remember it being terrible at all. I remember a fiery spirit and how soft her skin felt. The taste of her lips,” Hope cupped Amy’s cheek and brushed the pad of her thumb along the bottom of her lip. “I still wonder if you taste the same.”

Amy never broke her gaze as her lips parted. She placed her hands on Hope’s waist and pressed their bodies closer.

“I still think about it too.”

Hope dipped her head lower and Amy met her halfway. Their lips crushed against each other and the feelings came rushing back. Hope remembered the soft lips and instead of the smell of chlorine, a light citrus swirled her nostrils. The scent was ever so Amy. Hope inhaled the scent once more and deepened their kiss. She slanted her lips over Amy’s, sucking on her lower lip when the opportunity came.

Somewhere Amy’s hands had moved from her waist and were threaded in her long locks. They were lightly gripping a hand full of her hair, a feeling Hope realized she liked. The intensity flared inside Hope and she reacted by kissing her with more urgency. A muffled moan escaped from Amy’s throat and Hope thought she heard her say her name. She couldn’t think clearly, everything was a distraction but a welcome one.

They broke their feverous lip lock, noses still touching and both gasping for air. Hope was the first to regain her senses and she began lightly kissing Amy again. Giving long lingering kisses on her lips then cheek before trailing to the curve of her neck and resting her lips there.

“Please…” Amy panted. Hope definitely heard that. They embraced in another feverous kiss, with more insistence coming from Amy like she was trying to crawl inside Hope. Amy raised a leg, brushing it along the outside of Hope’s thigh, and Hope cradled the leg with a free hand. But the change in position still was not enough for the smaller girl. She whimpered for more and Hope answered by reaching for the other leg. She lifted Amy to hook her legs around her waist. Their kiss broke but Amy made sure it was a for moment. Their lips crushed together while Amy tighten her legs to keep her balance as Hope walked them to the couch. She sat down with Amy on top and they helped each other out of their tops. Off came Hope’s tank and Amy, out of her stubborn cargo jacket and shirt. To Hope’s surprise, Amy was bare underneath, her breasts free and perked, waiting. Never to turn down an offer, Hope cupped a mount then captured the other peak between her lips and rolled it along her wet tongue. Amy moaned and rocked against Hope’s stomach. They continued their motions until Amy began quicken her pace. Her breathing became hitch as she grinded her groin harder against Hope. Hope managed to match Amy’s pace, never leaving her attention from the supple breasts. She lightly scrapped her teeth on the nub and flick her tongue to lick it. She engulfed it once more while placing one hand under Amy’s leggings until her fingers found the slick clit waiting for release. She began massaging it, rendering Amy to moan at the new sensation.

“Faster…” Amy begged and Hope abided. She sped her fingers, notching a bit more every time Amy tighten her grip on Hope’s neck. Now her moans weren’t as vocal. She was getting close.

“Hope,” Amy gasped. Her hips stopped and her legs squeezed around Hope’s. Hope steady her hand into a slower motion, letting Amy ride the waves until she bucked once more and collapsed onto her.