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“Carmen?”
It was late afternoon, the sun was starting to set and its warm light bled through the windows of team red’s hideout. Carmen looked down at Ivy who was currently snuggling into her side, looking up at the brunette with slight worry in her green eyes. The movie they had been watching had been forgotten as all of Carmen’s attention had been consumed by her girlfriend.
“Yes Ivy,” Carmen asked, confusion evident in her voice.
“Uh, nevermind, it’s stupid,” the redhead muttered while attempting to look away only for Carmen to guide Ivy’s eyes back to hers.
“If it’s troubling you, Ives, then it’s not stupid,” Carmen stated. “Please, tell me what’s wrong.” Ivy was silent for a moment, her eyes fixated on the floor.
“Do ya love me?”
--- --- ---
Carmen blinked as she stared out the window of her hotel room. Ivy’s words echoed through her head as the sunset in the distance. It had been two years since she had left, two years and six months since Ivy had asked that question. Carmen wiped a stray tear from her eyes, why had she decided to do that? Just leave like that. She could’ve at least stayed in contact with her team and yet she didn’t, and after a while, she felt like she couldn’t.
This time was going to be different, she was going to make things right. Or at the very least she was going to try and make things right. She knew Zack would easily let her back in his life, but Ivy was a whole different story. The freckled woman had every right to hate Carmen, and the brunette knew this. She had left her girlfriend without so much as a goodbye, and this decision had been haunting the red-themed thief ever since she left.
Carmen didn’t want forgiveness, all she wanted was a second chance to be apart of their lives again. To be apart of their family again.
“How you feeling red,” Player asked over the phone as Carmen began to brush her hair.
“Tired, as usual, and nervous,” the brunette answered with a small yawn. She hadn’t been sleeping well for a while now. Most of her nights were spent staring at the ceiling, regret eating away at her mind. She had enjoyed her time with her mom, but she had quickly realized that leaving everything behind wasn’t the best idea. Even if she couldn’t see Zack and Ivy she could’ve still contacted them. But it was too late to do that now, the damage had been done by this point.
“Ah, I’m sure it’ll be alright red,” Player assured happily, pulling Carmen out of her thoughts. “Zack and Ivy care about you and I’m sure they missed you.”
“But are you sure they’d want me back in their lives after what I did,” Carmen asked in a solemn tone.
“That’s for you to find out, Carm,” Player admitted. “It’s going to be hard, but I’m just a call away if you need me.”
“Thank you, Player, I really appreciate it,” the brunette said with a soft smile.
“Of course Red. Let me know how it goes,” Player requested.
“I will Player. Talk to you later,” Carmen sighed softly. “Have a good one.”
“You too red. Good luck,” Player responded.
Carmen slipped her phone into her pocket and took a deep breath. She slipped her brush into her bag and made her way over to the door. She glanced at the sunset one last time and sighed before finally exiting her room.
--- --- ---
Ivy pushed the door to her apartment open as she trudged in, kicking her shoes off as she closed the door behind her. She groaned softly as she tossed her briefcase on the couch in her living room. She sauntered over to her fridge, throwing open the freezer hoping to find something sweet. No luck. She rolled her eyes, ‘figures’ she thought before shrugging off her jacket and slinging it over a chair.
Two years, Ivy thought as a familiar pain shot through her heart. She sighed as she felt her body collapse into the dining chair. She pulled her legs onto the chair, resting her head on her knees as sadness washed through her system. It wasn’t a secret that Ivy wasn’t alright, she had been extremely lonely ever since Carmen had just disappeared. After a year Ivy had tried dating again, but that didn’t work out. She always ended up alone again, and it hurt.
The tapping of glass pulled her out of her thoughts. She followed the sound to her bedroom, her eyes locking on the door that led to her modest balcony. A silhouette could be seen through the curtains of the door, though it was too hard for Ivy to make out who it could be. Ivy’s mind immediately went to V.I.L.E, after all, she had been arresting their scattered operatives for months now. She cautiously stepped forward, pulling out her sleep gun as she grabbed the doorknob. She took a deep breath before throwing the door open, pistol at the ready.
“Ivy,” A hushed voice called to the redhead. Ivy felt her body tense as she heard the figure before her speak. She knew this voice, she missed this voice. This voice haunted her dreams and was the voice that was constantly on her mind. The voice of the woman she had cared for oh so deeply. Her jaw dropped as Carmen stepped forward, tears forming in her grey eyes.
“C-Carmen,” Ivy muttered as her hands fell slack and her pistol clattered to the floor, she couldn’t believe it. Carmen took a step forward, a smile forming on her face as she did so.
“No.”
The red-themed thief froze at the cold tone of Ivy’s voice. The redhead’s enraged green eyes locked onto the brunette’s fearful grey eyes.
“No. No Carmen! I’m not doin’ this,” Ivy shouted, rage evident in her voice.
“I-Ivy…,” Carmen started but her words died on her lips.
“Oh no, don’t ya dare say my name like that! Not after what ya did Carm! Ya think I’ll just run back into ya arms and everythin’ can go back ta how it was,” Ivy asked as she turned her back to the taller woman and stormed back inside her apartment. Carmen cautiously followed the freckled woman inside, tear threatening to fall as she listened quietly to her loves ranting. “News flash Carm! It can’t!”
“I know…,” Carmen stated, pain clinging to her voice as she spoke.
“Then what do ya want Carm,” Ivy growled as she clutched the footboard of her bed with her back turned to Carmen.
“I want…..I want to apologize,” the brunette stuttered as tears flowed down her cheeks. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, Ivy. But I do want to apologize for leaving the way I did. I’m-I’m so sorry. I never should’ve left like that. I know how much that must’ve hurt you, but I promise that I’ll do better this time. I’m not going to disappear again.”
“...Why?”
“What,” Carmen sniffed trying to compose herself.
“Why are ya doin’ this ta me Carm? Why are ya playin’ with me like this,” Ivy whimpered. “I want ta be mad at ya. I want ta hate ya! I want ta tear ya apart!”
“Then do it, Ivy,” the brunette said sadly.
“I can’t,” Ivy shouted as she turned towards Carmen, tear flowing from her dull green eyes. “Cause I still love ya.” The redhead paused as she fell to her knees. “And I hate it. No matter how much I try, I can’t stop lovin’ you. I want ta hate ya so much, but I just…...can’t.”
Carmen pulled Ivy close, the redhead immediately buried her face into the brunette’s shoulder as she cried. “I’m so sorry Ivy. This is all my fault.”
The two women cried in each other’s arms as the last of the sun’s light disappeared. Carmen rubbed Ivy’s back as her tears subsided, neither of them attempted to move away from the other. They just stayed like that, a comfortable silence hanging between them as they took in the other’s warmth.
“Carmen,” Ivy finally spoke.
“Yes Ivy,” Carmen inquired in a hushed tone.
“Do ya love me?” The question hung in the air as Carmen shifted to look Ivy in the eyes.
“Of course I love you, Ivy. I love you more than anything in this world,” Carmen proclaimed as she stared at the woman before her. Soon She felt Ivy’s soft lips press against her own. The kiss was long and desperate, both women trying to convey how much they missed the other. They broke the kiss once they need air, then after a few moments, Ivy spoke once again.
“We can’t go right back ta how we were,” Ivy admitted. The brunette felt pain jab at her heart as she processed what the redhead had said. She had known that she couldn’t just show up again and everything would go back to the way they were, but she didn’t realize how much that would hurt. “But I’m willing ta give you…… I’m willin’ ta give us a second chance.” The taller woman blinked as a warm feeling quickly replaced the pain she had just felt. Carmen pulled Ivy close as more tears fell, this time however they were filled with happiness rather than the pain from before.
“Thank you, Ivy,” Carmen exclaimed with a soft smile.
The two women stayed like that for a while, both feeling the void that had developed in their hearts fill slowly. They missed this, they missed having the other by their sides. They missed the warmth of the other’s body and the feeling of care that came from the other’s presence.
Carmen fell asleep rather quickly after that, her exhaustion had caught up to her by this point and she could finally rest. Ivy felt the taller woman relax, she glanced up to see Carmen fast asleep. A small smile formed as she and scooped the brunette up in her arms, laying her down in her bed before snuggling up next to her. Sleep overtook the redhead as she finally felt the warmth she had been longing for. And for the first time in a while, Ivy felt truly happy.