Work Text:
“AVA!” Beatrice watches as the love of her life plummets toward the ground, hitting the concrete with a sickening crunch.
“Oh god please, no.” Beatrice cries as she races towards her, gathering up Ava’s lifeless form in her arms. Her hands tremble as she cradles Ava’s head, the same place her lips had so often found in the dark, when Ava slept unaware in her embrace.
“I know that the world is hard, and unforgiving, and that warrior nuns die. Please don’t leave me.” Words catching in her throat, Beatrice shakes with anger, sadness, the agony of having to live a life so crippled by pain.
Beatrice cries for the life Ava will never live again, for the life she now has to live without her, and for the time that they never had.
The words come faster than she can realize.
“I love you. Please don’t die.”
Gently rocking her body, Beatrice feels a shift in her arms, and her heart leaps out of its throat.
“You know, I’d like to avoid that myself.” Beatrice chokes with joy as Ava gently pulls back, glowing as the halo slowly heals her body.
They don’t talk about Beatrice’s other words until later that night. Jillian had insisted on Ava sleeping in the hospital wing, and the white sheets and rhythmic beeping left Ava feeling trapped and panicked.
Slipping out of the bed, she quietly slides open the glass door, making sure no one hears, and then promptly runs into someone in the hallway.
“-fuck!” Ava grunts as she loses her balance, wobbling for a few seconds, arms flailing. But she never hits the ground. One of her arms is caught, and an arm winds around her back as her legs finally find purchase on the tile below.
“Shit. Um, thanks?” Ava finally meets the eyes of her midnight run-in. To her surprise, it’s Beatrice.
“Bea.” Ava murmurs, all the tension leaving her body. Letting her arms fall to her sides, Ava slams into Beatrice once more, hugging her while her nose finds its usual place inside the crook of Beatrice’s neck.
Comforting arms wrap around her once more, and Ava sighs into her neck, closing her eyes and breathing her in.
“Darling, what are you doing awake at this hour?”
Ava hums a response, because all of the sudden she’s realized that she’s fallen in love and there is nothing she can do to stop it.
Beatrice’s hand scratches gently at her scalp, the other running soothing circles around the halo as she waits for a response.
“I—“ Ava steps away, guilt and something else that Beatrice can’t place in her eyes.
“I- Couldn’t sleep. Not without—“ Ava stutters, and Beatrice places a hand on her cheek, cupping it gently.
“It’s fine, Ava. You can tell me, I promise.”
“I missed you.”
The admission is surprisingly vulnerable, and Beatrice smiles, soft and gentle, as she holds her arms out for Ava to climb back in.
“Then let’s go to bed, hmm?” Beatrice says, leading her gently to their quarters, shutting the door quietly behind her.
They settle under the covers, and Beatrice’s left arm comes up almost instinctively to cradle Ava into her space. Ava hums as she rests her head on Beatrice’s chest, syncing her breathing with her own. Their legs tangle together as Ava presses a kiss to Beatrice’s collarbone before slipping into sleep.
Beatrice wakes up tangled in Ava’s arms and can feel the gentle rise and fall of Ava’s chest as she breathes. It’s soothing, and Beatrice closes her eyes again, curling Ava closer to her.
Ava stirs, and mumbles incoherent nonsense into her neck, hugging her closer. Beatrice shushes her softly, humming as Ava falls back asleep.
Beatrice wakes to gentle fingertips tracing her jaw and collarbone, and Beatrice opens an eye, peeking at Ava who is radiant, —no literally. The halo is humming and whining, bathing the room in golden light.
Despite her soft touch, Beatrice can sense something’s off.
“…Ava?” She doesn’t need to say anything else. Asking if she was alright was a futile question. She had almost died the day before, possibly one of the scariest moments she’d lived through.
Ava hums, and sits up, rolling off her, instead opting to dangle her legs over the side of the bed. Beatrice sits up with her as Ava takes her hand and plays with her fingers.
“…Did you mean it?”
Beatrice’s throat clenches. She knows exactly what she’s asking about. Sensing her discomfort, Ava rubs soothing strokes up her arm, leaning into her side, hair cradling her face beautifully in the morning light.
They stare off into the distance, Jillian’s garden thriving outside Beatrice’s window.
“I did.” Beatrice says, taking a deep breath and forcing herself to look down at Ava.
“Yeah?” Ava asks, as if she’s unsure of what she’d just heard.
“Of course.” Beatrice tentatively leans down to gently kiss Ava’s cheek, cupping her cheek.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. When I wake up, I want to hear your laugh, feel your touch, make crazy recipes with you, even if you insist on putting strawberries in everything.” Beatrice takes a breath.
Ava laughs, and then refocuses on her, eyes wide and searching.
“I am….enamored by you.”
“Fuck.” Ava whispers. For a second, Beatrice worries she’s gone too far, she’s overthought this, she’s been delusional to think that Ava would ever love someone like her.
But all of the sudden, Ava crashes into her, kissing her with all the strength she possesses. Beatrice laughs into the kiss, fear melting away as her hands tangle into Ava’s hair.
She can feel Ava smiling into the kiss, leaning into Beatrice as she falls back onto the bed.
“I’ve been waiting a long time to do that, you know?” Ava laughs, poking Beatrice’s cheek affectionately.
Beatrice lets out a huff. “You weren’t exactly subtle.“
Ava responds by biting her neck.
It’s almost lunch by the time they come out of Beatrice’s room; Ava needs to shower and both couldn’t ignore their rumbling stomachs.
They walk to the dining room, fingers laced together, Ava chattering on about god knows what, and Beatrice nodding along. Beatrice has accepted that she will not be able to hide from Camila and has given into Ava’s touch. If Camila hadn’t noticed their physical proximity, it would probably be from the worn sleep tee that Ava stole from her closet when they were in Switzerland.
As they come into view, Camila lets out a scream.
“OHMYGOSHYES!” She scampers around the table and runs straight towards the two. Expecting her to crash into them, Beatrice and Ava tense, but are immediately confused when Camila runs past them and into Mother Superion’s office, squealing with joy.
Mother Superion comes out a few moments later and glances up and down at the pair. Suspicion confirmed, Mother Superion raises her eyebrows.“...Beatrice, I expected better of you. But good job.” She sighs, and hands Camila a fifty.
“I had you holding on for another two weeks.” Superion grumbles, patting Beatrice on the shoulder as she returns to her office.
“You…you bet on us?” Beatrice asks, flabbergasted.
“Of course! We needed something to do while fighting this damn holy war.” Camila says.
“Language.” Beatrice says, as Lilith steps into the room, saying the word in sync.
“Beatrice.” Lilith remarks, as narrows her eyes at Ava.
“I’m surprised. Your standards must have fallen.”
Beatrice laughs, and Ava frowns.
“That’s rich coming from you.” Ava says, mimicking a kissing motion with her hands.
“Adriel…was a mistake.” Lilith grumbles, and Beatrice groans.
“Enough. Let’s just…eat. Shall we?”
“I’m sure you were eating something else this morni–”
“Please, Lilith, I am trying to find my composure.” Beatrice interrupts, waving her hands in embarrassment.
To her relief, the subject is dropped, and all is well when Ava drops into the seat next to her, mooching a strawberry off of her plate.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“Obviously.” Ava replies, mouth full of strawberries.