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Lucy came barging through the door of the special ops room at the station. Her dedication radiates from her, and her focus is clear. Nyla is right behind her, only a few steps, yet her steps are less aggressive.
Elena had met Lucy and Nyla on quite a few occasions, and she was looking up to those two women.
Nyla had these impressive successes as a UC-cop and still managed to have a nice family life.
Lucy somehow made Sergeant within five years on the force.
Elena, of course, knew about Caleb and Roselind. It’s what amazed her the most about Lucy. The resilience and strength to go through such a traumatic experience and come out of it with such grace, and the way she had managed to move on from it, was truly inspiring.
Then there was her relationship with Bradford, which miraculously did not brand her.
With her past, it could make people question her ability to be a cop – a cop in leadership, nonetheless, but everyone respects Lucy.
Nyla and Lucy were two women who had seen hell, been through it, and still were able to show compassion.
It’s like those two women proved to everyone that telltales, rumors, and prejudices were just that.
Eavesdropping, Elena sat at her computer.
“On your deathbed,” Lucy stressed, and it made Elena stifle a laugh. She was definitely getting ahead of herself, driven by the determination to convince Grey.
If it were anyone else, this might have been received completely differently, but Grey only raises his eyebrows. He stares her down for a moment, then his posture resolves.
“Alright, I’ll talk to Garza.”
A few hours later, Elena found herself a part of this operation.
Elena was elated to be appointed to this case. She would be able to put all her knowledge to good use and watch those two women in action.
Scattered around the table, they worked on a backstory for Lucy and Nyla.
Elana works on setting up the social media accounts for their covers.
Lucy came up with a cover as it was the easiest task.
The way she just creates Xia Sun, how everything just falls into place from Lucy’s imagination, was amazing to watch. It seems so easy and natural. With each new piece of information, the fake social media profile comes together.
“I met the love of my life,” Lucy said, and it made Elena look up from her laptop.
Celina, who sits beside her, had also turned her gaze away from the device. From the corner of her eye, she could see how Celina had slightly turned her head, and a curious, almost teasing expression adorned her face.
The implication of that statement is surprising. They would go undercover as a queer couple.
Nyla confirmed, “And I’m said girlfriend.”
Awa Reid and Xia Sun.
Two women in love.
Living a rich and full life – not caring for any social stipulations.
Weird enough, Elena envied those characters.
She misses being in a relationship, having someone to love and lean on.
Preparations took a few more days, and she enjoyed every second of it.
Elena had worked alongside one of the best agents, she had had access to the greatest tools and databases there are, but this low-budget operation felt special.
Personal.
Important.
Elena could totally get where Lucy was coming from – why she was so eager to get justice for these girls.
To a certain degree, she had been one of those free-spirited, naive girls as well.
The way she grew up had made her unafraid – naive.
There had not been one second she had felt like she had to hide who she was, not from her family. They just accepted her.
Later, she learned that not everyone was that way.
Becoming an adult meant realizing that not everyone would react kindly and be open to her. She learnt that in some situations, being a woman of colour, a lesbian, could put her at a disadvantage or even in danger.
She experienced how people felt entitled to judge her based on her appearance.
It felt overwhelming and frustrating. There had been a period where the injustice of the world felt crushing and paralyzing.
While it was unspeakably tough for a while, she fought to regain the sense of bravery to just conquer the world, live her life the way she wanted to. She created her own safe spaces, and over the years, she developed a good sense to spot those people and situations.
After three days of preparations, they were ready to send Lucy and Nyla undercover. Grey, Celina, and Elena would follow them – be their backup.
Since Nyla and Lucy pose as vanlifers, they are bound to travel with their van. Celina and Elena would follow them in a second van, which was also prepped for the surveillance. Grey simply stated that he was too old for long road trips and took a plane.
Not that Elena disliked Grey, but it somehow made her giddy to be alone with Celina.
She met Celina three years ago. Celina had been a Rookie and their paths crossed on a case.
They both had been eager to learn. It had been an important period in her life, and she was focused on learning as much as possible from Antoinett.
Celina, on the other hand, was trying to keep up. They had always been friendly, but until now, they hadn’t had the time to get to know each other.
Celina had volunteered to get the van, while Elena was tasked with getting the equipment.
Everything was set up, and Celina would pick up Elena from her place.
When Celina arrived, Elena was already waiting in front of her apartment complex. She threw her bag in the back before sliding into her seat.
“Hey, good morning,” she greets Celina, who welcomes her with a wide smile.
The lightness and warmth that radiate from her magically draw her in.
It’s infectious.
Elena would describe herself as a positive and cheerful person, but there is something about Celina that makes her immediately happy.
She had witnessed how Celina had this effect on other people as well.
Celina steers the car back into traffic to meet Lucy and Nyla.
“Did you sleep well?” Celina asks. It was genuine, no small talk.
“Yeah, thank you. You ready for this adventure?” Elena feels nervous. Her clammy palms rest in her lap. Luckily, Celina seemed to be unaware of that effect on her.
“Let’s go, girl! Let’s make the best out of it.”
It’s always a tense situation to be trapped in a car for several hours, and she felt the strange kind of excitement that made her nervous in the other woman’s presence elevate.
It’s Celina’s cheerful response to her question that eased some of the tension she holds.
Celina points to the center console, “Put on some music.”
“Eh, anything particular?” She connects her phone to the van and holds it up.
“I’m open to anything. Just put something on that you like. I love to discover new stuff.”
Elena couldn’t decide, so she just hits play to start the playlist she had listened to last.
The serene sounds of Girl in Red fill the car.
“Oh, did you watch Heartstoppers? I loved it.” Celina seemed to be exhilarated at the prospect of having someone to gush about the show.
Elena feels the smile spread across her face, and her joy bubbles into a giggle.
“No, I read the books. I still couldn’t bring myself to watch the show. I’m nervous it’ll destroy my love for it. It means a lot to me.”
“It’s good. I really enjoyed it, but I totally feel you. Narnia burnt me. Never watch a movie adaptation of your favourite book. ”
“Yeah, I know.”
The conversation simply flows, and even the silence is comfortable.
Soon, the seven-hour drive came to an end.
Halfway through, they had switched, so it was Elena who drove the car onto the small parking lot of the Hotel they booked into. Well, Grey checked in there. Celina and Elena would stay in the van. But they needed a place to do some last minuted set ups, and Grey simply refused to sleep in the van.
Nyla and Lucy would hold back until the equipment was fully set.
They were quick to set everything up and put the show on the road.
Celina goes to hide in a ditch near the place where Nyla and Lucy were supposed to park, while Grey and Elena observed them from the van.
Lucy entered the beach with their van, and as soon as they had adjusted the audio, it was smooth sailing.
Time flies by, and after four weeks of going back and forth between L. A and Baja, the op is over. They found the killer and were able to close the case.
She spent four weeks in close proximity to Celina.
They were either in the van or in the Motel room – well, except the time Celina was on the beach in the ditch.
Elena really enjoyed it.
It was also quite cute how Celina would complain about the bugs in the ditch.
She got to know the other woman on a deeper level. It was easy to be around Celina, she was funny and thoughtful. Despite her foible for esoteric stuff, Elena could talk to her about serious things. They’d discuss society, their upbringing, or how their work changed them.
The sincere and pure honesty, the trust they put into each other by talking about the dark and traumatic parts of their lives, let them form a bond.
It was easy.
She felt seen, understood, and supported.
A sadness dampened the success of the op.
She already misses Celina.
They brought back the van, put the equipment away, and had a short debrief.
The closer the end neared, the more the unpleasant feeling in Elena’s stomach grew. She did not want this assignment to end.
She did not want to lose the connection she had built with Celina in the course of the last weeks.
Reluctantly, she signs the after-action report, which would seal the end of it all.
She hovers in the room, not ready to leave. It was mid-day and she was overwhelmed by the question of what to do with the rest of her day.
“You coming?” Celina asks, and it makes her snap her head up. Confusion washes over her face.
“What?”
“I don’t feel like just going home. Wanna hang for a bit?”
This brings a smile to her face. All at sudden, Elena feels lighter.
She was not the only one dreading the end of their closeness.
They stand there in the middle of the room, just smiling at each other.
“We can grab something to eat.”
Celina nods in agreement, tenses her head, and opens her mouth to talk, but stays silent for a beat.
Then, with a sweet vulnerability in her voice, she asks, “And afterwards we can go to my place? We can watch a movie.”
Celina stares right into Elena’s eyes, waiting for any reaction, but the courage leaves her immediately. “I really don’t feel like sleeping anytime soon. The adrenaline is pending,” she rambles.
Elena couldn’t believe that this was happening.
She blinks at the other woman, her heart beating fast in her chest, as she tries to comprehend everything.
Was she imagining things?
But she holds the gaze.
On instinct, she grabs Celina’s hand to stop her from reeling. She gently squeezes her hand and watches as she calms down. The tender smile on Celina’s lips matches her own.
Still holding the gaze, they communicate silently.
Calm down. Don’t overthink it. Let’s explore what this is.
After that, it’s easy again.
They have lunch at a cozy diner. Laughter fills the air while they seemingly couldn’t take their eyes off each other.
Lingering looks and reassuring smiles keep their inner turmoil at bay.
When it’s time to leave the diner, it’s clear that Elena will follow Celina home.
They had agreed to watch a movie after all.
Elena drives them, “So, any idea what you want to watch? Narnia is off the table, I guess.” Her chuckle makes it certain that this wasn’t a real suggestion.
“Oh, yeah. Thanks. How generous of you.”
Elena loves to hear Celina laugh. For a brief moment, she takes her eyes off the streets in favor of looking at Celina. She takes in the way she is sitting in the passenger seat, all relaxed and gorgeous.
When she had come out as a lesbian, her mother had simply hugged her and told her that all that counted in love was the person and not some attributes. That love was about the right person. Her mother had told her that the right person would make her feel special, strong, and comfortable without even trying.
Elena smiles at Celina and returns her focus to the street. Arriving at her apartment, they were still discussing movies. It wasn’t about finding a movie to watch anymore. This somehow turned into banter, as they challenged themselves to come up with the most ridiculous movies they know.
Bantering and cheerful, they take the stairs to the sixth floor.
“I tell you,” Elena starts when Celina opens the door for her.
She rambles on about a movie, and Celina steps into the cozy home behind her.
The second the door closes, the tension shifts.
Time stops.
Her heart races at the intensity with which Celina is staring right into her eyes.
She isn’t able to think straight. Her mind breaks, and intuition takes over.
Without overthinking it, Elena steps into Celina’s space. They stand close to each other, so close that they can feel each other's laboured breaths on their faces.
Their gaze did not break for the briefest moment.
Elena allows Celina to take the first step. She’s aware that this might be new to her.
Celina had only recently started to allow herself to take her attraction toward women seriously. She also just went through a breakup.
Elena hears Celina take a deep breath through her nose. She sees several emotions flicker across her face. Then she feels her body warmth radiating from her.
Celina’s hands find hers, clasping around them where they rest beside her body. Her thumb grazes her hips.
Elena’s eyes wander down where their fingers interlace.
Shyly, Celina follows her gaze, but looks up again instantly.
Their eyes meet, and Elena shoots her an encouraging look.
“Can I kiss you?” Celina quietly asks.
Elena smiles at her. “Yes.”
Carefully, Celina closes the distance. Her hands are still interlaced with Elenas, resting on her hips. It’s just a small peck, yet it makes her breath hitch. The vulnerability, the trust behind it, is breathtaking.
For a moment, they pause any movements. Their lips are just resting on each other.
Elena takes in the soft feeling, the flowery scent radiating from Celina, and her warm breath on her skin.
It’s intimate and fragile.
Celina slowly lifts her left hand, still entangled with Elena’s, and guides their hands to her face.
Elena is able to lovingly caress her cheek with her thumb, while Celina holds her in place and leans into the touch. The whole time, their lips are hovering.
It’s one last look into each other’s eyes that breaks the caution.
Celina moves to connect their lips again.
Her lips are slightly parted, and she puts a bit more force into the kiss.
It’s still careful, explorative.
Their lips move in sync, lazy and curious.
Tasting each other, testing the softness.
Elena sighs into the kiss, and it makes Celina lose the grip she was still holding.
Celina relaxed further into their kiss, while their kiss became more intense, evolving into a open mouth kiss.
They both slowly run out of air. With a contented low groan, Celina slows down their kiss. Elena holds her close, not ready to lose the intimacy of this moment.
Her temple rests against hers, and they share a few more small pecks to the lips.
“Wow,” Celina cooes.
Elena chuckles, “Yeah, wow. Indeed.”
Her hand slides down her face, along her neck, and comes to a rest on her shoulders. Elena gently puts some pressure on them, slightly guiding Celina away from her.
Just so far that it would be comfortable to look her in the eyes.
“Do you still want to watch the movie?”
Celina slightly tilts her head, takes in a deep breath, realizing the shift in their relationship.
She briefly ponders the options, although without a doubt, she wants to keep her around.
“We can do that.”
They cuddle up on the couch as if it were the most natural thing to do – as if they had done it a million times before.
It feels so right, so comfortable.
They relax into each other’s touch, and the stress from the last month falls off them.
They did not make it past the opening credits before their eyes fell shut.
Their bodies entangled, they found a deep and relaxing sleep on the small couch.