Week in Review: Nov. 26 | The Week Esquire Broke My Brain...Again
This week was one to give thanks for so many things - my family, my friends, my little corner of Tumblr … and the team at Esquire (we’ll get to that). I also realized this week I reached another milestone on here and while I don’t like to harp on the numbers, it really continues to floor me that anyone reads anything of mine. So I want to say thank you. I’ll spare you another sappy rambling post, but it has meant a lot to me to be here.
With that being said, I wanted to do something fun to say thank you, but I can’t think of anything! What do others do? I’m looking around at a few ask games, but if you have one you really like, send it my way! That’s probably what I have the capacity for at the moment - because I really need to get some chapters out.
Fics I read this week:
This week I spent some time in the car, which allowed me to read a bit more than usual. Be sure to take a look at the warnings and summaries for all of my recs, just because I like it doesn’t mean everyone will.
Frankie Morales
Candy Cane by @cerridwen007 - Frankie and reader have some fun with a candy cane. Also, Frankie is still the 😺 👑
My Way by @goodwithcheese - Megan’s Frankie always does something to me and this was no exception.
Javier Peña
Snowed In - Javier's version by @avastrasposts This one-shot was 🔥 the OFC took charge and held her own against our favorite DEA agent!
Joel Miller
Gun Cleaning by @avastrasposts - A little smutty one-shot that was oh so hot!
Dieter Bravo
Back Alley Bang by @morallyinept I really have no words for this one, just thots.
Tim Rockford
Hold Tight by @sin-djarin Tim Rockford and holsters. That's all. Oh and a brilliant use of repetition!
Pause by @trulybetty I am really in my Tim era and this was 🔥 I want to know more about this couple and I really enjoy their dynamic.
Undercover by @secretelephanttattoo New series alert! I'm already hooked from the first chapter!
Marcus Pike
White Wine by @something-tofightfor Marcus is just the most thoughtful, ugh I love this man.
Ezra
Hue by @goodwithcheese - I don’t read a lot of Ezra compared to some of the other Pedro boys, but my goodness this was amazing. It was sweet and comforting, but Ezra is also a bit of a menace.
Current Compulsory Series:
I Like the Way You (Frankie) by @undercoverpena
These are the series I am keeping up with at the moment.
Delta Palms Tropical Resort (Frankie) by @linzels-blog
Destiny & Deliverance (Dieter) by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings
Paranoid Heat (Javi P) by @goodwithcheese
It’s Never Too Late (Javi P) by @javierpena-inatacvest I finally caught up!!
OTHER CHARACTERS
Benny Miller / Mitch Keller
La Primera Fiesta by @marvelousmermaid Benny attends a family party for his girlfriend's family. I related to this so much as a Latina who married a tall, lanky white guy 😆 this was too cute and Benny was adorable.
Somebody's Someone by @dameronscopilot I finished Tulsa King this week and this was the first Mitch Keller story I came across and I loved it!
Pete Dunham
Like My Dreams by @laurfilijames I recently rewatched Green Street Hooligans - I feel like the last time I saw it I was in high school, maybe college, which was a while ago. Anyways, I loved Charlie Hunnam’s character Pete and I’m excited to check out Laur’s series.
Posts from the week:
The Pedro boys celebrated Thanksgiving with @morallyinept and things of course were chaotic but hilarious. This post from @pedrostories was so helpful as someone who consumes fanfic and attempts to write it as well!
In case you missed it, a fun writing challenge popped up that I think is pretty cool! Do I know what I’m writing yet? No. But an idea will come to me I’m sure.
Feral corner:
You know … every week I think, you know, this will be the week where I’m going to be chill and not a thirsty ass mess - ha sorry, I couldn’t finish that without laughing. I can’t help it, blame Pedro (but don’t blame him, we need to thank this man).
So, we’ve all seen the recent Esquire photos right?! The thots were thotting and I am still processing. Will you probably see me reblog this countless times over the next few weeks? Probably. Am I going to shoehorn this photoshoot into the Working Title universe?! Definitely.
Can we just acknowledge the duality of this man? How he just walk around being such a ray of sunshine and so adorable but then turn into an absolute menace?
Things I watched:
I spent most of the week away, but I did manage to start and finish Tulsa King, which I think is a pretty big feat. Garrett has a small role in it, but 🫠 I am here for it. I did manage to pay attention to the rest of the plot, shocking I know, and I really enjoyed this story.
Personal Stuff
Spent time traveling this week so I had a lot of car time and then family time. I went to Buc-ee’s, which is always a highlight of our road trips. If you haven’t been or know what it is, picture a gas station/convenience store/general store and then multiply that by 100. Is it a bit overwhelming and overstimulating? Yes. But I guess I’m a glutton for punishment because I have to go to one every time I pass by.
The holidays caused a bit of a blip in my health journey. I’m trying to reframe my thinking about it. My initial reaction would have been to write “ugh I was so bad this week and ate so many bad foods” but instead I’m just going to acknowledge that it was a holiday and indulged a bit. But a couple of days isn’t going to completely derail the last four weeks. This time of the year can be really tough when it comes to my relationship with food, but I’m trying to give myself some grace.
Fic updates:
I got a really fun ask about how the Triple Frontier boys would celebrate Thanksgiving. It was fun to think about the guys and yes, eventually we will get to Thanksgiving in Delta Landscaping.
I’ve gotten a couple of comments and messages about Working Title and Delta Landscaping and I promise I’m working on both (I think about them both at least once daily). I have a couple of PTO days in the next couple of weeks and I’m planning on dedicating some time to both so hopefully, I can get ahead and publish a bit more frequently.
Ok, I think that’s it for this week. I hope you have a great one. Drink water, get some sleep, and have some thots.
Masterlist
Working Title (Dieter, series, ongoing) | AO3
Delta Landscaping (Triple Frontier, series, ongoing) | AO3
Turbulence (Frankie, one-shot) | AO3
Are You on Mute? (Benny Miller, one-shot) | AO3
Are You on Mute? Part Two
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Hey there! Just wanted to let you know that I love your writing. I love the universe you've created for ava and beatrice. I could have said Avatrice but the thing is you write them so beautifully as individuals, all their triumphs and losses, that it doesn't feel right not to acknowledge them as they are on their own as much as they are as a couple. Anyway! I pretty much have bookmarked all your work and I keep suggesting your fics on Twitter, I'm pretty much your unofficial publicist at this point, proudly so 😆
I just finished the multitude of loving and once again you made me laugh and smile and cry and you made my heart warm and for a while, my depression didn't feel as debilitating. So thank you. I don't know what you're gonna write next whenever inspiration strikes, but if you ever do another outside pov, would you mind writing one from Diego's? I guess I'm biased because aside from your fics, I've been obsessed with do a flip by sunsafe and it warms my heart to see Diego in fics because well, I think it's safe to say that he was the one who loved ava first, he was there by her bedside and all and so it would be lovely, to know how he feels and thinks about ava and beatrice, after all the years of living his own life, after all the years wishing to see his sister, his best friend, his... Ava, because there's no traditional title that really fits them, after all the years wishing that ava is okay and... Alive, more than just surviving because even when he was a child he knew, ava was meant for such a bright and grand life, just because she was all that herself.
Anyway, just an idea, of course. My rambling is not in any way meant to pressure you into writing it 😆😅 I hope you're having a good day wherever you are. Cheers!
[first of all i love do a flip!!!! 100/10 recommend if anyone hasn't read it!!
anyway, here's a little diego pov in the butch bea universe. he's like 18 or 19? idk. yknow just roll w it :) ]
//
university is busy as hell, and it's cool that they pay for your doctor's appointments and, when you actually started getting the care you needed, you were able to do basically everything in the normal, big wide world with regular meds and check-ins — but mostly you just want to play rugby and flirt with girls (not well, but you're 18 and always kind, so who cares your success rate) and pass all of your classes. when you got adopted it had seemed like a miracle, and so you don't take any of this time for granted — not the bright sun or the grass stains on your knees or how rachel plays with your hair when you hang out in her dorm.
you don't think much of it when you get a random email from beatrice gu-knight, partially because emails are a pain in the ass and partially because nico brought over a six pack of stellas and his nintendo switch — you're the mario kart champion, undisputed — but, in the morning, when you open your phone, you think your heart might stop in your chest.
Hello Diego,
I hope you're well. I know it might seem strange to get an email like this from someone you don't know and have never even heard of, and, if you don't wish to follow up or connect, please just let me know, and that will be the end of it.
But, in the hopeful chance that you do: my name is Beatrice (she/her), and I'm reaching out to you because Ava Silva is my life partner. We've been together for a few years now and she talks of you often, and fondly; I know from her stories you were an extraordinarily joyful and sustaining part of her life at St. Michael's, and, if nothing else, I hope you understand my deep gratitude for that. I work in tech, so I was able to find this email address for you in the hopes that you might want to reconnect with Ava. We live in Los Angeles, and she's, as I'm sure you remember, wonderful. Maybe even more wonderful now, as I hope you are too.
Again, if you are at all uncomfortable, please feel no pressure to engage in any way; I won't let Ava know, so don't worry about that. If you would like to reconnect, though, you can respond to this email, or call or text me at my cell listed below. Thank you.
Warmest regards,
Beatrice
it takes you a few seconds to get it together, because, what the fuck, first of all. second of all, ava — one of your favorite people ever, and someone you miss every day. who apparently has a very proper and seemingly kind partner named beatrice, and lives in california. ava is alive, and probably really happy. the last time you saw her she was scared and upset and you had thought she died before that. you had thought you would never see her again.
Hey, this is Diego, you text the number on Beatrice's email. you think about the time difference, and, sorry if it's the middle of the night for you
it takes a minute or two, but then your phone vibrates. Diego, wonderful to hear from you! I'm glad my email wasn't too intense.
and, like, maybe it was a little, but your calc III professor is a fucking nutcase, so you kind of have a high bar.
Ava works late sometimes, so don't worry about the time difference right now
it's sweet, you think, that beatrice doesn't work late, or, whatever, maybe she does, but she's up because ava is awake. because ava will be coming home, or finishing up in an office. you wonder about their life, what their home looks like and if ava's laugh is still just as awesome. and, like, what is ava's job? is she still paralyzed, or can she walk like she had the last time you saw her? you're glad for her, honestly, that her partner is a girl, because ava thought boys were hot but also seemed to like girls more — so, like, how did they fall in love? it's funny to imagine ava as a grownup, with a partner and a home and a whole life, but it's also the best.
do you want to facetime tomorrow or something, you text, because you don't really know what else to say, but you want to find out: about your sister, and the life she's apparently built. you think — if ava is anything like how she had been when you were younger — you definitely want to be in it.
I would love that, beatrice responds immediately. you work out the details and, eventually, you go to class and try to have a normal day. but ava is out there, happy, in california, with a partner who clearly cares about her. it feels like a gift, even to know. it feels like a gift, to get to be in her warmth again.
/
beatrice, when you answer the facetime call at exactly the second the clock hits 7 pm your time, is beautiful. it doesn't surprise you, not really, because you remember ava being pretty, and, even more than that, fucking awesome. beatrice is younger than what you think someone with that formal a name would be, with short dark hair that flops into her eyes, which are kind of gold in the light through the window of whatever room she's in. 'hello, diego,' she says, and, yeah, ava probably loves that accent.
it makes you laugh, but, like, in a nice way, to know that ava has a whole partner. a whole entire person who shares a life with her, who helps her with stuff and — beatrice is a saint for this — laughs at her puns.
'hey,' you say, feel awkward and a little sloppy in the face of the chic big oil painting behind her, the hoodie you know is expensive because your friend artur had had it marked on his stockx for, like, months now. 'uh, i'm diego. nice to meet you.'
beatrice smiles, and you see her freckles, and you realize, in a flash, a truth you know implicitly — that ava loves this person. ava picked this person to spend her life with. the world is cruel, you know better than most, but the world is also so, so kind.
'i'm so happy you responded to my email,' she says, less formal and with a slight laugh, mostly with joy. 'ava is the best, and i know that — she misses you. she loves you, a lot. i've always wanted to meet you.' you kind of don't know what to say, and you're relieved when she shakes her head. 'sorry, i'm being a lot again. believe it or not, this is my first rodeo with something like this.'
first rodeo sounds foreign from her, and it inexplicably makes you laugh. 'you're doing fine.' you realize that beatrice is just as nervous as you are, maybe even more: she loves ava. she has a whole life with ava. 'i — does ava want to talk to me?'
'i haven't told her yet. i wanted to see how you felt first, without any pressure, and i didn't want her to feel disappointed. but i know she will be... overjoyed, to have you in her life again, if you want.'
'yeah.' you think of ava's jokes and how full of life she was, even when she didn't have access to much of it herself. you think about the clumsy drawings you had made her, and how happy she was every time she got to go outside in her wheelchair. 'i do, want that. a lot.'
beatrice's smile is relieved and grateful. 'i can talk to her, then, and then maybe you two can set up a video chat? i know she'll be beside herself with excitement.'
'yeah,' you say, and you can't help but smile looking forward to it. it doesn't sound like ava's changed much, in the good ways, which is super cool. 'i'm excited too.'
/
your palms are clammy and you feel like you might throw up, but beatrice had sent you a link to a zoom and asked if the evening worked for you; you're so thrilled but also, like, what if ava doesn't like you anymore? what if she's way way cooler than you, or too grown up, or just bored by your life? it had been one thing, to lose her when you were young and confused, to have to grieve her absence so obliquely — but it would be an entirely different thing now, to know she's alive and has a life of her own and just doesn't want you in it. you don't really know how you would handle that. ava was your friend and ava was your sister, in the ways that really matter.
but, you realize very quickly, all of your anxiety was for nothing, because ava's face pops on screen — older, and her hair is shorter, and there are slight laugh lines settling into the skin around her eyes, but she mostly looks the same — and her smile is so warm and then she starts to cry and laugh and, yeah. if you do too, it's fine. no one else is in your dorm room anyway.
'hey,' she says, the first to get any words out. she's sitting up, and she waves, and you feel like you're seeing a real life miracle, right there on your computer screen. 'you look so old. i really missed you.'
'you look so old too.' she grins. 'i really missed you.'
it's a little stilted at first, probably because you're both overwhelmed, but then it's just... the fucking best. ava is a bartender, 'mostly for fun,' she says, which, whatever that means, and she still loves the beach. they apparently have a house right by the water. she starts crying again when you tell her you got adopted, that you're not so sick anymore because you have good doctors and caring parents, that you're in school to become an accountant.
'the family business?' she says, choked up, after you tell her that your adoptive mom is one too, and that she wanted you to be able to take over one day if you were interested.
it's as unbelievable to you some days as it seems to her, on bright mornings or when you get to go skiing in the cold snow, when your friends pass around a joint or when you get to go to a museum, whenever you want. 'yeah,' you say — a family; you learn ava has one too. 'it's pretty incredible.'
/
'holy shit, ava.'
she just laughs, letting you go in front of her into her house. well, her and beatrice's house, you guess. you'd facetimed and texted a bunch with ava in the past two months, so you had figured out they were kinda loaded, and they'd both picked you up from the airport in a very sleek, fancy volvo, but, like —
'this is nuts.'
you think you might immediately cry again when you notice, right away, how there's not a single part of the house you can see that isn't accessible for someone in a wheelchair. ava had told you that she can walk but some days has a lot of pain and a hard time with mobility, and that beatrice was awesome and she had a good chair and even a van and a service dog, but you never could've imagined this. their house is huge and beautiful, like something you'd see in an AD tour you like to watch when you're stoned. ava has a cane today, and beatrice trundles in with your bag — she had insisted, quietly, but with a look that told you it would be totally pointless to argue.
'your house is awesome,' you say, to both of them.
beatrice smiles gently. 'we redid it last year, for accessibility. i think it turned out great.'
'wanna see the best part?' ava says, using her cane to bounce a little on the balls of her feet and you have to clear your throat because you had known her for so long. you had loved her for so long, your best friend in the entire world, who was smart and funny and bursting at the seams to feel it all, to really get to live.
'dude,' you say, 'of course.'
'i'm going to put your bag in your room,' beatrice says. 'and then i have a work call. but i should be done after the hour, for whatever you'd like to do, if you want me to join.'
'of course we want you to join,' ava says, and beatrice blushes and then gathers herself and kisses the top of ava's head before she offers you a thumbs up — nerdy, and it makes ava snort — and then lifts your bag like it weighs two pounds or something. 'love of my life,' ava says. 'definitely doesn't have a work call, but she's been stressed all week about making sure she gives us time to ourselves but doesn't seem aloof. huge weirdo.'
'she's hot.'
'ew, diego.'
you shrug. 'all i'm saying is that, like, i get it. not for me, because she's, like, super gay, but you know. for you.' you take a breath. 'sorry, i'm just excited.'
ava laughs. 'bea is super gay, it's true.' she points to a button on the wall nearby and then floor to ceiling glass doors that separate the living space from the patio. 'now, check this out.'
it's pretty fucking wild that ava went from the horrible orphanage, and tons of abuse that you were too small and too weak and too scared to stop, to a whole house that opens up to a day bed and an outdoor kitchen and dining area and a hot tub, a small patch of grass, and then the sea behind — but in the best kind of way. the kind of way that makes you want to tell everyone you meet that things can get better. that good things will happen to good people, at least sometimes. at least ava, who is the best of all of them.
ava motions for you to come with and walks outside, and then it's, like, genuinely the best thing ever when a black and white dog — korra, who ava sends you pictures of all the time and has featured in multiple zoom calls — who was napping in the sun, perks her head up and you swear she, like, dog-smiles at ava. 'hi, good girl,' ava says, and then claps her hands once and korra obediently, and happily, comes to ava's right side and sits, leans her little head against ava's thigh.
'i can't spend this entire time crying,' you say, and ava laughs. 'can i say hi?'
'of course,' she says. 'she's not usually formally working at home, unless i'm having a really bad day. which, you know, i'm not, but they do happen sometimes.' she shrugs and you kneel down in the sun and pet korra's soft ears as she nuzzles your face.
'she's so cool,' you say, and then kiss the top of her head and her nose. 'hey korra! i'm your uncle, i guess?'
'yeah! uncle diego.'
it makes you beam, to sit on the patio with ava as she shows you some of the tasks korra has been trained to do, and tells you about her bar you'll go to later, and points toward their outdoor shower with a sly smile. you do her the courtesy of fake gagging, although you really are just mostly happy for her, with her partner and her dog and a house that was built just for her.
eventually, beatrice comes outside, carrying a very intense charcuterie board. she places it down on the day bed, between you and ava, korra happily snoozing at your feet.
‘hi baby,’ ava says and scoots closer to you, then tugs on beatrice’s hand until she sits. ava kisses her temple. ‘this is very extravagant.’
‘well, we have a guest,’ beatrice says. ‘there’s wine inside, if you’d like a glass.’
‘i know nothing about wine,’ you admit, ‘but if there’s one you think… pairs? well with, you know —‘ you gesture to the elegantly laid out spread of food in front of you — ‘then i’ll trust you and go with that.’
ava grins. ‘yes, beatrice. be our resident sommelier, please.’
beatrice rolls her eyes, again with a blush, but then stands, ignoring ava’s pout. ‘i’ll be right back.’
‘she’s, like, really nice.’
ava lays back with a grin. ‘well she’s on her i was raised by diplomats and nannies most proper behavior right now. i don’t get charcuterie boards like this… ever.’ she takes a bite of cheese. ‘but bea is wonderful. she’s brilliant and funny and so, so kind. she’ll loosen up. i’m really excited you get to spend time with her.’
‘i’m thankful she reached out. i — i’m so happy to be here, and to see you.’
‘me too, my dude.’
beatrice comes back out with fancy real crystal glasses and a bottle of wine she explains is a vintage napa chardonnay, which mostly just makes you think it’s expensive. it probably is, with the way she efficiently uncorks it — ava practically drools, annoying, and you elbow her in the ribs — but it’s, like, really good. at least compared to the cheap wine you sometimes have with your friends when you order greek food.
‘diego,’ beatrice says, measured and anxious and, if ava’s stupid expression is anything to go by, endearing, ‘as you know, i like to surf. although it’s quite early, i was wondering if you might like to join me tomorrow? one of my best friends is an excellent instructor and the wave report looks ideally calm. ava thought you might be interested, if you’d like to learn?’
‘yeah,’ you say. ‘of course. that sounds sick.’
beatrice grins, relaxing a little. ava squeezes her hand. ‘i find it quite fun. it can be hard at first, but it’s nice to be in the water.’
‘diego gets his astounding athletic ability from my side of the family,’ ava says, patting you on the knee.
‘your side of the family?’ beatrice arches a brow.
‘yeah, the orphan side,’ you say, an old joke coming back to you, and ava gives you a high five.
‘i —‘
‘don’t think about it too hard, beatrice. diego also gets his bisexuality from my side of the family too.’
‘now that i’m willing to believe.’
ava winks at you, and then settles back into beatrice’s side.
/
admittedly, you're exhausted, so the mezcal margarita — smoky and just the right amount of sour — is hitting harder than you thought.
'okay,' ava says, 'boys are easy to flirt with.'
beatrice rolls her eyes.
'they are, bea,' she insists, then looks to you. 'sorry, diego, but boys are just... simple. they see someone hot, especially me, and there's, like, no thoughts.'
you think of the way luis had kissed you one night at a party — with his strong hands and his strong jaw and the rough, delicious scratch of his beard — after you'd just offered him a drink politely, so. honestly, that tracks.
'girls, though, diego.'
you laugh.
'you know, people who aren't men.'
'yeah, of course.'
'difficult. i just — whew.'
'aren't you, like, basically married?'
'well, yes, we're domestic partners. but beatrice is horrible at flirting. she's just lucky she's brilliant, and beautiful, and handsome, and funny.'
beatrice rolls her eyes again, although a blush spreads across her cheeks. 'i think i have more women try to flirt with me than you.'
ava huffs. 'that's because you're just — ugh.' she turns toward you. 'bea has grown into being a lesbian magnet. i once was superior. plus, boys flirt with me too.' she claps you on the back. 'either way, between the two of us, we'll teach you everything you need to know.'
'they won't,' one of their friends says, sliding in next to beatrice, who smiles and kisses him on the cheek. he's maybe the hottest person you've ever seen, with tattoos down both arms and a neat fade, probably a few years older than beatrice. 'i'm keiko,' he says, and offers his hand. his handshake is so strong and you feel yourself blush. 'i own the dojo beatrice goes to.'
'my favorite sparring partner,' beatrice says. 'partially because i have never lost.'
keiko waves her off.
'uh, i'm diego.'
ava laughs, delightedly, at how flustered you clearly are.
'well, if you want advice on boys, i am quite successful.'
'i'm sure you are.'
ava gives you a high five, mortifyingly. 'that's my man.'
'i'm cutting both of you off,' beatrice says.
'one shot, bea, please. come on. all we have to do is walk home.'
beatrice sighs dramatically and runs a hand through her hair, and keiko nudges her in the shoulder. 'for once in your life, beatrice, have a little fun.'
it takes a moment, but she laughs. 'fine. one shot, and then home.'
/
you surf the next morning, early as fuck, but you’re kind of jetlagged anyway and it’s really beautiful to watch the sunrise while you rest on a board. you haven’t popped up and you got tired pretty fast, but beatrice’s friend, ray — and beatrice herself, obviously — are patient and relaxed and don’t seem to care at all. ava wanders out eventually, setting out a towel and drinking a to-go cup of coffee. she waves happily and blows a kiss in beatrice’s direction, who blushes. it had made you laugh, quietly, when she had put a special bucket hat designed for surfing on after she situated her wetsuit.
‘i don’t want to get sunburned,’ she explained, and then handed you a bottle of spf 100 sunscreen and a zinc stick.
eventually you ride a wave in on your knees, laughing, and then go sit by ava while you watch ray and beatrice and the rest of their little crew surf the next set, bigger on the outer break. you can tell beatrice shows off, for ava and, maybe a bit, for you. it's still early, and ava's happy to sit back in the easy quiet.
'hey,' you say after a while, during a break in sets, 'so, beatrice introduced me this morning as "ava's little brother".'
she turns to you, studies your features carefully, just like she always would when you were in the orphanage, trying to pay close attention. 'did that feel okay?'
'other than the fact that i'm taller than you —'
'— hey —'
'— of course,' you say. 'i love being your brother.'
ava scoots closer to you and bumps your shoulder with hers; you have your wetsuit down around your waist and she has one of beatrice's hoodies on, but you've mostly dried off by this point so you put your arm around her shoulders and tug her to you.
'do you, uh. sister? sibling?'
ava smiles. 'either is great.'
'okay.'
'thanks, diego.'
'nothing to thank me for there. i should be thanking you, honestly. all expenses paid trip to a bougie beach house in california to see someone i've missed so much? the dream.'
she sniffles. you don't know all the details but you know ava has been through some real shit after she — came back to life, you guess? 'i missed you too, so so much.' she clears her throat and wipes under her eyes. 'in the spirit of being your cool older sibling, what mild to moderately wild things do you want to do here. i don't want your parents to be mad at me so consider wisely.'
'tattoo.'
'do you have anything planned that you would want?'
'well, no.'
ava laughs.
'what? beatrice has cool tattoos.'
'she is a staunch believer that you should plan your tattoos in advance. but think of something and then next time we'll get you all set up with her artist, if you want.'
there's a level of maturity and care that's a little unexpected but, like, really cool? really nice. it's kind of weird and makes you a bit emotional, because ava is grown up. she's still an idiot, and constantly annoying, and very funny — but she's gotten to get older, and so have you.
'we could dye our hair,' she says, shrugging. 'easy to rectify, if it's a disaster.'
'i'm so in, man.' your hair is darker than hers, and you have no idea if she knows what she's doing, but you trust beatrice — with her neat hair and neat house and neat clothes and seemingly undying love for ava — to monitor the situation.
'maybe we can do the bi flag.'
it makes you laugh, imagining how silly it would look. 'what about just purple? like, a light purple situation.'
'i've done that before,' she tells you excitedly. 'loved it. definitely time to return.'
'deal. also, i want to try california weed.'
ava grins. 'we would have let you last night, you know, but you were actively falling asleep at the bar after one cocktail.'
'it's the time difference, i swear.'
'sure it is.'
'well, bea loves her edibles. she's very particular about them. i'm... much less particular about joints, but we can start off chill. maybe this afternoon. and then we can have tacos.'
'that sounds like a perfect day.'
she smiles. 'yeah,' she says. 'even more perfect because i get to share it with you.'
'gross,' you say, although you might suddenly cry. 'sappy.'
'yeah, yeah. whatever.'
you keep your arm around ava's shoulders and watch beatrice and ray trade tricks the next set, and then they both call it and walk, laughing, toward you. ava struggles to stand with a frown, and you offer your arm for her to take if she wants. she does, smiles quickly in thanks and then, you know too, moves on without a word. she kisses beatrice soundly on the mouth, then pushes her goofy bucket hat off her head, fastened around her neck and resting on the back of her shoulders, and then gratuitously unzips her wetsuit while ray rolls her eyes.
it's a whole big world, you learn more and more every day. ray joins you for breakfast and then ava takes you shopping while you're pretty sure beatrice just naps. ava uses her chair and brings korra, which is mostly just the coolest thing in the world to you, because she has a whole van customized too, and she just — you had known, when you were younger, when ava would get to go outside in her chair, that nothing was limiting her other than care, and access. you had been limited too, and you ached with it. you ache differently now, because ava navigates her day fully and independently: a wheelchair lift for the stairs, and a huge, beautiful closet and kitchen where she can reach everything without having to stand, and korra, who can turn on lights and open doors and brings you a juice from the fridge when you sit down and mention you're thirsty; ava grins with the command and then praises korra, and you scratch her soft head and even softer ears.
beatrice does supervise when you and ava dye your hair, but ava mostly knows what she's doing, and really gets distracted the most when she looks over at beatrice in lowslung joggers and a cutoff tank and a beanie, leaning against the doorframe quietly, a fond expression on her face. ava wears crop tops and wideleg pants and expensive sneakers and you both end up laughing when you have your matching lavender hair.
you eat edibles that make everything feel lush and slow and perfect, and beatrice laughs softly at ava's ramble about her arms, and she orders a ton of her favorite chinese food that you eat on the patio at sunset. you take some pictures on your film camera, at sunset, and beatrice takes a few of you and ava. you wish you could go back in time and tell both of you, when you were small and sad and scared and abused, that things would be this beautiful one day. that things would be this good.
ava and beatrice eventually say goodnight before they head inside to their bedroom. there's too much light pollution in los angeles to see many of the stars, but you know they're there all the same.
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