Waves: A Cabenson Fanfiction

Chapter Thirteen: Conflict Resolution

It was past dinnertime and the two women sat at the metal porch table, each with a glass of wine in her hand.

            “The sunset doesn’t look like it usually does”, Olivia remarked, leaning back in her chair.

            “Why do you say that?” Alex asked.

            “Because at home, I swear it’s like the sky is covered in dust. And even when it is clear, it’s always the same pastel blue, orange, and pink.” Olivia sipped from her glass. “There are colors I’ve never seen before. It’s like a crimson, navy and some yellowish-orange concoction.”

            “You sounded so beautifully poetic until ‘yellowish-orange’.” Alex laughed.

            “Shut up”, Olivia snickered. “Hey, do you want to go out tonight?”

            “Where?” Alex asked.

            “I don’t know. Not a strip club and not a theme park”, Olivia lifted eyebrows teasingly.

            “Whoa, you’ve really limited my options here”, Alex said. “How about a restaurant that happens to have a bar?”

            “Sounds good to me”, Olivia said. “I’ve got to do something with myself though. I look like shit.” She stood and walked to the sliding glass doors, opening them.

            “You never look bad”, Alex admitted, quietly.

            Olivia turned and brought Alex to her feet. She gently pressed her lips to Alex’s. “Says you”, she whispered on Alex’s lips.

            Alex snaked her arms around Olivia’s waist and pulled her even closer. “Well I don’t know, I think I’m a pretty good judge of character”, she said lowly.

            Olivia tilted her head and connected with Alex once again. Only this time, she kissed her differently, with more urgency. Alex must’ve felt this too, because she pressed on Olivia harder. She gripped Olivia’s hips and eventually slipped her tongue into her mouth.

             Olivia moaned and touched the sides of Alex’s face with her shaky hands. Alex took this opportunity to slip her slender hands up Olivia’s navy shirt. She touched a supple back and ran her hands along Olivia’s skin. She gently pulled back to take in a much needed breath of air.

            Olivia inhaled before kissing Alex’s neck. “God damn it, Liv. How are we going out tonight?” Alex said heavily.

            Olivia stepped back and cocked her head to the side. “We’ll manage”, she whispered slyly before going into the house.

            Alex’s jaw dropped.

…………

            Olivia ran along the beach, kicking the water up into the air. Her unmistakable laugh pierced the warm, night air. She wore a pink, summer dress; something Alex never dreamed she would ever see the stoic detective wear. But it wasn’t time for thinking. The tequila made that decision for her.

            She ran behind Olivia, not recognizing the sound of her own laugh. “Why are we running?” she called.

            “You tell me!” Olivia yelled back. “Wait, wait!” She stopped and turned around. “Alex, what are we?”

            “Excuse me?” Alex said, struggling to catch her breath.

            Olivia sat down in the sand and motioned for Alex to sit next to her. “We have had some especially interesting experiences within the last twenty-four hours. I think I deserve an answer to this question.” Olivia had this mysterious, smart-ass smile that killed Alex to see.

            “I don’t know”, Alex answered honestly. She looked out on the waves. She watched them build up, up; crash down and sweep themselves over the tops of Alex’s bare feet. She vaguely remembered her mother explaining to her the science behind the waves. They’re mechanical, an oscillation of matter through a medium. They transfer energy. There’s this thing that Alex remembered: medium of transmission and how it’s limited, which explains why waves have to crash.

            When they crash, they make a steady and powerful sound that cannot be mistaken for anything else. She liked that. When waves crash, new ones form. The cycle continues.

            Alex believed it was possible for science to be the enemy.

………..

            Olivia barely registered Alex’s still response as her eyes averted to the vast space of the ocean. Olivia’s favorite thing is the moment before the wave collapses; she liked the small curve of the water before it falls back to the earth. She thought it was interesting that something as simple as water could move so gracefully on its own. She was curious and thought about asking Alex; she knew Alex would know. But she didn’t want to know. It was another mystery Olivia did not want solved.

            Some things really aren’t meant to be solved.

…………

            Alex watched Olivia gaze at the outdoors. She liked it. She especially liked watching Olivia. She didn’t know why.

            She had fallen in love with Olivia’s emotional self very early on in their friendship. Olivia’s demanding, passionate, empathetic personality caught Alex’s attention initially. She’d fallen in love with Olivia’s mind a little later, over beer, work talk, and the occasional personal slip-up. But as for her physical being, Alex couldn’t quite pinpoint when it was that Olivia captured her whole heart. She didn’t know when she started looking forward to when Olivia’s laugh, her speech, or even her company. Alex is so goddamned human and she felt it then, right then.

            She turned to face Olivia. “I love you.”

            Olivia’s trademark look of silent joy crossed her face. She reached across the cool sand and touched Alex’s quivering hand. “I love you too.”

            Alex leaned over and kissed the detective passionately, with every ounce of her being, with everything she thought she was and everything she would be. She kissed her fully and deeply. She kissed her with love, pure love.

            Alex was sobering up by the minute. There are times when she’s drunk and she says things that she doesn’t mean. Sometimes impossible thoughts cross her mind and she doesn’t know where they came from. Alcohol; that’s where they came from.

            Alex knew that she meant every word she said, she meant it with her whole heart and soul.

            Holding Olivia’s restless hand in her own, she fell back onto the soft sand. Olivia lay back with her.

            Alex thought the stars shined brighter tonight than they ever had before. She felt something especially deep within her. As she looked at each star, she felt freer. She thought of this song lyric she heard.

            Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you; it will set you free.

            She left her troubles on that beach, and in that special night sky.