Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Carina rarely went into the wilderness, the tall trees, the bugs, and the concept of a bear waiting for her, didn’t inspire her to leave the well-groomed lawns. Usually, the beaches was where she went, where the rhythm of the crashing waves matched the speed of her breathing. She could reset her thoughts, sit for hours and perfectly articulate her thoughts through writing in a journal she had bought when she’d moved to America. The journal’s original purpose was different, she would sit and retell the experiences of living in America but as the dreamy sheen disappeared and life took over, she touched on different topics.

One of those topics changed the course of her life. For years after her parents divorced, she had dreamed of reuniting with her brother but when he was murdered before her very eyes, she was left writing down taunting nightmares onto tear covered pages. The beaches didn’t always help, with the recent memory of her brother’s ashes mixing with the ocean blue water was something that she was sure could never be wiped from her memory.

The wild woods was something that always interested her brother. Phone calls shared when they were teenagers would be filled of stories about what her brother Andrea had explored that day, the height of the trees, the dying fall leaves, and the treasures he had found. Carina didn’t care, she didn’t care for the trees but hearing her brother’s voice meant the world, as she sat in a gravelled drive surrounded by trees, she wished she could hear his voice once more.

She begrudgingly hopped out of her Porshe, her prized possession which had never been scratched now had been, the dark hues of the paint mixed with the greys and whites of the long winding road. She walked towards the Cabin; it was bigger than she expected. Truthfully, her brother’s Will revealed a whole new life she had no knowledge of. A Cabin, a random Bar in a small town was something she hadn’t expected. Both had been put in her name.

The lock was heavy, she used her body weight to turn the key. With a click the door loosened, it was time to take in yet another mystery. It

It was open plan, the interior relied heavily on wood, beams supported the ceilings, the kitchen was to die for, but that wasn’t what her eyes were trained on. The walls were covered in pictures, some black and white, but each was filled with people she knew. The first one she saw was of her parents, their wedding day filled with smiles. Next was a picture of her and Andrea, she was 6 with her arm resting on his head as he stood proudly, his first day at nursery was something he was all too excited for. A fireplace with a mantel just above had a timeline of pictures of the three years they spent together in America, the Christmas photo he forced her into every year, now stood as a painful reminder of something so small that she had an attitude towards. It was the little things; the regrets crowded her lined journal.

She sighed, retreating back to car to get her things. She grabbed her bottle of water, chugging the last of its content before she hauled her bag over her shoulder. That night wasn’t filled with food and their usual Italian passionate talking, she hadn’t had experienced that in months. She couldn’t force herself to eat, an open packet of chips served as a reminder of how quickly her hunger could be taken away.

Sleep didn’t come easily, the idea of sleeping in the cabin, the place that her brother had never told her about left a sour taste in her mouth. The little sleep she did have did give her a boost of energy, at least that’s what she wanted to believe. Throughout her time in Seattle, her brother would go on short trips and talk of glistening lakes, the whisper of leaves, the unforgiving wind that reminded him of what life was, his definition of life. She wanted to understand, she wanted to experience each and every thing he had, she needed to understand.

Carina set out early, with a quick search she found a route to a mountainous area nearby, a water filled crater now acted as a lake. Sweat poured from her hairline, chest and legs as she took the final steps up before the opening revealed the beautiful sight in front of her. The sky was blue, reflecting on the water, creating a beautiful reminder of the water she had avoided.

Memories hit her, a description from just months ago that her brother had given. Maybe it was a clue, a hint for her to come with him, she will never know.

“There’s a rock just east of the lake, I’ve always assumed it’s the halfway point, the only remnant of the mountains before they split. There you can see the sunrise, the sunset, the incoming weather. On that rock, with your eyes close, you can quieten your mind. You can hear the leaves rustling, the water splashing against the rocks, the wind in your hair. That calmness can never be replicated” Andrea had shared with her, at the time she’d playfully rolled her eyes but now as she looked around the lake, she was desperate to sit upon that rock.

The route she’d taken had led her just next to the rock, a few trees had almost hidden it form her view, but she felt rejuvenated as she jogged towards it. The rock wasn’t large or high per say, but there she could see the lake. Her eyes closed but she held her breath, waiting for those emotions, waiting for her brother’s spirit to guide her into feeling the very same sensations he had.

And sure enough, her thoughts cleared, sparks of memories revealing his voice brought her to tears, memories of them playfighting as kids, of arguing over football teams and the use of ‘soccer’. She needed that.

She must have sat there for 15 minutes, she got used to the sounds quickly, the almost non-existent waves crashing against the stony parts of the beach soothed her until she heard a sound. She couldn’t describe the sound, but it made her open her eyes, only to see a blob in the middle of the lake. The lake was wide, the large crater must have been miles wide. The blob began looking like a person, pale limbs spread out for just a second.

Something kicked in, was it impulsivity, a hidden reflex. But she ran towards the shore, she kicked off her clothes leaving her in a sports bra and thong. She swam, each tread tired her out more and more, but she wanted to save this person. She looked below her; a pit of blackness reminded her of every water related thriller out there.

Finally, with her feet treading below her, she tapped the body in front of her. Maybe the person was dead, maybe they were alive, Carina hoped for the latter. What she hadn’t expected was for a surprised gasp and large laugh to escape the person in front of her.

“Hey Jack, maybe I should drown if that means I’d get rescued by this beautiful woman” Maya flirted, she smiled in an unbashful way towards Carina. It was only then that she saw the oxygen tank attached to Maya’s back. It confused her, she was sure scuba divers needed to be covered head to toe in a wet suit. Moments later, a man rose from the depth below.

“I’m guessing you’ve already started flirting and I couldn’t hear you” Jack came up and teased Maya, they had a close friendship, a brotherhood which sometimes was confused by others. Jack rolled his eyes and swam closer; he rustled his hair and took off some of his water gloves.

“I thought you were drowning” Carina exclaimed, her body was tired.

“I don’t think I’d have a job if I was drowning. We’re just doing some light training” Maya confidently spoke, she took off a water glove, using the free hand to attempt to shake Carina’s hand. But Carina doesn’t. Maya chuckled; Jack soon joined her.

Instead, Carina simply turns around and begins to swim back. She was fuming, she had already trekked miles. With the amount of swimming she had just done, with a bit of running, she could have competed in a triathlon. She shook off the as much water as possible from her hair, she hated wet hair. She turned once more towards the mysterious pair and saw that they had already dived to the depth.

Carina felt like an idiot, the walk back was filled with thoughts of regret, of embarrassment, and lastly of the beauty of the mysterious blonde. The man with her wasn’t ugly, he was handsome but didn’t at all match up to the blonde.

A hot shower and a nap later, Carina dressed herself in casual clothes. She wanted to explore the so-called bar her brother owned. The drive wasn’t long, 15 minutes from the cabin. The place was already lit up, it was busy. Above the entrance the sign read the name ‘Deluca’, a homage to their heritage.

She walked through the door, surprised by the bustling crowd. From left to right, she could see pool tables, darts, and slot machines. But right in front of her stood the bar, the place where she could imagine Andrew mixing drinks, shouting about his opinions on wine. She sadly smiled and walked over.

“It’s my hero” Maya cheerly shouted as she plopped herself down on a bar stool.

“I’m guessing you’re related to Andrew?” Maya asked curiously, she couldn’t help but want to talk to the brunette.

“I’m his old sister, I was his big sister” Carina looked away from the blonde. She was overwhelmed with emotions; everything felt a little too much.

“There were rumors for a while that he had died for a great cause. He was a good man, he made people laugh and was pretty bad at mixing drinks” Maya shared her thoughts, she truly did have good memories with the younger man. She was there on his opening night where everything went wrong, she was there on his last night; everything seemed normal.

“I didn’t even know he visited this place, that he had a cabin and a bar.” Carina shared her amazement; she looked around the bar at the lively crowd.

“Younger brothers are good at hiding things. For me, my brother hid his addiction for about three years before he had an overdose and nearly died. I was 18” Maya shared, it was poorly timed, a loaded message. “You should be happy that all he hid was a cabin surrounded by beauty, and the best bar in town.” Maya finished; she felt the atmosphere between the two change at the mention of her own brother.

“Since you seem to know a lot about my brother’s life here, why is country music playing?” Carina asked.

“I guess you could say that Andrew loved the idea of a country bar, I think he only listened to the music here and would get so sick of it, he wouldn’t listen to it anywhere else. I helped him with the playlist” Maya proudly spoke. She couldn’t get over just how beautiful this woman was.

“I guess I probably shouldn’t admit that I don’t like country music. You can’t dance to it” Carina confessed, she poured herself a glass of wine and looked attentively over the rim of the glass at Maya. Maya smiled widely.

“May I?” Maya asked, she held out her hand and in what Carina first assumed was stupid, she took the blonde’s hand. They loosely held each other as they danced, Maya lead their movements, pulling her into spins or dangerously close. She laughed as their dances became sillier and sillier, they took turns copying moves by Elvis and other icons, it was a dance battle.

For the people around them, this simply just looked like two people who had known each other for years, drunk and high on the environment around them. On some level, they would be right, they hadn’t known each other longer than a drink of whiskey and they were definitely high off of each other, they didn’t depend on the atmosphere.

Chapter Text

Days passed and the women had on some level been inseparable, they would randomly run into each other, Maya would frequent the bar in hopes of seeing the brunette. For some reason, both were captivated by the other.

It was hard for Carina, she wasn’t afraid to admit that she struggled being in places that were built for her brother, to see his face on every wall of the cabin or to hear the saddened patrons of the bar talk at length about how her brother had diagnosed a multitude of illnesses or listened to those who needed to be heard. That was the Andrea she knew, the man who saw the beauty in the world and nothing could change his mission in life, nothing did change it.

On the fifth night, her last night in the small town, Carina spent the night once again at the bar. The bar was just as busy, she received casual welcoming words from the majority of the patrons and yet she only wanted one person: Maya.

For Maya, just like Andrew, coming to the sleepy town of Burnt Oak, she could escape the real world and get lost in a calmer environment. From her early teens she saved extensively in hopes she could escape her dad’s abuse. Eventually she was able, at first living almost exclusively at the fire station or on Andy’s couch, she then had the opportunity. She had entered every single town an hour outside of Seattle and none of them felt right. They had the calmness but not the right calm, she didn’t feel accepted. And that’s what she loved about Burnt Oak, despite the disappointed house hunt, she entered the town’s bar and met the man who felt the same as her. He became someone that represented home. They’d see each other back in Seattle from time to time but they wouldn’t necessarily interact more than they needed to. They had a hidden safe place and neither wanted to ruin it. Maya didn’t want Carina to ruin it.

She had quickly learnt of Andrew’s death; she had been there that day. She hadn’t seen the brunette, but she had been on the way to that scene. That day she had wondered the hospital, nearly falling into random patient rooms as she tried to find the calm. When words fell through the grapevine, when Bailey came in revealing tears of sadness, Maya’s life fell.

Her first time entering that bar, the place that made her feel safe, it didn’t make sense anymore. The people were the same, the atmosphere was the same, the crappy music was the same and yet nothing felt it. She didn’t have the smiling taller man animatedly acting out his latest surgery as she waited for him to pour her a whiskey. She no longer had the person she could bitch to, cry to at points. She no longer had the one person she had believed to be family. You see, this house hunt in a different town came at the time where she became captain, when her adopted family was no more. Until Andrew’s death, she felt like she didn’t need them but in that last moment, when the pin dropped, when Andrew’s heart just wasn’t strong enough, she realised she did need someone.

Jack was the only other person who knew of the town, the only person who wanted an escape and knew better than to blab to the others. He loved the town. Only he would know where Maya would disappear too, sometimes he would try to resist the urge to follow and feel the clear air fill his lungs. Once or twice a year he would come with Maya, they would live in her cabin and scuba dive or drink at the local pub until the days came to an end and they’d have to enter the real world.

On the night where things changed, Maya had nursed her thoughts with whiskey. Andrew had been the proud owner, organiser, and selling person for all things Italian alcohol. She wasn’t a fan, she never let Andrew know, she’d sometimes refuse and pretend to have a headache or drink as much as he’d want to give her, and she’d wake up the following morning with a hangover that could only be produced by the exotic alcohol of choice.

Carina walked into the bar, for the last few days she checked in but left quickly. The smells, the hidden hoodie of Andrew’s that still smelt like him had been the best find but at the same time the most heart breaking. She decided earlier today that she’d want to spend the night at the bar, she wanted to give it a chance before she’d sign papers to sell it. She found Maya in the barstool she usually sat in.

Carina walked around the bar and looked over at the blonde and awaited any sort of conversation.

“So, you scuba dive? Are you a professional diver?” Carina asked, it had been playing on her mind for a few days.

“No, it’s a long story about how I got into Scuba Diving but I’m actually a Fire Captain in Seattle.” Maya smiled brightly as she announced her position. If Andrew was there, she would have seen sympathetic eyes, but Carina was different. Carina wasn’t aware of the hate and disrespect her team once had given.

Carina’s face lit up instantly.

“I’m guessing, just like your brother you work in Seattle?” Maya asked, Carina nodded quickly and pulled out her phone. She began showing pictures of her floor, of the random babies that were actually cute, and some candid pictures where the brunette had gone out for a drink with her friends.

“You’ve been to Joe’s, and we’ve never seen each other before?” Maya asked, dumbfounded by the revelation.

“I think I’ve seen Jack before though. Hold on” Carina whispered, she clicked out of a picture, scrolling down quite far before she clicked on another picture on her camera roll. She flicked the camera phone round and revealed the team. Maya’s team were huddled around two tables, drinks were stacked, and they all looked angry. Without thinking, Maya tapped the phone and read the date – 2nd February. She remembered that day, the day where she had shouted in the barn, threatened to transfer anyone who deemed she wasn’t worthy of her captaincy.

“8 months ago,” Maya muttered under her breath, Carina had noticed a slight shift in Maya’s demeanor.

“I’m sorry?” Carina questioned herself as she apologised, had she accidentally overstepped.

“Sorry, let’s just say my transition into being their boss was anything but smooth. I’m pretty sure that picture was taken right at the beginning of my promotion” Maya confessed, she would normally fight to change the subject but for some reason, today she had the courage to talk about it.

“That’s horrible” Carina responded, and Maya nodded silently, she took up her glass of whiskey and drank down the remains.

“This has gotten depressing. How about we get out of here?” Maya exclaimed, Carina hesitated, she wasn’t sure if she should go with the blonde or not.

Chapter Text

Carina followed the blonde, she felt like the blonde had a magnetic hold on her. She slid her hand into the blonde’s, their hands felt sweaty giving a reminiscent feeling of being a teenager. They walked through town, stopping every so often for really no given reason.

By the time Carina had recognised where Maya had taken her, it was too late. They walked through the treacherous and deep forest until they came across the now dark but clear opening. It looked different to Carina, the sun was nowhere to be seen, the white of the moon now reflected on the peaceful sun. She sighed in relief, something in her found such peace being there, being where her brother had stood. The leaves above them created shadowed paintings across the dried mud below their feet.

“I wanted to take you somewhere romantic but now I realise I’ve literally coaxed you into the middle of a forest” Maya suddenly panicked. This place was where she relaxed, where she found most at peace.

“It’s a very beautiful ‘middle of the forest’” Carina joked back, Maya grinned. The blonde knew that playful was good. Maya was nervous, this all felt new, her hands were sweaty from the anticipation.

“Romantic, I wouldn’t peg you as someone who would do grand surprises” Carina shared, the brisk air pierced her skin every so often.

“I could be romantic; I just never have been” Maya honestly spoke. She thought back to her usual one-night stands, to her reoccurring sex-buddies who quickly wanted something more. It disgusted her.

“Well, Maya Bishop, I could tell you that it is very beautiful” Carina whispered, she took a step closer, she was drunk off of the feelings she felt.

“I think… I know you are way more beautiful than the earth, stars, or moon” Maya almost inaudibly whispered, she shuffled forward, terrified of what would happen next.

“You are adorable, Maya Bishop” Carina whispered, Maya scoffed and for a second, she wanted to pull away. The words ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’ never felt good, never matched who she was, and never ended in a pleasurable, successful night.

“Captain” Maya retorted; Carina grinned.

“A very hot Captain… but still adorable” Carina’s hands stroked Maya’s cheeks as she leant in. As soon as their lips met, something flickered between them, a small spark had lit a flame that would take time to light, but it was there, and both felt it.

Maya’s hands softly tightened around Carina’s waist as she chased the brunette’s lips. Carina’s hands played with Maya’s hair as she found herself getting lost in the kiss. Instinctively Maya’s hands slowly moved to Carina’s lower back, one slightly lowered until only her thumb was above the waistline of Carina’s jeans. She teased Carina’s skin, feeling goosebumps under her fingers and the slight pull on her hair.

Maya’s hands snaked down Carina’s thighs, she positioned them so that she could lift the brunette. Carina jumped into her arms, they pulled away for a second, their lungs heaved as they worked to return their breathing patterns to normal. Their eyes met and a soft smile played on each other’s lips.

“Definitely a hot captain” Carina whispered, she leant in once again, she felt Maya’s smile as they began to kiss once again. Maya began walking them over to what she knew was a spot where they wouldn’t have to change their position. She softly placed Carina on a soft grass bed and leant over her, now she was on top of her.

Lost in the kiss, Maya began to grind, somewhat completely unaware of her growing issue, she just knew it felt good. Carina met each grind with a breathy sigh, bordering on a moan.

Quickly Maya pulled away and stood up, Carina’s eyes shot open and stared up at the discombobulated blonde above her.

“I’m sorry” The blonde began repetitively muttering, Carina sat up, confused by what was in front of her. Her eyes snaked down Maya’s body to her hands. Maya’s hands rested in front of her crotch, trying to hide what had happened from the brunette.

Carina joined Maya and stood, she took slow steps towards the anxious blonde and waited for her to say something.

“I probably should have said something. I’m intersex, which for me means that I have male genitalia” Maya’s eyes were trained at the ground as she confessed. Carina wanted to smile at the adorable mess in front of her.

“I’ll walk you back to your cabin so I know you’re safe and I’ll never bother you again” Maya continued, rejecting the brunette before Carina would have the chance.

Quickly Maya breathed in, almost causing her to cough. Carina’s hand had dropped to her waist, drawing soft but playful patterns down to where her hands rested.

“As an OBGYN, I have quite a few Intersex patients, you could say I’m well educated” Carina whispered, she careful moved Maya’s sweaty hands out of the way and replaced them with hers.

She squeezed, delighted by the length underneath her fingertips.

“You’re bigger than my patients too” Carina whispered, she stroked the length and made eye contact with the blonde.

“I don’t like thinking about you with patients” Maya boldly spoke. She grabbed Carina’s hands and pulled them away; she kissed on hand and began to pull the other as she directed them back down the hill.

Her mind was on overdrive and despite what seemed like acceptance, she wasn’t sure that Carina actually meant to be that nice. Carina dumbly followed behind her, they walked in silence as both sorted through too many thoughts for them to articulate.

Chapter Text

Much like Maya’s peace, their connection lasted only for that night. They still thought about each other but when they both returned to Seattle with no way of contacting each other, they decided that maybe it was for the best that that kiss, that feeling of an intense connection wasn’t meant to be explored.

When Maya had returned to her station, she was met with the personal problems of her crew, they bombarded her room, sitting on her desk or the floor in hopes of her talking some wisdom, it made her annoyed. It was a constant reminder of the brunette. Across the town, just a few roads apart, much like Maya, Carina found herself unwillingly hosting a bereavement party for each new breakup her colleagues had experienced during her time in Burnt Oak.

“Look, its one thing to say you will be sharing the bed with your ex, and there’s another thing of actually doing it” Jo exclaimed, Amelia and Teddy nodded their head along to the complicated story that Carina was obviously clueless too.

“Carina what do you think I should do?” Jo finally said, it was this question that brought the brunette back into the room. She caught the other three were staring at her, waiting for whatever words of wisdom she’d release out.

“And you still stayed with him for another two weeks?” Carina asked, she had finally worked the experiously that Jo was talking about. 

“I didn’t know if that was something that would with three days” Jo said, for some reason she felt like she needed to protect the man.

“Anyway, will we’re all here. Could you tell us how the time in the time where Andrew live” Amelia asked.

For a second Carina thought about the blonde who hadn’t lefty her head.

“I went through this place on mountains, at the end of the walk, at the very top is a massive lake. I saw where Andrea had told me to and for the first time in a long time, I could just relax. I also didn’t know he own a bar, it’s the place that everyone goes to every day. Andrea was loved by everyone” Carina’s eyes were watery as she spoke. Her friends looked towards each other and decided to pull her into a big hug, Carina began to create a plan. The blonde suddenly became significant. Maya was someone who knew Andrew, who had met him in that magical place.

“Does anyone know how I can get in touch with 19?” Carina asked.

-

On the other side of town, the fire house had experienced a slow day, it was rare and slightly boring for the team. Maya sat at her desk, her team had taken refuge in her office which they also rarely did, but today it felt like the team wanted to be as close as possible to her, as if she was the mothering cat herding her kittens.

“So, the place you mysteriously disappear to caused you to meet a hot woman, you kissed her, and you literally ran away?” Vic asked. Maya nodded.

“And she also lives in Seattle and works in the hospital we attend almost daily?” Andy asked for clarification, Maya dumbly nodded.

“You’re too chicken to talk to her?” Travis asked, his arm was slapped by Vic, but he simply shrugged, knowing that his words might just give Maya the push she needed.

“I’m not too chicken!” Maya bit back, she crossed her arms and looked around the room at her colleagues who all sported the same look, she sighed.

“Look, you know my situation. That place is a secret for a reason, if I date this woman and we break up, it’d ruin everything. It doesn’t help that her brother died, and he’d left her the bar of my choice and a cabin in the middle of the woods” Maya complained, Travis simply stood in the back amused by the questioning, he’d wanted to bring up that exact topic, but the others had beaten him to it.

“Wait… a doctor whose brother died recently.” Ben looked around thinking before his eyes widened.

“Deluca… Carina Deluca is who you’re talking about?” Ben shouted; Maya’s eyes widened at the realisation that this woman was obviously well known on this side of the woods.

“Yeah” the blonde sighed.

“She’s hot, she’s Italian. You should definitely invite her over for a drink” Vic shouted; her excitement palpable.

“I can’t do that” Maya confessed quickly; the team looked surprised at the hesitation on their Captain’s face.

“When we kissed… it felt different. I can’t describe it” Maya had a dreamy look that every member caught it, they shared a look and the faintest smile.

“I think you need to march yourself over to that hospital and talk to her” Andy scolded the blonde.

“But… what if she doesn’t like me!” the blonde bit back. She wasn’t ready but she hoped one day she would.

Chapter Text

Over the next few weeks, Maya found herself waiting for something to go wrong. She’d learnt early in her life that every positive came with a negative, any level of comfort would be met with a new level of discomfort. Shift after shift, she waited for the time when she’d have to run into the fire and meet the burning blaze and yet, weeks had passed. She struggled with sleep, the brunette had haunted her dreams in the most ethereal way, it irritated her. She hated her brain for taunting her. And yet she waited for an injury, in her own twisted way she knew that with an injury, she would have the chance to run into the brunette.

Sure, an injury wouldn’t exactly be the best way to meet the woman who had clouded your every thought for the past month, but if it happened, it would be out of her control and that’s what she needed. She didn’t want to walk into the hospital and ask for the brunette.

So, when the final hour began at the fire station, she waited at her desk. She drummed her pen against the side of the wooden desk and clicked helplessly at the homepage on her laptop. An email, a call out, or even a mystery baby arrival would break her out of her stupor and yet nothing happened… until the bell rang. A monotone voice echoed through the concrete walls and within seconds, the team had piled into the different vehicles. It was a house fire, a council house which had been built ready to match the town surrounding it, the rooms, doors, and walls were all placed in the same locations as other houses on the very road. The team knew those houses, for them, this simply felt like a snack.

As they pulled up, they recognised the sounds of screams, the nosey neighbours, and the snap and crackle of the fire in front of them. The blonde shouted order after order and the team got to work. Andy and Jack ran into the fire, while Ben and Travis set up a safe place for any injured patients could go. With her eyebrows knitted together, Maya rested her hand on her radio, ready for any information.

“Bishop, there’s too many doors. I’m thinking an illegal refuge, a safe house of some kind. This is a maze” Andy shouted down, Maya’s head dropped back out of confusion, this should have been easy.

“Vic and Sullivan, begin hosing down the interior, the fire is yet to escape.” Maya ordered, and the two fire fighters began walking towards the front door, tactically spraying water to take down the wall of flames.

Soon the two firefighters disappeared in a cloud of smoke, Maya could here indistinctive conversations between the firefighters in the building. The blonde waited until a voice rang out, the slight crack in the radio caused the hairs on Maya’s neck to stand. Just like most parts of Maya’s life, she had become an expert in the miniscule details.

“Maya, I need help” Andy’s quiet voice reverbed through the radio. It was rare that her old best friend would use her first name, it meant something.

“What’s happening?” Maya asked back, she tried to keep calm, but the fire hadn’t died down as quickly as she’d hoped.

“The fire is surrounding us; I don’t know how to get out” Andy shouted this time. In Maya’s mind, for just a second, she wanted to scoff at the stupidity, of not knowing the way out but then again, fire did weird things.

“Vic and Sullivan are working to get to your location” Maya reassured her, she quickly switched lanes and radioed the two firefighters who quickly changed their path.

A loud crash and a mushroom cloud of smoke escaped the roof, creaks of metal highlighted how much the house’s structure had begun to deteriorate under the heat. It was bad.

Maya ran, it was an instinct she was sure she’d never ignore. Through the harshness of the smoke irritating her throat, and the slight burn against her ungloved hands, she began to pull away debris, anything that would reveal the faces of her friends. She ignored the calls of Ben, waiting on the side line with Travis. She always found Ben to have a hero complex, she had a similar but more controlled one, but not in this moment.

Soon a path lead her into the ruins of the building, the crackle of the fire and radio played tricks in her mind as she waited for any noise. The familiar creak of metal beams pushed her to move faster. One room, next room, and the room after were empty. But soon enough, at the heart of the fire, she saw a pair of boots, both sitting sideways against the ash covered floor. On the bottom of one read Andy’s name in the faintest of markings. She thought back to the drunk night when she was still a lieutenant and Andy was still considered her best friend. They had gotten drunk and watched toy story, those shoes were tainted that very night.

A groan signalled to Maya that someone was still conscious, still fighting for their life. She hurried across the floor, her eyes looked around to see Andy laying sideways under a beam, slight movements of her feet told the blonde that her teammate was in fact okay. Next to Andy sat Jack, his hands held his helmet to his head, a grimace played on his lips as he tried to stand up. Without a single word communicated, Jack told Maya all she needed to know; he was hurt but he would help her with Andy.

Expertly and without attempting to verbally communicate, they pulled the beam away and lifted Andy into a safety hold. Slowly but surely, with a limping Jack behind her, the three of them walked out. As smoke began to disintegrate in front of their faces, and the sight of grass teased them, they walked quicker and quicker. A final creaking of a beam left shudders down their backs as they began to jog, to run as fast as they could out of the building. And just like they always had done, they survived within the nick of time. Just like a failed flatpack build, it collapsed around them, leaving the surrounding environment busy with debris.

Maya turned slightly to see Jack wavering ever so slightly, again without much communication Jack began to walk over to Ben for a checkup, Maya walked behind him, holding Andy ever so close. She looked back towards the house, Vic and Sullivan finally showed themselves, they patted dust off of their turnouts and smiled. They high fived and slowly walked towards the group.

“For once I’m going to be proactive. Andy and Jack will need to go to Grey Sloan to get fixed up” Maya looked towards Ben who tried to hide his surprise. “I will be sitting at the front with either of you, or I will also get checked out. I don’t feel great” Maya confessed; the words felt weird leaving her mouth. It felt as if her mouth had never grown accustomed to making those movements.

Quickly the team disbanded, the vehicles were filled quickly and with the subtle rev of the engines, they left the remnants of what was a house behind. The drive was quick, a left turn there, a right turn here, it was simple.

Three gurneys met them at the entrance of the ER. Bailey, Teddy, and Carina stood idly waiting for the next patient. Bailey nervously rocked on her feet, every time she saw the number 19 on a vehicle outside of the hospital, she thought back to Dean.

Ben hopped out and for a second Bailey stopped recognising. She smiled at her husband, her hunk of a husband. Quickly Maya hopped onto a gurney and was whisked towards the entrance.

“This is Maya Bishop, 30-year-old woman and our Captain. Take good care of her, Dr Deluca” Ben teased. Carina’s eyes widened; this would be her chance to talk to the blonde.

“Shit” Maya muttered under her breathe, they made eye contact, the world stopped, and the breath Maya had already silently struggled to keep, left. With a choked out ‘hi’, she was whisked away by the brunette.

Chapter Text

The slight clang and drop of each spin of the metal wheels against the hospital floor provided the two women with a distraction they desperately needed until they were alone. Maya was whisked into a smaller room; she’d normally complain about the firefighter treatment, but this room provided her with the privacy she wanted.

“Hi” Maya whispered after a few moments, she stared at Carina for just a second before Carina met her eyes, Maya quickly looked away, a light blush rested on her cheeks.

“Hi” Carina simply muttered back. There was a lull of silence before Vic hurried into the room.

“Bishop, Herrera is awake but needs to stay the night. She’s got a simple concussion and a broken wrist. Jack seems to be okay; he dislocated his shoulder which sucks. You’re gonna have to find some subs by the next shift” Vic explained, not taking the time to take a breath or recognise what she’d walked into. The younger firefighter leant forward as she caught her breath, and in that moment, she lifted her head to look at the two women who were in an awkward standoff. She turned awkwardly and left as quickly as possible.

“Are you okay?” Carina asked, it was a simple question, something that she asked thousands of times a day. But this time, it had a secret underlay of care.

“I’m okay. I just need some oxygen therapy and then I’m out of here” Maya tried to dismiss the question; the awkwardness was killing her.

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out” Carina replied, she looked up at the ceiling confused by the loss of their connection, something she was sure of. She turned to walk away but a soft hand grabbed hers. It was only then that she realised just how close they were.

“I’m sorry I panicked” Maya confessed. Carina turned back and noticed that Maya wouldn’t look in her direction, the blonde looked towards the trolley carrying all sorts of equipment, internally counting each instrument used to swab blood.

“I don’t care that you panicked. I care that you ran away from me” Carina confessed back. Maya finally looked at the brunette. “I liked you Maya, the week we both spent in the sleepy town stirred up a lot of feelings for me.” Carina made eye contact with the blonde and saw a terrified look. “This isn’t a marriage proposal” The brunette joked; Maya smiled back.

“I wanted to explore that here. That kiss, your lips against mine were addictive. I still want to explore it, whatever this is between us. I want to experience it again” Carina stopped herself from continuing, the romantic side of her was well aware of the shock on the blonde’s face.

“But I’m different” Maya weakly fought back.

“Do you think I want to date someone who is the same as everyone else? I could probably date anyone in this hospital, but I wouldn’t feel anything, I wouldn’t take the time to learn something new because there isn’t anything to learn. I’m a romantic, Maya. I can’t throw away my love on someone who isn’t special in my eyes. It would be wasted” Carina felt her heart racing. “And as for what makes you different, I don’t think anything of it. That’s a lie, I think it’s hot” Carina smirked when she saw a light blush cover the blonde’s face.

The look on the blonde’s face sparked a feeling of confidence in Carina. She moved closer, leaning over the rail of the gurney and pulled her face closer to Maya’s. In her ear she whispered, “I want to feel all of you… you just need to let me”. Maya gulped, those very words felt like a challenge she wanted to take part in, she needed to take part in.

“But for me to feel what I want to feel, I need you to get better. I’ll get you started on your oxygen therapy” Carina pulled back with a smile, for just a second, she rocked on the balls of her feet before leaving.

As soon as the attractive Italian left the room, Maya breathed out a deep breath and began coughing, a reminder of her stupidity returns. In just seconds, Carina returns with the right instruments, Maya had been in this position so many times that she could probably had done it herself, but she waited patiently and smiled when Carina brought the mask to her face.

“Here’s my card, call me when you’re feeling better or you need me to be your nurse” Carina flirted, she dropped her card onto Maya’s lap, feigning innocence when she picked the card back up, but she took her time to feel Maya, to feel her length that the brunette was desperately begging to not harden.

Chapter Text

The tips of Maya’s fingers drummed against the captain’s desk. Icy blue eyes bored into the small piece of paper in front of her. The paper didn’t offer much but a name and a phone number she didn’t know what to do with. The piece of paper had taken residence on the desk for a while now. It had been three days since they last saw each other, and the decision to call was something that mounted pressure onto Maya’s strong shoulders. Work hadn’t been too busy, not at all busy enough to blame work for her lack of calling. Part of her felt like she had already done her part, she had typed and retyped the number multiple times, allowed it to ring once or twice before she hung up. She was sure Carina had seen the missed calls, so why hadn’t she called her back?

Her thumb ghosted the call button and finally after one deep breath she let it ring. Each tone that announced the connection both her and Carina’s phone caused Maya’s hands to quiver for just a second. But she waited, her foot tapped against her chair, and she waited. Suddenly a crackle sounded through her phone so loud she had to pull her ear away. She waited but no voice came, no sweet Italian voice calmed her. But she waited. Within seconds, the phone call ended, no offered conversation, no awkward hellos and definitely no bridged connection that she wanted to explore.

Maya reluctantly threw her phone onto her desk and clicked her fingers as she calmed herself down. With a slow roll of her shoulders, she steadied her hands above her keyboard. She tried, she could now officially say that she had tried to call, and it failed. In her brain, it was now up to Carina to call her back.

A quiet ping from her computer told her a new email had come in. The email’s title read as an interesting opportunity. The blonde quirked her eyebrow and opened it, her eyes skated across each word until suddenly she stopped. The name of woman who had added such a calm presence to her life was listed. Now she really did have a reason to call anyone, to call Carina, to call Bailey. Just anyone.

On the other side of town, Carina was sat in Bailey’s office. She was calm, collected and didn’t necessarily have a reason to panic. It was something she had lived by from a young age, to not panic in the moment but after the moment had passed. She allowed herself to sit with the worry, to understand the worry, and then actively try to better the situation.

“But why this sudden initiative?” Carina asked, Bailey sat back in her chair with enough force for the back plate to move with her.

“The new mayor of Seattle wants the emergency services to work together perfectly. They had an idea of firefighters and doctors completing a level two qualification in each other’s profession. In dire situations, this training could save a victim from a fire, and for us, if we ever found a fire at work, we would be able to evacuate everyone and look after our large network before the firefighters came.” Bailey explained her reasoning, it was justified, Carina couldn’t fight against it.

“So which doctors and which firefighters?” Carina finally asked.

“So, the plan is that every two weeks, a doctor and firefighter will work together. We’re running short on doctors and my husband is adamant it is the same for firefighters.” Bailey paused. “I’m sure you are aware that there was a recent fire that injured a few firefighters at 19, they have been chosen to help us coordinate this experience. The team has taken a month off, which again is unheard of. But Captain Bishop is well respected and have shown great strides in her career and has actively shown how to improve SFD. The strides she is taken to improve the policies, procedures, and training regiments all while being a captain has been recognised and leniency has been given.” Bailey finished her small speech, a smile sat on her lips as she thought of the captain, she had entrusted the welfare of her husband with.

“You will be the first doctor to take part in this experience. With being specialised in both trauma and OB, you will be vital in helping the fire service learn how to combat the most dangerous situations, the most critical moments where stabilisation of a heavy bleed or a surprise birth in the field can be managed at a faster or more effective rate. With this, you will be talking to Captain Bishop about the next steps, as she will be working closely with you. For the next two weeks, you will spend a few hours a day with Captain Bishop to learn more about fire safety in the workplace. You will be expected at the station tomorrow at 8am. You shouldn’t expect any visits to live fire scenes or to put out fire in an uncontrolled environment” Bailey rattled off information, Carina tried to keep up but with the mention of Captain Bishop, her mind had become too busy thinking of those blue eyes.

“Is that okay?” Bailey asked, she quirked an eyebrow, a hand on her hip, an easy signature move of hers. Carina simply uttered ‘yes’ before she stood and ran through the door shouting about an emergency, one that had nothing to do with her.

On the other side of town, Maya had read the email again and again, and finally after reluctantly accepting the news, she shut down her computer. She stood from a chair; a deep breath deflated her chest as she begrudgingly walked towards the office door. She was done with the day, she needed to prepare for a day of contact with her crush.

-

The next day felt different, the pep in the air from the black coffee sitting on the counter next to Maya’s choice of green smoothie had her excited for the day. She took turn sipping her drinks and scrolled through her social media. She came across pictures of her team, it seemed they had had a night full of memories, a night of memories that just a few months ago would have included her. She could have almost imagined herself standing alongside her ‘friends’. But instead, she thought back to how she had run on her treadmill for an easy 2 hours before finally settling into bed. Her life had changed.

Her eyes flicked up to the clock and realised the brunette was about to be late. The bigger hand on the clock was just seconds away from hitting 12, seconds before the time would change from 8:00 to 8:01. A crash, wallop, and quite literally a bang pulled her eyes away. an explosion of paper, pens, a coffee cup, and some random knickknacks had exploded across the floor in the beanery. Just a foot away stood Carina, her hair was tied back in a messy bun and one of her socks overlapped her pant leg. She was late, and her first professional impression had been ruined.

“I’m so sorry” Carina muttered, she wanted to repeat it. Finding the words to explain her morning was lost on her, without her coffee, words would never be enough.

“It’s okay. You’re only a minute late” Maya tried to help, she took careful steps forward and began picking up handfuls of anything she could find and gave it to Carina.

“I think it’s a good time to reintroduce ourselves” Carina said, she stood quickly, her posture was unmatched. She took out her hand and waited for Maya to do the same. When their hands met, a handshake happened.

“Shall we get started?” Maya asked. She rubbed her hands against her hips. Everything was set up; the barn had been perfectly planned. Truthfully, she was onto her third coffee, unable to sleep through the night, she took the time to plan a day of fun… of what she perceived as fun.

“I suppose so” Carina replied, she was nervous, this truly was an environment she never saw herself being in, never saw herself coming back to.

“This way” Maya gently began walking away, she looked back to see Carina taking quick strides to keep up with her.

Chapter Text

They entered the barn side by side. It wasn’t long before they started their first task, Maya was attentive as she slowly directed Carina through their version of advanced first aid, the brunette recognised some of the techniques used and felt confident. She enjoyed the way Maya taught; she was amazed by how great of a teacher the blonde was. Maya checked in continuously while sharing soft glances to make sure the brunette had her undivided attention. She picked up each instrument and picked out the most important uses for each tool.

She asked the brunette to crouch down next to her as they surrounded a dummy. The dummy was a new edition, replacing the older rubber one. The new one had a system in it which would light up, it would alert you to oxygen, to how it would spread to the vital organs. It was pricey, but it had done wonders now that she could visualise that part of her job. Carina was impressed too; it had been a long time since she had had to administer life-saving care to an inanimate object, but she was high off of the obvious excitement the blonde had.

The two worked as a team, Maya would pass each instrument to the brunette whenever the brunette asked for it. Each scenario needed something different, but Carina had picked it up easily.

They spent 45 minutes and by the end, Carina could easily and quickly use what she had learnt in the short advanced first aid training. Maya had set up different scenarios in which Carina would actively have to assess the possible dangers of the area before even thinking of helping the patient. The blonde was impressed. But Carina was distracted, and she wanted Maya to be aware.   

“Will we be doing more fitness exercises as well as this technique stuff?” Carina vaguely asked.

“We will do, it will be good for you to have these skills, but they will be pointless if you can’t get to the person in time.” Maya responded. She looked around the barn and saw all of the different sections she had cordoned off.

“I’m not very fit. It will take a lot of work” Carina replied, she waited silently for Maya to catch on. Except Maya was oblivious.

“I’ll make it my personal job to make you fitter whether it is late at night or in the morning” she had said the words, she couldn’t take them back.

“And how would you do that? Would you give me a massage and loosen my muscles? Would you be demanding, put me in my place?” Carina took careful steps forward as she sultrily whispered each question. “Would I sweat? Would you leave marks all over my skin, so everyone knows that you are the one who worked me out?” Carina was saying words she couldn’t quite register but from the obvious blush, she knew that Maya was turned on.

“I-I think that concludes our first session” Maya splutters out, her hands cover her crotch area as she makes a turn to the left but was stopped by Carina.

“So soon, my back really aches. Couldn’t you give me a massage now?” Carina muttered, she pretended to hold her lower back, straining as she did so.

“I guess that would be okay” Maya dumbly repeated.

“Take me to your office, Maya” her name coming out of the brunette was heavenly, she began leading the blonde in silence.

They made it to Maya’s office and continued to Maya’s bed. Carina whipped her shirt over her head and began taking off her pants before Maya stopped her.

“What are you doing?” Maya exclaimed. She looked away; her hands now added more pressure to her crotch.

“I thought you could maybe massage my hips; they feel so tight” Carina smirked and laid on her front, now scantily clad in her matching lace thong and bra. “Climb on top of me but lose some of your clothes.” The brunette demanded. Maya’s pants and shirt were quickly discarded, thrown into the corner of her room. She took quick strides towards the brunette and climbed over her, she sat on the back of Carina’s thighs, her hard-on was distracting to say the least.

The massage began, Carina moaned at each manoeuvre and finally when Maya’s hands reached Carina’s hips, her ass lifted, Maya bit her lip at the sight before her. Maya’s hands left Carina’s body, she held them up, her hands felt like they needed to grab Carina’s ass, as if the brunette’s ass was a magnet.

“You’re not touching me” Carina complained, and without much thought, without any thought, Maya dropped her hands onto Carina’s ass. She adjusted herself, her horniness taking over her brain’s thought process. Maya shuffled forward and with one hand began pumping her cock. She let out the smallest moan.

“That’s it baby, can you move slightly closer” Carina’s sweet voice was met with Maya’s hands now landing either side of Carina’s head, her clothed cock slipping between Carina’s thighs, feeling the wetness that had leaked through Carina’s thong.

Momentarily Carina moved her ass away, before she returned to the position, she was in just moments ago. When she moved once again, Maya followed her. With a shuddering moan, Carina hooked her hand over Maya’s underwear and pulled them down Maya’s thighs, releasing her hard cock.

“Just a little bit closer” Carina beckoned, the blonde shuffled closer, one of her hands snaked around Carina’s waist until she had a tight hold, a hold which helped her control Carina’s movements. She began grinding, her dick stroked against Carina’s wet lips over and over again.

Something possessed her, she spun the brunette around, caught in surprise Carina pulled the blonde down to kiss her. The dirty kiss led Carina to slide the material of her thong to the side, her hand reached for the blonde’s cock and wrapped her fingers around it. Maya’s eyes clenched further closed, she moaned into the kiss which only turned the brunette on even further.

Maya pulled away, and in a moment of haste she pulled Carina’s legs up, splitting them far enough that she could wrap them around her waist. She inserted herself and sighed. Carina felt perfect, she continued slowly until she had fully inserted herself. She pulled back slightly and began to move slowly. Carina stared up at the blonde, before her hands snaked around the blonde’s neck. Carina pulled her down and began kissing her once again. Maya met her with the same fervour. Maya thrusted faster, her kisses redirected to Carina’s neck where she sucked and left light marks.

They moaned together; Carina met Maya’s thrusts. It happened all too quickly, Carina began to clench around the blonde’s aching cock, her whines and moans began to quicken as did Maya’s thrusts. And in a moment of surprise, Carina began to orgasm, she felt like she needed to be closer to the blonde, her legs wrapped tightly around Maya’s waist and held her there. Maya couldn’t thrust, she couldn’t move, she didn’t want to.

“I’m going to cum” Maya strained, she was doing everything in her power to not give in to the pleasure she desperately needed.

“Cum” Carina whispered, she closed her eyes and waited for Maya. Maya began thrusting, her quick thrusts broke Carina’s legs away from her waist. She pulled out, and stroked herself until she painted Carina’s stomach and chest with her cum.

“Fuck me” Carina spoke in surprise.

“I just did” Maya smirked; the newfound confidence surprised the brunette.

“I got your phone call” Carina blurted out, the mix of emotions from seconds ago had made her feel like she had to say something.

“Why didn’t you call me back?” Maya asked, there was no hurt in her voice but pure curiosity.

“I was scared, and I knew I’d see you today, so I felt like I didn’t want to mess anything up before” Carina spoke in a quieter voice.

“There’s no reason to be scared. I am the same as I was in Burnt Oak” Maya replied, she thought the reasoning behind Carina’s actions was stupid.

“Really? I feel like everyone has another side to them that they hide depending on where they are or who they are with” Carina spoke. She whipped her shirt over her head and began pulling her pants up over her knees. She dressed herself facing away from the blonde.

“I have other sides to me; I’d be lying if I didn’t. But you met me at Burnt Oak, where I was at my calmest. Here, I have a lot of emotions. I told you a few reasons why in your brother’s bar. But deep down, I’m still the same one who walked you to that lake” Maya whispered. She began dressing herself, trying to catch up with the brunette. “Maybe, I could take you out for a date?” Maya asked, she waited for Carina to turn, to face her with those brown eyes.

“I-I’ll think about it” Carina uttered. “I need to get going” the brunette stood to walk out.

“You’ve only been here for three hours” Maya fought back, she didn’t mean to sound rude or hurtful, but she felt out of control.

“Something came up” Carina tried; Maya gave up. She said nothing, she didn’t look towards the door and instead pulled herself into a little ball, covering her eyes with her hands.

These next two weeks were going to test her, and she wasn’t ready.  

Chapter Text

Just as she had thought, the two weeks tested her. Maybe it was the fitted workout clothes that accentuated her ass or the way her uniform looked just too good on her body. Carina struggled. Maya had the same issues but seemed to handle it better, it looked as if she did. Both women couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened, but neither was willing to start a conversation… that conversation.

In this moment, Carina was leaning over a weighted fake-body. She placed her hands in the right areas of the body to lift, she waited for Maya’s mark.

“And lift” Maya caught Carina’s attention once again. The day they had spent together had been filled with short exercises teaching Carina how to carry victims out of a fire. she was taught the hold, and the best way to stop herself from getting an injury. At the end of each day, Maya would test Carina. The test would usually last about 15 minutes where Carina would have to prove herself both physically and academically. The blonde would ask the brunette questions to see how much she had retained from the information given.

  Carina struggled at first, she wasn’t sure how many times she had lift that 40kg body, but she was sure the next time she would fail. As she strained her back, slightly shuffled the body against hers to make herself feel more comfortable, she looked over at Maya.

Maya’s eyes skated up and down Carina’s body bashfully. She played with the hem of her jacket sleeve as her imagination momentarily got the better of her.

“Shit” Maya whispered under her breath, not because she had been caught but because of the look Carina had given her. The look that had only a week ago pulled her into her own office. She found some composure before as she cleared her throat.

“Okay, can you walk to that cone, down those steps, around those cones and back please?” Maya asked but she meant it as an order, for some reason she felt awkward for wanting to order the brunette around. Carina nodded though, she quickly moved around perfectly despite her legs struggling under the weight.

But finally, as Carina walked to the finish cone she tripped, she didn’t fall but she ended up awkwardly kicking the last cone. Maya laughed; she didn’t hide it. Carina grumbled under her breathe and dropped the body on the floor next to her with a loud thud.

“You thought that was funny? You’re a Captain now, you probably don’t need to lift a finger let alone a mannequin” Carina snarked, she crossed her arms as she stared at the blonde. The blonde gulped awkwardly but nodded.

Maya took confident steps forward and smirked at Carina.

“That mannequin isn’t really used when I train. I prefer to use a real person” Maya walked in front of Carina and took a bated breath. Before Carina could tell what was happening, she was lifted over Maya’s shoulder.

“What the fuck!” she shouted as she tried to fight her way off of Maya. But Maya wouldn’t let her go. Maya’s hold on Carina’s legs kept her tight to her body, Carina’s struggle was pointless and as she saw the red cones pass, both women knew that they had to give in to this moment.

Finally, as Maya reached the final cone, she decided to show off and walk a second time around the small course. During the second trip, Carina decided to tease the blonde, her hands suggestively travelled from just above Maya’s ass to Maya’s strong arms. She felt the goosebumps rise on the blonde’s fair skin, but she also felt muscle, real muscle that she wanted to nip at, to kiss.

As she whipped around the final cone, she took a final breathe before she dropped Carina back onto her feet. The position left both of them standing in front of each other, their faces just centimeters away. They both stared into each other’s eyes before their bodies gave way. They couldn’t say who stepped forward first, they didn’t care.

Maya’s hands sat dumbly on Carina’s hips while the brunette’s arms snaked behind Maya’s neck. Their lips met, and what started as an innocent kiss ended with a need. Maya’s hands instinctively pushed Carina closer, one hand slid down the brunette’s back and squeezed Carina’s ass before both hands slid further down to Carina’s thighs. She easily lifted the brunette, who’s passionate moan bled into a surprised squeal.

Maya knew her way around the station, the walk towards her office was easy, and the weight of the brunette in her arms felt perfect. As her hand reached for the door handle of her room, a clearing throat pulled the two women apart. They had been caught.

“Captain Bishop, I’m hoping that you are teaching my doctor life-saving skills and not simply wasting the cities time and money” Bailey threatened, Maya slowly and softly placed Carina back down onto her feet. The brunette was horrified and chose to hide her face in the nook of Maya’s neck, if she could, she would fully disappear into thin air.

“I can assure you, Dr Bailey. I would not waste the funding provided which will change the lives around us. But by looking at the time, I can assure you that the allotted time for these sessions is now over and any actions or conversations between Carina and I are now on our own time” Maya thanked the high heavens that they had accidentally ran over in their session. Bailey quirked an eyebrow and checked her watch to see that the blonde had been correct.

“As you were. I will warn you that Ben will know about this, but I can also assure you that my husband will not start rumours” Bailey turned on the balls of her feet and walked through the doors towards the carpark.

“Out of anyone… it had to be Bailey?” Carina whined; she was sure she would hear more about this moment in the future.

Chapter Text

Maya could hear laughter in the barn from her office, but it wasn’t the laughter she desperately wanted to hear. She wanted to hear Carina, her melodic laugh that would brighten her day, no matter the reason for it. But it had been a week since they’d talked.

Something had clearly happened but neither woman wanted to admit it, neither woman wanted to confront the reason. Bailey was the catalyst; she had caused both women to truly think about the position she had found them in. For them, at least on surface level, it was just some fun.

But both women knew it was more than that, both women hoped the other would be the first to confront the other.

“Is there any reason, why I was told by my husband that you are no longer talking to the captain?” Bailey asked, she looked towards the brunette whose head had fallen into her hands.

“We did the two weeks, it’s now up to everyone else” Carina complained.

“Two weeks, and the way I found you would have anyone thinking that you would still be visiting the station or at least communicating with Bishop” Bailey was honestly confused. She saw the twinkle in their eyes that day, the excitement and the underlying looks.

“She won’t talk to me so why should I talk to her?” Carina retorted, as soon as the words left her mouth, she realised just how childish she sounded.

“Okay, well it is thanksgiving next week and you have both been invited to my house to celebrate it. in my opinion, I think you should come and talk to that blonde. there was a twinkle in your eye that day and I have a feeling that only Bishop can be the reason” Bailey finished. She set a professional invitation card on Carina’s desk and charged out of the room, probably walking her way to her next mission.

-

On the other side of town, Maya’s conversation with Ben didn’t quite hold the same nuances.

“Hey everyone, my wife and I are throwing a party next week for thanksgiving. You’re all invited, there’ll be some doctors too. Here’s an invite for you all, my wife went the extra mile to make these invitations so you better all compliment her.” Ben warned the group of firefighters. He casted a look at Maya before turning back towards the fridge in front of him.

Maya understood that Ben could well have known some details of what Bailey had seen.

-

Thanksgiving was something that Carina had grown to accept as part of the American life she now lived. What she hadn’t realised was just how big the holiday was, how she would have to attend different work mixers and parties. On the dawn of the party, she found herself dressing to impress… hopefully one person in particular. Maya had had the same train of thought except she wasn’t sure if she would go to the party. She wasn’t sure if she could face the brunette.

But eventually with a lot of liquid courage, Maya made her way to the party. The road that Ben and Bailey lived on was litter with decorations, lights twinkling in the windows of neighbours. Maya was somewhat jealous, she had never seen these views before, at least in real life. She parked just down the road from the house, her eyes clocked the brunette’s car.

As she walked up the steps to the house, she could hear some music thumping, loud chatter and some laughter sounded all too inviting, the smells of a hot meal forced her to take her final steps. She knocked twice, Ben opened the door and quite literally pulled her in.

For just a moment, as the doctors and firefighters took in the sight of the blonde in a dress, Maya was able to look around the table, to spot the one person she desperately wanted to talk to. The one person who had an empty spot right next to her.

Maya whispered simple ‘hellos’ and other terms of endearment as she made her way to her spot. Her final ‘hello’ felt awkward, it didn’t feel like enough.

“Warren, if you so much as graze your finger with that blade, you will be spending the next 6 months on that sofa right there” Bailey shouted, causing the two women to forget about what would have been an awkward conversation. Ben looked over, he held what looked like a small electric chainsaw for meat, he had a crazed look in his eye as he slowly switched it on.

The blades cut through the turkey beautifully, slices of succulent meat was passed down the table, vegetables spiced with all things holy also found its way around. And slowly but surely, everyone’s plates found its way to a peak, a small mountain of goodness.

“I like what you’re wearing” Maya whispered to the brunette next to her. The blonde had been placed on the end of the table, and while Ben was refilling his drink or tinkering around, the blonde was left to sit awkwardly in silence. Carina had animatedly began talking to a fellow doctor before Maya could branch a beginning of a conversation. This compliment though, whether Carina would hear it, Maya would get the words out of her mouth.

Carina had heard the compliment; her smile grew slightly wider despite the fact she desperately stopped herself from looking over. She knew this whole situation was a big overreaction and yet, she didn’t want to be the one to talk.

When the brunette’s conversation finally died down, she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She wanted another glass of wine, something to take away her nerves. She was sure the blonde could feel the nerves radiating off of her. Maya waited what she thought was a good 30 seconds, it was probably 10, before she followed.

“I didn’t think you were a massive fan of white wine” Maya called out as she watched the brunette pour a substantial amount of the shiny liquid into a glass. Carina straightened her back, placed the bottle down and picked the glass up. She took careful steps towards the backdoor. For a second she stopped, but everything felt too loud, she had to feel the calm that only nature could give her – the gift Andrea had given her.

Once again Maya followed, she shivered slightly at the fall weather. The blue eyes looked around the garden. She watched the brunette sit down and decided to sit next to her.

“I’m sorry I haven’t reached out to you since that day” Maya’s voice interrupted the gentle swish of the leaves falling from the trees above.

“What happened?” Carina asked, she took a sip of her wine and picked up a leaf next to her. The glass of wine was placed on the decking next to her as she began to feel the ridges of the leaf.

“I started to feel a lot of things too quickly and I freaked myself out. Usually, I would just go home to my special place, but I haven’t been able to” Maya confessed. Carina nodded but didn’t offer a single word. “You’re the first person to cause these emotions, they feel alien. It makes my skin itchy in a good way, it makes my heart skip a beat when someone mentions you or something as small as your job. I don’t know what to do with those feelings” Maya continued, she was sure that the liquid courage from earlier was maybe giving her more courage and less conscious decisions to shut up.

“I really like you Carina, and I’d love to explore that. I think Ben is beginning to hand out some apple pie. I’ll leave you out here and I’ll save you a piece of pie for whenever you come in” Maya slowly rose to her feet. She turned and spotted a blanket resting on an outside chair and picked it up, she wrapped it around the brunette.

The back door slid shut, Carina recognised that, and all was frozen. She finally let out a breath before she turned to follow the blonde in., She picked her wine up and quickly shimmied her way into the kitchen and into the dining room. Maya smiled at her, pointing to the pie she had saved for her. Carina caught Bailey’s eye; they smiled.

Conversations picked up once again, Maya sat in the silence that was given to her. She didn’t need to speak; she didn’t want to. But when the silence became just a little too loud, when she wanted to find an excuse to leave, Carina stopped her. Carina continued to talk animatedly with the doctor opposite her but one of her hands landed on Maya’s leg and stayed there.

Maybe this was Carina’s way of telling her to stay, of telling her that she too wanted to explore whatever this was.

Chapter Text

Despite the fact the training period had finished and although the initial interest amongst firefighters and doctors were great, the continued interest slowly dwindled. But that didn’t stop Carina from trying to put the effort in. she visited the station multiple times a week, always in a quiet moment when the team was fighting a fire or whenever everyone was asleep. She wouldn’t use these opportunities to necessarily speak to Maya, sometimes she wouldn’t be able to. But she would use the time to leave some baked goods, to refer back to their daily text messages about what the blonde wished she had, like a tiramisu or a family sized bag of skittles. Carina wanted to provide it.

Today wasn’t anything different to the last month, Maya had woken up that morning to a handful of messages from the brunette asking about her shift last night. She plainly wrote back that it was fine, there were no injuries, and everyone was just extremely tired. Carina had sighed, sitting at her desk she decided that she would make the first step. Hours later, after finishing her own shift, she put together a plan.

-

As she walked through the door of the station, she spotted that the light was on in Maya’s office and took tentative strides towards the door. She softly knocked and opened the door to find Maya’s head in her hands at her desk.

“Hey” Carina whispered. She took a step in, closing the door behind her as she waited. Maya lifted her head, revealing tired eyes, one of her forearms loosely fell forward creating a thud.

“Hey” Maya whispered back; she took a deep breath before she rolled her shoulders. As she composed herself, she smiled at the brunette in front of her.

“I wanted to take a step, I wanted to show you that I want to take you on a date whenever you’re free” Carina declared, she held unwavering eye contact with the blonde as she waited.

“What’s in your hand?” Maya asked, it wasn’t the response Carina wanted but she took it as an opportunity to branch out their conversation.

“I found this fully packed picnic basket and thought we could maybe have a tiny date now before we go on a proper one” Carina walked over to Maya and opened the basket’s lid.

“This office isn’t quite big enough for a picnic” Maya replied, she stood up and walked over to Carina. They held eye contact, Carina didn’t dare move, afraid that maybe this wasn’t a good time, maybe Maya was just politely walking her out.

Maya held out her hand and waited for the brunette’s fingers to intertwine hers. She softly opened her office door and began to lead the brunette up to the beanery and out onto the balcony. She dropped the brunette’s hand and stepped back inside, only returning with four blankets.

Carina smiled softly as she watched Maya build them a nest of blankets and pillows. Maya grabbed two plate sets along with the cutlery and invited the brunette to sit next to her. Carina placed the basket between them before she sat as close as she felt she could next to Maya.

Maya snaked her hand around the brunette’s as she invited her to cuddle closer with Carina gladly accepted. They sat there, silence felt comfortable in this moment.

“Shall we start?” Maya asked, she kissed the brunette’s cheek and began to unpack each closed package. There wasn’t much either wanted to eat from the selection in front of them but that didn’t matter.

-

The meal had gone well, far better than they had originally thought it would. Carina had ended up sitting in between Maya’s legs, leaning against her as they talked about anything and everything. They shared moments where they looked up at the sky and talked about dreams, the future they had dreamed of as children, and the painful memories which had turned those dreams into what they were… dreams.

“Thank you for this” Maya whispered against the brunette’s hair.

“Thank you for allowing me to do this” Carina replied, a soft smile settled on her lips as she reflected on how comfortable she felt in that moment. Maya nodded, the brunette felt the movement ever so slightly, her smile grew.

“So, is this a date or a pre-date?” Maya asked, Carina giggled, her hand fell onto Maya’s thigh as she comfortable snuggled more into the blonde.

“What is a pre-date?” Carina asked, entertaining Maya’s verbiage.

“A date before the official date” Maya playfully argued back.

“So… a date?” Carina laughed; Maya smiled as she listened to what was quickly becoming her favourite sound.

“Fine” Maya conceded. Carina suddenly sat up and turned until she was on her hands and knees. She crawled slightly forward and straddled Maya’s lap. The blonde didn’t fight it, her eyes were filled with astonishment and curiosity.

“Can I kiss you or is that something we should save for the actual date? Are there any rules about this pre-date?” Carina asked as she teased Maya’s neck with her fingertips.

“There are no rules to a pre-date… at least nothing that includes kissing” Maya whispered, she brought her face closer, Carina did too.

The kiss was soft, Maya’s fingers danced across the small of Carina’s back, feathered touches that gave Carina goosebumps. On the other hand, Carina grinded forward, her own hands pulled Maya’s hair as their kiss grew heavier and heavier. They panted, they wanted more… hell, they needed more.

*knock knock*

Both women stilled as their surroundings suddenly began to fill in the space around them, as they began to recognise that Maya was still at work.

“Why is it always me, Bishop?” Bailey asked. “If Ben is still on shift, I assume you are too. Please keep this away from work” Bailey continued but before she could say her next piece of advice, Maya stopped her.

“Bailey, I am well aware that Warren likes to see you when we go to Grey Sloan. He always leaves, and mysteriously disappears for roughly half an hour… I wonder where he goes” Maya pretends to think hard but smiles when Carina hides her face in her neck. She strokes up and down Carina’s back and covers the brunette with a blanket.

“Fine, Bishop. You’re lucky I like you” Bailey swiftly turned and walked back inside the beanery. The two women giggled when they heard the shorter woman shout for her husband.

“Always interrupted” Maya muttered, she moved slightly, and kissed Carina’s forehead.

“I think our date should be somewhere where we can’t be interrupted” Carina whispered; she kissed the blonde one more time before she stood up. She held a handout for the blonde, her visit had come to an end.  

Chapter Text

Carina found herself on the open road. This date planning thing was complicated, their shifts were at opposite times, they never had time for each other. But one thing they did have was Burnt Oaks. The sleepy town away from the chaos of their lives laid waiting for their return. And like clockwork, Maya had taken a few weeks off. She had sent a message to the brunette saying that they’d have to find time for a date when she’s back, but Carina was impatient.

There was a longing there too, she wanted to feel close to her brother, to the secret locations that filled his heart with joy. She packed her bags; the bar would be the first place she would go.

As she pulled into the tree covered road leading to the small town, she felt her heart thump in excitement. She hadn’t yet seen where the blonde lived in the town, she didn’t have even an inkling to where the blonde hid herself. So, as she drove under the titled gate, she drove towards the hills to where Andrea’s secluded cabin sat. It still felt raw, the decking was now wet and spongey, the inside looked warm despite the darkness. She wanted to find Maya.

The bar was open, busy as usual and there sat the blonde nursing a glass of whiskey. Maya had planned on going to the bar to drink away the stress of the week, to give herself the opportunity to salute Andrew, his sister, and this place.

“Of course, I’d find you at the bar” Carina whispered centimeters away from Maya’s ear.

“Where else would I be?” Maya whispered back, she turned and took in the sight of the brunette. Carina had worn some black leather pants, a grey cotton coat reached her shins, and the white cropped top showed off some of her skin.

“Why do I never see you drinking at Joe’s?” Carina asked, she sat at the stool next to the blonde and was quickly handed a glass of Italian wine. The bar knew what she liked and now that she was the owner, she assumed that it would almost become routine that she’s given whatever she wanted without asking for it.

“I’d only ever go there on Wednesdays which is when I’d sleep with a random. I stopped going there when things grew sour at work. I wasn’t invited to their trips, and I didn’t want to show my face” Maya replied in a matter-of-factly way. “Anyway, you already have your wine which is part one” Maya smiled, she took the brunette’s hand and pulled her off of the stool.

“Tonight, I will wine and dine you until you fall in love with me” Maya spoke, it was sarcastic, it was meant to be light… but both women felt the gravity of those words.

“Where to?” Carina asked, muscling up any ounce of courage she could find.

“That is a secret” Maya whispered, they held eye contact until the blonde begrudgingly took a step away and led her out of the bar. With their hands held closely together, Maya began to walk the brunette up the high street, they were greeted by some of the townsfolk, calling Maya by her name, happy to see her back in town.

When they reached the end of the high street, Maya dragged Carina round the corner and pulled her into a kiss. Their lips met and the world melted away. Carina’s hands held the blonde’s jaw as she led the kiss, taking control immediately. The blonde’s hands fell to the brunette’s waist where she pulled her closer, until there was no room between their bodies.

“A kiss already? You haven’t even dined me yet” Carina joked, she pecked the blonde’s lips one more time and smiled at the blush that had covered Maya’s cheeks.

“I thought that no matter how this date would go, I would still get a kiss” The blonde teased, she began to lead Carina over to her car, she opened the door and invited the brunette into her passenger seat. Carina giggled at the blonde’s mannerisms and quickly put on her seat belt.

“So, there’s a place I’d like to take you to” Maya stated with a small smile resting on her lips. Carina mirrored her smile and didn’t ask for much of an explanation.

As Maya pulled out into traffic, she confidently placed her hand on Carina’s thigh and started to draw calming patterns. Carina felt teased, she understood and truly did know that Maya meant nothing by her movements, but it was too close.

The brunette looked at the satnav, and realised that the blonde hadn’t set a location, Maya knew where she was going to. The drove through the high street where the Christmas lights hung brightly, never being taken down. Carina watched from her window, her hand confidently grabbing Maya’s hand.

The car pulled off into a side road, a narrow street where traffic sat uncomfortably close to the blonde’s car. The street suddenly widened as they began to climb the hills, flickers of trees in front of the night sky, the peaking of stars, and the bright moon reflecting against their windows, set a tone for tonight. A calming presence that both women needed.

Before long, they arrived at what looked like a beaten-up abandoned building. The windows were hidden from any onlooker from the roadside; they were covered by yellowed newspapers and graffiti. The door’s gold handle had began to wear from what Carina had assumed had been multiple customers.

“This is it” Maya whispered, she pulled the brunette out of the car and towards the shop. She took her keys out, unlocking the front door to reveal darkness. With the audible flick of the light switch, the room was illuminated, revealing plush leather seats, a white countertop and colourful walls.

“This here, is the first café I went to. The first time I met your brother, and the first time I realised that Burnt Oaks needed to be my secret” the blonde dropped the brunette’s hand and took tentative steps over to the bar.

“Do you own this place?” Carina asked as she followed closely behind.

“Yep, after I started to struggle at work with what had been happening, I decided to take the time to allow myself to enjoy things. I’d always saved and saved my money because nothing felt worthwhile, until I started to realise that there were things around me that made me smile, that made my day” Maya turned towards the brunette and pulled her towards her. They hugged, Maya hoped Carina that the brunette could understand that quickly, Carina had become a source of happiness in the blonde’s mind.

Carina pulled back slightly and kissed the blonde deeply. She didn’t allow Maya to catch up, to kiss her back before she spoke.

“You can add kissing me to the list of good things that happened here” Carina spoke in a rather cocky way.

“I definitely can” Maya whispered, this time she initiated the kiss and as it deepened, and their hands started to explore the other’s body, the two women felt thankful for how easily the world around them seem to disappear.