The night stretched warm and loud around them. Plates had been cleared, cocktails replaced with shot glasses, and the air at Moist Bar thickened with laughter and bass lines from the DJ in the corner.
Kara sat back, nursing her drink more slowly than the others. Isaac's girlfriend leaned across the table to include her in a joke, Andrew cracked a story loud enough to shake the glasses, and Luke kept nudging her arm every time the punchline came. It was warm, inclusive, almost overwhelming. Kara smiled politely, laughed when they wanted her to, but inside, she still felt like the new piece in a puzzle everyone else already knew by heart.
And Avery, God, Avery was different here. Lighter. Surrounded by the friends who'd known her forever, she let loose in ways Kara hadn't seen before. She teased Isaac's girlfriend about her dance moves, leaned close with a grin too charming, and Kara felt it, an odd, sharp twist in her chest. Jealousy. She tried to swallow it with another sip of her drink, but it lingered stubbornly, burning hotter than the alcohol.
When the DJ shifted gears, the bass pulsing low and thick, the table erupted into movement. Chairs scraped back, laughter carried to the dance floor. Couples paired off instinctively, Isaac tugging his girlfriend by the wrist, Andrew spinning his with mock drama. Even Luke, with a sly grin, disappeared into the throng with someone Kara didn't recognize.
Kara stayed behind. The music pressed against her ribs, but her feet stayed rooted. She lit another cigarette instead, watching the blur of bodies, the gleam of sweat and joy in the low light.
Then Avery appeared beside her again, sliding onto the bench, her cheeks flushed pink. She was close... too close, and when she reached under the table, her fingers touches Kara's. She didn't pull away.
"You okay?" Avery asked, her voice soft but slurred at the edges.
Kara turned to her, and for a moment, the whole bar blurred. The pulse of the DJ faded, the crowd dimmed. It was just Avery, her hand warm against Kara's, her lips parted slightly as though waiting. Kara's gaze dropped without meaning to, tracing the curve of Avery's mouth, then flicking back up to meet her eyes.
The air between them tightened.
But before either could move, Luke swooped in, grinning wide. "Aves! Get up, come on!" He tugged at her wrist before Avery could protest, dragging her toward the dance floor.
Kara burst into laughter, unable to stop herself, watching Avery stumble into the crowd, her tipsy smile too endearing to ignore.
Avery spun once with Luke, then broke free, her gaze finding Kara across the floor. And then she danced playful, ridiculous, a little sloppy but somehow magnetic. She moved like the music belonged to her, every step exaggerated just enough to make Kara laugh. And then, as though the room were just theirs, Avery locked eyes with her again.
The distance between them pulsed, stretched, but never broke.
Kara leaned on her palm, tipsy warmth softening her edges, smiling despite herself. Avery mirrored it, swaying with the beat, her grin wide and knowing. They didn't kiss, didn't touch, but the looks they exchanged carried more than words could.
It wasn't just fun. It wasn't just the drinks. It was something threading tighter between them, something that left both of them buzzing in a way no alcohol ever could.
***
By the time the party began to wind down, Moist Bar had thinned to scattered clusters of laughter and half-empty glasses. Isaac and his girlfriend were already tangled together on the dance floor, Andrew had claimed a booth with his, and Luke was arguing cheerfully with the DJ about one last track.
Avery returned to Kara's side, her cheeks pink from dancing, her hair slightly damp from the heat of the crowd. "Ready to get out of here?" she asked, leaning closer so Kara could hear over the music.
Kara nodded, relief and a trace of reluctance mixing in her chest. "Yeah. Before Luke tries to drag you out there again."
They said their goodbyes, hugs, handshakes, teasing whistles from Isaac when he saw Avery and Kara standing side by side. Avery rolled her eyes, but her smile betrayed her.
Outside, the night air was cooler, a soft relief after the heavy warmth of the bar. Avery wheeled her Vespa into view. Kara blinked, her nerves fluttering again when she realized Avery meant to drive.
"Aves…" she started, chewing on her lip. "Are you sure you should be driving? You've had a lot to drink."
Avery glanced at her, steady despite the flush in her cheeks. "I'm fine," she said gently, clicking the helmet strap under Kara's chin with careful fingers. Her voice softened. "I promise you, I will always keep you safe through everything."
Kara froze at the words. Something about the certainty in Avery's tone settled the unease in her stomach. She swallowed, nodded once. "Okay."
She climbed onto the backseat, slipping her arms around Avery's waist as Avery had told her earlier. The closeness made her pulse quicken, but when she leaned forward and rested her head lightly between Avery's shoulders, something unexpected washed over her. Safety.
Avery started the engine, guiding the Vespa carefully out into the traffic. She was sharper now, focused, her body steady as she maneuvered through the late-night streets. She adjusted her pace, slowing at corners, keeping the ride smooth so Kara never had to clutch tighter out of fear.
And Kara, she let herself sink into it. The hum of the engine, the cool air whipping against her face, and the solid warmth of Avery beneath her hands. Her forehead brushed lightly against Avery's back, and without thinking, she sighed, a sound Avery felt more than heard.
Avery's chest swelled. She hadn't thought, after the accident, after everything, that she'd ever feel this again. The weight of someone trusting her enough to hold on. The warmth of someone's body pressed against hers, not out of pity, but out of choice. She smiled, eyes stinging from more than just the wind.
On impulse, Avery shifted her left hand from the handlebar just long enough to cover Kara's hands where they were clasped at her waist. She gave a gentle squeeze, her thumb brushing over Kara's knuckles.
Kara stiffened for a second, then melted, her grip tightening, her cheek pressing more firmly into Avery's back.
Neither spoke. They didn't need to.
Through Jimbaran's winding streets and into Seminyak's glow, they rode like that two people caught between pasts they couldn't shake and a fragile, growing spark neither could deny.
***
The Vespa rolled to a stop outside Kara's guest house, the engine cutting into silence. The night air was thick with the scent of the ocean carried from somewhere beyond the streets. Avery killed the ignition and swung her leg off first, steadying the bike as Kara slid down behind her.
Avery unclipped her own helmet and set it aside, then stepped closer to Kara. Her fingers brushed Kara's cheek as she reached up to release the strap under her chin. The click echoed louder than it should have in the quiet night. Slowly, she lifted the helmet off, her knuckles grazing Kara's hair.
"Thanks," Kara murmured, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. Her voice was softer now, stripped of the bravado she'd carried at the party.
Avery swallowed hard, fighting to keep her hands busy as she crouched to stow both helmets under the Vespa's seat. Her pulse still hadn't slowed from the ride, from Kara's arms around her waist.
And then...
"Do you want to take a rest for a bit?" Kara's voice cut the air, sudden, almost too casual.
Avery froze. For a second she thought she'd misheard. Slowly, she turned, blinking. "What… what did you just say?"
Kara's eyes met hers, steady now, though her fingers twisted at the strap of her handbag. "I said, do you want to take a rest for a bit?"
The words landed heavy between them. Avery's breath hitched. She stood rooted to the spot, her hands still on the Vespa seat, staring like the world had tilted under her feet. She couldn't move, couldn't think.
Kara, meanwhile, stepped toward the small gate of her guest house, slipping her key into the lock. She pushed the door open with a creak, pausing only to glance back. Her lips curved into the smallest smile.
"Come on, Ave."
Avery's heart thudded hard enough to shake her ribs. For a moment she thought her legs might give out. But then, almost on instinct, she stepped forward, leaving the Vespa and the helmets behind, following Kara inside.
***
Inside, the guest house was dim, lit only by the glow of a small lamp near the bed. The air smelled faintly of clove cigarettes and coffee grounds, lived-in yet warm. Kara slipped off her shoes by the door, gesturing for Avery to do the same.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said, her voice low, almost hesitant.
Avery nodded, her throat dry. She sat on the edge of the couch, hands folded tightly in her lap, eyes roaming the room, anything to steady herself. Kara moved around quietly, setting down her bag, flicking on another lamp, before finally lowering herself onto the couch beside her.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the faint hum of scooters passing outside, muffled by the walls.
Kara broke the silence first. "You drive like you've been doing it forever."
Avery huffed a small laugh, eyes flicking to hers. "I've had to. It's the only thing that makes me feel… free."
Kara studied her face, the scar at the corner of her mouth, the way Avery tried to hide her chipped tooth when she smiled. "I felt safe," Kara admitted quietly. "More than I expected to."
The words landed heavy between them. Avery looked down at her hands, then back up, her heart rattling. "You… make me forget, sometimes. Everything else."
Kara tilted her head, her breath catching. "That's a good thing, right?"
Avery's lips curved in a small, shaky smile. "Yeah. It is."
Silence stretched again, but this time it wasn't awkward, it was thick with something else. Their knees brushed. Kara's hand rested close to Avery's, so close that the space between their fingers felt unbearable.
Avery exhaled, slow, her gaze dropping to Kara's mouth before she caught herself. She looked away, but Kara saw.
That was enough.
With a sharp inhale, Kara reached forward, her fingers curling around the back of Avery's neck. She pulled her in, rough and unhesitating, and pressed her lips to hers like it was the only chance she'd get.
Avery gasped against the suddenness, but her body answered before her mind could catch up. Her hands slid under Kara's blouse, fingertips grazing warm skin, making Kara shiver. Kara shifted closer, the kiss deepening, fierce and hungry.
Avery tugged her down until Kara straddled her lap, her legs bracketed by Avery's thighs. Their mouths moved urgently, clashing and parting, only to find each other again, as if stopping meant the moment might disappear.
Kara's hands buried into Avery's hair, pulling her closer, closer, as though she could pour every unsaid thing into the kiss. Avery's palms ran along her back, memorizing the shape of her body, holding her tight as though she'd never let her go.
The world outside faded. There was only this, two people, scarred and aching, clinging to the only thing that made sense in the chaos of everything else.
***
Kara's breath hitched as Avery's lips moved down the line of her jaw, grazing the sensitive spot just below her ear. She shivered, clutching Avery's shoulders like an anchor, her heartbeat pounding so loud it felt like the whole room could hear it.
"Ave…" Kara whispered, the name breaking on her tongue.
Avery stilled for a moment at the sound, her forehead pressed against Kara's collarbone. No one had said her name like that in so long, fragile, reverent, like it meant something worth holding onto.
She exhaled shakily, then kissed her again, slower this time, as if memorizing her mouth. Her hands slid from Kara's waist to her ribs, tracing upward, learning her by touch. Kara arched into her, her own fingers curling into the hem of Avery's shirt, tugging it free of her trousers.
The kiss deepened, messy now, their teeth grazing, lips bruising. It wasn't careful anymore. It was desperate... the kind of need that came from loneliness too long buried, from two hearts starved of tenderness finally colliding.
Kara pulled back only long enough to breathe, her forehead pressed to Avery's, her voice ragged. "Why does it feel like I've… waited for this?"
Avery blinked up at her, her chest heaving. "Because maybe… maybe we have."
Their mouths met again, hungry and soft all at once. Kara's blouse slipped open under Avery's searching hands, fabric falling away as though the night itself wanted nothing between them. Avery's touch wasn't greedy, it was reverent, trembling, as if she couldn't believe Kara was real, here, choosing her.
Kara shifted in her lap, pressing closer, her body molding perfectly against Avery's. Avery groaned into her mouth, her fingers threading through Kara's hair, tugging lightly, sending sparks down Kara's spine.
It wasn't just lust. Lust was simpler, cleaner. This was messy, it carried weight. In every kiss, every touch, there was something more: a silent confession neither of them dared to speak.
Kara kissed Avery harder, like she could carve the truth into her lips, like she could stop time if she just held on tight enough. Avery answered with the same urgency, her hands mapping Kara's body as if she'd been searching for this map her whole life.
When they finally broke apart, breathless and trembling, Kara rested her forehead against Avery's, her thumb brushing over her cheek. Avery's eyes were wide, pupils blown, lips swollen from the force of their kiss.
Neither of them said the word. But it was there. Heavy. Undeniable.
And in the quiet hum of that small guesthouse, wrapped in each other's arms, they let themselves drown in it, pretending just for tonight that love was allowed.