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With the years, neither one of them had their tattoo replaced or removed. Serving as a memory, a reminder of the time they spent together. Even when Sara left on her fancy timeship to save the world, and when Nyssa found peace in Laurel’s arms, the tattoos were a permanent inside joke. A joke that was about to be shared.
The remaining pink hues played around on the bedsheets, enveloping the space in soft light. Laurel’s new apartment was on the eighth floor, to avoid any surprise attacks. If the bad guys wanted to come for her, they had to use the damn door. Or they had to fly. Nyssa always reminded her that villains might fly. With a satisfied sigh, Laurel rolled onto her stomach, her hands tracing scars on Nyssa’s back with gentleness.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of looking at you,” she said. She watched the muscles in Nyssa’s back flex as Nyssa pushed herself onto her elbows.
“As long as you will have me, I am yours to look at, my dear Laurel.” Nyssa smiled sweetly, a smile that was only reserved for Laurel.
“Forever!” She shouted as she tapped her fingers on Nyssa’s back. Trailing a path downward, to the tattoo she knew was there, Laurel smiled. “Hey, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you,” she said as she traced the ink. “What does this tattoo mean? You’ve only taught me to speak Arabic, not read it.”
Smiling as she remembered the night she got her tattoo, she said, “Sayiya.”
Laurel frowned. “Bad? But that’s ridiculous, you have a fantastic ass!” To emphasise her point, she patted Nyssa’s butt.
Nyssa laughed and rolled over to look Laurel in the eyes. “The word does not apply to my backside.”
“Well, then what does it apply to?” When Nyssa sat up straight, Laurel smiled. “Ooh, storytime!”
“Yes, my dear Laurel.” Nyssa took Laurel’s hand. “When Sara was a part of the league, we had a certain member. This member was named the baker.”
“The baker?”
“Yes. He made weed brownies. My father had few rules when it came to your name in the league, but you could not be ‘the weed guy’.”
Laurel snorted. “Okay so, you had this baker.”
“Yes. One night, Sara ate one of his brownies and went to a nearby town. There she found a tattoo artist and asked her to tattoo the word ‘ass’ on her lower back in Arabic. The following night, I noticed the tattoo and she told me what had happened. I decided to get the word ‘bad’ tattooed on my lower back. This way, we were ‘bad-ass’ and Sara’s tattoo was a little less ridiculous.”
Laurel’s eyes shone bright with mischief. “Sara has the word ‘ass’ tattooed on her lower back? Oh man, hold on.” She rolled out of bed and quickly put on a large t-shirt and some underwear. “Here, put this on. I’m going to call her and her ship has holograms.” She tossed Nyssa some clothes.
Her gaze moving from Laurel to the clothes, Nyssa shrugged. Sara was bound to find out she had told Laurel the story sooner or later. “My dear, could we not postpone this call until later? It is two in the morning, after all.”
“Babe, you just told me that my younger sister has the word ‘ass’ tattooed. I can’t let her forget that.” Laurel watched Nyssa dress, then dialled the phone.
<><>
It was quiet on the Waverider. Even Nate had gone to sleep, leaving his half-drunk coffee and stacks of books alone in the library. The only sounds were the peaceful hum of the engine and Mick’s snoring. That’s what happens when you sleep on a workout bench.
“Captain, there is an incoming call from Laurel Lance.” Gideon’s voice cut through Sara and Ava’s sleep, disturbing the peace.
“A what from who now?” Sara groaned as she rubbed her eyes.
“An incoming call from Laurel Lance,” Gideon repeated.
Sara sat up and pushed her hair behind her ear. “Really? And she used to tell me I was the one with a horrible sleep schedule.” She glanced beside her to see Ava sitting up. “Alright Gideon, put her on.”
Before Ava could say anything, Laurel Lance appeared in front of their bed.
“Ah, sheesh Laurel, put on some pants!” Sara threw a pillow through the hologram when she saw her sister’s bare legs.
“Nice to see you too,” Laurel laughed. Then, she noticed Ava. “Oh, hey. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Her eyes widening, Ava looked from Sara to Laurel. “You have?!”
“Yup. But, that’s not why I called.” Laurel turned to someone out of reach. “Come here, you’re a part of this story too.”
Ava blinked as a dark-haired woman stepped into view, intertwining her fingers with Laurel’s. Unlike Laurel, the woman had bothered to put on clothes but Ava could see the outlines of her muscles against the fabric. Ava swallowed.
“Oh, hey Nyss.” Sara watched Nyssa awkwardly wave as a hologram. No matter what, technology would always be a challenge for her.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Ava asked, “Wait. That’s Nyssa?”
Nyssa raised her chin ever so slightly. “I am Nyssa al Ghul. You must be Ava.”
Ava just stared. She’d heard stories about the assassin but seeing her on the hologram, holding hands with Laurel… It gave her a whole different image.
“Now that the introductions are out of the way,” Sara muttered. “Why’d you call at two in the morning?”
“I just heard about your ass tattoo.”
“Huh?” Ava raised her eyebrows. “Sara doesn’t have a tattoo on her ass. The only tattoo she has is on her lower back and it’s Arabic.”
Smirking, Laurel said, “Yeah. Arabic for ‘ass’. She’s got the word ass tattooed.”
“That’s what it means?!” Ava laughed.
Rubbing her temples, Sara muttered, “I would like the right to remain silent. Nyssa, why’d you tell her?”
“She asked about my tattoo. I am always honest with Laurel.”
Laurel kissed Nyssa’s cheek as Sara rolled her eyes.
“Alright, so, what about my ass tattoo?”
“Oh, just that I’m going to hold this over you forever. And that it’s absolutely hilarious.”
Turning to Sara, Ava said, “I can’t believe you have the word ‘ass’ tattooed.”
“In my defence,” Sara said as she placed a hand on Ava’s knee. “I was high.”
“Of course you were.” Ava leaned back into her pillow.
In the hologram, Nyssa stifled a yawn and gently tugged on Laurel’s hand.
“Right, so. That’s all for tonight,” Laurel took her cue. “This is the best piece of information I have ever gotten, and I’m a lawyer. Ava, it was nice meeting you. Goodnight!”
The hologram disappeared from view as Ava turned to Sara. “Is this why Charlie keeps laughing every time we all change in the fabrication room? ‘Cause they can read Arabic?”
“Yup. And they have been sworn to secrecy.” Sara raised an eyebrow. “And now, you are too.”
Ava laughed. “That’s fair.”
“Good. Let’s get back to sleep.” Sara retrieved her pillow from the ground and lay back down in bed.
“I’m going to dream of your ‘ass’ tattoo now,” Ava teased.
Wrapping an arm around her girlfriend, Sara said, “I’d rather have you dream of my ass.”