A/N - this has made me realise that I know absolutely nothing about motorbikes.
"No." Mias voice was firm.
"Why? I'd be fine, I know I would" Charlotte replied, pouting slightly. They'd already had this discussion on several occasions but Charlotte refused to let it drop. "I just don't think you'd like it, I don't like the idea of you feeling scared" Mia was trying to be as diplomatic as possible. Charlotte frowned "I'm not that much of a wimp, I've been on a motorbike before!" Mia smirked as she looked over at her girlfriend who was now stood with her hands on her hips defiantly. "Oh really, when?" The red head asked inquisitively. Charlotte eyes widened slightly as she spluttered "it was at a fair when I was younger, there was a group of bikers there. They were letting people sit on their bikes and take pictures."
Mia burst out laughing before saying "sweetheart sitting on a motorbike for twenty seconds while it's stationary, is not the same as being on one while it's moving." There was a part of Mia that wanted to give in, truthfully she was interested to see exactly how Charlotte would react. Perhaps she was underestimating her? She observed the brunette for several seconds and asked "are you really, really sure you want to?" Charlotte nodded enthusiastically and flashed that smile that Mia had never been able to say no to. "Alright baby, but if you get scared, I need you to tell me, ok?"
They'd been planning to spend the evening at Mia's, watching films and eating popcorn but now, Charlotte was waiting outside wearing a jacket that Mia had leant her. She watched as the redhead locked the front door and rushed over to her looking apprehensive. Mia placed her hand on Charlottes lower back and whispered "last chance to back out" before winking at the brunette. Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head "absolutely not." Mia felt a rush of admiration as she looked at Charlotte, once again recognising the incredible strength and determination that left her breathless. It was still so disheartening to think that others were blind to Charlottes true fortitude, mistaking her kindness for fragility. She wasn't so fragile after all, she just had a softness that Mia hoped she'd never lose.
Mia went to get the bike from the garage first and rode it over to Charlotte, she knew that would make her laugh and feel like Mia was flirting with her. Once she'd stopped in front of the brunette, Mia took off her helmet and held out her hand before asking "do you trust me?" Charlotte giggled as she held Mia's hand and replied "of course I do." Mia grabbed the other helmet from her lap and handed it to her girlfriend "you'll be fine, as long as you hold onto me." As Charlotte finally climbed onto the back of the bike, she wanted to tell Mia that now they'd met, that was how she felt about life. She'd always be safe as long as had Mia to hold onto. She chose not to say anything, wondering if that was a bit too soppy for the redhead.
Once Charlotte had wrapped her arms firmly around Mia's waist the redhead advised "you have to work with me, when the bike is coming to a stop you need to lean backwards. When we go round corners, you have to stay neutral and try not to lean into it. Do you understand?" Mia really didn't want to be bossy with Charlotte but if they were going to do this she wanted her to have as much fun as possible. She heard Charlottes voice from behind her say "yes Amelia" and immediately it made her smile, Charlotte was obviously taking her advice very seriously.
Initially, Mia started to drive slowly and continued slightly under the speed limit. That really wasn't like her but she didn't usually have such a special passenger. As they got closer to the coast Mia decided to speed up a little, the roads were quiet and Charlotte seemed happy enough. Once they were close to the beach, Mia had an idea. There was a small, secluded alcove nearby that hardly anyone was aware of. For years, it was a place that Mia had relied on as a safe space, especially when she was younger. When she'd argued with her Mother, Reece or Roger, she'd gone there. She'd never told or shown anyone her little hiding place but she wanted to show Charlotte.
As they got closer to the beach car park, Mia sped up and as she did so, she felt Charlottes arms squeezing her body slightly tighter. Mia knew Charlotte and she could tell that the brunette was happy and having fun, even without being able to see her. Once they'd reached the car park Mia came to a stop and immediately pulled off her helmet before asking "are you alright sweetheart?" She felt Charlotte moving behind her and climbing off the bike so she turned to face her girlfriend. She'd also taken her helmet off and as soon as Mia had stood up, Charlotte grabbed her hand. "Mia, that was so much fun! You didn't have to drive so slow though, I told you I'm tougher than I look." Mia's eyes widened as she replied "we were going pretty fast at the end there, that was too slow for you?" Charlotte nodded and laughed causing Mia to shake her head slightly. Maybe she had a secret little daredevil on her hands, apparently the only person who'd been worried was Mia.
The walk from the car park to the alcove was a long one, most people went straight to the beach right in front of them. Charlotte really did trust Mia completely as she allowed the red head to lead her to an unknown location. Finally, they'd reached the alcove and as expected it was completely deserted. As they looked out at the sea Mia quietly said "this is where I'd always come to think, or to feel better if I was upset." She turned to Charlotte and added "you're the first person I've shared this with. You're the only person I'll ever share it with, actually." Mia wrapped her arm around Charlottes waist and continued "I've actually not been down here for a while. I suppose you don't need a safe space as much when you've finally found your safe person instead." Mia had always assumed that genuine love and affection were things she'd never truly experience, things destined for others but never for her. So, she'd found things to help her through tough times as she'd battled her demons alone, wondering where it had all gone wrong. As she watched Charlotte looking around at the alcove, she was glad that finally she'd done something right.
The two women sat together on the sand for over an hour. Mia had rested her head on Charlottes shoulder, causing the brunette to gently stroke her hair. It wasn't often that Mia wanted to feel comforted but as she watched the waves she realised that she truly felt at peace. The last time she'd visited the alcove was when she still worked at the nursery and she'd just had an explosive argument with Roger. Everything had been slipping through her fingers and she'd started to realise just how much of her life she'd already lost. The future had seemed like a distant, depressing dream and the only thing she'd felt was completely and utterly lost.
For a long time, Mia had felt like the sun wouldn't set. She'd been trapped, living the same loveless day over and over again with no hope of a new dawn. Finally she'd been able to rest and the sun had not only set, but she'd watched it rise time and time again within Charlottes eyes. Mia had always liked riding a motorcycle because it gave her a sense of freedom that every other part of her life couldn't offer. Having a passenger had been a new experience for Mia but now she wasn't sure she ever wanted to ride without Charlotte again.
"Mia?" Charlotte clearly wanted to ask her something, so she sat up and looked into her girlfriend's eyes. "Yes?" The brunette smiled at her before asking "can we go faster on the way back? I promise I'll hold on." Mia laughed as she nodded, clearly she'd been worried for nothing. Sometimes, she wondered if she was good enough for Charlotte, although she'd never say it out loud. Clearly, the brunette had no such concerns and if someone like her thought Mia was good enough, then it had to be true.
