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Basira was glad that Tim and Sasha had stopped calling games night "date night". As far as she knew, they weren't dating either, so it wasn't some pointed comment about her and Daisy. It just took some of the pressure off. Whatever the pressure was, anyway. It simply felt more organic to not address the nature of her relationship with Daisy. They knew what they were, they didn't need the complication of implied dating, and certainly didn't need the complication of co-workers' assumptions.
Things had finally reached a point where Daisy and Basira could both relax: not only were Sunday evening games nights a routine, they were a fundamental part of the week. With a boss (and boss's boss) like the one they had, a glass of wine with some stupid games where they could say whatever they liked about the Institute. It was less of a performance now, more themselves. Maybe even more themselves than they'd previously been.
"Where are you going?" Tim's voice was loud, which wasn't difficult, nor unexpected after his 3rd glass of wine. He blocked the door with his body, stopping Daisy from leaving the room till she'd given him an answer.
"Bathroom." It seemed like such an obvious answer, and Daisy was so wooden in her response, Basira couldn't help the light laugh at the back of her throat. It sounded more like a snort, and it made Daisy's lips quirk into the smallest smile.
"You may pass!" Sweeping away in a manner that made Basira wonder if he had ever participated in an amateur dramatics production, Tim let Daisy past and settled back into his spot, legs draped over Sasha's lap.
"Don't think you've escaped the next round of..." Charades. They were playing charades. "Whatever, we're waiting for you," Sasha called after Daisy, protecting her drink from Tim's swinging legs.
"While we're waiting, then." Basira contemplated throwing one of the cushions at Tim, but refrained for the sake of Sasha's drink and the carpet as she stood. "Top-ups?"
"'M good, thanks." Sasha pointedly adjusted one of Tim's legs so she could settle more comfortably while Tim moves his head in what Basira can only assume was a shake no.
The moonlight streamed into the kitchen through the window, highlighting the tap, dripping into the sink, and the half-empty draining board. Grabbing one of the glasses that rested their, Basira got herself a glass of water, gazing out of the window into the night, listening to the sounds of Tim and Sasha in a conversation that sounded like when she and Daisy returned, they'd have it recounted.
"Hey, everything okay?" Daisy was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe when Basira turned to see her.
"Preparing myself for whatever the Dynamic Duo are going to pull out of their hat next." A pause. "I'm fine, just thinking."
"What do they have planned?" Her footsteps pad across the lino to meet Basira.
"Couple more rounds of Charades, and I'm pretty sure if we don't stop him, Tim will break out Twister."
"Oh, God." Daisy's gaze has settled easily where Basira was looking a moment before, but Basira is looking at her partner now.
"Yeah... Might taunt him into trying to beat me."
"You think you could?"
"I know I could, even if he wasn't drunk."
Daisy forces a huff of air through her nose, a single laugh.
"Why do you come to these things?" It's not that Daisy makes a point of hating the evenings, or even that Basira believes she did. She just didn't know why Daisy came. But then, the coffin had changed a lot of things.
"Why do you think?" Her words are little sharper than she intends, knowing that Basira wasn't extracting the answer didn't help the feeling in her gut whenever she was asked a question. "I don't like being alone, Basira."
They let the silence sit between them for a moment, though Tim and Sasha were singing now. What could Basira say to that? After Daisy's trip into the Buried, it wasn't like Basira liked leaving her alone, either.
"And I like being where you are." The silence sank in deeper around them now, Basira processing Daisy's words, and Daisy processing that she said them at all.
"Good enough for me." Daisy still wasn't looking at Basira, but she could hear the small smile that had curved her lips. She put the glass down in the sink before turning to the fridge to find the wine that was chilling. Grabbing the bottle, Basira gently pointed it towards Daisy, an offer of another glass. Daisy shook her head gently, so Basira began to head back to the living room.
"Wait-"
"Hmm?" Daisy's hand catches the crook of Basira's arm, and Basira turns her head to meet her gaze, eyes locked. She could see something in the moment between them, see that Daisy was weighing something up before speaking. Basira didn't mind that she probably wouldn't say what she was thinking. They had time for her to get to that.
"We'd better get in there and kick their asses." She let go of Basira's arm.
"Oh, yeah!" It's easy to lean, and though unfamiliar, Basira follows through, pressing a quick kiss to Daisy's cheek.
When the two of them returned, sitting down, Sasha offered the box of titles to Basira. Through a sip of wine, there was a glint in her eyes as she glanced at Daisy: it read The Archers. Oh, they're so going to win this.