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“End of game” are the last words Eve hears Dasha say as she picks up her bowling bag and walks away. She stands there for a few seconds wondering what her next move should be. She already made the effort to travel all the way to Barcelona on a hunch. Defying Carolyn again and leaving behind her husband again. However her hunches have usually been right so with a quick grab of her jacket she begins pursuing Dasha outside of the bowling alley.
The cold air hits her face as she weaves in and out of excited children and families lining up outside to get inside. Dasha’s bright letter jacket acting as a beacon in the dark alleys of Barcelona. The woman literally looked like one of those American Dance Moms except angrier and Russian. She can't believe this woman would be capable of shoving an entire pitchfork in her husband's neck.
How did Niko not notice her? Was there a disguise? Eve shook these thoughts from her head. There was one goal and that was to find out where Villanelle was living and what she knew.
As Dasha finally cleared the small dark streets onto a main road, a few young teenagers in scooters and bicycles drove past Eve yelling in Spanish prompting Dasha to turn around. Eve quickly dove behind a bench looking through the slits to see if Dasha had resumed her trajectory. Heart pounding, hands clammy, she stayed hunched over until a voice broke her out of her concentration.
“Estas bien Señora?” whispered a teenage boy, backwards cap dangling off his head and smirk fully in place. “SI, SI” were the only words Eve could utter as she ran forth trying to catch up to her target. As she pulled behind Dasha, she could finally see her making her way into a gorgeous villa.
“For fucks sake” Eve sighed. Of course Villanelle would just quietly upgrade from a lavish Paris flat to this.
Dasha pulled a key and went inside as Eve attempted to sneak around the house looking for an open window or way to get in. Turning the corner she noticed a courtyard with a gorgeous marble fountain centered in the middle. Long windows framed the back of the house and luckily for her there was one on the ground floor half open with light shining through. Voices became louder and she could make out Dasha talking to someone. Only certain words stood out- Russia and disaster. She heard whimpers and someone crying.
She knew that moving any further could give away her position. “Dammit, think Eve, think!” She thought through multiple options until the lightbulb finally hit. Taking her iPhone, she opened the camera function and extended it far enough so the camera lense could capture what she couldn't see. As she recorded, the sobbing became louder and as she tried to make out what the voice was saying she couldn't deny that this was Villanelle. The voice was scratchy and pained but the Russian undertones were there. Stopping the recording and pulling her arm back, her body froze as she saw the still image of the phone reflected back to her. There sat Villanelle on the floor, head back, tears rolling. Her face in more pain than she had ever seen before. More pain than that day in Paris with Eve holding the end of a knife deep in her stomach. Without thinking she walked up to the window and saw that Dasha was gone and Villanelle was now alone. “Villanelle?” Eve breathed out without intention.
Villanelle’s eyes shot open looking around her bathroom trying to find the intruder before settling on her bathroom window, shock and awe written all over her face.
“Eve? Why are you outside my window?” Villanelle squinted her eyes.
“Ugh Jesus. Let me just get this leg over”. Eve swung her body inside landing with a big thump. Villanelle stared at her with wide eyes, “ You do realize that I have a door?”
“Oh yes! The door. But Dasha you know?” Eve rolled her eyes and motioned with her hands frantically.
Villanelle looked as if she was going to ask more questions before resigning with a breath and leaning her head back on the tub. Eve looked around taking in the gorgeous faucets, marble floors, glass windows. “Wow you really are moving up in the world huh? Guess shooting me in Rome did wonders for you!”. Eve laughs- her self deprecating tones oozing through. Villanelle looks like she might smile for a second before huge thunderous sobs shudder throughout her body. Eve’s mouth drops open and closed, open and closed. She’s used to all types of Villanelle.
Unhinged shooting at her in the forest Villanelle.
Choking her in the bathtub and nicely asking for dinner Villanelle.
Holding a child hostage Villanelle.
Masturbate about you a lot Villanelle.
Co-worker annoying the shit out of you villanelle.
Fucking your coworker to Villanelle.. oh for fucks sake. If Villanelle was a Pokémon she would've caught them all except this one.
This is a rare one.
Eve rushes to her side grabbing her by the shoulders.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry. I was joking! It was a joke!” She grabs Villanelle's face in desperation. “Please don't cry! I mean you did shoot me. That was most definitely true but this is good!.. I mean the apartment is good. Not the shooting, that was bad. But be happy. Be proud?” As Eve finishes her rant she realizes Villanelle has successfully stopped crying but is looking at Eve like she has most definitely lost the last bit of her mind. Eve quickly grabs back her hands “Sorry, sorry. That was a lot, I’m sure” she sits back on her haunches waiting for Villanelle to say something.
A few seconds of silence pass with a staring match between the two women. Eve looking sheepish and out of place. With a deep breath Villanelle breaks the quiet- “Why are you here?”
Eve thinks back to her answer and staring at Villanelle with her bloodshot eyes, tear stained cheeks, messy hair and trembling hands. She realizes that there are two answers to that question.
Her boilerplate answer: She’s looking for Niko’s murderer. She knows Villanelle is with the 12 and can help her find out who killed him and who killed Kenny.
The truth: Eve has not ever stopped thinking about Villanelle. In fact life is now just divided by when Villanelle wasn't there and when she was there. And maybe it's the fact that she’s all the way in Barcelona away from London and the pain and shame that comes from her boss, her husband, her father in law. Maybe it's the tears in the eyes of the blonde patiently waiting for an answer in front of her. And maybe it’s exhaustion and wanting to let go just this one time but she decides to go with the truth.
“I still think about you all the time. I still think about what you’re wearing and what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with. I think about the new friends you may have had since Rome. I still think about what you eat before you work. I wondered if you were still working. I still think about your family.” Eve pauses as Villanelle closes her eyes and a few tears escape.
“I dream about your eyes and your mouth and the bus. The damn bus. The bear and the bus and the cake and I’m..” Eve trails off. The silence hangs between them and the staring contest resumes. Eve struggles to make eye contact and Villanelle just stares. She is about to resume talking when she feels arms lunge at her. For a second, just a quick second she’s afraid that Villanelle is going to hurt her but arms wrap tightly around her neck as Villanelle buries her face deep into her curls.
Eve wraps her hands tight around her back, noticing how small Villanelle feels in her arms.
“Thank you” a small whisper comes from the body holding her close. “I needed to hear that, I think”.
Eve nods and tightens her hold. “Anything else that you need?”
“No, this is nice. I like this Eve”.
Eve agrees but decides that her gunshot wound and the weird angle they’re hugging in is too much. “Do you know how amazing this will feel in a bed?” Before Villanelle can respond she pulls her up slowly minding her stab wound and helps her walk out. As they make their way to the bedroom, Eve looks around the high ceilings, gorgeous chandeliers and beautiful Spanish doors.
“OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!”. Her ams flail up and down before she turns to Villanelle. “Really?! This place is a palace”.
Villanelle giggles quietly from the bed, a sound so rare that she catches it and quickly clears her voice. Eve stares in wonder and goes to lay down next to the blonde. The silence continues before they both start laughing deliriously. The type of laugh that can only happen when you realize the absurdity of life.
“I can honestly say this isn't the bedroom fantasy I had with you Eve” Villanelle's wheezes out between chuckles.
“Me neither”. Eve laughs out. They stare at each other for a moment longer. The energy changes in the room. The realization that they're both finally in a bed together after so long, no distractions, no barriers. For a minute, Eve thinks of Dasha and where she may have gone before deciding she doesn't really care that much. She found her actual target. And somehow during Eve’s thoughts their lips have found each other. The kiss starts soft at first before tongues begin probing, hands begin moving and the push and pull of their bodies overwhelms them.
Villanelle finally pulls back first. “ I like this Eve and I want more but not tonight, i think” She looks vulnerable, fearful and horny. A mix so beautiful that Eve can only nod in at first. ‘That's ok. Do you want me to go?”
Villanelle quickly speaks “No, please stay”.
Eve holds her close, tucking her head into her chest. She tries to sleep but the endorphins are too much. She then remembers.
“What about Dasha?” Villanelle is silent and she thinks she’s fallen asleep. A few seconds go by before she hears the rough whisper “Fuck that bitch”.
Eve bursts out laughing. “God she really is a bitch isn't she?” The last words she utters into the room before they succumb to sleep.