Work Text:
Suki, 4:34pm
Can we meet?
Eve, 4:35pm
Minute Mart in 5?
Suki, 4:35pm
X
Eve closed her phone case and put her phone back into her pocket. I wonder why she wants to see me. I hope she's okay. If he's laid a hand on her I swear I’ll-
She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by Stacey hitting her with a tea towel. “Oi, are you listening to me or what?” Stacey shouted as she stared at Eve. “Yeah sorry, carry on. What were you saying?” Eve asked as she tapped her fingers on her cup of tea. “Oh, so you weren’t listening, charming! Why do you seem so zoned out?” Stacey asked as she sat down opposite Eve.
“It's just Suki wants to meet me in the Minute Mart at 20 to 5 and I'm worried. What Nish could do to her always concerns me. I just don't want to lose her again, not now.” Eve admitted as she looked down at her cup. “Look, she's told you she loves you and she wants to be with you every day. She even held your hand in public just to prove to you that she meant what she said.” Stacey observed as she placed her cup down on the table. “Yeah you're right, sorry for making it all about me. How are you holding up?” Eve asked as she placed her hand on top of Stacey's. “Eve, I love you, but please moisturise your hands if you're going to hold someone else's. I'm surprised Suki hasn't told you off for that.” Stacey said as she removed Eve's hand from on top of hers. “I'm okay, weirdly. I think the chaos of having two kids under the age of nine and a new grandchild has removed any and all time for me to be worried about him.” she confessed, refusing to even say Theo's name.
There was silence in the kitchen as both of them contemplated what was on their mind. “I was going to go to Glasgow with her today, you know? She remembered she'd left Nish a letter though and I wanted to be here for you as well, so we had to put that plan on hold.” Eve explained as she picked her cup up and finished her tea. “I'm glad you hadn't left yet, I wanted to see you after I got the call. You'd only just gone off running after her when it came in. Then I turned around and there he was. He's not even supposed to be here.” Stacey vented before sipping her tea. “That's one of the things I would have missed if you had gone. You make a reet good cuppa tea.” she continued, putting on her worst Yorkshire accent for the last sentence.
“You'd have managed, I'm sure. Do you want me to write the instructions down at some point?” Eve laughed as she stood up and put her cup in the sink. “You’re worse than Lil for avoiding the washing up, you know that?” Stacey jokingly asked as she watched Eve leaving the kitchen. “Tell Suki I'm fuming she proved me wrong, but I'm happy for you both. Oh and pick up some milk while you're there, we're almost out. Don't forget to lock the door!” she shouted as she watched Eve put her coat on. “Alright, will do! I'll see you soon.” Eve shouted as she opened the front door, locking it behind her once she was outside.
The walk through the square gardens and down towards the Minute Mart felt like it took a lifetime, but by the time Eve arrived it was 4:39pm. “You're a minute early.” Suki noted from behind the counter, noticing Eve's Converse step into the shop, not even bothering to look up from the paperwork she was looking at. “I was worried. Your text was quite ominous. Is everything okay with Nish?” Eve asked as she started to approach the counter. “Lock the door and put the closed sign up and I will explain everything.” Suki sighed as she walked around the counter and stood in front of Eve.
“You're really worrying me now. What's happened?” Eve asked as she turned around the sign on the door before turning to face Suki again. “Priya knows, Eve. She found my letter and she knows I was going to leave Nish. She wants money from me to keep it a secret.” Suki admitted as she looked at Eve. “Does she know abou-” Eve started asking, getting cut off by Suki. “No she doesn't know about us, but I'm so scared, Eve. She's practically blackmailing me into staying with him.” Suki said, sounding incredibly deflated.
“Whatever happens, I'm going to be by your side. I love you. I've always loved you, even after you broke my heart. You helped me through all of the stuff with Caz and now it's my turn to catch you when you're falling through the cracks.” Eve reassured as she reached out and rubbed Suki's arm. “Hey, look at me, we're going to get through this together, okay?” she asked as she locked eyes with Suki. “Alright. Oh, speaking of being by my side forever, come with me.” Suki said as she guided Eve towards the back of the shop, right into the corner where she first said ‘I love you’ to her. “What are you doing?” Eve asked as she squeezed Suki's hand.
“Just trust me, okay. Stay there, I'll be back in a couple of minutes.” Suki insisted as she opened the door to the stock room and entered, closing the door behind her. Eve stood waiting, reading the labels of the products on the shelves around her to keep boredom at bay. She was interrupted midway through reading the ingredients of Cif by the door to the stock room re-opening. As she turned around from replacing the bottle on the shelf, she was greeted by the sight of Suki stood in front of her in a rainbow kimono, holding another one in her hand.
Eve started giggling as she realised what Suki had done. “You said you wanted matching rainbow kimono's, so that's what we've got. We both might not be able to do the wedding on Brighton beach yet, but these are a start. Take off your coat and jumper so that you can put this on.” Suki asserted as she locked eyes with Eve. “I was going to take my coat off anyway, it's impossibly hot in here. Oh I'm glad we locked the front door, my t-shirt isn't tucked in. I wouldn't want to flash an innocent customer when I'm talking my jumper off!” Eve exclaimed as she took her coat off and laid it on the counter. She then pulled her jumper over her head, turning it inside out as she took it off, and placed it on top of Suki's handbag before turning to face Suki again.
“Put your arm in here and then turn around so I can put this on you.” Suki demanded as she held out Eve's kimono in front of her. Eve slipped her left arm into the sleeve and, as Suki instructed, turned around, allowing Suki to pull the sleeve over her right arm. “There you go. Matching kimono's!” Suki giggled as she spun Eve around to face her. “You look so beautiful in that.” Eve whispered as she looked at Suki. “You don't look so bad yourself.” Suki replied coyly, not wanting to admit that she felt beautiful in a rainbow kimono. Well, not just yet anyway.
“So you bought these just because I mentioned them?” Eve asked as she looked at Suki. “I want them to symbolise the plans we have for our future together. I can't wear a promise ring because Nish would get suspicious, but these are more inconspicuous, despite their vibrancy.” Suki stated as she played with the sleeve of her kimono. “I'll never grow tired of hearing you talk about our future together.” Eve commented, her trademark lopsided grin plastered on her face. “I love you.” she continued as she smoothed out the shoulders of Suki's kimono.
Suki then took hold of Eve's hands, holding them out in front of her. “It might not be next week, but at some point we're going to get married on Brighton beach and the next morning we can wake up as wives and put these on to remind us of how far we've come. I never stopped loving you even though we were apart and now Vinny has realised that, he's doing everything he can to help me leave Nish. Soon enough, we're going to be together and we're going to be free.” Suki declared as she squeezed Eve's hands. “You're so romantic. If I'd have known, I'd have prepared something to say, but just know that I never stopped loving you either. Even if it seemed like I was happy on that date with Tessa in Walford East, I spent half the time staring at you thinking you were happy without me.” Eve confessed as she looked into Suki's eyes.
“It's weird you say that because I was doing the same thing too. We must have been looking over at each other whenever the other was smiling or laughing and missing the pining looks.” Suki noted as she analysed Eve's face, which now looked a mix of forlorn and confused. “Are you okay?” Suki asked as she brushed the back of her hand across Eve's cheek. “I just can't believe this is actually happening. I thought I'd lost you forever.” Eve mumbled looking down at her hands, still held by Suki.
Suki leaned forward and started kissing Eve. Her hands quickly moved from holding Eve's hands to cupping her cheek and being in her hair, which was slightly longer than the last time they had kissed, giving her more to wrap around her fingers. Eve lifted her right hand to hold Suki's cheek and used her left hand to pull their bodies closer together, deepening the kiss. After a few moments Suki tried to pull back, but, uncharacteristically, Eve was the one to chase one final kiss this time.
“I love you so much Suki.” Eve whispered as she stroked her finger across Suki's cheek. “I love you too, Eve. So very much.” Suki replied, staring into Eve's eyes. “I can't wait to spend forever with you, darling.” she continued as Eve's right hand landed on her waist, holding her in position while she still leaned back. “Did you just call me darling? Have you always been like a walking embodiment of a period drama or has being the brooding lover made it worse?” Eve laughed as she pushed a strand of Suki's hair out of her face.
“I've never been in love enough to show this side of myself to anyone, but when we broke up, I realised I should have probably shown and told you how much I love you more often. If that means calling you pet names like darling, mērā pi'āra, babe, or mērē dūta, then so be it.” Suki stated as she squeezed Eve's hand. “What do those ones in Punjabi mean?” Eve asked as she looked into Suki's eyes, noticing that they were practically sparkling because of how happy she was. “Mērā pi'āra means my love and mērē dūta means my angel. Both of them are incredibly accurate for you.” Suki commented as she grinned at Eve. “Oh you little romantic.” Eve giggled as she grinned at Suki.
"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life being romantic with you." Suki confessed as she stroked Eve's cheek, pushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Did you just-" Eve started, choking back tears. "You just brushed my hair out of my face without hesitating." she noted as if in disbelief at what had happened. "I'm going to be that woman and we're going to be those people." Suki asserted as she squeezed Eve's hand again. Then she realised, this is what happiness feels like. She could finally breathe again.