Work Text:
Suki finished in the bathroom, double-checking her eye cream was properly absorbed, before heading back to her bedroom. Technically not just hers, these days- theirs. Suki and Eve’s.
She glanced over at the love of her life as she entered the room. The other woman was ingrained in her latest book, and Suki loved to watch her read. It was one of the bigger surprises about living with Eve- what an avid reader she was. It probably shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. There was always a stack next to the bed, and while people might assume she was scrolling mindlessly when she pulled her phone out, she was usually deeply absorbed in an eBook; not her preferred medium, but more portable and didn’t detract from her loveable jester image.
Suki wasn’t much of a reader herself, but their Sunday afternoon routine had evolved to include a stroll to the library together for Eve to return what she had finished and replenish her stash. She would sit with a coffee in the cafe next to the library while Eve took the time to herself, selecting her next reads, and when the younger woman joined her Eve usually gave her a rundown of what she had learned or the adventures the books had taken her on during the previous week. Eve lit up when she talked about it, and Suki could sit and listen to her all afternoon, sipping hot beverages and watching her speak so passionately.
The businesswoman picked up the tube of moisturiser she kept next to the bed and settled on the mattress next to her lover, removing the cap and squirting some into her hand. She set the bottle aside and started to warm the lotion up between her palms before applying it to her own skin. While she moisturised she watched Eve. Her back was against the headboard and her legs were bent, upper thighs providing a backing to hold the book up, one hand holding it in place. Suki was curious about what Eve was reading but didn’t like to disturb her in those moments- the taller woman was so content, and Suki could admire how focussed and still she was. There was that word. Still. Eve had never stopped making her feel that way.
She reached over and picked up her iPad, mimicking Eve’s posture while she settled in to watch an episode of the tv show she had been slowly working her way through. They’d discovered that as long as whatever Suki was watching was in Punjabi rather than English it didn’t disturb Eve’s reading and Suki didn’t have to wear headphones, which suited them both.
“Good episode?” Eve asked when she heard the end credits roll.
Suki nodded, setting the device aside. “Yeah. My favourite character was in it a lot.”
“That’s always nice,” Eve replied, putting her bookmark in her book.
“What are you reading?” Suki asked, finally getting the opportunity to do so without interrupting her lover.
“Ah.. non fiction today,” Eve replied, placing the book next to the bed.
“What sort of non-fiction?” Suki asked curiously. Usually Eve wasn’t quite so cryptic.
“Just some research. Nothin’ to worry about.”
Suki narrowed her eyes, more amused than annoyed. She trusted Eve completely, but the mystery surrounding it had really caught her interest. She shifted, climbing over so she was straddling Eve’s lap and bent over to pick up the book, turning it to look at the front cover. “Sikhism: An Introduction,” she read out loud.
Eve looked at her sheepishly. “I’d picked up information here and there, and done some googling early on in our relationship, but I thought it was about time I got a better understanding.”
“Oh, honey, that’s so sweet,” Suki cooed, genuinely touched. She set the book back down and kissed Eve’s lips softly. “You know you can ask me, if you want to.”
“I do,” Eve confirmed. “But I want a good foundation, and it’s not your job to be my En-Sikh-lapedia.”
Suki rolled her eyes and groaned at Eve’s terrible pun. “You’re lucky I love you.”
Eve grinned. “Yes. Yes I am.”