Chapter Text
The flat was too quiet.
Suki noticed it the second she woke up, the same way she always did. Her eyes opened and for a moment she just lay there staring at the ceiling, waiting for the usual tight feeling in her chest to settle.
It didn’t.
There was nothing wrong. That was the problem.
No shouting outside. No doors slamming. No messages lighting up her phone with some new drama. Just the early morning light creeping through the curtains and the sound of Eve breathing beside her.
Suki turned her head slightly.
Eve was still asleep, half on her stomach, hair all over the pillow like she’d lost a fight with it during the night. One arm was stretched across the bed toward Suki’s side, like she’d reached for her at some point and just stayed there.
Suki stared at that arm longer than she meant to.
Then she slipped out of bed.
She moved quietly, habit more than anything. The floor was cold under her feet. The flat still smelled faintly like last night’s dinner and Eve’s stupid vanilla candle that she insisted made the place “feel cosy.”
Cosy.
Suki rolled her eyes just thinking about the word.
She went into the kitchen and switched the kettle on, arms folded while it started to rumble. The silence pressed in around her again. Calm. Still. Too calm.
Her body didn’t know what to do with it.
When things were bad, at least she knew where she stood. She knew how to react. She knew how to hold herself together.
But when things were quiet like this, her brain started doing stupid things. Waiting. Listening. Bracing for something to go wrong.
The kettle clicked.
She poured the water into a mug without really thinking, dropped a teabag in, then leaned against the counter staring at it while the colour spread through the water.
Footsteps shuffled behind her.
“You planning on drinking that or just intimidating it?”
Eve’s voice was thick with sleep.
Suki didn’t turn straight away. “Some people wake up earlier than midday.”
“It’s seven,” Eve said.
“That is late.”
Suki finally looked over.
Eve stood in the doorway in an oversized T shirt and pyjama bottoms, hair sticking up everywhere, eyes still half shut. She looked ridiculous.
And warm.
And annoyingly comfortable in a place that had taken Suki years to feel even remotely settled in.
Eve rubbed her face and wandered toward the kettle. “You sleep at all?”
“I slept.”
“Mm.”
That little sound made Suki’s jaw tighten.
“What does that mean.”
Eve filled the kettle again like the conversation wasn’t about to become a thing. “Means every time I woke up last night you were still awake.”
Suki scoffed. “You’re imagining things.”
“Suk.”
“I was fine.”
Eve looked over at her then. Not accusing. Just that look she had sometimes. Quiet. Too observant.
“You were stiff as a board every time I reached for you.”
There it was.
Suki hated that Eve noticed things like that.
“I didn’t realise I was being monitored while I sleep.”
“You weren’t.”
“You seem very certain about what I was doing.”
Eve sighed softly. “I just meant you didn’t seem like you were resting.”
The kettle boiled again. Eve poured herself tea this time.
Suki picked up her mug and took a sip, immediately regretting it because it was still too hot.
Eve leaned back against the counter watching her.
“You know you don’t have to pretend with me, right.”
“I’m not pretending.”
“Okay.”
“That sounded like you don’t believe me.”
Eve shrugged slightly. “I think you’re tired.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“Yeah. You say that a lot.”
Suki stared at her.
“Do you enjoy doing this in the morning?”
“Doing what.”
“Turning everything into a conversation.”
Eve laughed quietly. “You’re the one who turned it into an argument.”
That made Suki pause.
Annoyingly, Eve was right.
Suki looked away first.
She hated mornings like this. When things were calm enough that Eve had space to look at her properly. To ask questions. To notice the cracks.
Chaos had been easier.
When life was messy and loud and falling apart all the time, nobody expected softness. Nobody expected honesty.
But Eve did.
That was the problem with her.
She was patient in this quiet way that made Suki feel seen even when she didn’t want to be.
Eve carried her mug to the table and sat down. “Come sit.”
“I’m standing.”
“Okay.”
“You don’t need to supervise me.”
“I’m not supervising you.”
“Feels like it.”
Eve blew on her tea. “You’re grumpy today.”
“I’m always grumpy.”
“That’s true.”
Suki gave her a sharp look.
Eve grinned.
It was impossible to stay properly angry at that stupid grin.
After a moment Suki walked over and sat down across from her. She wrapped both hands around her mug even though it was still warm.
Neither of them spoke for a minute.
Outside someone’s car door slammed.
Then Eve said quietly, “You don’t trust the quiet, do you.”
Suki’s shoulders stiffened.
“That’s a very dramatic thing to say before breakfast.”
“I’m serious.”
“I can tell.”
Eve watched her carefully. “You get tense when things are calm.”
Suki stared at the table.
“You always think something’s about to go wrong.”
Silence stretched.
Suki hated how accurate that was.
Finally she muttered, “That’s because things usually do.”
Eve didn’t argue with that.
She just reached across the table and rested her hand there, palm up.
Not touching.
Just there.
Waiting.
Suki looked at it.
God, that woman was irritating.
Always doing these small gentle things like it was nothing. Like offering someone your hand wasn’t a big deal.
Like Suki wasn’t the sort of person who had spent most of her life learning not to take things that could be taken away.
Suki exhaled slowly.
Then she placed her hand in Eve’s.
Eve curled her fingers around it without making a big show of it.
“You see,” Eve said softly, “that wasn’t so hard.”
“Don’t get smug.”
“I’m not smug.”
“You’re very smug.”
Eve smiled into her tea. “You’re holding my hand.”
“I will stop immediately if you comment on it again.”
“Fair.”
Suki rolled her eyes but didn’t pull away.
Eve’s thumb brushed lightly against her knuckles.
It was such a small thing but it made something in Suki’s chest feel tight.
“You know,” Eve said after a moment, “I kept reaching for you last night.”
Suki glanced up.
“Why.”
Eve shrugged. “Because even half asleep I could tell you were awake.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Probably.”
“And intrusive.”
“Also probably.”
Suki studied her.
“And if I wake you?”
“You won’t.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
Eve’s expression softened a little.
“If you wake me because you’re having a rough night,” she said quietly, “I don’t mind.”
Suki didn’t answer straight away.
Something about that simple sentence hit deeper than it should have.
She squeezed Eve’s hand once without meaning to.
Eve noticed.
Of course she did.
“You’re impossible,” Eve murmured.
“And yet here you are.”
“Yeah,” Eve said, smiling slightly. “Funny that.”
They sat like that for another minute.
Just quiet.
Then Eve suddenly stood up.
“Right. Toast.”
“You burn it.”
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
“That’s flavour.”
“That’s charcoal.”
Eve laughed and grabbed the bread.
Suki watched her move around the kitchen like she belonged there.
Like this was normal.
Like loving each other was the most obvious thing in the world.
It still scared her sometimes.
How easy Eve made it look.
The toaster popped.
Eve turned around with a slice. “See. Perfect.”
Suki took a bite.
It was, annoyingly, fine.
Eve looked very pleased with herself.
“Don’t start.”
“You doubted me.”
“I still doubt you.”
“Rude.”
Eve leaned against the counter eating her toast.
After a moment she said casually, “We should get out later.”
“Why.”
“Fresh air. Food. A walk.”
Suki raised an eyebrow. “You’re very optimistic before eight in the morning.”
“I’m trying to lure you outside.”
“I go outside.”
“You glare at people outside.”
“That is different.”
Eve laughed again.
Then she looked at Suki for a second longer than usual.
“So,” she said, softer now, “later?”
Suki hesitated.
She almost said maybe.
Almost said she had things to do.
Almost retreated like she usually did when something started feeling too comfortable.
Instead she sighed.
“Fine.”
Eve blinked. “Fine?”
“Yes.”
“That’s basically a yes.”
“It is not.”
Eve smiled anyway.
Suki shook her head and stood up.
“You’re insufferable.”
“And you love me.”
Suki paused.
Then she leaned forward and kissed the corner of Eve’s mouth quickly before stepping back.
“Get dressed,” she said.
Eve looked stunned.
“Did you just—”
“Yes.”
“You can’t do that and walk away.”
“I just did.”
Eve laughed behind her as Suki walked toward the bedroom.
For once, the quiet in the flat didn’t feel like something waiting to break.
For once it felt like something they might actually keep.