Chapter Text
The sparkling wine is starting a slow buzz in Charity’s brain as she flicks the tv on, handing another glass to Vanessa before curling up next to her on the couch. After helping Debbie unpack for a bit, they’d snuck back to the Woolpack, the pub suddenly empty with the absence of Debbie and the kids. It’s late enough that Chas has gone, likely spending the night at Paddy’s, and Charity is glad of the rare moment of silence. She pulls Vanessa closer and takes a sip of the bubbly, her free hand drawing an idle pattern along the woman’s shoulder. Vanessa shifts a bit, but doesn’t move away, looking up at Charity who’s eyes are deliberately fixed on the screen, staring blindly at a nature documentary that’s really there just to distract. But of course Vanessa can see right through it, as she does with most things. Charity isn’t quite sure how or when she let this happen, this Vanessa knowing her business. Vanessa gazes at her for a bit longer, but when Charity refuses to budge, she huffs and sits up a bit straighter beside her, turning fully towards Charity.
“You want to tell me what today was really about?”
Charity shrugs, really too tired and wined-up to put up a proper fight. She turns and places her glass on the side table, but doesn’t say a word. Won’t.
“Charity.” Vanessa’s voice is soft, pleading. Nothing like earlier, and Charity caves, too easily for her own liking, but when has this thing between them ever been under her control.
“I panicked, okay?” She twists her fingers in her lap, not daring to look at Vanessa, because she doesn’t know how she’ll react to whatever she finds in the eyes searching hers. “I thought you wanted to end it.”
“Why would you think that?” Vanessa slips her hand onto Charity’s, and she lets her untangle her hands, and sandwich her own between them. Warm, secure.
“It’s what people do,” Charity shrugs again, “people think I’m too much, or too little. They get sick of me, and then they leave, okay? I get it. I’m not easy to – be with.”
“So you thought you’d run away before I had the chance to?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Charity feels Vanessa lean closer, soft lips pressing against her cheek, and she finally chances a look. Vanesssa’s eyes show no trace of resentment, or fear, and Charity doesn’t know how to cope with it. She doesn’t understand how there’s only endless trust there, endless kindness.
“I’m not running away, okay? I don’t want to be anywhere but here, Charity, and I’m sorry if I made you doubt that.”
Charity swallows hard, blinking away tears that are threatening to spill. She squeezes Vanesa’s hand in her lap, and tries for a smile. When she finds her voice it’s barely a whisper, but the message, she thinks, is strong and clear.
“Good. Because I don’t want you to go. And I don’t just mean tonight.”
“Cheeky,” Vanessa hums, pressing her smiling mouth onto Charity’s for a chaste kiss, dragging a content sigh from her lips.
“I could get used to this.”
“Aren’t you already?”
Charity hums again, pulling Vanessa into her lap as they go back to watching baby turtles on their first swim in the ocean. Maybe she is.