"Work Song"

When Eve turns the corner and spots the New Haven townhouse she and Villanelle purchased five years ago, she recognizes Villanelle's striking 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am parked in front, boxes and luggage packed neatly inside of it.

She turns to look at Villanelle whose face is covered by a smug smile.

"You really weren't kidding about being ready to stick around, were you?"

"It's not a U-Haul but..."

"You're bad," Eve laughs, swatting Villanelle playfully on her shoulder. "She still looks beautiful."

"Our Eve?"

"Yes, our Eve," Eve chuckles, walking up to the car and running her palms over the firebird on its hood. "I've missed this stupid car of yours."

"Really?? Do you remember when you wanted me to swap Eve out for a Land Rover after you complained about her interior being too small?," Villanelle replies cheekily, leaning against the car and placing her cane to her right.

"Oh, shut up. My ass is still bruised from hitting the steering wheel over and over again because someone couldn't wait to get inside."

"Well that someone wanted to take this Firebird out for a ride and then another firebird showed up."

"Is that so?"

Eve stands in front of Villanelle and places her palms on either side of her, effectively pinning her against the side of the car's hood.

"Yes," Villanelle exhales, looking down into Eve's eyes and waiting for her to make her move.

"Do you remember teaching this firebird how to fly?," Eve asks before leaning forward and giving Villanelle a heavy, languid kiss.

Villanelle nods and groans, moving her hands from the base of Eve's back and to the front of her shirt, palming her breasts beneath the silk material.

Eve rocks her hips against Villanelle's and Villanelle responds by thrusting against her slowly, making Eve whimper into the side of Villanelle's neck.

Villanelle pulls back quickly and grins. "You still sound the same."

"You're so smug," Eve laughs before grabbing Villanelle's cane and offering her her arm. "Let's go inside before campus security shows up. I'll bring the stuff from the car in after I make something to eat."

"Just admit that you're horny. We can order food, to speed things up?"

"I take back the romantic comment I just made. I want to make you something."

Eve unlocks the door and throws her keys on top of the hallway table. Villanelle grunts as she steps into the entryway and when Eve turns to look at her, she notices her exhaustion.

"Hey. Don't overexert yourself, okay? Can I take you into the kitchen? You can just sit down on the window seat there. I'll bring that plush footstool you love so much for you to rest your feet?"

"Mhm," Villanelle replies, breaths coming out shakily.

Eve guides Villanelle into the kitchen and grins when Villanelle complains about the unchanged decor, knowing she is trying to distract Eve from her physical pain.

"Alright, just sit down, O Disgruntled One. Here's your blanket and the stool. I'll make some tea."

An orange cat strolls into the kitchen and heads straight for Villanelle whose eyes shoot open when its tail brushes against her legs. "Marmalade??"

"He remembers you," Eve grins as Marmalade meows and jumps onto Villanelle lap.

"Have you been good to your omma?," Villanelle asks, eyes as wide as her smile.

Marmalade chirrups and begins to knead, brushing his head beneath Villanelle's chin. "I missed you. Did you miss me? Did your omma not buy you the fish you like to eat so much?"

"Humph. You spoiled him. That's the only thing he eats now."

"Really?"

"Yes. Here. Yorkshire tea with soya. Marmalade, come here. Let your favorite parent drink some tea in peace."

"Do you think he knows I've been gone?"

"Yes. He slept on your side of the bed after you left. He still does. So you might need to fight it out tonight if you want that spot back."

"I'll just throw him outside. Let him live out his rebel without a cause desires."

Eve sits down at a round table with her own cup of tea and watches Villanelle drinking. She turns her chair so she is facing Villanelle and reaches out to remove her socks.

"Did you break your toe?," Eve asks, noticing the splinter around Villanelle's big toe on her left foot.

"Yes."

Eve sighs and sets down her cup before removing Villanelle's hat from her head and undoing her hair. She blushes as Villanelle's eyes capture her hair cascading down, towards her shoulders, knowing exactly what Villanelle is thinking. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Well, Irina is out. I had to kill three men to reach her but she finally has her freedom."

Eve closes her eyes and blinks away the tears threatening to form again. "Did she tell you where she was going to go?"

"No. I told her I was coming back home to you. She wished me luck and sends you her love. She might show up, she might not. I'm thankful, Eve. At least I know her asshole father won't be haunting me now."

Eve lets out a short laugh and moves so that she is sitting next to Villanelle on the window seat. She slides her arm around Villanelle's shoulder and pulls her head to her chest, leaving a kiss on top.

"I'm sorry for being gone for so long," Villanelle says quietly, setting her cup down on the floor.

"I forgive you. I know you wanted to save Irina. And you did. I'm just worried about your physical injuries. Can you tell me exactly what they are?"

"Broken toe. Bruised tailbone. Some nerve damage. Flare-up from an old gunshot wound. Herniated disc. Nothing more than that."

"Baby."

"Yes."

"That's a lot more than nothing? I know your pain tolerance is high but you're going to be in our bed for a few days, resting. Nothing more."

"No sex?"

"No."

Villanelle grunts her disapproval and Eve smiles above her head.

"You're teasing me," Villanelle adds, welcoming Marmalade back into her lap.

"No. I just want you to get better. Are you taking any painkillers?"

"I took two in the morning but the drive was long so I think I need to take two more now."

"Okay, I'm going to make some food and then I'll give it to you then. Do you want me to put Marmalade down?"

"No, he's okay. Aren't you? Big baby. We can go outside tomorrow and you can show me some tricks. Do you remember how to roll over?"

Marmalade meows and plops himself down in Villanelle's lap before starting his long and arduous grooming process. When Eve looks over at Villanelle by the time Marmalade is on his final paw, she notices that Villanelle has fallen asleep, head titled back against the window and her mouth hanging open.

Eve can feel her heart swelling at the sight of her lover and she almost burns the pot of spaghetti sauce that she has simmering on the stove. Thankfully for her sake and for the sake of Villanelle's voracious appetite, she removes it just in time and throws the cooked spaghetti into the pot, stirring both the noodles and sauce together.

"Baby," Eve calls out, setting two bowls and the pot of spaghetti on the table. "Marmalade, please get down. Oksana."

Villanelle's eyes flutter open and immediately find Eve's. "I fell asleep?"

"Yes. Is it too painful for you to sit down? I can bring your bowl over there and feed you?"

"Hold on. Can you take the pills out of my glove compartment? I'll just take two of those now and move to the table. I want to eat properly with you. The keys are in this pocket of my pants."

Eve slides her hand into Villanelle's right pocket and giggles when Villanelle kisses the bottom of her jaw. "Do you want to check the other pocket, too?," she asks Eve, voice dropping to a dangerously recognizable point.

"No. I'm all set," Eve replies in a high-pitched voice, knowing that if she succumbs to Villanelle's seduction skills now, their food will get cold and her attempt to impress Villanelle with her cooking skills will be unsuccessful.

Villanelle chuckles and watches Eve exit the room hurriedly. Seconds later, Eve is handing her two pills and a glass of water.

"There's a cushion on this chair so sit on this one. I'm going to sit next to you. Do you need your cane?"

"No," Villanelle replies. "Where did Marmalade go?"

"I think he's preening in the living room or he's grumpy and on our bed. He didn't like it when I told him to get down."

"Neither did the last man I killed."

"You're sexy when you talk like that."

"Does this mean we get to have post-food sex? The drugs will be working then so I'll be able to do some things." Villanelle wiggles her eyebrows and sits down slowly, wincing when her body hits the cushion.

"Hmm. We'll take it one moment at a time. Open your mouth."

Eve forks a mouthful of spaghetti into Villanelle's mouth and Villanelle groans, chewing slowly and closing her eyes.

"Is that fresh basil?," Villanelle asks after she swallows down the first bite. "And fresh garlic? And chili flakes?"

"Yes to everything. So you like the homemade sauce?"

"I love your sauces," Villanelle grins, opening her mouth for another forkful of food.

"Oh, shit. I forgot to make a salad," Eve huffs, removing her fork from Villanelle's mouth and shoveling a few forkfuls into her own.

"I'll make you one for dinner."

"That's very sweet but you can start your kitchen magic next week, okay?"

"Fine. I'm very impressed with your cooking skills."

"Really?"

"Yes. I also liked your cooking before."

"Someone is trying to get into my pants."

"So my plan is working then?"

Eve laughs and kisses Villanelle, tasting her sauce on her lips.

"Maybe."

After finishing her first bowl of food, Villanelle asks Eve to fill her bowl up a second time. She's on her third bite when she yelps, dropping her fork to the ground.

"That's Peaches. I forgot to mention her to you. I've been fostering her for a week."

Eve reaches down beneath the table to scoop up a small kitten who is mewing at Villanelle's ankles.

"She is very small, Eve. Is she okay?," Villanelle states, furrowing her eyebrows at the curious-looking feline who is pawing at her cheeks.

"Yes. She's just a baby. Do you want to hold her?"

"Yes," Villanelle takes the cat from Eve and holds her against her chest. "She is purring very loudly, in my ear," she tells Eve, giving her the side-eye and smiling.

"She likes you. I don't blame her."

"Are we going to adopt her?"

"After seeing how much she likes you, yes. Marmalade needs a companion."

"And you?"

"Are you asking me something, V?"

"Will you say yes this time?"

Eve notices the nervous energy emanating from Villanelle as she burrows her head into Peaches, kissing her on the cheek.

"Oksana."

Villanelle puts Peaches down and turns to look at Eve, biting her lower lip and then grinning at her.

"Tarzan."

"Villanelle."

"Firebird."

"Mr. Rochester."

"Jane."

"Are we just going to keep doing this until you ask me something?"

"Yes."

Eve huffs and narrows her eyes at Villanelle before finishing her last bite of food and pushing her plate away. She turns her chair so that she is facing Villanelle's chair and puts her legs up on Villanelle's knees.

"Does this hurt?"

"No. You are a lightweight."

Villanelle rubs Eve's feet and cocks her head to one side.

"Does this feel good?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to fall asleep on me? Your eyes are closing."

"No. I'm not that tired right now. I'm just enjoying a long overdue massage."

"Eve."

"Yes?," Eve opens her eyes to return Villanelle's intense gaze.

"I have something for you. But it is in the pocket of my jacket which is in the car, hanging behind the driver's seat."

"Do you want me to get it now?"

"Yes."

Eve stands up and kisses Villanelle on the forehead before grabbing the car keys yet again and going out to the car. She seizes Villanelle's jacket and locks the car before she returns to the kitchen table and hands it to her.

Villanelle reaches into the right pocket and pulls out a small box. She then asks Eve to close her eyes. When Eve opens them, Villanelle is standing above her, one palm resting on the table and the other palm extended out, a gold band in the middle of it. Eve starts to cry, then, and Villanelle starts to speak.

"Eve, would you like to be the Peaches to my Marmalade?"

"Yes," Eve replies, taking the ring and noticing the inscription on the inside ("Beloved") before handing it back to Villanelle to put it on.

Villanelle places the ring on Eve's finger and Eve stands up to give her a kiss that seemingly doesn't end. The sun could have risen and set during the amount of time the two stood against the kitchen table, kissing and crying their way through a lifetime of memories and goodbyes and surprise drop-in visits and sleepless nights and bathtub conversations and flirtatious video chats and a never-ending stream of postcards, letters, e-mails, and texts. When they finally separate, Villanelle asks Eve to remove the necklace hanging around her neck. Eve unclasps a gold chain with a ring attached.

"Would you like to put that on my finger?," Villanelle asks, her eyes glinting mischievously as Eve nods and sniffles.

"Oksana," Eve says, taking a knee and enjoying the wave of emotion that erases Villanelle's trademark smirk from her face. "Would you like to be the Marmalade to my Peaches?"

"I thought you'd never ask, Firebird," Villanelle spits out, choking on the sob that constricts her throat.

"Happy tears, right?," Eve asks, sliding the ring on Villanelle's finger and giving her another kiss.

"Can we go upstairs now?," Villanelle asks softly and Eve nods.

Ten minutes and a very long stairwell climb later, Eve helps Villanelle get out of her clothes and into one of her band t-shirts.

"Do you want to put on any shorts?"

"No. I can't lift my legs right now. Too much energy."

"Okay, get into bed then. Marmalade, please go and find Peaches. Go on."

Marmalade hisses at Eve, causing Villanelle to laugh as she watches him trot out of the room and patter downstairs.

"I'm going to use the bathroom and get changed. Do you want another pillow beneath your hips?"

"Yes."

Eve places a pillow beneath Villanelle's body and heads into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she is kissing Villanelle softly on the left side of her face.

"If I wasn't in a compromised position, I would be flipping you on your back right now," Villanelle murmurs, gasping when Eve's hand slides beneath her shirt and gropes her breasts.

"And then what would you be doing?," Eve asks before lifting Villanelle's shirt up and tonguing her nipples.

Villanelle groans loudly and pulls Eve's head even closer. Eve gently nibbles and then sucks.

"Fuck me, Eve," Villanelle groans again, trying to pull Eve on top of her.

"No. Not yet. I'm sorry. I'll just stick to your mouth, okay? For right now?"

Villanelle nods, eyes half-lidded, a cheeky smile twitching her lips upwards as Eve's lips return to hers.

"Are you going to be Mrs. Astankova? Or am I going to be Mrs. Park?," Villanelle asks after pulling her tongue out of Eve's mouth and tracing her bottom lip with it.

"Or are we going to hyphenate?"

"Would you want to?"

"I don't have a preference. I just want to be yours."

"I've missed your lips."

"Just my lips?"

"Yes, only your lips."

Eve leans back against the pillow and pulls the covers over her and Villanelle before letting her hand rest below the hem of Villanelle's shirt, right above her navel.

"What are you thinking about?," Villanelle whispers, reaching for Eve's hair and running her fingers through it. Eve leans against Villanelle's palm and kisses the inside of her wrist.

"I can't believe you're here. I had a feeling you would show up soon."

"Were you surprised when you turned around and saw me? I looked good, didn't I? I practiced that pose so many times last night. I wanted to look devastating for you."

"You always do."

"Even when I'm broken?"

"You're not broken."

"What if I can't teach you how to fly anymore?"

"I highly doubt that, Firebird. You can make me come just by looking at me."

"I guess my job here is done. I can die happy now." Villanelle beams and Eve laughs.

"You don't need to puff out your chest like that. You look like Marmalade after he jumps onto the table and snatches a piece of food from my plate."

"Satisfied?"

"Very."

"That ring looks good on your finger."

"You know, out of all the names you have given to me, I think I've finally chosen my favorite one."

"What's that?," Villanelle asks, watching Eve shift her body so that her mouth is hovering over her own.

"Beloved," Eve whispers before breathing in the air from Villanelle's lungs.