"Work Song"

"V?," Eve calls out as she walks through the doorway and closes the door.

Marmalade comes running up to her and she bends down to stroke him while she removes her shoes and sets down her work bag.

"Upstairs," Villanelle replies.

Eve finds Villanelle in the guest bedroom, lying down on top of the freshly made bed beneath a blanket, Peaches snuggled in the crook of her left arm. An EcoRoots Oakmoss and Amber candle is lit on the bedside table and the window is slightly open. Musky notes and citrus scent fills the air.

"Are you and Peaches having some alone time?," Eve asks, a smile crossing her face as she lies down next to Villanelle and allows Villanelle to cover her with the blanket.

"We were having an important discussion about our very important holiday guests."

"Yeah? And what did you talk about?," Eve asks, sliding her hand beneath Villanelle's Yale sweatshirt and tucking her fingers below the waistband of her sweatpants.

"I told her she was not going to receive all of our attention like she usually does but she will receive it after our guests leave."

"Ah."

"I also told her that I am very good at building baby cribs and that my hot soon-to-be wife will probably enjoy watching me build the one on the floor, on the other side of the bed."

"I think you're quite right. I haven't seen you flexing your biceps in a long time."

"Not since I picked you up in the shower two days ago," Villanelle states solemnly, not picking up on Eve's jest.

"Like I said, a long time," Eve smiles, secretly finding Villanelle's obliviousness endearing.

After exchanging kisses, Eve rests her neck on Villanelle's outstretched arm. "So when are you building this crib?"

"When Peaches wakes up."

Eve bursts out laughing: "How long have you been holding her?"

Villanelle replies gravely, "A very long time, my arm is numb."

"Oh my god, you're such a sucker for her. Peaches, come on, get up."

"Ssssh, Eve! She has small ears! Quiet down," Villanelle directs, her brows furrowed, as if she is the one Eve is talking to.

Eve leans over Villanelle (making sure to brush the curve of her hand against her breasts) and picks up Peaches who opens her eyes and yawns.

"You've been enjoying yourself, hm?," Eve inquires, placing Peaches in the middle of her chest and watching her curl up contentedly.

"Do you want me to start making the crib now?," Villanelle asks, propping herself up on her right elbow and staring down at Eve and Peaches.

"Go and show mama what you've got," Eve advises, winking.

Villanelle widens her eyes and puffs out a cheekful of air before clasping her hands together and stretching her fingers.

"I can show you what I've got. I'm fully recovered, you know."

"I know. You showed me this morning and almost made me late to my own class."

"Aren't you glad you wore that turtleneck?"

"Yes."

Villanelle bends down and gives Peaches a kiss, eliciting a scoff from Eve.

"I didn't forget about you, other baby," Villanelle grins, kissing Eve on the lips and then sliding off the side of the bed and kneeling on the floor next to a baby crib box she picked up from a family on Craigslist.

Eve pulls her phone out of her pocket and hits play on one of Villanelle's playlists. Electric Youth "A Real Hero" starts to stream as Villanelle removes pieces of wood from the box and set them on the floor.

"Do you need your tool belt?," Eve inquires innocently, eliciting a mischievous grin from Villanelle.

"I have it, here. But I need to change. I'm feeling too warm."

"You can just strip naked."

"Seriously?"

"Why not? Peaches, cover your eyes."

Villanelle smirks and picks Peaches up, setting her down on the ground. "Go find Marmalade, baby," she says, watching her tiny paws run into the hallway after the toy Villanelle throws there.

"If I strip for you and put this crib together, does that mean we get to have sex after I'm done?"

"Before, during, after, these are all semantics, really."

Villanelle laughs out loud and straddles Eve, pulling her head up off the bed and giving her a sloppy, wet kiss. "After it is. I want to get this done before dinner."

"Start stripping then."

"Your wish is my command, Professor," Villanelle comments after she steps off the bed, leaving Eve flustered and flushed in her wake.

She slowly removes her sweatshirt, throwing it on top of Eve after doing so, much to Eve's delight.

Then she pauses, sliding her thumbs beneath the waistband of her sweatpants. "I don't think I'll be able to remove these by myself," she teases. "Care to assist?"

Eve sits up and sets the sweatshirt aside before shimmying down the length of the bed and standing in front of Villanelle. Locking eyes with her, she slides her own thumbs over Villanelle's and yanks her pants down.

She then kneels to place a kiss over the faded stab wound scar. Villanelle's breath fastens as she places her left palm behind Eve's head and gently pushes down.

When Eve pulls away, she smirks at the look of arousal on Villanelle's face. Standing up, she gives Villanelle a kiss on the lips and then whispers in her ear: "More of this after you finish building that crib for Elena and Kenny's beautiful baby, baby."

Villanelle groans, grabbing Eve's ass and pulling her closer. "Go and lie down then, tease. This won't take me long."

Eve grins and gets back onto the bed after shutting the window and pulling the blanket over her. Villanelle picks up the tool belt and fastens it around her waist, throwing Eve a sly grin as she does so.

"Are you cold?," Eve asks, watching Villanelle kneel down and pull out a tattered manual from the box. Eve unabashedly stares at Villanelle's breasts as Villanelle sifts through the pieces in front of her.

"No. You warmed me up," Villanelle replies solemnly, her eyes not leaving the page.

Eve knows better than to distract Villanelle once she starts on something so she sighs contentedly, watching her start to assemble the pieces of the crib and screw them together, talking to herself beneath her breath.

"Do you want me to bring up some food?," Eve asks, twenty minutes later, as Villanelle turns and steps away from the crib, showing her backside to Eve in all of its glory and making Eve smile.

"Hmm?," Villanelle asks, turning her face to the side and catching Eve staring at her ass.

"You're checking me out," Villanelle says, stepping away from the now-erect crib and sauntering over to the bed.

"I can't help it, your cheeks were just...there. In front of me," Eve exclaims, throwing her arm up and gesturing towards Villanelle.

"Do you want to help me get out of this tool belt?," Villanelle asks, biting down on her bottom lip and pulling the blanket off of Eve.

"Are you done with the crib?," Eve inquires, glancing over Villanelle's shoulder and at the crib behind her.

"I just need to make sure it is secure and then we can throw in the blanket you bought and it will be ready for tomorrow."

"That was really fast."

"I can move quickly when I want to, but for what I'm about to do right now, I want to take things slow," Villanelle instructs, straddling Eve and leaning forward to kiss her.

Eve returns Villanelle's hungry kiss, her hands reaching behind Villanelle's back to undo the tool belt. Eve yelps when the belt hits her on the hips as it falls off of Villanelle's body.

"Be careful," Villanelle says, picking the belt up and setting it on the floor.

"I'm trying!," Eve retorts, huffing indignantly.

"Were you impressed with my handyman skills?," Villanelle murmurs into Eve's neck, her right hand quickly traveling down the length of Eve's torso. She unbuttons and unzips Eve's pants and quickly slips her hand between her thighs after pushing aside her soaked underwear.

Eve nods and her hips buck forward to meet Villanelle's outstretched palm and wandering fingers.

"I'm always impressed by you."

"Wait until you see how fast I can make your clothes disappear."

Eve groans at Villanelle's joke, shaking her head. "No, baby. We have to work on your sense of humor."

"But I'm working on something else right now," Villanelle grins, sitting up and stepping off the bed so she can pull Eve's underwear and pants off with a dramatic flourish.

"Come here, magician. Make this turtleneck disappear then."

"What a sexy request," Villanelle replies, closing her eyes and moaning in exaggeration.

"You love my turtlenecks," Eve states, narrowing her eyes at her lover.

"Hmm, I really do," Villanelle agrees, throwing Eve's turtleneck and bra to the side and kissing the love bites she left on her skin earlier. "Especially when you're not wearing them."

And as the candle burns above their heads, the two lovers make up for lost time: they share breaths, swap kisses, laugh over whispered words and finally, fall asleep in a post-coital afterglow, only waking up when Marmalade and Peaches jump onto the bed to angrily request their late dinner.