Part 1
“I think we should move in together.”
Leah is making them tea while Fatin goes through her notes for work on the kitchen table. Fatin stops typing on her laptop and looks at Leah with her brows furrowed. Leah walks to her and places Fatin’s mug in front of her before taking a seat at the table, right next to Fatin.
“I’m sorry honey,” Fatin says and removes her glasses that she only wears when working on her laptop, “Have I been dreaming or have we not been living together for the past four years?”
“Okay smart ass,” Leah laughs and plays with her mug on the table, “that was a terrible way of putting it,” Leah gives Fatin a nervous look, “I meant, maybe it’s time we find a place of our own.”
“Are you sure you’re an English major who is currently writing her own book?” Fatin jokes.
“Shut up,” Leah laughs, “but I am serious. I think we should look for our own place.”
Fatin blinks, her mind racing as she processes Leah’s words. They have never talked about this but Fatin thinks about it for a moment. She loves their friends and enjoys their shared living space, but the thought of having a place that was just Leah’s and hers feels like a breath of fresh air. They could carve out their own space, their own life together.
“I like the sound of that,” Fatin says with a smile, squeezing Leah’s hand. “A place where it’s all about us. What kind of place are you thinking?”
Leah’s face lights up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I don’t know yet. But I imagine somewhere not far away from here because of our jobs and because of the girls. Somewhere peaceful, maybe a little garden for us to have coffee in the morning, or a cozy nook for reading. Something that’s just ours, you know?”
Fatin leans in, brushing her lips softly against Leah’s lips. “I think that sounds perfect. Let’s do it. Let’s find a place that feels like home—our home.”
“Do you think we should tell the others right away?”
“Do you want them to kill us if we announce that we already found a place and are moving out?” Fatin says seriously.
“Fuck, you’re right,” Leah laughs, “You know Dot’s gonna take it the hardest, she’s your best friend after all.”
“I know,” Fatin says sadly, “we’ll get a house with a bunch of rooms so that they can all come and stay whenever they want.”
“Let’s tell them tonight? During pizza night?”
“Deal.” Fatin pauses. “Fuck man,” Fatin says in disbelief, “we’re all grown up and looking for a house together huh? This shit is getting serious.”
“I’m sorry,” Leah says offended, “this shit? You mean our relationship?”
Fatin laughs. “You know what I mean. This beautiful and healthy relationship is getting fucking serious.”
“Scared Jadmani?” Leah smirks.
“Never Rilke, just excited,” Fatin leans over to capture Leah’s lips in a passionate kiss.
Leah deepens the kiss and Fatin gladly accepts Leah’s tongue in her mouth. In one swift motion, she closes her laptop and gets up to stand between Leah’s legs. Given that Leah is a giant, they are pretty much the same height with Fatin standing up and Leah sitting on the high stool of their kitchen.
Fatin moves her hand up to Leah’s neck; she breaks the kiss to tilt Leah’s head and places soft kisses on her neck. Leah moans softly, grabbing Fatin’s waist and squeezing.
“Anything important you were working on?” Leah asks between ragged breaths.
“Just some contracts for our new clients but it can wait,” Fatin says and goes back to kissing Leah passionately after making sure she has covered every inch of her neck.
“Let’s move this to the bedroom then,” Leah says and doesn’t wait for Fatin’s response before dragging her to the bedroom, their tea long forgotten.
--
“I know you have your big adult job at the music studio now, but you didn’t have to pay for the pizza,” Dot teases from her place on couch, while scrolling through her phone. Rachel and Toni are playing video games while Shelby watches and supports Toni (even though Toni is losing miserably); Nora and Martha are in the kitchen, setting up plates on the table for dinner.
“Oh yeah I am ruined now after paying twenty bucks for pizza,” Fatin jokes and takes a spot next to Dot.
Leah comes down the stairs and Fatin glances at her. Leah nods slightly, signalling that it is time to break the news. Leah sits on the arm of the couch and rubs Fatin’s back.
“Ready baby,” Leah whispers so that only Fatin can hear her and Fatin nods. She waits for Rachel to beat Toni in their game before calling Nora and Martha to the living room.
“Guys,” Fatin calls, getting the attention of the group, “Leah and I have to talk to you about something.”
This seems to get the attention of everyone and all eyes turn on Leah and her. Fatin looks at Leah, who gives her an encouraging smile.
“Oh my god,” Nora gasps, joining them, Martha in tow, “You are engaged!”
“Congratulations guys!” Martha exclaims.
Fatin and Leah exchange sly grins.
“Aren’t you a bit young for that?” Rachel says with furrowed eyebrows.
“Yeah I love you guys but you are still pretty young,” Dot adds.
“Also, I think that-,” before Toni can finish her sentence, Fatin decides it’s time to interrupt them.
“GUYS!” Fatin laughs and gives Leah a pointed look, “we are not engaged!”
Listen, Fatin loves Leah with all her heart and all her fucking body and mind but yeah, they are still too young for that. They just got full time jobs after graduating, and getting their own house is the next logical step.
“You’re not?” Shelby says with a confused look.
“No!” Leah and Fatin scream at the same time.
Glad they are on the same page.
“Then what is it?” Nora and Rachel ask at the same time.
“Is one of you pregnant?” Toni teases.
“Do we need to have the sex talk with you Shalifoe?” Leah teases, “because two women, as much as they try, cannot possible make a baby.”
Fatin laughs before adding, “Are you guys going to keep guessing or can we actually tell you what we wanna talk about?”
“I wouldn’t mind guessing some more,” Rachel teases and Fatin throws a pillow at her face, “Ow! Not cool Jadmani.”
“Tell us guys,” Dot says encouragingly from besides Fatin.
“So,...” Fatin glances quickly at Leah, “Leah and I talked about it and, we’ve decided that we’re going to look for a place of our own.”
The room goes silent for a beat, before Rachel is the first to speak up, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, what do you mean? Like… you’re leaving this house?”
“Is this because I fart too much? Or because I don’t take the clothes out of the dryer right away? I can change guys I swear I will-,”
“Yo Toni,” Fatin stops her with a laugh, “chill out okay? It’s not because of you, although you should really see a doctor, your farts make my eyes water,” she jokes before turning to the others pointedly, “but it’s really not because of any of you.”
“We have just decided that it’s time for us to take this next step in our relationship, even though we love you all deeply and enjoy living with you,” Leah says and smiles at Fatin lovingly.
Rachel exchanges a glance with Dot. “Oh wow… that’s big! But, um… are you sure? I mean, we’re all pretty used to having everyone around.”
Fatin takes a deep breath and gives her a soft, reassuring smile. “We know. It’s not easy, but we feel like it’s time for something different. A place where we can really settle down together, you know? Just the two of us. We’ll still be around, of course.”
“It makes sense. But... man, it’s gonna be so weird not having you guys around all the time,” Nora says and gives Leah and Fatin a sad smile.
“No more late-night snack runs together or random movie nights?” Martha teases.
“Hey, we’ll still do those things,” Leah says with a grin. “But now we’ll just have our own space to come back to after.”
“Yeah, you’re not getting rid of us that easily,” Fatin teases, “not even a fucking island could separate us so tough shit guys.”
Fatin glances at Dot next to her. She has been awfully quiet since their announcement and is staring at the turned off TV. Fatin feels Leah squeeze her shoulder lightly, knowing what Fatin is thinking.
Is Dot not okay with this?
“Hey,” Fatin says softly to get Dot’s attention, “You okay?”
Dot looks at Fatin and sighs, “Yeah man,” Dot says and places her arm around Fatin’s shoulders to give her a side hug, “Honestly, I think it’s awesome. You guys deserve a place of your own,” Fatin grins at Dot and leans into her side hug, “It’s just that, I’m gonna miss you both so much,” Fatin can hear the sadness in her voice, “but I’m also excited for you. New adventures, right?”
Fatin sighs in relief. She doesn’t know what she would do if Dot wasn’t supportive of this new step in her life.
“Yeah, but like we said,” Fatin adds, “you’re not getting rid of my ass anytime soon Dorothy.”
“Just don’t forget about us alright?” Dot says with a soft smile.
“Please,” Fatin scoffs, “after everything we went through together? No amount of therapy could make me forget all the fucked up shit we went through, or all our beautiful memories that we’ve made since leaving that hellhole. Your sexy butt is stuck with me for life Dorothy.”
“Okay, maybe you wanna move in with Dot instead of me?” Leah teases.
“I mean,” Dot adds, a playful grin tugging at her lips, “the plan was for me to move in with Fatin and be her live-in muscle.”
“Oh my god,” Toni laughs, “I totally forgot about that! You guys were always flirting on that beach.”
“If I had to bet on who would get it on first,” Rachel says with a smirk, “my money would have been on Dot and Fatin for sure.”
“It’s not too late for a hot and sexy throuple you know?” Fatin teases, earning herself a middle finder from Dot.
“Hmm,” Leah says with a teasing grin, “am I making the right decision?”
“Definitely,” Dot says, “you’re the only one who can handle her, trust me,” Dot smirks and Fatin can only laugh.
“True.”
“Anyways, congrats guys,” Shelby says and steps forward to hug Leah and Fatin. All the girls join in before Toni speaks.
“We’re definitely throwing you a big going-away party before you two officially move out. No escaping without a proper celebration!”
“Definitely,” Dot adds. “We’ll make sure to celebrate properly. But, seriously, I’m happy for you two.”
Fatin and Leah exchange smiles. Fatin doesn’t really know what she expected but she is relieved that her friends are supportive, as always.
“Thanks, everyone,” Leah says softly.
“Pizza’s getting cold, so I’m gonna eat,” Toni stands up, heading for the kitchen.
“Thanks for waiting for us, asshole,” Fatin says while standing up.
“I’m sorry, do I need your approval or some shit to start eating?” Toni says, mouthful of pizza.
“I will definitely miss your daily childish banters,” Shelby says.
“Completely agree,” Leah says with a laugh.
--
It turns out that looking for a house is really fucking hard. They have been looking for what feels like forever. Every weekend, they scour listings, visit places, and each time, they feel a little more deflated. The houses are either too small, too expensive, or just not what they imagined.
They need a house big enough to be able to welcome the unsinkable eight or their relatives (mostly Leah’s parents or Fatin’s brother when they’re adults), close enough to their current house because of their jobs but not too expensive because they still want to keep some money for their future instead of spending all of it on a house.
“We basically need a house like our current one but just for us,” Leah says, sipping on her coffee. They are in their backyard, enjoying the nice summer breeze on their outdoor couch on the patio.
“Should I conjure my ruthless evil side to kick them all out?” Fatin jokes before taking another drag of her cigarette.
“Honey please,” Leah squeezes Fatin’s legs currently laid across her lap, “that side of you is long gone. Forgotten on that godforsaken island.”
“It is not!” Fatin says offended.
“Baby, I think the last time I saw your ruthless side was when you threatened to kill me after I freaked out on Rachel and she had a panic attack,” Leah says and Fatin remembers that. Jeanette had just “disappeared”, moral was low but Leah was more interested in knowing if Rachel saw anything abnormal, and kind of pressed her for information. Fatin was not happy about it. “It kind of turned me on though,” Leah adds with a smirk.
Fatin winked at Leah before adding, “I could totally bring her back if needed.”
“Her?” Leah says with an amused smile.
“Yeah,” Fatin shrugs, “she’s like my alter ego you know? Like Snix and Santana from Glee.”
“Sure baby,” Leah grins, “but seriously. It’s like we’re chasing a dream that’s slipping further away with every search,” Leah signs and lets her head fall back onto the cushions.
Fatin puts out her cigarette before putting her legs down to scoot closer to Leah and grab her free hand, “I know it feels that way. But we're not giving up. We've come this far together. We'll find it,” Fatin smiles softly.
Leah smiles back, but it’s faint, and Fatin can feel that she is weighed down by the stress of the constant searching. “It’s just hard, Fatin. Every time I think we’re getting closer, it feels like we’re back at square one.”
Fatin rubs circles on the back of Leah’s hand, “You know what I keep telling myself? The right house is out there for us. It's not about rushing; it’s about finding the one that feels like home.”
Leah squeezes her hand, “You’re right. We've been through so much together already. This is just another challenge we’ll face, and we’ll get through it the same way we always do. Together.”
Leah is right. They have been through so much, and it’s not like they are currently homeless. They still have this house and they can stay here for as long as needed.
Fatin brushes a stray strand of Leah’s hair behind her ear, “And when we finally find it, I’ll make us a huge dinner to celebrate. Maybe even throw in a little dance party in our new kitchen.”
“As long as you’re the one cooking, I’m good,” Leah laughs.
“We could also always swing by here and take whatever the girls have cooked,” Fatin jokes.
“I think that defeats the purpose of living together and being independent babe,” Leah says with a pointed look.
Fatin chuckles, “Fine, but I’m gonna teach you how to cook some simple stuff.”
“Deal,” Leah winks, “We could even cook naked.”
“Oh fuck no,” Fatin laughs, “I don’t want to risk your sexy body getting burnt or some shit. I would never forgive myself.”
“You’re too cute.”
“I’m not cute,” Fatin huffs, “I’m sexy as hell.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
They fall into a comfortable silence, the weight of their dreams pressing on them but also strengthening their resolve. Fatin thinks about the fact that they aren’t just looking for a house. They’re looking for a place where they can continue to grow, create memories, and build their life together. And no matter how long it takes, they have each other.
"One day," Leah says softly, plating a soft kiss on the back of Fatin's hand. "One day, we’ll look back and laugh at how hard it seemed to find a house."
Fatin nods, her eyes shining with unwavering faith. "And when we find it, we’ll know it was worth every moment of the wait.”
--
“What a fucking creep, oh my god!” Fatin is fuming as they leave the house they just visited.
“He was a little… intense, huh?” Leah says with a wince.
“Intense? I’ve never seen someone check out my girlfriend like he was auditioning for a role in ’How to Make A Girl Feel Uncomfortable in 10 Seconds’,” Fatin says, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Leah glances over at her, stifling a laugh, “Maybe he’ll give us the house for much cheaper now?” she says teasingly.
Fatin rolls her eyes dramatically, “Not funny babe! He practically had a staring contest with your boobs! I thought I was gonna have to start waving my arms like ’hello, she’s with me!’”
If these are the kind of creeps who are selling their houses in the area, Fatin would honestly much rather stay in their current home. She gets it; her girlfriend is drop dead gorgeous. But she’s her girlfriend.
“Yeah, it was pretty obvious,” Leah chuckles, “but you were practically glaring at him the whole time. It was kind of hot,” Leah smirks.
Fatin shrugs, “What can I say? I’m a very supportive girlfriend. And by supportive, I mean... jealous." She flicks a dramatic strand of hair out of her face. "No one gets to admire you like that but me.”
“Finally owning up to your jealous side huh?” Leah teases and grabs Fatin’s hand in her own as they walk back to their car.
“Fuck yeah,” Fatin says, “Next time, I’m going full possessive girlfriend mode. Maybe I’ll just start hanging on your arm like a coat. That’ll make anyone ogling at you stop real quick.”
Leah snorts, shaking her head, “You’re ridiculous, but I love you.”
“Love you more,” Fatin grins. “And you better block that asshole because I know he has your number and will definitely text you later. He’s probably gonna be like “I forgot to show you the bedroom. Wanna swing by later?”” Fatin shudders at the thought.
Leah laughs and Fatin cannot help but join in as they reach their car, “I feel like I just dodged a bullet with you as my personal bodyguard.”
“Only the best for you, babe. No one checks out your boobs but me,” Fatin winks and holds the door open for Leah.
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way baby.”
--
“Last visit for this year,” Leah says with a sad smile, stepping out of the car.
They have been looking for about 6 months and the New Year was in two days. Fatin sighed out of frustration.
“I know my love,” Fatin walks to Leah and grabs her hand. “Shall we?”
“Yeah.”
They meet their agent, Chloe, and walk together to the next house. They had finally decided to hire a real estate agent to help them because they realized they couldn’t do this shit alone, especially after the few unpleasant encounters they’ve had.
“I think that you will really like this one,” Chloe said, adjusting her blazer.
“Didn’t she say that about the last two houses?” Fatin whispers to Leah while they follow Chloe down the street.
“Babe,” Leah says warningly, but a small smile plays on her lips.
They walk for a few blocks before stopping in front of the house. The outside of the house looks decent enough. It’s a two-story house, just like Leah and Fatin were looking for. Behind the gate, Fatin can see a small front yard that leads to a big garage, big enough for at least four cars. The exterior is panted a soft shade of warm taupe, with white trims around the window and a beautiful wooden front door.
Fatin glances at Leah who has the same impressed look as her.
So far so good.
As they walk up the yard and step inside the house, Fatin holds her breath. She glances around and marvels at the ground floor; the inside of the house is painted with soft neutral tones and has hardwood floors that give it a modern feel; something that Leah and Fatin absolutely love. There’s a massive living room with large windows that span across one wall. From where she is standing, Fatin also catches a glimpse of the big kitchen and the outside area.
“Fuck, is that a fireplace?” Leah says in disbelief and Fatin glances at the living room again.
Fatin’s eyes widen in disbelief.
Damn.
The fireplace is the perfect addition to the living room, big enough for a comfy couch; Fatin can already picture Leah and her cuddling on one during lazy weekends.
Chloe is describing the ground floor but Fatin does not hear her. She squeezes Leah’s hand and finds herself smiling. They follow Chloe to the small laundry room, before she directs them to the kitchen, which opens into a dining area. The long island in the center of the kitchen provides enough space for meal preps and Fatin imagines herself cooking with Leah by her side.
Fatin’s eyes go wide as Chloe shows them the walk-in pantry; Fatin isn’t that big of a cook but maybe she should consider becoming one now because this kitchen and its pantry are a cook’s dream. The big area is perfect for hosting their friends.
“Wow,” Fatin hears Leah whisper by her side.
“I know.”
The kitchen flows directly into the backyard, where a large patio area covered by a pergola, freakishly similar to the one they currently have, overlooks a stunning pool. There’s a built-in grill and an outdoor dining area, and plenty of room for their friends to gather for barbecues.
“You like the house so far?”
Fatin snaps out of her thoughts and looks at Chloe.
“Yeah,” Fatin says and looks at Leah who gives her a gentle smile, “if the first floor isn’t what we’re looking for, I’m gonna be very disappointed and slightly angry,” Fatin teases.
“She’s just kidding,” Leah says when Chloe seemed to be slightly nervous.
There are five bedrooms on the first floor, each with large closets and windows that allow for plenty of light. Each of the four guest bedrooms are the perfect size, with enough room for their friends to stay. There is one bathroom on the first floor that their friends can use.
They walk into the master bedroom, theirs naturally (Fatin can already see Toni trying to convince her to let her and Shelby stay in this room when they come over), and Fatin notes that they will finally be able to get a king-size bed. There is a big window that overlooks the backyard and the pool but the best thing?
“The room has its own en-suite bathroom with an Italian shower,” Chloe says and Fatin laughs happily while grabbing Leah by the waist.
“Oh my god,” Leah says for what feels like the hundredth time since their visit started.
The final room on the first floor is an office space.
“You can use this for when you need a quiet spot to work on your book, babe,” Fatin says with a soft smile.
Every detail of the house feels right—from the spaciousness to the warmth, the modern touches to the cozy, welcoming atmosphere. It's the perfect balance of style and comfort that they have been looking for, with room to grow and create new memories. And as Leah and Fatin walk again through each room, hand in hand, Fatin can’t help but smile, knowing that this will be the place where they build their future together.
After giving them the price, which is slightly more than what they budgeted, Chloe leaves them in the backyard to give them a few minutes to discuss.
Fatin stands by the sliding glass door, staring at the pool; Leah sits on the outdoor couch, both of them processing everything they have seen.
“This place is perfect,” Fatin says softly while facing Leah, “I can already picture us here. Me cooking in that big ass kitchen and you lounging by the pool after a long day.”
Leah looks up at her, a slight frown tugging at her lips. “Yeah, it’s great. It’s just…” and Fatin knows what Leah will say, “It’s a bit over out budget. We were supposed to stick to the budget, Fatin.”
Fatin walks to Leah and takes a seat next to her, grabbing her hand, “Babe, this house is perfect. This is exactly what we are looking for. Big kitchen, big living room, enough space for the both of us and anyone visiting.” Fatin squeezes Leah’s hand, her eyes searching her face. "We’ve looked at so many places. This feels like home already."
Leah sighs, looking down at their hands intertwined. “I know, I know. But... ,” Leah hesitates.
“Babe, listen,” Fatin smiles when Leah finally looks at her, “we still have a shit load of money from our case. The girls already said they would pay us back our share that we invested in our current house. Sure, I have a decent paying job, but soon, you’re gonna be selling millions of books, become the next Stephen King and I can be a stay at home wife,” she jokes and Leah laughs. “We’re gonna be okay, I promise. I can see us here, growing together. This could be our forever home.”
“Forever huh?” Leah teases, “getting ideas Jadmani?”
“I mean, I know we have never talked about it because we’re still young, but I do see myself marrying you one day and building a family with you,” Fatin smiles softly, “even though you’re the only family I need for now.”
Fatin should feel nervous that she just admitted that to Leah, but she’s never been more sure in her entire life.
“Don’t ever say that in front of the girls or they will quite literally kill you,” Leah jokes, “but I do want that as well for us. You’re it for my Jadmani. Your sexy ass is stuck with me forever.”
Fatin laughs before adding, “So what do you say baby?” Fatin steps closer, wrapping her arms around Leah’s waist. Leah glances at the area around before staring into Fatin’s eyes.
“Okay,” Leah says, her voice soft but sure. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Fatin pulls back just enough to look at her, her heart so full of excitement that she feels like it could burst, “Really?”
“Yeah,” Leah laughs and Fatin leans forward to capture her lips in a soft kiss. “I think... I think we can make this work.”
“We found our home,” Fatin grins and gives Leah another soft kiss.
“Home,” Leah murmurs softly against Fatin’s lips. “Let’s make it ours.”
“Yeah, let’s call Chloe.”
“Wait,” Leah says and Fatin looks at her with furrowed brows, “I’ve seen a lot of house hunter shows. It’s better to let her wait some more, to make it seem like we’re really debating whether to buy it or not, so that we don’t sound too desperate.”
Fatin laughs and shakes her head, “My god, you are such a dork,” she leans forward to kiss Leah, “but you’re my dork.”
They call Chloe back and sign all the necessary documents to make an official offer. Chloe informs them that the owners still have one more visit tomorrow and they’ll know if they get the house in two days; so on New Year’s Day. She said that she isn’t too worried because their offer matches the selling price of the house. The last visit will just be a formality for the owners.
After Chloe leaves, the two of them stand in front of the house for a moment, taking it all in—the house they’ve dreamed of, the space that will hopefully soon be filled with laughter, love, and the people who mean the most to them. They’ve finally found their home.