A/N: A little shorter than the others, so apologies for that, but I'll try and get another fix out at some point this week. Hope everyone's having a good day, and enjoy!
It had been a long day at the drop-in, even more so than usual. Trixie had come down with a migraine halfway through the afternoon, leaving Patsy to clear away the rest of the chairs and equipment - not that she minded, she'd much rather her friends headache went away, but it did get awfully lonely in the evenings.
She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the door closing - needless to say, the arms that slipped around her waist took her quite by surprise, to the point where she physically jumped about ten centimetres off the floor, turning around to be greeted by a very amused Delia, bag over one shoulder and a grin on her face. Patsy takes a second to breathe before smiling brightly back at her, checking the door is definitely closed before looping an arm around her girlfriend's waist and leaning down to kiss her, for the first time in weeks.
When she eventually pulls away, getting far too lost in their embrace for several minutes, she takes a second to appreciate just how happy Delia looks. She knows that her constant vigilance takes a toll on her, no matter how hard she tries not to show it. There's always a tiny glimmer of disappointment whenever she catches Patsy looking behind her, or over her shoulder, or putting just a centimetre more space between them whenever they're out together in public. Delia's always been the braver one between the two of them - it'd had been Delia making the first move, Delia who kissed Patsy first, Delia who said the first "I love you". It was always Delia reaching for her hand, Delia nudging her arm if she finds something funny, Delia leaning in first for the cheek-kisses or hugs when they first see each other.
It isn't that Patsy doesn't feel the same way, not at all. She loves Delia more than anybody, she'd go to the ends of the Earth to keep her happy and safe, but she lacks the confidence and faith that Delia possesses, doesn't have the same kind of carefree nature. She knows there's been times where she's gone too far in her uncertainty - even behind closed doors she's found herself distancing them almost subconsciously - but it scares her to think that the time she doesn't keep her lookout could well be the time they get caught. Having limited time with her girlfriend is bad enough, she can't imagine a world without her. Nor does she want to.
"How did you know I'd be alone?" Patsy asks, keeping her arms firmly around Delia's waist. They slot together so perfectly that it'd practically be a crime to remove them.
"I bumped into one of the other midwives, Barbara, I think? She said that if I was looking for you then you were still clearing up. Oh, and she says her and Sister Winifred have made a pineapple upside-down cake, and they've hidden a slice in Sister Julienne's sewing tin for you."
"Let's just hope Sister Monica Joan isn't on too much of a mission tonight, or it won't be there much longer."
Delia laughs, leaning in for another kiss. It always feels unreal when they have these stolen moments, where they can laugh, and talk, and touch, without the fear of discovery. Whether it's five minutes or an hour, it's always glorious, the chance to finally be a 'normal' couple instead of worrying about something as small as their hands brushing together.
"Tell you what, if you can give me a hand putting the rest of the chairs away, I know where Sister Winifred keeps her chocolate."
Delia grins, disentangling herself from Patsy in order to put her bag down and shove one of the chairs in front of a door, knowing it'll keep Patsy relaxed. They get the rest of the chairs and equipment cleared away within fifteen minutes, save for one of the mattresses, which they've pushed up against a wall and settled themselves down on, sitting up with arms around waists, Patsy resting her head gently on top of Delia's, chatting quietly about old times.
"Do you remember back at the hospital, when Edith Clarence was talking to herself about the posters on the notice board? I thought she'd never leave."
Patsy thinks for a minute before remembering what Delia's referencing. "With the cleaning cupboard? Gosh, I'd almost forgotten. How long was it before she went away? Ten minutes?"
"More likely fifteen. I don't think I'd ever been so scared before, but her analysis of the poster collection was quite something."
Patsy smiles at the memory. It had been one of the blissful times where their breaks had coincided, a few months before Patsy left for Nonnatus. They'd found the top corridor near the heart and lung ward empty, and had snuck into one of the cupboards for a few moments alone, about to emerge when footsteps went past and stopped a few meters down. Neither of them had breathed for a few seconds, clinging to each other as they tried to stay as still and silent as possible, both trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why they were there, until they heard talking. It had been about three minutes before they realised that the nurse was muttering to herself, criticising some of the advertisements on the board and lighting a cigarette. As soon as the penny dropped that she was criticising other people's work to herself, Delia had had to bury her face in Patsy's shoulder to stop herself from laughing - as polite as Edith was to the two of them, she wasn't a favourite character, always finding something to moan about, and clearly the same even when nobody was there to agree with her.
Both of them had been about ten minutes late for their next shift, having stayed in the cupboard for at least five minutes to compose themselves and make sure nobody was lingering. It's still one of Patsy's favourite memories, despite the trouble they'd been in when they got back late, blaming it on a broken clock. It had led to an afternoon of barely being able to look at each other without getting the giggles, and Patsy almost falling over laughing after Delia had been asked to leave the room for being unable to keep her composure. She'd been sent out soon after, and spent a good half an hour mimicking Edith between them and collapsing back in to laughter. Looking back, it may not have been the kindest of actions, nor had it looked particularly brilliant on their work records, but Patsy had enjoyed it far too much to care.
It's moments like this that make the whole secrecy affair worth it, almost making them that bit more special. They've finished the chocolate, resolving to deny all knowledge if Sister Winifred asks whether they've seen it, and have slipped in to lying down at this point, not unlike the night Patsy had gone to Delia after the incident with the stillborn, only this time with Delia in front, her back pressed firmly to Patsy's chest.
"We need to head back soon, don't we," Delia sighs. The past twenty minutes have been heaven, but they both know it can't last forever, however much they wish it could.
"Afraid so," Patsy mumbles, pressing a kiss to the top of Delia's head. "But I'm free on Friday, if you are, I'm sure there's a cafe somewhere we can go to."
Delia nods, forcing herself to sit up and being pleasantly surprised when Patsy doesn't immediately let go of her waist, choosing instead to mimic her movements instead. Once they're stood up again, she turns to face her girlfriend, reaching up to pull her in to one last kiss before they put the mattress they've been sitting on back, flicking off the lights and beginning the walk back, hands clasped until they reach the better lit areas, where they're forced to reluctantly let go. Patsy walks Delia back to the nurses home, leaning in to kiss her cheek and set a time for Friday, before disappearing back in to the shadows on her way back to Nonnatus, her head filled with memories and her heart happily skipping a beat every time she remembers another one.