Just Friends
Patsy was absolutely exhausted. She'd barely gotten any sleep the night before, and just that day, she had to work in an overly busy and understaffed clinic. At the moment, even the thought of climbing the steps to Nonnatus seemed daunting and tiring. She half dumped her bike on the rack, unable to bring herself to care for the moment, and grabbed her bag to take inside.
She was really just looking forward to a quiet evening in. Maybe playing cards with Trixie or something. Or just generally doing nothing. She stepped through the doors, and headed towards the clinical room.
"Patsy?" came the voice of Trixie. The blonde nurse had seen her entering the clinical room, and had followed, clearly with something on her mind.
"Yes?" she asked, unpacking her bag, and beginning to get a sinking feeling in her stomach.
"What on earth are you wearing?" Trixie asked, gesturing to her uniform, as if she was wearing a paper bag and nothing else.
"My uniform?" Patsy answered, wondering what had put Trixie into such a fit. Did she forget something again?
"But, you promised to go out with me tonight," Trixie explained. And oh, oops. She did vaguely remember promising something of the sorts to Trixie about a week earlier. But she'd been so busy lately, that she'd forgotten.
"I'm sorry Trix," Patsy apologized, slightly wincing. "But, I'm really tired tonight." She finished with her equipement, and made a move to pass the other midwife. But Trixie stood firm. She crossed her arms, clearly not letting her friend go anywhere. Not tonight.
"Patsy, if this were any other occasion, I would be herding you up to bed. Goodness knows you don't sleep enough. But, I promised someone that you would be there tonight." Patsy sighed, almost rolling her eyes.
"Trixie, please not another blind date. The last one nearly made me go blind. And I did feel sick to my stomach."
Patsy knew Trixie meant well. And there was no way she could tell her friend about her complete disinterest in the dates that she went on. So she'd settled for never showing the slightest sliver of interest, ever.
"No, not another one. And for the record, John was a perfectly respectable gentleman," Trixie refuted.
"I'm sure he is," Patsy responded. "But, there are things about him… I'm just not interested." It wasn't exactly a lie. She wasn't really fibbing. More like leaving things out. A sin of omission. She'd mastered the art quite a while ago, actually.
"Anyways," Trixie said, moving on. She was not allowing Patsy to get away with backing out.
"It's not another date. It's actually a new friend of mine. I met her about a month ago. She's actually a nurse Patsy." Patsy lifted an eyebrow.
"Where'd you meet her?" she asked. Trixie waved her hand around.
"Oh, at the hospital. I was working with Mrs. Wilson. Well, she ended up needing to go to hospital to deliver. That's where I met her. She really is lovely." Patsy sighed, trying to steel herself for this coming evening. Even if she wasn't being set up on a horrid date, she still wasn't sure that she was really up for socializing.
"Alright Trix," she finally relented. "I'll do it for you. But you're going to owe me." Trixie waved her off, directing the redhead upstairs to get ready. Patsy quickly ascended the stairs, wondering what to wear.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Patsy said, leaning over the railing. "What's her name?" Trixie went to the first step, before replying.
"Delia. Her name is Delia Busby." Patsy nodded, before heading upstairs to change. Delia. It was a pretty name.
By the time they reached the Silver Buckle, Patsy was beginning to regret her decision. She just wished she could be in bed, reading. Trixie led them both into the small cafe, wandering around to find a table.
"Delia's due in a couple minutes," she said, finally finding a small booth in the corner.
"Perfect," she said, aiming straight for it. Patsy reluctantly trailed behind.
"Oh come on Patsy. Cheer up. She's gonna think you don't like her," Trixie pleaded. Patsy pulled a face.
"Trixie, I don't even know her," she pointed out. Trixie seemed quite unbothered by this.
"Oh Patsy. She's absolutely lovely. And she's really quite kind. I'm sure you two will hit it off immediately. I'll probably be the third wheel," she joked. Patsy just sighed, giving the blonde midwife another look.
"We'll order when she gets here," Trixie explained, giving Patsy her own look. She began observing the other people. Meanwhile, Patsy allowed her mind to wander for a minute, simply looking out onto the streets of Poplar. It was getting dark outside, the sun giving way to street lights. At least it was still fairly warm outside.
"Hello girls," came a voice of a man approaching their table. "Can we interest you two in some cake?" he asked, gesturing to the menu.
"Oh, uh, no thanks," Patsy refused gently. "We're actually waiting for a friend." She'd had lots of practice with this sort of thing. The lad seemed disappointed for a second, before deciding to try a second time.
"You want some company while you wait?" he asked. He flashed Trixie a grin, which was only half returned.
"No, really," Patsy said, a bit more forcefully. Just to make sure he got the point. "Thanks for the offer. But she should really be here any moment." In that moment, Patsy was actually wishing this Delia person would get here soon. The man shrugged, deciding to cut his losses, and wandered off.
"Patsy, have you ever had a boyfriend?" Trixie asked, slightly curious now.
"Why do you ask?" Patsy asked, deflecting with practiced ease. Trixie shrugged, recognizing that the redhead did not want to talk about it.
"No reason," she replied easily, dropping the subject. She was about to speak again, when the door opened.
"Oh, Delia," Trixie squealed, waving over in her direction. Delia smiled, and headed over to their table. Patsy actually had to suck in a breath when she saw her. Dark brunette hair, elegantly swept across her shoulders, with some fringe on her forehead. And her eyes were a beautiful blue. They seemed to always be on alert, with a bright sparkle that Patsy identified immediately. Perhaps this evening would turn out to be enjoyable.
"Hello," Trixie said, giving Delia a hug. "It's lovely to see you again." Delia smiled, and Patsy's heart skipped a beat. And, since when did she get nervous just to meet someone. Delia turned her smile towards Patsy, and Patsy actually got a rush of energy from it.
Keep it together, Mount, she chastised herself.
"Hi, you must be Patsy," Delia said. And oh… Her accent was beautiful. Captivating, and pinning Patsy to place. She could instantly tell that the beautiful nurse was Welsh.
"Uh, Patsy. Patsy Mount," she said, nervously holding out her hand. Delia shook it firmly.
"Lovely to meet you. Trixie's been rather insistent that we get together." She threw the blonde midwife a cheeky smile. And Patsy was rather glad that she did. Because her cheeks had slightly flushed at Delia's statement.
Come on. That's not what she meant. Patsy mentally shook herself, offering Delia a seat. The brunette happily took it.
"So, Trixie told me that you're a midwife?" Delia questioned, seemingly paralyzing Patsy with her intense blue gaze. Patsy actually squirmed in her seat.
"Yes. I've been at Nonnatus for a few months now," Patsy responded. Delia nodded, keeping her attention firmly fixed on the redhead.
"I've always thought midwifery would be so rewarding," she said, a brief look of longing sweeping across her face. And Patsy noticed how she was so expressive. Her eyes seemed to convey more than words could ever to anyone.
"It does have it's moments," Patsy admitted.
"I'll never forget delivering my first baby," Trixie said, a smile ghosting across her face. "It was the most exhilarating feeling in the world."
"I can only imagine," Delia said, laughing. "I'm currently on Male Surgical." Patsy winced in sympathy. She did not have fond memories of her time on Male Surgical.
"I'm sorry," she said, giggling slightly. "My memories of that place are quite unpleasant." Delia flashed her another smile, and Patsy thought she might need medical attention soon. It was most unlike her to find this instant attraction.
Her last relationship had ended badly. Her entire mood was soured when she thought of it. Millie Edwards. She almost actually shuddered. But one glance at Delia, and the thoughts of Millie fled instantly.
"We should probably order," Trixie remarked, getting up from the booth. Delia stood up from the booth first, with Patsy following. She was suddenly feeling very attentive.
They stayed there for two hours. Delia was not just beautiful. But she was kind, passionate, and intelligent beyond all means. Patsy sat there, almost memorized by the way the Welsh nurse spoke.
"What about you Patsy?" Delia asked, as she finished a tale about her childhood. "Where did you grow up?" Patsy surprised herself with her answer. She found herself telling Delia about her life before the camps. But, that wasn't the surprising part. She began recounting some of her experiences and memories in the camps. She was absolutely shocked that she was sharing this with someone who she barely knew. And yet, something told her that Delia would probably be one of the best people to tell.
"You must be incredibly strong," Delia said, afterwards, a look of admiration in her eyes.
"Yes, I do push-ups every morning," Patsy joked, lightening the mood. Delia chuckled slightly.
"Yes, I can certainly see that," Delia teased back, looking her over. Patsy suddenly felt very hot. Delia's eyes flickered slightly, as she seemed to guess what Patsy was currently thinking. Patsy knew her own eyes would probably be darker than usual. She just hoped that no one would notice.
"Well, we do have to do all that biking," Trixie said, grinning.
"Ah yes, the cobblestones of Poplar await us each morning," Patsy joked. On reflex, she checked her watch. And was shocked at the time.
"Gosh, we'd better fly, Trix," she said, gesturing to her watch.
"Oh, yes," Trixie said, staring at her own watch in disbelief. "I can't believe we spent so much time here." Delia checked her own watch, and that's when Patsy finally saw it. A ring. On her left hand. Patsy almost choked, forcing herself to keep calm.
"What's this?" she asked, gesturing to the ring. Delia glanced down, and blushed slightly.
"Oh, I got engaged last month," she explained, as she slid the ring off her finger. "His name's Nick." Of course. Of course. Just bloody great. Patsy knew she shouldn't be reacting to strongly. But, she couldn't help it. She knew she was attracted to Delia. And there was nothing she could do. But, her heart seemed to twist when Delia showed her the ring. And her strong reaction was ridiculous. She really needed to figure this out.
"Good for you," she managed, although she was not convinced that she sounded genuine. Delia's eyes snapped up, meeting Paty's for a second. She seemed to hesitate for a second, before slipping the ring back onto her finger.
"Well, I better be off," Delia said, giving Trixie a quick hug. She approached Patsy, tentative. Patsy didn't flinch away, so she also gave her a quick hug.
"It was lovely meeting you," she said, blue eyes flashing another smile at the redhead.
"You too," Pasty said, a smile breaking out on her face.
"We must get together again," Delia said, addressing both midwives.
"Of course," they both said, as Delia began heading out. And Patsy could not or would not stop the grin from spreading across her face.
"You like her don't you?" Trixiie asked, quite pleased with herself.
"You don't know the half of it," Patsy muttered softly.
Stop it! She's engaged for crying out loud. You're just friends. Just friends. The words seemed to puncture Patsy. Just friends.
So, this is not exactly an A/U. It's set in season two, and I will try to remain true to the plotline. But, Delia comes in. And yes she's engaged. It will all be explained, so please don't yell at me. This is how Patsy and Delia met obviously, and how their relationship continues.
Next time… Delia finds herself incredibly drawn to Patsy. But is she really willing to try again? Especially after last time?