Who Doesn't Like Surprises Now?

Background: It has been about two weeks since Eve had gone back to New York. Since then Annalise had put all her time and effort back into solving her most recent case, trying to help her students get their shit together, and now dealing with Nate. Annalise knew what she had done and she didn't expect forgiveness but somehow he had figured out about her and Eve and he was even more upset then Annalise could have ever imagined. He threatened to expose her and tell everyone what she had done. So day in and day out she spent arguing with him and trying to please him but with all his questions about Eve and how she felt about her. She found herself wondering how did she feel about Eve? Nate was hurt and as much as Annalise cared for him somehow she found herself entirely unapologetic about what she had done. As horrible as it was had she not framed him she would have never reached out to Eve and they would have never reconnected. In the midst of it all she somehow found herself in New York.

New York, NY 12:45pm

Eve was sitting in her living room looking over some case files, she had buried herself in work. For some reason that seemed to always be her way of dealing with her feelings when it came to Annalise. For a while it had worked but with Annalise barging back into her life so recently and unexpectedly this time it wasn't as effective. They had a great time together and ended on a great note but maybe that's what made it so hard this time. She thought about Annalise from the second she woke up until the second she fell asleep. No matter how hard she tried to focus on work or even be with another woman Annalise was always in the back of her mind. Her name a second away from leaving her lips. Part of her had started to think, maybe Annalise did ruin her. As she tried to focus on the papers in front of her she heard the front door of her apartment open. She looked up surprised and completely and utterly confused.

"Who doesn't like surprises now?"

Annalise had told Eve she would think about coming to New York but she never thought it would actually happen.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought it might be fun to surprise you"

Eve was having a hard time believing that Annalise was there and that she didn't want something or have some ulterior motive. It was horrible but she rathered think the worse than think the best and be crushed all over again.

"Is everything alright?"

Annalise didn't want to tell her the truth and have her think that she was running to New York just because things had got hard at home with. But at the same time she didn't want to lie. She was trying to start a fresh slate and lying during the first ten minutes of being in her apartment wasn't going to help.

"Is it ever?"

They couldn't help but laugh especially given the usual circumstances that surrounded being Annalise Keating

"Nate saw us when you were leaving. The kiss goodbye"

"Shit. Are you okay? What did he say?"

Annalise was sitting on the couch next to her. She was unusually calm and sure of herself. It almost made Eve uncomfortable. She had came all the way to New York just to tell her about Nate? It would be strange but then again nothing with Annalise was ever normal.

"Yeah he's pretty pissed. but If you want to know the real reason I'm here.."

There was a silence for a moment because there was clearly something Annalise was failing to mention and underneath her self assurance there was a smidge of fear.

" And he asked me something. He asked if I was in love with you"

Was this really happening. Annalise was one of the most amazing relationships Eve had ever had and she went from being the love of her life to someone that left her then went out of her way to ignore her and then ask for a favor years later and somehow ended up on good terms again but now just two weeks later she was sitting on her couch talking about being in love with her. The words alone made her want to run away before things got even more difficult.

"Annalise, please I don't -"

"I said yes.. I didn't mean to.. it just happened. I wanted to be sorry for what I did- I should be sorry... I like to think a part of me is. But how could I be sorry when what I did is what brought you back into my life. I spent most if not all of my marriage... most of my life thinking I made a mistake and after this I don't just think I made a mistake I know I did"

Annalise looked into her eyes and it felt like she was peering into her soul. What she was saying was pure and honest. She was trusting her and she was trusting herself. Annalise believed that she ruined things. Deep deep down she always had and because of it she deprived herself from good things and good people. But this was different.

"I ran away once and I'm not going to do it again"

For a moment she looked back at her with her emotions overwhelming her. She was speechless she couldn't construct a sentence if her life depended on it and even if she could she still wouldn't know what to say. Her eyes watered and she fought back tears and finally she began to speak.

"So what are you saying? I told you what happened didn't have to mean anything and I'm fine with that"

That was a lie and they both knew it. They were strong women and they took pride in it but as much as Eve would never admit it she wanted what they had so many years ago. She had spent a large portion of her life trying to find what she had with Annalise with other women. She had even fallen in love a few times. But nothing compared with what she had with her, and in that short amount of time she spent with her a few weeks ago Annalise had given her the feelings that she had wanted to so desperately find somewhere else. She knew that she would never find what she had with Annalise anywhere else. The same way that Annalise knew that she would never find what she had with Eve anyplace else. She cared for a lot of people Sam, Nate, and so many other men who had came in and out of her life but she never loved them. They never made her feel the way Eve did.

"I'm saying I want us to be us"

"You can't just come in and out of people's lives and do whatever you want when it convenient for you. You have to know"

Annalise leaned in and kissed Eve softly on the lips "I know what I want. I've always known."

Annalise's life had been madness for the past few months between Sam's cheating and then his murder, Bonnie killing Rebecca, her students driving her crazy, framing Nate. Yet somehow in the matter of a few days Eve had given her a sense of sanity and clarity in the midst of all the crazy. When they were together nothing else seemed so hard anymore. Eve was still in shock as to what was even happening. Words couldn't explain what she was feeling. So she did it the best way she knew how.