Fandom: Emmerdale
Pairing: Charity & Vanessa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing games with them.
Summary: Part seven of a series of one shots, prompted by memories-and-musings on tumblr, filling in the lack of Vanessa last week in the Ketamine story line.
Charity tries to distract Vanessa from her worries about the RCVS visit with a quiet night in front of the TV…by watching a nature documentary.
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It had been a quiet Sunday at Tug Ghyll. Or at least it had been until Charity had arrived after finishing the early shift at the pub. She'd arrived like a whirlwind, armed with a large package containing a mega ball running toy. Charity had claimed that Argos had accidently sent her two when she ordered one for Moses but Vanessa suspected Charity one for Johnny as well, she just didn't want to admit it.
The taller blonde had set it up for him and played with him right up until bed time. There was Moses tonight because Ross had him and Johnny had enjoyed being the centre of her attention. Vanessa had utilised the time by doing some spring cleaning.
After taking him up to bed Vanessa had arrived downstairs to find a glass of rose wine waiting for her and some freshly heated popcorn in a bowl. Charity had been busy flicking through the channels, looking for something for them to watch. The options were fairly limited, and she'd settled on a nature documentary about big cats. It was a strange choice for Charity as she never showed any interest or fondness for animals.
That's how they had found themselves sat pressed together on the sofa, with Charity half hiding behind Vanessa's back and peering over her shoulder like they were watching a horror movie. Most of the show consisted of lions, tigers and other cats taking down prey animals in a variety of athletic ways. Vanessa found it fascinating, but she wasn't sure it made for good television. Charity on the other hand...Charity seemed utterly freaked out by the entire thing.
On screen a leopard was leaping up into a tree, clawing its way up the bark to catch a barn owl. They were beautiful creatures and its movement was a sight to behold...but the way it clamped its jaw around the poor owl was pretty ghastly.
"Oh my god look at the size of its teeth!" Charity exclaimed.
The landlady hid her head in the crook of Vanessa's neck for at least the sixth time since they had started watching the documentary.
"Charity babe, why are we watching this?" Vanessa asked.
"You're a vet...it's got animals in" the taller woman replied in a tone that suggested the answer was obvious.
Vanessa couldn't hold her amusement in any longer. It started with a low chuckle but then when Charity pulled back to look at her, confusion written across her face, the vet totally lost it. She hadn't laughed quite so hard since all the shit with her job had started. It felt so good to let go like this. It felt like a release.
"Why are you laughing?" Charity protested.
Charity was being very endearing, as she often was when the two of them were alone (and more recently in public). Vanessa reached out for her, shifting into the brunette's lap so she was straddling her girlfriend's hips. She pressed Charity's upper body against the back of the sofa, so she had a slight height advantage, and kissed the tip of her girlfriend's nose.
"I'm laughing because you thought it would be a good idea to put on something you could barely stomach just to please me!" she chuckled.
She loved the way that her girlfriend was trying to make everything about her at the moment... appreciated the sentiment. The thing was, she just wanted to be around Charity. As soppy and as sentimental as it sounded, when they were together she felt happier. Charity was fun and unique. Whenever Vanessa saw the taller blonde her heart raced a little faster...sometimes a lot faster.
"Charity I'd have happily watched anything with you...or not watched anything at all" she admitted.
Her girlfriend looked momentarily caught off guard before recovering, replacing the look with her normal cocky smile.
"My presence enough is it?" Charity asked.
There was a note of disbelief in the other woman's voice, like Vanessa couldn't have really meant that. She knew that Charity had suffered through one rotten relationship after another, knew about the prostitution. She knew it meant there where a lot of hang ups about letting others get close. Charity had let her in more and more over the past few weeks but had done so without them discussing feelings. Vanessa had never dared push that far before, not because she doubted how Charity felt, but sometimes when something unnerved the other woman she pushed back.
"Would it scare you if I said yes?" Vanessa asked carefully.
"No" Charity replied instantly before then hesitating, "It's just...it's just that it's never been enough for anyone else."
Vanessa's breath caught in the back of her throat at her girlfriend's admission. Charity had clearly caught herself off guard too and kept her eyes downturned. It was something the other woman often did when she wasn't confident. Vanessa, who was still straddling her girlfriend, placed her forefinger under Charity's chin and encouraged the taller woman to look at her. When green eyes finally met her own she could see the insecurity written all over her girlfriend's face.
"Good job you found me then isn't it" Vanessa said assuredly.
To emphasise her words, she pressed forward and kissed Charity softly. Her lips glided against the other woman's once, twice, three times before pulling away and smiling down at her girlfriend. Charity smiled back, a soft and fond look across her features.
"Let's watch something else hey?" Vanessa chuckled.
She climbed off her girlfriend's lap, grabbing the remote control from the arm of the sofa as she returned to her previous position next to the taller blonde. She started flicking through the channels again, searching for an old comedy show episode or something else light.
Vanessa could see Charity watching her with a look of wonderment out of the corner of her eye. She knew it would take a while for her girlfriend to trust in the fact this was real and that she wasn't going anywhere. Vanessa had known that from the start and she was happy and willing to reassure Charity again and again until the message got through.