Chapter Text
It had been a month and Carla couldn’t remember the last time she had been so happy. Even with Peter, who she had once considered her soul mate, love hadn’t felt like this. It had never felt this easy. She and Lisa had fallen into perfect step with each other, perfect alignment. She loved spending time with her and felt excited to share every part of her day and hear all about hers. She was enjoying family life with Lisa and Betsy, even when the teenager tested both of their patience. It was fun showing Lisa off to her friends and she had enjoyed getting to know Lisa’s friends too, merging into each other’s lives. Plus the sex was mind blowing. She was pretty sexually experienced but this was something else. The way Lisa touched and kissed her drove her crazy. It was like nothing she had ever experienced. And for such a well behaved woman, she was very badly behaved in the bedroom. She was quite the revelation.
“I’m a little nervous cooking for Roy,” Lisa said worriedly.
They had invited him and Nina over for dinner. Carla was secretly pleased to be the kind of couple who hosted friends for dinner. She and Peter had rarely done that. Lisa loved to host.
“You’re an amazing cook,” Carla said, wrapping her arms around her waist and kissing her neck. “Roy will be full of compliments.”
“But will he mean them?” Lisa asked, staring at her bolognaise sauce.
Carla kissed her again, slipping her hand inside the waistband of her trousers.
“Carla!” Lisa shrieked. “I’m cooking pasta!”
“So? There’s loads of time!” Carla moaned against her neck.
Lisa tried to protest but Carla’s fingers were too tempted. She moaned, leaning back against her girlfriend’s body, cooking forgotten.
Lisa and Carla hurried to get their clothes back on, having got rather carried away in the kitchen. Thankfully, Betsy was sleeping over at a friend’s house.
“You are such a bad influence,” Lisa scolded.
“I mean, I didn’t hear you complaining,” Carla pointed out.
“I’ll complain if my bolognaise is ruined and Roy thinks I’m a terrible cook.”
“I can always explain what happened?” Carla offered cheekily.
“You dare!” Lisa warned, her cheeks pink.
She finished dressing and returned to her pots, warning Carla to social distance from her until she was finished. Carla held her hands up in defence and offered to set the table instead.
“Yes,” Lisa agreed. “Go and do something useful.”
“I mean, you seemed happy just now with my offerings but whatever…”
Lisa grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her close for a kiss.
“I am always happy with your offerings,” she said.
Carla kissed her again and headed across to the dining table to set four places. Lisa rescued her bolognaise.
“You have a beautiful home,” Roy said, when he and Nina were invited into the house half an hour later.
Lisa accepted the compliment gracefully.
“It really is lovely,” Nina said. “Is it just you and your daughter here?”
“Yes,” Lisa said. “Although Carla is becoming part of the furniture.”
She smiled lovingly at her girlfriend.
“I mean, I can go home if you like,” Carla offered.
“I really don’t want you to go home,” Lisa said earnestly, catching hold of her hand.
“You two are ridiculously cute,” Nina commented.
Lisa was relieved that her food had gone down well. And that Carla hadn’t mentioned their kitchen shenanigans. They seemed to quite favour kitchen shenanigans whenever they got the chance. And lounge shenanigans. And bathroom shenanigans. And of course, bedroom shenanigans. They hadn’t ventured outside yet, although it was hard in general to keep her hands off Carla in any given situation. She drove her crazy. She was so gorgeous. When she lost Bex, she could never have imagined she could ever be this happy. Her whole world had ended. She hoped Bex would be pleased that she had met someone so amazing and especially someone that Betsy got on so well with.
“Well, we must return the gesture and have you both over to us next time,” Roy said. “It’s been lovely to be here and to spend time with you. Thank you for inviting us.”
“Thank you for coming. Really,” Lisa said.
Carla held her hand under the table. She knew it meant a lot to her to connect with Roy.
“I would like us to be friends, Lisa. You mean a great deal to Carla and Carla means a great deal to me. As such, I feel you will come to mean a great deal to me too.”
Lisa smiled and thanked him again.
“I’d really like that too. And you, Nina.”
“Well, I already think you’re pretty cool,” Nina said. “You’ve worked so hard for Lauren. And other people on the Street. And I mean, you turned Carla!”
Carla and Lisa both laughed. Roy looked a little bemused.
It had been a long, busy day at work and Carla was very glad to have a large glass of red wine in front on her in The Rovers. She looked at her watch, eager for Lisa to arrive and spend the evening with her.
“Hi, Carla,” Sally said, stopping by her table. “How are you?”
“I’m good thanks, Sal. You? Meeting Tim tonight?”
“Yeah. Just having a glass of wine. Are you having an evening with Lisa?”
Sally still found Carla’s new relationship strange. Since when was Carla Connor a lesbian?
“Yes, just waiting for her to finish work. Ah, here she is.”
She waved Lisa over.
“Hi,” Sally said a little awkwardly to the Detective.
“Hi,” Lisa said. “How are you?”
She leant down and kissed Carla before taking her seat.
“I got us a bottle.”
“I need it. Awful day!”
Carla started pouring.
“Well, I’ll uh… leave you to it.”
Sally shuffled off to join Tim and Steve.
“Does she really have a gay daughter?” Lisa asked. “Because she is still really weird around us.”
“She does. And yes, she is.”
Carla shrugged.
“She’ll get used to us, I guess. Or she won’t. I don’t care. Everyone else has been lovely. Really supportive.”
She beamed at Lisa.
“So, awful day?”
“Don’t even ask. I just want to have a nice evening with you. And… a nice night?”
“You might need to give me a drawer or something!” Carla laughed. “I spend so much time at yours!”
Lisa laughed.
“You’ll be moving in next! A right lesbian cliché!”
A slightly awkward silence fell between them.
“Carla, I was joking. I’m not… I do know that we’ve only been together three months. I wouldn’t put that kind of pressure on you. Oh crap. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even… This day is turning out terribly.”
Carla put her hand on Lisa’s to stop her spiralling.
“Calm down,” she said. “If you were messing, it’s fine. If you were asking… you know, that’s fine too.”
Lisa sat up a little straighter.
“Is it?”
“I mean, we spend all our time together anyway. When was the last time we spent a night apart?” Carla asked.
“Are you asking to move in together?” Lisa asked.
“I mean, technically you asked first,” Carla said with a wink.
Lisa stole a kiss.
“Will you move in with me? If Betsy agrees to it. Obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“Well?”
“I would love to.”
They kissed again.