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It hadn’t been long after Labyrinthia’s secret was revealed that modern technology began getting incorporated into the lives of its citizens. Everything from infrastructure to the internet was slowly being added into their world. It was a bit of a shock, and it was definitely difficult for many to adjust to the new changes, but Espella appreciated the convenience.
They had gotten phone service shortly after the Professor and Mr. Wright had left, and knowing this, Maya had left her her phone number for once she was able to call. So, about a month after the casting of Taelende, she remembered the note Maya had left and decided to give it a try.
“Hello? Maya?” she asked. “Is this working?”
There was a crackle, before Maya’s voice could be heard saying, “Espella? Is that you?”
Espella nodded, then a few moments later realized Maya couldn’t see her. “Ah, yes! Yes, it’s me! How are you?”
Maya laughed. “It’s so good to hear from you again, I was wondering if you’d call! It’s been pretty quiet back at the office… Well, quiet in comparison to all of the ruckus that happened in Labyrinthia. We haven’t gotten too many cases, so Nick’s just been moping over the fact he doesn’t have an excuse to see his boyfriend anymore”.
Espella laughed. “I didn’t know Mr. Wright had a lover! Speaking of being in love, I heard Ms. Mailer and Ms. Greyerl are together now, or at least that’s been the town rumor”.
“Oh, from how they were acting during the trial I’m surprised they weren’t together already! Ooh, how are things going with Dark- with Eve?” Espella couldn’t see her, but something told her Maya was wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
She frowned. “It’s not like that, really. She’s… done a lot for me, that’s all. I appreciate her!”
“Oh, is ‘appreciating’ what the kids are calling it nowadays?” Maya retorted.
“Maya, you’re not even that much older than me! And I really am just appreciating how much she’s done for me. She saved my life, after all”. Espella smiled fondly. Ever since the witch trials ended, Eve had become an integral part of her life. It was a relief to have her memories back, and now that she did, she had to make up for the all the years of friendship that she missed.
“Alright, alright, I won’t pry. But give it some thought, will you?” Even as their conversation drifted onto other topics, it was this that kept appearing in her thoughts throughout the rest of the day. Maya’s words sat at the back of her mind. She wasn’t in love with Eve, or at least she didn’t think she was. She was happy to be reunited with her childhood friend, and happy to have her memories of said friend back. If she thought about how pretty, and kind, and amazing Eve was, those were just normal, friendly thoughts to have.
Except, now that she thought about it, Maya was her friend too, and she didn’t really see Maya that way. It was just Eve. Not that she didn’t appreciate and love Maya, of course, just in a different way. Maybe…
She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She had only just gotten Eve back, and she didn’t want to lose her again. She was perfectly satisfied the way she was now, just being friends.
Shortly after the Professor and Mr. Wright left, Eve started staying with Espella and Patty more often. Espella supposed her old room and office were too entangled in the identity of being Darklaw, and she couldn’t say she wasn’t ecstatic to be able to see Eve every night. Tonight though, it seemed like she wasn’t going to be coming.
It was past midnight when Eve finally arrived, tired and despondent. Espella rushed over to her side, wrapping her in a hug. “Eve! You’re here? You look rough, what happened?” Eve softened in Espella’s embrace, smiling faintly, and some of Espella’s worries faded.
“Don’t worry, nothing much. Just been a bit of a long day, that’s all”.
Espella frowned. “You work too hard, Eve. Have you eaten yet? You need to take care of yourself!” She pulled Eve into her room, gently pushing her down onto the bed before running into the kitchen to fetch the most recent batch of bread Patty had made. When she turned around, Eve was standing in the doorway, having followed her here. “Eve, come on, you need to rest, get some food in you and then go to sleep, please”.
Eve smiled. “Sure. You do the same, alright?”
Espella nodded. “Mm. Love you”. Just as the words came out of her mouth, she realized what she had just said. But just as she was about to correct herself, to clarify what she had meant, she realized she couldn’t. Because the longer she thought about it, the more she realized she had meant it. In every sense of the word, she loved Eve. She ducked her head, darting into her own room, but Eve followed her.
“You do?” Eve asked, voice uncharacteristically shaky. Espella had never seen Eve so unsure of herself, not as Eve, nor as Darklaw. Eve looked… fragile, almost. As if a wrong step would break her, and Espella knew she had no choice but to tell the truth, nodding slowly.
“Yeah”. Now that the truth was in the open, it felt as if the floodgates had opened, and the words that hadn’t come but a moment ago were rushing out. “You- you’re incredible, Eve, and you do so much for everyone in Labyrinthia, and for me, and I want to be the person who can protect you, who can take care of you for… well, forever. And- and I know it’s always been you protecting me but- but I want you to rely on me, too. It’s- I really do love you, Eve”.
Eve just stared at her, and as she slowly grew self-conscious of her outburst, she wondered if it was too much, too fast, if she had finally ruined things for the last time. But before her doubts could catch up to her, Eve broke out of her trance. “…Really?”
And there was only one thing she could say. “Mm. I love you, Eve”.