ONE-SHOTS

You and only You [Lou x Debbie]

you and only you
by Homosexy

Summary:
Her partner. So much meaning in that word, left determinedly unaddressed by both of them. Neither would bring it up first.

Things settle down after the heist. Rose finds herself once again relevant and entirely unprepared to be so, as Daphne explains to her imploringly how to wrap the press around her little finger. That was a surprise actually. Daphne, the apparent airhead, turning out to be quite the schemer. Fortunately, it had played well into the plan and now the dust has settled, Debbie simply acts as though it was part of the plan all along; nobody else will remember that it wasn't. She had technically considered the possibility after choosing Daphne as the target of the heist- it was in her plan B, so to speak. So really it was part of the plan all along, she explained smoothly to Lou after their somewhat impromptu meeting with Ms Kluger.

Amita lives the most modestly. She moves out, takes a holiday with her new man from Tinder, but mostly saves the money and doesn't spend as extravagantly as say, Daphne. Though Daphne already has far too much money for anyone to spend, in around half the group's opinion. That half consisting of Constance, Amita, Tammy and Nineball- the normal ones, as Tammy calls them. To their part, Rose, Daphne, Debbie and Lou take no offence at this distinction. Tammy herself is doing all sorts, but most of all she's doing things for her children. Planning trips to Disney, buying them toys, making each of them a full college fund, just as Nineball's created for her younger sister. Constance has started a youtube channel, the content of which nobody seems to fully understand, bar Nineball. They collaborate sometimes, though Lou quickly barred them from trying anymore stunts within her house. Her and Debbie's house.

She'd asked Debbie if she was going to move out, but Debbie had stated plainly that she saw no point when Lou's place was so nice, and big enough for the two of them
"What you gonna do with all that money then"
"We'll see. Something worthwhile"
"I thought you planned everything years in advance"
"I take days off" Debbie had shrugged, with a vague smile

Nobody really knows what Debbie's planning on doing next. She never talks about it, simply letting the others discuss their plans, providing anecdotes wherever she sees fit. For someone so good with people, she's surprisingly introverted, Lou's always found. Not that she didn't like people, but what she did like was her own space and her own agency, and Lou had rarely seen her feel the need to join a conversation simply for the sake of it. She's sure Debbie isn't thinking of retiring though. No-one would blame her, after what she had pulled off, but Lou can see it still there in her eyes, the look on her face when she's thinking. What she's planning, she can't grasp at yet. But it's something. Knowing Debbie, she'll probably never retire.

So that just leaves Lou. She drags Debbie with her to pick out a new motorbike, despite the fact that Debbie knows nothing about motorbikes and spends the entire time pointing out bikes at random, saying things like "Now what a nice colour" or "That one's shiny" to tease her, as Lou knew she would when she invited her along. She knew what bike she was going to buy before she even arrived; there's just something special about walking into the dealership, having hundreds of bikes laid out in front of you and knowing that you could buy them all, if you wanted. That's why Debbie's there too- for Lou, this is the closing pages of the heist, so it's only natural that her partner is there alongside her for the close.

Her partner. So much meaning in that word, left determinedly unaddressed by both of them. Neither would bring it up first.

That's Lou's next project. Her and Debbie have always had this easy, unspoken relationship. The number of times people have assumed they're long-married is surely well into double digits. And Lou had always just taken it for what it was, until Debbie went to prison. Before that: until Becker. He couldn't have had worse timing. Lou had plans, plans for that very evening. Then Debbie had told her about a date with some art dealer and it all went screeching, crashing downhill from there. His name still tastes overwhelmingly bitter in her mouth and when Debbie had gone to prison, she'd damn well nearly framed him herself. But she waited, because she knew it was Debbie's to do. And now it's done (nobody comments on the vicious edge of Lou's voice as she mentions the news of his conviction), she's got stuff to sort out with Debbie. Though she itches, as she always does, to let things happen. To wait for them to come to her. Debbie is too important for that, something she's known for far longer than she'll ever admit. And, frustrating as it is, Debbie is far too stubborn to simply come to her.