Archive of Our Own

Fallon is at her desk writing when an email pops up on her laptop.

Fallon sighed. "Billie Eilish? What am I, 15?" she muttered to herself. Ever since the merger had placed her at the helm of another Carrington-led enterprise, it felt like everyone was desperate to keep her happy—or at least keep her on their side.

She knows that not taking the tickets would imply that she's uninterested and might put a strain on the partnership, but she couldn't care less about the add-ons. She's always looking at the next step, who she can make a deal with next, and EmberMedia thinks they are going to lose her, likely due to the bluntness in her emails. She's a businesswoman at the end of the day though, a Carrington at that. Deals, power plays, strategy—those were her priorities.

Everything that has happened in the past year has caused Fallon to work harder than ever and completely close off from the people around her. She would keep her emotions bottled up until her last breath if she could. That's how she's always been. She's immune to mankind

Well, maybe there's one exception to this immunity.

And she's walking into Fallon's office right now, a shopping bag in hand, likely filled with anything and everything.

"I come bearing gifts," Kirby announced, setting the bag down on Fallon's desk. "Well, gifts for myself, technically. Courtesy of the company card."

Fallon raised a brow. "If I ever go bankrupt, I'll know exactly why. Let me guess, another dress for some random person's wedding that we were invited to months ago that I'm actively trying to get out of?"

Kirby smirked. "Close. It's Culhane's wedding, it's at the manor, and you insisted on planning it yourself, so good luck coming up with an excuse."

Fallon groaned. "Easy. Ex-fiancé, ex-employee of Blake… There's gotta be bad blood somewhere."

"You're insufferable," Kirby chuckled, taking a seat in front of Fallon's desk. "I'm surprised I didn't walk in on you furiously typing. What are you working on?"

"Well, I was reading over this contract with EmberMedia, but before I could even sign they sent me an email offering me Billie Eilish tickets for tomorrow almost like they're—"

"OH MY GOD SHUT UP FALLON NO WAY THEY OFFERED YOU BILLIE EILISH TICKETS!"

Kirby abruptly stands up, startling the brunette.

Fallon covers her ears, slightly annoyed by the reaction of the redhead. "Jesus, Kirby. Have some regard for those of us who have been working all day. Childish much?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That's just like really cool," Kirby says, face starting to match the color of her hair.

"Anyways," Fallon sighs. "they asked if I wanted to go before I even signed the contract, so they're either convinced I'm signing it and this is a gift or they're trying to convince me to get on board with their project. Whatever the reason is, I'm not going."

Like many of her conversations with Fallon, Kirby is left confused. "Only rich people would turn down concert tickets. You can't be serious."

Fallon shot her a glare. "Since when do you get to waltz in here and talk me out of my own decisions?"

"Ah yes, because you'll still be in the office at 7 P.M. tomorrow."

"Um, yes."

Her thoughts drift to the woman in front of her. Fallon had just gone through a messy divorce with Liam, sucking all of the life out of her, and Kirby had recently broken up with Amanda. It was only a matter of time before they started seeing each other, but the timing was still really complicated. The redhead practically dated every Carrington she could until Fallon was finally single. Eventually, her family will find out, because if there is anything Alexis hates more than a lack of attention, it's Kirby Anders.

"Fallon, clearly if they offered you the tickets they don't want you working tirelessly on them. At least not tomorrow night."

"It's not working tirelessly; it's called running a business, and I've been operating this way for years, so if you'll excuse me, I have some contracts to read," Fallon points to the stack of papers on her desk.

"Aren't you a bundle of sunshine today?" Kirby says, half-teasing the woman in front of her.

"Save the insults until I'm home. That reminds me, tell Mrs. Gunnerson not to worry about dinner. I'm going to be here for a while, so I'll have Allison order something to the manor."

Kirby sways back and forth as if she's plotting something.

"What?" Fallon responds, slowly becoming irritated.

"Magic word." The redhead teasingly says.

"Kirby."

The redhead stares at her

Fallon rolls her eyes as she shoos away her girlfriend. "Love you. Now go."

"Yes ma'am. And I love you too." Kirby catches Fallon stifling away a grin as she walks out of the exit.

In such a short amount of time, the two have fallen into a rhythm with each other. If it was her choice, she'd marry the brunette tomorrow. That's what happens when you're in love with your mortal enemy-turned-best friend. Does she wish things could be different and they could tell people? Of course, but she's willing to settle, at least that's what she tries to tell herself.

Back at the office, Fallon shakes her head and redirects her attention to the laptop, minimizing the email for the time being. The thought of the redhead lingers. She knows it would be nice to have a night out with Kirby, but she can't shake the idea of their relationship no longer existing in their bubble. There would never be a right time to explain this to the family and quite frankly, she didn't care enough to do it.

As for Amanda, Fallon does not care about her feelings. Well, she consoled her for the sake of being a decent sibling when she first broke up with Kirby, but it's hard to be there for your sister while you may or may be sleeping with her ex. The situation is different though, Fallon has known Kirby forever and Amanda has only known her for a few months. How does she think Fallon feels after being in love with Kirby since she was a teen? Well, she doesn't think anything because she has no idea.

For some reason though, she thinks Amanda might give her less of a hard time than Alexis, who would find a way to send Kirby back to Australia if she did as much as breathe in her direction. Blake has been paternal to Kirby since Anders passed (which she should definitely label differently now), but she knows the wrath of Alexis Carrington takes no breaks. Fallon looks around the room, trying to get her mind back on track. Suddenly, that bottle of scotch on the side table looks tempting.

Fallon steps out of the shower, cold air reviving her from the scorching hot water that she insists on washing herself in. Sam had brought home food from the hotel and she practically scarfed it down the second she entered the manor, but not without daggering stares from her girlfriend.

Kirby is in bed when she leaves the bathroom. Fallon can tell she is running through a monologue in her head, one that she probably prepared for the inevitable conversation that she thinks is about to happen way too early in their relationship.

"Hey," the brunette says as she lowers herself onto the mattress, moving closer to the redhead until their shoulders are touching.

The women lay there, staring at the ceiling.

"I want to go with you tomorrow," The redhead said.

"Kirby, you know it wouldn't be a good idea."

"You keep saying that every single time I ask to do something exclusively with you. Fallon, people are going to find out eventually." Kirby sighs, starting to feel hopeless.

"They'll find out when we tell them. I'm not risking anything happening before then. This deal has gained a lot of traction and my name is being thrown all over the headlines. I'm not dragging you into it."

"And since when have you ever let the media determine what you do with your life?" the redhead scoffs.

She's right, Fallon knows she's right. She also knows that it's way too soon to talk about how they even got here in the first place, even though technically it's been over a decade.

"Since I've decided I want to protect our peace for as long I can," is what comes out of her mouth.

Kirby scoots over to lay her head on the brunette's shoulder, intertwining their hands. "We can still protect our peace you know."

Fallon turns to face the redhead. "And how do you suggest that Kirby? You don't exactly have a good poker face."

Kirby turns to face Fallon. "We're still in the honeymoon phase, let me enjoy it while I can."

"You can enjoy it within the walls of these bedrooms only."

"Then that takes away the cheekiness of secret dating."

"We can't romcom our way out of this Kirby. If we go, you have to promise to not make it obvious in the slightest that anything is going on here," Fallon says as points between her and the redhead.

"Wait, are you actually considering it?" Kirby asks with a slight smirk.

"Well I wasn't at first, but what you said at the office did sell me a little bit," Fallon said.

Kirby leaves over to kiss the brunette's forehead. "That's sweet and one hundred percent not true."

"Yeah, I finished all the work I needed to get done," Fallon says.

"I can't stand you," Kirby responds, practically cutting the brunette off. Fallon laughs as she leans over and captures her lips with the Kirby's.

Maybe one night of fun couldn't hurt.

After a long day of back and forth, the couple sits in the back of Fallon’s Rolls Royce, en route to the concert.

Kirby is looking out the window and Fallon clears her throat.

“Alright, I have some rules for tonight.”

The redhead rolls her eyes. “Falllllooonnn. This isn’t a field trip.”

Fallon disregards what she says. Kirby knew there would be boundaries. “No touching or letting your eyes wander.”

“I could say the same for you then,” Kirby adds with a little fire in her tone.

“And.”

“Oh my god, Fallon it’s a damn concert.”

“No rambling about your life story to strangers. I don’t need you telling them something you shouldn’t before the show even starts.”

Kirby suddenly becomes flush, slightly embarrassed by the statement. “Okay, you’re right about that one.”

“I know you don’t like this Kirby, but it’s the only way we can enjoy the night without having to think about what happens after.”

“Would it really be the end of the world if people found out?”

It wouldn’t be and it shouldn’t be, but it’s also not a risk Fallon is willing to take. Every single major event in her life has been leaked to the press prematurely. Hell, when she was younger, she found out what Christmas gifts she and Steven were getting because The Atlantic published a story leaking it. If the general public hates the one percent, why do they care what they do? “Not to us, but there’s no telling how Alexis will react and I have no time to deal with her in any capacity ever. Plus, there’s Amanda and Liam, obviously.”

“Liam cheated on you,” Kirby says with a blank expression.

“Which is why I want to deliver the news to him myself to watch his reaction.”

“Thank you for reminding me that you are in fact a Carrington,” Kirby says

“Could you not tell by my chauffeur driving us to a concert?”

Kirby glances at Fallon and laughs as she turns towards the window once more, lost in her thoughts of happiness until she snaps out of it, feeling the fingertips of the brunette fall into her own. Looking back at Fallon, who is answering emails on her phone with her other hand, the redhead thinks about how they are the missing puzzle pieces in each other’s lives. This is the sense of normalcy she’s wanted all along. Kirby draws circles on the back of her hand, smiling to herself as she stares out the window for the rest of the ride.

It’s not until the women get there and see the crowd of people screaming outside State Farm Arena that they realize maybe their relationship leaking might not be the inconvenience of the night.

“If they are screaming like this before the show even starts, I might leave without an eardrum,” Fallon says as she scans the room.

“This isn’t one of Sam’s dinner monologues. People actually want to be here.” Kirby says, recalling the time she and Fallon kept track of the amount of eye rolls he got from Alexis.

Fallon leans into the redhead's ear. Kirby being Kirby, she fell for it. “Try to keep your voice down. People might mistake you for a fan.”

Kirby nudged her, her cheeky grin covering her face. “I am a fan, and you will be after this.”

“Please,” Fallon scoffs. “Do you think I’d pay money out of my pocket for this level of chaos? I have a reputation to uphold.”

Kirby opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by quite possibly the most blaring, masculine voice she’d ever heard.

“Fallon Carrington.”

The women turn around to see none other than Robby Reid. The cocky grin, the shirt that’s probably cutting off his circulation—it was like he’d stepped out of 2010 and into their personal space.

Fallon glares at the man, surprised and appalled at the timing of this situation. “Robby. What are you doing here?” Seriously, what place does a self-proclaimed “alpha male” have at a Billie Eilish concert?

He rubbed the back of his neck, giving a sheepish smile. “Oh, just... tagging along with some friends. Billie’s not exactly my usual scene, but I figured, why not?” And you? Didn’t peg you as the concert-going type.”

Fallon cleared her throat, making sure she heard that remark correctly before responding. “Business perk. Not exactly my usual scene either, but who says I can’t let loose now and then?”

Kirby watched the exchange with mild curiosity, inching closer to Fallon as Robby seemed to grow more comfortable.

“Well,” he said, leaning slightly, “it’s good to see you. You know, last time we talked... I might’ve been a little too, uh, forward. At the club? A few years back?”

Kirby watches in distress as she realizes just how much of Fallon’s life she missed. She resented the woman for so long and she doesn't know why.

Fallon raised a perfectly arched brow. “Forward is a kind word for it, Robby. But go on.”

He laughed nervously. “Yeah, I probably deserved that. I just thought maybe I should, you know, make up for it. How about I grab you a drink?”

Fallon’s smirk turned sharper, but before she could respond, Robby added quickly, “As friends, of course. No funny business.”

“Oh, Robby,” Fallon said with a slight pout “I hate to break it to you, but I’m not in the market for friends—or drinks.”

Kirby chuckled softly, catching Robby’s attention. His gaze flicked between them, a flicker of realization dawning in his eyes.

“Unless…” he began hesitantly, “you’re here with—”

Fallon cut him off, her hand casually slipping into Kirby’s. “My girlfriend,” she said smoothly, her voice ringing with certainty.

Kirby’s face lit up in surprise before she quickly recovered, squeezing Fallon’s hand and grinning. “Feel free to join us if you want.”

Robby blinked, his awkward smile faltering. “Oh. Well... good for you. Both of you.”

Fallon tilted her head, her smirk softening into something resembling triumph. “Thanks, Robby. Now, if you’ll excuse us, my girlfriend and I have a concert to enjoy.”

With that, Fallon tugged Kirby toward the bar, leaving Robby standing awkwardly in the crowd. Kirby leaned in as they walked, whispering, “Girlfriend, huh? Look at you breaking your own rules before the show even starts.”

Fallon shot her a sidelong glance, her lips curving up. “Don’t get used to it. It’s strictly situational.”

“Right,” Kirby teased, “totally situational.”

As the lights dimmed and Billie Eilish took the stage, the conversation drifted away, replaced by the pulse of the music. Kirby was swaying to the beat, her movements unselfconscious and graceful in a way that Fallon found mesmerizing. She couldn’t look away. The redhead’s hair caught the flashing lights, and her laughter, bubbling over during the more upbeat moments, was infectious.

For the first time in a long time, Fallon felt…content. Not just content. Happy. This was the kind of love she’d spent her whole life believing wasn’t real—effortless, joyful, and worth the risk.

By the time the final song began, Fallon had made up her mind. Billie’s voice filled the venue, haunting and soft, singing

Fallon, almost without thinking, slipped her arm around Kirby’s waist and drew her close. Kirby glanced down, startled at first, but her expression softened as their eyes met.

At that moment, it clicked. The world might have opinions. The Carrington family will always be dysfunctional. But none of it mattered. A love like this—free, light, and real—wasn’t worth hiding.

Kirby smiled, leaning in as Fallon tilted her head, their lips meeting in a kiss that felt like a quiet rebellion against everything and everyone outside the bubble of their little world.

As the final notes of the song played, they didn’t pull apart. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they swayed together, lost in the music and the certainty that whatever came next, it was worth it.

The morning sunlight poured into Fallon’s bedroom, casting a soft glow over the tangled sheets. Kirby groaned as her phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand. Fallon rolled over, grabbing her phone to find it equally assaulted with notifications. She immediately opens a text from Sam.

Kirby squinted at her screen. “Look at what People posted. ‘Fallon Carrington spotted with mystery woman at Billie Eilish concert. More details to come.’ Does it really count as a mystery if I’ve lived here the whole time?”

Fallon smirked, scrolling through her messages. “And Alexis has called for a family meeting. Of course.”

Kirby glanced at her, worried. “Are you freaking out?”

“About Alexis? Never.” Fallon said, tossing her phone aside and pulling Kirby back into her arms. “This is worth it. You’re worth it.”

Kirby laughed, burying her face in Fallon’s neck. “I can’t believe we’re laughing about this.”

“Get used to it,” Fallon said, grinning. “Nobody is ruining this.”

The laughter carried them through the morning…

..and the rest of their lives.