Chapter Text
the restaurant isn’t open yet. the air inside the kitchen is still cool, free of the grease, smoke, and noise that always takes over later.
you’re sitting on the edge of the back prep table, legs swinging against the metal frame. you watch sevika work on a broken hinge near the bottom of the big ice machine. she’s sitting on an old plastic milk crate, grease already smudging her knuckles, a few tools scattered around her boots. there’s no rush right now. no shouting, no tickets piling up, no james making a fool of himself on the line. just the quiet clinking of her wrench.
weeks ago, you would have never dared to just sit in her space like this, let alone open your mouth. now, it’s just what you do.
"so, i was reading this thing," you start, your voice casual and warm in the quiet room. you're holding an apple, turning it over slowly in your hands. "did you know that sea otters hold hands when they sleep? like, they just float on their backs in the water and lock paws so they don't drift away from each other in the current."
sevika doesn’t look up from the bolt she’s tightening, but you catch the way the corner of her mouth twitches up.
"sea otters," she repeats, her rough voice low in her chest.
"yeah," you say, a small smile on your lips as you watch her work. "i just thought... it's kind of nice. having someone to hold onto so you don't get lost."
she lets out a short, low chuckle. it’s a sound that used to make your stomach drop, but now it just feels warm. she gives the bolt one final, hard turn, then tosses the wrench into her box with a loud clatter. standing up, she stretches her back, her shirt riding up just enough to show the solid line of her hip.
wiping her hands on a dark rag, she walks over to where you’re sitting. she doesn’t say anything at first. she just steps right between your thighs, her presence crowding out the rest of the empty room, making you feel small.
she reaches out, using the clean side of her wrist to tilt your chin up so you have to look at her. her dark eyes search yours, heavy but soft.
"your apron's twisted, sweetheart," she murmurs.
before you can even answer, she steps closer, her large hands reaching all the way around your waist. her fingers are warm through the thin fabric of your shirt, finding the messy knot you’d tied in a hurry.
she takes her time untangling the strings, her hip lightly brushing against your knees. when she finally pulls the strings tight to tie them in a neat bow, she uses the tug to pull you a little closer into her, just because she cann.
"go get the front tables ready," she says softly, her thumb brushing a stray piece of hair behind your ear. her touch lingers for a second against your skin. "we open the doors in ten."
-
the shift gets busy fast. the kitchen turns into a loud, hot mess of plates clattering and people shouting over the hiss of the grill. the cool air from the morning is totally gone. it’s just hot and sticky now, and your clothes are starting to stick to your back. you’re running around non-stop, your arms hurt from the heavy trays, and your feet are already burning.
right when it’s the most busy, james tries to carry a huge stack of plates. he cuts the corner too sharp and slams right into the big fridge. the plates rattle super loud but don't break. he fumbles around trying to hold onto them, his face turning bright red while he mumbles sorry to the cooks. he looks so stupid.
you stop by the kitchen window to grab a water pitcher, and when you look up, sevika is alraedy looking at you. she doesn't even care about james, she just keeps her eyes right on you through the steam coming off the grill.
she wipes her forehead with her arm, her eyes moving slow down your body before looking back at your face. it’s a quiet, secret look in the middle of all the noise. it makes a warm feeling twist in your stomach. your face gets hot as you turn around to go back to your tables.
by eleven o'clock, the restaurant finally gets quiet. you are totally wiped out. your legs ache and your feet hurt so bad. you just need five minutes to yourself where nobody is asking you for anything.
you slip away to the back and go into the staff bathroom. the heavy door shuts out the noise of the kitchen. the room is dim, and the little light bulb overhead makes a low, quiet hum. you walk over to the sink and turn on the cold water, scooping it up in your hands to splash on your face.
you lean over the sink for a long minute, holding onto the white porcelain and staring at your reflection on the wet surface, trying to catch your breath.
then, the lock on the door turns with a slow, heavy click.
you freeze, your eyes darting straight up to the mirror.
sevika walks in slow, closing the distance between you without making a single sound. she doesn't look angry; she just looks heavy and focused, her dark eyes locking onto yours through the glass. she steps right up against your back, her body heat hitting you like a warm wall.
she slides her big arms all the way around your waist, pulling your back flush against her front. she rests her chin on top of your shoulder, her rough cheek brushing softly against yours. you can smell the kitchen smoke and the familiar, clean scent of her soap. for a second, it feels so sweet. it feels just like the quiet kitchen from this morning before the doors opened.
"thought you could hide from me in here, sweetheart?" she murmurs, her deep voice vibrating right against your shoulder blade.
you let out a soft breath, letting your head lean back against her shoulder just a little. "i just needed a break. the shift was brutal."
"i saw," she says softly, her lips grazing the warm skin of your neck. "you did good out there tonight. real good."
it's so nice, so wholesome, that you almost forget about the tired ache in your legs. you feel safe in her arms, completely hidden away from the rest of the restaurant. you close your eyes for a second, just breathing her in.
but then, she shifts her weight, and your hips bump against something solid.
your eyes snap open, staring at her reflection. you blink, your brain trying to process the shape pressing into the back of your work skirt. it feels thick, heavy, and completely rigid. a sudden rush of heat hits your face, your heart doing a sudden, nervous flop in your chest.
"wait," you breathe out, your voice small and a little clumsy as you try to turn your head to look at her side profile. "sevika? are you... did you put that on during the shift?"
she doesn't chuckle or say a smooth line. she just lets out a low, heavy breath through her nose, her grip tightening on your waist so you can't twist away. she looks down at the sink, her jaw tight, a little bit of sweat dampening the hair at her temples.
instead of answering, she just leans her weight forward.
your hands instantly scramble for purchase, your fingers gripping the wet porcelain edges of the sink to keep your balance.you let out a shaky sigh, your head dropping forward as your knees go a little weak.
"yeah," she murmurs, her voice dropping into a rough, quiet whisper against your hair, her chest rising and falling heavy against your back. "i did. now stay still for me."
her big hands move down from your waist, her palms sliding slow over the fabric of your work skirt. she bunches the material up in her fists, pulling it up past your thighs until the cool air of the bathroom hits your bare skin. you shiver, your fingers digging harder into the wet edges of the porcelain sink.
"sevika," you breathe out, your voice shaking a little.
"i got you," she murmurs against your neck.
she reaches down between your legs, her fingers finding the edge of your underwear. she doesn't tease you; she just slips her hand under the fabric, her warm fingers pressing right against you.
you let out a soft whine, your hips tilting into her touch without even thinking. you're already slick, completely ready for her from the long hours of watching her move around the kitchen.
she rubs her thumb over you slow, once, twice, making your knees go completely soft.
"look at me," she orders quietly, her voice rough.
you lift your head, your vision a little blurry as you look at her in the mirror. her dark eyes are locked onto yours, heavy and intense.
she pulls her hand away, leaving you shivering and aching for more. before you can even complain, she positions the solid length of the strap right against your opening.
she takes a deep, steady breath, her jaw clenching as she grips your hips with both hands, anchoring you firmly against the sink.
"hold onto the counter," she whispers.
then, she pushes forward.
the thick, blunt head of the strap slides inside you in one slow, heavy motion. you gasp out loud, the sound echoing in the small bathroom as your body stretches to take her in.
it fills you completely, stretching you so full that you can feel the solid pulse of her body behind every inch of it.
sevika stops for a long second, letting you get used to the size. she buries her face in the crook of your neck, her breath hot and ragged against your skin as she waits for you to relax around her.
"you okay?" she grunts, her fingers digging deep into your hips.
you can only nod, a small, desperate sound coming out of your throat as you tilt your head back against her solid chest.
once she hears that sound, she starts to move.
she growls, the sound low and animalistic in her chest, and any trace of the gentle kitchen routine completely vanishes. she shifts her footing, planting her heavy work boots wider on the floorboards, and grabs your hips even tighter.
she pulls back until the wet tip of the silicon is barely catching your lips, and then she slams back into you.
the sound of her pelvic bone and the thick leather harness crashing against your bare ass cheeks is loud and incredibly dirty in the small, cramped bathroom. you scream into the empty room, your head throwing back against her shoulder, your vision going completely white as she bottoms out inside you.
"fuck, you're so wet," she snarls, her voice dripping with pure filth. she doesn't check on you this time. she just starts hammering into you, fast and heavy, the rhythm completely frantic now.
every single thrust pushes you forward, smashing your stomach hard against the cold porcelain edge of the sink. you can't even hold your balance; your wet hands slip on the counter, your fingers desperately trying to claw at the soap dispenser, the pipes, anything to keep from collapsing under the sheer force of her weight.
the friction is insane. with every deep, wet slide, the strap drags through the thick pool of your juices, making a sloppy, loud squelching sound that fills the room, mixed with the heavy rattling of the plumbing under the sink.
she is stretching you wide open, ruining you, hitting your sweet spot over and over until your thighs start violently shaking.
"please—sevika, please," you sob out, your voice broken, completely undone by how deep she’s burying it.
"take it," she pants, her breath hot, wet
she wraps one massive hand around the front of your throat, not choking you, but pinning your head back so you have to look at her in the mirror while she wrecks you. "look at how you're taking it. look at how dirty you look for me".
in the mirror, your face is completely flushed, your eyes blown out and crying from the pleasure. you watch her jaw clench, the veins in her neck popping as she pumps her hips into you without a single drop of mercy.
she looks completely feral, her hair falling into her face, sweating through her work uniform as she uses your body to get off.
she takes her other hand and reaches down between your bodies, circling her thumb hard against your clit while she keeps up the brutal slamming.
the double stimulation is too much, completely degrading in the best way possible.
"i'm gonna come," you scream, your hips bucking back against the leather harness, desperately trying to chase the friction. "sevika, i'm going to—"
"do it," she commands, her voice dropping into a guttural grunt as she delivers three massive, bottoming-out thrusts, her thumb grinding down like she wants to bruise you. "come on my strap, sweetheart. soak it for me."
you collapse against her, your breath coming in ragged, ugly gasps. the room feels like it’s spinning. you aren’t even sure you’re standing up anymore, just held together by her grip on your waist and the way she’s pressed against your back.
she stays right there, anchoring you. she doesn't pull away or leave you to stumble. instead, she lets out a long, shaky breath of her own, burying her face into the crook of your neck. her skin is hot and slick with sweat, but the hard, dominant edge in her posture completely softens.
"i got you," she murmurs, her voice incredibly deep and rough, but the tone is pure velvet now. "i've got you, sweetheart. just breathe."
she waits, keeping you pressed safely against her front while your heart rate slowly stops hammering. with her free hand, she reaches up and gently pushes your messy hair away from your face, her thick fingers tracing your jawline with a softness that feels almost jarring after how intense she just was.
slowly, carefully, she pulls out to give you some space, but her touch never leaves your skin. she reaches down to help you straighten your work skirt, her large hands smoothing the fabric down over your thighs with a quiet, grounding care.
"look at me," she whispers.
she grabs a paper towel, runs it under the tapand steps right back into your space. she doesn't say a word as she gently takes your hands and wipes the sticky soap and sweat from your knuckles.
then, she uses a clean corner of the towel to softly dab at your flushed cheeks and the sweat at your temples.
"there," she says quietly, tossing the towel into the bin. she cups your face in both of her big palms, her thumbs wiping away the stray tears at the corners of your eyes. "you did so good for me. you're okay?"
you nod, resting your hands over her wrists just to feel how solid she is.
"good," she murmurs, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead. she lets her lips stay there for a second, just holding you close. "now, let's get you cleaned up. we still have three minutes before the manager starts looking for us."
you take one last deep breath to steady yourself, fixing your shirt while sevika reaches over and unlocks the door. when she opens it, the familiar hum of the restaurant kitchen hits you again, but it feels distant now, like you’re both in your own little world.
you step out into the hallway together, walking slow and heavy-legged back toward the line. the adrenaline is fading, leaving your body warm and completely relaxed. sevika walks right beside you, her shoulder brushing yours with every step, her usual tough posture back in place for anyone who might look.
you look up at her profile, a thought finally crossing your mind now that your brain is actually working again. you bump your shoulder against hers to get her attention.
"hey," you whisper, keeping your voice low so the dishwashers can't hear. "why were you even wearing a strap during the dinner rush anyway? like... did you just plan that the whole time?"
sevika doesn't look at you right away. she just keeps walking, her eyes fixed ahead on the kitchen doors, but a slow, lazy smirk spreads across her face.
she leans down just a fraction, her voice dropping into a quiet, dry rumble.
"manifestation, sweetheart. you should try it sometime. clearly works."
you choke back a laugh, your face turning bright red all over again. sevika just gives you a quick, knowing nudge with her shoulder, slaps a fresh side towel over her arm, and steps right back onto the line like nothing happened.