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Kara dusted her hands off on her jeans and re-counted the meticulously kneaded balls of grey clay on her plaster board. The breeze carried in the crisp smell of early fall through the open bay doors of her little studio. Fluffy clouds were scudding across the blue sky and Kara knew it was going to be a good Saturday. She could feel it in her bones.
Kara’s studio was a well-loved space of organized chaos, her painting supplies in one corner and her electric potter’s wheel in another. A large series of wooden shelving took up most of the wall space holding pots and materials and a respectively sized electric kiln was tucked out of the way behind a heat resistant dividing wall. A wide table laden with more pots in varying degrees of finished states jutted out into the room and a low rolling cart full of tools and a bucket of water sat ready to go.
Kara had tried taking a wheel throwing class just for the fun of it a couple years ago and immediately had gotten hooked. She enjoyed how she could form something from nothing, something functional that didn’t always turn out pretty but almost always had a purpose. Sometimes it was the so-called zen state some potters often spoke about that helped her relax and have fun, but it was definitely the reward of being able to drink out of a cup she made that counted the most. Not to mention the fact that she had complete control over the clay. And if she accidentally screwed up, it was only clay. It had been a humbling experience to remember that and a helpful activity where her super strength wasn’t the biggest thing to work against.
That one class of a couple nights for three months had kick-started her artistic drive again. She had always enjoyed painting when she was settling on Earth, when she was stressed, or when she just needed to not think for a while. However starting a family with your wife and best friend was definitely an event that required most if not all of her attention. After the twins had their second birthday Kara started the long process of putting her own little studio together with Lena’s encouragement. It wasn’t until their youngest girl had turned one that Kara truly started settling into it, often roping the boys along when Lena needed a break. She even had a photo album on her phone titled claybies . But that had been a stretch, and now their youngest had just started kindergarten.
The sound of their back door opening and shutting caught her attention. The patter of young feet and the jangle of dog collars raced across the patio to the ball bin. Excited voices started calling out overly-elaborate rules for Horse and Kara predicted that she might be intervening an argument later if they couldn’t play fairly. Hopefully they would, especially if their little sister was playing. The familiar hollow thump and pitched reverberation of a basketball hitting the pavement started as one of her children dribbled out to the driveway basketball hoop and the pattering of feet were off. Kara had just quickly loaded her clay onto her tool cart when the familiar soft footsteps of her wife ventured into the studio.
“Here you are.”
A warm body pressed into her back and slender arms wound around her stomach. Lena’s faint perfume was a welcome fragrance cutting through the earthy studio and Kara still blushed happily when her wife pressed a lingering kiss to the nape of her neck.
“Here I am. Is everyone outside?” Kara leaned into her and rested her dusty hands on Lena’s forearms.
“For the time being. Winn texted me and said he and James would bring Delilah over soon.”
Kara turned easily in Lena’s embrace and encircled her arms around her neck, stepping in as close as she could. Lena was all soft curves and comfy clothes, her dark hair pulled back in a loose tail and her bright green eyes were smiling behind large rimmed glasses. She had a few more freckles, a few more laugh lines, but motherhood had been good to her. It had been good to the both of them, and the curious fingers on her hips made her remember the other night with a blush and how Lena had tried to count each of her silvery stretch marks with a kiss. Lena must have known exactly what she was remembering as a smug smirk tugged at her pink lips.
“Not that I don’t enjoy making you blush, but I actually came in here for a reason.”
“And what reason is that?” Kara asked, her eyes dropping to Lena’s teasing mouth.
Just when she thought she was going to get a kiss, Lena slipped out of her arms.
“I want to make a pot. A new mug, specifically. I want it to have Rex and Krypto and Streaky on it, so if you’d help me paint them I’d love that.”
Kara blew her breath out with an exaggerated purse of her lips. “That was rude.”
“Your hands are dirty.”
“I can wash them!”
“The little people are outside.”
“...that’s… yeah okay. Fine. And yes, I’ll help you paint the fur babies.”
“Thank you.” Lena slipped back in front of her and pressed another lingering kiss to her lips. “But don’t worry, you can use your hands later.”
Kara quirked a brow as Lena turned and sauntered off towards the potter’s wheel, her eyes pulling low to the sway of her wife’s hips.
“I can feel you staring.”
Kara shuffled after her with a grin. “I love watching you walk away.”
“ Ugh . I married a horndog.”
Kara cackled and rolled the tool cart over to the wheel as Lena settled herself on the stool. She took a moment to get the essentials settled and handed Lena a ball of firm grey clay. Lena took it and immediately threw it down onto the near-center of the wheel head with a loud slap .
“I like doing that.” She murmured with a grin. “Now remind me as I go, please? It’s been a while.”
“You’re just saying that so we can touch hands.” Kara teased and got her hands wet in the bucket.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Lena raised her nose in teasingly insincere austerity and got her own hands wet.
“Alright, have it your way, Mrs. Luthor. Hands on the clay.”
“Mmm. Bossy.”
Kara rolled her eyes but Lena simply smirked in that frustratingly attractive way that always made Kara’s stomach swoop and started the wheel. She leaned over on her elbows and started compressing the lump of clay to the center of the wheel, her hands jostling until her pressure started to smooth it. It was still a bit wobbly, but Kara smiled.
“See! You still remember.”
Lena gave her a bit of a deadpan look. Kara splashed a little more water onto the clay.
“Get ready to cone up, squeeze just enough with the heels of your hand and-there you go. Just let the clay slide between your fingers. Not too much pressure, now.”
Another grin tugged at Lena’s mouth and managed to move the clay up into a column. Kara helped her readjust her hands to compress it back down and let curiosity get the better of her.
“What is is?”
“ Just let your fingers slide through the clay.”
It was practically a purr and head coiled low in Kara’s belly. Wait...
“I don’t know if you’re a Molly or a Sam, but you’re definitely a Patrick Swayze with those abs.”
A blush crawled up Kara’s neck. “Ah. Ghost. You know that was totally unintentional, right.”
“I don’t know, was it?”
Kara knew an invitation when she heard one.
She rose to her feet and circled slowly behind the potter’s wheel. Instead of searching for one of the other stools she had somewhere, she squished onto Lena’s. Her wife laughed and scooted forward to the edge of her seat, allowing Kara just barely enough room. Kara pressed herself flush to her back, feeling and hearing both of their heart rates pick up. She reached around Lena and propped her chin up on her shoulder. Lena turned her head to catch her eye and got distracted when Kara slid her hands down her forearms to splay over her the backs of her hands. She pressed a kiss behind Lena’s ear and listened to her breath catch in her chest.
“I know Sam does nothing but distract Molly and knock her clay over, but maybe I can skip that part?” Kara dropped a heavy kiss on the side of Lena’s neck.
Every inch of where Kara was pressed into her was nothing but heat and the low aching pull to lay Lena out on the wide table and show her how much better she was than Patrick Swayze. Her wife hummed low in her chest and tilted her head as Kara continued to press kisses into the side of her neck and over to the corner of her jaw. She nipped at Lena’s ear and grinned when she sucked in a quick breath and shivered against her. The clay got more and more wobbly under their hands as their attention turned towards each other. Lena turned her head and leaned in to kiss Kara over her shoulder-
“MOOOOM HE WON’T STOP TOUCHING MEEE-”
Kara sagged against Lena and dropped her chin onto her shoulder, her wife’s warm breath puffing across her forehead.
“...dammit.”
Lena laughed and shrugged her shoulder a bit. Kara straightened up and carefully slid off the back of the stool. Lena readjusted and craned her face up, her cheeks pink and her face full of mirth.
“Kiss me before you go play Supergirl.”
Kara leaned down and kissed her, and kissed her again, and then a third time with more vigor than what was most likely appropriate but totally necessary and had Lena curling a slippery hand on the back of Kara's neck. The last kiss left them both a little breathless and Kara was already planning how many more she could sneak throughout the rest of their day.
“I’ll be back.” Kara winked and hustled out into the sunshine and crisp breeze, dodging a fluffy white dog with a windmilling tail.
Yes, today would be a good day.