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4pm. It was a November evening, hence the quick takeover of the invading darkness replacing the overcast skies which had been present for most of the day. The tension on the case at hand, combined with the additional pressures of her promotion to temporary Superintendent was beginning to eat away at Jo. She was exhausted. Usually, around this time in her old position she’d be collecting her belongings and giving Kate a gentle tap on the shoulder as not to startle her, notifying her she was ready to leave whenever the DI was. The pair had begun living together two months prior after elegantly dancing around their feelings for months. From the moment Jo first set eyes on the DI when she transferred from AC-12, she was falling. Mesmerized by her eyes, the way she smiled and scrunched her nose up, the little faces she made while concentrating on scribbling notes down in briefings. The way she paid such attention to detail, the way she actually listened, actually cared. Slowly they grew closer, being drawn into one another, fascinated and ecstatic by one anothers mere existence, it was clear to anyone who witnessed their interactions that they had fallen for one another, and they had fallen equally as hard. They tried to ignore the addictive spark they both shared, the lingering touches that were more than instances of friendly reassurance and the nights they’d spend in poxy restaurants sat in deep conversation about everything and nothing that were slowly creeping in to be a regular occurrence. The pining overwhelmed them both, causing them to disregard their concerns as to how they'd be seen or the way it might appear in work, and choosing their hearts. Jo always said it was the best decision she had ever made. Following the official beginning of their relationship, Kate offered for Jo to move in six months after, feeling the time was appropriate for the both of them, and upon hearing the news, Josh was radiating with excitement. The pair got on like a house on fire, instantly connecting through their mutual love of the board game monopoly and the appreciation they evidently both shared for Kate. Her Kate. Her girlfriend.
How she wished she still occupied her previous title so she could do just that. Go home and put her feet up with a glass of wine, curled up in the comforting softness of her girlfriends arms, inhaling her sweet scent and dozing off, not following the documentaries that plastered the tv screen. They were always too caught up in one another's presence to actually ingest the content of the programmes, they acted as a subtle soundtrack to their evening events if nothing else. But instead, she reckoned she was stuck in the office shifting through interviews, files, emails for at least another two hours. Whilst she was in a state of eternal gratitude for her promotion, it didn't stop her despising parts of the job that accompanied it, and the overrunning authority she now had on the case was a primary stressor she wished she could eliminate. Coffee wasn't taking the edge off her tiredness anymore, and Kate knew that more than anyone. She witnessed it from the inside. Every night this week Jo had been late back, heating up the meal Kate had made for her in the microwave before crashing into bed next to her beloved, ready for the obnoxious chime of her 5AM alarm to wake them both up for another day of solving high profile cases. They missed their nights in together, and Kate was growing increasingly concerned for her girlfriend, who’s eyebags were becoming more prominent as the days passed and headaches more frequent from staring endlessly at screens littered in information she found difficult to digest. Josh missed her too, often he was already in bed fast asleep by the time she was back home, leaving her time to silently stand in his doorway and blow him a kiss. He was obviously oblivious to the affectionate action, but she missed him too. He was basically her son, for god's sake.
Her mind drifted away from the interview she was rewatching, the words being spoken being senseless, not registering in her eardrums and instead sounding like more of a demo song by an upcoming band than anything else. She was thinking of three things, Kate, home time and sleep. They were stealing her focus and elongating every second that passed. It shattered her that when Kate inevitably came knocking at her office asking if she was going to be late again, she’d have to nod her tired head and shoot her a sympathetic, wide-eyed smile. She just wanted to crumple into Kates arms and forget the world.
Speaking of which, she was roused from her thoughts regarding the inevitable events of the night by a knock at her door. Unsurprisingly, it was said girlfriend had just knocked on the door, her cute little smile fuelling the fluttering sensation deep in Jo’s chest. For a moment she was rejuvenated, from the refreshing glance portrayed by her partners glittering eyes and her smile alone. She smiled and cocked her head back, motioning to her girlfriend it was fine to enter, a signal they had become all too familiar with since Kate began in MIT. It used to give the DI a surge of anxiety, however now it is a calming practice, one that gives her the strength to get through even the toughest of days. Closing the door behind her, Kate began “You alright?” to which she already knew the true answer, but as always, Jo simply nodded her head slowly and shot a sympathetic smile back at her.
“Yeah” she yawned.
“Is it going to be another late one tonight?” she asked softly, although the large stack of paperwork towering up on Jo’s desk answered the question for her. Jo couldn't even bring herself to say yes, so simply nodded again, before finally saying “I’m sorry, you head back now, it's getting late, i’ll be home in two hours max”
Kate wandered further into the office, walking round the desk to be stood next to Jo’s chair, to which the occupant swivelled around slowly to face her. Leaning down, Kate pressed a single kiss to her cheek, before whispering “I’m so proud of you, yknow?”, pulling away to rest her knuckles against the soft skin of her partner's cheek, stroking it softly for a few seconds affectionately before turning round to leave the room. Grabbing hold of the door handle, she smiled “I’ll see you at home, I love you.”
“Love you” she smiled back, a genuine, full smile that took all of her strength. Hearing the four letter word was something Jo had still not gotten used to, and she didn't think she ever would. Every time she heard it (and she heard it a lot) it still felt fresh, like it was their first confession. She wished she could exist in that bliss forever. Gently closing the door behind her, the light of her life was away home, and all she could do was let out a sigh of a tired boredom, before continuing on with the interview she was watching, not giving the paperwork a second glance.
-
Kate was worried, worried about her girlfriend overworking herself, to which she was on a pretty good track to do so, the way she was carrying on. She wanted to treat her, pamper her and relieve her of the stresses the new position exerted on her. Just have a quiet night in, the two of them, with a glass of white wine and an inviting looking spaghetti carbonara ready for when her beloved walked in. Formulating the idea in her mind in enough time, she diverted her journey home to include Tesco, grabbing the necessary ingredients before proceeding to their flat. She had been relieved of parental duties for the night, as Josh was at Marks for the week, a new routine they had curated to ensure he got to equally see both parents, to which was working brilliantly for both parties, despite Kate (and Jo) missing him dearly on the weeks he wasn't bounding round the house or leaving the TV on when he wasn't watching it. As a result, it gave her the time for herself to chef up the carbonara, her most perfected dish and put on a relaxing playlist from the spotify account. In her element, she cooked to the thought of her girlfriend walking in through the door and casting her bag aside, greeting her with a soothing hug, alike they always did when this happened.
Jo walked in the door to the savory smell of her girlfriends infamous pasta dish, and if she wasn't smiling beforehand, she was now. She could hear the soft tones of Kate humming, something that radiated safety, comfort and home for the other girl. She didn't want to disrupt this moment, it was delicate, precious and something she’d treasure for the rest of her days. The simplicity of the situation only added to the euphoria it made her feel, she couldn't explain why, but she didn't want to disturb her girlfriend from her calm state. Slowly creeping in, she stood in the kitchen doorway, simply observing the scene in front of her, which had her welling up at the sight. Her increased sensitivity did accumulate from the overwhelming tiredness pressing down on her bones, but it was just so beautiful, she couldn't not. Kate stood plating up the food, singing to herself- a habit Jo loved. The kitchen opened out into their lounge, to which she could see the fireplace lit and two candles burning as bright as their love for one another on the coffee table, alongside a bottle of white wine and two glasses. After finishing her job, Kate looked up and spotted her love. The atmosphere felt sacred, tender. One that would be obliterated if they spoke too loudly.
Setting the saucepan she was holding down, Kate softly spoke, “Hey, you. Talk about good timing.” a soft toothy grin followed, which melted Jo’s heart evermore.
“Thank you, for this, for everything.” Matching her partner's tone, she walked towards her, reaching out and wrapping her arms round her neck, leaning in to bury her head in the crook of her partner's neck, inhaling the faint smell of perfume remnants from that morning. It was one Jo bought her for her birthday, and it smelt like heaven. Kate had her arms situated around her partners waist, leaning her head on top of her girlfriends. No words were shared for a few moments, they just stood enveloped in one anothers comfort, and it was exactly what Jo needed after her busy few weeks. To finally just stop, and breathe. She instantly eased up, melting in Kates arms and realising just how exhausted she truly was. A few tears fell from her eyes, feeling so overwhelmed with tiredness and gratitude for the situation she was embedded in. SHe never thought her destiny was carved in this way, she thought her fate was ingrained with misery and loneliness. But she couldn't have been further from the truth. This was everything she ever wanted, everything she had ever dreamed of. She grew up not believing in love, yet craving it with every fibre of her being, hating herself for wanting something she deemed achievable. But Kate showed her love, made her believe in it, and all of its languages. And cooking dinner for her, mindful of her long days? That was what she loved about her, her big heart, her caring persona.
Pulling away from the embrace, Kate noticed the newfound redness to her partners eyes, and the small wet spot on her neck. “Hey, hey, what's wrong?” She whispered, a concerned look drawn over her features, lacing their hands together and squeezing them softly.
“I just love you so much. Thank you” she replied, honestly. The statement left both of them blushing, sharing a quiet laugh together.
“I love you too, you soppy git. I’m so proud of you, you’re working so hard, but you need a break too. I don't need my girlfriend making herself ill from exhaustion. Promise me you’ll take it easy for a bit, yeah?”
“Yeah” Jo breathed, nodding and unlacing their fingers to wipe the stray tears office her face.
“Now come on, let's eat, I ain’t having cooked this carbonara for nothing.” The pair giggled, carrying their plates through into the other room. And Jo couldn't have been more in love if she tried.
-
“Thank you, for tonight” Jo muttered to her girlfriend. They had come to bed by this point, lay on their separate pillows but facing one another. Kate had cupped Jo’s cheek, stroking it as a way to soothe her to sleep. Whenever she was overly tired or having a nightmare, it always did the trick in calming her down and sending her into a slumber. It was working, her words fading quickly and eyes fluttering shut, it slowly becoming too much effort to keep reopening them. Kate grinned at the sight.
“You don't have to thank me, it's my Job. Wanted to do something nice for you.” Silence. Bliss.
“I love you” Jo managed to whisper, pressing herself further into Kate's touch. Kissing her forehead, Kate smiled down fondly.
“I love you too, now close those eyes and get some rest, my love.” Unsurprisingly, there was no response apart from the soft snores of Jo, looking so peaceful and content in her fresh slumber, to which Kate followed soon after. Wrapped up together in their safe haven, a trend to continue for the rest of their lives.