Work Text:
On Wednesday they have a miraculous midweek day off together, and Kate suggests a hike.
Jo glances outside at the freezing morning - there’s still snow on the pavement that the pale sunlight is struggling to melt, and the wind is blowing rather harshly.
“You really want to be out and exposed to all that, on the one day this week you don’t have to be?” She wrinkles her nose.
Kate huffs at her. “We’ve been inside practically all week Jo. I need to get out or I’ll be running around these rooms like a puppy with the zoomies.”
Jo considers. “Why don’t we go for a walk around the park and find somewhere nice for lunch after?”
Kate laughs. “Alright, you’ve twisted my arm.”
“I’ll bring some bird seed for the ducks…”
Kate rolls her eyes affectionately. “How old are you? Six or forty six?”
Jo punches her lightly on the arm. “That pond will be all ice today. Don’t tell me you want the ducks to starve.”
“I suspect they’ll be well fortified enough with bread from children on school holiday walks to last them a whole year soon.”
“Well, I’m bringing the seeds. Just in case.”
“Of course.” Kate kisses her on the cheek. “Put them in my bag whilst I go and grab my docs from the cupboard.”
___________________
Outside, the roads are rather treacherous in the ice and what’s left of yesterday's snow. Jo links their elbows together for stability, although it does little good when Kate steps rather too confidently onto a frozen puddle and sends herself skidding across it, almost flinging Jo to the ground with her flailing.
“Christ Kate!” Jo squawks at her as she regains her balance.
“Shit, sorry. I forget every year that even docs don’t grip to pure ice.”
“Now can you see why I didn’t want to be struggling up hills and skidding along trails in this weather?” Jo comments, as she retakes Kate’s hand.
“It is worse than I thought out here, I don’t fancy my chances anywhere an ambulance can’t reach me today either anymore.”
“Kate! Don’t speak things into existence.”
Kate leans over to kiss Jo’s forehead. “Sorry, I’m sorr-” Her words turn into a yelp as she skids again on the slippery pavement.
Jo just rolls her eyes. “I don’t fancy sitting in a&e for hours and hours today, so if you would consider taking some responsibility for your limbs…”
Kate eyes the rest of the road warily. “Perhaps we should just go home.”
“No! You wanted to come out, and I’m over exaggerating really.”
Kate squeezes her hand. “Well, if I do end up off sick with a broken bone, at least I’ll be at home ready and waiting with coffee and croissants for you to come back to every day. You’d like me as your stay at home housewife, you know you would.”
Jo smirks at her. “And what if I would? Not at the expense of your health though, so please be careful-” And then, as Kate stumbles again “- I’m going to have to cancel your actual present and buy you a pair of shoes with ice picks on the soles at this rate, Christ…”
__________________
They reach the park with few further wobbles, and Kate is right - despite the cold, it’s a lovely day to be out. The pale winter sun sparkles on the snow that is yet to melt off the trees, and the small frozen pond glitters silver in the light.
They wander in and out of the trees in companionable silence, joined for a while by a small sausage dog carrying a stick impressively longer than its body. It drops the stick at Kate’s feet, and Jo laughs at the way its ears bounce as it runs after it. The stick is next returned to Jo, who earns herself a smirk from Kate when she throws it in quite the opposite direction to what she meant to, and sends the poor little dog off into the undergrowth to find it.
“Don’t laugh.” She grumbles. “You know my aim is horrific.”
It’s just as they’re walking out of the trees back towards the pond that it happens. There’s mud everywhere, kicked up by early morning dog walkers, and the hint of midday warmth has melted it into a claggy mess with the slushy snow.
It’s a single wrong step that does it. Kate spots the ducks on the lake, and flings out an arm to gesture to them, losing concentration on her footing and -
Splat.
Down she goes, on her arse in the mud.
“Shit! Kate!” Jo's crouched down beside her in a second. “Are you ok?”
It takes Kate a few seconds to open her eyes and gain her bearings, thoroughly winded by her undignified descent onto the ground.
“Christ.”
That’s embarrassing, the little voice in her head wastes no time telling her.
Jo offers her an arm to pull herself up, and after a couple of false starts she’s back on her feet.
“You sure you’re ok?” Jo looks at her with concern, checking for signs of distress.
Kate laughs. “Arse bone intact, dignity not so much.”
Jo rolls her eyes. “As long as nothing truly hurts?” She cranes her neck to look at Kate’s behind, and promptly dissolves into laughter. “Oh my god Kate, you’re absolutely covered.” Her phone is out in a trice, first snapping a picture of the back of Kate’s mud covered trousers and then her disgruntled face.
“Oh god, I can’t sit in a cafe like this.” Kate grumbles when Jo shows her the photo.
Jo slaps her on the butt, before wiping her hand on the back of her (only slightly less muddy) coat and kissing the surprised look off her face. “No. Let’s go home. Shit tv and a takeaway?”
“And a bath?” Kate looks so hopeful that Jo giggles at her.
“Ok, but only if you shower first. Much as I love you, I’m not sitting in a bath full of mud and twigs.”
Kate kisses Jo’s cheek, before smearing mud onto the tip of her nose and earning herself a squeak of disgust.
“Deal.”