Work Text:
Kate is home, making breakfast when she hears the front door open. You don’t say anything, which usually means that you’re exhausted. She hears your bag plop on the floor and she hears your shoes thump against the wall as you kick them off without untying them, the door closing. You trudge your way into the kitchen and Kate turns to see you, her face softening at your expression. You look absolutely winded, there’s some type of dried fluids on your uniform—it’s been noticeably stripped of your radio which is likely half-hazardly stuffed in your bag that you left by the front door.
“Hey.” You whisper, walking over—your hand rests on the small of her back and you give her cheek a kiss. “Hey,” Kate replies softly in return, her eyes flickering between the food on the stove top and you. She knows you’re dirty, a “walking biohazard” both of you had joked about, but she doesn’t mind it when you lean against her body, your head resting on her shoulder. “How was your shift?” Kate prods gently, the food in the pan sizzling. You hum and let out a heavy sigh; that’s how she knows it likely wasn’t the best. “It was.. Certainly a shift.” You chuckle tiredly, your eyes watching her hands move. “Would rather talk about it later, if that’s okay.”
Kate hums in response at first. “‘Course, hon. Decompress first.” She leans forward and turns the stove top on low heat, settling the pan back on the burner. Kate turns to you and wraps an arm around you, bringing you close whilst her other hand gently cups the back of your head. Your face remains buried in her shoulder as you wrap your arms around her in return, hanging loosely on her hips as you grab one of your wrists so they don’t fall off of her. Kate’s fingers trail down to the nape of your neck and they pinch and massage the muscle that remains there, causing you to melt against her with a quiet sigh. You relish the feeling of her fingers working your tense neck, Kate’s fingertips occasionally dipping down to your spine.
“You think you can take a shower?” Kate murmurs as to not startle you out of the calm mood you seemingly are slipping into. You take a moment to think about it because every muscle in your body is screaming at you. Can you handle taking a shower? The words “by yourself” hang heavy in the air, unspoken but acknowledged. You nod into Kate’s shoulder after a few seconds, earning a kiss against your scalp. “I’ll get it ready for you, get you some clothes. Just go hang tight in the bathroom, hon.”
You nod again and you reluctantly slink away from her, your legs feeling like molten lead as you walk towards the hall and into the second door on your left; the bathroom. Your hand feels for the light switch on the wall which you flip on, your eyes squinting when the light blinds you for a moment. You look at yourself in the mirror and you cringe at the fluids that are dried onto your dark blue jacket, causing you to glance down and realize it’s all over the front of your dark blue cargo pants as well. You swear under your breath as you pick your head up and lazily begin to unzip your jacket, wiggling it off and letting it drop to the ground. You unbutton the short sleeved button up shirt you wore underneath and you also let that drop to the ground, as well as the compression shirt you wore as the underlayer.
You rub your face as you dread trying to reach around your back to unclasp your bra, so you decide to leave for you to take off last. You grab your belt, pulling the prong out of the hole and you quickly tug on it, the belt leaving the belt loops on your pants. You unzip and unbutton, shuffling out of your pants, as well as stepping on the loose corner of each sock to pull them off without much effort. Kate walks in with some of your favorite pajamas and some underwear, giving you a kiss on the cheek as she sets them on the closed toilet seat. You look at her and you press your lips together into a thin line for a moment. “Can you undo my bra?”
Kate smiles softly, already moving behind you. She unclasps your bra with ease, and you let it fall to the ground. You shiver as you feel her lightly pepper kisses against your shoulder, one of her hands coming up to grab your hip. You lean against her chest, as you’ve always loved the affection she gives you. Kate’s kisses trail up your neck to your cheek and jaw. “Beautiful as always.” She murmurs, her voice thick with happiness. You huff and you can’t help the cheeky smile that appears on your face.
Kate leaves one last kiss on your shoulder before she inhales. “Now,” She breathes out as you step out of your underwear. “Warm water?” You nod your confirmation, pinching the bridge of your nose to keep yourself a bit more alert. You have a tendency to fall asleep in the shower. Kate opens the shower door and turns the water on, the water rushing towards the drain with a soothing white noise effect. You blink as she feels the water, adjusting it slightly a couple of times. She then closes the shower curtain and pulls the little stopper, the water transferring from the bathtub faucet to the shower head. You move from where you’re standing to pull back the shower curtain, but Kate’s arm grabbing yours gently stops you.
You look at her curiously, and Kate sighs for a moment. “Please try to stay awake.” She utters, causing you to hold back a tired laugh. “Walking in here to check on you and seeing you curled up in the bathtub is scary.” Her tone is playful, but she has that tone she uses to scold her nieces and nephews, and you can’t help but chuckle. “I’ll try. No promises.” You murmur, giving her a kiss on the cheek before you take off your ring, place it on the sink counter, and then you slip into the bathtub and under the warm water.
Kate collects your dirty work clothes and undergarments and she exits the bathroom. She cracks the door instead of closing it, just in case you need her. She makes her way towards the laundry room and her face scrunches up at the mystery stains on the dark fabric, ultimately deciding to not question them as she tosses them in the hamper that’s right inside the laundry room. Kate then walks down the hall towards the kitchen and the living room, her eyes landing on the front door and the mud mat where your work bag sits. Kate makes a mental note to fetch your bag after she completes breakfast, which is when she turns to go back into the kitchen to return to cooking.
The warm water beads down your scalp and drips down your back, your butt, and your legs, swirling towards the bathtub drain. You roll your shoulders, a noise of discomfort leaving your throat as your muscles strain, a twinge of pain pulsing through the hard muscle of your right shoulder. You angle your back so the water runs down that particular shoulder, soothing the ache. You let your eyes shut, and then you go through the motions. You scrub your skin with some body soap, although with some reluctance because you just wanna rinse off and get out. You know you actually have to clean yourself. You open your eyes as you scrub your arms and you lightly smile at the view of your products standing next to Kate’s.
You always appreciated the little things, the way your products just existed together in the bathroom, how you could see what you preferred versus what she did; just little proof of living together warmed your heart. Like someone could walk into your shared home and say “yeah, two people live here”. You're not too sure why you love it so much. Maybe it’s the same unknowing reason why you like the tan line around your left ring finger when your ring isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’s the same reason why you like sleeping on Kate’s side of the bed when she’s not home, the same reason why you like stuffing your face into her pillow to smell the lingering scent of her shampoo.
You sigh softly before you blink and sniff the air, the smell of the food Kate’s cooking filters through the cracked open door of the bathroom. You decide with new eagerness—and a watering mouth—to finish up, which you do after washing your face off with the water. You turn off the shower and grab a towel, quickly drying yourself off with newfound energy. You slip the ring back onto your finger first, slip on your underwear, and then the pajamas. You open the bathroom door, making your way back to the kitchen. You groan in happiness when you see Kate preparing your plate for you. “You’re a lifesaver.” You say giddily, eager to eat. Kate barks out a laugh as you sit down in your seat which is across from hers.
“Funny, coming from you.” Kate retorts, making you smile as you grab your fork. Your eyes land on the cigarette pack that is stuffed in her shirt pocket and you huff. “Hate those things.” You murmur after eating a big bite of your food, motioning to the pack with your fork. Your face is scrunched up in distaste. Kate’s lip twitches as she knows you’ve always hated her smoking habit, half from being her wife and half from being a medical service provider. “I know, sweetie. I won’t smoke right now. Let’s just enjoy our food.”
You smile in victory and your left hand reaches forward and it’s almost like you and Kate are connected because her hand naturally gravitates towards yours, her fingers brushing over the wedding ring wrapped around your finger. Kate thinks it sparkles in the light just like how your eyes do.