Work Text:
A gentle glow bathes Shiv's face, coaxing her into consciousness. Her eyelids open slowly, struggling with the light, as she directs her gaze toward the window where Karolina sits. Perched on a petite sofa, absorbed in her phone as usual with a cup of coffee.
In Shiv's groggy state, Karolina takes on an otherworldly quality, as if she were a hallucination, just a beautiful figment of imagination. The play of light on her features creates an ethereal aura, casting a spell that temporarily suspends Shiv's in that moment.
The sense of calm that fills Shiv's chest is imminent, a sensation foreign to her regular morning routine, typically characterized by chaos and haste. In this serene moment and space, it feels as if time itself has paused, allowing Shiv to savour the stillness and appreciate the rare serenity of the morning.
"Hi," she says lazily.
Karolina turns to look, and a soft, warm smile appears on her face. "Good morning."
Shiv responds with a smile. Both of them stay silent, and the city noise becomes evident. For Shiv, silence is not normal; in fact, it's uncomfortable. She always tries to avoid it, but with Karolina, silence is, as always, almost pleasant, like an exquisite bite.
Karolina takes a sip of her coffee with a long *mmmm*.
"That's fucking rude, you know?" Shiv interjects.
"What?" Karolina raises an eyebrow.
"Sipping that coffee in front of someone parched, not exactly spreading the charity, huh?"
"I prefer contributing to a more profound cause than indulging in the whims of an obscenely rich redhead who grumbles about missing her coffee in bed," Karolina smirks in response.
Shiv can't help but roll her eyes. "Wow, how benevolent of you. I think I'm sleeping with fucking Mother Teresa."
They both burst into laughter, and after a few seconds, Shiv curls up, looking at Karolina, with a pout.
"So, no coffee for me?”
“If you ask nicely, maybe,” Karolina replies, playfully imitating Shiv's pout.
"The things that I do for coffee." Shiv adjusts herself on the bed, sitting properly and slightly covering her naked chest.
"Miss Novotney, would you be so kind as to enlighten my morning with an exquisite, warm cup of coffee?" Shiv requests with a British accent.
"Please, would it be enough," she says amidst laughter, getting up.
Karolina is wearing an oversized T-shirt with a worn-out logo of a rock band (the Smashing Pumpkins) that Shiv vaguely recognizes but has no idea about. She walks out of the room, while Shiv is adjusting the pillows and sitting down while waiting for Karolina.
Karolina returns to the room, holding an empty coffee cup and a partially filled French press.
She hands the cup to Shiv.
"What a little bit of manners can do.”
Shiv rolls her eyes playfully as Karolina pours the coffee. The aroma fills the room, and Shiv gazes at Karolina through the rising steam. Inhaling deeply, she curses herself, realizing that yet another thing is now connected to Karolina.
The mere scent of a cigarette now transports Shiv to the balcony with Karolina—an involuntary association of Karolina's perfect face tilting, eyes closing, as she takes a strong puff of nicotine. The smoke entering her lungs provides relief, and then the smoke exits delicately through her mouth or nose, some times both, carrying away the weight of a shitty day at Waystar.
Shiv takes a sip of the coffee, the perfect bitterness enveloping her mouth, and she knows that her brain is storing this moment. The image of Karolina with her tousled hair, her clean face where every expression line is as clear as the morning, the tiny freckles on her cheekbones, the lovely pink hue in her lips highlighted by the lip balm, with that horrendous yet lovely T-shirt, and the aroma of coffee are definitely memories that will be etched into her, turning a simple act into a complex dance of intertwined experiences.
Karolina sips her coffee and moves closer to Shiv, taking a seat on the other side of the bed. Both women sip their drinks in silence.
"So, what's your plan for today?" Shiv asks as she stretches in bed.
Karolina turns to look at her, tilting her head slightly in question.
"Not much, just a chill day after a shitty week."
Shiv takes another sip of her coffee.
"Oh, come on, be specific. I want to know what Karolina Novotney does on a Sunday." Shiv playfully remarks.
Karolina smiles faintly. "Well, I want to go to the cinema. Normally, I'll call a friend or someone, eat a nice lunch, have a couple of drinks... hmm, and at night, read something, maybe take a long bath. I'm not sure."
Their eyes meet, and Shiv looks at her with a slight smile.
Shiv thinks she can listen to Karolina talk about anything; her voice has a soft but firm tone with a subtle accent that is barely noticeable if you pay close attention.
"I just need to relax. No work, as if that were possible."
Shiv chuckles lightly, while Karolina takes another sip, smiling.
"What about you?" Shiv disconnects her gaze from Karolina's, thinking about her response. Before she can formulate an answer, she is interrupted by another question.
"Where is he?"
Of course, Karolina is well aware that Shiv's presence is a temporary refuge in the absence of Tom.
"With his mum for the weekend," Shiv responds.
"Hmm, that explains the long dinner with a sleepover, and that you're still here," Karolina remarks, almost whispering.
Karolina seeks Shiv's gaze, and Shiv finds herself locked in the piercing blue of Karolina's eyes, subjected to an intimidating scrutiny. Without giving it much thought, Shiv breaks the silence.
"Yup… I’m all yours…"
Karolina raises her eyebrows slightly in reaction to the words. They both immediately disconnect their gazes, and Shiv instantly regrets uttering those words. From any angle, they sound twisted, selfish, and cruel. She knows they hold deeper implications than she is willing to admit.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, Karolina handles this declaration as if it were just another PR statement or something.
"Oh, okay, that's good."
Karolina smiles quickly and politely while taking a sip from her coffee cup—a forced smile, as if by doing so, she can ensure that everything is fine. It's a smile she has clearly perfected over the years, but one that Shiv despises because it makes her feel like, to Karolina, she's just part of the job. Because for Shiv, Karolina is far from just work—something she knows and feels but dares not say.
To break the silence and escape Karolina's calculated gaze, Shiv clears her throat as she places the empty coffee cup on the table.
"So, if you want, I can accompany you on your relaxation day... Jesus, I need one too."
She moves a bit closer to Karolina and tucks her hair behind her ear.
"In that way, I'll save you from the torment of calling a friend or someone.” Over-pronouncing in a playful way.
Karolina rolls her eyes while smiling—this time, it's the smile Shiv knows, the one she craves after a long day, one she has already memorized.
“Uh-huh.”
Shiv moves even closer, waiting for Karolina to reciprocate. Karolina puts her hand on Shiv's face, sealing their agreement with a kiss.
Shiv goes to the bathroom, washes her face and teeth, and puts on a robe that Karolina lent her.
When she enters the living room, she sees Karolina on the kitchen island, still in her pijamas, getting things ready to start cooking.
Shiv comes up behind her, putting her hands on Karolina's hips and giving them a light squeeze while planting a kiss on her neck.
"You need help?" she says in a whisper.
Shiv knows that thinking of her in the kitchen is like a comical spectacle, but today she's willing to do anything to avoid going back home, to avoid being alone, and Karolina is the best—or rather, the only—answer.
Karolina responds with a mixture of laughter and a groan. "Do you even know how to make eggs?"
"Of course, I don't know if they're good, though. So if you want to eat my food, it's at your own risk.”
Shiv continues her caresses, lowering her hand to slip it under the T-shirt. But before she can touch more, Karolina stops her, turning around to face her. Shiv focuses her gaze on Karolina's lips.
Karolina realizes and slowly moves closer to tell her, "You're not helping at all.”
Shiv can no longer bear to have her so close, so he throws into her, pushing lightly against the table, a passionate kiss with their tongues intertwined, and light moans.
Shiv starts kissing Karolina's neck as she slips her hands under her shirt, lifting her up to the point where she has access to her breasts, which she squeezes hard enough to generate a thin moan from Karolina's mouth, an almost celestial sound to Shiv's ears.
Then, as Shiv bends down to her knees and delicately pulls down her underwear, Karolina spreads her legs to give Shiv room.
Once Karolina has reached her climax and is moaning Shiv’s name, almost collapsing in the kitchen, Shiv feels fulfilled. There is something kind of addictive about making Karolina cum; its just a sensation that doesn't get old.
Shiv stands up with a big grin. She approaches Karolina, who is still trying to recover from her orgasm, to give her a kiss.
"That's a good breakfast."
Karolina laughs and playfully pushes Shiv's face away with her hand.
Shiv keeps smiling, while Karolina takes a napkin to clean up and adjusts her underwear.
"Then you, Master Chef, go and take a shower while I make some proper breakfast... You're too much help."
"Ha ha, fuck you... but okay, I'll be obedient today."
"Uh-huh."
She steals a kiss before heading quickly to the bathroom.
In the shower, Shiv realizes she doesn't want to leave the house. She knows that the moment they cross that door, the spell will be broken, and both of them will be exposed again. Here, within these four walls with Karolina, she feels safe and at peace.
She returns to the kitchen, and almost all the food is ready. They both eat while chatting about various things. Once they finish, Shiv offers to clean up and help while Karolina takes a bath.
Later, they sit on the sofa, leaning against each other, legs on the coffee table, each engrossed in their phones.
"So, what movie do you want to watch?"
Karolina lowers her phone. "Oh, it's a remastering of 'Krótki film o zabijaniu.'"
Shiv turns to look at her, making a face to emphasize that she has no idea what she's talking about.
"A Short Film About Killing," Karolina corrects with laughter.
Shiv puts her hand on Karolina's thighs and says, while leaning in, "I have no idea what you're talking about.”
"It's an old Polish director, Krzysztof Kieślowski.”
"Oh, of course, how could I forget the great Kistis Kilushi."
Karolina laughs and playfully pushes Shiv. In response, Shiv grabs the hand Karolina used to push her and uses it to pull her closer. Karolina gently caresses Shiv's face while Shiv intertwines her fingers with Karolina's. They draw closer and share a tender kiss. The kisses start to intensify, and Karolina gradually pushes Shiv to be on top of her.
"I don't want to leave the house," Shiv tells Karolina between kisses.
"It's a special function, you know," Karolina says as she pulls away from Shiv to be face-to-face.
"Don't worry," Shiv says, caressing her face.
"I'll get you the Blu-ray or the VHS, I promise. I'll buy the fucking theatre if I have to."
Karolina stares at her intently. "You better keep your promise, Shiobban, because I love that movie.”
And Shiv will keep her promise, even if she has to resurrect the director himself to make Karolina happy.
Using her legs to draw Karolina closer, Shiv says, "Yeah, yeah, I got you."
She returns to Karolina's neck, prompting a soft moan. "Hey, but I want to watch a movie," Karolina says as she pulls back a bit so that Shiv can look at her.
"What?" Shiv asks, sounding a bit frustrated.
"And eat something good."
"Okay, let me eat you first, then we can order some food," Shiv says, pulling Karolina closer
"And the movie?” Karolina says this between kisses.
"Hmm, I'm not in the mood for a movie. It sounds boring."
Karolina adjust herself to move a bit away from Shiv.
"Okay, here's a deal. We fuck, order some food, then you get to curl up in my lap, and I get to watch a cinematic masterpiece in peace and quiet."
Shiv strokes Karolina's collarbone as she leans in to kiss her, saying, "That's a fucking sweet deal, Novotney.”
After a couple of hours, Shiv is lying on Karolina's lap, almost asleep, while Karolina is watching "Love Streams" by John Cassavetes. Shiv gets up and goes to the bathroom, then heads to the kitchen, grabbing some beers and sweets they ordered to complete their lunch.
A few minutes later, she snuggles up to Karolina, tracing patterns on her arm with her fingers. Karolina only stops it when the sensation becomes ticklish. Then Shiv moves closer to Karolina's neck.
"Burying your face in my neck kind of defeats the purpose of having the movie on, don't you think?"
Without looking at her, Shiv responds, "We're in 2023, and you can always pause or rewind the movie in case you get distracted or busy."
Karolina turns and grabs Shiv's face, kissing her sweetly.
"Ugh, you're a terrible movie partner."