Work Text:
Kai doesn’t know how Carolina types so quickly. Her hands fly over the keyboard as she works, eyebrows drawn ever so slightly in concentration. Her eyes rarely flick away from the screen, unlike Kai, who’s busy, well, watching from her own desk across the way.
They’ve been having lunch together ever since Kai asked her one day, after a party at Dex’s house with everyone had ended in three separate fights. Kai had only witnessed one, and she wanted the drama.
Carolina had, somewhat reluctantly, conveyed the details, but she was never reluctant to accept Kai’s continuing lunch invitations. And Kai keeps inviting her because it’s better than sitting alone, and it’s even more fun to try and get a laugh out of her.
Carolina’s always so serious. Even outside of work, when she comes to a party with Wash, Kai notices how she’s always the first to leave, to “get some sleep before work.” If she’s always going to be working, at least Kai can bring the party to her. Flirt a little, laugh a little, toss as much of life into a 30 minute break as she can. 30 minutes to see how much she can learn about Carolina, because she’s the world’s biggest mystery to Kai.
Tucker, she gets. Tex seems like a mystery, but Kai had figured her out pretty quickly. But Carolina? She’s got nothing. Friends with Wash, workaholic, a dry sense of humor that Kai can’t quite get a hold of. And yet there’s an intensity to her eyes that equal parts scares and intrigues Kai. Damn, if she doesn’t want to bring it out in full force.
Maybe she’ll figure Carolina out, maybe she won’t. In the meantime, at least she doesn’t have to eat lunch alone.
The boss’ door opens, so Kai sits up and starts tapping at her keyboard. She only has to send two emails before he wanders back into his office, and then it’s back to watching Carolina. Stillll typing away. The sound of her fingers against the keys almost fits with the rhythm of the ticking clock for a moment. 1:34 pm. Kai hasn’t taken her lunch break yet.
She passes Carolina’s desk at 1:37, letting her nails click along the fake wood. “Take your break?” she suggests, mischievous lilt in her voice.
Carolina gives her a disapproving look out of the corner of her eye, but Kai knows she’s won when the other starts closing tabs on the computer.
“Second bench on the right,” Kai says as she waves her fingers, then spins off down the rows of cubicles to the elevator. Carolina knows where to sit by now, but saying it is half the fun. Makes it seem mysterious, flirtatious even.
It’s sunny but on the cooler side when she exits the building. Perfect weather, really. The bench is in an alcove along the outer wall, partially shaded but plenty bright from the reflection of the sunlight off the pavement. It’s the best place to have lunch, in her opinion.
Her bracelets jingle against the bench as she sits and opens her lunch container. Leftover chicken with a new sauce Dex had made. Kai’s not sure exactly what’s in it, but it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted.
Carolina joins her a few minutes later, settling onto the bench with her lunch in her lap.
“Please, please put some sauce on that,” Kai says in distress. “The whiteness of it is blinding me!”
Carolina takes a bite of her unseasoned chicken and rice with a shrug. “It gets the job done.”
Kai wails. Every day, Carolina has the same bland-ass chicken and rice. No sauce, no seasoning, not even fucking salt.
“Why do you hate living?” Kai slumps to the side, head falling on Carolina’s arm.
“Food is about nutrition, not fun.”
Kai makes a sound as if she’s been shot. Why did she want to get to know Carolina? To endure pain like no one has ever known before?
“When I was training for Kyokushin, it was the only way to get enough sustenance.”
Ah. Because she goes and says things like that.
“Kyo-what?”
“Kyokushin,” Carolina repeats, looking down at Kai. “It’s one of the hardest forms of martial arts.”
“Can you kick down a door?”
“Yes.”
“What about a window? Or a wall?”
Carolina huffs with amusement. “Yes. Probably not down, but I’ve made a hole in drywall before.”
“Woahhh.” Kai’s pretty sure if it were physically possible, her eyes would be star-shaped. But they’re getting away from the issue here. She shakes her head to get back on task and reaches for her lunch container, then holds out her fork.
“Drywall or not, look at this. It’s seasoned!” She gestures it toward Carolina. “Here, try it. Dex made it last night.” Carolina inspects it for a moment as Kai quips, “That chicken must be like drywall though. Blech.”
Carolina raises her eyebrows, unamused. “Is there sesame in it? I’m allergic.”
An alarm starts blaring inside Kai’s brain, announcing CATEGORY 5 FALLING IN LOVE MOMENT, but she shoves that down and into a box for later and definitely coolly replies, “Woah, you’re allergic to sesame too? I’ve never met anyone else who is! Yeah, you’re all good. Dex hasn’t cooked with sesame in years and to be honest, there’s not much of a difference. I mean, how much flavor are those little things gonna add?”
Kai shuts up and grins, holding out the chicken.
Carolina nods in agreement. “The only thing I miss is hummus,” she comments as she takes the proffered fork. Her head tilts as she chews, taking in all the flavors.
Kai leans forward. “What do you think?”
“It’s delicious.” Carolina swallows. “Did you make it?”
“Nahhh, Dex did. You should come over one night for dinner. I’ll have him give me the recipe and we can cook it together!” Kai grins and stabs her fork into another piece of chicken. She waves it back and forth.
“Okay,” Carolina agrees.
Kai cheers and throws an arm around her shoulders. “We should make dessert too! Maybe snickerdoodles. Or lava cake! That might be too much though, maybe we should make it next time instead—” Oops. She wasn’t supposed to say that part out loud.
“I’m partial to ginger cookies.”
Kai turns her head, suddenly realizing how close she is.
Carolina’s eyes are a little unfocused, but the corner of her lips curve into a smile as she blinks. Shy, almost, Kai would say if it was anyone other than Carolina. Cool, confident Carolina doesn’t get shy.
“Do you have a recipe?” Kai manages.
“No, I usually buy them at the bakery. Well, Wash does.” Carolina laughs wryly. “I’m not much of a baker.”
Kai instantly misses that genuine smile. “Well neither am I! If they taste like shit, we can just give them to Dex. He’ll either eat them or toss them at Simmons to piss him off.”
Kai sits up prim and proper, voice solemn as she mock-salutes, “I promise not to burn them.”
That gets a real laugh out of Carolina, and Kai watches with a grin of her own as the sun catches in her hair. Shadows shift across her cheeks as she tilts her head, and the warmth of the light makes her green eyes nearly glow.
Shitttt, she’s down bad. But now’s not the time to think about that. A glance at her phone lets Kai know it’s nearly time to go back inside. She finishes the last of her chicken and then picks up her trash, standing and holding out a hand. When Carolina takes it, she pulls her to standing and then starts to walk, a skip in her step. Back in the privacy of her cubicle, she’ll be thinking of that smile for the rest of the afternoon.
⸻
“Lunch?” Kai asks the next day.
Carolina agrees.
She agrees the next, too.
Kai delights in those precious 30 minutes every day. Sure, she could go out with Carolina to the bar after, and they see each other plenty when Dex and everyone gets together, but these moments are different. They’re not secret, but they feel that way. It’s time just for the two of them.
It’s a week later and Kai laughs so hard she snorts, which only serves to make her laugh harder. As she catches her breath, she collapses against Carolina’s side.
Carolina tenses for just a moment before resting her hand on Kai’s shoulder. Kai can sense the hesitancy, like she’s about to say something, so she looks up. That intenseness is back, along with a frown and just a hint of something that looks like fear.
“You look like someone just stole your lunch,” Kai says, deliberately keeping her voice light.
Carolina blinks, looks out at the parking lot, then back. “Do you mean it?”
Kai sits up so they’re facing each other properly. “What?”
“The lunches.” She gestures between them. “The baking… date. This.”
The ginger cookies had ended up edible, surprisingly. So edible that the two of them had to fight off Dex while they were cooling on the rack. There’s one on a napkin between the two of them, to share.
And if Kai had suggested they try making hummus another time, maybe one with roasted peppers, and Carolina had agreed, well.
Kai can’t help the grin that spreads across her face. With a giggle, she tilts forward until her head bumps into Carolina’s shoulder. Carolina wants her. Wants her for more than a few days, more than just when she’s bored at work with no one else around. Wants something real.
She can be terrified later. All she knows is that she wants it too.
“Yeah,” she breathes, looking up. “I mean it.”
Carolina searches her eyes, and Kai can track the change as she believes her, watches the way something unlocks and that hint of intensity she’s been seeing all these weeks bursts forth.
Suddenly, her back is against the concrete of the alcove wall, Carolina’s lips against hers. Hands travel up her arms, one coming to rest against her cheek. It’s so gentle, contrasting with how Carolina’s kissing like she’s never going to get another.
Kai can’t help but gasp, and Carolina freezes, eyes opening.
“I didn’t say stop,” Kai whispers delightedly before leaning in to capture her lips again. Carolina hums and shifts until she’s half on her lap. HR would probably have an aneurysm if they saw this, but as far as Kai’s concerned, break time is hers to do with as she pleases.
She tentatively puts her hand on the back of Carolina’s neck, not wanting to scare her off. She’s delighted when Carolina presses closer and settles her other hand on her hip. The cold of the wall contrasts with the warmth of the body in her lap, and Kai shivers. Carolina must notice, because she slips a hand behind Kai’s back and holds her closer, away from the concrete.
Kai considers proposing right then and there.
Instead, she buries her hand in Carolina’s hair and loses herself in the moment.
They both jump when a timer goes off, knocking their teeth together. Carolina winces and scrambles out of Kai’s lap to get her phone, blushing furiously.
She turns and reaches out. “Are you okay?”
Kai grins, heart racing. “You set a lunch break timer?”
Carolina pauses, letting her hand fall as she seems to debate something before squaring her shoulders. “Time management is a critical component of being successful. I… usually catch it before it goes off.”
God, if that isn’t the nerdiest thing Kai’s ever heard in her life. She grins and leans forward, catching Carolina’s lips again. “Hot,” she remarks as they part.
Carolina looks away, but Kai doesn’t miss the smile. She holds out her hand and when Carolina grabs it, they stand up together. This time, Kai doesn’t let go.