Work Text:
"God-" Foster fumbles with the house key, dropping it in her frustration "-damn it." She bends down to pick it up lazily, her hands gripping around the cool metal as she steadies her grip along its ridges.
After a few more minutes, she finally manages to open the door and enter her and her girlfriend's cozy apartment. A distinctive smell wafts in from the kitchen as Foster kicks her shoes off and sets her bag down along the entrance of their apartment, gently closing the door behind her and taking a deep breath.
The word 'long' wouldn't even begin to describe her day. "Babeee?" Elle calls from the kitchen, her voice holding a playful ring around its edges. Foster lets herself focus on the way the syllables bounce from her lips, her anger beginning to melt away.
"Right here, Baby."
Her feet carry her into the kitchen, hands dragging along the wall as she walks and rounds the corner.
"Well," Foster starts as she leans against the doorframe of the kitchen, "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." Elle pauses and lets her head turn away from the stove as she prepares dinner, her eyes softening against the glow of the overhead lights as she faces her girlfriend, a sidewise grin teasing its way onto her lips. "I missed you too, love." Elle turns her head, refocusing on the food she's preparing as Foster takes a step towards her, letting her arms wrap around her waist and her head lolling against her shoulder. Her face pushes into Elle's neck, peppering kisses along her collarbone. Elle shivers against the tactile comfort and lets her head lean in to rest against Foster's, her hands moving to cover over her girlfriend's.
As much as she loves the lazy comfort, Elle can feel the heavy emotion under her hands. Gently, she places down the spoon she was using to mix the rice and turns down the heat of the stove. When she's sure nothing is going to burn, she turns to face her girlfriend, letting her head rest softly on her forehead.
"Hey." Elle lets her eyes follow the lines on Foster's face, searching, "What's up?"
"What? I can't kiss my girlfriend?" Foster teases, a playful grin rolling over her face as she leans back slightly. Elle just stares at her, her eyebrows raised slightly as if to say, really? Foster's eyes droop down as she takes a breath, grabbing Elle's hand and rubbing her thumbs over her knuckles.
"I just had a long day."
"Want to talk about it?"
Foster pauses, deliberating over her question for a second before replying, "Not really. I'm sorry, I just-" She takes another slow breath, "don't want to think about it right now."
Elle grabs Foster's hands as they hold her and squeezes slightly as if to say okay, I'm here.
"Don't apologize." Elle pulls her hands away to wrap Foster in a hug, tucking her head underneath her chin as she begins tracing shapes along her back. Circle. Star. Circle.
They stay like that for a few minutes. Foster focuses on the rise and fall of Elle's chest as it presses against hers, her heart rate slowing back to a comfortable rhythm.
Begrudgingly, Elle begins to take a step back, her hands gliding across Foster's forearms.
"Are you ready for dinner?"
"Yes," Foster takes a chance to breathe in the aroma of Elle's cooking. "God, it smells good."
"Good, 'cause I made a lot. Figured whatever we don't eat we can have for lunch tomorrow."
"You know I can never get enough of your cooking, babe."
Elle smiles and begins pulling Foster to the bar-side table they have in the kitchen, seating her down before heading to the fridge to get her a glass of water. Elle places it on the counter in front of Foster in a silent invitation to drink. Foster picks up the glass slowly, letting the condensation of the cup dribble around her hands as Elle moves to finish cooking.
The rice sizzles softly in the pan as Elle adds a dash of soy sauce, the familiar sound filling the comfortable silence between them. Foster watches her girlfriend move around their kitchen with practiced ease, the tension in her shoulders gradually releasing with each passing moment. Elle's presence has always had that effect on her – like a warm blanket on a cold day, wrapping her in comfort without saying a word.
"Close your eyes," Elle suddenly says, a mischievous lilt in her voice as she reaches for something in the upper cabinet.
Foster raises an eyebrow but complies, a smile tugging at her lips. "What are you up to?"
"Just trust me," Elle replies, and Foster can hear the smile in her voice. There's some rustling, the sound of a drawer opening and closing, and then the subtle click of a plate being set on the counter. "Okay... open them."
When Foster opens her eyes, she finds not only their dinner but also a small slice of her favorite chocolate cake from the bakery down the street – the one Elle knows she stops at whenever she's had a particularly rough day.
"You didn't have to-" Foster starts, but Elle cuts her off with a gentle kiss.
"I wanted to. Fos, you’ve been working so hard," Elle shrugs, but her eyes are warm with affection. "Sometimes you need a little sweetness to balance out the bitter parts of the day."
Foster's hands abandon the cup she was holding as she reaches out to cradle Elle's face. Elle flinches softly at the cold feeling. Foster grins, bringing her lips back to meet Elle's.
"You're always so warm," Foster whispers between kisses.
"You're always so cold," Elle fucking giggles. Foster's heart melts at the sound.
"What did I do to deserve such a beautiful-thoughtful-kind-amazing-" Elle cuts her off before she can finish with another kiss, slowly gaining more force. Foster's body leans back into the stool, as a smile twitches into their kiss.
Elle pulls away, her cheeks flushed. "Okay now eat, you've been on your feet all day."
"Or we could just skip dinner and I can eat something else." Foster winks at her. Elle feels a familiar tingle throughout her body.
"Foster," Elle tries to sound stern but fails miserably, her voice coming out breathier than intended. Her hands are still tangled in Foster's hair, betraying her attempt at responsibility. "The food will get cold."
"Let it," Foster murmurs against her neck, pulling Elle closer between her legs. "We have a microwave."
Elle laughs, the sound vibrating against Foster's lips. "You're impossible." But she makes no move to pull away, instead letting her fingers trace along Foster's jawline, drawing her up for another kiss.
"Impossible to resist, maybe." Foster grins against her lips, savoring the way Elle rolls her eyes at the cheesy line.
"God, you're such a dork." Elle's fingers find their way to the collar of Foster's work shirt, toying with the top button. "A very sexy dork, but still-"
The timer on the stove beeps insistently, making them both jump. Elle groans, dropping her forehead to Foster's shoulder. "The universe wants us to eat dinner first."
"The universe is a cockblock," Foster grumbles, but she's smiling as she says it. She keeps one arm wrapped around Elle's waist as her girlfriend reaches over to silence the timer.
"Tell you what," Elle says, turning back to face her with that sparkle in her eye that never fails to make Foster's breath catch. "We eat dinner, and then..." she leans in close, whispering something in Foster's ear that makes her grip on Elle's waist tighten.
"Deal," Foster says immediately, straightening up in her seat. "What are we having again?"
Elle laughs, bright and clear, as she moves to plate their food. "That's what I thought."
They settle into dinner, stealing glances and trading touches that promise more to come. Foster can hardly believe how quickly her terrible day has transformed into something worth remembering, all because of the woman sitting across from her, chattering about her day with animated gestures and that infectious smile.
"You're staring," Elle points out, taking a bite of rice.
"Can you blame me?" Foster reaches across the table to tangle their fingers together. "Have you seen yourself?"
Elle blushes, ducking her head. Even after all this time, Foster's earnest compliments still make her shy. "Just eat your dinner, Baby."
Foster obeys, but she doesn't let go of Elle's hand.