Work Text:
Joyce gasped as she woke up. Another nightmare.
She looked around the basement. Will, check. Jonathan, check. Good.
She sighed, getting up. There was no way she was going to fall back asleep. It wasn't like she woke up too early, anyways. It's already four.
She made her way upstairs, being wary of the creaky steps. The last thing she wanted was to wake the kids, they had school in the morning.
The smell of coffee hit her as soon as she walked into the kitchen. "Awake already?" She asked Karen. "It's a little early."
"It is," Karen agreed. "Coffee?"
"Sure."
Joyce took a seat on the counter, watching Karen make the coffee. Maybe it was the sleep still drifting away, but she couldn't help but notice how beautiful Karen looked in the dim kitchen.
Okay, wow, she should not be thinking like that. Karen and Ted were kind enough to let her and the boys stay with them for the time being, she doesn't need to be rehashing something that ended nearly 30 years ago. Karen's married for Christ's sake.
"Another nightmare?" Karen asked, pulling Joyce from her thoughts. She was holding out a mug that Joyce took with a thankful nod.
"Yeah," Joyce nodded, taking a sip. Shit, of course Karen made it exactly how she likes it. "Thanks. For the coffee. And for, uh, letting us stay here."
"You've already thanked me for that," Karen replied, shaking her head.
"Yeah, well, I'm thanking you again."
"You don't need to, Joy," Karen chuckled, "we're friends."
We're friends. Like it was that simple. Like letting three people sleep in your basement, for free, was a regular thing friends do.
Joyce placed her mug down carefully—actually, it was Ted's mug, he won't be happy if he realizes Joyce had used it—and hopped down from the counter, pulling Karen into a hug.
"Thank you, Ren, seriously. I don't know where we'd be if not here."
She felt Karen gasp before hugging her back. And, god, she was so close. Karen's curls were tickling Joyce's face. She smelled like roses, though Joyce already knew that. She did back in high school too.
She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. How long had it been since she's hugged someone outside of life-or-death? Joyce doesn't remember. She hugs her boys and El a lot, after everything, but that's because she never knows when might be the last time.
But this.. this is just a hug. No fear, no trauma. Just her and Karen, in their kitchen—Karen and Ted's kitchen. In Karen and Ted's kitchen. Joyce shook her head, chin nuzzling Karen's shoulder, to try and shed the thoughts.
Karen pulled back first, looking into Joyce's eyes. Joyce almost started crying again when Karen's hands cupped her cheeks. "You need to stop thanking me, Joyce. I'm happy to have you here, okay?"
Joyce nodded, moving away to wipe away her tears. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying over this—"
"It's fine."
"—I just.. it's been a while since we've hugged, you know."
Karen laughed, light and soft and so so beautiful. "Yeah, and who's fault is that?"
Joyce couldn't help but laugh too. Because she was right, she really was. Ever since Will went missing, what, 3 years ago, she'd been distant. Of course she'd noticed, she didn't expect Karen to have, though.
"I really missed you," Joyce whispered.
She could see the contemplation in Karen's eyes. The weighing of pros and cons, the premature guilt. Yet another familiar thing. Joyce remembered seeing it almost every day back in high school. Every time they'd get to close. Karen was always scared of being caught, being found out.
Joyce inhaled deeply, shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. Looking straight into Karen's.
It was wrong. It was so so wrong. Wrong to want her. Wrong to be standing there in her kitchen, holding her while her husband slept upstairs. She didn't know what would happen if they got caught. If Ted saw them. Or, god forbid, one of the kids.
Still, Karen was watching her. Karen was thinking about it too. And, well, fuck Ted. Honestly.
Before she could doubt it any further, she placed a hand on Karen's cheek, waiting for Karen to relax before pressing a kiss to her lips. She really hasn't changed, Joyce thought again. She still tasted like cherry, still cupped Joyce's cheeks, still started giggling in the middle of the kiss.
Joyce pulled back when the smile made it impossible for them to continue, resting her forehead against Karen's. She couldn't blame Karen for it, considering her own grin probably didn't help matters either. Their laughter filled the kitchen. And for the first time since she'd woken up, Joyce couldn't be bothered to worry about waking someone up.
Their coffee sat forgotten as she pressed Karen into the counter, lips finding hers again.