Work Text:
You step into your dorm exhausted the door slamming behind you making you jump a bit. You could feel your little space creeping in like an itch you couldn’t fix. You go to Kate’s room finding her hunch over the computer typing away on some assignment. Most likely due tonight considering she’s completing it.
“Kate?” You ask and she doesn’t look away from the laptop.
“Not now n/n,” She says not rudely but it struck something in you and you apologized meekly rushing off to your room. You feel the tears leaving your eyes only serving to make you more upset and clutch your stuffed dinosaur to yourself tightly, happy the stuffie was weighted as it calms you slightly.
You had had the worst day, none of your classes went well, one of them even had a pop quiz you’re sure you failed. You get to work with only five minutes in between your last class and shift start. You’re lucky the job was on campus. Once you got there you got shifted to a million different places, your boss not knowing where she wanted you since so much needed to be done, and then you got off an hour later then you were supposed to and nothing was alright. You could feel yourself trying to slip during work and it took everything in you to focus on the task at hand.
You cry into your dinosaur, comedically named Antonio as you giggled it out the first time you were little and had him. You don’t know when you stopped crying but it was after your face turned puffy and your eyes were hurting.
At some point you wobble out to the living room, needing something familiar to cling to, and you click on wall-e without even thinking about it. The little robot trundles across the screen, all hopeful and lonely, and it’s almost worse because it’s gentle. You try to laugh when he chirps and tilts his head, but it comes out as a broken sound, and the tears start up again anyway. You wipe your face with your sleeve, hug Antonio tighter, and tell yourself you’re being ridiculous, that it’s just a movie, but the ache in your chest doesn’t listen. You put your paci in your mouth sucking softly and try to stop.
The door to Kate’s room creaks open and she comes out to find you.
“Hey,” Kate’s voice is quiet, careful.
You don’t trust your voice, so you just nod, eyes fixed on the screen as if pretending hard enough will make you invisible.
Kate steps in and closes her door behind her, and when she sees your red face and the dinosaur crushed against your chest, her expression softens immediately. “Oh, little one… I’m sorry,” she says, moving closer without rushing you. “I didn’t mean to snap earlier. I was stressed and I took it out on you.”
You blink hard, but it only makes the tears spill faster. “It’s fine,” you whisper, even though it isn’t, even though everything feels too much.
Kate sits on the edge of your bed and gently nudges her shoulder against yours. “It’s not fine,” she says. “You look like you’ve been holding your breath all day.”
You swallow, trying to steady yourself, but the moment she’s there your composure crumbles completely. You turn your face into Antonio, muffling the sob that escapes, and Kate’s hand finds your back, warm and steady.
“Hey, hey,” she murmurs, rubbing slow circles like she’s grounding you back into your body. “You don’t have to do anything right now. Just… let it out. I’ve got you.”
You don’t know when you start leaning into her, but you do, and Kate tugs you closer until you’re tucked against her side. The movie keeps playing, WALL-E reaching out and holding on, and Kate presses a soft kiss to the top of your head.
“Tell me about your day,” she says, voice still gentle. “Or don’t. We can just watch and cry at robots together. Either way, I’m here.”
“Bad day momma,” You pout.
“Why was it bad sweetheart?”
“Icky.” You reply not explaining any further.
“Well why are we watching wall-e on a bad day you know you always cry at this movie,” Kate responds wrapping her arms round you. “What about Bluey or Curious George?” She asks and you gasp smiling.
“Monkey!” You say excitedly handing her the remote.
“Of course sweetheart, good job telling momma what you needed.” She praises and you giggle kicking your feet a bit.
You and Kate watch curious george for a bit and you can feel your eyes closing as you fight sleep your earlier breakdown making you tired.
“I think it’s someones bed time.” Kate teases gently.
“Nuh-uh momma I big kid. No bedtime.” You pout accidently adding on a yawn.
“You’re such a big kid. And big kids need their sleep too.” She says carrying you onto the bed and tucking you in playing some of the rain sounds she knew you needed to fall asleep to.
“Don’t need sleep.” You fight still.
“Oh? But all humans need sleep which means- oh my goodness my sweet little one has turned into an alien.” She jokes and you giggle. “Fine how about some cuddles then sleep.”
“Momma!” You say throwing yourself on her once she lays besides you, snuggling into her side and finally letting your eyes close.