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Kara sat at her desk, waiting for the layouts to come back from wherever they'd disappeared to, playing with a stapler in the darkness. She liked when everyone else went home and she could turn off the overhead lights, sit in the grey, shadowed silence, only the distant hum of computers and the elevator dinging on other floors to keep her company. That, of course, and the sound of Cat's pen tearing across paper as she finished her edits on another set of proofs.
But tonight, a different noise caught her ear. She looked up through the glass, watching her boss struggle with something, chair turned towards the monitors. Her long, skinny arms flailed a bit as she attempted to reach behind her, fidgeting and fumbling, rustling her shirt before dropping a small object on the carpet.
"Damnit," she muttered.
"Ms. Grant?"
"Kiera!" she jumped, spinning around. "I...didn't realize you were still here."
"You asked me to wait,” she reminded. “For the..."
"Right," she swallowed. "I changed my mind. You can go."
"Are...are you sure?"
"Yes, now go before I decide to keep you here all night," she seethed, rolling her eyes, grimacing.
Kara bit her lip, stepping a little closer, until her fingertips were resting on the edge of the desk.
"What's wrong?" she asked boldly. "You look like...you're in pain."
"I'm not," Cat balked. "Pain is for the weak and kinky, Kiera, now stop being so nosy and..."
"Fine," Kara stopped her. "I just...don't like seeing you suffer, Ms. Grant. And if, for some reason, you needed...assistance...with anything, I...you know I'm always happy to help."
Cat's eyes watered. She took a deep breath, trying so hard not to break, but clearly struggling.
"Alright," she stood abruptly. "Since you're so eager, there is...something."
Kara nodded slowly, circling around to the other side of the desk.
"I may have...earlier today...had a skin biopsy...and now I'm afraid it's infected."
"Oh," Kara froze, suddenly filled with a million questions she knew better than to ask. "That sounds...how do you know if it..."
"Because it will not stop itching!" Cat grit her teeth, digging her nails into her hips to keep from scratching the spot.
"Do you want me to look?" Kara spoke calmly, confidently. "I will. It's not a problem."
"I can't ask you to do that," Cat shook her head. "Playing nurse is definitely beyond the scope of your job description."
"But...I'm offering," she insisted. "You don't have to ask, and I promise...it's not weird, okay? Can I just...see?"
Cat continued to stall, looking anywhere but at the younger woman standing next to her.
"If you tell anyone about this..."
"I won't," Kara assured. "Why would I..."
"I'm sure this violates some code of..."
"Come on, Cat," Kara finally whispered, putting a hand on her arm. "Let me see. Please."
Cat looked down at the hand on her arm, cheeks tinging pink as she resisted bristling away. Desperate, she sucked in sharply, turning around, lifting her green silk shirt.
Kara stared at the bare skin, refusing to let on just how nervous she was, shaking subtly at how soft and smooth her boss's flesh appeared to be, save for the patch where it was red and raised along the edges of the bandaid covering her wound.
"Well?"
"It doesn't look great," Kara told her. "I mean, you...you do! You look...you look...fine, just that part of the skin...it definitely looks like you're having some kind of allergic reaction or..."
"It's the latex," Cat groaned.
"What?"
"I told her not to use latex, but clearly she wasn't listening, and now I'm standing here giving that face-melting scene from Indiana Jones a run for its money."
"Well, it's not on your face...thankfully...and we can do something about this," Kara sprung into action. "I keep a first aid kit at my desk."
She went to retrieve the case, returning moments later, laying out the supplies on top of the papers scattered about.
"This isn't at all embarrassing..." Cat mumbled, continuing to hold up her shirt as she shifted her hips, teetering back and forth on her heels.
"It's not," Kara tried to soothe. "I mean...it doesn't have to be. I'm sure plenty of people have latex allergies..."
"Yes," Cat snarked. "Yes, it's done wonders for my love life, thank you. Not that I have one, currently...so to speak..."
"Um..." Kara paused, hands hovering above Cat's skin.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this," Cat shrugged. "I shouldn't be..."
"No, I'm...really, it's...I just...need to...pull this off before..."
"Make it quick."
Kara swallowed hard, digging her nails beneath the plastic strip, peeling it back with less than superspeed, but still quick enough to elicit a drawn out hiss from the woman standing before her.
"Fuck!" Cat arched, bracing against the back of the chair, leaning forward a little.
Kara felt her body react in ways she knew were inappropriate given how uncomfortable Cat was, but the sounds she made, the way she moved, combined with the sight of her tan, muscular back, was more than any secretly smitten heart could handle.
"Sorry," she winced. "There's hydrocortisone cream in here...do you want me to..."
"May as well," Cat sighed. "We've come this far. I thought I could reach, but apparently I'm not as flexible as I used to be."
"I've seen you do yoga," Kara offered, twisting off the cap. "You're still...plenty flexible."
"That's..." Cat flustered, squirming a bit, pushing her blonde locks behind her ear. "I wasn't fishing..."
"I know," Kara smiled softly. "Again...I was offering."
Cat couldn't help but gasp as the cold lotion settled into the wound, burning slightly as Kara's hesitant fingers skated across it.
"This is definitely not sanitary," she shook her head.
"I'm not worried about it," Kara whispered.
"Hmmm," Cat swallowed, looking up at the ceiling. "You should be. You can't go around scratching every itch that calls to you, Kiera. It isn't...safe."
"I know that, too," Kara breathed, peeling the paper away from the new bandaid, reaching out slowly, steadying Cat's waist as she smoothed the strip down across the laceration. "But you aren't...just anyone."
She let her fingertips linger, watching the way Cat's shoulders rose and fell, heart racing. Before Kara knew it, a hand was curling around her side, settling onto the one gripping Cat’s waist, holding it right where it was.
Kara swallowed, dipping her head forward, burying her nose in Cat's hair, breathing in the scent of her perfume, her shampoo, and beneath that, the way she herself smelled, in all her humanity. It was closer than they’d ever been, and it made Kara shiver down to her toes.
She let her fingers slide, slowly tracing muscles, the tiny blonde hairs that made Cat’s skin so ridiculously soft standing on end under her touch. The shirt began to fall, and Kara’s hand snaked around to the front of her body, sliding against her stomach. Cat gasped again, rocking her hips backwards, as Kara continued pressing into her.
"Ms. Grant..." she huffed.
"We shouldn't..."
"I know, but..." Kara brought her lips to her ear, daring to kiss it slowly. "I...want..."
Cat dragged her hand up Kara's thigh, inching towards her center, as the younger woman lost her words, pushing closer, ache mounting, knees shaking...
"Kara?"
Her eyes fluttered open, squinting against the light until they came into focus, the sound of her wife's voice bringing her back from her subconscious.
"Mmm," she stretched weary limbs beneath the sheets. "What...was I..."
"Moaning," Cat smirked, nuzzling her cheek before wrapping her up in her arms. "Want to tell me who you were getting busy with?"
"You," Kara breathed, kissing her nose. "It was you...before...any of this."
"I see," Cat whispered amusedly. "Were we in the office?"
"Uh huh," Kara gulped. "But you...you had this..."
"Mama..." a small voice called from behind the closed door, followed by a soft tapping.
"Damnit," Cat scrunched up her nose, stealing another kiss before sitting up.
"What time is it?" Kara asked.
"A little after seven," she confirmed. "Come in, sweetie."
The door creaked open, tiny fingers curling around the frame before one eye peeped inside. Finally, Milia swung it all the way open, padding across the wooden floor in blue and green polka dot pajamas, holding her stuffed piggy in one hand, pulling herself onto the bed with the other.
"Hi baby," Kara smiled brightly, scooping her into her arms, snuggling her hard, kissing her forehead before planting her between them. "How'd you sleep?"
"Kay," she answered a little shyly. "Hungy."
“Try to use full sentences, love bug," Cat pulled her into her lap. "What do you want Mommy to make for you?"
"I wanna pancake!"
"Oh yeah?" Kara giggled. "Guess I'm making pancakes."
“Wait," Cat halted. "You didn't finish telling me about your dream.
"Oh...it was just...strange," she shook it off. "You had this skin thing...a biopsy...and then..."
"I did?” Cat’s face fell.
“Yeah…” Kara eyed her curiously. “Why...is that…”
“Mama got bandaid,” Milia pulled at Cat’s shirt, trying to lift it.
“She does...does she?” Kara looked concerned. And angry.
“It was just a routine check,” Cat sighed. “I didn't want to worry you until I had the results.”
“Cat,” Kara sat up straighter. “I need you to tell me these things!”
“Why?” she scoffed. “So you can worry about them too? Honestly…”
“Yes!” Kara insisted. “I want to be there for you. I want to worry, with you, until we don't have anything to worry about. That's what we do. You can't keep things from me, no matter how small…”
“Okay, Mama?” Milia chimed in.
“Yes, sweetie,” Cat sighed, brushing her fingers through her blonde curls. “I’m fine.”
“Let me see,” Kara demanded.
Cat rolled her eyes, shifting her body, lifting her shirt so Kara could view the bandage covering the incision.
“I can't believe you didn't tell me,” Kara whispered, tracing her hand over the spot, kissing her back. “Why…”
“Because,” Cat pulled the shirt down firmly. “There are many things I have to do because I'm not...like you. My powers may allow me heal faster, but that doesn't make me immune to...everything.”
Kara swallowed, brow furrowing as she grabbed Cat’s face, kissing her lips, holding her cheeks.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
“Yes,” she nodded. “I got the results last night, while you were out. It was mild...it's gone. It's nothing.”
Kara sighed, falling into her arms, squeezing her, before pulling away, never able to stay upset for long, but wanting to make her point.
“All bettur, Mama,” Milia chirped, putting her hand on Cat’s back, letting the green light pulse for a second before rolling in the sheets like a wiggleworm.
“There,” Cat laughed. “That's that. Thank you, Millie.”
“Don't hide from me,” Kara shook her head. “I want to know. Please.”
“I won't,” Cat promised, taking her hand, kissing it assuredly. “The real question is: why have you suddenly developed psychic abilities? There's only room for so much magic in this house.”
“I beg to differ,” Kara smirked. “And I don't think it's a new power, it's just...me...knowing you.”
“Maybe so,” Cat smiled. “Still...something to keep tabs on.”
“Definitely,” Kara sighed.
"And I assume, judging from your reaction...the dream ended...happily?" Cat grinned, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Kara blushed. "It did."
“Good,” Cat swallowed. “You can tell me more later. After pancakes.”
“Yay!” Milia squealed.
“Go wake up Carter,” Kara nudged.
The little girl flew towards his room, just as fast as her legs could carry her, never more excited than she was for the chance to command her brother’s attention.
“I guess you won’t be needing this anymore,” Kara noted, pulling the bandaid off Cat’s back without much warning.
“Ouch!” she hissed. “Was that really necessary?”
Kara rose up on all fours, pinning her to the bed, kissing her wickedly, laughing as she ran away.
Cat shook her head, biting her lip at all the ways she would make her pay soon enough. But first, there was breakfast to be had, family to hold, kisses to share, and for that, everything else could wait.