hardwearing | [ MEADOWLARK ] IC Inbox

[ wash evens out and so does she, even if carolina loses track of how long it takes. she doesn't feel better, but her anxiety is at a simmer now, and the raw, exhausted feeling that had been so heavy in her chest has eased, if only a little. it'll do.

she eases away from the hug but doesn't break contact, looking up at wash instead. her face is bruised, but it was clearly only a handful of blows, not nearly the full extent of damage maine could have done to her. nothing's broken or needs real medical care, she's just going to be sore for a few days. wash has seen her walk off much worse injuries, so he shouldn't have anything to be concerned about, carolina figures.

not that she lets wash look very long before she moves, stretches up to kiss him tenderly, palpably grateful for his company. ]

[ When she pulls back enough for him to see, Wash studies the injury -- it's nothing, really, considering that it was Maine, but he still wants to get some ice on it so it doesn't swell up too badly. He strokes her cheek cautiously, but then she's leaning up to kiss him and he's not going to protest.

His kiss back is mindful not to brush his nose against the bruise, then he rests their foreheads together. ]

I'm glad it's not worse.

[ But it must have reminded her of the Meta, with how afraid he could feel she was. Wash runs his fingers through her wet hair, smoothing it back from her face. ]

You sure you're okay?

That makes both of us.

[ she's glad she's not hurt worse, too. maine is a lethal enemy to have, a fact that makes her proud to fight beside him and nervous to fight against him. carolina really hates fighting maine, for so many reasons. ]

And I'll... be okay.

[ it feels far more honest than saying she's okay now, when everything still feels raw, when she's not looking forward to being alone in her head again. which means more touching wash, one of her hands reaching up to slide her fingers in the hair at the back of his head, all the more firmly ensuring her arms are still wrapped around him. ]

[ It could have been so much worse... Wash is honestly surprised her nose or eye socket aren't broken, and between that thought and hesitation before saying she'll be okay has a little surge of distress rising again but Wash squashes it down as fast as he can. It's getting easier, he thinks, to control what's at the forefront. ]

You will.

[ He turns his head slightly, kissing her temple. ]

Come on. Let me look at it.

[ that little spike of distress almost has carolina pulling back from wash, wanting to pull back so she doesn't make him feel worse, but he catches himself. she can feel the effort he puts into not letting it overwhelm either one of them and can't help the warm sort of pride she feels for him, under her exhaustion. he really has gotten better with the empathy bond with her.

at his request, the one she knows will get more firm if she tries to fight him, carolina takes a small step back, head up so he can inspect her face for himself as her hands slide down to his hips, needing to maintain contact with him.

but her hands no sooner settle than she's glancing down between them, a rush of fondness and amusement as she confirms that he is, indeed, still wearing his underwear. ]

You know, this isn't exactly reassuring me that I don't have to use up points to get you naked.

[ Wash blushes bright red under his freckles at that comment, though the actual embarrassment is minimal. She'll be able to feel that he thought it was funny, too, before noticing that the corner of his mouth is quirked when she glances back up. ]

I didn't want you to think I just wanted... to get naked with you.

[ He prods her cheekbone and nose gently when she does lift her face again, then reaches for a washcloth to dab away the blood still peeking out of her nostrils. ]

Also we need a better euphemism than 'get naked.' But let me take care of this and you can take them off for me.

[ outside of a little flicker of a smile, carolina keeps still, lets wash take care of her face. there's a little extra red to her cheeks, too, under her bruises, but she's pretty sure she could never blush quite as aggressively as wash does. ]

Deal. But you're going to have to come up with new phrasing.

Deal.

[ Once he lowers the washcloth he's leaning back in for another kiss, this one a bit more playful. ]

Okay. Ditch these and let's actually shower, then get you some ice -- did you guys get to eat or not?

No, we didn't get to it.

[ things got bad before she could suggest it and after, she'd just wanted to come home. it was a good call; she needed wash.

and now carolina needs to kiss him again, fingers curling over the waistband of his underwear as she does, even if she doesn't start to pull them down yet. ]

I've got leftovers, I'll heat them up for you.

[ But then she's kissing him again, and that's distracting. His stomach tenses under her fingertips in a good way, the touch just firm enough not to tickle.

The washcloth gets dropped as he moves to hold her again, a different feeling creeping through the bond. \ ]

[ that this distracts him is a good thing, because a distraction sounds really nice about now and he's her favourite type. they've shared a lot of kisses over the last two months, plenty of practice so that carolina just wants to keep kissing him, letting them feel a little more heated by the time she eases back for a breath.

and to tug his underwear down, finally, bending a little so that she can get them down to his thighs before she lets them drop, her hands finding his waist again after. ]

That's better, thank you.

[ This really isn't where Wash envisioned things going when Carolina walked in the door bruised and bloody, but he isn't complaining because he can feel that it's helping her. He kicks the wet fabric out of the way so neither of them slip on it and catches her mouth again to keep kissing, sliding one hand down her back. When they're both breathless and his head is spinning a little from the feedback loop of things going from nice to heated, he nuzzles her unbruised cheek. ]

You're going to have to turn the water cold in a minute.

[ one of her hands has migrated up to curve against the side of wash's neck by now, carolina's eyes mostly closed as she takes advantage of the moment to catch her breath. his statement has her shifting, though. not to reach for the tap, but to press herself a little closer to him, get rid of what was left of distance between them. ]

Oh, am I?

[ this probably isn't the time to finally get to this point. carolina's emotions are probably a little too ragged to give him the experience that she wants to.

still, she can't quite find the motivation to stop herself, waiting for wash to call it off. ]

[ Someone, send him strength. Wash hums, closing his eyes and just enjoying the contact for a moment, but then he realizes. The uncertainty isn't all his. And that's enough to have his touches gentling to something more comforting than exciting. He takes a steadying breath and kisses her cheek. ]

I think not like this, okay?

[ At least she can feel that it's difficult for him to say that, especially with how they're pressed together. But he's also sure about it. ]

Not as a distraction.

[ That feels familiar, coming from a background of war, but it's not what he wants for them and he doesn't think she does either. Not something desperate and reassuring in the shower just to feel better. Not for their first time. ]

[ it's the right call, carolina knows that, but she can't hide her brief sense of disappointment from wash, not through the bond. she doesn't let it last, though, pushing it away as quickly as it starts, sinking into that exhausted but safe feeling she'd had before as she steps back. that's probably a lot more appropriate right now, anyway. ]

You're right.

[ she's trying to tease him with that, with the way she rarely tells him that he's right on a matter of any contention, no matter how mild, with her. but it mostly just sounds tired. ]

[ Being right doesn't make him feel any better about making the call, though. Carolina steps back and Wash breathes out, reaching for their bar of soap and sudsing his hands. He'll wash her back, help her dry off, go get her some ice for her face and heat up dinner, and there'll be a better time. Probably never perfect, but better than this one. ]

If it makes you feel any better, I really want that distraction.

[ He gestures for her to turn around with a hand covered in bubbles. ]

But I want to be here for you more.

You always are.

[ carolina's hands drop, breaking their contact briefly as she turns, shifting a little so that she can turn her face up against the spray from the shower head and take a deep breath.

she pauses, waits for him to touch her again before she finally decides to say, ] I love you, you know.

[ He tries, he tries. And at her admission Wash smiles, stepping in behind her to kiss her shoulder, settling his hands on her hips. ]

I know. I love you too.

[ Then she's getting her back washed, like he promised. ]

[ she doesn't say anything else, but it's all too easy for wash to feel her affection for his response, her relief that it wasn't the wrong thing for her to say. it's not that he isn't well aware of how much she loves him, but words can be so difficult for her- it's nice when they're not.

wash had mentioned cold water but carolina doesn't turn the shower down any lower than decidedly lukewarm, which basically is cold in comparison to the scalding showers she usually takes. it's something, at least, as she lets him wash her, trying to relax more under his touch. and it helps, really, so that when he's finished and she's had an opportunity to rinse off, carolina turns the water off before facing him, one hand on his cheek as she leans in for a brief, grateful kiss. ]

Come on, let's get out. I'm sure you want to fuss about me some more.

[ something she appreciates about him, even if carolina does inevitably wind up teasing that it's too much sometimes. ]

I do.

[ He looks a little sheepish about that, but pushes the curtain away and grabs her towel for her before his own. ]

I'm going to go heat up dinner for you and make an icepack.

[ carolina takes the towel with a little nod and a soft expression as she presses it to her chest, starting with her shoulders. ]

I'll be right there.

[ but first she's taking more time than she needs to dry off once he's out of the bathroom, needing to spend a little time in front of the mirror, cataloguing her new bruises for herself. she can tell already which ones are going to get significantly worse looking before they get better, but it's still really not that bad. not when they're bruises from maine.

when she starts to hear wash in the kitchen, carolina finally leaves, disappears into their bedroom to pull on whatever's closest that counts as pyjamas before she joins him. ]

[ Wash dried off and pulled some sweats on, then went to the kitchen to grab the leftovers. He's currently setting her warmed plate down on the table with a fork, and glances up when he hears her coming in. ]

Sit. I'll grab you a drink.

[ There's a bag of ice wrapped in a kitchen towel beside her plate, if she's up for holding it to her face as she eats. ]

Thank you.

[ it's soft, quiet as she moves to sit, forces herself to start with a mouthful of food despite the fact that she still feels a little nauseous from the mess of emotions she's been going through.

carolina's fairly sure that she's going to have to ease herself into actually getting through the leftovers wash has for her, so she takes the distraction the ice pack provides, leaning one elbow on the table as she holds it in place against the most tender part of her cheekbone. ]

I... think I figured out my power, too. It's pretty underwhelming.

[ Wash sets a glass of juice down in front of her plate and sits as well, on the adjacent side of the table so that he can press his leg to hers. ]

You didn't mention that -- what is it?

It's a shield. I accidentally activated it when Maine was...

[ she's torn between 'not himself' and 'trying to kill me' and decides that vaguely trailing off will do just fine. ]

It reminded me of a hardlight shield, but I didn't try to make it happen again, after that. I'm not sure how functional it is.

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