feel like i’m on cloud nine Jac is finally posting Mock Trial again.
Professor!Alex Cabot x Fellow!Casey Novak
Chapter 12 - Masterlist
Word Count: 3.3k
Summary: Alex & Casey are learning their new normal with the beginning of mock trial and the stress of Casey's final semester.
A/N: Soooooooooo I'm sorry for the disappearance. Had a really difficult time with a new job that didn't work out and the stress that came with it. But, things are leveling out now. I'm hopeful that I'll be keeping this wayyyyy more up to date than I have been. Thank you guys for being so encouraging and amazing, I absolutely ADORE hearing from all of you. You mean the world to me. <3
The following few days were filled with Casey adjusting to her new courses and preparing for the first mock trial meeting at the end of the week. They’d sent out emails practically twice a day with details about the upcoming meetings for the semester. Which wouldn’t have bothered Casey normally, but the constant bombardment caused everything to feel like it was starting to snowball. She’d been unable to see Alex most of the week because of how everything kept piling on, which made their tension continue to build. They’d see each other in passing, Alex making a point to see Casey whenever she could. Even though the interactions were just a quick kiss or a simple, “how was your day,” neither of them felt like the relationship waivered. If anything, it only made them crave each other more and more.
Friday finally came and Alex had a later start to her morning than she’d planned. She’d woken up, alone in her bed, after a delightful dream. She’d dreamt about Casey straddling her on the couch, her hands cupped around her face. Alex’s hands wandered over her body until one gripped her hip, the other slowly made its way between Casey’s thighs. Casey rocked her hips back and forth, moaning into Alex’s mouth. Frustrated, their moans melted away into her last alarm of the morning. When she glanced at the time, she weighed the options in her mind and ultimately decided she could squeeze in a quick masturbation, finishing the dream and herself. Naturally, this led to her running late.
Her lateness, unfortunately, also led to her missing Casey before class. She made it to her first class with minutes to spare, her mind still clouded by the thoughts of Casey. In an attempt to spend longer in her mind, she made a point to have her classes engage in more discussions and coursework that did not necessarily require her attention. This worked for all of her classes, but trying to keep herself busy through her break was rough. Of course there was work to be done, she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Focus was beyond her capabilities for the time being as she started task after task with the futile goal of completing at least one of them. Instead, her mind wandered with ideas of her lover and what they’d get up to this weekend. As her mind wandered, so did her hand; passively between her thighs and up her mound, gently gripping the silicone piece she’d stashed within her slacks.
The end of the work day at last arrives as she organizes her things in her office, preparing for the mock trial meeting in about an hour. She anticipates seeing Casey during the meeting and then taking her home afterwards. Though, she isn’t sure she can wait that long. The pit of her stomach burns, her thighs tensing continuously with desire for Casey. As she begins to consider taking care of herself in the office, she hears footsteps down the hallway. A moment clicks in her mind and, excited, she pokes her head out of the doorway. Her smile falls when she sees it was just another professor passing by. Hanging her head, only to hear a faint gasp and an audible smile down the opposite end of the hallway.
Alex whips her head around and steps out into the hallway, keeping one foot in her office. A smile plasters itself across her face as she watches her sweet partner prance down the hallway. Her hair bounces as she approaches, her dark red hair pinned up in a bun with a black claw clip. “Case,” she begins to exclaim as she opens her arms, her partner running into them and wrapping her own arms around Alex’s neck.
“Hi! I have some time before the meeting, I was hoping to see you for a bit,” she tells her as she pulls away, hands clasped warmly around the back of Alex’s neck. Alex’s hands naturally fall to Casey’s waist and she feels a fire in her chest, the heat rising and reddening her skin, saliva pooling beneath her tongue at Casey’s touch.
Alex’s mouth hangs open for a little bit, her eyes fluttering as she scans Casey’s face. Auditory sensations play within her mind’s eye as she stares, and her impulses can no longer be withheld. “I was hoping to see you too, come on,” she tells her, hands leaving her hips to grab her hand and pull her in. As she does, Casey tries to shut the door and just as soon as it closes, Alex takes Casey’s things and sets them down.
“What are you in a rush for?” Casey giggles just before Alex pushes her against the door, hands groping their way up her shirt and onto her hips. Their lips collide and Alex feels the heat burst. It leaks through her hands and her lips, moans escaping as she runs her tongue over Casey’s, adoring its taste and the way the muscle flexes.
“I miss you,” Alex whispers against Casey’s lips as she parts, then continues kissing down her neck. “I was hoping to show you how much…” her hands weave to the front of Casey’s jeans and start slyly unbuttoning them. “Since we have some extra time…”
Casey’s vision blurs as Alex’s lips reach her throat, her heartbeat pressing against her lover’s lips over and over, faster and faster. She lets out a quiet moan that quickly turns into a whimper as she reaches for Alex’s hands and stops them, “What about when we get home?”
Alex wriggles her hands out of Casey’s grasp and plants them on the door behind her, releasing her neck from between her teeth and dragging her tongue up to Casey’s ear. She pauses for a moment, breathing heavily, “I need you, Case…” she pants in her ear, nose pressed gently against her lobe. “So badly.”
Casey tilts her head into Alex’s breaths, her mind hazy and reason leaving her. With one hand pressed against the door, the other slides down to Alex’s slacks, starting to fiddle with the clasp when she feels the bend of a surprise. She lets out her breath and grins, pressing her lips to Alex’s ear - “Why don’t you show me?”
Alex pulls away slowly, her eyes wide and staring at Casey, studying her face. Her head tilts to the side, a smirk rising, and she bites her lip at the thought. She reaches down and quickly undoes Casey’s pants while Casey turns and locks the office door. Together, they maneuver Casey’s pants off of her body and Casey starts to grab the hem of her underwear but Alex stops her, replacing her hands at the hem of her underwear. She stares for a moment, feeling the drool in her mouth, and she shakes her head.
“These are staying on,” she whispers as she spins Casey around and presses her against the door, bunching her panties and pulling them to the side. Casey grins and bites her lip, reaching behind her to grip Alex’s strap. Alex undoes her slacks and before she can even touch her strap, Casey’s hand grips it and pulls it.
“Were you planning for this, Cabot?”
Casey’s words ring loudly in her ears and a deep guttural tightness winds inside of her. She uses one hand to glide her way up Casey’s wet & exposed center, humming at how wet she’s become. “Doesn’t seem like you have a problem with it, Novak,” she comments before gripping her strap out of Casey’s hand and guiding the tip inside of her. Casey groans loudly as Alex takes her time, pushing herself as deep as possible, as slowly as possible. When she reaches the hilt, Casey starts to let out a loud moan, which Alex quickly reaches forward to slap her hand across her mouth. Casey grunts and rams her hands into the door as Alex pushes deeper, gripping her mouth and leaning in to kiss Casey’s ear with her own breathy moan.
“Shh,” Alex whispers into her ear, “can’t let them hear you, can we?” She snakes her arm around Casey’s throat, resting it into the crook of her elbow as she begins using her hips to slowly thrust in and out of her, moaning into her ear. Casey bites her lip, letting soft moans hum against them, her throat vibrating against Alex’s arm. With her back arched inward, the strap hits her deep and brushes against the right spots, the long, deep thrusts causing a winding in her core.
Alex begins to pick up the pace, causing Casey to hit the door a few times over. Her moans start to get louder, as do Alex’s. Their desperation feels as though it’s pulsing between them, swelling and circling them. Care about their noises begins to waiver…until the sound of approaching footsteps echoes down the hallway. Casey whimpers and pushes Alex’s hips away, Alex pulls out and starts messily putting the strap away. Casey reaches for her pants and begins replacing them, pressing her ear against the door and listening closely.
The footsteps bound up against the door for a moment and then begin to dissipate. Both of them release the breath they were holding and giggles start to erupt from between them. Alex takes Casey’s jaw in her hand and brings her close, kissing her softly. Casey reaches her hands down and starts trying to bring the strap back, and Alex pulls away.
“We can finish this at home, Case, it’s okay.” Alex tries to push Casey’s hands away, but finds herself confused as she drops to her knees.
“I know, look at the time,” she states, “but I figured I’d help clean up.” She grins widely and continues undoing Alex’s slacks once again, but making a show of it this time. She’s caught Alex’s eyes and watches closely as her lover blushes, wordless as she observes the scene Casey is moving towards. Alex’s breaths become deep and sultry, licking her lips while she watches Casey run her hands up and down Alex’s thighs. She comes back up to the zipper, pulling it down slowly, making intense eye contact. She starts to blush when her fingers slip in and retrieve the phallus. With red cheeks and her bottom lip between her teeth, saliva pools around her tongue as the scent of herself on the strap makes her weak.
“Case…” Alex whispers, barely loud enough for Casey to hear her. With a worried gaze, Casey looks up, questioning her. “I um…I’ve never had someone do this before.”
The blush spreads all over Casey’s face and she furrows her brow, “really?” she asks, her tone seeming incredulous. Alex covers her face and nods in embarrassment. Casey’s mind initially hurtles towards stopping out of embarrassment and shame, but fortunately makes the quick turnaround towards wanting to give Alex her first time. With this at least. Deviousness spreads through her cheeks and she sucks her bottom lip for a moment as she readjusts on her knees. “Would you like for me to?” She asks, her eyes moving between Alex’s own red face and the strap.
Alex takes a shaky breath and begins to stammer, “I mean…if you want to…”
Casey smiles wide, admiring that Alex still has nervousness and insecurities. Leaving one hand firmly planted on Alex’s thigh, she reaches the other to gently squeeze Alex’s hand. Maintaining eye contact she feels a bit of the tension break, “I would love to, Lex.” Alex nods, squeezing Casey’s hand back just before she pulls it back and takes the strap from the confines of her slacks. She kisses the tip gently, then finally breaks eye contact with Alex. She plants soft kisses down to the hilt and then positions herself below it. Laying her tongue flat against the bottom of the strap she drags it up to the tip and then slips it into her mouth. Keeping the strap shallow, she takes her time coating it with her saliva and moaning.
Above her, Alex’s breaths steady again and she grips the edge of the desk behind her. Wanting to connect with her lover, she extends her hand and caresses the side of Casey’s face. She smiles as she slowly takes her mouth off of the strap, letting drool drip from the tip now. Planting a messy kiss on Alex’s palm and dazzling smile, Casey takes Alex’s hand from her cheek and gently pushes it upwards to her hair. Alex lingers, unsure if she’s picked up the hint. Casey proceeds, sticking her tongue out and tapping the strap on it a few times before taking more of the length into her mouth.
Casey moves back and forth slowly, removing her hands and gripping Alex’s thighs. She closes her eyes and lets herself feel her body, moaning and drooling as the wetness of her mouth coats the strap. She begins to feel desperate, wet and warm, her hands beginning to greedily grope Alex - her ass, the hem of her boxers, her thighs, underneath her shirt. The greedier she gets, the deeper the strap goes. Casey, unfortunately, is blissfully unaware of the sweet whimpers Alex is making and how she’s gripping Casey’s hair now. Both of them, eyes closed and enjoying the bliss of each other’s bodies, follow the fluid motion. Alex begins pushing Casey back and forth, but not forcefully. Casey is leading, but Alex is assisting. Both moan softly, the sounds echoing in the office.
A warmth rises in Alex’s pelvis and her hips begin pushing into Casey, who groans deeply at the first thrust, the whole length pushing its way into her mouth. She starts to gag a bit and it shocks Alex out of her pleasure for a moment, she pulls out and loosens the grip on Casey’s hair. Casey giggles, the spit smeared on her face and dripping down her neck, she smiles up at Alex. Alex looks down and blushes, humming with pleasure.
Impulse overtakes her, “you look pretty covered in spit,” Alex murmurs. Casey blushes, speechless, and looks down. As she does, she happens to glance at her watch.
“Fuck,” she spits, then starts to wipe her face with her sleeve. “We’ve got to go,” Casey looks up at Alex, who appears disappointed momentarily. But she extends her hand to help Casey up. She takes it and they stand apart for a moment. Casey takes tissues from the desk and cleans herself up while Alex shoves the strap back in her slacks. Once put back together, they stare at each other for a moment, feeling momentary awkwardness.
Alex pushes a strand of hair from Casey’s face, her other hand landing on Casey’s hip. Casey looks at her sheepishly, “was that okay?”
Alex chuckles, pulling Casey into a deep hug. One hand around her waist and the other up between her shoulder blades, and Casey wraps her arms around Alex’s middle. Alex turns and whispers into Casey’s neck, “Yes…” she takes a deep breath and plants a soft kiss against Casey’s ear, “it was more than okay.” As she pulls away, she cups Casey’s face and smiles softly, her eyes scanning Casey’s face. Casey’s nerves fade momentarily as she loses herself in Alex’s gaze, which softens. Alex lets out a slow breath and pulls Casey into a passionate kiss. Casey’s hands slide down Alex’s body to her hips, gripping them lightly and pulling her closely. Their breaths intermingle, ins and outs, getting lost in each other’s scent.
Casey lets out a soft whine as she pulls away, her eyes closed and her cheeks grinning, “we have to go,” she whispers. Alex giggles and nods, slipping her hands away from Casey and grabbing her things. Casey does the same, her face warm with fluster and desire. Leaving the office and making their way toward the classroom where the first meeting would be held, Casey couldn’t help but notice the wetness spreading in her jeans. She bit her lip as they walked, hand in hand, imagining what they could do when they got home. Alex, however, was feeling more focused now. She opened the door for Casey and they parted ways. Alex moved to the other professors while Casey joined her peers on the other side of the room.
Sitting next to Charlie, her face red and body warm with a faint sweat, Casey hoped he wouldn’t say anything. He turns to her and gives her a once over before glancing over his shoulder at Alex. Alex, speaking with the other professors, maintains complete composure, as a former assistant district attorney would. A smirk crawls across Charlie’s face as he turns back to Casey, who wipes her forehead of sweat.
He scoffs, catching her attention, “did you two just…?”
Casey’s eyes swell and her face burns a scarlet red. “How the hell do you know that?”
He practically chokes himself to keep from bursting with laughter, “you’re so easy to read, Case.” He looks between them both, Casey mimics him. “She’s over there, all composed and professional, and you’re here, nervous with a flop sweat, after you walked in together. I do have eyes, honey.”
She takes a deep breath, staring at him incredulously, and is about to retort when Professor Donnelly begins her introduction. When she begins, Casey’s nerves seem to calm themselves. She listens carefully while watching Alex discreetly. Her eyes dart to & fro, admiring her love while ensuring she’s aware of the information being delivered to her. Fortunately, she’s able to ignore the swelling warmth in her core. She pushes Charlie’s comments to the back of her mind, not letting them bother her anymore than is necessary. At the beginning, Alex keeps her attention entirely directed on Donnelly or the work in front of her. She neglects to acknowledge Casey’s wandering gaze.
As the end grows near, however, Alex’s composure waivers. She starts to gaze longingly at her lover, sitting on the front row. She admires Casey’s calmness in spite of all of her stress. She admires how driven she is and the way that her mind works. They’re pulled from the midst of their distraction and admiration when Donnelly makes a point to redirect everyone’s attention.
“Now that we’ve gotten the admin stuff out of the way, I wanted to finally announce our team leads,” she states in a demanding, almost grandiose, manner with her arms and ankles crossed as she leans back against the faux judge’s stand. Casey and Charlie direct their full attention to Donnelly’s presence. Alex tries to be subtle, but it’s clear she’s leaning into the tension, unaware of who the leads are herself. “Wow, I didn’t think I’d take the breath out of the room. Breathe everyone,” Donnelly exclaims and the group lets out a nervous laugh.
“For the defense team, we have Trevor Langan.” A simultaneous sigh of relief fills the room and a hefty pat on Trevor’s back can be heard from where he’s sitting in the back of the room.
Donnelly clears her throat and the room falls silent once again. Bated breaths feed into Donnelly’s power trip as she waits for all eyes to be on her. “And for the prosecution,” she begins, glancing all around the room and making a point not to meet anyone’s gaze. All air has escaped Casey’s lungs, though she’s not sure why. She feels glad even to just be on the team with how much she’s got going on. But she knows the weight of being the team lead for this competition could mean the difference between a position here, in Portland, and her position in New York City.
“We have Casey Novak.”
somebody please convince me and drag me back to calex fandom. I haven’t stopped loving them but damn 🥹
They’re girlfriends, YOUR HONOUR
คิดถึงpolly
Amelia Chase's first interaction with Munch and Fin is what I'd call MLM/WLW hostility
Naurr you just exposed me againnn but I couldn't deny it this time. But miss Polly? Are you sure you’re not down bad yourself as well
Miss Jane down bad ep2
you tested my soul with yams and now you’re feeding me fluff - thank you
Casey faints at the batting cage. Alex panics. There’s urgent care, tears, IVs, attempted soup arson, and cuddles. consider this my formal apology for yams. too tired to edit. fluff. lots of it. mention of needles and iv's 2.3k wc
“Come on, it’s not that hot,” Casey said, rolling her shoulders as she stepped up to the plate again. Her cheeks were flushed, hair frizzing beneath the helmet, and she looked determined, which, Alex knew, was Casey’s default setting, even on a Saturday.
Alex sat primly on the bench, legs crossed at the ankle, sunglasses fixed in place, and a book in one hand. She looked entirely unbothered, like someone who had not been dragged to a dusty batting cage on her only free afternoon. “You say that like you’re not about to pass out in front of suburban dads and ten-year-olds.”
Casey swung and missed. Then again. Then—thwack. A clean hit that cracked into the chain-link fence.
“There’s the overachiever I know and put up with,” Alex said, sipping her drink.
“I’m relaxing,” Casey shot back, panting slightly. “This is cathartic.”
“You prosecute creeps more gently than you treat that ball.”
But Casey didn’t answer. She stayed still after her next swing, bat slipping from her fingers. Her knees wobbled.
Alex was standing before she even realized she’d moved.
“Casey?”
Then Casey slumped to the ground.
Alex was through the gate in seconds, her stride purposeful despite the uneven turf and the useless wedge sandals she’d insisted on wearing. A teenage staffer reached out to help, but Alex brushed past him with a lawyer’s practiced authority.
“Move,” she said calmly. “I’ve got her.”
She knelt beside Casey, immediately checking her pulse, her voice steady despite the panic crawling up her spine. “Casey, hey. Talk to me.”
Casey groaned, eyes fluttering open. “M’fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Alex’s tone was firm but measured. “You just passed out mid-swing like a melodramatic heroine.”
“I didn’t faint.”
“You did. And we’re not arguing about it.” She adjusted Casey’s head onto her knee and glanced at the staffer. “Get water. Cold. Please.”
Casey squinted at her through bleary eyes. “Don’t yell.”
“I’m not yelling,” Alex said, already helping her sit up slowly. “You’re hearing the sound of barely restrained panic in an extremely competent tone.”
The kid brought a bottle of water. Alex held it to Casey’s lips with one hand and dialed her phone with the other.
Casey caught sight of the screen. “No ambulances. Alex, no.”
“Yes ambulances,” Alex said coolly.
“No! They’ll charge me six hundred dollars to sit in traffic and I’ll end up in the ER with some intern who thinks I’m hungover.”
Alex paused. Calculated. She weighed her options like she would a plea deal. “Urgent care,” she decided. “But I’m driving.”
“Against my will?”
“You fainted. You don’t get a vote.”
“You’re kidnapping me.”
“I’ll get off with probation,” Alex muttered, already looping Casey’s arm around her shoulder.
Alex helped Casey through the sliding doors of urgent care, her grip steady, her expression composed. The air conditioning hit them like a wall, and Casey immediately sagged against her.
“Try not to smack your face on the tile,” Alex murmured gently. “I don’t think your dignity could survive two concussions in one day.”
Casey managed a weak glare.
Alex sat her down in the waiting area before approaching the front desk.
“Hi, good afternoon,” she said warmly to the receptionist. “Novak, Casey. She fainted at the batting cages. She’s conscious, but dizzy, lightheaded, and pale.”
Casey made a strangled noise. “Don’t say pale.”
“You are,” Alex replied sweetly, “but in a very charming way.”
The receptionist glanced at Casey, who gave her a miserable little wave from where she was slumped against the chair.
“We’ll get her checked in right away,” the woman said, handing over a clipboard. “Just fill this out.”
“I can take care of that,” Alex offered smoothly. “She’s not in any condition to write her name right now.”
“Still standing right here,” Casey mumbled, eyes closed.
Within twenty minutes, they were in a small exam room. Casey sat on the edge of the bed, looking like she was trying to disappear into the wall. Alex sat in the visitor’s chair beside her, legs crossed neatly, reading a pamphlet titled Hydration and You like it was a Supreme Court brief. “It says here that coffee is not a hydrating beverage.”
“I’ll sue,” Casey muttered.
“You’ll lose. Science is against you.”
Casey groaned. “Don’t joke. I’m dying.”
“You’re not dying. You’re dehydrated.”
“Same thing.”
There was a soft knock, and the nurse entered. “Alright, Ms. Novak, your blood pressure’s a little low, and your heart rate’s up, which tells me you’re still pretty dehydrated. We’re going to start you on some IV fluids, okay?”
Casey stiffened. “IV?”
The nurse smiled kindly. “It’ll just be a little needle. We’ll put the line in your arm, and it’ll take about thirty minutes.”
“Wait. Wait, no.”
“Just a small IV in your arm. It won’t take long at all—”
“No, no, no, no, no.” Casey’s voice cracked. “Alex, I can’t—” She started shaking her head, eyes wide, panic flooding her face. “Needles—I can’t—no. No. Can’t you just give me, like, Gatorade?”
Alex stood and stepped in gently, putting herself between Casey and the nurse. “You sued the U.S. military. You can handle this.”
“Alex.”
Her voice was small now. Embarrassed. Her eyes were glassy.
Alex sat beside her on the table, slipping her arm around her waist. “Hey. Look at me.”
Casey did. Just barely.
“Breathe. You’re okay.”
“I hate this.”
“I know.” Alex kissed her temple, voice low and steady. “But you’re braver than you think.”
“I’m not just scared, I’m—I’m terrified.” Her hands trembled, and tears filled her eyes, slipping down her cheeks.
Alex’s heart cracked. She cupped Casey’s face and brushed her thumbs gently under her eyes. “I know. But you fainted, sweetheart. You need fluids.”
Casey sniffled. “Will you hold my hand?”
Alex stood and pressed the call button. “Always.”
The nurse returned moments later with practiced grace. “We’ll make this quick,” she promised.
Casey whimpered as the nurse prepped her arm. “Talk to me. Talk about anything.”
“Did I ever tell you about the time I accidentally set off the courthouse metal detector because I had a fork in my purse?”
Casey let out a wet, hiccuped laugh. “A fork?”
“Leftover cake. It was strategic.”
“Of course it was.”
The needle went in. Casey squeezed her eyes shut, gripping Alex’s hand like a lifeline, a tear sliding down her cheek, but it was done before she even noticed.
“All finished,” the nurse said, securing the line with tape. “You did great.”
Casey sagged against Alex, still sniffling. “I did not.”
“You absolutely did,” Alex murmured into her hair. “You were brilliant.”
“Did you really bring a fork to court?”
“With intent,” Alex said gravely.
Casey let out a soft, exhausted laugh.
Alex kissed her hair again and tightened her hold. “Next time, we’re going to the bookstore.”
By the time they got home, Casey was groggy but stable, her color returning and a blanket draped over her shoulders like a cape. Alex had insisted.
“Stop looking at me like I’m a ghost bride,” Casey grumbled as she flopped onto the couch.
“You passed out in public and cried over a needle. You’re getting pampered whether you like it or not,” Alex said, brushing a kiss to her forehead. “Blanket stays.”
“Fine. But I draw the line at hot water bottles. I’m not a reptile.”
“Noted,” Alex called from the kitchen, already rifling through the pantry. “Now. Sit back, relax, and let your competent, nurturing wife handle dinner.”
There was a long pause.
“You’ve never cooked a day in your life,” Casey said warily.
“I have. I just choose not to.”
“You tried to make toast once and set off the smoke alarm.”
Alex sounded very dignified. “It was an old toaster.”
“You tried to microwave pasta with the water already drained.”
“That was an experiment.”
“Alex.”
“I’m making soup,” Alex declared. “You can’t ruin soup.”
This, of course, was a lie.
Within minutes, chaos was quietly erupting in the kitchen. Alex had put a pot on the stove and dumped in a can of tomato soup without reading the part about adding water. Then she added garlic. And pepper. And half a bottle of basil because, as she whispered to herself, “that’s what chefs on TV do.”
Casey stayed curled on the couch, listening to the clinking of metal and muttered curses.
Then the inevitable:
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The smoke alarm screamed to life.
Casey didn’t even flinch. “So... what stage of the culinary process are we in now?”
“There is... a small issue,” Alex said as calmly as possible, waving a towel at the ceiling.
“You started a fire, didn’t you?”
“It’s contained.”
“You burned canned soup.”
“I enhanced it.”
Casey dragged herself off the couch and wandered into the kitchen, still wrapped in her blanket. She stared at the pot, which was bubbling with thick, violently red sludge.
“Alex.”
Alex looked at her, helpless. “I wanted to take care of you.”
Casey’s heart squeezed in her chest. “You’re a disaster.”
“I know.”
“But you’re my disaster.” She reached up and smudged some tomato off Alex’s cheek. “Let’s order takeout before you burn the building down.”
Alex sagged in relief. “Bless you. Chinese?”
“Obviously.”
They ended up curled on the couch twenty minutes later with lo mein and soup that didn’t require a fire extinguisher. Casey had her head on Alex’s lap, the blanket still wrapped around her. Alex carded gentle fingers through her hair as they watched some nature documentary narrated by someone very British.
“Hey,” Casey murmured. “Thank you. For today.”
Alex looked down at her. “For dragging you to urgent care?”
“For holding my hand. For kissing my forehead. For ordering me egg rolls instead of feeding me spicy tomato cement.”
Alex smirked. “It had potential.”
Casey yawned. “You’re lucky you’re pretty.”
“And you're lucky you're dramatic enough to keep life interesting.”
“Mm. Let’s go to bed.”
“Will you faint on the way there?”
“Only if it gets me out of washing the dishes.”
By the time the dishes were ignored and the leftovers safely stashed, Casey was already half-asleep on the bathroom counter with a toothbrush dangling from her mouth. Alex leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching her with the fond exasperation of someone deeply in love with a woman who could argue down a judge but couldn't stay awake for a full hygiene routine.
“You’re foaming at the mouth like a rabid raccoon,” Alex said softly.
Casey pointed at her with her toothbrush.
“You love this raccoon.”
“Tragically, I do.”
Casey made a pitiful whining noise and swayed forward a little too dramatically, nearly bonking her head on the mirror. Alex caught her just in time, steadying her with a hand on her back.
“Okay, come here,” Alex murmured, easing her upright.
She plucked the toothbrush from Casey’s hand with practiced efficiency, dabbed a bit more toothpaste on it, and turned the water back on.
“You’re not brushing, you’re just… foaming and dozing. This is a liability.”
“I’m very tired,” Casey slurred, leaning heavily on her shoulder. “You have no idea.”
Alex smirked and gently tapped the toothbrush against her lips. “Open.”
“You’re brushing my teeth? What am I, five?”
“Yes. Five, dramatic, and currently a biohazard.”
Despite her protests, Casey parted her lips with a tiny huff, letting Alex guide the toothbrush across her teeth in slow, careful strokes.
“Wow,” Casey mumbled around the bristles, “You’re very gentle. Did you miss your calling as a hygienist?”
“I’m adding it to the list,” Alex said. “Right between ‘terrible cook’ and ‘expert wife.’ Spit.”
Casey did, then leaned her cheek against Alex’s shoulder, eyes fluttering shut again.
“Okay,” Alex whispered, guiding her toward the door. “Bedtime.”
Eventually, after much blanket arranging and flopping and one brief moment of panic when Casey realized she left her phone charging in the kitchen, they settled under the covers. The lights were low, the room quiet except for the soft hum of the street outside and the occasional creak of the old building.
Alex lay on her back, one arm tucked behind her head, the other curled protectively around Casey, who had wasted no time sprawling half on top of her.
Casey rested her cheek against Alex’s chest, fingers lazily tracing little patterns on the fabric of her top. “I was really scared today,” she said quietly.
Alex kissed the top of her head. “I know.”
“Like, really scared. I hate that it got to me so much.”
“It’s not weakness,” Alex said gently. “Fear isn’t a flaw. It’s just… real.”
“I cried in front of a nurse.”
“You also made some good hits before fainting. It balances out.”
Casey laughed softly. “You really were going to call an ambulance, weren’t you?”
“You hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and then tried to argue with me about consciousness. Yes, I was going to call an ambulance.”
Casey looked up at her, eyes warm. “I love you.”
She reached down and brushed her thumb over Casey’s cheek. “I love you too.”
“Even when I’m dehydrated and sobbing?”
“Especially then.”
Casey leaned up and pressed a slow kiss to the corner of Alex’s mouth. “You’re the only person I’d faint in front of twice.”
Alex smiled against her lips. “If you do, I’m buying you a CamelBak and taping electrolyte packets to your blazer.”
They kissed again—soft and slow and sleepy.
Then Casey burrowed back into her side with a yawn. “If I die in my sleep, tell the nurse she was very nice.”
“She was.”
“And that I want to be buried with egg rolls.”
Alex ran her fingers through Casey’s hair, a quiet, rhythmic motion. “Noted.”
A few minutes passed in silence.
“You know,” Casey murmured, voice drifting, “you’re actually kind of good at this.”
“At what?”
“This. Comfort. Caretaking. Love stuff.”
Alex looked down, a little stunned. “You think?”
“I know. Even if your soup skills are a crime against humanity.”
Alex huffed. “Go to sleep.”
“Make me.”
So Alex did by holding her closer, tucking them together beneath the covers, and pressing one last kiss to her forehead.
Upon acknowledging the existence of Casey Novak, I have experienced a demonstrable and progressive enhancement of my homosexual tendencies.
Aweee I miss seeing this