kinglivv

[kinglivv]

Thought I’d check the 13 x reader tag for the first time in months and oh what a gift

Anchored (13th Doctor X Reader)

Summary: The Doctor and you find yourselves stuck in an inn during a snowstorm. And oh no! It's soooo cold. And oh no! there's not many blankets! and OH NO... there's not many blankets on the only bed in the room... whatever shall you do?

Words: 3k !

Also posted to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61201354

It was freezing. Absolutely freezing, and there was no way you were going to walk the odd mile or two back to the TARDIS (wherever the Doctor had parked it, anyway). You told the Doctor this quite sternly as she peered out through the frosted windows of the inn. For the past several minutes, she had been assessing the level of snow falling to the ground. It had started an hour ago, with a trickle that was easy to walk through and, set against the backdrop of the town you had been exploring all day, was quite beautiful. But now the wind was howling, aggressively pushing the snow in all different directions. It was heavy, clearly, as it fell quickly to the ground and seemed to pile up even faster. Despite the Doctor's murmurs about it letting up soon, you knew that the two of you were well and truly stuck in the storm.

The inn was, at the very least, warmer than it was outdoors. It seemed as though the establishment was equally unprepared for such a storm. Staff were rushing about, carrying blankets and wood up the stairs towards the guest rooms. The bottom floor, which operated as a tavern, was mostly empty save for a few grumbling guests and a housekeeper tending to a fireplace across the room. 

"Looks cozy enough. Shouldn't we just stay here for the night?" Seeing the Doctor’s frown, you assured her: “The TARDIS will be fine” 

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," The timelord agreed. She closed the curtains, shutting out the view of the storm. 

You both made your way to the tavern bar, which seemed to double as the front desk for visitors. The housekeeper at the fire perked up and quickly made her way over, her shoulders tense. 

"Hello, what can I do for you?" 

"We'd like a room please!" 

The woman seemed to deflate a little as she looked back at a board with multiple hooks, clearly meant to hold room keys. There was only one left. 

"Well... we don't really have any vacancies, I'm afraid. We have one room left but..." 

"We'll take it!" the Doctor said happily. The woman chuckled. 

"Well, the thing is, it hasn't been reset since the last visitors, and I don't know if we have many blankets, or wood for your fire" 

"We'll take it still," You insisted. If the rooms were upstairs, there was still a chance that the heat from the bottom level would rise up. Or, with how tired you were, you'd fall asleep so quickly you wouldn't even notice the cold for long. The housekeeper nodded and grabbed the key from its hook. 

"Follow me, please" 

You pulled your jacket, which was far too light for the unexpected temperature drop, tighter to your chest as the three of you walked up the stairs. The wood cracked underneath your feet, dim lamps along the walls doing little to help illuminate the steps. 

Upstairs, faint light glowed from underneath the doors to each occupied room, making it easy to tell which was yours. It was at the farthest point of the hall, a ribbon tied around the handle of the large oak door. The housekeeper removed it and stuck it into her pocket, pushing the door open. 

You shivered as you walked into the room. Next to no heat had been brought in due to the door being shut. There was no fire going in the fireplace either and, to your disappointment, no wood set alongside it to start a new one. Being at the end of the building, there was no buffer between the two of the rooms walls and the biting cold outside. The windows were frosted far more than those downstairs, and you could hear them rattling along with the wind. 

"It's lovely!" the Doctor said. The housekeeper looked at her warily. 

"I might be able to find a blanket or two, but I believe we've already given all of the wood we have for now to the other guests" 

As you went to assess the bed for the blankets it already had (and finding none) you paused. The bed. Singular. It wasn't all that surprising, after all it was the only room in the inn left and beggars couldn't be choosers. But it certainly wasn't a large bed, and…

"We'll manage with whatever you have, thank you" We'll manage, the Doctor said. We'll manage, in the room with the singular (and quite small) bed... at least you'd each get your own blanket. Hopefully. You gave the housekeeper a smile as she bowed out of the room, trying to be polite. Why were you so stressed, anyway? It was just one night, and  having to share a bed was far from the worst thing that you could imagine happening on a trip with the Doctor. 

"You alright?" The time lord asked. You jumped a little, and she laughed. "You don't have to be nervous. The inn isn't haunted, I checked" 

The housekeeper returned, this time with a frown and only a small bundle in her hands. 

"I'm really sorry, the other girls have been giving out our blankets to the other guests... I'm afraid we only have one. But it is quite warm!" 

The material in her hands was thin where it lay piled on top of two pillows, casting doubt on her claims. But you weren't going to argue. Clearly, the housekeeper was doing her best, and it was getting quite late. She hurried over to the bed and began making it for you. The Doctor moved to the window to check on the snow's progress and you glanced over her shoulder. The storm had seemingly gotten worse, the intense white flakes blocking out the sight of town. For a moment you considered what the TARDIS might look like when you could eventually leave. Would it be buried in the snow? Would you have to shovel it out, or would it eventually realize you were out for the night and relocate somewhere more accessible?

You double checked for any wood around the room, just in case you and the housekeeper had somehow missed a large pile in the corner. Unsurprisingly, you hadn’t.  It was quite a nice room, save for the lack of warmth. Without much light, you had to squint to take in the books and pictures along the wall. The housekeeper shut the door behind her and you turned back towards the bed. The Doctor gestured towards it. 

"You can go ahead! I've got..." with her other hand, she was digging into her coat pocket. "Things I can work on." 

You blinked, and then nodded and climbed underneath the blanket. The bed was hard underneath you, its material clearly doing little to keep the heat in. Perhaps the Doctor could have the bed and you could sleep on the floor; both were likely equal in discomfort. The Doctor sat on the floor as you pulled the blanket to your chest. It was indeed quite thin and you could only hope that it would do the bare minimum of keeping your body heat close to you. 

You shut your eyes, taking a deep breath. The faster you fell asleep, the faster you would forget all about the freezing cold room, and the faster you would make it back to the TARDIS. That warm, wonderful space-time machine. With its comforting orange lights, the temperature that always seemed to be perfect, its beeps and hummings that reminded you how alive it was. There was always a fire lit in the library, where you often found yourself accidentally falling asleep. Maybe you could imagine yourself there, curled up on the couch. The firelight would dance behind your eyelids, keeping you in that liminal space between consciousness and sleep, just aware enough to marvel about how cozy you were. 

Your eyes opened to the cold, dark room. The vivid recollections of a far warmer and pleasant environment weren’t helping you adjust to your current reality. It was impossible to hug the blanket any closer to you, as you had already curled into a ball around it, tucking it underneath you where you could. Despite your feeble attempts, your skin still prickled as the cold seeped through it and into your bones. 

At the foot of the bed, the Doctor appeared to be tinkering with something. Along with the whispering under her breath, there was a small symphony of clicks and whirrs. 

"Not sleepy?" She asked. 

"It's freezing .” The words came out in a cross between a hiss and a whimper, and the Doctor gave you an apologetic look. Standing from the floor, she began to shrug off her coat. 

"No, no," you insisted quickly. Making the moves to sit up and stop her, the blanket fell from your shoulders and you winced as the little heat you'd managed to trap escaped. You groaned.  "You need that. You must be freezing too." 

"It's not that bad, actually," She said with a shrug. "I've got some fancy tricks of my own. Sure, the coat has a heating mechanism, but it's been broken for some time. Anyway, since it's been broken I've just been making sure to store my body heat!" 

"... You can do that?" You asked. 

"Yes!" 

" Like a seal? " The question had come out before you could think to ask a much better question, like 'how?' 

The Doctor laughed. "I'm not supposed to do it too much, mind you, typically my body heat would be much lower than yours. But it can fluctuate if needed. So I'll be alright, you take the coat." 

She shrugged it off of her shoulders, exposing her dark red sweater, still adored with her signature rainbow stripes. You could just see the colors faintly in the dark. Memory filled well supported by your gazes throughout the day. And most other days. 

"But how long can it last?" We'll be here all night... maybe we should just go back downstairs." 

"You need to get some sleep” 

"But what about you?"

"I can keep busy!" She revealed the small gadget she had been working on. Its surface was littered with wires and buttons, none of which made the object's purpose obvious. You frowned and eased back down on the mattress, pulling the blanket back over you. 

As you reached to spread her coat on top of it, your hand brushed the Doctors. You tensed and quickly shoved your hand back underneath the blanket.  It was surely a small gasp, and not a yelp, that escaped you. At least, that was what you were really hoping. 

The time lord gathered the top of her coat into her hands and spread the garment out so that it covered most of your body. It added some warmth. But it wasn’t as noticeable as the small warmth that had passed between skin, where the two of you had touched so briefly. 

"There," the Doctor said softly. "Hopefully that helps." Her voice was quieter, small clouds appearing in the air. Her breath left a ghostly trail as she exhaled deeply and returned to her spot on the floor. 

In her absence, you certainly felt warmer. But it wasn't throughout your body, where you now had two shields protecting you from the lower temperature. It was in your face, your ears, your neck. It pooled in the same small spot of your hand where you had felt some of the body heat she had been storing underneath rough skin. Within hands that you had held before, hands that you had watched move and tinker and grasp time and time again. The warmth was in your chest, where your heart beat faster.

The bed creaked in protest as you hurriedly flopped over onto your side. It was just your body trying to warm what parts of it remained uncovered, you reassured yourself. And maybe it was trying to get used to the overwhelming scent of oil and wind and fire the timelord's coat was bathed in. Yes, that was it. Just an adjustment of the senses, a vessel working overtime to keep you going and getting overwhelmed with new input. This theory was supported by the questions and thoughts that raced through your mind. Was it just her coat that was so warm, that it smelled as it did? Or was it her, too? If she wasn't on the floor, messing about with her project, if instead she was in the be-

"I have an idea" The Doctor said suddenly. You jumped again, and she looked. For a moment you could swear that, before they met yours, her eyes moved across her long coat where it lay on top of you. 

"Yeah?" you whispered. She set her gadget aside. 

"We still have about 8 hours until morning, and who knows how long until this snow stops. I can preserve heat for a while, but it'll fade over time. And I don't need it as much as you do." 

"What do you mean?" 

The Doctor was quiet for a moment. "If you're still quite cold, well... only if you're absolutely comfortable, we could..." 

You clutched the blanket a little bit tighter, holding your breath. Your question seemed unnecessary. It was clear what she was suggesting. But there was a need to confirm it, prove that you weren’t filling in too many blanks with your longing. 

"Well, if I'm under the blanket then my body heat might help keep you warm" Taking a deep breath, you tried to collect yourself so that your voice would remain even. 

“I suppose that makes sense,” Her idea was only logical. Just logical, surely. 

The Doctor moved towards you and you scooted over as much as you could, shivering as you lifted the other side of the blanket for her. She climbed underneath it, the bed dipping under her weight. With the bed being so small, the new incline pushed you toward her nonetheless. It leveled out as the Doctor laid down. Your body tensed as the Doctor reached over you to smooth down the coat and blanket. Near your shoulders she tucked the fabric underneath you as much as she could. 

"Is this alright?" You stared up at her. She was leaning right above you, her face and chest close to your own. When she spoke, the small puffs of air met your cheeks, which were now blazing hot. To your dismay, her hand moved from your shoulder to rest against your forehead, then your cheek, where it stayed. "Oh good, you're feeling warmer already!" 

Your lips remained parted, but unmoving. There was no breath to push any words past them, as it had all caught in your chest. The Doctor remained there for a moment, then eased underneath the coverings. You swallowed and let out a shaky breath. It was certainly an improvement from before. T he entire left side of your body was pressed against hers, pulling some of her warmth into you. Your right side was still colder, and you grabbed your left arm in an attempt to level out the heat. Hopefully the moonlight didn't reach far enough to let the Doctor see your face. It took advantage of the new warmth you had been given and burned through it. The timelord was quiet, but you could hear her slow breathing. What about yours? Could she hear how quick it was, trailing just behind the beating of your heart? 

It wasn't the first time the two of you had been close. Hugs here and there, pushing through tight quarters of some alleyway or spaceship maintenance tunnel. But this was different. If you moved just slightly you would be in her arms completely. You didn't trust yourself not to shift in the middle of the night. There wasn't anywhere else for your body to move but onto the floor. 

With how warm your left side was, your right ached for the same level of care. How bad would it be, really, to give it what it needed? 

"C'mere," the Doctor murmured. She reached for your right side again, this time underneath the covers, and gently pulled at you. You followed her lead and, with ease, turned so that you were on your side and resting against her. Bracing yourself for more contact, your body instead melted into her warmth. Involuntarily, you sighed with relief. 

The Doctor's arm remained stretched over you, and she shifted her leg so that it tangled with yours near your ankles. You inched even closer, letting your right arm move over her side so that your front could press against hers. 

"Better?" She asked. You didn't dare look up to speak to her. If you did, you were sure your faces would be millimeters away. Surely then she would feel how quickly your breath moved. Embarrassed, you realized she would already be able to feel the movement of your shoulders. You faked a shudder, trying to command your body to seem more bothered by the temperature change than its proximity to the Doctors. 

"Much better, thank you." 

"Get some sleep, alright?" You nodded against her chest, where her own hearts were beating in a quick rhythm. Her chin rested against the crown of your head, firmly tucking you into her. 

You shut out the dark, cold room surrounding you and focused all of your senses on the timelord. The smell of her coat combined with the light scent of sandalwood across the skin of her chest and throat. Her breath sounded calm, contrasting her heartbeats. Her sweater was a wool texture that tickled your skin slightly. It was eased by the softer fabric of the blanket.  

The vivid images of the TARDIS were much easier to imagine when you lay in her pilot's arms. But you had no need for imagining now. This was real, vivid, all around and against you. You were just fine where you were, anchored to the timelord until the sun returned to the sky. 

[kinglivv]

Sorry to Tar and Carol, but Ocean's 8 is Cate Blanchett's definitive lesbian movie

[kinglivv]

okay, if you're ready for angst, i got a prompt for ya:

kate x reader, reader sacrifices the self for kate in some manner and BARELY makes it out alive, kate is angry and terrified and Feelings emerge.

make me huuuurrrrt 🫠

Sacrifice

Pairing: Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x fem!Reader

Word Count: 1668

Warning: near death, angst

Summary: You push Kate out of the way to save her and get hurt

A/n: This took long! So sorry! I had it nearly finished, but then I hated the end. So I changed it and I'm still not too happy. The end was a bit if a shuffle. Hope you still like it!!! Would love a repost, like or comment!!! Ly <3

■----------------------------------------■

It had been a hell of a day. And on top of that it was your birthday. Not the greatest birthday you'd had. It had started as a slow day, lots of paperwork for Kate. A few meetings you had to usher her to and remind her to eat in between them. She always managed to forget that somehow.

She had promised you a short day, to go home earlier and celebrate a bit. You didn't tell her that you didn't really have anyone to celebrate with and would rather stay by her side. Instead, you smile thankfully. But all that was forgotten the second Osgood came rushing out of her lab with unusual readings just out of London, a little into the countryside.

From that moment on it was pure chaos and stress. Different readings, all unusual and unfamiliar. All scientists trying to make something of it and failing, even Osgood. Kate was calm and collected, but you saw that it took a toll on her. She'd again failed to eat, and you were rushing after her with a sandwich in hand. It took you an hour to get it into her completely.

At some point Osgood had isolated the signal and had a location for you. Kate put together a team of scientists and soldiers to get out there and look at it. The drive was excruciatingly long, the rush hour on the streets not helping at all. For a second your mind drifted to the bottle of wine and take out you could have right now. At home, on your couch.

All in all, everything went well. No one had died in the field, only a few were injured. But every attempt of Kate's at diplomacy had been shut off and failed. So in the end you had used sheer force and a lot of bullets.

Osgood was disappointed that you hadn't found out what species the aliens had been. That you hadn't learned more about them, but Kate promised her to take one of the dead bodies back to HQ for studying. That at least made her beam.

Everyone was clearing up, injured soldiers being brought to the Doctors. The alien, whatever it was had some sort of venom in its system that paralysed humans. Apparently it was in its tongue, as some soldiers had been practically licked by the creatures. But nothing much happened besides being temporarily paralysed, so it didn't seem too bad. Until it suddenly seemed very bad.

You'd been talking with Kate, going over some logistics of taking a dead creature back unnoticed to HQ when you heard a sizzling somewhere very close. It was unmistakably the sound all the aliens had made when ready to attack. Mere second later you see it run right towards you. You had obviously missed it when clearing the area, and it had hid. Until now.

You couldn't even think as quickly as you acted. You stepped in front of Kate and pushed her away. In the corner of your eye you saw her tumbling to the ground and in the next second you cried out in pain. Sharp teeth sinking into the flesh of your shoulder and tearing your shirt apart. You were thrown to the floor and a second later you heard what felt like a thousand shots all directed at the creature.

Apparently the venom was stronger in its teeth. At least that's what you assumed cause unlike the others who'd just been licked you felt numb and paralysed all over. Not just in the arm. Your view got foggy and the shouts and words around you sounded like they were spoken from behind a thick door. You faintly registered someone kneeling over you. A pretty sight with blonde hair falling into her face. A bit like an angel.

"Kate..." you whispered, and then you were gone. You didn't register one bit of all the fuss around you. You didn't register Kate's nearly hysterical cry for a medic. You didn't register Sam and Josh guarding you in case more creatures came. You didn't register Osgood having half of an asthma attack and Kate being too out of it to remind her of her inhaler. You didn't register the medics coming and taking you with them. Nothing.

The first thing you did register was beeping and light. Really bright light. You groaned slightly, a sharp pain shooting through your shoulder as you tried to move. You settled back into the pillow and cleared your sight a bit, by blinking a few times.

Slowly the bright light turns into a white ceiling, a few lamps and a few monitors in the corner of your eye. You figured that's where the beeping came from. You looked around a bit, seeing a big window showing the blue sky on your left. Ahead of you was a TV and a door, supposedly leading to the bathroom. On your right was a door that led out of the room and a chair. In that chair was Kate. She looked awful, tired and worn out. But mostly she looked angry.

You tried to sit up a bit but groaned when your shoulder hurt again. Kate stood up from her seat, looking at you, arms crossed. "Lie back, don't move."

You frowned a bit at her sharp tone, but complied. Slowly sinking back into the pillow, you settled in a way that would make your shoulder hurt as little as possible.

"Are you insane?" She asked you in a way she usually scolded soldiers who didn't follow her orders. A tone that made you question your own decision immediately and showed you she was more disappointed in you than anything else. It was a good tone, very useful. Usually. Not now. You looked at her a bit perplexed.

"Saved your life. A thank you would be nice." You mumbled under your breath and immediately regretted it. Kate's eyebrows shot up, and she looked at you like she was ready to catapult you back into the hospital herself the second you could leave.

"You risked your life unnecessarily, that's what you did. It was irresponsible and frankly idiotic." She scoffed in disbelief. She threw her hands up into the air and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You can be happy I'm not putting you on desk duty for the next few field missions." At that you looked not just confused but offended. Again you tried to sit up, but a sharp look from Kate made you lie back down immediately.

"Desk Duty? What the hell for?" You asked in disbelief and stared at her dumbfounded.

"You acted irresponsible. What tells me you won't disobey orders the next time?" She spoke, arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. She wasn't joking and it confused you.

"You're being ridiculous, Kate. You know I always obey your orders." It was true. You always obeyed every order. You trusted her, completely. And you trusted her judgement, even in a seemingly dire situation. She just huffed and turned away from you. But not completely, just enough, so she wouldn't have to look at you anymore. You studied her, her side profile never seized to take your breath away. Just like every thing else about her.

You snapped out of your trance when you see Kate's hand reach up and wipe her cheek angrily. You focused on her a bit more, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Kate, are you crying?" You asked surprised, but softer. She turned away from you a bit further, trying to hide her face completely. You contemplated getting up, but that might be a stupid idea. Kate would probably kill you. "Kate?"

She huffed angrily and looked at you, now looking more in pain than anything else. "You nearly died!" She snapped at you. For a second, you weren't sure what to say.

"Kate, come here." You said softly and held up a hand for her. She looked down at your hand and back up at you. For a moment, she didn't move an inch. Then, slowly, she approached you and sat down at the side of your bed.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Kate. I know that can't have been easy. But please, don't be angry at me for trying to save you." You softly spoke, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She still wasn't looking at you. You let go of her hand and reached up to turn her head in your direction. Her eyes were shining with tears that she stubbornly refused to let fall.

"I'd do it all again if it meant saving the woman I love." You spoke softly, merely more than a gentle whisper. Like a warm blanket wrapping itself around Kate's heart. Her eyes widened slightly, and finally she let a few of those tears fall down. Slowly rolling down her cheeks. You caught them with your thumb, lovingly wiping them away.

"I thought I'd lost you." She said, voice shaky and broken but still so strong. Still so stubbornly put together. So uniquely Kate. You looked at her fondly, fingers still brushing over her cheek.

"But you haven't. I'm here. Alive and breathing. And so very much in love with you." You softly reassure her and grabbed her hand again. Pulling it up to your mouth you gently kissed her knuckles. Her breath got caught for a moment as she looked at you. Eyes wide and nearly confused.

"Was I that good at hiding it?" You chuckle as you saw her confused expression. She was fishing for words, highly unusual for Kate. You chuckled again.

"Just kiss me." You whispered. Her eyes widening comically. When she didn't move a millimetre, you reached up and put your hand in her neck, simply pulling her down to you. Her lips are soft on yours, the kiss tender and cautious. And for a moment to forget what had happened. You forgot the pain in your shoulder. You forgot the world even existed outside of this kiss.

[kinglivv]

JODIE???? WOAHHHH OMG 😭❤️

[kinglivv]

In desperate need of new Jack Sloane x reader content. I've read everything on here about a million times

[kinglivv]

Hi!

I love your Kate Stewart fics! I'm so glad she's getting the attention she deserves.

I have an idea for a Kate x fem reader

(Older woman x younger woman)

Prompt:

Reader is colonel Ibrahim's younger sister and pops in to UNIT to annoy her older brother as they have a very childish dynamic. It's become routine that Kate knows exactly when to expect her and looks forward to these little moments with reader . Little does she know reader has the hots for her older brothers boss .

Forbidden fruit trope kind of thing .

Forbidden Fruit

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x f!reader

Summary: As Colonel Ibrahim’s younger sister, it would be completely inappropriate for you to date his boss. But what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him… surely?

Warnings: Mentions of grief, gun violence

A/N: I’ve been working on this all month on and off between various commitments! Enjoy

Contrary to what you believe, Christofer sees it first. He sees it from the moment you and Kate initially lock eyes.

It had been in the UNIT boxing gym. You didn’t work for his beloved organisation, but you’d freelanced once for them on their lower levels and were making the most of the free amenities before your clearance ran out. You and him had been boxing partners since your parents died, training each other being a way to harness your shared grief.

“Come on,” he teases you from across the ring, “you can do better than that!”

You make a swipe at him, but he’s quick on his feet and you almost lose your balance.

“Footworks getting sloppy, Y/N.”

“Shut up Chris,” you wait for the second he glances somewhere other than you, and then you take his legs out from under him and pin him to the floor.

“Hey-“ he says as he hits the mat with an oof, “that’s playing dirty.”

“Colonel?”

The voice rings out across the gym and you look up from your position hovering over your brother to see a blonde woman stood in the doorway. Christofer watches your face, and sees that look cross it, that look you used to direct at your ex-girlfriend when your relationship was in its honeymoon stage. Sharp suit, long legs, big brown eyes - just your type. He should have known.

“Y/N,” he says from his rather undignified position on the floor, “this is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, my boss.”

“Nice to meet you Kate Lethbridge-Stewart,” you parrot with a smirk.

She gives you a curt nod, and then looks back to Christofer.

“Bit of a situation upstairs. Could use your assistance.”

He nods, and then realising you’re still staring at the woman, uses your momentary distraction to throw you off him. You’re tossed to the side with a shriek and he dusts himself off. He trails out of the room after Kate but when he glances back at you, it’s not him your staring after.

It escalates when they bring you in on a job.

You’re a mathematician by trade, and a code breaker by hobby. You were the smartest person Christofer knew, and so when a difficult Sontaran dialect is picked up and seemingly un-translatable, he suggests they draft you in. You’d already assisted UNIT in an advisory capacity before, what’s a little desk work?

Kate begrudgingly accepts the suggestion, more because she has an undying faith in his judgement and so few options left, and you turn up at the office that evening, clad in an expensive dress you wear to your real job, handbag in hand.

“We’ve had a dozen experts look at it,” Kate explains. “No one can figure out what the hieroglyphics mean.”

You’re staring up at the screen they’re projected onto. Christofer watches as you chew on the end of your pencil, lost in thought, and standing entirely too close to his boss.

“Can I get some paper?” You ask. “And a desk?”

Kate blinks.

“Sure. Use mine.”

She shows you to your desk and you start scribbling on a notepad. She raises and eyebrow at Christofer, who merely shrugs. Two minutes later, you hold up the paper, triumphant.

“It’s not hieroglyphics,” you announce, “or even a dialect. It’s a chemical composition. See these symbols? They represent different elements. And then these lines? Isotopes. You’ve got yourself an incredibly rare Earth element here.”

Kate comes round the desk, places a hand on the back of your chair and leans over your shoulder.

“You’re right…” she confirms, momentarily rendered speechless.

“But what does that tell us?” Christofer asks.

“You said rare?” Kate asks, already on the scent like a bloodhound.

“Yeah,” you drum your fingers on the desk. “Only occurs in North East America. Just the right climate.”

“North East America…” Christofer ponders, and then at the exact same moment it clicks.

“That’s the target!” You chorus with him.

Kate slaps the back of the chair. “Of course!”

As Christofer begins to relay this information through his radio, he doesn’t miss Kate leaning down next to you, hears her murmur “Just when I thought I was pushing my luck with one genius Ibrahim, you come along.”

He doesn’t miss your smirk, either.

He makes a mental note to tell you to quit it. He’s familiar with your antics - how couldn’t he be after the steady stream of girls you’d had in and out the house throughout university? He’d never minded before, but this thing you had for his boss absolutely has to stop. Naturally, Kate offers you a job, but to her surprise you’re not interested. When Chris asks you why, you teasingly tell him you’re not giving in without being chased. He can’t quite tell if you’re joking or not.

He’s most certainly not ready for when Kate begins to express an interest. She starts to ask about you in passing, when they’re in the lift or stood by the water cooler. She takes an interest in your freelance work. She drafts you in on a couple more jobs. When he raises tbus to you, all he gets in response is a cheeky “your boss has the hots for me Chris, what about it?”

At some point to his horror, you get her number. He wouldn’t have known had you not left your phone on the kitchen counter and a text from “KLS” had popped up. It was a sweet “yeah of course, pick you up at 9? Xx” and so entirely out of step with how he perceived his boss that he didn’t quite believe it was her. When he asks where you went that evening, why you got back at 1am, he gets some vague answer about being with friends.

When he next asks you about Kate, there’s no flirty remark, no teasing joke, you clam up completely. You brush it off, deflect in a similar way to what he’s been taught in interrogation training. Kate ceases to ask after you at work, almost as if she already knows exactly how you are.

The next time you turn up at UNIT, it’s to drop off the lunch he’d accidentally left at home. A terribly domestic gesture, but that’s not what takes him aback. Rather, it’s the fact you hadn’t requested clearance from him to get in the building.

“Who let you in?” He asks, feigning casual interest as he takes the lunch from you. He doesn’t miss the way you glance guiltily at Kate’s empty desk.

“Dunno,” you lie, “they must recognise me.”

As if a military unit would ever let someone past security just because they were a friendly face.

You wave him a goodbye and disappear down a corridor. It’s then that he decides he’s quite like to get the bottom of this and naturally follows you… all the way to Kate’s office.

“Hey,” he hears you say softly as you knock and enter without waiting for approval.

“What a lovely surprise this is.” The sound of Kate’s chair creaking.

“You say that as if you didn’t just call down to security to let me in,” you laugh.

“Yeah well, maybe I,” a sentence punctuated with a kiss, “just really wanted to see you,”

Christofer is holding his breath. He can’t quite believe what he’s hearing and he can’t stop himself from creeping closer, just peaking in the window on the door to make sure it’s true. There, sure enough, you’re wrapped up in each other’s arms.

He walks away rather stiffly.

The next time any of this surfaces, it’s weeks later and after a bad shoot out. A shoot out that ends with him in hospital, barely conscious for a whole week. A doctor tells him that had the bullet been half an inch to the right, he’d be dead.

Naturally, you’re in and out every day, not leaving his side during visiting hours. Sometimes he’s awake, sometimes he’s not, but nonetheless you read to him and play music and tell him about your day. You tell him you want him to find a new job, a safer one, one that doesn’t make you fear his life will end like your parents.

Kate visits a few times, brings him chocolates and looks generally guilty. The third time she visits, he’s two weeks into recovery and you’re already sat by his bedside. He shuts his eyes tight and pretends to be asleep - this is the first valuable piece of entertainment he’s had in weeks.

“Hey,” you look up at her from the bed.

Kate glances at Christofer and judges him - incorrectly - to be asleep. “How are you holding up?”

“As well as can be expected,” you shrug. “Roses for my brother? Should I be jealous?”

“They’re for you, darling,” there’s a rustle as she hands over what he can only assume to be a bouquet, “figured you might be feeling just as awful as him right now.”

“Oh,” you say. “Thank you,”

There’s the unfamiliar sound of his Commander shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

“Kate,” you say cautiously, “I’ve told Chris I want him to find a new job.”

A pause.

“He’s my best Colonel.”

“He’s all I’ve got left,” you say shortly.

“Does he get a say in this?”

“You know he’ll do whatever I ask.”

“That’s hardly fair.”

“I’m not losing him and our parents.”

“What would that mean for us?” Kate’s voice is slightly choked.

“It wouldn’t change a thing Kate,” your tone softens, “I just can’t live like this, worrying everyday that the two people I love are going to end up dead. At least I can get him out of it.”

“Love?”

“What?”

“You said you love me.”

He hears you stand up and leave his side, pulling Kate into you, pressing a kiss to her lips. It’s then he decides to peak an eye open.

“Ha!” He exclaims, “Knew I’d catch you at some point.”

Your heads jump apart and turn to look at him in such exact sync it’s almost comical. He raises an eyebrow at the sight before him - your hand curled in her lapel, the roses squished between you and Kate’s hair rather mussed.

“You - you knew?” You squeak.

“I’m an intelligence soldier, of course I know.”

“You’re not angry?” Kate asks. It’s the first time it strikes him that she might be worried about his reaction. That she might have worried she’d broken their valuable trust.

“No,”

“Right.” You swallow, and your hand drops from her blazer, pulling away from her. “I’m going to the vending machine then.”

“Y/N…” there’s a hint of whining desperation in Kate’s tone as you abandon her to a room alone with your brother. She turns to look at him.

“I’m sorry,” she manages.

“Why?”

“I lied to you,” she states, “Carried on with your sister behind your back, undermined the trust we have in each other. I’ve put our working relationship at risk -“

“Kate,” he stops her, “she’s been happier this last month than I’ve known her in years.”

A blush forms across her cheeks.

“She makes me very happy,” Kate confesses. “Promise I won’t hurt her.”

“You better not,” he quips back, and although his tone is teasing, Kate knows he’s deadly serious. The Ibrahim family, clearly, were not one to be crossed. “You should tell her.”

“That I won’t hurt her?”

“No. That you love her too.”

The pink in her cheeks increases ten-fold.

“I will.”

[kinglivv]

Hi!

I love your Kate Stewart fics! I'm so glad she's getting the attention she deserves.

I have an idea for a Kate x fem reader

(Older woman x younger woman)

Prompt:

Reader is colonel Ibrahim's younger sister and pops in to UNIT to annoy her older brother as they have a very childish dynamic. It's become routine that Kate knows exactly when to expect her and looks forward to these little moments with reader . Little does she know reader has the hots for her older brothers boss .

Forbidden fruit trope kind of thing .

Forbidden Fruit

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x f!reader

Summary: As Colonel Ibrahim’s younger sister, it would be completely inappropriate for you to date his boss. But what he doesn’t know can’t hurt him… surely?

Warnings: Mentions of grief, gun violence

A/N: I’ve been working on this all month on and off between various commitments! Enjoy

Contrary to what you believe, Christofer sees it first. He sees it from the moment you and Kate initially lock eyes.

It had been in the UNIT boxing gym. You didn’t work for his beloved organisation, but you’d freelanced once for them on their lower levels and were making the most of the free amenities before your clearance ran out. You and him had been boxing partners since your parents died, training each other being a way to harness your shared grief.

“Come on,” he teases you from across the ring, “you can do better than that!”

You make a swipe at him, but he’s quick on his feet and you almost lose your balance.

“Footworks getting sloppy, Y/N.”

“Shut up Chris,” you wait for the second he glances somewhere other than you, and then you take his legs out from under him and pin him to the floor.

“Hey-“ he says as he hits the mat with an oof, “that’s playing dirty.”

“Colonel?”

The voice rings out across the gym and you look up from your position hovering over your brother to see a blonde woman stood in the doorway. Christofer watches your face, and sees that look cross it, that look you used to direct at your ex-girlfriend when your relationship was in its honeymoon stage. Sharp suit, long legs, big brown eyes - just your type. He should have known.

“Y/N,” he says from his rather undignified position on the floor, “this is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, my boss.”

“Nice to meet you Kate Lethbridge-Stewart,” you parrot with a smirk.

She gives you a curt nod, and then looks back to Christofer.

“Bit of a situation upstairs. Could use your assistance.”

He nods, and then realising you’re still staring at the woman, uses your momentary distraction to throw you off him. You’re tossed to the side with a shriek and he dusts himself off. He trails out of the room after Kate but when he glances back at you, it’s not him your staring after.

It escalates when they bring you in on a job.

You’re a mathematician by trade, and a code breaker by hobby. You were the smartest person Christofer knew, and so when a difficult Sontaran dialect is picked up and seemingly un-translatable, he suggests they draft you in. You’d already assisted UNIT in an advisory capacity before, what’s a little desk work?

Kate begrudgingly accepts the suggestion, more because she has an undying faith in his judgement and so few options left, and you turn up at the office that evening, clad in an expensive dress you wear to your real job, handbag in hand.

“We’ve had a dozen experts look at it,” Kate explains. “No one can figure out what the hieroglyphics mean.”

You’re staring up at the screen they’re projected onto. Christofer watches as you chew on the end of your pencil, lost in thought, and standing entirely too close to his boss.

“Can I get some paper?” You ask. “And a desk?”

Kate blinks.

“Sure. Use mine.”

She shows you to your desk and you start scribbling on a notepad. She raises and eyebrow at Christofer, who merely shrugs. Two minutes later, you hold up the paper, triumphant.

“It’s not hieroglyphics,” you announce, “or even a dialect. It’s a chemical composition. See these symbols? They represent different elements. And then these lines? Isotopes. You’ve got yourself an incredibly rare Earth element here.”

Kate comes round the desk, places a hand on the back of your chair and leans over your shoulder.

“You’re right…” she confirms, momentarily rendered speechless.

“But what does that tell us?” Christofer asks.

“You said rare?” Kate asks, already on the scent like a bloodhound.

“Yeah,” you drum your fingers on the desk. “Only occurs in North East America. Just the right climate.”

“North East America…” Christofer ponders, and then at the exact same moment it clicks.

“That’s the target!” You chorus with him.

Kate slaps the back of the chair. “Of course!”

As Christofer begins to relay this information through his radio, he doesn’t miss Kate leaning down next to you, hears her murmur “Just when I thought I was pushing my luck with one genius Ibrahim, you come along.”

He doesn’t miss your smirk, either.

He makes a mental note to tell you to quit it. He’s familiar with your antics - how couldn’t he be after the steady stream of girls you’d had in and out the house throughout university? He’d never minded before, but this thing you had for his boss absolutely has to stop. Naturally, Kate offers you a job, but to her surprise you’re not interested. When Chris asks you why, you teasingly tell him you’re not giving in without being chased. He can’t quite tell if you’re joking or not.

He’s most certainly not ready for when Kate begins to express an interest. She starts to ask about you in passing, when they’re in the lift or stood by the water cooler. She takes an interest in your freelance work. She drafts you in on a couple more jobs. When he raises tbus to you, all he gets in response is a cheeky “your boss has the hots for me Chris, what about it?”

At some point to his horror, you get her number. He wouldn’t have known had you not left your phone on the kitchen counter and a text from “KLS” had popped up. It was a sweet “yeah of course, pick you up at 9? Xx” and so entirely out of step with how he perceived his boss that he didn’t quite believe it was her. When he asks where you went that evening, why you got back at 1am, he gets some vague answer about being with friends.

When he next asks you about Kate, there’s no flirty remark, no teasing joke, you clam up completely. You brush it off, deflect in a similar way to what he’s been taught in interrogation training. Kate ceases to ask after you at work, almost as if she already knows exactly how you are.

The next time you turn up at UNIT, it’s to drop off the lunch he’d accidentally left at home. A terribly domestic gesture, but that’s not what takes him aback. Rather, it’s the fact you hadn’t requested clearance from him to get in the building.

“Who let you in?” He asks, feigning casual interest as he takes the lunch from you. He doesn’t miss the way you glance guiltily at Kate’s empty desk.

“Dunno,” you lie, “they must recognise me.”

As if a military unit would ever let someone past security just because they were a friendly face.

You wave him a goodbye and disappear down a corridor. It’s then that he decides he’s quite like to get the bottom of this and naturally follows you… all the way to Kate’s office.

“Hey,” he hears you say softly as you knock and enter without waiting for approval.

“What a lovely surprise this is.” The sound of Kate’s chair creaking.

“You say that as if you didn’t just call down to security to let me in,” you laugh.

“Yeah well, maybe I,” a sentence punctuated with a kiss, “just really wanted to see you,”

Christofer is holding his breath. He can’t quite believe what he’s hearing and he can’t stop himself from creeping closer, just peaking in the window on the door to make sure it’s true. There, sure enough, you’re wrapped up in each other’s arms.

He walks away rather stiffly.

The next time any of this surfaces, it’s weeks later and after a bad shoot out. A shoot out that ends with him in hospital, barely conscious for a whole week. A doctor tells him that had the bullet been half an inch to the right, he’d be dead.

Naturally, you’re in and out every day, not leaving his side during visiting hours. Sometimes he’s awake, sometimes he’s not, but nonetheless you read to him and play music and tell him about your day. You tell him you want him to find a new job, a safer one, one that doesn’t make you fear his life will end like your parents.

Kate visits a few times, brings him chocolates and looks generally guilty. The third time she visits, he’s two weeks into recovery and you’re already sat by his bedside. He shuts his eyes tight and pretends to be asleep - this is the first valuable piece of entertainment he’s had in weeks.

“Hey,” you look up at her from the bed.

Kate glances at Christofer and judges him - incorrectly - to be asleep. “How are you holding up?”

“As well as can be expected,” you shrug. “Roses for my brother? Should I be jealous?”

“They’re for you, darling,” there’s a rustle as she hands over what he can only assume to be a bouquet, “figured you might be feeling just as awful as him right now.”

“Oh,” you say. “Thank you,”

There’s the unfamiliar sound of his Commander shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

“Kate,” you say cautiously, “I’ve told Chris I want him to find a new job.”

A pause.

“He’s my best Colonel.”

“He’s all I’ve got left,” you say shortly.

“Does he get a say in this?”

“You know he’ll do whatever I ask.”

“That’s hardly fair.”

“I’m not losing him and our parents.”

“What would that mean for us?” Kate’s voice is slightly choked.

“It wouldn’t change a thing Kate,” your tone softens, “I just can’t live like this, worrying everyday that the two people I love are going to end up dead. At least I can get him out of it.”

“Love?”

“What?”

“You said you love me.”

He hears you stand up and leave his side, pulling Kate into you, pressing a kiss to her lips. It’s then he decides to peak an eye open.

“Ha!” He exclaims, “Knew I’d catch you at some point.”

Your heads jump apart and turn to look at him in such exact sync it’s almost comical. He raises an eyebrow at the sight before him - your hand curled in her lapel, the roses squished between you and Kate’s hair rather mussed.

“You - you knew?” You squeak.

“I’m an intelligence soldier, of course I know.”

“You’re not angry?” Kate asks. It’s the first time it strikes him that she might be worried about his reaction. That she might have worried she’d broken their valuable trust.

“No,”

“Right.” You swallow, and your hand drops from her blazer, pulling away from her. “I’m going to the vending machine then.”

“Y/N…” there’s a hint of whining desperation in Kate’s tone as you abandon her to a room alone with your brother. She turns to look at him.

“I’m sorry,” she manages.

“Why?”

“I lied to you,” she states, “Carried on with your sister behind your back, undermined the trust we have in each other. I’ve put our working relationship at risk -“

“Kate,” he stops her, “she’s been happier this last month than I’ve known her in years.”

A blush forms across her cheeks.

“She makes me very happy,” Kate confesses. “Promise I won’t hurt her.”

“You better not,” he quips back, and although his tone is teasing, Kate knows he’s deadly serious. The Ibrahim family, clearly, were not one to be crossed. “You should tell her.”

“That I won’t hurt her?”

“No. That you love her too.”

The pink in her cheeks increases ten-fold.

“I will.”

[kinglivv]

DOCTOR WHO | The Magician’s Apprentice

[kinglivv]

If you’re up for it, I would love to read another angsty fic with Kate Stewart. Not many around xx

Angst is my FAVE so don’t you worry, more on the way! Currently on holiday so writing has slowed down a lot, but working on requests x

[kinglivv]

The Hidden Truth (Kate Stewart x f!Reader)

Synopsis: You've been hiding a pretty big secret from Kate

Words: 3.9k

Warnings: soulmate AU, yearning, a bit of angst, anger, bruising, boss/employee relationship

Kate Stewart was the kind of woman you’d dreamed of as your soulmate. Once you’d been old enough to understand what a soulmate was, you’d begun imagining a woman, bright and shining and glowing. Someone strong and capable and competent. Someone that made your heart flutter and your skin flush and your breath catch. 

And that was Kate Stewart.

It was too bad she was your boss and couldn’t be your soulmate. 

Not in an HR way. In a “there must have been a mistake” kind of way. 

It had been barely anything, the brush of a pinky across your forearm. You’d looked down and saw the colours bloom over your skin, unable to believe what it meant, what had happened. And to you of all people. There on her finger were the swirl of colours and you’d known it was a mistake. The universe had made a mistake. Because there was no way you could be the soulmate of someone as amazing as Kate Stewart. 

So you’d hidden it. Covered up, unseen, pretended. You’d seen her look down at her finger sometimes, touching the mark when she thought no one was looking. An almost wistful look came over her face.

The worst was when you saw her get almost angry when she looked at it.

Then again, you could understand the frustration of seeing the soul mark on your body and not knowing who had the matching one. It would drive you nuts to know you’d been close enough to touch your soulmate and still hadn’t realised. That they might be around and you’d never know. 

Which only made you more certain you weren’t going to tell her. 

You could live with that. Getting through every day was easy enough if you didn’t think about it. Hiding it helped. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. 

Only then you’d go home and change out of your work clothes and see it staring up at you. You’d trace over it, staring long into the night, wondering. Why you? Why would the universe think you were Kate’s soulmate? You weren’t anything special. Not like her.

You trailed behind her on a normal afternoon, looking over the fieldnotes on your tablet. She tried to get down to the labs at least once a month to see what she’d read about in the reports. With a small smile on her face, she’d once admitted that she saw it as getting back to her roots, being in the scientific trenches. You’d been sure to be there with her every time since. 

“...and we’ll be stopping by the greenhouse,” she said, looking at you over her shoulder.

“To see the flowering plant that looks like roses with the fluttering petals?” you asked.

“Someone has been doing their homework.”

Your cheeks heated and you looked back down to your tablet. The way her voice had lowered, sounding so pleased, it made fire lick through your veins. If you kept looking at her she would see it in your eyes, the way you wanted her. A bad idea all round. 

When you looked up, dark eyes were still watching you, lips quirking up in a small smile. She reached you, fingers closing around your wrist, drawing you to her side.

“Stay close. There’s a vined plant that grabs unsuspecting people,” she warned. 

“And you’ll save me?” You fluttered your eyelashes and realised that you were flirting. You bit down on your tongue to keep anything else from slipping past your lips. 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, smirking at you, “I’m using you as a human shield.” 

You laughed and her own lips spread into a sweet smile. She tugged on your wrist again, pulling you a step closer before letting you go, fingertips brushing over the sensitive skin of your inner wrist. Your laughter broke off, choked as your heart skipped a beat. Confusion flashed over her face and you cleared your throat, looking back down to your tablet, breaking the moment. 

You always did your best to break the moment with her. 

When you darted your eyes up to her, she was already looking at you, considering, as if trying to read your soul. Her mouth opened, ready to say something, perhaps to ask you a question, delving deep into you and your inner world. 

“Ma’am,” one of the guards interrupted before she could say anything. 

“Yes,” she said, turning away from you, “let Davidson know we’re here.”

“He’ll be a few minutes. He’s been in the lab all day,” the guard said. 

“That’s fine,” she said, “we’ll take our own tour. He’ll find us in the greenhouse.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She put her access code into the door, waiting for the light to turn green. Holding the door open for you, she waited until you ducked past her. The door closed with a quiet snick, closing you in the space with her. 

The air was immediately warm and wet, condensation clinging to your skin, your breathing not coming as easy as before. Kate brushed by your shoulder, squeezing between plants as she pushed deeper into the room. You followed, wiping the sweat away from your forehead. 

It was easy to believe you’d stepped into another world, one only inhabited by you and Kate. Plants filled every inch, each more fantastical than the last. And all you could see was Kate, pushing past fronds and leaves, so comfortable she could have been an old school explorer in the rainforest seeking out lost treasures. 

She paused, bending forward to look closer at one of the plants. You dragged your eyes away from the curve of her arse. Pushing your sleeves up to get any kind of air on your overheating skin, you looked up at the ceiling, trying not to continue staring at Kate. It was unfair how beautiful she was. The universe really wanted to torture you with her. 

Pushing in further, you were so close to her, cramped between the overflowing banks of plants. She glanced over her shoulder, and you stumbled over your own feet when she smiled at you. She chuckled, catching you around the forearm.

“Careful,” she said, voice so quiet it almost hurt. 

“I’m okay,” you said.

“I know you are,” she said.

You followed her again, her hand still on your forearm, ducking around a corner, following a path you couldn’t see. She let you go, a soft sigh passing over her lips as she practically turned mooney eyed. Peering around her, a pale blue flower was fluttering as if someone had just walked by. 

“Look at it,” she breathed out.

“Wow,” you said.

She lent closer, pushing her hair behind her ears to keep it out of her eyes. The petals parted, almost as if they were reaching towards her, wanting to make contact. Her face was full of wonder, eyes sparkling, almost liquid as she stared down at it, fingers clenching as if stopping herself from reaching out to touch the delicate flower. You could imagine how they’d feel, those fingertips brushing over your skin. You shuddered at the thought. 

She turned, looking at you over her shoulder, trying to share her wonder with you. She stood, hand snapping out, grasping you around the waist as she pulled you into her body. You fell against it, surprised at the tugging you felt for a moment from the other direction. Your hands clutched at her shoulders, trying to steady yourself. 

“Looks like my human shield worked,” she said, looking down at you. 

You glanced behind you, finding vines slithering away from you. Turning your gaze back up to her, she was smiling fondly at you. Her soft curves were pressing into yours, warmth washing over you. 

“Next time I’m pushing you into it,” you said and she laughed. 

“You’d do well to remember I’m your boss,” she chuckled.

She was right. You would do well to remember exactly who she was. And yet the way she was looking at you was achingly fond and it was making your head spin. You stepped away from her, pulling your arms back. 

Her hand shot out, grasping your wrist again, only this time it was tight enough to almost hurt. Instinctively, you tried to jerk out of her hold but it was too strong. Her eyebrows had drawn together and she was staring at something on your arm. You turned your gaze to it, trying to figure it out. You froze. 

“What’s this?” she asked, voice hoarse.

“Nothing, it’s nothing. Just a doodle. A mark. Nothing,” you said and even to your ears you sounded panicked.

Her thumb rubbed harshly at it and when it didn’t smudge she let out a snort. Her eyes found yours and you shook your head, frantic, trying to pull away from her. Her grip tightened and you knew there would be bruises there tomorrow, the small bones in your wrist grinding together.

“Kate, you’re hurting me,” you whimpered. 

She ignored you, bending over your arm, hair falling forward. Her pinky rested along it, the colours swirling together, the marks matching up perfectly. You made a pained noise, squeezing your eyes closed. She tugged you closer again and your breath left your body.

“What is this?” she asked again, restrained anger painting every word. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered.

“What. is. This?” she demanded.

You finally looked up at her, scared by the tone of her voice. Her jaw was clenched and she was staring at you like she’d never seen you before. Fear flooded you and you scrabbled against her, trying to get her off you. All she did was haul you against her body, gaze hardening, all fondness long since gone. 

“I’m so sorry,” you said.

“Explain this to me,” she said.

“I…” You had no words for her, nothing that could explain your actions.

“Ah, there you are.”

You startled, your hand coming up to brush away the tears that were threatening to fall. She looked up, barely containing her anger as she tried to school her features. You looked away from her, down to your shuffling feet and she still wasn’t letting you go. 

“I’m so sorry, but we’ll have to do this some other time,” she said, “something has come up.”

She didn’t wait for a response before she was dragging you back towards the door and the moisture free air of the corridor. Ignoring the guard, you didn’t have time to come up with anything to say before you were being frog marched into an elevator. She slammed the button for one of the lower level floors and a sense of dread filled your stomach, making you tremble. Her hand was still curled around your wrist and she wasn’t even looking at you. 

“Kate,” you said, so soft you weren’t sure she heard you. That, or she was ignoring you.

You tried again. Her thumb brushed over your pulse point and you let out a shaky breath, shuddering. You curled your own fingers around her wrist and she finally looked down at you. Her expression was blank and that more than anything scared you.

“Are you firing me?” you asked.

“Am I what?” she asked.

“Firing me. For… hiding this from you?” 

“That would be a gross misuse of my power,” she replied.

Silence reigned and you did your best to calm your heart. You kept sneaking glances at her. She kept her eyes on the doors, waiting and yet her thumb kept running over your pulse point. 

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. She guided you out into the hall, striding off with you in her wake. The door to the HR office was propped open, staring at you, almost mocking. Kate’s knuckles rapped on the wood.

You felt like a sullen teenager being brought into the principal’s office when you were called in. Closing the door, Kate finally let go of you now you were trapped and couldn’t run.

“We need to fill out some paperwork,” Kate said to the woman behind the desk.

“Has there been an incident?” she asked, rising from her seat, eyes darting from her to you. 

“More a happy coincidence,” Kate said, smiling, although it was tight and didn’t quite reach her eyes. You’d grown used to reading her over the months you’d been working at UNIT, “it appears as if we’ve found our soulmates.”

“Congratulations.” A smile broke out over her face, “it’s just a few forms you have to fill out.”

It didn’t take long, filling out the forms for the paperwork to be filed. Shame filled your gut, cheeks heating, when you noted down the date of the mark appearing. You didn’t miss the way Kate’s gaze lingered on it, your lie right there in ink for anyone to read. It stung, and yet that was buried under the knowledge it must be hurting Kate so much worse.

With a final congratulations, you were released back out into the hall. While she didn’t grasp your wrist again, her hand hovered at the small of your back and it was clear you weren’t about to be allowed to slink off. 

“Come on.”

She led you back into the elevator, taking a short trip up to her office. She closed the door, closing the blinds, leaving you trapped with her with no way out. Sighing, she leaned against the edge of her desk, arms crossed over her chest. When she looked at you, you felt frozen, feet stuck to the floor, heart thundering in your chest. 

“How long have you known?” she asked.

“Since it happened.”

She let out a long breath, hand passing over her face. You curled your arms around your waist, holding on tight as if that would help. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, sounding so tired.

“I thought the universe had gotten it wrong,” you said with a small shrug, “I thought… I mean, there’s no way it could be right.”

“Why not?” She finally looked at you again, weary and worn, and not bothering to hide the hurt in her eyes.

“Because you’re you and I’m me and there’s no way we could be,” you said, not able to say the word. 

“If you’re that unhappy with it we can pretend like it doesn’t exist, but you need to tell me why you don’t want it to be me. I think I deserve that much,” she said.

Your mouth fell open and it was like getting kicked in the chest. To think that you wouldn’t… that she wasn’t… She had the completely wrong end of the stick. She’d misunderstood so utterly that all you could do was stare at her, speechless, waiting for her to understand. 

The moment never came. 

She stared at you, waiting, the way she waited out people being interrogated. Being on the other end of it was not an enjoyable experience and you shifted your weight from foot to foot.

“Are you going to tell me why I’m such a disappointment?” she asked eventually.

“You’re not,” you said. It came out so fast, without thought, because there was no thought. All there was the need to let her know that you were the problem, not her.

“Clearly I am,” she said, affecting an unconcerned facade, “and I’m sorry for that but I want to know why you’re so unwilling to entertain the idea of us.”

“Kate, it’s… you’re not the problem here. It doesn’t make sense because how could someone as brilliant as you end up with me as their soulmate? It must be a mistake. It has to be.”

She stood again, hands falling to her sides as those dark eyes swept over you. It was like she was trying to understand you, to dig beneath the layers of insecurity to understand what you were saying. You pressed your lips together, waiting for her to tell you that you were right and there obviously was a mistake and you could all just forget it. 

“Do you know what I think?” she asked, taking a step towards you as one hand pushed into her trouser pocket.

You shook your head, because clearly you didn’t. She looked down towards her feet before looking up through her eyelashes at you.

“I think I breathe easier when you’re in the room. And that when I began to notice it, I hoped the mark had shown up on you but somewhere you couldn’t see it. Like the back of your neck.” Her hand gently brushed over your shoulder, the same pinky with the mark finding your skin, almost as if she knew exactly where it was, “and I think it hurts to know that you think you’re not good enough for me.”

“I didn’t do it to hurt you,” you said, not able to address the rest of it.

Her finger stroked over your skin again before she took her hand back.

“And yet here we are,” she said.

“I’m sorry,” you said.

“So you keep saying,” she replied before reaching out, taking your arm, fingers gentle as they stroked over your soulmate mark, “I really do, you know.”

“You do what?” you asked.

“Breathe easier when you’re in the room.”

You looked up, finding her face bent over your arm, eyes so close to you. Your breath caught. The way she was looking at you was like a flower opening up under the moonlight. Delicate and beautiful and so hopeful. 

“So you aren’t disappointed it’s me?” you asked.

“Darling, I’ve been hoping it was you,” she replied, “but then I’m not the one who was hiding something so important.”

Shame filled you again. 

“Are you disappointed?” she asked.

“No!”

She did not look impressed.

“When I was a kid, I filled notebooks full of lists of what I hoped my soulmate would be like. And I think you check off every single one. You’re beautiful and you’re smart and you’re kind. You light up every room you walk into. I think about you when you’re not here and then when you are I can’t take my eyes off you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” You couldn’t look at her, watching her fingers trace over the swirls of colour on your forearm, “I want you too much.”

“I don’t think that’s possible when we’re soulmates.”

You dragged your eyes up to her face again, finding her already watching you. Her eyes had turned liquid, smouldering at you. There was a sense of yearning there and they dipped down to your lips before meeting yours again. 

“You have every right to want me as much as you want. In fact, I’d rather think you should want me as much as it’s possible. Unless you don’t want me at all which… you’ve indicated isn’t the case.” Finally her lips pulled up into a small smile and you thought maybe you hadn’t completely cocked the whole thing up, “I must admit is a relief given I’ve found myself wanting you a rather large amount.”

“Even now?” you asked, voice small, unsure, tremulous. 

“Especially now. It means more knowing I have the right to want you. Even more when I think you might let me have you,” she replied. 

“You can have me,” you breathed out. 

She paused another moment, drawn out until you were practically vibrating with want. It was slow, the way she lent in until you felt her breath ghost over your lips. Your eyes slipped shut, waiting, wanting. 

Her fingers tipped your chin up and then her lips were on yours and you were gasping, grabbing at her, pulling her closer. You couldn’t even be embarrassed at the noise you made when her tongue brushed against yours. Your knees turned to jelly and if it wasn’t for her arm looping around your waist you would have fallen to the floor. 

She kept murmuring your name over and over again, lost in the sensation of your kiss, muffled against your lips. You clung to her, fingers threading through her hair, wanton as you pressed your body against the length of hers. You didn’t notice her pushing you back until you hit her desk, pinned there by her hips. 

She kissed you like she was hungry, like you were the air she breathed, like she couldn’t get enough. She kissed you like she needed you. And you kissed back just as desperately. 

A knock sounded on the door. She tore herself away from you with a strangled noise. Her chest was heaving and you were panting and she’d never looked like such a picture of temptation before. Pupils blown wide, lips kiss stung, colour high on her cheekbones, all you wanted to do was drag her in and show her exactly how much you wanted her. 

“We’re still at work,” she managed to say.

“Uh huh,” you mumbled, “uh, Kate?”

She was still looking at the door, waiting, you assumed, to see if whoever it was knocked again. There was still silence and she finally looked back to you. Her hands were on your face, cupping your cheeks, thumbs brushing over your cheekbones. You curled your arms around her hips, reeling her back in until you were pinned against the desk again.

“Christ, look at you,” she murmured, “this is just indecent.”

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“You’re entirely too tempting, darling,” she said, tucking some of your hair behind your ear, ”there’s nothing for it. You’re just going to have to go home.”

“What? Why?” you asked, a flash of panic going through you.

“I’ll get nothing done with you here, looking like that, being a distraction,” she said, leaning closer to kiss you again.

You whimpered against her mouth, not able to help yourself. Even if she was trying to make you leave, you still found yourself a live wire against her, especially when her leg slipped between yours and she nipped at your lower lip.

“Nope. Nothing to be done. I can’t have you around here distracting me from very important work,” she mumbled against your mouth.

“I’m very important work,” you grumbled.

Her laugh was throaty and full, delighted in ways that lit you up from the inside out. She pulled away, just far enough that her lips weren’t brushing yours anymore. 

“I should let you get back to work, shouldn’t I?” you asked, voice soft.

“I doubt I’m being paid to snog you,” she said, still in good humour, “come back at the end of the day.”

“Why?” you asked.

“For dinner,” she replied, “and so we can discuss this more.”

“What? Snogging?” you asked.

“Cheeky.” She lent forward to capture your lips in a quick searing kiss, “go or I’ll never let you leave.”

“I’m okay with that.”

“Go,” she commanded, stepping back from you, “come find me when you’re done for the day.”

“Okay,” you said.

“Promise not to do a runner?” she asked.

“Promise.” Your fingertips brushed over your lips and her gaze darkened, “I’m really glad you’re my soulmate. I feel so lucky it’s you.”

“Oh, darling, if anyone’s lucky, it’s me,” she said.

You paused in the doorway, watching her round her desk and take her seat. She looked up, winking at you with a small smile. The door closed with a quiet noise. Passing Ibrahim, you grinned up at him.

“She’s all yours,” you said.

You practically skipped back to your desk.

[kinglivv]

Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart 9.07 The Zygon Invasion

[kinglivv]

Gurllll, that new Kate Stewart story 😩, HURRY UP with part two please 🙏🏻

Ask and ye shall receive!!

[kinglivv]

Is it Casual Now? (Part 2)

Kate Lethbridge-Stewart x Reader

Summary: After you call things off with Kate, you realise that no matter how much you avoid her, your feelings won’t go away.

Warnings: Implied sex, explicit language

You don’t speak to her for a month, which is impressive considering you’re under her command. She’d tried to call you once or twice, you’d caught her staring in a few team meetings, but other than that it was like the past year had never happened. You delete the photos off your phone, shove her things into shoe box under your bed and attempt to erase any reminder of her from your personal life.

You think you can manage. UNIT’s a good job - the best job in fact, the sort of thing you’d dreamed of since you were small. You work with aliens, you save the world, you’re challenged every day. Surely all of that balances out the pain of seeing her on the regular?

Avoiding her is easy, you tell yourself. You simply make sure you’re assigned to projects she isn’t leading on, stop going for after-work drinks and keep your head down at your laptop.

It’s when the rumours about her and Colonel Ibrahim start that you realise perhaps it actually won’t be so easy. Donna mentions it to you in passing one morning, mid-gossip over the coffee machine.

“Have you heard about the Commander and the Colonel?”

You stop stirring your coffee.

“No?”

“Mel was saying she saw him pick her up from work yesterday.” Donna’s grinning like she’s caught the scoop of the century. Usually you’d have been just as invested, but instead you feel like you’ve left your body and are stood watching a stranger have this conversation with Donna.

“Oh,” you manage. “That’s funny.”

You hurry off to your next meeting, hands trembling and barely able to concentrate. It couldn’t be true, could it?

You can’t bring yourself to ask Mel. You don’t want to know, and as long as you don’t know you can convince yourself it’s not happening. You go through the motions, pretending that you don’t see the intimate whispers between Kate and Christofer on the command deck, pretend you don’t notice them sat too closely together in meetings.

Your delusion is shattered after Sutekh. You’re brought back to life rather dizzingly after being disintegrated into sand, and of course the first person you think of is Kate. Except when you look over, the Colonel’s already with her, helping her up and there they are sharing that look again. She manages to spare you a cursory glance but then… then she’s holding his hand. In front of everyone.

Your stomach rolls. You want to throw up. You think you physically feel your heart break in two and you rush off home early, skipping the debrief and breaking protocol in the process.

You thought you could do it but she’s making it impossible. You hate her. How could she? A whole year together and she was over it in a month, moving onto someone she was happily displaying around the office like she was in love. Worst of all, the staff were happy for her, leaving you her dirty secret, some mere side piece that had meant nothing.

You knock on her office door the next day and place your resignation letter on her desk.

“What’s this?” She looks over the top of her reading glasses at you. Those eyes used to make you melt and now you feel nothing but cold hard resentment.

“It’s my four weeks notice,” you tell her plainly.

“Why?” She frowns.

“I’ve decided it’s time to move on from UNIT,”

“Don’t be silly, Y/N,” she takes off her glasses and sits back in her chair. It’s the first time you’re alone together since you fucked her in that restaurant bathroom. “I’m not accepting it.”

“You can’t not accept it.”

“Watch me.”

“I’m not playing whatever game this is.” You turn to leave, but she’s up and moving around her desk, grabbing your arm. You’re immediately transported back to the last time you’d argued in here and how you’d given up the fight as soon as she’d kissed you, forgiving her for everything.

Not this time.

“Is this about us?” She hisses the “us” like it’s a bad word.

“Of course it’s about us.” you shrug her off.

“Y/N, you’re one of my best soldiers. I’m not letting you walk out of here over something so petty.”

Your face burns.

“Yeah well you’ve got plenty other soldiers to choose from haven’t you?”

Realisation dawns on her face.

“This is about Colonel Ibrahim isn’t it?”

“That and a million other things, Kate.” You tell her. “You’re insufferable.”

She has a the decency to look hurt, adopting that face of hers that looks like a slapped puppy. You had a sharp tongue and you knew how to use it.

“I can’t sit here,” you tell her, “and watch you parade your new toy boy around the office in front of everyone like we didn’t basically date for a year.”

“You’re the one who called it off.”

“Because you were hiding me from everyone!”

“I was trying to protect you!”

“From what, Kate?” You say exasperatedly, “I was in love with you and you knew it, and yet you still let our friends-with-benefits thing carry on for your own amusement. The only thing I should have been protected from is you.”

She stares at you, and maybe her eyes are a little wet. You don’t allow yourself to linger on them.

“I’ve left your stuff in a box in my locker if you want to grab it,” you tell her matter-of-factly.

“I don’t want my fucking stuff, Y/N,” she sighs, leaning against her desk - slumping against it, even. “I want you.”

“You should’ve treated me like it.”

“I thought you’d come back,” she confesses, wiping away a stray tear.

You feel your anger subside slightly, replaced by confusion. You’d never seen her cry before.

“You loved me?” She asks hoarsely.

“Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

She doesn’t reply and looks down at the floor guiltily.

“Do you still?”

“You think I’d be resigning if I didn’t feel anything for you?”

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t think it would get this serious.”

“We went on holiday together. I slept in your bed for days on end. You let it get serious.”

“I know, I know,” she admits, “pure self-indulgence. I shouldn’t have led you on when I wasn’t ready for it.”

It’s the most you’ve ever gotten out of her on this subject, and still she isn’t reciprocating your feelings.

“Self-indulgence?” You repeat.

“I…” she waves her hand searching for the words. “I wasn’t ready to be in love again after my divorce. And I didn’t to have to put my kids through another one of my tumultuous relationships. And I didn’t want you to get stuck with someone twice your age and your boss. And… I didn’t want to stop seeing you. I could give you a million excuses, Y/N. They wouldn’t make up for how I’ve made you feel.”

“That’s what you mean by protecting me?” You ask, “You didn’t think I might want a say?”

She grimaces.

“Was it just sex?” You ask softly, because you have to know, once and for all.

She shakes her head.

“And Christofer?”

“A rebound.”

“Have you slept with him?”

She nods and your heart plummets again.

“Just the once,” she says, “I was trying to stop thinking about you. Trying to kid myself I could forget about it.”

You want to hate her for it but you can’t. After all, you’d slept with someone whilst you were with Kate, trying to distract yourself from your feelings. It would be hypocritical to expect differently of her.

“I tell him to piss off.” She pleads, “Say it was nothing. Hell, I’ll even find a way to fire him if that’s what you need to forgive me.”

“I couldn’t ever not forgive you Kate, that’s kind of been my ongoing issue for the last year.”

She huffs a laugh, reaching out to take your hand. You gaze at her, taking in all her familiar features that you’ve abstained from for a whole month. You’re leaning in and then… she pulls back.

“No.” She says and you want to scream but then: “This isn’t just a quick fuck. We should do this properly. Let me take you to dinner?”

She’d taken you to dinner a dozen times before but this felt different.

“Oliveli?” She suggests, “With your favourite pasta and the really good french martini’s?”

You nod.

“And then,” she suggests, rubbing her thumb over your hand, “and then maybe it’s time I sat the kids down and had a chat to them about you.”

It’s the closest admission to love you’d ever heard from her. You can’t help the smile creeping onto her face.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Her hand falls to the desk and crumples up your notice. Without tearing her eyes away from yours, her perfect aim lands it in the bin across the room.

[kinglivv]

Please send in Kate Lethbridge Stewart requests!

[kinglivv]

Just managed to un-shadowban my most recent kate lethbridge stewart fic😍😍 hopefully you should all be able to see it now!

[kinglivv]

Is it Casual Now?

Kate Lethbridge Stewart x reader

Summary: You and Kate are closer than what friends with benefits should really be.

Warnings: Explicit language, explicit sex, dysfunctional relationship

A/N: based off the chappell roan song!

You’d promised yourself you’d stop sleeping with her.

You hadn’t told Kate this of course, but then why would you? It was casual. She’d told you that. She’d made it explicitly clear whenever you’d asked the dreaded “what are we?” question. You’d overheard her say it to Mel. You saw it in the way she never mentioned you to her kids.

The thing was, sex with Kate Stewart could never be casual.

Casual was not thinking about her every waking moment. Casual was not having an album of her in your camera roll. Casual was not baby-sitting her cat when she had a late night at the office.

But that doesn’t seem to occur to her and so, you decide, it’s probably time to stop having sex with your boss.

This plan lasts all of three weeks. Three weeks of ignoring her glances, missing her calls and pretending not to notice her stuff littered around your flat.

And then, as fate has it, you’re assigned to a stake-out with her. It was pure coincidence - you were the only two with enough experience and, as it happens, enough flexi-hours left to work outwith the usual 9 to 5.

You sit in the dark with her in silence for all of 30 minutes, before she turns to you and gives you that look. You know you don’t stand a chance and within minutes, you’re allowing her to clamber into you lap, willingly pushing your seat back and then she’s knee-deep in the passenger seat and her mouth is on you. You come on the expensive leather of the UNIT-issue car and you’re thanking your lucky stars for the tinted windows.

Later, when you’ve got her in the backseat and she’s in your arms, breathing finally evening out, she looks up at you and smiles, “Missed you.”

She doesn’t even realise you’ve been avoiding her. She thinks you’ve just been busy.

And just like that you settle into your old routine.

It used to be a rare occasion. It first happened after a tipsy kiss at the work Christmas do, and then a few months later it happened again after a successful mission when you were both giddy from the adrenaline. Then it became every few weeks. Then, it became every Friday evening. Then it became every Saturday morning, because you kept staying the night.

You talk to Mel about it briefly. She’s the only one who knows there’s anything going on between you and Kate, and she tells you bluntly that you shouldn’t be lusting after a twice-divorced, emotionally unavailable woman who was heading up the most clandestine department in Government. In other words, you’re a loser.

So, you try a different strategy to get over her. Said strategy involves sex with someone else from Tinder following a mediocre date. You can’t find your favourite bralette and although she’s pretty, she doesn’t make you come. It’s only afterwards when she’s fallen asleep that you remember the bralette’s in Kate’s dresser.

The following night, Kate turns up on your front step in a red silk dress and pins you against the door. She’d been at some boring dinner. She told you she liked the idea of your lap, her dress around her waist and your strap dipping in her. Just like that, your plan once again goes out the window.

You meet her mum one morning when you’re leaving Kate’s house for work. Kate mumbles some story about you needing to stay over because you had no hot water, and the old lady takes it at face value. You chat to her at the breakfast table whilst Kate makes coffee, and find you have everything in common. Before you know it, you’ve got an invite to her holiday home in St Ive’s - she’s too old to get down there now and how have you never visited before?

The holiday there with Kate is heavenly. You spent a whole week sleeping next to her in bed. She shows you her favourite lunch spot. You teach her how to plait your hair. You fuck her on the beach. Because your whole relationship revolves around sex. Of course. Obviously.

You argue about it once. Just the once.

You’re watching a movie, bowl of popcorn between you. It’s one of the rare evenings you’ve both managed to get home, and when you’d turned up at her door she’d held up a DVD of the Italian Job and invited you in.

You found yourself gazing at her in the light of the television, the chattering mere background noise.

“I could do this forever, you know,” you confess softly.

She tears her eyes away from the screen, smirks at you.

“No attachments, remember?” She teases.

Suddenly any semblance of peace and relaxation you were feeling evaporates. The anxiety curls up in your stomach like a dead spider.

“Yeah because our relationship is nothing more than sex,” you respond sarcastically.

She looks taken aback. You’re picking a fight, you know, but you’ve been desperate for an opportunity.

“We’re not together, Y/N.” She points out.

“Yeah but you’ll act like it. When it suits you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“We’re literally sat here watching your favourite movie at 10pm,” you say, “I have keys to your place. You know my middle name. You do know what I mean.”

“I really don’t.” She says, in that flat tone she uses at work when she makes an order. It means she’s right and she’s not entertaining any debate.

“Fuck off, Kate,” you shove the blankets off and hope she hears the door slam behind you.

She pulls you into her office the next day, and apologises for arguing but doesn’t apologise for what she said. She kisses you and you can’t help but forgive her.

The thing is, Kate gets you. She knows exactly what you want. She buys you matching lingerie for your birthday. She brings you coffee at work. She fucks you after a near death experience so you can feel something. She gives you lifts to your pilates class. She moans something suspiciously close to “I love you” when she comes in your shower, and you do your best to forget about it. She helps you choose what colour to paint your kitchen. She gets you off again. And again and again. The cycle is inescapable, all because you’re too weak to say no to those eyes.

The tipping point is some time around the one year mark, when this dilemma of yours is at least 5 months old. You can’t remember how many times you’d mentally called it off.

You’re in her bed (where else would you be?), suitably fucked and lying half on top of her, a strong arm wrapped around your waist. Her phone pings, and you groan as she pulls away to pick it off the bedside table.

“Oh,” she remarks, reading the message. “Charlotte’s cancelled dinner with Gordy and his new girlfriend tonight.”

“What?” You mumble, half asleep and pressing into her neck further.

“Charlotte.” She repeats. “We were meant to be going for dinner tonight with Gordy. He’s got a new girlfriend he wants to formally introduce to the family. But she’s got a migraine, says she’s not coming.”

You were used to the background noise of Kate’s family life. Charlotte and Gordy didn’t feature greatly in your relationship, busy at university, and Kate had purposely kept you at arms length from them. You knew everything about Charlotte and Gordy, but you’d never met them and they’d never met you.

“Do you…” she says hesitantly, “do you want to come? The reservations for four, and you know how much I hate meeting his rotation of girlfriends. I can’t do it alone.”

You look up at her.

“I thought I was a separate thing to your kids?”

“Yeah but, you’re one of my best friends. I’ll tell them that.”

You sigh an agreement, trying not to think of that word “friends”, and before you know it you’re sat next to her in a fancy restaurant opposite Gordy - who is rather disconcertingly the spitting image of his mother - and his timid girlfriend.

Kate’s hand is dancing on your thigh. You’re trying not to think about the suit she’s wearing. Gordy’s looking in between you two suspiciously, and vaguely you wonder if he’s used to his mother’s antics, if you’re not the first girl she’s fawned over.

She excuses herself between the main course and dessert and as she disappears into the bathroom she winks at you. You muster some excuse about needing to check your make up, and then you’re slipping into the bathroom behind her, locking the door and pleased to see there’s a mirror over the sink.

You bend her over it and fuck her from behind (you know that gets her off fastest and time is of the essence here), but you can’t quite bring yourself to meet her eyes in the mirror. Not three minutes later, she’s leaning into back against the sink and you’re straightening out her lapel and wiping away her smudged mascara. She dips down and kisses you, pushes you against the wall, starts to fiddle with the hem of your skirt.

“Wait, Kate. Stop,.” you push her off you. She steps back, frowning.

“What?” She asks.

“You’re not fucking me in a restaurant whilst your son waits at our table.”

She looks crestfallen. Offended, even. Not at your refusal, but rather at the way you’d laid out the reality of the situation so bluntly.

You return to the table - Gordy and his girlfriend seem too wrapped up in each other to have noticed your absence - and you can’t help but feel somewhat bitter and used. The atmosphere is icy. Maybe you are just some colleague she bangs on her sofa when she needs it.

Afterwards, when you’re sat in your car outside the restaurant, you send her the fatal text.

I don’t want to do this anymore.

She doesn’t reply.