that simply won't do

part eight

Stella sat at the island in the kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee as she enjoyed a quiet morning before work. The sun was barely rising, peeking a soft orange glow through her windows. She could hear Dana upstairs banging cabinets in the bathroom and her frustration didn't go unnoticed. Stella had sensed for days that something was off, though Dana refused to address it and continued to insist everything was fine. Assuming it was work related, Stella tried to let it go and give Dana her space despite the fact she was growing concerned.

After a while had passed, Stella heard footsteps descending the stairs and smiled to herself as she turned in her chair to catch sight of the redhead as she appeared. Dana walked straight to the kitchen, passing Stella, before stopping at the sink. She took a deep breath and let out an exasperated sigh as she turned the faucet on and started clanging dishes together. Stella watched her silently for a moment, her smile fading slowly as trying to gauge her mood before speaking.

"Good morning," she started, receiving only a fake smile in return. "Would you like some coffee?"

Dana turned around and watched as Stella took a generous sip of her own cup, contemplating for a moment. "No."

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the short answer, knowing there was no way in hell she wasn't going to want coffee before work. "You sure? Since when do you not want coffee?"

Dana huffed, letting a plate fall into the bottom of the sink as she turned to look at Stella again. "I'm running late already so I guess I'm just going to have to take mine to go."

Stella nodded quietly, taken aback by the bite in Dana's tone. As she continued to sip on her coffee she watched her girlfriend bang cups and plates together in the sink, washing them aggressively with the withered sponge. She wanted to ask her if she was okay, wanted to see if there was anything she could do to make her morning better, but it had been days since Dana had allowed them to have a real conversation, so she decided against it. Standing instead to pour some coffee into a travel mug, she added a dash of cream and a pinch of sugar to it before setting it next to Dana's bag.

"I should get going. I love you, have a good day." Stella said quietly, leaning in to kiss Dana's cheek as she set her coffee cup in the sink.

Stella had turned and was nearly out of the kitchen when she heard something slam and Dana's heels clicking across the floor loudly.

"Great," she sighed angrily and annoyed, "Yeah, have a good day." Her voice was shaky as she stamped her way towards the downstairs bathroom, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Dana, are you okay?" Stella finally brought herself to ask, just before she shut herself in the half bathroom.

"I am fine."

"Are you still going to come have lunch with me at the station today?"

"Yes." Dana replied as she slammed the door, leaving Stella to scrunch her eyebrows and turn towards the front door.

Stella had spent the entirety of her morning at work thinking about Dana and the way she'd acted. She tried to think of what could be the issue, wracking her brain for an answer she felt sure she would never get. Their relationship had been nearly perfect for so long and this sudden rancor between them felt hard to swallow. She tried desperately not to consider the worst possibilities. Tried not to assume Dana regretted moving in with her, regretted dating her, regretted starting this journey with her. It was natural for her mind to go there but she refused to let it, knowing Dana was different. Instead, she threw herself into her work, telling herself she would face it come lunch time. Noon seemed painfully far away, however, and the morning dragged on like slow-dripping molasses while Stella did everything in her power to distract herself. It was unnerving that nothing that would usually work seemed to be of any help, and she momentarily cursed how lax she'd become. Her guard had been let down significantly since letting Dana into her life, and in that moment, she found herself wondering if it was something she would be able to continue to handle.