that simply won't do

part thirteen

Dana winced as she peeled herself from the driver's seat of her car. She had been at work for over twelve hours and every muscle in her body ached. Her scrubs clung to her dewy skin as she walked, chafing uncomfortably with each step she took. All she could think about was collapsing against a soft surface as soon as possible and closing her tired eyes. When she finally reached the door her shaky hands fumbled with her keys, turning the lock hastily before opening the door. The smell of garlic barely registered as she shuffled inside, dropping her coat and bag at her feet. Usually, she would never leave her things in a heap in the entryway, always being precise about hanging up her coat and leaving her bag and shoes in the proper place, but tonight she simply did not care. The extra energy it would take to put her things away was not available to her. She was so exhausted, she hardly noticed the sound of footsteps approaching her until she saw Stella come around the corner.

"Hi, love. How was your day?" The blonde asked with a warm smile, but immediately noticed the exhaustion radiating from her partner.

"Long." Dana responded flatly, leaning in to rest her head against Stella's shoulder.

Without hesitation, Stella caressed the back of her head, scratching softly at her scalp with her nails as she tilted to place a kiss against red curls.

"I'm making dinner. Do you want to come sit at the table?"

"I don't know." Dana's cheek was squished against Stella, muffling her words slightly. "I just want to sit somewhere comfortable and pass out."

Stella pulled away, cupping Dana's cheeks in her hands to peck a quick kiss to her lips. Slipping behind her, Stella wrapped her arms around her waist and held her tightly against her.

"Come on, come sit down." She whispered as she led Dana towards the living room, peppering soft kisses against her neck.

As they reached the couch, Stella let go of her grip and Dana instantly collapsed against it, sighing heartily as her throbbing feet found relief. A groan escaped from her throat as she stretched her limbs out and shut her eyes.

"I'll go make you some tea."

Dana hummed with a nod, her eyes still closed. Footsteps padded away from her until she was left in the silence. As she laid back, trying to rest, her mind began to race and she sat up with a frustrated sigh. Despite having been on her feet for twelve hours she didn't feel capable of sleeping. Her exhaustion was bone deep and she could barely keep her eyes open, but when she closed them her thoughts were far too loud. It was as if her body was so tired that it couldn't sleep.

Stella returned a few minutes later with a warm mug of tea, her eyebrows scrunching as she looked the redhead up and down.

"You alright?"

"I can't relax. I'm exhausted and my muscles are aching, but my brain is buzzing."

Stella offered a sympathetic smile as she sat on the coffee table, handing over the mug. She watched quietly as Dana took a few sips, observing how tense her body seemed.

"Scoot forward a bit." Stella requested, standing from the coffee table.

"What?"

"Scoot forward so I can climb behind you."

"Why?" Dana asked as she did as she was told.

Without responding, Stella climbed onto the couch and sat down, resting her legs on either side of Dana's. Once she was settled she began gently massaging her neck, rubbing her thumb in pressured circles around any knots she found. Dana moaned at the firm touch, a grateful hum following as she relaxed against Stella's body. Moving down to her shoulders, Stella repeated her actions for a while, working out her tense muscles. Dana's eyes closed, wincing against the pain, though she felt utter relief as each knot was released. She finished her tea as her upper body began to feel looser and she leaned forward to set the mug on the coffee table. Stella took that opportunity to move from her spot behind her, getting off the couch completely before settling on the floor.