Page 69 of Frosted Fakes

"Sit. Down."

Elliott sat.

Julia was already moving, grabbing the first aid kit from under the sink. She pulled up a stool, took Elliott's hand, and peeled back the towel.

"Deep, but clean. No glass or anything in there." Julia's voice was calm, clinical. Completely at odds with the woman who'd managed to burn toast three times last week. "Keep pressure on it while I get the supplies ready. Wrap it and lift it to your shoulder, above the heart."

Elliott watched her work. Julia's hands were steady as she laid out antiseptic, gauze, butterfly strips. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, lower lip caught between her teeth. She looked… competent. More than competent. She looked like she knew exactly what she was doing.

"This might sting," Julia said, and then she was cleaning the wound with gentle, practiced movements, her touch light but sure.

It did sting. Elliott barely noticed.

"You should be doing this," Elliott said.

Julia glanced up. "I am doing this."

"No, I mean…" Elliott gestured vaguely with her non-injured hand. "This. Medicine. Helping people. Not running a bakery you hate."

Julia's hands stilled for just a moment. Then she resumed her work, carefully pressing the edges of the wound together and applying butterfly strips. "I don't hate the bakery."

"You don't love it either."

"No." Julia's voice was quiet. "I suppose I don't. But… I don’t hate it. Not now. Not… with you."

She finished bandaging Elliott's hand, her fingers lingering on Elliott's palm longer than strictly necessary. When she looked up, her eyes were soft. Vulnerable in a way that made Elliott's chest ache.

"You're good at this," Elliott said. "Really good."

"I've tol you, I watch a lot of YouTube videos, that’s all."

"It's more than that." Elliott reached up with her uninjured hand and tucked a strand of hair behind Julia's ear. "You come alive when you're helping people. Your whole face changes. You're not…" She searched for the words. "You're not performing. You're just… you."

Julia's breath caught.

Elliott kissed her.

The kiss was deep and certain, Elliott pouring everything she couldn't say into it. I see you. I want you. Stay. Even if just for now. Stay.

Julia made a small sound against her mouth and leaned in, her hands coming up to cup Elliott's face. The kiss went on, warm and searching, until Elliott's good hand was holding onto Julia's shirt and Julia was half out of her chair.

Then somewhere in the shop, a customer coughed.

They broke apart, breathing hard.

"It's the middle of the day," Julia said, her voice slightly strangled.

"I noticed."

"There are people."

"Also noticed."

Julia laughed, a little breathless. "We should… um, probably…"

"Probably." Elliott didn't move. Neither did Julia.

The customer coughed again, louder this time.