For Opalvira Week 2022 - Day 1: Modern AU
(Grad student Opal and Chief of Staff (to Governor Suyin) Kuvira)
It wasn't that Opal had let the day get away from her. She was certifiably working on her thesis...or was going to. It was just that the crossword in the Zaofu Times was right there on the nightstand when she woke up, and it had been ages since she finished one before her girlfriend did.
After the crossword and her morning coffee and scone, while Opal was sitting down to read the notes from her faculty advisor, she remembered that she'd been meaning to mop and change the tea towels in the kitchen. Because she was only halfway through the podcast she was listening to when she finished, she decided to run the dishwasher and sort the recycling and take out the trash.
When Kuvira finally returned to the apartment after a series of work meetings that probably could have been emails, Opal was balancing on the edge of the bathtub, undoing the clasps holding up the shower curtain.
"Perfect timing," Opal said, flashing a grin at her girlfriend. "Go over to linen closet and pick out a curtain you like."
The chief of staff raised an incredulous eyebrow. "I thought you were working on your thesis today."
"I am." Opal scooted along the edge of the tub to take down another clasp. "I was just reading the feedback Tenzin sent me."
"And how many hours ago was that?"
"I can't go check the time until you bring me a new shower curtain," she said with a pointed glance.
Kuvira rolled her eyes, but went, returning a few minutes later with a dark green and silver drape folded over her forearm.
"That's pretty," Opal said, trying to remember when they'd bought that one. "But it doesn't match the rugs. You think I should run out and buy some new ones?"
"I think you should stop stress cleaning and work on your thesis."
"I'm not stress cleaning because I'm not stressed." Opal took the new curtain from Kuvira and spread it out. "I'm just catching up on some chores, but I can start being productive at any time."
"Mhmm..." Kuvira crouched into an earthbending stance and all at once the metal clasps hooked themselves into the curtain and then hung it up on the bar. "Start now, then."
Opal carefully got down from the edge of the tub and crossed her arms over her chest. "Really, honey? Not even a hello or a kiss, just work on your thesis?"
Just then, Kuvira leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips, tasting of chrysanthemum tea, the scent of earth and ocean flowing from her hair.
Right when Opal moved to deepen the kiss, slide her hands under the other woman's dark blazer, Kuvira pulled away, smirking.
"There's your hello," she said, her voice coming out in a teasing lilt. "You can have another after you've written two pages."
"I'm gonna change and head out for a run. Have those pages done by the time I'm back."
"That's an unrealistic timeline," she said to her girlfriend's retreating back, even as she made her way towards her laptop.