Page 34 of Blazing Hearts

Mallory glanced at her, her eyes glossy but resolute. “I don’t know if I can be that… human. Not the way you are. I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be… untouchable. Invulnerable. Like if I don’t let anyone in, they can’t hurt me. But it’s lonely. And exhausting.”

Her voice cracked on the last word, and she looked away, blinking quickly.

Kara resisted the urge to reach out, sensing that Mallory needed to get through this moment on her own terms. “You don’t have to be untouchable all the time,” she said gently. “You can let people in and still be strong. Sometimes, letting someone in is the strongest thing you can do.”

Mallory gave a hollow laugh, shaking her head. “That’s easy for you to say. You make it look effortless.”

Kara raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking into a wry smile. “Oh, trust me, it’s not. I’ve had my fair share of walls. Hell, I’ve probably built a few fortresses in my time.”

Mallory looked at her, curiosity flickering through the haze of her emotions. “Really?”

“Really,” Kara said, her tone softening. “I wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I didn’t trust anyone. Not with the big stuff, anyway. I’d let people in just enough to think they knew me, but never enough to really see me. It was safer that way—or at least that’s what I told myself.”

“What changed?” Mallory asked, her voice tentative but genuine.

Kara leaned back, her gaze growing distant as she sifted through memories. “There was a fire a few years ago—nothing like today, but bad enough. We lost someone. A rookie. I was her captain, and I couldn’t save her.”

Mallory’s breath hitched, her hand instinctively reaching for Kara’s arm. Kara didn’t flinch, but the memory darkened her features.

“For a long time, I blamed myself. Shut everyone out because I thought they’d just see me as a failure. It wasn’t until one of my teammates—my best friend, Scotti—called me out on it that I realized I was pushing people away to protect myself. And in doing that, I was making everything worse.”

She turned to Mallory, her eyes steady and sincere. “It took time, but I learned that letting people in doesn’t mean you’re weak. It just means you’re human. And being human isn’t a bad thing.”

Mallory’s throat tightened as she listened, the weight of Kara’s words settling into her chest. She hadn’t expected Kara to share something so personal, and the raw honesty of it left her breathless.

“I’ve been doing the same thing,” Mallory admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve kept people at arm’s length. I tell myself it’s because I’m focused on my career, but really… it’s just fear.”

Kara tilted her head, her expression encouraging but not pressing.

Mallory took another sip of her wine, as though the liquid courage would steady her. “Fear of failure. Fear of being hurt. Fear of losing control. I’ve seen how messy life can get, and I’ve always thought if I could just keep everything… contained, I’d be safe.”

“But?” Kara prompted gently.

“But then you came along,” Mallory said, her eyes meeting Kara’s. “And you’re… different. You make me feel things I don’t know how to handle. And that scares the hell out of me.”

Kara shifted closer, the couch creaking softly beneath her. She reached out, her fingers brushing against Mallory’s in a tentative, grounding gesture. “You don’t have to handle it alone,” she said, her voice low and steady. “I’m not going anywhere. And I’m not asking you to change overnight. Just… let me in, a little at a time. We’ll figure it out together.”

Mallory stared at their hands, her heart pounding in her chest. It felt like a leap off a cliff, but there was something in Kara’s eyes—something solid and unshakable—that made her believe she wouldn’t fall alone.

“Okay,” Mallory whispered, her voice breaking on the word. “Okay.”

Kara smiled, a warmth spreading through her chest. She could see how much it had taken for Mallory to say that, and it made her want to protect this moment, to make sure Mallory knew she was safe here.

“You take care of everyone else, you need to let me take care of you this time,” Kara said, as she gently took Mallory’s chin in her hand, tilting it to look her in the eyes. “You look exhausted, Mal.”

“Probably not as worn out as you, though; you’ve been in a literal hell-scape all day, it doesn’t feel fair for you to have to look after me.”

“I want to look after you. Let me show you.” Gently she slid her hands under Mallory’s form, picking her up, holding her close.

The room was dark, lit only by a dim reading lamp, but in the scant light Kara felt Mallory relax in her arms. She sat them both on the bed, with Mallory facing away from her, leaning back into Kara’s strong body. She wrapped her arms around Mallory, unfastening the buttons of her work clothes, and gently peeling them from her skin. As she went, she planted gentle kisses across every inch of her skin, massaging any tight muscles along the way. Once Mallory was fully undressed, she tried to push her to lie beneath the covers but Mallory stayed upright.

“I know I need rest, Kara, but after today, I need you too.”

“You can have me all you like,” Kara said, her voice heavy with want.

Kara idled herself, stroking Mallory’s hair as the doctor slowly undressed her, feeling each layer stripped from her and dropped to the floor. Once she was shirtless, she felt Mallory flicking across her nipples every few strokes, and looked down to see her glancing up with a smirk.

“Hmm, I seem to remember promising you I’d make you scream yourself hoarse next time I had you to myself, but I might have to table that promise until next time.” Now fully undressed, Kara pulled the pair of them back onto the bed, drawing the comforter over them. Seeing Mallory’s disappointment she continued, “Don’t worry, I’m not finished with you yet.”

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