DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES - KATHERINE/ROBIN

Nowhere Else

xraex21

Author: xraex21

Beta: carpesomediem

Fandom: Desperate Housewives

Pairing: Katherine/Robin

Disclaimer: I own neither of these lovely characters nor the world they play in.

Summary: There was nowhere else for Kathrine.

Spoilers: Season 6 Episode 18 “My Two Young Men”

Rating: PG-13

Word count: 1000(ish)

A/N: It's a little different, but I hope you like it anyway. As always let me know what you thought.

Nowhere Else

xraex21

All the cracks in the wall were starting to drive her mad. It was not like she could fix them, but it was still bothering her that she had nowhere else to look. The rooms at Bell Reeve did not come with miniature kits filled with little amounts of plaster and paint to touch up the holes in the wall and at this point Katherine was contemplating smuggling in such contraband from the outside. What would a little home improvement possibly hurt this place where people came to recapture their minds? She could not see the point in having flawed walls, not when they were meant to stay inside all the time.

Time had no place in an insane asylum. It was marked on charts and calendars, but with no place to go the patients let it slip from their minds. Katherine tried to separate herself from the others, just so she could breathe without a weight on her chest. She had found just the right way to seclude herself without causing trouble and although bored she was starting to find clarity. Then Karen had come to visit and the cracks in the walls started to be noticeable in every room, almost mocking her in her inability to fix them.

Once she left Bell Reeve and settled back in on Wisteria Lane, she made sure all the cracks in her walls were filled and repainted, just the way they should be. She fell back in step with her neighbors and tried to smile like she used to. The falseness hurt her cheeks but she kept it up hoping one day it would actually feel natural. The thing about the women of Wisteria Lane was that no matter how much their lives had changed they stayed relatively the same; each played their own part in the neighborhood drama. Katherine tried to crack jokes at parties while making sure her glass was always full, determined to make it work this time.

* * * * *

As the rest of the women from the neighborhood were pulling Susan into the kitchen Katherine moved to the window to get some space from the party.

“Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Robin, I’m staying with Susan.”

The red head turned toward the voice and her eyes were met with a bright and honest smile, something she was not entirely used to. She then noticed the outstretched hand with perfectly manicured nails. Clasping it lightly she responded, “Katherine Mayfair. Welcome to my party.”

Katherine’s voice sounded hollow, but she tried to cover it up with a smile. The blonde looked slightly confused and did not let go of her hand right away. Suddenly noticing how closely they were standing and the intimacy of the handshake Katherine released the younger woman’s hand. She took a step back and after a deep breath said, “Excuse me, my drink needs refilling.”

* * * * *

After Robin had come home from her cousin’s wedding with a red bouquet and a promise for more, they had both retired to their respective bedrooms. The next morning had been awkward, but the aroma of pancakes seemed to settle both their nerves. Katherine’s hand had shaken a little as she brought the stove top heated syrup to the table, but Robin merely raised an eyebrow in question.

Silence hung stiffly in the air threatening to ruin a perfectly good breakfast when Robin said, “I spent the last nine years dancing around a pole making men stand up for me in their pants. Do you honestly think I can’t tell when you’re turned on?”

Letting her aggravation show, Katherine cut deeply into her pancake and replied, “First, I’m not a man. Second, there is nothing auspicious in my pants to give me away.”

Robin carefully leaned forward giggling when she saw the red head’s eyes drift down to her chest. With a cocky smile she continued, “That’s what you think honey. You’ve shifted your weight in that chair half a dozen times since I came into the room. You’re not fooling anyone.”

The blonde then proceeded to drizzle an ample amount of syrup on her pancakes before taking a bite and humming with satisfaction. They both knew she had one the argument and before the dishes could be cleaned Robin took Katherine’s hand and led her upstairs.

* * * * *

Katherine’s red hair blew into her eyes as she sat on the veranda outside the house her and Robin had rented in the countryside, not too far from Paris but just far enough for there to be some peace. The fresh rolling hills were pleasing to the eye while also illustrating just how far the two had traveled from their previous lives. A small stone fence ran along the property, though Katherine mused it was not of adequate height to keep much out.

The simplicity of their new lives settled into her and for a moment she panicked, feeling as though this would not be enough to hold them together. As her anxiety rose, Katherine forced herself to calm with a deep breath and the view of Robin sun bathing in the nude on a wooden reclining chair to her left. Yes, their lives had become simple, boring even, but she found herself welcoming the idea. No more ex-husbands to hurt her, no more noisy neighbors to pull her into their conflicts, and she no longer felt the need to make sure everything was always in its right place.

Clouds traipsed over the sun and her hazel eyes lazily followed a shadow as it crawled across the stonework floor towards house. Once the cloud moved Katherine found her eyes settled on a large crack in the foundation that had crept its way up the siding of the house. Not seeing a need to worry over something that had probably been there for the last century, Katherine rose and moved to her lover’s side. She let her lightly freckled hand trail up Robin’s tan calf, gliding over her skin until she came to the blonde’s exposed shoulder blade. With no more of a preamble than the younger woman turning her head to look at Katherine, she also rose and they walked hand in hand into the house.

~ ~ ~