Simple Complexity

Part 1

Erin nodded, sitting back down as Holtzmann took her other hand, getting her to put pressure on the injury and she walked back over to her desk, because of course that's where the first aid kit was stored. Holtz was always blowing things up, she always tried not to, but sometimes it happened, the first aid kit was often not even put away, just left out on the desk. Holtz always needed to tend to a burn she'd give herself, or Erin had to jump up from her seat and rush over to the woman when she would yelp in pain, cutting herself. Erin dragging her to the bathroom, telling her a rag over the injury was not enough and Holtz would reluctantly sit on the toilet seat as Erin crouched in front of her, cleaning cuts, wounds, and burns, bandaging them.

It was nearing seven at night and Patty and Abby had left, leaving the other two to the night, and as Holtzmann returned to Erin to patch her up, she crouched down on her knees, taking Erin's hand in hers and unwrapping the temporary bandage, inspecting the cut.

'It's not bad, you don't need stitches, well I don't think so.'

'You don't think so?!' Erin cried, leaning forward to inspect the injury.

Holtz laughed, 'It's fine Erin, it's fine.'

The woman cleaned up the cut, Erin wincing as the antiseptic stung and then the blonde wrapped it in a small bandage, leaning forward, planting her lips to the gauze in a quick kiss.

Erin blushed as the woman looked up at her.

'That's supposed to make it better,' Holtz stated, looking away and collecting up the kit's contents and packing it up as she walked back to her desk, sliding it into the small shelf that sat below.

Erin turned back to her desk, the Swiss Army knife still sitting on the table Erin picked it up, taking a tissue from the box on her desk and wiping off the small blotch of blood that was on it, and she began to twirl it in her hands again. Holtz watched as she continued to turn it between her fingers, the bandaged one being held higher so as not to touch the device.

'Erin Gilbert, ' Holtzmann said loudly, as she wandered back to the woman, pulling the knife from her hands, 'you are done for the day okay.'

Erin looked up at her, her lips in a thin smile and she stood nodding softly.

They both slipped into their regular nightly routine, Erin showering and changing into sweats, retreating to the lounge area downstairs, tucking her feet up on the couch, book in hand as she dragged a knitted blanket over her.

Holtzmann walked out of the kitchen after stacking the dishwasher and setting the timer, grinning with her tongue between her teeth at her colleague as she jogged up the stairs. Her turn for a shower and an evening of work, and while Erin lost herself in a novel on the couch the blonde engineer planned to relax at her desk, and tinker with some new ideas.

This was the standard routine for the two, sometimes Erin would wander up to the lab, settling herself into the armchair that was in the corner, bringing the blanket with her, the soft hum of Holtz singing to herself as she worked was almost a comfort to her. Erin often felt her eyes gaze from the text of the book to the blonde curls of the woman at the desk, and she always found herself smiling. Holtzmann would meet her gaze, her lips still moving as she murmured lyrics.

Sometimes it was the other way around, Holtzmann would join Erin on the couch downstairs, turning on the television, volume low and subtitles displayed so as not to disturb the brunette. Each time they'd have the same conversation, Erin telling Holtz she could turn it up, the blonde replied that it was fine and to go back to reading. Eventually, Holtz's legs would wiggle their way beneath Erin's blanket but most times Erin would hold up the blanket as Jillian slid beneath, neither making eye contact, Erin still focused on her book, and Holtz already browsing Netflix titles.