Title:
Hard Work, NakedPrompt: bathing
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica 2003
Pairing: Laura Roslin/Kara Thrace
Rating: G
Word count: 250
Summary: Respecting traditions
Kara leaned back in the birthing pool, and Laura knelt on the floor.
"You're beautiful, Kara."
Kara shot back, "You're only saying that because I'm naked."
Laura looked up at the midwife. "Is Aurora ready?"
The midwife nodded, and Laura climbed into the tub. The midwife handed Aurora to Kara, who explored Aurora's face with the tips of her fingers, barely brushing over her tiny lips, her eyes wet with wonder and awe.
The midwife attached the portable basket to the edge of the pool, and Laura grabbed a washcloth. She held it out to Kara, and together they submerged the cloth and drizzled the moisture over Aurora's fuzzy pate.
When the ritual bathing was complete, Laura handed Aurora back to the midwife, choosing another cloth and herbal concoction for Kara.
Laura washed Kara from forehead to toes, using extra care when she approached Kara's genital area. The warmth of the water and the ritual herbs would both help Kara heal faster, but birthing a baby was hard work; Laura was still amazed at Kara's willingness to put her body through all that after everything else.
As Laura stroked the cloth over Kara's face again, Kara's head dipped into her shoulder, and her body went slack. Laura held her tightly, rocking back and forth, praying to gods she hadn't always believed in to take care of her wife. This first sleep wouldn't last long - she could hear Aurora shifting in the midwife's arms - but Kara had more than earned it.