Kika x stem!r /2

Summary: Y/n's experiment didn't go well

..

Y/n walked out of the building, practically fuming as she tossed her bag over her shoulder. Her failed experiment was the last straw for her day.

Again.

She could almost hear her professor's disappointed sigh ringing in her ears, the echo of all her hard work and lab materials going to waste.

Kika was smiling in the driver's seat.

"Hi, amor!"

Y/n didn't even look at her, just grumbling as she threw herself into the car and slammed the door a little harder than necessary.

Kika raised an eyebrow but didn't miss a beat. "Oh...okay. I'm guessing the experiment didn't go well?"

"Yes," Y/n responded, voice thick with frustration and sarcasm.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Kika asked, looking at her with that soft, understanding gaze she always had.

"No," Y/n grunted, slouching in her seat and staring out the window.

Kika didn't push, but she knew this would be one of those nights.

The kind where Y/n would vent, rant, and maybe eventually calm down. "Alright, let's just go home then."

Y/n shot her a glare. She was frustrated, mad, disappointed, She was feeling every bad feeling a person could have all at once.

Once they got home, Y/n stormed inside, tossing her bag onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. She spun around to face Kika, practically vibrating with frustration.

"I've lost the whole damn day! I was in that lab for hours, and for what? Absolutely nothing! My samples? Ruined! The experiment? A failure. AGAIN!"

Kika just watched her, sitting down calmly on the sofa. "Yeah, that's... really bad, I'm sorry, bebê."

Y/n groaned and plopped down beside Kika, immediately crawling into her lap, throwing her arms out as if to demand an explanation of what went wrong and why.

"I spent the whole day in that godforsaken lab, Kika. And for what? I've got NOTHING to show for it." Y/n put her head on Kika's shoulders, a frown on her face.

"I've basically thrown my day away. Again. Seriously, how do I even keep doing this?"

Kika didn't say much, she let the quiet calm them both. "I'm really sorry," she murmured, her tone soft. "That really sucks."

Y/n huffed, not pulling away.

"It's not even just that. It's the hours I can never get back. It's like... every single time, no matter how hard I try, it's always just one step forward, two steps back." Y/n said, feeling the emotions taking over.

"Stuff like that happens, amor," Kika smiled softly and pressed a kiss to the top of Y/n's head. "You're amazing at what you do. This one experiment doesn't define everything, okay?"

When Y/n didn't answer, Kika nudged her foot gently.

"Lab days are just like football. Some you lose, some you win."

"The only difference is my opponent is a fucking gel and somehow it's still kicking my ass," Y/n muttered.

"Yeah... not exactly the same, then."

Y/n let out a small, exhausted sigh.

"Come on, let me make you a sandwich and we'll forget about it all, yeah?"

"Yeah," Y/n said, but there was still a hint of grumpiness in her voice as she stayed in Kika's lap. "But later, I wanna stay with you now."

After a few moments of quiet, Y/n glanced up at Kika. "So, how was your day at training?" she asked, trying to shift topics.

Kika paused for a second, as if thinking about her answer carefully. "Oh, we played catch."

Y/n stared at her, blinking for a beat. "Catch?" she asked, her tone flat, as if trying to make sense of it.

"Yup," Kika said, in all seriousness. "It was... intense."

Y/n stared at her, waiting for the punchline that never came. "You're telling me you spent all day playing catch?"

Kika nodded, completely deadpan. "Yeah, it's a really high-stakes game, you know--that's why Romeu made us play it over and over again."

Y/n stared at her in stunned silence.

"Are you for real?" She shook her head, still chuckling. "I can't even with you sometimes. I thought you were gonna say you had a tough training session, but no...catch."

Kika just grinned, clearly enjoying Y/n's reaction. "Hey, it's hard," she teased.

Y/n just rolled her eyes, smiling.

"I don't think I'll ever recover from this level of athleticism coming from you," she said, her tone playful.

Kika laughed softly. "If you ever need someone to throw a ball around with... I'm your girl."

Y/n snorted. "And if you ever need someone to completely fuck up measuring cell receptors... I'm your girl."

Kika bumped her shoulder gently. "You're still my favorite scientist," she said sincerely.

Y/n rolled her eyes, but her cheeks warmed anyway.

..

Feedback is very much appreciated <3