Work Text:
Since that night in Casablanca, and despite the care she had receive at the hospital, Julia was still suffering from chronic pain that never left her. It was mainly her head and her back that had suffered directly from her conflict with Carmen, but it was her entire body that hurt her.
On a daily basis, she felt as though she had just come out of an intensive workout: exhausted, drained of energy, and crippled with aches. ACME's health insurance, following her trauma that night, had granted her psychotherapy sessions. From this work came the idea that these pains were mostly induced by the extreme tension she had suffered that evening. This knowledge was supposed to help her. But the pain continued to make life difficult for her, day and night. Her sleep remained filled with nightmares, from which she always emerged with massive migraines. Her shrink said it was due to some kind of repression, that she refused to confront herself with what she had experienced that night.
--------------------
One fine night, as Julia was crawling into bed after having conscientiously swallowed the anxiolytic tablet prescribed by the psychologist, a knocking noise at her window startled her. her heart raced as her brain screamed "DANGER".
Ignoring the warnings of her terrified reptilian brain, she got up and headed for the French window in the living room, the source of the noise.
In the shadows stood the dark red figure of a person in a long coat and a big hat. Julia immediately recognized Carmen and her heart skipped a beat. Torn between the apprehension caused by her traumatic memories and the enthusiasm she felt each time she saw the young adventurer, she opened the door.
“Hello Jules.”
Julia swallowed as she saw Carmen's mischievous smile. She felt torn between her desire to hug her and at the same time to run away.
"Miss Sandiego..." was the only thing that was able to come out of her vocal cords.
"I wish to take you somewhere. Do you have a free day?”
"I've been on sick leave since Casablanca," she sighed.
Carmen stood speechless for a few moments then said:
"It's because of what happened that night, isn't it?" It's my fault ? Is it because of what I did to you?”
At these words, Julia felt sobs rising in her throat as her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Jules, I'm so sorry..."
The young woman took her in her arms and Julia let herself go completely, releasing through her tears the emotions she had been restraining for weeks.
"Tomorrow I'm taking you somewhere, originally in gratitude for what you did to find my mother, and now a bit to make amends."
"I've been locked up for a long time, guess it can't hurt me."
Carmen pushed her aside to look at her with a smile.
" - Very well ! In that case, I'll come back to pick you up tomorrow at the end of the afternoon. Bring a bathing suit. »
" - Noted. Provided that this time, Miss Sandiego, that you come through the door. »
"No problem, Jules.” Carmen said laughing. "and call me Carmen, I'm coming as a friend, not as a business contact!"
No sooner said than done, the young woman jumped over the balcony to throw herself into the void and deploy her iconic hang-glider.
Julia leaned on her balcony, watching her walk away, then scaning the city at night, dreamily. When the cold made her shiver, she went back under the duvet.
--------------------
The next day, as Julia finished emptying her cup of milk tea, her doorbell rang. She smiled thinking that Carmen had finally learned to use a door.
The former thief stood in the doorway of her apartment, her hands in the pockets of a red hoodie, her hair tied in a messy bun. On her left shoulder was hanging from the strap of a blue duffel bag and on her right, a motorcycle helmet.
"Come on Jules, let's go"
" - Yes but where?”
"It's a surprise.” She said with a smile.
In front of the door of the building waited for them a bright red motorbike, as well as a second helmet. Carmen invited Julia to get in behind then got into the vehicle.
--------------------
They drove for a while through the city, until they stopped and parked the motorbike at the foot of a tall skyscraper.
"Close your eyes," Carmen instructed the little detective.
Julia hesitated for a few moments, the memories of Casablanca coming back to her, and a parasitic thought came to her mind to make herself vulnerable in front of the person who had hurt her a few weeks before.
"Trust me, Jules. I promise nothing will happen to you. At least, nothing unpleasant,” Carmen said with a smirk.
Julia finally found the strength to close her eyes and then lets herself be guided by Carmen.
Her hearing and proprioception informed her as they took an elevator and passed through several doors.
"You can open your eyes now."
Julia then discovered the place. She was in a hallway with a pointed ceiling. A gentle warmth reigned in the air. Rose petals were scattered on the floor and in front of her was a large purple curtain.
She parted the curtain to discover a room with walls covered in intricate mosaics with abstract patterns rich in detail, warm and golden colors.
One of the walls in the room was made of glass, with a door opening into what looked like a sauna.
In one corner was a walk-in shower, as well as an ebony coat rack and in another, a large screen in exotic wood, with patterns evoking the moucharabiehs of oriental countries.
At the end of the room was an incredibly large bathtub. One side formed a half circle of wooden planks reminiscent of traditional Japanese bathtubs, and the other side was composed of a very large bay window overlooking the city.
The edge of the tub was populated with a multitude of small candles. Garlands of light covered the ceiling. Flower-shaped candles floated in the water between the rose petals.
"Carmen, this is... This is..." The words choked in her throat, held back by growing emotion.
"Shhhh...I need you to undress behind this screen to get into your bathing suit."
Julia obeyed then came out a few minutes later wearing a red bikini, almost as red as her face.
Carmen then took Julia by the hand and led her into the sauna. The walls and the ceiling of this one were entirely composed of pink salt stone bricks from the Himalayas. A soft light emanated from it, highlighting the shades of pink through the translucent stones. It was like being inside those salt lamps you find in spas or trendy zen interiors.
They stayed there for several minutes. The warmth that emanated from it made Julia feel like she was in a sort of protective cocoon. or in the original uterus. She let herself go, feeling the worries that weighed on her so much to escape from her with the sweat running down her back.
They sprinkled each other with a fresh and pure water laughing after leaving the sauna and rubbed each other with a fragrant soap burying them under tons of suds. The coolness of the water contrasted with the heat of the sauna and Julia began to shiver. Carmen then pulled her against her to warm her up and the little brunette felt her heart speed up. The latter was beating so hard that she was afraid that Carmen would perceive its rhythm through her chest.
Carmen led Julia into one of the spa rooms. The room was small but cozy. Sweet music was coming from who knows where. A soothing scent of essential oil filled the air. In the middle was a massage table. She invited Julia to settle there.
The little brunette lay down on her stomach, still a little nervous. She felt warm hands on her back and flinched.
Carmen leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, "Schhhh...you need to focus on your body and let go. I know it's still a little hard for you to trust me, but I promise you I'm here to take care of you.”
Julia relaxed, closed her eyes and let Carmen's hands methodically run over her body. Quickly, a series of shivers went through her and she felt her hair stand on end with pleasure. The young thief's hands were soft against her skin. The massage oil perfumed her with a sweet and reassuring smell. Carmen knew exactly where to insist, found and released the pains under her skin.
For her part, the young Latina felt her friend tense as a bowstring. The latter was crippled with stiffness, which must have been the source of significant pain.
After a while, Carmen felt the knots in the young woman's muscles unravel. Julia was beginning to let go. When she turned her around, she noticed that her friend's facial features seemed to have relaxed, giving her a much more peaceful, sleepy look.
When she was done, she couldn't resist placing a quick kiss on Julia's temple. The little brunette opened her eyes, smiled, then rising up on her left elbow, grabbed her head to pull her against her and kissed her back.
Eventually, they ended up leaving the massage room and headed for the large tub.
Carmen entered the bath without hesitation. Julia was more cautious, unsure of her movements, but Carmen grabbed her hand to help her find her balance on the slippery edge of the tub.
Once in the water, she came to stick against Carmen, who took her in her arms, against her, her chest against her back. She rested her chin on Julia's shoulder.
The water temperature was perfect. A sweet scent of rose and benzoin filled the air. The silence was broken only by the light lapping of the water, which contrasted with the supposed din of the megalopolis that surrounded them.
So they were speechless for a moment, gazing at the lights of the city at night, from the skyscrapers in the distance to the lights of traffic below, flickering through the water in the glass tub.
At one point, Carmen leaned over and kissed her friend's neck. She turned around and kissed her passionately. The two women rocked back into the hot water and the kiss continued underwater, until they were out of breath. The pool was deep, totally surrounding them with water, like a womb. Julia's hands explored Carmen's hair, which was hanging out in the water like a crown.
They straightened up and Carmen continued the game, this time tipping Julia into the water with kisses. They re-emerged to the surface laughing and then splashing.
Breathless, they came out of the water. Julia shivered again, and Carmen led her behind the screen, where two white bathrobes were waiting for them. Kissing again, they undressed each other and then wrapped themselves in the softness of the bathrobes. Carmen pushed Julia into an alcove on the floor completely covered with soft, thick mattresses.
"I hope I'm forgiven now." said Carmen leaning towards Julia
"My love, you had nothing to apologize for. Julia said before kissing her one last time.
--------------------
That night, Julia suddenly fell asleep, swapping the anxiolytics for a sleep free from the nightmares of the previous weeks, leaving only cottony dreams.