I'm in bed each night at nine... Billie Holiday crooned from the record player.
Kate wasn't singing along like normal though. She was sitting on the edge of Betty's bed quietly. Too quietly. She'd been sitting there, enjoying the use of Betty's record player since before Betty had returned.
"Where were you tonight?" Kate's voice seemed to come from somewhere far away as she heard Betty open the curtain.
"Just out." Betty shrugged, "What are you doing here? It's Saturday night. I thought you had a date tonight."
Kate turned to face her, "I lied." Her face was flushed pink, and her eyes didn't quite meet the blonde's.
"What happened?" Betty sat down next to her, tossing her jacket on to the floor. In Kate's hands was clasped a book, her hands trying to hide the cover from view.
"I've been reading. I was trying to...understand." Kate replied very carefully.
"Understand what, Kate?" Betty's eyes flickered the the book's semi-worn cover. Betty's posture shifted into something more defensive than usual.
"You." Kate answered simply, she let her fingers slip off the book's cover revealing it's title.
"Torchlight to Valhalla?" Betty regarded Kate curiously, "What is this?"
"It's about women like-" Kate began to answer, but was cut off.
"Like me. Disgusting deviants." The tears welling up in her eyes were a direct response to a memory Kate shared.
"No." Kate reached for Betty's hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm sorry."
"I know." Betty answered, sitting herself down next to Kate, "Where'd you get this?" She pointed at the book.
Kate paused, contemplating her response, "Gladys found it for me."
Betty laughed slightly, unable to help herself, "I wonder where she found this."
"She didn't tell me where, but she found it for me when I asked her to. She brought it to me a few days ago at Vic Mu."
Betty shook her head, "You're lucky Lorna didn't find you with that."
"I hid it." Kate replied simply.
"You asked her to? Why?" Betty asked.
Kate reacted with surprise, "I thought you must have..." she paused thoughtfully "You've never read one?"
"No. I haven't." Betty replied, "Why are you reading this, Kate?"
Kate paused for a moment, "I think I might be... like you."
Betty paused, backing away slightly, "Kate you don't know what you're saying."
Kate replied almost too loudly, "But I do! When I'm on a date with someone else all I can think about is what's Betty doing right now? And when you're out with someone else I miss you. And I'm jealous."
Betty sat there silently, "It's dangerous words you're saying Kate." She looked down at the floor. Kate willed her silently to look up.
"I know that! I'm completely stuck on you. And maybe I am sick. I don't know. So I was reading."
"Do you feel sick?" Betty asked, reaching out to hold one of the younger woman's hands with her own.
"No. When I'm with you I feel...wonderful." Kate whispered as she squeezed Betty's hand gently, and pressed a chaste kiss to Betty's palm.
"Kate" Betty said softly, looking down into her eyes. Bringing a hand up to stroke Kate's cheek softly.
Kate paused as she shuffled through the pages of the book, as Betty moved to sit next to Kate on the bed. "Would...would you ever want to? With me?" She pointed at a page with a trembling finger.
Betty glanced down at the page, skimming it. She gasped audibly and flushed, "Kate." She managed to murmur softly, in total disbelief.
Author's Note: Torchlight to Valhalla is an actual Lesbian Pulp novel published in 1938.
The lyrics used earlier in this chapter are from Billie Holiday's PS I Love You released before 1942.
This fanfiction takes place sometime in the fall of 1942.
Any historical inaccuracies are my own fault.
