The flight from Oregon to Nevada was a short one, and Kate slept through most of it, drifting in and out. She remembered mumbling a sleepy hello to Brooke's parents when they met them at the airport, and she remembered seeing the house and thinking it looked very big.
But their flight had been late at night, and they'd arrived early in the morning, and Kate was ready to sleep.
Brooke kept her arm around her and they managed to stumble into bed together. At least that first night, Brooke's parents didn't say anything about it; or maybe they did, and Kate was already asleep.
She only knew that when she woke up, there was warm sun on her back, and she was cuddled tightly into Brooke.
Kate sat up, glanced out the huge windows that overlooked the expanse of land. There didn't seem to be much of anything out there, and the ground looked so brown and…flat.
She sank back into bed, and Brooke moved, reaching for her glasses on the bedside table.
"Like the view?"
Kate yawned. "It's definitely different than what I'm used to."
Brooke sat up and laughed. "Don't be fooled, it's still cold as all hell out there. Winter's down here are brutal."
"I'll be sure to grab a sweater," Kate chuckled, standing up and stretching.
Brooke followed, sighing as she dropped to her knees by Kate so they could each yank out their respective toiletries.
It was strange, still, being this - open - with another person. Being in another person's home for the holidays. And yes, having her significant other be a girl. Her mother had already…
Well. She wasn't home with her family for a reason this Christmas. And while Brooke's family didn't typically celebrate Christmas themselves, they did have plenty of friends who threw parties for the holidays, and they would often spend Christmas with another family.
The two girls collapsed on the couch in Brooke's huge, open living room after showers and brushing their teeth, bowls of cereal in hand and pajamas still on and warm. "Parentals are out this morning, so we've got the place to ourselves. I was thinking we could practice flying the drones later? It's cold, but there's nothing around here to run into."
Kate nodded along, still taking in how bright the house was. There were so many windows, and so much sunlight everywhere. So different from her own home. The woods and darkness there suddenly struck her as oppressive.
She took her dishes into the kitchen, Brooke following behind her, and then turned around and laughed, covering her mouth. "Is that you?"
Brooke rolled her eyes at the portrait on the fridge. It was of her, sure. She'd been a child at the time, which was probably why Kate found the photo so funny. Holding a bottle of wine up to your mouth was usually frowned upon, especially when it spilled all over you and your clothes, but Kate's smile kept Brooke steady.
She wasn't laughing because Brooke "looked like a boy". It probably hadn't even crossed Kate's mind.
But it crossed Brooke's mind every time she came home and saw all her old photos. She couldn't expect her parents to just burn every photo they'd had of her since before she'd turned 15, and they'd been good about accepting her despite the strain it had put on their relationships with other families and friends in the area.
They'd always stood behind her.
Brooke just wished that the photos Kate would see here wouldn't all be of her as…as someone Kate nearly mistook for Brooke's brother, before it hit her why her girlfriend wasn't laughing.
"Are you okay, Brooke?"
Kate reached out, squeezed her shoulder, and Brooke let her hug her.
"You were a very cute kid, you know."
Brooke squeezed her harder. "Thankfully not the alcoholic that photo foretold," she sighed, pulling back.
Kate smiled and kissed her, lips just brushing over her girlfriend's to steady her. "Well, you're still a wonderful girlfriend all the same. Even if not quite the party girl I'd hoped for." Kate's voice was light, but her heart was beating just a little too quickly.
No jabs about the video no jabs about the video no jabs about the video please please please-
"Hey, those study parties we throw are awesome. Got a girlfriend out of one, didn't I?"
Kate's shoulders relaxed, and they both giggled a little, kissed in the sunlight. "You certainly did."