Light
"Wait, Sam, stop I broke a heel!"
Sam turns around, her hair whipping behind her as she groans loud enough for Cat to hear her, and drags herself back over to where Cat is standing under a streetlight. She clutches her ruined shoe dismally and looks up at Sam with dim eyes.
"Now what?" she asks expectantly.
"This never would've happened if we'd just taken my bike like I said we should've," Sam grumbles, crossing her arms and kicking at the pavement.
"But the restaurant wasn't that far from home and I can't ride with a dress on."
On Cat's insistence, the two had gone out for a fancy dinner at a restaurant a few blocks down from their apartment. Cat had gotten all dolled up for the occasion, going as far as high heels and a sleek red dress. Sam's jaw had nearly hit the ground when she'd come out of their bedroom after she finished getting ready. Sam knew she paled in comparison to this gorgeous redhead with her long lashes and near-perfect hair, but Cat had fawned over her when she'd seen Sam in the only dress she owned, a simple black thing she'd swiped from Carly years ago. Now Sam was regretting even agreeing to this stupid idea. It wasn't as if they could really afford blowing money on nights out with fancy steakā¦even if it was delicious.
"Just take off the other heel and go barefoot," Sam instructs.
Cat gasps, a hand flying to her mouth and the shadows dancing off her fair features as she hobbles backward in surprise. "Sam, there might be glass on the street!"
Then, as a softly spoken afterthought, "Carry me?"
Sam barks out a cynical laugh and eyes the smaller girl doubtfully. "Right."
"Oh, please! I'm light, I promise! And we're not far from home!"
And in the glow from the streetlight, with her lips pouting and her lashes fluttering, Cat looks more beautiful than Sam has ever seen her and she finds herself at a loss for words for a moment. No, don't be stupid, she warns herself, giving her head a shake to clear her thoughts. It wouldn't do her any good to go down that road, not again, not now. But, as always, she finds it so damn hard to say no to Cat.
"Fine." And before Cat can even let out a titter of joy, Sam dips down and scoops her up, holding her bridal style. Cat utters a squeal of surprise but loops her arms around Sam's neck for support.
Sam shifts her grip and bucks Cat further up for better grip and then begins walking, surprised at how little Cat weighs. For all the bibble and candy the girl eats, she's unexpectedly light. Just like everything about her, Sam muses with a slow nod to herself.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"You're the best." Cat dips her head as she smiles and snuggles against Sam's chest.
Sam feels her breath hitch but ignores it and continues on, step by step, careful as not to jostle Cat. They round the final corner onto their street and Sam finally brings them to a halt outside of their apartment. Cat looks up at her with those wide, expectant eyes again and, certainly not for the first time, Sam doesn't know what to do. She knows exactly what she wants to do, because right now Cat's literally in her arms and looking so damn pretty that it's all Sam can do to not lean down and kiss her.
But she does it anyway, and she does it while still holding Cat in her arms. She feels her go limp in her grasp and she feels Cat start to kiss back, gently and lightly. And it's perfect and Sam could almost burst at how fucking awesome this is, but she doesn't because right at that moment she realizes how tired her arms are. Carefully, she breaks off the kiss and lowers Cat back down to the ground, steadying her on her uneven heels. The look on Cat's face is the happiest Sam has ever seen her (which is saying something) and then there's that expectant, hopeful light in her eyes again.
"Wanna kiss some more?"
And Sam can never really find the strength to say no.
