She wakes slowly, the sun starting to rise outside. Once again, she finds her limbs tangled with Kate's, both curled together and tucked up under the blankets against the cold. Her face is pressed to Kate's upper back, she's still clinging to her, even in sleep. Unwilling to relinquish this closeness, her hands on Kate's bare skin.
Kate hums slightly into the pillow, and she can feel the sound reverberating gently through her body.
"Morning," Betty says softly, unable to keep the grin off her face. Kate in her bed. She sighs happily, unable to contain herself, emotions far too close to the surface.
"Morning. Is it time to get up for church?" Kate shifts slightly, causing Betty to move back, giving Kate room. If being with Teresa had been contentment, having Kate like this was bliss.
"No. We've got another half-hour before we have to get up." Betty stops thinking, "I got you something though... for Christmas, I'll go get it." She hops out of bed, still naked when Kate grabs her hand and pulls her back. "What?"
Kate whispers gently, "We don't have to get up yet."
Betty slips away smiling, shaking her head, goosebumps forming almost instantly on her body as she opens her closet and stretches up on her toes to remove a largish bundle wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine from the shelf.
"It's your present, now open it." Betty demands delightedly, placing the package next to Kate and climbing back in the bed to warm herself. She has to suppress a happy moan when Kate's arm goes around her, rubbing gently at her own skin to warm her.
Kate opens it delicately, beaming when she sees what is inside, "A record player. Oh Betty... you said that it wasn't a priority with the house and now..."
"I don't want you going without." Betty shrugs, trying to seem casual, but she's grinning madly back at Kate.
"Should I get dressed? Put a record on?" Kate offers delightedly, almost forgetting for a moment that she is naked.
"If you want," Betty's eyes gently trace the paths her fingers took last night. She wants to look at Kate, really look at her, especially now that the sun is up. Starting to wish that she had not agreed to church or dinner at the Corbett's, Betty grumbles slightly under her breath.
"We should probably put the record player in the living room." Kate stops, considering, reaching down for her dressing gown and drawing it over her shoulders.
"Well you can move it around Kate." Betty moves to pull on clothes, now feeling too cold to just lay around partially covered by sheets.
Reluctantly, they dress for church, eating a quick breakfast on the way out the door. They walk into church with linked arms, the only words thrown their way a quick 'Merry Christmas'. Kate, of course, dashes off to join the choir leaving Betty alone, tucked into a pew at the back.
It's the same loving God stuff she's gotten used to hearing in Leon's church, blessed to have the saviour, eternal life - but it doesn't bother her. Kate beams while singing- as usual, and the service is entirely tolerable. Memories from the previous night seep through into her mind, and she's smiling dopily throughout the service.
"Merry Christmas Betty." Leon greets her after service shaking her hand, "If you and Kate don't have plans, you're welcome to join my wife and I for Christmas dinner. Provided you don't mind a few little ones running around." Leon laughs slightly.
"Thank you Leon," Kate jumps in, "I'm sorry, we already have plans."
"Alright," Leon switches to shaking Kate's hand happily, "Have a good Christmas then. Enjoy the day off."
"Oh we will." Betty assures him, hoping that it doesn't show all over her face. She's not like Kate, she cannot hide her emotions nearly as easily. Within minutes of stepping outside Kate's face is flushed from the cold, her tam pulled down to cover the tops of her ears. The image brings back a recent memory of seeing Kate flushed, from warmth and passion.
Kate seems to notice that her mind has wandered, "Are you alright Betty?" She asks, a hand clasping her own.
"Just... remembering." Betty admits in a mumble.
Kate kisses her quickly on the cheek in response, "Come on, let's go home."
"Yeah. No sense freezing to death outside." Betty nods, allowing Kate to guide her to the streetcar, and home as efficiently as possible.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything for Christmas." Kate apologizes as she unlocks their door, stepping in quickly to hang her coat and allowing Betty to follow her in.
"It's fine, Kate," Betty brushes her off with a grin, "We agreed to save the money for the house, the furnishings. I just bent the rules a little."
"But you got me record player."
"I bought us a record player." Betty grins again, "Besides, I'd rather go back to bed with you for a few hours than all the presents under Gladys Witham's Christmas tree."
"Betty!" Kate's somewhere between a laugh and shock.
"What? We're at home, no one can hear us. I can say what I want."
In response Kate's hands go to the buttons of her dress, "I keep thinking about it too," she admits with a slow smile.
"How long do we have before dinner?" Betty asks, grinning down at Kate's hands.
"Long enough."
Betty eventually leaves the bed for a bath, most of the afternoon all they would leave the bed for was water or to put on another record. The rooming house could never compare to this; her own space, her own life, with Kate. She washes quickly, wanting to get clean and out, they were running out of time. Though Mrs. Corbett wouldn't write her up for being tardy to Christmas dinner, she doesn't want to ruin the good impression she's spent years building.
A soft knock comes from the other side of the door, "Hurry up Betty, I have to have a bath too."
"Get in with me then!" Betty calls through the door, not thinking. It swings open suddenly, her invitation near instantly taken. Kate's dressing gown hitting the tile floor.
**
They manage to hesitantly leave the bathtub and dress, wrestling themselves back into wool stockings and nice dresses, coats and hats.
"Can't we stay home?" Kate begs, half-serious as they walk to the streetcar.
Betty shakes her head with a smirk, "Not if you want to be able to look Mrs. Corbett in the eye tomorrow and tell her why you missed the dinner I told her we'd attend."
It's practically dead, mostly people safely in their homes eating or drinking. They make it to the Corbett's, five minutes late.
"Miss McRae, Miss Andrews, so happy you could join us," Lorna invites them in with a smile, "I believe you've met my husband Bob. That's my daughter Sheila and her boyfriend Dr. Patel." Lorna points at her family, introducing them.
"Call me Ned." The somewhat familiar doctor waves from across the room.
"Hello girls, come on in." Mr. Corbett invites them with a smile from his chair.
"I'll take your coats," Lorna offers cheerfully, grabbing their heavy winter coats and carrying them off to throw somewhere out of the way.
"Thank you Mrs. Corbett." Betty responds, stepping further inside.
"Ah looks like you're caught under the mistletoe there." Mr. Corbett comments, pointing upwards.
"Oh." Betty feels like squirming awkwardly for a moment, before feeling Kate's soft lips press a gently kiss to her cheek.
"Merry Christmas Betty." Kate says softly as she pulls back.
"Now isn't that festive?" Lorna comments pleasantly, "Now, let's eat."
FIN
