a/n: Hi all,
We are keeping it light and friendly with the flashback episode this week; things will definitely start heating up next week, so be on the lookout.
As always, if you've made it this far, a genuine thanks for giving this a read! I hope it's living up to... something? Enjoy!
Cheers,
EQT.95
It was late in the morning; far later than Sophie typically let herself sleep in. Technically she wasn't sleeping though. Instead she had spent the last unknown minutes watching Kate sleep as the morning light glowed more intensely across the unfamiliar room. The half she was on felt recognizable enough: it was riddled with the comfort of Kate's belongings. On the other half was quite the opposite. Like Riley, Chelsea had a very unique way of decorating. Unlike Riley, though, her style didn't include piles of laundry and forgotten Cheeto bags. Instead, it included a heavy use of pastels and floral patterns, and the juxtaposition of such a backdrop to Kate sleeping next to her did not go unnoticed.
They were crammed into the tiny twin bed, but after months of experience from the semester prior, they had also learned how to navigate its limitations. That meant defaulting to one of three positions and having the skills to maneuver between them without waking the other. It was a hurdle she didn't mind jumping through if it meant having this proximity to the gently sleeping form next to her.
The night before had taken her by surprise, and she smirked at Kate's ability to weave together her plan and deploy it at the right moment. While a part of her was filled with the usual irritation that came with Kate keeping her in the dark about some master plan, a bigger part of her knew that on this occasion, that was the point; it was intended as a surprise.
For all of the times they'd fought and bickered about how little time they had, moments like this made it worth it. Sophie felt comforted by the steady, rhythmic breathing of Kate laying next to her, and she was struck by how lucky she felt to have the brilliant, stubborn, and caring person in her life, exhausting as those things sometimes were. She paused at this thought, realizing 'in her life' wasn't enough. It was that she was also able to have and share these most intimate moments with her, and,now that she had it, she couldn't imagine a life or a world without that.
"Hi," Sophie smiled as Kate stirred from her sleep.
"Morning," Kate muttered groggily before leaning in to capture Sophie's lips into a soft, sleepy kiss.
"Thank you," Sophie whispered when Kate pulled back.
"That wasn't even my best work," Kate teased, her eyes still half-closed as she shifted to remove every last remaining fraction of inches between her and Sophie.
"I meant for… this," Sophie spoke generally of the night. "All of it. That you even thought of this is… I just…" she paused, feeling a wave of emotion from her private thoughts moments earlier catching in her throat and stinging her eyes.
"Sophie Moore, please don't tell me I've done something to make you cry again," Kate whispered, seeing Sophie fight them back.
"Don't worry. These are happy," Sophie replied as one broke free, and Kate's hand reached up to wipe it clear.
"Well, in that case, I hope I make you cry a river," Kate said before breaking into a laugh as Sophie winced in pain at the corny line.
"Not with those pick-up lines," Sophie groaned, snuggling into Kate's chest as Kate's arm wrapped around to her back to pull her closer. They lay in silence for a few minutes, lost in the rare moment of being safely alone, Sophie wrapped around Kate as Kate's hand idly danced circles over Sophie's back with the morning light shedding itself onto the room's walls.
For Kate, the silence provided an opportunity to reflect on the memories of the night before that began replaying in her mind.
"So how'd you do it?" Sophie asked, finally breaking from Kate's lips and returning to their unfinished conversation.
Kate shook her head, a smirk of pride that left Sophie unsatisfied.
"Super glue?"
"Nope."
"Like 'nope' you didn't use super glue or 'nope' you're not going to tell me?"
Kate pressed her lips firmly shut, her cheeks red with the suppressed laughter she was keeping in at the look of frustration Sophie was giving off.
"Are we really stuck in here until maintenance shows up?"
"Sick of me already?"
"Not even close," Sophie whispered. "But you gave me a lot of Scotch, and-"
Kate's laughter interrupted Sophie's suggestion, and she rolled to sit up, leaving Sophie snickering on the couch.
"But you can't look," Kate demanded, offering a sly leer.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Sophie replied as Kate crossed the room to the door. She used her body to block whatever activity was going on that released the lock, and let the light from the hall flood into the dim room. Kate poked her head out, checking both directions before giving Sophie the go-ahead to sneak off to the bathroom. Sophie slipped behind Kate, giving her a small squeeze and peck on the cheek before dashing off, and Kate couldn't help but stare fondly, keeping watch over the hall until she was back.
She lay lost in thought, taking in the familiar comfort of Sophie lying next to her, reflecting on the shared night together, and dreading the looming countdown that would soon end that time. Her mind raced through the handful of other ideas she'd stewed up to get her girlfriend alone when the sudden flinch from Sophie pulled her back to reality.
Kate felt her hand instantly recoil, realizing she'd snaked her fingers under the back of Sophie's shirt. It had been subconscious, and Kate felt mortified, a panicked apology on her tongue.
"Sorry, I-"
"No," Sophie quickly interrupted, feeling her cheeks burn with nerves. "I just… it was a surprise."
It wasn't a rejection, and Kate felt Sophie slowly relax back into their previous state. She felt her own fingers hesitate, eyeing Sophie carefully for a sign she wasn't comfortable before slowly returning her hand to the smooth, warm skin. Her awareness was heightened as she prepared herself to stop at the first sign of hesitation. But none existed, and Kate allowed her fingers to slide up the uninterrupted path of Sophie's back.
While they'd had conversations about 'what-ifs' and the idea of taking next steps, the semester hadn't garnered many opportunities to experiment. The last thing Kate wanted was to seem like she was pressuring Sophie into anything on the one instance of privacy all semester, and she felt growing anxiety that she was doing just that.
"I… is this-?" Kate whispered, still not believing Sophie was fully comfortable with the act. She paused her hand and let it sit suspended just away from Sophie's skin.
She felt Sophie's head nod into her chest. "It feels nice."
Kate noted there was no hesitation or forced lightness in Sophie's voice, and a relief swelled through Kate as she lowered the pads of her fingers back onto the new terrain of Sophie's skin she'd yet to explore. There was a warmth and delicateness about it, and Kate couldn't recall ever feeling anything so soft in her life. She glanced at the door, relieved at the temporary privacy, and sneaking a chance at imagining a world where this was every morning.
"I swapped the keys," Kate said softly after a moment.
"Hm?"
"The lock is fine. I just swapped Chelsea's key. So when she comes back I'll just give it back to her-"
"And she'll think the lock was changed."
"Right."
Kate felt Sophie smile. "Smart."
"Maybe even 'genius'?"
"Don't push your luck."
"I'll take whatever I can get. That was a compliment, right?"
"It's been known to happen," Sophie replied jokingly.
Kate sighed in thought while her fingers absorbed and memorized every square inch of Sophie's skin.
"I'm glad you stayed," Kate said after another minute of silence.
"Hm?"
"Last night. I… well, I was worried you'd - that you wouldn't exactly be thrilled-"
"I wasn't," Sophie interrupted.
"Oh. Er… w-why?"
"Because you waited until halfway through the movie to tell me."
"Huh?"
"You made me spend forty minutes on the far end of your couch all alone," Sophie teased, squeezing her arm tighter around Kate. "What if Chelsea didn't come back until midnight?"
Kate chuckled, "Actually that hadn't crossed my mind."
Sophie muttered something too low for Kate to hear, and Kate glanced at the scowl on Sophie's face.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"What'd you say?"
"I said 'some execution plan'," she admitted.
"Hey, I took care of the big obstacles."
"Oh, I see. So just limited follow-through," Sophie replied dryly. "And to think you're supposed to be the best in tac of our year."
"Supposed to be? Sophie Moore haven't you heard? I am the best there's ever been," Kate replied with an air of mock superiority.
"How did I get so lucky to find such a level-headed, humble person?"
"I'm quite the catch. Like a unicorn, or a phoenix, or a man-bear-pig, or… or a-"
"A guppy?"
"Well don't you look pleased with yourself," Melvin grinned from across the mess hall.
Kate shrugged as she grabbed a tray and stepped over to the salad bar he was engaged with.
"Good night?"
"Definitely top ten."
"You're practically glowing."
"That's just my natural complexion," Kate smirked as she mimicked Melvin's tonging of greenery onto a plate.
"No, that's the glow of someone who just got lucky," Melvin muttered softly with a wink and a less than subtle request for details. That wink quickly turned to disdain as Kate shook her head. "Wh-"
"It didn't come up."
"Didn't come is more like it," Melvin practically pouted.
"You know my having sex with Sophie doesn't mean you're having sex, right?" Kate offered, perplexed by Melvin's ongoing fascination with the topic.
"I know but… ok, so, James and I-"
"You're kidding. Another bet?" Kate moaned.
"This one was way more straightforward. You girls clearly make sex more complicated than it needs to be-"
"I really doubt that-"
"-with your numbers and counting and… and ability to… anyway, we made it easier this time."
"Oh? Well, I'm glad to hear," Kate replied dryly.
"Yea, me too," Melvin said, caught up in his explanation and not catching the lack of interest emanating from Kate. "So basically it's a straight yes or no."
"To what?"
"Whether you had sex."
"I take it you lost."
"I trusted my gut," Melvin said defensively. "It's not my fault you two are waging a war for the most built up sexual tension of any couple in the history of ever, ever."
Kate's face had fallen into a blank stare as Melvin explained, and it continued but with a small squint of speculation.
"How much did you lose?"
"$20 and dorm cleaning duties for a month," Melvin sighed, piling a disproportionately large amount of cheese onto his salad as Kate let out a chuckle.
"So?"
"It was good," Sophie admitted, sliding the copy of the essay back to Riley. She watched as Riley snatched the papers and shoved them back into her bag. From what Lieutenant Reyes had said, she expected Riley's work to be somewhat lackluster, but her essay for Chambers had surprised her. More than that, it had impressed her. There was a nuanced way with which she built her argument for the short-term success of Desert Storm followed by the long-term impacts riddled with political and international tensions. "Just give it a proof-read next time; there were a few errors that spell check won't pick up: while 'dessert' is technically a word, it really doesn't fit with the essay," she said lightly, trying to ease the tension that comprised these sessions.
"What?" Riley asked, barely paying attention to Sophie.
"You… you spelled 'desert' with two s's," Sophie explained.
She may have been more judgemental about the error if her own girlfriend hadn't fallen for the same mistake. Instead, she maintained a light tone about the errors, hoping that Riley might engage with more than her typical-
"Oh," she replied with a shrug of disinterest.
"Uh… so how about Tactical?"
"Already did it."
"Really? Mind if I take a look?"
Riley let out a chuckle of amusement, leaving Sophie to stare back in confusion.
"Do… do you have the assignment here or-?"
"Oh, I didn't mean I did the assignment," Riley grinned back. "I was talking about real-world experience. Unfortunately knocking someone down a peg and bruising her pride isn't exactly something you can show on paper. Otherwise I'd have a novel."
"I can already tell this isn't going to be funny," Melvin chimed in, shaking his head at James' undying attempts to be clever.
"Hold on, I'll get there. So then the bartender asks the duck - hey, I'm not finished with the punchline yet!" James nearly shouted as Kate pivoted away from the group.
"Sorry, just… hang on," Kate interrupted, her face set in a scowl as she looked across the hallway toward a very red-faced Martha being stared down by none other than Riley Thomas.
"Come on Kate; just leave it-" James chimed in before she pivoted toward the two. He let out a sigh of impatience. "Why does she always do this?"
"Oh, I don't know James - maybe because she cares about other human beings?" Melvin offered as Sophie broke into a knowing chuckle. "You going to-?"
"Yea," Sophie replied, as she parted ways with the other two to follow Kate's trajectory and provide a shadowy presence to the confrontation.
To say Kate had taken on the mantle of handling Riley was an understatement. There was almost a sixth sense for Kate when it came to Riley's bullying, and she was especially hawkish when it included the verbal taunting that seemed to flow neverending toward their peers.
"Can I help you Katherine?"
They were the first words Sophie was able to decipher as she closed in on the threesome. She glanced around and saw Miller, Chelsea, and Erwin on the sidelines, relieved that Kate had intervened but clearly at the ready to jump in with a moment's notice.
"Just wondering when you were going to start using that wit of yours in the classroom," Kate said, serving a soft volley toward Riley. More often than not, the confrontation alone was enough to get Riley to back off, and Sophie could tell Kate was working off that experience in her efforts to extinguish the fire before it could erupt into something more.
"How's that jaw?" Riley retorted, the vagueness of her response lost on Sophie.
"Never better," Kate replied without hesitation.
"I figured with a knock-out like that you'd be out a week."
"And you overestimate your strength."
"Kate," Sophie began, catching Kate by surprise; it was clear she hadn't noticed her following. "what is she talking ab-"
Sophie's question was drowned out by a cackle from Riley. "Oh, she doesn't know? The entire campus is talking about it, but Sophie Moore doesn't know?"
Sophie's gaze jumped between Riley and Kate before landing on the looks of hesitation from the group next to her.
"Leaving my best moves untapped, I, in the most spectacular fashion, bested Kate Kane on the mat last week."
"S-sorry?" Sophie gaped back in surprise.
"And to think, you've been living in the dark; I can't imagine why Kate wouldn't tell you about this. Must be her wounded pride," Riley continued, and in a flash Sophie recognized Riley's comment from a day earlier. "It's cute, really," Riley continued, shooting Kate a wink. "How you need to weave your little story to look good for Sophia."
"Kate wh… what is she talking about?" Sophie said softly, her own nerves growing at Riley's insinuations.
"Oh, don't worry. It's a Kane thing," Riley joked.
"Riley, I think that's enough for today," Kate tried intervening. "You've had your fun, now let's get to class."
"No, no, no, Kane, I've only just started. Martha was just sharing a bit of news with me. She can be quite dense, but you all know that right?"
Sophie saw Martha's cheeks stoop to a darker shade of red out of the corner of her eye.
"Enough," Kate cut in, her tone harsher than a moment earlier. All lightness had disappeared from Kate's eyes as they narrowed in on Riley. "You're not impressing anyone, Riley."
"Look at you, the little savior. I was just getting to my punchline, but you've made it for me. Martha told me about your sister," Riley said, her gaze set on Kate with growing satisfaction at the small flaws showing through her otherwise stoic facade. Sophie saw the muscles in her jawline clench and an eyebrow flinch at the direction Riley was headed.
"It's not - I didn't mean to-" Martha interjected, her eyes staring pleadingly between Riley and Kate.
"Is that why you do it? You think if you stand up for enough of these nobodies that it will be make up for the fact you let your sister die alone and afraid in that rive-"
Before anyone could react, Kate's fist went flying, striking Riley directly in the stomach, causing a grunt of surprise before she doubled over in pain.
"Kate," Sophie said stunned, her voice barely above a whisper as she volleyed her gaze between Kate and Riley. Kate was seething while Riley nearly collapsed to the ground. "Wh-"
"Cadet Kane."
Everyone looked up, jolted from Kate's actions with another wave of surprise, and Sophie felt her heart catch in her throat as Lieutenant Reyes came marching down the hall toward the scene. She glanced back at Kate who seemed to be mentally catching up with her actions.
"My office. Now."
No one said a word as Kate hesitated for only a second before she silently fell into step behind Reyes, accepting the unintended consequences of her actions without a fight.
"Moore, make sure Cadet Thomas is ok," he ordered tersely.
"Y-yes sir," Sophie muttered, shooting Kate a cautious glance, but Kate's focus was on the chipping laminate floor at her feet, her cheeks flush with… Sophie couldn't quite make out. What she did know was that this was a side of Kate she'd never seen before, and a cloud of worry loomed at what Lieutenant Reyes would have to say about it.
xxx
"I would assign you another course run, but you've tallied up so many it wouldn't make much of a difference," Reyes said as he shut the door and settled into the chair behind his desk. Kate stood at the doorway, too annoyed to respond with her own clever quip.
"What happened," Reyes asked in the form of a command.
"A-a conflict of opinion, sir," Kate replied, staring ahead at the wall behind Reyes.
"And who was right?"
"Does it matter?" Kate asked, her eyes darting toward Reyes.
Reyes gave the slightest of smirks in amusement. "There's a lot of your father in you."
Kate stared back quizzically, unsure how to respond. Instead she remained silent.
"Give me a play-by-play."
Kate faltered at the unexpected tone from Reyes. It wasn't accusatory, which only made Kate more suspicious of the request.
"I don't see how that's relevant, sir."
"And I don't think you're in a position to make that assessment, Cadet Kane. I have every reason to build a case toward your expulsion as it is. You are delinquent, unwilling to take direction, and engaging and enacting physical violence towards others."
"If that's the case, then surely a play-by-play is a waste of both our time."
"It's a shame. You know, your father is a great man-"
"I'll be sure to pass along the message," Kate interrupted, her gaze now focused on Reyes in challenge.
"But he wasn't always. I suppose history has a way of repeating itself."
Kate blinked in surprise.
"We all have our weaknesses, Kate," Reyes continued, sending her into another surprise at his use of her first name. "You need to do a better job of dealing with yours."
"I… I don't understand."
"You are to make amends with Cadet Thomas."
"Sir, I don't think-"
"If I do not see measurable attempts to resolve your issues with her, a formal inquiry into your status at this academy will be undertaken, and the powers that be will determine your fate," Reyes said, his tone even and in warning. "You're dismissed."
"Wh...sir?"
"Did I stutter?" Reyes asked, his face blank of expression.
"N-no, sir."
"Then get out of my office."
xxx
"Kate," Sophie announced in surprise as her girlfriend appeared next to her. "Hey," she whispered softly, to avoid a scene as Chambers monologued at the front of the room.
Kate nodded in acknowledgment before settling into the seat next to her.
"How… wh-what happened?" Sophie continued, distracted from Professor Chambers' tangent onto the current events in Syria.
"I'm dealing with it," Kate replied softly, unzipping her bag and pulling out her notepad.
"Kate, I'm not… are you ok?"
"I'm fine."
"But wh-"
"Drop it, will you?" Kate whispered, her voice strained in lingering frustration.
Sophie paused for a moment, watching Kate flip through to some ambiguous blank page.
"I just-"
"Sophie," Kate practically hissed, shooting down Sophie's efforts.
The last twenty minutes of the class were spent in sustained silence, Sophie passing Kate furtive glances while Kate remained positively focused on the notebook in front of her, not bothering to write down any of the lecture resonating off the walls. Finally the class came to a close, and Kate quickly replaced the unused notepad back into her bag, silently standing to join the masses as they left.
"Kate," came Melvin's voice in surprise as they met in the aisle. "Hey, I didn't see you…" he trailed off as he met Sophie's glance of warning, letting Kate pass without finishing his sentence. He mouthed 'what's wrong' in a silent gesture to Sophie who shook her head. She slowed to fall out of Kate's earshot.
"I don't know."
"Want any help?"
"No, no… I… it's fine."
"Ok… Just shout," Melvin offered.
"Thanks," Sophie responded gratefully before trekking off after her moody better half.
Kate was just nearing the building's entrance when the sound of Sophie's voice slowed her.
"Hey," Sophie said, catching up to her. "How was-"
"I really don't want to talk about it."
"Ok, but-"
"But nothing," Kate continued, her focus on the path in front of her. She felt a pull on her arm and halted mid-step to see Sophie's hand on her, gesturing toward an empty classroom. Before Kate could argue, she felt another tug from Sophie to follow her.
Once inside, Sophie latched the door, the buzz of the hall fading as the last of the students made their way out of the building.
"I'm worried, ok?"
"Ok," Kate acknowledged but stared blankly back, clearly not interested in the conversation. Her focus fell toward the closed door with a small look of longing.
"Kate."
"What?" Kate asked, her voice trending away from frustration and toward stoic numbness.
"I… I just… What Riley said… I'm worried. I-I don't know," Sophie admitted, staring into the unresponsive look in Kate's eyes.
"There is nothing to worry about."
"Was she telling the truth?"
"About what?"
"Last week with… she said she 'bested' you. What… what did she mean?"
"She's being Riley; she's just trying to start something."
"Kate, please don't lie to me," Sophie replied, seeing through the subtle ways Kate tried to deflect her way out of the truth.
"It was nothing," Kate began in exasperation at Sophie's pressing. "It was the end of the night; she-she got one over on me."
Sophie stuttered in disbelief. "Y-you mean… what do you mean?"
"Why is this so important?"
"Because apparently everyone else knows, Kate," Sophie replied, her tone becoming sharp as a feeling of betrayal sank in. "And clearly it hasn't crossed yours or anyone else's mind to tell me."
Kate leaned against the desk nearest her with a sigh.
"It wasn't anything," Kate began. "It was the end of last week's training session, and she just… I don't know, she just appeared. I was supposed to spar with Miller, but then it ended up being Riley."
"And she beat you?" Sophie asked, trying to maintain an even tone, but she was genuinely surprised. As much as Sophie worked to be the best at everything, even she couldn't ignore the fact Kate's skills were lightyears better than anyone else when it came to combat.
"She got… I wasn't… I wasn't paying attention."
Silence fell as Sophie scowled in thought.
"This keeps happening," Sophie finally said after scanning through the last few weeks.
"What?"
"You… you're - you're not normally like this."
"Like what?" Kate asked, genuinely taken aback by Sophie's remark.
"You haven't been yourself. You're typically so on top of everything-"
"That's not even remotely true."
"Fine, but this is… this is different, and I just… it's just Riley, Kate. I know she… I know her comment about Beth was a cheap dig; no one would disagree with that, and no one who knows you would take her seriously, and... how could you let her get to you like that? You aren't-"
"I know," Kate interrupted, her frustrations from earlier fueling her reply.
"You've just always been more disciplined than that. Riley means nothing; she just says stuff to get a reaction. Her words and actions mean nothing, and you know better. You're letting her get to yo-"
"You don't think I know that?"
"I'm just… sometimes it feels like you've forgotten that, Kate. She's a bully, and every time you let her get to you is a win for her. It's one more excuse for Reyes to-"
"I already have one Jacob Kane in my life. I don't need another," Kate replied coldly, disinterested in a lecture from her girlfriend.
Sophie flinched at Kate's words before falling into silence, observing Kate's expression. Seeing her with Riley and now in her words to Sophie, she felt something very different radiating from Kate. It was practically unheard of for Kate to get angry and lash out. Frustration, sure, but never the angry hatred she felt reverberating from her.
"Hey," Sophie began softly.
"What?" Kate practically spat out. It had the flavor of aggression from before, but the reaction of her face quickly faded into regret, and Sophie watched as Kate folded into a look of apology. "I'm sorry."
"Kate," Sophie repeated, letting her fingers risk grazing Kate's. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing. I just… she shouldn't be allowed to just say things like that without-"
"I know," Sophie interrupted, keeping her voice as even as possible. "I get it. But…"
Kate sighed in exasperation. "But what?"
"You don't need to protect everyone. As much as I hate to agree with Riley, she's kind of right about that. Plus Reyes seems to have it out for you, and-"
"Standing up to a bully isn't protecting anyone, Soph. It's just common sense."
"It stopped making common sense when you got physical, Kate," Sophie shot back, her voice cutting through Kate's resolve.
They glared at each other, but Sophie could already see the fight leaving Kate.
"Is she ok?"
"She moaned bloody murder the entire walk to medical, but yea, she's completely fine."
Sophie watched Kate give a nod of understanding as she let out the breath of concern she'd been holding in.
"What are you doing tonight?"
"What?" Kate replied, caught off guard by the question.
"What are you doing tonight?" Sophie repeated calmly.
"I… sleeping, probably? Why?"
"Let's do something."
"Wh…" Kate began, her confusion and frustration fading as she stared into Sophie's unwavering gaze. "You know it's Wednesday, right?"
"Yes. And since you keep ruining our Friday nights…"
"Hey," Kate retorted in defense, trying to stay serious as she watched a smirk betray Sophie's face. WIth it, she felt her own resolve from moments earlier deteriorate entirely. "Did you - any ideas or…?"
"Yes."
"Yea?" Kate asked, her surprise growing by the moment.
Sophie nodded. "But it requires your bike."
"Woa, I give up!" Melvin cried, feigning terror as Kate entered the room. She offered a quick eye roll before plopping down next to him on the couch.
"I thought you would have darted toward the classroom."
"And miss out on you pummeling Riley Thomas into next week?"
"It wasn't a pummeling."
"That's not the story I've been telling," Melvin smirked.
"I think you'll be hard pressed to find a single person to corroborate that story."
"Oh, I don't know about that."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Honestly? You looked kind of terrifying."
Kate gave off a sound of disapproval.
"Like, I thought Miller was going to wet himself-"
"Melvin-"
"And Martha practically melted."
"I get it."
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"What happened with Lieutenant Reyes."
"Oh, uh, nothing."
Melvin stared back in obvious disbelief.
"What?" Kate asked when it didn't fade.
"Do you wanna try that again?"
Kate scowled in disagreement before sighing into compliance.
"How would you feel about… expanding movie night?"
"You mean you want to watch more movies? Like a double feature? Like Die Hard and Die Hard 2 all in one night?"
"No, no… uh, not exactly. I was thinking about maybe making it more of a group thing."
"Since when have four people not counted as a group? And what does this have to do with… oh, no. Not a chance."
"It'll only be for a few weeks-"
"-nope."
"-to get Reyes off my back-"
"-not even if hell froze over. I'm already sacrificing my good name over at Wilfred by bailing every Friday, and now you expect me to add Riley Thomas to the itinerary?"
"It doesn't have to be here-"
"That's for damn sure. This place is sacred. You can't see it but there's a sign in invisible ink painted on the door-"
"Melvin," Kate interrupted, trying to temper his hyperbolic comments.
"-and it reads 'No Riley Thomas may step within the realms of 403 unless it is over the dead bodies of one Melvin Bennett and one James Harris."
Kate paused. "You done?"
"For now, but I maintain my right to voice opposition over this shitty plan."
"So, I've reserved the lounge Saturday night for the rest of the month. She probably won't even show; I just need to be able to prove to Reyes that I made an effort."
Melvin sighed grumpily. "Saturday?! Ugh. Fine, but you have to tell the kid," he said in reference to James. "Does Sophie know?"
"She helped me come up with it. It's public, open to anyone, and can easily be tracked if a case is ever opened against me."
"A case?"
"An empty threat from Reyes," Kate waved off.
"You're lucky you're dating someone so far out of your league."
"Don't I know it-"
"Beautiful, funny, a genius-"
"Should I be concerned?" Kate asked in jest.
"- I'm just saying, she's pulling most of the weight in this relationship," Melvin said thoughtfully. "Your contributions so far are… what, exactly?"
"My rejection of authority?"
"I was looking for something to mark in the 'positive' category."
Kate scoffed as she reached for a game controller as Melvin navigated the menu to begin a two-player quest. The next half hour was spent in the depths of a fictional co-op mission, and the shouts of success and failure resonated through the walls until they'd completed the mission.
"Another?" Kate suggested, waving the controller at him.
"In a minute."
"Oh yea? Really exert yourself on this last go? Need a breather?"
"What's gotten into you?"
"What?" Kate asked, the surprise of Melvin's random question written all over her face.
"Your comment earlier. About your rejection of authority-"
"That was a joke."
"Except it wasn't. I mean, not really, right?"
"I'm not sure what you're getting at. Is this about me and Soph?"
"No… it… it's about the fact that somehow you've become more stubborn and belligerent than usual, and not in a good way. You've literally spent every Saturday running courses and drills this semester because you can't seem to hold your tongue with Reyes."
"That's an oversimplification…" Kate began before catching the look on Melvin's face and sighing into her role as listener.
"And with Riley. You're always intervening. And I'm not saying it's necessarily bad, but you can't be there facing off with her every time. For some reason she lives with a chip on her shoulder and takes it out on everyone, but somehow you feel a need to step between her and whatever her latest target is."
"That isn't… that isn't…Did Soph put you up to this?"
Melvin stared back at Kate, unphased by her stubbornness before shaking his head.
"You got your ass handed to you last week."
"That was a misunderstanding."
"Oh yea? It sounds to me like the only misunderstanding was that you forgot you were supposed to fight back."
"It wasn't a full spar."
"Knocked you flat out."
"Melv-"
"All the kids are talking about it."
"No they aren't."
"How do you think I found out?"
"I… are they really?"
She watched Melvin nod, realizing Riley's words from earlier weren't said in provocation; they were genuine.
"Did you throw it?" Melvin asked. It wasn't asked in accusation but simply in search of confirmation. He was suspect of the tale, and the lack of response from Kate was all he needed to know his instincts were right.
"Regardless, now it kinda looks like you were trying to get back at her-"
"I could give less of a fuck about proving something to Riley Thomas, " Kate groaned.
Melvin shrugged.
"Y-you don't believe that, right?"
"Depends."
"On?"
"On whether you tell me what's actually going on."
"To be clear, I'm not saying they're good, but I don't suppose you're proud of your negotiating tactics?"
"I think I would be if I weren't already so worried about you," Melvin replied, the honesty of his admission taking Kate by surprise.
Melvin returned his gaze to the television, leaving Kate to weigh his words. She pondered whether to tell him; on one hand, she had no interest in bringing anyone else into the web Riley has woven, but on the other, this was Melvin. He was one of the most trustworthy, loyal friends she could ask for. He trusted her with his own troubles only a week earlier, and she knew how difficult that had been for him.
"It started the third week of term," Kate began, and Melvin's attention was immediately on her. He looked away only to find the remote and turn off the screen. She paused nervously, unsure how to explain the semester of chaos she'd been dealt.
"I wondered."
"What?" Kate replied in surprise. "Wh-how?"
Melvin's head turned slightly as he shared a small knowing grin. "I'm almost offended you have to ask that."
"I… sorry."
Melvin shook his head, waving off Kate's response. "So, what's been going on?"
"On one condition."
"Name it."
"Not a word of this to Sophie."
Kate felt Sophie's hands squeeze lightly against her waist, signaling that they'd arrived. She veered off to the side of the road, keeping the bike running while looking around in confusion. She felt Sophie's weight shift as she climbed off the bike.
"Is this where you're going to kill me?" Kate asked jokingly. She glanced around at the dimly lit roadway and woods that towered over them along either side of the street.
"No, too much evidence," Sophie smirked as she pulled off her helmet. "When I do I'll be sure to leave far fewer clues."
"Wait… 'when'?" Kate asked, her humor from earlier fading. She watched Sophie trek off into the darkness, and Kate quickly shut off the bike and chased after. "Did you just say 'when'?" She called out, and a chuckle echoed from the silhouette ten paces in front of her. "Hey, where are we going?" Kate called out, grabbing the second of two bags that had been saddled to the side of the bike. She had tried sneaking a peak earlier when they'd met up on the edge of campus, but a stern look from Sophie and a threat to bail was enough to shelve her curiosity until her girlfriend granted permission.
"Just a bit farther," Sophie called back. The sun was setting which meant the dusk's light was providing just enough guidance along their path. Kate remained a few steps behind Sophie, letting her lead to what Kate assumed was her final resting place. She half imagined a six foot hole at the end of the trail and chuckled at the thought.
"I told you I'm not killing you tonight," Sophie called back, hearing Kate's laugh behind her.
"Wh-? That's not even..."
"Oh yea? So you weren't just playing it out in your head?"
"I…"
"Tell me I'm wrong." Sophie half-laughed, glancing back at Kate who was trying her hardest to keep a serious face. When Kate was unable to muster a response, Sophie haughtily returned her attention to the path.
After another five minutes they came to an overlook that spanned out onto the campus. The burnt red of the setting sun was fighting its last battle as night began overtaking the scene. Lights from the various buildings on campus created a constellation of its own, and Kate found herself appreciating their role as distant onlookers to the scene. For as much as their lives were entangled in the day-to-day of campus life, the chance to step out of it and into their own world was a breath of literal and figurative fresh air.
Book-ended by two lines of buildings was the student quad. It was uniquely positioned center-stage to where Kate and Sophie stood from the woods. Sprinkled around it were the silhouettes of ant-sized students beginning to congregate around a semicircle of folding chairs. In front of the chairs perched black stands, and all of this was illuminated by a series of temporary spotlights.
"Ok, we've got twenty minutes."
"Till what?"
"Showtime," Sophie said, nodding toward the scene below.
"I don't understand."
"The Gotham City Symphony Orchestra is playing in the quad tonight," Sophie said offhandedly, as though it was the most common of occurrences for a Wednesday evening.
"The… really?" Kate asked, a strange excitement taking hold. "I used to go all the time as a kid."
"The life of a millionaire," Sophie chuckled.
"This… this is amazing," Kate said. "Beth and I… we… I haven't… Dad and I never went back after."
Sophie froze, suddenly understanding the meaning behind Kate's reaction. "We… Kate, I'm sorry, I had no idea," she began, stepping back toward Kate. "We don't have to-"
"What? No," Kate said, her voice cracking at the memories being brought to the surface. She lifted her hand and wrapped it around Sophie's waist, pulling her close. "This… this is amazing. Thank you."
Sophie watched Kate for a sign of hesitation, but instead she saw an excited glow; like a kid who had just been told Hanukkah would last sixteen days this year.
"Well, I hate to say it," Sophie began, relaxing into Kate's elation, placing her free hand around Kate, "but the credit is all yours."
"Hm?" Kate asked, her eyes still fixed on the scene below. Musicians were beginning to file out into the area and tune their instruments. For a moment Kate was worried the sounds would get lost, but instead they were amplified and stretched out to where they stood.
"You remember a couple weeks ago when you tried to convince me I was crazy?"
"You'll have to be more specific," Kate replied with practiced sarcasm, and even in the dim light she could make out the eyeroll earned from her response.
"When you were rewriting your paper for Chambers."
"I… I know I don't have a great memory, but this definitely doesn't ring a bell whatsoever, Soph."
Sophie chuckled softly, realizing it was perhaps the most minor of details from a longer, broader conversation. "You were trying to tell me I was spread too thin; that I should-"
"Oh, right, right; that you should go hang out in the quad," Kate interrupted, remembering the moment and feeling Sophie nod against her in agreement.
"Well, turns out there's a whole host of things that goes on in the quad. Apparently the school has all sorts of activities for, uh for-"
"-for normal people who don't spend all of their time in the library to experience?" Kate teased.
"That's perhaps one way of putting it."
"To be fair though, I suggested you go out onto the quad when it was oh… twenty degrees warmer?"
"And that's why we have these," Sophie said, pointing to the bags. "And this," she continued, pulling out a box of matches.
"You're going to set the bag on fire?" Kate teased. "Because that won't keep us warm for very long, babe."
"Would you just-" Sophie chimed in, only half amused by Kate's retort and ill-fitting pet name.
"Or is this how you kill me?"
"I already told you-"
"Could be a ruse. Maybe you're just goading me into a false sense of security before you strike."
"Ruse? Goading? Who are you?" Sophie exclaimed at Kate's vocabulary.
"Like it?" Kate smirked, pleased with Sophie's reaction.
"Yes, but you'll have to tell me where you hid my girlfriend," Sophie chuckled back as she busied herself with the bag. Kate paused, feeling a surge of giddiness at Sophie's word choice. It wasn't that she didn't know they were in a relationship, but whenever Sophie labelled her as 'her girlfriend,' it sent Kate into a state of irrational excitement. They were forever reminded of the need for secrecy and keeping their relationship hidden, and moments like this set Kate's imagination loose, like where their relationship could go once Point Rock was behind them. It was a limitless future; one where Sophie wasn't afraid of repercussions from being herself, and without fail, these elated thoughts overtook whatever else was cooking in Kate's brain.
In the haze of that promising future, she reached out and pulled Sophie to her, slipping her hands around Sophie's cheeks as she stared intensely into her eyes. Her fingers could feel the warmth from Sophie's burning cheeks from uncertainty before Kate leaned in to offer a soft gentle kiss.
When they broke apart Sophie felt herself shakily take a deep breath, as though she'd forgotten how to for the last few moments. She watched the grinning glow of Kate's face in the fading light and felt her own reaction begin to mimic it.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"I was just thinking," Kate said, letting her hands slip back down to her side, grabbing the bag Sophie was just negotiating.
"Oh? Well, if that's what happens when you think, you should do it more often," Sophie replied, surrendering the canvas fabric to Kate. She made out the look of exasperation from Kate before turning her attention to their surroundings. "Anything in particular?"
"Promise not to laugh?" Kate asked, pulling out a very warm looking blanket from the depths of the bag.
"No," Sophie replied easily, her eyes trained on collecting fallen branches.
"Wh-"
"Yes, I promise," Sophie corrected when she saw the brief hesitation play across Kate's expression.
Kate busied herself with the other blanket-laiden bag for a moment, and Sophie worried she'd scared her into silence.
"I was thinking about us," Kate began cautiously. "About after all of this."
Sophie felt her mind glitch for a moment as she took in Kate's words. "Oh?" she asked ambiguously.
"Yea," Kate replied, her confidence growing slightly. "Just, after we're done here, we can be anything; we can do anything. We won't have to negotiate archaic policies or be concerned about whether others approve."
Sophie knelt next to the clearing, brushing aside unwanted debris before laying kindling down.
"We'll be done with the hiding and I could… I could kiss you in the middle of the street."
"That sounds dangerous," Sophie remarked softly as her hands built a small pyramid of larger pieces of wood.
"Sure, but you get what I mean. We won't have to pretend a door is broken or run off into the woods like some Brother's Grimm story. We could be on the quad doing this same thing, or… or, hell, we could actually go to the Symphony or… or go out to dinner or a movie or walk down the street and I could hold your hand. We can have this in real life," Kate said, gesturing between her and Sophie, and Sophie could hear the excitement in her voice at the idea of it.
Sophie remained silent for a moment. They'd never really discussed a long term strategy for their relationship, and it was something Sophie intentionally turned a blind eye toward. It wasn't because she didn't care, but it all still felt so far away to consider realistically, and Sophie was taken by surprise by the tone and earnestness of Kate's words. In all of their discussions, Kate had shared enough for Sophie to know that Gotham was where her heart was at, and becoming a member of her father's new organization was her focus. For Sophie, she'd spent so much time building out what she thought was the right future in high school to get to Point Rock and out into a life of service that anything else was alien to her. The concept of rethinking that path was less clear on its own. Add in a relationship and that future became even hazier. Add in a relationship to another woman and Sophie felt the crushing weight of how rigid her current trajectory for life beyond Point Rock was.
"Soph?"
"Hm? What?"
"I asked if everything was ok?"
"Oh, yea, sorry, I was listening and then… these matches are-are..."
Sophie heard twigs and leaves crack under the weight of Kate as she took the few steps before sitting down next to her. She tensed, feeling the presence of her gaze land on her before glancing nervously over to see Kate staring warmly back. She felt Kate's fingers reach for the box she'd just been nervously fidgeting over, and she easily surrendered them. They sat in continued silence as Kate struck a match, bringing her free hand around to protect the small flame, guiding it to the flammable kindling of leaves and twigs. They watched as the fire took hold, the dry material allowing the flame to grow effortlessly.
The warmth began to radiate, and it took a moment for Sophie to realize Kate's fingers had woven themselves around Sophie's.
"How about we take back the last five minutes?" Kate offered.
"No, I… It's not that… it's not you or-or anything you said, I just-"
"Soph, you don't have to explain."
"I just don't want you to think you're doing or saying or… or… I want to hear these things; I don't want you to feel like you can't say this... I just don't know… I don't know how to react yet. And it's not because I don't want you or us or what we have, I just don't… I don't have a plan?"
Sophie chanced a look at Kate and was surprised to see a small smile being illuminated by the growing fire.
"You're smiling."
"Yes," Kate replied, her smile growing wider at Sophie's obvious observation.
"Why?"
"Because you're you. You're exactly, completely, one hundred percent you."
"I… I-ok?" Sophie stammered, perplexed. "But that doesn't-"
"That doesn't explain why I'm smiling?"
"Well… yes?" Sophie replied, feeling like she was missing out on some important tidbit.
"You're exactly who I want to be dating, Soph."
"Yea, but what about everything you were just saying and-"
"What about it?" Kate shrugged dismissively.
"Kate, you can't actually mean that-"
"What did I say last spring?" Kate asked, her gaze steady on Sophie. "You don't have to know everything, and honestly, I like it better that you don't," she chuckled softly. "And I don't want you to feel like you need to have the answer. This is new for both of us, in similar and different ways. We're… we're still figuring it out, and we've got plenty of time to do that. There's no pressure."
"Kate, I… I don't… thank you," Sophie sighed, feeling a surprising amount of relief at Kate's words. "You're pretty great."
"Oh, I know," Kate smirked back, causing Sophie's seriousness to break. Just like that, the tension was broken. "Now, how about we finish setting this up before the show starts?"