Katarina is the first to wake. Unbidden, cold morning wind trickles into her through the open window. She tries to resist the bright morning light, but it forces itself into her eyes, ignoring her half-hearted attempt to cling to sleep. Or perhaps memory.
She's not sure where one becomes the other, but it doesn't really matter. Shared dreams might as well be real. As real as the itching corners of her eyes as she gives up and takes in her other self's sleeping face.
She should feel weird. She and her other self just... She rarely gets this drunk. She never—well, as Keith or Mother doesn't allow her to drink even one drop of liquor.
And yet, despite everything, despite the cloud in the back of her head, the ache behind her eyes, she's above all content—if not entirely physically comfortable. Her other self's skin is too hot on her waking body. Everything in and on her feels sticky and gross. Still, the soreness between her legs and her nipple is pleasant. Her wandering mind catalogues the marks on her skin.
What she can't feel anymore is Katrina. Not like that. Her morality has returned to normal: a simple awareness. She's never felt something quite like last night.
She runs her fingertips along the curve of her navel, not quite touching. Katrina looks calm and she doesn't want to wake her up, but she must sense her anyway as Katrina stirs.
"Morning," she whispers and holds back the impulse to press her mouth to Katrina's. It wouldn't taste great anyway.
Even now, barely awake, she is to the point. Immediate, eyes blinked, and voice soft. "How do you feel?"
In its core it is a question she can't answer in words right now, so she deflects, the only concession a brush of fingertips down Katrina cheek. She'll understand.
"I'm okay. How about you?"
"Hungry. Dirty." Katrina scrunches up her nose. "I'd like a bath too, if this cabin has it."
They do; a separate, nice cabin across the backyard of Claes manor, built by Katarina and gardener Tom. There's no one here but them, as she build this cabin just to spend her free time, Katarina says, a look of practiced happiness in her eyes.
Katrina expects the cabin to have nothing but buckets of cold water, but when she pushes the door open, the air that greets her is warm and scented. Some magical construct hums in the corner: it must warm the water without any fire. Katrina has never been too interested in magic, seeing she have very useless magic, but there's no denying its usefulness. The tub can be filled with a faucet and the water is just this side of too hot. This is the the only time she can have proper bath, since she exiled by her... fiance in her world. And the luxury is scarce outside the Sorcier, she found it the hard way.
Her hair is messy, very messy. If she wants to wash her hair properly, she has to comb them all open.
"Would you like me to help?" Katarina's offer echoes last night, which she must realize because Katrina looks a little uncomfortable even after she smiles.
Whatever awkwardness has built up, it melts away while Katarina untangles her hair. They shed clothes again with no attempts at modesty and climb in the bath, everything is the same afterall. They fit comfortably together, her between Katarina legs, and she continues working on Katrina hair.
"You really beautiful with your hair down." Katarina's voice is as warm as her hands. It is just as weird to be touched this carefully by her as it is to hear both of them make light conversation.
"It's impractical."
"Our mother wore her-" Katarina clicks her mouth shut and her hand stops on its way through her locks, down Katrina chest.
Katrina's heart lurches, but she takes Katarina's wrist. "It's okay," she says quietly. She means it, even if she wonders if she should. She waits for Katarina fingers to uncurl before letting go.
The next press of Katarina's fingers makes her ears twitch and eyes close. It is unspeakably nice. The soap smells much nicer, too, than she would have expected in a place like this. Surely no cherry tree grows here. The trail of her strong thumbs on the back of her neck and up and down the ridge of her shoulder blades lulls her into a slumber that only lifts when Katarina continues upward along the rim of her ear and it sends a spark through her foggy head.
"Thank you," she says quietly, signaling the end. She turns around, water sloshing. Searching his eyes, she finds no regret there. "Let me do you?" Katarina must be sore after a night slept in such a crowded bed.
They rearrange themselves in the tub so she has access to Katarina's firm back, her muscled arms. One of the difference between her and Katarina. She has enough reach to feel Katarina's breasts and Katrina's own twin mountain on her back, against her when she presses close.
She knows there is still time for her to feel Katarina like this: real, against her body. But she can already see that time running out on the horizon. They haven't talked about it much, but she won't be here forever. No one knew about her, only Katarina and her dark familiar puppy. The same magic she tried to obtain. Instead giving herself Dark Magic, the ritual she done transported her here. Not that she hated the result of her botched ritual. Only she cannot control the time she will be transported to Katarina's world. And she might not be here when Katarina wakes up. She can be here one second, and Ethenell next one second.
She presses her mouth on a rune on the back of her hand. She doesn't feel the magic today, but it's not bad. In its place is a connection they created on their own. Something in her sparkles. Something precious, something she's not equipped to handle, like a delicate bottle of fine wine.
"Katrina-"
It's the tone of Katarina's voice that finally makes Katrina drop her face against her shoulder and cover her hot eyes.
"I'm okay. It's all good," Katrina says, muffled, still meaning it. She has learned to accept the inevitable.
For a moment she fears Katarina's going to say something uncharacteristic again and make this into a conversation she is too tired to have. But she only covers Katrina's hand with her and squeezes gently.
She feels nice—she feels content. She's in the middle of unknown and yet familiar world, and for now, she is home. With her other self. More kinder then she will ever be.
Notes:Katrina is OG Katarina.
