a/n: Hi all,
A small public service announcement: I've got some work stuff this week that will keep me a busy bee, so I want to give preventative warning now that it will be two weeks until my next post. My sincere apologies in advance.
As always, thank you for your reading and commenting. To answer a question I've received in the comments and through pm's about Sophie and Kate: I'm working toward something but can't promise anything. Ambiguity at it's finest.
Cheers,
EQT.95
Sophie heard the slam of a cupboard door and her eyes jolted awake to see daylight filling the room. She bolted upright, her heart racing.
"Kate," she whispered, "we-?"
She turned to realize she was alone, and a small wave of relief settled the surge of adrenaline piping through her veins.
It hadn't taken long for Sophie to start dozing next to Kate hours earlier. In all of the uncertainty that had made up the last two days, she found comfort in having Kate's warmth by her side. When Kate nudged her back awake to suggest Sophie climb back to bed, all of the imagery that had kept her awake in the first place came rushing back. She had hesitated, and in this hesitation Kate offered to stay until she fell asleep. They both climbed into the twin bed and fell into a familiar embrace. The effect of it was instantaneous; in minutes Sophie was asleep.
She jumped out of bed and checked the time, realizing it was far later than she'd grown accustomed to sleeping in and was now on the verge of running late for work.
xx
"Good sleep?" Mrs. Moore asked as she wiped down the counter. "You nearly missed breakfast," she continued, nodding toward the leftovers on the stovetop. Sophie glanced around and saw the pile of blankets that had covered the couch the night before neatly folded and set on the coffee table.
"I… is Kate gone?" Sophie asked with an unexpected tinge of disappointment.
"Hm?"
"Kate - wh-did she leave?"
"No, she's in the garage with your father," Mrs. Moore said casually, scrutinizing the look of confusion turned relief on her daughter's face. "Is everything ok?"
"Doing what?" Sophie asked, brushing past her mother's concerned look.
Mrs. Moore scoffed lightly at her daughter's line of questioning before breaking into a small smile. "He's showing her the bike."
"What?" Sophie asked in shock.
"Your father could barely contain his excitement when she mentioned she rode and worked on her own. I hope she didn't have any plans - I doubt he'll let her leave as long as that old bike of his is out there."
When Sophie was in middle school, one of her favorite assignments was to write an essay about her hero. Most students chose any number of caped crusaders ridding Gotham or some other big city of evil, but Sophie wrote hers about her dad. Sure, there were plenty of options when it came to supernaturally gifted people, but none matched the love, commitment, and sacrifice of her dad through the years. He rarely had weekends where he wasn't working, and he'd all but given up on his dreams and hobbies in pursuit of putting food on the table.
Erik Moore hadn't touched his motorcycle in years. After a final failed attempt to rebuild the engine the summer before Sophie entered high school, he had given up on seeing it run again. Sentimentality stopped him from getting rid of it. Instead it sat in the corner covered by a blanket collecting dust year after year.
"He- really? That's great," Sophie said, echoing her mother's excitement.
"She's a nice girl. I can see why you two are such good friends."
"Off to work?" Mr. Moore asked as he watched his daughter dart out of the door linking the garage to the house.
"Yea, should be home by dinner," Sophie replied distractedly. She glanced at her watch and noted she had just enough time to get to work, but she didn't want to rush a goodbye with Kate. Knowing her schedule, this would likely be the last two minutes together until the semester started up again. "Kate, sorry, I-"
"I should probably get going, too," Kate suggested, glancing at Sophie's uniform and realizing she might have overstayed her welcome.
"Or you could stay and help me rebuild this engine," Mr. Moore replied with a smirk.
Sophie hesitated, weighing the smile on her dad's face with the uncertainty on Kate's. Her mom had been right: Erik Moore was over the moon at having a garage buddy. "Dad, I'm sure Kate has other things to-"
"No, that... I mean… if-if it's ok, that would be great," Kate chimed in, shooting Sophie a cautious glance.
Sophie's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yea, I've… if that's ok?"
"More than ok," Mr. Moore replied with a smile.
Kate stared hesitantly at Sophie for approval. There was an apology on her face, as though worried she'd just said the wrong thing, but instead Sophie offered up a nod and a grin that relaxed her.
"Does this mean I get a lesson tonight?" Sophie asked cheekily.
"You mock, but we'll have her purring in no time," Mr. Moore said from the depths of his toolbox.
"Sure, just like last time," Sophie continued lightly.
"This time will be different," Mr. Moore replied, unphased by Sophie's remarks.
"Oh? Have a little bit of fairy dust in one of those drawers?"
"Oh, no, something much better."
"The hand of Midas?"
"I have Kate."
Sophie's mouth froze open, her next zing on the tip of her tongue. She gaped at her dad in shock as she took in the scene: tools were littered about that had been stored away for years, the motorcycle was displayed in all of its unworking former glory in the middle of the garage, and the blanket that had once covered it lay forgotten in the corner. If she weren't so happy to see the smile of her dad's face, she might have had room to be jealous of Kate spending the day with her father. After jealousy, she might have let the fear of her secret girlfriend spending the day with her dad stop Kate from staying.
"Well I will leave you to it then," she smirked back at the two. "And play nice," she called as she walked toward her car.
"We'll have the photo albums out by lunch time," Mr. Moore teased back.
And just like that, the happiness she felt turned to fear. Sophie was grateful she had been looking away so she could hide how disoriented his words made her. She quickly ducked into the car, weighing her dad's words carefully and noticed an unsettling feeling grow in the pit of her stomach. Their relationship was built on quippy retorts, and Sophie was more than used to his intentionally antagonistic comments. When she was younger they used to rile her up and send her into day-long moods, but she had learned to let them roll off her back and counter with her own remarks. This volleying of wit drove her mom mad to listen to them. But now she sat distracted by her father's comments like when she was a kid, and she realized the sensitivity came from Kate. Or, more specifically, their hidden relationship.
Sophie had never lied to her father - even by omission, and while he was none the wiser, she realized she was seeing his normal joking manner through the filter of Kate being her girlfriend and out of fear that he'd uncover the truth. She glanced at the conversation going on between Kate and her dad through the windshield and smiled as another realization struck her: it was Kate. If there was one thing she could rely on, it was Kate's ability to navigate her dad after months at Point Rock.
"That bumblebee costume is great," Kate said, recalling the photo from the night before.
"Diane made that," Mr. Moore said, one hand waving at Sophie's car backing out of the driveway and another steadying the motor on the work table. "You should see the pumpkin from when she was four. Now that… that one will make even the coldest heart melt."
"Are you two hungry? It's well past lunchtime," came Mr.s Moore's voice from the door.
"Are you offering to make me a sandwich?" Mr. Moore replied cheekily.
"I'm offering to let you make yourself a sandwich, dear," Mrs. Moore countered. "Kate?"
"Oh, uh, yea, I would love to make a sandwich."
"Suck up," Mr. Moore muttered.
"I heard that," Mrs. Moore chastised from the door. "It'll be ready in ten."
Mr. Moore continued to chuckle lightly as his attention remained focused on the set of bolt heads locked in place.
"How did you two meet?"
"Diane? We met in high school."
"High school sweethearts?"
"Hardly. She was the straight-A student with a million extracurriculars and totally out of my league."
"And you?"
Mr. Moore chuckled softly in recollection. "Let's just say I was more interested in watching Diane than the professor. Mr. Walter just didn't grab my attention the way Diane could."
Kate smiled at the familiarity of Mr. Moore's story. The first two months of fall term were all a haze, and she'd struggle to remember anything her professors had said if Sophie Moore happened to be sharing the same air.
"Fortunately Diane had a soft spot for failing students. I was playing football and needed to pass an upcoming exam in biology to stay off the bench. Somehow she found an hour every other day to tutor me, and I passed it with flying colors."
"So that's how you started dating?"
Mr. Moore laughed. "Oh, no, not even close. It took another year of me feigning bad grades and trying to woo her for her to even consider a date. She thought anything that didn't further her academic pursuits was a waste of time. I'm sure that rings a familiar bell."
"All too well," Kate smirked as she recalled the countless nights of studying next to Sophie.
"We managed two dates before she told me it wouldn't work out; our priorities weren't the same which was code for 'I need to study.'"
"Ouch," Kate replied. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if Sophie broke things off over a need to study, but it also didn't feel like a far stretch from reality to fathom.
"But then she got sick the summer before college and overnight everything changed," Mr. Moore continued, and Kate was reminded of a conversation nearly a year earlier when Sophie had shared her mom's run-in with cancer. "She spent a year in recovery, and since I was taking classes at the nearby community college I was around. Her parents weren't really in the picture, so I would take her to her appointments and just be around. Eventually she decided our priorities were a little more aligned than she thought. It took ages, but here we are, nearly twenty-two years later. It's still a wonder to me how you can stumble upon the person you're meant to be with like that," Mr. Moore said, lost in thought before shaking himself back to the present. "So, this Marvin guy."
"You mean Melvin?"
"Sure," Mr. Moore said with a smirk.
"Uh, yea, I mean, Melvin's a great guy. Him and Soph are, yea they're a good match," Kate remarked hesitantly, unsure what was motivating the pivot.
Mr. Moore merely nodded in response, his focus returning to the bolt head. After a few twists it came loose and he quickly unthreaded it.
"I didn't realize she had warmed to that."
"To what?"
"To 'Soph'."
"Oh, uhm, I… I don't know. She's - it's - she's… maybe?"
"And you?" he asked casually.
"Sorry?"
"Have you stumbled?"
"Oh," Kate gulped, "uh, no, no, just… well I-I, no, not yet."
"Are you two coming?" Mrs. Moore called from the door again.
"Yes, dear," Mr. Moore called back. "Although you said ten minutes," he corrected.
"And that was twelve minutes ago," Mrs. Moore shot back before shutting the door.
"That woman can be as high strung as a fishing line in the Gotham River," Mr. Moore began before catching himself. "In the best way, of course."
"Now I can see where Soph gets it from," Kate replied back, before realizing she'd succumbed to the same pitfall Mr. Moore had just fallen into seconds earlier.
Mr. Moore let out a laugh of surprise, and Kate realized it was her turn to squirm.
"Uh, I just mean w-with school and her studies an-"
"I won't tell if you won't," Mr. Moore smirked back. "Best get inside for lunch before the lettuce gets to room temperature and the mrs. has our heads for it."
"Sophie!"
Sophie looked up from the register to see Aly standing at the sandwich shop's entrance, a look of surprise and relief on her face.
"Hey Aly," Sophie replied, glancing behind her to make sure Mr. Collins was still working in the back. "What's up?"
"What's up?" Aly repeated in surprise. "That's what you have to say? What's up? You just up and disappeared last night."
"Oh, right, I'm sor-"
"We thought you were dead or something. All of these rumors started flying about you being kidnapped," Aly continued, in frustration.
"Rumors?"
"That Kate chick? Did she find you?"
"Uh, yea, we l-"
"Did she break Nathan's nose?"
"I… it sounded like a break," Sophie admitted, nearly smiling as she recalled the way Kate confronted Nathan the night before.
"You were there? And you didn't stop her?"
"Wait, what?" Sophie asked in surprise. "Why would I stop her?"
"Nathan said she was high or drunk or something. He said he was protecting you when she sucker punched him."
"That… Aly that's not even remotely close to the truth," Sophie said defensively.
"He said he's pressing charges."
"You're joking."
Aly shook her head. "He's been asking people all day if anyone knew her or her last name so he can file them formally."
For all the seriousness Aly's words should have had, Sophie couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yea, no… no, that's not gonna happen."
"They're running her license plate for her name. So he'll get it one way or another."
"Aly," Sophie gaped back, "Nathan wasn't protecting me. Nathan attacked me; Kate intervened."
"What? But he said-"
"Since when can you believe anything Nathan Bentley says?" Sophie asked, her frustration evident. "Where is he now?" Sophie asked, untying her apron.
"Wait, Sophie, if you're serious, I don't think you should be anywhere near him."
"Aly. Where is he?"
"You know much about Nathan?"
"Nathan? As in 'Sophie's ex' Nathan?"
"Uh, yea, I think that's the one," Kate lied poorly.
Mr. Moore surveyed Kate curiously which compelled her to continue.
"I, uh, I had a bit of a run-in with him last night when I was trying to find Sophie-" she started, subconsciously sliding her bruised, cut hand from the work surface. "and I was just wondering if maybe… maybe he was, er, isn't always…"
"An entitled prick?" Mr. Moore offered with a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
Kate let out a small laugh of surprise at Mr. Moore's candid response. "I… well, in a roundabout way, yea, I… I guess so?"
"His dad has done a lot for the community. They have the Frosty Freezies Factory in Gotham, but they're headquartered out here. It's provided a lot of jobs, and he's got a certain status. His son though… well, I can't say I'm a fan."
"I used to eat those as a kid," Kate said, referencing the frozen treats.
Mr. Moore nodded in thought for a moment, glancing back at the door as though for fear Mrs. Moore might come barging out any second.
"I assume you won."
"Sorry?" Kate asked.
"Your hand."
"Oh? This? This is… I was-"
"I know the signs of a fight when I see one," Mr. Moore interrupted casually. "That's a pretty fresh cut. And I take it by your lack of bloodied lip that you landed the winning hit before he could."
Kate stared back guiltily, suddenly wishing she'd not brought it up.
"I don't condone violence, Kate, and while it's not my business to ask what started it-"
"Sir, I-
"Kate, let me finish," he interrupted. His tone wasn't chastising; it was fatherly. "While it's not my business, I also saw the bruises on Sophie's wrist this morning. These wouldn't have anything in common would they?"
Kate hesitated, not wanting to lie to Mr. Moore but also terrified of sharing the truth. It wasn't for her to tell.
"I'll take your silence as a begrudging 'yes'. If that boy laid a finger on my baby girl, he had it coming."
"Nathan, open up," Sophie called through the door. She had been pounding on it for nearly a minute when she heard his trudging steps in the foyer. He cracked the door open far enough for Sophie to see his eyes were an unappealing shade of purple and a rigid frame sat over his nose. She made a mental note to compliment Kate for her aim later.
"What do you want?"
"Leave Kate alone."
"The bitch broke my nose. She'll get what's coming," Nathan muttered darkly.
"Oh grow up, Nathan. Or are you going to be that naive?"
Nathan only glared back.
"When officers go to charge Kate, you think they won't take her statement? You think I won't give a statement that corroborates her story?"
"My dad's lawyer said that doesn't matter. She attacked me, and I'm the one with x-rays as proof. She'll be up to her nose in legal fees if she tries to fight me. The paperwork is already drafted, and once I get confirmation of her last name, it'll be processed. My dad called in a favor - it should only take another hour or so. Unless you want to just give it to me now. It'd save me the hour of waiting."
Now it was Sophie's turn to glare back as she weighed her response.
"Kane."
"Sorry?"
"Her last name. It's Kane."
"Like 'Cain' the murderer from the Bible? How fitting," Nathan sneered.
"No, I mean like 'Kane' the family from Kane County," Sophie shot back as she watched his face pale.
"You're bluffing."
"I'm not."
"You're friends with a Kane," Nathan said, still not quite believing it.
"Roommates, actually. So go ahead, file your paperwork. But know that you will be up to your nose in legal fees if you pursue this - at least whatever's left of your nose."
Nathan glowered back at Sophie as the reality of her words hit him. The ringing of a phone from inside broke the tension, and he glanced inward, torn by indecision.
"You should probably answer that. They'll tell you the same thing I did. I think once your father hears about this, your little lawyers might have second thoughts about pressing any charges."
"Why don't you stay for dinner? Sophie will be home any minute."
"Oh, no, I couldn't. You've been more than welcoming already, and I've held enough of your Saturday hostage; should get out of your hair," Kate replied, reaching for her jacket.
"Nonsense. Stay. I've already set an extra place at the table. Do you like lasagna?"
"Uh, I… I-"
"She loves it," Sophie interrupted, standing in the kitchen doorway. She watched the hesitation on Kate's face. "Stay."
Seeing Sophie and hearing that word was all Kate needed to fold. A small smile danced across Sophie's face as she saw Kate give in.
"Where's dad?"
"That man," Mrs. Moore sighed. "I told him to be back in time for dinner."
"Is he at the mechanic's again?" Sophie joked before a low rumble from a motor in the driveway caused her to pivot and look outside the window. "Wait… you… is that-?"
"They got it up and running over an hour ago."
Sophie glanced at Kate who offered a nervous smile in return.
"You're kidding."
"He said it was Kate's nimble fingers that did the trick. You'll have to give it a try."
"What?" Sophie asked in shock, reddening at Mrs. Moore's remark. A snort of laughter from Kate sent Sophie into a deeper blush.
"The bike," Mrs. Moore said, staring at her daughter quizzically. "You were too young to ride it wh-"
"Right, right. Yea," Sophie interrupted, in understanding as she shot Kate a quick scowl. "That would - yea."
"So, you gonna take me for a spin?" Sophie asked as they cleared the table.
"No, no, I've had my fun for the day," Mr. Moore replied lightly.
"Are you serious? But how will I learn?" Sophie exclaimed in obvious disappointment.
"Have Kate take you."
"What?" Sophie asked in surprise.
"There's still plenty of daylight. Besides, Kate hasn't had a chance on it yet."
"Oh, sir, that's not necessary-"
"Nonsense. You're the reason it's even running. You wouldn't mind teaching Sophie a thing or two, would you?" he asked with a wink.
Kate felt her cheeks burn with discomfort. "Uh… ye-sure. Soph?"
Sophie only nodded, looking only a shade less uncomfortable at her father's proposition.
xx
"Er… are-is this-"
"The most awkward thing I've ever done in front of my parents?" Sophie muttered. "Yes."
"Well, that's one way of putting it," Kate mused. "I was going to ask if the helmet fit ok. It looks like you need to tighten this."
"Oh… uh, yea," Sophie blushed, adjusting the straps. "It fits fine."
"Just be back by dark. The headlights aren't reliable," Mr. Moore advised. "The parking lot near the river might be a good spot to practice, Sophie."
"Is that-?"
"Where we went last night? Yea."
"This is… this is absolutely terrifying," Sophie muttered, gripping the handlebars as the engine hummed beneath her.
"You're gonna do fine. Don't second guess - that's where you'll mess up."
"You're asking me not to second guess something?"
Kate laughed. She had spent the last twenty minutes fielding every conceivable question Sophie could come up with about how to operate the bike, and by the fifteenth minute, Kate half-wondered if Mr. Moore had an ulterior motive in sending Kate to give Sophie her first lesson.
"Don't think of it as an essay. Think of it… think of it as a timed multiple choice test," she said trying to frame it in a way Sophie could lean into. Sophie was finally mounted in the driver's seat, gripping the handlebars like the bike might take off without her.
"Timed multiple choice, ok," Sophie muttered as though psyching herself up.
"It's just like riding a bike," Kate joked lamely, earning a scowl of disapproval from Sophie. "All right, I've told you the steps, and you've watched me do it. Your turn," she said, lifting her hands away from the bike.
"Woa, wait, what?" Sophie asked in disapproval. "You're leaving me?"
Kate laughed at Sophie's uncertainty. "Soph, you'll be fine," she continued. "And if you're not, I don't want to be a casualty."
The look of terror on Sophie's face nearly swayed Kate to change her mind. She watched Sophie mentally check off each and every step again.
"Pull the clutch… shift to first… release the clutch… twist throttle," she muttered aloud.
"Sophie"
"What?" Sophie said, looking up in frustration that her focus had been ruined.
Kate leaned in closely, her eyes focused intently on Sophie. "Think of it this way: the faster you learn the sooner we can start making out behind that rock by the river," she said, pointing to the same rock sitting off in the distance from the night before.
"That… that actually wasn't… that was pretty easy," Sophie muttered between kisses. Kate had her pressed against the cool surface of the boulder, her hands and lips more interested in finding their way beneath the jacket she was wearing than listening to Sophie's adrenaline-filled commentary. "Is that… was that-"
"Soph," Kate cut in, distractedly.
"Yea?"
"I care about - about all of that. I really do."
"Ok-"
"But please, please, will you just shut up and kiss me?" she asked, her eyes hungry and pleading.
"This isn't a bad sunset."
"Better than Greece?"
"Well… no, but still pretty good. The company is better."
"Good recovery," Sophie said, leaning her head onto Kate's shoulder.
They were sat on the same rock from less than twenty-four hours earlier, staring out at the Gotham skyline. It was the opposite direction of the sunset, but the colors of the sky could be seen reflecting off the glass facades of the skyscrapers.
"It's still crazy to think we've lived our whole lives just a river apart," Kate mused.
"Well it was a bit more than a river apart."
"Sure, a couple streets and some traffic," Kate added dismissively. "But more or less a stone's throw."
"Except we aren't exactly two peas in a pod," Sophie countered.
"What about two peas in a bed?" Kate teased back before sobering at Sophie's stare. "Sorry, I… how do you mean?"
"Our upbringing. I just mean, it's not as simple as a river or a landmark. We-we're basically opposites."
"Sure, we-we didn't exactly have the same childhood, but that… should that matter?" A tinge of anxiety hit Kate as she worried the conversation was about to take a negative turn. They had just gotten back to themselves.
"It shouldn't, but that doesn't mean it doesn't," Sophie replied. "Your dad works in the military, travels the world, and is married to the CEO of a massive tech firm. You're cousins with Bruce Wayne. You're a Kane. You… I mean, have you ever had to worry about money?"
Kate hesitated before shaking her head.
"My dad worked a second job on weekends for as long as I can remember. My parents scraped together every penny they could and clipped coupons all my life to save enough money to buy a house in a white district because they knew the schools were better."
"Soph, I… I had no idea."
Kate and Sophie had discussed money in detail only once before when Sophie's dad had been laid off the fall prior from his job. The job loss was temporary, but the discussion was a constant reminder in the back of Kate's mind. Hearing these new details, she was beginning to sense that Sophie hadn't been entirely forthcoming about the situation a year earlier.
"And I can't… I won't take that sacrifice for granted. My parents have spent my entire life working to give me a better opportunity, and the last thing I'll do is throw that away. I've spent every day of my life working my ass off to fit in - to have a chance at what you can just phone in."
Kate watched silently as Sophie fell into quiet contemplation. Kate knew she had it lucky; it was something she had grown up aware of. Her parents called attention to it. Bruce regularly highlighted it. Anytime she spent a day with Grandma Kane she'd be reminded of her privileged circumstances in a recurring monologue. But none of that meant she really understood it. It was always a story told through the filter of highrise penthouse glass at a table decorated with ever changing floral centerpieces surrounded by lavish foods. It was shared through the indulgence that came with having coffers clad with millions.
Her schooling had been private, secluded from the harsh realities of Gotham's streets. Sure, she'd spent her life running around those same streets, but never with the consideration that, for most of the people she passed, they were struggling to make a life for themselves. Hearing Sophie's words was the first time that reality struck home, and Kate had a want for that gap to disappear.
"Do you know how many black kids were in my class?"
Kate hesitated, being pulled from her thoughts and unsure how to respond. "I… no."
"Two, including me. Before that the only black kids I knew growing up were from my parents' church. We drove forty minutes every Sunday to get there. My best friend growing up wasn't from the school I went to. She was a girl from church, and she is the smartest person I've ever met. You know what she does now?"
Kate shook her head, knowing Sophie's question was rhetorical but feeling the need to respond.
"She works at the Gap. She's trying to save up to go to community college so that she can try to get work in finances, but that's an uphill battle. If… if not for my parents… and now? Now I have a chance at an internship she could only dream of," she said, pointing to the tower glistening with 'WAYNE' in the sunset light.
"Soph, I didn't… I don't know what to say."
"I get… I get that life isn't fair. My dad - he made sure I knew that growing up and-"
"Can I ask you a question though?"
Sophie paused, nodding for Kate to continue. She felt a reassurance in the way Sophie handed over the reins to her. It made her realize the conversation wasn't about to echo the tone of the last three days.
"If you know life isn't fair… if-if you know…" Kate began, searching for the right words. "Why are you so resistant to letting me help you?"
"What?"
"With Wayne Tech," Kate continued, nodding toward the skyline in reference to the same landmark skyscraper.
"I… that's different."
"Why?"
Sophie fell silent for a moment.
"Because it feels like a handout," Sophie admitted. "I… everything I've gotten has been through merit and… if I haven't earned it, I don't want it."
"That… Soph, you've earned it. You get that, right? I talked with Bruce. Of the twenty remaining candidates, you know how many aren't from money?"
Sophie hesitated before shaking her head.
"Four. The rest have all sorts of connections that have thrust them through. Bruce was furious he'd be funding trust fund kids until he saw your file. You got to the interviews off your merit. Whatever I said to Bruce didn't even matter: his mind was already made up about you. Come Monday your phone is going to be ringing with an offer to continue the interview process. And it's because you earned it."
"I went to Nathan's today," Sophie blurted out.
"What? Why would y-"
"He was going to press charges."
"Let him try," Kate challenged blindly, trying to hide her confusion by the conversation's sudden pivot.
"Kate, even if it didn't carry water, it would have been on your record."
"You don't know that. And even so, that doesn't matter-"
"Your dad would never let you into the Crows with that," Sophie said, deflating the argument formulating in Kate's mind.
"That… Soph, that… you didn't have to do that," Kate said stubbornly, knowing Sophie's act was entirely selfless and more about maintaining Kate's record than anything. Sophie knew how much a job with the Crows had meant to Kate the last few months, and she had gone out of her way to keep that dream alive by confronting Nathan.
"I used your name to get him to back off."
Kate fell silent, nodding in understanding.
"It was so strange. It was like having a trump card. He was threatening a lawsuit and legal fees because he has money. If it had been anyone else… he could have woven any narrative he wanted because he's worth more. But when I said your name - when he understood what it meant. I get it, I do; what you're saying about the internship. I don't agree with it, and if it were a perfect world…"
"I know, Soph. It's skewed."
They sat in silence. It wasn't the awkward or tense silence that had filled the space between them the two days prior; it was the familiar silence that came with their conversations. It was a reminder that they could still talk about anything, and after the last two days, it held a new kind of meaning.
"We should head back," Kate said, noting the dimming sky. "Can't have your dad hate me for getting you home late."
"I do trust you," Sophie said, unprompted by anything but her own continued thoughts. "Last night when you asked, I-I misspoke... when I said I wasn't sure. I don't think there's anyone I trust more than you, Kate."
Kate stared back at Sophie, an unexpected appreciation glowing in her eyes. "That… I-I… thank you for saying that."
"Are you sure you won't stay?" Mrs. Moore pressed a final time. "It's dark and I don't want you out on your own."
Mr. Moore chuckled as he observed his wife's motherly instinct kicking in. "Diane, honey, let the girl go."
"Thank you for everything," Kate said. "This has been… it was great to finally meet you."
"Well you'll have to come back," Mrs. Moore offered in consolation for not having Kate stay another night.
"Mom, let her be," Sophie muttered. "See you back on campus," she said, opening the door for Kate.
"Yea, see you," Kate said with a small lump forming in her throat as she realized it would be another two weeks before she'd see Sophie again. There was a small silver-lining in that the circumstances wouldn't require them to sneak off to a riverside boulder for a decent snog, but it didn't minimise the feeling of loss in being apart again.
Kate walked the length of the driveway to her car, reaching for her keys when she saw the porch light flick on. She glanced up and saw the front door open.
"Kate, hold up," Sophie called. Kate looked up from the car to see her walking to her.
"Did I forget my phone?" Kate teased back as Sophie reached her.
"No, not that," Sophie replied before closing the distance between them. Her lips met Kate who fell back against her car in surprise. She tore away and glanced back up at the house.
"Soph, your parents-" she interrupted before Sophie's lips cut her off, capturing them with hers. The moment was both too long and too short for Kate as a rush of anxiety and thrill swept through her. When Sophie finally broke away Kate could only stare back breathlessly at Sophie, her heart beating faster than she'd ever known.
"Sophie Moore," Kate muttered in want, "you are…"
"Just didn't want you to leave without a proper goodbye," Sophie whispered before backing away. "I'll see you in two weeks."
