"I'm not letting you sleep in a chair in your own bedroom. There's plenty of room and there's no one left to protect me from," Kate says gently, pulling the blanket back from the other side of the single bed. Betty knows there's not plenty of room; she's had women here before but she still gets up and curls up on the edge of the bed with her back facing Kate, tucking the blanket over her shoulder. Kate sighs, shifts toward Betty. From behind she runs a hand over Betty's hair, down to her shoulders, across her back and then over her ribs to her stomach. She pulls Betty back toward her, away from the edge of the bed.
"It's your bed." Kate says, shifting back and pulling Betty with her again.
"I'm protecting you from me," Betty growls and moves forward, back to the edge of the bed. She doesn't move Kate's hand, and Kate can feel how tense Betty is, how stressful it is for her. She smooths her hand over Betty's ribs in what she hopes is a comforting way but is obviously not, judging by the way Betty flinches and tenses again. Kate sighs.
"I have never, ever needed to be protected from you." Kate says simply. "And if either of us ever thought that, we were wrong."
Betty rolls over, considers Kate in the light of the lamp. Kate watches several emotions flicker across her face, fear being the primary. When Kate can't stand it anymore she leans forward and plants a kiss on Betty's cheek.
"I trust you. You've proven yourself to be trustworthy, over and over again." Betty looks stricken, so Kate repeats herself. "I trust you, Betty."
"Maybe you shouldn't," Betty chokes out.
"You've been nothing less than a gentleman to me."
"Except," Betty pauses, pushes herself further away from Kate.
"That was one time, Betty. Don't beat yourself up over it."
"I don't need to; your father did that for me," Betty says, but Kate just sighs and pulls Betty closer again. "Please stop," Betty says, stiffening. Kate stops but leaves her arm over Betty. Betty pulls Kate's arm off of her. "I can't do this. I can share a bed with you, probably, but you gotta stop doing that."
"Doing what?" Kate asks softly. Her eyes are soft and Betty almost falls for it.
"You know what you're doing. Sometimes I wonder if you knew all along."
"I'm tired. I'm scared. I want to sleep, but I can't do that without you tonight," Kate says firmly, ignoring the implications the way she always has. Kate knows how Betty feels for her. She was uncertain for a while because Betty cut all contact with her, would never come to the visiting room in jail when Kate came to see her, didn't tell Kate when she got out but ever since she showed up at Kate's door that morning before she started at the factory again, Kate's known. She's not trying to take advantage of it; not tonight, at least.
"And I can't sleep with you on top of me like that," Betty retorts.
"You know how I dream. I was hoping... if my mind knew you were next to me, it'd feel safe. Safe enough not to dream about this evening." Kate's dreams got worse when Betty was in jail, partially because Kate stopped drinking so much, partially because without Betty there Kate couldn't convince herself that Betty had survived her father because she no longer had tangible proof.
It's manipulation; Betty knows that as well as Kate does but if she'd just gone through what Kate had, she'd be wanting someone to watch over her too, to wake her up if her mind decided to re-enact the evening in her sleep. But she's not strong enough to let Kate cuddle her through the night. She's not strong enough to be this close to her and not touch her. She's not strong enough to be the kind of friend Kate needs tonight but she's the only friend Kate's got that knows anything about Kate or Marian so she makes an effort.
"I can stay here, but please keep your hands to yourself," Betty says shortly, and Kate giggles, honest to god giggles and Betty glares at her.
"Can I just…" Kate wends her fingers in between Betty's. Betty tightens her grip and Kate shifts backwards on the bed, away from Betty who moves forward to fill the now vacated space, getting further on the bed.
"Sweet dreams, Kate," Betty says quietly.
"The sweetest," Kate agrees, rubbing her thumb over Betty's.
When Betty's breath has deepened and her grip has loosened in Kate's hand, Kate scoots closer, pulls Betty's arm over her and puts her own hand back on Betty's back. Betty's asleep and all Kate can think of is the way that man looked at her tonight, like he knew what she was up to but was going to have some fun before he… disposed of her. So many people had already died at his hand, and Kate knows she could have been just another if it weren't for Gladys setting this up and Betty watching over her. She heard what Betty said, and any other night she would respect her wishes but tonight she needs Betty's breath on her face to remind her to breathe, Betty's hand on her waist to remind her that she's here, Betty's heartbeat to calm her own. When Betty wakes up, Kate will face the consequences but for now, Betty's been too far removed from her to sleep properly; has been for months. Betty used to be just across the hall if she needed anything; this is the first time Kate has been to her new place and she has needed so many things since Betty left.
Like an explanation of why she can't look away from Betty's mouth.