Freed From Desire

Part 27

Katie

We had both agreed that it was perhaps a bit too early for Nora to be introduced into the McCabe clan, especially considering that there was a very overwhelming amount of us. But that meant that this morning started off sad, both of us going through the motions of our usual routine with way less happy chatter.

But way more kisses and hugs and soft touches, which was the only good part. 

We had fallen into a natural rhythm of things, spending time apart less and less. Nora had all but moved in, although one night I took Cooper with me and we slept over at hers just so her apartment wouldn't sit completely empty for days in a row. But this morning we were at my place, sat behind the kitchen island and drinking our coffees, only quiet music filling the silence.

I had learned that Nora didn't really appreciate full silence and always had either music or tv playing in the background. 

She was casually paging through the morning newspaper and I was scrolling through the pictures we'd been sent from the last training session, putting together an instagram post with them. Both of our free hands were joined, fingers laced together and I was absent-mindedly sliding my thumb over her ring. 

It was the most content and at peace I'd felt in a long time. If only it wasn't for the fact that I had to leave for the airport in ten minutes.

It wasn't even for that long, my return flight was a few days before New Years, which we would spend with a group of friends. I wasn't sure if Caitlin was to be included in that group or not. I still hadn't spoken to her. She'd messaged me, asking to call, but I ignored it, not wanting to sour my mood.

Nora sighing heavily brought me out of my thoughts and I gave her fingers a light squeeze as she folded the newspaper up, as best as she could with only one free hand, and placed it on the counter. I put my phone down as well, turning on the stool just as Nora got up to stand between my legs.

We moved as if we could read each other's minds, her arms coming to rest on my shoulders and mine on her waist. Like puzzle pieces or two legos stuck together permanently. At least I wished it was permanent.

"I know it's only like.. a week. But why does this suck so much already," Nora gave me a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Oh, because you're absolutely obsessed with me, can't get enough, can't think or breathe when I'm not here-" I shot back, laughing when Nora did too, nudging my shoulder with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm sometimes amazed I fit into the same room with both you and your ego in it," she shook her head. 

"Hey, made you laugh," I said victoriously. Besides, she knew quite well that it was at least 50% the 'fake it until you make it' approach. I did love and appreciate a lot of parts to myself, but when it came to being a partner to someone, I always felt less than they deserve.

Happened with Rue, definitely happened with Caitlin and I was working hard to push that feeling down when I was with Nora. How exactly were you supposed to follow that one-of-a-kind true love she'd already experienced?

Not that I needed to compare myself to Eva, but sometimes the thoughts snuck up on me without permission. 

But then Nora looked at me the way she did right in this moment and my head cleared of any worries. She looked like what the warmth of sun on your skin feels like.

"Come with me," I said, blinking at the words myself. They'd come out sort of without me thinking, but now that the plea was out there, I found myself really wishing that she'd say yes.

"Funny," Nora laughed for a few beats, but when my expression didn't change one bit, she got a bit more serious and looked at me, her eyebrows rising.

"Katie.. We talked about this, it's too soon.." she argued, but I could tell her words didn't carry the weight they usually did when she actually meant what she said.

"They'll love you. And they want to meet you. And we don't have to stay at the house, we can get a hotel room in the city to have some space for ourselves," the words came pouring out with intensity. The more I thought about it, the more I needed her to say yes.

"You're going there for your family, I'm not making us stay at a hotel," she laughed and I smiled wide, picking up on the wording.

Nora blinked a few times, her face curious about the change in my demeanor.

"You said 'us'," I claimed, a clever grin on my lips. That was pretty much a yes. At least I was taking it like that.

I wrapped one of my arms tighter around her waist, chuckling at the way she opened and closed her mouth a few times, clearly running very low on any counter arguments. My other hand reached for my phone, swiping until I got to the airline website. 

"There's no way I'll even get a ticket, not to mention I haven't packed a single thing," Nora said, not knowing that I was already selecting a seat for her. If I upgraded both of us, we could sit together and I wiggled on the stool, doing my tiny version of a happy dance that caused her to laugh again.

"Katie, what are you doing.." she asked carefully, leaning her head next to mine to see my phone screen. I was already filling out all the information and Nora just gasped before grabbing my phone away from me.

"Hey!" I scolded, reaching for it back.

"You can't! The flight is in a few hours and.. I can't!" she gasped, her face still amused but also nervous.

I made another attempt at reaching for my phone and Nora stepped out of my reach, shaking her head. But the corners of her mouth were turning upwards against her will.

I stood as well and stayed still for a few seconds, just long enough for her defenses to drop, before I grabbed her hips, lifting her up on the kitchen counter and locking her there with my body. The phone was easy to grab now and I managed to finalize the payment, Nora attempting to tickle me in a last resort.

"It's done! You're coming!" I exclaimed happily and placed my phone down, pulling her in for a kiss.

She happily reciprocated, sighing into my lips and melting in my arms before pulling away, shaking her head again. "You are trouble! And I've not packed!"

"You came here with an overnight bag," I argued back. Technically she had packed some things for that.

"Yes. Overnight. Singular. One night. Not for a week!" Nora laughed in disbelief. "And we should be in a car like..-" she lifted my phone to look at the time and I smirked in satisfaction, seeing the flight confirmation email pop up, "Like three minutes ago!"

I gave her another lingering kiss before finally stepping back to give Nora enough space to jump down from the counter. "You have all the basics. Chargers, toiletries and whatnot. The rest we can buy. Now go grab your bag, we needed to be in the car like-" I made a show of pushing my sleeve off my watch and looking at the time, "Like four minutes ago!"

Nora pressed her lips together hard to stop herself from giving me the satisfaction of her laughing at the way I mocked her. "You're impossible," she said instead, heading towards the bedroom.

I grabbed her hand to pull her back for another kiss. "And you love it," I smirked, mumbling the words against her lips.

She was still shaking her head at my antics, but that smile.. The warmth of the sun. I gave her a nice little slap on the bum to shoo her off to get her stuff and watched as she disappeared into the room. And then I did my happy dance in peace, with no one to laugh at me.