Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jane was laying on the couch with her laptop on her stomach when she heard the buzz of her phone on the coffee table. She glanced at her phone and saw Kat's texts on their group message. Jane grabbed her phone from the table and swiped right with her thumb to open up the text chain. 

A moment later Jane yelled out, "Sutton, check your phone!" 

"Hey slow your roll, do you want your bottle of wine opened or not?" Sutton answered while loudly closing one of the kitchen drawers. 

"Now!"

"Okay. Okay," Sutton grabbed her phone and after a long pause walked straight to the couch with the unopened bottle of red and stared down at Jane, "Wait, what?"

"I know, FaceTime?"

"Umm, yes please!"

Sutton kneeled down at the end of one of the couch arms and peered over Jane's shoulder as the signature ring of her phone signaled the call.

"Hey guys!" Kat answered. 

All Jane and Sutton could see from the fuzzy video feed was Kat in the back of a cab.

"So is this the reason I didn't see you at work today?" Sutton said while she smirked next to Jane. 

"Yea. I’m sorry I didn’t text you guys sooner but I was in crazy mode trying to get stuff packed up and totally lost track of time."

Jane chimed in, "So, what happened?" 

"Well...Okay, so I was headed into work today and Adena texted me about climbing mountains and I just had that feeling you know. Like if I didn't decide to do this now, I would chicken out and not do it. I ended up talking to Jacqueline and since I hit 2 million followers and sent her some solid resumes, she was actually kind of okay with me going. So, I took it as a sign, filed the HR paperwork, and I’m on my way to the airport now." Kat paused as she caught a breath, "I know this seems crazy, but I just...I just have to go."

After Sutton saw Kat's every growing smile, Sutton couldn't help but be proud of her friend and replied, "Oh my god! You're really doing this. Ahh, I love you, Kat!"

"Love you too!" Jane added on. 

"Thanks guys!" Kat said as she smiled into the camera. 

"Go get your adventure! Send all the pics and say hi to Adena for us!" Jane said. 

"Totally will! Love you both so much! Ok, I gotta go, I just got to the airport. I'll text you guys when I'm boarding" Kat said as she disconnected the phone call.

 Jane slowly turned her head toward's Sutton, when they both simultaneously said, "Oh my god!”

Kat smiled as she sunk down into the seat by the window. 

Kat slowly scrolled through her recent messages with Adena and couldn't stop her lips from turning upwards.  

Kat quickly typed, "Boarded. See you soon!"

Kat glanced down at her phone a minute later to see Adena's waiting message, "Can't wait."

As the flight attendant's voice drifted throughout the airplane, Kat took out her headphones and plugged it into her phone. She stared out the window longingly waiting for the scenery outside the window to change. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, the aircraft door has now closed. If everyone would put their tray tables and seats in the upright position as we get ready for takeoff..." 

Kat couldn't stop staring at her passport even as she headed down the final escalator to baggage claim, when she was taken out of her reverie.

"Kat!"

Kat lifted her gaze from the passport in her hand to Adena, waiting just a few feet away from the escalator.  

As Kat lightly skipped down the last few steps, she headed straight for Adena standing in the shining light of the sun wearing her maroon hijab and thick grey sweater. 

Kat and Adena gravitated towards each other, as their foreheads met, their noses touched in the slightest of eskimo kisses. 

"Hi," Adena whispered gently to Kat.

Kat replied in kind, "Hi."

"You're here."

"Yea, I'm here. 

As both their smiles grew at a stunning pace, their lips finally met. 

 More and more people were crowding into the baggage claim area, when they finally separated slightly from their embrace.

After just a moment Adena asked, "Ready for an adventure of a lifetime, Kat Edison?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

Chapter Text

Kat’s eyes began to blink open as the side of Adena’s dimly lit face quickly came into view.

Adena shifted her gaze from the book she was intently focused on, to the woman beside her.

“Look who decided to wake up?”

Kat’s eyes slowly adjusted to the light creeping in from Adena’s nightstand, “What time is it?”

“It’s only a little after 10. We’ve got some time.”

“Okay,” Kat sighed out and only a couple of seconds later she whispered, “Adena?”

“Hmm,” Adena pleasantly hummed.

“I know we have a lot of beautiful places to see and things to do, but…do you think we can just stay here for a little bit?”

Adena’s gaze held Kat’s for a long moment when she finally replied, “I’m okay with that.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Their eyes maintained a steady gaze as Adena slowly put her arm opposite Kat's side and bent her head down so that their lips flirted close to each other. 

“I’m more than sure, Kat,” Adena said as their lips finally met.

Kat and Adena were lying next to each other for the past hour with the tips of their noses slightly touching and Kat’s hand slowly grazing up and down Adena’s back.

Adena quietly interrupted their sweet, blissful bubble, “When I first saw your text, I couldn’t believe it for a minute. But, you’re actually here. You’re here with me.”

“I’m here.”

“I actually, I may have poked you while you were dead to the world to see if you were actually here next to me.”

“You did?”

“I did.”

“Adena, I’m here. This is really me, right here next to you. I’m not leaving, at least not for three weeks. And it’s going to be the best three weeks ever, okay.”

“Okay.”

After their eyes briefly separated from each other, Adena couldn’t help but ask, “What made you decide to come to Peru, anyways?”

After a moment, Kat replied, “You know how I’ve been trying to reach 2 million Twitter followers?”

“Yes.”

“Well I was pulling out my phone to check my notifications, and my passport was just stuck to the front of it. Then, all of a sudden all of the emotions surrounding those 10 hours with you and all the moments that led up to that night got to me. You told me about how all the places you traveled imprinted on you and how it made you feel. I wanted the same feeling. Travel brings out a side of you that I so admire, and I wanted that, Adena. I wanted adventure. I wanted to be swept up in the feeling of doing something for me. This past year, I’ve been so focused on work and Jane and Sutton. I love them so much, but I never really thought about me and what I wanted.”

Adena couldn’t help but smile as Kat talked about her decision to fly out that she blurted, “You, Kat Edison, are one hell of a woman. And I’m happy and proud of you and your decision.”

Kat’s cheeks slowly turned a soft shade of pink as she turned her face to hide it in her pillow. 

A couple hours later after their talk, Adena dragged Kat out of bed to the enticing views that were just outside of the living room window. 

“So, how did you come across this apartment?”

Adena regards Kat for just a moment as her eyes look out the window, “Firuze has a friend who does work in Lima, but also has an apartment here. So, Firuze introduced me to him and his wife. Right now they are traveling to New York, London, and Milan for fashion month, so that’s why I’m able to stay here for so long.”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

“Yes, once I got here, I almost couldn’t leave this very spot just because of the view.”

“It is one hell of a view.”

“It is. And despite everything going on with my photography and visa application and everything else, this view it just helps. Helps me forget everything for just a second.”

Kat looks at Adena for a while and gently grabs her hand. As their hands are clasped together, they both stare out the window for what seems like forever. 

Chapter Text

 Adena dragged a bleary-eyed Kat out of their bed at an ungodly hour in the morning. 

“You’re going to need to wear something a little bit warmer,” Adena said to a very confused and very scantily clad Kat.

“Wait, what?” Kat continued in a raspy voice as her eyes squinted to look at Adena, ”What are we doing?”

“Trust me. Just throw on some leggings and a sweatshirt and you will be good.”

While Kat was rummaging through her suitcase looking for her sweatpants, she garbled out, “Fine. But, Adena...I’m scared that you’re luring me into a cardio trap.”

Adena rolled her eyes as she quietly moved towards the living room and added, “We are not going too far. Seriously, trust me.”

“Okay…ah hah!” Kat popped up from her criss cross position on the floor, waving her sweatpants in a victorious flurry of hands. 

 “Okay. Come on,” Adena said as she stepped aside so that Kat could go first.

“If I knew you were dragging me up some stairs I would’ve stayed in bed.”

“Shhh. It’s just the building’s stairs. You will be fine.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Kat replied as she slowly put one foot in front of the other by the guiding push of Adena’s hand. 

“I promise, you will be fine. Plus, the view will be worth it,” Adena whispered into Kat’s ear.

 Light slowly permeated the sky as patches of blush and purple painted the previous night’s dark sky.

“Okay, this might make up for the waking me up in the middle of the night and…maybe for the stairs.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

Kat and Adena were lying on their backs, their faces pointed at the slowly changing sky. 

Kat turns her head towards Adena and says, “Do you ever get tired of the quiet?”

As Adena slowly turns her head to meet Kat’s soft, glowing eyes, Adena replies, “I actually used to hate the quiet.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really. When I was living back home, I was loud. I was a little crazy, which my parents did not enjoy. It was not particularly helpful, especially in our society. But, there was always something about the quiet that annoyed me. So…when I left home to travel, I finally figured out why I used to be so bothered by the quiet.”

Kat hums as a signal for Adena to continue, so Adena does, “To me, being loud was like a sign of rebellion. Rebellion towards the culture, to all the rules and things that felt so restraining. As much as I do not like to be put in a box now, I did not like it even more back then. I wanted freedom, and I thought loud would take care of it. But as I started to travel, the quiet became a little of a safe haven. Most times I like the quiet but…sometimes, I want loud too.”

The sun makes its stunning debut past the other apartment buildings and the hills and mountains in the background. Kat and Adena miss it as their lips are too busy in their own silent conversation. 

Chapter Text

They were nestled into the innermost corner of the cafe enjoying their lazy morning with coffee and small lulls in conversation. In the span of an hour, the cafe was bustling with the shuffling of tourist’s feet.

Kat had been successfully avoiding looking at her phone for the past couple of days, trying to just enjoy all the moments with Adena. But, the buzz of her phone and the antsiness of being out of the loop gets to her. She lifts her phone from her purse while Adena people watches from the corner. 

Adena’s gaze is taken away from the flurry of people in the cafe when Kat loudly whispers a fuck into the air between them. 

Adena’s face scrunches into a concerned look, “What’s wrong?”

“You know what’s wrong? The world, the freaking President of the United States, natural fucking disasters!”

Kat’s voice carries to only the patrons closest to them. The few customers who actually heard them only give Kat and Adena the briefest of glances as they go back to their own conversations.

Adena picks up Kat’s bag and phone and takes Kat’s hand to lead them out of the cafe that has gotten a little too loud for this conversation. 

As Kat and Adena finally meander their way out of the cafe, Adena breathes out, “Come on, let’s talk out here.”

They find themselves wandering the streets surrounding the apartment. Adena looks at Kat a few times wondering if she will ever speak up about what happened back inside the cafe. And Kat, she just keeps on looking forward, no sound coming out of her mouth. So, they keep walking. 

After the longest of moments and Kat’s mouth briefly opening and closing again, Kat mumbles out, “I’m sorry.”

“You do not have anything to be sorry about, Kat.”

Kat loudly sighs as she looks up at the sky and then back to Adena again, “This world just…it just hurts to see what’s going on and…”

Adena breathes out, “You don’t know what to do a lot of the time.”

“Yes, exactly. We can march. We can call the people seemingly in charge. We can donate, donate, and donate. But, this shit keeps on happening and it just feels like it’s hopeless.”

Kat and Adena stew in the heaviness of it all. The conversation already has Kat’s shoulders slumped and Adena's face in a scowl. 

Adena speaks up after they’ve settled on a steady pace and a certain mood, “Kat, I don’t have the answers. I don’t think anyone has the answers, at least not yet. But, I firmly believe that somewhere, there is still hope. There has to be hope.”

Kat turns her head to stare into Adena’s eyes as Adena looks back at Kat and continues, “Hope that people will continue to come together to find people in the wreckage, to pack up supplies to send to people in need, to comfort each other. People need people, despite all that is going on in the world, despite evil.”

They’ve come to a stop and Kat can’t help but lean her forehead against Adena’s. 

Kat mumbles out, “Thank you. Your words help…at least a little. They do.”

Adena lets out a distraught sigh as Kat and Adena stay in their sort of embrace a little longer. 

They’re both still in a mood as the afternoon carries into part of the night.

Kat finds Adena in the kitchen, crouched over a pan.

“Hey.”

“Hi. I didn’t want to disturb you or anything.”

“Thanks. I think I just needed a little bit more time to process.”

“Anytime. Dinner?”

“Yea, sounds good.”

They’re finally both laughing on the living room floor and drinking tea when Kat closes her fist and points her pinky at Adena’s face.

“What…are you doing?”

“It’s a pinky promise.”

“A, what?”

“A pinky promise, the most serious kind of promise,” Kat says as she smiles adoringly at Adena, “But for real, this day has got me thinking seriously about my life and what I want out of it…so I propose a pinky promise.”

“Okay.”

Kat lifts one of Adena’s hand and shapes Adena’s hand to mimic hers while she goes on, “A promise that while I’m here, we live in the moment.”

Now this time, Adena stares back adoringly at Kat while Kat continues her speech, “We don’t take a single day for granted. If we want to be emotional, we’re emotional. If we want to be angry, we’re angry. If we want to scream, we scream. If we want to be spontaneous, we're spontaneous. If we want to share things, we freaking talk about it. Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Chapter Text

They collapse onto the bed trying to avoid an accidental mess of tangled limbs. 

“I missed you,” Adena manages to get out as Kat makes eye contact with Adena.

Then Kat slowly shifts further down the mattress as she considers Adena's almost fully-clothed body in front of her. Kat muffles out an I missed you too, as she slightly grazes Adena’s hip with a whisper of a kiss.

“That is not fair, Kat,” Adena says as her hands struggle to grab the side of the bed or the night stand or something. 

“No?” Kat peaks her head up as her face of concentration turns and lifts into a sly smirk. 

“No. You can not be this good this soon.”

“Good at…” Kat questions again, but this time bends her head back down and makes a little show out of the talents she’s quickly learned. 

“This…and that,” Adena gasps as Kat moves her mouth over just the right spot. 

“What can I say? I have game, Adena El-Amin.”

Kat’s arm wraps around Adena’s left side as Adena can hear Kat’s quiet breathing.

“I really did miss you,” Adena blurts out in a whisper. 

Kat blinks her eyes rapidly against Adena’s bare back and says, “I missed you too.”

“I didn’t just miss you while I was here or back home, I missed you in Paris too,” Adena lilts her voice at the end and sighs into her pillow.

Adena can still feel the flutter of Kat’s eyelashes, and then feels the pressure of Kat’s lips as they flutter across Adena’s back. 

Adena sighs again and gathers up a little bit of her courage and speaks up, “I definitely didn’t imagine feeling like this about you so soon. And then you, Kat Edison, you surprised me.”

Adena turns her body around so that now, they’re face to face and eye to eye.

“I threw you off your game too, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did,” Adena’s eyes move away from Kat’s face and towards the ceiling then back to Kat again. Adena’s right hand comes up from the blanket and slowly grazes Kat’s cheek, Adena whispers again, "yes, you did."

They’re still facing each other, but Adena’s gaze has drifted inches away from Kat’s eye-line. 

Kat, slightly uncomfortable with the growing silence from Adena, says, “When you flew to Paris, I…I actually didn’t expect to see a text from you so soon.”

Adena’s gaze is still settled on a spot near Kat’s neck, but Adena’s voice slowly rises, “I didn’t expect it either. I was still feeling upset and confused. But at the same time, I didn’t want to let you go. And I didn’t want to let what feelings developed by then dissipate either.”

This time, Kat gently bumps her forehead against Adena’s so that Adena’s head finally lifts up to meet Kat’s eyes, “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you reached out.”

After a couple more moments of silence, Adena looks straight at Kat and breathes, “Kat, this is something, isn’t it?”

“Yea. I think it is.”

Their lips meet in the softest of kisses as their arms pull each other into a closer embrace, unwilling to let this moment go. 

Chapter Text

Kat tries to breath in and out at a steady pace. She still manages to get out, “Why did I agree to this, again?” before making a show of huffing and puffing up the stone steps. 

Adena looks back at Kat mid eye roll that quickly changes to a grin. Adena challenges Kat’s question with, “Because you like me.”

“I mean sure,” Kat adds with a flourish of her hand, “But, seriously, why did I agree to this?”

Adena chooses to kindly ignore Kat as she looks back onto the trail and continues.

While Adena trudges on with one foot in front of the other, Kat can’t help but go on about her dilemma, “Okay, I like you. Cardio, not so much.”

Kat can barely hear Adena’s, “I promise, the view will take your breath away,” because Adena hasn’t really stopped walking and Kat is rooted at a spot only a few feet away, jealous of Adena’s stamina.

Adena has successfully dragged Kat onto the mountaintop. Kat’s only thought besides holy crap this is beautiful is that Jane and Sutton would be impressed with her and with Adena’s ability to rope Kat into this. 

Kat looks around and tries to soak it all in, “This…this view…wow.”

“It makes jumping on a plane to Peru worth it, right?” Adena says while she hides behind her camera, taking pictures of the view. 

Kat blurts out, “Not the only thing that made it worth it.” It must be the higher altitude, but it takes Kat a little longer to realize what she just said. Once she does she tries to cover up her statement, “Oh my god, that was cheesy wasn’t it.”

Adena drops her camera down from her face to reply, “Well…you are a hopeless romantic.”

Kat and Adena slowly pack up their belongings to trek back down before the sun starts to set. Before Adena has a chance to stand up, Kat tugs lightly on Adena’s hand.

“Before we head back, I just want to thank you,” Kat says as she bites her lower lip. 

“For what?”

“Just for…for inspiring me to take a leap, to be brave.”

“You were always brave, Kat. I just think you needed a tiny push.”

Kat already feels the soreness reaching her arms and legs. 

Adena whispers to an almost asleep Kat, “So, I may have a surprise for you.”

“Does it include a nap and some Advil?”

“I think I have something a little better, and maybe an Advil.”

“Okay, then count me in.”

Adena grabs Kat’s hands to lift Kat from her position from the couch. Once Kat is standing, Adena leads her to the dimly lit bathroom. 

Kat opens the door and peeks in to see the bathtub filled to the brim with bubbles and says, “Okay, now look whose the hopeless romantic.”

Adena chuckles from behind Kat and replies, “Well, I wanted to make up for all the cardio I made you do today.”

Kat smiles lazily at Adena as Kat’s fingers lift her own tank top off, “Uhmmm… Did I mention I really really like you?”

“Hmmm…maybe.”