Work Text:
Catherine’s mind was still reeling from everything that happened. She stared at the endless horizon. A lot of things she deemed impossible weren’t so impossible after all. They were on an airship, in the sky. She thought the railroad lines had already been such an innovation. She had cut ties with her family, her father, the ones who she had strived to impress all these years. The most wildest thing of all was that she was on friendly terms with Hannah. Catherine had been nothing but an obstacle to Hannah’s dreams during the years they were at the academy, and she had only ever viewed Hannah as an obstacle and yet… And yet, when they met during the chaos that Sullivan had sown, Hannah said she was glad to see Catherine. Her.
A strange feeling started to take root in her heart. Staring out into the clouds, she felt it nestle in her beating heart. A voice called her name and she didn’t even have to turn to know who it was.
Hannah approached Catherine, standing next to her. “It looks like you’ve been here for a while. What’s on your mind?”
Catherine paused, not used to showing her vulnerable sides. “I have a lot of work to do to make things right. Bridging the gap between the noble mages and the other mages is just a start. But I just can’t help but wonder…” She glanced at Hannah. “If maybe we could have been… on friendlier terms in another universe. If the academy hadn’t made us all so focused on ranks… if I hadn’t been so focused on something I never really had my heart on in the first place.” She turned away. Catherine wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what expression Hannah was making right now. Perhaps it was pity.
“You know, there is no ‘in another universe.’ it’s a nice thought, but this is it. This is all we get,” Hannah said. Catherine felt Hannah’s hand move a bit closer to her own hand on the railing. “We can spend all day wondering how things would have been if the circumstances were different. But we’re both here now and I know we can change things.” She smiled at Catherine, so gently that Catherine’s heart skipped a beat. “We have a lot of work to do but we’ll do it together.”
Catherine cleared her throat, trying and failing to push away her nervousness. “Of course. You’re right.” She smiled back. “We’ll do it together.”