The Story Of Us

Chapter 3 ◇ The story of us◇

"The past year, our talks..." Catherine looked down, a hint of a blush on her cheeks. "They... meant a lot to me."

There was a long pause as Catherine gathered her thoughts. She swallowed, then looked up at Lerato again.

"You've become really important to me, Lerato. More than I think you realize." If possible, Catherine's blush deepened slightly. She wasn't used to being so candid with her feelings, but something about the moment, the setting, and the person she was with made her heart beat just a little faster, gave her the courage to be vulnerable.

"I know we've only just met in person," Catherine admitted, her voice still soft, "And this is a strange way to say this, but...I guess I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed talking to you this past year. You're funny, you're smart, you're kind... You're just...."

Catherine trailed off, searching for the right words. "I guess what I'm trying to say is," she finally continued, "You've somehow managed to capture a piece of my heart, even before we'd even met. And now that you're here, I don't know, I just feel like I finally get to see the whole picture, y'know?"

The words hung in the air, soft and vulnerable, and Catherine watched as they settled like a gentle snowfall. She waited, holding her breath, watching for Lerato's reaction, suddenly afraid she might have said too much.

Lerato, for her part, was stunned. The confession had taken her by surprise. She'd never expected to hear such vulnerability and honesty from the older woman. After a moment of stunned silence, she swallowed, trying to find her voice.

"Catherine, I..." she finally murmured, her voice soft, and laced with a mix of confusion, surprise and a hint of affection. "I don't know what to say."

"I'm sorry, was that too much?" Catherine rushed to apologize, her blush deepening. Seeing Lerato's stunned expression made her heart lurch in her chest, fear of rejection quickly welling up in her heart.

"It's okay, really," Lerato quickly reassured, realizing that her silence had likely made the older woman think she'd misspoken.

"It's just... a lot to process," she admitted. "But... it's nice to hear that." Her own cheeks were feeling a bit warm, her heart doing a strange little flutter in her chest. Catherine let out a shaky sigh, relief washing over her. She hadn't screwed up, it seemed. At least, not yet.

"I'm glad you think so," she managed to say, her heart still trying to slow its beat to a normal rhythm. "I... didn't scare you off with my little confession, did I?"

"No, you didn't scare me off," Lerato reassured, a small smile forming on her lips. "Just... caught me by surprise, is all." She chuckled quietly, shifting slightly to face Catherine more directly.

Catherine chuckled softly at the response, her own heart rate finally slowing. "Good," she said, nodding slightly. "I was afraid I'd somehow said the wrong thing. Or that I'd gone too far."

"You didn't," Lerato clarified. "It's just... I've never had anyone talk to me like that before."

She chuckled softly, a bit nervously. "It's a bit overwhelming," she admitted, her voice soft, "but... in a good way, I think."

Catherine looked away for a moment, a soft smile on her face, trying to hide her relief. It hadn't been a rejection, and for now, that was enough.

She looked back at Lerato, her expression softening. "You're... a unique person, you know that?" Lerato chuckled, a hint of shyness in the sound. "I don't know about that," she deflected, feeling the heat in her cheeks. "I'm just... me."

Catherine gave a soft sigh, her expression filled with fondness. "You really don't understand how special you are, do you?"

She leaned back on the couch, her body relaxing for the first time since their conversation had taken this surprising turn. "You're intelligent, kind, funny..." Catherine ticked off each trait on her finger. "You're talented, you're smart. And not to mention, you're utterly adorable."

Lerato blushed, her cheeks growing hot at the compliments. "Stop," she protested weakly, "You're going to give me a big head."

"Oh, I think your head is just the right size," Catherine teased, grinning mischievously. "If anything, it's everyone else who needs to catch up to you."

Lerato rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. "You're never going to stop complimenting me, are you?" she asked, a hint of affectionate exasperation in her voice.

"Never," Catherine confirmed, feigning seriousness. "I'm going to compliment you until you believe every word I say."

"You're going to drive me crazy," Lerato protested, though there was no real irritation in her tone. In fact, her heart was racing, and her cheeks felt warm, but she couldn't tell if it was from Catherine's words or the way the older woman was looking at her."Good," Catherine declared, her tone confident. "I want to drive you crazy, if it means I can keep seeing that blush on your cheeks."

"You're enjoying this way too much," Lerato protested, but it was clear that she didn't actually mind that much. Her heart was still beating too fast in her chest, her pulse a little too loud in her ears. Catherine's grin widened. "Can you blame me?" she countered. "You're adorable when you're flustered."

Lerato huffed, but it was a half-hearted protest at best. "You're incorrigible," she muttered, her cheeks still tinged with a blush. "I suppose I am." She said and looked at Lerato's bags which are yet to be unpacked. "Do you want to take a bath?"

Lerato swallowed, her mind suddenly filled with the images of the two of them together in the bath, the water, the steam, the warmth. "I... I guess that could be nice," she admitted, her voice a little breathless.

"Don't worry, I'll go to get us some food while you freshen up."

"O-okay," Lerato managed to say, her heart still beating a little faster than normal. She stood up, feeling a little shaky under Catherine's gaze.

"Don't... take too long," she said, a small attempt at teasing in her shy tone.Catherine chuckled, her smile affectionate. "I won't," she reassured. "I'll be back soon."

She stood up as well, giving Lerato a quick pat on the head before heading towards the door. As Catherine left the room, Lerato let out a long, shaky exhale, running her hands through her curls. She was in for a long night.

She made her way to the bathroom, the image of the jacuzzi tub in her mind, and its promise of relaxation and warmth. The bathroom was just as luxurious as the rest of the room, with soft lighting and a spacious interior. The tub gleamed invitingly, the jets waiting to be filled with warm, soothing water.

Lerato looked around for a moment, taking in the surroundings, letting the extravagance of it all sink in. She could get used to this luxury. Taking a breath to calm her racing heart, she started to prepare for her bath, getting a towel and some toiletries for later. There was a robe hung on the back of the door, and she took it, feeling the soft, plush fabric under her fingertips.

Once everything was ready, she took off her clothing, folding them and placing them on a stool near the sink. For a moment she hesitated, her nudity suddenly feeling... different, here in this luxurious hotel room, knowing Catherine was somewhere nearby.

Pushing the thought of Catherine to the back of her mind, she padded across the cold tile floor and climbed into the bathtub, the warm water enveloping her body. She leaned back against the cool porcelain, sighing gratefully, feeling the tension slowly seeping out of her muscles.

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