That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Waiting Game

Kate waited weeks for her phone to ring. Finals week came and went, Christmas passed in a green and red blur. She'd hoped to spend Christmas in the city with Yelena; take her ice skating, maybe to see a boujee orchestra. But, she never called. It took everything in Kate not to text her, or call her, to ask how she was doing, to ask about her French final, about her Glossier internship, but Kate resisted. She needed Yelena to call first. She had to know the blonde needed and missed her as much as Kate did.

Because dear God did she miss Yelena. Every Friday night Kate lay in bed thinking about the parties Yelena must be throwing, how she's probably kissing someone else, how she's certainly moved on. Kate was likely just another flash in the pan to her, another notch in her belt.

Though, every time she felt like this, Kate also thought back to how Yelena cuddled into her every time they slept together, how she turned down James right in front of Kate, how gently possessive she was. How Yelena held her hand the night they broke it off, how she seemed to protest when Kate opened her door. The way Yelena looked at her... she was no flash in the pan, she was sure of it. Perhaps breaking up was an impulsive act that Yelena was too stubborn or embarrassed to mend.

Kate sighed, shaking her head. Was this whole thing stupid? Was she foolish to think Yelena could change? Was she naïve to think this could have ended any other way, without her heart broken and pining for a girl who was worlds away?

"You gotta stop moping," Carol said gently, finding Kate cocooned in her covers once again. "It's a new year, Kate. A new semester. Shake it off, babe."

"You say that like it's easy."

"I know it's not easy. But you'll feel better."

"I just miss her."

"I know. For what it's worth, I kind of miss her too."

"That makes me feel worse."

Carol cringed. "Sorry."

Kate sat up, hair a knotted mess. "The worst part is the uncertainty. We said it was a break, but it's been a month. Are breaks normally that long?"

"Well, to be fair, December is busy, and we were out of school." Carol looked her in the eye. "Make me a deal, though. Give her a week to call, and after that, you're done. No more waiting around for her, no more sulking. You move on with your life, because at that point she clearly has too."

With a reluctant nod, Kate agreed. "Okay. Yeah. Seems fair."

So, Monday rolled around, and the first day of class with it. With new classes this semester, Kate prayed she somehow did not get put in one with Yelena, but luckily, none of her four courses featured the blonde. Unfortunately for Kate, though, a certain sorority sister sat right beside her in the vast History lecture hall.

"Do you have a pencil?" Wanda Maximoff whispered to Kate, not even glancing over.

"No," Kate responded truthfully, and with a sigh, Wanda cast an annoyed expression over.

"Oh, wait, hey Bishop. Haven't seen you around lately."

"Yeah. Christmas break and all."

"Oh, right." Wanda leaned back in her stiff wooden seat. "Have you seen Yelena yet?"

"I- no?"

"Hm..." Wanda frowned, lowering her voice. "You two broke up, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you didn't hear this from me... but Yelena's been a mess. I don't know what happened between you two, but I think it's worth fixing."

Kate softened, heart aching all over again. "I wish she saw it the same way."

"Just give her a little more time. Yelena's been fragile. More fragile than I've seen her in a while, actually. And not just about you." She shifted in her seat. "I don't know. Sorry, I'm meddling."

"Do you... do you know if she heard back from Glossier?"

Wanda's lips pursed. "You'll have to ask her."

Wanda offered nothing else, and time melted into Tuesday before Kate knew it. Still no call from Yelena, though Kate would be lying if she said she did not half expect one Monday night after her conversation with Wanda. So now, she sat, despondent as ever, across from her two best friends in a Waffle House booth.

"What are you guys ordering?" Peter asked, studying the menu intensely.

"Waffles." MJ answered. "The only acceptable thing to order here."

"They have steak, though..."

"I'm disowning you if you order a steak," Kate said, sipping her coffee.

"Fine, cheeseburger it is."

Kate chuckled, staring at her phone screen as she sat it down on the table. MJ quirked an eyebrow, asking, "expecting a call?"

"More like hoping for one."

"Yelena?" Peter asked quietly, and Kate nodded. "Still?"

"I don't mean to be harsh..." MJ started, and Kate braced herself. "But forget about her. She couldn't see a good thing when she had it."

"She could still come to her senses, though," Peter tried half heartedly, toying with his chocolate milk.

"Yeah."

Kate stayed glancing at her phone like a paranoid maniac for the rest of her day, and honestly, she could not wait for the end of the week to come. Either way she would be done waiting, done putting her life on hold. It was time to get back into the world, with or without Yelena.

Wednesday passed in a chilly blur, snow falling softly as Kate skated to work. She wore a coat over her black hoodie, heart aching when she picked it out of her closet and realized the other one was still missing. Did she still wear it, did she still roll up the too long sleeves?

Kate saw Wanda again on Thursday. The sorority girl once again had no school supplies, and Kate swore she did it on purpose just to start a conversation.

"Hey, do you know how to do the... worksheet?" Wanda asked absently, eyes on her phone.

"We haven't gotten a worksheet in this class yet."

"Oh." She glanced up. "Do we have any homework in here?"

"No."

"So... there's nothing for you to come over to the house to help me with, is there?"

"No, Wanda."

"Damn it."

"If Yelena wants to see me so bad, she can ask me herself."

Friday loomed, and as Kate arose, she realized she slept in. Shrugging, she figured she may as well go back to sleep; she was already late for class. So, she drifted off, finally worry free, and woke up a few hours later to a horrifying discovery: two missed calls and a voicemail from one Yelena Belova.