That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Ring

"Hey, Katie."

"Hey, Lena."

"How was your day?"

Kate shrugged, grinning. "Oh, you know. How was yours?"

"You know."

As they had for the past week or so, Kate and Yelena shared a short but sweet phone call on their respective walks home, though Yelena had to make a few scenic detours to match the length of Kate's strolls, which seemed to get longer every day.

"You manage to uh... coagulate that thing you were trying to do?" Yelena asked, swinging and missing with her lab jargon.

"Synthesize an artificial replication of sugar? Yes, I did." Kate smiled, hands in her jean pockets as she trudged the city sidewalks, wishing she had her board. "Did you write that piece on the history of the scarf like you wanted?"

"No," Yelena groaned, struggling with the tangled cord of her headphones. "I did take the pictures they used in the article, though."

"Whoa, what? From writer to photographer? What happened there?"

"I was only supposed to take throwaway pictures just to get formatting down, but they ended up liking them and leaving them in. Guess I'm a professional freelance photographer now."

"They should get you on the other side of the camera," Kate suggested, making Yelena blush. "If they put you on the cover, they'd sell out every issue."

"Yeah, yeah." Yelena took the first of her detours beside a crowded dog park, hoping she would not get lost one of these days. "Got any dinner plans tonight?"

"Boxed macaroni, again..."

"She still not talking to you?"

"No..."

"I'm sorry, babe. I'm still proud of you for saying your piece about Lucky. If you wanna come over tonight, you're welcome to. Pepper's making lasagna."

"I would love a good pasta cake..." she shook her head, not wanting to impose, not wanting to shake the strong foundation of the relationship Yelena had built. "Nah, that's okay. I'll see you tomorrow still, right?"

"Yep. Tennis in the park."

"And you've never played tennis?"

"Nope."

"Good."

"Want me to bring Lucky boy?"

"That goes without saying."

"You should-" Yelena halted her walk, the loud ringtone in her ears grating. "I'm getting another call, baby. It's Nat."

"What a coincidence. Peter is ringing my line too," Kate replied, glancing down sparingly at her phone to avoid a tumble. "I'll talk to you later, gorgeous."

"Yep, talk to you later." Pressing accept, Yelena confusedly greeted, "hello?"

"Did Legally Blonde take place in New York?"

"I don't hear from you for two months and this is what you call to ask me?" Yelena rolled her eyes. "But no, Legally Blonde was not in New York. It was in California and Massachusetts. Every self respecting Tri Delta knows that."

"Well, I am neither a Tri Delta or someone with self respect." Natasha yawned. "Was just thinking about how you have a little dog now. Like in the movie."

"He's Kate's dog, really. I'm just the babysitter."

"Or maybe the step mom."

"Okay, Nat, why did you actually call me?"