That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Princess in a Tower

With a latte and a yawn, Yelena Belova lounged on the firm mattress of her guest bedroom, trying and failing to read a book. After a sleepless Saturday night, tossing and turning and thinking of Kate, she woke up more tired than when she had gone to bed.

She sipped her drink, rich and smooth and made from the best in home coffee maker money could buy. She smiled sadly, looking around at her lavish bedroom furnished with expensive mahogany, a mini chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. After years of just scraping by, this amount of comfort felt almost unreasonable.

Closing her book, she set it aside on her nightstand and made her way out into the kitchen. It was a quiet Sunday morning; Tony was golfing with Stark Industry executives, and Pepper had a last minute meeting. Yelena was supposed to be out for coffee with Pepper now, but the blonde woke up to a note informing her of the sudden change.

It was just one morning, but it was a sobering reminder of how quickly she could go back to having no one. None of her bonds were blood, and could be severed with one bad conversation. In a way, this made any existing relationships more meaningful to her, as no one technically had to love her out of familial obligation, but they were more vapid.
Pepper could kick her out in a second with no recourse, Kate could cut her off without another word.

Oh, Kate.

The lack of communication from the brunette was distressing, but not unexpected. Yelena did tell her to get away for the weekend, after all, and space was vital. She should take some of her own advice, she thought, and reflect.

Swiping an apple from the fridge, Yelena traveled to the living room, melting into the couch. She set her latte on the coffee table, careful to use a coaster, and kicked her feet up.

It was a beautiful New York morning by all accounts. Sunny, cloudless sky, not too warm or humid yet. With a reserved sigh, Yelena rolled her apple in between her palms, eyes searching the cityscape below.

Is this how Kate felt all summer? Stuck in the silence and solitude of a New York penthouse, feeling like a princess in a tower? Surrounded by extravagance and lushness, but no one to share it with?

She took a bite of the apple. How could she have been so blind?

Yelena thought this had been the perfect summer. Spending the first half with Kate in her apartment, watching movies and falling asleep together, then reconnecting with Pepper and all she brought. Seeing Peter and MJ get engaged, flourishing at her internship. What a dream. Or so she thought.

As her life finally fell into place with stability and structure, Kate's life fell apart. Behind the scenes, for weeks, Kate suffered in silence, and Yelena failed to pick up the signs.

Groaning in frustration at her own emotional ignorance, Yelena picked at the apple's stem, rolling it in between her fingers, wishing she could have her last phone call back.

Of course Kate felt abandoned, of course she lashed out. While Yelena did not feel guilty for spending most of her time with Pepper, she still should have made time for Kate. She should have noticed the signs, even though the brunette bottled them up.

Pattering sounded from Pepper and Tony's bedroom, and Yelena glanced over her shoulder to see Lucky, head cocked as he padded over. The small pup yawned as he jumped up into Yelena's lap, another reminder of Kate's less than ideal summer.

How could Yelena fix this? How could she remedy weeks of ignoring the person who meant the most to her? And despite her callous remarks, Kate did go to bat for her, wrangle Pepper back into her life, so Yelena understood how she could feel traded.

"What am I gonna do, Lucky?" Yelena asked, thinking out loud as she patted the puppy's head. "Can you talk to Kate for me? I'm sure she'd listen to you."

Just then, Yelena's phone lit up, and she jumped, thinking it was Kate. Shockingly, though, it was a different Bishop lady.

"Hello?" Yelena answered tentatively.

"Yelena?" Asked Eleanor Bishop, adding to the blonde's confusion.

"Um, yeah?"

"You're with Kate, right?" She asked, sounding almost bored.

Yelena set her apple down next to her latte, leaning forward. "No?"

"Oh. Well, do you know where she is?"

"No. Do you?"

"Would I be calling if I did?"

"Okay... she's probably with her dad. Have a great day." With that, Yelena hung up, tossing her phone aside with a scoff. "Can you believe her, Lucky? Doesn't even notice her daughter went missing for a weekend."

Yelena ruffled Lucky's fur with a frown. That phone call was an encapsulation of every problem Kate had with her mother this summer- inattentive, dismissive, combative. At least she got away for a few days. She deserved it.

"I think we should pay Kate a visit on Monday. What do you think, Luck?"

The puppy yipped, licking at Yelena's hand seemingly in confirmation. She smiled down at the fuzz ball, her only company, as the rest of her Sunday passed in a contemplative blur.

The following morning, Yelena woke early, padding out into the living room, expecting to find Pepper going through her yoga routine, excited to join her. Instead, on the marble kitchen counter, she found a twenty dollar bill paper clipped to another note: went in to work early, get yourself some breakfast.

Frowning, Yelena glanced down at her phone, wanting so badly to talk to her girl. The blonde grew more anxious and lonely by the minute, but by hand of providence, her phone rang. Jubilated, Yelena smiled broadly, thumb hovering over the green icon on the screen.

Kate was always there. When Pepper skipped out on her, when her friends flaked, Kate was there. Even when she ignored her needs, spent a summer in another world, Kate was there for her.

"Hi," Yelena mumbled, in greeting.

"Hey, gorgeous," Kate sighed in relief and contentment, "I'm outside. Let's get coffee."