That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Finals Countdown

"I never asked how Spring Break was," Peter commented, flipping aimlessly through his textbook, old library chair creaking at the slightest shift.

Kate snorted, eyes diverting from her chemistry notes. "It was a dumpster fire. In a good way."

"To be expected from that group, no offense."

"No, none taken, it was a hot mess. So much happened, man. We got lost in the woods, nearly crashed the boat a few dozen times, Pietro got a ticket for littering-"

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Pietro. Wanda's twin brother."

"Wanda has a brother?"

"See, you get it." Kate took a sip of her energy drink, glancing at the coffee she bought for Yelena, who was running late for the study session. "It was a good time, though. How was Queens?"

"Charming as ever." Peter smiled amicably. "MJ and Aunt May get along a little too well, if you ask me. Pretty sure May wants me to propose, and she wasn't very subtle about it."

"Lock it down, Pete."

"Oh, not you too." He shook his head, fighting a grin. "Where's YB?"

"Right here," answered Yelena, propping her sunglasses atop her head as she approached the pair. She kissed Kate in greeting, plopping down beside her and presenting a brown paper bag. "For you, love. Sorry I'm late, the line was long."

Kate laughed, sliding over the coffee she bought Yelena. "Looks like we had the same idea. What's in the bag?"

"Only your favorite muffin."

"Coffee cake?" The brunette asked, eyes hopeful.

"Of course."

"I love you."

"All it takes is a muffin?"

"Or donuts. Or croissants. I'm a simple woman, Lena."

"I love you too." Yelena kissed her again, grinning. "How's it going, Peter?"

He sighed, chemistry textbook daunting in front of him. "It's... going. Barely. I'm crawling to the finish line."

"Thought you two were like, science wiz kids. What's happening in chem?"

Kate frowned. "I think me and Peter see science as more free form than our professor does. Like jazz."

"Or improv," Peter nodded.

"Okay," Yelena commented, "that's the smartest and possibly least smart thing I've ever heard. But I'm sure you two will be fine. Too smart not to be."

"That's what we keep trying to tell ourselves,"Kate mumbled, mouth half full of heavenly muffin. "But it's hard to think you have any sort of intellect when you're nearly failing lab."

Yelena frowned at the sight of the two tired, overworked, dejected brunettes. "Okay, no. We're not doing this today, nerds. Get up."

"What?" Peter said, toying with the edges of his textbook pages.

"You heard me. Stand up. We are not wallowing in this moth-ball-scented dungeon when it's beautiful outside." Yelena stood, gathering her bag, one hand on her hip. "We'll study on the quad. Get some fresh air... pollen, or something."

"Okay, that's a good idea," Kate acknowledged, packing up her bag as Peter did the same. Yelena scowled as Kate tried to leave with a library chair, and the brunette reluctantly set it back down.

"What's gotten into you two?" Yelena asked as they scouted the vibrant lawn for a place to sit. "You're the smartest people I know. It's unlike you to be so worried about school."

Peter shrugged as he settled on a spot underneath a massive oak. "I don't know. Just feels like there's all this... pressure all of a sudden."

"Could it... be the internship coming up?" Yelena posited, sitting down next to Kate. "I mean, it can't feel good to struggle through a science class right before you start the most prestigious science internship in the city."

Peter winced. "Yeah. That's it."

Kate flopped back onto the grass. "No studying will save me now."

Leaning on her elbows, Yelena agreed, "yeah, it probably won't. What you need is to get out of the big, intelligent head of yours. You know what you're doing. Just relax."

"Do I know what I'm doing? Do any of us?" Kate posed, making out shapes in the clouds above.

Yelena hummed. "That's fair, love. But in this instance, yes, I think you know what you're doing. Tony Stark will think so too."

"You know, I met him once," Peter said, head resting on his book bag as he leaned back. "Tony Stark."

"You have?" Kate asked. "When?"

"Winter break. I decided to just check out Stark Tower one night and somehow I ended up in a lab. Tony scared me to death when he found me."

"Why haven't I heard this before?"

"Eh, nothing came of it. I was sure I was gonna get arrested or banned until he saw what I was tinkering with. He said he'd keep my design in mind and showed me out. Five minute interaction, tops."

"See, he's fair," Yelena rationalized. "And clearly okay with a little rule breaking. You two are gonna fit right in."

"Thanks, babe," Kate said, taking Yelena's hand and kissing it gently. "You're right, we'll be fine. Just a little stressed over chemistry, that's all."

"I don't know how you STEM kids do it." Yelena took a long breath, turning Kate's hand over in her own. She paused before continuing, "Pete, you're from New York, right?"

"Queens, born and raised."

"Do you... do you know anything about a woman named Pepper? Pepper Potts?"

Kate sat up, eyeing Yelena as Peter mulled it over.

"Only that she's Tony Stark's wife now. What does she run, a fitness empire?"

"Yeah," Yelena nodded, wistful smile forming. "She got so tired of other brand's leggings that she just made her own."

"Do you know her, or something?" Peter asked, curious.

The blonde offered a small nod. "You could say that."

With that, the brunettes dove back into their studies with renewed vigor, determined to pass that beast of a class. Smiling, Yelena downed her coffee and pulled out a novel to peruse, but found concentration difficult. Her mind jumped back to memories and moments from the past, marking the present as wholly uninteresting and unfulfilling.

It felt odd for Yelena to lay back next to the love of her life and daydream about happier times, but she deserved to miss her family. She deserved a home life, a guiding force. Kate could not, and should not, provide it all.

Kate noticed the absent stare, the vacant eyes of the woman beside her, and moved to sit closer to her, so that her hip made contact with Yelena's shoulder. Kate did not move her, did not prod her or call to her, but provided enough of a firm presence to convey that she was there. She would not interfere with Yelena's wishes, now or in the future, but she would be there. Always.

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Idk how this chapter is but here you go.

I have 4 more (maybe 5) chapters planned because I think that's how many I can get out before school starts back up. They'll be way more interesting

Come the fall I wanna focus more on one shots. I love longer continuing narratives but I have to see how busy I am before committing to another book.

Thanks for reading