That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Peppermint Latte

Pep in her step and good jams in her headphones, Yelena Belova braved the crowded New York City streets on her trek to her new favorite place- a boujie coffee joint. She had never been there before, never so much as heard of it, but as soon as Pepper invited her for some coffee and a chat, Yelena adored it.

Dinner two nights prior had gone well, shockingly well, even, and both women were eager for more time to properly catch up. They had years to talk about, after all, and things to properly work out alone. Tony and Kate were wonderful, of course, but so was privacy.

Similar thoughts of anxiety and excitement ran through the respective women's heads as Pepper sat sipping a latte and as Yelena pulled open the door to the quaint shop, aroma of coffee beans strong as she entered.

Their eyes met instinctively, and Yelena almost couldn't believe it was actually happening. She swore she'd had dreams like this before, where the two of them could sit and talk for hours about everything, but this was real.

"Long time no see," Pepper joked pensively as Yelena approached her table, hoping the magic of a few nights ago hadn't been a fluke.

"What do you have there?" Yelena nodded to the drink, pulling her earbuds out.

"Peppermint latte, embarrassingly enough."

"In summer?"

"It's always peppermint season, dear."

"So it is."

Setting down her things, Yelena turned to order a drink and a pastry, though Pepper stopped her before she could go, stubbornly handing over some cash. Knowing better than to protest, Yelena allowed herself to be mildly spoiled, appreciating the gesture. She ordered herself a cold brew and a cheese danish before taking a seat across from the redhead.

"You've finally gotten into cold coffee, huh?" Pepper observed, smiling.

"And I'll probably never go back to hot," Yelena said, taking a long sip of the rich beverage. "Maybe I'll pull you over to the dark side."

"Too old for change, I'm afraid."

"Maybe not," Yelena shrugged, glancing down at Pepper's sizable wedding ring and trying to conceal a frown. "What happened to your plan to become a rich old spinster?"

Pepper paused, searching Yelena's face. "Happened out of nowhere. I met Tony and I just... I don't know. I didn't want to be alone anymore."

"You weren't alone."

"Of course not. You know what I mean."

Yelena took another sip of coffee, eyes now on the floor. "I guess I can't exactly talk, though. I've settled down too."

Pepper leaned forward excitedly, grateful for the change in topic. "Okay, what's the deal with this Bishop girl? She's adorable. And persistent."

"Isn't she?" Yelena couldn't help but beam. "Met her at a Halloween party last year. I kissed her that night and the rest is history. I can't believe I ever lived a day without her."

"That's how I feel about Tony. Most days, at least. Look at us, Yelena. Settling down with nerdy brunettes."

"How'd you meet him, anyway?"

"Well, after you..." the older woman paused, flash of melancholy crossing her face. "After you went to college, I started going to the gym, just to fill time, really. Saw him from across the room doing the most dreadful push-ups. I gave him some pointers and one date led to many, many more."

"You two are great for each other. I'm happy for you, really."

Yelena toyed with her glass, contemplating how much to reveal. Should she air out her frustrations on never being invited to the wedding, never so much as hearing about it until years later? Or should she let the past lie and focus on the present?

"You're more thoughtful than I've ever seen you, Yelena. What's on you mind, honey?"

"A lot," Yelena confessed with a sigh. "But also, not much at all. I'm trying to let myself enjoy this, but maybe not enjoy it too much, if that makes sense."

"You don't wanna get hurt again, I get it." Pepper leaned further across the table, offering a hand halfway. Yelena took it, folding into the contact easily. "This time around, everything is on your terms. You want to see me? Great. You don't? That's fine too. No pressure, no questions asked. Just know I'll be here when you need me, and I don't ever want to leave you again."

The sentiment was too much for Yelena to engage with directly, so she just nodded thankfully, though never removed her hand as she continued talking.

"So, how's business?"

"Oh, better than ever, honestly. I'm effectively the CEO of Stark Industries. It's a lot, but it's rewarding."

"What about Lemón?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm still in the athleisure game. But these days most of the work over there is handled by my protégé, Darcy."

"So you're basically running two Fortune 500 companies?"

"Not just basically. I am."

"Have I mentioned you're my hero?"

"God, I've been spending too much time with Tony. Flattery is starting to work on me." Pepper laughed easily, waving a hand. "But enough about me. Tell me about your sorority. I have a feeling running that may be harder than two companies."

Yelena nodded. "Sometimes it feels that way. There's drama, of course, and disagreements, but we all love each other. We are sisters, after all. The way everyone came together to take care of Kate this winter... yeah, I couldn't have a better group."

"What happened to Kate?"

"Oh." Yelena set down her drink, trying not to laugh at her lover's expense. "Sorry, it's only funny in hindsight. She got hit by a car when she was riding her skateboard."

"Okay, well, that wasn't on the bingo card. Is she okay?"

"She's fine now. She lived in my living room for a few weeks, had surgery, healed up. I'm sure the flock of sorority girls tending to her helped."

"I'm sure it did. They sound wonderful."

"You should come down sometime," Yelena offered before she thought better of it. "You know, if you want. There's a... a parent's weekend every fall and well, I don't know. It would be nice to have someone there. Even just to pretend for a weekend."

"That sounds wonderful." Pepper softened, hand squeezing Yelena's. "And I don't plan on pretending."

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Yeah long time no see, huh? Welcome back. I've missed you.

Also, I've broken my own golden rule and started publishing two books at once. My new KateLena slow burn, Catch Me When I Fall, is out now. Check it out, and thank you if you already have.