That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Yikes!

The last thing Kate Bishop wanted as she sulked home from the picnic was to spend another night in the penthouse with her mother. Worse, though, was the thought of Eleanor not returning home again, leaving Kate, in solitude, with her thoughts.

She should have just gone to the movies when Yelena offered. Peter and MJ left to go to some museum together, Yelena bailed to the cinema with Pepper, but Kate could not be mad at any of them, really. She just wanted to be seen.

It was almost mind boggling how blind Yelena seemed to all this, but then again, sometimes she was not the best at reading Kate's feelings. Sometimes, she got tunnel vision, like at the sorority party so many months ago or with Pepper now. Add to the fact that Kate was not always great as vocalizing her wants and needs, and a recipe for conflict brewed.

Sighing, Kate unlocked the door to her cavernous apartment, cold and unwelcoming as she melted into the living room couch. As she had for weeks, Kate booted up her gaming console, hoping that the flashing colors and strobe lights would somehow melt her brain.

Video games, movies, and eventually, sudoko provided little respite, and Kate grew restless. She wanted her friends, someone to talk to, someone to lean on, but mostly, frustratingly, she wanted Yelena.

Wanting a friendly voice and maybe some advice, Kate dialed up her father. No answer. She called again. No dice. Frowning deeply, she tried Carol. Nope. Apparently, no one on earth wanted to talk to Kate Bishop.

A small voice of reason reminded her that was not true, that Yelena literally invited her to the movies a few hours ago, but Kate was too far gone. The last few weeks had just been a rolling, growing snowball of self loathing, doubt, and rejection, and right now, healthy or not, Kate was content to let the snowball barrel out of control.

Dejected, Kate decided to call her girlfriend up, figuring the movie was over by now. Of course, no answer. That's fine, Kate reasoned, maybe it was a long movie. An hour later, she tried again. Nothing. Another hour, still nothing.

Finally, after seemingly eons, Kate received a call back, and she answered, tired and annoyed.

"Hey, babe," Kate flatly greeted.

"Hey!" Yelena said, excited. She was clearly out, with background chatter filling the other line. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I can hear you. Are you at a bar, or something?"

Yelena laughed heartily, confusing Kate, until she realized the blonde was engaged in conversation with another party.

"Yelena?"

"What's up, Katie?"

"Same old. Just sitting here by myself."

"Sorry, what? It's really loud in here."

"Can you go outside, or something?"

Kate heard rustling from Yelena's end, chairs sliding, the opening and closing of a door. "Okay, I'm outside. What's up?"

Kate bit her lip. So much was up, yet so little all at once. She missed Yelena, she missed her friends, even though she had seen them mere hours ago. She missed the summer she thought she would have, one where she and her girl would spend the evenings together, drinking and talking well into the morning.

Theoretically, Kate could still do those things. It's not as though Pepper would stay up with them should Kate come over. But still, something stopped her. Maybe she did not want to ruin Yelena's relationship with Pepper as she did with her own mother. Maybe she was jealous, resentful of the fact that Yelena was spending more time with the woman Kate worked so hard to wrangle back into her life. Maybe Peter was right, and this was all just self sabotage. And Yelena seemed so happy, why couldn't Kate feel the same?

"Not much, babe. Just miss you," Kate finally replied, feeling bad for calling in the first place. "Sorry for spamming your phone."

"No, I'm sorry I missed all your calls. But if you miss me, come join us! We're at this dive around your block, it's super cute."

Balking at the suggestion, Kate scoffed, "us?"

"Babe, yeah, I didn't just go out at night by myself. Pepper's here." Yelena paused, smile faltering. "So, you coming?"

"No, I don't think so."

With a huff, Yelena leaned back against the exterior brick wall of the bar. "Is there something going on? You're lonely but you won't come over. You miss me but you won't go to the movies, won't come to the bar."

"You know I don't like the crowds..."

"Okay, but you won't even come over to the apartment. You'll go see Aunt May and Peter but not me?"

"You're always with Pepper," Kate mumbled. "I don't want to intrude."

Yelena grew indignant. "Are you sure that's it? Because I've told you over and over again that you wouldn't be intruding. I'm literally inviting you, Kate."

"Okay, well, sorry. I'm... I don't know. Rough few weeks."

Softening momentarily, Yelena replied, "yeah, I know. And for the record, I miss you too."

"Wanna get lunch tomorrow, maybe? Have some coffee and just... talk?"

"I can't tomorrow, love..."

"Already got plans?"

"Yeah..."

Kate nearly laughed. "With Pepper?"

"Why does that matter?"

Tears of frustration and loneliness pricked at the corner of Kate's eyes. "It doesn't, I guess. I just can't believe you don't see what I do."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I can't get five minutes with you these days!" Kate said, not holding back now. She ran a shaking hand through her hair, a few tears falling. "You're always with her! And I know I sound like an asshole, Lena, but it sucks to be traded for a woman that I introduced you to in the first place."

Yelena's jaw clenched, and for the first time in their relationship, the blonde felt actual anger toward her girlfriend. "Yeah, you really do sound like an asshole. I don't have millionaire mom and a super chill dad to fall back on. I'm sorry you can't handle being alone for a few weeks, but I was on my own for years."

In a matter of moments, Kate felt like the worst girlfriend on earth. Sure, she'd had a rough go this summer, but Yelena was right. The blonde had been through so much, losing her parents, going into the system, enduring so much uncertainty. Now, she had stability for the first time in forever, and Kate had to go and step all over it.

"I just miss you," Kate repeated, voice small.

"Yeah, and I miss you too, but Kate, that was really fucking low. Honestly, how dare you. If you have a problem, talk to me about it. Don't take cheap shots." Sighing, the blonde paced around, wind completely out of her sails. "Look, Pepper's gonna start wondering where I went, so I better get back inside."

"Okay..."

"Kate, I love you, but I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty pissed at you. Take the weekend, go see your dad or something, we'll get lunch on Monday."

"Just us?"

"Jesus Christ, Kate."

With that, Yelena hung up, and Kate cursed loudly, tossing her phone across the living room. Slumping impossibly deeper into the stiff leather couch, Kate let her tears fall freely. In nearly a year of dating, she had not messed up this monumentally before, and as she gazed dazedly out of massive glass windows overlooking the city, Kate was not sure of how to fix it.

But, somehow, she would find a way.

___________________________
I think this girl in one of my classes has a crush on me 😳

Also, I think the summer chapters are quickly coming to an end. This book isn't tho. I'm just in my fall semester and I want the book to be too.

Also also, sorry this got angsty I honestly wasn't planning on it, but I think it's important to show that even loving and stable relationships aren't always perfect.