Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

spéirbhean: beautiful woman, fair lady. a woman who is as beautiful as the sky.

Misty tapped her foot nervously as she sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair outside Myrtle Snow’s office. The woman was due to meet with her any minute, but Misty’s nerves made the wait feel like an eternity. She hated first days. As excited as she was about this job, she still felt the butterflies swarming in the pit of her stomach as her leg bounced restlessly.

“Misty?”

Misty quickly stood at the sight of the principal. Although it was not her first time meeting Myrtle, she still found herself caught slightly off-guard by her eccentric appearance. She followed her into the office and took the seat offered to her, declining her offer of tea. After exchanging pleasantries, Myrtle gave a quick overview of the general rules of the school and handed Misty a print out of her timetable. A quick glance told her she was pretty busy, English being one of the core subjects for all students. This brought a smile to Misty’s face and her nerves started to settle; she was here to do something she loved, and she found herself getting excited to start teaching her classes.

“This was really just a chance for me to wish you luck and answer any last minute questions you might have,” Myrtle explained. “Other than that, welcome to Robichaux’s.”

The two women continued to make easy small talk as they left the office, making Misty feel more confident than when she arrived that morning. Myrtle stopped in the middle of her rather vivid description of the library as a young woman walked past. “Ah, perfect. Mallory!” she called out.

The woman – Mallory – backtracked and made her way over as Myrtle beamed. “This is Mallory, she teaches History here. Mallory, Misty Day is our new English teacher. You wouldn’t mind taking her under your wing for a few days until she gets used to the place, would you?”

Mallory smiled brightly at Misty, immediately putting her at ease. “Of course! I was just on my way to the staff room; I’ll show you the way.”

Bidding Myrtle goodbye, Misty followed Mallory down the hall and past several sets of stairs. Misty looked around her as she walked the corridors, spotting the many posters and signs adorning the walls. As they passed several anti-bulling signs and sign up sheets for various extra-curricular activities, the younger woman started chatting to Misty as if they had known each other for years. “Myrtle can be a bit much,” she smiled dryly. “You get used to her theatrics, don’t worry.” Misty laughed, secretly delighted to have made a friend so quickly, especially one who seemed to be all too aware of Myrtle Snow and her eccentric ways. Being the new kid wasn’t limited to students – Misty was thankful to have someone to stick with while she adjusted to the school. “The coffee here isn’t, like, Starbuck’s quality,” Mallory continued as she pushed a door open with her hip. “But it’s surprisingly good for a high school staff room – and it’s definitely needed for the first day back after summer.”

Misty looked around the room as Mallory poured them both a cup of coffee. It was a fairly large room, with tables dotted around the place and notices hanging from a board on one of the walls. Windows went along the entire room, providing a huge amount of natural light. She smiled her thanks as she accepted the chipped mug held out to her. “The mugs leave a bit to be desired, but oh well,” Mallory muttered under her breath. Suddenly, her face lit up and she waved enthusiastically over Misty’s shoulder. “Come on,” she grabbed Misty’s free hand. “I’ll introduce you to some people.”

Still holding her hand, Mallory led Misty to a table in the far corner of the room where two women were sitting. Taking a seat beside one of the women, Mallory gestured for Misty to sit across from her as she helped herself to one of the croissants in the middle of the table.

“Guys, this is Misty Day, she’s the new English teacher. Misty, this is Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt,” she pointed to the woman beside her. “She teaches French. And,” her finger moved to the blonde sitting beside Misty. “Cordelia Goode. Biology.”

Misty gave a confident smile to both women. She threw an extra look to the woman beside her, taking in her soft features, already feeling significantly less confident after knowing Cordelia Goode for all of three seconds. Cordelia was… beautiful. And Misty was a sucker for a beautiful woman.

“God, Misty, you’re gorgeous.” Misty looked at Coco in surprise. “That’s honestly not even fair.”

Misty gave a surprised laugh at the compliment. “Um, thank you?”

Cordelia leaned over the table and swatted Coco’s arm. “Leave her alone, Co.” She turned to Misty and smiled warmly at her. Misty melted slightly in her seat and found herself wanting to be on the receiving end of that smile all day every day. “Don’t mind her, she flirts with anyone who has a pulse.”

Misty laughed again, glad to have been welcomed into the group. “Good to know,” she smirked at Coco, who winked shamelessly back. “It’s nice to meet y’all.”

“See!” Coco teased. “She doesn’t mind. Do you have a boyfriend, Misty?” Mallory rolled her eyes silently at Coco’s blunt question.

Misty shook her head. “Nope.”

“I find that incredibly hard to believe. How can someone who looks like you not have a man?”

“Probably ‘cause I don’t like men,” Misty shrugged casually. She paused, hoping she hadn’t just lost the only three friends she had in this entire school.

“Ugh, that’s so much better!” Coco exclaimed dramatically. “I swear if I were, like, one percent gay I would give up on men completely.”

Misty breathed a sigh of relief that no one seemed the slightest bit fazed at her revelation. Cordelia smiled at her, seemingly making the decision to save her from Coco’s incessant commentary about setting her up with “someone totally hot”.

“So, how did you end up with Mallory?” she asked.

“Oh, Myrtle Snow spotted her when I was leavin’ the office and she asked her to show me around.”

“Aw, Mallory, you’re such a Good Samaritan,” Coco commented.

“She looked like she needed saving from Myrtle, so I couldn’t leave her stranded,” Mallory laughed back.

“God, that woman is so batshit crazy, I love her.”

Misty sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee, smiling at the antics of the three women, who were all clearly very close. She felt surprisingly comfortable in their company, and she thanked her lucky stars that Mallory had passed by when she did. She snuck another look at Cordelia, who was laughing at something Coco had said. The blonde seemed to radiate sunshine, the way she was so naturally bright and gorgeous. She shook herself out of her thoughts when the bell rang, standing with the others and gathering her things off the table.

“What classroom are you in?” Mallory asked.

“Um,” Misty rooted through her bag for her timetable. “365.”

Cordelia looked up at that. “Hey, that’s right across the hall from me,” she smiled. “Do you want me to show you where it is?”

Misty beamed at her. “That’d be real nice, Cordelia, thanks so much.”

Parting ways from Coco and Mallory at the staff room door, Misty followed Cordelia as she made her way to her classroom. “Have you been teachin’ here long?” she asked as they swerved around a group of students running to class.

“No running please girls,” Cordelia called behind her, met with a chorus of “yes Miss Goode”. She turned back to Misty. “I’ve been here since I graduated, so a few years now.”

Misty nodded at her. “Have you moved to the area recently?” Cordelia continued.

“Yeah, I moved into my new house about a week ago, so everythin’ is a bit all over the place.” Misty held a door open for Cordelia, who smiled her thanks. “I forgot how much of a pain movin’ house is.”

Cordelia breathed a laugh. “It really is,” she agreed. “Do you live alone?” She paused in the middle of the corridor. “That was a really personal thing for me to ask, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer.”

Misty waved her off, bumping her with her shoulder. “Nah, you’re all good,” she promised. “And yeah, I live alone. Well, I have a cat. Who I’m not entirely sure likes me, actually, but she’s kinda stuck with me now.”

Cordelia laughed again, a light sound that Misty longed to hear again, coming to a stop outside a classroom. “Well, this is you.” She pointed to a door across the hall. “And that’s me, so if you have any questions or need help with anything, just pop in and let me know. I know how nerve-wracking first days can be.”

Misty smiled back at her. “Why, thank you, Miss Cordelia,” she said. “I might just take you up on that offer.”

And, was that a blush on Cordelia’s cheeks?

Misty smirked at her, leaning in closer to speak quietly in her ear. “And thank you for bein’ my tour guide today. It’s much appreciated.”

Cordelia took a step back in surprise, looking flustered. “You’re welcome,” she said quickly. “I’ll, uh,” she pointed to her classroom where students were filing in, their loud chatting and laughing filling the corridor.

“Sure thing,” Misty smiled. She looked back to her own classroom and took a breath. “Wish me luck.”

Cordelia reached out and squeezed her forearm. “You’ll do great,” she reassured. And with that, she turned and entered her classroom, immediately quietening the noise there.

Misty gave a relieved sigh as the last of her students left the room. She was delighted with how her morning had gone; her students had all been lovely, as well as accommodating to the fact that she was new to the school. Excluding a few students being harmlessly hyper for their first day back, it had all gone better than she’d spent all night worrying about. Organising her desk a little bit, she got ready for lunch, hoping she’d remember the way to the staff room. Based on the amount of attention she had spent on Cordelia instead of the route they were taking that morning, she wasn’t overly confident she would.

“How’d it go?”

She looked up to her open door and smiled at the sight of Cordelia leaning against the frame, her lunch in one hand. Speak of the devil.

“Good, I think. I’m hopin’ it’s not just luck for my first day,” Misty smiled back.

Cordelia shook her head and walked further into the room. “I’m sure it’s not just luck.” She sat on the edge of Misty’s desk, close enough that Misty could smell her perfume. “I figured you might need help getting back to the staff room.”

“I definitely do,” she admitted as she followed Cordelia out of the room.

Misty made sure to pay more attention the second time round, refusing to let herself get lost just because she was too busy staring at her colleague in a totally normal way. “Are you in class all day?” Cordelia asked when they reached the staff room.

“I have a free period straight after lunch.”

“I do too,” Cordelia replied. “Do you want to skip the shitty coffee here and grab one in the place across the road after lunch?”

Misty looked at her, admiring the way the light from the window highlighted the blonde in her hair. Shit, why is she so pretty. “Yeah, I’d really like that,” she said.

Cordelia smiled, and Misty felt like the most special person in the room to be on the receiving end of it.

Their walk to the coffee shop was filled with small talk and Misty and Cordelia got to know each other much better by the time they sat at a table with their drinks. Misty found herself wanting to hear everything she could about Cordelia’s life, leaning in closer as she spoke about how she had become friends with Mallory and Coco.

“You’re right,” Misty said as she held up her cup. “The coffee here is much better than in the school.”

Cordelia nodded as she sipped at her drink. “I try to come here any time I have a free period at lunch time. Although, the staff room is handier when you’re swamped in tests to grade.”

By the time they had finished their coffees, hanging around afterwards to carry on talking, their free period was coming to an end. They packed up their things and started heading back across the road to the school.

“I wanted to thank you, Cordelia,” Misty said sincerely when they reached their classrooms. “For showin’ me around today. I really do appreciate your help.”

Cordelia smiled brightly. “It was no problem,” she shrugged. “I’m glad you’ve settled in okay. And I’m always just across the hall if you want anything.”

With that, Cordelia disappeared into her classroom with a small wave, leaving Misty standing outside her room alone. She stared at the closed door Cordelia was behind, still able to smell her floral perfume.

She groaned quietly. She was pretty sure she was developing a literal high school crush.

God, she was so fucked.

Chapter Text

“Who’s ready for our yearly experience of hell?”

Mallory looked up from the tests she was grading, her red pen poised over an answer. “The parent teacher meetings are not that bad, Coco.”

Coco flopped into the empty seat beside her, resting her chin in her palm. “They absolutely are, they make me question my decision to become a teacher every single year. Cords knows what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Cordelia raised her head from where she and Misty had been deep in conversation, close enough that their heads were practically touching. “Hm?”

Coco rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you stopped flirting for five fucking minutes you’d have heard me,” she muttered under her breath, causing Mallory to snort beside her. “I was saying,” she repeated louder. “There’s nothing worse than parent teacher meetings.”

Cordelia wrinkled her nose. “Oh, yeah, they’re not great.”

“Ya really think so?” Misty asked. “I always find it nice to talk to people about how their kids are doin’.”

“Well, none of us have to deal with the charming Hank every year like poor Cordelia, ain’t that right babe?”

Misty threw Cordelia a questioning look. “Hank is a parent, I’ve taught his son since he started in this school,” she explained to her. “And he has asked me out at every single parent teacher meeting I’ve had with him, as well as flirting with me any time he sees me outside the school.”

Misty shoved down the illogical feeling of jealousy and mild anger that simmered in the pit of her stomach. “Ain’t that harassment?”

Cordelia shrugged. “I just ignore him. But it does make parents evening a bit painful.”

As the bell rang, Misty stood absentmindedly and picked up her bag from under the table. Over the several weeks that had passed since school began, Misty had well and truly become part of Mallory, Coco, and Cordelia’s close-knit group. She had become particularly close with Cordelia, with whom she seemed to connect with on a deeper level than the other two. Misty knew it was, to a certain extent, due to her ever-growing crush on Cordelia, which had bypassed the teenage crush stage after the first two weeks and was now fully in the I want to be with you all the time and hold your hand and cook you breakfast stage, resulting in her now having developed honest to God feelings for Cordelia that only seemed to grow with every interaction they had. Cordelia had very quickly come to represent the sun in Misty’s life, something bright and warm that everything else Misty did revolved around.

“You walking down with me?”

Misty shook herself out of her thoughts at the voice that seemed to haunt all her dreams. Nodding quickly, she followed Cordelia out of the staff room and downstairs to their classrooms, parting ways at their doors like they did every morning.

“Hey!” Misty called out just as Cordelia was about to enter her room. She swung back around to face Misty. “Do you wanna grab some lunch during our free period today? My treat.”

Cordelia smiled at her brightly and Misty felt her stomach flutter in what was becoming a regular occurrence when she was on the receiving end of that smile. “Sure, sounds great. See you at lunch.”

As Misty slowly turned to start her own class, she bit her lip and let a tiny smile appear on her face. She could never quite figure Cordelia out – they had become very close very quickly, but Misty still struggled to read her sometimes. Usually, Misty could tell if a woman liked her or not, but Cordelia was some sort of enigma that puzzled Misty more and more with every smile she flashed.

This was uncharted territory for Misty. Usually she was the confident one, the one who flirted and made the first move and made other women weak at the knees. But now the tables were turned; she didn’t know how to stop being so flustered over this woman, and she had never felt less ready for the chase.

At lunch time, Misty walked across to Cordelia’s classroom, knocking on the open door to announce her presence. Cordelia looked up at the noise, and Misty’s breath caught at the sight of her glasses. Misty had found out a week into their friendship that Cordelia wore reading glasses, having come into her classroom one day after school to say goodbye and catching her wearing them while marking homework.

Misty’s life hadn’t been quite the same after making that discovery.

Turned out she had a bit of a thing for glasses. Who’d have guessed.

“You good to go?” she asked once she’d managed to drag her thoughts out of the gutter. (These days, they seemed to dive straight in there most times she saw Cordelia’s glasses. Or her hands. Or really just her in general.)

“Yes, two seconds.”

They walked across to the coffee shop, which had become their regular haunt during their shared free periods, which luckily occurred twice a week. Misty was very aware that each trip felt more and more like a date.

As Cordelia made her way over to the table Misty was keeping for them, her arms laden with their food and drinks, Misty could literally feel the heart eyes she was giving the woman. Honestly, if she was any less enamoured with her she would be embarrassed with herself.

As it was, she couldn’t really bring herself to care how dumb she looked.

It was at that moment, when Cordelia carefully laid their stuff between them on the table and plonked herself tiredly in her seat, that the sun shining through the window caught her perfectly. It made her look like an angel, with light shining from within. And suddenly, things became very clear for Misty.

She was falling, desperately, hopelessly, stupidly in love with Cordelia Goode.

The thought hit her like a train, fast and brutal. Logically, she’d known her feelings for Cordelia were more than a crush, that her feelings ran deeper than that; they were the kind of feelings that made her want to let Cordelia consume every piece of her soul. She wanted late nights and sleepy mornings, hand holds and tight hugs. She wanted coffee dates that were actual coffee dates, where they could sit and talk about their day and Misty wouldn’t have to hide her feelings or keep her facial expressions in check so she didn’t look too much like a puppy, hanging off every word that came out of Cordelia’s mouth.

Unfortunately, that was not happening any time soon. Or any time ever.

“Are you okay?”

Misty was jolted out of her thoughts at Cordelia’s question. “Yeah,” she reassured. “Just thinkin’ ‘bout the parent teacher meetings.”

They fell back into a comfortable silence, Misty watching Cordelia eat her lunch.

“Does that Hank guy really hit on you every year?” She asked suddenly after a few minutes.

“Mhm.”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

Cordelia looked at her, her fork paused midway to her mouth. “What?”

“Does he make you uncomfortable,” Misty repeated. “Because I can sit near you in the assembly hall during the meetings if you’d rather.”

Cordelia looked surprised at her, and honestly Misty was surprised at herself as well. The sudden surge of protectiveness flowed through her, making her want to drop everything to make sure nothing ever hurt Cordelia.

“No, no, you don’t need to do that. It’s not that big a deal, I’ve dealt with worse from guys over the years.”

“You shouldn’t have to!” Misty surprised even herself with the ferocity in her tone. “You should report him, or, or, let me beat the shit outta him or somethin’.”

Cordelia gave her an amused look. “You’d beat the shit out of Hank Foxx on my behalf?”

“Of course I would,” Misty said sincerely. “All you ever have to do is say the word.”

And maybe she was saying too much, letting too much of her feelings shine through, but she couldn’t really bring herself to care. She wanted – needed – Cordelia to know that she would protect her with everything she had, would send her soul to hell just to make sure Cordelia was happy if she asked her to.

Cordelia just looked at her with an unreadable expression on her face. Misty shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling like she had definitely come across too strongly for “just friends”. But Cordelia didn’t seem freaked out; she just sat there serenely and went back to eating her lunch.

The atmosphere was changed after that, though, and Misty wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not.

She was scared it wasn’t.

But as they walked back to the school, their shoulders bumping as they pushed past rushing students late for class, Cordelia looked over at Misty with a soft smile. They both paused outside their classrooms, more hesitant to part ways than they usually were. Cordelia’s hand reached out slightly, almost as if to grab onto Misty’s, but she retracted it quickly and formed a fist by her side.

“I’ll see you at the meetings?”

Misty nodded slowly, not breaking eye contact. “You betcha.”

Misty was going to kill someone.

Not just anyone, though, a very specific someone who was currently drooling over Cordelia like a horny teenager.

When Coco had told Misty about Hank’s insistent flirting every time he saw Cordelia, she had gravely underestimated how bad it actually was - and how much it would make Misty’s blood boil for reasons she had no right to have.

But there he was, leaning over the table with a smug smirk and looking at Cordelia like she was his next meal.

“Do you need to go punch something?”

Misty started at the voice over her shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Coco standing there with a grin on her face.

“I dunno what you mean.”

“Mhm, sure.” She came around to the front of the desk and sat in one of the seats placed for the parents. “Y’know, I’m sure if you went over there and gave him a piece of your mind, Cordelia would be more than impressed. She’d probably be quite turned on, actually, I’ve always gotten a vibe that she likes to be dominated a little bit.”

Misty blushed at the images that sentence prompted in her brain, closing her eyes briefly. “Shut up, Co.”

“What?” Coco asked innocently. Dropping the act, she leaned across the desk. “Oh, c’mon babe, I’m going through a slow period with parents and I’m bored.”

“Go annoy someone else, then.”

“It’s literally so obvious to everyone except her that you like her, why are you even trying to deny it?”

“I dunno, maybe because we’re really good friends and she’s straight!” Misty snapped, finally tearing her eyes away from Hank and Cordelia. Their interaction was lasting too long for her to be able to deal with. After a beat of silence, she looked at Coco cautiously. Coco was never silent.

“What?”

Coco looked like she was trying desperately to remain serious, the beginnings of a laugh lifting the corners of her mouth. “Nothing, I just…” she paused. “Who told you Cordelia was straight?”

Misty stared at her. “What?” she repeated, seemingly unable to come out with anything more articulate.

This time, Coco did let out a laugh, but she reigned herself in quickly. “Babe, Cordelia hasn’t been straight since we were, like, seventeen.”

Misty knew she needed to close her mouth so she didn’t look like a total idiot gaping at Coco, but she didn’t think she was able to. At least she was self-aware.

“Cordelia’s not straight?”

Coco shook her head. “Nope. Bi as can be. Seriously, how could you not recognise that. I thought lesbians were meant to be smarter than this.”

Holy shit.

Misty didn’t know how to process that information. The fact that the woman she had been head over heels with since the first time she met her actually liked women was a possibility Misty had never factored in. She had been so convinced that Cordelia was straight she had never actually considered the idea that maybe she wasn’t.

“Okay, well… that still doesn’t mean anything, just ‘cause she’s bi doesn’t mean she’d like me.”

Coco rolled her eyes so hard Misty wasn’t sure she hadn’t hurt herself. “Jesus, Misty, can you stop being a useless lesbian for five fucking minutes and actually look at the world around you. I’ve been best friends with Cords since high school, I’ve seen her crush on people. And I’ve seen how she gets around pretty women. It’s quite entertaining, actually. So I’m fairly sure she has some sort of feelings for you, babe.”

Before Misty had the chance to reply, another set of parents arrived at her desk, and she shooed Coco away so she talk to them. Coco had thrown an obnoxious wink over her shoulder as she walked away, and Misty was quick to plaster a smile on for the parents instead of flipping Coco off like she wanted.

Parent teacher meetings were always draining, but Misty enjoyed giving feedback about her students, taking pleasure in the way people lit up when they heard their child was doing well in school. By the time it was over, though, she was about ready to curl up in her pyjamas with some wine. She met Coco and Mallory near the door of the assembly hall, where they were on their way over to Cordelia, who was talking to Myrtle. Mallory and Misty both greeted her politely, but Coco pushed past them and brought the woman into a hug, letting her plant a kiss on each cheek in response. Misty quickly picked her jaw up off the floor at Coco’s actions, hoping she hadn’t been sneaking vodka to help her through the meetings like she’d joked about earlier. As she watched them chat animatedly about some latest designer clothes, Misty caught Cordelia looking at her. She flashed Misty another bright smile, and everything Coco had said to her earlier came rushing back to her.

“Right, let’s get out of here at long last.”

Coco’s voice bought her back to earth, the blonde giving Myrtle one last hug before linking arms with Mallory and dragging her towards the door.

Cordelia shook her head at her best friend, shocking Misty by giving Myrtle a hug as well. “Bye, dear,” the older woman said. “I’ll see you at dinner next weekend.”

Misty furrowed her brow in confusion at the interaction, but before she could figure it out, Cordelia pulled away from the hug. “See you soon, Auntie Myrtle.”

“Myrtle is your aunt?” Misty asked as she and Cordelia caught up with Coco and Mallory.

Cordelia nodded. “Not biologically, but her and my mother go back years; Myrtle practically raised me.”

“Hurry up, bitches!”

Cordelia rolled her eyes and linked her arm with Misty, speeding up to meet Coco before she started yelling any louder. Misty’s nerves fluttered at the contact, gripping Cordelia back.

“So, here’s the plan,” Coco announced with a mischievous glint in her eye when they all arrived back at the staff room. “We’re all gonna go home and freshen up, and then we’re hitting the town. I deserve a drink after the day I’ve had dealing with all those parents asking how their precious babies are doing. Get ready and meet at mine at nine – do not be late.”

Cordelia opened her mouth to object, but Coco cut her off before she could. “No, Cords, I’m not hearing any excuses. I need you to not act like an old lady this weekend, please, and put on your sluttiest dress that’ll have all the guys and gals staring at you.”

Cordelia blushed and threw an unreadable glance at Misty. “Are you going to come?” she asked her quietly.

Misty tried not to think about Cordelia wanting her to be there. “Sure, why not,” she answered, even though her brain was screaming at her to say no, to stay inside and get wine drunk with her cat and forget that Cordelia Goode existed for two whole days instead of putting herself in a dark bar with Cordelia in a short dress and an endless supply of alcohol.

But the smile Cordelia had on her face after her confirmation made her forget every reasonable thought in her head.

Chapter Text

Misty had never regretted a decision more in her life.

In fact, this may have topped the one and only time she kissed a boy in high school, right before she quickly realised that she was most definitely gay.

The music was loud, and she could feel the floor beneath her vibrate from the volume. The two shots of tequila Coco had forced her to drink before they left the house had started to hit her, and she found that her eyes kept drifting to Cordelia every five seconds. But, really, who could blame her?

Cordelia had arrived forty minutes late to Coco’s house (“Don’t kill me, I was dealing with my mother.”), and Misty’s breath had caught in her throat when she saw her. She was wearing a red dress that cut off mid thigh, with the very top of her chest slightly exposed. As if Misty wasn’t close enough to death already, when she turned around to greet Mallory, Misty had seen that the dress was open backed, and Cordelia was most certainly not wearing a bra.

That was when Coco had shoved the second tequila shot into her hand. She downed it without even thinking about it, not missing the way Cordelia’s gaze lingered on the drop of tequila wetting her top lip for a beat too long afterwards.

Cordelia herself took two shots in quick succession in an effort to play catch up, Coco pouring her a third with a muttered comment about her needing it if her mother was involved.

And now, they were leaning against the bar waiting for more drinks, Mallory and Coco having made a beeline for the dance floor as soon as they got in. Cordelia and Misty had taken the calmer approach of heading for the bar first – Misty knew she would need a lot more alcohol in her system if she was going to dance anywhere within five feet of Cordelia and that dress. Cordelia bit her bottom lip and looked over at her, and Misty was genuinely horrified at the reaction something so simple caused her body to have.

“Hi,” Cordelia smiled. Misty grinned back at her.

“Hi.”

“You look really nice tonight.”

Misty opened her mouth the return the compliment when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she saw a tall woman smirking at her as she leaned against the bar.

“Hey there,” she said confidently. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Misty looked at the woman briefly – her dark red hair rested messily at the shoulders of her black lace top, and she held herself with the air of a woman who had never heard the word ‘no’ in her life. Usually, Misty was well capable of both picking up women in bars and being the woman who got picked up, but something about her close proximity to Cordelia made her brain short circuit on a normal day, never mind when she was dressed like that and looking like an absolute dream. She found herself comparing the woman in front of her to Cordelia without even knowing her, and Cordelia definitely won.

“Um, I, actually-“

She cut herself off at the feeling of a warm hand drop to her upper thigh. “If you’re done hitting on my girlfriend, we were actually in the middle of a conversation.”

Misty tried to school her features at the sound of Cordelia’s voice by her ear, shrugging at the woman who was looking more than a little bitter at getting turned down. “Sorry, I’m taken,” she shrugged as she covered the hand on her thigh with her own.

When the woman had turned on her heel and stalked away, Misty shifted in her seat to face Cordelia again, her hand still holding hers in place on her thigh. Cordelia didn’t seem to mind, using the small bit of movement her hand had to tap a mindless rhythm against her skin with the tip of her finger, causing a shiver to run through Misty’s body.

“Sorry, you just looked like you could use a hand,” Cordelia leaned in to apologise in her ear, not looking the slightest bit sorry for getting rid of the woman.

I could definitely use a hand. “Thanks,” Misty said instead, squeezing the hand still on her thigh. “You were right.”

“Hey, bitches!”

They jolted apart at Coco’s return, her and Mallory clearly having taken more shots since they were last all together if their energetic, albeit slurred, movements were anything to go by. Cordelia cleared her throat and placed both her hands by her drink on the bar. “C’mon, you have to dance!”

Despite Cordelia’s protests, Coco grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the dance floor, Mallory taking Misty in a much less aggressive manner. Misty took the few steps to the dance floor to catch her breath and reason with the part of her brain that was currently screaming into the void at the idea of dancing with Cordelia. She was a grown woman, for God’s sake, she was capable of dancing with someone she liked without completely losing the run of herself. Probably.

Once on the floor, it didn’t take long for them to let loose, and it didn’t take much longer for Coco and Mallory to spot two guys on the other side of the club, throwing a quick “see you later” over their shoulders as they disappeared.

Left together again, Misty proved the rational part of her brain wrong and moved closer to Cordelia. The other woman watched her through bright eyes, the alcohol clearly starting to have an effect on her. When Misty was within reach, Cordelia reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, effectively bringing her even closer. Misty responded by placing her hands on Cordelia’s shoulders as they danced.

Smiling brightly, Cordelia laughed as she and Misty danced together, close enough that Misty could smell the tequila she had drank earlier mixed with her usual perfume. She swung Misty around in a surprising show of strength, and together they stumbled around the floor in a mess of tangled limbs and breathless laughs.

Suddenly, Cordelia reached between them and grabbed Misty’s hand tightly. “Let’s sit down for a minute, my feet hurt.”

Misty let herself be tugged away from the dance floor to a table in a quieter corner of the club, knowing full well she would willingly let Cordelia lead her anywhere she wanted on this earth.

Sitting heavily in the booth, Cordelia pulled Misty down with her so they were sitting side by side, close enough to be pressed up against each other. Misty held on to her hand tightly when she went to pull it away, and Cordelia flashed her a look but let her keep her hold. They sat like that for a few minutes, comfortable enough to not feel the need to talk to each other, just letting the alcohol dull their senses. Misty could hear Cordelia’s quick breaths beside her as she recovered from their constant dancing, and the sounds of the little puffs right by her ear were slowly driving her and her imagination to the brink of insanity.

It wasn’t long before the silence started to get to Misty. Her leg started to bounce rapidly in an attempt to expel some of her nervous energy. She desperately wracked her brain for something to say, wanting to hear Cordelia’s voice in her ear again, anything to distract her from the feeling of Cordelia’s body so closely pressed up against her own. She turned to face her, the distance between their faces practically non-existent. Cordelia held her gaze steadily before opening her mouth to start to say something, then closing it again. Her eyes dropped to Misty’s lips, staying there for too long to be passed off as casual. Misty could feel her body screaming at her to kiss her, and it was getting harder and harder to ignore that voice now that alcohol was involved. Cordelia opened her mouth again, but before she got the chance to speak, Misty leaned in and captured her lips, finally giving in to whatever high power had been yelling at her all these weeks. Cordelia was still for a split second before she pushed into the kiss, her hand coming up to settle in Misty’s curls as Misty placed one palm on her cheek and the other against her hip, stroking small circles there.

Misty felt like she could finally breathe the second their lips connected, like she’d been drowning all this time and Cordelia was her oxygen source, filling up her lungs. Cordelia’s lips were as soft as she had imagined (and she had imagined a lot), and Misty found herself smiling into the kiss. She heard Cordelia’s breath hitch when their tongues touched, her grip in Misty’s hair tightening momentarily. And, God, she felt like a missing piece in Misty’s life, slotting into place so perfectly like a puzzle piece. Misty honestly felt like she could set up her home in Cordelia’s arms, more than happy to live out the rest of her days there, to hell with everyone else.

Their kiss got messier, small pants coming from both of them as their lips crashed together and Misty pulled away to place blazing open mouthed kisses on Cordelia’s neck. Just as Misty was considering how best to ask Cordelia to come home with her without sounding like she was begging, said woman pulled away from the kiss abruptly, running a shaky hand across her wet lips with wide eyes. Misty smiled at her, swiping a thumb over her cheek, but Cordelia pulled away further until she was completely out of Misty’s grip, leaving a distance between them that felt more than physical.

“Cordelia-“

“We can’t do this,” she interrupted. “What are we doing, what-“

Misty reached for her only to be shrugged off again. “Cordelia.”

Cordelia just shook her head, sliding out of the booth and standing on shaky legs. She looked so utterly disarming, her hair tousled and lips wet, the hem of her dress sliding up her thighs tantalisingly. Misty’s heart ached for her, and not just sexually – Misty wanted every part of Cordelia, even the bits Cordelia herself didn’t want. She looked at Misty and waved a hand between them. “We can’t- this didn’t happen. This can’t happen.”

“What do you mean?” Misty was out of the booth now as well, standing in front of Cordelia, who looked like a spooked animal ready to bolt at any minute.

“I mean we can’t- we work together, and, and, we’re friends, and-“

“Do you like me?”

Cordelia stopped short, staring desperately at Misty.

“Do you like me,” she repeated. “Because you sure kissed me like you felt somethin’.”

“I have to go.”

Misty watched her turn and flee, weaving through the crowd to get to the door. She felt like her feet were glued to the floor, all her muscles frozen in place. Her world seemed to have been turned upside down, her brain still trying to catch up with reality, part of her still stuck back in that kiss. She was completely thrown by Cordelia’s reaction, ad she cursed herself to being upset, for convincing herself that it meant something, that they were finally about to take that leap into being something more. She had felt like all her dreams had just been landed at her feet, neatly wrapped with a sparkling bow on top, only to be dragged away again as she reached out for it. Just before she completely lost sight of Cordelia, she came back to her senses, shaking herself out of her shock at how quickly the situation had changed. Practically running through the club, she shoved past the groups on the dance floor and straight into the dark night, looking around frantically for Cordelia.

“Shit,” she muttered when she couldn’t see the older woman. “Shit!”

She pulled out her phone, scrolling to find Cordelia’s name and clicking into the contact, holding the phone against her ear as it rang out. Running a hand through her hair, she tried once more to no avail before sending her a text instead. The sight of their previous text conversations sent a pang right through Misty’s heart. Things had been so good.

23:47 please call me

23:47 i just want to talk to you

23:51 cordelia

23:54 please don’t ignore me, i’m sorry if i overstepped

23:55 you’re my best friend, please don’t let this ruin that

Eventually, after giving herself five minutes to let out the tears that had been threatening to overflow since Cordelia had ran away, Misty made her way back inside, finding Coco and Mallory sitting at the bar surrounded by several men practically begging to buy them drinks. She slid between them and rested a hand on Mallory’s shoulder. “I’m headin’ home, kay?” she told them both, having to yell slightly to be heard over the music.

“Where’s Cords?”

Misty shrugged at Coco. “She went home, I think. I’ll see ya Monday, yeah?”

Coco waved at her, already turning her attention back to the guy at her other side. Mallory grabbed Misty’s wrist before she could get away. “Are you okay?” she asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

Misty nodded jerkily. “Yeah, great. Jus’ a lil tired is all.”

Mallory held her hand for a moment longer before nodding and letting her go, not thoroughly convinced. “Ring me if you need me.”

Misty leaned against the wall outside as she waited for her cab, wanting nothing more than to sink into her bed and sleep for the rest of the weekend. She suddenly remembered work on Monday morning, wishing she didn’t have to face Cordelia after her phenomenal fuck up. She groaned, thudding her head back against the wall before pushing herself off it at the sight of her taxi pulling up.

She was, once again, fucked.

Chapter Text

Misty pulled into the staff car park on Monday morning feeling more nervous than she had felt in a long time. She had tried talking to Cordelia countless times over the weekend, but had once again been ignored. Her entire Saturday was spent texting and calling Cordelia while she wallowed in the depths of her hangover; the consequences of crying herself to sleep the night before coming in the form of a splitting headache she couldn’t entirely blame on the tequila. Misty had hoped that, once Cordelia had a chance to process everything, she would be more willing to talk, until sometime Sunday morning when her phone calls stopped going through, indicating that Cordelia had turned her phone off. Part of Misty was dreading seeing her; but the other half was desperate – desperate for a glimpse of the face she had come to love, desperate to see if Cordelia was as upset about this as she was, desperate to make up with her.

She walked into the staff room feigning confidence. She had plastered a smile on her face before she left the car, determined not to let Cordelia see how ruined she was over this whole nightmare. Cordelia was early to everything, and she always arrived before Misty, who had been known on occasion to fly into the staff room at 8:58am in a flurry of untamed hair and papers falling out of her hands. But as she made her way over to their unofficial table, there was no sight of Cordelia. She sat beside Mallory, who was watching Coco text rapidly.

“What’s up with her?” she asked, needing a distraction from Cordelia’s obvious absence. Was this because of her? Did she not show up to work because she was that against seeing Misty?

“She’s trying to get a hold of Cordelia,” Mallory explained. “No one has heard from her all weekend except for one weird text she sent Coco last night.”

Misty’s heart plummeted. She’d expected awkwardness, maybe even Cordelia ignoring her, but not anything like this. This wasn’t Cordelia. Cordelia didn’t ignore her friends all weekend just because she was mad at one person. Cordelia didn’t just not come to work, or not text Coco twenty times a day (even when they were literally in the same building). The two had been practically inseparable since they were teenagers – if Coco couldn’t contact her, something might be wrong. Misty couldn’t shake the thought from her mind that something could have happened to Cordelia, and the last time they’d been together had ended in tears.

After several minutes of cursing at her unopened messages, Coco’s phone rang, surprising her so much she nearly dropped it. Misty jumped at the sound, biting her lip nervously.

“Cords?”

Misty could hear a voice on the other end but couldn’t make out what was being said. She focused on Coco’s face instead, hoping for a clue as to what was going on. If anything, her angry expression just made Misty more nervous.

“I’ll fucking kill her,” she was seething down the phone. “Are you okay?”

There was more talking on the other end, and Coco spoke a few more times before she hung up and dropped her phone on the table.

“Is she okay?” Misty asked desperately.

Coco gave her a suspicious look. “Don’t think I don’t know something weird happened between the two of you on Friday night,” she said. “I may have been drunk, but I still remember being able to cut the sexual tension with a blunt butter knife.” She picked up her phone again as it dinged in a tone Misty knew was set just for Cordelia’s texts. “She’s fine, she just sounded a bit upset. Apparently Fiona arrived from L.A. on Saturday and they’ve been having blow up arguments ever since. Her flight leaves again this morning, but Cordelia’s taking the whole day off, so it must have been rough.”

Mallory’s face turned sympathetic, but all Misty could focus on was that Cordelia was upset, upset enough to take a day off work. “Who’s Fiona?” she asked.

“Her mother,” Mallory explained, but Coco scoffed.

“Yeah, some mother. We all know she never gave a shit about her.” She turned to face Misty. “She’s an absolute bitch, but has a killer wardrobe. Her and Cordelia have never gotten on, even more so after she practically abandoned Cords and sent her to live with Myrtle so Fiona could go off sleeping with men and snorting cocaine.”

Misty thought back to the interaction she had seen between Cordelia and Myrtle the week before. “She practically raised me.” Suddenly, Misty wanted to do nothing more than to wrap Cordelia in her arms and never let go. She wanted to show her how she deserved to be treated. After the bell rang, she pulled up her text conversation with Cordelia again, not wanting to reread all the unanswered texts she’d sent since Friday night. Making her way to her classroom, Misty paused before she entered her class.

9:03 heard u had a rough weekend, just wanted to check u were ok. ring me if u need me

Sighing, she pocketed her phone and refused to look at Cordelia’s closed classroom door.

The rest of the day dragged on, one class blurring into the next as Misty let her teacher persona take over. Any time she wasn’t thinking about The Great Gatsby, she was thinking about Cordelia. She missed her so much, even though it had just been a weekend. She was used to seeing her during the day, and texting her in the evenings and ringing her at the weekends. They were always talking.

Lunch came and went without her attention, eating her lunch on autopilot and nodding at various intervals during the conversation Mallory and Coco were having.

“What’s up with you today, you’re acting like a lost puppy.”

Misty looked up from her pasta. “Nothin’, just tired,” she said unconvincingly. Coco raised an eyebrow, and Misty sighed.

“I think I fucked up,” she leaned across the table to say quietly.

“Oh, do tell.”

“I may have… kissed Cordelia on Friday night. A lot.”

Coco’s jaw dropped. “Oh my God,” she squealed, lowering her volume at Misty’s glare. “I knew something happened between you! I mean, I thought it was something slightly more innocent than that, but I like that you’ve managed to surprise me.”

Misty dropped her head into her hands with a groan. “Coco, I’m serious, I fucked up.”

“What, couldn’t get her off? That would surprise me actually, you look like a woman who knows what she’s doing.”

Misty blushed and whacked Coco’s arm. “You put the stupid idea in my head that she liked me back, so I fucking kissed her in the club.”

“I’m still not seeing the problem here.”

“The problem,” Misty hissed. “Is that she was drunk and kissed me back, and then had a total freak out and ran away, and she’s been ignoring me ever since.”

“Oh, I’ll fucking kill her.” Coco peeled her banana aggressively. “What a dumb bitch.”

“I fucked up,” Misty muttered again from where she had returned her head to her hands.

“Babe, chill, she probably just panicked, you know what she’s like for overthinking things. Right, Mallory?”

Mallory, who Misty had actually forgotten was there, nodded in agreement. “She definitely likes you, Misty,” she assured. “Maybe you just need to give her some time to process.”

“No, fuck that,” Coco interrupted. “You need to make her talk to you and pull her head from out of the sand.” She waved a hand at Mallory’s look. “What? A bit of tough love never hurt anybody.”

“I’m going to class,” Misty announced, despite there still being ten minutes left in lunch. “I’ll see y’all later.”

Coco’s words haunted her for the rest of the day. She was torn between wanting to give Cordelia time and wanting to shake her until she listened to what Misty had to say. She rested her head on her arms and groaned once the last student had left at the end of the day. She didn’t know if Cordelia was coming to work tomorrow, but she couldn’t take another day of this. Grabbing her bag and running to the car park, she caught Coco just as she was sitting into her car.

“Coco!” she called out. The woman waited for her to jog over, tapping her nails on the steering wheel with an expectant and smug expression on her face. Misty stopped in front of her and took a deep breath.

“Can I have Cordelia’s address?”

Misty pulled into Cordelia’s drive and gave herself thirty seconds to pull herself together and get out of the car. She wiped her palms on her thighs nervously and knocked on the front door. Misty had a whole speech prepared for when she got to Cordelia’s house, practicing it over and over again on the drive over, changing it and repeating it until she knew exactly what she wanted Cordelia to know.

But the second she looked at Cordelia, every word of her speech went flying out of her head.

When Cordelia opened the door, she looked exhausted, her face bare of makeup and her hair thrown into a messy ponytail.

Misty didn’t think she’d ever seen her look more beautiful.

She was struck with the sudden need to see this version of Cordelia more often, the version she kept behind closed doors. She wanted to wake up in the morning and go to bed at night with the day stripped from her façade, the only one privileged enough to witness Cordelia in her true form.

She opened her mouth, and no words came out.

Cordelia stood there, looking like she would have been less surprised to see Jesus himself standing on her doorstep. “What are you doing here?”

Misty rolled her shoulders back, hoping she came across as more confident than she felt. Something about this woman had the ability to take every bit of assurance Misty had and completely decimate it, making her hands tremble with nerves. She had the underlying feeling that what came out of her mouth next, how this conversation went, was going to dictate the rest of Misty’s life.

“We need to talk,” she said.

Cordelia regarded her a moment, and Misty was afraid she was going to tell her to get lost, but then she stepped back into the house and opened the door wider for Misty.

Walking into Cordelia’s space overwhelmed Misty in the best way possible. She looked around the house, trying to take it all in at once. She was hit with everything Cordelia; the smell of her perfume, the pictures of her with various other people that were dotted around the place, the book and half drank glass of wine on the coffee table. Misty could almost see the rest of her life play out in front her in these rooms, a life with Cordelia that painfully felt just out of reach. Almost like if Misty’s stretched far enough, if she used just the right words tonight, she could have it.

Cordelia led them to the couch, draining the rest of her glass and gesturing to the bottle. “Do you want a glass?”

Misty shook her head, wanting a clear mind. She didn’t trust herself not to lunge at Cordelia and kiss her senseless (again) if she were drunk.

They sat on the couch in silence for what felt like the longest minute of Misty’s life before Cordelia spoke. “I’ve had the weekend from hell, Misty, so if you could get to the point quickly I’d appreciate it.”

Cordelia did genuinely look like she’d been through the wringer, and Misty was so desperate to pull her close and comfort her. She risked holding out a hand and letting it rest on the couch between them. Cordelia bit her lip, but hesitantly placed her hand in Misty’s, closing her fingers around it. Her eyes fluttered shut at the contact and she bit her lip harder. When her eyes opened, Misty was shocked to see the tears there. Throwing caution to the wind, she shuffled closer on the couch and wrapped an arm around Cordelia, letting her rest her head against her. “I’m sorry,” she choked, physically trying to keep the tears from spilling over. “I’m just so tired. And I missed you so much this weekend.”

Misty shushed her gently, rocking them both and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Once Cordelia had regained control of herself, she pulled back. “I’m sorry about Friday night,” she apologised. “I shouldn’t have… I don’t know. I shouldn’t have let it happen. And I shouldn’t have ran when it did.”

“We need to talk about it.”

Cordelia nodded and went to speak again, but Misty shook her head. “Me first,” she said. “I’ve got some stuff I wanna say.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She put more distance between them on the couch, knowing she couldn’t say all she had to say when Cordelia was sitting so close to her.

“I don’t regret kissing you, Cordelia,” she started. “I regret that we were drunk when it happened, and I regret that I didn’t get to take you out first, but I don’t regret that it happened. Actually, I’ve thought about it just about every wakin’ minute since Friday night. I missed you so much this weekend, because I need you, Delia. More than I think I’ve ever needed anyone. I’ve been alone since I was nineteen, but you make me want to not be. You make me want to be with you, and I am so fuckin’ in love with you that it actually hurts. So I don’t regret kissin’ you, but I’m sorry I went about it the way I did, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable or upset. And I’m so sorry if I’ve ruined our friendship because I swear that was never my intention. But I can’t not love you.”

She released a big breath after she finished, proud of herself for saying her piece. No matter how Cordelia reacted, she had done what she came to do, and she was proud of herself for that.

When she finally made eye contact with Cordelia, the woman was crying again. Misty resisted the urge to comfort her again, knowing that if Cordelia hated her she needed to be as close to the door as possible. But when she looked up, Cordelia didn’t look angry.

“I am so in love with you,” she cried. “You make me like myself more, and you make me laugh more, and you make me love you more every single day. The entire time my mother was here, I wanted to ring you, just so I could hear your voice.” She took a shuddering breath. “I wanted you here with me so you could hold my hand and make me brave while Fiona yelled at me about every wrong decision I’ve ever made in my life. Misty, I love you. I love you.”

Misty stared at her, feeling her own eyes well up with tears while Cordelia spoke. She dragged a hand over her cheek roughly to dry it. “I’m so sorry I ran,” Cordelia continued. “I panicked. I regretted it as soon as I left, but you overwhelm me so much, and I didn’t know what to do with all the things you make me feel. Please forgive me.”

Misty reached out her hand and Cordelia grabbed it tightly. “It’s okay.” She said.

Cordelia shook her head. “No, it’s not. I hurt you.”

“We could always try again,” Misty shrugged. “Take two?”

She leaned in slowly, letting Cordelia know what she was doing. She paused just before their lips met, able to feel Cordelia’s breath against her mouth. “You gonna run away this time?” she asked quietly. Cordelia breathed a laugh and shook her head.

“No chance.”

Misty closed the gap. She kept the kiss gentle, unlike last time – they had all the time in the world. She could feel Cordelia smile against her lips, muttering apologies and declarations of love. Misty’s hand came up to hold her neck, deepening the kiss. She moaned softly at how different this kiss felt to their first. There was no pounding music, no tequila flowing through their veins, no rush to taste as much as possible before it was too late, like the forbidden fruit you knew you couldn’t have but just had to taste. This was different.

Cordelia broke the kiss first, holding Misty’s cheeks in both hands and pressing teary kisses to Misty’s face before she leaned back fully. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi.”

Misty brushed a strand of hair that had fallen out of Cordelia’s ponytail, tucking it behind her ear. Cordelia reached up and held her hand there. Misty leaned in for another kiss, this one deeper and hungrier than the previous. Dragging herself away before she pushed Cordelia onto the couch to make some of her favourite dreams come true, Misty cleared her throat in a sudden show of nervousness. She refused the temptation to avoid looking at Cordelia, locking eyes with her determinedly.

“Would you like to go for dinner with me sometime?”

“Like a date?”

“Very much like a date, yes.”

Cordelia smiled widely. “I would love to go on a date with you.” She leaned in to capture Misty’s lips, but she dodged her.

“One last question,” she promised. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

Cordelia’s laugh would have worried for her were it not for the loving smile that graced her face. “Are you asking me to go steady with you?”

Misty laughed as well, wrapping her arms around Cordelia’s waist and peppering playful kisses on her shoulders and neck. “Maybe I am,” she muttered against the hollow of her neck. She pulled away and leaned her cheek on Cordelia’s shoulder. “Well? Will you?”

Cordelia kissed her, wrapping her arms around her neck as she poured every emotion into the kiss, almost like pouring life into Misty. “Yes, I will be your girlfriend,” she said. She rested her forehead against Misty’s and closed her eyes. She steadied her breathing and Misty realised how tired she still looked.

“Have you slept much this weekend?”

Cordelia shook her head silently, never taking it away from Misty’s. Misty wrapped an arm around her waist and the other under her knees, lifting her as she stood. Cordelia gave a squeal of surprise, her arms wrapping around Misty's neck automatically. “I got you, darlin’,” Misty punctuated her sentence with a kiss. “Which way is your bedroom?”

Directing her to her room, Cordelia looked up at Misty expectantly after she was dropped gently onto the bed. But instead of kissing her again like she had expected, Misty just kicked off her shoes and removed her jumper and jeans, leaving her in underwear and a t-shirt. She crawled under the covers beside Cordelia and lifted her arm for the other woman to crawl under. Pressed together, Misty dropped a kiss on Cordelia’s head that was resting on her chest. “Sleep,” she ordered softly. “You need it.”

Cordelia tilted her head to look up at her. “Will you stay?” she whispered. Misty looked down at her vulnerable expression and kissed her furrowed brow. “I’ll stay,” she promised. “I’m not going anywhere.”

She held Cordelia tightly as the other woman fell asleep, her exhaustion and emotions having finally caught up with her. Misty stayed like that, scratching her scalp lightly with her nails and feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath.

She fell asleep like that, thinking about every way Cordelia fit perfectly into her life, seeing her future play out like a movie montage; together, every step of the way.

Chapter Text

spéirbhean: beautiful woman, fair lady. a woman who is as beautiful as the sky.

Misty shoved her face further into her pillow with a groan. “Turn it off,” she mumbled, waving an arm in the direction of the alarm that had dragged her out of a dream about giraffes.

She heard a light laugh before the alarm was silenced, and she relaxed back into her pillow with a tired sigh. Her peace didn’t last long before she felt a hand trailing through her hair, coaxing her back into wakefulness.

“You have to get up for work. You know, educating our young people and all that?”

Misty sleepily opened one eye to look at Cordelia. “I miss summer,” she complained.

She sat up in bed and stretched her arms above her head, winking at Cordelia when she spotted her staring at where her tank top had risen up. “I hate first days.”

Cordelia dragged her eyes up from Misty’s stomach. “I know you do, babe.” She watched Misty swing her legs over the side of the bed and shove her feet into the pair of Lion King slippers Cordelia had gotten her for her birthday.

Cordelia, already looking far too put together for such an early hour, started digging around in her makeup bag for mascara while Misty shuffled into the bathroom. Re-emerging a moment later with a toothbrush dangling from her mouth, she threw a shirt onto the bed. “Hey,” she said around a mouthful of toothpaste. She turned to Cordelia. “Today marks a year since we first met.”

Cordelia looked up from the mirror. “I guess first days aren’t always bad, then,” she teased.

Misty threw a pillow from the bed at her on her way back to the bathroom. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

She tried to tame her hair in the mirror, already missing the days of summer holidays when she could wander around with her hair in whatever state she wanted. She spied Cordelia out of the corner of her eye, already putting her shoes on. She paused with her hairbrush hovering by her curls, thinking about this time last year with a fond smile. The months that had passed since they became a couple were the happiest of Misty’s life, and she knew Cordelia felt the same. Once they had actually talked about their feelings like proper, emotionally healthy adults, they had been able to settle into a relationship that had the comforting familiarity of one that had lasted decades.

“I’m heading downstairs, I’ll see you when you’re ready,” Cordelia passed her with a peck on the lips, disappearing from the room.

Misty watched her go, her mind drifting. She had always known Cordelia was different, that the way she felt about her was different. Their relationship was something special, and Misty had no doubt in her mind that Cordelia was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Her eyes settled on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf that stood against one wall of their bedroom. She threw her hairbrush back on the vanity and made her way over to it, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder on her way. From between her copies of classics, somewhere Cordelia never bothered with, Misty pulled out a brown paper bag. She reached in and grabbed the small box hidden inside it, popping it open and looking at the ring that sat inside. She had been unsure about buying it, not wanting Cordelia to think she was moving too fast. But, she knew for certain that she wanted Cordelia to be her wife, so she spent hours secretly looking at rings until she found the perfect one. It glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window, a single diamond flanked by two smaller diamonds, subtle enough that she felt confident Cordelia would like it.

“Mist, do you want tea or coffee?”

She jumped at the voice yelling up the stairs, quickly snapping the box shut and shoving it back into the bag. “Uh, coffee please!” she called back, carefully rearranging her books so the bag was once again hidden. She stared at the spot for a second, weighing up her choices.

“Today marks a year since we first met,” she repeated under her breath.

She’d do it tonight.

Cordelia and Misty waved at Coco and Mallory as they made a beeline to their usual table in the staffroom. They dropped their bags and coffee cups on the table while they exchanged greetings, already getting back into the routine of the school year.

“I had to work to keep our table this year,” Coco commented in lieu of a hello. She threw a glare at another table on the other side of the room. “The maths department tried to steal it. They think they’re better than everyone else just ‘cause they can do long division.” She raised her voice slightly. “Well, at the rest of us are able to get laid.”

Cordelia hushed her. “Are you trying to start a fight?”

Coco shrugged. “I could take them,” she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I swear, next time they come over to this table it’s on sight.”

Cordelia shook her head in resignation while Misty laughed. Mallory shoved Coco’s coffee closer to her. “Here, drink some of that, it’ll make you feel less murderous.”

Cordelia bumped shoulders with Misty. “Stop laughing, you’ll only encourage her.”

“Misty is my number one fan, she’ll always encourage me. She’s the kinda gal I’d call if I needed to hide a body.”

Misty laughed again, and this time Cordelia joined her. “I’m honoured, Co, truly.”

By the time the bell rang at 9am, they were all fully awake and caught up on the latest staff room gossip. Turns out, not much had happened since it was Misty and Cordelia at the centre of the gossip, when everyone became aware that they had been dating for two months without anyone knowing (except Mallory and Coco; Coco had spent those two months bragging about how she was the one to push them together, and that she should quit teaching and become a matchmaker, and that she would also be very happy to officiate their wedding if they gave her enough notice to buy a new dress for the occasion).

“You ready?”

Misty flashed Cordelia a smile and nodded. Bidding Coco and Mallory goodbye, the two walked the familiar route to their classrooms. Pausing outside their doors, Cordelia gave Misty a warm smile before she turned to her class.

“Lunch today? We have a shared free period again this year.”

“Definitely,” Misty nodded. “I’ll see you at lunch.”

“Hello, Ms. Goode.”

Cordelia looked up from her desk and grinned at Misty. “Hello, Ms. Day,” she greeted. “Ready for lunch?”

“When am I ever not ready for lunch, I’m starvin’,” Misty walked further into the room and sat on the edge of a desk at the front of the class, her long legs dangling over the side of it. She watched Cordelia tidy away her books before grabbing her handbag and standing. “You’re so organised.”

“Well, not everyone can function in the chaotic mess you seem to thrive in,” Cordelia remarked. She reached out for Misty’s hand and tugged her off the desk.

They walked side by side through the school, dodging the over-excited students who were loudly reuniting with friends after the summer. They dodged a group of girls who were already arguing with each other, and Misty grabbed onto Cordelia’s upper arm.

“I definitely didn’t miss this part of school,” she muttered in her ear. “I swear gettin’ to the staffroom at lunch time every day is like trekkin’ through a jungle.”

Cordelia nodded and leaned closer to whisper in Misty’s ear. “I’d forgotten how much drama was involved in being a girl in high school.”

Eventually, they managed to make it outside, where they began their familiar walk to the coffee shop across the street. Misty pulled out her purse and pointed to a small table in a corner. “I’ll get them, you go save us a seat.” She watched Cordelia weave her way between tables until she got to the empty one. Something about her made Misty feel warm, like when you lie in the sun and feel the comforting warmth wash over your skin. Being with Cordelia made Misty feel like that always, like the sun was warming her from the inside out.

Cordelia looked up from her phone and spotted Misty watching her. She smiled and gave her a little wave, and Misty almost felt like a teenager with a crush as she felt her own smile grow in response. They were well past the honeymoon stage, having entered a sort of domestic bliss that made Misty dream about sharing her life with Cordelia until they were old. Even without the honeymoon stage of butterflies swarming in her stomach every time Cordelia smiled at her, Misty never stopped feeling like she was falling in love all over again. She still smiled stupidly when she thought of getting to go home to Cordelia every day, and still looked at her like she held the whole universe in her hands.

And, in a way, that was how she knew Cordelia was the one – the only one – for her.

Arriving at their table, she placed Cordelia’s coffee in front of her and took a sip of her tea. “How’s you first day back going?” she asked, producing a blueberry muffin for them to share.

“So far so good,” Cordelia shrugged as she tore a piece off the muffin. “One of my seniors asked if I was still, and I quote, ‘gay for Ms. Day’.”

Misty snorted. “It rhymes and everythin’.” She glanced up at her. “And? Are you?”

“Am I still gay for you?” Cordelia smirked. “Always.”

“Good to know.”

Cordelia tilted her head at Misty. “Are you okay? You’ve been a bit quiet today.” She covered Misty’s hand with her own. “Has something happened?”

Misty cursed herself for not having a better poker face. “No, no, everythin’ is fine, honest.” She forced herself to relax in her seat, smiling at Cordelia. “I’m just tired, first day and back an’ all.”

Cordelia squeezed her hand, seeming to accept her answer. “Only a few more hours and we can go home,” she reassured her. “We could order some food and watch Netflix?”

“Actually,” Misty suggested, trying to come across as casual. “I was thinkin’ of cookin’ dinner tonight. It’s been a while since I made somethin’ for you.”

Cordelia nodded. “Sure, sounds good.”

Misty swallowed nervously and lifted her tea to her mouth in an attempt to distract from her slightly shaky hands. The closer the time got, the more her nerves seemed to grow. She didn’t even know why she was nervous – it was just Cordelia. She had never been more comfortable around anyone in her life, and the time when she used to make her nervous was long gone. She pushed the rest of the muffin towards Cordelia, finding her appetite lacking for once.

She threw a glance at the clock on the wall. Just a few more hours to go.

“Okay, what’s up with you today? You’ve been weirder than usual.”

Misty looked up at Coco, who threw herself down in a chair beside Misty. Cordelia and Mallory were both teaching, so Misty was taking advantage of her second free period that day to go over her lesson plans for the week. Coco, who also had a free period, was more likely to be spotted downing coffee or reading gossip articles on her phone rather than doing anything related to her job.

“I dunno what you mean.”

Coco fixed Misty with a look. “Don’t bullshit me, babe, you’re a terrible liar.”

Misty held eye contact with her for a few seconds before she broke, looking back down to her lesson plan. She bit her lip and looked around anxiously. Leaning in, she lowered her voice. “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”

Coco looked like all her birthdays had come at once. “Absolutely I do, I love secrets. God, this better be good, what is it?”

Misty took a breath and lowered her voice even further. “I’m gonna propose to Delia tonight.”

Whatever reaction Misty had been expecting, it wasn’t the shriek of excitement that came from Coco the second she told her. She reached over the table and clamped a hand over her mouth, shushing her. Coco shoved her away. “Babe! This is so exciting!”

“Ya think so? You don’t think it’s too quick?”

“Hell no, you two are so in love it’s sickening.”

Misty twisted her thumb ring around several times. “Do you think she’ll say yes?”

Coco reached out and grasped Misty’s hands in hers. “Babe, she will absolutely, positively, 100% say yes. She loves you so damn much.”

Misty finally smiled at her, relaxing slightly. “I’m really nervous,” she confessed.

“Don’t be,” Coco said confidently. “Seriously, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” She leaned back in her chair and swiped her hair out of her eyes. “How long have you been planning this?”

Misty closed her planner, giving up on getting any work done now that Coco was involved. “I bought the ring a few weeks ago, but I wasn’t sure when to do it. I decided this mornin’ that I’d do it today.”

Coco beamed at her. “I’m so happy for you, Misty, really. You both deserve this.”

Misty laughed lightly, happy to have someone to share her plan with. She knew Coco loved to gossip, and always told Cordelia everything, but she also knew she was one of the most loyal and trustworthy friends she’d ever had. Her excitement rubbed off on Misty, who’s nerves were beginning to ease at Coco’s confidence.

“I swear, if I’m not maid of honour, I’m objecting during the ceremony.”

Misty laughed again, calmer this time. “As if you’d ever let Cordelia get away with not immediately asking you.”

Coco smirked. “It’s my job as her best friend to make sure she doesn’t forget the person who used to hold her hair back when she drank too much in school. It’s not easy, you know, being such an amazing best friend.”

Stepping back into the house that evening gave Misty a sense of relief she hadn’t expected. “God, I forgot how tiring teaching teenagers is,” she said, falling on the couch.

Cordelia lifted her legs and sat down beside her on the couch, dropping Misty’s legs into her lap. She tapped her fingers against Misty’s ankle in peaceful silence for a few minutes before the other woman sat up.

“Dinner time,” she exclaimed. She gestured for Cordelia to follow her into the kitchen. “Cajun pasta sound good?”

Cordelia watched Misty cook, attempting to help several times but being shooed away (“Are you capable of relaxin’ for five minutes and lettin’ someone cook for you?”). Instead, she opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a glass, taking Misty’s advice and relaxing. Before long, Misty was setting a plate in front of her with an overexaggerated bow.

“Your dinner, madam.”

They chatted throughout dinner, trading stories about their students and the challenges that came with the first day of school. When they had finished, Cordelia took the dishes to the sink, batting Misty away. “You cooked, I clean.” Misty relented, but insisted on drying, so they stood side by side in a comfortable silence, grinning at each other every time their hands met over a plate.

Drying her hands, Cordelia grabbed the half empty bottle of wine and moved to the sitting room, grabbing the remote and settling down beside Misty. Setting up Netflix, she scrolled through to find something to watch.

“What about this, I’ve heard it’s go-“

She was cut off my Misty taking the remote from her and turning off the TV.

“I thought we were going to watch something?”

Misty shook her head, steeling herself. “I wanna talk to you first.”

Cordelia looked at her, nodding cautiously. Misty could see the badly concealed nerves in her eyes, in the way she fiddled with her fingers, and she spoke again quickly, hating that she was making Cordelia feel anxious.

“Delia,” she started. “I dunno about you, but this is the only relationship I’ve ever been in that’s made me feel the way you make me feel. You make me feel… shit, it sounds cliché, but you make me feel complete. Like there was somethin’ missin’ before and I didn’t even know it, not until I met you. And then, I didn’t feel like I was just floatin’ through life anymore.”

Cordelia opened her mouth to speak but Misty held up a hand to stop her. “You gotta let me finish or I’ll never say it,” she pleaded weakly.

Cordelia’s mouth snapped shut.

“I love the life we’ve made together – it doesn’t feel like I’m livin’ my life and you’re livin’ your life and they just happen to coincide, it feels like we live a shared life. And that’s what I want. Forever. And even after that. Damn, I’d follow you down to hell if it meant I could still be with you.”

She paused and swiped her palms nervously against her thighs. Silently cursing the slight tremble she could see in her hands, she reached down to pull the black box from where she had hidden it just under the couch. She turned back to Cordelia, who’s eyes were brimming with unshed tears, a shocked but happy (Misty hoped) smile appearing on her face.

Now or never.

Misty slid off the couch and propped herself on one knee in front of Cordelia. The other woman breathed a laugh, a few tears spilling over. She didn’t bother to wipe them away, choosing instead to look at Misty with what could only be described as pure love, in its truest and most unfiltered form.

“Cordelia Goode,” Misty said determinedly, her voice thankfully coming out stronger and more confident than she felt. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone. And I’m not certain about a whole lot in life, but I am certain about that. And I’m certain that you’re it for me. There’s no one else. I want to get to spend my life with you. So,” she opened the box and Cordelia let out a quiet sob at the sight of the ring inside, glittering softly. “Will you marry me?”

If Misty thought she had felt true happiness before, it was nothing compared to how she felt when Cordelia nodded and threw herself into Misty’s arms, repeating her ‘yes’ over and over through her sobs. Misty’s arms circled around her waist, holding her tightly as a few of her own tears fell.

Cordelia pulled away but kept one of her arms wrapped loosely around Misty’s neck. She used her other hand to wipe away her tears before doing the same for Misty. “I love you so much,” she whispered. She kissed her softly. “We’re going to get married.”

Misty grinned at her. She gently took the ring from its box and held it up. “So that’s a definite yes?”

Cordelia laughed despite the tears still on her cheeks. “That’s a definite yes,” she repeated.

Misty reached for her hand and kissed it gently before slipping the ring on Cordelia’s fourth finger.

It fit perfectly, the way she fit perfectly into Misty’s life.

Misty lifted herself off the floor and back to the couch, tugging Cordelia to sit in her lap. Cordelia wrapped Misty in a hug and leaned into her. “I love you,” she whispered into Misty’s neck. She leaned back to brush some of Misty’s hair out of her face, laughing happily when her ring got caught. “I’ll have to be more careful from now on,” she joked.

Misty gently untangled the ring from her curls while Cordelia continued. “Is this why you were acting weird all day?”

Misty nodded. “I’ve been so nervous. I was scared you’d think I was going too fast.”

Cordelia took her face in her hands and kissed her. “There’s no way I’d say no to being your wife,” she promised. “Now the school is going to have two teachers with the same name, they’ll hate it.”

Misty laughed. “Mrs. Goode Day,” she tested. She tightened her grip on Cordelia. “I like the sound of that.”

Misty held Cordelia close, feeling the other woman’s steady breathing against her neck. She ran the pad of her thumb over the diamond that sat on Cordelia’s finger, feeling an immeasurable sense of happiness and pride that this woman had chosen her. She could see their lives together, all the things they could do – slotting together perfectly, like matching charms on a bracelet. She placed a gentle kiss on the top of Cordelia’s head, catching the smell of her coconut shampoo.

“I love you, Delia,” she whispered into the quiet room.

She felt Cordelia kiss her collarbone, the nearest thing she could reach without moving her head. She revelled in the feeling of safety she got in Cordelia’s presence; even sitting in silence, holding each other, caused overwhelming comfort to wash over her.

“I love you, Misty,” she replied. She kissed her collarbone again, ignoring the tickle of Misty’s hair. “Til death do us part.”

Til death do us part, Misty thought.