Work Text:
10 years later
It had been ten years since the student had last seen a ball on her foot, or had worn a boot to play her favourite game. And ten years since she had last looked into Yeager's ocean eyes.
She knew he was back to painting, as she always said he was, she knew he had a family, and that final one was being happy, that she had found her life pathetic amidst the emptiness that was is actually alive.
The tall blonde girl, shoulder length hair neatly cut, from her car, always well dressed in her social clothes is skirt a little above the knee, with her expensive handbag and revealing heels, no longer showed her dirt soiled fingers, after the game.
"I hope I don't see you"
The sentence was still running in her head, which makes the blue-eyed one get pensive whether or not to step inside the art gallery.
But without realising she was already inside, she had already entered she was already looking at those works of art with fine and delicate strokes, nervously she repeatedly folded the pamphlet in her hand.
Yelena stopped in each work she saw, in each one she looked at all the details, she looked at each point of light and shadow on the canvas in front of her. And the blonde could only think, how can I still feel him alive in here? She says closing her hand and placing it in the region of her chest.
When she turns around she realizes that there were many people looking at her and talking about her, which makes her feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, covering her cleavage with her coat. Until a voice subtly echoes over her ears.
-What about the girl in the painting?
-Yes, I think that's her.
The comments of the two people pointing to the flyer, makes Yelena stop. And continuing to walk as if she hadn't heard anything, and with the same pace she was looking at each screen, until she reached the floor.
As she walked she could notice the looks on her face, and the voices, when she looked at the first painting, maybe all that made sense.
The girl still turned around, she could still recognise herself as the one from ten years ago, at the school dance, disappointed after being in love with the teacher, who would get married in a few days.
[...]
-Yelana, you're the weirdest girl I know -Says the blond with the beard while looking at the gallant dresses -You don't like anything!
-I just want to wear a suit...why can't I? -Yelana speaks up, complaining to her teacher who stops at a long black dress, which leaves her back bare and her breasts marked.
-Because it's your promon- Zeke says taking the dress and looking at the sparkles on the fabric, then putting it in front of the girl and seeing how it matches her skin. -That's the one! Go put it on.
Zeke pushes Yelena through the shop to the fitting room, making all the stares, leaving the girl embarrassed and apologizing to everyone who looked weird at them.
She walks into the fitting room, and after not even a minute walks out of the place, dressed in the dress as she pulled on her bars.
-I'm not going with this," she says, seeing Zeke turn around and grin as he sees her dressed like that, since he only saw her in her men's uniform and football clothes.
-Here, put on this shoe!-He hands her a tall, thin black Yves Saint Laurent shoe, carefully because it's delicate. And sits down on a stool in front of the fitting room.
The girl hesitates, but takes the piece and, with her back to the older man, leans against the wall, putting on the heel, feeling the blonde's gaze upon you. When you turn ready he disguises by smiling.
-You see, you look nice-Yeagar says turning with his student to the expensive shop mirror, while everyone else seemed to admire her too.
-You know I'm not going like this, right? -Yelena turns around to feel Zeke pulling her to "practice" waltzing to the slow music playing in the middle of the shop.
-Sei-Rio when she sees the taller one clumsily dancing.
[...]
The blonde smiles as she remembers that moment, which had left her so ashamed of the time, and reconnects with the real world, and quickly closes her smile, returning to her would-be face if ever.
Her gaze wanders around the board, almost as if the memory might jump out of the screen at her, when Yelena sees the caption on another's plate.
"It may not have been Yves, but it was what made everyone else insignificant"
Until a childish voice gets in the way of her reading.
-Daddy...Daddy...-The voice was coming towards her side to see the painting-it's your painting!!!
-Ehh it's my painting.-The familiar voice makes her freeze and her heart soar, and the dead butterflies in her belly rise from the ashes.
Still looking at him from the side somewhat distantly, he still looked the same, he didn't look older or younger, he looked happy with his identical little boy on his lap, playing one with stuffed monkey, while looking delighted with the work in front of him. Yelena smiled sideways at the sight of that scene, though she didn't know the feeling of that situation.
Distracted by their gaze, she doesn't even notice when her gaze is reciprocated by her former teacher who soon looks surprised
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