Chapter Text
"And this is the teacher's lounge!" Jayce is loud, excited, and there's a sense of pride in his voice when he pushes the door open with one hand, motioning for her to step inside with the other.
Caitlyn bends forward slightly to peer into the last room of the school tour, arms crossed behind her back as if she was hesitant to go in any further. As if she had no business going in. As if this room wasn't about to become a very important part of her daily routine, as of today. When Jayce sets a large, yet gentle hand on her shoulder, she turns to look at him. He smiles patiently at her, nodding towards the entrance.
She finally, cautiously, walks past him.
The teacher's lounge is a decent size, bathed in sunlight and with the echoes of children's laughter, filled with the smell of fallen leaves and cheap, burnt coffee. There's a table in the middle that could easily fit ten adults, and a wall of blue iron lockers on the right side of the room.
On the other side, a small couch is set next to a few cupboards with a mini fridge, a sink and a coffee maker. There's a collection of house plants and succulents growing in water bottles roughly cut in half on every surface of the room, kid's art projects displayed on the wall alongside teachers' after-work pictures, and a white board with all sorts of plans drawn on it.
What surprises her the most, though, are the very large windows behind the table, on the longest wall of the room. They face the schoolyard, a few floors beneath, and its big and old bur oak. One of them is open, allowing a breeze to blow through the room, coming to caress Caitlyn's cheeks and make a strand of her navy hair fly back and dance lazily, as if suspended in time.
It's as perfect a welcome as she will ever get.
Better than the firm handcheck and soft smile she received from the school director three days ago. Even better than the crushing hug Jayce gave her at the airport when she arrived in the US a few weeks ago. In this instant, she feels at home. It might be very different from the life she left across the Atlantic but, then again, it's probably for the best. She chose this and somehow, she realises she might fit in Wyoming better than she ever thought she would.
She is lost in the motion of tree branches swaying in the wind, immersed in the feeling of belonging that starts to wake inside her, when Jayce interrupts her. "I cleared a locker for you, I thought you'd want to make yourself at home."
She is abruptly reminded that she is not alone. Her back straightens and she looks towards him, sitting on the couch, legs spread and his hands behind his head. She huffs at his profound lack of manners.
"While on the topic, Jayce, I really appreciate everything you did for me so far and–"
He doesn’t let her finish. "We've talked about this, Cait. It's my pleasure."
He smiles at her, warm and understanding, like he used to when they were growing up. She tightens her lips in a pout, swallows her pride and nods once in acknowledgement. It's a battle she'll fight later. She knows he is right. She would have done exactly the same if he had needed a place to stay. Or a job, for that matter.
She reminds herself, yet again, that home is not necessarily a place but perhaps starting over somewhere with Jayce isn't the worst thing that could have happened to her. Maybe that's enough to start to plant roots and watch them grow.
"Besides, your mother would have killed me if I didn't. Have you called her yet?"
She shoots him a dark glare and he instantly raises both of his hands, palms open in surrender, wincing and grinning like a teenager. She rolls her eyes at his antics, and, yes, it definitely could feel like home.
She takes a few slow steps around the room, her hand trailing over the paint speckled table, tracing the line of a chair back panel, then another before falling to her thigh, her eyes scanning her surroundings, taking everything in. She stops in front of the lockers and quickly finds her name tag in the top right corner. She opens it, stuffs her belongings inside and closes it quietly before turning toward him.
She's about to say something–about her mother, about the day ahead of them, about what they'll pick up for dinner on their way back from school, about the weather even, she's not sure–when the door opens. She is immediately taken aback by the woman striding through the door casually and oh so confidently.
She's seen her before, three days ago to be precise, when she came in to meet the director in person and sign her teaching contract. It was way after the last period, and the hallways were empty, lights dimmed, as the school was about to close for the weekend. She was making her way to the parking lot where Jayce was waiting for her when something pink caught her attention in her periphery.
The woman was facing away from her, closing a classroom with jingling keys. Caitlyn only had the time to admire the size of her shoulders, to appreciate the short hair thrown back and the slight peek of an undercut before the woman was turning around to leave, coming face to face with her, their eyes finally meeting.
Caitlyn felt like she had been put under a spotlight, standing alone in an empty corridor, her messenger bag thrown across her shoulder, cheeks still red from the excitement of having secured a job and some other new reason she had decided not to humour yet; and this woman, discreetly peeking at her wristwatch, rapidly recovering from her surprise; her raised eyebrows relaxing, her parted lips morphing into an easy smile and her shoulders rolling into a more casual posture.
Caitlyn had stayed put while the woman strolled towards her with purpose, nonchalantly swaying her hips, tucking her keys away deep inside her pockets. She had stopped about a foot away from Caitlyn, looking right and left to check if she was accompanying someone. Finding no one she had tucked an unruly strand of hair back behind her ear before focusing on Caitlyn again, dazzling, puzzled and intrigued.
"Don't think I've ever seen you around before, you lost?"
Her voice was pleasantly raspy and Caitlyn blushed and smiled at her, quite charmed by the genuine surprise displayed on her features and the slight cockiness slipping through it all regardless. The woman was clearly very aware of how attractive she was.
Caitlyn had embarrassingly stuttered about being new and how she would soon start teaching P.E.. She had cleared her throat, introduced herself properly–full name on display–before holding her hand out for the other woman to shake.
The woman had laughed at her but not unkindly in the least, wrapping her fingers softly one by one around Caitlyn's hand, once again with purpose.
"It's very nice to meet you, Caitlyn Kiramman, physical education teacher. I'm Vi."
Now standing in front of her in broad daylight, she corrects herself. Vi’s was probably the best welcome she got of them all, gusts of autumn wind against her skin be damned.
She is deep in conversation with the woman holding the door open for them, both of her hands shoved into the pockets of her wrinkled slacks, the sleeves of her hoodie rolled up mid forearms. Caitlyn doesn’t pay attention to the person she is talking to, she doesn’t even care about Jayce looking her way, observing her; she is way too mesmerised by the vision of her. It’s only the second time she’s seen her, but she feels the alluring call of her smile and the shine of her aura. She doesn’t remember having met someone so vibrant ever before.
She is in the middle of a heated explanation that Caitlyn can't quite understand but she cuts herself as soon as she realises the room is not empty.
"Oh! Progress Boy is early this morning…"
Jayce cringes a bit at the nickname but acknowledges her with the smile of a friend who’s grown accustomed to being made fun of. His eyes flit back to Caitlyn the next second, almost waiting for her to comment on it, but Vi turns around and Caitlyn can’t help but meet her eyes. She feels pinned and exposed under the grey, twinkling gaze, her lips sealed in a tight line. She can only raise a hand to wave awkwardly at her, eliciting a warm chuckle and a wink from Vi.
“Morning Caitlyn Kiramman, physical education teacher. First day today! Do you need a tour?” Her voice is bright and amused and Caitlyn forces herself to keep eye contact.
She can see Jayce, clearly taken aback, behind Vi’s shoulder. She didn't tell him about their short encounter before the weekend. Her eyes flicker back to the woman standing in front of her. She collects herself, clearing her throat as quietly as she can before answering, straightening her shoulders, clearing her throat.
“It’s very kind of you to offer, Vi, but Jayce already gave me one.”
“I could show you around town then? Landmarks, best coffee shop, panorama, kissing point..” she trails off, her smirk growing as she casually lists all the things she has in mind. Caitlyn tries her best not to choke, not to blush. Not to smile, either. Not to give her anything. She fails miserably.
Encouraged by the tiniest grin, Vi continues. “Where do you live, and when should I pick you up?”
In the background, the woman who came in with Vi has started making coffee, completely unbothered, but Jayce, still looking confused, quickly stands and interrupts before she even has a chance to speak.
“She’s staying with me.”
His voice isn't threatening but the way he interferes and talks over her is annoying. You'd think after being friends for over twenty years, he would stop acting like a big brother and learn to mind his own business.
Vi looks between the two of them, wildly amused, “Oh, I totally misread that, my bad!”
The idea that Vi could entertain for one minute that Jayce and her could be– That she and a man , any man really, could be anything like that is appalling and she doesn’t stop to think, she doesn't stop to observe Vi's expression before reacting. “What? Ew, no.”
She quickly looks at Jayce, a hand raised apologetically, “No offence, Jayce.”
He rapidly shakes his head muttering, “Absolutely none taken.”
She rushes to clarify “He’s just helping me out while I find my own place.”
“You can relax, I’m messing with you. I know Jayce doesn’t swing that way.” She winks at him over her shoulder before turning back toward Caitlyn. She doesn't imply anything about which way she thinks Caitlyn swings. She is almost disappointed.
“I can help with the housing situation though. My neighbour's son moved away for college. They’re looking for someone to rent his place. It’s not much, just a one bedroom apartment, but it’s clean, furnished, and not too far from here…”
Caitlyn is taken aback by this whole exchange. She doesn’t know what to make of it. They don't know each other. Sure, they half-flirted once, over a very short exchange, but the woman is still practically a stranger. A little lost, she looks over at Jayce one more time, a question in her eyes and on the tip of her tongue. He just raises his broad shoulders in a ‘why the hell not’ gesture with a hopeful expression on his face.
She focuses her attention back on Vi, who had since then made her way to her own locker, just under hers, and was now standing very close.
Caitlyn leans on the lockers and watches her. “If you don’t mind, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a look?”
“Sure thing, I’ll give her a call and see if we can check it out tonight.”
And with that she shuts her locker door, a file containing a stack of paper under her arm. She takes her by surprise by presenting her other hand to shake, mirroring Caitlyn’s behaviour from a few days ago. She takes it softly yet firmly, allowing herself to genuinely and freely grins at Vi.
“I’ll be waiting for you in the parking lot, Caitlyn Kiramman.”
She drops her hand after a second, smiles knowingly at her, and walks back to the woman waiting with Jayce by the couch, holding two steaming coffee mugs in her hands. Vi takes one of them, offering a soft, “Thanks Sky, you’re a gem,” that makes the woman swoon a little before exiting the room.
Two minutes later, the first period bell rings and Jayce scrambles for his things before running off to the science wing.
—
This first day goes by in the blink of an eye.
She meets with three of the classes she is supposed to teach this year. One in the morning, two in the afternoon. All of them are sixth graders and Caitlyn marvels at how curious and interested most of them are. If not in physical education, then in her.
She takes the time to introduce herself and tell them where she comes from without spilling too much of her life story.
Some students ask questions; about England and if it’s true that it rains every day, about missing her friends and family, about how long it takes to swim across the Atlantic, about a boyfriend travelling with her, about what it was like to be a professional athlete.
She is happy to answer most of them.
No, it doesn’t rain everyday in England, but grey is a nice colour, even for skies. Yes, she misses her family and she’ll call them soon – she crosses her fingers behind her back while saying so. She tells them it took seventy three days for a man to swim all the way across the Atlantic and she just laughs at the boyfriend question without clarifying any further. She ends up confessing that competing at a professional level was the most exhilarating thing that had ever happened to her.
Nobody asks about why she came here of all places or what it feels like to lose it all. She’s glad they don’t.
She divides them up into small teams to observe them work together, play with each other, doing her best to understand their dynamics and how she can challenge them in the best way possible in the year to come.
At lunch she sits at the teacher’s table, meeting Jayce’s friends and her new coworkers. She mostly stays quiet, happy to take a step back and listen to the friendly banter and what each other thought of their first day and the kids they will teach for the nine months to come.
Vi is there too.
She radiates like the sun, gleaming eyes, warm laugh and blazing smile. She holds herself bright, bold, and effortless; like someone who can’t possibly have enemies, like someone who doesn’t know what it’s like to be sad or to have a bad day. She knows it can’t possibly be true, but Vi is laid back, confident, apparently friends with everyone . She seems to be the kind of sunny person who attracts happiness.
Judging by what she hears during lunch and the running jokes flying her way, happiness doesn't seem to be the only thing she attracts… She doesn't wallow into the uneasy feeling in her stomach when she hears the jokes. She just lets herself be lulled by the flow of conversations she doesn't always fully understand, politely answering when someone asks her something, and delicately smiling when indicated.
When it’s time for her to finally meet Vi in the parking lot, four hours later, Caitlyn can’t wait to go home and sleep.
She is utterly exhausted.
She met too many people for one day, she forgot how the acoustics of the school gymnasium had the tendency to amplify noise, and she doesn’t have the energy to be kept on her toes by Vi once again. No matter how attracted to her she is, she almost hopes they’ll be able to make it quick.
Almost, because, next thing she knows, she catches a glimpse of Vi leaning against the wall, one knee bent, her foot flat against the wall. She is scrolling through her phone while the wind plays with her hair, making it sway back and forth.
She seems more relaxed, more natural, less like she’s putting on a show. Worlds apart from how she seemed when she was surrounded by people.
Caitlyn stops in her tracks and takes a minute to really look at her. To look at a Vi who’s unbothered, unpressured. The soft features, the lack of wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and lips, the slightly darker shade of the skin under her eyes, the roll of her shoulders. The quiet expression, the soft pink of her lips.
As if, sheltered from the attention she usually gets, she had put herself in standby mode. As if she had toned her vibrance down. As if she had softened her corners.
She pictures a much softer Vi, pale skin on a cold and snowy winter's day. She pictures her in a million different situations and wonders about how Vi really looks when nobody’s watching, like how she would look on a Sunday morning.
She must sense her. She looks up from her phone and catches Caitlyn staring. She fears she’ll make fun of her but Vi only smiles at her, tucking her phone away in her back pocket, before pushing away from the wall with her shoulder and foot, and walking to meet Caitlyn halfway.
When she is within earshot she greets her with a teasing “Big day?”
“Hello again to you too, Vi. Do I look that bad ?” she looks down at herself, blushing, laughing her slight embarrassment away.
Vi laughs good heartedly, tucking a strand of pink behind her ear. “Nah, I guess you don’t.”
Caitlyn finds new reasons to blush.
She nods toward the exit way of the parking lot behind her, walking backward to make sure Caitlyn is following her. When she does, she matches her pace and leads the way to the block where she lives.
It’s a fifteen minutes walk–Vi wasn’t lying when she said it was close by–and it’s surprisingly relaxing.
They chat about their respective days, Caitlyn’s first impression of the school, her students and the other teachers. It doesn’t feel rushed, there are easy silences that don't feel uncomfortable and don’t demand to be filled, and when they get to Vi’s building, she is at a loss at how quick the time flew.
Vi knocks on the door of what could soon become her new flat. She is nervous. Vi must sense it, because right before the door opens, she turns to look at her and gives her the warmest smile.
The visit goes very well and Caitlyn is so anxious to have her own place, her own private space, especially with how physically and mentally taxing her days are gonna be, that when the elder woman asks her if she is interested, she almost forgets herself and lets out the tiniest muffled squeal.
Vi stayed in a corner of the apartment during the visit, making sure to give her space to ask all the questions she had prepared and explore before settling. She never interrupted, never tried to distract her with jokes, comments or flirty smiles. She had respected the moment, patiently waiting for the visit to be over and letting Caitlyn make the first step.
When Caitlyn shakes hands with the landlady and makes her way back to Vi, she smiles the biggest she has since she arrived in Wyoming.
She doesn’t have time to get self-conscious about the small gap between her two front teeth because the smile that Vi gives her in return might be the most earnest she ever saw before.