Work Text:
It was safe to say Amelia really didn’t miss high school.
The checkered pattern of the floor brought back too many memories of staring at her shoes, toughing her way through mass crowds of countless conversations. Memories of impossible tests flooded through her as she stared into empty classrooms, beat-up desks the only sign that children had once been there. She could almost make out the decades-old gum wads under the various desks.
“Well. You must be the new staff member.”
A cold, clean statement. One that reverberated through the halls, devoid of students for the time being. Amelia found herself staring at the empty lockers, remnants of students in the past scribbled onto the metal. A friendly reminder that she was the only one in the corridor– well, before she was called out.
A woman stood in the hallway before her, the fluorescent lights highlighting striking pink hair. She scowled slightly, yet Amelia couldn’t tell if it was the dim lighting or her breathing the same air.
“Quite a warm introduction,” she quipped before stopping herself, cringing immediately at how rude the comment was. Not a good idea to start work relations off on the wrong foot, Amelia hissed internally. Especially at a new job.
The woman seemed taken aback by the callout, eyebrows nearly shooting up to her hairline. Her stance immediately changed, hunching in more and bearing a bashful expression. A nice change, as the small smile she wore nearly lit up the empty hallway.
She stepped closer, closing in the gap and offering a hand out. “Sorry, dude. That was really rude of me, huh?” Amelia gripped her hand in a firm handshake, watching as her smile grew wider. “It’s nice to meet you, in any case. I’m Calliope Mori, but please, call me Calli! I’m an English and music teacher here.”
“Amelia Watson, the new biology teacher,” Amelia responded, an infectious grin spreading across her face. “I was told someone would meet me and guide me through the campus. Should I assume that’s you?”
Calli nodded, releasing her hand from the firm grip and settling on her hip. “Yep,” she confirmed, popping the ‘p’ . “We may be joined by another teacher as well, but she did say she was running a bit late, so…”
Amelia nodded, crossing her arms around her chest. Even with the one-eighty in moods with her new co-worker, she still held a rather intense aura. Her eyes almost seemed red in the lighting, analyzing the smallest movement. Tension set in as Amelia stood, waiting for Calli to continue talking, yet she remained silent.
“ Oh , fuck. You’re waiting on me,” the pink-haired woman jumped, offering an apologetic, wobbly smile. “Sorry again. Getting a lot of things wrong, heh … yeah. Follow me.”
Awkward, but intimidating, Amelia summed up as she followed Calli through the halls, barely registering the various tidbits of information she stammered out. Wonder what the others will be like.
The pair continued to wander the hallways, with Calli pointing out the different wings of the building, each labeled with the corresponding section taught. Amelia half-listened to her rambles, finding that she’d rather take in the surroundings instead of learning every minute detail about them. It was almost comical how the wings differentiated from one another– the English wing was filled with artistic quotes in classrooms, books lining each side of the walls. The Maths wing bore remnants of old equations on the whiteboards, unable to be erased.
She was most excited about the Biology wing. Amelia was always a science nerd, even in her old high school days. Biology was the only class she was determined to show up on time for, always seated up close and personal with the teacher, ready to fire away any questions and clarifications. It was weird to know she was now in the teacher’s position.
Amelia paused in front of a lab, peering into the dim room. It was almost an exact replica of what she remembered, with the gray tables filed neatly through the room, and stools positioned in a circle to create a group. Sinks were littered everywhere she looked, and the familiar handle of the emergency shower flowed with the light air conditioning. Amelia grimaced at the sight– she had bad memories of the emergency showers.
“Oh! This is your wing, right?” Calli piped up, seeming to realize Amelia had stopped following. At her nod, Calli grinned before fishing through her pockets. “I’m not supposed to let you into any rooms or anything, but…” she wiggled her eyebrows, making Amelia snort.
“Isn’t there another staff member meeting us soon? What if they see you?” Amelia pointed out. Calli’s grin only grew wider, darting for the lock and opening the lab.
“Oh, she’d be angrier if I didn’t let you in. So, please,” Calli waved to the now open door, “make yourself at home. This will be your lab, anyways.”
Calli’s words were barely registered as Amelia darted into the room, akin to a kid in a candy shop. Though the walls were bare and the room devoid of student life, she was already picturing her next year in this space– what posters she’d bring in to show off, how she’d arrange tables, what labs she’d be performing. It was nerve-wracking in its own right, with her future being presented to her in the form of a lab, but at the moment Amelia was only excited for the future. Excited about what was to come.
A loud gasp startled her out of her thoughts. Fiery orange hair caught her eye, only seconds before a new woman was in her face, staring down at her in wonder.
“You must be the new teacher!” She squealed, gripping Amelia’s arms tightly and bouncing in place. “You’re so cute! Calli, have you seen her?”
“Of course I’ve seen her, Kiara,” Calli sighed, prying the woman off Amelia, “who do you think I’ve been guiding around for the past hour? A ghost?”
Kiara snorted out a laugh, lightly punching Calli in the arm. “Well, who knows? Maybe you let some stranger in? You are new to the whole ‘guiding people around’ thing.”
“Oh, please. I did great.”
The two stared at each other fondly, nearly getting lost in each other’s eyes. It was sweet for a moment, something that brought a deep sense of longing that Amelia stored deep in her heart. After longer than two seconds, though, it became uncomfortable enough for the blonde to loudly clear her throat, effectively jolting the other two out of their stupor.
“ Ahm , Amelia,” Calli coughed into her hand, blushing slightly, “this is Kiara, my wife. She’s the theater director here, as well as the head of foreign language learning. Kiara, this is Amelia Watson, the new biology teacher.”
Kiara outstretched a hand, smiling wide as Amelia shook her hand. “ Very nice to meet you! Have you enjoyed the campus so far?”
Withdrawing her hand, Amelia paused to think. The campus itself wasn’t special, just a run-of-the-mill high school. The people, though, were great. Amelia voiced this with a smile, earning a laugh from the two teachers.
“I think you’ll fit right in, Ms. Watson.”
—
Amelia stepped back with a sigh, taking a moment to admire her handiwork.
Posters littered the walls, diverse and ranging from motivational quotes to graphs of the universe. Terrariums were placed neatly on each lab table, pops of green lighting up the room in a delightful way. The lab was slowly beginning to feel like hers , and Amelia couldn’t be happier, a childish grin plastered permanently on her face.
She had been decorating for a week now, stopping by the campus every so often to lug some of her old decorations into her new room. It was an obscene amount of legwork, but determined not to ruin her good spirits, Amelia simply chalked it up to getting her daily amounts of steps– she even debated buying a Fitbit on a whim.
Even with these daily visits, the biology teacher was usually alone. The campus remained deserted for the next two weeks, at least until the other teachers decided it was time to prep their own rooms. Amelia simply was given a headstart in the form of keys tossed her way, and a signature smile from Calli.
It wasn’t that she was feeling lonely while she worked. Pop her headphones in, get a nice podcast going, and Amelia was happy.
Calli had given her a heads up that she may see another face, however. An art teacher seemed to be dwelling in the school’s studio, but she was told to pay her no mind.
“She usually keeps to herself , ” Calli had supplied, pointing to the only lit room on the entire campus. “But if you see her outside of her studio, say hi! I have a feeling you two would get along.”
Apparently, that would mean Amelia would never see her elusive coworker. It was as if she never left the building, as the light was always on and Amelia frequently heard light jazz filtering from the studio.
Each time she passed the art wing, she’d pause momentarily to listen. Occasionally she’d hear a light hum along with a song, running water, or even some mutterings. Amelia began to create an image of the teacher in her head, painting her to be a witch, or even a cult leader with a secret lair on the campus. Anything to pass the time.
She began to pause for longer, waiting for multiple minutes at a time in between running to and from her car. Amelia always considered herself a curious person, seeking more answers to an unknown, and this new coworker was as mysterious as she could get.
It was this curiosity that led her to finally stand at the door, fiddling with her cardigan as she stared into the room. Her own door was locked for the day, lights already flicked out. The fluorescent lights now cut through the dim sky, drawing her in closer. The light jazz was luring her in as well, almost beckoning for a dance.
She stepped in.
The studio was filled wall to wall with art, seemingly from students in the past. Various supplies littered the paint-stained counters, with paint-flecked signs directing what goes where– still, nothing seemed organized. Similar to her own lab, the chairs were replaced with stilted stools, on a high table that was also covered in colors. Even the long wardrobes in the corner were marked.
In the center of the room lay the object of her curiosity. A woman stood in front of a canvas, deep purple hair cascading down her body. She wore a complimenting purple blouse, baggy black jeans flecked with purple paint bringing out artistic elements, suitable for an art teacher. Amelia could make out the reflection of glasses, and a furled, frustrated expression adorned the woman’s face.
Her canvas seemed to be the cause of her frustration, though Amelia couldn't see a single thing wrong with it. It was a complicated painting, to say the least. A deep black background shadowed a purple sea creature, one that she couldn’t quite make out– maybe an octopus? – one that seemed to be reaching towards a diver. Purple hair spilled from the diver’s helmet, matching that of the woman in front of her.
A self-portrait, maybe? Amelia pondered, daring to take a step closer. It’s beautiful, either way . Against her rational decision, she decided to voice these thoughts, albeit quietly.
“It’s beautiful,” Amelia murmured, taking a step closer. The woman jumped, rapidly spinning to stare at Amelia, and suddenly, the painting became nothing but background noise.
She’s beautiful. The statement buzzed through her head and Amelia finally got a good look at her coworker’s face. Half glasses rested in front of wide, deep purple eyes, shocked open from Amelia’s sudden entrance. A soft yellow hairband barely held back her straight bangs, a neat look despite the paint spattered up her arms and chest. Amelia absorbed this all in, taking in her first introduction to the woman she was so curious about.
The woman took a moment to compose herself as Amelia did nothing but stare. At the sound of her clearing her throat, the biology teacher jumped back, embarrassed.
“You startled me,” the woman giggled, and oh , Amelia’s heart melted at the spot. Her voice was lovely, a quiet and soft sound. She wanted to hear her talk forever.
Amelia cleared her throat, suddenly finding words nearly impossible to get out. “I’m sorry,” she forced out, clearing her throat and attempting to regain a sense of control. “I just… wanted to say it, I guess. Probably should’ve knocked on the door, though.”
“I would’ve appreciated that, but I appreciate your compliment more. I’ve been having a lot of trouble with this piece… I don’t think oil paints are my kind of medium.”
Amelia only nodded along, not wanting to give away that she had no idea how a specific paint could affect a piece. I didn’t even know there were oil-based paints , she cursed to herself.
“Your preferred medium or not, I really think it’s beautiful,” Amelia praised, finding herself not staring at the painting as she said it. “It’s, uh , really nice to meet you. I’m Amelia Watson, the new biology teacher.”
“ Ah! Calli said I might run into you eventually. I’m Ninomae Ina’nis, just call me Ina, though.”
Finally having a name for her coworker gave her more satisfaction than Amelia cared to admit. She knew they’d meet eventually, but she was becoming impossibly curious. Even after officially meeting, that curiosity wasn’t quite fulfilled yet. Amelia wanted to learn more, see more.
The two shook hands gently, only for Ina to rip her hand off of Amelia’s with a small gasp.
“Oh, shoot! I had some paint on my hands. Here, come with me, I’ll rinse you off in the sink over here.” Ina grabbed Amelia’s hand, startling the blonde. She couldn’t do much but let it happen, walking over to the sink while marveling over how soft Ina’s hands were.
The cold water of the sink paled in comparison to the warmth of Ina’s grip. Amelia refused to even offer to wash her hand off herself, allowing Ina to gently rinse the purple paint off, watching the pigment lazily float down the drain.
“Good as new,” Amelia commented as the water was abruptly shut off. To her displeasure, Ina withdrew her hands, offering an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, you probably could’ve done that yourself. I’m used to doing this for the freshmen,” she sighed, wiping her own hands on a towel before offering Amelia one.
“I get you. I have to babysit a lot of students in my lab, too,” she commented, to which Ina chuckled lightly.
The conversation lulled, with the two resting against the counters in silence. Ina fiddled with her towel, suddenly finding interest in it.
Amelia began to panic. She didn’t want the conversation to end, wanted to find some way to guarantee she’d see Ina again. In a spur-of-the-moment panic, she grabbed Ina’s hand, making her almost drop the towel.
“Still, I’ll make this up to you,” Amelia promised, “can I treat you to coffee tomorrow, if you’ll be on campus?”
Ina gaped at her, now dropping the towel. “Y-yes, of course! What time?”
Amelia paused, not quite thinking she’d make it as far as she did. What time do people usually have coffee together? “Ah. How does one pm sound?”
“It sounds perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” Ina stepped back towards her painting, intent on continuing from where Amelia had interrupted her.
“Yeah. Tomorrow.”
She stepped out in a daze, waving goodbye to a cheerful Ina. In her short walk to the car, she recounted what she had learned from her once-mysterious coworker.
Ina was beautiful. That was a no-brainer, with her deep eyes and soft, unblemished face. She was also awkward, which Amelia found charming in its own right. A small flaw in an otherwise overly talented person. She can only imagine how good she was with her students.
By the time she reached her car, her face was practically on fire. She had expected many things from her coworker, but she didn’t expect her to be exactly her type . She didn’t expect to develop a schoolgirl-like crush on her instantly . She didn’t expect her to say yes to coffee with no hesitations.
Mumbling to herself angrily, Amelia flung her car door open, promptly threw herself inside, and slammed her head on the wheel.
—
“Oh, Amelia! Right on time!”
Amelia’s mouth about dropped open as Ina stepped out of the art room. She wore a beautiful sundress, white with yellow flowers that danced softly in the light breeze.
She suddenly felt very underdressed in her white blouse and the same cardigan she wore when they met the night before.
“You’re wearing this cardigan again!” Ina commented as they began walking down the block. “I’m happy you did– it looks amazing on you! Brown compliments your hair very well.”
Amelia wheezed, feeling as if Ina was reading her mind. “It’s the only nice clothes I own. People told me before that I just look like a librarian.”
Ina laughed, her hair flowing as the breeze picked up again. “You’re a very stunning librarian, then.”
Suddenly, Amelia felt like she was in over her head.
The only reason Amelia chose this particular coffee shop was its proximity to the school, only about two blocks away. It was enough time to start a conversation with her new companion, throwing short conversations back and forth with the fall of their footsteps.
When they arrived, Ina smiled. Amelia took this as a silent win, internally pumping her fist in the air.
“When you said the shop was walking distance, I figured you meant Myth’s ,” Ina said, surprising Amelia. “A lot of staff members walk here before or after classes are over, sometimes they send their teacher’s assistant to grab them coffee,” she giggled at that. “I know I’m guilty of sending TAs over.”
“I can grab you coffee during school hours,” Amelia offered, holding the door open for Ina before stepping in after. “I have my third and fourth period open so far.”
“Well, I have my third period off as well,” she glanced over her shoulder, throwing a smile at Amelia. “So why don’t we go together?”
All words failed as Amelia blushed at Ina’s intent to continue spending time with her. It was sweet in a way Amelia wasn’t used to, commanding a time to continually meet up. Planning future meet-ups even before they had finished the first one. It was a new kind of caring that Amelia found herself melting at.
“I, um,” Amelia stammered, still slightly caught off guard, “I’d really like that. I think.”
The two quickly ordered, with Ina getting a black coffee and Amelia a latte. Ina scouted out a small table in the back of the shop, away from others, granting a chance for privacy. Amelia slowly scooted into her chair, caught up in the look Ina was suddenly giving her.
It only took a raised eyebrow for the purple-haired woman to sign, slumping forward on the table and blushing.
“I have an embarrassing question,” she hissed, making Amelia raise her eyebrows.
“I’m all ears.”
“Um. How do I ask this … Is this a date?”
Amelia just about spit out her coffee, choking down the hot liquid as she furiously blushed at Ina’s question. Looking back on how she asked her, it was absolutely fair for Ina to think that– and honestly, it was very smooth on Amelia’s half. The blonde hadn’t considered this a date before, but now that the option was out there, she wanted nothing less.
She couldn’t say that out loud, though. “I mean… do you want it to be?”
Ina laughed loudly, once again catching Amelia off guard. “I mean, I thought it was already, so I do. Want this to be a date, I mean.”
“Oh,” Amelia said dumbly, “cool.”
A beat passed, enough for other’s conversations to become increasingly interesting– anything to distract at how Ina was staring at her, lips shaking before bursting into more laughter.
“ ‘Cool’, she says,” Ina wheezed out. “Very charming, Amelia.”
She only blinked. Once, twice. A blush quickly spread across her face, one that she immediately tried to cover by taking another sip of her latte. Ina continued to laugh, a fond expression crossing her face as she watched Amelia suffer over her words.
“To be fair… I wanted to ask you out the moment you turned from your canvas,” Amelia admitted, still hiding behind her latte. “You’re very beautiful. Especially when you laugh. I’d embarrass myself countless more times to see you laugh as you did now.”
It seemed to be Ina’s turn to be embarrassed, covering her mouth with a hand as she blushed. Amelia relished her small victory, setting her latte down before glancing back up at her partner.
“All this date talk, and I still don’t even have your number,” she pointed out leaning back in her chair, relaxing more.
Ina perked up, rummaging through her bag almost instantly. A few seconds went by before her eyebrows furrowed, and she started to pout.
“Well, I seem to have lost my number… can I have yours?” She accented the pick-up line with a wink, sending Amelia into a fit of giggles.
“Oh wow , that was great. Hand me your phone before I swoon again.”
The purple-haired woman complied, sliding her phone across the table and into Amelia’s waiting hand. The new contact tab was already open and set to Amelia Watson , only waiting for a phone number. Amelia smiled, quickly erasing what Ina had already set and putting in her number, sliding it back across the table as she finished.
Ina stared at her phone for a second, before giving Amelia a quizzical glance. “Just Ame ?”
“Yeah. No need to call me Amelia all the time– I forgot to say that when we first met. So, just Ame is fine.”
“Alright then,” Ina send, giving Amelia a cheeky smile before rapidly typing on her phone. Amelia’s own pocket buzzed, making her jump and pull her phone out to glance down.
Unknown Number
Hi, Just Ame
Amelia chuckled, sending Ina a comically exasperated look before sending a response.
Ame
hey, beautiful.
—
Ina
You ready?
Ame
don’t know if ill ever be
Ina
I believe in you!!
Amelia smiled at the screen, sending a heart emoji out before staring at their past messages. A lot consisted of asking where the other was, but Ina was always sending cute pick up lines and little emoticons that brightened up her day. The two had spent as much time together as possible, simply trying to get to know one another through designated ‘ date hours ’. These hours were usually spent in Ina’s studio, with Amelia marveling over Ina’s skill and Ina giving plenty of pointers for the year ahead.
Time not spent chatting about work-related things was filled with comfortable small-talk. Amelia learned that Ina didn’t have any pets, to which Amelia immediately pulled out her phone to show her the four pets she owned. Ina continuously gushed about them, demanding to see update photos through texts and in-person threats– Amelia always obliged, more than willing to show off her prized cats and dogs.
Ina learned that Amelia was an orphan, and with the new knowledge she immediately offered her own home for family events, stating ‘ well, they already know about you, may as well meet them too!’ . That both terrified and warmed Amelia's heart. It was an insanely sweet sentiment, but she wasn’t quite ready to meet her parents.
Footsteps startled her out of her lovestruck trance, nearly making her drop her phone in surprise. A few students began to trickle in, fiddling with their own phones as they fell into various seats across the room. Some seemed surprised at a new teacher, yet most were ultimately unbothered, which Amelia preferred.
It wasn’t like she had a lot to do on her first day. Everything was mainly housekeeping, such as explaining she was new to the school and how she was planning on teaching. Syllabi were passed around, and to a lot of students' delight, Amelia had added a section of quiz corrections for a test back– from what some students yelled out, the old biology teacher in this classroom was a stickler on quizzes and tests.
“Well, hopefully, I’ll be a bit better than your old teacher,” Amelia supplied, almost hearing a mass sigh of relief throughout the classroom. “And, since we finished up before the bell rang, everyone can be excused. I’ll be here, obviously, so come forward if you’d like to chat a bit more.”
A lot of students left that, which she fully expected. It warmed her heart to see a few stay behind, talking with one another and eventually approaching her. Some students were simply asking about the assignments for the week, to which Amelia smugly said there were none– she received a lot of thankful looks.
In the end, only two students were left behind. A girl with striking green hair shyly approached her desk, holding some sort of paperweight in her shaking hand.
“Hurry up, Fauna!” The other student called, dark blue hair shaking as she ran a hand through it, annoyed. “I’d like to get to my next class on time , please!”
Amelia smiled, beckoning the shy girl to her desk. “Fauna, right? It’s nice to meet you, is there something up?”
Fauna gave her a small smile, perking up as Amelia gently spoke to her. “No, nothing is wrong. I just… told myself I’d give this to any teacher I especially liked on the first day. And you’ve been very kind, Ms. Watson, so I… wanted to give you this.”
The student gently handed her a small, metal apple. It was painted gold instead of the original red, which already matched Amelia’s yellow-themed desk.
“Fauna… this is so nice of you!” Amelia gave her a wide, genuine smile, which in turn made Fauna relax significantly. “I was missing something on my desk, and this just does the trick. I can’t thank you enough.”
“Oh, please, thank you for teaching m–”
“Come on , Fauna, we should leave.”
The blue-haired student quickly cut off Fauna’s sentence, making the other girl pout. Amelia recognized her from roll call– Kronii, who if she remembered correctly, was on her phone throughout the entirety of her introductions.
“You’re Kronii, correct?” Amelia stood from her desk, gently setting the apple down as she eyed the student. At Kronii’s nod, she continued, “I saw your phone out throughout my introduction today. Since it’s the first week, I’ll allow it, but after this week I highly encourage you to keep that in your backpack. I want everyone in this class to pass, and you can’t do that by staring at texts all day.”
Kronii only scoffed, yet Amelia caught the telltale embarrassed blush of being caught. Fauna laughed at her friend's expense, shooing her outside as she turned back to Amelia.
“Thank you, Ms. Watson. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“See you tomorrow, Fauna.”
“Then, I told her I saw her on her phone. You should’ve seen her face , Ina!”
The coffee shop bustled around Ina and Amelia, the pair barely managing to grab a seat before floods of students stalled the lines. Unfortunately, neither teacher could make it to the shop during their third period, with Amelia preparing seating charts and Ina creating a general plan of what she would teach. Amelia was thankful they stuck to their meeting plan, though, as she began to crave the moments of seeing Ina unwind and smile along with her.
“She’s going to hate you for the rest of her time here,” Ina warned, a smile cracking through. “Though, I think you can handle that.”
“I’ll be fine. Did you meet any interesting students this year?”
Ina immediately burst into giggles. “No, but I had a returning student. Her name is Mumei, and– get this– she
only
draws horror. For absolutely any assignment I give her, it's some sort of devil or creature. And she's talented, too.”
“Oh, wow,” Amelia whistled, beginning to laugh herself, “she sounds like fun. I hope I’ll get to stop by and see it sometime… if I’m allowed to, that is.”
Amelia had been meaning to ask this. She wanted to visit Ina during school hours, just to be with her during her fourth period– her lab became a bit lonely when she was left to her own devices. Being with Ina was an added bonus, however.
“Of course you’re allowed to! I’d love to see you visit during class hours,” Ina clapped her hands, the happy smile she already wore growing wider. “You can tell me which students are on their phones, too.” Amelia sent her a knowing wink, sending her into a small fit of giggles.
Their ‘ date hours ’ were going fantastic, if Amelia could judge. They got along well, they shared a sense of sarcasm and general love for their fields. Amelia found that she could listen to Ina ramble on about mediums and how to use them for hours , if only to hear how excited she could get about the little things. From what Ina had told her, she feels the same.
The only thing that bugged Amelia is that they hadn’t been on an official date yet. Obviously they had their coffee shop dates, but she wanted to take Ina to a fancy steak restaurant, or some seafood place where they could dine over candlelight. It was just about finding the right time to ask her.
Amelia internally lamented over this as they shared tidbits about their day, eventually throwing away their disposable cups and wandering outside. They usually walked back to the school in silence, holding hands and simply enjoying being outside. Today, though, Ina was intent on staring at the ground, fiddling with her hands.
“Ame?” Ina piped up after minutes of walking in silence.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to have dinner with me?” Ina blurted out, making Amelia pause in her tracks. Ina stopped with her, freezing like she’d become an icicle. She seemed more nervous after asking
“Hilarious that you ask that,” Amelia said, smiling with mirth, “I was just considering asking you the same thing. Except I didn’t know how.”
Ina sighed deeply before letting out a light giggle. “That makes me feel so much better. I thought you just enjoyed only spending time during school hours.” Ame only huffed out a laugh, urging her to continue with a wave of her hand. “Well, I wasn’t planning anything fancy. Just a small dinner at my apartment, some wine, pasta, and a movie. It’s to celebrate the first school week being over. Would that be ok?”
It sounded perfect. Amelia romanticized the idea of the candlelit fancy dinner, but a small stay-at-home movie night was about the best date she could ask for. At Amelia’s agreement, Ina clapped her hands, bouncing with excitement. She could feel herself bouncing with her too– it was hard not to feel equally as excited when Ina broke her calm exterior. The two began walking once more, now excitedly talking about which movie to watch.
“We should definitely watch some sort of shitty movie,” Amelia declared, pulling Ina’s hand into her own and swinging it as they walked. “I love movies with high budgets but absolutely no plotline or a good story.”
“Sounds like fun. What about Cats ? Apparently, Kiara loved it and I really want to prove her wrong.”
“What, Ina? Don’t want to watch Morbius and do what the kids say? Morb out?”
—
“Date night tonight.”
Amelia jumped slightly as Ina’s voice rang through the school’s hallway. Amelia expected her to be in her room already– she had brought flowers to surprise her with later, which she comically hid behind her back as she whipped around to face her girlfriend.
“Woah, totally forgot! Silly me!” she teased, purposefully exaggerating each word.
Ina hummed. “What’s the flowers for, then?”
“Definitely not you.” At Ina’s raised eyebrow, Amelia admitted defeat and skipped over, excitedly holding the flowers out for Ina to look at. “They’re definitely for you. I got you some violets for your classroom!”
“Oh, Ame…” Ina melted on the spot, tenderly reaching for the flowers. She carefully examined each one, smelling a few before tucking the batch under her arm.
Her hand caressed Amelia’s cheek with the same tenderness, her thumb tracing her cheekbone as she leaned in. Amelia froze on the spot, unsure of what to do or say. Soft lips met her cheek, leaving a small purple lipstick stain as she stood again. It dawned on her then that Ina was, in fact, taller than her– only about 7 centimeters, but enough to make Amelia blush as she pulled away from a kiss.
A gasp started the two, making Amelia jump backward as Ina turned bright red. The hallway was empty before she gave Ina the flowers, but the gasp gave away someone else in the area.
Amelia’s head snapped to the side, and a student stared back at her with wide, curious eyes. Brown, fluffy hair nearly covered her eyes in messy bangs, her ponytail flying back and forth as her head whipped between staring at the two blushing teachers.
No one said anything. Ina seemed to recognize the student with the way she waved pleasantly, only to be met with a robotic wave from the girl. She slowly began to back away, before sprinting down the hall and out the glass doors, audibly yelling for her friends as she slowly made her way out of earshot.
Ina sighed. “That was Mumei. You know, the student I mentioned that only draws horror?” Amelia snorted in response. It could be worse, in her opinion. She voiced this to Ina, who laughed lightly. “Very true. It could’ve been Kiara.”
The two shuddered at that.
“Alright. After that little interruption… I guess we should part ways. I’ll see you later tonight,” Amelia smiled, before taking a small bit of courage to stand on her tiptoes to give Ina a quick forehead kiss, running off as she stuttered a goodbye.
To say she was nervous was an understatement.
Amelia was downright shaking as she rooted through her clothes. Ina’s last-minute dress code was ‘ anything comfortable, it’s not like we’re going out or anything’ , but Amelia didn’t want to show up in her stained sweatpants. Part of her considered going to the store to buy a whole new, nice set of sweats. Her wallet rejected the idea.
In the end, she opted for leggings and an oversized yellow sweater. The sweater itself wasn’t anything special, a few strings pulled in odd areas– but it was extremely fluffy. And she intended to be as comfortable as possible to lure Ina in for some couch cuddling.
Her face burned at the thought. To say she had a schoolgirl crush on her girlfriend would be about right. Two weeks had gone by, and they felt so long and short at the same time. Every time they held hands while returning from their coffee shop dates Amelia would melt internally, screaming into the air that she had found the cutest girlfriend. Every time she could only give Ina a wobbly smile before pretending to enjoy the breeze.
Cuddling was something Amelia always loved. She had several stuffed animals that faced the wrath of her grabbiness, and an old body pillow that she stashed under her bed– it was bought as a joke by old friends, but Amelia quickly realized that it was perfect for holding, so she kept it. A girlfriend was a lot better to hug than a bodypillow, though.
Amelia buzzed with excitement as she navigated their town’s streets, pleasantly surprised that Ina’s house was actually within walking distance, a twenty-minute walk and a five-minute drive. She filed that away internally, vowing to walk to save money on gas.
Ina met her on the sidewalk, saying that she recognized her car and wanted to let her inside herself.
“The buzzing system doesn’t always work,” she explained as they walked up a floor of stairs. “Text me when you come over again so I can let you in myself.”
Not if. When . Ina always knew how to say the right words to make Amelia swoon.
Her place was beautiful. The light gray walls made the whole area seem clean, dark bookshelves and cases lining the walls, all filled to the brim with books. Other walls showcased various art pieces, with an art style Amelia recognized immediately– Ina’s own work.
Ina nervously followed behind her, shutting the door quietly as she awkwardly pointed into the room.
“This is… my place. Make yourself at home on the couch, I’ll grab the pasta and stuff,” Ina paused, before giving Amelia a small smile, “gluten-free of course.”
“Oh, thank god. I wasn’t excited to get to know your bathroom on a personal level,” she joked, laughing loudly as Ina groaned from the connecting kitchen.
The couch was way too comfortable. Amelia sank into the cushions, eyeing the TV as she made herself comfortable. The Cats movie screen brightened the room, making her mentally prepare herself for a night of horrible cat jokes and creepy CGI.
Ina appeared shortly after she got comfortable, handing her a bowl full of creamy pasta and setting a wine glass down on the table. She flopped down next to her, keeping a respectable distance as she also got comfortable.
“I just grabbed a random bottle from my cupboard,” she admitted, gesturing to the wine glasses. “If we both hate it I won’t miss it at all. I have reserves of soda and decent beer too.”
Amelia tuned out Ina’s drink talk. She was too far . Part of her wanted to grab her by the shoulders and pull her in for forceful cuddles, but the responsible part recognized that it would be very rude to do.
So, Amelia settled on shyly asking, “...Ina? Can I hold you while we watch this?”
Ina instantly agreed, scooting closer and pushing Amelia against the couch lightly, making space for herself. Amelia wouldn’t lie to herself– Ina hovering above her and pushing her down gently definitely did things to her. She refused to go that far, though, and simply stayed quiet as her girlfriend made herself comfortable.
They ended up watching the movie with Ina’s cheek laying just below Amelia’s collarbone, head nestled into her neck. Her laughs would reverberate through Amelia’s body, the light giggles sending shockwaves to her heart. She knew Ina definitely heard how fast her heart was beating at their closeness, but who could blame her? She was holding the most beautiful girl in the world.
Eventually, everything faded to black, end credits rolling as the two stared in shock at the strange movie.
“There’s no way Kiara actually enjoyed that, right?” Amelia muttered in disbelief.
Ina only yawned back, nestling further into Amelia’s neck as she did so. “My brain hurts from that…”
Amelia did the only thing she knew how to do to help with her girlfriend’s headache– give her a small kiss on the forehead. Ina’s eyes shot open, meeting Amelia’s own playful grin.
“There. Headache gone.”
“Well…” Ina paused, tracing her face with deep purple eyes. “...suddenly, my lips hurt.”
“I think I can help with that.”
Ina’s breath fanned against Amelia’s lips, waiting for her to take the first move. So, she did– gently pecking her before pulling back, waiting to see if Ina had enough.
She didn’t. Their lips met again, Ina’s hand coming up to rest on Amelia’s chest, pushing her back lightly against the couch as she sat up more. Amelia immediately missed the warmth of her resting by her neck, seeking to make up for the loss by pulling her closer with her hand, resting it softly against her hip.
They had kissed before. Small pecks were the extent they would go, teasing and playful as they made their way around campus, or talking in Ina’s studio. This territory was new , exciting. Almost cruel in the way Ina fit perfectly against her, the way her tongue fit perfectly in her mouth.
“Do you… want to stay the night?”
—
“No fucking way, Mumei wasn’t lying!”
Ina’s car door slammed shut as the pair exited her small car. Amelia did end up staying over, only it ended up being a few more days than intended– a weekend spent cuddling on Ina’s couch or in her bed, with some other cuddling , Ina had called the fervent kisses. Amelia cringed each time she said it.
When Monday morning rolled around, they decided on a whim to share a car. Some of Amelia’s stuff had to be left at Ina’s place anyway, so they thought it’d be best if they both came back together.
The issue with a student seeing them went unremembered. Amelia nearly slapped her own cheek at their forgetfulness, admiring Ina’s braveness in ignoring the student.
Kronii stood on the sidewalk, staring open-mouthed at how they exited the same car, holding hands and entering the building together. Amelia had half a mind to yell back about assigning extra homework, but with the way Ina lightly squeezed her hand, she held back. It was nice to have a more rational girlfriend.
Her early morning classes were, thankfully, bearable. Kronii made no move to disrupt the class, only excitedly whispering to Fauna about what she saw, judging by how the students would stare at her and blush between whispers. The way high schoolers viewed relationships was extremely childish, with these two being no exception. Once the bell rang, they virtually sprinted out of the class, probably eager to go tell others.
Amelia lamented this to Ina as she brought her coffee, with the dark-haired woman being unable to go get some herself. Students were continually asking for questions and feedback on personal art, with what Amelia knew through her angry texts.
“Ame, deep down you knew these students would figure out somehow. I mean, you’re just way too cuddly to not be touching me,” Ina teased. Amelia reluctantly pulled her hand off Ina’s shoulder– she didn’t even remember when she put her hand there to begin with.
“...Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’ll ignore what they have to say,” she sighed, rocking back on her heels.
“Mumei was very funny about the whole situation though. She immediately apologized about telling others when she saw me and you, apparently it was eating her up all weekend.”
“I know what I was eating up all wee–”
“No. None of that. Get out of here.”
Amelia was shoved out of Ina’s studio with a huff, followed by a softer goodbye. Not even a pity laugh, though, she lamented, I thought that was pretty funny .
The telltale buzz of her phone ringing halted her sad walk back to her classroom. A text notification popped up, the name making her smile.
Calli
Yo, you have a free fourth period right
Lets catch up a bit
Amelia
sure, come on down to my lab
Barely five minutes later, a loud knock on her metal door reverberated through the classroom. Calli’s signature pink hair peeked over the door’s window, bouncing up and down on her toes as Amelia jogged over to let her in. Much to Amelia’s surprise, Calli wasn’t the only one waiting– Kiara stood just outside of the window’s view, examining some graffiti on the wall as the door swung open.
“Hey, Calli– oh! Kiara!” Amelia greeted, giving the two a light hug. Kiara responded by pulling her in for a deeper hug, nearly squishing her ribs as she swayed the two back and forth.
“You survived the first week~!” She sing-songed as they swayed, making Calli laugh lightly as she was pulled into the long hug.
“We all survived the first week,” Amelia cheered as she ushered the two women inside her class, locking it so no students interrupted their talking. “How are your classes so far?”
Kiara huffed, waving her hand to dismiss the question. “ Please , we’re not here to mingle about classes. I heard from a little bird that you and Ina…” she wiggled her eyebrows, making Amelia’s face burn at the implication.
“Kiara!” Calli yelped, lightly punching her wife’s arm as Amelia froze in place. “Well… that’s partially true. I came over because I wanted to check in, but she –” Calli nudged Kiara once again, “ – wanted to gossip about what she heard some of her students talking about.”
Amelia sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to soothe the headache she knew was coming. “Was this ‘little bird’ named Mumei, by any chance?”
The redhead nodded rapidly, proving Amelia’s question right. “She’s my TA this year. She and some friends came running into my classroom, all talking about seeing Ina kiss you in the hallway– was that true ? Are you two seeing each other?”
Well, the question was going to be asked eventually. Ina had told her during their weekend together that Kiara was a bit of a gossip queen. Her students flocked to her to spread any little detail they could about their fellow students or teachers. Kiara, though, usually never told anyone but Calli these little secrets, and never spread rumors to the students.
“Kiara’s kind of teasing you about this,” Calli butt in, face scrunched with concern, “but we both want to stop any rumors about the two of you before they spread.”
Another sigh escaped Amelia’s mouth. “Well, Ina and I are seeing each other. We have been for a few weeks now.”
Kiara squealed loudly, nearly shaking with excitement. “That’s adorable ! You two are such a good match, we should go on a double date sometime!”
“Congrats,” was Calli’s much calmer response, clapping Amelia’s shoulder in a sort of bro hug.
“Thank… you…” Amelia's face burned. Getting confronted about her relationship status was always awkward.
The bell signaling lunch saved Amelia from any more questions. Calli nearly pulled Kiara out of the classroom, the redhead still singing praises and reminding her to stop by to gossip about their lovers . This earned one final light punch to the arm, and with the slam of the metal door, Amelia was once again alone in her room.
—
She had never felt more loved.
Christmas time usually meant a time for Amelia to binge-watch horrible movies while stress-eating. She didn’t have any family to spend time with, and most of her friends went out of town to see their own families during this time.
That left Amelia alone.
“Amelia, dear, can you pass your plate this way please?”
Amelia’s head snapped up, realizing she had been zoning out and staring at her plate for the past few minutes. Ina was looking at her with slight concern, but relief washed over her face as Amelia zoned back into the conversation. Ina’s mother sat a few seats away, dishing out food to each member at the table.
“Y-yes, ma’am,” she stuttered, handing her plate down the table for a serving of food.
Ina had graciously offered a chance to join her family for Christmas after learning how Amelia usually spent the celebrated time. Her girlfriend’s family welcomed her with open arms, the warm atmosphere of her home warming her bones from the chill outside. It was the first time in many years she spent a Christmas with someone, and Ina was with her every step of the way, gently holding her hand as she walked her through family introductions.
She still held her hand now, resting Amelia’s hand on her lap as she led small talk with her family members. All questions about how the school year was going, any favorite students, and whether or not Amelia was helping with making the year easier.
“Amelia has been wonderful this year,” Ina praised, gently playing with her hand as she smiled softly. “She comes in during my fourth period to bring me coffee and a croissant. My students are always really happy to see her too– some have even asked if she can bring them some coffee as well.”
“I won’t,” Amelia laughed, squeezing Ina’s hand. “I’ll only do that for you.”
“Cheesy.”
Ina’s mom watched them with a smile. “I think you should keep her, Ina. Someone who can keep up with your coffee obsession is worth having around!” Ina huffed at her mother's teasing, Amelia giggling at the trueness of the statement.
The rest of the meal consisted of similar teasing, Ina’s face bright red by the end, the blush extending down to her neck. Amelia rubbed her back as everyone moved to the couch, kissing the shell of her ear as an apology for contributing to the teasing.
“Thank you for having me here,” she whispered as the two watched her family mill around the room. “I… appreciate it more than you know. It’s been a while since I’ve had a meal made with a mother’s love.” She was teasing with the statement, but some sadness seeped through. Ina picked up on this, lightly kissing her and pulling back with a smile.
“I love that you’re here, Ame,” she promised, rubbing her cheek gently. Amelia leaned into the touch, feeling tears prick in her eyes. “I can’t imagine not having you here anymore. You fit right in with us, darling.”
“Thank you,” the hoarse whisper was all Amelia could manage, fighting her tears as Ina brought her into a hug.
Ina’s mom seemed to be waiting until the two broke apart, suddenly bursting in with a loud exclamation of ‘ present time! ’
Amelia kept it simple with presents. With Ina’s help, she bought her mother a light purple sweater, which she promptly pulled out of the box and hugged to her chest, stating it was absolutely perfect. Amelia sighed with relief, Ina giggling.
Ina’s sister received a small desk companion, a porcelain cat that would sleep next to her as she worked. It was a small gift, but one she seemed to appreciate, thanking Amelia with a wide smile.
Ina herself was the worst person to shop for. Amelia had given her several gifts in the past, all small little items with the intention to make her smile. Now that it was time to give her an official gift, she felt stuck.
With some deliberation, Amelia settled on some accessories she knew Ina had been needing. A black beret was something they had teased each other about, Amelia stating that all the professional artists had one – Ina vehemently disagreed. She bought one with the intent of making Ina wear it while painting, if only for one picture for Amelia's entertainment.
Her real gift was a light purple bag. It wasn’t cheap by any means, some designer brand that Ina had been eyeing for some time now. She had the item flagged in her computer for a while, occasionally sending hints Amelia’s way on this being the main gift she wanted– so, Amelia obliged.
Ina’s gifts were handed to her by a nervous Amelia. She didn’t know why she was nervous, exactly. It was probably because of Ina’s mother recording the exchange. Ina had warned her of this, but even with the warning in advance Amelia still was caught off guard by the phone in her face at some points.
The first gift was opened quickly– the beret. Ina sighed deeply at the gag gift, making Amelia burst out laughing at the exasperated expression shot her way.
“Just humor me with one picture while you paint,” Amelia begged, placing the beret on Ina’s head carefully as she continued to glare at her.
“You get one picture. One !” Ina exclaimed. Amelia relented, yet was pleasantly surprised as Ina made no move to take the beret off.
Ina’s next gift made her a lot happier. The bag was carefully removed from the barrage of wrapping paper, eyes sparkling as she examined the exact bag she had been wanting.
“Surprise!” Amelia cheered, laughing as Ina bombarded her with a tight hug.
Ina pulled back with a wide smile, pecking Amelia’s lips before holding the bag to her chest. “Thank you, thank you! I’m happy you picked up on the hints I was dropping,” she teased, poking Amelia’s chest as she joined in the laughter.
“It was hard not to when you continuously left your laptop open with the bag front and center. I can pick up on some hints, believe it or not.”
A chorus of awws rang through the room. Ina waved her mom away with a blush, quickly grabbing her own gift for Amelia as she shot her an apologetic look.
She genuinely had no idea what to expect when it came to Ina’s gift. Unlike her girlfriend, she hadn’t dropped a single hint about what she wanted for Christmas, simply happy with being in the presence of her lover. The box itself wasn’t too heavy, and as she shook it lightly, it betrayed the sound of fabric shaking around.
“Stop shaking it and open it, silly,” Ina teased, ushering her to open the gift. She seemed excited, bouncing as Amelia delicately unwrapped the paper and peeked inside.
A yellow sweater lay in front of her, nearly identical to her favorite old yellow sweater. She recently had to throw the garment out after an accident with her kitten, Wellington– he was a little too obsessed with how fluffy it was. Ina knew she was devastated over the loss, pouting for several hours after the sweater was destroyed. To know she still remembered the incident stuck an arrow through Amelia’s heart.
Amelia pulled Ina into a tight hug, swaying back and forth as she sang praises of the gift.
“I can’t believe you remembered that!” she cheered, kissing Ina’s cheek before she darted back to examine the sweater further. With a little persuasion from Ina’s mom, she darted to the bathroom to change into the new sweater, which fit her perfectly.
Ina snuggled on her as the gift-giving ended, her mom coming out with some pie and champagne to continue chatting. The night stretched on, but Amelia couldn't find it in herself to care. With Ina held close, breathing lightly against her neck as Amelia chatted idly with her family, her heart felt warmer than it had in ages.
Yawning came from her side, making Amelia glance over at her girlfriend. Ina rubbed her eyes, seeming to be fighting to stay awake. Ina’s mom picked up on this as well, taking Amelia’s plate and champagne glass away from her and ushering the two to Ina’s old room.
Amelia gently set Ina down on her bed, grimacing at the twin bed. It’d be a tight squeeze for two, but Amelia figured she was clingy enough to stay on the bed for the night– especially in the cold breeze of winter.
As Amelia contemplated this, bringing out her pajamas to change into, a tap on her shoulder spun her around. Ina sat on the bed, one final gift in her lap.
The box itself was small, barely fitting in the palm of Ina’s hand. By her body language, she seemed nervous to give it to her, not quite meeting her eyes and fidgeting on her spot on the bed. Amelia flopped down next to her, tossing her pajamas to the side and taking the gift wordlessly.
“I didn’t want to give this to you in front of my mom,” Ina explained, “I… this is special. Just for you.”
This did nothing to calm Amelia’s curiosity, but she opened the box with care, peeling the wrapping paper off gently. She was met with what looked like a jewelry box, black velvet soft against her hands. It looked expensive, making Amelia’s hands shake as she slowly pried the box itself open.
Inside lay a ring. The ring itself was intricate but simple, a single gem laying with small designs carved into the metal. Her hands shook more as she examined it, opening her mouth to try to ask why , but nothing came out.
“This… isn’t an engagement ring or anything. Don’t worry about that,” Ina laughed, the telltale shake of nervousness breaking through her own voice. “Call it a promise ring. I… really like you, Amelia. I really , really like you. Spending time with you throughout my day just makes everything better. I love the way you light up any room you walk into, I love your obsession with biology and terrariums, I love your little gremlin mode you get into when you get upset–” that sparked a teary laugh from Amelia, “ – I just… I love you . I want to be with you for as long as I can.”
Amelia couldn’t find any words. She wordlessly slipped the ring on, but these seemed to say enough. Ina gasped, smiling as she pulled Amelia in for a deep kiss, holding the hand with the ring on it close to her chest. They broke apart, tears streaming down their cheeks, and Amelia immediately rested her hand on Ina’s cheek to wipe them away.
“I love you more than words can describe, Ina,” Amelia whispered, eyes tracing her face. “The ring is beautiful. I’ll wear it constantly. I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me.”
When they kissed again, Amelia felt complete.