Chapter Text
Kris leans against a locker and twirls a nail file around in her hands before placing it behind her ear. She's waiting for something, arriving at school far too early for someone with her reputation to suggest, or someone actually. If this were class hours, she would be reprimanded for not being in full uniform, but she would honestly be criticized for being in the hallway at all with their principal. Principal Jazz has never liked her, and that was even before she joined The Mogul Embassy. Which in hindsight is hilarious knowing her oldest son is her best friend and has been for years.
Kris never knew why and never thought to ask. But when the principal of your private school hates you personally, you sort of give up trying to change that. It's not like she's going out of her way to get in trouble, at least never enough to lose her LaCrosse scholarship. A lot of the time she's been pulled into the detention room, she just happened to be nearby as some shit went down. No one ever believes that she isn't involved in it, so she gives up trying to explain herself. As long as she can stay in the good graces of Coach Tazz, she'll be fine.
Kris couldn't be more the stereotype of the bad kid from the wrong neighborhood that got lucky if she tried. Her single mother works two jobs to afford the things she needs to even attend the prestigious Khan Academy. Because Kris is on a scholarship, she doesn't have to pay for her supplies and original sets of uniforms, school, and sports. Everything else? The laptop she needs for note taking for English, the scientific calculator for math, and every extra uniform she may need all come out of pocket. Coach Tazz always keeps a few spare uniforms, especially ties, for all his kids because that seems to be the most lost item of their uniforms. Kris has started keeping extras in her locker if she forgets them on any particular day. She tries not to forget, but with how early she has to wake up to get here on time, she's still asleep when she walks into this building most days.
On the thought of the hour-long commute she has to get to school, Kris yawns and leans more into the locker. God, she could use a coffee, a donut, or some form of breakfast, but she can’t leave when she just got there. Kris promised she would be here and doesn’t want to break the promise when she’s done so well up until now. Maybe if she just rests her eyes for a moment, she’ll be fine for later.
Kris leans her head back against the locker, and in seconds, she is out. Twenty minutes pass as Kris sleeps, standing up, and that’s when Willow walks up. She watches for a long moment, looks down at the second coffee in her hand, and smirks because this is not the first time she’s found the punk in this situation. Willow places the coffee she brought for Kris down and sips her own as she waits for the perfect moment to wake Kris.
“Excuse me; I think you’re leaning on the wrong locker there, Alien Girl.”
Kris wakes with a start and throws her head back against the locker. She bangs her head against the steel door behind her. Willow grimaces as Kris grabs the back of her head, and she immediately goes over to check on the other girl. She grabs hold of Kris’s head and turns her to see if she is bleeding or has a bump. When Willow doesn’t see any injury, she pulls back and lifts Kris’s head to stare into her eyes. Willow watches Kris’s face soften in real time when they make eye contact, and they both smile at each other for the first time that day.
“Hi. Sorry about your head, handsome.”
“Good morning, my sunshine. You sure do have a way of waking me up, don’t you?”
“To be fair, I had no idea you were asleep. I brought you a coffee because I know how early you wake up to arrive on time. Is your head okay?”
Kris touches the back of her head where the spot is. Ultimately she knows that her head will be fine in a few minutes, but that doesn’t mean she can’t milk it for a little extra loving.
“Nothing a kiss can’t fix.”
Willow smirks and rolls her eyes at Kris but leans in and kisses her girlfriend of three months. The unlikely pairing of the Headmistress's daughter and the weirdo without a cause share a sweet embrace in the empty hallway. They shouldn't work on paper, and the few people who know about their relationship tell them so. The two hearts wanted each other, and they've been together ever since. Nothing more could be said to them after that.
Willow pulls back and cradles Kris’s face in her hands. Her coffee was placed down when Kris hurt herself, so she has both hands free. Kris’s eyes are still closed; part of the side effects of kissing the woman that has her so smitten is that she always wants more. Willow lets out the softest huff of air at the facial expression she sees on Kris’s face and smiles. No one would ever believe her that the punk monster that haunts the halls is a sweetheart, but only for her.
“I wish I didn’t have to wake you up so early to spend time with you. You already get so little sleep as it is. I always feel so bad when you show up and have to wait on me.”
“I sleep on the weekends. You don’t have to worry about me. You call, I come running, I told you before. I want to make this work, so I’ll do whatever I need to do. Can I have my coffee now? Since I’m So Tired.”
“Of course, you can. Let’s go to the old music room; I may or may not have made a copy of the key last time I had my mom’s set. Let’s go have breakfast, cutie.”
“I love being a bad influence on you. Such a bad girl.”
Willow rolls her eyes but gives Kris one final peck before fully backing away from her girlfriend, which proves to be more and more difficult with each passing moment. Willow picks up both coffees and hands Kris the one she bought for her. Kris takes the cup and Willow’s hand as the two girls walk through the empty hallways together. Kris sips at the coffee and smiles that Willow always brings her coffee in the mornings. Sometimes, she finds the cup in her locker if they can’t meet up, but usually, they get to have a small moment like this together. Her coffee order isn’t super specific or detailed, but Willow got it right. She keeps it simple because those flavors tend to cost extra, and having a mother that’s a waitress makes her nicer to waitstaff on principle. If it’s cold out, a plain black coffee with cream and sugar will work, and if it’s hot, an iced vanilla latte is perfect. The point is Willow doesn’t have to go and get her anything, but it’s the thought that counts. She could show up empty-handed nine times out of ten, and Kris would beam in pure joy.
Willow opens the door to the old music room, and Kris hits the light switch. Since the school’s most recent remodel, the music and arts department got a new wing leaving this room to become forgotten. It was primarily used for storage by the student store and any staff member that needed it until Willow got to it. Willow has been slowly cleaning it up to use as a hideaway, even getting the key from her mother to spend a few free periods setting it up. There are a couple of old couches from the library inside and a few instruments that no one needs anymore. In other words, Willow has made it nice and cozy in the room no one cares about anymore. Kris helped her, of course; someone had to help her carry the furniture around the building. If Mr. Khan ever asked her what her mother wanted Kris for during all those detentions, well…let’s just say Willow put her to work.
“Make yourself at home, my darling. I’m going to open one of these windows because it’s so stuffy. It’s almost October; how is it still so hot in here?”
“Poor ventilation? Do you want guitar or piano this morning?”
“Last time you played the piano, we almost got caught because it was so loud. You also got your blazer dirty because you had to hide behind the couch, and the floor wasn’t clean. Remind me to see janitor Jay and ask him to clean this place up for me.”
“You could always pull me out of TK’s detentions and make me clean it. It isn’t getting suspicious at all that you keep pulling me out of detention whenever I have it.”
Willow turns away from the window, finally getting a breeze to come through the screened opening to face the direction of Kris’s voice. She’s sitting in the armchair tuning an old forgotten guitar to play them some music. Willow pouts at the statement after Kris says it. Despite knowing it was sarcasm, she still feels terrible about the lengths she has to go through to spend time with the girl who has her so smitten. They’re spending their morning in a cardboard box-shaped room with no air conditioning because Willow knows that her mother would forbid her from seeing Kris if she knew they were together. Willow walks over to Kris and leans on one of the arms of the chair. She’s not fully sitting down, but she’s close enough to touch Kris. Kris, who has hung up her blazer and is in just her short-sleeved dress shirt and tie that is a little undone as well from the heat. Kris looks every part of the villain of her story, but she isn’t. She’s the savior, and Willow would fight tooth and nail to give them the semblance of a chance of success. This might mean spending less time together if the wrong people catch on. Because God knows that simp Khan would do anything for her mother if it got him in her good graces, even for a moment.
“Has it started to become suspicious? Do I need to stop freeing you from TK and his droning about Geometry and the school’s honor code? Because if so, he’s the worst person to be suspicious. I once heard him say that he would let my mother step on him if it made her happy.”
Kris places the guitar down on the other side of the chair, where Willow isn’t, and pulls the black girl into her lap to hold her. The act momentarily silences Willow, and Kris’s calm demeanor settles the fast pace her heart has started to generate in her beginning worry. Kris leans forwards, picks up her coffee, and takes a long swig from the cup. Willow watches Kris take her time before responding to her, something she notices that her girlfriend often does. There is a reason that most people find her intimidating and scary. Kris is tall, muscular, and intense. Sometimes, she scares people into believing rumors that weren’t true just from her outward presence and who she hangs around. Now that Willow knows Kris, she has learned that the lacrosse player is nothing but a giant dorky teddy bear, but in the early days of their relationship, she wasn’t so sure. Kris places the cup on the small table in front of them, moving both of them as Willow is still in her lap, and sighs.
“Did I get your coffee order right, Pup?”
“You always do. Now let’s have this conversation now that I have some caffeine in my system. You do know that was sarcasm, right? I know I don’t make jokes that often, but I am capable of humor, especially with you.”
“I know it’s just that… you know I worry that my mother will take you away from me. I just want to do everything I can to hold onto you. Am I doing too much?”
Kris holds her hand up between their faces and pinches two of her fingers together as if to say, “a little bit.” Willow tilts her head back and pouts in embarrassment, but Kris doesn’t let her do that for long. She takes her already raised hand and tugs at Willow’s ear to catch her attention to stop her from wallowing in self-pity and anxiety. Kris does it several more times to get Willow to stop pouting and look at her.
“I’m not going to stop pulling your ear until you look at me, sunshine.”
“Ugggghhhh fine what?”
Willow faces Kris, and Kris leans in and kisses her to calm her down. Willow melts into Kris’s touch and kisses her back firmly. Willow wraps her arms around Kris’s neck and falls into the kiss, content to stay in this moment for as long as she can. Every moment Willow connects them physically grounds her in reality, one that she wishes she got to experience more. There is nothing like the feeling of safety that overcomes Willow when she’s around Kris. It can’t be described to anyone unless they’ve felt it in their own life. The kiss doesn’t last as long as Willow wanted because Kris is only trying to get her attention while talking to her, but it lasts longer than she was initially planning.
“Feel better now? Your voice was doing that thing, so please calm down.”
“Kissing you is addicting.”
“Answer the question or I won’t kiss you again for the rest of the day.”
“If I say yes can I get another kiss? Because if so, the answer is yes.”
“Behave you. Honesty, please?”
“I always feel better around you. I just wish I didn’t have to hide how happy you make me sometimes. I hate this.”
“I do too, but we can make the best of the time we get together. Thinking about it takes away from the small amount of time we already have. You worry too much, my little Latte. Believe me, I hate it too, but you bought us these delicious coffees, so let's enjoy our morning together while we can.”
Willow frowns at the sadness in Kris’s eyes and pouts because of their situation. Ultimately Kris is right; until Willow can find a way to get her mother to like Kris, and Swerve to understand, they can never go public with their relationship. She gives Kris one final peck before getting out of her lap and standing up.
“I’m only getting out of your lap to grab my coffee. You also can’t play the guitar with me on your lap, so I will post up like one of your French girls while you serenade me. One day my beautiful girl. One day everyone will know that I am yours and you are mine, and no one can take that away from you.”
“One day, my gorgeous girl. Now, what song do you want me to play?”
“You pick. I just like hearing you play.”
Kris smiles as Willow lays on the couch with her coffee now in her hand. Kris huffs out a puff of air in amusement as she picks up the guitar and strums. She plays familiar tunes that bring a serene smile to Willow’s face as they spend the morning together. When Willow has to run out to meet with one of her friends before class to keep up appearances because it’s one of the people that doesn’t know about them, Kris isn’t mad. As one of the most popular girls in their grade, Willow has to keep appearances and make friends with people that she doesn’t like. Kris doesn’t like it, she wishes Willow could be herself completely, but she understands. Willow leaves the key to their hideaway with her before grabbing her trash and leaving with a kiss.
“Lock up the room for me? I have to go fix whatever dilemma Mariah is having. I’ll give you a lot of long, meaningful looks across the hallway later. Bye, handsome!”
“Bye, gorgeous … I love you.”
Willow doesn’t hear Kris say those three words as she waits until Willow is already out the door to say it. She sighs, takes the key, and pockets it before cleaning up her mess and closing the windows. As Kris leaves, she pulls a folded note out of her back pocket that she wrote on the way to school this morning. She takes her time as she walks through the hallways and slips the note in Willow’s locker as casually as possible. Kris keeps walking to meet with her friends before school since she doesn’t have a meeting with Coach Tazz like she usually does. As she heads outside, she crosses paths with Willow and a small group of cheerleaders following her. They make brief eye contact before one of the cheerleaders that Kris couldn’t name if she tried takes her attention away and pulls Willow’s gaze.
Kris continues outside, where she knows Hook is at football practice. He’s not a starter like she is for her team, too skinny, but he still has to show up to practice since he’s on the team. She leans on the gate and gives him a nod when he notices her off to the side of the field. Kris reaches into her bag for one of the granola bars her mom always stuffs into her bookbag and is surprised to find a folded piece of paper among the generic protein bars in the pocket. She sees Willow’s loopy cursive on the front of the paper and smiles at the thought of her beautiful girlfriend. Kris opens the note to read:
Kris, I can’t believe how quickly you have become the most important person in my life. On days that I know we’re spending time together, have me counting down the seconds until I see your face. I love that you let me be my authentic self around you. You let me escape into a world where I can just be myself without judgment; well, none I know isn’t in good faith. Nothing makes me happier than spending weekends at your house, cradled in your arms, before your mom gets home. Listening to your heartbeat while you hold me is the best lullaby I could find. I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but your body heat is better than any blanket I own. I struggle to sleep on nights I go and see you because I can’t get comfortable after being the most comfortable I could ever be in your arms. It’s why I always fall asleep. It’s not because I’m tired, but because you make me so comfortable. You make me feel safe. The day we won't have to hide what we have, I'll climb to the school's roof and shout to the heavens that you're mine. It gets increasingly harder to deny you with each passing day. I'm sure Isaiah has figured out by now that I'm with someone, and I can't lie to him. I hope that doesn't cause drama with you two, but I'll handle it if it does. It gets harder to hide this the longer it goes, but trust me when I say it won't be much longer. This isn't a promise. That is a fact. Not to get all literature 101 on you, but even death could hear how my pulse races and my heart pounds when you're near. I'm so happy you took this chance on us, just like I did. I am mad over you, Kristen Ryan Statlander, and this affliction only worsens with each passing day. Luckily for you, I don't want the cure.
Forever yours,
Willow
Kris closes the note and sighs wistfully. She wonders briefly how Willow knew her middle name but figures that she probably saw her student records at some point, so the thought floats away unimpeded. The note is misted with Willow’s perfume, the one she always compliments and thinks smells the best, and Kris subtly brings it to her nose and inhales. Images of late nights and hiding spots where no one can see them float through Kris’s mind. Before she gets in too deep into her feelings, Swerve walks up and tosses his bag down by her feet, and he sits with a cheeky smirk. She places the note in her blazer inside her pocket when he isn’t looking and smirks back when he does. He shoulder-checks her as he sits, and she smiles at the action. Albeit it’s a guilty smile, but a smile nonetheless.
“How’s our boy doing? Has he been in yet?”
“Has he ever gotten in? He never gets to play, not even in practice. Not our fault he chose to play the sport with the weight requirement. He’s too skinny; why doesn’t he play baseball or soccer with you?”
“He has no hand-eye coordination. Trust me, Sis, I tried teaching him how to use his feet. He’s good at this one; there are just other people on the team that are better and bigger. Plus, you know every coach has their favorites.”
“Like your brother Will? What was your mom thinking about making your siblings' names so similar and yours so different?”
“You gonna ask me that every time we talk about my family?”
“Yes, actually. Every single time. What an insane bit to yes and on her end for the twins.”
“Yeah, Mom said no more babies after Step Pops did that. RIP.”
“No, I can tell. We all can tell.”
Swerve rolls his eyes and leans back against the gate the two of them are sitting by and relaxes, ending their conversation. Kris waits until she’s sure Swerve isn’t looking, then pulls Willow’s note out and turns it around in her hands. She pulls out the folder where she keeps all the letters and drawings Willow has given her over the months and adds the newest addition to her collection. She wouldn’t usually have this folder at school, but Willow has been leaving her surprises at school again, and Kris never wants to lose them. Her locker and backpack aren’t the most organized place, so she has the folder.
The lacrosse player puts the item back, leans back alongside Swerve, and relaxes with him. She doesn’t take these small moments with Swerve for granted because as soon as he finds out about her relationship with his baby sister, he will kill her. She knows the day is coming that she will have to tell him, and she already knows he won't be happy. The first thing he told her when they first started attending the same school was that Willow is off-limits from everyone in the entire school. It is an unspoken rule among all the gay girls that you can’t go after Willow Nightingale, no matter how hot you think she is. The only exceptions to the rule were if her mother approved of you or if Willow herself pursued you. Because of this unspoken rule, Willow has been perceived as single to the rest of the student body, even though that isn’t the case. Her mother’s taste often clashed with Willow’s, but she always gave each person a fighting chance.
Kris never went out of her way to date Willow despite her own crush. Willow pursued her to the point that she never stood a chance against the shorter black girl. She tried to resist. Kris really did, but she knew she was a goner when they kissed for the first time that summer day. Three months later and now Kris is at a crossroads. Her feelings have grown too strong to hide, and she wants to tell her best friend about this relationship that makes her so happy. She wants to rub it in her teammates' faces that she has the most prized woman in the entire school on her arm. She wants to rub it in the whole school’s face that the outcast got the girl. However, as soon as she does that, she knows Swerve will try to knock her teeth in for touching his sister. Then she would probably be expelled for the fight she didn’t even start but HeadMistress Jazz would take full advantage of.
“Ay, I'm headed in for some breakfast. You, coming?”
Kris looks at Swerve and nods once she sees that the football team is heading inside as well. She grabs her things, takes Swerve’s offered hand to help her stand, and they make their way inside. They sit towards the back of the student cafe with a couple of snacks. Including some they put aside for Hook. Willow, Bianca, and that same group of cheerleaders from earlier flood into the cafe shortly after they sit down. The crowd parts like the red sea for the small flock of cheerleaders that Willow and the other track star lead through the room. Kris’s eyes track Willow as she travels, hoping for any brief eye contact, but she doesn’t get any. Swerve is saying something about how fickle the other cheerleaders are, and that’s why he doesn’t hang with the popular crowd when he can. She’s not listening to him, but she already knows because Willow has told her something similar in the past.
Hook walks up a little later, joining them from his shower, and Swerve starts making fun of him for being a bench warmer. Hook wrings his still-wet hair over his head to make him shut up, and Kris laughs at their antics. It takes her attention away from looking at Willow as she continues to cross the cafe with Bianca. It happens in slow motion for Kris. As Willow passes the table where Kris is sitting, she turns her head and winks at her. The athlete just happens to be looking up, and she returns the wink with a smirk of her own. The moment ends just as quickly as it began, and the two of them are back to talking to their friends like it never happened. Fleeting glances and secret rendezvous are all they have, and while they both want more, they don't take it for granted. Kris loves Willow. Willow loves Kris. That's all that matters, right?
Right?