keeping it casual | leah williamson
pairing: leah williamson x reader
a/n: inspired by the song casual by chappel roan - a must listen for all the queer girlies who have been in confusing situationships. it sucks.
summary: reader and leah become friends w benefits, but reader wants more. leah is very clear however on the fact that she wants to keep things casual. miscommunication, a little angsty, little fluffy, and little smutty (if you squint).
word count: 2000
There was no denying your feelings for Leah. Of course you’d always been attracted to her, that’s how you ended up in this friends with benefits, no strings attached situation in the first place. However you had both made it abundantly clear from the start that you wanted this to be casual. You weren’t looking for a relationship, and from what Leah said, neither was she. It was casual sex, and that was that. Except now the lines were blurring between something casual and something real, and you didn’t know what to do about it.
What began as late night hook ups has turned into essentially living in each others houses, sleeping in the same bed every night, driving to and from training together, and from the outside it would appear you two were in a happy relationship. Everyone could see the way you two lit up around each other. But everyone also knew that Leah didn't have a reputation as a monogamist, and that raised concerns among some of your team mates. Namely, Beth Mead who pulled you aside one day for a conversation that became much more serious than you had anticipated.
‘What’s happening with you and Leah, darling?’ She asked you and you smiled.
‘I don’t know, it’s all a bit confusing to be honest,’ you admitted, shrugging your shoulders.
‘Y/N, you shouldn’t have to be confused. I really wish Leah would just grow up and be ready for a relationship, she shouldn’t be stringing you along like this,’ Beth said, and your defences shot up.
‘She’s not stringing me along,’ you said bluntly, ‘This was a mutual choice, we both went into this wanting nothing more than something casual.’
‘But don’t you want more than that? I can see it in the way you look at her that you really have feelings for her. I just don’t want you to get hurt,’ Beth said pleadingly, surprising you that she would come to you to try and persuade you out of this situation with Leah.
‘I can appreciate where you’re coming from, but I’m a big girl Beth, and so is Leah. Whatever happens I can deal with, but for now it’s good. You don’t have to worry,’ you told her and she nodded slightly, though you could sense that she wasn’t convinced.
The conversation ended there however, and you went back to training. That night when you and Leah went back to her flat, you wound up pressed together, trying to taste every inch of each other. While you rested your back against the headboard, Leah worked her magic between your legs, using her tongue in all the right ways to get you off. This is it, you thought, it’s just sex. But the way that Leah holds you and falls asleep with her face against your neck makes you think about your chat with Beth. Because not only do you want the obscenely good sex, but you want the cuddles, you want the late night conversations, and the waking up together. You want the inside jokes, and the stolen glances on the pitch. But deep down, most of all you want to know that Leah is all yours, yet that’s the one thing that you know you won’t get.
When you woke up the next morning you brought it up with Leah, in a subtle way, deciding to tell her how Beth had pulled you aside.
‘Beth doesn’t understand not wanting to be in a relationship, because she’s always in one,’ Leah had told you plainly.
‘Yeah,’ you agreed meekly, not sure how to digest that fact that Leah was still telling you that she didn’t want to be in a relationship.
While at the beginning you were on the same page, now her refusal to be exclusive feels like a knife in the heart. Because you had given Leah the best of you, and she still didn’t want to be with you, and that felt personal.
Despite all the feelings arising on your end, you two continued your pattern, living in each others pockets and sleeping together, but not putting a label on it. Now you were even attending Williamson Wednesday’s as you had dubbed it. The one night a week where Leah and her family all went round to her Nan’s house for dinner and board games. You had wondered what this meant for your relationship, regularly spending time with her family. In front of them she never tried to hide the fact that you guys were romantically involved either, she would gladly take your hand, or let her arm settle around your shoulders or waist, even steal a kiss. Leah’s own mother Amanda had praised you privately in the kitchen one night, thanking you for making her daughter so happy. And yet, her daughter remained certain that she didn’t want a relationship.
At this stage you were starting to feel disillusioned by it all. You started really questioning how on earth Leah could truly believe anything about your relationship was ‘casual’.
It all came to a head one night when you were out at an event together. You two were ready to walk down the carpet to get photos taken and Leah had planted her hand on your lower back, initiating that you two would walk together.
‘We wouldn’t want the press thinking we’re a couple now, would we?’ You said sharply, stepping away from her and choosing to walk first by yourself. You were tired of the mixed signals, and when you looked back at Leah you could see that you’d shocked her.
When you got to the end and walked on through to the next room Leah came quickly to your side, ‘Have I done something?’ she asked in a low murmur.
You settled your rising emotions with a breath and then turned to face her, ‘I just didn’t think you would want to be photographed with me by your side, seeing as you’re pretty adamant about how you don’t want to be in a relationship with me.’
‘Woah, where’s all this coming from?’ Leah said, stepping back slightly and holding her hands up innocently.
‘Forget it, let’s just get through the night,’ you say, putting it to bed for now.
Instead of spending the night with Leah, like you’d want to, you let yourself socialise and catch up with people who you hadn’t seen in a while. However you mind never strays from the blonde girl who you’ve completely fallen for. You’ve tried to push your feelings away, and tell yourself to just enjoy it for what it is, but you can’t do it anymore. You decide to leave early, ordering yourself an uber home, rather than using the car organised to transport you and Leah. In the back seat the emotions overcome you, and the tears finally fall. You begin to process how much you truly do feel for Leah, and you start to feel like an idiot for allowing her to just use you for sex for this long.
When you get home you can’t even bare to look at yourself in the mirror to remove your makeup. You just clumsily step out of your dress and crawl into bed, feeling lonelier than ever. Your pillows muffle the sound of you crying as your body shakes in the sheets. Hoping sleep will find you soon, you close your eyes and try to think about anything else. It’s no use but, your mind completely revolves around one person now, and the fact that she doesn’t feel the same way only makes you feel worse.
After what must be about an hour of wallowing, you hear your front door creak open and close and the click of heels on your floorboards downstairs. You know immediately who it is and you keep your eyes firmly shut, trying to stable yourself mentally for all this to come to an end.
You’re laying with your back to the door when she enters the room, her presence bringing with it an energy that never fails to fill you up with love and affection.
‘Hey,’ she says gently, stepping closer to the bed until she kicks off her shoes and pulls off her blazer then crawls under the covers herself, wrapping her body around yours and holding you against her. The tears come again and you find yourself silently crying.
‘Baby, please talk to me, what’s going on in that head of yours?’ Leah pleads, affectionately planting kisses into your hair as she runs her hands over your body. As much as you wish you didn’t, you relax into her touch, while your mind continues it’s internal battle about whether or not you should bring all this up.
‘I can’t do this Leah,’ you say, spinning around. She releases her grip on you and pushes your hair out of your face so she can see you properly.
‘Can’t do what?’ Her eyebrows knit together and her lips are slightly parted, trying to process the night.
‘I don’t know why I let this go on so long,’ you can’t even look at her, because seeing her face makes you want to forget about how you feel and let everything continue as it has been. You roll your face into the pillow, groaning and wishing this could be different.
‘You don’t want to be with me anymore?’ Leah echoes the information she is receiving back to you.
‘No,’ your voice is muffled by the pillows as you make your admission, ‘I want to be with you, that’s the problem, because you don’t want to be with me.’
Leah examines you carefully, smoothing down your hair as she tries to find the right words.
She speaks slowly when she does, allowing all the words to sink in, 'Y/N, of course I want to be with you, I thought I was following your lead with this whole friends with benefits thing.'
'What?' You turn to face her as you remember all the times she made it very clear she did not want to be with you.
'I would’ve made you my girlfriend right away, but you told me you weren’t looking for anything serious. I want to be with you, I thought you were the one who didn’t want a relationship,' she says, shaking her head, realising how this was a serious error in communication from both of you.
'Are you kidding me? I thought this whole thing was on your terms, and it was just about the sex for you,' you say.
'Are you blind?' Leah scoffs, smiling, 'You’ve basically moved in to my house, you come with me to visit my family every week, I thought I was making it obvious that I want you to be a part of my life.'
You smile at yourself now, feeling silly for not having just had this conversation sooner, 'Why didn’t you just say something?'
'Because I was scared! You always seemed a bit off about it all, but now I can see why,' she says, looking you deep in the eyes like she is finally understanding you in a new way.
'We both should have said something then,' you say and Leah nods.
'I can’t believe you would think I would use you just for sex, what am I, a man?' She says in sarcastic shock.
'You didn’t say otherwise!' You quip back.
'Well I guess I did want to keep having sex with you, that’s why I didn’t say anything,' she shrugs.
'Me too,' you smile.
'But you know this is so much more than sex, even though that’s also really great,' Leah says, letting her hand rest on the side of your face.
'It is for me too. I want everything with you,' you say, feeling like you’re stepping off a cliff, falling into a new part of your life. A life with Leah.
'So do I. I love you, Y/N, so much,' she says and you eliminate the short distance between your faces, kissing her gently.
'I love you too,' you say, resting your forehead against her as you pull back. Leah closes the gap now, kissing you again, and again.
‘So does this make you my girlfriend, then?’ She mumbles between kisses as your hands roam over her waist and thighs trying to take off her outfit.
'It better,' you say, not wasting a moment before connecting your lips back to her skin, just to make sure she knows just how much you’ve been waiting for this moment.
839 notes
·
View notes
Welcome to New York II Ali Krieger x Reader
"Everybody here was someone else before
And you can want who you want
Boys and boys and girls and girls."
Welcome To New York, Taylor Swift
masterlist I word count: 2901
The first thing you thought as you spotted Ali Krieger standing on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum was that this could have been a scene from a romantic comedy. A warm smile played on the defender’s lips while she had two cups of coffees in her hands:” Hi.” “Hi. Is this one for me or do you just need a lot of caffeine today”, you asked her teasingly.
Amused she shook her head: “No, the second one is for you. Ocean and Sloane let me sleep long enough today.” “Oh, lucky for me. Thank you so much.”, you answered grateful for her thoughtfulness. Still smiling Ali handed you your coffee: “You’re welcome.” Nervously you put a string of your hair behind your ear: “I hope you didn’t wait too long for me.” As much as you loved this city, the public transport was against you coming punctually to your coffee date with the equally busy soccer player today. Kindly she waved at you:” No, I didn’t. Do you want to keep standing here or walk around?” “Let’s walk around a bit.”, you decided.
Side by side you started walking, clearing her throat Ali admitted with a shy grin: “Alright. To be honest, I’m so glad Jason Sudeikis introduced us to each other at my last league game party.” “Oh, me too. Trust me. It was nice to get a look inside a soccer team.”, you agreed with her. Curiously the older woman looked at you:” As inspiration for your upcoming leading role in the female ted lasso spin off?” “You can never have enough inspiration. And to be honest, I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I want to portray my role as realistically as possible.”, you declared slightly blushing.
Playfully the defender pouted: “Oh, and I hoped you were really interested in me as a person and not only in the soccer player part of my personality.” “Not at all. I think the soccer player part is impressive but it’s not the most interesting part about you.”, you told her. “Oh really?” The blush on your cheeks intensified: “Maybe your good looks were also a part of it.” “And the glasses of wine we shared.", she winked at you. This comment made you chuckle:” I can only say that they definitely kept the conversation going.”
“Not only that.”, Ali added grinning hinting at what happened as the night turned over into the early morning, the time in which the never sleeping city was buzzing with life and excitement and the sexual attraction between you could not been denied any longer. “Ali!”
“What? It’s true.”, the football player shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. You scoffed: “You’re terrible.” “Yes, but you don’t mind it.”, she observed. Laughing you confessed: “Actually, I kinda like it.” “I can tell.”, Ali nodded satisfied. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t be.”, the defender whispered. Elegantly you changed the topic: “It’s really beautiful today. The weather is perfect.”
Ali let her gaze wander over the autumnal scenery of the Central Park. The yellowing leaves were contrasting against the blue sky. “Agreed. New York in fall is stunning.“, she smiled. “It is.“, you agreed, taking in the crisp air. “Have you always lived in New York?“, Ali asked, genuine curiosity on her face. You shook your had and admitted; “Actually, no.“ The football players eyebrows knotted together; “No?“ With a sigh, your gaze dropped down to the fallen leaves on the ground; “Although I wished…“ “Tell me about it…“, Ali implored.
“Actually, I grew up in a conservative midwestern town.“, you started to explain. The defender grimaced, understanding the implication; “Oh. I’m sorry.“ “So coming to New York as a young adult did feel liberating in every way.“, you continued with a sad smile. Ali sipped on her coffee; “You know, a lot of my team mates who are queer had similar experiences.“ “Similar to some of my acting friends.“, you added. Ali shrugged with a sigh; “I’m always glad to hear when queer people from difficult places found a safe space.“
Nervously turning the cup in your hand, you asked; “You came out quite late to the public too, right?“ “Yes, that’s true. I thought it’s no one’s business but mine.“, she replied, nodding in thought. “What made you change your mind about it?“ “I realized that I can be of better use as a role model.“, she answered nonchalantly. You bit your lip, moved by revelation; “That’s very brave of you.“ Ali gave you a wry smile; “Thank you. But that wasn’t an easy decision for me either.“ “No, I understand that. Being queer wasn’t something that people in the movie industry liked to see a few years ago… sometimes even now.“, you told her. “I’m sorry.“ You shook your head; “It’s fine, really.“ “I guess we all have our struggles.“, the defender thought out lout. “Yes, we do.“
You were grateful when Ali finally offered; “Do you want to change the topic?“ Smiling, you gave her a soft nod to leave that topic behind; “Yes, please. I don’t want to ruin the mood during our little coffee date.“ “You couldn’t. I really enjoy talking to you.“, Ali said, carefully taking your hand into hers. “Same.“ „You do?“ “Yes, even though I told you about my sad little childhood.“, you laughed, your cheeks turning slightly pink as you wondered if you had overshared. But the smile on Alis face made that thought immediately disappear; “I appreciate it. Really. I’m glad you shared it.“
“That means a lot. So, what about you? Are you excited for the play offs?”, you asked her. The eyes of the defender lit up:” Yes, absolutely. I’m happy about every game I get to play.” “This must feel very special.”, you said, her excitement was infecting you too. “It is. If you’d like to get some more inspiration you could come.”, she offered you without hesitation.
Delighted you replied:” To your game? I’d love that.” “I’ll make sure you get some tickets.”, Ali continued happily. “Thank you.” The football player could not stop smiling: “You’re welcome.” For a second you looked worried:” You don’t think Ashlyn would mind, right?” “She won’t. Trust me.”, she reassured you quickly. Relieved you sighed:” Okay. Good.” Don’t worry about it. This is over.”, Ali confirmed. With a remark you tried to lighten up the mood again:” Yes, you made that very clear when you kissed me at the doorstep after your party.” “You asked about her.” “Sorry, I’m an idiot.”, you hid your face in her hands. Softly the football player disagreed with you: “No, you’re not.” “So that means I can kiss you? This time without alcohol breath?”, hopeful you looked up to her.
Amused Ali glanced at you:“You can always kiss me. Doesn’t matter if it’s on parties or in the Central Park.” “Although, I’d argue that this here is way more romantic.”, you chuckled. Expectantly she threw a look at you:” You can argue all you want but I’d rather you just kiss me.” “As you wish.”, you said before your lips met her who were waiting for that to happen since they departed from another.
After the training ended for the Gotham players Kristie let out an excited shriek: ”Oh my god, Ali ! I’m so jealous!” Confused the captain looked at her before the blonde showed her an article on her phone which contained photos of Ali and her new girlfriend kissing romantically in the Central Park. Laughing Kelley intervened:” Jealous about the fact that they had a romantic moment in the autumnal Central Park or that she made it into the news with that?” “Actually.. both.”, Kristie admitted.
Surprised the dark-haired defender mumbled:” Oh no, they wrote about us.” “What’s wrong? It’s a cute photo.”, Kelley furrowed her eyebrows. Enthusiastically Kristie reminded the older player: “Exactly and you’re allowed to have fun, Ali. You’re in your lemonade era, remember?” “Still, I wasn’t ready to go public with that yet. And I don’t know if she was either.”, Ali bit her lip. Empathetic Kelley put an arm around her shoulder:” I get that too.” “I need to call her.”, the captain announced.
You were on set, spending your lunch break with the other actors, when you noticed your phone ringing. Seeing Alis name appear on the display made your heart jump unexpectedly. Happily you took the call; “Ali, Hi.“ “Hi.“, she replied. The tone of her voice made you frown; “What’s wrong? You sound a bit upset.“ The football player sighed as if to brace herself; “Have you seen the article yet?“
You grabbed your coat and your bag and hurried away from the other actors, ignoring Jason Sudeikis’ sceptical glance; “Uhm no. What article? We were busy filming the new tv episodes.“ “They photographed as kissing.“, she came straight to the point. You froze in place; “Wait. What?“ “I’m sorry.“ Your thoughts began racing, bringing you back to how exhilarated you felt during your date. Even though Ali couldn’t see you, you still shook your head; “No, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t kissed you there… this article would not exist.“ “I don’t regret the kiss… really.“, the defender replied with determination in her voice. “But you wish to have been private a little longer, right? Which is understandable considering your divorce is still fresh…“, you were thinking out loud.
Ali confirmed your thoughts; “Actually, yes. How do you feel about it?“ You let a few seconds pass before admitting; “It feels very early.“ “I know.“ “But you should know that I’m serious with you.“, you added truthfully. Ali let out a small breath, relieved; “Me too. I want this.“ Your smile was back in place; “Jason gifted me an Ali Krieger Fan club - shirt. Should I wear it to one of your games or would this be too much?“ “Please do it. If they won’t let us have our privacy, we can at least have some fun with them.“ You could basically hear Ali grinning through the phone. “Exactly what I thought too.“ Ali laughed; “I like that. You get me.“
“So, I’ll see you at the stadium? Will Sloane and Ocean be there too?“, you asked. You had the chance to meet Alis kids briefly for a few times and they had already won your heart, so you got even more excited when you heard Ali say; “Yes.“ “Great. Because I already miss them while being away on the set.“ “I’m sure they’re happy to see you again too.“, Ali said, her voice soft. “And I miss you too of course.“, you added quickly. “I do hope that!“, the defender teased. “So much.“, you admitted and with a quick glance on your watch, you ended the call; “Okay, break is over. I’ll call you back tonight.“ “Talk to you later.“
The team of Gotham FC was buzzing with excitement as they stepped on the field in Portland. If the players won, this game they would make it to the final. Grinning Lynn Williams touched the shoulder of her captain: “I spotted your girl, Ali!” “Really?”, Ali wanted to know from the forward, trying to discover your face in the crowd at Providence Park. Equally thrilled Kristie pointed to the direction where you were standing: “Over there.” “Oh. She’s wearing the shirt.”, the defender observed with a hint of proudness in her voice.
Amused Kelley remarked: “Not subtle at all.” “It’s not supposed to be.”, Ali told her. A bright smile was on Kristie’s lips:“I love it, I’m obsessed.” “Of course, you like that, Kristie.”, Kelley threw in unsurprised. Clearing her throat Lynn drew all the attention on her:” Yeah, so that’s all cute and sweet but we’ve a game to win girls.” “Yes. We got to focus on that.”, Ali agreed with the forward. Gotham’s number 5 nodded along:” Yes, we’re making sure that Ali has another game to play before her retirement.”
“What retirement? With those many games, I guess you can’t really call it retirement yet.”, their captain corrected her smiling. Winking Kelley reminded the dark - haired player: “Yes, but it’s one game before the final.” “And I’d love to get to the final, girls.”, with a cheeky grin Ali glanced at each of their teammates to give them that extra motivation tonight.
The game was really close, and they had to went into overtime but thanks to Katie Stengels goal in the 107’ minute against the Portland Thorns, they won this important match and would make it to the Final. After the referee blew the final whistle, Kelley cheered loudly:” She’s not done yet!” “I’m not leaving without a trophy!”, Ali shouted happily. Ecstatic Kristie who played her first minutes after her injury in today’s game screamed: “We won, bitches!” “Who are you calling a bitch?”, Ali threw an eyebrow up at the blonde before the two and Kelley started to dance out their feelings. The words to describe their emotions would be found later, now was the time to just be in the moment and celebrate.
Meanwhile Sloane made her way through the soccer players:” Mummy!” “No more b-words here, Mewis!, Ali warned her fellow teammate before pulling her daughter into a hug, Hi, baby.”
“Okay, but your new girlfriend has a nice ass.“, Kristie commented with a smirk, disregarding Alis warning, while Sloane jumped into her mums arms; “You won!“ “Mewis!“, Ali yelled before turning back to her daughter and agreed with a much softer voice; “Yes, we won. That means mum has to play one more game.“ “That’s okay. Love to see you play. Ocean was such a baby though. He fell asleep in her arms.“, Sloane rolled her big brown eyes and pointed in your direction where her little brother was sleeping in your arms. With a laugh, Ali explained to her daughter: “He is still small.“ “Yes. I’ll forgive him that.“, Sloane nodded. Alis eyes met yours and you both had to suppress a laugh.
Slowly you bridged the few steps between you two; “Hi. Sorry, someone is very sleepy. As is the big one who pretends she’s wide awake.“ You nodded first into Oceans, then into Sloanes direction. Ali put Sloane down who pressed into her leg with a yawn. “Let me take him.“, Ali offered, holding out her hands to take her sleeping son from you. She gratefully smiled at you; “Thank you so much for taking care of them. I appreciate it.“ “You’re welcome.“, you replied, leaning over to kiss your girlfriend passionately but careful to not wake up Ocean.
“Excuse me! Those kisses are not child friendly either!“, Kristies voice interrupted the two of you. Alis face was still close to yours as she rolled her eyes; “It’s a kiss. You do worse things with your girlfriend!“ “Ali is right about that!“, Lynn chimed in. Ali shook her head and you noticed the adoration for her teammates in her eyes, even though she wanted to seem annoyed; “Sorry about them.“ “It’s okay, trust me. My acting friends are even more dramatic.“, you laughed. „Yeah, I can imagine.“, the defender grinned, leaning in for another kiss.
Next to you, Lynns face brightened while she pointed to her teammate; “I bet Kristie would have been great in drama school too!“ “Yeah, but she can’t remember shit.“, Ali interjected. Kristies mouth fell open in outrage; “You guys are so mean.“ “Only because we love you.“, Kelley now joined your group, winking at Kristie. Ignoring the others, Kristie turned to you, her phone in hand; “Can we take a selfie together? My girlfriend Sam is such a fan of you and can’t wait for your upcoming tv show.“ “Sure, but I’m for Ali tonight…“, you answered politely. You posed for the photo together, grinning into Kristies phone camera while she smirked; “Yeah, we noticed that.“
“The shirt spoke for itself, huh?”, you laughed with her. An amused smile was on the blonde’s lip:” I can assure you it did.” “Good.”, you nodded satisfied. Slightly displeased Ali asked her teammate:” Are you done now, Kristie?” “Yes, sounds like someone is missing her girlfriend.”, the younger player winked at you.
The older woman rolled her eyes before turning her attention to you:” Ignore her.” “With a pleasure.”, you told her as you kissed her again. Expectantly Ali looked into your eyes when you two ended the kiss:” I hope you know that you have to come to the final now too.” “That’s alright with me.”, you replied happily. The defender whispered into your ear:“You seem to bring me luck.” “Meaning I need to wear the same shirt too?”, you asked her, throwing an eyebrow up.
Innocently Ali played with a loose hair string of yours:” Actually, this time I’d like to see you in my jersey.” “Your Jersey? Okay.”, you agreed. Softly your girlfriend blushed:“It’s a bit more.. official.” “I see.” “If you want to of course.”, Ali’s face went serious. Quickly you replied: “I do.” “I’ll bring you one.”, the older woman decided. Proudly you glanced at her:” Thanks, it’ll be an honour to wear it.” “It’s an honour for us that you support us.”, Ali corrected you. Looking at her children you said: “The children look tired.” “Let’s take them to bed now.”
“Good night you three.”, you wished them warmly while you all four were slowly falling asleep in the hotelroom. With a bright grin on her face Ali answered:”Good night.”
337 notes
·
View notes
The Only One
Hi ya'll, happy pride month!!
Sorry for being mia, I have been quite busy with school and also working on this (slowly) all of June. I was unsure of the vibes I wanted this story to give, as I have been feeling confused(?) as of late, and for some reason June has brought many feelings and a couple crap experiences that I wanted to incorporate into here. I did make the story hopeful toward the end, but I just wanted to say that if anyone feels this way, you are not alone!
Calling our Lesbian Headmistress to help make the confusing and lonely times a bit better with a pride event. I know not everybody likes to celebrate pride in this way, but I thought it was cute.
Larissa Weems x studentreader (platonic) ~4.6k words
Part of my 'All the Time' series, based on reader being a lesbian but struggles with her sexuality and falls for her straight friend (canon experience ;))
Warnings: partially closeted, mention of family not understanding, self reflection (internalized homophobia/being proud)
༻༺
Nobody ever talks about how lonely it is, being queer in a small town.
The lack of representation, of places to go, and people to meet. The sliver of hope that you will feel safe if you decide to venture, if you decide to try.
Her with him and him with her and 'girl crush' this and 'man crush' that.
But all in all, you thought that perhaps the worst of it all was the feeling of being the only one.
You listen to songs that describe other places, places you wish your mother would tell you to go.
You know she wants you to stay, but you can't ignore the crazy visions of you in…well, somewhere that perhaps doesn't exist- or maybe it does.
Somewhere a different version of yourself could live; hopeful, happy, proud.
Your favorite movie, which makes you feel accepted, alive, is less than ten years old, even though you're a fan of old classic Hollywood.
You don't see yourself in them.
Many times before, you've heard people say 'it would be so much easier to be gay.'
They must've been joking, of course; but being gay was not a joke.
They joke about being gay but they've never wondered if their family would still love them.
They joke about being gay but they've never been scared of their friends abandoning them and talking behind their back.
They joke about being gay but they've never rejected a man with the reason of being interested in women, just for the man to ask if it's the truth, 'they could turn you', so they say.
They joke about being gay but they've never been the quiet one when others talked about boys.
They joke about being gay but they've never felt like they were disrespecting women because they found them attractive.
They joke about being gay but they've never been the outcast.
They joke about being gay but they've never worried about their loved ones not attending their wedding.
They joke about being gay but they've never pretended to like men to try and fit in with their peers.
They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to talk to.
They joke about being gay but they've never had nobody to cry to.
They joke about being gay but they've never wished they were a boy, for the sole reason of a woman liking them back.
They joke about being gay but they've never had to love somebody in secret.
They joke about being gay but they'll never know what it feels like.
As bad as you felt, through the loneliness, the grief, the 'what ifs' and the doubt, it wasn't the fact of being queer that scared you, it wasn't that you weren't open, or accepting.
What did hurt though, was what came with it.
The fear of never finding someone, the fear of being rejected and harmed in public, the fear of never understanding how you really felt; the fear of feeling too deeply.
There have been times where you almost, almost, decided to leave it be.
'In another life' you said, shrugging your shoulders as a tear dripped down your cheek at the thought of faking it, and marrying a man.
But one day, you were reading a book dated from the 60s, when the realization hit you.
Years ago, regrettably not that many, you would not have the choice, you would not have the freedom.
And here you were, in the age of progression, hiding away in the land of heterosexuals.
You had a choice, you had freedom.
For the woman before you who were stuck in sham marriages, cried themselves to sleep, snuck around with another woman and feared for their life, for the women who raised children but not with whom they loved, for the women who had no such thing as freedom of choice.
You would not fake it, you would not hide, you would be your true self for them, and for you, regardless of the very possible fact that you could be the only queer in this small town.
༻༺
The headmistress stood outside of the chemistry classroom one gloomy morning, greeting students as they entered as your teacher always did.
You sauntered through the halls as you watched your peers and their modernistic and typical ways.
You weren't sure who's twisted idea it was, to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago…but you admired the sadism.
Opening your locker and retrieving your books, your sketchbook met the floor with an echo when a guy accidentally bumped into you.
"Oh crap, sorry Y/N"
You gave him a menacing look, before taking a breath and straightening yourself out.
"No worries."
His friend, who had shoved him into you, continued on to class as he spoke from down the hall. "C'mon man, leave the freak alone."
You expected him to continue on as well, but he didn't.
"How are things going?"
You'd likely be late for class if he kept the conversation up.
"A lot of this" you shrugged, pointing to your books.
"Yea, me too. The harvest festival is coming up though, I know you love the fall, and all things creepy."
You huffed in amusement, nodding your head.
"It’s nice to have things to look forward to."
He smiled and nodded, looking to his feet.
"Well, I'll see you there. Maybe I'll message you?"
You shook your head uninterested, not holding him to it.
"Sure."
Bending down to pick your sketchbook up off the floor, it was open to a doodle you had done which was rather, well, not appropriate for school.
Slamming your sketchbook shut, you stood and met your locker mirror; your own reflection, as well as the principals, smiling back at you.
Jump scare.
"Good morning, darling."
You spun around in surprise, staring wide eyed.
"Principal Weems, good morning."
She nodded as she looked at you in amusement, hoping to hide her true thoughts about your morning interactions.
"Where is Ms. Currie?"
The principal tilted her head at you, "Out today. I was notified last minute, so I'm your substitute."
Well, it was your lucky day.
The principal never failed to notice your…disinterest.
She didn't fail to notice the way some students picked on you, nor your lack of emotion; your presence of indifference towards men.
She saw herself in you, you were just like her.
That thought brought her both joy and pain.
༻༺
Sitting in the quad, you nervously twisted your fingers as you watched your friend approach.
You had heard, apparently, that it was a 'cannon lesbian experience' to have a crush on your friend.
Man were they right, and man, did it hurt.
She sat with a smile, though you could see that her attention was diverted.
"Hi."
"Hey Mar."
You swallowed, looking her in the eye across the table.
"I um, I was thinking, the Rave 'N is soon, maybe we could go together…"
Just then, you watched Gannon make his way to the table and sit beside your friend.
She squealed lightly, pulling him closer to her.
"Y/N, did I tell you Gannon and I are going to the Rave 'N together?!"
Your heart dropped, but it wasn't anything new, it wasn't at all surprising.
For you knew your friend liked men, but you had thought that maybe, well, you didn’t know; maybe there was hope that someone could be like you.
"Oh, uh, congratulations."
Your heart panged as they looked into each others eyes, smiling in anticipation.
"So, what were you talking about?"
You shook your head and let out a weak chuckle, quickly thinking of an excuse.
"I um, I was thinking maybe we could get ready for the Rave'N together, that could be fun."
Marcella smiled as she stood, linking her arm with Gannon's.
"Sure! I'll see you later!"
The principal, who supervised lunch in the quad, watched your rejection with disappointment and regret.
It dug deep, it brought back memories of her own time at Nevermore; the hate and the heartbreak that she felt, that you felt.
Sometimes, things never changed.
'I don't know if I believe the way I feel is real
And I often wonder if it is
Watching your friend dance with a guy
And pondering whether it's what she truly wishes
Should you step in, or leave her be?
You know you wouldn’t wish it, but does she?
It hurts a bit, a little, a lot; watching her dance so close to him
And maybe she'd dance with you like that too
But not in this life, no, not now,
For she's dancing with him, and you watch from the crowd'
༻༺
You knew it wasn’t the fault of your own; the despair, the regret, the loneliness.
But, you couldn't help but feel it when you were alone, so utterly alone, regardless of the fact that you could be surrounded by people.
They'd never understand the feeling of being so outcast, ironically, the feeling of being so different. The feeling of being told that how you felt was somehow wrong.
You felt it, you felt it wholeheartedly; and how could your heart be wrong?
Your parents, who never meant any harm, contradicted themselves.
Honestly, you couldn't exactly say how, but it hurt in a way that you didn't understand.
You thought maybe they were smarter, more knowledgeable, perhaps wiser than you.
They had always said that you could talk to them, but it was useless, as any attempt made you feel worse, not better.
They had been on this earth for sometime, however, surely they must've experienced the hate, and transformed themselves to some degree?
Wishful thinking.
They could never be so open.
And you think, maybe that's what hurt the most; wishing they could understand, wishing they would care enough to understand.
Alas, wishing was useless.
There were nights where you prayed for an older, wiser being to cry to. Someone who could tell you what to do and how to feel, someone who would listen, someone who would care.
Someone who would see you. Someone who understood, because they felt it themself.
༻༺
You made every attempt to be true to yourself.
To not lie, to let yourself feel what you felt, to get out more; to live.
It was hard to be true to yourself, though, when your friends agreed to accompany you to a pride day in Jericho, and then ditched you.
You resented them, you envied them, they didn't know what it felt like; they never would.
The hurt multiplied ten fold when June came around. The hiding, the thinking, the loneliness, it didn't settle, it didn't stop.
After an hour of scrubbing off your makeup, crying face down into your bed, and ditching your themed outfit, you arrived in Jericho, the opening ceremony finished.
The town square was very festive, multiple restaurants and shops agreed to host a scavenger hunt, crafted special meals to celebrate, provide smaller fun activities, and fireworks. You were proud of the small town of Jericho, they were trying; as were you.
And although they were trying, these activities were not really fun to do, well…alone.
Alas, that's what you were. Alone.
Passing by the Weathervane, you saw a small group of Nevermore students on their way out. You wanted to join in, but you didn’t know them, not that well.
Peering over at the counter, you found a drink special for the day;
'buy any regular sized drink, get rainbow whipped cream for free.'
You snorted, it was rather cheesy, but cute.
Stepping up to the counter, you ordered an iced coffee.
"Would you like rainbow whipped cream on that?"
You sighed, about to shake your head no when you heard a voice at the other end of the counter.
"Thank you, dear. This looks delicious."
She was standing tall with a red lipped smile, peering down at her hot chocolate; rainbow whipped cream on top.
You had to agree, it did look delicious.
"Yes, uh, whipped cream please."
As soon as your drink was made, you beelined it for the door, hoping she wouldn't see you.
It wasn't that you didn’t want to see her, it wasn't that you didn’t want to talk.
It was that you didn’t want her to see you- alone.
Unsure of where to go next, you stood on the sidewalk and tried your drink; delicious.
The doorbell rang and she stepped out, gazing around the streets.
In a flash, you turned and headed down the sidewalk, away from the activities, away from her.
"Y/N?"
You stopped, slowly turning as if you were unsure of where the voice had come from.
A wave, a smile, and she was next to you in a few strides.
"Darling, you're going the wrong way, the festival is this way!"
She never failed to make you happy, her and her rainbow hot chocolate.
You shrugged, "I uh, I don't really want to participate."
Her head tiled in question as she caught sight of your drink.
"You're not interested in celebrating pride?"
Well, that just made you sound homophobic. You shook your head quickly.
"No, no I am. I just, my friends were supposed to come with me but, they changed their minds I guess."
The principal looked down at you, your head hung in sadness, perhaps shame.
Today was not a day to be sad, it was not a day to be shameful, it was a day to be proud, to celebrate.
"Well, I am here with a few Nevermore students. I am proud to support them, no matter who or what they are."
You couldn't help but smile crookedly in awe, meeting her appreciative blue gaze. She bent down closer to you, softening her voice. "That includes you, love."
Your heart beat fast as you stared in surprise, tears threatened to spill as you felt accepted and cared for, for the first time in a long time.
Taking a sip of your drink with a shaky hand, you fiddled with your jewellery.
The woman saw you thinking, contemplating.
She felt the exact same at your age. Knowing who you were, to an extent, but pushing the feeling away with every chance you got.
You didn’t want to, she knew, you wanted to be proud, she knew, but it was hard when you felt like the only one, the only one in this small town.
"How about we try the scavenger hunt, hmm?"
You looked up at her with a frown, but inside you felt joyful.
"We're probably already behind" you chuckled.
The woman waved a hand in dismissal, "Nonsense. We have a good chance if we work together."
༻༺
1.
You made your way back into the Weathervane, retrieving the first clue to the hunt.
'If the first pride flag was designed in Jericho, it would've been designed here.'
You passed the first clue to her, knowing the first pride flag was designed in 1978. If it had have been designed in Jericho, well, you had three options.
The woman smiled, gasping lightly as she recalled "'Sew it forward', it was established here in the 1960s."
༻༺
2.
You followed the intriguing woman to 'Sew it forward', watching as she retrieved the second clue and stamped the pride book red.
She took the clue between her fingers, narrowing her eyes at the small writing.
'This famous bar in New York City was the site of the 1969 riots, a pivotal event in LGBTQ+ history. Find the Jericho bar that starts with the same letter.'
You racked your brain around the bars in Jericho. You have never been to the bars besides for lunch.
"Stones!"
The principal raised a brow at you, a small smirk on her face.
"What?! Just because I'm not of age doesn’t mean I haven't been. Stones has good pizza."
A loud laugh was heard throughout the fabric shop. You were overjoyed that you could make her laugh freely, albeit most likely sounding stupid.
She headed for the door; and you would follow her anywhere.
༻༺
3.
Arriving at Stones, you found those also attempting the hunt, and those drowning in drinks.
You stamped the book with the second stamp, orange, and retrieved the third clue.
'Locate a pin or item that displays personal pronouns or sexual orientation, both important ways to respect people's identities.'
Leading the way out into the street, you looked around.
You didn’t remember seeing a shop with a prominent pin or badge.
"A pin or badge."
You looked up at the tall woman, her eyebrows furrowed in question.
Raking your eyes over her form, you found a brooch on her jacket, one you knew she wore often.
Lips.
"Where did you get that brooch?"
She peered down at her brooch, straightening it out as a light blush overtook her cheeks.
"Oh, my brooch. I got it at the antique shop, Uriah's Heap."
Uriah's Heap, a shop so very, well, out of the ordinary.
It was your favorite.
You stared at her for a moment hoping she would catch on, until her eyes widened in excitement.
"Let's go!" she smiled, grabbing your hand as she drug you to the shop.
༻༺
4.
You stood outside of Uriah's Heap, finding a large progressive pride flag pin on their window.
You knew this was a scavenger hunt, a race of some sort, but you always loved searching for hidden treasures in the shop that many people didn’t appreciate.
Following the principal, she found her way to the antique jewelry.
Choosing a vintage locket, you placed it on the counter and found a basket of pins staring back at you.
"Hello, did you find something of interest?"
The woman, who you remembered enjoyed chaga tea after working here on outreach day, peered down at you.
"Yes, may I purchase this?"
Peering over at the tall woman, she held a brooch up to you.
"Do you think this is nice, darling?"
A brooch which you thought resembled an eye. Very fitting for the principal and her unique look.
"It's beautiful, it matches your bracelet."
She smiled gratefully down at you, placing it on the counter.
"You are very perceptive" she remarked.
The lady rang up both items, the principal speaking up.
"Oh, I'll purchase that separate."
You shook your head at her with a sly smile, "I got it Principal Weems."
After purchasing your items, the principal retrieved the fourth clue and stamped the book yellow.
'What LGBTQ+ novel, written by Sheridan Le Fanu, preceded Dracula?'
You had read this book recently, an easy clue, really.
"Carmilla"
The woman looked down at you in surprise, nodding her head.
"Great novel, absolutely the best. I'm proud" she winked.
You smiled, gaze landing on the floor bashfully before peering back over at the pins in the basket.
The woman noticed and sorted through them. "Hmm, so many options. Would you like one?"
You watched as she held them in her hands to you, every option they had available.
There were so many colors, so many flags and pronouns.
You hummed and hawed over them, knowing which you wanted to chose, but still unsure.
"Well, I think I like this one."
The principal chose one; red, orange, white and pink stripes staring back at you.
Your mouth opened in shock as you watched her pin it to her jacket.
She smiled mischievously, "What's the matter, darling?"
The lesbian flag, something you didn't see often included in pride merchandise.
"I, uh, are you…" you stuttered.
The woman chuckled, straightening out the pin. "A lesbian?"
You nodded speechless as you stared up at her, thrill running through your veins.
She clasped her hands together and gave one nod, a bright smile as she batted her eyelashes your way.
Her support, her happiness, the confidence that she had, it made you want to cry.
You were so, so happy for her, you were so very proud.
Proud of her for her openness, proud of her for her representation, proud of her for being her true self, and for showing others that it was okay to be gay.
Grateful for her bravery, to show others that they were not alone.
You took a deep breath, "Can I have the same one?"
She dug through the pins, finding the very same flag and holding it out to you, "May I?"
You nodded, presenting your jacket to her.
She pinned in on, running a hand soothingly over your arm.
"I'm so very proud of you, darling."
You breathed in heavily, taking in her sincere and caring smile before meeting her gaze.
"I'm proud of you too, Principal Weems. And I'm so happy for you, thank you."
It was all the principal had wished for on this day, to help at least one person through their journey. To help you present yourself, to help you feel like you deserved to be seen, to help you feel proud.
"Of course, love. Now, where can we find the novel 'Carmilla'?"
Well, the library or bookstore, of course. But, you took a bet that Carmilla may not be at the library, so you headed to the bookstore.
༻
5. Crow bookshop
You retrieved the second last clue, stamping the book green.
'Locate the basket prepared for a festive outdoor meal, filled with colorful snacks and drinks. Perfect for a celebration under the open sky.'
The principal looked down at you in contemplation. "The Basket, like the restaurant?"
You shrugged your shoulders, unsure of where else they would be referring to.
༻༺
6.
You arrived at 'The Basket', a restaurant just before the beach.
There were a few specials, a fruit basket, a flight of ciders, and a flight of sliders.
You knew the principal was a fan of burgers.
"Are you hungry?"
The tall woman looked down at you, smiling as she read over the special.
"Chipotle, Bacon and cheese, Veggie, Bean, Texas, and Chicken sliders. Would you like to share?"
You looked over the menu, rereading what she had just rhymed off.
Nodding, you asked, "What's a flight?"
She chuckled, ordering the special for you both.
"You're about to find out."
Sitting at a table on the back patio, you settled down across from the principal.
A moment silence, you looked her up and down, questioning many things.
An older, wiser being. A beautiful one who appeared to be pretty open, who seemed like she'd understand, who seemed like she cared.
"How did you know that you liked women and not men?"
The woman raised her gaze to you, lips stretching into a sad smile.
She took a deep breath and smoothed a napkin over her lap.
"Well, when I was your age, this small town was all that I knew, just like you.
I knew that I didn't feel the same as my peers, I never cared to talk about boys, I never really fit in in the way that I hoped to.
One day I realized that I wouldn't at all mind kissing my friend, in fact I longed to" she chuckled. "Representation was lacking, but what little of it there was, it helped me realize how I felt as I grew. It's hard to accept yourself, for many reasons, but when you try to push it away, it doesn't get any better, it never changes."
Your voice was hoarse as you asked in confirmation. "It never changes?"
She shook her head, "It never changes. You have to decide for yourself.
Do whatever makes you happy, feel whatever makes you happy, no matter how different it is, no matter how alone you may feel."
You pursed your lips as tears built in your eyes, she was right, of course she was.
"Well, it helps knowing I'm not the only one."
The woman nodded her head in agreement, wallowing over the memories of her feeling alone, of her heartbreakingly coming to the realization of how she truly felt, of who she really was.
It brought her sadness, to know that others felt the same; perhaps even worse.
"The journey is not an easy one, it's not for the weak. You have to know that you're strong, and you're worthy, always."
The sliders were placed on your table, averting her attention.
She carefully cut them all in half, holding up a piece of the bacon and cheese as she offered the rest to you.
"Bon appétit."
The principal stamped the book blue and picked up the last clue.
'"At midnight, in the month of June, I stand beneath the mystic moon." What establishment is named after this poet?'
She looked down at you with a finger pointed your way.
You scrunched your eyebrows, Edgar Allan Poe.
The only establishment could be, "The Poe!"
You and the principal laughed, shouting the answer at the same time.
༻༺
7.
You headed to The Poe, a small museum and shop on the beach that sold trinkets, drinks, and ice cream.
Principal Weems stamped the last page purple, turning in the scavenger hunt book to the shop.
"Well, congratulations! You were fifth to finish the scavenger hunt."
You laughed, fifth place.
The tall woman smiled down at you with a wink, "We're losers."
You both were, in fact, losers.
After collecting your prizes and ordering ice cream, which the principal insisted on, you made your way to a bench on the beach.
You watched the woman with great interest. An intelligent, interesting woman she was. A powerful, selfless woman. A perceptive woman, a force to be reckoned with.
You hoped and prayed that you would grow up to be at least half the person that she was.
The principal caught your interest with a low chuckle.
"I'm having lots of fun with you, love, but I'm sorry you had to spend the day with your principal."
You tilted your head in confusion; you were not sorry, not one bit.
"I'm not sorry. Today was the best day I've had in awhile. Thank you."
The woman pouted, opening her arms to you; you gladly embraced her.
With a deep breath you pulled away, placing your hand in her soft reassuring one.
"So what happened with your friend? The one you wanted to kiss?"
The principal chuckled remorsefully. "Nothing."
Looking out over the water, her smile turned to a frown.
"I wanted to hold her, to protect her from men with all the fury I had grown.
They don't see her beauty like I do, they don't care to.
But unfortunately, it's the same old story."
She turned to you with sad eyes.
"A girl cries over a girl and that girl cries over a guy, and well…
it goes on and on and on,
and it doesn't stop.
It never stops."
You were just like her, perhaps there was hope for you.
Just then, fireworks lit up the darkness of the beach. All colors of the spectrum were on display, but all you saw was red, orange, white, and pink.
Your attention was then diverted to a girl wearing a Nevermore uniform as she made her way to you.
She waved, "Hi Principal Weems."
She then looked to you. "Hi Y/N"
She spoke with the principal as you analyzed her. You recognized her, but you didn't know her name, so how did she know yours?
The girl's eyes landed on you once again, meeting your gaze. You didn't want to ask.
"Aura, I like your pin." A sly tone to the older woman's voice.
You followed the principals gaze to the pin on Aura's jacket, then you peered down at the pin attached to yours.
"Thanks Principal Weems" she smiled, eyes slowly trailing to the woman's pin, then to yours.
Your eyebrows furrowed, and Aura's raised in surprise.
"Oh, we all have the same pin!"
The principal chuckled, gazing down at you with a bright smile.
"See darling, you're never alone. I promise you're not the only one."
134 notes
·
View notes