Kimberly steps into the crowded coffee shop and immediately scans along the walls for open tables. She feels a hand slip into hers, fingers intertwining, and glances over to find Trini, already lightly blushing, taking in the menu like she does not have it memorized. Like she does not order the exact same thing at every coffee shop, every time. Kim loves that she knows Trini well enough now to know that she finds comfort in her habits and routines; loves that she has changed some of her old ones and created new to allow the four of them, especially Kim, into her daily life.
She stares openly at her girlfriend and smirks as Trini's blush deepens. Trini does not look at her, not yet, but she tugs their joined hands a little in invitation and Kim steps into her space, their arms flush. Kim sees a couple grab one of the few free tables out of the corner of her eye, takes in the line in front of them, and offers; "I'll grab a table while you order?"
Trini turns to face her and Kim takes her other hand. "What are you in the mood for?"
"You." Trini rolls her eyes, trying to look annoyed, but her small smile betrays her. Kim squeezes her hands, silently asking, and Trini tilts her chin up, lifts on her toes. Kim meets her halfway for a chaste kiss. "Chocolate."
"Okay." Trini lets their hands drop and steps back toward the counter. She pauses mid turn and glances at her shoes before wrapping a hand in Kim's jacket and pulling her down for another, longer kiss.
"Okay." Kim rests their foreheads together and they both smile. She brushes Trini's nose and Trini kisses her one more time before stepping away and reestablishing her personal space.
She manages to beat another couple to the last open table against the wall, slipping into the chair just as they start to set down their coffee cups. They both glare at her. She glares back, challenging them to say something, and they leave with a huff. Part of her feels terrible for being rude, but Trini slides into the booth seat a few minutes later, her back against the wall, the tension she carries in her shoulders dropping away, and Kim forgets all about them. This is another thing that Kim knows about Trini; that she hates having her back exposed. They do not talk about it, but Kim has seen the graffiti on her locker, has heard the racist, homophobic slurs stage whispered as she walks in the hallways, has noticed her seek out the desks in the back of classrooms, the last row at the theater, the side tables at restaurants.
Trini places three chocolate glazed donuts between them and slides Kim her drink, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Mocha latte for you."
"Coffee with two creams and two sugars for you." Kim takes her drink and pulls a few ones out of her pocket. "Thank you."
Trini waves the money away, "you paid last time."
Kim puts the money back and picks up one of the forks, cutting into a donut. "It's been four months, and we only went the one time, but I still feel like I'm cheating on Krispy Kreme with their less attractive twin or something."
"Kim," Trini reaches across the table and covers the hand Kim has wrapped around her latte with her own, her expression mock serious.
Kim raises an eyebrow and pops the donut piece into her mouth. She watches Trini's eyes follow the donut and licks her lips. Trini subconsciously licks her own. "Trini."
Trini meets her eyes again, that faint blush returning to color her cheeks. Kim loves how easily her tough girlfriend blushes around her. She knows Trini hates it. "This is our third trip to Dunkin Donuts this week. I think you may have a coffee problem." Trini smirks and squeezes her hand, starts to pull back as she takes a sip of her coffee.
Kim lets go of the carboard cup and curls her fingers around Trini's, matching her smirk, rubs her foot on Trini's calf under the table. "More like a cute girl problem."
Trini sputters on her coffee as Kim grazes the underside of her wrist with her nails; one of her more sensitive spots. "What?"
Kim leans forward and drops her voice conspiratorially, licks her lips again, "want to know a secret?"
Trini's blush spreads down her neck. "I- uh-"
"I don't even like coffee." Trini's eyebrows shoot up in surprise and Kim sits back with a smug smile.
"What? No, that…" Trini's brows furrow as she plays with Kim's fingers absentmindedly, thinking. "You've been letting me drag you to coffee shops twice a week for three- no, four months, buying overpriced lattes and cappuccinos, and you don't even like coffee?" Kim shakes her head. "Why?"
Kim laces their fingers together, offering Trini an anchor from her thoughts, and waits until her girlfriend's wandering gaze settles on her. "Because you like coffee. And I wanted to get to know you."
"Because we just became Power Rangers."
Kim brings their hands to her lips and kisses her knuckles, her palm, the inside of her wrist where she teased. Trini drops her hand and brushes her fingers against Kim's cheek, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "Because I had a crush on you."
Trini's hand freezes and she sputters again. "You did? I mean- you like me?"
Kim raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Trini, we're dating. I more than like you. You've seen me topless." Trini groans and lets her hand fall to the table as her head falls back against the wall, eyes closed, her blush returning full force to the tips of her ears and disappearing under her top. Kim's fingers itch to follow it, to see just how far down under her shirt her skin flushes. She can picture it perfectly and has to fight her own groan bubbling in her throat. "Trini," Kim rubs her calf again and Trini squirms, "are you thinking about me topless?"
"Well if I wasn't before I am now."
"Me too."
"Yeah?" Trini blinks her eyes open, shy, like she still cannot believe that Kim could like her like that. Kim hates it; hates everything that has happened to Trini to make her so insecure, so easily spooked, even if she does not know what those things were yet.
"Maybe later." Kim winks and Trini swallows hard, bites her lip. Kim decides to give her a break before either of them get too worked up and pulls her foot back. "When did you start to drink coffee? It must've been pretty young."
Trini lifts her head and flashes a small smile, grateful for the change in conversation. "Why do you say that?"
Kim shrugs and sips at her latte, nonchalant, "I read somewhere that it stunts your growth."
Trini glares. "I hate you."
Kim sits up straight so that she is looking down at her girlfriend. "You're just so tiny."
Trini pouts, mumbling "I'm not that tiny," under her breath, and Kim gently knocks their feet together under the table to let her know that she is done teasing. She does not expect Trini to tell her; she knows her girlfriend usually only opens up after dark; around their campfires or cuddled up into Kim on her couch, in her bed. Reveals herself to them, to her, piece by piece. She is used to their comfortable silences, so she cuts off another piece of the donut and relaxes into her chair.
Trini takes a deep, settling breath and takes her own bite of the donut. "My dad leaves for work before seven, comes home after five and shuts himself in his office until dinner. Always has, since I was little." Another bite of donut. She chews slowly, weighing her words. "I used to get up extra early on school days and just… sit in the kitchen with him while he drank his morning cup of coffee. Tell him all about my life. I used to talk his ear off." She huffs a half laugh. "And he always listened, remembered all of my friends' names, what I was learning that week in math." She takes a long drink. "When I was fourteen I decided I wanted to try coffee. He told me I wouldn't like it."
Trini meets her eyes and Kim quirks her lips. "And you listened to him, because fourteen-year-old Trini couldn't possibly be as stubborn as seventeen-year-old Trini."
Trini rolls her eyes, "so he made me a cup, with a little extra cream and sugar. I took a sip and spit it out all over the counter." Kim laughs and Trini smiles. "He laughed, of course, and I was so mad I chugged the whole thing, which just made him laugh harder. I've never seen him laugh that hard." Her smile turns nostalgic. She picks at a napkin. "The next morning he asked if I wanted a cup of coffee, joking. I said yes, drank the whole thing again. I hated it."
"You've had a cup of coffee every morning since?"
"I've had a cup of coffee every morning since."
They sit in silence, sipping their drinks, and Kim watches Trini fidget with her cup, with the napkin. She watches her eyes glance around the room, distracted, and knows that she is not done. So Kim waits with a patience that she only has for Trini and Billy.
After a few minutes Trini grabs her hand again, her grip tight, and stares, unseeing, at the two remaining donuts. "I told him I had a girlfriend over coffee." She mumbles it, the words tumbling out so quickly that Kim barely catches them, and Kim leans closer, her expression serious. Trini laces their fingers. Separates them. Laces them again. "He had to know, she was all I ever talked about for weeks leading up to it." Her breathing picks up as her shoulders tense. "I remember shaking, staring at my coffee." Trini pauses, then closes her mouth, her lips pressed tightly together. Her grip on Kim's hand tightens and she tugs a little, squeezes.
Kim squeezes back. "Do you want…"
Trini nods, once, lets out a whispered "yes," and Kim is sliding out of her chair and into the booth seat. She pulls their clasped hands onto her thigh and Trini presses into her side until they are touching from shoulders to toes.
Kim kisses her temple and Trini lets out a deep breath. Then another. "I could barely get the words out. Kind of like now." Her lips twitch with an attempted smile. "But as soon as I did I felt so much better, you know?" Kim nods. She does. "The kitchen was so silent. I finally looked at him. He just got up and left." Trini turns her head and looks at Kim. "We moved a month later."
"I'm sorry."
Trini's eyes harden, "don't pity me."
Kim shakes her head. "Never. I promise."
Trini searches her face, her eyes, and Kim feels like she is being examined under a microscope. Finally Trini's eyes soften again, and she kisses Kim's cheek before burying her nose in Kim's neck. "I still get up early. But now I slip out the back door before he sees me and…"
"Do yoga on top of a mountain?"
"Yeah. Used to be by myself, but now every time I go up there there's these four dorks waiting for me."
"Sounds terribly annoying."
"Hmm. Luckily one of them looks great in yoga pants. Speaking of, I still get to see you topless later, right?"
Trini nips at her pulse point and Kim shivers, "only if I get to see you topless, too."
