AN: Hope you guys are liking this and thanks for the reviews!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: Coffee and Tea
Myka is standing at the back of the room waiting for Helena to finish her lecture. She has only seen her once more since the beginning of term party. She was in her office in the literature building when Artie popped in, dragging a tired looking Helena behind to show her to her new office and they only really had a chance to say a quick hello since Myka had a class to teach.
She hasn't stopped thinking about her since the party. She'd watched Helena walking around the room with Artie meeting people. Her flowing raven locks falling on the straps of her deep burgundy dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. She had tried not to stare but there was something about the writer that pulled at her. She'd caught Helena's eyes a few times looking back at her. It seemed that no matter where she moved, she knew where Myka was and could find her in an instant. Each time their gazes met, Helena would smile almost unperceptively, like she was remembering something amusing, and then turn her attention back to whoever she was talking to.
Myka didn't understand what it was about this woman but she decided to find out. So, under the guise of concerned head of the department, she'd settled on an impromptu visit to Helena's class to ask her out for coffee to discuss her curriculum and maybe get to know the writer better.
"Alright everyone, I expect that paper on Goethe by the end of next week and we'll start with Jane Austen next class so make sure you've read at least one of the books on the list I handed out, please." The students start walking out of the room and Myka has to squeeze in between them to get to the front of the class.
She waits a little to the side when Helena gives her a smile and holds her finger up for her to wait while she talks to one of her students. Myka uses this time to study the intriguing Brit. She's wearing black boots, black pants and a purple cardigan over a white shirt. She looks stunning in the simple outfit and Myka wonders how any of her students pay attention when that is standing in front of them. Add to it her delicious British accent and Myka would have certainly failed 19th century literature. Well maybe not, she was always and will always be a nerdy bookworm. But she would have definitely tried to impress professor Wells. Not that she would have slept with one of her professors when she was a student but now that she was the head of the department maybe… maybe it would still be wrong. Myka shakes her head and chastises herself for letting her mind wander in that direction. She's only had one brief conversation with the woman, she shouldn't be thinking about sleeping with her. She could be a serial killer, or insane, or straight… though the last one is highly unlikely considering the way she'd looked at her at the party, she obviously liked what she saw. But now Myka is worried that, without the makeup and the dress and the hair and the lighting, Helena might realize that her first impression was wrong and that she wouldn't be interested anymore.
Myka's musings are interrupted when the boy Helena was talking to walks past her. She looks up and finds Helena leaning on her desk, her arms crossed and smirking at her. "Are you checking up on me, Doctor Bering?"
"I thought I told you to call me Myka, Doctor Wells." She says the title teasingly.
"I'll call you Myka if you agree to call me Helena." She replies with a smile and walks to the other side of the desk to gather her things.
"Deal. And yes, I am checking up on you but only to see how you're doing. I know being in a new place with new people can be difficult and I have always thought that, as head of the department, it's my job to make sure my faculty is taken care of." Helena tilts her head to the side considering the brunette's words.
"Why, thank you, Myka. I think I'm doing alright. Although it has been a bit of a challenge getting used to your strange American ways and I do admit I haven't really had the chance to 'hang out', as you would say, with a lot of people, except for Doctor Donovan." Myka chuckles at Helena's use of the colloquialism.
"Well, if you would like to 'hang out' with me, I'm free right now and I might have looked at your schedule so I know this is your last class… unless you have other plans?" Myka bites her lower lip and looks down at her shoes while she waits for Helena to respond.
Helena grabs the rest of her things and walks around towards Myka. She stops behind her and leans close to her ear before responding. "I would love nothing more than to hang out with you, Myka."
Myka feels Helena's breath on her skin and a shiver runs down her spine. Helena pulls away and walks toward the door, turning back when she realizes Myka is still standing by her desk and hasn't even turned around. "Are you coming?"
Myka and Helena walk to a little coffee shop on campus. It's late on a Friday so it's mostly empty. Myka orders a triple latte and Helena black tea and they sit at a table near the back.
"So you checked my schedule, Doctor Bering. I think that might be considered stalking in some places." Helena says nonchalantly.
Myka smiles into her cup. "Well I am the head of the department so it's my job to know when classes are happening. I actually wanted to discuss some official stuff first."
Helena leans across the table and places her hand over Myka's. "Oh Myka, I thought you said we were going to hang out." She pouts a little and rubs her thumb across the other woman's knuckles. "I promise I will stop by your office next week and discuss any official inquiries you might have."
Myka looks at Helena's hand on her own and bites her lip. She doesn't understand how this woman can turn her into a gooey mess with just one touch. Helena is still rubbing her thumb lightly over her knuckles and she can't think straight. She looks up at Helena's hopeful face and smirks "I guess that would work."
"Aces!" Helena pulls her hand back and Myka immediately misses the contact. "So, what can you tell me about yourself? I confess I googled you when I got the job and I have to admit you have quite the curriculum. I was very intrigued when Arthur introduced me to this young, beautiful woman. I have to say, you are not what I expected."
Myka blushes at the use of the word beautiful to describe her. "Wow, we're getting right into it, aren't we?"
"Oh I apologize; I've never been good at small talk. I don't see the point really." Helena looks at her expectantly, waiting for her answer.
Myka chuckles and takes a sip from her coffee. "Well, I studied my undergrad at Stanford; I had a double major, literature and history. Then I went on to-"
"No, no, no." Helena interrupts her waving her hand around. "Tell me something I didn't find out from google. What do you love? What do you hate? What do you do on your free time?"
Myka scrunches up her nose, trying to come up with an answer. "I love books, obviously, coffee, The Beatles, the way it smells after it rains, lazy Sundays, cold sheets on a summer night, old movies, and twizzlers."
She stops and Helena nods encouragingly at her. "I hate rude people, lies, and peas. And on my free time I like to read, hang out with Pete and Claudia and Steve, I jog in the mornings and when I'm not in middle-of-nowhere-South-Dakota, I like going to the theatre. Does that answer your questions?"
"Just one more, what's a twizzler?" Myka laughs wholeheartedly, throwing her head back much like the first time Helena saw her and the writer can't help licking her lips at the sight of that delectable neck. "It's strawberry flavored red licorice. I'll get you some."
Myka leans forward and reaches out to touch Helena's hand. "What about you?"
"Well…" She turns Myka's hand and starts ticking items off an imaginary list that's apparently on the palm the brunette's hand. "I love books too, learning new things, watching it rain with a hot cup of tea, reading by a fireplace, hanging out with gorgeous, smart women," She accentuates every word with a slow stroke to Myka's palm, looking straight at Myka's green eyes. Myka's breath hitches in her throat and she can feel her heartbeat speeding up. "and custard."
As much as Myka is enjoying Helena's ministrations, she's finding it hard to focus and she wants to hear the writer's reply so she removes her hand from under Helena's, giving it a little squeeze before putting it back on the table next to her mug.
"I hate ignorance, people who think they can get away with anything just because they have money, sexism, and coffee." Myka glared at her at the last one.
"And on my free time I like inventing things, I invent new worlds for my books and new devices in my lab; I like reinventing things and making them better and taking seemingly unrelated things and putting them together to make something new and wondrous." Helena lights up while answering this question and Myka can't help smiling at her enthusiasm.
They fall into companionable silence and drink their respective beverages, stealing glances at each other and smiling into their cups. Myka finishes her coffee and put it on the table. "What are you doing here, Helena?"
"Excuse me?" She looks confusedly from across her cup. Myka sighs and looks down at her hands. "I know you said you just needed a change of scenery but is that really it? I mean why did you pick this place? You could've had your pick out of anywhere in the world, why come to South Dakota?"
Helena reaches forward with a conflicted look. "Myka, I…" Myka pulls her hands away and holds them up. "No, Helena. Forget I asked. We barely know each other and I'm asking you to just trust me. I mean, I can't expect you to tell me all your secrets on the first date."
Helena releases a relieved breath, she's definitely not ready to talk about this so she decides to distract the American. "Is this a date, Doctor Bering?"
Myka blushes and runs her hands through her curls, resting it on the back of her neck. "Umm… I didn't mean to assume, I mean, I know I never asked if you… and I totally get it if you don't…"
Helena chuckles "Darling, calm down." She blushes a little and plays with the corner of her napkin "I just hoped our first date would be a tad more romantic."
Myka opens her eyes wide and looks up. "Oh…" She opens her mouth a couple of times not really knowing what to say. Knowing Helena thought about going on a date with her makes her feel like she swallowed a million live butterflies. She reaches for her cup and realizes it's empty so she just stares at it. "Maybe we can go out on a real date soon." She mumbles. Helena smiles widely. "I'd like that."
They keep talking for a while, sharing smiles and slight touches. Myka doesn't notice all the other patrons coming and going. She doesn't think about how long they've been there or how late it's getting. She just thinks about the gorgeous woman sitting across from her; about the way she plays with her hair when she's nervous and how she narrows her eyes when she's being serious.
Helena is telling her a story about her brother Charles being chased out of a house in his underwear by a girl's father when he was in high school when one of the waiters walks over to tell them they were closing. They gather up their things and walk out. "Can I walk you to the residence?" Myka wasn't ready to say goodnight yet.
"Oh, you don't live there?" The residence is a set of buildings where most of the faculty lives in small, one bedroom apartments. There was a common lunch room, ran by Leena, and a library but Helena hadn't had the opportunity to spend a lot of time there. "No, I live in a little town house just outside of campus. It's more peaceful."
They start walking towards the residence and Helena grabs the American's hand, entwining their fingers, eliciting a smile from Myka who gives the writer's hand a little squeeze. "So, what did Charles do after he was out on the street in his underwear?"
"He went into a phone booth and called me to get him some clothes. Apparently an old lady wanted to use the phone while he was waiting and when he came out in just his underwear, she hit him with her umbrella. He had to wait behind a bush until I got there." Myka laughs and bumps Helena's shoulder lightly with her own.
They keep walking in silence with their hands joined, just enjoying being together. They get to the front gate of the residence and stop. Myka stands in front of Helena and tugs at her hand gently. "So about that date..."
Helena grabs Myka's other hand and smiles. "Let me do some research on what's 'cool' around here and I'll let you know next week when I go for that official business talk?" Myka nods.
She stands there, holding Helena's hands, not really knowing how to say goodbye. She really wants to kiss her but she doesn't know how appropriate that would be. Helena seems to guess her thoughts and takes a step closer. She releases Myka's left hand and brushes a curl away from her face, looking directly into her green eyes. She leans forward and kisses Myka's cheek. "Goodnight, my sweet Myka."
Myka stands there holding her breath while Helena takes a step back and releases her hand which immediately moves up to where Helena's lips were just mere seconds earlier. "Goodnight."
AN: Let me know what you think!