Another time perhaps? 12
A/N- Apologies again for the wait. Crazy, crazy real life. This week: trying to sell our house!
"I had 25 pairs." Kate said, sneaking a coy glance at Caroline who grinned delightfully.
"You didn't?" Caroline asked with a chuckle.
Kate tried a serious face. "I did! I had every colour, neon pink, neon yellow, neon green, black with neon pink stripes ..."
Caroline put up a hand, still chuckling. "I get the idea!"
"What? They were cool, I was a teenager!" Kate defended.
"You still are!" Caroline pointed out.
"Only for another year and a bit." Kate shrugged. "And I meant, when I was a young teenager, everyone wore them! I bet even you had a pair?"
Caroline shook her head. "I am a little older than you don't forget and not so much of a slave to fashion!"
Kate opened her mouth in shocked protest, then glanced at her outfit and shrugged her acceptance.
Kate narrowed her eyes at Caroline and shifted her position on the couch so that where she had been leaning against Caroline's shoulder she now stretched herself out along the length of the couch, her head in Caroline's lap, looking up at her and reaching a finger out to poke her in the ribs.
"Are you sure you never owned a pair? Ever? Not even as a child? Didn't Celia take you to ballet class? I bet she did." Kate giggled as she pushed her fingers beneath the edge of Caroline's top and tickled the spot above her hip. Caroline jerked and captured Kate's wandering touch, flashing a warning look with her cool blue eyes.
"I did tap and ballet and I don't remember ever wearing legwarmers." The blonde stated confidently.
"I still have my collection." Kate said simply, pretending to turn her attention back to the T.V.
Caroline's smile beamed. "Really?"
Kate nodded. "I'm waiting for them to come back in." She said, the tip of her tongue running over her teeth and distracting Caroline completely.
Without thinking Caroline had put her arm around Kate's middle, pinning her in place as she found the same spot that Kate had just visited on her and tickled furiously.
Kate squirmed and tried to sit up, her wriggling bringing her even more fully into Caroline's lap and serving as no defense against the onslaught of tickles. Caroline grinned as Kate tried unsuccessfully to push Caroline's arm away from her and then Kate snorted and both women were in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Caroline had spent the last few days here at Kate's house and had begun to feel quite relaxed , she hardly sat and watched the door suspiciously anymore, as she had at first, she had come to learn that if anyone else was in the house with them and coming into the room, you usually heard them before you saw them. Also she had been intrigued to find that almost right away no one had expressed any surprise in finding her there, no matter the hour, no one had seemed to notice anything strange about her sudden occupation of whatever spot happened to be right beside Kate. Everyone had been briefly polite and welcoming and had now moved on to being almost indifferent about her presence.
So that now, as Kate squealed and pinched at Caroline who had her trapped in a tickle attack, neither of them were ready for the door bursting open and even if they had been they would not have expected the sour face that greeted them.
Caroline had frozen only an instant after seeing her there but Kate lay defeated on the couch, her head again in Caroline's lap as she tried to recover from the panting. Kate tipped her head all the way back as she noticed Caroline tense beneath her and she saw her friend finally.
"Jules!" She called cheerily, raising one hand in the air but not attempting to remove herself just yet.
"Leon let me in." Jules said cooly, looking just as cool as she glanced from Kate up to Caroline.
Caroline looked guilty, she felt that she did, but she didn't know how to stop it and the way Jules was looking at her didn't help.
"We were just watching a bit of television." Caroline explained.
"Yeah, I can see that." Jules said sharply, taking a seat in the well worn armchair, taking her handbag off her shoulder and putting it on her lap stiffly.
Kate sat up properly now that she had calmed down fully and moved so that there was little more than an inch of a gap between herself and Caroline on the couch, she straightened her top up a little and faced Jules now.
"What's up?" She asked as she took in Jules expression.
Jules shot a look at Caroline then leaned slightly forward making it clear she was addressing Kate alone.
"What's up is I haven't seen you for days, no one has and after the..." Another glare at Caroline. "...state you were in last time we spoke, I thought I'd come and check that you were okay, excuse me for caring, for being a good friend, I suppose I should have figured it out." Jules said unhappily.
"Oh Jules! I'm sorry, theres nothing to worry about." Kate said apologetically. "Thanks for caring!" Kate grinned. "I've just been here, hanging about." Kate explained, allowing herself a conspiratorial smile at Caroline.
Caroline knew now that she had not imagined the looks she was getting from Jules and neither had she missed what had been said. Kate had gone to Jules when she was upset, about her? What had been said? What had Kate told her old friend?
"I'll get us some snacks." Kate said getting up and heading out of the room.
The thought of being left in a room with Jules right now made up Caroline's mind and she jumped from her seat, after Kate.
"I'm going to pop home." Caroline said. "I said I'd have lunch with mum." She lied.
Kate frowned at the blonde. "You never said."
"Slipped my mind." Caroline said quickly, following Kate to the door. "Bye Jules."
Caroline felt Jules' eyes follow her across the room and once on the outside she looked accusingly at Kate.
"What have you said to her?" Caroline snapped in a whisper. "About me?"
Kate tensed up, obviously not expecting the question. "I was just a little tearful, last time I saw her, she bumped into me after... Well a few days ago...when things were...I was upset." Kate mumbled, trying to shrug it off.
"And what did you tell her?" Caroline demanded, still keeping her voice low but firm.
"I said I was...there was someone I had feelings for and that they had dumped me...I told her it was complicated... I accidentality said she instead of he and" Kate sighed. "She guessed the rest." Kate confessed.
"Did you say my name?" Caroline asked now in a no nonsense tone.
"Yes." Kate confirmed reluctantly.
"What exactly did you tell her?" Caroline wanted to know, glancing around the empty hallway and leaning in close to Kate. "You're going to have to say it."
"That we kissed." Kate admitted. "Look, She's a mate, I wouldn't have told her otherwise, she's not going to say anything." Kate assured.
Caroline pulled her coat from the banister and began pulling it on quietly.
"Are you cross?" Kate asked, praying for a denial.
Caroline stopped and looked at Kate. She looked so vulnerable, so unguarded.
"No." Caroline stated finally, her face telling a different story. She was furious, but she couldn't direct it at Kate. It had been her own doing. She couldn't expect to mess around with Kate's and not expect her to turn to someone else, one of her friends, that was Kate all over. Not everyone found it easy to lock their emotions inside. Kate was used to sharing, how would this be any different? Caroline moved to the door and was gone without looking back again.
Xxxx
Kate hadn't really expected Caroline to come back today, not the way she had left and maybe a few days ago she wouldn't have, but here she was tapping at Kate's bedroom door and sheepishly poking her head around it.
"Caroline?" Kate smiled weakly, a little apprehensive as she saw her friends face.
"Hi." Caroline said, coming in and carefully closing the door behind her.
Kate sat up on her bed and Caroline sat herself on the floor, crossing her legs and looking up at Kate.
"What did she say after I'd gone?" Caroline asked calmly.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Not a lot." She said, not wanting to expand.
"She wasn't exactly happy to see me here, with you." Caroline said.
Kate shrugged. "She worries about me, it's nothing personal."
"Really? She doesn't think I'm the older woman, corrupting you, making you do something you wouldn't..." Caroline began knowingly.
"It's not like that, nothing like that, I kissed you!." Kate rushed in.
"Is that what your friend thinks?" Caroline asked, still calm, still quiet.
Kate shrugged. "I don't care what she thinks. She doesn't know you yet and she's jealous, she'd be the same with anyone."
Caroline looked doubtful. "Really? Kate, are you willing to lose friends over this? Old friends like her? Good friends." Caroline persisted.
"If she is such a good friend we'll work it out." Kate protested.
"Maybe, maybe not. You can't know... and there's everyone else...and I won't be here..." Caroline added hopelessly.
Kate gave up her protest with a sigh, but continued to listen.
"I wish you hadn't said anything to her..." Caroline said shaking her head. "But maybe it's good that you did. I know you can't help it, that's the way you are, that's one of the things..." Caroline halted, sighed and fiddled with the one of the rings she wore, spinning it around her finger. "I think we have been in a bubble for the last few days, maybe weeks and it's been lovely."
"It has." Kate agreed eagerly.
"But we haven't talked about what happens next, you haven't mentioned coming to Oxford since I asked you." Caroline went on.
"I haven't sorted out..." Kate tried to jump in but Caroline stopped her.
"Maybe it's for the best, now you can see what could happen, before we do anything we can't take back, maybe it's for the best... that you don't come." Caroline said. "Maybe...I shouldn't have asked you."
"Don't say that." Kate begged sadly.
"It's okay. It's not as if you can think about it with me here all the time. I'm going to Sheffield with Mum tomorrow and then you have a couple of days until the weekend." Caroline said reasonably. Kate didn't speak. "I'm going back on Saturday, my train leaves at 12, I'll be at the station...obviously. If you don't come..." Caroline said thickly. "I'll know, I'll understand."
Kate opened her mouth to speak as Caroline got to her feet.
"I'll be there." Kate said. "Whatever, I decide to do, I'll come to the Station."
Caroline nodded as Kate also got to her feet and the blonde seized her hands, pulling her in close, she didn't give her time to expect the kiss that landed fully on her lips, sliding one arm around the taller girl's waist and pulling back from the kiss, only to return quickly to it again, more slowly, drawing it out. Kate kissed her back now, reaching her arms around Caroline and holding on tight, an almost silent moan escaping from her.
"Just to even things up." Caroline explained as she took a steadying breath and grinned. "This time, I most definitely kissed you." She said proudly.
xxxx
A/N- Thanks for reading guys xx