Hiya! Here’s chapter 2 of Evermore <3
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Or if you’d rather read it here⬇️
Larissa wrapped her arms around you from behind,
“Good morning, Kale” she whispered
You smiled and leaned back, “Good morning, Riss.”
You went to sit at the table, she saw your laptop open with a notebook adjacent to it.
“Grading already?” She asked
“Mhm, this is the last assignment of the week. They’ll expect it handed back” you nodded and picked your pen back up as you sat down with coffee.
You slid a cup across the table to Larissa, her favorite tea always came first in the morning and then coffee.
“When do Rina and Al leave for their honeymoon?” She asked taking a sip of her tea
“Tomorrow, Rina left me her lesson plans to give to her stand in.” You got the plans out of your satchel and slid them across to Larissa
She flipped through them, 2 weeks worth of work which was unusual. Rina usually used in class discussion and short answers.
“She put a lot of thought into these, I’m impressed.” She stated
“Me too, she’s never been much on assigning work but I’m proud of her.” You took a drink of your coffee.
“You must be rubbing off on her, all you ever do is assign homework.” She teased
“That is my job, I wrangle teenagers and then subject them to the horrors by making them read work old enough to be my grandmother.” You laughed.
“You’re in charge of the teenagers and I’m in charge of you” she raised a brow
“How’s that working for you?” You slowly said
“Good, I want to be the reason you go grey.” You smiled back and stood up.
You turned towards the bedroom to get dressed for the day, you had plans for the market this morning. You looked over your shoulder to see Larissa watching you.
You went to your closet and flipped through some clothes, it was colder today and cloudy. You pulled out some jeans, a long sleeve and a flannel. A warm enough outfit, but still somewhat cute. Your phone went off:
Raines: Would you mind looking over this assignment with me later, I can come by or you’re welcome to come here.
Slate: I can absolutely do that, you can come over here. I’ll make us some dinner.
You buttoned your jeans and put your shirt on, you walked out into the living room to see Larissa looking at your laptop
“What’re you doing?” You asked
“Looking at your lesson plans. You run this classroom like a drill instructor.” She laughed
“The kids like me though, so it can’t be that bad.” You shrugged
She looked over at you and closed your laptop, she stood up and stretched. She cleared the mugs off the table and set them in the sink after a rinse. Leaning against the counter,
“Tell me you’re wearing something over that thin long sleeve, darling.”
“Well, yes. I have some sense, honey. I’m putting my green flannel over it.” You waved it in the air
She pushed off the counter and walked past you into the room,
“I guess I should also get dressed, it’s almost 8.” She said closing the door.
As you were putting your socks on, you felt a text come in but ignored it until you had your boots on too.
Morticia: A little birdy told me there’s wedding bells in the future.
Kale: What? The wedding was yesterday
Kale: If the birdy was Enid, tell her she needs to mind her business.
Morticia: I hear everything.
Kale: Do you always have to be..ominous?
Morticia: Gomez always loved that about me
Larissa came out of the room in her usual Saturday attire of jeans, a button up with the sleeves to her elbows and her slip on shoes.
You stood up and put your flannel on and chained your wallet.
“Are you putting your hair up?” Larissa asked
“Undecided, it’s not annoying me yet.” You looked in the mirror, “okay yes it is.” You grabbed your hair tie and put it up into a bun.
“If it bothers you so much then why don’t you cut it?” She said putting her coat on
“Because I like it in theory”
“But not in practice.” She retorted
“Fair enough I guess” you shrugged a shoulder
Larissa grabbed her purse,
“No no, not today!” You took it and sat it back down
“I’ll cover it, let’s go” you said holding the door open
She looked like she wanted to argue, but didn’t. She shook her head and walked out the door and you followed.
The cool October air hit your face, you grabbed Larissa’s hand as you walked to your car. You’d been trying to be more open since some time had passed. Quick hugs, and a few hand holds outside of school hours had started to appear. Moving in together had posed new issues and a new conversation with the board but it went smoothly.
Learning to live with Larissa had come easier than you thought it would. Rina and Alan also moved in together, not having Rina on campus was very weird. You still saw her just as much though. Life was moving forward and you had many plans for yourself.
You got to the car and opened Larissa’s door,
“Thank you, my dear” she kissed your cheek
You got in and started the car, the music choice was much faster paced than you felt this morning. You scrolled through and chose your Fleetwood Mac selection. Larissa put her hand on your thigh as you started on your way.
“Morticia texted me this morning” you calmly said
“About?” She turned in your direction
“Enid has a big mouth.” You laughed
That drew a laugh out of Larissa,
“We knew that, half the school knew we were dating before we said anything.”
“I was hoping Wednesday might rub off a little more than she has.” You sighed
“You cannot take that out of Miss. Sinclair, trust me, I’m sure Wednesday has tried.” She rubbed small circles on your jeans.
“I just hope it dies at Morticia and doesn’t extend outward, I’d like this to stay private.” You looked at her out of the corner of your eye
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. Morticia loses interest in things that don’t include her quite quickly.” She said matter of factly.
You weren’t so sure, but you decided to drop it and listen to the music. You tapped the steering wheel to the beat. Eventually you saw the market come into view, you parked and looked at Larissa,
She nodded and you got out, you slid your phone into your pocket and locked the car. She took your hand in hers and you walked over to the first stall. Larissa always insisted on stopping to get cider first, she knew this was your favorite part. You ordered your cider and paid,
“Extra cinnamon today?” She raised an eyebrow
“I live on the edge sometimes.”
“The only edge you walk is skipping your vegetables with dinner once a week.” She poked you
“That’s because you insist on trying to make me eat carrots” you rolled your eyes
Your cider was handed to you and you handed Larissa hers, you turned to look at all the stalls. Larissa lead the way, stopping at the baked goods first. You had all of her sourdough needs covered but she was after some sweets. She picked out some pumpkin bread, some apple muffins and snickerdoodle’s. You smiled at her and handed the lady your card, grabbing the bag when she offered it to you.
“Where to next?” You asked
She lead you to the arts stall, you internally prepared yourself.
“Do you see anything you like?” She asked
“I do need some paint..” you said slowly
You saw Larissa reach into her pocket and pull her card out,
“I told you I got it!” You whined
“You can pay for me, I’ll pay for you” she winked, “now, get your paints” she put her arm around you waist
You smiled and started asking for the paints you’d like, you picked out 10 of them and a new set of brushes. The lady asked if that was all you needed and you also picked out a mug you wanted to paint for Larissa. The lady told you how much it would be and Larissa handed her card without hesitation.
“Riss you don’t have to do that” you insisted
“I want to, I’m also taking you to buy new running shoes today. Yours are dreadful.” She looked at you and smiled.
You grabbed the bag from the art station and looked around, you saw Larissa looking at the knitting section,
You walked over and said hello, this was your mom’s stand.
“Hello my loves!” Your mom greeted
“Hi, mom” you said hugging her
“Hello, Mrs. Slate!” Larissa greeted
“Larissa, I told you, call me Dana!” She said shaking her head, “you’ve been part of this family for a year, you can act like it.” She said hugging her
Larissa blushed, “Right, sorry sometimes it’s hard to stop the formalities outside of work” she lowered her head.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. What can I do for you?”
Larissa picked out a few things, new needles, new yarns, a couple of your mom’s patterns that you hadn’t seen since childhood. Larissa kept looking at you, silently asking for things, every time she was met with a nod and smile. Once she’d gotten everything you pulled your card out and paid. Your mom gave you a discount even though you insisted she didn’t have to. You grabbed the bag and continued to walk around.
About an hour had passed, your stomach growled and Larissa heard it,
“Time for food huh?” She poked your side
You yelped, “Yes please. My stomach is giving a grand protest”
“Well let’s get you fed and then it’s off for new shoes.” She gave you a pointed look
“Kale Riley” you glared at you
“Larissa Renèe” you glared back
“You’re impossible” she sighed
“Me?” You pointed from you to her, “You’ve told me but you’re still with me, so it can’t be that bad” you threw your head back with a laugh.
She laughed and grabbed your hand, “let’s go, my starving person”
You happily walked beside her, carrying the bags to the car.
You walked into the apartment after your outing and took the bags to the kitchen table to sit them down. Larissa hung your keys up for you and took her shoes off, placing them on the rack. Your phone went off:
Rina: What are you doing right now
Kale: Larissa and I just got home from the market
You looked at Larissa and waved her over,
“What is it?” She asked looking at your phone
“Rina wants to come over” you turned your phone to her
“That’s fine, honey. I don’t mind.” She kissed your head
You slid your phone back into your pocket,
“Raines texted me this morning” you told her
“Really? Did she need something?” She sat down at the table to unpack the baked goods
“She wants me to go over an assignment with her, I think she’s lonely.” You sighed sadly
“Probably, Vivian had been her wife for a good while.” She acknowledged.
“I told her I’d make dinner and we could go over it together.” You said
“That’s very kind of you, always the sweetest” she smiled softly
“I have to uphold my standing as the wonderful professor” you smugly said
“That’s not funny” she said flatly
“It’s still hilarious” you laughed
She rolled her eyes and got up to put things away, you followed her and leaned against the counter watching her.
“You know, when I got hired here after graduation I didn’t know life would turn out like this.” Your face softened
She turned to look at you then, “How did you think it would go?”
“I don’t know, I figured I’d never learn to control my powers or even be a good professor. I had high hopes for someone freshly out of college with no direction.” You shrugged, “When I met you, and you offered to help me learn to control them, I was ecstatic. I’d always been the odd one out, never being able to hold a shift for more than a few minutes. Now I can go all day. You really saved me, Riss.”
Her face softened, she inclined her head for a moment and then looked at you,
“I hired you because you were smart, strong willed and I thought you had the sass to handle a teenager or 3. I didn’t care that you couldn’t hold a shift, I cared that you knew what you were doing. I’d not seen a graduate with your level of grammar, wit or standards for teaching in quite some time.” She stepped closer, “You made my life easier when I hired you and you made it even easier when I got to know you.”
You put your arms around her, watching her blue eyes as they shifted softer with each word.
“This,” you whispered, “is something I never thought would happen” you smiled
“Unexpected but welcomed” she whispered
Just then there was a knock at the door, you were pretty sure it was Rina, you kissed Larissa and went to answer the door.
“Salad, I’m here!” She threw her arms around your neck
“Hey, Rina” you hugged her
“I needed a break from packing, I was going crazy.” She laughed
“Are you at least almost done?” Larissa chimed in
“Eh” she said shaking her hand back and forth
“He’s good, he keeps looking at his wedding band and crying” she said happily
“He’s a sentimental and always has been, when we graduated he framed his diploma and hung it above his bed.” You sighed a laugh
“What did you do with yours?” Larissa raised a brow
“I put it away, like a normal person” you said casually
Rina looked over and saw your new shoe box sitting on the couch,
“Salad! Did you finally get new ones?” She bounced
“I made them, I’m throwing the others away in the middle of the night” Larissa said grabbing the new ones.
“Rude! There was nothing wrong with them!” You threw your hands up and rounded the couch
“They are dreadful, my love” she reasoned
“With as much as you run, they probably have holes” Rina said
“They do, they have for awhile” Larissa added
“How long have you had those?” Rina asked
That made Larissa snort as she walked to the kitchen to make coffee,
“I heard that!” You whined
“You were supposed to” she responded amused
You sat down on the couch heavily and crossed your legs, Rina sat across from you in the chair.
“I’m so excited to be gone for 2 weeks” she exhaled
“I bet, but you’re gone during one of the busiest times of year”
“I know, but Al insisted on an October wedding” she shrugged
“Look how gorgeous it turned out though!” You watched Larissa as she walked back into the room
“It was a gorgeous wedding, indeed” she added
Rina’s phone rang and she answered, it must have been Al because her tone shifted to lighter. You loved how much they were good for each other. You watched her face light up as she talked, it sounded like they were talking about what to have for dinner tonight. When she hung up and sighed happily,
“We are going to the steakhouse tonight”
“That’ll be fun! I haven’t decided what I’m making for dinner yet.” You sighed looking at Larissa
“What are you two doing tonight?” Rina asked
“Raines is coming over for a little bit, she needs some help with an assignment.”
“She was in pretty good spirits yesterday, I was surprised” Rina said
“We were too, it looked like she was having a good time.” Larissa said
You talked for another hour before Rina checked the time and stood up,
“I should probably get home, he’s probably getting hungry” she laughed
“Probably, if I’m hungry then I know he is.”
She laughed and hugged you both,
“I’ll see you guys when we get back, don’t have too much fun!” She called from the door.
“Don’t get pregnant!” You called after her
“You either!” She yelled from the hall
Larissa busted out in laughter as the door started to close.
The door closed and silence settled over the apartment once more. You looked at the clock and I was about 5, you pulled your phone out and texted Raines:
Raines: That works for me, I’ll bring my laptop
Slate: Wonderful, see you then
You sat your phone down and looked at Larissa,
“What should I cook?” You asked rubbing your face
“Why not make something simple? Maybe a soup?” She suggested
“Soup sounds amazing, let me go see what we have.” You got up and walked over to the kitchen.
You opened the cabinets and took stock of what you had. You decided that a hearty chicken noodle would work for tonight. Larissa joined you in the kitchen and got the vegetables out and the chicken
“I can prep the chicken for you” she offered
“That would be great, thank you” you kissed her
There was a knock at the door while you were getting the bowls down. Larissa crossed the living room and opened the door,
“Hello, Carol” she said sweetly
“Hello, Larissa” she sounded sad.
“Hey, Slate!” She called back.
Larissa closed the door and Raines took her shoes off at the door.
“Wow, Larissa. This place is fancy.” She said in awe
“After the summer break, everyone will have one like it.” She beamed
“You’re redoing the quarters?” She asked
“We are, yes. The Professors deserve better and we finally have the budget for it.” She nodded and sat at the table.
You wiped your hands on your apron and turned to face them,
“Dinner is almost ready, hope everyone is hungry.” You smiled
“It smells amazing, I didn’t know you could cook!” Raines laughed
“I wouldn’t say I’m the best, but for 31 I think I’m pretty alright.” You smirked
“Kale is a wonderful cook, they cook 3 days a week for me” she softly said to Raines
“I heard that!” You said loudly
“You were meant to!” She responded.
You brought the food over and placed their soup in front of them and you brought the rolls next. You took your seat and Raines pulled out her laptop and sat it at the other end, open.
“Alright, let’s see this assignment.” You said
She pulled it up and your eyes went wide, jaw fell open. You scanned the page again and again. Larissa gasped when she caught up to where you were,
“Carol…this is huge!” She whispered in amazement
“They’d have the rest of the year to finish it. This will go over everything they’ve learned the last year and I think it’s important for retention.” She said quietly
“How long did this take you?” You asked
“A month, it’s how I’ve been getting through the nights without Vivian.” She said sadly
“Oh, dear.” Larissa said rubbing her shoulder
“I’m sorry, Raines. I know how hard it’s been.” You looked at her with sympathy
Her eyes got watery and she quickly blinked the tears away. She adjusted in her seat and cleared her throat,
“It’s alright, some things just take time. I wish we’d had more time, better treatments.” She shook her head.
Larissa rubbed Raines back slowly, just letting her talk.
“She went so fast, it’s like they found it and just a month later, I’m planning a funeral for the woman I’ve been with since I was 22.” She cried quietly then.
“I know that we cannot fix it, but we can support you through it. You were there for me when my grandma passed. Let me be there for you now, Raines.” You placed your hand on hers.
“That would mean so much to me, Kale.” She gave a watery smile.
Some time passed and you started to eat dinner, the conversation flowing from topic to topic and finally landing on the wedding.
“Did you have fun at the wedding yesterday?” You asked
“I did, taking Sydney as a plus one was smart, she kept me busy.” She nodded
You laughed, “She’s been here a year now and she still talks just as much as the day I met her”
The drew a laugh out of both of them,
“Yes she does. She always so much to say, sometimes I have to remind her to slow down.” Larissa said.
“She means well, she’s just young and excited for life.” Raines said
“That’s good, we need more professors with life left behind their eyes.” You joked
“Says the one who started here at the ripe age of 26” Larissa commented
“You were that young?!” Raines looked shocked
“I had just graduated the year prior, Larissa took a chance on me.” You nodded.
“That’s bold, the Larissa Weems that hired me would never.” She laughed
“The Larissa Weems that hired you was much younger and trying to prove herself as the new headmistress.” She corrected.
“Fair enough, but I’m glad you took a chance on Kale. They add something special to this school.” She looked at you then
You put your head down to hide the goofy smile that had appeared. You shook your head with a laugh.
“Although” she continued, “I don’t know what we’ll do when there’s 2 Weems around this place.”
You looked at her with wide eyes, “What do you mean?”
“Please, we all know where this relationship is headed. Don’t play coy with me, Kale.” She smugly smiled
You looked at Larissa and smiled, she grabbed your hand across the table gently.
“We actually hadn’t discussed who is taking whose name” Larissa said quietly, “if we get married.”
You looked at her, searching her eyes for an answer she didn’t have
“I wouldn’t mind being a Weems” you said slowly
Raines kept looking between you both, a smile forming slowly on her lips.
“I wouldn’t mind you being a Weems, but I also wouldn’t mind being a Slate.” She squeezed your hand.
“Your name is too iconic to break apart like that, my dear.” You laughed.
Raines agreed with a nod, “They’ve got a point there, Larissa. I think Kale would make a wonderful Weems, though.”
“I do too, and a bonus, I’m also a shape shifter.” You added quickly
Larissa laughed and looked at you for a moment before speaking,
“I guess that’s settled then. If we get married, you’ll be a Weems.” She smiled
A couple of hours passed, wine was drank by the two and you had your cider. Conversation about the project flowed and you three had worked out how to pace it so the students didn’t feel overwhelmed. By the time 8 rolled around, you were all tired and your eyes hurt. You ended the evening by exchanging stories about Viv and her antics.
“Thank you both for tonight, I enjoyed myself. We should do this again” Raines said hugging you both.
“We can make this a weekly occurrence if you’d like.” You said
“I would love that” she said quietly.
“Then weekly it is” Larissa smiled, “Let us know once in a while if you have a request for dinner.”
“I can do that, thank you.” Raines hugged you both again.
You opened the door and waved goodbye, you closed the door and turned to Larissa.
“Seeing her more often will make me feel better.” You said
“I know it will, you two have been close for quite some time.” She said
You walked by Larissa to go clean up the kitchen. She offered to help and you told her to just relax and drink her wine. She went ahead and started a fire in the fireplace and sat down with a blanket. Once she was certain you weren’t going to peek back in she grabbed her phone off the coffee table.
Weems: I know you were just here but I couldn’t ask in front of Kale. Will you go ring shopping with me this week?
Carol: I’d love to, just let me know what day works for you.
Carol: Anything for my 2 favorites.
Larissa smiled and set her phone back down, she sat back and pulled the blanket up. She had to come up with a plan and the perfect time, she would need help.
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