fic: trembling hands (bo/lexy, lost girl/lip service, 1/2)
trembling hands
bo and lexy, at the edge of a certain discovery.
lost girl/lip service x-over college/university au.
bo/lexy, bo/lauren, lexy/sam. mayhem, basically.
a/n: this is taking forever. if i don't get this out, i never will. pardon the lapses, i'm rusty. to the CORE.
On the first day of school, Bo takes the seat next to Lexy in the cafeteria and introduces herself.
"Just Bo," she says, in response to Lexy's raised brow. "I'm not big on last names."
Lexy smiles, genuinely pleased just to be spoken to, at this point. Being a new girl anywhere has always sucked -- now it doesn't, or at least not as much. Bo puts a hand on her arm and she feels like she's not one of those high school girls everybody warns you about in the movies. "Lexy," she says, holding her hand out.
When Bo receives it, Lexy feels inordinately warm all over. (And kind of like she wants to kiss her. Whoa, Lexy goes in her head. Did I just think about that?)
*
Lexy gets her surname soon enough -- during gym, when the teacher starts the roll call. Bo comes in late and takes the only seat left by then: the one nearest the door on the first row. Their instructor is a stern-looking woman with a sharp jaw line and humorless eyes.
"Dennis?" she calls in a flat tone, turning to Bo. Bo seems like she's nodding. "Fifteen minutes grace period, that's it. After that, the gym door's closed. Three absences and you're dropped. Understood?" There's an audible round of heavy swallowing before Bo clears her throat.
"Yes, ma’am," Bo says, and from the top of the bleachers Lexy lets out her breath.
Jesus, that was hot. Lexy feels her heart sink a little -- barely four hours into this new school and already she's crushing on yet another gym teacher. Talk about having a type.
After class, Lexy catches up with Bo at the bleachers. She's toeing her sneakers off and dabbing at her forehead with a towel.
"Those would break in mid-run, definitely," she begins, tentatively. Does this girl even remember me from the cafeteria? "Remember me, though? Lexy, from this morning--"
"Of course," says Bo, smiling like she recognizes and Lexy feels relieved. "At the cafeteria. How could I forget?"
"Right," Lexy says, propping her feet up on a lower step, pretending to fix her shoelaces. Something to do with my hands. "Close call when you got in earlier, huh?"
Bo laughs, shaking her head as she shifts her eyes downward. "I got kinda lost," she admits. "Don't tell anyone though -- I'm dorky enough and my street cred's near to nil."
How someone who looks like Bo -- confident and absolutely beautiful -- could ever be concerned about street cred is baffling, at best. "You don't seem like you need help with your street cred. At all."
"You neither," Bo grins. "I loved your jacket this morning, by the way."
"That was why you sat next to me, no?"
"Not the entire reason, but a good chunk of it."
Lexy laughs. This is going to be a long year ahead.
*
Lexy also sits with Bo during English and History, but what's really interesting is Bio -- not the subject, per se, but the TA, in particular. If anyone asked, this is how Lexy would describe her: "Blonde and stunning in white; puts that glint in Bo's eye whenever handing over photocopied handouts."
"I don't even know her name," Bo groans, that time Lexy finally manages to coax it out of her over lunch, several days later.
"Didn't the professor say something?" Lexy squints at her sandwich, trying to remember. "Louis? Lewis? Something."
"Louise?" Bo asks. "It's a nice sounding name."
Lexy shakes her head, pushing a copy of the syllabus toward Bo and pointing. "Lauren Lewis."
"Ah," Bo nods, before repeating to herself softly: "Lauren."
"Better sounding name, hm?" Lexy says, the sound muffled by bread. "She doesn't look old to me though -- possibly only in college?"
"And we are discussing her probable age because…?"
Lexy smirks, lowering the her sandwich for a moment. "You don't have standards? I mean, I won't date anyone older by more than 10 years--"
"Who said anything about dating, Jesus Lex--"
"Because you don't look so awfully pained just waiting for her to get to you with the handouts, really. Not at all."
Bo kicks at Lexy's shin playfully and Lexy lets out a small yelp. "Shut up," says Bo. "Like you don't look as pained during gym class."
It is Lexy's turn to blush. "It's just a thing okay," she says, waving a hand dismissively. "I outgrow things after a few days."
"Whatever you say," Bo scoffs. "I've seen how you look at her arms. How easily can you outgrow your things with those kind of arms, hmm?"
"Shut up. I do not fancy Coach Murray's arms."
"You're a really bad liar."
"And you're really good at changing the subject, Miss Dennis. Now, now," Lexy breathes in, all smug. "Let me look into this Lauren business and see what I can dig up for you."
"You're actually suggesting we stalk these people, no?"
Truth be told, Lexy kind of likes the sound of that. She nods, before appending: "Harmlessly, of course."
"Are you kidding? Harmless is, like, my middle name," Bo just says.
*
Lexy hangs back purposefully the following week after Bio, deliberately slowing her process of packing up.
"Now?" Bo mouths to her, disbelieving as she pauses by the door way.
"Yes, now," Lexy mouths back, and Bo shoots her one more worried look before heading on out. Lexy can't help the smile that grazes her lips just then.
"Everything all right over there, Miss Price?" Lauren calls out from the platform. She's in the middle of pushing a far too thick pile of papers into a decidedly thin envelope.
"Just a question, actually," says Lexy, heading to the professor's desk, hugging a book to her chest for effect. "But before that -- I'm willing to bet that envelope's going to break."
Lauren pauses to look, before smiling goofily. "It's kind of impossible, no?" she says, sighing. Lexy feels her heart drop a little. She completely understands how someone can be smitten with just that. "Not so much for the Physics -- I'm into biology for a reason."
"Here, let me help," Lexy offers, fishing an old, empty envelope from her bag. "It's a bit used, but I'm pretty sure it still works."
Lauren flashes her a sheepish smile. No wonder Bo's crazy about her, she just thinks. "Thanks." And then, "You had a question."
I did? "Uh, yeah," Lexy's eyes dart around, looking for something. On the way, she spies something shiny on Lauren's hand. Shit, is that-- "You're married?"
Lauren laughs. "That was your question?"
Shit. "No, I -- it's a pretty ring." And it isn't entirely false either.
"Ah--this," Lauren says, fingers touching the metal out of reflex. "Not married -- but committed, yes."
"Committed as in engaged, or--"
Lauren shakes her head, keeping a tight smile on. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Price?"
"Actually--about these telomere a while back--"
Something in Lauren's face shifts, and right then Lexy knows she's just somewhat salvaged the conversation. "Repetitive nucleotide sequences at the tips of chromosomes, yes," Lauren nods. "Walk with me?"
"Sure thing," says Lexy, picking one of the envelopes up. "After you."
*
Eventually, it turns out that Bo is even more horrible at stalking -- Lexy finds out soon enough, after gym class the following day, when Coach Murray invites her back to her office for a serious-sounding conversation that starts with, "Can I have a word with you, Miss Price?"
On the way over, Bo gives her a playful shove.
"What the fuck did you do, Bo?" whispers Lexy.
To which Bo just replies , "You can thank me later," evil smirk and all.
Lexy just thinks, Please let me live just long enough after this to kill her.
"Are you all right, Lexy?" asks Coach, stern voice now gone and replaced by a softer one as she closes the door. "Can I call you Lexy, hm?"
Lexy just nods. What the fuck did Bo do?
"You look kind of pale."
"I'm all right," Lexy manages. "Just -- a bit out of air."
"I was kind of hard on you girls today, hm?" she says thoughtfully, rearranging herself on the edge of her table. "And in here, you can call me Sam."
Sam. Well, there's progress. "As you wish," Lexy replies, relaxing a bit. "This means I'm not in so much trouble, am I?"
Sam nearly spits out the water she's been drinking as she tones down her laugh. "What? No, did I -- I scare you lot, don't I?" she says, shaking her head. "Bo told me you're interested in trying out for the track team."
She what?
"Excuse me?"
"She told me you liked running. In your old school. No formal training -- which is unfortunate," Sam begins, and slowly, Lexy can feel the strength seep out of her knees. What the fuck.
"You do know however that we don't have a track and field team--"
"We don't?"
"Yet -- I've been thinking of proposing one, and now I have you."
Fuck.
Sam continues -- it's obvious, how excited she is, and Lexy can feel her chest tightening a bit more. "We can schedule trainings -- I won't mind having a running partner, for once."
"A running partner?"
"Of course, once we have more recruits, we'll be running as a team, but for the meantime--"
Lexy shakes her head. No use resisting this -- might as well play into this one. Play first, kill Bo later. "Whatever you say, Coach -- Sam," says Lexy, clearing her throat. "I'm in."
Sam lets out a little laugh. It sounds strange and precious. "Great," she says, hovering near Lexy like she is unsure of how to celebrate their little plan falling into place. She settles for a pat on Lexy's shoulder, lingering for a bit.
She's touching me, Lexy thinks, and it almost feels worth it.
Part Two.
bo and lexy, at the edge of a certain discovery.
lost girl/lip service x-over college/university au.
bo/lexy, bo/lauren, lexy/sam. mayhem, basically.
a/n: this is taking forever. if i don't get this out, i never will. pardon the lapses, i'm rusty. to the CORE.
On the first day of school, Bo takes the seat next to Lexy in the cafeteria and introduces herself.
"Just Bo," she says, in response to Lexy's raised brow. "I'm not big on last names."
Lexy smiles, genuinely pleased just to be spoken to, at this point. Being a new girl anywhere has always sucked -- now it doesn't, or at least not as much. Bo puts a hand on her arm and she feels like she's not one of those high school girls everybody warns you about in the movies. "Lexy," she says, holding her hand out.
When Bo receives it, Lexy feels inordinately warm all over. (And kind of like she wants to kiss her. Whoa, Lexy goes in her head. Did I just think about that?)
*
Lexy gets her surname soon enough -- during gym, when the teacher starts the roll call. Bo comes in late and takes the only seat left by then: the one nearest the door on the first row. Their instructor is a stern-looking woman with a sharp jaw line and humorless eyes.
"Dennis?" she calls in a flat tone, turning to Bo. Bo seems like she's nodding. "Fifteen minutes grace period, that's it. After that, the gym door's closed. Three absences and you're dropped. Understood?" There's an audible round of heavy swallowing before Bo clears her throat.
"Yes, ma’am," Bo says, and from the top of the bleachers Lexy lets out her breath.
Jesus, that was hot. Lexy feels her heart sink a little -- barely four hours into this new school and already she's crushing on yet another gym teacher. Talk about having a type.
After class, Lexy catches up with Bo at the bleachers. She's toeing her sneakers off and dabbing at her forehead with a towel.
"Those would break in mid-run, definitely," she begins, tentatively. Does this girl even remember me from the cafeteria? "Remember me, though? Lexy, from this morning--"
"Of course," says Bo, smiling like she recognizes and Lexy feels relieved. "At the cafeteria. How could I forget?"
"Right," Lexy says, propping her feet up on a lower step, pretending to fix her shoelaces. Something to do with my hands. "Close call when you got in earlier, huh?"
Bo laughs, shaking her head as she shifts her eyes downward. "I got kinda lost," she admits. "Don't tell anyone though -- I'm dorky enough and my street cred's near to nil."
How someone who looks like Bo -- confident and absolutely beautiful -- could ever be concerned about street cred is baffling, at best. "You don't seem like you need help with your street cred. At all."
"You neither," Bo grins. "I loved your jacket this morning, by the way."
"That was why you sat next to me, no?"
"Not the entire reason, but a good chunk of it."
Lexy laughs. This is going to be a long year ahead.
*
Lexy also sits with Bo during English and History, but what's really interesting is Bio -- not the subject, per se, but the TA, in particular. If anyone asked, this is how Lexy would describe her: "Blonde and stunning in white; puts that glint in Bo's eye whenever handing over photocopied handouts."
"I don't even know her name," Bo groans, that time Lexy finally manages to coax it out of her over lunch, several days later.
"Didn't the professor say something?" Lexy squints at her sandwich, trying to remember. "Louis? Lewis? Something."
"Louise?" Bo asks. "It's a nice sounding name."
Lexy shakes her head, pushing a copy of the syllabus toward Bo and pointing. "Lauren Lewis."
"Ah," Bo nods, before repeating to herself softly: "Lauren."
"Better sounding name, hm?" Lexy says, the sound muffled by bread. "She doesn't look old to me though -- possibly only in college?"
"And we are discussing her probable age because…?"
Lexy smirks, lowering the her sandwich for a moment. "You don't have standards? I mean, I won't date anyone older by more than 10 years--"
"Who said anything about dating, Jesus Lex--"
"Because you don't look so awfully pained just waiting for her to get to you with the handouts, really. Not at all."
Bo kicks at Lexy's shin playfully and Lexy lets out a small yelp. "Shut up," says Bo. "Like you don't look as pained during gym class."
It is Lexy's turn to blush. "It's just a thing okay," she says, waving a hand dismissively. "I outgrow things after a few days."
"Whatever you say," Bo scoffs. "I've seen how you look at her arms. How easily can you outgrow your things with those kind of arms, hmm?"
"Shut up. I do not fancy Coach Murray's arms."
"You're a really bad liar."
"And you're really good at changing the subject, Miss Dennis. Now, now," Lexy breathes in, all smug. "Let me look into this Lauren business and see what I can dig up for you."
"You're actually suggesting we stalk these people, no?"
Truth be told, Lexy kind of likes the sound of that. She nods, before appending: "Harmlessly, of course."
"Are you kidding? Harmless is, like, my middle name," Bo just says.
*
Lexy hangs back purposefully the following week after Bio, deliberately slowing her process of packing up.
"Now?" Bo mouths to her, disbelieving as she pauses by the door way.
"Yes, now," Lexy mouths back, and Bo shoots her one more worried look before heading on out. Lexy can't help the smile that grazes her lips just then.
"Everything all right over there, Miss Price?" Lauren calls out from the platform. She's in the middle of pushing a far too thick pile of papers into a decidedly thin envelope.
"Just a question, actually," says Lexy, heading to the professor's desk, hugging a book to her chest for effect. "But before that -- I'm willing to bet that envelope's going to break."
Lauren pauses to look, before smiling goofily. "It's kind of impossible, no?" she says, sighing. Lexy feels her heart drop a little. She completely understands how someone can be smitten with just that. "Not so much for the Physics -- I'm into biology for a reason."
"Here, let me help," Lexy offers, fishing an old, empty envelope from her bag. "It's a bit used, but I'm pretty sure it still works."
Lauren flashes her a sheepish smile. No wonder Bo's crazy about her, she just thinks. "Thanks." And then, "You had a question."
I did? "Uh, yeah," Lexy's eyes dart around, looking for something. On the way, she spies something shiny on Lauren's hand. Shit, is that-- "You're married?"
Lauren laughs. "That was your question?"
Shit. "No, I -- it's a pretty ring." And it isn't entirely false either.
"Ah--this," Lauren says, fingers touching the metal out of reflex. "Not married -- but committed, yes."
"Committed as in engaged, or--"
Lauren shakes her head, keeping a tight smile on. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Price?"
"Actually--about these telomere a while back--"
Something in Lauren's face shifts, and right then Lexy knows she's just somewhat salvaged the conversation. "Repetitive nucleotide sequences at the tips of chromosomes, yes," Lauren nods. "Walk with me?"
"Sure thing," says Lexy, picking one of the envelopes up. "After you."
*
Eventually, it turns out that Bo is even more horrible at stalking -- Lexy finds out soon enough, after gym class the following day, when Coach Murray invites her back to her office for a serious-sounding conversation that starts with, "Can I have a word with you, Miss Price?"
On the way over, Bo gives her a playful shove.
"What the fuck did you do, Bo?" whispers Lexy.
To which Bo just replies , "You can thank me later," evil smirk and all.
Lexy just thinks, Please let me live just long enough after this to kill her.
"Are you all right, Lexy?" asks Coach, stern voice now gone and replaced by a softer one as she closes the door. "Can I call you Lexy, hm?"
Lexy just nods. What the fuck did Bo do?
"You look kind of pale."
"I'm all right," Lexy manages. "Just -- a bit out of air."
"I was kind of hard on you girls today, hm?" she says thoughtfully, rearranging herself on the edge of her table. "And in here, you can call me Sam."
Sam. Well, there's progress. "As you wish," Lexy replies, relaxing a bit. "This means I'm not in so much trouble, am I?"
Sam nearly spits out the water she's been drinking as she tones down her laugh. "What? No, did I -- I scare you lot, don't I?" she says, shaking her head. "Bo told me you're interested in trying out for the track team."
She what?
"Excuse me?"
"She told me you liked running. In your old school. No formal training -- which is unfortunate," Sam begins, and slowly, Lexy can feel the strength seep out of her knees. What the fuck.
"You do know however that we don't have a track and field team--"
"We don't?"
"Yet -- I've been thinking of proposing one, and now I have you."
Fuck.
Sam continues -- it's obvious, how excited she is, and Lexy can feel her chest tightening a bit more. "We can schedule trainings -- I won't mind having a running partner, for once."
"A running partner?"
"Of course, once we have more recruits, we'll be running as a team, but for the meantime--"
Lexy shakes her head. No use resisting this -- might as well play into this one. Play first, kill Bo later. "Whatever you say, Coach -- Sam," says Lexy, clearing her throat. "I'm in."
Sam lets out a little laugh. It sounds strange and precious. "Great," she says, hovering near Lexy like she is unsure of how to celebrate their little plan falling into place. She settles for a pat on Lexy's shoulder, lingering for a bit.
She's touching me, Lexy thinks, and it almost feels worth it.
Part Two.