Summary: "I like you," she says, a different kind of confession, "and I'm not going to hide that anymore."
Fandom/Pairings: High School Musical; Taylor/Kelsi
Rating: R
Pre-Notes: It's still the 6th in Hawaii, okay? Today's mix is
That's Not Actually A Christmas Song But Okay.
Disclaimer: If you liked it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.
under the mistletoe (we'll fall in love for sure)
Taylor and Kelsi don't talk at first, not really. It's got a lot to do with the fact that Taylor's an Acadec member and Kelsi's part of the drama club at first, and even after Troy and Gabriella shake up the status quo they don't really have a lot in common. Well, that's what Kelsi assumes anyway.
She doesn't remember how they got to where they are-except for how she does remember it with a sharp-edged clarity that hasn't faded over the intervening years. Taylor comes to her because Chad sent her. Well, Chad mentioned that Ryan mentioned that Kelsi was into girls. It wasn't really that Taylor wanted to date her, in those first days. She just needed someone who understood, who knew and was willing to listen to her talk about it because she didn't have anyone like that.
Kelsi's good at listening. It's what she does best, which is probably why she and Taylor get closer as the summer drags on. Taylor tries to help her out with her shyness, which goes reasonable well, and they stay close through senior year. Then they graduate and Kelsi goes to Juilliard with Ryan while Taylor goes to Yale for political science.
There's emails, and some scattered phone calls, but they don't really stay as close as they could. Kelsi gets a girlfriend, and Taylor dates some assorted girls that don't pan out. They grow up.
If Kelsi has to place everything on one moment, it's being under the mistletoe. Ryan hangs it up in their apartment because he thinks it's funny, and Kelsi gets caught under it with Taylor because all the Wildcats are in New York for nostalgia or maybe missing each other. Taylor seems slightly hesitant, but Kelsi's grown the spine she never had in high school, so she yanks Taylor down and presses their lips together.
For a moment, Taylor's caught off-guard, but then she's kissing back and it's everything that Kelsi tried too hard not to hope for in high school. She understands why they didn't-not everyone is Ryan Evans, and some people prefer to be quieter about who they are-but part of her wishes they had. When Kelsi pulls away, Taylor's eyes are a little unfocused too and Kelsi smiles.
"Merry Christmas."
Even though she doesn't want to, Kelsi walks away. She thinks that if Taylor felt the same things, she'll seek Kelsi out later. Find her and demand a repeat performance. The reaction isn't immediate, of course, but Taylor does find her as the party winds down.
"Kelsi," Taylor says, like a confession, "about earlier."
"I like you," Kelsi says, a different kind of confession, "and I'm not going to hide that anymore."
"Good," Taylor says, "because I'm going to kiss you again."
This time it's less of a surprise and more like a promise.
They end up stumbling into Kelsi room, clothes falling away as they explore each other. It's not perfect, and Kelsi is still afraid of the morning, but it's a lot better than it would have been four, five years ago. She parts Taylor's legs, tasting her bloom across her tongue, and stops thinking about it.
It's easy to only focus on Taylor, on making Taylor feel good, and Kelsi doesn't care what happens when the morning comes. That's what she tells herself anyway. She's not entirely sure if she believes it, but she knows that the way Taylor shakes apart around her, the way that Taylor turns the tables and makes Kelsi twist her hands in the sheets, has to be enough.
When the morning comes, though, Taylor doesn't leave. Kelsi privately thinks of it as her very own Christmas miracle.
(ps: if you're late to the party/just want more porn, go check out the
pornmas advent calendar/masterlist.)
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