In Perfect Time // A Bishova Band AU

6. True Colors

The guitarist could not ignore Yelena's texts for long. A combination of post-show boredom, anxiety, and curiosity led her to open the thread, perplexed to find an address and an invitation to come over for a few hours.

Eager to escape the quiet loft and accompanying thoughts of the Wanda situation, Kate quickly showered, tying her wet hair back and throwing on a wholly oversized Nets hoodie.

Thankfully, Steve was not busy on a Monday, and after sneaking past a still toiling Peter, Kate piled into her usual seat in his SUV, sunglasses not quite hiding her pensive expression.

"Kate?" Steve asked, idling. "Where are we headed?"

"Sorry," Kate mumbled, sending over the address. "Yelena's place, I think."

"You like her or something?" Steve teased. "You two have barely been apart."

"I do like her, but I feel like this is about something else."

Steve said nothing to that cryptic answer, pulling out onto a street that was thankfully void of photographers. Kate guessed paps hadn't figured out that the band was still in LA, but she would surely be spotted in Yelena's affluent neighborhood.

The thought of more media attention was both mortifying and exciting- the former because if she really did like Yelena, she wanted to love her in private, with authenticity, and the latter because of the rush she felt in being seen with someone like her, the satisfaction of being the one she kissed. But who was Kate kidding? She didn't really like Yelena. Probably.

The whole thing was immensely confusing to Kate. She certainly felt something for the blonde, but she didn't quite know what. She'd never before been in love, unsure if that was what caused the butterflies in her stomach and the heat in her cheeks. In the case it was actually love, Kate would ignore it, as that would only cause more problems later on, like getting her heart broken.

Falling for your PR girlfriend had to be one of the stupidest things you could do- on brand for her, really. To go into a relationship knowing it would end, possibly messily, and fall anyway...

"Is this it?" Steve asked, turning into a residential district lined with lavish homes guarded behind massive gilded gates.

"Damn," was all Kate could say.

The streets practically smelled like money; Kate figured it grew from the palm trees canopied above the picturesque villas. These homes, no, mansions, were worth millions on their own, not to mention the luxury vehicles and sprawling pools at most of them.

As Steve tracked down the address and Kate relayed the gate code, she couldn't help but feel underdressed. Though Yelena was regal, seeming like old money, she was so down to earth, and for some reason Kate had not expected a decadent neighborhood such as this. Granted, Yelena's home was much smaller than the truly disgusting offerings farther down, but it was spacious, with a quaint koi pond in the lawn and an imposing mahogany front door.

Kate stood at this door for several seconds, toying with her piercing and wondering if the metal hoops were knockers or just for decoration. As she finally raised her hand, though, the door swung open, revealing a surprised Yelena.

"You came quick," Yelena observed, hair messily pulled back as if she hadn't yet styled it for the day.

"First time that's been said about me," Kate replied without thinking, stepping through the threshold as Yelena rolled her eyes. "Sorry."

"Nonsense. I'm sorry for my... unfinished state, though. I really thought I would have more time."

Kate, perplexed, looked Yelena over, giving long, unflinching gazes up and down her oversized cream hoodie and simple brown sweatpants. Despite the casual look, she still wore her typical jewelry; a thin gold Cuban link, a locket, humble hoops.