weary travelers
Kit has been sitting up straight with her knee anxiously bouncing for the entirety of the train ride, spending most of this first hour staring out the window deep in thought. Jade has tried her best to reassure the brunette that there’s nothing to worry about to no avail.
The two jet-lagged travelers have taken over four seats within the fairly empty train car, both choosing to sit next to the window, facing one another. Their two backpacks fill up one of the chairs, while the much more relaxed red-haired girl has her legs sprawled across the remaining, empty aisle seat.
Jade takes stock of her comfy travel outfit - loose jeans paired with a gray shirt under a beige hoodie with one blue sleeve, one red. Her American girlfriend always teases that the sweatshirt is a little too close to patriotic for her taste, red and blue, really? Jade always retorts with the fact that beige isn’t white, Kit, it’s different and you wear this jumper just as much as I do. Her big black boots rest neatly on the ground in front of her seat, plain white socks on display as she brings her feet under her to turn her body forward.
Kit sports brown, currently untied, hiking boots, a pair of big navy sweatpants that do, in fact, belong to her girlfriend, and a green and white t-shirt under her army green jacket. At different points throughout their long day of traveling, layers and beanies had been shed and packed and put back on. The plane ride across the ocean had been exhausting enough before having to navigate this train situation. Luckily Jade had known the station well enough to guide a rather clueless Kit where they needed to be.
The British girl looks up from her book to glance at Kit directly across from her, she can’t focus on the words she’s reading with how loudly Kit seems to be thinking.
She softly addresses the girl, “Kit, mulling it over is making you crazy. And you going crazy is making me crazy. What are you spiraling about?”
Kit’s attention snaps away from the window, “What? No, I’m fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”
The brunette watches as Jade rolls her eyes and moves to stand up, she places their backpacks on the former foot rest and moves to sit next to her. The taller girl adjusts her mask to keep her nose covered then reaches to cup Kit’s face and kiss her, mask to mask.
It’s silly, really. They had continuously made fun of other couples who did just that throughout the pandemic, but it seemed like the right move. Confirmed with the light laugh from Kit that followed the short kiss.
“That was dumb.” Jade can hear the smile in the girl’s voice. Distraction successful, as this is the American’s first real smile since boarding the train. Jade then double checks that the few others inhabiting their car are not too close as she pulls both of their masks down under their chins to give a quick proper kiss. Both of them smile into it before separating to pull the masks back up.
Kit then slouches down in the seat a bit to rest her head on the taller girl’s shoulder as Jade takes her hand.
“I’m not that nervous,” Kit mumbles after a beat of silence.
Adjusting to wrap her arm around the brunette, Jade quietly responds, “You are definitely nervous and definitely a little grumpy, but we’re going to have fun. Like an hour more on this train and then we can shower and lay down at Scorpia’s. This new place has an extra room for us and everything - she’s like a real adult.”
“We have an extra room,” Kit challenges, continuing to mumble.
“That’s different. We’re only there for like a month and a half.”
There’s a pause before the shorter girl lets out a heavy sigh, “She’s just not going to like me.”
“I think you’re wrong.” Jade whispers, placing a mask covered kiss on top of the other girl’s head before continuing, “I’m not worried about that. I know I always talk her up into being all scary and shit, and she kind of is, but she knows you mean a lot to me. She’s protective and all, but she’s pretty soft under all that. I just have a good feeling is all. I think she’s learning that she doesn’t need to worry about me the same way anymore. I don’t know, we’ll see.” She pauses and thinks a moment before continuing, a bit more animated while mentioning, “And she’s probably nervous too, introducing me to this guy she’s with.”
In typical Kit fashion, she takes the opportunity to turn the conversation around and off of her own anxieties, “You feel alright about it all? Meeting her boyfriend and coming back here after so long and everything?”
“I don’t know. I’m still stuck on the fact that she agreed to live with someone. I really didn’t know if she would do that ever. I feel lucky you’re here to compare notes on them.” She giggles a bit, “We can debrief all our observations and figure out how the hell some man has my sister making any kind of commitment. But whatever, even if everything goes to shit for some reason - which it won’t - I’m excited to show you around and to be here with you.”
The sun begins to set as the two quietly share a pair of headphones for the rest of the ride, passing Kit’s phone back and forth picking songs to finish off their journey. They break out the remaining snacks and some of the grumpiness melts away. Jade takes her arm back from around the smaller girl, swapping positions and dragging Kit’s arm around herself.
When the terrain becomes more and more familiar, the redhead sits up, explaining a few spots and landmarks. She laces back into the clunky boots as the train slows down. Kit places a beanie over her messy hair and ties up her own shoes, seeming slightly less nervous.
As the train comes to a stop, they rise, putting on their backpacks. The taller one stepping into the aisle to grab two bags from above, passing Kit the suitcase and shouldering her own duffle.
Stepping onto the platform, Jade looks around to orient herself, after finding her bearings, she leads the way to find her sister.
They exit the station and while the redhead is beginning to buzz with excitement, she feels the nerves return to Kit as the brunette takes her hand. Jade pauses their trek to turn to her girlfriend. Now standing outside, she removes both of their masks and pockets them. Kit says aloud, more to herself than anyone else, “It’s gonna be fun.”
The taller girl pulls her into a tight hug duffle bag awkwardly hanging off her side, “Thanks for coming with me.”
Over Kit’s shoulder, she hears the shout of a rather loud “Oi!” It sounds almost identical to the one she hears regularly from the redhead trying to get her attention.
The two pull apart and turn toward the sound as the husky voice continues, “You get to hug her all the fucking time, get over here!”
Scorpia in all her glory, is slowly making her way towards them. Jade’s smile is infectious as she takes a step towards her sister. Kit quickly grabs the strap of the duffel and says, “I got it, go ahead.”
She follows behind as the sisters pick up the pace and eventually collide into a massive hug. Scorpia, with arms under the backpack, lifts the girl a bit to swing her back and forth a moment before placing her back on the ground.
“How was it?” She asks.
“Long,” the little sister replies.
The two separate and Jade reaches to Kit for her bag and her hand to drag her closer.
Scorpia keeps her eyes on her sisters face for a moment more, taking in the way she looks at the smaller girl.
There’s a hesitant moment where neither know how to greet the other, Jade speaks up, “I will save you both and say, neither of you are huggers. I’m like the only person either of you actually hug, so I think it's alright if you don’t want to.”
The oldest of the group lets out a laugh and sends a nod at the brunette, “works for me, how’re you holdin’ up? You’re taller than I thought.”
Kit smirks a tiny bit and lets out a breath, “thank you, she’s really not much taller than me at all, and most of it is those boots.”
Jade’s smile hasn’t faded, if anything it grows at the short interaction between her favorite people. “My boots do no such thing. Can we get out of here, please. We need showers.”
They spend the drive back to Scorpia’s flat recounting the day’s adventure from the States. Jade often pausing to point out places she wants to show Kit in the coming days, and parks she wants to visit, and food she misses. Scorpia explains the things that have changed over the last couple of years since the younger woman’s last visit. Kit settles in the backseat, following the easy flow of conversation between sisters.
Scorpia easily brings up a memory of their mother when Jade comments on a fountain in the town center. Kit has never heard much about the others’ late mother, sitting up a bit listen to the story. She pays careful attention to the younger redhead’s face in the sideview mirror from her spot behind her.
“There was this day we went to the market all together, and you were so small and she stood up on the fountain’s ledge and took your arms and just fully dangled you over the water and you were kicking and she was pretending to drop you a little bit and you were cackling and being so loud and I was on the ground and I grabbed mum by the waist so she wouldn’t tip over and we were all just laughing so hard we were practically screaming.”
“How little was I? I don’t remember that at all.”
“So tiny, probably not even three.”
The mood is slightly dampened by the exchange. Jade is grateful to hear about it, but missing the memory she never really had. Her face falls a bit, Kit catching the slight shift in the mirror.
A bit quieter now, Jade expresses, “that’s a fun one. I want to hear more of those.” Her accent already coming out even thicker than usual now that she’s back with family.
Kit almost can’t help herself when she mocks her girlfriend a bit from the backseat, “a foon woon you say?”
“Oi!” Scorpio smirks, “You’re not on your turf anymore babes, you’re the one who sounds strange round here.”
“Yeah fuck off!” Jade’s smile returns and she turns in her seat to laugh with the short haired girl in the back.
“Okay, okay, touché.” Kit surrenders, the lighthearted energy quickly returning to the car.
They soon park and gather their luggage, but before they make their way to the building Scorpia rolls her eyes before looking at her sister. She sighs and begins to speak in a deadpan tone, “He’s excited to meet you. He’s an idiot. And he doesn’t know when to stop talking. And he thinks he’s funnier than he is.”
“But?” Jade prompts.
“He’s a good one.” Scorpia looks almost pained by saying such.
The group make their way up and into the apartment. In the kitchen a large man crouches in front of the oven, next to him a young blonde woman is talking and pointing, “No yeah, that’s the color we’re looking for. That is golden brown, I can’t believe you wanted to take it out six minutes ago. A perfect crust, I would argue, was born from those six minutes. This might be some of our best work yet.”
Scorpia clears her throat and offers up a very quick introduction, “Boorman and Elora from downstairs, Jade and Kit.”
“Look at this!” Boorman excitedly tilts the pan to show off the top crust of what appears to be a pie. Making sure every new face gets a good look before placing it down.
“Smells good,” Jade offers politely.
“Uh yeah, what kind?” Kit follows up.
“Guess!” The man insists.
Scorpia cuts in, “Boorman! Let them settle a bit, mate.”
“Okay. We’ll keep it a surprise for dessert then.”
They all exchange short greetings and make a plan to order in a dinner before the couple is pointed in the direction of their room.
Kit closes the door behind them to whisper to the other girl, “not what I expected.”
Jade mulls it over a moment before shrugging, “kind of what I expected.”
“I feel so gross and the jet lag is making me feel high. Is there an extremely perky blonde girl here or am I hallucinating?”
“No that’s real.” She opens the door a bit to stick her head out and holler to her sister, “we can take showers now, yeah?”
“Yeah, yeah whenever. Towels are in there for you.”
Boorman cuts in, “I really don’t mean this to come across as rude. But this one and her roommate have also been using our bathroom for a few days, so there may not be much hot water left, could be smart to buddy up in there.”
“He’s not wrong.” Scorpia shrugs.
“They said they’d fix our thing tomorrow,” Elora adds, “so maybe they’ll actually do that.”
The eldest two reply at the same time, “Doubt it.”
Elora looks down at her phone, “Graydon says he’ll pick up the food.”
Boorman nods, “Good man.”
Jade closes the door, “What is happening?”
Kit has an armful of clean clothes for both of them, “You heard the man! Let’s go.”
“You do smell.”
“Shut up, so do you.”