Title: Serendipity
Pairing: HannahxKim
Rating: Teen
Word count: 5,023
Notes: Prompt for hannahandkim for first meetings on a train (or subway :P ) , AU , it’s not explicitly stated but I’m headcannon-ing Hannah as demisexual in this.
-
As far back as Hannah can remember, she's always enjoyed watching people although she has a hard time interacting with them. As a child sometimes she would imagine that she were an alien, and it was her mission to observe and report on human behavior. Her twin brother, Castiel, was always an exception to the rule. He understood her, and perhaps had the same problems communicating with and understanding other people outside of the two of them that she had. He liked to play the 'aliens' game with her.
They stuck close through grade school and high school. Because they were twins, it afforded them a tighter relationship without people trying to push them apart. When they attended different colleges they drifted apart, and Hannah was left to people watch on her own. She did make an effort to understand people, but usually fell short. Translating theoretical understanding of body language, inflection, and diction to practical knowledge of being able utilize these things while actually interacting with someone.... was difficult.
But she liked watching. Hannah liked the tidy one bedroom apartment that she had to herself and her fish. She liked the ordered schedule of her life. She was content.
At least since Castiel had moved back to the city she had someone who understood her again, even if he was busy with his new career and his own romantic pursuits. He was a twenty minute subway ride from her apartment, but it still wasn't so bad as her commute to work.
Hannah could have moved closer. She could have found a new apartment to avoid the hour long subway commute to her job at the library when she had been hired. But she didn't. She liked the park near her apartment where she jogged in the mornings and the market around the corner that had a good selection of produce. She liked her quiet, unobtrusive neighbors.
An hour's ride wasn't so bad. Some times she brought a book to keep her company, but the noise and bustle wasn't very conducive to reading. So she liked to people watch. She left early in the morning for work, and the subway cars were packed with people in neat suits clutching coffee mugs and brief cases during that time of day. When she came home mid afternoon there was a more mixed crowd of people that varied from day to day.
There were some people that were regulars whom she saw most days, and some familiar faces that were more sporadic, and always plenty of people she'd never seen before. In the afternoons, she usually saw a dark skinned young man with a guitar case. She wondered if he was a street performer or perhaps gave lessons or attended school. There was a man with a scruffy white beard that always wore a kilt. Hannah wondered if he was Scottish or just liked the look. There was a girl that always wore torn clothes, but Hannah supposed they were fashionably so, and usually bright neon in color. She was always listening to music, and every now and then when the train was stopped Hannah could hear the loud poppy beat of it.
A few days of the week Hannah also saw another regular, a young lady with long brown hair in a pony tail that usually wore jeans and t-shirts with plaid overshirts. She looked a little out of place most times, but always comfortable and cordial. She smiled a lot. She even said ‘hi’ a few times, and Hannah returned a ‘hello’, but it was generally too noisy to carry on much of a conversation.
-
The subway cars were never so packed mid afternoon that they usually were in the early morning. There were typically empty seats. Hannah always got on from the same platform and found a seat in the back and preferably in the corner. The young lady with the pony tail sat next to her every now and then.
The car jostled as it turned a corner and their shoulders bumped. Hannah swayed with the motion of the car. It screeched loudly as it came to it's next stop, people standing and making their ways to the doors. Next to her, the young lady with the pony tail stood.
Hannah heard a dull thunk on the floor in front of where she was seated. Leaning forward, she saw a phone on the floor and picked it up. Most likely it had fallen out of the young woman's pocket, who had already gotten off. Hannah stood to follow her off the train and return the phone, but several people were pushing in to the car and the doors closed before Hannah could squeeze out.
She stood looking out the window as the car lurched. The young lady stopped and patted her pockets, turning back to the subway car with a frown on her face. Hannah held up the phone and pointed to it, mouthing 'Is this yours?'
The young lady took a step towards the car with a look of utter horror on her face as she watched the train pull away.
The darkness of the tunnel enveloped the train and Hannah sat back down, cradling the phone in her hand. It looked like a nice one, an expensive one. She could always turn it on and see if it was password protected or not. Most likely there would be information she could use to return the phone, perhaps call someone on the woman's contacts list.
It would be an awful breach of ethics though. Hannah didn't think she'd be comfortable scrolling through someone else's phone, even if she had good intentions while doing so. The train sped through several more stops as she tapped a finger against the phone's case and wondered what the best thing to do would be.
The phone lit up and buzzed in her hand. Someone was calling. It could be someone trying to reach the young lady, and that would be a rather awkward conversation if she answered. But, it could also be the young lady trying to reach the person who had picked up her phone on the train.
Hannah answered the phone, covering one ear with a hand to try and keep out the noise of the subway.
"Hello?"
"Uh. Hi. Yeah, so, is the person that picked up my phone on the subway?"
"Yes. Is there somewhere I could return it for you?"
"Oh gosh you're a life saver, thank you, I actually just got to work so I can't meet you anywhere right now but if you could hold on to it for me I'll pick it up."
"I just got off work. I don't have plans for the evening. If you give me an address, I could bring it to you."
"Oh wow, are you serious?"
"Yes."
"Holy cow that would be awesome, you're awesome, thank you! Do you have something to write the address on?"
"I have a good memory."
"Okay, sure, I'm at 3200 North 23rd street , we're a taxi company."
"I will get off at the next stop and switch back."
"Oh my gosh I cannot thank you enough, seriously, geese, all I was hoping for was that you wouldn't pawn it but - ah crap I gotta get off, boss, y'know. I'll see you soon. Thanks again so much!"
Hannah turned the phone off and slipped it into her pocket, repeating the address to herself. It was only a few minutes walk from the stop where the young lady had gotten off after losing her phone. Hannah stood and got off at the next stop, jogging through the subway halls to get on the other side of the platform and go back the way she came.
-
It only took about twenty minutes to get herself turned around, catch the next train, and walk to the address. There was a large asphalt lot full of yellow taxi's next to a squat red brick building. She assumed the young lady must be a taxi driver.
Pushing the door in, the place had a small reception area with a few worn looking vinyl chairs along one wall and a glass window opposite them. Hannah approached the smudged window, dinging the little silver bell that sat on the ledge. She recognized the lady from the subway when she peered around a door into the office behind the window almost immediately after Hannah rang the bell.
Then the young lady disappeared, and a minute later a door to the lobby was open. She burst out, and Hannah passed the phone back over to her.
"Seriously, I cannot thank you enough, it took me months to save up for this phone and of course I lose it after like a month of having it, and of course I'm stupidly dependent on the thing by now and geese most people wouldn't think twice about returning it much less bringing it out here."
Hannah nodded, mumbling “It’s no problem” but the other woman was still rambling.
" And I mean, how awkward would it be for a stranger to answer when my mob boss calls, huh?"
The young lady leaned closer and slapped her lightly on the upper arm. Hannah was not certain if that was meant to be taken seriously or not.
The young lady tucked the phone in her pocket and scratched behind her ear as her smile faltered. "That was a joke. I mean. A bad joke but -“
The door opened again and a portly red faced man held it open as he stood half in the lobby.
"Oi, Kimmy you gonna actually work today or I need to clock you out on break or somethin'?"
Kimmy. Hannah had not gotten her name yet. Had she given her own name?
Kimmy waved him off, ”Yeah, yeah I'm comin!"
She turned back to Hannah, "Shoot, I really gotta get back but thanks again. Oh, here - ", digging through her jeans pocket, she pulled out a rumpled ten dollar bill and held it out.
Hannah shook her head, "Oh, no that's all right I didn't expect anything in return."
"For the subway fare at least."
"I have a pass."
The young lady heaved a big sigh and tucked her money back in her pocket. She stepped forward and moved her arms, half hugging Hannah, but Hannah understood the gesture a little late and stiffly raised her own arms. The young lady patted her upper arm and moved back towards the door.
“Still, I mean you’re a life saver, thank you so much!”
“Of course. Have a good day.”
Hannah waved goodbye and walked back out into the daylight, wandering slowly back to the nearby subway stop.
-
It was several days later that Hannah finally saw Kimmy on the subway train again. As soon as Kimmy got in to the car that Hannah was already on, she waved and smiled as she made her way over.
“Hey. Thanks again. I uh, I don’t think I ever got your name?”
“It’s Hannah.”
The car lurched as it took off and Kimmy almost toppled into her lap.
“Sorry. I’m Kim.”
“Oh. It’s not Kimmy?”
“Lou always calls me Kimmy, please don’t let him start you on a bad habit. I prefer Kim.”
“All right.”
The car shuddered as it rose above ground for the next few stops, sun light coming in the car behind Hannah, warm on her back. They sat quietly for a few moments while the train rumbled, people chattered, and music beat out past headphones. At the next stop, Kim tapped her fingers against her thigh and angled towards Hannah before speaking again.
“Look I uh, do you maybe want to get a cup of coffee with me sometime? I mean I know that’s totally cliche and I swear I can think of something better, but everyone likes coffee right?”
“Well I’m not sure if everyone likes coffee. My brother prefers tea. But I like coffee. It’s not necessary for you to pay me back however.”
“What? Oh you mean for the phone!”
The above ground section of the line was at least quieter than the cacophonous echoing in the tunnel.
“Yes.”
“No, no, this isn't a 'thanks for saving my phone let me pay you back' kind of thing, this is a 'I think you're really cute and maybe have kind of been wanting to ask you on a date for a few weeks' kind of thing."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh. So. Do you wanna? Go on a date with me. For coffee.”
"Sure."
Hannah thought she’d seen Kim smiling often before, but she managed an even wider smile then, hair swaying with the motion of the train and Hannah felt something giddy start to thrum that she hadn’t in a while. She was excited. Nervous. Interested.
-
Hannah stood in a plain white bra and a pair of comfortable jeans rifling irritatedly through her closet.
"I don't know what to wear."
Castiel watched from where he was perched on her bed. "It's a casual date isn't it?"
"She just said it was a date."
"At a coffee house."
"Yes."
"Which is a casual date location."
"I suppose."
"Wear what you usually do."
"I usually wear a button down and blazer with jeans."
"Isn't that what you wear to work?”
"It's what I wear everywhere."
Hannah gave up and turned around, casting a withering glare at Castiel. He stood and came over to the closet, pushing a few things around and half pulling out a floral sundress.
"How about something like this?"
"I wear those to church with father."
"Ah."
Castiel hummed and searched through the closet while Hannah moved to the mirror and fussed with her hair. She never did anything with her hair. Should she? It was ... hair.
Pulling a short sleeved blouse that was white with thin vertical blue stripes and a ribbon around the waist, Castiel held it up and asked, "How about this?"
"Is that casual?"
"Short sleeves are more casual than long. The ribbon is playful. I like it."
Hannah pulled a white tank top out of her dresser and put it on before slipping in to the blouse. Castiel fidgeted with the ribbon, pulling it closed in front to tie, then deciding to loop it on itself on the back and tie there. Hannah withstood his scrutiny. He ended up leaving it tied in the back.
"There."
"Should I do anything with my hair?"
"Like what?"
"I don't know."
“Your hair is fine."
Hannah sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. She was a plain person, and had never had a desire to change it.
"Castiel, I haven't been on a date since college, sophomore year I think, that would be... oh that would be almost a decade wouldn't it?"
"You want to go out with this woman don't you?"
"I think so."
"Tell me again, what happened?"
"I see her sometimes on the subway. She dropped her phone and I returned it. The next time I saw her on the subway, she asked me out."
"Then she must find something interesting about you. It'll be all right Hannah. You can always find a different subway route if it doesn't work."
"That's not helping Castiel."
Hannah paced in front of her bed a few times and noted the time on the clock.
"I have three hours before I have to leave. Distract me."
Castiel sat on the edge of the bed and crossed his ankles. "I've told you about Sam haven't I?"
"Yes, a little, how is that going?"
"We went upstate last weekend, he took me to a winery, and we stayed at a B&B and did a little antiquing."
"That sounds lovely. And very serious."
"It might be."
"Oh?"
"I really like him. Very much so. I might, ah..."
"You might? ..... are we talking the big 'L' here?"
"Perhaps."
"That's wonderful, I'm very happy for you and you need to introduce me to him if that's the case. Come on, I'll make some tea and you can tell me everything."
-
Even though Castiel kept her busy right up to the minute that Hannah planned to leave, she was still fifteen minutes early to the coffee shop. She usually planned at least ten minutes extra for unpredictable things like accidents or missing the stop on the subway or really any number of matters.
She didn't expect Kim to be early, though, and didn’t mind waiting. Ordering a caramel latte for herself, Hannah claimed one of the tables with a chess board painted on the surface and asked for the bag of pieces from the barista. She set up the table and sipped her latte as she watched the people milling around her in the cafe. People meeting up with good friends and greeting them with hugs, partners meeting with kisses, people in the company of their books, those passing by out front with little dogs on leashes.
Hannah hadn't noticed that Kim was ten minutes late until she dropped down in the chair across the table with a sigh.
"Sorry I'm late, I hope you weren't waiting too long."
"Not quite half an hour."
"Oh geese."
"It's all right. I'm usually early everywhere.”
"And I'm usually late everywhere, I hope that's not a deal breaker."
"Not at all."
Hannah swirled the dregs of her foamy latte which was really just foam at this point. Kim stood and reached for her mug.
"Here, let me get you another cup, what are you drinking?"
"Oh, you don't have to."
"But I want to."
"A caramel latte, please."
"Coming right up."
"Thank you."
Kim took her mug to the dish tray above the trash and deposited it before regarding the menu a few minutes and ordering. She came back with another latte for Hannah and sat across her.
"So, you wanna play chess?"
"Definitely."
"I'm not very good, but I know the basics."
"I'll go easy on you."
"Nah, don't do that. Gotta learn the hard way, right?"
Hannah won every chess game they played, but Kim never seemed to get bored of it. If anything, it only made her more determined. They chatted about their jobs and family, the sections of the city they lived in, the books they read and the shows they watched. Hannah usually found small talk to be tedious, but there were interesting observations tucked into the mundane subjects that Kim picked. Hannah liked that.
-
They had a few more casual coffee dates after that. Kim managed to beat Hannah several times in their chess games. And Hannah let her drag other board games off the shelf to try. They moved on to having weekend day trips out together. Although with Kim's irregular work and their opposing work hours, the 'weekends' were sometimes on Monday, Thursday, any day they both had off.
After leaving the familiarity of the coffee house, they alternated between picking the location for their dates. Hannah took Kim to the ballet. Kim took her to a classic car show. Hannah picked out a museum exhibit she wanted to see. Kim picked out a baseball game. Hannah led Kim around the city to her favorite vintage and antique shops. Kim brought her to the boardwalk for carnival rides and arcade games.
The things Kim liked weren't the sort of things that Hannah had any prior experience of or interest in. Yet she relished each new experience. Although, maybe it was the company that made it enjoyable.
-
The first time that Kim invited Hannah over to her apartment, Hannah had politely declined. They had been dating for almost six months. Castiel had even convinced Hannah to bring Kim on a double date with he and Sam. Hannah approved of her brother’s boyfriend, and was glad to hear that Castiel had good opinions of Kim. Still, she was wary of misrepresenting what she wanted out of a relationship, and uncertain of even what that was for herself. So she declined. And Kim smiled and said they should go out for dinner then.
The second time that Kim invited her over, several months after the first, Hannah accepted. She hadn’t spent the night away from her own apartment in years. She hadn’t spent the night over at someone else’s apartment for even longer than that. And the last time that she engaged in sexual activity was a person was still farther past in her history.
It wasn’t as though she didn’t find herself attracted to Kim. It was just, the manner that she found herself attracted. Hannah, though, never quite knew what other’s expected of her and that made her nervous. Kim always managed to put her at ease. She was sweet and generous and a little strange, but that made her even better.
Kim's apartment was messy but not dirty. There were blankets thrown haphazardly across the back of the sunken old couch in the living room. The coffee table was scattered with books and magazines. The walls were decorated with happy family photographs. The bookshelves along one wall had books, dvds, CD's, board games, vases and statues in a seemingly chaotic arrangement. It was homey.
They split a bottle of wine between the both of them easily, a red zinfandel that was a little dry but a little sweet. Barefoot, reclining against opposite ends of the couch, sipping wine, they talked for hours. Hannah was amazed at how easy it was to talk to Kim. She did have a very strange sense of humor that Hannah didn't quite understand, but she was a very optimistic person and happy to do most of the talking.
It was easy to scoot a little closer when Kim held the wine bottle up for a refill, and it was easy to stay there. Kim's arm was warm around her shoulders while they finished the bottle, her fingers light as they tucked a strand of hair behind Hannah's ear. She was always smiling, whether it was a broad smile up to her eyes or just the gentle curve of her lips.
It was easy to lean in when Kim leaned towards her, easy to set empty glass aside and occupy their hands with each other. Easy to rest a hand on Kim's thigh and curl the other around her back. Her lips were warm and her breath was soft and Kim was still smiling when they kissed. She stroked a hand along the curve of Hanna's cheek and down her neck, hanging lightly on to her shoulder.
"Would you like to spend the night?"
It was such a polite request. Hannah liked that about Kim, how good-natured she was and how thoughtful. Yet.
“I… I'm not sure if I should."
Hannah pulled back a little, although she didn't necessarily want to. She did want to spend the night curled up next to Kim, but she knew that this sort of offer usually included more than just that and Hannah was not quite at that point of wanting yet. Kim pulled back too, looking immediately apologetic.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. I don't mean to rush you, you know that right? I was thinking, um, well I mean you could crash on the couch - or, I could take the couch and you could have my bed it's not like, we don't have to do anything. It’s just, late.”
One of Kim's arms was still wrapped around her shoulder, and Hannah liked the weight.
"I do like you Kim. I don't want to mislead you. Perhaps… would you be all right if all I wanted was to cuddle?"
There was that smile again, bright and cheerful. "I'd love that. Hey, I've got a tv in my bedroom, we could grab some ice cream and watch a movie together?"
"I would like that."
Hannah closed the space between them and placed a chaste kiss on Kim's lips, squeezing her thigh before moving back again. Kim nodded and ran her fingers once through Hannah's hair, standing and gesturing towards the hallway.
"You can check out the bedroom if you want, I'll grab the ice cream."
Hannah wandered down the hallway, poking her head in the bathroom which was much neater than the rest of the apartment and clean. The bedroom however was more of a wreck than the living room. Dark navy blue blankets were bunched at the foot of the bed, pillows scattered, a pile of clothes in one corner, even more clothes tossed over a chair in front of a dresser, the tv on top of a stand with a dvd player and dvds underneath yet there was still a small pile of dvds stacked on top of the tv as well.
Kim popped in, brandishing two spoons and a gallon of ice cream.
"Sorry, it's kind of a mess."
"It's not that bad."
"Cool."
"If I stay over, do you have pajamas I could borrow?"
"Oh yeah definitely, we should change before we hunker down huh? Here, let me find something for you, you look about my size."
Kim set her ice cream on the night stand beside the bed, on top of a book next to an alarm clock and lamp and a small assortment of spoons and forks. She rummaged through a dresser while Hannah perused the dvds on the stand.
"Here, try these on. Do you like comedies?"
Hannah took the offered pajama bottoms, a plain gray, and the baggy t-shirt with a faded sunset on it. "I do."
"Why don't you change in the bathroom, I'll pick something out."
"Thank you."
"Sure, hey and feel free to use a spare toothbrush, there's some in the cupboard above the sink."
Hannah padded down the soft carpet to the bathroom. She changed and relieved herself but decided to save brushing her teeth for after she ate ice cream. Debating whether or not it would be in poor taste to take her bra off, Hannah chose ‘off’ and folded up her clothes neatly as she carried them back to the bedroom.
Kim was pulling out a dvd, already having changed into pajamas of her own, a white cami and pajama pants with little race cars on them. Hannah was please to note that she too had decided to remove her bra, and it wasn't necessarily that she was looking for improper reasons.
"Have you ever seen Ms Congeniality?"
Kim passed her a case and Hannah skimmed over the back. "No."
"It's one of my favorites, I love Sandra Bullock, she's a great actress."
"She was in Practical Magic, wasn't she?"
"Yeah, that was her! Oh man, I had such a crush on her when I was little."
"Let's watch it."
Hannah passed the case back and Kim started up the movie. She launched herself into the bed, bouncing as she crawled up to the wall and shuffled pillows around, patting the spot next to her. Hannah sat cross legged and accepted the spoon offered as the movie started.
"I hope you like cookie dough."
"Who doesn't like cookie dough?"
Kim beamed at her, "I know, right?"
They laughed their way through the first half of the movie together, finishing what was left in the ice cream carton. Kim told Hannah to leave the movie on as she left to take the carton and silverware - gathering up the extra spoons from the nightstand too - in to the kitchen.
Hannah settled down underneath the blankets and comforter, sitting more towards the middle than towards the edge. Propped part way up with pillows, Hannah extended her arm on the middle side out to stretch over the pillows that Kim had been using. When Kim came back, she took her hair out of her pony tail and shook it out, smiling at Hannah.
Kim settled in the crook of her arm, first on her back, but it didn't take long for her to curl up on her side. Hannah pulled her closer, wrapping her arm around Kim's shoulder and jostling just a little until Kim had her head rested on Hannah's chest and their legs pressed together. They watched the rest of the movie like that. Hannah didn't even catch the end, she had fallen asleep with Kim cuddled up to her.
-
Several months after the first night they spent together, the lease came to renewal on Hannah's apartment. Although she liked the area and the familiarity of the place she'd made her home for years, Hannah decided that she should move closer to work.
Kim was twenty minutes down the subway line from her. Twenty minutes closer to work. She had a two bedroom apartment, whereas Hannah's was only a one bed room. Most of the nights that they spent together, were spent at Kim's. She had a queen bed to Hannah's twin. It wasn’t like she had ever needed a bed larger than that.
Kim had already - nervously - broached the topic, and couched it in so much rambling that it had taken Hannah some time to pull apart the pieces and find what she meant. Hannah wasn't sure what to make of it at first, the offer to move in with Kim or find a new apartment together.
But then Kim told her, that she wanted to wake up every day and see Hannah's face, that she wanted to eat breakfast together, that she wanted to spend the weekends eating pizza and watching bad movies, that she wanted to walk to the store together and adopt a cat together and just spend her time together with Hannah.
It wasn't so much the depth of Kim's affection that surprised her, but the fact that the thought of having these things for herself excited Hannah.
They were just over their one year anniversary together when Cas, Sam, and Kim helped Hannah pack up her life into cardboard boxes and cart them down the subway line.
-
Every now and then when Hannah calls Kim - to pick up milk on the way home or remind her of plans or just because - she likes to put on her best 'Guido' accent and pretend to be a mob boss.
It makes Kim laugh every time.
