Chapter Text
Noelle looked up in the stands, seeing her girlfriend and Kris huddled together. There weren't many people milling in the stands today. It was a small meet and the school it was held at wasn't known for their track team.
Susie waved eagerly back down at her, hooping loudly. Kris just shook their head next to her and gave a thumbs up.
Noelle was eternally grateful to Susie for helping her make up with Kris. It was a great comfort to have them around again, even if they remained quiet and wandered off frequently.
She felt good running today. She won both her events with little struggle. Susie basically shook the stands every time she crossed the finish line.
When the coach dismissed her to hang out while the rest of the event finished, she found herself climbing the steps to see Susie sprawled out on the metal benches.
"Dude, you were great!"
"Thanks. It was an easier meet." Noelle took her spot on the left of her girlfriend.
That was the unspoken rule. Kris got right side. Noelle got left. Never the other way. The one time Noelle didn't pay attention, Kris had snuck out the window and gone home without telling anyone. And hadn't responded to her for three days.
"Where did Kris go?"
Susie pointed across the track to the other bleachers. "They went to get us snacks, but now they're talking to someone over there."
Noelle followed to where she was pointing.
Kris was standing at the concession stand, holding a bowl of something, with a girl from one of the other schools chatting to them.
Kris wasn't the friendliest person around. The girl must be brave. Then she saw a slight smile on their face. Kris never smiled at anyone besides her or Susie, and maybe their brother. And she and her brother barely got a smile.
The girl touched their arm. Kris didn't pull away.
"Oh, shit, dude. I think she's flirting with them." Susie slapped her across the chest in surprise.
"What? No, she's not?" Noelle found herself saying, but it did seem that way.
She twirled her hair around, leaning on the fence, keeping Kris occupied. Kris kept that same lazy grin on their face. They were flirting back.
Maybe it was just that she was also human? There weren't that many around this part of the country.
The girl pulled her phone out of her bag and handed it to Kris. Kris poked at it for a minute before handing it back. She said something else and let her hand linger on their wrist for a moment before going and joining a group from another school.
The two lost sight of Kris as they crossed between the two sides again.
"What the hell was that?" Susie muttered. "I’ve never seen Kris let someone touch them.”
"That was weird...." Noelle agreed.
Kris reappeared, handing Susie the basket of chips. They nodded to Noelle before taking their seat.
"Dude, what the hell, you were talking forever! These are cold!" Susie punched them in the arm. It was mostly jokingly.
"Sorry."
"Who was that, anyway?"
"A girl."
"Yeah, I have eyes, dumbass." Susie dumped the pile of chips in her mouth.
"It uh... Seemed like you knew her?" Noelle leaned around Susie. "You traded numbers?"
Kris's cheeks, ever so slightly, turned pink. "Oh, you saw that."
"Yeah, saw you laying it on thick, dude." Susie elbowed them.
"Was not." Kris tucked their chin into the collar of their sweater.
Thankfully for Kris, the next event started and Noelle insisted the three of them cheer for Jockington.
In between heats, Kris would pull their phone out and stare it for a minute. Then Susie would elbow them and they'd stash it away again.
Kris was quiet on the bus ride back. They opted for their own bench over sharing with Susie and Noelle. It wasn't the most unheard of but it still felt odd. Every time Noelle would look over, they were making a face at their phone, taping away. She couldn't place what it was.
The weirdest part was that following Friday. She and Susie caught up to Kris at their locker, Susie slinging an arm around them and pulling them into a headlock.
"Kris, you wanna see Doom Man with us tonight?" Hometown didn't have a movie theater, but ever since Kris had been allowed to drive their mom's car, Susie was always asking to go to the city.
"Can't."
"What?" Susie messed up their hair. "What do you mean you can't!"
"I have plans."
Susie froze, hand holding Kris's entire skull. "What? Without me?" She glanced at Noelle. "Us?"
"Yeah."
"Is it a family thing? College is on break this weekend right?" Noelle offered. "Is Azzy home?"
"No." Kris straightened their hair. "I have a date."
"What!" Susie's voice echoed through the hall so loud Noelle flinched. "Oh sorry." She apologized.
"No, I'm with you, Susie. What?"
"Uh. Yeah." Kris separated themselves from Susie to stuff their bag in their locker.
"Is it with that girl from the meet?" Noelle pressed. "Is that who you've been texting all week?"
Kris's face colored slightly. "Yeah."
Noelle felt a pit open in her stomach. But she had to pretend, for Kris. She just got them back. And it wasn't like they were leaving her for this new girl. It was just a date.
Susie let out a cheer, hugging Kris and swinging them around. "Hell yeah."
Despite both of them asking and prodding, Kris didn't give much away about the human girl they'd met. Susie even tried to snatch Kris's phone but Kris held tight.
That Friday, Susie and Noelle sat in the park together, holding hands, just hanging out. It was a nice night, clear, slight breeze. Everything was perfect.
"What do you think Kris is doing?"
"Probably macking on that girl.” Susie chuckled. “They were laying it on thick the other day.”
"Yeah. I guess."
“You’re worried.”
“No!” Noelle cursed her easy to read face. Even Susie, who was usually so oblivious to people who weren’t Kris, found her out.
“They’ll probably be home soon. Toriel has their curfew at ten. We could go surprise them.”
“Yeah.” Noelle followed Susie down the path. “I’m just… What if they don’t… want to hang out with us anymore?”
“What? Come on, Noelle. Kris loves hanging out with us.” Susie elbowed her. “Who else is gonna eat moss and chew on sticks with them?”
“Only you do that, Susie!” Noelle, despite the pit in her stomach, did laugh. She was usually there when Susie and Kris had their weird cravings for non-edible items, but she never could bring herself to join in. It was just... so gross....
As it turned out, Toriel had extended their curfew in excitement for her youngest child. But she would never turn Susie or Noelle away at her door, so the two found themselves sitting at the Dreemurr kitchen table with a piece of pie set in front of them.
“I just can’t believe they’re old enough to date now!” Toriel was rambling as she cleaned up the kitchen. “Just yesterday, they were hiding bugs in their room. And now. Driving to pick up a girl!”
Susie snickered at the bug comment. That usually meant the two of them had actually done that a few days ago. She hoped Kris had the poor bug in a good enclosure.
It was eleven by the time the door creaked open. Kris stepped in, tossing a bag in the corner. Noelle’s heart stopped seeing them.
Their eyes were showing. She hadn’t seen their eyes in years. Not without the curtain of hair in front of them. But now, it was pinned back by a few multicolored clips. They still had the dark circles under their eyes, but now it seemed more intentional. They’d done make up for this date.
There, on their cheek, was the faint glimmer of something sparkling. Glitter?
“Oh.” Kris finally looked up and saw everyone staring at them. “Hey.”
“Kris, sweetie!” Toriel wrapped her child up in her arms. “How did it go? Did you have fun?”
“Yeah…. You said you’d be asleep when I got back….” Kris gave her a half-hearted hug back.
“I know, dear, but your friends came by, and I had a pie ready.” Toriel smoothed their hair down, even though it looked fine. “You’re home now, so I’ll leave you and your friends to have your little gossip session, or whatever you kids call it.”
“Ugh. Mom….” Toriel giggled as she kissed Kris’s forehead and excused herself upstairs.
With their mom gone, Kris turned to Noelle and Susie.
“Well?” Susie eagerly pushed Kris to sit.
“Well what?”
“Come on, dude! How’d it go!?”
“It was fine.”
“Fine? You finally go on a date, and it’s just fine? Where’d you go?” Susie pressed.
Kris looked uncomfortable. But they always did when someone asked them anything.
“Uh. Dinner. Then the park.” Kris fiddled with the pins in their hair. “Nothing special.”
Susie prodded a bit more. Kris fought back. Noelle watched, wondering what had happened if Kris wouldn’t talk about it.
They were never talkative, especially about their own emotions, but she figured, the way Susie and Kris were, they’d tell her about it.
What if it had gone really bad? What if the girl hated Kris and told them as much after the date and now Kris was going to fall into a depression, again, and stop talking to her again?
That was probably unlikely, given that Kris didn’t look too sad when they walked in.
She was okay at reading their face now, but it was still hard. They’d been hard to read as a kid, and now as older teenagers, they were extremely guarded. It was only thanks to Susie that they were talking again anyway. If what they did could be considered talking….
Susie was excited for Kris. Why couldn’t she be?
Kris was obviously trying to replace her. Again. Like they had with Susie. Which was still a ridiculous idea.
“I’m tired, guys.” Kris’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. “Can we talk tomorrow?”
“Oh shit. Yeah dude!”
Kris all but pushed the two of them out the door. They seemed too eager to get rid of her.
Susie walked her home, the time of night seeming to finally get to her to.
It was past midnight when she crawled into bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe she should steal some of her sister’s glow in the dark stars….
Her phone buzzed next to her.
K – You don’t have to listen if you don’t want to
N – What?
K – You didn’t seem interested.
N – In your date? Of course I want to hear!
It took another few minutes for Kris to respond again. She kept seeing their dots appear and disappear, like they couldn’t decide what to say.
K – No you don’t.
N – I do!
K – Come on
N – It’s just weird!
N - Seeing you dating someone!
K – yeah well
Another few minutes of typing and erasing. Noelle was driving herself crazy trying to imagine what they were going to say. She didn't expect what they actually did say next.
K – Can’t third wheel forever, right?