Episode 12: Clearing the Air

Episode 12: Clearing the Air

The tension had been simmering for days, quiet but undeniable.

Ivy hadn’t meant to act differently, but ever since Elena had casually mentioned being intersex, something inside her had locked up. Not because she thought any differently about Elena—she didn’t. She still admired her, still found herself drawn to her, still hung onto her every teasing remark.

But now, there was an added layer of self-doubt.

What if she said something wrong?

What if she asked something offensive without realizing it?

What if she ruined things?

She didn’t want to be that person—the one who made Elena feel uncomfortable or judged. So, instead of risking it, she had pulled back. Just a little. Just enough to create an invisible wall between them.

Unfortunately, Elena wasn’t the type to let something like that slide.

So, when Ivy opened the door to her dorm one evening, exhausted from a long day of classes, she wasn’t exactly surprised to see Elena casually leaning against the frame, arms crossed, an unreadable look on her face.

"You avoiding me, Little One?"

Ivy froze mid-step, heart rate kicking up. "What? No. Why would I be avoiding you?"

Elena gave her a slow, knowing smirk, but there was no humor in her eyes. "That’s a question you should be answering, not me."

Ivy swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

She could play dumb. Pretend nothing was wrong. Brush it off.

But Elena wouldn’t buy that.

She never did.

With a sigh, Ivy stepped back, opening the door wider. "Come in."

Elena arched an eyebrow, but she pushed off the doorframe and sauntered inside. She glanced around the small dorm, eyes flicking over Ivy’s neatly made bed, the cluttered desk, the soft glow of string lights hanging above. Then, she turned and leaned against the edge of the desk, arms still crossed.

"So," she drawled, tilting her head. "You wanna tell me what’s up, or should I start guessing?"

Ivy exhaled sharply, running a hand through her hair. She hated confrontation.

"There’s nothing up," she muttered. "I’ve just… been busy."

Elena hummed, unconvinced. "Right. Busy. Too busy to answer my texts? Too busy to sit with me at lunch like usual? Too busy to even look me in the eye?"

Ivy winced. "I—I didn’t mean to—"

"Didn’t mean to what?" Elena pressed, her tone still light but her gaze sharp.

Ivy clenched her fists, frustrated with herself.

Why was she making this such a big deal?

Why couldn’t she just say what was on her mind?

Taking a deep breath, she finally admitted, "I don’t know what to say to you anymore."

That made Elena pause.

"What do you mean?"

Ivy hesitated, shifting from foot to foot. "Ever since you told me… about being intersex, I just—I don’t know. I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. So I thought maybe it was better if I just…" She trailed off, looking down at the floor.

Elena was silent for a long moment.

Then—

"Wow."

Ivy’s head snapped up. "What?"

Elena shook her head, letting out a short, humorless laugh. "I didn’t take you for a coward, Carter."

Ivy’s mouth fell open. "Excuse me?"

Elena’s eyes flashed with something unreadable. "You heard me."

Ivy gaped at her. "I—I'm not a coward!"

Elena arched an eyebrow. "Then why are you treating me like I’m some fragile piece of glass all of a sudden?"

Ivy felt her face flush. "I’m not!"

"You are," Elena countered, her voice firm. "You’re walking on eggshells around me like I’m gonna break if you say the wrong thing. And that’s bullshit, Ivy."

Ivy opened her mouth, then closed it.

She hadn't thought about it like that.

Elena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look. I told you about myself because I trust you. Not because I wanted you to start treating me differently."

Ivy swallowed. "I wasn’t trying to—"

"Maybe not on purpose," Elena interrupted. "But you did. And I don’t need that. I don’t need people tiptoeing around me, acting like they have to filter everything they say."

Ivy felt like she had been punched in the gut.

She hadn’t realized how much she had messed up.

She had been so focused on not hurting Elena that she hadn’t stopped to think that maybe—just maybe—her silence had hurt her more.

Taking a shaky breath, Ivy whispered, "I’m sorry."

Elena studied her for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

Ivy hesitated. "I mean it. I just… I don’t care about labels, Elena. I never did. I just got scared that I’d say something stupid and mess things up between us."

Elena’s expression softened just a fraction. "Ivy."

Ivy looked at her, waiting.

Elena shook her head with a small, amused smile. "You already say stupid shit all the time."

Ivy’s jaw dropped. "Hey!"

Elena chuckled. "And I’m still here, aren’t I?"

Ivy blinked. "Yeah…?"

"Exactly," Elena said simply. "So stop overthinking. I like our banter. I like messing with you. I don’t want you to suddenly start treating me like some off-limits topic, alright?"

Ivy nodded quickly. "Got it."

Elena smirked. "Good. Because I missed my favorite little stress ball."

Ivy groaned. "Stop calling me that!"

Elena just laughed, and Ivy couldn’t help but smile too.

The tension that had been weighing on her chest for days finally lifted.

Things weren’t weird anymore.

And as Elena nudged her playfully on the way out, throwing a "Don’t go getting all soft on me now, Carter," over her shoulder, Ivy knew one thing for sure:

She never wanted to distance herself from Elena again.