Lines We Cross

Chapter 16

YN stirred awake, blinking the sleep from her eyes. The events of the previous night settled back into her memory—heated touches, soft laughter, and the kind of connection that she hadn't expected to find. She turned her head to see Elizabeth lying beside her, still asleep, her hair splayed over the pillow and her features relaxed in a way YN rarely got to see.

A smile tugged at YN's lips as she watched Elizabeth for a moment, appreciating how different she looked from the polished professor everyone else knew. It was almost surreal to see her like this—unguarded, just Lizzie. YN reached out to gently brush a strand of hair from Elizabeth's face, but her hand paused mid-air as her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

With a quiet sigh, YN picked up her phone, and her smile faded as she read the text.

Didn't see you at the end of the party. You disappeared without a word. We'll need to talk about this.

YN's jaw tightened, the familiar annoyance rising in her chest. Even after all these years, there was always something—some reminder that she was never really free from the expectations that came with her name. She set the phone back down a little too forcefully, the noise causing Elizabeth to stir.

Elizabeth opened her eyes, blinking up at YN with a lazy, sleepy smile. "Rough morning already?" she teased, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Just my dad," YN replied, forcing a light tone. "He's not thrilled I didn't stay at the party."

Elizabeth propped herself up on one elbow, arching an eyebrow. "Ah, caught playing hooky at your own event. That's very rebellious of you, Sterling." She grinned, her expression playful. "How scandalous."

YN chuckled, some of the tension easing from her chest. "Yeah, well, I'm a bit of a disappointment, I guess."

Elizabeth's gaze softened. "I doubt that." She reached out, gently tracing a pattern on YN's arm. "Or maybe you just like keeping him on his toes."

YN smirked. "It wouldn't be the first time." She leaned back against the headboard, her fingers absently playing with the sheets. "He expects me to be everywhere, all the time, keeping up appearances. It's exhausting."

"Ah, the trials of the privileged," Elizabeth quipped, but her tone was gentle. "Still, it's not easy when you're constantly expected to be perfect."

YN shrugged, though her eyes darkened slightly. "You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

Elizabeth shifted to sit up fully, her tone turning more serious but still laced with a hint of playfulness. "So, are you always this dramatic in the morning?" she teased, then tilted her head. "Or does it just take a text from Daddy Dearest to bring out the brooding side of you?"

YN couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you haven't even seen my dramatic side," she shot back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "This is me holding back."

Elizabeth's smile widened as she straddled YN's lap, her hands resting lightly on YN's shoulders. "I'll be the judge of that," she murmured, leaning in to press a kiss to YN's neck, her lips soft but teasing. "But if you want to brood, at least let me make it interesting."

YN hummed appreciatively, her hands sliding up to rest on Elizabeth's waist. "Distracting me already, huh? Isn't this a little unprofessional, Professor?"

"Extremely," Elizabeth replied, her voice low as she nipped lightly at YN's collarbone. "But I think you can keep a secret."

For a few moments, they allowed themselves to get lost in the lightheartedness of the moment, the morning tension dissolving into shared laughter and soft touches. But as Elizabeth leaned back, her eyes met YN's with a curious intensity. "So, was last night your first time sneaking out of a fancy party?" she asked with a playful smirk, though there was genuine interest beneath it.

"Not exactly," YN admitted, her tone shifting. "I've had a bit of practice... usually for less exciting reasons."

Elizabeth's brow arched. "Oh? Less exciting than sneaking away with your professor? I'm almost afraid to ask."

YN hesitated, the momentary lightness in her expression dimming. "There was this one time, back in high school," she began, her voice softer now. "I'd sneak out to get away from... well, everything. I had this ex,. It was a mess, and being at those events felt like I was suffocating."

Elizabeth's playful smile faded, replaced by a look of understanding. "Claire... the one at the party?"

"Yeah," YN replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "We were together for two years. It wasn't... healthy. And sneaking away was my only escape sometimes."

Elizabeth's hand came up to cup YN's cheek, her thumb brushing gently over her skin. "It sounds like it was a lot to deal with," she said quietly. "Did you ever feel like you had to put on a mask, even with her?"

YN met Elizabeth's gaze, a pang of vulnerability tightening in her chest. "Always," she confessed. "It was like being two different people—one for the world and one... for myself. I didn't even know which one was real half the time."

Elizabeth's eyes held a quiet empathy as she listened. "I get that," she admitted. "For the longest time, I felt like I had to live up to this image. Being the other Olsen—the one who didn't act, who didn't follow in their footsteps. There was always this... expectation to prove I was more than just a name."

YN's fingers tightened slightly on Elizabeth's waist. "Seems like we both have a complicated relationship with expectations," she laugh softly, her voice laced with an unspoken understanding.

Elizabeth gave a small nod, her expression thoughtful. "It's funny, isn't it? You spend so much time trying to fit into someone else's idea of who you should be, and you forget to figure out who you actually are."

"Yeah," YN breathed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I think I'm still trying to figure that out."

Elizabeth leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to YN's lips. "Well," she murmured against YN's mouth, "I'm in no hurry. We've got time."

The words were simple, but the meaning behind them was unmistakable. It wasn't just about that morning, or even the night before—it was about the possibility of something real, something that went beyond their roles as professor and student. For the first time in a long while, YN felt like she wasn't alone in trying to navigate who she wanted to be.

Elizabeth pulled back slightly, her eyes sparkling with a mix of playfulness and sincerity. "So, besides sneaking out of parties and stirring up trouble with your professor, what other bad habits do you have?"

YN chuckled, the sound light and genuine. "Oh, I'm full of surprises," she teased, the heaviness in her chest finally starting to lift. "Guess you'll just have to stick around to find out."

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