I built this Home for me, for you

Chapter 20

"What're you thinking about?" Lisa asked, pushing her glasses up her nose, before leaning forward and resting her forearms on the edge of the desk.

A smile curled Jennie's lips and she reached across the desk to pick up one of Lisa's hands, placing a kiss to the back of it, before rubbing away the red mark. "You. Always you."

Lisa smiled shyly, lacing her fingers with Jennie's, "what about me?"

"About why I fell in love with you," Jennie replied, her gaze softening, taking in the wisps of hair that framed Lisa's innocent face.

Smiling wider, Lisa raised her eyebrows slightly, "oh? Do tell."

"Hmm, it had something to do with those pastel cardigans, and that killer smile, maybe your dorky personality. Everything. Everything about you. I could never find a fault, not even with your faults."

"Have you ever fallen out of love with me? Even for a second?" Lisa blurred out, tilting her head to the side while Jennie spluttered.

"No! Why would you even ask that?" Jennie exclaimed, looking offended at the thought.

Lisa shrugged, even as she smiled, "it was raised in therapy the other day. It's quite common to fall out of love, and then they usually fall back into it. I wondered if there was ever a moment where you just... you thought that no, I don't love her anymore, but then you found your way back."

Jennie let out a loud laugh that seemed too loud for the room, and she was almost tripping over herself as she climbed to her feet, sending the chair rolling backward as she quickly rounded the desk and sank to a crouch before Lisa. Reaching up, Jennie pressed a cool hand to Lisa's cheek, smiling at the way that Lisa's eyes briefly fluttered closed as she leaned into the touch, covering Jennie's hand with her own. "You give me everything. Everything. I couldn't imagine ever being without you. I mean, I can, and it's a miserable, sad life, and it's worthless without you. There's not a single, solitary moment that I've thought that I don't love you. God, even when we fight I just- I get mad because I love you. Every day I feel so grateful to be able to wake up in your arms, and to kiss you good morning and goodnight. To watch you smile and hear your laugh," she felt her eyes prickle and couldn't help but make a joke, "so if this was your way of telling me you're leaving me, I've got some bad news, because I'm not letting you go."

A surprised laugh fell from Lisa's lips and she leant forward, her forehead resting against Jennie's and her warm breath on her cheek. Her response was slow, as if she chewed on each word before letting it fall from her mouth, "I would've- I would rather have died out there knowing that I was dragging myself back to you, than to ever think about leaving you."

She kissed Jennie on the cheek, before pulling back, and Jennie looked up at her with concern. "What brought this on?"

"Nothing," Lisa laughed, "I was just curious and I knew you'd tell me the truth. I mean, I didn't think you had, but I wanted to know, just in case there was one moment-"

"None," Jennie swiftly replied, her joints cracking as she climbed to her feet, "not since the moment we've met. You've been infuriating sometimes. God, there are times I could've strangled you! But I would've been strangling you out of love." Lisa laughed, her nose wrinkling slightly and her eyes creasing at the corners, and Jennie smiled in response. "Now, come here. I don't like all this talk of not being in love. It's depressing."

Lisa let Jennie pull her to her feet, wrapping her in a tight hug, and Jennie closed her eyes as she breathed in the smell of Lisa's perfume and the faint smell of mint. Withdrawing, Jennie gave her a quick kiss, before walking over to the phone on her desk and pushing a button. Her new assistant picked up, and Jennie was brusque as she gave her orders, "cancel my next appointment, please."