They saw each other every day that week, having no other obligations to be doing anything else, but they didn't do much besides sit in Jisoo's kitchen, or sit on her back porch, drinking tea and learning more about each other while they danced around their feelings. Saturday had been the agreed upon night of their date, because even though neither of them had jobs, Jennie liked to think of the weekend as a good time to go on a date, but if she was being honest, a part of her reason why she put it off until the end of the week was so that the bruise around her eye would go down. It wasn't that she was particularly vain, but this was her first date with Jisoo, and she wanted to look nice, even if Jisoo couldn't see her. So when Saturday finally rolled around, Jennie was locked in her bedroom, rummaging through her meagre supply of clothes she'd brought with her, trying to decide between the blue dress or the casual suit as she kept glancing at the clock. She was still a little flustered from her conversation with Minzy, having to explain why she wanted to borrow her car on a Saturday night, blushing as she told her adoptive mother she was going on a date, with a woman. Minzy hid her surprise well, and told her to have fun and be safe, and Jennie was still a little rosy cheeked from the conversation, her heart beating a little faster than usual as she stood before the mirror, holding the two up against herself. In the end, she decided on the casual black suit with the ruffled white shirt.
At six, she popped her contacts in and slung a little bag over her shoulder, pausing in the living room to say goodbye to Minzy, and then she was sliding into the front seat of the car, a tight ball of nerves growing in her stomach as she started driving towards Jisoo's house. It was a cool night, with a frigid wind blowing in from the sea, and Jennie took a deep breath as she walked up the pathway leading to the front door. Jisoo had heard the car pull up and was already opening the door when Jennie approached, standing in deep shadow as Jennie squinted into the dark, trying to catch a glimpse of her. And then Jisoo stepped outside, and in the dimness of the early evening, Jennie smiled at the sight of Jisoo in a black dress, foregoing her sunglasses for the evening, and smiling back at Jennie as she stepped outside and fumbled for the lock, closing up behind herself.
"Hi," Jennie quietly greeted her, feeling a little shy, despite the feeling of calmness that swept over her at the sight of Jisoo. It was soothing and comforting and she was right at ease in her presence. "You look ... very beautiful."
Ducking her head down as she brushed her tamed dark hair out of her face, Jisoo let out a quiet laugh, "thank you. I'm sure you do as well."
Smiling, Jennie reached out for Jisoo's arm, her fingers gentle but firm against her elbow, and she started leading her towards the steps, slow and careful so that Jisoo didn't trip in the little kitten heels she'd put on for the occasion. Jennie couldn't help but smile at the hints at the effort she'd also clearly gone through for their date. Jennie couldn't stop sneaking peeks at her as they walked towards the car, and she opened the door for Jisoo and helped her in, before she rounded the car and climbed into her own side, buckling herself in and turning the car on, letting it idle for a few moments. "So, the place we're going to is about an hour away, but I also made reservations at a different place in town in case you're not okay with cars."
"I'm fine with cars ... as long as I'm not driving," Jisoo said, turning to give Jennie a wry smile.
Quietly laughing, Jennie shook her head and pulled away from the curb, turning the radio to a classical music station and letting the comforting sound of a piano and violin wash over them as they passed roads lined by pine trees, with clusters of flowers and shrubs illuminated by the yellow headlights as they flew by, mostly in silence, but with the occasional comment of question about each other's day. Approaching orange rusted train tracks, Jennie lifted her feet slightly off the pedals, a faint smile on her lips as she turned to Jisoo. "Train tracks. Lift your feet," she told her as the car bumped over them, and Jisoo's brow wrinkled in confusion.
"What?"
"You have to lift your feet when you go over train tracks, or it's bad luck."
"Hmph. Well that's a new one."
"It's because of a man that used to live in town - well, he was more of a boy, really - and he had a sweetheart. This was back in the forties. Every time they used to drive over these tracks, he'd speed up as fast as her could and then take his feet off the pedals, letting them go flying over them to make his sweetheart laugh. He did it every time - every time except once - and the one time he didn't, a semi-trailer truck carrying trees towards the old sawmill smashed into the passenger side and killed the man's sweetheart instantly. Since then it's kind of become a town superstition that if you don't lift your feet when you're crossing train tracks, you'll lose your sweetheart."
"Another one of your made up stories?"
Jennie laughed as she kept on driving, shaking her head at Jisoo's scepticism, and Auckland disappeared behind them within minutes, and they passed through three other towns before Jennie slowed on a side street of another, parking alongside a strip of restaurants and climbing out. She helped Jisoo out of the car and slipped her hand into hers, a familiar habit, but somehow more than just safely helping steer Jisoo in the right direction that evening, and she spotted the red neon name of the restaurant she'd booked a table for two at - The Dark Room. A feeling of excitement filled her as she stared through the dark windows and pulled open the door, ushering Lena into the restaurant and smiling at the host waiting at the podium just inside the door. The foyer was dimly lit by a deep red glow and Jennie gave her name to the man, who nodded and slowly rounded the podium, his hand sliding along the polished mahogany of the stand as he moved towards a heavy red velvet curtain. She went down first, their footsteps seeming extremely loud in the pitch black stairwell as they descended down to the basement restaurant beneath the building above. Feeling blind as she kept her hands on the wall, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how Jisoo felt all the time, and in the midst of her thoughts, she came to the bottom step and was startled by a waitress waiting to seat them both. The room was pitch black and filled with the sounds of quiet voices and the clinking of glasses and scraping of cutlery on plates, and Jennie reached out for Jisoo's hand, gently leading her along as she tried to keep up with the waiter.
Fumbling for the chair, Jennie pulled it out and helped Jisoo into her seat, feeling uncoordinated and clumsy, before she felt along the edge of the table and sat herself down in her own seat. A part of her was already regretting bringing Jisoo here. They were both silent as the waiter poured them glasses of water and recited the options on the menu for the evening, before giving them a few minutes alone to decide. The smell of freesia and expensive wood mingled with the aroma of the food that was being sent down from the kitchen above them, and the sound of quiet classical music cut through the murmur of other customers dining in the restaurant.
"So, I guess you don't have to read me the menu now," Jisoo said, sounding amused.
"Right, well, that's why I picked this place," Jennie said, "it's a, uh, dark dining place."
Jisoo let out a confused laugh, sounding close in the dark and making Jennie's stomach twinge slightly at the low sound. "Dark dining?"
"It's a ... blind restaurant. I mean, it's staffed by blind people. The room is pitch black to enhance the experience, because you can't see your food. I thought that, well, because you don't really like eating out ... I thought that maybe eating somewhere that catered for the experience of not being able to see while you ate might make you feel more comfortable."
A few moments of silence followed, and even in the dark she could almost feel Jisoo's intense stare. "So, you can't see right now?"
"Not a thing. I feel like I didn't think this through properly, because you look really nice tonight and I can't really appreciate it in the dark."
A quiet laugh followed, and Jisoo's voice seemed closer in the dark, making Jennie envision her leaning across the table, her hand propped up in her chin. "Well the gesture is very sweet. No one's ever put so much thought into taking me somewhere like this. And at least you know how I feel about not being able to see what you look like."
"Oh, you know, just got my date clothes on ... sweatpants and a hoodie," Jennie joked.
"Really?"
"Of course not!" Kara laughed, "just because you can't see what I'm wearing, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't make an effort. It's a date - our first date - I, uh, want to make a good impression."
Then she knocked over her glass of water when the waiter silently approached and interrupted them, softly swearing as she shot up out of her seat, patting at the wet patch on the thigh of her pants. Cheeks feeling warm, Jennie sat back down on her chair and pulled herself in closer to the table, clearing her throat as she listened to Jisoo place her order and surreptitiously tried to right her water glass, before she placed her own order and the waiter disappeared back into the dark.
"How's that impression going?" Jisoo dryly asked, and Jennie let out an embarrassed laugh, pressing her hands to her flushed cheeks.
"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous. I mean ... not nervous to be around you, but I just- I want you to ... like me."
"You know, I don't think you really have to worry about that," Jisoo replied, her voice coloured with amusement, "if I didn't already like you, we wouldn't be sitting here."
"Oh ... well that's ... comforting," Jennie hesitantly replied, before she burst into laughter and Jisoo joined in.
It was somewhat a relief to be able to be a blundering clutz around Jisoo and not feel like she was being an idiot. Even Jisoo poking fun at her didn't embarrass her much, it just made her feel warm inside because she knew that Jisoo wasn't being mean spirited - it was all in good humour and, if anything, highlighted just how close they had become. Making jokes at each other's expense was actually comforting. With her worries about messing up the evening quashed by Jisoo's assurances that she already liked Jennie, they both fell into the easy rhythm of their usual talks, and the first course passed by quickly, with Jennie awkwardly maneuvering her knife and fork as she probed the food on her plate, trying to make sense of what she was eating. It was frustrating, to say the least, and she found herself with a newfound appreciation for the seemingly easy way Jisoo navigated her everyday life, as if being blind was of little inconvenience to her. Their mains came and they were onto the topic of some of Jennie's reports she'd written, and she enthusiastically answered all of Jisoo's questions, excited at the fact that she had someone who showed genuine interest in the stories she'd written about. By the time they reached dessert, Jennie was almost as engrossed in her chocolate brownie as she was in the story Jisoo was telling from her days at college, and she made every bite linger so as to prolong their dinner. She in no way wanted it to be the end of their night, but there was something alluring and enthralling about sitting in the dark, just the two of them in their bubble of hushed conversation, but soon enough their meal came to an end, and Jennie firmly insisted on paying, despite Jisoo's gracious attempts to coerce Kara into letting her pay instead. It had been Jennie's desire to take her on a date though, and Jisoo caved under her insistence, thanking Jennie as she helped her out of her chair.
They wound their way back through the restaurant and up the narrow staircase, brushing aside the velvet curtain and thanking the host as they slipped out into the night, which had turned colder as darkness had fully set, stars visible here and there behind the wisps of grey clouds. The moon hung large and full and it took Jennie a few moments to adjust to the brightness of the dim night, giving Jisoo's hand a quick squeeze as she led her down the street, turning right and then making straight for the distant sound of waves drifting towards them. They walked hand in hand down the street, passing bars humming with activity, and neon signs for shops and convenience stores, breathing in the smell of cheap beer and greasy food, which turned to salt and seafood as they neared the bustling pier. A large open drain set into the concrete of the sidewalk lay ahead of them, and Jennie skirted around the edge of it, uselessly tugging on Jisoo's arm as she walked straight over it, and Jennie abruptly stopped, letting out a quick laugh.
"You just walked over a drain."
"Should I not have?"
"It's bad luck," Jennie said, and Jisoo flashed her a quick smile, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she stared blankly ahead. "You have to walk back over it to undo it."
Turning to face her, Jisoo arched an eyebrow at Jennie, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips. "And if I don't?"
"Then you have bad luck."
"What, no moral of the story? No woman who got stuck down a drain and drowned when the town flooded in eighteen seventy-three?"
Laughing, Jennie gave Jisoo's hand a quick squeeze, pulling her back across the drain and then around it, while Jisoo rolled her eyes. "Not that I'm aware of, but it's bad luck all the same, and I'd rather not risk it."
"I never knew you were so superstitious."
"Well I don't think I can risk anymore bad luck right now."
Jisoo was quiet for a few moments, and they hit the sun bleached wooden planks of the pier, boats of varying sizes and shapes bobbing up and down along the boardwalk, the tall masts of yachts swaying, and the hulls of some of them gently knocking, and Jisoo involuntarily shivered at the stiff wind that swept in with the next rolling wave, and Jennie looked down at her in surprise at the sudden shudder, staring at the goosebumps that rippled up and down her arms and the way that Jisoo crossed her free arm over her chest. Letting go of her hand, Jennie quickly shed her blazer and reached for Jisoo's hand again, gently guiding it into the sleeve of the jacket. "Here, wear this."
Trying to pull her arm back, Jisoo protested, but Jennie gallantly persisted, maintaining that she wasn't cold, feeling content with her ruffled shirt as the gentle breeze ruffled her hair. The boardwalk was bustling with the nightlife of the town, and laughter, snatches of loud conversation and blaring music tumbled out through open windows of doors that were roughly pulled open as more customers entered. It was well lit, illuminating the pastel coloured shops, with the peeling paint and flyers and posters pasted on top of each other, advertising karaoke night, fishing bait and happy hour at six, and Jennie watched as late night fishermen unloaded their catch of the day off the back of a fishing boat. They walked right to the very end of the pier, where the wooden planks gave way to a sandy beach, the sound fading behind them as they walked in peace, and it wasn't until they were around the next bend in the coast, out of sight of the lights of the shops and bars, sitting just out of reach of the water that rippled over the sand, that Jisoo spoke.
"I was thinking, and ... I feel bad for getting you fired."
"You shouldn't. I'd rather be unemployed than let those girls get away with being cruel towards you."
"I know," Jisoo quietly murmured, "but I know how hard it is to get a job in such a small town. I was thinking that maybe you'd consider ... well, being my housekeeper. I'd pay you well, of course-"
Blinking in surprise, Jennie looked down at her with curious wide eyes, "housekeeper?"
A wry smile on her lips as she grabbed fistfuls of sand and let the tiny grains slither through her fingers, back down onto the beach, Jisoo shrugged slightly. "Lisa might've brought it to my attention that the salt is making my house look rather worn. Plus there's the garden. And a few odd leaks and creaky hinges and the like."
"Jisoo, I don't want your money . I'll do it anyway! Of course I'll help out around your house - with anything you need help with - you know you only have to ask."
"No," Jisoo firmly said, her mouth set in a thin line, "I can't let you just do it for nothing."
"Alright, how about I fix things up for you, and you can play me songs you've written."
"Jennie."
"Jisoo."
"You need a job! I'm offering you a job."
Wrapping an arm around Jisoo's shoulders, Jennie let out a quiet laugh, "and I'm very grateful, but we're ... I don't know, friends doesn't seem like the right word - but friends help out other friends out of the goodness of their heart - not for payment."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Jisoo gave her an exasperated look, and Jennie gave her a dimpled smile in return, biting back a smile as she watched the cool breeze ruffle Jisoo's dark hair. She itched to reach out and brush it back, and she almost considered sitting on her hand to stop herself, but then she figured that if Jisoo knew how she felt already, surely it wouldn't be overstepping. So she let her fingertips gently caress the side of Jisoo's face, tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear for her. "Friends," Jisoo quietly said, sounding amused, incredibly close to Jennie as they huddled on the beach in the dark, "lend each other books and get coffee, they don't ... do jobs that haven't been done in almost two years ."
"Well we just went on a date, and people who are dating do do those jobs. I mean, assuming this wasn't a one time thing, because I had fun, and I'd like there to be a second date, and you know, a third. A lot of dates. Not that I wouldn't oil you door hinges for you and fix that shutter that keeps driving me mad whenever I come over even if it was a one time thing - like I said, you don't do things to get a reward out of it - but I just-"
"Take a deep breath," Jisoo interrupted her, shaking with silent laughter as she leant into Jennie, "there's going to be a second, and yes, I'd like a third date, and more, but only on two conditions."
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jennie gave Lisa a wary look, "oh?"
Leaning in close, Jisoo gave her an amused smile, "you promised me a dance ... and a goodnight kiss."
A laugh of surprise escaped Jennie and her eyes crinkled at the corner as she gave Jisoo a look of wonder, trying to wonder how she'd stumbled upon such a contradictive woman, who was so cynical and dry at times, yet so forthcoming and warm, and Jennie quickly climbed to her feet, leaning down to reach for Jisoo's hands and pull her to her feet as well, taking in the slightly too long cuffs of the blazer and the prominent collarbones peeking out above the neck of her dress. Moonlight washed over her face, bathing her skin a milky white and leaching all colour from her, turning her into a picture perfect black and white vision of beauty, and Jennie looked back the way they'd come, a dubious look on her face as she tried to think about where they could go to dance at this hour, in this town. Somehow, she didn't envision them in a packed club, surrounded by sweaty drunks and grinding couples, and she was unsure of where to go, until she felt Jisoo's hand on her shoulder, the warm touch sending a searing heat through the thin shirt Jennie was wearing, and she looked down at her in surprise as Jisoo adjusted her grip in Jennie's hand, assuming the traditional woman's pose.
"Here?" Jennie asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.
"Why not?"
"There's no music."
Jennie had to suppress a shiver as Jisoo grabbed her free hand and laid it on her waist, leaning in close so that they were almost cheek to cheek and her warm breath blew across Jennie's neck, sending goosebumps rippling across her skin and the twinge in her stomach again at the sound of her quiet laugh and the conspiratorial sound of her voice as she whispered. "That's because you're not listening close enough."
They were standing on the hard packed sand, and as Jisoo brought them about in a small square, their tiny footsteps left marks in the damp sand, and it was a few moments of quietness, with nothing but the gentle caress of the whispering wind across their skin and the hushed sound of the waves cascading over the sand, before Jennie realized that she was listening to the wind and the sea as she led them in a fumbling dance. With a small laugh of astonishment, Jennie looked at her with a bewildered expression on her face and took the lead, her eyes trained on Jisoo's face as she listened to the music with her ears, stumbling over the irregular rhythm as they tore up the sand in a small square of the beach. And then Jisoo was resting her chin on Jennie's shoulder, and Jennie's eyes drifted closed, and they swayed on the spot as the wind ran its invisible fingers through their hair and tugged at their clothes, and Jennie steeled herself for a moment, drawing in a slow, deep breath as she turned her head to the side, her cheek warm against Jisoo's. Then her lips were barely grazing her cheek, and Jisoo seemed to freeze for a moment, before her head turned slightly towards Jennie's, and a nervous fluttering consumed her stomach as the anticipation of Jisoo's lips meeting her own grew.
And then a slightly larger wave than the rest swept in, water rushing up the sand towards them and running over their feet just as their lips were an inch apart, both of them jerking backwards and letting out sounds of protest at the feeling of freezing cold water in their shoes. They both started laughing a moment later, and then they were sighing as they trudged back up the beach, the dry sand clinging to their wet feet as they made for the hazy lights in the distance. Slowly walking back along the pier, passing by the bars and restaurants again, listening to the faint sound of soothing music coming from a crowded dimly lit bar, they made the moment last as long as they could, and Jisoo laughed whenever Jennie led them around a drain, and on the car ride back to Auckland, she laughed when Jennie made her lift her feet going over the train tracks, the sound of soft jazz music playing on one of the CDs Minzy kept in the car, and Jennie sang along with the few that she knew, the trees that lined the road turning into a black wall that flashed by quickly. All too soon, she was parked outside Jisoo's house, and then she was standing on the porch, watching Jisoo unlock the front door, and she stared down at the chicken doormat, feeling her stomach twist with nerves as she watched Jisoo turn around to face her. Jennie was going to kiss her and they both knew it.
"Coffee and oranges," Jisoo blurted out when Jennie took a step towards her, barely taller than her with Jisoo wearing her tiny heels. Letting out a confused laugh, Jennie's brow wrinkled as she gave Jisoo a bewildered look, and Jisoo ducked her head down, letting out an embarrassed laugh, before she looked up and gave Jennie a sheepish smile. "So ... that wasn't what I was meant to say, but, um, you used to smell like coffee and oranges from work. You don't anymore. It's strange - I was starting to think of it as being you ."
"Oh."
"It's lavender now though, and pine and salt, and I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I'm just nervous. But I like it; it reminds me of the outdoors. Anyway ... so, I, uh, I was going to tell you that I wrote a song. A song for you."
Looking amused at Jisoo's uncharacteristically nervous rambling, Jennie's eyes widened slightly, "you wrote a song for me?"
"Yes. Would you like to listen to it?"
"Of course."
And then they were squeezed onto the bench, side by side, and Jennie felt a tightness in her chest as she waited for the music to fill the room, and she felt the sudden tension fade as she exhaled forcefully, the air stolen from her lungs as she watched Jisoo's fingers burst into a flurry of movement. She couldn't help it when her eyes filled with tears because she was listening to the music and for the first time, Jennie really felt what it was like to have someone care about her so much that they'd made something for her. Jisoo cared about her so much that she'd poured her feelings into her music, and Jennie felt a lump rise in her throat, because no one had ever made her feel like she was worthy of having music written about her or made her feel as special as she felt in that moment. It was a beautiful, lighthearted melody, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she listened to it, the ache in her chest growing as it progressed. Her eyes drifted from the slender, capable fingers, up to Jisoo's intensely focused face, a serious look in her unfocused eyes and her dark brows pulled down low over them.
The moment the last lingering note vanished and Jisoo turned to look to Jennie for her reaction, she was met with warm, soft lips pressing against hers, and Jennie took them both by surprise as she tenderly cupped Jisoo's face in her hands, her fingertips delicately tilting Jisoo's face towards her as she kissed her sweetly. When she finally pulled back, their foreheads gently touching as she cupped Jisoo's face in her hands, Jisoo reached up and gently ran her fingers along the side of Jennie's face, and then over her cheeks, and she sucked in a quiet, shaky breath of surprise at the tears on Jennie's cheeks. "You're crying."
"You're breathtaking."
—
A/N: i'm crying oh my god i hope you are too