First Times

The first time they held hands

The first time they held hands, Lisa was so nervous her hands were sweaty. Jennie smiled and said it was okay though, because Lisa's hand fit hers so perfectly that she didn't want to let go to let Lisa wipe them off.

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When they left the café that night, Lisa could still smell the rain in the air. She watched Jennie take a deep breath, stretching her arms over her head in a luxurious stretch, before pulling on Lisa's hoodie. Lisa had insisted she borrow it, partly because she didn't want Jennie to catch a cold and partly because she liked the way Jennie looked wearing her clothes.

"Ready to go?"

It had become an unspoken habit for Lisa to walk Jennie home every Sunday. They walked along the sidewalk towards Jennie's apartment, the quietness occasionally broken by the thrum of passing cars.

They stopped at a crosswalk waiting for their light, Jennie turned to her side to look at Lisa. One of her hands was stuck in the pocket of her jeans, the other running absentmindedly through her blonde hair.

"Are you cold?"

Lisa tilted her head and met her gaze with a grin, "No, I'm okay."

"I don't think so."

Lisa tilted her head even further, eyebrows furrowing, and Jennie couldn't help but giggle at how much she looked like a confused puppy.

"Here, let me help you." She took Lisa's right hand in her left, and burrowed them back into her hoodie pocket. The light turned and Jennie started walking, leading a completely stunned Lisa beside her.

She could feel her face heating up as she hurried to keep up. Feeling her fingers intertwined with Jennie's, her thumb stroking slowly against the back of Lisa's hand, was almost enough to fry Lisa's brain. And it definitely fried when she realized her hand was practically pressed up against Jennie's flat stomach, separated only by her hoodie and Jennie's barely there tank top.

Against Jennie's soft hand, Lisa was uncomfortably aware that hers was a glaringly inferior match. The geese might not have minded Lisa's sweaty hands, but Jennie wasn't a bird. She tried to pull her hand away to wipe it off on the leg of her jeans, but Jennie tightened her grip and looked worriedly at Lisa, "Lili, what are you doing??"

"My hands are kinda gross, I was just gonna-"

Jennie looked relieved at Lisa's explanation, but didn't loosen her grip. She smiled and shook her head, "Your hands are perfect Lisa. Don't let go." She gave it a squeeze, "Please don't let go yet. Okay?"

"I won't. I promise." Lisa squeezed back. She looked sincerely into Jennie's eyes to make sure she knew she meant it. She could see in her still uncertain gaze that there was another conversation there, but she didn't think either of them were ready for that yet. So she gave her hand another squeeze, "I promise, Jen. Not until you make me."

They stopped in front of Jennie's apartment a few minutes later, the sun already hidden behind the buildings in the background.

"So I guess...I'll see you on Friday then?"

Jennie lifted her eyes from the bulge of their hands in the hoodie pocket, smiling in that soft way that seemed almost unconscious, "I can't wait."

They stood like that for a couple minutes, until finally Jennie relinquished Lisa's hand from her grip. She was just about to unzip the hoodie to return to Lisa, but Lisa stopped her.

"Hold onto it. You can give it back to me later."

An onlooker would've thought Lisa just offered Jennie a million bucks by the size of Jennie's megawatt smile.

They hugged, and Lisa watched Jennie get into the elevator. She smiled to herself, watching Jennie wave as the elevator doors closed, she looked so right in my hoodie.

And Lisa didn't know this until months later, but Jennie wore her hoodie to bed that night, snuggling into its fabric and the scent of Lisa. It was the best she'd slept in weeks.