living on a fault line || Jensoo

Chapter 1

June 17, 2025

"You're avoiding her in your own apartment."

"I'm not avoiding her, Jinyoung."

Jisoo is not avoiding her ex-wife, she's simply gearing up for when she sees her again, and she thinks she should be allowed that. Too many things come flooding back to her when she sees Jennie, and ever since she let her walls down for the woman so many years ago, it's been a constant battle to put them back up.

Jennie disarms her, always has.

Jennie has a boyfriend, and Jisoo is not entirely sure if he came to the party.

"Sure," Jinyoung says. "And I'm not Charlie's favorite uncle."

"You're not, Bogum is."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think she's avoiding you too."

"It doesn't, but thank you."

______________________

(December 24, 2024.)

"You could just be honest with yourself."

Jisoo hears Lisa's voice through the walls of Jessica's house, coming from somewhere in the kitchen, and assumes that must be where Jennie disappeared to. She told Charlie she'd find her mama for her, but the conversation sounds heated, and Jisoo gets the feeling it's somehow about her.

"You could just be honest with yourself, Jennie. Starting with the fact-"

"That I blame myself?" She hears Jennie's voice, and her stomach sinks. Her chest feels as though it's been split open. "I don't. Of course I blame her!"'

Jisoo opens the door, meeting Lisa's eyes above a head of dark curls.

"Jennie-" Lisa tries to warn her.

"You could've just said that," Jisoo says, and her voice wavers. "All those times I asked you could've just told the truth-"

"For fuck's sake, Jisoo! I don't blame you for- for that. I never did. But the divorce? I do blame you."

"You gave me the papers to sign," Jisoo says.

"You didn't leave me any choice," Jennie retorts.

"Your daughter is out there," Lisa interrupts. "And this is a fucking Christmas party, so I don't care how you do it but you're going to play nice and make this the best Christmas ever, are we clear? Now excuse me, I have a bunch of kids to entertain with coke and mints."

Lisa lets the door close quietly behind her, and they're left staring at each other. It's been roughly ten months since she moved out, and the pull of longing and pain and love and anger it's tightly coiled in her chest, as strong as ever.

It's all encompassing, what she feels for this woman, and she can hardly believe it's been ten months since they shared a bed, since they shared a life.

She can't believe there was a time the sight of Jennie's eyes made her sick.

______________________

"Jennie!"

"Jinyoung!"

They hug, and Jisoo looks away. There was a time when she and Jennie shared that same easy affection, even before they started dating, and she doesn't know why she's missing it now. Perhaps because it's been a little over a year now, the second of their daughter's birthdays after they separated. Perhaps because she knows that now Jennie has someone else.