Your Hand in Mine || Chaelisa

Season 2 - 14

Lately, she's been forgetting what sleep is. There's also very little doubt in her mind that she's about to fail the majority - if not all - of her classes this semester. Her teachers were willing to take her situation into account last Fall. Not anymore. She can't exactly blame them. It's not like they are aware her situation got worse.

It seems like everything's been steadily getting worse. It's been three days. Lisa hasn't returned her texts or calls. She doesn't know Tzuyu's number, and Jackson -- she doesn't even try to reach out to him. At least she's got some common sense left, she thinks bitterly as she watches the sunrise for the third time this week. And, until a sudden knock on her door, this morning seemed like any other. About to be spent worrying, exhaustingly, with dread running through her veins like slow poison.

Until a sudden knock on her door.

Lisa looks sharp and collected when she opens the door without even asking who it is, and Chaeyoung's too shocked to do anything but gape.

"Hey." Full lips twitch as Lisa swallows. "I -- Tzuyu told me about running into you."

Questions immediately flood her mind - Running into me? Did she just find you, or did you spend these three days thinking whether you should be here or not?

Are you here only because Tzuyu told you about me?

She clears her throat. "Oh. Well -- good. I'm... I'm glad you're okay."

Green eyes narrow as Lisa gives her a subtle smirk. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Chaeyoung scoffs. "Right. Is, um -- Is Jackson okay? Oh - do you want to come inside?" At Lisa's hesitant glance over her shoulder, she tries again. "I have coffee."

The smirk grows. "I do like coffee."

Is that how it's going to be? Completely ignoring every problem?

She's here, Chaeyoung's mind tells her. She's okay and she's with you.

Her talk with Jennie tries to resurface in her memory, but she pushes it down. "There's plenty of it in the kitchen," she tells her, stepping aside and motioning for her to come in. Lisa murmurs a quiet thank you and walks past her, shrugging her jacket off and neatly placing it on the back of a chair. Chaeyoung watches her roll her sleeves up and straighten her tie and -- God, she looks unfairly good this early in the morning.

Chaeyoung mentally thanks her past self for forcing herself to shower today.

"Did you have breakfast?"

That, she couldn't force herself to do, but she doesn't let Lisa know that. "Yeah," she tells her. "But, um, if you haven't, I could make something for you."

Lisa makes a noncommittal sound as she looks around. "Did you have take out last night?"

She blinks. "No."

"Ah." Lisa glances around the kitchen again before her unreadable stare lands on Chaeyoung. "You're up unusually early. I was afraid I was going to wake you up."

"Oh, no, you didn't. I -- I woke up right before you came," Chaeyoung blatantly lies.

And Lisa, being Lisa, sees right through it. Chaeyoung realizes her grave mistake seconds before Lisa sighs and closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Is it a reflex? Lying to me?" Her words are quiet, but they cut, deep and sharp, and Chaeyoung has to grit her teeth together so she doesn't let out a strangled gasp.

"What do you mean?" It's a losing battle. They both know it.

"No dishes in the sink. Just woke up, but already ate?" Green eyes open, and Chaeyoung feels two inches tall when they focus on her, sharp and unwavering. "When was the last time you had a full night's sleep, Chaeyoung?"