"There must be something wrong with my cooking."
Jisoo was too busy staring at her plate to realize that anyone was talking to her.
"Really, really wrong."
It took a few seconds for the brunette to tune into the one-sided conversation. "Huh, what?" She looked up to find warm eyes on her. "I'm sorry, Mr. C, what did you say?"
Arthur Kim gave his daughter's girlfriend a sympathetic smile. "You've been distracted all night. The better question is, are you ok?"
Jisoo let out a really big sigh. She usually enjoyed her time with Arthur because she viewed him to be the closest thing she'd had to a father in a really long time. Whenever Jennie went out with her mother she'd come over and spend time with her dad. He'd usually cook her a good meal and on occasion he'd let her help. That's how the brunette had managed to pick up her culinary skills. "I'm fine," she replied, obviously lying.
Arthur took a seat next to Jisoo and then he put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Jisoo, I know you better than that." He could tell there was something weighing heavily on her mind. "Are you and Jennie having problems?"
"What? No!" Jisoo replied quickly. The brunette knew that a lot of people thought her and Jennie had moved to quickly in living together but it was a decision she didn't regret for one single day. Even with the cat eyed's seemingly impossible task of making an anniversary gift, things were still great between them. Jisoo took great pride in how well things were going with Jennie and she didn't like anyone, even Arthur, thinking otherwise. "You know how much we love each other."
Arthur couldn't help but smile wider at how defensive the brunette was. He knew how much she loved Jennie and how quick she was to stick up for her, and their relationship. "I didn't mean to upset you, but you've been acting a bit off all evening." He watched Jisoo relaxed a bit and then he continued, "And to top it all of you've left most of my amazing dinner untouched."
"I'm sorry, it's got nothing to do with you," Jisoo assured the older man. She was stressing way too much about Jennie's anniversary twist but the brunette couldn't help it. Disappointing her girlfriend was not an option and she hadn't come up with one good idea yet. "And your food is never bad," to prove her point Jisoo took a big bite of her delicious dinner, "I'm just distracted.
"I can see that," Arthur observed. "Want to tell me what's on your mind?" He could see Jisoo hesitating, "Just because Jennie's my daughter doesn't mean you can't talk to me."
Jisoo felt genuinely bad for alarming Arthur and she also felt a bit silly for making such a big deal over something that shouldn't be. "In two days it's mine and Jennie's first anniversary..."
"I wasn't aware of that," Arthur commented, interrupting the brunette. While he didn't doubt the love the two girls had for each other, he was still impressed at how they'd managed to make things work. He knew from experience how hard being young and in love could be. "I assume this is a happy occasion?"
"Of course!" Jisoo exclaimed passionately. "The past year with your daughter has been the best year of my life."
"I'm sure it has been." Arthur still couldn't figure out why the brunette looked so stressed out.. "Then why the long face?"
Jisoo continued to play with the food on her plate. "Because Jennie doesn't want us spending a lot of money on gifts so she insisted we make them instead."
Everything was starting to make sense to Arthur. "And you have no clue what to make?"
"Exactly!" Jisoo put down her fork as her face turned serious. "I've screwed up so many things in past, especially when it comes to Jennie, and I don't want to mess this up. It's too important."
Arthur's smiled returned, it was evident how earnest the brunette was. "First of all, Jisoo, you have to stop beating yourself up for the past. You're not that person anymore."
Jisoo felt a sense of pride deep within her. No matter how cool she tried to play things, getting approval from Arthur meant a lot. He had been such a source of advice and comfort since her own dad had died. "I know that, but sometimes I still feel that way and Jennie means the world to me. I love her a lot."
"You don't have to convince me ," Arthur assured the younger girl, "and you don't have to convince Jennie of that either. You're putting way to much pressure on yourself when you should be enjoying the process of what to make for her."
"I suppose that's true," Jisoo replied half heartedly. She couldn't help but sense that whatever idea she would eventually come up with was going to be super lame.
Arthur could tell that the brunette wasn't convinced. "And whatever you come up with, Jennie is going to love it."
Jisoo felt like she'd already had this conversation with Kyla. "That's not the point. I don't want her to love it because she has to, I want her to be blown away and I want her to really get how much she means to me."
Arthur held his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok, I can see how strongly you feel about this." He took Jisoo's plate from her because she clearly had other things on her mind. "Why don't you and I put our heads together and I'm sure we can come up with the perfect gift for you to give Jennie."
"You're the best, Mr. C." Jisoo flashed Arthur one of her trademark nose crinkle smiles. "Besides your daughter of course."
"Of course," Arthur agreed. He decided when he got to the kitchen to put on a put a coffee. He had a feeling he was in for a long night.
******
"I love this place," Jennie said as she found a bench for her and Paula to sit at. "They don't have anything like this back in Ohio."
"They certainly don't," Paula concurred before handing an ice cream cone to her daughter. She'd been worried at first when Jennie moved out that she'd never get to see the cat eyed. It didn't take long though for her to realize how wrong she'd been. At least twice a month she had a night out with Jennie and like tonight, they often ended up people watching at the Santa Monica pier. A favorite place for both mother and daughter.
Jennie was beyond happy that she'd been able to repair her relationship with her mom. Having the love and support of her whole family now meant the world to the cat eyed. "Thanks for the ice cream, mom."
"You're very welcome sweetie," Paula replied before getting comfortable. "I don't want you to think I'm interfering or anything..."
"That sounds ominous," Jennie observed nervously.
Paula gave her daughter a reassuring smile, "I don't mean it to sound that way." While their relationship was in a very good place, it still had the potential to unravel. "I just wanted to make sure everything is ok with you and Jisoo." Despite how awful Paula had acted before, all she really wanted for her daughter was to be happy. "She didn't seem like herself tonight."
Jennie relaxed immediately, "I think she's just stressed out, no big deal."
"I know I haven't always been your biggest cheerleader when it comes to you and Jisoo," Paula pointed out, "but I'm here for you if you need me."
"Honestly mom, everything is fine," Jennie was touched by the concern she heard in Paula's voice. "I think she's freaking out about our anniversary."
Paula was even more confused, "And you're ok with her freaking out?"
Jennie shook her head and chuckled, "Not that kind of freaking out." Any of Jisoo's issues with commitment had been laid to rest over the last year. "I suggested that we don't buy presents for each other but make them instead."
Jisoo's behaviour started to make a lot more sense to the older woman. She may have judged the brunette harshly in before but things were different now. "Did you do that to torture your girlfriend?"
"What?" Jennie was totally confused. "Why is that torture? Jisoo loved the idea."
Paula was almost certain that her daughter was wrong but at the same time she didn't want to meddle in things that weren't her business. That didn't stop her from feeling a lot of sympathy for Jisoo because she had a good idea of how much she wanted to make Jennie happy. "I'm sure she did sweetie, I thought maybe you were doing it to test her or something."
"Jisoo and I don't play games," Jennie replied forcefully. Although it did occur to her that she was in fact lying, she wasn't referring to those kind of games when she'd said that statement. "I made the suggestion because while I enjoy not having to worry about money, I don't want my life with Jisoo to be all about material things. I want it to be filled with all the things that money can't buy."
"That was a bit cheesy," Paula teased but quickly changed her tune when she noticed the expression on the cat eyed's face. "I'm only joking, I think that's actually really nice."
"Thanks, mom," Jennie felt her defenses subside; she couldn't help that she still felt the need to defend her relationship with Jisoo on occasion. "I love her so much, it's overwhelming at times but I wouldn't give her up for anything."
Paula grinned. "And nobody should ever make feel like you have to." It had taken her a long time to accept Jennie being gay and her being in love with Jisoo. Now though she was one of their biggest defenders and having her daughter back in her life was a gift she would never return. "Have you decided what you're going to give her?"
"I just finished it this morning," Jennie told her mom. "I hope she likes it." She'd worked really hard on what she'd made but she was still nervous to give it to the brunette.
"She'll love it," Paula said reassuringly.
Jennie went back to enjoying her ice cream but she couldn't help but wonder if her mom was right about her home made present idea. She couldn't deny that Jisoo had been acting a little strange over the last few days but she just assumed that it was no big deal. She made a note to check in with the brunette later. In the mean time she was going to enjoy her evening with her mom
******
"Did you have a good time with my dad?" Jennie asked when her and Jisoo arrived home. The brunette had been quiet on the ride back to their place.
Even with the brainstorming session she had with Arthur, Jisoo was still without one solid idea on what she was going to make for Jennie. "Yeah, I always do." She was about to head to the bedroom to change when the cat eyed stopped her.
"Ok Kim, spill it," Jennie ordered forcefully. "What is going on with you?"
Jisoo wasn't going to let her girlfriend figure out how uncreative she suddenly felt. "Did anyone ever tell you how sexy you are when you're demanding?"
Jennie shivered in the best way possible, but she refused to be distracted. "And you're not going to try and seduce me right now."
"I have to try?" Jisoo pretended to look wounded. "That hurts, Jen."
"I'm not fooling around," Jennie dropped her voice down to a whisper, "You can tell me anything and I won't get upset."
Jisoo couldn't believe how stupid she was acting. Instead of enjoying her time with her girlfriend she was overreacting. When she saw the love Jennie felt for her in the cat eyed's beautiful brown eyes she finally realized she had to stop letting her own insecurities get to her. Kyla and Arthur were right; anything she made, Jennie was going to love. And as long as she put some genuine thought into her gift, it would all work out. "I'm honestly fine," The brunette said truthfully because she wasn't going to worry too much anymore. "I promise."
Jennie eyed the brunette carefully, "You're sure."
"Scouts honor," Jisoo pledged, "I'm a hundred percent sure."
"Then why are we talking and why aren't you kissing me?" Jennie husked out before pushing her girlfriend against the nearest wall. She was positive the brunette was fine and there wasn't anything to be concerned about
"I haven't a clue," Jisoo replied before she kissed the cat eyed as passionately as she could.
******
"You really wore me out," Jennie yawned and then cuddled closer to Jisoo.
"Damn right I did," Jisoo smirked as she held on to the cat eyed. "I have a reputation to maintain."
"Reputation?" Jennie felt her eyes getting heavier. "As what exactly?"
"The world's best lover!" Jisoo exclaimed before kissing her girlfriend's shoulder. "Can you deny that I deserve that title?"
"Of course not," Jennie yawned again, she was almost asleep.
"Hmmm, that doesn't sound too convincing," Jisoo wasn't being serious, "perhaps we need to go another round so I can prove that to you."
"Jisoo!" Jennie whined as she turned around. She placed a soft kiss on the brunette's mouth. "Give me a few hours to get my energy back."
"I suppose that's ok, you can't help it if you're getting old," Jisoo teased affectionately. She locked eyes with the cat eyed and then felt herself get lost in them. "I love you."
Jennie smiled, "I love you too." She kissed her girlfriend tenderly and sweetly. "You mean everything to me."
Jisoo felt herself starting to get a little choked up as all of a sudden things turned intense. "I can't even begin to tell you what you mean to me." She even scooted closer to the cat eyed, "I don't want to imagine what my life would be like without you in it."
"You never have to worry about that Chu," Jennie was getting emotional too. She took the brunette's hand and placed it on her chest. "You feel that?" Jisoo nodded, "It belongs to you and only you."
Jisoo's whole body tingled, "Yeah?"
Jennie nodded before kissing her girlfriend again. "Yeah. It's yours as long as you want it."
"How does forever sound?" Jisoo choked out, her voice cracking
"Forever sounds perfect." Jennie replied before pulling the brunette on top of her. "Now about you calling me old, I think it's time for me to prove to you how wrong you were."
Jisoo's face broke out into a very wide grin. Not just because of what was about to take place but more importantly because she'd finally had the epiphany she'd been hoping for.
She knew exactly what she was going to make for Jennie and she couldn't wait to see what kind of reaction she was going to get.
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Happy Anniversary || Jensoo
FanfictionJennie and Jisoo celebrate their first anniversary together after high school. - Very fluffy short story. Jensoo converted Original story by ©betterIeftbIank