“Hey, Lisa?” the voice comes quiet, a fluttering, accent-tinged tone that brushes against the blonde’s ear, smoothly stirring her from her slumber, “Leese? You up?”

    Lisa’s eyes open and she turns toward the source of the noise. This has happened so many times now that she isn’t even remotely surprised to find another body weighing down the mattress beside her, a body that wasn’t there when she’d fallen asleep a few hours ago. The body lies there, tucked under the blankets with her, slightly withdrawn as usual, as if afraid of Lisa’s reaction to its presence. Light from the partially-drawn blinds sends thin strips of cool moonlight beaming down on the body’s form, revealing small details: a swath of brown hair, a wide, quivering pupil, a shard of pale, smooth forehead.

    “Jennie?” Lisa yawns, “What’s up?”

    “They’re fighting again,” the melancholy in Jennie’s tone is evident.

    Lisa frowns, instinctively opening her arms up, welcoming the newcomer into her embrace. Jennie takes her place immediately, clinging needfully to the taller girl, burying her head into Lisa’s pajama-covered chest. Although she can’t see it, Lisa knows that Jennie’s jaw is clenched, her eyelids shut hard as she tries to fight back the tears. Despite the amount of time they’d known each other, despite the things they’ve gone through together, Jennie still feels shame for crying in front of her.

    “What was it this time?” Lisa asks, resting her cheek on the crown of Jennie’s head.

    “I don’t know… I woke up to them yelling. I’m sorry to come here so late, and without notice. I just… I started having a panic attack, and I couldn’t drown them out, even with the breathing exercises, I was getting so scared… so I just left.”

    “Don’t apologize. I told you that you could come here anytime, and I meant it. That’s why I leave my window unlocked.”

    “Lisa…” Jennie’s voice cracks, and she nuzzles further into the younger girl, “Thank you.”

    Lisa can feel the brunette beginning to tremble in her hold, quivering like a leaf in a strong breeze, barely clinging to her stem as the winds of emotion whip her back and forth without mercy.

    “Don’t cry,” Lisa whispers, “Don’t cry, sweetie.”

    “I’m t-trying…”

    “You’re safe now,” Lisa’s voice is silky and liquid, gliding through the heavy stillness around the pair, “How was school? I didn’t get a chance to speak to you today.”

    “It was good,” Jennie croons, her words evening out slightly at the younger girl’s tenderness, “I got a 91 on my Algebra exam.”

    “Good job, Jennie,” Lisa rewards the brunette with a kiss, brief yet filled with sentiment, directly on her forehead. Jennie cranes her neck up for a moment to plant her own kiss on Lisa’s mouth, unable to resist the allure of her lovely partner’s lips, “I told you you’d do fine.”

    “Only because you tutored me.”

    “It’s not like I took the exam for you. I just gave you the tools to pass it.”

    “Either way, I would’ve failed without you,” Jennie yawns now, a wide, catlike yawn that sends a wave of warm, minty breath splashing across the taller girl’s face. Lisa doesn’t mind, “How was your day?”

    “It was fine. I made a new friend today. Her name’s Jisoo.”

    “I’m glad you’re adjusting well,” a bitterness comes into Jennie’s words, a cold bitterness that’s almost as bad as her previous sadness, “I still hate myself for making you transfer.”

    “You didn’t make me do anything. I chose to be with you, I knew what the consequences would be. It was only a matter of time until my mother found out.”

    “I should’ve been more careful… it’s my fault.”

    “Shut up, cupcake,” Lisa kisses Jennie’s forehead again, simultaneously caressing her cheek, ghosting five fingers over Jennie’s flesh, “I’m only fifteen minutes away. And my dad is much more accepting than she is.”

    “I guess that’s a good thing,” Jennie admits, “If you were still living with your mom, I wouldn’t be able to come to you at night.”

    “Exactly. How was the drive?”

    “It was fine, there’s no one on the road,” the brunette let out another long, purring yawn, “The drive actually helps calm me down a little bit. It’s soothing.”

    “Good, good. Just be careful when you’re out there. Don’t drive if you’re too bad. Call me. I’ll come get you if I have to.”

    “I could never make you do that.”

    Lisa chuckled kindly.

    “So you like your new classmates?” Jennie asked.

    “They’re not you, but they’re nice,” Lisa starts running her hands through Jennie’s hair now, working out the knots and tangles with a skilled care that comes from years of practice, fanning out the curtain of auburn with her palms, “I’m thinking of joining the dance club.”

    “Mmm,” Jennie murmured, “They’ll end up making you president of it. You’ll probably be better than all of them.”

    “I don’t know if dance clubs have presidents.”

    “Well if they did, you’d be it,” Jennie’s breaths are becoming more gradual, deeper and fuller as she relaxes.

    “How’s Rosie doing anyway? I haven’t spoken to her in a bit.”

    “She’s good…” the brunette is barely holding on to consciousness, “We hang out a lot now, since you’re gone… she’s really nice.”

    “That’s good,” Lisa readjusts the blankets around her girlfriend, tucking them up to Jennie’s neck, “Good night, Jennie.”

    “Night, Lisa,” the older girl responds, her words half-formed and only mildly coherent, “I… love you…”

    Jennie drifts off fully, snoozing in the arms of the taller girl. Lisa plants one final kiss atop her partner’s head.

    “I love you, too.”

    She falls asleep shortly thereafter.