v. (i.)

“Steph.” There are too many words that Jessica wants to say and yet not nearly enough, and so of course that’s the word that escapes her lips. “You’re…here.”

As soon as she says it, she wants a pit to open in the ground and swallow her whole, but Tiffany just smiles and says, “Yes, I am.” She makes a gesture at the space between them. “But you’re all the way over there.”

“I—” Jessica wants to make her way to Tiffany’s side immediately, but her feet feel affixed in place, like they’re stakes driven into the ground, and Tiffany’s smile turns smaller, sadder. She walks towards Jessica, slowly, one tentative step at a time, like she’s approaching a wounded animal, afraid that a misstep would cause it to either attack or bolt.

“I let you down,” Tiffany suddenly says, as she’s finally, finally right in front of Jessica. Close enough to touch, to kiss, but Jessica dares not reach for her.

“What?”

“I let you down,” Tiffany repeats. “I let us down. I said that-that I’d never suggest that we just give up when it got tough. But maybe I did give up a little.” She swallows, her eyes dark, contrite. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t forgive you.”

Tiffany flinches, like Jessica had struck her. “That’s fair,” she says in a low voice, and turns around, slowly, heavily, shoulders hunched as if ready for another blow.

“Where are you going?”

Tiffany turns around slightly, a look of confusion on her face, momentarily overtaking the guilt and pain there. “You said—”

“I said that I don’t forgive you for giving up. I didn’t say that I’m going to accept it. I expect you to make up for it by trying harder.”

The medley of expressions on Tiffany’s face is too complicated to discern the individual ones now, but there’s a stark leader there: hope.

“You—” Tiffany wets her lips. “You mean you…?”

Jessica keeps her eyes locked on Tiffany’s. “I told you, didn’t I? I thought we’re worth it. I still do.”

Tiffany’s face crumples like she might succumb to tears at last, but then she smiles, and even though her eyes are wet it doesn’t detract from the sight at all, only adds to it, because for once she isn’t trying to hide anything.

Jessica reaches out for her then, careful but not tentative, and pulls Tiffany into her arms. She’s still as familiar and warm and comforting as ever, and her arms come around Jessica like they belong there.

“I missed you,” Jessica murmurs, burying her face in the crook of Tiffany’s neck, taking in the scent of her, drawing it into her lungs, unwilling, unable to let go.

Tiffany’s arms tighten around her, even though her hold was already tight, more like a tourniquet than a bandage. “I missed you too.”

“Don’t make me have to miss you anymore,” Jessica mumbles, uncaring of how childish she sounds; they’re both all too aware of the adult sorrow behind the words. “Be here.”

“Okay,” Tiffany says, as if it’s easy as that, but Jessica knows that Tiffany never makes empty promises and, whether it’ll be the easiest or most difficult thing, she’ll be true to her word.

Jessica’s lips seek Tiffany’s and find them, blindly, instinctively, a compass needle finding north, a dance step returning to home.

“Okay,” Jessica echoes, and Tiffany was right, so long ago. They ended up okay after all. They ended up together, and maybe it’s not a happily ever after but they would have the chance to write the own ending to their story and that’s all she could ask for.

A/N: I don’t know if you noticed, but i. to iv. all start with Tiffany talking and of course like the title says they all have Tiffany being the one to kiss Jessica, except the fourth one where it could be either who initiates the kiss, but in v. it’s Jessica who starts speaking and Jessica who kisses Tiffany, and this is supposed to reflect how Jessica takes more initiative and is more active in their relationship (she’s trying harder like she promised!).

Aaaaaaand we're finished! This was a pretty short oneshot and yet somehow I dragged it into a fiveshot hahaha I'm so awful at finishing fics I'm relieved to finish this tbh. This just confirmed to me that JeTi is still very much a dear ship to me and my soshi OTP <3