✅ SS Artemis ♤ Jennie x Fem!Reader

3.) Are You True?

Over the course of the next few days, the pair found themselves falling for one another more and more. Though it didn't make sense to experience such a major thing in as short a time span as they were working with, neither of them questioned it for a second.

Short greetings given in passing felt special -- like their own little secret. If others happened to find out that a poor worker like Y/N even so much as shook Jennie's hand, there would undoubtedly be talk around the ship -- and not a bit of it would be nice.

Y/N is used to the talk, but she doesn't want Jennie to be subjected to any negative comments from passengers with sticks up their asses and little else to do but complain about things that don't involve them. She doesn't deserve that, and Y/N has an undeniable desire to protect the other girl from it.

So, in the spirit of remaining inconspicuous, the pair decided to keep things on the low.

When Y/N would serve drinks by the pool, Jennie always made it a point to take the glass from her and touch her hand. The move was always a fleeting gesture, seemingly unimportant to those around them; and that's precisely why it worked so well. The guests nearby were oblivious to the meaning behind it, and that worked in the pair's favor.

When Y/N surveyed the upper deck and answered questions that passengers had about the voyage, Jennie would subtly brush up against her as she passed by on her afternoon walks with her mother. The aftermath was almost like clockwork: Y/N would be too distracted by Jennie's retreating figure to reply to the passenger in front of her, and it would take a few seconds for her to snap back to reality. Jennie would hear her launch back into her speech with an apology leading the way, and the brunette would have to stifle a laugh.

On one occasion, she failed to quiet herself fast enough, and her mother asked what had her so happy. She brushed it off with some excuse she put together on the fly, and her mother accepted it shortly after in the name of appearing agreeable.

Jennie sent Y/N another smile over her shoulder that day, and she received a wink from across the way as payback.

They were free to live in their world of fleeting glances and stolen moments of bliss, and for them, that was enough.

They made peace with making do for the time being.

-----

5 Days Post Departure

"Mother, I'm leaving now. I'll be back before dinner."

Jennie eases her hips into the marble countertop of the sink as she leans over it and touches up her lipstick, checking its appearance in the mirror.

"Alright, darling. Be careful." Ara calls from the living room of their suite, not even bothering to hug Jennie or see her off. Her gaze remains glued to the newspaper in front of her, where she circles important looking corporate ads that she can mention to Victor when they reach the US. Perhaps they'll be good to do business with, she thinks to herself.

Jennie heads out soon after with a pep in her step at the promise of seeing you again.

She maneuvers past guests and uniformed workers that're winding their way through the halls, all of them busy with various tasks. Some tiredly shuffle to their rooms, while others impatiently drum their fingers against their belongings when the hall becomes blocked.

One downside to the ship is its cramped walkways. Merely big enough for two people to squeeze by one another, shoulder to shoulder, it's easy to imagine how backed up they can get.

It's not ideal, but Jennie doesn't notice it all that much; any annoyance she might've felt is cancelled out when her mind strays to the plans you hinted at earlier.