Your hand in mine

Season 3 - 11

"You won't believe this." Y/n sounds equally incredulous and amused when Jennie picks up the phone. "Tzuyu just left my office, and you won't believe this."

"She told you about Jisoo."

Y/n's pout is audible in her voice, and Jennie grins as she pours herself some water. "How did you know?"

"Logic, mostly," Jennie says, taking a small sip. Work has been hectic, and she's happy to have a minute to herself. Especially if she spends that minute with Y/n, even if only on the phone. "Ordinary people also apply it sometimes, miss CEO." Y/n huffs, and she chuckles. "Alright, I'll stop. What did she tell you?"

"Apply logic," Y/n grins on the other end, causing Jennie to burst with laughter. She chuckles along as she waits for her to calm down before continuing. "She shared some... concerns that may or may not have to do with workplace romances being frowned upon. You guess how your friend plays into it."

"Oh my God," Jennie barely stops herself from laughing again as she imagines Tzuyu, usually perfectly put-together Tzuyu, nervously pacing Y/n's office as she pours her heart out. "She likes her."

"That would be an understatement," Y/n notes dryly, "but yes. And she's rather rattled. And she asked me to ask you if Jisoo talked about her. I swear, sometimes it's like I'm running a kindergarten."

Jennie can't hold her laughter any longer. "I'm sorry, it's just - I can't even imagine Tzuyu telling you all this. I hope you have cameras in your office."

"I don't, actually," Y/n says. The newfound knowledge almost takes Jennie's train of thought in a vastly different direction, but she forces herself to ignore it. For now. Later, when she's alone in her room, though...

"Well, anyway," she clears her throat and winces at how loud her voice suddenly becomes, "um, Jisoo definitely likes Tzuyu. Do what you will with that information. And I'm definitely feeling third grade right now."

Y/n sighs on the other end. Jennie imagines her shake her head and pinch the bridge of her nose when she speaks again. "I'd rather stay out of it."

"You read my mind."

"Yes. Anyway," Y/n clears her throat. She sounds a little unsure, a little tentative, but not in a way that makes Jennie's stomach coil with guilt. It's the adorable kind of unsure, as Jennie dubbed it in her head. Like when she doesn't know what to do with her hands and ends up shoving them in her pockets. Like when almost a year ago, when she wanted to kiss her but wasn't sure she'd welcome it. "I'm also calling to ask if you're free this evening."

"Why, Miss Y/l/n," Jennie grins into the phone. "Sounds like you are about to propose we break the one date per week rule."

Y/n lets out a playful scoff. "I'm pretty sure we broke it a month ago," she says. "The amount of non-dates we've had far outweighs the number of actual dates." And she's right. They unanimously decided not to tell Dr. Park for now. Jennie thinks that with their progress, she wouldn't have minded, but, well. Just in case.

"So is it a non-date or a date?" She can't help but tease Y/n. Secretly, she's hoping to prolong their conversation.

She holds in a giggle when she hears a sigh. "Jennie." Y/n's smile is audible in her voice, even if she tries to make it sound exasperated. "Are you free or not?"

"Of course I am," she chuckles. "Whether it's a date or a non-date."

"I guess we'll figure it out as we go. But I, um, I actually wanted to discuss something."

Jennie's smile fades. She clutches the phone, feeling her heart squeeze anxiously. This is it, she thinks bitterly to herself. This is one of the moments that shatter the illusion of normalcy.