it's always ourselves that we find in the sea || jensoo

Chapter 26

"Jisoo?" Jennie hesitantly asked as she pulled her key out of the lock, taking a wary step inside and slowly closing the door behind her. "Babe?"

The slow lilting sound of the piano cut off, the notes fading into silence as Jisoo stopped playing. Kicking off her boots, Jennie stepped onto the staircase, the bottom step creaking slightly and her hand skimming the varnished bannister as she made her way upstairs, hitching the strap of her satchel up higher on her shoulder.

"Jennie?"

"Yeah, it's me," she called back, jogging up the last few steps and making her way down the hallway.

The door to the piano room was open, weak light streaming in through the open windows, and Jennie leant against the doorframe for a few moments, smiling softly to herself as she looked at the straight back and the dark hair tumbling down past narrow shoulders. The window was open a slither, and the smell of the sea swept in with the sound of the waves rushing up the beach just a stone's throw from the back garden, Jisoo's dark hair stirring at the wind's gentle caress as she waited silently for Jennie to join her. She had her back to the door, sitting primly on the cushioned piano bench, and Jennie could've stood there all day watching her, but Jisoo eventually turned, a look of exasperation on her face as she sent an accusing look in the direction of the door.

"Are you lurking again?"

"Yes," Jennie laughed, finally stepping into the room.

She walked over to the piano, her steps deliberate and loud, and gently touched Jisoo on the shoulder, bending slightly to kiss her on the forehead. Shuffling over to make space for her, Jisoo gave her a tired smile, the purplish shadows beneath her eyes the colour of bruises that betrayed the fact that she hadn't gone to sleep yet, and Jennie dropped down onto the cushioned seat beside her, giving her a searching look. Reaching out with fumbling fingers, Jisoo found Jennie's face and drew her in, her lips finding Jennie's with a little bit of clumsiness that made Jennie smile softly as her eyelashes fluttered closed for a moment. When she pulled back, her forehead furrowing with concern, she reached out to cradle Jisoo's cheek in her hand, thumbing the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"You used the key," Jisoo murmured, a slow smile spreading across her face.

The fluttering in Jennie's chest at the delighted look on Jisoo's face was enough to make her feel glad that she'd used the key she'd received for Christmas for the first time, and Jennie couldn't help but smile, biting her lip as she ducked her head slightly, feeling all warm inside.

"I did ," Jennie quietly laughed.

"Good," Jisoo said, her tone casual but her face glowing with happiness at the simple gesture, and Jennie picked her hand up and kissed the back of it, her eyes shining with unbridled love.

"You haven't slept yet," Jennie quietly noted, fiddling with a loose strand of hair that fell into Jisoo's face, neatly tucking it behind her ear and running her hand over the soft unbound tresses.

Shifting slightly on the seat, Lena shrugged, giving Jennie a helpless smile, "my sleep cycle is all out of sync again. I got distracted composing and lost track of time. I wasn't tired enough to stop."

Letting out a weary sigh, Jennie climbed to her feet, her hand warm in Jisoo's as she tried to pull her up along with her, "come on, bed time."

"Wait! Don't you want to hear my new piece?" Jisoo said, her lips curling into a smile as her gaze drifted upwards, blindly searching for Jennie as she arched an eyebrow suggestively, "it's for you."