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There are plenty of boundaries at first. Don’t touch my hairbrush and no taking up the bathroom for more than ten minutes. Don’t look at my bruises, though Trish never actually says that one out loud.
After Trish learns about Jess’s powers, things change. Trish lounges on Jess’s bed while they’re supposed to be doing homework, quizzing her on what she can do. How high can you jump? How far? What’s the heaviest thing you’ve ever lifted? Jess is still not supposed to look at Trish’s bruises. She is not supposed to save Trish.
After Jess throws Dorothy into a wall, Trish erases their boundaries. She loops her arm through Jess’s when they walk together, at school, in public, everywhere. She sneaks into Jess’s bed after they’ve turned the lights out, says your bed’s comfier, which is categorically not true, and falls asleep.
The only boundary they have is never to ask.
Don’t ask why Trish likes to lay her hand on your heart to fall asleep.
Don’t ask why Jess doesn’t smile at anyone else like that.
Don’t ask why drunk Trish gets bumbly and handsy.
Don’t ask why it makes you both uncomfortable when people call you sisters.
They get older. They move out, away from Dorothy, into their own apartment. It’s good, for a while, and then it’s not. Jess breaks a rule, says, I think you need help.
Trish gets it, though, and then things are better. They keep their one boundary.
Don’t ask why you hate it when Trish takes someone else as her plus one to events.
Don’t ask why Jess doesn’t like any of the guys you date.
Don’t ask what Jess must have said to Dorothy that makes her leave you alone.
After Kilgrave, things are different. Trish asks everything . Asks what happened and asks if Jess’s okay and asks what she can do. Other boundaries come back—no touching unless Jess initiates it. No sharing a bed—too often Jess wakes up not just screaming, but swinging, and Trish only has to be on the wrong end of that once for Jess to ban her. No telling Jess to stop drinking. No making her go out in public if she doesn’t want to. Jess doesn’t have so many boundaries—she gets to drink and snap at Trish and not get out of bed for entire days. Trish does everything she can, accommodates Jess every way she knows how, and Jess still leaves.
When Jess comes back, they are too busy to worry about boundaries. They break them. I can’t risk you and I’m tired of missing you.
I love you.
When it’s over, Kilgrave dead, Jess questioned and released, Trish crosses the parking lot to hug her. Trish gets touchy like she was before Kilgrave—links arms and sits too close on the couch.
Trish never technically breaks the boundary, but Jess can hear the question every time they touch.
Did you mean it?
She lets Trish touch her and hopes Trish knows that’s her answer.
Yes. I meant it. Of course I meant it.