Chapter Text
The Next Evening…
The clock reads 7:34 and the shop has mostly emptied out. Most of the guys clock out after six on Saturdays. The buzz of the overhead lights is still humming, and the air smells like oil and rubber. It would be suffocating if Petra weren’t so used to it.
She’s half-done wiping her hands off when she hears Jack’s voice echo from the far side of the garage. “You heading out soon?”
Petra looks up from where she’s standing over an old sedan’s popped hood. Jack is across the shop, hanging up his coveralls, stretching his arms like someone twice his age. He always works the last couple hours of the day with her, and she likes it. He’s always focused on his work, never intrusive in conversation. He also has a great sense of humor at times.
“In a few,” Petra replies, straightening up with a quiet grunt. “Just wanted to finish this up.”
Jack nods, grabbing his keys. “You sure you’re not just hanging around?”
Petra curls an eyebrow. “No?”
“Really,” Jack huffs amusedly, crossing his arms. “You’re not thinkin’ about that girl again?”
Petra freezes mid-reach for the top of the car’s hood. Okay. Brows furrowed, she both sighs and laughs all at once. “Come on, Jack. We’ve been over this.”
Jack raises his hands innocently. “Just saying. You’ve been weirdly floaty.”
Petra slams the hood shut. “Floaty?”
“Yeah. Like,” Jack pauses for a moment, scratching at his beard. “I dunno. You’ve just got this really intense thinkin’ face.” He slung his backpack over one shoulder. “I’ve seen it. I’ve had it. Can’t miss it.”
Petra tries not to look like someone who’d just been caught mid-spiral. She rolls her eyes instead. “It’s not like that,” she mutters. “I’m just… getting used to this college shit.”
Jack snorts loudly. “Right. That’s why you keep checkin’ your phone."
Petra blinks, her expression both confused and slightly embarrassed. He’s been watching me? Her tone is slightly exasperated as she bites back, “What are you even on about? It’s not like I’m texting her—“
“But you want to,” Jack cuts her off, already backing toward the exit with a knowing look in his eye. Clearly he senses that he’s getting a rise out of Petra, and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll let it rest for now. “Anyway, I’m not arguing with ya. Just remember to lock up.”
Petra stares at him for a beat or two longer before sighing heavily through her nose. Irritated or not, a part of her knew that Jack was reading her like a book. She’d never admit that, though.
“Yeah. Whatever.”
Jack grins and shoots her a two-finger salute. “Night, Petra.”
“Night.”
The door swings shut behind him with a solid thud. The shop falls quiet once more.
Petra lets her shoulders relax, dragging a hand down her face as she walks over to one of the millions of workbenches in the building. She leans back against it. She can still feel heat all over her cheeks. Floaty? God. If she’s being that obvious to her coworkers, Petra can only imagine what Lukas sees. Or even, god forbid, Jesse herself.
She glances at the car she’d been working on one more time, then makes for the small sink in the corner. Her reflection in the metal cabinet door catches her; cheeks flushed, streaks of oil on her jaw, hands and wrists…eyes brighter than they had any right to be after a ten-hour shift. Maybe it was time to lay off the energy drinks.
The shirt she’s wearing is slightly torn up at the edges, similarly to all of the other clothes she wears while working. She doesn’t really know how that happens, but it compliments how she’s feeling internally at the moment.
“Shit,” she mutters, washing her hands as she blinks herself back to focus. “Maybe I am floaty.”
She turns off the tap, shakes out her hands, and leans forward, gripping the sink. Jesse’s voice echoes in her head. The way she laughs when Petra teases her. That flushed look she always has, the lingering glances, the way her eyebrows furrow when she's thinking.
She’s so cute.
Petra couldn’t resist saying it to her face last night. How could she? After that unexpected compliment about Petra’s hair, Jesse had been totally flustered the entire time the group was studying. Petra didn’t usually feel bold like that…she usually felt sick at the idea of doing anything even close.
But she just had to see how Jesse would react.
And oh, was it worth it.
Remembering all of it, Petra catches herself smiling. Then, she huffs a small laugh. Having a crush can be terrifying, but sometimes it can be fun, too. Especially when the girl you like is, y’know, no longer talking to your best friend.
Admittedly, the guilt about Lukas still lingers somewhere deep down. He’d had a thing for Jesse. But he’d also been honest. He told Petra how things ended. Told her without spite, or blame, or any of the things she’d been bracing for.
She could still hear Lukas’s voice in her head, too: “I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
He was talking about me. Petra honestly can’t believe she’s just realized that.
And Petra hadn’t let herself think too hard about what she wanted until that moment in the hallway with Jesse. She could’ve died from the tension. But it was worth it. Because she’d meant it. Jesse is cute. And smart. And funny. And way too easy to fall into step with.
With it being the weekend, today was the first day all week that Petra hadn’t had her morning walk with Jesse. She couldn’t help but notice that she kind of missed her.
It’d be so much easier if I didn’t like her this much.
Petra pushes off the sink finally, wiping her hands on her jeans and beginning to flick off the lights. It’s getting late. She should get back. Shower. Eat. Sleep. But when she pulls her phone from her pocket to check the time, her eyes stare at the screen for longer than necessary. Just long enough to think:
If I text her… what do I even say?
———
“…I probably shouldn’t.”
“What, why?” Olivia nearly whines, her tone insistent. “Just ask what she’s up to or something!” She presses Jesse with a sly little grin on her face, laying on her stomach and sprawled across her bed.
Sitting at her desk with her phone in one hand and chin in the other, Jesse rolls her eyes, shaking her head in disagreement. “No… that’d be weird. If I text her then it’ll have to be about something specific.”
Olivia laughs. “That is so dumb.”
“What? I hate small talk.”
“She called you cute!” Olivia retorts, staring at Jesse like she has three heads. “It isn’t small talk if it’s a mutual crush. Come on. Quit making things difficult.”
Jesse side-eyes her with furrowed brows, setting her phone down. “I’m just gonna wait—“
“—for what? Literally, for what. ”
“I don’t know! She doesn’t seem like a texter…I just… ugh .” Jesse hunches over, falling back into her chair with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know , Liv. She just…” Jesse bites the inside of her cheek. “She makes me nervous.”
“As crushes do,” Olivia is quick to respond, her tone softening. “But it’s pretty obvious that what you’re feeling isn’t not reciprocated.”
Olivia pauses, letting that marinate for a moment or two. She doesn’t go on until Jesse starts fidgeting.
“So what the hell? See where it goes.” She finishes, her tone sincere despite the teasing glint in her eyes. “Worse case scenario, it doesn’t go anywhere and you find some other hot chick.”
“ No, ” Jesse retorts quickly. “Worse case scenario, it doesn’t work out and the entire group we have becomes incredibly awkward to be a part of.”
Olivia blinks at her. Then, she nods slowly. “Okay, yeah. True.”
“See?”
“Look, just… don’t let these anxieties eat you alive, okay?” Olivia says, sitting up and crossing her legs. “Everything that you’re scared of? It’s clearly keeping you from doing something that could actually be really good.”
Even though she knows that Olivia’s right, Jesse can’t help but let out a distressed sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “Or really bad.”
Just as Olivia opens her mouth to respond, no doubt armed with another speech, Jesse’s phone vibrates sharply against the table. Both girls pause. Jesse doesn’t think twice about it as she reaches over to see what’s up. She only has message haptics turned on… maybe her parents are checking in?
Her eyes focus on the screen. A text.
how’s ur weekend been?
Petra just texted her.
“Petra just texted me.”
Olivia immediately gasps, a devious smile forming on her face. “No way. Are you being serious?”
Jesse, now very much alert and ten times more nervous, rushes to open their messages and think of a response. “Yes. I’m serious.”
“What’d she say?”
“Uh…” Jesse swallows. “Just… asking how my weekend’s been.”
“Okay. What’re you gonna say?”
Jesse doesn’t respond. She’s too busy staring at the message, re-reading it like it might evaporate if she blinks too long. Her fingers hover, then retreat, then hover again.
“Jesse,” Olivia warns. “If you leave her on read for more than a few minutes, she’s gonna think you—“
“I’m thinking!”
“Well think faster!”
Shutting her eyes for a moment to really focus, Jesse eventually types something. Then deletes it. Then types again.
pretty okay. you still at work?
She stares at it for another half-second, then hits send. “I asked if she’s still at work.”
Not even fifteen seconds later, her phone buzzes again.
nah. just got home. was kinda slow but not in a bad way.
Then another message, right after.
i enjoyed studying w u yesterday
Jesse’s heart nearly somersaults out of her chest. Olivia must’ve noticed. “What?” She presses, her voice hushed, as if this is all some top-secret operation. “What’s she saying?”
Jesse braces herself for the reaction she knows Olivia is going to have. “She…said she enjoyed studying. With me.” That last part was added half-heartedly, heat rushing to Jesse’s face. But Olivia hears her loud and clear.
“Oh my god,” Olivia laughs, barely containing her glee. “This is textbook. You have to flirt back.”
Despite her barely-contained smile, Jesse doesn’t say anything. Not at first. Just sits there, completely still, eyes wide and skin flushed and breathing uneven. She taps at the screen.
yeah me too. :) we totally should again sometime
Petra responds.
im down. not much to study rn tho lol
Jesse considers that. Petra’s right; this early into the semester, the only class that’s been somewhat heavy on the material has been Econ, a core class, and one that she’s already pretty familiar with. One study session was enough for now.
“Well…?” Olivia hums into the silence, pressing for updates. Jesse glances up at her with a subtle smirk on her face.
“I said I’d like to study with her again,” Jesse murmurs, her eyes glued to the screen. Nerves tingling in her chest, she thinks of what to say, struggling not to just chuck her phone at Olivia and let her do the work. “But there isn’t much to study right now, so…”
Olivia eyeballs her curiously. “So…?”
Jesse runs through her options, but realistically, she can only land on one. Either she nosedives into this, or she chickens out. And Jesse prides herself on not being a chicken.
true
i mean we can always just get food or something
if you want :P
She doesn’t need to add anything else. If she tries, she might combust with anxiety. The message sits there, simple, honest. Scary.
Read.
Her phone stays quiet for a beat longer this time, just long enough to make Jesse question everything.
And then:
id like that
:)
Jesse smiles, letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Olivia stares at her, practically vibrating with anticipation. Before she can ask for more updates though, Petra’s already texting back, snatching Jesse’s attention.
there’s this diner nearby, like walking distance
i kinda wanna try it out, it’s open all night so we can honestly go rn
if that’s cool w u
Jesse reads it twice. Then a third time, just to make sure she’s not imagining any of this. Tonight. Like, today tonight? Not to mention the confidence in Petra’s texts. Just Petra being cool. As usual. Jesse has no clue how she hasn’t totally given away how down bad she is.
Jesse presses her lips together, heart hammering, and starts typing.
yeah, that sounds perfect!
Petra replies almost instantly.
sweet
i’ll come by around 9:15?
Come by? So Petra is offering to walk her there, too. Charming. Maybe too charming.
Jesse checks the time. 8:20.
Suddenly, Jesse is up and out of her chair, frantically typing up a response before rushing to get ready.
yeah rhat works great
Ill be here
“We’re going to a diner. Tonight.” Jesse answers the question she knew was coming, not even bothering to look up from her drawer as she rummages for something to wear. Her voice is strained, but Olivia catches the undertone instantly.
Olivia’s eyebrows fly up. “Tonight?” she echoes, already half-laughing. “Damn, you got straight to the point.”
“It’s the one a couple blocks over I think,” Jesse mumbles, tossing a hoodie to the side and pulling out a crewneck that she’s always liked. “I’ve seen it before. Apparently it’s a 24-hour place. She said she wanted to try it.”
Olivia hums, leaning back on her elbows. “That’s kind of cute. So it’s a date with your maybe-girlfriend? ”
“Don’t say maybe-girlfriend,” Jesse hisses, shooting her a wide-eyed look as she shimmies out of her sweats and pulls on jeans that don’t look like she’s been napping in them for the past three hours. “I’m already freaking out.”
“Well you should be,” Olivia says, grinning like a proud instigator. “She’s hot. And you’ve had a crush on her since like, the day you met her.”
“I know ,” Jesse groans, tugging a hand through her curls and glaring at herself in the mirror. “She just asked so…casually. Like, ‘wanna go to this diner’ like it’s no big deal. Well,” she halts for a second, “I suggested getting food, actually. But still!” Jesse takes out her hair clip and starts brushing her hair. “And I said yes because of course I did. And now it’s actually happening. And now I don’t know what to wear —”
“Won’t matter if she’s taking it off later,” Olivia quips.
Jesse makes a strangled noise, bends down, grabs something off of the floor and whips around, successfully chucking a balled-up sock in Olivia’s direction.
“Okay, okay, jeez ,” Olivia laughs, batting it away as it nearly strikes her in the face. “Just kidding.”
“I know you are,” Jesse mutters as a mock-threat, although the smile on her face hasn’t faded in the slightest. For a minute or two, a comfortable silence falls, with Jesse continuing to freshen herself up while letting the weight of the upcoming hours settle. Olivia watches, sensing her best friend’s nerves.
“You know she wouldn’t have brought it up if she didn’t want to see you.”
The words echo in Jesse’s head as she stares at herself in the mirror, her hands hovering just above the hem of her crewneck like adjusting it one more time might somehow make her less visibly nervous. Her reflection gives nothing away, though. She looks perfectly normal. But if anyone in the whole world could read Jesse, it was Olivia.
“I know,” she says softly, barely above a whisper. “It just feels kinda unreal. I’m nervous.”
Olivia doesn’t tease her this time. “It is real.” She sits up straighter, her voice gentler now. “You like her. She clearly likes you. And now you’re both finally doing something about it. Be excited. You haven’t had something like this for a minute.”
Jesse swallows, letting the words settle into place. She gives the mirror another glance. It’s a date. Probably. Kind of. Definitely. Her stomach won’t stop flipping over itself, and her palms are clammy, but Olivia’s right.
Jesse lets out a slow exhale and turns slightly, brushing invisible lint off her jeans. “Do I look okay?”
Olivia tilts her head and takes her time looking her over. After a few seconds, she smiles.
“You look hot.”
Jesse lets out a weak laugh, rolling her eyes, but it’s more affection than protest. “Okay, Liv.”
“Just being honest,” Olivia says with a shrug.
Jesse smiles, then lets out a relieving breath, calming herself down. It’s 8:30. She has some time to get herself together. She plans to use it wisely.
———
Petra rocks back on her heels, hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans. She texted Jesse that she was waiting outside no more than a minute ago.
It’s not cold out, not really, but her palms are sweating and the breeze brushing against her neck doesn’t help. She’s been out here maybe two minutes, tops, but it feels like ten. Maybe longer. Long enough for her heart to start thudding against her ribs like it’s trying to punch a hole through her chest.
She exhales, eyes flicking to the glass doors again. Nothing.
She looks down at her shoes. Then up at the sky. Then back at the door. She’s so tense she could probably leap ten feet in the air if someone sneezed. Relax, she tells herself again. You’re just hanging out with her. It’s fine.
A flash of movement behind the glass draws her attention, and then the door swings open. There she is.
Jesse steps out like she’s not about to completely ruin Petra’s ability to speak in full sentences. The wind catches a few loose curls around her face, her cheeks already a little flushed like she’s rushed down the stairs, and her lips part when she spots Petra waiting.
She looks up at her.
And smiles.
Petra forgets how to breathe.
“Hey,” Jesse says, stopping just a few feet away. She’s close. Her voice is easy, but there’s this tightness in it that makes Petra think that maybe she’s nervous too.
“Hey,” Petra replies. It comes out soft. Rough around the edges. Her throat’s too dry. She clears it, trying again. “You, uh, look nice.” Idiot.
Jesse raises a brow, clearly amused. “Yeah?”
Fuck. Petra nods, trying not to stare too long at her eyes, or her mouth, or her outfit or just at her. “Yeah.”
“Well, thank you,” Jesse says, tucking some hair behind her ear. “You clean up pretty nice yourself.”
Petra huffs a laugh. “Really? I’m… basically wearing what I always wear.”
“Uh, yeah,” Jesse laughs back, eyebrow still raised. “Exactly.”
Unsure of how to respond to that and face undoubtedly red as a tomato, Petra swallows, ducking her head briefly. She then gestures toward the sidewalk with a tiny shrug of her shoulder. “Well…you ready?”
Jesse nods. “Lead the way.”
They start walking side by side, in a comfortable silence that Petra has gotten used to with Jesse at this point. But it’s still buzzing under her skin, the knowledge that Jesse is right there, close enough to brush shoulders with if she moved even an inch. That she said yes. That this, this “not officially but basically a date” thing, is happening. And that, for once, Petra isn’t the only one flustered about whatever’s going on between them. Last night proved that plenty.
Petra glances sideways. Jesse’s already looking. They both instantly look away.
I should say something.
“So did y–”
“How was w–”
They both speak at once.
Petra winces. “Sorry. Go ahead.”
“No, you go,” Jesse says, shaking her head quickly, eyes on the sidewalk but a smile tugging at her lips. “Yours sounded more…complete.”
Petra huffs a quiet laugh, then clears her throat. Her eyes are fixed ahead on the stretch of sidewalk, glinting under the amber hue of the streetlights. “I was just gonna ask if you ended up doing anything today.”
Jesse snorts. “What, like work?”
Petra slides a glance her way, lips twitching. “Something like that. Although…” Her smirk shifts into something teasing. “I have been made aware of your current state of unemployment.”
That gets her a scoff. “Hey,” she raises both eyebrows matter-of-factly. “Only students looking for work are unemployed. I am a full-time student not interested in work, thank you very much.”
Laughter bubbles up in Petra’s chest. “Uh-huh. Sure,” she says, not bothering to hide her grin now. It was hard to hide anyway. Conversation was just so easy with this girl. The two make it over a crosswalk and fall into step on the sidewalk once again. Petra consciously decides to walk closest to the street.
“But to answer your question, yeah,” Jesse continues. “This morning Olivia and I just went to Campus Green. There were some clubs advertising and vendors, it was a whole thing. Y’know, for the first week.”
“Oh, yeah,” Petra hums, nodding a bit. “I remember hearing about that.”
“Yeah. Sucks you had to miss it for work,” Jesse muses. “I thought about inviting you.”
The notion makes Petra’s heart churn with regret. She totally would have preferred spending her morning with Jesse instead of standing around that stupid auto shop. Maybe I should try unemployment. Petra clears her throat. “I…uh. Yeah. That would’ve been cool.”
Jesse smiles beside her, just a little. It’s soft. It makes Petra feel like she should’ve quit her job on the spot.
“But what about you?” Jesse asks, nudging her gently with her elbow. “I mean, I know you had work, but… anything exciting?”
Petra scoffs. “Exciting?” She lifts a brow. “Come on.”
Jesse laughs, tilting her head. “I don’t know! Maybe someone drove a truck through the wall or something.”
“Unfortunately, no,” Petra says, smirking faintly. “Just the usual. Oil changes, a tire rotation, and some estimates. I got two appointments scheduled for next week.”
She shrugs like it’s nothing, though the pride lingers briefly in her voice, just enough to suggest that, yeah, she’s pretty good at her job. But the longer she talks, the more she becomes acutely aware of how not exciting this probably sounds to someone like Jesse. She clears her throat, pivoting.
“There’s also Jack,” she adds, tone lightening. “Always somehow getting grease on every square inch of his face.”
That earns her a giggle. A real one, bubbly and bright and god , Petra’s heart does something stupid again. Point for her.
“He has a beard, right?” Jesse asks, turning toward her a little as they walk.
“Yup,” Petra says, nodding.
“That can’t be fun to wash every night.”
Petra raises both brows, widening her eyes in mock-horror. “Bold of you to assume…”
Jesse lets out an exaggerated noise of disgust. “Ew, ew. ”
She’s still laughing when they reach the corner, and Petra can’t help but glance sideways again, drawn to the girl next to her. The diner sign glows faintly red, casting a dreamy haze against the glass. A few people sit at booths inside, hunched over plates of fries and coffee mugs. Their footsteps slow as they reach the entrance. The glow spills across the sidewalk like a spotlight.
Petra glances up at it. Then back down at Jesse.
And maybe it’s just the light, or the way Jesse’s eyes lift to meet hers in that exact moment, but Petra’s heart trips again. Something slow and full and warm settles into her chest. She clears her throat, suddenly aware of how quiet it’s gone between them. “This okay to you?” she asks, voice low, almost hesitant.
She reaches out to pull the door open for Jesse, who’s already smiling as she walks past. “Yeah! It’s perfect.”
———
By the time Jesse pokes at the last few fries on her plate, it’s already past ten. The diner around them has quieted since they first sat down. Most of the booths have emptied out, and the lull between late dinner and midnight cravings leaves the place wrapped in a soft stillness. Distant sizzling from the kitchen, a low hum of conversation from a couple tucked in the far corner, the clink of Petra’s fork against her plate as she finishes off what’s left of her pancakes.
They’ve been sitting here for over an hour. Talking. Laughing. Way more easily than Jesse expected. The last time they’d done this, they were in a bit of a time crunch until their upcoming classes. But tonight, they just got to be.
Jesse had been nervous at first, but everything with Petra felt casual, it felt right. Comfortable. The nerves had slipped into the background during the walk, honestly.
Now, Jesse’s half-leaning against the back of the booth, ankles tucked underneath her, watching Petra across the table as she absentmindedly scoops the last bit of syrup onto her fork and eats it like she’s determined to clean her plate.
“How do you still have room?” Jesse says, smiling into her drink.
Petra shrugs like it’s obvious. “I skipped lunch.”
“Why?”
“Work.”
“You’re not gonna sleep if your body’s digesting all that food.”
Petra grins, stretching her arms out in front of her for a second before leaning back with a sigh. “Oh don’t worry, I will. Once I drop you off and collapse into bed.” She lets out a sigh at the mention of that. “Ugh, I miss my bed.”
Jesse watches her, eyes lingering just a second too long. There’s something different about Petra when she’s like this. Softened. Relaxed. Her shoulders, usually held with some unconscious tension, have finally sloped a little. Her hair’s slightly messier now, like she ran a hand through it too many times mid-conversation. She’s clearly tired.
Jesse can’t remember the last time she had this much fun just eating food with someone. It’s dumb. It’s probably just the lateness and the buzz of sugar from the milkshake she got. But it feels like something.
“You’re staring,” Petra says, and her voice isn’t teasing so much as quietly amused.
Jesse blinks and immediately looks down at her plate. “No I’m not.”
“You totally were.”
“I was zoning out,” Jesse insists, cheeks hot. “It’s late anyway. I’m honestly as tired as you are.”
“I hear you,” Petra stretches again and then rubs her eyes with the heel of her hand. “You want me to walk you back?”
Jesse hesitates, then nods. “Yeah. If that’s okay.”
Petra gives a small, crooked smile. “Of course it is.”
They split the check without even arguing about it. Jesse insists on paying for her own fries; Petra rolls her eyes but lets it slide, and by the time they step outside, the air has chilled a little. Not cold enough for Jesse to shiver, but enough to make her tug her sleeves over her hands and walk a little closer than she had on the way in.
It’s quieter now, too. Campus is asleep. The streets feel like they belong to them. Their footsteps echo faintly, side by side again. Jesse can hear Petra breathing.
Neither of them speaks for a while. It’s not awkward, though. Not like silence used to be, back before Jesse admitted, to herself, to Olivia, to no one, that she liked Petra. That this whole thing made her feel like maybe she was slowly falling down a very soft, very confusing hill.
She glances up. Petra’s walking with her hands in her pockets again, eyes straight ahead, but there’s this… peacefulness to her now. Like she’s still thinking about something Jesse said ten minutes ago.
Jesse can’t help herself. “Hey.”
Petra turns to look at her.
“Thanks for tonight, by the way. The food was good.”
Petra’s smile comes slow. “Yeah. Anytime.”
They keep walking. The dorm building comes into view up ahead, way too quickly for Jesse’s liking, its front porch light cutting through the dark like a signal. Jesse slows a little as they approach it, unsure if she wants this to end.
Once they’re at the front steps, Jesse slows to a stop beneath the warm spill of the porchlight. Her hand lingers on the railing for a moment, fingers tightening slightly. Then she turns, heart hammering. Petra stops too, just a few feet away.
“So…” Jesse starts, her voice softer than before. It hangs in the air between them, like a question she’s not sure how to finish.
Petra doesn’t answer at first. Just looks at her. Not grinning. Not smirking. Just watching her. Her mouth opens slightly, like she wants to say something but isn’t sure how.
“I had fun,” Jesse says after a beat, quieter now. Her voice wavers with something she refuses to call nerves. She’s had enough of that today.
Petra nods, one hand rising to rub the back of her neck, her fingers raking through the edge of her hair. “Me too.”
The space between them is buzzing with tension, just as bad as it had been yesterday, maybe even worse. Jesse’s breath catches, her fingers fidgeting with the cuffs of her crewneck before she forces herself to still them. If something is about to happen, something that she knows she is barely emotionally-prepared for, then she needs a sign from the universe. Any.
Suddenly, Petra shifts. A single, silent step. Not a bold move. Just a quiet question asked in movement, and it steals the air straight out of Jesse’s lungs. Well, there’s my sign.
Petra’s even closer now. Close enough that Jesse has to tilt her chin up slightly to meet her eyes. Close enough that she can see the faint freckles over Petra’s nose and the edge of her dark lashes, the light from the dorm entrance catching in the curve of her cheekbone. Close enough that she can smell whatever cologne Petra put on. Close enough that Jesse’s gaze flickers, involuntarily , down to her lips.
And then even lower, to the soft rise and fall of Petra’s chest beneath her shirt. There, ink peeks out just under the sleeve again. It’s sharp and dark, so pretty…Jesse doesn’t even realize she’s moving until her hand lifts. She places it gently against Petra’s chest without much thought. Petra totally freezes.
The resulting warmth beneath Jesse’s palm is oddly soothing. She just rests it there. Not grabbing. Not pulling. Just feeling. And she feels it; Petra’s heart is racing, fast and heavy beneath Jesse’s palm. Taking a deep breath, Jesse stops staring at her own hand and finally looks up again. Their eyes lock.
Petra has a look in her eyes that makes Jesse want her impossibly more than before. The brunette swallows, throat dry. “You can,” she whispers, voice shaking just enough to betray her. “If you want to.”
After a moment of hesitation, Petra rests a hand on the railing beside Jesse and leans in, slow, steady, gaze dropping to Jesse’s mouth. She’s so close now Jesse can feel her breath, warm against her cheek, and Jesse’s hand curls ever so slightly into her shirt, anticipation buzzing in her veins.
Petra’s nose nearly bumps hers. Jesse doesn’t move. She doesn’t breathe. All she knows is that she wants this. She wants Petra’s mouth on hers, wants the quiet strength in Petra’s body, the hesitation in her hands, the way she’s still holding back like she’s afraid to go too far.
And then—
The creak of the door just ahead of them. Laughter, loud and sudden. Jesse jolts, not all the way, but just enough. Petra freezes instantly. They both glance toward the sound.
A trio of students walking past, completely oblivious. Dangling lanyards, phones in one hand, drinks in another. Just a group of friends going out. Totally harmless. But it’s just enough of a break in the moment to shatter it.
Petra backs off, barely. But enough that Jesse feels the absence in her chest like a dropped weight. Hands back at her sides, she stops holding her breath, letting it out with some annoyance.
“…I’m sorry,” Petra mutters, her voice catching low in her throat like it’s scraping its way out. “I shouldn’t’ve—”
Jesse shakes her head quickly, too quickly. “Don’t be sorry,” she says, and it comes out breathless. Her heart is still doing somersaults in her chest, loud and pulsing against her ribs. “I… I wanted to.”
She can still feel Petra’s shirt under her palm, the faint heat of her skin beneath the fabric. It’s all still there , written into her skin like the very tattoos she’d been enamored by.
Petra doesn’t look at her right away. She glances down and away, jaw tight, the edge of her teeth just visible where she presses her tongue into her cheek. Jesse can see how hard she’s thinking.
“No, I mean…” Petra’s voice dips again. “This wasn’t… for that. I didn’t, like… plan to kiss you. Or, try to. Or whatever that was.”
Jesse furrows her brow. Not because she’s hurt, but because the words don’t quite line up in her head. She tilts her head slightly, letting a soft, curious smile pull at her mouth. “No?”
Petra groans, barely audible. Her face is shadowed under the porchlight, but Jesse doesn’t need to see her cheeks to know they’re probably flushed. Petra’s ears are pink. That’s enough.
“I just meant…” Petra exhales hard, the words slow and heavy, like she’s trying to shape them as she speaks. “I wanted to see you. Like, you . Not just to try and… do something.” She gestures vaguely, helplessly, between them. “I wasn’t trying to like, get anything. I just liked tonight. I just like being around you.”
Something flutters deep in Jesse’s stomach. It’s not nerves anymore. It’s something warmer.
“I just didn’t want to mess it up by… kissing you,” Petra adds, more of a wince than a statement.
Jesse watches her for a second, silent.
Then she smiles. “That’s kinda sweet.”
Petra blinks, like she wasn’t expecting that at all. “What?”
“That you were nervous,” Jesse says, voice teasing but soft. “That you didn’t have some big plan. It makes me feel less ridiculous for nearly combusting yesterday just because your knee bumped mine under the table.”
That earns her a half-laugh, half-exhale from Petra, who visibly relaxes for the first time in minutes.
“Tonight was really nice,” Jesse goes on, leaning her shoulder on the railing. Her hand still tingles where it had rested on Petra’s chest. She wants to do it again. She wants to touch her again, without the world getting in the way. “And I would definitely be open to doing this again."
Petra watches her quietly, eyes soft. Her face is still unreadable in that frustrating, beautiful way she has. "Cool. Me too." Petra's voice is so hushed now, it's cute. Jesse feels her blush darkening.
The porchlight casts somewhat of a halo on Petra’s hair, and Jesse wishes for a second that it were later. That they were alone. That nothing had interrupted. That they were already used to this, already kissing. Already reaching for each other like it was natural.
But for now…
“You gonna text me when you get back?” Jesse asks, her voice light, just the faintest bit smug.
Petra blinks, clearly not expecting it. But she perks up quickly and nods. “Yeah. Sure.” Her voice is rough again, and that same quiet smile flickers over her face, the one Jesse’s starting to realize she really, really likes. It’s so different from Petra’s usual confidence. Gentler… bashful.
Jesse pretends to hesitate, just long enough to feel Petra’s eyes on her, then lets a grin pull at her mouth. “Cool.”
She turns toward the stairs, taking the first step up, letting her hand brush the railing. She’s not sure if Petra’s still watching her, but something about the moment feels like a thread, still tethered between them.
"Get home safe,” she says over her shoulder, trying not to let it sound too tender (and failing).
She hears the shift of Petra’s weight behind her. “I will.”
Jesse doesn’t look back beyond that, but she definitely smiles the whole way back to her dorm. If she’s already sleeping, Olivia’s getting an earful tomorrow.