Work Text:
“Do you think you could help me practice kissing?” Raissa blurted out.
Jo is sat on her bed, mouth slightly parted from shock. I mean what would she say in response anyways? When your best friend / the girl you’ve been in love with for over 10 years asks you to make out as “practice” are you just supposed to nod along?
“What.. would you need that for?” Jo says with complete curiosity. She shifts on her bed, picking up her leg so she is cross legged while Raissa starts to ramble over her words.
“Well, you know, just in case? What if someone wants to kiss me and i’m- i don’t know, like really bad at it?”
“Why are you worrying about this all of a sudden?”
“Jo why are you interrogating me about this?”
Jo looks at her straight in the eyes and immediately bursts out laughing. “Well you just barged into my room asking to kiss me!”
Raissa doesn’t laugh along, instead she glances at Jo and immediately starts pacing. Each step feels heavier than the last. As Jo’s laughter starts to fade out the sound of Raissa’s steps fill the room.
After what feels like an eternity of pacing, Jo breaks the silence.
“If you want to kiss me you can just say that.”
The footsteps stop immediately and Raissa’s head whips towards.
“What?”
“I wouldn’t mind it.” Jo shrugs.
Raissa looks Jo up and down. The silence returns, this time more deafening than the last due to the lack of Raissa’s heavy footsteps.
Thoughts flood Jo’s brain. Did she mistake Raissa’s intentions? She didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable or anything she just wanted to put it out there. Raissa’s face seems to be frozen in time.
“Sorry, I was just joking Rai. We can practice- or not whatever makes you comfortable. I’m fine with whatever it’s really up to you.” Jo throws her hands in the air and falls onto her back. Her eyes shut.
Part of her hopes that when she opens them up again that all of this was just an embarrassing dream. Unfortunately, when she opens them again, Raissa is still standing across her room, frozen.
“..Rai?” Jo mumbles.
“And what if I did just want to kiss you?” Raissa is staring at the floor. “Is that so bad?”
A million thoughts hit Jo’s brain immediately, but she doesn’t want Raissa to wait for her answer.
“No! Of course not!” Jo sits up. “Personally I think I benefit more from it. Imagine being able to say you kissed CalTech’s best and brightest” An awkward laugh escapes Jo’s mouth.
Raissa throws her hand over her mouth and looks away. Confused, and a little worried that she fucked everything up, Jo stands up and walks over to Raissa.
“I’m sorry I made it awkw-“ Jo pauses she hears a snicker comes from the direction Raissa is facing.
“Are you laughing?” Jo grabs Raissa’s shoulder.
Raissa turns towards Jo and completely bursts out laughing. Jo stares at her completely dumbfounded.
Raissa begins to wipe her tears as she looks at Jo and says “Mahal na mahal kita Jo.”
A deep shade of red and a soft smile begins to spread across Jo’s face. “Mahal din kita, Rai.”
Raissa lets out a chuckle and grabs Jo’s hands.
“Seryoso ako, I’ve loved you for a long time. As more than just my best friend. I’m sorry that it took me awhile to say anything. Instead I thought I could try and ask you to ‘practice kissing’ me- which as I say it out loud was not as a good of an idea as I thought. ”
“It really wasn’t.” Jo snickers.
“Oh shut up!” Raissa lets go of Jo’s hands and slaps her on the shoulder.
“Whaatt you said it yourself! You want me to lie to you?”
Raissa playfully throws her arms over Jo’s shoulders. “Maybe!” She laughs as she presses her forehead against Jo. In return, Jo places her hands carefully on the other girls waist.
“So…” Jo begins “are you still offering that practice sesh?”
“I don’t know… I think the offer expired.”
“Whaaat, that’s not fair!”
“I can provide you with something better though!!”
“Like what?”
Raissa smiles and cups Jo’s face. “The real thing perhaps?” She leans in slowly and their lips meet.
It’s better than Raissa, or Jo, could have ever imagined. It feels as if they are floating. That they are the only ones to exist in that moment.
Jo pulls away first. “And you thought you needed practice?”
Raissa snorts and rolls her eyes before leaning in to kiss her once again.