Holding hands for berena plz
It’s not just that Serena has no idea what’shappening in the film, it’s that she doesn’t even realize she has no idea what’s happening until more than an hourinto it.
“Wait, who’s that?” Serena asks – and she doeswant to know, even if the question is mostly an excuse to touch her nose toBernie’s cheek and whisper in her ear.
“John Glenn,” Bernie whispers back, squeezing herhand and then rubbing her thumb back and forth over a patch of skin that Serenacould swear shouldn’t be so sensitive, not after thirty years scrubbing in andout of surgeries, not after an adult lifetime of doing far more with hersignificant others than holding hands.
Doing far more than that with significant othersin movie theatres, even, but getting kicked out of cinemas (and restaurants,and a barber shop one dreadful night with Edward) isn’t really Bernie’s style,and to be honest, all of that feels… unnecessary now. Getting away with (oralmost getting away with) lewd public displays of affection was a way ofkeeping things interesting, of making Serena feel vibrant and passionate and young.
And yet here she is, well into middle age and thrilledto distraction by nothing more than Bernie’s hand in hers. Jason and Elinor willask her opinion once she returns home – Elinor’s a fan of one of the leadactresses and recommended Serena see HiddenFigures in the first place; Jason has no interest in seeing the film buthas been reading up on the historical inaccuracies – and Serena won’t for thelife of her be able to come up with an opinion on anything about the film otherthan the way Bernie’s face looks in the reflected light of the screen. Bernie’slike a kid at the movies, eyes wide, mouth a little open, and seeing Berniewithout worry weighing her down is more than worth the price of admission. Sure,Serena wants to kiss her, wants to slide her hands under the hem of Bernie’sshirt to splay across the warm skin beneath, wants to express the way her heartis so full in her chest by taking Bernie to bed and making her sigh Serena’sname while her skin sparkles with sweat in the lamplight—
But she has that, some nights, and she has long daysfull of conversation and shared expertise and yanking strangers’ lives backfrom the breach, and tonight’s about this, about going out to a movie andholding hands in the dark.
Serena drops her head to Bernie’s shoulder,closes her eyes and breathes her in. Bernie lifts their clasped hands andkisses Serena’s knuckles, and they have so much more than this together, butSerena thinks even this would be enough.
prompt was from this list
