A.N.: The chapter you've all been waiting for! Enough of this platonic crap, let's dive into the realm of full-on feels!

DJ

First kiss: Jasmine

Waking up, I found myself snuggling rather close to a soundly-sleeping Debbie. I blinked stupidly once or twice trying to remember how we ended up here. Debbie was curled slightly around me, one arm behind me, one on top of me. Her right leg was hooked around mine, her face inches from my own. I stilled, trying not to disturb her by moving too much. I didn't want to break this placidity. This position, though unconventional, was…comforting. Her face was so relaxed when she slept, so without that mask of toughness everyone else knew her for. She was gentle and sweet really, once the mask came off.

It gave me a strong sense of satisfaction that I was the only one who got to see her like this. The real her. The person so damaged and broken but so strong and beautiful…

I wanted to place a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose, something easily within reach but utterly impossible if I didn't want to disturb her.

But how exactly had we ended up sort-of spooning on my bed?

I stared up at the ceiling, trying to think back through the haze in my mind. Debbie had been upset, I'd found her in here…There had been crying and music and vodka…

Vodka!

I sat up quickly. Too quickly. There was a violent tug on my right ear as my movement dislodged the headphone sitting there. Debbie gave a violent snort, startled awake by the corresponding tug in her ear. She jerked backwards, falling off the bed and landing hardly on the floor. I quickly scooted over to the edge and peered down at her.

"Oh God! God Debbie, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I was tryin' not to wake you!"

"Lousy job of it then…" She muttered, sitting up and rubbing her head. She blinked several times then grinned up at me, letting me know all was forgiven.

I grinned back but it quickly faded when I remembered just why I'd unintentionally violently woken her up.

"Where's the vodka, Debs?" I glanced around but didn't see it anywhere on the bed or table. A sudden fear seized me. What if Ashley had found it?

"You mean this?" I looked back down at Debbie. She was clutching the bottle triumphantly in her fist, wearing a grin that suggested she'd stashed it before we fell asleep.

I took a swipe for it but she scooted back, out of my range. "Give me that!" I demanded, sitting up on the bed. "I need to keep it hidden from Ashley!"

Debbie took a hearty swig from it then shoved it back into my hands with a grin. I swatted her then carefully tucked it back out of sight under my bed.

"Come on then."

We ran down the stairs but found our way out blocked by Uncle Ashley and Laurel.

"Thank you both for coming down." Ashley said as we paused.

"… we live here." I reminded him.

He chuckled uneasily.

"You alright Ashley?" Debbie asked. "You look a bit sick."

Ashley fidgeted slightly. "Umm… I knocked on your door earlier and you were… both asleep." He said looking from me to Debbie with a forced smile. "…Together."

Debbie grinned and leaned towards me. "Vodka." She whispered, her lips tickling my cheek pleasantly.

I giggled. "No harm in sleeping, is there?" I asked Ashley, grinning at Debbie.

"Well we were listening to music," Debbie explained, with a shrug, "And the next thing…" She paused, looking at Ashley. "… is there a problem or something?" I glanced at her then back to Ashley. What was this about?

"… Well…" Ashley glanced at Laurel. She refused to meet his eyes and instead only coughed quietly and nudged him. Turning back to us, he cleared his throat.

"I think that, umm…maybe it's about…" He stumbled over his words, as if trying to find the right way to express what was bothering him. We watched him gesture with one hand aimlessly, gazing upwards as if God would strike him with eloquence at any moment. "I think you're both a little old to be…to be… to be sharing the same bed." He finally said.

That's what this was about? Sleeping arrangements? "Oh don't worry, it's fine with us." I replied.

"Yeah, I've had to bunk up with some right scallys at home." Debbie joked. I giggled but stopped when I noticed that the painfully forced smile was back on my uncle's face. Debbie noticed it too, I was sure. "But I much prefer Jasmine…" She said in a slower, far more suggestive voice.

Ashley swallowed hard at this, the fingers on his hand clenching and unclenching in an endless cycle. Any trace of a smile, forced or otherwise slipped off of his face.

A feeling of dread stole upon me. "What's going on?" I asked, feeling lost.

"He thinks we're lesbians." Debbie said bluntly.

What? "What?!"

Ashley looked like he was about to say something, to chastise us or give some explanation as to this train of thought. Laurel was blushing terribly, still not looking at us.

Debbie took my hand and pulled. "Come on lover…" She teased.

I let her drag me around the corner out towards the front door and the street. "WHAT?!" I shouted to her as soon as we were out of sight.

Debbie was shaking so hard, tears were forming in her eyes as she tried not to laugh. But as soon as we were out on the street, all bets were off. The two of us broke down into full, deep riotous laughter that had us both gasping from breath and leaning on each other.

We were like that the whole way to the café. Us? Lesbians?

"My God that was too funny!" Debbie chortled, clapping me on the shoulder and wiping an eye. "If that's what he thinks when he sees us asleep, imagine what'll think if he knew we share clothes!"

I was laughing too hard to come up with a response. But I didn't mind. The gleam in Debbie's eyes was more than enough. I was so glad that Debbie was in a much better mood than she had been earlier.

We crashed through the café door, still flushed with the mirth of before although the laughter had died down considerably.

"What you havin' girlfriend?" Debbie asked, slipping her arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. That brought on a new fit of giggles, that and the fact that Debbie lightly tickled my neck as she drew me close. I shoved her off of me playfully.

"Like mother like daughter, eh?"

We turned to the dry voice. Cain Dingle folded up his newspaper and regarded us with a lazy, drawling indifference. Debbie stiffened immediately, her hand coming up to her hip in a defensive and rebellious stance. Cain raised an eyebrow slightly and reached for his coffee. "She used to shop 'round the corner and all when it suited her." He remarked, looking at his daughter like she were something he'd just found lying on the side of the road.

My fist clenched but I stayed quiet for now. I'd protect Debbie this time. This time she wouldn't be alone. No one was going to hurt her while I was here.

Debbie though, seemed to be through taking abuse for the day. "So you've heard I'm a lesbian then." She observed casually.

Her dad rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He took a long drag of his coffee.

I could almost feel the way my hand would tingle as I imagined slapped him. How dare he speak to Debbie like she didn't matter!

"And you've obviously got a problem with that." Debbie replied to his continued apathy with just a hint of anger.

Cain sat back. "If you say so." He said challengingly.

Debbie suddenly grabbed my face and pulled me close. Before I could do anything, her lips were on mine. My whole body tensed at the unexpected contact and seemed to freeze in that position. I couldn't move, couldn't think. Everything inside me: air, blood, and hell, even my thoughts were set in motion by the pressure on my lips even as my outside refused to move. For some reason, a conversation Debbie and I had had last summer jumped to the forefront of my swirling mind:

I've never had a boyfriend.

…So you've never even been kissed?

So I finally got my first kiss. From Debbie.

Was it supposed to feel this… warm? Her mouth pressed aggressively against mine as if trying to force herself closer to me, to bring us together. A jolt of pain shivered through me as she bit my lip. Something was happening in my stomach, something was bubbling and rising, a feeling I'd never experienced before…

Just as the wave was about to crest and drown me, Debbie let go of me. It did nothing to stop the turmoil within.

"Debbie!" I was dimly aware of Ashley shouting. Had he seen that?

My mind seemed to be on standby, watching the tornado of thoughts and emotions wash through me. The feeling in my stomach was taking over and flowing all through me, making my fingers tingle and my muscles relax. I still couldn't seem to move. I could still feel the pressure of her lips on mine, my chest and face were burning with equal parts embarrassment and… satisfaction? Was that what it was?

Cain stood up and walked past us, undoubtedly throwing some verbal quip at his daughter or perhaps at me. I heard nothing, all I could do was stare.

She looked at me then. I realized my mouth was still open and, with an effort that could have moved a mountain I was sure, closed it. Debbie opened her mouth as if to say something but Ashley grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her outside.

After a stunned second, I followed.

What had just happened?

DJ

"Is the café really the place to be..."

"To what?"

"To be…cavorting with each other!"

Ashley and Debbie had been having this back and forth for over a minute. But my brain was still stuck in the hailstorm inside my mind. My mouth came up with no words to contribute, my body seemed incapable of doing anything else except blankly following them down the road.

Debbie kissed me…Debbie kissed me…my first kiss…from my best friend…does she love me?..no it meant nothing…just another joke...what just happened?...why can't I speak…?...what is this feeling in my stomach…?

"Wo! A word." The shout startled me, if only slightly and I looked up to see Jack and Lisa walking towards us. Debbie and Ashley had stopped walking and bickering, at least for the moment.

Debbie sagged slightly as she saw her grandparents. "Here we go." She bemoaned, clearly expecting some kind of reprimand from her family as well. All this because she kissed me? But it meant nothing…

"I've asked that they take you back home," Ashley said. "I think it's for the best."

We both spun to face him, absolutely shocked at the suggestion. I suddenly found my voice. "What…no!" It sounded a little more like a squeak but I plowed on. Debbie needed me now. I wasn't going to let them take her away. "You've got it all wrong, there's nothing going on between me and Debbie!" I told Ashley as Jack and Lisa drew level with us.

Jack scoffed. "O'course there's not!" He said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"She's had half the men in the village." Lisa added drily.

"Oh cheers for that Lisa." Debbie snarled. I wanted to take her hand but something held me back. Something that had been born in me the moment she kissed me. It made me keep my distance.

"Now, you just behave yourself at Ashley's." Jack scolded Debbie. "We haven't got room to go takin' ya back! Or the patience…" He turned and left. "So think on!" He called as he and Lisa traipsed towards the post office.

Debbie and I turned back to Ashley, confused. So she could stay…?

Ashley was quiet for a moment then suddenly exploded back into his incredulous rage from before. "So why did you let me go on believing that…?"

"You let yourself believe," I interrupted him, before this got out of hand. "we didn't say a word." Well, nothing we meant anyway.

"Only that you don't need men." Ashley countered, as if this proved the whole point. "Then when I found you on the bed together…"

I shook my head in disbelief. Ashley really needed to get out more. "Debbie was upset, I was comforting her, end of story!" Sure maybe it had been rather intimate but not…sexual.

He looked from me to Debbie with a slightly dumbfounded and deflated expression. "And that's it?"

I nodded, an incredulous puff of air nosily escaping my lips.

Ashley looked down, actually looking somewhat embarrassed. "In that case, it seems I owe you both an apology." He said carefully.

"You know it's no big deal Ashley…even if…we were." With those words, I became aware of just how close Debbie was standing to me. Her chest was practically touching my shoulder, her hand was inches from mine. My heart skipped.

"Course it isn't." Ashley replied. He turned and walked away, glancing back at us with an unreadable expression.

A gentle tug had me stumbling after Debbie down the street. She had tucked her arm into mine as we had done so many times before. So why did it seem so different now?

"Sorry for snogging you like that…" She apologized breezily, placing her free hand on my arm.

Her easy confidence about the potential bombshell situation we'd just avoided was infectious and I found myself giggling again. "You bit my lip!" I accused her, rubbing the offended spot and pouting slightly.

"Sorry!"

We giggled for a bit, continuing down the road. But it was nothing like the innocent roiling laughter from before.

"You're not sayin' that I've had a lot worse." I remarked sassily, the thrill of this banter causing me to speak without thinking.

Debbie leaned close to me, her breath flushing hotly over my cheek. "Oh, you loved it." She teased lightly.

An uneasy chuckle escaped my lips and I let her arm slip from mine. Suddenly it felt like every breath was searing my lungs. I stopped, watching my best friend continue to walk away like nothing was wrong.

Debbie stopped after a few feet and looked back at me. "Jas? Come on!"

I followed her. But the strange, glowing, twisting feeling in my stomach remained. It had been burning in me slowly all this time, amplified each time Debbie looked at me. Stoked by her breath and fanned by her touch.

A moment ago, I had been laughing at the thought of being gay. But now…

A.N.: Ah! So we finally get to the moment! :D Hope you enjoyed this scene, it's my second favorite kiss of theirs (the first being much, much further along in the story). Awkward, emotional Jasmine is so fun to write!