Tina was exhausted at her desk after the chaotic night she had with Bette, but she managed to keep both eyes opened, and to keep everything running smoothly. Well, at least that was what she told herself, as she had only been there for about half an hour.

“Morning, sweet peach.” Bette smirked, popping in for only a minute. “A little sore, are we?” She limped in, excited and met Tina’s hilarious expression.

“Don’t call me sweet peach,” Tina chuckled, dropping her head into her hands.

“You’re right. More like a bruised, affected peach. Torn by the flow and ebb of society and its patriarchical demands,” Bette smiled, seated now across from her feisty boss.

The look of disbelief on Tina’s face silenced Bette immediately. “You seemed to enjoy eating your ‘peach’ last night,” she teased, knowing just how evil the statement was. How tempting.

Bette couldn’t help but laugh at the quick wit of the blond – her quips were often sharp, and always amusing. “You know, that’s just something I can’t resist.”

Tina arched her brow. “… Peaches?”

“A bruised woman,” Bette said, hardly smiling, but it was there somewhere. The atmosphere was less comical, but there was still a comfort that never seemed to evaporate. She put her hands in her lap and admired the shelves for a moment. “So … we have a bit of talking to do, hey?”

Tina moved her eyes to her computer screen, smiling a bit at the way Bette spoke of her as bruised – it was a metaphorical label for the emotional turbulence in her life. She was troubled, in some ways, she thought to herself. She liked that Bette would never hide that part of her, or wish for Tina to do it, because it was a part of her. Still, she knew she shouldn’t give too much credit to Bette, or it would all go to her head. “You know … I think we really should meet after work. Maybe discuss when to tell people about us.”

“You mean I shouldn’t have said anything?”

When she met Tina’s glare, she could see that it was wrong of her to tease. She smirked, giving Tina all she needed to know it had been a joke. “Do you want to give me heart attack?”