“Come with me,” Tina murmured, her voice barely above a whisper but full of quiet intention.

Bette let herself be led, her heart steadying, the tension in her chest slowly uncoiling as Tina guided her through the soft light of the house.

Their bedroom welcomed them like a quiet sanctuary, the dark teak floorboards, the matching bed, solid, warm, and familiar, framed by the delicate sweep of the mosquito net that hung like a sheer veil around it.

Tina let go of Bette’s hand only to lift the net with one graceful motion, stepping inside the soft, dim cocoon. She turned, her silhouette framed by the last of the twilight, and reached for Bette again.

But Bette hesitated, a small, apologetic smile touching the corner of her mouth.

“Give me a minute,” she murmured, her voice low and hoarse from the long day. “I need to shower… I smell like a barnyard.”

Tina’s lips curved into a knowing, affectionate smile, and she reached up, brushing her fingers along Bette’s jaw. “I don’t care,” she whispered, but stepped back all the same. “I’ll be here.”

Bette pressed a light kiss to Tina’s forehead, the weight of the day still lingering in her bones, but the warmth of Tina’s touch making her feel human again. She slipped away into the bathroom, the soft sound of running water soon filling the quiet space as dusk deepened into night.

When Bette stepped out of the shower draped in a terrycloth towel, Tina was standing across the room by the window, barefoot, her blonde hair loosely tied up, a few strands escaping to frame her face. The sheer linen shirt she was now wearing fell just to the top of her thighs, the thin fabric barely enough to soften the view of the body beneath it. The dim light, mixed with the faint glow of the approaching night, left her figure half-revealed, half-shadowed, delicate, yet striking.

”You look like a dream in this light.” Bette murmured; her voice low.

Tina let the words hang between them for a beat, her lips curving into the faintest smile. She stepped forward slowly, the linen panels of her shirt shifted slightly with the motion, revealing just enough to make Bette take a breath, deeper than before.