She smiled fondly when she looked at Bette’s face. The blonde positioned herself on top of Bette, careful not to put too much weight on the brunette’s tired out frame. Bette’s eyes were closed and her breath had become steady. One could be sure that she was asleep proceeding from her serene state. But Tina believed that her lover was just peacefully recovering.

Tina bussed her chin. ”Babe…” She murmured, receiving silence in return. ”Baby” She called again softly.

”Mm” Bette hummed huskily.

”Are you here?”

”Mhmm”

”What are you doing?”

”Mmm”

Tina snickered a little.

”Don’t you want to show me your pretty eyes, babe?” She continued sweetly, pecking Bette on her mouth.

”I wanna see your pretty eyeessss, open them for meeee” The blonde said in a singsong voice.

Tina waited. Nothing. She bit her lip playfully.

”Babe?”

”Mm”

”Do you love me?”

”Mhm”

”Do I love you?”

”Mhm”

”Babe?… Am I being childish?”

Silence.

”And annoying too?”

Silence.

”Silence means consent, baby”

A small smile started to curve at the corner of Bette’s lips.

”So, you’re saying I’m reeeally childish, huh?” Tina kept on, loving the appeared smile, but not showing it. ”And annoying as hell, right?”

She heard Bette snort.

”You don’t love me”

Bette’s smile grew until it turned into a broad grin. She opened her eyes partly and started chuckling.

Tina put on a fake pout.

Between giggles Bette managed to speak. ”You forgot manipulative…”

Still pretenting, the blonde attempted to go away, confident that Bette would stop her from leaving.

And she did.

”No Tee, stawp!” Bette laughed, catching a hold of her retreating girlfriend. She toppled her over and fumbled to seize her. ”Tee, you’re such a low-grade actress”

”I am not!”

”You are too” The brunette argued weakly, resting her weight on top of Tina now. She nestled against her. ”Aren’t you even slightly tired, Tee?” Bette slurred in fatigue.

Tina eyed her brunette partner and saw that she was struggling to keep her visibly jaded eyes opened. The blonde sat them both up and rearranged their scattered pillows. Then they tucked themselves in, snuggling up together. Tina threw her leg across Bette’s waist just as Bette was burying her head against her neck, whispering. ”I love you, Tee”

”I love you too, Bette. Sweet dreams…” Tina crooned back, and as soon as she voiced those sentiments she heard Bette’s soft snores. ”Never gonna leave you, never…” The blonde asserted in undertone.

Her words might have fallen on deaf ears, but Tina had no intention of them to be heard by her one and only. Thу blonde was filled with hope, her bond with Bette had been growing stronger and stronger day by day, her heart was telling her that they had big future together. Although Tina knew that nothing and no one was perfect and all the good was rather short-lived, however, being the optimist that she was, she preferred to think of her life as striped, though not with black and white stripes like zebra, but varicoloured – like rainbow. Tina just believed everything was going to be okay.