Smiling gently, Bette breathed in and out, and let herself relax. “Goodnight, Tina.”

“Don’t you have to set your alarm?”

“I did that this morning.”

Tina shook her head and snuggled back. Bette was hilariously organized, and even unpredictably so. Tina had thought it was sweet when she was only a student in Bette’s class, but now it was adorable. “Mmm … goodnight.”

They didn’t speak again until morning crept its way into night, and the alarm went off. It was a loud, beeping, buzzing mess of static sound. Tina screamed and clung to the sheets and Bette woke with a similar start – to the girl’s reaction.

“Ahh! … What? What’s wrong?”

“What the fuck is that?” Tina asked, wanting to laugh, but too terrified to do so.

“It’s … my alarm,” Bette grumbled, hitting snooze and laying back down. “I’ll get up in five minutes.” When Bette simply laid back down, Tina scoffed.

“What?! You wake up to that every morning? … That massacre of sound? I almost had a heart attack!”

“I’m a deep sleeper – it’s the only thing I wake up to,” Bette mumbled again, trying to be alert to tend to Tina in any way she could. “Come lay down with me?”

“Not before you turn that thing off!” Tina laughed, pointing to the noisy device.

“But I’ll just fall back asleep.”

“There are better ways to wake up,” Tina insinuated, keeping the sheets tucked under her arms, but arching her brow at her own tease. “I don’t need a headache so early in the morning.”

Finally Bette pulled herself up to sit, and pulled Tina close. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would scare you. Are you alright?”

That’s better, Tina thought to herself, closing her eyes to Bette’s comfort. “I’m okay. And thank you … I was just terrified when it went off. I thought it was your house alarm or something. I thought I was gonna die.”

“Poor girl,” Bette chuckled, helping Tina to lay back down with her. Their naked skin felt so natural together, and they were so tired, that it wasn’t a sexual moment. It was just right. “I need to relax for a few minutes before I go racing around to get ready. Please? … Stay here and lay with me?”

“I don’t know … I don’t think I should …” Tina teased, easily finding comfort in Bette’s stronger, more confident hold. Her eyes immediately closed, her breathing slowed, but her mind was still alert enough to wake them both later.

Bette just smiled and held Tina a while longer. She could have laid there forever.