Imogene was nervous.

We haven’t even been dating two months yet.

Next to Imogene, Blake stared intently at the laptop balanced on her legs, her dark hair hanging messily to the side. Propped up in bed after a shower, her usually sharp features were softened, unlike her glare at whatever wasn’t cooperating on her screen.

This had easily become Imogene’s favorite part of every day — just the two of them. Comfortable. Real.

Trying to pretend like she wasn’t eyeing her girlfriend for an awkwardly long time, Imogene ran her hand across the furball nestled between them. Curie didn’t raise her head from her contented sleep, used to Imogene’s touch by now.

Imogene understood the feeling. She’d never felt so... at home.

She realized she’d been caught in the act anyway when Blake turned her head, her brown eyes teasing over her new reading glasses.

“You said you wouldn’t stare.”

Imogene smirked. “Umm ... I definitely never said that.”

Blake snorted. “At the glasses, goofball. If they look weird, I’m just not gonna wear them anymore.”

“Noooo!” Imogene protested with a laugh, laying a hand on Blake’s to stop her from taking off the glasses. “I wasn’t staring at the glasses, I swear! They’re adorable. Makes you look even smarter.”

Blake narrowed her eyes playfully before slowly returning to her laptop — glasses still perched on her nose.

Still smiling, Imogene returned to the same line of the book she’d been reading on her phone. She barely registered what it said.

You canNOT say it, you doofus. Do not ruin this! Don’t say it!

She tried to read, to put the thought out of her mind, but ... how could she?

As if by a magnet, her eyes drifted away from the phone and back to the long, muscular legs separated from hers only by the warm little coil of fur. She was so used to the sight by now, to the smell of the sheets, to the hum of the air conditioner, to being in bed with ... with my girlfriend.

The way Blake chewed at the inside of her lip while she was thinking, the faded Duke T-shirt she wore to bed ... all of it was just as familiar. Like it had been their routine for years instead of only a couple of weeks.

Imogene couldn’t help it. Her eyes started to well up.

“You know I can see you still,” Blake said with a little smile, her focus still on the laptop.

Imogene wiped her eye in vain. “And? You want a medal?”

“Would you give me one?”

As Blake turned, her goofy smirk broke into an amused, pitying smile when she noticed Imogene’s eyes watering. That just heated Imogene’s cheeks even more.

“Oh nooo, what’s up, girl?” Blake was trying to keep a laugh inside, Imogene could tell — and she was too, frankly. She always teared up at the drop of a hat.

“I’m not crying!” The laugh escaped her even as she tried to keep her mouth a straight line, a few tears betraying her words.

Blake wasn’t even trying to hide her own smile. “Of course not! What was I thinking. Must be these damn glasses.”

Imogene nodded, smiling at her girlfriend, and used her palm to wipe away the remainder of what wasn’t in her eyes. When she took her hands away, Blake’s glasses were sitting on the nightstand.

“You were just looking for an excuse to take them off.” Imogene let her tone convey that she did not approve.

Blake shrugged, closing up her laptop and setting it next to her glasses. Her shifty expression admitted Imogene had probably made a good point, but she wasn’t going to say so out loud.

“Come on,” Blake said to Curie softly, nudging the cat. “Mommy’s having one of her Sunday night meltdowns.”

Curie let out an annoyed little trill, finally taking the hint — but took her time with a lazy stretch to let the two humans know she was only going to leave on her own terms.

Imogene barely noticed. Despite her best efforts, her eyes were watering again and she strained to keep control over her face.

Mommy?

That was the last straw.

Blake’s smile broadened from the corners of her mouth, like she thought the newest round of watering eyes was adorable, even if she couldn’t quite understand why it was coming in first place. Curie hopped off the bed and Blake closed the gap, scooting so their thighs were touching, and looped her arm around Imogene.

Another laugh escaped through Imogene’s tears, well aware of how ridiculous her reaction was. But she just let it happen anyway. Only a week ago, she would’ve been mortified at showing Blake this side of her.

Now ... well, if she’d felt at home before, she didn’t know how to describe the sense of warmth and security that washed over her as she nuzzled her nose against Blake’s neck, taking in a calming breath.

“So what’s up, huh?” Blake said softly, her hand gliding up and down along the back of Imogene’s thin cotton shirt.

Imogene pulled back so she could look up at Blake’s inviting, still-slightly-amused smile.

I can’t believe I still get so emotional. I’m too old for this!

They were both too old for this. Things had happened so quickly. Bedtime at Blake’s had become so normal, so routine, in such a short time. They both should have known better. Connections didn’t happen this fast.

Whatever you’re thinking, it doesn’t happen this fast either.