You wake up in a bed that isn't yours to the smell of coffee, and you panic for a moment before you remember that you went home with Beth.

And then, when you remember that you went home with Beth (a woman?), you start to panic again.

You sit up quickly, holding the bed sheet up to your terrifyingly naked body, thinking quickly to try and calm yourself down. "What is it that Cosima always says? Sexuality is a… a spectrum?" you whisper to yourself. You take a deep breath and decide that you are not going to freak out about this.

You stand up, still clinging the sheet to your body, and take a look at the empty room around you. There's a dressed, a bedside table, and a chest at the end of the grey-sheeted bed. You notice that there aren't any pictures anywhere- not of friend, or family; nothing.

You look around the room in search of your underwear, full of embarrassment, because this is the first time you've ever lost your underwear in someone else's house.

You finally locate them, and you find your shirt from yesterday as well, pulling it on and buttoning it up. You search for your pants, but eventually give them up as a lost cause and tentatively make your way to the bedroom door that's cracked slightly open.

You take another deep breath and pull the door open a little more. You self-consciously pull down the blouse a little more (it strangely hangs down a little longer than you remember, falling a little less than halfway down your thighs) and peek your head around the doorway.

You're greeted by the sight of Beth in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, pouring a cup of coffee with her back to you. Her hair is wild and unruly as it falls on her shoulders and you realise you're wildly attracted to her like this, so you clear your throat lightly to get her attention.

"Morning!" she says cheerily, finishing pouring her cup of coffee before she turns around. "I was wondering when you'd be up. Coffee?" She lifts up her mug as she asks.

You nod. "Please," you say as you step out fully into the kitchen, pulling self-consciously on the end of your shirt again.

Beth's smile widens exponentially as you emerge from behind the door, and she turns to reach for another mug with a low laugh.

You look down at yourself. "What?" you ask nervously.

She answers as she pours your coffee. "You're wearing my shirt."

You look down again and realise that you are in fact wearing her shirt (no wonder it didn't fit), and your face flushes red. "Oh, my god, I'm- I'm so sorry-" you stutter out.

She turns around with a warm smile. "It's fine," she says as she walks around the island in the middle of the kitchen to hand you the mug of coffee. "It's kind of adorable," she finishes, and you're sure that if you weren't already bright pink, you'd have blushed at her words.

She hands you the coffee. "Sugar is on the table." She turns and goes to the fridge, and you take a hesitant seat at the table. "Do you take milk in your coffee?"

"Um, yes," you say as you drop a few spoonfuls of sugar into your coffee.

As she sits down and hands you the carton of milk, you realise that, past the initial anxiety, you feel comfortable here with her. You've never had a one night stand, but you're pretty sure that this is not generally how the "morning after" usually goes. And you're fine with that.

You take a sip of your coffee, feeling it slide wonderfully down your throat, it's warmth soothing any residual hoarseness.

"Um," you say, trying to form your current feelings into words.

Beth looks at you expectantly and runs her fingers through her hair once.

"I've never… um, done this before," you say, eyes locking with hers.

"That's fine," she replies softly.

"I've also… um, never done this before with… a woman," you say hesitantly.

"That's also fine," she says, smiling at you with such warmth you feel like you might melt.

"Okay," you say, letting out a deep breath you didn't know you were holding. "Okay."

She cocks her head. "Okay," she repeats, and takes a sip of her coffee. You follow suit, smiling happily, full of a sense of relief.

You and Beth finish your coffee in a comfortable silence, and then you say something else that's been pressing on your mind.

"So… what exactly are… we?" you ask, heart beating wildly.

Beth smiles a crooked smile. "We can be whatever you're comfortable with."

You feel your cheeks heat up a bit and you bite your lip, casting your eyes down to your empty coffee mug. "Good," you say with a nod.

"Now I don't know about you," she exclaims, standing up to stretch. "But I desperately need a shower." She grins mischievously. "Care to join me?"

You almost shake your head, the word "no" on your lips.

But then you realise that you absolutely want to join her, and so you stand up and take her hand, laughing as she pulls you to the shower.

-two years later-

"Beth!" you call out from the living room. "Hurry up! We're going to be late!" You reach up and pull on your ponytail nervously.

"Alright, alright, Ali, I'm coming!" Her voice echoes from the bedroom, and then she emerges, hopping through the kitchen as she tries to pull her second shoe onto her foot. "The wedding planner can wait two freakin' seconds. I mean, we're the ones paying her, why are we always rushing to meet her-"

"Beth," you huff exasperatedly, reaching out to fix the collar on her shirt as she reaches you, shoe finally on her foot.

She grins her crooked smile at you. "How do I look?" she asks.

You do a once over of her outfit, grey slacks and a light blue pullover on top of a white collared shirt. You smile. "Stunning. As always."

She winks at you. "Back at you, babe."

You roll your eyes at her and pick your purse up from the couch. "Ready?" you ask.

"You bet," she says. "Now let's go, before pro-bitch loses her head."

"Language, Elizabeth," you huff again. "And her name is Rachel," you clarify.

"I know," Beth says as she locks the front door behind her. "I just like it when you call me Elizabeth when I say a swear word," she finishes with a grin.

You shake your head with a laugh. "You are utterly absurd," you say as you unlock the car.

"But you love me for it," Beth says, winking flirtatiously at you over the hood of the car.

"Yes, yes, I do, now get in the car so we can go finish planning our wedding."