Hey, guys. This one is a little shorter than the last few, I think, but we cover a fair amount of time. If any confusion results, let me know. This one is also a bit different in terms of style - as opposed to longer connected scenes, this one has a few shorter moments.

My goal with this story is realism, and I'm trying to keep the relationship feeling like a regular relationship. If my version of realism differs from other people's experience, let me know - I'd actually find it interesting. That being said, hope you enjoy this installment.

Not proofread. But they never are, so I guess that's not news.


The next morning Lauren crept around her bedroom, trying to make as little noise as possible while getting ready for work. Bo was still asleep in her bed, the blankets twisted around her, the pillow bent into the shape of a U under her head.

It had felt nice waking up next to Bo. It had felt natural. Lauren was almost surprised at how easy it was have Bo around – when she had been with Nadia, waking up and getting ready for work quietly had seemed awkward somehow. With Nadia, it always felt like she had company. With Bo, it didn't feel that way – it just felt like she belonged there.

Lauren took a moment to observe Bo's sleeping form, and with a small smile, turned to leave the room. She was carrying her shoes in her hand, and when she turned, she promptly dropped one, watching powerlessly as it tumbled from her hand and clattered onto the floor.

So much for being quiet.

"What time is it?" she heard Bo groggily ask.

Lauren turned to her. "Early. Go back to sleep."

Bo looked at the clock and bolted to an upright seated position. "Shit, I'm late."

Lauren walked over and gently pushed Bo back toward the bed. "You took today off. Go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you up." Bo still looked vaguely disoriented, and Lauren hoped that was a sign that she had slept deeply the night before. Lauren smoothed her hand across Bo's sleep-tangled hair. "There's coffee in the kitchen, help yourself to whatever you want. There isn't much food, but if you can find anything, it's yours. I'll be home tonight." Lauren leaned forward and gave Bo a quick peck.

"Your bed is really comfortable," Bo mumbled, closing her eyes as she sunk back under the blankets.

Lauren smiled. "Good. Take advantage of it. I'll see you later." Lauren got up and walked out of the room. She thought she heard Bo mumble something as she walked away, but when she turned back, Bo was already drifting back to sleep.


At 12:30p Lauren walked back into her office. Her desk was a mess – somehow being away for two days and created what felt like an insurmountable mountain of work. She was getting through it, slowly, but it was making the day feel tedious and long.

She had just sat back down at her desk when her phone buzzed. "Dr. Lewis?" the voice from the main desk said. "There's someone here to see you."

Lauren picked up the phone. "Who?" she asked. She wasn't expecting anyone today.

"She said her name is Bo?"

Lauren smiled to herself. She should have guessed. "I'll be right down," she said.

Lauren entered the main lobby and found Bo waiting beside the main desk, holding a bag of what appeared to be takeout. Lauren walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a smile.

Bo held up the food. "It's Wednesday," she said, simply.

With a grin, Lauren took Bo by the arm and led her upstairs to her office for lunch.


Bo spent the night at Lauren's that night, but got up early the next morning to go back to her apartment and get ready for work. She knew Lauren wanted he to take the rest of the week off, but she was already dreading what was probably waiting on her desk. In the early afternoon, her phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

Lauren: Hey, I was thinking about making fish for dinner. Interested?

Bo grinned to herself as she texted back: Absolutely. What do you need me to bring?

Lauren: Something store bought. I don't need food poisoning.

Bo couldn't stop the laugh that came from her as she read the message.


When work ended on Friday, Lauren returned home to grab some clothes and a toothbrush before heading to Bo's. She arrived and entered through the bar, waving to Dyson as she walked by. He gave her a small smile and said "good luck" as she passed him. Not knowing what that meant, she headed upstairs. When she reached the apartment door, she was greeted by the unpleasant odor of smoke and burning plastic.

Lauren walked in and found Bo sitting on a bar stool with a glass of wine, doing something on her phone. She glanced over to the sink and saw what appeared to be smoke rising from it.

"Uh, Bo?" Lauren asked in confusion.

Bo glanced up. "Hey, Sweetie. I'm just ordering a new frying pan off Amazon."

Lauren glanced around the room one more time and found she was no less confused then before. "What the hell happened?"

"I was making dinner," Bo answered simply.

"And you lit a frying pan on fire?"

"Yeah."

Lauren hesitated. "I mean, I didn't even know that was possible…"

"Faulty engineering, I guess," Bo said with a shrug.

Lauren walked over to the sink and looked at the pan. "Were you trying to make…" she looked at the charred contents of the pan and came up empty. "What were you trying to make?"

"Rice," Bo answered.

"Rice," Lauren repeated. "In a frying pan."

"Fried rice," Bo clarified.

"Did you put water in it?" Lauren asked, moving the pan around in the sink.

"Alright, look Julia Child, it's fried rice. A frying pan seemed like the reasonable way to go," Bo answered with a shrug and a smile.

Lauren just shook her head and laughed.


Three weeks later, on a Saturday afternoon, Bo and Kenzi were in their apartment, getting ready for the evening. Kenzi and Nate had plans to go out for a nice dinner, and Bo was preparing to work a shift at the Dal.

"Are you and Lauren staying here tonight?" Kenzi asked as she put on her makeup.

"Yeah, is that okay?"

Kenzi nodded. "Yeah, I figured she would since you all are working together tonight. How's that going, by the way?"

Bo smiled. "Really great."

"Awesome," Kenzi answered. "Crazy, you were with Rainer all that time and it was all fighting and drama, and your with Lauren for like four months and you're already living together. I guess it really just is a matter of finding the right person," Kenzi commented.

Bo paused for a second, looking at Kenzi. "What are you talking about? We don't live together."

"Sure you do," Kenzi answered.

"Uh, no, we don't. We both still have our own places."

Kenzi shrugged. "Well, yeah, I mean, you still have your own places, but you definitely live together. You just live together at two addresses."

Bo shook her head. "You're crazy."

Kenzi balked slightly, staring at her. "Seriously, you don't know this? Sweetie, you two totally live together."

"I think I would know if I was living with my girlfriend," Bo answered.

"Clearly not," Kenzi replied. "There is a litmus test for living together, and you and Lauren totally are."

"Oh, really?" Bo asked. "Please, enlighten me."

"Alright, well, it's similar for the litmus test to figure out whether you're dating someone. When you start seeing someone, you know you're dating when you have a standing date that no one has to ask about. So, at first, one of you asks the other out, you make plans, whatever. When you get to the point that the date is just implied, when no one actually has to ask the other person on a date, then you're dating.

"The test for finding out if you live together is similar. When you're just dating, staying together is something you do sometimes, but it's something that's talked about or planned in some way. When it's just assumed you're going to be together every night, that's living together."

"That's ridiculous," Bo said, shaking her head.

"Oh, is it? Alright then, tell me this. What did you and Lauren have for dinner last night?"

"Lauren made chicken," Bo answered.

"Okay. And how did that planning go?"

"What do you mean? Lauren texted me and said she was going to make chicken, so she made chicken."

"Did she ask you if you were coming over for dinner?"

Bo thought for a moment. "Well…no…"

"Because she knew, right? Because you have dinner together every night. It's assumed that you're going to be together."

Bo didn't answer, thinking for a moment.

"Alright, how about this, when was the last night you weren't together?"

Bo thought. "It was…I guess it was right before I went back for my mom," she answered.

"So, like, four weeks ago?"

Bo shook her head. "No, look, just because we've been spending more time together, that doesn't mean we live together. Isn't there some rule about the amount of closet space or something?"

Kenzi shook her head. "Doesn't count. You and Lauren basically wear the same size. Her closet and yours are interchangeable."

"Oh, come on," Bo said with a laugh.

"She has her own toothbrush in our bathroom. She has whole milk in our fridge. She's incorporated into the morning bathroom routine. You two live together."

Bo shook her head. "Whatever, crazy," she said, going back to getting ready.

Kenzi shrugged. "Don't believe me? Fine. When Nate and I are done with dinner, we're going to come back to the bar and we're going to present it to the group. Let's see which one of us is right."

Bo glanced at her. "Deal."


Later that night Bo was working behind the bar at the Dal. Lauren was waitressing and bussing tables. When there was a lull, she wandered up the bar to talk to Bo.

"So she thinks we live together?" Lauren said as Bo wiped down bottles.

"Yeah, she has some theory that because we don't formally invite each other over anymore we live together," Bo said, rolling her eyes.

"That's insane," Lauren said with a laugh. "So she thinks we live together, but we've never talked about it, and neither one of us know about."

"Yeah, pretty much," Bo answered with a smile.

"Your roommate is crazy," Lauren said, smiling.

"Hey, based on her theory, she's your roommate, too," Bo answered.

Just then the doors to Dal opened and Kenzi and Nate entered. Kenzi had a strange look on her face as she dashed toward the bar, putting her hands down on the bar top.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" she said. Her voice was strangely energized and fast.

"Hey, Kenzi," Lauren said, uncertainly.

"You doing alright?" Bo asked.

"I'm great," Kenzi said, staring at Bo.

"Okay, then…" Bo said. She set her rag down on the counter and froze. "What is that?" she said, pointing to Kenzi's hand.

"Oh, this? This is my engagement ring."

"Shut up!" Bo exclaimed, running from behind the bar to hug Kenzi. Nate walked up, smiling, and Bo pulled him in for a hug as well. "This is crazy! You're getting married!"

"I know!" Kenzi squealed.

"Congratulations," Lauren said to Nate, warmly with a smile.

"Thanks," Nate answered.

Bo and Kenzi continued to ignore them as Bo examined the ring and talked excitedly to Kenzi.

"I think they forgot we're here," Lauren said with a smile.

Nate shrugged. "It's cool. They'll remember eventually," he said, as he looked at Kenzi affectionately. He turned to fully face Lauren. "So, how are you? How's living together going?"

"Oh, for the love of God."


The bar closed at 2:00a, and when all the customers had left the gang gathered for shots to toast Nate and Kenzi. Kenzi recounted the story of how Nate had proposed, and they continued to drink By 3:00a, they were giddy and drunk.

"Oh! I almost forgot," Kenzi said, putting her drink down. "Group vote. Who thinks Bo and Lauren live together?"

Tamsin, Vex, Ciara, Dyson, Nate, and Kenzi raised their hands.

"And who thinks they don't?" Kenzi asked.

Lauren and Bo raised their hands.

"Overruled!" Kenzi said. "You two live together. The group has spoken."

"We don't live together!" Bo said. "If we did, I think at least one of us would know."

"Clearly not," Vex answered.

"This is crazy. I mean, that's like saying you can be married to someone without ever proposing," Lauren commented.

"Well," Bo said quietly to Lauren, "that is kind of what common law marriage is…"

"Seriously?" Lauren asked.

Bo shrugged.

"Wait, are you two married?" Ciara said with a laugh.

"No, for common law marriage you have to live together for at least seven years. And Lauren and I don't live together," Bo answered.

"So you'll be common law married in six years and eleven months," Nate said.

"We don't live together!" Lauren and Bo said in unison.

"Prove it," Tamsin said with a smirk.

Lauren glanced at her. "How would we do that?"

"Well, we all talked about going out next weekend to celebrate Nate and Kenzi. Between now and then, you two have to be apart. You can see each other, but no staying with each other. You stay in your own homes."

"I don't see how that proves anything," Bo said. "Nate and Kenzi stay with each other, you don't think they live together."

"We stay with each other three or four nights a week," Nate commented. "Not every night."

"Alright, fair enough," Tamsin said. "You two can stay together, but from Wednesday night to Saturday, you can't. That's three nights apart."

Lauren turned to Bo. "What do you think?"

Bo shrugged. "I mean, if it'll shut them up."

Dyson took a sip of his drink and smirked. "You two are planning out which nights you aren't going to spend together. That proves you live together."

"So, what's the point of this little game?" Bo asked. "How does this prove anything?"

Kenzi thought for a moment. "Alright, how about this – you stay apart for three nights. If you can't do it, you have to admit that you live together."

Bo rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous, and it doesn't prove anything. I'm not doing it."

"So you admit you can't?" Dyson said with a smirk.

"This is nuts. You want me to stay away from my girlfriend for no apparent reason to prove a point?"

"No," Tamsin said, taking a sip of her drink. "We just want you to admit that you live together."

Bo sighed. "Alright, three nights. And then you all stop?"

Vex smiled. "Then we stop."

Bo and Lauren glanced at each other. "Alright, deal," Lauren said.


Let me know what you think