Cosima had never really liked cars. Sure, she appreciated that they had been invented so that people didn't have to walk everywhere, but she never really loved them. She didn't like how dirty they could get, or how they smelled good at first but then they started to smell like people and you had to get air fresheners, and she definitely didn't like how often they broke down. But Delphine driving a car was the hottest thing she'd ever seen, and maybe she could grow to like cars if Delphine was always doing the driving.

It wasn't just Delphine's driving that made Cosima like the car either; it was the feeling the car gave her. Cosima couldn't be sure if she liked Delphine's car because it was nice, or if it was because it was Delphine's, but either way, she felt at home in it.

"So, Cosima, tell me, how exactly did you end up on my couch last night? I was a little bit too shocked this morning to really comprehend what you were saying," Delphine said, turning onto a different street.

"Uh, well, it's kind of embarrassing actually."

Delphine grinned. "That just makes me want to hear it more!"

Cosima grinned back, her tongue poking out between her teeth. "Well, like every Friday night, I was at a party."

"Ah. A party. That's how it always begins."

"Shut up."

"Cheeky girl," Delphine replied, smirking.

"Do you want me to continue?"

"Yes! Yes, very much. Don't stop on account of me."

"Good, okay then." Cosima began gesturing emphatically. "So, like I said, it started at a party-"

"Wait!" Delphine interjected.

"What?"

"I need to know where you live so I can actually drive you home."

"Oh. Right. I knew that." Cosima looked out the window and tried to remember the way home. "Uh, turn left here and just keep driving for a while and I'll tell you when you need to turn, is that okay?"

"Perfect." Delphine paused. "Go on?"

"Oh! Yeah. So I was at a party with Sarah Manning last night, right? And I don't totally remember what happened, but-"

"Wait – what?"

Cosima stopped gesturing. "What?"

"You don't remember what happened?"

"Well, not really… I remember getting there and talking to this guy, Chad, and then I left to go talk to… Paul, I think his name was? He's that Sarah girl's boyfriend. I don't think he's too trustworthy though, I mean he's been seeing Rachel Duncan behind Sarah's back for quite some time…"

"I don't know who any of those people are, but I'm going to assume that their identities aren't of too much importance?"

"Nah, not really. Just know that Sarah is this punk rock ho and I basically only hang out with her to get rides to parties, and that Rachel is this bitchy English girl who's totally in love with herself." Cosima paused, trying to resume her story before adding, "oh! And they're both totally gay for each other. Honestly, I don't know who Rachel thinks she's trying to fool by going with Paul."

"Sarah, probably."

"Yeah, probably. Anyway, so I went to the party and talked to Paul… and I don't really remember what happened after that. Maybe I just got hella drunk?"

Delphine grunted. "Maybe."

"Yeah, probs." Cosima scratched at her arm. "So anyway, after parties I never feel like going home because a) my house is way too far away to walk to and there's no way Sarah would leave the party before three in the morning, and b) my parents would be out anyway, so it's not like I'd get in trouble if I didn't come home."

"Your parents, they are gone a lot?"

Cosima shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

"That's a little sad."

Cosima looked down at her now still hands. "Yeah. I guess so."

There were a few moments of silence before Delphine spoke. "So instead of going home, you go to…"

"Oh! Yeah, I go to Scott's. Scott's this guy I met in freshman year of high school, so we've known each other for a while."

Delphine nodded.

"Oh! Turn left at this light!" Cosima warned.

"Got it," Delphine replied, putting her turn signal on. "Are you and Scott…. Together?"

"Scott? Oh, god no. He's great and all, but I'm not interested. He might be, but… no." Cosima shook her emphatically. "But he and I have known each other forever, and he's always really nice to me, so it's not like it'd going to affect our friendship. I just go over to his house when I need a place to crash. And I guess you two live next to each other? Yeah, I must have been really drunk last night."

"You don't seem hungover to me."

"Guess the aspirin must've helped then. Thanks, by the way."

"No problem."

There was another moment of silence before Cosima spoke. "So, how did you come to be in that house? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Oh, non, I just moved in."

"Nice house, man. Especially considering you're so young. You're what, 19? 20?"

"Oui. I'm 19."

"Cool beans. I'm 17, but I'm turning 18 in March."

"Mmm, so that means you're in high school?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm studying to get my PhD at UC Berkeley."

"Dude, that's what I want to do! What are you majoring in?"

"Host-parasite relationships," Delphine said. Cosima nodded excitedly. "Do you know what you want to major in yet?"

"Oh, yeah, I want to do evo devo."

Delphine paused for a minute. "That's… Evolutionary development! Oui?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, that's just what we call it here. Sorry."

"Non, no problem Cosima."

Cosima grinned down at her hands in her lap. Dammit, this girl is really, really fucking cute. "So, uh, what's up with you? How'd you get such a great house?"

"Oh, eh," Delphine said, pausing. "My friends and I are… renting it out. But they're visiting France right now. They should be back soon."

Cosima could tell something was off about the explanation Delphine had given her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She shrugged it off as how English wasn't Delphine's first language and scratched her arm.

"Oh, uh, turn right here!" Cosima pointed out, pointing wildly at a stop sign. Delphine complied, smiling, turning onto the street.

"We're almost there," Cosima commented.

Delphine's smile dampened a bit, nodding. Cosima turned her in the direction of her house, instructing her to turn at various points on roads until finally, they reached Cosima's house.

"So." Cosima stared down at her hands, not wanting to leave but not wanting to be rude and stay.

"So," Delphine replied, slowly turning her keys in the ignition to stop the engine.

"This is my stop."

"Indeed it is."

Cosima scratched her arm again.

Delphine frowned. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Huh?" Cosima asked, her head snapping up to look Delphine in the eye. "Doing what?"

"Scratching at your arm," Delphine said, mimicking Cosima's motions.

Cosima looked down at her arm, which was now red and irritated. "Hmm, that's weird. Maybe I ate something?"

Delphine was still frowning. "Maybe."

There was a moment of silence before Cosima spoke. "Well, I should probably get going."

"Yeah."

"Thanks for the ride!" Cosima said, opening the car door.

"You're welcome!"

Cosima climbed out of the car, spending the most possible time a human being ever could closing the door. And then –

It was shut.

Delphine hadn't stopped her. Delphine hadn't said anything at all. Guess she doesn't like you as much as you thought, huh, Niehaus?

Guess not.

Cosima turned away from the car and started to walk towards her house.

"Cosima – wait!" Delphine's voice sounded from behind her, and she heard a car door closing. She turned to face her.

"Uh, I was wondering…" Delphine paused, her face red. "Could I get your number? Just in case you're ever in the neighbourhood again and you need a place to stay. Besides Scott's house, of course."

Cosima grinned, her tongue poking out between her teeth. "Yeah! Sure. Could I have yours?"

"Oui! Oui, of course."

Cosima jogged back over to where Delphine was standing and exchanged her phone for Delphine's. She typed her number into the blonde's phone and stared back up when she had finished. She noticed that Delphine paused for a second before entering something into her phone. She thought for a second that maybe Delphine wasn't going to give out her number, but when Cosima received her phone back, she found a 415 number followed by a name.

Delphine Beraud.