"Every last person in there is such an uppity snob." Tegan comments. She takes a drag off her cig, turning to Sara, waiting for her to say something. She accidentally blows all the smoke right in Sara's face. "Sorry."
"It's okay." Sara coughs into the crook of her sweater clad elbow. "If you don't like those people, then why are you here?"
"The publicity, money, free drinks." Tegan raises her wine glass into the air. "Not to mention I got to bring the cutest date. Everyone's obviously jealous."
"I don't think that's what they're jealous of. Everyone can't stop talking about your work in there. You're so talented." Sara says. The entire night all she heard was people rave about Tegan's work, not any of the other artists being featured. She thinks it's silly how Tegan was such a ball of nerves beforehand, thinking everyone would think her style was too weird, or too abstract.
"You're too sweet for your own good, ya know that?" She takes another hit, remembering to exhale the other way this time. "I hope Aiden realizes how lucky he is."
A strand of hair falls from behind Sara's ear. She reaches to put it back in place but Tegan beats her to it. Sara watches Tegan's chocolatey brown eyes as she tucks her hair back, grazing her fingers down Sara's jawline to her chin. "Such a fuckin' cutie." Tegan whispers, taking the last hit from her cig, and flicking it off into the darkness of the alley they stand in.
Sara feels something within herself shift. She's not even remotely grossed out by the smoke passing through Tegan's lips, disappearing into the night air or the smell of all the deadly chemicals. She likes it. She likes the way Tegan's eyes flutter shut from her nicotine buzz. The way the corners of her lips twitch when she purses them to exhale, wanting to turn up into a smile. The constant sincere compliments spewing from those lips.
The feeling of wanting her lips to touch Tegan's, to touch another woman's, is foreign to her though she's sensed it building over the past week. The rational thing to do would be to shake the thoughts from her mind, and suggest to Tegan they go back inside. Nothing in Sara's body is telling her to be rational at this moment. Maybe it was the small glass of wine she had or the minimal light in the alley is tricking her to think that Tegan is just a shorter, prettier version of Aiden and that what she's feeling is okay.
So she does the most irrational thing possible.
She grabs the collar of Tegan's blazer roughly, pulling her into her. Their faces are an inch apart, and Sara hesitates for just a moment, watching Tegan lick her lips.
"You know you want to." Tegan's moist lips pull into a cocky grin.
"I shouldn't." Sara mutters, eyes shutting in concentration. She tries to will herself to pull away and go back inside, but it's useless.
"That's what makes it so fun." Tegan grazes her tongue just barely across Sara's top lip, tempting her.
Any resolve Sara had left flies out the window and she mashes her lips against Tegan's, her stomach flipping in excitement, and she thinks her decision was completely worth it.
Sara pulls away, taking a deep breath. She opens her eyes to see Tegan diving back in for another. She doesn't have time to protest before Tegan's tongue is in her mouth and her hands are grabbing her ass. She melts into it, kissing back with equal passion when Aiden's smiling face flashes into her mind and she can hear him clearly saying "I love you". She rears back, letting go of Tegan's blazer.
"Not too shabby, sweet little Sara." Tegan chuckles, having yet to realize she just kissed her brother's fiance and should be feeling guilty.
Sara does the only thing that comes to mind. To blame Tegan for what just happened. So she slaps her right across the face. She looks down at her hand as if it belongs to someone else, unable to comprehend that she did in fact, just do that. She looks back up at Tegan holding her cheek and laughing. Sara can't stand it and she makes a run for it down the alley and in the direction she hopes she lives.
"Running's not gonna make it any less real, Sara! And remember, you kissed me first!" Tegan yells, rubbing the sting out of her cheek. She wished she could say that was the first time a girl had ever slapped her.
Tegan downs the rest of her wine, heading back into the gallery.
Sara runs block after block, tears streaming down her face. She slows to walk, realizing she doesn't recognize a single building around her. She leans against a tree, and wipes the tears from her eyes.
She can't wrap her mind around the nights events. Would Aiden know? Would Tegan tell him? Would he leave her? Would it happen again?
She immediately tells herself she does not have a crush on Tegan, she is not gay, and it is just a small infatuation. She only feels this way because Tegan was cool, confident, and did whatever she wanted to, and Sara admires her for that. She didn't really mean to kiss her, and she didn't really enjoy it or want to do it again. She also doesn't enjoy the teasing or flirting or the nickname Tegan had given her. It was all just because she had forgotten what it was like to have a close friend other than Aiden.
She could convince herself all of that was true, or so she hoped.
She pulls her phone out of her back pocket, thankful they're able to afford phones that can tell her how to get home. She walks slowly, preparing herself for facing and lying to Aiden, if he's still awake.
Luckily, he isn't. Sara dresses quietly for bed, crawling under the covers. She gives Aiden a peck on the cheek, and whispers an unheard apology before falling asleep.
She wakes up to the smell of fresh coffee, feeling significantly better. She finds a cup waiting for her at the table across from Aiden, reading the newspaper.
"Good morning." Aiden greets her cheerfully.
"Morning." She responds, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She sits down, taking a small sip from her steaming cup.
"How was the gallery?"
"It was fun. I saw a lot of great art." She gives him a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.
"Good. Nothing happened between you and Tegan?"
"No.. Why do you ask?" Sara asks, her stomach turning into knots.
"I had a message from her this morning asking if you made it home safely. She didn't give you a ride?"
"Oh. I, uhm, just got really tired and she couldn't just leave so I decided to walk home. I guess I forgot to tell her I made it." She lies.
"Oh, okay." He folds the news back up, setting it on the table, accepting Sara's answer. "So any plans for today?"
"Not really. I thought just maybe you and I could lounge around the house and hang out. You've been so busy with work I feel like we've barely seen each other the past week."
"That sounds perfect."
...
Sara nervously walks into Quintessential Tattoo, praying that Tegan is in back and she can just leave the stack of drawings on her desk. She wanted to ask Aiden if he could just drop them off for her on his way to work, but then he would get suspicious and ask questions. And Sara was not in the mood to be answering them.
She inwardly groans when she sees Tegan leaning back in her chair, legs propped up on the desk, stuffing her face with a bagel.
"Hey, Sara. What's up?" Tegan smiles.
"Hi." Sara greets her quietly, suddenly interested in everything in the room that isn't Tegan. "I just came to drop off some of those drawings."
"Awesome. Let's take a look." Tegan grabs the papers, fingers grazing Sara's. Sara noticeably flinches, and Tegan sighs, setting the papers down. "Can we talk?"
"I should actually get- "
"No. Come on." Tegan leads her into the back room, shutting the door, and cornering Sara between a shelf and her arm propped up against the wall. "Listen, I know i'm irresistible and you couldn't just say no to this face but you're obviously not pleased with what happened last night, so if you want to just forget it happened and move on, that's fine with me, okay?" Tegan suggests, hoping her humor will help lighten the situation.
"Thanks." Sara nods shortly, unwilling to yet make eye contact. She's afraid of what she might do if she looks into those eyes again.
"Though you have to admit, it was pretty good."
"Please, Tegan." Sara begs, eyes watering at the very thought of her lips on Tegan's. It had been pretty good, great actually, and that's why she didn't want to think about it. She looks over to the door, wishing Aiden was on the other side. He would wrap her small body in his strong arms and make her feel okay.
"Right, right. It was the worst kiss ever. I hated it. I think you've turned me straight! I feel so bad for Aiden, having to take you to bed every night. Blegh!" Tegan exaggerates, screwing her face up in silly gestures.
"Stop it." Sara giggles. She was expecting Tegan to be more difficult about what happened, but it appeared she felt at least a little guilty. Even if only for the reason that it upset Sara, and Tegan didn't want to see her sad.
And so they go on acting like it never happened, Sara pretending she doesn't want to kiss Tegan every time she sees her and Tegan still being Tegan, making it obvious she's been physically attracted to her since the day they met.
Sara's almost convinced everything is going back to normal, until she agrees to help Tegan wash her bike two weeks later.