'Jovanka-Traken?'

Tegan's brain seemed to shudder to a halt.

This couldn't be happening. No way in hell could Yaz have sent their invitation under that assumption. No way would she have believed for a second that Tegan and Nyssa were anything other than platonic best friends and roommates. It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible.

And yet… the invitation was labelled as such, bold as brass.

'I…' Nyssa said, softly, as she turned to face Tegan. 'I think Yaz believes that we are… a couple.'

'Y-yeah,' Tegan stammered, probably looking as gormless as she felt. 'I… I suppose she must have gotten that idea.'

'I mean, I understand that it was a running joke amongst the faculty staff, but I never thought anyone actually believed it…'

'Agreed,' Tegan said, quickly. She gave a quick snort of laughter. 'I mean; you settling for me? C'mon, that's just unreasonable.'

Nyssa frowned at her.

'I would have said it was vice versa, personally.'

Tegan stared at her, unable to construct a response that didn't seem like an incomprehensible gasp of confusion.

'Er… thanks,' Tegan eventually managed. Her usual ease with speaking her thoughts seemed to have flown out the window.

What the hell was going on with her today? It wasn't as if anything had-

Tegan's mind was suddenly ablaze with memories from the previous day. Of walking in on a half-naked Nyssa in the bathroom when she herself was only wrapped in a towel. Of Nyssa feeding her chicken soup. Of Nyssa demanding that Tegan remove her top and then washing her back.

Of Peri's phone call.

Oh, god.

Tegan's stomach bubbled with nerves. What was happening to her? Nyssa had barely been living here a day, and Tegan was already overthinking every interaction. For goodness sake, it was surely normal for platonic best friends to do that, right? Right?

But now Tegan's mind was full of the image of Nyssa, almost half-naked, face flushed as she stared at Tegan, wrapped in a towel in the bathroom. That hadn't felt platonic by any stretch. And neither had the feeling of Nyssa washing her naked back with a flannel. The thought made Tegan tremble and quiver.

Oh, god; Nyssa had sat on her vibrator!

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

'Er… Tegan,' Nyssa said, slowly, and Tegan was pulled back into the present. 'You realise that, at the wedding, we're going to have to pretend to… be a married couple, yes?'

Tegan's heartrate seemed to increase as her brain processed Nyssa's words. She bit back the smile that threatened to burst from her lips.

She had to admit, the idea of being married to Nyssa made her very happy indeed. And she would have to pretend to be Nyssa's wife for the wedding?

She turned around and began to wash up her mug, partially to give her hands something to do, and partially so that Nyssa couldn't see her face.

'That's fine,' she said, trying to make sure her voice sounded as even as possible. 'It's not as if we aren't close anyway, so we just have to act as we normally do, and no-one will be any the wiser.'

'That's true,' Nyssa said, coming to stand beside her to dry the dishes with a tea-towel. 'I'm sure no-one will suspect anything. It won't cost us anything other than a little dignity.'

'Pretty sure I used up all my dignity yesterday,' Tegan chuckled. 'That bug really left me reeling.'

'You sure you're feeling better?'

Nyssa's voice sounded strangely… even, as if she was deliberately not putting too much emotion into it.

'Yes, why do you ask? Urgh, did I drool on you after I dozed off? Sorry, I have a habit of doing that when I'm asleep-'

'No,' Nyssa interjected. 'Not at all. Er… do you remember much about yesterday evening?'

'I remember us watching "The Sound Of Music",' Tegan replied, shrugging. 'Although I must have dozed off because I don't remember much after about halfway through the film. I think that tea made me really woozy.'

'O-oh.'

Out of the corner of her eye, Tegan could have sworn that Nyssa's face suddenly became very sad, but a second later, it was gone. Probably just a trick of the light.

Tegan poured the water out of the washing-up bowl, while Nyssa packed away the breakfast things she had just dried.

'Okay, I'm going to catch up on my emails,' Tegan said, patting Nyssa companionably on the shoulder. 'Fancy a walk later? We do have the day off, after all.'

'Sounds lovely,' Nyssa replied, smiling widely.

Tegan smiled at her in return, and left the kitchen. She then entered her own room, and closed the door quickly but calmly behind her. There was a five second pause.

Then her face turned bright red.

She had to pretend to be married to Nyssa.

Oh, god, this was amazing, this was wonderful, this was-

Definitely not what Nyssa had wanted.

Tegan cursed her own obliviousness. Nyssa hadn't asked for any of this. She saw Tegan as her best friend. It wasn't Nyssa's fault that Tegan was in love with her-

Tegan startled.

What? Where… where had that revelation come from?

Since when had she been in love with Nyssa? Well, yes, she had always cared deeply for Nyssa; they were best friends, after all, but that was different, surely. It was different to care deeply for your closest friend than to care for someone that you loved romantically.

But… maybe that dividing line wasn't as clear-cut as she had once thought. Love wasn't simple and it wasn't clear-cut. It was… complicated and messy.

Rather like Tegan herself.

Tegan sighed. It really wasn't fair, was it? Nyssa had been her best friend for years; for all that time, Tegan hadn't had to overthink anything regarding the two of them. They were close. Yes, very close, but that was normal for best friends. So much so that she hadn't thought there was anything strange with suggesting that Nyssa move in with her.

But now… but now…

The idea of playing the part of Nyssa's wife sent her heart racing and turned her brain into a puddle of goop. Oh, Tegan knew that it would only ever be pretend but, if she didn't think too much about it and didn't go overboard, Nyssa would never suspect that Tegan would gladly marry her for real as well-

I'd marry you in a heartbeat…

Tegan stumbled where she stood, as her brain offered up a memory from the night before. Of Tegan cuddled up to Nyssa on the sofa, and of a conversation about Nyssa never being married.

You'd be an amazing wife… lucky sod, whoever gets to be with you…

Tegan pushed her fist into her mouth to stop herself letting out a shriek.

What the hell had she said? That certainly wasn't normal platonic behaviour from one friend to another.

Nyssa's question from earlier swirled in her mind. Nyssa had remembered; she had remembered all of it; all of the mortifyingly honest things Tegan had said to her. How Tegan would gladly marry her if she had the chance, how amazing Nyssa was to Tegan, how she would be immensely envious of anyone lucky enough to marry Nyssa…

Tegan sat down on her bed, and put her face in her hands.

Oh, god, what was she going to do?

An hour later, the two women left for a walk. It was a fairly sunny day, and flowers were beginning to bloom in the spring weather.

They decided to head towards a park a few miles away. Norwich had a few dotted around, and the two women had often found themselves walking through the various green spots dotted through the city.

'Nice to get outside again,' Tegan said, as they entered the park through the main gates. 'Bit of fresh air always helps me think.'

'I agree,' Nyssa replied.

A football landed on the path in front of them. This was followed by a small boy, no older than six years old. He was wearing a bobble hat and a t-shirt bearing the strip of some football club (Nyssa could never remember which was which).

'Is this yours?' Tegan said, bending down to pick up the ball.

''s,' the boy said, shyly.

'You need to be careful with it,' Nyssa said, kindly. 'You wouldn't want it going into the road and getting run over by a car.'

''s.'

At this point, two women appeared.

'Charlie…' one of them chided. 'Are you bothering these ladies?'

'No, he's fine,' Tegan chuckled, passing him the ball.

'Thank you,' replied the other woman, before turning to Charlie, who was presumably her son. 'Now, what do you say to the nice ladies?'

'Thank you,' said Charlie, grinning before running off back to the pitch.

The two women chuckled. Tegan wrapped her arm around Nyssa's.

'Oh,' said one of the mums. 'I hope we grow up to be like you two.'

'Best friends, you mean?' Tegan asked.

'Yes, but married too. You two are adorable together. Anyway, sorry about the ball,' replied the other mum. 'Interrupting your date and all; have a lovely time.'

And the two women sped off, arms linked, before Tegan and Nyssa had a chance to correct their misconception.

'That was…'

'Yes,' Nyssa said, softly. 'I suppose we do come across that way.'

'Huh…'

Without warning, Tegan's hand slipped into Nyssa's.

Immediately, Nyssa's pulse quickened. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck standing up. What was Tegan doing? What did this mean? What did-

'Nys? You okay?'

Tegan was staring at her with a strangely neutral expression, as if trying to gauge Nyssa's reaction.

'O-oh, yes,' Nyssa stammered, blinking quickly. 'I'm fine.'

'You sure you haven't caught that bug I had?'

'Definitely not.'

Best friends did hold hands, surely? Nyssa had never really had a best friend before Tegan; most women her own age tended to find her a little off-putting and too bookish. So maybe this was a normal thing for two older, single women to do?

Nyssa wasn't sure whether she wanted it to be or not.

Because, while she did absolutely love Tegan holding her hand, she also hoped that maybe it wasn't just a platonic thing. That Tegan meant this as a sign of something more.

Oh, it was a forlorn hope, to be sure. It wasn't possible that Tegan would ever see her the same way.

But Nyssa found it hard to feel too sad about that, at least while Tegan was holding her hand.

Nyssa smiled to herself, enjoying the feeling of Tegan's fingers intertwined with her own. If Tegan didn't see anything out of the ordinary, then maybe Nyssa could ignore the guilt in her own heart for just a little while. Even if she knew that Tegan probably meant it in a purely platonic way.

Probably.

And the possibility that Tegan didn't just mean it that way was enough to kindle the small hope in Nyssa's heart.

After arriving back home, the two women sat down on the sofa, cups of tea next to them. As Nyssa took a sip, Tegan turned on the television.

'Isn't this that programme from the seventies?' Nyssa said, staring at the screen.

'The Two Ronnies? Oh, yeah,' Tegan said, chuckling. 'My Aunt Vanessa used to watch it all the time. It was pretty good, if I remember correctly.'

At that moment, a young woman appeared on the screen, wearing only a small bikini and a wide grin before disappearing off-screen again.

'Yes,' said Nyssa, a little tersely. 'And I'm sure that the inclusion of random scantily-clad young women had no impact whatsoever on your enjoyment of the programme.'

'Nys, I was a teenager!' Tegan exclaimed. 'I'd only just realised women were hot; of course I couldn't help but enjoy it.'

Nyssa sipped her drink, frowning.

'Oh, my god,' Tegan said, chuckling. 'You are jealous, Nyssa Traken.'

'I don't know what you mean,' Nyssa responded, crossing her arms. 'I just would have thought that, as a feminist, you would be more aware of objectification when it came to depictions of women on television at the time.'

'I was. I just also happened to be a hormone-filled teenage lesbian.'

Nyssa huffed, letting out a small snort that bounced a few curls of her bushy hair.

'Oh, Nys; it was half a century ago,' Tegan replied, putting an arm around her friends shoulders. 'Besides, I'm sure you probably looked at women on telly with a certain eye. Maybe not a leer as such, but-'

'I did not leer at Felicity Kendal.'

'Who mentioned Felicity Kendal?'

Nyssa's face turned red, and her pout grew deeper. Tegan tried to bite back the chuckle, but it was no good; Nyssa was just too cute when she got grouchy like this.

Also, Tegan had to admit, the idea of Nyssa being even a little jealous of women that Tegan had admired was pretty darn alluring. Kinda hot, now that she thought of it.

'You had good taste, though,' Tegan eventually managed. 'Felicity Kendal is pretty wonderful; have you ever seen "Rosemary and Thyme"?'

Nyssa huffed for another second, before promptly giving up, rolling her eyes and smiling.

'Oh, very funny,' she said. 'But no scantily-clad young women; not at our time of life.'

'Definitely not,' Tegan replied, grinning before Nyssa's side a quick squeeze. 'I'm more into older women now anyway-'

'Tegan!'-Nyssa's face turned pink as she giggled-'Don't make fun!'

Tegan let out a cackle, which seemed to die in her throat as Nyssa's eyes latched onto hers. Both of them went very still. Tegan was suddenly aware that her hand was still cupping Nyssa's hip, and that their legs were pressed up against each other, and that Nyssa's breath smelled like peppermint-

'T-time for lunch?' Nyssa said, quickly.

'Y-yeah,' Tegan stammered, as both of them got to their feet. 'I worked up a bit of an appetite whilst walking.'

The two of them headed into the kitchen, Tegan's heart continuing to race.

What the hell was going on today?

'Er… Tegan?'

'Hm?' Tegan grunted, looking up from her plate, having just finished her sandwiches. Nyssa was looking over the table at her. 'Something wrong, Nys?'

'No, nothing's wrong,' Nyssa said, smiling softly (Tegan ignored the quickening of her pulse). 'It's just… well, do you think people will expect us to be… physically affectionate? At the wedding, I mean?'

'I suppose,' Tegan replied, carefully. 'But that shouldn't be difficult for us; I mean, holding hands is something we've done before.'

'Well, yes; but… well, will we be expected to kiss?'

Tegan's face automatically turned red.

'W-what?'

'I-I just mean…' Nyssa stammered, her own cheeks turning pink. 'It is a wedding, after all. Married couples do often get lovey-dovey at these events. It may well be that we'll be expected to do so as well.'

'O-oh. I see.'

'Yes. I have a… suggestion, of sorts.'

'S-suggestion?'

Nyssa nodded.

'What I am suggesting is we… practice, for want of a better word.'

'Practice… being lovey-dovey?'

Nyssa nodded, cheeks flushed. Tegan stared at her. Where the hell was this coming from? And what did this mean? Was Nyssa implying that she wouldn't mind being lovey-dovey with Tegan, or that she simply wanted to avoid suspicion during the wedding celebrations?

Oh, Tegan hoped it was the former. She really did…

'D-do you want to-'

'Only if you're happy with it,' Nyssa said, quickly.

'So… practising?'

'Practising.'

'Yeah.'

'Er… shall we…'

The two women moved into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Tegan's heart seemed to be threatening to burst, and she was quite sure that she was sweating through her shirt. Oh god, oh god, oh god-

'Tegan?'

Nyssa was staring at her. Tegan wet her lips nervously.

'Do you want to-'

'Would you prefer to-' said Nyssa, at the exact same time.

Bollocks.

No, this wasn't supposed to happen like this! How would it look if they behaved like this as the wedding? People would suspect something was off immediately! Poor Nyssa had suggested this, but she was looking so flustered and awkward that it broke Tegan's heart. The poor woman clearly wasn't sure how to navigate this situation, and it was causing her a great deal of confusion.

Tegan leaned forward and, without a second thought, pressed her lips to Nyssa's in a gentle, quick kiss. It lasted for barely a second. But, good grief, Tegan was already regretting ending it as their lips broke apart.

Nyssa blinked, her cheeks turning red.

'O-oh,' she stammered, looking rather flustered.

'Sorry,' Tegan said, quickly. 'Was that… too much?'

'Not at all,' Nyssa replied, a small smile playing on her lips. 'Can… can you go a little slower?'

'S-sure…'

Tegan pressed their lips together again, and this time Nyssa angled her head slightly to better kiss Tegan back. Without thinking, Tegan wrapped her arms softly around Nyssa, making sure not to press too roughly against her.

Sure, it probably wasn't anything that would end up in a romance novel, but it comforting, sweet and infinitely tender.

Just like Nyssa.

Eventually, their lips parted and Tegan slowly removed her arms from around Nyssa. The younger woman's face was wreathed in a wide smile.

'Oh…' she said, faintly. 'That was… oh…'

'Too much?'

'No; it was just right. You're a wonderful kisser, Tegan.'

'Oh… t-thank you,' Tegan stammered, her own mouth stretching into a shy smile. 'So are you, Nys.'

Nyssa's cheeks flushed pink again. She looked so adorable that Tegan had to hold herself back from swooping in with another kiss.

'Might I… offer a hypothesis?' Nyssa asked.

'You may.'

'Well…' Nyssa said, a little flusteredly. 'It seems to me that, aside from the kissing, we already act like a married couple anyway. I mean, those people at the park certainly thought so.'

'I suppose we have always been very close,' Tegan replied, grinning. 'But, I mean, we don't have to kiss if it makes you uncomfortable-'

'Oh, not at all!' Nyssa said, quickly. A huge serene smile blossomed across her lips. 'That was… rather wonderful. I mean, I've nothing to compare it to but…'

'Wait, hang on…' Tegan said, slowly. 'Nys, was… was that your first kiss?'

Looking a little embarrassed, Nyssa nodded.

'It… never really happened,' Nyssa said, quietly. 'But… oh, I am glad it was with you, Tegan; I wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone else.'

'Oh, Nys…' Tegan replied, softly. 'That means the world to me; thank you.'

The two of them smiled at each other.

'Cuppa?'

'Oh, yes please,' Nyssa replied, sweetly. 'May I have-'

'A spot of milk and no sugar,' Tegan finished, smiling. 'Of course you may.'

Tegan headed into the kitchen and set the kettle going. Over the noise of the kettle, she replayed the events of the previous half hour in her head.

I wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone else.

Tegan put a hand to her lips, trembling slightly.

Oh, god.

The next week passed like a moving train, and the last day before the wedding weekend arrived. The actual wedding ceremony would be taking place on Saturday morning, while everyone would be arriving at the venue on the Friday evening, to help with the decorations and get checked into their rooms. The reception would then be taking place throughout Saturday afternoon and into the night.

Neither Yaz nor the Doctor were especially religious, but they had agreed to the traditional after-wedding feast (Walima) that Yaz's relatives had recommended. Tegan had never been to a Muslim wedding before, so she didn't know what to expect. However, she did know that it would be a wonderful celebration regardless.

Tegan stepped out of her room, a small wheeled suitcase trailing behind her. Nyssa was stood by the front door, her own suitcase neatly at her feet.

'All packed?' the young woman asked.

Tegan nodded.

'Should be an… interesting time.'

Nyssa smiled nervously, as Tegan put her shoes on and grabbed her car keys.

'So,' Tegan said, reaching out and squeezing her friend's hand. 'ready?'

'With you? Always, Tegan.'

The venue was just under an hours drive away, in a wonderful rural part of Norfolk. The sort of venue that including several small halls for the wedding ceremony and receptions, as well as accommodation chalets for guests. It had been a while since Tegan had been to a wedding, but she found herself getting excited as they finally arrived in the car park, and trundled their cases towards the main block of buildings. Along the way, Nyssa's hand slipped into Tegan's, although neither of them said anything about it. It just felt… right. As if it was the most natural thing in the world for them to do.

Tegan tried not to think too much about her heartrate accelerating as they entered the main hall. The combination of the summer heat and Nyssa's fingers intertwined with hers was definitely having an effect.

It was a nice hall, she had to admit. There were already lots of tables laid out for the reception, with balloons being blown by a large crowd of Yaz's relatives.

'Knew. It.'

Tegan felt her face burn as a crowd of people stormed up to them. Sure enough, it was a large section of the university staff, led by Peri, who was grinning a defiantly smug grin.

'Oh, god,' Tegan said, her face burning. 'We're at a wedding; don't you have better things to do?'

They all ignored her, instead cooing over her and Nyssa's intertwined hands.

'Knew it,' Peri said, grinning at her colleagues. 'Didn't I tell you that I knew it?'

'Oh, leave them alone,' Graham said, and Tegan shot a quick glance of gratitude his way as he approached from where he had been helping with the balloons. 'They've got a right to their privacy.'

'Exactly,' Nyssa said, softly. 'I know this might seem a little exciting to you all, but it's… normal for myself and Tegan.'

Tegan bit back the smile that was threatening to spread across her lips. Oh, dear. She tried to ignore the guilt that bubbled in her stomach. She knew that it was wrong for her to like this so much, but she couldn't help it. The idea of her being married to Nyssa was too wonderful not to adore.

'Oh, Tegan, Nyssa; hello!'

They both turned. Yaz was hurrying their way, pulling the Doctor along by the hand. The young Yorkshirewoman was grinning from ear to ear, and was wearing her traditional t-shirt and jeans, albeit without the normal leather jacket.

'Hi!' Tegan said, as Yaz gave both of them a one-armed hug. 'Thanks again for the invite.'

'Yes,' Nyssa agreed, nodding. 'We consider it an honour.'

'Thanks,' Yaz said, grinning and squeezing the Doctor's hand. 'It means a lot to me -to both of us- for you to be here. I dunno; it… it feels right, you two bein' here 'n all.'

Nyssa's eyes sparkled with tears, and she gave a weepy smile. Tegan squeezed her hand, ignoring her heart beating just a little bit faster.

'Er… Yaz?'

'Hmmm?'

'Can I have a word?'

Yaz nodded. The two of them left Nyssa to chat to the Doctor, who started going into detail about her latest invention (the Doctor worked in the university's scientific research department), to stand over in a gap in the crowd.

'Yaz,' Tegan said, slowly, leaning against the back of a chair. 'Your invite said that…that-'

'Ohhh!' Yaz exclaimed, eyes widening. 'Sorry; I weren't sure which name you 'ad in front of the hyphen. Did I get it t'wrong way round?'

'Er…' Tegan faltered, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. 'No… not as such.'

'Then what's the issue?'

Tegan was about to open her mouth, about to fully explain exactly what the misunderstanding was, but something stopped her. Maybe it was the guilt that it might be another point of stress for Yaz right ahead of her wedding. Or maybe… maybe it was the fact that Tegan honestly liked pretending to be Nyssa's wife.

Whatever it was, her mouth refused to play ball.

'Actually; I was wondering how you managed to get it sent to the right address. Our post has been a bit spotty lately.'

'Oh, Ryan told me your flat's address,' Yaz said, brightly. 'Thought it might get it to y' quicker; Nyssa only moved in a little while ago, right?'

'About a week, yeah,' Tegan said, privately suspecting that Ryan had probably giggled a lot whilst mentioning it to Yaz. 'Congratulations again, by the way.'

Yaz smiled, looking over the hall at her fiancée who was, by this point, already constructing out of the odds-and-ends in the many pockets of her raincoat. Nyssa and the others looked on, nodding as the Doctor rambled in what, to Tegan, seemed like gibberish technobabble.

'Thanks,' Yaz said, softly. 'God, I'm so lucky. But I best get back to 'er before she starts blowing things up. Again.'

Tegan smiled, as Yaz hurried over, relieving Nyssa (the only one of the lot who seemed to remotely understand the Doctor's lecture), who then hurried over to Tegan. The two older women then headed over to the main reception area. Tegan turned to Nyssa as they walked.

'You okay? The Doctor didn't chew your ear off, did she?'

Nyssa smiled.

'More than okay, Tegan,' she said, reaching out and squeezing Tegan's hand. 'And, no she didn't. It was actually quite fascinating.'

'I'll take your word for it. When that woman starts mentioning Nitrogen synthesisation, my brain gives up.'

Nyssa giggled.

After getting the keys to their accommodation, the two women headed back out of the main building and over to the chalets. They were all single-story wooden huts, in a cosy Scandinavian style. They then continued along until they located the one that had been assigned to them. Nyssa pushed the key into the lock, and they entered.

'Oooohhhh,' Nyssa said, excitedly. 'What a lovely place!'

Tegan had to admit, she agreed. The place was very "oooohhhh"; a cosy, comfy place without being stifling in the summer heat. Soft furnishings adorned every other surface, and a large bookcase was set in pride-of-place in the centre of the living room.

'Nice!' Tegan exclaimed, as they began to check through the rooms, having left their suitcases in the living room. 'Wow, Yaz and the Doc really knew what they were doing, giving us this one. I wonder whether they made sure it had a bookcase because of how well-read you are.'

'Oh, stop it,' Nyssa said, giggling as she playfully swatted Tegan on the arm. 'I'm not that literate.'

'More than I am,' Tegan cheeked, smiling. 'You're a proper little nerd, Nys.'

'You say that like it's a bad thing.'

'Oh, no; I think it's cute-'

They both stopped talking because, at the moment, they had entered another room and both their gazes fell on the bed.

The double bed.

Tegan's face seemed to flush bright red. What the hell was everyone playing at? A double bed? How were they supposed to-

'O-oh.'

Tegan turned. Nyssa's delicate pale skin had turned a pretty shade of pink.

'I'll doze in the chair, Nys,' Tegan said, quickly. 'I don't mind-'

'Oh, no you don't,' Nyssa replied, just as quickly. 'I know how bad your back can get; I will doze in the chair.'

'With your neck trouble? Not bloody likely.'

'I'm fine, Tegan; I'm younger than you-'

'Four months doesn't mean much-'

'It does when spinal issues come into play.'

The two women stared at each other, before both letting out a giggle.

'Truce?'

Nyssa chuckled.

'Okay; we probably should have realised they would give us a double bed since they think we're married.'

'How the hell did we miss that?'

'I think we got distracted by all that practising.'

'Well…' Tegan said, a little shyly. 'You are rather distracting, Nys.'

Nyssa's cheeks flushed pink as she smiled.

'Oh, now you're just flattering me.'

'Well, given the lack of other options, we are going to be sleeping in the same bed, so I suggest you get used to me finding you distracting.'

The two women laughed. Tegan couldn't help but feel her stomach bubble slightly at the thought of sharing a bed with Nyssa. But it wasn't with the same tension that might have happened if they were both young women. It was more… a sense of happiness based on the comfort of knowing the other person so well. They were both well past the stage of butterflies-in-the-stomach, after all. And that was okay.

Besides, Tegan thought, sharing a bed with your best friend could be fun. Even if she didn't see you in the same way you saw her. Nyssa was Tegan's closest friend; even if she didn't love Tegan romantically in return, Tegan knew that Nyssa loved her in that deep, platonic way that came from their long history together.

And, really, was that such a bad thing, in the end?

Nyssa had to admit, she hadn't been expecting to share a bed with Tegan that weekend, but she certainly wasn't complaining.

Especially when Tegan had blushed prettily after seeing Nyssa in her nightie. That had been rather enjoyable to behold. Tegan was normally so confident and straightforward, that is rather a nice change to see her so shy. And all Nyssa had to do was put on her nightgown.

Not that she had deliberately chosen her most flattering blue-and-silver nightgown to wear this weekend, of course. Definitely not.

Nyssa knew that, at their age, physical appearances were less of a big deal than they would have been if, say, they had both been in their late adolescent years. But that was okay. And Tegan had clearly reacted to seeing Nyssa in such a way, regardless.

After they had both climbed into the bed, Tegan had started doing a crossword in the paper, whilst Nyssa caught up on reading "Persuasion". She knew that Anne Elliott and Frederick Wentworth would eventually admit their repressed feelings for each other at some point towards the end of the novel, but the romantic tension was growing more intense with each chapter. Honestly, how could two people be so clearly in love in each other without noticing the others feelings?

Maybe Nyssa was just wishfully thinking.

Tegan covered a wide yawn behind her hand.

'I'm gonna get my head down,' she said, turning to Nyssa, who had put her book down. 'Night, Nys…'

Without warning, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Nyssa's cheek, before quickly placing the paper on her bedside table and lying down, facing away from Nyssa.

'G-goodnight,' Nyssa stammered, feeling her cheeks. 'Er… any reason for the kiss on the cheek?'

'Still practising, aren't we,' came Tegan's mumbled response. 'Got to make sure no-one suspects.'

'And you've turning away now because…'

'Face burning bright red, yep.'

Nyssa chuckled. Oh, Tegan really was very straightforward when it came to these things.

'Well, that makes two of us,' she said.

Nyssa paused for a moment, before leaning over and pressing her own lips to Tegan's cheek.

'Goodnight, Tegan.'

'Night, Nys,' Tegan said, through what was clearly a smile she was trying to restrain.

Nyssa found herself quite unable to restrain her own smile as she sat back up. She then dimmed the lights, so that she could still read without disturbing Tegan.

Tegan's breathing began to become very slow and relaxed, as the Australian fell asleep.

Nyssa smiled again, enjoying the feeling of being so companionably close with Tegan. This wasn't especially romantic, at least not in the Hollywood sense, but it was achingly romantic in a very down-to-earth way. There was a deep sense of gentle comfort that came with it.

Eventually, her own tiredness got the better of her, and she removed her reading glasses. She then placed the bookmark onto the page (she was almost at the conclusion of the romantic arc), placed the book itself on the bedside table, turned off the already-dimmed lights, and nestled down to sleep. Funnily enough, she had been expecting to not sleep easily whilst sharing a bed with Tegan. But this didn't happen at all. Instead, the warm feeling of being close to the person she cared about gave her such a sense of peace that she was dozing off within minutes, accompanied by the sounds of Tegan's gentle breathing barely a few inches away.

'Snakes… oh, no, snakes…'

Nyssa opened her eyes, blearily.

Tegan was turning from side to side, her brown furrowed and her expression scared. The older woman was clearly having a bad dream. Tegan had admitted a few times in the past that she had never liked snakes; in fact, Nyssa suspected that it was one of the reasons she had moved from Australia in the first place. Norfolk wasn't exactly known for having a wide selection of venomous wild snakes.

Nyssa sat up slightly in bed, pushing her long bushy hair out of her face. A moment later, Tegan's eyes shot open, and she looked around, scared.

'Snakes…' she gasped. 'There were… snakes.'

'No snakes, Tegan,' Nyssa replied, gently.

'I… oh…'

Tears flooded down Tegan's cheeks, soaking the pillow beneath her head.

'Sshhhh,' Nyssa said, cuddling up and putting an arm around the Australian. 'It's okay… you just a nightmare, Tegan…'

'S-sorry,' Tegan mumbled, weepily. 'Being silly…'

'No,' Nyssa whispered, making sure to keep her voice as tender and gentle as possible. 'You have nothing to apologise for, Tegan. Nothing at all.'

Tegan wiped her eyes, looking miserable. The tears were staining Nyssa's nightie, but she didn't care a jot. All that mattered was that Tegan knew Nyssa was there, and would always be there when Tegan needed her.

'Dunno why I had a nightmare,' she muttered. 'My brain can't stand the thought of me being happy.'

'It's alright; I'm here, don't you worry.'

Tegan gave a watery smile in the half-light of the room. Her eyes seemed to slip closed.

'Thanks, Nys…' Tegan said, sleepily. 'I love you...'

Tegan's breathing became slow and quiet again.

Nyssa stared at the women in her arms, her own heartbeat accelerating in confusion and shock. How on earth was she supposed to sleep after that?

Oh, Tegan was so sweet. She had likely meant it in a purely platonic way, but she did not realise what the force of those simple three words were for Nyssa. For Nyssa, they were everything. The sun, the moon, and the stars. The planets of the night sky, and the universe itself.

'I… I love you too, Tegan,' Nyssa said, softly, barely an inch from Tegan's face. 'Oh, I love you so much. As both your friend and -I'm sorry- but I can't help but feel my heart ache for you. I'm… I'm sorry but I can't. And I know that you don't mean "I love you" in the same way I do…'

Nyssa felt tears drip down her cheeks. Oh, she couldn't bare it. It hurt so much. She loved this woman more than she felt able to ever-

'I do,' said Tegan.