“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” I said for the hundredth time as we sat on the bench, with Vanessa still bawling her eyes out.

“I…it’s not your fault,” she replied, “I just cry a lot.”

“I mean, I was more than a little dense,” I replied, “I should’ve known.”

“Have you really never been asked out by anyone before? I thought you were into girls?” Vanessa asked tenderly as she gazed up at me.

“Yeah but I’m not that attractive,” I replied, “so no one ever paid me any mind.”

“I mean, I’ve heard like half the guys at the shop talk about asking you out, so I don’t think it’s that far-fetched.”

“They have?”

I thought back to the times I’d interacted with the guys on my team. The new hires, I’d noticed, were super nice to me. I brushed it off as them wanting to learn a lot from me, but I did think it was weird how often they…lingered.

“Rosa, are you really that convinced of your unattractiveness?”

“Yeah! I am, because I look like a guy! And guys aren’t attractive.”

“Not all lesbians look like guys,” she replied, “I mean, I certainly don’t.”

“Yeah, but I’m trans,” I whispered to her.

“Wait, you are?” she asked, before wiping away her tears. Oh boy, here came the “sorry, I’m not into that” speech.

“Me too!” she said, cheerily.

“Y..you? Really?” I asked. I hadn’t even known, but then again, I was very dense.

“Yeah, I just don’t think it’s a big deal! I was gonna tell you on the date, but I’m glad we got it out of the way now! That’s certainly a weight off my chest. Speaking of that, um, your dress looks very nice.”

I looked down and noticed, as if for the first time, it did look very nice. It hugged my figure well, and its simple design suited me and my style. But I noticed as I followed her flitting glances downwards that she was referring to, and trying to make an effort not to stare at, my chest.

“Yeah, I guess it does,” I said with a smile, “So wait, you really didn’t know? I thought everyone was just being nice to me!”

“People are nice to ladies like you,” she replied, “you’re beautiful, and also very helpful and sweet.”

“..oh”

“Yeah,” she said as she brushed my hair out of my face, “so, are we gonna get out of here and to the restaurant? I’m starving!”

I nodded, and led her to the front of the store with my hand. I handed the tag on the dress to the cashier, put my work clothes in the bag she gave us, and nervously fumbled with my credit card. I had recently updated it, but I still got a little bit anxious whenever I was asked for it after years of people squinting at it, then at me, or worse, misgendering me after reading it.

Vanessa put her hand on my shoulder, noticing how tense I was, and gave it gentle rubs. This would’ve normally made me relaxed, but I was still very flustered by the idea of her being into me, and so I spent a few seconds frozen, before finally handing it to the cashier with a blush. She quickly handed it back, sending us on our merry way.

The Neko Bar was swarming with patrons, but a table for two was open by the back of the main room. I gently tugged Vanessa along with me, feeling the warmth and softness of her hands. Holy fuck, I really did like her, I was just a big lesbian disaster. We sat down across from each other, and my heart fluttered as I looked into her eyes again.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting this,” Vanessa said as she grinned at me, “you’re always so collected at work.”

“Expecting what? I am collected!” I protested.

“Well, you know, it’s just that I think you’re possibly even more flustered than I was,” she replied, “I just think it’s adorable.”

It’s a good thing no one had arrived yet to give us our drinks, otherwise I probably would’ve spit out mine. I buried my face in my hands and made some kind of noise, which elicited laughter from the other side of the table. I glared at Vanessa and crossed my arms emphatically.

“Rosa, it’s alright,” she said, “I’m just teasing.”

“I know,” I grumbled, “it makes it even worse that you probably find what I’m doing adorable.”

“That’s true,” she said as she smiled, “but I’m not having any fun unless I know you are.”

“I…uh..I’m very much having fun, then, Vanessa,” I replied.

“Oh, good,” she said as she brushed the hair out of my face, “so does that mean I can tease you more?”

“I suppose, maybe,” I replied, “sorry if I’m a little uptight.”

“It’s alright, maybe you just need someone to make you melt,” she said as she leaned in and gave me a kiss.

“Kfkksdlkvlkdlfkbldfkb” I eloquently replied as she released.

“See? You’re still blushy, but much more relaxed!” she exclaimed.

“Uh, can I get you ladies anything to drink?” the waitress awkwardly asked, adjusting her fake cat ears as she stared at us.

“A.a.um,” I began, “waters for now?”

“I’ll get that right out for you,” she replied.

“Well that was a little bit awkward,” Vanessa whispered to me.

“Yeah, just a little. Maybe we can have the PDA be a little more subtle?”

“With me? No way!” she replied, “but I’ll make it less obvious when the waitress is around.”

“Deal.”

I looked at the menu. I didn’t recognize any of the items on the menu, and neither did Vanessa, so we just decided to let whatever food arrived be a surprise, rather than looking it up. We were far too occupied with other things to be worried about food. Like, the way her eyes looked when she saw me. How had I never noticed how gentle and adoring they were?

The waitress came and went and came and went, and we picked through our food slowly, having far too much fun talking and just being with each other. Work on Monday was going to be so much more fun. Not to say that working with computers wasn’t fun in its own way, but now that I had gotten the silly notion out of my head that Vanessa was anything other than a woman deeply in love with me…it just felt like everything in the world was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been two days and nights of cuddling and being in love (and getting to know her kittycat), and I had made a big choice that I wasn’t sure if I was gonna regret yet. It maybe wasn’t the most advisable thing to move out of your apartment at 6:30 PM the night before work, but I did have a little help, to be fair.

“You’re sure your landlord won’t mind your apartment being empty for the next two months?” Vanessa asked as she helped me pack up another box of parts from my PC.

“Yeah, it’s really no biggie,” I replied, “anything to be able to live with you.”

“You really are a U-Hauler, you know that, Rosa?” she teased as she booped my nose.

“Hey, there’s no U-Haul! Just my car,” I replied grouchily.

“Gods, Rosa, do you really not know what being a ‘U-Hauler’ means?” she teased.

“I’m not that dense,” I replied as I gave her a peck on the cheek. She reciprocated with a small slap on the butt.

At last, we were finished putting things in the car. I breathed a sigh of relief as I closed the trunk and clicked the button on the key to close it. Back inside was an empty apartment, barring the furniture that had been provided by the landlord. I sighed as I collapsed on the bed, remembering that I’d forgotten to take the sheets and pillows off.

“Oh, look at that, a cute girl in bed!” Vanessa said as she waltzed in and stared hungrily at me.

I knew that look by now, what it meant, what the implications were. Good thing I wouldn’t have to be around for the neighbors complaining about the noises coming from my apartment. I leaned over to close the blinds on the windows, and then I felt Vanessa tackle me from behind as she pinned me to the bed. I gasped, and as she began her routine of affectionately nibbling on my neck, I just about died. And I realized, between pitiful moans, I felt at home wherever she was.

And they all lived happily ever after.