Fifteen Times

Five Times Mistaken for a Couple

One.

They're sitting in a bar playing some drinking game neither of them can remember the name of. All they know is they have to bounce the coin off the table and get it in the cup, if they succeed, the other drinks.

"I'm pretty sure it's called Quarters. Isn't it called Quarters?"

"How can it be called Quarters if we're playing with euros, Lex?"

Alex scrunched her nose, that was a good point.

The bartender walked over to fill their glass as Alex chugged the drink down yet again. "Thish iz ssso unf-" hiccup "-fffair. Yooouuu are toooo goo-" hiccup "-ood."

"I think that'll be enough, sir, thank you," Tobin said with a laugh as she pushed the empty glass towards the counter before the guy behind the counter had a chance to do anything.

"But I haven't won yet!" Alex argued, still slurring through her words but a bit more articulate this time.

"Come on," Tobin hooked her arms under Alex's and tried to pull her off of the bar stool.

"How do you want me to split the cost tonight?" The bartender asked, pulling up a small machine from behind the counter.

"All on my tab," Tobin said as Alex's head rested on the top of her shoulder. She silently thanked Alex for insisting on finding a bar that had English-speaking staff, her Portuguese was far too rusty to try and communicate while slightly buzzed, which was all she was, considering that Alex kind of sucked at their game; Quarters, or Euros, or whatever it was called.

"So how long have you two been together?" He asked as handed back Tobin's card.

She knit her eyebrows together, "Who?" Alex nuzzled into neck and slid her arms around her waist. "Oh, uh, we aren't."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he slid the receipt and a pen across the counter. "I hope you two have a great night," he finished as Tobin scrawled her signature across the black line on the bottom.

"Thanks," she nodded and hooked an arm under Alex so she could support her, wondering if Alex had heard any of it.

-

They arrived to the hotel and went up to their room.

Alex flopped on the bed and leaned up to lock eyes with Tobin, "Tobin, you're so..." She paused as if looking for the right word. After a few seconds she rested her neck and let her head fall to the bed. "Chill. You're so chill."

Tobin chuckled and threw a pair of sweatpants and one of her own tshirts at her, "Go to sleep."

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Two.

They're in a restaurant that neither of them really knows, or cares, what the name is, but in all fairness, they just got to Portland. Their flight landed barely twenty-four hours before this and they're both still exhausted and trying to get over jet-lag, but they're together, so things are pretty okay.

"Can you order already?" Tobin let out a long sigh. "I'm hungry, Lex. We ate lunch at 10:30, how are you not starving?"

Alex rolled her eyes, "I am starving, which is why I want to make sure I pick the perfect meal."

Tobin slumped down in the booth and reached her feet across to mess with Alex's.

"Stop, Tobin," she said but she was giggling before she could help herself.

Their waiter walked up, "Are you two ladies ready to order?"

"Actually," Alex picked up and started to scan her menu again.