Off the Field
"Tell me again why we have to meet under the bleachers?" Paige asked, ducking her head under the metal rows of seats before slowly making her way through the piles of sports equipment and towards the slender brunette.
"Because the cloak of darkness is mysterious and thrilling?" Spencer answered, trying to convince herself as much as she was Paige.
In response to Paige's dubious look Spencer reluctantly deflated. Truth was, it was the most private place Spencer could think of at this time of day, and she said as much when Paige continued to stare at her skeptically.
They'd been doing this, "thing" or whatever it was they were calling it, for the last two months now. Sometimes they'd run into each other by chance in the locker room after field hockey practice -both of them loitering until the last of their teammates filtered out- before they found a safe corner to make-out in. Other times their meetings were more deliberate, usually a carefully scheduled rendezvous orchestrated by Spencer after field hockey practice. It became a ritual that neither girl was sure how it all started. Paige was convinced it began following a particularly grueling practice, after she offered to help Spencer stretch out her muscles. However, Spencer was adamant it started on the ride home from an Away game in Pennsylvania, when Paige fell asleep on her shoulder the entire the bus ride. One thing they could both agree on was that it was happening -in secret of course, but happening nonetheless- and neither seemed likely to stop anytime soon.
"It's fine." Paige said, closing the distance between them and playing idly with the material of Spencer's field hockey shirt. "I just wish you would've at least let me change first. I'm all gross and sweaty." Spencer's eyes roamed not-so-subtly up and down Paige's body, openly admiring the short running shorts and toned arms exposed by the Sharks field hockey jersey. Her auburn hair stuck wetly against the outline of her face and her cheeks were still flushed from the exhaustive routine of their scrimmage earlier. Unconsciously Spencer's tongue darted out to wet her lips -while staring brazenly at Paige's lips- before a light chuckle brought her eyes back to Paige, who was grinning wildly, making Spencer realize just how long she'd been staring and the fact that she was practically drooling over her.
"Seriously? This is hot to you?" Paige asked with a teasing smile. Had Spencer been anyone other than a Hastings she'd probably be 5 shades of red, but years of stoic family dinners and stifling etiquette classes had trained her in the art of schooling her features.
"Maybe. Is that a bad thing?" Spencer challenged, accepting Paige's goading with ease.
Paige, ever the people-pleaser, held her hands up in surrender, not interested in getting into a debate she was sure she would lose. "Not for me it isn't. But…" She reached between them clutching the fabric of Spencer's shirt in her fist and tugging her forward until she fell against her, their lips only inches apart. "What would the school think if they knew their future student body President enjoyed such sordid after school activities?" Paige's voice came out as a raspy whisper but the jest was still evident in her tone.
She'd be lying if she said she didn't take pleasure in the slight hitch in Spencer's breathing as she leaned in closer, grazing their lips but still resisting the urge to kiss her. Watching the infamous Spencer Hastings come undone was quite possibly her favorite form of leisure. Their competitive nature often worked to their advantage as a sort of foreplay on field and off, and though they'd never gone any further than making out and some pretty heavy petting it seemed like only a matter of time before that 'line' was crossed.
"You're pretty cocky for someone who spent all practice eating my dust." Spencer countered, smirking at the incredulous look that immediately formed on Paige's face. What she didn't anticipate was that Paige would be so affronted that she forgot all about trying to kiss her, in favor of defending her athletic skill.
"Are you kidding?! I scored like 5 consecutive goals before those penalties -which, I might add, were totally uncalled for- got me benched. Believe me, I was way too busy destroying the entire defensive line on your team to think twice about 'your dust'."
"I think you forgot to mention the 3 girls -on your own team- you took out to make those shots." Spencer added knowingly, smile still in place.
"You're big on that political stuff, I think you understand the necessity of collateral damage." Paige retorted to which Spencer shook her head amusedly.
It wasn't until Paige launched off into a rehashing her personal stats for the last three games that Spencer became sorry she said anything at all. Especially since all she wanted to do since Paige arrived was kiss her and drown out all the noises around them with the sound of her contented moans and heavy breathing.
It wasn't fair that this was all they had. Secret hookups in sketchy, deserted corners of the school campus.
They didn't get too many opportunities to be completely alone, especially considering they didn't hang out outside of field hockey. They each stayed to their respective social cliques, barely managing to spare a quick wave when they passed each other in the halls. Both girls had been raised with a strictness that emphasized the importance of social status and reputation, and neither were too keen about the gossip and familial chaos that would result from public knowledge of their relationship.
A small space under the football bleachers, surrounded by old lacrosse helmets and athletic padding may not have been much, but it was theirs.
It was their time.
A time where the rules didn't apply.
"Paige?" Spencer interrupted gently just as Paige was beginning to enumerate the number of pass variations she'd mastered during the season. Paige stopped talking just long enough for Spencer to firmly crash her lips into hers. It only took a second for her to respond, her hands instantly falling to Spencer's waist to tug her flush against her, as Spencer's hands cupped her face determined to keep her from pulling away.
"No more sports talk." Spencer whispered breathily in between kisses. Paige nodded silently as her hands slipped under Spencer's jersey, caressing the smooth skin she found there. Spencer wasted no time -figuring they'd already exhausted enough of it talking- and she swiftly spun Paige around, pressing her back against the support beam for balance, before kissing a wet trail across her jaw then down her neck. Admittedly her actions weren't the most coordinated, but she was way too wound up to care. Especially when Paige's warm body was squirming anxiously beneath her and the auburn-haired girl was making sounds that would make a Priest blush. She paused when she reached the base of her neck to nip lightly at the skin, relishing in the way Paige shivered under her.
"You're salty." Spencer whispered, her mouth still sucking Paige's neck before slowly returning to her lips.
"Sorry." Paige apologized weakly, too distracted by the things Spencer was doing to point out that it was her fault she was still so sweaty.
"Don't be. I like it." Spencer added, her voice even huskier than normal. She would never admit such a thing to anyone other than Paige, because even with all their teasing and the constant need to one-up each other she knew that Paige understood her. Understood her in a way that none of her friends or family did. It was the reason it was so easy to begin a relationship with the girl, because Paige was so much like herself…yet, so unlike her at the same time. It was one of the few things in the world Spencer Hastings couldn't rationally explain, but also the one thing she didn't want to. The one thing she didn't overanalyze. She just let it happen.
"Perv." Spencer could feel Paige's smile broaden against her lips as she spoke, and any sting the word could've had was completely extinguished by the affection in Paige's tone. "How much time do we have left?" She pulled her mouth away to give Spencer a chance to answer, watching as the other girl checked her watch.
"15 minutes." Spencer replied with a frown that matched the one Paige was wearing.
"Then I'm sure as hell not spending it on the bottom." With that Paige adeptly reversed their positions so that Spencer's back was pinned against the beam, before her lips eagerly reclaimed Spencer's.
"Hey. What took you so long?"
"It's nice to see you too Hanna." Spencer said making her way out of the locker room and over to her friends who were waiting on one of the benches in the hallway. She ran her hand through her hair nervously a few times to straighten it. Even though she'd checked her reflection a good 5 times before coming out of the locker room she still felt like she was wearing a giant neon sign that said, "I made out with Paige McCullers."
"We've been waiting for like an hour." Hanna huffed, folding her arms in front of her and jutting out her hip.
"She's exaggerating." Emily intervened with a small smile. "Aria and I've only been here for 20mins, Hanna on the other hand just got here 5mins ago." She finished playfully pointing a finger at the rapidly deflating blonde.
"Whatever. Who cares about specifics?" Hanna backtracked as she waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Let's just get going. The movie starts soon and I want to get there before all the middle rows fill up. You ready?"
"Yeah. Where's Ali?" Spencer asked, looking around for the girl in question.
"She's not coming. Apparently she got a asked out by some Junior in her French class." Hanna said rolling her eyes. It wasn't surprising. Their friend always was a little flaky, and it wouldn't be the first time she ditched them when a better option came along. If Spencer was being totally honest she was glad the other blonde bailed on them. They always had more fun without her anyways, especially considering she had a knack for pushing everyone's emotional buttons.
"I'll make it up to guys for making you wait. Snacks on me?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Aria said, grinning as she looped her arm through Spencer's and they all began walking towards the exit.
"Hastings!" They were almost to Spencer's car when she heard her name called in that unmistakable voice. She turned just in time to see Paige, fully changed and showered, jogging to catch to catch up to the them.
"Forgetting something?" Paige grinned playfully as she extended her hand which was holding Spencer's wallet.
"Thanks." She made sure their fingers brushed when she accepted the item and Paige smiled knowingly in return.
"Thanks from all of us." Emily added softly. "You just saved us all from having to pay for our own snacks. You're our hero." Emily was just being nice, she was always nice…to everyone. But it wasn't Emily's niceness that made a lump settle in the pit of Spencer's stomach like an anchor. It was the way she smiled at Paige -one of those typical Emily smiles that was all dimples and puppy dog tails, making anyone who saw it feel as if the Earth itself rotated only for them- and it was the way Paige bashfully dipped her head down, before mumbling a quick, "My pleasure."
Spencer had never seen Paige react that way before. Paige McCullers was a badass field hockey destroyer, she didn't get "bashful" and she definitely didn't look away. At least…not with her.
"Spence, you coming?" She'd been so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't even realize the girls had already gotten inside her car and were waiting on her. She looked up and her eyes met Paige who was just beginning to walk away.
"See ya Hastings. Try not to eat too many salty snacks without me." Paige said with a sly wink and a warm smile before turning back towards the school. Spencer smiled back, feeling the sickness in the pit of her stomach chip away with Paige's simple words. She climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot, intent on enjoying movie night with her best friends and determined not let any fleeting feelings of jealousy ruin her night.
Everything was fine.