It's a hot Friday night in Old Hollis, a subsection of Rosewood that houses the local college and respective students, as well as a few neglected bars here and there usually frequented by them. Despite being a part of Rosewood, Old Hollis is pretty different from the rest of town. It has the same old Victorian houses, but they're painted in bright, vibrant colors and most of them have been split into apartments and rented to the Hollis students. The cobblestone streets are lined with old lamps, casting shadows of the few residents that walk by.
On a regular pre-weekend night, Old Hollis would be packed with college students making their way in and out of the local bars and bowling rink. But now, with most of the students spending the summer with their families out of the state, the town's fairly quiet, the only people in there being its permanent residents and a few students from Rosewood High, trying to get into some of the bars using fake IDs.
It's in one of these shabby, old bars that Emily Fields finds herself in this warm night of August, sitting on a stool and waiting for what would turn out to be the first round of drinks she'd be having that night.
She looks around for her friends but they're nowhere in sight – Spencer and Aria had excused themselves to the restroom not long ago and Hanna had exited the bar to take on a work call just a few minutes later – so she sighs in annoyance and uses her hand as a mean to support her head while she waits.
Aria had called all the girls a couple weeks earlier, inviting them to a gallery opening she was having in Rosewood, and they'd all agreed to gather at The Pit the night before to celebrate the event. However, and to Emily's displeasure, not everyone had made it back in time.
Right after college, Alison had moved to France where she got a job working as an English teacher, and while Emily got to see the rest of the girls plenty of times, it had been a while since she'd last landed eyes on Alison, and as much as she hated to admit it – as much as she hated to think about what it could mean – she'd really been hoping that she'd get to see the blonde tonight.
As it had happened many times before, Alison had gotten stuck with some last minute work and had missed her flight. She'd emailed Aria early in the morning explaining what had happened and apologizing, and that had been the last any of them had heard of the blonde for the day.
So now Emily drums her fingers on the counter with her free hand, occasionally flipping her phone upwards and waking up the screen, thinking that if she does it enough times maybe a message will miraculously appear.
But it never does and every time she just ends up flipping her phone again so the screen will face the wooden bar, too irritated to even look at it for long periods of time. It only adds to her irritation that both the drinks and her friends are taking way too long to make their way to her, and really she should've just made up some excuse and stayed home watching television and chatting with her mother.
She's vaguely aware of someone sitting on the stool to her right, but she doesn't think much of it. The brunette reaches for the small bowl of salted peanuts that's in front of her and takes some out, figuring that if she's going to have to stay there and wait, at least she can get something to eat in the process.
"Mind sharing?" She hears as she breaks out of her numb state only to look at her right. A guy in his mid-twenties is sitting on a stool, looking at her with a warm smile on his face, so she places the bowl between the two of them. "Thanks." He replies.
The guy has dark brown hair and tanned skin, pearly white teeth, as well as hazel eyes. He picks on a few of the peanuts as Emily continues to drum her fingers to the counter, and a couple of minutes go by until he speaks again.
"Waiting on someone?" The brown-haired guy asks.
"Just my drinks." Emily replies, raising her voice at the last couple words to make sure the bartender hears – and he does, nodding at her as a silent apology for his forgetfulness.
The man sitting next to her chuckles and when Emily's mouth turns into a shy smile, he holds out his hand. "Riley." He says, introducing himself.
"Emily." The brunette replies, shaking his hand.
"Nice name." Riley says, a smile still on his face. "Are you new to Rosewood?"
"Not really." Emily admits as Riley pulls his stool a few inches closer. "I lived here until graduation but moved to California afterwards."
"Oh, a California girl." He says jokingly. "I've lived here pretty much my whole life; I actually just graduated Hollis about two years ago. What do you back in Cali?"
She goes back to picking on the peanuts bowl and answers "I'm a swim coach."
Riley raises his eyebrow. "So what made you ditch the beach and come back here? I'm sure California has a lot more to offer you than Rosewood does."
At this point the bartender starts to bring her the drinks she'd been waiting for for what seems like a lifetime and Emily utters a quiet 'thank you' before her attention returns to Riley.
"A friend of mine is having a gallery opening tomorrow." She says, arranging the drinks in front of her according to what each of her friends is having. "Maybe you've heard of her. Aria Montgomery?"
The name doesn't seem to ring a bell, as Riley shrugs after a moment of trying to associate it to a person. Although she finds it weird that this guy has never heard of Aria, one of the most promising and known artists to ever make it out of Rosewood, Emily feels a little relieved that it only took five years for their names to somehow be erased of the town and its surroundings. The names and people everyone once associated with death and tragedy were now nothing but ordinary, and it felt good not to have people know her as the girl who was tormented by 'A'.
And she's not that girl – not entirely, at least. She's no longer the girl who was scared to be left alone in her own house, terrified someone would hurt her or take her away. That girl stayed in Rosewood when she left, or that's what she likes to think… Truth be told, she still double checks the locks in her doors and windows every night.
She must get lost in her thoughts for a while, since the next time she hears Riley he's gotten a little closer to her.
"Do you happen to need a date for this gallery opening?" he asks with hopeful eyes, his hand dangerously close to Emily's knee.
The brunette feels a rush of blood coming to her cheeks, surprised by the question she was asked. Of course he had been flirting with her the whole time. She stutters a little, trying to come up with a polite way of declining his offer, but she doesn't get to do so as someone quickly comes between them.
"Hey babe!" An all-too-familiar voice says, sending a shiver down Emily's spine, and she fears her mind's playing games with her because it can't be. But right before her eyes have the chance to adjust and take in the figure standing in front of her, the person bends over and plants a kiss on her cheek, barely grazing the corner of her lips.
When the figure moves back, Emily's heart skips a beat in realization. Standing in front of her is the very last person she'd expect to see that night, but the one she'd missed the most. Locks of blonde fall perfectly down familiar shoulders and icy blue eyes stare back at her expectantly, a nervous smile on the lips of the girl whose face she hadn't seen for far too long.
"Alison?" Is all Emily's capable of saying at first and it's enough to make the blonde a little less anxious. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry I'm so late." She continues, placing her bag on the counter and shrugging off the small jacket she'd brought. "I got caught up with some work and missed my flight, but there was another one about half an hour later and I would've called but then my phone ran out of battery…" She sighs. "Just crazy really, I barely had time to drop my stuff at home and get here."
Just as Emily's processing what's happening, Alison takes a quick peek over her shoulder only to find out Riley is nowhere in sight. She smiles to herself in content and takes his seat, turning her attention back to a speechless Emily.
"I apologize for the abrupt entrance." The blonde jokes, figuring she has to be the one to continue the conversation for a little longer. "I met Hanna at the entrance and initially I was going to scare you but I figured you needed some help getting rid of whoever that guy was."
Emily's body gains conscience of its own as she moves forward and wraps her arms around Alison without a thought. Alison relaxes into the hug, her own hands meeting behind Emily's back as she tightens their embrace. They can barely remember the last time they were this close, feeling the warmth of each other's body, since every single one of the encounters they'd had in the previous months had been through the screen of a laptop.
The moment doesn't last long, or at least not long enough, and they part themselves as Hanna returns from her phone call. "I see you found her." She says to Alison, whose hand is now on Emily's back. Hanna orders another drink for the newly arrived and motions for the girls to pick up the ones that are already on the counter and take them to a booth while she stays behind to get Ali's.
They pick a booth that's far enough from the loud music being played on speakers so they don't have to shout to understand what the other is saying, and settle after placing everyone's drinks on the table.
"It's great to see you again, Em." Alison says, allowing herself to really take in how much her friend has changed and how beautiful she is – even more so than when they were just teenagers. "You look amazing. California must be treating you well."
"It's been good…" She replies. "Kind of lonely but –"
She doesn't get to finish her sentence as Aria and Spencer join them.
"But now we're all together again." Aria continues her sentence. Alison takes turns greeting her friends and it doesn't take long until Hanna joins them with Alison's drink.
The last time the five of them had all been together was last year's Christmas. Since then, the one who had the most contact with Alison was Aria, who had moved to Amsterdam shortly after college. As for Hanna and Spencer, they both decided to stay in New York after finishing their studies there, leaving Emily alone on the other side of the country.
Most times she doesn't really mind being all by herself. It's freeing, in a way, to be in a new place and being given the chance to start fresh. But of course there are times when she misses having her friends close, especially since she hasn't made any close friends back in Cali.
"Let's drink to that!" Hanna suggests, grabbing her drink and holding it in the air. The other girls do the same and they all clink their glasses together, toasting their friendship.
After a few sips, Hanna puts her glass down. "So, Ali…" She starts. "How's life back in France?"
"Work, mostly." Alison replies, her finger absently tracing the rim of her glass. "I'm still adapting, really… It's been a year already and I still have boxes to unpack spread all over the place." She says with a chuckle. "What about you girls?"
"Well, I'm currently doing an internship for Nylon." The other blonde replies chirpily. "But I've also been looking into some other places and maybe I'll get to work for Michael Kors soon! And Spencer's –"
"I can speak for myself, Han." Spencer says, earning an eye roll from her friend. "I just got my first real job as a defense attorney for a case." She proudly reports.
"You girls know what I've been up to." Aria reports with a smile and half-shrug. Out of the girls, Aria had been the most successful at maintaining contact with everyone, constantly updating her social media and making sure to call her friends at least once a week. "Em?"
The brunette raises her head, startled at the mention of her name. Throughout the conversation her mind couldn't help but wandering back to something that had happened just a year after they'd finished high school, which made her return to Rosewood sooner than she'd expected.
Her father's heart condition, which had been under control for a few years, took a sudden turn for worst, leading to his untimely passing during the summer break. All of her friends had been there for her and her mother, both at the funeral and the weeks following it, but time came when they had to follow their separate lives and Emily had to return to college; it had been hard, to say the least.
"I guess everything's been okay…" Emily quietly replies. Aria gives her a sympathetic nod, feeling a hint of regret for bringing up the topic. Alison's hand wraps around Emily's forearm, closer to her wrist, and gives it a gentle squeeze.
On the other side of the table Spencer clears her throat, causing Alison to quickly detach her hand from her friend's arm and laying it on the table instead. "How are the people in France, Ali?" She says in a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood. "Tell me your life isn't all work and no fun now."
"Well, if you're asking me if there's someone special in my life then the answer is no." The blonde says with a laugh, causing Emily to look at her. "But I have been thinking about maybe getting a cat."
"A cat, really?" Hanna questions, making a face. "I never took you for a cat person."
"Who knows?" Alison answers, taking a long sip of her drink. "Maybe I am a cat person." She continues, her eyes locking with Emily's. For that second, the air's charged with possibility, yet Emily's head seems to be clouded with doubt, unsure of what any of it means. She's like a deer caught in headlights, ready for a collision that never comes, given that Ali diverts the girls' attention to somebody else.
"What about you, Hanna?" The blonde says with a knowing smirk. "I heard you've been having plenty of fun."
Her friend meets the question with a shocked expression, faking offense and causing everyone at the table to burst in collective laughter before proceeding to openly talk about her love life. The rest of the night goes by quickly, drinks flowing one after the other as the five girls lose themselves in happy chatter. They tell each other funny-yet-embarrassing stories of their new lives as young adults, and before they know it it's time to part ways and head back to their former residences.
Although they've all had their fair share of drinks, Spencer – who had volunteered to be the designated driver – is still in condition to take everyone home safely. In just a few minutes they're out of Old Hollis in back in the more familiar streets of Rosewood, where she drops Hanna and Aria off at their places in Turning Leaf Lane. She then makes a turn to her and Ali's street in Bridgewater Terrace, where her car comes to a stop.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off at your place?" Spencer questions Emily in concern, who nods 'no' as a reply.
"I can walk there." She says as they exit the vehicle. Her house is within walking distance from her friends', but both Alison and Spencer don't feel at ease with the thought of letting her walk home by herself at four in the morning, especially given that she's had a few drinks.
"Go home, Spence." Alison murmurs to her friend. "I've got this."
"Are you sure?" Spencer whispers in reply, and when Alison nods she yawns a lazy 'goodnight' to both her friends before heading inside. Emily waves Ali goodbye and begins to walk, but Alison reaches out to stop her before she can make it too far.
"Wait!" The blonde asks as she grabs Emily by the arm, stopping the girl in her tracks. Emily looks at her in confusion, Ali's hand feeling like a hot iron pressed to her skin. "Why don't you stay at my place tonight?" She says hesitatingly.
Nervousness creeps up her spine while she considers her friend's offer. "I really don't want to be a burden, and my house is just –"
"You're not a burden." Ali insists. "Come on, Em. You know it's too late for any of us to be out there on our own."
As much as Emily doesn't think spending the night at Alison's is a good idea, she knows that fighting the girl would be nothing but a complete waste of time, especially when she knows Alison's offer comes from a place of concern. Defeated, she heaves out a sigh and follows the blonde to her house.
From the outside, the DiLaurentis residence remains almost the same as it had always been, as if time stood still in that one place. But on the inside, the house has suffered a complete renovation – Kenneth and Jason had left Rosewood shortly after Alison's high school graduation, leaving the blonde with the house to herself, and Alison made sure to get rid of all the bad memories she had in that place before she went to Europe by throwing almost everything away.
As they walk in, they're greeted by bright lights and a clean, white hallway leading to the living room. Alison drops her bag and jacket on the couch, instructing Emily to do the same, and removes her heels before heading up the stairs. On the upper level, she leads Emily to her parents' former bedroom, which she'd turned into a guest room.
"You can stay here." She warmly says, walking into the room and towards the dresser. She crouches and pulls out a pair of clean pajamas and hands it to Emily. "There are also some towels in there if you'd like to take a shower and you know where the bathroom is…"
"Thanks." The brunette replies awkwardly as she takes the pajamas from Alison's hands. Alison smiles back at her friend, brushing her hand through Emily's arm as she walks past her and back into the hallway. "Ali, wait –" Emily says, turning around.
Alison stops in the doorway before turning around to face Emily. "Yeah?"
Emily fumbles over the words in her head – she knows what she wants to say, but how can she say it?
"Is there any specific towel I should use?" She mentally slaps herself. That was something she didn't intend to say. Alison gives her a curious look as if she knew there was more to the question than what Emily was leading on.
"No, any towel is fine." The blonde finally says with a shrug. Emily nods, watching as Alison leaves the room, and she decides that a shower is exactly what she needs to clean off the shame she's feeling at the moment.
She waits until she hears the door to Alison's bedroom close before she makes her way to the bathroom. As she turns on the water, she tries not to make too much noise, figuring her friend must've fallen asleep already.
A hot shower felt much needed after the night's events. Even though alcohol had been the one doing most of the talking – or at least that's what she tries to blame her embarrassing moment on –, the need she felt to have Alison's lips on hers was overpowering. She couldn't pinpoint the last time she'd felt this way about the blonde, but she felt ridiculous seeing how much power Alison still had over her without being aware of it. But she couldn't get her off her mind, and that was the only thing she could think about even before Alison had found her way to her at the bar.
After a few minutes, Emily turns the knobs to the shower off and wraps the towel that hung from the rack around her body. As she dries off, she remembers she'd left the pajamas Alison had gotten out for her at the end of the bed and groans in annoyance. She opens the bathroom door and peeks around the corner to Alison's bedroom, just to make sure she doesn't run into her by accident. When she's convinced the coast is clear, she makes a beeline for her bedroom.
Shutting the door behind her, she lets out a breath she's been holding in, finally relaxing in the comfort of being alone for the first time that day. She sighs deeply, throwing the towel to a chair on the side and walking towards the bed, examining the clothes Ali had picked out for her.
She's walking around the room, trying to find a plug to charge her phone, when the door opens abruptly behind her.
"Em, have you seen my –" Alison begins to stay, but her train of thought comes to a quick stop at the sight of her friend.
Taken off guard by Ali's sudden entrance, Emily searches frantically for something she can use to cover herself, but ends up using her hands as coverage.
"A-Ali what are you doing here?!" She nearly screams.
"I'm sorry; I thought I'd left my phone in here." Alison responds, eyes wide as she takes in the view in front of her.
"Well it's clearly not in here!" Emily's face turns into a bright shade of red as she watches Alison feel out her pockets and she wishes for a second that the blonde would at least throw her the towel that's in the chair to her right.
"Funny, I thought I'd left it up here…" She mutters, setting her hands on her hips. She turns and Emily sighs in relief, but when Alison's hand wraps around the doorknob to close the door with Alison still inside the room, Emily tenses up again.
"I'm trying to get dressed Ali, what do you want?" The brunette asks, getting a hold of the towel and wrapping it around her body.
Alison walks towards her, taking slow, small steps, which causes Emily to back into the bed. The faint smell of alcohol on each other's breath is intoxicating, growing stronger with their proximity.
"Isn't it obvious yet?" Alison says, flashing Emily the same smirk she knows drives her absolutely crazy. "I want you, Em. And I know you want me."
When their bodies meet, Emily feels as if her heart is going to beat its way out of her chest. Her breathing becomes ragged, with Alison closing the little space that's left between of them.
"So what do you say, Em…" She hears a husky voice whispering in her ear, lips barely grazing her skin, and it sends goose bumps all over her body. "For old time's sake?"
A.N.: Special thanks to my loves Alyssa, Sabrina and Jay for making this one-shot possible. Believe me when I say I wouldn't have finished it without them. Lots of love!