Author's Notes: This is my first (attempt at a) South of Nowhere fic, so if it's a little OCC, it's probably because I haven't seen the show in forever.
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"I'm addicted to you,
don't you know that you're toxic?
And I love what you do,
don't you know that you're toxic?"
- "Toxic,"
by Britney Spears
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Sometimes, Spencer thinks, this is what it's like to be addicted to a drug. To feel it itchcrawlunder your skin, worm into your brain and you'd do anything to feel it rush through your veins.
Ashley is like a drug, all wrapped up in wicked smiles and sexual innuendos, late night drives across to the ocean, laying wrapped up in a hoodie and each other, feel the sand between their toes and damn, there's no one else in the world.
For a minute, it doesn't matter what the world says about them, how they view the two girls who are more then friends. It doesn't matter about her mom or brothers or dad, about Ashley's screwed up family, it's just them.
That's how it is tonight, and for an hour, it's only them in the world, the waves lapping at the beach, the moon high in the sky like a burning beacon, welcoming them with the pull and the push.
They're laying on a blanket, half-asleep but totally content. They both have on shorts and each other's hoodies, like they don't wear it when they're not together.
"This was kind of stupid," Spencer says, "to wear a jacket and a pair of shorts."
Ashley laughs and pulls her in, tangles their hands together. "I can keep your warm if you want."
She wiggles her eyebrows at her and Spencer rolls her eyes, kissing her lightly. She can feel her heartbeat and Ashley's too, under her fingertips, and it's synchronized. They couldn't be closer if they tried.
They wrestle and play, best friends and lovers, all wrapped up in forever, as the moon watches them with sleepy eyes, shining brightly. All its children twinkle and smile at them, holding each other close.
The moon has seen a lot, Spencer thinks. It's seen murder and betrayal, death and life, lying and destruction. But it's also seen love, sweet and tender, rough and playful.
She laughs, pulls Ashley's bottom lip with her teeth, and wraps herself around her girl- she loves the way it sounds her girl, her girl, hergirlhergirlhergirl- as the waves lap against the sand like a lullaby.
"Let's go swimming," Ashley says suddenly, pulling her to her feet.
Spencer laughs, grinning at her, and mutters something that sounds like 'you're crazy.'
Ashley smiles at her, drags her by the hand into the ocean, cool beneath their fiery skin, and says, "You love it.""I do, I do," Spencer mutters, throwing them both under the waves. She pops her head up, takes a deep breath of cool May air, feels her lungs expand and goose bumps arise on her cheeks, feel Ashley's fingertips on her wrist, gentle but forceful.
How she manages it, she doesn't know. There are some things about Ashley Davies that Spencer Carlin wants to be able to unfold, take off the paper and untie the bow, view one more thing about her. It's like a new experience and every gift fills her with joy, flies her above the world.
Her own brand of heroin, she thinks, grinning.
"What are you thinking about?" Ashley asks as she swipes her thumb across Spencer's lower lip, presses a kiss to the side of her head as they float together on the wide open sea, the world for their taking.
Spencer smiles at her, her heart beating fast. "Nothing.""Sure," Ashley says, laughing, "It doesn't look like nothing."Spencer rolls her eyes, feels the cool air hit her damp skin, and shivers. "Let's go back," she suggests, pressing her thumb against the hollow of Ashley's exposed throat, feels her shivershake under her touch, and it never fails to make her feel-
Hergirlhergirlhergirl grabs her hair, tangles her fingers in it, pulls her back for a kiss. The moonlight hits Ashley's reddish hair, shines a halo on her head, and she scrapes her teeth against her throat, feels her shudder. This is her angel, and she's slowing destroying her, one kiss at a time.
They race each other to the beach, grab their stuff, and head out to Ashley's car. Ashley cranks the heat up and they shiver slightly, yanking off the sweatshirts that seem to have multiplied in weight, throw it in the backseat, wearing nothing but tank tops and shorts. They take turns changing in the backseat into pajama pants and a tank top. They don't bother to hide the gawks headed both ways.
Ashley sees Spencer staring, shakes her hips with a smile. They lie in the backseat for a while, discovering each other. Eventually, they leave and head back to Spencer's house, where Spencer will sneak up to her room without her parents noticing, hopefully.
The moon smiles at them from above, and Spencer kisses Ashley's hand held tightly in hers, feels her need dampening but never burning out.
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