Rooonie Thanks for reading. :) I'm glad that you're all caught up. Yeah, reading and writing Paily is what's going to get me through the last half of this season, if things continue to progress like this.

take-everything-and-more Yeah, she is. But, Paige will win her over, I'm sure.

saii79 Probably a little bit of both. She knows her mom won't approve. And she doesn't want to let herself get too invested. I think that Pam's on her way to coming around. And yeah, Paige's particular brand of charm will definitely help.

Guest :lol I know, right?

CarmellaD'Winter I think things went about as well as could be expected. But, I'm sure it won't be the last of Field's family dinners that Paige attends.

ponderhouse I'm glad you're enjoying the story. And that you like the family dynamic with Emily and Pam. They're in a rough spot right now, but they'll get through it.

Author's Note: This one's a little short, but I wanted to have something prepared to coincide with this weeks episode, because I figured we'd all need a little dose of Paily after tonight. Short but sweet. I hope that you enjoy it. :)

Chapter 8

Emily pulled up to curb in front of Paige's house and killed the engine. She glanced sidelong over at Paige, only to catch the othe girl looking back. She forced herself not to avert her gaze and offered up a small, albeit uncertain smile. The interior of the car was dark, cast in murky shadows by the streetlight a few feet ahead of them. There was just enough light for her to make out Paige's silhouettte, and to tell that the other girl had one hand on the door handle, but had not yet made a move to open it.

It felt like that moment at the end of a first date, just before you leaned in for that first goodnight kiss. That eager, anxious moment where your eyes met in the darkness and your heart slammed in your chest and butterflies stirred in your chest and your breath caught in your throat for a second before you leaned in and went for it.

Except, this wasn't a date. Emily had been repeating that like a mantra ever since the two of them had settled in on the couch for the movie. Paige wasn't into her like that.

This wasn't a date.

"I had a really good time tonight," Paige said quietly, her eyes shining in the darkness, though the shadows made her face unreadable.

Even if at times it really felt like one.

"Yeah," Emily agreed softly. "Me too."

"I really appreciate you helping me study. And, dinner was great too."

Emily nodded. "I'm glad I could help."

"You're Mom's really cool. She's very...attentive. My mom's not like that at all. She's barely even around y'know? I'm pretty she hasn't even met like, half my friends, let alone tried to get to know them. It was kind of nice."

Emily snorted softly. She couldn't help it. Her Mom hadn't been being friendly. She hadn't kept popping into the room offer snacks or drinks or to make sure they were warm enough out of maternal concern or an attempt to be a good hostess. "My mom was afraid that if she left alone us for more than ten minutes we'd end up making out on her couch."

The words were out before she could censor them. And as Paige drew back slightly in her seat and blinked rapidly a few times, she wished there was a way she could call them back.

"But don't worry, I told her it wasn't like that," she hastened to reassure Paige. "I told her that we're just friends."

Paige was quiet for a long moment and then she nodded. "Oh. Okay."

Emily bit her lip, awaitng any further reaction from Paige. In a way, she was glad that it was out there, between them. Her sexuality had been the elephant in the room all weekend. It's not that Emily had purposfully not mentioned it. But, she hadn't gone out of her way to bring it up, either. And as much as she wanted this friendship with Paige to work, she knew that it wouldn't, it couldn't, if she had to reign in parts of herself.

"I should probably head in," Paige said, nodding in the direction of her house, which was shrouded in darkness. Not even a porch light to welcome her home. "Let you get going before your mom sends out a search party."

Though Paige was joking, it wasn't really that far-fetched a possibility. Her mom had always been over-protective and she had gone into hyperdrive lately.

Despite her words, however, Paige made no move to get out of the car. She sat, playing idyly with the door handle and looking at Emily.

"Tell me how your test goes?"

Paige nodded. "Yeah. Of course. Thanks again, for helping me study."

"It was my pleasure."

Paige took a breath so deep that Emily saw her shoulders shift in the darkness. "A'right. See you later, then. I guess." She nodded briskly and turn in her seat to go.

"Paige, wait." Emily called her back as she was halfway out of the car. She dropped back into her seat and turned to face Emily once again. Now that she had her attention, Emily was tongue tied. "Just, goodnight," she mumbled, feeling lame.

"Goodnight," Paige murmured. Emily could feel her eyes on her but couldn't bring herself to meet her gaze.

"See you tomorrow?" She slid forward in her seat and extended her arms in the universal signal for "come here." She couldn't go for the goonight kiss, but she could go for a hug. That was perfectly acceptable, right? Friends hugged.

"See you tomorrow." Paige leaned forward into the embrace. Her long arms folded around Emily's back and her head nestled neatly in the crook of her shoulder. Emily shivered lightly at the feel of Paige's breath against the side of her neck, and the light tickle of her hair against her jaw.

Her heart seized in her chest, missing a beat, maybe two as they lingered in the hug. Slowly, reluctantly, Emily loosened her grip around Paige's shoulders and eased back. She felt the loss of Paige's warmth as soon as they had fully parted.

Without another word, Paige was gone. The door fell shut with a gentle shud in her wake and Emily was left staring dazedly after her as she hustled up the walkway and dissapeared into the shadows of her porch. She waited until she saw a light come on in the entryway before pulling away.