A-well helloooo!
So I'm back with a new update for you, a little later than I originally planned, but still a lot sooner than my previous updates! I told you I'd get back on track :)
First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who is still following and commenting, it's really nice to know people are still happy to wait for this story to finish, and I love reading your comments, it gives me the encouragement to continue, so thanks for that!
Now, this chapter is a lot less plot driven than any other chapter in this story, but I think is definitely my favourite of the entire story. I think you'll like it too.
So, without further a do, I give to you a Very Emison Christmas.
Days passed quickly, and Christmas Eve flew in with a cold blast. The Weather Forecast had been saying that it would get colder before the end of the year and it seemed that they hadn't been wrong. Still, with as cold and frosty as the days got, Emily's excitement only seemed to increase as the big day drew closer. She had been bouncing around the apartment for three days straight, the Christmas playlist on her iTunes had been on a continuous loop for a little over a week, and Alison had felt herself falling more and more in love with her adorable girlfriend since they started decorating a little over two weeks ago. Time, it seemed, was funny. Some measured it in minutes, some measured it by work patterns and shifts. Alison found she was measuring it by the amount of times Emily's eyes lit up at the sight of the Christmas Tree when they turned the lights on each evening, and the smiles that took over her face as another festive commercial aired on the TV, and even that one time she belted 'Do They Know It's Christmas' at the top of her lungs one Tuesday morning when Alison was getting ready for work. Time was passing and Christmas was growing closer, but all Alison saw was Emily.
At that moment in time, Alison was watching on in amusement as Emily danced her way around the tiny kitchen area. She had insisted that this would be the year she would perfect her Mom's Christmas Cake recipe. Alison had almost doubled over with laughter when Emily had first mentioned it, because Emily and baking went together about as much as a cat and a bathtub. Still, she found it endearing that her girlfriend suddenly wanted to do something as domestic as make them a Christmas Cake, so she'd personally gone to the store and bought the ingredients. She had offered to help Emily too, but the other woman was insistent on doing it herself, and so Alison had been forced to sit and watch as the brunette sang and danced, while dropping eggs and spilling unmeasured and unsifted flour all over the place. After around thirty minutes, and three dropped eggs, Alison grew bored of watching her admittedly adorable girlfriend, and decided that she needed to spice things up a little.
With a mischievous look in her eye, she sidled up beside an unsuspecting Emily. Alison reached across the counter and grabbed an egg from the carton, and before Emily could even react, cracked it on Emily's head.
'Oh, my god! Ali!' Emily let out a shocked laugh, holding her hands out in disbelief as egg membrane dripped down her hair and on to her face. Her jaw hung low as she looked at Alison, who was holding back her laughter and looking at Emily with the most innocent expression she could muster.
'You are so dead' Emily chuckled as she grabbed an egg of her own and practically threw it at Alison. It was the beginning of an all-out food war, and nothing was sacred. Eggs, flower and even milk was thrown across the kitchen as the two women squealed and laughed in delight at the mess they were making. It wasn't until Hanna walked in around fifteen minutes later, narrowly dodging a rogue spoonful of butter that Emily had catapulted across the apartment at Alison, that they came to a halt.
'Woah! It looks like Betty Crocker threw a fit in here!' Hanna exclaimed with wide eyes. Her nose crinkled up as though she were disgusted by the mess in the apartment, but both Alison and Emily knew that she wasn't exactly tidy herself. Still, they took a moment to observe the egg that was splattered up the walls and the flour that had mixed with various different substances and was now a congealed mess across the floor. Emily was thankful in that moment, for the wooden flooring that spanned across her entire apartment. It may not have been as cosy as a carpet, but it was most definitely easy to clean!
'I'm surprised you know who Betty Crocker is' Alison remarked with a smirk, as she began picking pieces of egg yolk from Emily's hair.
'Oh Ha Ha! Of course I know who Betty Crocker is, Alison, I used to weigh like 200 pounds and ate her sugary goodness for breakfast' Hanna rolled her eyes as she cautiously entered the apartment, tip-toeing across the floor until she found a safe, clean space to stand.
'Anyway, I just thought I'd pop in and wish you a Merry Christmas, before Caleb and I head off to Rosewood' Hanna continued, her eyes still scouring the filthy apartment.
'Aw, Merry Christmas Han' Emily cooed, as she made her way over and pulled her best friend into a tight hug. Hanna balked at the contact and glared at Emily when they parted, while Alison stifled a giggle.
'Emily! This dress is Chanel!' Hanna screeched, her feet stamping like a five year old.
'You got it from a flea market' Emily pointed out caustically, causing Hanna's eyes to whip over to Alison, because nobody could ever know that Hanna Marin visited flea markets!
'It's vintage!' she argued, trying desperately to save herself.
'Which is just a term that people use to say they're wearing old, second hand clothes without sounding like a hobo' Emily retorted, rolling her eyes at Hanna's ridiculousness. Alison tiled her head to the side and smirked.
'I mean, she's not wrong' she added, causing Emily to beam both at the fact that Alison was agreeing with her and that in turn, she was causing Hanna's ears to redden with frustration.
'You two are impossible' Hanna grunted. 'And here I was, coming to try to beg you to change your mind and come home for the holidays' She added, as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. Emily wanted to poke the bear, she really did, but she could tell that Hanna was feeling a little down that for the first time ever, they wouldn't be together for Christmas.
'I'm sorry, Han' Emily apologised sincerely feeling a touch guilty that she was bailing on her friends for the Holidays, but she was also really excited to be spending the festive period with Alison.
'Why don't we all grab some dinner together tonight?' Alison suggested. She had seen the way Hanna's face fell when Emily said she wasn't going back to Rosewood the week before, and she was also feeling guilty that Emily was giving up her Christmas traditions to spend the day with her. Not enough that she was going to send her girlfriend off packing for a week, but enough that she felt she should try to make everyone happy. It seemed that this was a right move, because Emily's face lit up at the suggestion.
'Yeah, I mean, Rosewood isn't that far of a drive, maybe you can leave later tonight, or even in the morning?' Emily offered.
'The roads would be emptier, I guess...' Hanna trailed off as she tried to work out the logistics.
'Totally, it'll be so much easier to drive tomorrow' Alison pushed, trying to encourage the other blonde to stay and have some fun with them. 'C'mon Hanna, why don't we make this the year we create our own traditions?'
'Ok, I'll call Aria and Spencer, see if they're up for sticking around a little longer'
It turned out that Spencer and Aria had planned on driving back to Rosewood the following morning anyway, having had an awful drive back to Rosewood the following Christmas Eve. They had decided that they would miss the Christmas rush and drive back early Christmas morning, so were more than happy to join in the festivities. And so, with a quick clean-up of the apartment and an extended shower for Emily and Alison, that was interrupted by Hanna who threatened to turn off the hot water supply if they didn't take their fingers out of each other for five seconds, they were ready to make their first Christmas memories in almost a decade.
With all five girls ready to make new traditions, they headed into the city, each with their own ideas of what they wanted to do.
'I've always wanted to go see the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker performance' Spencer stated, her eyes glistening with delight at the prospect in a way that made her look downright crazy.
'I could be down with a little ballet' Emily stated with a shrug.
'Yeah, hot guys in tights? Count me in!' Hanna added with a smirk, causing Spencer to roll her eyes. She was about to make a comment about Hanna's lack of appreciation for the arts, when Alison jumped in.
'Uh, isn't that the one that's like 5 hours long?' she asked with narrowed eyes. She only knew because Elinor had talked her in to going to it a few years back, and it had been so long that her ass had fallen asleep. By the time it was time for the first interval, she was walking like she'd just stepped out of a Western.
'Yeah' Spencer replied with a wide grin, as if this information made it more appealing. She had clearly forgotten her audience, and her face sunk when it was quickly vetoed.
'I'd be happy just chilling out in some PJs with hot cocoa and some old-timey Christmas movies' Aria suggested with a shrug.
'What movie?' Spencer asked sceptically.
'I don't know, maybe the original Miracle on 34th Street? Or It's a Wonderful Life?'
'Oh, I love It's a Wonderful Life!' Alison stated with a smile, which Emily matched equally, because it was a movie they had watched with her Mom every year. They would cuddle up on the couch and each chocolates, and Emily would pretend not to notice when Alison cried at the end. It was a tradition that hadn't been quite the same after Ali was gone.
'Sounds like a total snooze-fest if you ask me' Hanna grumbled. 'C'mon, we're hot, young women in New York! There's a million better things that we can do!'
'Well what do you suggest?' Aria asked, though she was semi-regretting asking because with Hanna you never knew what would come out of her mouth.
'Well, we could go look at the Christmas displays in the shop windows' Hanna replied, her excitement buzzing through her at the possibility of even being near a shop.
'We all know that's just an excuse for you to go shopping' Emily shot her down instantly, because there was no way she was spending her Christmas Eve being dragged around Bloomingdales by Hanna.
'Well, I don't know then. It's not like we can just go to a bar and get drunk' Hanna retorted with a huff. Emily shuffled awkwardly, knowing she was the exact reason that they couldn't do exactly that. She was about to state that she was happy to go to a bar if they wanted to, it wouldn't be the first time she had sipped on Orange Juice while her friends got plastered, but Alison had already opened her mouth and called Hanna an insensitive troll, so she didn't see much point in saying anything else. They bickered back and forth for a while, until Alison finally suggested that they head into Central Park and go ice skating at the Wollman Rink. It was her favourite part of New York at Christmas, even if she didn't skate, she just loved watching all the families and couples, all smiling and laughing and generally enjoying the Christmas spirit. Emily quickly agreed, along with Aria and Spencer, which outvoted Hanna, who was still reeling from her bickering session with Alison.
The group made their way through Central Park, the Christmas lights lighting up The Mall as they strolled along peacefully. It was Emily's first Christmas in the city, and as she walked hand in hand with Alison, she was breath taken by the beauty of it all. Alison on the other hand, had seen the City lit up at Christmas a dozen times, but somehow seeing it with Emily made it all the more special and magical to her. She felt as though she were seeing it through fresh eyes and the glow of twinkle lights just seemed so much more magical to her. After a long stroll, the last fifteen minutes of which Hanna had complained non-stop about the fact that she couldn't feel her hands anymore, they finally reached the Wollman Rink, and Emily felt her breath taken away all over again. It was beautiful, more so than she'd ever imagined, and she couldn't believe she'd never come here before. The smooth sheet of ice that sat amongst the green of the park, was lit up spectacularly by the towering buildings behind it, each window of each building providing a golden glow across the pure white canvas. Children and parents, girlfriends and boyfriends, husbands and wives, all of different ages, were travelling around the ice at different speeds. A young teenage girl soared across the white pane, spinning and twirling effortlessly as though she were Jane Torville, while beside her was a young-ish father, pulling a toddler along by the hands and cautiously trying to ensure the young boy didn't fall. An elderly couple moved slowly around the rink's edge, hand in hand and Emily could see the love that shone between them. She hoped that she and Alison would be like that someday, old and still as in love as they were at Fifteen. She wanted it all with the blonde beside her. She wanted a marriage and a family, and a big house with a white picket fence in the suburbs and a puppy that dug up the back yard and pissed all over the carpet. She wanted the good and the bad, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health.
Emily slowed her pace as they walked around the rink towards the skate hire, causing Alison to slow with her, while Hanna, Spencer and Aria were practically racing to the kiosk to grab their skates.
'You ok?' Alison asked, her brow furrowing in concern, because she could see that Emily was far away right now. So far away that she may as well be on a different planet.
'Yeah, I just...' Emily trailed off, not knowing the words to say. She couldn't explain what was going on inside of her in that moment, and a part of her thought she was being ridiculous. She shook her head and let out a breathy chuckle as she looked down at the ground, which only cause Alison to worry more. They came to a complete stand still and Alison desperately tried to catch Emily's eye contact.
'Just what? Talk to me, what's on your mind?' Alison encouraged as she took both of Emily's hands in her own and stood so they were face to face, her eyes patient and waiting for the brunette to open up. Finally, Emily looked up at her. Her eyes were practically glowing, and she had a shy and nervous, yet excited smile on her face that Alison couldn't read.
'Marry me' Emily found the words tumbling from her mouth, but she didn't regret them for a second.
'What?' Alison choked, her eyes widening in surprise, but her mouth was forming a grin.
'I mean, I know we've only been back together a short while and I know that I don't have a ring, so I totally get it if you say no, but...I spent almost ten years of my life knowing what it was like to not be with you, and I don't want to spend another second without you by my side. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I always have, and I know I always will. It's always been you, Alison, so please, will you marry me?' Her words were rushed and some of them ran into each other so Alison had to focus more on what she was saying, but she could feel the love and the sincerity behind the spur of the moment proposal. She could feel Emily's pulse racing beneath her fingertips that were still enclosed around Emily's wrists. She could see the energy that bounced around Emily's eyes.
Alison's own eyes filled with tears, as she took in Emily's words. She definitely hadn't expected it, and if Emily was honest, she hadn't either, but it felt perfect for both of them. It was spontaneous and unplanned and unconventional, but it was also honest and full of love and adoration, and that was their relationship in a nutshell.
'I don't need a ring' Alison found herself replying as she threw herself at Emily, wrapping her arms around the brunette's neck as she kissed her fiercely. Emily's arms wound tightly around the blonde's waist, holding her in close as they shared a passionate embrace.
'Is that a yes then?'
'A million times'
Their lips met again in a soft, loving kiss. Alison felt something cold hit her nose, causing her to break away and look up. Her smile grew when she saw large, white flakes falling slowly from the sky.
'It's snowing' she breathed, letting out a gleeful laugh, which Emily found herself joining in with.
They were interrupted not long after, and while they were both bursting with happiness, they somehow managed to continue their night. Alison watched as Emily glided around the rink skilfully, her body twisting and turning as she weaved in and out of people. Spencer, ever the competitor, was hot on her heels, while Aria slowly and cautiously made her way behind them. Hanna was clinging to the side, letting go every now and again only to slip, her feet travelling in opposite directions, and desperately hold on again for dear life. Alison, though she could skate well, was content just stood at the side and watching. She loved her friends, but she loved even more watching Emily interact with them. Watching that killer smile and those adorable dimples forming when she laughed. The way her strong and slender legs pushed her body across the ice, the way her perfect ass stuck out just a bit as her knees bent while she moved. Everything about Emily was amazing and Alison was sure that she could spend all day, every day just looking at her. Her fingers subconsciously moved to her ring finger and a smile graced her lips at the thought that she could do exactly that. She wanted to scream to the world that the Goddess on the ice was her fiancée.
She was pulled out of her thoughts rather suddenly, as a teenage boy crashed into the side of her, causing her to tumble. Alison had no time to react, her body flying sideways into the ice and causing a sickening thud to echo around the rink as her head smacked the solid ground beneath her. The pain that shot through her skull caused her to scream out, and Emily, who was across the rink at the time, was by her side in seconds. Alison felt tender hands hold her in place and for a second she thought it was Emily, but even beyond the ringing in her ears, she knew the soothing voice talking to her didn't belong to her girlfriend. Fiancée, she reminded herself.
'Alison, I need you to stay still ok? Don't move, you could cause more damage' came Spencer's voice, and Alison quickly realised it was her hands that were practically pinning her to the cold ice.
'I'm calling an ambulance' came Aria's voice from above her, which only made Alison panic more, because where was Emily!?
'Em, leave it. He's just a kid!' came Hanna's voice, and while Alison knew how protective Emily was of her, she had no idea that at that moment, the brunette had a 17 year old boy pinned to the side of the rink, an iron death grip on the collar of his shirt as she berated him for being so careless with the most precious thing she had on this Earth.
'Emily! Get off of him!' Came Hanna's stern voice, her hands desperately trying to pull the brunette away from the teenage boy, who looked like he was about to shit his pants.
'I'm really sorry, it was an accident I swear' the boy apologised for the seventh time, and it wouldn't have been nearly enough for Emily, had she not heard Alison's voice call her from several feet away. Her hand instantly dropped from the kid's sweater and she made her way to the blonde, dropping beside the other woman onto her knees.
'I'm here babe. Are you ok?' She asked, her voice going from angry to loving quicker than she could blink. Her hand landed softly against the side of Alison's head, soft golden curls sitting beneath her fingertips.
'Yeah. Just take me home. Please?' Alison pleaded, because right now she had a group of around thirty people staring at her, her ass was beginning to go numb due to the ice and she was generally humiliated. All she wanted was to go home and be with Emily.
'You're sure you don't need a doctor?' Spencer asked anxiously.
'Yeah, I just wanna go home' Alison replied, causing Emily to nod. The brunette leaned down to place a kiss on Alison's forehead, before lifting back away again.
'I want to take you home Ali, but I think you should get checked out first. I need to know that you're ok' She replied with a loving, yet regrettable voice. She wanted to scoop Alison up off the ice and carry her all the way home herself, but she needed to know that she was ok first.
'Em, I'm fine' Alison protested, as she tried to sit herself up, only to have Spencer's hands on her shoulders, pushing her back on to the cold ice again.
'I know, but please, for my peace of mind, just get checked out. I want to marry you, not a vegetable' she replied, causing Alison to chuckle.
'Ok' Alison reluctantly agreed, because how could she argue with Emily when she was being so fucking cute?
'Wait, did she say marry?' Hanna whispered to Aria, who nodded, her eyebrows sitting sky high in surprise because she had no idea when this new step had been taken.
Alison eventually got checked over by a paramedic and both she and Emily were pleased that she had gotten away with only a mild concussion. She was sent home with instructions to rest and take painkillers.
'If there's any memory loss or you start getting black spots in your vision, then head to the ER, but otherwise you should be fine. You'll just have a bit of a headache on Christmas morning' The EMT stated playfully, causing Emily to smile gratefully, as she held Alison into her side.
'Let's get you home' Emily said, as she let out a heavy breath. She placed a kiss to Alison's temple before helping her to her feet. They took the walk back slowly, allowing the magic of the twinkle lights to wash away the drama of the night. Emily didn't let go of Alison the entire journey back to the apartment, so she knew that she was going to be dealing with an overly protective and fussy girlfriend – Fiancée, she reminded herself – for the rest of the night. And she was right, because the second they all bundled into the tiny studio apartment, Emily had Alison wrapped up in a blanket and resting on the couch, despite the blonde's protests that she was fine.
While Aria and Spencer made themselves comfortable on the opposite couch and chose a movie, Hanna helped Emily in the adjoining Kitchen to make Hot Chocolate and Popcorn for the group.
'So when were you going to tell us you got engaged?' Hanna asked as she watched the bag of popcorn spin around and around in the microwave. Emily let out a sigh and stirred the hot drink in the saucepan as she heated it on the stove.
'I was going to tell you. It only just happened tonight, and I haven't even got her a ring yet' she replied, feeling the need to defend herself because she knew that Hanna would be upset she hadn't told her. If she was honest, Emily wasn't sure why they didn't tell the girls, it wasn't like they'd actively discussed hiding it, they had just both silently seemed to agree that they wanted to enjoy that moment for themselves for a while. Emily wonders though, whether secretly they were both just nervous to tell the girls through fear of getting any sort of disapproval from any of them.
Hanna replied with a small grunt and a nod of the head. The microwave dinged a second later and Hanna almost burned off her fingertips as she snatched the scalding bag from inside, desperate for something to keep her hands busy.
'What?' Emily asked, turning her body to face Hanna fully.
'Nothing' Hanna mumbled, as she prised the bag open and began to pour the popcorn into a bowl.
'Hanna…'
Hanna let out a heavy sigh and placed the now empty bag onto the counter, while Emily switched off the hob. Hanna turned and faced Emily, finally catching eye contact with her.
'It's just that…I used to be your person, and I don't feel like I am anymore' Hanna confessed sadly.
'My person?' Emily questioned in confusion. She wasn't sure what Hanna was talking about, but whatever it was had her pretty upset and Emily didn't want that.
'Yeah, you know…the person you laugh and joke with, because nobody else understands why the joke is funny. The person who you call at 3am because you murdered someone, and need someone to help bury the body. The person who just…deals with your shit, because they're the only one who can' Hanna rambled, her eyes growing sadder as she continued her explanation. 'You're my person, Em. You're all I've got'
'You still have me, Hanna' Emily hushed, her own eyes growing misty, because Hanna's words rang true. Hanna was, whether Emily had known it or not, her person.
'No, I don't. Honestly, you're like a stranger to me these days' Hanna pouted, her arms crossing protectively across her chest as though she were protecting her heart from being ripped from her chest and hurled into a blender.
'Hanna, you live upstairs, it's not like we never see each other' Emily pointed out softly, her hand automatically reaching over to rest on Hanna's tensed bicep.
'Not as much as we used to'
'No, but just because we don't have dinner together every night and we're not sharing a bed every other day, doesn't mean you're not important to me' Emily replied quickly and assuredly, maintaining eye contact with Hanna to ensure that she was really hearing her. 'I owe you my life, Han. That means something' she added. Hanna still looked uneasy, and Emily wasn't sure what else she could say to reassure Hanna that she still was a very big part of her life.
'Look, Alison coming back into my life has taken up a lot of my time, I get that. But it doesn't take away the relationship you and I have' Emily continued desperately. 'You're like a sister to me. An annoying, pain in the ass, nosey sister, and I love you. That's never going away, whether I have Alison in my life or not. Besides, who else would be my Maid of Honor?' Emily finished, and the tiny smile that began to grace Hanna's face told her that she had hit the final nail in the coffin.
'Maid of Honor?' Hanna asked sheepishly.
'Yeah? You seem surprised by that...' Emily laughed lightly as she bumped Hanna's hip, before turning back to the hot cocoa that she had heated a few moments before. Emily grabbed five mugs from the cupboard and placed them on to the counter.
'Well, I mean, I'd hoped that if you ever got your shit together, then it'd be me, but I wasn't so sure' Hanna stated with a shrug. Emily rolled her eyes and turned to Hanna again, pulling her in to a tight hug.
'Who else is going to stop me from freaking out and kick my ass down the aisle?' Emily mumbled into Hanna's shoulder, before she released her and went back to pouring the cocoa into the mugs.
'Please, you'll be so excited to finally be marrying Alison, you'll be dragging me down it before I get a chance to finish touching up your hair and makeup' Hanna chuckled. The air finally felt lighter between them, much to Emily's relief. They continued their casual conversation while Emily finished off making the cocoa, before they finally made their way back to the other three women, who had settle on It's a Wonderful Life and had it ready to go. Emily placed the drinks on to the coffee table and squeezed in beside Alison, putting her arm securely around her new Fiancee. Spencer was quick to hit play and the group settled into a peaceful calm as the opening scenes played out on the screen.
'Everything ok with Hanna?' Alison whispered, her lips merely inches from Emily's ear. The hot breath on her face caused her to shiver.
'Yeah, I think I just need to spend a little more time with her' Emily replied as her eyes flickered across to Hanna, who was cuddled into a pillow at the other end of the couch. Alison nodded softly, her lips pressed into a subtle pout.
'She misses you' Alison stated.
'I know' Emily sighed as she placed a kiss to Alison's temple and snuggled in deeper. Her hand came to rest comfortably against Alison's head, which in turn rested against Emily's chest.
Emily woke the next morning with a groan, instantly feeling the heaviness that was pressing her in to the couch cushion. She prised her eyes open to see a larger mass of blonde hair than she was accustomed to, she was sure that Alison didn't have so much hair. It took her a few seconds to adjust her sight, but once she was able to see through the bleariness, she quickly realised that she had not only Alison, but also Hanna, practically lying on top of her on the couch. She raised her eyebrows and looked down at the two women who were pinning her beneath them, restraining a chuckle when she spotted that Alison had drawn the short straw. She was practically clinging to the edge of the couch, while Hanna was sprawled out across the two of them with a peacefully sleepy smile on her face.
'Morning' Spencer groaned from across the room, where she and Aria had apparently crashed on the couch. Emily wasn't quite sure why none of them had decided to move to the double bed that was sitting across the room from them, but she decided not to question it.
'Morning' Emily replied, as she looked over at the other women. 'What time is it?'
'Time for coffee' Spencer replied seriously, as she made her way to the coffee maker and began to make a jug.
'Oh god, I've gotta pee' Emily moaned, as she looked down at Alison and Hanna, who were still fast asleep, and wondered how on Earth she was going to get out from beneath them without waking them. Spencer looked over and chuckled.
'Good luck with that!'
Emily tried to wiggle out, which woke Alison, who was grouchy because she had spent the night being pushed off the couch by Hanna. Once Alison was up, Emily had thought it would be easier to get up, but Hanna simply spread herself out more and wrapped her arms tightly around Emily, making it even harder for her to get out of the death grip. Finally Alison had enough and all much shoved Hanna off the couch, causing Emily to topple too. The two women landed on the floor with a thud. While Emily yelped as she hit the ground, Hanna simply sat up and looked around in confusion, apparently none the wiser that she had been unceremoniously thrown from her slumber.
Their Christmas morning continued un-dramatically after that point. Spencer made coffee, which was predictably so strong, Hanna made a comment about feeling like she had Parkinsons. Emily looked at her disapprovingly, while Alison glared and Spencer remarked that she had the sensitivity of a slap to the face. Aria seemed thoroughly uninterested by the conversation, as she tidied away the mess they had left of the living room the night before. In her random need to tidy and be domesticated, Aria flung open the curtains to let in some natural light, only to reveal that New York had seen much more snow than anticipated. A thick, white blanket coated the city, and it was think enough that the parked cars on the streets below them were half buried in the icy substance.
'Well, shit'
'I guess driving to Rosewood is out of the question' Spencer stated, as she made her way beside Aria at the window.
'Yeah, and there's no way we'll be able to get over to Elinor's' Alison pointed out to Emily.
'Looks like we're spending Christmas together after all!' Hanna stated with a huge grin, as though she had planned a huge, elaborate surprise for her friends.
While disappointed that their plans had gone awry, the other four women came to the conclusion that if they couldn't be with their families, at least they could be together, which was the next best thing anyway. So, with a pep in their step, partly in thanks to Spencer's coffee, the five of them rallied in an effort to make this the best Christmas yet. Alison and Emily raided their freezer, and Hanna's, for anything they could cook for an impromptu Christmas Dinner. Since they didn't have a Turkey, and were in no means prepared to be making a feast for five, they quickly realised they would be working with a whole lot of nothing. Finally gathered in Emily's tiny kitchen and with Emily's Christmas playlist blasting in the background, they worked together to cook the Pizza Rolls, Chicken Fingers and Onion Rings they had found, along with chips and Guacamole that had been the only edible thing in Hanna's entire apartment. It was far from the traditional Christmas Dinner, but Alison figured that something was better than nothing, and it was the company that made Christmas anyway, not the food.
She had been right, because despite the questionable cuisine, their day had been filled with music, and singing and laughter, and Alison was sure it was the best Christmas she had had in a long time. The day was far from over though, because it wasn't long after they had finished eating that Hanna suggested they go outside and enjoy the snow. The other four were so surprised that the one person in the group who is notoriously complaining about the cold, actually wanted to step outside, that they humoured her and agreed. It didn't take long for a full scale snowball fight to start, courtesy of Emily, who launched a snowball at the back of Hanna's head and then fell about laughing. She was then silenced by Alison, who was ready and armed with her own snowball, which made icy contact with Emily's shoulder.
'Oh you are so dead' Emily chuckled, before launching another ball at Alison, who swiftly dodged it, causing the ball to hit Spencer. Aria gasped with wide eyes and Hanna, Emily and Alison froze while holding back their laughter. Spencer's eyes narrowed before her lips curled up into a devilish smirk. Spencer's competitive nature took over and before the other women could take a second to think, snow balls were being hurled left right and centre.
They had been caught in their own Wintery modern warfare for around twenty minutes, when Emily decided that she wanted to take things up a notch. She formed a snowball between her now numb hands and swiveled on the balls of her feet to face Alison, who was bent over at the hips as she gathered snow to make her own snowball. Emily rushed across the street and shoved the snowball down the back of Alison's sweatpants.
'Motherfucker!' Alison screamed, as she shot upright in shock. Her hands followed the icy snow down the back of her pants as she frantically tried to scoop it out of her underpants. Emily laughed so hard, she was doubled over. She laughed so hard, she didn't see Alison's glare or the streak of blonde as she barreled her way towards Emily, rugby tackling her to the ground. Emily let out a puff of air, as she landed on the soft snow, before they both burst in to giggles.
'Well that's no way to treat your Fiancee' Emily laughed, as she looked up at Alison's rosy cheeks. A warmth spread through her at her own words and her body took over. She leaned up to place a soft kiss on Alison's lips. The one kiss turned in to two, then three, then more. Then Alison deepened the kiss with a hungry ferocity, which caused them to lose control all together.
Emily had unzipped Alison's coat and was warming her left hand on Alison's breast, while Alison was attempting to find heat between Emily's legs, when Spencer cleared her throat above them. Emily and Alison froze their actions, suddenly remembering that they were lying on a very public, very cold sidewalk.
'You two are the only two people who can get turned on by snow' Spencer stated, her hands on her hips as she looked down at them. 'How about we go inside? And please, let's keep it PG, or I will willingly take a leaf out of Donald Trump's book and build a freaking wall between you two if I have to'
'Wait, Filipino people are from Mexico?' Hanna asked genuinely, as she followed Spencer in to the apartment building.
'No, Hanna' Aria replied with a chuckle.
'I honestly don't know whether to be appalled that you don't know where Filipino people are from, or amazed that you know that Trump was building the wall between the States and Mexico…' Spencer trailed off.
'Of course I knew Spencer, I'm not an idiot'
'Do you remember the last Christmas we all spent together?' Aria wondered aloud, before taking a sip of her hot cocoa. The snowball fight was long over, and the five women had all warmed up and had all changed into dry sweats. They were now relaxing on Emily's couches, the room glowing softly in candle light, and had spent a good majority of the evening talking about past Christmases and memories from High School.
'Yeah, didn't Hanna kiss that guy at the Winter Ball?' Alison recalled with a smile. 'What was his name?'
'Andrew Campbell' Spencer chuckled.
'Hey he was cute!' Hanna defended herself from her spot on the floor between the two couches.
'He was not cute, he was creepy as hell' Emily argued, as she ran her hand along Alison's calf that was resting across her lap. 'He once followed me in to the girl's bathroom to give me a comb that he said I dropped'
'That's not creepy, that's being nice' Hanna stated with a shrug.
'It wasn't my comb and he knocked on the cubicle door while I was peeing!'
'Ok, yeah that's creepy' Aria agreed with Emily.
The conversation continued, but Emily tuned out of it, her attention focusing solely on Alison beside her. She watched the way her Fiancee's cheeks dimpled and swelled as she laughed, and the way her eyes flitted between the women in the group, focusing on each person as they talked. The way her perfectly manicured fingers touched the spot on her ring finger, where Emily was planning to place a ring very soon. She felt herself swell with pride and love for the woman beside her. She had never thought she would have this again, and she wished she could put in to words just how amazing Alison made her feel. It was with that thought that she decided that now was the time to give Alison her Christmas present. She had been wanting to do it alone, but she had quickly realised that she wouldn't get any alone time with Alison, not until tomorrow when the other women were gone anyway.
'Come with me' she said softly, as she tapped Alison's leg to get her attention. Alison looked at her curiously, but nodded and got up from the couch.
Emily led the way to their bedroom, which while it was attached to the living room, had some degree of privacy thanks to the bookshelf Alison had gotten a few weeks before and had built to create a partition. Emily opened their closet and grabbed the wrapped present that was sitting in the back of the shelf behind a shoe box. As she turned to face an expectant Alison, she felt suddenly nervous about the gift she had bought.
'I uh, I got this for you' she stuttered, as she handed the present to Alison. She watched with baited breathe as Alison sat on the bed and gingerly untapped the wrapping paper. She watched as Alison pulled the paper off, her eyes lighting up when she finally saw the beautifully hand-crafted jewellery box that was a near exact replica of one she had when she was younger.
'I know how much you loved your jewellery box when we were kids, and I know that you had to leave it behind so…' Emily trailed off, as Alison opened the lid to reveal a tiny silver ballerina that began to spin slowly on her tiny silver toes, the slow tinkering of a piano tune spilling from the small speaker in the back.
'Em, it's perfect' Alison whispered, as her eyes remained transfixed on the miniature dancer. 'Thank you' she hushed, as she finally looked up at Emily, her eyes brimming with tears. She pushed herself up on to her toes and pressed a lingering kiss to Emily's lips, her hand coming up to cup a warm cheek, anchoring them in place.
They parted and Alison blinked back her tears, swallowing hard to remove the lump that had formed in her throat. She closed the lid to the jewellery box and placed it delicately on their bed, before grabbing her gym bag from beside the closet. Alison all but ripped the zip off and searched through her gym clothes, finally pulling out a small, black velvet box. Alison turned and handed it to Emily, silently telling her with her eyes to take it. Emily reached out with an unsure hand and took the box, taking a breath before she opened it. Inside say a small, silver heart shaped locket on the daintiest of chains Emily had ever seen. She took the locket between her finger and thumb, turning it in her hands as she read the tiny inscription on the back.
'Au monde tu es peut-être quelqu'un, mais pour moi tu es le monde'
'To the world you may be someone, but to me you are the world' Alison whispered, translating the French script that she had had engraved on to the piece of jewellery.
'This must have cost you a fortune Ali, you didn't need to do that' Emily attempted to scold, though her hushed voice and the look of pure and utter adoration that was written across her face betrayed her words.
'It was worth every cent' Alison replied with a loving smile. She took the box and unhooked the chain from the velvety inside, before unclasping the catch. Silently, Alison placed the locket around Emily's neck and fastened it, placing a kiss on Emily's lips as though to seal it for eternity.
'Merry Christmas, Em'
'Merry Christmas, Ali'
Are our girls not the cutest, most adorable little cinnamon rolls in the world!? Anyway, I'm not going to dissect this too much, since it's all fluff and Christmas and cuteness. I know I'm a few weeks early, but this honestly just planned out to be posted at this time, and I didn't want to wait until we were nearer Christmas in real life, so I hope that this puts you all in a festive mood! I will hopefully be posting again soon. Watch this space! Catch you next time!
Also, how cute was that proposal! I know I wrote it, but I squealed when I planned this chapter. I could not wait to write it in full just to get it out there to you!
Lo
xxx