"We should get dressed." Ashley lamented, eyeing the clock in the corner and finally coming to the conclusion she was late in getting Spencer home. She looked at the mass on blonde hair and began to run her fingers through it, wondering when the owner of said hair would turn and set blue eyes on her.

Ever since they first slept together, a week ago, Spencer had been clinging onto Ashley and Ashley wasn't one to pass up the opportunity. It was a strange feeling, that of being in a relationship and the idea of having a deeper connection than sex. She liked it though, liked teasing Spencer about her irrational fear of going downstairs when it was dark and having conversations about anything. She loved the silence that came with afterglow and hugs that lasted forever.

On numerous occasions she had contemplated telling Spencer she loved her, but she had balked at the last minute and told her she was beautiful instead. Kyla, she of infinite wisdom apparently, told her that it should come naturally. Ashley argued it wasn't natural for her heart rate to increase, her sweat glands to open and her throat to close when she planned on telling her. Truth was, she was terrified about how the other girl would react. Not that she thought that Spencer would run away, or laugh in her face, but more along the lines of it was way too soon.

She knew teenagers acted upon instincts and fell in love every second week with a new person; it was a part of life, a part of the transition into adulthood from naivety and childishness. Then again, she had never felt this way before, it was new and exciting and fucking scary.

"I don't want to." Spencer whined, trying to burrow herself further into the crook of Ashley's neck and seek the warmth there. "Comfy."

"Don't care, you're making my arm go numb and you're an hour late getting home. The later we leave it, the longer you will be grounded." Not that Paula grounding Ashley would stop them seeing one another. Ashley was a regular in the Carlin house.

On one hand, it felt like they were out to the family about being in a relationship. Nobody really ever questioned the nature of their friendship and no questions were asked. It was simply taken at face value, Arthur was happy his daughter was smiling and Clay and Glen were only bothered if brotherly duties were asked. Ashley knew the only person who was in the dark about the two of them was Paula.

It was Paula that scared her. Paula had moved the family from Ohio to LA when Spencer had been found to be dating a girl and Ashley had no doubts in her mind that she would uproot from LA to somewhere else if the time called for it. She also knew that Spencer wanted to come out to everyone soon; the school, her mother, her friends back home in Ohio and Ashley told her she would stand by her.

"Nobody told me what time to go home." Spencer argued, even though she extracted herself from Ashley and kissed her lightly on the lips. "But if you really want to get rid of me..." She began to climb out of the messy bed but was held tight by Ashley.

"I didn't say that, Carlin." The brunette sat behind Spencer and wrapped her arms around her, loving the gasp Spencer made when she felt Ashleys naked form press behind her. "I just want to stay on the good side of your family, you know? Because when you come out to your mom I want them to know I'd look after you."

"I know." She turned slightly to look into patient brown eyes. "And I will come out to her, soon. I promise."

"Whenever you're ready. When you do, I'll be there and you know Kyla, Aiden and your brothers will too." Ashley kissed her cheek and smiled widely. "Besides, even if she did move you I have millions in my bank account and I'd just follow you."

"Really? Or are you just saying that to get into my pants again?"

"One, you were wearing a skirt today so I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Two, I mean it. Three, you're naked so there is no pants for me to get into." Ashley rattled off her points as she counted them on her fingers. She kissed her neck lightly and trailed up to her ear. "But if you insist..."

"No. I have to get home, Ash." She playfully slapped a bare thigh and pushed up off the bed. "Besides, you wore my body out."

"That's because I'm damn good. Once you've had Ash, you never go back." Her face was so deadly serious that Spencer couldn't help laughing loudly. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just adorable." She began getting dressed and ignored the pout on Ashleys face.

"I am not adorable."

"Yes you are. It's just another thing I can love about you."

The room went silent and Spencer paused with one leg in her skirt and the other keeping her balanced. Ashley's eyes widened and she swallowed hard, not knowing if it was because of the words Spencer had just spoken or because of the words Spencer had just spoken while being naked.

Two very reasonable excuses to swallow hard in Ashley's mind.

"Well..." Ashley started, lifting herself out of the bed and padding across to her dresser. "If that's the case, I'll try and be adorable more often."

The tensions slipped out of the room slowly and the two dressed in silence, both hiding the large grins that were spreading across their faces quickly.

--

Apparently, Ashley had decided she didn't like Tuesdays and had taken the day off of school. She had phoned both Aiden and Spencer that morning to inform them she wasn't coming in, because Tuesdays were boring and she shared no classes with either of them. Instead, she was going to pick them up for lunch and take them somewhere. Or, in her words, "I'm picking Spencer up but if Aiden wants to tag along, I can't stop him."

Spencer hadn't argued with Ashley in that sense. Of course, she would have liked to spend dinner alone with her girlfriend but Ashley had been spending a lot of time with her and she could see Aiden getting agitated and bored without his friend. It was sort of cute, but they had been friends most of their life and Spencer wasn't about to stand in their way. Besides, she knew going off campus with Ashley alone was bound to start rumors that not even Glen could keep down for her.

"If I went on a date with Kyla do you think Ashley would mind?" Aiden asked as the two sat in the quad, waiting for Ashley to text them about her arrival outside of the school.

"I don't think so. Why?" Spencer looked at the handsome boy and watched as he seemed to think over his answer. Unlike Ashley, who pursed her lips and fiddled with her fingers when thinking about something; Aiden looked clueless.

"No reason. Just thinking about stuff."

"Do you like her? Kyla, I mean." She straightened up and smiled when a blush crept onto his cheeks. Aiden was a complicated guy, one minute he could be drooling over her and Ashley's relationship and the next he could be the biggest romantic on the earth.

"Yeah..." He trailed off and smiled. "When we were younger, I used to have the biggest crush on Ashley. I mean, I was this eleven year old fat kid with glasses and she was this confident little rebel who forever wore a baseball cap." He laughed slightly at the memory of little Ashley, chewing her gum and squinting her eyes even though her hat shaded them from the sun.

"You were fat and had glasses?" Spencer, always the kind soul, tried hard not to laugh at the image.

"Yeah, I had a thing for doughnuts." He shook his head, glad that Ashley had the pictures stored away so nobody would ever see them. "Anyway, I remember trying to kiss her once in Kyla's backyard and she grabbed me in this headlock and told me never to try again. She was always closer to Phoebe Cohen that year anyway."

"That really dosen't surprise me." Spencer shook her head smiling. "You were fat?"

"Get over it." Aiden laughed. "So, yeah, after doing that Kyla came over to me and gave me a hug. She told me that Ashley didn't kiss boys so it wasn't my fault. Then, I decided I was going to marry Kyla because I was eleven and got over heartbreak quickly. Anyway, a few years later and me and Ashley had broken up because she decided she liked girls and I was more of a brother to her anyway."

"Because you had glasses?"

"Spencer."

"Sorry. Go on."

"Our relationship was doomed from the start anyway. She only dated me to stop all the rumors and what she knew was true and I dated her because she was my sexy best friend." He shrugged at Spencer's eye roll. "Whatever. Anyway, we broke up and once again Kyla comforted me and, to be honest, I've liked her ever since. I mean, everytime I break up with a girl I seem to find myself waking up next to her the next day."

"Seriously? Does Ashley know?" Spencer's voice rose a little at the confession and her eyes widened when Aiden shook his head. "Wait, did you sleep with her after we broke up?"

"No. But that isn't the point. I like her, really I do, but I think she thinks I use her."

"Sounds like you do."

"Spencer, please, I came to you 'cause I knew you'd be honest with me. Not that Ashley wouldn't be honest but I'd rather keep my limbs than have her break them one by one for sleeping with Kyla and then running away."

A text message from Ashley telling them she was outside broke their conversation and Spencer glanced at his confused face. He was a good person, really. He was just confused and he was trying to make something good out of a wrong situation.

"Tell Ashley you like Kyla. And if she blows up at you, I'll persuade her that you're not that bad of a guy." They both stood up and started to walk out of the school.

"And how will you convince her?"

"I have my ways."

"Your naked ways!" Aiden grinned at Spencer's blush. "That's hot."

"You're an idiot." They climbed into Ashleys waiting car and Spencer leant across to kiss Ashley briefly, forgetting about her open passenger door.

"See? It's hot. I love being your friend." Aiden gloated from behind the seat.

"You're a moron." She replied, finally shutting the passenger door and frowning at the person she saw standing close. Ashley looked in the direction of Spencer's eye line and also frowned. Madison had her arms folded but a look of indifference on her face, both which worried yet calmed Ashley. She knew Madison better than most and the look she was wearing could mean anything, from trouble to acceptance.

"You think she saw you kissing me?"

"God, I hope not."

The trio continued to look at Madison and then watched her as she smirked, whipped out her phone and them walked away. Ashley and Aiden shared a glance. That half smile meant one thing, everyone in the school knew that when Madison Duarte knew a big secret about somebody she smirked.

She had seen the kiss.