Awkwardness was beginning to take its toll on Spencer. The almost-kiss. Ashley on her doorstep. The brunette's second attempt and obvious disappointment. Spencer couldn't help but selfishly enjoy that night. Ashley cared for her enough as a friend to track her down, and as more than that for her to pursue Spencer so relentlessly. Enough to fall asleep on her shoulder, to stay the night, to sleep in a slightly more than friends position together…
Her eyes refused to open. They tried and immediately regretted it, a muffled groan escaping her mouth. The sunlight was too intense and directly in her eyes. Spencer began to stretch, arching her body. Her foot collided with a leg behind her, shocking her completely. She ran her foot down the length of it, noting how small and smooth it was. Just as she was beginning to piece the night before in her mind, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"If you wanted to play footsie, you just had to ask." The voice was groggy and raw. And right next to her ear. She was now aware of the hand on her hip as she felt a squeeze and a shifting in the space behind her. It made Spencer blush a deep red all the way down her neck, and a small cold sweat to break out, causing a shiver that ran from head to toe.
"Cold?" Spencer shook her head quickly. Now or never. She gently began turning over on her other side to face Ashley. She bit her lip as Ashley's hand slide across her abdomen and settled on her other side. The sight of the brunette made Spencer grin widely, a slow chuckle coming out.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Spencer only shook her head, a silent laughter overtaking her, forcing her to bury her face into the pillow they seemed to have shared in the night, until the laughter subsided.
"That's a very…Roar look, Ash." Ashley looked at her as if insanity was settling in. Spencer reached up and took a piece of Ashley's dark curls and moved it across to the other side of her head. Puppy dog brown eyes stared at Spencer.
"You shouldn't laugh at other people's bed head, just because yours comes out perfectly in place."
Spencer just smiled. "It works for you."
They stayed like that for what seemed like ages. Ashley's hand on her hip began a simple stroking, bringing back that cold sweat to the blonde. They traced each other's visible features with their eyes, occasionally locking together. Spencer was sure if you mixed blue and brown it made something different and wonderful.
That thought led her to finally raise her hand hesitantly and place it on Ashley's side. Her skin felt warm through the shirt Spencer let her borrow.
Ashley just smiled at her.
It was becoming a strange game of Jenga. They were taking out the pieces already there and trying to building new from all of it.
"God, I hate that game!"
"What game?"
Spencer looked up in confusion before realizing she had spoken aloud. Ashley looked at her with a smirk on her face as she sat down at their lunch table. The blonde smiled shyly and turned a little pink.
"Oh, Jenga. Horrible game. It's too much metaphor for me."
Ashley grinned at her before rummaging around in her bag for a piece of gum that she offered to Spencer. Shaking her head, she pushed all of the apocalyptic thoughts out of her head.
"That's why I like my life metaphorically free. Makes life a whole lot simpler. What you see is what you get, my friend." Ashley gestured to herself, making Spencer chuckle softly.
"So, what are the plans for this weekend?"
"Well, I don't know about you, since I'm all out of Magic 8 Balls, but I have a date tomorrow night."
Spencer just stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "What? With who?"
"Her name is Josie. We met at the club the other night." Ashley grinned, slinging her bag over her shoulder again as she stood. "And she's hot."
Spencer's mind was spinning. What happened to last week? She couldn't tell if she wasn't breathing enough or was breathing too much. She just knew that her Jenga tower was teetering on the edge because of the piece Ashley just took, no, shoved out. So much for metaphor free lives.
"But…Y-You don't even know her. I don't think you should." Spencer was grasping for anything to hold on to. Anything to make Ashley change her mind.
"Why not?" Ashley looked at her critically, as if daring the blonde to speak her mind.
Spencer looked down at her hands, voice soft. "I'm just looking out for you. Sorry. It's just… What about us?"
Ashley leaned against the table top, palms flat. "Spence, I think we both know that we're both interested. But, my social life isn't gonna stop because you're figuring out who you are. I'm not going anywhere. When you do figure everything out, I'll be here."
Confusion and hurt. Volatile mixture. It bubbled and it burned Spencer's insides, forcing her to open her mouth. "Yeah, you'll be here after you roll out of your bed with the person you were with the night before! You hook up with people for no reason!"
"Why should you care? It's not like you're my girlfriend!" The look on Ashley's face made blue eyes go wide with the low blow.
"It's a damn good thing, too! Maybe I won't want you there when I figure everything out."
Ashley narrowed her eyes at Spencer and spun on her heel to walk away. Spencer watched as Ashley turned the corner, and continued staring at the same spot for several moments before letting out a deep sigh and cursing.