A/N: Is it bad form to yell surprise right now? Look who's back from the dead! See this as an apology for my absence. I have no excuse other than I clawed my way through, graduated college and joined the Army! Yay? Enough jibber jabber, on with the story! I will finish this even if it fries my brain. This first one is just plain fluff. So much heart gooey fluff.

3 months later

Troian's POV

I think it goes without saying that things from that night on had only gotten better. I can't remember ever being this happy. Shay and I are practically inseparable with her spending as much time as possible at my house though we go back and forth between our places. I seriously feel like this woman that I didn't even know was missing is the one I've been waiting for.

We took it remotely slow in the beginning, you know after how quickly we initially got together. I was impatient alright? Going to lunch, watching movies, typical date stuff. It hadn't occurred to either of us that we hadn't "officially" declared ourselves as anything other than friends that were dating until about two months ago.

*Flashback*

2 months ago

We were out to lunch when we ran into one of my old friends from high school and his girlfriend. He and I also used to date… For a while. Naturally, I said hi with a hug to them both after he noticed me and approached. When I turned to Shay about to introduce them, she was giving me this unidentifiable look. Now I hadn't come out as gay or anything, and neither had she, not that either of us really needed to.

It was just something that we let happen naturally, and people either knew or they didn't know, but not because we were hiding it. The people we worked with knew we were dating because we worked so closely together, and our families knew. That was enough for us. But I hadn't told too many outside of that, including Jamie.

"Jamie, this is my friend Shay. Shay, Jamie a friend of mine from way back when and his girlfriend Alicia." However, again with the weird look that I now knew meant a discussion would be taking place after this. Great. You don't have to be a genius to know that the way Shay took my hand was more than friendly.

"It's nice to meet you Jamie, Alicia. We'll have to get together some time so you can tell me all about Troian from way back when."

"It's nice to meet you too. Definitely! Especially since I haven't heard from her since she's been back in LA. But I'll let you guys enjoy the rest of your lunch for now."

"For sure Jay. I'll call you to set something up. Y'all have a good one."

With all that said and done, I knew I was about to get questioned when we were walking back to my car.

"So, your friend huh? I think we might be a little more than that don't you think?"

"Of course we are, but we haven't even labeled ourselves as girlfriends and I didn't want to spontaneously assume in front of him."

"I guess that's fair, but you guys seem relatively comfortable with each other." And if I didn't know any better, I'd say that she was jealous, which would be absolutely ridiculous with how amazing our time together has been thus far.

"Well yeah, we were best friends all of high school, and we might've dated for a while at the start of college."

"What's a while?"

"About 2 years. What's with you? Are you ok?"

In a rare showing of jitteriness, Shay responds almost uneasy. "Oh ok. No, yeah, I'm good. I guess I'm just being silly."

We don't talk often, but Jamie's one of those friends where time and distance don't matter, you're still as close as if you spoke every day. Regardless of our romantic past he was and still is a friend first. Just a friend though. In all the time I've spent with Shay, we never really talked about what we were exactly, content to just be with each other.

At this point, I'm already driving, and I find it a welcomed distraction in order to come up with the proper response. I never want her to feel like she has to be unsure about us or wrong for feeling what she feels, and I decide that that is the best response I could give her.

"You know I love being with you right? I know we've only been dating for a little over a month and there's a lot we haven't talked about, but you should know that there's nothing that I've enjoyed more than our time together."

"Yeah, I know. I feel the same way. I guess it never occurred to me that past our bubble that we've been living in for the past month, we didn't need to declare what we were."

"Well, I guess it's long overdue for me to ask this officially seeing as I've wanted to since our first date, but Shay would you do me the honor of officially becoming my girlfriend? You have no idea how happy I'd be to be able to introduce you as mine."

For the first time since we started this conversation, Shay turned to me and lit up the car with her smile as she obviously restrained herself from launching at me while we were still in motion.

"Yes!"I chuckled at her, but couldn't help the heat rising in my cheeks at the feeling of knowing that I've officially made this goddess mine. And as we were finally pulling into my driveway, barely getting out of my seat belt before I had said goddess wrapped around my neck in the tightest hug, I simply returned the grip tenfold with a sigh.

"Come on you goober, let's go get comfy and put on a movie." I say with a kiss to the side of her head before getting out of the car, hurrying around to open the door for her and taking her hand as I've been doing for the past month.

Small things like that makes me want to keep her all to myself. She makes everything better, and I can't believe that I waited so long before making her mine. I mean she already mine, just I've been hers, there's a title to go with it. For our benefit just as much as others who aren't inside our bubble.

My GIRLFRIEND and I (I really like the sound of that) have been officially dating for 2 months, together for 3. Everything about her beautiful, even when she's mad. Someone once told me that love is like a reflex. You can't help it when it happens, but you give yourself in to it and don't even realize how far you've fallen. Meeting Shay, I knew I was a goner from the beginning. There was just something uncontrollable and magnetic in the way we came together. I never, not once entertained the idea of ignoring it. Like all couples, we have our not so great moments, we've had to learn how to do certain things, but we're figuring it out. And life has never been more beautiful.

On one of the rare days where we didn't work together, I'm hoping to come home to see a certain Canadian beauty lounging on my couch noting through our latest script. I'm so used to this occurring it feels kind of surreal that this is my life. I never thought that coming back to the states would bring this along with it. You definitely won't see me complaining.

"Babe? You home?" I call out into the house tossing my keys into the bowl next to the door and kicking off my shoes. Yes, we 'babe' each other. I know we're cute.

"In here Troi." I hear her call from the kitchen. Walking in I see her looking gorgeous as ever, sitting at the island with long locks swept to cascade over one shoulder while the other is exposed in a too big sweatshirt she clearly stole from my closet. I always take every moment to just appreciate everything she is, to get lost in her.

"Babe? Why are you just standing all the way over there? C'mere love." Her voice brings me out of my mushy inner musings to see her with a look of admiration herself. I make my way over to the kitchen island and immediately greet her with a kiss on the lips.

"You know, if you'd have told me 5 months ago that I'd have the most amazing creature just lounging around my house for me to come home to, I would've said you're dreaming. Now I feel like I'm the one who's dreaming." As you can see, she really has destroyed me in the best of ways.

"Awww, you're so sweet baby. I love when you get all mushy." She tells me with a cheeky grin as she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me in closer. She just laughs as I groan, but I can't help wrapping my arms around her neck and dropping my forehead into her neck.

"I take it all back. I hate you woman." She laughs even harder my forehead bouncing with her movements and she tightens her hold on me.

"You love me." I hum my agreement with a kiss placed at the bottom of her jaw.

"You absolutely slay me." Pulling back to look at her face.

"I love you too." She grins up at me, pulling me down for a series of firm and painfully soft kisses.

Shay's POV

"I'm surprised you know I still exist! I thought for sure you and Troian would be attached at the lips forever." Ugh, you'd think Ashley would get tired of all the teasing after 3 months. Who am I kidding, this is Ashley.

"Hello to you too Ash. You know you're making me regret calling you and not being being attached at the lips with my gorgeous girlfriend right now."

"Oh you know you love my shining personality way too much to ever regret talking to your best friend."

"What you mean to say is that no one else will put up with your level of nonsense."

"Not true! My mom loves me." She replies cheekily.

"I don't think any more needs to be added after that statement." I laugh into the phone.

"Harsh Shay Buttah. You're supposed to be softer than that. Get it? 'Shea butter' is soft, you're 'Shay. buttah.'"

"God. That was awful."

"Yeah, I could've done better. Anyway, how is it going in paradise? I feel like I haven't seen either of you in forever."

"Ashley, you just saw the both of us yesterday. At work. Cause you know, we all work together?"

"You know what I mean, that's work. When's the last time we hung out?"

"The day before yesterday. We went shopping remember. Troian had to stop you from jumping down that poor kid's throat who stepped on your foot." I deadpan. But I can tell she's obviously feeling neglected.

"Hey! That 'kid' had stepped on $800 pumps! Also, a teenager is not a kid."

"Haha, only you wear $800 heels when walking around for hours shopping for more shoes."

"If I recall, you were wearing heels too." She replies quickly.

"Yeah, but mine were only $200, and far more comfortable for walking." I snap back just as quickly like we weren't both just as equally ridiculous.

"Meanwhile your girl goes shopping in loafers. Does she even own heels? Higher than 4 inches?"

"Of course she does! You should see her when she gets dressed up….Damn."

"Um ew. Do not fantasize about your girlfriend while you're on the phone with me."

"I wasn't fantasizing, but if you'd like I could go find said drop dead gorgeous girlfriend and get her to put on some pumps for me." Saying it aloud really does bring images to my head that I'm sure Ashley wouldn't appreciate. At least she better not. My girlfriend.

"Did you just growl? Ok, that's enough of that, I have half a mind to hang up. Where is she anyway?"

"She's picking up take out on her way home from a meeting with her publicist. She should be here soon." I sigh into the phone. It's ridiculous how much I miss her when I see her everyday.

"You guys moving in together already? I'm sure I could help by delegating where everything goes." She says it jokingly, but I can't help but think about the real possibility of me and Troian moving in together. It's only been 3 months though. Sighing wistfully I think to myself, one day.

"Of course not. It's only been 3 months since we started dating. 2 if we mean officially."

"Psh, you two have been on your own timeline since day 1. If you both felt ready for that step, I have no doubt it could've, would've happened long before now."

"Hm, you have a point. Either way, it's still too soon. I'm happy with the way things are going now. Just knowing that we love each other and enjoy spending as much time together as possible is plenty enough for me."

"Me too." I hear a voice cut in from behind me. I gasp and whip around to find Troian placing the bags of food on the kitchen island. She drops the bags and makes her way towards me on the couch with a questioning look as if to ask 'everything okay?' I nod to answer her unspoken question.

"Speaking of my wonderful girlfriend. She's returned to finally feed me." I say with a full smile aimed at Troian.

"Alright, I guess that's my cue to let you go be grossly in love. Tell Troian I said hi best friend thief!"

"You are correct! Ha, alright, bye Ash." I laugh before hanging up the phone. Placing it on the table in front of me, I grab Troian by the belt loops dragging her closer to me with a smile.

"Hey baby! Mmh, you smell good." I say after releasing her from the kiss I pulled her into. She pecked my lips again before replying.

"I smell like Chinese haha."

"Yep, that's why. I'm starving. How was your meeting?"

"Well, let's get you fed then milady." She says before going to grab the food. When she comes back she sits next to me on the couch and starts putting the food out.

"And it was good! My publicist wanted to go over some possibilities for the both of us actually." She has my interest peaked now. I arch my brow at her and ask her to clarify.

"She wants us to do a photo shoot. Apparently she's talked to the studio, and they think it'd be a good idea for Spencer's and Emily's fan base if you and I were to be seen as a couple.

"Hmm, that does sound interesting, if not a little cool. What do you think?"

"How could I be opposed to having pictures taken with the most beautiful supermodel I've ever met and have the whole world know that she's mine?" God, I love this woman. Could she get any more perfect? I lean over and kiss her before replying.

"Babe, you're too amazing. Well if you think it would be a good idea, then I'm all for it. You know I love any opportunity to take pictures and to capture your gorgeous face on camera."

"No such thing. Alright shutterbug, I'll let her know that we're into it and to make it happen. So, you and Ashley seemed to be having an interesting conversation when I got in." I know she's not so subtly fishing for the topic of our conversation, but I don't want to bring up moving in together. I don't want her to think I'm trying to push for that to happen in case she isn't ready. I don't want to pressure her into anything. There will be time for that conversation later.

"Oh yeah, you know Ash. Forever being way too nosy. It's not a big deal. We should hang out with her more, I think she's feeling neglected."

She gives me a look that says she'll let it go for now, but we will be revisiting this. But thankfully, she doesn't say anything more on it continues with the conversation.

"You know I love Ashley. Of course we'll hang out more. We should invite a few of the others over for like a movie or game night." The way she talks like we'd both be inviting them over makes me think more about what Ashley said about us being ready for that step. It's almost like I already live her. Ashley was right (she's never to be told this out loud), at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if we did move in together sooner rather than later.

"Sounds good. She can stop calling you a best friend thief." I say with a laugh

"What?! I stole no one. I simply claimed you as mine. If she wants a formal duel challenge for you, I'll be more than happy to destroy her." And she says it so seriously I almost don't burst out with chuckles.

"I'm so happy to know that you'd be willing to go to such great lengths for me. I feel so special."

"I'd go to the ends of the world for you baby." She says with a grin before popping a piece of food into her mouth. I suddenly no longer want food at the moment as I watch my girlfriend.

"I'm suddenly not so hungry for Chinese. Hurry up and finish so that I can properly show my appreciation." I say with a purr and my best seductive look. At hearing my tone, Troian's head snaps up in my direction, her hand pausing in bringing up more food. A brow pops up as a grin slowly spreads over her face.

"Oh yeah? You know what, I think I'm done for the moment. We can reheat this later. I have a feeling something else is about to heat up in here." She says waggling her eyebrows up and down at me as she shifts to her hands and knees on the couch crawling towards me.

"Haha, you're such a dork." I say while reaching out towards to tangle my hands in her hair.

"You love this dork." She's with a grin and in a flurry of movements I wasn't expecting, I find myself lifted off of the couch into Troian's arms. I quickly wrap my legs and arms around in surprise. And she laughs at what I'm sure is my wide eyed expression. Ugh, I love how deceptively strong she is.

"Damn right I do." While leaning in to capture her lips in a heated kiss, I feel her start to move in the direction of the bedroom. Yeah, Chinese can wait.

A/N: Alright, here we are. If there's anyone left, I'd really like to hear what you guys thought about this chapter. I feel like it's kind of different, but tried to keep it as in sync with the rest of the story as possible. I know what people think when they see a story hasn't been updated in forever 'never to be updated again.' I'm trying not to become that author because I really want to finish this story for you guys. I've gotten so much positive energy and support from this and I owe you guys a great story. Until next time (I promise it won't be another 2 years). Much love!