The Great Love
Part One (Continued)
XII.
there's a changing tide from the red horizon
The stars stand out brightly against the pitch black sky. Ashley strokes Spencer's arm that lies over her stomach and it tightens, fingers curling into her hip. The blonde mumbles something into her shoulder, burrowing in further. Ashley smiles thoughtfully, looking into the night as if it might give her answers.
("She's the enemy")
It doesn't, and the only thing she hears is Spencer's whimper when Ashley pulls her even closer.
Jim's words have invaded her mind, set up a permanent residence alongside her thoughts. Part of her (a bigger part than she would ever admit, to Spencer or to herself) believes him, wants to know what he does. The other part of her just wants to beat him unconscious. Her fingers tighten slightly on Spencer's arm as she thinks this.
What did he mean? Why did he call her an enemy, the enemy? From what she knows about Jim – which is, sadly, not much – he had been involved in the Old Regime army, high in command. He even claimed to have met her father at one point. If anyone would know who the enemy was and who wasn't, it would be him.
Ashley rolls her eyes; he was just a delusional old man. He had hurt Spencer and, therefore, could not be telling the truth. What kind of truthful person would hurt an angel like the blonde lying on top of her? As if responding to her thoughts, Spencer pulls her body in tighter, sliding a leg over Ashley's.
With a shaky conviction, the brunette closes her eyes to the winking stars and falls into a restless sleep.
--
Ashley walks into her father's office, sees him sitting, grim-faced, behind his desk. She stands at the other side of the desk hesitantly.
"Dad?"
"The Carlins are attacking, Ashley. The War starts soon."
"But…"
"There's no avoiding this," he sighs deeply, looking at his oldest daughter sadly. "You'll stay here, but I have to go take care of matters in the Regime. Protect Kyla and Jess for me."
Ashley nods, shoulders heavy. "With my life, sir."
--
When she wakes in the morning, Ashley is initially only aware of two things: the sun shining brightly over her face and soft hands stroking her hair. When she opens her eyes, she finds Spencer sitting above her, arm moving back and forth as she shifts her fingers through her curls. As twinkling blue eyes meet brown, Spencer smiles. And Ashley's confidence of the night before cements.
Spencer's hand stops moving, settling over her forehead. "Do you want some breakfast?"
Ashley thinks about it for a moment, feeling the warmth radiating from the sadly clothed thighs next to her abdomen. "Nah, I think I'll stay in bed a little longer." She grabs hold of Spencer's hand and yanks, catching the girl as she falls on top of her with surprise. "With you here, of course." Spencer's mouth forms into a soft smile as she leans down slowly.
Just as her lips meet Ashley's, a shout comes from the fire several feet away. "Get your lazy asses out of bed!" Madison holds up a plate of food, "I've got breakfast!"
Ashley groans and rolls her eyes as Spencer's head drops to her shoulder briefly before she rises. "Bitch!" she yells out to the girl eating by the fire.
"Puta!" Madison yells back.
Spencer laughs at their antics and gives Ashley a hand up. Ashley slips on her cargos over her boxers – she had taken to wearing fewer clothes as she fell asleep with Spencer next to her more – and grabs a seat on the log that Spencer had taken moments before. The blonde hands her a plate of food and Ashley digs in with vigor, happy to have a substantial amount of food to eat. Her stomach is appreciative.
As she munches, Ashley looks into the woods just outside their campsite thoughtfully. "We're close." Madison nods, silent.
"Close to where?" Spencer asks from next to Ashley, curious because of their sudden serious moods.
"Paradise," Ashley murmurs. Spencer's eyebrows furrow, confused.
When Ashley doesn't continue, Madison picks up the explanation. "It's a town, near the New Regime," neither girl notices the way Spencer flinches at the mention of the New Regime, "where survivors from the Old Regime can stay. Few know about it; we had to do a lot of convincing to make Jim tell us." Both notice way Ashley flinches at the mention of Jim, and the clenched fists that follow.
Spencer lays a placating hand on her shoulder and she relaxes some. "Sounds nice."
"You want to come?" Ashley's eyes look into hers pleadingly.
"I…I don't…"
"We'd really like it if you did, Spencer," Madison says from across the fire, looking at her with soft green eyes.
"OK." Spencer's reluctance fades as Ashley grins widely and sweeps her into her arms, kissing her soundly.
--
That night, as Madison snores on the ground a few feet away, Spencer and Ashley sit in front of the fire together, holding hands.
"We really need to get her checked out – that girl sleeps way too much." Spencer laughs – softly so as to not wake the sleeping girl – and nods.
"Or get some earplugs so we don't have to hear her snoring." Ashley chuckles with abandon, not as sensitive to the girl they were making fun of. Spencer's laugh gets louder as her companion continued to giggle helplessly. Then, suddenly, they aren't laughing but kissing.
And, in another abrupt move, they are standing, still attached at the lips, and making their way over to the blankets set up a few feet away. Spencer sinks back into the blankets and Ashley follows swiftly, settling over the other girl. As her thigh falls between Spencer's, the blonde pulls her into another slow kiss by a hand on the back of her neck.
They move together leisurely, rhythmically. Spencer gasps at the sensation, throwing her head back against the hard ground. Ashley takes the opportunity to focus on her exposed neck, sending tingles throughout her body.
Carefully, Ashley's hand inches down over Spencer's soft stomach, slipping under her t-shirt briefly before continuing downward. Her hand finds the catch and zipper to Spencer's pants, pulling them open. She rises up and to the side, allowing Spencer to kick off the jeans hurriedly before laying over her once again.
Minutes later, Ashley's hand is slipping inside Spencer's underwear, and then into Spencer herself. And, as they connect, a single tear trails down Spencer's cheek.