Disclaimer: No ownership of anything PLL.
Hi everyone…..
Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing. Glad you're continuing to enjoy my crazy little stories.
So, this shorter chapter thing is really weird for me but I'm kinda getting the hang of it….
Although this one got kinda long…. twice as long as chapter 1... lol
Enjoy!
The T-Shirt
Chapter 2
Alison sat at the table in the breakfast nook, tapping her fingers on the glass tabletop, while Pepe snoozed on the tile beside the patio door. The table was set for a romantic dinner for two, candles flickering in the center and a bottle of red already open and breathing. She picked up her phone, where it rested on the table in front of her, and checked the time again.
It was after eight and Emily was late.
She'd been scheduled to work after her classes but the Rec Center closed at seven. It normally only took Emily fifteen minutes to get home so she should have been home almost an hour ago. Whenever she was running late, she always called or texted Alison, but her girl had been radio silent all day.
After their disagreement, if you could even call it that, this morning, Emily had been running so behind schedule, Alison just stayed out of her way. And though Emily kissed her goodbye and told Alison she loved her, like she did every day, their conversation clearly still weighed heavily on the brunette's mind. Alison could see it in her eyes as she left.
It hadn't been Alison's intention to stir things up, but she'd been trying to figure out how to bring the topic up again, after the last time they'd discussed it; which ironically enough ended with them in a very similar place with Emily shutting down and Alison stepping back despite the fact that she wanted to rage and scream at her mermaid's stubbornness.
Alison loved Emily exactly as she was and the brunette's insistence on earning her own way in life was something Alison respected most about her. But why couldn't Emily understand and see that all Alison wanted to do was to take care of her? Emily's commitment to her education and her dream of becoming a doctor made Alison so proud of her she wanted to burst sometimes. Her mermaid was going to make an amazing doctor, with her innate capacity for compassion being one of her greatest gifts.
But her girl tended to take on too much. She didn't like asking for help, even from Alison, and it drove the blonde crazy sometimes. Didn't she know that Alison would do anything for her?
Didn't she know that what Alison truly lived for was to make Emily happy? To make her life easier so she could fulfill her dreams.
"Where the hell is she Pepe?" Alison asked the dog, who lifted his head and looked over at her, his eyes giving her same look he'd been giving her all day. "Don't look at me like that," Alison scowled. "She'd have more time for you too, you know, if she didn't have a job."
Pepe stood up and walked over to Alison, sensing the blonde needed him closer. She leaned down and hugged the dog around the neck.
"Oh, Pepe," Alison heaved a sigh as she buried her face in the soft fluffy fur of the dog's neck. "This isn't just me being selfish for once." She murmured close to his ear. "We need to take care of our girl. She's taking on too much and she doesn't see it. But I do. And, you know what, if that makes me selfish, I don't care."
Pepe barked his agreement and wiggled in Alison's arms so she released him and sat back up. He nudged the outside of her thigh with his nose, and then lifted his paw up.
"Ow, Pepe, stop. You need your nails cut," she grumbled and pushed his paw off her leg. He barked again and nudged her thigh a second time, before resting his head on it. Alison stroked her fingers absently through the soft fur on the top of his head.
When the clock hit eight fifteen, Alison stood up. "The least she could have done was let us know she was going to be late. Dinner is cold now," Alison huffed as she walked over to the stove.
As an apology for this morning, Alison had cooked Emily's favorite meal, chicken parmesan, even following Emily's recipe for the marinara sauce because Emily hated sauce from a jar.
"Come here, Pepe, you want some chicken?" she asked as she took a piece from the pan resting on the stovetop. Pepe scurried over like his tail was on fire, wiggling and barking his "inside bark," as Alison had dubbed it. It was like a half bark, almost like he knew inside the house he needed to be quieter than outside.
"Sit," Alison commanded softly and the dog obeyed instantly, dropping on to his butt as he looked up at her expectantly. "Oh, sure, now you like me," she said as she fed him a few pieces of meat that she'd scraped both the sauce and cheese off. "She may take you running every morning, but don't forget who feeds you the good stuff. She just gives you the dry crap."
Pepe didn't acknowledge Alison but he did make soft little growling noises in his throat as he munched on his food so she took that as his agreement.
The sound of the front door opening had both Alison and Pepe on alert. The blonde hoped it was Emily and not Kira just using her key. She wasn't in the mood for their wise-ass friend.
"Pepe, come here," her mermaid's voice called and Pepe went scurrying into the living room.
"Really?" Alison growled softly to herself. "She calls for the dog first."
She heard Emily's soft voice talking to Pepe on the other side of the wall but she was speaking so low, Alison couldn't hear the words.
Alison's aggravation at her girl's insensitivity grew tenfold and she started noisily making a plate for Emily, even though what she really wanted, at the moment, was to throw the chicken at her head when she walked into the room.
Alison turned her back to the door, taking a deep breath, knowing she needed to calm down before she talked to Emily. She heard Emily's footsteps approach and she could tell her girl was standing in the doorway.
Pepe came trotting back around the island and sat down beside her, but Alison ignored him. She ignored both of them, pretending to be busy cleaning the already spotless counter, until she felt something soft and cool brush against her fingertips.
She looked down to find Pepe with a bouquet of Pink Lilies, Alison's favorite flower, in his mouth and a plastic bag hanging from the collar around his neck.
She gasped softly and she crouched down, taking the bouquet of delicate blooms from his mouth and lifting them to her face. She inhaled deeply and tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.
She could tell that whatever was hanging around Pepe's neck was weighing him down so she transferred the bouquet to one hand and unhooked the handle of the plastic bag from his collar. The dog seemed relieved but he continued sitting as Alison looked in the bag to find a gallon of Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.
Her lips curved of their own volition and she felt much of her aggravation retreat; though not all. She hugged the bouquet to her chest again, letting the sweet scent of the flowers surround her and the last of her aggravation slip away.
Emily's shoes came into view as she stepped up beside Pepe.
Alison looked up to see her mermaid, smiling down at her, her eyes full of love and apology and Alison had to fight every instinct she had to just hurl herself at her girl.
"You're late," Alison said softly, instead, as she stood up.
Emily nodded. "It took me three different florists to find pink ones."
Alison felt her heart throb with love and she looked down at the flowers in her arms again to keep Emily from seeing the tears that were threatening. Emily was almost always considerate and loving, but there were times, like this, when the love she showed Alison just took the blonde's breath away.
"They're beautiful," Alison whispered against the petals.
"So are you," Emily replied honestly and Alison sighed softly, blinking as she looked back up at her girl.
Emily reached up and caressed Alison's cheek in her hand, causing the blond to tilt her head and press her cheek into the brunette's palm.
"It smells good in here," Emily said as she looked over at the table in the breakfast nook. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"You could have texted or called," Alison as she stepped back from Emily's touch, reminded that, yes, she was still a little aggravated with her mermaid.
"Do I get points for wanting to?" Emily asked as she let her hand drop to her side, missing the feel of Alison's warm skin already.
"No," Alison said as she turned to grab a vase out of the cabinet under the island.
"Well do I at least get points for the flowers?" The hopeful look on Emily's face made Alison's lips curve up just slightly.
"Maybe a couple," Alison allowed as she unwrapped the flowers and settled them in the vase, before burying her face in them again.
"How about the ice cream?" Emily bent down and picked the melting ice cream off the floor, placing it on the counter.
"Maybe a couple more," Alison bit her lip to keep her mouth from curving further into a smile, unwilling to totally give in just yet, as she filled the vase with water.
"I'll take it," Emily quipped, as she grinned and stepped closer, resting her hand on Alison's waist, making the blonde give in and full on smile. It was impossible to stay mad at her mermaid, especially when she was being so sweet.
"I love you," Emily said, her eyes soft and sincere.
Alison could have sworn she felt her heart flutter. It always did when Emily said those words to her.
"I love you too," Alison whispered as she blinked back tears again.
"Have you eaten already?" Emily asked.
Alison shook her head. "I was waiting for you."
The brunette looked at the clearly half eaten chicken breast still in the pan.
"Pepe got tired of waiting," Alison offered vaguely. "Hand me those plates please," she asked as she pointed to the ones sitting on the other counter.
Pepe, who had gone back to lie in front of the patio door, lifted his head at the sound of his name and barked once.
"I don't think he likes you throwing him under the bus like that," Emily laughed.
Alison scoffed as she dished out the chicken and added salad to the plates. "If I can't blame the dog, who can I blame?"
"Do you want some wine?" Emily asked as she glanced toward the table.
"No, I don't think my stomach can handle it tonight," Alison turned to grab the salad dressing off the other counter.
Emily stepped up behind Alison, wrapping her arms around her, sliding them around the blonde's waist. She slid her fingers beneath Alison's shirt and placed her hands on the blonde's stomach.
"I didn't realize it was already the end of the month," she murmured against Alison's neck as she kissed it softly.
Alison nodded as she scowled, but she leaned back in to her girl. "No wonder we were both pissy this morning."
"You always try to blame our periods for our fights, Ali."
'It's the only time we fight," Alison said as she slid her fingers through Emily's on her stomach.
"Not exactly the only time," Emily replied as she continued brushing her lips against Alison's neck, making the blonde shudder in her arms.
"But most of the time," Alison insisted. "The two of us having our cycles synced up is why Kira moved out on us."
"I think it was more she was tired of walking in and finding us having sex on the living room sofa."
Alison smiled an unrepentant sultry smile. "Yeah, there was that too." She turned in Emily's arms and pressed against her, slipping her arms around Emily's waist as she brushed her lips over Emily's chin.
"Thank god you woke me up the way you did this morning," Alison murmured as her lips softly caressed up Emily's cheek. "Before it was too late."
"Now I wish I'd blown off class and dragged you back to bed," Emily sighed regretfully as she turned her face and let her lips ghost over Alison's.
"Mmmm, me too," Alison moaned softly against her lips before adding, "God, please kiss me," Alison pleaded softly. "I've been dying for you to kiss me since you walked in the door."
Emily gladly obliged her girl as took Alison's face in her hands and pulled the blonde's lips to hers. She slid her tongue along Alison's bottom lip as her mouth fell open in surrender. Alison clutched Emily closer, moaning softly, as relief filled her.
For several minutes, the only sound in the kitchen was the soft meeting of lips, Alison's whimpers and Emily's quiet moans. Until Pepe barked from the doorway, clearly not happy about being ignored.
Emily pulled her lips away and both girls panted softly as they caught their breath. Alison's eyes fluttered open to find Emily grinning at her.
"He always gets so jealous when I kiss you," Emily mused before leaning forward and rubbing her nose against Alison's.
"I think he's jealous of you. He took your side this morning," Alison added as she shot Pepe a glare for his disloyalty.
Pepe barked again.
"Back off Pepe, or you're not getting any more chicken," Alison growled and Pepe snapped his jaw defiantly. "Don't you mouth off to me."
Emily laughed as she released Alison and grabbed the plates off the counter.
"Grab us two waters out of the fridge?" she asked Alison as she walked over to the table.
Alison did as she was asked, after putting the ice cream in the freezer, and then joined Emily. Pepe sat beside her and nudged her thigh repeatedly until she rested her hand on his head. He laid his head on her thigh, like before, and she rubbed his ears with one hand as she ate with the other, their tiff of a few minutes earlier forgotten by both of them.
Emily took a bite of her chicken and moaned softly. "This is so good, Ali."
Alison flushed with happiness as she grinned. "I followed your recipe for the sauce but I wasn't sure if it came out okay."
Emily's eyes softened. "Thank you, love," she said as she reached for Alison's hand under the table where it was resting on Pepe's head. "It tastes perfect."
Pepe lifted his head when Alison's hand disappeared and he nudged their joined hands until they rested them back on him.
"I'm sorry, Ali, for this morning," Emily said softly after they ate a few minutes in silence.
"I hate it when you close yourself off from me like that," Alison said as she took a bite of her salad.
"I know," Emily admitted softly.
Alison sighed and continued because she needed to say this. "And I know you hate it when I try to push you into something you don't want to do. But I'm not trying to bully you into it, Em."
"It still feels like it sometimes," Emily said honestly
"I just worry about you," Alison replied just as honestly.
Emily took a sip of her water. "Ali, you don't need to. Look I know you're coming at this from a place of love for me-"
"I am," Alison interrupted urgently, making Emily smile even though Alison interrupted her.
"And I'm so proud of you and how successful your book has become. You're so talented, Ali, so much more than you even realize, and I know your next book is going to be just as successful. But there is no way I can even begin to contribute to all this," Emily motioned to their surroundings.
Alison sighed exasperated. "Em, we've already talked about this, you don't need to."
"Yes, I do," Emily insisted as she sat back, pulling her hand from Alison's. "I have to contribute something. You need to understand that I have to pay my own way, at least as much as I can."
Alison frowned when Emily pulled away but she kept her eyes on her girl as she spoke.
"But you are right though," Emily continued and Alison arched her eyebrow in question. "I thought about it a lot today and I am spreading myself very thin. I can't let my grades suffer. I've come too far and worked too hard. So I'm going to take your advice," Emily emphasized the word because they both knew it wasn't advice Alison had been giving. "And cut back my hours at the Rec Center."
Alison's eyes lit up and Emily shot her a look, warning her not to get too excited. "I'm not quitting," she warned sternly. "I need to work, Alison," she stressed again. "But if I'm careful I think I can cut back my hours by almost half and still have enough to cover my books and lab fees and pay for the stuff around here like we agreed, half of the food and utilities."
Alison was tempted to argue with her mermaid, insisting that she didn't need to worry about the utilities but she was so happy Emily was going to be cutting back her work schedule she decided to just be grateful for that and bite her tongue.
Of course, part of that was selfish on her part. Emily would be around more if she was working less, and even if she spent all that extra time studying, at least she'd be around.
"Please don't fight me on this, Ali," Emily asked and Alison shook her head vigorously.
"No fighting. I hate fighting with you." Alison fought the urge to wiggle happily in her seat, not wanting to give her girl any reason to change her mind.
"I hate fighting with you too," Emily replied as she reached for Alison's hand again.
And Alison couldn't hold it in any more. She stood up, stepped forward and straddled Emily's lap. Ash she sank down, she shoved her fingers into her mermaid's hair and fused her lips her girl's. Emily gripped her around the waist and pulled her closer, sliding her hands up Alison's back and gripping the back of her head.
The kiss was hurried and frantic and messy, a clashing of tongues and teeth and lips.
The room was filled with moans and whimpers and sighs.
And Pepe slinked away, quietly, having lived with these girls long enough to know he should get lost.
#############
After their frantic kiss slowed and softened and they finally pulled their lips away, Emily and Alison sat there stunned. That kind of ferocity only happened once in a while, and it drained both of them both physically and emotionally when it did.
For once, Alison was grateful that having sex wasn't an option for them, because she truly worried what they would have done to each other.
Alison kissed Emily once more, softy, before she stood up and sat back down in her chair. They ate dinner in relative silence after that, with no more words about the previous topic needed.
Once they finished eating, Alison took Pepe out for a short walk and to go to the bathroom while Emily cleaned the kitchen.
She didn't take him far, just around the block, but Pepe was happy to be out because Alison had been sulking most of the day so she hadn't taken him on their customary afternoon trek to the dog park.
By the time they returned, the kitchen was clean and Alison could hear the shower in their master bathroom running. She gave Pepe a few treats and some cuddles before she shut off the lights in the kitchen and living room and padded down the hallway to their bedroom.
Emily walked out of the bathroom wearing her usual sleeping attire, sweat shorts and a tank top.
"I feel so much better," she sighed as she towel dried her hair.
"Do you have to study tonight?" Alison asked as she grabbed her pajamas out of the bureau.
"It's Friday," Emily said as she smirked, wondering if their kiss earlier had melted Alison's brain cells.
"You studied last Friday night?" Alison pointed out.
"That's because I had a paper due Monday and I had three hundred pages to read first," Emily retorted as she sat on the edge of the bed and she released her hair from the knot she'd put it up in to take her shower.
"So no studying tonight then?" Alison looked hopeful and Emily's heart sighed softly. The blonde really was so beautiful.
"Nope," Emily replied. "Not in the mood. I'll do a little in the morning after my run."
Alison grinned happily. "You mean I'll actually be able to fall asleep with you and not hours before you like I have the past three weeks?"
"Only if you hurry up, otherwise I'm gonna probably fall asleep long before you tonight. It's been a long week." Emily brushed the snarls out of her hair.
Alison kissed Emily's temple before she walked to the bathroom. "Let me shower real quick.
Less than ten minutes later, Alison climbed onto bed beside Emily, who was on her side, already tucked under the covers. She opened her eyes and smiled as she watched Alison rub lotion on her arms and legs.
"I've missed you lately," Emily said as she yawned.
"I've missed you too," Alison said as she smiled down at her girl. "But I know it takes you a while to settle into a new semester."
"But you've had to unpack almost everything yourself. That's not fair."
"I don't mind," Alison shrugged. And she didn't. They'd only moved into the condo a week before Emily started classes, so they'd been there for just under a month. But Alison had almost everything unpacked, because she'd hit a little patch of writer's block and she needed to step away from her manuscript. "It kept me from feeling useless."
"You're anything but useless, Ali. Every writer gets writer's block, I imagine. You said you had a couple good days this week, right?"
"Until today," Alison replied but didn't need to elaborate because they both knew why. If things were even the slightest bit off between them, Alison was a wreck and Emily knew this. But she and her shrink were helping Alison to find ways of coping because never fighting was not a realistic option for the two of them.
Emily reached over and brushed her fingers over Alison's tattoo which was peeking out just above the waistband of her pajama pants.
"Mmmm," Alison hummed softly at the feel of her girl's soft fingers caressing her skin.
Then the hum turned into a moan as the Emily leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the tattoo.
"Don't tease me, Em," Alison pleaded softly as she set the lotion bottle on the bedside table.
"Who said I'm teasing," Emily whispered as she lifted the back of Alison's pajama top. Her lips brushed softly up Alison's back and she sat up, shifting closer. She slid her hands up Alison's sides, lifting her top as she went.
"Baby," Alison breathed as her eyes fell shut. "I haven't started yet but I'm gonna any second and I feel yucky." But the blonde lifted her arms anyway and let Emily slip her top off.
When Alison was free of the constricting fabric, Emily scooted to her knees before clamping her lips softly to the warm skin of the blonde's shoulder.
"This doesn't always have to end with sex," Emily murmured, wrapping her arms around Alison and sliding her hands up until she cupped both of the blonde's breasts in her hands.
"But I always want it to," Alison whimpered and ached her back as Emily rolled both of her nipples with her thumbs and forefingers.
Emily smiled against her neck. "Lie down with me." Emily guided Alison to lie on her side and the brunette settled behind her. She released one of Alison's breasts and slid her arm up under the pillow but her other hand kept teasing the blonde mercilessly.
Alison exhaled a shuddering breath as Emily pressed up against her back. The blonde turned her head and looked over her shoulder at her mermaid, who was smiling impishly at her and Alison could never resist that smile.
"You are the worst kind of tease, Emily Fields," Alison pouted before moaning again when Emily tweaked her nipple in response.
Emily looked down at her girlfriend and the urge to kiss her became too much, so she lowered her mouth, capturing Alison's lips, this time in a soft, slow, deep kiss. She released Alison's breast and lifted her hand to the blonde's face, cupping her cheek as she deepened the kiss.
Kissing Alison, Emily believed, was one of the closest things to perfection that existed. The blonde always surrendered to her. Always. Even when she was dominant, it was still a form of surrender for Alison because she held nothing back. And it always awed and humbled Emily that this beautiful and perfect girl, even with all her imperfections, was hers.
Alison whimpered and she pushed back against her girl. She lifted her arm and reached back, grasping Emily's hair with her fingers. She tugged gently on the soft strands, trying to pull her mermaid closer, holding her against her lips, wanting to consume her.
Emily's hand slid down Alison's body again, stopping briefly to caress her breasts again before sliding lower still and coming to rest against her abdomen.
Alison finally, reluctantly, tore her lips away from her girl's and she pressed her forehead against Emily's lips.
"Fuck, Em," she panted. "My heart feels like it's going to explode right out of my chest."
Emily gasped softly against her forehead, catching her breath and smiling. "Told you it didn't always have to end with sex."
Alison's lips curved into a grin as she turned back around because her neck was getting cricked. "Says the girl who just practically made me come from kissing alone. That's actually the second time you did that to me tonight," Alison purred softly, making Emily smile and kiss her tenderly once more.
Alison shivered softly in Emily's arms.
"Are you cold?" the brunette asked and Alison nodded. Both girls slipped under the covers, settling in the center of the mattress as Emily wrapped her arm around Alison from behind, again, and the blonde slid her fingers between Emily's and tugged her hand up between her breasts, encasing them between the soft globes.
She wiggled as she got comfortable and Emily moaned softly.
"What exactly was the point of getting me topless?" Alison asked once they were settled.
"This is reason enough?" Emily said as her fingertips rubbed against the side of Alison's breast, where the brunette knew she left a mark on Alison during their escapades that morning.
Alison sighed. "How boring are we? It's Friday night and we're at home in bed by-" she lifted her head and looked at the clock. "Ten thirty."
"Spending the night at home in bed with you sounds like a perfect Friday night to me."
Alison couldn't stop the soft laugh that escaped. "You're so cheesy sometimes, Em."
The brunette chuckled too as she shrugged before burying her face in her girlfriend's neck.
"So you never did tell me why your run was so interesting today."
Emily laughed as she remembered. "I got hit on by some guy watering his flowers."
"Excuse me?" Alison asked as she narrowed her eyes. "What guy?"
"Some guy who lives a couple blocks over."
"And how exactly did the two of you get to talking, if you were running?" Alison asked with an edge to her voice.
Emily either didn't hear it or ignored it. "I got a cramp in my calf and I slowed down to a walk and just happened to stop in front of his house to massage it out. He asked if I was okay and we talked for a couple minutes then I left. He seemed nice enough. Had beautiful blue eyes."
"Did he now?" Alison drawled, knowing her mermaid had a weakness for blue eyes.
"Not as beautiful as yours though," Emily replied as she lifted her head and pressed a quick kiss on Alison's lips as she grinned.
Alison rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Em. How often do you see him on your runs?"
Emily shrugged and lowered her head to the pillow behind Alison's. "I never noticed him before today. Come on let's go to sleep, I'm exhausted."
Alison was quiet for a minute before she spoke again. "Not that I can blame him, but what did he say to you when you told him you're gay?"
"I didn't."
Alison released Emily's hand and rolled over so she could look at her girl as her voice lowered an octave. "What do you mean you didn't?"
Emily opened one eye. "I mean I didn't tell him."
"Why not?" Alison scowled.
"Because we talked for barely two minutes, there wasn't really an opportune moment to just throw into the conversation that I was gay."
"How about when he asked you out?" Alison huffed as she turned over again and put a few inches between them now, even though Emily's hand remained on her hip.
"I was already walking away by then. I just said no thanks and I kept walking," Emily replied a little exasperated at Alison's behavior.
"Hmm," Ali hummed as she slid her hands under her pillow.
Emily yawned. "What do you mean hmm? When you hmmm, it's never a good thing."
"Hmmm," Alison hummed again and Emily yanked Alison closer, tightening her arm around her.
"You can't possibly be jealous, Ali," Emily laughed softly as she nuzzled the back of Alison's neck.
Alison lowered one hand and, unable to resist, slid her fingers through Emily's over her stomach. "Why would I be jealous?" she scoffed, hoping Emily didn't hear the slight twinge in her voice.
Emily leaned up and looked down at her girlfriend. She slipped her hand beneath her chin and turned the blondes' face to look at her.
"Exactly," Emily replied as she leaned down and kissed her girl again.
She kissed her until the blonde stopped trying to wriggle away and she surrendered once again.
She kissed her until Alison was breathless and purring and writhing in Emily's arms.
When their lips parted, Alison pouted. "You don't fight fair."
Emily smiled and caressed Alison's cheek, brushing her thumb gently over her kiss swollen lips, before lowering her hand and her head to the pillow, and pulling the blonde closer once more.
"Goodnight, love," Emily murmured and Alison's lips curled again at Emily's term of endearment.
"I love you, baby," Alison whispered and Emily murmured her love in return sleepily.
Emily fell into a deep slumber pretty quickly, but for a long time, Alison lay awake in the dark.
###############
The following Monday, Alison stood in front of the bathroom mirror, applying the last of her makeup. She'd full on started her period on Sunday and she was uncomfortable and irritated and in a, just all around, foul mood.
She'd gone running with Emily on Saturday, which was a very rare occurrence because Alison was not a morning person. And she knew Emily was fully aware of her agenda by getting up that early, on a weekend, but surprisingly her girl didn't give her any shit about it. Sometimes Emily knew her too well. But then again, sometimes it seemed like her mermaid had no clue.
Alison had wanted to see this flower watering predator, as she'd dubbed him, but unfortunately he apparently wasn't a morning person on the weekend, either, so she'd gotten up for nothing.
Now it was Monday and Emily and Pepe were out on their run again, because she normally took Sundays off. Alison couldn't go with her this morning because she had a breakfast meeting, but all the blonde had been able to focus on since Emily left was whether or not the predator would hit on her girl again. And what her girl would say.
Her jealousy was irrational. It wasn't like she didn't know that. Alison knew Emily loved her and if her girl was anything, it was loyal. And being jealous of guys was just ridiculous.
Unlike Alison, Emily was a full on lesbian and guys weren't even on her radar. But the knowledge of all those things still didn't keep her fear, that Emily would one day tire of and leave her, at bay.
It was all so twisted. Part of Alison even loved that Emily was so wanted, but the mere thought of anyone else's hands on her, male or female, made Alison feel like she was being choked; and it reminded her to being buried alive.
Those moments when her air had been running out, when she'd been reaching for a reprieve from the crushing weight on her lungs, before Mrs. Grunwald had grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the ground and back to life.
That was the way it felt and the kind of fear that coursed through Alison's body when she thought about Emily with anyone else.
Alison wasn't the easiest person to deal with but she tried harder with Emily than anyone. And she couldn't blame men or women for wanting her girl. She was a fucking goddess.
Alison and her shrink had spent a good chunk of the last four years, getting Alison to a place where she didn't feel the constant need to manipulate everything around her to her benefit. But those deep rooted insecurities still reared their ugly heads some days and although she trusted in Emily's love for her, it didn't alleviate the lingering fear that all her baggage wouldn't one day finally drive her girl away.
It wasn't Emily's fault, but she always bore the brunt of Alison's irrational behavior. She just wished her mermaid would sometime see how her own behavior triggered the blonde's mood swings.
Alison looked over as Emily walked into the bathroom. The brunette smiled but looked at her with surprise since it was only six forty five in the morning.
"Why are you showered and dressed already?"
"I told you the other day that I have an eight o'clock breakfast meeting with my editor this morning."
"That's right," Emily said as she took a swig from her water bottle. "I forgot. How are you feeling?"
"Crampy. Crabby. I'm in no mood for traffic and why did I ever agree to meet Donna in Beverly Hills during rush hour? Aren't you glad you asked?" Alison smirked as she looked over her shoulder at Emily, who she could tell was gauging the blonde's mood.
"I'm sorry you don't feel well," Emily said as she walked up behind Alison and wrapped her arms around the blonde from behind, pressing her hand against her lower abdomen the way she knew Alison liked when she was feeling this way.
Alison sighed and leaned back against Emily and met her girl's eyes in the mirror.
"Why are you never as crampy and crabby as me?"
Emily smiled and swept Alison's hair over her shoulder before pressing kiss against her skin. "The exercise helps."
"I exercise," Alison said as she scowled and Emily quirked her eyebrow. "I do," Alison insisted. "I just don't feel the need to do it every day."
"But once in a while wouldn't be so bad."
"Are you saying I need to exercise?" Alison snapped as she tensed in her Emily's arms and she felt the brunette sigh.
"I love every inch of your body exactly the way it is, Ali," Emily answered honestly and Alison knew her girl well enough to know she was speaking the absolute truth. "But I think you'd feel better if you did something once in a while."
"I do. I run with you once in a while," she mimicked Emily's words, but not nastily, so Emily didn't take offense. "Maybe I'll take up running with you every morning."
"If you can get up," Emily said, her tone reflecting her doubt, as she released Alison and leaned against the counter beside her.
"Do you not want me to?" she asked cautiously.
"I'd love for you to run with me every day. Pepe and I both would."
Alison humphed. "Well, he's falling down on the job so maybe I'll have to start."
Alison was feeling some major irrational resentment toward Pepe for not biting the flower watering predator.
"What job?"
"Nothing. Never mind," Alison said vaguely as she put her makeup away in the drawer. "So, did you see your boyfriend this morning?" she finally asked, needing to know.
"I didn't notice him," Emily said as she rolled her eyes and pushed off the counter, stepping in front of Alison and gripping her hips, pulling her closer. "I love that dress on you," she murmured as she leaned her head down and pressed a kiss to Alison's cleavage just above the neckline of her dress.
"Don't suck up to me," Alison said as she released a shuddering sigh. Her girl certainly knew exactly what to do to distract her. "It's not going to let you off the hook," Alison added softly once Emily pulled back and lifted her head.
Emily quirked an eyebrow as she let her fingers gently caress Alison's hips. "I didn't know I was on the hook for anything."
Alison tilted her head as she looked at her girl. "No, I guess you probably didn't," she said and sighed again.
"Ali," Emily reached for her hand as she tried walking around her.
"I've got to go, Em. I have to get to Beverly Hills by eight."
"Why do I feel like I've done something wrong only I don't have any idea what it is?"
"I don't know. Why do you feel that way?" Alison gave her a pointed look.
Emily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, tired of Alison's fluctuating mood. "Ali, I'm not in the mood for riddles. You're not the only one not feeling great today so why don't you just spit out what's bothering you."
"There's nothing bothering me, Em," she replied with a sigh.
Emily shot her a disbelieving look. "This can't be about that guy?"
"I'll see you tonight," the blonde said, ignoring the question, as she pressed a brief kiss to Emily's cheek as she walked by.
"Love you, too," Emily muttered after Alison had left the room, fully aware that the blonde hadn't said the words to her first.
####################
12 Days Later…..
"Why aren't you telling this guy that you're gay and to back the fuck off?" Alison screeched as she and Emily faced off in their living room.
Emily clenched her hands at her sides and gritted her teeth. "Ali, I don't go around telling every person I meet what my sexual orientation is."
"I'm not asking you to," Alison replied harshly. "But this guy has asked you out multiple times."
"And I said I'm not interested multiple times," Emily pointed out.
Alison slammed her hand down on the table behind the sofa. "But you didn't tell him you were gay or that you had a girlfriend."
Pepe, who had been sleeping in his dog bed in the corner of the room, quickly and quietly slinked out of the room and then bolted down the hall to his dog bed in the bedroom.
"It's none of his business," Emily insisted. "My telling him I'm not interested should be enough.
Alison glared at her clueless girlfriend. She loved her beyond reason but right now she wanted to strangle her.
"Well, clearly, it isn't because he keeps doing it."
"I can't help that, Ali."
"You can stop talking to him. Or," Alison continued sarcastically. "Here's an idea. You could tell him you're gay and you have a girlfriend. A girlfriend you fuck on a regular basis, although you haven't fucked her in almost two weeks."
Emily reached up and tugged roughly on her hair, biting back the retort on her tongue.
"Are you ashamed of me?" Alison demanded and Emily looked at her like she'd grown a second head.
"What?" Emily could only sputter incredulously. "Where would you ever get-"
"Then what is the problem?" Alison screeched as she interrupted her girl. "Where is your gay pride anyway?" Alison narrowed her eyes as she challenged her girlfriend.
Emily sighed. She was so tired of fighting about this. "Ali, you're being ridiculous."
Emily knew even before all the words had left her mouth what a monumental mistake they were, but she couldn't take them back now.
Alison's eyes flashed dangerously, hurt and anger flooding her system, and she bit her tongue hard enough she could swear she tasted blood.
"You know what, I have to go," she said abruptly.
"What?" Emily looked at her shocked. "We're in the middle of talking about this Ali."
"No," Alison spat as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She would not let Emily see her cry over this. "We're in the middle of a fight about this. And I have to leave right now before I say something I don't mean and I regret."
She grabbed her purse, from where it was sitting on the coffee table.
"Alison," Emily used her girlfriend's full name as she stepped forward urgently. "Don't leave. I don't want to fight with you about this but I don't know what you want from me."
"Yes, you do, Em," Alison replied harshly as she yanked the front door open.
Kira was standing there with her hand in the air about to knock.
"Oh, hey, great timing," their friend smiled but Alison just barreled past her without a word. "Ali," Kira said surprised and confused. "Hey. Where are you going?"
"Out," Ali spat as she stormed down the walkway.
"But I thought we were going to-" But Alison was already halfway down the walkway. "-a movie," Kira trailed off as Alison yanked the car door open and got in.
Kira turned to look at Emily standing in the middle of the living room looking like she'd been punched in the gut.
Oh, this was not good.
Kira turned back to look out the door again, watching helplessly as Alison backed out of the driveway and slammed the car into gear before she sped away.
To Be Continued…..
