Guuuuys. This story is getting so cute. It's giving me a tooth ache, I swear to God. Exiles will be up sometime tomorrow, I think, just in case you were wondering. Or maybe Wednesday actually. Posting on PLL Day is a baaaaad idea, I've learned.

ANYWAY, review and let me know what you think.

And, in case you were wondering, probably the next three chapters of this will span the rest of their senior year. The big chunk of this story is going to take place post-high school

Chapter 8

SPOV

She lay flat on her back, her face up toward the ceiling. It was weird, but for the first time in her life she felt like a teenager. Her chest was fluttering like it was full of hummingbirds flitting between flowers. It felt kind of like her heart had turned into a volcano on the brink of eruption. She was so full of something... love... happiness... there was no way that she wasn't going to burst soon. She was on full.

"Spencer, I've been sent to collect you."

She sat up so fast her back cracked. "What are you talking about?" Furthermore, her mom never came into her room without announcing herself first. This was weird.

"By your gentleman caller," she sighed airily. "He offered two pigs and a bushel of hay for your company this evening, so I don't see how you can refuse him. The pigs alone will sustain us through the harsh winter."

Something weird happened to her mom when she drank too much coffee. "Is that your way of saying that Toby wants me?" She clarified with a laugh. "Because you could have just said that."

She snorted. "Just come on. He's downstairs."

"Um, why didn't he come up here?" She was confused, but she complied. She pulled herself up and walked slowly in the direction of her mom's voice until the familiar hands clamped down on her arm.

She carefully walked down the stairs alongside her mom. Most of the time she hated being led around like a dog, but sometimes it was necessary. And as often as she walked up and down her stairs, she would never quite feel comfortable doing it on her own. She was pretty sure that Toby and her mom were the only ones who realized that, and it certainly wasn't because she said anything.

"I think that he was going for the authentic experience," she chuckled. She tightened her grip on Spencer's arm as they stepped onto the carpet of the living room.

Her mom's hands were almost immediately replaced by another familiar pair. She smiled and leaned against his sturdy chest. "Hi," she gave a breathy giggle.

Two strong arms wound around her waist. She felt him sigh contently. "I missed you."

"It's been maybe five whole hours," she laughed.

He didn't say anything for a long moment. "Do you want to hang out with me tonight?"

Everyone was taking a ride on the crazy train tonight, but still she smiled. "What do you have in mind?"

"I have some food in my truck. I was thinking that we could be super cheesy and have a picnic?" He almost sounded nervous. It was cute.

Her smile only grew. "You're adorable. Let's go."

"Make good choices, kids. No one comes home with herpes." Mrs. Hastings laughed from somewhere behind them.

She snorted. "Are you suggesting that one of us already has herpes?"

"Details!" Was the last thing she heard before Toby lead her out the door.

He paused on the stoop. "Do you want me to grab Tyrion?"

She shook her head. Usually she would want him. He was like the security blanket that she was scared to be without. But she trusted Toby implicitly. He wouldn't let her fall. "Where are we going?"

"I thought to the lake." He murmured as he helped her into the truck.

They had been officially together for a week, and it was still blowing her mind how thoughtful he was. The lake was one of the places that she loved the most because you could feel it almost as well as you could see it. The smell of the water, the sand between her toes, the sun warming her shoulders. She didn't have to see to be able to experience it.

"Why do you have that look on your face?"

Hanna was basically one of her best friends in the whole wide world, but she didn't know how to be sensitive. Most of the time she loved that about her, but right now she just wanted to be sad without having to explain her sad.

"Leave me alone," she muttered, scuffing her toe in the sand. Maybe she should feel happy that Emily's friends accepted her into their little group. But right now she was just feeling sorry for herself. She couldn't run with them. She couldn't make castles or dig for shells with them. She couldn't even go in the water with them, because her mom was being a paranoid freak. Everything was just bad.

"You know what I like about the beach?" Toby said softly.

"What?" Her voice sounded kind of desperate even to herself. But to his credit, Toby didn't say anything. He was 8, but he was still the most considerate person that she knew.

She felt him sit down next to her and he took her hand in his. "If feels just like it looks. You aren't missing anything. You can feel the lake-y wind. I don't know the word, but I'm sure that you know what I'm talking about." He took her hand and put it on the ground, throwing a handful of sand on top of it. "And that? You don't need to see sand to know exactly what it looks like."

She felt like she was going to cry, but she wasn't going to do it in front of her friends. Instead she gave a shaky smile. "Thank you," she whispered.

When the truck stopped he jumped out and came around to her side of the truck. He opened the door and took both of her hands, helping her out. "I'm going to help you to the picnic table and then I'll come back for everything else, okay?"

After two weeks he was already in the running for the best boyfriend in the world status. She tightened her grip on his hand, pulling him to a stop. She didn't know how, but she knew that he was looking at her. She stood on her tip toes and leaned forward, hoping he would meet her halfway so that she didn't embarrass herself. The second that their lips collided she framed his face with her hands, arching her hips toward him. She had never felt like this before. It was a feeling that she couldn't quite describe. It was like they were the only spots of color in a world of black and white. It was like everything was on fire, even her heart. Everything was different now.

She pulled away, gasping for air, her lips hovering just above his. I love you. Her heart was urging her to tell him, but her mind held her back. They had implied it that night in the hotel, but it was a simple declaration that they had never held back from each other; even when they were just friends. But this was different. It wasn't just words. It wasn't just the way that you sign off a phone call or words you whisper to let someone know that you care about them. She was uncontrollably and irrevocably in love with Toby Cavanaugh. She was certain of it. But it was too soon. She bite down on her lip and leaned against his collar bone. "This is perfect," she murmured instead all the while her heart continued to sing. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.

He let out a ragged breath. "Are you hungry?"

She nodded even though she was perfectly content to stay like that for the rest of her life. He dropped down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back."

As soon as he was gone she immediately felt his absence.

"Are you scared?"

She laughed. "I mean, I can't see where you're taking us. So really, I'm only scared because you could be sending me on a plunge to my death."

She felt him laugh behind her. "Well then I'm coming with you. Are you ready?"

She grasped the edges of the sled and leaned back against him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and the other was presumably ready to push them off at her affirmative reply. "Yes," she giggled. "But if I break my legs you better piggy back me back into town."

"Deal!" He pushed off and suddenly her stomach was in her throat as the sled seemingly caught some air. Cold air and snow blew past her face as they raced down the hill.

She laughed and leaned back. Toby tightened his grip on her as they literally caught air that time, the sled coming back to the ground with a thump. Their sled slowed down and skidded the side before coming to a complete stop. "That was awesome!"

"I told you so!"

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

She smiled and shifted in the direction of his voice. "Just about the first time you took me sledding."

"It's about a million degrees today, so I can definitely see why you're thinking of that."

Her sarcasm was definitely rubbing off on him. "Stop the sass and tell me what you got in that bag. I can smell it from here."

Honestly it didn't matter what he had in the bag. Because this was perfect. Every single piece of this was perfect. She listened with a smile as he detailed the menu, and tried to keep her mouth shut. She had listened to every episode of How I Met Your Mother. Telling someone that you loved them on the first date was the surest way to ensure that you didn't have a second one.