Here it is, the next part, this one kind of just happened and I've barely edited it. If I'm honest I have no idea where this fic is actually going, I'm not big on planning writing so I'll just see where it goes!
Andrea was in paradise. No pictures or internet research could have prepared her for how perfect their honeymoon destination would be. Since becoming involved with Miranda Priestly, Andrea had seen some quite impressive destinations, even as her assistant she had been to some pretty cool places, but this, this was something else. The sand was whiter, the sea bluer than she would have ever have imagined possible, while she had been prepared for a private stretch of beach she hadn't been prepared for exactly how private and how large that beach would be. Other than the room service waiter who delivered their meals, she hadn't seen or heard another person for the last three days and although she loved being around people it was nice to have the 100% privacy that being involved with Miranda Priestly didn't usually allow. She'd begun every day early, rising with the sun even when Miranda adjusted to not needing to be up for work or the girls and began to lie in, taking advantage of the peaceful moments and the stunning view to run through a quick yoga cycle she had been doing for most of her adult life before ordering them coffee and a light breakfast and slipping back into bed beside her wife to wait for her to wake up.
They hadn't made it very far in their first few days away, opting instead to stay close to their hut, bed and each other however they had decided that today would be a day for exploring and trying to get some gifts for the girls. Taking one last, long stretch she crawled back into bed and curled against her wife, kissing her gently on the cheek, gratified when that was all it took to wake her.
"Morning gorgeous," she smiled, stroking her fingers over Miranda's stomach and up her side as she snuggled into her, throwing her leg across the other woman's thighs,
"Good morning sweetheart," Miranda brushed the tips of her fingers through Andrea's hair and hummed out her contentment, two weeks was not going to be long enough in this paradise with her wife, two lifetimes wouldn't be enough, "Have you been out in the sun already?" Andrea's skin was hot against the coolness of her own and she could smell the salt on the younger woman's skin and in her hair. She had blossomed in the environment, her skin turning a light shade of tan within days and a riot of freckles breaking out across her cheeks and shoulders, the sun and the salt had begun to lighten her hair and Miranda couldn't help thinking that her wife would look at home riding the waves on a surf board.
"Just for my morning stretch. It's going to be a hot one today I think, I took the liberty of ordering the coffee iced, I hope that's ok?"
"I'm sure it will be perfect," even in the air conditioned hut under nothing but a thin sheet Miranda could feel that the day was already heating up and it would be sensible to forgo her usual center of the sun hot coffee in favour of something cooler, "Did you order breakfast?"
"I thought we could get dressed and pick something up on our walk?" Andrea stretched lazily, purring lightly as Miranda reached across and lightly scratched her stomach, "And I thought we could make our own dinner tonight?" there was a fire pit a little further down the beach and Andrea had been looking forward to trying her hand at some wild cooking since they had arrived, it had been years since the family camping trips of her youth when she had watched her father build the fire, catch and cook their tea and she wanted to share some of that with Miranda and paradise suited the older woman much better than camping in the woods would.
"Whatever you want darling, anything." Miranda pushed herself up in bed and grabbed for her robe, pulling it on to cover herself before she stepped out of bed and into their tiny bathroom to freshen up. When she returned Andrea was still laid across the bed, her skin dark against the crisp white sheets, Miranda wasn't so sure that she wanted to venture out anymore. Andrea smirked, her wife's face telling her everything she needed to know as she pulled the sheet over herself,
"I heard coffee arrive, I'll be out in a minute."
When Andrea finally appeared Miranda wasn't sure if she was better or worse off than she had been. The brunette was wearing a pair of almost see through harem pants with a plain black bikini top, she had pulled her hair up into a messy bun and Miranda could smell the coconuty sun tan lotion on her skin, she was a vision. Miranda tensed slightly as the younger woman opted to sit behind her, her knees on either side of her hips, rather than beside her, in an attempt to prepare herself for whatever teasing she had planned because there was no doubt in her mind that Andrea was in just that kind of mood. The brunette surprised her by simply looping her arms around her waist and resting her chin on her shoulder,
"Coffee ok?"
"Perfect thank you." Miranda leant back in the embrace, her eyes taking in the view, "I think I could get used to this."
"I think you'd get bored eventually, not having anyone to send off crying with one precisely placed word," Andrea chuckled against her shoulder, "And I know you miss the girls." they'd skyped with the girls every night since they had arrived, Andrea had never expected that she could miss their presence so keenly even when they were having such an amazing time just the two of them, but the twins had become so much a part of her life even before she and Miranda had gotten together and she genuinely thought of them as her own children, with all of the ups and downs that that entailed. Over the past two years the bonds between the family had only strengthened to the point where Andrea knew she was part of a family that she had never hoped to have a chance with. She was a Priestly now in name but for a long time before the wedding she had been a Priestly in ways that mattered a lot more than a simple name.
"I do and we couldn't possibly bring them here with us, they'd ruin the peace and quiet. As for Runway, I think I've finally reached a point where I could live without it."
"What are you saying?" Andrea squeezed her wife lightly and kissed her shoulder, they had talked about Runway in terms of how long Miranda saw herself continuing at the head of the magazine off and on in the past but the Editors comments had always been vague and Andrea had always assumed that she would keep going until the very end but from the way Miranda had been talking more recently she wasn't so sure anymore.
"I'm saying that I've finally realized that there is more to life than any magazine, that, despite what I like to think, there is someone out there who could run that magazine as well as I do and bring new ideas to the table. I'm saying that I think I'm ready to retire Andrea." Miranda had been thinking about it a lot, more than she had vocalized to her wife and she was beginning to think it was time to start dialing back her involvement in the magazine before stepping down altogether. She wanted to enjoy the life she had, the girls wouldn't be around for much longer, they were growing up so quickly and she knew they both had big plans for college and beyond and then there was Andrea, she wanted this to work, more than she had wanted anything since her girls and although she knew that Andrea understood her commitments she found that she didn't want to be the one cancelling dinners, turning up late and working weekends. She had long since reconciled the age gap between the two of them and had decided that it was necessary to make sure that she spent as much time as she could showing the younger woman how important she was to her because she wouldn't always be around to do it.
"I...wow..." Andrea paused and turned Miranda slightly so she could see her face, "Is this the honeymoon talking or are you serious?"
"I'm serious sweetheart, there are more important things for me to focus on now, Emily is more than ready to take my place. I think it's time."
"What will you do all day? With me working and the girls at school? Don't get me wrong, the idea of you being home more is wonderful, truly, but I'd hate for you to be bored."
"I've always considered writing a book, there are several charities that I have always had an interest in being involved with but never had the time to follow up and it would mean that if you ever had to travel for a story, when the girls want to start looking at colleges, I can go with you all. I could even house train that puppy that you and the girls are so interested in having."
"You've been thinking about this a lot haven't you?" they had talked about it, of course they had, but Andrea had always thought that they were talking further in the future, she couldn't deny that the idea of coming home from a day chasing a story, knowing that she wasn't going to be stood up for a run through and actually being able to plan holidays, take Miranda traveling with her were more than appealing but she couldn't help worry how Miranda would actually cope with the change. They had only been away from work for three days and Andrea had already caught the editor trying to seruptisiously check the mobile phone that was supposed to be firmly switched off for the duration, if she couldn't manage three days in paradise on her honeymoon then how was she going to manage all day, every day for the rest of her life, without the excitement of new designers, run-throughs and photoshoots?
"I have, off and on. You don't sound convinced." Miranda finished her coffee and replaced the glass on the tray, kissing the brunettes cheek before pushing herself to her feet and moving back into the cabin, keeping the door open as she changed, it wasn't like anyone would see her doing it.
"I'm just worried that you will get bored, quickly bored." Andrea turned in where she was sat to watch the older woman dress, stunned, even after all the years they had been together, by how beautiful the other woman was, especially when she was being so free and uninhibited, "I'd hate for you to end up resenting me for going to work, there would be times when it just wouldn't be possible for me to take you with me when I needed to travel for a story, I'd hate for it to put a wedge between us."
"Darling," Miranda paused where she was stood so she could regard her wife, "I've lived my life being the disappointment to my spouse, I've put that magazine before many of the most important things that have happened to me and my children and I have sabotaged intentionally or not, every relationship I have ever had and I don't want to do it anymore. The girls are growing up so quickly and I missed so much of their childhood that I don't want to miss any more of it, before I know it they will be off getting married and having children of their own. Then there's you Andrea, you with your smiles and your understanding and your love. I never thought I would have in my life what you give me and I refuse to waist that by missing dinners and not being able to plan holidays, missing weeks at a time for fashion weeks and spending our lives hounded by the paparazzi. You've proven yourself time and time again to be different to my previous husbands, with you understanding of my responsibilities, your unwavering support even when I miss dinners altogether, you adamancy that you do not want me to change the way I am, but I refuse to put you through that anymore and I find that for you, I want to change. You and the girls are all I need, truly Andrea, this will only strengthen us." some time during her speech Andrea had gotten to her feet and moved towards her so that when Miranda looked up she was standing a hairs breath away, a gentle smile on her face. When their eyes met Andrea leant in and kissed her wife gently, pouring as much feeling into it as she could manage. When they pulled apart she brushed her hand across Miranda's cheek her smile deepening.
"Whatever you decide Miranda, know that you will always have my unwavering support, you could pack up and move to the north pole and I would pack up and follow right behind you. You don't need to change for me, I love you in all of you Editor in Chief glory and at the end of a long day in nothing but your robe and a smile, there is nothing you could show me now that would make me love you less, there is nothing that you could do that would make me leave you."