DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place. If I did, however, it'd go a little something like this...
WARNING: Although I would not say that this chapter includes strong sexual content, there is some sexual build-up/sexual inferences, and if that possibility makes you uncomfortable, you may not want to read on. Also, for those of you who do read on, if you feel that the content merits an upgraded rating of "M", please let me know and I will promptly change it. Thanks!
Rule #7 -- It's been said that it's calm inside the eye of the storm; now if they could only find it...
Alex couldn't help but laugh out loud when she realized where the spell had taken them -- her bedroom. Part of it was a comical element, and part of it was relief, since she realized in the aftermath that the "anywhere but here" part of her spell could have ended up screwing them over big time.
"Well, the spell did what it was supposed to! I actually think this is more genius -- my Dad would never think to look here!" Alex beamed.
The smile disappeared from Alex's face when Harper seized her face passionately and kissed her, swallowing the gasp that tried to escape Alex's full lips. Harper's hands moved from Alex's face down to her lower back and finally finding a home by resting firmly on her ass, using the leverage to pull Alex as close to her body as possible. Alex dizzily tried to keep up with the urgent aggressiveness of Harper's touch, and when the porcelain-skinned beauty left a searing trail from her lips down to her neck, Alex couldn't help but express her arousal in an involuntary utterance that pierced the air and dropped both of the girls' hearts into their stomachs.
The two reluctantly broke the contact to catch their breath, chests heaving heavily as they pressed their noses together in a tender Eskimo kiss.
"What you said about me down there... everything about my creations and my style and my smile," Harper said with a blush, "I've never felt so special and beautiful in my entire life."
Alex's eyes softened as she gave Harper's nose another nuzzle. "Well, what about you? Standing up to my parents like that and defending me. Sometimes I think you're the only one who gets who I really am."
"Well, I know that you're the one person who understands me. More than understands me..." Harper's voice trailed off, indicating there was something she wanted to say, but was hesitant.
"Loves you?" Alex prodded gently, "Because, yeah, I do."
Harper's mouth gave way to an indisputable smile. "I love you, too. So much."
Harper held tight to Alex once again, backing up and pulling her girlfriend on top of her on the bed as their tongues continued to wrestle each other for dominance. Harper warily let her hands find their way under the back of Alex's shirt, resting on the small of her lower back and creating deft, soothing circles and marveling at the goose bumps caused by her touch. Every touch, every kiss, everything felt like a culmination of the emotional roller coaster that was the past few days, and how they had come out of it stronger than before.
Their bodies seemingly on fire, Alex barely had the wherewithal to control herself when she danced her fingertips down the front of Harper's pants, feeling an unparalleled euphoria when she discovered the dampness she found there and the sharp gasp that followed. Suddenly, their kisses became slower and messier, trying to coordinate two completely different out-of-control breathing patterns, and before Alex's hand went any further, Harper gently held her arm in place.
"Alex, maybe we should -"
"Wait?" Alex answered.
"Yeah," Harper exhaled, lovingly wrapping a hand around the back of Alex's neck. "I really, really want this... I think you can tell that I want this... but with everything that's going on it would feel -"
"Weird, yeah, I know," Alex once again finished her best friend's sentence before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on Harper's lips. "It's okay, we can wait."
"Thank you," Harper whispered before pulling Alex from on top of her to the space in bed right next to her. Alex laid her head on Harper's chest while Harper ran her fingers through the other girl's hair.
They sat in silence for several moments. The air was comforting, yet filled with an obvious void that suggested to each girl that her other half was having the same thoughts that she was.
"I'm sorry," Harper whispered.
Alex's eyes trailed upward to meet Harper's. "Sorry? For what?"
"Well, if I hadn't agreed to go to dinner as Justin's date, this probably wouldn't have happened," Harper replied. "It was like your parents weren't even your parents anymore."
Although Alex had recently made a habit of not holding things back with Harper, she gritted her teeth and sharply, yet quietly, inhaled as to not let any tears even threaten to fall. She, of course, was also bothered by how her parents reacted, and as much as she knew she would never change for them, it still hurt her more than she liked to admit.
"Harper, you can't blame yourself for any of this. The only thing you and I are doing 'wrong' is being ourselves, and if it hadn't come out tonight, it would have only been a matter of time," Alex said, taking hold of the hand that draped over her shoulder and giving it a reassuring kiss.
"It's just... funny to me. I mean, not funny like 'ha ha' but funny like strange, that something that really doesn't hurt anyone at all can make such a difference to certain people."
Alex scooted up so that she was face to face with Harper, nuzzling her nose up the side of her neck and whispering into her ear. "Babe," she began, "it is going to be okay," she said, giving each word its own poignancy. "I'm not sure how, but we don't have to think about that right now."
Harper breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah. You're right. Do you think we could just stay like this -- like the two of us -- forever?"
As if on cue, Jerry and Justin appeared in the room, apparently having recreated the spell that Alex had performed earlier.
"ALEX!" Jerry's voice resonated.
"I guess not," Alex answered under her breath.
Hey, my loves! Thank you again so much for your continued support of and patience with this story. Hope this was worth the wait! As usual, please let me know via review, and hopefully I'll get the next chapter along soon! XOXO, Laura