Chapter 25 – Homecoming

Alison's POV

We got in the car. I drove since out of the two of us, I was the only one who knew how to get home from here. There was an awkward silence for a while, and I knew it was because both Em and I were thinking. I could tell she was in deep thought because the little dimple above her eyebrow had formed. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, but I knew it was too soon. I faced forward and tried to focus solely on the road: the broken up white lines, the tall trees lining each of the sides as far ahead as I could see, the seemingly endless stream of cars whizzing by. One red truck here, then five minutes later a small black car there…I even tried my best, straining my ears to focus on the song playing softly on the radio…

Yeah, I tried.

I just couldn't shake the feeling that Em was still scared. Maybe not scared that I loved her, I know she believed that, I could feel it. But it dawned on me that maybe she was scared that I would leave…again; that I would somehow leave her after she confessed her love to me again. But this time her love was NOT unrequited. I loved her and it pained me earlier, the way she had hushed me. Even though what I was saying was only a figure of speech, a little saying, stabbed at my heart a little, and I knew it cut her deep. I felt a pinch in my chest, a little knot in my stomach. She soothed them away with her touch, using her words for reassurance but they were starting to come back, her broken and soft tone haunting me, the quietness so that it was almost a whisper, yet the firmness that gripped my heart. I could flashback to one of the very first times I saw her in her room. It wasn't the first time I snuck into her house, but I knew her parents weren't home…I had to see her. I wanted her to come with me; we could run away that night and start over somewhere new, somewhere better. I didn't have the heart to move when I stopped and looked through the crack in her door.

She was lying there on her bed, curled into a ball under the blankets, facing her window seat, her back to me. At first I thought she was sleeping peacefully but I could tell the way her chest was moving that something was wrong. I heard her sniffling and a small sob and my heart turned to lead and sunk in my chest.

Emily's POV

I sat in the passenger seat and when Ali got on the highway, I turned my head to stare out of the window, and with each passing second my mind wandered…drifting away until my stare had just become a blank expression across my face. I thought back to when we were leaving, maybe I over reacted? Maybe, I should have just let it go?

Deep down I knew I couldn't, it was foolish of me to take what she was saying so seriously, but I spent two years thinking she was dead, she hasn't even been back home for a year, so it was too painful to remember the way it felt to think that she was gone for good, even if I hardly ever believed it anyway.

Ali in her singsong voice, "…cross my heart and…" I knew the rest, hope to die. Maybe she didn't keep her promise and didn't take us back there, but even the notion of anyone, especially Ali, hoping to die made me sick. I couldn't lose her again, not after we had just gotten each other back.

Alison's POV

Part of me wanted to walk in and hold her, tell her it's ok, tell her that I was ok and I wanted her to be with me, to come away with me forever, but I stood frozen, hiding in the shadows, holding my breath. She lay there making soft weeping noises and each sound make cracks in my heart. I leaned on the doorframe and raised myself up to my tiptoes, and I nearly ran from the room. In her right hand she was clutching a picture of just the two of us. My arm was wrapped around her neck, our cheeks pressed into one another's while her arms were both wrapped around my torso.

Without me knowing, hot tears started streaming down my face and I cursed myself for ever hurting her. Now, I would make sure she never cried in pain again.

Emily's POV

Ali was in deep thought too, I stole a look in her direction and observed her knuckles: white from the grip she held on the steering wheel. I glanced up to her face: eyebrows slightly knitted together and she gently bit at the inside of her lip. It was my fault, I shouldn't have said anything. After all, deep down, I knew Ali loved me. I just knew she meant it with every fiber in her being. I could hear it her voice when she whispered those three words after we had made love, I could feel it in the way her hands gently caressed my skin, like at any moment I would break, yet she held me hard and close like we would could never get close enough…yes, I knew she loved me.

Ali was the one driving, and I wanted her to be comfortable, relaxed, so I reached at hand up and placed it lightly on her thigh. Her body reacted to my touch then eased into the chair; she looked down at my hand briefly and then averted her eyes back to the road.

"Ali?"

"Yeah, Em?" She asked somewhat nervously, her body shifted and I withdrew my hand to my chest and dropped it in my lap.

"Um, about earlier…I uh, I'm sorry, I just – I didn't mean to…I," and then my words started tripping on their way out of my mouth.

She turned her head to me for a few seconds, "No, Em, please, it's okay, I know why you stopped me, it's okay, I get it…and I'm sorry that well that, I'm sorry okay?"

Ali struggled to get the words she needed out and I sighed; she was okay…As far as I could tell.

"Em?" she asked, waiting until I met her eyes before staring at the road ahead.

"Yeah Ali?"

"Em, I know I love you right?" Of course I knew.

"Of course Ali, how could I not, this weekend-"

"No Em, not just because of this weekend, I mean like I love you, I really love you okay, and nothing that happens, or anything that people say will change the way I feel about you okay?

I processed what she said but before I could dig deeper into her words I answered her, "I love you too Ali." She reached her right hand towards me and my left hand met her half way, we interlaced our fingers above the middle console and when we both glanced down and quickly into each other's eyes: blue meeting brown – we both smiled and Ali kept driving, hand in hand, even after I fell asleep, until we got back to Rosewood.

**a few hours later**

I woke up to Ali's thumb rubbing the back of my hand and she was softly calling my name, "Em, hey Emily, Em, we're home."

I slowly opened my eyes at the mention of home, together. She didn't say that we were at my house or her's, we were home. I knew she meant Rosewood, but my mind flooded with the vision of Ali and me years later, still together, coming to a house we both called home, coming home to one another. I pictured us having dinner in our kitchen, sleeping in our bed, waking up and taking care of our-

"C'mon Em, let's unpack." Ali unknowingly interrupted me.

Good, Em, don't think too far ahead, I told myself. Focus on right now.

Ali released my hand and we both grabbed our bags and headed inside to her house.

Once inside, we both climbed the stairs to Ali's room and collapsed onto her bed, side by side, feet dangling off the edge. I rolled to my side to face Ali and laughed softly when I seen she was doing the same, we both laughed, somewhat breathlessly and when silence fell we found each other trapped inside our eyes. She was staring deep and longingly into mine and I was getting lost in the blue sea hidden behind her eyes. Without warning she placed her hand on my neck and brought our faces together until our foreheads touched. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of Ali.

"Em, I love you." My heart throbbed and my insides filled with warmth, as I knew it always would, so long as Ali told me those three little words.

"I love you too Ali." And when her name barely escaped my lips she kissed me. This kiss was different, but then again, every time we kissed I memorized how we moved, the way we felt; I imprinted everything about the kiss into my brain, in my heart, so that I would never forget. This kiss was soft, her hand barely touching the skin of my neck. We stayed that way for a while and she gently scooted closer and rolled her body on mine.

I placed my hands on her hips at first then held them over her back, then her hair. I could never tire of how great it felt to have Ali lay on top of me this way. Her weight pressed into my body. Eventually she pulled away, slide half off my body, and lay with her delicate head on my chest. I knew she could her how fast my heart was beating and I didn't care. I wasn't ashamed to let her know how she made me feel.

I couldn't lie to her anymore. Not about my feelings or anything else, and I knew that she was trying her best to do that too. I couldn't lie – but I remembered the one thing that I had planned when I was mad at her and I quickly realized that I'd have to tell her soon. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth, now was as good as any other time…but then her phone started to ring. She pulled her phone from her pocket, sat up on my body and placed the phone on my chest. She looked at me and smiled, "I'll put it on speaker, it's Hanna."

She flicked her finger across the screen, "Hey Han, what's up?"

"Ali, finally, I was started to worried you kidnapped Em and were going to kidnap her, haha I-"

"Hi Hanna," I chimed in.

"Emily? Ooooh hey, I didn't know you were there, I uh." I laughed because I could tell what she said wasn't necessarily meant for my ears.

"It's okay Han, you're actually not wrong, I mean if Ali wanted to keep me there, she could've…" and I trailed off, lifting an eyebrow in Ali's direction.

"Oh really Em?" Ali said in a seductive tone, running her hand along my arm, her eyes growing dark.

"Yeah, I-"

Overdramatic and fake coughing started coming from the phone still on my chest. "Woah HELLOOO? Hey, hi, its Hanna over here, I'm on speaker! I don't know if I want to hear this. C'mon guys, I'm all for Emison but um, Ali I only tease when I ask, I don't need the details."

Ali and I burst into laughter and Ali answered back, "Hanna I swear, you always call at the wrong time."

"Haha sure, more like the right time for you two." We could hear the smirk on her face and Ali winked at me.

Hanna noticed the silenced and continued, "Okay guys, seriously? Keep it in your pants, I'm coming over, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Bye."

And with that she hung up, leaving us with no doubt that she'd be here soon.

Ali stood up and walked towards the bathroom, stopping before her hand reached the doorknob, she turned to me, "I'm going to shower, want to join?"

I was tempting, but I had to stand my ground, plus Hanna was coming over so soon, I didn't want to get caught. "Mmm, Ali I do, but we might get caught, Hanna will be here soon…" then I said what I knew she wanted to hear, "how about later, when we have more time?" I swallowed those last words.

She came up to me, placed her hands along my inner thighs, leaned into my ear, "Good idea, you better not back out either."

I hummed, "I won't."

She smiled and kissed my cheek, "Good, I can't wait to see you standing naked while hot water cascades over your body, I want to drag my hands all over you, soap everywhere Em."

She backed away with a smirk, maybe I should've taken her offer, and as if she could read my mind, she turned before closing the bathroom door, you can't change your mind," and closed the door, locking the door audibly behind her. Tease.

Hanna's POV

Those two are already too much I thought, shaking my head and laughing lightly. I hung up my phone and found some new clothes to change into, I opted for a dark pair of skinnies, with rips in the knees and a cut off t-shirt, it wasn't that cold, I should be fine.

I sent Caleb a quick text about where I was going so he wouldn't worry and headed towards Ali's house. What the hell was I going to see when I got there? I always knew how Emily felt about Ali, when we were young, when Ali was gone, and I'm sure not too much about her would change. I remembered when she told me about Maya, I didn't care who she was with and I flashbacked to when we sat in her room.

She sat there nervous, "You were Em dating Ben, now you're Em dating Maya, we love you, we don't care who you're with."

I knew then that she was still nervous about admitting out loud she was gay, but if I knew anything, it was that Emily Fields was one of the toughest girls I knew, a real bad bitch, I would never say it that way to her, I don't think anyone would tell her because she didn't care. That's what I always admired about my bestfriend, she never needed to be told how great a person she was: how amazing of a swimmer, how great a friend, how strong a person or how beautiful a woman she was, she just was. I remembered when Ali had told me all of this and I realized how right she was, I also realized that Ali really did love Em. That's when I joined…or maybe started Team Emison? Aha, either way, I was curious to see this new Ali. Maybe it was the real Ali all along that she was hiding, maybe the bitchy Ali was all a mask.

I texted Em when I pulled in next to the sidewalk of Ali's house and she texted back, saying she would meet me at the door. "Emily!" I ran over to wrap my hands around her neck as soon as I got out of my car.

We stumbled into the doorway, "Geez Hanna, I've only been gone a few days, what's gotten into you?"

"Ugh, I'm hurt," I said sarcastically placing one hand over my chest, "I can't just be excited about seeing you?"

"Oh shutup Han," she laughed and playfully smacked my arm and hugged me properly this time.

"That's better." I placed my hands on my hips and gave her an approving nod. "So, where's Ali?"

"She's upstairs, taking a shower. It was a long drive, she drove the whole way home. She just needs to clean up a little."

I raised an eyebrow, "And you didn't need to shower?"

"Well I showered the night before and-," she caught on when she seen the look on my face.

Her cheeks flushed, "Geez Hanna, we didn't do anything! We were just unpacking, which in case you didn't know, we didn't finish," I liked how she changed the subject and I felt bad for teasing her.

"Okay fine, I'm sorry, let me help you unpack."

Em agreed hesitantly and we went up to Ali's room.

She wasn't kidding about the unpacking: there was a mixture of Em's and Ali's clothes strewn over Ali's bed. I walked over and started unpacking the remainder of the bag and separating Em and Ali's clothes. Once I made one small pile of Ali's clothes I walked to her closet to place them inside, but Em stopped me, "Wait Hanna, are you sure those are all Ali's?"

Ugh, how she insults me, me, Hanna Marin, queen of clothes. I sighed and turned around, clothes in my hand like a waitress holding plates of food. "Em, we may all very well be the same size (now) but I'm pretty sure I can tell and Ali shirt from an Em shirt. You don't exactly dress the same. Or alike."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She sounded upset; she pursed her lips and crossed her arms… classic Emily.

"Easy tiger," I coaxed, "I just meant spending a lot of time in malls and with you guys, I can tell who would wear what, all five of us all have different styles, you know? I mean duh, I wasn't trying to say anything about the way either of you dress."

"Uh huh," she smiled and I knew she dropped it, but I wanted to make a point, I hated when Em thought she was being singled out.

"No, seriously! I mean I dress either all designer or what I have on today: ripped jeans and cut t's, Spencer is our modern version of a preppy schoolgirl, Aria…well Aria is def not afraid to mix and match her patterns, Ali is always in a flowy top or pastel colors and Em, you rock the hell out of the sexy sporty clothes: your bombers, and sneakers, the plaid…" I started rambling and stopped when I heard Em laughing almost hysterically.

"Hahaha oh Hanna, haha you should've seen your face!"

"Ugh Em, you bitch." And I threw a shirt at her and tossed my head back in laughter, joining her.

"Haha I knew what you meant Hanna, its okay."

We stopped laughing then and continued to put the clothes away. I was done with one bag and picked up another smaller bag, one I recognized as belonging to Ali. While Em was across the room near a dresser I unzipped the bag and pulled out – "OHMYGOD."

No One's POV

When Hanna gasped loudly, Em stopped what she was doing and her eyes widened and mouth opened in shock and then snapped shut in embarrassment, het rushing into her face. Hanna stood above the bag with her hands full with handcuffs and a silk blindfold.

"Oh my gosh EM! Are these yours? No way did Ali actually use these on you…or wait, did you use these on Ali?! OMG you guys are little-"

Just then Ali walked in with nothing but a small white towel wrapped around her body, "Eh hem, Hanna what are doing?" Her voice cut the laughter from Hanna's throat as both blonde met eyes and Ali raised her eyebrow as to say well? Hanna nervously laughed holding the cuff out, "Um I uh, was helping Em unpack and I uh, found these," Hanna turned her head nervously into her shoulder, trying to stifle a laugh. Em's face was heating up more and she stood frozen were she was, unable to say or do anything.

Ali looked over at her girlfriend and smirked, she was shy now, but that was definitely not the case when they were in bed. "Actually Hanna, I bought them so I could use them on Em, so yes, you could say they're mine, but really I think they're ours," Ali shot Em and smirk and little wink, knowing she would blush even harder.

"OKAY Ali, too much information. Geez you're kinky, I'm not even sure I should stick my hand back in this bag." With that Hanna dropped what she was holding a retreated from the bag, hands held up like she had been caught by someone doing something she shouldn't be doing.

Ali smirked, "that's what you get for going through my stuff. Just be glad it wasn't my underwear drawer," and the playful tone Ali used made both Em and Hanna wonder whether or not Ali was being serious.

"Okay, now I definitely feel awkward…next time I'll wait until you two call me, so there's no uh "surprises" if I walk in on you two doing the deed."

"HANNA!" Both Em and Ali shouted. Poor Hanna started laughed and walking from the bed and towards the door.

"Hey I just wanted to know, when you're going to tell the others, it's been hard keeping this from them." Hanna pointed her attention to Ali, who shrugged.

"I don't know Em, what do you think? It's like 2:30 right now, should we invite the other girls here at 7?"

Em shrugged still embarrassed, "yeah, sounds good to me. I can go pick up pizza and movies to watch?"

Ali shook her head, she would have no such thing, "Nonsense, I'll cook and bake cupcakes, and you can help me." Ali winked and Hanna stood there watching Ali shoot sexy looks at Em.

"Yeah, you're half naked and horny Ali, I'm definitely leaving now, I'll be back later."

"Yeah only half naked, believe me, if I didn't hear you from the bathroom, I'd be fully naked." Ali stared at Em the whole time, watching her cheeks turn from her perfect tan to bright red.

"Yeah I better go before um…yeah," Hanna suggested looking between Ali and Em like at any moment, they would attack one another.

"Gosh I thought you'd never leave." Ali laughed, joking at Han.

Hanna feigned being hurt. "Aw thanks Ali, it was so nice to see you too, and you're welcome for me coming to check to see that you both got home ok from your trip."

"Haha Han," Em said, "Ali is just playing around, but thank you for coming but as you can see, we're fine, and thank you for helping me um, unpack."

"Fine?" Ali cut in, "oh I think we're more than just fine." Ali suggested raising an eyebrow and looking at Em up and down.

"Yup, you two are cute but that's my cue to leave, I might throw up." Hanna shook her head and starting walking from the room and down the stairs, and before she shut the front door she shouted upstairs, "I'll be here with Ar and Spence at 7, no later, so no funny Emison business, oh and Em? Don't get too tied up! Hahaha." And with that she left laughing hysterically.

Ali and Em both started to laugh when their friend left; only Hanna they thought shaking their heads, only Hanna could make such a bad joke seem so funny.

Ali's POV

When Hanna left, closing the door with an audible click, I turned to Em, "So now that Hanna is gone, what do you want to do?"

She looked up at me, standing near the doorway, walking towards her and quickly recognized what I was getting at. I loved to see her close her lips, pressed into a smug smile, looking down briefly before meeting my eyes.

"Ali," she warned, "we have less than 5 hours, I think we should go buy some food and come back to cook, by the time that's done, the girls will be here. I don't think we have enough time to um…" She trailed off, her face reddening again. I had the most beautiful girl the world will ever see and she was in my room, blushing.

"Okay, suit yourself, are you going to shower now…or later?" I teased, knowing the answer

She put a hand on her hip and raised her eyebrow, "Ali."

"Haha ok ok," I said defensively, raising my hands, and as I did so, my towel dropped…and so did Em's mouth.

She looked me up and down, raking her eyes over me, and the way her eyes darkened and she slowly bit the corner of her lip made my legs weak, and could feel heat forming between my legs. I licked my own lips and when our eyes met, she shook her head, "Ali, you have to stop…for now at least."

I smiled at her adjustment to what she was saying…yeah, we'd have later.

"Okay Em, I'll save it for later, but," I walked up towards her and pushed my body against hers, hearing her gasp and try to keep her eyes on mine, not wanting to look any lower, I placed my hand on her neck, kissed the based and went to her ear, "you're going to owe me, deal?"

She closed her eyes, swallowing hard, "Deal. Now go get dressed, I'll head downstairs and call the girls…this should be fun." And like that Em left me standing there, no clothes on, frustrated and almost ready to use those cuffs again and keep her in my room. Patience Ali.

Emily's POV

It took Ali and me two hours to shop for food for dinner, we decided to make grilled chicken with smashed potatoes with a side of vegetables and for dessert Ali convinced me to help her make a cake: yellow cake and chocolate frosting with strawberries inside. It seemed simple enough, but when we pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store, I realized that this would be the first time Ali and I would be in public, together, as girlfriends. I sat still in my seat, rubbing the sweat from my palms off onto the thighs of my jeans.

"Okay Em, spit it out." Ali unbuckled her seat and turned her body to face me. "Well," she said, waiting, "what is it?"

I looked at her and stop running my hands across my legs, "Ali, it's nothing…it's just I know we're girlfriends, but this isn't my first time being seen in public with a girl, that way, and I know you're not exactly gay or whatever and I just don't know-" Ali reached across the seat and grabbed my hands in hers.

"Em, stop. Is this why you're nervous, you think I don't want to be seen with you?"

"Well I just want to make sure you still want to do this, I mean I guess I can wait until you're ready to be seen with me this way, I just don't want to do anything that will make you uncomfortable or make people think-" but Ali wouldn't let me finish.

"Em, at this point, I'd only be uncomfortable if I wasn't attached to your hip in public, and forget what people will think! Since when I have cared about what other people think?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Damn right I am! The only person whose opinion I care about, and will ever care about is yours, I'm not gay and I'll never look at a boy like I used to. And do you want to know why?" I shook my head, letting her continue. "Because all I will ever see is you. I'll see how girls don't laugh like you, don't light up the room when they walk in. I'll think how guys wouldn't hold me like you, they'll never have a chance, and then I'll picture you, sleeping in my bed, or sitting next to me on my couch, your arm draped over me, holding me when the movie gets scary.

"Em, look at me." She held my hands tighter and when my eyes fell on her blue ones, filled with sincerity, she said softer this time, "Emily Fields, I love you and I want all of Rosewood and the whole world to know that I am yours. I want to hold your hands wherever we walk, I want to kiss you when we say sweet things or when we go to the movies, I want to call and tell the people on the phone at the restaurant that I want a reservation for me and my girlfriend. Do you understand?"

My heart was swelling in my chest and I nodded, "I'm yours too Ali, I love you."

"Good, I don't want you to feel ashamed; you want to grab my hand, do it. You want to stick you your hand in my back pocket while we walk, do it. I'm not ashamed of the way I feel about you, I won't be any more and I will never make you feel that way again. Okay?"

I smiled from ear to ear and I was glad that she was ready for this, "okay."

She smiled and leaned in, kissing me tenderly and when she pulled away she placed her forehead on mine, "C'mon let us show the whole store know that I'm yours and only yours." She got out the car and before she closed the door, she realized I was sitting in the seat still, soaking it all in, "you coming with me or not Fields?"

I laughed lightly and got out the car, little did she know, I would follow her to hell and back, I have, and I'd do it again and again as long as I knew that it'd end this way.

Ali walked over, interlaced my fingers in her hand and we went into the store.

Alison's POV

I took Em's hand in my own and kissed her cheek, walking into the grocery store. I was just getting her back so no way were some stupid people's stares or snide remarks going to keep me from my mermaid.

Inside the store Em and I decided to divide and conquer to save some time, I went to find chicken and things for the cake while she went for the vegetables and drinks. I seen Em across the store and as I started to walk up to her with my things in hand, I noticed an employee eying her from afar, making his way over to generically ask "Are you finding everything alright?"

I could barely hear him as I approached and it took a lot for me to stop from throwing this chicken breast at him. In my head I envisioned me yelling at him "YES she's finding everything okay, the vegetables are all fucking next to each other, she's not blind!" Fortunately for him, I didn't do that, I took a deep breath and instead I walked behind an unknowing Em and placed one hand on her waist, "got everything babe?" I shot a death glare at the poor guy and he got the hint, Em didn't answer me and sent him off "no, we're fine, thank you," she was too sweet. But that didn't mean I wouldn't give up my signature back-the-hell-off glare, besides I didn't want anyone but me to look at Em that way.

"Ali, what was that?" Em looked at me, craning her neck towards me and I barely realized that Em was so oblivious to the way that guy was looking at her up and down, checking out what already taken. I laughed and shook my head; of course Em never realized that she always turned heads wherever she went, and the best and worst thing was that she didn't even have to try.

"Nothing Em, you ready?" She looked at me questioningly but followed me to the cash register.

We put the groceries on the conveyor belt and waited until the old lady in front of us grabbed her prune juice and left.

Em was in front of me and after she insisted she pay for food this time the cashier greeted her, "Hi, how are you?" I knew she was being polite but this cashier said it with a tone that I wasn't too happy with, and she asked Em, "Did you find everything alright?''

The cashier raised her eyes from the screen below her and took a good long look at Em as she turned to her purse to pull out her wallet, "Um yeah, I-"

"Yes, we found everything just fine, thank you asking." I gave her my best you're-lucky-I-don't-slap-you smile. The cashier looked between Em and I a few times and I noticed her eyes widen just the slightest, as she backed off a little, "oh," she said with a noticeably less amount of enthusiasm as before.

Em paid and we put the groceries in the back seat of my car. Inside the car when I was just about to put the keys in the ignition, Em reached over and grabbed my hand, "hold on."

Emily's POV

"Ali, what was that about in the store?" I grabbed her hand in mine before she could start the car and made her look at me, I wanted to hear what was running through her mind when she was being so…rude…no, that wasn't it…"Wait, Ali, were you jealous?" I cocked an eyebrow and smirked in her direction.

She bit her lip and looked at me, smirking back, "If I said yes?"

I looked at her lips, "Well, if you said yes, I would kiss you right now, because jealous Ali is super hot. But if you weren't…" but like always she didn't let me finish, interrupting me by grabbing the collar of my shirt, "I was jealous, so jealous Em, maybe I was wrong, we shouldn't go out in public because if another guy or girl checks you out…"

My turn, "shutup and kiss me already."

Our lips crashed, molding perfectly into each others, we held each other's faces and Ali deepened it, pulling away slightly, "It's even worse because you never notice how good you look, or how many people look at you like that Em."

"Yeah? What, now, is it going to drive you crazy?" I teased.

"Too late, I'm already crazy, crazy about you and crazy in love with you."

I smiled, this is the part of Ali that I knew, it was the one I fell in love with, the one I will always love and have always seen, the one I want the whole world to see. I hate how we go back and forth always feeling like we'll never be good enough, but I sense it all changing now.

No One's POV

By the time both girls got back to Ali's house, it was almost 5 o'clock. Ali opened the door and walked towards the kitchen, Em following close behind with the bags in her hand.

"Okay Ali, what should I start on?"

"Um, well I'll do the cake; can you peel the potatoes and start to boil them? Then put the heat on medium for the chicken and the veggies can go last since they take the least amount of time."

Em set the bags on the counter, walked to Ali, placed her hands on her girlfriend's hips and bought their bodies together, pecking Ali on the lips. Ali closed her eyes and when she opened them she laughed at a grinning Emily, inches from her face. "Em, what was that for?"

"I like when you talk about food like you're a chef?"

Ali cocked an eyebrow, smirking, "Are you sure you don't just like when I give you orders?"

Emily smiled, realizing she liked that too, "Well it's sexy either way. Tell me what to do again Alison." Em leaned in whispering into Ali ear, rolling her tongue the way she said Ali's full name, causing a shiver to run down the blonde's spine.

"Ugh, Em now look who's teasing, should we tell the girls to come tomorrow instead?" Ali half hoped Em would say yes…of course she didn't though.

"Aha no Ali, I already called them, Aria and Spence want to see us, Hanna, she knows, but I don't think she'll like that we cancelled on her. Besides she'll welcome herself in, you don't want to get caught do you?" It was Em's turn to raise an eyebrow and tease Ali.

"Ugh fine Em, but you owe me even more for teasing."

"Whatever you say babe, start with your cake."

Ali laughed, "I thought I was the one giving the orders?"

"Oh so it's not cute when I do it?"

"No…." Em dropped her head and Ali quipped up, "it's not sexy," she walked and ran her hands down the length of Em's arms, "it's more than cute, it's sexy, and hot and I want you to tell me what to do later when I'm wrapped all around you in my bed."

Emily's breath caught in her throat and she felt the butterflies in her stomach flitter around, moving up to her chest. Ali laughed, both girls pulling away to start to prepare the food for their friends,

**one hour later**

"It's not funny Em, quit laughing." Emily was sitting on the counter next to Ali's cake, which was now lopsided thanks to Em.

"Ali, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean it, it was an accident."

Ali was close to frustrated tears as she stared down at her cake. The bottom layer was frosted and the strawberries were cut and ready to be laid down for the filling, but when Em hoped on the counter, her hand knocked the cake pan with the top layer of cake to the floor. The cake was mostly in tact but one side was lower, making the cake have a slight lean that Em had tried to convince Ali that no one would be able to tell.

"C'mon Ali, Aria is a pie kind of girl and as soon as Hanna sees chocolate plus cake, she won't care what it's shaped like, as long as she can get her fork in it before anyone else does."

Ali laughed half heartedly but was still upset that she worked so hard on the cake and now it didn't even come out like she wanted.

Em continued to laugh, "I'm not laughing at your cake Ali, I really am sorry, I'm just laughing at your face, you still have chocolate frosting on your cheek and you look so cute when you're mad. Aha I can't help it."

Ali smirked and walked to wear Em was. She pushed the good part of the cake away and brought the bowl of frosting closer, "yeah, you really think it's cute, let me see," and before Em knew it, Ali pushed herself between Em's legs, her chest coming in contact with Em's stomach, their height difference even greater now that Em was sitting on the counter and Ali dipped her finger into the bowl and smudged some frosting along the side of Em's cheek. Em gasped, her mouth open in shock, she tried to pull away to look at her work, but Em wrapped her legs around Ali's torso and held her body near.

Ali grabbed a strawberry, dipped it in the frosting and bit down, slower and more sensually than Em could handle, so she licked her lips and when Ali seen Em do this, she fed the strawberry to Em, running her thumb that was covered in the juice of the strawberry to coat Em's bottom lip. She sucked Em's lips into her mouth and moaned at the taste. Emily Fields and desserts were becoming one of Ali's most favorite of things.

"Mhm Em, you were right, it is cute. But I think you'd be even cuter if I put some here," Ali dipped her finger back into the bowl of chocolate and wiped the frosting along the side of Em's neck.

"Ali! Okay, I'm sorry, don't get it in my hair though." Em reached for a paper towel but was stopped when Ali pressed herself into Em's core and gripped both wrists in her hands, making Em immobilized. Then Ali leaned on her tiptoes, "no, let me get that for you Em," Ali smirked and brought her lips over the first smudge of chocolate, swirling her tongue over the chocolate and then sucking the frosting clean off of Em's neck. She sucked at her girlfriend's skin until Em, bent her head back and started moaning. Ali smiled and sucked her way higher up on Em's neck. When the frosting was gone, she put more over Em's neck and this time without any protests. Ali was surprised however, when she brought her finger to her mouth to lick the rest clean because Em stopped her and mimicked her words, "no, let me get that for you Ali," and Em grabbed her hand and one by one she sucked each one of Ali's fingers into her mouth, sucking hard until each one was clean, then she rolled her tongue around each tip for good measure. Ali stood with eyes glued to Em's mouth and the way each one of her fingers disappeared into it, her lips wrapped tightly around each finger before pulling away and moving to next.

Ali bit her lip and as soon as her fingers were clean, she sucked and kissed her way back over Em's neck, alternating between sucks, kisses and gentle bites, swirling her tongue over each little mark to soothe away the redness. Then when they were both "clean" Ali brought her lips back to Em's mouth and they shared a kiss, each girl clawing at the other, kissing deeper until they felt like their lips were swollen. Ali pulled away and this Em leaned forward kissing Ali's neck deeply, leaving a mark to match hers at the base of her neck. Ali ran her hands through Em's long dark hair, down her back, cupped her ass against the counter and finally brought them around to her stomach, dragging them against her body, higher and higher, bringing part of her shirt up so that Em's flat stomach was slightly exposed.

She moved her hands higher up Em stomach until she was holding her breasts, massaging each one in her hand until Em moaned and bit down over Ali's collarbone, causing her to hiss out in a delicious pain, she loved when Em marked her, just like when she marked Em in private places that no one but her would ever be able to see: like the inside of her thighs, around her navel, low on her chest, surrounding her breasts…Ali loved knowing that Em could look at her body and see all the places that Ali's mouth had been.

A strong need and hunger came over Ali's body and she suddenly craved Em more than usual. She dragged her hands back down Em's body and quickly undid Em's button at the top of her jeans.

"Ali," Em said breathlessly, "what're you doing, the girls will be here soon."

"Then I'll just have to be fast," Ali practically growled, slipping her hands into Em's underwear cupping her sex, "and you're already so hot for me Em, I can't wait till later."

Emily couldn't believe she and Ali were going to have sex on her counter but when Ali started sliding her fingers over her hot flesh, she couldn't remember why it seemed like such a bad idea. Em wrapped her hands around neck, tightened her legs around her torso and arched her head back. Ali started kissing Em's neck and pushed a single into Em's hot, wet folds, moaning at how hot and tight she was…and how wet she already was.

Emily squeezed her hand at the back of Ali's neck and brought their lips together, moaning into her mouth. "God, Ali, that feels so good. Don't stop." Em was barely able to let the words escape her lips.

Ali was encouraged and slipped in another finger, pushing harder…faster…deeper into Em, until Em was rocking her hips into Ali's hand. Em's walls were tightening and Ali could tell she was close. Em had her eyes slammed shut, she was biting her lip and her grip on Ali's shoulders was getting tighter. Ali starting grinding her body into Em, the fact that they were still fully clothed created more friction and turned Ali on even more, she wanted Em. And she wanted Em on her counter, so every day when she walked into the kitchen, the image of Em, falling apart in her hands right here would play through her mind. No bowl of cereal eaten here would ever be the same, and Ali sooo didn't mind.

She loved when Em completely lost control as her senses came over her and she crashed down from her orgasm. Emily was so sexy when Ali was making her body pulsate and quiver under her. The noises Em made when she was coming, the way she moaned Ali's name, the roughness of her hands, when she pressed her nails into her skin, Ali wanted to feel that right now, wanted Em to feel it. So Ali, started working Em faster, both girls panting for air, Ali's body thrusting her hand into Em's hot center. She used another hand to hold Em's hip in place and soon Em found her hands wrapped over the edge of the counter, so tight her muscles in her arms started shaking, Em was close, "GOD ALI I'M SO CLOSE I'M GONNA…"

Ali moved and kissed the rest of the words from Em's mouth and that's when Emily couldn't take any more so she tightened her walls over Ali's fingers, wrapped her tongue in her mouth, squeezed her legs around Ali, bucked her hips and…

***TO BE CONTINUED IN CH 26***

I'll be posting the second half of this in Chapter 26, Homecoming Part 2: The Dinner, but as usual please leave your reviews! I'll be back with the rest in a few hours ;)