Guest: I'm glad you liked the McHastings. Paige is making progress, more so in private than in public, but that'll come as well.

Guest Thank you.

Dragoncila Thanks.

jhas Yeah, Paige is definitely getting bolder as she gets more comfortable and confident. You're right, they're both protective, of each other and their relationship, which is why it works. Glad you liked the McHastings. Yeah, Mrs. Fields is definitely coming around from where she started. And, things get a bit heated in this chapter, but they're far from going all the way. It's still very early days in their relationship. (Less than a full week.)

ren-mccullers Glad you liked it. I'm sure there will be more McHastings in the future, so stay tuned.

siophiefandom lol. It's the schools best kept secret, I guess.

saii79 lol. Just, remember to breathe. Mrs. Fields has definitely come along way, from where she started. And it's fun to write her and Paige as they get to know each other. Yeah, it's cool that Emily is protective, and concerned, but their relationship will only work if they work at it, together.

Guest, thank you. Glad you liked it.

Grace1 Thank you.

MindFullofStories Welcome. Glad that you're all caught up. Yeah, they're both dorks. I'm glad you enjoyed the McHastings. But, I'm not very good at angst. This will likely just continue to be a sweet, fluffy, romance.

ponderhouse I'm glad you liked the McHastings. It just seemed like something they would do, to me. Plus, I needed an excuse to write Paige all hot and sweaty and working out. I'm glad you picked up on that. I don't want to make it a bit thing, but I feel like there should be some subtle hints that Emily is aware that lying and sneaking around isn't entirely healthy, even if it is the only solution they can come up with. Yeah, I think that once Paige got over her shame/embarrassment, she felt a little bolder. She's starting to trust herself, and what she wants more, as well as Emily and their relationship. And I'm glad you liked the end bit.

Chapter 27

Emily sighed softly and threaded her fingers into Paige's hair, her body arching up, and her head lolling to the side, as Paige kissed and nipped her way down Emily's neck.

They had been making out for hours now. Emily pleased to discover that, once she let herself relax into it, she was content to enjoy the slow burning heat that consumed her. There was no rush to push things any further.

Paige shifted above her, her thigh sliding into place between Emily's legs, brushing against her center. A low moan escaped her throat and her hips shifted up, seeking firmer contact, her fingers tightening their grip in Paige's hair. Emily felt Paige smile against her skin, as she dragged her lips up the column of Emily's throat.

Tugging, probably a little more forcefully than she should have, Emily guided Paige's lips away from her throat and up to meet her own, capturing them in a deep, heated kiss, that pulled a groan, and then a whimper, from Paige's throat. She shifted above Emily again, her hands sliding restlessly up Emily's side, fingers splayed, and nails dragging, as she inched closer and closer to the undersides of Emily's breasts.

She'd been skirting contact with them for a while now, brushing along the edges or sliding quickly over them, but never lingering. Emily wasn't sure if it was intentional, if she was working up the courage to go for it, or incidental, a by-product of their constantly shifting positions. All she knew was, she was aching for Paige to touch her. Every time her fingers slid near, her breath would catch in her throat and her pulse would race, and she'd arch her body towards Paige's touch, silently encouraging her to slide that inch or to further, to sustain contact for more than a fleeting moment.

It didn't feel like a step too far, or a movement too fast. And, it wasn't just the haze of arousal that surrounded her making her feel that way. At least, she hoped it wasn't.

They had been kissing for hours. The last few days, they had done nothing more than kiss for hours. Paige's hands had been wandering a lot more today than they had on previous occasions, sliding up and down her torso, rather than staying firmly settled on her hips. If that meant that she was feeling more comfortable, more confident, and was ready for a minor step forward, Emily was all for it.

As she'd said, she wasn't ready to go all the way with Paige, but that didn't mean that her body wasn't also craving a little more physicality. And she felt confident that neither would let it escalate any further than a little over the shirt action.

Paige's hands slid up, cupping the sides of her breasts.

"Mmm, Paige," Emily murmured her approval. Emily nipped at her lip, before sliding her tongue along it, and then slipping it into her mouth, hoping that she would take that as encouragement to continue.

Paige's hands stilled for a moment, then began to knead, lightly at first, then gradually increasing. A shiver coursed up Emily's spine, and the warm coil in her belly tightened, and grew hotter.

Their kiss grew sloppy, unfocused, as Paige's attention seemed to divert to her hands. After a moment, she pulled away completely, ignoring Emily's whimper of protest, as she raised her head slightly to stare down at her hands on Emily's breasts.

Emily couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the awed smile that tugged at her lips, followed by the cutest look of concentration Emily had ever seen, her eyes narrowed a little, her brow furrowed, and she bit her lip as she experimented with speed, and pressure.

Emily's eyelids fought to shut as she arched up into the touch, a low moan rising from her throat, but she was determined to watch Paige, as she discovered this particular pleasure.

And, pleasure it was. Emily bit her lip, stifling a cry, as Paige rolled her thumbs over her nipples, which were rapidly hardening into peaks that were visible beneath her t-shirt, and bra.

"Oh, God." Her eyes did slam closed momentarily, as Paige pinched her nipples. "Oh. Paige."

"Oh. Oh, no. Did I hurt you?" Paige's hands lifted, and Emily whimpered at the loss of contact.

She shook her head frantically, and let out a sigh of relief when they gently cupped her again.

Her lids fluttered open when Paige's hands remained still against her. It took a moment for her vision to focus, and when it did, she found Paige looking down at her, concern etched over her features.

"You didn't hurt me, I swear," she said, reaching up and running her fingers over the furrow in Paige's brow, trying to smooth it out. "It felt good, Paige. Really, really good," she added, when it was clear that Paige didn't quite believe her.

"Oh." Paige's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, I see." A blush crept up her neck and spread out across her cheeks, as a bashful smile tugged at her lips.

Emily bit back a grin. Only Paige could manage to look both embarrassed and smug at the same time.

"Do you? Want to see?" Emily teased, her hand sliding down the side of Paige's face to her shoulder, then down a little further, coming to rest just above Paige's left breast. She could feel Paige's heart hammering in her chest beneath her palm.

She watched in amusement as Paige's eyes went wide, and she gulped audibly, before nodding. "Yes. Please," she whispered, her words slurring together in her rush to get them out.

Emily chuckled softly, and used the hand still cupping the back of Paige's neck to pull her down for a kiss. Paige moaned softly into her mouth, and returned the kiss with fervor. Her hands starting up their gentle kneading.

Emily slid her other hand down, cupping Paige's breast, grinning against Paige's lips as she felt the other girl's breath hitch and a soft murmur escape her throat. She held her hand still for a moment, enjoying the warmth and the weight in her hand, and letting Paige get used to the sensation. Slowly, she began to brush her thumb back and forth across Paige's nipple, circling it gently as she felt it harden beneath her touch.

Paige whimpered softly and broke from the kiss, her head falling into the crook of Emily's shoulder as she squirmed above her. Emily turned her head, pressing a soft kiss to Paige's ear, as she gently hardened her nipple into a stiff point, enjoying every muffled moan, every panted breath. Emily's pleasure taking a back seat as she introduced Paige to her own.

She pinched, and tugged, and kneaded, thoroughly working Paige up, only to gently calm her back down again, Paige collapsing against her with a soft sigh when Emily slid her hands away, running them up and down her back in random patterns.

"You okay?" she asked into the silence, biting her lip as she awaited Paige's response. She hoped that, now that the heat of the moment had passed, Paige would still be okay with what they had done, that doubt and regret wouldn't seep in, the way it seemed to have last night.

Slowly, Paige pushed herself up into a sitting position. As much as Emily missed the weight and the warmth of Paige stretched out above her, she had to admit she liked this position as well, Paige kneeling above her, straddling her waist, lips swollen, face flushed, a fine sheen of sweat glimmering on her skin, and her hair all mussed from Emily having run her fingers through it.

Her gaze was unfocused, her eyes heavy lidded, and she had a sort of dazed smile on her face that was absolutely adorable. "That was…I had no idea it could feel so…Why have we not been doing that all along?" Her eyes seemed to focus as she narrowed them at Emily. "I think you've been holding out on me, Fields."

Emily's jaw fell open, an indignant squeak issuing from her throat. "I…What?...That's…" She shook her head, trying to clear it. "You only have yourself to blame for that one, McCullers. We could have been doing that months ago if you…" Emily trailed off as she watched Paige's face fall, the smile disappearing from her lips, and her gaze turning downcast. She stared at her, puzzled, trying to figure out what had just happened. Her heart leaping in panic at the thought that Paige might be suddenly experiencing regret.

"I hate that I wasted so much time. Time we could have been together-"

"Hey, no," Emily gently interrupted her, lightly running her hands up and down Paige's thighs, enjoying the way her eyes fluttered at the contact. "I didn't mean it like that.

"No? You don't ever think about how things could have been, if I hadn't been so afraid of what I was feeling? How many months we wasted-"

"I don't. No. I think we found each other at just the right time," Emily said. "It wasn't that long ago that I was in the same place you were, afraid, unable to face my feelings. A few months ago, I was still with Maya. Then, I was getting over Maya. There's no way I would have been ready for this, ready for us, then."

'You really mean that? You're not just saying it?"

"I really mean it."

Paige nodded, her expression brightening. Before she could say anything, however, her stomach let out a low growl. Emily couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"How can you be hungry at a time like this?"

"It's not like I can help it," Paige huffed. "Breakfast was great, but it was a long way off."

Emily craned her neck, trying to get a peek at her alarm clock, and was startled to find that it was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon. She felt a hunger pang in her own stomach at the realization. "Hey, what do you say we go downstairs and get some lunch then?"

Paige slid off her in response. Emily rolled off the bed, stumbling slightly as she tried to get her feet under her, her legs shaky and feeling very much like jello. Paige laughed, though the sound quickly died in her throat when she tried to stand, and found her own balance a little unsteady as well.

When she did finally manage to take a few steps, Emily realized just how turned on making out with Paige had made her. She was pretty wet, almost embarrassingly so. She could feel the moisture soaking through the material of her panties and into her jeans. She only hoped that Paige couldn't see it. Though, she couldn't help but wonder whether Paige was in a similar state, the unbidden thought causing her face to heat up in a blush, making her thankful that Paige was walking behind her, as if the other girl would be able to read her thoughts if she could see her face.

They made their way downstairs to the kitchen, where Paige took a seat at the table as Emily began rummaging through the fridge for lunch options.

"Grilled cheese?" she suggested, seeing that her mother had bought the good stuff, as well as a loaf of fresh-baked, thick sliced bread. The kind that was perfect for cooking with. That, along with some freshly cut fruit and some leftover cheesecake would make a perfect lunch.

Paige nodded agreeably, and Emily set to work. As well as the cheese, she also pulled ham, onions and tomatoes from the fridge, intending to make deluxe grilled cheese. She had just finished cutting up the cheese and was melting some butter into the pan when her phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out, checking the call ID before deciding whether to answer or ignore,

"It's my mom," she informed Paige as she swiped her thumb across the screen to accept the call. "Hey, Mom.'

"Hey, Emily. I just wanted to check in, make sure that Paige is doing all right.

She glanced over at Paige, who was flipping through the paper her mother had left folded on the table that morning.

"Paige is doing good," she said, arranging the cheese onto the slices of bread and then laying them onto the pan as she talked.

"No headache? Nausea? Blurred vision?"

Emily hadn't thought to ask. And she doubted Paige would mention any of those symptoms. She felt a frown tugging at the corners of her lips. Would Paige ignore any warning signs, causing potential damage to her health, just to spend the morning making out with Emily?

Of course she would. But, she couldn't exactly tell her mother that.

"She hasn't complained of anything," she said, being as honest as she could.

"No, but then she wouldn't, would she?" Emily couldn't help but grin a little at how well her mom seemed to have pegged Paige in such a short time. "Just, keep a close eye on her. Drag her to the doctor if you have to."

"Don't worry, I will."

"Good. You're making her take it easy, I hope?"

"Yeah, she's been lying down all morning." It wasn't even a lie.

"Not sleeping, I hope."

"No, I'm definitely keeping her awake."

"Don't let her nod off."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"I'm going to be home a little later than usual, one of the detectives is retiring, we're throwing a little gathering for him this evening. I figured we could just order in when I get home."

"OK. Sounds good, I'm just making us lunch now, so that'll tide us over until you get home."

"You're just eating lunch now? Isn't it a little late for that?"

"Yeah, well…" Emily trailed off, realizing she couldn't exactly tell her mother why they were eating so late.

"I see," her mom hummed softly across the line. Emily had a feeling she did actually. She felt a blush heat up her cheeks as the silence on the line lengthened. "I'll see you tonight, Em." Without waiting for a reply, her mother hung up.

Slowly, Emily disconnected the call and set her phone down onto the counter.

"What's a matter, Em?"

She turned towards Paige, leaning against the counter behind her and offering her a wry smile. "We're busted."

Paige's eyes went wide, her mouth forming into a small "oh," before she gulped audibly.

"My mom called to check in on you. And let me know that she'll be late for dinner. And sussed us out."

"Oops." Paige offered up a sheepish smile. "I guess we should have known better than to try and pull one over on your mom. How much trouble are we in?"

Emily shrugged. "I'm probably grounded for life. You, at least, have a chance to save yourself. You can take off now, avoid the fallout." She knew that, no matter how upset her mother might be, she wouldn't call Paige's parents and fill them in. She'd promised Emily she wouldn't tell them, and she knew that she could count on her mom for at least that much.

Paige reached out, grabbing Emily's hand and pulling her over, and down into her lap. "I would never do that to you," she said, wrapping her arms around Emily's waist and pressing a kiss to her temple. "I was thinking more along the lines of, can we butter your mom up, into not getting mad?"

Emily frowned, considering. "Maybe? What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was planning on doing it anyway, I was thinking I could treat you and your mother to dinner. It was supposed to be a thank you, for how kind and welcoming she's been to me since we got together, but now it could be a bribe."

"You're going to cook?" she asked, not entirely sold on the idea.

"No, I'm going to dial. The Grille delivers."

"Well, I doubt it will work. Sorry," she added, seeing Paige's frown "But, it's sweet of you to offer." She turned to brush a kiss against Paige's lips.

It didn't take long for the kiss to grow heated, Paige's tongue slipping into her mouth, as one hand slid up to cup her breast. Emily couldn't help but chuckle softly at how quickly Paige's had had slid up and found this new position.

"What?" Paige pulled back slightly, resting her forehead against Emily's with a pout.

"Nothing. Just, processing the fact that, apparently, you're a boob girl."

Paige's flamed red, and she made to pull her hand away, but Emily stopped her, covering Paige's hand with her own.

"What, and you're not?" Paige, while still blushing, was bold enough to counter.

"Don't get me wrong, I love your boobs," Emily said, moving her hand from over Paige's to her chest, running her thumb across her nipple to emphasis her words. "But I have to admit, I have a thing for your abs." She slid her hand down Paige's torso, to rest her palm flat against Paige's stomach. "Whenever I see you without a shirt on, I just want to run my fingers across your abs." She scratched lightly, feeling the muscles jump beneath her touch, as Paige took in a sharp breath. "And, kiss them," she finished softly.

Paige's breath hitched in her throat and she stiffened against Emily.

"I'm sorry," Emily said, letting her hand fall away from Paige's stomach. "I didn't mean to freak you out."

Paige shook her head. "You can. If you want to." Her words were so soft that Emily wasn't sure she caught them. Surely she hadn't heard them properly. Because there was no way that Paige had said what she thought she'd said. She turned her gaze to Paige, meeting her eyes questioningly. Slowly, Paige nodded.

Emily's stomach fluttered. "Are you sure?"

Emily was hesitant, torn between giving into her desire and her better nature, which told her that it was probably more than Paige could handle. That the other girl was just saying that to appease Emily. Paige had, after all, seemed almost afraid of physical intimacy just a few days before. Was she really adjusting that quickly? Or was all of this just speeding her towards some kind of breakdown, when it all caught up to her?

"Please, Em." She was startled by the depth of pleading in Paige's tone. Carefully, she studied Paige's face, and saw nothing but desire. There wasn't even the slightest hint of hesitancy there.

"Okay." She was feeling suddenly very shaky as she slid from Paige's lap, onto her knees on the floor in front of her. A blush heated her cheeks, and buzzed through her entire body, as her brain registered the position she was now in. She chanced a glance up at Paige, who was looking down at her, eyes wide and dark, her neck and face a shade of red so deep it was almost purple. Her breathing was laboured, and for a moment Emily was worried she was going to pass out.

Their eyes met, and Paige nodded again, her hands coming to thread in Emily's hair. Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, Emily lifted shaky hands to the hem of Paige's t-shirt, pushing it up slightly to expose firm abs, concealed under creamy skin. She reached out, laying her palm flat against Paige's stomach, feeling the muscles twitch under her touch, as Paige inhaled deeply, her abdomen shifting, becoming concave for a moment. Slowly, gently, she splayed her fingers, feeling the silky smoothness of Paige's skin, over the hard ridges of her muscle.

"Em," Paige sighed, her grip tightening in Emily's hair.

Licking her lips, she tipped her head forward, laying the lightest of kisses against Paige's stomach. Paige let out a strangled sound, and her hips jutted forward subtly. Slowly, she began feathering kisses against Paige's skin, sighing softly at the sensation.

She traced the contours of Paige's abs, tongue swirling into the dips, teeth scraping along the protrusions. It was a fantasy come to life. One she could probably have spent the rest of the afternoon indulging in, were it not for the acrid scent of something burning tickling her nose.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, her gaze going first to Paige, whose lids were fluttering, struggling to stay open as she stared down at Emily, bottom lip caught between her top teeth, her nostrils flaring with each breath. It then shifted over to the stove, where thin tendrils of smoke were rising from the pan.

"Shit." She pushed herself to her feet and hurried over to the stove, dismayed to discover that their grilled cheese sandwiches had been burnt to a blackened crisp on one side. "I think that I'm going to have to ban you from this kitchen too," she said, giving Paige a shoulder bump as she sidled up beside her. "You're a distraction."

Paige laughed lightly. "Sorry." She didn't sound very sorry at all.

"Yeah, I'll bet you are." Emily swatted her away. "Why don't you go do homework or something, so I can make lunch without burning the house down?"

"You're really going to leave me all alone, what with my head injury and all?"

Emily scoffed. "Some head injury."

"Why don't I set the table?" Paige kissed her temple and then slid away, Emily watching her out of the corner of her, unable to keep the grin of her face as she took in Paige moving around the kitchen with ease, knowing where pretty much everything was by now.

It didn't take long for her to prepare a second batch of sandwiches and cut up some fruit to make a small salad. While she served, Paige cleaned up behind her, wiping down the counters and putting the dirty utensils and plates in the dishwasher, the two of them moving around each other as if they had been doing it for years, then settling in across from each other at the table.

Their conversation as they ate was light, easy, flowing naturally from one topic to the next, with the occasional lull, which felt just as easy, just as natural. They played footsie under the table, exchanging glances, and smiles. When lunch was finished, they relocated into the living room, where Emily put on a movie that they didn't spend much time watching, the two of them ending up stretched out on the couch, Emily hovering over Paige, kissing her breathless, Paige groping Emily's breasts at every opportunity.

It was weird, how it didn't make Emily uncomfortable, the way it had when she'd dated Ben, the way his hand slowly creeping its way up her side had made her twitch away, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. With Paige, she thought it almost sweet, the way her hand would hesitantly make its way down her back, then up her side, in stops and starts, until finally coming to rest against her breast, cupping, kneading, pinching.

And, it's not like she wasn't doing her fair share of feeling Paige up, her thumb circling Paige's nipple and her palm sliding across it, enjoying every sigh and moan that left Paige's lips.

The afternoon ticked by, the two of them intermittently making out, talking or just lying quietly in between. It was those moments in between that reminded Emily of why she was fighting so hard for this relationship to work, that all the moments of frustration and stress were made worth it by the times when they could be together like this.

Dusk had fallen by the time Pam made it home. The click of her key in the lock a second before the door swung open the only warning they got that she was back. Luckily, the two of them weren't doing anything compromising when she did walk in. They were stretched out on the couch, heads on opposite pillows, legs a tangle in the middle, both of them engrossed in their individual homework assignments.

"Mom." Emily scrambled to sit up as her mother strode into the room, her face an impassive mask. She gulped softly and cast a glance at Paige, who looked ashen, as she rose to her feet.

"Mrs. Fields, I just want to say-"

"Oh, my goodness. Honey. Your head." Whatever Paige was going to say was drowned out by Pam's exclamation as she hurriedly closed the distance between them and lightly gripped Paige's chin in her hands, gently turning her head to the side to get a better look at the cut, and the bruise that had been forming around it all afternoon.

Emily had never thought she'd feel this way, but she was grateful for the nasty looking injury that Paige had sustained at practice. Were it not for that bruise, which, Paige assured her looked worse than it felt, her mom would probably be ripping into them, rather than fussing over Paige.

"Have you iced it?"

Paige shook her head. "It's really not that bad."

"Really, Paige," Pam tsked. "What about any painkillers? It's been long enough, have you taken anything for it?"

"It doesn't really hurt."

"How much is not really?" Pam narrowed her eyes at Paige, who averted her own gaze and shrugged. "Has she been like this with you too?" Pam turned to Emily, who nodded.

Pam huffed a sigh. "I'm going to get you some aspirin, and an ice pack. You go lay back down on. And, turn off that computer. It can't be good for your head to be staring at that screen."

Paige looked ready to protest, but was rendered quiet by a stern glance from Pam.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She complied, as Emily's mom disappeared into the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later with an ice pack, a glass of water, and two aspirin.

"How did that even happen?" she asked, handing Paige the pills and the glass.

"Uh…Spencer high sticked me."

"Spencer? Spencer Hastings?" Pam looked back and forth between Paige and Emily. "Why would she do that?"

Paige shrugged. "It was practice." As if that explained everything.

Pam still looked confused.

"Don't look at me. I don't get it either," Emily said with a shrug. "I stopped by practice and the two of them were going at it like they were trying to kill each other."

"I just can't believe Spencer would do something like that. I've never known her to…Do you want me to go to the coach? The principal? I could-"

"No, Mrs. Fields. It's all right. There's nothing for you to go to Coach, or the administration about."

"But-"

"It's really nothing."

"Paige, honey-"

"No, really. Spencer and I are good. Tell her, Em."

Both her mother, and Paige, turned to attention to Emily expectantly.

"There's really nothing going on between them," she said with a shrug. "I mean, I think they're both insane. And they're going to seriously hurt themselves, or each other, if they don't cut it out, but they're actually kind of friends."

Pam looked dubious, but Paige nodded. And she looked so earnest that Pam had no choice to believe her.

"Athletes,' she muttered, shaking her head and throwing her hands up a little. "All right, so why don't you relax in here, and I'll grab the menus from the drawer and we can-"

"Actually, Mom, Paige's going to take care of dinner tonight."

"I don't want her in my kitchen. No offense, Paige, but I don't-"

"Want me to burn your house down?" Paige laughed softly. "What is it with you Fields women and telling me that today?"

"What?" Pam looked back and forth between the two of them, confused.

"Emily burn her grilled cheese, and blamed me. Like it was my fault."

Emily rolled her eyes, but couldn't exactly counter with why she'd burned lunch.

"And besides, I'm not cooking. I ordered from the Grille. It's all ready, in the kitchen. All you have to do is sit down, and I can serve."

Paige put her ice pack aside and rose to her feet. "After you?"

Pam looked torn between being charmed, and being concerned. Knowing that being charmed would win out when she saw the spread that Paige had insisted on, Emily looped her arm through her mother's and tugged her gently towards the kitchen.