A/N: Set during 4x04.
They sit there for a few more minutes, Paige's hand in between her own and she wants to believe her. She wants their dream to be real.
When Paige gets up, she reaches her hand out, pulling Emily into her arms. "It'll be okay." She presses her face into the crook of Paige's neck, the smell of chlorine tickling her nose and she exhales. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
It's just a whisper, but it's the truth. She doesn't know where she'd be without Paige. She doesn't know how she would deal with- everything, really.
Paige kisses the side of her head, running her hand over Emily's back. "You won't have to find out." She smiles into the damp skin of Paige's neck, feeling a kiss being pressed into her hair. "Come on, let me get dressed and then I'll take you home, okay?"
Pulling back, she swallows and then nods, following Paige into the locker room. She leans against the lockers, fumbling with her hands because Paige's are missing.
When Paige slips the swimsuit off, she tries not to stare. She really tries, but Paige doesn't seem to mind and she catches a glimpse of her breasts just as she puts her bra on. It's a nice distraction from everything and she has to swallow again. It's not like she hasn't seen this before, or touched or kissed the same space she's staring at now, but it feels kind of different. Vulnerable.
"You know you're allowed to look, right?" Paige says, pulling up her skirt. Biting the inside of her lip, she nods and smiles. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I should stare." She hears Paige letting out a dry laugh.
"You can stare all you want, Em," Paige tells her with a low voice, switching on the blowdryer. Emily smiles as her heart flutters, watching Paige do her hair as fast as she can. The loud noise of the dryer stops and Paige reaches for her brush.
"Let me do it," she whispers and Paige hands her the brush with a smile, sitting down on the bench. She carefully brushes through Paige's hair. It's soft and still slightly damp, and Paige relaxes into her touch. It's calming and all the tension falls off her shoulders, making everything seem a little bit better. Her fingers brush Paige's neck and she feels her slow pulse and the warmth of the skin, a soft sigh escaping Paige's mouth.
She doesn't know how long she stands there, combing Paige's hair in complete silence, but when she's done, it's dry and she feels calm, everything else seeming distant and unreal.
Resting her hands on Paige's shoulder, she simply breathes for a moment and Paige takes one hand to kiss it. "Thank you." She inhales deeply, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watches Paige put on her jacket, closing the locker door.
Paige walks up next to her, holding her hand out. "Let's get you home," she says softly and Emily nods, watching as her fingers fit into the spaces between Paige's. She is not looking forward to face her parents again, but with Paige, it seems like something she can do.