Author's Note:
Hello readers!
We are finally posting this and I couldn't be any more excited. This chapter was almost 11k! So, due to the long wait, I hope this makes up for it
Happy reading!
Chronophobia- Fear of time.
"I promise you… there will be an even bigger mess once you're done poking around in there." Alison has a smug look on her face. Emily swears she's gotten better at it, but Alison just had to see for herself. It's been awhile since they've done this so it couldn't hurt, right?
"You haven't seen what I can do as of late." The brunette struggles as she bites her lip. She hates to admit it but Alison's right; there will be a huge mess if she's not careful enough, that is, unless you count the mess that they've already created. They're both wet, well, more so drenched than anything, and it's all thanks to Alison who can't quite seem to keep her hands to herself.
"Well, now I'm even more excited to see you in action," Alison smiles down at the brunette who's exhausted and currently on her knees.
"Trust me. These muffins will turn out way better than the last time I made them," Emily says as she pops up on her feet, dusting her hands off on her jeans as she does so. There are little specks of flour everywhere, water is splashed all over their clothes and hair, and the muffin batter is spread on each other's cheeks resulting from the playful banter that had ensued while attempting to whip it up.
"Maybe they will actually be edible this time, babe." Alison chuckles as she wraps her arms around Emily's neck, earning a sigh of content from the brunette. The two sway back and forth to the beat of the music that plays from Emily's living room stereo. It was soothing after the long week they had both endured.
It was nearing afternoon on a Sunday and the two couldn't be any happier than they were at the moment. Although there was the small nagging fact that they had work the next day, they chose to ignore it and live in the moment. Emily had woken up to rapid knocking on her door at nine in the morning and she would've been pretty damn aggravated if it were anyone else, but, thankfully, it was Alison and though Emily didn't show it, she was ecstatic. The blonde had come over to spend some time with Emily since they still hadn't seen each other all that much; Alison claimed she'd been wanting to see more of the brunette these past couple of days but her schedule had been extremely full due to faculty meetings and school training.
"Maybe they will," Emily mumbles into the side of her girlfriend's neck.
She slowly backs Alison into the counter until there's absolutely no room between them, picking her up and sitting her on the counter. The blonde squeals, not expecting the sudden motion. She wraps her legs around Emily's waist and hangs her arms over Emily's shoulders, lightly clasping her own hands together behind the other girl's neck. She could get used to this.
"I love it when you do that," Alison whispers while looking into the brunette's eyes.
"What about..." she drawls, "This?" Emily asks as she attaches her lips to Alison's in a swift motion. Almost immediately, she pulls Alison's bottom lip into her mouth, tugging slightly. In response, a moan erupts from the blonde's lips and Emily thinks she might just pass out due to the sound that she hasn't heard in what feels like forever. Take it slow, take it slow, she repeats to herself mentally.
As Emily begins to pull away, Alison places her hands on the sides of the other girl's head, pulling her back and deepening the kiss much more than before. The blonde swipes her tongue against Emily bottom lip, asking for access. She needs to feel more than simple kisses – it's been too long. Emily slowly parts her lips and grants Alison access who languidly moves her tongue against the brunette's. Emily grips onto Alison's lower back harder as Alison shifts her hips against Emily.
The pair get lost in their fight for dominance, slowly melting into each other and needing to explore more than just each other's mouths. Once things begin to pick up even more, the smoke alarm starts to beep excruciatingly loud, cutting off all activities instantly. Emily quickly pulls away and sees that they're surrounded by a thick cloud of smoke and it hits her: those damn muffins.
She races over to the stove and shuts it off, pulling the door open and seeing about half of a dozen muffins burnt to a crisp. She must have forgotten to turn the timer on – again. She hears Alison stifling a laugh from behind her and she can't believe herself. The last time she made muffins, they actually turned out decent but, this time she failed – again.
"Babe," Alison pauses to laugh, "I think you should let me handle the cooking from now on." She finishes with a snicker. The blonde grabs an oven mitt and slides it onto her hand to retrieve the muffin tray. They're so badly burnt; you wouldn't even be able to tell that they were muffins to begin with. Emily hangs her head low as she pouts while watching Alison clean up her unintentional mess.
"How about I make us some pancakes? How does that sound?" Alison suggests as she pecks a pouting Emily on the lips. Emily slowly begins to smile and nods her head. The brunette hadn't had any of Alison's pancakes in a long time and, from what she could remember, they were orgasmic.
XXX
"Okay," Alison says as she reads the back of the box, "I need a cup of water and a whisk." Emily quickly slides over to a drawer before sliding back to Alison with the whisk and measuring cup in hand. Today is the day that I get these damn pancakes right or so help me, she internally vowed.
"You can take it from here if you want," Alison suggests to a slightly skeptical Emily, extending the whisk in her direction. The brunette smiles before taking the utensil and then switches places with Alison. The blonde stood off to the side, silently observing Emily as she whipped the batter together. She couldn't get over how adorable Emily looked: all concentrated, eyebrows furrowed enough to show off the little dimple in her forehead, with a strand of hair hanging loosely near her face. She was a goddess – Alison's goddess.
"So... I only put a spoonful in right?"
God, she's so beautiful. How can someone be so gorgeous with no effort? She swears that she'll still be swooning over Emily when they're in their nineties.
"One spoonful, right, Ali?" Emily's voice finally brings her out of her thoughts. Even her voice is so damn beautiful.
Alison blushes slightly before responding, "Yeah. Just a spoonful." Emily eyes her girlfriend up and down; she notices the slight blush that's spread across her face. She takes in the blonde's appearance: she's dressed in Emily's clothes that she somehow ended up with; sweats and a hoodie. Little do they know that they're both thinking about each other's looks and, needless to say, they both have the same thoughts. Alison smiles at the brunette who returns a cheesy smile, causing Alison to shake her head with a chuckle. How did I get so lucky, they both silently muse. The saying about polar opposites must be correct.
"I think that one needs to be flipped, Em," Alison playfully raises an eyebrow and points to a pancake on the stove.
XXX
Breakfast – which Emily successfully prepared with a little help from Alison – turned out to be amazing. They discussed a bunch of stuff they wanted to – eventually – do: vacations, date nights, days in, etc. Whatever they could think of, they shared. It felt just like old times when they could be their selves around each other and not worry about anything else in the world.
"Thanks for the breakfast, mermaid." Alison kisses Emily on the cheek before walking into the kitchen, hands full of dishes. Emily stands up from the table and follows her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her waist at she hums into the crook of Alison's neck.
"Thanks for being here," Emily moves Alison's hair to one side and whispers into her ear. The heat off of her breath tickles Alison, making her feel things that she had been trying to refrain from feeling but, thanks to Emily, it's nearly impossible. Emily slides her hands under Alison's hoodie, rubbing small circles across her stomach as she sways back and forth with the blonde in her arms.
"How about..." Emily trails off, placing slow kisses down the back of Alison's neck, "We go for a walk down to the park. I discovered this incredible place a little bit ago and I've been wanting to show you," Emily finishes. Alison perks up at the brunette's words; Emily wanted to show something incredible specifically to her.
"You have to see it, Alison. It's beautiful." Emily's tone is soft but also sounds hopeful.
"Then what are we waiting for?" She quietly asks with a smile as she turns around and gently pecks Emily on the lips. Emily's smile widens at the blonde's expression. She can't wait to show her the place that's amazed her time and time again.
"Let me go pack a bag and get changed. I promise you're going to love it." Emily nearly jumps as she rushes to her bedroom, unintentionally slamming the door shut to get prepared for their day out. Alison chuckles at the brunette's enthusiasm, though she's just as excited – if not more – to go with Emily.
XXX
"I thought, when you said you were going to pack a bag, you meant like a small purse or something. Not big enough to backpack through Europe," Alison jokes as she looks at Emily who's carrying a bag that nearly looks bigger than most newborn horses. Emily nudges her side in response, taking her hand and leading her along the sidewalk to the park. Alison didn't mind the gesture, even if they were out in public. It's not like she knew anyone from the city that Emily lived in and even if she did, she wouldn't care. They could be free; be their selves around each other and it was perfect.
"I figured if we're here for a while then why not?" Emily finishes with a smirk. Alison playfully glares at her and wonders where they're going. She just hopes Emily doesn't drag her into a surprise run or anything like last time. It's not that she's out of shape or anything, but she just doesn't enjoy running all that much whilst her girlfriend is a gym junkie.
"Don't worry. We're almost there," Emily assured before adding in, "...Kind of." The hot sun was beating down on them and – shockingly – it wasn't even summer yet.
They neared the entrance of the park, taking notice of very few families playing around on the swing sets, teenagers at the basketball court, and an elderly couple sitting on a bench. Alison looked towards the couple who took in the warm surroundings of the park together. She wanted that kind of love with Emily: the kind where their feelings lasted forever and, someday, they would be sharing a park bench on a sunny afternoon like today.
"What's on your mind?" Emily asks, gently swinging their intertwined hands back and forth as she led them through the center of the park.
"That couple over there and the family with the two kids over there," she nods her head in one direction and then the other. "I want that someday," Alison openly admits, a shy smile crossing her features. Emily smiles back; she wants the same as well, but only with the blonde that she's been through hell and back with.
"Maybe one day we can both have that." Emily clears her throat, the heat from the sun finally getting to her – or so she'd like to think. If it's with Alison, she'd take that life with open arms.
"Together?" Alison raises an eyebrow at the brunette. They've never talked about commitment in their future which wasn't a big surprise to Alison since she was married but, even without that, maybe they just weren't that far into their relationship to speak of things like marriage or a family.
The two continue walking and begin making their way to the secret field that Emily stumbled upon semi-recently. They walk into the forest attached to the furthest side of the park and the dirt path begins to slope down. As they walk, Alison looks back to see the park fully out of view. They're now surrounded by thick forest trees, harboring small creatures in logs and shrubs. Every now and then, they hear fallen leaves rustle in front of them and birds chirping in the distance.
"Do you see us having kids and getting married?" The brunette eventually asks as she looks around. Alison looks away with a confused expression. She's never really thought about it, but if it's with Emily, she'd do it without a doubt – same thought as Emily.
"I don't know. Do you?" Alison counters. She's curious to know what Emily thinks about it.
"I've thought about it before," she replies nonchalantly. Alison nods her head slowly. What does she say to that?
"I think we would be the best parents in existence," Emily chuckles wryly. Alison looks at her confusingly; Her?Labeled as one of the best parents ever? – as if.
"What?" Emily looks over and laughs when she notices Alison's puzzled expression.
Alison shakes her head, "I would not be a good parent."
"I don't know, babe… You did keep that plant in my apartment alive." Emily nudges her shoulder as they continue down the path, now extremely deep into the forest.
Alison sighs in response. "That wasn't even a real plant." Emily stops and lifts the blonde's chin with her free hand in order to make eye contact.
"Ali, we have plenty of time to think about these kind of things. Don't worry yourself with something that scares you. It's not healthy, beautiful." Emily assures while wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. Maybe we could have that in the future together, she thinks.
"How much longer until we get there? My feet are killing me," Alison groans. She had eventually slowed down her pace and more so ended up trudging behind Emily as they strolled through the end of the park before entering the forest. Emily eventually stops in her tracks and turns around to see that the blonde was a few feet behind her, exaggeratedly hanging her head and dragging her feet through the dirt of the path. Emily shakes her head and shoots Alison a look.
"Come here. I'll give you a piggy back ride." Emily holds her hand out as she walks closer to Alison. The blonde scoffs before chuckling at Emily's antics and moving closer towards her.
"I swear, you'll do just about anything, won't you?" Alison laughs as Emily gets in position for her to hop on.
"Well, when it comes to you, I can make a few exceptions," Emily replies with that big grin that Alison has come to love – and, really, who wouldn't?
"How sweet." Alison chews on her bottom lip gently before climbing onto Emily's back.
"I try to be," Emily answers. She stands up with the blonde on her back, bag in her hand, and starts moving forward down the winding path once again. Alison's legs hug tightly around the brunette's waist with her arms slung over her shoulders as they continue to make their way towards the isolated meadow.
"You are so whipped," Alison chuckles, lightly shaking her head before burying her face into Emily's neck.
Emily gasps in disbelief. "I am not whipped. That would be you." Alison lifts her head and playfully hits the brunette's shoulder, the playful banter turning the walk into something less exhausting.
"And how am I whipped?" Alison coos into her ear.
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Please. Enlighten me, Emily Fields."
"When I left… you thought about me all the time no matter what you did." Emily smirks as she turns her head to side-eye the girl clinging to her back, daring her to deny it.
"And you're confident in that answer?" Alison challenges.
"Should I not be?" Emily quirks an eyebrow.
"Okay, you win." Alison sighs in defeat after a few moments of silence.
After a few more moments of silence had fallen upon them, Emily decided to voice a question that had been lingering in the back of her mind all day.
"Ali, if you're here with me, then where is Elliot?" She asks cautiously; she knows how her girlfriend is towards the brief mentioning of her marriage, but she's genuinely curious.
"I don't know. Home, probably," the blonde answers in an aloof tone. Emily's curious as to the sudden change in her attitude. Usually, Alison at least knew where her husband was, despite their issues.
"He doesn't need to know where I am twenty-four seven, Em. He's not my keeper," Alison answers the growing silence. Emily hums in response; maybe things really were changing between them.
Thin branches and tiny twigs snap under Emily's feet as she brings them down another small slope in the middle of the forest. The path had split in a few different directions a while back, but Emily knew exactly how to get there. She had accidentally stumbled upon this large meadow one day when taking a long walk to clear her head. It was so beautiful that she spent hours sitting atop a small hill in the middle of the soft grass before eventually moving to sit near a small creek that ran beside the north area of the field. She had noticed a woman sitting on a large rock with a sketch pad, probably capturing the creek's beauty. After a while, the woman left and Emily stayed until she ran out of the small supply of snacks that she had originally packed for the park.
"You know, I could nap right now. I'm pretty comfy," Alison breaks Emily out of her thoughts by snuggling into her neck further and clinging to her tighter.
Emily smiles again. "Don't you dare fall asleep," she warns.
"Goodnight."
"Alison, I will drop you on your butt right here if you try to sleep instead of enjoying this."
Alison's head shoots up again as she clings to Emily impossibly tighter, "No, no, no. Please don't," she panics.
Emily silently congratulates herself for winning yet another battle before Alison speaks up again.
"Are we almost there yet?" Alison groans.
"There's actually something we have to cross to get there..." Emily chews on the inside of her cheek. She knows that Alison won't be very ecstatic when she sees what's ahead of them.
"Em, please tell me I do not have to scale a wall," Alison breathes out, already tired from their long walk – or her long ride – and just the thought of doing something a little more strenuous makes her feel exhausted. It's Sunday, damn it.
The other girl rolls her neck before speaking again, "Well..." She trails off. Alison sighs; of course there's more work but, all in all, she doesn't mind because she has Emily and if she gets to ride on Emily's back until they reach their destination, she won't complain – much. She didn't expect the walk to take so long, really. Her feet are killing her and she gives a silent "thank you" because her and Emily share the same shoe size; she doesn't think she would've made it this far by wearing her slippers. The chirping of the birds and the light breeze that picks up every so often – it made the day ten times better.
All of a sudden, Emily stops, causing Alison to almost topple to the ground. The brunette sets her girlfriend down and rushes forward. Alison gives Emily a confused – and slightly concerned – look before following to see what she found.
"Look!" She enthusiastically says, picking up a small object from the ground. Alison peers over her shoulder, almost bursting into a fit of laughter.
"Em, it's just a stupid rock," Alison laughs. Emily had picked up a rock the size of her palm, shaped like an asymmetrical heart. Upon hearing her words, Emily looks towards Alison with a reaction of disapproval; a silent reminder that "stupid rocks" sometimes hold great value. Alison looks away, pretending she didn't see the look that Emily had just given her. The brunette puts her bag down and stores the small rock inside, smiling wide and proud at what she found. Once the rock is secure, Emily starts walking again, causing Alison to follow quickly. They continue on their walk a few minutes longer until Emily stops and points to a break in the tree line.
"There it is," Emily informs. Alison can tell she's mesmerized by the sight and thinks that Emily's been here quite a few times before. The brunette takes Alison's wrist and jogs forward with as much excitement as a kid in a candy store. Alison admires that about her; Emily's the most positive and passionate person she knows, and sometimes she envies that.
"Okay," Emily stops and stands in front of Alison. "Please don't be mad, but there's a chance that you're going to have to cross over a dam in order to get there," Emily says as she hugs Alison tightly as the blonde's face drops in disbelief.
"You have got to be kidding me." She throws her head back as Emily speed-walks towards the edge of the once-flowing – now empty – narrow river.
XXX
After nearly falling and breaking her neck a numerous amount of times, Alison finally makes it to the other side of the log with a little assistance from Emily. She plants both feet on firm ground and looks back at what she had just crossed before turning back to the brunette with another expression of disbelief.
"What?" Emily slightly swings her huge bag while flashing Alison an innocent smile.
Alison huffs and hardens her expression. "I'm not doing that again," she declares.
"Then how are we going to get back?" Emily chuckles.
Alison playfully crosses her arms and tilts her head to the side in response, however stays silent.
Emily hums before turning around towards the direction of their destination.
"That's what I thought," she challenges before advancing down the path yet again. Soon enough, she looks back when she doesn't hear footsteps behind her. "We're almost there. Come on," she finishes impatiently and turns back around to walk, hearing an elongated groan before the crunching of leaves.
After a few more minutes of walking hand in hand – after Alison had exaggeratedly grabbed Emily's hand and pouted while doing so – the two reach their destination: a widespread, green, nearly-flat meadow surrounded by thick forest and the single stream on one side.
Alison stops and stares at the place that Emily had been wanting to show her. Beautiful is an understatement, she thinks. She takes in the view and the sounds; the chirping of the birds that fly overhead sing a soft melody, perfecting the scenery. The blonde steps onto the green grass and slowly does a complete turn, afraid that she was dreaming and sudden movement would make it all go away. Here she is with Emily, in this beautiful place that only a handful of people must know about and, even if they all showed up at once, the meadow was big enough that they wouldn't be seen either way.
They could smell the fresh air mixed with the scent of leafy trees and some pines that provided immense shade on the border of the meadow, however the middle was decorated with scattered dandelions and gentle slopes, all covered by sunshine. A tall, white-tailed deer creeps out towards the edge of the woods, chewing vigorously on a plant. Squirrels can be heard running up and down the trees while birds chirp overhead. The wind shakes the leaves just enough to make a gentle rustling noise. Any other time, she'd think that this entire scene is cliché and is only possible on green screens for movies.
"What do you think?" Emily whispers into her ear as she hugs her from behind.
"Mesmerizing," the blonde absentmindedly says as she continues to look around. Emily smiles to herself. Seeing Alison in this tranquil state, well, it was just so new – and she was loving every second of it. Emily lets herself soak in the reality of where they currently stood – figuratively and literally. How did she get to this point? How did she get to be with someone as amazing as Alison? What did she do to deserve her?
The two bask in the peaceful quietness that the wilderness has to offer. Emily never takes her hands off of the blonde's waist, and Alison continues to look around, almost wide-eyed.
"See what I mean?" Emily coos into Alison's ear. "It's perfect," she finishes with a light peck on the other girl's jaw. Alison leans back into Emily, enjoying the close proximity and comfort of her arms wrapped around her.
"You were right," she admits in a low voice. Emily slowly pulls away and takes Alison's hand in order to direct her more into the meadow. They slowly make their wake to the center of the grass, just perched atop a small hill complimented by a few clusters of dandelions.
"Sit," Emily instructs as she also takes a seat on the soft ground. Alison joins the brunette, chuckling at her for being bossy. Emily takes Alison's hand in her own, resting them in her lap as she slowly massages the blonde's fingers. Alison lays her head against Emily's shoulder, fading in and out of reality as her fingers were massaged.
"Remember the first time you ever came to my house?" Emily asks out of the blue, recalling the memory from when she was simply a shy teen who couldn't hold eye contact with the blonde without getting extremely nervous – okay, Alison's overall existence made her nervous.
"You mean the time that you didn't speak to me for like… an hour as we sat in your bedroom? Yeah, I remember," Alison chuckles at the memory.
"Hey, I take offense! I didn't know what to talk about at the time. I remember you just sat at my window seat and flipped through an old magazine that had been laying around." Emily laughed while attempting to defend her old self.
"Emily, please. You were so awkward. I asked if your family had anything to drink and you laughed, shut your mouth for a minute, and then said 'We probably have some water, you know, if you're into the kind that comes out of a bottle.'" Alison rolls her eyes as she continues to poke fun at young Emily.
"You made me awkward. I didn't know what to say, and believe me, I wanted to chop my tongue off after that came out of my mouth," Emily sighs because that memory has always stuck in her mind. She's come a long way from the timid girl that she used to be. Thankfully, she muses to herself.
"Well, something must have changed because you got me and now," the blonde drawls, "You're stuck with me." Alison lifts her head and leans in to press a quick peck to her mermaid's cheek.
"Ugh, forever?" Emily playfully grunts and falls backwards, causing Alison to gently smack her leg.
"Ouch!" Emily winces before grinning at Alison.
"Remember that time – um, never mind," Alison gets lost in her own train of memories before stopping herself.
"No, no," Emily sits back up and wiggles her finger at the blonde, "You don't get to do that. What were you going to say?" Alison takes a deep breath before sighing.
"That – um. That time I came back to Rosewood," she pauses to make sure that Emily is paying attention. "We slept together. Remember?" She recalls, already feeling her face heat up at the memory. Emily looks at her confusingly, almost as if she's waiting for something more. That's what Alison was holding back?
"Yes. How could I forget?" Emily takes a breath before looking out into the field in front of them.
After a never ending internal battle regarding if she should keep her mouth shut or speak up, Emily decides to say something. She can't handle the silence between them and, with Alison by her side, it's even harder to concentrate on anything but her – especially sleep. Although they're only inches apart, Emily feels as if there are millions of miles between them. It kills her – the way that she's just staring at the ceiling as the blonde lays in the same bed as her. She wants to say something but she can't. After all, she is a coward, and when it comes to Alison, her anxiety levels reach far beyond the standard capacity. But she has to say something. She feels this sudden urge to tell Alison everything and knows that it's now or it could be never.
"Ali, are you asleep?" She quietly asks, trying to keep her voice from cracking as she speaks out to the – hopefully awake – girl next to her. Emily glances over to see if she moves and silently prays that she's asleep because she doesn't quite know what she would do if Alison responded. All of a sudden, she's proven wrong as the blonde beside her slowly rolls over before she's completely facing Emily. The brunette sucks in a harsh breath once Alison is staring at her; she doesn't know what to say now that Alison really is awake. Instantly, Emily realizes that they're in such a close proximity that all she has to do is lean in and she'll meet those lips that she's been telling herself she'll never feel against her own again.
There's a silent conversation going on through their eyes, but she feels her eyes being dragged down to Alison's perfect lips that she just wants to catch between her – stop, she mentally tells herself. This girl has been through god only knows how much and she refuses to be selfish or allow herself to go back down that path.
But maybe –
No! Dammit, Emily, have some self-control, will you?
That's when she sees the corner of Alison's mouth turn into a small smile, one that she's missed seeing so much. They continue to speak softly through eye contact, both knowing what they want, but how does one pursue that? How do you just forget about everything that's ever happened and suddenly pretend that everything's better now? How do you go from trying to bring yourself to hate someone, to wanting to press your lips all over their body as they cry out your name in waves of pleasure? Just how in the hell do you do that?
Emily knows.
And so does Alison.
The brunette slowly leans in, waiting for the harsh – and probably inevitable – rejection to come, but then she remembers Alison's words from earlier: "I always made you think… your feelings for me were totally one-sided. That wasn't true. Those kisses weren't just for practice."
"You were the hardest one to leave behind."
She sounded so genuine that it had initially caught Emily off guard.
Emily's head swirled as she thought about the words that had left Alison's mouth. She leans further in and, damn, does it feel good to have the lips of her first love fresh against her own again, moving as if they were made for one another. Once Alison kisses her back, she shifts the covers that are on top of her in order to move without restrictions. Emily pulls away, looking for a confirmation to continue, and finds no hesitation. Taking that as a green light, Emily leans back in, removing her hand from the blonde's waist and moving it to her face, gently cupping her cheek as she kisses her with more passion than before. Emily pulls away once again, breathing heavily as the two suck in sharp breaths, the reality hitting them both at once.
"Ali, a–are you sure you want to do th–"
But she's cut off by Alison silencing her with her index finger.
"If I didn't want it, Em, I wouldn't pursue it," Alison answers in a hushed tone. Emily breathes in again, letting out a shaky breath of relief. Emily meets Alison halfway this time, Alison matching Emily's passion previous to help her feel more secure. As the brunette melts further into the other girl, she feels Alison trying to push her backwards, but Emily refuses to lay back. Ever so gently, she leans up, edging Alison backwards so her head is pressed against the pillows. It's all about Alison tonight, she mentally promises. Emily breaks the kiss and looks at the blonde with attentive eyes as she slowly climbs atop of her, keeping soft eye contact.
"Tell me if you want to stop, okay?" Emily whispers to the girl now beneath her, making sure her message is received and, when she gets a small nod from Alison, she leans down and kisses her again. This time, she doesn't hold back.
"It was such a good night, but I honestly wasn't expecting it to go that far," Alison admits. Emily silently agrees. She originally didn't expect anything, then she thought it would stop after a heated make out session, but it turned into much more than that.
"Or for that long," Alison adds, gently biting her lip to keep herself from breaking out into a full blown grin. Emily looks towards the grass and blushes after hearing the confession. From what she remembers, they didn't go to sleep until the sun had started to rise.
Alison continues to reminisce and account for the details. "Honestly… I wasn't expecting it, but you were a star athlete so I probably should have," she laughs. "I didn't think my body could go for much longer, but I didn't want to stop." The blonde shoots Emily a pointed look with slightly wide eyes and a grin, "You sure knew how to keep up the pace." Emily blushes more as bites her own lip.
"And you still do," Alison voices an after-thought.
"No matter how hard I tried to fight off my feelings that night, I had to give in... And, to be honest, it was the best decision I've ever made," Alison says in a confident tone. Emily looks at her with a genuine sparkle in her eyes as she listens and watches the blonde talk about that special night during their high school years.
"Even though I left you?" Emily wonders aloud as regret clouds her mind.
Alison initially looks away before turning back towards the brunette to look into the eyes she's been falling in love with even more. "You came back, didn't you?"
Emily displays a sad smile. She doesn't want to ruin their day together, so she tries to forgive herself as she wraps an arm around the blonde's body and pulls her closer.
"Besides, that was the best night I'd had in forever," Alison admits with a non-regretful smirk.
"Oh God, Emily!" Alison repeats the words from that night, instantly causing Emily to flush bright colors of red and pink.
"Alison!" Emily nearly shrieks as she puts her head in her free hand to hide herself.
"What's the problem, Miss 'Is-This-Okay' every damn five minutes after I had told you the first twenty times that it was?" Alison teases as she cocks her head to the side.
"Hey! I was being considerate, you know," Emily argues back.
"It wouldn't have been as bad if you hadn't said it every time you touched me or went do–"
"–And that's enough of reminiscing." Emily unravels herself from Alison as she slaps her hands against her thighs and pretends to get up.
"No, come back!" Alison clings onto her girlfriend, holding her back before she's able to move any further.
"Gosh, you're awful clingy today," Emily rolls her eyes and teases as she sees the other girl pouting.
Alison's pout morphs into a smug look. "Deal with it, Fields," she fires back.
"Fine," Emily drags out the word while she reluctantly moves back into her previous position. Meanwhile, Alison chuckles as the words from earlier replay in her head: "You are so whipped."
Emily thinks to herself and a question forms. She finds herself opening her mouth before closing it and deciding not to ask, but ultimately changes her mind again.
"What's your favorite memory with your family?" Emily asks, internally cringing and wishing she hadn't asked as she feels the blonde beside her tense up. "I'm sorry," she immediately mutters an apology.
"No, don't be. I like that question." Alison shakes her head at Emily's apology. "It was probably when my whole family took a trip to Cape May when I was around twelve," Alison remembers as she stares at the grass a few feet in front of them.
"Alison! Jason! Come on, it's getting late!" Their mother, Jessica, calls out as she trudges through the sand, both her and Kenneth making their way back to the beach house.
"Mom, can we stay for a little longer, please? We won't do anything bad," Alison adds in hope of her mother giving in. Kenneth mutters something inaudible to everyone but Jessica, causing her to frown. With her two children seeming to enjoy the beach more than she expected, Jessica eventually agrees.
"Jason, please keep an eye out for your sister, okay? I want both of you back before it gets too dark, alright?" Jessica calls out, giving her kids a smile before turning around and heading back to the house with her beach chair and towel.
"I will," Jason calls out.
"Thanks, Mom!" Alison yells at the same time before turning around and continuing to observe the scenery. It isn't long before Jason interrupts Alison's peacefulness.
"Hey, Ali. Do you want to go down to the shore over there? It's got to be pretty boring just sitting and watching the water." Jason moves beside Alison and takes a seat.
"But I like watching the sun set," Alison answers with a pout. Jason looks at her before rolling his eyes. Truth be told, she knows that he probably just wants to see some girl that he met.
"Come on. I told mom that I would watch you. I have something to do." Jason tries to change her mind, but she doesn't budge.
"Jason, I'm not going anywhere just so you can meet up with some girl. I'm not dumb." Alison bites back harder than she intends to.
"Fine. Do what you want." Jason scoffs before getting up, dusting his board shorts off and walking away. She sighs. All she wanted to do was enjoy the calm breeze that blew off the crashing waves and watch the sun as it sets behind the water, but there's also a part of her that's curious to know what Jason's so set on looking for.
"Jason, wait!" The younger DiLaurentis sibling calls, stopping her brother in his tracks. She quickly gets up and runs towards him.
"If I go with you, will you watch the sun set with me?" Alison strikes up a deal, watching Jason contemplate silently. What could five minutes of watching the sun hurt?
"Fine, you got yourself a deal, kid. Let's go." He turns around and beckons for Alison to follow as he treads back towards the town.
XXX
After stopping long enough for Jason to talk to some girl who he exchanges numbers with (while Alison lingered far in the background so she didn't interfere), they finally make it back to their previous spot on the beach near the water. It was a little after eight o'clock at night and the sun was gradually getting lower as the day turned to night before their eyes.
"Thanks for coming with me." Jason awkwardly gives his gratitude to his sister, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so.
"Well, you still owe me, so don't think you're off the hook." Alison smirks. Her brother looks over at her, shaking his head in the process.
"What?" Alison questions as he chuckles.
"Nothing. You just reminded me of someone." Jason waves away the glare she shoots his way.
"Anyway... This sunset thing. I like it. It's – um – very pretty," he says awkwardly. Alison laughs at her brother's attempt to try and relish in the beauty of the night. He acts like he's never seen a sunset before.
"It's fine, Jason. If you want, you can go back inside. I'll be fine out here." Alison casts her brother a smile. She doesn't want to feel like she's keeping him from doing whatever he'd rather be doing – not that she ever minded before, but today just felt different.
"No, it's cool. I want to stay out here. I like looking at the sun as it sets. There's just something about it that actually interests me," he replies coolly, abandoning the previous awkward attitude. Alison looks in his direction, noticing that he's paying close attention to the sun as it continues to gradually disappear.
"And that's probably the first and last time that me and Jason really hung out." Alison chuckles at the story that she just shared with Emily. The brunette notes the differences between then and, well, before she left Rosewood. Five years ago, Jason and Alison were the closest they had ever been with each other. They had their reasons, of course; they didn't have anybody else and they needed to protect each other, but it amazes Emily that, even after all this time that has passed, they never speak like they used to.
"So what about you? What's one of your fondest memories?" Alison questions with a genuine smile on her face.
Emily stretches a bit before replying, "Well, it's nothing compared to your story. My best memory is more of a dream."
"I bet it's even better, no matter what it is," Alison counters back.
"If you insist on hearing about it, then okay," Emily accepted the offer to speak.
It's her normal nighttime routine to lounge on the couch with whatever movie she felt like watching, especially after a tedious day at the gym. Emily made herself comfy on the couch as soon as she got in, put on some random movie and, well, that's where she's been ever since. She felt herself drift in and out of slumber until there was a sudden knock at her door. It wasn't loud but she could definitely hear it. Who would be knocking at this hour? Emily gets up off of the couch and makes her way over to her apartment's front door. She looks at her clock that hangs from the wall to check the time again; it's one-thirty in the morning. She starts to get worried that maybe it's some crazed killer on the loose. Damn it, she thinks, I really need to stop watching horror movies before bed. She places her hand on the door knob before readjusting her clothing so she didn't look like she had just rolled out of bed. She waits a moment before opening the door and a gasp escapes her lips at the person standing in front of her. Are her eyes playing tricks on her? Is this real? She takes a step back, lightly gripping the table that stands by her door as the figure standing in the hallway smiles, tipping his hat.
"Emmy," he calls in that voice she's been dying to hear again for years.
"Dad," she breathes out, "It's really you." Emily feels her eyes well up with tears before she hastily wipes them away. Her father stretches his arms out in her direction, inviting her to give him a hug – something that they've both missed. Emily runs to him with arms wide as she gives him the biggest bear hug she's ever given. Her tears start to stream down her face as she realizes who's holding her.
"Dad, I've missed you so much," Emily somehow gets out between her soft cries. Wayne pulls away to look at his daughter up close, concentrating on the details and how his little girl has finally grown up to become the beautiful, charming, young woman he's always known she would become.
"I've missed you too, baby," He says as he cradles the back of her head. A few tears of his own stroll down his face as he pulls back and kisses her on the forehead.
"I can't believe you're really here," she chokes out, letting him inside before shutting the door behind him.
"I wanted to see how my little girl has been doing." He glances around her apartment in awe. Emily bashfully bows her head, the whole meeting unbelievable.
"It's all thanks to you." Her voice cracks as she tries to maintain her composure. Wayne sits down on her couch, looking the place over. He's proud of his daughter and how successful she's gotten over the years.
"You're a Fields, Emmy. A Fields earns everything they deserve, and I see that all of your hard work has been paying off." Wayne looks back towards his daughter who's trying to keep calm but she just can't. Her dad, who she hasn't seen in years, is in her living room, sitting on the couch.
"You're in your dress uniform. Isn't that for special occasions?" A smile graces her features as she admires her dad's appearance. He's still as handsome as ever.
"What's not special about this?" He smiles proudly at the younger Fields. Her smile grows wider at the remark. He's always answered questions with a question of his own.
"What is special about this? We're in my living room," she chuckles. Her dad stands up and makes his way towards her, grabbing her hands and bringing her back into the open area in front of her couch.
"I'm visiting my baby girl. What's more special than that?" He replies. Wayne places his left hand on Emily's waist as the other grips her hand, mimicking that of a slow dance. Emily's heart aches at the statement. She's missed him so much.
"So, I want to know what's going on with you, sweetie. How's life been treating you?" He hums a song and starts swaying the both of them back and forth. Unfortunate, horrible, unfair… she wanted to call out but she had to admit, things had been looking up for her recently.
"Good, actually. I thought life would be harder, and it is at times… but when you have certain people in your life, it makes all the bad go away and, eventually, all you're left with is the good," Emily smiles through her tears that continue to come loose from her eyes. Wayne hums in agreement as he takes a step back. Emily follows and he spins her around, humming what sounded like "Fly Me To The Moon" by Frank Sinatra.
"That's good to hear, Emmy. I don't think I'll ever be able to stop telling everybody how proud I am of you. My baby is all grown up." Wayne feels a tear slip down his cheek as he pulls Emily in close and sways them some more. He goes back to humming the same tune as he was before, basking in the company of his daughter that he's missed dearly.
"Dad, I'm really glad you came to visit," Emily mumbles into his shoulder. It's hard for her to come to terms with the fact that her father is here in the same room as her; someone she hasn't seen except for in her dreams and memories. How is she supposed to react to this?
"Me too, baby, me too," he whispers and presses a kiss to her cheek before embracing her again. They stay in that position for a while, slowly dancing to the song he continued to hum, no words needed to be spoken. It all seems so real, and maybe it is.
Maybe it's real and she's just been asleep this entire time and only dreamt that her father passed away.
But then she woke up.
"I had fallen asleep on my couch as soon as I got home from work and that's what I dreamt," Emily murmurs as she looks off into the distance while a breeze fills the meadow. When she had woken up from the dream, she realized that she had been crying and, when she remembered every detail of it, she wept for the rest of the night until she eventually fell back to sleep. Alison could tell that the dream meant a great amount to Emily; she's had dreams of her mother, but they were never like that. In fact, they were mostly nightmares.
"Do you think it was really him?" Alison carefully asks. Emily lets out a sad smile and looks down at her fingers.
"I'd like to think it was. The way we spoke… it felt like he was in the room with me. Like it was real. And, God, that night, he was the handsomest that I had ever seen him. His uniform was pressed and there wasn't a single hair out of place." Emily pursed her lips. Ever since that dream, she hasn't dreamt of him anymore, but it doesn't upset her because, now, she thinks that she's finally come to terms with his passing.
"I've had a similar dream about my mom. We sat at a table inside The Brew and talked until I woke up. My other dreams involving her, well, they're not at all comforting, to say the least." Alison swallows thickly as she thinks back to the many nightmares where she's back in that horrifying grave with her mother standing over her, tossing dirt onto her body until she can no longer see nor breathe.
"I'm sorry," Emily says sincerely as she pulls the blonde closer into her side. Alison lets out a shaky breath. She didn't intend to get emotional today, really.
"I really think it was him too, you know," Alison almost whispers and Emily swallows heavy before smiling.
After a few minutes of silence, an idea pops into Alison's head. "You know… I don't really know all that much about you," Alison announces as Emily looks at her confusingly; she thought Alison knew her the best.
"So," the blonde sits up straight and shifts her body so she's facing Emily, "You can ask me anything and I'll answer truthfully, but you have to answer a question after I answer mine." Alison smiles at the quick game she's come up with. Emily nods her head as she thinks up a question or two.
"Okay," Emily agrees, "And what about after you answer them truthfully?"
"What about it?"
"Like a prize, kind of," she suddenly remembers some candy that she had packed for their adventure. "Okay. You answer one-hundred percent truthfully and you get a piece of candy."
"Really, Em? We aren't training dogs." Alison stifles a laugh as she shakes her head.
"Do you want some or not, Alison Lauren DiLaur– sorry." Emily ducks her head as she mumbles an apology. "So do you want some or not?" She recovers from the slip up. The blonde's mouth turns up into a tiny smirk as she leans over and presses her lips to Emily's. It doesn't last long, but it's short and sweet.
"So, that's why you packed such a big bag?" Alison smirks as she still lingers close to Emily. The brunette shares a tight lipped smile before she leans over and presses another quick kiss to the blonde's cheek.
"Duh. What else did you expect?" Emily answers, earning a chuckle from the other girl.
"Alright, ask me a question." Alison sits directly in front of the brunette. She watches how Emily tries to come up with a good question: her eyebrows are furrowed, a hard sense of concentrationfor a starter question.
"What's your favorite color?"
Alison rolls her eyes at such a basic question. All of that hard thinking for that baby question?
"So typical," she remarks. "Anyway. It depends on my mood, really. Sometimes it's yellow, sometimes it's pink." Emily tosses her a piece of candy, smiling as she waits for her question.
"How many girls have you been with?" Alison cocks an eyebrow. Emily's mouth drops in response. She wasn't expecting it to turn this way so fast.
"Um, I – uh–" Emily fumbles over her words as Alison stares at her. "Um, do you really want to know?" She questions with a nervous laugh. Alison says nothing but raises her eyebrow even higher. There's no way she's getting out of this one. Emily lets out a shaky chuckle and Alison's gaze doesn't waver as she waits for an answer. Is she seriously going to make me answer that?
"Well… if you want the truth," Emily drags out, trying to put off the inevitable. Alison watches her closely as she starts to count out loud in a hushed tone.
"One, two," she looks up at Alison and they make eye contact before she looks back down and continues, "Three, four, five, six, seven... Seven." She finishes with an uneasy look as Alison's eyes widen.
"Care to elaborate?" Alison throws out, the sudden pang of jealousy taking over.
"Alison," Emily closes her eyes as she says the blonde's name. She opens them again to see Alison expecting an explanation.
Damn it.
"I swear, it's not how you think it is. It became a large number when I went off to college." Emily sighs. She expected this as soon as she answered the question.
"So, you were the player type?" Alison guesses with a remaining hint of jealousy.
"No. I wasn't the player type. I just needed something to take my mind off of you." Emily shakes her head.
"So you had sex with random girls?" Alison's voice raises an octave higher.
"They weren't necessarily 'random girls.'" Emily closes her mouth before continuing, "Why so many questions? I get like… five turns now."
The blonde lightly laughs at Emily's request before sighing. "I just don't like knowing that you've been with many other people besides me."
"Hey, look at me," the brunette grabs Alison's chin in order to look her in the eyes. "Let's forget about everyone else and just live in the now. Today is a good day. Let's not let the past ruin it." She offers a smile before leaning in halfway, asking for a kiss. Alison pecks her on the lips before sitting back again.
"Besides," Emily says, "I would ask you the same thing but, honestly, I just…" she trails off, picking at a piece of candy.
"You just what?" Alison gently pries.
"I don't like thinking of you being with other people in that way, or at all, for that matter." Emily shrugs.
Alison hums, "Isn't that a bit hypocritical considering your score in college?" Emily throws the piece of candy at the blonde.
"Hmm, let's talk about hypocritical," she challenges Alison who quickly cuts her off.
"Alright, alright. Ask another damn question."
"Okay, I got one. Is there something that you've ever wanted so badly, that you finally got?" Emily smiles proudly at the question.
"I finally got you. Didn't I?" Alison replies, maintaining eye contact with the brunette.
XXX
"Okay, okay, I got another," Emily laughs. "What's the weirdest compliment you've ever received?"
"Weirdest compliment? Hmm, okay. I once had a college guy tell me that I have a pretty mouth. Just… out of nowhere." Alison wrinkles her nose and Emily nearly snorts while laughing at her expression.
XXX
The two are walking along the outskirts of the meadow, holding hands and laughing as they talk about an abundance of things.
"You know what I was thinking about doing Saturday?" Alison says.
"What's that?" Emily questions as she looks around more.
"I was thinking about having a sleepover at my house. You know… me, you, the others," she says in hopes that Emily will agree.
"Ali… I don't know about that," Emily sighs. Of course she wants to spend time with the blonde but it's just too risky with everyone else.
"Elliot will be out of town at some convention. He'll be in Chicago from Friday to Monday." Alison attempts to persuade Emily into coming. When Emily doesn't answer right away, she continues, "I know it's kind of childish to call it a sleepover but, come on, I miss it."
"I'm just… I don't know. It doesn't seem like a good idea," Emily explains as she looks down at her feet. She hates to turn down the offer but she doesn't trust herself to be with Alison around the other girls. Alison shows a look of disappointment as she hears the brunette's words.
"Well," the blonde carries on, "The offer's there. I just thought that, since I already talked to Spencer and Aria about it, you'd like to come." She offers a small smile, not allowing Emily's answer to put a damper on her mood. Emily looks at Alison as if she's having an internal debate.
"You said he'll be away from Friday to Monday, right?" Emily checks again to make sure that she'd heard correctly. Alison nods her head.
"And you haven't talked to Hanna about it yet?" She questions. Alison shakes her head.
"Okay," she answers after a few seconds. Alison looks at her out of the corner of her eye. Just "okay"?
They continue to walk in silence – a comfortable silence. Emily led them closer to the creek for the blonde to see. It flowed downhill slowly, carrying various colors of leaves from the past few seasons. Alison stands still, watching the water tread down at a steady pace, not realizing that Emily had disappeared from right behind her. Meanwhile, the brunette picks a dandelion and makes her way back to Alison.
"Make a wish, gorgeous," Emily whispers into her ear as she comes up from behind her, holding the dandelion out in front of the other girl.
Alison chuckles at the sentiment. "Okay." Closing her eyes, she takes a breath before blowing the tiny feather-like pieces off of the top of the stem. Emily watches, mesmerized. The blonde keeps her eyes shut until her breath runs out, causing her eyes to flutter open before turning around to look at the brunette standing behind her. She looks at Emily who's looking back at her like she's the world.
"What did you wish for?" Emily asks, playfully glaring at Alison. Knowing Alison, she won't tell due to the superstition of the wish never coming true. The blonde shakes her head as she giggles. She leans in, gently placing her lips to Emily's, almost like she's too shy to kiss her fully; almost as if they're teenagers again.
XXX
It was nearing nighttime when they made it out of the park and back to Emily's apartment. Throughout the rest of their time in the meadow, they talked about so many different things, played games, and then bought ice cream from a vendor when they made it back to the park.
Alison walks Emily to her door, stopping as the brunette searched for her keys.
"I really enjoyed today, Em. It meant a lot to me," Alison says as Emily finally unlocks her door.
"It did for me too," Emily smiles sincerely at the blonde. She pushes the door open, turning the light on and stepping out of the doorway in order to allow Alison to enter first. When she doesn't, Emily gives her a look of confusion.
"You're not coming in?" She tilts her head to the side at the silent blonde.
Alison shakes her head, "Today felt more like a slightly proper date. So, it's only correct if I leave you at your door with a goodnight kiss." Emily frowns in response, though her heart flutters at the thought of Alison considering it a date. Sadly, however, she was looking forward to having Alison spend the night.
"Come in and stay the night." Emily takes Alison's hands in hers. Alison shakes her head again, a smile playing across her face.
"Like I said, Em, I have to leave you at your door with a goodnight kiss," she politely refuses again with a soft chuckle. Emily rolls her neck and sighs exaggeratedly.
"Please? I'll let you choose whichever side of the bed you want." Emily swings their conjoined hands.
Alison giggles, shaking her head once again, "I always take the same exact side anyway."
Emily breathes out, "Fine. If you have to go then I guess I'll sleep by myself again," she pouts. The blonde rolls her eyes before pulling Emily flush against her body. The brunette smiles before she places a hand underneath Alison's chin, lifting it up slightly and kissing her gently. Alison grins in the midst of the kiss, missing the feeling of these types of moments that they used to share so often. She feels Emily gently tugging at her bottom lip while moving her free hand to her waist. Alison moans into her mouth, making a big mistake because now she knows it'll be harder to leave Emily for the night. To her surprise, Emily pulls away first, opening her eyes and looking into the other girl's. They stand in that position: one of Emily's hands under her chin and the other on her waist, with one of Alison's hands on the brunette's neck and the other slightly tangled in her hair. They're both breathless as they stand together, eyes flickering back and forth between each other's eyes and lips.
"Goodnight, Em," Alison coos into her ear.
"Goodnight, Ali," Emily gives her a smile before prying herself away from Alison. She stands outside her door as she watches Alison walk down the hall, still wearing the clothes from this morning.
"Alison!" She yells before the blonde is too far away. Alison stops and turns around with a raised eyebrow, expecting Emily to ask her to stay again.
"I'll see you Saturday," she says, and she swears she can see Alison smiling from ear to ear before she turns around and disappears down the adjacent hallway. She waits a few seconds to make sure that Alison isn't coming back to stay the night. One can hope, right?
Soon enough, she turns around and enters her apartment, softly closing the door as she did so. Emily leans against the door, a sheepish expression on her face as she feels her lips with her fingertips. "Saturday," she repeats to herself as a smile tugs at the corner of her lips. Suddenly, she remembers the rock that she had picked up on the dirt path. She pulls the heart shaped rock out of the bag, admiring its beauty all over again. Her finger traces over the edges, moving over to the tiny dents that are marked on its surface. She'll remember this day forever.
Author's Note:
Soooo how did you like this update? Personally, I think it's one of my favorites along with chapter 5. We finally get to see the actual bond between these two and it's adorable reading all their playful banter, their short kisses, memories, etc. How many of y'all cried during the Wayne memory? I know I did while writing it. I got my inspiration for that part from the father daughter dance they have in season 2, and then I remembered how in the finale, Alison and Emily talked about their dreams and seeing their parents, so I was like this is gonna be amazing! Anyway, the meadow that they're at is actually a real place. The other writer of this story, Alyssa, has been there before so we just added that in. What's not to love about a peaceful meadow with your best friend/girlfriend? Ooh and did y'all like the 5x05 flashback? I thought it'd be interesting to see more of what happened that night, or more less showing where it was leading to. I enjoyed seeing Emily struggle with what to do, that's how I pretty much imagined that scene would go. And the "Miss 'Is-This-Okay' every damn five minutes after I had told you the first twenty times that it was" line killed me. Along with the brief mention of them hanging out for the first time. I could go on and on about the part's I loved but I'll stop here while I'm ahead lol.
We wanna say thanks to everyone who is enjoying this story, it's been an interesting one I have to say. Shout out to everyone who reviews, favs, and follows, you guys are the best I swear. Leave in the reviews what you thought about this chapter and your favorite parts. Did you love it? Hate it? Let us know!
Questions to keep you guys going: What do you think is gonna happen at this sleepover that takes place in the DiLaurentis house?
Remember, review, fav, and follow!