A/N: Working on the updates as best I can. I was in a gnarly car wreck and nearly died, so been kinda in a fog about that. But PLL is and always will be my escape. Fun fact: every single one of my Emison stories were partially written in my car. Lots of memories of sitting and enjoying a day at the park and writing scenes for a chapter. And memories of using parking decks as an escape from home, writing and editing on my laptop in peace.
Just an FYI: I happened to notice I had the Chapter numbers written down wrong (doesn't affect the story at all, I just wrote the wrong Chapter numbers after the Prologue). Technically the first chapter is a Prologue and I jumped in to label the chapter afterwards "Chapter 2" instead of "Chapter 1".
So this is the 6th installment (1 Prologue + 5 Chapters), but it's the FIFTH chapter.
Have I confused you enough yet?
All you need to know is that nothing in the story changed. Just a technical oversight.
This one skirts a little in M-territory.
Chapter 5:
Heat of the Moment
Emily ran into Samara when she got back to her building.
Her friend noticed the bounce in her step. She hadn't missed how close Emily had been getting to Alison. The brunette gushed about her all the time at work. And the two of them were always very affectionate when they hung out with Samara and Zoe.
Emily looked at the blonde like she hung the moon when she talked about her photoshoots and her conversations with casting directors. Alison was always asking questions about Emily's classes, too. She seemed a little grumpy about the fact that Emily was going to have some classes on campus in the fall. Summer had offered them more flexibility in their schedules.
"Need some help?" Samara reached for one of the reusable shopping bags Emily was trying to balance in her arms.
It freed up one of Emily's hands so she could open her door and turn off the alarm.
"Thanks." She motioned for Samara to follow her into the kitchen.
"What'cha cooking?" Samara put two bags down on the tiny counter.
She was used to the small living space. Her condo with Zoe was the same layout as Emily's, so she knew her way around.
"Alison got the deal." Emily reached into one of the bags to double-check that she had everything.
"Ah…and it's a night for celebrating a special occasion. Say no more." Samara winked at her.
"You're relentless." Emily laughed.
"Hey, I didn't assume anything." Samara raised her hands, palms forward in a sign of surrender.
"You didn't have to. Your eyes say it all." Emily pulled several potatoes out of her shopping bag.
"Come on, it has been two months. That woman has got to be incredibly sexually frustrated with you." Samara leaned against the counter.
"We're working our way through some things. Our relationship back in Rosewood was purely physical. We never talked about our feelings. This time is different. We're different." When the brunette smiled her entire face was aglow.
"I think you two are really good together. I see how happy she makes you. I haven't seen that in a long time." Samara pulled a carton of eggs out of a bag and opened Emily's refrigerator. "I was starting to worry you were going to end up an old spinster."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Emily scoffed.
"I mean it. Back in Rosewood you always seemed to carry this quiet pain with you."
Mostly because she was being tortured, but she'd never told Samara that. Of course, Samara knew she'd been kidnapped in her senior year. That had been all over the news. But she never asked Emily about it. She knew the brunette would talk about it if she wanted to.
"I was a moody teenager." Emily played it off.
"No, you weren't." Samara was quick to disagree. "Despite everything you were struggling with you were kind and thoughtful and sweet. All qualities you still have. But I know you had a lot weighing you down. I know how hard it was when Alison was gone. And after Maya…"
Emily felt a twinge of pain. Maya had been the only other girl she'd ever truly fallen in love with besides Alison.
She had been open with Samara about her feelings for Maya and Alison when they ran into each other at Pepperdine. She and Zoe had been very easy to talk to.
Zoe, in particular, understood what it was like to lose a partner. Her high school girlfriend had killed herself when they were freshmen because her parents had refused to accept her when she came out. It's why Zoe was so passionate about her job at the LGBTQ Alliance. She never wanted anyone to feel like they were alone.
"I know I wasn't around, but I know you struggled after Maya died." Samara's voice was quiet and patient. "Even after we met back up out here you still seemed to wear this…heartbreak on your sleeve…"
Leaving Alison had been hard. She'd had a hard time finding her footing. Running into Samara and Zoe had turned out to be a turning point in her life. Samara had always been very involved in LGBTQ activities when she was younger, so it was no surprise to Emily that it had carried over into adulthood with the Alliance.
"I was more attuned to that heartbreak you were feeling because of Zoe." Samara's normally vibrant eyes flickered in pain. "She really opened my eyes to the depth and layers that people have when it comes to their past. She lost so much when she was younger. I'm not immune to it. I had my first heartbreak, too, but I know it's not the same. When there is a finality to it and they're gone forever it's different."
Emily's expression softened.
"Yeah." At least when people broke up, both parties knew the other was still out there somewhere. But the death of a loved one took that away. "I didn't exactly handle Maya's death very well…especially since I thought Alison was gone forever, too. It made me feel like I was some kind of death magnet. I was terrified of getting close to people after that. It's why I bounced around in relationships so much."
"I don't think you ever really got over Alison. I could tell when we were together." Samara leaned against the countertop again.
They had dated briefly after her break-up with Maya. She had been a good girlfriend, and an even better friend. But Emily's heart had never belonged to her, and Samara had known that from the beginning.
"You're right. I wasn't over her. I was swimming in a sea of grief and I didn't know how to handle it. Because I had all these feelings I thought I would never get to share with her." Emily stopped unloading the groceries and looked at a picture of her and Alison on the beach that was proudly displayed on her refrigerator.
"I get it. Sometimes I look in Zoe's eyes…and even though I know she loves me I see the pain that she carries over her high school girlfriend. I know it's not something that people ever get over. She told me it's a balancing act. She said it's a lot like being thrown into the ocean with someone you love who is drowning. And you know they're destined to sink, but you desperately want to keep them afloat."
"But you can't." Emily's throat felt scratchy, raw emotions welling up. She had spent so much of her childhood trying to save people who couldn't be saved. She would give anything for Maya to still be alive, just so she knew she was safe. She'd been lucky enough to get Alison back. But she did still grieve for Maya. "When they're drowning…if you don't let go you'll be pulled down with them."
"That's what it was like for you back in Rosewood." Samara hit the nail on the head. "The loss of not one, but two girls that you loved."
"Yeah." Emily sighed sadly.
"That's what it was like for Zoe in high school, too. And I understand that root pain. I really do. When Zoe and I met she said she wasn't sure she'd be able to love again."
It was bittersweet and beautiful, and Emily completely understood.
"But she did." Emily replied timidly.
"She did. And I'm lucky that she did. Because I'm madly in love with her and can't imagine myself with anyone else." She glanced at Emily. "It's the same for you and Alison. I can see it. I knew it the moment I met her."
A warmth surged through the brunette. She felt it, too. Whatever she'd had with Alison had carried over from their childhood. The feelings she'd had back then had only intensified. Some flames never died. Some simmered in the underbrush…simply waiting for the air to bring it back to life. That was her love for Alison. And those embers had erupted the last few months.
"I'm glad that you two found one another again. You've been through a hell of a lot to get here. It's really wonderful when things just click and you get to pick up right where things should have been in the first place. I know you lost her once, but look at you now. The way you two look at each other...you'll never lose that woman again."
Samara's words triggered a memory.
The musty room.
Walls plastered with photos of Maya and Alison.
Ugly red slashes crossing out their eyes with X's.
One lone photo of Alison untouched.
A message underneath it.
"CHOOSE...OR YOU LOSE HER AGAIN!"
Facing the camera with a defiant, "No…"
The eerie static over the speaker and a tin-voicebox sounding reply of,
"I'll find her for you."
"No!"
"She'll be our new doll."
"Leave her alone!"
"Em?" Samara snapped her fingers in front of her face, drawing her back into her condo.
"Hmm?"
"You went zombie on me there for a minute. Are you okay?" She tried to hide her concern, but she wasn't as good of an actress as Alison.
"Yeah. I think I just need to hydrate. Too much time in the sun." Emily opened a cabinet and pulled out a glass.
Samara grabbed a pitcher of water from the fridge.
"Thanks." Emily reached for the water.
She poured herself a glass and drained half of it before putting it down.
"This is a great picture of you two." Samara put the pitcher back into the refrigerator and closed the door.
She admired the photo of Emily and Alison.
"She's so photogenic. I'm envious." Emily chuckled. "I love her smile so much."
"I'm really glad that you're finally happy." Samara smiled.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome." Samara pulled out a pack of chicken and observed it. "This is a woo dinner if I've ever seen it."
"A what?" Emily put a bag of mixed vegetables in the freezer.
"You want to woo her. Perhaps even seduce her…" There was a twinkle in Samara's bright blue eyes.
"Chicken and potatoes and vegetables are romantic?" Emily lifted a single eyebrow in curiosity.
"Anything can be romantic. Romance isn't contained into a tiny little box that can be checked off. It's the little moments. Love languages aren't always entirely black and white. If the mood is right and the feelings are there…it's spontaneous and wonderful. Love isn't just the grand gestures. It's the every day interactions we have."
Emily took her words into consideration.
"That's actually good advice."
"Don't look so shocked." Samara scoffed. "How do you think I got Zoe to fall in love with me?"
"I'm guessing it wasn't chicken and potatoes." Emily teased.
"No…it was a bottle of tequila and an entire night of talking. But after that there were a lot of woo dinners. The point is you don't have to get Alison to fall in love with you. She is head-over-heels for you already. Even a blind person could see that." Samara tossed Emily the packet of chicken. "You had your tequila and talking already. The woman adores you. And from the way you look at her you're in love with her, too. You've already got the girl. Now it's just a matter of where you're going to go from here."
"I don't know where I'm going, but I know I'm going with her." She smiled.
"That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard. You are so in love with her." Samara poked her playfully.
Emily's cheeks flushed with color. She didn't confirm it, but her expression didn't hide it either.
"Good luck with your dinner." Samara glanced at her watch. "I've got to run. I'm picking up Zoe from work."
She moved towards the door.
"Wait, you're not going to ask if we're going to sleep together after dinner?" Emily called out after her with a playful laugh.
Samara turned around, a confident grin on her face.
"I don't have to ask, because I'll know when it happens." She winked and reached for the doorknob. "Bye, Em."
"Bye." She laughed as her friend walked out.
She walked over and locked the door behind Samara and then went back into the kitchen.
After she put the groceries up she took a quick shower, washing away the grease of her sweat and sunscreen.
Then she went to work in the kitchen.
She pulled out all the ingredients she would need and lined them on the counter.
Her kitchen was small, but she liked it. She didn't have a ton of counter space, so she'd learned how to stock her food and her dishes for maximum space.
She had just turned the stove on when her phone started ringing.
Emily glanced at where it was perched in a holster sitting upright. Aria's face was peering back at her.
She hit the answer button to accept the FaceTime and continued cooking.
"Hey, Aria. What's up?" Emily brushed a glaze over the chicken and then casually waved at the phone.
"Hey. Hanna and Spencer are on the line, too."
Unlike Hanna, Aria had the foresight to mention they weren't alone on the call.
"We're just checking in. I talked to Alison. She told me about her deal." Aria was leaning back on her sofa enjoying what looked to be hot herbal tea. "She seems like she's really serious about breaking into the business." The short brunette was impressed. "I was actually hoping she'd be there with you so we can all talk."
"She's still working."
"Oh." Aria looked disappointed. "I thought I could catch you both at the same time. Bummer."
"She stays busy. I've never seen her work so hard in her life." Emily had seen how much Alison wanted it, and she had taken a dive into it head first.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. I've been talking to her about backing her and giving her more exposure. I just wanted to see how serious she was about it from an unbiased party before going all-in." Aria put her mug down.
"And I'm the unbiased party?" Emily quirked an eyebrow.
They certainly didn't think she was unbiased about Alison back in Rosewood. Perhaps they realized now that not everything was about her love for Alison. Sometimes she was just right about things. She was honest to a fault with her friends, and they knew she'd tell them the truth.
"We used your feelings for Alison against you in the past. We didn't listen or take you seriously. We were wrong to do that." Aria admitted with a frown. "If anyone knows her, it's you."
It was ironic that Aria was the one apologizing, because she was the only one who had never judged Emily because of her feelings for Alison. But Hanna and Spencer didn't chime in to disagree, so Emily assumed they'd talked about it between themselves.
"Well, I'm glad you're coming to me about this. I've seen her in action. If I was a betting woman I'd say she's going to take this all the way to the bank. She's insanely business-savvy and she's got all the right logistics down. I think she actually studied some marketing classes. And she goes to every potential meet and updates her content to keep engaged with her followers. I think she's pretty serious." Emily glanced at the phone.
"That's impressive." Now Spencer was looking back at her. She was in an office.
"Are you still at work? Isn't it almost 9:00 at night there?" Emily's eye caught the official portrait of Spencer's mother, Senator Veronica Hastings, behind her.
"We were out meeting with constituents this morning. Then we had several Board meetings. Then we met more constituents. You'll never guess who we ran in to."
"I love you, Spence, but I'm not into politics. You lost me at constituents." Hanna yawned.
"Who did you run in to?" Aria was focused enough for all of them.
"Guess."
"The president?" Aria's eyes brightened.
"No."
"A prince from another country?" Hanna asked hopefully.
"Try again. Think more local. Think Rosewood."
"I prefer not to." Emily laughed. "I'm happy leaving it in my rearview."
"You don't even have a car." Hanna pointed out.
"Metaphorical." Emily didn't take her eyes off of the chicken. "The suspense is killing us. Who did you see?"
"It was Wren. You remember my sister's old fiancé?" Spencer asked.
Wren Kingston had been engaged to Spencer's sister Melissa when the girls were in high school. He was a medical student with a charming British accent. He had helped the girls out from time to time. He'd sutured a cut Hanna got when they were running from A so she didn't have to go to the hospital. He helped suppress tests that had found HGH in Emily's bloodwork after Mona had poisoned her pain cream. He'd worked with Hanna to keep Mona from being shipped out of state to another mental facility.
But he wasn't exactly a good man. He'd been just like all the other men in Rosewood. A predator.
"Ah, yes…Wren…the one who hit on you when you were sixteen. Good times." Aria's voice was bitter, but her eyes emitted her sarcastic undertone.
"He actually apologized for all that. Not that it makes it any better. But at least he acknowledges what he did was wrong."
Unlike Ezra… It was on the tip of Spencer's tongue, but she didn't say it.
"He wanted me to grab some coffee with him, platonically, and since my brain is wired to automatically respond yes to coffee we grabbed some to-go brew and chatted for a little while. A lot of it was about healthcare. It's part of my mother's campaign promises. But he filled me in on his life, too. He moved back to Rosewood. Got an offer at Rosewood General he didn't want to turn down."
"What else did you all talk about?" Emily asked.
"Nothing. It was a pretty short encounter and it was mostly a business exchange. Work beckoned and I had to go. Politics never sleeps." Spencer rubbed her eyes.
She looked so tired. Emily wanted to reach through the phone and give her a hug.
"And neither do you, apparently." Hanna was sitting on her couch. Behind her there were several fitted outfits and designs she was helping with. "Not that I'm a great sleeper either."
"Have any of you guys been able to get back into a regular sleeping pattern since…" Aria didn't have to specify why they couldn't sleep.
"Wine helps." Hanna held up a glass of red wine.
"I just have to exhaust myself. I was afraid I was going to end up addicted to sleeping medication. The last thing my mother needs following her around is a scandal. The people who don't like her are relentless. I can't give them any fuel to add to the fire." Spencer sighed.
"I still have nightmares," Aria said meekly.
"I do, too." Emily put down the kitchen knife she was holding. She didn't even remember picking it up. "It's gotten a little better. Alison heard me screaming last night though. It was tough. Pretty sure it scared the hell out of her. And I'm pretty sure she knows what the nightmares are about, too."
"Do you talk to her about them?" Hanna asked.
"I don't talk to anyone about them." She would feel awkward talking to Alison about what her sister had done to her in the Dollhouse.
"I still can't believe Alison disowned Charlotte." Spencer had the same shocked look on her face she'd had when Emily first told her everything.
Well, not everything. She hadn't told them why Alison disowned her. She hadn't told them that Charlotte had been up for release, especially since nothing had come of it. She didn't want to scare them.
She also hadn't told them that she was dating Alison again. They had been judgmental of her in the past.
Aria was the only one who wasn't biased. Emily had considered confiding in her, but she didn't because she wanted them all to find out together. But Aria had always been kind about Emily exploring her feelings with Alison.
It was getting harder to dodge her friends' questions though.
When she told them about Charlotte it was easy enough to keep their focus on that.
Spencer had stared at her in silence for nearly an entire minute before she could choke out a response.
"She just…walked away from her? Just like that?"
"Just like that." Emily had nodded.
"Not that I'm not thrilled, but why? She stuck with her for three years. Why the sudden change?"
Emily had tried to keep a straight face when she answered. She didn't want to tell them Alison's business. The blonde had asked her explicitly not to tell them about Charlotte almost being released. And Emily certainly didn't want to upset them over a potential release that had never happened. Charlotte was still safely locked away and that's all that mattered.
Of course, she might have felt a little differently if she knew about the calls that Alison was getting.
"You would need to ask her. I don't want to put words in her mouth."
"And you believe her?" Spencer, always the skeptic.
"I do."
"Okay." She hadn't pressed for any more information.
She trusted Emily's word.
Hanna and Aria had been equally as shocked.
"She ditched Charlotte?" Hanna had been on a FaceTime call with her when Emily told her.
She'd stopped long enough to get up and walk to her window.
"What are you doing?" Emily had asked.
"Looking for flying pigs."
Aria hadn't said much when she found out. She became a shell of herself when they talked about Charlotte. Processing the trauma of being groomed by their high school teacher and processing the torture they'd endured at Mona's and Charlotte's hands was too much for her brain.
"You know, Alison and I had a long conversation recently and she laid everything out on the table…all the horrible things she did in high school. She apologized for everything." Aria sipped her tea.
"Same." Hanna nodded.
"Yeah. She called me, too," Spencer said. "I wasn't sure how to react."
"She's trying. Just give her a chance." Emily tried to put in a good word for her.
"How is it going with you and Alison? Are you two…ya know?" Hanna asked, wiggling her brows.
"No, not officially." She hoped that her lie would fool her friends.
Lucky for her, before anyone could ask a follow up question Caleb walked into the frame behind Hanna wearing nothing but his boxers, completely oblivious to the conversation because of his earbuds.
"Jesus, Caleb!" Hanna spun around, tossing a throw-pillow at him, surprising him. "Pants!"
Caleb pulled his earbuds out and looked at her in confusion.
"What?"
"Put on some pants." Hanna laughed.
"Yeah, or put on a show." Emily teased.
"Cheese is sleeping on the clean laundry. It's warm from the dryer. I don't want to move him. He looks so comfortable." Caleb shrugged.
"Okay. Fair." Hanna nodded. "I'd probably be walking around in my underwear if that was the case, too."
It was clear that cat had them both wrapped around his cute little orange paws. It wasn't surprising that Caleb had been the one who wanted to bring him in.
When they first met Caleb they had discovered he had been sleeping at school to avoid his foster family. Before that he had been living on the streets or wherever he could sleep. His mother had left him when he was five. And his dad abandoned him. Both came back into his life when he got older, but he'd never lost his sympathy for abandoned souls.
"Who are you talking to?" He didn't look the least bit embarrassed.
He leaned in and saw Emily.
"Oh, hey, Em."
"Hey."
"Look at you being all sentimental about a widdle kitty cat." Aria laughed.
"Ah, so it's a conference call. Hello to all the people who are seeing me in my underwear. And yes, I do love our cat." He was completely unbothered.
"I would have figured you as more of a dog person." Spencer cut in.
"Yeah, well, if a stray dog wanders up to our front door we'll take him in, too." Caleb smiled.
"We'll what?" Hanna's eyes bulged.
She loved the cat, but she wasn't ready to become an animal sanctuary.
"Liam has a dog. A sweet little mutt named Argos." Every time Aria talked about her boyfriend she lit up.
It wasn't often that people walked into each other's lives and knew they were destined to be, but it had happened with Aria and Liam. And it was a breath of fresh air to see her so happy in a healthy relationship after her high school experience had been robbed by their teacher.
Aria hadn't been Ezra's only victim. In a way, Ezra Fitz had manipulated all of them. He had used them for a book. He had weaseled his way into their lives and befriended them. He had preened them and became a trusted authority figure…and he'd abused that power. They all hated him for it.
Liam ended up being a perfect fit for Aria. They'd met their sophomore year in college when Aria still lived in Savannah.
After she got her book deal she had insisted that Liam be part of it because he'd been her sounding board when she was writing it, and he'd even helped her write passages of the novel.
She asked him if he wanted to go with her to Boston.
He hadn't hesitated. He told her he was in it for the long haul.
"Argos? So…Liam is a fan of The Odyssey." Spencer nodded in approval.
And just like that, the conversation had shifted off of Emily and Alison.
They wanted to tell their friends, but they wanted to figure out who they were to each other first.
"Very much so. He loves the classics," Aria replied. "He had a dog named Achilles growing up. And he said if we get a cat he wants to name it Ajax."
"Like the cleaning supplies?" Hanna asked.
Aria and Spencer laughed.
"No. Like The Iliad character." Aria smiled. "It's Homer."
"Simpson? I must have missed that chapter in high school." Hanna shrugged.
"The Odyssey and The Iliad are classics. How do you not know this?" Spencer frowned into the camera.
"I preferred smut and romance back then." Hanna's answer was honest and to the point.
"Better than mystery." Spencer muttered. "God knows we had our fair share of crappy mysteries in the past. It really made me appreciate George RR Martin's Game of Thrones. I'd take that dark shit over what we went through. Because it was thousands of years ago and it made sense for the time period. It even had more likable villains. You root for them to die, but still...they're entertaining."
"Wild that we're comparing Mona and Charlotte to the likes of Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton," Hanna said.
"You've read the books?" Aria asked.
"I watched the show. Except the last season. Caleb insisted that we not watch the final episodes. Apparently a lot of his coworkers had…things to say. I don't know. The show itself has always been confusing. Too many factions and too many characters. But I know most of the bad guys. I'm not sure they'd last in modern times."
"The thing about villains is the ease they have when it comes to access of our lives." Spencer was busy scrolling through something on her phone.
"I'm just glad we're evolving beyond that." It wasn't surprising that Aria was the optimistic voice of reason. "We haven't had any hiccups, which is nice. And encouraging."
At least, no hiccups that they knew of…
"It sounds like things are going well with you and Liam." Emily focused on the array of vegetables on front of her.
"He's so amazing." Aria gushed.
"Are we thinking wedding bells in the future?" Hanna asked eagerly. "Can I dress you?" She paused and then added. "Actually…that's not a question. I'm not going to leave you to your own devices. You wear forks for earrings."
"Liam just so happens to like my fork-earrings. I could see myself spending my life with him." Aria's pale porcelain cheeks turned cherry red. "Eventually."
Hanna clapped her hands together in excitement.
"Our little Aria is all grown up." Spencer teased.
"How are things with you and Toby?" Aria asked.
"We're talking." Spencer tried to be coy, but Hanna and Aria both prodded her with questions.
Emily listened to her friends go on about their lives, happily catching up while she worked in the kitchen.
She slid the chicken and potatoes into the oven on low heat and started on the vegetable side dish. It didn't take long to chop and cook them.
Once she was finished, she put them on a warmer and cleaned up.
She talked to her friends for another twenty minutes.
After their call was over, Emily texted Alison to find out what time she thought she might be home.
Should be there in half an hour.
The chicken had 10 minutes left in the oven, so the timing was perfect. Everything seemed to be falling into place like it was meant to be.
Emily went to change into something a little more fashionable.
By the time she'd finished getting dressed the roast chicken was done. She put on all the garnish and poured the champagne. She set the table, finishing up just as Alison was walking in the front door. She heard Alison punch the alarm code in and toss her keys in a bowl next to the door.
"What smells so good?" She called out.
"Come find out!" Emily called back.
She was standing by the table, nerves bubbling in her stomach.
Whatever was happening between her and Alison was making her entire insides flutter.
Alison took one look at the food on the table and her jaw dropped.
"You did all of this?" Alison looked around the kitchen. "But…when…how? You worked all day. I mean…are you Superwoman?"
Emily laughed and walked over to her.
"Congrats on the job." She pecked Alison's lips.
"Mmm, sampling the champagne already?" Alison pulled back and licked her lips.
"It's nothing fancy." Emily motioned to her mother's champagne flutes filled with the cheap champagne that Emily had picked up on her way home from the beach.
Alison answered with a smile, kissing her deeper to get more of that taste. More of Emily.
"It's incredible." She threw her arms around the brunette. She smelled like the beach. The salt. The ocean breeze. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome." Emily nuzzled her nose.
Alison glanced at what Emily was wearing.
She dressed up for me.
It made her insides feel warm and gooey.
Emily was usually low-key, so seeing her dressed up felt oddly intimate.
Alison took a moment to take in her own appearance in the reflection of the microwave. She was always dressed for any occasion and today was no different. She loved that she could look stunning without even trying.
"Let me just slip my shoes off and we'll eat." Alison moved towards the living room.
She paced across the room quickly. She kicked her shoes off near the front door, eager to get back to dinner…eager to get back to Emily.
As they were eating, their eyes were constantly finding each other while they casually conversed.
Emily boasted about how proud she was. Alison didn't want to let on how much Emily's approval meant to her. She'd never judged herself based on the opinions of others. But she cared what Emily thought of her.
"So what happens now that you're getting the recognition you deserve?" Emily had always been her biggest advocate and supporter, but it still made Alison feel as if though she was someone special.
"Well, the interview is going to open doors for commercial spots and then that will hopefully pave the way for me to get on screen. It seems like it's a little step, but it gets my name out there more. Which…" She pushed her potatoes around on her plate, "…it's what I want. It's a good thing…"
But there was more to it, and Emily sensed it.
"But?" Emily asked.
"I'm worried about my past coming back to haunt me." She chewed on her lip and plucked a piece of sliced zucchini up with her fork.
She was terrified that her psychopathic sister would get out and find them.
She'd been trying to ignore the hang-up calls. She knew that it was most likely scammers and pranksters, but it still made her jump when she got a call from an unknown number.
She wanted to tell Emily so badly, but the thought of turning her life into a circus again was not an option.
Her fork had stopped scraping across the plate and she was just staring at her food.
Emily reached across the table and laid her hand on top of Alison's hand. Her touch snapped the blonde out of it.
"It's going to be fine. People will see you for who you are now." Emily looked at her like she mattered. Like she was someone worth being in the world, and that reassurance was just what she needed.
"I know. But having my name out there is risky. For both of us." Initially she hadn't ever dreamed that Emily would still have feelings for her, or that she'd be living with her. When she started her influencer career she only had herself to worry about. It was different with Emily in the picture. "I just want to make sure you're safe."
"I can take care of myself." Emily squeezed her hand with a smile. "Don't worry about me."
"I know. But this lifestyle can draw the crazies out. You're not getting any weird calls or strange people coming around, are you?" She tried to make it sound casual, not like she was digging for information about whether she was getting hang-up calls, too.
"No."
Well…if it's Charlotte at least she's only tormenting me.
"Good." Alison breathed a sigh of relief and ate a forkful of food. "All we've talked about is me. Tell me about your day." She turned the conversation around. "Pull any heroics on the beach today, Baywatch?"
Emily laughed at the nickname.
"Just did my job. Fished a few people out who needed help, but nothing serious."
My heroic mermaid.
The sea looked so good on Emily.
"Do you ever get scared?" Alison asked.
Her lips twitched, a nervous tic. Something flashed across her face, but she shook it off.
Alison read the emotion in her eyes. It almost looked like fear, but why would Emily be afraid of the water?
If anything was wrong Emily didn't indicate it. She just shrugged.
"I don't have time to think." She was just like her father in that way. "I just follow my instincts."
"I hear so many stories about people who risk their lives saving others from drowning who get pulled down with them. It scares me sometimes." Alison worried about the constant threat of danger in Emily's line of work.
There was another twitch. Another flash. An unreadable emotion in Emily's eyes.
She's hiding something.
"That's part of the training." Emily brushed it off again. "We're taught that if we're being pulled under we have to let go." Just like she had discussed with Samara earlier. "It's…not easy. But if you think about it, it's something we're taught all of our lives. As much as we might want to save someone, we can't do that if we get pulled under, too."
Her face hardened. She plucked a red potato up by sticking the prongs of her fork into it. She observed the vegetable for a moment.
Alison watched curiously.
She wanted to save me back in Rosewood, but I pulled her under.
Even so, Emily had not let her go in lieu of her own life.
"The ocean is a lot like life. It can be magical and wonderful. But it can also be unforgiving and terrifying." Emily took a small bite of the potato. "When someone is drowning you have to remember that you can't help either one of you unless you make it through it alive."
"Have you ever lost anyone?" Alison's question was quiet and timid.
She hated to consider that Emily had gone through more turmoil than she had in Rosewood.
"I haven't. Fortunately. But I know people who have. And it's hard to deal with. We can't blame ourselves. There is only so much we can do. If someone gets caught in a riptide or is pulled under and we can't get to them…it's horrible. All we can hope is that they'll surface and we'll be able to get them to shore afterwards."
"I think you're incredibly brave." Alison stretched her leg out underneath the table until her toes were up against Emily's ankle. "I'm proud of you. I always knew you were going to do wonderful things in life. And here you are."
Emily smiled warmly, almost bashfully.
"I could say the same for you. I love seeing you following your dreams." Emily sipped her champagne. "Is there anyone in particular you want to work with?"
Alison had a list of people she would kill to work with, but one of her biggest things was to work in a female dominated world. She loved the idea of women in power.
"I want an all-female crew. Not for every single one of my projects, but for some. I want to empower women and be inspired by them. I'd love to work with female directors and producers to create a vision that truly represents what it's like to be women in society…including transwomen. I want to have inclusion. I feel like transwomen are underrepresented…"
Alison had to stop herself from going into detail, because the major detail in her aspirations was that her sister had been tossed out like trash because she was trans. Alison had learned a lot about the trans community through Charlotte.
It pained her that her sister could have had an entirely different life if she'd just been included. At least, Alison liked to think so.
She knew what Charlotte did was terrible. And she believed that she should never see the light of day again. But a tiny part of her wondered what would have happened if she'd had a loving stable home environment.
Were monsters born…or were they made?
"I like that idea." Emily nodded in encouragement. "We see a lot of trans kids through our non-profit. I think it would give them hope to see that representation in the media. Positive representation. There is a T in LGBTQ. And they're just as valid. And the fact that you want to give everyone a voice is amazing. I admire you for that. Your fans admire you for it, too."
Her response was why Alison absolutely adored Emily Fields. She could take anything in the world and spin it into something positive.
"Actually, that reminds me. Before I forget…I'm going to need an autograph for Max." Emily hadn't forgotten her promise to her friend.
"Max…your beach coworker Max? The one who likes Appletinis and has that wonderful smile?" Alison had taken a shining to Emily's friends.
She liked seeing the people around Emily…people who gravitated towards her. Emily chose her friends wisely. They all seemed like great people.
"Yeah. He's a huge fan. He's been trying to play it cool, but he absolutely adores you." Emily thought about how starstruck he looked when he talked about the blonde. "You know, it's kind of fun having a famous girlfriend."
"I would use the term famous loosely." Alison scoffed.
"For now." Emily believed in her. She believed she could achieve her dreams.
"At least I'm famous for the right reasons this time." Alison thought about her rise to fame in Rosewood. It felt like a stain on her history now because of everything that had happened. "You know what?" She reached for her phone. "Do you know his handle on Insta? I'll DM him. I'll do better than an autograph. I'll sign one of my new headshots and take a selfie with him and post it and tag him."
"God, he is going to die when he gets that message." Emily almost choked on her champagne.
Alison chuckled and put her phone down, making a mental note to message Max later. She wanted to be in the moment, enjoy her dinner with Emily.
Usually when they were done eating they helped each other clean up, but when Alison tried to jump up to help her after dinner Emily stopped her.
"Tonight is about you. Celebrating you." She took a plate from Alison's hand. "Why don't you go unwind a bit and I'll clean up and get dessert ready?"
"You made us dessert, too?" Alison gawked.
"I may have cheat-coded my way through that. I stopped at a French Bakery for some Mille-Feuille." Emily's French accent rolled off of her tongue.
It reminded Alison of when they were studying French together in high school.
She had been dreaming about running away from Rosewood…away from her parents…away from A's threats.
She had lined up several postcards from Paris, admiring them as Emily dutifully did her homework.
"We're supposed to be studying." Emily had stopped long enough to smile at her with the sweetest look on her face that Alison had ever seen.
Alison had been too caught up in her feelings, so all she'd been able to do was nervously move the postcards around.
"You planning a trip?" Emily's curiosity was one of her best traits. Because she wasn't doing it to be nosy. She actually cared.
"You and me in Sweet Par-ee?" Had rolled confidently off of Alison's tongue. "How does that sound?"
Emily had taken a nervous breath and looked down at her paper, flummoxed, her face turning red before she responded,
"Maybe we should learn how to Parle Français before we go." Her laugh had been to die for.
Alison had wanted nothing more than to kiss her right then and there.
She already had their entire trip planned out.
"We could start in the south of France. Dancing through sunflower fields…" As Alison spoke she could see the light shining in Emily's eyes. "Lounging around in our bikinis in the French Riviera…"
Emily had moved out of her seat and towards Alison, and the blonde had felt a warm sensation in her stomach.
"You'd look so good on top of the Eiffel Tower. Wind in your hair…" Alison had been too busy looking at the postcard of the Eiffel Tower to notice that Emily had sidled up right next to her.
The next thing she knew, Emily's fingers were brushing against hers on the picture of the tower.
They had shared a look. A moment. Alison wanted to kiss her, but she was scared. So she kept her hands busy by moving the postcards around.
"How long are we going away for?" Emily had purred with confidence.
It was that confidence that cemented the fact that Alison was head-over-heels for her. She knew then that she'd never be able to live without Emily.
"How about forever?"
Alison still wanted that forever. But did Emily?
"Speaking of French delicacies…" Alison trailed off. "Do you ever think about running away to Paris?"
Emily's entire face brightened with a mega-watt smile.
"How about forever?" Of course she hadn't forgotten. "I remember that day. We were supposed to be studying. But you kept making those eyes at me." She reached up to brush her knuckle underneath Alison's right eye. "You made me so nervous. Hell, you still do."
"I do?" Alison pulled Emily's hand down to her lips and pressed a kiss against her palm.
"Of course you do." Emily smiled nervously, and Alison saw color rushing to her cheeks. "I am constantly in my head every time you look at me. I uh…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I feel like…ah…I don't know."
Emily Fields, at a loss for words.
She could not be any cuter.
"It's like…you were my first crush, you know? I still get butterflies." Emily looked at the ground.
She exuded confidence, but deep down she still had that shy streak.
She just got cuter.
"Do you still think about Paris? About running away with me?" Alison traced her thumb against Emily's knuckle.
"I do." Emily had always been nostalgic for Paris.
Every time she saw or heard something about France she thought of Alison.
"Do you still want to go?"
Emily chuckled.
"Well we can start with dessert tonight." Her brown eyes flashed with mischief before she grabbed the champagne flutes from the table.
When she turned around Alison stared at her ass. It was begging to be pinched. All the champagne she'd had was starting to catch up to her. A warm feeling prickled in her stomach and down to her thighs.
She licked her lips, suddenly interested in having a different dessert.
Alison grumbled about leaving Emily to clean the kitchen on her own, but Emily waved her off with the flick of her wrist.
The defeated…and aroused…blonde walked into the bedroom to change out of her outfit and into something more comfortable. Something more accessible.
She slipped on one of Emily's oversized night shirts and walked into the bathroom to wash her face. She peered into the mirror, water washing away the face she wore for the public every day.
She used to hate her bare reflection, naked and staring back at her. But Emily offered her a sense of comfort. She could be her true self around the brunette.
Bare.
Naked.
Exposed.
When she looked into her bright blue eyes she saw a light in them that she had never seen in Rosewood.
She was glowing.
Emily made her glow.
I am in love with her. Echoes of their last day in Rosewood came rushing back to her.
She had always known, but she hadn't known exactly how to be loved…or how to love back. But she knew how to now.
When she was finished up in the bathroom she found Emily in the bedroom pulling one of her large tank tops on over her head. It fell over her back and one of the straps hung slightly off of her shoulder.
Alison stared at the muscles she had built over the years. She looked so strong with her swimmer's arms.
When she turned around Alison saw that the loose-fitting shirt had the logo of a band, Circa Survive scrawled across the top. It was worn and looked like she'd had it for years. Some of the lettering was faded. Loose fitting shorts were barely visible from underneath the tank top. Alison couldn't get enough of seeing her long toned legs.
"Dessert is in the living room. Thought we could eat it while watching a movie." Emily tilted her chin towards the door.
When Alison walked into the living room she saw the champagne flutes sitting on the table next to two plates with layered custard cake. It looked to die for.
It was Alison's turn to pick what to watch.
She opted for a romance, because that's what she was in the mood for.
They kicked their feet up as the movie started, delving into the dessert and alcohol. It didn't take them long to clean their plates and polish off the champagne.
Their bodies were naturally drawn together. They glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes.
Alison's hand drifted towards Emily's, coming to rest very close to her fingers. Emily reached out and touched Alison's fingertips, and seconds later they were holding hands.
Ten minutes after that Alison was curled up next to Emily, her head resting on her shoulder.
Near the middle of the film some old 1980s tune blasted over the conversation in the movie and their eyes found one another.
"Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years. There was only you and me. We were young and wild and free. Now nothing can take you away from me. We've been down that road before, but that's over now. You keep me comin' back for more…"
They had been taking things slow. Carefully. So it was a welcome surprise to Alison when she saw the desire in Emily's eyes.
Her nerve endings stretched when something shifted in Emily's gaze. There was an awareness. A heat…a hunger.
Alison felt it, too.
"Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms. I'm finding it hard to believe we're in Heaven."
Alison's heartbeat increased a few ticks as she stared at her. Something stirred in her chest, butterflies emerging from their cocoons.
She moved in closer, so much that Emily's perfume overwhelmed her senses. Her breath smelled of her mint toothpaste. She slid her hand up Emily's cheek and held it there.
Emily's chest squeezed at the soft touch. The way Alison was searching her face felt so familiar. In Rosewood when they were together Alison was still holding back some part of herself. But now…she was letting Emily in. And Emily had no idea how to feel about that.
Warmth ballooned out, forming a path inside of her from her chest to her head and stomach and down to her toes and fingertips.
She lowered her forehead to meet Alison's.
Alison pulled in a sharp breath, watching as Emily's hand found hers and interlaced their fingers. For a moment neither one of them moved. Alison wanted to hold on forever. Emily was so warm and so comforting. It was the first time since she'd gotten to Malibu that she was able to let herself feel again.
Emily's heated breath fanned across her face. Their foreheads and bodies pressed close.
Alison tipped her chin back, hoping that Emily would get the message to kiss her. She wanted to feel her lips everywhere on her body. They were so soft and delicate.
The brunette grinned, biding her time.
Their gazes stayed fixed on each other.
Emily reached forward and tucked a lock of hair behind Alison's ear. She lingered for a moment before sliding her fingers down underneath her chin. Her other hand landed gently on her waist, and then her lips were on Alison's.
"And love is all that I need, and I found it there in your heart. Isn't too hard to see…we're in Heaven."
When they kissed this time there was something different about it.
Alison didn't respond. Couldn't respond. She couldn't find the right words. Her mind fell into the deep end…swimming in images of their bodies pressed together. Their previous times together flickered through her mind like a movie made especially for them.
It was the last image that stuck.
Her head thrown back in ecstasy. Emily's velvety lips against hers. Her warm palm against her center. Long tan fingers expertly finding their mark.
Our first time.
Emily's lips brushed against Alison's ear lobe as she pressed her fingers into Alison's hip.
"I never stopped loving you." The words sent shivers down Alison's spine. "I thought about you every day."
"God, Em, I missed you so much. I should have told you how I felt sooner. I shouldn't have sprung it on you the day you were leaving. I…"
Emily shut her up with a kiss, unable to bear thinking about the lost time.
"I meant it. I meant every word." Alison whispered. "I am still in love with you."
Emily exhaled a breath, a smile on her face. She'd been waiting years to hear it.
"I'm so sorry I didn't come back for you." Emily's fingers fanned out across Alison's stomach. "I should have called more. I should have visited. I should have…"
This time it was Alison who interrupted her with a kiss.
Amidst their "should haves" and their amends their actions were getting increasingly heavier.
"I was such an idiot…" Alison mumbled against Emily's lips.
"You weren't." Emily whispered back. She knew that Alison had been confused and lost and upset. She had to find her own path. "We were different people then."
"I should have come after you." Alison regretted so many things in her life, but letting Emily go was the biggest one.
"You're here now." Emily kissed her softly.
They'd lost so much time, but they couldn't let regret hold them back. Their past doubts stopped and it was all action again.
Fingers reacquainting themselves with familiar curves.
Kisses peppering every inch of bare skin.
Emily savored it, being careful and meticulous...which was slowly driving Alison to the brink. The brunette teased her, her fingers underneath the nightshirt, tickling her ribs and then moving down, tracing them over her bare thighs.
Then her hands were lightly tangled in Alison's hair, pulling her harder into the kiss…their tongues still sweet from the champagne and the Mille-Feuille. Their lips clashed as Emily pulled her closer.
Alison was getting impatient. She wanted more of Emily, so she crawled into her lap and took control. She straddled her as Emily reached up and tangled her fingers into the mess of her blonde hair. It set her insides on fire.
It was everything she remembered it to be.
Exhilarating.
Electric.
Everything she'd missed the last three years.
She was in love with Emily. She always had been. She always would be. It was the most real feeling in the world to her.
Emily's hands slipped underneath her shirt, grazing her skin gently as she spanned her fingers across her ribs and then around to her back. She deepened the kiss, pulling her closer and slipping her tongue in between Alison's lips.
The tips of the brunette's long nimble fingers grazed the tender flesh on the sides of Alison's breasts and she shuddered against Emily. Goosebumps littered her skin.
The only person in the world who could get her body to react like this was Emily.
Just like Alison remembered, she was gentle…but firm. A moan rose in her throat before she could stop it. Emily groaned right back.
Alison cupped the back of Emily's head and curled her fingers into Emily's hair. She grasped the back of her shirt and started to tug on it, testing the waters. She needed to feel Emily's skin against hers.
Emily shuddered and obliged, barely creating any space between them to pull it off. She gripped the edges of Alison's shirt and they both grinned as she slid it off.
Alison leaned forward and the feeling of Emily's flesh against hers made her wonder how she had gone so long without it. She had never felt so good in her life. It was as if she'd been asleep her entire life and she was waking up for the first time.
Her heart thundered. Her stomach broiled. The throbbing between her legs was beginning to become unbearable.
Their bodies latched together as they slowly kissed and nipped and sucked.
Alison felt Emily gently laying her back against the couch, taking her time to look her over when she lifted her head. Her eyes grazed Alison's body, taking it in for the first time in years. Her chest started rising and falling heavily when the emotions came rushing back to her.
Alison pulled Emily down on top of her and their lips met again in a heated crash. Emily savored it, like she had been waiting her entire life.
Alison could feel her pulse pounding in her chest and she let another moan slip. Emily's hips gently moved against hers, arching and grinding. Alison gasped into their kiss and grabbed the back of her shoulder, pushing for her to continue.
Their kiss continued to deepen, needs and desires exploding into a frenzy.
"I want to." Alison slipped her fingers between them, feeling the heat building.
"Me too." Emily's breaths were becoming more erratic.
"Bedroom." She whispered against Emily's lips.
Alison pushed up on her right elbow and used her left arm to usher Emily to move up. When she ended up back in a seated position, Alison couldn't help herself. She crawled on top of her again and she lunged forward with a bruising kiss.
Emily gripped Alison's thighs and lifted her off of the couch, seamlessly, without breaking their kiss.
Alison wrapped her legs around her waist as Emily walked towards the bedroom.
As they moved towards their destination Alison let her head fall back enough so that Emily's lips could pepper her neck with kisses.
Her lips were like silk, her tongue hot against Alison's pulse point.
Alison's legs tightened around her waist. She tangled a hand in her hair.
She hadn't even registered they were in the bedroom until Emily gently laid her down on the bed, her weight dipping down on top of her. Their bodies had yet to break away from each other.
Alison slid her fingers against the slippery muscles of Emily's back, her fingertips tracing the hot flesh along her spine. Emily shuddered and broke the kiss, her face turning a deep shade of red. She bucked into the blonde and then their lips met again.
Alison's fingertips hit the edge of a raised scar that ran the length of Emily's shoulder blade down towards the middle of her spine. It had been left by something thin. Alison traced it with her finger, feeling the brunette shivering underneath her touch.
Alison's lips stopped moving and she sucked in a sharp gasp as the terrible thought she knew to be true hit her.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Emily's brow was pinched in concern.
Charlotte did this to you.
She hurt you.
She had known it ever since the girls had been rescued from the Dollhouse. She'd seen Emily's scar back in Rosewood, but she hadn't been able to process it.
Now she looked back and hated herself. And she hated Charlotte. And she hated that she had been too fucked up to do the right thing. To walk away.
"Alison, are you okay?" Emily repeated. "Do you want to stop?"
Alison shook her head and pulled Emily back down on top of her, her heaving chest meeting Emily's.
"I need more." Alison tugged at Emily's shorts.
Emily quickly sat up and shimmied out of her bottoms. Alison followed her lead and lurched forward, pushing Emily until the brunette was on her back. She lowered herself until their bodies were flush together.
Heaven. Alison breathed in her scent.
Emily's hot sweaty body felt so good against her own. It was like an unanswered prayer…coming out of a fog and walking into a sunny day.
She felt an energy radiating through her. The tips of her fingers buzzed with something akin to static electricity.
She cupped Emily's elbows and gently moved her arms up until Emily's hands were on either side of her face. Alison gripped her wrists and leaned down to capture the brunette's lips as she moved her pelvis against Emily's.
Emily's hands balled into fists as stars of pleasure blinded her. She moved back into Alison's motion.
Alison moaned into their kiss and nipped Emily's bottom lip, tugging it into her mouth.
Emily felt Alison's fingertips prodding against her fists, pushing for her to open her hands. She loosened her grip and Alison's fingers slid into hers, interlacing them as their bodies moved together in perfect synchronized waves. They gripped each other's hands as their heated breaths and pleasured sighs filled the air.
Alison's hair fell around her, a sheet of soft blonde satin tickling Emily's face.
Their bodies were creating a fiery friction as they moved, their skin becoming slick with sweat.
Emily sucked in a breath and her jaw dropped, her eyes laser sharp on Alison's. She arched her neck back against the pillow, breaking their kiss. Her body trembled beyond her control.
Alison lifted one of Emily's arms, pressing kisses against her knuckles, peppering her lips down over her wrist and down to the crook of her elbow.
Emily squeezed against Alison's other hand and huffed out several heavy breaths. She thought it couldn't get any better, but then Alison moved her free hand down to the back of Emily's knee and she swirled her fingers there.
Emily gently pushed against Alison's other hand until she managed to slowly roll her on to her side and then against her back.
Alison didn't fight it. The sight of Emily hovering over her was something she'd been dreaming about for three years. It was the only thing that kept her going.
Emily was a generous lover, and Alison adored her for it. She took her time. She made sure no inch of skin was left untouched by her lips. Her tongue was hot against her bare chest. Her mouth was everywhere. The brunette's name was on Alison's lips when she disappeared between her legs and pushed her to a new height. Her mouth suckled and her fingers moved in the most perfect way. And when Alison finally felt herself letting go, Emily was snaking her way back up her body to hold her as she shivered in delight.
The blonde gently kissed her, waiting for her stamina to return so she could repay the favor. She wasn't as experienced as Emily when it came to making love to women. She'd been with men before, but Emily was the only woman she was comfortable with in bed. She knew that Emily would guide her if she needed help.
But from the noises she was eliciting from Emily by gently stroking between her legs, she was confident that she was doing just fine.
In the midst of their love-making their eyes locked, staying in constant contact as their bodies reacted instinctively to each other's touch.
There was a moment that caused them to pause…a look that they shared.
Emily delicately brushed her fingers against Alison's jaw and moved her fingertips against her cheek as she exchanged a curious look with her.
Alison reached up to cup her face.
Their lips met once more and a surge of something passed between them.
"This feels different." Alison uttered breathlessly.
Emily took a trembling breath of her own.
"You feel that, too?"
They'd made love in Rosewood, too, but not like this. Back then it had been urgent and frantic, all wanton desires.
This was deeper.
It wasn't fumbling fingers and the need to be close. It was a dance between them.
Souls connecting.
In the past there always seemed to be something looming over them. Terror gripped them and they were worried that they might not live to see another day. It made a difference in their actions in bed.
Now they were free from the demons, not that what happened didn't still haunt them. But those monsters were no longer between them, staring them in the face and taunting them.
They took their time. They were able to take their time. There was no terrifying feeling that they'd never feel this good again. There was an excitement that was brewing and the knowledge that they were going to get to do it over and over again for however long they lived.
They lasted for hours, going at it until they had exhausted themselves. And when they were finally done they fell together, both hot sticky messes of sweat and tangled hair…twisted in the sheets.
Emily's arm was limp against the bed, Alison on top of it…staring at the ceiling and breathing like she'd just run a marathon.
"I've missed this." Emily tilted her head towards Alison, her cheek leaving a pool of sweat against her pillow.
"Me too." Alison smiled in bliss, her eyes drifting away from the ceiling and towards Emily, who was using her free hand to brush her fingers through her hair.
Emily's scalp massage almost sent Alison's body into another fit. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath of air.
That's what Emily was.
A breath of fresh air.
Emily rolled over on to her side, scooting close and pressing the length of her body against Alison's, carefully scooping her into her arms. She cradled her, spooning her.
Alison smiled, her eyes still closed. She moved her hands down to hold Emily's arms in place, nuzzling back against her.
Emily kissed the back of Alison's ear.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you, too." Alison turned her cheek and her gaze met Emily's.
Something had changed between them. Something had shifted. They weren't kids anymore. What they had was something more mature. A depth that linked them and an intensely respected passion that had been held back by barriers in Rosewood. They had given themselves to each other, fully. Truly a bond and partnership that was cemented in love.
Alison could feel Emily's heart beating against her skin, a feeling she had longed for since Emily left Rosewood.
But now they were together. And their combined heartbeats were the most glorious feeling in the world.
The rhythmic pattering lulled them both to sleep.
For the first time in three years, they slept in each other's arms...no barriers between them.
Neither was stirred by nightmares. They slept soundly, cuddling in their unconscious state.
Alison woke up first. She had rolled around in the middle of the night and was now facing Emily, who was still sleeping on her side.
Soft morning light slanted from the window on to Emily's face. The sunlight exposed a tiny scar above her ear which was usually hidden by her hair.
Alison questioned every scar and every blemish…wanting to know how she got it. Wanting to know if Charlotte was responsible.
When Emily opened her eyes Alison was drawn to her like one might be drawn to an amazing work of art. Van Gogh's Starry Night.
She looked for glimpses of white canvas hidden between the dollops of paint. The woman behind her eyes, studying what was hidden beyond the mask that Emily wore to hide her trauma.
The glimpse she got was both intriguing and alluring.
"Morning." Emily smiled, her lips swollen from their night of passion.
"Morning." Alison pecked her nose. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah." Emily yawned, still in a strange dreamy state. "You?"
"Better than I have my entire life." She reached up, drawing circles against Emily's clavicle.
Emily's phone rudely interrupted their moment.
She grumbled and rolled over.
Alison was hoping she'd throw it against the wall, but instead she looked at it and sighed. Her shoulder twitched as she responded to a text she'd been sent. She mumbled something about work, but going in late…which pleased Alison.
Alison stared at the muscles on her back, her eyes landing on the scar that she'd felt last night. She hesitantly reached out to touch it, anger budding in her stomach. At Charlotte. At herself.
Emily's skin prickled when she traced it. Her entire body froze and she stopped texting, putting the phone down.
"She did this to you, didn't she?" Alison felt like her breath had been stolen from her.
She'd never been able to ask Emily the question back in Rosewood. She'd been afraid of the answer…afraid of getting too close.
Emily glanced back over her shoulder, reaching a hand back to touch Alison's thigh.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does to me." Alison stared at the blemish, and she hated her sister more than she'd ever hated anyone else on Earth. "I hate her. I hate her so much. I wish I had seen who she was sooner. I wish she'd never even existed." She lovingly kissed Emily while moving her fingertips along the scar. "I made the wrong decision the day you left."
Emily rolled over and let out a strange breath. She pulled herself up slightly against the headboard, her eyes fixed on the wall.
"I turned the car around," she said quietly.
"What?" Alison sat up, yanking the sheets with her.
She was absolutely certain she knew what Emily meant. She remembered watching her drive off that day in Rosewood.
"After I left Rosewood, I turned around. About half an hour after I left." She raked her fingers through Alison's hair. "I just…I couldn't stop thinking about the way you looked in the rearview mirror. I wanted to turn around the instant I saw that look on your face. I loved you so much, but I was just in such a crappy mindset. And I struggled. It felt so unresolved. So I gave in and turned around. But I couldn't find it in myself to go all the way back."
"What stopped you?" Alison blinked in disbelief.
She had been so close to keeping Emily, but would it have been right? Was she selfish for wanting those three years back?
"I knew it wouldn't be healthy." Emily shot her a sad smile. "We couldn't give each other what we needed back then."
There was a pause.
Alison agreed with her. She knew it wouldn't have been the same. They needed the time on their own to grow as individuals.
"Think we can give each other what we need now?" Alison smiled.
"I think…" Emily pressed her thumb against Alison's chin and lifted it, "…that if these last few weeks are any indicator…we're going to be spending a lot more time in this bed together."
She pulled Alison in for a soft kiss.
"That is exactly what I wanted to hear." Alison's voice came out low, husky.
"Say that again. That was sexy."
They were getting ready for an encore of the night, but a knock at the front door interrupted them.
"Em! It's me!" Samara called through the door, cheery and bright.
She had always been a morning person.
Emily was not a morning person. She judged morning people. She hated being awake at ungodly hours, but she knew it was part of growing up. She forced herself to get up to run and go to work and school. But she hated it.
"Get rid of her. I want more sex." Alison snickered.
"Just give me a second." Emily pulled the covers off and reached for her shorts.
She hopped out of bed and reached into her hamper, picking up a tank top and sniffing at it. It didn't reek, so she slipped it on and walked through her living room to the front door.
She tapped in the alarm code and slid the chain-lock off the door.
"What's up, Samara?" Emily opened the door a crack.
"Zoe ordered too much food on Postmates. Thought you and Alison might like breakfast…"
As the door slowly widened Samara saw the heat in her cheeks and her messy clothing.
"Oh…look at you." She lifted her brows. "Busy night? You've got that post-sex glow about you."
"Shhh." Emily laughed, stepping in front of the door and pulling it partially closed behind her.
She felt naked standing in the hallway with Samara.
"I told you it was only a matter of time." She winked, handing over the food.
"Okay…one, stop gloating." Emily held her index finger up and then reached for the food with her other hand. "Two, thank you for breakfast."
Her eyes landed on Samara's, begging her not to make a huge deal out of it with Alison right in the other room.
Samara gave her a knowing wink.
"Go get that morning delight, Tiger." Samara couldn't help herself.
Emily rolled her eyes and backed up against the door, opening it enough for her to get back inside.
"Not another word…" Emily's lips teased a smile.
She knew Samara wouldn't be able to help herself so she quickly closed the door, but not before Samara could shout good morning to Alison in a teasing tone.
When Emily walked back into the bedroom Alison was sitting up, the covers pulled up around her. She was laughing hysterically. She saw the food in Emily's hands.
"Oh! Breakfast in bed. You're right. I do like her." Alison shifted underneath the comforter. "Do you think she knows?" she asked playfully.
"Considering she brought us fuel to stock up on so we have the energy to go again, I'd say it's definitely a possibility." Emily put the bag down on the end table.
"Maybe she heard you calling my name all night." Alison winked.
"As I recall…" Emily fell into the bed next to her, "You were yelling my name, too."
"You have far too many clothes on." A divot formed in Alison's brow and she pushed her lips out in a pout.
"Is that so? What are you going to do about it?" Emily moved closer.
Alison grabbed her shirt and pulled her in for a fiery kiss. A few minutes later she had Emily undressed and under the covers with her. They laid on their sides staring dreamily at one another.
Emily snuggled up to her with a smile.
"Hi." She kissed the blonde's forehead.
Alison's brow crinkled when she smiled back. She laid her palm against Emily's cheek, her fingers dancing softly against her skin.
"Hi."
It felt like the most perfect moment in the world. It was just the two of them and nothing could break them.
Alison edged closer and Emily followed her actions. It was Emily who bridged the gap. The kiss was soft and sensual.
If I could stay like this forever…I would.
Alison was like malleable clay when the brunette kissed her…when she touched her. Outside of the bedroom Alison was lively and vivacious and sexual, but when it was just the two of them her walls came crumbling down. Her heart swelled in her chest when she got lost in Emily's motions.
Alison's phone buzzed on the nightstand. Her eyes flicked to her screen and she saw the unknown number. Before Emily could get a glimpse she flipped the phone over and occupied the brunette with a bruising kiss.
The phone stopped ringing as she let the call go to voicemail. She wasn't going to let anything ruin what she had going with her girlfriend.
She would deal with the unknown assailant eventually. But for the moment she wanted to cherish the beautiful love she had in her life.
A/N: Soooo...how are we feeling? Enjoying the domesticated Emison bliss? Soak that up while you can, because the bumper cars are not far ahead. As always, please be nice about their intimate scenes. I think I'll always be self-conscious about all of my writing, but especially bedroom hijinks.
I've actually quite enjoyed balancing Emily's old life and her new life. Integrating new friends and still being close to the Liars has been fun. My favorite scene to write in this chapter was probably Caleb being completely unbothered walking into the FaceTime call with everyone. That man be Simping for a cat. Lol. And I love writing scenes with all the girls. You will see more of that, and more of Emily's/Alison's life in California with the new crowd, too.
As always, reviews make me happy. And I need extra-happy right now because literally everything hurts and my car is likely totaled and I loved that old car. In the end, it saved my life. Held together like a champ and took the impact for me. I'm bruised, achy, and banged up, but still here.
But enough about me...do you love cuddly Emison? You feeling the cool vibes from their California friends? Feeling nostalgic about the Liars and Rosewood? I want to hear what's on your mind!