so natural
The sun peeking through the blinds wakes Ashlyn up. The body pressed against her makers her go rigid, closing her eyes quickly. The smell of orange blossoms calms her. Ali.
She opens one eye, taking a look down at the brown hair strewn across her chest. The feeling of her wife half on top of her had become such a foreign feeling, she almost forgot how perfect the fit together. Craning her neck up, Ashlyn looks down over Ali as she continue to sleep peacefully, burrowing her face further into the blondes neck.
It feels so natural, being this close. Ashlyn thinks back to when she went to visit Ali in Germany the first time.
Spring 2011
Ashlyn steps out of the cab, wrapping her coat tighter around her as the cool wind hits her face. "Come in April, Ashlyn. It's warm, Ashlyn." She mocks Ali's voice, remembering what the brunette had told her when they talked about planning the trip.
She slings her backpack over her shoulder and grabs her suitcase, making her way into Ali's building. Looking around she doesn’t notice an elevator, so she grabs her bags and trudges her way up to the fourth floor. A delicious smells is getting stronger with the floors she climbs. The smell becoming strongest when she reaches Ali's apartment. She stands outside Ali's door, running her hands through her hair and over her shirt. The blonde had never been so nervous because of a girl before, but Ali brought something out in her.
She brings her hand up to knock, and barely gets one knock in when the door is flung open and there before her is the most beautiful woman in the world, her best friend, the love of her life. Ali, still with one hand holding the door open, looks at the blonde with a mischievous and knowing smirk.
The blonde narrows her eyes, "Did you know you're on the fourth floor of a WALK UP? Also, April, NOT warm." She says making her way past Ali, who's since closed the door and turned around to lean on it, still with a smirk on her face.
"Ok, what? That smirk..." Ashlyn asks, hands on her hip, as she walks over to the brunette.
"I heard your cab door close, so I was going to meet you downstairs, but I looked out the window and you were already on your way up so I just waited, then by the time I knew it would take the elevator to get up here, ya, there IS an elevator, it's just behind a regular looking door, and so when you weren't up here, I figured I would just wait, then I was looking out the peephole waiting for you, and I saw you get all fidgety and comb through your hair. It was honestly the most adorable thing I have ever seen." Ali rambles out.
All Ashlyn hears is that Ali thinks she's cute. She looks at Ali and she is still smirking, so the blonde quickly looks down. She never thought Ali would think she's cute.
"Uh, oh. Well, where can I put my bags?" Ashlyn asks, changing the subject.
"In my room. I only have a one bedroom, so I'll sleep on the couch." Ali says grabbing your suitcase and walking to a door off the living room.
"That's not necessary, Al. I can sleep on the couch. I don’t have training or anything this week.."
"Ash, you're my guest.."
"Al.."
Ali looks back at you, then shrugs her shoulders, "Whatever you say.."
The brunette brings the suitcase back into the living room, setting it next to the couch.
The blonde looks around, noticing all the pictures scattered throughout the apartment. Her parents. Kyle. Her friends growing up. Ashlyn. A picture she didn’t even know existed. The blonde picks it up. She remembers that day. It was the day she admitted to herself that she was falling for Ali. In the photo, the blonde is leaning against the goal post, one arm up, propping her head up, the other resting on her hip. Nothing but pure love in her eyes.
She doesn’t notice Ali come up behind her, "That was from our first camp together.."
The blonde turns around, still holding the picture, "How?"
"I'm friends with the team photographer, Brad." She says mumbling, wringing her hands. "He had some B roll photos.. We talk about photography sometimes.. He lets me see all his photos, not just the ones he posts."
It's now Ali's turn to be nervous. She hadn't given a second thought to it when she put the picture up, but now she was regretting not thinking about hiding it for the blondes visit.
"So, I cooked dinner.." Ali mentions, gesturing over her shoulder to the kitchen. "I figured you'd be hungry and since it's kind of lunch time for your body."
Ashlyn follows Ali into the kitchen. It's small, so Ashlyn takes a seat at the two top table that’s off to the end. Ali brings her a glass of water and a plate of food.
"Smells delicious. I didn't know you could cook, chef." The blonde says playfully.
Ali laughs, and shrugs her response, "I took a class when I first moved here. It was a good way to immerse myself in the culture."
The rest of the dinner is eaten in comfortable silence or just little tid bits here and there. After they eat, they spend time catching up. All things that they already knew about each other, but it was nice to hear the other tell it.
After cleaning up dinner, Ashlyn showers and then gets ready for bed. Ali had made up the couch for her while she was in the shower.
"Alright, well goodnight. If you need anything, find it yourself.." The brunette jokes, squeezing Ashlyn's bicep gently, getting off her makeshift bed.
"Ha, such the gracious hostess. Night, Al." Ashlyn stands up, pulling the brunette into a hug. "I'm really glad we planned this. I missed you."
Ashlyn sits back down, sets her watch on the coffee table in front of her. She lays down, willing herself to sleep.
Five hours later, Ashlyn is staring at her watch. The seconds tick by, and she can't stand that her bladder has betrayed her. She looks at her watch, 3:43. She contemplates if she can hold it until morning or not, finally deciding on not. She hates that Ali's bathroom is through her bedroom.
She creeks open Ali's bedroom door and makes it to the bathroom without waking the brunette. She comes back out of the bathroom, and is making her way back to the living room when she hears a faint 'Ash' that stops her dead in her tracks.
Looking back at the bed, making sure she actually heard something, she sees Ali sitting up slightly on her elbow, "Come sleep in here, I know how uncomfortable that couch can be.."
"Oh, no, I just had to use the restroom..Really the couch is fine." The blonde makes her way to the door and is about to open it when she feels a hand on her forearm, turning her around.
"Come to bed, Ashlyn." Ali says earnestly.
"Ok"
The blonde makes her way to the unoccupied side of the bed and feels the bed shift as Ali slides in.
Both women stare up at the ceiling, laying flat on their backs for a few minutes.
"I broke up with Peter." Ali says, breaking the silence.
"Al, I'm so sorry. I know.." Ashlyn begins but is quickly cut off by Ali, "Don't be, I'm not." She says simply and turns over onto her side wrapping an arm around Ashlyn, nuzzeling into her side.
Ever since that night, if they were in the same location, they were in the same bed. Waking up this morning, the blonde was brought right back to every other morning waking up to Ali.
She takes her hand and gently brushes some strands of hair out of the brunettes face. The action causes Ali to stir, "Hey.."