Chapter 7
(All)
Their planned double date fell on Labor Day weekend, and Aubrey drove into the city Friday night full of excitement. She was staying at Emily’s for the first time, and they hadn’t seen each other since Emily had visited her. They talked every day, but it wasn’t the same and the blonde was looking forward to three days with her partner.
She pulled in at Emily’s just after 8, having left straight from work. Checking her hair in the mirror, she got out and grabbed her suitcase to head upstairs.
Emily jumped in her seat on the couch when Aubrey knocked. She knew who it was, but she didn’t really get visitors, and she was full of nervous anticipation for the weekend. She hopped up and strode quickly across the apartment to answer the door. “Hey, babe,” she said with a smile. “Come on in.” She stood aside to let her inside.
Before they got very far, Aubrey pulled Emily close for a long, deep kiss. Emily leaned into it, hooking one hand around her hip to draw her closer. “I missed you,” Aubrey whispered.
“I missed you, Bree.” Emily wrapped her in a hug and kissed her forehead. They stood there a few minutes, just holding each other after three weeks apart. “Come on, let’s get settled,” Emily finally suggested. Aubrey nodded, and the brunette led her to the bedroom to stow her suitcase, then showed her the kitchen. “Did you eat? I have pizza from tonight.”
“Actually, I’m starving. I came here straight from work.”
“Oh, wow. Okay, let me heat it up.” Emily got the pizza our and moved to turn the oven on.
“The microwave is fine, babe. I’m not that picky.”
Emily detoured to the microwave. “Do you want a beer? Do you even drink beer? I didn’t think to ask before you got here.”
Aubrey walked over and placed her hands on Emily’s arms. “Beer is fine. I know you’re nervous, babe. But don’t feel like you have to impress me or anything.” She kissed her forehead as they microwave beeped. Aubrey moved to sit at the table while Emily grabbed the pizza and two beers and joined her.
When Aubrey had finished, they moved into the living room. Emily sat on the couch, Aubrey leaning against her with her legs curled under her. Emily asked about her day, which she outlined quickly since not much had happened. “I’m just glad it’s a long weekend; I need the break.”
Emily nodded, looking down at their hands, fingers twined. “Hopefully, I’ll hear from the label soon and start working. I’m getting frustrated not doing what I want to do.”
“Have you been writing?” Aubrey asked.
The brunette sighed. “Yeah, some. I have so much written down, I’m having trouble deciding what parts go together the right way.”
Aubrey squeezed her hand. “It sounds frustrating. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Emily glanced at her with a smile. “Keep being your incredible self, babe. It helps knowing you’re in my corner.” Aubrey blushed, and Emily reached out to caress her cheek. “You are so beautiful, Bree,” she said softly. Their gazes met, and Emily soon lost herself in the pale blue. When Aubrey kissed her, she kissed back desperately, suddenly on fire for her partner. She dragged her teeth over Aubrey’s lower lip and murmured, “Come to bed with me, Bree.”
Aubrey willingly stood and followed her into the bedroom. Emily turned and claimed a deep, hungry kiss, and Aubrey could sense her intense need. She lifted Emily’s shirt until it was off and tossed it away. Between them, they got her undressed quickly, and Aubrey took her hand and led her to the bed. Sitting on the edge, she drew Emily down to straddle her lap.
Emily buried her hands in Aubrey’s hair and claimed another fiery kiss as she felt Aubrey teasing one pebbled peak with her fingers, making her moan into the kiss. Moments later, she gasped and groaned as she felt a finger stroking gently. “Jesus Christ, Bree… please…” Her voice trailed into a low moan as she felt Aubrey’s fingers inside her.
“Ride me, Em. Take what you need,” Aubrey whispered in her ear before nipping the soft flesh just below. Emily rocked her hips hard and slow against her hand, fisting one hand in her hair and gripping her shoulder. Aubrey matched her rhythm, continuing her teasing and nipping at her neck and shoulder. Soon, Emily threw her head back with a hoarse cry, shuddering hard before falling forward into Aubrey’s arms.
The blonde held her close and stroked her hair as she panted. “I love you, Emily,” she said quietly.
Emily gripped her tighter. “I love you, too, Aubrey.” Her heart, which had been calming down, pounded again. She had been hoping to say that over the weekend, but hadn’t expected Aubrey to beat her to it.
Aubrey kissed her shoulder, then rearranged them to lie down, Emily pressed up against her side. Park of her had been terrified she was jumping the gun, but most of her had been screaming that it was time, say it now. Now she was glad she had. Emily couldn’t stop smiling as she snuggled closer. After a few minutes, she drifted off and Aubrey was close behind.
Emily woke up first Saturday morning, still lying close to Aubrey. She smiled as she remembered their last words before falling asleep. It was only 7, and she was hoping Aubrey would sleep in, so she stayed where she was, glad to see her partner relaxed for a bit. Aubrey seemed to carry a lot of tension, and Emily wondered if that would ever ease. Perhaps when she wasn’t working a job she hated.
Emily hoped to hear from the label soon, so she knew what her next steps were. If she ever wanted to be a reliable breadwinner, she needed to get started already. She paused to think about that. She was already planning on things getting more serious with Aubrey, and it had only been a month. Smiling, she draped an arm lightly over her partner; planning was good. She knew what she wanted, she knew what Aubrey wanted. Why not plan?
Around 7:30, Aubrey began stirring, rolling over to lie closer to Emily, who held her snugly as she woke up. “Have you been up long?” she asked through a yawn.
“No, not that long. I just didn’t want to wake you.” She lifted a hand to tuck a lock of soft hair behind Aubrey’s ear. “You look so relaxed when you sleep, I hate to disturb that.”
Aubrey smiled and kissed her softly. “It helps when I’m not sleeping alone.” These two nights she had shared a bed with Emily, she had slept better than she could remember ever sleeping.
Emily smiled back. “Ready for coffee?” Aubrey nodded enthusiastically, and they got up, threw on their pajamas, and moved to the kitchen, where Emily started the coffee pot. Getting out mugs, she asked, “Light and sweet, right?”
Aubrey chuckled. “You know my coffee already?”
The brunette came over for a lingering kiss. “I try to remember everything. I want to know you, anything you’re willing to share.” She returned to the counter to pour their coffee and join Aubrey at the table. They fell quiet as they let the coffee do its work.
Emily poured them refills and started a fresh pot. “So, I finished a song. Can I play it for you later?”
“Of course! I’ll listen to anything you want to play, but especially your original work.”
Emily looked at her for a long moment. “It’s not a happy song, but don’t… don’t read anything into it, okay?”
Aubrey reached for her hand, lacing their fingers. “I promise, babe. I don’t expect you to focus your writing on me just because we’re together.”
Emily squeezed her hand. “Thanks for understanding, Bree. I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.” They finished their coffee, and Emily asked if Aubrey wanted to order in breakfast. “All I have is cereal.”
The blonde chuckled. “Cereal would be fine, but ordering in sounds better. What’s good around here?” They decided on breakfast sandwiches, and Emily called in their order, adding a latte for each of them. Just as she set the phone down, it dinged with a text from Beca. She had found a small club having a live band that night, not far from a diner. She relayed the plan to Aubrey, who chuckled.
“Live music could mean anything. Glad you like a lot of music; it would suck if one of us didn’t like the music.”
“I know lots of music. I’ll be good with whatever she found.” She knew Aubrey hadn’t meant to make a crack about her age, so she hid her slight irritation in her mug.
But Aubrey could hear it in her voice. “I didn’t mean… Em, I’m sorry.” She reached for her hand hesitantly, half expecting her to pull away.
Emily twined fingers with her. “It’s fine, love. I know you didn’t mean it the way it came out. We’re good, Bree.” She got up to answer the door, kissing the top of Aubrey’s head on the way out of the room. She soon returned with their food, and they slipped into comfortable silence as they ate.
They took their lattes into the living room and Emily lounged along the couch, motioning for Aubrey to sit in front of her. The blonde sat, snuggling close as Emily wound her free arm around her.
“This is so much better than I imagined,” Aubrey said after a few minutes.
“What is?”
“Just relaxing in your arms.”
Emily kissed the back of her shoulder. “I rather like it, too. I like having you close.” She tightened her grip a bit. “It reminds me that this is really happening, I really am this lucky.”
Aubrey blushed. “I’m lucky, too, Em,” she replied quietly. She leaned her head back on Emily’s shoulder, and the brunette kissed a trail down her neck slowly. Aubrey bit her lip and tilted her head, resting her hand over Emily’s. Emily dragged her teeth over her earlobe, and her breath hitched as she gripped the hand beneath hers.
Emily took her coffee and set both aside, then caught Aubrey’s arm, kissing and nibbling from her wrist up the inside of her forearm to the elbow. Aubrey bit her lip as she watched, willingly lifting her arms when Emily pulled her shirt up and off. The brunette dragged her nails lightly up her sides, making her shiver.
“Harder, Em,” Aubrey whispered. “Scratch hard.” She gasped as she felt her nails, moaning quietly. She gripped at the couch with one hand and Emily’s knee with the other as she felt fingers teasing one hardened bud, another drifting between her thighs to stroke gently. Groaning loudly, she dug her nails into soft skin. “Fuck, Em… please… I need…” she panted.
Emily obliged her with a slow, steady rhythm. “Come for me, love. Let me hear you,” she murmured in her ear. Aubrey lifted her hips to meet each thrust, and soon she was crying out as she shuddered against her partner. Emily kissed her shoulder as she wrapped her arms tightly around Aubrey. She nuzzled her face into the blonde’s neck.
“Em? You okay?” Aubrey laced fingers with her.
“Yeah, I just… I love you so much.” She tightened her grip a bit, as if afraid she would pull away.
Instead, Aubrey cuddled closer. “I understand, babe. I feel it, too. Almost scary, how much, isn’t it? It is for me.”
Emily nodded. “I regret nothing, though, Bree. I’m happy with you. More than I imagined I could be.” They fell quiet for a while before it was time to get ready to meet Beca and Chloe.
***
They met up at another diner, blocks from the club that Beca was excited to bring them to. She hadn’t told them yet that the night’s band was Against the Current, the local band she had said she wanted them to see together. The diner had been chosen for its proximity to the club.
Beca and Chloe were waiting outside when Aubrey and Emily got there. They glanced at each other; they hadn’t expected them to show up together. And Chloe hadn’t expected the glow her best friend had. Apparently, things were going well, indeed.
“Hey, guys. Sorry we’re late,” Aubrey said when they approached.
Beca waved it off. “You’re not late. We just got here, and we have plenty of time. So no rush, okay?” The others nodded and they all went inside.
As they waited for their food, Beca revealed who was performing at the club. “Their videos are great. They’re both pop-dance and pop-rick.” The others were all for it, Chloe smiling and squeezing her hand.
When they finished eating, Beca checked the time. “We still have an hour before the show. Should we just go hang in front of the club?” Everyone agreed, and they headed out, Emily and Aubrey following in Emily’s car.
Inside, they found a spot not far from the stage where they ended up rocking out to the band’s unique sound. Chloe watched her friends unobtrusively as they enjoyed the show. They were rarely out of physical contact, and even then they stayed very close to each other. She witnessed a few kisses and smiled each time at the evidence her friends were happy together.
Beca knew her partner would be watching, so she concentrated on the show. If there was anything to tell, she’d hear it later. After the show, they made their way outside, where they stood talking about the band for several minutes.
“Well,” Emily eventually said, “we should head out.”
Chloe tilted her head. “We?”
Emily blushed. “Bree is staying at my place this weekend. She drove in last night.”
“Oh, okay. That explains you showing up together. Well, you’re free to stop by. We’re home all weekend.”
They nodded. “We’ll see what we come up with,” Emily replied. They all exchanged hugs before Emily and Aubrey made their way to the car.
“Look at them, Becs. Aren’t they just beautiful together?” Chloe slipped her hand into Beca’s.
“They are. Almost as much as us.”
Chloe turned to her with a loving look. “That was very sweet, love.” She gave her a kiss. “Come one, let’s head home.”
***
Chloe was surprised to get a call from Aubrey Sunday afternoon. “Bree? Is everything okay?”
Aubrey chuckled at her best friend’s instinct to help. “Everything is great, Chlo. We were wondering if you guys knew a park with grills. We thought the four of us could barbecue tomorrow.”
“Let me go in my Becs and see what she knows.” Chloe made her way to the guest room where Beca was working. “Babe, do you know any parks with grills?” She relayed the proposed plan for the next day.
“Yeah, let me think.” She turned away from the computer. “There’s one kinda close to Emily’s. I’ll text them the location. What do they want us to bring?” Chloe put the phone on speaker and they all divided up what they would need.
“Alright, sounds good,” Chloe declared. “We’ll see you around noon.” She slid her phone in her pocket. “I need to go food shopping. Do you want to stay and work?”
“Honestly, no. I’d rather come with you.” Beca saved her work and shut down. Standing, she held a hand out to her partner. “Let’s go shopping.”
***
Emily and Aubrey beat them to the park, and the table and grill they had claimed were set up and ready when Beca and Chloe got there. There were hugs all around, then Chloe pulled Aubrey towards the grill while Beca and Emily talked shop. “Ever used a grill?” she asked the blonde.
“Watched, yes. Used, no. I’m hoping you know what you’re doing.”
Chloe laughed. “I do. My dad taught me when he got tired of doing it. I’ll teach you; useful skill to have.” Aubrey thanked her, happy for any help that would prepare her to, hopefully, make a home with Emily. She turned as she heard Emily squeal with delight, Beca standing there with a grin.
“Care to share with the class?” she asked.
Emily dashed over for a bear hug. “The label wants me, both to write and to play backup.”
Aubrey gripped her tight. “That’s amazing, Em! I’m so proud of you. You deserve this.” Almost as ecstatic as her partner, Aubrey drew her into a deep kiss. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too, Bree,” Emily murmured. Thinks were coming together, better than she had dreamed. She had a job at a label doing what she loved, friends to cheer her on, and, of course, Aubrey to love. She couldn’t have asked for more in the moment.
After a couple minutes, Chloe tapped Aubrey on the shoulder. “Shall we begin?”
Aubrey blushed as she and Emily parted. She claimed one more kiss, then turned her attention to Chloe and the grill. Soon enough, they were serving up burgers to go with the salads Chloe had made. Beca started some music on her phone, and they all sat to share the meal.
After lunch was done, they traded the music on Beca’s phone for Emily playing guitar, all of them singing along at various points. They sounded good enough that a few other people in the park moved closer to listen and applaud.
When she needed a break, Emily set the instrument back in its case, and Aubrey slipped a hand into hers. “That was great, love. The label made the right decision.”
Emily smiled and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, Bree.” She was excited to get started on Wednesday. She peppered Beca with questions about the label, the people she would be working with, and everything else she could think of. The older woman answered as best she could with the information she had.
“I specifically asked to work with you, but they may make us wait for that.” Beca chuckled as Emily came around the table for a hug.
“I can never repay you, Beca. Anything I can ever do for you…”
Beca patted her arm. “No need for that. You’ll still have to put in the time and effort, but at least people will be looking at you work with recording in mind.” Emily thanked her again as she reclaimed her seat, leaning against Aubrey.
Chloe took Beca’s hand and smiled when Aubrey draped an arm around Emily’s shoulders. They seemed to have gotten very comfortable with each other, which she was happy to see. Aubrey’s eyes met hers, and she could see the depths of the blonde’s feelings in their pale blue. Beca had wondered if Aubrey was ready for the strength of Emily’s feelings; Chloe had a feeling they were equally matched. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen two people so intense for each other.
They enjoyed the afternoon so much, they decided to stay and grill the last of the burgers for dinner. Chloe stood by and supervised, but let Aubrey handle the grill. This time, after they finished, they went their separate ways.
Back at home, as Chloe loaded the dishwash and Beca prepared tea for two, the ginger asked, “Did you notice how intense they are about each other?”
Beca chuckled. “Yes, but we were the same way. Still are, sometimes. I’m sure they say the same about us.” She turned off the kettle and poured the hot water. “Now that Emily has a job, they can both think about what they want together. Has Bree told Emily about wanting to stay home and take care of things?”
“I have no idea. But they don’t live together yet, so it may not have come up. For what it’s worth, I think Emily will be fine with it. I think she’d do just about anything to make Bree happy.” Chloe took her mug from Beca and leaned her head on her shoulder.