Kingdom Come Undone

Insult to Injury

A/N: Hi everyone! Welcome to another installment of "I just couldn't cut this chapter down". The only place I could cut it made it a 3,000 word chapter and a 9,000 word chapter... soooo instead, here's a little over 12,000 words just for you all! Depending on response, maybe I'll even post another full chapter on Thursday! Haha Love you all! Happy Valentines Day :)

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Getting out of the shower Tuesday morning, Alison ducked her head around the corner, smirking at my nude figure before blushing, "Yes?"

She shook her head attempting to get the needle back on track, "So sorry. Forgot where I was." Loving the light attention, I spun in a circle, intentionally shaking my ass her way. Her hand quickly came up to cover her eyes, still unable to hide the blush and dimples smattered across her cheeks, "I got an email with the brief edits for the photos late last night. Want to go over them with me? I haven't looked."

I laughed as she barely peeked through her fingers, "I must tell you that I don't quite trust what you're saying at this time. You seem to be looking an awful lot." Wrapping the towel around myself before heading for the closet, I replied, "I'll be right there. Just let me throw on a big shirt or something."

Coming back into our bedroom, I paused by her side of the bed, barely bending over to kiss her softly. She grunted in surprise and intrigue, "What was that for?"

"You're extremely cute when you're shy." I kissed her nose before sitting down on the bed in front of her, scooting to squeeze between her legs as she placed her iPad on my lap.

"So Alex picks her favorite shot from each section of small group shots everyone took and does a brief edit before sending full edits out in a week or so. This will give us an idea of which prints we want to order, how we want Christmas cards to look like based on horizontal or vertical design, and everything else that goes into it. What folders do you want, babe? Do we even try to fuck with our four-person shot?"

"Not at all. Go to me, you, and J."

Alison scrolled to one of the last folders, entering the password as she clicked it open before the first full photo hit the screen. In front of us was an unstaged shot of the three of us trying to help Jacob get ready. Alison was in the middle of helping get his belt off, crouched in front of him as I was leaned over Alison, one hand on her right shoulder as my other casually fixed his hair. Both us were looking at him with beaming smiles as his shoulders were pulled up to his ears giggling.

I felt Alison's lips casually against my neck as she whispered, "You look so beautiful, Emmy."

"So do you. I love your genuine smile, and we look so in love with him. It's a precious photo."

She adjusted my wet hair to the side before continuing, "If you want, we can just stop here. I think we found the best one."

"I do love this one, but remember we're looking for one to put in the alcove by the stairs."

"You're right. Too soon for this shot." She settled one hand on top of mine, linking our fingers together.

I turned, kissing her temple, "We can save this one for a house we actually have together, you know? A house of our own that Jacob lives in too."

The sentence surprised me as much as it did her. After figuring out our traveling arrangements as part of our relationship nearly a month ago, we didn't discuss that ever changing. Just as we glazed over me being hesitant to get married. Just as we side-stepped future conversations with Carter. It's not that we avoided the uncomfortable. We both trusted each other enough that when any of those issues became too much, we believed that the other would speak up about it. It's not that I hadn't meant what I said. Of course, I pictured perfection for us. I dreamed of the day that the back and forth was unnecessary. The day when having Alison in my arms each morning was the inevitable and not only sometimes a reality. But the words escaped my lips as though that future was guaranteed. As if this home wasn't ours. As if there was another waiting for us out there. One for the three of us. One that might even be better than the dose of perfection we had already conjured up.