The Phoenix

Better Circumstances

Emily sat in Aaron's office with him and Seth as they celebrated the confirmation of the new VP.

"Congratulations, we did it." he said, handing Seth another bottle.

"To Peter MacLeish."

"Our new Vice President," Seth affirmed.

"What's up, Spring Break?" Emily asked him as he moved onto his fourth bottle of the night.

"Oh, come on. You know, if you had 60 news hungry journalists clamoring for information about Nassar's murder you'd be thirsty too."

"Well, maybe the MacLeish confirmation will keep them off your back for a news cycle."

"Hah, yeah. The only thing that's gonna keep them off my back is an answer, which as I remind you, we don't have."

"True," Aaron replied.

"Rumor is, MacLeish if bringing a bunch of his house staffers with him. You guys know any of them?" Seth wondered.

"Yeah, I used to play soccer every Tuesday with his commerce director, that guy's sharp as marble."

I had no idea he played soccer.

"I once shared a summer house in Dewey Beach with his legislative assistants. I mean, we were only 19 but they seemed on top of it." Emily explained.

"19?" Aaron asked.

"Yes, and I will need plenty more of these before you get any of those stories." she said, drinking the rest of her glass as he laughed.

Seth stood up from his seat.

"Alright, I'm going to go meet the speechwriters from News Street. You guys are welcome to join."

"No, no, we're good where we are Seth. Thank you." Aaron told him.

"Alright, see you tomorrow. Have a good night."

"Get home safe."

Seth was barely out the door when Emily resumed the conversation.
"Can you believe everything that's happened?"

"It's been a roller coaster for sure."

"You know, I have to admit when I first got here, I thought that you were gonna do everything you could to get me out of the White House, not be the reason I'm still here."

"Well, I have to admit when you first got here, I didn't think you could handle it."

"Yeah, you called me a minor-leaguer." she recalled, laughing with him.

"Yeah well, I was wrong," he said, turning to look her in the eyes. "If anything, I'm learning from you."

His eyes suddenly took on a look that she had seen before, but never understood. It was a look of want. She was sure of what they both wanted in that moment, so she went for it. Emily leaned in and pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back and she gently touched his jaw with her fingertips before placing her whole hand on his neck to deepen it.

Kissing him caused a supernova of emotions to explode in her chest. The feeling of relief, passion, calm, happiness, and most of all, love.

Despite being composed of only four letters, love had always been a big word for her. It wasn't something that she threw around carelessly when it was about another person, but love was truly an emotion she felt for him.

At this point, Aaron had one hand on her face and Emily had her arms around his neck. This was something she could do more often, however, the most amazing kiss of all time stopped when they both realized that they were in fact, humans, which unfortunately needed to breathe. Instead of kissing, they sat there, foreheads pressed together.

It seemed as if she finally understood everything. Every intense, emotion-filled stare he ever gave her. The one he was giving her now.

It seemed all that Emily had thought about after the Capitol bombing was that she wished there were better circumstances. Under better circumstances, the American people would unite, under better circumstances the governors would not be bending Kirkman to their ideas, under better circumstances all of her friends and colleagues wouldn't be dead. But a sudden realization came to her. Under better circumstances, she never would have met Aaron Shore. Somewhere in her now suddenly twisted mind, a morally cold idea crept up behind her.

Not meeting him would be worse. 

A/N: Well guys, since this ship's fanfiction doesn't seem to be writing itself, it looks like I'll be doing it. Last night's cliffhanger killed me.

- xoxo Amanda