Kiss Me Goodnight

Chapter 11

Sunday December 24th

"What if I bring over some s'mores?"

"I don't have a fireplace."

"So what?"

Tobin smiles into the phone and nods her head as if Alex could see that across the line.

"Okay."

"Need anything else?"

"Nope, but don't buy too much."

"No guarantees." Alex hangs up the phone and Tobin goes back to cleaning up her place. She's honestly never had this many people at her place, especially for the holiday, but it's nice. Being surrounded by people she likes on a holiday. She hasn't had a good one in too long.

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"Ali get the door? It's probably Alex!" Tobin yells from inside her room. Ali's been helping Tobin clean by laying around and doing nothing. Not that Tobin minds. It's just funny that Ali's such a lazy person.

"You want me to get up?"

"Yes."

"Fine." Ali gets up from her position on the couch and drags her feet towards the door. She unlocks it and throws the door open without even looking at the guest and starts making her way back towards the couch.

"I don't even get a 'hello'?" Ali stops mid step and as if she was a cartoon she twists around and throws herself into Ashlyn's arms.

"That's better." Ashlyn drops her bags and holds Ali. It's a full hug. Ashlyn's got her arms tight around Ali's waist and Ali's got her head buried into Ashlyn's shoulder. "Mphm mmm hmm." Ali's words are purely mumbles because she's got her face hidden in Ashlyn's neck.

"Babe you're going to have to be more clear." Ashlyn's making fun of her girlfriend, but she's nothing but happy that she's got Ali back in her arms.

"What are you doing here?" Ali's finally lifted her head back up, but doesn't step back or remove her hands off Ashlyn.

"Well, I got a phone call yesterday and then I was on the next flight here." Ashlyn looks pointedly at Tobin when she says phone call and Ali gets it. Ali turns her head, still refusing to detach herself from Ashlyn's body, and looks at Tobin. "Why'd you call her?" Ali questions.

"I don't think you should spend Christmas away from her." Tobin just smiles at the two. Even if she's never really gotten to know Ashlyn and this is her first step forward in trying. Tobin recognizes that calling Ashlyn was the first step towards reconciling things with Ashlyn and Ali as a couple and even if Ali hasn't mentioned much of Ashlyn when they talk she knows that Ashlyn's just an extension of Ali. Tobin still knows Ali better than she's known herself and Tobin knows that Ali loves deeply and relentlessly and she knows this because she feels it too.

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"Hey, just leave the stuff in your car when you get here? And text me when you're here. I think we should take a walk."

Tobin called Alex from her room because Ashlyn and Ali are cuddled up on the couch and she didn't really want to intrude. As much as she's trying she's still got a long way to go before she's comfortable.

"Yeah. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just need some fresh air." The sound of Alex's genuine concern still is new to Tobin. Tobin's not sure if she'll ever get used to anyone other than Ali caring, but Tobin just made a huge leap forward yesterday by admitting to Ali that Alex is different. Maybe Tobin just needs to sit down and figure this out. Today's not that day though, it's almost Christmas. The first Christmas in a long time that Tobin's actually rejoicing.