No Escape

Carefree Nights

"What are they still doing up there?" Hanna looked up as if she would be able to see Emily and Alison. They had gathered at Emily's place for a carefree day of doing nothing, and she with Aria and Spencer were preparing for the movie marathon they had planned for the night.

"We can only guess," Aria replied, as they heard squeals. 

"They better not be-"

"No fair!"

It was Emily's voice and they heard hurried footsteps on the stairs, then they saw Alison as she rounded th corner and she was halfway down that flight of stairs when Emily breezed by her, sliding down the bannister. Emily agilely landed and caught a laughing Alison.

"You cheated!" Alison accused, slightly out of breath, but smiling widely.

"You got a headstart," Emily countered, leaning in to stop any more protests by locking their lips together, and the force of the kiss had Alison bending back slightly. When they parted, Alison's eyes were slightly unfocused and it had taken a while for her to open them.

"What were you saying?"

Alison paused. "I don't know," she murmured, before leaning in again to a grinning Emily.

"Ok, guys, break it up," Hanna said, physically separating the two of them, and looping an arm through Alison's so she wouldn't be able to go back to Emily who was still smiling watching Alison being led to the kitchen. Emily decided to help Aria set up the living room, and pick the movies.

When they arrived at the kitchen, Alison was still a little dazed. When Hanna was about to call out her name, Alison blurted out, "I miss Emily." After which she blushed profusely.

Spencer and Hanna's laughed.

"I never thought I'd see that day," Spencer said, taking out the popcorn from the microwave.

Hanna gave Alison a sideways hug. "Look at you. You resemble a tomato, Ali."

"Shush," Alison muttered, making a face. Whatever Emily was doing to her, it was getting really bad.

"Come on. Before the top of Alison's head pops," Spencer teased, jerking her head towards the living room.

"I used to have better control of this," Alison muttered to herself.

"Nobody liked you when you did."

"Hanna!" Spencer admonished, feeling the atmosphere quickly shifting to something all too familiar, and none of them were comfortable with. Hanna muttered an apology.

"Emily did," Aria mentioned, and Emily smiled, looking at Ali.

"I did."

"I don't know why," Alison replied, smiling, but her eyes betrayed her sadness. Emily got up from where she was and closed the distance between the two of them, knowing Alison had been trying really hard to make up for all the things she had done in the past.

Emily hummed as she wrapped wrapped her arms around her.

"Not again," Spencer muttered. And that broke the awkward air, making Hanna and Aria laugh and Emily grin. Ali, however, Emily noticed, still had that sad smile on her lips.

Emily pulled Alison towards their spot on the floor over the floor pillows, and made her sit with her back on the couch. She sat in front of Alison, grabbing a blanket to cover the both of them, and she slid down until her head was comfortably nestled on Alison's shoulder, Alison's arms around her.

"Hands where we can see them," the three chorused and they all looked up from what they were doing.

"That was slightly creepy," Alison commented with a raised eyebrow, to the laughter of everyone. Alison and Emily made a show of raising both their hands up before they settled slowly on Emily's middle where Alison could wrap her arms snuggly around her.