No Escape

Calm Before the Storm

A/N: I'm inserting this filler chapter intentionally so I can segue into the beginning of the end of this fanfic. I really really really want to write more fluff scenes, but I felt it's entirely too weird to build their lives with -A still hanging over their heads. So! A few more chapters, maybe three, and I'll start on a romance fic that will be the sequel to this. What do you guys think? :)

Alison pursed her lips as she stared at the stack of papers in front of her, glasses already slipping down her nose. If there was one thing she hated more than looking like a damn nerd while she worked, it was the fact that when she did, her glasses would slide down her nose as if they would rather be on the table than her face. She pushed the pair up annoyedly, before tapping her pen on the table, flipping to the next page.

She tensed, then immediately relaxed when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders, and she leaned back, happy for the distraction from her work. She felt a pair of lips press lovingly to her neck before she looked backwards and Emily captured her lips in a short but soft kiss. Alison sighed into it, feeling the majority of her stress leaving her as she did.

"Your glasses sometimes poke me when we kiss."

Alison rolled her eyes, but not at Emily, pulling back enough to take off the glasses and chuck them to the table.

Emily grinned at her. "Careful, you just got those a few weeks- hmm."

It was maybe a few minutes before the two of them pulled back, Emily leaving a few more kisses on Alison's lips before standing up from her position, arms slipping until only her hands were on Alison's shoulders. She started moving them so she was massaging Alison's sore muscles, knowing her girlfriend was stressed. "I thought you weren't receiving that until next week."

"Yeah, well, it's there." Alison huffed, as she stood, feeling Emily's arms slide from her shoulders as she did. She reached for one of Emily's hands to lead her to the living room, wanting to put some space between her and her makeshift workstation on the dining room table.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked. They settled on the sofa, with Emily pulling Alison in between her legs so they could cuddle, with Alison facing sidewards, her legs across one of Emily's.

Alison sort of scowled at nothing before shifting a little so she could look at Emily. "What's not wrong?" Emily's eyebrows furrowed in question, so Alison explained. "I've been reading through corrections for the past three hours. With the number of them I've seen per page, I don't think I wrote anything right in that novel," she bit out frustratedly.

Emily's hand ran up and down Alison's back as she ranted, and she pressed a kiss to the blonde's shoulder absentmindedly while she did. "They warned you that they were going to be brutal about it, though."

"Yeah, but the farther in I go, the more blunt the comments are. Is it completely necessary to say 'this sounds stupid' every time I use the wrong word for something?"

Emily was quiet as she kept her hands busy rubbing over Alison's back, because she knew Alison was aware that she was going to receive the kind of treatment she was receiving. Aside from the fact that she was still too young for publishers to actually take seriously, she was also extremely critical of herself. Emily caught one of Alison's hands to thread her fingers through the blondes just so she could offer a little bit more comfort.

Alison sighed, the physical contact from Emily calming her. She slumped, head tucking under Emily's chin, and she wiggled until she was completely curled up against Emily. "How was your day?" she asked meekly, and Emily took it as an apology for ranting and for taking out Alison's frustrations on the one person who didn't really deserve them. Emily kissed the top of her head in acceptance.