Work Text:
Coming Home
by Pirate Turner
Freshly swollen pink lips haunted her mind every time she closed her eyes. The tired young woman breathed an aggravated sigh as she ran aching fingers through her long, brown hair. She opened her eyes again and tried to refocus on the words in her text book, but even they were replaced by that pouting face who only wanted more from her, more of something she never should have given her.
Joey shook her head and stifled the scream that built within her throat. She never should have given in to the feelings that her room mate sparked inside her, feelings she'd never thought she'd have and feelings no woman should have for another. Hell, she had enough trouble just dealing with Dawson, Pacey, and every other man in her life!
But none of them had ever kissed her the way Aubrey had. Their kiss had began gently. Indeed, she would have likened the kiss to the gentlest of feather touches, and though it had remained gentle, she had found in that kiss more passion than she'd ever felt before. No one, not even Dawson or Pacey, had ever kissed her like Aubrey had. The kiss had flown into her every core, making her insides feel like molten fire, and she had eagerly leaned into it . . . until she'd realized what she was doing and had pulled away in shock.
Aubrey had apologized and they'd tried to laugh it off, but the look in the beautiful blonde's eyes still haunted the brunette. She'd seen those eyes before or something like them. She herself had worn that expression years ago when watching Dawson, yet there was something more . . . intense in Aubrey's stare. The blonde had been unable to keep her eyes from shining with unshed tears, but both she and Joey had pretended not to notice them.
Joey snapped to as she felt her cell phone tingling in her pocket. Forgetting she was in the library, she flipped it open with trembling fingers and looked at the ID. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. It was Aubrey. She opened it cautiously, "Hello?"
"Joey, I'm sorry."
Tears filled Joey's eyes, and she looked down so that no one would see them even though she was alone. She wanted to tell her not to be, not to apologize for giving her the best kiss she'd ever experienced, but to do so would be to admit the feelings she shouldn't be having.
"But it's going to be okay again. You'll be fine. You don't have to worry about anything."
Aubrey was babbling, and she could clearly hear the tears in her voice. That wasn't good, but what could she say? She dare not admit she'd actually liked the kiss!
"I'm leaving."
At last, she found her voice. "What?" she creaked out. "Why?"
"I abused our friendship. Things are never going to be the same. You don't feel the same. Joey, I . . . . I love you."
She loved her! That knowledge lit up Joey's face bigger and brighter than even Dawson's proclamation of love had. A warm feeling rushed through her, and she suddenly knew she couldn't lie to the only person whose lips she still ached to feel on hers again.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have -- "
"Aubrey?" She could barely get her name out for the emotions that now choked her own voice.
"Yeah?"
"Don't go anywhere. Stay there. I'm coming home . . . to you . . . and . . . Aub?"
"Y-Yeah?" Joey could see her clearly, standing with barely the strength in her trembling legs to keep her supported and in her shaking hands to keep the phone lifted to her ear. Her shimmering blonde hair was undoubtedly a thorough mess from the countless times she'd ran her hands through her hair, and her face was flush and wet with tears. Joey wanted to kiss every one of those tears away.
"I'm coming home," she said again with a huge grin as she grabbed her book and began the wild rush to their room, "and I'm going to kiss away every one of those tears so don't you dare go away."
"J-Joey?" Now it was Aubrey's turn to not believe her ears or the warm relief that was flooding her soul.
"I'll be there in five minutes, and then I'll show you, Aubrey . . . I'll show you I do love you." They stayed on the phone together, their tears of happiness and relief each other's romantic chorus, and indeed as soon as she reached their room, Joey did tackle Aubrey and showed her all the love she'd never known she would ever willingly give to a soul mate that was neither Dawson nor Pacey but instead the most beautiful and exciting woman she'd ever known.
The End