A/N: I'm afraid this is going to be the last chapter of this story, mostly because I'm back at school and I will have absolutely no time to update it and I don't want to leave you guys waiting weeks at a time for updates. However, that's not to say I won't write a sequel or companion piece or something when things calm down. Thanks to everybody who favourited and reviewed, I hope you all enjoyed it =]
Hanna and Emily were lying on her bed, Hanna's head on Emily's shoulder, hands intertwined, quietly taking in their new situation.
"Aria and Spencer are going to tease us so much," Emily laughed.
"I can't believe they both knew we liked each other and wouldn't tell us," Hanna huffed and Emily chuckled, admiring how adorable Hanna was when she pouted.
"I think they just didn't want to force us together," Emily mused, to which Hanna hummed in agreement as they both grew quiet again.
"Oh God, what about my mom?" Hanna exclaimed suddenly. Emily paused thoughtfully.
"She's been really great to me, Han. I think she'll be supportive. But maybe we should wait a few days before we tell her, she said no girlfriends in the bedroom. It might be awkward if she makes you sleep downstairs on the couch," Emily joked.
Hanna slapped Emily's arm playfully. "Why do I get delegated to the couch? This is my room."
"Because, she said that I wasn't allowed girlfriends in here. She only said that you couldn't have boyfriends." Emily explained matter-of-factly, mocha eyes twinkling.
"Your logic is flawless," Hanna replied sarcastically, before breaking into a smile.
"Are we going to tell people, though? Like, at school and stuff?" Emily asked timidly.
"Of course we are. I'm not ashamed of us," Hanna reassured her, leaning up to kiss the worried look off Emily's face.
Hanna and Emily walked into school hand in hand the next day.
"There's Aria and Spencer. You ready?" Hanna inquired. Emily nodded and Hanna began moving towards them, but was stopped when Emily didn't move. She'd been struck with an idea and a smirk played on her lips.
"Wait," she said and Hanna looked at her questioningly. "I've got a better idea. Want to get back at them for not telling us about how we felt?"
"Hell yes," Hanna said, a mischievous look on her face.
"Follow my lead," Emily said, whispering the plan into a giggling Hanna's ear before striding towards the table Spencer and Aria inhabited, Hanna hot on her heels.
When she reached the table, she threw her bag down on it and sat down in a huff, glaring at Hanna.
"I can't believe you would do this!" she said to Hanna with mock anger as she sat down opposite her. Hanna caught on and jumped in, replying vaguely, allowing Emily to take the lead.
"I said I was sorry, what more do you want?" Spencer and Aria had ceased their conversation and were looking between Emily and Hanna, shocked, wondering what was going on. Emily fake scoffed.
"Seriously, does our friendship mean nothing to you? We're supposed to be best friends!"
Hanna opened her mouth to retort when she was cut off by a very confused Spencer.
"Whoa! Guys, what is going on?" Spencer questioned authoritively.
"Ask Judas here," Emily said.
"Oh please!" Hanna retorted.
"Seriously, guys, what's the problem?" Aria asked. She and Spencer were sharing nervous looks, watching Hanna and Emily worriedly.. Hanna and Emily ignored them and carried on their pretend fight, working very hard not to laugh and break the illusion.
"Hanna, you promised me," Emily said, a convincing look of hurt on her face. "I can't believe you would go behind my back like that! I had claim on the last pop tart and you know it."
Hanna nearly burst out laughing at Spencer and Aria's faces at the revelation of the argument's subject.
"Wait, really?" Spencer said to no one in particular.
"You guys are fighting over breakfast? We were worried it was something important!" Aria chastised them.
"It is important. She knows I called dibs on it and she promised me that she wouldn't eat it, but I caught her red handed!"
Hanna couldn't keep it up anymore. She burst into laughter at the bewildered looks on Spencer and Aria's faces. Emily took one look at them and joined in too, and the couple shared a look of triumph over tricking their friends.
"They were messing with us!" Spencer exclaimed disbelievingly.
"I can't believe you two!" Aria said. "I thought you guys were seriously about to come to blows."
"Well, that's what you get for keeping something so important from us." Hanna said with a playful smirk.
Aria and Spencer perked up at this.
"Wait, does this mean...?" Spencer asked.
Hanna and Emily simply nodded, reaching across the table for each other's hands. Spencer and Aria broke into huge smiles, babbling excitedly, bombarding them with questions – were they a couple now? How had it happened? What had the kiss been like?
By the time they had finished answering their questions, they were all grinning happily.
"Well, I'm glad you two are finally together," Spencer said.
"Yeah, we're really happy for you both," Aria added sincerely.
"Thanks, you guys," Emily replied. Then, her smile faltered at a horrible thought. "Oh God," she said, turning to Hanna. "What if A tries to mess us up?"
"That bitch isn't going to come between us, Em. If she tries anything, we can handle it together," Hanna said comfortingly. Emily just smiled and leaned forward, kissing her quickly.
"Awww!" Aria and Spencer cooed in unison.
"You guys are on the verge of enjoying this too much," Hanna laughed, causing Emily to giggle softly as Spencer and Aria made mocking kissy faces at each other.
Hanna came downstairs to the sounds of cooking that Saturday morning. Making her way into the kitchen, she found Emily making pancakes, back to her. It was phenomenal to Hanna how amazing Emily could look in a t-shirt and sweats. She sneaked up behind her, sliding her arms around her waist, startling her.
"Hanna, you scared me," she said breathlessly, a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Sorry, I couldn't contain myself. I woke up and you weren't there." Emily was suspiciously quiet. "Those are for my mom, aren't they?" Hanna accused. Emily tried to look innocent. "Emily! You don't have to soften her up, you know. You said yourself, my mom is supportive." Hanna said, moving to the island counter.
"Who's softening me up for what?" Ashley Marin said, coming through the doorway and heading for the coffee machine. Hanna and Emily glanced at each other, looking unnecessarily guilty. Ashley turned to them and laughed. "Gosh, you two look like you've been caught planning a bank heist. What's going on?"
"Nothing. Emily made breakfast!" Hanna said quickly, trying to distract her mom's attention.
"Excellent. Maybe I really will trade you in for her," Hanna's mom joked and Hanna pretended to be offended.
"Well, that's charming" she said as Ashley went to sit down. Emily turned around with two plates of pancakes to take to the table, and on her way leaned close to Hanna's ear.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I wouldn't trade you for anything." This caused Hanna to blush furiously, bursting into a huge grin. She had to bite her lip and turn away so her mom wouldn't wonder what she was smiling about. She picked up the third plate and joined her mom and Emily at the table.
When they had finished eating, Ashley excused herself to get ready for work. When she left the room, Hanna turned to Emily and kissed her sweetly.
"I wouldn't trade you for anything either," Hanna purred into the short space between them and Emily smiled into another lingering kiss.
They were interrupted by Ashley clearing her throat. They jumped apart instantly, both looking terrified at Hanna's mom, whose expression was unreadable.
"I just came back for my phone..." Ashley said, reaching for her abandoned phone on the table and turning her attention to the girls, raising her eyebrows.
"Mom, we can explain," Hanna said hurriedly.
"Go ahead," Ashley said calmly.
"Emily and I are together," Hanna revealed, reaching blindly for Emily's hand, which she clasped tightly.
"How long?"
"We've both liked each other for a long time but neither of us knew. We've only been together for a few days. We were going to tell you sooner…" Hanna trailed off when Ashley simply smiled.
"Well, obviously we're going have to establish some rules," she said. "Seeing as the spare room still isn't ready, I can't really tell you two you can't share a room, so I'll be enforcing an open door rule. Maybe one of you should sleep on Hanna's couch instead of sharing the bed…"
Hanna opened her mouth to negotiate, but Emily stopped her with a hand on her arm and said "That's absolutely fair, Ms Marin."
Ashley nodded her head. "Okay then, well, I have to get going. We'll discuss this more later. You two behave yourselves," she winked and turned, leaving them alone.
"Well that went well," Emily said.
"Open door rule? What are we, twelve?" Hanna scoffed.
"It's fair, Han. I mean, she could've kicked me out for corrupting you," Emily laughed.
"Oh please, I'm the one doing all the corrupting here," Hanna smirked.
That evening, after a long day of window shopping at the mall, Hanna and Emily came home to dinner with Hanna's mom, during which Ashley joked that if Emily hurt her daughter she had better move further away than Texas. Emily laughed along, but secretly thought that Ashley was only half joking. She was glad that Hanna had such a protective and supportive mom. She was amazed at how Ashley had taken everything in her stride and seemed absolutely comfortable with her daughter dating Emily. She reassured Ashley that she would rather take on the broncos at a rodeo than hurt Hanna, who was fighting to hide the smile on her face. After a few hours of chatting and joking, Hanna and Emily said goodnight to Ashley and made their way up to bed, exhausted from their long day.
They made sure Ashley saw that they were separated, Emily on the couch and Hanna in her bed when she passed by to her own room. However, when they heard her bedroom door click down the hall, Hanna beckoned Emily over, who sneaked silently across the room, sliding in beside Hanna gracefully and wrapping her arms around her waist from behind.
"My mom really seems to be fine with us," Hanna said contently. "I was worried that she was going to decide that she disapproved. Not that that would stop me," Hanna added mischievously.
"I told you it would be okay," Emily said and Hanna hummed softly in reply.
They were quiet then and as Emily was sinking into sleep, Hanna shifted to face her.
"I'm glad you didn't go to Texas, Em," Hanna said quietly through the darkness.
"Me too, Han."
Hanna tangled her and Emily's hands and pulled them to her chest.
"I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I love you, Hanna."
"I love you, too, Em." Hanna replied, elated. Pulling Emily closer and resting her head on her shoulder, Hanna drifted off into a peaceful sleep, welcoming dreams of the gorgeous girl beside her.