Every day that passed got increasingly easier -- maybe even quicker than she anticipated. The little bubble that Rory and Maris had created around themselves felt safe and warm, as much as it did exciting. Summer was kind of perfect, without school to contend with and the lack of responsibility otherwise, the days stretched long and luxurious in Maris' company. And it felt good. Better, it felt natural to spend so many hours with her, like they had on their vacation. Better, even. Every day, Rory would get the passing idea that this was just a test run of what might come next. There were cautions to take things slowly, but Rory didn't particularly see reason in that. She already knew so much of what she wanted out of a life with Maris, and picking back up there just meant that she wanted to go for it.

With obstacles out of the way, the only thing they had to do was communicate what they wanted, and how they wanted it. All of that could come as naturally as the rest of it had. Rory wasn't worried about it - and that honestly was the biggest part of all of this. The absence of worry, what a concept. Maris had given her so much, and every day felt like she was breathing freer.

It was her fourth morning waking up next to Maris, and really - she still marveled at how good that felt. After slipping out of bed, she had the brilliant idea that she was going to cook them breakfast ... only to arrive to a single egg and a block of cheese in the fridge. Not exactly a full breakfast in the making. So she made coffee and walked back into the bed, carefully setting the mugs down before crawling back into bed.

"Hey," She said softly, as she gently crawled over Maris to straddle her form over the blankets. Smiling softly, she leaned down and kissed Maris' cheek, then the other one. "Wake up, lazy bones."

Having Rory in her space took surprisingly little getting used to. If anything, it helped Maris realize just how isolated she'd been since her move to Maine. It was nice to have a bit of company besides her cat and nicer still to have that company be the one person she would have wanted to see anyway.

She was a notoriously light sleeper, stirring almost immediately once the other woman was on top of her, but it was a little tougher to wake that morning thanks to the pair of them wearing each other out the night before.

"Mmm, well good morning to you too," Maris said, her voice as sleepy as her grin. She shifted ever so slightly, looking around the room with still sleep blurred eyes, her hair sporting it's natural wave because in the time Rory was there, she hadn't bothered to break out her straightener. "Is there coffee? I smell coffee."

If they were going to go forward (was it even an 'if' still, at this point?) Rory knew there were steps that would be coming their way. Staying in Maine would be her ideal, but if all of this had taught her anything, it was that she was willing and in fact able to compromise. Putting Maris, and them first was her top priority.

Rory loved being here, and in Maris' space. She loved just the little things like the smell of her shampoo on the pillow or her piles of books. In fact there was nothing about this that she didn't love.

"There's coffee." She affirmed with a nod, brushing her fingers against her arm and sitting back a bit so she wasn't sitting her total weight on her. "I was going to be impossibly romantic and bring you breakfast in bed, but..." She shrugged, taking the opportunity (because she couldn't not) to press a soft kiss to her lips. "We're pretty out of food." Not that such a thing ever stopped her from making the terrible joke that Maris was all the breakfast she might need.

Maris sighed, running a hand through her hair, inadvertently mussing it up even more. "I'm not surprised. I didn't bother to go grocery shopping before we left."

It was amazing how much her, no, their world had changed since their trip, but one thing remained the same. Maris wasn't about to let Rory want for anything when she was around.

She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Wanna order from Hank's?"

It wasn't a great option. They'd ordered from the diner a few blocks away the day before. Their fries had arrived ice cold and Maris' hamburger was slathered with mayonnaise, the only thing she'd specifically asked them not to include.

"I'm surprised we've lasted this long." Rory replied with a dramatic flair to her words, even in some attempt to distract herself from noting how unfairly good Maris looked in the morning, all tousled hair and pink cheeks.

The fingers of her left hand still ran absentmindedly along Maris' arm, some constant need to be touching her, she supposed. In fact, it was beginning to feel like a foreign concept to be far from her at all. Rory had never been a clingy sort of woman, always enjoying her space and knowing when to give it, but with feelings so strong, there was nary a time she felt like needing space lately.

"Oooh, Hank's. Do we trust them?" She made a little wincing face, leaning over her and making sure to pull her hair over one shoulder so it didn't go all wild. "Or ... we could ...grab a quick bite... and finally stock up your kitchen properly... at the grocery store." She suggested, punctuating random words in between her suggestion with lingering kisses to her lover's lips. "What do you think?" For whatever reason, the idea of wandering aisles and picking out what might make good meals for the days to come felt ... really appealing.

"Mmm, I think..." Maris tilted her head as she returned a few kisses, a pantomime of being in deep thought before seizing the opportunity to flip them over and start kissing Rory instead, the sheet automatically pooling to her waist with the sudden motion. "We should have a hundred more of these before heading out."

(Half) Jokes aside, going to the store was a good idea. Maris wasn't just running low on things like bread and milk, she was lacking other essentials too. It had taken her a while to squeeze some shampoo out of bottle during her shower last night. It was a strange feeling. Maris was usually on top of things, often with a replacement ready for something she was running low on ready to go as soon as the former was tossed out. She needed to stock up, especially with two people in the household.

She didn't want Rory to go any time soon and wasn't about to have her heading home because she wasn't comfortable.

"Maybe a pitstop at Target," she said between kisses, her thumb tracing Rory's jawline, a smile playing on her lips at how gorgeous her lover was and just how lucky she was in return. "I'm the hunt for a light fall jacket and they should be putting them out soon."

Rory let out a little yelp of surprise as she suddenly found herself on her back. She grinned into each of Maris' kisses, circling her arms around her and pulling her in closer if that was possible. "Yep, maybe a few more on top of that. To be safe."

It wasn't news that Rory could so easily get completely lost in that heady pleasure of kissing her, and the rush of heat that spread through her body immediately. They had plenty to do that day, but Rory had this idea that she wanted mornings like this. It reminded her of mornings back when they were together before, mornings barely able to roll out of bed with enough time to put up pretenses like they weren't arriving from the same place. Rory would take a lifetime of tardiness to have mornings with Maris.

"Ooh baby, you know I love a good Target run. You're a seductress." She laughed softly, turning her head to gently kiss at the heel of Maris' hand, her teeth just gently nipping at her skin. "I could pick up a few things of my own for here ... unless you're entirely sick of me being in your space." She punctuated her comment with a grin, her hands squeezing Maris' sides.

"More like I insist you pick up a few things because I'm not done with you yet."

She really wasn't. As Rory's hands slid up her sides, Maris' traveled down the other woman's stomach, slowly making their way between her legs. She found herself thinking of the past too.

Mornings spent complaining about having to leave the bed only to end up in the same place and be on their best behaviors. Mornings that had often been spent in somewhat of a haze, frenzied and sweating while they tried to please each other one last time before responsibility closed in. They'd perfected it, really. The art of making each other come before they had somewhere else to be. Which is why as playful as that morning had started, Maris suddenly found herself looking at Rory with an all too familiar determination.

They'd had their share of quick, rushed encounters lately. They didn't have to hurry or sneak around anymore, but this... this would be different. A throwback to before, something she hadn't realized just how much she missed, one of the few things she really did from her former career because Rory had been apart of it.

Neither of them really had somewhere else to be. They could grab a bite and go shopping at any point that day, but as Maris' fingers slipped inside her, she started to fuck her like they did, wondering, but ultimately sure she'd enjoy it as much now as she did then.

"I hope you never are." She grinned, keeping the comment light, but also -- she really did. The gravity of how much she meant that came secondary to the heat of the moment, thankfully. Rory didn't want anything to distract them from right now.

Rory's grin widened as she let out a sharp little gasp, Maris' hand between her legs sending fire through the rest of her. She always had that reaction, and never wanted that to stop. In fact, she was pretty sure it never would.

Though she liked to think herself a very strong willed woman, Rory's weakness was a hundred percent the woman currently on top of her. She didn't want to say no to her, even if that meant being late, or almost getting caught in one of their offices. She had always felt a little superiority around her co-workers, particularly on days when she'd started off the day with great (even quick) sex with her partner. Oh she heard it all in the teachers' lounge, from relationship issues to sex life woes. She'd played fairly dumb, that oh yeah, she knew what that was like. Then she'd laugh about it with Maris later that night.

"Oh, is this what's happening?" She challenged with a smirk, though her voice wasn't as strong as she'd like it. Her body and how wet she was gave her away, so she couldn't even pretend to be unaffected if she wanted to. A soft whimper came next, much as she wished it didn't, as she leaned up and pulled Maris into a kiss.

Having fallen asleep with not a stitch on in an incredibly satisfied tangle of limbs, Rory realized what a head start she'd given Maris as she only had on a thin t-shirt she'd snatched from Maris' drawer when she got cold in the middle of the night. "You know how competitive I get." She smirked against her lips, her hand sliding between Maris' legs and quickly finding her clit. She brushed her thumb softly over it at first, while her fingers slid deeper between her legs to slide inside of her in turn.

"I do," Maris said with a sage nod. "But the best thing about this game is that we both win." Her expression turned cheeky as she twisted her fingers inside Rory, letting out a purr that quickly turned into a satisfied groan once her lover was inside her as well.

She used her position to her advantage, rocking her hips against her both of their hands so the extra force would help her push just a little bit further inside Rory. Her kisses were hard, but slow, a stark contrast to the increasingly frenzied pace of the lower halves of their bodies, Maris hand eventually shoving her tee shirt up to expose more of Rory.

Now very much awake, she'd had a chance to notice the other woman had borrowed it. It was an undeniable turn on, a near constant one now that Rory had decided to stay at her place without a change of clothing. It would resurface later, when she had to borrow something to head out, but for the moment, Maris wanted to see (and touch and taste) as much of her skin as possible.

It only made her fuck her harder, her kisses becoming somewhat sloppy because the effort required more air, her own moans suddenly very audible because they weren't muffled by Rory's mouth.

"Normally that'd frustrate my competitive nature," She huffed through increasingly labored breathing, her words barely actually words as they were mumbled instead against Maris' lips. "I love it though." Nothing compared to the way it felt to touch her, that heady satisfaction of knowing how good she was making Maris feel only adding to her own pleasure.

Rory felt ever on the brink of something, only her logical mind trying to help her maintain some semblance of responsibility. But she felt it with every hour, every day they lengthened their uninterrupted (or barely interrupted) time together, she was almost about to spill everything to her. She wouldn't just tell her those three words that had been on the tip of her tongue, but everything else that came with it, how much she wanted, what she wanted -- all of it. It was ridiculous how good it felt to know she could, at any time, and here was the love of her life ready to receive it.

"Oh fuck," Her rushed voice gasped against Maris' lips, the rocking motion sending a thrill of pleasure up her spine. Her fingers doubled their efforts, her own hips adding to the momentum that they created with each other. Rory's fingers stretched deep inside of Maris, curling just slightly as she withdrew and thrust back in, making sure to seek out every ounce of pleasure she could from this - her - woman.

Her free hand slid up Maris' back, clutching a handful of her hair in her fingers as she fucked her. She hummed her own sounds in reply, her moans falling freely to echo Maris'. Every sound that came from her lover only made her want more of them, her arm burning slightly from the effort of the rhythm with which she was fucking her. She kissed her as best as she could, her teeth nipping at her lower lip as she arched her back, feeling her own efforts falter just slightly as her pleasure built to new levels.

"Unfair," Rory managed to moan out, though what she was actually referring to - she didn't even know. She laughed slightly, the sounds coming more like a groan than an actual laugh as she rolled her thumb at a frenzied pace against Maris' clit.

A crescendo of soft ahs (and the occasional curse) escaped Maris lips as Rory rubbed her clit. Before she knew it she was coming against her fingers, but not before she'd used her own to take her there with her.

"We still got it," she said, her voice a husky purr as she tilted her head ever so slightly in an attempt to get her hair out of her eyes. Shopping wasn't the only thing that had fallen by the wayside since their trip. Maris had been meaning to get a haircut too, having gone so far as to book an appointment for the day after their return since her bob was beginning to grow out and lose it's shape. It completely slipped her mind because she had spent the better part of that morning between Rory's thighs. Time much better spent, really.

She peeled her tee shirt off Rory with surprising tenderness, her lips immediately making their way down her neck to seek out the skin that had been exposed not just to prolong Rory's pleasure, but the moment as well.

Everything felt back to normal, just plain fun now that there were no dark clouds looming over their heads. It felt like before.

She purred a little as her tongue curled around her nipple, smiling once she looked up and decided to tell Rory something she hadn't yet, endorphins making her giddy lower the usual worries over whether it was the right time to make such a big announcement. She'd spent most of the past few days fretting over Rory. It hadn't seemed right to just start talking about how great her life was going when Rory was at a low point navigating changes that weren't quite as uplifting. Maris was in a good mood and what better time for some good news?

"They're publishing my book, you know," The pride in her voice was unmistakable because for all her grit and self confidence, Maris had her doubts. "I finished it and they're publishing it."

Who actually won their little race? Rory couldn't exactly be sure but in the moment as the sounds of their shared orgasms filled the room, it really didn't matter at all. Good god, she was spoiled, and grinned through her ragged breathing realizing this was the kind of spoiling they'd have day in and day out. She wanted the lazy mornings with Maris, the rushed ones, the ones where she burst out the door late for work, only to run right back in because she needed one last kiss to make it through the day.

"Fuck yeah we do." She panted through a grin, lifting her hand to get a high-five because, why not. Her whole body buzzed with the afterglow of their sex, but she felt there was something more to it than that. This was their life. Hers and hers, yes, but shared. Without having some grand, deep discussion about it, Rory knew where her heart was. Settled right here with this woman.

Rory's body involuntarily shivered as Maris peeled the shirt from her body, her nerves intensely sensitive now. Her hands lazily moved up Maris' sides, dragging her fingertips up over her ribcage and then down her spine. Her body arched beneath her, humming a soft sound every time Maris' lips found a new spot on her skin. Did they have plans today? Clearly pushing those off til later.

"Maris," She softly gasped her name with a soft laugh, the way her nipples hardened on direct contact of her mouth. Unfair, keeping her so wildly turned on. "You are evil," She laughed again, brushing her fingers through Maris' hair as her gaze settled on the woman. She felt like her heart was going to burst right out of her chest.

The rush of sharp adrenaline that spiked straight to Rory's heart caused a sudden outburst of "What!!" that would have startled even herself. A grin split her face as she shot up a few inches, eyes wide. "Baby! That's fucking incredible!" Maybe it was just the after effects of their sex, too, but she felt the prick of tears in her eyes, the swell of pride in her chest so strong. "Oh my god." She grinned, leaning in and kissing her lips a few times, lingering longer with each one. "I am so proud of you." Another kiss. "My amazing," Kiss, "Brilliant" Kiss, "Woman." She kissed her deeply then, mine stuck in her head as it was her turn to use the strength her adrenaline rush had given her to flip them over again, her hips settling between Maris' legs. "I'd call you my brilliant girlfriend, but that doesn't really seem to properly fit what you are to me. You're more."

Maris' grin only widened at Rory's praise (and kisses). Relaxed enough to have shed her cool demeanor, she let out a very girly shriek as Rory flipped them over, her hand automatically sliding up so her thumb could stroke the other woman's cheek when she noticed just how much her news seemed to have effected her... well, girlfriend.

"Well, no. I mean I am pretty amazing, but... girlfriend's a pretty good start."

It was a word she hadn't realized just how much she missed and honestly hadn't been expecting to hear anytime soon. Not while they (well, mostly Rory) were sorting through the rubble of her last relationship, but Maris wasn't that worried about them jumping in.

It wasn't too soon. If anything, being together again was long overdue.

She leaned up for another kiss, her fingers tracing absentminded patterns on Rory's back as she pulled away.

"I mean, it's still in the beginning stages, obviously but..." A smile slowly spread across her features once more. "You'll have to help me write one of those little writer bios, because all I've got is, Maris Forrester is a historian, former educator and excellent fuck. She lives in Maine with a bunch of antiques and a hyperactive cat.

Perhaps there was a world in which Rory would have felt the need to take things slowly in the wake of her breakup, even in the interest of full steam ahead with Maris. She could have been more careful not to surge ahead of where they might be at, but emotionally she knew exactly where she was, and where she wanted to be. Maris was what she wanted, and honestly was what she wanted even in their sabbatical. She had found someone who was the polar opposite of Maris because anytime she'd remotely flirted with someone who had any similarities to Maris, she'd feel a pang of longing she just couldn't get over.

"Girlfriend is a great start, you're right." Rory spoke through a grin, not at all concerned with hiding an ounce of how giddy and enamored she was with this woman. And proud, at that moment.

Girlfriend. Sometime she might note, with maybe only a flicker of guilt, that that title with Maris gave her more joy than fiancée had given her with someone else.

The thought occurred to her that whatever pace they were now, they were making up for time lost.

"Mmhm, oh you're onto a brilliant start there." She kissed her again, grinning into the kiss. "Might have to up that to mind-blowing, stellar fuck." She laughed, but suggestively rolled her hips to press her pelvis into Maris', her overly sensitive body reacting with a jolt. "Irresistible, wickedly funny," She pressed kisses to her lips and then her throat between every thought as though each were a separate thought, her hips slowly starting to rock against hers. "Everything I could ever want, so please make sure distinctly taken is in that bio."

"So possessive, Rory," Maris scolded playfully, but there was a gleam in her eyes showed just how much she liked it. "But fine."

She smirked, starting to quote her hypothetical bio once again as she began to rock right back. "She is currently very taken and very pinned by an equally good fuck who should really take her before she drags them both to the grocery store."

"I know what I want and I'm not afraid of it." She countered with a little shrug, the smile on her face apparent of her affection for this woman -- if the rest of it wasn't evident.

Rory's brow raised as she gazed down at Maris, the way her hips moved only earning a soft huff from her. "And don't forget Target." She chuckled, leaning down to kiss her softly while she angled her hips to better grind against her. While not the most effective way to have a quick fuck in the morning, she didn't necessarily feel the need to be frantic about it. She was already sensitive from coming once with her already, so as she ground herself against Maris to make sure their clits could build some kind of friction against each others' bodies, she stuck with what she was going for. "Shit," She growled, bracing one hand against the bed next to Maris' head as she rocked harder, leaning in to steal a messy kiss from her again.

Maris groaned softly as Rory rocked against her, briefly falling back into the sheets she'd washed for them the previous morning. They still smelled faintly of the vanilla scented laundry soap Maris favored and fainter still of the lavender spray she used to help her sleep (which was even more useless than usual these days now that Rory wearing her out in bed every night) but they were overpowered by the scent of sex, just another sign of their overwhelming desire for one another.

Each rock of their bodies indicated something else, too. Need. Maris needed her close, to feel Rory pressed against her, to taste her mouth and eventually, she needed both of them to come.

In moments like these her usual restraint faded away. Maris softened, no matter how rough her movements were, her voice breathy and at least an octave higher than normal. She gasped and sighed and begged for more. No one had ever seen her like this, except for Rory, not any of the lovers she'd had before her or since. She'd always kept her walls up, but with Rory she couldn't. She wasn't even sure she wanted to. She'd never regretted anything they'd ever done because there'd been nothing but good when she'd just given into her feelings for Rory.

She gripped Rory's ass tightly as her orgasm began to build, needing just a little more friction to push her over the edge, watching her move above her with half lidded eyes as her own hips never stopped rocking.

"Don't stop," she breathed. "Fuck, I never....never want to stop."

She wasn't just talking about sex. She didn't want this feeling, made stronger by but certainly not all about pleasure to end.

She loved Rory. She wanted to keep loving her and on some level she knew she always would.

She wanted her around and honestly found herself hating the idea of her going back home whenever she had a spare moment to think. Rory may have ended up on her doorstep under awful circumstances but the past few days were some of the happiest she could remember. She would go to Target (or anywhere else for that matter) a thousand times over if it meant keeping her there.

No matter how much pleasure Rory took from their sex, particularly when she was in the position of more control, her focus always remained on Maris and the amount of pleasure she could deliver to the woman. She found her own needs secondary, and the act of pleasing her lover, her girlfriend was thrilling on its own. She couldn't stop, wouldn't even, as their bodies found a rhythm that worked incredibly well.

Rory hummed a little whine as she bucked her hips harder, chasing after the thrill of pleasure that raced up her spine. "Fuck," She panted, a sheen of sweat on her skin as she focused all her energy in properly fucking this woman, her woman. Words almost tumbled from her lips that she so desperately wanted to say, that were always right there and never more than over these past few days. She didn't want them to come out in the heat of the moment, but it was becoming harder.

"Never," She moaned in agreement, any words she actually wanted to say stuck somewhere in incoherent sentences that wouldn't make any damn sense. Her mind was too far gone to pleasure. A grin spread wide across her face as she felt Maris' hands digging into her ass, only making her buck harder, circling her hips and bearing down to grind the slick heat of her sex against Maris'.

"That's it baby," She whined her words, angling her hips just slightly different so the contact became more insistent, more deliberate even as her movements grew to be more frantic. Rory wanted this for the rest of her life. The sex, absofuckinglutely, the pleasure they garnered and gave to each other, the intensity of their connection drawing her in like a moth to an eternal flame. She wouldn't have anything less, she wouldn't give anything less. Maris was it, that proverbial it. She loved her more than she'd ever loved anyone, or ever would.

Her body gave an almost violent shudder as she rocked into her, her own orgasm reaching a breaking point as she gasped and cried out, focusing her efforts as much as she could on Maris even as she came.

Soon it was hard to think of anything but getting (and giving) just a little bit more the pulse between her legs strong, but not strong enough until Rory slipped into exactly the right spot. Feeling her body give in caused her to do the same, her back arching enough that it would have painful if the pleasure coursing through her veins wasn't making it impossible to feel anything else.

Her kisses were tender as she came down, her hips rocking until her body just couldn't take anymore. She gave into her body's instinct to relax, her mind and the room still spinning as her head hit the pillow.

"I'm gonna have to wash the sheets again," she scolded, the words a playful purr against Rory's lips. She punctuated the sentence with a playful nip at her lower one, Rory's ass still under her hands though she had loosened her grip.

"You're going to make me pick up smoking again too, you know that right?"

Her tone was more playful than accusatory. Maris had always been a bit high strung. She'd used cigarettes as a crutch in college, needing a form of stress relief that wasn't meaningless sex (though she'd indulged in her fair share of that too). She was smart enough to quit after a few years, but almost always had a pack stashed somewhere just in case. Rory had caught her sneaking a smoke on the back porch or even behind the school once or twice in times of stress. She'd bought more than a few cartons of Lucky Strikes after her father announced his engagement to her now stepmother.

These days Maris was feeling on edge in a different way. It was impossible not to want Rory when she was around all the time, just close enough (and willing) to be touched.

She let out a laugh, kissing Rory to reassure her she'd only been teasing, her hand sliding up to cup her cheek.

They really were stellar at this, weren't they? It was honestly a wonder some days that they managed to do anything at all that wasn't, well, each other. Though she wanted to just squeeze her eyes shut and revel in the pleasure that soared through her body, Rory instead watched Maris through heavy eyes, enraptured with the sight of her coming undone beneath her. She hummed a soft sound - some mixture of arousal and awe. God, she couldn't get enough. It occurred to her that she honestly had no clue how she had managed to live without her for years. Never again came the immediate thought that made her smile through her trembling body and harsh breathing.

"Oh no, sorry. But ... not." She chuckled against her lips, kissing her softly, and humming a sound of utter approval at the nip of her teeth. She wiggled her hips a little as Maris' hands loosened some, which was meant to be playful but ended up sending another shiver of an aftershock up her spine. Shit, the things Maris did to her.

"Don't you dare, I want you around for a long time." She laughed, propping herself up on her elbows to gaze down at Maris, kissing her twice for good measure. Not that she hadn't indulged in an occasional cigarette here and there, but she was much more of a wine drinker to relax than a smoker. Okay, she might have admitted once ... twice when she'd caught Maris smoking that though she wasn't a big fan of the smog of it ... she looked unfairly sexy with a cigarette between her lips. She didn't hate it enough not to steal feverish kisses behind the school building then, either.

She laughed softly in reply, her own fingers bent to brush her knuckles softly against Maris' cheek. Her heart felt full, her whole body buzzing in what was as close to literal afterglow as one could get. Gazing at her, feeling their bodies against one another with nothing to do but luxuriate in each other (and, as mentioned, go to Target), she felt a swelling in her chest that rose up to her throat.

"I'm so in love with you." She said it and felt an immediate rush of goosebumps all over her skin. A confession that had been trapped at the back of her throat, ever on her mind, even as she was sure she showed it more than she said it. Saying it felt big and somewhat scary, but just as right and at home as lying with her in bed felt.

Another round of sex had been a pleasant surprise, but it was nothing compared to hearing Rory say she loved her again. A smile slowly crept across her face until she was beaming, pulling Rory down to rest on top of her almost immediately.

"I love you too," she said, her voice as soft as it was passionate, her thumb slowly sliding down Rory's cheek like she wanted to memorize every curve and freckle even though she already had.

Finally saying what had been on the tip of her tongue for months now made her feel like a weight had been lifted. Maris was giddy about this (not so) new development and would have been aroused enough for a round three if she wasn't a) pleasantly exhausted and b) pretty sure her heart couldn't take more excitement of any sort.

She settled for smiling, the faint dimple in her right cheek making a rare appearance because she really was smiling that hard. She didn't even bother to make a joke about how Rory was probably orgasm drunk and that confessions made when orgasm drunk hardly counted.

She didn't want to spoil the moment. God knows they'd earned it.

She ruffled her hair fondly before their lips met again, her voice still soft, but full of conviction as she repeated, "I love you." one more time.

There it was, out in the world and spoken with such conviction that she could feel it in her bones. She'd been without Maris for so long, and when they started things again, uncertainty swirled around even their best moments. As they rediscovered each others' bodies, or shared tv shows and books, or even as they sat on a beautiful beach together, she had always been waiting in some way for the other shoe to drop. That could have come from her, too.

Nothing could have prepared her for how it felt to finally say it, and in that next moment, hear Maris say it back. Her heart swelled in her chest, her lungs whooshed out a breath she hadn't been aware she'd been holding. Rory didn't even have a cute little quip or sly remark -- or actually anything to say at all. A rare moment of being at a loss for words. She just grinned, sighing with relief and excitement as she bowed her head against Maris' temple and kissed her cheek.

Rory hadn't realized how freeing it would be to say it, to finally confess what had never left her heart, but what grew more and more every day. It was more than loving her, it was knowing that this woman was the love of her life. Maybe she should have felt bad for Jess, that she'd never had a feeling even remotely like this with her.

"I love you," She laughed into her lips, tossing her hair with a nod of her head to get it out of her face so she could kiss her again, and then another few times peppered against her lips. "God, it feels so good to say it." Rory giggled, like she was this giddy person all of a sudden. So oddly enough it wasn't about their lack of clothing, either.

She lay there with her for a while longer, kissing her intermittently, or pressing her lips against her throat, her shoulder, her fingertips. She wouldn't say that coming down was a real option after finally saying that she loved Maris, but she felt a sense of peace in the wake of everything. This was exactly where she was supposed to be. Some flowery, romantic part of her brain noted that love apparently really did find a way.

"We should probably go, before I drag you into yet another orgasm." She laughed after a while, kissing her heartily one more time before she pushed herself onto her knees and reached her hands out to offer to help Maris up as well. Yeah, this was taking every ounce of willpower not to just suggest they spend the rest of the day in various states of bliss.

Maris let Rory help her out of bed, then stood naked in front of her closet, trying to figure out what to wear. She opened both doors so her entire wardrobe was on display since Rory would be choosing from it too. It was a sea of dark colors, mostly blacks and grays with the occasional navy blue, burgundy or white thrown in for good measure. Maris had a signature style and she stuck with it.

It was still warm enough to wear a pair of black culottes she'd bought earlier that summer. After pairing them with a sleeveless pinstriped button up and a pair of aviator sunglasses, she was ready to go.

Target was the most logical first stop if they didn't want a car full of spoiled groceries. Maris grabbed a cart before placing her glasses on her head, immediately heading toward the dollar section. Looking at all the back to school supplies was a deeply ingrained habit this time of year, especially since Target usually had fun classroom decorations and stationary, the latter of which she could still use now that she was turning her focus toward writing.

"You need these," she said, automatically tossing a pack of pens with various floral designs into her cart. "You're probably stealing someone else's now that you can't steal mine."

In truth, Maris had never really minded. Rory's little visits to her room to grab a pen had given her a chance to see her throughout the day. It was a happy memory, but bittersweet at the same time. They didn't get to see each other at work anymore and there really were some things she missed about teaching, but Maris was undeniably happy about the new direction her life seemed to be taking.

"These too," she said, tossing a pack of Post its featuring a cartoon cat into the cart for good measure. Apparently, Maris was about to do all of Rory's back to school shopping for her.

Guilty of being entirely greedy, there was some effort that it took for Rory to get out of bed and into actual clothes. She slid into the pair of shorts she'd had with her, having washed them once already since arriving at Maris' place, and swiped an impossibly soft white t-shirt of Maris' that was probably usually reserved for lounging about the house. The way it slightly slid off of one of her shoulders didn't bother her; in fact, she liked the idea of showing off the more skin the better even when out and about with Maris. While summer clung on, they'd better get good use of it. Her converse (ridiculous and gay - which could easily be the title of her memoir) completed the overly casual ensemble. Once fall hit, she'd be nothing but jeans and sweaters or slacks with collared shirts. Maybe the occasional flannel. She couldn't wait, but for now she was in a state of fully enjoying the just-fucked-through-summer look.

Target, that shopping mecca that she could never leave without spending a good hundred dollars at. She needed certain things; a toothbrush, maybe a few clothes until she could get home and gather her own. Maybe they should actually talk about how much time she was spending at Maris' place, but if Maris minded, she certainly was good at hiding it.

Leaning against the cart as they wandered into the back to school section, she grinned over at Maris while she collected things that Rory needed. "Mmhm, I'll need a few new notebooks, too." She humored her, her head tilting to the side with an adoring grin on her face. She might wear out the 'I love you' just from how much she was thinking it. "Highlighters?" It felt so adorably domestic, watching Maris collect the things Rory would need in her office. She knew already that every time she used one of the flowery pens or wrote on a post-it, her mind would go to her girlfriend.

"Y'know I was thinking. We might want to think about introducing the cats and getting them used to each other." The territorial beasts that they were, her own had been looked after by her neighbor who was all too happy to extend watching them after her trip. "Even though, you realize, we're definitely going to be those lesbians with a trio of cats."

"Highlighters," she echoed as she picked up a pack of multicolored ones with the clear tip that allowed you to actually see what you were actually underlining. "Kids are so lucky. You know how many times I went over too far and highlighted into the wrong sentence taking notes in high school? Where were these when we needed them, Rory? Where?"

She put them into the cart, letting out a little snort at Rory's joke. "You said it yourself. We're lesbians, darling. We can't help it we like pussy." Maris' lips twitched into a smirk. She was obviously proud of her little joke, but eventually turned to give Rory her full attention. "No, it sounds like a good idea. Just try and be patient with Byron, he's not like your two. He's an only child. He'll need time to adjust."

After making a mental note to head to the pet section to grab some more food and look at toys, (proof that her cat might as well have been her son) she went back to tossing more things into the cart, beginning to realize that shopping for supplies was one of the few things about teaching she had actually liked.

"Bring them over. We could even swing by and get them on the way home if you want."

"You know how I love it when you get fired up about school supply injustice." Rory laughed, biting her lower lip as she just gazed at the other woman affectionately. "Your poor books, I'm surprised you didn't rip out the pages when you over-highlighted. They can't hurt you now, babe."

Rory reached for a little pencil holder but ultimately put it back, figuring that the mug she used on her desk for the same purpose was sufficient. "Oh, oh wow." Her brows arched comically, a laugh bubbling up as she moved back around the cart to Maris. "You're hilarious, and clever." She laughed, circling her arms around her waist and kissing the back of her shoulder. "We'll keep them in one of the rooms until they can get a scent for each other. Darcy will probably keep to himself, but Emma will want to play." She smiled like they were introducing their kids or something, which, fair.

"Sure, let's do that." She agreed, dropping her arms from around her waist, but sliding her hand along her arm until she could loosely lace their fingers together. It just didn't feel quite right to not be touching her in some way, particularly with all this talk of home. It put ideas in her head about what came next, but those thoughts were pretty quickly interrupted by --

"Rory?" There were two inevitabilities of Target. The first being that you'd end up leaving with at least three things you didn't need, and the second was the likelihood of running into someone you knew. Turning on her heel, Rory's fingers tightened in Maris' rather than letting go. Her smile faltered however, when her gaze fell on Alex. She was a mutual friend of a friend, but someone who knew her because of Jess.

"Alex, hey." She said with a little bit of a challenge, glancing to Maris but even then -- boldly hanging onto her hand. Alex honed right in on the women, a suspicious look on her face as she cocked her head to the side. Rory had never liked her much. "Who's this?" Like it was any of her business.

Home. Maris didn't mean to say it. She just wanted Rory to know that she didn't need to go back to her place yet. She wanted to spend more time with her pets, she wanted hers to meet them too and it could happen now, without any separation because she wasn't ready to let go of her, however briefly just yet.

But being with her did feel like home which was exactly why she was determined to keep her around. They were in a sense, starting again. Getting officially back together and admitting their love for each other had been two huge steps, but Maris knew there were more on the horizon, however far away that was. One day, she hoped she and Rory would really, continuously share the same space, a home of their own.

She'd always wanted that. She'd begun to want it shortly before Rory's job offer, which is probably she'd hated Maine so much to begin with. It had taken her dream and Rory away from her.

Maris was slightly startled by the interruption, turning around to face the other woman a bit more slowly than Rory had. Her girlfriend's tone and the look they shared implied that whoever this person was, she wasn't a welcome visitor. Maris adjusted her posture accordingly, her eyes sweeping over her with a coolness that she regarded most people with, save the woman beside her.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm Maris. And you are?" Her voice was calm, but her question was an undeniable challenge. It was clear this woman didn't just want to know her name. She wanted to know who she was and her relationship to Rory. She wasn't ashamed of anything that had gotten them to this point, even the more recent developments, but information about their lives wasn't something she was going to give to just anyone.

Maris wanted to know who she was. And why she thought she was entitled to know anything about their business.

Her grip on Rory's hand tightened, her way of showing that she had her back no matter which way this was going to go.

Somewhere over the past several weeks, it slowly began to dawn on Rory that Maine had never truly felt like home. Oh, she assimilated quite well; she had her favorite restaurants and the coffee shop she liked the most. She knew her way around by now without having to look up directions, she knew her favorite route to go for a run or which clothing shop had her favorite styles. None of these quite made up a home however, a fact that hit her once home arrived in a person, not a place. She felt more herself than she ever had now that Maris was with her. Rory had never been a particularly meek person, but she felt emboldened by the appearance of her again-lover.

A fact that didn't go unappreciated as they looked at Alex. Maybe Rory should have felt some embarrassment or shame at being so happy in the wake of her breakup, or even being with someone so soon ... or, well, before the breakup, even. That was neither here nor there, and she refused to be made to feel any certain way about it.

It did occur to her however, that being in her bubble with Maris over the past few days meant that she wasn't really aware of what (if anything) Jess had told their group of friends. Something new to navigate.

She had to stifle a smile at Maris' defiant tone, that challenging attitude was one of the many, many things she loved so much about her. It emboldened her too, as much as the squeeze of her hand did. She could take on the world if she had to, if she but had Maris by her side.

"I'm Alex. A friend of Jess and Rory's." It was an unmistakable challenge, lumping in Jess and Rory as if neither woman had their own autonomy apart from each other. Rory was barely able to keep herself from rolling her eyes. She had empathy for Jess - Alex didn't need any.

"Mmhm, Alex --" She stuttered a bit, trying to find something nice to say about the woman that wasn't an entirely contrived idea of how she knew her or what she did know about her. She works at a clinic? She throws a good movie night? No, it felt weird, but luckily/unluckily for her, Alex wasn't very interested in what she had to say.

Alex's scrutiny was clear in her gaze, as she looked down at their hands and then back up to size up Rory and Maris. Her smile was tight, judgemental. "I heard from Jess you guys called off the wedding. I was going to ask how you were handling it but ... I guess the answer is pretty clear."

Rory's jaw clenched, her fingers flexing a bit as she forced her own tight smile. "That's not really any of your business, but thank you for the concern."

Maris felt uncomfortable even if her posture didn't show it. When she heard Jess' name, she was left wondering (and not for the first time) just how much Rory's former fiance knew about her role in their break up. And if she didn't before well, Alex would sure as hell make sure she did now.

But this woman didn't have any right to make either of them feel guilty and Maris wasn't about to stand around and let anyone talk to her girlfriend that way.

"Did you pay for the wedding?" she cut in suddenly.

Alex blinked, confused. "What?"

"Did you pay for the wedding?" Maris repeated the words slowly as if Alex was simple. "Because she's right, unless you threw some money down for a chapel this isn't any of your business."

Her hand slid up to Rory's shoulder to guide her away before Alex could answer. Red hot anger (and a little embarrassment) meant she practically pulled at least three aisles away from Alex before her stomach sank with the worry she'd gone too far. Maris' boldness sometimes got her into trouble. Rory certainly didn't need her to speak for her and on some level, the whole Jess/wedding situation wasn't her business either.

Not to mention the fact that Alex seemed like the sort of person who was probably texting every last detail of their encounter to Jess at that very moment. She felt bad that she'd given her anything to report.

She bit her lip as she looked at Rory, her eyes a bit wet thanks to her current feeling of helpless frustration. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't..."

The scrutiny didn't belong to Alex. Rory would understand it coming from Jess, or coming from maybe Jess' family or her own (on a lesser scale of course), but not someone who had just been a periphery friend at best. It made Rory bristle and get defensive immediately -- a feeling she didn't like, nor was used to. If she had to defend herself or her relationship, she would do it - but not to the likes of Alex.

As it so happened, Rory didn't have to stand her ground on her own. In fact, as Maris jumped in, she felt a sudden surge of something strike her with a jolt to her heart. She was surprised, impressed, a little bit embarrassed - but because of the situation that Alex had put them in, not because of Maris.

It was the first time she could recall Maris really acknowledging that she had broken off an engagement, a wedding. While of course they knew that, it was another thing to feel as though she had a true partner, backup, someone who completely had her back.

Rory was still a little stunned as they moved away, not bothering to so much as glance back at Alex while they rounded a corner. And as they did, her countenance shifted. Maris spoke, but in another moment, Rory had cut her off with a kiss. Her mouth crushed to hers, suddenly needy and yet also in awe. She pulled back a moment later, punctuating her long kiss with a quick one to follow up on her lips.

"God, I love you." She smiled, her heart racing some. This would undoubtedly bring scrutiny on them. Rory would have to deal with being "found out" as it were, and it would get ugly. Even uglier than it was. But even knowing all of that, Rory couldn't help her utter admiration for this woman, her woman. "Thank you, for that."

There was a reason why Maris had never talked about Rory's engagement. The idea of the woman she loved marrying someone else was obviously painful and awkward for her but there was more to it than that.

Saying it loud was acknowledging it. Saying it out loud made it real.

But hearing the word wedding come from her own lips helped Maris realize just how much Rory had given up for them to be together. She knew breaking up with someone who wasn't your fiance was no small feat, but the weight of the predicament they (but mostly Rory) had found themselves in and were slowly climbing their way out of suddenly hit Maris hard.

The idea that Rory had chosen her because she wanted to be with her that much was almost enough to make Maris start crying in earnest.

But since she was as stubborn as ever (and would probably choose death over letting anyone see her crying in a crowded department store) she did her best to pull herself together, quickly swiping at her eyes before things could get out of hand.

She may have gotten her tears under control, but she couldn't help looking at Rory in awe. Maris was unable to wrap her head around that anyone could love a person (let alone her) so much.

"Nothing to thank me for."

She took a deep breath to help pull herself together, gripping the handle of the cart tightly as she said sternly, "Nobody messes with my girl."

Besides the obvious moments when she couldn't really get around it, Rory hadn't been one to bring up her wedding or even her engagement to Maris, either. Once things got truly under way between them, her ring had even often been left in the cup holder of her car. She didn't want the reminder, and the more she distanced herself from it, the more she felt like she was doing the right thing. Well, not the right thing, all things considered, but was making the choice that would ultimately be right for her.

It might have been a silly notion, but she felt like bringing up the idea that she had agreed to marry someone else was some kind of betrayal. Some dramatic part of her mind worried over maybe I really should have just waited for Maris. It was ridiculous and dumb, but a thought she'd had more than once.

Ultimately, her decision had been made, and though it had only been a few days officially, she knew in her very bones that this was her right choice. In fact, that no other choice could be made. Rory had never bought into the idea that there was one perfect person out the for everyone. But Maris was indeed her person - and ever thinking she could replicate or find it again in such intensity was really just Rory fooling herself.

Standing in the aisle with her, Rory held fast to her hand, looking at her as emotion roiled in her love. "Babe," She said softly, kissing her cheek and brushing her hand over Maris' other one. She felt her own heart swell in her chest, a sort of understanding in that moment of what this all meant. Wasn't it from the very show that had helped push them back on their path that said When I'm with you, I could take on the world. Ann Walker had a point, and that resonated deeply with Rory.

"Damn right." She said with a grin, reveling in the little thrill that being called my girl gave her. Her hand came to rest on the small of Maris' back as they got back on track with shopping - she grabbed a toothbrush, and a cute shirt.

As they rounded towards another section, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Once. Then twice. Then again. Rory pursed her lips tightly together but the sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She ignored it -- or as best she could for a moment. Goddamn Alex.

Maris was still a bit out of sorts after their run in with Alex, but Rory's kisses and reassurances cheered her somewhat. Her girlfriend's palm on her back was pleasantly warm, soothing and secure, but the faint buzz coming from Rory's pocket might as well have been a siren. Maris' tenuous mood plummeted.

"Can I see that?"

Her voice was calm, but her hands were a bit unsteady as she took Rory's phone. She was tempted to look. She could certainly see a row of notifications on the screen, but she allowed the words to blur, then disappear as she held down the button to power Rory's phone off, wordlessly placing it back in her pocket.

"Come on." Her smile was slightly nervous, but genuine. "Let's get to the grocery store so we can get to your house quicker. Lounging around in a pile of cats sounds pretty good right now, don't you think?"

Though Rory wasn't entirely concerned that Jess (who she assumed was doing the texting) was sending her something she wouldn't automatically show Maris anyway, she didn't like the idea that she would be upset by something that might come through. They'd been in such a happy bubble, all things considered. Damn Target for ruining it. She felt palpable relief as she watched Maris shut her phone off, and kissed her cheek by way of a thank you. It served as a reminder in the moment especially, that she wasn't in this by herself. They had each other, no matter what.

The grocery store was (thankfully) uneventful, so by the time they got to her house, she was in a better mood than before. Tossing her pile of mail onto the table by the front door, she led Maris in before pausing suddenly and turning back to her. "I just realized you've never been here before." There was a smile with her words, a kind of conspiring delight that she got to introduce Maris to the place she lived.

As if on queue, Darcy trotted in and rubbed himself against her legs, while Emma sat atop the stairs -- silently judging. Likely taking stock of just how long she'd punish Rory for being gone so long. "This is Darcy, Emma is the judgemental one upstairs." Maris was right; seeing her cats and being home definitely put her in brighter spirits.

The house was entirely Rory -- a lot of light and light colors to allow for a bright feel to everything. Her walls were a mixture of white and shades of blue, the occasional darker blue that served as an accent wall. Book shelves lined the hallway en route to the kitchen, but were built-in several rooms throughout the house.

Leading into the kitchen, she put a full bag without bothering to unpack it into the fridge so they could collect it later to go back to Maris' place. When she turned back around, she saw a key by its lonesome on the island. She sighed a little, both from relief and a twinge of guilt. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Jess bursting in on them. She wondered how many days ago she'd come to collect whatever things she'd left there, and was only glad if the place wasn't trashed.

"Want anything to drink? Or we can snack on that cheese we bought." She moved into Maris, sliding her arms around her waist and holding her there, comforted just by her proximity. She was forcing a bit of a jovial attitude and she knew it, but it felt better than the alternative. "Or I can give you a tour and see how many rooms we get through before I get you naked."

Though she was definitely curious to see where her girlfriend was living these days, Maris' stomach tightened as she stepped into Rory's house, almost afraid to take in her surroundings, even the cats not even warranting more than a first glance.

Up until recently this house hadn't been just Rory's. She knew that ultimately, she would have had Rory any way and anywhere she could. Her need for her was undeniable and no place was sacred, but deep down she knew it would have been hard for them to meet up here. That even she, who had a remarkably clear conscience considering everything she'd done to toss a wrench in Rory's relationship, would have found herself thinking about the other woman in Rory's life standing in a place she was supposed to occupy.

She had been planning on rounding up the cats, loading them in the car and heading straight back to her place where they could pretend none of this existed. They could go right back to the amazing morning they had before she'd stupidly taken them out and the outside world ruined it.

Maris knew Rory. Which meant she knew when she was putting on a brave face.

"Well, we don't need a tour for that," she teased, leaning back into Rory, wanting her to know she was there. She suddenly felt very tired, all the days excitement (both good and bad) weighing very heavily on her. "You should show me your room though." It was more of a suggestion than a suggestive statement. "We could lay down, rest a minute."

It could always turn into more and with them, it usually did. But in that moment, all Maris really wanted to do was hold her.

There had been times when Rory had wondered over why she never really moved to the idea of living with Jess. She'd make the justification that well, she'd never lived with Maris either, but the idea had been so much more complicated with Jess than it had ever been with Maris. Being in the same space with Maris never felt like they were stepping all over each other. It had been so natural to share their space, to feel as though they belonged with each other.

Rory's house was hers, but there was no big secret that Jess had inhabited a lot of her space over the past while. They couldn't risk being here before, and Rory would have felt miserable if Maris ever felt like she had to duck under the bed or into a bathroom to hide from her then-fiancée. It wouldn't have felt right, but now they were free.

Rory just felt off, slightly, trying to convince herself that it didn't matter what other people thought. It didn't, of course, but she didn't want anything to mar how good this felt. Prying eyes were just annoying as hell.

"That's fair." She chuckled, sliding her arms tighter around her girlfriend. She just felt better, having Maris in her arms. "Mmhm," She nodded, getting what Maris was saying with a wave of relief. Leaning into her a little more, she pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before sliding one of her hands into hers and tugging her back towards the stairs.

The cats were lurking, as ever, as she led Maris upstairs and into her bedroom. She had a vaulted bed, made with fresh sheets (thanks to her once-a-month housekeeper she loved more than almost anything), a comforter with a shades of blue with yellow accents pattern, and plush white carpet. Books sat on shelves in the corner by a chaise nearest the big window. She had some framed art on the walls, and though she didn't acknowledge it at the time, she'd later note that the big piece framed in white had been a picture of a sunset she took on their trip to Italy, when they had been overlooking a vineyard in Tuscany.

Rory climbed on the bed, only dropping Maris' hand as she flopped onto her back with a sigh. "C'mere you."

"Fancy new digs," Maris said approvingly, but she still couldn't quite shake the feeling that she was an interloper in a space Rory and Jess had once shared. She toed off her flats, making sure they were under the bed and out of anyone's path before sighing and undoing the first few buttons of her collared shirt so she could lay down more comfortably.

Her smile was weak as she climbed into bed over Rory, though it was impossible for her lips not to twitch a little bit further when she gave her a soft kiss. Her hands slid down the other woman's back, but they stopped cold when she felt the outline of Rory's phone in her back pocket.

It might as well have been a ticking time bomb. Maris' teeth sank into her lower lip as she ran a hand through her hair. "We've really done it now, haven't we?" she whispered.

"I like a very lived-in approach to decor." Rory said with a smile, her gaze following Maris as she moved around the room. She didn't want to think of it as weird having her in the space where Jess had once been plenty of the time. Her bedroom was devoid of any pictures of them, which maybe that was a weird thing? She wasn't overly sentimental like that. Well, not about some people, it seemed. Yikes.

Rory kissed her back softly, and then kissed her jaw as soon as her hand hit her phone. "Yeah." She answered simply, dropping one hand from her to dig into her pocket to grab her phone. She shoved it off the bed, letting it drop with a thud to the carpet. That had no place here, no place where she only wanted Maris.

"I wouldn't change any of it though." She said, brushing her fingers along her jaw and down the side of her neck. "Whatever shit we have to deal with, I have you. That's all I care about." Maybe it was selfish, but it was true. Hell, maybe that even made her the villain of this story to some.

Looking up at Maris, she shifted slightly to be closer if that was even possible. "What are you feeling?" It was an important question, one she was ready for ... whatever answer. "You've been so patient with me, I don't know that I could ever thank you enough for that."

"It's not really a patience thing. I would have stayed with you even if..." She winced a little wondering if she should own up to what she was about to say next. "Even if you married her."

It was probably pathetic. It was definitely immoral, but Maris knew it was true. She would have put up with anything so she and Rory could be together and she was about to now everything was out in the open but she couldn't help feeling guilty. But it wasn't necessarily on Jess' behalf.

It was mostly on Rory's.

"I don't regret anything," she said firmly, meeting her girlfriend's eyes and stroking her cheek in hopes the sentiment would sink in. "I just worry about you. Things getting ugly. I wish I could just... shield you from all of that. I don't want any more Alex's getting on their high horse about things they couldn't possibly understand because they've never felt anything remotely close to what we feel for each other."

If words alone could completely steal her breath from her lungs, what Maris said did it. She exhaled a moment later, her breath shaky. The amount of love that she had for Maris completely filled her up - so much so she wondered how she ever could have considered being anyone else's wife. "That's ... oof." She was at a loss for words, but she assumed her face told how stunned and honored she was. "I couldn't have put you through that."

And it was true. She probably should have known it as soon as she saw Maris in that coffee shop. As much as she would have judged her choices were they anyone else making them, she knew she wouldn't change a single second that she had spent with Maris. Maris was her home, full stop.

She hadn't felt more herself over the past few years as she did now, with her, again. It was like Rory could fully breathe again, being with someone who knew her so well, someone who loved and accepted her for all her annoying ticks and faults.

"I don't know what I did in my life ... or a past one to deserve you." She said softly, her own fingertips tracing along her jawline and then her lips. "We really lucked out, you know? Finding each other not once, but twice because we were stupid enough to fail each other once. I'd deal with a thousand Alex's or anyone else to be with you." She kissed her then, unhurried. "Don't go thinking I'm gonna ever let you go again. Especially when you drive me crazy being all protective like that, woman."

It was Maris' turn to be speechless. "I'm not about to question it," she said softly, brushing a strand of hair out of Rory's face. "I just know I'm not going to let it pass us by again either."

Now matter how stubborn she could get.

She leaned in for another kiss, hers just as slow and unhurried, but deeper, deep enough that she had to do a few more buttons on her blouse in an effort to cool down, the white lacy cups of her bra exposed as she leaned in for another.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked softly. "We moved all the right stuff in. Everything in the car will keep."

Suddenly it didn't matter that this house or even this bed had been shared with someone else. Maris was meant what she said. She here now and she wasn't going anywhere in any sense of the word.

Perhaps it was the mood of the day and what they'd been through upon stepping out into the world that allowed for such bold sweetness to fill the room around them, or even just a culmination of a lot of things. Rory would have felt almost silly waxing poetic about the depth of her feelings, but felt stronger that if she was going to say it, best to say it completely.

"Good." She concluded with a bit of a sigh, smiling into the kiss. Rory could honestly say she felt so secure about their future, and what they wanted with each other. It was almost unreal, this chance that they'd been given. Not to get so far ahead of herself, but Rory wanted to take all the steps with Maris that she'd taken for granted all those years ago.

Rory's eyes darted helplessly to where Maris' blouse came open, slightly distracted before her gaze leveled at the other woman. "Absolutely, I was hoping you would." She smirked a little, lifting her head to kiss her again. Her lips slowly traveled along the column of her neck, sucking softly at her warm skin. "Now you can wear some of my clothes in the morning." She chuckled, sliding her hands down her sides and settling on her hips.