"Get your ass in here, princess," Arthur called from the parlor. Lilian rolled her eyes and entered begrudgingly. Her mood did brighten, however, when she saw Pol seated at the table with Arthur, Thomas, and John. Her next thought was the whereabouts of Finn. As if reading her mind, Polly extended her hand and spoke.
"Finn's staying over at the neighbor's, so you don't need to worry about him," she informed, beckoning her forward. The young woman obliged happily and took her hand, allowing herself to be pulled onto Polly's lap. She giggled quietly as Polly pressed a kiss to her cheek. Finally, she turned back to Arthur.
"What'd you need me for?"
"I would say grab a seat, but you've already done that, so grab a glass," Arthur joked, cocking a brow at Lilian's place on Polly's lap.
"Oh, fuck off, Art," Lilian groaned as she reached to grab a glass of whiskey from the table. She leaned back against Polly, snuggling into her as she sipped the alcohol.
"He's just fuckin' with you, Lil," John jumped in, his words slightly slurred from the number of drinks he'd had. Lilian couldn't help but laugh as she turned to face Polly.
"How's the church?" she asked quietly. Polly couldn't hold back the smile that formed at the way the young woman looked so interested in the answer to such a simple question.
"It's good, my love. How are you?"
"Perfect, now that I'm with you," Lilian answered matter-of-factly, her smile wide and bright. Polly took a drag from her cigarette and blew it in Lilian's face, eliciting another giggle before they returned to the conversation with the boys.
The group continued to drink and smoke, gradually becoming more and more inebriated. After their first few drinks, everything was funnier, and the volume of their shouts and laughs rose steadily. Not long into Lilian's sixth drink, the sound of rain pattering on the roof caught her attention. She stood from Polly's lap, stumbling a little as she did so, and set her glass on the table.
"Where are you going?" Thomas asked, swinging his arm grandly causing his drink to spill over the edge of his glass.
"Outside," she said. "It's raining." She continued her path to the door, stopping just before she opened it. Lilian turned back to look at the group. "Art, come with me."
"No," he said firmly.
"Please," she whined, dragging it out like a child. After a few minutes of her incessant begging, Arthur sighed and stood. Lilian cheered, jumping up and down before taking his hand and dragging him outside. She pulled him into the middle of the street and started dancing, twirling around him and laughing as Arthur joined, finally giving in to her childishness. The others watched from the door as the pair jumped around in the rain, stomping in puddles and giggling.
"Alright, princess," the man huffed, out of breath as he kissed her forehead. "I'm going inside."
"Fine," Lilian pouted. Her expression changed, however, when she looked toward the house and saw Polly standing in the door with the other boys. "Pol, come dance with me!" Polly shook her head.
"Not a chance, sweet girl. Come inside; I don't want you getting sick." Lilian didn't say anything, simply looking back at her with her best sad puppy eyes and bottom lip stuck out. She knew Polly could never say no to that face. She was right; Polly rolled her eyes and walked into the street, ignoring the hoots and hollers coming from the boys behind her. The older woman cringed slightly at the feeling of her wet clothes sticking to her, but the thought melted away as Lilian wrapped her arms around her waist and held her close. They swayed gently in the rain, holding each other. Lilian's head rested in the crook of Polly's neck while Polly laid her cheek against the woman's hair.
The boys had left soon after they assumed this position, deciding to give them privacy to enjoy their moment.
"I love when it rains," Lilian mumbled, almost completely sobered up by the cold water pouring over them.
"I know you do, Lil, but we should go inside," Polly suggested. It was true that Lilian had her wrapped around her finger, but she would put her foot down on something like this. She couldn't bear to see the young woman in any distress, even if it was a simple cold.
"But I want to stay out here with you," she whispered. A shiver ran through her as she spoke.
"I'm sorry, but we can't. I will not have you getting sick; let's go." The taller woman pulled away from Lilian and grabbed her hand to bring her inside. As much as Lilian wanted to stay where they were, she knew Polly was right. They walked through the house together, dripping water all over the floor as they did. Polly walked them up to the bathroom and sat Lilian on the edge of the tub before starting the water and filling it up. "Strip."
"It's cold," the latter whined as she sat waiting for the former to finish. Polly chuckled at the irony.
"You can get in now," she assured her, beginning to strip herself. Lilian hummed contently as she slid into the water before opening her arms to the woman and making grabby hands at her. Polly laughed again. She sat between Lilian's legs and leaned back against her chest, smiling gently at the comfort the woman's presence brought her.
"Polly?" Lilian broke the silence.
"Yeah, baby?"
"I-" she hesitated, unsure if this was a good time to say what she wanted to say. She knew how she felt about Polly, but she was scared to voice it. Polly turned her head to look at Lilian, confused by her silence. When she saw how deep in thought she was, she gently brought her hand to Lilian's cheek and brought her back from her thoughts.
"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" Polly asked when Lilian had finally refocused on her.
"I love you, Pol," Lilian whispered, her voice shaky and heart hammering in her chest. She looked away, too terrified to look into Polly's brown hues.
"Lil, look at me." She shook her head. "Lilian Marie Clarke, look at me right now." She groaned knowing she'd be in serious trouble if she didn't follow Polly's instructions when using her full name, so she did. When Lilian's gaze finally locked with Polly's, her heart melted. The latter took the former's chin between her thumb and finger and kissed her sweetly. "I love you too."
"Really?" the brunette squeaked, her insecurities still showing plainly in her voice and expression.
"How could I not? You're perfect, baby," she cooed, turning herself around completely in the tub to face her. Lilian's bottom lip quivered slightly at the sentiment. She took Polly's face in her hands and pulled her close, kissing her passionately and with a fervor they were yet to share in any of their previous embraces. They drew apart slowly, lovesick smiles gracing their features. Lilian shivered once more.
"C-can we go lay d-down? It's getting c-cold," she asked, her teeth chattering. Polly laughed and nodded, extending her hand to the young woman. Lilian took it, brushing her lips against the brunette's knuckles as she stood. They got out together, drying themselves off and walking back to their shared bedroom to change. After changing, the pair climbed into bed, tangling their bodies beneath the sheets. The women were closer than they had ever been, both physically and emotionally.
"Do you want me to read something?" Polly questioned, running her fingers through Lilian's hair as the young woman looked up at her from her position against her chest. Lilian shook her head. The older woman's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "Why not?"
"I can't hear your heart beating when you're reading," she trailed. "I like listening to your heartbeat." She smiled before returning to her original place.
"You do?" Lilian nodded. "Well, that's good then because you already know it beats for you, Lil; you remember when I told you that?"
"Mhm," Lilian hummed, her smile growing. She lifted her head once more and shuffled so her face was now hovering over Polly's. She kissed her nose and listened as Polly's angelic giggle slipped past her lips. She fell more deeply in love than she ever had at that moment. "Christ, I love your little giggles, Pol." Polly rolled her eyes.
"You're so soft, little one," she mused, kissing her softly.
"Am not," Lilian whined as she pulled away. "You're the one who's soft." Polly scoffed playfully.
"Whatever you say." The young woman's breath hitched in her throat when Polly switched their positions and pinned her to the mattress. She smirked devilishly and kissed her once more before drawing back and dipping down to Lilian's exposed shoulder. She kissed and nipped at her collarbone, drawing little gasps from Lilian's lips.
"Pol, w-what are you doing?" she whimpered. Polly chuckled against her skin before lifting her head and cocking a brow.
"You know exactly what I'm doing," she replied in a husky tone. This only made the blush across Lilian's cheeks darken. Polly returned to her love's neck, doing everything she could to draw more sounds from Lilian.
"Please..."
"Please what, baby?" the older woman asked, her lips still brushing Lilian's sensitive skin. She couldn't hold back the smile that practically shattered her face as she listened to the woman beneath her try to form a complete and coherent sentence. "Tell me what you want."
"You, Pol; I want... I want you," she breathed.
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A/N: Hello! I know this chapter is a little bit shorter than the rest of them, but I didn't know what else to write in this chapter without dragging it on and boring you all. I love each and every one of you; stay safe <3