It's hard for Ally to believe she's been with Stevie for a full year. She feels like she's changed so much in that time, grown up a whole lot while trying to get by on her own in LA. Of course she's had Danny and Courtney by her side for most of it, but they hardly count as adult influences. And Stevie... somehow in the last year, Stevie grown with her.
Neither of them can exactly afford any flashy romantic gestures. That's not to say they don't appreciate the smaller things, like how Stevie will stop by the Burger takeout place that's a few blocks out of her way home, because Ally likes the food from there better than the place that's literally three doors down from the Apartment. In turn, Ally sometimes surprises her with breakfast from her favourite coffee shop.
So. There's plenty of the smaller stuff, the little things that make Ally fall more in love with Stevie every single day, but big things... Really, Ally doesn't need an expensive anniversary present and dinner in a restaurant .
Of course it doesn't mean they're planning to do nothing at all for their anniversary.
She slips in unnoticed through the door to their apartment and drops her coat and bag to one side, kicking off her shoes after. Still holding onto the bottle of wine and paper bag containing dessert, Ally makes her way through to the kitchen, where she finds Stevie chopping up salad with amount of skill.
Ally waits until the tomato has been thoroughly sliced before saying hello—the last time she'd walked in on Stevie wielding a kitchen knife had almost ended in fingers being sliced off and a trip to the emergency room is really not how she wants to spend her evening.
At Ally's greeting, Stevie looks up from her task, the concentration on her face immediately transforming into a wide smile. "Hi, Pinguin."
It's taken Ally a while to get used to Stevie calling her Pinguin.
Ally leans in for a kiss before setting her things down on the counter. "You need any help?"
Stevie mouth twists into a smirk and she shakes her head. "I know better by now," she says, and Ally immediately rolls her eyes, because she's never going to be able to live down the complete disaster that was her only attempt to cook for Stevie. "You can open the wine, though. And set the table."
As she goes about her assigned jobs, Ally can't help but think over the last year.
She's grown with Stevie, too, though, in different ways. It is different and Stevie is so unlike Torey in every way, that comparing them isn't even fair. Not that it's really fair to compare anyway, which Ally knows. She loved Torey but she's in love with Stevie. Stupidly, ridiculously in love with Sassibob if the way she lets herself be ordered around is any indication.
She finishes with the table, then heads back into the kitchen to grab a couple of wine glasses from the cabinet to Stevie left. The room's pretty small, but it's not in any way small enough to excuse how she presses up against Stevie's back as she reaches up for the glasses.
Stevie laughs softly. "Smooth, Pretty. Really."
"How long until food?"
"Not long enough." Stevie swats at Ally's wandering hand, but it's obviously a token protest, because she's leaning back into Ally's body, and twisting her head so their lips can meet in a slow, lingering kiss.
Ally grins lazily when they part, taking in Stevie's flushed face and heightened breathing. "Are you sure about that?"
"Patience is a virtue. Go pour the wine." Immediately, Stevie's back to all business, reaching for another tomato and slicing deftly through it. Ally can't help but give an exaggeratedly aggrieved sigh as she takes the glasses and wine through to the table in the other room. She's pretty sure she can hear Stevie rolling her eyes behind her.
Dinner turns out to be relatively quiet. Stevie made a grilled mushroom risotto which tastes so good, Ally almost has to stifle a groan with every mouthful. When they're done, Ally quickly clears their plates away, deciding that loading the dishwasher can wait until later. As can dessert, because Ally is far more interested in other things now the main course is out of the way.
She came prepared, and in the bag with dessert is also one of those bows with a sticky bottom that you press on top of gifts. It doesn't really stick to the top of her head, which is probably a good thing, anyway, but it does stay put.
"I know we agreed no big presents, but I think you'll like this," she calls from the doorway.
She's aware she's being ridiculous, and can't help the slight blush colouring her cheeks, but when Stevie looks up and Ally can tell she's biting her lip to stifle a laugh, it's completely worth it.
"You've been watching too many cheesy romantic comedies with Shannon and Cammie again, haven't you?"
Ally tries to huff, but can't quite manage it when Stevie rises from the sofa to pluck the bow out of her hair and press a kiss to her lips.
One kiss leads into another, and Ally's hands wind upwards, stroking through Stevie's hair, pressing softly into the nape of her neck, kneading there until Steviei sighs against her mouth and Ally pulls back slowly, breathing out the word, "bedroom." It comes out more like a question, but she doesn't give Stevie a chance to respond before intertwining their fingers and leading them quickly through the apartment.
Ally undresses her slowly. She's never known anyone who takes so much pleasure in just the simple act of taking clothes off, but by the time she's naked, by the time Stevie's kissed and stroked, applied teeth and tongue and fingertips to what feels like every single centimetre of her skin, Ally feels like she's ready to explode. Or die.
She's wet and aching, her body trembling in anticipation, but Stevie eases her back onto the bed, then stands back to undress herself. She's almost as slow with her own clothes, performing a striptease that Ally greedily drinks in.
And when Stevie stripped off the last item of her clothing, when they're both finally naked and Stevie lowers herself down gently to rest against Ally, she knows the waiting was worth every second.
"God," she murmurs. Stevie's body is pressed against hers in all the right places, and she groans at how good it feels, and then louder when Stevie's thigh slips between her own and presses up. She can't help but rock against it, painting the abundant evidence of her arousal over Stevie smooth skin. "You feel so good."
"So do you." Stevie's voice is low, gravelly, and the sound of it sends shivers spreading over Ally's body and coming to rest between her legs. Fingers drag a path upwards over Ally's skin, from mid-thigh until they're stoking over her left breast, and aAlly stutters out a breath as they close over an already straining nipple.
Stevie stares down at her, eyes dark with promise, and Ally shudders, then cries out when a mouth replaces fingers, teeth scraping lightly over sensitive skin.
Their eyes remain locked as Stevie's fingers skirt downwards again, smoothing over Ally's stomach briefly before pressing between her legs.
There are times when Stevie fucks her so slowly Ally becomes almost delirious from it. She spends what feels like hours touching Ally everywhere except those places Ally needs her touch, winding Ally tighter and tighter until the slightest brush of fingertips against her clit is enough to send her body shooting into oblivion. Ally always, always begs, the desperation colouring her voice, and her body bucking up into Stevie's touch. When she finally comes, loudly, violently, sobbing Stevie's name, Stevie cries out too, comes with the briefest press of her own hand between her thighs. The first time it had happened, afterwards, laughing breathlessly in the wake of her orgasm, Stevie had admitted it was the begging that sent her crazy, that Ally sounding so desperate, so out of control, was more than enough to fuel her own orgasm.
So, Ally knows Stevie loves it when she begs, and even more when she can't quite form the words, she knows, even as her hips jump and she murmurs Stevie's name, what, exactly, is Stevie waiting for.
It doesn't take long. Stevie's fingers stroke maddeningly through her arousal, tease against her entrance and Ally is done. She's been thinking about this all day: Stevie's mouth on her body, fingers inside her, making her cry out, making her come.
"Please... I can't...Lady" Stevie presses inside, curls, and Ally''s eyes roll back. "Oh God."
"Good?" Stevie presses kisses hot against Ally's chest, drives her fingers deeper.
"More."
She's wet enough that a third finger seems to slide in easy, and she can't do anything but groan, then louder when Stevie's thigh presses up behind her hand, lending the whole of her body weight to each thrust.
Ally can feel Stevie's arousal now, slick and hot against her own thigh, and she reaches out, fingers slipping through the gathered wetness before pressing against Stevie's clit. She might be able to get herself off like this, rocking urgently against Stevie's body, but Allys wants—needs—to feel her.
She can't do much, though, but draw sloppy patterns over Stevie's clit, can't focus on anything but the push of Stevie fingers inside her, dragging out her pleasure until it feels like she might die from it.
She babbles Stevie's name, then oh, please, again and again.Stevie shudders on top of her, presses hard against Ally's fingers, and angles her own hand so her palm's brushing over Ally's clit, barely, but it's enough, and Ally's body strains upwards, frantic in the final seconds, before she's coming hard and fast and only distantly aware of Stevie bearing down against her and crying out as she comes too.
Ally head is resting against Stevie's shoulder, and she's enjoying the feeling of fingers stroking lazily through her hair. She's almost drifted off to sleep when Stevie's voice breaks the easy silence that's enveloped them.
"What did you bring for dessert?"
Her mind jumps to the bag still sitting on the countertop in the kitchen, and the tub of Ben & Jerry's inside. "Um..." She looks up sheepishly at Stevie's face. "Ice cream."
"And you didn't think to put it in the freezer?"
"Hey!" Ally rolls over and pokes Stevie in her side, which just makes her laugh and wriggle away. "No fair blaming me, it would have been fine if we'd eaten it straight after dinner."
"You were the one who got distracted, Pinguin. If you'd have waited to give me my present..."
Ally kisses Stevie then, and it's completely terrible, because she can't stop grinning the entire time, but she really doesn't care at all. Stevie doesn't care, either, if the enthusiastic way she kisses back is any indication.
It's been a year, and though it's sometimes hard to believe, Ally wouldn't change a single second.