Chapter Text
A loud ringing awoke Emily from her sleep. She groaned and reached over to her nightstand mid yawn to see who it was. Probably Miranda trying to get her to come into the office early. Her bleary eyes looked over the screen. ‘Andrea Sachs is calling…’ God not again. This had to have been the hundredth call since what Emily had been referring to in her head as the “kitchen incident.”
She couldn’t think about it too hard without cringing. Since Saturday morning the days had passed in a blur for her. It was as if she were completely on autopilot. She promised herself she would not bring up the incident with Andrea. Ever. In fact, she had been dodging her as much as possible. Hence the hundred (six) unanswered calls. It was now Tuesday and she swore to herself she’d go through her day the same way she did on Monday. Completely focus on her work, only speak when spoken to, and most importantly, avoid Andrea Sachs.
She got dressed as usual, made her coffee, and reluctantly got into a car to take her to the Elias-Clarke building. She pretended her heart wasn’t thudding as she walked in and settled at her desk across from Andrea’s. Like always she knew Andrea was staring. It took everything in her to not meet her eyes. It had only been a few days, but her absence was prominent to Emily already. She missed talking to her on her lunch break (well mostly listening to Andrea talk while she sat and drank coffee), the playful eye contact they’d make when Miranda was being difficult, and the way she could make Emily smile and laugh so easily that it surprised even her. Emily just missed her. And that was precisely the problem. Even when Andy wasn’t around somehow, she was still the only thing on her mind. And after Friday’s predicament she hated that this was the case.
Now, Emily dreaded lunch. She used to just sit with whoever and Andy would place herself next to her. But since Monday she’s been leaving the building and simply roaming the streets. Maybe it was a little dramatic, especially since it was freezing outside, but she needed to get away from Andrea. When lunch came, she promptly headed out of the large doors of Elias-Clarke. She was satisfied with her efficiency as no one seemed to be behind her on her way out. But unfortunately for her she was wrong. She made it approximately two steps onto the sidewalk until she heard that agonizing voice.
“Em!” Andrea was awkwardly walking towards her with Nigel trailing behind. He made a small face at Emily and then looked away. Emily just rolled her eyes. He knew. Of course, he did. How couldn’t he? He’s Runway’s biggest gossiper and Andrea might as well have the title of ‘professional oversharer’ on her resume. He was never going to let Emily live this down.
“Where are you headed? I thought you normally stayed in the building during lunch.” Emily sighed. Journalists, she thought. So very nosy.
“Nowhere important.” Her voice was sharp and uninterested. And she felt Andrea shrink a little at her words. Her dainty hands were fidgeting with her coat pockets. Emily was ready to turn around but Andrea continued.
“So, my calls…” Her brown eyes searched Emily’s blue ones so intently that she almost wanted to be honest with her. To just tell her that she’d been avoiding them because she didn’t want to discuss the deeply humiliating events that had occurred over the weekend.
“I’m very busy Andrea.” She stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Nigel seemed to perk up at that. He sent a sharp look Emily’s way.
“Okay.” Andrea now avoided her gaze. The cold giving her a cute, flushed look that began to drive Emily insane. “Well, if you ever want to talk about yknow, I’d like that.”
Her voice trailed off a bit at the ‘yknow’ and Emily’s breath hitched. This was somehow more humbling than the time she ripped her new Dior mini-skirt and Miranda pointed it out to everyone in the office.
“Well, I don’t.”
She curtly nodded and finally turned around, leaving. It took all her strength to ignore the flash of hurt that settled on Andys features. Nigel loudly sighed.
“Just because she’s hurt Andrea doesn’t mean it’s okay for her to hurt you. I hope you know that.”
That emotionally intelligent Bastard. She knows he said it so loud on purpose. So that she’d hear it too. The feeling she’s been trying to avoid since Saturday morning quickly returned. Some awful mix of loneliness, vulnerability, and hurt. A lump formed in the back of her throat and she hated it. At least the cold air and busy streets were a somewhat helpful distraction.
Thankfully, lunch ended quickly enough, the day progressed, and before she knew it, it was time for her to go home. The idea of taking a hot shower and drinking a warm cup of tea on her couch was the only thing keeping her going at this point. But of course, the universe hated her and as she began to pack up Miranda dropped an enormous binder on her desk.
“Photos of the spring collections for Dior, Prada, YSL, and Armani, are in this. I need these sorted and mixed into Yes, No, and Maybe, for our showcasing next month.” Emily’s gaze bounced between Miranda and the binder. This had to be a joke; she was pretty sure she’d be able to read the Bible faster. Miranda began to walk off leaving Emily to pick her jaw up off the floor.
“Oh, and I need that by tomorrow morning.” Had Miranda lost her mind?
“By tomorrow? There’s no other day I can give this back to you?” She stuttered out not even sure why she was trying to argue.
“Well sure! You can give it to me whenever,” Now Miranda was taking off her glasses and Emily knew she should’ve just kept her mouth shut. “But I think if you’d like to stay here at Runway, you’ll have this on my desk before I come in tomorrow.”
“I can help her.” Andrea, who was watching the whole interaction, jumped in.
“I mean, surely she’ll need a second opinion, right?” She nervously laughed and that crooked awkward smile she always did found its way onto her face. Emily melted a little at her. How could she still be so selfless even when Emily had been pretending like she wasn’t aware of her existence for the past few days?
It felt as though everything around them went silent. Emily was sure Miranda was going to murder them both right then and there for even questioning her instructions. But to her surprise Miranda just exhaled and shrugged a little.
“I really don’t care. Just get it done. That’s all.” And with that she strutted out of the exit. Office hours were officially over, and the building was close to empty. Emily let out a deep sigh and dropped her head onto the desk. Now instead of drinking her tea and relaxing on her couch she’d be here for hours sorting through photos that looked the same. All while trying to pretend she was totally fine with being alone with Andrea.
Emily lifted her head and watched as Andrea awkwardly dragged her chair to Emily’s desk. Now they sat side by side, knees brushing when the other moved. Emily was starting to think she was being punished for something she did in a past life. She opened the binder up and they began to take a quick sweep through.
“So…” Andrea cleared her throat and looked at Emily whose eyes were glued to the photos.
“There’s no need to converse.” She didn’t look up but she knew Andy was probably doing that sickening puppy dog eyed look at her right then.
After two hours or so they only made it about a third of the way through the book and Emily was beginning to lose her mind. The air between her and Andrea was thick and uncomfortable. It didn’t help that every time they moved, they somehow made contact.
They both went to flip a page and their hands brushed. Andrea jumped back as if she were electrocuted and Emily glared at her. She’s not sure why Andys actions made her heart sink. She knew it was unrequited, but bloody hell wasn’t like she was radioactive. Andrea must have noticed the look on her face because she relaxed little.
“Emily, we need to talk. We can’t go on like this.” Her voice was almost pleading; tired, and desperate. Emily fully turned, ignoring the chills she got when their legs met.
“What else is there to say? I was drunk, and I said something I shouldn’t have. That’s all.” She lightly flapped her hands around at her last few words, mocking Miranda, more out of irritation than anything. Andrea frowned.
“Then why are you ignoring my calls, and avoiding me at work? We’re not strangers.” Emily didn’t waver and continued to look at Andrea, really look at her. Her eyes had bags as if she hadn’t been sleeping, her hair was a little messier than normal, and the already little amount of makeup that she wore everyday was almost invisible now. Had she really been stressed about this? Emily couldn’t imagine why she’d even be concerned about it in the first place. She had no stakes in this. She wasn’t the one who confessed to her coworker while drunk.
“I told you, I want to forget about it.” The words came out like they hurt. Maybe because they did, “Perhaps It’d be best if we were strangers. And since that’s not possible, we’ll simply be co-workers and just that. Not friends, not even acquaintances.”
Her chest squeezed at Andreas saddened expression. Emily knew it was harsh, but she couldn’t continue to be friends with her. Not after what happened. Her words seemed to be enough as Andrea stayed silent and turned her attention back to sorting the photographs. Time continued to pass and the binder finally seemed to thin a little. Emily needed to get air or walk around. Just, get away from Andrea. She gracefully stood up and heading towards the restroom.
“Where are you going?” She sighed and pinched her nose bridge.
“The bathroom. Is that allowed?” Emily deadpanned, and then swiftly turned to continue walking.
Andrea got up as well and began to follow Emily. She was never going to get a break. Andrea was impossible. The walk down the hall was silent, both of them too tired to try to say anything that wouldn’t end in an argument. When they entered Emily lazily rested her back against the wall, her eyes closing for a moment. Andrea intently watched her, as if she were trying to figure out what she was thinking. They stayed there quietly for a while, Emily with her gaze on the ceiling and Andrea with her gaze on Emily.
“I can’t forget about it Em.”
Emily’s head snapped towards Andrea, a scoff escaping her lips. She couldn’t believe she was bringing this up again.
“Why won’t you let this go?” Now, she was upset. Her accent came out harsh and agitated. But Andrea didn’t seem fazed. If anything, she seemed defiant. Like she wasn’t going to back down, and that just infuriated Emily even more.
“Do you like that I humiliated myself in front of you? I guess after how poorly I’ve treated you, you must think we’re even now.” Her voice came out sadder than she’d have liked it to. But she didn’t care, not in the moment at least. Andrea blinked at her in disbelief, like she’d just said the dumbest thing ever.
“Em, no. I don’t care about that.” She took a step closer to Emily, dangerous considering her back was to the wall. She looked away and sighed as if her next words were of some inconvenience to say. “I won’t let this go because… I want it too.”
All the tiredness drained out of Emily’s body at once. She’d never been more alert in her life. Andrea took another step closer, now eye to eye with her.
“I want you too.”
Her voice softened so much it was almost imperceptible. But it was there, Emily was sure of it. She felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of her, she was breathless. Her blue eyes searched Andrea’s brown ones. She was waiting for the punchline, for Andrea to tell her that this was some cruel joke she had been planning since Friday night. But it never came. Instead, she felt a hesitant hand fall at her waist, while the other reached for her own.
“Can I?”
The speed at which she nodded her head should’ve been embarrassing, but she didn’t even have time to think about it before soft lips landed onto hers. Softer than she ever could have imagined. She fell into the kiss, allowing herself to let this be real. Her hands found the back of Andy’s neck and pulled her impossibly closer, making her stumble and giggle a little. A sound that Emily could listen to on repeat for hours.
The kiss wasn’t intense or rushed. It was gentle and undemanding, unraveling the months of stolen glances, tension, and unspoken words between them. Andrea pushed her into the wall a little more, deepening the kiss, and Emily let it happen. She let Andreas tongue find her own while her fingers playfully tangled in her hair. A few moments passed until she pulled away, flustered and breathless. Andrea barely moved and the look on her face was so incredibly smitten that Emily laughed. A genuine one that seemed to only come out when Andrea was around.
“I like you a lot Em.” She mumbled out mirroring Emily’s drunken words from before. Emily rolled her eyes but smiled and leaned back in. She could kiss her all day every day. Her hands began to make their way under Andrea’s shirt. Her fingers playfully fluttered at the delicate skin there. And a whimper escaped Andrea’s mouth. Emily basked in the sound smiling a little. If Andrea was embarrassed she didn’t say anything, she just grabbed her waist and pulled Emily in closer, deepening the kiss.
Suddenly the image of the binder on her desk flashed into Emily’s mind. Shoot.
“Andy,” She mumbled against her lips. Andy didn’t stop kissing her, but a small sound of acknowledgement escaped her mouth.
“The binder…” Emily sighed out, she knew she should have pulled away but she couldn’t, not when her touch was so intoxicating.
Suddenly Andrea stopped, lips still pressed to Emily’s and groaned.
“I hate Miranda Priestly.”
“I’d agree but I’m afraid she’ll somehow hear and have me exiled.” Emily joked and Andrea giggled bringing her in once more. She left a chaste peck to her lips. When she pulled away they both stilled for a moment looking into each other’s eyes.
Emily wondered if she were imagining this. If the gentle blush across Andrea’s cheeks was really because of her. Three hours prior, she was sure they’d never even be friends. And now here she was watching as Andrea’s hand reached up towards her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. It was done so gently, like she was worried she might break, like Emily was something worth being delicate with.
Emily grabbed her wrist before it could leave her face fully and placed one careful kiss to her palm. She watched as Andy faltered a little at the action.
“We should go back.” She whispered, worried that the moment would defuse if she were any louder.
They exited the bathroom and walked down the hall just like before, but this time their hands were intertwined and their footsteps in sync.
After a while, Andrea started to become increasingly important in Emily’s life. The ease at which she had made herself a part of Emily’s day-to-day life was a bit frightening. And with every date they went on, every night spent at each other’s apartments, and every moment of vulnerability Emily only seemed to soften more and more. The most frightening part of it all was that she didn’t mind. The shift in the way she treated Andrea began to become noticeable. They weren’t exactly going around showcasing their relationship. But they weren’t fully hiding it either. At work they were completely professional. Most people probably didn’t even think they were friends let alone in a relationship. But anyone that knew Emily, knew that all the fond smiles she sent Andrea’s way, and little favors she did for her were completely out of character.
Nigel caught on quickly when one day he saw Emily hastily carrying two coffees into the office. He assumed one was for Miranda, but when Emily walked over to Andrea’s empty desk and placed the coffee down, he questioned her. She simply brushed him off and claimed she had “Accidentally gotten two.” But when Andrea returned to her desk and grabbed the cup, he noted the way she smiled at Emily and thanked her. Like her bringing her coffee wasn’t unusual. His suspicions were fully confirmed when he watched Emily return the smile and her cheeks flushed.
Nigel wasn’t the only one who spotted Emily’s odd behavior. When Serena walked into the office today, she saw Emily pacing around her desk, her eyes on Andrea who was speaking to Miranda in her office. Serena raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Emily…” Emily practically jumped out of her skin when she heard her name. She huffed when she realized Serena had been watching her. “Is everything okay?” Emily rolled her eyes and waved a hand at her.
“Just fine.”
She sighed and sat down at her desk. Immediately, she logged onto her computer as if she were about to do work. Serena shrugged and walked off, not interested anymore. Her eyes stayed trained on her computer, but she wasn’t doing work, not at all. Instead, she was on the Dior website researching a necklace that she had been eyeing for a while now. A simple gold chain with a heart pendant. She wanted it desperately, but not for her, for Andrea. She wanted to do something nice for her. Something that would somehow convey the amount of adoration she had for her. Something that would be able to explain how thankful she was that she never let Emily push her away. Words and feelings weren’t exactly her strong suit, but fashion? She could handle that.
When lunch came, she gently squeezed Andy’s hand in apology before practically running to the elevator leaving her standing there puzzled. She took two cabs and walked almost three blocks just to get to the Dior store quick enough. She only slowed down once the workers brought her to the necklace. Her gaze landed on it behind the glass. It was perfect, the chain was small and simple enough that Andrea wouldn’t feel too flashy wearing it. And the heart pendant in the middle had little engravings that glittered in the light, a small hint at the fact it was worth a good amount. But Emily didn’t care about the price, she just wanted Andrea to feel appreciated.
One of the workers finalized the sale and wrapped it up as nicely as possible. He chuckled at how intently Emily watched him as he did it. She shot him a confused look.
“Sorry, it’s just…did your boyfriend get this for you or something? You’re watching me like a hawk. It must be important to you.” Boyfriend? Really? She just shrugged. Her mind was too focused on all the possible reactions Andrea might have to the gift.
She made it back to the Elias-Clarke building with the gift hidden in her purse. She knew she was acting weird. But she couldn’t help it. She was just so anxious. Her mind kept racing. What if Andrea ended up hating it? Or worse, what if she pretended to like it and then never actually wears it? As the day progressed her nerves just grew more. By the time she got home her palms were sweating and she was pacing through her kitchen. She began to think that this was a bad idea. She had already told Andrea she’d come over in a few minutes, to watch a movie and eat takeout. There was no backing out now.
She arrived at her door and gave a small knock. The gift bag was hidden behind her back, and she felt like a dork. This was so stupid, she thought. When the door opened Andrea was quick to pull her into the apartment and place an affectionate peck to her lips.
“I got us that Thai place you like!” Emily nodded, not fully listening to what she was saying. She felt as if her heart were about to beat out of her chest. Andy stepped in front of her and examined her suspiciously. Emily watched as her eyes narrowed to her hands clasped behind her.
“Are you hiding something behind your back?” Emily looked like a deer caught in headlights. And the expression on her face made Andrea laugh. She sighed and slowly placed the bag onto the kitchen table.
“I… I got something for you.” Andrea’s mouth opened a little in confusion. She sighed out a breathy laugh and looked at Emily.
“You got me a gift?” Her voice came out all lovey-dovey and she beamed at the faux annoyed look on Emily’s face.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just open it.” Andrea laughed again but she listened and began to take the small box out of the bag. Her hands stilled when she read the Dior label on the box. She glanced up at Emily, her eyebrows raising as if she were trying to make sure this was actually meant for her. Emily just shrugged, willing her to continue unwrapping it. Once all the ribbon and other extraneous pieces were off the box, she finally opened it, revealing the golden necklace neatly settled against silk fabric. Emily stopped breathing. Andrea’s jaw dropped.
“Emily, oh my god.”
Andrea trailed her hands along the chain of the necklace and then looked up. Emily just stood there uncomfortably, her eyes anxiously flickering around Andrea’s face. She couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and she felt like she might explode if she had to keep standing there without an answer. Andrea noticed the worried expression across her features and smiled. She reached out for her hand and intertwined their fingers. Emily finally let out a shaky breath. With her free hand, Andrea gently took the necklace out of its place in the box and gave it to Emily.
“Put it on for me?” She asked, her voice so warm Emily felt herself melt a little. She turned Andy around and moved her hair out of the way. Slowly, she clasped the necklace onto her neck and brushed her hair back into place. When Andy turned around to face her, her expression looked almost shy. Like she wasn’t used to being spoiled. Emily couldn’t ignore the way her stomach fluttered at the sight of the necklace resting so perfectly on Andrea. Andrea admired the necklace with a small smile.
“It’s perfect. I love it.”
Those words alone made all the running around and stress completely worth it. Andrea brought a hand up to cradle Emily’s face and pulled her in for a tender kiss. Emily couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Andrea was just so gentle, and so patient with her. Always. She thought that if all she had to do was buy a million Dior necklaces in order for Andrea to kiss her like this forever, she’d do it in a heartbeat.