summary: during irv's birthday party in tdwp 2, andrea and emily confess their feelings for each other--the ones they kept buried for two decades.
rating: M
words: 2,427
tags: pre-relationship, andy-centric, love confessions
emily's lines || andy's lines
lowercase letters intentional, italics are andy's thoughts || beta-read
a/n: they did emily DIRTY in tdwp 2, so let's pretend emily trying to take over Runway using benji never happened, okay? xx
seeing emily with benji was something andy would never get used to.
how did he even get emily to date him? there was nothing attractive about him besides his bank account.
he doesn't deserve her, andy thought. i should be the one spoiling her with jewelry. i should be the one with an arm around her waist.
that's all andy could think of when she saw emily trying on a necklace benji would eventually buy her.
onlookers, if they paid enough attention to andy, would probably think she yearned for a male partner.
they'd be wrong.
andy hadn't seriously dated anyone after she met emily. she and nate broke up during her first year at Runway. andy's gone on pointless dates set up by her friends for her, but none of them made it anywhere.
andy knew she wasn't interested.
but looking at emily with someone else through a window?
now andy was interested.
andy returned to the party area, trying desperately to forget about seeing emily with him.
alcohol should help with that, right?
"could i get a negroni, but a thin orange slice, please? thanks." andy's elbows braced against the counter-top as she ran a hand through her long brown hair.
pictures were over, so she could ruin it how she wants.
someone andy wants to ruin, though...
that thought alone makes her feral.
with the blaring music, andy didn't hear nigel approach her. "have you seen miranda?" he asks.
andy jumps, her previous thought having occupied her.
"negroni!"
andy's hand flies up to take her glass before turning to nigel. "i'm sure she's around here somewhere. there's artwork in the hallways, so she's probably the-"
nigel's brows furrow, following andy's line of sight: it was emily with benji.
he tried slipping an arm around her waist, but she playfully (and discreetly) swatted it away.
"does she look uncomfortable?" andy's eyes looked... animalistic.
nigel shook his head. "if you ask me, he's an amateur. he should know by now that she doesn't like PDA, or any physical affection for that matter." nigel whispers matter-of-factly, then takes a sip of his drink.
looking behind andy, nigel sees alessandro michele, the creative director of Valentino. he mutters "excuse me" before making a beeline for michele.
the music died down and someone tapped against a microphone, causing an ear-piercing vibration. "can everyone please have a seat at their designated tables please? dinner should be out shortly."
downing the rest of her drink and leaving the glass near the bar, andy goes to Runway's table. fortunately for andy, emily's seat is adjacent to her.
unfortunately for andy, emily's seat is adjacent to her.
andy was the first at the table, followed by nigel, emily and benji, miranda, and others who andy didn't recognize. the people doing table arrangements must've mixed companies at tables to fill up spots.
dinner was nothing eventful--most of it was emily and nigel conversing about fashion, benji blabbering to the person next to him, and andy staring at emily.
admiring, she corrected.
surprisingly, benji had noticed emily's drink neared the bottom, and offered to get a refill. "what drink, love?"
easy: white wine. she loves that.
emily payed him no mind, answering curtly, "white wine."
andy smirks to herself, manhandling her negroni that a waiter had brought earlier. she actively avoided looking at emily, worried that she'd give herself away.
however, if andy dared a look at emily, she would've seen the way emily's breath hitched when andy's throat moved with every swallow of alcohol.
mid-swallow, a woman put her hand on andy's shoulder. "your dress is beautiful, who are you wearing?"
andy nearly choked, but she played it off. "julien dossena, creative director of Rabanne. 2025 cruise collection, i believe," she answered.
benji arrived with emily's drink in hand, but the drink didn't make it to emily. benji stumbled upon himself, clashing harshly with the delicate table.
the movement made andy flinch, her hand finding emily's thigh out of... reflex?
"dammit! my apologies, everyone," benji stuttered. "i'll get another one," he nodded to emily.
flustered, he didn't see how emily wasn't focused on the mess of the table, but focused on who could make her a mess.
everyone was fixated on the spilt wine, but andy and emily were lost in each other.
the brunette pulled her hand back as if it had been burnt. she whispered under her breath, "i'm so sorry. i don't know why-"
neither woman made eye contact.
emily bit her inner cheek, her brows also furrowed: did andy like her too?
the redhead's eyes scanned the table to see if anyone was looking. she took a deep breath, ensuring her voice was steady. "andy, i think my dress strap is loose. come with me."
emily pulled andy with her into the women's restroom, shutting the door harshly.
"your dress looks fine to me-" andy started.
emily checked to make sure no one was in the stalls before asking, "what was that?" she crossed her arms, almost in a protective manner.
andy's eyes glossed over shamefully. "it was a reflex, i'm sorry." she hid her face in her hands. "i know you don't like touch-"
"who said that?" emily inched closer.
andy's brows furrowed because, to her, it was apparent she didn’t. "anyone could figure it out by looking at you long enough."
fuck, she caught that didn't-
emily's voice sterned. "so you've been staring at me?"
"well, not like a creep, no...?" andy lied through her teeth with a sheepish smile.
she wasn't about to tell emily how the redhead affected her.
not right now.
andy's mouth opened and closed at a loss for words. her heart raced and she shifted her weight every few seconds. she always felt bare when emily looked at her.
emily took a breath before continuing--therapy taught her that. "where's your plus one, andrea?"
what does peter have to do with this?
"peter?"
emily nodded.
"i broke it off," andy confessed. “told him to leave.”
emily's eyes widened before she huffed, visibly frustrated. her words weren't forming in a way that gave andy the hint.
this was getting nowhere.
andy, ever-fluent in emily charlton, recognized the agitation. "hey," andy took emily's hands in hers. "what is it?"
emily blinked rapidly in hopes of ridding her eyes of its forming tears. "i don't know how to say it." her voice was wet, filled with emotion.
this was so uncharacteristic of her, but emily couldn't fight the emotion, not in front of andy.
andy's eyes turned glossy. she ached to take care of emily. take care of her how a partner would.
but that wasn't her place.
"i don't want benji," emily murmured.
andy held emily's hands tighter. "want me to ask him to leave?"
emily shook her head. "no, that's not what i mean." she foolishly raised her head so she could meet andy's beautiful eyes.
neither woman looked away this time.
they’d spent 20 years looking anywhere else but at each other.
emily was never good with words—words with feelings.
andy? she was too good with words. if she had no restraint, she'd confess to emily right here.
but that's just it--feelings could get you hurt.
that's why neither woman said anything sooner.
a stray tear fell down emily's face.
andy grabbed a tissue and dabbed it against emily's tear -streak. "don't want it to ruin your makeup," she whispered with a comforting smile.
emily blushed. gaining some bravery, she whispered, "i've got an idea for something you can ruin."
andy's breath hitched. she slowly pressed her lips against emily's, giving the other woman time to pull away if wanted.
it felt surreal.
even better: emily kissed back.
andy's hands fell to emily's waist, gently pushing her to brace against the sink without breaking the kiss.
emily smiled against the kiss, her hands cradling andy's neck. their noses fit perfectly together.
neither woman had to think of what to do: it was all instinctual.
when the redhead's back arched over the sink, andy swiped her tongue against emily's bottom lip. both women moaned when andy's tongue was let in.
emily tasted like rich wine and sweet honey.
the former could be seen by emily’s appearance and personality, but the latter was hidden, special: meant only for those who could make it through the redhead’s walls.
emily buried her hands in andy's hair, scratching her scalp lightly.
"i've wanted you for so long," andy confessed through wet kisses.
emily's heart warmed and her hands pushed andy's mouth against her harder.
"i want to mark you," andy's tongue fought emily's in a soft dominance, "so they know you're mine."
emily moaned and wrapped her arms around andy's neck before pulling away. "what about the press? they'll take pictures-"
andy's hands splayed across emily's skin left exposed by her dress. she whispers into emily's ear, "then they'll know too," planting kisses just below her jaw.
andy lost herself in emily: her taste, her scent, her body’s cues.
the brunette didn’t realize she was sucking emily’s pulse point hard enough to leave a mark until the latter’s moan vibrated against her shoulder.
“shit,” andrea pulled her mouth back, examining the hickey she’d worked so hard on. “that might bruise.”
andy kept a palm on the small of emily’s back while the other ran her fingers under slightly-cold water.
either woman refused to pull their bodies apart. they've craved the connection for twenty years.
andy gently pressed those fingers against emily’s bruise, her hand from emily’s back moving to cradle the redhead’s neck.
emily was out of breath, but spoke once she regained some oxygen. “that was-“
andy smiled sheepishly. “decent?”
emily’s smile softened before pressing a kiss to andy’s cheek. “brilliant.” she waited before continuing. “andy?”
“i don’t want you to think i am embarrassed to be seen with you.”
andy’s breath hitched slightly, and emily noticed.
“well, are you?” andy asked pensively.
emily, uncharacteristically, cupped andy's face in her hands, rubbing the pads of her thumbs across the brunette's skin. "i don't want the press to ruin us."
andy avoided emily's eyes. "em, you know i'm not good with relationships. when have you ever seen a romantic relationship of mine succeed?"
andy's previously-failed relationships made her think she was incapable of having the love everyone had.
sure, her dream was to be a journalist and she got it, but wasn't she allowed to have other desires too?
emily gently lifted andy's chin so they could touch foreheads. "i haven't, but i am selfishly glad they didn't work out."
after fixing their hair and makeup--to make it look like they didn't make out even though they totally did--they returned to the table.
andy sat first. "sorry for taking so long."
"wardrobe mishaps, you know," emily pointed to nigel.
to andy and emily's pleasure, benji was too busy speaking with designers to return to the table.
the two women made conversation with the remaining guests at their table (including nigel), but with one difference:
andy's hand was splayed across emily's exposed mid-thigh. her fingers gripping skin perfectly and massaging it every few seconds.
it was difficult for emily to hide her smirk during conversation, but she hid it behind laughs.
andy? she didn't need or want to hide anything.
she let everyone see her smirk--she'd finally gotten her woman.
once the party was over, andy felt relieved. her heels hurt like hell—not that she would dare complain about it in front of nigel or miranda.
also, emily would be breaking up with benji soon enough.
he didn’t deserve her anyway.
andy awkwardly stood near the exit of the venue, trying to look busy on her phone.
almost everyone was cleared out now, so it was quiet.
that’s when andy heard emily’s thick english accent yelling: “this isn’t about you! this is about what i want!”
a moment passed.
“can you really say that you saw this relationship going anywhere?”
benji stammered.
“exactly. as much fun as this has been, i have other matters to tend to.”
andy couldn’t see it, but benji’s brows knitted together as he said, “is this about andrea?”
emily let out an offended “what?”
“is she the person you’ve been talking about?”
emily scoffed. when did she ever hint at andrea…?
“you said there was someone from your past you never got to tell you loved. it’s her, isn’t it?” his voice rose with every word.
she said that?
andy's heart warmed.
emily tripped over what words to say: that normally didn’t happen.
“this is over, okay? now you can go back to trying to acquire other companies from people who actually care about them.” with all the courage she could muster, emily walked away.
unfortunately, she didn’t make it far. benji’s hand grabbed emily’s arm harshly, causing the redhead to squeal.
that was andy’s call.
“hey!” she shouted down the hall. she didn’t care how loud she was.
let people hear her.
andy’s heels clapped against the polished marble floor as she made a beeline for the man.
insultingly, the brunette stabbed her heel into benji’s shoe before slapping him hard across the face.
“touch her again and i’ll cover you in your own blood.”
andy’s eyes darkened as she eyed benji down, successfully intimidating him.
she took emily’s hand gently, lacing their fingers, and walked them out to emily’s chauffeur.
emily hadn’t spoken a word, her mind racing too fast to.
what andy did was… immaculate.
protective.
and hot.
emily refused to utter these words upon the fear of embarrassing herself.
“thank you,” she murmured.
andy’s head turned, eyes softening once they met emily’s. “of course, em. he shouldn’t have done that.”
emily squeezed andy’s hand, hoping it would communicate everything she didn’t say.
when they met emily’s chauffeur, andy visibly saddened. “when will i see you again?”
emily wrapped her hand around the back of andy’s neck to pull her into a kiss. “who said you’re leaving?”
emily opens the car door and enters the backseat. she's confused when she sees andy standing in place shocked.
andy stammers, “b-but, isn’t this a little fast?”
“oh god, andrea, i didn’t say i was going to pounce on you tonight, did i? surely you can use your mouth for something other than decorating my neck for one night.”
andy smiled to herself—she loved when emily was possessive of her, even if it was a little.
“andrea, get in the car, for god’s sake!”
andy slid into the backseat with emily and grinned. “yes, ma’am.”
