Work Text:
Andrea had already put the kids to bed by the time Emily made it home.
The journalist had her feet tucked in under her, articles open on the laptop in front of her, and her reading glasses resting on the slope of her nose when she heard the lock twist on the door.
She looked up when the shuffling became more prominent.
Emily was home, finally, looking windswept and utterly wrecked.
Her hair clung to her rosy cheeks. She was an adorable sight, Andy thought.
Emily, for her credit, was holding up very well after the day she had.
When she looked up to find Andrea comfortably seated on the couch, she felt the tensions in her shoulders release majorly.
She dropped her bag, shrugged off her coat, and slipped off her heels all while desperately trailing a path to Andrea.
Andrea knew what she needed, and was more than happy to deliver.
She dismissed her work to the coffee table in front of her, her glasses following on suite.
"Oh, my baby, what happened?" Andrea cooed, opening her arms and unfolding her legs to accommodate an impending Emily Charlton's presence.
Emily fell into Andreas' arms immediately, she straddled the brunette - throwing her arms around her nape.
She buried her face into Andreas' neck, relaxing into her hold.
"Sweetheart, are you alright?" Andrea was worried, stroking Emilys back with one arm, pulling her in closer by her waist with the other.
She hasn't come home this visibly drained in a long while.
"Mhhh.." Emily groaned.
"Does my baby need some time to decompress?" Andrea purred.
"Mhm.." Emily hummed.
Andrea stroked her hair all the while Emily attempted to push further into Andreas space, clearly disappointed with the fact she couldn't just climb into the brunettes skin.
Emily simply nuzzled into Andreas nape. Soaking in her lovers scent.
She was scented by ink, and books, and vanilla. She smelled like home.
Every inch of her body was exhausted, and only Andreas proximity could rejuvenate her system.
Andreas love was the only thing that could only bring her body sustenance.
After a couple of blissful moments, Emily finally pulled her head back so she could face Andrea.
She still sat comfortably in her lap.
Andreas hands roamed down from Emilys waist down to her hips, waiting for Emily to confide in her.
Emily pressed a soft kiss to Andreas mouth before pulling back.
Andrea could tell from her impatient eyes that she wasn't satisfied with the chaste peck.
Andrea smiled softly at her beauty, even when she was utterly wrecked from a long day at work she was gorgeous.
Her right hand moved from her hips to her hair, pulling her closer so she could plant a meaningful kiss.
The kiss was open mouthed, it was soft, it was gentle, and most of all it was tired.
Emily exhaled, her body completely deflating into the kiss.
They pulled away after a few lethargic moments.
"Coach isn't so... horrible anymore, but bloody hell, some days they really push my buttons." Emily complained.
Andrea scratched at Emilys head, encouraging her to continue.
"You really won't believe it. No, Andy, like you won't believe the absolute hell these assistants put me through today. They're utterly incompetent. Disgustingly useless. If it was up to me I would've fired them a hundred times over." Emily huffed.
"I'm a bloody senior executive for Gods sake. I manage, I control, I plan, I represent. I am important at this job, and yet. And yet- ugh!" She interrupted herself with a guttural grunt.
"I have two assistants, you know this. Tristian and Katherine. Not that their names matter. Tristian, today, double scheduled me with both the creative directors and our major retail partners. This should've been a very easy thing to fix, all he had to do was push one to a later time! Instead- "
Emily animatedly rambled on, hands no longer clinging onto Andys neck but now suspended in the air.
Andrea, every now and then, spoke her mind - hoping her words brought some comfort.
She understood Emilys agitation.
This was a woman who built her life off of competence and the honing of skills. She was right to expect some basic proficiency from her colleagues.
She softly squeezed the blondes waist every time she started getting too heated, reminding her that she was home and that the anger she felt for them shouldn't be brought home with her.
Once Emily finally calmed down she returned her hands to Andreas person. Resting them at the brunettes neck.
Emily sighed. The action provided her a sense of catharsis.
"Thank you, Andy."
"Aw, you're okay baby, you just had a long day. You've done so well again today, considering what you had to deal with." Andrea hummed.
"Stop." Emily blushed.
"Which part flustered you? the praise or the pet name?" Andrea bit back a smile.
"Andy.."
"You do like it, don't you? Being told you're good, I'm telling you you're good, honey." Andrea teased.
"You're being mean to me."
"Am I? I was under the impression this was comforting?" Andrea grinned, brushing her nose with Emilys.
"Mhh..." Emily closed her eyes, the flush making itself up her neck undeniable.
Andrea pressed a kiss to her forehead before planting another kiss to the blondes nose, and another on her right eye.
Emilys eyes fluttered open, looking down into Andreas own. Emily cuddled further into her, not trusting her own voice for commentary.
When Andrea felt Emily was settled in enough, she began recounting her day.
Skipping over any unnecessary mention of Runway, of course. She didn't want to ruin the mood.
Andrea laughed softly when she recounted Bronwyn and Roark's fight over whose turn it was to choose a film to watch during dinner.
She felt Emily smile against her shoulder when she reminisced over their impromptu 'football' game at the park after Roark challenged Bronwyn and two other kids to a match.
Emily laughed at Andreas, surely, overdramatized rendition of a hostage situation. Andy whined about being forced to be the goal keeper, she made it sound like she was being tortured by the adolescents.
Andrea used to play soccer when she was in school, so she wasn't a complete novice getting a ball kicked at her.
It was quite nice really, being able to use her skills to play with her - dare she say - kids.
When Andrea finished her retelling of the day, Emily stopped absentmindedly playing with the brunettes hair.
She suddenly felt an immense wave of love, adoration, and appreciation for the woman under her.
Emily really couldn't imagine a life without Andrea in it, and she's sure her kids couldn't either.
"I love you.." Emily murmured against her lips.
"I love you." Andrea repeated, planting a lasting kiss on Emilys lips.
Just as Emily was about to deepen the kiss, she heard a creek down the corridor and quickly jumped off Andreas lap.
The American blinked, shocked at Emilys sudden snap back to reality.
She missed the pressure of Emily on her lap.
Andrea looked over at Emily, raising a brow.
Their relationship wasn't new, at all.
Andrea lived with them.
The kids have started introducing Andrea as their step mother.
Emily and Andrea were on the cusp of engagement.
The process only paused because of Emilys own fears.
Those of which Andrea would spend every day reassuring Emily weren't plausible, because Andrea would never be another Frank.
She couldn't even fathom treating Emily the way he had. She truly loved this woman, with every bone in her body.
She loved her with every cell, every follicle, and every breath.
"Oh, shut up." Emily rolled her eyes.
"And, she's back." Andrea grinned.
"She never left." Emily retorted.
"Uh huh."
"Whatever."
"Mommy..?" A sleepy voice echoed through the hall, finally turning the corner to reveal an adorably tired Bronwyn.
"Yes, baby?" Emily answered, sitting up to beckon her daughter over.
Bronwyn leaped into her mother's lap.
"We missed you."
"I missed you too, my love." Emily smoothed Bronwyn's hair down as she spoke.
"We really did miss you, Em." Andrea cemented. Pressing a kiss to Emily's temple.
The blonde let out an uncensored smile.
"Lets go to bed, okay?"
"Okay mommy..."
"Okay mommy." Andrea teased.
Emily picked up her daughter, slapping Andreas arm as she moved passed her.
Andrea barked out a laugh.
Emily couldn't help the grin that broke out.