The Sweet to My Mean (South of Nowhere, Spencer/Ashley, PG)
Title: The Sweet to My Mean
Author: alittlemorebite
Fandom: South of Nowhere
Pairing: Spencer/Ashley
Rating: PG
Summary: Spencer bakes, works on a crossword puzzle and does yoga.
Author's Notes: Title stolen from Cary Brothers. I wrote this ages ago but it got lost amidst the hundreds of Word documents I have on my computer.
1.
It all starts when Spencer notices the oven.
“Ash?” Her face scrunches up in amused puzzlement. “You have an oven.”
Shrugging, Ashley takes a sip of her coffee and leans against the fridge. “Kyla’s idea. She’s on this whole health trip and wants to make everything herself. I think she actually made tofu brownies once.” It’s driving Ashley crazy, really, having sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free, taste-free substances lying everywhere. She makes a mental note to kick Kyla out if she ever mentions the word ‘decaf’.
Spencer turns away from the oven and smiles. It’s infectious, and Ashley can’t help but crack her own goofy imitation of Spencer’s grin. “What?” she asks, the word tumbling out in a laugh.
“Let’s make some cupcakes.”
A sound, a bubble of a scoff and a snort, escapes Ashley’s throat, and she has to put her mug down to keep the coffee from spilling over. “Um, Spence? I don’t bake. I’m allergic.”
Spencer laughs. “To what?”
“Ingredients?”
Shaking her head, Spencer begins to raid the kitchen.
“This cannot end well.”
***
Half an hour later, Spencer stands proudly over a tray of chocolate cupcakes. “Now all that’s left is the icing.”
“Oh God, we have icing?” Ashley groans, sagging against the island. She’s never understood the appeal of baking, never delighted in sinking her fingers into raw, squishy ingredients and getting bits of food stuck in her hair. Egg yolk, as far as she’s concerned, will never be a crowning glory.
Spencer, meanwhile, spreads icing over the cupcakes with what, to Ashley, looks like an unnecessarily loving touch. After the fourth one, she pauses and picks up one of the cupcakes, biting into it with approval. “’S good. Want one?”
“Maybe later.”
“Okay,” Spencer mumbles, taking another bite. The icing is thick and smooth, and no matter how delicately Spencer tries to eat the cupcake, chocolate finds its way onto her upper lip and nose.
Ashley stifles a laugh and instead, leans across the mess on the island and looks into soft, warm eyes.
“Here, you’ve got some chocolate …”
“Where?”
“Here,” Ashley murmurs, tongue darting out to lick the fleck of chocolate on the tip of Spencer’s nose. “And here.”
They kiss and Ashley smiles, tasting sweetness on the only girl she’s ever baked with.
2.
It’s raining again, the second time this week. Their beach plans are ruined and Ashley feels petulant, almost wants to stamp her foot and whine. Spencer’s lying on Ashley’s bed, riding out the downpour the way she does everything else - with patience. She’s biting her lower lip, frowning at the crossword puzzle in front of her.
“What’s another word for ‘enthusiastic’?”
“I’m so the wrong person to ask,” Ashley responds, her voice grating in irritation. She paces the length of the room, then drops down on her bed next to Spencer, picking at the sheets.
“Spence …”
“Hm?”
“This is a world of suck.”
“I know, baby.” Glancing up, Spencer offers a sympathetic smile and squeezes Ashley’s knee before returning to her crossword.
Ashley frowns. She’s not about to let a crossword puzzle steal her girlfriend. She pulls her legs up onto the bed and sits cross-legged, her thigh flush against the length of Spencer’s body. Pretending to help with the puzzle, she lets her hand wander, skimming over the faint lines of the muscles stretching out from under Spencer’s shirt and disappearing into the waistband of her shorts. She loves the way Spencer is made, with grace woven into the angles of her wrists and softness into the pillows of her cheeks. There’s nothing better than falling asleep in Spencer’s warmth, Ashley thinks, but for now she wants to earn that sleep, and so she bends down and kisses the side of Spencer’s neck.
Sighing, Spencer feigns resistance even as she tilts her head, her cheek an invitation. Ashley accepts, fingers reaching.
It isn’t long before the crossword puzzle gets lost in a tangle of sheets and clothes.
3.
On Saturday morning, Spencer says hi with her head between her legs.
Ashley walks into the living room, staring incredulously at Spencer and Kyla. It’s a strange feeling, watching her girlfriend bond with her sister. She chalks it up to the fact that she’s never had two people to call hers under the same roof.
“Please don’t tell me she got you too,” Ashley says, glaring at Kyla.
“She did,” Spencer admits happily, raising her arms above her head. Her tank top rides up a few inches, baring a sliver of skin. A lazy grin curls the corners of Ashley’s lips. She feels almost triumphant knowing she can touch that skin, that body, any time she wants.
“Hey, Ash, you should try this. It really makes your muscles burn,” Kyla pipes up.
Ashley rolls her eyes. Yoga is slow, she thinks, and patience has never been one of her virtues. She prefers running, loves the way the wind streams through her hair and the hard, fast thumps of her heart. When she runs, she pushes the limits, wants to see how much it takes to outrun all the mistakes she’s ever made.
As Spencer and Kyla change positions, Ashley settles into the couch, pushing her tousled hair off her forehead. “What is this - the Constipated Ape?”
Sighing good-naturedly, Spencer and Kyla ignore her, though Spencer cracks a grin as she catches Ashley’s eye. Spencer stretches her legs, gripping her toes with her fingers, and Ashley can’t help but be amazed at how put-together Spencer looks in the morning. Her hair is glossy, held up in a neat ponytail, and her eyes are bright, her movements fluid. A swell of pride and gratitude bursts in Ashley’s chest, and she entertains the thought of joining Spencer on the mat. On impulse, she gets up and kisses Spencer on the cheek. Maybe she can finally stop running. Maybe she’s finally got one thing right.
Author: alittlemorebite
Fandom: South of Nowhere
Pairing: Spencer/Ashley
Rating: PG
Summary: Spencer bakes, works on a crossword puzzle and does yoga.
Author's Notes: Title stolen from Cary Brothers. I wrote this ages ago but it got lost amidst the hundreds of Word documents I have on my computer.
1.
It all starts when Spencer notices the oven.
“Ash?” Her face scrunches up in amused puzzlement. “You have an oven.”
Shrugging, Ashley takes a sip of her coffee and leans against the fridge. “Kyla’s idea. She’s on this whole health trip and wants to make everything herself. I think she actually made tofu brownies once.” It’s driving Ashley crazy, really, having sugar-free, fat-free, carb-free, taste-free substances lying everywhere. She makes a mental note to kick Kyla out if she ever mentions the word ‘decaf’.
Spencer turns away from the oven and smiles. It’s infectious, and Ashley can’t help but crack her own goofy imitation of Spencer’s grin. “What?” she asks, the word tumbling out in a laugh.
“Let’s make some cupcakes.”
A sound, a bubble of a scoff and a snort, escapes Ashley’s throat, and she has to put her mug down to keep the coffee from spilling over. “Um, Spence? I don’t bake. I’m allergic.”
Spencer laughs. “To what?”
“Ingredients?”
Shaking her head, Spencer begins to raid the kitchen.
“This cannot end well.”
***
Half an hour later, Spencer stands proudly over a tray of chocolate cupcakes. “Now all that’s left is the icing.”
“Oh God, we have icing?” Ashley groans, sagging against the island. She’s never understood the appeal of baking, never delighted in sinking her fingers into raw, squishy ingredients and getting bits of food stuck in her hair. Egg yolk, as far as she’s concerned, will never be a crowning glory.
Spencer, meanwhile, spreads icing over the cupcakes with what, to Ashley, looks like an unnecessarily loving touch. After the fourth one, she pauses and picks up one of the cupcakes, biting into it with approval. “’S good. Want one?”
“Maybe later.”
“Okay,” Spencer mumbles, taking another bite. The icing is thick and smooth, and no matter how delicately Spencer tries to eat the cupcake, chocolate finds its way onto her upper lip and nose.
Ashley stifles a laugh and instead, leans across the mess on the island and looks into soft, warm eyes.
“Here, you’ve got some chocolate …”
“Where?”
“Here,” Ashley murmurs, tongue darting out to lick the fleck of chocolate on the tip of Spencer’s nose. “And here.”
They kiss and Ashley smiles, tasting sweetness on the only girl she’s ever baked with.
2.
It’s raining again, the second time this week. Their beach plans are ruined and Ashley feels petulant, almost wants to stamp her foot and whine. Spencer’s lying on Ashley’s bed, riding out the downpour the way she does everything else - with patience. She’s biting her lower lip, frowning at the crossword puzzle in front of her.
“What’s another word for ‘enthusiastic’?”
“I’m so the wrong person to ask,” Ashley responds, her voice grating in irritation. She paces the length of the room, then drops down on her bed next to Spencer, picking at the sheets.
“Spence …”
“Hm?”
“This is a world of suck.”
“I know, baby.” Glancing up, Spencer offers a sympathetic smile and squeezes Ashley’s knee before returning to her crossword.
Ashley frowns. She’s not about to let a crossword puzzle steal her girlfriend. She pulls her legs up onto the bed and sits cross-legged, her thigh flush against the length of Spencer’s body. Pretending to help with the puzzle, she lets her hand wander, skimming over the faint lines of the muscles stretching out from under Spencer’s shirt and disappearing into the waistband of her shorts. She loves the way Spencer is made, with grace woven into the angles of her wrists and softness into the pillows of her cheeks. There’s nothing better than falling asleep in Spencer’s warmth, Ashley thinks, but for now she wants to earn that sleep, and so she bends down and kisses the side of Spencer’s neck.
Sighing, Spencer feigns resistance even as she tilts her head, her cheek an invitation. Ashley accepts, fingers reaching.
It isn’t long before the crossword puzzle gets lost in a tangle of sheets and clothes.
3.
On Saturday morning, Spencer says hi with her head between her legs.
Ashley walks into the living room, staring incredulously at Spencer and Kyla. It’s a strange feeling, watching her girlfriend bond with her sister. She chalks it up to the fact that she’s never had two people to call hers under the same roof.
“Please don’t tell me she got you too,” Ashley says, glaring at Kyla.
“She did,” Spencer admits happily, raising her arms above her head. Her tank top rides up a few inches, baring a sliver of skin. A lazy grin curls the corners of Ashley’s lips. She feels almost triumphant knowing she can touch that skin, that body, any time she wants.
“Hey, Ash, you should try this. It really makes your muscles burn,” Kyla pipes up.
Ashley rolls her eyes. Yoga is slow, she thinks, and patience has never been one of her virtues. She prefers running, loves the way the wind streams through her hair and the hard, fast thumps of her heart. When she runs, she pushes the limits, wants to see how much it takes to outrun all the mistakes she’s ever made.
As Spencer and Kyla change positions, Ashley settles into the couch, pushing her tousled hair off her forehead. “What is this - the Constipated Ape?”
Sighing good-naturedly, Spencer and Kyla ignore her, though Spencer cracks a grin as she catches Ashley’s eye. Spencer stretches her legs, gripping her toes with her fingers, and Ashley can’t help but be amazed at how put-together Spencer looks in the morning. Her hair is glossy, held up in a neat ponytail, and her eyes are bright, her movements fluid. A swell of pride and gratitude bursts in Ashley’s chest, and she entertains the thought of joining Spencer on the mat. On impulse, she gets up and kisses Spencer on the cheek. Maybe she can finally stop running. Maybe she’s finally got one thing right.