'Please.' You said, tears brimming your eyes at the coldness you were receiving. The saddest part was the fact you deserved it.

You half thought she'd go back to bed when she closed the window, but a minute later she closed the back door and pattered over to you in the garden.

'What the fuck are you doing throwing stones at my window at 3am?!' She said.

Okay so she was angry.

'I need to talk to you.'

'Oh great. You need to talk to me. What about the times I've needed to talk to you over the past 3 months huh? Where were you then?' She harshly whispered.

'Alex. Please. Let me explain.' You said.

Her shoulders deflated and she nodded her head to the bench at the back of their garden.

You sat down and looked at her, simply breathing her presence in.

'Well? I'm waiting.'

'I- my dad slapped me today.' You didn't know where to start honestly, so you started there.

Alex's eyes softened slightly but she said nothing.

'All I asked him was if a girl could love a girl.'

You heard the slight uptake in Alex's heartbeat and carried on.

'Alex... I pushed you away because I liked you. And not as a friend. As more. The movies we watched, where we saw all of those couples fall in love? I was doing the same. And when I finally caught on, I was scared. I was so scared. I still am scared.'

She took your hand in yours and breathed deeply.

'I thought what I was feeling was so wrong. I panicked and the first thing I did was run. I ran so fast away from you, but I couldn't get away from my feelings. They chased after me.' You felt a tear roll down your cheek and Alex used her finger to catch it.

'(y/n)... why didn't you just tell me?'

'Because I told my dad before I told you. And he told me, for hours, how wrong it was and how disgusting I should feel.'

'Oh (y/n), that's not true.'

'I know that now. You have to believe that I didn't know that then. That I pushed you away because my dad forced homophobia into me and I didn't even notice. I didn't even know what it was until a few hours ago.' You shuddered at the reminder.

'I'm going to kill your dad when I next see him because... I loved you too.' Alex admitted into the cold night air.

'Loved?'

'Love. No matter how hard you pushed me away, I could never stop loving you (y/n). I don't think I ever will.' She stroked your face and you could t help but wince when her hand roamed over where he slapped you.

'What was that?' She said, her soft eyes turning to stone.

'Nothing.'

'What. Was. That.'

'He hit me.' You mumbled.

'Oh god.' She pulled you into a hug, a tight one and held you close.

'Yeah. It wasn't pretty. At least it knocked some sense into me.' You tried to joke.

She pulled your face back with her hands.

'He shouldn't have done that. Ever.' She said, staring into your eyes.

'Is this a really inappropriate time for me to kiss you?' You whispered, your dad forgotten and all the months of pain forgotten.

'Yes.' She said, but that didn't stop her from crashing your lips together.

You rested your hands on her face to keep her there because god was that a good kiss. She pushed her mouth firmly into yours as you pushed back, one of you groaned enough so that tongues could find their way into mouths. When you pulled away for air, you rested your forehead on hers and giggled softly.

'Go on a date with me? I realise how badly I've treated you for the last few months and I need to make it up to you.' You said, your voice still breathy.

'Okay.' She said, and then you were back to kissing.

You stayed up all night on that bench, kissing and talking and just basking in each other.

Kara found you at around 10am, taking one look at the two of you and bombarding you into a group hug.

'I knew it.' She whispered.

'Hey Kar.' You laughed and Alex squeezed your hand because apparently 'your laugh is so beautiful' and she loves hearing it.

'Hey (y/n). How've you been?' She asked, and as you fell back into conversation as if you hadn't ever been out of it, you leant on Alex's shoulder, tracing patterns on her back with one hand, the other tightly gripped in hers.

Eliza came out an hour later, asking if the three of you wanted breakfast. She didn't even comment on you and Alex, but you saw the grin she failed to hide and you let your hearing slip and heard her excited squeal once she was back in the house.

You were so wrapped up in their warmth and kindness, you forgot all about the hell you left at home. It wasn't until you were five minutes away, still floating on a happy cloud after your goodbye kiss and promise of a date on Friday, that you remembered.

You got to the front door and took a deep breath.

'Where the fuck have you been? We've been worried sick?' Caroline said as soon as you closed the front door.

'Sorry I was at a friends house.' You shrugged.

'Th- we were scared (y/n)!' She scolded.

'I'm sorry okay? I'll tell you where I go from now on.'

'You better.' She grumbled, already dismissing it and going to make dinner. You figured none of your family were going to talk about the elephant in the room and why your cheek was so red, so you went along with their small talk and then went to bed.