Alaska adjusted the strap on the ivory satin dress she wore, keeping it casual enough to make it seem like she didn't know what was going on but still wanted to look good for when her mom would snap multiple pictures. They threw her a surprise party every year, every year on the same day. It was almost funny that neither of them caught on that she fell into the habit as well.

"Surprise!" the group all yelled as Alaska walked down stairs. She'd be lying if she said her stomach didn't flip, so use to it just being her parents and her two friends. This year she had the four, Moon, Tory, Aisha, and Miguel. Two friends now equaling six took her by a bit of surprise, grinning as she walked off the stairs. Carmen, Yaya, and Johnny had been here as well, only making Alaska flush in the face.

"I had no idea." she faked a laugh, hugging Demetri as he wrapped a arm around her.

"Aw, darling, you look lovely." Zane said as he kissed Alaska on the forehead, "We got wings, guac, Japchae, bibimbap, and mom burnt the cake so Carmen brought one instead."

"And enchiladas!" Yay exclaimed as she lifted the dish up, making Alaska laughed and hug her while Carmen kissed her head. Alaska was pretending not to be eyeing the presents a few feet away, hugging Miguel as he rocked her slightly.

"So, should I consider you a old woman now or..." he trailed off, getting knocked in the arm as the pair laughed, "I didn't get the chance to say it yesterday, for taking down Hawk like that, you kicked some serious ass."

"There's a lot more where that came from." Alaska said as she punched his shoulder slightly, "Maybe you can teach me how to do the crane thing?"

"Girl, you know I will." he said in a teasing manor, pumping fist as Alaska laughed and embraced Aisha and Tory at the same time as the trio squeezed.

"So, how do you feel?" Tory asked with a grin, "Older? Newer? Sexier?"

"Stronger." Alaska said as she put a hand on her stomach as a habit, "Like I could throw someone through a window."

"Yeah, make sure whoever that is isn't one of us." Aisha said as the three laughed again, "So, that was some intense arguing we might have eavesdropped on yesterday."

"Yeah, I have no clue where that came from." Alaska said honestly as she looked around, hoping to spot Hawk considering she hadn't yet, "I did say he should eat his words."

"I think he ate his and your words." Tory joked as Alaska cracked a grin.

"Alaska! Happy birthday!" Moon gushed as she ran over, Aisha and Tory walked away to admire the art work that decorated Alaska's walls. Moon hugged Alaska tightly, making the girl hug her back, "Birthdays are so much fun!"

"I'm not sure how to act when everyone starts singing though." Alaska said honestly as Moon laughed, "Thank you for coming."

"I wouldn't miss your birthday. Small spoiler, I got you a teen wolf blanket." Moon said as Alaska flushed in the face while Moon giggled, nudging her slightly.

"Thank you, we still need to watch it together, the boys never want to watch it with me." Alaska said as Moon nodded in agreement. Alaska hesitated before going on, "Did Hawk come with you? I haven't seen him and he's usually the first at these things."

Moon looked over her shoulder, pulling Alaska slightly to point to Eli who was sitting on Alaska's back porch furniture, alone and popping his fingers, "He's been a bit moody today, more then usual."

"Yeah, that's probably my fault." Alaska said honestly as she ran a finger over her hawk tattoo with a small sigh, "I should go talk to him."

"Alaska." Moon said quickly before she could walk off, a serious expression on her face, "I know you and Hawk are going through a lot together right now, but he's miserable when the two of you get like this."

Alaska stared at her for a moment, a small nod, "Yeah, I know the feeling."

Moon gave a small smile as she turned to talk to Demetri, leaving Alaska to make her way through the living room. Alaska pushed the back doors open, walking out onto the large patio that was covered with a expensive roof, the pool feet away. Hawks eyes snapped over when the door opened, he looked like how he use to for just a second there before sitting up better, "Hey."

"Hey." Alaska said back, shutting the door and walked over to take a seat next to him, "Just admiring all this over priced patio furniture or are you avoiding me?"

Hawk shrugged as he messed with one of the cushions they were seated on, "A bit of both."

"It came from Korea." Alaska said as she looked at the cushions, "Apparently its been in the family a while, i'm not sure why it's not being treated better if it's so important."

"Yeah, well, I wonder the same." he said, looking at her with curios eyes. Hawk scanned her, like he was expecting her to look different, act differently. Alaska fell confused before realizing something she'd said the night before.

"I didn't." she said, hoping she wouldn't have to go into complete detail, "Last night, I didn't do anything."

Hawk eyed her, biting the inside of his mouth to avoid sighing in relief, "So you're still..."

Alaska nodded her head as he did the same, looking away from her and out toward the pool, "That's a relief, because so am I."

Alaska hummed before she looked at him in disbelief, "What?"

"Moon and I didn't do anything that night, I just wanted you to think we did." he said honestly, making Alaska turn to look at him better with slightly frowned eyebrows, "I didn't think you'd go off and do the same."

"Well, I didn't." Alaska shrugged after a second of silence, looking at him with a slight flash of disbelief dancing across her brown eyes, "Why would you want me to think that?"

Hawk went silent as he looked away from her before glancing her way again, "You know why."

She did.

Silence fell over them again as Alaska sighed, biting the inside of her mouth, "Are we suppose to talk about it?"

It being them.

"I don't know what to say." Hawk spoke honestly, his leg brushing against hers, "Do you?"

"No, it's too weird." she said honestly before crossing her legs to stop them from touching, "Even if it wasn't, Moon is my friend, and she's your girlfriend."

"I know." Hawk said, turning his head to look at her side profile before she turned to look at him as well. Their eyes locked, differently then they had any time before, "When should we talk about it then?"

"I don't know." Alaska said honestly back with a shrug, "Whenever i'm not considered the other girl that's going to fuck up a relationship."

"You're not the other girl." he defended her quickly with frowned eyebrows.

"I am." she corrected him once again with a knowing look, "Moon is amazing, don't mess that up for something this stupid."

"This isn't stupid, what's stupid is that we can't talk like normal people without it feeling weird." Hawk said as Alaska sighed and stood up quickly to stand infront of him. Hawk did the same, standing infront of her, "Why are we acting like we don't talk about everything?"

Alaska had to laugh, more of a scoff then anything as she ran a hand through her hair, "All cards on the table? I hate you and Moon being together because I don't want you to be with anyone else but me."

Alaska was surprised she'd finally said it, finally admitted it to herself. She spoke fast, like it was burning to keep locked in her thoughts any longer. Her chest heaved, body heating up. She didn't dare move, hoping he wouldn't either as their eyes staring into each other's, "Now you say something back."

"Moon and I only got together because I didn't think you wanted me." he said back to her, making Alaska's eyes soften and blink in disbelief, "And you were right, I think about you when i'm with her."

"Eli," Alaska began knowingly to him with gentle eyes, "I always wanted you."

His hand grazed hers softly, Alaska nearly gave in before she stepped away from him, "But you're still with Moon, and she deserves better then this. You owe her a explanation and I owe her the respect she's always given me, so until we can do that for her, nothing is happening with us."

Eli let out a sigh as he nodded his head, "I agree."

Silence took over them as Alaska eyed him, Eli grinned as he began to speak again, "Happy Birthday."

Alaska watched as he dug in his pocket, handing her a small box. Alaska's eyes widened in shock, "You can't propose yet! This is way to far!"

"It's not a ring!" he said quickly, "I just used the box!"

Alaska sighed, shaking her head at him as she grabbed the box, opening it slowly as a small grin forward on her face. Her fingers slowly pulled the locket out as he began to speak, "They didn't give me a box for it so I had to improvise, you have to open it to understand."

Alaska put the box in his hands, holding the golden locket that had vines and leaves engraved into it. Her finger brushed against the cold, popping it open as she laughed, seeing the picture of the two of them from the day of the tournament. Miguel took it of them when he came up with the idea of taking a picture of Alaska each day she was sober, "It's the only picture we had with my hair."

"I love it." Alaska said as she laughed, running her finger over the photo before looking up at him again. Hawk grinned, flushed in the face, holding out his arms as Alaska wrapped her arms around his middle, his going around her shoulders. Alaska held on a bit longer then intended, feeling the warmth he provided, "You're my favorite person in the whole world, you know that, don't you?"

"Still?" he asked, a mix of insecurities and sadness in his words.

"Nothing would change that." Alaska said honestly as her grip tightened around him, shutting her eyes.

"You're my favorite person too." he said back, rubbing the middle of her shoulders before the back door opened.

"Hey, you two get in here! We're about to sing!" Demetri said as he hung out the door, "Unless I need to stall?"

"We're coming, Metri." Alaska said as she laughed, he gave her a thumbs up and walking back inside. Alaska looked to Hawk, "I better get in there, i'm hoping you'll come too."

"After you." he encouraged, opening the door as she walked in and he followed close after.

Change.

It's not always for the worst.

•

kylie speaks

i'm so happy this
finally happened and
they finally admitted it
but y'all realize i'm on
episode five of s2... on the
mall episode? yeah, i'm
gonna break my own
heart for a few episodes.