Miles Apart || holtzbert UNIFINISHED

One Month ☏ 1

"MAIIILLL!!"
The strong voice echoed throughout the fire station as Patty Tolan, rattling the many fragile pieces of metal strewn around. The lady stepped through the door her arms full of Chinese take-out and a handful of envelopes. Patty shrugged off her wet coat, and threw it on the tattered old couch. The take-out and mail goes on the near by table. She shakes the cold rain out of her hair and walks to the light panel on the wall, pushing back the rusty metal to reach the array of buttons. Surprisingly there is no noise, not even the low hum of the blowtorch, in the old station. Patty looks around as she turns on the bright main switch. The first floor comes to life, the computers grumbling now awoken from their slumber,
"Mail?" Inquiries a curious, slightly gruff from the lack of sleep, voice from behind the historian.
"Holtz!! Baby, you nearly killed me," Patty says as she catches her breath. She takes up the sight of the engineer, seeing the familiar mop of honey locks, the mix-matched outfit, and the "I haven't slept in days" look she sports on her spunky face. Patty pushes the engineer playfully and shoves the pile of mail in her direction, knowing that the scientist will enjoy sorting through the mail.
Holtzmann grips the pile of envelopes and salutes, before shuffling back to the staircase.
Holtzmann hums to herself as she sorts the mail, mumbling each of her members name as she skims through the large pile. She readjusts her feet, which are perched upon her messy desk.
"Patty...."she mumbles as she throws the magazine subscription into the ever growing pile of mail for the historian.
"Erin...." she says as she reads the next letter, a letter from a fan. The name rolls of her tongue so perfectly. Holtzmann sighs and sets it down on the small pile of mail for the redhead. The next envelope in the pile is a small, professional looking paper. On the cover is written Erin Gilbert in dainty cursive. She flips the envelope in her hand, curious in the strange piece.
And on cue, Erin walks the lab. Her fringe is sticking to her forehead, drenched from the storm that booms the outdoors. Her wet clothes are dripped all over the tiled covered ground of Holtzmann's lab, creating a small pool underneath her worn out converse. Holtzmann smiles, her dimples as prominent.
"Whats up ol' pal?" She lifts all the mail off the desk and walks over to Erin, meeting her halfway.
"Come join me for a stroll to downstairs. " Holtz says as she walks past the soaked scientist and out the door. Holtz needed something to distract her from the beautiful sight of Erin Gilbert, otherwise she would have kissed her right there. The endless flirting she had been doing for almost 3 years now have done nothing to get the redhead to like her back. For all she knew, ol' Gilbert could be straight and maybe still with that guy from her past job.
"Holtz, I need the mail," Erin's voice interrupts Holtzmann's messy train of thought. They were suddenly downstairs. Holtzmann nods, avoiding her eyes and hands the handful of notes to Erin. Erin flashes a small smile at the younger woman before moving towards her own desk. Holtzmann's heart sighs.
-
"Pass the Sriracha," Abby says as she lifts a warm slice of pizza out of the box. Holtz throws the bottle as if it was a football, leaning back in her stool. She wipes the grease onto her oversized shirt and takes a sip from her cup of soda. Patty clicks the TV on and puts her feet up on the cluttered coffee table.
Holtz pushes up her tinted glasses and glances over at Abby. She watches as her eyes quickly look at Erin. She watches as her head bobs ever so slightly as if to prompt Erin into saying something.
She watches as the love of her life delivers news that will forever crush her.
"I have some important news," Erin declares, her voice wavering slightly. She holds up a small letter, covered in neat cursive with the crest of a college on the bottom. It was the letter from earlier.
"Stanford has asked me to come teach for a few years... and I have accepted the offer." Erin says gently.
Holtzmann shakes her head, as if to shake out hat sentence from her brain. Her pizza almost falls out of her hands and she feels the energy slowly dripping out of her.
"That's great Erin!" Patty beams as she turns to face Erin, who is now red from the collarbone up in happiness that her friend was proud.
The next few words come to Holtzmann as if she was sinking underwater. She was drowining, and breathing was becoming difficult. The pressure of it all pressing onto her chest like the heavy weight of the water.
"Holtz?"
Holtzmann looks up and around at the round eyes that are peering at her. She quickly pushed herself up, and away from the mess she pulled herself in.
"Got a...nuclear..reactor,thing to finish." She lied uncharacteristicly, before quickly shuffling her way to the staircase.
-
Holtz? Are you doing fine?
Erin sits down beside her co-worker and looks down at her feet. Holtzmann looks away, pushing her yellow goggles back on her face to hide her red eyes.
They were seated under the makeshift bedroom under one of the large metal desks in the Holtz's lab.
We can talk if you want? Or you can just sit there and be quiet. I wont leave.
Holtzmann glances up at Erin . She gathers the sight of her hazel eyes, button nose, and the signature Garfield hair. She felt her heart pound, the exhilarating noise of a pitter patter. She felt herself slowly falling in love, even if she promised to never, never do so.
-
"Holtzmann?" Erin peeks her head through the door of the rooftop. The rain surrounded all of them, an almost calming sound of reassurance for the broken Holtzmann.
"Holtzmann isn't here anymore. She's been replaced with an emotional less android that has the mission to end planet earth," Holtz half-heartedly jokes as she looks away. Her honey brown hair covered her face hiding the red eyes that hid behind the curtain. Her pulled the oversized "Girl Power!" shirt over her bare legs.
Erin closes the door, and approaches her, an umbrella,jacket, and two beers in her hand. She sits beside the honey-blonde, pushing the umbrella up to shield them both from the cold.
Erin glances down at her. She was afraid she dd this to her teammate. Erin didn't mean to hurt her. She was completely confused in the way Holtz had reacted to the good news.
"I don't understand you Gilbert. " Holtz mumbled as she shook her head, gripping the nearly empty beer bottle in her pale hand.
"I-I'm sorry Holtzmann, I believe th-"
"I do not drink Corona! You know I"m more of a hard liquor kind of gal!"
Erin's eyes are trained onto the blue eyed ones that stare up at her. Holtz had her signature toothy grin plastered on her face, but even a fish could tell that she was using that smile as a mask to hide the true pain. Holtz shakes the half-empty bottle, the alcohol swooshing around.
"But a girl's gotta make do with what she's got." Holtz continues as she brings the bottle up to her quivering lips.
Erin drapes the sweater over Holtz's shaking shoulders, trying to ignore the tears that stream down her porcelain face, blending in with the rain. She reaches over, and pushes the mop of hair off Holtz's drenched face. She looks down at the piercing blue eyes, glazed in grief and confusion. Her eyes travel across her face, creating a map of the engineer, hoping one day she would be able to adventure into that vast mysterious land.
"I leave in a month," Erin says as she lets her hand drop. She leaves the umbrella and gets up, nearly slipping in the process.
The word resinates in Holtzmann's head, echoing over and over again. She lets her head drop to her chest in defeat as she hears Erin walk to the door and leave. Leaving her as she would in,
One Month.

☏ a.u
thanks for reading my friends! Hope you enjoy!! I haven't edited so please comment my mistakes!
I know the pic doesnt have the beer, jacket, or umbrella mentioned in the text, but I tried !!
also the italics is a flashback
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