Elle sat by herself, no tears left in her body, staring at Diglett. He was chewing ferociously on an old teddy bear of his, and Drew had gone out somewhere. She was trembling in every limb, and she could feel her bones. She hated that feeling.
She heard their front door unlock and didn't look up. Drew didn't speak to her- he hadn't for a couple of days now- and she didn't look at him. This felt awful. This felt wrong. But so did everything else.
She heard him connecting something to their speakers, and heard him approaching her. "Cookie?"
"Mmm?"
"Come here." He held out his hand to her, and she looked up at him, as the music he had chosen began to play.
"Ladies and gentlemen... this is Mambo Number 5."
She let out a small laugh, and he pulled her up, holding her waist and dancing around their tiny living room with her.
"One, two, three, four, five,
Everybody in the car, so come on let's ride,
To the liquor store around the corner,
The boys say they want some gin and juice,
But I really don't wanna..."
"Drew, you're insane, did you know that?" she asked him, and he chuckled, spinning her around as Diglett snapped at their ankles.
"A little bit of Monica in my life,
A little bit of Erica by my side,
A little bit of Rita is all I need,
A little bit of Tina is what I see,
A little bit of Sandra in the sun,
A little bit of Mary all night long,
A little bit of Jessica, here I am,
A little bit of you makes me your man..."
For the first time in what felt like forever, they were laughing together, spinning around without a care in the world. This was what their life was. What it always should've been.
When the song ended, Drew turned off the speakers, and they collapsed on their couch, laughing. He leaned forward, kissing her. "I've missed you, my love."
"I've missed you, too." Elle's smile faded as she remembered their predicament. Drew didn't say anything, instead brushing her hair away from her face and observing her intently, taking in every detail. The freckles on her nose. The bronze flecks in her eyes. Her soft, brown hair. He leaned in again, kissing her softly.
"Ellie?"
"Mmm?"
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I've not been good to you."
"You have. It's not your fault, beanbag. I... I should be responsible for myself."
"This isn't an easy choice. Not for either of us." Drew pulled her closer, holding her.
"I'm scared."
He sighed. "Me too, darling. I'm... I'm terrified. I don't know if I could handle losing you. But I think that no matter which option I pick, I run the risk of losing you one way or another." He pulled away again, brushing her hair back again. "I think... let's just take care of you as best we can."
"Okay."
"That means quarantine, Ellie," he said. "I'm not letting you go outside for anything. I'm not letting anything hurt you. I want you to stay in here, and I'll do everything we need to do outside of the house. I want you to quit the job at the cafe. I'll be doing all our errands and if you want to help, you can do our bills or our taxes at home, but nowhere else. If anyone visits, they have a bath entirely in Germ-x before anything else."
"Like prison," she murmured softly, burying her head in his chest. "I don't know if I can do all of that again."
He knew what she meant. Gabriel. The way she'd been trapped inside, like a prison.
"It won't be anything like that," said Drew gently. "You'll have me this time."
She looked into his eyes. "What about Gurk?"
He laughed. "Dirk, darling. I'll talk to him. I'm sure I can work something out, okay?"
"What if... what if you don't? How will we get money?"
Drew didn't answer her, silently stroking her hair, already missing it. It would start falling out again soon- he didn't mind, of course not, but he loved seeing her hair long. "It'll be okay," he breathed. "Everything will be. I know it will be."
She cuddled up to him, and they kissed again, gently. "I've missed you so much. I'm so sorry I've been distant."
"Don't apologise. I've done my fair share of being a dickhead." He put his hand over Elle's stomach. "We're gonna get through this. You, me, Winter. All of us."
Her head was heavy, as were her eyelids. "Baby, can I sleep here with you? I've... I've missed you so much, I just-"
"I know. I want to be close to you, too." He nuzzled his nose against her hair. "Sleep, my darling."
And for the first time in what had to be forever, she fell asleep with him stroking her back.
<><><><><><><><>
"Sir, I need to talk to you." Drew was in Dirk Cooper's office, dreading their conversation.
"Ah, my favourite employee. And how are you, Drew Greene?"
"I need to ask for a raise."
"A raise?" said Dirk, his eyebrows disappearing into his stupid blonde toupee. "Whatever for? You're getting paid-"
"Not enough. My wife is ill."
"Ill?"
"She's got cancer," said Drew shortly. "I need to pay for her chemotherapy. She fell pregnant a while ago, I can't support-"
"Then get another job," said Cooper, narrowing his eyes. "I can't afford to give you a raise. What would I do for your coworkers? Give them raises too?"
"I work more than any of them do!" snarled Drew. "I'm indispensable, and you damn well know it!"
"Watch your mouth, Greene," warned Cooper, his beady brown eyes glittering. "I'm indispensable to you, too. I know that."
Drew was quivering. He hadn't felt this angry in years- the last time being looking that scumbag, Frank, in the eyes as he gave his testimony. "I need a raise," he growled softly.
"No. In fact, just because you asked, I can demote you."
"Fine." He turned on his heel and made to walk out of the office.
"You walk out that door and you're fired, Drew Greene," said Cooper smugly, and Drew saw red, his fists curling up by his sides.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
He walked back to Cooper's desk, his brown eyes blazing with pure fire. "I said no," he breathed.
"I've about had it with you and your defiance," snarled Cooper. "I think I'd rather not demote you."
"Planning on firing me, are you?" asked Drew. "No need. I quit." He tore off his apron, threw it on the ground, spat on it, flipped Dirk off, and turned around, leaving the office amidst Cooper's shouting.
He was breathing heavily, knowing the implications that this impulsive move had. He could lose everything. No money meant no way to pay rent, no money meant no food, no treatments... no Ellie.
He broke down in the locker room, away from everyone, and sobbed into his hands. What was he going to do? He had nothing. He didn't know where to go from here. He couldn't get any more money. He had betrayed Elle, not given her the life of a queen that she so deserved.
He heard his phone ringing, and he checked it. Ellie 🍪. He took a deep breath, wiping his tears and collecting himself, before answering. "Hey, hon."
"Hey," she said softly. "Are you on break?"
"N-No, actually. I quit."
She was silent, and he didn't say anything either. "Are you okay, baby?"
"I don't really know," he admitted quietly. "I'm... kind of shocked."
"What happened?"
"Uh... I threw the apron on the floor, spat on it, and flipped Cooper off."
"God, I love you."
He let out a chuckle, despite himself. "Ellie... I don't have any income. Neither of us do. I don't know how-"
"We'll work it out. Come home, my darling. Everything will be okay, I promise."
Drew nodded, even though she couldn't hear him. "I love you."
"I love you more," she said. "Come home, okay?"
"Yeah." He hung up, rubbing his tired eyes. "It'll be okay," he muttered to himself. "It has to be."
<><><><><><><><>
Robin didn't want to open her eyes. She could feel a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, and she could smell the familiar scent of her favourite candle. But more than that, she could smell a slightly sweet cologne, one that she was addicted to.
"Are you awake, darling?" asked Jordan, kissing the top of her head. "You fell asleep on the way back from our date today, I thought I'd let you stay with me until you wanted to go back home."
"Pretty awake, yeah," she mumbled, stretching a little, then cuddling back into Jordan. He was warm, and she was exhausted.
"You're so cute," he said with a small chuckle. "You talk in your sleep, did you know that?"
"No, usually when I'm asleep I'm not really paying attention to what I'm doing," she said tiredly, and he laughed, rubbing her back.
"You say the funniest things. You were mumbling about pasta earlier."
This was their third date now, a week after Jen had appeared and, for lack of a better term, shouted at them. Robin didn't know how to feel anymore. He had hurt her. But now... he was wonderful. Gentle and sweet and everything she'd ever wanted but never really had.
"I'm so tired," she mumbled.
"You okay, love?"
"I'm fine. Just... exhausted, that's all."
"Exhausted?"
"We f*cked 'til like four am, dude."
He laughed, drawing circles over her back with his fingers. "I've already told you that you're irresistible to me, haven't I?" he said.
"Mm, not for a couple hours."
"Well, you are." He leaned down and kissed her, and Robin sighed.
"I'm... a little too tired for sex right now-"
"I don't want sex," he said quickly. "Don't you stress, darling."
She nodded, nuzzling into his shirt. "Okay."
They lay there silently for a while, before Jordan said, "I feel like I barely even know you."
"What do you mean?"
"I... I dunno. I feel like even though we've been friends for years, it was purely professional, almost. Not anymore, though."
"Ain't that right," muttered Robin, and Jordan chuckled softly.
"Twenty questions. Shall I start?"
Robin smiled. "Sure."
"What is... your middle name?"
"Eleanor. It means light."
"Eleanor..." he mused softly. "Beautiful. Just like you, huh?"
"You're an idiot," she said with a small chuckle. "My turn. What's your middle name?"
"Ezekiel. Means 'God strengthens'." Jordan laughed, his chest rumbling. "Well, I can't say it doesn't suit my deal old man, the pastor."
"Fair enough."
"My turn again." Jordan was stroking her hair gently, and it took all her energy to not fall asleep. "Why Eleanor?"
"It's... a little sad, actually."
"Well, you have my full attention."
Robin nuzzled against him. "When Pa's first wife, Lilly, died, I know she wanted their twins- they were meant to be having twin girls- to be named Adriana and Eleanor. Adriana means dark, and Eleanor means light, so I guess that was why. But when she died, Pa only knew that he was going to name one of them Adriana. As she died, she told him to name the surviving twin El... something. Never finished her sentence."
"And that's why-"
"Elle's name is Elle. Yeah." Robin smiled slightly. "I was their firstborn, not Nick- he was adopted too. So they gave me the name that Elle was supposed to be. Eleanor."
"That's... insane."
"Yeah." She kissed him once. "Okay... what's the best day on the calendar?"
"First of November. All the Halloween candy is on sale."
"Same," said Robin with a chuckle. "Your turn."
"What's something you've wanted to try since forever?"
"Skydiving. What's something you want to do in the next ten years?"
"Marry you."
She froze, and Jordan didn't take it back, like she had expected. "I will marry you someday, Robbie. I need you to realise just what you mean to me." He laughed at her silence. "My turn. What's your favourite colour?"
She was hesitant, but responded. "Blue. I love the colour blue."
"Interesting."
"My turn now." She looked up at him. "Why do you love me?"
He stayed thoughtfully quiet for a bit, as though thinking carefully about his next words. "I don't think there's ever been any single reason. But I fell in love with you so slowly that I didn't even realise it until... until that night."
Robin said nothing, and he continued. "First it was just curiosity. I wondered how you might taste when you kissed me, or what your skin would feel like against mine. Then it became something a little deeper, like me having the urge to take care of you all the time. Then suddenly, I was wondering how you'd sound if you said my name as you'd just woken up and your voice was just a little hoarse and you were out of it, but I was the first thing on your mind."
"And did it disappoint, when you found out?"
"Disappoint?" He laughed. "Never. You only made me crave you more. When I went off to college, I hooked up with other girls, but I never fell in love with any of them. They all paled in comparison to you, my darling." His hand combed through her blonde hair. "They could never be anything compared to you. You're perfect. And I f*cked up the first time, but I won't do that again."
"Bold words."
"I mean them." He kissed her again, in that soft, gentle way that didn't suggest anything more than that very moment. "Every single one."
Robin smiled at him. "I may have to give you a chance, Jordan Ezekiel."
"God, I hope you do," he said gently, kissing her.
*a/n: five years since i started wattpad. dear god i've been here far too long
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