Laura Thompson's POV (Present Year: 2023)

Log Entry: T-368 Days

Well, I nearly died today.

Technically, I almost drowned...

Either way, it wasn't a great afternoon in the NBL, I'll say that much.

All because of a single faulty suit seal... Who knew one small connection could potentially do so much harm.

It was crazy!

My glove filled with water, and then the next thing I knew, I was being hoisted out of the EMU suit!

Elon informed me that I passed out from oxygen deprivation on the way up, however the NASA folks just claimed it to be the change in pressure that sent my body into a tizzy. (He heavily disagrees, but, that's Elon for ya.)

Speaking of Elon Musk...

It would seem that he asked me out on our first date tonight! (Squee!)

I have no idea what he has up his sleeve (He's being all secretive about everything!) but I'm sure it will be a great night, regardless.

It's Elon.

With him, it's not like I'll be bored.

There's always good ol' rocket science to chat about if the conversation goes dry!

But there's so much more to talk about than that! This gives me a chance to actually get to know him on a much more, uh, personal level, hopefully.

(He's never really talked much about himself, but that should change over time...)

But anyways.

I'm supposed to be meeting him in the common area of the Crew Quarters at nine, wearing something nice, apparently.

But that's sorta an issue...

I only really packed two outfits I'd classify as 'nice.'

The first one is a one-shoulder, knee length orange dress I've only ever worn once (That was for for my oldest cousin's wedding a few years back) and the other is my comfortable, somewhat fancy, black jumpsuit. (This one has pockets!)

I'm thinking I'll likely end up wearing the jumpsuit just because of it's practicality. (Who knows what'll happen tonight! For all I know, I should end up beating up people in a parking lot again!)

And, I've never really seen E in any super bright colors... I'd be pretty noticeable if I wore bright orange, especially beside his darker color schemed wardrobe choice!

I still can't believe how many things have happened since all of this started... It's so freaking amazing!

Smiling to myself, I slide my small notebook back into the drawer of the small desk I'm sitting at, pushing myself away from the wall, spinning in the office chair.

"I suppose I should get ready," I murmur aloud, checking the small clock beside my bed as I wander towards the quaint closet.

The clock reads 8:28 PM.

Shrugging, I skim through the hangers, gaze searching for the black jumpsuit.

"I know I packed it... He even mentioned he liked it..."

That was another thing.

Back in Hawthorne, when Elon had insisted he help me pack, we had our fair share of awkward moments before finally warming up to each other.

One of which happened to include a rather sly comment from him about how good I'd look in a certain outfit of mine.

All I recall is blushing like mad and laughing it off, accepting the compliment inwardly.

In all honesty, that single comment is just another reason why I figure I'll wear the jumpsuit.

I'm sure it'll make him happy, too.

"Aha!" I exclaim in triumph, pulling out the last hangar from the closet, which just so happens to contain the exact outfit I'm looking for.

My grin not wavering, I grab my sole pair of matching flats as I head towards the bathroom, glancing once more at the time on my way past.

8:35... I've got time.

Shedding my clothes, I step into the somewhat form fitting jumpsuit, frowning slightly at myself in the mirror.

My shoulders are very exposed, other than the two small straps that cross in the front and run down my back.

The lack of coverage isn't that big of a deal. It's not like I have to worry about getting cold.

It's Texas.

My hair should've probably been curled a bit... or something.

I sure hope he's not taking me anywhere too fancy...

Shaking my head, I chuckle at the thought.

"There's no reason to feel anxious about this." I urge aloud, staring myself down in the mirror as I fight back a sudden wave of nerves. "I'm with someone who cares about me. Nothing's gonna happen."

However, my head begs to differ.

What if someone sees you with him?

No one else knows about your relationship with him yet!

I shake my head once more, as if to clear it.

"I'm with Elon Musk, of all people. He knows how to handle nosy people. We'll be fine."

And with that, I slip into my black matching flats, grab my purse, and head out the door, kicking it closed to lock it completely.

Stupid thing.

It seems I have a thing with sticky locking mechanisms.

My footsteps echo in the eerily quiet hallway, their usual weight and urgency nonexistent in this moment.

I shiver slightly, passing under an air conditioning vent as I round the corner to the common area, the faint sound of a TV program reaching my ears.

That sounds like sports or something... Is Mark still up?

Curiosity pricking my thoughts now, I allow my pace to quicken slightly as I enter the large living room space, stopping dead in my tracks.

Both of the younger members of our Crew are still up, both looking fairly disheveled and worn out, while they sit there, watching what appears to be... Baseball?

I'm not really one to know what sport is which.

Their backs are to me, which is a major advantage as I stand there rather awkwardly, my earlier confusion now even more clear than before.

Where is he?

Rolling over my wrist, I sigh heavily, a sudden pang of fear settling within me.

8:50.

I mentally scold myself.

He said 9! You're ten minutes early, ya know!

Sighing once more, I begin to wander aimlessly, attempting to stay as quiet as possible.

The last thing I need is for either of them to pry for-

My phone decides to demonstrate just how loud it can be in such a silent space, causing me to jump slightly while the two facing the TV whirl around to face me, shock written equally across their features.

"Geez!" I murmur, hastily reaching for the device from the purse slung over my shoulder, peering at the small screen, reading the message as if my life depends on it.

"Wow, Lau! Lookin' good!" Mark compliments, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, Lori!" Vivian chimes in, her tone going from gleeful to questioning in an instant. "What's the occasion?"

Ignoring their jabber, I continue to focus on the message on the screen, my head a mess of things.

♡ Elon Musk ♡. 8:52 PM.

'Slight change of plans. Meet around the back of the building. Mary's "top secret" entrance. I'm waiting for you.'

A familiar warmth spreads within me as my eyes scan the words once more, just to confirm the message before drifting to slowly meet the pair of confused expressions in front of me.

"Hm?" I hum lowly, slipping my phone back into it's home. "What were you asking?"

"I asked about the occasion. Why so dolled up?" My friend repeats again, her voice and expression both stern.

Now isn't the time to tell her! Not like this!

"Oh!" I laugh, likely playing it way too much. "Just going to spend some time downtown with an old friend!"

Mark raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"You have friends in Houston?"

"Y-yeah!" I stammer, making my way quickly towards the exit, still smiling like a moron. "Knew him as a kid. Work moved him out here, so I figured I'd go say hi!"

"Well," Vivi starts, a tone of distrust in her voice. "Be sure to have fun."

"I will," I nod, turning sharply on my heel and speed walking down the hallway.

"And stay safe!"

I smile, leaving the common area behind, a spring in my step and an air of excitement swirling around my head.

"I guess I'll finally be able to see what he must've spent the rest of the afternoon doing," I murmur aloud, pushing the door open and stepping into the very warm evening air.

My footsteps echo against the sidewalk.

The warm breeze gently blows by me, the feeling of it on my bare shoulders rather comforting.

Casting my gaze around the parking lot in front of me, my heart sinks a bit.

He's not here?

I shake my head.

Calm down, he's probably just around the corner or something. He wouldn't wanted to have been in sight of that door.

Feeling confident once more, I continue on down the dimly illuminated path, provided by the streetlights above me.

I round the corner of the building, stopping dead in my tracks once again.

Sitting perfectly parked between the bright yellow lines on the pavement sits a familiar bright white Tesla Roadster, the LED headlights blotting out the dim lights above it and illuminating the entirety of the rest of the area.

The vehicle looks absolutely stunning.

I stand there, a look of likely disbelief strewn across my features as Elon steps out of the shadows, arms crossed, his trademark smirk gracing his lips.

"Surprise?" He chuckles, nearing my still rather astonished form, his gaze slowly looking me over as he does so.

"I'm assuming this is why you wouldn't let me follow you earlier?" I smirk, placing my hands on my hips as my own gaze wanders him over.

He wears a plain white button down and a black blazer, accompanied by pair of black jeans and dress shoes.

Typical Elon.

"That would be correct," He hums, his wandering gaze finally meeting mine as we share a smile. "I notice you took my comment back in Hawthorne to heart."

I blush, my eyes instinctively drifting to the pavement.

"Y-yeah..." I stammer, the feeling of his hand suddenly in mine deepening my blush even further.

I hear the man in front of me chuckle lightly.

"Laura," Elon starts, tone immensely warm as he gently lifts my chin, forcing my embarrassed gaze to meet his. "You look absolutely beautiful, no matter what. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

A small smile tugs at my lips as our gazes lock yet again.

"I..." I sigh, racking my emotion scrambling brain for some comprehensible words. "Thank you..."

He grins even wider, if that's even possible, squeezing my hand.

"It's true," My boyfriend nods, leading me towards the passenger side of the vehicle beside us.

Without a word, he gets the door before I slide into the comfortable seats, closing it behind me as he rounds the front of the vehicle over to his side.

I drop my purse by my feet, relaxing into the seat as Elon climbs in beside me, once more passing me his ever so perfect smile.

"So?" I ask as we leave the parking space behind, heading towards the main gate of the JSC complex. "Can you finally fill me in on your plan now? Or is it still 'top secret?'"

I smirk, quoting Mary's phrasing from when we first arrived here.

The man in the driver's seat simply sighs with a breathy chuckle.

"You really aren't one to be kept out of the loop, huh?"

I roll my eyes as we pass through the gate effortlessly, leaving the Complex completely behind.

"You can say that again," I grin, looking over at him as he focuses on the road.

One hand on the wheel, the other resting idle on the center console, almost inviting me to intertwine my hand with his.

So, that's what I do.

At first, I feel the muscles in his arm tense, almost as if my touch shocked him, which, maybe it did, before he relaxes completely once more.

His hands are rough yet so gentle...

"How does dinner and stargazing sound?" Elon murmurs, the tiniest trace of nervousness in his tone, it makes my heart melt.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, E." I agree enthusiastically, the silence in the vehicle forming once more, though this time, it's comfortable.

So incredibly comfortable...

I can't help but smile even wider as I allow my gaze to wander the ever brightening landscape as we near the city lights.

I guess I wasn't lying to Marko and Vivi when I said I was going to Downtown Houston tonight after all.

****

"I'm glad to hear your Mother is doing well!" I nod, taking a sip of my water. "And I'm sorry to hear your Father was such a pain... I really am."

We're sitting at a fairly small table for two, tucked in and away from the hustle and bustle of the fairly elegant and fancy restaurant we had pulled up to about an hour ago...

Now, we're simply chatting and enjoying the faint tones from the live Jazz music up front.

The man across from me simply shrugs, swirling the straw around his own glass of water absentmindedly before his gaze meets mine.

"But enough about me," He urges, a small smile tracing his lips. "What about you? You grew up in a small town close to Daytona Beach, did you not?"

"Yep. New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Basically a surfer town."

Elon raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"And yet you decided to pursue a career in Avionics... Didn't like the salt and sand?"

I can't help but laugh.

"I guess you could say that. But no, it was more because of my Grandmother. She would always recount the finer days of NASA... Whether from her first hand experiences or other stories she passed down to me from along along her way... Either way, she made the idea of space exploration come alive for me... And as you know, I figure she's the reason I'm where I am today."

He nods, his gaze soft.

"What about your parents? I haven't heard you speak much of them..."

"My parents and I... We had a good relationship..." I sigh heavily, frowning. "But when I moved to Hawthorne to join SpaceX... Well... Let's just say I left on rocky terms."

At this, Elon slowly nods once more, his gaze filled with understanding.

"They saw me as a dreamer." I confess, a dull ache of anguish swelling within me. "Going off to work for a company led by, well, yet another one of my kind."

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"And look where we are now. So incredibly close to finally accomplishing the dreams everyone's shot us down over."

"You're right," I murmur, his hand somehow finding it's way into mine as my gaze falls on the table in front of me. "You're so right..."

Without looking up at him, I can just tell he's smiling that oh so brilliant smile.

"Whaddya say we head out now?" He muses aloud, his grip on my hand loosening a bit.

I simply nod as he leaves his chair behind before stopping at my side, offering me his hand once more.

Gladly, I take it and we quickly leave the comfort of our quaintly tucked away area, heading back out and into the busyness of the rest of the restaurant.

The clatter of plates, the sound of constant chatter, the much louder sound of the live Jazz band...

It's all obnoxiously loud.

My head begins to pound as my suddenly alerted gaze scans the room, not trusting my hearing to do a good enough job.

A few people are staring as we make our way towards the exit, the large majority of them glaring directly at me.

"Hey! Isn't that Elon Musk?" A shrill sounding voice from somewhere behind us sounds, startling both of us equally.

I feel the hand I'm holding completely tense before grasping firmer once more, our synced cadences automatically speeding up.

"Yeah! Who's that with 'em though?" Another, much gruffer sounding voice adds to the clamor.

"Hey! Little lady!" Someone else calls.

Instantly, I tense, resisting the urge to turn around and glare at whoever just yelled at me.

Stay calm... Stay calm...

I focus on my breathing as we near the exit, all of my senses on such high alert, my ears are beginning to ring.

Everything's fine...

Almost instantly, the noises die away and the ringing in my ears begin to fade as we step outside, our frantic pace slowing.

"Do you think they'll follow us?" I muse, my gaze wandering down to where my hand is holding his.

I'm completely white knuckled.

With a heavy sigh, I briefly let go, clenching and unclenching my fist a few times before taking my boyfriend's hand once more.

"I doubt it," He hums, looking down at me. "They're all probably too intoxicated to-"

"Nice gal you got there, Musk!" Yet another jarring voice sounds from behind us.

"Just keep walking," He mutters, sighing heavily as we approach his Roadster, which is already unlocked and running.

"Have fun with that one!" The voice hollers yet again, this time accompanied by quite a few other voices, all laughing and carrying on about who knows what.

"Is it always like this for you?" I murmur, sliding into the passenger seat as Elon rather aggressively shuts the door behind me, making quick work of getting into the Driver's seat.

"Occasionally. Tonight just happens to be yet another case." He sighs as we leave the restaurant and the rowdy crowds behind, heading in the direction of the Interstate.

"I'm sorry,"

"Don't be."

"It must suck. Having people watch your every move."

"Not my every move," The man beside me smirks. "No one has any idea what we're doing right now."

"True," I agree, my gaze watching as the dotted white lines blur past us. "Where are we headed, anyways?"

"The beach," He replies simply, saying nothing more and nothing less.

"The beach?" I repeat back to him, confusion racing through my mind.

It's almost midnight, and we're headed to the beach?

I can't help but chuckle, though it ends up coming out more like a yawn.

"Tired are we?" Elon hums, poking my arm.

"I've had quite a day, if you've forgotten."

"Blacking out from oxygen deprivation isn't that big of a deal!" He laughs before his voice drops lower than a whisper. "You can sleep, Love. You're safe with me."

"At this point, I couldn't really care if I was in a war zone... Wake me once we get there..." I slur, thoughts beginning to slow.

As my head finds a halfway comfortable resting spot against the window beside me, I can't help but allow myself to smile.

I can feel his eyes on me.

And he's smiling, too.

What did I do to deserve a guy as good as him?

****

"Lori... Love... We're here..." A distantly familiar voice coos, dragging me from the depths of sleep.

I groan, shifting in my seat slightly, my head coming to rest on something else.

Though whatever this is, it's much more comfortable than the window.

"Don't make me drag you outside," He nags again, a tone of playfulness in his voice, which sounds louder now all of a sudden.

"Nuh uh..." I murmur, my eyes still forced shut.

A light, breathy chuckle sounds from beside me, the sound of a car door opening filling my ears.

The next thing I know, the support for my head vanishes, causing my eyes to fly open as I correct my position just in time to save my head from smacking off the center console.

"E...Looooon..." I whine tiredly as the door beside me opens, the smirking face of my boyfriend appearing seconds later.

"Come on, Love," He urges, excitement laced within his whispery tone. "You've got to see the sky out here!"

"Okay, okay," I laugh lightly as he stands there, pouting slightly. "I'm with you."

Making my way out of the lower vehicle and coming to Elon's side, I allow my gaze to quickly scan the dark area.

Indeed, we are near the ocean now.

The crash of the waves and the humidity in the air is tell tale enough.

It also seems there's a lengthy Pier or a Seawall of sorts... that wooden frame makes it stick out.

"You're not wearing heels, right?" My boyfriend murmurs, his accent sounding slightly thicker than normal as he gently grasps my hand in his.

"What? No!" I laugh, looking up at him with a lopsided grin. "I'm still shorter than you! And even if I was to wear heels, I'd maybe be looking at your nose!"

"Good," He exclaims, tugging on my hand as he begins to run towards the Pier, dragging me along with him.

"Elon!" I laugh as I quickly match his pace and we continue onward, the asphalt quickly turning to wooden planks beneath our feet.

Everything feels so right.

The salty air sticking to my skin as I run...

Hand in hand with the man who quickly had managed to become more than a friend.

It would be tough to say he hasn't become maybe my best friend.

Because really, I believe he has.

The moon glimmers off the crashing waves as we finally reach the end of the long expanse of Pier, out of breath, panting and grinning like complete goofs.

"Warn me next time you're gonna take off on an all out sprint, will ya?" I manage to gasp out in between breaths, holding back a fit of laughter.

"No promises," He smirks, still regaining his breath.

We stand there, for what seems like an eternity, lost in each other's gazes as we finally calm down enough to actually do what we came all the way out here to do.

Stargaze.

Silently, I watch as Elon slips off his blazer, passing it to me.

"What's this for?" I inquire, raising an eyebrow questioningly as I cradle the rather light weight fabric.

"Figured you'd be a bit cold," He shrugs, laying back on the wooden planks beneath us, patting the space next to him. "Care to join me?"

A smile traces my lips as I slide the oversized blazer over my bare shoulders, joining him by his side.

"Why'd you pick this spot in particular... Oh..." I trail off with a gasp of surprise, my eyes widening. "I had no idea the sky could look like this!"

Brilliant, gleaming dots litter the space above us.

No matter what way you look.

They're there.

Happiness races through me as I begin to get my bearings of the sky itself, pin pointing various constellations.

"Ursa Major... Oh! And there's the Minor..." I murmur, pointing towards the heavens.

A comfortable silence falls between us as we take in the view.

This is amazing. Absolutely amazing.

My thoughts just keep churning that over and over again.

"I'm finding it hard to believe we'll be up there soon," Elon's soft voice from beside me pulls me back to the present.

I glance over at him.

His eyes are fixed on the night sky, his expression basically unreadable.

But, I've gotten to know him better than that over the past while.

Something's on his mind.

"It is," I agree simply, waiting for his elaboration.

"I just don't get it," He starts.

Right on time.

"Get what?"

He shakes his head as if to clear it.

"Never mind," He sighs, turning on his side to look at me.

I do the same, casting him a sympathetic glance.

"No, I want to hear it." I state rather firmly, eyeing him over.

"It's a waste of words that I can't even string together." Elon murmurs, shifting so he can view the sky once more.

"Elon, nothing you have to say right now is a waste of anything."

He goes quiet, likely running through words in his mind.

"Listen to me," I urge softly, rubbing small circles on the back of his palm. "I want you to be open with me. Communication between each other is key, remember?"

Still no answer, other than a light sigh.

"You can be completely honest with me. No matter how stupid or serious."

Finally, the man beside me turns back to face me, an expression of... pain across his features.

"Were you ever bullied? At any point in your life?"

The question catches me off guard slightly.

He's going the serious route, I guess.

"Not often, but on the rare occasion." I reply, which earns a light huff of annoyance from him.

"Figures. You probably beat them up after they beat on you."

I chuckle lightly, shaking my head as yet another, this time rather tense silence falls between us.

Elon sighs heavily, his voice breaking slightly.

"Well, I can't say the same. I was bullied on the regular."

My breath hitches in my throat, my brain already scrambling to conclusions.

"It was bad, wasn't it?" I muse aloud, my own voice cracking.

He nods slowly, a flame of anguish igniting within his gaze.

"They beat the crap out of me, Laura. I was shoved against lockers, kicked, punched, spat on..."

He trails off, biting his lip.

"They ganged up on me after class one day. Threw me down a flight of stairs. I woke up in the hospital with a concussion."

I bite back a cry of horror, my thoughts visualizing the image in my mind.

A much younger Elon, crumpled, battered and bruised, laying unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell.

"I... I'm sorry, E... To hear about what you grew up around... It makes my life look like a cakewalk..."

"Don't be sorry," He smiles, his change of expression appearing almost forced. "Without my childhood, I can almost definitely say I would not be in the position I am today. So, in a sense, I'm thankful for my brutal upbringing."

Unable to do much more than nod, I pull him closer to me, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug.

My boyfriend crumples into my arms, sighing heavily as he begins to stroke my hair.

"Thank you for listening," He murmurs. "That's been bothering me again for weeks now."

"I'll always listen," I sigh contentedly as he pulls away, his mood almost instantly more upbeat and positive than ever before.

"See if you can find Mars," He challenges, laying on his back once more, his eyes scanning the skies above us.

"That's easy," I smirk, pointing out the red dot amongst all the other seemingly white ones. "Got anything harder?"

"Jupiter?"

"There."

"Saturn?"

"Over there."

"The constellation Cassiopeia."

"That's it right there," I point towards the crown shaped chain of stars. "You know, I've always found that name so nice to pronounce."

Elon turns to look at me, an eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Cass-ee-o-pee-ah. I just like the way it flows, that's all."

His look of confusion doesn't vanish.

"What? You don't like and dislike certain words because of how they sound?"

"No, not really," He chuckles, raising his hand to point towards Mars again. "All it takes is seven months to get there."

"And we just happen to be two of the first four people to make the journey... Crazy, huh?"

"Not at all. I've always known we'd develop the tech to do it one day... It's just amazing how fast it all happened."

Silently, we both admire the stars once more, the only sound keeping us company is the crashing waves on the shore.

"What time is it, E?" I mumble, stifling back a yawn.

"No idea. Why does it matter?" He replies, yawning slightly himself.

"We still have work to be done tomorrow."

"Not anymore."

"What did you do?" I chuckle, shifting slightly closer to his side.

"Nothing. After your incident today, they gave you the day off. They also gave it to me so I can catch up on some of my Tesla work."

"Okay," I yawn. "That's good because I'll probably just sleep the day away seeing as you're keeping me up until the wee hours of the night."

"You wouldn't even get out of bed to help me?" Elon pouts, feigning offence.

I elbow him playfully in the ribs.

"You'd have to drag me out, kicking and screaming," I laugh, watching his lips turn upwards in a smirk.

"It's a challenge then," He declares, eyes gleaming with their familiar optimism.

"If you'd like to take it that way."

"I will take it that way. Challenge accepted."

"Just like the way you had someone drop off your Roadster just so you can prove how fast she can go?" I hum, pulling myself to a sitting position, a smirk falling upon my lips.

He does the same, extending a hand out to me as we both make our way to our feet.

"You didn't forget about that, I see." He grins, his own smirk finding it's way to his features.

"I don't forget much, especially when I like the memory," I smile up at him, taking off the blazer from around my shoulders and draping it over my arm.

He chuckles as we link arms and head back down the Pier, our paces slow and steady this time.

"Well in that case, I guess I owe you an answer to your challenge."

"What makes it any less illegal this time around?"

"It's almost 1 AM, Sweetheart. There's no one else around."

Silently, we make our way towards his vehicle, it's lights illuminating the way.

"She's a nice looking machine, that's for sure," I muse aloud, admiring the Tesla in front of me.

"Not as good as someone else I know," Elon shoots back, not missing a single beat.

I can't help but blush.

"Why don't we take the roof off? This could potentially be our only chance." He hums, going around to the Driver's side while I stay on my side, an expression of disbelief and confusion written all over my features.

"The roof comes off? This car is a convertible, too?!" I exclaim, a sudden rush of alertness rushing back to meet me, my fatigue almost instantly vanishing.

The man across from me simply nods as he clicks a button on the key fob in his hand, the sound of a locking mechanism being unlocked reaching my ears.

"Now we simply lift," He explains, noticing my still very confused state. "It goes in the trunk."

Going along with it, I grab a hold of my side, the small piece of removable roof surprisingly light.

"It's light!" I exclaim, surprise laced in my tone as we both meet around the back of the vehicle, gently placing the roof piece where it belongs.

"It had to be."

Closing the trunk, we both make our ways back around to the front, sliding into our seats and closing the doors almost in unison.

"Like they've been saying all along; apparently we do work like a well oiled machine." I joke as we leave the parking lot behind, coming to a stop on the long, straight road in front of us.

"You might want to hang onto something," Elon smirks, his gaze meeting mine as his fingers drum against the steering wheel.

"I'm sure I'll be - woah!" I gasp, laughter quickly overtaking my surprise as the vehicle accelerates forward, insanely fast. "This is crazy!"

Letting out a whoop of excitement, happiness and every other happy emotion I know, I laugh once more, raising my hands and letting the wind rush by them.

Everything feels so unreal.

It might just be the time of the night messing with my head, but I could swear this is how it feels to be high on some type of drug.

Not a care in the world.

No fear of anything.

It feels fantastic.

But, with all things, the high comes to a quick end as the vehicle slows down to just above the speed limit.

Content, I allow my gaze to drift to the man in the Driver's seat.

He's already staring at me, his gaze so full of admiration, it's overwhelming.

"I just want to kiss you," He murmurs, his eyes darting from my eyes to my lips over and over again.

"E..." I chuckle, the feeling of familiar warmth spreading throughout my entire body. "You're driving. You need to-"

"Now I'm not," He smirks, the sound signaling the Autopilot is engaged, filling my ears.

Right, it's a Tesla.

Autopilot exists.

"Now, I can kiss you."

So he did.