Laura Thompson's POV (December 21st, 2023)

"Well, what now?" I huff, flopping down onto the soft bed in the room we're sharing for the duration of our stay.

Though, I shouldn't say it's a room.

It's more like a suite.

With a kitchenette, a living room and a full bedroom and bathroom.

And to top it all off, there's a floor-to-ceiling window with an absolutely stunning view out into the street below.

Needless to say, when Vivian had made us our reservation, she made sure that we were well taken care of.

"It feels strange to not be scrambling around, working on sims and stuff, huh?" I muse aloud as I hear my Partner's heavy footsteps near the room I'm currently in.

Moments later, he appears in the doorway to the bedroom, a bowl of chips in hand while his eyes wander over me, shoulder leaning casually against the doorjamb.

"I guess," He hums, taking a seat on the edge of the bed while I haul myself to a sitting position.

Now it's my turn to allow my gaze to wander over him.

He seems at ease and almost perfectly calm - not a single trace of any stress or anxiety on his features.

As a swift realization weaves through me, a soft smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

This is the first time I've ever seen him like this.

"Love, you've been staring at me for a solid ten seconds now," Elon's warm and teasing tone pulls me from my thoughts and back to the present, my gaze instantly snapping up to meet his.

All I can do is chuckle lightly as the familiar sensation of a light blush falling across my cheeks resonates with me.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a moment, there," I murmur, snatching a chip from the bowl he'd set aside which earns me a playful glare.

"I couldn't tell," My Partner replies, sarcasm evident in is tone as he purposely moves the bowl of chips away from my reach, shooting me a smirk of satisfaction.

I simply huff in annoyance, though it ends up sounding more like a breathy giggle.

A comfortable silence - well, other than the munching of chips - settles between us, my gaze shifting to the snow covered outside world on the opposite side of the pane of glass.

It looks so beautiful out there...

We should be out there! Not in here!

Mind made up, I scramble to my feet which tears Elon from his own train of thought, his head instantly snapping up to follow my movements.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" His voice echoes after me as I head towards the exit, slipping into my now worn in pair of NASA combat boots.

Not the optimal choice of footwear, but hey, it's better than sneakers.

"Outside," I holler back, grabbing my jacket off the coat rack and shrugging it on, paying no mind to the sound of steady footfalls nearing me.

Then, just as I'm about to pick up my mitts off of the shelf in front of me, my vison abruptly darkens as the feeling of my jacket's hood being tossed onto my head and over my eyes startles me.

"Why would you-" I start, blindly whirling around to try and tackle my attacker, though I stumble over something in the process, losing my footing.

However, before I can brace for the inevitable of smacking into the floor, the familiarly warm feeling of a pair of strong arms wrapping around me and pulling me close falls over me.

Now my rescuer, Elon pushes the hood that had been blocking my vison away and I'm met with his ever-so brilliant grin, staring down at me.

"You're not so graceful without your vison," He chuckles, helping me steady myself back on my own two feet.

"You wouldn't be either if someone threw a hood over your head!" I retort, elbowing him lightly as I pass by, heading towards the door once again, sliding on my hat and mitts.

Reaching out to grasp the door handle and head out into the hallway, I'm once again halted by my boyfriend's embrace.

"Let's chat about this, hm?"

I turn to face him, confusion working its way through my thoughts.

Chat about what?

"What exactly is there to chat about?" I muse, tilting my head slightly in visible confusion.

"What would you like to do the rest of the day?" He inquires, jumping straight into the questions.

I remove my hat and mitts, shoving them into the pockets of my jacket before taking a seat at the small island in the kitchenette, Elon following close behind.

"I dunno," I shrug, frowning slightly. "But what I do know is that I definitely want to go for a walk in the snow out there."

The man beside me smiles broadly, nodding.

"We can definitely do that," He murmurs, his expressions beginning to shift.

He's been swept up in another one of his thought trains.

"Did you have anything in mind?" I ask, my voice seeming to root him back to the present. "I mean, you did fly me the entire way to Toronto without telling me, so I do have reason to suspect that you've got other things up that sleeve of yours."

At this, Elon just laughs lightly, passing me a small smirk.

"It seems you know me too well."

"I would sure hope I know you well!" I laugh along with him. "We are headed to Mars in a few months - together."

"True, true," My Partner grins, before his smile fades into something else, almost an expression of concern.

Noticing this, I gently lay my hand on his shoulder, my own features mirroring his own.

"What is it, E?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thoughts, that's all."

My look of concern deepens.

"I can't say I believe you on that one."

A silence hangs in the air as I wait for his response, his expressions continuing to shift so rapidly, until they finally come to rest in a look of... nervousness?

"What would you think to meeting my Mother for dinner tonight?" The man sitting beside me muses, gently removing my hand from his shoulder with a small smile as he places it back by my side.

I can't help but zone out as my thoughts yet again jump in, bombarding anything else I try and do.

His Mother is in town, too?!

He's literally planned these two days out from start to finish!

For what seems like the thousandth time, yet another grin forms across my lips, my genuinely happy feeling becoming even more overwhelming than before.

"That would be great, E!" I bubble, unable to contain my enthusiasm any longer as I dash to my feet and wrap my boyfriend in a bone-crushing hug.

The familiar sound of his light-hearted laughter fills the room while he returns the embrace, making his way to his feet as well.

I laugh along with him, as we step away from each other, the sound of our laughter bouncing off the walls causing us to laugh even more, if that's even possible.

"How about that walk?" Elon hums, slipping into his own pair of boots before shrugging on his jacket and grabbing the room keys off of the shelf by the door, holding one of the small cards out towards me.

I simply stare at it quizzically.

"There's two keys for a reason," He urges, a slight trace of bewilderment evident in his tone as I take the small piece of plastic in my hand and slip it into the pocket of my jacket.

"Oh yeah, right," I chuckle as we head out into the hallway, leaving the room behind while the door closes behind us with a soft click.

The sound of our synced, booted cadences echoing off of the walls of the hallway, dampened slightly by the carpet beneath our feet, meets my ears, once again causing me to crack a smile.

My Partner must notice my shift as he nudges me softly, gaining my attention.

"You good?" He murmurs, our gazes locking momentarily as we stroll into the foyer, earning some stares.

Some dip their heads in acknowledgement while others scoff and quickly turn away.

I just shrug cheerfully, grasping his hand in mine before I pick up our pace, bee-lining towards the snowy outdoors.

I'm absolutely amazing!

Beyond amazing!

As we push through the doors and into the chilly, crisp air of Downtown Toronto, a shiver dances down my spine, my eyes lifting towards the heavens to watch the snowflakes dance along in the wind, falling onto my cheeks.

This is snow!

Snow!

From beside me, the sound of a chuckle resonates with me as the hand I'm holding begins to drag me onwards.

"Come on," My boyfriend teases as I shoot him a look, catching up with his long strides. "It's not like it's gonna ease up for a long while, anyway."

"The snow?"

"Yes the snow! What did you think I meant?"

"Oh, I have no idea!"

We share a laugh at that one as we continue down the snow covered sidewalk, the rather unfamiliar sound of the frozen pellets crunching under our boots, along with everyone else's around us, resonating with me.

I still can't believe this is real life.

****

"Ooh! And look at those lights!" I burst, pointing towards the rather large illuminated display ahead of us, glowing brightly in the dimming evening light.

"I think that's the best display we've seen so far," Elon nods in agreement, removing his hand from mine to fish his phone from the pocket of his jacket.

"What time are we meeting your Mom at?" I hum, peering at the small screen in my Partner's hands.

The device reads 6:28 PM.

"She said six-thirty," He replies, turning to face me with the usual smirk. "But she knows we'll be more like six-forty."

I pass him a look as if to say, 'are you kidding me right now?'

He simply shakes his head in disagreement, smirk not vanishing.

Huffing, I roll my eyes, sliding my arm through his open and waiting one and we resume our stroll.

"You know, showing up to things early for once wouldn't hurt," I hum, a light teasing to my tone, my gaze wandering over yet another elaborately decorated storefront as we pass.

The only response I get from the man beside me is yet another one of his usual soft chuckles.

We continue to stroll along in comfortable silence, simply enjoying the feeling of each other's presences as well as the architecture and scenery.

My mind begins to wander, still slightly foggy over the fact that the past few hours have indeed been one-hundred percent real.

As my thoughts begin to bombard me, I can't help but frown slightly.

I wonder what his Mother is like?

Certainly better than mine, I would hope.

"Remind me again of your Mother's name?" I muse aloud, shaking myself away from the rather negative thought process that was beginning to transpire.

"Maye," Elon answers, a smile working its way onto his features at the mention of his Mother. "She's a truly amazing woman. Did a good job of basically raising us all by herself."

My frown deepens.

"Your Father was never really around?"

My Partner sighs heavily, shrugging.

"I don't really remember much of my childhood, other than the fact my Father was always angry," He explains, voice softening, his gaze flicking from towards the ground. "I've been told that he wasn't too kind to any of us, including my Mother."

A pang of sadness and grief washes through me, causing my form to come closer to his.

I knew his Father was a jerk, but now the way he's talking... It seems much worse.

"I'm sorry," Is all I can really muster up to say, unable to really say much more.

Another heavy sigh resonates from beside me.

"It's fine. There's nothing that can be done now anyway. The past is the past," My boyfriend mutters lowly, kicking a loose piece of snow away from a snowbank as our gazes follow it, skipping down the sidewalk.

I squash down another wave of sorrow, only to be flooded by a tsunami of realization, crashing down on me like ice cold water.

I immediately come to a halt, tugging on Elon's arm to stop him as well.

He does so, a look of teary confusion on his features as he turns to face me.

"I just realized why..." I trail off, sniffing back a sudden wave of tears as I continue to speak. "I just realized why you're always so focused on the future, rather than the past."

The expression of the man in front of me begins to crack, a look of almost grieved relief falling upon his face.

I step closer to him, fixing the collar of his winter jacket and dusting the few snowflakes off of his shoulders before stepping away, a tear rolling freely down my cheek.

"Your past is broken and scarred... You want to leave it behind entirely, don't you?"

My Partner nods tensely, his lips drawing into a thin line.

"That's why you founded SpaceX with the plan to leave Earth behind and go to Mars..." I murmur, biting my lip to keep my emotions somewhat at bay. "That's why you're constantly burying yourself under so much work and putting so mush pressure on yourself to keep busy... You just want to leave the past behind - forget it even existed."

Nodding once more, his lower lip begins to quiver as the tears threaten to spill over.

However, before they do, I'm pulled into a tight embrace, my Partner's entire form shaking with silent sobs.

My own form beginning to shake from my own fit, I cling to him tighter, the feeling of his hands firmly grasping the material of the back of my jacket in what seems to be a sort of desperation, falling over me, only urging my tears on.

We stand there, clinging to one another in the softly falling snow for what seems like an eternity.

Folks passing by likely gave us a few stares, but who cares?

It's pitch dark and we're both covered in head to toe in winter gear; its not like anyone would recognize us.

"I'm sorry," I hear Elon murmur as we step away, his expression fixing itself into a small, half-hearted smile. "It's just not everyday that someone begins to know you so well that they manage to pinpoint your deepest motives behind everything you've worked on all your life."

I step closer to him once more, wrapping him in a loose hug.

"It's not your fault," I assure, my tone hushed. "And I'm sorry if I overwhelmed you there."

"No, no," He affirms, his smile becoming genuine as I step back from him. "You're right. Well, not entirely right, but close enough, anyways."

I can't help but let out a light laugh at his suddenly light-hearted remark.

"I am so lucky to have you," He whispers, stepping closer to me. "You've changed me for the better. You really have."

"How so?" I reply, my voice dropping to match his, a slight smirk tugging at at the edges of my lips.

"I can't even begin to list them all off," Elon grins, expression shifting as the phone in his pocket begins to make its rather obnoxious noise, startling both of us equally.

My own expression changes also; confusion flowing through me.

"It's my Mother," He hums, reaching into his pocket and silencing the noise before re-focusing on me.

"Well then we better-"

My sentence is cut short as he presses a finger gently to my lips.

Surprised at his sudden action, I raise my gaze to meet his, eyes locking.

Within his warm brown gaze, shines a genuine thankfulness.

Neither of us say a word as I simply dip my head in reply, my own gaze filling with happiness and compassion.

Silently, he grasps my hand in his and we continue on down the snowy sidewalk, our forms illuminated in the soft glow coming from the windows of the storefronts.

****

The walk to the restaurant had been a hasty one, that's for sure.

By the time we had actually managed to figure out just exactly where we were headed and how exactly we needed to get there, it was well past 6:40.

So now, as we practically burst through the front doors of the quaint looking restaurant along the harborfront of Lake Ontario, stomping the snow off our feet and dusting ourselves off, it's likely around 7:00.

"Elon!" A older sounding feminine voice rings out from across the silent space we step into, a light scolding in her tone. "You're late!"

My Partner just chuckles, once more taking my hand in his and striding across the restaurant, unexpectedly dragging me along with him.

Scrambling to keep pace, I allow my gaze to drift over the small space we just entered.

The area is laid out like a typical restaurant, with tables and chairs neatly scattered around, menus sitting idle on the wooden surfaces, the sound and smells of the kitchen reaching me, the lighting dimmed for the evening hours.

And finally, as my wandering nears its end, my gaze falls upon the woman we're speed-walking towards.

The first thing that strikes me about the woman is her brilliantly happy expression, though she's trying to hold a frown which strikes me as rather humorous.

The other thing is her hair.

Short in length, and bright, crisp white in color.

It suits her.

"Sorry about that," The man beside me hums as we come to a halt in front of the older woman, who's eyes are locked onto Elon. "We, uh, got a bit lost."

I mentally facepalm.

Though that part was true enough, it sure sounds like an extremely false excuse.

"Whatever you say," The lady huffs, her frown instantly fading as she turns to face me. "And you must be the lovely Laura I've heard so much about!"

A small smirk tugs at my lips as I sneak a glance towards my boyfriend, who has a look of slight disbelief on his features.

"That's me," I grin, extending my hand out towards the woman in front of me, only she dodges my handshake attempt and ends up wrapping me in a loose hug instead.

Startled, I return the embrace rather awkwardly, once more taking a look to the man standing idle by my side, a humored smile on his lips.

"As Elon likely already informed you; I'm Maye," She smiles warmly as we step away from each other, my form automatically drifting closer to my Partner's side.

"It's lovely to meet you," I grin once more as we all take our seats around a small table, glasses of water already set out.

"You as well, Hun," Maye beams, turning to her Son, a light frown once again etching her features. "Now, what have I told you about being late to everything?"

"That it's not professional," He grumbles, staring into his glass of water absentmindedly.

I can't help but let out a light laugh.

"You know, I said the same thing. But he claimed it was his 'trademark.'"

"It is!" The man beside me protests, my voice pulling him from his thoughts. "Better late than never; that's my analogy."

Maye just chuckles, humming softly to herself, her gaze flicking over both of us.

"So? Just how on Earth did you two meet?"

Time passes, the conversation continuing as we eat our meals.

Then, as soon as we know it, the dishes are gone and it's back to just plain old glasses of water yet again.

"So let me get this all figured out here..." My boyfriend's Mother exclaims, a look of confusion on her features. "My Son picked you up off the street in the pouring rain, drove you home, helped you pack to go to Houston and then as time wore on, you both realized that you reciprocated the same feelings?"

I nod enthusiastically, a faint blush dusting my cheeks.

"That would be the case," I smile, as the man I'm sitting beside chuckles softly.

"You know, if we're being honest here, I have a confession to make," Elon hums, a slight trace of humor in his tone as he turns to me.

"Go on, then!" I urge with a giggle, sharing a grin with Maye.

"I've had my eye on you ever since you joined up with SpaceX," My Partner confesses, a sheepishness in his tone as I gasp in disbelief, elbowing him.

"You have not!"

"I have," He nods, passing me a smirk. "But, I just let things move on. It would've been foolish of me to try and make any sort of 'move' towards you! Because before all this, we barely crossed paths!"

"But yet here you are, a couple of all things," His Mother grins warmly, her gaze sparkling with admiration.

Noticing this, I smile inwardly, a happiness swelling within me.

It seems Maye likes me!

Though a wave of sadness quenches my upbeat mood as my thoughts progress.

Too bad my Mother can't say the same about E...

Shaking the momentary disheartened blip away, I re-focus on the conversation at hand.

"...first flight to Mars. I'm proud of you, Elon, I really am."

"Thanks," Is the only reply I hear from beside me as I take a sip of my water, snapping myself completely from my muddled thoughts.

"And Laura, what is this I hear about your expert piloting skills?"

I shrug, staring into the now empty glass cup in my hands.

"I'm no expert. I just do the best I can," I explain, fighting a blush off my cheeks as I hear my Partner huff, an eye roll likely following close behind.

"She doesn't give herself enough credit," He sighs, nudging my side as I nudge back.

"Says you!"

"Says me?"

"Yes, you!"

"Not me!"

"Alright children, now behave yourselves," Maye teasingly scolds, eyeing the both of us over yet again, that same look of approval and happiness alight in her gaze.

"What fun would that be?" I laugh as my boyfriend laughs along with me, his Mother's eyes widening slightly in what seems to be surprise, though she says nothing of it.

Instead, she crosses her arms, a stern look falling across her features.

"Alright, alright! We're done!" Elon shrugs with a chuckle as I pass him one last smirk before regaining my composure, resisting the urge to let out another laugh.

For what seems like the hundredth time, the older woman's gaze wanders us over, a gentle grin tugging at her lips.

"How are your parents, hun?" Maye begins as I sink in my seat, grimacing slightly. "What do they think of this whole idea?"

I raise an eyebrow skeptically, frowning.

"About E and I or about Mars?"

"Both!" Comes the reply, bubbly and upbeat.

I readjust my posture before swirling the straw in my empty glass, gaze focusing on anywhere but the woman across from me.

Seeming to notice my sudden loss of words, my Partner clears his throat, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"They're not too keen on either idea," He explains, tone carrying an air of concern and compassion.

Now, Maye truly frowns, a look of almost disgust written across her expression.

"And why would that be?" She inquires, tone rather icy as she sends a glare towards her Son.

"No, no, no," I scramble as Elon raises his hands in mock surrender towards his Mother. "He didn't do anything!"

She simply dips her head in acknowledgement, signaling for me to continue.

"It's really a long story that we don't have the time for," I start with a sigh, raising the straw from my glass and playing with it absentmindedly. "But to summarize, my parents are stubborn control freaks who don't support me, regardless of what I do. They also just so happen to not be a fan of E's work or himself for that matter."

Maye's jaw just hangs open in sheer disbelief as she processes what she just heard.

"Well..." She murmurs, recovering from her surprised state as she faces me once more, a genuine look of apology in her gaze. "That is definitely not good, considering the circumstances."

My Partner and I share a tense nod.

"Any suggestions?" The man beside me muses, drumming his fingers against the wooden table. "Because we're all out of ideas."

"Talk to them," The older woman suggests, nodding her head in understanding as my boyfriend and I exchange a look of uncertainty. "I know that's the last thing you'd want to do, but it's likely for the best."

"You're likely right," I hum as the older woman tosses me a smile. "But enough about that, let's talk about something more interesting."

From that point on, the rest of the evening is filled with chatter about the Mission and everything we've been doing to prepare.

Elon decides to recount the whole 'Laura nearly drowned in the NBL' story.

Thankfully, now that it's past, we can share a good laugh at that one.

I decide to leave out the bits about the whole ordeal with Jessica Morrison, instead focusing on the rest of our Crew and all the other lovely NASA folks we've been working alongside for what feels like forever.

It's been a good type of forever, I explained while Maye just smirked knowingly, waggling her eyebrows at me.

I could barely hide my blush.

But now, as the waiter softly informs us they're closing shortly and that we need to head out, I can't help but feel like I'm on top of the world.

"You two are a fine couple," The older woman beams as Elon helps me into my jacket before shrugging into his. "And you'll do great on the Mission. The both of yous."

Before either of us can even react, we're both pulled into a tight embrace.

"I'll be rooting for you and so will the rest of the world," Maye murmurs into the hug before she steps away with a smile, turning to head towards the exit.

My Partner and I follow after her as we all make our way out into the much snowier and darker outdoors, a chilly wind biting at my cheeks as my boots crunch against the snow.

"Well, it was lovely meeting you," I nod, the feeling of my boyfriend's hand in mine resonating with me as the older woman smirks once more.

"You too, Hun. But, I better be off now, it seems a certain someone is eager to chat with you about who knows what," She hums, gesturing to the man standing idly by my side.

Yet again, the heat begins to rise to my cheeks, even in the Canadian cold.

"I'll see you both tomorrow evening! Be sure to have your notes prepared, Elon!" She exclaims with a broad grin before hurrying off through the snow, her form quickly vanishing through the white blanket falling from the sky, though her cheery voice still follows. "I guess I didn't have to remind you about that! I'm sure Laura would've done the same thing!"

"Ha, ha," Elon chuckles dryly before turning to face me, a gleam of mischief in his warm gaze. "We should probably head back to the hotel before we freeze, huh?"

"Yeah," I murmur in response as we begin back the way we had came hours earlier, our synced footfalls against the snow covered sidewalk providing the slight bit of noise to fill our silence.

We continue to stroll along the harborfront, my gaze flicking over the moonlit waters of Lake Ontario, small sheets of ice dancing among the waves.

My gaze continues to travel up towards the heavens, the sky an eerie yellow color, illuminated by the fluffy white snowflakes dancing towards the ground.

And finally, my gaze comes to rest on my Partner.

His own eyes are wandering over the scene before us, a peaceful, pleasantly neutral expression gracing his features.

A few snowflakes litter his hair, which is all messed up from the wind.

He's just so perfect.

A childish rush of giddiness choruses through me as I drift closer to his side, humming to myself softly.

He hums contentedly in response, squeezing my hand lightly.

"You know," I muse softly, passing my boyfriend a sideways glance before looking away, my gaze once more wandering the winter wonderland before us. "Today has been truly amazing."

Stepping toward my smaller form, Elon just grins in reply, hand slipping from mine before his arm is around my shoulder, pulling me into his side as we continue to walk.

"I'm glad to hear it," He chuckles, the sound of his laughter momentarily drowning out the sounds of the city alive around us. "But tomorrow is going to be even better."

"And why would that be, hm?"

"Every day with you is better than the last," He smirks as I just roll my eyes with a shake of my head.

"You, Sir, are truly something else. You know that, right?"

"Of course," Comes the reply, tone full of a lighthearted playfulness. "Same goes for you, though."

"You can't take a compliment, eh?"

"Eh? What, are the Canadians rubbing off on you?"

I can't help but laugh yet again, nudging his side slightly.

"Oh, Elon..." I murmur with a soft sigh, my gaze careening towards the heavens yet again.

The air goes slack between us as we continue to stroll along the snow-filled streets, the sounds of cars passing, people chatting, wind rushing between buildings...

It all feels so special, so perfect.

"Laura," I hear the man at my side hum softly, breaking me from my thoughts before I turn to meet his gaze slightly.

"Hm?"

"What, uh," He sighs softly with a breathy chuckle, shaking his head. "What are you thinking life will look like for you once we're back?"

Surprise runs through me as Elon comes to a halt rather abruptly, gently wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close to avoid smacking into a passerby.

It all happens so suddenly and before I know it, our forms are pressed together, gazes locked, faces flushed.

"I... uh..." I stammer, my gaze quickly bouncing away from his, staring anywhere else but at him. "I haven't quite thought that far ahead."

"Oh," Is the only reply I hear, the tone sounding almost playful but sad at the same time?

"W-why?" I stutter once again, my eyes somehow wandering back to his warm gaze no matter how hard I try otherwise. "What are you thinking?"

My Partner sighs heavily, slipping his arm from around my waist as he steps away, running a hand through his hair.

"I-I don't know," He mumbles, cracking a small, forced smile my way. "Let's just forget I ever asked."

"Sure?..." I trail off, taking his extended hand in mine as we continue on down the street, the city lights bathing our path in unique hues of color.

What would've made him think about asking me that question?

Maybe even he doesn't know...

He does seem awfully flustered now...

Yawning, I shove those thoughts aside, allowing a grin to spread across my features as the hotel we're staying at comes into view.

"Tired?" My boyfriend muses aloud, his tone no longer seeming flustered, instead, genuine.

"Yeah, just a little," I confess, stifling back another yawn as we make our way up the few steps to the front entrance.

He just chuckles lightly, opening the door for me before I pass through, stepping into the large, extravagant foyer, a gust of warm air greeting us.

"Let's get you upstairs then," He jokes, passing me a smirk as we make our way to the elevator, the doors shutting softly behind us.

Some Christmassy jingle fills the silent air around us, earning a laugh from me.

"Some of this Christmas music... It's just the same song over, just in a different style!"

"You would think someone would come up with something new, wouldn't you?"

I nod, laughing again, my tone of voice quieting slightly.

"Thanks for setting up dinner with your Mother. I enjoyed it, I really did."

At this, a happy grin spreads across Elon's features, his eyes alight with sparks of joy.

"I'm glad you two got along so well," He explains as the doors of the elevators open with a woosh and we step out into the hallway, our cadences quickly syncing up. "I won't lie to you; I was a bit nervous she wouldn't take a liking to you."

I roll my eyes, nudging his side with yet another yawn.

"There was nothing to worry about, E," I drawl, my mind begining to fog, eyelids becoming droopy. "You worry too much."

"And you are acting intoxicated," He teases, slipping an arm under my shoulder and around my back, holding me up slightly. "Was there something in that water I should know about?"

"No!" I laugh hysterically, hitting his chest with my hand as he unlocks the door to our room and practically drags me inside. "It was just water, silly!"

I watch through blurry, drowsy vison as my boyfriend sheds his jacket and shoes before shifting his attention to me, helping me with my own heavy article of outer clothing.

"Thanks..." I yawn once more, tossing my hat and mitts onto the nearby shelf before slipping out of my boots, stumbling towards the couch.

However, before I make it to the rather inviting looking couch cushions, I'm halted by a rather solid form blocking my path which I run into with a soft "oof."

"Bed is this way," He chuckles, spinning me 180 degrees and guiding me towards the other room, my own movements slowed by my drowsiness.

Through my seemingly drunken vision and senses, I manage to blunder towards the bed, taking a seat on the end of it as Elon appears in front of me, a rather amused expression gracing his features.

He looks cute.

Even cuter than when his hair was all messed up earlier from the wind and littered with snowflakes.

"I like it when you're happy," I exclaim suddenly as the man in front of me jumps in surprise, whether from my statement or obnoxiously loud tone of voice, I can't determine.

"I like it when I'm happy too," He chuckles, getting up from where he was sitting and opening the drawer I had folded my sleep clothes into when we had first arrived.

"These'll do?" He hums, holding up my oversized NASA t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

"Sssure..." I slur, taking the items from his grasp and heading towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

Blinking a few times, I stagger to the sink, my out of focus reflection staring back at me as I splash my face with cold water which draws out a quiet gasp from me.

Wake up, Laura!

You're loopy for goodness sakes!

Shaking my head and blinking rapidly a few more times, I begin to clear the fog from my thoughts, a light blush rising to my cheeks as a realization washes over me.

"Elon!" I holler, shedding my earlier shirt and tossing on the fresh one.

I hear his heavy footsteps rapidly approaching the smaller room I'm in before they stop, just outside the door.

"You're good in there?"

"Yeah," I chuckle softly, sliding into the new pair of pants before gathering my discarded articles of clothing and heading towards the door.

"Okay, I just wasn't -"

"I was loopy, right?" I cut him off, passing him on my way out the bathroom door, shoving today's clothes back into my backpack.

"Loopy?" He questions, passing me a look of confusion. "I'd describe it more like drunk."

I roll my eyes with a gentle laugh, slipping under the covers, my gaze not leaving his.

"That's just how everyone else I know has described it," I yawn, snuggling deeper under the warm sheets. "I don't know what it is though, for some reason when it's late, I'm tired and I'm having a good time, I just lose control of myself."

"Huh," He hums as I watch him grab a few articles of his own clothing before disappearing into the bathroom, my gaze significantly less hazy this time around.

Sighing contentedly, I roll onto my side, my eyes wandering over the floor-to-ceiling windows that give a view to the outside world.

The snow is still gently falling and I can see it settling on the rooftops of some of the lower buildings around us.

There are lights twinkling in the distance, almost looking like yellow little stars.

"Blinds open or closed?" A familiar voice muses from the end of the bed, as I turn to meet the source of the voice by dragging myself to a sitting position.

"Open, if you don't mind," I reply softly as Elon just nods, rounding opposite side of the bed before joining me at my side.

We lay there for a few moments, an air of slight awkwardness surrounding us, the sound of silence also joining in.

Then, wordlessly, the man I'm in bed with extends an arm out towards me, wrapping around my lower torso before pulling me into his chest.

A surge of butterflies swells within me as I allow myself to relax against his frame, my head resting against his chest, the sound of his steady heartbeat the only sound other than the silence everywhere else.

"This is a lot better than sleeping alone," He murmurs into my hair, the feeling of his fingers running through it resonating with me.

"So you'll actually sleep tonight, right?" I whisper back, a slight concern scolding in my tone.

"Definitely," He yawns, sighing softly as I feel his form become loose.

"Good," I hum, a small smile tugging at my lips as I let his heartbeat begin to lull me into the depths of sleep, its gentle arms grabbing at me, beckoning me to go deeper.

However, before I succumb completely to sleep, I find the conscience to string together three simple words.

"I love you."