—chapter fourteen.

  ❛ a thank you might be in order. ❜  

A RATHER DANGEROUS THOUGHT had poisoned Elodie's half-asleep mind the next morning. She had tried to ignore it, suppress it, drown it out before it could take hold, but despite all her efforts, it still remained, just as he did.

And unfortunately, Elodie agreed with it. Diego Hargreeves did look fucking adorable that morning.

She hadn't even wanted to leave.

She had to, of course, but a part of her wanted to curl right back into the comforters and his arms and ignore all the warning signs blowing gaskets in her head. She missed how he had held her close to his chest, and the fingers that had curled into her hair, a symbol of intimacy she hadn't really experienced before. A symbol she hadn't even thought she wanted, before then.

But Elodie reigned in the stubborn desire and groaned her way through her morning routine, all grumbles and frowns as she washed up and made her morning tea. And by eight-thirty she was out the door.

Diego was left in her room still asleep. Maybe she should have woken him, but Elodie didn't mind leaving him alone; it wasn't like he didn't have a million other ways into her apartment. And he needed the sleep, right?

"See ya," she whispered, patting the blanketed form gently. "Sleep...uh, sleep tight." 

And with that, she was gone, taking only her travel mug and her quickly-growing doubts with her.

They had slipped into a routine of shared nights and intertangled limbs, romantic without any titles or qualms given to those who would ask. She hadn't ever meant for that -- she hadn't planned on telling him more than her last name and where she kept the toilet paper. But he was just too...too something, too addicting to push away. He was easy to talk to despite his own boundaries, and Elodie honestly had not even realised she had grown so close until she had forced herself to step back. He was funny, and he was good even if he went about it a little odd -- and he was like any other man that she had ever met before.

She was quite certain they were not meant to be anything more than slightly acquainted strangers. And she was also sure that they should not work, and that she should not be feeling what she did.

But no matter what, Elodie did know what she felt. There was no denying that a part of her had grown to care deeply for Diego Hargreeves. It was peculiar and unexplainable but she did and she had for quite a while, even if she would argue quite adamantly otherwise. Maybe it was just the desire of physical touch, or the presence of another person in her quite lonely life, or just...

Elodie shook her head. "Don't," she grumbled, pinching at her arm to interrupt her dreaming. "Don't go down that path, dumbass."

Her finger jabbed at the elevator buttons, a little harder than she probably should, and flopped back down to her side. She leant back against the wall with a sigh.

For the first time in a very long time, Elodie was not sure she could ignore her heart. And to be frank --

-- that terrified her.

ELODIE TWISTED THE KEY IN THE DOOR AND practically fell into her apartment. Her fingers felt actually frozen and despite all efforts were clinging to the cold, barely holding her belongings anymore.

Winter really was a bitch, she thought, groaning as she undid her boots. But at least she was home, and early, escaping her evening shift at the bar for a chance at an early night. 

"Thank you again," Elodie had sighed, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. "I - I really wouldn't ever do this. I just have to --"

"--you don't have to explain to me," the southern drawl had sung back. "I know you and believe you. You're allowed to call in a day off, considering you've not used one since you started."

"I -- thanks, Charlie. Are you sure?"

He had chuckled, soft and low into her ear. "Trust me. It's a slow night and we're closin' up early anyways. No big deal."

"Thank you. And I'm sorry--"

"--nope, no sorry's. S'long as you promise you're gonna take care of yourself tonight, you got nary a thing to apologise for."

Elodie smiled softly, recounting the event in her head. She knew he was wrong and that she really should have explained herself, apologised for her behaviour before -- but she also knew that Charlie somehow always understood, despite her never saying a word about it. He was too good to her.

She rose back up with a sigh. Her fingers massaged at her pounding scalp; a lack of caffeine, proper sleep and a loud work day had resulted in a massive headache that just would not escape. But being home at least would help. She could take a nap for once, maybe have some tea --

"--shit," she groaned, remembering her using up the last of the bags. "Dammit."

Oh well. Sleep would help, at the very least, and some quality meds too. She would just forget about the tea.

Elodie stomped into her kitchen, one hand still pressed to her head, and fumbled about for her Advil bottle. She popped them in dry and swallowed eagerly, grimacing when they stuck in her throat. "Gross," she gagged, guzzling back a glass of tap water to force them down. "Yw-hack."

After that trial, she moved onto food. She pulled out one of her last microwave meals and started that up before swinging around to find a plate. Her dish collection was meagre and always oddly placed around the apartment (despite them being clean) and the fun of hunting down a usable plate was always an annoying part to a meal. But nevertheless she slipped out of the tiny kitchen and around, searching for a working dish.

Elodie stopped short at her living room table, staring down with a confused frown. Instead of a plate, she found a suspiciously familiar red package that had been tucked away into her things -- as though she would not notice.

She picked it up cautiously, only for her face to drop. It was exactly what she had thought it was.

Plate forgotten, she rushed to her kitchen phone and dialed the newly familiar number with shaking fingers. The shiny package sat beside her, mocking; she cursed it out and turned away.

He picked up on the third ring. "Yo."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do...what?"

Elodie bit her lip and glanced back to her counter. There it still sat, crinkly and glowing in her dim kitchen lights. "You know what I mean. Why."

"I don't know what you mean, actually."

"Diego, I - you didn't - I don't know what to do. Shittin' hell!"

She knew he knew exactly what was being talked about. He had to. And yet Diego still played dumb, pausing before speaking just to draw out the tension. "Are you okay? You seen something, did someone do something?"

"Don't act like you were not the one to try and hide the stupid tea. I mean, you're the only one who could get into my apartment without me knowing. Why'd you do it?"

"Ha, what?"

"Diego. This is pricy, and it's -- you shouldn't -- you should return it."

"I didn't buy it, but--" he cut her off when she tried to retort back, chuckling on the other end like this was funny. "--but, if I did buy it, I wouldn't return it. And if I were you, I wouldn't ask someone to return a nice gift."

"It's too nice."

"Maybe the person who bought it for you thought you deserved something nice."

"That person would be wrong. And stupid. And totally nuts."

"That person probably feels like you shouldn't insult them."

"Please return it."

"No."

"So you did buy it?"

"Nope."

"Diego!" Elodie paused, realising he was not going to say anything and then continued. "I don't deserve this. It's just -- you could'a used the money for a thousand better things than tea bags."

For a while, he said nothing. So long in silence she waited, she very nearly thought he hung up. The only indication she had that he was still there was his breathing, heavy on the other line, and so she waited. 

Before she could finally speak again, though, he answered. "It's just a thank you. I guess."

"For what?"

"E--" he paused, swallowing heavily. "-everything. Dunno. Thought it was r...right."

She did not know what to say to that. But it worked out because apparently, Diego had more to say.

"You like it. Figured I'd do s--s--something good. You do too much for m-m-m...me."

"Diego..."

"It's just tea."

"No, it's...it's more than just tea." Elodie slumped against the wall and rubbed at her eyes. They were not teary, she argued to herself, it had just been a long day and surely, exhaustion was getting to her. No matter how sweet the gift was, and how random and how she hadn't expected him to even remember what she had said...

She sucked in a breath, trying to calm her nerves. "Uh, thanks."

"Uh-huh."

"I mean it."

"Okay."

Frustration then bubbled, not at him but at her own stubborn self. "I'm sorry for reacting like that, I didn't meant to be such an ass. I just...uh. Didn't expect it, and it was sweet and random and, uh, yeah. You didn't have to."

"I guess that's the point of a surprise," he laughed on the other end, but he sounded a little embarrassed. Maybe he hadn't expected quite this either. 

"I don't know how to repay you."

"You don't have to repay me."

"Well, yeah I do! It's--"

"--no, you don't," he shot back. He hesitated before speaking again. "Like I said, it's me repaying you. Don't worry about it."

"This is -- you have no need to -- this isn't a fair trade. I don't deserve this."

"You know, no matter what you say, I'm not taking it back."

Elodie turned to look at the package again. Her fingers clutched at the phone a little tighter, pressing it into her face in a way she knew would leave a mark, but she didn't care. And despite herself, despite how her mind screamed and hissed and how her heart threatened to blow right out of her chest, the young woman just smiled.

Fuck it. Maybe she'd let herself swoon a little.

"Thank you, Diego."

"It's-" he cut himself off, like he hadn't expected that. She heard him huff and mumble something under his breath. "I - no problem. Yeah. Hmm. Yeah."

"Are you alright?"

"Yup."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Okay," she sang, drawing out the 'y' just to be obnoxious. "I'll buy it for now. You gonna be safe, tonight?"

He snorted. "Me? I'm always safe, baby."

And that time, Elodie was certain her heart really did stop.

Baby.

Just two syllables, but enough to destroy any ounce of dignity, distance or courage Elodie had stored up to combat. He said it so flippantly, too, it was almost natural -- like he hadn't even thought about it. And maybe he hadn't, maybe he didn't even after saying it.

But Elodie sure did.

"Right," she choked out, flustered and confused and extremely rattled. She held onto the phone a little tighter. "Uh - okay. Thanks. Be safe. Call me if you need anything."

"You too."

Elodie's voice shook a little, but it remained at least steady enough to sound semi-normal. "I'm always safe. Unlike you, I don't go sniffing around for danger."

"Ri-ight. Whatever you say."

She could practically hear the smile in his voice there. She pictured him wherever he was with that shy grin, up against the wall just like her own body was. He might already be dressed in his wannabe-superhero get up, mask and all, or maybe his arms were bare and folded up against his torso, glinting in the light.

Elodie bit back the giddy feeling and grinned. "Night, Robin Hood."

"G'night, 'Lodie."

EDITED NOTE -- this chapter...sigh, reading it through and editing it made my heart twinge a little. I love them and this new random fluff - but just the symbolism of it all?? Just?? I really might have done something, with this.

Also, at this point yes, they are both head over heels in love and yes, neither of them are willing to accept that and yes, there will STILL be a slow burn despite how close these little stubborn asshats are because YES, I am a sucker for hurting my little babies.

Thank you for reading; let me know what you thought!