—chapter twenty-two.

  ❛ tis the season to... ❜  

IT TOOK ELODIE FIVE DAYS TO GET back onto her feet. Properly, that time.

It wasn't easy; a part of her just wanted to jump right back into life and push all her pain away. But while that answer would be simpler in the short run, she knew for a fact that long-term would break her completely. So, she took off work and stayed at home. Ordered in food and watched all the crappy television shows she missed out on. Some of them ended up being more enjoyable than the others, and some she turned off with a cackle after realising none other than Diego's sister was playing the lead.

Elodie still watched them, obviously, but when he wasn't around. She couldn't afford buying another television.

Charlie visited her once. That had been unexpected, but in a nice way. He brought her over a casserole that his girlfriend had made her and gave her a long hug, promising that whatever was going on would change, that life would get better. And while she knew he might not play that same tune if he did know, Elodie believed him anyways.

But Diego was there for almost all of it. Aside from work, he was there. She marveled at how eager he was to be around her, but even if she felt insecure about him having to help her, it did feel nice. Made her wish he could be there forever, holding her on her ratty couch, a pizza box on the table and either Forensic Files or whatever else was on that could hold either of their attentions. She liked having him pressing soft kisses into her hair, or mutter on about how 'he could have fixed that guy's problem in fifteen minutes' with complete seriousness. Elodie didn't feel so paranoid about falling asleep, finding it easier to combat the nightmares knowing he was there beside her. It didn't fix everything, but it did help.

And a part of her wondered if it was okay, to want such comfort forever.

But of course, love and comfort could not solve every problem; Elodie knew that well. The quickly-incoming future sat heavy on her shoulders and most of her undistracted time was spent contemplating what happened next. She knew that she wouldn't feel safe having Ellis alone; Grandmother was growing weaker, and she wouldn't have the same determined nature to push her own son away. Which meant that Ellis needed a new home.

While Elodie was hesitant to bring him into her life, she knew it was necessary. No one would be better for him and while he was her little brother, a part of her felt like a second mother -- like he was her own kid, vulnerable and unprotected from any vicious attackers. She wouldn't be able to live if they were apart when he got out. And, perhaps she could make it work, that time around.

"I know you're scared," Diego had said, rubbing his thumb in gentle circles against her skin, "but you and I both know, you're good for him. And that he can't be stuck without options."

Elodie had nodded, smiling sadly. "I don't want him to have the life I had, or that you had. He deserves a good life even if he got born into a shitty start. I want to make sure he has the greatest future he could hope for."

"See? Look at that. Good n'motherly, already."

She had laughed at that, at the time. But as time went on, the joke became more of a serious thought and she wondered if she was actually going to have to fulfill that role for him. And, if she even could.

On the sixth day, Elodie returned to her real world. She took shifts again at the bar and bookstore -- not at the steady stream as before, but still eagerly powering away. At first it was hard to feel normal, and she startled easier and struggled to hold her nerves in. But over a week, she got more comfortable and smiled more genuinely -- even cracking jokes when she could with customers she would normally snarl at. She put away most of the money and spent several hours planning out her next steps, then explaining to Grandmother the steps she had written out. It took her forever to accept, but in the end, she finally gave in.

And finally, her life began to get a little better.

Elodie raked her hair back into another ponytail. It was hot as hell, in the bar, the heat cranked up to care for the patrons shivering away after the winter storm out there. Unfortunately for the employees, who were not so fortunate to get that winter breeze, it was miserable and they were sweating more than they thought even possible. And it especially sucked for the human furnace that was Miss Elodie Verbeck, who felt like every single ounce of hydration in her body was being sucked out and evaporating right out into the air.

Her only salvation came at ten o'clock, when the little bell above the door rang and in swaggered the man of the hour. He, of course, was dressed in his usual black getup and coated in snow, looking like he had hit the brunt of the blizzard outside. And yet still he managed a smile and even a wink at his girlfriend as he swung into a seat.

"You gotta be freezing," she chided, leaning over to brush the snow from his shoulder. She lingered on the fabric, just enough to let the skin warm up, running her hands down his arms to offer some relief. "What did I say about a coat?"

"I cannot wear a coat."

"Why not?"

"Too bulky," he snorted.

"Too bulky?! Boy, when you get hypothermia out there, or whatever it is - frostbite, pneumonia and die, then--"

"--you better give a nice speech at my funeral," was all Diego said back, still smiling and with another insufferable wink. He accepted the drink slid down to him and gulped it down eagerly. After being done, he coughed and chuckled. "I wonder if the family would show up to that fiesta."

Elodie flicked his forehead and turned away from him to hide her Cheshire Cat grin. "You're hopeless, you know that Robin Hood?"

"Ah, but you love me."

"Unfortunately," she grumbled, all at the other end of the bar. She ignored Charlie's smirk and snide comment (offered like she really needed his cheeky thoughts) and handed over the next glass. She took her time heading back over to Diego, handing off spare change and a couple drinks to waiting customers with the languidly of a cat. She knew he was watching, but still she refused to acknowledge his sharp gaze for several long moments.

Finally, she looked over, lips tugging up at his pretty face. "Was it busy, tonight? Out there?"

Diego scoffed. "It's hell out there. You see that snow? S'not the type of weather you wanna be an asshole in."

"Aw, no deep-shit conspiracies running during this pre-Christmas time? What a pity. I was hoping you'd get to pull a Die-Hard, and--" Elodie froze, turning to cock her head at Diego. "You haven't seen Die Hard. Have you?"

"Uh..."

"Are you serious?!"

"Baby, does it look like I have all the time in the world?"

An older man, passing behind the both of them, chuckled and slapped at the counter top. "We all got time for Die Hard, boy."

Elodie jabbed over to the man, chortling at Diego's pissy expression. "See? We all know that Die Hard is a necessity in the world we live in! I cannot believe I'm with a man who hasn't seen it!"

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "I get it, I get it. I have to see Die Hard."

"Well, you better not have any plans tonight, Robin Hood, because there's no way you can go through life without seeing like, the only good Christmas movie."

Diego propped himself up on the counter, leaning in closer to smirk, "didn't think you were such a movie con-con-shit, I dunno the word- nerd, I guess."

"Okay, just because I've watched a couple of the world's best movies, does not mean I'm a nerd! I just have taste."

"Right," he smiled, then lowering his tone just to hiss a single, teasing word, "nerd."

Elodie slapped his frosty arm with the towel and huffed, only earning her yet another smirk. "Shut up."

"Ne-erd."

"Stop, I swear--"

--Diego easily batted away her arms and danced away, laughing like there was never any problems in the world. They were acting like children and Charlie reprimanded Elodie so, but it was teasing and the pair was sweet, earning the chuckles from other patrons nearby. A cry of 'young folks, right?' rang from someone, she could not say who, and her cheeks flushed a bright, happy red.

There was an innocence between them, despite who they were and what they had gone through and what they had done. Maybe it was the fairy tale feeling of a first true love, the feeling of falling and the desire to cling to that honeymoon phase. Like nothing could actually hurt them if they held on tight. Neither had thought, before all this that they could have a real kind of happiness, and both were too eager to sink their teeth into it and never let go to realise how fast they were careening towards the edge of a cliff. But despite the dangers of reckless love, they smiled and laughed and held on anyways.

And they were happy.

ELODIE SNUGGLED CLOSER TO HIM, eyes dipping low as she struggled to continue to watch. But over time, in mere minutes, she closed her eyes again and was drifting off to sleep, even through the guttural shouts and gunfire.

Diego chuckled and wrapped his arms a little tighter to him. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, pulling back just a tad so he could then rest his chin on her own head.

Truth be told, he hadn't been paying much attention to the movie. He tried, but it was difficult to think about whatever was happening when she was in his arms, rambling on about 'badass-ery' and how 'every single corporation is like their die hard, and (they) needed to be the john mcclane's for the entire world'. She laughed and wriggled and cuddled into his arms with childlike eagerness that melted his heart right in his chest, leaving a puddle where he should have been.

Diego never thought he could really have that sort of thing. Sure, he had relationships before, but they were messy and harder and he never felt totally himself in them. He never cared so much about the little things -- he followed the plan he thought relationships were meant to follow and damned himself when they failed, Spending the night at his girlfriend's house, watching a movie as she falls asleep on his lap wasn't ever something he considered, but he fell in love with it almost as hard as he had Elodie.

Sure, their relationship was not typical, but dammit, nothing was for people like him. He didn't care. He had pictured a life of stopping crimes and janitorial work forever, sleeping in the back of a boxing gym for the rest of however long he managed to last. Not the idea of being genuinely happy more often that not, getting excited to see someone, being around them and getting the chance to know he wasn't alone. Especially with someone Elodie, an angel in his eyes - someone who constantly put others first, who cared too much and still let him be there with her. Letting him love her.

His eyes drifted back down to her again, staring at her shut eyes and parted lips. "Damn, I love you," he whispered. "So much."

She moaned softly, nestling further into his arms, searching for possible warmth. He shivered at her fiery touch cascading down his arms, but still welcomed it, meaning he could hold her even tighter.

"You know, one day?" he said, still to only himself. He smiled slightly, "one day, I'm...I'm gonna marry you. Dunno how, but I will. Maybe...we'll have a wedding. Invite your brother, your weird friends from the bar, my s-siblings...it'll be a whole goddamn party. You'll...you'll look so p-pretty, baby..."

Diego sighed, shifting his head down to rest more on the couch cushion. "You're always pretty. I'm so lucky, 'Lodie, to h-h-have you. And one day..."

He went on and on, stuttering harsh, passionate whispers to no one but himself -- just him and the echoes of her tiny apartment. The television ranted on in the distance but it was only white noise as he got lost in that fleeting idea, speaking all his wistful dreams into existence like somehow, that would make them come true. He had no clue that anyone else could be listening, especially not the presumed sleeping figure in his arms.

Elodie kept her eyes shut and breathing level, but she could not hide the small smile building on her face. At least her head was halfway buried in the comforter thrown over their bodies, but still, her cheeks heated and giddiness spread to show on her otherwise neutral expression. Not that she would say a thing. No, she would rather listen to his soft, loving rambles that he believed were only for himself, and just revel in the luckiness of being in love.

That December night, despite the torrents of ice and snow and shouts and grumbles from the outside world, inside Elodie's small little apartment, the two were happy. Content and blissful in one another's presence, they slept through the night, wrapped in one another's arms in hopes that they would never have to part.

This is so cheesy. Reading this through, compared to part two + the sequel...like just damn. Next chapter'll be the last part to part one, hope you'd hyped.

I hope you enjoyed, let me know what you thought.