A/N: Takes place directly after Course Listing Unavailable. Still trying to decide if I want to go anywhere with this, or just leave it as is. Feedback on that (or, whatever you feel the need to leave feedback about) would be lovely.
In the faint glow cast by the streetlight, she seems almost angelic.
Or, perhaps it's the way she looks so calm, muscles relaxed as she snores softly in the passenger's seat, which gives her the angel like quality.
Either way, it takes Troy a full fifteen minutes before he remembers that he's only stopped at a stop sign, and should keep driving. It's already starting to get light out, and he's so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. He needs to get her home safely, and then get back to his apartment to sleep.
Yet something stops him from moving. He studies the woman in the seat next to him. He watches the way her chest raises and falls, the way her slightly reddened lips fall open with each exhale, the way her eyelids flutter, and his foot is paralyzed on the brake.
If he moves it, he'll take her home. He'll drive the last few blocks back to her apartment, wake her up, walk her to her door and say goodbye. They'll both hesitate, waiting for the other to make the final move and lean in for a kiss, and then they'll both nod and walk away. Just like always. Maybe he'll see her soon, maybe not. Now that they're not going back to Greendale…
Another five minutes pass, and Troy can see that the sky is beginning to turn red. He imagines that if there weren't so many buildings in the way, he could see the sunrise off to the left. Or is it the right? He can't remember if the sun rises in the East or the West. He takes another five minutes to think about it, stalling for more time with her.
And then it hits him. He has all the time in the world. He just spent five minutes trying to remember where the sun rises, because he doesn't need to do anything else. He has all the time in the world, and if he wants to, he can spend it all with her.
If she wants to spend her time with him.
If she does, he thinks, they could do anything. There's nothing holding them back, nothing keeping them in Greendale. They could hop on a plane, fly to Paris, or London, or somewhere exotic. Or they could just drive to Boulder and appreciate being in the city for awhile. He could take them to New York, she always talks about New York.
So it's decided then. Troy reaches across the console, grasping her shoulder and shaking gently.
"Britta," he says softly, "Britta, wake up."
Britta whines, swatting his hand away, and he shakes her a little harder. Somehow he's grinning, his excitement getting the better of him before she's even said yes.
"Britta, c'mon."
Finally her eyes flutter open, and she peers blearily at him from beneath heavy lids.
"Are we at my apartment?"
"No."
Britta frowns, closing her eyes and resting her cheek against the cool glass of the window.
"Then I'm going back to sleep."
Troy sighs,
"Britta, no. I just need to ask you something."
"What?"
"Run away with me."
Britta's eyes open again and she sits up properly in her seat.
"That's not a question."
"Will you run away with me?"
"To where?"
"I don't know. Do you trust me?"
She pauses a moment, trying to wrap her head around the situation. Troy's smile falters as it occurs to him for the first time that she might say no- that she really should say no. She has no idea where they're even going (neither does he), she's half asleep, and-
"Yes."
He stares in surprise, turning the word over in his mind.
"Yes."
He repeats it back, and watches as a small smile to match his own appears on her lips.
"Yes I trust you, and yes I'll run away with you."
There's no time for discussion. He moves his foot onto the gas pedal, gets them halfway through the intersection, and then stops suddenly. Britta jumps, startled.
"What are you-"
"Forgot something."
Without hesitation, he leans over and presses his lips to hers, feeling them part and press back. When he pulls back they're both grinning. Wordlessly, he turns left, driving towards the sunrise.