A/N Hello! My thirtieth fic, AH! And you wondered why I got all freaked out before? Anyway, I hope you like it, it's pure roomie fluff! It's set in an A/U where there is no Gallant, i.e. the perfect universe for a good bit of Reela-ness!
Oh, and I have to recommend the film as well, it is great (and tear bringing, it was the first film I ever cried at) as is it's soundtrack -it really is so catchy! And I don't own it, or it's title!
Kal Ho Na Ho (If Tomorrow Never Comes)
"Damn pots, what exactly is the point in putting them up here?" Neela muttered to herself, stretching up on her tip toes. She really didn't want to have to get a chair to get one stupid pot down.
"Hey Roomie, want me to get that for you?" She spun round and saw Ray standing in the door way.
"You're meant to be practising. California, remember!"
He looked at the ground and bit his lip. "They kicked me out."
"What?" She knew her mouth was wide open, but she didn't care. He had to be joking. But from the way he was standing, it seemed like he wasn't.
"They said they needed someone who would put the band first. That I was too preoccupied being a doctor." He thought it best not to add that they'd also said he spent more time with Neela than rehearsing. That happened to be true, but he couldn't help it if he had a nice time with his room-mate.
"Preoccupied? Just because you have a meaningful job that takes up a lot of time they say you're..." she trailed off when she saw the look on his face. "Sorry, I guess you're already thinking all that."
He shrugged, "Sorta."
She sighed, "Ok, I was going to make myself pasta, but seeing as these pots are being so unhelpful."
"Your pots are usually helpful?" Ray asked with a smirk.
"Shut up. Anyway, I think we should get take out. You can get it."
"Hey, I'm wounded, why do I have to get it?"
"Because I have to find something special in my room," Neela replied cryptically.
On his way back from the Chinese Ray couldn't help his feet from dragging. All he really wanted to do was go into his room and play music really loud. He didn't know what Neela was trying to find, but he was pretty sure he wouldn't be in the mood for it. He was still in shock; no more practises, no more gigs, no more California. Shit, what was he going to tell Weaver? He had apparently already resigned. Great, just great. Why was his life just one mess after another?
"Hey, Neela, I think I just want to go to bed tonight. I'm not really in the mood for anything," he said, as he got in. He shrugged off his coat and put the take out on the kitchen side. "Neela?"
She came out of her room, holding a dvd out triumphantly. "No way are you backing out of this now. You don't understand the work I had to do to find this!"
He sighed, "Neela, I really don't..."
She raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me, is anyone asking you? No. I am telling you, you're going to watch this film, cry your eyes out, then tomorrow you can get over it."
"Cry my eyes out?" he asked with a smirk. "I don't cry at films. Or ever really."
"You'll cry at this one," Neela said, assuredly.
"No, I won't."
"Wanna bet on it?"
He folded his arms, "Yeah. Alright. Winning some money should cheer me up, since I have no job now. How much?"
She shook her head, "No, I would feel mean taking money off you in this state. How about if you cry, you have to clean the apartment for a month?"
"And if I don't?"
"I'll clean it."
"You already do clean it," he said, laughing.
"Yes, well, I'll throw in the next round of groceries then."
"Oh, daring."
"I know you'll cry. It is impossible not to cry at this film," she said, smugly.
"What is it anyway?" he asked, taking the take out into the lounge.
"Kal Ho Na Ho," Neela said.
"What?"
"It's an Indian film, it translates to "If Tomorrow Never Comes,"
"So, I have to watch this on subtitles?"
She nodded, "All my friends loved it, even on subtitles. It's one of my favourite films. And it's the saddest film ever."
He laughed, "Sure."
Neela sat next to him on the couch. "From the intermission onwards you'll be bawling your eyes out."
"There's an intermission? How long is this film?"
"Three hours," she replied, sheepishly. "Ish. Enjoy." She hit the play button.
As the credits rolled Ray was forced to admit defeat. He hadn't cried from the intermission on, but he had cried. He grabbed a tissue and scrubbed at his face.
Neela had "I told you so" painted all over her face.
"Ok, ok, you were right," he said, throwing the tissue into the bin. "Way to kick a guy when he's down. That was meant to cheer me up?"
"No. It was your night of wallowing, you're allowed one night. And it was meant to show you that compared to them, your problems are nothing."
"Well, not nothing. No job, no band, no girlfriend, and I have now got to clean this apartment for a month."
"It was your idea to bet on it."
"I didn't think it was going to be that sad!" But he was forced to smile at her look. "Well, I'm going to go to bed, and hope that tomorrow never does come."
"Aw, don't be so cheesy. You'll be fine. Just tell Weaver, or do you want me to, I'm on tomorrow?"
"No, I can do it."
"Alright," she said, grinning as he retreated to his room. He looked so sad, but she knew he would be fine soon. There wasn't anything that would keep Ray Barnett from cracking jokes for long. She decided to get to bed as well, she had a shift tomorrow.
After one of her worst ever shifts she opened the door to a grinning Ray. "Hey, Neela guess what I..."
"Not now, Ray," she said, cutting him off. "I have to have a shower and get gunk off me. Then I'm all yours."
He raised his eyebrows suggestively, "All mine?"
She rolled her eyes and went to the shower. She should have known it wouldn't even take 24 hours for him to recover.
45 minutes later she joined him in the lounge, wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants. Her hair was still wet, and was a little curly. Ray couldn't help smiling. She looked... good. He shook his head. No, this was Neela, he wasn't meant to have such thoughts about her.
"So, what did you do then?"
"Huh?" he asked, trying to get certain images out of his head.
"You said "hey Neela, guess what I..." I'm assuming you've done something."
"Oh! Yeah. I got the soundtrack to that film."
"Really?"
"The songs were really catchy," he said, a grin on his face.
Neela shook her head, "I never figured you for... that kind of music."
He shrugged, "I just wanted to get it." Then he added, "It's catchy."
"Stick it on then."
As the first song started Neela smiled, "Doesn't it just make you want to cry again?"
"Shut up," he said, skipping that track. "Oh, Pretty Woman, Indian style."
Neela grinned, "You going to dance with me then?"
"I don't dance."
"Come on, all you have to do is jump up and down. You said yourself, it's catchy!"
Ray leaned against the wall, a smile on his face, watching as Neela bounced up and down. This surely wasn't the same person who was usually so reserved. He watched her moving her hips and hands, sure she had said just "jump up and down" but she wasn't. She was dancing, and it was... hot. She was singing along, and grinning. It was a completely different Neela, he liked the old one, but this side of her was even better.
Neela loved dancing, she didn't really care if she looked like an idiot, it was only Ray. Of course she didn't know that he wasn't thinking that at all. She grinned at him and held out her hand, "Come on! You're letting it go to waste!"
He sighed and took her hand, "I can't dance you know."
"You're in a band!"
"Doesn't mean I can dance."
"Fine," she said, "Just follow my lead."
They spent the next half hour jumping around the apartment to "Pretty Woman" "It's The Time To Disco" and "The Wedding Song", as Neela tried to teach Ray some moves. It wasn't to much avail, he only just got the jumping part when he tripped over and fell to the floor -dragging her with him.
"Oops, I'm sorry!" he said, breathing heavily.
"That's alright, maybe we should stop now though." She got up and sat on the couch, letting out a sigh. "Wow, I need to do some exercise, I'm completely out of breath."
"We should do that at least once a day, that's a good work out," Ray said, laughing.
"The neighbours would probably complain."
"They could join in, we could start a class."
Neela raised her eyebrows, "Right, that's going to happen."
"You're a good teacher," he said, smiling.
She smiled, and tried not to look too closely at him. He was breathing hard, and was smiling that smile. Why was his smile so damn cute?
He leaned closer to her and she held her breath. This wasn't real. Some mystical power was taking hold of her, or she was dreaming. Something. This wasn't happening. Then as his lips touched hers she realised it was real.
He didn't know what had possessed him to kiss her, but when he felt her kissing him back he realised how right he had been. This was what he had wanted to do for so long, and it felt so good. He pulled away and smiled at her. "Hey Roomie."
"Hi," she said, blinking.
"You mind if I kiss you again?"
"Um," she said, pretending to think about it. "No, I don't mind."
The next day as Ray went out of the ER he passed Neela in the ambulance bay. "Hey Roomie."
She blushed, at the memories of last night. "Hi Ray. So, have you still got a job?"
He laughed, remembering the scene with Weaver. "I persuaded her to let me come back. Well... I sort of denied all knowledge of our previous conversation. That's kind of like persuading right?"
She grinned, "Yeah, of course. Well, I better go. I'll see you tonight?"
"You can bet on it."
She turned to the doors, smiling. She met Abby at the door who looked worn out. "Hey Neela, how was your night?"
"Oh... it was good."
"Hey Neela," Ray called, she turned to see him. He grinned, "It's the time to disco, baby!"
Abby raised her eyebrows as a grinning Neela walked into the ER.