As the sun sunk lower and lower into the sky, Elle's eyelids dropped closer and closer to her cheeks

Splashes of pink and orange penetrated the pane and subjugated the room with luminescent light. Snow trickled down from the sky and littered the room with fleeting droplets of shadow. As the sun slowly crawled lower and lower toward the horizon, Elle's eyelids drooped closer and closer to her cheeks. After a few moments, her intake of breath gradually slowed to the calm and constant reverie of sleep.

A sharp and sudden knock on the door echoed through the room and jolted her out of her nap. With the flail of her arms, the broad Constitutional Law textbook that lay on her chest catapulted to the floor with an enormous thunk, proceeded by a chorus of unhappy yips from Bruiser who had been awakened as well. Elle reluctantly rolled on to her side to gain a better look at the clock that rested her bedside table. 6:30. It blinked at her and mocked her laziness. She softly chastised herself for dozing so early, especially with exams looming like a dark cloud in the near future.

"Who is it?" Elle called out.

"It's me." She exhaled in relief. Perhaps now she didn't have to move from the inviting warmth of her bed.

"Well, come in already."

Emmett entered, removed his coat and brushed off the excess snow into the hallway. Elle settled back on top of her bed and shut her eyes. Emmett couldn't help but smirk at the state of her room. Elle lay flat on her back, entirely surrounded by a cluster of textbooks, notebooks, highlighters, and every other school supply imaginable. She opened one eye and glanced at his bemused expression.

"Shut up."

Emmett smiled. "I didn't say anything."

"Yes, but I can hear the snide comment rolling around in your brain."

Elle opened her eyes completely; propped herself up on her elbows and surveyed the dismal condition of her bed and room. She grinned.

"I guess this does look a little ridiculous…" She began pushing all her study materials off her comforter, allowing them to pile up around the sides of her bed and along the floor. She patted the space on the bed beside her.

"Lie down. You're looming and it's making me uncomfortable."

Emmett made his way to her bed, carefully side-stepping Bruiser and the mass of textbooks. Just as he was about to squeeze in beside her, Elle stopped him.

"Wait! Take off your suit jacket." He glanced down at his wardrobe.

"I couldn't live with myself if I allowed it to be covered in dog hair and wrinkles." Elle added with earnest concern.

Emmett rolled his eyes affectionately. He removed his jacket and to Elle's delight, laid it gingerly along the back of her desk chair. Elle beamed as he settled in beside her.

"I've finally begun rubbing off on you, haven't I?" He laughed and tugged out a book that had been digging into his back from underneath the comforter.

"I see I've been rubbing off on you too." Emmett said, tossing the book alongside the others. Elle giggled.

"Thank God for that…"

Emmett felt Elle's arm clasp on to his torso as she struggled to stay atop the now-limited space of her bed. He gently looped his arm under neck and around her shoulders and pulled her away from the edge of the mattress. Emmett spoke after a moment of tranquil silence.

"Do you have plans this evening?"

Elle breathed deeply as if warding off the inevitable onset of extreme stress.

"Yeah, Vivienne, Enid and I have a study group in like an hour." She paused and smirked. "You can totally come if you want."

Emmett scoffed good-naturedly.

"Oh the beauty of graduation, no more studying unless it's absolutely necessary."

Elle hit his stomach lightly.

"You studied with me for four months!"

Emmett cocked his eyebrow and smiled impishly.

"It was all about that bunny suit."

Elle glared in jest.

"Yes, well I'm glad you take enjoyment in one of the most embarrassing moments of life."

"I like to think that night got a little bit better." Emmett said, his fingers absently toying with a strand of her hair. Elle smiled wistfully. Her hold on him tightened as she snuggled closer to his frame.

"So much better."

It was moments like these when Elle didn't miss California. Somehow, tanned bodies, beach parties, and Rodeo Drive all paled in comparison to lying on her bed, listening to hail pelt against her window, wrapped in the arms of the last person she ever expected to be with. The only person she would ever want to be with. This is what it was like. Simple and unpretentious, no false airs or childish attempting. Natural.

She felt Emmett's phone vibrate in his back pocket. He made a move to answer it, but stopped and let it continue to buzz obnoxiously beneath him.

"What if that was important?" Elle asked, craning her neck in the crook of his shoulder to look at him. He shrugged.

"Whatever it is, it can wait."

"What if it was," she lowered her voice in mock respect, "the Boss."

"Elle, do you really dislike him that much? I don't even remember how this little grudge started."

Emmett had been working at Peterson; Cavanaugh & Lovett for nearly a year and to everyone's delight had steadily made a reputation for himself as a formidable talent in the firm.

"It was at that work party, remember? I don't remember the occasion…but anyway, when you introduced me to Mr. Lovett, he gave me that look."

Emmett furrowed his eyebrows and frowned.

"What look?"

"The condescending, I-can't-believe-you're-Elle-Woods look."

Emmett clasped her fingers with his. "I thought you've learned to overcome those looks…"

Elle sighed and pursed her lips tightly. "I guess…it's just that sometimes I start believing them."

Emmett swiftly shifted onto his side and faced her.

"Don't do that." He whispered earnestly. "Once you do that, they can just go ahead and take advantage of you."

Elle sidled up closer to him and linked her arms around his neck.

"That's what I have you for!" she exclaimed.

Emmett smiled broadly. "Yeah, I guess it is."

Elle leaned forward and kissed him deeply. When they parted, Emmett gazed at her and smirked.

"You sure you still I have to go to that study group?"

Elle waved her hand through the air dismissively. "Who needs constitutional law anyway?"

Emmett opened his mouth to speak of what Elle knew would be a serious response to her comment. She quickly cut him off with another kiss.