Eleanor found it ironic that Chidi was so calm while she was racked with indecision. Less than an hour ago, she'd been cool with the proposed compromise. But as the minutes went by, new doubts lodged themselves into her already full brain.
She stopped pacing. Fork, this is hell. Is this what Chidi's mind is like all the time?
Chidi's voice jolted her back to reality. "At least we can still see each other once a month. That's something, right?"
Eleanor nodded absently. Getting that approved had taken two hours of everyone shouting over each, intermittently broken up by Jason's commentary on everything from the Jacksonville Jaguars to Optimus Prime. Even though once a month was better than nothing, the whole situation still sucked. She just wished she could think. There had to be a way to keep them all together. Eleanor glanced at the clock on the wall. Less than two minutes left.
Just then, she noticed Chidi's hand hesitantly inching toward her own. His brows furrowed and he seemed to think better of it, dropping his arm back to his side.
Despite herself, Eleanor smiled. "You can touch my hand, dude. It's okay."
He smiled back, then after a moment, laced his fingers between hers. "Sorry. Fork in the garbage disposal was going a little crazy there for a second."
"I know the feeling."
In the silence that followed, Chidi shook his head as though eradicating an unwanted thought. "I'm sorry it took me so long to figure things out. When I think about what we could've had if I hadn't been so -"
Eleanor shook her head. "It's okay. Promise." And she meant it. She knew who he was and she was okay with that. Considering that it took him hours to pick out a shirt, they were moving at light speed. "I'm just glad I didn't have to start throwin' stuff."
He grinned and rubbed his thumb lazily over hers. "Even though we don't know what this is yet," he said, glancing meaningful at their joined hands, "I want you to know that I'm in this. You and Me."
"Even if we can only see each other once a month?"
"Even if we can only see each other once a month," Chidi said.
Eleanor didn't know anything about long distance inter-dimensional relationships - hell, she didn't know the first thing about relationships - but as they stood in comfortable silence, shirt-eating grins plastered on their faces, she knew she wanted to learn.
Gen came forward, burrito in hand. "Alright cuties, it's time to go."
She and Chidi reluctantly separated, their fingers lingering for a moment before they moved to opposite sides of the room. Even as Eleanor said her goodbyes to Tahani, Jason, Michael, and Janet, her eyes always seemed to find their way back to Chidi. Inevitably, their eyes would meet in the crowd, and he would give her a shy, nerdy smile.
Shirt, Eleanor thought. I'm a total goner.
Before Eleanor knew it, Jason and Tahani were gone. Chidi and Eleanor walked over to one another, meeting at the center of the room. "Ready?"
"No." She pulled him down to her in a swift movement and kissed him with such intensity that Chidi's eyes went wide. After his momentary shock wore off, he pulled her closer. His huge arms engulfed her, as if shielding them both from the world, and lost themselves in a world of their own. It wasn't until Michael cleared his throat for the third time that Eleanor pulled away. She looked up to find Chidi staring at her ravenously through his askew glasses, his lips parted slightly and chest rising and falling rapidly.
Eleanor smirked. "Now I'm ready." Eleanor Shellstrop, she thought. Total. Smokeshow.
Just as Chidi was about to speak, Eleanor blinked and found herself sitting alone in a room she had never seen before.
She looked around frantically until she realized where she was.
Right in front of her, on a plain white wall, was a picture of she and Chidi kissing. It was taken just moments ago and in true Middle Place fashion, the photo was unfocused.
Above the photo was a clock. 30 days.
Eleanor sighed and leaned back into the sofa she was sitting on.
This was going to be hell.