Fifth Wheel

by angellwings

A/N: Originally I was going to make this a two-shot, and I still might. But for now I'm just going to post this part. You guys let me know if you want a second part. ;)

Nate desperately tried to remember how he got to this moment. How had he become a fifth wheel? He'd never intended to come on this so called date. But he'd stumbled across the four of them while picking up his take out lunch order and Ella had latched onto him. She'd practically pulled him into the empty seat next to her. He'd quirked an eyebrow at her and introduced himself to Ella's escort for the evening.

The minute "Drew" began to chat with Shane, Ella turned to Nate.

"Help me," She told him urgently.

He smirked. "With what?"

"Don't leave me alone with this guy. He's a big dull dud. I can't take it."

"Then leave," Nate said with quiet amusement.

"I can't. Mitchie made me promise not to ditch this one," Ella huffed in a whisper.

"Why on Earth did you agree to that? Her set ups are notoriously bad. I'd think you'd remember that after the last time."

Ella sighed. "She said this one would be different."

"And you believed her?" Nate asked in shock.

"She's Mitchie. She's very easy to believe."

"Well, what do you want me to do? Awkwardly hang around and crash your date?" Nate scoffed.

"Please?" Ella asked with a pout.

He sighed and shook his head. "No."

"Nate…" She whined.

"Ella—"

He cut himself off when he saw her large eyes blinking at him and her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. He groaned and nodded.

"Fine."

She smiled brightly and clapped. "Yay!"

"But next time, don't agree to one of Mitchie's insane blind dates, okay?"

She smiled and saluted him. "Sir, yes, sir."

And he'd been at the table ever since. Mitchie and Shane were tossing him strange looks as if to ask him why he was still hanging around, and Drew appeared to be boring Ella to death with a story that had something to do with Brazil nuts. Nate tried to keep from laughing as Ella's eyes fluttered closed and she drifted off to sleep for a split second. Her head popped off of the hand she had rested it on and she suddenly sat up straight as if she'd been paying attention all along.

Nate thought he should probably interrupt.

"So, Drew," Nate said loudly as he cleared his throat. "What do you do?"

Drew gave him a strange look. "I'm sorry? What do you mean?"

"Do you work? Go to college? What do you do?"

"Oh," He said. "I'm currently finishing up my undergrad for pre-med."

"Pre-med," Nate said with a nod. "Impressive. So then I suppose you plan to go on to med school?"

"I haven't really decided. Sometimes I think I want to be a doctor then I think I might want to be a dentist or—"

"A dentist," Nate said as he flashed Ella a secretive grin. For some reason picturing Ella dating a dentist amused him greatly. It was just strange to think of Ella, exciting and energetic Ella, with someone who had such a stable and boring career. It would be perfect for some girls, but he'd never pictured that for Ella. "That sounds…interesting."

"You know, it actually is. You'd be amazed at how many phenomenal things happen inside the human mouth…"

"Speaking of the human mouth," Shane said urgently. The last thing he wanted to hear was disturbing trivia about mouths. "Why don't we order?"

Ella shook her head and gave Nate a tired look. His chest shook with light silent laughter, and Ella's tired look turned into a glare. Nate shrugged and smirked. He couldn't help but laugh. This situation was just hilarious to him.

"Ella," Drew said suddenly. Ella tore her gaze away from Nate and smiled politely at Drew.

"Yes?"

"Mitchie told me you're into fashion."

Ella quirked an eyebrow at Mitchie and Shane and Nate winced.

Mitchie laughed nervously. "No, no. Drew, I said she's a designer. Fashion and costumes."

Ella nodded in approval of Mitchie's words, but the whole table tensed once again when Drew spoke up.

"Same difference."

"Same difference?" Ella asked with a heated edge to her voice.

"Oh boy," Nate said as he cleared his throat and looked away.

"Same difference?" Ella repeated in a louder tone.

"See," Shane said as he leaned toward Mitchie. "This is why I told you to stop with all the matchmaking. It never works out."

"You want to be a dentist right, Drew?" Ella asked. When he nodded she continued. "So what if I called what you do…oh I don't know…teeth tinkering. Yeah, what if I said 'I hear you like to tinker with teeth.' Would you like that, Drew?"

"Teeth tinkering? Clearly you have no grasp on what dentistry is—"

"Exactly," Ella said with a huff. "And you have no grasp on what I do. Don't make it sound like it's merely hobby. That's insulting."

"I see, so then fashion is truly your career?" He asked in a condescending tone. "You don't plan on doing anything else? Something a little more attainable?"

Nate threw his own glare at Drew. "I don't like what you're implying. Ella's worked hard to get where she is now, and she's already been plenty successful so I'd say her career has already been 'attained'. You, on the other hand, have a long way to go and until then I'd appreciate it if you not criticize those of us who already have a career. Understood?"

Ella beamed at Nate and then gave Drew a pointed look and waited for his response.

"You know what," Drew said as he suddenly stood from the table. "I don't think this date's gonna work out. Thanks, Mitchie, but no thanks."

Mitchie shrugged. "You weren't quite the guy I thought you were anyway. It turns out that Ella's out of your league."

Drew let out an angry grunt before storming out of the restaurant. Mitchie quickly turned to Ella. "El, I am so sorry. He seemed so nice. I just thought—"

"It's okay, Mitchie, really. I kind of expected this date to go badly," Ella smirked.

"What? Why?"

"Because you're the one that set it up," Ella told her with a teasing smile. "I love you, but you're a horrible matchmaker."

Mitchie sighed. "I know. I just keep thinking the more I try the more likely I am to get one right."

Shane rolled his eyes. "Mitch, if you keep setting people up on bad dates you'll have no one left to set up."

Mitchie shoved Shane's shoulder and glared at him playfully. Ella turned to Nate and smiled brightly at him.

"Thanks," She said softly.

"For?" He asked.

"Defending me to that creep."

Nate shrugged. "I didn't like his tone. You don't deserve to be talked down to like that."

Ella smiled softly at him before leaning forward and placing a slow kiss on his cheek. "You're very sweet, Nate."

He gulped nervously and flashed her a small grin. Ella bit back a chuckle as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. She cleared her throat. "Are you…blushing?"

His grin fell and he ran a hand through his curls. "No, of course not."

She laughed lightly. "Right, what was I thinking?"