Okay, so this idea just came to me today. It is completely inspired from the song, "Never Stop" by Safetysuit, as I'm guessing you could tell from the title. I absolutely LOVE that song and I think it perfectly encompasses their relationship. So here it is. CORPANGA! :)
Topanga wrapped her hand around the arm of the sofa in an effort to pull herself up. Her feet pushed on the floor and she strained to stand up. She was almost there, but she fell back again.
Hearing her fall against the couch, Cory turned around from the table and saw Topanga sigh, defeated.
He stood up and said, "Do you need some help?"
"No," Topanga insisted, still trying to pull herself up.
Cory went to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stand.
She sighed, irritated. "I could've done that by myself."
"Well, I wanted to help you so it wasn't so hard."
"Just let me try and if I need help, I'll ask," she said, an angry look still on her face.
"Okay," Cory said, putting his hands up in surrender. He turned around and went back to the kitchen. He knew better than to argue with Topanga, especially since she was pregnant.
He sat down at the table and looked back at his books. After a few seconds, he noticed it was strangely quiet. He turned around to see what Topanga was doing, and he saw her just standing in the living room, looking irritated.
"What?" he asked her.
She turned to look at him. "Nothing," she said.
"Then why are you just standing there?"
"Because I want to," she said, shrugging.
Cory sighed and walked over to her. He looked down and saw her ponytail on the ground.
"I am perfectly capable of picking that up by myself, and I'd like to do that now," she insisted.
"Okay, fine. Pick it up then," Cory challenged her, giving her a look.
"Fine," she said, seeming overly confident. She appeared to be thinking for a second, and then she put her foot on the ponytail and curled her toes around it.
Cory, watching her struggle to pick it up, gave her another look.
"Topanga, please, just-"
"I got it!" she interrupted with a smug smile. She bent her knee to lift her foot to her hand and took the ponytail.
He raised his eyebrows. "If you say so, Topanga." He turned around to head back to the kitchen again.
"Cory, I just want you to know that I am completely able to take care of myself, and I don't need anybody to help me," she said.
He turned to look at her. "Topanga, there's nothing wrong with asking for help."
"Only if you need it, and I don't need it."
He just looked at her for a second with a slightly amused smile. "Honey, please. It is literally common knowledge that pregnant women need help with some things. I know you're not part of the average, but you need to accept that sometimes you need help. That's what I'm here for," he said, walking toward her.
"I know. But like you said, I'm not the same as everybody else, and I don't need to be taken care of all the time."
"I never said 'all the time,' Topanga. I said sometimes. You're not embarrassed to ask for help, are you?"
"No, I'm not," she said, shaking her head. "I just would rather do things for myself than have to ask another person to help me. Cory, I'm fine. Just leave it alone."
"Fine," he said. "But you need to be more willing to ask for help. You're only six months pregnant; you've got another three months to go yet. Things are only going to get harder. Eventually, you're going to need to ask for help. And I will be here to help you."
"I know, honey. Thank you. But for now, I'm fine. Okay?"
"Okay," Cory reluctantly agreed.
xxxXXXxxx
That night, Cory was looking at their bills for the month. Papers were scattered all over the table and a calculator sat by his hand.
Topanga came from the hallway and sat down next to him.
"How's it looking?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Not great," he replied, concentrating on writing something.
"Is it worse than last month?"
He looked at her and nodded.
She sighed. "What're we going to do?"
He shook his head. "I don't know. I mean, we already took stuff out of our budget and there's not many more corners to cut."
"We're already so careful," she added. "We never go out to eat or anything."
"I know."
It was quiet for a few moments except for the rustle of papers.
"Maybe I should try to get my job back," Topanga suggested.
"No," Cory said immediately, shaking his head. "They would work you like crazy again and you would be more stressed about it than you were before. You needed to quit. You can't put that kind of stress on yourself or the baby. You're supposed to be trying to stay relaxed."
"Well I need to do something," she said. "I can't just sit here and watch you work constantly just to keep a roof over our heads."
"Topanga, you're not going back to work right now. We'll figure something out."
"Like what? You just said there's no more corners to cut," she demanded.
"Look, I don't know, okay? But we need to figure something else out because you can't go back to work. The doctor said it's important to be as relaxed as you can. You've already got enough stress on you with school."
"Cory, I need to do something. I'm not even contributing anything and it's obvious that we need it. I'll just find a little job somewhere for a few hours a week."
"There," Cory said.
"What?"
"I figured it out."
"How?"
"I'll just walk to class. I won't take the subway anymore. That saves a ton of money."
"What about when it's cold?" she asked.
"It's not going to be that cold. We're at the end of the school year."
She sighed. "Cory, I don't want you to have to go through all of this just so I don't have to get a job."
"I'm just following the doctor's orders. I will be fine. Don't worry about that. Okay? So there. Everything's okay. We're good for this month," he said with a small smile, trying to reassure her.
"And what about next month?"
"We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. But for right now, we're good."
She sighed and put her head in her hands
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I can't stand having you do all this while I do nothing," she said, closing her eyes.
"Topanga, stop. It is my job to protect you and to take care of you, okay? And the baby. And that's what I'm going to do. I would do anything to take care of you. Walking to school instead of taking the subway is hardly a huge sacrifice. It's fine."
"It's not just that- it's everything!" she said, feeling tears come to her eyes. "And, UGH, I can't ever stop with the hormones and it's driving me insane!"
"What's going on?" he asked, really confused.
"Cory, all that happens around here anymore is that I get into some situation and then you help me out of it. That's it. I never take any responsibility for myself anymore! You are always there and you're always taking care of me and I feel so horrible for making you do all these things."
"Why would you ever feel horrible about that? It's not like you're just an inconvenience, Topanga. I do those things because I love you and I want to take care of you."
"I know," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "But I'm just a walking baby-grower and you're doing everything."
"What?" His eyes crinkled and confusion flooded his face.
"Cory, look at me!" she said, holding her arms out. "I contribute nothing. I can't have a job, all I do is school, I look like an old man with a beer belly, I can't even do simple things by myself anymore, and I always have to have you come to my rescue. I just feel like I'm dragging you down."
He shook his head.
"The least you could do for yourself is just be with somebody you don't have to rescue all the time," she said.
"Topanga, don't you understand that this is temporary?" he asked her.
"What?"
"You not being able to do things. And- by the way- you do not look like an old guy with a beer belly. I would not have married an old guy with a beer belly."
"Yes, I do, Cory," she said, looking down at her stomach. "I'm big and clumsy and I gained so much weight that I can't even reach my feet to paint my toenails. I gave up on doing my hair and makeup because it takes too much time and my feet hurt if I stand for too long. I look horrible, Cory."
"Stop it," he said, shaking his head at her. "I don't care about those things. Have I ever cared if you wore makeup or painted your nails? Topanga, you're beautiful. And every time I see you, you take a little bit of my breath away, because I remember that I'm lucky enough to have you. I can't help just watching you do simple things, because you're so beautiful."
Tears poured down Topanga's face and she was nearly sobbing.
"And I don't care if I have to walk to the moon, because I'd do anything for you, Topanga. Nothing you could ever do could make me not want to be with you. I don't even deserve to have you- do you understand that? You are so amazing that no guy could ever deserve to have you. I was just lucky. I will never stop being there for you. Absolutely never. Even on your worst day, I would still choose you, no contest. Do you understand that?"
"What about when all I do is make you work hard to support us, Cory? What about when we have no money? You're going to end up hating me because I don't help at all."
"Topanga, I could never hate you. I love you so much, and I could never be happy without you in my life. This is temporary, Topanga. You've only got three more months of this, and then it's done. And then we get to have our baby. That's all you have left. Three months of this. But I will never stop loving you. Nine months is such a short time compared to forever, you know?"
"I know, but just right now, I feel like I'm not enough for you, Cory. I feel like you need more from me and I have nothing else to give," she said, still crying.
"Not enough?" he asked incredulously. "Topanga, please, don't ever say that. You are the only person who is enough for me. You are the only person in the world. And a million things might change in our lives, but that is the one thing that won't. It never has and it never will. Now do you see? Can you see why this makes no sense to me? Can you see why I'm always there?"
Topanga gave him a small nod.
He sighed with relief. "We're going to be okay. I promise. Don't feel bad that you're having our baby, because you are the one giving me my family, Topanga. Don't feel bad about yourself. Okay?"
She nodded again. "Thank you," she whispered. She leaned forward and kissed him softly.
"Do you see?" he asked.
"What?"
"Give me your hand," he said, holding his out.
She put her hand in his and he placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart beating.
"Now kiss me again," he said.
She kissed him and felt his heart beat faster. She leaned back and looked at him curiously.
"That still happens every time," he said.
She felt tears rolling down her cheeks again, but this time from happiness.
He smiled at her. "It will never stop."
ALRIGHT, what did you think?! Corpanga feels?! I just love them so much I could cry. I hope you enjoyed the story! PLEASE leave a review!
Stay awesome!