A.N. So I decided that this story is going to greatly differ from canon. The biggest change is that there's going to be a gap before Brooke's trial.
Elle had said she was going to go to sleep, but before she knew it, she was wrapped up in a conversation with Emmett. She didn't even remember how it had gotten started, but somehow she was sitting across from with her legs crisscrossed talking passionately about the logistics of coordinating makeup with an outfit.
"Men just don't understand," she huffed after the millionth time Emmett had rolled his eyes.
"I don't, Elle," Emmett admitted, "I don't get how eyeliner can affect the rest of the outfit."
"I told you," she sighed, "It has to do with color theory. Ask any art student, the slightest change in color can affect an entire piece."
"Okay, but eyeliner though, it's just a small line-"
"Okay, if you don't understand the effect of eyeliner, I can't even have this conversation with you."
"Sorry, I should have known to do my reading before I had a conversation with you," he grinned.
"You're making fun of me."
"I'm not!"
"You so are," she sulked as she crossed her arms and turned away from him slightly. Emmett could see the frown take over her face again. They had been smiling so much for the last few hours that he had almost forgotten the circumstances behind their sleepover. He could almost physically see the memories from earlier reenter Elle's mind.
"I swear, Elle," Emmett said sincerely as he instinctively reached for her hand, "I'm not making fun of you."
"Never mind," she said as she shook her head, "It was a stupid conversation to start. There aren't even a lot of girls who care about stuff like this, let alone a guy like you."
"And what kind of guy am I?"
"A really masculine one," she continued.
"Thank you?" Emmett said.
"It's not a bad thing," Elle said with a small laugh, "It's just a fact."
They two sat in silence for a while, not really knowing what to talk about now. They normally talked about anything and everything, but it dawned on them that one of them wasn't always educated on the topic. They enjoyed their conversations, but Emmett didn't know fashion and Elle didn't know… well, anything really masculine.
"If I ask something, will you be offended?" Elle asked slowly.
"No," Emmett replied immediately.
"I don't get why we're friends," Elle said, "We don't really have anything in common."
In truth, it was something Emmett himself had wondered before. Sometimes when he went with her shopping, or she educated him on her ever growing makeup collection, he wondered just how they had become to close so fast. He was sure it went both ways, Emmett talked a lot about baseball and law, which he was sure Elle didn't care about. But somehow, she always seemed completely invested in a conversation, no matter what it was about.
"Come here," Emmett said as he gestured back to where Elle had been sitting next to him before, "come on, I'm not going to bite you."
Elle slowly made her way back to the edge of the bed and looked at Emmett. She knew it was only because of what happened tonight that she was questioning her friendship with Emmett. But honestly, someone she trusted had only wanted to fuck her, and Elle just needed to know there was no one else like that in her life. When she made eye contact with Emmett, there was something in his eyes she hadn't seen before. It was more than sincerity, but she just couldn't place it.
"I can tell what you're thinking, Elle," Emmett commented.
"Oh?" Elle asked. She really hoped not. Emmett was her best friend, and she really didn't want him knowing about her insecurities.
"You wear your heart on you sleeve," he said with amusement, "It's something I love about you. I always know what you're thinking."
"Where is this going?" Elle asked.
"Elle, look at me," he said as he impulsively brushed his hand against her jaw to make her turn her head back, "I'm not Callahan, okay."
As Elle took a moment to process his words, Emmett was silently freaking out. Mentioning Callahan was a risk, but it needed to be said. Elle really was like an open book, and he could clearly see how Callahan's betrayal had started to make her question every relationship she had. To be honest, it kind of hurt that Elle was even thinking he only wanted her physically. Yes, Emmett was in love with her, and yes, someday he would like to sleep with her. But he didn't love her just because she was pretty. She was smart, and funny, and brave, and kind, and a million other things that made him fall in love. Of course, if he had said any of that, it would have definitely scared Elle away.
"I know you're not," Elle said, shaking her head, "I know that."
"Talk to me, Elle," Emmett pleaded, "I can tell you have more to say."
"It's just…" Elle said biting her lip, "Warner dumped me as soon as he needed something more than a pretty face, and Callahan fired me when I rejected him. I'm just worried you'll dump me as soon as I stop being useful."
"Elle," Emmett said, "You're not 'useful', that's never how I've thought of you. You're my best friend, and that's not gonna change."
Before Elle could stop herself, she leaned her head against Emmett's shoulder and shut her eyes. Emmett froze. He wasn't sure what he said to cause this reaction, but he was glad he'd said it. Emmett relaxed a little bit, and looked down at her.
"Y'know," he said quietly, "If anything, I'm worried you'll dump me as soon as you don't need a tutor."
Elle sat up and looked back up at him. Emmett immediately missed her weight on his shoulder, "That will never happen, Emmett, never."
Damn it. He wanted to kiss her. Right now, he had the undeniable urge to move his head a few inches forward and kiss her. He needed to kiss her. Against his will, he leaned forward a little until the only part of her face he could see was her eyes. They had widened, but he couldn't tell if it was in shock, or horror, or something else entirely. He was about to kiss her. And ruin everything.
And then Elle yawned, and Emmett pulled back, "We were supposed to be asleep hours ago," Emmett laughed as he willed his heart to stop beating so fast.
"I lose track of time with you," she said sleepily, her eyes drifting closed. As Emmett's stomach did a backflip, he felt Elle's head on his shoulder again.
"Elle?" he asked half hoping she had been too asleep to notice that he had been a moment away from kissing her, "Elle?"
He only got soft snoring in response. Emmett was grinning like an idiot, he knew, but he couldn't stop it. Elle Woods, love of his life, was actually asleep on his shoulder and she showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.
"Goodnight," Emmett said as he laid his head on hers and closed his eyes, "Little Miss Woods Comma Elle."
Elle hadn't even remembered falling asleep, but next thing she knew she was being rudely woken up by sunlight pouring through her window. As she blinked the sleep from her eyes she tried to remember everything that had happened last night. It had been such a whirlwind of suck that she honestly couldn't exactly recall everything from the party to falling asleep. That was when she noticed Emmett. He was asleep with his head against her mattress. At some point during the night, their hands had found each other. She cringed at realizing she had probably spent all night with her head on his shoulder. He'd probably hate her for the neck ache later.
It wasn't surprising that in all the emotion of last night, she actually hadn't sent Emmett away. He probably wouldn't have left anyways, but still, she should have at least tried to preserve his reputation. She glanced at her clock, there was only half an hour until class started and she needed to shower, do her hair and makeup, pick an outfit, and a million other things that normally took a full hour of her morning. As much as she loved holding hands with Emmett, she untangled their fingers and stepped into the shower, not quite sure how she would pull off an acceptable look in half an hour.
When Elle emerged from the bathroom, she was clad in a knee length white skirt and a pink blouse. Her hair was up in a high bun since she didn't really have time to do anything more elaborate. As Elle grabbed her books for today's classes (thankfully not criminal law), she gave Emmett, who was still asleep one final glance before leaving her dorm.
It could have been hours, it could have been days before Emmett woke up. He honestly couldn't remember a night when he had slept more than a few hours. Between tutoring Elle and all the busywork Callahan had him do, it was a miracle he was still a functioning person. Not that he'd ever give up tutoring Elle for the world, but it did make sleep more difficult. So when Emmett woke up in daylight alone, he was a bit disoriented.
He had the fleeting thought that he probably needed to be in a class, but he was more concerned with where Elle was. After everything that had happened last night, there was no way Elle actually could have left without telling him. Right? Rational thought was something Emmett didn't have when it came to Elle. He grabbed his phone and frantically dialed her number. When she didn't pick up he texted her, one, two, three times.
Where are you?
You left without waking me.
Elle, please answer.
"I'm in class, idiot," came Elle's reply about 5 minutes later. A mixture or relief, pride, and worry filled his body. Relief that she was still in the state. Pride that she'd had the guts to go the class on her own. And worry that Elle had been right last night, and news of her and Callahan had spread.
Emmett finally allowed himself to glance at the clock to see just how long he had slept in. it was nearly 10 AM, and Callahan's class would be in full swing. Who cares? Emmett thought. He couldn't work for Callahan after what he had done to tell. Elle would be disappointed in him giving up a hard earned position, but he didn't care. Even if it hadn't been Elle, he would steal feel the same way. If Emmett was going to be a successful lawyer, he was going to do it working door someone he respected, and he didn't respect Callahan anymore. Emmett just hoped Elle would actually understand his reasoning.
Elle didn't know what she had expected when she went back to campus, but she was nervous as hell. She'd experienced her fair share of nasty rumors back at UCLA, and she really didn't want a repeat of her sophomore year (that was a story for another day). So she was happy when things seemed relatively normal. She went to her family law class, she answered questions, and she managed a few text messages to Emmett. She was a normal law student.
Maybe by some miracle, Warner had kept his mouth shut for once. Maybe Vivian had talked some sense into him. Elle never thought she'd see Vivian as an ally, but she had seemed to understand what had actually happened last night. Maybe this would blow over.
She should have known it was too good to be true. Warner. She should have known Warner would try to rub this in her face.
"Hello, Marilyn," he whistled as she left family law.
"Not today, Warner," Elle replied. Don't let him see any weakness, she told herself.
"A month ago you would have killed to talk to me," Warner mused, "I wonder what's gotten into you?" Emmett took a long, uncomfortable pause, causing Elle to brace herself for whatever awful thing he'd say, "Or rather who?"
"Whatever you think you saw, Warner, you didn't," Elle said quickly.
"So you didn't kiss Callahan?"
"He kissed me, I hit him. Ask Vivian, she saw the whole thing."
"That's not what he said," Warner said as his lips twisted into a smile.
"You talked to Callahan about this?"
"Oh yes," Warner replied, "And I head through the grapevine that he wants to report you for 'unprofessional behavior'"
"No," Elle said mostly to herself. No. This couldn't be happening. Callahan had fired her, but she didn't think he'd be so petty as to get her expelled. But then again, he had cheated on his wife with a 21-year-old, who knew what he was capable of.
"It's a good thing you're at Harvard," Warner said, "Because you might need an attorney."