Chapter Ten - Clouds
- Eli's POV -
As I pull into my driveway, I see Monika's car by the curb. She's sitting in it, I hope she hasn't been waiting too long. I park my car and quietly get out so as to not wake up Nat yet. Monika gets out of hers as well, and walks up to me.
Monika:"Hi Eli!" We hug each other.
Me:"Hey Moni, what's up?"
Monika:"I just thought I'd visit my favorite club member."
Me:"Oh, uh, okay. Let me get Nat and we can go inside."
I walk over to my car and open the passenger side door, apparently Nat was leaning against it because she almost falls out before I catch her. She looks up at me for a second before saying anything.
Natsuki:"T-thanks Eli." I nod and we walk to my front door. Monika is right behind us. As I walk in I notice it's pretty cold.
Me:"Huh, that's weird. I shoulde've left the heater on..." I go over to my thermostat, it's as it should be. Great. That means my heater's broke. "Fantastic..."
Monika:"What's wrong?"
Me:"My heater's broke, I gotta see if I can fix it before it gets dark. Oh, Help yourself to whatever ya like, I'll be back."
I grab my toolbox and coat before walking out the door. It'll be freezing tonight if I don't get this piece of sh*t fixed..
- Monika's POV -
I watch Eli go outside. Well crap, I was hoping to get to visit with him. Natsuki and I take a seat on the couch.
Me:"So...Where did you and Eli go today?"
Natsuki:"He took me to the Green Grill, a new restraunt downtown. I had a great time!"
Me:"Ah, I see. Well, I suppose that's a point for you. Yuri and I'll just have to try harder since we aren't with him all day. But rest asured, I will win this."
Natsuki:"Uh, yeah, about our competition. I want to call it off."
Me:"What!? It just started today?! Yuri hasn't had a chance yet!" I shout at her. Luckily Eli can't hear us over his own shouting and banging. Although where as I'm just talking loudly, Eli is spewing obscentities at an inanimate object for not working properly. (Ralphie's father, A Christmas Story, heater scene) Then again, he's half-Irish.
Natsuki:"I-I know but...Things, changed." She says shyly, rubbing her arm.
Me:"That's not good enough! If you can't even give me a legitimate reason, then we're continuing!"
Natsuki:"..."
Me:"Well!?"
Natsuki:"*quietly* I-I...Th-think I l-love him..."
Me:"What?!"
Natsuki:"I SAID I LOVE HIM ALRIGHT?! Jeez..."
Me:"O-oh my God...Are you sure?"
Natsuki:"Yeah! I mean...I wasn't sure at first, I've had a strong crush on him for a while now, but after today and yesterday, I know I am. I've, never had someone treat me the way he does. Never had somebody be so nice to me and be so happy when I'm around. It's amazing..."
Me:"Well...uh, that's, great Nat...I, need to go...do a thing, um, tell Eli I said bye."
Natsuki:"Monika...Don't-"
I get up and quickly walk out, get in my car and leave. I fight with everything in me to make it back to my house before I cry my eyes out in my driveway.
I'm not crying because I can't be with Eli, that's only part of it, I'm crying because I know Natsuki deserves him more than I do. As much as I do not want to, I have to step aside. She truly loves him. I thought I did. but seeing her face when she told me, I know now that I wasn't even close. I need to tell Yuri, I don't think it will effect anywhere near as strongly, but I need to anyways.
sigh* This week f*cking sucks!
- Natsuki's POV -
Man, I didn't exect that conversation to go well, but I didn't expect that...Oh well, she'll get over it. I hope.
Eli comes back inside. Looking pale and annoyed.
Me:"No luck huh?"
Eli:"Nope...Hey where'd Monika go?"
Me:"She, uh, had to go."
Eli:"Oh. Is she alright?"
Me:"Yeah. she just had to run some errands or something." I don't like lying, especially to Eli, but I can't tell him the truth. Not without talking to Monika first.
Eli:"Oki doki then. Well, since my heater refuses to do the one and only thing it was put into existance for, you wanna watch a crappy horror movie and drink hot chocolate?"
Me:"That sounds great!" I hate horror movies, they're all the exact same with different monsters, and everyone in horror movies are as dumb as a retarded bag of autistic rocks. But, both the movie and the cold will give me an excuse to cuddle up to Eli. So I won't complain. Heh, maybe that's why he suggested it.
After a little bit, Eli and I are sitting on his couch watching the first SAW. He made popcorn and hot chocolate, and we have one big blanket laid over us both. We're only about twenty minutes into the movie and I've already scooted up to him. Me being me, I said it was just because I was cold, and in truth, I was.
Something about being this close to him makes me shake. Something else I blamed on the cold when he asked me about it. So he gave me his half of the blanket and put his arms around me to keep me warm for the remainder. Best. Movie. Ever. The actual movie was sh*t. But it was great anyway.
I hear Eli snoring beside me. Daaaw, he's all tuckered out after having a conniption outside about the heater earlier. Well, it's only four, I'll take a nap too. I lay my head on his shoulder and drift off to sleep.
- Later -
I wake up with a pillow under my head and a blanket laid neatly over me. Eli must've woke up and done it. That's sweet, most guys would've just got up and left. I smell food being cooked and raise up.
Eli:"Oh good, I was about to wake ya up. Food's almost done."
Me:"*yawn*...Thanks Eli."
Eli:"No problem, short-stack."
Me:"Grrr..." Another name he knows I can't stand. I think he likes it when I get annoyed. Probably thinks it's cute.
Eli:"Has anyone ever told you that you're really cute when you're angry?"
Me:"Ugh...You're impossible." What, that's twice he's called me cutetoday? My face is going to be permanantly red if he keeps this up...
Eli:"Thanks, I try." He says with a grin.
Me:"So, uh, whatchya cookin'?"
Eli:"This, my fair lady, is good ol' fashioned gumbo. I had some of this when Sayori and her family went to New Orleans one year, she begged and pleaded for them to take me with them, and they did, they're good people, they always liked me. Anyhow, gumbo is fantastic."
He spoons the food into two bowls and sets them down on the table. We each tske our seats.
Me:"You really like Sayori's parents huh?"
Eli:"Absolutely! They were like the parents I wish I had. I spent more time at their house than I did at my own. They treated me like family, her dad eventually just started calling me son. They helped me get out of drug running. They helped me fix my car when it broke down. They payed my medical bill when I broke leg. They've taken up the position my parents abandoned. They're the greatest people in the face of God's green earth."
Me:"Wow...I wish I'd had somebody like that. I mean, I've got Yuri to take care of me now, but, I wish I'd had people who loved me like they did you."
Eli:"Well you do now. Both I and the club wouldn't be able to function without ya fun-size."
Me:"That means alot to me. Thank you Eli." No snarky reply or annoyed comeback this time. That made my day to hear him say that.
Eli:"I really mean it Nat. The thought of not having you around makes me sick. I don' mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, I just, want you to know you mean alot to me."
Me:"*sniffle* Ah jeez Eli, I feel the same way. I've never had someone tell me that I matter to them like that. Thanks." I wipe my tears with my napkin and we continue eating. God I love this man.
After we finish, I help Eli clean up, bundle up in blankets on the couch and play my favorite game, Dark Souls 3. Eli comes over to me.
Eli:"You gonna be warm enough down here? I'll take the couch if ya want, it's a little warmer up there."
Me:"I'm alright. Thanks though!" He ruffles my hair and runs upstairs as I throw my pillow at him. I hear him laugh as he shuts his door.
I retrieve my pillow from the floor and lay down to sleep after awhile...It. Is. Cold. I seriously consider sneaking upstairs and crawling into bed with Eli, sure it'll give him a heart attack in the morning but I'd be warm. Instead I just sigh and try to stay as warm as I can. He supplied me with enough blankets after all. Maybe I just wanted an excuse.
I slowly drift off to sleep. Thinking of how much fun I had today. Despite the thing with Monika that is. I hope she's alright and not mad at me or something. I'll call jer tommarow, make sure there's no hard feelings.
It's times like this when I miss Sayori.
(End of Chapter Ten)
