El woke up to the sound of retching. It was a horrible sound, and in between each bout she heard that sounds of Mike in extreme pain.

He must have quite a hangover. I got off lucky I think. My mouth only tastes like a monkey's ass.

She sat up in bed. She wasn't wearing any pajamas. She touched herself.

Good for Mike. We didn't have sex.

She saw a bathrobe at the end of the bed, she got up and pulled it on

She knocked on the door. "You still alive in there Mike? I need to pee."

"Arrgh, What did you do to me?"

"I'm sure you did that to yourself… maybe with the generous help of Mr. Heineken. Oh the mind thing. You'll get used to it," she giggled.

"I don't have a hangover. I don't want to get used to the pain.. I think it's the little help of Pierre Migraine and the generous help of a pretty girl named El.. Head hurts so bad it's making me sick. Don't turn on the light."

El entered the bathroom. "We didn't have sex last night."

"It's not like you didn't try El. You were throwing yourself at me. I was hoping wouldn't be mad at me this morning. You were last night."

"I was trying to get laid."

Mike stood up, a little unsteady on his feat. El put his arms around him and kissed his cheek. "That's for being such a gentleman."

"It's not like I didn't want to. But I wanted us to get marr- uh, have a relationship, and that didn't seem like a good way to get there. I didn't have any protection anyway, so the most it would have been is oral sex."

El ran a hand over her buzzed hair. "Don't worry, I can't get pregnant. You turned down oral sex too?"

"And anal sex, a golden shower, BDSM, uh what else? Threesomes, public everything… hmm, let's see."

El turned red and clamped a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry Mike. I felt really uninhibited last night. And uh, I wanted to. But I'm not a slut."

Mike said, "I know El, don't let it bother you. I've never had a girl remotely interested in me like that. My sister Nancy always told me to be myself if the situation ever came up.

"And you decided to just to be the nice guy that you are." El smiled at him. Mike looked down a little embarrassed.

"Nice guys get laid last." He said.

"Maybe, but they will get laid." She winked at him.

"I'll go get us a couple of beers and make us some coffee."

"Are you serious?"

"Hair of the dog, best thing for us right now, along with a greasy breakfast."

"Ok, I'll make breakfast for you."

El showered first, then Mike.

XXXXX

Mike came out wearing a spare bathrobe and rubbing a towel on his hair to help dry it.

El had just taken a swig out of her beer. "You are right, this works. Do you feel any better? I do."

Mike didn't look at her. "Yeah, shower really helped. So did the beer. Ok, El. We are sober. Let's talk."

Mike looked at her, "You still want to… um, be with me?"

"You may not remember this Mike, but we had a connection even before we met. Your mind was frantic when you first saw me. I can't just ignore the fact that we may be soulmates. No girl who wants one should do that. And I could communicate with you, for me the Void is one way, but we were able to go back and forth. I feel very close to you just because of that. I think the nosebleed came from me setting the, let's call it volume, a little too high."

"I can't take another migraine like this, so keep that to a whisper. Do you want to try again?"

El could see Mike bracing for the impact it might have.

I think we are soulmates.

[ I know we are, El. I don't want to give that up.]

"Neither do I," El said out loud.

"I kind of wish we had made out more. I love kissing you." Mike said. "But you were…"

"Horny is the word you are looking for Mike. I'm completely sober right now and I… still am. All I want to know is do you want to have sex before or after we get married? You did propose to me last night, and I accepted."

"Uh, both."

El stood up, opened her bathrobe and gave Mike a coquettish pose and a wink. Then she let her bathrobe fall to the floor.

XXXXX

They both lay on their backs panting. El was the first to speak. "I don't think I want to know where you learned any of that from. I don't want to know how many girls you've bedded."

"Just you El. That's it. Um, that was very creative dirty talk, I don't want to know that about you either."

"I'm a proofreader, have to read all kinds of books. Including the porn. I felt comfortable using that kind of language with you and doing… all that with you. It was fun." El could feel the hit rising in her cheeks and put her hand over eyes.

"Don't be embarrassed El, it all worked. Ugh, Friday. I have to go to work."

"Fine." El couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice. Was that it? He's had me and now he's going to work? I actually thought he was serious when he asked me to marry him.

"I'll leave." She got up, not looking at him.

"Uh, El, did I say something wrong?"

"You're going to work Mike. I understand. Everything."

She saw the hurt look on Mike's face.

[Ok, did I say something wrong. Maybe I don't understand what's going on here.]

"I didn't want this to be a one night stand. I thought we worked all that stuff out? I thought..."

"What did you think Mike?" She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. She was mad now.

"I thought we were going to get married." He wasn't looking at her. She knew the set of her face when she was angry made people uncomfortable looking at her. "But if you aren't staying… then… then…"

El's heart melted. Her face must have shown that also, Mike looked at her. "I don't want to get married in jeans, and a plaid shirt Mike, I want to go home and put on a pretty dress for you. Maybe you could dress up a little bit too?"

XXXXX

El left Mike's apartment, a loft really, on her walk to her and Max's apartment, she thought she saw Mike following her. It looked just like him. She managed to catch his eye, he smiled briefly and then looked away quickly. It looked a lot like Mike. But about ten years younger. And the girl he was with… was a mirror image of El herself. Short hair, big brown eyes, but also much younger. He whispered into the girl's ear and she smiled.

El read his mind.

[ It's you, El, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. It's you isn't it?]

El was shocked to realize he was sending his thoughts to her. She nodded.

Yes… Mike It's me. I just left you at home, what's going on here?

[ Get married first, we can explain everything later. ]

El read the girl's mind next.

[ This is so good. I found him here too. The field-trip El was right. All the El's love their Mike's. ]

El had no idea what the girl meant by that thought. It didn't make any sense. All the El's love their Mike's?

XXXXX

Max didn't look happy when El entered their apartment. She to her went to her room to pack, and to change. Max followed her in.

El looked over her shoulder as she worked through her task. "What's wrong Max? You and Lucas ok?"

"I want to talk to you about that."

"Ok... ?"

"Lucas wants me to move in with him."

El thought for a split second. "Why don't you get him to move in here?"

"Yeah, that wouldn't be too awkward. Three's a crowd El."

"I'm moving in with Mike."

"El… we talked about this. You just met him last night."

"We are getting married this morning."

"Are you crazy? What did I just say? You just met him last night. Ok I guess you guys have already slept together. But…"

El began shaking her head.

"Whatever, that's even worse. You aren't thinking El."

"I'm thinking just fine Max. You don't get it. We love each other. Yes, it happened that quick."

"Oh, bullshit! I can't believe after the last time you going to do it again. For fuck's sake El." Max started stabbing her temple with her index finger.

"THINK!"

"I can't talk to you when you are like this."

"You can't talk to me. El when you fall in love," Max did her sarcastic air quote gesture, "You can't be reasoned with. This guy said some nice things to you, kissed you, Romeo'd you up, and you jump into bed with him and you think you're getting married to him and then moving in with him?"

El just looked at Max. She decided to break her promise to Max right there and read her mind.

[ Are you going to be there for her when she comes to you crying that this Mike guy was an asshole? Nope. Not this time. I'm done with this shit. I'm so done with this shit. El is a sweet girl but emotionally she's stupid as fuck. ]

El's bottom lip quivered, and the hot tears started to run. She packed up her suitcase, including the dress she wanted, she was too afraid to put it on right now.

She ran from the apartment, crying all the way to Mike's building. She thought she saw kids that looked like her and Mike again. Were they following her? She didn't care.

She was startled to see him still at home. "I thought you had to work?"

He looked down, "Uh, bad idea on my part. I have underlings, they can keep the shop open. Um, have you been crying? Is everything ok."

El shook her head.

"Do you still… want to get married?"

She looked at him, unable to nod. She saw the panicked look in his eyes. The look he might have if he thought he was losing her.

"M-Mike? I don't want my heart broken."