A/N: Thanks to those of you that submitted some of your favorite things you'd like to see more of! Anyone that either missed that or still wants to give me an idea what you want to see more of in this series - not requests or anything, just what you've liked so far - can do so here on on tumblr. No idea what I'm going to do with that information, but it can help give me a push like today. Or it can just give me new ideas.

Fills a request for suspected cheating, so yeah. Yikes.

For the first time in as long as she can remember, April actually gets bored sitting in the apartment alone. Most of the time it was a beautiful time for sleep, more sleep, and the occasional dip into the weird, psychotic side of YouTube. She felt almost like she wanted to go out and do something, and that - first of all - was frightening, but it was also strange because she had been waiting all day for Andy to get home.

Then, the next minute she sends him a text and calls Ben. Without any real planning they end up free for the night and it's suddenly a gross double date.

Somehow, against all her better judgment, the fact that Ben is in the same city as them, and that Leslie is actually definitely not the worst person ever, makes going out easier. Not that she hates going out at all, but it just being Andy and her is basically pointless. Any other time they could just make fun of people from the confines of the apartment without having to move or spend money, so that was always pretty great. He's still a massive nerd, and he always would be, but April doesn't hate him that much.

She got to know Leslie better too and, even if she was weirdly hyper-political and super energetic or the two things April hated most, they got along. Sometimes it felt like Leslie was this person she was supposed to know, and Ben too, but that weird sensation went away after a while. Mostly because then April nearly fell asleep because Leslie was still talking.

The one person she hadn't really gotten to see that often in the past week was Andy. In and of itself that was fine. They weren't attached at the hip, and they both spent plenty of time away from one another either at school for April or practicing with Andy, but the absences were different.

Those absences scared her because every single night would be the same:

"Hey Andy," she'd say to him, masking her own worry. "Practice was pretty long tonight. Anything wrong?"

"Oh sorry, I forgot," he would return, shaking his head. "I had... uh, other stuff to do."

He was always a terrible liar, and any time he'd lie down after that he'd be drenched in sweat, and he wasn't distant either. Every time he would get in bed like nothing was the matter and they didn't totally have plans to lie around, make out, and maybe open the laptop or skip that and just do it. But then he'd still be cuddly Andy in bed and that was nice, but equally disturbing.

So, somewhere, she just hoped that he was actually busy with something else and not someone else. April loathed those thoughts, and she knew they had to be unfounded - they just had to be unfounded, right? - but they were still present, and some of them made her wonder what she'd actually done for him. That was truly the most debilitating line of thinking she found herself on one day when left alone.

Andy had been there for her all these years, but was she? In her head she knew that it really didn't matter, and that in fact she was responsible for getting Mouserat back together, but it all seemed small and pointless in comparison to what he'd done for her. It was kind of sickening actually, how the sweet Andy was making her feel just as bad, and so she just sat in bed all that night thinking about it.

That's how she came to conclusion that, in combination with him refusing to tell her what he had been up to, he'd been shopping himself around for a week. It was the only reasonable explanation - he was cheating on her. So when Ben picks her up later that night, and she's barely ready because she can't stop thinking of it, it's no surprise that Andy isn't there when he comes.

"Is Andy not coming?" he asked her on the walk to his car.

"Oh, he'll come... I think," she shrugged, "I'll just tell him where we are, he can get a cab or something to take him."

"All right," Ben hesitated to walk out of the bar, turning to face her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I think he's just having a hard time finding a recording space that will take IOU's and waffles as payment," she donned a poor imitation smile and started to move but Ben wasn't budging.

"I meant are you okay?" he squinted.

This was the part she hated about him. If Andy took actions and did things when she was clearly not doing well, Ben talked to her. It was kind of gross, and she had told him years ago to stop coming on like that, but then he'd ask anyways and it would only scare her more. Was she okay? She thought she was doing fine, and it had been years since even the fleeting thought of finding the tallest building in Indianapolis occurred to her, so obviously she was doing well.

"Stop trying to be friendly," she grimaced and pushed the door out to go find his car.

"You're the one who wanted to..." she could hear him saying behind her back as he shuffled out, "whatever, just don't scare the waiter off this time."

"I make no promises," she returned, sitting in the back seat when they found his car.

"April!" Leslie's smile was far sincerer than her own, but it wasn't overbearing. "Where's Andy?"

"He's gonna meet up with us," Ben answered for her.

"Yeah, he's got some stuff to do tonight I think," April nodded when Leslie turned around.

"Oh, well that's no biggie right? Just the three of us for a little bit won't be so bad, April," Leslie turned around to look at her. "It'll be fun, and we can get more appetizers this way. I wonder if they'll serve dessert first?"

The car ride was nothing but that, and April hated it more than any other thought in her head. Sure, Leslie was great but the moment she began on dessert it was followed by an interrogation that lasted the entire drive. April could only answer with "I have no idea" so many times before Leslie gave her a disappointed look and she had to actually think of an answer for her absurd requests. The place wasn't fancy, and to be honest none of them would have been able to afford anything above a mediocre diner.

April sat alone in front of the two of them. Watching them was grossing her out by the second, even when they weren't actually doing anything, so April remained focused on the menu the whole time. She wasn't even that hungry. Now that she was sitting down she didn't even remember what the whole point of this date was at all.

"I doubt they'll be as good as JJ's though," Leslie grumbled, scrunching her nose up at the menu. "I bet you miss that place as much as I do, April."

"Oh totally," she feigned enthusiasm, because JJ's wasn't that important to her. "Yeah, I'll always miss those... waffles, I guess."

"Oh no," Ben shook his head and looked over to his girlfriend, who was beaming. "Don't get her started on those, it takes me hours to-"

"That must be Andy," April pulls her phone out after it buzzes in her pocket. "Says he'll be late, and not to wait up for him. Awesome."

"He's probably just... found a place," Ben offered but April barely heard him. "You said he's out finding a cheap studio and that can take a lot of time."

Maybe she was paranoid, maybe a little overworked, but April didn't think that was it. Andy never missed out on free food - getting Ben to pay for their food was a special skill April had acquired that took a pinch of real hate and a little acting - but now he was going to be late and, from the sounds of it, didn't seem that bothered. But it was okay, because somewhere April understood. She was okay with it, in a way, and ready for him to return so they could talk about it.

So she could find out just how many more times she could look Andy in the eyes without hating him. That was going to be the worst feeling, and she dreaded even thinking about it because it was Andy, but April knew better. Even if she had never been cheated on before, that didn't make a difference - she could tell something was going on and Andy's unwillingness to say anything about the last week could only have one logical conclusion.

April refused to talk for the rest of the night, ordering something randomly off the menu and barely eating the weird spinach nightmare that came out, and sat watching Leslie and Ben talk awkwardly around her. It was an unusual grip on her mind this time - that familiar and terrifying doubt - but it didn't make her sick to her stomach like April anticipated, and she felt almost at peace with the possibility of it. Though on one level she couldn't fathom Andy sneaking around behind her back, on another she knew that he didn't want to hurt her and even if he was bored or done with her he wouldn't want her to know. Of course it would have to be fueled by some weird sense of wanting to constantly make her happy but that only made it worse for her.

Her thoughts made it worse, to the point that April was staring at her hands for at least an hour, until she absentmindedly checked her phone and saw that he was on his way. At least she could stop pretending that she wasn't thinking this anymore. That was a pretty calming thought. April let that keep her sane for the next ten minutes.

Ten very long minutes and then he's waved over and kissed her on the cheek like nothing was different. For the first time in a long time she actually pulled back at his touch, sliding away from him when his arm fell naturally over the back of the booth. Ben noticed, Leslie too, but Andy kept talking like it was nothing. Every once and a while he would so something strange with his free hand in his jacket pocket, but April only noticed it because their words were starting to fade. Their words fell around her without much meaning at all, in fact. Every once and a while April responded to someone with an unassuming nod or shrug, and they'd move on.

At one point Andy turned to her and cocked his head, eyebrows bunched up, but she just smiled and patted his hand.

That was apparently all he needed, and somehow so much time's passed that Ben's dropping them off, because he tried to lead her with his arm over her shoulder. Again she squirmed out of his embrace, bolting up the stairs to the apartment and struggling with her keys by the time he made the few steps himself.

"April, what's up?" he asked, sincere and quiet when she opened the door and he walked in, closing it slowly. "You were acting super weird back there."

"I need to know something," she turned to face him and tried to conjure up the will to ask.

"Sure... what?" his face was suddenly redder than before and she knew it.

She had been right this whole time. April didn't even need an answer. That was enough for her, his absurd amount of perspiration the moment he began a lie, and she knew everything.

"I need to know how long you've been... seeing people," she choked.

"I see people everyday, babe," he laughed, clearly misunderstanding until he saw her trembling. "Hey, woah, calm down... what's; what's wrong?"

April's head was starting to spin and she couldn't think straight anymore. Andy had found her shoulders at some point and was setting her down on the bed. His voice eventually came back into focus but more importantly his hands were moved away and he looked more confused than ever.

"-ril, April!" he was saying, waving at her. "Do you need me to call someone? Is this a panic attack? I never know, I'm sorry-"

"It's not Andy," she interrupted him before he got too worked up and called every hospital in the Midwest, "it's not a panic attack. Not yet, I think I'm okay though. Just get me some water, please."

"Got it," he sprung up, and she saw him looking back to her rapidly while he filled a glass before returning. "Here."

"Thanks," and she drained the entire thing in one long chug.

Taking deep breaths, April tried to remain focused on the goal here. It was to find out just so she could have some closure and not be left in an infinitely spiraling mess. At least knowing would stem the tide to a healthier torrent of pain and not the backed up flood washing over her constantly. Day in day out, even if only for a week, was horrible. She needed to cut him off if he was going to be this toxic. April had to shake herself away from those thoughts, or at least the path they seemed to be on, and get back to reality - the reality of Andy looking at her eyes and watching her movements.

"I super need you to answer this truthfully," April demanded, taking one final cycle of deep breaths before continuing.

"Whatever you need, babe," he took her hand in his and it was a sickening warmth. "Do you need more water, or can I get you food because you didn't eat and-"

"I need to know how long you've been seeing other people," she interrupted, staring back into his eyes. "I need to know Andy, or I'll go insane."

"I told you I see..." but then something forms on his face, almost hurt but mostly surprise, before he shakes his head and closes his eyes while speaking, "wait, do you mean like cheating?"

"Yes, I mean like cheating," she scoffed. "Are you cheating on me?"

April pulled away from him and stood up. Walking over to the small kitchen, she refilled the glass and took another drink. She heard him follow her the few feet's worth of distance, heavy footfalls of his weight slumping downward, but she couldn't turn around. No matter how badly she had to know she didn't want to see his face when he said it. She didn't want to see him finger something in his jacket again. When he said:

Yes.

And then he would say he was sorry, and that he wanted to tell her, but she would understand. April would understand all too well how much he would want to get away from her.

"Why do you think that?" he muttered, fingering the counter.

"You've just been really... distant and that's my job," she explained. "I don't know, you never; you sorta never talk about your days and you're super weird about it."

"Why would I cheat on you?" he shook his head again and she saw his hand dip inside his jacket pocket again.

"What?" she wasn't prepared for that.

"Why do you think I'd do that to you?" the look in his eyes was so hurt, no longer sweaty and uncomfortable, and April had doubts about her assumption.

"Because... you do a ton of awesome stuff for me, and you're always there," she shrugged, "except when you're not, like this last week. And I think I really needed you."

"I'm not doing awesome stuff, April," Andy squints at her. "It's-"

"Dude, you were about to get half of Indianapolis searching for a clinic a second ago," she laughed, holding up the glass of water and still thankful for the easier breaths.

"That's not what I mean, I meant... I guess that's just what I want to do, y'know? Like, do you think I'm gonna sit here and watch you have a panic attack calmly?" he gave her an incredulous look and April noticed his hands wrap around something in his pocket again without moving away.

"No, I don't mean that Andy. You're sweet, and amazing, and that's the point I guess. You didn't want to tell me because you cared too much but that sucks too, y'know?" she tried to explain, putting the glass of water down and kicking her shoes off finally, all while working through these thoughts in her head.

"Don't ever think that," he walked closer to her and April didn't feel the need to shrink back when she looked at his hurt features, "that's the reason that I've been kinda doing stuff all week. It's kinda dumb, I know, and you're probably gonna hate it..."

"More than you cheating?" she cracked a smile.

"Honestly, I don't know!" he laughed, and finally pulled his hand out of the jacket pocket. "It was kinda this."

What he had was a box. A small, red felt box that made April's brain stop altogether and restart in panic mode. Her heart gave up trying to steady itself and her gaze flicked back from the box to him over and over again until he finally nodded.

"Andy," she warned.

"April," he started, breathing hard.

"Andy," she tilted her head, widening her eyes and staring at him.

"April," and he opened the box, leaving his hand hovering over the contents.

Whatever thoughts that were in her head before were melting away. She even had a passing concern that he was shoving aside the cheating with some incredible planning, but at the same time that definitely wasn't Andy's style. Then again, neither was proposing and there he was standing in front of her when he moved his hand inside the container. He produced the ring, silver and plain, and she couldn't focus on anything anymore.

"April, I think you're the coolest person in the world and I wasn't lying when I said I want to spend every second, all of them, with you," he moved the ring closer to her in his fingers. "So I guess I kinda want to marry you."

With her hands stilled at her side, she looked at Andy again. He was entirely serious. There was no joke here, no secret other than that ring and his thoughts, and somewhere she should have seen this coming. He was constantly joking about marrying her. It even got to the point that he tried proposing with a gummy worm he ripped in half and reattached in a circle but she just ate it. That was followed by a pretty all right night, but no marriage.

Now though, he was serious. Something was still off, though.

"Why... a week? What was-"

"I needed to, um... there's a place around the corner, that dry cleaners you hate," he scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, those guys ruined, like, four of my shirts," she grunted. "What about them?"

"They needed a second shift and I'd already sold one of my guitars-"

"Andy!"

"But this is important, and I've got three more. Don't worry, I didn't even like the Martin that much," he shrugged her off, still holding the ring up to her. "And I was about two hundred off the one I thought I could afford, so I took the shift."

"You-"

"I got them to pay me on the first week because they were sorry about ruining your clothes," he laughed again. "So before I went to meet up with you guys I had to get this before, like, six."

"So you've been working behind my back? Not sleeping around... but working?" she was still so shook that the ring was barely even part of the equation.

"Because of this," he took her left hand and let the ring hover by her finger, "and because I totally wanna be your husband."

"This is what I mean, dude," she smiled wide this time, taking the ring and putting it on herself. "You always do awesome stuff."

"So it's a yes?" he raised his hands in preparation.

"Totally," she brought his arms down when they shot up in the air, leaning forward and kissing him gently on the lips. "I totally wanna be your wife, and I'm sorry I was being weird. Just tell me next time, okay?"

"Yeah, sorry about making you worry-"

"Oh my God, you can't keep apologizing for being weirdly romantic," she smacked his arm. "You have to agree to that or I won't marry you."

"Done," he said hastily, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up to sit on the counter. "Deal, whatever."

"Are we getting married?" she asked him softly, her arms around his neck.

"I think we are," and he buried his face in her neck.

That was the one time, the singular moment, that April ever considered remotely that Andy would cheat on her. Thinking back on it, Andy's ridiculous money scrounging was perfect. And maybe it would be perfect, even if they were poorer than in years, if they could do it together.