geez, this made me lol and it's midnight here đ
Bare-knuckle Fist Fight
Summary: you run into Melissa's ex. All hell breaks loose.
WC: ~2.5k
âBabe, please,â Melissa is pleading with you. Her and her friend Barbara were going out to dinner tonight, and your girlfriend so desperately wants you to tag along. âBarb wants to see you too.â
âShe saw me today at school,â you retort.
Melissa frowns. âBut outside of school,â she argues.
âHoney, Iâm exhausted,â you sigh from your place on the couch. âThe kids today were a mess, I was a mess, my head is pounding because I dropped my coffee during the first hour of the day so I didnât have nearly enough caffeine, and I just want to relax and do a whole lot of nothing.â
The redhead sighs heavily at the list of reasons why you donât want to go anywhere tonight, and she relents. If her day had gone that way, she would be the same way, if not worse. She crosses her way into the kitchen, grabs a few Advil and a bottle of water for you, pulls the blanket down from where itâs hanging over the back of the couch, and gives it all to you. She presses a soft kiss to your forehead before she heads back into her bedroom to freshen up her makeup and change out of her long sleeved pink shirt into a short sleeved one instead.
You feel bad, you really do. You love going out with the two of them- itâs always been a great time. But you werenât lying when you said that your head hurt and your body was exhausted from the millions of decisions you had to make today in terms of your students. Between the thousands of questions you answered and the various meetings that you had throughout the day, your brain is exhausted, and you donât want to have to think again for the rest of the night.
When she comes back into the living room and grabs her bag to start making her way out, you sigh dramatically.
âWhat, hun?â Green eyes meet your own as she shrugs her leather jacket back on. By the time sheâs finished adjusting the cuffs on her sleeves, youâre standing next to her and slipping your shoes back onto your feet. When you stand up straight, she looks mildly concerned.
âIâm coming,â you tell her as you too grab your jacket.
Your girlfriend squeezes your hand softly. âAmore, you donât have to.â
âIâll just get a coffee during dinner, and Iâll be okay,â you promise her. âCâmon, we better get going if weâre going to be on time.â
The three of you have a lovely dinner, and youâre feeling much better by the end of it. When the kindergarten teacher suggests going somewhere else for another drink, Melissa stops her.Â
âI gotta get Y/N home,â she says softly as she looks to you with warm eyes. âToday took a lot out of her.â
You shake your head almost immediately, and you regret it. Your head might be feeling better, but at the sudden and frantic movement, you can feel the tension behind your temple. Still, you tell her, âNo, no. Letâs go somewhere else.â
âAre you sure?â both women look to you. âItâs okay if youâre not feeling up to it. We can always go somewhere else another day.â
You wave a hand. âItâs Friday, I feel a lot better than I did; Letâs go somewhere else. Where were you thinking?â
âWhere do you want to go?â your girlfriend asks you with a squeeze of the hand.
The three of you end up at a bar that you have no business being in- and itâs quite funny to watch the usually so buttoned up Barbara Howard get down on the dance floor with your girlfriend. While you and Melissa are usually the ones to be dancing together, you take a step back and settle on the barstool that youâre sitting on. Itâs nice to watch the two of them let their hair down and relax for once, not a care in the world as they sip on their margaritas and dance the night away.Â
All is well until you see two women make their way up to your girlfriend and the smile that was on her face immediately drops.
You canât quite make out what the one woman is saying to Melissa and Barbara, but their faces tell you that they arenât all too pleased with whatever is coming out of her mouth. You groan as you stand and make your way over to them. Your arms slink around Melissaâs waist, and you kiss her neck to show this woman that your girl was entirely off the market.
âHey, baby,â you whisper into her ear. You can practically feel her shiver as you press yourself impossibly closer to your smoke show of a girlfriend. Your face flushes when she all but grinds into you subtly.
âWho the fuck is this?â the blonde woman asks.
âEva, this is Y/N. Y/N, meet the blonde devil,â Melissa huffs. âMy ex-girlfriend.â
Eva looks you up and down with a look of disgust. âDamn, Mel. You really downgraded. You went from me to⊠that.â She gestures at you vaguely. âWell, this is my girlfriend, Caroline.â
âWow, babe,ïżœïżœ Caroline looks at you and Melissa together. âYou werenât kidding when you said that your ex-girlfriend was a cradle robber. I mean, she gotta be- what? Eighty-five?â
Your eyebrows lift, as do Barbaraâs- you both know that the concept of getting older and dating younger is not one that Melissa is particularly fond of talking about. Itâs honestly often one of the things that the two of you speak of when sheâs having doubts and fears about the path her life took as opposed to the one that she had planned when she was a little girl. To Melissaâs credit, the green eyes that usually sparkle only turn dull- there is no yelling or cursing like you and her work wife had expected. But you? Youâre not about to let this woman talk shit on your girlfriend and not defend her.
âExcuse you?â You release your girlfriend and puff out your chest just slightly.
âI said sheâs a hag!â Your ex-girlfriendâs new girlfriend takes it to an all new low. âAnd youâre nothinâ but a dumb slut!â
Melissa gets scarily close to Caroline and hisses, âWhat did you say about my girlfriend? Say it again- I dare ya.â
Barbara is standing there, looking as though she wants to intervene. âGirls,â she tries to shout over the music. Her quiet pleas though go unheard.
âI said sheâs a dumb slut!â the woman states again, getting nose to nose with your girlfriend.
Melissa winds up her fist, but you stop her just in the knick of time.
âOh, I see weâve really gotten a hold of our temper,â Eva laughs loudly, obnoxiously. She looks to you. âGood luck getting this one to calm the hell down⊠like a bat outta hell, I swear.â
âActually,â you chuckle deviously. âI havenât had any issues with her temper. Maybe all she needed was a loving girlfriend instead of a stuck up bitch.â
âOh, so thatâs how weâre playing,â Eva squares up with you, taking out her earrings. You follow suit and take out your earrings and hand them to the kindergarten teacher.
âGirls,â Barbara tries to cut in again as she takes your jewelry in her hands, but it doesnât matter because thereâs a drink thrown on you before she can continue, and all hell breaks loose.Â
Although you donât have quite the temper your girlfriend does, you see absolute red once you can see again, vodka dripping down your face. You throw the rest of your drink on the woman before her fist collides with your cheek.
You stumbles backwards before regaining your balance, and you go at her with full force. Melissa and Caroline start to get involved, trying to pry you off of each other but it only makes it worse.Â
Barbara takes a few steps back. She cannot get involved in this- not if someone is going to bail the two of you out of jail tonight.
Before you know it, four security guards are prying you all off of each other, youâre covered in the blood that is cascading from your nose, Melissa is clutching at her eye thatâs bound to be bruised over and swollen shut tomorrow if itâs color right now is anything to go by, and Eva and Caroline are both cradling their cheeks from the punches that you and your girlfriend were able to get in.Â
All four of you are put in handcuffs and hauled out of the bar. You and your girlfriend are put into one squad car while the other couple is stuffed into another.
âCan I at least have a tissue for my nose?â you ask as you spit the blood thatâs dripping into your mouth onto the floor. God, you hate the taste of blood. âAnd for Christâs sake, you should be taking my girlfriend to the hospital with that eye of hers.â
âY/N, I am fine,â Melissa grumbles, and she goes to roll her eyes but she has to stop herself because the right one throbs erratically.Â
While your asses are being dragged down to the local police station, Barbara sits outside of the bar on a bench dreading the phone call she knows she has to make. She does not have enough cash on her right now to bail the two of you out, nor is she sober enough to drive to the ATM and then down to the local precinct. With a sigh, she dials the number.
âBarb, honey, you ready for me to come pick the three of you up?â Gerald answers from his place on the couch. Heâs getting rather tired, but he knows that when the three of you go out, particularly after a day like you all had, it can tend to get a bit wild.
âIâm ready for you to come pick me up,â she states.
âThe girls arenât with you?â
âIâm afraid that⊠we may have to go bail them out of jail,â the teacher says into her phone quietly.
âJail?â Gerald asks incredulously. Barbara can practically see her husbandâs eyes bulging out of his head.
âYeah,â she whispers. âJail. There was⊠a situation. Iâll explain when you come pick me up.â
âOkay,â the man sighs out as he stands from his recliner. He slips his shoes on. âAre you at your usual bar?â
âNo,â the kindergarten teacher says. âWe were at⊠Woodys, of all places.â
âGood lord, Barb,â Gerald chuckles at that revelation. âI didnât think you had it in you to go there.â
âY/N wanted to go, and you know how Melissa is for that girl, and I was not about to be the- you know what? Just come get me.â
Gerald pulls up to the bar where his wife is sitting outside on the curb, looking around constantly and being entirely aware of her surroundings.
âOi, woman,â the man gets his wifeâs attention. âGet in the car so we can go pick up your clowns.â
âNot my circus, not my monkeys,â Barbara huffs as she buckles her seatbelt.
Gerald looks to his wife with a smirk. âExcept they are your circus.â
âDonât remind me.â
You and your girlfriend are sitting in a holding cell together while Eva and Caroline are in the one next to you, and theyâre all but spitting insults at the two of you. Theyâre claiming that theyâre going to file to sue.
âOh, drink piss, Eva,â your girlfriend shouts. âYou were the one who threw the first punch! If anything, youâre ass is getting sued, and you know I know a guy who can make sure we win!â
âMel,â you sigh as you continue to hold up a tissue to your somehow still bleeding nose- you know that whenever you get out of here, youâre surely going to end up at the hospital.
âIâm just statinâ the truth, Y/N!â the redhead exclaims.
âWe know exactly who threw the first punch thanks to security cameras, and we will be holding her accountable,â one of the officers says as comes in with a roll of his eyes. âFor nowâŠâ he unlocks your holding cell.
You look up, as does Melissa.
âWe havenât even made a call,â you look to the man in blue curiously.
âDidnât have to,â Barbara comes up from behind him. Gerald is there too.
You immediately launch yourself at Barbara, thanking her repeatedly for getting you out of here.
âYou didnât have to spring us out,â Melissa sighs. âI woulda called Dommy to come get us out.â
Gerald just chuckles as his wife says softly, âMy circus, my monkeys,â as she holds onto you. When she pulls back, her eyes widen just slightly. Your nose is a deep shade of purple, as is your girlfriendâs eye.
âLetâs get going now,â Barbara sighs. âWe have to get the two of you to the hospital.â
By some grace of God, the emergency room at Jefferson isnât swimming in drunk people yet, and you and Melissa are put into a room rather quickly. They check the two of you out- explaining that neither of you have concussions, which is miraculous considering the amount of blows the two of you took.Â
The doctors on call tell Melissa that her eye should heal up just fine with hot compresses and ice. You, on the other hand, are a different story. Once they clean up the blood that has dried, it becomes clear that you were not only bleeding from the inside of your nose, but also the outside. One of the other womanâs rings mustâve gotten caught on your nose and scratched it from the bridge all the way down. As they pour antiseptic cleaner on it and clean you up, you have to hiss in pain. It stings, and theyâre prodding on the area where you already know your nose is broken. The doctor confirms that a few minutes later.
You leave the hospital with your girlfriend and the Howards a bit later, a nose guard taped to your face.
You grumble the entire ride home about how not only are kids going to be asking a million questions when you go into school on Monday with a black and blue cheek and a broken nose, but so is the staff. Melissa just runs her arms up and down your own, trying to ease your mind by telling you that she is also going to have to answer to a billion questions too.
Gerald pulls up to the townhouse that you and your girlfriend share, and as you get out of the car, Barbara Howard grabs your arms gently.
âWhat?â you ask.
âWe are never going to Woodys again.â
âUnderstood, and agreed,â you sigh as you hold your hand out to help the redhead out of the car.
Hey babe itâs me, I know Iâm the greatestđ but letâs get to the point. What if we got a one shot of Melissa thinking about popping the question đto reader and she talks to Barbara about it and she looks back on all the time she spent with El and reader and ultimately decides to do so.â€ïžâ€ïž
Im a sucker for happy endings bro âšâš
Love Thy Neighbor, Two Families Become One- pt 2
PART 1
WC: ~3.15k
That night, Melissa dreams of a life where you are officially her wife and Ellie is officially her daughter. That dream that shifts into a sort of hellish nightmare where both Gary and Jared are there, and sheâs doing everything that she can do to protect you. And then it flickers into a dream where you arenât around anymore, and because Ellie isnât officially her daughter in the eyes of the law, she ends up back with Jared.Â
That dream is terrifying enough for her to wake up breathing deeply and making sure that you were still breathing before going to silently check on Ellie in her room. The redhead lets out a sigh of relief when she confirms that it was indeed just her imagination running wild.
When the two of you wake up for the day, sheâs a bit more lovey than she usually is. Her hands donât leave your body, whether that just be holding your hand or a hand settled on your hip and squeezing lightly. There are more kisses pressed to your head than a normal day. When she and Ellie come back from the grocery store while you stayed home to clean, they both come home with flowers for you. While you arenât complaining, you are a bit curious as to why sheâs being so romantic today.
âIs it my birthday and I forgot?â you ask as you hold both bouquets of flowers.
âNo, youâre so silly Momma,â your little girl giggles from next to your girlfriend.
Melissaâs lips are on your own softly. âWe just thought Momma should know how much we love her.â
âWell, thank you,â you smile against her. Then you lift your daughter onto your hip and pepper her face is kisses while she squeals happily. âI love you both too.â
As youâre getting ready for bed that night, Melissa texts her work wife.
We gotta talk tomorrow morning.
About? Barbara texts back almost instantly.
Youâre still awake?
Well, I was falling asleepâŠ
Sorry. Weâll chat tomorrow?
Iâll ask again⊠about?
Y/N, Ellie, and me.
Oh lord, what did you do Melissa?
Nothin. Just⊠please?
Meet me in my room tomorrow morning after youâve stopped for coffee.
When the two of you head in for work on Monday, Nonnaâs words still havenât left Melissaâs mind. The three of you walk into the school hand in hand, Ellieâs backpack slung over your girlfriendâs shoulder.
âLittle girl, you have to hang with your momma this morning,â the redhead tells your daughter. âMom has a meeting.â
âYou do?â you furrow a brow. âOn a Monday morning?â
âWith Barb,â she tells you. âTo talk about insurance and how all of that stuff is changing.â
âAuntie Barb?!â Ellie asks excitedly. âCan I at least come say hi and give her a hug?â
Melissa almost says no, but those puppy dog eyes are strong and she relents. âBut very quickly.â
âWait, insurance is going to be changing?â
âThereâs a possibility,â she tells you, although you donât know that sheâs referring to the fact that it might change because sheâs contemplating asking you to marry her.
âShould I sit in on this meeting?â you ask her, concerned.
She shakes her head. âYou just worry about El, and Iâll fill you in later.â
âOkay,â you sigh as you drop your things in your room. âWhere are you meeting her?â
âJust her classroom after we get our coffees,â Melissa says.
After youâve gotten your coffees, the three of you head down to the kindergarten wing. Ellie, of course, sprints ahead yelling Barbâs name as she goes.
âAuntie Barb!â Ellie is giggling and clinging to your girlfriendâs best friend by the time you both catch up with her.
âBaby girl, not that Iâm not happy to see you, but where are your mothers?â
âHey,â you chuckle from the doorframe. âSorry to crash your meeting, but Ellie wanted to run in and say hi.â
âWell she knows Auntie Barb is always here to say hello to and give a snuggle,â Barbara chuckles as she releases your daughter.
âAlright, El,â Melissa looks at your daughter. âYou got to say hi to Auntie Barb, now I gotta talk with her.â
âCanât I stay?â
âI think youâll have more fun with Momma coloring in her room,â your girlfriend says.
Ellie contemplates this for a moment before nodding. She runs to the redhead and hugs her tightly before taking your hand and pulling you off down the hall.
Your girlfriend watches the two of you make your way down the hall before she closes the door to the kindergarten room.Â
âWell?â Barbara looks to her work wife curiously. âWhat on Earth could you have done that would require us to talk without Y/N and Ellie here?â
âI took them to meet my mom and Nonna,â Melissa states. âAnd Nonna told them that they were family and that Ellie was an honorary Schemmenti.â
âThatâs great news,â the kindergarten teacher states.
âAnd now, Iâm thinking about asking them to become official Schemmentis.â
Barbara gives your girlfriend a look in shock. âOh.â
âYeah.â
âI thought that you didnât want to get married again though, and Y/N seems perfectly content with that,â the woman says softly.
âI said that it would take a freaking miracle,â Melissa says. âAnd they⊠they are that miracle.â
âThatâs great though, Melissa,â Barbara tells the redhead. âWhy did we need to talk about this?â
âBecause⊠I need you to tell me that Iâm not insane for thinking this and throwing caution to the wind again for her,â the second grade teacher says quietly. âI- I never thought that I would consider getting married again.â
âWell, why are you?â Barb asks.
Your girlfriend folds her arms over her chest as she perches herself on one of the tables. âBecause I love those two more than Iâve ever loved anyone⊠Nonna and my mother adore them, called them family and honorary Schemmentis. And then, that night I had a couple dreams about them.â
âWhat were they?â the kindergarten teacher inquires.
Melissa sighs softly. âI had a couple⊠one where Y/N was my wife and Ellie was my daughter, another where Jared came back and I couldnât protect Y/N, and then⊠the last one was⊠something happened to Y/N, and because I wasnât legally Ellieâs mother, she went back to Jared kicking and screaming.â
âOh,â Barbara sighs quietly.
âThat one had me so shaken that I checked that Y/N was still breathing and that Ellie was asleep in bed.â
âThat makes sense, Melissa,â the kindergarten teacher says.
âWell? What do you have to say about this?âYour girlfriend asks.
âI think the answer is right in front of you, and you would be a fool to not follow your heart,â Barb states. âY/N has been nothing but wonderful for you, Ellie already calls you her mother⊠you have already laid down the foundation for a beautiful marriage.â
âWhat if itâs too soon though?â
âWhen you know, you know,â Barbara says smugly. âThink about it.â
âThanks,â Melissa smiles. She heads out after that, knowing that the kiddos will be coming in any second.
When lunch time comes around, Melissa makes her way into the staff room and has your meal out and ready for you when you get there. You sigh as you settle yourself in your chair and lean your shoulder on her head.
âThank you,â you whisper.
She presses a kiss to your temple with a soft chuckle. âHappy Monday?â she offers.
âItâs Monday, thatâs for sure⊠Roman started off the day spilling my coffee all over the floor and shattering my mug, so Iâm exhausted.â
âWell, I can fix that,â your girlfriend laughs quietly as she stands from her place and heads for the coffee machine. She pulls another mug from the cabinet, and while the coffee is brewing, her eyes linger on you.
Youâre half asleep as you bring your lunch to your mouth, but she canât help but think that you are the most beautiful woman in the world. She gets so distracted just looking at you that she doesnât notice the coffee is ready.
âBabe, stop staring at me,â you tell her.
She shakes herself out of her trance. âSorry. Youâre just⊠wow.â
âI donât have any makeup on, and Iâm in your old Eagles sweatshirt,â you roll your eyes. âI probably have bags under my eyes actually.â
She hums as she brings you the new cup of coffee, leaning down and kissing your cheek. âYouâre stunning, and I wonât hear anything else.â
That day after school, the two of you take Ellie to the park like you do on any day that allows for the little bundle of energy to run around and tire herself out. You find Melissa watching Ellie with a sparkle in her eye, not that that isnât uncommon, but thereâs something different about the way sheâs watching her today.
âWhatâs got you lookinâ at her like that today?â you ask as you squeeze her hand.
Melissa smiles fondly. âJust⊠thinking about how much that little girl has grown and changed, and how sheâs changed my life for the better.â
âWeâve been through a lot,â you smile softly.
Ellie is put to bed, and for once, youâre not entirely exhausted. So, you prepare for bed before heading out into the living room with two glasses of wine. Melissa is in her spot, glasses on the tip of her nose and looking at her phone with a soft smile.
âWhat are you looking at?â you ask as you sit next to her.
âThe album I have of you and El,â she tells you as she wraps her arm around you and pulls you practically in her laugh.
Thereâs a picture of Ellieâs seventh birthday up. Ellieâs eyes are wide and filled with so much love for your girlfriend as she grins at the camera, holding up the toy that your little girl had so desperately wanted but you couldnât afford.
âI canât believe you spoiled her as much as you did that day,â you roll your eyes.
She shrugs. âHave you ever seen the kid so happy though? It was worth it.â
You swipe over, and there are about a million pictures and videos of your daughter at the park running around with the sweetest smile on her face.
âThis oneâs my favorite,â Melissa sighs with content as she lands on a selfie of the three of you. Ellie was in her favorite lavender shirt, Melissa was wearing that salmon colored shirt you adore, and you were in your overalls looking exhausted but filled with so much joy.
âI look like a mess,â you roll your eyes.
âDo you remember that day?â
âYeah,â you chuckle. âThat was while we were moving in and I was at the end of my rope.â
âMomma! Please!â Ellie had pleaded with you, but you were in no mood to go out into the world after an afternoon of lugging all of your things across the hall or down to the storage unit a block over. âPlease! I just want to go to the park!â
âElizabeth,â you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose with your thumb and forefinger. âI already said no.â
âBut please! I just want to play with you!â
âElizabeth, you are on thin ice,â you warned, but she didnât relent, and that finally got you to blow over. âElizabeth Ruth! To your room, now!â
Your little girl, never used to being reprimanded, immediately burst into tears. And something inside of you broke too. Melissa came out from where she was rearranging her closet to make room for your things at the sound.
âWhat- whatâs happening?â she asked as she lifted Ellie onto her hip and guided you to the couch.
âMomma- Momma yelled at me!â Ellie wailed into your girlfriendâs shoulder.
âI- I didnât mean to!â you had cried right back into her other shoulder. âI- This has all been so hard, and Iâm exhausted, and I just donât have the energy to take her down to the park today!â
Melissa blew out a breath. This was all over going to the park?
âMomma telled me to go to my room, but I donât even have a room yet!â your daughter whimpered.
âIâm sorry, El,â you apologized. âIâm sorry I lost my temper on you⊠that was not okay.â
âItâs okay, Momma,â your little girl forgave you quickly as she sniffled the last of her tears away.
âWhy donât we do this,â Melissa started. âIâll take El down to the park and play with her while you get a nap in?â
âN-no,â Ellie shook her head into the redheadâs neck. âMomma said no.â
âGo,â you whispered. âTake her, have fun, and Iâll be in a better mood when you come back.â
âR-really?â your little girl peered at you from her place in Melissaâs lap. You nod, but your daughter doesnât make any moves towards the door.
Eventually, with lots of promises that it really was okay, Ellie went with your girlfriend out the door and towards the park.Â
You relaxed into the cushions of the couch, but you felt absolutely terrible for snapping at your child. So, about ten minutes after they leave, you too headed down to the park.
You stopped at the coffee shop down the street from your house, and you grabbed your girlfriendâs favorite, your drink, and a lemonade for your little girl. You found them almost as soon as you entered the gated area of the playground, and Ellie was giggling with glee as Melissa pushed her on the swing. Your daughterâs eyes lit up at the sight of you.
âMomma!â Ellie squeaked as she pointed at you.
Melissa turned in your direction, slightly confused. âBabe?â
âI thought I should come down,â you told them. âIâve been so high strung lately, and I figured maybe I should just come down and spend a nice afternoon with my girls.â
âReally?â Ellie squealed as she continued to swing.
You nod and take a seat on the playground equipment next to her. You started to pump your legs, and soon you were in sync with your daughter. Melissa just chuckled as she continues to push Ellie.
âMomma! you never swing with me!â
âThatâs because Iâm always the one pushing you while Mel takes videos,â you laughed. And when you looked over, Melissa was indeed filming you both swinging.
It was a bit before you got off the swing, and the three of you ended up finding a nice little patch of grass that you could settle on. Ellie sipped on her lemonade while you drank your coffee. Melissa pecked your cheek before pulling out her phone and holding it out in front of her. She snapped a picture of the three of you, cheeks kissed with the sun and high on life.
âThat was a good day,â she smiles softly. âIt was so nice seeing you just be free for a little bit.â
âWe should do that again soon,â you tell her quietly as you sip on the wine in your glass.
The two of you go through her pictures, reminiscing on all of the good times.Â
âDo you remember this one?â she asks you as she shows you a picture of you and Ellie dozing on the couch.
âOh god,â you groan. âI was exhausted that day.â
You donât know what hit you, but the kids wore you down that day. And after school, you collapsed onto the couch and pretty much refused to move. Melissa started on dinner for that night while Ellie curled up in your lap and started to drift off too.
You only woke up when your girlfriend snapped a picture of you, trying to be sneaky.
âDammit,â she mumbled as the shutter sound rang out from her phone.
âDid you just take a picture of us?â you asked as you blinked awake.Â
She shrugs. âYou guys are just so cute. I canât help it.â
Eventually, the two of you head into your bedroom, and you fall asleep against your girlfriend rather quickly. But sleep doesnât come easily for Melissa. Sheâs reminiscing on the time that sheâs spent with you. All of the good, the bad, and the ugly. She remembers the first time she told you that she loved you.
The two of you had a night to yourselves, your parents offering to watch Ellie so you could spend some quality time together.
âThis was really nice,â you smiled at her as she drives through the city to pick up Ellie.
She nodded and brought your hand to her lips. âItâs always a nice time with you⊠I love spending time with you.â
âI do too,â you whispered as you leaned over the middle console to kiss her cheek.
She pulled up to a stop light and turned her head to kiss you gently.Â
âHoney, why are you stopping? You never stop,â you ask.
âBecause I want to look at you when I tell you, I would even say⊠that I love you.â
Your eyes went wide. âWhat?â
âI love you,â she said again, just as softly and just as genuine as the first time.
You couldnât help but kiss her again. âI love you too,â you mumbled against her lips.Â
She remembers the first time the two of you had made love. You were beyond nervous, claiming that you were in no shape to be seen naked after having Ellie- that itâs been too long since youâve been with someone knew- your only body was Jared. She didnât care- she worshipped you that night.
She remembers the night that she met you. She can still see her first glance at the two of you in her mind. You looked beyond stressed, Ellie was in meltdown mode, and yet she somehow still knew that the two of you would become two of the most significant people in her life.
She remembers all of the good, and all of the bad. How you get giddy at the sight of her. How her heart broke for you when you would cry over your failed marriage. The way that you celebrated the case against Jared. That time that you had your doubts in the relationship and tried to run away, only to come falling into her arms that night telling her that you were terrified of giving someone your heart again, only for it to be shattered- she promised you that she would never, ever do that to you.Â
She reminisces about it all, and by the time that sleep takes her sheâs decided that she is indeed going to ask you to marry her⊠so long as Ellie is okay with it. You, and your little girl, are worth everything to her.
Love Thy Neighbor one shot where ellie calls mel mom for the first time in front of all the abbott family, maybe she gets sick at school and calls for her mom and when reader and mel show up she refuses to got with reader and they realize itâs mel sheâs talking about
bestie. i got you.
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10. Part 11. Part 12.
Title Change
WC: ~2.65k
Every year, right around the holidays, Ellie gets sick with whatever is running rampant through the school. And every year, you absolutely dread that time. It could be just the stereotypical, run of the mill fever, but it could also be the flu, a stomach bug, strep throat, pneumonia, pink eye⊠the worst was right before you moved out of Utah and she ended up with croup and in the hospital overnight. Youâre pretty sure youâll never be able to get the images or sounds from that experience out of your head. Seeing your little girl down for the count is so hard for you, and it doesnât get any easier as she gets older- sheâs still the same little love bug that you remember fussing over when her temperature ran a bit too high for your liking and she would fall asleep at a momentâs notice on your chest.
This year, she gets sick without fail, although you hate to admit that neither you nor your girlfriend had picked up on it when you brought her with you to school today. Her cheeks were a bit rosy this morning as you walked into Abbott, yes- but this December has been particularly cold so far and she had insisted on running around in her t-shirt and shorts this morning despite the fact that the living room was a crisp 65 degrees this morning when you woke up. And then on top of that, you were running a bit late and didnât get your usual parking spot close to the front of the school.
Your little girl had been adamant that she stay attached to Melissaâs hip while the three of you sat in the staff lounge before everyone else comes in, which is not an uncommon occurrence. Itâs warm and peaceful until Janine comes in with cookies for her students, and inevitably one for your daughter. Ellie begs you to let her have it, and you chuckle before relenting. It turns out that was the last think she needs because sheâs running circles around the shorter second grade teacher within five minutes. Thankfully though, the time comes where the child high on sugar is no longer youâre problem- sheâs now her teachers problem. The two of you walk her down to her first grade classroom before the rest of the kiddos trickle in.
âBe a good girl today, little miss,â you crouch down and open your arms.
Ellieâs arms are around your neck and squeezing you tight. âI always am, Momma.â
âI know, but Iâm just reminding you,â you chuckle as you kiss her forehead. Itâs a bit warm, but nothing that is too alarming. You release her, and itâs your girlfriendâs turn.
âLove you, kiddo,â Melissa embraces your daughter.
âI love you too,â the seven year old sighs as she rests her head on the second grade teacherâs shoulder for a few seconds. And then sheâs bouncing into her classroom and greeting her teacher with the gusto that only a little girl who had a cookie at seven in the morning could have. You and the redhead chuckle as you watch before you loop an arm around your girlfriend and walk down to your little corner of the hallway.
âDid she feel a little warm to you?â Melissa asks you quietly.
You shrug. âA little, but she was also running circles around Janine not five minutes ago.â
âI guess,â she says softly. âI just know you said she always gets sick right before the holidays, and with everything going aroundâŠâ
âGod,â you groan. âIâve had five kids out at the minimum everyday this week. Iâm praying to God Ellie doesnât get sick for break.â
âKnock on wood,â Melissa sighs as she knocks against her door. âBut if she does get sick, weâll be here for her.â
âUntil I get sick with it too because she insists on laying on me,â you quip quietly.
The redhead kisses your temple. âAnd Iâll be here to take care of you.â
âItâs still insane to me that you havenât been sick in over ten years.â
âItâs one of the few benefits I get for being in this germ breeding ground for so long,â Melissa chuckles.
Your kiddos come in and start on their morning work, and all is fine and normal until your classroom phone starts to ring. Thatâs unusual. Nobody ever uses the classroom phones because your crew will just call or text your personal phone, or theyâll just make the trip down to your end of the hallway. Honestly, the only people who really use the classroom phones are⊠the nurses.
âHello?â you answer, and you pray to God itâs the nurse calling about the student that you had just sent down to the nurseâs office five minutes ago. But June comes walking back into the classroom right on time to confirm that this phone call isnât about her.
âHey.â Itâs Ellieâs teacher.
âHey, whatâs up?â
âI just wanted to call and ask if Ellie was feeling okay when you brought her into school today?â
You exhale a heavy breath. âShe was running around the apartment this morning singing Frozen and ran circles around Janine in the lounge this morning, so I would say so. Why?â
âPoor thingâs been shivering at her desk for the last twenty minutes while weâve been doing word work,â your coworker says quietly. âI asked her if she had a sweater with her, but she said she left it with you.â
âSend her down,â you tell the woman.
âWill do,â the first grade teacher nods into the phone. âThanks.â
Ellie appears in your doorway a few minutes later. Your third graders immediately start cooing over how adorable she is.
âHey, baby girl,â you smile at her from your place at the front of the room. âCome to get your sweater?â
She nods before coughing a bit. You frown a bit, the lines in your forehead etching their way into your face. You tell your students to work through the next math problem while you attend to your little girl.
As you help her pull on her sweater, you whisper to her, âYou feeling okay?â You press your hand against her forehead, and then her cheeks, and then her neck. She does feel warmer than she had earlier this morning.
âJusâ cold,â Ellie mumbles.
âOkay, baby,â you sigh softly. âWell, you tell your teacher if you arenât feeling well, and I can always take you home, yeah?â
âIâll be okay, Momma,â your daughter tells you. âIâm tough like⊠like Mel.â
You chuckle a bit before kissing her head. âOkay, sweetness. But still, if you arenât feeling well, thatâs okay.â
âMâkay, Momma,â you little girl sighs as she holds her arms out to hug you. âI love you.â
âI love you too, little one,â you whisper as you kiss her still somewhat chubby cheek. âHead on back to class, and Iâll see you at the end of the school day, okay?â
She scampers out of the room, happy to have that extra layer on. Ellie really is going back to her classroom, but as she passes Melissaâs door, she canât help but stop in the open doorway.
Your girlfriend raises her brows at the sight of your little girl. âHey, El. Whatâs going on?â
âI had to get my sweater from Momma, but then I was passing your room and I wanted to say hi,â Ellie smiles bashfully from the door. âCan I come in and give you a hug?â
âOne quick one,â the redhead sighs dramatically as she opens her eyes wide. Your daughter knows she isnât one bit annoyed with the big grin that your girlfriend is wearing. âBut then you have to get back to your room.â
âI know,â the first grader says as she runs into the room and into Melissaâs arms. âQuick snuggle, and then back to Miss Smith.â
âRight. Good girl,â Melissa praises your daughter before releasing her from the hug. âIâll see you at the end of the day, okay?â
Ellie hums her response before stretching on her toes and kissing the second grade teacherâs cheek. âLove you.â
âLove you too, El.â
âI know!â your little girl grins as she skips out of the room and heads back for her own classroom.
By the time lunch rolls around, you still havenât heard anything from your daughterâs first grade teacher or the nurses, so you assume that Ellie really is just toughing it out until you all get home for the night.
âHey,â you greet your girlfriend sitting her place with a kiss to the temple. âHowâs your day going so far?â
âI had a little visitor today,â Melissa chuckles.
âOh?â
âEllie came in wanting a hug after she got her sweater from you,â your girlfriend smiles. âSheâs lucky sheâs cute.â
âDid she feel warm to you?â you ask her the same question she asked you this morning.
âI asked you that this morning,â Melissa rolls her eyes. âBut yes, why?â
âSmith called asking if El was feeling well while I was teaching math and told me that she was shivering for the entirety of their word work time.â
âPoor thingâs probably getting sick,â the redhead sighs as she brings a forkful up to her mouth.
You hang your head. âGreat.â
âAt least it isnât during break that sheâs going to be sick,â Melissa tries to comfort you.
You nod. âI guess, but I hate seeing her like-â
âI want Mommy!â you can hear your little girl before you can see her. You raise a brow at that though- she never calls you âMommyâ. Youâve always been âMommaâ, from the time that she was born. The staff room door whips open, and there is a wailing Ellie with snot running down her face as she clings to her first grade teacherâs hand. âI want Mommy!â
âY/N, Iâm so-â Miss Smith tries to get out.
You shake your head, refusing her apology- you know how your daughter can get when sheâs not feeling well, and itâs quite clear to you now that Ellie is under the weather. You rush over to her and crouch down in front of her.
Melissa raises her brow, and she contemplates making her way over. But youâre always so good with your daughter, and you she figures that you have this one handled.
The rest of the Abbott crew makes their way in, sidestepping around you to get to their own spots. But of course, Ava stops in her tracks.
âWhyâs your kid so snotty?â
âAva,â you scold.
The principal shrugs and bypasses you to get to the coffee machine.
âI want Mommy!â Ellie continues to wail.
You open your arms for your sick little girl to fall into. âMommaâs right here, baby. Iâm right here.â
âI want Mommy!â the child refuses and goes so far as to stomp her foot in frustration. That action is not something you would usually condone, but you let it slide just this one time. God, is she so sick sheâs delirious and doesnât realize that youâre right in front of her?
âSweetheart, Iâm right here,â you whisper and you reach out a hand to brush away a few of the hairs that are in her face. You pull your sleeve over your hand and wipe the snot away from her face. âMommaâs right here.â
âI want Mommy!â Ellie shrieks again as the tears pour down her face.
You run a hand over your face before pulling her into your arms. You lift her onto your hip and hold her as she cries, offering the rest of the staff an apologetic look for the commotion your daughter is causing.Â
âMommyâs here, baby,â you sigh softly. You take your seat back next to your girlfriend as you try to soothe your daughter enough to be able to take her through the halls to gather her things to head home for the day.
Melissa reaches a hand over and starts rubbing circles on Ellieâs back in hopes of helping to calm her down. At her touch, your little girlâs head pops up from its place on your shoulder, and she immediately reaches for the redhead.
Your girlfriend pulls Ellie into her lap and holds her, rocking her gently.
âMommy,â the little girl whimpers as her cries and wails turn into soft sniffles.
Everyoneâs eyes in the room, including your own, go wide. Melissaâs jaw drops, and she looks to you.
âWhat was that, baby?â you ask softly.
âI telled you and Miss Smith that I wanted Mommy,â Ellie mumbles as your girlfriendâs warm touch and gentle rocking starts to lull her to sleep. She starts to lazily play with the red curls that are within her reach as her eyes flutter shut. Sheâs snoring softly against Melissaâs shoulder within minutes.
The silence that has washed over the staff lounge at Ellieâs words is finally broken when the redhead asks softly, âDid she- did she call me âMommyâ? Am I âMommyâ?â
âI think she did,â Barbara smiles from her place.
âWow,â Melissa whispers as she looks down at the little girl in her lap. âWow.â
You also whisper your shock and surprise.
Those green eyes that youâve fallen in love with look into yours seriously. âAre you- how do you feel about that?â
âHonestly?â you ask quietly.
She nods.
You smile softly, a bit sadly. âI wish it didnât take her being ridiculously sick for her to call you that⊠but it feels so right.â
The second grade teacher takes one hand off of Ellieâs back to take your own. She squeezes it gently with tears in her eyes.Â
âSorry,â she chuckles as she wipes at her eyes. âI didnât think I would get so emotional over this.â
You chuckle softly, as does Barbara.
âWell,â the kindergarten teacher looks to the two of you expectantly. âLittle Ellie needs her Mommy and her Momma to take her home and look after her.â
You glance to your girlfriend, and she nods without hesitation.
âEven if Ava and Mr. J are our subs?â you double check.
âEl needs us,â Melissa tells you firmly. âI donât care who is with our kids as long as weâre with Ellie.â
âIâll get everything together if you want to stay here with her?â you ask.
She nods. âYou know where my sub plans are?â
âOf course I do,â you laugh softly as you stand. âJust give me like fifteen minutes, and then we can head out.â
When you return back to the staff lounge, Melissa is still holding your little girl close to her heart and humming softly while glaring at everyone else, daring them to make noise and wake the Ellie.
âHey,â you lug your bags, your girlfriendâs bags, and your little girlâs backpack in as quietly as you can. âWeâre good to go.â
She stands from her place, still managing to keep Ellie asleep on her. Youâre both able to get her in the car and back into the apartment while she naps, and once the little girl is settled on the couch and still asleep, you take Melissa into the kitchen. You wrap your arms around her neck and look her in the eyes.
âI love you,â you whisper as you press your foreheads together.
âI love you too,â she tells you quietly. âAnd El.â
âYouâre so good with her,â you tell Melissa softly. âSo good.â
She hums before kissing you gently.
âHow do you feel about being âMommyâ?â you ask your girlfriend.
Your girlfriendâs eyes well with tears again. âLike Iâm on top of the world⊠that little girl of yours⊠wow.â
âThat little girl of ours,â you correct her. âOurs.â
As if Ellie knows the two of you are talking about her, she whines out from her place on the couch. âMommy! Momma!â
Motherhood never stops, and the two of you head into the living room to hold your daughter together.Â
NO SHIT? OH MY FUCKING GOD?? I CAN'T BE LEFT ALONE AFTER READING THE CLIFFHANGER đđ
Love Thy Neighbor- pt 11
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Part 10.
Summary: the aftermath of Jared's... lovely... reappearance in your life.
WC: ~2.4k
Ellie is all too excited as she eats her breakfast, wiggling with glee, as she tells you about how good she was for your girlfriend during church and how she was so surprised to see her father with you at the coffee shop.
You do your best to remain present with everything that your daughter is saying, but thatâs proving to be hard when the ten minutes that Melissa requested for were up and she wasnât knocking at your door. She was almost never late when she told you she would be to your apartment in a given amount of time. Itâs also particularly hard to keep your focus on your daughter when your abdomen is absolutely on fire. You choose your eyes are a particularly bad cramp tears its way through your body, and when you open them Ellie is watching you curiously.
âAre you okay, Momma?â
You nod and smile at her with as much sincerity as you can muster up at this given time. âIâm okay, baby. Just bad cramps. You know how sometimes they like to sneak up on me.â
Your little girl nods in understanding, and you quietly pray that she isnât also cursed with terrible PMS like you are. âShould I get Miss Mel?â
âItâs okay, hun,â you chuckle. âMomma can handle herself.â
âCuddles will help?â Ellie suggests.
You roll your eyes at her suggestion. âOf course they will. Ellie girl cuddles always fix everything.â
âI know, Momma!â Your daughterâs eyes light up and she beams at you as though she had just figured out how to make pigs fly. She pulls you to the couch and forces you to recline back before she curls into your hold.
âOh wait!â she pops back up and heads into the back hallway for a few seconds before you see her coming back out with your heating pad. She hands it to you with a shy smile.
You kiss her head softly, eyes welling with tears at her thoughtful consideration. âThank you, sweet girl.â
You plug it in and press it to your stomach before she settles herself next to you again.
âI love you, Momma,â she whispers.
âI love you too, little girl,â you tell her. âI will always love you, no matter what. My sweet, strong girl.â
She grins at you toothily. âI know I telled Daddy Mel was my favoritest person in the world⊠but I think I lied.â
âOh?â you look down at her.
âItâs you,â she says softly as she snuggles into your side before reaching for the remote and turning on the television.
âYouâre my favoritest person in the whole world too, my little love bug,â you promise her with a kiss to her beautifully braided hair (thanks to Melissa).
Only once youâve relaxed just a bit with the warmth from both the heating pad and your daughter does your bodyâs fight or flight response quit and you realize just how much it took out of you to confront your ex-husband. After only a few minutes of watching the Disney movie Ellie chose to watch, you end up dozing.
Dozing is a phrase to be used lightly, because when you wake up again, your little girl is no longer in your embrace, the heating pad has been switched out for a hot water bottle, and an entirely different Disney movie plays on your television than the one you had fallen asleep to.
You blearily open your eyes, and you can smell something on the stovetop that can only be a product of your girlfriend. Groaning as you stand and keeping the hot water bottle in your clutch, you make your way to the kitchen where Melissa has Ellie on her hip as she stirs whatever contents are in the pot.
You watch the two of them with soft and loving eyes for a few seconds before pulling out one of the barstools and making your presence known.
The redhead turns around at the sound. âHey. When I came in you were asleep, and I knew El would be getting hungry soon.â
âIâm helping Mel make chicken noodle soup!â your daughter squeals from your girlfriendâs hip.
âYou are,â Melissa kisses Ellieâs cheek before setting her down. âWhy donât you go grab the celery from my apartment, little miss?â
The little girl nods excitedly before racing off.Â
The woman shakes out her arm and cracks her hip. âI think I need to pull up a chair for her next time⊠sheâs getting a little too big for me to cook and hold her at the same time.â
You chuckle softly at her. âYeah. Sheâs growing up before my eyes.â
âHowâre you feeling?â the redhead asks as she makes her way over to you.
âLike Iâm being stabbed repeatedly in the uterus,â you tell her. âThank you for the hot water bottle, by the way.â
She frowns. âYou felt okay enough to go meet your husband though.â
âEx-husband,â you correct.
âYou still met him,â your girlfriend reminds you.
You sigh. âI did.â
âYou lied to me,â she says dully, and you can hear the way that sheâs trying to hide her hurt feelings.
âI didnât lie to you, Mel,â you tell her. âI really donât feel great.â
âWhy didnât you tell me you decided to respond? That you were meeting with him?â she asks, and you can tell sheâs trying to keep her temper at bay.
You bite your lip. âBecause I knew you would get all protective, and I can handle myself when it comes to him. Besides, I didnât think that he would be such an ass⊠I was kind of hoping he would just hand me a check for the child support he owes me and we would go our separate ways.â
âDid he?â
You huff. âNo. I told him that if I didnât have the money in hand by the end of the month that I would get a lawyer. I was going to storm out when I ran into you two.â
Melissa just nods thoughtfully before Ellie comes running back into your apartment with the requested vegetable in hand. âThank you, sweetheart,â your girlfriend smiles. âGreat job. I think I have it from here because itâs just chopping up the celery and letting everything simmer, so why donât you go play in your room while I take care of your momma?â
Your daughter beams at the praise and nods before raising her arms. Of course, your girlfriend obliges and lifts her onto her hip. Ellie presses a quick kiss to the redheadâs cheek and squeezes her gently before wiggling to get down again. She then comes to you and carefully winds her arms around you. And then sheâs off giggling to herself about whatever make-believe game she was planning on playing.
Melissa chops and dices the celery quietly and deep in thought before throwing it into the pot.
You finally break the tension. âMel, Iâm sorry I didnât tell you.â
She turns to you at that. She just shrugs. âWhatever.â
âHoney,â you sigh as you shuffle off of the barstool. You stumble slightly.
âHey,â she catches you quickly. âTake it easy.â
âIâm sorry,â you whisper as you wrap an arm around her waist. âIâm really sorry. I didnât mean to lie to you. I didnât mean to make you so angry at me that you needed time to yourself to calm down after we got home.â
She takes a deep breath as she guides you back to your chair. âHun, Iâm not gonna lie⊠I wasnât pleased to see you out and about, especially with him.â
âI know,â you mumble.
âBut I get why you did what you did,â Melissa tells you gently. âAnd I ainât mad⊠not anymore.â
You sigh a breath of relief.
âI told you I needed ten minutes, and that ten turned into twenty while I found the ingredients to make you soup,â she lets you know. âI still came over, Iâm still taking care of you because itâs clear you really arenât feeling well⊠donât think I didnât miss the way you nearly doubled over in pain at the shop.â
You smile at her gently. âI donât know what I did to deserve you.â
She just rolls her eyes and kisses you softly. Then she tells you, âIf you need a lawyer to get the child support, I know a guy. Just let me know, babe.â
The next time Jared messages you, you tell Melissa immediately. You tell her so immediately in fact, that you accidentally interrupt her science lesson with the kids.
âMiss Y/N?â she raises a brow. âI am in the middle of teaching.â
âI know, I know,â you apologize. âBut justâŠâ you hand her your phone.
She glances at it before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. âWeâll deal with this later, okay?â
You nod. âSorry. Continue on with your lesson.â
At lunch, you settle down in the staff room while she heats up your lunches.
âSo, what are you going to do?â
âI guess take Ellie to the park today?â you shrug. âBut come with me?â
She taps at her phone before groaning. âI have a meeting with Tyroneâs parents, but Iâll meet you there after?â
You end up walking down to the park with your daughter as she tells you all about the different things she had done today in first grade.
âIâm so glad youâre loving first grade, baby,â you smile down at her as she swings your hand with hers.
âI do,â she nods seriously. âBut I do miss Mrs. Howard.â
âYou still see Mrs. Howard all the time when she hangs out with Mel.â
âSnât the same,â Ellie shrugs. And then when the two of you approach the park, she breaks out into the biggest grin at the sight of Jared.
âDaddy!â She drops your hand and runs for him. He lifts her up immediately with that sparkling smiles of his, and you catch up a few seconds later.Â
âThanks for letting me have this one, babe,â he smirks at you.
You glare at him. âDonât call me that.â
âYeah,â Ellie pipes up. âOnly Mel gets to call Momma that now.â
Jared looks to your daughter. âOh?â
âWell, they are dating,â your daughter shrugs. Then she focuses her attention on the swings. âPush me on the swings?â
He takes her over immediately and gives her a big push on the playground equipment. Ellie giggles with glee the entire time. Then she runs off to go play with a few of the other kids that have made their way to the park after school, and you and your ex-husband find a bench to sit on while you watch her.
âSo,â he looks you up and down.
You huff. âScrew off. Iâm only doing this for my daughter.â
âOurs,â he corrects.
You fire out, âIâm still waiting for my child support check.â
âAbout that,â he rubs the back of his neck.
âJared, I wasnât kidding when I told you that if I didnât have the money in hand by the end of the month I would sue your sorry ass.â
He raises his hands in surrender. âOkay, damn. Where was this fire when we were married? It makes you way hotter.â
âOh, eat my shit.â You turn your attention to where your daughter is running around playing tag. You can tell sheâs tiring herself out- at least sheâll sleep well tonight.Â
You donât bother to speak to Jared again until Ellie comes running over to you. She immediately climbs into your lap and snuggles up against you.
âMomma, Iâm hungry.â
âOkay, baby,â you brush a few of the flyaways away from her face. âWeâll start heading home so Momma can cook dinner then.â
âCan Daddy come?â
As much as you want to tell your little girl that he is not welcome in your new living space, the hopeful look that sheâs giving you is too much. âIf he wants to come, he can.â
Ellie grins up at you tiredly, and you stand with her in your arms. You start to make the trek back to your apartment complex with as much gusto as you can, but your daughter is getting heavy, and the Midol you took earlier in the day is starting to wear off. The severity of your cramps are getting stronger again, and you have to fight to keep the pain out of your face.
âHere,â Jared says softly. âLet me take her.â He lifts Ellie off of you and continues to carry her the rest of the way to your apartment.Â
During your walk, you text Melissa that your time at the park got cut short because Ellie was hungry and to just meet you at your apartment- that Jared would be there, and you expect her to play nice.
She of course texts you back that she just got out of her meeting, that she makes no promises, and asks if he handed you the child support money yet. You reply with a thumbs down, and she tells you that sheâll get into contact with her guy on the way home.
You unlock your door and have him set a now sleeping Ellie on the couch before making your way into the kitchen to start dinner. Instinctively, he picks up a knife and helps you to start cutting up the vegetables youâll need to make dinner.
It takes you back to when the two of you were married and cooking dinner together was considered your sacred time together. You wipe a tear away as you finish cutting up the tomato.
âHey, are you really in that much pain right now?â Jared asks you, softly⊠tenderly.
You just nod. He doesnât need to know that youâre in just as much emotional pain right now as you are in physical pain.
Your ex-husband takes you by the shoulder and guides you to one of the chairs at the table. He grabs the heating pad that you had left on the counter earlier that day and plugs it in before pressing it to your abdomen.
Just as heâs going to pull away, you hear the front door open again. You know itâs Melissa. And as she rounds the corner, Jared kisses you for her to see.Â
Tags (and lemme know if you wanna be included in this!): @schemmentis @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude @sapphicxrat @a-queen-and-her-throne @sunsol-22 @notinmyvocab @melanielaufeyson
> a/n: this got me staring at the wall for 4 hours đ i rlly don't know if this can compete with the first part
Contrary to popular belief that French people were extremely rude; Mr. Morton thinks that the lone French in their school have been nothing but nice and cheerful. Unfortunately, Mrs. Microft and most of the 7th to 8th grade teachers did not share the same sentiment. Thus, leaving them to tolerate the rude welcome and treatment of the senior teacher towards you, and that went on for the whole five years youâve been in Abbott.
âGood morning, Mrs. Microft!â You greeted the senior teacher with a smile. And although she paid no attention to your presence and your greeting, you maintained your composure and left your lunch inside the fridge, then went on with your day.
Yet, when you came back to the lounge for lunch, you found no remnants of your lunch; even the container was gone. Deciding to let this slide, like the other mistreatment you got from the senior teacher, you sighed and took your purse to eat lunch at the coffee shop near the school.
âDamn, Y/N. That is wild; I didnât think white racism would be prominent here; guess I was wrong.â Ava gave you a pat on the back while sipping her coffee. âThis coffee is also wild! Yâall gotta try this new coffee maker I got for the school!â
Barbara and Melissa gave Ava a look before giving you sympathetic glances. This made you roll your eyes at Ava. âStop looking at me like that; that was about three years ago.â
âIf yâall ever want to plot revenge, I got her address somewhere in my office. I ainât helping you look though,â said Ava, leaving all of you to think for reasons you havenât reported her to HR yet.
âIâm just glad she left; with no one to torment me now, maybe the other teachers will also treat me like a colleague.â You straightened your posture and gave a clap. The smile on your face was so contagious, it took Melissa turning her back to you and looking at Barb to hide her smile.
âDoubt that.â Mr. Morton always knew when to rain on your parade. His comment made Melissaâs face turn serious.
âAnd whyâs that, huh? Yâknow any more teachers thatâll torment French fry here?â Melissa tilted her head towards you while still looking at Mr. Morton. While the protectiveness was appreciated, you couldnât help but blush at the nickname that the redheaded teacher gave you. Ever since knowing that you were French, the Italian made it her daily routine to criticize your lunch, whether it was homemade or a takeout from the local French restaurant.
Sitting down on the nearest chair, Mr. Morton nodded and opened his lesson plan. âThat girl, new hire, Charity Microft.â
The hand supporting your face fell on the table with a bang, making Melissa and Barbara look at you incredulously. With your eyes as wide as saucers, you gave Mr. Morton a horrified look. âWhat do you mean, Charity Microft? As in, Charity Microft the girl I talked to you about? Or Charity Microft the successor of Mrs. Microft the she-devil?â
âBoth.â Letting out a cry, you hid your face from your âfriendsâ if you could call them that and huffed.
Janine, the ever-caring human that she is, caressed your back for a solid second before she saw Melissa giving her a glare, making her pull her hand away from you and whisper something to Jacob. Whatever Janine said, it made Jacob choke in fear when he glanced in Melissaâs direction.
As Barbara was about to say something to Melissa, the bell rang, making the kindergarten teacher sigh and give Melissa a look that said. âWeâll talk laterâ.
Nodding her head, Melissa stood up and pulled your arm. "C'mon, French fry, letâs get you to your classroom. Weâll talk later.â
Your âtalkâ didnât happen. In fact, Melissa left before you and Barb could even catch her. She only saw Ava before leaving with a grin.
âWhat do you mean she left flexing her arm?â
Sighing, Ava dropped her foot from the table and leaned forward. âLook, I ainât snitching why she left that way or why she went here before leaving.â
Huffing, you crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow. âAnd why is that, Ava?â
âSheâll beat my ass,â Ava said before shooing both of you out of her office.
Pursing her lips, Barbara turned to you and gave you a pat on the shoulder. âNow, I need to leave. My Gerald and I have a schedule at that French place you told us about. But after that, Iâll try to get a hold of Melissa, and then Iâll call you to tell you what I gathered.â Then she left, leaving you to contemplate whether to call Melissa on your own or wait until tomorrow. You decided on the latter.
Groaning, you stomped towards your Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250. Your mother harbored great disdain for your choice of vehicle, and your father was extremely happy when you told him you bought a bike rather than a car. He even went all out to message you every detail about riding motorcycles in America and how it differed from riding a motorcycle in France.
As you drove our normal route, you thought you saw Melissaâs car parked on the street a block away from you, but you shook your head and thought there was no way she lived that close to you. Parking your vehicle in front of your house, you jumped repeatedly, a tradition you caught on to because of your father back in France. Your father told you that jumping just outside your home left the awful things that latched onto you that day outside.
Stepping inside your house, you were greeted by your cat purring around your leg and nipping your toes to get your attention. Laughing, you gave your cat a pat on the head. âOkay, okay. Mommyâs going to give you treats once she gets out of these uncomfortable clothes.â
But you didnât get to change your work clothes. A knock souned through your house walls before you could walk into your room. "Oh, come on!â You stomped towards the door and pulled it open. âWhat do you want?â
âHey hon,â said a redheaded woman holding a baseball bat covered in shards of glass and red paint. What you hoped was red paint.
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9.
Summary: With your ex-husband in town, this is sure to be interesting.
WC: ~2.4k
Iâm in Philly this weekend. We should talk.
The good mood that you were in from waking up in your girlfriendâs arms sours at that text, and she notices.
âHey,â she whispers as she kisses your temple, also rolling out of bed. âYouâre upset.â
âIâm not,â you shrug. âIâm fine. Just⊠thinking.â
âAbout?â
âIt doesnât matter,â you sigh. âI should probably go check on El. You cominâ?â
The redhead nods and follows you into Ellieâs room, where sheâs playing on the floor with a few of her dolls.
âMomma! Mel!â she grins up at the two of you. Immediately, sheâs launching herself at you, and if either her or Melissa notice the way that you cling to your daughter only a bit desperately they donât say anything. You lift your little girl onto your hip and hold her close, smoothing down her wild locks and kissing her temple. Melissa follows suit, and she grins when Ellie kisses her cheek back.
âBreakfast?â your daughter looks to your girlfriend with those sweet eyes of hers.
âObviously,â Melissa chuckles. âAnd what does the princess want?â
âChocolate chip pancakes!â Ellie cheers. When you give her a look, she quickly adds on a, âPretty please!â
The three of you head for the kitchen, and while your daughter and your girlfriend mix the batter together and start heating up the griddle, you stare at your phone contemplating what you should do.
âPenny for your thoughts, hun?â Melissa breaks your trance as she sets a plate full of the breakfast food in front of you. Ellie comes bouncing over with the butter and syrup a few short moments later.
âWe can talk later,â you tell her softly. âWhen we take El to the park.â
Once you finally get Ellie ready for the park and get yourself ready, you head out. Melissa drives the two of you there, and as soon as she can, Ellie is running for the swings. You and your girlfriend walk hand in hand to find a park bench to sit on and keep an eye on your little girl.
âSo, what has my girl down?â the redhead asks you once sheâs sure your daughter canât hear her.
âJared texted me. Said heâs in Philly, and we should talk.â
Her face flickers through a few different emotions before settling on a neutral face. âAnd how do you feel about that?â
âHonestly? Like I never want to see him again, but I also have El to think about. He is still her father.â
âAnd he gave up his parental rights,â she reminds you. âWillingly, and without hesitation.â
âI know, I know,â you sigh as you set your head on her shoulder. âBut if he wants to reach out in order to stay in Ellieâs life, I cannot deprive my child of her father.â
âYou can,â she tells you.
âBut it wouldnât be right⊠especially because El⊠she loved her Daddy before everything got messy.â
âItâs up to you, hun,â your girlfriend says. âBut I would be cautious.â
âI know, I know,â you mutter.
Ellie has a blast at the park like she always does, but after about an hour sheâs running back to you with rosy cheeks and telling you sheâs sleepy. Melissa carries her back to the car, and in the short ten minute drive back to the apartment complex, she falls asleep in her carseat clutching one of the stuffed animals Melissa keeps in her car now. You lift her out of her carseat and hold her tightly as you make your way up to your apartment. You settle on the couch with her, still in your arms while your girlfriend heads for the kitchen.
âAre you good if I make eggplant parm?â she calls softly.
âThat sounds great,â you sigh out.
As she cooks dinner, humming quietly to herself, you continue to torture yourself with the pros and cons of texting Jared back. Ultimately, you tell him that if heâs serious, you can meet him for coffee tomorrow- preferably around the time when Melissa will be going to mass.
His response is almost an immediate one. So the two of you set a time and a place, and you know that come tomorrow morning, youâre going to have to make an excuse to your girlfriend as to why you canât join her for the church service tomorrow.
Ellie stays asleep up until Melissa calls in that dinner is ready. She clings to the redhead through dinner, claiming that sheâs warmer than you are. Despite Melissa trying to get her to stay with you (she knows you need Ellie to keep you grounded right now), your daughter insists on staying in her lap.
Your routine through the end of the night goes on as usual, and when you and Melissa finally lay down for bed, you have an awful pit in your stomach as you prepare to lie to her.
âI donât know whatâs happening,â you mumble with your head on her chest. âBut Iâm not feeling too great right now.â
âOh?â Melissa looks at you. âWhatâs goinâ on?â
âJust⊠cramps. Probably PMS.â
Sheâs immediately out of bed and grabbing some ibuprofen and the heating pad, and you feel even more guilty at your lie. Melissa is so willing to take care of you and love you through everything.
Youâre lulled to sleep with the extra warmth provided by the heat on your abdomen as well as your girlfriend gently combing her fingers through your hair and her soft humming.
The next morning, you wake up and you wish that you were lying to Melissa when you said that your cramps were awful- they really are. But you also know that this is going to be the perfect way to get out of going to the long church service with her, and you know sheâll take Ellie with her to let you ârestâ.
She does, and you stay in bed until they both head out. And then you run around like a maniac trying to make yourself look presentable to meet your ex-husband.Â
You arrive at the coffee shop you agreed to meet at, and heâs already sitting with two cups in front of him. You drop into the seat across from his, and he pushes one of the cups in your direction.
âHey!â he smiles at you, and itâs that damned charming smile that made you fall for him in the first place.Â
You stare at him for a few minutes in a steely silence. Why did you come here? âWhat do you want?â is all you ask him as you take a sip of the coffee in hopes of it soothing your nerves. You cradle your abdomen in hopes that your cramps begin to subside soon.
âDamn,â he chuckles. âI come all the way out here to meet you, and thatâs the greeting I get?â
âI didnât ask you to. What do you want?â you ask him again.
He looks a bit stunned that this is the approach youâve decided to take with him. Heâs so used to you being meek and mild, warm and gentle. âI just wanted to catch up.â
âIâm doing just fine out here, with my daughter,â you say shortly.
His eyes go soft. âHow is Ellie?â
âSheâs fine.â
âCâmon, Y/N,â your ex sighs. âListen, Iâm sorry about everything that happened.â
âYou should be,â you laugh bitterly. âYou broke apart our family, and for what? To go fuck someone newer and younger? Tighter?â you quote back one of his texts to Jen that you saw after you caught him in bed with her.Â
âY/N, I was an idiot,â he tells you. You nod with a smirk. âI came out here to tell you that I want us to get back together.â
âNot a chance in hell,â you snort.
âThen at least let me see Ellie,â he tries. âCâmon. You owe me that.â
âI donât owe you shit,â you tell him. âYou cheated on me, and then signed away your parental rights without hesitation. And Iâm still waiting for all of your child support money. So, I see it that if I donât have the money in my hand by the end of this meeting-â
âWhere is Ellie?â he asks quietly. âI was hoping she would be with you.â
âWith our neighbor,â you say. âNot that itâs any of your business.â
âYou left her with your neighbor?â he asks you incredulously.
You nod. âI did. I trust Melissa- my girlfriend.â
He raises both of his eyebrows at that reveal. âMoved on so quick?â
âYou moved on before you even took your ring off, so donât give me any fucking shit, Jared,â you hiss out. âBabysitter fucker.â
âI didnât realize you still swung that way. I thought I fucked the gay out of you,â he smirks.
âOh, eat shit,â you stand from your place and throw your hot coffee in his face. âDonât bother getting in touch unless itâs to fork over the child support. If I donât have it by the end of the month, I will be getting a lawyer.â
You head out to leave the shop, and who do you run into on your way out the door but Melissa and Ellie. Your girlfriend gives you quite the questioning look, considering you were sick in bed an hour ago.Â
âMomma!â your little girl shouts as she slams into your body to hug you.
You groan softly at the contact, but lift her into your arms and hold her tightly, praying she doesnât see her father. Melissa kisses you at the same time that Ellie gasps, points, and shouts, âDaddy!â
You close your eyes and give a face of pure defeat. You were just caught.
âEllie girl!â your ex-husband replies with the same amount of enthusiasm, and your daughter is wiggling her way out of your arms to run over to her father. He scoops her up into the biggest hug, despite the fact that heâs still covered in your beverage.
âYou came here to meet Jared?â Melissa whispers as she eyes the man.
You nod sheepishly before attempting to make your way over to the two of them. You have to stop about halfway there, gasping in pain as your stomach twists in knots. Your girlfriend follows, an arm wrapped around you protectively.
âDaddy, youâre all wet!â Ellie giggles.
âYou know Daddy,â he chuckles in the easy way that he used to with her. âClumsy, clumsy.â
âSilly Daddy,â your little girl playfully rolls her eyes and sighs dramatically.
âHow are you, little girl?â
Your daughter grins as she launches into her stories. âI love it here! I love school, and Momma and I go to the park all the time with Miss Mel like we are today!â she points to Melissa. âThatâs Miss Mel, and I love her. Sheâs my favoritest person in the whole wide world!â
You have to bite back a snort when you see the hurt expression on his face, and you beam when you see your girlfriendâs proud look. You donât even care that you arenât your daughterâs favorite person right now because at least it isnât him.Â
âAnd Miss Ellieâs favorite person in the world brought her down here to pick up some coffee and doughnuts for being such a good little girl at church today,â Melissa cuts in. âWhich I think we should do, what do you think El?â
The little girl absolutely beams as she remembers why theyâre here, and she runs for the redhead.Â
They head off towards the counter, and your eyes turn to stone again as you face your ex-husband.Â
âI donât know what kind of game youâre trying to play here, but quit it. Youâre not getting her back,â you hiss. You turn on your heel and make your way up to where your girlfriend and daughter are ordering.
âI already ordered your coffee,â Melissa tells you with a kiss to the temple. She readjusts Ellie so she can grab her wallet from her pocket, but before she can insert the card, Jared is there handing over some money.
âI got this one,â he says cooly. âFor my little girl, and my wife.â
Thereâs a fire in Melissaâs eyes, and before she can get anything out, Ellie pipes up. âYou and Momma arenât married anymore!â
Your mouth, along with Melissaâs and Jaredâs, form into shocked faces. Your little girl is right.
âBut thanks for breakfast anyway,â you laugh in his face. âBye.â
You hope that heâll just leave in anger, but he doesnât. Instead, he turns his eyes even softer and his voice even smoother. âWell, I was hoping that I could maybe tag along to the park to spend some time with my little girl who Iâve missed so much.â
Fuck. Now heâs using Ellie against you, and you know your daughter will beg you to let him come.
âI missed you too, Daddy,â your daughter whispers softly, but she keeps her hold on Melissa.
âNot today, sweetheart,â the redhead says quietly as she runs a hand through your daughterâs hair. âYour momma isnât feeling super well, so today is going to be an easy day.â
You nod along.
âMaybe another day this week then,â he shrugs. He isnât giving up. âIâm here all week for a work conference.â With that, he kisses Ellieâs head, kisses your own, and then heads out.
A tense silence washes over Melissa and you as you wait for your coffees to finish being prepared. Ellie just hums to herself softly as she lays her head down on the redheadâs shoulder and fiddles with the ends of your girlfriendâs hair.
Your names are called, you grab the coffees, and make your way out to her car- you silently thank God that you wonât have to take the Septa now.
No words are spoken between you and your girlfriend for the entirety of the drive home, and when you make your way to your apartment, she turns for her own door.
âYou arenât coming in?â you ask quietly, and you hate the way that your voice breaks.
âI need ten minutes,â she says scarily calmly. âTo change and collect myself.â
Fuck. Sheâs mad. Deciding that itâs best to give her the ten minutes sheâs requested, you unlock your own front door and take Ellie to the kitchen table to enjoy her breakfast.
Tags (and let me know if you want to be included!): @schemmentis @thesapphictimelady @marvel210 @itisdoctortoyousir @morgana-larkin @thesamesweetie @doesthatsuggestanythingtoyou @marvels--slut @gwennybriggs @megamultifandomtrashposts @nothere1111 @lemz378 @http-sam @melissaschemmentisbranzino @imaginesmultifandoms @sexysapphicshopowner @lilfartbox1 @maybe-a-humanbean @imlike-so-gaydude
Oh dear God, the kid's gonna have a meltdown đ I can feel it already
Love Thy Neighbor- pt 7
Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6.
Summary: You're sick after Ellie. Who is there to take care of you, but the woman that you've fallen in love with- and also your neighbor and coworker.
WC: ~1.75k
She kisses you back. Of course she does. But this time, when she pulls back, thereâs a look of panic on her face instead of yours.
âY/N,â she whispers.
âYouâre worth the risk,â you tell her softly, pulling her in again. âBut we should probably talk about all of this when Ellie isnât going to possibly wake up in our laps.â
She nods, but she doesnât make any moves to leave. The redhead instead wraps an arm around you and tugs you in closer, if thatâs even possible. Her hand gently finds its way around your waist, and she absentmindedly traces patterns on your hipbone while the other hand gently runs its way through your daughterâs hair.
You shift just slightly to lay your head on her shoulder, and thatâs when you feel a delicate kiss pressed to your temple.
Itâs been a while since youâve felt that. Your ex-husband used to do that all the time, but long before you had even caught him cheating (although you had an inkling) he had stopped that sweet habit of his. You take a shaky breath.
âYou okay, hun?â Melissa picks up on it immediately and looks down at you worriedly. She can read you like a book- sheâs always been able to. She could read you from the second she saw you in the parking garage trying to diffuse that meltdown from your daughter.
You nod. âJared used to kiss my temple a lot,â you admit quietly.
âI wonât do it again,â she tells you. âIâm sorry.â
You shake your head as you take another breath. âNo. I liked it⊠itâs just been a while since thereâs been any sort of romance in my life- itâs going to take getting used to again.â
âI understand,â Melissa whispers to you as she kisses your head again. âWeâll take it at your pace- just like we have been.â
You smile at her sadly. âThank you for being so wonderful. You didnât have to wait for me.â
âI didnât have to, but like you said⊠youâre so special. Worth the wait and all the risks in the world.â
When Ellie wakes up, she insists that Melissa stay with the two of you. So the redhead follows you into your room and lays down with both of you- the little girl sandwiched in between the two of you. She whines that you two arenât close enough for to lay on both of your bodies, forcing Melissa to get closer to you- so close that youâre hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder. Only then is your daughter satisfied and able to fall asleep with the help of your neighborâs soft voice singing Italian lullabies.
Once your little girlâs breath evens out, Melissa stops. She turns her head to look at you in the soft light that is trickling in from the moonlight, and she kisses you gently.
You wake up before your alarm feeling absolutely terrible- whatever Ellie has, so do you. You also wake up without your daughter on you. You poke your head up just slightly to see that your girl is now on the other side of your neighbor, curled into her tightly with the blankets up to her chin. And then you realize that your arm is slung around Melissaâs waist and holding onto her tightly. You let her go to roll onto your back- and then the sickness really does hit you.
How did you catch it so quickly? Ellie was hardly around you yesterday, instead choosing to be held by her new favorite person.
The cough that you let out is horrendous, and it wakes Melissa with a small jolt.
âSorry,â you rasp out.
She turns just her head, still holding your sleeping daughter to her chest. âYou caught it.â
âYeah,â you sigh. âBut Iâll be fine.â
âNo you will not be,â she rolls her eyes. âYouâll be staying home so you and your daughter can rest.â
âI donât have any sub plans, so I have to just make do,â you cough out.
Those green eyes are rolled again. âI have sub plans from last year. Iâll put them in your room, because you are not going into school today.â
âMel.â
She takes one hand away from around Ellie and lays it on your forehead and then on your cheek. âYouâre already burning up.â
âIâll be fine.â You go to sit up when a wave of nausea hits you, and youâre forced to lay back down. âHow are you not dying right now?â
âImmune system of steel,â she chuckles out softly. âI already told you that.â
The alarm clock in your room goes off, and Ellie opens one eye before curling into the redhead even more.
âI have to go to work, sweetheart,â Melissa tells her gently. âYou gotta let me up.â
âI go see Mrs. Howard?â your daughter asks sleepily.
The second grade teacher smiles softly. âNo, hun. Youâre gonna stay home with your momma today and get some rest.â
âBut-â
âCuddle with your momma,â Melissa directs her gently over her and into your arms. âShe isnât feelinâ too great either, so when I get home itâs snuggles and soup for both of you. Okay?â
Ellie hums and curls up against you. Melissa makes her way out quietly, but not before pressing a gentle kiss to your daughterâs head and then one to your own. Even in your sickly state, you canât help but smile softly. Youâre asleep with your little girl before she even leaves the apartment complex.
The next time you open your eyes, the clock is reading 11:30. Ellie is sitting up and playing with her dolls next to you quietly. She beams over at you when she sees that youâve finally risen.
âYou feelinâ better, baby?â you croak out.
She nods. âAll better!â That makes you smile- having a sick child is never fun. And, if sheâs feeling better today, the chances of you feeling okay or at least better tomorrow are much higher.Â
You manage to get yourself out of bed to make your child lunch, but even then itâs really only to heat up the soup that Melissa had made last night before laying on the couch.
Ellie plays with her toys on the floor before curling up with you and acting as your human blanket while she watches cartoons- you donât have it in you to entertain her with anything other than a screen right now.
The next thing you know, Ellie is quietly climbing off of you to open the door for no other than Melissa Schemmenti.
You peel your eyes open to see her making her way in.Â
âHowâre you feelinâ?â she asks you, although Ellie answers.
âIâm all better!â she grins a toothy grin. âBut Momma is not feelinâ good. She sleeped all day.â
âSlept,â the two of you correct her gently at the same time.
âWhy donât you come spend some time over at my place while we let your momma rest?â the redhead suggests gently.
Ellie nods eagerly before looking at you, but youâre half asleep again. Melissa takes it upon herself to just lift your little girl onto her hip and take her across the hall.
You only stir when your neighbor brings your sleeping girl back over.
âOh, god,â you groan. âIâm a terrible mother.â
âNo youâre not,â Melissa scolds you softly. âLet me just put her to bed, and then I can take care of you a little more.â
âBut she-â
âSheâs fed, sheâs in her pajamas and shouldnât wake up through the night because I had her use the bathroom a couple times before we settled on the couch, and sheâll be ready to go to school with me tomorrow if youâre still feeling under the weather.â
âYouâre the best,â you cough a few times as the redhead heads in the direction of your daughterâs room.
She returns a few minutes later, although she passes you and heads straight for the kitchen. She comes sauntering back in a few minutes later with a hot cup of tea for you, which you take gratefully.
âYouâre cute when youâre sick,â she notes softly as she sits next to your head. She pats her lap gently, and you move so youâre resting your head on her.
âNo Iâm not,â you laugh softly. âJesus, I feel like shit.â
âIâm sorry you still feel like crap.â She looks down at you with so much love in her eyes before pressing her warm hand to your forehead. âGood news is your fever broke.â
âThank God,â you mumble. âWho was my sub today, and were the kids okay?â
âAva,â the woman tells you. âBut they did great with her. I told them I would let you know how wonderful they were and that they definitely deserve a class compliment star.â
âThatâs so good,â you sigh softly as you sit up to sip the tea. You make a face. âI donât have honey?â
âI bought some on my way home today,â she waves you off. âYouâre gonna need it.â
âThank you,â you mumble as you lay back down.
The two of you watch television for a bit before the redhead can feel your breath evening out as you give back into your slumber. She glances down at you, soft smile appearing on her face as she realizes that sheâs the lucky one that gets to take care of you and Ellie. Knowing that she should probably be getting ready for bed herself, she gathers you in her arms and takes you back into your bedroom. She lays you down gently before pressing a delicate kiss to your temple and pulling the blankets up to your chin. You shiver and wake when sheâs turning away.
âStay?â you request softly, catching her by the sweatshirt sleeve. She turns back with a smirk on her face before crawling into the other side of the bed with you.
You curl into her, desperately searching for some sort of warmth- youâre still freezing your ass off despite having spent all day in a sweatshirt, sweatpants, two pairs of socks, and your robe tied around you tightly.
âYouâre still cold?â she raises a brow as she wraps her arm around you. You shrug. Before you know it, youâre asleep.
You wake up to Ellie whipping open the door. Her eyes are wide when she realizes that you and Melissa spent the night together without her.Â