out run my gun.

"Options are the spice of life." She grinned reminiscing. Frat boys, businessmen, and almost a dragon. You name it, she probably had it atleast once. And she was not ashamed of it for one second. 

He wasn't much following her flowing words, she'd long since lost him at getting a little sandy. There was no doubt in his mind that was a state he'd like to help her get to, preferably due to rolling around with his body on hers. 

"Thanks for the encouragement." She teased, taking his hand in hers and offering him the firmest handshake she hand in her arsenal. He was handsome, and also the first person to actually introduce themselves to her…Other than her creepy new landlord and the lady at the market who was trying to give her directions. Either way the day didn’t seem to be a complete bust yet. 

"Nice to meet'cha Leila James."

"I’ll think about it for sure." She ran a hand down his tie giving it a gentle tug as he kissed her. "I might need a mental health day to continue dealing with some of the idiots I work with. All for the good of our fair city." 

"That so?" 

"Nothing…" She said at first before taking a small sip, knowing that answer wouldn’t satisfy him. Her dad knew her, he knew when something wasn’t right. "Just thinking about why I chose to go to N.Y.U. it was so important to me to be able to come home everyday and be able to see everyone." She trailed off taking another drink, and now some of them aren’t even here. The words didn’t need to leave her lips, they were written all over her face. Her eyes shined that same shade of lonely that her mother’s did years earlier. She didn’t push back the hair that fell into her face when she leaned forward, it was stupid for her to be sad about it. They were bettering themselves and their lives and blah, blah, blah…It was their choice. Just like staying close had been hers. 

Now it all made sense to him, he hadn't been worried about how she'd take her cousin going to a university so far away because he'd been too busy being damn grateful that she wasn't following the same pattern. 

She stared at the spot where the bus once was with an overwhelming look of defeat on her face. “Yeah no it was not.” Bright blue eyes glazed over to catch his and sigh fell from her lips. “It has just not been my day.” 

He clicked his tongue in a way that could have been perceived as him implying it was tough luck, but in truth he was just agreeing with her. 

Yale. They went to Yale. They went to New Haven and she was stuck in New York and sure it could have been worse but it could have been a hell of a lot better too. She came home from her local school and dropped her bag into the arm chair before dropping down on the couch. There was no way around it…This sucked. Especially due to certain unanticipated events that had taken place in her life. She was lonely, and her comfort came in the form of a furry friend and a scotch bottle. It wasn’t what she wanted…But then again it wasn’t really about her. Now not, not ever. It just sucked, no matter what the positive sticky notes or motivational posters her mother left for her every day tried to tell her otherwise. 

The first thing he did when he walked into the room was lift the scotch bottle with an almost reverence to examine it. The good stuff, that was his girl. He placed it back down wordlessly, negating pouring himself a glass and refusing to parrot phrases that often made him furious. 

"How is my handsome husband today? Did you miss me?" She asked with a glow that leapt from her skin everytime he was around. "I missed you. And be nice to Ace, you seem to be his favourite." 

"Still handsome," Robert affirmed, a boozy smile on his face indicating that he wasn't clutching drink number one in his hand. He downed the rest, placing the glass on a stand in the hallway, freeing his hands so he could place them on her. 

"No. No. No!" Leila cursed running as fast as she could in her heels to try and catch the bus that had no intention of pausing for her. First day in a new city, and she somehow though this would be easier than driving. 

Robert couldn't help but snicker, almost dropping the cigarette from his mouth in the process. Shit. 

"I’m home!" She announced stepping through the door and hearing the scampering of Ace’s feet on the hardwood. "Is anyone here?" Leila asked before her attention fell to the dog. "I’m thinking Thai food for dinner, what do you think?" 

"I think I just fed that fucker and he's acting like he's been starved," Robert remarked as he emerged from the living room with a scotch in hand and a frown on his face as he kissed his wife's cheek. Damn dog. 

"Mmm, I don’t know." She the words out, looking over her shoulder at him. "I was hoping you would have some bright ideas." There was a slight grind of her hips, that anyone who walked in would think was just her adjusting. But in reality was it was completely intentional. "Maybe a walk around central park, or shopping?" 

Her action could have been perceived as accidental, had he not known her far too well by now. His hands moved to her hips, his grip loose. 

"I never want to think of the alternative." Leila stood up, offering her chair for him to sit. "I’m done for the day." 

He pushed himself from the table, taking her seat and taking her down with him shortly after. He nuzzled her neck affectionately before he kissed it, a mischievous grin on his face. 

"Oh honey you had me all along, we just didn’t know it until we needed too." 

"Least we figured it out, better late than never."

"I was thinking about New Years, and how when you really need to you can say the thing that makes me fall so in love with you all over again." 

Robert knew he wasn't the best with words, it would never be his strong suit but he was more thankful than anything that he could pull them out of thin air when they mattered the most. 

He remembered. The thought caused her to smile so big it actually started to hurt. “You do deserve a half-day.” Leila looked up at him, she was glowing. Happiness radiated from her like sunshine, and as she closed the last file she spun her chair to face him. “I was thinking about you today.” 

"Ya were?"