Chapter Text
Eleanor laughs hysterically, a laugh that rings in Michael’s ears.
“What?” Michael asks, smiling uncomfortably. “Why are you laughing?”
Eleanor ends her laughing fit with a few short snorts, followed by a long and exaggerated exhale. “Michael you crack me up. Me and Chidi?” She begins to laugh again; this time Michael stops her quickly with a stern voice.
“Eleanor, I don’t see why this is funny, I’m telling you the truth. You and Chidi belong together. It’s been proven hundreds of times in my experiment.” He says, furrowing his eyebrows further.
Eleanor looks at him skeptically, still grinning with her classic cocky smile. “I really can’t see myself with that dork, Mikey. I mean, sure he’s ripped as hell and sure he’s the kindest guy I know; but I just don’t like him like that. He’s like, my best friend.”
Michael sighs, looking down with confusion. “It just doesn’t make sense. In hundreds of reboots you fell in love with him. He always helped you, no matter what, and you always fell in love with him. Maybe your feelings for him haven’t developed for him yet.”
Eleanor frowns. “I’ve known him for years, any feelings that could develop would've happened by now.”
Michael pinches the bridge of his nose, leaning back in the driver’s seat. Eleanor looks at him with pity, not knowing what to say. The two sit in silence; Eleanor can practically see the cogs turning in the demon’s head. He must be telling the truth, at this point he has no reason to lie (as weird as it is for the untrusting Eleanor Shellstrop to say); but for the most part, she knows herself. Sure, she hides her feelings, pushing them down to avoid rejection; but she’s not doing that. She isn’t even sure if she can be in love with someone, she crushes lots; but even with her longest lasting boyfriend she’s not sure if she could consider it love.
“Oh no.” Michael exclaims as he jumps from his seat, folding his hands in his lap. “Are you kidding me, Eleanor?” He says loudly at her, great frustration in his voice. Her blue eyes widen with surprise, his tone immediately putting her into fight mode.
“Woah, what’s your problem, you lunatic! You’re the one that’s trying to get me with my best friend!” She yells.
Michael rubs his temples. “I can’t believe this is happening. I must have somehow read the numbers wrong; miscalculated everything!”
“Can you please just tell me what you’re talking about?!” Eleanor shouts.
Michael sighs, trying to calm himself. “There was this one time.”
Eleanor looks at him with intrigue, though anger still rests on her face.
“There was this one time where you fell in love with Tahani.”
Eleanor softens a bit, and she can feel her heart drop. “What?”
“Well, throughout all the attempts, you always had an attraction to her; but it mostly remained aesthetic, being overrun by your feelings for Chidi. During attempt #218, I made her your ‘soulmate’, in hopes that your annoyance with her would do the torture on its own,” He stopped briefly to adjust his glasses. “but you two fell deeply in love, exactly the same you did for Chidi.”
Eleanor looked down at her lap, trying to process everything the demon just said to her. She swallows hard before speaking. “But- I’m not in love with Tahani either.” She says, a bit quieter.
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Then why isn’t the thought funny as being in love with Chidi?”
Eleanor looked at him, anger erupting inside her as the confusion with her feelings grows. “Listen, man, just stay out of my fucking love life. We’re doomed to hell anyway so why does it even matter?! Just drive.”
“Eleanor, please-“Michael tries.
“I’ve been through way too much today to begin thinking about any of this, just drive!” She says, folding her arms tightly and looking out the window. Michael stares at her, thinking that she resembled a toddler who didn’t get what she wanted.
And so, Michael drove.