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They’re on their way to get froyo, per Eleanor’s suggestion after Chidi had been agonizing over some lesson plan. She could tell he was desperately in need of a break before he gave himself a panic attack. He needed a stress free activity, something routine and relaxing to take his mind off his never ending efforts to keep her safe. At the very least, she owed it to him to help relieve his anxiety.
And walking to get frozen yogurt is supposedly an anxiety free task - she even told him she’d choose his flavor yogurt for him.
Or it was anxiety free, until Eleanor sees something that is definitely stress inducing. Not just for Chidi, but for the both of them.
“Oh, fork, it’s Bart and Nina,” she murmurs to Chidi, who’s strolling along at her right shoulder. She almost regrets telling him when he tenses up and glances at her frantically.
“What? Why ‘oh fork?’”
“They think we’re a couple, remember? We gotta make them think their weird couples-therapy-slash-attempt-at-erotic-massage worked!” An idea pops into her mind. “Here, I got it!
Eleanor grabs his hand, lacing their fingers together. His hand is warm, maybe a little sweaty, though she’s sure hers is too. But there’s an undeniable…rightness to the way their hands fit together. A sense of belonging. Maybe that’s just a side effect of the fact that she’s taking the place of his actual soulmate. His hands are much larger than hers, almost fully swallowing her fingers in his. As his fingertips brush against her knuckles, she suppresses a shiver, biting her lip and pushing past the strange wave of euphoria.
Clearing her throat, she says, “Here, let me do the talking. That way you don’t have to lie.”
Chidi lets out a breath. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing, nerd boy.” She smiles at him, and he smiles back. She holds his gaze for maybe a second too long, because he looks away awkwardly, waving to Bart and Nina, who are now mere steps away.
“Chidi and Eleanor! How nice to see you,” Bart greets as they stop, the two couples facing each other.
“Nice to see you, too,” Eleanor answers, only a little haltingly. Chidi smiles and nods.
“How have you two been doing?”
Eleanor squeezes Chidi’s hand in hers, a silent signal that it’s okay, to let her handle this. It’s oddly comforting to him. “We’re great! All thanks to you. I think your advice has really helped us click, you know?”
“Oh, I’m so glad to hear it!” Nina exclaims with a clap of her hands. “Say, would you like to join us for dinner tonight? Just as a way for us to repay you for letting us stay in your home.”
She and Chidi exchange glances, and two thoughts pass through her head. One is that maybe this is just another trick to get them into bed. Two, if they went to dinner, she and Chidi would have to pretend to be a couple again.
For whatever reason, the thought makes her hesitate. Just long enough to question herself, just long enough to consider why either of those things should even matter, why in the world they’re making her hesitate.
And she must hesitate long enough for Chidi to notice, because he steps in to answer for her. Even though she told him she’d do the talking, because she knows how nervous this makes him, he picks up on her falter and swoops in to save her.
Stupid, kind, gentleman Chidi.
“Unfortunately, we have plans tonight.” As he speaks, he rubs his thumb along her skin in soothing circles. She’s almost embarrassed by how much the soft touch eases the tension in her shoulders, a blush coloring her cheeks.
Ducking her head slightly, she glances at Chidi out of the corner of her eye, hoping he doesn’t notice. He’s still focused on Bart and Nina, paying them the full respect and attention a conversation partner deserves, but his thumb continues rubbing along her skin, and the warm feeling in her chest only grows.
Nina looks between them with a smile that seems a little too bright to be genuine. “Oh? What sort of plans?”
There’s a suggestive gleam in Nina’s eyes that makes Eleanor grimace inwardly, but she just smiles back politely. She’s prepared to lie to give the nosy woman an answer, but Chidi speaks before she can.
“I’ve been teaching Eleanor about philosophy.” Startled by his response, Eleanor glances up at him quizzically. Some of her nerves return as she wonders what he could be getting at with this answer. Why would someone who got into the good place need to be taught philosophy? It was way too suspicious.
But then he offers her a small smile of reassurance, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, and continues, “Actually, it’s because of you.” He returns his gaze to Nina. “We thought that maybe we could bond by sharing our interests with each other. And since I spent my whole life studying and teaching philosophy, it seemed like a good place to start.”
His gaze darts back to her, and there’s something soft there, something warm. She squeezes his hand in gratitude, and the tender look in his eyes swells. Unable to handle the implications of that, she tears her eyes away, blushing again. She feels his shoulder brush hers, and she knows for sure this time that her blush didn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh, well, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy I was able to help you two!” Nina clasps her hands in front of her, beaming at them with what is definitely a fake smile, Eleanor decides. What does she have to fake smile about, she wonders briefly. As far as Bart and Nina know, she and Chidi are just two other residents who totally belong here.
“Yes, really, we appreciate it so much,” Eleanor answers. Shrugging, she adds, “In fact, I’d say that was repayment enough! No need for dinner!”
Chidi nudges her shoulder and she shuts up, hoping that wasn’t too obvious. “Perhaps another time,” Chidi says politely, salvaging her poor attempt to expel any possibility of a double dinner date. Before Bart or Nina can respond he tugs her by the hand and makes a move to step around them. “It was lovely to see you both.”
“You too.” Bart leans forward, grinning at them. “Next time you won’t get away so easily.”
They both chuckle, forcing smiles before hurrying away. Eleanor lets out a sigh of relief once she’s sure they’re far enough away not to be heard.
“Thanks for that, man,” she says, bumping Chidi’s shoulder.
“Yeah, what happened there?” His tone is light, but she can sense a genuine question behind his teasing. “Thought you were a world class liar.”
Shrugging, she fixes her eyes on the ground, hoping he’s trusting enough that he can’t read her lie. “Just trying to build your character. You gotta get good at lying sometime.” He opens his mouth to refute her, but she cuts him off. “Now, come on, I want frozen yogurt!”
Marching to the nearest froyo shop, she pulls him along by the hand - which she’s still holding, for some reason.
Whatever. He’s not complaining, and neither is she.