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Ella was exhausted, her feet dragged along the floorboards as her eyes threatened to shut every time she finished a paragraph. And yet even though her body craved rest she still had work to do, so she stayed awake no matter how dangerously close her eyes got to closing. And Gods were they getting close to closing. She just needed to stay up a little longer, just a little…
Her thoughts trailed off as she dozed off the voice of her friend bringing her back to the present. "Ella?" Bridget asked as the girl in question jolted awake "did I fall asleep? How long was I out?" She asked frantically as Bridget let out a sigh in disappointment. "About two minutes at most, but you really should get more. You look completely exhausted" Bridget told her, and she knew she was right. Unfortunately however, rest was a luxury she didn't have time for.
"I'm fine B, really. Besides, you make it all barable. I can stay up for days if it means getting to see your face." Ella stated, an exhausted giggle eescaping her throat at the way Bridget's face turned scarlet at the statement. "Cute" She mumbled returning to her assignment as Bridget struggled not to die on the spot, knowing Ella would barely remember any of this once she got a good nights rest.
Ella floated in and out of consciousness as she struggled to finish her stepsisters assignments. She always put more effort into theirs then her own because they couldn't have it appear as though a commoner could be smarter, nor just as smart as them. Which meant purposely docking her own grade as well as making sure all three of them got different questions wrong so as not to get caught cheating. "Maybe I could take over for a bit? Just long enough for you to get some rest." Bridget offered but Ella just shook her head tiredly. "Can't, it's late. You should sleep. Still got three more work sheets." She responded as Bridget let out a sigh. "I could make you some tea, it'll be be better than the four mugs of coffee you've drank so far" she tries again and this does seem to get her attention. "I could make your favorite, herbal green tea with honey and lemon just how you like it." Bridget coaxed and for a second she thinks she finally has Ella right where she wants her.
Ella considers Bridget's offer, she was really thirsty and Bridget’s Wonderland recipes were always the best. But then she remembered something that made her sleepily raise an eyebrow in suspicion, "this wouldn't happen to be the same tea you used to make me fall asleep the last time would it?" Ella asked eyeing her friend, who quickly started scratching the back of her neck nervously, knowing that she’d been caught. "What? No, of course not. What makes you think that?" She asked coyly as Ella suppressed a laugh, she really was a horrible lier. "Just a hunch" she replied "I'm good though, I'll just grab another coffee in an hour" she stated as Bridget sighed in defeat.
"Fine, but could you at least look at me? You've been staring at those papers all day." She whined jokingly as Ella let out a small chuckle deciding she might as well wish her good night when she'd realized her mistake far too late. Bridget was looking at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen frowning at the bags under Ella’s eyes in a way that made her want to kiss every one of her worries away.
"Please come to bed" she begged as Ella lost her grip on her pincel. She looked so sad, Ella would've done anything to make the look go away. Any and all objections were futile, she could never say no to Bridget when she looked at her that way. "Ella averted her gaze, her face burning as she let out a sigh. "Fine, fifteen minutes. Just promise to wake me up in fifteen minutes okay?" Ella asked as Bridget beamed at the compromise "mhm!" She hummed as she jumped out of bed to make room for her friend. The moment Ella’s head hit the pillow she was out cold, much to Bridget’s delight. She hated to see Ella work herself to the bone for those lousy monsters who considered themselves her step family. Ella had been going nonstop for three days this week and Bridget was starting to worry that if she didn’t get at least some rest soon she would fall out in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t help that Ella admitted to that happening once or twice before they met.
When Bridget was absolutely positive Ella wouldn't force herself awake like she normally did Bridget started inacting her plan. She kept the lights off as she brewed Ella some tea for when she inevitably forced herself awake at 3am thinking she was back at the manor with chores to do. Then she turned on a small lamp so that she could read over Ella, and her stepsisters assignments using her notes for reference. (Ella wasn’t the only one in honors courses after all) And she finished by looking over Ella’s to do list for the week. Erasing small chores she was able to do by herself so that Ella could get more sleep. By the next morning all of Ella’s assignments were finished, and her chores list seemed to half in size somehow.
She looked to Bridget for an explanation, but she just shrugged innocently scratching at her wrist. "Did you finish these?" Ella asked as Bridget shook her head "nope, I'm pretty sure you did last night while I was begging you to get some rest." She replied jokingly, hoping Ella didn't see through her. Ella looked to her in suspicion, she remember working on the assignments but she was so exhausted last night she couldn't even think of how she ended up in bed. Only that when she woke up, around four, Bridget had somehow already brewed her favorite tea. So Ella went along with it for now before turning to her to do list.
"And what about this?" Ella asked as Bridget once again feigned innocence. "What about it?" She asked as Ella shot her a look crossing her arms in a way that made Bridget want to come clean right then and there. "You and I both know it was longer yesterday" she stated as Bridget tried to hide something behind her back. Ella sighed holding a hand out for Bridget to hand over whatever it was that she was so obviously trying to hide. "Hand it over" she asked nicely as Bridget seemed to considered her options "please?" She added gently as Bridget returned the other half of her to do list with a pout.
"Were you planning on trying to do my chores for me?" Ella asked as Bridget nodded sheepishly in response. "That’s very nice, thank you. But that’s not your job" She explained as Bridget sighed "it's not yours either" she claimed angrily. "You shouldn't have to stay up for days on end because you useless step family don't know how to take care of themselves. If they were in Wonderland for every last one of them it would be off with their…"
"Bridget" Ella interrupted sensing the growing anger in her friend. Coaxing her back to their present with a gentle hand cupping her face as she pulled her into a soft kiss. "I know it's not fair but I promise I'll be okay, don't worry about me." She instructed as Bridget allowed her rage to dissipate thanks to Ella’s gentle comfort. "But I do worry Ella, I want to help you" she states "why won't you let me?" Bridget adds as Ella looks away from her with guilt.
"I don't want you to have to deal with these kinds of things. You're always so positive, and passion, and happy, and… you. I don't want to be the one to take that away." She admits as Bridget shakes her head "Ella, I want to do this. I want to be there for you, just like you're always there for me. Nothing is ever going to change that, wheather you like it or not because I love you Ella" she admits gently as Ella responds with a simple but powerful, "I love you too, Bridget."