Room With No Windows

While the desert probably hadn't been the best place to go with Ellie to space myself, maybe taking her somewhere where there were people could keep us behaved. That way we weren't alone and tempted to be all over each other.
I ask her if she'd like to meet the guys and see our studio.
Elsa beams at me. "You mean your band?"
"Yeah," I tell her as I rub Ruby's stomach on the couch. "I'm sure they'd love to meet you."
She giggles. "Well, better to meet them formally then have another one walk in on me or find me here."
I groan, recalling the incident with Eric. "Good point. And technically, you were the one doing the walking in. Wearing only a towel."
"I told you not to look," she mutters.
"And let Eric be the only one to get an eyeful? No way."
She scoffs at me, flinging a pillow across the room. "Pervert."
"That was weak," I laugh, tossing the pillow back to her. Elsa pokes her tongue out as expected. I return her mocking before patting Ruby on the back. "C'mon, girl. Upsy daisy."
She obligingly hops off my lap and I stand, facing Elsa. "Let's get going."
"But I'm not ready."
I give her a quick glance, looking up and down. She was wearing a white camisole beneath one of my flannel shirts, rolled up to her elbows. It was so long and loose on her that it flowed past her shorts by an inch or two. Her tousled light brown hair was in a messy bun to the side of her head. She had long eyelashes that she didn't even stylize with makeup.
"Yes, you are," I tell her, envious of her ability to always look so good.
Ellie pouts. "I look like a bum."
Smirking, I press my lips to hers before taking the bottom between my teeth. "You look like a babe."
She giggles, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Where's that respect you were talking about before, huh?"
"I stopped listening to my head," I murmur. My nose brushes against hers as I close my eyes. "Besides, I can't think properly around you."
Ruby whines by the door, eager to leave. I chuckle, giving Elsa a soft peck on the cheek.
We head on out before I changed my mind about getting out of the house.

"John! Where've you been, man?" Jared pats me on the back, chuckling. "It's like you've hid yourself from the world these past few weeks."
Ruby wanders off somewhere into the building, probably hoping to find Chewie, Jared's small dog.
I laugh. "Sorry. I've sort of had a guest." I clear my throat, gesturing to Elsa beside me. "This is Elsa. Ellie, this is my best friend, Jared."
They shake hands and she smiles sweetly at him. "It's nice to meet you."
He nods, grinning. "Likewise." Jare shoots me a sideways glance. "And, uh, you've been staying at John's?"
I roll my eyes. "Yes, she's staying at my place. Not at Peter's."
She chuckles. "If you're talking about the garage, then yes. It's pretty nifty."
I give a proud smile and Jared laughs. "I'm sure you're the only girl to think so."
Flipping him off when she's not looking, I guide Elsa into the studio, where the rest of the guys are gathered around laughing their asses off about something. They notice me and I greet them all, while introducing them to Ellie. She was extremely polite and quiet around other people, I realize; she was the same way with Eric the first time. And, well, the second time.
Pat and Garrett catch me up on what they've been working on. Kennedy was recording a guitar track for a possible song, and they thought a piano in the intro would go well with it.
Ellie insists on sitting by me while I mess around on the keyboard. I had to admit it was a bit hard to focus with her right beside me. Her closeness and her beauty was distracting.
"I wish I knew how to play an instrument," she sighs, resting her head on my shoulder.
"There's always the triangle," I tease. "Or the tambourine."
She sticks her tongue out and I snap my teeth, pretending to bite her. Elsa giggles. "Will you teach me how to play?"
I give her a measured look. "It's not like learning how to play checkers."
"But you can show me."
"You'd need lessons," I chuckle, running a hand through my hair.
She grins widely. "Good. First lesson starts now."
A small smile grows on my face. "Alright. I'll teach you the easiest scale. Okay?"
The truth was, I was mores skilled and more knowledgeable with the piano than I was with the guitar. I'd gotten lessens as a kid myself, and it was somewhat natural for me. Though I still sucked at reading music, I knew most of it by memory and by ear. But it helped to write the letter of the note on the keys, which made teaching Elsa that much easier.
I guide Elsa which keys to press to play a chord, and she catches on quickly. I encourage her to try the scale.
She makes it through the first three, then scrunches her nose when she reaches the fourth note.
"Like this," I say as I demonstrate, playing and singing the scale accordingly. "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do."
My voice cracks on the high note and she giggles. I chuckle. "Okay, so maybe not exactly like that. But try playing it. Relax your hands and let your ears do the work."
She shakes out her hands to loosen up her wrists before trying again. She goes up the scale, slowly but accurately. She guesses the last note and I laugh softly. "Here."
I rest my hands over hers, lining up our fingers and guiding hers to the right keys. I push down slightly, the chord vibrating quietly. I can sense the smile on her face without even looking at her.
Someone clears their throat. "You done in there, John?"
It was Garrett, flashing me a knowing smirk with the rest of the guys standing by the entrance. I hadn't even noticed they were watching.
That's just how it was when I was with Elsa; if we were together, it's like nobody else was in the room.

Once I've recorded my part for the song, I approach Elsa, stretching. "You ready to head out?"
She nods and takes a look around the room. "Where's Ruby?"
I raise an eyebrow. Where IS Ruby? I haven't seen her since we got here.
Pat and Kennedy enter and I turn to them. "Hey, have you guys seen Ruby?"
"Nah, man," Ken tells me with a frown. "Maybe she's outside in the back?"
I nod and walk past them to go check. There was a wide open space that we used as a 'backyard,' even though all it was was just dirt and dust.
"Ruby!" I call and whistle, sure she would hear me. "C'mon, girl, let's go!"
But there was no response or sign of her.
My stomach was starting to twist with doubt. Where else could she go?
Elsa comes up behind me, short of breath and scared. "I asked Jared, he says he hasn't seen her but...the front door is open."
I feel my eyes widen as I race through the building to reach the front, where the door was very much open. I clench my jaw. "Shit."
We go searching for her around the block while Pat remains in the studio just in case she returned. With every minute that passed, the panic rose higher and higher. Eric would never let me live it down if anything happened to Ruby. Hell, I wouldn't let myself live it down.
Ellie tries to calm me down, but there was still a sinking feeling in my stomach and I begin to hyperventilate.
"What if she's crossing the streets? Or if she got hurt?"
"She'll be fine, John," she assures me. "She's a smart dog, a good dog. If anything, She might already be back with Pat."
"I just, I-I don't know," I stutter, my hands slightly shaky.
Elsa frowns and takes my face in her hands. "Hey. It'll be okay, I promise."
My phone rings and I answer immediately. "Hello?"
"Found her dude," Jared announces. "She was down by the park."
"Thank fuck," I sigh in relief. "Take her back to the studio for me, we'll be there in a bit."
I end the call, staring at Elsa's smug face. "Told you so."
I roll my eyes, but give her a quick kiss, grateful. "Good thing. I was afraid I was going to have to dress you up and pin a tail on you to give to Halvo."
She laughs, glad I got my sense of humor back so quickly. I smile softly. "Thanks for worrying about me."
"No big deal," she says with a shrug. "You were worried, and I didn't want you to feel alone. I wanted to make you feel better."
I smile again at here sincereness and nod my head. "C'mon, it's time to take my girls back home."
"Your girls?"
I bite my lip, silent. I didn't really know how to follow up to that.

The 'ladies' seemed to be pooped after a long day, so I let them be, Ruby collapsing on her small rug while Elsa collapses on my bed in much of the same manner. Much to my amusement, they sigh in unison.
"You tired?" I ask, climbing in next to Ellie. She grabs her pillow and hugs it to her chest, nuzzling her face into it. "Mmhmm," she sighs as she throws a leg over it. That was one damn lucky pillow.
Jealous? Yes. Lucky? No.
My phone rings in my pocket and I fish it out to see it read 'Mother.' I raise an eyebrow, knowing I had my mom in there as just plain 'Mom.' Who was this?
I remember when Elsa borrowed my phone and I had to cover as her boyfriend, sort of. Her mom thought this was his number.
"Uhh, Ellie?" I mumble, showing her the screen. She looks up, her eyes flooding with fear for a moment. She groans and hides her face into the pillow. "I'll call her back in the morning."
I chuckle, ignoring the call for her.
I guess there was nothing wrong with waiting until tomorrow.