While We Wait (One Shot Anthology)

Love & Law (Erik Stevens)

Part Two of Law & Love!

Erik quietly creeps up on his girlfriend, Chelsea, who is looking at some textbooks, her pen moving quickly across the paper as one finger is on a page, keeping her from losing her place. He gently hugs her, kissing her temple as he places the bag which contains a small bouquet of orange roses with white tulips, food from her favourite Trini spot, and a small Tiffany and co box. She looks up, smiling as he smiles, kissing her softly as he sits next to her.

"Hey, leopard."

Erik smiles at the nickname as he rests his head on her shoulder, rubbing her knee as he looks at her pristine writing.

"Wish my handwriting was this neat," he murmurs as he looks at one of the previous pages of notes.

"Well, that's why you type."

He gently pokes her side as she giggles, swatting his hand away as he sits up, smiling at her. She chuckles before continuing to write. He takes an AirPod from her ear and puts it in his own ear, listening to whatever she has playing. It's the soulful voice of Patti LaBelle at the moment.

Erik pulls his own material out, placing them on the table with Chelsea's own items before he puts his Locs in a bun. He looks over and sees Chelsea munching on a pholourie, her eyes still on her paper. He smiles before beginning to work.

Chelsea had taught him her system of reading the material and taking notes: first, read it straight through then read it a second time and highlight in one colour. Then you read it a third time, underlining in a different Colour. Finally, you write out your notes. Erik found her process works for him and he was no longer falling behind in that blasted Criminal Law class.

"Open."

Erik looks up and obeys, opening his mouth as Chelsea puts one of the fish balls in his mouth and he chews slowly as he returns to his underlining.

‍⚖️

"Sheet mask or charcoal mask?" Chelsea asks as she stands before Erik. They're in his apartment doing a much-needed self-care night. There's no class tomorrow and neither have work. Not to mention it was beginning to rain. A perfect night for this.

"Uh...is the charcoal mask the one that burns?"

"That's the mud mask and it doesn't burn: it heats up. Charcoal is the peeling one."

"That one."

She smiles as she puts the sheet mask back before pulling Erik to the bathroom. He sits on the toilet as she wet his face with a rag before he feels the soft bristles of the brush against his face. The mask is applied slowly and carefully, Chelsea careful of his new nose piercing before she smiles.

"There."

He smiles as they switch and he does the same for her. He pecks her on the lips.

"What are we doing for dinner?" Erik asks as he washes the brush, Chelsea looking at her phone.

"Do you want to do Italian?"

"Nah. Not feeling for pasta and we had that two nights ago."

"Indian?"

"What do they have?"

She shows him the menu and he looks at it, Reading the menu before picking the chicken curry. She smiles as she picks lamb curry and adds naan bread and some appetisers.

"Hard Apple or Henny?"

"Henny means we fucking."

He grins and Chelsea rolls her eyes as he walks over with two hard apple ciders.