Day 8 of 14

When both Camilla and Elsie woke up just before noon, they knew it was going to be a lazy day. After a breakfast of coffee and microwaved frozen waffles, they lounged on the couch to watch TV, using one of Elsie's subscription sites that automatically played the next episode. Elsie lay sideways on the couch, leaning back against the armrest, and Camilla leaned against Elsie, settled between her legs.

It was relaxing to be able to do that for hours, with no other responsibilities to take care of or missions to worry about, and they would only move if one of them had to use the bathroom. Even if they simply needed to get some water from the kitchen, Camilla would use her abilities to bring it to them, as long as it kept them from having to stand up.

When dinnertime neared, Elsie placed an order for pizza on her phone. Camilla had never ordered delivery before, having grown up under the impression that the person working delivery could just as easily turn into a burglar or a murderer or a stalker, so she watched Elsie with mild fascination as she ordered without having to even talk to anybody. They did have to move about half an hour later when the food arrived, but Elsie brought it directly to the couch so they could quickly return to their state of laziness.

Overall, it was an extremely unproductive day. Camilla expected to feel bad that she had essentially wasted away twenty-four hours, but she was surprised to find that wasn't the case. Instead, she felt well-rested, both physically and mentally, and by the time she and Elsie went to bed, Camilla realized that maybe taking a day off every once in a while wasn't so bad after all.

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Day 10 of 14

After seeing several pictures on social media, Elsie yearned to try out a new cafe that had opened a few blocks away, and her excitement piqued Camilla's interest as well. They both threw on casual streetwear, paired with sunglasses for Camilla and a nondescript baseball cap for Elsie, before heading out just after noon, choosing to go on a walk through the city instead of driving and trying to find parking.

They walked over in no time at all, even though Elsie had to walk a bit slower than normal to match Camilla's shorter strides. Inside, the cafe was decorated with modern minimalism, and the ambiance was laid-back and pleasant. There was a slight crowd, enough to show its popularity but not enough to be overwhelming, and the air was buzzing with their light chatter.

A sign by the entrance directed them to sit where they liked, so Camilla instinctively led the way to a table in the back, right beside an emergency exit, and Elsie followed without complaint. As they navigated between the tables of the other patrons, Camilla caught snippets of conversations and recognition of their "celebrity status," but she elected to ignore them in favor of simply enjoying a relaxing outing—no, a date—with Elsie.

Since Camilla thought everything on the menu sounded delicious, and Elsie could only narrow down her choices so much, Camilla let Elsie order what she wanted for the both of them to share. Once their order arrived, Elsie spent a few minutes taking photos of the spread for her social media, then took a few shots of Camilla just for themselves. Camilla rolled her eyes as Elsie cheerfully reviewed the pictures she took, but she secretly felt overjoyed knowing that she was the reason for Elsie's reaction.

The food and drinks ended up living up to the hype, and they left the cafe a couple hours later, fully sated and refreshed. In that time though, word must have traveled about their outing, and a slew of cameras began snapping at them as soon as they stepped foot onto the sidewalk. Camilla knew the enthusiastic photographers meant them no physical harm, but she still tensed when they got too close, and she set up a light barrier of wind around herself and Elsie, just strong enough to keep everyone else at bay.

But even with the paparazzi held off at a distance, their presence alone was still nerve-wracking, and Elsie seemed to agree. Eventually, Elsie linked an arm with one of Camilla's, and the pair stuck close together all the way back to Elsie's building. It felt a little ridiculous to be so concerned about a bunch of non-meta photographers when Camilla had been in multiple situations where her opponent wanted her dead, and by the time they got through the front door, Camilla couldn't help but laugh lightly.

"What's so funny?" Elsie asked, confused, but even she was smiling a bit at Camilla's reaction.

"Nothing, really," Camilla admitted, smiling. "It's just... it's kind of a relief when my biggest concern is the paparazzi asking what I ate for lunch."

For a moment, Elsie just stared at her in surprise. And then she began to chuckle too, and the two of them stood together at the entrance, simply laughing over the absurdity of it all.

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Day 11 of 14

Girls' Day Out! "Elmilla" Hits the Town
Published October 25, 33 AE at 9:15 AM PT

Talk about friendship goals! Roommates and BFFs Elsie Bates and Camilla Wyatt were spotted grabbing a bite to eat at an up-and-coming cafe in DTLA yesterday afternoon.

The 29-year-old actress and the 25-year-old guardian have been seen a lot together since March, when the Unity Games in Tokyo went up in literal balls of flames, and Bates needed help from the best of the best. Luckily for her, Bates had already been friends with Wyatt, arguably the strongest guardian in the nation, for several years. While their busy schedules kept them apart until recently, the two friends are now making up for lost time.

"Elmilla," Bates and Wyatt's nickname from fellow actor and guardian Mackenzie Olomana, have especially gotten close since the Org's Barracks crumbled to the ground, and the two friends became inseparable roommates. Both now reside in Bates's luxury condo, located in DTLA's famed Everland Park, several blocks away from the cafe where they shared a late lunch.

The two were seen walking to and from the cafe looking more stylish than ever. Bates was dressed in a black floral bomber jacket with a fitted white V-neck tucked into a pair of cuffed baggy jeans and black slip-on shoes, her style reminiscent of her college days. Speaking of college days, Wyatt was sporting one of Bates's dark red college hoodies, the same one Bates wore at a local farmer's market back in January, along with black skinny jeans and white running shoes. As some of us may know, one of the perks of being BFFs with your roommate is getting to share clothes!

And apparently, the sharing also extends to food. For lunch, there was no dieting in sight, if Bates's social media posts were any indication. According to the "For the People" actress's photos, the duo shared about six different dishes, ranging from delicious looking fried chicken waffle sandwiches to scrumptious mini maple bacon donuts. Just looking at it all was enough to make me sign up for an extra spin class before it gave me a heart attack, but that must not be a concern when your best friend has a meta's metabolism.

"The ultimate feast, AKA what happens when you want one of everything. Thanks @cmtwyatt for saving me from when my eyes are bigger than my appetite!" the actress captioned her post, tagging the guardian as well.

After all that food, it's no wonder that Elmilla decided to work off those calories with a brisk walk back to Everland Park. The two were joined at the hip as they strutted through the streets of LA together, showing off their fabulous sense of casual style.

This outing marks one of several sightings of the pair over the past week, and there may only be a few more on the way. After all, the Daily Paper reported that the guardian was only back in LA for two weeks before she would be sent off again to deliver punches to some bad guys. So for those of you on the west coast, keep your eyes peeled for the newly appointed Captain Camilla Wyatt, possibly visiting a major city near you!

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Day 14 of 14

It was their last day together for the near future, and Camilla didn't want it to end.

She had woken up early, unable to sleep, and Elsie joined her in the kitchen soon after. They ate breakfast in silence, or at least tried to; Camilla didn't have much of an appetite, and she found herself nudging her pancakes around her plate instead of actually eating them. Eventually, Elsie squeezed next to Camilla on her seat, and Camilla let herself be held in Elsie's comforting embrace. Camilla rested her head against Elsie's chest and closed her eyes, trying to remember the feeling of the arms wrapped protectively around her, and the kiss that was placed carefully on her hair.

After Camilla finally managed to get some food in her, she went to her room to pack. It wasn't difficult when she could only bring the essentials, and half of the essentials were five versions of the same uniform. Still, packing made it feel like she was ready to leave, and Camilla wasn't ready, not by a long shot. She threw some toiletries into her bag without much thought, not wanting to think about all of the unknowns that lay ahead.

"Are you allowed to bring things like keepsakes?" Elsie asked from Camilla's doorway.

Camilla turned to face her, then nodded slowly.

"Only small things, I think," Camilla answered. Her voice felt a million miles away as she spoke.

Elsie nodded once, hesitant, before slowly approaching Camilla. "Something like a necklace is alright then?"

"It should be," Camilla replied, a little curious now. She didn't normally wear necklaces, unless her guardian identification tags counted, and she didn't think that Elsie had anything that was especially significant either.

"I mean, you don't have to wear it," Elsie quickly explained, before even saying what she was talking about. "You don't even have to keep it on you, if you want. Actually, you know what, this is pretty stupid, just pretend I didn't give you anything—"

"You haven't," Camilla interrupted, before Elsie's rambling could get any more confusing. "You haven't given me anything yet... but I'll take it." Camilla shrugged helplessly. "I'll take anything if it helps remind me of you."

Her words sounded completely pathetic as soon as they left her mouth, but thankfully Elsie didn't seem to think so. She hesitated only for a moment before holding out her closed hand to Camilla. In response, Camilla held her own hand out, palm up and beneath Elsie's. As soon as she had done so, Elsie carefully placed a silver key in Camilla's palm, threaded with a dainty chain.

"I know it's cheesy as hell," Elsie admitted, her eyes focused on the key in Camilla's hand. "But I wanted to give you something, and I couldn't think of anything else." Finally, she raised her gaze to meet Camilla's. "It's a key to this condo."

"Your door has electric locks," Camilla bluntly replied, unable to stop herself from stating the blatantly obvious. "And I already have the key card."

"I know," Elsie said with an exasperated sigh. "But that wouldn't be very romantic, would it? Going around wearing a card that keeps flapping around when you're flying."

Camilla couldn't help but laugh a little at the imagery of her flying through the air on a mission, and a card on a chain slips out from her uniform and continuously smacks her in the eyes. Elsie must have pictured a similar scene, or it was Camilla's laughter rubbing off on her, because she too had to let out a small chuckle.

"It's not for the front door," Elsie eventually explained. "Because that's not what's important. The first time you saved me, and the last time you came back to me, you came through the same door."

Elsie nodded her head to the side, and though neither of them could see it from Camilla's room, they both knew what she was talking about.

"The first time you saved me, you let me into my own condo through the balcony door. And the last time you came back, I let you in through the same way." She glanced at the key in Camilla's hand for a split second before looking right back into Camilla's eyes. "Now the next time you come back, you can let yourself in. Because your home is here now, Camilla. Not just in this condo, but with me as well."

Camilla would've found the gesture ridiculous if it didn't mean so much to her. But apparently, it did, or maybe it was the anxiety eating away at her sanity, because seconds later, Camilla found herself trying to blink away tears. Fortunately, Elsie seemed to be in the same boat, and she pulled Camilla into another tight hug, squeezing the key in Camilla's hand between their bodies.

"You're so dramatic," Camilla laughed, her voice breaking with tears, and she returned Elsie's hug with her free arm.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Elsie replied, her voice sounding no better than Camilla's. "And, for the record, I totally practiced that."

Camilla smiled at her response, but it quickly faltered when she was hit by a wave of fear and anxiety.

"I'm scared," Camilla whispered, her voice so soft that she wondered if Elsie heard her even with her ear less than an inch away.

"I know," Elsie replied, and she squeezed Camilla even tighter, maybe to be comforting or maybe for her own benefit. "I am too."

They were both in a situation that neither of them wanted to be in, and there was nothing they could do about it.

Maybe one day, they wouldn't have anything to worry about anymore. Maybe one day, there wouldn't be any more wars to fight or lives that needed saving, and they could live without the constant threat of fear and anxiety looming over them. Maybe one day, that would be possible, but that was not today. Today, all they could do was hope for the best, and maybe one day that peaceful future would eventually be theirs.

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NOTES

Is this chapter a little too cheesy? Yes. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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