{ for @santcsangre }
going into it, elliot knew that his last shift with rainey was going to be bittersweet. he plays the white album, and patsy cline nearly the entire day, and he’s lingering around the store once his shift has come to an end, waiting for rainey to finish up so that the two of them can head over to the beach, and watch the sun set over the water. since getting off the clock, elliot spends the rest of the time with his camera out, trying to take photos of some of his favorite spots around the store, insisting rainey get in nearly every shot. he can’t help it. he wants to remember all of these things, and while he knows this isn’t the last time he’ll set foot in the record store that had brought the two of them together -- this is their last shift, and he thinks it deserves special recognition. “i left you a note somewhere.” elliot says, emerging from the back room and joining rainey at the register, counting the change in the drawer as she closes up the for the night. he’s got his bag slung over his shoulder, like he’s ready to go, and a smile lighting up his expression when she takes a moment to look up at him. “and, if i do say so myself, i hid it in a particularly difficult to find spot, so you’re really going to have to search when you’re bored, alone, and missing me.” he spreads his palms against the counter, staring at her on the opposite side. rainey looks absolutely radiant in this moment, and he wonders if she did a little something extra for him today, or if now every time he sees her, he just thinks she looks even more beautiful than he’d thought before. for a second, he wonders if she can feel his eyes on her, quite obviously staring at what he’s rapidly becoming wrapped up in. “i’ll miss playing music here,” he says, trying not to get too sad about leaving the place behind -- but elliot isn’t all that down about it, because he’s got a plan. one that he intends on filling rainey in on, but he wants to wait until the right moment, and while either of them were on the clock didn’t seem ideal. “at least i know you’ll be in here, playing all of my favorites. and hopefully discovering some for yourself too.” it looks as though she’s nearly finished, so elliot rounds the counter, slipping his hand around her waist and kissing the top of her head. “all done? did you want to head out -- or did you want to steal a few kisses in the back room before my access to that place goes from slim to none?”
