Like Any Other

   It was stupid of me to think positively. Even once.
I wish that today had been a day like any other, and it was, in a way.
Well, almost.

This morning was the first in a long while where I was able to sleep through the entire night. The start of what I thought to be a perfect day.

          "El."
      
       ...

          "El!"

       Damn.

        "Eldahcs!"

I awoke to see my mate, Zora, practically sitting on me as I lay in bed. Once she saw I was awake, she struck me across the face.
     "What the hell was that for?"
Zora narrowed her eyes at me and jumped off the bed. "You're supposed to be getting ready for work, dumbass!" She yelled at me, "what're you doing in bed?"
Crap. I forgot to tell her. Well, I've gone through worse with her, it can't get that bad.

"Hey, _{um, about that...} I'm not getting ready on account of... _{Idon'thaveajob."}
I shut my eyes, preparing for another slap in the face, but what Zora did instead seemed alien to me. She calmly walked out of the room, no cussing or angry sounds.
I was really in for it now.
_{"Zoraaaaaaa,"} I said in a barely audible voice.

                              ...

Stepping into the living room, I put my arms around her shoulders. _{"Come on, it's not all that bad."}
"Shut the hell up, you slacker," was all she could say while she tried to pull away from me. She was back to her old self after all. _{"Oh, now that's not fair. At least let me explain."}
Zora turned around, arms crossed, and huffed angrily.
" What, El, what is your excuse for getting fired?"
Just then, I realized I hadn't actually taken the time to think of one.
I'm an idiot.

_{"Zora, you know my boss is a douche,"} I said, in the most kiss-assy voice I could manage. _{He fired me after I asked for just one week of leave, for you."}
"That's all?" She asked me. I could tell she was getting impatient.
_{"Oh yeah. Um, it might have to do with the fact that I was leaving paper sacks of cow parts in the break room fridge. He didn't seem to happy about that."}
Zora looked up at me with tears in her eyes, while I looked back in disbelief. What was going on here?
She embraced me and buried her face into my chest and started sobbing. I didn't dare ask why.
_{"Z-Zora? You're not mad at me, are you?"}
Zora answered, without looking up. "No, it's fine. Now you can at least do something you want for once, and not have to work for that sonofabitch boss of yours." We stood there for some time, arm in arm. Not sure how to respond, I smiled and whispered a thank you in her ear.

"El?"

_{"Yeah, Zora?"}

"You're a dumbass," she said lovingly.

_{"I know."}