contains/warnings: college!au drabble (is this considered a drabble), fluff, kinda ooc hazel?, not proofread bc again, my mantra is live fast die young bad girls do it well
word count: 1k
author's yap notes: this has been sitting in the drafts for the longest time ugh i hope it's cute bc i thought it was cute bye i love this prompt for hazel and supposedly ruby's tslocg character ash. also, happy new year <33
The air outside the sorority house where the party of the month was held was cool, carrying a hint of morning dew that left one's skin tingling. It was 6 am already, and all the partygoers were either sprawled out somewhere in the house or stumbling over to a nearby store or home.
You were, amusingly, the latter.
Hazel walked a little ahead of you, hands stuffed in her jacket's pockets, posture quite stiff. She was always like this whenever she was nervous about something, and right now, you knew why.
"You didn't have to fetch me and walk me back, Haze," you slurred, leaning on the lamppost for a short break when you started getting dizzy. She raised an eyebrow at you, smiling at the irony of what you just said.
She waited for a while for you until the two of you could start walking back to your shared dorm again. She glanced back for a moment, slowing down so that you could keep up. "Could've fooled me when you almost fell into the punch bowl when I arrived."
You held up a finger, "Okay, that wasn't my fault. It got in the way when I was dancing!"
Hazel snorted, probably unable to hide it at how ridiculous you sounded, but didn't say anything else. You could feel the small smile playing on her face that she hid from you. It made your chest feel tighter than any alcohol could ever affect you.
You two continued to walk in silence for another block, the familiar tension increasing between you until the time came for it to snap. She kept avoiding your very obvious stare, looking anywhere as long as it wasn't you. That was when you stopped, running to the middle of the road, declaring, "Okay, that's it."
Your roommate froze, spinning around, and you saw confusion flashed across her face. "What are you doing? Come back here!"
"Nope!" you huffed and crossed your arms, planting your feet firmly on the ground. "Not until you tell me!" The alcohol was really making you too bold and playful for your own good.
Hazel started to go closer to you, nervousness obviously replacing every emotion in her features. "Tell you what? C'mon, y/n, get back here!" The pink blush creeping up face betrayed her, and you knew she knew what you were talking about. Even the pitch of her voice had gone slightly higher.
"That you like me!" you said matter-of-factly. "I'm not moving until you stop beating around the bush and confess!"
She blinked a couple of times like you had just transformed into an alien. You only gave her a silly smile when she asked, "Are you serious?"
"I'm not moving, am I?"
The street was empty that Saturday morning, and you could tell Hazel was thankful for that at least. The streetlights had already closed, giving way to the warm, natural sunlight enveloping the surroundings.
She then took a hesitant step toward you, brows furrowing, but you held your ground. She shakily reminded you, "You're drunk." She wanted to be firm with you, but there was a slight waver in her tone that she couldn't hide from you at that moment.
You cock an eyebrow in response. "I'm drunk but not stupidâ and I'm still certainly aware!" You pouted at her small, skeptical frown. "Okay, maybe a little less aware than normalâ but I know when someone's into me! The way you act around me says it all. You're not exactly that subtle."
Hazel finally let out a hand and ran it through her hair, another nervous tic you had memorized by now. She walked towards you and reached out, trying to coax you to go back to the sidewalk. "C'mon, n/n, let's go. I don't want you to get hurt."
You didn't budge once again. "Not until you admit it~"
She groaned out load, putting her face in her hands. "Why does it even matter?" she called out, a bit frustrated based on the redness of her face that cold morning. "You're drunk; you won't remember this when you wake up."
"I like you, Hazel," you suddenly told her, catching her off-guard.
You two stayed silent again for some time, unmoving, even when a motorcycle had passed by, beeping at you. Her shoulders visibly slumped, and for a second, you thought she was going to deny once again, skirting around the truth like she always did. But then, she looked at you, as if staring past your eyes and straight into your soul. Her expression was soft and vulnerable, in a way she had never let you see before.
"Fine," she whispers, closing the distance between the two of you, "I like you, okay? I've liked you since the day we met at the dorms. You're so nice and random, and you accepted me and introduced me to a new world. I like it when you steal my hoodies, but you know I would punch someone else who would do that. Ever since our moving in day, you've been the best part of every day in my life, which scares me so much because I don't wanna mess up what we have. You're also one of my best friends now..."
Your heart skipped a beat, not expecting that kind of confession. It was cold outside, but the heat from the adrenaline and your adoration for Hazel made that disappear that completely.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" you teased, but voice softer to assure her that it was out of affection.
Hazel rolled her eyes, but you knew there was no sarcasm behind it when you saw her familiar giddy smile. "You're so insufferable, y/n."
"Yet you like me~" you sang, holding out your hand this time for her.
She smiled, taking it and lacing your fingers together, "Are you done being dramatic now? Can we go?"
"I'm good now," you told her, planting a soft peck on her cheek.
Hazel shook her head, a bigger smile tugging at her lips. "You're impossible. Thank goodness I like you."
Ellie Williams was drenched when she finally got on the bus that drove to and from the student housing complexes â drenched and shivering and exhausted. She had been on campus attending her back-to-back lectures all day (Tuesdays were her worst days) without so much as a thirty minute break between classes, and was beat by the time she got to the bus stop. It didnât help that it was the peak of December, just before finals and winter break. That meant bone-rattling storms that almost shook the shitty old university buildings â which were definitely in need of some TLC, by the way â and Ellieâs overused umbrella getting fucked up with the rain and wind beating it down.
She closes said umbrella as she steps further into the bus, attempting to shake off as much water as she can from its tattered waterproof fabric before glancing up to scan for a seat.
Just my luck, Ellie thinks to herself with an internal sigh, finding every possible seat occupied by one of her equally drenched, shivering peers. She moves over to the side of the bus where there were already a couple of students standing and holding onto the cloth handles hanging from the roof of the vehicle. Ellie opts to squeeze the handrail instead, waiting for the bus to start moving. A few stragglers come in, and the bus finally departs from the station.
Someone moves to stand between Ellie and another student, cramping up the already tight space. Ellieâs about to scowl in the studentâs direction when the scent of vanilla and cinnamon hits her nose.
Holy shit, she blinks, inhaling as deeply as she can without looking odd and/or slightly off-putting, Someone smells like a damn bakery.
She dares to spare a darting glance sideways at the person standing next to her ⊠then a second, then a third. There was no doubt in Ellieâs mind that the girl who stood there, leaning into the condensation-riddled window of the bus and gazing down at the small, tattered paperback book in her hands with her old-school wired earbuds in, was the person who smelled so divine. She looked just like she smelled, nice and warm and pretty and yummy and â
Ellie inhales sharply, looking away and biting the inside of her cheek. Her hand comes up to tuck a loose, damp strand of her choppy, auburn hair behind her ear, gaze trained on the view outside through the foggy glass bus door that was right across from where she stood. The sight of the rain pouring down onto the dark, dampened streets of her little college town distracts her for a while. She waits for a few moments before stealing a longer glance at the girl and taking her in â from her long, perfectly manicured fingernails and mixture of dainty and chunky rings to the bootcut jeans she wore that somehow managed to hug her in all the right places.
Ellie feels a bit intimidated by how put-together the girl looks, by how different the two of them are appearance-wise. Her own nails are short and blunt from her nervous habit of chewing on them, and her clothes are baggy â wide legged jeans that are soaked at the bottom hems from walking through puddles all day and a zip-up hoodie with rolled up sleeves to show off her sick new tattoo. But Ellie really, really, really wanted to talk to the girl. She wanted to ask her about what she was reading, about what she was listening to, about what perfume she was wearing and about how the hell she managed to look so pretty after being out in a rainstorm.
Sheâs definitely straight, Ellie deflates slightly, pressing her teeth into her chapped bottom lip and furrowing her eyebrows, deep in thought.
Ellie doesnât even realize that sheâs still staring at the pretty, nice smelling girl until sheâs met with a pair of eyes and a small, confused smile. She freezes up, enthralled by the new angle of the girlâs face.
Sheâs looking at you âŠ
Sheâs looking at you! Look away, dumbass!
Ellie clears her throat and whips her head back to face the door of the bus in front of her, blinking fervently and internally cursing herself as she tries to play off her staring. Itâs too late, for sure. Sheâs already made herself look like a creep, watching the girl while she minded her own business.
Damn it. Way to play it cool.. She squeezes the handrail a little tighter as the bus turns, trying her best not to sway in the girlâs direction as the vehicle lurches sideways. She didnât want to draw any more attention to herself.
Ellieâs internally pouring over that slightest, faintest smile that the girl had given her when a voice breaks through her thoughts, soft and mellow.
âI like your tattoo.â
Ellieâs mind doesnât even have the time to process the fact that itâs her, itâs the girl, and that sheâs talking to Ellie and sheâs complimenting Ellie and that Ellie should reply and say something and â
She turns her head a little too quickly, gaze flickering over to the girl at her side. Sure enough, sheâs smiling again. Sheâs waiting for a response.
âOh, uh,â Ellie spurts, tucking that damn strand that kept spilling back into her eyes back behind her ear, âThanks. Just got it a few weeks ago.â
She takes in the girlâs silent nod of acknowledgment, heart pounding in her ear. They just look at each other for a moment. Then, the girl slowly turns back to her book, lowering her gaze and tentatively flipping a page. Her lashes fan out against her cheeks in a way that makes Ellie sure sheâs some goddess in disguise sent down to earth to bait a poor mortal like herself.
âI like your smell,â Ellie blurts before her mind catches up, watching as the girl turns back towards her with a small, amused smile forming on her face. âI mean, I like the way you smell. Like, your perfume. Itâs nice.â
Ellie winces internally, wanting more than anything to kick open the emergency exit and run back to her dorm and crawl under her covers and die. But the girl laughs â she laughs â and Ellieâs scuffed up boots stay planted firmly on the floor, so she doesnât move.
âThank you,â the girl replies, warm gaze sweeping over Ellieâs burning, freckled face. Itâs obvious that her laugh wasnât meant to be a mean one.
Ellie feels heat gather in her face and turns to look at the handrail sheâs squeezing, studying it as if it were the most interesting thing on the bus. But it wasnât. It definitely wasnât, not with that pretty girl standing so close to her. But she canât find it in herself to say anything else, so she just keeps staring at the handrail until the bus comes to a screeching halt.
Itâs her stop.
Ellie hesitates for a fleeting moment, wanting more than anything to ask for her name or something. Instead, she lets go of the handrail and picks up her umbrella, sparing one last look at the girl â whoâs too caught up in her novel to notice â before stepping off the bus into the biting wind and pouring rain.
Unbeknownst to her, the girl peeks up from her book with a small, giddy smile to watch her go just as the bus doors close.
pairing: rebel!ellie williams x female!princess!reader
summary: what begins as a tense and combative journey through the wilderness becomes an unexpected relationship between y/n and ellie, with them navigating fragile alliances and feelings together.
contains/warnings: royalty!au, fluff, descriptions of violence and murder, mentions of suicidal feelings, politics and rebellions, betrayals, not proofread bc my mantra is live fast die young bad girls do it well
word count: 6.3k
author's yap notes: i really really wanted to write this and somehow i did. i hope u guys enjoy this as much as i enjoyed the process, even though i felt like giving up on it for so many times HSHDJSDHJ. happy holidays, everyone!
Ellie eyed the girl walking through the royal garden with her maid. Giving gold coins to that informant certainly paid off because she, Abby, and Lev could get ahold of the princess freely this way. They were just too openâ no guards, no knights, no anything to keep the sole heir to the throne of Eryndor safe. The royal family was going to pay for its negligence and corruption, letting their people endure poverty and famine while they sat comfortably in their ivory towers.
She sent a nod towards Abby and Levâs way, who were preparing to incapacitate and silence the maid who was close behind the princess. With that signal, her teammates had jumped off from her hiding place, snuck behind the young maiden, and brought her to the ground. Ellie and the others followed suit, jumping behind Princess y/n and bringing the chloroform-doused handkerchief to her mouth and nose. Within seconds, y/n had fallen limp in her arms.
Ellie stared. She didnât know the Princess of Eryndor was this gorgeous up close. But she shook her head off those thoughts, carried you like you were a lumpy sack on her shoulder, and the four of them quickly moved out and headed straight out of the palace grounds before anyone could even notice.
Their group of rebels hitched a ride from a local farmer they hired for this job. He had his horse and wagon ready to carry them to a spot that was walking distance from the safehouse where a few others were waiting for their successful kidnapping of the ransom. In their eyes, you and the others in their castles were not worthy royals. You were just a spoiled symbol of oppression, detached from the realities of the people you claimed to protect.
This kidnapping was a warning to the king and queen, that if they kept playing dumb and deaf at the calls of the people, they would payâ their daughter would pay. The royal family would be rightfully destabilized and hopefully, they would negotiate reforms in exchange for the sleeping beauty currently on the floor of the wagon.
"Do you think this will work?" Abby asked her, eyeing you who were passed out soundly at their feet. "How do we even know they care enough about the princess?"
Ellie shrugged. "The informant said the queen had a hard time conceiving her. I doubt they have a spare heir up their asses. They'll also be on edge because other royals trying to grab the throne."
Abby nodded, resigning from her doubts for the meantime.
The three of them kept mum about the impending chaos the royals and nobles would be in the moment they discover your disappearance. They knew that the moment they touched you, they were going to be branded criminals and the whole force would be out on the hunt, on orders of catching them dead or alive.
Ellie stared at your sleeping face once more, studying your features more closely, now that she had the chance to. She admired the way your face was sculptedâ like by the gods. You had interesting and unique features that made any other person look like shit beside you. You probably had a big head because no one that gorgeous didn't know the privilege and power their beauty had.
"I know that look."
She stripped her stare away from the princess and raised an eyebrow at her comrade. "What?"
Abby's eyebrows ruffled in worry. "I know that look. You're smitten," she told her as-a-matter-of-factly.
The girl scoffed and looked outside instead, averting her gaze from everyone looking at her. "I'm not. I literally just saw her today," she muttered under her breath, bringing a knee up and resting her chin on it. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I do. It's the way you used to look at Dina," Abby retorted. "Used to. I guess you both have moved on."
Ellie muffled a chuckle. "I guess we have. She has her boyfriend, I have my... guns."
Abby shook her head, hiding a small smile. "Dinosaurs, you mean."
"Hey!"
The trio for the day had successfully arrived in the clearing in the forest that served as the center for their groupâs rebellion.
It was quaint but well thought out by their leader Maria. There was a perimeter fence and makeshift towers on the trees, where their first line of defense, round-the-clock watches, could stay. Traps were carefully laid out, deadly if youâre an outsider because one wrong move could take your life. Garrisons were nearby the fence so that their soldiers could easily go into battlefield if needed. They even had patrol teams who secured a bigger circumference to make sure they woudnât be blindsided by the royalsâ and noblesâ troops. If they were being honest, for a relatively small number, it felt like they were in an army base.
But Ellie didnât mind. They were fighting for the live of thousands of people who had no other hope in this forsaken society. If they were going to negotiate, or even bring down the monarchy, they had to be prepared and strong. Maria was the only leader who could have pulled this off, and for that, she gained a lot of respect and people who would move for her.
The three of them went to their groupâs hidden safehouse in one inconspicuous plot in the forest, far away from anything that could catch attention. Apparently, the handkerchief wasnât doused with the chemical because you were up and kicking the moment they had cuffed both of your wrists to the bed.
The princess of Eryndor was furious. You hadnât been up and fully recovered from the chloroform for at least an hour, yet you had already managed to sneak a kick to Abbyâs gut. The rebel didnât admit it, but it hurt like hell, with the heels that dug into her stomach, and all.
You visibly fumed at the sight of your captors before you: Ellie, Abby, and Lev, all hardened rebels. Ellie had caught your eye more than anyone, as she returned the same amount of anger you held for them.
Ellie tried to radiate a sense of command, to try and intimidate you, but you seemed unmoving from whatever resolve you currently had. She shook her head and told you in a rough voice, âDonât think about running. Youâre our leverage.â
You tried to make another swipe with your feet at her legs, and she almost laughed at your attempt to hurt her. She grabbed your foot and planted them onto the ground, glaring at you, but you simply met it with your own. Though you looked a bit frightened, she was impressed that you were at least trying to hold your ground.
âLeverage for what? What are you even trying to accomplish here?â
Abby cleared her throat, signifying that they were going to take their leave. Ellie waved her hand off, letting them know she didnât mind. She looked back at you and raised an eyebrow. âYou donât need to know.â
âI have to,â you snapped. âSo I know what to tell them once I escape from here.â
Ellie chuckled, knelt down, and looked you in the eye, making you back away at the proximity.
âIf you can. Weâre in the middle of nowhere. But Iâd like to see you try.â
You moved to kick her away, but she already saw it coming. Ellie snickered and backed up at the last minute, smiling at how frustrated you were for missing. As if she was going to let you get a hit on her.
âIâm not as helpless as you think,â you said, tugging at the cuffs around your hands.
The contrast between the sight before her and what you just said almost made Ellie feel some sympathy for you, but she shrugged it off. Your pretty face, no matter how otherworldly it was, was not going to distract her from their cause. You were leverage for the peopleâs future, nothing more.
âAlright, bye, princess.â
âFuck you!â
Ellie looked back at you with an impressed smile. âDidnât know royalty cursed,â she said, chuckling once more at your infuriated expression. âBy all means, fuck me, I consent, doll.â
She left the safehouse, laughing at how easy it was to make you mad. Maybe she could get something even more out of this.
The safehouse was a far cry from the palace where you had grown up. Despite the danger and everything that transpired, Ellie wasnât surprised you criticized everything that you saw and experienced under their supervision. From the bland food, to Ellie and the rebellionâs plans, you saw to it that you would nitpick every single detail that crossed your sight.
She was straight up about to lose it if you had one more thing to say about the bed or the floorboards.
âDo you honestly think this will accomplish anything?â
That was it.
Ellie threw her gun on the ground in frustration, not having any more of your complaints. Why was she even assigned to look after your ass when she could do more good for the cause by patrolling or taking watch?
âGod, do you ever shut up?â she muttered, putting her head in her hands.
âNo,â you offered a simple answer, looking at her smugly as if you had won the war. âDonât you have clean sheets while keeping me here while youâre are at it?â
She groaned out loud. âWell, would you like me to fluff your pillow too, Your Highness?â
You huffed, stomping at the floor. âFYI, kidnapping me wonât stop the suffering of your people.â
Ellieâs eyes flared at the statement, angry that you would even dare to say anything like that. She calmed herself down for a second and sat back on her chair. âSpoken like a royal whoâs never seen a hungry child.â
You opened your mouth to retort, but decided to close it. It was then Ellie knew that she was the true winner of the battle between the two of you. She snickered at your frown. âThatâs what I thought.â She shook her head, standing up and leaving the safehouse to one of her comrades keeping watch outside, Jesse.
âJesse, need a break. Can you take over a bit?â
She didnât even wait for his answer and simply dashed into the woods to go hunting. She decided a small herbivore for your dinner that night would do to keep you in check. Hunger made people crazy, so maybe any worthwhile information would slip.
She set out a small trap for any bunny or smaller animal that could be lurking in the vicinity. After a few minutes of waiting, a poor, unsuspecting hare did fall for the trap, and she brought it back to the safehouse for the kind old cook to prepare. They were thankful that even the elderly had joined them because they had been the backbone of their health after all these months. It warmed her heart when one of them told her that they were joining for their grandchildrenâs future, and it reminded her that everything they were doing were for people who had no other choice but survive by fighting.
Ellie sat outside, by the window across your bed and stared at your face, which had become gloomy. She thought you deserved the way she bit back at your little comment about the peopleâs suffering. You had no right to mock the way they were fighting back because all your life, you had lived on their hardwork.
âEllie!â
She stood up in full alertness as she saw Dina running towards them. Jesse also came out the safehouse and met her halfway.
âMaria and Joel sent me,â Dina told them in-between catching her breaths. âItâs urgent. Thereâs an enemy within and theyâre going to kill the princess.â
âThe fuck?!â Ellie exclaimed, although she didnât exactly know why she reacted that strongly. âThat doesnât make any sense.â
Dina shrugged before taking the water Jesse offered. âJoel intercepted a letter intended for the noble faction that was working with the rebellion. It wasnât a pledge of supportâ the nobles are planning to assassinate y/n and offered a hefty amount to those who would do it.â
Jesse shook his head. âArenât they thinking? Then we could easily be framed for it? All the more reason to justify eradicating the people and making them suffer,â he reasoned out rightfully. There was no way the nobles wanted something dirty in their hands. Unknowing townspeople would become the victim even more when they already had nothing at this point.
âWhoâs behind this? What did they say we should do?â
Dina gave her a note, and Ellie quickly ran her eyes through it. She saw that Maria had instructed them to take the princess to Ground 99, a codename for another secret hideout that not everyone knew. But what shocked her more than anything was learning that Abby, Nora and some others were behind this betrayal.
She clenched her fists. She shouldâve known better than to trust Abby, who had already caused many misfortunes for the rebellion. Since causing the capture of one of their own, she shouldâve known.
Her eyes widened in realization at the thought of Abby. The cook that replaced the previous one assigned to the safehouse was recommended by Abby. Without even thinking, she had grabbed a huge rock that was by her feet, bursted into the safehouse, and saw that Esther was just about to serve you some soup with a small smile on her withering face. With one swing, she had chucked the rock at the bowl, causing it to fall to the ground in pieces.
âWhat the hell?â You screamed at the hot soup falling onto your worn out clothing. âAre you serious?â
Ellie marched up to the two of you and pointed a knife at the old woman as a warning. âDid Abby send you?!â
You looked back and forth between the two of them then at the two other rebels who had come in the room.
âWha- n-no, IâŠâ
âTell the truth!â Ellie pushed, and Jesse had come between her and the poor cook who was being threatened with a knife.
âY-yes! Iâm sorry!â She wailed, falling to the ground like the bowl of soup. âShe said I had to do it if we were to fight back. I poisoned the soup.â
Ellie clicked her tongue, and she brought out another set of cuffs to put on your wrists to ensure that you wouldnât do anything funny. She then uncuffed the previous ones, then grabbed you by the arm.
âWhat are you doing?! Stop touching me!â
âIf itâs not obvious,â Ellie started, pushing you outside the safehouse, âsomeoneâs trying to kill you! We have to go now if you want to live.â
You raised your eyebrow at her in annoyance. âSo now Iâm not just a hostage, but a target? Just great.â
Ellieâs jaw tightened. She stopped then held you by the shoulders, making you keep quiet. She looked you dead in the eyes and said, âYouâre safer with me than in here. So just can it.â
You narrowed your eyes, and she couldnât believe you were still challenging her at a situation like this. She was trying to save your life, for godâs sake!
âHow ironic,â you replied, voice laced with sarcasm, âthe rebel forced to protect the crown.â
With the safehouse and any other hideout that belonged to the rebels compromised, you and Ellie fled deeper into the wilderness to go to where they would be sure no one could get to you. It was a good thing she was part of the better half of the faction. Nora and the others were sly, and she always knew they couldnât be fully trusted, so she stuck with Joel, Maria and the rest. The only problem was that she shouldâve known earlier and faster. Things wouldnât have become this messy and difficult.
Dina and Jesse had gone back to report to Maria, and they decided it would be best if Ellie took the journey and protected you. She was the most experienced and skilled of them, so she would be the best to guard your life.
It was grueling, on the way to Ground 99. There were many animals they had to steer clear of, and she had to be extra aware of her surroundings given that you were cuffed and couldnât use your hands if something else were to come up. At treks, she also had deal with your incessant complaints as she carried you like a sack on her back, refusing to let her go free from her cuffs.
âThis would go a lot easier if you removed these,â you persuaded, shaking your hands in front of her.
Ellie rolled her eyes at you. âSo that you could escape easier too? No thanks.â She tugged your arm gently and led you in a clearing where a small cabin sat at the edge. âHere we are, princess.â
âAnother place thatâs falling apart?â you commented, walking inside and noting how the place was indeed sparse and barely making it.
âHey, it wasnât expecting royalty, so forgive me if itâs not up to palace standards,â Ellie grumbled, leading her inside, and repeating the process of securing her on the bed.
She then looked around at Ground 99 and realized that maybe your objection to your prison was justified. The place was a wreck, with the furniture looking like they were a thousand years old. It was an abandoned place, but she guessed that would make it a safer place for where they could hide.
Ellie put down the minimal things they brought with them and stared at the princess, who stuck out her tongue. She shook her head, suppressing the smile that was about to break out. For someone who had become a target, you were still acting awfully childish. She could probably use the energy because it was probably going to take a few days until Maria and the others could regroup against the rebellion within the rebellion.
She walked away and looked for the kitchen, which was as dilapidated as the rest of the house, but at least, it had some firewood for them to cook.
Ellie looked back at you to see that you were already observing her. You cocked an eyebrow. "What?"
"Crushing on me or something? You could melt me with that stare."
She heard you scoff, and she made an effort to hide the laugh that was threatening to escape.
"You wish."
Ellie shrugged it off and started making some soup for the both of them. It was the most she could make out of the ingredients currently available to them. She doubted you knew how to cook too, since you were a pampered little girl in the castle for sure. Not that she was any better, but she was going to have to do it if she didn't want you sneaking up on her and bonking her in the head.
Since it was just soup, it didn't take that long until it was prepared. She walked up to you and sat down on the creaky bed beside you, taking the spoon and bringing it up to your mouth.
"W-what are you doing?" you stammered, moving away from the spoonful of soup.
"I'm feeding you, that's what. I'm not gonna take my chance and uncuff you."
She watched as your face redden, but you didn't say anything else but 'fine!' and ate what was served. Ellie hummed in victory as she watched you reluctantly finish the food.
"It's bland," you said monotonously, as if you were done with her like she was messing with you.
Ellie grinned at you, enjoying how the two of you were suddenly getting along despite hating each other's guts just a day ago.
"Careful, princess. That almost sounded like a thank you."
As the days passed, you and Ellie begrudgingly began to see each other in a different light. Ellie never expected that by living in close quarters would make her mind change about you and who you truly were.
Not even a week had drifted, but she already felt that you were a trustworthy captive. With one final threat about how she could gut you in under a second, she finally removed your hands and let you roam around the cabin. To her surprise, you never once attempted to escape, and simply attributed it to the thought that you were probably too afraid to leave in the first place because of the threat to your life.
You also took over the cooking because apparently, you were the better cook. One night, you had turned Ellie's poor excuse of a stew into something that was made for the nobles. Ellie blushed and gave you a small thanks before devouring everything you had prepared.
You were truly inexplainable, and how your relationship had changed was unexpected, like too good to be true. It couldn't be that the symbol of the royal family's oppression was someone this lovable, right?
"What are you thinking?"
She snapped out of her thoughts that night and turned to look at you. You were already getting cozy in the bed that she had managed to fix up and make comfortable for you. On the other hand, she slept on the measly couch so that she couldn't get too sleepy and drift off too peacefully. That was a must in her line of work.
"Nothing," Ellie shook her head, "just, things. Everything that's been going on."
She looked at you nodding your head then staring up at the night sky.
"What now? Are we just gonna stay here 'til the Longhills kill me off?"
Ellie perked up in surprise. "Longhills?"
You sighed in defeat at her question, which made her regret asking. Nonetheless, you offered an explanation, "I already knew they're after me. They have been for years now, just looking for the perfect time and circumstances to finish me off. You guys handed it to them on a silver platter."
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why didn't you tell your parents?"
You gave her a chuckle, although it barely had humor in it, signifying Ellie that it was a sarcastic laugh. Or maybe you were just tired of everything that was why you sounded so resigned even if you tried to laugh it off.
"I... I didn't wanna live anymore," you told her, surprising her even more. "I didn't wanna live as a princess anymore because nothing I do will ever make a difference. I try to live up to the crown's expectations, but in the end, I know I'm powerless even if I wanted to be a good princess to the people. I know I'm just a pawn in the adults' games, which I'm not even trying to play in the first place."
Ellie whistled lowly. "Damn politics, right?" she said, trying to lighten up the mood because she wasn't exactly raised to know how to comfort people. A memory of Dina crying over Jesse and telling her she was awful at giving comfort suddenly crossed her mind, and she finally surrendered to Dina's conclusion about her.
"Sorry," she quickly apologized, and you waved it off, showing that you didn't mind.
"I didn't know you were quite... at the point of giving up," she continued, "like... to the point of not minding if you get killed even if you could stop it."
"And I didn't know you felt that way towards the kingdom," Ellie followed further. "To us, you were just a spoiled brat, that's why I hated you. But I didn't know you cared this much about the people."
You chuckled. "You're so judgmental."
Ellie pursed her lips. "Yeah, I guess."
"But hey, I understood you. That's why I didn't say anything else the first time we argued in the previous safehouse. I knew where you were coming from, and I knew I had no right," you told her, and Ellie finally completely softened up to you. You were a self-aware royal, something that was missing in the leadership the kingdom had.
If everyone were like you, the kingdom would undoubtedly become a better place. It strengthened her resolve to to protect you and expose the Longhills and your parents. For the first time, you both had seen each other's pain and understood that you weren't so different after allâ two people bound by duty and yearning something more for the common good.
"I-"
Ellie was about to offer an unlikely truce to you, but she was cut off when a group of armed men ambushed the cabin. By the looks of it, they were mercenaries, probably hired by the noble faction, or factions, who were after the royal family. Abby had probably found out about Ground 99 and pointed them to this place.
She quickly jumped into action, fighting fiercely, her blade a blur.
"Y/n, get out of here! I'll catch up!" She shouted as she pushed a lanky man who attempted to stab her. She heard you call her name, but she couldn't focus on you with the dozen people coming at her
She grabbed his arm, bent it awkward and used the knife he had against himself. She turned around, smashing the chair against another person before burying the knife deep into his stomach. She looked back and was met with a shotgun in her face. Fearing for her life for a split second, her mind blanked out, not knowing which part of her body to move.
This was it. She was going to die with her brains blown out by some thug (not that she wasn't a thugâ she was also self-aware).
"Ellie!"
Her eyes snapped wide open, watching as you pull the trigger on the gun that you managed to snatch. The bullet had went straight into his head, effectively killing the man before he could pull on the own trigger of his gun.
Ellie finally came to her senses and grabbed the gun from your grip. She shot wherever she saw that had movement while pulling you to the main door of the cabin.
"Let's go!"
The two of them narrowly escaped from the fray, a bit bruised, but thankfully alive. They went deep into the woods, not caring if they would get lost, because if they didn't know where they were, the people after the princess would most likely not know either.
After running for several minutes straight, Ellie decided that they would be safe in some cave they had come across. They had to climb a bit to reach the secluded space, with her trying to support you as you climbed. But you didn't need her helpâ heck, you looked like a better climber and trekker than her.
"We should be safe here," Ellie said as she gasped for air, hands resting on her knees.
She smiled a little when she saw you sprawled out into the ground, catching your breath like she was.
"You're full of surprises, princess," she commended, thinking back to the way you unhesitatingly killed off a person who was about to kill her.
You managed a weak smile. "I guess I'm more than a crown and title."
"That you are, princess."
The first day that followed after the ambush was thankfully peaceful. They managed to survive off of what Ellie hunted for the first day, while you turned the sludge she called cooked food into something borderline gourmet. At first, she kept muttering something about your princess skills finally being useful, but as she kept tasting the food you prepared for them, she eventually agreed and admitted that you "weren't bad."
You hit her with the makeshift spoon she made for you. "That's it?"
Ellie pretended to get hurt and rub the spot you had hit. "Fine. It's good, okay? You happy?"
"Ecstatic," you replied smugly, grabbing some for yourself.
As the quiet and peaceful moments like that accumulated over the next few days, the dynamic between the two of you kept shifting and shifting into something that made Ellie want to stay away as far from you as possible, and at the same time, as near as she could be to you.
She found herself laughing more often at how you would get frustrated at her antics, at your small banters, and the new hobby you had made out of attempting to braid her hair out of boredom.
She was glad that you were also treating her less and less like a rough-around-the-edges rebel and captor, and more like a close companion. She was a self-aware thug, but there was warmth to her that you obviously didn't expect from her.
One evening, as the two of you say by the fire, with Ellie cleaning her gun while you watching her, you finally broke the silence.
"Do you still hate me?"
Ellie paused, her hands freezing mid-motion. She glanced at you, her brows furrowing in confusion herself. "I... don't?"
"You don't?" you asked skeptically. "But you did, right?"
Ellie sighed, setting the gun down. "Yeah. But like I explained, I guess it was misplaced. What I truly hated about you was what you represented. The crown. The royals and nobles. Everything and everyone that made life hell for me, my family, the kingdom." She hesitated, gaze softening towards you. "But I don't hate you. Not anymore, at least. Now that I know you to be different than who I thought you were, I don't."
She watched you blink slowly, caught off guard by her honesty. For a moment, you looked like the gears in your head were turning slowly for any response at what she had just said.
When you finally spoke, your voice sounded smaller than usual. "I didn't ask for any of this, y'knowâ titles, money, crown. I knew I didn't deserve I got, that's why I tried to do what I could by disrupting with objections or my thoughts. But no one would listen. I gave up at once when I learned someone was after my life because I didn't want the pressure anymoreâ the pressure that I could do something for the people but nothing I do worked, so I lay there pampered but truly helpless."
Ellie studied you, hoping her expression was as unreadable as she wanted to show. After a long silence and a thousand thoughts running through, she simply nodded and went with, "You're not a useless princess as I always thought."
You laughed softly at her attempt to brighten the atmosphere. "High praise coming from you."
Ellie smirked and leaned back against the log she had been sitting on, watching the firelight dance in your eyes. "Don't let it get to your head," she quipped, but the warmth in her tone betrayed her affection.
For a while, neither of you spoke, letting the crackling of the fire fill the silence. The weight of your shared confessions lingered in the air, neither oppressive nor heavy, but rather groundingâan unspoken understanding blooming between you. Ellie felt the strange sensation of her chest tightening and loosening at once. It was something foreign and unfamiliar, and it made her want to pull away⊠yet she didnât move an inch.
Ellie and you continued to move cautiously within the kingdom, but it wasn't long before the tension surrounding your kidnapping reached its peak. She had caught wind of whispers in the nearby towns, describing how there was unrest both among the rebels and the court. Your disappearance had truly destabilized everything more than the rebellion had anticipated that even they themselves were affected.
One morning, as the two of you finally approached the borders of a bustling town under rebel control, Ellie stopped you abruptly. She knew something had felt amiss the moment they you both left your previous hideout.
Before you could question her, a group of rebels emerged, weapons raised but unmoving. Ellie's grip on her knife tightened, recognizing them to be some of Abby's companions.
"Hold!" A sharp voice broke the tension.
She looked around to see the imposing figure as Owen. His eyes swept over her and then landed on the princess.
"So, the rebel becomes the bodyguard," he began, tone heavy with accusation. "I never thought I'd see the day."
Ellie positioned herself in front of you, but you gently pushed past her, chin lifting defiantly. "I'm not your enemy. I didn't choose the crown. But I'm here, and I need you to listen if you want the change we all have been yearning."
Owen looked surprised at your boldness, and Ellie smiled a little at the courage and resilience you had. Even with her, you had never backed down, so what was Owen gonna do against your hardheadedness?
You continued, "I know the kingdom has failed the people. But killing me or overthrowing us won't fix the system that has become rotten. If anything, it would turn the tables on the people because the nobles who want me dead would frame it on the people who hate the government."
Owen's expression flickered into uncertainty for a moment, and Ellie knew he realized you were right and that it hadn't occurred to them. The mere nervous glances of the other rebels to each other said enough.
You took a breath, looking briefly at Ellie before turning back to Owen. "The people need a voice, and I could be that. I won't let them make me go unheard anymore. We will rebuild."
Owen's eyes narrowed, but there was consideration in his gaze, something that set off a little hope in your eyes as well. "What exactly do you propose? Just stop the rebellion and let you go so they can continue to misuse their power?"
"Transparency," you told him firmly. "Freedom of information to let the people see what's been hidden, to hold those who did you wrong accountable and serve their sentences. Work with me to expose them so that we can dismantle the harmful systems and rebuild the kingdom from this point forward."
There was a tense pause, with the rebels murmuring amongst themselves and Owen thinking deeply about it. Ellie chose to remain silent, but she stayed by your side, reassuring you with a small pat on your shoulder.
Finally, Owen nodded slowly. "You're something, Princess. I'll give you that."
Ellie smirked. "I thought the same thing." She held out her hand for him to shake, "Truce then? Negotiate with Abby and the rest for us?"
"Fine, but if you betray us..." Owen let the threat hang in the air, and you nodded in understanding.
The rebels then presumably went back to their hideout, and Ellie expected that the rebellion will unite once again for this.
Within the day, they were able to safely get back to the main camp where Maria and the others greeted Ellie and the princess warmly. Abby had apologized in public on behalf of those who betrayed the plans, and everything was smoothed out.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of delicate planning and strategic maneuvers for the group. With everyone's help, you exposed the nobles who had orchestrated the ambush and manipulated the kingdom for their gain. The rebels did good with collecting evidence of the corruption of the nobles, shaking the court and the kingdom itself to the core.
Your father, the king, reluctantly agreed to the reforms you had proposed in public, especially under the pressure from the rebels and the unrest among the people after the exposure. You had pushed for a council to be formed, comprising of representatives from all classes and sectors, to oversee the rebuilding of the kingdowm, from redistribution of wealth and creation of policies that were for the people.
Though the tensions remained high, no one minded because they knew Eryndor was beginning to shift towards a more peaceful and just society.
One evening, as you and Ellie, who had been pardoned, along with the whole of the rebellion, stood on your room's balcony, you turned to her with a small smile.
"Think we did it?" you asked her softly.
Ellie leaned against the railing, her expression contemplative. She looked down at the bustling city below, not believing that the change she had just been envisioning was achieved in a matter of months since you came into her life.
"We started something, princess. That's more than I ever thought was possible."
You nudged her shoulder, and she looked down at you with small smile of her own.
"None of this would've happened without you, y'know."
Ellie chuckled and pinched your cheek. "And especially you. Truly not a useless princess after all."
You responded with a laugh, the sound light, genuine and music to Ellie's ears. For the first time in what felt like forever, the weight on your shoulders felt a little lighter. Even if there was a lot of work to be done, it didn't feel like work now that you both had each other. You had forged an unlikely partnership that assured you of a partner in Ellie, and her, in you.
And it wasn't just the kingdom that was shifting for the better. With the way Ellie had taken your hand and intertwined your fingers, she was sure that something had shifted between you two as well.
"I still can't believe you arranged for me to be your personal bodyguard," Ellie snickered, "and that they agreed, me being obviously in love with you, and all."
"Are you sure about this?" she said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'm not exactly the noble type, part of the palace."
You smiled at her and leaned your head on her shoulder. "You're exactly what I need. Someone who talks shit about me to my face even though you barely know the story."
Ellie laughed, placing a small peck on your forehead. "Careful, princess. That almost sounded like a compliment."
"Well, are you staying here with me or not?" You scrunched your nose and playfully smacked her arm.
She pretended to pause and thinking about it, earning another smack from you.
"Looks like I don't have a choice, huh."
You grinned at Ellie and hugged her, which she gladly returned.
"You always had a choice, Ellie. You just happen to keep choosing me."
[17:56 pm] "hyuck, are you irrationally reactive to random requests?"
companion!donghyuck glanced at you, wondering why you asked such a specific question. "no, why?"
"can we hold hands?"
he almost choked on his milk tea, caught completely off-guard by your question. "w-what? you wanna hold hands? w-why?" he did his best to regain his composure by sipping on his drink. "do you have a crush on me or something?" he asked. ironically, his heart was the one that was pounding heavily. you, on the other hand, let out a sigh and looked at him as if he was the incredulous one.
"nevermind. i guess you are," you teased.
donghyuck didn't know if he was just provoked by that or if he really wanted to do it. the next thing he knew, he was grabbing your hand and holding it gently. you looked up at him, a bit surprised, but you still sent a smile his way.
"t-there," he mumbled, "why do you wanna do this anyway?"
he observed your reactions carefully. you didn't seem fazed by the way you two were holding hands, or by how the other students' eyes were suddenly on the both of you.
"i've never had a lover before," you started, "i just wanted to feel what it was like to do 'holding hands while walking'. seems silly and random? yeah, i thought so too. i just craved the skinship since no one has liked me ever since."
donghyuck scoffed. "many people like you. you're just a bit dense to notice the way others look at you."
he found himself staring at you as you looked front and focused on the road. the pounding in his heart still wouldn't go away.
you both became friends because he asked you to help him get close to your bestfriend. he was sure that was the reason, because he liked bff/n. but as he realized that he was looking at you with the fondest expression in his face, he wasn't very sure now.
pairing: guitarist!band member!ellie williams x brother of band member! soft personality!female!reader
summary: ellie knew there were lines she wasnât supposed to cross. but the way you blushed when she called you âbabygirlâ made her want to toe every single one.
contains/warnings: college!au, you have a brother named harold, subtle but unspecific mention of trauma, suggestive towards the end
word count: 2.3k
author's yap notes: sue me i loved the k-drama kingdom bye. and yes here i am again with ellie williams IDK guys she's just hot and inspires me to write i just Have to take advantage of this. i'd write about my kpop boys but ,, i'm very wlw-coded the bisexual in me is not bisexualing.
'god, i'm such a kid,' ellie thought to herself as she fixed the crinkle in her flannel shirt. as usual, she felt a bit conscious of her appearance whenever she went to the house of her bandmate to practice for their upcoming gigs.
with one heavy breath, she brought her hands up and knocked gently on the door. it was really unlike herâ she could care less about stupid harold's door, but she didn't.
once it opened to reveal his younger sister, all thoughts were wiped clean from her mind. suddenly, you were all she could think about, from how cute you looked in your pajamas, to how those fuzzy house slippers fit your soft and caring personality.
"hi, ellie," you greeted sweetly, and god, could she just melt right then and there. she wouldn't mind going to harold's every weekend if she could always have this kind of welcome.
"hey, doll," she greeted back, ruffling your already bad bedhair, earning a whine from you. "harry there?"
you nodded and let her in, immediately going in for a hug. if it were anyone else, she would've punched the living lights out of them for invading her personal space, but this was you. you could cozy up to her as much as you (and she) wanted.
"you should go down now, he'll be there in a bit, just changing clothes."
she put an arm around your shoulders and leaned her head onto yours. "i can spare a few minutes for my favorite girl."
"and if you don't take your arms off her, i'll spare a few minutes to body slam you on the ground."
ellie raised her hands and chuckled at your overprotective brother, who was rushing down and suddenly pushing her to the direction of the basement and away from you.
"call you later, princess!" ellie hollered playfully, getting a 'sure thing, baby!' in return, much to your brother's annoyance.
harry started with his usual monologue whenever he caught her flirting with you, be it in their home or school. he always went on about how you were his most precious baby sister who deserved everything nice the world could offer, and that you were off-limits until you graduated because your family only wanted the best for your future. he even said his parents could throw him in a ditch somewhere if it meant you achieved your dreams.
ellie raised an eyebrow at him, feeling that she was never going to completely get used to this kind of brotherly side of harold. she inched away from him and went to her spot, saying, "chill out, dude. one more sentence, and i'm gonna think you have a sis complex or something.."
harry's jaw dropped in disbelief. "how dare you, ellie," he whined, throwing an empty can of soda at her, to which she just laughed. he scoffed then turned serious, "you all know how she got to where she is now, right? i just wanna make sure..."
"yeah, totally, i get you, har," she cut him off, not wanting to make him explain any more. she knows it was hard to talk about the traumatic event his sister went through and his family had to overcome together.
"ellie's just being ellie, but you know we all care about y/n. don't worry, har," emma quipped from the corner as she was fine tuning her own instrument.
"yeah relax," she told him, "i'm just happy to be around her. i like the influence she has on me. i'd take care of her the way i want to, but i won't cross the line without your go signal, harry." she showed him a thumbs up, which he returned.
harold smiled and thanked his bandmates, and ellie couldn't help but feel warm. she had a found another family in them, and she was beyond grateful. not many people her age have the bonds that their little band shared with one another. she was thankful that some people actually accepted her for who she was and treated her the same way they would treat their own close family members. joel was the only one she had at first, but because of them, her world expanded and became even better.
with that, she decided to let the matter go first and stop giving their poor leader a headache. her feelings for his most precious sister could be dealt with some other time, preferrable when everyone's less stressed about it.
"ellie?" you answered the door in surprise, looking at your friend with curious eyes. "what are you doing here?"
ellie cocked her head to the side in confusion. "practice, doll. what do you mean?"
you stepped aside and opened the door, letting her in that morning. she ruffled your hair as always and went in, plopping down on one of the chairs in the living room comfortably. it was her second home after all-- no one would contest that.
"i know, but didn't you get harry's text?" ellie's eyebrows furrowed, bringing her cellphone out to check. "he said practice would start later evening. he and lance had to rush to uni for a report," you told her, sitting on the other couch near her seat.
ellie scrolled through her messages and didn't see a notification, which was odd because harry never missed messaging reminders, especially if they were about their schedules. he respected their time way too much to do that. it must've been a mistake-- that, or he was messing with her, waking her up that early for no reason.
she mumbled a few profanities, swearing to get back at him, before putting her phone aside and slouching on the chair. "well, i guess i'll spend the day here. got nothin' else to do anyway," she said, folding her arms behind her head, hoping your eyes would at least linger a bit on her body. and they do.
she smirked a little when you abruptly looked away and turned the television on, showing Kingdom on the streaming app. "mi casa su casa, els."
els. she was only ever gonna like that nickname if you say it.
"have you eaten, babygirl?" she stood up, scrutinizing your face for any indication that you were affected by the pet name. she did a little fist pump in her mind when she saw the blush on your cheeks deepen in a redder shade. "can i cook for us?"
you cleared your throat and waved your hand, pretending to be nonchalant. "our kitchen is your kitchen. and you know what i like already, so pleasee," you spoke, lying down on the couch without looking at her.
ellie smiled dipped down, coming face to face with you and your adorable blush. "me, right?"
she laughed when you pushed her face away, complaining that the two of you were too close and she should go ahead and cook because she was starving. ellie affirmed and let her know their food would be ready in several minutes, obliging her princess who doesn't know she's her princess yet.
she got in the kitchen, cleaned her hand and the cooking wares she was going to use, and decided to just go for a typical omelette with bacon and sausages. kid ellie would always say that she would be caught dead first before ever cooking for a man, and she made sense because the only person she would cook for was her girlfriend who wasn't her girlfriend yet.
when the meal was almost done, she peeked inside and saw that you already set up your dining table for the two of you, meaning there really was no one around.
"y/n, babe, food's done," ellie called, and you were there to assist her in no time, preparing all the food in their respective plates. you two brought it over the table, and immediately chowed down on the food as if you weren't being fed by your parents and brother.
ellie looked at you fondly as you chewed on your food carefully, wanting to avoid any incident that might humiliate you somehow. she was just glad you were eating comfortably compared to back then when it was harder. she would cook and cook for eternity if it meant you would have the smile you had on yours face right now forever as well.
"love your cooking," you said in-between bites, scarfing down your food.
"careful. harry or your mom might hear and cry," she joked before eating her food herself.
you chuckled and placed your utensils down once you finished everything. it surprised ellie a bit, but it made her happy more than anything else. she was just waiting for you to wife her up.
"el," you called, looking down at your lap.
she stopped eating for a while, and took your hand, worried at the sudden change of mood. you seemed anxious, playing with your fingers like that again. ellie ran her thumb over your knuckles, asking, "what's wrong?"
you pursed your lips before shaking your head. "nothing. maybe we can talk about it later."
"sure, let me just finish this quick."
"no, take your time," you insisted, giving her a small smile which tugged at her heartstrings, as cheesy as that sounded. "meet me in my room when you're done, okay? don't rush, and just leave the plates there. i'll clean them up later."
ellie nodded in agreement and watched you go up to the second floor and disappear into your bedroom before going back to eating. it made her anxious too, wondering if harold told you anything about yesterday and asked you to stay away from her. that was why even if you told her not to rush her breakfast, she still did, being unable to take the suspense.
she left the dining room and quickly raced up the stairs, turning to the right at the top to go to your familiar bedroom. she knocked twice then went in, and saw you sitting by your bed and looking out the open window.
ellie's eyebrow's bunched up in worry, taking the seat next to you and holding your hand gently to let you know she was there no matter what. you turned to look at her and sent her a small 'hi.'
"hi, doll, what's wrong?" she asked, cutting to the main point.
you smiled a little. "it's nothing. i've just been deep in thought."
the girl frowned and brought your head onto her shoulder. "it's not nothing if it's making you think that deeply. c'mon, you can tell me. is anything hurting?" she asked, running her fingers through your hair.
"i- i'm scared of asking you," you admitted, looking down to avoid her gaze.
she decided not to force eye contact yet. "about what? i promise i'll respond gently. when have i not been gentle with you, doll?"
thankfully, you were the one to look up at her first, and she gave you a reassuring smile. "c'mon, n/n. it's just me, no need to be scared."
panic settled in once she had seen the tears pooling in your eyes. she asked what was wrong again frantically, bringing your face into the crook of her neck to allow you to cry to her. you let out a few sobs until you started fully crying, and then you managed to calm down. ellie was not good at comforting, so she was kind of relieved you were the type who didn't need many words to feel someone was there trying to make you feel better.
"c'mon, babe, what's wrong?" ellie coaxed, wiping the tears off your face.
"that's what's wrong.." you murmured, looking down.
her mouth hung slightly open, truthfully not understanding what you meant. you sighed and grabbed a pillow, hugging it close to you.
"you call me 'babe' or 'babygirl' and i give stupid romantic meanings to them and i just... what if you'll actually never see me as someone's and your little sister? i'm gonna be stuck with these feelings on my own, and i won't get over you, and i don't even know..." you said quickly, as if this was the only time you had let these thoughts out into the world.
ellie, on the other hand, couldn't be any more overjoyed than she was at the moment, but she had to keep her calm first because you were emotional, and she didn't want to overwhelm you much more than you already were.
instead, she grabbed one of your hands, and her other went to cup your face gently so that you two could look at each other deeply. she let out a little chuckle before speaking, "i have never looked at you as just a little sister. if you just knew how head over heels i was for you the moment harry introduced us," she said with a large grin. "i've got to be insane if i don't see you as a woman i wanna be with."
your lower lips trembled. "really?"
ellie laughed and stood up, gathering you in her hold and spinning you around, garnering laughter from you as well.
"yes, really! you're the only i would ever let in my personal space, clueless girl!"
the girl fell on your bed with you on top of her, and she smiled lovingly up at you, giving you a quick peck on the lips. "i've always wanted to do that."
to her surprise, you brought your lips together, kissing each other to make up for the years that the two of you could only hug and smile at each other. ellie sat up and flipped the two of you so that you would be underneath her, caged in her arms. she let go of your lips and went down to your neck, trailing downwards.
the two of you could feel your breaths become deeper, with your eyes darkening with need.
"you hungry?" you asked with a small voice.
ellie smirked. "famished."
oh well, harry's blessing was mattered less now that you made the first move.
summary: freshman mishaps led to the relationship you had with ellie today, but you don't know the other feelings she harbored for you.
contains/warnings: swearing, flirting, ooc fluff for ellie maybe? (but she was also so sweet in some scenes so cmon), enemies to lovers, college!au
word count: 2.7k
author's yap notes: i haven't actually immersed myself in tlou universe but like ellie's kinda cute or sumn and it takes a lot to inspire me into writing so im gna take advantage of this LMAO also i know abby n ellie r enemies but this is an au pls dont shoot me
would like to give credits for the dividers ofcc: c saradika, magnusthemes here in tumblr!
the sound of clicking against keyboards rang across the hall where your economics class was being held that early in the morning. honestly, it should've been banned to take such a complicated subject at an ungodly hour, and you haven't even began with the professor you got for this class. the only thing nice you got from this experience was being friends with someone as reliable as abby anderson.
"class dismissed."
abby was not the friendliest out there at first glance-- heck, you would've steered clear of her your whole college life if she didn't approach you first to make friends since she was in a different class from all her friends. you were just thankful you had someone to suffer through the class with at this point because you would not have survived otherwise.
if you were anything in college, you were the fastest campus leaver. but this was economics, a class where you actually had a friend to hang out with after enduring the lecture. only, you weren't feeling the extroverted introvert you were today, so you were already racking up your brain for some excuse to abby to go straight to your dorms while you two were on your way out.
"hey, n/n, raincheck on lunch today. need to meet up with someone for another project," abby told you, slinging her backpack on while messaging someone on her phone.
she truly was an angel in disguise. she made the excuse for you even without knowing you needed it.
"oh, no problem. was thinking of staying in in the dorm anywa-"
"abby, hey."
you looked over your taller friend's shoulders and saw the infamous ellie williams sauntering towards you two with her usual slightly grumpy expression. you clicked your tongue in annoyance, seeing the one person you hoped you wouldn't bump into at least this week. it was hell week in your department already, and you thought the fates had spared you because it was already friday, but you guessed they were saving their worst surprise for last.
"ah great," you mumbled under your breath, but abby still managed to catch it. she chuckled at the switch of expressions on both her friends' faces once they had seen each other and took a step back for their usual greeting-- or square off.
"what are you doing hogging abby again, princess pansy?" ellie stuck out her tongue, pocketing her hands.
you narrowed your eyes at her and attempted to slap her shoulder, but she was quick on her feet and moved away seconds before you could even land a finger on her hair. like a child, she repeated her earlier gesture, making abby step in front of you to block you. with your hands balled like that, she was sure you were about to commit a violation just to get even with ellieâs taunts. abby was well aware of your goals of graduating with latin honors, and there was no way she was going to let you waste that on a sick punch on ellie, no matter how much she wanted to see it.
you huffed and turned to look at abby instead, pretending that there was no ellie williams trying to annoy the hell out of you. âi seriously donât know how youâre still friends with that loser.â
âyouâre the loser!â
abby playfully pushed ellie aside for a moment before replying, âsheâs rough around the edges, but sheâs nice, trust me.â
a scoff left your mouth before you shook your head and muttered your goodbyes to your friend before walking away, ignoring ellieâs last words like a new agnostic to jesus.
you actually thought ellie was truly nice when you first laid your eyes on her until she proved that that stopped at her features (yes, you werenât going to lie and say she didnât look goodâ she was hot, for goodnessâ sake). she had become your sworn enemy one day when you were partnered up randomly for a pairwork in one of your common general education subjects. you had tried your best to include her in the project and get her to help, but you would only see on her facebook stories that she was either clubbing, drinking, or doing other shit college students did. you had a social life too, but you would never inconvenience anyone for it unlike her.
that was why you thought it would be best to save all the receipts you had on her, deliver the report on your own, and submit the written work with the proof that you indeed tried your best to get ellieâs cooperation until you had the right to give up on her. the professor accepted your reason and didnât dock off points on the rapport criterion, but ellie had other qualms. she had the audacity to object to what you had done, claiming you didnât try enough, but your proof were too solid versus her claims, so ellie had failed that requirement and needed to take removals.
she confronted you about, and you two ended up bickering at the back of one of the oldest buildings in university so that neither of you would be documented. but even when the fight was kept hidden, it eventually became known in school because ellie had decided to humiliate you one lunch, telling people about how you threw her under the bus. being unable to deal with the public humiliation, you ran out of there and swore ellie williams was nothing to you, no matter how hot of a person she was. she was an asshole to you forever, end of story.
you entered your shared room with a scowl on your face, bringing out your laptop and opening up a streaming site to watch modern family. you deserved to cool off with your comfort sitcom before delving into the pile of homework you had to do for the day.
ellie typed furiously on her laptop, mind still fresh from her encounter with you yesterday. it annoyed her so much that she couldnât even cram her lab report with abby in peace, and the deadline was in two hours! god, if she could just get in your face and-
she froze. she knew exactly where that thought was already headed before it even finished. she groaned out loud, even more annoyed this time, which caught her friendâs attention. abby raised an eyebrow, but she simply let out a âtchâ and tried to continue filling in the tables with values she knew were going to yield an extraordinary error. she just couldnât get you out of her mind even if she wanted toâ even if you loathed you. there was something about you and your little interactions that excited the hell out of her that she felt she even loved to hate you because of it.
she wanted to punch herself. that was gradeschool ellie discovering she liked women. why can she not get a grip now?
âi donât know how you put up with miss uptight two days a week. i canât even stand her for a minute,â ellie began, eyebrows furrowing, but she wasnât sure whether the frustration was towards her missing the deadline or the girl that would not leave her head.
âstill thinking about her, i see,â abby teased, humming a romantic tone right after. âjust admit youâre down bad and would like her on your bed, el.â
her head shot up, face obviously distressed at what she just heard. âgross! grow up, abby.â
abby rolled her eyes and looked up from her screen. âyou grow up. you obviously have feelings for her. you can fool anyone but me. you like y/n.â
ellie felt that she was getting too red, so she shut herself up first before she could say something that abby would obviously know how to retort at. it was like she was an open damn book whenever this certain friend of hers was around. maybe it had to do with the fact that they went through shit first before becoming people they feel could be relied on. that, or ellie was really just that easy to read.
âwhat even happened that y/n hates your guts that much?â
she stopped typing and slumped down in her seat. âi messed up little miss perfectâs sched then humiliated her for it.â she sighed at abbyâs raised eyebrow. âi promised to help with one project we were partnered up for, but i was a stupid freshman who just wanted to have fun, so she ended up adjusting her whole month to do everything by herself. i hated how she ratted me out because i thought that was so uncool in college, so i humiliated her in a college cafeteria. are you satisfied?â
her friend shrugged her shoulders. ânah. i havenât heard the part where you said you were sorry. and why you still hate her.â
ellie pulled the hood of her jacket up and then on the strings to squish the clothing over her face, hiding in embarrassment. âi act like i hate her. itâs the only way i can talk to her now. i havenât really said sorry too.â
abby laughed, making her jaw drop slightly in offense.
âshe was right. youâre such a loser.â
speaking of who was right, ellie, from the corner of her eyes, saw you dragging yourself into the same library they were in. (she hated how automatic it was for her at this point to catch her silhouette). apparently, her collegeâs library was your favorite library, and she couldnât blame you. it had good comfort rooms, chilly ac units, endless charging ports, working areas for all kinds of people, and you could bring coffee in it.
she watched the girl begrudgingly walk towards one of the desks for sharing, making sure you got the outlet that came with it. it seemed to be your spot because knowing you somehow, you would need optimal conditions to work.
âwho- oh, your crush is here,â abby cheered quietly, making ellie clamp a hand over her noisy mouth. they nonetheless got the stare from the young librarian, who seemed to be stricter than the senior librarians. they both nodded their heads in apologies before ellie could look over to where you were again.
âyou should talk to her. ask her if she wants coffee or something, cos sheâs not looking too good.â
abby looked at her like she was nuts. âwhy are you ordering me around as if iâm your servant. go do that, since youâre so lovestruck and concerned for her.â
âisnât she your friend?â
âyeah, but she needs a lover more.â
âshut up!â
ellie groaned, planting her face onto the laptop, not minding how much it hurt. these moments reminded her how much of an ass abby could be to her. but it looked like she wasnât going to budge in her seat, because she was now back to typing away on her laptop.
hesitantly, she got up and walked towards your table, trying to act confident even though she knew you might eat her alive with your smart mouth. god, you could just e-
she shook her head, hoping those thoughts would be gone too. she was standing by your table, hoping as well that she didnât look that much of a creep from an outsiderâs perspective. your back was facing her, since you were face down and probably resting for a bit before locking in for whatever you had to finish. ellie mustered her courage, took in a huge breath, then tapped your shoulder lightly. she became a bit bewildered when you had not responded to the fifth tap, wondering if you had supersight at the back of your head to know you should be ignoring the person bothering you.
but she noticed how limp you hand had gotten, and her eyes widened, rushing to your other side. if she had not seen a person passed out medically, she wouldnât have been able to tell that y/n probably blacked out from some reason, but thankfully, she knew. within seconds, she had already scooped you up and gathered you in her arms, with abby shouting in the library what the heck she was doing, but she could care less. you were her priority.
that was why you looked like hell the moment you entered. your dark eyebags confirmed that you probably overexerted yourself, leading to the blackout. she knew you were a high achiever, but she didnât know you were a stupid one. how could you let your academics take control of your life to the point that you would sacrifice your health? she was going to have to speak to you about this when you were better. preferably the moment you woke up.
but right now, she had rushed inside the infirmary and laid you down on one of the beds. a nurse thankfully came to check on you at once calling the doctor to diagnose what was wrong. after pacing around the medical professionals, ellie heard them say that you were very dehydrated and decided to inject IV fluids in you to aid your body. they quickly got to work so you could recover faster.
ellie thanked the doctor and nurses and sat down beside you, taking your hand. âgod you fucking scared me,â she muttered under her breath, bringing your hand to her cheek. âfor someone at the top of your classes, youâre awfully stupid.â she didnât realize her scolding would happen even before you woke up.
âyouâre seriously gonna be the death of me. i canât even take care of you the way i want to until your unconscious,â ellie looked at you worriedly. âgod, let me take care of you, stubborn-head. give me a chance, iâll make everything right. i sound like a pussy. i just like you that much, okay.â
your eyes fluttered open at the confession, locking them with hers at that moment.
ââŠwhat?â
ellie dropped your hand and stood up at once. âwhat?â she covered her face in embarrassment, immediately turning red. âhow are you awake so fast?â
your eyebrows crossed. âdo you want me to stay half-dead or something?â
âno! i meant- ugh, iâm not prepared for this.â
âfor what? for declaring your love for me?â
ellie gasped, looking offended. âi didnât say âloveâ yet!â she pointed at you as if accusing you of something. âugh, youâre so annoying.â
you sat up with a small smile, and she knew you knew you had the upperhand in this situation. this was just turning out to be the worst week ellie had had. if she knew you were going to here her random confession, she wouldâve prepared some more. you just had to be awake right now.
âwell, sorry,â you said, deflating a bit. ellie panicked once again and finally sat down. she took your hand gently and let out a breath.
âiâm sorry, just-âŠâ she looked you in the eyes (this is so cheesy, she hated it) and hoped the sincerity would reach you, âiâm sorry for what happened during freshman year. i was stupid, and i canât take that shit back. but iâve liked you for the longest time, and god knows this stupid little crush has made me daydream about you at least thrice a day, and i guess what iâm saying isâ god, will you be with me? even if it takes some time?â
you smiled wryly. âthe famous ellie williams rambling⊠i could get used to this.â
ellie groaned out loud and smushed her face into the infirmaryâs bed. but she was just hiding her smile because she herself didnât know that someone could make her ramble stupidly like this. you were well aware of your power over her too.
âlook at me ellie.â like a pet, she did. âiâd be lying if i said i wasnât attracted to you. i honestly would like to like you, but we have to do so much work, especially that i donât feel that resolved yet with what happened back then. i know you felt like i blindsided you, but i suffered a lot even though i know i did nothing wrong. itâs gonna take a lot of time. are you willing to put in that kind of work with me?â
ellie brought your hand to her cheeks again. âno doubt about it.â
a wide, genuine smile finally broke out your face. âalright. i love to hate you, but iâd like to love you only now, williams.â
she returned the gesture, giving a light kiss on your knuckles. âlove to hate ya, but i love to love you more, princess.â
The hallways were buzzing with excited juniors and seniors that afternoon, organized into neat lines of students. It was Astrocamp day for them, so they were preparing to go to the field to put up their tents and place their things inside. Astrocamp had finally made its comeback from the trenches, giving them a free sleepover in their tents under the stars after a nightâs worth of fun activities like stargazing and using the telescopes.
âGosh, guys, this is so exciting. I donât know about you, but Iâm gonna go look at so many stars.â
You looked to your right and saw one of your classmates, and of course, your crush, Hazel Callahan, with a huge smile on her faceâ a huge contrast to the other girls around her. You felt bad that they didnât share her joy as always, but it didnât seem to mind her.
PJ noticed you were staring at their group and shot you a smile. Ah, you remembered that she did harbor a small admiration for you too, but one thatâs not as intense as her crush for Brittany. You returned the smile before putting your attention to your own group of friends in your class. Your bestfriend, bff/n, was already looking at you knowingly. You rolled your eyes, simply making a face in response. She chuckled and looped her arms around yours, not pushing it for now. There was plenty of time for that later for her.
âAlright, you children. Go to the field and pick your own spots. Make sure a classâs tents cluster together for easier monitoring,â the head disciplinarian announced then ushered the sections closest to the exit of the building to get a move on.
You smiled, finally feeling as excited as your friends at the night to come. And your class was going to be camping togetherâ technicallyâ so who knows what interaction you may have with Hazel at the romantic setting of the night under the stars.
âNooo!â
âThere better be a refund!â
âThis is so annoying.â
Complaints and groans erupted from the students after it was just announced that Astrocamp was cancelled and everyone would be moved into their classrooms to spend the night due to the sudden rains that poured. If there was anything the school was good at, it was avoiding responsibilities, so naturally, when the risk of students getting sick because of their activity appeared, they decided not to push through with camping. It was a real bummer because it was an opportunity for juniors and seniors to actually have fun at school, especially that it was finals season. Now, they were just stuck in their classrooms, their sleeping bags and other things for bedtime forced to be used on the tiled floors.
As for your class, everyone just went inside your designated room and set up their own sleeping mats, bags and blankets to cozy up for the night. Your heart did a small flip when you realized that your friend group and Hazelâs were beside each other, and she had set up her sleeping mat next to yours. You gave her a smile, which she thankfully returned, before the both of you looked away.
âI saw that,â bff/n whispered once you were facing your friends again. âYouâre popular; Hazelâs cute and obviously has a crush on you. Why donât you just make the move so we can stop with this insufferable little interactions that make me wanna crash your lips into each other!â She ranted exasperatedly. She had been your #1 supporter-slash-teaser, so she knew every bit of your relationship with Hazelâ which, sadly, wasnât much yet. Yet.
âI wanna be with her, bff/n, but câmon. You know Iâm not the most confident in making a move.â
Bff/n rolled her eyes. âRight, because itâs others who make a move on you. Forgot about that.â
The two of you laughed, but when your other friends started pestering the two of you about your crush again, you stayed mum until they changed the topic about their crushes. Youâre honestly glad they respected the relationship you had with bff/n and your boundaries in the friend group. You had your special bonds with each of them, and you appreciated them for being such good friends to you.
âGuys, since weâre gonna be here for the night, are you all up for a horror movie marathon?â Your class president asked as she was preparing the laptop, white screen, and speakers. Youâre not one to break the rules, but since it was the adminâs fault that Astrocamp wouldnât push through in another schedule, you also felt like there had to be some compensationâ like doing whatever the hell you all wanted.
One problem, though, is that you werenât good with horror movies. You always loved the thrill, but you also always had to cover a big chunk of your line of sight, just enough to see the captions to still know what was going on. It was an unfortnate paradox.
But it wasn't like you could stop her because everyone chattered excitedly and started suggesting the horror movies they want in the lineup. So far, there was Smile, La Llorona, and Sinister listed on the whiteboard. You bit your lip with worry, already wondering how you were going to survive the night.
"Scared?"
You looked towards who asked you and saw Hazel with a small smile on her face. You sighed and nodded.
"I love watching the thrill of watching them, but I also get scared easily. I guess I'm gonna have to cover my eyes and just listen."
Hazel let out a low chuckle, making your heart skip a beat again at how attracted you were to her at this point.
"Hey, we're just beside each other. You can hide next to me."
"I'll keep that in mind," you grinned, feeling giddy at the thought of actually getting that close to Hazel, almost like you two were alone, cuddling while watching movies.
When your class's movie marathon started, you bought some time for yourself by inviting your friends to take a shower and do preparations for bed. Smile was not exactly your cup of tea due to the gore and triggering themes.
You guys talked about silly girl things, like your friends' relationships and interactions with their crushes, or what a bummer it was to not be able to do the actual Astrocamp. You all paid good money to use those telescopes, but at least some of it was returned for your dinner and snacks tonight. The rest, probably corrupted somewhere.
When enough time had passed, they suggested joining your other classmates in the room for the movie marathon. Your friend group had been talking for at least an hour, so maybe Smile was finished.
Thankfully, it really was. La Llorona was finally playing, which you considered one of the "chiller" horror movies. You went to your sleeping mat, positioned between bff/n and Hazel, whose eyes were glued to the screen. She mumble a short greeting to acknowledge your presence, but she remained focused on the story. 'Cute.'
You got cozy under the covers, turning on the more comfortable side, which was coincidentally facing Hazel. While she was probably clueless about how you two were facing each other, you were hyperaware of everything, including how close your faces were.
"Omygod!" You snapped out of your thoughts when La Llorona's scary face popped up on the wide screen, scaring you with the annoying sound effects they used for jumpscares.
It was a good thing the others were also surprised by the jumpscare, or else you would've caught everyone's attention. You covered your eyes with a hand, peeking only at the subtitles.
You saw Hazel stir from her statue position and give you a concerned look. "Y/n, you okay?" She whispered. "Wanna come closer and hide?"
"You haven't even asked me out yet," you told her, trying to play it cool even though the face of La Llorona was still etched in your mind.
Hazel looked a bit panicked and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that- but if you want it to be like that, I'm not opposed- BUT yeah.."
You put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Don't worry, I was joking around to lighten the mood," you said, trying to reassure her, which seemed to work.
The two of you tried your best to focus on the movie again, now a bit more conscious of your proximity. For the most part, you were able to enjoy watching, if you were going to ignore how many times the sound effects frustrated and scared you. You didn't even notice your eyes becoming heavier by the minute towards the end of La Lloronaâ that was how comfortable you felt in your current position, whatever it was.
"Oh my gosh, that is so cute, just kick me in the stomach."
"Shush! You're gonna wake them up! I need to have thousands of pics to tease y/n with."
The first thing that registered in your brain was how cozy you felt and something that smelled really nicely, but when you kept hearing the whispers around you, your eyes fluttered open to peek at what was going on around you.
"Mm, shut up," you heard someone mumble in their sleep, and before you could react, you were suddenly pulled closer in someone's hold. Your eyes now widened, and you woke up to see none other than Hazel Callahan spooning you.
Hazel's face looked so serene and beautiful in the morning lightâ it was so nice to just stare at that kind of face lesbians would go to war for. Involuntarily, you reached out and caressed her cheek softly, not wanting to wake her up.
"Oh, that's so cute!" Someone squealed, finally waking Hazel up and making you get back to your senses.
The two of you saw that your classmates had surrounded your sleeping mat, their cellphones out to apparently take pictures of Hazel being the big spoon. You looked at Hazel and saw that she shared the same intense blush, being the center of attention and being in a romantic position with you.
"Ah, gosh, sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine!" You interrupted, getting up in a flash, grabbing things to freshen up before leaving the campus, and going to the washroom. You simply ignored the gushes and side comments everyone was spouting as you pushed past the crowd.
You closed the door of the washroom, despite it being communal, and stared at your beet red cheeks. That was not what you expected to happen, even if it was the best thing that you experienced. No wonder you slept so soundlyâ Hazel was spooning you!
"I'm coming in," you heard said person call from outside, and she really did come in. Thankfully, she also closed to door to block off the girls who wanted to gossip.
"Hazel, I'm sorry I-"
"I'm not sorry." She pursed her lips, breathed in deeply, before continuing, "That was the best sleep and cuddle I've had my whole life, and you know why? Because it was with you. I am sorry if you felt like boundaries were crossed, but I also want to tell youâ now or neverâ that I have been madly in love with you since I laid my eyes on you and talked to you. And I know- I'm sorry, I'm rambling, but-"
You let out a relieved laugh at Hazel's confession. This was truly the best moment of your life.
"Then I'm not sorry either," you beamed at her, "I like you- a lot, Hazel."
Hazel beamed back and gathered your messy selves in a tight hug. "Oh, thank heavens."
The two of you separated when you heard giggles and more whispers from outside the washroom. You laughed together and opened the door, raising your intertwined fingers to tell them, "Yeah, we like each other!"
