summer lover - ellie williams x reader
a/n: ummm sorry for taking a year long hiatus but hereâs some slop đ read sunburn by chloe howarth and got inspired so hereâs a rusty long one for ya guys. if anyone has request feel free to lmk !!!
warnings: modern au, reader is lesbian, maybe people being ooc, angst, drunk texting, suggestive content, abby x reader, cheating, long long yearning but happy ending !!
it all started with the sickly thick summer heat, the smell of sunscreen, and the wind blowing through the trees. you laid out on the grass, a towel under you but messed up from moving around. ellie laid next to you, humming along to some song from her mixtapes she made that played from her old cd radio. you had your book open, your eyes skimming the words but you couldnât help how they traveled every few seconds to glance at ellie. she had missed a few spots with her sunscreen, the freckles on her shoulders more prominent than you had seen in a while. the skin was tinged red, something she was sure to complain about in a few hours when you had to grab the aloe gel from the fridge.
âwhen do you leave for school?â you asked, setting the open book down on your chest, the paper rubbing against your skin.
âthe 28th, they have some stupid welcome week and then classes will startâ she said, peeking open an eye to look at you. you hummed in response, ignoring the way your stomach turned at her response. ellie had gotten accepted into school, going to study art so that she could teach one day. you had decided to take a gap year, using the money you were gifted for graduation to move out of your small town and explore a bit before deciding what to do.
âare you excited?â you asked, looking at her once again, your eyes finally meeting hers. you hoped the smile you had on your face hid your disappointment, even though you knew she could see through you.
âyeah, i guess iâm just ready to finally get outta here. youâll have to come see me though, iâll miss youâ she said, chuckling. you grinned, nodding.
âiâll miss you too. iâll miss this.â you said, leaning back once more to lay in the sun with a sigh as you closed your eyes. you missed how she eyed you for a second, before closing her eyes as well.
-
ever since you and ellie had been in grade school, you had been inseparable. it all started when you fell down while playing, scraping your knee. when your eyes got teary, you looked up to see a girl with auburn hair and freckles crouch in front of you. she helped you find a bandaid for your scraped knee, before giving you a flower to cheer you up. ever since that day, you had basically lived at joelâs house. even with being ellieâs adoptive dad, he had practically raised her and treated her just like his own. this extended to you, not having the best home life. if you had to leave in the middle of the night, heâd be on the porch waiting to help you bring your bags in.
âeat up, before it gets coldâ he teased you, plopping some more spaghetti on your plate. his cooking was always very single dad-esque, extending from casseroles to easy to make pastas.
âi canât believe this is our last dinner togetherâ ellie mumbled, twirling the noodles with her fork solemnly. it was the night before she left, something that had hit her only a few hours before, causing her to be in a sour mood.
âwell, we will still have plenty more when you come home for breaksâ joel said, trying to cheer her up.
âwhat, you arenât excited for that cafeteria food?â you asked, chuckling with a small grin. she couldnât help the smile that grew on her lips, trying not to think about the crazy meals that awaited her.
âyeah, yeahâ she huffed, taking a bite. after dinner, you all lounged in the living room while a cheesy horror movie played in the back ground. ellie was locked in, watching the film while she played with your hair, braiding and unbraiding a small piece with her eyes glued to the screen. you couldnât focus on the television, your attention more drawn to the way her long, slender fingers felt between the strands of your hair. the warmth from her hands seeped through, making you sigh. the movie finally ended, and joel shut off the television.
âwell, iâm gonna hit the hay. you girls make sure to be up in time, you especially ellieâ joel said with a hearty chuckle as ellie jokingly rolled her eyes. as you said goodnight, silence fell over you and ellie.
âready for bed?â she asked, looking at you as her fingers left your hair. you nodded, following her to her bedroom. as you both settled in bed, you realized this was probably the last time things would be like this for a long time, if not ever again.
âpromise youâll keep in touch?â you whispered, eyeing her features lit in the moonlight as you laid on your side, facing her.
âof course, iâll call you every dayâ ellie said, brushing some hair behind your ear. you ignored the way your heart skipped a beat, pushing the feeling back like you had for years.
growing up in a small town, you realized once all the other girls your age started talking about boys and dating, you felt quite the opposite when you looked at your masculine classmates. you tried, even faking infatuation. when ellie confided in you about a secret fling she had with riley, a girl who was staying with her aunt for the summer in town, you realized why you felt this way. the jealousy that surged in your chest was something that could easily be dismissed from ellie being your best friend. the jealousy that persisted when you saw her talking to other girls, knowing then that she was possibly interested in them was something you couldnât ignore. it was something you kept hidden, not wanting to ruin any aspect of the years long bond you guys had.
âyou better, or iâm gonna have to come thereâ you teased, chuckling softly.
âif i miss you enough, iâll have to stop replying thenâ she teased back, her grin evident even in the dark. you chatted a bit before she finally dozed off, her breathing evening out. you smelled the quilt, taking in the woodsy scent that was ellie, something you knew youâd come to miss. you moved closer, resting your head against her back once she turned on her side. you closed your eyes, holding back tears until you finally fell asleep.
-
the truck pulled up to ellieâs dorm building lot, students bustling about and unpacking their belongings while their families helped. joel put the truck in park, looking at you and ellie.
âready?â he asked, nodding at the bags in the back. ellie nodded, fidgeting with her sleeve before hopping out of the truck. you all grabbed her bags, one of the student workers helping you guys find her room. you set her bags down, looking around the small single dorm.
âexcited, kiddo?â joel asked, looking around. ellie smiled, nodding.
âyeah, i guess this is it.â she said, looking at the both of you. joel sighed, pulling her into a hug. he got a bit teary eyed, but as per usual didnât get too emotional. he pulled back, patting her shoulder. she looked at you, pulling you into a tight hug.
âgonna miss youâ she mumbled against your shoulder. you felt her tears dampening the fabric, and felt tears of your own start to fall.
âgonna miss you tooâ you whispered, squeezing her a bit closer. after a minute she pulled away, wiping her face quickly.
âtext me when you guys get homeâ she said, sniffling. you all said goodbye before you and joel went back to the truck. silently you drove home, the hours passing as joel finally pulled up to your house. he got out, walking you up to your door. your mom wasnât at home, which wasnât unusual anymore since she started dating her new boyfriend.
â(y/n)?â he asked. you looked over at him, an understanding between both of you.
âhm?â you hummed, trying to compose yourself.
âdonât be a stranger. you need anything, you give me a callâ he said gruffly, his hands in his pockets.
âthanks joelâ you said, nodding. he pulled you into a quick hug, both of you trying not to cry.
-
a few months passed, with you mostly staying in an empty house. you had saved up enough money to finally move, and you were on the phone telling ellie while you packed your things.
âhowâs it going?â you asked, placing some random books in a box.
âbeen staying busy with classes. made a few friends, i think youâd really like them.â she said, and you could almost hear her grin through the phone.
âtell me about themâ you said, smiling as you listened to her describe them.
âwell, i met jesse in my composition class. heâs a big goofball, super outgoing but definitely a bro. then i met dina in the dining hall, there wasnât anywhere else to sit so she invited me to sit with her and a few other friends. sheâs super cool. we all hang out to watch cheesy movies sometimesâ she said. you felt a little jealous at the idea of being replaced, but you pushed it down with happiness that ellie wasnât lonely.
âiâm glad youâre making friendsâ you said.
âmiss your face though. when are you moving?â she asked, and you could hear her plop on her bed through the phone.
âby the end of this week. joelâs helping me move in. mom has been⌠mia.â you said. she sighed into the phone.
âsorry sheâs been like that again. glad youâre getting outta there. how far will you be from here?â she asked. you looked at the map on your phone, typing it all in.
âan hour and a halfâ you sighed, wishing it was closer. with the rent pricing though, you couldnât complain. it was a big city compared to where you were, with a lot more potential.
âdamnâ she said, sighing. a small silence fell between you.
âi miss youâ you said, sitting down on your bed.
âi miss you too. promise youâll visit soon?â she asked.
âof course i will... iâll be staying there for a year, and maybe after that depending on what happens i can move closerâ you said, despite knowing a lot could change in a year.
âgood, miss seeing you. shit, dina and jesse are here. iâll talk to you soon, okay?â she said, your heart aching at having to hang up so soon.
âyeah, have fun. byeâ you said, hearing the other line go dead. you set your phone down, pushing your feelings to the side as you continued packing.
-
the week went by fast, and before you knew it you were standing in your new apartment. it was small, but it was home and you planned on making it feel like such. joel had just left, leaving you with some groceries and a few pieces of furniture he insisted on buying you as a move in gift. you sighed, getting started on unpacking as soon as possible. you had lined up a barista job at a cafe a few blocks away, figuring it would be enough to pay the thankfully cheap rent you had managed to come by. you felt nervous, but excited.
ellie had told you sheâd call you on your first night there, but the hour grew later. by the time you heard from her, you were laying in your bed, your room only illuminated by the old movie playing on your television. your phone buzzed, and ellieâs name lit up on the screen. you groggily answered, having almost dozed off since it was past midnight.
âellie?â you asked, hearing a party happening in the background.
â(y/n), iâm so sorry. i went to this party with dina and jesse and i just lost track of time! let me step outside really quick.â she semi shouted, before hearing the music and shouting fade a bit as she seemed to step out.
âitâs okay.â you said softly, despite the ache in your chest.
âhowâs the first night there, move go alright?â she asked, that same raspy voice coming through that she got when she smoked.
âit was good, thankfully easy. itâs different, but not in a bad way. i wish you could come see itâ you said, laying on your side.
âgood, iâm glad. maybe i can get a ride over during fall break or something.â she said, sipping from a drink, sounding a bit high or tipsy or both.
âiâd like that.â you said softly, not having seen her in months.
âlisten, i gotta go back in, but ill text you.â she said, and you felt the ache grow.
âsure, talk to you soon.â you said, barely getting your words out before she ended the call. you sighed, feeling like you wanted to cry but not being able to. you fell asleep, dreaming of ellie and the last day you spent together. it was a sweet memory, but something fading the more you grew apart.
-
a few months had passed, and summer had just started to cool down. the leaves started to slightly change in the small park you often read in, and a slight chill joined the air when youâd sit on your balcony and drink your nightly tea.
the job was going well, developing friends of your own but your friendship with ellie was slowly diminishing. the promised calls hadnât happened since that night, and the texts were slowly coming less and less often. you knew she was probably busy with midterms, but joel had posted a picture of them during her fall break that she hadnât told you was happening. you didnât try to reach out, the effort being too much to try and keep going with no responses back.
you had just finished with your shift, and you wished your coworkers a good night before stepping into the chilly night air. you started the walk to your apartment, before feeling your phone vibrate in your pocket. you pulled it out, seeing ellieâs name light up.
âhello?â you asked, answering.
âhey, long time no talkâ she said, a bit more cheerful than you expected.
âyeahâ you mumbled, looking down as you spoke.
âlisten, iâm sorry iâve been kinda distant. midterms got crazy and iâve been trying to really get the college experience, ya know?â she said, a bit more solemn than before.
âitâs cool, donât worry. iâm glad itâs going well.â you said, still missing her despite the hurt feelings you pushed to the side.
âhowâs your job going?â she asked.
ânot bad, made some friends here. everyoneâs really nice, and the job is pretty chillâ you said, glad she was at least putting in effort to talk to you now.
âthatâs good, iâm glad.â she said, sounding genuine.
âhowâs everything been?â you asked.
âthings are good. classes have been fun and i feel like iâm learning a lot. um, something did happen though, something a bit unexpected.â she said, suddenly sounding nervous.
âoh?â
âdina like, kinda kissed me at a party. weâre not like, dating officially or anything but i think i like herâ she said. your heart fell, and you felt a lump form in the back of your throat.
âiâm gladâ you said, trying not to choke on your words. you finally reached your apartment, hurrying in.
âsheâs really nice, unexpected but in a nice wayâ she said, and you could hear her grinning through the phone.
âlisten, i gotta go. iâm sorryâ you said, before hanging up. you threw your bag on the couch before finally choking on a sob, all the hurt and jealousy overcoming you. you felt stupid, holding onto the idea that sheâd actually want to be with you.
-
a few weeks passed, and you figured if ellie could find someone else than maybe you should move on and accept it. you had been working during a thunderstorm, the cafe dead inside. the door dinged as you wiped down the espresso machine, looking up to see a tall, muscular woman step in. her blonde hair was in braids, but soaked from the rain. she looked sheepish as she rubbed her shoes on the entry carpet, despite the rain dripping from her clothes onto the tile.
âterrible day to forget an umbrella, huh?â she joked, looking up at you with a grin.
âprobably the worst, honestly.â you chuckled, walking to the register.
âhm, what would you recommend to someone who doesnât really drink coffee? kinda just needed to get outta the rain for a minute.â she said sheepishly, looking over you. you flushed a bit at her intense gaze.
âin your case, probably something warm. i can make you my personal favoriteâ you said, looking up at her.
âperfectâ she said, smiling at you.
âitâs on the house.â you said, before stepping away to make her drink before she could respond. you took the time while preparing her drink to calm down, feeling flustered. she was attractive, seemed put together, and the way she was looking at you definitely wasnât just friendly.
âhere.â you said softly, placing the cup in front of her. she smiled, picking it up and taking a sip.
âdamn, thanksâ she said, looking at you.
âso, if i wanted to repay you by, letâs say taking you out to dinner sometime, would you let me?â she asked.
âhmm, i guess thatâs a fair repayment. but i might need your number in that caseâ you said, chuckling.
âsmoothâ she said, grinning as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. you typed your number in, saving your contact.
âsee you around?â she asked, grabbing the coffee.
âmhm, see youâ you said, watching as she stepped back out into the rain. you felt your cheeks, the warm skin slowly cooling back down as you processed what happened. she was sweet, but you couldnât help but still think about ellie.
-
you and abby had grabbed dinner, started texting constantly, and had been on a few more dates. she was sweet, dedicated to her passions, and always took care of you. you hadnât heard from ellie, which hurt but didnât surprise you at this point.
âhey, you okay?â abby asked, pulling you out of your thoughts. she wiped a bit of cider from the corner of your lips, sucking it off her thumb. the gesture made you blush.
âyeah, sorry. just got lost in thoughtâ you said, nodding as you continued walking with her. you had gotten dinner yet again, before walking around the closest park and grabbing some cider from a cafe nearby. the leaves were in their peak now, orange and red covering parts of the sidewalk.
âwhatâs going on in that pretty head of yours?â she asked, her hand resting on the small of your back.
ânothing important. my place or yours?â you asked, looking up at her. usually your dates ended with watching a movie or talking at either of your apartments for hours. you had expressed this being your first time really dating anyone, so nothing had happened yet between you besides some hand holding. things were starting to feel a bit more serious recently though, and you didnât mind it.
âwe can head to yours, itâs close byâ she said, both of you heading in that direction. you finally arrived at your apartment, unlocking the door and stepping in.
âwanna watch a movie?â you asked, and she nodded. you turned on a random movie, sitting on the couch next to her. she scooted close, her arm behind your shoulders. her fingers found your hair, playing with one of the strands. you felt a bit nervous, not sure if it was from the close contact or remembering the way ellieâs hands used to feel in your hair. the longer the movie went on, the closer you involuntarily got. before you knew it, the credits started rolling. you looked over at abby before realizing how close you were. your eyes flicked down to her lips briefly.
âcan i kiss you?â she asked softly, brushing a piece of hair behind your ear. all you could do was nod. she cupped your cheek, her lips meeting yours in a gentle kiss. this was your first kiss, so it took a second to gain your bearings before you felt her lips move against yours.
âwas that okay?â she whispered, pulling away.
âplease kiss me againâ you said softly, abby quickly obeying as she captured your lips into another kiss. this one was a bit more intense, a small moan escaping your lips as she pushed you back against the couch
-
when you woke up to your alarm, you felt a warm arm wrapped around your waist. you turned the alarm off, slipping out of abbyâs tight grasp. she grumbled before turning onto her side, burrowing further into the blankets as you quietly got ready for work. since the night abby kissed you, she had asked you to be hers and found herself walking up at your apartment more frequently.
you still hadnât heard from ellie in weeks, which stung but was something you knew you couldnât dwell on. you had seen her post a few pictures of her and her friends, mostly dina. you had to stop looking when your hands started trembling seeing a picture of ellie with her arm around dina, pressing a kiss to the other girls cheek. abby helped distract you from these thoughts, her sweet gestures making you swoon.
âbe back laterâ you whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead before leaving, locking the door behind you. you had been scheduled a short early morning shift, waking up before the sun even rose. you locked the door behind you, starting the short walk to work. you were about three minutes in when your phone vibrated. you looked, seeing a text from ellie.
âmiss uouâ it said, followed by a bit of gibberish.
âare you drunk?â you typed back, confused and a bit concerned. ellie had always been a smoker, but never much of a drinker or partier. you figured it was normal for college, but worried about how drunk she might be.
âmaybeâ she managed to type back
âokayâ you typed back, sighing. you didnât know what else to say. she hadnât responded back to you in weeks, and you couldnât just let that go.
the shift went by quickly, and by the time it was nine you were finally off. you stopped, grabbing breakfast for you and abby when your phone vibrated again.
âiâm sorryâ was all you got back, making your chest ache.
âwe can talk when youâre not fucked upâ you typed back, putting your phone away with a sigh as you unlocked the door.
-
the weeks turned into months, and still no word from ellie. with the way things had gone, you decided pushing her and your feelings to the side was for the best. it wasnât fair to abby for you to keep dwelling on it. leaves fell and soon so did snow.
it was your first winter in the city, and abby made sure to make it the best experience for you. she could tell you were feeling homesick, and after confiding in her about ellie and your ruined friendship she made sure you knew your worth. as much as you had wanted to go home for the holidays, you knew there wasnât much to go back for. with ellie not talking to you, joelâs texts had also declined. he had at least wished you a happy holidays, but it just didnât feel the same. you busied yourself with abby, throwing yourself into your relationship.
-
before you knew it, another year and a half went by. you were still with abby, and you still hadnât heard from ellie. at this point she was finishing up her second year, and you had moved in with abby. you stayed at the cafe job, having been there for so long. still, you always felt like something was missing.
âhey, iâll be home late tonight. donât wait up for meâ abby said, pressing a kiss to your cheek as she grabbed her work bag.
âlove youâ you said, washing your dishes from breakfast. today was one of your days off, and you planned on relaxing.
âlove youâ she said back, and then she was gone. the door shut behind her, leaving you alone with your thoughts. you sighed, looking around. abby had been having to work overtime at the office, and was coming home later and later. you were pulled from your thoughts when your phone dinged. you frowned, seeing if it was someone needing a shift covered or something.
âheyâ the text read. it was from ellie. the last you had seen, she was still dating dina.
âheyâ you eventually typed back, typing and deleting the message about five times before finally sending it.
âcan we call?â she asked, making you nervous. you swallowed your pride.
âsureâ you typed back. not even a second later, ellieâs contact popped up on the screen, your phone buzzing as she called.
âhello?â you spoke hesitantly as your answered.
âheyâ she said back, that same raspy voice as always, just sounding the slightest bit more mature.
âbeen a while.â you said softly, almost pinching yourself thinking this was too good to be true.
âlisten, about that. iâm really sorry, (y/n). i was kind of a dick. maybe like, a major one at that.â she said, and she sounded genuine.
âi⌠why?â you asked, hesitantly.
âum, it really was my fault. dina had me wrapped up in this idea that i needed to leave the past behind to really get the college experience, and i ended up cutting a lot of things out of my life. i never stopped thinking about you. i miss youâ she said, sounding nervous.
âiâve missed you too. itâs been a weird few years without youâ you said, no longer able to ignore the ache in your chest.
âwhere are you now, what have you been doing?â she asked.
âiâm still in the city. i moved in with my girlfriend, abby. what about you?â you said.
âoh shit, girlfriend? congrats! well, dina and i⌠we broke things off. it was a whole thing. i just finished up my second year, and should be able to graduate early next year. iâm heading back home for the summer, which is what made me think about reaching out. iâd love to see youâ she said, making you feel so tremendously happy.
âiâd like thatâ you said, not able to help the smile that grew on your lips.
-
a few weeks had passed since the call, and you and ellie had been texting and calling since. you shared a bit of what happened with abby, and she didnât seem to mind. things had been a bit strange with her, but you didnât think much of it until one night. while she was sleeping, her phone vibrated. she never got any late night texts usually, so when you saw a name you didnât recognize pop up, you couldnât help the small bubble of jealousy that formed in your chest. owen.
when she left that morning for work, you trusted your gut feeling when she said sheâd be home late again. after you knew she usually got off, you took the subway to her work, heading into the office building. it was near empty at this point, a few of her coworkers recognizing you and greeting you in passing as they left. you quickly found her office, in which the door was closed. you stopped in your tracks when you heard the noise behind the door.
it was abby⌠and a man. they were both moaning, and you covered your mouth with your hand to hold back a gasp. this whole time, you knew she had an ex, but she never told you his name. this had to have been it. you left, quickly so she wouldnât know you were there. you did the only thing you could think of as soon as you got home. you called ellie.
âhey, whatâs up?â she asked, not expecting you to call.
âellie, she⌠sheâs cheating on meâ you choked out. you heard her mumble curses under her breath, before hearing her keys jingle.
âiâm on my way. text me your address, iâll be there as soon as i canâ she said, without hesitating. she hung up and you gasped, trying to catch your breath from crying. you grabbed any bag of yours that you could, shoving your clothes and belongings in them. an hour and a half passed and before you knew it, you heard a knock on the door.
before you stood joel and ellie, holding some empty boxes and bags. she looked different, but in a good way. her hair was now cut into a choppy mullet, and she had gotten more fit. she looked at you concerned, pulling you into a tight hug, in which you couldnât help but cry into her chest. she pulled back, wiping the tears from your face. joel pulled you into a hug next, ruffling your hair.
âcome on, letâs get your stuff outta here. we got the truck and my carâ ellie said, rubbing your back.
âiâm not sure when sheâll be home. i got most stuff packed upâ you said, nervously as you looked at the pile of bags and things you had made. joel nodded, starting to get those things taken to his truck.
âthatâs okay, weâll figure it out.â ellie said, reassuring you. within thirty minutes, you had gotten all your stuff out. you took the key to the apartment off your keys, leaving it on the counter. you looked at everything one last time, making sure you had all your stuff.
âokay, iâm readyâ you said, teary eyed but more composed.
-
a few weeks had passed, and it had honestly been nice being back home. being back home consisted of staying at joelâs with your stuff mostly piled in his garage, but he didnât complain. if anything, you could tell he was glad you were both home and that you had reconnected. you and ellie had been inseparable since that day, and catching up on what had happened the past two years.
she had gotten so much better at art, she had already been good but this was next level. she had let you skim through her drawings, her cheeks flushing when you had found a few of yourself in there. you had been swimming in the lake near her house, sunbathing in the backyard, and stopping at the local ice cream shop every night and walking around town. it was nice, and it helped take your mind off abby.
âlisten, i was thinking.â ellie said, fidgeting with her pencil as she drew in her notebook while you laid on a rock in the sun, the waves of the small lake lapping at the shore nearby.
âhm?â you hummed, opening an eye to peek at her.
âi was gonna get an off campus apartment for this last year⌠would you wanna move in with me?â she asked, looking down at you with those familiar green eyes.
âare you sure?â you asked, sitting up. you missed the way her eyes traveled down, eyeing the way your bikini top clung to your chest.
âyeahâ she choked out, realizing what she was asking.
âonly if youâre fine with it. itâs not like i had other plansâ you said, grinning. she couldnât help the smile that grew on her own face.
âperfect. itâs a nice town, i think youâll like itâ she said, returning to her drawing. you watched the way her eyes squinted, her nose scrunching up slightly as she erased a line. she glanced at you again, catching your gaze briefly before returning down to the page.
-
a few months had gone by, and you now lived with ellie. it was a small two bedroom house, about a ten minute walk for ellie from campus. you got a job at a bookstore there, using that to your advantage to read as much as you wanted during the slow hours when students werenât flooding the store.
you guys were already comfortable with each other just like you had been before, so living together came easy. you had tried to teach her to cook, and in return she would teach you how to play the video games she frequently crashed out on. she wasnât any good at cooking, but there was some progress if you squinted. while you cleaned up and made sure the apartment was nice, sheâd pull her weight by buying groceries or leaving a little sandwich or snack she whipped up with a note when sheâd leave for class.
it was like there was no time lost between the both of you, and you got to know ellie now that she had changed a bit. you couldâve sworn she almost got a little taller. she now had a tattoo that hadnât been there before, started working out a bit more, and developed a bit more of an affinity for smoking. every now and then, if you guys went out to the bars or parties with her friends, sheâd smoke a cigarette if she was drunk enough or offered. you watched as the smoke curled around her, leaving a tobacco scent on her flannel as she brushed her shoulder against yours.
tonight, you found yourself at the bars with her and her friends yet again. she had remained friends with dina, who was now dating jesse. despite the strange circumstances, they all three stayed good friends. a few other of her friends had joined, some people you had met once or twice. you sipped your drink as ellie cackled at a joke jesse made, watching them with a smile on your face. ellie was a few drinks in, but you only had one just so you could get her back home in one piece.
âsay, youâve known ellie the longest (y/n). any embarrassing stories you can tell us?â jesse asked, chuckling as ellie glared at him.
âoh boy, do i.â you said, grinning. ellie looked at you warningly, but you figured she was too drunk to care.
âbut, iâm sure ellie would tell you herself if she wanted you to know.â you said, eliciting some protests and groans from your friends.
âbesides, (y/n) and i have places to be. isnât that right?â ellie asked, a sloppy smirk on her face. you could tell she was ready to go, and that was something you were fine with.
âyeah yeah. weâll see you guys aroundâ dina said, grinning as everyone else said their goodbyes. you and ellie walked shoulder to shoulder, the late summer night air humid around you. the sidewalk was quiet and dark, only illuminated by a few street lights as you walked in a comfortable silence.
âyou couldâve told them anything, if you really wanted to.â ellie said softly, looking over at you.
âyeah, but youâre drunk and i didnât wanna spill all your secrets.â you said, nudging her with your elbow.
âyou really are too good, you know that?â she asked, a smile on her face.
âhey, youâre just saying that cause youâre drunk.â you said with a small laugh. ellie stopped walking, catching you off guard. you stopped, looking back at her with concern.
âyou okay? feel sick?â you asked, frowning.
âitâs true though. youâre always putting yourself down, i wish you wouldnât.â she said, catching you off guard again.
âhey, come on. letâs get you home.â you said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. she stayed quiet till you reached the porch of your guys place. she stopped, holding your hand.
âsit with meâ she said, taking a seat on the steps. you sighed but obliged, having to haul ellie in would be too much work. she was heavier than she looked, all lanky muscle.
âyou okay?â you asked, looking over at her, your cheeks flushing once you realized how close you were.
âi am now.â she said softly, her eyes traveling across your face.
âyouâre drunk.â you said, trying to downplay the beating in your chest. you swear she could hear how loud it was.
âso?â she asked, reaching up to tuck hair behind your ear. you flushed, her hand warm and calloused.
âyouâre so confusing sometimes.â you whispered, searching her expression. her freckled cheeks were pink, probably from the alcohol. her black tank top showed off her arms, her tattoo that you wanted to trace so badly, her freckled shoulders that were still sunburnt from your days on the lake.
âhow so?â she asked, a playful grin on her lips as she tilted her head.
âi can never tell what youâre thinking.â you said softly, not able to stop from glancing briefly at her lips.
âhow about i show you what im thinking?â she asked, her tongue wetting her lips. before you could answer you felt her hand come up, cupping your cheek. her thumb brushed the skin gently before she leaned in, pressing her lips to yours in a hesitant kiss. she tasted like beer and spearmint, but before you could do anything she pulled away.
âsorry.â she mumbled, searching your face for what you were thinking.
âdo you know how long iâve been wanting you to do that?â you breathed out, your hand coming up to cup hers, your fingers lacing together.
âare you serious?â she asked, almost in disbelief.
âplease tell me youâre not just drunk right now.â you said softly. she shook her head, pulling you into another kiss.
-
you sat next to joel, watching as ellie walked across the stage. she took her diploma, finding you in the crowd and grinning. you laughed, clapping with the rest of the audience as she walked back down to her seat. once the ceremony was over, you and joel found ellie out in the parking lot. she ran to you and pulled you into a big hug, spinning you around.
âcongrats, kiddo.â joel said, patting ellie on the shoulder.
âshow us!â you said, grinning. she opened her diploma, almost looking at it in disbelief that she actually did that.
âdamn, thanks for keeping my ass in check.â she said, chuckling as she pressed a kiss to your cheek. you looked up to see joel snapping a picture on his phone, smiling like a proud dad.
âalright you two, letâs get dinner before the crowd beats us.â he said, grinning.
âi love you, (y/n).â she said, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips.
âi love you too, ellie.â you said, lacing your fingers with hers.
after everything you two went through, she was yours and you were hers and no one could change that.









