summary: Elliot wants to teach you how to skate, but you'd rather go swimming, so you guys compromise. #SkateParkByDaBeach
warnings: fluff!!!
WC: 2.9k ish
a/n: this is my first ever fanfic so it’s most likely horrible buutt fuckkkkk itt. not proofread <\3
-------
The sun beams white-hot against the back of your eyelids, successfully stirring you out of your slumber. You huff in annoyance, though the crick in your neck thanks you. Trying to catch up on sleep in a car isn't exactly optimal. A soft chuckle sounds beside you. Of course Elliot finds your predicament amusing. He's the reason you've yawned a million times over in the past couple of hours. Still, you can't help the small smirk that tugs on your lips as you flip him off without even sparring him a glance.
"Aw don't do me like that." Elliot coos, intentionally softening his voice like he's oh so hurt.
You mumble a playful 'mhm' and shift in the passenger seat, turning toward the open window. Where hot summer wind rushes in, whipping your hair in every unflattering direction possible, but you don't pay much mind to it, because the way the palm trees blur together as they pass look like an unseen Van Gogh painting, It's very calming. And for once, you're glad Elliot insisted on being 'your own personal valet.' As he puts it.
He had woken you up at four am. Four ten to exact. He had been knocking on your window steadily, with little taps that could've been mistaken for a metronome. And if it wasn't for the familiar rhythm you probably would've grabbed a weapon. Reluctantly, you sauntered over in your flimsy pajamas. The same pair he loved to laugh at, and you yanked the curtain aside with more force than necessary.
When his eyes landed on your grumpy pout, he just had to mimic it. In his own exaggerated way. One hand rested against the glass while his deck hung loosely in the other. His low-lidded eyes roamed over your unimpressed expression, waiting patiently. The faint twitch in his brow gave him away though.
You caved. Naturally. Those beady eyes were impossible to ignore. With a sigh, you unlocked the latch and slid the window open in one smooth motion. Before you could say a word, he pressed an uncoordinated kiss onto your cheek and stumbled into your bedroom. Almost slipping on the faux fur you call a rug. You whipped around to face him, trying to figure out what he was up to. He gently set his skateboard down beside your dresser, making sure to be quiet. He then crossed the room and sat at the foot of your bed. Looking up at you, he gave a small nod. A wordless invitation to join him.
"You reek of weed." You mused as you made your way over to him. You stopped once you were standing in front of him. "Did you light up?" You asked, your tone genuinely curious than accusatory.
"Nah, never without you," he reassured, but you gave him a skeptical look, so he added, "I was with the guys... you know they smoke hella."
Without warning, Elliot spread his legs further to accommodate your new position. His hands snuck up on either side of you waist, pulling you close.
"Besides," he started in a low whisper.
His breath fanned over the fabric of your thin shirt, just below your navel. As if he'd decided that your stomach was the perfect place to rest his chin. Totally oblivious to the flutter it sent across your chest. We're just friends, you remind yourself. "I wanna take you out," he confessed with a dry laugh, "n' I can't drive high, unfortunately."
You look down at him, bewilderment etched across your face without any attempt to hide it. This isn't exactly new—Elliot loved to show you new places he'd find. It was like his secret passion. But what's different this time is that he didn't give you a heads up.
"At four in the morning? Is anything even open?" You muttered, tilting your head to try to think of anywhere that wouldn't already have a closed sign up.
He ignored your questions.
"Remember when you said you'd be down to skate with me?" He asked, pressing his cheek against your stomach as his arms fully wrapped around your waist, somehow holding you closer like an overly affectionate cat. You remember how excited he'd been when you told him that. It was a in-the-moment promise you never really thought through. You thread your fingers through his hair, gently petting him more for your own sake than anything else.
"Eli... I don't even know how to-"
"Dude, I can teach you!" He cut you off enthusiastically. His doe eyes gleamed when they returned back to yours. And you felt your heart skip a beat, embarrassingly so.
"I don't know.... in this heat? it doesn't sound all that fun." You said. It was your polite way of saying you really woke me up for this bullshit? He groaned audibly, clearly catching your not so subtle refusal. Elliot loosed his grip on you, then flopped backwards onto your bed in defeat.
"Skating is the funest thing in the world. You're a total weirdo if you don't think so." He rambled on, making hostile gestures at your poor ceiling fan as if its to blame.
"I'd argue swimming is." You teased offhandedly, more distracted than anything else. You were too busy missing his soft curls beneath your fingers.
He shot upright at that, with wide eyes like he had just won the lottery. A Cheshire grin spread across his face.
"Then I know the perfect place. Trust me."
And for some reason you did, enough to follow him out.
-------
That's how you ended up here. Crammed in his antique-looking car, with your guys' swimwear shoved into a Walmart shopping bag between you. His skateboard rests safely beneath your feet, while the helmet and knee pads he insisted you get are thrown haphazardly in the backseat. You tear your gaze away from the passing scenery, opting to look at Elliot's side profile instead. His tattoos seem sharper under the sun, more defined. He's humming a song you've never heard before, probably one of his unreleased tracks, you think.
He side eyes you quickly, then snaps his attention back towards the road, clearing his throat to smother any type of flattery he just felt.
“We’re almost there. Five-ish more minutes,” he claims, taking a sharp left turn as he continues humming. He’s harmonizing with the soft hum of the air conditioner at this point.
You've been on the road for about three hours. Within the first hour, Elliot had pulled up to a gas station, saying how it’s only right that he buy you a slushy. And honesty, how could you of turned that down? Free anything is amazing.
You guys ended up spending more time in there than necessary. Together, you tried nearly every slush flavor there was, laughing harder when the cashier shot you both a displeased look. Eventually, you landed on mango, mixed with cherry...and blueberry.
Elliot gave you a knowing look before draping himself over you in one of the more secluded aisles. To anyone passing by, it probably looked like he was a big fan of pda. No harm in that, right? You sipped on your drink, stealing glances over his shoulder, until your scheming eyes finally met his.
That was the green light he needed.
He looked back once, then pulled out a few small packets of candy he'd previously stuffed into his jean pockets, tucking them inside your shorts instead. If the cashier tried anything, Elliot would've simply made a scene, calling him a disgusting perv. That usually always worked.
Anyway, Elliot paid for the slushy with his crumpled bills, and you both made it out unscathed. You laughed the whole way back to the car, loud and breathless. Both of you really did bring out the best in each other.
By hour two, he'd already eaten most of the candy and finished the rest of the slushy you couldn't bring yourself to drink. By then, you were well past the point of being awake.
-------
"Here it is." His voice snaps you out of your thoughts, more specifically, from the trip down memory lane you had been lost in. Laughter fills the air as you glance out the window once more. Crowds of people scatter around the area. Each consumed in their own activities. Some skate along the bowl or talk in small groups, while others huddle near the beach, tanning until the sun turns them golden or…. playing marco polo.
"It's packed," you comment, taking in how carefree everyone seems. The waves crash in the distance, and you so desperately want to jump in.
"No shit," he quips, although there's no real bite behind it. He cuts the engine and tosses you the keys, muttering something about how you're better at taking care of his things. You don't disagree.
You catch the keys mid air out of instinct, and slip them into your pocket.
"Nice catch." He praises fondly.
You brush him off with a cocky shrug, like catching skillfully was your expertise. Then your attention drifts to the review mirror, where you catch the flush spreading across your face. Whether if it was from his lame compliment or the heat, you can't tell. You angle the mirror toward yourself, smoothing down the strands of hair sticking out wildly, then you wipe away the thin sheen of sweat gathered along your hairline. You can see him in your peripheral vision, staring at you with his head resting lazily against the headrest.
You pause mid-grooming, suddenly hyper aware of your every move. "Relaaax, I'm already done," you say with a sarcastic laugh.
"I'm calm," he retorts. His eyes roam down your figure before snapping back to your face. He's smiling now, that geeky grin you only ever see when he's in the clouds. "Aight, lets go."
He hops out of the car first. His over worn flip flops crunching against the sand as he jogs around to your side and pulls open the door. He does a little bow for reverence points. And he gets a couple for sure.
You slither out, grabbing Elliot's skateboard and clutching it closely to your front. It’s covered in chipped stickers and scratches from constant use.
You start reaching back in for the beach essentials, but he tuts. You look at him confused. Beaming, he swings open the back door and digs around for the kiddie gear he brought just for you.
A moment later he reappears, holding up the helmet and knee pads with a teasing undertone and you scoff.
"Kinda wish you would've forgotten about that."
"Gotta be safe," he replies, half joking, half serious.
He takes tiny steps towards you like you might bolt at any second. He lets the knee pads drop onto the warm sand, then gently lowers the helmet over your head. Fastening the straps beneath your chin. The soft click of the clasps takes you back to childhood. Back when you felt like the lamest person ever for using safety gear. Some things never change you figure. He then kneels in front of you, gesturing for you to move his skateboarded out the way. Once you do, he pats the knee pads together to brush off the soft specks of sand clinging to them, and just as gently as before, he places them over your knees.
"I feel ridiculous," you murmur under your breath. It’s hard to not feel like a fool when every few seconds, a skater glides past you on the pavement with no protective gear. Even the children are inadvertently bruising your ego.
"I'd rather you feel ridiculous then, i don't know... end up splitting your head open or some shit." He gets up, dusts himself off, and reaches back into the car, flopping down where you had been sitting.
He opens the little compartment and pre-rolled joints slip out. He grabs one, tucking it behind his ear, and doesnt forget to offer you one.
You decline.
He shrugs in a suit yourself type of way. Then he’s unbuttoning his flannel, revealing the tan skin underneath. You try not to stare as he checks himself out once....twice... before grabbing the rest of your things. With a kick, he shuts the door and takes your hand, swinging them back and forth theatrically as he steers you into the skatepark.
------
Elliot's behind you, dabbing up a group of strangers with the unlit joint hanging from his lips. You stand a few feet away, awkwardly, your hands have gone clammy from holding his board for so long too. Gross. He was supposed to start teaching you twenty minutes ago. He’s lucky you haven't slipped away yet. Not wanting to interrupt, you decide to get started on your own. You place the skateboard down and it lands with a heavy thud. It's then when you remember you have no clue as to what to do.
That catches his eye.
He breaks away from the group, handing one of them his pre roll as a parting gift. Then he strides towards you, throwing his hands up in playful confusion.
"Didn't know you were this excited," he teases.
"Oh I’m not," you bite back, feigning disinterest.
When he gets close enough you drop your hands in his, lacing your fingers together tightly. The way you're intertwined gives you the confidence to actually step onto the skateboard. He holds you steady, and you know he won't let you fall.
You wobble a little as you try to figure out how you're supposed to stand. Is there even a right way? You've watched him skate countless times, but he always made it look effortless.
He observes your footing closely, and shakes his head. Not demeaning, no, but like a parent correcting a small mistake he was used to fixing. "Hey," he says softly, his eyes still glued on your feet. "You need to spread them out more," he nods toward the bolts at each end of the board. "Try placing your feet near those."
So you do.
The skateboard shifts beneath its wheels, jerking you forward and back. A startled yelp escapes your lips before you can stop it. You definitely weren't prepared. Elliot notices and tightens his grip on you, his hands wrapping around your forearms this time.
"I gotchu, scaredy cat,” he snickers, "bend your knees."
You lower yourself until their slightly bent. He hums in approval, and immediately the board feels steadier. Thank god.
He gives you a moment to adjust before offering his next command.
"Place your left foot in font of your right. It'll make things easier."
His grip loosens when you maneuver yourself, slowly coaxing you into balancing on your own. Your left foot settles on the nose of the board while your right rests on the tail. Again, he gives you time to get used to the feel. He glances toward the sea of people ahead, waiting for the path to clear as they eventually drift away. When there's finally enough space he tells you to push yourself forward.
He steps back, and you shoot him a wary look, but move anyway. Your arms fling out at your sides, wavering as you try to maintain your balance. Its nothing impressive, but you can still hear his cheers as you descend.
Before either of you know it, an hour has gone by. Your legs ache and your palms are raw from catching yourself multiple times over, you did get a little cocky, attempting tricks far beyond your skill. You only have yourself to blame. But hey, at least your knees were protected.
Both of your skins glisten with sweat as you sit atop one of the ramps, catching your breaths. You've understood the basics and that's more than enough, for now. You glimpse past the heads of skaters around you, eyeing the beach. The water sparkles in the sunlight, it's crystal clear waves calling your name.
He sets the bag of your guys' swimwear on your lap, then causally gestures behind him with his thumb towards a nearby bathroom. It looks... abandoned. "We could go get naked in there," he jokes.
You laugh, shaking your head. "Okay, Romeo."
------
You're pulling him behind you as you run through herds of people, giggling as you swerve the blurring bodies around, doing your best not to bump into anyone. Your feet skim the sand, sending each small particle to spray everywhere. Elliot tries to keep up and... he mostly succeeds. If it weren't for the way he keeps tripping over nothing. His laughter rings out behind you, and it's one of the most beautiful sounds you've ever heard.
You yank him along till you're both standing at the edge of the ocean, the foamy water lapping at your toes. You spin in a full circle, letting your exposed back face the waves, and you raise your eyebrows at him with a grin.
Stepping back slowly, you make a show of pretending like you're pulling him in by an invisible rope. And he plays along.
He mimics your slow steps with sparkling eyes.
You pivot, plunging yourself deeper into the water till it pools around your thighs. Daring him to catch you.
He splashes his way over to you, each step taxing as he pushes through the waves. In one quick move, he lunges forward.
You tumble together into the shallow waves as he playfully tackles you, the salty water soaking you both. You emerge first, droplets cling onto your eyelashes, blurring your vision a bit. He comes up after you, shaking water from his hair, but before he can even react you're already splashing him.
His hands fly to his face as he bursts into spluttering fits of giggles. Then, still laughing, he reaches for you blindly and pulls you up into his arms. His palms are cool beneath your thighs, and he pretends for a second that he's about to drop you. You shriek, instantly wrapping you arms around his neck.
He cranes his neck to look up at you, his face soft with fondness.
"Caught you," he mutters, his voice so low that you're surprised it doesn't blend with the noises around you. His eyes linger on your face for a moment before wandering down to your plush lips.
Your heart flutters against your chest because the way he's looking at you is almost enough to give anyone a toothache.
Your fingers trace absentminded shapes along the sides of his neck and the world seems to dim, it feels like you’re the only two left in it. You swallow hard and will yourself to lean in closer.
His breath catches, and that's when you close the gap between you.
The kiss is painfully soft, barely there. He holds the back of your thighs tighter when you melt into him. Your lips press deeper and tiny sounds slip from the back of his throat. All you can focus on is his how warm his mouth is, and how uneven his breathing is. Cute. He smiles faintly against your lips. And you decide that’s the perfect moment to finally pull away. You drop your forehead against his, breathing him in.
"You're perfect," you mumble in total awe.
"Only when I'm with you." He chases your lips again, like he's afraid he'll forget the shape of them.
And with the sun beaming white-hot against your bodies, you know everything will be okay.
you drifted away from elliot, and now you're slowly drifting back. “there was no backstory, or words in vain, but i know you loved.”
elliot (euphoria) x fem (actress) reader
a/n - this is looowkey rushed as i was taking way too much time to write this but still wanted u guys to have it instead of scrapping lmao. thank u to whoever req this, and if u have any requests or questions of ur own my inbox is open and makes me happi when u guys flood it 🥹 anyways this song is sooo underrated and one of my favs on rocket. dm/comment to b on taglist! 💋💋
your hand drifts from elliot's soft bleached curls to cup his jaw, as he tilts his head to push is tongue further into your mouth. his hands are on your waist, slowly pulling your down to lay you on top of him as the two of you make out on top of his sheets. some old soft rock is playing from his record player. “it’s the shit they used to fuck to in the olden days.” he had said earlier, when he put it on. real profound of him.
he sighs against your neck, where he was now slowly sucking deep purple marks into your skin. “fuck,” he groans. “vinyl ended”
you hum against his hair, already missing the friction of his lips and the small but of facial hair that would scratch along your neck. “don’t you dare get up.”
elliot laughs against your collarbone. “what, you wanna fuck in silence?”
“obviously i’d prefer not to but like,” you grind your hips down on his. “i’m already all worked up, elli. don’t ruin the mood.”
he goes back to placing wet kisses down your throat. “and to think,” he murmurs against your skin. “that when we first met you were scared of my dick. you’ve come a long, long way, baby.”
you scoff and tug on his curls, making him yelp. “i wasn’t scared of your dick.”
it wasn’t that you were scared, you had just never done much of anything with anyone before him. elliot had been your first, for most of the things that counted back then. first time, first smoke, first love. he loved that about you, loved being the one who got to see all those firsts. and although he had many firsts before you, he would always think of you as his first love.
and as the years passed by, his only real love.
you had met elliot at a party the summer before junior year. you were drunk off your ass, and he was high off his, so neither of you could keep your shit together. you ended up falling asleep in his car, woke up beside what used to be a complete stranger, and started dating in october.
but high school was long gone now. it was a memory that you barely touch anymore.
after graduation, you went off to university in another state, and elliot stayed in california, trying to make his music thing work. you missed him a lot when you were away, and he missed you too.
copious amounts of your savings were blown on flights back to california instead of groceries, which your parents had a lot to say about. eventually and obviously, the flights got too expensive, and then they stopped. the monthly visits and the daily facetimes were cut down to the daily facetimes and texting.
until it was weekly facetimes,
turning into monthly,
until the daily texts,
turned into monthly updates.
the drifting was melancholy and prolonged, so much so that you both never even broke up, there was just nothing left to end. but you were in love with him, and he was in love with you. it just didn’t work out.
he would call, and you would pick up, time to time, usually around each others birthdays. and that was pretty much it.
you had grown up after all, and found there was more to life than hotboxing in elliot’s room, and occasionally his car. it would be a lie to say you didn’t miss it sometimes, but as the years went by, you thought about him less and less. and eventually not much at all.
maddy and lexi were the only people from high school you had actually kept in touch with. you see lexi on set constantly now, and you see maddy at events.
the acting thing had taken off gradually. you booked a small role, then a bigger one, then one in a film people actually saw, and then suddenly vogue was calling you one of the most promising young actresses of the decade and you were on the 30 under 30 list for two years in a row.
the magazines had many titles for you. “enchanting,” “curiously captivating,”. you laugh from your spot on the couch that you were lounging on in your trailer.
“lexi, i seriously think they chatgpt’d this shit.” you cackle as lexi smiles into her cup of coffee.
“no, they sound good i promise!” she says, unconvinced. you shake your head, pointing to a line on a page.
“american mastermind,” you close your eyes and try not to laugh. “i wasn’t even born here.”
lexi shrugs, and there is a knock at the trailer door. lexi opens it for you as you throw a pink silk robe over yourself, as you were only wearing undergarments. “who is it?” you ask softly, before maddy walks in.
“maddy!” you saunter over and she hugs you, smelling like an expensive perfume.
“hey babe, it’s been a minute.” she grins at you.
“what are you doing here?” you ask, still smiling at her.
maddy taps her nails against the metal frame of the trailer door as she begins to speak. “well, there’s this party tonight. its an album release thing, this band that’s been blowing up. like, niche six months ago and now suddenly everyone’s been a fan for years type shit.” she waves her hand dismissively. “anyway, it’s gotten big. like, a real event. and i heard from some people that some people we know are going to be there.”
“people we know? from where?” you question. you know a lot of people.
“high school.”
“like who.”
“jules is-”
“jules?” your lips curve into a small smile. “shit, i miss her. that’ll be fun, i’m in-”
“perfect. and you might be wondering why i’m asking, and you know how i’ve been trying to grow my client list,”
“who is the client?” you sigh.
“you need to hear me out before you react. cassie.”
you stare at her, trying not to laugh. “howard?”
“jacobs now.” maddy groans.
“no way. didn’t she like-” you start. “yes, she did but i promise you i have a plan and its actually a good one. i need you there because if you show up it’ll gain more traction for the party and-”
“i trust you, babe. it’s chill.” you smile at her. maddy had always been the type of girl to make sure that when she has a plan, she carries that shit out. and this time should be no different. all you had to do was show up, mingle a bit, and dip. maybe check the band out for a bit.
when you got back to your place, you got to work. you loved a party. always have. in highschool, and now. your closet was filled with clothes galore because when you got paid you always went shopping first.
first, you showered. washed the day off, shaved, and moisturized. makeup next. your liner was thin and precise, as you use the strategy maddy had taught you all those years ago. as you finish your makeup with a gloss over your lined lips, you turn to your closet.
a tiny fitted dress was what you had chosen. not too much, but still hot and accessorizeable. it was gold, shimmery, made you look tanner, and made your tits look great. there wasn’t much room for anything underneath, so you make sure to wear nice underwear, because it was short enough that you had to be deliberate about how you moved and sat.
as you admire it in the mirror, you get a text and realize your ride is here. after a bit of scrolling on your phone, the car pulls up to a mansion in the hills at about ten p.m. you heard the party before you saw it. they must have good speakers because that shit was loud.
stepping out onto the pavement, you straighten up and smooth your dress. the cameras started immediately. just soft clicks that you had now gotten used to. once you get inside, maddy walks over from nearby. “you look insane.” she said over the music. you grin. “and so do you.”
“i’m serious. everyone with a phone is going to try to get a picture tonight.”
you laugh and shake your head. “i’ll mingle for a bit, then i’m out. i hope this works out for whatever plan you have.”
inside, it was warm and the lights were loud. you actually spotted a handful of famous figures that you had met before. it was starting to look like an actual event. maddy gently steered you gently towards the bar, before leaning in to speak to you. “jules is somewhere near the back. cassie’s already here. there are about four journalists here who would eat their own liver to get a candid of you so just… be aware.”
“i’m always aware!” you laugh.
“you’re really not, babe.” she snorts into her orangy drink.
“what do you mean?”
maddy looked at you. some expression crossed her face, one that you couldn't really put your finger on. half guilty, half entertained was what she was getting at.
“nothing.” she says as she takes a slow sip.
“maddy.”
“i just,” she presses her lips together. “i maybe should have mentioned something before. about the band.”
you look at her, dumbfounded. “what about the band?”
“i assumed you knew. because i knew, and lexi knew, even fuckin’ jules knew, and i figured if we knew then obviously you-”
“maddy,” you say again, firmer this time. “what did you not tell me?”
she shakes her head and grins at you. “did you not look them up at all? when i texted you the details about who’s party this is?”
you shrug. “i trusted you and got in the car.” maddy nods slowly. “right, so you didn’t do any research.”
“on what? on the band?” you question, confused as the lights begin to dim. “why would i-”
your sentence gets cut off by a man standing on a raised platform at the end of the room. he was wearing all black with a headset on, assumingly running the event. he taps the microphone before speaking.“hi everyone, sorry to interrupt. we just want to take a quick moment to bring out the people responsible for why we’re all here tonight!”
the room fills with applauses, as you clap along with your drink in your hand, turning toward the platform trying to look interested for this band you didn’t know at all. you made a mental note to look them up after.
the band came out from a nearby side door. there were four of them, and they looked mildly surprised with how many people were there, which you found endearing. they gathered around the mic, and the one on the left adjusted the mic upward to speak, and you felt your heart fall to your ass.
his curls were a bit longer. the frosted tips were gone, and had grown out into his natural brown. he was broader and wider than you had remembered, his stature less lanky. he wore oversized dark wash jeans and a black shirt that had (assumingly) his band’s logo or album cover on it. he looked the same yet completely different all at once.
elliot. the elliot. your elliot.
he said something about being grateful into the mic that made the crowd smile, but you forgot what it was. his voice was the same. low and soft. you didn’t move. your drink was halfway to your mouth and it had been there for approximately two minutes now.
maddy watches you and rubs your back soothingly. you down the rest of your drink, and she takes your cup. “another one?” she asks. you nod. after a few minutes, maddy comes back with your drink and gets whisked away, but so do you. you slip back from the crowd slowly and quietly, giving quick smiles and small waves so you don’t seem off.
you had gradually migrated towards the edges of the room with your drink in hand, until you found a nice quiet pocket where the music became slightly muffled and the lighting was dimmer. you lean against the wall and look down at the edible sparkles swirling around in your orange drink. your mind can’t help but slip into the past, as much as you try to resist it.
the cigarette he lit and put in your mouth the first night you had smoked in that one parking lot. his hands were warm as he cupped them around yours as he showed you how to inhale without busting a lung. the unfinished verses he played for you on the guitar he had since he was 9 years old, watching you listen instead of watching his own fingers on the guitar. waking up next to him, not caring how late you were for first period. his tan arm laid across your waist, and his lips finding yours as soon as he woke up.
and then the calls getting shorter. and then the grief of losing someone who was still alive, but living a life you are no longer apart of, and having no clear moment to pinpoint, no single time where it ended, just the slow, melancholy drifting a further distance away.
until distance was all there was.
you had moved on fine. you were fine. you had built a real, good life, and you were proud of it, and you thought of him less than you used to. you did.
it was just the fact that the room was dim and too warm, and the music playing was his, and you weren’t prepared.
you set your empty glass on a nearby shelf behind you and try to take some deep breaths. okay. you would say hi to jules, bye to maddy, you would be normal and then go home and sleep. it would be all good tomorrow.
slowly, but surely, you push yourself off the wall and turn towards the exiting hallway, because fuck that. but then someone said your name. you went still, and turned around.
elliot was there. one hand held a drink, and the other was in his pocket. his curls were slightly damp around his face, he was nervous. he looked at you like his mind was thinking the same thing as yours.
“hey,” he says softly. “hi.” you manage to say back.
he slowly makes his way over to you. “you were about to leave?” he said. “i was just getting some air.” you lie. elliot looks at you with wide eyes. “bullshit.” he scoffs.
“okay,” you sigh. “okay, i was leaving.”
“yeah, i know.” he said, but oddly not judging. “i saw your from the stage.”
“you were looking for me?”
“nah, i wasn’t looking for anything, i just saw you.”
you look up at him, and the soft lighting dances around his face, and behind him the party continued. “you were good up there.” you say. “i uh, i didn’t know it was you. in the band, i mean. i didn’t do my research.” you laugh a bit at this predicament.
his lips shift into a soft grin. “that’s very you.” he says. “apparently, like, everyone knew but me.” you reply. “maddy texted me that you were coming,” he nods. “like an hour ago.”
a long, melancholy beat of silence passes. “i didn’t know how to get ready for, uh, for seeing you,” you break the silence. “i needed a second. it was definitely a surprise.” you continue, as elliot nods along. “yeah, same here honestly.” he agrees.
“also, you look-” he starts, then decides not to finish whatever he was going to say. “it’s really good to see you.” he said honestly.
“yeah,” you bring your lips into a smile to match his. “you too, elli.”
habit. it felt weird to call him his real name, and you would have, but your mouth jumped the gun before your brain could stop it.
he reached behind you to pick up your empty glass from the shelf. “come on,” he says quietly. “don’t leave yet.”
you sigh, knowing there was no way you could say no to him.
the rest of the night was spent walking around with elliot, sticking closely to the walls, as you didn’t feel like being the main event, and he was getting sick of his own band’s party. you chatted a bit, went silent, then chatted again comfortable.
he walked you to your car at the end of the night. he didn’t ask to. he just happened to still be walking alongside you when you had announced to him that you were tired and wanted to go home, and you didn’t say anything about it. the warm california air swirled around you both, just like it used to.
you two stood at the car door for a few minutes, continuing your conversations about the band, your last project, and restaurant that had opened near where apparently both of you live, which was way closer than you realized.
“we should-” you both started at the same time, before laughing at it. “yeah,” he said, finishing the sentence.
when you got home and unready and in bed, you told yourself it was a good night. you talked to old friends, and caught up. normal and chill. and you almost believed it.
THREE DAYS LATER.
he texted you.
elliot
wanna go to that new restaurant we talked about on friday?
you stared at it, like you were texting back a boy on snapchat for the first time.
you
yea sure
dinner was actually easy. too easy, the kind of too easy that leads you staying two hours longer than you were supposed to, the restaurant closing for the night around you without the both of you noticing. you split the bill, and he walked you to your car again. no kiss, but a hug that felt a bit longer than platonic.
elliot
again sometime?
you
yeah
‘again sometime’ became again the following week. and the week after that. coffee was the hangout this time, which felt more casual. the next was he came to some q&a of yours with the cast from your latest project, and he stood in the back, found you in the crowd after, and told you that you were great.
and then you went to a small show of his band, and stood near the side of the stage in a box with other stars who supported his band. you stood in the coloured light, watching him do the thing he’d always done as a hobby, and you felt kinda proud.
the calls happened after that. the both of you stopped overthinking them. they would only happen just because you saw something that reminded you of him, just because you were bored, just because. and they were always long. hours long. one time, you fell asleep on call and when you woke up it was still connected, and you could hear his sleepy breathing on the other end.
and just like before, it was gradual enough that you couldn’t pinpoint a moment. except this time, it wasn’t drifting apart, it was falling back together.
there was no backstory, no introductions. the foundation was already built, and the drift back was so soft you barely felt it.
one night, you sat on elliot’s kitchen counter as he made you dinner (again for the third time this week), and he reaches past you to grab something, and didn’t move away after. he looked at you softly.
“hey.” he said gently, the same way he did when he saw you for the first time in a long time at that party. “hey.” you say back. he looks at you for a while with his mouth slightly agape, before finding his wording.
“i missed you.” he said simply, and your throat went tight.
“i missed you too.” you said, admitting. “i missed you the whole time.”
he raises his hands slowly to cradle your face, as he wedges his body between your legs. his thumbs lightly circled your cheekbones and your lips curl into a smile. you could feel his breath. “elliot.” you say, lowly. “yeah.” he replies, like he knows what you are thinking.
you close the distance.
he kissed you like if he were to pull away you would drift away again. it was deep, unhurried, and so familiar. his hands slid from cupping your face and into your hair and you lean into him, your hands gripping the front of his shirt gently, and pulling him in, until he was pressed forward with no space in between him and the counter.
you feel his fingers curl at the back of your head and you make a small sound against his mouth and you feel his breathing hitch in response. you pull back to breathe, and he presses his forehead against yours. his thumb traces along your hair and back to your cheek.
as you hop down from the counter, elliot turns around to plate the food before it burns before turning back around to wrap his arms around your waist and kiss your soft lips again.
“i knew i’d still feel it.” he hums against your mouth.
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