Jackson Guard Duty Relief
Lee: Jesse | Ler: Ellie
The evening air in Jackson was crisp, but inside the guard shack, the woodstove kept everything cozy. Jesse sat at the small wooden desk, scribbling down the final patrol logs for the day. He rubbed his eyes, his shoulders stiff from hours in the saddle.
The door creaked open, and Ellie slipped inside, stomping snow off her boots.
"Shift's over, chief," she announced, dropping her backpack onto the floor with a heavy thud. "Maria said you've been staring at those logs for three hours straight. You're dismissed."
Jesse didn't look up, a smirk playing on his face as he kept writing. "Just a few more lines, Ellie. Someone has to make sure your section of the perimeter wasn't completely neglected while you were busy stealing specimen jars from the pharmacy."
"Hey! Those jars are essential gear," Ellie protested, stepping closer to the desk. "Come on, pack it up. You're being a buzzkill."
"In a minute," Jesse muttered dynamically, intentionally slow-rolling his handwriting just to tease her.
"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?" Ellie narrowed her eyes, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She knew Jesse was usually the responsible leader, but she also knew his one fatal flaw.
Before Jesse could react, Ellie lunged forward, her hands diving straight for his sides. Her fingers dug right into his ribs, wiggling furiously.
Jesse’s stoic expression shattered instantly. A sharp gasp escaped him, followed by a loud, sudden burst of laughter that echoed off the wooden walls. He immediately tried to curl in on himself to protect his sides, but he was trapped in the wooden chair.
"Whoa—hey! Ellie, stop!" Jesse gasped out, his face turning bright red as he tried to bat her hands away. He was incredibly ticklish, a secret he tried desperately to hide from the other patrol leaders.
"Not until you put the pen down!" Ellie laughed, shifting her attack to his underarms, knowing it would completely compromise his defenses.
"Okay! Okay, fine! I'm stopping!" Jesse yelped, a fresh wave of breathless laughter bubbling out of him as he squirmed violently in the seat. He managed to grab her wrists, still chuckling softly as he caught his breath. "You're a menace, Williams."
Ellie stepped back, thoroughly satisfied with herself, and crossed her arms. "I'm a logistics expert. Now, move it."
Jesse shook his head, a genuine smile on his face as he closed the logbook and stood up, the stress of the long patrol completely forgotten. "Yeah, yeah. Let's go get some food."