warnings: texts between you and Ellie, no use of the pronoun she/her, use of names like baby/love/babe, mention of alcohol, fluff, etablished relationship, modern au, and i guess that's it.
a/n: This is my first post here. I hope you’ll like this. Any likes, compliments, and all are appreciated! 💋💋
Quinn is more thrilled about the idea than I am. Freshly graduated from college, immediately hired by an analytics company in of all places of the world. Vancouver.
I shared the news back in Michigan, “why don’t you move in with me? Apartments are expensive. I’m usually never home. I have the extra room” He shrugs. I don’t know why I agreed
Maybe because apartments in Vancouver are really expensive. Maybe it’s because I’m not sure if I’m ready to be alone alone again.
I get invited to team dinners as his plus one, I somehow get wrangled into going to games. Sitting with other wives and girlfriends even though I’m nothing of the such.
Quinn knocks on my door, holding up two different ties. A soft blue or a navy blue, “which one?” He asks.
“Mn, the light blue. It makes your eyes stand out” I barely look at him as I apply my mascara, “I’ll be ready in like ten minutes?”
Quinn nods, murmuring, “take your time. I’m in no rush” before closing my door.
It stays like this. Steady. Safe. Comfortable.
We keep making it on headlines, Vancouvers prince and his maybe girlfriend. The girl that he seems to go out to dinner with a lot, the one who wears his jersey at games. And the private doesn’t know. I’m still the girl who cuddles him during movies, I stick my feet under his thigh as I sip my tea and he watches his plays.
My brain tells me it’s platonic, I know it’s not. I know there’s energy hiding underneath the surface.
I follow him out to dinner tonight, just the two of us celebrating my promotion. He’s dressed nice, said we were going somewhere surprising. To dress nice.
“So are you moving into the new office?” Quinn asks as he opens the door for me, hand traveling to the base of my back room guide me out of the way of someone’s path. He leans in slightly to hear my reply over the voice of other people.
“Yeah, I might end up relocating eventually but I don’t think that’s for a few years” I smile up at him. I keep smiling when we sit down across from each other, “I mean the pay is good enough I might end up buying a house actually. Real estate is good”
Quinn nods, he tries to hide his snicker but it doesn’t work, “real estate is good? Did we really become people who talk about real estate?” I laugh under my breath as well. Smiling at the whole absurdity of the situation.
I run my fingers through my hair, “yeah. I mean we’re older now. I’m kinda done with” I lean back in my chair and sip my wine, “short term flings. I think. Maybe I want to find someone to settle down with” I shrug. It sounds forced. Mostly because I haven’t ‘flinged’ with anyone since high school.
Quinn sighs, “you’d be a good wife” he notes, “you’re always doting or- y’know bringing me lunches when I forget”
I nod, “what about you?” I ask, “how’s the dating apps” I’ve clearly hit a sore spot as he groans, “uh oh”
“I mean. I go out with people but they’re all so. Plain? Like in the sense of sometimes when I’m with them everything feels so forced” He looks down at his dinner, then back up at me, “it feels like they don’t feel real. And not in the good way” Quinn rubs at his under eye and softens his look when he sees me.
“I get that. I mean not really because I honestly have been so too busy to even think about dating” I pout, “but I like being busy”
“You’ve always liked that” Quinn chirps, “I remember the summer” he snickers slightly, “you got your wisdom teeth removed and had to be on bed rest for three days? Your mom almost had to tie you down since you kept getting up and doing stuff”
My cheeks flush with embarrassment, “god yeah. And you had to come entertain me and you were so so sooo upset about it since I made you watch a bunch of rom coms” I try not to laugh. We’re in a public place. People are having work dinners or anniversary dinners. I hiccup my laugh down, “you said you hated it. But Ellen told me that you were having fun”
Quinn rolls his eyes, the sassy way he always does. When you poke at something and it’s true, “I liked the movie with the. The girl whose brother died.. and she falls in love with the valet guy?” He keeps talking but my voice silences him
“Endless love” I say simply, “the 2014 version with the end credits being to ‘ends of the earth’ by lord Huron”
Quinn nods, “that was my favorite movie. I liked the montage of them being together”
He pays for my dinner, walks on the outside of the sidewalk and lets me hold his hand for balance in my heels, “you’re never going to get the hang of those are you?” He asks as my grip on his hand tightens. Quinn laces our fingers together as he digs in his pocket for the keys.
“Oh god; never. I will never get heels- ever” I shake my head in dismay, shifting my stride to follow Quinn. He’s protective like this, some nights when we go out and I drink too much. The lines between friend and boyfriend blur. When his hand wanders to my thigh during drives.
It blurs the most after he wins games; when Quinn runs up to me and hugs me, lifting me off the ground and spinning me.
There’s other nights, when we’re out with his team. His arm wrapped around me as we drink beers. It’s then when I’m reminded that we are just friends. That I made him swear to me we would be friends when I moved in.
He goes out with other girls, drinks with other ladies. Gives other women the opportunity to watch him play.
It’s not like I care at all.
I walk up the apartment barefoot, heels slung over my shoulder as I fiddle with the key, I don’t realize I’m shaking until Quinn’s hand steadies mine, “help me outta my dress?” I ask, tilting my head back as Quinn toes his shoes off and kicks the door closed.
His voice is soft, “yeah. ‘Course”
I’m sobering up, always the light weight. I can feel Quinn’s breath on the side of my neck as he undoes the bow and zips the dress down, “thank you Quinny” I let it drop completely down. Letting my skin goosebump at the cold.
I turn to look at him, the kitchen lights do nothing to hide the blush creeping up his neck. He tugs at his tie, but my fingers replace his as I untie it.
It makes me wonder. If maybe I’d make a move on him. If we could be in a happy relationship, if it would be like this. Me undoing his tie; his hands firmly planted on my hips. Maybe.. in a few years a little one asleep in a crib as we hand a babysitter a handful of twenties.
The thought of it makes my head spin and heart throb with desire, maybe it’s the alcohol talking for me, “do you think we could’ve been happy? If we decided to pursue something between us?”
Quinn’s shoulders drop, I know it’s not the time to talk about this. When I’m half naked and his hands are around my waist, “yeah. I think” he murmurs breathily, “we could’ve been real happy”
He guides me to my room, still keeping a hand on my back. I stand in the doorframe blinking up at him slowly, “do you think we could be happy now?” And I definitely know it’s the alcohol talking.
Quinn drops his head down, “maybe. Goodnight”
I tighten my grip on his hand; stepping towards him. I know why I kiss him. I I don’t know why I actually act on the urge.
But he kisses me back, hands wrapping around my hips as he guides me back onto my bed. Breaking away only when my back hits the plush mattress and air escapes from my lips.
