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[Ellie starts to laugh too, and all that lovely tension melts into something warm and comfortable and familiar, as their friendship shifts to accept this, too, as something that they do.

Riley's fingers are warm, rough from her gun, and Ellie has to catch her breath at that simple touch. Riley has always touched her casually, little bumps, linked arms, a slap on the back- it's strange to think that something so basic could be as intimate as kissing.]

So.

[Talk, Tris had said. Fucking talk. But Ellie gets all tongue tied, and all the obvious shit seems complicated.]

We're doing this, huh?

[It comes out soft with excitement.]

[Okay so that touch is way more intimate than she realized. Still, she's not going to be some chicken shit and back down from it so she keeps tucking her hair back until she's all done. Only then does she lower her hand and laugh again.

This. What the hell is this thing they have going on? Does this mean they're a couple now? Girlfriends or something?

Fuck, she's bad at this. She's never had to think this shit through. There had never been time for them to figure things out before and even then she'd said they'd just figure things out. Riley doesn't do the whole talking thing because finding the words to express the right feelings is harder than offing one of the Infected.]

Yeah. I guess we are.

[That sounds good. That they're doing this. That they're some kind of thing. That they're...them.]

... yep.

[Definitely some kind of thing. A good thing. And even if it's hard to talk, to put the feelings into words, stuff just starts tumbling out, because she's had it all bottle up for much too long.]

I almost kissed you in that photobooth. After we broke it.

[And she'd been thinking of it long before that.]

Yeah. Me too. Almost...kissed you.

[That. Okay so now she feels kind of weird and dumb for admitting to that. She takes a deep breath then shifts a bit.]

So...

[Welcome awkward pause.]

... so.

[Ellie chews her lower lip, echoing her, and shifts up, settling down next to her.]

So you thought about it.

[It sounds a touch teasing, and terribly curious.]

And you did too.

[Yep. That's a thing. Them thinking about kissing the other. Definitely a thing.]

And we didn't.

[She nods.]

Until we did.

[Ellie finishes, shifting next to her, onto her side. Riley's been sneaking into her room at night since day one, they've figured out how to make a twin bed work.]

... I mean, it wasn't my smoothest move-

[Rolling onto her side too so she can face her. This has got to be the most awkward conversation. Ever.]

Yeah. I guess it matters that you did. Right?

[Alright, she's shit at this. Ellie is better at this emotion thing. They both suck but Ellie is definitely better.]

What do you think this means? For us?

[She's a leader and yet... And yet it's Ellie she will happily take advice from.]

[The corner of Ellie's mouth twists as she thinks. It's unfamiliar, having Riley look to her to figure something out -- or at least Ellie thinks so. Up until the end, she's never had a true idea of just how much Riley takes her into account.

Her shoulders lift, and she ducks her head, as if to say fuck it, she doesn't know. But she's clearly thinking.]

Well.

We're still... you and me. And I don't see why this new stuff has gotta change the old stuff.

The way I figure it, I just wanna be with you.

[Them but apparently with kissing and stuff. That...actually sounds really good to her. It's nothing like that sappy crap in books or comics but it works. For them at least.]

You got me, girl.

[She gives her shoulder a push.]

Shit, I told you that you could get me to stay.

[Grinning back, Ellie breathes a sigh of relief, moving easily at the push and putting her forehead against Riley's shoulder to laugh a little.]

... the only one could could.

[And. That trips something. So suddenly, that Ellie sits up, gaping at her.]

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit.

[Suddenly, everything's clicking into place. Everything about the mall. How far Riley went out of her way to repair things between them. Riley hadn't wanted an out, or to set things right before she left. She hadn't wanted her best friend to tell her to stay -- she'd been trying to say something.

It wasn't guilt that made me cross a city full of soldiers, Ellie.

It wasn't that Riley was looking for an excuse not to leave.

It was because Riley had loved her all along. And it had taken her well over a year after Riley's death to even figure it out.

Jesus Christ, she's such a fucking moron.]

Edited 2014-03-12 10:04 (UTC)

[Riley watches Ellie sit up and doesn't say a word. Instead she just waits and she sees the second it clicks for her.

Holy shit did it take her this long to get it? Seriously?

She waits more, brow lifting as she waits. Then, she slowly nods.

Yes, Ellie.

She's dropping hints at you for ages.

AGES, girl.]

Oh my god, I'm so dumb.

[Whispering it under her breath, she rubs her hand down her face, thinking back to everything that happened, how much sense it made. And here, Ellie had thought it was just her own damn bright idea that Riley happened to be into.

Fuck, she'd even apologized right after-

Ellie gives a loud groan and covers her face again, giving a weak little laugh between her fingers.]

I'm so dumb.

[She watches Ellie figure it all out, the pieces falling into place. Then she laughs and sits up to give her leg a shove. Seriously, she is taking this blindness way too hard.

Okay so it's kind of cute but they'll get nowhere this way.]

You are seriously so slow, Ellie.

[Another little groan, but she's smiling.]

Oh, man. Why didn't you just plant one on me? I probably would have gotten the hint.

[As soon as she says it, she remembers why not. The whole part about being really fucking mad at her.]

Girl, I am really not into getting punched for planting one. I'm clearly way more into biting your neck to get thrown on my ass.

[She's joking but it's clear that she's thrilled beyond measure. Ellie knows now. She really fucking knows how she feels.

Ah shit. This is the greatest feeling in the world.]

[It gets Ellie laughing under her breath, and she leans against her side, bumping her affectionately.]

That wasn't even that funny, you dick.

[Shaking her head, she ducks it, looks back up again.]

Well, I wouldn't punch you now.

Oh yeah?

[She moves to get closer. Oh sure she's kind of nervous but damn...now she knows.]

Cool.

[And she gives her a kiss. It's the first time she's initiated one but she really loves it all the same. She's always called Ellie her girl and now she really is.

Just wow.]

[Well shit, Riley, she somehow hadn't expected her to just go for it. Ellie jumps a little, surprised by the sudden movement, hand on Riley's arm.

It's only their third, only Ellie's third, but she can already tell she's going to like getting used to this. By the time Riley moves back, she's a little breathless. Awkward as hell, excited.

Happy. So happy.]

... cool.

[So that's what going for it is like. Okay, she could get used to that. It's definitely a pretty good feeling.

Deep breath. Okay.]

Yeah.

[Smooth, Riley. Smooth.]

[Talking has gone much, much better than she ever imagined that it would.]

... so, you can do that whenever you want, by the way.

[Grinning, she bumps her again and gets up off the bed. Like nothing at all has changed, because at its heart, it really hasn't. They're still them, just with something added.]

C'mon, I'm starving.

Yeah. You can too.

[She flops back onto the bed then grabs her pictures to go after Ellie, making a stop in her room to quickly tack the pictures near her bed. Then she's out and looking around.]

So did you hear the joke about the girl who dumped juice on a cyborg?

[Still beaming like an idiot, Ellie haunts her doorway, admiring the pictures.]

... no?

[Is this going to be a pun, please say it's a pun.]

Joke's on you. It's actually how I met Joel.

[You can have a pun later, Ellie. Promise.]

... you spilled juice on Joel?

[Excuse her while she starts sputtering out laughter.]

What'd he do?

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