Flynn - a kissing booth fan fiction

Fireworks

The drive to the Hollywood sign is quiet, neither of us saying much of anything once we agree to go there rather than going home. It's New Year's Eve, after all, and at least we can take in the view, watch the fireworks at midnight maybe. My thoughts drift back to when Lee burst through the front door of Jon's place, onto the front lawn, eyes wide, head on a swivel, looking for us both. Then the expression on his face when he spotted us standing there, clearly post-argument. He knew what had gone down.

He knew something like this would happen. He said as much to Elle that night back at our place. He had to fucking know about Marco filling Elle's head with bullshit and still he never said a word to me about it. I'm angry at my brother for not having my back. I'm angry at Marco for being such a douche. And I'm angry at Elle for letting him weasel his way back to being her friend.

But being angry isn't going to help my cause with Elle, and at the end of the day, being with her is all I really care about right now. Acting like an asshole won't do anything other than push Elle towards Marco even more. I know he was there for her when Lee and I weren't, and I still hate that we made this whole situation possible, by leaving not one, but two spaces vacant in her life. For some stupid reason, it stings more that Marco was nearly able to fill both our roles.

If I'm honest, the guy gets on every last one of my nerves, because he manifests all the ways I thought, and maybe still think, I'm not good enough for Elle. I'm not the guy who can play DDR or dance around like an idiot with her at parties, that's just not me. And that was kind of okay, when that was her and Lee's thing. But then Lee stopped being that person for her all the time because he was with Rachel more often than not.

I can't be around all the time to take Elle places, go see movies, hang out doing homework or keep her company while she babysits Brad. Not while I'm three thousand miles away, trying my best to claw back my GPA and not get kicked off the football team. It's so fucking hard being away from her and I know she hates it too, but being together while we're far apart is better than the alternative, that much I know. The niggling voice in my head still wonders if Elle would've been better off without me, though.

And maybe if I was a better person, who didn't selfishly want, no, need, her in my life, I'd have been able to let her go. But I'm not. And I can't. Every cell in my body screams at me to hold onto Elle like my life depends on it, to do better, to be better - for her.

By the time I park near the entrance to the trail and we make the walk up to the sign, Elle and I are both sneaking glances at each other. I spread the blanket I brought out on the ground and she moves to sit down, but I tug her arm, pulling her to me, into a tight hug. The feeling when she winds her arms around my back, relaxing against me, makes me relax finally too. Burying my nose in her hair, I close my eyes, letting the familiar scent of her shampoo drown my senses for a moment.

Elle's voice breaks the silence, muffled where her face is pressed to my chest.

"I don't want to fight."

"Me either, Shell."

"I just... I don't want us to waste time while you're here being mad at each other, okay?"

Elle leans back a little, looking up at me with glossy eyes. The truth is, I am still a bit mad at her, but I don't want to be. We have such a limited amount of time together, it does seem stupid to spend it sulking. I nod carefully, bringing one hand up to cup her face, my thumb resting on her cheek.

"You know that I love you?" I ask quietly.

A small smile tugs the corners of Elle's mouth upwards and her expression softens.

"Yes," she nods, her hands coming up to rest either side of my face. "And I love you."

Warmth stretches across my chest and I offer a wry smile.