francis forever | ellie x reader

Living in A Never Ending Memory

Winter time being your favorite season didn't come with the joy of snow getting everywhere in your clothes—specifically your shoes or sometimes when it would fall into the gap your hoodie and get all up in your bra. Your skin felt as if it would freeze and chip right off. Making a stop to make snow angels in the middle of your patrol on this hell of a snowy day was seemingly a terrible idea; clumps of snow found its way into your beanie and even into your pants. Gloves couldn't save your hands from shivering; the precipitation got into the crevices of those, as well, leaving your entire body shivering and trembling all over. You could and couldn't blame yourself; making snow angels is a must for you every time it snows out in Jackson.

Ellie offered to switch gloves with you, insisting on it, in fact. You had to decline since you and her had different glove sizes, as well as the fact you didn't want her hands to be cold. You'd put up with your own near frost bitten fingers but god forbid Ellie willfully get it herself.

By the time you and Ellie actually got to creek trails, you'd stopped to take off your gloves and see how bad your fingers were. The impact of the snow rubbing against your skin left an angry discoloration on your knuckles and your fingertips, making you let out a sharp sigh as you tried to swat the snow out of your gloves. You brought your hands up to your face and blew hot air onto them, then rubbed them together to keep the heat going against your skin.

"Don't you always keep an extra pair of mittens in your pack?" Ellie questioned as she rode up next to you, watching you examine your hands. You spared her a glance and bit your tongue in irritation that you did not in fact have an extra pair of mittens in your bag. You sighed as you swatted your gloves again, watching remnants of snow flying out of them.

"Not today," you reluctantly stick your hands back into your gloves. Fortunately all the snow was gone, but they were still unbelievably cold and wet, making you hiss quietly. "I'll have to check for a spare when we get to the lookout."

"Where even is the lookout?" Ellie questioned. Her face scrunched up as the temperature dropped a few degrees, her shoulders squaring. She watched you weakly grip Orion's reigns, the small fog exhaling from your lips, the constipated look coming back on your face. A cheeky grin made its way onto her own face, a quiet chuckle waving over to your ears, earning a side eye from you.

"Hey- my suffering from my damn near frost bitten fingers isn't funny, you know."

"It's not that," Ellie rasped out another drawn out chuckle. You rolled your eyes halfheartedly and gently swatted the reigns, sending Orion trotting down the small river leading to another snow forest. Ellie and her own horse, Shimmer, followed after you, cracking the ice collecting over the stream of water and crunching the snow. "You're looking constipated again. That's like your default look."

"It's not!" You turn your head and look at Ellie with a frown. A pout shows on your face unintentionally, making Ellie snort out a laugh, thus earning another eye roll from you. You turn your head back around to face forward, guiding Orion to turn up towards a hill, gripping the reigns tighter.

"Do you think Dina and Jesse are done for real this time?" You call out. The fact that Jesse and Dina were on and off all the time gave you the impression that they weren't really done yet. Jesse acts all nonchalant, but something in you tells you that he cares about it more than he dares to show. You weren't sure about Dina. You were sure she had her eyes on Ellie last night while you and her were dancing. The ugly taste of jealousy on your tongue made you scowl; thank god Ellie couldn't see it, you didn't need another thing for her to tease you about.

"Jesse says they're done for real. I give them a week and some change until they're back together." Ellie was never one for gossip. It wasn't her thing—talking about other people behind their backs like that. But when you were around, and when she got the impression you were in the mood for gossip...well, she just might dye her hair black for the occasion to go along with her gossiping.