𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 (UNDER EDITING)

"something familiar."

wc : 1.0k
requested ? yes

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you were so tired. exhaustion was your best friend at this point. it imprinted itself into your skin, ruining your appetite and darkening the bags under your eyes.

with the little sleep that you managed to get, nightmares haunted your dreams. the mortifying moment of your father getting beat to death with a golf club was branded into your mind. you didn't think that it would ever leave.

so, you distracted yourself. worked your body down to complete exhaust so that the dreams disappeared and the only thing you had time for was picking vegetables, going on patrol, and sleeping.

"those can go over there," mr. hawthorne, a well-known face around jackson, advised. he pointed toward the overflowing crate of cauliflower that had already been plucked from its roots before turning back to his clipboard and walking away.

you set the box of turnips down next to the white vegetables, wiping the cold sweat from your brow with the back of a gloved hand. it was nearly spring, but winter seemed to be holding on a little longer this year.

returning to the other crates of turnips, you picked up one at a time and transferred it over to the shed. your arms burned with each haul, but it soon turned to a dull ache after so long.

the cold wind was nice, and you liked the ambiance of being outside, focusing solely on your work. but the peace was disturbed when someone shouted your name from outside the wicket fence of the garden.

"hey!" the voice said, followed by the opening of the front gate. "i checked you out. you've been here since dawn, babe."

setting another crate down, you looked over your shoulder, finding ellie approaching you with the final box of turnips. "oh."

she dropped it next to yours. "yeah. hawthorne said he'd let you off hours ago."

"i wasn't finished, so i decided to stay a little longer," you told her, tugging off your gloves and tossing them on a workbench. "i didn't mean to stay this late."

ellie's eyebrows rose skeptically as she dusted off her hands. "you've used that same excuse for the past two weeks."

you frowned. "i have not."

"yes, you have," she said, following you back to the gate she had used to enter. when you stayed quiet and only kept walking, she added, "you've also been avoiding me."

    that got you to pause. "no, i haven't, ellie. i've been busy."

"doing what? working yourself down to the bone? not making time for anything other than hauling crates of vegetables?" she snapped at you, her face drawn into a scowl. "you don't eat at all and you're never at home. fuck, i don't even see you anymore."

wetting your lips you said, "we're not having this discussion here," and attempted to walk away, to continue down the street.

"like hell we aren't." ellie grabbed your arm, her cold fingers wrapping around your elbow and jerking you to a harsh stop. when she noticed your wide eyes, she blinked, taken back by her own actions. releasing you, she took a step back, clearing her throat. "i'm...sorry. i don't know where that came from."

you only nodded and turned to continue down the barren street, willing yourself not to get choked up and cry over, well, you didn't even know what.

"talk to me," ellie begged. "tell me what's wrong. please."

your girlfriend had a good idea about what was bothering you, but she really didn't want to be the one to bring it up. she was worried that if she did, then things would begin to unravel at an alarming rate.

sighing through your nose, you paused, fisting your hands and looking at her. you could feel the tears starting to prick your eyes. "i'm so fucking tired, ellie. i don't eat. hell, i don't even sleep without hearing the screams of my dad. all i can do is work myself down and try to forget that his killers still walk free without facing any type of consequences."

you were crying now, but not a single part of you cared. the only thing you wanted to do was scream and sob and talk to your father again. raising a hand, you wiped your cheeks with the back of your palm.

ellie stood across from you with pity. she was unsure about whether or not you'd accept a hug, or even the stroke of her thumb against your face if she pulled her shit together and told you it was alright. she missed joel just as much as you did, but the universe had saved her the burden of watching him die.

"i'm sorry," you sobbed suddenly, shaking your head in disbelief at the rant you had let spill out. "forget i ever said anything-"

ellie embraced you before anything else could leave your mouth. "it's okay," she said, her strong arms folded around your shoulders. "it's okay."

her words caused more tears to wet the sides of your face. hugging her back, you pressed your face into the side of her neck, letting her hold you. she smelled like leather and patchouli. it was calming. familiar. something that you desperately needed right now.

holding the back of your head, ellie squeezed you tighter, relishing the moment of contact with you. "i hope you know how much i love you," she said, pulling back just enough so she could meet your eyes. "i am proud of you, even if you think you have done nothing but simply survive the past few weeks."

at her praise, you felt more tears spill over. ellie touched her forehead to yours, her thumb stroking the skin just below the corner of your jaw.

after a solid few seconds of you registering everything and finding a medium again, you managed to whisper, "can we go home?"

"whatever you want," ellie nodded, her nose brushing up against yours. she let out a long sigh as she took a half step back, her left hand trailing down your arm until it reached your fingers. as she laced them together, squeezing your palm in hers, she said, "let's get you home."