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marscardigan · 3 days ago

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love me anyway

neighbor!ellie williams x reader

neighbor!ellie universe

summary: what was supposed to be a fun afternoon with your niece ended up being a complete mess of a weekend with your girlfriend and the four-year-old.

word count: 5.3k

THE APARTMENT was already a mess when Ellie knocked.

Not a normal kind of mess. No, this was the kind of mess born from full-blown four-year-old dictatorship, with the energy of an untrained golden retriever.

It started earlier that afternoon — a call from your brother that came in right as you were pouring your third coffee of the day. “Please. Please. I’m already late. Her sitter bailed. It’s just a few hours. You’re her favorite. Remember? That time with the popsicles?”

You hadn’t remembered the popsicles. Instead, you remembered the toy box incident. The “don’t cut your own bangs” incident. The “where did she get glitter glue at a Thai restaurant?” incident.

But by the time you could form an excuse, he was already thanking you profusely and hanging up.

And so you ended up like this. Standing in the middle of your apartment, Ellie’s oversized t-shirt hanging off your shoulder and now proudly stamped with a pink dinosaur sticker and a suspicious chocolate handprint. A unicorn sticker clung to your cheek. Your bun had given up sometime around snack hour. And your couch? Fully taken hostage by a very small, very bossy tyrant named Sophie.

Sophie, your niece, was a walking contradiction. She could command a room of adults with a single lifted eyebrow, and yet turn beet red when a stranger said hello. She was shy around new people, but once she decided you were safe? That was it. She owned you. She was relentless, clever, full of opinions and she never got tired.

You were barely hanging on.

Toys were scattered across every inch of the living room. The TV was still paused on a Bluey chapter that was only interesting for, like, five minutes. A mixing bowl of cookie dough sat abandoned on the counter, crusting over, as Sophie insisted she couldn’t make the next batch until “Rexy” (her green triceratops plush) had picked his favorite cookie cutter.

You were elbow-deep in chaos, glitter, and existential dread. And then there was a knock. You froze, and your heart sank. Because that was Ellie. And today, ironically, was supposed to be your quiet anniversary night. The night you’d both been looking forward to all week. A cozy little dinner, movie on the couch, maybe even wine. You’d even bought her favorite kind, the one with the label she always made fun of but secretly liked.

Instead? Your house looked like a Crayola-fueled tornado hit a dinosaur museum. You trudged to the door, took one breath in, and opened it.

There she was. Your neighbor, looking criminally good in her worn hoodie and flannel jacket. Her auburn locks were messy in that way that made you want to run your fingers through them.

She blinked once. Took in the full scene, looked your stained shirt, your tangled hair and the faint smell of vanilla. And she grinned.

“Hey, lover girl,” she said, voice teasing and full of something warm. “You throwing a rave in here? Without me?”

You groaned. “El, I’m so sorry— I forgot it was today. My brother dropped Sophie off, and it was supposed to be a few hours, and then she started planning her own cookie empire, and I don’t know how, but there’s glitter in the microwave, and—”

Ellie stepped forward, kissed your cheek gently, and interrupted with a soft “Breathe.”

You exhaled. Tried to laugh. “I swear I was gonna wear the nice shirt. The one you really like.”

Ellie looked you up and down, nodded sagely, and tapped the purple crayon mark near your shoulder. “This one’s better. You’re giving... ‘toddler battle casualty,’ but like, hot.”

You laughed and stepped aside to let her in. The moment she crossed the threshold, Sophie peeked out from behind the pillow fort.

Ellie spotted her immediately. “Hey,” she said, voice dropping to that careful, open softness she reserved for animals, nervous kids, and you. “I remember you. From your dad’s birthday. You threw juice on my lap. Iconic move, though.”

Sophie stared at her with the intensity of someone assessing a threat level.

You whispered, “She’s shy. Needs a minute.”

Ellie nodded, and crouched, her hands tucked under her knees. “I heard you’re into dinosaurs,” she said casually.

Sophie narrowed her eyes. “Who told you that?”

Ellie’s eyes flicked to you. “A little birdie. And also the fossil exhibit in the living room.”

Sophie considered that. Slowly stepped out, still gripping Rexy like a shield. “Do you know any?”

Ellie blinked. “Do I know any? No way! I once stayed up until three a.m. learning the difference between a pterosaur and a pterodactyl. And I’m still not over the fact that velociraptors had feathers.”

Sophie stared. “You know about the feathers?”

Ellie’s voice dropped to a stage whisper. “I respect the feathers.”

You watched as Sophie’s shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. “We were gonna make T. rex cookies,” she muttered. “But we don’t have a cutter.”

Ellie clutched her chest like she’d been personally wounded. “No T. rex cutter?”

“Right?!”

Ellie nodded seriously. “We’ll improvise. That’s what real scientists do.”

And just like that, Sophie climbed fully out from behind the couch, handed Ellie a plush like it was a peace treaty, and declared: “This is Rexy. He’s the boss.”

“Rexy?”

“Yeah. He’s the boss.”

Your girlfriend looked down at the plushie, wincing. “But look, buddy, this is a Triceratops. You can tell from the three—”

You interrupted from the kitchen. “—wrap it up, babe.”

Ellie sighed dramatically, feigning indifference. “Alright. It’s a very special, honorary T. rex who, uh, just happens to have three horns.”

Sophie took the plush, nodded seriously. “Good. He’s allowed.”

Your girlfriend glanced at you, then back at Sophie, then said casually, “Hey, Commander Dino, can I borrow your assistant for a minute?”

The kid nodded, already pulling out the glitter glue. Ellie stood, crossed the room, and took your hands. “You look like you haven’t peed since noon,” she said, too seriously.

“I haven’t.”

“Oh god. Do me a favor and go pee and take a shower, yeah? I got this.”

“But I—”

She raised a brow. “—you kinda stink, baby.”

Your jaw dropped. “Ellie!”

She leaned in, kissed your cheek again. “ Go. I’ll hold down the dino fort.”

You stared at her, heart full and dumb. And then nodded. “Okay. Ten minutes.”

“Fifteen it’s okay too.” Ellie winked, and you disappeared down the hall, heart light for the first time all day. Behind you, you heard her say, “Sophie, I have a mission. We’re gonna make the best non-T. rex cookies in the galaxy. But first, we need a glitter strategy.”

And Sophie, without hesitation, replied: “I have a plan.”

You smiled into your towel as you closed the bathroom door. And for the first time in hours, you let yourself relax.

THE SUN was warm on your back as you pushed open the creaky gate to the park, Sophie’s tiny hand wrapped securely in yours, her sparkly shoes skipping excitedly across the gravel path. Ellie followed behind, hands in the pockets of her hoodie.

“Swings first,” Sophie declared. “Then monkey bars!”

The park was mostly empty except for a few kids on the climbing structure and a couple of moms on a nearby bench. You helped Sophie onto a swing while Ellie wandered toward the bench under a shade tree, where she could keep eyes on both of you while pretending not to be soft as hell about it.

Everything felt… easy. The breeze carrying the smell of mulch and grass and sunscreen. Sophie giggling as she pumped her legs higher. You felt Ellie’s gaze on you and turned around to see her snap a photo — quickly, shyly — then look away like she hadn’t just caught you mid-smile.

“Why is that boy wearing a girl’s top?” a young voice said nearby, loud and obnoxiously clear.

Sophie slowed her swing, blinking. You turned, heart already dropping, and spotted a boy, maybe six or seven, standing with a group of kids near the slide. He pointed a sticky finger at Ellie. “She looks like a boy.”

Another kid giggled. “Is that your dad?”

You froze. But Sophie didn’t.

She hopped off the swing, stomped across the mulch with her fists clenched and her face red.

“That’s my aunt,” she said, loud. “And you’re a poop face.”

The boy’s eyes narrowed. “She’s not your real aunt. My dad says people like that are gross. What a freak.”

The words landed like a slap. You were already moving fast, but Sophie beat you to it.

“Go chew glass!” she snapped, voice shrill with fury. “You’re the freak!”

You blinked in shock. “Sophie—!”

Ellie had already stood from the bench, expression unreadable.

Before you could reach either of them, a tall woman stormed over, her heels clicking furiously on the path. “Hey,” she said, voice clipped and full of judgment. “Is that your child?”

“My niece, actually.”

“Well, she just told my son to chew glass.”

Sophie, still puffed up and red from anger, crossed her arms. “Because he was being mean!”

The woman turned sharply toward Ellie then, sneering. “I don’t know what you people think is appropriate, but flaunting this sort of lifestyle in front of children is completely out of line.”

You opened your mouth, but Ellie’s voice cut through the air.

“This ‘lifestyle’ is just me existing.”

The woman scoffed. “Well, maybe people like you shouldn’t be around kids. God knows you can’t have any of your own.”

Your breath hitched. You instinctively reached for Sophie’s hand and pulled her close, her little fingers clinging to yours.

Ellie’s face stayed calm, too calm. Her eyes didn’t blink, and her voice didn’t waver. “And thank God for that,” she said flatly. “Because if having a kid means raising a bigot who gets his vocabulary from someone like you, I’d pass.”

The woman gasped. “Excuse me—”

“No,” Ellie said, still calm. “Excuse me. For thinking, I could come to the park and watch my girlfriend push her niece on a swing without getting lectured by someone whose personality is just internalized and mediocre hate.”

You choked on a laugh that almost turned into a sob. Sophie squeezed your hand tighter.

The woman’s face turned scarlet. “You’re disgusting. Both of you. This is sick.”

Ellie’s expression changed, just for a second. You saw it. The shift. A flicker of something wounded. You stepped in then, guiding Sophie back toward the bench, crouching low so she wouldn’t have to hear the rest.

And then the father came. Of course he did. Loud and aggressive. “What’s going on here?”

“She insulted our son,” the woman snapped, pointing at Ellie. “She and her… friend.”

Ellie gave a bitter laugh. “Friend? Is that your polite word for dyke today?”

The man took a step forward. “Hey, watch it.”

“No,” Ellie said, eyes sharp now. “You watch it.” You turned, still crouched behind Sophie, who was now hugging her dino plush tightly to her chest. “You want to teach your kid to be cruel? Fine by me. But don’t pretend it’s me that’s the danger here.”

Ellie stepped close, unafraid. “Don’t you dare look at me like I’m the problem. I didn’t teach a kid to hate someone for loving someone else. That was you.”

Silence. Thick and awkward and heavy. The man opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His wife tugged his arm, sputtering something about leaving. And then they were gone.

You let out a long, slow breath. Your hands were shaking a little. Ellie turned to you, her expression softening immediately. “You okay?”

You nodded, blinking fast. “Are you?”

She hesitated. “I’m used to it. But… I hate when you hear it.”

You stood and pulled her into a one-armed hug with your free arm, Sophie still tucked against your hip. “You didn’t deserve that. Ever.”

Ellie swallowed. “Neither do you.”

Then a tiny voice whispered between you. “Can we go home?”

You nodded quickly. “Yeah, baby. We can.”

Ellie offered her hand to Sophie, and she took it instantly.

As the three of you walked back toward the car, Ellie glanced over and said softly, “Remind me to buy her a whole cake.”

“For telling that kid to chew glass?”

“Exactly.”

YOU HAD just gotten home from the park. The golden-hour sun had followed you in, spilling lazy light across the floor and catching on the faint glitter still clinging to your couch cushions from earlier.

Sophie was already half-asleep in Ellie’s arms.

At some point between the sidewalk and the front step, the four-year-old tornado had lost steam. Now she was curled up against Ellie’s chest like she’d been born to fit there, head resting in the dip of her shoulder, clutching her beloved plush dinosaur like a sleepy lifeline.

Ellie had popped on a random episode of Pokémon and was whispering little commentary into Sophie’s hair every so often.

You just smiled and leaned against the kitchen counter, watching them— the quiet rise and fall of Sophie’s chest, the way Ellie adjusted her arm every so often without waking her, like she was terrified of being too firm. Like she knew exactly how to hold a child who trusted her.

Then your phone buzzed on the table.

You hesitated, not wanting to break the peace. But it was your brother’s name on the screen, and something about the timing made your gut twist.

You stepped into the hallway and answered quietly. “Hey, what’s up?”

“I—shit. I’m sorry,” your brother said immediately, already frazzled. “The meeting ran late. There’s a dinner thing now, and I’m stuck. Like, stuck-stuck. I was gonna send someone, but they bailed.”

You frowned. “So…?”

“I can’t grab Soph tonight. I didn’t mean to dump her on you for this long, I swear.”

You glanced through the hallway, back into the living room, and felt the tension in your shoulders ease. Sophie hadn’t moved. Ellie had shifted slightly, stretching her legs along the couch now, her hand cradling Sophie’s back like instinct.

You felt something heavy and soft settle in your chest. “It’s okay,” you said gently, lowering your voice. “She can stay the night.”

Your brother exhaled on the other end. “Are you sure? Like, really sure? You guys had plans today, right?”

“Don’t worry about it,” you said, watching Ellie brush a strand of hair from Sophie’s forehead, slow and careful. “Honestly, I think she’d be heartbroken if I tried to wake her up right now.”

“She likes her,” your brother said quietly. “Ellie.”

You smiled. “Yeah. She likes Sophie too.”

“Tell her thanks, okay? And thank you. Seriously. You’re saving my ass, once again.”

You murmured a goodbye and hung up, then padded softly back into the living room. Ellie didn’t look away from the screen, but her voice was low and amused. “Was that Big Brother?”

You nodded, easing down beside her. “Yeah. He’s stuck at some dinner thing. Can’t pick her up.”

Ellie glanced down at Sophie’s sleeping face, then up at you with a crooked little smile. “So it’s a sleepover, then.”

You let out a soft laugh. “Looks like it.”

She adjusted the blanket across Sophie’s legs with one hand. “Guess that makes me the honorary cool aunt. Or maybe the dino wrangler.”

“You might be both.”

You sat for a moment in the quiet, listening to the muffled sounds of Pikachu yelling on screen, watching the soft light of the TV ripple across Ellie’s freckled face.

She looked so at peace. Like this wasn’t even a question. Like this was the most natural thing in the world. This kid tucked against her, your hand close by, the three of you wrapped in something wordless and safe.

You hesitated, then whispered, “You don’t have to stay.”

Ellie turned to you. “What?”

“You’ve had a long day. I know. You don’t have to stay the whole night, El. I can—”

“Nope.” Her answer was firm. “Not happening.”

You felt your throat tighten. “I just meant, if you’re tired—”

“I am tired,” she said. “But this—” she nodded toward Sophie, curled tighter now, cheek squished into her chest, “—this is the kind of tired I don’t mind. I’d rather be here, in your living room, covered in cookie crumbs and glitter dino stickers, than anywhere else.”

You looked at her for a long time, heart full. Then, shifted closer and pressed your lips to her cheek, then her jaw. She turned into the touch.

“I love you,” you murmured.

She smiled into your hair. “I love you more.”

Then she leaned her head against yours and let out a quiet sigh. You didn’t say anything else for a while. You didn’t need to. Just the three of you, safe under a shared blanket, with Rexy the dinosaur squished between Ellie’s ribs and Sophie’s tiny arm.

Outside, the sky darkened.

Inside, it felt like home.

THAT peace was now long gone. Sophie stirred eventually, as she always did, grumpy and dramatic about the fact that time had passed. “Is it nighttime?” she asked from Ellie’s chest, blinking slowly like a confused space traveler.

Ellie chuckled and brushed a hand over her messy hair. “Almost. Sun’s clocking out.”

You sat up and stretched. “Alright, munchkin. Bedtime routine. Let’s go.”

Sophie groaned louder. “But we didn’t even finish the Pikachu episode!”

“You drooled on me halfway through it,” Ellie pointed out gently.

“No I didn’t,” Sophie mumbled, eyes already drifting shut again.

Ellie looked over at you, grinning. “Want me to take the lead?”

You raised a brow. “You sure you’re ready for the Great Toothbrush War?”

“I survived the Dino Rebellion,” she replied. “I can handle her.”

You smirked and waved her toward the hallway. “Be my guest, Captain.”

Ellie stood and scooped Sophie up with practiced ease. “Alright, space cadet. Teeth, pajamas, and then I’ll tell you a story about the time a dinosaur got abducted by aliens.”

Sophie’s head popped up from Ellie’s shoulder. “Wait. Really?!”

“Oh yeah,” Ellie said seriously. “Dead serious.”

You watched them disappear down the hall together, your tiny niece still clutching her dino plush, her other hand twisted into the collar of Ellie’s hoodie like she belonged there. And she did. That part was undeniable now.

You moved through the quiet, straightening blankets, folding up half-painted coloring books, collecting plastic stegosauruses off the coffee table like little emotional landmines. You lit the soft lamp by the couch and dimmed the TV until only the faintest blue light flickered across the walls.

Twenty minutes later, Ellie reemerged.

Her hair looked messier, the neckline of her hoodie slightly wet, which you didn’t ask about, and she was holding the empty cup from the kids’ toothpaste like a war trophy. “She fought me,” Ellie said with mock exhaustion, flopping beside you. “But I prevailed.”

“She got the T. rex jammies?”

“Obviously. We don’t mess around on sleepover night.”

You smiled and leaned into her, pulling the throw blanket over both of you. “She asleep?”

“Out like a light. But not before I told her about the dinosaur who accidentally got launched into space by a rogue scientist named Dr. Picklejuice.”

You choked on your laugh. “What?!”

“She named him. I don’t ask questions.”

You kissed her temple. “You’re really good with her.”

Ellie blushed slightly. “She makes it easy.”

You nodded, then paused. The comfort started to settle, but something else was still under your skin. You weren’t sure why it suddenly pushed to the surface. Maybe it was the quiet. Maybe it was seeing Ellie so soft and gentle in a way you knew not everyone had accepted in her life.

Ellie noticed instantly. Of course she did. Her hand slid over yours beneath the blanket.

“Hey,” she said quietly. “You good?”

You hesitated, eyes still on the low flicker of the TV. “I’ve been trying not to think about the park.”

Ellie didn’t say anything yet. She just squeezed your fingers.

“It wasn’t even about me,” you continued. “Not really. But the things they said about you. The way they looked at you. Like…” You swallowed. “Like you shouldn’t be near her.”

Your voice cracked on that last word, and Ellie turned toward you instantly.

“They don’t know you,” you said quickly, like if you said it fast enough it wouldn’t sting. “They don’t see how good you are with her. How kind. And smart. And patient.”

Ellie stayed quiet for a second longer, then turned your hand over in hers, tracing small circles into your palm with her thumb. “I’m used to it,” she said, almost too calmly. “It doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck, but it’s not new.”

“I hate that,” you whispered.

“I know.”

You looked at her then, eyes wet. “You shouldn’t have to be used to it. We shouldn’t have to be used to it.”

Ellie smiled, soft and sad. “It’s the trade-off, sometimes. Being who you are in a world that still isn’t built for you.”

You leaned into her shoulder, voice thick. “I just wanted today to be easy for you.”

She pulled you tighter. “It was. But the hard parts? Totally worth it.”

“I just... I got scared. That someone will say something worse. Do something worse.”

Ellie’s hand slipped into your hair, gentle. “If they do, they’ll have to go through me first.”

You snorted softly. “You’re 5’5”, El.”

“With rage strength, babe. Don’t underestimate me.”

And just like that, you fell asleep. You didn’t really mean to. You were just curled into her side, the warmth of her arm around your waist, her nose tucked behind your ear, the blanket pulled high, the distant sound of Sophie’s sleepy breathing coming from the bedroom.

The last thing you heard was Ellie’s voice, barely audible. “G’night, angel”

And then the world slipped away, and everything folded into dreams.

YOUR eyes blinked open slowly, lashes still heavy with dreams, your body warm and wrapped in Ellie’s hoodie. You’d fallen asleep tangled on the couch, but there was no sight of your girlfriend. You stayed there a moment, taking in the early morning quiet. The apartment was softly lit with that pre-8 a.m. haze, the golden sunlight creeping through the curtains.

Something clattered, and Sophie’s voice rang out, bright and relentless, from down the hall. “Do dinosaurs even like waffles?!”

You smiled against the cushion and slowly peeled yourself away.

Padding down the hall, you made your way toward the bathroom, expecting Sophie looking around your drawers. But what you weren’t expecting was Ellie, kneeling on the floor. A full YouTube tutorial paused on her phone, her head tilted as she stared with furrowed, confused concentration at Sophie, who was sitting cross-legged on the closed toilet lid, eyes wild and arms flailing.

“Okay,” Sophie said, mid-rant, “but what if, listen, what if dinosaurs came back but they were like, invisible, and only dogs could see them, so we wouldn’t even know, and maybe that’s why dogs bark all the time!”

Ellie, holding a brush and a hair tie, blinked slowly. “… That’s a terrifying theory.”

“I know, right!”

“Okay, um—head down, kiddo, please.”

Sophie obliged, swinging her head down dramatically. “Are you sure this video is even going to work? It looks old.”

“It’s a braid tutorial, not a crime scene documentary.”

You laughed, and Ellie looked up then, meeting your eyes in the mirror, and froze, immediately flushing. “Oh. Uh. Hey.”

You leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. “You braid now?”

Ellie cleared her throat. “I’m… learning.”

“Mm-hm.”

Sophie twisted around. “She’s trying to do Elsa hair, but it’s not working. At all.”

“I said I’m learning,” Ellie muttered, red now. “There’s, like, sections. And weaving. And finger placement. It’s a lot.”

You walked over, kissed the top of Sophie’s head. “She’s trying very hard.”

“She’s not very good, though.”

Ellie let out a wounded gasp. “Ma’am, I am a musician, not a hairdresser. I work with strings for a living.”

Ten minutes later, Sophie was sitting at the kitchen table with a slightly better braid and a mountain of crayons spread across your place mats. A half-colored dinosaur coloring page was already crumpled from her sheer intensity.

“Can dinosaurs wear clothes?” she asked no one in particular.

Ellie, flipping pancakes at the stove, said, “Only the fashionable ones.”

Sophie grinned. “Like Rexy. He wears capes sometimes.”

You were slicing bananas, watching it all like some surreal Sunday morning sitcom.

Ellie passed you a plate, leaning in to kiss your temple. “You slept hard.”

You nodded. “Did I snore?”

“Like a dragon.”

“Liar.”

Ellie shrugged. “A cute dragon.”

You bumped her with your hip. “Thanks for… you know. Doing all this.”

She gave you a look. The you-don’t-have-to-thank-me-for-loving-you look. You’d gotten good at recognizing it. “I like mornings like this,” she said simply. “Even if they start with weird conspiracy theories.”

“Rude!” Sophie called.

“You’re too short to vote,” Ellie shot back.

Sophie grinned wickedly. “So are you!”

You choked on your orange juice.

Ellie looked personally attacked. “I am average height, thank you very much.”

“No you’re not,” Sophie said. “You’re small. But tall enough to make waffles. So you can stay.”

Ellie whispered to you, “Thank God. I was nervous.”

You smiled, leaned against her side, and let the warmth settle.

BY midday, the apartment had transformed again.

Gone were the scattered crayons and the sticky syrup plates from breakfast. The coloring books had been cleared, the glitter wiped from the table, and now, in their place stood something far greater. A museum.

Sophie had declared it around eleven a.m., full of conviction and without warning, as she lined up every single plastic dinosaur she owned across the floor.

“This is the entrance,” she explained, gesturing at a pillow with glitter glue stains. “And only people with imagination are allowed in.”

Ellie, standing beside you with a cup of coffee and her usual half-smile, nodded solemnly. “We barely qualify.”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “No phones. No snacks. No shoes. And no boring facts.”

Ellie blinked. “Wait. What?”

“No boring facts,” Sophie repeated. “You’re the tour guide, so you can say fun things. But not, like, ‘blah blah, this dinosaur was alive in this year.’ That’s boring.”

Ellie shot you a helpless look, and you smiled innocently and flopped onto the couch. “I’m just here to observe.”

“Cool. Cool cool cool,” Ellie said, clapping her hands and clearing her throat dramatically. “Welcome to the World Famous Dinosaur Museum, curated by Sophie, the most powerful four-year-old paleontologist on Earth.”

Sophie gave a tiny approving nod.

Ellie walked up to the first toy. “Here we have… the mighty Ankylosaurus, also known as the living tank. This dude had a club for a tail and armor all over his back. Total unit.”

“Wrong,” Sophie interrupted.

Ellie froze. “Uh. What?”

Sophie crossed her arms. “That’s not an Ankylosaurus. That’s a Bumpy.”

“A… what?”

“Bumpy. From the show. She’s nice and has big eyes, and she doesn’t hit people with her tail unless they’re being rude.”

“Right,” Ellie said, clearing her throat. “Of course. Bumpy. Noted.” She moved on. “And here, we have the infamous Velociraptor, known for its sharp claws, high intelligence, and hunting in coordinated packs.”

Sophie raised her hand like a teacher’s assistant. “Actually… Velociraptors were smaller. Like chickens.”

Ellie blinked. “You’re four.”

Sophie shrugged. “I have books.”

You were openly laughing now, half-curled into the couch, watching your girlfriend slowly spiral. Ellie stared down at the toy dinosaur. “Sure. Whatever you say, kid. That’s definitely a... Dino-nugget.”

Sophie giggled. “It’s okay. I forget too sometimes.”

Ellie turned to you, defeated. “She’s smarter than me.”

You grinned. “I’m weirdly attracted to it.”

She smirked, cheeks pink, and whispered, “Yeah?”

“The flustered dino tour guide thing is working for you.” Then Ellie reached out to tickle your foot. “You’re too mean! Stop!”

You yelped and kicked gently at her shin. Sophie shouted, “No violence in my museum!” and Ellie immediately stood straight, arms behind her back like a soldier caught goofing off in formation. “Apologies, Dr. Sophie,” she said. “Won’t happen again.”

“Good,” Sophie said, spinning dramatically on one socked foot. “Now it’s snack time. All museum staff must report to the kitchen immediately.”

You followed them in, Ellie trailing after with her hands still behind her back, muttering, “I didn’t go to dinosaur jail just to be bossed around by a preschooler.”

The three of you were halfway through peanut butter toast and a chaotic cup of apple juice when your door buzzed.

Sophie didn’t even flinch. “It’s Daddy,” she said, mouth full.

You opened the door, and sure enough, your brother stood there, hair windswept and eyes a little tired. His face softened the second he saw Sophie run toward him.

“Hey, Soph!” he said, catching her mid-leap.

She immediately launched into a breathless retelling of the day. “We made pancakes and Ellie did my hair, and I told her about dinosaur ghosts, and we made a museum, and she got every dinosaur wrong, but it was okay because she tried really hard!”

Ellie, still behind you with crossed arms and a red face. Your brother looked between the two of you, the toy-covered floor, the messy table, the crayon drawing Sophie had taped to the wall that read “Ellie = Cool Aunt”, and put down the toddler.

“You’ve got her wrapped around your finger,” he said to Ellie, smiling softly. “Didn’t know Sophie ever let someone else be the boss.”

Ellie shrugged, suddenly shy. “I bribed her with waffles.”

Sophie looked up. “She’s my best friend now. Don’t be jealous.”

Your brother gave you a long look. Something quiet passed between you. You kissed Sophie’s forehead, ruffled her hair, and passed her Rexy.

She hugged Ellie’s leg tightly before leaving. “Bye, Ellie!”

“Bye, kiddo.” Ellie whispered back.

Then the door clicked shut, and the apartment felt... still. Not empty. Just quiet in the way it only was after a kid left. You turned to Ellie, who was still standing in the living room, arms folded, gazing at the now-empty dinosaur museum with a look that was almost… wistful.

“She really likes you,” you said gently, walking over to her.

Ellie didn’t speak right away. Just stared at the spot where Sophie had left her sock-caped Rexy perched on a pillow like he was still standing guard. Then, she exhaled softly through her nose and said, “You know what’s weird?”

“What?”

“She reminds me of you.”

You blinked. “Me?”

Ellie nodded, finally glancing over at you with a small, crooked smile. “Yeah. Bossy. Relentless. Too smart for her own good. Will bite if threatened.”

You snorted. “Oh my God.”

“I’m serious,” she said, grinning now. “She takes up space like she was born to, like she never learned how not to. You’re like that, too. You just… walk in and fill a room. And it makes it better. Brighter.”

“It’s why I fell in love with you, you know. The way you just… care. Loudly. Without apology.”

You took a step closer, touching her wrist. “I don’t always feel like I do it right.”

Ellie smiled, lacing your fingers together. “You don’t have to. You just have to do it like you.”

You stared at her for a second, heart thudding, then leaned up and kissed her slow. When you pulled back, she sighed happily. “So… museum’s closed for the day?”

You nodded. “But I hear there’s a private showing tonight. Just for dorks who are bad at braiding hair.”

Ellie smirked. “Perfect. I know a girl who fits the bill perfectly.”

And just like that, everything felt simple again. Not perfect. But real. And full of love.

Ellie having beef with a four-year-old makes so much sense to me lmao. I love them so much its unreal.

perm taglist !

@valeisaslut @firefly-ace @sevslover @twopeoplee @mayfldss @elliesfavtoy @usuck @avalovesmus1c @samcvrpenters @mars4hellokitty @prettyinpink69 @yashirawr @furtherrawayy @maximumdreamlandcoffee @elliesfavgirlfriend @abcline006 @marieeeluvsyou @smaugayra @eriiwaiii2 @d1psht @creativedespaitr @leaaavesss @yasmilks @piastorys @nemesyaaa @elliewilliamskisser2000 @mascspleasegetmepregnant @oatmatchalatte @leeidk87 @morticeras @eddiesdrummergf @vahnilla

neighbor!ellie taglist !

@alinerr @liztreez @wwefan2002 @ellielvrssss @ellieslittleslutt @elliesfavwife @uselessnewt @lvmxih

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