#bella ramsey x reader fluff

[loverwebs]

The Perfect Pair

Pairing: Bella Ramsey x Costar!Reader

Synopsis: After playing Ellie and Riley, you and Bella answer the internet's most asked questions.

Word count: around 1,100

Part Two

Just like any other highly anticipated series, The Last of Us press tour consisted of traveling and interviews. The entire experience being incredibly glamorous and exciting for the cast.

On one of the last few days leading up to the premiere, Bella and Y/n were paired up to answer the internet's most asked questions.

Despite her role for the show being limited, Y/n continued filming in Canada for a movie after wrapping as Riley, which gave her and Bella the opportunity to spend even more time together since Bella didn't finish until a few months later.

The duo would often visit each other's sets and had countless sleepovers, constantly posting the other during their time together.

That being said, they already knew what the internet thought of them. It didn't change anything, though.

They knew they were close.

A little too close.

"Unlike the other boards, this one has questions for both of you." Bella's assistant explained towards the end of the interview, handing the last board to them. "Whenever you two are ready."

Bella cleared their throat before peering at the board in their hands, "Are Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n..." She looked at the camera through squinted eyes before proceeding.

"...still friends?" Y/n finished off once the sticker was peeled.

"Phew," Bella pretended to wipe sweat from their forehead, meanwhile Y/n dramatically placed a hand over her heart to show relief.

They knew what the question was implying.

"This may come as a surprise to you all, but we actually aren't," Bella deadpanned.

"It's true," Y/n chimed, picking at her nails in an attempt to seem uninterested, "I'm being paid to be here."

"Me too. I despise her so much," Bella grinned.

"Yeah right," Y/n nudged her, preparing to peel off another question from the board. "This one says... How did Y/n and Bella meet?"

"We met a few weeks before filming this little project called The Last of Us," Y/n started. "Maybe you've heard of it. It's not really well known or anything."

"It's remarkably underrated," Bella added with humor.

"Absolutely," Y/n gave an amused smile. "Best day of my life, though. I was so nervous."

"Were you really?" Bella raised a brow, "Because I remember it a bit differently."

"Oh my God," Y/n groaned, turning to face the camera. "You see, I kind of talked Bella's ear off the whole time."

"Kind of? Darling, I couldn't get a word in the entire night." Bella giggled.

"I'm sorry!" Y/n whined. "I just thought you were really cute. I talk way too much when I'm around cute people." 

"Then you must still think I'm cute," Bella teased her. "Because you always go on and on when we're together."

"Moving on!" Y/n sighed. "God, you're so annoying."

"You love it," Bella shook with laughter.

"Hold still!" Y/n laughed as well. "Bels, I can't read them if you're moving! Okay... This one says—oh wow. Y/n L/n and Bella Ramsey kiss."

"My goodness," Bella bursted out in giggles once again.

"That's not even a question," Y/n gave the camera a look whilst fanning the brunette, attempting to calm him down. "Someone needs to get fired for that."

"I'm assuming they meant to ask if our characters kissed on the show." Bella glanced at the crew members skeptically.

"This interview will come out after the episode airs," someone assured them.

"Oh! In that case, we did kiss, yes," stated Bella.

"Our characters did." Y/n clarified, smiling at her friend.

"Well, we kissed. But for the show, of course."

"Completely professional."

"Though we had to do it quite a few times." Bella added.

"Because someone kept 'forgetting' their lines. Definitely not on purpose," Y/n teased them.

"Wow! Way to throw me under the bus there," she pretended to be offended. "I see how it is, L/n."

"Just saying," Y/n shrugged smugly, fingers tugging off another strip.

"Did Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n play The Last of Us?" Bella read. "Not really…I mean, prior to filming we were told not to play it, but Y/n/n and I tried to get through some of it recently."

"We didn't get very far though. Even on the easiest mode, it just never ends well." Y/n grimaced.

"Yeah, it's tough." Bella agreed. "Neither of us are gamers, so we wind up eating snacks and playing a film instead."

"Which is way less stressful!"

"Is Skipper Y/n L/n's or Bella Ramsey's dog?" Y/n said, struggling to flick away the sticker from her fingers.

Bella immediately noticed and tried helping her, but it ended up getting stuck on both of them, which earned him a small giggle from the girl.

"Despite what Y/n says, Skipper is my kid." Bella announced, successfully placing the long sticker on their chair.

"But she likes me more. I birthed her," Y/n joked.

"I won't lie—she does like to cuddle Y/n/n quite a lot. I think she gets that from me."

"She definitely gets that from you. I like when all three of us cuddle, though." Y/n smiled at the fond memories, "Anyway, I'll settle for the title of being her second mom."

"That works," Bella chuckled. "We'll co-parent her."

"Bella Ramsey and Y/n L/n laying on each other," Bella read through a heavy laugh. "Again, not a question."

"There's a thing called needing body heat, people!" Y/n said defensively.

"Right! Because Canada is incredibly cold. If you were filming in our conditions, you'd do the same." Bella spoke, hiding their face behind the board.

"Yeah, we had to stay warm somehow." Y/n added, her face heating up from the embarrassment of this topic coming up.

"Are we done now?" Bella peaked, "I feel like we've revealed a lot in this ten minute video," they joked.

"Right?!"

"I think that's it," one of the assistants said, laughing along with the team behind the camera. "And we're already shooting, so you can just give us an outro and we'll wrap this up."

"That concludes our Wired Autocomplete Interview!" Bella yelled at the same time Y/n chanted, "Thanks for watching!"

They shared a laugh, then looked back at the camera before continuing, "Make sure to check out The Last of Us." Y/n said when Bella rested their head on her shoulder.

"It's streaming right now on HBO Max," they pointed out.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we're gonna go make out!" Y/n joked, running away from the camera-frame with Bella, hand in hand.

Part Two

[sunlightellies]

The Question

masterlist

A/N: hi!! this is my first drabble posted here. english isn’t my first language so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors :') this is pretty much just pure fluff so i hope you all enjoy it mwah !! (i’ll be using they/them for bella in this fic.)

Summary: You and Bella have been dating for about 9 months now. You really want to move in with them, but you don’t know how to ask them.

Pairing: Bella Ramsey x Reader

Warnings: Curse words, other than that, none.

Word Count: 600+

You just got home from Bella’s apartment and you sat on your sofa watching tv, while thinking about how much you hated being away from them. You want to be with them 24/7. You feel empty when you go to bed without them, when you sit on your sofa watching tv without them, when you’re cooking food without them. All kinds of things you do, without them. You wanted to move in with them. You two had been dating for about 9 months, so you didn’t really think it’s too early to ask if they wanted to move in with you.. only thing is if they want to.

When you were about to fall asleep, you came up with the best idea of how to ask them if they wanna move in with you. You’ve been thinking all night about how to ask them in a fun, romantic but small way. But now you finally got it. You got up from your bed to go get your notepad so you could write it down before you fall asleep. You were gonna make dinner at your place, invite them over obviously, and then hide a key to your apartment under their plate so when you take the plate to wash it, they’re going to find the key and wonder why it was there, and then you’re just gonna pop the question casually. Great plan.

You were just done with cooking dinner. You and Bella sat down and began to eat and casually chat. They talked about a video of a dog they saw on twitter and that they would like for you two to have a dog together someday. You just agreed simply. At one point they just stopped eating and put down their knife and fork. You looked at them confused and after a few seconds of silence they spoke out,

“Y/N.. would you like to move in with me?”

You were speechless. Damnit! You were supposed to ask them that!

As you were a bit taken aback by the question you just looked at them with your eyes big and mouth hanging open in utter silence.  Bella was the first to speak after a minute of silence.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but I didn’t know how to ask you.” They took a deep breath and spoke again, their voice now even softer than before. “I really love you, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you. I don’t like us living in two places. I want us to share everything together. Maybe even a dog someday, but what about an apartment first?”

You were still shocked, but finally said frustrated while groaning,

“Ahhh.. Bella! What the fuck!” 

They were now even more confused than you were at first. “What?”

“Look under your plate.” You said.

“Again, what? Why?” Bella looked at you, still confused, tilting their head.

“Just look under your plate.” You answered them while pointing at their plate.

Bella looked under their plate, and there it was, the key to your apartment. They looked up at you, still confused.

“I was planning to ask you the same thing tonight. It’s the key to my apartment. It doesn’t mean we have to move into my apartment, it was just a fun way of showing I want to move in with you.”

Bella’s lips grew into a precious smile, and their eyes glistened with love and happiness.

“So.. it’s a yes?”

“Yes, of course.” Your smile was as big as theirs. You both got up from your chairs and got into a hug, before you sat down again, they kissed you, looked into your eyes and said,

“I love you so damn much.”

[talaok]

Will you kiss me?

Pairing: Pedro pascal x reader

Summary: You are a famous actress who Pedro has a crush on, and he finally gets to meet you once you get both invited to The Graham Norton Show

warnings: just fluff

a/n: I had to

"What a pair we have here tonight huh?"Graham spoke enthusiastically, making the audience explode in roaring cheers and applauses.

You just smiled as you tried looking at the crowd, getting overwhelmed by the blinding lights.

"Y/n Y/l/n and Pedro Pascal, just- wow"

Other applauses filled the studio.

"Ok so let's start with you y/n, you have a show coming out next week, two oscar nominated films already out, and one more coming out next month" he took a deep breath, feigning fatigue "You must be tired, I mean, How long has it been since you slept?" he joked, making you laugh.

"well I did work a lot this past year, but it was worth it, I'm happy I got to be part of so many wonderful projects and I'm really proud of all of them, I just can't wait for people to see them"

"well I'm sure we're all gonna love them"

"I hope so, I'm always nervous about it"

"Really?" The man beside you asked, surprise clear in his tone.

Pedro Pascal,

You had heard of him before, of the boom he seemed to have made lately, but had never met him until half an hour ago, when you briefly introduced yourselves to one another.

He looked nervous, awkward even, and you didn't know if it was because of the show he was about to get on, if he just was like that, or if there was something else bothering him.

"of course, when I go to premiers I'm always looking over at how people are reacting, if they're like bored or on their phones or actually interested, it's nervewracking, don't you?"

"well of course I do" he chuckled "but I'm no one compared to you"

He had a beautiful smile, you noticed, sweet, comforting.

"oh stop it" you smacked his shoulder playfully " you're a big deal, Pedro"

He just shook his head, still smiling softly, and Graham took the opportunity to intervene.

"of course you are, I mean, Game of Thrones, Narcos," he listed " and now the Mandalorian and The last of us, I mean you're really killing it"

The crowd cheered some more at the mention of those shows.

"thank you," he said shyly, looking like he almost wanted them to stop.

"so how does it feel?" he asked, "to be on such massive hits at the same time?"

"Well, it feels... scary" he laughed, joined by the audience

"you don't like being the center of attention?" Graham asked

"oh no I do" he corrected, making you laugh "It's just frightening at times, 

but I'm having a good time y'know, it's also comforting seeing everyone I've worked with kind of be in the same position as me" he shrugged.

"People you've worked with?"

"yes, you know like Bella Ramsey, they're also- well they're young so of course, they're new to this- but, y'know, we're not used to all this attention and it feels good to have someone by your side who understands what's going on"

"of course" graham nodded "that's true, Bella is really young" he noticed "that's a thing both your shows have in common, young people," he said, "how did that feel? working with the new generation, I'm not saying you're old, but did you ever feel left out?"

"oh, all time" Pedro laughed

"yeah me too" you agreed "there were times when I was really lost but too ashamed to ask " you laughed in embarrassment

"absolutely," Pedro said, " they have a language of their own"

"right?!" you exclaimed, happy someone finally understood you.

"yes, like, there's one term that I learned recently that's really wonderful- somebody was saying - you swerve - "

You frowned

"do you know what swerving is?"

"nope" 

"I was like oh- get somebody off your scent or something like that- I don't know - confuse somebody, and they were like: no, they come in for a kiss and you swerve" he demonstrated, pretending to be avoiding a kiss on the cheek.

"Isn't that great?"

you nodded, laughing, as an idea came to you

"We should try"

His eyes widened as he turned to you 

"c'mon swerve me"

"no, I cannot swerve you!"

"c'mon it's for science"

"I can't, I can't swerve y/n Y/l/n, that's like - a crime"

"oh stop it, just do it, I wanna try it c'mon," you said, flattered

"ok fine, but just because I can't say no to you" he surrendered

"ok" you cleared your throat, preparing yourself "Oh wow, hi Pedro" you pretended to greet him, going in for a kiss.

He just smiled, as he did, eventually avoid your kiss,

his beard grazed your cheek, and the proximity to him, sparked something inside you, something quick, but likewise persistent.

As you leaned away, you noticed with amusement the flush on his cheeks and had to bite down a smile.

He fanned himself exaggeratedly "I'm blushing," he mumbled, making you chuckle, as you rested a hand on his arm, trying to soothe him.

" So how does swerving feel?" Graham asked

"it's... interesting" you glanced at him.

"It makes me feel rude" he looked at you too now, "I would never do it, it feels- it's mean"

"oh we know you wouldn't" you reassured him.

"I didn't like it" he shook his head

You smiled, tilting your head "would it make you feel better if we did it again without the swerving?"

You noticed how he seemed to have a momentary shutdown.

"yes," he said bluntly

"oh my god yes"

You laughed softly, as his mouth gaped open.

"Will you kiss me?" he almost begged, which was funny considering you had proposed it.

"Alright then, come here" you gestured, and he leaned closer, letting you press a quick kiss to his cheek.

"there" you smiled

"I think I just died"

"oh stop it, you're flattering me," you said, noticing a trace of red on his face "whoops, sorry I left a lipstick print" you went to clean it 

"no no" he stopped you 

"please leave it, I want proof this actually happened"

[cherryblossom-enthusiast]

Bloom (Joel Millerxf!reader)

A/N: Naaaah whoever decided Joel Miller should be played by Pedro Pascal did it for the people who have daddy issuesssss. Here’s something I whipped out because Pedro leaves in my mind rent free. Pleaseee give me some suggestions or prompts for things to write

I tried starting a tag-list but it literally burned in flames when I tried setting it up. Please just turn on notifications if you would like to be updated for @cherryblossom-enthusiast if you want to keep up with my writing :)

Synopsis: Joel Miller was neither friend or foe. You’ve barely talked to the man considering his reclusiveness. But you can’t stop staring and wanting. Turns out, he can’t stop staring and wanting you either. 

Warnings/ Tags: E (18+). Smut bby. Fluff, GrumpyxSunshine (Reader is a florist!), Unprotected PinV, Language, Dirty talk! Joel, Praise Kink, Rough sex, Fingering, SLIGHT spoilers

Word Count: 5.3K Words

Masterlist 

Your breath clouds your vision like a puff of white smoke.

Winter. The very word is a tragedy.

Food is harder to come by, light leaves much faster. The world is as bleak as it is and yet winter still cascades around you, turning everything black and white. A lifeless painting.

The chilly wind picks up and a shiver runs through your body.

“Y’good?”

The voice is lazy. Slow.

Warm.

Considering who it’s coming from, the level of warmth is a fucking marvel.

A hulking figure approaches your side. With a deep sigh, you turn your head and you’re met with the most tired eyes you’ve ever seen on someone. No shine, no luster, just an outpour of exhaustion from every small gesture he decides to do.

Joel fucking Miller.

You remember the first time you talked to him all too clearly.

You’d never been friends. Acquaintances even. Makes it a bit hard when the son of a bitch was as recluse as he was. They were the new residents of Jackson. Him and the girl he holds tight to his chest.

You were intimidated by him at first. Joel was all gruff words, long sighs, and blank stares. But the more you paid attention to him, the more you understood how he worked. Especially, when it came to the people he cared about. The man didn’t take shit from anyone. Nobody bothered him, and he returned the favour.

For the most part, that stayed true. Joel was the kind of person who always vied to stay invisible, be like every other person. Unaffected for the most part. But as you start to water your flowers on a clear-skied summer day, you hear him laughing.  

The richness of that laugh is still embedded into the deep recesses of your mind.

Joel wasn’t hard to understand as long as you really looked at him and boy did you stare.

You look over to his porch and there he is, “take no shit” Joel Miller with Ellie, teaching her how to play the guitar. You can’t quite remember what they were talking about. Something about “dinosaurs” and “T-rex hands”, but his adoration for the girl was so palpable, so intoxicating.

It was your first time seeing him so- loose. Like he actually gave a damn.

That’s when you knew Joel Miller would burn the world to keep that girl happy.

Ellie’s voice calling your name snaps you out of your thoughts. “How are you doing?!”

The tips of your ears burn, thinking about how weird it must have been staring at the pair for so long. “Enjoying this weather, how are you doing today Ellie?” You flash a bright smile.

She runs off the porch, practically hurling the instrument back at Joel. You hear an oof from the man behind her and you almost let out a small chuckle. Ellie stops in front of you, notebook in hand. The girl was always drawing or writing something. “It’s a great thing you came out,” she starts and pulls a pencil out from her back pocket. “I’ve been meaning to ask all about your pretty flowers.”

“Hopefully I have some answers.”

The girl babbles on about anything and everything she could think of. From what she thought were the coolest flowers, to what colours reminded her of planets. The conversation happens a while. You’d hit every single plant in your garden by the end of it. ��

Ellie points at your rose bushes with the back of her pencil. She reminds you of a reporter. All serious, wanting to get a big scoop, thirsty for any ounce of information she could get. “How about those? What are those?”

“Ah,” you move away so she can have a better view. “Those are called roses.”

“Uh-huh” She writes enthusiastically in her notebook “and what do those mean?”

“Well, each colour means a different thing, but that colour specifically-“ you point at the flowers behind you using your thumb “red roses, mean passion, affection, and-“ you pause, trying to find the proper words “things akin to love.”

Ellie stops her writing and looks up at you. Her eyebrows are creased and she looks so ridiculously cute it makes you giggle. “Basically, you’d give it to someone you reaallly reaaallly like Ells.”

“Like- Joel?”

That gets a proper laugh out of you. “Not quite.”

She doesn’t seem to be satisfied with your answer but leaves the reply alone. In true Ellie fashion, she moves on by asking another question. “What flower would I be?!”

You pretend to think about it for a moment even though you know exactly what flower you would give her. Not that you’d given that particular question much thought, but you just knew. When you find exactly what you’re looking for, you squat to quickly pluck it from the ground and turn back to Ellie. You outstretch your hand “I think I’ll give you a yellow lilly.”

“What does this one mean?”

You ponder it, letting out a hmmm and place the flower behind her ear. “Well it wouldn’t be special if I had to explain it now would it? I guess you just have to brush up on your flower language.”

Ellie lets out a whine. “But you’re the only who knows anything about plants here!”

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to bother me more.”

A wild smile blooms on her face.

“Ellie!” You turn to discover the owner of the voice behind you. Tommy Miller approaches your direction, carrying a bag of supplies and produce. “You said you’d help Maria with supper tonight!”

Ellie jumps. “Shit!” She runs towards Tommy without a single care in the world. Halfway, she calls back to you and thanks you for your time. Tommy lifts his hand to acknowledge your presence and in return you lift your hand back to wave goodbye. Before you know it, the pair disappears, Ellie eagerly asking Tommy if he knew what her new flower meant.

“She’ll be talking to everyone bout’ flowers for while.”

Shoulders tensing, you swivel your head to your side. Joel stands beside you, hands in his pockets, a small smile gracing his face.

It catches you off guard completely. In the months you had spent as his neighbour, Joel had never spoken even a mere sentence to you. There was acknowledgement, maybe a simple wave, that nod men his age do when they want to greet a passerby. But hearing him direct his words to you hits you like a wave. A tsunami of shock.

He seems to notice your plight and his once loose posture turns rigid. “Sorry,” he mumbles “I should stop botherin ya-“

You shake your head in defense. “No, no, it’s just-“ Letting the tension roll of your shoulders, you sigh out a laugh and extend your hand, introducing yourself.  He clasps it with his own and your arm goes limp. His hand is larger, the callouses hard against your skin. It should feel weird, uncomfortable even, but none of those feelings come to mind.

“Joel Miller, nice to meet you.”

Maybe you were silly for expecting more, but nothing really happens after that.

There were some conversations about small favours and errands here and there, but not to anyone’s surprise, Joel’s got more than one hard layer of rock. He’s as immovable as a mountain. You naturally went back to the role of spectator. Stupid little crush that wouldn’t go away.

How could it when he was the man that he was.

He repeats his question from earlier and it finally snaps you back to your current reality. You were in the middle of rounds during this god-forsaken weather. “Y’good?”

Joel wasn’t even supposed to be your patrol partner. You had gotten wind that your original partner caught hold of the flu and since Joel was otherwise wide open for the afternoon other than indulging other people’s requests, he took up the opportunity. The walk started off as awkward. You didn’t know what to say or how to approach him so it stayed quiet for the majority of the time, but the more you walked, the more comfortable it became. Usually, going out of Jackson’s walls still scared you. Having Joel by your side gave you a bit more re-assurance. You aren’t oblivious. Everyone knows how brutal he can become.

You shrug and look back at the vast expanse of land in front of you, overseeing from the cliff you were on. “’Just enjoying the natural splendour.”

Joel stays silent for a small while but replies. “I’d believe you more if you didn’t look like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you’d get into a ring and fight winter one-on-one”

The comment makes you scoff. “I’m tough as nails Miller.” You stare directly into his impenetrable eyes. “I’m sure I can handle a little snow.”

-------------------

Joel opens the door to a safehouse, making sure not to drop his gun until he knows for sure the area is safe. Once he’s satisfied, he leans the shotgun against the wall and motions for you to come in with a nudge of his head.

Both of you had been making record time getting back, but not even a racehorse could outrun the storm starting to brew. Halfway through your trudge back, Joel pats your shoulder, explaining that with the poor winter jackets the both of you were wearing and the wind whipping your faces, it’d be best to stop by a small cabin him and Tommy scouted a few rounds back. Not wanting to freeze to death, you obviously agreed to the idea.

It left you here.

Setting your bag down, rubbing your hands together, patiently waiting for Joel to start a fire in the hearth.

Joel.

Joel.

Alone with Joel.

He stands up from his crouching position and turns back to you. “You’re free to set-up your sleeping bag closer to the fire.”

“Oh, no- no, it’s alright.” You speak quickly. Almost too quickly. “You made the fire, I think you deserve to enjoy the fire.”

“But-“

“I insist.” You state it in a tone that says “that’s final”.

The man sighs. “Alright ma’am, whatever ya say.”

The two of you unroll your packs, splaying your sleeping bags so that your toes are towards the hearth. You take off your boots and sit on your make-shift bed. It was uncomfortable, you haven’t had to sleep on one in a while, but you’d gladly take anything over having to stay outside. Joel follows suit.

“Turns out I couldn’t handle a little snow.” You remark.

A small puff of air comes out of him. Coming from Joel, it may as well have been a full-blown laugh. You turn to take a glimpse at him and another small smile is on his lips. It’s only the second time you’ve ever seen one on him and it knocks all the air out of you just like it did the first time.

He’s distracted and that’s when you take the time to really focus on him. He looks softer in the firelight, the whites in his hair more prominent, his usual dark eyes having a glow to them. He looks less- burdened, and with that smile on his face, dare you say, despite your current situation, just the tiniest bit peaceful.

“You should do that more.” The words slip out of your mouth before you can stop them.

“What?”

“Smile.”

Like a toddler caught with the cookie jar, a crook caught in the headlights, Joel tenses and you mentally punch yourself in the face. His face goes back to the stoic front he usually puts on.

“Sorry, I was just-“ you start to apologize.

“It’s fine.”

Silence once again ensues. The air becomes as awkward as it was before.

“So-“

“What-“

You both talk at the same time.  Joel gestures to you, asking you to go first.

“I was just gonna ask what we could do to kill time.”

Joel shrugs and continues to stare at the fire. “We could always just sleep.”

“Nah c’mon-“you push “don’t be such a bore.” You ponder some more and think of an idea. “How about twenty questions?”  Your rounds partner says nothing, and you take the chance to convince him even more. “I’ve lived beside you a whole year and know nothin about you-“

“Probably for the best.”

Oh.

You understand. Of course, you do. But you can’t stop the small twinge of disappointment growing in your chest anyways.

When he makes the statement, you pull back. “Sorry, I just wanted to know more about you.” You fiddle with your nails. “Been staring at you for god knows how long and the most I’ve gathered is you like wood work.”

Joel perks up at your confession.

Dumb.

So dumb of you to admit that.

“You’re right, it’s better if we just go to-“

“No, let’s play.”

His sudden change of attitude to your idea throws you in for a loop. “Really? You sure?”

“That your first question you’re wastin’ darlin’?”

Your already tired brain short circuits at the nickname. “What?” No- I-“

The man has an amused look plastered all over his face. “Okay, well- shoot then.”

You think up of something stupid on the spot. “Favourite movie?”

“None. Got too many.” He answers.

“What? Well that’s not-“

“My turn.” He cuts you off once more. “Favourite flower?”

It doesn’t even take you a second to respond. “Oh easy, the lotus flower.” You ponder your next question. “One thing you don’t like?”

“Smiling.”

That gets a genuine chuckle out of you.

“Your thoughts on coffee?” He continues.

Your nose wrinkles “Bitter garbage.”

He puts his hands up to surrender. “I respect wrong answers.”

“Pet Peeve?”

He looks up at the ceiling and takes a moment to really think about it. “When I have nothing good to trade for coffee.”  He takes another few seconds to think of another good question before he hits the lottery. “Why don’t you like winter so much?”

A loaded and good question indeed.

You shrug. “Cause.”

You get an eyebrow raise. “Cause?”

“Cause I don’t know-“ You go back to picking at your nails. It’s become a habit, doing it every time you’re nervous. “The world already looks dead and winter comes along and makes it even more dead.”

“That why you like flowers so much?”

It was your turn to raise an eyebrow. “You’re not even letting me ask a question before you ask me another one?”

This flusters him. “No, I just-“

Embarrassed Joel Miller. Never thought you’d get to check that off your bingo card.

A wide smile breaks on your lips. “ I’m just kidding, Joel.” He lets out a sort of grumble and it makes you smile even wider. “That’s a part of it sure.” Your eyes haze over as you start to remember life as it once was. “My folks were florists” you start to explain “before all this shit went down.” It was a small shop, with wide glass windows, and plants of every kind. “Hated it. Didn’t want anything to do with em’ especially my father, some dumb teenage kid who thought it was embarrassing.” You scoff. “But taking care of plants was the only thing I was good at, held it to my chest like a life-line.”

Memories play in front of you like an old film. Sometimes you forget that there was something before all of this.

All this carnage.

All this wreck.

“Before my dad died, not to this, thank god, he kept on trying to take care of the shop.” You recall his pale ill-stricken face and frail hands.  “I got mad, made a fuss, yelled why he’d take care of some dumb flowers but not himself, and you know what he said?”

You remember his words, as clear as crystal, even twenty years later.

“Isn’t it a wonderful thing that these flowers still grow? Despite all the noise and all the chaos, something as beautiful and as frail as this is surviving. When I think of the way I’m helping that, I can’t possibly suffer.”

Joel stays silent at your admission.

You notice that you may have gone a little overboard.

Jesus- dump it all on him why don’t you?

Trying to make the mood lighter, you quickly change the subject. “Besides, when it’s summer, Ellie visits me more.” Joel Miller chuckles at the mention of the girl. You decide then it’s definitely one of your favourite sounds. “I like seeing the two of you together.”

“Hm?”

“You both always seem so lost in your own world. Nice to see, considering you got that grumpy scowl on all the time.”

“That right?”

“Uh-huh.”

He slowly nods, gazing back at the fire. “Some of us aren’t monsters and smile 24/7 like you do.”

You’re offended by the comment. “Wha- I do not!” You exclaim. “What’s wrong with smiling anyways?”

Even more chuckling. He’s getting real comfortable with doing that. “Nothing, when it comes to you anyways” he remedies “But you do it all the time, watering people’s yards, baking them an apple pie, hell, I’m pretty sure you laughed when you slipped on ice this morning. You got your emotions all over your face you know that? Infects all of Jackson.” He takes a slight pause. “Reminds me of Ellie.”

“Oh god, you saw that this morning?”

“Oh yeah,” He teases, words elongated in that Southern drawl. “Mitts flying into the air and everything.”

Your face practically feels like an oven. “How do you even know about all of that?”

Joel shrugs. “Cause.”

“Cause?”

“Maybe you haven’t been the only one staring for god knows how long.”

Time stops.

Suddenly, air doesn’t matter, heat doesn’t even come close to existing. A supernova could happen, and you’d sit here just as shell-shocked. Nothing matters other than Joel.

Joel and his stupid accent.

Joel and what he just said with that stupid accent.

You swallow thickly and bless your heart, you don’t know what comes over you, but you take a chance to keep pushing. “You think I’m gonna “infect you” with tons of smiles soon too, cowboy?”

He doesn’t reply all to quickly, and for those couple of seconds where all you can here is the fire crackle and the wind whipping outside, it feels like a brick ton is laid upon your shoulders.

“Maybe you already have.”

Goddamn.

All the stolen glances you’ve taken of him flashes in your mind.

“Joel,” you mutter. The man beside you continues to stare at the fire, refusing to make eye contact with you. “Joel.” You repeat, more firm with your tone.

He finally decides to look in your direction and God- your heart pounds so hard, you think it might just come out of your chest. Those eyes. Those damn coffee-coloured eyes of his that usually looks so cold, so despondent are the warmest colour of molten chocolate you’ve ever seen. You can tell he’s clenching his jaw and the view almost knocks you out cold.

With a shaky breath, you start to messily list all the things you’ve always wanted to say. “Tell me now if I’m taking this the wrong way so I don’t keep embarrassing myself, but I swear to everything I hold sacred, if I don’t kiss you right now, I’m going to have a very frustrating ni-“

A growl from Joel cuts you off and before you know it, he’s crossing oceans to get to you. A strong hand grips you by the neck, and firm lips plant themselves squarely on yours.

It’s pathetic how fast you keen under his touch, how fast you grab the collar of his shirt to draw him closer to you. You open your mouth to moan and he takes that chance to slip his tongue inside of your mouth. It’s dizzying, downright intoxicating the way Joel kisses you. The way you’re kissing each other is every look, every stare, every word that was ever left unsaid between the both of you that’s exploding into something cosmic.

You lift yourself up and straddle his lap. You press down and feel the growing hardness in Joel’s jeans. He groans into your mouth and you continue to press your hips down farther.

Joel stops kissing you. A needy whine escapes your lips. “Are you sure you want this darlin’?”

Your panting is heady. “Joel if you don’t fuck me right now, I’ll have the liberty of fucking myself with my fing-“

You know you sound downright hopeless, but you’ve been wanting for so damn long.

He flips you down onto the sleeping bags so fast, you don’t even have time to finish. He rucks up your shirt and starts to pepper small kisses from the center of your breasts, down to your stomach. It makes you whimper as you continue to finish taking of your top.

Joel gets to quickly unbuttoning the rest of your clothes, peeling the jeans off of your body until all you have on is your bra and panties. He hovers over you and takes off his own shirt. He’s all muscle and hard chest. The mere sight of him shirtless drenches your underwear faster. He takes a few seconds to peer at your half-naked form. “Damn, you’re a sight.”

“So are you.” You admit in a small voice.

He wastes no time, delving back in between your legs. He slides down your underwear and immediately ghosts his fingers over your cunt. Shivers run down your body as your eyes close in bliss.

“You imagine it was my fingers?” His dark voice pulls you back.

“Ever since I first set my eyes on you Miller.” You heatedly reply.

“Great,” he pushes two fingers inside you making you boom a moan towards the ceiling. “Been thinking it was your fingers around my cock too.

He works into you, his fingers large and stocky. Joel starts off slow, languid, making sure to tease every reaction out of you. You don’t think it’s possible to get wetter than you already are, but every thrust of his fingers proves you wrong. He curls both at the same time, and your hips immediately lift from the pressure. Joel pushes you down with his other hand. “Na-ah darlin’,” That southern drawl of his is deeper, lazier than usual “I finally got you where I want you, you’re not going anywhere.”

As he keeps your hips down with his palm, Joel increases the speed of his fingers. “Why didn’t-“ you choke “you do anything earlier then?”

A mocking scoff leaves him. “You’re too good for me, doll. Got too many issues. “

“Then why now?”

“Because I’m still a selfish fucking asshole.” He groans, rotating his thumb around your clit. “And when you sit in front of me, all flushed and pretty, asking me to fuck you, how could I possibly have the strength to say no?”

You see Joel spit on your slit and it’s what does it for you. A rush of electricity passes through your body and it renders you senseless. You mewl and twist in his hold, but Joel makes sure to hold you through your orgasm.

Your mind is hazy, it turns into a mixture of fog and smoke, but your refuse to leave him hanging. After a few seconds, you prop yourself up and kneel right in front of him. Not breaking eye contact for even a moment, you take your hand and start to palm his length over his jeans. He trembles beneath you, jaw clenching as he lets out a groan. You slowly unbuckle his belt, pulling down the rest of his clothing and waste no time finally gripping him directly.

Shit, you knew a man like him would be big, but this is-

The sound that comes from Joel’s throat is devastating. Somewhere between pant and moan, losing total control. He thumps his head on your shoulder, seeking out the crook of your neck. You continue to work his cock, building up speed, tightening your grip. His tip leaks pre-cum and the way he bunches up your hair desperately, like he needs to hold onto something to keep from losing control only prompts you to keep going. The feeling of power is addicting. “Don’t mess with me” Joel Miller keening under your touch.

He suddenly pulls your hair and it’s enough of a shock to make you stop your hand and whine. “I know you’re having fun doll, but you keep doing that and I’ll finish. Waited too damn long for that to happen.” He grabs you by the hips and flips you over making you let out a small yelp. He positions you so that your ass is towards him. “Bend.” He orders.

So you do.

He palms your ass and gives it a spank. “Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to touch this? Flaunting it around-“ He squeezes “shoving it in my direction, wearing those pretty dresses of yours.”

“Ever think it was on purpose?”

There’s another slap to your ass to respond to your comment.

He lines up his cock to your entrance, gliding his tip to coat it in your wetness. You quiver, breath hitching, skin prickling.

“If I fuck you, there’s no going back for me darlin’, if you want me to stop you have to tell me right now.”

You groan in frustration. “Fuck me Joel, please just-“

He buries his full length into you all in one thrust.

You think you’re ascending to heaven, knocking on the pearly white gates itself. He gives you a couple of seconds to get accustomed to his massive size. “You okay?”

“Mmhm?” Is all you can make out, trying to nod your head that’s pressed up against your sleeping bag.

“Good,” he starts to move as you cry out in pleasure. “Tell me to stop and I will, but otherwise-“ He shoves himself even deeper. “I’m not holdin’ back.”

Joel sets up a brutal pace from the beginning. He grips your ass tight, making sure you’re taking everything he has to give and all you can do is let him. There’s nowhere for you to go as he drives his hips into you, fully filling you up with every fast snap of his hips. To say it’s overwhelming would be a complete understatement.

Are you sure this is the same Joel Miller? Cool, calm, composed Joel Miller that has everyone quaking in their boots the minute he holds a knife or a gun. Because right now, he’s so undone. There’s no pattern to the way he moves in you, no finesse, just pure want.

He places his hand that was on your ass to your scalp. He pulls you up using your hair and once you’re flush against his back, he grasps your neck, continuing his unrelenting tempo to your pussy. You tighten around him.

“You like that huh?” He comments in an amused tone. “Who knew the town sweetheart was so fucking naughty like this.” You want to try and come up with a witty response, but all that comes out is a garbled moan. “Actually, don’t tell me. I’d kill anybody who does know.”

His thumb raises to your lips and you take the liberties of sucking it into your mouth. His hold on your neck slackens and the sudden rush of oxygen to your head has you teetering on the edge of consciousness. He takes his arm that’s around your stomach and travels it down further to your swollen cunt. Joel starts to roll your clit between his fingers and you think you’ll really black-out then.

“God, such a good girl, even when taking cock.” He whispers into your ear. You clench around him even harder this time and he knows you’re close. “You gonna come doll? Gonna come on my cock?”

A needy whine escapes your throat. Each roll, each rut, each jerk, grows more intense as each second passes. “C’mon,” he coaxes “do it.” With one last pinch to your sensitive clit, your muscles tighten and heat spreads across your skin. Your walls flutter and as your eyes roll back, vision blurring, you are hurled into your climax. With a choked sob, you slump forwards and the only thing helping you stay up is Joel’s hold. He follows you shortly after, sputtering your name on his lips. Pulling out quickly, he comes on your back.

Joel slowly lowers down the both of you, making sure not to crush you with his weight from behind. It was so gentle, so benign you struggled to relate it to the man furiously fucking you just a few moments earlier. Nothing but your pants fill the air for a while. You’re sticky all over, sweat and come coating your skin. Your body was buzzing from both pain and pleasure, but you couldn’t care less.

You roll your body so you can look at him. Joel’s face was and wasn’t everything you expected it to look like. You expect the flush, the hair sticking to his forehead, the clench of his jaw. What you don’t expect is the softness in his usual impenetrable gaze.

“I’m sorry.” He grumbles.

Your eyebrows knit and you place a palm against his cheek. Joel all but melts into your touch. “What for?”

“For wanting you this much.”

Taking both your arms, you wrap them around his neck and pull him towards you. He lays against you, hie ear right beside your mouth. “Thank you.” You whisper.

“What for?

“Wanting me this much.”

You hear his sharp intake of air and smile. You continue to pet his hair, peppering small kisses on his forehead. “I want you too, Joel.”

“You shouldn’t.”  He mutters a tired reply.

“But I do.” You take a deep breath and let him know all your thoughts. “I want all your grumpy stares, and your grunted words- You pause to give him another kiss “Your silent kindness, and that rare smile of yours.” Joel doesn’t say anything back so you continue to talk. “All of it. Will you let me have all of it?”

He pulls himself back, just enough to gaze back at you, full of admiration. “Just let me have all of you too.”

The beating of your heart doesn’t speed, doesn’t flutter past the finish line, instead opting for a slow steady pace, But the feeling in your chest was so heavy, so full, that you couldn’t mistake it for anything other than devotion. You grin from ear to ear. “Who would be able to say no at getting a chance to annoy you with more conversation.”

He lifts an eyebrow, and it only makes your heart fill up with even more with adoration.

This man that you’ve been pining for, holding you close here. Now.

You don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Hell, you don’t know what will happen a few seconds from now, how this whole unpolished attraction between the two of you will buff out. The wind is still howling outside, whipping away at all the destruction and the carnage happening around you, but for now the world is still. The both of you are inside this cabin in the woods and for now, you don’t think, don’t plan, only exist and it is everything.

Maybe later you can hope that in this winter, something beautiful and strong can grow too.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It’s late in the evening when you finally get to relax the next day. Once the both of you had returned to Jackson, there were too many errands that had to be rushed in the time that you missed. Nothing else could be said other then a quick farewell between each other.

As you drag your exhausted body up the stairs of your porch, you almost don’t notice the flower in front of your doorstep, nearly stepping on it.

A wave of warmth comes rushing up from your toes.

You beam as you crouch and pick up a singular red rose attached with a note that says “Come over. We didn’t finish our game of twenty questions.”

- - - - - - - -

Want More?

[chappellroansdreamgirl]

officer!els<3

author's note - meow i love this woman.

content warnings - black!coded!reader ig????, fluff, els i love u ellie williams pls handcuff me to ur bed and police-brutalize me! , text msgs from reader that are very me-coded! , mostly just based off every grumpy but cool cop i've seen in media, lots of notes from me i'm going insane I NEED HER!!!!! , there's a white man in a pic i put... you have been warned, smut/suggestive shit at the end!

-------------------------------------------------------

- def wanted to be a cop when she was a kid and then was a total fucking juvenile as a teen. (duh!)

- always loved the police officers who barely ever gave troubled kids a hard time. (this is coming from a troubled kid. acab all the way except for u guys. well, still acab, but y'all r cool!) would refuse to talk to anyone except her favorites. i fully believe that's one of the reasons she would go into this workforce.

- when she got approved to start training to be a cop, u were home with her favorite strand of weed and she gave u a look like, "🤨🤨" , "can't be doing that no more baby, i'm gonna be a cop." , "...stfu and take the first hit before you piss me off..." , she's wearing a SHIT-eating grin before she takes it. (don't ask me how she passes her drug-tests!) (probably gets jesse to do it or someone idk maybe joel if she's lucky!) (def not joel...)

- ADDING ONTO THIS!^^ : every single time you smoke when she can't she'll look so sad or just side-eye tf out of you... "really?" , "what do you want me to do ellie..." u stopped smoking around her when she couldn't...

- this woman is so intimidating but once those cop dogs come on the scene she's so cute<3 . she's so smiley and happy they love her AND SHE LOVES THEM. she definitely sent u a picture of her with the group of the babies and was like, "can we adopt them all pls i love them ):" . you guys adopted a rescue pup shortly after...

- whenever you're doing ANYTHING EVER she flashes her badge at you and says something so loser of her , "don't make me handcuff you..." or makes finger guns with the sounds and GOD I LOVE THIS WOMAN.

- speaking of badges, she always has her badge on her. ALWAYS. it is EMBARRASSING!

- when she got her first arrest she was so happy:3 . i FEEL like she took a picture with the fucker and everything and she looked so proud of herself. "good job baby now pls get to the station before that mf breaks out of those handcuffs he looks like he's gonna murder u..."

- this is a headcannon of mine (and canon so why am i saying hc maybe it's just bcs it's more in-depth in my head.) but she loves kids and whenever she sees a younger person at the station, she makes sure that they're ok and have everything they need.

- with that being said, she HATES the teens who don't have a valid reason to be such delinquents. lovable delinquents are her soft-spot but those... THOSE ONES😧.

- definitely is a kitten-saver-cop. hates getting the call but she responds every time.

- sends u this pic anytime u say something mildly threatening to her in text msgs:

suggestive/NSFW!

-------------------------------------------------------

- the day she got her uniform, you wanted to jump her bones. she came back home, poor girl was so tired and all you could think about is how good she looked in that shit.

- like i said... the badge is with her at all times... maybe this is too feral but i feel like she put IT in ur mouth and took a polaroid of it after u were done eating her out or SSAAAWWWWMMMMTHHHIIIIING. (pls let me wear ur badge baby i'm on my knees BEGGING YOU!)

- definitely joked about role-playing jailer/jailed and then it wasn't a joke anymore. y'all tried it once and couldn't stop laughing.

- has definitely used her handcuffs on u or vice versa. she gets so excited when u pull that shit out.

- ggggg...g-g-gu-....gggggggggguuuunnn ki-

- definitely has fucked u in the uniform. u two probs have had a quickie in the station bathroom on multiple occasions.

bonus round - police!els edit<3 :

[oscarisaacsspit]

[insxghtt]

hot knife — ellie williams x reader

if Ellie is butter, then you're a hot knife.

warnings: fluff, lots of cursing (it's ellie), lesbians being really really gayyyy, ellie and reader are 18

based on a request. y'all needed it, i needed it, we all need this.

You were angry. Well, not angry like when someone tells you something you don’t really want to hear, or when someone messes with someone you deeply care about, or even when someone is trying to tell you what to do. No, this was a different type of angry. Something you have never felt before. 

It was like when you have a dog and this dog that you love so much only cares about someone else. Shit, you’re the one feeding it, you’re the one who covers that ungrateful dog with a blanket when it’s snowing outside, you’re the one who loves and would do anything to protect that dog when someone tries to hurt it, or kidnap it, or some shit like that. 

Of course, Ellie was not a dog. It’s not like you were comparing her to one, no. That would be just superficial and kind of mean, honestly. You cared about Ellie more than you would care about a dog. Also, Ellie was so much better than that. She was perfect. Every detail of her was just beautiful to you. You weren’t angry at her. You were angry at yourself for feeling like you were invisible every time she looked at her. 

Dina. 

Why did Ellie had to pay attention to every word she said? Why did she seem so happy when Dina talked to her? Most importantly, why did you care so much? It’s not like Ellie was your girlfriend. She was your best friend. Wasn’t it enough? 

Apparently, no, considering how shitty you felt when you saw Dina and Ellie laughing in the park while playing with snowballs. That morning, you were supposed to meet with her. You two made plans to have lunch together. Well, you didn’t plan that, but it became kind of a routine, so you though she would be waiting for you in front of your house like she always did. 

Ellie didn’t like to take care of herself. She was used to skip some meals and you were quick to notice it. Of course you would notice it, you were always looking at her. Since the day she arrived at Jackson for the first time. 

She was only fourteen then, but fourteen years were enough to make her tougher than the other kids. Tougher than you. You were more innocent than her then and that made it difficult for you two to connect. Yet somehow, you were able to sneak into her life. ‘If you are butter, I can be the hot knife’, you told her one time. That was the first time she laughed in front of you. Since that moment, you made it your goal to put a smile on her face at least once every single day. She deserved it. 

It hurt like hell when you realized you were not the only one doing it anymore. Dina was pretty, smart, confident. They made a good match if you look at it from any other point of view that it’s not yours. 

“You’re staring”, a voice next to you brough you back to earth. You didn’t have to look to know that it was Jesse. 

“You too.” 

“Do you think they’re like...”, he made a pause, obviously uncomfortable with the use of the word. “Lesbians... or something?” 

You raised your eyebrows and looked at him. “Is there a problem if they were?” 

“Well, I... No, it’s just that I...”, he stuttered. 

“You are unbelievable”, you sighed. 

“Hey!”, Ellie yelled when she saw you. “You!” 

She ran to you with a big smile in her face. For a second, you even forgot about that awful feeling. 

“I knocked at your door, but I guess you weren’t there anymore”, she stopped in front of you. Her cheeks were pink because of the cold. “Me and Dina went to sleep late yesterday, so I woke up late, and... you know.” 

Yes, of course, last night. When Dina and Ellie talked for hours and hours at the stable and you just decided to leave because it was just too much for you to handle. 

It was kind of funny how Jesse gulped when he heard Ellie saying that she and Dina were alone for hours. It obvious how much he liked Dina, but she didn’t seem to realize. 

“What were you two doing last night?”, Jesse asked. 

“They were doing drugs and making out, Jesse, that’s what they were doing.”, you said sarcastically. 

“Really?” 

“Oh my God...”, you rolled your eyes. 

“We were talking”, Dina explained to him while she was getting closer. 

He laughed nervously and nodded.  

“I’m sorry I made you wait”, Ellie said to you. 

“It’s fine.” 

You just shrugged and turned away, now heading to the bar where you usually had your lunch. Ellie looked at Dina without really knowing what to do. You didn’t sound fine. Dina gestured for her to follow you and that was what she did. 

You entered the bar with her. It was weird how distant you were, but she tried her best to stay positive. You saw Seth from far away and gave him a signal. He already knew you and Ellie pretty well. He didn’t exactly like you, but he liked Maria, Maria liked you and you liked Ellie. That meant free lunch every day. 

When you sat at one of the tables to wait for the food, she sat in front of you. 

“Listen, I found this movie in one of the patrols and I...” 

“That’s nice”, you interrupted her, staring at your hands. 

“Okay...”, she nodded. You were not interested in the movie. Alright. “So, I was thinking we could...” 

“Did you and Dina have fun last night?” 

She opened her mouth to answer, but Seth called your name before she could say anything. You stood up and walked to the man behind the counter. 

“Thank you, Seth”, you said before taking the two sandwiches. 

The man responded with a mumble. You didn’t look at Ellie when you gave her one of the sandwiches, but she still followed you when you walked out of the bar. 

“Can you slow down a bit?”, Ellie asked. 

It didn’t really make a difference. It took her a few seconds to realize where you were going. Your home. Something was off. You two usually had lunch in the park. When it was too cold, you went to her place because it was closer. 

When you finally arrived at your house, you didn’t ask her to come in. No, you entered the door and closed it behind you. Okay, that was just too much. 

“Hey, what the fuck is wrong with you?” 

“Oh, so now you care!”, you yelled too from inside the house. 

“What?”, she tried to open the door, but it was locked. “Did you just lock me outside your house?” 

There was silence for a few seconds. “No...” 

“The door seems pretty fucking locked to me!” 

You were being childish, and you knew it. With a sigh, you left the sandwich on the corner table and opened the door. Ellie stared at you, but she didn’t seem angry. No, she seemed... hurt? 

“Are you mad at me because I woke up late?” 

“Oh, fuck you! It’s not about that!” 

“Alright, then what is it?”, she crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. 

You had no other option but to just deny it. 

“It’s nothing.” 

“Really? You think I'm gonna buy that?” 

“I don’t need you to, it’s the truth”, you shrugged. 

“So, you just ignored me and locked me out of your house for nothing?” 

“Maybe I didn’t see you.” 

“You did see me.” 

“Maybe it was the wind.” 

“The wind can lock doors now?” 

You really had no arguments, huh? 

“Maybe.” 

“Stop...”, she whispered. “Come on, let me in? It’s cold.” 

You sighed and gave her space to enter you house. When you closed the door, the silence filled the room. Ellie took the backpack off her back and looked for something in one of the pockets. You watched in silence as she took a VHS film and showed it to you. 

“This is what I was telling you about...” 

“Who the fuck is Donnie Darko?”, you read the name. 

“I was hoping to find out.” 

Why did she had to look at you like that? 

“Well, I think Dina will love it.” 

“Dina? Why would I...”, she seemed confused for a moment, but then it hit her. “Wait, are you jealous of me and Dina?” 

Jealous. Was that the word? 

“Fuck, no!” 

“Oh, my fucking God, you’re jealous!” 

“No, I'm not!”, you could feel your cheeks burning right now. “Why would I be jealous of you two?” 

“I don’t know, maybe you have a thing for her...” 

“I do not have a thing for her.” 

“You have a thing for someone then?” 

Her confusion was making you dizzy. You sighed and sat on the couch of the living room. 

“Okay...”, she was still trying to absorb that information. She felt weird trying to picture you with someone else. “Who is it then?” 

“Shut up, I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

“I think we are already talking about it, so...”, she looked at you. “It’s okay. You can tell me, you know?” 

“No, I can’t.” 

“Why?” 

“Because I can’t lie to you, Ellie.” 

“But you don’t have to lie... right?”, she said, and you finally looked at her with tears in your eyes. “Oh...” 

You didn’t have to say anything, it was too obvious. You were in love with her. The tears started to roll down your cheeks, and you didn’t try to stop them. It was done, you couldn’t go back in time. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Ellie was staring at the floor. Her silence was terrifying to you. What if she never talks to you again? All your worries were soon replaced by confusion when she let out a laugh. 

“You know what’s funny?”, she smiled and looked at you. “I spent a week with this movie in my backpack, scared that if I invited you to watch it with me you would realize I was asking you on a date.” 

She left the VHS tape in the center table. 

“And I really spent hours yesterday talking to Dina, describing to her everything I feel when you’re around, asking her if it would be too bad if I really did ask you on a date.” 

The way you looked at her made her heart melt. It was almost as if you were begging for that to be true. 

“So, is that what this is?”, you pointed to the VHS tape. 

“I mean, if you’d like that, then I guess it is”, she looked down, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. 

You nodded and stood up. 

“I do like that.” 

She stepped your way, your faces closer than ever. “Okay, then it’s a date.” 

You gave her a shy smile and paid attention to every single detail of her. Eyes, nose, lips. 

“It’s a date”, you whispered before leaving a soft kiss on her lips. 

[rrickgrrimes8]

Ho, can i just day i love your works! May i request an ellie x miller reader where maybe ellie and the reader get into an argument on the way to jackson and reader is giving ellie the silent treatment. Joel tried to help then resolve it but it doesnt work until they get ambushed by clickers and reader gets lost for a few days or sum. Then ellie and reader make up and kiss!!! Pretty pls

Never Again

summary: what makes a better lovestory than jealousy, clickers and mourning?

Ellie Williams x miller!reader (aged up) — she/her reader. Joel Miller x daughter!reader

warnings: infected, angst, fluff, making out, fluff, arguments, Dina, minor injury, happy ending

masterlist

request guidelines (new)

requests are open

thanks for the request! hope this was what you wanted! ;)

word count: 1.3k

You didn’t know how you even got here.

A small fire dwindled in front of you. Your arms wrapped around your chest, sinking into the feeling your own comfort gave you.

How did this happen?

You were just with them, with Ellie and now this… Now you were on your own, again. You wished you could take it back and you were sure, wherever Ellie was, she would agree too.

How could you let this happen?

“You’re not listening to a word I say,” You hissed, trekking, and struggling up a long flight of stairs.

Joel rolled his eyes, a little further up then the two of you for once – the wish to escape this situation outweighing the ache in his knees.

Ellie scoffed, “I listen! I am listening! You’re not even telling me what I did wrong!”

“Christ, Ellie, that’s the problem,” You huffed, turning to face her, “You don’t understand why I’m upset with you.”

The girl’s eyes soften, frowning when she saw your tears, “Tell me then.”

You shook your head, biting your lip, “You flinched, Ellie.”

“What?” She almost laughed.

Joel looked back at this point, stopping to catch his breath but instead getting a front row view of your argument. “Back in Jackson… you and Dina were talking. I came up to you. I held your hand and you fucking flinch.”

“So?” She rolled her eyes, “What does that even matter?”

“It matters b-because of her,” You spat, “Its always her, Ellie.”

Ellie huffed a laugh, shooting a look at Joel, who was not impressed, “Can you believe this? She’s fucking jealous.”

“Ellie,” He warned.

“I’m not jealous, Ellie,” You defended weakly, “I shouldn’t have to be! You’re my girlfriend, not D-Dina’s.”

“I know!” She yelled, patient growing thin, “I know! Christ…”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” You suppressed your tears.

“Get what?” She chortled, “That you’re jealous? And acting ridiculous?”

“Ridiculous?” You repeated, “You think I’m being ridiculous?”

“Yes!” Her eyes blew wide, hands emphasizing her anger.

You gulped, “Maybe if I’m being so ‘ridiculous’ you can got stay with Dina when we get back. What about that, huh? How’s that for ridiculous?”

“What?” She glanced at Joel again, this time more for help than out of amusement, “That’s not what I want.”

“Oh really?” You ignored your father, who warned you to stop, “Because that sounds like exactly what you want! You fucking flinched, Ellie!”

“So what?” She screamed, hands running over her tied back hair.

“So what?!” You exasperated, “You’re my girlfriend and all I can think about is how you want to be hers. And I mean why wouldn’t you want to be… I’m fucked. And don’t deny it, Ellie, I know, my dad knows. And one day, sooner or later you’re going to know. And you’ll end up with her... It will always be her…”

Ellie sucked in a harsh breath; you name falling from her cracked lips.

“Leave it,” You mumbled, pushing passed your dad, who watched you carefully and with concern, “Let’s just get on with it.”

Joel cursed as you stormed ahead of them, turning to Ellie with a scolding look, “Fix it.”

 Ellie nodded, shakily, guilt forming in her gut, “How?”

But Joel didn’t have time to respond. Your scream echoed down the stairwell. The pair yelled your name but all they were met with was infected, clickers, dozens, and dozens of them. They lost sight of you entirely – fearing the worst.

The rest was a blur, you thought. You couldn’t remember how many you killed or how you got out of the building, how you even survived. But you ended up here, uninjured, cold, and alone.

You cursed yourself. Because it was your fault. You picked the fight. You let your jealousy get the better of you. You ran ahead.

And now Ellie and your dad, well, they could be anywhere.

That was the scariest feeling in the whole world.

x

“She’s not here.” Tommy’s words echoed around Ellies mind.

Her and Joel, somehow, had gotten back her in one piece. Maybe because they had tricked themselves into thinking you would’ve beaten them back – that fueling their energy. But you hadn’t.

“She’s not here.”

Joel’s face switched. His eyes felt so far away. Unshed tears lining them. He looked at Ellie as if she was a stranger. Like it was her fault.

Ellie broke down straight away. She wanted to feel embarrassed about it, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be.

You weren’t here. You weren’t home. You weren’t anywhere.

Joel refused to leave the wall. He told them that they didn’t know anything, that they didn’t know you. That you would be back, you always did. You were Joel Miller’s girl after all.

Ellie locked herself into the room you shared. She hugged your pillow to her chest, her aching burning chest.

This wasn’t right.

First her mom.

Then Riley.

Then Tess.

Sam.

Henry.

Not you. Never you.

This couldn’t be how she lost you. You had been through too much for it just to amount to this. For it to amount to nothing.

She couldn’t stop crying. She feared she never would.

All she needed was you.

x

It took you three days to get back to Jackson. The weather, the infected and a hurt ankle that you had gotten on the way slowed you down tremendously.

You almost cried as you saw the gates. You picked up your speed, sprinting back home now, neglecting your limp.

A horse met you halfway. Joel cried when he saw you, alive. He knew it. He goddamn knew it.

He had never moved so fast in his life. He dismounted the horse and sprinted the short distance to you.

“Babygirl,” He pulled you into his chest, holding you like a porcelain doll.

“Dad,” You beamed, wrapping your arms around him.

“I knew it, baby, I knew you’d make it back,” Joel told you.

You nodded against him, tiredly.

“You okay?”

You pulled away from him, “Fine, jus’ my ankle.” He stared down at it, blood soaking through a makeshift bandage you had tied.

“It’s not-“

“No,” You calmed him, “Snagged it on some barbed wire – wasn’t looking where I was going.”

He nodded, taking in your features, your everything and pressed a kiss against your forehead, “C’mon… someone owes you an apology.”

You chuckled, accepting his help getting on the horse, “She okay?”

He scoffed, “Without you, no.”

Yours and Ellies door was closed when you got back home. You never thought it would look so daunting, until now. A closed door with you on the other side, with Ellie feeling so far away.

You slowed your breathing, limping until you were face-to-face with it. A sighed escaped your lips as you shakily knocked. No movement, no noise. Complete silence.

You frowned, knocking again, harder. You were met with the same.

Your hand found its way to the handle, hating how grating the noise it made was.

Ellie was motionless on the bed. Her body was molded around your pillow, tear stains becoming at once its new style. “E-Ellie,” You breathed out.

She jumped, head shooting up in your direction. Ellie cried out your name, urging you to rush to her. Her arms abandoned your pillow and made their home back on your body, on your skin.

“I’m sorry, fuck I’m sorry,” She sobbed, grip tightening, “I love you. I’m sorry.”

You smiled, kissing her shaking hands sweetly, “Its okay, Ellie. I’m sorry too.”

She shook her head, pulling you closer, as if that was possible, “You were gone.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I heard your scream,” She croaked, “I thought… not you. Not you…”

“I’m here,” You whispered, kissing up her neck, “I’m here, baby.” Ellie nodded at your words, accepting your love graciously.

Kissing along her jaw, you finally found her lips. They moved in sync, performing a dance you both knew well but at the same time the tone was different.

Ellie was more desperate. Angrier. Sadder.

You kissed her, nevertheless. Hoping to fight away those feelings.

Ellie smiled against your lips, pulling apart hesitantly. “Never go again,” She whispered, forehead falling against you, “I couldn’t bear it.”

“Never,” You told her, “Never again.”  

[guacala]

Bella ramsey x reader and the reader like leaves hickies on bella without them realizing and bella goes to set/ an interview with it and Pedro makes fun of them

hickeys, bella ramsey

masterlist pairing: bella ramsey x fem!reader summary: you leave hickeys on bella and when she shows up to an interview with them, pedro makes fun of them word count: 1k warnings: suggestive themes (reference to previous smut), language, pedro annoying bella, but mostly a lot of fluff a/n: bellie and pedge have my whole heart. i used she/her pronouns for the reader since you didn’t specify which you preferred, lmk if you want me to change it. also, im sorry it took so long (writer's block is a bitch) and if it seems like it’s on crack, its probably cause i was listening to queen shaki and lana del ray while writing this… <3

you wake up to the morning light, a lazy smile making its way on your face as you roll over to see Bella choosing out some rings from your small jewelry box.

“good morning sleepy,” they say, looking over at you with a smile as you get up to sit criss-cross applesauce on the edge of your shared bed.

“g’morin’,” you say, eyes still half closed and reaching out towards Bella.

they walk into your arms, their own wrapping around you.

“you sleep well?” they ask, pressing a kiss to your forehead, knowing how much morning breath kisses bothered you.

you nod against them, leaning further into their touch, “you?”

“mhm,” they hum in agreement, pulling away from you to finish getting ready.

you take in the outfit that they had chosen for their day full of interviews, starting from the black jeans that fit them way too well, up to the black and white button-up with green accents, which was technically yours.

“pretty,” you say, sleep still clear in your voice as you slightly drag on the e.

“thank you, babe,” they say, and your eyes trail up to their face to see their smile grow, but something else catches your eyes and makes you do a double take.

“um, Bells?” you say, awake now, with wide eyes, and you can feel your face getting hot.

“yeah?” they say in response.

“um…” you start to say, but words escape you.

“what's wrong?” they ask as they take in your embarrassed state.

“your- um- well- i- just come here,” you say, getting up and walking over to the bathroom as they follow you, concern clearly written on their face.

“what is it?” they ask, and you simply point at the mirror, watching their face, carefully, as they look at where you're pointing.

their eyes widen, and their jaw drops in amusement as they take in the trail of purple and red marks starting at their neck and going down under the shirt.

they start to laugh, and you hide your face in your hands.

“i’m sorry, i-” you start to apologize before Bella cuts you off.

“no, don’t say sorry, i should be the one apologizing, yours are way worse,” they say with a soft but teasing smile as you finally take your face out of your hands to look at yourself in the mirror.

you take in the matching marks left by Bella all over your neck, and when you pull the neck of your hoodie down slightly, you see more marks littered all over your collarbone. you bring your other hand up to gently trace over them.

“gorgeous, gorgeous girl,” they whisper as they walk behind you, wrapping their arms around your waist and pressing feather-like kisses on the bruises that were starting to form.

“but you have interviews all day, and now you’re gonna have to be in makeup forever,” you say, turning around to face Bella, their arms still holding you close to them.

“it’s okay,” they say with a laugh, and when you look up at them, they mumble under their breath, “i kind of like them anyway.”

a shit-eating grin makes its way on your face as you laugh softly. “well if anyone gives you shit for them, it's not my fault.”

“what do you mean! of course it is!”

“i dunno,” you shrug, “it's just not.”

“well, you’re clearly not fully awake yet,” Bella says, giving you a small kiss, “i left you breakfast, but i have to go right now, or i’ll be yelled at even more.”

“no, don't leave me yet!” you whine as you hold Bella tighter, and they press another kiss on your temple.

“i know, i don’t wanna, but i have to,” they say, and you finally let them go.

“i love you,” they call out as they grab their stuff and start walking out.

“i love you more,” you respond.

“not possible,” they say as they close the door behind them, leaving a smile on your face.

⭒⭒⭒

when Bella arrives at the interview site, they are immediately rushed into hair and makeup as they scold them for the visible marks on their neck.

“Bella, what the fuck!” their makeup artist, Tori, complains as she starts grabbing concealer and foundation in an attempt to cover them up.

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry! blame my girlfriend!” Bella whines.

“you’re just lucky that you’re already dressed,” Tori mutters under her breath, and as she starts to apply the first of many layers of makeup, the door to the room opens up.

“Bellie!” Pedro yells when he walks in, acting as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

“hey Ped-” Bella starts to say but gets cut off by a gasp coming out of his mouth.

“shit Bella, your neck,” he says in shock as Bella hides their face in their hands, causing Tori to roll her eyes.

“i know, i know, blame her, not me,” Bella says, referring to you, as Tori moves their head to the side.

“oh, i highly doubt that,” he says, laughing harder by the second as Bella’s face starts to get red.

“what's that supposed to mean?”

“that knowing both of you, the poor girl is probably ten times worse.”

“Pedro!”

“am i wrong?”

“well-”

“am i?”

“...no.”

“see!”

“whatever,” Bella groans as they roll their eyes and throw their head back.

“let’s just hope that makeup covers all of that up, 'cause little Bellie went to town last night,” he says, laughing again as Tori nods in agreement.

Bella turns to flip Pedro off, but Tori quickly slaps their hand away and tugs their head back to the side, making Pedro let out another laugh, which causes Bella to cross their arms.

⭒⭒⭒

it takes some time to get them both ready, but once they are, Bella turns to Pedro.

“just... don’t tell Craig,” they say, holding out their pinky to Pedro, and he links them together, nodding, as they walk out to meet Craig and Neil.

“hey, Craig!” Pedro yells as they get closer, “guess what Bell-”

“PEDRO! NO!” Bella yells in distress, and Pedro just crackles and leans in toward them.

“man child,” Bella mutters under their breath as they roll their eyes, fondly.

[williamswifey]

hiiii! i have been loving your bella fics and i was just wondering if you take requests? just imagine bella playing on the playstation or switch and being mesmerized by how their hands and fingers touch the buttons and then getting oddly turned on by it? and they notice you get a certain way watching how their thumb rolls over the joystick just like how they do it to you 🫣

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒- 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐘

pairing ; bella ramsey x fem!reader

summary ; bella gets a ps5, and you can’t help but get carried away watching their skillful fingers play.

content warnings ; sexual themes, minors dni !!!

a/n ; 18+ content !! while there is no smut, there is definitely suggestive themes so if please sit this oneshot out if this type of content isn’t your thing <3

masterlist

bella had mentioned wanting to play the last of us recently. you, being the wonderful girlfriend you were, decided to surprise bella one morning.

with the help of your friend, you had hooked up a brand new ps5 to your tv in you and bella’s living room, and you had the last of us game wrapped in wrapping paper, an adorable little bow against the gift.

bella had been busy lately, and you let them sleep in. you were still in your pajamas, cooking breakfast; the heavenly smell of french toast wafting in the air.

you were humming to yourself, jumping slightly when you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist. bella placed their head into the crook of your neck, a hum slipping past their lips.

“breakfast smells delicious, babe,” bella murmured, pressing a kiss to your jaw.

you smiled.

mornings with bella were your favorite. the silence of the day still hung in the air, along with soft conversations held over breakfast.

you and bella were just finishing your meals, when you jumped to your feet. bella looked at you, afraid something was wrong, but they quickly saw the smile that graced your cheeks seconds later, and awaited to see what it was that had you so excited.

“i almost forgot!” you began, “i have a surprise for you.”

bella tilted their head.

“is that right?” they said, as you grabbed their hand and led them to the living room.

bella took a seat on the couch as you slipped the wrapped gift into their hand.

“wow, it even has a fancy bow,” bella giggled out.

you sat on your heels as you awaited their reaction.

they looked at the game in their hand, speechless. they glanced at you, then back at the game, not saying anything.

you sighed, running a hand down your face at their reaction.

“crap. you hate it.”

bella looked at you with wide eyes, shaking their head as they suddenly grabbed you into a bone crushing hug.

“not at all. i love it, you remembered!” bella gushed, “thank you, thank you, thank you!”

***

it had taken a little over twenty minutes to set up the game, and you and bella had set up camp on the couch.

there was a small bowl of popcorn as you rested your head against their shoulder, and they were immersed in the graphics of the game. you breathed in bella’s signature scent of cinnamon and musk as you bit down on your bottom lip.

something else, however, had caught your eye. your eyes were focused on their hands, their ring-cladded fingers that were ever so delicately grazing over the controller’s button.

you noticed the way the veins in their hands popped out every time they flexed their thumb, their slim fingers holding the controller so effortlessly.

your brain wandered to a place of not-so-innocent thoughts, where those fingers had been before…and you knew all too well of what they could do.

you let a sigh slip past your lips, one bella took notice of.

“you alright there, darling?” bella asked, their tone light hearted as they chuckled, but you could hear the undertones of concern in their voice.

“hm?” you said, trying to get rid of the blush on your face, “yeah.”

just thinking about our late night shenanigans. your skilled fingers. no biggie.

“you sure?” bella asked again.

you nodded.

“mhm,” you said, tone going hazy as bella’s attention was no longer on the game, but you instead.

you had that look in your eye, one that bella would recognize anywhere. your bottom lip was puffy from biting down on it, and your pupils were larger than normal.

“i think there’s something in your mind, yeah?” bella said, briefly detaching themself from you as they adjusted your position.

your blushed deepened, and you shook your head.

“no,” you squeaked.

“tell me, love,” bella began, voice husky and low, “what’s on your mind?”

you didn’t reply, and felt bella hook their finger beneath your chin.

“what was that? use your words, darling, and tell the truth.”

bella’s words made your core flutter. you loved when they were demanding, yet still so gentle.

“iwasthinkingaboutyourhands,” you mumbled, and bella chuckled.

“didn’t quite catch that, y/n/n.”

this was bella’s game with you. it had begun, and it was your turn.

“i said…i was thinking about your hands.”

“ah, i see,” bella flexed their hands, veins popping out as you bit down against your lip, “these old things?”

you nodded.

“my naughty girl,” bella scolded tauntingly, suddenly leaning forward to whisper in your ear.

“thinking about where they’ve been, is that right? how they’ve made you feel? how they’ve made you come…undone?”

you nodded pitifully.

“mhm.” you replied, head going to the crook of their neck.

bella chuckled once more, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. they cupped your face in their hands, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“you’re needy,” they commented, “let me help you out.”

it’s safe to say the game was long forgotten after that.

[piscesirko]

omg bella angst with a happy ending, they're good friends, reader likes him, there's rumours about bella with a girl, she's upset and keeping distance, bella trying to figure out what's wrong, something like this if possible?

ty for the request!!!! this is a little longer than i expected but who cares! enjoy some bellaaa:)

-hurt/comfort, bit of angst, pining, cliche confession lol, fem reader

it hurts you to ignore her this way.

she’s your friend.

best friend. for god knows how long.

and best friends are supposed to be there for each other. to help, and support, and care for one another when no one does. it's the principle — and you shouldn't want for more.

(you shouldn't want to hold her hand when you'd walk side by side. you shouldn't want to push the stranded curls off her forehead and stare deep into the umber of her eyes until everything dissipates and you're both left floating into this void; you shouldn't want to kiss him suddenly when he smiles. and you definitely shouldn't want to wake up beside him every morning and tell him that you love him.)

the thing is, they're normalized now. everyone does it when they know everything remains platonic. but you don't want to hurt yourself that way knowing he didn't feel the same. you couldn't bear the heartbreak.

so when you dawned upon that realization, or maybe when you've come to terms with the fact that the devil on your shoulder was right—that you're in love with him—you'd gone insane. your mind filled to the brim with possibilities of what might happen if you told him the truth. and each one increased the anxiety in your chest even more.

you tried to act like everything was okay. you acted normal around them . you talked like you used to. hung out like you used to. bella would hang an arm around your shoulders, rub her knuckle on your hair and laugh with you like you used to.

up until last week.

the picture of him with some girl on social media and articles. bella with a smile so bright it's familiar, and you realize that she’d only smile that way when she’s with you. and god, she’s laughing with a girl. a pretty girl; it's mind fucking to be hurt this way by just staring at an un consented image.

you drowned in unreasonable jealousy. because why should you be jealous if he's not yours? why should you be jealous in the first place? you fool yourself. you're only jealous because he didn't spend time with you, not because he was with some girl.

some girl.

some pretty girl.

and while you wallow in self-pity, you ignore them. for both your sakes. before you do something that could ruin everything.

bella does their nightly texts — hey! how are you? and you'd respond curtly than go on a long rant. obviously he'd wonder what's wrong, but he'd let it go on the first night.

hey, what's up?

hey can we talk?

hey i miss you :(

until three nights later when you flat out ignored her and it had gotten to the point she started texting your friends. and the same reason was used: you're busy. you're asleep. your phone died. you're out of town for work.

you're in love with her and got stupidly jealous at the sight of her someone else.

so it brings her here.

a week later, outside your door with nothing but questions formed from his confusion and frustration. bella knows you're by the door looking through the peephole by your shadow beneath the minuscule gap beneath the door. you see her sigh heavily, holding back an eyeroll.

"i know you're there, (y/n),"

"fuck," you whisper, standing back on your heels and let your hands fall and raise between your side and the doorknob.

"just— let me in, please? i just want to talk." you hear him sigh faintly. "please?"

you take a huge deep of breath, hand shaking as you twist the doorknob. you're first greeted by the cold air from the hallways, before your eyes land on bella’s hunched figure. covered solely in a pair of blue sweats and a white shirt, her chain hung on her neck.

"hey," he exhales, relieved. "thank god you're alive. thought someone might have kidnapped you and pushed you off a cliff.

you frown. "well, that's specific."

bella comes in when you step aside to make way. he removes his shoes, placing them beside the door as he wipes his feet on the mat. "i was worried." he says. "until i saw you hanging out with our friends while you were ignoring my texts."

it's amusing how quick her tone changed, almost as if she hadn't been worried in the first place as she quickly returns to being irritated by your ignorance. you shrug. "i- i was busy."

"busy with what?" despite the irritation, their voice remains soft, their patience speaking for them.

"work," you laugh a little, tone pitched as you hand waves in the air. "i was busy with work. and- and catching up with others. that's all." bella furrows his eyebrows. "sorry if i ignored your texts. i'm...i'm sorry."

"that's okay," he murmurs. "just wished you would have told me. i thought that i might have done something to make you mad. i was worried."

he's only saying that because he's my friend. best friend.

"sorry," you say again. "just got caught up with things,”

"yeah with partying," it's obvious that he's bitter. and somehow, it pisses you off that he's pissed off for being ghosted. "didn't even bother to invite me,"

you scoff, turning around. "why would i invite you if you're with some girl?"

it was a sarcastic remark, your mouth speaking before you could think. your voice meant to fool her into thinking that it meant nothing. but bella knows what's up—especially with the strain in your voice as you said the last word that was followed by a sardonic chuckle. her face falls, furrowing her eyebrows at you.

"what are you talking about?"

you clear your throat, scratching your forehead. "i dunno. it's social media bella. one day you're in a famous show and the next people with cameras follow you around."

bella frowns. "what?"

"come on," you spin around to face him again, laughing incredulously at him. "people saw you with a girl. who you've been with for the past week. so why would i invite you?"

"because i'm your friend!"

"you were with some girl!"

"that doesn't even make any sense!"

their voice raises, but not loud enough that it hurts your ears. your face wrinkles, throat swallowing your words that the only thing that leaves your mouth are defensive scoffs as your hand drops to your side, turning back around to walk somewhere. "you- you were busy."

"bullshit—hey!," bella pivots his way in front of you, blocking your way to your bedroom, hands on either side of the doorframe.

"don't lie to me, (y/n). look- if i did something that hurt you, or made you pull away from me, just tell me. please?"

she’s desperate now, affliction in her plea. a heavy rock rises to your throat, hands to a fist on your sides. bella’s eyebrows raise, leaning down slightly as if to encourage you to speak. confined with the difficulty to choose between the truth or not, and you sigh heavily.

"you did nothing, okay?" you shrug his hands off, your index finger picking at the skin beside your thumbnail. "everything's fine. it's my fault. "

"then talk to me," he adjures, his hands clueless as to where it should be. "please? if—if you want some space for whatever it is that happened, fine. just tell me, and i'll give you that space.”

her patience makes your heart ache, because you feel guilty for lying to the person so tolerant and understanding. you hear the desperation in her voice. loud and sad as it yearns for your truth to feed his clueless mind, worried of the wrong she didn't do. you look away from bella, at the wall where you trace its small bumps, and you huff.

"it was because of the girl,"

bella’s back straightens, his bottom lip jutting out slightly as his eyebrows return to its place. and suddenly he's perplexed. "oh. why?"

"i—"

"do you not want me to hang around her?" he asks. "are you jealous that i spent the week with her...?"

"no! no, i don't want to be telling you who you should hang out with. and no, why would i be jealous?" the white face paint's beneath the sink, and there's a red wig in your closet, 'cause you look like a fucking clown.

bella scoffs. "then what is it?"

"god, okay, maybe i was a little jealous," you quip, throwing your hands in the air. "maybe- maybe i got upset that my best friend's with another girl. but not because she's taking up his time, but because she's pretty! pretty enough that i'm jealous of you? no, but could be 'cause she is hot. but yes, i could be if i didn't like—“

you pause, your brain telling you you've been talking too much, because bella’s got her head ducked and eyebrows raised to listen. and if you looked closely, her lips are twitched up slightly in bemusement. you close your mouth, glaring at her.

"if you didn't like?" he smirks. "you like someone."

"no i don't."

"yes you do."

"what makes you say that?"

"you said it."

"like can mean anything. i mean, i like your mom because she's nice. i like you because you're my friend. like doesn't mean like like, because i like anyone. and liking anyone doesn't mean i like like them."

"what?"

"fuck!" there's a boulder in your throat, hard and prevents the air from slipping through. you don't find his amusement entertaining, and you're trying to swallow that rock down your throat while he's looking at you like that.

— all innocent and happy, eyes wide as they stare at you like, like you're important.

like they’re in love with you.

they’re not.

bella’s smile falls, noticing the tears at your waterline that makes your eyes all glossy.

"hey. what's wrong? is it something i said?"

"no," you push him aside, stepping into your room and sitting on the bed right in the middle. "it's not your fault. it's never been your fault," the heel of your palms are pressed against your eyes. you hear him shuffle until you feel him kneeling in front of you, gentle hands wrapping around your wrists.

"then what is it?"

you whimper. and when she tugs your hands off your eyes and replaces it with her own thumbs, letting your fat tears wet her calloused skin, it makes your heart hurt even more, with the fact that she’s so gentle and caring.

"i like you,"

three words. something he's heard before but not in the way that he thinks. "yeah, i know. i like you too."

"no, bel," you close your eyes, nails lightly scratching at the bracelet on his left wrist. "i like you."

there's a soft sigh that leaves them that begins the silence between the two of you. the way their hand stays on your face but weakens in the slightest; the way her eyes narrow in anxiousness as they waited for your confession. you mistake this his silence as disgust — that you'd liked your best friend as something more. and you wonder what would have happened if you told her that you loved her.

you didn't have to. because you spoke again. "i...love you."

it's what makes him fully remove his hands on your face, feeling the burn his touch left behind (or maybe it was just the sudden sweat on his palms). he sits down on the carpet, cross legged, a soft thump of denim to wool. bella breaks his eyes away from you to look at your knees in a quiet state of shock. his lips parted in the slightest.

"oh..."

"you know what," you sniffle, licking your lips as you stand up, wiping your tears with the side of your hand. "i'm just gonna go."

bella, who's still processing everything, looks up at you. "you live here."

"i didn't say i was gonna leave for good, dumbass—"

you're startled with the sudden feeling of her lips on yours, befuddled with her speed from sitting to standing. bella holds your face in his hands, flesh rough but touch gentle as he keeps you close to him. and your eyes are open, sense of touch heightened that you can feel every fibre of her as she pressed her mouth harder against yours that it renders your eyes shut and your hands on the softness of her hair.

his mouth opens to part yours, his breath fanning on your face and some into your mouth, his forehead resting against yours. bella’s thumbs drag across the dark circles beneath your eyes, his eyebrows furrowing before he lets out a chuckle.

"i'm sorry," they murmur. “i just kissed you,"

you open your eyes. "it's alright,"

your hand drags from his shoulder to his chest, watching as he slowly looks at you.

dark eyes bright with glee, a ring of doting arousal on the corner of their irises. bella angles your face back, neck straining slightly so they’d get a better view of you. "i like, well, i love you too."

they chuckle when a slow smile comes to your face. "really?"

"fuck yeah" he wrinkles his nose. "i've loved you since that first chemistry read"

before you respond, she kisses you again, a deep inhalation of your scent as her nose dig on your face. her lips are soft, cherry, hot and feverish when they move with yours and break in a soft click.

"you're amazing," she murmurs. "beautiful," a kiss, "smart," another, "unfathomably lovely," and a last. "i love you. that girl you saw? she's just a friend. she's nothing compared to you."

you shake your head, laughing. "christ in hell, bella."

"i love you," he repeats. "yeah? i'd post it on instagram or whatever. i love you."

"i get it—"

"i love you."

"i know," you kiss his nose. "i love you too."

[loverwebs]

Your Lips, My Lips

Pairing: Bella Ramsey x Costar!Reader

Synopsis: How much of what you say during your interviews with Bella is platonic?

Part two of A Perfect Pair but can be read on it's own!

Word count: like 800

With Bella still holding her hand, Y/n giggled on her way into the room she was staying in and gave them a gentle squeeze before letting go.

They had both stopped running after they exited the interview room, but were still catching their breath due to the adrenaline.

"Why'd you say that?" Bella wondered out loud, wiping the little bit of sweat from their palm onto their jeans.

"Say what?" Y/n replied cluelessly.

"That we were gonna makeout," they said like it was obvious.

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I just thought it would be a funny way to end it."

"Oh, right," Bella laughed nervously, fidgeting with the buttons of her long-sleeve. "But, like, do you only make those types of comments around me because they're funny?"

"Do you want me to stop making them?" Y/n chewed on her lip, shifting her gaze so that she was only staring at the floor. "Because they're not funny if you're uncomfortable."

"No, no! I don't mind." Bella answered. "It's just— like, is it just because you think they're funny?" Is there any truth behind what you're saying? was what she really wanted to ask.

"I don't know, Bels." Y/n replied nervously, "I just say whatever comes to mind sometimes. But if it's bothering you, tell me and I'll stop."

"That's okay. It doesn't bother me."

"Are you sure?" Y/n asked, afraid she'd crossed a line.

Bella only sat down on the hotel bed in response and wordlessly gestured for her to join them. She followed shortly and looked at them curiously. "It...it does bother me a little—"

"Oh, Bels," Y/n groaned in embarrassment, placing her hands over her face. "I'm so sorry! I really am. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything. I promise I'll do better," she rambled, only stopping once she heard the fit of giggles that Bella let out.

They looked at her amusingly and smirked a little, which only furthered her embarrassment. "Oh my God. I can leave—"

"You don't have to go anywhere, love," Bella chuckled, gently holding onto her wrist in order to stop her from getting up. "Let me finish my sentence, yeah?"

"I don't know what you could possibly add to that, but sure," Y/n nodded for them to continue, face flushed when she felt the comforting hand on her knee.

"It bothers me. Just...not in the way that you think."

"What do you mean?"

They gave her a knowing look, then moved their hand from her knee and brought it upwards, moving hair away from her face. Their lingering fingers near Y/n's ear made her shiver, and she gulped at their proximity.

"What I'm saying is, it bothers me that you keep joking about it, when you could just kiss me already."

All Y/n could feel at that point was her heart pounding in her ears. "You...you...what?" She stammered, beyond surprised by the fact that she was forming coherent words at that point.

"Kiss me," the brunette whispered, face leaning closer to the girl.

Their lips were practically touching at that point, which Y/n still had a hard time grasping. She nearly pinched herself right there.

"I obviously want to," she started, "Are you sure you want me to—?"

"You talk too much," Bella said, rushing to close the gap between them.

It took Y/n a few seconds to reciprocate, but once she did, they instantly melted into each other. It was hesitant, but the delicacy of the situation faded away as their lips moved in unison.

Bella found herself squealing internally due to the unfound confidence she'd acquired, meanwhile Y/n maneuvered her body, bringing herself closer to them.

It was even more perfect than either of them could have imagined. Their lips tasting sweet and addicting, like the world's best flavor of their favorite thing had been discovered right there in that tiny hotel room.

Before they knew it, the soft, gentle kiss had turned into a heated, sloppy makeout.

Y/n's hand found it's way behind Bella's neck, wanting to bring them closer to her, which resulted in Bella fighting back a smile at her eagerness. They then cupped Y/n's face, shifting her slightly so that her back could land on the bed and kept their arms propped up for support as they made out.

Both of their lips matched each other's perfectly and they couldn't seem to get enough.

"Damn." Bella whispered while catching their breath, still reluctant to move away from her.

"What?"

"You're a much better kisser than when we were on set," she teased. "You've had a lot of time to improve, I see."

"You're absolutely insufferable, did you know that?" Y/n scoffed, only smiling when Bella planted a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"I'm just saying." Bella grinned, caressing her arm shyly. "Maybe it wasn't as good because loads of people were around."

"Whatever. If I remember correctly, you were the one who kept asking to reshoot the scene."

"I did do that, didn't I?" they blushed. "I guess I couldn't get enough."

"I knew it," replied Y/n, once again kissing them passionately.

A/N:

i had a very different idea for what i wanted part 2 to look like but i ended up scrapping that for now cuz this one fits better. and i'll make the other one an entirely different fic later. anyway, hope u liked it :)

🏷️ : @lovelyyevelyn @kyleeservopoulos @randomstory56 @frasersgf @senassn @shrek-ellie @euphoricghost

[sunlightellies]

"I brought lunch"

masterlist

A/N: i'm really not much of a fluff writer (i love angst lolz) but i hope you guys enjoy this anyway :) but this is just a short blurb kinda that i threw together

(i’ll be using they/them for bella in this fic.)

Summary: Bella works hard and you miss them so you decided to bring them lunch.

Pairing: Bella Ramsey x Reader

Warnings: just puuure fluff (and petnames)

Word Count: 450+

13:36 

“I brought lunch”

You came into the lot full of trailers and went to look for Bella. You had bought food for the two of you because you knew they had practiced for the new season of The Last of Us all week. They’ve been practicing and running lines non stop the last couple of weeks actually. You knew that these things could happen when you started dating Bella, and it was okay, work was important to them and you knew that. But even if you were okay with them not being around as much for a few weeks, you certainly missed them. So you wanted to spend some time with them, even if it was for just 15 minutes while eating in their trailer on set. 

You could hear them practicing from outside when you were just a couple meters away from their trailer. You quicken your pace a bit, getting eager to see them. When you were right outside the door you waited for them to stop talking so you wouldn’t walk in and disturb them. 

The talking stopped and you knocked on the door, opening it slowly to peek inside before walking in. You saw Bella looking at the door, looking a little surprised when they turned around. They probably didn’t expect anyone. When they saw you their lips broke into a loving smile. 

“Hi sweetheart, what are you doing here?” they said while walking up to you and then giving you a hug.

“I’ve barely seen you, and I miss you, so I brought lunch so you could get an excuse to take a short break!” You showed them the bag enthusiastically. 

Bella looked at the food and then at you with a smile, “then let’s eat darling.”

You both sat down on the floor and began eating and talking about random things. Time went by too fast in your opinion and even if it felt like you just began to eat, 30 minutes had passed by and Bella needed to get back to going over their lines.

“Thank you for always taking care of me and bringing me lunch. I don’t deserve you.” They shifted in their seat to give you a kiss before standing up. “I will always be there to support you and you know that, and you should know that you most definitely deserve me.” You went in for a second kiss and they of course kissed you back immediately. When you pulled away after a second he looked at you with the most loving gaze you’ve ever seen, “I love you” he finally said after a minute of you two just staring into each other's eyes. “I love you more” and with that you gave them a last quick peck on the cheek and left.

[talaok]

Hunting lesson

Pairing: Joel miller x reader

summary: You try to teach Ellie to hunt, and Joel comes to help. ( Inspired by that 1x06 scene)

warnings: just fluff

"take a deep breath" you instructed

"no, Ellie, a deep breath, like this" you showered her, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

"fine" she grumbled, imitating what you'd just done.

"Good, now firmly grab the trigger " you helped her hand around it "aim, and you're ready"

"ok" she breathed, concentrating as she closed one eye.

Pow

You couldn't hold back a laugh

"shit" she hissed

"This rifle sucks"

You chuckled "you sure the rifle's the problem?"

"It's a piece of shit, it doesn't aim right" she whined

"yeah sure" you mocked "c'mon try again, you're getting better"

She glared at you "you don't have to lie"

that only made you snort "I'm not lying, at least you didn't close both your eyes this time"

"Wha-I never did that!"

"yes you did" you laughed

"c'mon grip the trigger and breathe before pulling it"

She sighed, doing just that

Pow

"oh c'mon!" she moaned, as the target remained untouched, or ungrazed really.

"you're really shit at this kid" you couldn't help but laugh

"oh thanks, such kind words of encouragement"

"I'm sorry, but you really are"

"maybe you're just a shit teacher"

You gasped, feigning offense "I'm most certainly not"

"or, as I've said before, this rifle is trash"

you looked amusedly at her "it's a poor carpenter who blames his tools"

"well maybe the carpenter's right" she cocked an eyebrow "maybe the tools just suck"

"sure thing" you joked " wanna try again?"

"I guess" she shrugged, positioning herself again

pow

"fuck"

"what are you doing?"

you both turned

"I'm teaching her to hunt"

"What? the snow?" Joel asked, making you both scowl at him

"the rifle sucks" Ellie explained

"didn't seem like it sucked to me" he walked closer, crouching between you and Ellie "show me" he nodded, and Ellie complied, taking another shot.

Joel turned to you, his brows raised as to say -really?-

"she's improved" you defended

"If this is improved I'm scared of how she was before"

"I'm right here" Ellie commented, making you smile.

"ok" he turned to her "try again"

She did, once again, only the ground beneath the target being hit.

"wide right, you're flinching"

She sighed "the target's too small"

"I made it bigger than I should have" you intervened

"eject the cartridge"

"I am not flinching," Ellie said defensively, only making Joel hum condescendingly.

"the rifle just sucks" she complained, clearly frustrated

"ok, give it" Joel gestured, giving up, and taking her place.

"It doesn't aim right" she continued blabbing, moving to Joe'ls right, while you were on his left "You'll see"

He sighed "a deep breath in, a slow breath out" he explained

"I told her already" you tilted your head, and he just bit down a smile

"you squeeze the trigger like you love it" He continued, and Ellie hummed in understanding

"gentle, steady, nice, and slow" he turned to you with a smug smirk and you had to bite down a grin, as your eyebrow shot up.

That was definitely his style

"ew," Ellie said, noticing the two of you "you're gonna shoot this thing or get it pregnant?"

You laughed "c'mon show us how it's done, Miller" you nodded to the rifle

"yeah" Ellie agreed "let's see if you're all talk"

"alright," he accepted the challenge, steadying himself before shooting.

Pow

"You... dick" Ellie breathed, and you smiled knowingly, of course he wasn't gonna miss.

"show off" you joined her, teasing Joel as he looked smugly between you two.

He got up and you both followed.

"He just got lucky" Ellie continued bitterly, talking to you

"of course" you agreed just to piss him off

"I doubt he can even see that far, considering his age" she said, making you laugh.

He turned at that, scowling at you both, and you could only grin as Ellie's eyes widened like she didn't definitely mean for him to hear that.

"whoops"

[bambieyedoll]

⊹ BELLA RAMSEY HC ໒꒱ ⋆ﾟ

contains: friends to lovers / mini angst / pure fluff

warnings: this is my first post and english is not my first language so i apologize for any mistake in advance.

it would start with small hints they’d give you.

whenever you two were in an interview promoting the new series, bella would wait for you to sit first and then take the seat next to you to be close.

if that wasn't possible, they would steal glances at you from time to time but look away immediately the moment you catch them, pretending to be interested in the conversation with the rest of the cast.

when the interviewer asked you a question, all their attention would go to you and your soft voice.

bella wouldn’t even notice their actions. the need to take anything you gave them was almost natural.

they would unconsciously agree with whatever you said about the series and found themselves leaning forward to your direction whenever you spoke.

while being off screen, bella would try to start conversation with you. it was only a matter of time for you to start going out on your free days.

you two had so much fun together.

you would go out on little dates almost every day to the point fans started to ship you.

bella wouldn’t admit it, but they were secretly thrilled when someone mistook you as a couple. they would look for edits and save them in their secret tiktok acc.

when the nicknames started, you got each other kicking your feet and giggling on the inside.

while you called them “love”, they called you “babe” and “darling”. you both assumed it wasn’t serious but deep down wished it was.

you became their comfort person.

bella would find peace in resting their head on your shoulder while playing with your fingers.

some other times, they would hug you from behind while laying on the couch to watch a movie. they ADORED having you in their arms.

you would fall asleep quickly after bella started running their fingers through your hair. they just had that power over you. they made you feel safe.

the moment they realized you fell asleep, their mind would go back to thinking about you and how you made them feel.

it terrified them.

the idea of ruining your friendship and loosing you was way too much for bella. but they didn’t know what to do with the feelings they had towards you.

one day you would be outside on a date. you two tried to be as cautious as you could in order not to be recognized but the moment you heard your names being yelled, you realized you’ve failed.

pictures were being taken and fans quickly surrounded you. after the massive success of the series, the number of people who recognized you was so much bigger and it took you by surprise.

it was overwhelming.

you tried to put on a smile but the screams and phones being put on your face were too much to handle. bella noticed it.

they interlocked your fingers while holding your hand and that made you look at them. their gentle smile let you know it was okay, they were there with you.

that was enough to calm you down a bit. bella made their way through the people while repeating “sorry” and “excuse me”.

“y/n! bella! are you a couple now?” one of the fans asked and everyone there could hear it.

similar questions about whether or not you were in a romantic relationship were the only thing you both could hear and it made bella uncomfortable.

not of the thought of it. they just didn’t want to have that conversation with you because they knew they wouldn’t be able to lie about their feelings to you.

the way home was silent apart from casual comments and the background music from the radio.

when you arrived to their apartment, you didn’t know what to say. you noticed how bella reacted to the questions and couldn’t help feeling insecure.

“are you okay?” you finally asked them, looking for their eyes while playing with your fingers.

bella was deep in thoughts as well. considering every moment with you till then, debating whether or not it was the right moment.

“yeah, i… it just took me by surprise” they answered with a soft tone before gazing at the floor while you nodded in silence.

“if you… uh, you wanna talk about it?” hearing your voice shaking made them worry and look at you instantly. “i understand that it made you uncomfortable and i’m so sorry. i can post something o-or say something in an interview. i’m so sorry”

bella’s heart broke at the sight of you and was desperate to comfort you. they closed the space between you and held your hands gently.

“what? no! no… baby, that isn’t-“ they stopped themselves. how could they possible explain what they were feeling without risking everything?

“it’s not that i feel uncomfortable because of what they said. i just… i don’t know how to explain this” bella started again but couldn’t find the correct words and it made you tilt you head in confusion.

“is something else going on?” your doe eyes looked at theirs and bella sighed shyly looking down. they could never hide something from you, if you looked at them like that.

“you can talk to me, whatever it is” you reassured them while caressing their hand.

“i don’t think i can” bella’s eyes finally found yours and you both noticed how close your faces were.

your voices were as low as whispers, creating such an intimate moment. you were worried you may be mistaking the situation but you couldn’t possibly move away for them now.

“y/n?”

their eyes took every detail of your face to keep them in their memory, fearing it could be the last time.

“yes?”

the butterflies in your stomach were going crazy with every second that passed.

“i like you.”

they confessed with closed eyes and a fast-beating heart that was about to explode off their chest.

there was a big amount of ten seconds of silence before a small giggle left your mouth. bella opened their eyes in confusion only to find yours glowing in happiness, stealing a nervous smile from their lips.

“i like you too” you replied with the sweetest smile only for and because of them.

your soft fingers traced their cheek as if their factions were made of glass, earning a sigh of relief from them and you noticed little tears in their eyes.

“i’m not dreaming, am i?” bella said with their adorable accent and cute smile and you knew you couldn’t wait another second.

your arms found their way around their neck while their hands instantly moved to hold your waist and pull you close till your foreheads were touching.

you two stayed like that for a little while, just enjoying the moment. you waited for too long.

“kiss me, dummy”

that needy whisper was enough for bella to close the small space between your lips, putting an end to their suffering.

they could swear they saw colors exploding the moment you kissed. your hands were playing with their hair and only then they knew they were addicted to it. bella was addicted to you.

the kiss would end with giggles from both of you. the realization of your feelings being mutual these whole time was funny then.

it lasted less than a minute because the need to kiss you again was bigger and their lips found their way back to yours as if they were their destined to be.

bella would be pure joy.

hugging you and hiding their face in your neck to smell their favorite scent and cherish you finally being in their arms as something more than a friend.

[bella-buggied]

Jealous bella x reader please!!!!

ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛʏ - ʙᴇʟʟᴀ ʀᴀᴍsᴇʏ

pairing: bella ramsey x fem!reader

summary: you're having dinner with your work friends and you brought a plus one, bella isn't quite happy about that

warnings: a straigth man with The audacity. use of cuss words. misgendering.

note: hello anon! i really hope this is what you asked for!! ahaha, it turned out to be quite long 3k words!!! so yeah, thank you for submitting your request. enjoy!! <3

They’d been staring at you the whole dinner.

No one seemed to notice, too busy engaging with the different conversations going on. They’d even pitch in and comment on them every once in a while and you attentively listened to their input, but that murderous stare was slowly tearing you down. You could feel it even when you weren’t looking, and God, you tried not to look.

There was just something about their stare that made you shiver, and you didn't fully know why. Of course, there was this massive crush you had on them so it was partly because of that, but there was something more. You never felt them stare at you like this.

In a way you liked it, because they had been ignoring you for quite some time now and getting this attention felt like something you needed. Although Bella still wouldn’t talk to you, they’d just stare at you the whole dinner.

“Hey,” your friend Mark whispered into your ear, noticing your sudden stiffness. “You okay?”

His arm had been wrapped around your shoulders all night, he’d always been a bit touchy, in a way it was comforting. You appreciated his care for you, you’d known each other since kids and this was usual for you both. He’d always try to make you feel better as soon as he noticed you being uncomfortable.

You nodded at him and offered him a faint smile, letting him know everything was great without making a big deal about it, then he smiled too and gave you a kiss on the cheek. You awkwardly giggled at that, knowing that even with your closeness he never did that before. 

“What was that about?” you asked him, and he smirked, like he knew something you didn’t. He just shrugged and looked to the other side.

You looked around the table, the rest of your friends didn’t care much about the sudden action, the mood wasn’t affected by it, but you felt weird for some reason.

You poked him with your finger near the ribs letting out a laugh, then you said “Be right back.”

As you stood from your seat and went to the bathroom, you could feel two stares watching you go.

You splashed a bit of water in your face, needing to breathe. Bella had just been looking at you like they wanted to kill something and you didn’t know what you had done to make them so mad at you.

They stopped talking to you about five days ago, and you wondered what could’ve happened for Bella to ghost you like that.

Before that, you two had been talking nonstop, meeting up and having coffee together —although Bella would always have tea— facetiming before bed, all cute stuff. And you thought your friendship was really starting to become something strong, something steady. Then Bella just didn’t answer one day.

And now this weird thing coming from Mark, you didn’t exactly know how to tell him to stop sometimes. It was starting to become a problem.

You let the tap water run through your wrists as you breathed through your nose and prepared yourself to go back to your seat.

When you opened the door of the bathroom you stumbled upon someone, and you were kind of disappointed to see who it was.

“What do you want, Mark?” The disappointment visibly showed in your face, but you couldn’t help it.

“I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“I’m fine, just let it go” you said as you walked back to the restaurant’s dining area with Mark behind you. Why had you expected Bella to be there? It was obvious they were super mad at you, even if they couldn’t quite get their eyes away from you.

“Look who’s back!” Louise, who you had been sitting next to, said with a laugh. “We were just talking about you two. You make a great pair, you know?”

Sure, you hadn’t thought of that. Louise, James, and Bella were still quite new to your integration of Mark into the friend group. You hadn’t even asked if it was okay for him to join, he just hopped in your car when you were about to go hangout with them one day, and as usual, you didn’t say anything.

Hanna already knew him from before and got a hold of your friendship, but these guys —your work friends— were still strangers to him.

Louise even thought you two were dating. Ew. You didn’t even like men.

“Oh! We’re not da–”

“Thank you!” Mark interrupted as he took food into his mouth with his fork and put his free arm around you again. Now that was definitely weird.

You looked at him from the side and then continued your sentence, using your hands to make it clear for everyone else at the table. “We’re just friends.”

“Alright, got it.” Hannah winked at you like she knew something you didn’t and you were getting a bit tired of those looks already.

Then you heard something coming from Bella’s mouth, something you shouldn’t have been able to hear with the distance between you, but you realised you were just paying a lot of attention to their every move, and they were just whispering a bit too loudly into James’s ear. “Somebody should tell him that then.”

You saw James let out a chuckle then automatically stop himself, putting a hand to his mouth and biting into his own fist.

And it shouldn’t have been as funny as it was, because the whole table listened and stopped everything they were doing to look at your reactions. And you know you couldn’t just laugh at that, it would be way worse than if you pretended to not have listened.

Of course Mark didn’t think the same as you. Of course he didn’t think Bella had an amazing sense of humour.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

His grip around you tightened, like he was protecting something of his, and you just looked down embarrassed as you squinted your eyes to try and forget that he was even there.

Bella blinked several times, baffled. They looked at him and rested their back on the chair to try and relax a little. “Well I mean, you’ve been practically throwing yourself at her all night, mate. She said you’re just friends.”

You shouldn’t have found those words coming from their mouth so attractive. Really, it wasn’t a big deal, but there was something about the way that they said it, how secure in their own words they sounded. You could feel the heat going to your cheeks. Even the way they used their hands to show how upset they were and how then they crossed her arms when they were done, you couldn’t look at them.

And Mark only got more riled up by their comment. You didn’t know what had gone through his head tonight. Mark had never been like this, or not that it was so obvious other people noticed, at least.

He was a good friend, really.

Maybe.

Or had he just been nice to you because he wanted something more?

“So what if I want to hug my best friend, is that such a big fucking deal?”

“Yes! Especially when she’s visibly uncomfortable!” Bella chuckled, pointing at you to prove their point. They weren’t one to yell, they weren’t one to start up a fight. You perfectly knew that, so it was weird seeing them do this right now. 

And all because of you.

In a weird, twisted way, you kind of liked it.

“That’s it, I don’t even know why I’m here.” Mark turned to you and pulled away his arm. His eyes didn’t look at you like before, now there was something else in them, like a plea to you. “I’m leaving.”

You sighed and rolled your eyes, “Wait,” You followed him as he stood up and grabbed his coat, then walked behind him passing through the other tables, who glanced at you trying to figure out what was happening. “What’s wrong with you?”

“No, what’s wrong with you? Why are you doing this?”

“What am I doing?” You scoffed, putting your hands up in the air.

“Getting me to meet all your other friends, making me believe I actually had a chance.”

You laughed. “What?”

“And then tonight? What’s happening here? That weirdo looking at me like she wants to kill me all night and then saying that? She’s obsessed with you and it's so weird. I’m out.” He turned around and walked away, you wondered if he expected you to run up to him and tell him not to.

“Okay! Leave!” You said instead, still confused about everything. “I guess.”

Great, now you didn’t have a ride home. For some reason the fact that he called Bella a weirdo bothered you more than that. That, and the fact that they had misgendered them.

You walked back to your table and Hannah only looked at you like she didn’t understand what just happened, you just shrugged in response because you understood it even less.

“You okay?” Bella said, that murderous stare long gone. Now there was a softness to their eyes, and you couldn’t make eye contact.

You were embarrassed, no one else had brought a plus one and you had asked if it was okay if he came with you. Now he had made a whole scene and you were to blame.

You didn’t even really want him there in the first place. You had plans with your work friends, and Mark wanted to hang out that same day, so he suggested coming with you. You hadn’t seen anything objectively wrong with it at first.

If you knew this was gonna happen you’d never answered Mark’s texts..

“Yeah, I’m great actually. Don’t know what that whole thing was about.” you answered instead, lightening the mood.

You didn’t like confrontation, if you could ignore an issue you would do it until it was factually impossible to keep ignoring. This was one of those times, and it had happened quite dramatically.

You sat down back in your seat, and soon the conversation shifted into what it was before that whole scene. A calm and animated chat between friends. You found yourself staring at the empty seat by your side, wondering if your friendship with him was even real. How could he do this to you? And then blame you for making him be there when he was the one who always self-invited into these things?

You didn't expect that from him, not after so many years of friendship. Just like that, he left, because he would not accept that you didn’t like him.

And you felt a stare again, but this time it wasn’t aggressive, it was gentle and soft. But you couldn’t look up.

Your phone buzzed on the table, so you picked it up. For a second you thought it would be Mark, apologising for being such a dramatic little bitch, but no. It was Bella.

‘do you want a ride home?’

You couldn’t help but smile at the screen, the thought of Bella being so sweet to you after everything just as soon as he left made you giggle. It only fed more into your delusions. You could accept that. If saying goodbye to Mark suddenly meant Bella talking to you again, you would have told him to fuck off way before today.

‘Okay, thanks :)’

Now you couldn’t wait until dinner was over and you could go home, with Bella.

You had to ask them why they’d stopped talking to you in the first place. You’d do it in the car.

They kept staring at you the rest of the dinner, and this time it didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. It made you feel anxious for finally holding up a real conversation and being close to them again. And it made you happy, just thinking about Bella taking you home.

Eventually all your plates were empty, and the conversation was starting to slowly fade into nothing. It was time to go home. When James asked for the bill and everyone was leaving, you stood up too to start saying goodbye. Hannah gave you a sorry look, because she knew Mark too and she perfectly knew how dramatic he could be sometimes. “I’ll talk to him,” she said.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to do that.” You smiled at her. Right now, the least you wanted to do was to think about him.

“Need me to take you home?” she said, you could see it on her face how she really meant it, even when you lived so far away from her and it would make no sense for Hanna to have to cross the whole city in order to drive you home. But you already had someone who had offered first.

“I’m taking her.” Bella’s voice came right behind you, you never noticed when they walked up to you. You turned your head to look at them, and you saw how they mentally debated between putting their hand on your shoulder or just putting it to their hip in a dad-stance. They went for the latter.

“Alright, goodnight!”

Hanna walked out of the restaurant and that left you and Bella alone. The rest of them had already walked out too. “Ready?”

“I guess.”

Bella opened the door for you and the two of you walked out into the parking lot. You could see Hannah starting her car a few metres away. “Come on.” Their voice was way softer now. And the way they looked at you made you feel weak in the knees.

You followed Bella to their car, the little red fiat that you kinda loved, even if you hated it. In the past few months, Bella had given you rides when you were both working late at night and she had taken you to your coffee meetings in this car. They had also driven you home after nights out where you didn’t measure your drinks and you had puked your guts out on the backseat quite a few times, hence why you kind of hated the car.

The front seat was more comfortable than the backseat, that’s for sure.

Bella starts driving, and you stay silent, thinking of the best way to start a conversation. You checked your phone often, searching for any new notification, all you wanted is a simple apology coming from Mark.

“Thank you— ”

“He’s a real prat, you know?”

You both talked at the same time, Bella only wiggled their fingers as they held the steering wheel as you giggled.

“Sorry, what?”

Bella quickly turned to you, “I said he’s an idiot.”

“Oh, yeah. I know.”

They let out a quick sigh as they turned to the road again. “Why are you with him, then?”

“We’re friends.”

“You know what I mean.”

“We’ve known each other since we were kids. You can’t just throw out a childhood of memories for a simple fight.” You said, and Bella nodded, biting into their chapped lips.

“I don’t think he’s gonna apologise, he seems like a git.”

You laughed, “Okay, now you’re just saying all the cuss words you can think of.”

“Maybe,” they smirked. “Just so you know, he was saying stuff. About you two, when you were in the loo. Before he went looking for you.”

“What stuff?”

“That’s not the point.”

“You were staring at us the whole night.”

Bella nodded softly. “And with reason. I was the only one to notice how uncomfortable you were. And at first I did think you two were together, but when you said you weren’t and he was still there —existing— I don’t know, it made my blood boil, I guess.”

“So what, were you jealous or something?”

“I was worried about you.”

“Is this why you’ve been ignoring me? Because you thought I was dating Mark? From all the people in the world that I could date, you think I would choose him? If anything he’s like a brother to me. A really annoying brother.”

“I didn’t know that. And you’re suddenly bringing him everywhere and I don’t like his face—”

“You don’t like his face?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because he looks at you like you’re a piece of meat, okay? And it’s weird.”

You stayed silent, looking out the window as the buildings passed by. You had never thought much of the way he looked at you, but the more Bella talked, the less you wanted to know about him.

“He called you a weirdo.”

“What?”

“Before he left, he called you a weirdo and said that you were obsessed with me.”

Bella tilted their head as a red light made the car stop. Then they turned to you again, with delicacy. “Well, he got one thing right.”

“That you’re a weirdo?”

“That I think about you a little too much.”

You felt the heat on your cheeks, as you looked away with a growing smile on your lips. “You’re obsessed?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? You’re amazing.”

“I am most definitely not.”

“You are, and you know what? I would never look at you like you’re a piece of meat,” You couldn’t believe the words coming from their mouth. It felt like one of those moments in the movies where the two protagonists finally revealed that they loved each other, but you weren’t sure that was what this was. “because I’m vegan. I don’t eat meat.”

And there it was, the moment ruined.

Bella chuckled as they turned and saw the green light, making them focus on the road again. You laughed too, feeling like you could explode in any second. Your ears were ringing, repeating Bella’s words over and over again in your head.

“Fuck you.”

“It’s true though, I don’t like meat, but I like you. As a human, as a great friend and colleague. You’re honestly my favourite person in the world as of right now.”

And if you hadn’t been in love with Bella already, you knew this would have been the moment for you. Because you were falling for them again, and this time you knew Bella felt the same too.