Warnings: Cussing, Angst, Sexual Themes, Toxic Relationship, Cheating.

{ Acquaintances to Enemies (to Lovers?) E.W. } COMPLETED

Summary: You find Ellie in Santa Barbara and she invites you on her journey back home and trust is tested between the women.

Warnings: Cussing, angst, sexual themes, toxic relationship, cheating.

Author's Note: Last chapter <3

Parts: 1 , 2 , 3 , 🟥

After dinner, and when the sun finally settled, you laid on your side of the bed. “Imma find something around here to read,” Ellie said as she started to scavenge around the room. You looked out onto the nearby gap in the ceiling and looked up at the stars, slowly falling asleep.. 

When Ellie knew you fell asleep, she swiped your backpack and went downstairs. Ellie had used the excuse to move around the room to cover up the potential noise of what she actually wanted to do. Was this revenge? Maybe. To be honest not even Ellie was sure, but she didn’t see it as a problem as you seemed to know so much more about her now than she did about you. There she sat in the livingroom and clicked her flashlight on. She started rummaging; clothes, snacks, ammo, the usual. “What the fuck?” Ellie couldn’t find anything interesting or personal. You were a puzzle she couldn’t piece together. 

Ellie put everything back, almost offended at the lack of discovery. She made her way back into the bedroom and carefully placed your bag back where it was. She finally laid on the bed, one hand behind her head. “Did you find what you were looking for?” Your voice was like a heavy rock that slapped into water. Ellie's eyes shot open. 

You turned over to face her, “Well?” Ellie could only stare back. No sass or back talk. You sat up in the darkness, slightly trembling in your cocktail of emotions: jealousy, anger, yearning, fear. “I might not know what it means to be friends, but I do know it starts with trusting each other!” you exclaimed in a hushed voice. 

“Trust?!” Ellie scoffs, “You want to talk about trust when you were the first person to break that! Taking and reading my shit?” She was sitting up now.

“Your shit? You think you’re the only fucking person with baggage? Of course I needed a reason to trust you! Why did you even ask me to join you if it wasn’t to sell me or use me? Huh?” 

“Because I felt bad,” she said quietly.

“What?!”

“Because, ugh, because you were fucking alone and I just felt bad, that’s it,” she almost sounded annoyed. You stared at her sternly. You were angry, more than you needed to be. You were offended because you weren’t some helpless person. You saved her and you were willing to leave her too then, but now.. The pang of jealousy crept up and you weren’t proud of what you said next;  “And what about Dina and J.J.? Did you feel bad when you-” 

“Stop,” Ellie glared. She sat cross-legged and was slouching over her lap, playing with her fingers, and looking up at you through furrowed brows.   

You swallowed the next part of your sentence and decided to change the subject. “I don’t need your pity,” there was a small pause of silence and Ellie looked down at her hands. You noticed the injured one was healing nicely. “You know why I looked in your bag, so why did you take mine?” you asked in a softer tone.

Still watching her fingers, she thinned her lips as she bit down and shook her head, “I don’t know,” she lifted her head slowly and looked over at you with sad eyes, “I guess I was trying to figure you out.” You wanted to say “what” but it came out more as a gasp. You were taken aback by her sudden vulnerability. You felt a wall inside you crumble and didn’t realize how guarded you really were. Then a gentle warm touch of her fingers were wrapping around yours. “Why were you alone out there?” she finally asks.

You sucked in air as you peered down at your joined hands letting the question sink in. “I was a slave from the ages of 10 to 15. I was traded by my father after my mother passed away,” you exhaled deeply. Ellie’s grip tightens. You couldn’t begin to tell your whole story without the agony of it all washing over you, let alone write it in a journal. You just wanted to forget it. “So when I saw you hanging in the Rattlers’ trap, I couldn’t leave you there to be taken.”

Your eyes drifted in wondering thought. Then you felt the warmth of her touch press against your face. “Juno, look at me,” she whispered and you did. She gripped your chin and teased the rim of your bottom lip with her thumb. She moved in closer and your eyes were searching her face. “‘I’m sorry for being an ass. I was so wrapped up in my own shit.. And I didn’t just feel bad for you,” she traced the outline of your bottom lip watching mesmerizingly, “When you saved me, you were the first person in a long year to show me any kindness, kindness that I didn't even deserve,” she lifted her eyes to meet yours, “I wanted you.”

Her hand slid to your neck and she rested the side of her head against yours. You could feel her breath on your neck. You closed your eyes trying to instill this feeling to memory before you asked your next question, “What about Dina?” Ellie raised her head and you regretted asking. She paused at your ear, “Right now, it’s just you and me.” She kissed your neck and it sent shivers down your spine. Her lips were plush and her tongue was hot and moist when she glided it up. You quietly gasped. “Do you want me?” she asked against your neck. Your hand slid onto her jean cladded lap, wanting to unravel her. “Yes.”                            

END