#this trope has kinda been done to death but idgaf 😂

[takemeapart]

fwb to lovers. super short! wrote this quickly but it’s still (mostly) proofread.

modern au. ellie x reader

—

Ellie lays on your chest, her ear right above your heart. You’re both partially unclothed due to fooling around earlier but now you’re cuddled up, legs intertwined under your huge comforter. The steady beat of your heart calms her down some but she still feels anxious. She wants to ask a question that’s been eating at her since shortly after you two started this whole friends with benefits arrangement a month ago.

She knows she doesn’t really have a right to feel jealous. She knows. But it doesn’t stop the ugly feeling from creeping up at the thought of you seeing other people.

Before she can help it, it comes out. “Are you seeing anyone else?” She whispers into the quiet darkness of the room.

She can feel the hand you had raking through her hair stiffen, halting its movement.

“Um… Why do you ask?” You respond, your voice hesitant. Your fingers slowly return to running through her short hair again.

“Curious.” Ellie continues to stay where she’s at, too afraid to see what look you might have on your face. “So?”

She can hear your heartbeat pick up slightly.

“…I am.”

“Oh.” Ellie screws her eyes shut, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. She thought…. Maybe… She actually doesn’t know what she thought. It’s not like she asked to be exclusive but the answer hurts. She thinks she knows why the revelation hurts so bad but she shakes off the thought before she can think too deeply about it. She stays still for a moment, enjoying the warmth of your body before she abruptly sits up. “I have to go.”

She can hear you sit up, your voice laced in confusion as you watch her grab her clothes off the floor. “Wait, why? What’s wrong, El?”

Everything.

“Nothing.” Ellie responds, voice tight, as she hurriedly pulled on her pants.

“Wait.” You crawl near the edge of your bed and reach out for her wrist. Ellie stops at the feel of your warm hand on her, body tense.

You say her name softly and she keeps her eyes forward, refusing to look at you.

You tug her to you, her body in between your legs and your eyes searching her face while she continued to look at everything but you.

“Are you mad at me?” You ask gingerly.

“No.” Ellie says stiffly. “Why would I be mad?” She finally lets her gaze drop to you before looking away again. The way you were looking at her made her feel so vulnerable. She felt like you could probably see right through her. “It’s not like I have any right to be…” She mutters darkly, a frown forming on her face.

“Can you please look at me?” You whisper, tugging at her jeans to get her attention. “Please.” You say lowly.

Ellie looks down at you, her frown still present, waiting for you to say something.

Your cheeks were still a little flushed, your hair mussed up, and your lips still slightly swollen. Ellie felt satisfaction knowing that she was the one who made you look like that but the feeling was short lived when she remembered there was currently someone else out there potentially seeing you like that too.

You looked at her imploringly. “It was one date.”

“Okay.” Ellie resists the strong urge to squirm out of your grasp. She doesn’t really want to hear more.

“Ellie.” You stress, “I’m not sleeping with anyone else but you. And if I was, I would tell you.”

“Okay.”

“Do you want me to stop seeing them?”

Yes. “You’re your own person, I can’t tell you what to do.” Ellie says gruffly, her eyes leaving yours.

She feels you grab her hand in yours. “Ellie.” She can hear the frown in your voice. “If it bothers you, just tell me.”

Ellie returns her gaze back to your face, searching for something. She bites her lips and briefly closes her eyes in defeat, her shoulders slumping forward. “I’m… sorry. I don’t know why I reacted like that.” Lie. She shakes her head. “I just… I don’t…. really like the thought of you with somebody else.”

“Why?” You press, a certain tone to your voice.

“I just said I don’t know.” She says tightly, getting slightly irritated. Did you want her to make a fool out of herself? Want her to confess just so you could possibly reject her? No thanks.

“Okay.” You say delicately, taking a deep breath. “…Can I confess something?” You ask, your hands toying with her fingers as you gaze up at her.

Ellie gives you a wary look. “…What?”

“I don’t really like the thought of you with somebody else either.”

Ellie feels her heart skip a beat. Although she feels a bit hypocritical, she still asks: “Why?”

“Because I like you.” You said simply.

“Oh.” Ellie blinks. She feels her face flush once your words actually sink in. Her heart feels like it’s going to fall out of her ass. You liked her. You actually liked her. How was it so easy for you to say it? How were you so brave?

You tug her closer, your arms wrapping around her as you press your face into her torso. “So don’t leave.” You mumble into the cotton of her shirt. “Or I’ll be really sad.”

Ellie lets a small smile spread on her lips as she looks down at you. She’s hesistant to fall back into the easy intimacy you two shared but still reaches a hand out to smooth over your hair. “Okay.”

“You didn’t say it back.” You mumble into her chest, tightening your arms around her waist.

Ellie takes a deep breath. If you could be brave, she could be brave too. “I like you too... I…I want to be exclusive.” She whispers nervously.

You pull back, looking up at her. “Okay.”

Wow, that wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. So she presses on, feeling more comfortable and confident in expressing her desires.

“And… I want to take you on a date.”

You smile and Ellie melts. “Okay.”

“And… I want you to be my girlfriend.” Ellie adds, her hand cupping your cheek.

You laugh, placing your hand over hers. “Woah, you’re full of demands today.”

Ellie pouts at you. “Is that a no?” Maybe she pushed her luck with that last request.

You pull her down for a short kiss before pulling away slightly. “Ask me again after our date.” You whisper against her lips.

Ellie bites her lips and nods. At least it’s not a no.

You pull away from her and crawl back under your sheets, patting the spot beside you. “Now take your pants off and get back in here.”

Ellie laughs and kicks off her pants, “Now look who’s making demands.”

“Oh, shut up. I really can’t believe you were going to just run away like that instead of talking to me.”

Ellie lets out an embarrassed groan, crawling in and cuddling into your side. “I was scared. I didn’t think you liked me like that.” She mumbles into your skin.

“Well, I do.”

You two lay in comfortable silence for a moment.

“…I’m happy.” Ellie whispers, her hand sliding under your shirt to clutch at your side.

You kiss her forehead. “I’m happy too.”