Ellick One-Shots

Noticed

Nick leans on the doorway to Ellie's bedroom, watching her stare blankly at the ceiling from under her blankets.

After a minute or so of this, Nick takes a few steps towards the bed, towards Ellie.

As he opens his mouth to say something, Ellie interrupts him.

"4 kids. A wife that loved him more than anything in the world." Brief pauses fill the spaces between her sentences, emphasizing the emotion in each word. "There were at least two siblings next to his bed in the hospital at all times. A steady flow of friends. Both parents still alive and loving him."

Approaching the bed, Nick peers down at Ellie's tear streaked face, pain striking through his heart.

"And he just... died. All because of his job. No one even noticed he was missing for hours. How does someone just... die like that? So loved, but so alone." Ellie takes a deep breath, her soaked eyes still gazing into nothing.

"Do you think... do you think anyone would even notice if I just... disappeared? Besides the people we work with? Does anyone really care as much as his family did?"

Slowly, her head turns on its pillow so she's looking at Nick.

Holding eye contact for a minute gives Nick strength, and he takes a deep breath.

Picking up the corner of her blankets, he climbs under the covers with her as she slides over to give him room.

With a sigh, he lays his head back on her pillow, and turns to see Ellie's eyes focused on him.

"I'd notice."

She gives him a small smile, but says "I said someone I don't work with."

"I am someone you don't work with."

Face to face, turned to each other on the pillow, their eyes hold each other's.

"I'm your friend too." He whispers, and she smiles a wide, closed mouth smile that fills Nick with pleasure.

"Yeah, I guess you are." She whispers back, each of them smiling.

Her lips part slightly as she becomes aware of how close her partner is.

Their noses touch gently, and for a moment they each hesitate, but Ellie's lips find Nick's easily, planting a soft, almost delicate kiss on his mouth.

Matching her tenderness, Nick kisses her back, his hand laying carefully on her cheek as they kiss.

Ellie pulls away and looks into Nick's emotion filled eyes.

A smile stretches across her face as she takes in what had just happened.

Leaning into him, she buries her face in his chest and the blankets, smiling to herself as she closes her eyes.

Nick hugs her to him, stroking his fingers through her hair, his breathing adjusting to match hers.

"I'd notice."