Ellie x Nick Oneshots

The art of make-up

They had just stepped into their apartment when Ellie gestured to a chair.
''Sit down. I'm gonna get some things from the bathroom.'' Ellie told him strictly so that he would actually listen to her. She didn't even stop to look if he obeyed her command, just walked straight in the direction of the bathroom.

Nick knew that when she was in a mood like this, it was really better not to argue with her. And he knew she was not happy with him right now, so he did what she had asked of him and sat down.

Just a minute later she came back from the bathroom and walked up to him.
She sat down on a chair that she had dragged from its place at the dining table so that she was sitting right across from him while she placed what she had fetched from the bathroom on the table.

From her spot right in front of him, she could clearly see the dark coloration around his right eye, courtesy of the bad guy he had gotten into a fight with earlier that day when the suspect had tried to run from them.
He had put an ice pack on his eye to cool it shortly after the incident, but it did still look very bad.

She couldn't help but shake her head at Nick's actions.
''Just why do you always have to get in a brawl with the bad guys?'' Ellie wondered with a big sigh.

''What else am I supposed to do when they try to run away? It's not my fault that some of them start a fight with me,'' Nick replied.

''I just don't like to see you get hurt, Nick.'' Ellie's tone of voice was soft as she gently, so that she wouldn't hurt him, placed her right hand on his cheek and carefully, just barely, brushed over his black eye with her fingers.
Her expression wasn't much different. Nick could make out the look of utter concern on her face and felt guilty for making her worry.

He laid his hand onto her's and delicately squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her that he was fine.

But he could understand why she worries.
He had often enough gotten in situations that had resulted in worse injuries than just a black eye and some bruises on his torso, and both of them knew that something like that might happen again some day or another.

Ellie now gave him a small smile, though her face was still expressing her worries, as she said in a faint voice, ''It's not a good look on you.''

Nick's expression softened, at that moment internally punching himself for causing that expression on her face, for making her worry.
So he leaned towards her and placed his lips on her's, giving her a kiss that was meant to comfort her.
She returned the kiss as her other hand joined the other one on his cheeks.

After a few seconds, they pulled apart, though their eyes locked again.
''I promise you that I'll try to be more careful, alright?'' Nick told her, knowing it was the best promise he could give her right now. Promising any more than that, and he would not be able to hold his promise, and they both knew it.

So Ellie simply gave him a slight nod, feeling relieved for now, and therefore the kind of somber atmosphere from before vanished.

Now Ellie was actually able to sort of joke around about the black eye, as she spoke while letting out a short laugh, '' It's just kinda bad timing, the black eye, don't you think?''

Nick nodded with a guilty smile on his lips, knowing what she was referring to with that.
''I know it is. I think it'll be harder to make a good first impression and charm you parents so that they like me with this.'' At that, he pointed one finger at his black eye.

Ellie's parents were in the city for a few days, wanting to visit their daughter since they saw her quite rarely since she had moved to D.C. when she had taken the job at NSA years ago, and Ellie had thought that it was a good opportunity to introduce Nick, her boyfriend, to them, which is why they were going out for dinner this evening.

And of course, Ellie had already thought of a plan on how to conceal Nick's black eye, knowing that her parents weren't going to be too happy to find out that her boyfriend had gotten into a fight just that day, even if it had been because of work and because he was trying to stop a criminal.

So she held up what she had earlier brought from the bathroom in front of him.
''That's why I brought this,'' she said, and Nick took in what she held in her hand.

''You want to put make-up on me?'' Nick raised a brow at that, and a big frown appeared on his face.

Ellie rolled her eyes.
''I want to hide your black eye with concealer, yes.''

''That...does not sound very manly.'' Nick was obviously very doubtful of her plan.

So she shot him a look, and with a raised brow and a stern voice, she asked ''Do you want to make a good impression on my parents or not?''

Sometimes you have to let go of your pride, Nick figured then, -even if that meant your girlfriend would put make-up on your face- and reluctantly agreed.

After that, Ellie gently applied the concealer around his eye, but Nick started complaining.
''Ouch! Be careful, Ellie. That hurts,'' he grumbled.

''Don't be such a baby. It's kinda your own fault that you even have the black eye.'' Ellie retorted, while she finished her work and then observed her handiwork.

''There, done.'' She said with a satisfied nod and leaned back in her chair.

Nick was curious and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror, Ellie following him.
She stood beside him as he observed his face in the mirror, impressed by how the make-up was actually able to hide his black eye.

He turned back towards Ellie and went to her to give her a kiss on the lips.
''Thank you, El.''

She smiled at him and then nudged him in the direction of their bedroom, following him into the room.
''Come on, let's get changed now. Don't want to be late for the dinner with my parents.''