Ellie x Nick Oneshots

I have faith in you

Ellie dropped down on her back beside Nick, both of them covered in a coat of sweat, their breath coming out in little pants.

Immediately, the Latino's arm wrapped around his girlfriend's small form, pulling her closer against him so that her head rested on his chest as he pressed a quick, loving kiss onto her forehead, resulting in her lips forming into a smile.

They lay there like that for a while, skin pressed against skin, both tired but content, though neither wanted to fall asleep yet.
Neither of them wanted this moment to end because once the next day arrived, it would mean they'd have to part, for how long nobody knew.

Ellie was concerned, she didn't want him to leave, didn't want to feel the loneliness that would certainly consume her until he came back to her...And for once, Nick didn't want to go undercover either.

For the first time in his life, Nick felt at peace, thanks to the blonde beside him, and he didn't want his absence -being away from her for God knows how long- to possibly put a strain on their still new relationship.
Nick needed this, needed her, more so than he ever thought he could need a person.

As his thoughts went in all kinds of different directions inside his head, putting a frown on his face, Elliestirred beside him, having noticed the tension in his shoulders, felt it in his grip around her waist. She could tell something wasn't right, knew that what bothered him had most likely to do with the undercover case he was leaving for the next day.
She had always been good at reading him, -at knowing when he was upset or when something was troubling him- even before they became a couple, so much that sometimes it surprised him just how well she knew him.

Right now though, he let out a sigh as she propped herself up on her elbow to look down on his face, concern evident on her features.
Nickinternally reprimanded himself for worrying her, it certainly hadn't been his intention... he hadn't meant to add to the worry that was always there anyway when one of them was in danger or could get hurt.

Once he saw the way she was staring down at him, the Latino knew he had to be honest with her and tell her what was on his mind... Honesty. That was one of their most important rules they'd established when they became an item, knowing it was essential for a working relationship.
And although Nick had always claimed to not be one for 'touchy-feely stuff', he surprisingly found it to be pretty easy to be upfront with her about his feelings and thoughts.

''Nick...?'' Ellie said his name, placing one of her hands on his cheek, their eyes locked, her hazel ones meeting his dark brown ones.

''Hey, talk to me, please. What's wrong...?'' the blonde carefully inquired, giving him time to collect his thoughts and answer her question, patiently waiting until he managed to voice his concerns.

In a tone quieter than she'd ever heard him use, the Latino finally replied after a few moments of silence, his hand now covering hers on his face, gently holding it there, her warm palm against his skin calming him. The phrase came out of his mouth in a hesitant, small voice, increasing the worried expression on her face.

''I don't wanna leave, Ellie,'' he started, sitting up a bit so their faces were on the same height before he continued speaking.
''For the first time in my life, I find myself not wanting to go undercover, not looking forward to the thrill and danger it poses...not when it means being away from you,'' he revealed, his voice sounding slightly hoarse due to how much emotion it was filled with.

His words caused the blonde to softly say his name, her brows drawn together in a little frown, touched by his honesty... but also still quite worried.

After taking a deep breath to get himself together, he resumed his speech.
''But I know that I have to do this, no matter how I feel about doing it...because the lives of children are at stake.'' His voice was steadier than before now, less quiet and more determined, more the tone she was used to from him. ''But what if I'm not gonna be able to stop this, to keep more kids from being kidnapped and killed, or what if something goes wrong?'' he said to himself as much as to her.

The last of his words were the same concerns that the blonde beside him had running through her mind too. Ellie had always been afraid of something happening to him, especially when he put himself in danger for a case, just like he was for her, but since they were in a relationship, those fears just got more intense for both of them.
Frankly, it scared her to see Nick be so unsure of whether he could do something- it wasn't a side she saw of him often- so unsettled, so vulnerable.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Ellie leaned forward and placed a slow, deep kiss on her boyfriend's lips, and for a moment, neither did anything but relish the feeling of their lips touching.

When they broke apart again, the blonde looked deep into his eyes again, placing one hand on his chest, right over his heart, feeling the muscles, the warmth radiating from his skin, the beating of his heart against her palm.

''Nick, listen to me. You can do this. You're the best person for this job, and I have no doubt that you'll be able to do this and put the people responsible for the deaths of those children behind bars,'' she reassured him, her voice laced with steel, leaving no room for him to question her sincerity.

''I have faith in you, Nick.'' Ellie'swords, spoken so soft but determined, made Nick swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. That one little phrase coming from her mouth meant a lot to him, to both of them.

Slowly, a tiny smile broke out on his face, the tension beginning to drop from his shoulders as he pulled the blonde into a warm embrace, both finally relaxing.

''And I'll be right here, waiting for you when it's all over,'' Ellie added to her earlier assertion as she smiled against his shoulder.

For a while they remained in that position, wrapped in each other's arms until eventually, Nick let his torso drop back down onto the pillow so that Ellie was lying on top of him, both cuddled together contently.

Reassured that they were both fine for now, Ellie folded her arms on top of his chest, placing her chin down on them as she looked at Nick with a little smirk, earning a raised brow from her boyfriend, though there was unmistakably an amused glint in his eyes.

''And I was thinking...'' she uttered slowly, ''that once you're back from the undercover case... we can go back to doing what we were doing earlier,'' she drew the words out, half joking, half serious. Ellie definitely meant them though and was satisfied, as well as relieved, when her little quip resulted in a genuine, carefree laugh from Nick.