Jackson had been fair to her, lately. Not perfect, never perfect, but this summer has been kind.

Ellie was sprawled out under her favorite tree, limbs loose, shirt sticking to her back, and her head nearly dropping onto your shoulder. You could feel the warmth of her through the sweat in her hair, and yet, she still hadn’t moved. Maybe she was too lazy. Or too comfortable.

Not that she’d say that out loud. You were just a friend, after all, wondering what kind of friends look at each other like that.

She was yapping again, of course she was. Ellie always had a lot to say when she felt safe. Right now it was about dinosaurs, going on about obscure names you couldn’t pronounce even if you tried. Her fingers brushed absently over your thighs. But she never looked down, never acknowledged it. Just kept talking.

And oh, how she loved the heat. To see you wear less. Her eyes flicked downward more than once, not that she'd admit it. Definitely not to you.

Eventually she cracked open a water bottle, dumped half of it straight over her head with a groan, and let out a breathless, “Fucking sun, man.”

Then you saw it, that look. That little glint. You didn’t even have time to react before she was already shifting, bottle in hand, mischief practically radiating from her.

"Scared, princess?" she grinned, scooting closer with that look in her eye. The kind that meant trouble. The kind that meant run, but too late now.

And you weren’t sure if it was the heat or her eyes, but suddenly, everything was burning.