Ellie has been… head over heels.

It’s embarrassing, really.

And the worst part? Everybody knew.

Jesse figured it out immediately, saw the way Ellie stiffened when you walked into a room, how her eyes always tracked you like it was involuntary. Dina teased her relentlessly, nudging her every time she got too obvious. Even Joel—who had his lovedar broken—caught on. He did tease her about it, a bit.

But you?

Oh, you blind fool…

You had no idea. Not even a clue. You assumed she was just… uneasy around you. Maybe you reminded her of someone from her past, maybe she didn’t like you as much as you thought. Ellie would be the last person you thought was in love with you.

But she was.

She adored you. She admired you in ways she didn’t even know how to put into words. Every little thing about you was carved into her brain—your laugh, the way you looked at her without knowing what you did to her. It was awful. It was torture.

And now here you both are. Out on patrol, you rode a bit in front her, the cool air biting at your skin as your horses tread through the quiet, snow-covered woods. The sky is gray, the air still. It should be peaceful, but Ellie can’t focus on a damn thing.

Her sketchbook rests on her lap, the corner of the page bent where her thumb keeps fidgeting. She was supposed to keep track of the patrol, but she was lost.

“shit..” She mumbled under her breath. “your ha- jesus!” She cursed under her breath. How did she suddenly suck at poetry!?

Her pencil hovers uselessly over the page. She wants to write about you, wants to get something down. But what the hell is she supposed to say?

That you’re kind? That you make her feel like the ground is tilting underneath her feet?

No. Too classic.

She taps the end of the pencil against her lip, stealing a quick glance at you from under her lashes. You look back at her, curious, a soft smile tugging at the corner of your mouth.

Her breath catches.