your phone buzzes against your nightstand, the screen lighting up with ellie’s name. it’s past midnight, and you’ve been lying in bed for at least an hour, trying and failing to fall asleep. the sight of her name on your screen sends a familiar warmth through you, chasing away the quiet frustration of another restless night.
you answer without hesitation.
“el?” your voice is thick with drowsiness, but there’s a softness to the way you say her name.
there’s a pause on the other end, the faint sound of rustling sheets and a deep sigh before she speaks.
“yeah, hey… how come i always end up calling you when i can’t fall asleep?” her voice is low, slightly rough, like she’s been tossing and turning for hours.
you shift onto your side, tucking the phone closer to your ear. “because i always answer?”
ellie lets out a quiet huff of laughter. “yeah. guess so. were… you asleep?”
“no, i couldn’t sleep either, honestly.”
a comfortable silence settles between you, the kind that doesn’t feel heavy or awkward. just familiar. you hear her exhale, the soft creak of her bed as she moves.
“what’s keeping you up?” you ask.
she hesitates. “dunno. just… my brain’s being an asshole, i guess. feels like all these thoughts just won’t chill out.” another pause. “i just… figured hearing your voice might help.”
something in your chest tightens—not in a bad way, just in that way it always does when ellie says something unexpectedly soft.
“i’m glad you called,” you admit. “you know i don’t mind.”
“i know,” she says, quieter this time. “that’s kinda the problem.”
your brows furrow. “what do you mean?”
ellie sighs again, and for a second, you think she’s going to brush it off. then, finally, she says, “i just… i don’t know. i keep telling myself i’m not gonna do it, and then i do. i call you. every time. and you always pick up, and it always makes me feel better, and i—” she stops herself. “i just don’t know if that’s fair.”
you bite your lip, considering her words. “ellie?”
she doesn’t answer right away, but you can practically hear the way she exhales, like she’s been holding her breath without realizing.
“yeah,” she says, voice softer this time. “yeah, i’d really like that.”
fifteen minutes later, you’re standing outside her door, dressed in sweats and one of her hoodies that she definitely left at your place on purpose. you knock lightly, and it barely takes a second before ellie swings the door open.
she looks… tired to say the least. her hair’s a mess, her green eyes slightly hazy from the sleep that refuses to take hold, but there’s something else in them, too. something warm when she looks at you.
she steps aside to let you in, and you follow her to her room, where she flops onto her bed with a deep sigh. when she rolls onto her side and reaches out for you, you laugh.
“you’re ridiculous,” you mumble, but you climb in beside her anyway. who were you to resist snuggling up beside her?
ellie hums in response, shifting closer until her forehead brushes your shoulder. you stay like that for a while, just lying there, the quiet hum of the night settling around you. eventually, her fingers find the hem of your hoodie, playing with it absentmindedly.
“yeah.” a laugh falls past your lips. “you don’t mind, right?”
“not even a little,” she smiles.
you hum, snuggling further into her bed. your eyes flutter shut as you lean into her presence.
“hm?” you open your eyes, picking up on the odd look on her face.
“i was… thinking about something,” she says, voice hesitant.
“yeah? should i be scared?”
ellie scoffs, but there’s no real bite to it. “shut up.” she playfully shoves you.
you grin. “what were you thinking about? everything okay?”
she shifts slightly, like she’s debating whether to say it. and then, finally—
“sometimes… i feel like i wanna make out with you,” she says, quiet but sure. “is that a friend thing to do?”
your heart stutters in your chest. you’re not sure what you’d expected her to say but it most definitely wasn’t that.
ellie’s smiling softly, but there’s something underneath it. something cautious, like she’s giving you an out if you want it.
your fingers brush her hair from her face then drop down to the sleeve of her shirt, playing with it absentmindedly. “i don’t think so.”
ellie nods, like she expected that answer. but when you rest your hand on her cheek, she stills.
“good thing i don’t really wanna be just friends, huh?” you add softly.
for a moment, neither of you move. you can hear the sound of ellie’s breathing, slightly uneven, as she watches you. then, slowly, like she’s giving you a chance to pull away, she leans in.
and then her lips are on yours, warm and insistent, like she’s been waiting forever. maybe she has. maybe you have too.
either way, sleep can definitely wait.