A/N: Part 1 of a new Natella 3 shot! I hope you guys like it! It's a bit more intense than anything I've written in the past! Thank you so much for reading!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

Overexposed

by angellwings

1/3: Going to War

You and I go hard,

at each other like we're going to war.

You and I go rough,

We keep throwing things and slamming the doors.

-One More Night, Maroon 5

Ella bounced into the conference room where she'd gathered the group for a big announcement. Ella had claimed good news would follow but Nate was skeptical. Things with Ella had been strange lately. Mostly because he'd almost admitted that he loved her. Almost. He'd retracted his words as soon as they'd left his mouth and ever since Ella had avoided one on one time with him. Not that he blamed her. If she'd acted the way he did he'd avoid her too. He shouldn't have said it, but she was standing on the balcony of that hotel room with the breeze blowing her hair and the white moonlight hitting her face in the most perfect way he'd ever seen and the words just...slipped out.

He gulped as he relived the moment. Her eyes were closed and a peaceful smile graced her baby pink lips as she enjoyed the feeling of the breeze and the warm summer night. She was breathtaking, and he'd always known that but in that moment she'd seemed particularly striking. It was causing his chest to ache. And those three little words were lurking in the back of his throat. He could feel them waiting to escape and he couldn't stop repeating them to himself. He felt his mouth open slightly and the next thing he knew the words were softly rolling off of his lips.

"I love you."

She immediately stiffened and turned to face him with surprised eyes. She didn't look scared or horrified. She just looked startled. She took in a deep breath and gulped. "You...love me?"

And that's when Nate realized what he'd done. He'd changed things between himself and Ella forever. Nothing would ever be the same now that there words were out in the open air. What if she didn't feel the same? What if the idea of him loving her disgusted her? What if it ended horribly and he lost her forever? What if, what if, what if...

One question after the other flooded his brain and his brain to mouth filter broke under the strain and once again he was speaking before he could stop himself. "Not love love. I meant that I...I love you as a friend. You mean a lot to me, Ells."

Her face fell and she looked away from him immediately. She spoke up so quietly that he barely heard her. "You mean a lot to me too, Nate."

And then she turned and left. Left the balcony, left the room, left him. The only time he'd seen her since had been in a group setting. He missed her terribly. No one else inspired or challenged him the way she did and he'd felt his life had been lacking something over the last week and a half that he'd been without her.

The sound of Ella clearing her throat brought him back to the present. "So, as many of you know, I have a huge announcement. It's bittersweet. Something exciting and sad and I'm desperately hoping that I'll have the support of my friends because I'm going to need it."

"You've always got our support, Ella," Peggy said with a small smile. "No matter what."

"Let's hope," Ella said as her eyes briefly connected with Nate's. "I've been offered another job."

Nate's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed at her. "What?"

"It's a job working for TJ Tyler," Ella said as she ignored Nate's glare. "I'd be in charge of her wardrobe for all of her tours and events and appearances. I'd have all kinds of resources and it would really get my name out there. This gets me one step closer to my own studio. It's huge. She's a legend and a fashion icon."

Tess smiled sadly at Ella and nodded. "She's not easy to work for, Ella. Not like all of us. She treats her staff pretty badly, unless it benefits her publicly that is."

Ella sighed and acknowledged Tess with a short nod. "I know. I've been warned. But this job...it's my big break. I mean, I love all of you guys, but I'm a glorified stylist. I shop for other designer's clothes and I tailor them. This job with TJ means I'll be designing. Her tour wardrobe is one hundred percent original. This is a chance to show everyone what I'm capable of. I can't pass it up." Her eyes found Nate's again and took on a pleading look. "I can't and I'm hoping you'll all understand that and, if you can't be excited then at least, be supportive. I know this is a big deal. It's like...like leaving my family."

"But you're not," Mitchie told her with a genuine smile. "You'll still be here in LA and you'll be our friend. It's not like you're moving to Siberia or anything. You just won't be working with us everyday."

Shane put a hand around Mitchie's waist and nodded his agreement. "You can't leave your family, El. That's not how family works." He motioned to Nate and Jason and grinned. "If it was I would left those two dorks behind a long time ago."

"Gee, thanks," Jason said dryly with a shake of his head. He turned to face Ella and wrapped her in a very large hug. "Whatever you decide, Ella, we'll be here. For you."

Caitlyn quirked a brow at Nate and elbowed him in the side when she noticed how he was glowering at Ella. He glared at Caitlyn and she gave him a reproachful look. "We're always here, Ella. Right, Nate?"

"Yeah, right. We'll be fine. It's not like there aren't hundreds of aspiring designers out there who can do the job just as well as you can. Life will go on without you," Nate said through a tense jaw. "You won't be hard to replace."

Jason and Shane groaned and the girls all turned angry looks on him. For her part, Ella gulped back tears and took a deep breath to steady herself. She glared at him in return and slowly walked toward him. "Nice to know how you really feel, Professor. I guess I can't count on you for a glowing recommendation then?"

"I'll gladly give you a glowing recommendation if it will get you out the door faster," Nate sneered.

Ella suddenly looked as if she'd been slapped and Nate felt a tinge of guilt, but he couldn't do what the others were doing. He couldn't just roll over and let her leave. He needed her. This probably was far from the best approach but he hadn't had time to plan out a logical debate. This was all he had at the moment.

"If that's what you want, Nate, then why don't I just quit right now? Clearly, I'm not needed for another two weeks," Ella said stiffly.

"Do what you want," Nate said with a cold stare. "It's not like you care what we think about your decisions anyway."

And once again Ella turned and left. Left the room, left their friends, and left him. But this time, she wasn't getting away so easily. Nate chased after her, ignoring the protests and tugging hands of the group, and stopped in front of her in the hallway.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"You wanted me gone, remember? So I'm going," Ella said angrily. "Goodbye, Professor."

"I don't get it. Why do you all of a sudden not think we're enough?" Nate demanded. Were they not enough to keep her feeling challenged? Were they not giving her enough room to create? Was she just sick of them? Had he screwed everything up with that confession? How could Ella do this? How could she just leave them like that? Why?

"Enough?" Ella asked as her eyes flashed angrily. She continued and began to walk down the hall quickly as she yelled at him. "So you think I should just stop dreaming once I have 'enough'? Isn't that a bit like settling? You have more than enough Nate. Does that stop you from touring? Or writing? Or producing? No, it doesn't. So why should it stop me? Why do I always have to give up what I want? It can't be so I can stay close to you. You don't seem to want me that close to begin with," Ella spat bitterly. "So, I'm going. I'm taking that job and no one is going to hold me back. Not even you."

They finally reached her office and Nate felt panicked. He couldn't let her leave. He didn't want her to leave, but she seemed determined to abandon them. He felt his anger bubbling up again at that word. That's what she was doing. She was abandoning him. "That's it? You're just done. No further discussion at all? I can't believe you would just leave! You want to design? Fine! Design clothes for us! For Mitchie, Peggy, and Tess! We'll gladly wear them! You don't have to leave to do that!"

"Yes, I do. I can't stay here," She said coolly as she looked away from him.

"Why not?" Nate asked with a huff.

"I just can't, Nate," Ella told him adamantly.

"There has to be a reason, Ella," Nate said as he rolled his eyes at her.

"That doesn't mean I have to tell it to you," Ella said with a glare. "You don't automatically have the right to know all of my secrets. In fact, you don't have a right to anything when it comes to me."

Nate glared at her in return. "Since when are there limitations on what you feel comfortable telling me?"

"You don't know everything about me, Professor. You probably never will," Ella told him as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Stop calling me Professor," Nate said through gritted teeth. "I hate it."

"I know," Ella said honestly as she walked into her office and slammed the door behind her.

The rest of the day was miserable. Not only was Ella mad at him but so was everyone else. How dare he treat Ella that way! That was all he heard out of the girls. Jason and Shane said nothing and ignored his outbursts from earlier, but Nate got the message. He was out of line and he needed to get his act together. Why was everyone surprised he'd reacted the way he did? It's not like he and Ella had never fought before, and he'd definitely disagreed with some of her decisions before. This wasn't anything new.

In fact, this was almost like how he'd reacted to Ella's first tattoo. She had five of them now. Most of them were tiny. She had one slightly larger one on the back of her calf, but the rest were small and in places where they could be covered if they needed to be. Her first tattoo however had been a complete shock to him. Ella was a pretty quiet girl and her mother was very strict. Not to mention conservative. So none of them had ever thought about Ella getting a tattoo until she showed up to camp one summer with a shooting star permanently inked on her wrist. Her response when she was asked about it was, "I'm eighteen now. I can do what I want."

"I still can't believe you did that," Nate told her as they walked toward one of the rehearsal cabins together. He pointed to the tattoo and shook his head. "I mean, why? Other than wanting to rebel against your mother, I mean. And why a shooting star? And why on your wrist? The only way to cover it up is to wear long sleeves. I just don't get it."

Ella sighed. "It's just a tattoo, Nate. It's not a big deal."

"Ella, it's permanently inked into your skin. That's a big deal. You're going to have that for the rest of your life. Your grandchildren will see that tattoo on your wrinkly old woman skin. How can that not be a big deal?" Nate asked with a furrowed brow.

She shrugged. "I just liked it. Why is that so weird for you?"

"You liked it? That's it? That's all the reason you have?"

"What more of a reason do I need? Unlike some people I don't need a pros and cons list for everything I do," Ella said with a teasing grin.

"Yeah, well the pros list for a tattoo would be non-existent. That is, if a logical person were making it. You, on the other hand, would somehow find some pros," Nate said before he began to list off fake reasons on his fingers. "It's pretty, people will think I'm a rebel, my mom will hate it, boys will think I'm dangerous, and did I mention that it's pretty?"

He'd expected Ella to laugh. Only she didn't. She really didn't. She stared at him for a long moment before she glared at him and hit him with her tote bag. Hard. "Do you really think I'm that superficial?" Ella asked angrily. "I sound like such a ditz. Is that how you see me?"

"What?" Nate asked cluelessly. "No!"

"You know, getting a tattoo doesn't make me stupid, Nate. Lots of people have tattoos. Your uncle has several," Ella said with a pointed glare.

"Yeah, but he's a rock legend," Nate reminded her. "That's practically part of the required uniform."

"That makes no sense," Ella said as flipped her hair over her shoulder and stomped ahead of him. "If I get a tattoo then I'm silly and stupid, but Brown gets one and he's a legend. That's stupid, Professor."

"I don't think you're stupid!" Nate said loudly. "I just think you're going to regret that tattoo someday. That's all! I think at some point in your life you'll look at it and realize it really wasn't worth it."

Ella rolled her eyes at him. "That's not going to happen."

Nate shook his head and huffed. "Whatever, just don't get another one."

Ella stopped walking all together and he slowly turned to face her.

"What did you say?" Ella asked with an angry glare. "Please, tell me you did not just forbid me to do something."

"You know that's not what I meant," Nate said as he shook his head.

"No, it's exactly what you meant," Ella told him accusingly. "What happens if I get another one, Nate? Are you gonna stop being my friend? Cause if that's the case—"

"Ella, I will never stop being your friend," Nate said as he rolled his eyes. "You're being over dramatic."

"You're not my dad, Nate. Or my mother. Or anyone else who at least gets to try to tell me what to do," Ella said with a frustrated sigh. "I'll get however many tattoos I want and you'll just have to find a way to deal with that. Alright, Professor?"

"Yeah, okay, are we done?" Nate asked as he glared at her.

"We're done," Ella said curtly. "I have a class to teach in five minutes anyway."

"I'll see you at lunch?" Nate asked hopefully.

"Don't count on it," Ella said as she turned on her heel and walked away from him.

She didn't show up to lunch that day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. He'd had to corner her in the wardrobe cabin to get everything straightened out. She was stubborn and difficult and ever since she'd stood up to Tess she'd made a point not to let anyone walk all over her. Even him. It was one of the reasons he loved her. She knew what she wanted and she went for it. And damn anyone who stood in her way.

Which, it turns out, he was in her way a lot.

But they didn't always fight, and most of the time when they did they got over quickly. Every now and then like today or when Ella got her tattoo they have a big blow out. One that takes more than just your average apology to solve and usually it turns out to be Nate's fault. Which is why Ella avoiding him after his near confession seemed weird. They didn't argue so why did she start to avoid him? It also couldn't be coincidence that in the time she'd avoided him she took another job. Something was going on with her. She was trying her best to get away from him and he had no idea why. He'd thought taking back the words would keep things from changing for the worse but he was beginning to think that had backfired.

Nate sighed and ran a hand through his curls. He thought back on everything he'd said to her today and knew he'd been a jerk. At the time he thought letting her know how he honestly felt about her leaving might guilt her into staying. That sounded much worse when he thought it a second time. Now he could see he'd been cruel and hurtful and he hated being either of those things. Especially to Ella. She didn't deserve it.