FIRST ATTEMPT AT A TLOU FIC...HOPE IT DOESN'T SUCK TOO MUCH ^^
TRIGGER WARNING: MENTION OF SUICIDE.
If Only We Had Forever
"So...where do we go, now?" Ellie asked, standing from her spot against the planter.
"I don't know," Riley shrugged, defeated. "I can't go back to the Fireflies. You can't go back to school..."
Ellie sighed, knowing Riley was right. In all honesty, they probably wouldn't even make it back into the quarantine zone. They'd snuck in and out many times, but even in the best health, it proved to be difficult.
She watched as Riley turned to look out over the Boston skyline with an unreadable expression. She took the opportunity to admire the older girl. The orangish glow of the setting sun on her skin...the way her face set in a sad, but calm way as she got lost in her thoughts...the way she managed to stay calm and composed even with the knowledge that they were quickly approaching an ugly, unavoidable death.
Ellie always admired that about her. Even when they first met back at the school, nothing ever seemed to shake Riley. Ellie finally spoke as she moved to stand beside the older girl. Joining her as she looked out over the skyline. It was truly a beautiful sight. For just that moment, she had forgotten about the infected, about the fireflies, about the military and that stupid school.
"This wasn't how I imagined our first date," She joked, hoping to lighten the mood. If she could bring that smile back to Riley's face for even just a second, she could die happy.
"No, kidding." Riley shoved Ellie playfully, the faintest smile on her lips. It was short lived, however, as she was pulled back into her thoughts.
"I'm really sorry, El." Riley spoke after a while. She said it with a tone that Ellie had never heard from her. It was guilty. It was vulnerable. And it was the most sincere she'd ever heard the girl.
Riley continued,"...about before...about TODAY. This is all my fault. I should've let you go..."
"Riley...Dude. STOP." Ellie chided playfully, eliciting a small smile from the older girl. She refused to let Riley blame herself for what happened. "If you would've let me go back when I tried, I wouldn't have gotten to spend the day with you...yeah, this fucking sucks, but who's to say we wouldn't get mauled on the way back? Or...like a year down the road when you're halfway across the country? You know? At least this way, we get to be together."
"Right," Riley nodded, feeling only slightly better. She honestly couldn't say she didn't enjoy her day with Ellie. It was just like old times. Only better, because she finally kissed her. She couldn't say she regretted any of THAT. Everything she did to get from the Fireflies holdout to the school...she would have done it all again, if it meant she would get to see Ellie. She didn't even care that she'd gotten bit. She did, however, wish she hadn't brought this on Ellie.
Ellie moved closer to the other girl, gently taking the injured hand in hers as she intertwined their fingers. Brown eyes met light blue eyes with this action.
This time it was Riley who leaned into Ellie, taking the younger girl's face in her free hand as she closed the distance between them. Their lips met for the second time that day, yet the kiss came so naturally this time.
There was no denying the fluttery feeling in her chest as their lips brushed and parted in sync. She wondered if this was how it was supposed to be, after all...them together on this rooftop...
Maybe this WAS their happy ending.
She chuckled at the dopey grin on Ellie's face as they parted. She found it to be absolutely adorable and she felt a since of pride knowing that she caused it.
"You're such a dork," Riley teased affectionately.
"Pssh, whatever. You love me."
Obviously, it was a joke. But then, it wasn't. Riley did love Ellie. And Ellie loved her. Unsure how to vocalize how true that was, they only shared a knowing smile as their foreheads rested against each other.
Ellie shifted uncomfortably as she noticed for the first time that Riley's hand didn't feel the same as it had earlier. It was colder...sweatier... Ellie chanced a look at the other girl's injuries to see how she was holding up. It wasn't until this point that she began to notice other changes as well. Riley was practically drenched with sweat. Her almond eyes seemed to lack their usual determination...their playful glint... They were so much dimmer now.
Personally, Ellie wasn't feeling any different, which she thought was a bit odd. Sure her arm was a little sore, but that's to be expected when someone or someTHING takes a chunk out of it.
Riley was a different story. She knew something was wrong. Ellie's bite was at least twice the size of hers, yet Ellie looked fine. She, on the other hand, felt nauseous and a bit feverish. Her insides churned in such a way that couldn't be attributed to all the junk she and Ellie ate earlier. She was changing. Quickly.
Ellie eyes widened as Riley pulled her hand from hers and stumbled weakly over to the planter, putting distance between the two of them. The older girl clutched desperately at the edge of the planter as she doubled over, emptying the contents of her stomach into the dead soil.
Ellie stood back, taking notice of a few sprouting spores on the caramel skin left exposed as Riley's shirts rode up over her back.
Nooooo...it's happening, It's REALLY happening.
"R-riley?" Ellie cautiously approached the girl, her eyes darting instinctively towards Riley's handgun. Ellie's heart twisted even at the fact that she considered shooting her friend. The girl she had only recently realized how deeply she cared about.
"You...should go." Riley croaked just in time for another wave of bile to come spewing from her lips. Riley could feel herself fading and she knew it was only a matter of time before she lost her mind...her soul...her inhibition.
"What?! No!" Ellie protested. She made a promise. THEY made a promise.
"Look, Ellie...this obviously isn't affecting you the way it's affecting me. You have time...lots of it." She lowered herself to the ground, sitting with her back against the planter as she had earlier. "You shouldn't spend your last moments trying to fight me off."
"So, what?" Ellie huffed, incredulously. "You want me to just leave you here?"
"Yes." Riley pleaded. "This isn't debateable. Either you leave...or, I leave."
"Riley, I don't need you to protect me-"
"JUST GO!" Riley barked, tears streaming her cheeks.
Ellie backed away at the urgency and authority in her voice. She finally realized that she had been in denial this whole time. How could she have missed the signs? Riley didn't even LOOK like Riley anymore. She was losing her colors. Her eyes were barely open...but through the slits, Ellie could see just how red they were.
"...okay," The brunette wiped furiously at her wet eyes as made her way back into the mall. She would leave, but she had one last stop to make before she did.
Ellie eyed all the still corpses in the electronics department as she made her way back to the stereo to retrieve her walkman. She threw it into her back pack and slung it over her shoulder in the eerie calm of the room in which so much had happened not even two hours ago.
It was quiet enough to hear a pen drop...and incidentally, the distinct sound of a gunshot from the direction Ellie had just come.
Ellie's hands shot to her head as she realized what had just happened. No one else was in the mall...no one else was on that roof. Riley had decided to go with option one after all.
Riley... That's why she wanted me to leave... Because she KNEW I wouldn't let her.
"FUCK!" Ellie exclaimed, feeling her heart shatter more and more as the gunshot echoed around her. Images of Riley's lifeless body flooded her mind...she couldn't think about that now though. She had to get out of there. She took a moment to compose herself before making her way towards the main entrance of the store with purpose. Just as she rounded the last corner, something shiny caught her eye up on the jewelry display and she detoured to checked it out.
As she got closer, she realized it was Riley's firefly tags.
Her eyes stung again as she remembered how they ended up there. Taking them in her hand, Ellie held those dogtags as if they were all she had...and she ran as far as her feet would take her, leaving the mall, the school...and most importantly, Riley, behind.