I can't stop writing this couple, and I can't stress how much I wanted to slap Nate for being such a jackass to Elena for most of Drake's Deception. Good thing they are fictional characters so I can just write about them instead of actually slapping anybody. Uncharted belongs to Naughty Dog and SCEA and all that good stuff.
"You're still wearing it," he teased, probably not meaning any harm; it was in his nature to tease and she hadn't given any indication that she was anything other than fine. Of course I am, she wanted to say, I wasn't the one who gave up, but he looked so happy and she didn't want things to get ugly right away and in front of Sully no less, so she made up something about it helping her job in this part of the world, and he seemed satisfied with that.
"Come on, admit it; you love all this just as much as I do," he said gently as he moved to face her, and she wanted to rage and scream and argue that she didn't, she hated it and hated that stupid piece of metal hanging around his neck because it had taken him away from her. But she couldn't lose control of herself like that, not when they had been getting along so well up until now, so all she said was, "No. No, not anymore."
"I'm sorry," he said sadly as he held her hand, and she almost broke right then and there, almost cried and told him she was sorry too and how much she missed him and loved him and needed him, but he was exhausted and he didn't need all that pressure at a time like this, so she only sighed, "I know."
"Just like old times!" he laughed into the wind as though this was just another day, and she wanted to follow him no matter what he had said on the other side of the fence, tell him that he clearly wasn't going to get very far without her. And then she saw how enormous those tires were and how fast they were spinning underneath the landing gear he would have to leap for, and realized she would kill herself if she tried so she laughed in reply, "Yeah."
"Swapped it for a better one," he said with that sweet smile she had fallen for, raising his hand to hers so she could see that he was wearing it again, and for once Elena had nothing to say.