Author's Note: It's been a long time since I've written. I'm currently going through some pretty big changes in my life and I really wanted to revisit my old stories and finish them. I had actually left because I received some very hurtful flames on another story, which made me want to leave the site completely. However, I decided that I wanted to write for myself and those who enjoy my ideas. That being said, this is my least read story (mainly because the fandom is long gone mostly) so I figured I'd start here because these two are literally one of my top three favorite couples. Those who read, thank you for sticking with me.
There he was, in all his grungy musician glory, just sitting next to her doorway with a goofy grin plastered on his face. She hadn't realized just how much she missed that smile until he was right in front of her. He stood up, rolling up the notebook he had been writing in and placing it in his pocket. He walked towards them quickly and wrapped his arms around her in a familiar hug.
She could feel her heart beating a mile a minute after being so close to him for the first time in such a long while. The smell of his cologne was so familiar and comforting. His smile lit up her day. His mere presence was enough to turn her day around. She was instantly transported to her 17 year-old self once again without a thought. In that moment, Ellie knew she was a goner. She knew that despite any pretense she may have had about keeping him at arms length, there was no way she would be able to do it in practice. With that knowledge at the forefront of her mind, she hugged him back with as much enthusiasm as she could muster and plastered a smile on her face.
"Craig! Man, I didn't expect for you to beat us here! How's it going?" Marco said, a genuine smile gracing his features, as Craig left Ellie's arms to go a give Marco a friendly hug.
"I can't say I haven't been to Vegas once or twice since moving to L.A." Craig began, immediately noticing the grimace Ellie made. He quickly corrected himself by saying "I behaved! I promise. I went to Vegas for a few small gigs. Haven't fallen off the wagon by any means! But I know how long it takes to get here from there, so I figured I'd come by to help unload the car". Ellie smiled at him and nodded her head and said, "That's great Craig. We're all very proud of you, right Marco?" and looked quickly over to her best friend. Marco nodded quickly and awkwardly coughed, trying to change the subject.
"So how about we see the inside of this apartment huh?" Marco quickly said as Ellie pulled the keys from her pocket that Paige had sent her in the mail the week before. Ellie moved past them both and placed the key in the lock and turned it quickly, opening the door to her new home. It was bigger than she'd thought it'd be (but that wasn't saying much). The walls were blindingly white and the carpet was shaggy and outdated, but the place was clean, the bedroom was roomy, and the appliances were new. She walked through the place, a sense of calm slowly setting in. This was her new home. This was the place where she was going to make it or break it. This was the first place that was entirely hers and no one else's.
After surveying the place, Ellie walked into the living room to see Marco and Craig engaged in what seemed to be an awkward staring match. She laughed internally at the obvious tension, smiled at them and said, "How about we unload the car?" Both men bounded down the stairs and all three of them set to work unloading Ellie's (albeit limited) stuff from her car.
After almost an hour of unloading everything and desperately trying to set up her bed frame in vain (it seems she had forgotten to bring the screws she needed), the three of them laid on her floor exhausted. "How about we go grab some food? I know a few really good places in the area. What are you guys in the mood for?" Craig said from his spot on the floor. Marco piped in saying "Ooh I could really go for some Thai food. What about you El?" Ellie smiled up at the ceiling and said "Thai sounds good. Craig?" Craig hopped to his feet, offering Ellie his hand to help her up. Ellie gladly accepted and catapulted to her feet, mildly overshooting, and clumsily ending up in Craig's embrace. They stared into each other's eyes for the briefest of seconds before Ellie quickly moved away from his arms.
"Yeah… yeah, uh there is a good Thai food place about three blocks from here. Do you guys want to walk over and I can show you the neighborhood?" Craig said, stepping away from Ellie with a shy look on his face, as if he was afraid that their physical proximity had made Ellie uncomfortable. Ellie nodded at him reassuringly, as Marco gave her a tense but kind smile. The three filed out of the apartment, walking the three blocks to the restaurant.
They spent the next three hours eating delicious food and reminiscing about the good times when all they had to worry about was homework and teenage drama. Craig showed them around the area, making sure to point out all the things Ellie would need in the upcoming days. They fell back into their old rhythm of friendship. Ellie couldn't help but think to herself that maybe this could work out. Maybe this whole transition would be less of a disaster than she thought.
Once they had effectively gone through the entire neighborhood, they ended up back at Ellie's apartment. Marco looked like he was ready to fall asleep where he stood, so Ellie promptly sent him to bed, despite his protests. Ellie suddenly found her self faced with being alone with Craig in the living room of her apartment. Ellie nervously sat down on the floor in front of some boxes and started sorting out the limited kitchen items she had brought.
"So my friend Paul, the one that I told you was moving out of his place, he has a couch, a small kitchen table, and a few chairs. He's getting married next week and I guess his fiancé thinks they're a little too bachelor pad for their new house. They may not be your style but they're free so…" Craig rambled on, handing her his phone, which contained pictures of the items. Ellie looked at the phone, noting that the items seemed clean and in good condition, though she could never understand how anyone could ever pick out a lime green couch, and nodded while handing the phone back. "That would be great Craig, is there anyway you could help me pick them up? It's not like my Civic will exactly pull off picking up a couch." Ellie said with a laugh.
Craig nodded, running a hand through his hair, "Yeah definitely, he said we could come by on Wednesday night to go get the stuff, I'll see if one of my friends has a truck we can borrow". Craig walked up behind Ellie and put his hand on her shoulder, slowly turning her towards him. "El? I just… I wanted you to know… I'm really glad you're here. And if you need anything, I'm here for you. I know that I haven't always been… the most reliable person, but I really am doing much better now. I'll be here, ya know, if you ever need me" he said, vulnerability shining in his eyes. Ellie's heart fluttered at the genuine care she could see in his eyes and softly smiled.
"Thank you Craig. Truly. You've been so helpful with all this moving stuff. I have no idea how I'd pull this off without you. And I really appreciate having a friend here. Can't say that this is exactly the easiest move I've ever had" Ellie said, letting her usually guarded nature slip away. Craig moved closer just slightly, his arms on either side of the counter behind her.
"Are you doing okay with all this? The moving and your parents leaving Toronto?" Craig asked her, concern evident in his voice. Ellie looked up into his eyes then looked down at the floor nervously. His close proximity both calming and maddening to her all at the same time.
"I mean… I can't say I'm not overwhelmed. I am. And I'm sure that this whole thing will be even more overwhelming once Marco is back in Toronto and I'm all moved in with no one but myself to report back to. But, I think I'm ready. This is the best step I could make for my career and I couldn't live with the regret of watching it slip through my fingers. Sometimes, you just have to take risks, right?" Ellie answered him, looking back up into his eyes. Craig nodded, almost dazed, lightly licking his lips and staring back at her, a look of pure adoration she had only ever seen aimed at others staring her right in the face.
"Ellie… about everything before" Craig began quietly, a look of resigned desperation slowly crossing his face. Ellie cut him off and placed her hand softly on his lips. "Don't Craig… the past is the past. Any former transgressions are beyond us now. We're even, remember?" she said with a teasing smile. Craig laughed softly and nodded "I remember".
Ellie slowly moved out of the makeshift cage Craig had made between her and the counter, but Craig quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her into his embrace. "But I also need you to know that even if the past is the past, some things haven't changed. I just need you to know that." Craig said quickly before moving away from her embrace and kissing her softly on the forehead. Ellie nodded, surprised by his honest admission. Craig smiled and backed away, grabbing his jacket from the counter. "I should head out, let you get some sleep. I can come by tomorrow night after I get done in the studio if you guys want to hang out though?" he said, a bashful smile on his face.
"I'd like that" Ellie said, walking behind him to the door. Craig made to leave through the door before Ellie struck up the courage to wrap her arms around his waist and give him a tight hug. She could feel Craig relax beneath her arms and she leaned up, quietly whispering "Some things will never change, Craig. Some thing will always be. See you tomorrow, Craig". She let him go and waved as he headed down the stairs and towards his car.
Ellie leaned against the door, her heart racing. She normally was never so bold. I suppose this was the 'New Ellie' she was trying out for her new life in a new city. The girl who doesn't let the things she wants slip through her fingers. From the moment she saw him on her doorstep, she knew there was no way she would be able to deny that the feelings were still there. She had never been good at pretending that Craig Manning didn't have a hold on her heart. The funny part was that today was the first time that she actually felt that it might not be unrequited. That maybe he might actually feel the way she had for so long.
Admittedly, he didn't say that he wanted her per se, not that he ever was that direct. But he had treated her differently then ever before. He looked at her like she was the most important person in the room. He held her like he didn't want to let go. Hell, he even said that things hadn't changed. Considering the last time she had seen him they had made out at L.A.X, she had to assume that there was at least some feelings there that were far more than friendly, right?
Rather than drive herself crazy trying to figure out exactly what to expect between her and Craig, Ellie lay down on the floor in the middle of the living room and reflected on all the events of the past month. Between graduating, moving, and seeing Craig for the first time in so long, Ellie had barely had a moment's peace to just reflect on the fact that she was actually realizing her dream. She was actually in L.A. doing the one thing she had always wanted to do. And it felt fantastic. For once, Ellie actually felt like she had everything together in her life. Of course, that thought immediately led to that nagging doubt in the back of her mind that told her that whenever all seemed well, the floor would fall out from under like it always had. But for once, she shoved it aside, sure that she could handle anything headed her way.
Ellie got up and made her way into her bedroom, seeing Marco sprawled out unceremoniously across the entire bed. Ellie shook her head and laughed silently to herself, grabbing a blanket from the top of one of the many boxes in her room. She quickly snatched a pillow from the bed then lie down next to bed, rather than try to find a spot amidst Marco's tangled limbs. Ellie slowly began to drift into sleep but the last thought in her mind was the feel of Craig's lips on her forehead. Ellie could only hope that she'd be feeling those lips on hers once again someday.