Ellie wasn't sick, but she spent the next day acting as if she was. It was almost noon and she was still in his pajamas. The only time she had left her bed was to use the restroom. But once she was done she crawled right back in and covered her entire body with the safety her comforter. Everything was quiet. She was debating on getting up again to shut her blinds as the sun was now shining into her window and directly onto her face, but she felt pulling the blanket over head would be an easier solution. However the knocking at her door didn't give her much of a choice. She really didn't want to move, but usually if someone knocked on her door when she didn't expect anyone it was her elderly neighbor that needed help with something. So she pulled the blanket off of herself and got up. But she was met with a surprise when she opened her front door and Patrick was standing there with a coffee cup and a brown paper bag.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Since your memorial was cancelled, I had nothing else to do today. So I thought I'd come and check on you. Brought you tea and a bagel."

"Thanks," Ellie said as she took the cup from him.

She opened the door a bit more then walked into her apartment allowing him inside. Patrick shut the door behind him and followed her into the living room. He placed the bag down on a small table and sat down on the couch. Ellie gently sat down on the opposite end, sipping the tea while almost staring past him.

"Looks like you haven't gotten too far today."

Ellie looked down and realized she wasn't dressed, she hadn't brushed through her hair, and that she probably looked like a mess. She immediately felt herself get embarrassed. Not that Patrick hadn't seen her like this before, but today it bothered her.

"Yeah."

"How are you feeling? If the bagel is too much for your stomach I can go and get you some soup," He offered.

"No, this is great Patrick. Thank you. You really didn't have to do this," She said to him with a smile.

"I was worried about you."

"Why?" She asked as she sipped the tea again slightly confused.

"It's not like you to run off like that. Usually you'd just stay with me. And I haven't heard back from you at all today. I thought maybe you ended up getting food poisoning, and that is a bitch to deal with."

"I'm sorry. I really just wanted to sleep so I put my phone on silent last night and I guess I forgot. It hasn't made any noise, so I haven't checked it. But no food poisoning. I'm good. Sorry to ruin your party."

He laughed at her joke. "Well I guess I am glad that you're still alive. Since you're feeling better did you want to do something today?"

Ellie rolled her eyes at her state. "I's going to be dinner time before I pull myself together enough to go out anywhere today."

"We could always stay here and finish the horrible movie you made me start watching yesterday."

"I'd still have to do something with myself."

"What are you talking about? You're fine."

"Pat I haven't even showered yet."

"So you'll stink a bit. I just won't cuddle on you," He joked making her laugh a bit. "I've always thought you looked cute like this anyway."

"What?"

"What? This is my favorite version of you."

"When I'm a mess?" She asked, not sure if she should be flattered or offended.

"When you're you," He answered. "Before you dress up and put make up on and try and make yourself look how you think everyone expects to see you. When you wake up and stretch with a smile before dancing around the kitchen while making food. Don't get me wrong, you're always beautiful, but first thing in the morning you has always been my favorite."

It wasn't too often Patrick and Ellie would make an unprompted comment about how the other looked. The last time Ellie could remember it happening was last Thanksgiving when all of their friends were back and town and everyone decided to go to Dave and Busters for some drinks and games. They were a few drinks in, the music was loud, and some of their friends had taken a break from the games to dance with each other. Patrick had mentioned to her that night how good her new outfit had looked on her. She told him that he didn't look so bad himself and that he cleaned up nice. They spent a lot of the night together playfully competing against each other in every game they played, and ended the night by using their tickets to pick out something to surprise the other one with. A few more drinks later they were uncomfortably close in an overcrowded car, almost sitting on top of each other. Ellie couldn't help but stare into his big brown eyes. They were glassed over due to the alcohol so she couldn't tell what the thought behind them was, but she could feel the heat between them and how his breathing changed by the rise and fall of his chest.

"Are you blushing Elle?" Patrick asked.

"No. I must be getting a fever," She lied as she tried to look away from him while setting her cup down.

"No you don't. You're not sick. You said it was the food and that you're feeling better today. What's going on with you Elle? You've been weird the last two days."

"I'm always weird," She tried to joke to divert the conversation.

"You're being weird for you. Come on, tell me what's going on."

"It's nothing."

"Ellie, come on. It's me. You know you can tell me anything," Patrick said as he faced towards her on the couch and scooted closer.

"Not this," She muttered to herself.

"Anything Elle," He said as he placed his hand gently on her cheek. "I'll never judge you."

The tenderness and proximity of him was making her flustered. She wasn't able to think of a proper thought, let alone something that would get him off her back. She was lucky that her brain was still telling her to breathe at this point.

"You judging me isn't what I'm afraid of," She thought out loud. "Ditching me is."

Patrick chuckled as his thumb ran across her cheek. "That's not happening. You're stuck with me no matter what Elle."

She wanted to blurt out and make him promise that, as if they were kids. She wanted to believe that more than anything. That she could tell him, and get it off of her chest, and then they could just go back to how things were without anything being weird or him ghosting her since apparently the feelings she had for him weren't going anywhere. But somehow the comforting look he had in his eyes made her even more scared because she didn't know what she would do if she lost it forever.

"Shit. Am I being too touchy feely again?" Patrick asked, taking her silence as her feeling uncomfortable and pulled his hand away. "Josh said that was going to get me in trouble with you one day."

"What?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

"No. Why did he say that?" Ellie asked with her brows furrowed.

Patrick shyly chuckled and looked away from Ellie for a moment as he ran his hand through his hair. "He says that sometimes I'm too affectionate with you and one of these days you're going to call me a weirdo and tell me to fuck off."

"Are you kidding? Never…but, maybe it would be a good idea if you cooled it for a while," She suggested tentatively.

"Does it bother you?" He asked as he looked back at her, right into her eyes.

"No. Not in the way Josh thinks anyway. It just, I dunno, might make things easier," She tried to get out while looking down and nervously picking at her nails.

"Easier for what? Elle, look at me," He said to her after not getting a response. He placed his finger under her chin to lift her head. "Elle, do you have feelings for me?"

Ellie's stomach was in knots, but not like it was earlier. She thought that she might have to run to the bathroom for real this time. She wanted to burst out in tears, but she refused to do that while he was still there sitting in front of her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but it happened. I just don't want you to feel weird and push me away. I can push it away and things can still be the same."

Patrick let out a chuckle that didn't make Ellie feel better at the moment. "Ellie, are you really that oblivious?"

She was caught off guard and slightly confused by his statement. But he made it clear by crashing his lips down onto hers for the second time, but much gentler than before. It was only moments, but Ellie felt like they sat like that for hours. When he pulled away, she was speechless. All she could do was blink her eyes and remind herself to breathe. Patrick moved his hand to tuck a piece of hair that was in her face behind her ear.

"Elle, I've been crazy about you since we met."

"What?"

"You're amazing. Gorgeous. Sweet. Fun. Caring. I fell for you right away. But you never seemed like you were into me like that, and I didn't want to lose you as a friend, so I never said anything."

Ellie felt her entire body relax at his words.

"Really?"

"Yup. Josh figured it out a bit ago and said if I kept monopolizing your time you were going to catch on. But, you were my go to for everything, and always agreed to the adventures."

"I was just happy to be spending time with you. I have a great time whenever we're together. So you mean this while time I didn't say anything because I didn't want to ruin our friendship, and you were doing the same?"

He laughed. "Life's funny like that I guess."

Ellie sighed and hung her head, feeling all of the built up tension finally release from her chest.

"Maybe we should agree to never keep anything from each other in the future," He laughed.

"Deal."

Ellie was finally able to do what she had been wishing for. She leaned in, kissing Patrick while wrapping her arms around his neck while he pulled her closer to him. When they pulled apart a few minutes later, he rested his forehead against hers as they both smiled.

"So what do you say about that movie?" He asked.

"Absolutely."

"What was the name of it?" He asked as he grabbed the remote.

"You can pick a new one," Ellie answered as she leaned against his chest, cuddling into him. "Turns out you have pretty good taste after all."