Half Return. V. SHELLY

9

✭⛧࿏

eleanor sighed, leaning over the counter at work as she pulled at her hands. vanessa had mildly been doing better, she was moving around a lot better, her wound was healing. she'd also been a little more talkative around nell. nell started feeling terrified about it all. almost hoping the girl would improve entirely and move back into her own place. she didn't want the girl gone, she wanted the opposite. she wanted her to stay. and she hated that she felt that way. she felt like it was so selfish of her.

nell didn't bother glancing up upon hearing the bell on the door. the customers mostly browsed. staring at flowers and leaving. nell always wondered how the old guy she worked for had the money to even keep the store going. "wow, no welcome?" nell glanced up, smirking a little as she saw vanessa in front of her with a small smile, the blonde was wearing nell's shirt, making the silver haired girl blush slightly. they'd already brought vanessa's clothes back to theirs, and yet she was still wearing nell's clothes. "you should be resting." nell suddenly remembered, giving the girl a slight glare. "i've been resting for weeks. i just missed you. and i got bored." eleanor's face flushed even more red at the girls words, a smirk plastered on her face as vanessa avoided the girls eyes. "missed me, huh?" vanessa rolled her eyes at the cockiness in the silver haired girls voice.

"i've still got a while left of my shift." nell murmured, tilting her head slightly as she looked up at vanessa. vanessa hummed, placing a coffee cup on the table, staring down at nell with a small smile. "i know. i wanted to get out of the house for a bit. and i was... i ended up walking here and i brought you a coffee, just passed a cafe, thought, 'why not?'. so i... this is for you." vanessa spoke, sounding almost nervous. nell stood up straight, putting her palms on the counter sending a small smirk in vanessas direction. "ah, so you wanted to get out of the house and you just happened to walk here and buy a coffee on your way?" she spoke in a mildly smug tone as she watched vanessa bite the inside of her cheek in response. "yeah, that's exactly what happened." vanessa stammered back, pushing out that fake confidence she had when they first met. nell nodded, her smug expression quickly turning sweet as she took the coffee, taking a sip. "you didn't have to bring me anything. but thank you anyway."

"i wanted to." vanessas response was quick, coming out slightly rushed as she crossed her arms over her chest. eleanor tilted her head slightly, a faint blush crossing her cheeks as she looked at the blonde. the two stood in a mildly awkward silence, an insane amount of tension between the two, they both had something they wanted, even needed to say to the other. but vanessa wasn't going to be the one to do it. vanessa had never felt anything towards anyone. she didn't even know she could feel anything towards anyone. she didn't know what to do with it, or even how to feel it properly. nell knew in the back of her mind that she should say something. she was screaming at herself internally to. "well, thank you. that's nice of you. mike and abby should be home in maybe twenty minutes, i'll be there in a couple hours if you want to go back." she spoke, trying to keep her voice sounding confident. vanessa visibly deflated, only partly, but eleanor noticed. the blonde only started nodding, mumbling about how she'll do just that and she'll see nell later. eleanor watched her nervously backing herself up to the door, she wanted to stop her and say something. she knew she should've said anything to ease the tension, but the moment she opened her mouth, the bell of the door was heard, and vanessa was walking at a faster pace than usual.

the silver haired girl sighed, leaning down to rest her elbows on the counter as she let her head fall into her hands, pushing the coffee aside. "fuck, you're an idiot." she murmured to herself, rubbing her face slightly. she knew mike would've kicked her for this. it was obvious to nell that was the perfect moment to act upon whatever she was feeling. but she pinpointed vanessa seeming to like her as just finding comfort after what happened at freddys. aside from mike, nell had never really had anyone. she'd never let herself have anyone, but she knew he was just as messed up as her to a point she knew she couldn't ruin them. and vanessa was seemingly just as broken. but in a way where she was still trying to pretend she wasn't. and nell didn't want to ruin her, ruin that naive bliss that vanessa had created for herself.

✭⛧࿏

"nessa!" abby shouted, running to the girl the second vanessa had walked through the door. "where were you?" abbys smile had grown three times the moment vanessa had smiled back, leaning down to abbys level as abby dragged her further into the house. "just got out of the house for a while." she murmured back with a small giggle, all the nervousness she'd felt the whole walk back from nell had seeminly vanished. "did you see nell?" mike asked nonchalantly, walking into the living room, not taking his eyes off whatever was in his hand. "uh- yeah." vanessas voice wavered slightly, but her expression remained the same smile she had when talking to abby. the waver was something abby never would've picked up on, but mike instantly picked up on it, glancing up from his book for just a moment as abby took vanessas attention from mike to herself.

"she would have loved that! you're her favourite, you know?" mike chuckled under his breath at abbys words. he loved how much abby would unknowingly stir the plot between both girls, it was like a push to either one of them to actually do something about the unspoken feelings. vanessas face immediately flushed upon hearing those words. "oh, oh. really?" she nervously giggled in response, abby made a subtle smug expression towards mike that he mirrored. they both knew. they both spoke about it. apparently they were less oblivious than both girls who were still trying to convince themselves it was all nothing. abby nodded fast in response before excusing herself, she had a drawing idea that she had to act on within that moment before she forgot it.

"she's right, you know." mike spoke, his tone was apathetic, like he was trying to convince vanessa it wasn't as big of a deal as she thought. he walked past her to the kitchen, moving to start cleaning the dishes with a sigh as vanessa followed, leaning on the door. "about?" her response made him groan, he turned to look at her with a fed up expression. "you are nells favourite. but, only you and me are in the running so it's not much of a competition." his sentence was a joke. vanessa knew that, she'd learnt he couldn't have emotion no matter how hard he tried. vanessa slightly laughed, moving to lean her back on the counter. "can i tell you something?" he continued, cleaning the dishes to completely avoid vanessas blushed daze. he heard her hum in response, so he began to speak. "she's never looked at anyone how she looks at you. never prioritised anyone aside from abby either." he murmured slightly, looking towards vanessa for a reaction, or even just to see if she got what he was implying. he could tell she was confused, he could tell she didn't know why he was telling her this. but he could also see a slight glimmer of hope in her eyes, making him scoff a laugh.

"she wont reject you if you say something." he spoke in the most amused tone she'd ever heard on him. her eyes barely widened, "how did you-" "you're blushing. you have been since i brought her up." she only rolled her eyes in response, crossing her arms over her chest as she composed herself quickly. he cleaned the last mug, pushing it to the side, he'd always do half the job, mostly to annoy nell. he walked to stand in front of her. he wanted to ask what's keeping her from admiting her feelings, or maybe push her into it. but he knew as well as nell did that they were all messed up. he wouldn't force her into anything. he knew he would've gotten angry and snapped if it was the other way round. "i'm just saying, whatever your feeling. shes reciprocating." he spoke, very awkwardly moving a hand up to pat her shoulder. the gesture made vanessa laugh, covering her mouth slightly with her knuckles. "thank you mike."

✭⛧࿏

(1502 words)
i forgot about this fic i'll try to get back to writing it!!!!