Prompts.

Carm shook her head as she walked into her, Ella, and Erin’s apartment to find Ella and Erin spooning on the couch. This wasn’t an uncommon thing since Ella had recently come to terms with her feelings for the keeper. However there was a big roadblock standing in front of those feelings in the form of Melissa Tancredi.

Ella woke up first and untangled herself from the taller girl walking into the kitchen where she smelled food cooking.

“Hey Carm.”

“Hey lover girl.”

“What are yo-”

“Oh shut it you know what i’m talking about, you need to be careful El.”

“Carm I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“That doesn’t mean you won’t.”

“Who do you think I am? I’m not trying to break them up.”

“You might not be trying to E but you have to take Erin’s feelings into account here. She’s too nice for her own good, and you and I both know she’s got feelings for you that we all know she can’t act on.”

“Carm I-”

“She loves Mel, and yes she has feelings for you too, but they have been together for 3 years Ella and you can’t mess with that, you have to respect their relationship and let it run it’s course.”

“You’re the one who told me she liked me! You’re the one who said I need to accept my feelings! And now you are telling me not to do that!”

“Ella you know I’m proud of you for accepting how you feel, and I know how difficult that was for you. And El you and I both know those two have an expiration date, hell I’d bet the two of them know that but you have to let it end on it’s own.”

“She’s not happy Carm.”

“Ella…”

“She’s not! She is not happy with Mel, sure she loves her, of course she does three years is a long time, but being in love doesn’t equal being happy.”

Carm took a deep breath before continuing.

“Ella I know how hard it is to not be able to act on feelings okay? I’ve been there, but please promise me you aren’t going to do anything stupid? I know you haven’t yet, and maybe cuddling doesn’t mean anything when it’s all of us together but I know and you know that you both feel something when it’s just the two of you, and you can’t tempt yourself like that.”

“Fuck.. I just-”

“Hey guys what’s up?” Carm and Ella’s heads flashed to the doorway of the kitchen where Erin walked in.

Ella stuttered for a moment before Carm cut in.

“I was just bugging this one about covering her dinner shift.”

Ella let out a sigh of relief as Carm saved her ass from an awkward conversation.

“Well it smells great Carm, maybe it’s a good thing you took over.” The keeper smirked, looking over to Ella who had a slight blush rising on her cheeks.

“Hey! I’m a great cook thank you very much, you canadians just have weird taste.”

“You just keep telling yourself that thunder.”

After dinner Ella was walking to her room when she heard Erin arguing with someone that could only be Melissa.

The forward reluctantly pressed her ear against the door to try and hear better.

“I know that Mel! I just feel like you aren’t taking my feelings into account at all!”

“This has nothing to do with her and you know it!”

“No! You always do this! You always blame something or someone else for our problems!”

“Mel! Do not bring Ella into this! She has nothing to do with us!”

Ella jumped back from the door when her name was spoken.

-why were they fighting about her?-

Before she heard anything that she would regret knowing the forward quickly went to her room shutting the door.

Around 10pm Ella was awoken when she heard someone creak her door open. She had fallen asleep with the lights on so after rubbing her eyes she saw Erin poking her head in the room.

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry I saw the light on and thought you were up I can go…”

“No no it’s fine really.” Ella sat up and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

“Are you okay? I heard you and Mel arguing when I passed your room earlier.” The forward spoke shyly hoping she hadn’t been caught.

“Oh you uh… You heard that?”

“Just in passing.” Ella stated quickly.

“Oh okay, well um yeah we had another fight, I uh I think we’re okay but I don’t know i’m just kind of tired of fighting you know? I just want to be-”

“Happy.” Ella finished Erin’s sentence quietly.

“Yeah, happy… I just, she used to make me the happiest girl in the world and now I feel like all we do is fight.”

“I think sometimes people hold onto relationships for the memories. Because when you think about the memories they make you happy and then you mistake those happy memories for truly being happy.”

“You aren’t a memory…” Erin spoke under her breath.

“What?”

“You aren’t a memory, you make me happy right now.”

Both girls looked up at each other and felt that spark that had been there since the first day they met.

“Ella…” The keeper spoke softly as she inched closer to the forward. They were only a few inches apart and could feel each other's breath on their lips.

Erin kept leaning in, waiting for a sign from Ella that she didn’t want this too.

“Erin wait.” The forward said suddenly when the keeper’s lips were just a breath away from hers.

“We can’t, I can’t… You’re still with Mel. We can’t do this while you’re still with Mel.”

Ella took a deep breath as she stopped the keeper from doing something that she wanted more than anything.

“Fuck…” Erin whispered out. “I’m so sorry Ella that was out of line.”

“Don’t apologize… I want it too you know, stopping you from kissing me was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“You… You said we can’t while i’m with Mel… Does that mean you would have if we weren’t together?...”

“Of course dummy, I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Erin blushed. “I don’t know I thought I was kind of making it up I guess. I didn’t think someone like you would like someone like me.”

“Someone like… What does that mean?”

“Well you’re kind of perfect.”

“I’m far from perfect Erin.”

“You’re perfect in my eyes.” Erin looked into Ella’s eyes and knew she needed to go before she did something she regretted.

“I… I should probably go.”

“Stay?” Ella asked without thinking. “I mean, i didn’t…”

“Ella it’s okay, I can stay.” Erin knew she shouldn’t but she couldn’t help herself, holding the forward in her arms was something she couldn’t resist.

The next morning Carm burst into Ella’s room causing the two slumbering girls to jump up.

“Erin I hate to interrupt but you need get out here, you have a visitor.”

“What? Who’s here?”

“Your girlfriend.”

“Melissa’s here?!” Erin quickly got up but Ella grabbed her arm before she could walk out.

“I need you to promise me something.” The forward said seriously.

“Anything.”

“Don’t do anything for me. I don’t know what you are going to say, but whatever you do, make it for yourself. Don’t think about me, think about you, and what you really want, not what I want, not what Mel wants. Okay?”

“I promise.” Erin kissed the blonde’s temple and slowly walked out to the living room.

“Mel, what are you doing here?”

“We promised each other no more fighting on the phone so I got on a plane and flew out here so we could talk.”

“You flew all the way here to talk?”

“Yeah I think we have a lot to talk about.”

As soon as the couple sat across from each other in the living room Erin burst.

“Mel I almost kissed Ella.” Erin blurted out suddenly.

“I’m so sorry, but she stopped me I swear, nothing happened.”

“I knew you’d go to her when you hung up last night.”

“Mel-”

“Let me finish. I knew you’d go to her but I was okay with it because I trust you. Through anything I have always trusted you, I trusted that even if you did kiss Ella that you would tell me. I know I suck at expressing my feelings but you’ve always been an open book. Do you remember the last thing you said to me last night before ending the call?” Melissa asked seriously.

Erin thought back to their conversation, it was mostly a blur of the two yelling back and forth and she honestly couldn’t remember.

“You said ‘why can’t you listen to me like Ella does.’”

Erin looked to the ground as her words came back to her.

“You know, when I got on that plane I thought I was coming to fight for you, about halfway here I realized I was coming to set you free.”

“I never meant for any of this to happen. I do love you Mel, I hope you know that.”

“We don’t chose who we fall in love with Erin, you taught me that remember? And I believe you, if you didn’t love me you would have kissed her, and you would have given up on us a long time ago when things started to get difficult. I love you too Erin.”

Erin stood up and gave the taller girl a hug. “Thank you Mel.” The keeper mumbled into her shoulder.

“Go get your girl.” Mel was putting on a brave face and Erin saw right through it

. “I hope you don’t mind but Carm said I can stay in her room for the night.”

“Of course not, it’s no problem.”

“Thanks, seriously though I meant it, go get her. God knows that girl’s had to wait long enough for you.”

Erin let out a small chuckle and wiped the few tears from her cheek. “You’re an amazing person Mel, don’t ever forget that.”

The striker smiled before shooing Erin off down the hall.

Erin walked straight into Ella’s room, where the forward was pacing in circles.

“Erin what happened?”

She walked straight up to Ella and took her face into her hands.

“Don’t stop me this time.”

She whispered right before she pressed her lips softly against Ella’s. Both girls felt fireworks as their lips finally connected for the first time. After what seemed like both an eternity and only a few seconds, the keeper pulled away slowly. “wow.” Both girls whispered at the same time with their foreheads pressed together.

“Carm was right.” Ella blushed.

“About what?”

“Girls are better kissers.”

Both girls laughed, and Erin leaned in again to connect their lips once more.

“I’m glad you think so.” The keeper smirked, pulling Ella into a tight hug.

After a minute Ella pulled back. “Is Melissa still here?”

“Yeah, she is staying the night in Carm’s room, why?”

“There is something I need to do, I’ll be right back.”

Ella was out the door before Erin could stop her.

She found Melissa lounging on the couch watching a show on tv.

“Melissa?” She asked nervously.

“Come to thank me?” Melissa asked jokingly.

“Um well kind of yeah… is that weird?”

“No, and I guess now is a good time for me to thank you too then.”

“What? Why are you thanking me?”

“For not letting Erin kiss you, for not letting her be a cheater. You and I both know that no matter how happy she is, she would never have forgiven herself if she had kissed you last night. But also, for not kissing her yourself, and for not stealing her from me, to other people it may seem like you kind of stole her but you didn’t, you let us take care of us before anything happened and I really am greatful for that.”

“Soo you don’t hate me then?” Ella asked kind of relieved.

“Trust me, if I hated you, you would know. I have nothing against you Ella, you are clearly the one she is supposed to be with, and if anyone in this world deserves to be happy it is that girl, just do me one favour alright?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t ever let her go.”

“I don’t plan on it.” Ella gave a genuine smile to the Canadian before turning to go back to her room.