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[ Glimmer stretches a little to let her toes dangle into the water. Being short is a curse sometimes. ]

...Yeah. Yeah, I know that feeling.

[ Can she learn to like Catra? For Adora's sake? She isn't sure. ]

I wish things had been different a lot.

Me too.

[Ellie sits for a second with her, watching Glimmer stretch to touch her toes to the water, and then shifts up, leaning in, pointing.]

Look. The fish are coming after your toes.

Eek--noooo!

[ She squeals, laughs like she's a kid again, and pulls her toes free of the water. No free nibbles, thanks! ]

[Ellie laughs out loud, then throws Glimmer a grin before she stands up, shucks off all but the most basic clothes, and cannonballs right into the water with a huge splash.

That'll take care of the fish.]

[ Glimmer shrieks as she's splashed by Ellie's cannonball--but a moment later she's done the same thing and leaps into the water after friend. She comes up sputtering and laughing. ]

Oh, moons--that feels amazing.

Told ya.

[Ellie pushes her arm through the water, creating a splashy little wave aimed at Glimmer. No mercy in water fights.]

Nothing like a night swim.

[ Glimmer stifles a laugh and ducks away from the water before splashing back at Ellie. ]

I've never done this before, actually.

Yeah me neither.

[Ellie gives her a Big Grin, revealing that she's full of shit, and snorts with laughter, shaking her head to get rid of the splashed water.]

[ Glimmer snort-giggles at that reaction. ]

Suuure. Why don't I believe that?

Because I the first time you met me I was smuggling darts up my sleeve so I'd have something to stab things with?

[Ellie swims closer with a snicker, but doesn't splash her again.]

And I have to sneak out or I'll die?

Having stuff to stab people with is actually really cool and normal.

[ Glimmer insists in a tone that suggests that she... actually mostly believes that now. Crazy what two years away from home will do to you. ]

Yeah, that checks out. I'd be worried if you weren't sneaking out, honestly.

[ Glimmer ducks her head under the water and comes up with a gasp as cool ocean water trickles out of her hair. ]

I am very cool and normal.

[Which is a very normal thing to say, thanks. But she digresses, her grin softening with the laughter, before she hesitates.]

Hey, Glim? Can I... talk to you about something?

Yeah, you are.

[ Glimmer backs water a little to grab onto the edge of the jetty, lets the motion of the waves nudge her towards shore and then back outwards. ]

Yeah. Always. What's up?

Ellie follows her, reaching out to grip and letting the waves rush around them. None of the words she has seem like good ones.

"... there's somebody that I've been..." she trails off, not quite looking at Glimmer's face. "Not seeing, but I- like her. A lot."

Her throat pinches up, and she breathes through it.

"I don't know where it's going. Maybe nowhere? But... I wanted you to know about it. I didn't-" she pauses again.

"I didn't want somebody else telling you. If it did."

Oh. As Ellie starts her halting explanation, Glimmer feels her chest squeeze in on itself. It's a stupid feeling. One she shouldn't have after all this time. They've talked about this. It's better for them to be friends--and she is so, so happy to be Ellie's friend. Even with the tangled memories of the Aerie. This is part of them being friends. Ellie wants to let her know, because she understands the weird, tangled complexity of the relationship the two of them have.

It still makes her feel like she's been punched in the chest, though.

"That's... That's good!" She smiles, because she's a good friend and she wants to support Ellie and acting like a jealous idiot doesn't help anything.

"I..." She trails off, the forced cheer starting to dissipate a little. "Thanks. For letting me know." She clings a little harder to the jetty, her eyes focused down at the dark surface of the water for a moment.

"I feel so stupid," she adds after a moment and reaches up to rub at her eyes. She's not gonna cry. This is stupid. Don't cry about this, Glimmer.

"Because we've talked about this so much and I really am happy for you. I just... I can't help feeling a little jealous, I guess." She values this. Being able to be honest with Ellie.

"She's really lucky, whoever she is."

Ellie tells herself that she's dreading seeing Glimmer's hurt. But when she obviously forces a smile, no. That's definitely the worst part.

Something breaks in her chest as her face falls, but it's a rush of relief, too.

Ellie lifts her hand, hesitates on the impulse, but then reaches out to lay a hand on her shoulder.

"... is it fucked up that I'm- glad you're not just pretending that everything's fine?"

That she can see this? That Glimmer trusts her with it? That they can acknowledge feeling a little fucked up about it, and still deal?

"No, I think... I think that it's a good thing. That we can be honest with each other like this, you know?" Glimmer says with a muted sniffle. She's not really crying, just a little teary.

"You... you're one of the only people here I feel like I can do that with, you know? And we've been through all this shit together and you've literally like, saved my life..." She exhales, her head drooping a little. Then she pushes off the jetty to give Ellie and swimming sort of half-hug.

"If she breaks your heart I'm gonna kick her ass."

"Yeah. And- psh, you've saved mine. After a while it just stop counting-"

And really, she should shut up. Still hanging onto the jetty with one hand, Ellie catches Glimmer with her other arm, hugs her tightly to her, all relief.

She sputters laughter into her shoulder.

"Same," she says, and means it. "I'd fuck them up."

Glimmer squeezes in next to Ellie and gives her as tight a hug as she can manage in the water and making sure she doesn't go bumping into the dock. Her face buries against the other's shoulder for a moment, glad that the seawater will hide the wetness of her tears.

"I love you, Ellie." It's love, alright. The same love that binds her to all her friends back home. The fierce, protective love that made her willing to risk it all to save the world. The same one that can drive a person to do horrible, awful things. It burns inside of her like a miniature sun and she wouldn't be her mother's daughter if it ever burned itself away.

"No matter what happens, all you have to do is call and I'll be here to help you out."

"Don't try and do stuff on your own when you have people here for you, okay?"

Edited 2022-07-31 15:40 (UTC)

Glimmer's face buried in her shoulder hides Ellie's expression, which threatens to crumple at the simple declaration.

She hugs her tightly, unable to speak past the ache in her throat, and lays her cheek against Glimmer's hair.

When they met, Ellie hadn't felt lovable in the least. Glimmer had been one of the few people to make her feel otherwise. Nowadays she's even starting to believe them.

"Okay," she says finally. And then, softer: "You too."

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