Ellie knew from his voice that he wasn't lying when he said he knew how she felt. He had the same defeated, exhausted tone, the hopeless look in his eye. She knew all of this so well that it almost felt like she was looking at herself for a moment, and it broke her to the core. They used to be so happy, hopeful, full of spirit. Oh how far they had fallen...
"Some days I just want to end it," she admitted softly, even though she was terrified to do so. Ever since Bole had buried her alive, she had been ready to just give up. But when she looked up into Ernie's eyes, the eyes of her longest, best friend, the man who knew her better than anyone, she tried to take his words to heart. If she couldn't believe in herself, then she would believe in him. She had to believe in something, after all. "If anyone can do it, Ernie, I believe you can. You're brilliant, you always have been, magic or no. I've never doubted you for a second, even when things looked impossible," she confided in him, staring into his eyes, giving him a small, hopeful smile.
Standing then on her tip toes, she placed a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips. A friendly kiss, but for just the slightest of seconds, she lingered there, enjoying the contact, the spark that she had never quite experienced before. It was odd, but not something bad. Pulling away she blushed, figuring it was no big deal. After all, they had shared little things like that in the past. Hugs. Kisses on the cheek. They had even slept curled together before. This was no big deal..