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dameronspector · 2 months ago

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Getaway Car (Part 3)

Pairing: Manny Alvarez x GN!Reader, Joel Miller x Platonic!Reader, Ellie Williams x Platonic!Reader

Summary: Manny stayed back, you saved Joel and safely returned to Jackson. He’d beg on his knees for forgiveness, but would you forgive him?

Warnings: Cursing, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort from Joel, Joel is a father to Reader, Reader misses Manny so much, Mentions of Depression and Panic Attacks, Suicidal Thoughts, Death, Blood, Gore, Joel Miller Is Saved, Reader hates Abby and the group, Manny begs for forgiveness, reunions, domestic Manny, that’s all I think!

AN: mwah I love these two I love manny I love joel I love Tommy I love Ellie just..yeah 🩷 enjoy! This is the final part!

PS: I don't know anything about the game, my characterisation is based off the wiki information, the show and my own imagination. Plus, I headcanoned the QZ where they first met as Miami because that's Danny's hometown.

The more he thought of it, the more he knew that he wanted to stay back with you. He’d do what he had promised himself 5 years ago- beg on his knees for your forgiveness.

He raised his tear-filled eyes and looked at you, doting on Joel and Ellie. You had called her your sister. You had a family. And he’d be lying if he didn’t want to be a part of your family. He wanted you to love on him and care for him. Nora took one look at him and patted his shoulder, him turning around to hug her and Mel for the last time. “Take care of Abby. And…please, keep her away from (Name)”, Manny whispered in a pained voice. Nora offered him a terse nod and departed from him, leaving him to stare at you with longing in his eyes.

You didn’t notice the others leave. You didn’t notice Manny being the only one who didn’t leave. Your entire body was dialed onto Joel-all you could think of, was how to help him. You carefully straightened his body, making him lay on his back and he let out pained whimpers, hands tightening around Ellie’s.

“It’s okay, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I need to check your injuries, Joel”, you soothed him. Ellie was staring at him with her cheeks damp and face red due to her crying. “El, can you check if there’s a stick or something for his leg? We gotta-”

“Here.” You snapped your eyes up to look at-

“Manny?”, you whispered in disbelief. You noticed the way he swallowed and simply extended a broken table leg to tie around Joel’s injured knee. “Wrap this below his knee and straighten his leg, I’ll tie it up”, he mumbled to Ellie and got to work.

You stared at the scene in shock, Ellie’s face mirroring yours. He had stayed back.

“This is gonna hurt”, he warned you and you immediately went to ground Joel. You looked down at his bloody face, one of his eyes swollen shut.

“Hey, Joel? This is gonna hurt but we gotta do it to help you, okay?”, you gently cooed to him and held his hand tightly in yours, him responding in painful grunts.

Manny slowly straightened Joel’s leg and Joel screamed in agony, causing you to shut your eyes tightly and look away, Ellie doing the same and letting out a cry. Your body shook with sobs, Manny watching you closely, his heart hurting at that state of you. Directly or indirectly, he was the cause of your pain.

Finally, Joel stopped screaming and Manny announced that he was done. You brought your tearful eyes back to Joel and beckoned Ellie to come closer, her snuggling up to you and laying a hand on Joel’s chest- which was thankfully moving.

You brushed Joel’s damp hair away from his forehead and looked at Manny. “Thank you”, you managed to croak out, your eyes expressing your genuine gratitude for his help. Manny simply nodded his head and looked away towards Dina. “I’ll-I’ll help her. Do you wanna try calling someone for help?”, he offered in a careful tone.

You gave him a terse nod and he brought over the comm to you, his fingers brushing against yours. Your stomach flipped in excitement at feeling his touch after 5 long years.

After trying to radio Jesse for 20 minutes straight, the door to the room burst open and Jesse arrived on the scene. By now, Joel was just resting his eyes, exhausted from the blood loss and everything. You and Ellie kept a vigilant eye on him. Manny stayed by Dina, trying to keep her warm by shifting her near the fire while occasionally darting his eyes to you.

His chest hurt at how heartbreakingly beautiful you looked. He missed seeing you in front of him.

Your head snapped towards the sound, body deflating in relief at Jesse’s arrival. “Jesse-”, your voice broke off by another wave of tears. Jesse looked horrified but he masked it, not wanting to freak you or Ellie out.

“It’s okay, we’re going home now. Come on”, he soothed you and helped you and Ellie up, you held onto his arms tightly.

Manny’s stomach twisted in jealousy.

“Where’s Dina-”, Jesse questioned and turned to look around the room before his eyes fell on Manny and Dina. “Who are you?”, he asked Manny sharply, eyes assessing him.

You grabbed Jesse’s arm, “I know him, it’s alright. You two, help Joel. We need to find something that will make it easier for him and us to travel. Ellie and I will help Dina, go”, you reassured him before making your way to Dina. Manny looked at you and nodded his head in understanding, making his way over to help Joel and Jesse.

After finding a sledge somewhere deep inside a closet and strapping Joel in, the five of you made your way back to Jackson. The blizzard was over now, thankfully, and your horses could walk properly again, which helped you reach Jackson earlier.

Because Manny didn’t have a horse, he had to sit behind you and you were trying your best not to lean against his body heat, his hands twitching to hold your waist and bring you closer to his chest. The whole ride back to Jackson had your body tense and stiff, trying to maintain a safe distance from Manny.

You reached Jackson and almost fell off the horse. The town looked like it had endured a massacre.

The gate was broken down, a pile of infected bodies lying on top of each other in front of it, the wall was completely destroyed, smoke and ash curling in the air, a few living fires making the snow melt and the roads slippery. The insides were just as bad-- houses and shops were broken down, bodies of your fellow townspeople lying around, some of them being executed because they were bitten and in between all of that was Tommy, trying to help the fallen. He had a cut on his face, eyebrows deeply furrowed, face contorted in stress and eyes shining with tears.

Your chest twisted in pain at the sight of your home being torn apart like this. You hurriedly got off Max and ran towards Tommy—Jesse and Manny staying back to help Ellie, Dina and Joel.

"Tommy!", you cried out and ran towards him. Tommy snapped his head up and his face contorted in relief at seeing all of you return, though he couldn't help but notice Joel's absence, his heart skipping a beat.

"Oh, thank Christ, you're all okay", he breathed out and brought you in a bone crushing hug. You hugged him just as tight, your face smushed against his shoulder and eyes shut tightly.

Tommy broke the hug and held you at arms length, eyes searching behind you, "Where's Joel, Kid?", he asked breathlessly.

Your eyes filled up with tears and you managed to choke out, "Later, we need to treat him first. What happened here, Tom?"

Tommy inhaled sharply and shook his head, "Horde attack. Broke down the wall so we had to flame 'em- hence the fires. Destroyed all the buildings and shit." Your eyes widened at that.

"Get Joel to the clinic. I'll meet you there soon", Tommy instructed you and you departed with a terse nod. You made your way back to where Jesse and Manny stood and helped them pull Joel towards the clinic meanwhile Ellie helped escort Dina.

They took in Joel immediately after looking at the state he was in. You let out an exhausted sigh and crumpled down on the corridor floor, burying your head in your hands. You were running on pure adrenaline for the past few hours, not getting a chance to properly come to terms with what had happened and now that you closed your eyes, all you could see was Joel's bloody face and the way he screamed in pain.

You felt your breath hitch, chest constricting painfully and you groaned weakly, hands clawing at your chest to get rid of the feeling. In your panic, you didn't notice someone crouch down in front of you, their hands grabbing yours and putting them on their chest, near their heart.

"Breathe with me, c'mon", a voice called out to you, your brain fuzzily registering it. You felt their chest go up and down as they took big breaths to encourage you to do so. You managed to inhale shakily, letting the oxygen inflate your chest before letting it out. After doing this for 5 more times, the weight on your chest slowly disappeared and that's when you realised who helped you- Manny.

His brown eyes were looking at you in concern, a frown pulling at his lips and hands still holding yours against his chest. You stared at him blankly before snatching your hands away from his, getting up in the process. He followed behind closely, trying to get you to talk to him, "(Name)-", but you cut him off, not in the headspace to talk to him yet.

You still had to wrap your head around the fact that he was alive and breathing, and the fact that he had betrayed you even after you gave him a choice to not to.

"Don't. Not now", you stopped him from coming near with a hand extended towards him, swallowing thickly while your eyes focused on your shoes. Manny paused and squeezed his hands in a fist before reluctantly nodding his head and giving you space, his heart breaking apart in a million pieces at the distance between the two of you.

You've lost track of time by now. Spending your entire time helping the fallen and keeping track of Joel's health, your mind and body working like a machine. You were thankful for the distraction because it made you forgot about the fact that Manny was here, breathing the same air as you.

It's been almost 3 hours since they took Joel in. Tommy, Maria and Ellie joining you outside the room that he was being operated on. You hugged Maria as soon as you saw her, asking her if Benji was okay and she reassured you that he was. You breathed out in relief, glad that your family was alive, even though today will leave long lasting effects on their psyche and marks on their body as a reminder.

Maria left to check on the others and Tommy addressed you and Ellie in a serious tone, "What the hell happened out there?", you exchanged a nervous look with Ellie, who hadn't spoken much since you got here, choosing to stick by your side and observe everything silently.

"Tommy, they were Fireflies. Wanted to kill Joel for Salt Lake", you confessed quietly, Tommy's eyes widening in realization.

"Fuck", he whispered and ran a hand across his face. "They hurt you?", he asked curiously.

Joel had discussed about your past with Tommy in confidence before, not wanting to hide anything from his brother and so that a trustworthy person would be aware to keep you safe. Tommy took it better than you expected, with him being an Ex-Firefly himself, he understood your helplessness. Though, you still hadn't told Ellie, scared of her reaction and scared that it'll strain her and Joel's relationship further.

You shook your head no and Tommy asked you the dreaded question, "Who's the new guy?". You froze, unsure of how to explain to him about your situation with Manny.

You cleared your throat before confessing, "He uh-he was in the group. With me. And the others. We were...together before I came to Jackson", your voice shy and low. Tommy's face flashed with realization and he let out a sigh, understanding that this was a conversation to be had later.

"Alright, you guys get some rest. You're barely standin' straight", you opened your mouth to protest but Tommy stopped you, "I'll personally come to inform you if he wakes. Don't be so damn stubborn, go rest", he chided you, his southern drawl suddenly sounding stronger than before. You let out a huff of frustration and punched his arm lightly, walking away with Ellie bundled up in your arms. Tommy watched you go with a sad smile on his face.

You took Ellie home, putting her on strict bedrest and she went down with no protest, too tired to even argue with you. You decided to wash up, the events of the day taking a toll on you-your joints cracked and muscles spasmed with the smallest of movements.

After putting on fresh clothes, you decided to get yourself a glass of water, your throat parched and you heard a knock on the door. You let out a sigh and carried the glass of water with you to open the door. You almost dropped the glass.

"Hey", Manny greeted you hesitantly, his hands nervously stuffed inside his jacket's pockets. You gulped the water harshly before mumbling out a 'Hey' in response.

Nails tapping against the glass, you spoke up after a moment of awkward silence, "How'd you find my house?", your eyebrow quirked up in question.

"Uh-I asked around...they said the house with the cherry blossom trees belongs to Joel, so, thought I'd find you here", Manny responded quietly and shrugged.

"Okay, did you need something?"

Manny looked at you in disbelief, "Need something? Angel, I haven't seen you in 5 years. I'm here for you", his voice cracking towards the end, eyebrows furrowed in distress.

You stiffened up before going back to put the glass on the coffee table and ushered Manny out of the house, closing the door behind you. Gesturing him to follow you towards the back of the house, you stood in front of him with your arms across your chest. You licked your lips and shook your head in frustration.

"Manny, why are you doing this now?", you asked him in an exhausted voice.

"I-I want to be with you, (Nickname). You have no idea how miserable I was-"

"No idea? No idea-", you scoffed in sarcasm and spread your arms out in exasperation, "I was the one who travelled alone to Jackson while feeling severely depressed because my boyfriend betrayed me for his- insane friends, and even after I found myself a family here, I still wanted to die because my mind wouldn't stop imagining said boyfriend here with me, and I'm the one who has no idea?", you rambled furiously, your eyes staring daggers at Manny.

He flinched at your outburst and turned his head to the side in shame, his neck shaded with a red tinge and veins popping out in strain.

"What do you know, huh? You had a whole group of people around you, catching you if you fall. I had no one. Even when I was with you, I was alone. You heard her, didn't you? That I was the odd one out?", you questioned him, leaning closer to make him look you in the eye.

Manny shot his head up at that, "No- don't say that, please. You weren't alone. I loved you then and I love you now. I just-", he broke off abruptly to swallow in guilt.

You grimaced, "You just what? You couldn't let go of your ego? Your desperation for vengeance and to prove that all of you are a strong unit? Even if you knew that Abby and her father were wrong?", you accused him, jabbing a finger into his chest. He stumbled back, his face crumpled in emotion, your harsh words hitting him straight into his heart.

"Yes, Yes! I was wrong, I know. I'm sorry, I'm sorry-I-I knew you were right from the moment you told you me, I knew we were wrong. I just- i was so blinded by the fact that someone had caused pain to one of my closest friends, I wanted to see him and Ellie suffer in the same way", he admitted shamefully, his face damp with tears and eyes bloodshot, hands clenched so tightly into fists that his knuckles turned white.

You stared at him in disgust, "Manny, are you hearing yourself? What happened to you? She was a little girl-a fucking child. Joel was saving his daughter and that's what made you guys lose your minds? Not the fact that your friend and her father were committing the murder of a child?!", you glowered, your voice hoarse, face heated in anger and your breathing laboured.

You were hyperventilating, years of pent up frustration and sadness pouring out of you.

Manny sensed this and tried to soothe you, "Baby, you're panicking, please-", he came closer to hold your elbows and you shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me! I'm-you broke my heart. It's like I never knew you. How can you be so...heartless? You even participated in- in the sick torture that Abby was inflicting on my---on my dad. How could you, Manny?", you cried out, your voice strained with sorrow and heartbreak.

Manny felt like someone had stabbed him 10 times into the chest. Hell, he'd prefer being stabbed over being the reason for your tears and pain, wishing he had died instead.

His face twisted in pain and he got down on his knees, his hands holding yours and pressing his forehead against them, "I didn't, I swear I didn't agree to that. None of us did. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you, angel. But, I'm here now. I've left all that for good. I can't take anymore sleepless nights without you next to me. I want a home with you--a family, and I promise that I'll get better. If I don't, I'll happily die from your hands. Just-please. Give me one chance, please. I'll do anything you ask me to", he begged into your hands, pressing desperate kisses to them and his tears dampening them.

You were too tired to react to that, choosing to limply hold his hands and stare into the distance, thinking of what to do next.

Just as you were going to speak up, Tommy came rushing into the backyard and paused to stare at the scene. He schooled his face into a neutral expression and called out to you, "Kid, Joel's awake", he announced in a breathless voice.

You snapped out of your trance and looked at Tommy in surprise. He nodded at you and you dropped Manny's hands to run all the way to the clinic. Tommy stared Manny down, observing his kneeling form closely and went over to stand by him.

From the corner of his eyes, Manny caught sight of a hand extended in front of him and he hesitantly grabbed it before the man pulled him up.

He came face to face with a tall man, who looked like he could've been his brother in another life- they had the same features and the same hair. The man ran his gaze over Manny in judgement before speaking up, "Let's get you some food. Then, we have lots to discuss", he instructed in his heavy southern twang and patted Manny on the shoulder, firmly.

"Joel?", you called out softly, walking over to stand next to his bed. One of his eyes was still swollen shut, the cuts on his face stitched up and the blood cleaned from his face. His knee was wrapped and elevated to keep the pressure off from it and you knew Joel would complain about it.

But he was breathing, his good eye fluttering behind the lid and his fingers twitching. He let out a groan and licked his lips to get ride of the dry feeling on them, his good eye slowly opening to focus on you. "Hey, kiddo", he mumbled in a scratchy voice.

You smiled sadly and offered, "You want some water, Pops?". Joel grunted in annoyance before whispering a 'yes'. You cradled his head in your hands and helped him sip the water before he asked you to lay him back down.

"You scared us to death, Joel", you confessed in a wavering voice and pinched your nose between your fingers. Joel looked at you with a sad expression on his face and lifted a weak hand for you to hold. You looked at him with tears in your eyes and grasped his hand carefully in both of yours.

"Sorry", he murmured guiltily, his face twisting in pain and from the efforts to control his tears from falling. "Thank you for saving me", he shot you a small smile.

You chuckled lowly and patted his hand, your chin wobbling from the tears lodged in your throat. You sniffled and wiped your eyes before clearing your throat. "Did Ellie come to see you?", you asked him curiously and he nodded lightly.

"Yeah. Didn't say much but... held my hand", his voice cracked with emotion and he smiled tearfully.

Your eyes welled up with tears of happiness for Joel and you brushed his hair back. "That's good. Baby steps, yeah?", you encouraged him and he nodded in agreement.

The room was quiet for a moment before he spoke up, "The one who wrapped my leg...that your man?", he teased lightly.

You paused, eyes widened and you felt your cheeks warm up, "How the hell did you see him?!", you sputtered out in disbelief.

Joel let out a huffed laugh, "So, he is. Easy on the eyes, I'll give ya that."

You groaned in embarrassment, your hands covering your face, "You're so annoying, Miller."

He chuckled softly before wincing and you scolded him to shut up. "Ya'll talked it out?", he asked you, referring to your situation with Manny.

Your face turned glum, eyes focusing on a loose thread on your jacket, "He asked me to forgive him...on his knees and everything", you mumbled.

Joel's face expressed shock as best as it could with all the cuts and one less eye. "Damn...and what'd you say?"

"Blasted off on him. I was so frustrated and hurt and angry...I just...took it out on him."

"That's a good thing. Now that the anger is out of your system, ya'll can finally have a mature conversation", Joel comforted you in that fatherly manner that he always does.

You furrowed your brows, "I don't know what to do, Joel. I-I'm so hurt. But-"

"But you love him a lot and wanna stay with him."

You let out a big sigh, "Yeah. I waited so long...he deserves to live in peace, too", you confessed, your lips set in a frown.

"Then listen to your heart. We've all done bad things, Kid. Can't pick and choose who's the better one, not in this world, at least. If you're gettin' a chance at happiness...grab it and hold it close", Joel suggested, his voice coated with longing.

You swallowed against the lump in your throat sniffled, "Thank you", squeezing his hand in gratitude. Joel gave you a half smile and squeezed your hand back.

Ellie took over your place next to Joel and your stomach cramped in hunger, realising you haven't eaten anything since morning. As you made your way to the eating hall, your mind kept replaying the conversation you had with Manny.

His tearful face and desperate kisses against your hand almost broke you. You thought about what Joel said, that nobody in this world was good anymore. You've all done bad things to survive, Manny just happened to go a little more extreme. But, did he not deserve to live peacefully with you? Did you really want to see him suffer? Could you live without hearing his voice or feeling his touch again? The answer was a plain and simple No.

He was the one who saved you, he was the one who taught you how to survive in this fucked up world, and he was the one who protected you from the evil around you. Maybe, now was the time to allow him to slow down, to let him have some peace, to let him enjoy a hot cup of coffee on the porch of your own house, to let him have a good night's sleep, to give him another chance. Because you were always sure of one thing, you would forever hold a special place for Manny Alvarez in your heart.

You found him in the eating hall, holed up into a corner table with a plate of food in front of him but he wasn't eating. He was cradling his head in his hands, pulling at his hair and staring at the table. You know he was feeling overwhelmed, not used to so much commotion around him. After all, you had been like this too, on your first day in Jackson.

Tommy spotted you across the hall and gestured you over, leaning against the bar counter. He was looking at Manny the whole time.

"He's not eaten a single thing since I brought him here. Been starin' at the table for the past half hour", Tommy informed you lowly.

You sighed and looked at Manny with pitiful eyes. "I know. He's probably overstimulated."

Tommy looked at the yearning look on your face and chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. You looked at him in confusion.

"A damn apocalypse out there and we still got fools in love over'ere", Tommy teased you.

You groaned loudly and slapped his shoulder, "You and your brother think that you're comedians or something."

Tommy's chuckles receded and he nudged you, "Go talk to him." You looked at him and frowned, nodding weakly before making your way over to where Manny sat.

You silently slid in the seat in front of him and scooped up some soup in the spoon, holding it up before clearing your throat. Manny snapped his head up and froze. His curls were sticking in all directions, eyes and face red from all the crying he did and mouth agape, as if he was not expecting you to sit in front of him. He truly looked at you then, how you looked so stunning even after being so exhausted.

You shifted uncomfortably, "My arm is hurting, are you gonna eat or not?", you murmured and shifted the spoon closer to his mouth.

He finally moved then, leaning closer to the spoon and closing his mouth around it before gulping, his eyes still fixated on your face.

"I-" "No. Eat first, then we can talk for as long as you want to. Do you wanna eat somewhere else?"

Manny blinked in surprise at your offer and how you sounded much more calm now. He simply nodded his head and you got up to pack his food into containers, him following you around like a lost puppy.

You settled down on the outdoor seating in Joel's backyard and let Manny finish his serving. You missed seeing him like this- alive and whole- in front of you. After he was done, he finished the glass of water you had set down for him and awkwardly shifted in his seat, not sure what to expect.

"You sure you wanna stay here?", you asked him suddenly. He tilted his head like a puppy and his brown eyes widened. "Yes...I-I want to."

"I'm not forcing you, you're still free to walk away and go back to Seattle. I don't want you to be here just for the sake of me."

"No! No, (Name), I came here for you. I told you that before, and I mean it. Please, give me a chance. I wanna- I wanna live with you", he sputtered out.

You assessed him closely, "If you try anything while you're here, I wont hesitate to kill you, you know that right?", you threatened him casually. He nodded his head vehemently.

"And you'll make up for your mistakes? Be kind to my family?", he nodded his head yet again, "Yes, I swear", he conceded in a sincere voice.

"And-..if I give you a chance, you won't betray me again?", your voice broke and your eyes welled up.

Manny froze when he realised what you said, "Wait. You- Yes. Yes, a thousand times, yes. I promise, I'll make it up to you our whole life", his voice shook with emotion, hands itching to hold you in his arms.

"Okay", you sniffled and nodded in agreement. Manny let out a content sigh and whispered an 'okay'. He'd do everything and anything you'd ask him to win you back in his life.

Jackson, 2031

You woke up to the sound of muffled chatter from the street and the chirps of little birds. Warm sunlight was pouring through the curtains, bathing your bedroom in a shade of yellow. You then registered the heavy arm around your middle, the sunlight making it look like it was painted in gold, the skin smooth and soft.

The breaths hitting your neck tickled you slightly and you turned around to face him- your Manny- still sleeping soundly with his mouth slightly open, giving you a view of his crooked lower teeth that you adored. His clean shaven face was glowing, the tiny moles scattered across his face like constellations and his cropped curls appearing soft to the touch—making him look boyish.

It’s been a year since Manny won you back. He’s been working so hard on proving himself to you by helping around the community, making amends with Joel and Ellie, trying to leave behind his past and harmful tendencies behind. He was much more calmer now, less brash, slowing down and enjoying mundane domesticity with you.

Truthfully, he didn’t need to do much. All he had to do was be himself. You never fell out of love with him, just upset with how far he’d let himself stray. But, Manny was home now, sleeping in later and waking up by loving on you—his day starting and ending with worshipping you. He was still the same Manny when you were both 20 year olds- overprotective and fiercely loyal. Except now, he let you do patrols only with him, Joel, Ellie or Tommy as your partners.

Tommy and Joel had surprisingly taken him under their wings, teaching him construction work, encouraging him to help around in the community and utilising his shooting skills to protect Jackson Hole. They were impressed with how agile and what a graceful fighter he was.

They never missed a chance to tease you whenever you admired him working around the town. You’d act annoyed but deep down, your heart would be soaring with happiness to see your family accept Manny with open arms.

Although, Maria and Ellie were the last ones to come around. Maria got used to Manny a little earlier, as Benji was so enraptured with him that she came around quickly. Manny had taken it upon himself to teach Benji football and they would hang out day and night, the adorable sight making you cry always.

Ellie, on the other hand, she still held a slight grudge against him (rightfully so) so she maintained a safe distance from him. Manny confessed to you that she lowkey scared him and you had laughed at that, telling him that he should be scared of her.

Another person that held grudge against Manny was Jesse, for the way he handled Dina and you excused that too, but Manny and Jesse seemed to have a silly testosterone fight going on and you steered clear of it, not interested in it in any way. Dina kept Manny on his toes, annoying him like a younger sibling and it was so entertaining for you to watch him be grumpy around her.

The elder townsfolk absolutely adored Manny and you- the abuelas cooing over him while pinching his cheeks everytime he charmed them and spoke to them in Spanish, and taking you by your hands to their houses to feed you their homemade dishes. Manny always had a goofy smile by the time you returned home, enjoying the attention. And you laughed in adoration, loving the fact that you got to see that shy and bashful blush across his cheeks more and more often.

A shocking thing that happened to Manny— in the entirety of you knowing him, you’ve never seen him unsure, shy or hesitant about anything. That changed as soon as he stepped foot in Jackson and you saw it in the dining hall, with him sitting in the corner, away from everyone. In the beginning, he’d enter any room without turning on the light, forgetting that Jackson had electricity. You’d lightly come up behind him and turn it on, his body tensing and his face flushing with red when he realised it was you.

He’d jump around the loud noises, as Jackson would get rowdy during meal times or events, he even refused to sleep with his back to the door, wanting to stay vigilant and alert at all times. After spending your whole life looking over your shoulder, this was bound to happen and your heart broke for him, wanting to reassure and comfort him every time he felt like that. Watching him look at everything in child-like wonder made your chest hurt with love and the feeling of wanting to protect him forever.

“You’re thinking so loud”, he mumbled sleepily, arms tugging you closer to him. You blinked, smiling gently and cradled his cheek into your hand, caressing it with your thumb. “Good morning, Em”, you replied softly and pinched his cheek.

He flashed you his half-smile and slipped a hand under your shirt, pressing a kiss into your palm, “Mornin’, angel”, he finally opened his eyes and they shone like earthen pools in the sunlight. The urge to go back to sleep was strong, the bed sheets warm and comfy with your shared body heat, Manny’s body soft and sturdy against yours and his hand under your shirt gently rubbing your bare back. But you had to get up and start work or else Maria would be upset for the whole day.

“C’mon, we gotta get up, baby. You’ve got to help Joel with the restoration today.”

Manny grumbled and slid down to bury his head in your chest, legs trapping you against him. “No. 5 minutes more, please.”

“Manny…you know how Joel gets. He’ll do everything on his own even if his joints lock up. C’mon, let’s get to work”, you cooed at him and rubbed his back gently.

Joel was fully recovered now, but the doctors told you that his knee injury would give him chronic knee pain, which made sitting or standing for longer hours difficult for his aging body. Manny, Tommy and Jesse tried their best to take off the burden but Joel Miller was nothing if not stubborn. “You’ve to teach the kids as well, let’s go.”

Manny groaned, the sound vibrating against your chest, “Swear to god, you Millers stress me out on purpose”, and he squeezed your waist.

You giggled and slapped his back lightly before he propped himself up on an arm and admired you with doe eyes.

You shifted in unease, “Stop looking at me like that”, you mumbled and tried to close his eyes with your hand. He grabbed it and rested it on his chest.

“Hey, I’ve gotta make up for lost time. I missed seeing your beautiful face next to me for five years”, he replied in a quiet voice. You exchanged bashful smiles and he leaned in to press a loving kiss on your lips and murmured, “I love you”, against them.

You looked at him with your eyes shining in tears and jutted your bottom lip out. “I love you more, Em”, Manny giggled and squished your cheeks in between his fingers, your combined joyful laughter echoing in the still room of your own house— the house that you shared with Manny and would be sharing until you were both greying and wrinkly.

Fin.

AN: AAAA im so happy for them pls…I love domestic Manny so much. Hope y’all liked this mini series 🥹🩷 please like and reblog!

taglist: @taylorsroxy @parkersjoy @aomi-recs @serendipity-29 @lucycarlisleswife @laurenjbb @onmyknees4kai @groovycass @spideybrie @yvonne-dump @monselxo @this-girl-is-tired

#manny alvarez x reader #manny alvarez #the last of us #tlou hbo #tlou2 #danny ramirez #joel and ellie #joel miller #tommy miller #joel miller x platonic!reader #ellie williams x platonic!reader #angst #hurt/comfort #fluff

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cokoladasljesnjakom · 3 months ago

Text

WHEN YOU’RE LOST IN THE DARKNESS

summary: the world went to hell. to say at least. a man lost his daguhter, the only person that kept him alive, and then? boom! all of the happines he had? thrown in the water. same happened for the two young girls. lost both of their parents to infection. what will happen when the man and two young girls meet the paths? will they kill eachother or somehow get closer? guess we'll find out.

joel miller x platonic! reader, ellie williams x older sister! reader

word count: 18k (im sorry)

warnings: outbreak!, zombies, heavy angst, major character deaths, PTSD, panic attacks,guns, knives, a lots of blood, gore, attempts of su!c!de, se*ual ab*se and attempts, tears, cann*ball, anxiety and lots of it.

a/n: first off i wanna say, that i made myself cry with this, let alone watching the gameplay AND the show itself. i had this on my mind lately and it irked me so much i had to get it off my chest. this is a series if you havent noticed! i put my soul and my heart into this. putting myself into their shoes and tbh? i felt it. anyway! enjoy reading.

masterlist next part

BOSTON, NEW YORK, AUGUST 2006.

Two years had passed since the outbreak, since the world as they knew it fell apart. That was the day everything changed. The day Anna made the decision that would alter the course of her life—she chose to keep her baby, Alex.

When Anna told others, their eyes turned cold with judgment. How could anyone even think of raising a child in such a world? Why would anyone bring a baby into the chaos that had engulfed the world? The whispers were relentless, but Anna never wavered.

Instead, those whispers only fueled her love for Alex. And when Alex was born, Anna’s heart swelled with a love she hadn’t known was possible, even in a world that had been reduced to dust. Despite the chaos, Alex was the one thing that kept Anna grounded, the one thing that made the world feel like it still had some light in it.

As Alex grew, she became aware of the sounds that filled their nights—loud, haunting screams that pierced the silence, the growls of infected just outside their door. And every day, she'd wake up to find her mother’s arms wrapped tightly around her, keeping her safe from the horrors outside.

But being a Firefly, especially with a child, was never easy for Anna. Even with her boyfriend Kyle by her side, she often felt like the only parent in the relationship. Kyle and Anna would argue almost every night before one of his missions. The fights weren’t always about big things, but the little things—the words, the harsh tones, the way they shouted at each other—it all cut deep. It hurt more than either of them could admit.

Before the outbreak, their relationship had been simple. Yeah, they had their disagreements, but they never felt like this. There was a tension now, a weight to every word they said, and it was taking its toll.

One evening, while Anna was putting Alex to bed, the shouting began again. Alex, clutching a small, worn-out toy in her tiny hands, heard the voices raised in anger. The sound of her parents’ fight made her chest tighten, and tears welled up in her wide eyes.

Anna’s heart broke as she saw Alex’s tears. She immediately knelt down in front of her, scooping her up into her arms, murmuring softly, “Shh, baby, it’s okay. Mommy’s here. You’re safe.”

Kyle froze, his eyes meeting Alex’s with a flash of guilt. He hadn’t realized how much his anger affected her, and the shock of seeing his little girl so scared hit him harder than he expected. Without another word, he grabbed his jacket, walked to the door, and slammed it behind him as he left the apartment. The loud bang of the door closing made Anna jump, and Alex flinched in her arms.

Anna looked down at her daughter, her heart aching as she saw Alex’s small hand reach up to gently touch her cheek. Despite the tears that still clung to Anna’s eyes, Alex smiled up at her, a small, innocent smile that broke Anna’s heart all over again.

“Mama no cry,” Alex whispered, her little hand brushing away Anna’s tears. “Make mama happy.”

Anna smiled through her tears, pressing a kiss to Alex’s forehead. “I’ll always be happy with you, baby,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as she held her close, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders but, for a moment, forgetting everything except the warmth of her daughter in her arms.

Three years later, not much had changed. Anna, Alex, and Kyle still lived together in the Boston QZ, in the same apartment Marlene—Anna’s childhood friend—had secured for them years ago. But this time, something was different.

Anna, now six months pregnant, waddled carefully toward the kitchen, one hand resting on her belly. Another baby. They didn’t know the gender, but it didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that the baby was healthy.

“Mama! Dada!” Alex’s little feet pattered against the floor as she ran toward them, gripping a squeaky toy in her small hands. Her face lit up with excitement as she waved it around. “Got new toy for baby! Now baby and me play when she come!”

Her toothy grin was infectious, and Anna and Kyle couldn’t help but exchange a glance before laughing together.

“Wow! That is so cool, baby!” Anna said, crouching down with a hand on her belly. She steadied herself by holding onto Kyle, then reached out to gently run her fingers through Alex’s hair.

Kyle noticed Anna struggling, so without hesitation, he scooped Alex up into his arms, settling her into his lap before helping Anna sit down beside him.

Alex giggled, wrapping her little arms around Kyle’s neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. “Love Dada so much!” she announced before turning to her mom with a bright smile, waving her hands excitedly. “And love Mama too!”

Anna’s heart swelled. She leaned in, kissing Alex’s forehead as Kyle held them both close.

For a moment, the outside world didn’t matter.

TWO MONTHS LATER -

Night had fallen, and with it came the same routine. Another mission. Another night where Kyle had to leave with the Fireflies. And another night where Anna had to stay behind, waiting.

"Why do you have to go?" Anna whispered, her arms tightening around him as if holding on hard enough could make him stay.

Kyle sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before resting his forehead against hers. His hands cradled her face like she was the most fragile thing in the world. "You know I have to. It’s my turn to do the shit we volunteered for."

Tears welled in Anna’s eyes as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing him in. Gunpowder, grime, and leather—his scent. The one thing that made her feel safe. The one thing that told her he was still here.

"But you don’t have to," she murmured, her voice barely above a breath. "There are others now. You don’t have to go." She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, pleading. "I need you here. Alex needs you here. The baby needs you here. You can’t just go. What if something happens? What if the smugglers get you? What if—"

Kyle cut her off the only way he knew how. His lips crashed against hers, desperate and deep, like this was the last time he’d ever get to taste her. Because maybe it was.

He memorized the way she felt in his hands, the way her body fit against his. But even as he lost himself in her, his mind drifted—to Alex. To his little girl. God, he loved her so much it physically hurt. If he could rip his own heart out just to make sure she never had to cry, he would.

Tears streamed down his face as he pulled away, his hands still cupping Anna’s cheeks.

His voice was raw, shaky, but sure.

"I love you." His thumb brushed away a tear trailing down her skin. "I love you so much it makes my heart hurt. I love you so much it drives me crazy. To the point where I’d tear myself apart just to be near you."

A small, broken smile tugged at his lips. "I love you on your bad days. When you throw shit at me, when you scream at me over stupid things I did. I love you because you’re you. I love you because you’re the mother of our children. I love you."

looking at him with the purest pook she ever gave him, she broke down. sobbed so much it hurt her to breathe. her chest felt so heavy, it felt like her lungs were caving in on itself, and every breath she took, felt like it was last.

the fear of loosing him, coiled in her stomach making her feel sick everywhere. 'what if he hurts himself? what if he gets stuck alone and there is no one to save him?' the last thought on her mind, god, it hurt her to even think about that. she hated every second of it. she hated how they joined the fireflies in a hope that, maybe, one day, everything could go back to normal.

despite the pain in her chest and heart, a broken smile got on her face. kissing him softly, she said while caresssing his face. "you are such an asshole, you know that, right?" Kyle smiled teasingly, bringing her closer to him, while kissing the crown of her head, softly whispering. "well, you are dating this asshole. so tehnically, not my fault."

now looking at him seriously, Anna whispered out. "I love you. so much its making my head hurt just thinking about you. i love you when you have that deep frown on your face every time you think about something. i love you when youre trying to do something, youre doing it with a passion and not like youre forced to do that. i love you even though it makes my sides hurt and when I want to put myself next to your soul."

kissing him softly, she smiled, despite crying, again. "I love you when youre playing with Alex, making sure she gets all of the happines in this cruel world. i love you when im mad and youre still here, next to me, trying to make me forget about my problems. i love you for the way you are. i love you."

Kyle opened his mouth trying to say something, but then a little voice broke him out from his thoughts and he turned his head around to face the little voice. Anna saw his head turning away, so did hers. and when it did, they saw their little babygirl standing, with a blanket in her one hand and her toy in the other.

Alex’s voice now sad, and her eyes full of tears, seeing her parents crying, she cried too. "Mama? dada?" when she saw their heads turning and seeing the tears on her moms face, she runed towards her amd cried. "mama no cry. dada no cry."

kyle picked her up and wiping his tears, his voice now full of happines, because he was truly happy. his two best girls and the baby on the way, made him the richest man on the world. "hey lexie. how's my girl doing?" kyle asked trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but the crack in it made Anna cry silently. watching her little girl and the man that she loved made her heart full.

Alex’s hand wiped his tears and kissed him on the cheek, while doing the same to her mom. "me sad. mama and you crying. have bad dream." hearing her words, splitted their hearts apart, making them beat fast aganist their chests. when she had nightmares, both of them would curl up next to her and hold her like they wanted to protect her from everything in this world. Anna clearing her throat said, while wiping her tears away, ner hand now on Alex’s cheek. "oh, my little girl had a bad dream. you want kiss to make you feel better?"

Alex nod her head and both of them, Anna and Kyle, kissed Alex on her forehead, cheeks, nose, ears, neck and whenever they could do that. giggling, Alex said during the kissess she was reciving. "that tickles! no more kiss!"

both of them now grinning, Anna and Kyle kissed her once again, before Anna asked Alex, her voice quiet not to startle her. "what was the dream about, lexie?" Alex looked over her mom and her lips stared to tremble, before speaking. "monsters screaming. dada saved me and you kiss me on cheek. then i was happy."

locking eyes, Anna and Kyle looked at eachother and nod their heads, Kyle speakijg up first. "dada will always save you. i will be next to you whenever you want and i will always love you."

his hand slowly dragging over Anna’s now 8 months pregnant belly he noded down, pointing at her belly to Alex. "I will always protect you, your baby sister and your mama." kissing Alex slowly on forehead, his voice cracked before speaking up again. "Im always going to be right here." he pointed to her heart.

Anna cried softly, before speaking up after Kyle. "mama is going to be here, too. im always going to be here. to kiss your boo boo's away. to make you feel better. to make you feel the happiest in the world." caressing her cheek, Anna spoke again. "you, your baby sister that im sure it is now, and your dada, are the most important people in the world. i will always love you."

in their little moment, everything felt like it stopped. the time. the cruelness in this world. it felt like just four of them exsisted. Anna, Kyle, Alex and her little baby sister.

before Anna could say something more, a knock on the doors stopped her. the doors opening, it revealed Marlene. Kyle looked over his shoulder and his stomach dropped. he felt sick and so scared. leaving his family was the worst thing he could ever do. he didnt wanted to be on that mission. he wanted to be here, with his little family. god, if there was a chance to change the situation he was in now, he would do it without missing a beat.

Marlene watched the scene unfolding in front of her, and it made her heart feel heavy. watching her best friend and her boyfriend with a daguhter in his hands, with a upcoming baby, it made feel like she was the bad guy in here.

clearing her voice, Marlene called out, her hand gripping the door handle. "its time." and with that she closed the doors and walked out.

Anna, now looking at Kyle, her eyes full of tears, shaked her head no at Kyle, trying to make him stay. "no, please. dont go. Kyle dont go." and Kyle watched her in silence, his tears now sliding down his face. "Im sorry. Im so sorry."

Alex watched her parents cry and it made her cry too. "dada, dont go. stay." even being a kid, Alex was smarter than anybody ever could be. kissing Alex on the crown of her head, sniffing her scent in, trying to memorize the feeling of having her in his arms and then finally kissing Anna, like its the last kiss hes ever going to have feel. he leaned his forehead on hers, sobbing, and said his voice shaking, saying the words so quietly so that only she could hear them. "I love you. so much. i love you guys so much."

turning his head around to face Alex, he whispered out to her. "daddy loves you too. so much." and then finnaly he dropped Alex down on the ground, before he himself dropped on his knees, his forehead pressing aganist Anna’s belly, pressing a kiss on it, before softly whispering. "I love you kiddo. so much. be careful with mommy."

getting up from the ground, he once again pressed his lips on Anna’s, like he was saying goodbye. kissing Alex once again too, he whispered out to her. "I love you 3000." before picking his stuff from the floor and with one last glance he called out. "wait for me." and then he got out.

watching him leave, Anna felt something inside her shatter. her vision blurred, her breath hitched, and without thinking, her knees buckled. she collapsed, slowly sinking to the floor.

Alex, noticing her mother’s distress, didn’t hesitate. she ran toward Anna, throwing her small arms around her in a tight embrace. “Dada come back. Don’t worry.”

she said those last two words with such certainty, like they were a fact, like there was no other outcome. and that only made it harder.

because hope—God, hope had killed more people than Anna could count. hope was dangerous. it made people believe there was something better waiting for them. it made them believe they could survive just a little longer, just until things got better. But things never did.

still, Anna pressed a soft kiss to Alex’s face, her voice gentle, careful, as if she was trying not to break a promise. “yes, baby. daddy’s going to come back. and then it’ll be just me, you, your sister, and dada. just like before.”

and for the first time in a long time, she let herself believe it. because maybe, just maybe, he really would come back.

THREE HOURS LATER -

it was a late night, something between 3am. stars covered the clear sky, making the moon shine. Kyle had his riffle on his shoulders and a gun in his hands, just in a case. walking on a rooftop, where it was hard to be noticed, he thought about them.

his chest hurting and his breathing shallow, the photo in his fingers made him calm. him, Anna with a 4 month baby bump and Alex in his hands. the pogotovo was taken not long ago, when Anna found out that she was pregnant.

he remebers that day so clearly, like it was yesterday. the shock on his face when she told him the news and when he hugged her so thightly, Alex came in a view. her big doe eyes, stared at them in confusion, asking her dad, her head tiltling. "why dada hug mama?"

looking away from Anna, Kyle crouched down to face Alex, took her in his arms and spun her around, while yelling with a big smile on his face. "mama's pregnant!" and Alex, now giggling, when her dad spun her around, her little eyes were so wide, that it looked like they were going to pop out. "YAY! ME HAVING A BABY SISTER!" while yelling with her dad, both of them having big smiles on their faces.

Anna watched them, her hands on her belly, with a big smile on her face. she felt like the luckiest girl in the world, even though everything fell apart. the chance of being happy in this time, made her feel like she was the richest person ever. having a boyfriend, who actually loves her, no matter what argument they had, he always looked at her with so much love.

"why are you so sure its a girl?" Anna asked Kyle, burrying her nose in his neck, while he bringed her closer to him, kissing her hairline softly. "I just do. its like i have this tingle everytime i touch your stomach. its like shes responding to me, look." putting his and Alex’s hand on Anna’s stomach, he gently caressed it, before he felt a slight kick on his side. Alex now grinning when she felt the baby kicking too, whispered like she was not trying to scare off the baby.

"baby kicked mama. baby loves Alex and me loves baby sooo much." she said, her eyes twinkling, and Anna could feel a bonding moment between her and the baby. its like she knew, that one day, Alex will protect her sibling no matter what.

Anna had laughed, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she watched them. Kyle closed his eyes at the memory, pressing his lips into a tight line.

his chest ached. his throat burned. God, he missed them.

kissing the photo softly, and putting it back in his pocket, the tears in his eyes stinged so much it hurt him. his throat closed up making it hurt to breathe or to say something. because he knew, that if he said something, he could break right here.

too lost in his thoughts, his walkie-talkie ringed back to the life. a male voice called out. "kyle? come in kyle, over." quickly takjng his walkie out from his vest, kyle whispered out, his voice slightly shaken up.

"Im here. whats up?" his hands shook slightly, while gripping the walkie-talkie in his hands.

"Jason said that someone has to go to check the mall, to clear out the area." the voice called out. the words hit Kyle like a punch to the gut. "didn’t we lock down the mall for a reason?" he muttered, glancing up at the empty streets. "the place is crawling with infected."

the voice sighed and Kyle swore that he could hear the annoyance behind the voice. "I dont know man, ask Jason. he gave the orders not me." the voice paused for a second, then called out again. "and the last time we checked, the mall was empty. not a single soul was in there, so youre safe."

Kyle’s chest tightened, his heartbeat thudding in his ears. his breath, once steady, now felt too fast, too shallow. the thought of facing the infected again—the thought of dying and leaving Anna and Alex—sent a sickening churn through his gut.

he didn’t fear death itself. he’d always known it was coming. but leaving them alone... that was a thought he couldn’t shake. it made him feel weak, vulnerable.

with a deep breath, he forced himself to focus, his grip tightening on the walkie-talkie. "roger that. I’ll check it out." but as he took another step toward the mission ahead, the image of Anna and Alex lingered in his mind, a haunting reminder of what he had to lose.

after a few minutes of walking, Kyle found himself standing in front of the mall. he remembered this place—once bright, alive, filled with people carrying shopping bags, laughter echoing through the halls. friends chatting, families smiling, voices blending together in a hum of normalcy.

now, it was nothing but a hollow shell, its walls crumbling, its windows shattered, the silence pressing down on him like a weight.

he let out a slow breath, adjusting his grip on his rifle. his other hand held a flashlight, the beam flickering as he stepped forward. careful, quiet. the entrance loomed before him, sealed off for a reason, but orders were orders.

the doors creaked as he slipped inside, darkness swallowing him whole. dust clung to the air, and each step felt heavier than the last. he knew where he had to go—the electrical room. if he could get the lights on, he’d be able to see what he was dealing with.

navigating the ruined corridors, Kyle reached the door to the electrical room and eased it open. or at least, he tried to.

the second he let go, the universe decided to turn against him. the door slammed shut behind him with a deafening thud.

his breath caught, his heart hammering in his chest. his grip on the rifle tightened as he froze, listening. nothing. just the sound of his own pulse in his ears. he cursed under his breath, shaking his head before turning to the breaker panel.

his fingers traced over the worn-out wires, his eyes scanning for the right one. a second later, he found it. exhaling softly, he applied pressure to the loose connection, then reached for the switch.

with a flick of his wrist, he pulled the handle down.

the mall flickered back to life. lights buzzed overhead, casting long, eerie shadows across the broken floors. the silence that once suffocated him was now replaced with a low hum, the kind that made his skin crawl.

his eyes flickered to the empty storefronts, once bursting with life—shoppers darting in and out, their hands full of bags, their voices blending into a constant hum of conversation. now, the windows were shattered, dust-covered mannequins stood frozen in time, and discarded clothes lay strewn across the floor, faded and torn.

then, his gaze landed on the arcade.

for a moment, he swore he could hear it—the distant echoes of game machines beeping, the laughter of kids as they raced from one game to another, the rhythmic clatter of tokens falling into slots. his lips twitched into a faint smile.

this place—it was where he met her.

eighteen years old, desperate for an escape, he had found solace in arcades. the flashing lights, the familiar weight of a joystick in his hands—it was the only way to quiet his mind. that day, he'd been focused on setting a new high score when he noticed her.

she stood by the claw machine, blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaping to frame her face. despite the neon glow of the arcade, her eyes were the brightest thing in the room. and that smile—god, that smile—lit up everything around her. her freckles stood out in the dim light, scattered like constellations across her cheeks.

he remembered how she had huffed in frustration when the claw dropped the stuffed animal too soon, hands planted on her hips in defiance. he had laughed, unable to stop himself, and she had turned, eyes locking onto his.

"what?" she had asked, brows raised, though there was a teasing lilt in her voice.

"nothing," he had shrugged, stepping closer. "just thinking I could probably win that for you."

she had smirked, arms crossed. "oh yeah? big talk for a guy who’s probably never played this thing."

that was the start of everything.

standing there now, in the ruins of what once was, Kyle swallowed hard. the memory felt like a punch to the gut. he could almost see her—eighteen again, laughing, rolling her eyes at him.

Kyle stepped into the arcade, the faint neon glow still flickering against the walls, casting eerie shadows across the dust-covered machines. the air was thick with silence, but if he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the echoes of laughter, the chorus of game soundtracks blending together, the rhythmic clatter of buttons being mashed in excitement.

his gaze landed on a claw machine near the back.

a stuffed elephant sat among the pile of toys, its fabric faded but still intact. his heart clenched at the sight of it.

it was just like the one he had won for Anna on her birthday. he remembered how she had clutched it to her chest that night, smiling so wide it made his entire world feel lighter.

swallowing down the ache in his throat, Kyle started searching the room for coins. he moved cautiously, sifting through the dust and debris until his fingers brushed against something cool and round. a grin tugged at his lips as he picked up the scattered coins, dropping them into a small plastic bowl he had found along the way.

making his way back to the claw machine, he took a deep breath and slid a coin into the slot. the machine hummed back to life, its colorful lights blinking as if waking from a long slumber.

Kyle cracked his knuckles and placed his hand on the joystick, maneuvering the claw toward the elephant. he pressed the button, and the claw descended, gripping the toy by its ear—only for it to slip through and drop back into the pile.

"are you kidding me?" he muttered, brows furrowing.

determined, he tried again. and again. each time, the claw teased him, lifting the elephant just high enough to give him hope before letting it go.

frustration bubbling in his chest, he exhaled sharply, shaking out his hands. "alright, one more time."

he lined up the claw, eyes locked on the prize, and pressed the button with full force. the claw lowered, latched onto the elephant’s ear again, and— It held.

Kyle barely breathed as the claw inched toward the drop chute. his hands clenched into fists, his heart pounding as he silently begged the universe not to screw him over this time.

and then— the elephant tumbled into the prize slot. Kyle let out a breathless laugh, fist pumping the air in triumph. "hell yeah!"

reaching into the machine, he gently pulled out the stuffed toy, brushing off the dust before carefully tucking it into his backpack.

just the thought of bringing it home to Anna and Alex made his chest feel lighter, even in a world that had long since forgotten what joy felt like.

for them, he would always find a reason to smile.

walking out of the arcade, Kyle adjusted his rifle and flashlight, moving quickly but quietly, trying not to draw attention. the silence was suffocating, broken only by his own breath and the faint crunch of debris under his boots. his heart pounded hard in his chest, making it difficult to focus.

he checked another store, sweeping his flashlight across the dark corners. empty.

another sigh left his lips as he stepped out, gripping the walkie-talkie from his vest and pressing the side button.

“Aaron? come in. over.”

static crackled before a familiar voice responded. “Aaron here. you clear the mall? over.”

Kyle ran a hand down his face. He was exhausted. “yeah. nothing. place is dead.”

“copy that,” Aaron replied. “head back. Marlene’s gonna lose her shit if she sees you’re not in your spot.”

Kyle stopped mid-step, brows furrowing.

“…what do you mean ‘if she sees’?” his grip on the walkie tightened. “you didn’t tell her I was sent into a sealed-off building? alone? ith fucking infected crawling around?”

Aaron sighed. “look, man, not my call. Jason said it had to be done. I just passed it along.”

Kyle let out a humorless laugh. “had to be done?” his voice rose. “Aaron, are you fucking serious?”

his knuckles whitened around the walkie. “for fuck’s sake—I have two girls waiting for me. a baby on the way. and Jason just threw me into this shit without telling Marlene?”

a beat of silence. then Aaron muttered, “I didn’t have a choice. you know how bitchy Jason gets. you don’t do what he says, and suddenly you’re pulling double shifts.”

Kyle exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “I don’t give a shit about him. he knows I have people waiting for me. and he didn’t even clear this with Marlene?”

Aaron groaned. “Kyle, I know. but don’t put this on me, man. I’m just doing my job. not like I’m getting paid enough for this shit anyway—”

Kyle barely listened as Aaron kept talking. his focus shifted to the exit, quickening his pace, eager to be done with this place. he didn’t notice when the picture and knife slipped from his pocket, hitting the floor with a soft clink.

the noise sent his heart hammering against his ribs. he spun around, scanning the darkness, only to realize what had fallen. “…shit.”

rushing over, he snatched them up, stuffing the picture into his vest for safekeeping. he wasn’t risking that again.

Shaking off the nerves, Kyle adjusted his pack and strode toward the doors, Aaron still rambling in his ear. gripping the handle, he pushed— nothing.

Kyle frowned. tried again. the door didn’t budge. his stomach twisted. “you have to be kidding me.” cursing under his breath, he yanked his backpack off, rummaging through it for supplies. the next few minutes were a blur of failed attempts—pulling, prying, shoving. his patience wore thin.

then, with a sudden snap, the handle broke clean off. Kyle stared at it in his hand, then at the door. then—

“mother fucker!” his voice echoed through the empty mall.

frustrated beyond belief, he made a decision. fuck it. If the door wouldn’t open, he’d make it open. bracing himself, he threw his weight against the door. hard.

BANG.

Again.

BANG.

the noise was too loud, way too loud, but he didn’t care. he was so close. just one more— CRASH.

the doors burst open, slamming onto the ground with a deafening clang.

Kyle barely had time to grab his bag before— a scream. blood-curdling. echoing from deep inside the mall. his blood ran cold. every muscle in his body tensed. slowly, he turned his head.

eyes. empty, dead, and locked onto him.

one infected. emerging from the shadows, crawling over debris, snarling, its hunger razor-sharp. Kyle’s breath hitched. then they ran. and so did he.

his walkie-talkie clattered to the floor, forgotten.

pacing the room, Marlene glanced at the map, then the clock on the wall. 5 AM. still no sign of Kyle. no Aaron bursting through her door with a stupid grin, cracking some half-assed joke to break the tension.

something was wrong. with a frustrated sigh, she pushed up from her chair and stormed out of her office, boots thudding against the floor. her mind raced. what if something went wrong? what if they’re stuck? what if— she clenched her jaw, forcing the thoughts down. she needed answers.

reaching Jason’s office, she knocked— three sharp raps. a voice called from inside. "come in." taking a breath, she pushed the door open and stepped in, shutting it firmly behind her. Jason was at his desk, flipping through a file, barely sparing her a glance. too casual. too at ease.

"what's up?" he muttered, eyes scanning the papers like she wasn’t standing there, burning holes into his skull. Marlene folded her arms, stance rigid. her voice came out sharp. demanding. "where are they?"

Jason didn't react. didn’t even blink.

"it’s five fucking in the morning, and they’re not here. What did you do?"

Jason laughed. a quiet, dismissive chuckle, shaking his head. he still wouldn’t meet her gaze. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

wrong answer. Marlene saw red. she was done. done with his smirking, his arrogance, his bullshit. in a flash, she moved—circling the desk, grabbing his collar, yanking him up from his chair.

Jason staggered, hands gripping her wrists, but she didn’t let go.

Marlene sneered, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "don’t bullshit me, Jason." she tightened her grip. "tell me where Kyle and Aaron are. now."

Jason’s breath hitched. he grabbed at her wrist, struggling, trying to pry her off, but she held firm. he gasped, his hands dropping limply to his sides as the oxygen left him. his eyes darted wildly, fear creeping into them. finally, in a ragged, desperate breath, he choked out, "okay, okay—I’ll tell you, just please—"

then— BANG. the door slammed open, rattling the walls. Marlene’s head snapped toward the entrance as Aaron stumbled in, panting, chest heaving.

"Marlene..." his voice was raw, urgent. his hands trembled as he tried to catch his breath. "Kyle—he’s in trouble."

for a split second, everything stopped.

Marlene’s grip slackened, and Jason collapsed back against the desk, coughing violently. but she didn’t look at him. she was already moving. her boots pounded against the floor as she rushed to her office, ripping open drawers, grabbing weapons, supplies—anything she could carry. Her mind screamed at her. this is your fault. you shouldn’t have let him go. you should have stopped him.

Marlene shoved a pistol into its holster, slung a rifle over her back. her hands were shaking. she swallowed the fear, turned to Aaron, and barked, "get what you need and come with me." her voice wavered. she didn’t have time to pray.

but still, under her breath, she whispered, "please. just let him make it."

breathing heavily, he clutched his side of ribs, trying to stop the bleeding. the blood gushed through his hands, the color now grimson red. cursing he looked down at the huge cut and hissed. "fuck... this shit really hurts huh?" kyle spoke up between the quick breaths looking at the infected, now dead, talking to himself.

scoffing and turning his head around, the sight making him gag. the sight of blood always made him like this, and yes he knows its stupid. six years into the apocalypse he saw a lots of blood and the stuff anyone was supposed to see.

sighing he thought about the times when the only problem in his life was how to get a girlfriend without making a fool out of himself. the time when he got to see his mom's homemade meals and the times when he argued with his dad over stupid things. the time when he met her. the love of his life. when he first told her that he liked her and the time he got the chance to kiss her. the time when he told her that he loved her. god, just thinking about that made him smile like a highschooler.

over years he thought about one thing. spending the rest of his life with her. growing old with her, their children next to them while their grandchidren ran around the yard, screaming and playing together. and yet he didnt got the chance to ask her the only one thing he always wanted to. to marry him.

every day he saved his money, hoping that maybe one day, he would have the balls to ask her that. and every time he had the chance, he chickened out. what if she doesnt wants to spend her life with me? what if she doesnt loves me anymore? what if im not good enough for her? those thoughts were driving him crazy. made him wanting to rip his own heart out and yell out how much he loved her. how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

and the time when he actually got the courrage to ask her that question, the world went to hell. he remebers the day so clearly, like it was yesterday. the time when she called him, her breath stuck in her throat, sobbing violently and begging him to come and save her. "kyle- something is happening, something bad. people here are screaming and-." static. the line cut off. so he ran. he ran like his life depended on her. thats because it was. he couldn’t do this alone. not without her.

the ring in the box, hidden from her for months was laying down on the ground, forgotten in a rush. to this day, hes always cursing himself for forgeting the ring. if he only had the chance to go back to time and ask her sooner, he would do it all over again.

too bussy reminding himself of his past, the veins on his side grew. bit by bit, his whole side was covered in spores. right. the bite. he knew what was coming. and he wasnt running away from it. for the first time in his life, kyle accepted his fate.

crying softly taking the picture out from his vest, he smiled at it. bringing the picture closer to his lips, he kissed the picture, imagining his little family. his Anna, his Alex and his his unborn baby. it hurt knowing that he wont be there to watch his baby girls grow up. to watch the love of his life spending her life alone. without him. "I love you guys so fucking much." he whispered to the photo, as if they were here, next to him.

he imagined the way that Anna would wrap his side trying to make the blood stop from seeping away. the way that Alex would prepper the kissess on his face, blabering about anything to make her dada feel better. the way that his hand wouldnt leave Anna’s pregnant belly, feeling the little kicks on his hand.

the pain on his side was nothing compared to the pain in his chest. the hoolow ache making his breath heavy, his heart pounding in such a cruel way. to remind him that it was over.

hearing the faint sound of footsteps, Kyle’s hand instinctively reached for the gun at his side, his fingers tightening around the grip, preparing to defend himself. but the voice that broke the silence made him exhale sharply.

"you don’t have to shoot. It’s just us. just me and Aaron." Kyle’s shoulders slumped, exhaustion weighing him down as he lowered the gun, grunting in pain.

“could’ve said that earlier,” he muttered through gritted teeth, his head tilting back against the wall. the world felt distant as the room seemed to tilt. blood pooled around him, and for a moment, he forgot where he was. the pain was nothing compared to what was coming.

Marlene’s voice broke through the fog of his thoughts. "what happened? Why are you here? how did you get in here? Kyle—"

he raised a hand, cutting her off. "stop," Kyle rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "you know what happened. you know how it went down. it just… happened." he stared at the ceiling, his voice quiet. "i tried to stop it… but my mind kept drifting to them. to her. to them… and I couldn’t… I just couldn’t fight it."

Marlene’s eyes filled with tears as she took a step closer, her face pale in shock and disbelief. “Kyle, please… we can stop the bleeding, I can help you, I just need—"

Kyle’s laugh was bitter, the sound rasping in his throat. "help me? Marlene, you and I both know what’s coming. there’s no helping this. I’m gonna turn. I’m gonna be one of them. and there’s nothing anyone can do about it." his voice cracked, the tears slipping down his face as he struggled to hold it together.

"please," he whispered, his words pained and desperate. "please, just—" but Marlene wouldn’t let him finish. she cut him off, her voice shaking. “don’t you dare say that. don’t you dare ask me to—” Kyle’s eyes snapped to hers, his voice cracking with emotion. "you think I don’t want to go back to them? you think I don’t want to hear their voices again? feel her touch? hold them just one more time?"

he was shaking now, his chest rising and falling rapidly as the emotion spilled out. "God, Marlene, I would do anything to go back. anything. but I can’t. it’s too late. it’s too far gone." tears mixed with the blood on his face as he reached for her. "please," he begged, his voice hoarse. "i need you to do it. i need you to kill me before I turn. you promised—" he choked on his words, barely able to speak. "you promised you’d protect them if something happened to me."

Marlene recoiled, horrified by the request. “i can’t… i can’t do that. i can’t end your life. not like this. not like you’re asking me to.”

Kyle’s hand fell weakly to his chest, his breath shallow. "Marlene, please." his voice was barely a whisper. "you promised."

Marlene hesitated once again, her hands shaking and her mind racing. the thought of killing her best friends boyfriend made her sick. "what about her? what do I tell her? what do I tell to a three year old, whos asking for her dad, waiting to come back?"

she choked up on her words, she wanted to take them back, she wanted to change everything. "what do I tell to Anna? do I tell her that i killed you? do I tell her I killed you juat because you wanted that? huh?"

kyle sighed out, a slight smile on his face just thinking about them. "you tell them i love all three of them so much. you tell my Anna i wished that if the things were diffrend, that i would make her mine forever. that i would marry her with no hesitation."

tears were framing his face now. the breaths he took were fast and ragged. "you tell my Alex that daddy loves her so much. that she is going to be my baby forever. you tell her I love her 3000."

even through his tears, talking about his family made him happy. it always did. but then he remembered the baby.

“you tell our baby I’m sorry,” Kyle whispered, his voice breaking. “for leaving. for not being there. for making her grow up without me.” his fingers trembled as he clutched the photo tighter, pressing it against his lips. “tell Anna to name her Ellie. our little Ellie.”

with a grunt, he reached for his backpack, fumbling through the blood-soaked fabric. his breath hitched as he pulled out two things: a small stuffed elephant and a knife. “you give these to them.” he held up the elephant first, his voice shaking. “Alex gets this. she loves elephants.” then he looked at the knife. “and this… this is for Anna.”

Marlene watched, frozen in place, as Kyle kissed the picture one last time before carefully stuffing it inside the elephant’s worn fabric. his bloody fingerprints stained the toy as he pressed it to his chest, his body wracked with sobs.

“tell them I’m sorry,” he choked out. “for everything. for not listening to Anna. for not being there when it mattered.” his breath came faster now, his body trembling violently. “Marlene.” he met her eyes, desperate. “do it. now. please. this is the last thing I’ll ever ask of you.”

she shook her head, her grip tightening on the gun at her side. “I can’t.” Kyle let out a broken, guttural sob. “please! Ppease, Marlene! kill me before I—” his words cut off in a strangled cry as his body jerked, muscles seizing, his eyes wild and unfocused.

then, he moved. It happened fast—too fast.

“DO IT!” he screamed as he lunged toward her.

the shot rang out before she could think.

a body hit the floor. silence.

Marlene stood there, her breath ragged, her hands shaking so hard the gun nearly slipped from her grip. the room was suffocatingly still, except for the quiet, broken sobs that fell from her lips.

she had done it. she had killed her best friend’s love. she had killed Alex’s father. she had killed Ellie’s father.

and now, she had to tell them why.

Anna paced the room, her arms wrapped around herself, her breath uneven. the lump in her throat made it hard to swallow, the tightness in her chest making every breath feel shallow. worry gnawed at her, twisting in her gut like a knife.

she stopped abruptly, pressing a hand to her stomach as sharp kicks jabbed at her side. the baby was restless—just like her. A soft smile tugged at her lips despite the anxiety weighing her down.

"hey, you," she murmured, running her fingers in slow circles over her belly. "you feeling okay in there?" another kick. a stronger one. Anna chuckled, blinking away the sting in her eyes. "sorry for making you upset. I'm just worried about your dad."

as if in response, the baby kicked again.

"you love your dad, huh?" another kick. "okay, okay, I get it. you love him more than me."

the small moment of warmth settled over her like a fragile blanket, but it didn't last. her eyes drifted to the bed where Alex lay curled up, wrapped in a thick blanket, her tiny fingers gripping the teddy bear Kyle had found for her. that bear was her lifeline—but not as much as her father was. Alex adored Kyle, always trailing after him, laughing at his silly jokes, teaming up with him to tease Anna.

Anna smiled, brushing a few strands of hair from Alex’s peaceful face before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. her heart ached with memories. she remembered the first time she told Kyle she was pregnant with Alex—how terrified she’d been, how she had braced herself for disappointment or fear in his eyes.

but his reaction had been nothing like she expected.

she could still see it so clearly—his wide-eyed shock melting into the biggest grin she had ever seen. and then, before she could even say another word, he had grabbed her, kissed her breathless, and spun her around like an idiot.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" he had shouted to anyone who would listen. "do you hear that? I'm gonna be a dad!" she had laughed, embarrassed, but his excitement was infectious. that whole day, he wouldn’t shut up about it, telling everyone in the QZ, beaming like he had won the lottery.

but she also remembered the looks they got—pitying glances, quiet murmurs. a baby in this world? what were they thinking?

and honestly, she had wondered the same thing. when he caught her growing quiet, he had cupped her face in his hands, pressing gentle kisses across her cheeks, her forehead, her lips.

"ignore them," he had whispered. "fuck 'em all. this? what you're carrying? it's a goddamn miracle." he had kissed her again, softer this time, and rested his forehead against hers. "and I love you for it. I love us."

now, sitting beside Alex in the dimly lit room, she wished she could hold onto that moment forever. but the ache in her chest reminded her of reality. Kyle wasn’t here. and the waiting was killing her.

Too lost in her thoughts, Anna barely noticed the soft murmur that came from Alex. "Dada... miss Dada." Her heart clenched. The ache in her chest sharpened, spreading to her sides. Just hearing those words made her mind spiral. She tried to steady her breathing, to push down the storm building inside her, but it was useless.

Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss to Alex’s forehead, whispering into her ear. "Love you so much. I’ll be back."

She slipped off the bed carefully, making sure not to wake her, then moved to the door. Her fingers trembled as she turned the key, locking it behind her.

With each step down the dimly lit hallway, her breathing quickened. She ran through everything she wanted to say, everything she needed to ask—but no words felt right. By the time she reached the other side of the building, she wasn’t even thinking anymore. Just moving.

Anna stopped in front of Marlene’s office and knocked—three times, sharp and deliberate. Silence. Her pulse pounded in her ears. She tried again, rattling the doorknob harder this time. "Marlene."

Nothing. Her chest tightened. Panic crept up her throat. She slammed her fist against the door, her voice breaking. "Open the goddamn door, Marlene. Just—please, open it."

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Anna’s breath hitched as she pressed her forehead against the door.

"Marlene." Her voice wavered now, quieter, but no less desperate. Still no answer.

Her hand curled into a fist, nails digging into her palm. She tried to breathe through the anger, through the grief clawing at her throat. But it was useless. With a sharp inhale, she stepped back and slammed her fist against the door again.

"If you don’t open this fucking door, I swear to God—" The lock clicked. The door cracked open just enough for Anna to see a sliver of Marlene’s face. Tired. Hollow. Eyes heavy with something Anna couldn’t place—regret? Guilt?

Anna’s breath hitched as she met Marlene’s eyes, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her. Marlene didn’t turn, her gaze locked on the window, hands trembling at her sides. That didn’t go unnoticed.

"Hey," Anna murmured, stepping closer. "You seem shaken up. What’s wrong?"

When Marlene didn’t answer, Anna pulled her into a hug, her limbs aching with every movement. The second their bodies touched, she felt it—Marlene was stiff, barely holding herself together.

Something was wrong. Anna pulled away, searching her face. "Hey, hey, what’s going on? Did something happen to you? Are you okay?" Marlene’s breath hitched—and then she crumbled.

Her shoulders shook as she broke down in front of Anna, sobs tearing through her. Anna froze, her heart slamming against her ribs. Something happened.

Her mind raced, possibilities running too fast to catch, but one name lodged itself in her throat. "Did—did something happen to anyone? To Kyle?"

Marlene flinched. And then she sobbed harder. The floor beneath Anna may as well have shattered. A sharp gasp escaped her as her vision blurred. No. No, that wasn’t right. Kyle was fine. He was safe. He was coming home. Just like he promised.

"Kyle’s coming home, right?" Anna whispered, desperation clawing at her throat. "He’s on his way to me, to Alex. Right, Marlene?" Marlene shut her eyes, her entire body trembling. "I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry."

The world cracked open. Anna’s breath turned ragged, her chest caving in on itself. "No—no, you’re lying. You’re fucking lying." She stumbled back, gripping her hair with one hand, the other clutching her belly. The kicks against her ribs sharpened, a cruel reminder of reality.

But she refused to believe it. "Kyle—he’s coming back to me," she choked out, shaking her head violently. "He’s alive."

Her voice wavered, but her anger did not.

Something inside her snapped. "STOP FUCKING LYING!" The scream tore through her, raw and broken. "HE’S COMING HOME TO ME! DON’T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!"

Then the punching began. Her fists slammed into Marlene’s face, her sides—anywhere she could reach. She wasn’t holding back. She couldn’t. The pain was unbearable, and this was the only way to let it out.

Marlene caught her wrists, pinning them to her sides. Their foreheads pressed together, hot tears mixing between them.

"He’s not coming home," Marlene whispered, her voice cracking. "And I am so, so sorry." Anna’s body trembled, her head shaking weakly. "No," she sobbed, fresh tears spilling down her face.

With every tear that hit the floor, she felt herself breaking further.

Her insides ached, but nothing compared to the agony in her chest. God, her heart.

It felt like someone had taken a knife to it and twisted, over and over again. The baby kicked, grounding her, but all it did was remind her—Kyle was gone. Alex and the baby would grow up without him.

Without their rock. Without the man who made them feel safe.

And she—she would have to live without the love of her life. The man who showed her what love was. How it could make her the happiest in the world and, at the same time, completely destroy her. She sobbed, the sound ripped from her soul.

Marlene slowly pulled away, her face twisted with sorrow as she reached into her bag.

Anna barely registered her movements until something soft and cold was pressed into her hands. She looked down. A bloodied stuffed elephant. A knife. Her breath hitched. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the elephant to her chest, clutching it like a lifeline. The knife—God, the knife—her lips pressed to the blood-stained handle, where his hands had once been.

He was still here. Just for a moment, she could still feel him. But it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

“He told me to give you the knife and the elephant to Alex.” Marlene’s voice wavered, thick with grief. “There’s also a photo inside the elephant.”

Anna barely registered the words. Her fingers tightened around the stuffed toy and the blade, both stained with his blood. They still felt warm, like he had just been holding them.

Marlene took a shaky breath and stepped closer, cupping Anna’s face in her trembling hands. “He said he loves you,” she whispered. “He loves Alex, too. And… he said to name the baby Ellie.”

Anna let out a laugh—sharp, broken, and soaked in tears. It bubbled up from somewhere deep, somewhere raw. “That idiot,” she choked out. “That absolute fucking idiot.” Her voice cracked, betraying the ache in her chest.

She flipped the elephant over, hands unsteady, and pulled out the photo. And god—god, it hurt. Kyle’s face stared back at her, frozen in time. His wide, stupid smile, his face smudged with dirt, his hair a mess. Alex was in his arms, grinning just as big, her tiny hands clutching his jacket. His other hand rested on Anna’s belly.

A life that was theirs. A life that was supposed to be theirs.

Anna’s breath hitched as she pressed the photo to her lips, squeezing her eyes shut, as if holding it close enough could bring him back.

Anna’s breath caught as she pressed the photo to her lips, squeezing her eyes shut as if holding it close enough could somehow bring him back. “I love you so much,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I promise, I’ll keep an eye on them, no matter what.”

A shaky smile tugged at her lips, though the tears kept falling. She could barely speak through the sobs. “And I promise... you’ll be the only man I ever love, for as long as I live.”

14 YEARS LATER -

"Ellie, for the love of God, stop! You're going to break your arms off," Alex muttered, her voice a mix of frustration and disbelief. She was sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor, surrounded by piles of debris, while Ellie—being Ellie—was still trying to force her way out of the handcuffs with all the determination of a bull.

"No," Ellie snapped, her short response enough to explain everything. The 14-year-old tugged again, her brow furrowed in concentration as she yanked on the cuffs, refusing to give up.

Alex rolled her eyes, slumping against the wall with a resigned sigh. She closed her eyes for a moment, her mind drifting back to three weeks ago. Back when their life—at least the little bit of peace they'd managed to find—felt somewhat stable.

She could still picture it clearly: the cramped room they had shared, the excitement in Ellie’s eyes when they'd gotten the new bunk bed. It wasn’t just about the bed—it was a piece of normalcy they hadn’t had in years. Ellie had jumped at the chance to sleep on top, her laughter echoing through the small room as she declared victory in their little sibling battle.

"Top bunk’s mine," Ellie had grinned, practically bouncing as she climbed to the top.

Alex had tried to argue, of course. She was the older one. "No, I’m the oldest! I get the top bunk."

Ellie had looked at her, giving that defiant grin that Alex knew all too well. "Doesn’t matter. I’m going up there. You can deal with it."

And so, Alex had huffed, crossing her arms in mock frustration, even though a small part of her had been relieved. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with Monica’s snoring anymore. That alone made the bottom bunk more bearable. But now... now those simple moments seemed so far away. The bunk bed, Ellie’s defiant grin, the moments of peace—it felt like a lifetime ago.

Ellie was still tugging at the cuffs, but this time Alex just watched her for a second longer, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She remembered what it felt like to fight over something so small, something so... normal.

"You're impossible," Alex muttered, not with real anger but with that familiar affection. "You know that, right?"

Ellie shot her a quick glance, grinning despite the situation. "Yeah, I know. But you love me anyway."

And for a brief moment, Alex did love her. Maybe a little more than she had before. Because, despite everything—despite the madness and the loss—they were still here. They were still fighting. And that, for Alex, was enough.

It was a late night, rain falling from the sky, the sky was pitch black, just perfect time to sleep. At least that's what Alex thought. Climbing the window, the poles were wet and impossible to hang on. After a while she finally reached the top, her hand landing on something sticky. She raised her hand to see what's on it and she cursed under her breath. It was a shit from the bird.

The white, sticky substance made Alex's stomach churn. Deciding to ignore it for right now, Alex took one final reach to the window, opened it and got quietly inside. Opening the window, Alex got inside, first taking off her shoes and her wet jacket that had sticked on her like it was her second skin. ‘ew.’ just the thought of having the jacked on her frame a bit longer, made her feel like she wanted to throw up.

Turning to the wall, Alex took off her jacked and her boots, while changing her clothes. huffing out breath when shirt stuck on her face, she cursed once again and, well, tried get her head out from the damn shirt. After a minute of fighting with a shirt, Alex took off the shirt and sighed out when the shirt finally came off from her. Ready to go to her bed, she turned around and then- a figure screamed out, their knife close to Alex’s face. Alex defended herself, twisting the knife from the person’s arm and grabbing them by their arms and put their head on Alex's bed. “You do that one more time, I swear to god, I am going to throw you out the window.” Alex spoke out, her breath catching in her throat and adrenaline radiating in her veins.

“Yeah, well you should announce yourself when you're back, not getting in like you're trying to kill me.” Ellie sighed out, her breath quick and her heart pounding in her ears. “Plus, if you throw me out from the window, who's going to annoy your ass?” Ellie winced from the pressure, Alex was pressing to her head, and she tried to get away from her grasp, but Alex only glared at her and smirked. “Yield, then I'll let you go.” Ellie shook her head no, pride filing her voice. “No fucking way, ‘ll rather die than do that shit-” Alex pressed harder on Ellie’s head, and then finally, Ellie yelped and chocked out “okay! Okay, Jesus fine! I yield! I yield!”

Away from her grasp, Ellie straightened up, her back cracking with each move she made and then she glared at Alex. “You're stupid, you know that right? You wannish for like a week, and then you decide to show up again, like you’re some sort of magician.” Ellie starred at her while Alex starred at her, worry and regret filling her eyes, for leaving her little sister lone. “I'm sorry, I thought it was going to take just a day, and it was going to, but then Jason told me that I have to go on another location and I just-” the next thing that Alex felt was Ellie's pair of arms around her frame, pulling her in a tight hug. The hug that could heal deepest wounds and make you feel like you're safe in someone's arms.

Alex had no hesitation and circled her arms around Ellie, their limbs pressing onto each other's. She felt horrible for making her little sister worried. Whispering in Ellie’s ear, Alex spoke out, kissing Ellie’s head. “Sorry for worrying you, I promise that for the next two weeks, you and I are doing whatever you want.” and the look that Ellie gave it her made her want to take that back, because the grin on Ellie’s face? Oh yeah, Alex was in deep shit.

“Really? Anything that I want?” Ellie giggled, stepping away from Alex and looking at her with an evil twinkle in her eyes. “Oh, I want to take it back so bad right now.” Alex whined while Ellie just smiled. “Can I take it back? I'll take it back. You’re impossible to talk. I swear to God Ellie, if it's something stupid, I am really throwing you out the window-”

“Don't worry, it's her way on convincing you that there is nothing to worry about. Right Ellie?” then a figure spoke up behind Alex. Turning around, Ellie and Alex saw Riley climbing up the window and with few huffs and puffs, Riley got in the room and closed the window. “Hey, what are we talking about?” Riley now stood tall with her hands on her hips and smile framed her face. Being next to window made her freckles shine under the light, making Ellie blush slightly and looking away.

That didn't went unnoticed by Alex who was now grinning from ear to ear, teasing Ellie. She wanted to tell Alex to fuck off, but Riley beat her to it. “What? You’re not going to say hi? Or at least say that you’re glad to see me?” Riley asked, her hands dropping on her sides.

Ellie just glared at her and turned around to go back to her bed. “Why would I? You decide to just sneak away for a night and then never come back.” turning around, Ellie faced Riley, her eyes stinged at how much she had tried to keep them away from falling down her face. Ellie paused, her voice barely above a whisper. “Everyone is leaving me. You, Alex. If you guys just want to leave forever, then fucking say so.”

Alex’s eyes widened and a pang echoed in her chest. She didn't know that leaving her alone made her feel this way. She hated being the reason when her sister was sad. Looking away, Alex spoke in a slow voice, guilt filling every part of her body. “I'm sorry for making you feel like that, Ells. I swear, fuck- I'm sorry.” riley on the other hand looked to the ground, avoiding Ellie's eyes, shame filling her entire body. If she knew what Ellie was feeling now, she would be mad too. Just the thought of Ellie or Alex disappearing out nowhere, made her worried. “I’m sorry for making you feel that way. It wasn't my intention. I was just trying to surprise you.”

Ellies eyes were now full of anger, sadness seeping out of them. “Surprise me? How Riley? By leaving me alone? By making me feel like an idiot? Like I'm some toy, you decided to throw away?” Ellie’s voice was louder now. Loud enough to make an echo in their shared room; the room that Ellie, Alex and Riley had shared.

Riley paused and then spoke up, her voice thin and quiet. “Surprise you by making you have the best night of your life. With me. With Alex. Nobody else, but us.” tears were sliding down Riley’s face, her eyes red and filled with guilt.

Ellie’s face fell. Her face before angry, now it was shocked. She was angry at herself for bursting so easily for taking her anger out on her sister, the person who was always with her, who was always on her side, no matter what. On Riley too, she was the person who made Ellie laugh so hard, her stomach filling with butterflies, sending her on the cloud nine. She was the one who Ellie felt seen but not exposed. She was the person that Ellie finally realized that she is in love.

Ellie’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart was at war with itself—anger clawing at the edges of her chest while something softer, more vulnerable, tried to break free. She wanted to scream, to run, but she also just wanted to be held, to be understood.

Sighing Ellie rolled her eyes and wiped them dry, because the tears were falling down her face. Punching Riley’s and Alex's shoulders, she told them, her voice slightly cracking. “Yeah, I'm sorry for lashing out, I guess.” Alex’s face grew in a smile and riley just laughed her face stained with tears. “Yeah, you're sorry because you want to see the surprise.” Alex spoke up.

Giggling, Ellie threw a pillow on Alex’s face and before she could catch it, it was already on her face. “Well, then, take your big girl pants on and follow me, my lady.” Riley spoke up, her voice now playful and teasing.

Waking up from the short nap, Alex opened her eyes, and she saw Ellie, who was pulling on the chains an hour ago, now fast asleep on her shoulder. Being stubborn in this world carried a lot of consequences, but Ellie being Ellie, she loved that. She loved having control of her own actions, even if it meant that she is going to get in trouble for whatever reason. But having an older sister was even better. Ellie loved Alex so much, that even if having an absolute control of her actions wasn't even enough, because it means that Alex was, the one who always reminded her that she is going to be her sister forever and ever. It meant that Alex was going to annoy Ellie about how dangerous it was to be reckless, to be stubborn, to not accept that people come and go, whether we like it or not.

Feeling Alex's stare at her, Ellie grumbled in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. “You know its disrespectful when you’re starring at people like that? You’re scaring them off like that.” Alex just shrugged her shoulders and said with sarcasm dripping in her voice. “Well, that makes two of us.”

Rolling her eyes, Ellie got up from Alex’s shoulder and stretched out. “How long was I out?”

“Don't know, maybe like an hour?”

“And you didn't even bother to wake me up?”

“Why would I wake you up Ellie? To watch you pulling on the chains?”

“Exactly! Because unlike you, I'm trying to get us out!”

Alex rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of the doors opening stopped her. Glancing on the other side, she saw a woman in her thirties, the same woman who has been ‘testing’ her and Ellie to see if they are going to turn. Ellie, however, got up from the floor and glared at the woman who was 6 feet away from them, as if she was keeping her distance from them. Ellie looked at the plate she and Alex had from the other day and pushed with her foot, forcing it away from her.

The woman looked at her papers, a pen in her hand, writing down something. Then she spoke up. “Count slowly and steady.” Ellie rolled her eyes and began counting fast. “onetwothreefour-” the woman looked up from her papers, her voice annoyed and clipped. “Slowly and steady” Alex, now enough of her shit, got up from the floor ang began to count instead of Ellie, because she knew that if she began to say something, she’ll have to deal with it, and she wasn't in the mood for that.

“One, two, three, four, five” with each number she recited she stared at the woman, her eyes sharpening with every move the woman made. “Six, seven, eight, fuck you.” and then a smirk appeared on Alex's face, her middle finger raised at the end of her sentence. Ellie who was next to her, smiled so big Alex could swear that the heaven above blessed her. “Fuck yeah, that's what I'm talking about!” Ellie high fived Alex, who had the same smile on her face.

The woman rolled her eyes and grumbled something under her breath. Writing something down, she spoke up again. “Now hold up your ha-” and there stood Ellie and Alex, their hands extended out, their posture still. The woman wrote again something in her file. Sighing woman shook her head slowly and spoke up, her voice clipped and short. “State out your names. Slowly.”

Muttering under her breath, Ellie spoke up annoyed. “Veronica. The same as today, the same as yesterday, and the day before and the day before and the-” Alex cut her off by speaking up. “Alex Williams. Something else?” and she swore, Ellie's eyes fell out from her head, her mouth opening in a shock. “Dude! What the fuck? Why are you stating out your real fucking name?” Ellie whisper shouted.

Alex turned to face Ellie, and she shrugged her shoulders. The woman wrote something gain and then she closed her file, clutching it to her side. And then she turned round and got out from the room, while them man appeared behind the woman and took the plate from the ground, his back now facing them as he slammed the doors behind him, getting out from the room.

“Hey!” Ellie shouted and her voice muffled when the doors closed. “HEY! People are gonna come looking for us. People from FEDRA.” her voice cracked with every word she said, breaking Alex's heart. She hated to see Ellie broken apart, her face once filled with smiles, now with nothing else but guilt and anger. “You hear me?! Let us go or you’re gonna pay motherfuckers!”

Alex saw Ellie's distress and she called out her name. “Ellie, leave it.” Seeing tears falling her face, she pulled Ellie in a tight hug. The kind of hug that healed all the wounds, the kind of hug that made Ellie forget about all the problems she faced. “Why won't they let us go home?” Ellie said, her voice cracking with every word she said. Alex could feel her heart breaking in pieces. The tough of Ellie carrying all the problems alone, made her feel uneasy. It made her chest feel like she can't breathe.

Taking Ellie’s face in her arms, Alex said, wiping away Ellie’s tears. “Hey, hey, Ellie. Hear me out, okay.” Sniffing, Ellie raised her head and looked Alex right in the eyes, when she did, she saw a smile on Alex’s face, like it was the only thing that grounded Ellie from going insane. “There you go. Listen- maybe one day, the day that we are going to escape from this hellhole, we are going to have our own place. The place to live together, to laugh, to eat, to make new memories and the place where we are going to pretend like everything is okay.” tears were dropping on Alex's face, her mind wandering to her dad, to her mom. The time when everything was perfect, even though the world went to shit.

She can remember her mom’s laugh, it sounded just like Ellie's, her face scrunching up and the way her teeth were showing up every time she smiled. She looked at Ellie one more time and she nodded her head. Yep, just like their mom. She could also remember her dad. She remembers the way his face would scrunch in confusion, his eyebrows making a weird shape that she had. She knew that because Ellie told her so, million times. She remembers the way that he would cackle and the way his eyes would shine so bright, lighter than a diamond. Both of Ellie and her had his eyes, but Ellie had the shape of her mom’s, while Alex had the shape of her dad’s.

Ellie is energetic, just like their mom, while Alex is calmer, just like their dad. While Ellie is the sun, Alex is the moon. Ellie is sharp on her tongue, she does not care what other people think about her, she's her own person. While Alex is the kind of that will search for comfort in the people that she's closest with. She will run away from her problems, not wanting to face them. Not wanting to remind herself of them. She will pretend like they don't exist. Ellie was like mom, brave, sharp and stubborn, while Alex was like dad. She will protect her loved ones even if it meant that she will be the one who will be gone at the end of a day.

“We can go to the moon; we can go back in time and see all the dinosaurs you're interested in. We can explore various of books we want to read, the songs we want to listen. We can have monkeys as pets.” hearing that, Ellie laughed, her chest shaking and her smile so wide that could heal all Alex's wounds. “Can we have Captain America as our neighbor?” Ellie asked her tears shining with tears sliding her face, the happy tears. Alex's eyes were so wide and the sound that she had just made, it was hilarious. It gave comfort to Ellie. It gave her hope, that maybe one day, everything could be perfect.

“We can even have Thor as our teacher about space.” and with that Alex hugged Ellie ono more time, but this time it felt like the darkness, the ugliness and everything in this world didn’t exist. It felt like everything was just like it was supposed to be.

Alex sighed out a breath she was holding, and she whispered out to Ellie, like she was the only person she was supposed to hear, and no one else. “I love you 3000.”

Ellie grinned and whispered out. “I could say the same about you too, sis” and with that Alex punched Ellie in the shoulder, while both sister’s laughs echoed in the room.

After many hours and how Ellie would say it ‘more like thousand years later’, a knock interrupted their peaceful sleep. Alex's eyes fluttered open, the sun blocking her view. Ellie jolted awake and as if on command she began counting again. “One, two, three, four-” and then Ellie was the one who saw the woman in her thirties, her skin dark and her curly hair wrapped in a low ponytail, few strands of her hair framing her face.

On her sides, the woman carried two backpacks. One was Ellie's and the other was Alex's. Nudging Alex, Ellie whisper-shouted to her. “Hey, Lexie wake up, man” With heavy sigh, Alex craned her neck and looked at the woman. The woman looked skeptically at the girls, her eyes widening with every move they made. Finally, deciding to give the girls their backpacks, she threw them on the floor. Ellie was the first one to pick up her own backpack, her fingers opening the zipper and then finally- she sighed out and took the knife and held it closer to her chest, her fingers fiddling it with it. Alex on the other side, looked at the woman and then took her own backpack and slowly opened the backpack, her eyes scanning the inside of it. When her eyes fell on two things, she sighed out and she closed it, clutching the backpack so close to her.

“You're not scared.” Alex voiced out, her breath slow and her eyes sharpening with every move the lady made. She really didn't look scared, and it made Alex uncomfortable.

“Then unlock us” Ellie voiced out both for her and Alex. She really hated the feeling of the cuffs on her hand.

The woman just scoffed and said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “How about we start with thank you?”

Alex and Ellie said at the same time, their faces confused. “For what?”

The woman cocked her eyebrows and told them, her voice loud enough for them to hear. “For saving your lives? For telling them not to shoot at you girls? That was me, just in case you didn't know.”

“And who are you?” Alex asked, her curiosity winning.

The woman smiled and shook her head. “I'm Marlene.” and Alex swears, her eyes never widened so fast. So, she is the woman who was the leader of the fireflies. Alex thought.

However, Ellie didn't care for Marlene's name, so she asked her the question that been bugging her since she came in here. “Why did you stop them?” Marlene just shrugged and answered. “We’ll get to that.”

Deciding to unlock the cuffs from the girl's hands, Marlene leaned forward causing for Ellie to raise her knife away from her and Alex to grab the broken glass from the floor and pointing to Marlene's way. Marlene leaned back and raised her hand, revealing the key in her hand. When the girls saw the key in Marlene's rasp, they looked at each other and nodded their heads. Marlene unlocked Ellie's cuff and then did the same to Alex. “So, Veronica... Alex” Alex just glared at her while Ellie just giggled at Alex's face. “How do ya feel?”

“The same.” Alex answered for both of her and Ellie.

“Is it gonna happen?” Ellie asked, fear filling her voice. The thought of turning in one of them, scared her more than she thought.

“So, can we go?” Alex asked.

“We won't tell anyone about any of this, I swear.” Ellie slowly said, her voice full of hope, that Marlene would let them out and they could go back home. The thought of being in this hellhole for one more day, made her feel insane. It made her skin crawl with fear.

Marlene leaned backwards, her arms crossing and her eyebrows cocking in confusion. “And where are you gonna go?” her voice was now loud and sharp. “Back to FEDRA military school? Are you that desperate to be a solider?” then she turned to Alex and asked her the question that made Alex's heart stop and her breathing gone. “And you Alex? Do you want to kill your sister, just because she has to kill you? Because you want to make sure that the world one day everything comes back to normal?” Marlene spat.

Just thinking about that made Alex curl up to herself and never wake up again. Just the thought of her little sister not being here anymore because of her, it made her stop and think about what Marlene just said. ‘Kill Ellie?’ the thought ran around Alex's mind like an echo, her mind glitching and imagining every worst-case scenario. No, she couldn't, she can't, Ellie- she's her little sister. The person who she loves the most, the person whom she promised that she is going to be next to her forever and ever. She promised her mom that she is always going to protect Ellie, no matter what, that its always going to be Ellie and her to the edge of the universe.

Snapping back in the reality, Ellie's voice broke Alex out of her trance. “You think we chose that place? That we want to be a part of their shitty community that just-ruins the humanity more than it does?” Ellie spat out, her voice trembling with every word she said. “They put us there when Ellie and I were barely old enough to stand on our own. It's for orphans.” Alex continued, her voice small and quiet.

She can remember the time when she and Ellie just got in there. The weird stares and the hushed whispers with fingers pointed in their direction. She held Ellie closer to her chest, whispering out the soft words to Ellie because she noticed how upset Ellie has gotten. Day after day, week after week, counting turned into years, the stares stopped, but the judging grew. The kids who were surrounding them made them feel like they didn't belong here, like there was no place for them.

Marlene watched the girls, and a smile appeared on her face, making Ellie frown. “They didn't put you here.” she paused and then said again “I did.”

Ellie watched Marlene with a shock on her face while Alex just stood there. She felt like something, or someone was telling her that, maybe, Marlene knew her parents. She knows that there was a woman who was her mom’s best friend, and she remembers that the lady had the dark skin and curls, but she couldn't remember her face. The feeling irked her, it made her want to claw out her yes and to remember the lady, to know who she was to her parents.

“... are you my fuckin mom or something” Ellie asked, a chuckle in her voice.

“Do I look like your mom?” Marlene asked with a small smile on her face.

Ellie turned to Alex as if she was searching for answers and i almost made Alex laugh, but instead she just shook her head no and then Ellie turned back to Marlene “no, you're not”

“As I told you, my name is Marlene. though you probably already know that.” she turned to face Alex, and she saw the stare Alex was giving her. Like she as trying to find the lost piece of her memory in her eyes. A shook of wave ran in Marlene's veins, and she looked back at Ellie, though she could still feel Alex's stare at her. “I'm the leader of the fireflies in the Boston QZ.”

Ellies eyes widened at the sudden confession, so she asked. "Why would terrorists dump us with FEDRA?”

Marlene sighed out and she leaned forward.” because its where you'd be safest, and you were safe until you decided to sneak out and-” Marlene paused and thought about the next words she’s going to say, because she knew that they were going to hurt. “Terrorists? Was Riley a terrorist?”

The words that she said fell like bomb. The grip on the knife Ellie held was so strong, Alex thought her hand would bleed out, so she held Ellie close to her, while she could feel the tears dropping on her face. “Why won't you let us go home?” Ellie asked while the tears swelled up in her eyes as well.

Noticing the tears of the girls, marine's heart dropped to her knees. She knew how much Riley had meant to the girls. Just like Anna has to her. Being her friend since the childhood mad it harder for her to process her death. even now, she grieved, but she hid it so well. “Because you, Ellie, gave a greater purpose than any of us could ever imagine.”

Alex looked at Marlene so wide, she thought her fuckin eyes were going to pop out from her skull. The purpose? What purpose? Why is Ellie special to them? What are going to do with Ellie? Are they going to take her away from Alex? No. No no no no no- they- they couldn't. They shouldn't. She swears that the day they take Ellie, is the day that she will burn the whole world just to find her, just so her little sister could be with her again.

Ellie looked at Marlene, confusion written so clearly on her face. Wanting to ask about more, Marlene interrupted her. “So, we’re leaving tonight, and we are taking the two of you with us.”

The knock interrupted the heavy tension in the air, the tension that was hard to swallow. “He's here.” the same woman who tested out Ellie and Alex if they ever turned, and Ellie being the menace she is, she stuck out her tongue at the woman and the woman rolled her eyes and closed the doors. “Five minutes.” Marlene said.

When the doors shut close, Marlene spoke up, the seriousness in her voice clear than ever. “What I'm about to tell you, cannot be repeated to anyone. Because if you do-” Marlene's words were firm and short. “I assure you; you will die.”

FEW HOURS LATER -

Looking back, Ellie wished she wasn't born. She just wished that Alex, her mom and dad had a happier life. But no, the universe had a dumb way of saying ‘hey! So, this is the life you’ll live from now on. Have fun!’ and she hated it. She hated the fact that her and Alex had to live in this world, the world that's consumed by murder, by hope. Hope. Fuck that shit. She hated that feeling. she hated when it got the best of her, only to let her down.

Her thought interrupted the talking of a man and woman, probably Marlene fighting with some jackass. Then there was the real fighting, the wrestling and then- gunshots. She looked at Alex and her eyes were wide. Alex knew what is going to be the next thing Ellie's going to pull off, so, she shook her head no at Ellie and tried to grab her arm from walking out from the door. Ellie got her arm out before it could fall into Alex's grasp and she slowly waled to the doors, her footsteps quiet. Finally, she reached the doors, and she pressed her ear against it. Hearing the faint footsteps, she told Alex to quiet it down and he pressed herself harder against the doors. Alex, now sick of Ellie, she stepped closer and tried to get her away from the doors, but then a voice spoke up behind the doors, making her stop in her tracks. The voice was gruff and heavy, looks like it was a man’s voice and then she heard a soft-spoken voice, the woman’s voice.

Now Alex did the same thing as Ellie, she pressed her ear against the doors, making Ellie grin widely. Opening her mouth to say something snarky, Alex's hand stopped Ellie, and she glared at her. Then the footsteps stopped. Why did they stop? Did the man and the woman found out that they are behind the doors, listening to them? What are they going to do? Are they going to hurt Ellie? The thought run around Alex's mind like a mantra, making her breath stop.

And then Ellie decided to do something stupid. In a moment of a haze, Ellie threw herself at the doors, and got out falling against a man who was probably in his 50’s. Her eyes wide and her breath quick, Alex cursed loudly and called out for Ellie. “Ellie! What the fuck are you doing-” and the next thing Alex saw made her stop in her tracks and takeout the gun from her waistband she hid from Marlene. A man pushed Ellie against the wall, making her drop to the floor, his gun pointed at her. A switch turned in her head and she stepped closer to the man and put her gun on his head, nudging his head with her gun. The man craned his head to look at Alex who stared at him, her eyes burning his skull.

Then a voice interrupted her interaction with a man, her eyes snapping to the voice. Marlene and Kim-the woman whom she just met. “Joel?” her eyes snapped back to Ellie’s; her concern bigger than the awkwardness in this room. “Marlene?” the man spoke up. How do they know each other? Alex wanted to ask Marlene, but her attention was on Ellie, who was having a hard time breathing, a man's gun pointed at her. Seeing that Alex spoke carefully. “Put the gun down, or I'm gonna blow your brain out.” the man looked at Alex once more and scoffed, his gun still pointed at Ellie.

Marlene looked at Ellie and pointed out, her voice annoyed. “Jesus, Ellie, you can’t be stupid like that.”

Joel scoffed and then the woman behind him spoke up. Her face stitched up, probably because, well, she was injured. “So, this is who Robert screwed us over with?” her face showed a sign of annoyance, and she continued. “The Che Guevara of Boston? I mean the war must be going shitty for you to buy merch from scumbags like him.”

Marlene sighed out and she held her now bleeding side “Yeah well it has been. The merch was bad, and he obviously didn't take ‘fuck off’ for an answer.”

Ellie listened the conversation and her hand flied to her pocket, where her knife was hidden. The knife was safely tucked in her pocket- wait. Her knife. where it is. Ellie patted her pockets, and her eyes met Alex's as if she was asking her for help. Alex took a deep breath, and her eyes scanned the hallway, and then- the knife. It was next to Joel's leg. Finally seeing it, Ellie reached for the knife, only to be under Joel's foot, away from Ellie's grasp. “Give me my knife” “Give her, her knife.” Ellie and Alex spoke up at the same time.

Joel only ignored the girls, and his head turned to Marlene. “What do you need a car battery for? "Ellie did the stupid move again, making Alex's heart stop. She stuck her hand out to grab the knife, and Joel pointed his gun again at Ellie, his voice now threating. “Don't.”

Alex just pressed her gun at Joel's head harder and she sneered at him, her voice full of venom. “Drop the fucking gun.” while Marlene pointed her gun at Joel and said, carefully, her voice filled with worry. “Not at her. Point at me.”

Then Marlene decided to tell Alex the thing that she didn't even dare to do. “Alex, drop the gun.” Alex just scoffed and pressed the gun to his head. “Alex for the love of God, drop the weapon.” and then with a final glance at Marlene, Alex dropped the gun down, her hands dropping to her sides.

“To answer your question, I need it for better reason than you do. No offence, but tommy’s just one man.” Marlene clutched her side.

“how's he just one man-” Marlene interrupted Joel. “it's our business to know things.”

“To know things?” Joel asked. “you're the cause of it. you turned my own brother against me.”

God damn, this guy had it all, Alex thought.

“That was a lot of gunfire. FEDRA’s gonna be on the way.” Kim pointed out, the women who was on Marlene's side.

“We were gonna move Ellie and Alex outta the zone tonight, but we won't make it anywhere like this. Not for a while anyway.” Marlene pointed out. “So, I think you're gonna do it.” Marlene pointed to Joel and Tess.

What? Why them? No, not a way in a hell, Alex thought. She was going to take her alone in there, even if it meant that bunch of FEDRA officers are going to be on her for that.

“We are not going with them” Alex and Elie said at the same time.

“Let me take her.” Kim said.

“Kim, you don't have a fuckin ear on your head, don't you dare to take her.” Marlene pointed out.

“Tess, we don't have time for this.” Joel and Tess were ready to walk out from the hallway, their missions now dropped in water. “You don't have time?” Marlene asked the pair.

“Who are they to you?” Tess asked Marlene. It really irked her off, the thought that they must take the girls.

“To you, they're cargo.”

“We don smuggle people.” Joel pointed out.

Marlene sighed out. She wanted to bang her head against the wall until it falls off from her shoulders. “there's a team of fireflies waiting for he two of them at the old state. I know what's out there. We are going with an entire squadron for that very reason.” Marlene spoke up. Looking at Ellie and Alex, their faces twisted in confusion, she continued. “But now I don't have a truck, I don't have a squadron. FEDRA’s five minutes away. What I do have is you. And I know what you guys are capable of. For better or worse.” Marlene finished; her breath quick at the speed she spoke.

Ellie was, at least to say, surprised to what Marlene just said. Jesus that's a lot of work. Ellie thought. “What are they capable of?”

“You need to get her and Alex safely there. They will get you what you need. Not just a battery. The whole thing. Fueled up trucks, guns, supplies all of it. I swear.” Marlene said. and the second Ellie head the word guns coming out from Marlene's mouth, her eyes widened in excitement. Alex just shook her head no and she mouthed out to Ellie ‘no fucking way, stay where you are, Ellie.’ and then with a swift of his leg, Joel kicked Ellie's knife away, making Ellie to curse at him. “Asshole.”

Joel paused and then he turned his back, and he pulled Tess to the side, the two of them talking it out. The second he did, Alex rushed to Ellie's side and engulfed her in a tight hug. “What is wrong with you. I told you to stay back, you shithead.” Alex whispered out to Ellie.

Then Tess broke out from Joel's distance and spoke up. “Okay here’s the deal. We'll get them to your crew at the statehouse. But before we hand her over.” she pointed to Ellie. “They give us everything what we want. If not, we kill ‘em there and then.” Tess finished talking.

“Deal.” Marlene just nodded.

What' oh hell no. Alex will kill them before anyone touches her little sister. No way in hell. Just the thought of handing Ellie to someone Alex didn't believe in made her feel like Shes trapped in a trap.

“Really, that fast?” Ellie spoke up, her face offended.

“you two are all that matters. my team will not jeopardize that.” Marlene told Ellie and she looked both girls. "Remember what I told you. Now go get your backpacks.” Ellie hesitated while Alex didn't wait a second, before marching off and taking her backpack with her. “Now Ellie.” Alex voiced out to Ellie.

Ellie got up and took her backpack from the room they were once in and then she got out, looking back at Marlene and then she knocked her shoulder against Joel's, making him slightly stumble from the impact.

Joel, who was already walking away from Marlene heard a soft spoke voice, coming from Marlene. “Joel. Don't fuck this up.” and with that he walked out from the hallway into the streets.

After few hours passed by, Alex and Ellie were still sitting in the chair. Suddenly the snore snapped them out from their conversation and Ellie spoke up. “You mumble in your sleep.”

Joel just rolled his eyes, and he got up in a sitting position, facing the girl. Ellie continued with her rambling. “I've ever been on the other side of the wall. Look at how dark it is.” Ellie glanced at Joel and then at the window again. “you guys go there a lot?”

Joel just sighed out and spoke up. “I guess.”

Alex just stared out the window, listening to their conversation. She got out a lot. She seen the city, the last bits of the fallen Boston. She seen the infected a lot of the times. She killed them too. Not just infected, but the people too. it's not something she’s proud off. After all she was forced to do that. she can hear the screams of the people begging her not to take away their lives.

“When was the last time?” Ellie asked, looking out the window.

“I don't know, maybe a year. Why ask?” Joel questioned.

“You know where to go. So, we are gonna be okay.” Ellie whispered out. Alex noticed the discomfort in Ellie’s posture, so she did something that she knew would calm Ellie down. The though f losing Ellie over something stupid, made he feel like she wasn't worth her. Ike she wasn’t worth of being Ellie's sister. “Hey, hey, it's okay, c'mon.” Alex whispered out to Ellie, her arms circling around Ellie.

Joel noticed the sudden change between the sisters, softly called out to the girls. “Yeah. So, what's the deal with the two of you anyway? You some kind of bigwig's daughter or somethin’?” his eyes never leaving Alex's.

“Something like that.” Alex spoke up, her voice quiet before turning her attention to the window once again. Joel raised his eyebrows in shock. So, the girl can speak.

“The radio came on when you were sleeping.” Ellie spoke up, making Alex grin slightly, knowing what she was planning to do. And like on the sign, Joel's back stood up straight and the panic in his voice, made Alex grin even more under her palm. “What? What was the song?” Joel asked.

“Something like-” Ellie continued, her eyes now turning to Alex's waiting for her to finish the sentence. “Wake me up before you go-go?” Alex finished out. And just on the cue, Joel sighed out and cursed under his breath, not before running the hands on his face.

Ellie grinned and opened her mouth to say something more, Alex interrupted her. “Gotcha. 80’s means trouble. Code broken.” Alex finished out and hen looking over to Ellie, her hand raised out to high five Alex.

Then a switch turned in Joel's had. Damn it. The girls guessed the code. Joel who was sitting on the couch, he stood up from it and he walked over to the girls, his footsteps heavy and his voice shuddering. “Listen-” and then the rattle of the doorknob interrupted him, Tess getting inside the room and locking it behind her. “The spot under Lancaster looks good. "Then she turned Alex and Elie and asked them. “you two got a jacket in those backpacks?”

Alex was the first one ho nodded her head yes and answered “yeah.”

“Okay, get it. It's time to go.” Tess pointed out to the girls.

The girls, Alex and Ellie. Goth their jackets out from their packs and put the jackets on and their backpack on their shoulders. The sudden change in the air made Alex take a deep breath and to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario. Joel, Tess, Alex and Ellie got out from the doors; the apartment now empty.

To say that the rain wasn't still falling, Alex could only lie to herself. Yep, she still hates the rain. While Ellie is enjoying the feeling of the droplets of the rain in the fucking tunnel they were in. Alex could handle guns, knives, blood and even maybe a pair of infected, but water on her skin? Ugh she hated that. Stuck in her own thoughts Ellie broke her out from it, and she told her, a smile on her face. “Ahh the water. You love this part, right Lexie?” and Alex just shoved Ellie's shoulder, making her stumble against the wall.

Finally, after what it felt like a decade of walking around in the tunnel, Joel stopped and began climbing up the stairs. Wait, what? The stairs? Like the one who are stuck to the wall? Alex gulped and began slowly climbing up after Ellie her breaths rushed. After a while Joel stopped once again, and Alex swore that she never had a tight grip on something. Finally, once again, Joel lifted the cover and slowly got out, then Ellie and Alex following her and Tess being the last one. After checking if anyone got safely out, Joel placed the cover back. And then Ellie deciduate up from the floor and look around, shouting. “Holy shit, I'm actually outside!”

Alex's eyes widened and she took Ellie by her hand and pulled her down to crouch once again, before whisper shouting “what are you doing? are you out of your mind?!” then the light flashed out in their direction, Alex pulled Ellie on the ground, her breathing uneven at how much stuff was happening right now.

“Okay we’re gonna tail the left edge around the buffer zone. You stay close and you follow my lead. Got it?” Tess whispered out to the girls, but mostly to Ellie. Because she noticed how much she wanted to see around her. Alex and Ellie nodded, and Tess spoke up again. "Let's go.”

The group finally moved Tess leading again and Joel checking up if anyone was following, while the girls just followed Tess, their hands brushing lightly. Alex watched the way Tess walked towards, and her mind started to wander. She remembers this way. The time when she was sent on the mission, she was only 16 years old. sent off alone in the mall. To see if the mall was empty, if there were any signs of infected. She had spent the whole night in there, checking the corners around. Luck was on her side, even though she didn’t believe in it. She remembers the time when FEDRA used to hang people just because they wanted to have a touch of a freedom once in their lives. The screams, the sounds that people made, it engraved in her brain. Ellie being curious didn't make it any better. She wanted to see what's like out there, to see why everyone is going outside the walls. Ellie and Riley wanted to see what's like out there. Alex fought with her blood, sweat and tears for Ellie not to go there; she tried the same with Riley. But Riley didn't listen. So, she left, she left and explored the walls, the malls, the areas that were restricted trespass into. And then she joined the fireflies. While Alex left the fireflies, Riley joined them.

The shuffling of the footsteps broke her out from her trance, the voice sharp and horribly familiar. Before she could have a chance to take Ellie by her arm and to run away, a voice stopped her. “What the fuck? Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Don't move! Don't move!” Tess and Joel immediately stopped and raised their hands up, while Alex just shoved Ellie to the side. The officer just gasped and whispered out to Joel and Tess “You gotta be shitting me.”

“Okay let's just talk this out.” Joel said his hands shaking, trying to find a way to get the hell out from here. The officer just scoffed and pointed his riffle to the group. “Turn around.” Joel tried again, his voice still. "Wait, hold on-”

“Get on your knees! Get on your fuckin knees!” the officer yelled out; his patience thin while the light on his riffle flashed out and revealed Tess, Joel, Ellie and Alex. And just on a cue, the officer starred at Alex and chuckled out, pointing his riffle now on Alex. “So, you're the famous Alex Williams, huh? Wanted to follow your daddy’s steps, right?” Alex’s throat bobbed and her hands shook, her mind rewinding the time when everyone from the fireflies used to make fun of her, just because her dad was in there. All the stares she got, the pitying looks, it made her feel weak, and she didn't like that. So, she closed herself up and just did the tasks she needed to do. Plus being an older sister to a newly born sister was a hard thing to do. Even when growing up, Alex used to tell her all the memories she had from her parents. Ellie loved that and even if she never met their parents, Ellie learned to love them.

The officer saw how uncomfortable Alex looked so, he just continued “guess that didn't work out, huh? Man, I wish my dad was now next to me-” Joel stopped the officer, yelling out and noticing the way Alex's tears started to swell up in her eyes, her breath shaking and her lips trembling, like she was in some kind of trance. “Hey! Focus on me. Not her alright?”

The officer just smirked and spoke up, his voice filled with nothing, but venom. “Why, so she could escape? Yeah man. Keep fuckin dreaming. Now get on your damn knees!”

Tess sighed out and she got on her knees, her back facing the officer now, and Alex, Ellie and Joel got down and did the same thing as Tess. “Just get on your knees. Just get on your knees, c'mon.” Tess told them.

The officer now dropped his rifle and walked over the group, while Tess spoke up. “Listen, you let us do this run... we'll split the cards with you.” the officer just scoffed and spoke. “Oh, will you?” Tess nodded her head “yeah!”

Sitting on their knees, Alex and Ellie looked at each other as the officer took out the device, their eyes wide and Ellie’s eyes starting to sting. That was it. The officer is going to kill her for even finding out. Alex is going to be alone, and she is going to grieve Ellie to the rest of her life. Alex took out the knife from Ellie's pocket and hid it in her sleeve, ready for the attack.

“Oh, I'm so blessed. Hands on your head, eyes forward. Hands on your head!” the officer just yelled out.

The group interlocked their fingers and put them behind their heads, ready for the scanning. Ellie looked at Alex and whispered out to Alex. “I'm scared.” and when Alex looked at her, she could feel thousands of emotions flooding through her eyes. So, she just whispered out to Ellie, her voice filled with worry. “It's okay, we’re okay.” and Ellie just nodded her head.

Tess saw the device and she grumbled, her voice annoyed. “Really man?”

The officer just nods his head. “Yep. we're doing this by the book.”

“Jesus Christ.” Tess grumbled.

The officer put the device on Tess's head, and it beeped, showing the green screen, meaning she is not infected. Then next was Joel and the officer did the same thing with Tess. The device beeped and it showed the green screen, making Joel sigh out.

“Unauthorized exit. They'll hang you for that.” the officer said.

Joel rolled his eyes and spoke up, craning his head to look at the officer. “Fine! Everything off this run and half of the pills!”

The officer just scoffed and spoke up. “Half of? No, all off!”

Next up was Alex, and the officer stood behind her, grabbing her by her hair, making her wince out and he scanned her neck. “Risk my job for half of the fuck-” the officer stopped and spoke up the grip on Alex's hair tighter now. “Oh, I'm so going to get rich for this girl right here. Isn't that right Alex?”

The officer took the device out from Alex's neck, and he looked at it, then the screen got orange, making the officer furrow his eyebrows and ask Alex, his voice curious. “What the hell is this supposed to mean?” and Alex just shrugged, her smirk wide and dangerous. “Don't now. why scared I might kill you?” and the officer ignored her stepping closer to Ellie and scanning her neck. The next thing Alex pulled happened in a blur. She got the knife out from her sleeve and jabbed it into officer shoulder making him grunt and yell out, while she just pounced on him, moving Ellie out of the way.

“Fucking bitch! I'm gonna fucking kill you-” the officer got up from the floor pointing his gun at Alex, her stance still, only for officer to laugh in a mocking manner and he spoke up. “Oh! Look at that! Joel Miller being the protective daddy that he is.” then the officer said again, his voice full of hatred and will to kill Alex. “Get out of the way!”

Joel stood in front of the officer, his hands raised in front of him, trying to stop the things from going south. “Wait! We can fix this!” his hands hook and his mind wandering off on the memory he didn't want to remember.

The officer just stared at Joel, and he yelled out. “Move! Move you fucker! MOVE-!” and then Joel pounced on the man, and hitting him with his fists clenched up, bruising the man’s face, and Joel’s knuckles filled with the officer's blood. He continued to punch the officer until he was unconscious. Then he turned around and saw Ellie and Alex, looking at him in shock and then the man who was probably dead.

Tess however saw the device and looked at it, screaming out to Joel. “Joel! JOEL LOOK AT THIS” and Ellie noticed that and raised her sleeve, revealing the wound to Tess, trying to convince her otherwise. “No! No, no. Look! I'm not sick!”

Alex saw the encounter between Tess and Ellie, and she stepped in, her voice shaking. “No- Tess, she's not- she isn't infected-” Ellie just yelled out, her hands shaking. “I'm not sick! Look! This is three weeks old! Nobody lasts than a day! Does this look like a day old to you?”

“i should fucking kill you! When did it happen?” Tess asked, sneering at Ellie. Alex heard what Tess had said and stood in front of Ellie, and she got into Tess's face, her voice threating. “You do that, and I'll make sure you have the slowest and the most painfull death ever-”

Elie shrugged Alex's arm of her and spoke up again. “It doesn't matter! You have to trust me! They're gonna catch us if we don't run!”

Joel looked at Tess, Alex and Ellie and he spoke up. “The pipsqueak is right. We have to move.” he looked at Tess and he spoke up, picking up the riffle officer had and flung it over his shoulder. “We gotta move Tess. C’mon.” he looked at the officer, who was on the ground, now definitely dead from Joel's powerful punches on his face.

He turned around and followed the girls and Tess, going through the fence, the sharp edges scraping his skin, burning him.

While they walked, Alex wondered how will everything turn out after Ellie saves the world? What will happen to her? Will there be any consequences? Will Joel and Tess be there when the situations get ugly, while they travel all the way to the fireflies. The ones that Alex gave up from long ago, before becoming her own person and doing everything on her own. Only the universe will know.

Until then, she will make sure that nothing happens to Ellie. Ever. Or that's what she thought.

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white-wolf-buckaroo · 1 month ago

Text

Where the Flowers Don't Grow ~ Masterlist

This is a platonic!Joel Miller fic so basically Joel Miller x platonic!reader or Joel Miller & Reader or Joel Miller x daughter!reader.

I've loved writing this, I hope you love reading it <3

Daily updates!

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Playlist: you got it!

Moodboard: Soon!

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httpvomitello · 1 month ago

Note

Hii💗how are you?

Usually there's only joel miller x child!reader on tumblr when it comes to non-romantic fics, so I was thinking of something with tommy (I already liked his character in the games but now that he's gabriel luna I love him more than ever), and I came with a request on my mind: Can you write something where Tommy has toddler daughter reader before outbreak and how it would've been the outbreak morning and night on the first episode if tommy had a kid himself, a baby depending on him?

Ooh, i really like that one. And i hope you like too ~ ♡

(btw i'm also taking requests for the last of us now!)

When the Sky Fell Quiet .｡*･ﾟﾟ

Summary: Tommy Miller wasn’t supposed to be a single dad. But one mistake and a miracle later, he had a daughter. You. And nothing else in the world mattered. On September 26th, 2003, everything changes. But he still has one job: keep you safe. No matter what it takes.

tommy miller & daughter!reader

WARNINGS: Angst, panic and chaos, parent/child trauma, minor language, character death, bittersweet ending.

Morning — September 26, 2003

The morning started like most others.

You woke up in your tiny toddler bed—an old crib frame with the bars removed and cartoon sheets from a garage sale. You were rubbing your eyes, thumb stuck in your mouth, curls wild and messy.

Tommy was already in the kitchen, pouring burnt coffee into a mug that said #1 Dad, a Father’s Day gift you didn’t even remember giving him (you were still learning how to talk, after all). He was in his usual half-buttoned flannel and jeans with drywall dust on the knees.

“Bout time you woke up, sunshine,” he called softly as you padded down the hall in fuzzy socks.

You grunted.

He laughed. “That’s my girl.”

He picked you up and kissed your cheek, tickling your side until you squealed and kicked.

“Don’t tickle Daddy,” you warned with mock seriousness.

“Oh, is that so?” he teased. “Who makes the rules in this house?”

You leaned in close, finger to your lips. “Shh. Me.”

Tommy barked a laugh and kissed your forehead again. “Hell, I believe it.”

He dropped you off at the little daycare by the fire station—one of those rundown places where the toys were cracked and the paint peeled, but the teachers loved the kids like their own.

You didn’t cry when he left anymore. Not since last spring.

He looked back twice from his truck just to make sure you weren’t upset.

You weren’t.

You were waving.

And smiling.

Around 3:00 p.m., the sirens started.

At first, Tommy ignored them. Helicopters flying low over the suburbs, firetrucks screaming in all directions. One of the guys on site said something about the news—riots, maybe? People going crazy?

By 5:00 p.m., Tommy was already on edge.

He tried calling Joel. No answer.

Tried calling the daycare. Busy.

By 5:30, he broke every speed law in Austin trying to reach you.

When he burst through the front door of the daycare, the place was in chaos.

Children crying. Staff on their phones. A teacher holding the door shut while pounding echoed from the other side.

He saw you sitting on the floor, little backpack clutched to your chest like a lifeline.

Your eyes were wide, your cheeks flushed.

“Daddy!” you cried.

He ran to you, scooped you up in his arms, and didn’t let go.

“I got you, baby girl,” he whispered against your hair. “I got you.”

Back home, things were worse.

News reports said the virus was spreading. Airborne, waterborne—they didn’t know. Tommy shut every window, every vent. He grabbed the emergency bag Joel made for him after the Y2K scare. Loaded the pistol he hadn’t touched in two years.

He held you the whole time.

You weren’t asking questions—you didn’t need to. You knew something was wrong. You didn’t want your juice or your bedtime book. You just held his shirt and didn’t let go.

When night fell, the neighborhood lit up with fire and screams.

Joel called. Finally.

“Get ready to run,” he said. “I’m coming.”

When you arrived at your uncle's house, everything seemed to be happening too quickly.

Sarah cried when she saw you. She hugged you tight. You used to call her "Sasa" when you could barely speak.

You sat in the middle seat of the truck, clinging to Sarah's hand while your dad drove and she asked what was happening.

Neither of them had answers.

Helicopters crashed in the distance. Streets were blocked. People ran in the dark. Fires rose behind them.

Tommy wouldn’t let you go.

You didn’t understand it.

But you knew something was breaking.

Tommy ran, carrying you the whole time, trying to get to his brother and niece.

When the soldier pointed the gun, when Joel screamed for him to stop, when Sarah hit the ground—

You screamed too.

He couldn’t feel his legs. His throat was raw from yelling.

But you were warm and alive in his arms, and that was all that mattered.

Joel held Sarah’s body.

Tommy sat by the ditch, cradling you. You were shaking. He held your head to his chest and rocked you gently, even as the world around you burned.

You didn’t sleep.

He didn’t either.

Your hands clutched the collar of his shirt like you were afraid he’d disappear.

“I got you, baby girl,” he whispered again and again, like a prayer. “Daddy’s here. I got you.”

And even when the world ended, you believed him.

Because his arms never let go.

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dumbbitchenergy17 · 5 months ago

Text

BTS: Where the Wild Things Are

Plot: An audition leads to unforgettable moments on a hit show.

Word Count: 6.3K

Pairing: Paul Mescal x Reader

Warnings: fake fight scene, protective Paul and Pedro, fluff, potential spoilers to Where the Wild Things Are [read here]

—————

The cityscape was something you welcomed, honking traffic, people shouting in the streets, and the chaos and beauty that came from living in New York. Your partner on the other hand was still adjusting, having moved in about 4 months ago. In that time so much has occurred, hosting SNL, attending premieres for films you both starred in as well as attending award shows that you had the honor of presenting an award at one. The most recent event that passed was the Met Gala and your birthday was now on the latest agenda. You hear the front door unlock over the light music and traffic from outside before clicking shut.

“I got bagels for the birthday girl,” Paul calls out coming from the entryway to find you curled up on the couch watching Hannibal the last show on your binge list. He comes from behind the sofa and you pause to lean back and look at him upside down as he gives a charming smile.

“How was your run babe?” You ask accepting the sweet kiss he gives before coming around easily sinking into the couch. His headphones around his neck, he’s dressed in a cap, a sleeveless t-shirt, and those shorts he loves.

“I found this runner’s route about 3 miles and got to see some of the sights around here before I got hungry for food,” He says while pulling out the two sandwiches, “Made sure it was an everything bagel before I left.” He passes yours over you smile quickly feasting on the treat.

“Wow my order is finally right, it’s a birthday miracle.” You tease and he rolls his eyes eating his sandwich.

“Ran into these two nice girls as I was leaving and got a picture they also said happy birthday. I was surprised they even recognized me.” He comments and you poke with your free hand his bare sweaty thigh.

“It’s those damn shorts, they’re a magnet to any Paul Mescal fan in a 20-mile radius.” Since he moved into your cozy apartment in Greenwich Village those shorts have become a staple in his New York City lifestyle. You’ve never seen more paparazzi photos of him in shorts since he moved here.

He smirks leaning close to you, “Are these shorts a magnet to you?” He flirts as he raises a brow only making you snort. The moment is cut off by your phone ringing seeing it is a call from your agent. Paul groans at the name, “Don’t they know it’s your birthday that means no work.”

“Oh hush, they’re probably calling to say happy birthday,” You say getting up to enter the home office. You knew most likely it was that but also something you’ve been sorta keeping from Paul and also Pedro and Bella. So during that interview, the year prior involving a certain video game that had a book it was mentioned of a potential fan-casting involving you. You joked about being involved just to appease the fans of the hit show. It was only after the Emmys with your win that news came out of the hit video game book Where the Wild Things Are was being adapted into a spin-off series from The Last of Us. Immediately the world blew up, with fan-casting and speculations of when what, and who. You were excited to see a novel you enjoyed being adapted but it was only when you got an email sent from your agent and told to record a self-tape that you recognized the scene and what was being asked of you. That was a month ago when you sent in the tape and it was only this week you heard back that you got the job. Luckily Paul was busy with his projects and promotions so it was easy to be at virtual meetings or having to fly out to LA for negotiations with The Last of Us team and your team under the guise of negotiation for the latest Star Wars film you were meant to start in.

“Hey Cathy,” You answer while closing the office door behind you.

“Happy birthday Y/n I hope you’re enjoying your day,” She greets you.

“It’s been good relaxing, definitely mentally preparing myself for whatever Paul and Pedro have planned for tonight.” That makes her laugh. It was good with everyone in the city for the Met Gala they planned to remain for your birthday. It was all planned out with spending the day with your childhood friends the day before as a pre-celebration. You weren’t sure what they had planned but with Pedro involved it could only be as crazy as your twenty-first.

“Well be safe tonight, but I just got off the phone with Jeanine. She says Craig and Neil are all good on their end with the paperwork. We’ll send you an email in regards to obtaining your script and any upcoming schedule. News of your casting will be drafted up soon to be published,” She says and you smile, “But tonight enjoy your night with your friends and family.”

“Thank you so much, Cathy. Guess now is a better time than ever to tell them I auditioned and got it.” You hear her gasp on the other line.

“You haven’t told them you auditioned?!” You shrink pacing the office looking over the collage you have on the wall at your desk. Photos of your friends and family, but also photos on sets, from your earliest projects to even now. Your favorite is of you and Paul in Malta exploring the city together. You had tried getting a nice photo of the two of you until a kind couple offered to take it for you. You guys weren’t even looking at the camera as it's taken mid-laughter, your head thrown back mid-laugh while Paul has a cheesy grin having just told a joke to get you to smile.

“I was gonna tell them when I knew I got a callback, then it just felt right to surprise them. So now here we are, I’m gonna see them all tonight so best time to tell them.” You say with a laugh and you hear her sigh on the other end.

“Well enjoy your night and congrats again!”

When your friends and family let your boyfriend and second father-figure to plan your birthday you had to know they had something crazy planned. When you first got with Paul your birthday was only shortly after you made it official so you didn’t do anything insane with him. You guys had a nice dinner with live music together and he got you a gift card to one of your favorite stores. But with you know a year together and knowing each other you’re not sure what he has in mind.

It was immediately swept away by your glam team who completely pampered you with your favorite rituals, cocktails, and Frank Ocean. Elvira keeps your hair in its natural style leaving it down, René creates this sultry look with accents of pink glitter across your lids.

“Guys what hell,” You gasp when Juliano reveals a gorgeous pink set from Brielle that you’ve been dying to wear, from the lace leggings, the asymmetrical mini skirt, the off-the-shoulder gloved top with squared jewels as the button of the opening at your wrists and on the skirt, to the scarf with a large gem buckle. Even down to a new pair of shoes that match perfectly.

“Don’t look at us, this is all your lovely boyfriend’s doing we just made sure it was in your measurements,” Juliano says and your eyes start watering up about to cry.

“No! None of that I just did a sickening eyeliner just for you to ruin it!” René scolds you fanning your tears away and you force yourself to suck them back.

“I’m sorry okay,” You take a deep breath before giving a big smile, “I’m all good I swear no tears I promise.”

The three of them pull you into a hug, “Alright go get dressed, enjoy tonight!” Juliano says pressing kisses to your cheeks.

You give them all looks, “You have any idea what those two have planned?” They all give devilish smiles completely aware.

“We have been sworn to secrecy for this,” Elvira locks her mouth before throwing away the key. You groan making the three laugh before they all head out to let you get dressed. Deciding to add a pair of square diamonds to match the whole ensemble when you hear a knock on the door.

“Come in,” You call out seeing from the reflection Paul enters freshly showered and dressed in a casual black suit the first few buttons undone. You can see him drinking up your appearance as he slowly stalks over as you put in one of your earrings.

“Hi, handsome.” You smile as his hands rest your hips pressing featherlight kisses across your shoulder slowly creeping up to your neck. “Thank you for the outfit.” He just hums continuing his path of kisses you hear him inhale slightly the scent of your perfume as you put your other earring in.

“I kinda regret planning this whole elaborate birthday night,” He mutters into your skin and you can feel his body heat against your back fully pressing up against you wrapping you up in his arms, “Just wanna rip these clothes off and give your birthday gift.” He bites at the crook of your neck drawing a gasp mixed with a laugh from you.

“Down boy,” You spin in his arms leaning against your dresser letting your fingers twirl the curls at the base of his neck, “As much as I would enjoy your gift. I intend to take this pretty outfit out at least once to celebrate my birthday with our friends and family before you quote ‘rip these clothes off’ end quote.” That makes Paul chuckle pressing a kiss to your lips before sighing and resting his forehead on your shoulder.

“Fine let’s go see all our friends and make you happy,” He grabs your hand and guides you out of your apartment.

You laugh as you follow after your sulking boyfriend, “Don’t act like you’re not gonna enjoy whatever crazy shit you and Pedro planned.” You're unsure whether to be excited or scared about what they have planned.

It started with a nice dinner just between the two of you. Nothing too crazy a simple romantic dinner with a drink or two. You were getting nervous as the night continued letting Paul lead you through the streets constantly glancing at his watch for the time.

“You’re making me nervous, Paul, " you say as you cross the street, your heels clacking against the pavement. You hold his arm, guiding him out of the way of other people walking, his gaze glued to his phone.

“We’re here!” He stops abruptly in front of a building that looks very pretty. He leans you inside before speaking briefly to the receptionist who scans you in before entering an elevator and pressing the roof floor.

“Paul, what do you have planned?” You give him a questioning look as the floor number increases and he only gives a bright smile.

“Don’t worry,” He presses a kiss to your temple as you reach the top floor exiting and are immediately bombarded by loud confetti cannons go off as you both turn the corner.

“Surprise!” A chorus of people shocked to see so many people there, your family, college friends, coworkers, actor friends, and people from all aspects of your life. The entire place is decked out in decorations, an open bar, and a DJ playing your favorite songs. There’s a cheesy grin on your face spotting Pedro beside Oscar Issac with party blowers in their mouths. A good portion is reuniting with people you haven’t seen over music and drinks, finally making your way to your core group. Bella practically tackles you with a hug most definitely a few drinks.

“Happy birthday gorgeous,” They cheese and you return an exactly as bright one.

Pedro quickly gives a bear hug pressing a kiss to your temple. “Happy birthday chiquita.”

Bella claps their hands, “Wait picture!” they pull their phone out and you roll your eyes striking a peace sign while Pedro gives a kissy face. Paul stands beside Bella laughing at your antics. The beginning of ‘Thinkin' Bout You’ by Frank Ocean comes on and you grin.

“I love this song,” You start dancing but Bella shakes their head.

“No hold still the last one was blurry,” Holding up their phone you return to your pose with Pedro, how you didn’t spot the mischievous looks on their faces until it was too late.

“A tornado flew around my room before you came,” Frank Ocean's live voice comes through the speakers and your jaw drops. Immediate laughter from them and cheers from those around you as you whip around to see the DJ booth behind you. “Excuse the mess it made, it usually doesn't rain in South California.” There he was in all his glory Frank fucking Ocean singing at you.

“Holy Shit!” You scream fangirling at this point. You cover your face with your hands in shock, feeling someone come from behind pulling your hands down.

“Happy birthday,” Paul whispers in your ear, pressing a kiss. You’re glad he held you as you sang along, or you probably would’ve collapsed. You’re practically floating once he finishes, wishing you a happy birthday, hugging you, and taking a picture! Fourteen-year-old you can die happily now.

“How the fuck did you do that,” You ask still in awe cradling the custom birthday cocktail made for you. They had pulled out all the stops.

“Pedro cashed in a favor to Omar who’s friends with him,” Paul says and you spot Pedro over with his singer friend Omar Apollo who is speaking to Frank.

“Paul this is insane…like this has to be the best birthday ever.” You say.

Oscar comments in passing, “Better than your twenty-first?” That makes you burst out laughing. The infamous 21st birthday was one in the history books even if you have zero memory of it, only videos and photos serve as it.

“Seriously this is ridiculous. I love you so much.” You kiss him and he doesn’t reject answering it in kindness.

With more music and drinking the party was well celebrated but soon winded down with your core group and family there. You were sorting through the gifts received as music plays.

“Shut up P, the fuck is this?” You laugh holding what looks like a bouquet but instead of flowers, it is gift cards taped onto sticks.

“A bouquet of gift cards duh,” He says while sipping his beer, “All your favorite places from father number 2.” That makes your parents laugh and your father claps Pedro’s shoulder.

You put the gift off to the side, “Thank you, Pedro these will be gone in the week.” Paul rubs circles on your shoulder as you lean into him.

“I have something for you as well,” You look at him surprised.

“Paul you're kidding, right? You’ve already done so much tonight.” He shakes his head getting up.

“You’re my girlfriend. You think I’m not going to get you a gift. Now close your eyes” he says before heading off behind you. Bella and your sister make gagging noises and your mother shushes them.

“Paul if it’s a dog or something like that. I am not ready to be a mother,” your comments make the others laugh. Paul's chuckle comes close again and you hear the clunk of something resting on the outdoor coffee table.

“Okay open.” Opening your eyes you see a case immediately recognizing the familiar shape.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Paul teases as you frantically fumble to open the latches with your gloves revealing a gorgeous caramel acoustic guitar. Pulling the guitar out of the case someone moves it to the side looking over how beautiful it is.

“This is exactly what I wanted.” You look over at Paul with teary eyes and he swipes a stray one before it falls, “Thank you.” You pull him into a hug and you hear your mother coo to your father at the two of you.

“That's so sweet of you Paul.” She smiles as you pluck at the strings already in tune.

“Funny enough, I have something to tell you all,” you say resting the guitar to the side. A bit of nervousness crosses your face being around your closest people.

“You're pregnant.” Your sister blurts out making your parents gasp, Bella’s eyes widen, Pedro half spits out his drink and Paul chokes on his.

“No!” You see those all around you sag in relief, “I am very much not pregnant you just saw me drink all night.”

“Oh yeah.” Your sister nods forgetting that key detail.

“Like I was saying,” You give her a look before continuing, “I’ve been holding onto this news for a bit waiting for the right moment and if it was all confirmed. I auditioned for a television series and they hired me as the lead.”

“Oh sweetie that’s great.” Your mother squeezes your hand and your father nods in agreement.

“That’s amazing kid,” Pedro says and Bella nods excitedly.

Paul squeezes your arm a wide grin on his face. “That’s incredible babe.”

“What show is it?” Your sister asks those around you nodding in wonder. You try to suppress a grin as you speak.

“It’s an HBO series…called The Last of Us: Where the Wild Things Are.”

There’s a beat of silence before absolute chaos.

“We’re gonna be working together?!” Bella jumps up and down shaking a shell-shocked Pedro’s arm.

“You’re gonna be a part of The Last of Us. Oh my god, my friends are gonna freak,” Your sister screeches. Your father tries calming her down.

Your mother cries, “Oh my god honey that’s wonderful,”

Paul is just staring at you who has a sly grin across your face. “It worked out getting the guitar. I was gonna buy one to start practicing.” You shrug smugly and he just laughs shaking his head.

Your family’s reaction to the news was well-received; once it was revealed to the public, it was an explosion in media. The other projects worked on leading up to the shooting were filled with questions about this spin-off show from such a hit series. It was stressful once you got to shooting balancing being in Calgary and then flying down to California for The Mandalorian and Grogu but your team made it all possible. While you already knew some of the cast through Pedro and Bella, working on it was a completely different experience. The crew and cast were all so welcoming having these new components added to their production.

“This is weird,” Pedro says when he sees your new hair for the first time. You flash him a look. “I’m not going to be able to recognize you with your new hair.” You laugh alongside your hairstylist as she tweaks some flyaways.

“I hope you can recognize me I’m meant to be your daughter,” Craig and Neil had reached out on your opinion about dying your hair to make Pedro minus the grey aging and you had been completely on board. You weren’t concerned about getting your hair to that dark brown that would match your co-star and were honestly excited about the transformation.

“How has Paul reacted to this change? " he asks as you head to the wardrobe together.

“He likes it, definitely pushed the allegations of me being your long-lost child,” You say with a laugh and Pedro gives a concerned look.

“I don’t think I could’ve handled a child at twenty-five I could barely handle myself.” He has the most concerned look on his face just imagining being a father and you laugh.

You see two men before you one you recognize as the man you let go, Trevor or whatever the fuck his name was. The other next to him you’ve never seen but the two did look like similar brothers maybe. The revolver is aimed at the Travis guy you do know and you see the older man raise his rifle at you while the man with the gun pointed at him makes no move with his own. “I fucking told you I would kill you if I saw you again.” You hiss trying to shift your weight letting a hiss from the burning pain in your side. Thomas looks down at your side and sees your hand pressed against its blood soaking the fabric.

“You’re hurt.” He takes a step forward and your finger rests on the trigger while the other man has a clear shot at you, “Drop the gun girl.” The older man hisses and you barely glance at him as you speak.

“You’re in my fucking house dickwad don’t tell me shit.” You say before you open the chamber showing there are no bullets left, “If you’re here to get your shit back, it’s all gone or used to kill this fuckers.” You wave the empty gun to show the damaged room and the two bodies that are with you.

“Like I said before, get the fuck out of here and let me die in peace. Better yet toss me a bullet and let me finish the job.” You spat leaning your head back against the wall, waiting to hear them leave or maybe give you a way to bite the bullet.

At that moment you shift, acting as if you were bleeding out when your back seizes and you’re unable to hide the true pain.

“Holy fuck my back is seizing,” You yelp, and Pedro and Gabriel break and you can hear the laughter from the crew and camera team. “Y’all this isn’t fucking funny I’m literally dying.” You hear Craig yell cut and Pedro comes over to your hand desperately grabbing a section of your lower back.

“Jesus kid way to make us feel old as hell,” Pedro says before helping you lay down fully on the ground instead of propped up in the corner.

“You guys need to kill me I can’t deal with this,” You’re left at the mercy of Pedro who doesn’t hesitate taking embarrassing photos of you stuck on the ground that ended up as a y/n on the floor meet and greet. The internet found it very hilarious to see a picture of Pedro, Craig, and Neil all posed above you as you give a double middle finger from the floor.

With Paul working on his projects it was a bummer not having him around, especially with the time differences it was either staying late up at night to be able to talk with him briefly before you crashed or the other way around. So when he had breaks between productions he had flown to Calgary to visit you and see you in action on set. When he first saw you on set was during the fight sequence between Derek and the other boys. There were lots of pauses given this fight ends pretty bloody in the end. The SFX team dabs a bit of blood from the cut on your temple and makes sure the blood looks fresh on your knuckles.

“Awww aren’t you so pretty,” Bella coos standing beside Isabela who plays Dina while in the scene but not as active just witnessing the fight break out. Pedro and Paul stand more off to the side since he is needed in the scene. You smile at them with your split lip as they finish up your makeup letting you pop in a capsule as the actor playing Derek finishes up.

“Alright camera and sound roll,” Craig calls out from video village as you shake out your hands hoping to get the blood rushing as your scene partner smirks, “Action!”

Seeing Derek with blood pouring down his nose fire in his eyes as he holds his fists up.

“You fucking bitch!” He hisses and blood coats your teeth as you grin more sliding down your temple and you bring your fists up waving at him to come at you. With a roar, he swings a fist and you dodge landing a shot right at his kidney. A sharp gasp from the sudden pain as his hands go to grab his side not able to block his face as you drive your fist forward. The punch brings him to the ground as you pin him down your fists slamming into his face and beating the crap out of him.

He lands on the crash mat while you land behind camera taking a knee while he’s fully on his back. “Cut!” Craig calls out as the crew gets to switching things around for the new setup as you pull your scene partner to his feet. Sauntering over to Paul and Pedro off to the side as your assistant helps pull your parka at least around your shoulders keeping you warmer than the thinner coat your character wears.

“I don’t know how you like all that stunt works,” Pedro complains from his chair with Paul sitting beside him in your seat, “Makes me want to kill myself.” That draws a chuckle from you and Paul.

“I find it fun. It’s like my personal stress reliever,” You say unaware of the mildly concerned looks from Paul and Pedro.

“That sounds mildly concerning…” Paul says from beneath his scarf. Compared to most on the crew he was bundled up the most from a thick parka, gloves, a heavy-duty scarf, beanie, and probably layered up underneath.

“You all cozied up babe?” You tease and you can see his eyes roll his nose a flush to it from the cold.

“I don’t know how all of you aren’t fucking freezing,” Paul shudders as the wind blows onto the set.

“Well honestly I’m sweating from this scene so I’m protected,” You comment.

“How are you handling the New York cold,” Pedro questions.

You laugh loudly, “He hasn’t experienced it yet, currently, his attire is t-shirts and shorts. I’m surprised you even wanted to come up when it’s so much nicer back home.”

“I wanted to see you, of course, I’d deal with this cold for you,” He says, pressing a kiss gently so as not to touch the blood. You give a big smile and both Paul and Pedro grimace, “I completely forgot your mouth was bloody that was frightening.”

“Would you still like me if I looked like this?” You question.

“I think I’d be concerned why you’re beaten but yes I would still date you,” Paul confirms and you’re called back onto the set.

Whenever Paul was able to visit your spirits and energy on set were doubled. Even the day before he would arrive you’d have a skip in your step the only thing on your lips, “Did you guys know Paul is coming?” “Paul’s flight gets here in about 4 hours.” “I’m so excited to see Paul.”

It was so nice filming and not worrying about the snow as the majority of the show takes place during the winter. You had the absolute joy of meeting and working alongside the two young actresses performing the younger version of your character and Lila your half-sister. The two girls were sisters so it was plenty of fun meeting them during the read-throughs and them coming on set the first time. Your younger counterpart Haley, and your half-sister Deliah were absolute gems and the three of you grew quite attached. Even when you didn’t have shoot days coming in to see Haley, only twelve destroyed her performances and kept her occupied during breaks much to her parent’s delight. With Deliah, it was such an easy bond with this young eight-year-old playing on sets, and having lunches together. Pedro with his father figure magnet quickly pulled the two girls under his wing and his welcoming personality those kids ate it up. There was one picture you treasured during a rehearsal for the playground scene where she sees Joel again after joining her parents. Deliah has taken the rehearsal as an opportunity to play given the context of the scene. Haley had been on set that day for a costume fitting and to see her little sister, so when the crew found you, Haley, Pedro, and Deliah on a couch in a greenroom all passed out the teasing and photos pursued. Your head rested on Pedro’s shoulder with his head on top of yours, Delilah on your lap curled up into your chest, and Haley on Pedro’s side tucked under his arm asleep against him.

Some set days were better than others, especially given the topic and character development she goes through. You thought it was a skill to be able to deeply dive into these characters to create an authentic performance but sometimes it felt like a curse how it had started to take its toll against you.

“Kids go,” Joel says and Jesse and Dina nod, starting to trail away he sees Ellie look at him hesitant before she too leaves. Joel takes a step into the clearing, the crunch of snow makes you whip to face him and he raises his hands like taming a wild beast. Your chest heaves as you eye him with sharp panicked eyes. Tears stream down your flushed cheeks as you continue making that pained noise.

“I’m not gonna do anything kid,” Joel says calmly as one of your hands that grips your hair moves to your flannel clutching your collar as if it’s choking you. Joel rushes as you drop to your knees with an unhuman cry like this tidal wave of emotions finally takes over. He pries your blood hand from your hair to stop harming yourself allowing you to death grip his sleeve as you scream this gut-wrenching sound. Joel squeezes you close to his chest as your screams muffle in his coat soon it turns into a heartbreaking whimper. He has to look up to the sky to blink back the burn in his eyes holding you close to him, his hand stroking your hair to soothe you.

“It’s okay…I got you,” He says as you tremble in his hold, weak sobs and hiccups as you break down.

“Cut!” Craig calls out and Pedro pulls back and is a bit surprised seeing you’re still crying this time with your head in your hands.

“Kiddo….Chiquita,” Pedro calls out to you softly, his hand stroking your back before flashing a concerned look to Craig who quickly understands the situation.

“Let’s take ten!” He yells to the crew who look in concern at you crying with Pedro trying to soothe you but their instruction from their boss offering semi-privacy.

“Y/n you’re okay,” He whispers, “Breathe.” He forces you to notice your erratic breathing pattern borderline a panic attack. A PA rushes over with a foldout chair and some water which Pedro quickly takes. He helps guide you to sit instead of being in the cold snow, your breaths shaky but follow his calming voice. It didn’t take long for Paul who happened to be on set that day to come running over with your assistant hot on his heels. Practically skidding to his knees Paul replaces Pedro who stays by your side rubbing a strong hand up and down your back.

“Baby, what happened?” Concern in his eyes as he holds your face wiping away the tears that slide down your face. “You’re alright, you’re safe with all of us.”

“I’m sorry,” You hiccup, swiping at your face and smearing some of the fake blood on your face. Your breathing had significantly calmed still a stutter with each inhale, “Oh my god this is fucking embarrassing,” You curl up into the chair and the three people around you immediately disagree with your comment.

“Stop it you just got in your head a bit, you’re alright,” Paul reassures you, cracking open the water bottle for you, helping you take a sip until you take over drinking to hydrate yourself. Paul nods to your assistant and they head over to speak to Craig and the team. “You’re okay baby, take your time.”

“I thought you were crying because my acting was that bad,” Pedro comments and that makes a smile cross your face and a light giggle. His hand squeezes your shoulder, “Take your time kid until you’re ready. You nod grateful for them and the crew. After a minute or so of drinking enough water that you don’t feel dehydrated, you nod letting them know you were good.

Craig comes over, “Are you good to go? We can give you more time.” You are grateful for his concern and you shake your head.

“Thank you but I’m good to go, I’m so sorry for that I just got so far in my head for the scene,” You apologize and Paul shush you while Craig gives you a look.

“Don’t apologize, we wanna make sure you’re good. It’s a complex role I can understand getting that deep in that headspace.” He says before heading to the crew as they prepare.

“Are you sure you’re good,” Paul looks you over, swiping away stray tears at your waterline.

“I’m good I’m sure thank you,” You promise him and he nods, pressing a quick kiss letting you know he was there for you.

“I love you,” He says and you respond in kind. Paul heads off camera though staying near in case you needed him. Both you and Pedro return to the ground and he squeezes your shoulder as a reassurance before you two hop back into the emotional scene.

You and Paul sit at one of the lunch tables watching Haley and Deliah being chased around by Pedro. The two young girls squeal as they weave through tables too fast for him as he takes breaks to catch his breath.

“Jesus Christ they’re fast,” Pedro hunches over his hands on his knees as Bella laughs from their seat. Delilah rushes over to you and Paul.

“Hide me!” She yells and you let the two girls crawl underneath the table hidden behind your knees as Pedro comes over with a playful look.

“Hmmm, I wonder where Haley and Deliah are..” He stalks by your table and you can hear the muffled giggles from underneath.

“I guess I have to take Y/n hostage!” He grabs you and you play into the bit getting up from the table.

“No! Someone help me!” You fight against Pedro as he laughs like an evil villain and you hear a faux gasp from Paul as the girls pop up from under the table.

“Y/n!” They cry out rushing over to save you. Haley jumps onto Pedro’s back and he acts like it wounded him deeply while Deliah pulls you away.

“Oh no you defeated me,” Pedro closes his eyes and Haley rushes over to you.

“We saved you!” The two cheer and you smile dropping to your knees letting the two girls hug you.

“Oh my heroes what would I’ve done without you!” You praise them and the two girls are already thinking up a new game when their mother calls for them to lunch. They groan that the fun is over but listen rushing over to their mother yelling goodbyes to you all. Returning to your table Paul has a very gentle look though his mind is a bit elsewhere.

“All good?” You ask leaning against him and returning to your food and he nods, pressing a kiss to your temple.

“Yeah, you’re just good with kids.” He says and you smile up at him. You were always good with everyone but seeing you, especially around children or younger fans you have such a light to you. Speaking at their level instead of above them willing to talk about what runs through their active minds. Any other person wouldn’t sit and have an hour-long discussion with an eight-year-old about what crayons would look best for their picture but you would.

“I always liked kids. Even as a kid I also wanted a younger sibling to look at so I always loved spending time with my younger cousins or my friends’ young siblings.” You hum taking a sip of your water, “I’d want them someday, they would be so cute as babies then growing up I would spoil them rotten.”

When you talked about children he pictured you as an amazing mother, teaching your kids to respect others but also themselves, nurturing and loving them with everything in your being. As he pictured these kids running around they shared a mixture of features from both you and himself. Would they have his eyes and your hair, maybe your smile but his humor?

“You’d be a good mom to them.” He says and that makes your insides all warm as you press a kiss to his cheek.

“You’d be a good dad to them too.” He looks at you in a bit of shock, surprised that you imagine that life. With the kids and raising them but with him as their father. A smile grows on his face and you laugh at the flush that crosses his face.

“I think we should have two.” He says with all seriousness and you laugh out loud in shock but he keeps pushing, “Keep it even so one is too lonely and three is an uneven number for everything.” He had thought this all out for your imaginary family together.

“Christ Paul I’d need a ring first before even thinking about a kid.” You chuckle keeping the air light but he just nods at you, his face sincere but certain.

“I can do that.”

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heartpascal · 6 days ago

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name your courage

▹— joel miller x platonic!reader

▹— summary: you don’t like the blood in your reflection, joel wipes it away.

▹— a/n: this is like 1.4k words and it’s shit, sorry!!! barely any joel interaction but it’s the thought that counts? (from feb’23, posted june’25 so go easy lmao) this was supposed to be a lot longer i think

▹— warnings: extremely unfinished, creeps from silver lake, reader murders folk (off page), trauma, dissociation, BLOOD, canon typical violence

MASTERLIST

∘₊✧───── ───── ───── ─────✧₊∘

Life in Jackson had been something of a miracle. A working, living society that fought back against the Infection that threatened to poison the whole world, and the humans who had taken advantage of it in the worst kind of way. It was a safe haven, a little pocket of life that you had never known before arriving alongside Ellie and Joel, close to a year ago.

But it didn’t change you.

It didn’t change anything about the world outside of the walls, either. The world was still infested with fungus, and full to the brim of immoral assholes who would love nothing more than to tear Jackson apart.

You couldn’t help but remain on edge, even as Ellie and Joel slowly began to relax into the life of somewhat normalcy. Every time you tried to just calm down and enjoy life, you felt overwhelmed with images of people destroying this place. You were sure it wouldn’t be able to last, nothing ever did.

It was the reason you were so eager to go on patrols, to be allowed the gun in your hands as your horse trotted along the routes that members of Jackson frequented.

So it was no surprise to you when you saw the smoke in the distance, coming from a supposedly abandoned cabin. You weren’t sure who would be in there, whether it’d be Jackson patrollers taking a pit stop, or someone more malicious.

You had been grateful, then, that being in Jackson hadn't made you soft. Your guard was still present, still strong, and you were thankful, especially as you got closer to the cabin. It had become increasingly clear that whoever these people were, they didn’t come from Jackson. The windows were unblocked, and you could see at least three men inside, their faces angled away from where you were staring in.

Nobody in Jackson would be that foolish, you were certain. It was standard procedure to block entrances to wherever you may be laying low, not wanting to risk Infected or hunters sneaking up on you. That open window would have anybody sneaking in with ease, which was why you knew you’d be getting answers.

You had tied up your horse, then, to a tree just out of reach, giving her a comforting pat against the side of her neck.

The next moments had been a blur, crawling through snow and bushes to keep out of sight, all the way until you had reached the open window, finally able to hear their voices carrying through the air. Your gun was gripped tightly in your hand, safety off, and you were ready to shoot first, answer later, before you caught wind of their words.

It had you freezing, eyebrows furrowed, and you recall the way misted breath had left you.

“They’ll all pay, Sid. That’s what we’re here for, ain’t it?” One of them had laughed, and you had heard the pat of him hitting presumably Sid on the shoulder.

“What? You think those assholes are gonna let us kill three of their own?”

“Hey, that stupid girl killed one of ours first. An eye for an eye.” The first voice responded, much angrier than his first comment had been, and you had realised then that this seemed… personal.

“They killed David, Sid. We ain’t about to let that slide!” A third voice spoke up, lower and much more vengeful when he uttered the name. Your mind had been racing, going through the likelihood that this was all a coincidence, and that they weren’t here for Ellie. For you. For Joel.

You were climbing through the window before you could think better of it, boots thumping harshly against the wooden floor and drawing all of their attention. You had grabbed the nearest guy before they could even make a move, your gun pressed to his head.

“Weapons on the floor.” You had hissed, pushing the metal harder against the man you held as they hesitated. “Now.”

“Alright, girl, jus’ calm down now!” One of the men, Sid, you figured, said, nodding towards his companion and dropping his pistol and rifle to the ground. You had jerked your chin, and kept your eyes sharp as they begrudgingly kicked away the weapons, out of reach.

Your hand had gripped the arm of the man in front of you as he held a knife, poised to strike you with it. “I wouldn’t.” The knife slipped to the floor as you twisted his wrist, and he cursed as you kicked it away, towards the window you had entered through. “What the fuck do you want? Why are you here?” Your voice had been dark, full of anger and a not so subtle threat.

“We just want the girl, okay? She killed one of ours.” Sid told you, his brows furrowed as he clearly tried to repress the anger in his expression.

“Where are you from?” You asked then, awaiting confirmation of your worst fears. You had repeated your question when they hesitated, pressing the gun harder against the head of the man below you, ignoring his wince.

“Silver Lake! It’s—it’s in Colorado!”

Your blood had felt like it was frozen, dragging through your veins at a speed so slow it physically hurt. You had swallowed, something in your eyes setting as you nodded, jaw clenched.

∘₊✧───── ───── ───── ─────✧₊∘

The wind had numbed your limbs as soon as you stepped foot back outside, blood drying against your skin in the harsh weather.

Your horse was exactly where you’d left her, and she stayed quiet as you claimed back on the saddle, making your way back in the direction of Jackson with more supplies than you’d left with. The ride there was a complete blur, something inside of you just as numb, though not from the wind.

Concerned voices reached your ears when the gates opened, people reaching for you as you slipped off of the horse, patting her neck before someone took her back to the stables. “‘M fine.” You grumbled, stepping away from somebody as they reached hands towards you.

“Are you hurt?” They asked, hands stilled in the air, prepared to reach towards you again.

You shook your head, something fumbling from your lips about going home, and you set off before they could question you further. The journey blurred together, just the sound of your footsteps as you looked for the familiar road that was Rancher Street. You hadn’t fully registered the stares on you as you trekked through the heart of Jackson, finally reaching the house you were meant to call home.

“Joel?” You called, stepping into the house, the backpack and gear on your back being set down beside the door. When he didn’t answer, you frowned, knowing he wasn’t on any jobs this evening.

You made your way up the stairs, avoiding the fourth step that creaked when you step foot on it, and looked through the rooms, one by one. When you finally found the man, he was hunched over his woodwork desk, his mostly-deaf ear facing toward the doorway in which you stood.

“Joel,” You breathed, something of relief finding you as you saw he was fine, just working away in his own world. You were going to say something else, but were stopped by the way he looked over at you.

“Shit,” He said, standing immediately and making his way to you with quick steps. “Are you okay? What happened?” Joel asked, furrowing his brows when you didn’t answer him, rather stepping into his arms and gripping onto him like your life depended on it. He held on to the back of your head, holding you close, and couldn’t help but frown as you sagged in his arms.

He called your name, unable to do anything but be more confused and concerned by the second when you could only shake your head.

It takes him more than a few moments to realise that the blood staining you isn’t your own, and that brings along another realisation. Your despondency translates what happened for you, so you have no need to fill him in with words.

This is something Joel Miller knows all too well.

The disassociation afterwards is a powerful thing, but what comes after that stage isn’t any better. There are struggles ahead of you, he knows, and he knows those struggles well.

He holds you tighter, arms firm around you, and waits.

∘₊✧───── ───── ───── ─────✧₊∘

▹—taglist: @rhymingtree @sleepygraves @wnstice (everything) @auggiesolovey @just-kaylaa @evyiione @fariylixie0915 @faceache111 @randomhoex @pedropascalsrealgf @star-wars-lover @soobsdior @sunflowersdrop @definitely-not-a-seagull-i-swear @miss-celestial-being (pedro) please let me know if you want removing or adding!

#heartpascal writes #joel miller fic #joel miller x platonic!reader #joel miller imagines #joel miller x reader #joel miller x platonic!f!reader #joel miller father figure #joel miller angst #joel miller comfort #joel miller fluff #the last of us one shot #the last of us imagine #the last of us x reader #the last of us x you #joel miller x you #joel miller hurt/comfort #tlou fic #tlou imagines #tlou imagine

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marvelwitchergilmore · 7 months ago

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Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice

Summary: Joel Miller x Fe!Reader -> You and Joel by no means are 'friends', but when things go wrong, you find comfort in hearing his voice.

Disclaimer: Mentions of murder, death, swearing, blood, gunshot wounds. Enemies to lovers, I guess. Single moms hitting on Joel. Hint of fake dating. Age-gap but not really specified. Angst, fluff/smaller intimate moments, Ellie calls Joel 'dad' and they have a cute moment. This is kind of a long one. Not Proof Read.

Yourself and Joel were by no means friends.

In fact, there hadn’t really been a time since you’d both met that you hadn’t knowingly hated each other. He found you too “new” – whatever the hell that meant. And you found him to be, well, an asshole.

You’d both first met through mutual friends. If you could call them that. You’d call Frank a friend. Bill was just…well, all being said he was a decent guy. He just didn’t take much to people.

A small lunch had been put on, allowing a nicer air of discussion around the topics of smuggling and trading. Initially, Joel had been…nice. As nice as he could be for an asshole.

But when he found out you were the one that the suppliers talked through, he practically ran in the other direction.

“She’s too new, Frank.”

Frank shook his head. “Just give her a chance. I promise. She knows more about this than you think.”

Walking around the corner, pretending not to have been eavesdropping, you held up a bottle of wine. “Figured this would go nice with the food?”

Frank smiled. Bill yelled.

“Did you take that from my-”

Keeping eye contact with Joel as you handed the bottle over to Frank, you yelled back to Bill. “Relax. I brought it with me. Your precious collection is safe.”

Bill relaxed after that and Frank went to find a bottle opener. And you stood with Joel in the sunny path.

“If you don’t want my suppliers, you can just say so to my face. But have it be based on their product. Not on how “new” you think I am. Whatever the hell that means.” Turning away, you walked back to the dinner table and acted as if nothing happened.

Ultimately, Joel agreed – however, to a smaller shipment.

“This is a trial run. If you get caught-”

“We won’t.”

For a moment, Joel looked confused, but then seemed to convince himself of something else and the conversation was cleared up before you all went your separate ways.

Except, the trial shipment never made it to Joel. At least, not all of it.

“You're short.”

“Trust goes both ways, Miller.”

Joel didn’t miss the way you were covered in scratches and bruises that were freshly forming. It had shocked him when he rounded the corner and found you considering he didn’t think you were also a delivery courier.

With a heavy sigh, Joel pocketed the goods and handed over his items before he turned to walk away.

“Wait.”

He stopped and looked back at you where he found you pulling an old card from your jacket pocket. “My details. In case you need to reach me.”

Joel took them reluctantly. “Thanks.” Then he nodded to your head. “You’re bleeding.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Then you walked away. But he called after you. “Hey, don’t you need mine?”

“Relax, Miller. I know how to reach you.”

Each meeting after that never got less colder. It was a business exchange being made with minimal trust via delivery system.

And then one day you simply dropped off the face of the planet when you were meant to be making another delivery to him in Boston.

“I knew it! She was too new!”

“Joel.”

“I warned Frank. I told him she would never-”

“She’s been good so far.” Tess explained. “Maybe she’s just having to lay low for a day or two. Security has gotten tighter with the fireflies going around.”

That was true but Joel couldn’t shake the feeling. Then one afternoon, your voice came over the radio.

“Wait a sec. He’s here.”

Tess stood from the chair and handed the receiver over to Joel who had just walked through the door.

“It’s Y/n.” Tess mouthed and the buried fury began to erupt inside of Joel.

“Yeah.”

“Joel?” Your voice crackled over the radio.

“You were meant to be here three days ago.”

“I know. But I’m not coming.”

“What?” Joel’s fury was starting to become white hot. “No, we had a deal.”

“I am sorry, Joel.”

He breathed out. “So what are you gonna do? Run with our supplies? Why call?”

You fell silent for a moment before your voice crackled back over the radio. “Guess I just wanted to hear your voice. I am sorry. To both of you.”

Then you signed off.

And he never heard from you again.

Until he found himself in need of an extra pair of hands at the house Tommy and Maria had set him and Ellie up in. As he stood on his porch in the morning sunlight, he heard a familiar set of tires pull up against his driveway.

First, Tommy stepped out of the passenger side. “Hey, figured you might need some extra panels. The ones around here have mostly rotted away with the winter.”

Then the driver stepped out. And Joel had to check he was still alive.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” You had beaten Joel to his own thoughts.

“Tommy, what the fuck is she doing here?”

Rounding his truck with the extra panels over his shoulder, Tommy looked between both yourself and Joel. “You’ve both met?”

“Yeah, I ran a couple supplies to him a while back.”

“Run off with them more like. What the fuck are you doing here?”

Placing your sunglasses into your shirt pocket, you climbed the stairs of his porch. “Wow, warm welcome. If you must know, I moved here. And I’m guessing you have, too.”

Tommy piped up. “Yeah, Y/n found us after-”

You shot a look at Tommy and he shut up. “After I left Frank and Bill. They left a note for you, if you’ve seen them.”

Joel nodded. “I got it.”

“Good.” And for a moment, the short silence was awkward. “So what can I do?”

“Fuck all.”

Tommy slapped his brother on the shoulder. “She can help fix this porch before Ellie falls through the rotting wood.”

“I can do it myself.”

You looked around and then back at Joel. “Couple extra hands can’t hurt.”

You were right. Joel hated that you were right. And the only reason why he didn’t completely kick you from his home was because the image of Ellie’s foot slipping through one of the wooden slats earlier that morning kept flashing through his mind.

You were banned early on from his porch, left to measure and cut wooden slats for one side of the porch whilst Tommy worked on the one between yourself and Joel, and Joel worked on the opposite side.

Most of it was finished by the time Ellie came strolling back up the driveway. “Joel, you won’t believe what happened today- Hi.”

You looked at Ellie and smiled. “Hi.”

From where Ellie was standing, you were a friend of Tommy’s. “I’m Ellie.”

You went to shake Ellie’s hand and introduce yourself when Joel came around the corner. “I’m-”

“Nobody. Ellie, get inside.”

From the look Joel gave at the sight of you, Ellie didn’t question his order. But she did question his judgement. So, just before he shut the door behind her, she turned back to him.

“Be nice.”

“I am nice.”

Ellie looked around. “Has she been helping all day?”

Joel couldn’t bring himself to voice the answer so just nodded.

“Then be nice.”

Joel just turned her around and lightly pushed her inside. “There’s some soup on the stove.”

Ellie was quick to turn back around just before he shut the door. “I’ve got homework and I…I don’t know…”

Joel just nodded. “I’ll help you.”

Ellie smiled. “Thank you. And be nice.”

An hour or so later, Joel had finally gotten rid of you, leaving him and Tommy with Ellie as she sat at the kitchen table trying to figure out her homework.

Which Joel and Tommy were no help with.

“When would I ever need this shit?”

“Ellie,” Joel sighed. “Language.”

“When would I ever need this stuff?”

Joel nodded. “Better.” Then he turned to Tommy.

“Don’t ask me. I don’t know how a fucking thing is taught anymore.”

“Well do you know who does?” Ellie asked.

“Can’t you ask your teacher?” Joel asked but Ellie shook her head. “Why not?”

“She’s…scary.”

Joel held back a laugh. “She’s scary?”

Ellie didn’t know how else to put it. “She got mad because I didn’t do fractions how she wanted me, too.”

“Did you get the right answer?”

She nodded. “Still got mad though.”

Joel looked to Tommy. “How can fractions change?”

Tommy shrugged. “Beats me. But I do think I know someone who might be able to help. Promise they’re not scary. She tutors a couple of the kids in the square. I can ask if she can drop by later on.”

“Really?”

Tommy nodded. “Sure, kid.”

It was a day later when Joel got a knock to his front door and found you standing there.

“What the fuck are you-”

You held back your smile. “Doing here? Guess I just wanted to hear your voice again.”

Joel wasn’t amused. You held your hand up. “I’m just here to help your daughter. Trouble with homework?”

“You’re the tutor?”

You nodded. “I’m the tutor.”

“You’re a smuggler.”

“I was a teacher before I was a smuggler.”

Then Ellie’s voice called out. “Joel! Who is it?”

Ellie appeared by his side, holding the door open wider. “Oh, hi.”

“Ellie, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’m Y/n. I’m, hopefully,” you looked from Joel and back to Ellie, “going to be your new tutor.”

“Promise you won’t get mad if I don’t do it your way?”

You nodded. “A lot of kids, and parents, learn differently from the way your teacher wants people to learn. Promise I won’t get mad.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Then Ellie looked at her dad and nudged him. “Joel…”

“What?”

“Let her in. I need her help.”

Reluctantly, Joel let you inside your home. “Come on, kitchen’s this way.”

You followed Ellie through her home and towards where she’d set up her homework station and you sat opposite her whilst Joel brought in a couple of old items from the garage outside and laid them on the kitchen island.

By the looks of it, the things he was ‘fixing’, weren’t in desperate necessity of a new working life. Especially considering he only ‘worked’ on them when you looked in his direction.

“Is he always like this?” You whispered to Ellie across the table. Ellie looked to her dad.

“Sometimes. Do you two know each other or something?”

You nodded. “Or something.”

“Aren’t you meant to be talking about contemporary…normal…analytics or something.”

You looked at Joel and smiled. “Or something.” Then you turned back to Ellie when he finally looked you in the eye.

“Let’s try the next line.”

You were in Joel’s home for another hour before you looked at your watch. “I’ve got to go, but I run a small class in the dance hall every Tuesday if you want to join us next week? I think you’d find it fun. You don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to. But it can provide some good insight into what you’re doing at school.”

“Why can’t you be one of the teachers?”

You laughed. “I’ve got my hands full helping others in town. But if your teacher is ever sick, I’ll step in.”

Ellie thought she already knew the answer. “How often does that happen?”

“Not very often.”

Ellie grimaced.

“But still, come on Tuesday. And if you hate it, you don’t have to come again.”

“Okay.”

Joel stood. “I’ll walk you out.”

And he did so, walking you to the end of his driveway towards your truck. “Thank you, for helping her.”

You shook your head. “Don’t mention it.”

“This doesn’t mean we’re okay.”

You gave a flat smile. “Joel, I’m just helping your daughter. We don’t even have to interact outside of you dropping her off at my classes in the week. I get you don’t like me, but that doesn’t mean you have to actively hate me. I’m just trying to help.”

“Like you helped me in Boston?”

You didn’t say anything in reply to that. “Goodnight, Joel. Give Ellie this.”

He opened the paper. “What is it?”

“It’s a schedule. And my radio code. If she needs my help, she knows where to find me.”

You and Joel didn’t talk much, if at all, after that. Ellie attended your classes when they were on and much to his chagrin, Ellie had found a friend in you.

Why was it out of all the people, in all the towns, in all the worlds, it had to be Jackson where you were? And why did you have to be one of the first people Ellie made friends with?

But one afternoon as he was sitting by the kitchen table, tuning up his guitar, he got a sense of deja vu.

The radio in the corner of the kitchen crackled and your voice sounded through its speakers.

“Why are you calling?”

“Just wanted to hear your voice.” You replied. “Joel, it’s Ellie.”

His heart dropped. “What? Is she okay?” He’d completely forgotten she was with you after school before she’d head to the bar to walk up with Tommy.

“She’s fine, but I think you should come down here. She needs her dad.”

Joel was inside the barn hall calling out for you and Ellie when he entered one of the back rooms that had your name and a large poster that looked like it had been decorated by some of the school kids taped on the outside.

As Joel walked inside, he found you and Ellie sat on a bench, your arm over her shoulder. And when you saw him, you whispered something to Ellie before she looked around and found Joel.

Immediately, she ran over to him and crushed him with a hug. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Babygirl, I’ve got you. What happened?”

Joel managed to pull away a little so he could get a look at her face. “What’s going on?”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Joel, can I speak to you for a moment? Ellie, want to grab your things?”

Ellie looked to you and nodded, forcing herself from Joel’s embrace as she walked back to the bench to grab her bag and books.

“What’s going on?”

You sighed and spoke quietly. “It’s best if you ask Ellie about it but some asshole kid made a comment about Ellie and she stood her ground. As a teacher, I can’t condone her actions. I can’t condone what the kid said, either. But off the record, she was right to stand up for herself and I’m glad she did.”

Joel had to read between the lines from what you said and once Ellie was back at his side, he gave you a curt nod and headed for the door. He didn’t get any answers from Ellie until the next morning at the breakfast table when, in the open silence of the morning, she finally explained what happened.

“I…I know I’m not your daughter, Joel. But as families go, you’re the closest thing I’ve got to one. Some kid,” Ellie named him. “He said some things about me. About me having a family. A…about…about having a dad. Eventually, I lost it and pinned him to one of the posts and Y/n had to break it up. I…I didn’t stick around after that but she came to find me later. I know I shouldn’t have attacked him. He deserved it but I know I shouldn’t have…I just want to tell you I’m sorry and that if Tommy has to do something or if I have to leave, I will-”

Joel shook his head. “No. No, you did right. And, Ellie?”

She looked at him.

“You’re my daughter in every other way that counts. And if you want me to be your dad…I know we’re not blood but, if you see me as your dad…if you say I’m your dad, that’s okay. You’re my family, too.”

Ellie didn’t know what to say exactly so, looking down at her hands, she nodded trying to will the tears away. “Mmh, y-yeah. I…I’d like that.”

Then Joel smiled before standing and cradling his arms around his daughter. “And you don’t have to leave. Y/n’s on your side, too.”

“You really should be nicer to her. She’s a good person, Joel. I know something happened back in Boston but…are you going to hold it against her forever?”

Joel thought about it for a while. He probably would be thinking about it for a while longer, too. You had done what you had said. You had helped. You were helping.

“How about I make us some breakfast? Eggs?”

Ellie nodded.

Joel stood with a smile, kissing the top of her head quickly before turning around. “Sunny side up or scrambled?”

“Scrambled.”

“Coming up. You brushed your teeth?”

Ellie shook her head and stood. “I’ll be back.”

Just as she got to the kitchen entrance, she stopped herself and turned back. “Hey…dad?”

Joel turned around to face her as if it was the most natural thing in the world until he realised what she’d finally called him. “Yeah?”

Ellie let the moment settle. “Thank you.”

Joel just nodded before waving the spatula at her. “Go on, brush your teeth. And maybe run a brush through your hair.”

Ellie laughed a little before disappearing upstairs leaving Joel to finish cooking breakfast with a faint smile on his face. Never in his whole life had he ever imagined hearing someone call him “dad” again, but it washed over him like a fresh wave.

Then he remembered what she had told him.

What Ellie had said about you.

He never thought he’d be called “dad” again. Maybe some things could change for the better after all. He’d just need to learn to trust you more. Trust you in a way that didn’t have the end result be the same as Boston.

It took Joel a week to approach you.

During that week, you saw him across the square. He walked her to your lessons and waited for her every day. By day four, he stood a little closer to the building until one afternoon, when you thought everyone had left, his voice rang through your classroom.

No “hello”, no coughing, no calling of your name to get your attention. Just…

“Thank you.”

You internally swore at yourself for jumping the way you did. Looking around the room, your brain let itself relax when you realised you were correct in your initial thought of who the voice belonged to. Not the rest of the people your head named after him.

“Joel.” You breathed, a hand against your chest. Then you fixed yourself.

Standing straighter with a couple books cradled in your arm, you turned and faced him properly.

Joel felt a little awkward but considering you seemed to not mention how he’d scared you, he didn’t bother to mention it either.

“Thank you,” he repeated. “Ellie..told me how you helped her, so I just…didn’t want it to go unnoticed.”

Never in your life had you heard Joel say so much as a nice thing towards you. To others, it was few and far between. But to you; not so much.

You didn’t know how to take it exactly. “I appreciate that, I do. But that’s not why I did it.”

Ellie had told him the rest of the story when she came back downstairs for breakfast. How you’d broken up the fight, called out the student and warned the rest of the class before dismissing them. And how you’d spoken to her when you found her. You didn’t make her feel scared or “shit” as Ellie had put it every so gracefully to him. And if he was being honest, Ellie’s love for actual school was much better even just after a few weeks with you.

“She’s a good kid, Joel.” You told him. “I don’t pretend to know what either of you went through to get here. But despite whatever did happen, she’s a good kid. She, nor anyone else, deserved to be treated the way she did. She stood up for herself and I’m proud of her for that. And I hope you are, too.”

Joel could only nod. “I am.”

You nodded in agreement. “Good.” You went to turn away to collect the rest of the books but then quickly turned back around. “Oh, here. Let me give you this.”

Joel was about to walk himself before you called out so, standing in the middle of the room a little worried about what you were going to give him, he watched as you rushed towards your desk and picked up a piece of paper.

Walking over, you held it out to him. “We’re having a parent-teacher night next week. Just gives the parents a chance to talk about the kids and see their work for this year. They say it’s mandatory but I do hope you’ll show up.”

Rubbing his jaw, Joel read the page. “Sure.”

“Good. Don’t tell Ellie but I plan on showing a couple of her school books. She’s a smart kid.”

“Smart mouth, too.”

You laughed a little. “That, too.”

But all in all Joel agreed. “I’ll be there.”

“Goodnight, Joel.”

“Yeah, night.” Joel reminded himself that he had to leave and finally made his way towards the door.

Yet he stopped by the door and looked back to where you went back to collecting the rest of the books and he couldn’t help but feel his mind was changing on you. He couldn’t place why but the fact Ellie liked you was a start.

By the time Parent-Teacher night rolled around, Joel found himself being bossed around by Ellie as he got dressed.

“Put on the green one!” Ellie shouted up the stairs.

“What?”

“The green shirt. Put that one on.”

“Why?”

“Just do it!”

Joel grumbled but did as he was told. And once he was showered and dressed, Ellie practically shoved him out of the door. “Come on, we’re gonna be late!”

“Since when did you become so eager to get to school? I usually have to drag you out of bed.”

“I know but tonight’s important.” Ellie laughed. “Come on.”

Joel found himself laughing, too as he locked up before they both headed towards his truck. Maybe they could have walked but Joel had a feeling by the time the night had finished, Ellie would be about ready to fall asleep.

And when they did finally walk inside, Joel looked around before he spotted a familiar face in you. And then you spotted him and waved. Ellie waved back.

Then Joel was greeted by Ellie’s teacher. You chuckled as you watched them both step back and recoil a little. Like father, like daughter.

“Fuck.” They both swore under their breath.

“Mr Miller.”

Joel started getting flashbacks of his middle school principal who seemed to have a vendetta against him and Tommy.

“Ellie.”

Ellie nodded, moving to stand behind Joel a little. “Mrs Davis.”

“Mr Miller, I was hoping to speak to you about Ellie. She’s been, let’s say, a little harsh in her language since she got here. And, despite her improving grades, she hadn’t quite been grasping the concept of how we complete work-”

Joel and Ellie got another shock when you suddenly appeared from behind Mrs Davis, except this was one of pleasant surprises.

“Mrs Davis-”

“Please, do not interrupt-”

“Frankie’s parents are asking to speak to you personally.” That seemed to change Mrs Davis’ tune.

“Oh, right. Um, please…please excuse me.” You pointed her in the direction of Frankie and his parents and replaced where she stood and only spoke when she was finally out of ear-shot.

“Sorry about her. And please ignore everything she said.”

Joel raised his brow. “Everything?”

You both looked at Ellie and then back at each other. “Okay, maybe not everything. But she has been swearing less.”

Joel gave a ‘dad’ look to Ellie but she tried to hold back her smile as she held up her hands. “Hey, she said less.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Ellie, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve decided to show some of your work.”

“Really?”

She seemed shocked, rather than horrified. You nodded. “Both of you follow me?”

They did and once you’d all reach one of the middle tables, you held one of the books out to Joel.

“Holy shit.” Ellie whispered. Joel nearly shut the book to give her another look but she apologised and studied the books you’d laid out.

“Ellie, do you mind giving your dad and I a minute?”

Ellie looked between you both before giving a slight smile and nodding. “Okay.”

Then she disappeared into the crowd.

“How is she?” Joel asked, looking through Ellie’s books.

“She’s good. The swearing could use a bit of an improvement,” you smiled a little and Joel finally met your eyes. You tried your best to avoid taking a mental picture or keeping a written memory of how he looked. “She’s doing well, Joel. She’s even starting to make friends. It’s taking her a while to trust people, but she’s getting there like the rest of us.”

Joel’s stare softened for a moment.

You forced yourself to look away and back at her books. “She needs a bit of help with her maths and science but we’re working on that in our sessions. But she’s excelling at history.”

“There’s a museum not too far away. I was thinking about taking her to see it.”

You graced him with another smile. “I think she’d really enjoy that, Joel.”

He nodded, feeling pleased at your agreement.

“Look, I just need to go and speak to a couple other parents but, feel free to stay here as long as you��d like. We…we have the kids write in a diary every week. Just jotting down what they want to work on, or what they want help with in class. Some kids even write short stories and things. I think you’d like what Ellie did.”

Lifting the diary from underneath the pile, you handed it over to Joel.

“Last couple of pages.”

With a smile, you left him alone.

Joel opened it up. There was the usual. Reviews of books they’d read in class. What Ellie wanted help with (science), what she enjoyed (history). Joel found himself smiling as he read through the comments. He could hear her voice in his head as he did so.

Then he got to the back couple of pages.

It was different sketches of their home. Of their windows, porch, backyard. Then small notes; things he’d told her. Things to remember when playing the guitar, how to fix the porch, what things are in a car. Just small notes of information she believed important to her.

You didn’t know how long you’d left Joel to fend for himself. You knew the minute he walked in that all the single moms had their radars switched on. They already tried to get his attention whenever he walked past the school during the day. But this Joel was freshly showered and wasn’t covered in layers of heavy clothing. He had a green shirt that made his eyes stand out more than usual, his hair softening as it dried in the warmth of the building.

You didn’t know how long you’d left him alone, knowing it wouldn’t take long for the single moms to make their move. But when you were wading deep through double digits of parent-talks, Ellie came and found you.

“I think Joel needs your help.”

You saw when Ellie was looking and held back a short laugh. As Joel managed to get out of the grasp of one woman, another one popped up out of nowhere. And then another one. And another. And another.

“I tried but they kinda swarmed over and I got pushed out of the crowd.”

You chuckled watching the comedy play out in front of your eyes as Joel tried his best to escape.

“Okay, give me a minute.”

“I think it’ll take longer than that but, good luck.”

Making your way over, you called out to him before forcing yourself through the crowd. A few women were about to scold you for doing so until they realised it was you. The teacher. Apparently in search of Joel, the parent.

“Help me.”

Taking Joel by the hand, you drew him in front of you before taking him by the shoulders. “Sorry, ladies but I need to talk with Mr Miller for a moment.”

Practically directing him out of the crowd, you beckoned Ellie over and she immediately pushed around the crowd to get to both you and Joel. You and Ellie looked back to find the women still standing waiting for him to come back.

“I don’t know about you two but I could use a drink.”

“Yes.” Ellie agreed completely.

“Don’t you have work?”

“I’ve spoken to enough parents tonight. Mrs Davis will only speak to them after me anyway. Want that drink, or would you like for me to throw you back into the pack?”

“Anything but the second one.”

“Can I have one?”

“No.” Both you and Joel said before he added. “You can have a soda.”

Grabbing your bag, you showed Joel and Ellie to the back door of the school and you all took the long way round the building to get towards the bar.

“I’ll go and tell Tommy you’re coming.” Ellie took off running. Joel tried to shout back but she just called back.

“Be safe! I know!”

“That kid is gonna be the death of me, I swear.”

You laughed, slowing your steps as you and Joel were finally far enough away from the school.

“Thank you for showing me her work. And the other stuff. Kinda made my night.”

“It wasn’t the single moms asking you a thousand questions that did it?”

Joel chuckled. “Thanks for that, too.”

“Oh, you’ll need to thank Ellie for that one. She came and got me. Who knows, if she didn’t, you could have drowned in phone numbers and radio stations.”

Joel tried his best to laugh it off. But you disagreed.

“Don’t knock it. Hot and handsome single dads are few and far between in this town.”

Joel couldn’t help but repeat your words. “Hot and handsome.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your slight embarrassment of letting your inner thoughts slip. “Alright.”

“No, no. Please. Tell me more of these hot and handsome single dads.”

“You’re hilarious. I hope you know how funny you are.”

“Why?” Joel asked. “Does that make me hotter?”

You rolled your eyes, trying your best to hide your smile. “Okay. Don’t let it go to your head, Miller.”

“Too late. It’s already there.” Joel reached for the door handle of the bar and held it open for you. “Come on.”

“Thanks.”

Entering, you found the place a little quieter than usual before you both met Ellie at the bar and Tommy made his way over.

“Here you go.”

“I already ordered for you.” Ellie told you both. “I didn’t know what you drank but Tommy said he remembered.”

You thanked them both before accepting Joel’s invitation to sit with them at the bar. Joel sat in the corner, his back resting against the wall whilst you sat between both him and Ellie as she moved up quickly before you could take your original seat.

And for the first time, you both talked.

At first, it was just about a few things around town. Joel asked you about how you got into teaching, or at least, why you taught tutor sessions but not lessons at the school. You told him the truth. Day one of you arriving here and meeting Mrs Davis, you knew you didn’t want to be dictated by her rules that were already scaring the kids enough into thinking they were back with FEDRA. They needed help learning and a safe space to do so. That was where you could help.

Then you told him you were sorry about Tess. He tensed for a while, unsure of what to say or how to react.

“I know she meant a lot to you.”

Conversation flowed for a little while longer than a distraction was provided as Ellie disappeared to the toilet and a group of moms walked in through the front door.

Then Joel ducked and somehow tried to shrink himself in the corner of the bar. “Shit.”

You laughed. “Oh please, they won’t hate you for it. In fact it just adds to the chasing element. More than anything they’ll be hating me for dragging you away for some ‘alone time’.”

“Why? Because I’m hot and handsome?”

“I regret saying it now.”

“They’re your words, Darlin’.”

You tried to ignore what his words and accent did to you, and tried to focus on the fact that one of the moms was making their way towards both of you.

“Where’s Ellie?”

“There was a line, she’s probably still in it.” You told him. “Relax, once she comes out, she’ll see that you’re uncomfortable and you can both go home.”

“You can see I’m uncomfortable.”

“Joel.” You leveled with him. “You look like you’re about to run out of your own skin. How could you have been a smuggler in the QZ for so long but be scared of a single mom? Just talked to her.”

“Where are you going?”

You were about to leave when Joel reached out for you. “Going to get Ellie.”

Joel looked at the mom making her way over. She was getting closer. “You said it yourself that she’ll be able to see we’re uncomfortable.”

“We’re?” You questioned. “Joel-”

But you couldn’t say anymore than that because the mom had arrived beside both of you and Joel had tugged you back by your shirt to stand with him.

“Emma, hi.”

She smiled at both of you. “Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to Joel. We didn’t really get a chance to finish our conversation since, you know, you came and kinda dragged him away.”

“Yeah,” you laughed. “Sorry about that, it’s just…” You looked at Joel hoping he’d maybe butt into the conversation. “We had to talk about his daughter.”

“I didn’t see you leaving with any of the other parents,” she mentioned to you.

Joel finally spoke up after clearing his throat. “I, uh, well, Ellie actually…invited her out with us.”

“Ellie did?” Emma seemed shocked.

“I did what?”

Both you and Joel seemed more than relieved to see her appear from behind Emma.

Emma looked from Ellie to Joel and then to you, back to Ellie and then she smiled. “I was just hoping to talk with your dad for a minute if that’s okay?”

Taking a quick look at her dad to see him subtly shake his head, Ellie half-faked a yawn.

“We were actually just about to leave.”

“But your drink is still half full.”

“That’s, uh, that’s Tommy’s. Anyway, we’d better be off. Ellie?”

As they got halfway to the door, you called after them, making something up to Emma. “I need to tell you about next week’s homework-”

The doors shut behind you and you rushed to join Joel and Ellie.

“Who was she?” Ellie asked.

“A woman.”

“She was trying to hit on Joel.”

Ellie looked at you. “Hit on Joel or hit you to get to Joel?”

“Both probably.”

Then something strange happened. You and Joel looked at each other and then started to laugh.

On the way back to the school, you explained to Ellie everything that had happened and she started to laugh with both of you before swearing to protect Joel when and where he needed to be.

“Hey, can I drop you off home?”

You hitched a thumb over your shoulder. “I’m just down here. But thanks.”

Then from the car Ellie called out. “Dad! Let’s go!”

Joel laughed and looked back at you where he found a light smile on your face. He tried to ignore what it made him feel.

“You better go, before she comes to hit me to get to you.”

Joel nodded, laughing a little at that. “Okay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Joel.”

As Joel drove back home, Ellie quickly falling asleep in the passenger seat, but not before saying; “I told you she was a good person.” leaving him to roll his eyes lightly and agree, he found himself thinking over what he had been feeling since he saw you show up beside Mrs Davis.

Maybe his feelings for you were starting to change more than he had expected.

And they only continued to change over the following months.

Three months later, Joel found himself as your actual friend. Between your tutoring sessions with Ellie, and being forced to work together by Tommy when he was a couple hands short for a couple jobs that needed doing around town, you’d both become friends.

And he’d learnt to trust you. And you had learnt to trust him.

From running the lunch tables in the school every Tuesday and Thursday and Friday together, to taking on a couple of patrol shifts on the weekends together, you and Joel earned each other's trust.

And between all of that, you had somehow become Joel’s shield from the rest of the single mothers in the town that did not wish to hide their already obvious crush on Joel.

Until that shield began to crack.

“I heard she left them for dead. Why would anyone want to be with someone like that…he deserves so much better.”

“Left them for dead, more like killed them for everything. And for what? So she can come and teach our kids and steal our men.”

“I’ve tried talking to Maria but she must have her claws in her, too. She doesn’t want to listen to reason. Joel doesn’t deserve her. Nobody does. The stories people tell. And she doesn’t deny them.”

Tommy leaned over the bar. “Don’t listen to them.”

“Hard not to when gossip about you changes every hour.”

“Have you even told Joel what happened?”

You shook your head.

“Why not?”

“I’m happy where I’m at with him. I’m able to help Ellie without her dad wishing me dead because I bailed on a trade.”

Tommy didn’t have the chance to reply because another mom came and sat beside you. “He doesn’t deserve you, you know. He has the choice of a lot of women in this town, and he chooses you? Why?”

You sighed. “Like I told Emma, and Ashely and Tracy and every other mom in your friend group. Joel and I are not dating. We are not a thing. If you want to talk to him, then go ahead but do not blame me for something that I am not doing. And if Joel doesn’t want to talk to you, then maybe take the hint.”

“Why wouldn’t he want to talk to us? What have you been telling him?”

You looked across the bar and shouted to Tommy. “Schedule’s in the glasses!”

“Oh, okay. Thanks!”

And you stood up. But the mom gripped onto your arm to stop you from walking away.

“We know the truth about you and sooner or later, he’ll come to his senses.”

Ripping your arm from her grasp, you made your way out of the doors and down the square. As much and as hard as you tried to forget what she had said, the stories, the gossip and what she had said to you continued to play on your mind.

But a week later, none of that mattered. At least for you. For Joel and Ellie, it meant something different.

When Joel had gotten up that morning, he went about his routine. Getting into the shower, getting dressed, waking Ellie up, getting his work gear ready, knocking on Ellie’s door once again, making breakfast, knocking on her door a third time before she swung it open and stumbled out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. Eating breakfast with his daughter before driving her to school and heading to work.

Except, when he finished work and went to pick Ellie up from the group tutor session after school, he found her sitting outside the doors already waiting for him.

“How was school?”

“Y/n didn’t turn up.”

Joel was confused. “What?”

“I waited for her to, but she didn’t.”

Joel checked the radio. “Did she cancel the session?”

Ellie shook her head. “We were meant to go over the new science homework.”

“Did you try to find Tommy?”

“Couldn’t find him. The dude in the bar said he was on patrol.”

Joel hummed, trying his best to make sure his mind remained focused. Maybe you’d just gotten caught up doing another job. You wouldn’t have forgotten about the kids.

But before he could drive away, there was an uproar of noise coming from the main gates where Tommy rode in as quickly as he could before coming to an abrupt halt.

“What’s going on?”

Joel switched off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Stay here.”

Ellie did as she was told but wound down the widow in hopes she’d be able to hear what was being said.

“Tommy!”

“Joel! I don’t know what happened but-”

“Who is it?”

Then Tommy went from frantic to unnaturally calm. “It’s Y/n.”

Then Joel saw and slowly made his way over. Your body was slung over the back of a horse before being dragged onto a stretcher. And for a second, Joel saw the worst. He thought you were dead.

“She should be okay if we can get her fixed.”

“What happened? Tommy!”

Tommy joined his brother as you were taken away. “I-I don’t know. She was covering a shift. We were meant to be back an hour ago. But when she didn’t turn up with her partner, I went to look for her. I just found her like that.”

“Dad?” Ellie had gotten out of the car.

“Get back in the car!”

“But-”

“Now, Ellie.”

She just nodded and made her way back.

“Go home, Joel. There’s nothing you can do for her right now.” Those were Tommy’s last words before Maria came running out of one of the town buildings and towards her husband whose hands were covered in patches of blood.

“Is she going to be okay?” Ellie asked, her face pale, as Joel got back into the truck.

“I don’t know.”

You spent the next three days unconscious and Joel spent his time trying to work out what had happened and why. You hadn’t been bitten. You’d been shot.

Joel had also spent three days hearing the whispers around town, hoping to hear any updates on your condition. He couldn’t bring himself to go and see you, and neither could Ellie.

But rather than updates, he heard…stories.

“It’s karma, though, don’t you think?”

“What they say about her? Everything she did? Maybe someone came to get revenge.”

“Maybe it was just self-defence.”

“Would she really do that here?”

“Maybe one of them followed her here and waited for her. After all, she never volunteered for that job.”

“Would you, though? Hunting those things? I couldn’t do it.”

“She's probably just looking for some sympathy. Not getting anywhere with Tommy’s brother – I heard they’ve got a past.”

“A past or a past? Because if I had a past with that man, I’d be making sure it was present and future, too.”

“Would you shoot yourself to make sure of that?”

The woman laughed. “Honey, for a piece of him? I’d do almost anything.”

Over the days, he heard more than just that. Of stories about you and your past before you came to Wyoming. Some were nicer than others, but many were…if he hadn’t somehow become your friend over the last few months, he would have been saying the same thing. So…was it still the same? Were you still hiding something? He still didn’t know what had happened back in Boston. All he knew was that you had practically disappeared off the face of the earth.

When people like you sold his trade, it was usually to someone else. But he hadn’t heard anything. No extra sale. No new traders. Just complete silence.

He had thought about asking you a few times. Part of him, he guessed, still didn’t trust you. Especially since Ellie was now involved, too.

It wasn’t until a week later that Joel could bring himself to come and see you. They’d placed you inside the doctor’s surgery. You still hadn’t woken up but the doctors that were in the town seemed a little more hopeful for you pulling through.

“She’s still young, her body should heal like it did before.”

Joel had to do a double take. “Before?”

The doctor nodded and rested the chart at the end of the bed. “When she arrived here, she collapsed just outside the gates. Thankfully, I was on patrol that day – otherwise they would have shot her. They thought she’d been bitten but…”

The doctor gave a heavy sigh and they both looked back at you before he continued. Joel looked back at the doctor.

“I’ve seen enough of those bites in my life to know the difference between that and a bullet wound.”

“D’you know who shot her?”

The doctor shook his head. “She never could bring herself to tell me. But when Tommy walked in, she looked like she’d pass out again. She didn’t talk for three days after that…then…one day she just opened up. Tommy was the only one she’d talk to and I’d figure he’s the only one who knows that whole story.”

If his brother knew the whole story, why didn’t he ever say anything?

“I suspect she’ll be waking up soon, ‘might be nice if someone is here this time.”

Joel just nodded after a while, realising what the Doctor was asking of him. He’d stay. You were alone last time. You were probably terrified to go through what you did for, as far as he knew, a second time. You shouldn’t have to be alone when you’d wake up, too.

Except, as he sat by your bed, he’d gathered more questions in his head than he had answers.

It took you a while before you could bring yourself to open your eyes, almost like you’d had the deepest sleep of your life and you weren’t ready to get up yet. Beneath your hands and legs you became familiar with the feeling of bedsheets.

Slowly your fingertips felt for some kind of grip. Some kind of notion that you weren’t still left in the dirt, buried between the trees and moss alone. One hand provided you relief. Bedsheets. The other…

Opening your eyes, the brightness cut through your vision until you finally blinked them open and found Joel’s hand in yours.

Carefully looking around the room, you recognised where you were. Only, the last time you were in the same bed, in the same room, you had woken to find yourself alone.

“Take it easy. Tommy…he found you and brought you back.”

You swallowed but your throat felt like it had been attacked by a grater. “How…how long have I been out?”

“Little over a week.”

You relaxed back into the pillows and closed your eyes, forgetting your hand was enclosed in Joel’s.

“Do you remember what happened?”

It took you a moment but you eventually nodded. “The doc…he told me this isn’t the first time you’ve been shot…”

Opening your eyes, your gaze met Joel’s. He looked curious…concerned.

“What happened before you got here?” You waited for his true question. And you didn’t have to wait long.

“What happened back in Boston?”

You figured he’d ask you one day. You just hadn’t expected it to be like this. Joel let you take your time. Blinking back the oncoming tears. Trying to control your breathing. Trying to control your fears from hitting you at full force.

“I was with my team.” You took your time explaining what had happened. When you’d realised Tommy was Joel’s brother, you explained what you could to him. You could deal with Joel hating you for what you’d done. You would have felt the same. But you didn’t want the one place you might have been able to call a home to be thrown away on conspiracy.

“We’d run the route a thousand times. I’d done it on my own for years. But, one night it just poured with rain. Buckets and buckets could have been filled. I remember finding new lakes in parks when I got out, but…umm…”

You swallowed thickly and bit back the tears.

“We were only a couple miles out of Boston so we found shelter. Checked it over. It was clear. We would have been safe for the night. A couple of us stayed on watch for a while but I must have fallen asleep,” tears came to your eyes and a few escaped down your cheeks. “Because…”

You didn’t know where from but you gathered enough strength to bring your voice back, even if only for a short moment.

“Because when I woke, half of my team was missing. A couple of our supplies had been thrown around the place. Grabbed my gun, woke the others and started searching the building. We found the rest of our team on one of the upper floors. One…one of my guys got bit. But he didn’t want to…he didn’t want to die. He’d convinced himself he wasn’t infected and when the others saw, I guess they tried to do something about it but he got…he got one over on them.”

Joel waited for you to continue but then noticed the twitching in your side. You sat up quickly and tried to lift your t-shirt. “It…ahh.”

You closed your eyes from the pain and squeezed Joel’s hand just before he stood up and reached for some of the balm the doctor had made and left by your bedside.

Rounding the bed, Joel sat beside you. “Come here.”

“Joel, it hurts.”

“I know, I know. Can I lift your shirt?”

You nodded and hummed in pain, letting his fingers slowly lift it up. “This might sting, but it’s gonna help.”

You heard Joel open up a metal screw-top tin before he gathered some of it on his fingers and rubbed it gently around and over your healing wound. You let out a small gasp and covered grunt in pain as the hand that had previously been closed in reached for his arm.

“I’m sorry. I know.”

You tried to concentrate on Joel’s continuous movements as he rubbed the balm into your skin. It was less itchy, and it was cooling down a little. The pain in your side was still there but it was becoming bearable.

“The infection came over him pretty quickly.” Joel’s fingers stalled for a moment before he continued, making sure he wasn’t causing more harm than good.

You could finally open your eyes again.

“It all happened so fast. I guess one of us moved and before I knew it…bullets were flying everywhere. I must have gotten caught in them then, but I can’t be sure. I just started shooting and he dropped the gun but then…Joel, he started biting. And I just…I didn’t know what to do. People were trying to help him, trying to help those he was attacking. I just fired. For a moment I thought I could get him out, maybe lose him outside and get back in time. Find another way to you. But he was too fast.”

As your tears fell down your cheek, you hadn’t realised Joel had stopped rubbing the balm into your side and was holding you steady whilst his hand held your face, his thumb tracing the tears away.

You finally looked at him. “I shot them all, Joel. He’d bitten them all. Some in the neck, others in the arm. A few hours and my team that knew every smuggling route, that knew every way into a QZ without being detected, that…that were my family. I tried to wait. Hoped that maybe it was just a bullet graze. That they’d be okay but…just as one turned, so did the others…”

Joel didn’t know fully what to do. If he had known…

He pulled you close to him, kissing your temple before holding you against him. You didn’t know how long he held you for, but you knew he never let you go. He never left your side. He didn’t even try to.

“I don’t know how long it was before I radioed through to you. All I remember was seeing a lot of blood on the floor and wondering why it was down my clothes. But I was glad to hear your voice. Even if you did hate me for bailing on you.” You eventually explained. “I’d managed to get some supplies to take with me. Fixed what I could of my wounds and prayed I’d make it some place. For a while I was okay, my wound was healing. But then I guess I ran into the wrong people. Some guy decided to start firing and I got hit again. I don’t know how long I ran for but the last thing I remembered was hearing horses.”

“Does Tommy know all of this?”

“Parts, but not all.”

Joel wondered whether or not he should tell you about what he’d heard over the last few days. “People…they’ve been talking since you came back…what happened when you went out?”

You shook your head. “I don’t know. I just remember hitting something and then a sharp pain. I told my partner to meet me at the bottom of the hill. Guess the others finished the same as him.”

“What do you want me to tell Ellie?”

“Just tell her I’ll be okay. She doesn’t need to know the whole story yet.”

“Too late.”

Joel and you looked towards the door and found Ellie standing in the hallway. “Mrs Davis let us out early. I wanted to come and see you. And…I’m glad you’re okay. And as far as I’m concerned, everyone can go fuck themselves.”

“Ellie. What have I told you about eavesdropping?” Joel asked her as she walked inside.

“Not…to do it.” She answered slowly. “But you know I’m right. You’ve heard the stories, too.”

“Stories?”

Joel sighed and turned back to you. “People in this town…they’ve got nothing better to do but gossip about what happened to you before you came here.”

Ellie jumped into the chair where Joel had previously been sat. “Yeah, and some of em’ are wild.”

You looked between her and Joel. “Like what?”

Joel looked from his daughter to you and sighed. “Most of them aren’t so nice, but…” Silently, Joel gave his permission to Ellie to tell you.

“There’s one that says you’re some bigwigs daughter who ran away to run his kingdom but then you got overthrown by a rebel group so now you’re waiting here before you can take your kingdom back over.”

You raised your brows. “Wow.”

“And someone else has said you’re actually a fortune teller that is secretly training us to help you and your psychic army to take over the cordyceps and make them human again.”

That one made you laugh a little.

“People have nothing better to do with their time.” Joel told you.

You shook your head. “It’s okay. The people…” you looked at Joel and Ellie. “The people that need to know the truth already know. Nobody else matters.”

Joel smiled at you before looking over at his daughter. “Go and find the doc so he can look her over.”

Ellie nodded before pulling herself out of the chair and spinning out of the door. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Y/n.”

You smiled before looking back at Joel finding him looking at you, too. Then you found your fingers tracing his own.

“I’m really glad you were here with me when I woke up.”

Joel smiled before lifting his hand and lightly brushing the few stray hairs from your face before his eyes found yours.

“Guess I just wanted to be the first to hear your voice.”

You smiled, hearing your own words echoed back to you from him. You leaned into his touch before you felt yourself lean forward a little only to have his lips meet yours in a tender kiss.

With a little confidence growing around your heart, you leaned in a little closer, feeling Joel’s fingers dig a little into your hair as he pulled you closer, and into a deeper kiss.

“Hey, the kid told me- whoa.” Tommy stalled in his tracks and covered his eyes. “Uh, sorry. I…I guess you’re okay. Uh, yeah. I-I’m just gonna-”

Tommy looked around himself, making sure the door he came through was still there and accessible for him to leave through it. “Good–Good door frame job.” He tapped it twice. “I-I’ll remember to knock on next time.”

You chuckled a little, leaning into Joel the same as he did with you as he watched his brother become 12 again and leave through the door.

“I guess we should wait until we’re actually alone before Ellie comes running through her and gets the shock of her life.”

Joel chuckled. “I guess you’re right.”

But he couldn’t help himself. Kissing you once more, you both made sure to listen out for the jingle of the door and when you did, Joel made sure to sit up a little as you leaned back. However, your hand remained in his, his thumb brushing continuously over your knuckles. He pressed a quick kiss to them before Ellie appeared through the door with the doctor who seemed more than relieved to see you awake and alive.

Maybe when you and Joel had met, you were the furthest thing from friends. But now, with a developing connection and deeper feelings, you found yourselves moving further from friends, but in the opposite direction.

Towards happiness.

Towards love.

Towards the light.

270 notes · View notes

outoftheseine · 1 year ago

Text

- JOEL MILLER FIC RECS PART 2 -

forever in love with this grumpy old man <3 | note: please be aware of the authors’ warnings before reading. fics include canon tw’s like: violence, death, grief. most of these fics are age-gap relationship and some have 18+ content so minors please DNI.

part 1 | main masterlist

SERIES - MULTI-CHAPTERS

love in the middle of a fireflight | part 2 | part 3 • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @babydin

your bear | part 2 • joel miller x daughter!reader

↳ by @rrickgrrimes8 (very angsty, hurt/comfort)

a helping hand • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @teacupcollector

a lover's pinch • prof!joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @hier--soir (smut, au, angst, secret relationship)

i will be home for christmas • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @punkshort (no outbreak, fluff, smut, angst but happy ending, hurt/comfort)

lavender • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @justagalwhowrites

seeing you, seeing me • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @amywritesthings (slow burn, smut)

fate, after all • joel miller x f!oc!reader

↳ by @honeyedmiller (fluff, smut, no-outbreak)

ambush | part 2 • joel miller x reader

↳ by @huntergarrity (angst, violence, hurt/comfort)

seams • joel miller x reader

↳ by @fuckyeahdindjarin (self-conscious!joel, shy!reader, fluff, slow burn, explicit)

soft!joel collection • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @cavillscurls (smut, fluff, angst, soft and domestic!joel)

ONE-SHOTS - BLURBS - HC’S

daisy, give me an answer • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @dilf-din (fluff)

take this moment • joel miller x reader

↳ by @mylostloversbookmarks (post-outbreak, fluff)

ground me • joel miller x reader

↳ by @huntergarrity (fluff, comfort)

clouded judgement/clear mind • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @bluebeary-jay (violence, angst, hurt/comfort)

keep your eyes on me • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @mgparker (angst, violence, protective!joel)

daydreams • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @morning-star-joy (grumpy x sunshine, fluff)

i hope you are happy • joel miller x reader

↳ by @blissfulbarbie (very angsty, no outbreak)

grays • joel miller x reader

↳ by @softlyspector (domestic fluff, insecure!joel)

sweet creature • dad!joel miller x reader

↳ by @rocketrhap3000 (so fluffy)

lacy • joel miller x reader

↳ by @toxic-seduction (angst but happy ending)

bloodshed, crimson clover • joel miller x fem!doctor!reader

↳ by @morning-star-joy (slow burn, angst, violence)

arms tonite • joel miller x reader

↳ by @motherjoel (angst, reader gets hurt, happy ending)

skater • joel miller x platonic!gn!reader

↳ by @rrickgrrimes8 (angst, hurt/comfort, father figure!joel, tw: drowning)

be my daddy • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @bastardmandennis (no outbreak, smut, fluff, slightly angsty)

how the cookie crumbles • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @egcdeath (no outbreak, fake dating, slow burn, slight angst, fluff, idiots in love)

day after tomorrow • joel miller x reader

↳ by @familyvideostevie (no outbreak, fluff)

it’s your turn for choosing • joel miller x reader

↳ by @familyvideostevie (modern au, fluff)

i’m a feminist obviously • joel miller x reader

↳ by @toxic-seduction (protective!joel, violence)

softness • post outbreak!joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @joelsgreys (fluff, joel is a dad, tw: premature birth)

as long as i have you • jackson era!joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @beskarandblasters (very fluffy, slight angst)

sweetheart • post-outbreak!joel millet x fem!reader

↳ by @joels-shitty-puns (fluff, light angst)

are you mine? • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @eupheme (protective and soft!joel, fluff, light angst)

a forever thing • husband!joel miller x pregnant!wife!reader

↳ by @honeyedmiller (fluff)

the revenant wife • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @pettyprocrastination

butterfly • joel miller x black!latina!reader

↳ by @stargirlfics (angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, slow burn)

unlikely friends • joel miller x reader

↳ by @sweetercalypso (fluff)

mischief nights • joel miller x fem!reader

↳ by @jupiter-soups (fluff, slight angst)

all my casualties of love • joel miller x reader/oc

↳ by @agentmarcuspike (smut, grief)

a matter of timing • joel miller x baker!fem!reader

↳ by @lavenderursa (angst, smut, comfort, neighbours to lovers)

799 notes · View notes

endo-bunny · 1 year ago

Text

His Light in the Darkness

Summary: When Joel finds love ten years into the apocalypse and has a daughter with that woman two years later, he has to deal with the death of his beloved. He had to deal with a child that he doesn’t want, the child that took his whole world. That was, until a couple months after your birth. Now you will have to go with your father, Joel, and “The Cargo,” Ellie. As you go through this traumatizing yet exciting new adventure, you will have to learn a lot of things if you wish to survive in this world.

Paring: Joel x daughter!reader

Series Warnings:Mentions of violence, using both the game lore and show lore, Tess being a mother figure to reader, reader is eight years old, attempted SA, attempted kidnapping, kidnapping, slaves, death, dialogue and actions/scenes not being exactly the same or close to original, nicknames for reader(Little Light, honey, sweetie, baby girl), anxiety attacks, anxiety alluded to but not specified, symptoms of ptsd but not specified, reader is Joel's biological daughter, mother’s looks not specified, reader is a child so she will cry a lot (please don’t complain about this) this is normal for children

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of violence, using both the game lore and show lore, Tess being a mother figure to reader, reader is eight years old, panic attack

Word Count: 3,465

******

Chapter 1 - The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Winter 2015

Cries were what filled the room. A female that looked to be in her mid thirties was laid out on a worn down mattress. In her arms was a baby, the one that was producing those beautiful sounds. Her breaths were shallow, hands bloody as her eyes met those of her lover. There beside her was Joel. He stared lovingly at the woman, your mother. She taught him how to love again, and you were also someone that was going to help teach him how to love once more in the future. The woman had already known there was a chance of not surviving through childbirth. Hell, they were living in the fucking apocalypse. They didn’t have the same materials and medical help or equipment that they had twelve years ago.

She felt weak, she wasn’t gaining any strength back. She had children before the outbreak but upon outbreak day and thereafter, they had died in front of her eyes. That was one of the many things that the two lovers confided in and shared with each other. Her other births had been similar to this birth; but her other times were much different when it came to the time after giving birth. She wasn’t gaining any strength back like she usually would, she was only losing it. She could feel her heart that had previously been pounding in her chest slowly start to slow down to an alarmingly slow speed. Her breaths that had previously been easier to have were quickly becoming harder and harder to inhale.

With just one look, Joel knew what she was about to tell him. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t lose his lover; his light in the dark. Tears flooded his eyes, racing down his face shortly after. He choked out a sob. As carefully as he could, he gingerly held her in his arms. They stayed like that for hours, even after she had taken her final breath. She had been able to breastfeed their child with the help of Joel.

As he continued to lay there, your mother still in his arms, the door was quietly opened. Tess stepped in, grief upon her face at seeing Joel with his deceased lover. She walked over, getting close enough to touch Joel’s shoulder. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. This was the most vulnerability that Joel has ever shown Tess. She saw how much pain he was in, and she couldn’t do anything to help him. He muttered something to her after he calmed down a little.

“Take the baby, I don’t want the thing that took away the love of my life.”

She was shocked to say the least. She never thought that he would ever say anything such as that. He always seemed so happy when talk of the two’s unborn child was brought up. As Tess sighed, she lightly shook her head side to side, rejecting his request; or rather demand. She couldn’t do that. He looked angry, more than angry. He was extremely pissed to say the least. He snarled at her, even more so when she started to talk about burying your mother. The rest of it all was just a blur in his mind. He blocked everything else. He didn’t want to deal with anything else, especially you.

A couple months passed by, Joel hating every moment of it. On one surprisingly warmer day, his view towards you was swiftly changed. He had put you down on the couch, not fully caring if you fell or not. It didn’t feel like it was his responsibility. He was looking over everything that he would need for his and Tess’ next run. Something in him caused him to turn his gaze towards you. There you were, smiling over at him as if he was the greatest thing in the entire universe. In a sense, he was, to you.

Once you saw that his gaze had turned towards you, you erupted into a fit of adorable little giggles. He had never heard that beautiful sound come from your tiny body. The moment he heard it, he was immediately transported to the first time he heard that same noise come from Sarah.

Right then and there, he knew how disappointed and angry Sarah and your mother would have been at him. He was beyond ashamed of how he acted and treated you. You were his daughter, he was your father, he was supposed to love and protect you. He knew then that he needed to change the person that he was, but only for you. He wasn’t going to allow himself to be any different towards anyone else, he couldn’t trust anyone else in this newer world. As for now, for the first time since your mothers death, he picked you up lovingly and smiled.

“Hi, my Little Light. Daddy’s here now.”

******

Autumn 2023

Giggles erupted from you as you played with your toys; your fathers warning to not make any noise while he wasn’t there escaping your mind. All noises stopped however once you heard the front door open, close, and then voices. All you could hear was your fathers voice before you were sprinting out to him, jumping into his arms that weren’t ready to catch you.

“Daddy!”

He huffed, trying to keep you from falling out of his arms. He looked at you with love in his eyes, but he still had his mask up due to the fact that there was a teenage girl being present.The teenager looked surprised to see this man that has been nothing but cold and rude to her, be so loving and even have a child. You finally looked at her curiosity in your eyes.

“Who’s she Daddy?”

Joel cursed under his breath, “She’s no one, just some cargo,” He had hoped that you would simply just accept that she was there for a tiny bit and then just never bring her up ever.

The teen scoffed at him, “Hi there?” Her voice seemed on edge, “I’m Ellie, the cargo.”

You giggled at her, finding the new girl funny.

“Go and stay in your room baby girl, I’m gonna stay out here, ok?”

You nodded your head, perfectly fine with going back to playing with your toys.

Thirty minutes passed, Ellie snooping through Joel's stuff the entire time. She froze though when she heard a door down the hall open. You padded down the hall, trying to be as stealthy as possible, failing however seeing as you are just eight years old and not fully aware of your surroundings. Once you reached the living room, you jumped. Looking around you saw Ellie looking at you. She also jumped, not expecting your reaction. Seeing her jump causes you to giggle, and while she is weary of you, she does find it a little cute.

“What are you doing? Didn’t the old man tell you to stay back there?”

She honestly didn’t fully care what you were doing but she was still at least a little curious.

You stared at her while your child brain worked to try and think of something, “Nothing?”

Before she could say anything else, you ran over to her. You came up to about her waist, a little lower. You’ve heard Joel and Tess talk about how you’re small for your age. They summed it up to being that you weren’t getting the right nutrients and needed to eat a little more vegetables and meat.

“Why did Daddy say that you’re cargo?”

“‘Cause he’s taking me somewhere,” She sounded grumpy and slightly irritated.

“Who are you?” Ellie was quick to ask you a question of her own.

Telling her your name, you looked down at what she was holding

In her hands were dog tags. You looked back up towards her with a perplexed gaze set in your eyes. She looked down at her hands, having completely forgotten that she was holding them.

“Oh, those are mine.”

“Are you a Firefly?”

Your question caught her really off guard. She had no idea that someone who seems as young as you would know anything about the Firefly’s.

“Uh, no, but someone that I loved was.”

You know by the tone in her voice and the look in her eyes that it was time to shut up. You walked over to your father and sat down on the ground. She watched you before returning to whatever she had been doing. You zoned her out as you found some of the crayons that you had left on the coffee table. Joel had found that he could melt down some of the broken crayons and make new ones.

You made multiple drawings, knowing that all of them would end up on something in the apartment. You looked up once you zoned back into reality. It was dark out and Joel was still asleep. Giggling quietly to yourself, you climbed onto the couch and hopped onto his chest. He jumped awake. Both from you and the nightmare that he had.

“Did you know that you talk in your sleep?”

Ellie was looking at something in your hands. Your dad picked you up and sat you down on the couch. As he sat up, he started to say but you found the fraying threads of the couch much more interesting. Although it became much less intriguing once you heard a certain someone’s voice. Tess walked in through the door, saying something to Joel and Ellie. You looked up at her, quickly getting up to go to her.

“Mama!” You somewhat calmly walked over to her, unlike how you did earlier to Joel.

She greeted you and then looked at Joel.

“Can I talk to you in the other room?”

He looked hesitant towards you before nodding, going to his room. Ellie looked at you curiously, as well as you. Once the door closed, you both turned your gazes to each other.

“So, was that your mom?”

“Not really, I just call her Mama. Daddy told me that my real mama was in a better place and that I would never be able to see her again, but that she loved me. What about you?”

“Yeah, same I guess.”

You smile brightly at the older girl. Right once you opened your mouth, beginning to say something, Tess and Joel walked back in. Joel is quick to pick you up and get you away from Ellie. As you got comfy in his large arms, resting your head against his warm chest, your eyes dropped shut.

The next time that you open your eyes, you’re strapped to your fathers chest. As you start to wake up, you realize that you're not in your home anymore. Were you outside? There weren’t any normal buildings around. Your question was soon answered when you heard guards talking. You were immediately thrown into a frenzy when someone started yelling at your group.

The next thing you know, your father is taking you out of the holder and setting you down directly next to him. Tears were streaming down your face as you frantically grasp onto his pants leg. Everyone’s kneeling and the guard is saying something. Everything happens so fast, your dad is suddenly beating the guard, Tess is grabbing the tester, and Ellie moves in front of you.

You're still crying as all the commotion settles down. You look up at Ellie, who is now sitting next to you with a panicked look on her now dirtier face. She was also looking up. As you reach out for her, wanting to be held to help calm you down, Tess is quick to step in.

“Get away from her.”

You look alarmed, confused why you couldn’t be near her. As you try to understand what's going on, Joel quickly scoops you up, getting away from Ellie just as fast. Tess has something in her hand that you can’t see very well. Tears are still falling from your now red and puffy eyes as your dad curses in frustration.

“Why are you so mad at her, Daddy?” Your small hands grasped onto his shirt, tugging slightly.

Everyone stopped at the sound of your small voice, realization that you were with them sinking into Joel and Tess’ minds. The reality of this situation was making itself loud and clear. Your question goes unanswered as the talking continues on. You were scared, you didn’t know what was going on and everything was terrifying. You just wanted to be at home, safe and sound, being held tightly under a blanket in your fathers arms.

Your breathing starts to quicken as it feels like you're losing control over your own body. Fresh tears sprout from your eyes and your heart is pounding in your ears. Were you dying? You didn’t want to die like this, not now. It felt like you couldn’t breathe. You weakly clutch at your chest as your throat closes up, small whimpers leaving the confines of your overworked lungs. Your tiny body was trembling, beginning to feel very hot in your own skin. Sweat collected on your forehead. Joel noticed very quickly what was happening.

“Hey, baby girl, breathe. You're okay. Look at me baby,” His hand guided your face to look towards him.

He talked you through it, although a lot of it sounded like you were underwater. Once you finally were back, panic attack taken care of to the best of their abilities, you noticed that it seemed like the problem from earlier was completely taken care of. You couldn’t tell when it was taken care of but it was.

Joel seemed to be in a bitterer mood than he was earlier. You stayed quiet, opting to just look around at everything since you had nothing else to do except sit there attached to your fathers chest. As you continued to walk, going somewhere but you didn’t know where, you finally arrived at a new area. It seemed to be a very rocky place. You couldn’t tell if it was a building or not, but it looked similar to one.

You father was the first to go in, holding you tight against his chest despite the fact that you were already tightly strapped to his chest. He looked around a little, making sure that the coast was clear, before telling Tess and Ellie to come in. They soon follow in after him, Tess’ immediate move is to look at you then around the place. As the four of you make your way through the building, the air seems to get tenser, as if something bad was about to happen. That feeling was proven right when Joel and you split up from Tess and Ellie. Your head was covered by the strap, Joel having done that the moment he sensed danger. You could barely move around, all you could do was listen to what was going on around you. You heard growling and your dad grunting every so often. At one point, you get jostled around a little more than normal, a muffled cry coming from your mouth. Joel is quick to put his hand on your back before taking his hand away. You hear a struggle going on before your father and Tess’ voices once again.

As your father uncovers your head, you can finally see once more. There's bodies of the infected all around, and your father is breathing heavily. You don’t get to look around much more before Joel is quickly walking again, trying to get this whole thing done and over with as fast as possible. You’re confused as to what was happening, and it seemed that Ellie seemed to be as well. The two adults however ignored your confused and concerned faces as the supposedly short journey continued on.

******

The trip was much more boring than you had expected. You were finally arriving at the building where Ellie was supposed to be dropped off at, but it seemed to be a little quiet. Joel went into protect mode almost immediately once he realized that something wasn’t right.

As he cautiously looked around, he found that everyone that should've been there was dead. He covered your eyes so that you wouldn’t have to see all of it, trying to keep you safe from the horrors of this world as much as he could. As everyone is looking around, Tess starts talking about where to go next.

“What the hell do you mean? The jobs finished, it’s time to go home,” Joel's ruff voice cuts Tess off mid sentence.

“I mean that I can’t go home,” Tess’ usually strong voice wavers as her eyes land on you.

Ellie gasps, understanding what the older woman meant. Tess pulled the neck of her shirt down to reveal a horrible looking bite. Joel didn’t know how to react, he didn’t want to believe that Tess was bitten. You didn’t understand what was going on, so you tried tugging on your fathers shirt in order to get his attention. He didn’t even look at you, just put his hand on your back.

“You have to get her to Tommy,” Tess goes over to Ellie and grips her arm, showing Joel the bite mark that Ellie had shown them earlier, “She has to be telling the truth. Look at this, this is only a few hours old and it’s already horrible,” She pulls down her own shirt collar once again while talking to further prove her point. Before Joel could respond, groaning and screeching could be heard outside. Tess rushed over to one of the boarded up windows, looking out of it to see outside.

“Get out of here, there's a hoard of those fuckers coming here,” Tess began rustling through her bag, looking for specific items.

She pulled a small object out of a little, purple bag that seemed to still be in good condition. Joel’s breath hitched the moment he realized what the bag was. Tess walked over to you, the small object and bag in her hands.

“Sweetheart, I may not be your real mother but I love you like you're my blood daughter. I’m going to have to go away for a very long time and I want you to have these,” She put the small object in your hand, “Look after your father for me, you’re His Light in the Darkness.”

As you looked at it, you saw that it was a locket. You opened it with confusion, having a little difficulty. Inside the locket were two pictures. One was a picture of your mother, father and Tess all together. Your mother was holding the camera, her arm outstretched as she smiled brightly at the camera. Joel was hugging her, a wide smile outstretched on his face as he looked at her, ignoring the camera. Tess had her hand on her gun, seeming to be on alert, but she still had a warm smile on as she stared at the camera. The second picture was one of your father and mother. Joel had his arm around your mother as she had both of hers on his chest, seeming to be laughing at something. They were in a room that looked similar to the room that your father slept in now, but some of the furniture wasn’t as it was now.

“Daddy look! It’s Mommy!” Your excited voice came out a little too loud as the sounds of groaning and clicking came closer.

Everyone else's eyes went wide upon hearing what was waiting for them outside. Tess quickly began pouring gasoline all over everything in the room, trying to make sure that everything was covered.

“Joel go! Get them out of here, take the girl to Tommy. I’ll lure them in here, then take the building with me,” Her eyes were filled to the brim with tears as she looked at the little girl that she helped raise, knowing that she'd be leaving her.

“Mama? What's happening?”

She couldn't bring herself to tell you. She walked over and kissed the top of your head before handing Joel her backpack. She gave him a silent look before Joel grabbed Ellie to leave. You were crying now, not understanding what was happening and not wanting to leave Tess. Noises could be heard behind you as Joel quickly got out of the building despite Ellies struggles to get out of his grip.

All of a sudden, a loud boom came from behind the three of you. The building exploded. You continued to cry, the commotion overwhelming you. Joel did his best to consol you with what little energy that he had left. As you started to get brought back down to earth, your eyes became increasingly heavier by the second. Joel covered your head as you laid it on his chest, sleep beginning to take you after the exhausting day.

******

Tag list:

@fakegingerrights

@silnebula

I really hope that you liked this! It took a lot of energy for me to actually make this because I've been really procrastinating. I'm currently also working on my other Tech x Reader series but I have no idea when that will be. I'm also working on chapter two for this one. I might also do some romantic one shots for Joel because I love him so much.

@macchiato-dreaming22

#joel miller x daughter!reader #tlou joel #the last of us #joel miller angst #joel miller fluff #joel miller x platonic!reader #tess fluff #tlou tess #tlou tess angst #ellie fluff #ellie tlou #His light in the darkness

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saintrvckwell · 8 months ago

Text

There'll be no rest for the wicked (joel miller x platonic!reader)

joel miller x platonic!teen!reader AU

summary: more than enough of your mother's vices waltzed into your life unannounced, leaving without a trace. but then, then there was joel.

warnings: heavily implied father-daughter dynamic, joel grows protective for the reader, father-daughter bond, platonic stuff and thangs, angst as well (what else i would write, lol), but man the fluff, joel works as a cop (lol howdy), trigger warning mentioned into story (there is a warning before the scene! -- nothing happens, but the nature of it implies the boy's intentions, so i rather chose to give a warning)

wordcount: 4.6k

a/n: hi! lately i found myself enjoying the joel x platonic reader stories again and figured, i could contribute myself, again. treat the daddy issues strugglers like me, ha. enjoy!

splitting this into more parts, please, be patient with me.

Your mother was never the nurturing type. For her, this word did not exist in her vocabulary. She loved you, you supposed, because there was never a clear sign. You were left to wonder. Whether she really cared and if so, where was she?

Throughout your childhood, your mother seemed like a visitor. Someone who, once in a while, passes through. There was never a holiday, spontaneous trip or even a lunch. She had lunch, just not with you. Her friends, her social life -- it was everything for her.

And it seemed, as though, you were not part of that list.

From time to time, as you were growing up, the idea of your father popped in your mind couple of times. Your mother never told you his name, went as far as to not include him in your birth certificate. There was no clue. So, for a child, who's yearning for a presence of loving parent, your imagination stepped in.

Whenever your mom would be on a business trip or simply out with your friends, you would sit on the windowsill, counting the threes below your apartment window. Until you fell asleep. Until the dreams, the wishful thinking, the cycling imagination, gave you what you had been looking for.

A father.

It was natural, you thought. You wished to be saved from your mother's claws. Unmaternal claws that suffocated you. The desire in your eyes, she saw it. But never bothered to do something about it. Your mother never cared, she never listened. She never came to your recitals, school races or when you gave a valedictorian speech.

You put your sweat and tears into it -- trying to figure out that your message will be received. It was a significant moment in your life, or so the teachers kept saying. The praises were coming from every direction, except for the one you wished for the most.

This was the moment you were hoping for -- that she would finally acknowledge your achievements and efforts. And she would come, sit in the first row and cheer you on.

But the reserved seat stayed empty.

And you found yourself standing in the middle of the parking lot, diploma in your hands; your mother nowhere to be found. You waited, for almost an hour, before pulling out the keys from your backpack and setting off, walking the streets in your graduation robe, wiping away the tears you promised yourself not to waste.

Not on her.

When instead of trying, she stayed at home.

With a man.

The anger was running through your veins and the patience was standing on the edge of a cliff.

You could go ballistic.

Who would have blamed you anyways. Your mother's attitude gave you enough reasons to scream it out of your lungs and lose control. But, perhaps, the anger was the one, standing on the top.

The bittersweet taste of disappointment, there it was again.

"Hey, how was school today?" she asked, casually, as though it was an ordinary day -- to be frank, she probably had forgotten about your ceremony anyways.

The man, standing by the kitchen island, with a glass of brandy in his hand, turned around.

Compared to what had travelled through your apartments over the years, he looked decent. Well-dressed, without an awful cologne and more importantly -- without a fake smile. Most of your mother's short-term partners would always pretend wanting to find out more about you.

When they only wanted to find out what was under your mother's clothes.

Still, it would not last forever, you thought.

"Good," you mumbled, putting the cap back on your head. "Same stuff as usual."

There was an urge to leave this uncomfortable setting but before you made a move, the strange man had noticed the clothes you had been wearing and smiled, again. As if though it was contagious.

"Congratulations," he spoke.

Your mother looked up, eyeing your appearance.

"Oh, you had the thing today, right?" she mumbled, grabbing her glass of vine.

You couldn't help but chuckle. Somehow, the bizarre kept getting worse.

"Yeah, the Valedictorian thing, if that's what you mean," you mumbled, holding onto the red case of your diploma.

"Cool," she nodded, "Hey, how about you go pick us up some celebratory dinner? Noodles down the street?"

The anger crawled back into your mind.

"It's raining outside," you shook your head.

"Ever heard of umbrella?"

You never attempted to lash out at her -- solely because of knowing the fact that she would not care. But now, when she stood next to her latest boyfriend, vine in her hand and disinterest in her eyes, you just wanted to scream.

Every symptom of emerging emotional breakdown was on its way, and you knew, you had to get out of there. Not another word said, as you departed into your room. There was no energy to slam the door -- to give a little statement.

Throwing off the robe, along with the diploma, you laid down on the cold, wooden floor and closed your eyes. Five minutes, you just needed five minutes to gather your thoughts. You got four years left, in the same household. Then you would be free.

You never understood her stance. Why was it so easy to show to all of her dates and parties, but never to yours? When you stood on the stage, reciting your speech, you could see the numerous pairs of eyes of those proud parents.

You did want her to sit among them and weep.

You just want her there.

At this point, you would be grateful for anything. For the tinniest amount of your mother's affection that she so graciously gave to her boyfriends.

"Can I come in?"

The voice on the other side of your door pulled you out of your thoughts.

There he was her boyfriend.

You did not know why he knocked on your door and frankly, you did not care. He was going to be here long, there is no point in getting to know a temporary vise.

He could not overlook the redness in your cheeks and how swollen your eyes had gotten.

At that moment, you were thankful he decided to not care either.

Or perhaps?

"So, what food for the celebration?" he asked, trying to cheer up the mood, after a minute of an awkward silence.

You frowned.

"I was thinking, since it's raining, we could take a drive and pick up something for dinner."

There was an urge to leave the house, without a doubt. And you could either take a walk and come back soaked and cold, and mainly, hungry. Or you could follow him to the front door, watch him grab the cars keys and make yourself comfortable in the passenger seat.

The further the house had gotten, the lighter your shoulders had become. The burden of your frustration kept following you everywhere, like an unwanted traveler. But now, you had a moment to breathe out a little, after everything that had happened today.

Even if it meant taking a ride with mom's newest obsession.

For a moment, you cursed yourself for not taking your phone -- since the first few minutes of your drive seemed awfully awkward. You could have at least pretended to read something profoundly engaging instead of staring out of the window, visibly trying to avoid his sight.

He was not very talkative, but still, had this odd aura that floated around the car. There was no tension, especially once he put a cassette in, having the tunes of Billy Idol fill out the space between the two of you.

He had a good taste, you thought. But still -- he was not going to be here longer than two weeks. Why invest your time, you thought.

"So, valedictorian huh?"

After ten minutes of the drive, he finally decided to break through the initial awkwardness.

You looked up from your sneakers, staring at him.

"It's just a stupid red diploma case, nothing else," you shrugged your shoulders, whilst rubbing your fingers, nervously.

He chucked, shaking his head.

"You cannot be so modest, c'mon," he so exclaimed enthusiastically, you found yourself staring at him, little taken aback. "I mean," he gave you a quick look, before locking the eyes with the green light, "You should give yourself a little credit. It is an achievement."

Somewhere, in the pits of your heart, under the walls you were forced the built, there was laying a part of you, wishing to hear this. Only if the source could have been your mother. She had these sweets words for everyone, but you. There was never an applause to be given -- not that you would be asking for it. But a little pat on the shoulder never hurt anyone.

But she never cared enough to do it. So, you settled yourself with the determination to do more, to try more. The desperation ran through your veins like fuel.

Despite the desire to hide it, his words brought a smile on your lips. With that, the awkward silence vanished, as you drove through the suburbs, with Billy Idol's White Wedding.

That evening, somewhere in the middle of ordering your victory dinner, you learned that his name was Joel. And for the first time, you caught yourself thinking that, perhaps, it would not be so bad if your mother's newest vise stayed for more than two weeks.

Over the summer, to your surprise, your mother and Joel had grown significantly closer, travelling almost all the time. You found a job at your local cinema -- with too much free time on your hand, you could have used it for something practical. Saving money was always a good choice. You spent your days watching the same comedy three times in a row, covered by the smell of cheese popcorn and splashes of coke on your sneakers.

Of course, your mother would stop by -- although, mostly to just repack and set off, again. Throughout the summer holidays, you hardly ran into each other. Usually, she left before you got home from work. She would leave a concise note on the fridge (or, if she was running late, a text message) stuck together with a small chunk of money.

As the days went by, you happened to notice the uneasiness that suddenly settled in the pit of your stomach. You knew the source very well -- the good, old, fear of missed opportunities.

It was supposed to be your last summer before high school, naturally, there was the teenage urge to do something memorable. Something, perhaps, completely out of your comfort zone.

And, as it turned out, your empty house presented an incredible opportunity.

Before this sudden urge to fit into your generation, you had never thrown a party. Frankly -- you had no clue how to throw one. Clueless to arrange but eager to learn, the help of your friends seemed as the best fit. As people more fitting for the extrovert description, it posed no issue for them.

Thus, the curse landed on your shoulders.

Certainly, you had no idea how quickly these thinks can come together. It took bunch of your friends, pack of plastic cups, one text message and before you knew, the beer was lined up by the front door and your suburban house was filled with at least thirty people from which almost a half of it were high schoolers.

Seniors, if you may add.

Quickly, they managed to turn your dining room into beer pong game hall, with liquid spilling all over your mother's expensive rugs. Only then, the feeling in your gut started to cry out for help. There were the warning signs, hanging in your mind -- but each one was followed by a cup of beer, until you found yourself looking for a balance.

You lost the track of time, somewhere between your cups, as well as of your friends. It was supposed to be one, welcoming drink. But the more your house turned into a trashcan, the bigger was the urge to kill the voice in your head, cursing you.

For being so reckless in the first place.

Before this spontaneous get together, you had not encountered alcohol -- certainly not in form as large as this one. Rules of drinking were unknown to you; not that you would be too intrigued about them, in your state.

In that moment, the only think you cared about was to stand on your own for more than two seconds. The world around you had become a little dizzy -- this state of being was completely new for you which was quite noticeable for the ones around you.

So, it happened to be a matter of time before one of the seniors posed himself as the knight in shining armor.

If only.

You were aware of his presence but paid no mind at first. After another lost round of beer pong (with no surprise, against him), you had decided to get yourself some water to freshen up. You had no desire whatsoever to lead a conversation with him, let alone anyone else. You wanted to stumble back to your bedroom, lock the door and sleep this off.

Unfortunately, in your current state, path to your bedroom down the hall felt like a ten-kilometer-long hike.

trigger warning for the part below

"Are you okay?"

He could not have asked more useless question. The false concern almost made you chuckle.

"I am absolutely perfect," you grinned your teeth at him.

"You should get some rest," he spoke, unsettling smile on his lips as he brought himself closer to you, locking your possible ways out.

He was much taller, undeniably stronger and determined.

Without a doubt, that was the worst combination.

"Thanks," a forced smile landed on your lips. You had to be smart about this, given his advantages. "But I should actually go and look for my friends."

There was an attempt to make a move, quick slip out of his claws.

You have not even fully tried it, he was already in your away, again.

"I can help you look," the creepiness of his smile imprinted on your brain. "We can search your bedroom first."

The gulp in your throat grew so big, you thought it was going to explode in your stomach, pulling everything out as well. The anxiety was circling throughout your body, up and down, the sweat was running down your shoulders, despite how cold the room had become. Every bone in your body, every nerve sent a signal into your brain.

The fear was going to swallow you whole.

You have never encountered a situation like this. The uneasiness that suddenly held so tight on you.

You could have screamed but what that be good for? Everyone around were too drunk to notice and too unbothered to care, anyways.

Or perhaps, there were exceptions.

end of the trigger warning part

Just not exactly those you would ask for, voluntarily.

You always knew that the universe had its ways to fuck with you.

But this time, this time, came the cherry on the top.

When the scream echoed around the house, buying you an escape from this situation, leaving him too shocked to notice, you ran into the shambles that once used to be your living room, coming face to face with universe's sense of humor.

Dressed in a police uniform, wearing your mother's boyfriend's face.

There he was, catching the sight of your drunken appearance.

"Oh, fuck."

Your stunned reaction came louder than you initially intended, reaching the wrong ends.

His end.

"Officer Miller, we arrived at the scene of disturbance, over..."

You mother's never mentioned his occupation -- not that you would be dying to know, but having this intel beforehand, before you had decided to tarnish your and your mother's reputation, could have been a little useful.

Now, there was no way back, as you watched three other police officers enter your nearly-destroyed house. The number of scenarios lined up in your anxious mind, one coming off worse than the previous. Frankly, just the idea of your mother receiving such phone call, interrupting her annual girls' trip, the wrath would be horrid.

After that, you would wish to be invisible, in her eyes.

You had no idea how these things work. Couple of your friends once mentioned how a party, they attended, ended being busted but the process was never shared. So, you stood there, as though your limbs had frozen, watching the cops escorting all of the kids outside.

He could have been an asshole -- with all due honesty, part of you thought he would be. Your self-made catastrophe presented an incredible opportunity to turn himself into a hero in your mother's eyes. Her brave vise that had stopped her adolescent daughter from drinking her brains out.

But when the distance between the two of you decreased and his hand landed on your arm, you founded yourself letting a sigh of relief escape through your lips.

You were not out of the woods yet.

As inconspicuously as one could, Joel walked you out of the filled living room and back into the kitchen. He was aware of the liquid courage running through your veins -- after all, he was a cop. This, most likely, was not his first rodeo.

Also, he was not an idiot.

Or so you thought, for now.

It all depended on the events that were about to unfold.

"Here," he mumbled, handing you a glass of tap water, "get some more, I will be right back."

Within a second, he was one foot out of the door.

"What now?" you called out, curiosity prevailing the fear for a glimpse of second.

"They'll do search up, so unless you wanna get your ass busted, you better stay here."

With that, he departed into the hallway, as you dissolved into your anxieties, chucking one glass after another, naively hoping the sobriety would arrive sooner.

Despite the conditions, your foggy brain was capable of holding onto the ends, getting the grasp of what was going on, from the pieces you had gathered. There had to be an advantage he had found in helping you out, you thought. The possibility of him acting on the goodness of his heart seemed too absurd to even consider.

All at once, every partner your mother had brought into your life was a copy of his predecessor. One shallow as the other, hollow and unauthentic as the one before. None of them, especially those who you once had decided to give a little faith, succeeded.

So as exaggerated as it may came to be, you could not let yourself get easily fooled. Despite the part of you that wanted to.

Undoubtedly, there was something about him, the warm your mother never had.

But once that you started building castles in the air, you knew it was over.

So, you had to snap out of your liquid-influenced thoughts and stood stern on the ground.

There was no time to be naive.

Especially, once the so-thought, banished glimpse of danger entered your space, again.

just in case, (last) trigger warning for part below

In all directions.

It still baffled you how tall and buffed he was -- he could surely pass for an adult. Adult that should have no interest in girl your age, but here he was. With that intense gaze, sheepish smile and hands that quickly found their way to your hips.

"Brought you something," he whispered, reaching into his back pocket.

He slowly reached closer, his breath brushing against your cheeks, as his hand slipped in the back pocket of your jeans, tucking something in. Only then, he pulled away, hands still resting dangerously close to your body.

"Your friend told me you're coming in September," he smiled. "Figured we could finish what we started."

In that moment, you were stone cold sober.

"I think you should go," you mumbled, rubbing your fingers. "The cops and everything.."

You had to find an easy way to let him down. Words from people like him, especially the fabricated ones, travelled faster than one would have wanted.

But he turned out to be too persistent for your abilities.

"Seriously, you're gonna get in trouble," you chuckled, as forcibly as one could, to shake off the fear.

He laughed, shaking his head.

The false care was the right string to pull, as he became more curious of the sounds coming from the living room. The voices layered over each other, mostly coming from the cops and their walkie-talkies.

He turned around, one last time -- and the second his face lowered to your height, the worst flew over your mind, as the fear squeezed you like a ball.

For the first time in your life, you found yourself wishing to throw up.

Right into his face, right all over him.

end of the trigger warning part

"What the hell are you doing here?"

But perhaps, digestive problems could have been postponed.

When you found officer Miller standing by the kitchen entrance.

Officer Miller.

You were not sure whether it was the alcohol or the bizarre nature of this situation, but there was an urge to laugh over this phrase.

How absurd, you thought, that of all people, your mother would decide to date a police officer? The more you thought about this, the more you reassured yourself that he, truly, was not her usual type.

Whether it was a good or bad thing depended on the following twenty minutes.

The obtrusive boy gave you one last, nightmarish smile, before he followed your mother's vise out of the kitchen. You could not shake off the feeling his intrusive actions had left on you -- the eerie look on his face, the smile of winner. For awakening the fear.

You wished for this situation to disappear, cursing yourself for ever having such ideas.

After a while, the house fell into silence. The sirens outside the front door started to disappear, along with the heavy steps and chatters. You could not even think of the consequences that would follow this dreadful idea.

The urge to throw up arrived again.

And the kitchen sink turned out to be the only available option. So, naturally, within a second, every liquid your body had absorbed tonight, ended up exactly there.

There was no point in asking if this situation could have gotten any worse.

Because it could.

In the middle of cleansing your organs, whilst your hands were gripping the edges of the kitchen sink, you heard the slam of the front entrance, before a set of footsteps headed towards you.

It really could get worse.

Hair disheveled, mind on a rollercoaster and balance slowly disappearing into the night. Your already skilled friends knew how to throw a party -- just did not give you the manual of processing one. For a moment, you wondered whether your cheeks were splashed by the water, or perhaps, if those were tears, running down your neck.

Nothing about this night you wished to treasure. And you knew that what was about to follow -- was right behind.

Literally.

The pat on your shoulder startled you, almost hitting your forehead against the kitchen cabinet above. Slowly, turning off the faucet, you took a deep breath, trying to keep your existence in one place -- in all senses.

Knowing your current state -- Joel chose to be careful with the physical closeness, moving his hand away as soon as the room felt quiet again. Letting you turn away on your own, he stepped back, remaining focused, just in case your balance would decide to betray you.

"Get some more water," he mumbled, hands on his hips, as he watched you jump up on the cabinet. "That ain't smart, doin' this, y'know."

"Do I look like someone who makes smart decisions?" you hissed, wiping away the drops on your chin. Perhaps, the liquid courage was awaking, you thought.

Sigh escaped through his lips, now formed into thin line.

"Where's your mom?" he asked -- stepping into his police officer demeanor, frowning.

You chuckled, shrugging your shoulders, leaving him more confused than before.

"You don't know?" you looked up, mockery tone now swallowing your voice. "I'm surprised, considering you know more about her whereabouts than I do."

The sentence left a bittersweet taste in your mouth.

The frown has disappeared, as he stood there, noticing the shift in your attitude.

"Does she know?" he asked, after a moment.

The look in his face almost made you roll your eyes. It was the typical look of someone who was about to offer you a lecture no one had asked for. Considering your experience with your mother's temporary better halfs, Joel was just passing through. None of your mother's relationships passed the three months mark. He was about to be gone in a blink of an eye.

"Look, I am trying to help you--"

Now, there it was.

The sentence, all of them had practiced. The sweet-caring tone of his voice, the pitiful look in his eyes -- all of them were the same.

Or perhaps.

You could not bet on him.

"Okay," you mumbled, chuckling again. "Good for you."

Joel's frustration started to arise. You did not make it easy on him.

He shook his head, trying to maintain his patience.

"Listen, smart ass," he stepped closer, as the frown arrived again. Although, this time with disaffection. "An ounce of gratitude would not hurt you."

Bitting your lip, you got off the kitchen counter, now standing face to face with Joel. He was much taller, with broad shoulders -- he was the epitome of someone who tried to play the good cop.

"Okay, Joel," you whispered, deadly sarcastic.

It was a risky situation; you were well aware. But the events of this evening emptied the rest of your decency.

"Thank you for being such generous police officer, even though we both know your true intentions," you smiled and curtsied.

Now there it was.

The thin ice had been broken and Joel's patience ran over the edge.

"Excuse me?" he asked, offended.

"Excuse me," you whispered. "I've got a house to clean. So why don't you go ahead and give my mother a call? She'll be delighted."

Part of you knew that being this harsh could come back and bite you in the ass. Perhaps it was the defense mechanism -- your mother had never brought an exemplary man into your life. And if they happened to resemble one and you chose to believe it, they vanished into the thin air before you knew it.

You could not settle with the thought of Joel being an exception.

For your own good -- for the high hopes you would be willing to give him.

Joel stared at you for a little, without uttering a word. Which, you chose as an opportunity to leave this conversation for good.

But it took one step in your condition, for you to fall on your knees.

Howls of pain escaped through your lips.

And two steady hands pulled you back before you managed to smack your face against the cold, kitchen tiles.

"Fuck!"

Curse words were flying left and right, though Joel had decided to ignore that. He could have paid you back -- which you were kind of expecting. Instead, with one swift move, you were back on your feet, with Joel being the one responsible for your balance.

The world around became slightly dizzy. And, for a moment, it felt as though your limbs were made out of Jell-O. The funny bubbling in your stomach made you laugh.

"I think I am gonna throw up."

Was the last thing you whispered, before leaning against the floor, letting the remaining bits of alcohol depart on the tiles.

It was Joel who, once again, caught you in the last minute.

"You really are a fuckin´ pain in the ass, kid."

It really, really, could get worse.

#joel miller x platonic!reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller au #the last of us au #au #pedro pascal x platonic reader #pedro pascal x reader #joel miller x platonic reader #joel miller fanfic #tlou fanfic #tlou fanfiction

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 3 months ago

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Hi can I please a platonic dream bbq ena x reader from the human world but when they wake up in that strange digital world they find themselves in a different body. Perhaps they are now a wyvern hybrid somehow, like their head and torso are the same but everything else was changed. Anyway they somehow end up working with ena to help take down the boss and she tries to help them adjust to their new life. Thanks!

One moment, things seemed perfectly normal for you. It was just another mundane afternoon.

And the next...you passed out and woke up somewhere completely foreign. Nowhere near your home, workplace, or anywhere familiar.

It seems you were on some island, with unusual structures, a patterned ceramic floor, and mysterious arches in front of blue entities. And tiny people in paper lanterns strung over your head.

Even the sky looked most unnerving as you flinched at the sight of a massive hazelnut brown eye peering down upon you, like it was some god.

When you tried getting up, you're quick to realize that your arms aren't exactly, well, arms anymore.

Instead they've somehow become dragon wings. They were made of cloth, as though cut from a flag of Wessex, but the claws on them were made of the hardest stone.

Yet as you flapped them, they generated an unusually strong gust of wind that not only propelled you upright, but made you hover at least three feet in the air.

You were startled as you dropped back down to the ground, discovering your legs were also dragonlike, too. They appeared as though they came fresh out of a 3-D printer, but the claws on your feet were also made of stone.

How strange...

And of course, you had a barbed tail that was disconnected from the rest of your body, but it floated behind you. It was covered in scales, resembling that one dragon from that one fantasy video game you recently played with the highest graphic settings applied.

Or....was it the dragon from that one dark fantasy movie you saw in 4K?

You couldn't remember.

The only normal parts about your body were the head and torso, and you still retained the same articles of clothing as before.

Despite all of this, you're not as freaked out as you definitely should have been.

You distinctly remember having arms and legs, but your head was still fuzzy and you couldn't quite make sense of where you were or how you even got here-

"My, my...what big claws you have! Tell me, newcomer, what's your profession? Do your wings help you climb the ladder and attain a well-deserved promotion?"

You see somebody approach you. She definitely wasn't human, but looked humanoid enough to be a familiar sight. Her body was split down the middle, her smile trapped to the red side.

"Um...actually I am-"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SAY!!!" Suddenly her jagged paler side dominates the conversation, frowning deeply. "You're not the Boss!! So let's cut the crap!!"

"Boss? What?" You frown. "I was gonna say I'm not....erm...from around here..."

".....oh--well isn't this a treat? You've arrived from somewhere beyond our business scope! I smell great potential!" Her red half returns to lighten the mood, clasping her mitten hand against her geometric one. "Ena's the name. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"I don't...think you could help me. But I'm not from this world. Like at all." You try to explain. "I was somebody else one moment, and the next I woke up here as this...weird, wyvern thing."

She's quiet, taking in all this information, before she chuckles. "Ah. Wyvern! Such a charming name! I concur that your visage may intimidate future clients, but worry not! I can teach you excellent strategies for coping with the ups and downs and works of the trade!! Of course, though, I don't offer my services for free." Her smile falls flat for a moment, her triangular eyes piercing through you. "...you have to agree to the following terms and conditions...."

There's a long pause, and you realize she's waiting for your response.

Even though you had a feeling your name wasn't "Wyvern", you couldn't exactly tell Ena that now---as she's 101% convinced that's your name and wouldn't accept anything else.

"Okay, so what do you need from me? Money?"

"Oh nononononono! No, no, no!! I am not one of those sleazy contractors who entangle poor souls in sign-up fees and cancellation fees!" She huffs, almost sounding insulted. "YOU, my dear draconic associate, are gonna help me find the Boss. You see, he's our next target, and I just know you can put those claws and teeth to work!! So let's shake on it."

Extending her clawed hand, she waits in anticipation, but you were rightfully hesitant.

"That's a kind offer, but...why help me? We just met not even-"

"So what?" Her meaner side grunts, fingers twitching with impatience. "My job sucks, so I might as well have someone else to share in my misery. Besides, I'm the best you got. So what's it gonna be??"

"Yes. Yes..I'll go with you." Sighing, you awkwardly stretch your wing out, your stone claw coming to rest in her palm, and that seemed to suffice for a handshake, as the salesperson half of her smiled. Just a little softer.

"Bless you for your business, Wyvern. I promise you won't regret this. Now let's review the job description."

#the moment i saw 'wyvern' i locked in #clanask #anonymous #ena x reader #ena joel g x reader #ena dream bbq x reader #dream bbq x reader #dragon reader #wyvern reader #hybrid reader #headcanons #platonic

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dameronspector · 1 month ago

Text

The Past Will Catch Up

(a follow up to this, I'd suggest reading that first!)

Pairing: Manny Alvarez x GN!Reader

Summary: You should’ve killed them, then and there. You and Ellie both, should’ve simply killed them. But now they’ve hurt you and Manny faces a huge challenge when he finds out who hurt you. AKA everyone gets their revenge.

Warnings: Mentions of blood, guns, gunshot wounds, broken ribs, physical fights/assault, hospitals, panic attacks, nausea, ANGST, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Cursing, Tommy and Reader are stuck in a storm, Manny is a love sick fool, Manny and Reader want children/talks of children, Reader is mentioned to have hair, Reader is mentioned to have muscly arms, Protective Manny, that's all i think. Let me know if i have missed anything! There will be a part 2, as do all my fics cus i cant keep them short wtf im sorry.

AN: hoooo boy am i excited for this. This picks up right where Getaway Car part 3 left. Also i am ignoring canon (fuck ne*l) and ignoring danny's defense for abby (sorry danny) because i am fed up w this show. Also I know the title is probably BAD but pls ignore it I’m sick 🤧

PS: I don't know anything about the game, my characterisation is based off the wiki information, the show and my own imagination.

It’s been a peaceful 2 years in Jackson with Manny. He had settled right in, growing softer around the edges no matter how much he denied it. The two of you had formed a healthy and mundane routine and you couldn’t be any more happier. All that pain, the separation, the stress—it was all worth it for now you could sleep next to him and wake up to his gorgeous face, you’d watch him sip his precious cup of coffee on your porch swing, how he fit right in with Joel and Tommy—the older men taking a liking to him and considering him as their own, how he’d spend time with the children and the elderly, how he’d come home with a smile and help you cook dinner, promising to massage your achy joints later—you loved every part of it.

Manny had a glow to him. And it mostly came from watching you tend to the horses and teach the children, how you looked after Joel, Ellie and your entire found family, how you’d take care of him after a particularly hard day or a rough nightmare, how beautiful you looked in the cold weather with snowflakes frosted on your eyelashes, the way you’d look at him bashfully when you caught him staring, the two of you bantering casually as you cooked dinner or patrolled together, the glow from the way your family had taken him under their wings—your love had changed him. And he loved it.

He loved it so much, that a few months ago, he’d gone over to Joel’s to talk about salvaging a ring and to ask for his permission to marry you. Joel was pleasantly impressed that Manny had actually lived up to his promise and had happily given his blessings, helping Manny get a ring for you.

It was a simple ring—a thin gold band with a small diamond on it. They had gone to a neighbouring civilisation where they found a jewellery shop. Happy with the early discovery, the two of them broke in and immediately began searching for any left over items. And that’s when Manny found it, hidden deep inside the shop’s storage locker, beneath a few scattered boxes and show trays, a beautiful, dainty ring with a singular diamond on top of it. Fit for you. The band was a little tarnished, but since it was covered by all the boxes, the damage was small enough that it could be restored easily. Joel patted Manny’s back in approval and they rode back to Jackson.

Originally, Manny thought he’d wait a little longer. Tease the idea a little and see your reaction to it. But then, the following week after he came back home from helping with some restoration, the sight that greeted him almost made him fall to his knees.

There you were, passed out on the couch, with his sweater around you and a tiny baby cuddled up to your chest. He immediately recognised the baby—it belonged to your neighbours Tara and Will, it was their 6 month old daughter, Elina, that had taken a special liking to you since you’d babysit her often when her parents went on patrol. Manny hadn’t confess this yet, but he his insides curl with longing every time he saw you with children. Making him wonder what you’d look like your own kids.

He approached the couch and quietly crouched down to your eye level, Elina’s tiny fingers twitching in her sleep and curling against your sweater tightly. You instinctively brought up a hand to support her small back and smoothed it across to calm her. Manny couldn’t resist and he brought his hand up to smooth your hair back from your forehead, his warm hand resting on the side of your head and thumb brushing against your hairline.

You felt the weight against your head and slowly opened your eyes, blinking them rapidly to get rid of the bleariness and focused on Manny’s rosy face. Flashing him a lazy smile and cradling Elina closer to you, you whispered a quiet “Hello”, to which he gave you a soft smile and leaned in to plant a kiss on your forehead.

“Hey, angel. How’re you? I missed you”, he replied back in a whisper, careful not to wake up Elina. His voice was laced with fond adoration.

You smiled bashfully before scrunching your nose. Manny watched, transfixed, if you didn’t stop being cute right now he was going to propose you right away.

“Missed me? You were literally ten minutes away, Em”, you giggled.

“Ten minutes too far from you”, he murmured before leaning in to kiss you on the lips. You hummed into it, leaning closer and jostling Elina in the process. She flinched and you separated from Manny to press a hand to her back, an apologetic look on your face.

“Sorry, honey”, you softly murmured to her sleeping body, leaning to the side to check if she was still asleep. Thankfully, she was.

Manny watched the interaction with a love sick look in his eyes.

“She was so fussy today. Pouting and sulking, too. Got her to sleep after almost two hours of resistance. She’s-”

“Marry me.”

He said it in such a casual way that you had to take a double take. “Wait, what?”, you asked him in surprise.

“Marry me, angel”, he repeats for you, completely sitting on the floor with his hands wringing against each other. You’ve never seen him so nervous in recent times.

“Manny-”, a choked laugh escaped you, your tearful eyes once again making his form in front of you blurry. He scrunched his eyebrows in concern and immediately brought up a hand to caress your cheek.

“You don’t even have a ring”, you joked, sniffling.

He fished a hand in his pocket and presented you a ring. You gasped.

“W-what? Where-”

“Had it since last week. Salvaged it from a jewellery store with Joel. Asked for his permission too”, he confessed with a tight voice and your eyes widened, a tear falling from them and pooling in his palm.

“Please say something”, a desperate whisper left his mouth and his eyes shimmered with unshed emotion.

You sniffled and gave him a bright smile, “Yes. Yes, Manny. I’ll marry you, baby.”

Manny gave you a watery smile and slid the ring on your left ring finger, bringing it up and kissing it. You pulled him by the hand to kiss him sweetly, your hand cradling his face so lovingly, that he nearly cried.

Elina gurgled in your arms and the two of you broke apart, looking at her with soft eyes. He laid a hand on top of yours on her tiny back.

“Can’t wait to have one of ours”, he mumbled before looking at you with a shine in his eyes. You blushed and pushed his shoulder, his quiet laugh echoing in the still room.

The news had reached your family soon and they had all spoiled you, Maria treating you to some delicious food and some gifts from each of them. Joel gave you a warm hug and a little wooden sculpture of penguins. You recalled how he told you that penguins mated for life, the symbolism of his gift made something crack in you with overwhelming love for the old man. Ellie, Dina and Jesse had grumbled at the news but they were happy for you, choosing to remain formal with Manny instead. Tommy had gathered the two of you in a hug, offering to give some brotherly advice to Manny and had threatened him to never hurt you again. Manny looked positively nervous at that.

It's been a week since that and unfortunately, you were up for patrol tomorrow. Manny wasn’t going to be your partner this time, having to help with the school restoration work. Which meant that Manny was going to sulk for the whole day till you came back home. Ever since he proposed, he’s gotten way more clingy. Wanting to be close to you, constantly holding your hands, keeping an arm around your waist, keeping your hair tie around his wrist just so he could feel a part of you with him. Mornings were even more difficult, he’d trap you in his arms if you tried to even move. This combined, with his age old habit of worrying himself sick when you went on patrol, made tasks impossible to accomplish because you couldn’t depart from his sad, sulking face.

Currently you were lying in your bed with your face pressed against Manny’s chest, your bodies a mess of limbs, his arms wound around you like tree roots, his lips pressed to your hairline.

You could feel them move when he spoke quietly, “Do you really have to go? I don’t feel good about this. It’s the same feeling I had when you’d gotten stabbed back in the QZ”, a solemn and pained lilt to his voice, his arms bringing you closer to his chest as if he was afraid you’d disappear.

Your heart ached, for this was all new to him—this intimacy, this openness, this vulnerability. The fact that he even shared this with you was an honor in itself. A testament to his trust in you and his love for you. When you’d gotten stabbed, you were there to witness first hand how it affected him. He had this guilty and haunted look in his eyes and that incident plus your separation from each other for 5 years, just made him more protective of you.

Pressing a kiss to his chest, you consoled him in a soft voice, “I understand, baby. But, Tommy’s coming with me, yeah? You know how good he’s at the job. I’ll be fine, I promise. And I’ll pull back the moment I think something is wrong, okay? I promise.”

You pulled back from his embrace and cradled his beautiful face in your hand, his cheeks cold to the touch and sharp eyes shimmering in the low light of your shared bedroom. You would stare at him in awe, even today, his lovely features rendering you speechless at times. And now that he’d been clean shaven for some time (after you made an offhand comment at how you loved the moles around his mouth), you could openly admire the little moles scattered around his face.

He leaned into your palm and closed his eyes before exhaling shakily. “Promise me. You’ll come back to me safely”, his scratchy voice whispered in your hand.

You smiled fondly and leaned in to seal the promise with a kiss, him immediately reciprocating and kissing you back feverishly, like he didn’t have much time and wanted to feel all of you at once.

He broke away to hold up your hand, pressing one, two, three gentle kisses to your ring and leaned his forehead against you, sending out a prayer in the universe to keep you safe.

Come morning, he’d pouted the entire time till you departed. He still helped you get ready, packing your supplies, saddling your horse, helping you with the breakfast—everything, but with a sad little look on his face. When you finally joined Tommy by the gate, Manny held you close to him, a hand cradling the back of your head and the other one bringing you closer by the waist. You buried your face in his neck and murmured reassuring things, promising that you’d come back before leaning back and kissing him with passion.

You broke away after Tommy cleared his throat, both of your cheeks heated and hearts hammering against your chests before Manny told Tommy to look after you and Tommy gave him a teasing smile.

Manny stayed by the gates till he couldn’t see you anymore, the situation feeling like a déjà vu and leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He just prayed you’d come back safely or else he’d lose his damn mind.

It was too fucking windy. And it was raining, making your visibility poor. It looked way too similar to what happened 2 years ago and you tried your best to not think about it. You’d avoided confiding in Manny about how you were feeling the same unease as him. Ever since you found out about your duty today, you’d been feeling off. Like something was going to happen.

If you’d have told this to Manny, he’d put you on lockdown so you just kept quiet and agreed to the duty. Plus, Tommy was accompanying you. You had nothing to worry about.

Your horses tried to walk through the harsh winds and cold water hitting you head on, Tommy and you were soaked head to toe.

“Sweetheart, I think we should take shelter for sometime. Wait till the rain calms down”, he shouted to you over the sound of the winds and you nodded, too exhausted to say anything as your entire body was heavy and wet with the water seeping through your clothes. Your radio was completely out, the storm making it impossible to find any signal.

Tommy and you found a run down supermarket, choosing to hole down in it for a while before the rain slows down.

The two of you did the routine checks around the store, looking for any infected or raiders. It was too quiet, even in a storm, and that unnerved you. Every sound felt like it was something bigger and you kept whipping your head around, startled by them.

You were peering around one of the aisles, your gun raised and your eyes open wide in focus. You tiptoed through the sides when you heard some noise from down the hall. Snapping your head to the hall, you approached it, body tensed up in alarm. Tommy was all the way across the other side of the huge store, clearing out the storage room and you felt a trail of sweat drip down your neck.

Then you finally hear it, a few footsteps and murmurs. There were people here. More than one. You immediately straightened up, slowly back-walking to Tommy when suddenly a damp hand clamped on your mouth tightly, muffling any sounds of struggle before pulling you away from sight. Your eyes widened and you moved your arms, the person grabbing your dominant hand tightly, their fingers pressing harshly into yours that were holding onto the gun. After a point the pain got unbearable and your grip loosened, the person taking away your gun. You were sure your fingers would be bruised after this.

Defenceless, you kicked your legs and put your entire body weight on the person behind you, landing a few harsh kicks directly to their shin and making them groan in pain. This just angered them more and they restrained you even further, a muscular arm coming around your front to still your moments. Your next instinct was to clamp down on their palm with your teeth, hard. That made them let out a shriek of pain and their grip loosened, giving you leverage to break free and turn around to check who it was.

Tommy ran out of the storage room he was in and called out for you, “(Name)?!”, his tone frantic and worried. He made his way over to you, jumping over some fallen debris and shelves, keeping a vigilant ear open for any sounds.

Whipping your head around, a few strands of your wet hair sticking to your face, and you came face to face with the last person you wanted to see in your life.

Your eyes widened as your breathless voice whispered, “Abby?”

She gave you a death glare before pouncing on you, her hands going around your neck and she pressed you against the broken down refrigerator, her breaths coming in uneven huffs, hair just as messed up and wet as yours.

You choked before digging your nails into her hands, drawing blood and effectively distracting her. You took that as your window and threw your pack to the ground before landing a harsh slap against her face, her head whipping to the side and drawing blood from the corner of her mouth. She took a moment to recover and you got your lick back, pinning her down on the floor and restraining her arms, straddling her lap as you did so. You quickly unholstered her gun and threw it across the aisle, beginning with her knives next. You were so busy in disarming her, that you didn’t notice another person creep up on you, their gun raised.

By now both of your breaths came out in harsh gasps, and you wanted to respond to Tommy’s call so badly but you were distracted, your mind clouded with the anger and resentment towards Abby. She tried to get up, but you grabbed her chin harshly with your left hand and shoved her back down, holding a gun against her forehead with your right.

“Don’t fucking move. I’ll blow your brains out”, you seethed, your teeth gritted. You wouldn’t say you were particularly stronger than her, physically, but you were quick and steady in your movements. Years of physical labour and training had made you muscular enough to go against a person of Abby’s built.

Abby’s eyes shifted behind you for a moment, before she smirked and a gunshot went off. You howled in pain as the bullet struck your shoulder, hands leaving Abby to grip it, the blood pooling around your hands. Abby used the leverage to shove you off her, getting up and cornering you, another body joining her.

Tommy was on full alert now, his rifle’s safety off and ready to fire at anything that came across him and his heart thundering against his chest at the sound of a pained scream, “(Name), you answer me, now!”, he yelled in what you called as his ‘Sergeant Voice’.

He didn’t know if it was you or someone else that was hurt and he hated that. His eyes were blown wide, entire body tensed and on edge, head whipping around in all directions, mind conjuring up scary images of you lying unconscious or worse. How was he going to face Manny or Joel if something happened to you?

You writhed in pain, your entire right side numb with pain and mind disoriented because of the blood loss. As your blood kept oozing out of the wound and stained your hands, clothes, your ring and the floor, you slowly lifted your bloodshot eyes up, wanting to see the face of the person who had shot you. And unsurprisingly, your eyes fell on Nora, her gun still aimed at you. Her and Abby’s bodies were heaving up and down with their harsh breathing, sweat glistening against their face and a crazed look in their eyes.

“You deserve this. And so did Joel”, Abby spit at you in fury and landed a swift kick to your ribs, her heavy and hard boots digging into your rib cage. You swore you felt a bone crack, it was dangerously poking against your lungs and you wheezed, your senses going into overdrive from that and the bullet wound in the shoulder rendering your entire right side in an almost paralysed state.

You couldn’t move or bend or do anything, really. One wrong move and it sent you howling, eyes rolling back in head from the agony.

Suddenly, Abby and Nora whipped their heads to the side, looking at each other in fear after.

“Fuck, he’s coming! Abby, let’s move”, Nora gritted her teeth at Abby in urgency.

Your exhausted mind somehow picking up that Tommy was close. You wheezed again, in an attempt to make a noise to get his attention, a lone tear falling past your cheek. Abby clenched her jaw and crouched in front of you, holding your chin harshly in her hand.

“We’ll come back. And we’ll fucking finish Joel and you, together”, she seethed before releasing your chin and rushing out of the store from the back door, knowing that they could escape without Tommy catching up because he’d be too distracted to focus on you.

The hair on Tommy’s body was raised in fear and anticipation, swiftly moving past the huge aisles to get to you. Distant sounds of struggles were echoing across the store, his wet boots squelching in the otherwise quiet and eerie silence. He cursed himself for leaving you alone, he should’ve just asked you to join him in the storage room but he thought he’d save you some time by splitting up. His sharp ears then heard footsteps receding, and he decided to call out for you once more.

“(Name), make some noise and lemme know where you are, sweetheart. I’m comin’ to ya, tell me where you are, please”, his shaky voice rang out in desperation.

Your half conscious mind managed to hear him, wheezing coughs leaving your gaped mouth, your shoulder a complete mess of blood, shattered bones and broken skin, your ribs bruising and sending white hot jolts of pain every time you breathed in. And yet, your bleary eyes took note of the fallen pipes around you, your quick thinking saving you at the last moment. You moved your leg and managed to kick the pipes, making a loud noise. You immediately heard loud footsteps thudding across the floor, feeling the vibrations against your cheek that laid on the dusty ground.

Tommy ran across the aisle and stopped dead in his tracks. He quickly lowered his rifle and strapped it across his shoulders, his wide eyes taking in your exhausted and bloodied body, scary wheezes and painful whines leaving your mouth. You were bent at an odd angle, half on your side half lying down, one of your arm was holding your middle, and the other limply holding your bloodied shoulder, the entire hand covered in blood. There was a sheen of sweat on your face, your hair and clothes were still damp, the blood sticking to it and making it a crusted mess.

“(Name)!”, your name left his mouth in a sorrowful cry, his body shaking with worry and anger towards the people who did this to you and towards himself because all this happened while he was right there.

He rushed over to kneel next to you, his arms hovering over your body anxiously, trying to figure out a way to hold you without hurting you further. You whimpered and moved your hand from the shoulder to weakly point at the back door.

Tommy followed your finger and looked back to nod at you in sympathy, “Yeah, I know they escaped. It’s okay, we gotta go home, kid”, he reassured you, his eyebrows scrunched in tension. He could see your body shivering from the blood loss and exhaustion. He needed to take you back to Jackson now.

“Sweetheart, I gotta do some first aid on you before we leave, okay? I’m gonna have to shift you a lil’. It’s gonna hurt”, he gently warned you and held both of your hands in his, trying to warm them up.

The cold was seeping into your bones now, your damp clothes sticking to your body uncomfortably. You scrunched your face in pain as you wheezed, tears streaming down your face with the unbearable pain.

You were so sure you were going to die here. You wouldn’t get to say goodbye to Manny—your sweet, grumpy fiancé. He must be so anxious right now. And if he sees you like this, he’s going to lose his damn mind. You wouldn’t get to say goodbye to your father and sister and your friends. Poor Tommy would blame himself for this and you couldn’t console him either.

You just glanced at him helplessly, your eyes red from all the tears and mouth quivering. Tommy balled up a piece of cloth in his hand and supported your uninjured shoulder with a firm hand, slowly shifting you on your back. You let out a scream of pain and Tommy shushed you gently, his hand brushing your hair back to keep you calm so that you don’t hyperventilate.

He finally managed to shift you, your screams and whimpers of pain echoing throughout the empty space, his own eyes filled with tears.

After a lot of struggle, you were finally on your back. Out of breath and tired, your eyes slowly started shutting off, chest moving slower, causing Tommy to stop his movements abruptly.

“Hey-HEY! Eyes on me, (Name), c’mon, look at me!”, he shouted and lightly patted your cheeks, your eyes opening slightly before closing again.

“Fuck!”, Tommy cursed and moved his hands faster, putting pressure on the bullet wound to stop the bleeding before checking if the bullet had left the body. He looked around and saw a lone bloody bullet, a few feet away from where you were lying and sighed in momentary relief.

Once the blood flow had somewhat stopped, he removed his belt and tied it around your shoulder, making a torniquet. That’s what got you to finally move as your face twisted in pain and you whimpered while Tommy tightened the belt, your uninjured arm coming up to grab Tommy’s elbow to steady yourself.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I have to do this”, Tommy consoled you and finished tightening the belt, the blood slowly trickling down his hand.

You let out an exhale and limply held onto Tommy’s shirt sleeve, your head lolling around.

“(Name), HEY!”, Tommy straightened up in alarm and pressed two fingers to your neck, feeling your faint heartbeat against them. He clenched his jaw and decided to leave the place immediately, wanting you to get treatment as soon as possible. All the blood loss and difficulty in breathing was making you tired and you’d gone unresponsive to any of his calls.

You felt woozy, like somebody had stuffed cotton in your mouth, ears and brain. Tommy’s voice sounded so far away, your vision constantly shifting and blurring and the throbbing in your shoulder and ribs making you nauseous.

Tommy strapped everything in place and slowly brought his hands under your body, preparing to lift you up.

“Sweetheart, I’m gonna carry you now, alright? It might hurt but we need to get back home, yeah? Joel, Ellie, Manny—they’re all waiting for you. Stay with me till we reach the hospital, (Name). Please”, his wobbly voice requested you, his accent coming out stronger because of the lump lodged in his throat.

He picked you up, your body shivering and heart breaking whimpers leaving you, and carefully cradled you against his chest. He picked up your pack with one hand and speed walked to your horses.

You, on the other hand, tried your best to stay awake. If not for you, then for Tommy. And if not for Tommy, then for Manny.

Manny was so sure that he was going to go crazy. It’s been 3 hours since you and Tommy had left. You were supposed to be back by hour 2. He had abandoned all of his work by that time and was distracted enough that Joel had taken pity on Manny and excused him. He kept pacing around the town, lingering near the gates with the hopes of being the first one to see you come in.

Maria looked at him and told him to join her in the office, asking to help her arrange some files, in order to distract him. That didn’t help either, of course, as he kept zoning out and thinking about the worst case scenario.

Manny was an impulsive and reckless person since forever, but this was a whole new level of unease that made him feel like he wanted to run away in search of you and bring you back home himself. His lips were red from all the biting he’d done out of stress, hands constantly sweating and a permanent scowl on his face, making him appear grumpier and even more unapproachable than the usual.

He’d tried talking to Amy in the radio room, Joel and Ellie were present as well. But the radio was completely busted because of the storm and him and Joel spent a good 30 minutes in the room, glued to the speaker when Amy politely asked them to step out, requesting for some time to repair the signals without the pressure and without the three of them breathing down her neck. They had reluctantly left the room before Maria would ask them to leave.

His chest was hurting since last night, an eerie feeling of doom and despair blocking his air flow. And now he felt like his heart was on fire, it was racing and he pressed a hand against it while putting back a file on the shelf. He clenched his jaw tightly to dissipate the pain but to no avail, the pain spreading from his shoulder to his chest to his hands.

He pinched his nose, screwing his eyes shut and the other hand smoothing across his chest, hoping to imitate the motions that your soft and gentle hands would make to soothe him. He just hoped you’d come back in the next couple minutes. Or else he was going to take matters into his own hands.

Tommy could see the gates of Jackson, finally.

He knew you were late. He knew everyone was probably panicking right now because you were a whole hour late. But helping you on the horse, then joining you on it, proved to be way too fucking difficult. Tommy had undermined the task and was left with no option but to flick some water on your face to get you conscious enough to mount the horse yourself. Bless your soul, you were such a resilient and brave kid, that even though it was an impossible task for you to open your eyes, you listened to him and helped him, climbing the horse in a lazy way, falling off multiple times before managing to mount and promptly passing out. Tommy then secured your horses’ reign to his saddle and rode away slowly, leading your horse and trying not to jostle you too much at the same time. Thankfully the rain had stopped now, so that was one less problem to worry about.

He waved his arms at the watchers on top of the gate and the gate opened, crying out instructions as soon as he passed the gates, “Call Maria! Get the doctors in the hospital and call for a stretcher. Quick!”

A few people buzzed around him, helping him dismount and carefully helping your unconscious body down, Tommy cradling you against his chest again before asking someone to take the horses to the stables.

“Tommy!”, Maria’s voiced called out in urgency and he whipped his head to look at her, his eyes brimming with tears.

Maria came closer and that’s when she noticed your bloodied form against Tommy. “What-“, her eyes widened as she held Tommy’s arm.

Tommy interrupted her, his face and voice grim, “I’ll tell you later. We need to treat ‘em, now. And don’t tell them yet, please. I-”

“Tommy?”

Both Tommy and Maria froze, ice cold fear creeping into their lungs as they heard Joel’s voice call them.

Tommy and Maria turned around subtly, looking at Joel with hesitant eyes.

Joel’s right eye twitched. Something was wrong. He couldn’t see you yet as Maria was covering your body. Joel’s eyes sweeped across the area, trying to find you and he clenched his jaw when he didn’t see you anywhere. He was about to ask, when two people rushed in with a stretcher and pushed it next to Tommy, going closer and carefully retrieving someone from his arms. Joel squinted his eyes to look closely, cursing himself for forgetting his glasses at home.

He came closer to the stretcher and that’s when he saw your army green jacket. Joel froze.

“What- what the hell happened to ‘em-”, he growled and tried to rush over to you when Tommy gently pulled him back, his arms around Joel’s front as he struggled against him, watching you get wheeled away helplessly.

“Easy, brother. They need to get treated right now. Gunshot to the shoulder and broken ribs. I’ll tell you everything. Just- we need to keep Manny and Ellie away from ‘em for now”, Tommy murmured, his bloodshot eyes observing Joel closely. Tommy knew it was going to be a pain in the ass to restrain not one, not two, but three impulsive and reckless people who’d kill anybody who tried to hurt their own.

Joel clenched his jaw, his cheeks shaking from how angrily he was doing it. There was a red tinge to his eyes and his breathing was laboured, like he’d run a marathon.

“Tommy, who the fuck-”, Joel breathed out, cutting his sentence short as he tried to breathe properly.

“I don’t know yet. They’ve seen their faces. We just have to wait till they wake up. They’ve only passed out, don’t worry”, Tommy informed guiltily, Maria placing a hand on his back in support while Tommy rested a hand on Joel’s shoulder.

“Where’s Manny?”, Tommy looked at Maria with tears in his eyes and she pursed her lips.

“At the office. Gave him some work to distract himself. He was by the gate for most of the day.”

Tommy gave her a look and she understood right away that she needed to distract Manny for longer.

“I’ll talk to him.”

Tommy and Maria looked at Joel in shock. Usually when he was having a hard time processing things, he just shut down. Now he was willingly going to try and console Manny and they both agreed that he might be the best person to do so.

Tommy pressed his lips in a thin line and nodded in agreement.

Manny was just finishing off organising the last bundle of files when he heard footsteps against the hardwood floor. He snapped his head to check if you had finally come back but his eyes fell on Joel, who looked forlorn. Manny’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He tried to swallow the lump against his throat and decided to lighten the mood a bit.

“Hey, old man. What’s up?”, he casually greeted and went back to stacking the files.

Joel clenched his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white. No matter how hard he rehearsed it, he just couldn’t get the words out.

Manny turned around after Joel was silent for a while, feeling queasy with anxiety.

“What is it, Joel?”, he murmured lowly and chose to observe Joel’s body language with his beady eyes.

Joel cleared his throat and walked over to where Manny was standing behind the desk. His hands shaking as he put them on the desk to steady himself.

“Tommy and (Name) are back”, Joel saw the way Manny’s eyes lit up, his mouth opening before Joel could finish his sentence.The excitement and relief bouncing off Manny’s body language as he quickly put the files away and made his way to the door.

“What?! Nobody told me. I’ll talk to you later, I-”

“Wait. They’re …they’re hurt”, Joel managed to blurt out, his mouth dry.

Manny froze, he felt like someone had poured cold water on him. The anxiety he’s been feeling since yesterday was real. He didn’t know if he could handle seeing your unmoving face- no. He couldn’t think like that. Not if he wanted to die right here. Not if that meant he would die without seeing you for the last time.

He didn’t turn around. His ears buzzing and mouth filled with cotton. Joel decided to continue, thinking that Manny should know the whole thing without reaching to conclusions.

“It’s- it’s a gunshot to the shoulder and broken ribs. They’re only unconscious...just got wheeled to the hospital right now, you might-”

Before he could finish speaking, Manny was already out of the room, running all the way to the hospital, not caring if he bumped anybody on the way or that he almost tripped, not caring if the muddy ground was making his shoes dirty or if he splashed the dirty water on his pants--he just needed to get to you. To see you.

He finally reached the hospital, everything else around him was a blur and his breathing laboured. He could feel his ears make that tinny sound, the sounds in the background appearing muffled to him. He rushed over to the reception and managed to state your full name, asking desperately about your room number when he felt a hand clasp on his shoulder. He whipped around, half expecting you to be standing there but he was met with Tommy's guilt-ridden and pained eyes. Before he could say anything, Tommy wordlessly guided Manny down the corridor on their right and stopped right in front of the operation theatre.

"They're in there. Bullet went outta their body so, thankfully, no major artery was hurt and no fragments are stuck. The ribs are broken, though. They just got 'em in. We gotta wait for further news", Tommy recited the information blankly, his mind somewhere else.

Manny clenched his jaw and felt his vision blur, an onslaught of tears pooling in his eyes and falling past his cheeks. All he could think of, was that he shouldn't have let you go. He should've listened to his instincts. Part of him was already feeling like he was the one to be blamed for your condition. He tried to swallow past the lump in his throat, talking suddenly felt like an incredibly difficult task but he pushed through, and finally asked the question that he wanted to since Joel relayed the news to him.

"W-who was it", he let out in a cracked voice, his hands shaking with how harshly he was clenching them.

"Couldn't see 'em. (Name) knows, though."

Manny felt his heart break for you, someone had ambushed you right when they knew you were alone. Fucking cowards. But he was also sure of the fact that you must've put up a great fight, his chest swelling with pride at the thought of how skilled and brave you are.

This was a major case of deja vu. He couldn't believe that he was in the same position now, as he was years ago. Waiting for you while you fought for your life inside. He hadn't been able to save you then, and he couldn't save you now. Maybe the real coward was he, himself.

"Don't do that."

Manny snapped his head to the side to look at Tommy with bloodshot eyes.

"'s not gonna help us. It's not gonna help (Name). Blaming yourself isn't the answer. We need to be strong for them right now, alright?", Tommy conceded in a gruff voice, his eyes turned away from Manny's.

"You say that as if you're not doin' the same right now", Manny scoffed in disbelief and walked away from Tommy, leaving him behind with his racing thoughts and unbearable guilt.

The operation finished 2 hours later. They shifted you to a special room where you could get some privacy and everyone could visit you in peace. When Manny got the approval to see you, he damn near broke the door to your room. He'd been loitering around the waiting area, his body kind of shutting down and a steady numbness spreading across his bones. He was aimlessly staring at his hands when Tommy called him over in urgency, informing him that he could see you now.

His stomach was in knots, the anticipation and fear of reuniting with you driving him crazy. Tommy had warned him that you wouldn't wake up any time soon, the blood loss and internal injuries had been too much for your body to handle. Manny reluctantly nodded, a sour taste in his mouth at the fact he'd have to wait for even longer to finally hear your voice.

As he entered the room, his eyes fell on your limp hands first, then the slow rise and fall of your chest, then your bandaged and elevated shoulder, and lastly, your beautiful and tired face. He almost fell to his knees when Tommy held him up, guiding him over to your bedside and pulling out a chair for him to sit. Shortly, Tommy left the room, wanting to give you two some privacy.

For a while Manny just stared at your face, taking you in hungrily, like he was man starved for days. His heart was lying there, right in front of him. Then, he slowly lifted a shivering hand, placing it on top of yours and the moment your skin touched his, he broke down. Brown eyes poured out tears while he leaned his head against your hand. He pressed fervent kisses against the back of your hand, trying to commit to memory the feel of you against him.

"I-", he choked on his own saliva, swallowing harshly, "'M sorry. I'm so sorry, baby-", he let out in between sobs, his tears dampening your hand. He wiped a hand across his face and stood up, leaning over your face to lovingly smooth a hand over your head. His teary eyes flitted all over your face, leaning in to press a tender and lingering kiss against your forehead.

"I'll make them pay. I promise, angel, I'll make them pay. J-just, please, please wake up for me. I can't take another separation from you. I can't-", his quivering lips moved against your forehead before he pulled back to press his against it, closing his eyes in longing. He just wanted to take you home and sleep on your shared bed. That's all he asks for. He wants to see you smile at him in that cheeky way you do whenever you're joking, he wants to you hear your soft humming of a forgotten song while you cooked, he wants to feel your soft hands touch him in that caring and sweet way--like he's something precious--he wants it all. That's all he wanted. He just wanted his fiancé, his best friend, his heart and soul back.

Part 2

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#manny alvarez x reader #manny alvarez #danny ramirez #angst #tlou hbo #fluff #tlou2 #joel miller x platonic!reader #ellie williams x platonic!reader #the last of us #tommy miller x platonic!reader

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cokoladasljesnjakom · 3 months ago

Text

The glimpse of us

summary: 5 years later, thats all it took. Ellie grew up, being the 19 year old she was and being stubborn to the point it drove Alex crazy. while joel was down in his office fixing up some random shit he wanted to do for a while. what happens when Ellie comes back from the patrol and she sees joel sitting with Alex? still time to find out.

joel miller x platonic! reader, ellie williams x older sister! reader (ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE)

word count: 4.5k

a/n: in the honor of the new season of The Last of Us, i have made a one shot! yeah a one shot, so if you see some of the similar characters from the story im writing m, thats why. i sobbed when I was watching the new episode and just thinking about it makes me SOB. i really hope you guys enjoy reading this, coz writing this made me want to claw my eyes out :)

masterlist

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure we don't get caught, that's what I'm doing.”

“Well, we just might get caught if you don't stop fidgeting with a fucking doorknob.” Alex said, her voice dripping with annoyance. She narrowed her eyes at him and pulled him by his hand, making him stop in his tracks and look at her.

“You're such an idiot, you know that, right?” Alex whispered, trying not to speak up too loudly, because Joel could just burst in her room any time he wanted to. He just smiled at her and pulled her closer, closing the distance between them. “Sue me for loving my best girl.” He kissed her softly on the lips, making her hum against his lips. “Plus, I haven't got the chance to have you for like two days. And now that I have you next to me, we could do a lot of ‘stuff ’we have to do.”

She laughed, their bodies swaying with each move they made, making her lean in his touch and prepper little kisses on his face. “Hm, and what's the ‘stuff’ that we need to do, oh so urgently? Because how I remember, we did everything-” he quickly shut her off with a kiss, making her laugh against his lips, his hands on her waist, pulling her closer, craving her touch even now when he had her in his arms. The thought of not having her next to him, made his mind spin. Two days. Thats it all took. And he was all over her, practically on his damn knees just to have her. She wasn't any better to be honest. Not having the chance to feel his touch in those two days made her crazy.

For two days she had to watch girls fawn over him. She had to watch girls flirting with him in front of her, like she didn't exist and God she hated that feeling. She hated watching the love of her life just getting taken away from her, even if it meant for a minute or two. And the chance they gotten to be together? It made her skin burn with every touch she made with him. She wanted to be next to him for eternity. She wanted to tangle her ribs together with his, to feel his lips on her for the rest of her life. So, she just pulled him closer, and she gasped, feeling his hands roam on her body and kissing her like her is no tomorrow.

“Hey Alex, so I need you and Dina to take up on the-” Jesse stopped, watching the sight in front of him unfolding with disgusted face. “God, you guys are so gross, you can do that stuff somewhere else.” his eyes narrowed, and he nodded his head to the doors, tapping his wrist as if he was setting up how much they have to dress up. Closing the doors, he stopped in his steps and turned his head, his voice teasing. “Oh, and Bucky. Before you head out, fix the problem. I don't want you to scare off the kids around. And for god’s sake please just hurry up.”

Bucky looked down at his 'problem’ and blushed, nodding his head at Jesse, while Alex just flipped Jesse off, while shouting out to him. “Don't act like you weren't like that before. I saw you and Dina grinding against each other and-” Bucky stepped her and pulled her closer to him, while he spoke up instead of Alex. He knew that whatever was going to slip out from her mouth, he’ll have to stop her, eventually. “we’ll be there. Five minutes tops.” Jesse just nodded his head and closed the doors behind him with a loud thud.

Alex squinted her eyes at Bucky, her hand squeezing his so hard, he thought it was going to fall off. He just kissed her knuckles making her calm down a little bit and she leaned into his touch. “Tonight, it's just going to be me and you. I promise.” and she nodded her head, both now walking off and closing the doors quietly.

“Oh well, look at that. A lover boy and my sister. Wow, can you believe this? A real power couple.” Ellie teased Alex when she saw bucky holding Alex's hand in his hand, pressing herself against him, searching for warmth. The weather was cold outside, snow crunching against their boots and the air getting colder every time they breathed in.

“Talk about yourself first. The way that you look at Dina amazes me every day you know? It just shows how much scaredy cat you are.” Ellie just looked at Alex and flipped her off, talking back to her like they always did. “At least I'm not overthinking every choice that i made. Now go back to kissing your little boy toy that you have.” Alex opened her mouth to say something snarky at Ellie, but a hand stopped her. Bucky's hand was on Alex's mouth, making her muffle against the palm of his hand when she started to speak.

Ellie just laughed at Alex face, and she stuck her tongue out at her. “Okay people, how are we? I hope you're fucking great, because I need you to be completely sober and not riled up.” Jesse spoke up and his eyes burning hole in Bucky's head like he expected that he’s going to explode every minute. Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise and her coughed against her palm, hiding her laugh, making Bucky glare at her. And just in time, Dina joined the group, her chest heaving with every breath she took. Looks like she ran to meet up with them. She nudged Ellie, making her slightly stumble and she blushed at Dina.

“What's cooking, good looking?” she pointed towards Ellie and then she smiled at her, making Alex to grin and she mouthed out to Ellie. “Told you so.” and Ellie just glared to her while mouthing out to Alex, her finger raised so high up that the heavens might just bless her or end her. “I hate you.” and Alex just laughed at her.

“What took you so long?” Jesse asked Dina, making her eyes to snap from Ellie's to his, her hands rubbing against each other to warm up. “Oh, I was at Joel's place. There was a problem on the pipe thingy, and I needed to tell him, so yeah.” hearing Joel's name, made Ellie to straighten up and her eyes before bright and shining, now were dark and empty. Alex saw that so she shrugged Bucky’s hand off from her and walked to Ellie, hugging her side.

Since that day, everything fell apart. The day that Ellie found out that both of her sister and the man that she loved like a father hid something so important. She hated what they did. She hated that he took the chance of her saving the world. She hated that her sister did the same thing. She hated what they did, but she never hated them. She could never imagine her hating two most important people in her life. She loved them to the point she would rather give up on her life, than bring herself to hating them. Things with Joel weren't going so smoothly. She felt like she was a burden to him and Alex. She hated that she couldn't trust him anymore.

Alex was a different situation. She was her sister and the only person who was next to her no matter how things gotten bad. She didn't talk to Alex in months, maybe even years. But over time she managed to have a courage to speak up first. She was getting tired of ignoring her sister and pretending like she doesn't exist. So, they talked. They talked until dawn, crying with each other, telling the stories and making up the time they weren't talking. To this day they were still fixing up the wounds, but it was easier now. She wanted to give Joel another chance, to bring the old banter between the two of them. She wanted to bring the old spark between her, Alex and Joel.

Snapping out from her trance, Alex called out, her voice soothing and calming Ellie down. “You’re with us?” Ellie just nodded her head yes and she smiled at Alex, her fingers interlinked with Alex's, like she was the one who was keeping her sane. Jesse looked at Ellie, waiting for her to calm down and she nodded her head to him to continue with the speech he made up. Dina just apologized and her fingers touched Ellie’s, making her to take her hand in hers and bring it closer to her side.

“Okay so, the reason I called you guys here was because, today, you guys” Jesse pointed to Ellie and Dina “are going on a patrol and I need you to be safe. You know the way, you know how to defend yourself and you know that the second you see something bad, you come back.” Alex just punched Ellie on her shoulder and Ellie punched back, making Jesse and Bucky to grumble and to separate the girls. Dina just laughed as she got on her horse, strapping the things they needed for the trip to hell. Ellie got on her horse, checking if she forgot something.

Jesse turned around to face Alex and Bucky, his fingers poiting at their way. “you guys are not going on a patrol today.” Alex’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and she took a step forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “what do you mean ‘we’re not going on a patrol?’ I signed up for that shit today! I’m not going to let some old fucks to handle a mission that their ass couldn’t handle. You give me that patrol right now or I swear to god-” Bucky just rolled his eyes and took Alex by her hand and nodded to Jesse, his voice calm, unlike Alex’s. “okay. We’re gonna be with the horses today. That sounds good?” Jesse just laughed at Alex’s reaction and nodded his head yes. “just be careful so the shit doesn’t hits you in the face.”

“Okay so you are going on Alpine run, you do as I say and you listen what Kat says. She’s your leader today. You see a clicker or two, you clear ‘em out, you see anything bad, as I told you, you come back and we’re gonna send up a squad. We clear?” Jesse told the group and he tossed them the green and yellow rags? flags? Whatever that was, and Alex couldn’t help but tease Ellie with the joke that the group favourized and used it daily. “You look like Kurtis and Viper.” Ellie just grumbled and muttered something under her breath. “the fuck?” while Dina smiled and raised her eyebrows at Alex making both of them to laugh.

Bucky watched the scene unfolding in front of him and he loved it. He loved the moment of pretendending that his girlfriend’s sister is just a 19 year old. While being in relationship with Alex, Bucky and Ellie treated each other like brother and sister. He loved Ellie as his younger sister. Long time ago he was a brother too, but the world had to take her away from him on the worst way possible. And then he met Alex and through Alex, he met Ellie. Looking back he’s so thankfull on the chance that he got to meet Alex. Because without her. He knew that he couldn’t survive in this world.

Alex looked at Ellie and walked closer to her, making ellie to get closer so she could tell her something. “Be carefull and don’t do anything stupid. Because I know that you are going to do something like that and I cant let you do that anymore.” she looked at dina and told her, while gripping Ellie’s hands. “You keep an eye on yourself too and don’t let her do something stupid, please. I trust you.” And Dina nodded her head in ressuring way.

“Okay! Are you guys ready? I hope you are because today you’re gonna have some fun!” Jesse yelled out and Ellie and Dina took off, Kat and the three other men following them, while the gates closed, their figures dissapearing in the distance.

“well what ae you two doing here? C’mon! Get to the work. Lets go!” jesse told both to Alex and Bucky, while walking off in a diffrend direction. Alex sighed out and took Bucky’s hand in hers while slowly backing away. “Im just going to check up on Joel. See if he needs help with anything. I love you though.” She smiled at him.

“Yeah and you’re gonna let me clean the horse shit alone, right?” Bucky asked his lips hoovering over hers, enough to make her lean in his touch. “Sorry, I hate that stuff. Besides, It’s the thought that counts.” And then she ran off in a diffrend direction, leaving Bucky alone and to laugh at her antics.

Walking she tried to warm up her hands, because it was freezing outside. She regrets not taking her gloves with her and she cursed under her breath, getting finally inside house, closing the doors behind her. “I’m home!” she yelled out practically to no one, because he didn’t came back from the therapy session he had with Gail. She never actually liked Gail, considering that Eugene was her husband, that Joel had to kill. While she has no idea what was the rrason he killed him, she didn’t question it. She knew that the wound was still fresh and hurting, Alex didn’t poked her nose in places she wasn’t supposed to be.

Shrugging her jacket off and putting it on the hanger, next to the doors, she took her boots off and slipped the shoes for the house, because in the winter, the floor was impossible to walk with your bare feet.

Walking into the kitchen, she opened the fridge and took an apple, biting onto it and sat down on the couch, turning the radio that they had. Being in a city meant staying off the radio, keeping the location safe and the people in Jackson. With each day that passed, more people came in the city and the places that took the whole city weren’t enough to fit the amount of people the council let in. She knows that she shouldn’t judge those people, because once, before five years ago, she was one of them. She was one of those people who seeked out the place to stay, and so did Ellie and Joel.

She remembers the day that both of her and Ellie got introduced to the neighboor they were in, her hands shook on her sides, and her breathing grew quicker with each move she made. Ellie noticed that, and she took Alex’s hand in hers, their fingers interlinking together, making Alex to calm down from the anxiety that consumed her.

That was the day she met Bucky. The first time she saw him, she remembers how she looked at him and how he looked at her. All of thise mixed emotions inside her made her feel like she was in some kind of trance, stuck in a maze, trying to find a way out, trying to find out what was happening with her the months that she spent with him, his touches, his voice and the way that he acted torwards her. She didn’t know if she liked the attention that she got from him, or if she hated it.

She remembers the day that she got sick of the feeling butterflies exploding in her stomach and her face getting red every time he talked to her, or when he looked at her. So, she told him her feelings for him, and fuck, did it made her feel like he was going to repeat her any minute that she spoke up. The gut in her throat made her feel like she was going to bawl her eyes out, like she was going to curl into a little ball and never show up in front of him.

What she didn’t expect from him, is to pull her closer to him and to kiss her until her lungs burned. She was in sshock to the point that she pulled away from him and slapped him on the face. When she saw his face twisting in a confusion, she gasped and apologized for doing that, for even thinking about that. And then a switch flipped on inside her, and the next thing that she did, shocked both, her and Bucky. She took him by his head and kissed him with so much urgence, like she craved his lips on hers. The second that he kissed her back, its like a missing piece of a puzzle came together and made the final cut. The missing puzzle that was very much needed for a picture to be finished.

The way that he pulled er closer, feeling every part of her body under his fingertips, his lips getting red and her hands itching to feel him, to make him hers. The more they kissed, the more the room has gotten, their bodies swaying and melting with each others, making it impossible for them to break the kiss.

Snapping out from the memories, she heard the doors closing and loud footsteps, meaning that Joel was back from the session. “Well, hello, aren’t you pretty?” she teased him from the couch, her legs proping on the armrest on the couch and her grin so wide, it hurt her cheeks. “Take your feet of the armrest.” Joel walked over to her and moved her legs from the couch, making her to huff and sit up straight, biting on the apple and then offering the half of it to Joel with a little wink. “These apples man, I swear to god, they are so good, like how do they have apples in the middle of the winter? I wonder how did they got them-”

“For a twenty-three year old, you sure talk a lot.” Then he looked at her and the apple, and he took it from her arms bkting onto the apple, making Alex to laugh and she leaned on his shoulders. “What can I say man. I learned from the best.” She looked at him when she told “from the best” and he rolled his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. He ruffled her hair and then kissed her hairline, he asked her, his voice teasing and little firm. “How was your day? Did anything stupid yet? Or you just sneaked that little fucker in your room, again?” he looked at hagainis eyes burning a hole in her head and she groaned, hitting him on the shoulder. “Oh fuck you. You know just because people here like to snoop around and make stupid arguments, doesn’t mean that I’m the one who’s the bad guy in here. It's not my fault, my hand tends to accidentally fly out and hit someone square in the face.” She spoke up, grumbling and her voice growing annoyed every time she spoke about the people who liked to snoop around.

“And for your concern, he is my boyfriend and I. an bring him here any time that I want to.” Alex spoke up, her head so high, Joel thought that she was going to fly out if she raises her head one more time. “And this is my house. If you want to bring him around, do it when it’s a day time, not when there is dark outside.” He bit on the apple and spoke up, his mouth full “I want him on a dinner, tomorrow night. To meet him properly, as my daguhter’s boyfriend.”

“Wha- why? You know Bucky for as long as we are here. Five years Joel.” Alex told him and Joel nodded his head and spoke up quetly. “That doesn’t change the fact that I want to meet him properly this time. He’s the one who’s dating you, not someone else. I want to make sure that both of my daguhter’s have a good life, even if it meant that I’m the one who is going to annoy your head off.”

When Alex heard what he said, her eyes softened up and she spoke up, her voice calm and quiet. “Okay, I guess. I’ll invite him over, but you have to promkse me that you’re not going to scare him off. He respects you to the point he’s scared of you.” She pointed her finger at him, her voice growing even more softer. “And I love him. So just, please be who you are, but please don’t fuck this up.” Joel could see the softness in his eyes. He could regnocize himself in her position, because he was in love too. Tess, she was the one he looked up to, the one he really could say that he loved more than a friend. The day that she died, when she forced him to go away and to save Alex and Ellie, was the day that another part of him died. To this day, he keeps the picture of him, Tommy and Tess in his box, hidden away from everyone.

Joel nodded his head. “I won’t. Scout’s honor.” He crossed his fingers on his heart and Alex laughed. Oh how much he missed that sound, he missed the old times, when him, Alex and Ellie used to gather on the couch and have movie nights until one of the girls fell asleep. He missed the times when he could talk to both of the girls and nothing could euin the banter between them. He knew that Ellie and Alex fixed their problem with each other, and believe him, he’s glad that there is not akward tension between two sisters, but god, does he wishes that the things between him and Ellie are normal again. He constantly wishes for the time when he could get close to her and bother her with no problem, cracking dad jokes and make her life living a hell, teasing both, her and Alex about their crushes they had.

His thought were interrupted by the doors opening and closing. He knew those footsteps. He regnocized the soft footsteps, the ones that were so quiet, only he could hear them from a mile away. “I’m back.” And Alex stood up, not before squeezing Joel’s hand and taking the apple from him, throwing it in the trash. He looked at her offendedly and she told him, her voice obvious and clear. “You ate the apple. Shit, you devoured that poor thing.” And then she walked off to Ellie’s direction, his eyes softening at sight in front of him. The two sisters, one older, who was trying to have a normal talk with her younger sister, who was throwing jabs at her, teasing her about her boyfriend and joking around, while the other jesu groaned and shoved the younger one. A smile appeared on his face, and then Ellie looked at him and just nod her head, with a little smile. And Joel swears, his heart never wanted to jump out from his chest. He never wanted to jump from the couch and to yell on the top of his lungs that, Ellie just smiled at him, even if it was one small smile.

“What’s for dinner? You did something edible or do we have to beg Maria again for the pizza?” Ellie teased Alex, and she furrowed her eyebrows. “That’s the first thing you say to your older sister? Not even a ‘hi, how are you?’ or ‘oh, hey I love that you’re my older sister, I literally love you so much?’, nothing?” and Ellie laughed, bumping her shoulder against Alex’s, deciding to sit on the couch. Next to Joel. Yeah. She knows, a big fucking step, but she cant help but crave his presence, or the way that the things used to be before. And Joel? Yeah, hes fuckin panicking. Sweat on his face and his hands shaking, he was the one who spoke up first. “Hey kiddo. How was uh- your day? I mean, yeah um- how was your day?”

Alex stood there, grinning and her hands fiddgeting with each other, so she decided to go in the kitchen, to set up the plates for the dinner, she had made, hours ago. She couldn’t help but to eavesdrop the conversation between them.

“I’m good, yeah. Uh how are you? Anything new while I was gone?” Ellie asked, her voice shaking with each word she spoke. “Yeah, yeah, im good thanks and no, nothing new, besides the fact that uh- Alex’s boyfriend iako coming on uh- dinner tomorrow night. And if you want, you can bring Dina too, so we can have um dinner family.” Joel talked, but his voice gave him out, making Alex to laugh quetly in the kitchen, placing the plates down on the table.

Joel just glared at her, while Ellie stiffled a laugh before speaking. “yeah sure, why not.” She got up from the couch and stood in front of Joel, her hand pointing to the table. “well, dinner’s ready and I don’t know for you, but im fucking starving, so, wanna join us?”

Joel nodded his head and he got up from the couch and walked over to the table, where dinner was served. And just as he was about to sit down, Alex clicked her tongue and pointed to the sink. “Nuh-uh, wash your damn hands first, then sit down.” She mentioned to both, Ellie and Joel.

Sighing, the girl and the man stood up and washed their hands, drying them on the little towel they had next to sink. Sitting down, they sighed out and ellie whistled out. “Oh hell yeah, cheff Boyardee, ravioli, my favourite.” And Joel smiled, remembering the first time the girls tried the canned food. It’s like it was yesterday, when they took the food from Bill's and Frank’s place, God bless their souls and let them rest in peace.

“Yeah, yeah, shut up and eat, dumbass.” Alex told her and the girls began with eating, while Joel watched them, his heart feeling full and he prayed to the heavens above, to have remember this forever.

“You don’t like it? Oh come on man! I tried okay? Its just the fucking stove-” and Joel interrupted Alex, nodding his head at the meal in front of him, his fork picking up the ravioli on it. “No, it’s good. Thank you for changing me for once.”

“On the second thought, this is disgusting.” Ellie spoke up, while still eating the dinner. Alex scoffed and took the plate from Ellie, maki g her to protest. “Hey! I wasn’t finished eating your horrible dinner!” and that was the straw that the playful fight between two sisters began.

Joel watched, eating his dinner and hoped for the best. He didn’t wanted angry Alex in the morning, or hungry Ellie, complaining over small things. Even though, that didn’t sound like a bad idea. Having his two baby girls next to him, even if it meant testing each others paitence, made him smile like fool he was.

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