bittertasteofhoney

[bittertasteofhoney]

I'm crazy about this, sexiest man ever.

[bittertasteofhoney]

I love big, strong guys. 🫦

Look at that back, how big it is, I want to scratch it all while he's on top of me.

[bittertasteofhoney]

As if the heatwave wasn’t enough here comes Pedro

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 6

Boy Blue

Summary: The two Miller brothers feelings for you get tangled around one another, Tommy doesn’t want to share.

|| angst, tommy is a little butt here, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: And here comes the chapter where I torture them a little. I’m so sorry.

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

Previous Chapter.

For the rest of the patrol, your eyes were cast downwards, focused on the back of your horse’s mane or the underbrush. Joel worked overtime, watching your surroundings to compensate for your comatose state and keeping his peripheral vision trained on you. 

He knew you were familiar with Tommy, and he had seen the two of you interact during patrol swaps or polite smiles at the Tipsy Bison, but nothing he knew could explain why news of him and Maria’s potential coupling could affect you like this. 

The closer you got to Jackson’s walls, the tighter his chest grew. You didn’t utter a single word. It was killing him how hurt you seemed. He chastised himself whenever he worked up the courage to ask what was wrong. It was none of his business. He shouldn’t pry.

After you’re cleared to re-enter the settlement, the two of you slowly trotted to the stables. You spent a tense, quiet time grooming, watering and feeding the horses before boarding them for the night. Each task was transitioned to the next by you avoiding his eye and him doing everything to try and catch it. 

Once the two of you were finished and you turned your boots to head toward home, he gently grabbed your elbow. He lowly spoke your name, and your head snapped up to meet his inquiring eyes, which were sad.

“Let me walk you home. I could use the company.”

By instinct, you started to shake your head ‘no,’ but the older man only rolled his eyes and tugged you forward as he began the journey back to your cabin. The sound of your boots crunching on the gravel was the only sound for a few minutes, apart from the occasional ‘hellos’ from passersby. 

Finally, you spoke. “Thank you.”

He cast a look sideways to see the look on your face. Were you annoyed at him? Were you being sincere? “Nothin’ to thank me for.”

You nodded, mostly to yourself and then looked at him nervously. “There is something. I don’t want to talk about it but I just want to say thank you.”

His eyebrows knitted together, but he gave you a clipped nod and kept walking. He was sure you’d tell him in your own time, and if you didn’t, well, it was none of his business in the first place. He just wanted to know why that mention of Tommy made you so sad. Was Maria someone to watch out for? Were you and Tommy close? You and Maria?

These questions nagged at him, and he focused on his breathing and the sound of your steps next to him to avoid blurting them out. It felt like an eternity before the pair of you reached your front door. 

You turned to thank him for walking you home, but he held a hand up. “I’m imposing on you tonight.” You raised an eyebrow, and for the first time in hours, a look of almost teasing joy colored your cheeks. 

“Are you inviting yourself over, Joel Miller?”

He gave you a small smile. “I am. I’m gonna grab a few beers to-go from the bar, and when I get back, we can have one of your ‘wine nights’.’” He threw mocking air quotes when he said wine nights, which made you crack a full smile. 

Satisfied, he stepped off your porch and hurried to the bar to grab what was promised. Seth gave him a sideways look when he requested takeaway beer, but the grumpy barkeep learned not to ask too many questions when it came to the residents of Jackson. Truly, he’d rather not know anyway.

While he was collecting the libations for the evening, you got started chopping vegetables and browning your beef rations for a hearty stew. By the time Joel returned, it was simmering in the pot, filling your place with a mouthwatering, husky scent. 

Somehow, on his way back to your house, Joel narrowly missed his brother, Tommy, who was about a five-minute walk behind him. The shadows of the night covered the two brothers, so neither was aware that your house and your company were on both of their minds. 

By the time Tommy was taking your porch steps up two at a time, he couldn’t keep the smile from growing on his face when he remembered how you looked sprawled beneath him that morning. All day, his mind circulated those taunting images of you. Against the wall. On the dining table. In your bed. He felt like a horny teenager all over again, but he couldn’t help it. You were all that was on his mind, and the boy was fucking smitten.

On his way into town that morning, he’d seen some wildflowers growing along the lane, and he clutched the bunch in his hands. The second he picked them, he ran back home to keep them in a cup of water so they wouldn’t wilt in the Wyoming heat before they could make you smile. He hoped you loved them. He found these little daisy-looking ones that matched the exact shade of your eyes, and if Tommy believed in a thing like fate, he would think they grew in town just for him to pick for you. 

Before he raises his knuckles to rap on your front door, he notices the light casting a warm glow on the porch and peeks into the window panes warmed by the balmy night to see you standing in the kitchen. You were smiling and stirring a pot of something delicious, he had no doubt. He was about to lift his hand again to knock when he saw someone step behind you to open the cabinet above your head.

No, not someone. His fucking brother.

Tommy stood frozen to the spot, unable to move because why the fuck was his brother in your kitchen looking like he was playing house? The same kitchen looking into the dining room he fucked you in just the night before. 

After a moment, he took a step back and then another as anger bubbled in his chest. Why was this a surprise to him? Joel had mentioned how pretty he found you, so it was only a matter of time before he tried his rusty moves on you. Clearly, they still had an effect.

His anger propels him step by step down the road to the Tipsy Bison, where Maria is sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of beer alone. 

Back at your house, you and Joel each enjoy a bowl of stew and watery beer as he recounts Ellie’s birthday surprise at the space museum. You smiled so much that your cheeks began to ache when he described her face inside the capsule. And when his eyes took on a sheen, you had to stand up and busy yourself at the sink with your dishes to avoid crying yourself. He loved that little girl so much.

After you were fully caught up on the antics of Ellie and Joel, you made him promise he would bring her over for dinner. The truth was that Joel didn’t want to bring Ellie. Not because he didn’t want you to know her but because he didn’t want to share whatever it was you had. Not yet, anyway.

After he agreed (albeit after a lot of convincing), you walked over to your radio to turn on the CD Tommy gifted you. The second the opening notes of Midnight Rider began to play, Joel’s ears perked up. He saw his brother grab that CD from that house. He figured he kept it for himself. But what were the chances you already owned a copy in a world where CDs were mostly scratched memories snapped in half?

The second he saw your smile as you sank into your mostly threadbare loveseat, he tried to be present in the moment and recount stories of how his dad supposedly hung out with Duane and Greg Allman in a bar in Macon, Georgia, way back when. 

You hung onto his every word with a sparkle in your eye, which only prompted him to keep telling you stories until your eyes grew heavy. The two of you sank into silence as the CD played its final notes. He watched you as a contented feeling washed over him, and while the older Miller brother got lost in the rhythm of your relaxed breathing, you dreamt of his younger brother’s smile. 

The next day, you and Joel sauntered into the mess hall looking for a cold drink and a quick bite to eat after patrol when Tommy clocked you from across the room. He saw you laugh at something his brother said, and that anger from the night before returned. 

The second Joel left your side after spotting Ellie hanging with a younger group of kids, he took long strides over to you and pulled you into the prep area, which thankfully was empty. You had no clue what he had in mind, and historically, the two of you didn’t mind if a whole crowd of people were just behind a wall. 

He backed you against the wall next to the chopping area on cue with your predictions and bracketed your form with his strong arms. You inhaled his woodsy scent. Your eyelids fluttered before lifting to meet his dark gaze. 

“Tommy-” He cut you off with a tense shake of his head. 

“You gon’ tell me what’s going on? With you and my brother?”

Confused, you used both hands to push his form back and crossed them once an acceptable distance separated you. 

“Excuse me? Where is this coming from?”

He bit his lip out of frustration and placed both hands on his hips as he leveled a look at you. These fucking Miller boys.

“Just curious why my fucking brother was playing house with you last night.” 

A dangerous eyebrow lifted on your forehead. “You wanna try that again?”

He released a frustrated huff and rubbed his eyes with one hand. “I came to your place to surprise you and I saw you with my brother.”

“So, instead of knocking on the door and asking ‘what’s up’, you what? Decided to pout and assume the worst?”

He only looked at you. 

You felt your cheeks redden with anger. “What do you think happened, Tommy?”

“I know my brother has a thing for and I just-” Another frustrated huff. When his eyes met yours again, they had a dark, possessive look about them. He took another deep breath and closed the space between you. You raised your hand to prevent him from pressing you against the wall again. You didn’t need his scent filling your senses again, or you wouldn’t be able to think. 

“I don’t want to lose you. I just want you to be mine.”

Your eyebrows stitched closer together, and you pushed him further away. The desire emanating from him was intoxicating and dizzying, but a part of it felt wrong. 

“Why are you even acting like this Tommy? Where is this coming from?”

In what barely registered as a full second, he pushed you back against the wall and cushioned your head against the hard surface. He attached his lips to yours, breathing you in and boxing you back in where you started this conversation. You sank into him like it was second nature and returned the tangle of lips, and the two of you moved together before reality wove its way back in. 

You pushed him back again. “Tommy, no. You can’t do this. You can’t have both of us. You need to…you need to make a decision.”

His eyes widened as he attempted to catch his breath from the kiss and the abrupt stop. “What are you talking about?”

The silence within the moment before you spoke was so heavy you almost coughed from the pressure in the room. “Maria. Joel told me you two have been growing close.”

“Joel told you?” The tension thickened even more, and those dark eyes of his went from swimming with desire to darkening with anger. 

You had to keep going. “So, were you just testing things with me and Maria and seeing who sticks?”

He couldn’t even bring himself to answer you. What you were saying felt like it was fissuring a crack within him. It began in his chest and grew until it reached the pit of his stomach. How could you ever think he was crazy about anyone other than you?

You only looked at each other, panting with hurt and anger, but no answers. 

After a few breaths, he still didn’t speak, so you looked down and took a short breath before quietly leaving the room and Tommy, who was still rooted to the spot. 

You forget to check back in with Joel before you leave, and his confused look follows your steps from the prep station all the way to the front door, where you push out into the day. What the hell happened? He was looking for you after checking on Ellie and Dina, and when he couldn’t find you, he grabbed some water and sandwiches and found the place for the two of you. But you didn’t show. 

After he saw Tommy leave the prep, looking as if he saw a ghost, something in Joel clicked. When the two puzzle pieces fit together, he, too, felt pressure in his chest.

Tag List :) @lemonboi @spnfic85 @keseqna @elegantduckturtle @woodxtock

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 5

Being Unknown

Summary: Tommy finally gets to spread you out just the way he craves and you walk into what feels like a new chapter. Joel, however, might have one footnote to share.

|| smut, mentions of smut, doggy style, f receiving oral, dominant! tommy, allusion to emotional affair, mention of smut, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: Smutty Tommy is my favorite Tommy so please enjoy. A little Joel featured at the end!

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

18+. Read at your own risk. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Minors DO NOT ENGAGE.

Previous Chapter.

You used his curls as a stronghold when you tugged his mouth to yours. His freckled cheeks upturned in a smile that you quickly dissolved with your lips. Lips fit easily against lips and soon your world melted away on his tongue as he kissed you like he was fucking you. A little prequel for what was to come. 

His work worn hands slid down your back to cup your ass cheeks and he squeezed. You moaned into his kiss, and he answered with a soft groan of his own as he tugged you upwards, a desperate command to jump. You complied, and he caught you in his arms, holding you close to him as he continued to kiss you like it was his last day on earth. 

God, he was insatiable. He alternated between soft licks like he was licking an ice cream cone and exploring the sides of your tongue with his own. You kept reminding yourself to breathe through your nose to avoid passing out. This wasn’t your first kiss with him by a long shot, so why were you reacting like a fumbling teenager? You wanted to joke about how he made you see stars, but it being a completely real occurrence might cause him to worry, so you gently broke the kiss by nibbling his bottom lip. He fucking whimpered.

You took a second to catch your breath and look into his brown doe eyes. “Tommy, I’m gonna give you two seconds to either carry me to the bedroom or the couch because if you keep kissing me like that-”

The man was speedwalking to your bedroom before you could finish your sentence. 

You giggled and buried your face in his neck, peppering kisses and making him quicken his step even more. When he reached the foot of your bed, he paused, torn between throwing you like he wanted to and gently laying you down. You noticed his pause and leaned back to assess him. He had a notch between his eyebrows. You smiled softly and smoothed it with your thumb.

“What’s going on up here?” 

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he locked his smoldering eyes on yours. “Well, I thought about throwin’ you down. But then I thought about layin’ you down real gentle like. Either way, I’m peeling off these fuckin’ shorts of yours. Question is, how do you want it?”

Your eyebrow was back to being raised, and you tilted your head to the side, your smile growing. “Part of me wants to say dealer’s choice, but I like soft Tommy.” You ran your fingers through his curls. “I think that’s my favorite side of you.” 

He nodded, still locking eyes on you, as he leaned down and softly placed you on the bed. You moved to hook your fingers under your shorts, but he gripped your hand hard. 

“No.” Your eyes widened at his sharp tone. “I’ll be gentle with you, baby, but taking these off? That’s my job.”

“Sir, yes sir.” You giggled, but his face remained serious. In fact, his eyes seemed to grow darker. “Well, I think I just unlocked a new side of you.”

He smirked as he slid his fingers under the hem of your shorts and oh so torturously slid them down inch by inch. “Nothin’ new, baby. Somethin’ left over from my army days.”

You blushed as he palmed your thighs and spread them apart, looking at your black panties like they were a fucking beacon. He squeezed your thighs and stared reverently before leaning down to lick a wet stripe over your underwear.

Your fingers tangled in the sheets and your back bowed as he used his teeth to bite dangerously close to your clit. Instead, he tugged your underwear down and discarded it somewhere to his side carelessly. He was too busy returning to his spot between your thighs as he finally, finally attached his lips to your lower ones. 

He wasted no time closing his lips around that bundle of nerves at the apex of your thighs, and he nudged one finger at your entrance. He broke contact for a second to say in a hoarse voice, “You want me to finger fuck you?”

“Yes.”

“Yes, what?” What. A. Dick.

You blushed furiously as you stared up at the ceiling. “Yes, sir.”

“Nu-uh. None of that. Eyes on me.”

Your blush only deepened as you trailed your eyes down to see his face half hidden beneath your hips. Fuck. 

He resumed his exploration of your folds, licking and nibbling as he drove you crazy and lazily fucked you with one curled finger and eventually two. Your breath hitched more and more as the minutes passed by, and as you felt that delicious feeling curling in your lower belly, you arched your back again. You felt the fucker smile against your most intimate parts and you wanted to take back your impending orgasm just to spite him but knew you were seconds from coming crashing down.

And you did. It felt like lightning zipping through you and you felt your body go taut as he continued to finger fuck you into oblivion. He sucked harshly on your clit, adding an extra layer to the overwhelming feeling driving you to heaven. “Tommy!” 

Even as you came down from your high, he continued to lick and nibble, absolutely consumed in your essence. He refused to come up for air, even as a second racked through you and you cried out for him as the third built. When he heard your soft voice, he paused and looked up to see that you were absolutely wrecked.

He smirked and licked his lips clean as he rose to his feet. He kept his eyes trained on your panting form as he removed each layer, and once he was finally naked, he leaned over you to help you shed your top. After you were both sufficiently nude, he climbed over, covering you with his body and warmth. 

He left small kisses on your neck and shoulders before grabbing your chin gently and pecking you softly. “Get on your knees, baby girl.” 

You nodded, and with his help, he positioned you and your shaky legs on all fours. “This feel okay?” You nodded again. Concerned, he rubbed circles over your hips. When you finally cleared the post-orgasm bliss from your head, all you could whisper was, “Tommy.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Please. Fuck me.” Your cheeks flamed again at the brazen request, but it only warmed his chest. 

He lined himself up behind you, shamelessly spreading you open to accommodate his length. Inch by inch, he notched himself inside you, sliding in so slow that you felt forward and fisted your hands in the sheets again. 

He bit his lip and groaned at the sight, sliding a head down from the apex of your ass to your shoulder blades. Once he was fully seated inside you, he began a slow, sensual pace that only drove you wild. You weren’t even sure you were still in the room, but wrapped in a completely blissful feeling that was just Tommy. 

The room filled with sounds of him groaning and you whispering as he carefully brought the two of you that incredible feeling of snapping in half again. He never sped up his pace, going slow but always deep. Close to your high again, you began moving your hips back against him, and he faltered in his rhythm, groaning in approval. 

“That’s it, baby girl. Just like that.” You bit your lip and kept repeating your movements, the two of you moving together in a sinful dance. His hips faltered again, and after the second stutter, you twisted an arm around your back, blindly reaching for him. He gripped it, his fingers sliding between yours. 

“Faster, Tommy.” That was all he needed to hear. The next few minutes were punctuated by his grunts as he finished out your couple with a few desperate thrusts until you screamed his name and he followed closely behind with a grunt that sounded suspiciously like your name. 

He gripped your hips to hold himself back from falling against you, but you couldn’t hold yourself up anymore. A split second before you collapsed down against the sheets, he swept an arm under you and twisted the two of you until you were lying flush against each other, back to front. 

Several minutes passed before you could speak again. You turned your head to look over your shoulder at his sweaty curls pressed against the center of your shoulder blades. “Tommy?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“You better do that again.” His hold around you tightened. 

You didn’t sleep that night. You were too focused on finding new ways to drive each other wild. He spread you out exactly like he promised, taking his time and tasting every inch of you. He fucked you in your bed, laid out on top of the dining table, on the couch and against the bathroom door before the sun began peaking through your curtains. In between, you traced patterns on his freckled skin, asked him to tell you things to make you smile and spent time getting to know this man who knew your body so well. 

However, once dawn crept into your little bubble, it was time for him to run back home to get a change of clothes. You took the opportunity to shower and change before running to meet Joel at the gates for the second patrol. 

He clocked your wet hair plaited in a braid and smiled at your flushed cheeks. You looked happy. 

You were so happy that you didn’t notice the big storm clouds rolling in until you and the older Miller brother were galloping towards a known old barn to shelter until the worst of the downpour passed through. Thoroughly soaked through, you laughed as you tied your horse to a post under the covered building and looked at Joel, who was shaking rainwater off his jacket, standing in just his teeshirt and jeans, both of which clung to him. 

You blushed to yourself and looked back at your horse. “Glad I showered this morning.”

He grunted in response and pointed a finger at an old bench. “Might as well sit until this is over. Horses will be fine.” 

You nodded and followed him to the rotted bench, taking a gingerly seat, not fully trusting the decades-forgotten bench. Once you were convinced it would hold up, you tucked one leg under you and turned to Joel with a smile. 

���Alright, chatty Kathy, now’s your time to shine.” 

He only answered you with a confused look. 

“Catch me up. What’s new in the colorful world of Joel Miller?”

He shook his head and looked down. “Not much really. I guess I could catch you up on Ellie’s birthday. Space museum was a hit.” 

You smiled and wiggled in your seat, giving him an excited dance. “Ahh! I’m so excited to hear about it!”

He scratched his head and looked at you, his brown eyes softening. “But first, I’ve got a question.”

You nodded and gave him a small smile. 

“You know anything about Maria?”

You scrunched your eyebrows, confused. “Maria? I mean, yeah. She’s kind of a pillar of Jackson. She’s nice. Helpful. To the point. I like her.”

He was quiet for a moment before clearing his throat. “My little brother, Tommy. He seems to be getting close to her.”

You felt like your breath completely left your body. Tommy. The same Tommy who spent all night attached to you like an addict?

“Close? Like friends?”

Joel shrugged. “Could be. Could be something more.”

Your gaze drifted downward as you processed the information. Joel noticed your shift in energy but let confusion prevent him from commenting on it. He gave you a moment before continuing, unsure if he even wanted to based on the sparkle fading from your eyes. Why was this bothering you so much?

“My brother’s always been a flirt, but I don’t know. There’s something about the way he looks at her.”

Joel hated himself for even saying anything after he saw your face pale. He saw how your eyes turned downcast, and even as you walked back to town once the storm cleared, it wasn’t just the charge in the air from the storm that made it hard for him to breathe. He couldn’t believe he was the reason you looked like that.

It was a Miller problem, just not a Joel one, that turned you sullen.

Next Chapter.

Tag List :) @lemonboi @spnfic85 @keseqna @elegantduckturtle @woodxtock

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 4

Such a Fool for You

Summary: Tommy can’t sleep after his fumble at the Tipsy Bison and he can’t focus until he has your forgiveness.

|| fluff, mention of smut, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: I think a fluffy scene was in order! Sorry for the slow uploads - I promise things will become more consistent. I was struggling with where I wanted this story to go, BUT I HAVE IT NOW. Please enjoy this cinnamon roll fluff of a chapter because the next one will be anything but PG.

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

Previous Chapter.

It was barely twelve more hours before the younger Miller was rapping his knuckles on the splintered wood of your front door. You heard the knock swirl in the air upstairs in your tangled sheets, and you sat up confused. Were you on first shift today and forgot? 

You looked down to see you were only in a shirt and searched for a ratty pair of sleep shorts to slip on. When you were more decent, you descended the stairs to the main level two at a time. By the time you cranked the older than shit doorknob, Tommy was already scratching his neck nervously and debating running away for fear of embarrassment. 

When he heard the door open, he turned to you with wide eyes. “Shit. Hi. Mornin’.” His cheeks turned rosy, and for the first time in your life, you swore this man actually looked less than confident. He also looked like he hadn’t slept a wink last night. 

“Tommy? Is everything okay?”

His eyebrows scrunched together, and he gave you a curt nod before lifting his eyebrows in an expression that could be described as cautiously hopeful. “Yeah. I mean, I hope so.”

You gave him a polite smile and opened the door a crack further. “You wanna come in?”

His face crumpled in relief. “You have coffee?”

You simply answered with a smile as he stepped across your threshold for the first time in the daylight. The thought caught in your throat, and you gripped the door frame for brief support as the door clicked shut. He’d never been here like this.  

He paused for you in the hallway that led to your kitchen, looking at the ground nervously. His presence loomed large in a comforting way that felt like a blanket wrapping around you, and you let it wash over you as you walked down the hallway to your kitchen at the rear of the house. 

You led him to your kitchen table and motioned for him to sit while you opened a few cabinets, producing a pot, coffee grounds you traded for and cinnamon. He watched as you filled the pot with water and set it atop the stove before clicking on the gas. Once satisfied with the setup, you approached him and hesitantly sat opposite him. 

Immediately, he extended a hand across the table. You stared at that hand. Worn by time and cracked by hard work, but as you let your own fingers slip between his, you closed your eyes, feeling the warmth that could only come from Tommy Miller.

Once he felt the weight of your hand in his, he sighed and squeezed your digits. After a deep breath, he said, “Look, these last few days. I’ve been all tore up. I know what I did is wrong. I just…I’m so sorry.” His head fell between his shoulders, and all you saw were his curls that he forgot to tie back today, in place of the agonized look he hid from you.

You nodded, listening to him, and after a beat, stood up to check the water. He watched you, confused and, albeit slightly rejected, as he felt the cool air hit his still-open palm.

You watched the water begin a gentle roil before turning around to look back at him. “You disrespected me, Tommy. Look,” You leaned back on the counter. “I know it was sex but-”

“It was.” His raspy, honeyed voice cut you off, and you looked into his tortured eyes. He gave a miniscule shake of his head. “Until it wasn’t.”

Your eyebrows lifted in surprise as you waited for him to continue. “I don’t know when the switch happened. I told myself it was something that would pass, but when I saw that guy flirt with you…I…”

You reached behind you to turn off the gas. “You what?”

“It felt like my heart was goin’ to burst out of my chest. I was so scared you’d turn around and smile at him and…” You only looked at him, giving him another moment. “It made me realize I wanted to be behind you at the bar like that, smilin’ at you. In front of everyone.”

You felt a tightness begin to grow in your chest. Your eyes remained locked on him, but your vision grew fuzzy around the edges as your rising emotions took you slightly out of the moment. “If you wanted that, Tommy, all you had to do was ask me.”

He nodded. “I know. I just didn’t have the words.” You looked at the ground, but the second your eyes were off his own, you heard his chair scrape back as he stood.

You were too scared to look him in the eyes again and see that raw wanting that would lead you right back to your favorite place in his arms. “So, what do you want now?”

You felt his warm presence in front of you, smelled the musky scent of equal parts wild Jackson and warm fire-like Tommy and let your eyes sit to his work boots that had seen better days. “I don’t know. I know I want you.” A pause and a brave hand tracing your forearm. “I can’t seem to stop wanting you.” 

You finally let your eyes lift to look into his amber ones. “Is that something you want? To stop wanting me?”

He shook his head as he brought that tracing finger to your cheek. “I don’t know if that’ll happen. No matter what happens.”

“So, we take it one day at a time?” He nodded with hooded eyes as he finally closed the space between the two of you and used those arms that were bracketing your form to wrap around you and hold you close to him.

He held you like that until the water almost boiled over, and after, he held you as you both took slow sips on your coffee. When he left for his midday patrol, you felt his absence more keenly and quickly than you thought possible, but you didn’t have long to dwell on it.

You were on third patrol, so you didn’t have long to hit all the errands on your to-do list before you were due at the stables. While you were speedwalking through town, helping with garden deliveries and mess hall prep and daydreaming about being in his arms again, he was smiling as he scanned the treeline and checked for any stray infected. 

He counted the hours until he could do more than hold you over a cup of coffee. He was back to craving you, but for the first time, he let himself miss you.

When that golden hour came, when you were strolling down the path to your house, Tommy was sitting on your stoop, grinning from ear to ear as your figure came into view. The closer you got, the clearer it was that he was flipping a plastic case in his hands. You smiled but didn’t hide the look of confusion painting your face.

“Whaddya got there?” 

His smile transformed into a smirk as he stood, and you stepped so close to him that you let your own boots cover his own. He wrapped his arms around you, clasping his hands and the plastic case over your lower back. 

“Tommy Miller, did you get me a gift?” 

He continued to smirk as he nodded his head. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” 

You liked the teasing lilt in his voice and couldn’t make it that easy for him. You mock-rolled your eyes and moved to step out of his embrace, but he quickly held you to him. He gripped you a little harder, making it a little more difficult for you to separate yourself if you wanted to continue teasing him. 

You looked into his smiling eyes, letting a similar expression mirror on your face as his gaze mapped out the carefree expression you were giving him. 

“While Joel and I were on patrol today, we decided to check out this abandoned house we always pass. Whoever lived there clearly loved music because they had vinyls, cassettes, CDs. Most were cracked to shit. But I did manage to spot one that was in good shape.” He lifted the hand that grasped the case to show you his acquisition. 

The second your eyes clocked the title, you squealed in delight and grabbed the relic from the past. “Is this real?!” 

He smiled and nodded at you, only increasing your giddiness. You gripped his hand and pulled him into your house and straight to your CD player, which called your coffee table home. You sank to your knees to pop open the top, and Tommy stood behind you, feeling his chest grow warm at the sight of you so happy. 

When you deposited the disc into the player and pressed it close, you slowly rose to your feet, feeling the ghost of Tommy’s fingers graze your hips. You bit your lip, waiting to hear what would play, and when you listened to the first trills of the guitar, another squeal escaped your lips—Midnight Rider by the Allman Brothers.

You spun around to face him head-on again. “Dance with me, Tommy Miller!”

And he did. He led you in a two-step dance throughout the song, a secure hand on your lower back and the other in your hand where it feels like it should always be. You grinned and watched your feet move in rhythm as he spun you around the small square footage of your living area. 

Your giggles wove with his chuckles, and your home became a soundtrack of southern rock and mirth. When Please Call Home clicked on, Tommy pulled you close to him. You hummed happily and slid your hands up his chest to clasp at the nape of his neck. Your head nuzzled against his plaid shirt, which smelled like wood smoke and pines, and he rested his on the top of your head, breathing you in—cinnamon and verbena. 

You smiled when you heard him softly exhale. You whispered, “I like being domestic with you.”

“I like holding you close in the daylight.”

You smirked. “We can do a lot more in the daylight if we get creative.” 

He hummed happily and you felt that hand that politely sat on your lower back slide down to squeeze your ass. “I do like spreading you out on that bed.”

Your breath caught, and you lifted your head to meet his eyes, which were a few shades darker. “It sure is a lot more comfortable than a brick wall.” 

The CD finally played its last track. The only soundtrack in the room was your soft breaths. Tommy forced himself to wait three beats, holding your gaze before his self-control flew out the window and his lips lowered to your eager mouth.

Next Chapter.

Tag List :) @lemonboi @spnfic85 @keseqna @elegantduckturtle

[bittertasteofhoney]

Challenged by @smvtwitchmiller!

Put your music library on shuffle, then list the first five songs that come up in a poll to let people vote for which one they like the most!

No pressure but I am tagging you lovelies because sharing music (and pedro pascal fanfic) is my love language...

@silksepia @keseqna @hello-nah817 @longlivetheloneliness @spnfic85

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 3

Among the Stars

Among the Stars

Summary: Tommy makes the mistake of letting his doubts creep in, and Joel unknowingly swoops in, turning your head and warming your heart with a bit of space exploration.

|| angst, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, protected sex, p in v, slight dubcon, girl on top, rough sex, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: Sorry for the slow upload! I took a little vacay in Maine…but I am back and rested and ready to cause some chaos in this little corner of the internet. 

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

18+. Read at your own risk. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Minors DO NOT ENGAGE.

Previous Chapter.

The days that pass after the night Joel interrupted you and Tommy at the Tipsy Bison feel sticky. The familiar feeling and flavor still exist between the two of you, but a residue was left behind. For you, not much had changed. You still found pockets of moments to be together amongst the dusky setting of Jackson, whether it was at the bar or at your house. For Tommy, his in-depth analysis of the patterns on your face began.

He was familiar with the swells of your cheekbones and freckles dotting your face. The way your eyes relaxed and your body went limp when he hit that perfect spot. Or the perfect taste of your mouth. Contrastingly, he was quickly becoming an avid student of your other moments, untouched by the passion the two of you shared. He memorized how your brow would crease or the corners of your lips would downturn when stressed or upset. He often watched you from across any room when he wasn’t in his favorite spot between your legs. On Monday, he met your eyes across the mess hall and saw your face transform from a brilliant smile directed at Jesse to a muted version thrown his way. It eventually evolved into a soft, secret smile, but he caught that moment where a touch of sadness colored your irises. 

On Wednesday, he made the mistake of following you down a path after patrol to the gardens and saw the ease that overtook your body when your friends at the garden center caught your eye. You ran over to your friend Sunshine and squeezed her, and Tommy just watched as pure joy colored your entire being.

You were happy with him, and he knew it. But it was a secret happiness that never saw the light of day. And it was beginning to bother him. Whose decision was it to hide in the shadows? Yours? His? Was it some unspoken thing between you that just clicked and never evolved? 

Everything came to a head when you walked into the bar one night. He wasn’t parked behind the counter but rather in the corner with Joel nursing a beer. You swept in with your pack of patrol partners, rosy cheeks colored by giggles from some unspoken joke established earlier in the day. He watched as you sauntered over to the bar and propped yourself on the foot rail, waiting to catch Seth’s eye to order something. 

One of the male patrollers stepped up behind you. Too close for Tommy’s comfort. He couldn’t remember his name, but everything in him froze as the man stood close enough to you for barely an inch’s separation. He didn’t know it, but Joel also straightened next to him. The two of them had a hard time appearing calm and collected as they clocked the movement between you and the young stranger. 

The man closing the distance behind you was Declan. He was a newer town addition who stuck to the patrol roster like glue, loving the job’s adrenaline and the title’s importance. Truthfully, you found him arrogant and dangerous, but he was good for a few laughs. A few other people on patrol whispered about his good looks, but he hardly stood out to you with his generic blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. You had a thing for chocolate brown eyes. 

You knocked on the bar top to get Seth’s attention, and the gray-headed man clocked Declan behind you instantly. He walked over slowly with a dangerous look in his eyes.

“You need anythin’?” 

You gave him a tight smile and nodded, while kicking your foot back to put distance between you and Declan. “Anything brown. And about a foot of space.” In response, he knocked on the bar top and poured you two fingers of whiskey while keeping one eye firmly set on the annoyance behind you. 

Once the tumbler was in front of you, you took a healthy sip and turned around to find Declan grinning down at you. You took another sip and gave him a bored look. “Something wrong?”

He smirked and shook his head. “Just waiting for you to pay some attention to me.” He gave you a smile that you were sure was supposed to come off sweet, but it looked performative. You gave him a breathy laugh.

“You need any more of that from me.” You lifted a finger to point out a blushing younger recruit who joined y’all today for a training run. You thought her name was Laila. “Go ask Laila about her day. She looks like she needs a friend.”

He gave you a weird look, and you turned around before he could open his mouth. He scoffed at the silent dismissal but took your instructions and followed his steps over to the blushing Laila. 

It only took two more swallows to finish your drink and lift your head to see not one, but two sets of Miller eyes on you. You felt a coolness of ice run through your veins, making you shiver like a refreshing lick of ice cream on a sweltering day. You swallowed and lifted your empty tumbler in salute. Both of them matched your hello, and you blushed.

You shook your head to clear away the confusing interaction and made your way over to the bathroom to splash water on your face. After a few deep breaths, you snuck back to the alley to find a waiting Tommy. You were only slightly surprised. 

His figure was more imposing than usual tonight. You could practically feel the tension roiling beneath the muscles of his shoulders, so when you stepped closer, you lifted an arm to slide up his arm to his shoulder to rub some gentleness into his hard exterior. Your hand kept moving until it met the juncture of his longer curls and neck. You tugged and pulled until his eyes closed in contentment. Your other hand linked amongst the curls, and you leaned in to softly peck his nose.

His eyes flashed open before he moved swiftly, pinning you to the wall. You let out a yelp of surprise and a giggle. “Tommy?” 

His hands slid down from their place on your ribs to your waist, and he used his large hands to lift you up, forcing you to wrap your legs around his waist to avoid an awkward fall. He groaned as you tugged on his curls for purchase and found his way to his favorite spot, the juncture between your neck and shoulder. “Tommy…”

He inhaled sharply, and you felt him shake his head. You felt confusion roll over you, which translated to a hot rush in your lower belly as you heard his zipper and felt his fingers dig into your side before gripping your jeans and yanking them down with your underwear. Surprised, you gasped, but he shut you up with a messy kiss. He wasted no time asking permission before sliding his tongue into your mouth and mimicking the sensations of lovemaking in a languid but passionate kiss. He had your head spinning from the speed of things. 

You felt his fingers dig further into the muscle of your ass and you knew he was getting worked up. The slow and sensual Tommy was replaced with something more rushed and passionate, and while surprised, you loved this switch in him. For once, it was him making your head spin.

He bit down on your bottom lip, and as the pain first registered, the new sensation of him stretching you full took over as he thrust into you without warning. You hadn’t even noticed him lining himself up. 

You shrieked and threw your head back against the wall, digging your fingers into his scalp. He paused and leaned his head back just enough to see you. “You okay?”

You nodded and bit back a slight moan as you felt yourself begin to relax against him. “A little warning would be nice next time but this Tommy?” You tested a small bounce on him. “I can’t say I’m not loving this side of you. You seem worked up.” 

He tucked his face back into your shoulder and gave another sharp thrust. You bit your lip and whimpered. “You could say that.” His voice was gravelly. 

For the next few minutes, the only sounds that emanated from the two of you were his grunts and your airy pants as he moved with desperation. It was messy and rushed and exquisite. You were seeing stars. But as the two of you developed a new rhythm, with him in control this time, he began to soften, and your moans evolved back into whimpers.

“Tommy, please. Harder.” Your head fell onto his shoulder, and you felt him still completely. You kissed his neck, and he groaned, giving you a hard thrust. You had to press your lips against his shoulder to suppress the scream that almost escaped you. This side was unlike anything you’d seen from him during these dark, intimate moments.

Sure, there was the commanding side of Tommy you regularly saw during town hall meetings and on patrols, but he was soft and shy when it was just the two of you. Not tonight. Tonight, Tommy was feral and possessive. And a little sadistic.

He caged your face with his arms, digging his nails into the stone as you held onto him for dear life.

“Did you imagine him touching you like this?” The ice returned to your veins, but this time it had a sharp zing. He was as still as a stone. So he also noticed Declan getting a little too close.

You whimpered again, trying to communicate without words how desperate you felt for any movement. He refused to budge. 

“Tommy-”

“Answer me.” He gave a slow, torturous roll of his hips. “Did you want his hands on you? Want him to make you feel this good?” 

The ice in your veins suddenly liquified into hot anger. You moved your hands from their place at the nape of his neck to his cheeks and forced him to look at you. “When you decide to actually acknowledge me out of this bar, then you can start to act like a jealous asshole.” 

Neither of you moved for a few painfully awkward beats before you spoke again. “Get off me.” He didn’t move at first but slid out of you and stepped back. You wasted no time pulling your shorts up and stomping back toward the bar. 

Joel unsuccessfully tried to catch your eye as you beelined for the front door and into the night, absolutely steaming in your anger. How dare he? Your anger propelled you all the way home and made it nearly impossible to get a decent night’s sleep. It was him who ignored you during the day yet he wanted to act like a possessive dick just because another man talked to you? 

By the time morning rolled around, you could barely begin to enjoy your day off thanks to the measly three hours of sleep you got. You tossed and turned for a few hours before giving up and getting ready for the day. 

You were just sipping the final dregs of your morning coffee when you heard a knock on your door. Confusion stitched your eyebrows together as you padded barefoot to your front door to swing it open and reveal an awkward rendition of Joel Miller. 

You bit back a smile as you took in the rugged man attempting to look nonchalant as he refused to meet your eyes. He was nervous.

“Joel?” 

He cleared his throat and quickly flitted his eyes up to meet yours before looking back down at the ground. 

“Hey, uh good morning.” Another throat clearing. “I was wondering if you’d do me a favor. I need some navigation help.” 

You raised your eyebrows as a silent response to continue. He took a short breath and again quickly looked at you. After another moment of awkward silence, you let out an airy laugh.

“You look nervous Joel.”

He shook his head quickly. “No, uh, I’m not. I was just wondering if you’d be willin’ to come with me to find this spot since I’m still learning my way around. I know we’d have to take the north trails through the woods but-”

“You’re nervous about taking me into the woods? Should I be nervous?”

“No I-”

“Are you planning on killing me Joel? Because if so, I’ve gotta say this wasn’t how I imagined-”

“No!” 

You smirked and watched his cheeks blossom an adorable cherry red. “I’ll help you. Where are we going?” 

His shoulders fell in relief, and he shot you a grateful smile. 

A few hours later, the two of you were tying your horses to a tree that was a short projected distance from the abandoned Wyoming Museum of Science and History. You lifted your legs high to step over the tall grass, keeping your gun at sternum height and your ear turned toward Joel as you trekked. The two of you carried a firearm and a backpack of supplies in case trouble found you on this unsanctioned outing. 

He was scanning the area behind you with a hawk’s eye, so you acted as his ears as you journeyed forward. Within minutes, the two of you stood before the building lost to time. You felt your chest tighten looking at the structure that once represented wonder and innovation. Now it was just a shell of the civilization lost to the infection. 

You looked at him as he assessed the door and scanned the surroundings for any surprise drifters or squatters. You let him have his moments of surveillance before speaking. “So why here?” 

He fingered the strap of his rifle. “Ellie’s birthday is coming up. She has this thing. For space and astronauts. Particularly Sally Ride.” 

You smiled and nodded for him to continue. “She’s been through so much that I just wanted to give her something. A moment to just be a kid.”

Your eyes felt misty, and you cleared your throat to stop the impending wave of sympathetic tears. He loved her so much. 

You tried in vain to stop the shaking in your voice as you said, “She’s going to love it.”

After navigating the long-ago destroyed front entrance, the two of you descended into the abandoned museum, past the forgotten dusty planetary charts, miniature replicas of famous vehicles and timelines of the golden space age. 

You found yourself glued to every plaque that told the complicated story that began with the wonder of stars and ended in exploration. Instead of rushing you, Joel waited as you read every description that caught your eye, smiling off to the side as you let the wonder and information roll over you. This was a happy, unintended side-effect of his asking you to come. 

He told himself it was because you knew the area and could help him find this place faster. Really, it was because it was a shameless way to spend more time with you away from patrol. Seeing Declan so close to you last night bothered him more than he liked. He wanted to be the only one who stood that close to you.

As the two of you entered a larger room that housed a larger scale model of the Milky Way Galaxy, he had no time to scan the room before you bounded over to the contraption in pure wonder. 

“Joel!”

When he saw the replica, he gave his well-known half smile. “I was hoping they’d have something like this. Wanna teach Ellie about the solar system.” He twisted his backpack around to his front and dug around before producing a bottle of grease.

You quirked an eyebrow, and he offered a slight smirk as he stepped forward and began working the grease around the gears and hinges of the machine. A few minutes later, he watched your reaction as he turned the lever to make the planets rotate in a slow circle. Your mouth dropped open as you watched them dance in a way you could never see from your place on the ground. 

“Joel.” He smiled. God, he loved hearing you say his name. He would stand here all day turning the lever if it meant hearing you repeat his name over and over. “You want to give it a try?”

Your eyes widened in excitement as you nodded. You walked over to him from your place off to the side and shyly stepped in front, your back almost flush with his. You gingerly pushed the lever, which only caused the 3D diagram to lightly shift. He chuckled, placed his hand over yours, and helped you put more elbow grease into the movement. 

Then, the planets danced. And as your eyes watched them move, enraptured, he watched your eyes light in wonder. 

When you finally had your fill of their interstellar waltz, you slowly twisted your head over his shoulder to look at him and whisper reverently as not to break the wonderment, “She’s going to love it.”

You spent a few minutes playing with the contraption before following him into a side room where a real-life Apollo 15 Command Module sat deserted. As he cranked open the latch to prepare for Ellie’s visit, you circled the capsule and marveled at the sheer size, lightly grazing your fingers over its exterior as if you could feel the remnants of space.

You let him work in silence, checking out the interior and ensuring it was clear of any tendrils that might alert any infected. You gazed at the displays of real astronaut uniforms and let yourself remember the childhood ripped away from you when the world changed forever.

You had very limited years of untainted childhood wonder. You were young when the infection broke out, but were old enough to remember what you were losing. The hazy memories cast in a golden glow caused a fresh wave of tears to spring to your eyes, and you had to wipe them away sneakily.

Before you knew it, Joel was ready to head back, so the two of you began your hike back to the horses and to Jackson. The ride was quiet, with you lost in your thoughts and Joel racking his brain trying to come up with something clever to say to you. He desperately wanted to know you, but was at a loss for what to say. He felt like a bumbling teenager again. 

After thirty minutes of silence, he finally worked up the courage out of concern for you. “Everything okay?” You nodded and, remembering he couldn’t see your whole face from behind you, turned to nod in his direction. 

“Yes.” Your voice was quiet and cracked. “That museum just made me remember. I’d forgotten what it was like. Before.” He also nods in answer to you.

A few more beats passed before his timbre interrupted the silence. “Most times I find myself missing the strangest things.” You shot him a questioning look over your shoulder. “You know, sitting in traffic. Waking up at the ass crack of dawn to go to work. Coming home to the air being on too high. Random things.”

You smiled to yourself, trying to imagine those little annoyances that no longer exist. 

He let out a chortle. “Hell, I would kill for a glass of wine at the end of a stressful work day. And I never did like wine much. I just miss the feeling of unwinding.”

You slowed your horse as the walls of Jackson came into view. Joel took up his place next to you as the pair of you slowly trotted your way to the gates. 

Once you were walking in tandem, you met his eyes and gave a slight shrug. “We can have wine nights if you want.” 

He shot you an incredulous look, and you answered with a smile. “I can’t promise a vintage red, but I can promise horrible beer and semi-decent company.” 

A deep, ruddy laugh escaped his chest, and he smiled, that cherry blush back on his cheeks.

Next Chapter.

Tag List :) @lemonboi @spnfic85 @keseqna @elegantduckturtle

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do Link List

This fic is ongoing!

Summary: You skirted around each other for years, never really crossing paths. But one night and a few charming smiles from the younger Miller brother and you're gone before the older Miller ever had a chance.

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 2

Things I Wanna Say to You

Summary: The other Miller brother finally makes an appearance and gets to know you in ways his younger brother never explored.

|| angst, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, grinding, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: Everyone say hello to our favorite grumpy father figure, Joel Miller. Maybe it’s because I’m missing my Good Day Sunshine storyline but boy did I miss him. Apologies for the slower uploads, life is a bit crazy and this story is having a slower start but I am still excited to take you on this crazy ride!

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

18+. Read at your own risk. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Minors DO NOT ENGAGE.

Previous Chapter.

It was a few months before Joel and Ellie stepped foot in town, and when they did, the entire cadence of Jackson shifted. They came and went quickly, but you saw a new light shine in Tommy’s eyes you’d never seen before. He looked happier and more at peace, and that look only intensified when the pair returned permanently.

You saw Tommy a little less. Instead of several rendezvous peppered throughout the week, you clung to him only once every few days as your schedules allowed. He was busy helping Ellie and Joel settle into Jackson’s daily life, and you were picking up as many patrol shifts and odd jobs as possible. You told yourself it was to help out, but really, it was to keep your mind off the way Tommy made you feel.

After that first night with him, you couldn’t help but see flashes of him and twinges of how he made you feel throughout the day. It was like a channel in your mind, and you couldn’t find the remote to turn it off. His dark curls and freckles occupied your mind day and night. And since you were seeing him less and less, it was getting harder to ignore. You craved him. 

So into work, you dove. With as many patrols as you were picking up, there was bound to be a day when you were paired with the other Miller brother. Joel.

On the brisk morning when you finally stood opposite him for the second patrol shift, you cast your eyes on him curiously. He stared at the shift leader obediently and never let his own eyes meet yours until you were heading for the stables.

Each step across the mud-packed streets grew increasingly awkward as you separated from the pack to tack up your favorite mare, Cinnamon. Joel, without a clue what to do next, brooded behind you. After a moment, you cast him a sympathetic glance. You tilted your chin in the direction of the available stallion in the neighboring stall.

“I don’t think Spooky has a claim if you wanna get him prepped.”

“Spooky?” His tone was all disbelief and sarcastic judgment. You couldn’t help but let a laugh escape.

“Don’t let the name scare you. He’s a great horse but was an asshole as a colt. Bucked off everyone he possibly could until he calmed down.” He gave you a brief nod before moving to the next stall to tack up his ride.

After a few minutes, you were saddled for your trek through the west trails. Surprisingly, the experienced man let you lead the way. It was a quiet patrol for the first half, with only observations and comments about the scenery passed between the two of you. 

But as the hours passed, the conversations between you grew more detailed. If you passed an abandoned home or building, he would comment on the structure, leading to a deep dive into his past as a contractor and his seemingly never-ending knowledge about bearing walls and beam spaces. If a mention of your teenage years slipped past your lips, he asked where you came from and you couldn’t help but smile telling him about your time in Alpine, Wyoming - a neighboring settlement.

One day, a patrol from Jackson came to conduct seasonal trading, and fresh faces paired with the teenage urge to roam caused you to jump on the back of someone’s horse and ride off into the sunset to a new beginning in Jackson. 

After a few patrols of you and Joel sharing pieces of each other to pass the time, you began to develop a softness toward him. On his end, a crush began to bloom, and although he told himself you were too young for him, he couldn’t help but look forward to the days when the two of you were assigned on a patrol.

You flowed well together, always watching the other’s back without needing a verbal cue and learning each other’s tells. All he needed was a shift in your shoulders to know you heard something his good ear missed. A twitch of his fingers on the leads told you something in the Wyoming greenery looked off.

While the Miller brother who knew you more intimately lacked time for you, his older counterpart was learning the pieces of you his younger brother never discovered between your kisses and moans. 

Of course, as Joel’s crush grew over the few weeks you’d known each other, he started searching for any signs that you may have returned his feelings. He’d never communicate how he felt verbally to you, but if your eyes ever returned the sparkle that lit his whenever his gaze met yours… Well, let’s just say it would be on his mind all day. 

You were turning the once-intense smuggler into a romantic. 

He knew you probably didn’t return his feelings because of his age. But that didn’t stop him from hoping. Something he didn’t dare do before he came to Jackson.

After a rare day when you were neither on patrol nor helping out with odd jobs around town, your boredom led you to the Tipsy Bison. You knew you would probably see a friendly face or two, but when your eyes locked on Tommy’s the second you walked inside the balmy establishment, it was like sound finally returned to the scene. 

Your body was singing for him. You didn’t bother ordering a drink or pretending to engage in small talk with any of your friends peppered through the bar. No. Your feet walked the obvious path from that front door to the alley without a single care who saw or noticed. It only took Tommy a minute before his large hand pressed against the door, causing it to loudly bang against the brick wall of the building. 

Your back met the wall in a matter of seconds, and his hands gripped your hips, lifting you so you could easily wrap your legs around his waist. He inhaled and sighed into the crook of your neck, nuzzling that sensitive juncture between your neck and shoulders.

“God, I fuckin’ missed you.” You hummed in response. You slid your hand up his back to tangle in his long, black curls, and he groaned in response. 

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.” 

He shook his head in the crook of your neck. “Impossible.” He pulled his face back just an inch, only enough to look into your eyes and finally give in, capturing your lips in a soft kiss. Your fingers carding through his curls tugged a little, and he grinned against your mouth. 

The kiss was soft at first, but after a few shy pecks, Tommy gave in and slipped his tongue into your mouth. You moaned, and his fingers pressing into your hips dug harder. The two of you were completely lost again. 

You kissed and nibbled and grabbed at one another, desperate to remove any shred of space between you. He slid one hand up your hip to caress the underside of your breast, testing the weight of it in his hand before completely covering it in his grip.

You gasped. “Tommy, I-” 

The crunch of gravel cut you off, and Tommy froze. He released your lips and quickly covered your body with his. You hid your face in the crook of his neck as a hot blush colored your cheeks. 

The footsteps grew closer until they stopped short. “Jesus Christ Tommy!” Joel.

You whispered, “Shit!” against Tommy’s shoulder, and the tension rolling off his body was answer enough for you.

“Give me a damn second, Joel!”

You couldn’t see it, but you knew Joel was shaking his head as he walked back inside. If you weren’t so frozen, you probably would’ve laughed. After the two of you were convinced Joel was back inside the bar, Tommy gently released your thighs, letting your feet drop back to the ground.

“Fuckin’ hell…” He raised a hand to run through his unruly curls before locking those dark eyes on you. “You okay?”

You nodded and smirked. “Your brother sure has great timing.”

“He didn’t see you if that’s what you’re worried about.” 

You frowned and shook your head. “I wasn’t.” You shrugged. “It would’ve been awkward if he did but we would’ve been fine.” 

Tommy flashed that sparkling smile at you and nodded. “He probably would’ve turned as red as a tomato. Prettiest girl in town wrapped around his brother? One hell of an introduction.”

You tucked a strand of your hair behind your ears. “We’ve actually met. He’s been my patrol partner for these past few weeks.”

His eyebrows rose, and he took a deep breath as his hands found their way to rest on his hips. The classic Miller stance. “Ah.” 

You raised your eyebrows in response, and one of his hands flew up as if to answer your unspoken question. He stepped back to settle onto the milk crate that never left its spot in this alley.

“He’s been telling me about this pretty girl on his patrol but every time I ask him her name, he clams up. This whole time. It was you.” He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His eyes trailed to the ground. For the first time, Tommy looked insecure. You never thought you’d see the day.

Your eyebrows stitched together, and you shrugged. “He’s a good patrol partner.” 

He nodded, quiet for a second. “You tell him about me?”

This caused a small, incredulous laugh to escape you. “Tell him? About this?”

You cleared your throat to take on a mocking timbre. “Oh, hey Joel. Nice to meet ya. Your brother Tommy? Oh yeah. I know him. Every time I see him we end up screwing in the alley behind the Tipsy Bison. He’s a great guy.” 

You shook your head at the ridiculousness of the idea, but Tommy kept his serious look plastered on. “Is that all this is?”

A beat passed, and you took a step toward him. “No.” You saw relief briefly re-enter his eyes. “But that’s all we’ve done.”

He looked away and in that moment, you felt a small fracture form. And for Tommy, this was the first seed of doubt.

Next Chapter.

Tag List :) @lemonboi

[bittertasteofhoney]

Fic Masterlist!

The Last of Us

Joel Miller

Good Day Sunshine (18+) - COMPLETE

Tommy Miller

Like Real People Do (18+) - Ongoing

[bittertasteofhoney]

Like Real People Do | Ch. 1

Wanna Be Yours

Summary: You skirted around each other for years, never really crossing paths. But one night and a few charming smiles from the younger Miller brother and you're gone before the older Miller ever had a chance.

|| angst, jackson!tommy, jackson!joel, smut, jackson!tommy x f!reader, protected sex, unprotected sex (please do not do this), p in v, fingering, girl on top, praise kink, creampie, grinding, reader is afab, tommy au, maria and tommy are not together in this fic||

Notes: We had an overwhelming vote for a spicy Tommy fic with a splash of Joel so I shall deliver… Welcome to my newest fic! Hope you enjoy it. <3

Current planned tropes for this story are: hidden relationship, unrequited attraction, commitment issues, slight brother love triangle (but not too intense because I cannot have the Miller brothers fight too much). 

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

18+. Read at your own risk. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Minors DO NOT ENGAGE.

Neither you nor Tommy could explain why that particular night was the one that changed things for the two of you. You knew Tommy casually, of course. It was hard to navigate the town of Jackson without hearing the golden boy’s name, but apart from the occasional hellos and waves across the mess hall, you didn’t cross paths. On the rare occasion you were patrol partners, an awkward silence spread between you like a thick condiment - sticky and clingy. 

You wanted to say that night was a special one. Something was in the air, or you woke up in an incredible mood, knowing something was coming just around the corner. But it was a typical Wednesday night. You spent the morning helping with deliveries from the gardens and the afternoon on patrol with Jesse. It wasn’t unusual for the third patrol shift to meander over to the Tipsy Bison for a drink. Or five. 

It wasn’t unusual for Tommy to be working behind the bar, casually throwing smiles at folks like little sparks in the night. 

No, it was a typical night. Until it wasn’t. 

The second you stepped foot into the door, you saw Jesse beeline for Dina, so you meandered over to Tommy and sat on a stool directly opposite from him to avoid being labeled the third wheel for the night. He was busy eyeing the crowd of council members crowded in a corner laughing, so it took him a second to notice you fingering the grooves in the well-polished bar top. 

When he did, his breath left him in an instant. How could he miss you sitting there right in front of him? The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk, and he leaned forward to languidly lean on the bar top, just mere inches from where you traced patterns. 

“Now, what kind of trouble are you bringin’ in here tonight?” You looked up with a smirk to match his. You knew he spoke to everyone else this way, but it was a nice upgrade from the niceties you usually exchanged. 

“Don’t have any fuel in me for trouble just yet.” 

His laugh came out in a short burst, and he slapped the counter once. “Well, that’s a problem I can solve. What’s your poison of choice?” 

You drummed your fingers, pretending to think through the menu, which really only had four options: whiskey, bourbon, vodka, and beer, although the label was used liberally in this sense. And if you were lucky, there was a special on offer courtesy of a recent supply run. 

“Surprise me.”

He grinned and nodded before turning around to grab a bottle hidden under the bar top. You lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. 

He wordlessly poured you a glass of the dark, cherry liquid in a tumbler and slid it over to you. He shrugged as he re-corked the bottle. “Ain’t got any tall-stemmed glances but I think it’ll still taste just fine.” 

“What is it?” You leaned forward and pinched the glass between two fingers. You took a tentative stiff - it smelled like blackberries and something musky. 

“Cabernet. It’s vintage.” He whispered the last words and threw his arms up in a mock jazz hands salute. Any bottle they found on patrol that wasn’t practically vinegar was, of course, vintage. Like normal life, wine production also halted in most of the world when the outbreak hit. 

You rolled your eyes playfully and took a sip. He didn’t realize until he saw you swallow that his eyes were glued to your lips. He looked away, trying to cover up his blush with a cough as you considered the drink. You licked your lips, and he was transfixed again. 

Since when did you look so good? As you took a second sip, he let his eyes shamelessly rake over your body. This, you caught and locked eyes with him as you swallowed.

“I want to say it’s good but I’m afraid my palate isn’t refined enough.” You licked your lips again, and he found himself reaching for the bottle to top off your already full glass. 

Again, your eyebrow lifted at him in question. 

“It just takes some getting used to. By the end of tonight, I’ll have you swirling that shit in your glass and claiming to taste notes of fucking oak or some shit.” 

You giggled. “Well, you’re not going to make me drink alone are you?” 

“I gotta work, sweetheart.” Sweetheart. Was this wine already growing fuzzy around your brain? 

You shrugged off his excuse and took another sip. He sat there and watched you before muttering, “Fuck it.” 

He waved his hand wildly to catch the attention of some guy nursing a “beer” in the corner. The man you recognized as Seth walked over and looked less than thrilled. “Can you take over for the night? I’ll cover your shift tomorrow.” 

Seth glared at him, but when he saw you sitting across from Tommy swirling the tip over the rim of your glass, he shook his head in mock annoyance. “Yeah, whatever.” 

Tommy grinned and threw his barkeep towel that was previously hanging out of his back pocket at Seth, swapping places with him around the counter to sit next to you. Without asking, Seth placed a tumbler filled with a generous pour of whiskey in front of Tommy. 

You laughed, and the two of you clinked your drinks, never breaking eye contact as you took a healthy swallow.

This was just the beginning of the night. 

The following two hours were filled with hearty laughs and shameless flirtations from the two of you. If anyone had been paying attention apart from Seth, it wouldn’t have been too surprising when the gap between your two bar stools closed inch by inch in fifteen-minute increments until his knee rested between your two legs. 

If anyone had picked up on your close proximity, it also wouldn’t have been too shocking to see you throw back the last few sips of your third glass of wine with Tommy eyeing you with an intensity that caused a shiver to run down your back. It was such a dark gaze that you couldn’t tell if he wanted to kiss or kill you, but you knew what the red wine was suggesting.

Obviously, it wouldn’t have been too hard to guess that you would’ve stood up and swayed your hips a little dramatically before sauntering toward the bathrooms. If anyone had been paying attention.

If someone noticed at this point, they would’ve seen your empty wine glass and assumed nature called. Naturally.

If another person saw Tommy’s empty tumbler near Seth’s station behind the bar, they would’ve connected the dots between Tommy’s fondness for the amber liquid and Seth’s tendency for long pours. A fella could only last so long without running for relief. 

But no one picked up on anything—except Seth, of course, who chose to mind his own business. 

No pair of eyes followed the two of you as you bypassed the bathrooms and, instead, kicked open the bar’s back door that spilled into a back alley. Like the gentleman he was, Tommy opened the door for you and sat on an empty milk crate so you’d have a place to get comfortable. Common courtesy.

Maybe it was the wine or the dark, intense stare coming from Tommy’s eyes. Whatever it was, it felt like a siren’s call when you took slow steps toward him. He slowly opened his legs in anticipation and held out his hands to support you as he swung a leg over to straddle his lap. 

His large hands slid down your back and to the top of your ass to hold you steady. You bit your lip as you looked into his eyes. Your breaths mingled in a heady mix, making it hard to avoid leaning in.

And when your lips touched? That was when it was set in stone. The kiss was sloppy. Equal parts tongue and lips and teeth. It was fierce and punctuated by groans. Your hands made their way up his chest to his neck and to their perfect spot at the nape of his neck so you could grip his curls in a vice. 

The deep groan that escaped his mouth told you that was something he liked, so you tugged harder. He answered with a nip on your bottom lip. He’d been wanting to do that all night. It tasted like blackberries.

As your kisses grew more desperate, so did the whimpers and pants coming from the two of you. Needing some sort of friction, Tommy’s hands lowered to fully palm your ass and drive you up against him in a dangerous rhythm. He guided you forward and backward in a delicious rocking motion that made it hard to think past the way your denim felt sliding across his and the way he tasted. Like liquid fire. 

Your name tumbled from his lips in a desperate plea. The man was seconds away from begging for you.

Was it your first choice to have sex with Tommy Miller on top of a milk crate behind the Tipsy Bison? No, it most was certainly not.  But to hear how the man practically whimpered at your touch, who were you to deny him?

Any sane woman would do the same.

And so you kept rocking and kissing and licking and nibbling until someone’s hand reached between you to unzip and unbutton. You weren’t sure whose hands were responsible, but you knew it was his hands that gripped your hips harshly to lift you up. You knew it was your hands that gripped his shoulders to find purchase as you torturously sank onto him. 

From there, it was instinct. You lost all sense of principles or logic as you rode him in that dark alley. He held you so close to him that you were pressed flush against him with his face buried in the crook of your neck as you moved, the tip of him hitting that most intimate part of you. The feeling of being pressed against him so intimately, paired with the friction of your clothed chest moving against him, would’ve driven you insane if his groans and whimpers in your ear didn’t do the trick. 

When you felt that delicious heat curling in your lower belly, Tommy leaned back almost instinctually to lock eyes with you. And those eyes. He looked as if you were a star fresh from the sky. He was entranced. 

And he wasn’t the only one. When that tightening sensation finally burst, you threw your head back in a silent scream, and he held you flush to him as he watched you ride the high. He couldn’t tear his eyes away, and when his own climax ripped through him, he was completely undone. 

The minutes after, when the two of you caught your breath and separated yourself with awkward laughs, you want to say you saw sense. But that was just the beginning.

Like clockwork, if you were ever in the Tipsy Bison together, you would find a way to each other. It would take a few drinks sipped in your respective groups or maybe just a few glances. You always ended up behind the bar, sometimes on the crate, against the wall or when you were really wound up, running to your house with him on your heels. Those were the nights when you needed more room to do what you really wanted to do to him. 

It always began with heavy petting and desperate kisses, and then you would fall against him. And he always caught you. The two of you were ravenous for each other.

You tried to be smart about it and obtained a diaphragm with the help of the town’s hospital staff after a very awkward conversation. You traded more than you should’ve for the golden item, but you knew that this thing between you and Tommy was far from over.

But it only existed in the parameters of the Tipsy Bison. Sometimes, it extended to your house. But never his. And if daylight ever shone on your interactions, they never crossed the line past cordial. No one in Jackson had a clue—well, except Seth, of course. But who was he going to tell?

Next Chapter.

Tag List :) @lemonboi

[bittertasteofhoney]

Good Day Sunshine | Ch. 14

Good Day Sunshine

Summary:  Five years later, you and Joel are still going strong but a snowy day in Jackson when Joel goes on patrol could change everything.

|| fluff, fake blood, gunshot wounds, bruises, jackson!joel,  jackson!joel x f!reader, age gap (but legal!), reader is afab, pregnancy, labor, gunshot wounds, blood, unprotected sex (please do not do this), p in v, age-gap, missionary, praise kink, creampie, grinding, girthy, no battle of Jackson, AU! Jackson ||

I decided not to include the battle of Jackson to avoid this chapter becoming ungodly long! 

Notes: I cannot believe it’s over! 😭 The end of the chapter features a break to let you as the reader determine if you want a series-accurate ending (as accurate as this headcanon can get) or if you want to proceed to an alternate happy ending. 

I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has kept up with this fic. You mean the world to me and have made this little corner such a safe space for my creativity to flow. This brainrot story of mine truly turned into the best thing. I love you all so much!!

18+. Read at your own risk. You are responsible for your own media consumption. Minors DO NOT ENGAGE.

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

Previous Chapter.

Five Years Later

You heard groaning next to you, and you reached an arm out to pat the space next to you, which was currently occupied by a Joel attempting to wake up without disturbing you. Your arm reached his bicep, and you squeezed, pulling him back to you. He harrumphed in surprise, not realizing you were awake, and laughed as his back hit the mattress again.

“Baby. I gotta get up.”

“Joel. Don’t you dare move.” You snuggled an arm around his side and moved to use his stomach as a pillow. You felt the deep rumbles of his laughter, and his arm slid up to rub your back. You hummed in contentment.

“Darlin’.”

“No.” Your voice came out pitched and whiny, surrounded by the gruff sound of sleep. 

“We could wake up together. Nice and slow.” Your ears perked up, and you lifted your head to meet his smirking face. 

“Oh yeah? Suddenly you have time for all of that? What happened to getting ready for patrol?” His smirk dropped slightly as his eyes darkened. 

“Tommy and them can wait.” 

You bit your lip as you crawled up his chest so you were face to face. “Only on one condition, Mr. Miller.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Yes, Mrs. Miller?” You blushed, still loving that name four years later. No official wedding ceremony took place, but after living together a year after Holly’s birth, it felt right to make it as official as possible. 

You remembered the nervous look on his face as he waited for you to come home after your short shift at the gardens with Holly on your hip. He was sitting on the back porch, his head balancing on his two hands, deep in thought. You smiled at him as he noticed you standing and clearing his throat.

“Everything okay, Joel? You look like you’re about to be sick.”

He nodded and appeared as if he was two seconds away from bolting inside again. Instead, he reached a hand out to you. You took it, confusion etched all over your face, and stood across from him on the back porch, right over the step he fixed almost two years ago. 

“Joel?” His wide eyes met yours, and a small smile crinkled at the edge of his eyes. 

“Let me get this out. I just need a minute.” He took a deep breath as you nodded and shifted Holly on your hip. He looked at her with soft eyes before sinking down to one knee. The second you recognized the position, all the breath left your body, and you clutched y’all’s daughter to you like a lifeline to pin you down to earth. 

He said your name reverently, his soft brown eyes shining at you. “I know we didn’t do this the orthodox way, and I know I haven’t made it easy, but I want to make it up to you every day. For the rest of our lives. If that’s somethin’ you’d like.”

He cleared his throat again, pausing to see if you had anything to say before he continued. “I know I never made a big declaration. I’m not a man of many words most of the time, but I do love you. I love you so much that it’s made me stupid at times. And I know I can’t take some of my mistakes back, but I do know that I don’t want to miss out on any more days with you. You gave me sunshine again and a beautiful little girl.” His voice caught. “So, if you were willin’,” 

His hand slipped into the pocket of his jeans to pull out a ring made of dark, chocolatey wood that matched his eyes. It was perfectly shaped and smoothed. Down its middle ran a line of lighter wood—light and dark.

You gasped when you saw how perfect it was. How long had he been working on this?

“Joel…” Your voice trembled, and Holly nuzzled into your neck, feeling the high emotions of the moment. You brought a hand to the back of her head to comfort her.

“Would you be my wife?”

All of the sound left the universe at that moment. It was quiet and content. All you saw was him looking up at you, hopeful, and all you felt was your daughter in your arms and your heart beating wildly in your chest. 

You sank down to your knees, a step below him but perfectly at eye level. He looked nervous and a little scared, still waiting for your response. A watery smile broke out across your face as you secured Holly in one arm and held the other out to him. “Only if you’ll be my husband.”

His smile was like lightning crackling across his face - completely brilliant. 

It took mere seconds for Tommy, Maria, Ellie, Benji, Dina and Roberta to burst out of the back door. The group watched from your kitchen window as Joel popped the big question. 

Once Joel slipped the ring on your finger, the two of you kissed briefly, careful not to squash Holly between you. After you broke apart, you held out a hand for Ellie, bringing her into the family squeeze. She snuggled into your side. You held both of your girls and looked at Joel. 

“I love you so much.”

You smiled, remembering that golden day. 

“Sit with me to have a cup of coffee after. If Tommy can apparently wait some more.” He smiled and nodded before closing his eyes and tangling his lips with yours.

The kiss was slow and sensual at first. The two of you acted like you had all the time in the world to remap every inch of each other’s mouths. His tongue was languid and soft as it slid in and out of your mouth, and you moaned softly. You felt a distant part of yourself feel embarrassed at the morning breath you no doubt had, but after he let out a soft growl, all insecurities flew out the window.

The man wanted you. Now.

You whimpered as he flipped you, notching a leg between yours to spread your thighs. He nuzzled his face in your neck, breathing deeply.

“I don’t know if I can wait any longer, baby.” You felt his morning wood between your legs and bit your lip. 

“Make me wait any longer and I’m going to kick your ass, Joel Miller.”

He laughed and nibbled on your collarbone before reaching between you to rip your sleep shorts down. After a bit of fumbling, the two of you were partially nude from the hips down. It was enough for him to notch himself at your entrance and slowly slide in. 

“Goddamn, darlin’. It always feels fucking incredible.” You whimpered again, only able to make the most pathetic of sounds and nod your head. 

“I need you to go faster.” You gasped as he snapped his hips and tutted.

“No can do, baby. We’re taking it slow this morning. I’m not rushing this.” 

You gripped the back of his hair sharply and pulled his head back so you could kiss him fiercely. He growled again in your mouth and snapped his hips again. When you broke apart, he was smirking. 

“That’s not going to work. I’m taking my time with you.” You whimpered again, and he just continued to smirk as he moved his hips at a torturous pace. He occasionally broke his rhythm to circle his hips to drive you closer and closer to the edge. 

After a few minutes of your breathy movements, the smirk dropped from his face. He watched in wonder as your eyes closed and the tension of the moment etched itself into the lines on your face. You bit your lip, your teeth kneading your bottom lip as he slowly led you to that blissful cliff. 

He leaned forward to capture that bottom lip in his mouth, firmly believing he should be the only one to ever bite it. So he did just that. Your hiss turned into a moan as he soothed the harsh feeling with his lips. 

“Baby…I’m-”

“Oh, I know darlin’. Come on and give it to me. I’m right there with you.”

Your eyebrows stitched together, and Joel leaned his forehead against yours as both your breaths grew in cadence. He gave you a soft kiss and then returned his head to that crook between your shoulder and neck, moaning into your skin. You brought your hand back to the back of his neck and tugged on the strands of hair there as you two crested your climaxes together. 

Joel released a drawn-out “Fuck” into your skin, and all you could do was softly moan out his name. 

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to get out of this bed now.” You giggled as he lifted his head to kiss you again. 

“We could stay, but I remember someone promising me to stay for a cup of coffee.” He smiled and nodded. 

He winced, pulling out of you. You untangled yourself from the sheets to make yourself decent again before padding into the kitchen. He was close behind you, and the two of you fell into your routine of him preparing your tea and you his coffee.

Some found it silly that you didn’t just make your own drinks, but you swore they tasted better when the other made it. Once you each had a warm beverage to sip on, you settled by the kitchen sink, looking out the window. You felt him reach for you and smiled as he tugged you into his lap, circling an arm around your waist. 

You both sat in companionable silence as you sipped, with you humming to yourself and him kissing your shoulder blade.

“Are you feeling okay after last night?” You felt him stiffen behind you, but he softly kissed your shoulder and nodded.

“We’ll be fine. We just need some time.”

“Did you talk?” He leaned his head against your shoulder and took a deep breath.

“We did.” You just nodded to yourself. You knew Ellie had questions for Joel, and you tried your hardest not to pry, but you knew there was some deep resentment for an issue larger than you could understand.

You knew Joel had a dark past. You knew before the two of you ever interacted. But many people had a less-than-savory past in this world. All you knew was the version of Joel, who made your tea just the way you liked it and had so much love for your little family. The one that made your ring and had a collection of wooden figurines for Ellie and Holly. You would let the two of them work it out.

You stood up with your mug of tea and faced Joel. You reached a hand to hold his, and he locked eyes with you, his shining with a layer of tears. “It will be okay. You two love each other too much.” He nodded and swiped his thumb across the back of your hand. “I love you.”

He gave you a small smile. “I love you too, darlin’.” 

He stood, draining his own mug and pressing a quick kiss to your lips before heading towards the door. You both heard a small giggle before he could twist the door handle. You playfully rolled your eyes as a mop of brown curls belonging to Holly flew past you in a blur as she launched herself at Joel. 

His eyes widened in mock surprise as he squatted down to lift her up. “Baby girl!” She squealed as he held her tight and rocked her back and forth. “Daddy’s gotta go but I’ll see you later squirt, okay?” 

“Noooo!” She threw her tiny arms around his neck, and he held her close. “Stay!” 

You laughed and approached the pair to intercept your child’s attempted takedown. “We gotta let daddy go to work, baby.” She cried as you pried her off him, but he just smiled at the two of you. 

“I’ll see you later.” He mussed her hair, and you mouthed “I love you” to him before he walked out the front door.

It took you twenty minutes to soothe your crying child, but eventually, she calmed down enough to eat her breakfast. You busied yourself tidying the kitchen as you saw Ellie and Jesse walk past the window. You tapped on the glass and waved good morning, and Ellie threw a solemn smile your way. 

You wished they would patch things up. However, you were not getting in the middle without knowing the full gravity of the anger. 

A few hours later, Holly was down for a nap as you read a paperback on the sofa when you heard a rapid banging on your front door. Confused, you stood and made your way to the door, opening it to see a frantic Maria and Roberta.

“What are y’all doing here?” Maria looked at Roberta nervously, but your red-headed best friend shook her head.

“Sweetie, you gotta come with us. It’s Joel.” 

You felt the floor fall from beneath you, and your eyes widened in panic. You looked back at the house and the pair of women with desolate faces. “I-Holly is sleeping and-” 

Maria reached a hand to steady you. “Wake her up. We need to go.” 

You rushed into the house and pulled your sleeping child from her covers. She barely stirred as you ran to the door, but the second she felt the cold winter air on her cheeks, she squealed in discomfort. “I know, baby. We gotta go see Daddy.”

You could barely hear her cries as you ran to the town’s gates, with Maria and Roberta on your heels. Tommy was already standing stock-still by the entrance as the gates began to creep open. He looked like he was barely breathing. You ran to his side and held Holly close as the three of you looked in shock at the two horses drawing closer. Maria and Roberta stood behind you and watched in equal distress.

You counted the figures sitting upright on the horses. Three. Out of four. Your breath stilled completely. You reached out a hand to clutch Tommy’s, needing to feel someone anchoring you. You were scared you would completely leave your body, the nervous energy filling you like a balloon. He had to be okay.

You felt Holly squirm in your arms, and you froze. You spun around to Roberta and passed Holly to her. “Please. Take her home. I don’t know what…”

Roberta gently took Holly and held her close. “I’ve got her, babe. Don’t worry.”

Your breath caught. “I don’t want her to see this. Please. Just watch over her.” Roberta leaned in to press a kiss to your cheek. “It will be okay.”

You tried not to focus on your baby’s cries of anguish as Roberta took her back home and gripped Tommy’s hand again. He squeezed yours in answer, and the two of you waited for the posse to reach you. 

As soon as the horses are within the gate, you rush up to Ellie, who is sitting shellshocked on a horse behind Jesse. You reached for her to help her down from the horse while Tommy assessed the rest of the group. You couldn’t even let yourself look for Joel. You had to focus on your girl first.

“Ellie, honey. Look at me.” You ran your hands over her body, checking for injuries and swiping gently at her swollen cheek. She winced when your hand passed over her abdomen, and you stilled your check. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”

She looked like she was in a fog. She finally met your eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. You focused on her eyes and brought both hands to her cheeks. “Take a deep breath.” It took everything in you to ignore the commotion behind you, delaying the inevitable that had the power to shatter your heart. 

You moved a hand down to lift her jacket and saw a deep bruise blossoming across her skin. You wanted to kill whoever hurt her like this. She brought a hand to yours, stopping it. You looked at her and took a shuddering breath yourself, the tears already coming. 

“Joel…he…” 

You nodded and squeezed her hand. “First, are you okay?” You tried to make your voice gentle to avoid scaring her, but you were terrified. He had to be okay.

Ellie nodded slowly. You squeezed her hand again. “Take your time. I’m here. You’re okay.” 

Her eyes crumpled, and she slumped against you as sobs raked out of her. You immediately wrapped your arms around her and held her as she sobbed.

KEEP READING FOR ALTERNATE ENDING.

“We almost lost him.” You froze. Almost. You had assumed the worst happened, but he was okay. You pulled back and looked into her eyes, tears filling yours as well. “I’m so glad you’re safe, baby.” You pulled her in for another fierce hug. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” 

Ellie burrowed into you, and the two of you rocked like that for a few moments. She winced, and you gently pried her off you. “What hurts?” She motioned to her abdomen again, and you nodded, looking for Maria. You caught her eye, and she walked over to take charge of Ellie. “Please take her to the hospital.”

You looked at Ellie one more time and locked eyes with her. “You’re okay. It’s going to be just fine. Go with Maria and get seen by the doctor. I’ll be right behind you.” She looked as if she were about to argue but conceded when she saw the fear in your eyes. She nodded and followed Maria, looking back at you as you finally gathered enough courage to look for Joel.

When you saw Dina standing near Joel, you waited for her to catch your eye. She looked relatively fine, but when your gazes connected, she gave you a weak smile. You walked over slowly, seeing Jesse and Tommy kneeling over Joel. You stood next to Dina and grabbed her hand. 

Joel was conscious, but after scanning your eyes over him, you noticed a bullet wound above his knee and many visible bruises. He looked like he’d been beaten within an inch of his life. 

You took another deep breath and collapsed to your knees beside Jesse and Tommy, who were busy cataloging his injuries and temporarily patching up wounds for the transfer to the hospital. 

You noticed his one good eye was open, looking around in a daze. His other eye was so swollen shut that it was barely recognizable. When he caught your eye, all the breath left your body. “Joel.” You did your best to control your voice. “You swore you would never-”

He grunted in pain and actually let out a weak laugh before wincing. “I know, baby. I know.” He attempted to take a breath in but was unable to. 

Tommy looked at him in concern. “We gotta get him to the hospital.” 

You locked eyes with Tommy before nodding and helping the two men lift him onto a rusty stretcher, which a volunteer nurse had brought over to assist with the transfer. 

Once he was secured on top, you immediately grasped his hand as the group of you began the trek to the hospital. In a daze, you began to walk and felt a hand weakly grip yours. You looked at your hand to see Joel’s bruised one gripping yours. You found his brown eyes. 

Your breaths began to come fast, in quick bursts that were feeding the tears building in your eyes. You squeezed his hand. In a raspy voice, he whispered. “I’m okay, Sunshine.” 

You managed to give him a weak smile. “You better be.”

He was okay. Ellie was okay. Your little family was safe.

La Fin. 💛

Tag List :) @silksepia @hello-nah817 @longlivetheloneliness @keseqna @millers-girl @treacherqus @lemonboi @spnfic85 @secretlettersfromyourlove @nosebeers @boscogirlsworld @aleemendoza2425-blog @puppi-sonnenschein @needz1nk @ashleyfilm @melmel-fandom

[bittertasteofhoney]

he heard you saying “I'm so hungry that I could eat Joel Miller”

[bittertasteofhoney]

Good Day Sunshine | Ch. 13

Good As Us

Summary: Joel doesn’t come back from patrol one night and it sends you into an early labor.

|| angst, jackson!joel,  jackson!joel x f!reader, age gap (but legal!), reader is afab, pregnancy, labor, gunshot wounds, blood, hospital scene||

Notes: We only have one more to go folks! I am genuinely torn on how to end this fic so because I cannot be decisive to save my life, I will be uploading TWO different endings and will leave it up to you if you want an alternate ending or a series-accurate ending. Basically, choose how much pain you want to put yourself through! 😭

The characters, names and characterizations belong to HBO Max and The Last of Us franchise. This work is my creative property and aside from re-blogs and shares, I do not give permission to share or copy my work without permission or consent.

Previous Chapter.

From that night on, keeping your hands to yourself wasn’t the only issue. Things between you and Joel got intense. If you weren’t already his obsession, you sure were now. He watched your every move, and when it was just the two of you together, there wasn’t much that could stop him from getting on his knees and making you cry out his name. Sometimes, it didn’t even matter if someone was in the room. All it took was one look from you, and he would clear a room for just a few minutes with you. 

He was consumed with making you feel good. Your comfort was the only thing on his mind. He was always nearby, and if he had to be away for a patrol or a project, he would run back to you as soon as it was over. 

The more your stomach grew, the more worried he became, which led to a heated argument when he surprised you at the gardens one afternoon with lunch to find you on your knees picking turnips. Your yelling attracted the attention of every other gardener, and they all watched with amusement as you stomped out of the marked area with Joel on your heels. The tension between you was a ticking time bomb that the entire town watched like a favorite soap opera. 

Safe to say, both Tommy and Maria got an ass-chewing from Joel for not arranging someone else to take over your more manual chores. You had been so embarrassed, hiding your red cheeks behind one hand as he yelled. No one in the council was upset, and a few did feel bad you had been working so hard with just a few weeks to go in your pregnancy. But mainly, they all did their best to hide smiles in response to his yelling. The man was head over heels.

There was no doubt now that Joel was fiercely protective of you in a way that could only translate to love. Still, the two of you had yet to completely soothe the distrust between you enough to say the words. 

After the two of you began sleeping together again, it didn’t take long for Joel to temporarily move in with Ellie to keep a closer eye on you during the pregnancy. Ellie was ecstatic to spend more time with you, constantly your shadow and asking you a million questions about your life before Jackson, how weird it felt to be pregnant and how you felt about Joel and if he was the one. 

The latter questions left you blushing more than a few times, but all you could do was shrug in response to her prodding. You didn’t know. You knew it wasn’t easy getting to where you were, and the two of you didn’t even know what to call what you were. But you knew having him around felt better than before. 

Tommy and Maria also came over regularly with their new baby in tow. Maria was more than happy to pass off her squirming infant for a break, and you were beaming any time he was in your arms. You told yourself she and Tommy came over for company and a little parental relief, but deep down, you knew it was so Tommy could sit right by Ellie and smirk their asses off, watching you and Joel interact.  

Some nights, it was perfectly wholesome. Joel, with his eyes glued to you as you rocked Benji in your arms. And others, well…it was a good night if the two of you simply snapped at each other. Those were the days when Joel usually let his protective side win, telling you to stop running around on your feet and to sit down. You appreciated his help but were weeks past your limit of feeling like a fragile doll. You were used to getting things done alone, and to have all this help sometimes felt overwhelming as much as you hated to admit to yourself. 

You loved that you found community and family, but between growing a literal human inside of you and struggling to define what you and Joel were, you found it hard to breathe most days. Again, that was no help, thanks to the baby who loved to kick into your lungs. And bladder. And kidneys. You were so ready to get this baby out.

One day, when Joel was off on patrol with Tommy, Ellie sat in the kitchen sketching on a beat-up pad while you made some potato soup. It was getting close to when Joel would be getting home, so you put the sprinkling finishing touches over the top of the pot before letting it simmer and moving to the table to take a seat. 

You watched Ellie’s pencil fly over the page in admiration. “God, I wish I could do that.” Her pencil paused, and she looked at you shyly before shrugging. 

“I don't know. It’s fun, I guess. I really only draw the same thing over and over.” 

“It’s still really cool.” You rubbed your belly and smiled at her. “The most I can draw is a deranged happy face. You’re talented. Don’t diminish that.” Now, Ellie was blushing. She tapped the pencil a few times before nervously speaking.

“I wish I could play guitar like you.” You laughed and hummed. 

“There’s no guitar playing on my horizon at the moment, babe. I barely have enough room to balance it on my knee. But I do miss it. The second this baby is out, I’m playing them a song.”

Ellie smiled and scooted her chair closer to you. She hovered a hand over your belly before looking at you questioningly. You nodded, smiling softly. She gently placed a hand on my abdomen and pressed it. It took a moment, but the baby kicked her hand in response. Ellie’s cheeks turned red as she giggled. 

You smiled, looking at her, but then it dropped slightly. “I know you and I never really talked about this, but…are you okay…with this baby? I know it’s a lot, and none of us really know what’s coming, but…are you happy to be…a sister?” 

Ellie looked at you with scrunched eyebrows and blinked a few times. “Were you worried about that?”

You bit your lip and nodded. She dropped her hand and, in a swift motion, stood up and hugged you fiercely. You laughed at its intensity and wrapped your arms around her in tandem. 

“Of course, I’m happy about this. The thought of having a little sibling is so fucking cool!” Your eyes watered, and you hugged her back tightly. 

The two of you stayed like that for a beat before Ellie retreated to her seat to continue drawing. You checked on the soup and absentmindedly stirred it. You glanced at the clock to see Joel was now thirty minutes later. Things happened on patrol. You knew this. But ever since he moved in, it was rare that he was late. He would move heaven and earth to be at this kitchen table. 

You felt your heartbeat quicken as you began to catastrophize and imagine everything that could’ve gone wrong. You turned off the gas on the stove and slowly waddled to the front door to peek out the window. No sign of him. 

Ellie walked in as well to see what was going on. After she saw your nervous face, she offered a pat on your shoulder to bring you back down to earth.

“They probably tracked a trail further than they anticipated. They’ll be back soon.” You nodded, trying to let her words soothe you, but you couldn’t get your mind off the what-ifs.

Once Maria was at your door with the same worried look and Benji in her arms, you began to pace the living room. You couldn’t stop worrying and thinking of him hurt out there. 

For two days, you waited. Maria tried to hold you together, but you were a wreck with anxiety. You couldn’t sleep, but Ellie and Maria did their best to keep you relatively calm and fed. The stress was the one thing you were struggling to maintain. And you tried, you really did. You knew it wasn’t good for the baby, so you did the breathing exercises Maria lectured you about. You appeased her and Ellie by laying down, but sleep never came. 

As soon as the sun rose those two days, you made your way to the front gates for an update. After the first day, Tommy finally radioed in to say he and Joel had been ambushed by raiders, and Joel was shot in the arm. Before you could even react to the news heard over the walkie-talkie, Maria was in front of you, reminding you it wasn’t a fatal wound. You nodded, doing your best to listen to the words coming out of her mouth, but all your mind could circle around were the words Joel was shot. Joel was hurt.

But he was coming back. They both were. No townsperson was brave enough to tell you to go home once you knew he was returning to you. Little Miss Sunshine had turned fierce, and no one could navigate this new version of you. If someone tried to move you inside, you shot them a cold look and ripped your arm away. The most you would do was sit in the chair Ellie moved outside for you and eat the food Jesse pushed into your hands. 

When they finally returned on the second day, Tommy had to drag Joel through the gates. You walked to the pair with Maria by your side as fast as possible. You looked at her in confusion, and she just shook her head. It wasn’t just an arm wound. He was bleeding from the abdomen now, too. He was barely conscious from the blood loss, and all you could do was watch in horrified shock.

Grunting with the effort of holding his brother up, Tommy relayed the story of the second surprise attack by a raider they missed the first time. The guy came back to avenge his friends and, thanks to Tommy’s sniper shot, never got the chance. But Joel didn’t make it out unscathed, now sporting two gunshot wounds.

Ellie and Jesse were on either side of you as you watched Joel get lifted onto a stretcher. The two of them knew better than to fight with you on whether or not you were following the procession to the hospital. 

Each step was agonizing as the pressure in your pelvis grew, but you bit back any groan that might escape. You had to get to Joel. Ellie and Jesse assumed it was just the stress of the situation, and to a degree, they were correct. But a growing sense of dread told you it was a bit more than that.

After he was brought into a triage room with Tommy’s help, you ran in right after him. Tommy shot you a murderous look. “Now is not the time. You need to go. Now. I promise I’ll look after him but you can’t see this.”

You walked up to the bed and saw Joel was now out cold. You cut your eyes at Tommy and, in a venomous voice, “Don’t you fucking dare. I’m not leaving.”

His eyes widened in shock. You never talked like this. He wasn’t even sure he remembered you speaking to him in any sort of unkind tone. Joel was the first to ever receive your bite. Now that Tommy was on the receiving end, he didn’t know what to do. So he just nodded and did everything he could to help the limited medical staff on duty tend to Joel. 

When you noticed Ellie in the room, you grabbed her hand, knowing better than to tell her to leave. So, the two of you held each other steady as they worked on Joel. 

They removed the bullets from his arm and abdomen and stopped the bleeding. It felt like hours, waiting for him to come to as they cleaned and dressed the wounds. You squeezed Ellie’s hand as the contractions started to rock through you in waves. She looked at you in concern, but you still didn’t make a sound. Not until Joel opened his eyes. 

The second those perfect brown eyes scanned the room and met yours, you pulled Ellie to his side. He reached for her hand, gripping it in relief and panting from the effort. You white-knuckled the railing and tried to control your breathing. You felt his hand cover yours, and you met his eyes. You let out a breath of relief and shook your head, “Joel.”

He swallowed and grunted in pain. “I’m okay. I’m okay.” You shook your head, and he tried to smile. “I am. Like hell am I going to leave y’all behind now.” Ellie threw herself on him, and he let out a low laugh and then a groan as she accidentally landed on his wounded side. Her eyes widened in apology, but he wrapped his good arm around her. “It’s okay, baby. You’re okay.”

Only he would console the both of you when he was the one on the bed bleeding.

Once his levels began to somewhat normalize and he could sit up, with help, his hand was permanently gripped in yours. Ellie left to see if she could find some coffee, thinking it would help lift his spirits. He wasn’t sure if he was up for coffee, but he was grateful for the brief time he spent alone with you. 

The room was tense for a moment before you broke the silence. “Don’t you ever do that to me again.” 

His face was soft as he nodded. He squeezed your hand weakly, and you met his eyes. Tears streamed down your face, but you smiled at him. The two of you sat like that before another contraction ripped through you, and this time, you couldn’t bite back the groan. You squeezed his hand and supported yourself against the railing. 

“Darlin’? What’s going on?” You couldn’t speak through the pain, and that’s when it all clicked for him. “Goddamnit. Tommy! Fuck, just breathe baby. TOMMY!”

Tommy sprinted into the room and immediately clocked you bent over Joel’s bed, panting in pain. “Shit, this fucking family.” 

He ran out of the room and returned with a nurse and another bed. With their help, you were lifted onto the bed, not without a few yelps of pain from you and laid down. The duo began to wheel you out of the room, but you and Joel shouted for them to stop. 

“No! Please. Don’t make me do this without him. Not now. Please.” 

The nurse began to argue, but Tommy just shook his head at them. “They just nearly lost each other. Just let them be.” 

The nurse wasn’t happy about it, but your bed was positioned right next to Joel’s so you could grip his good hand. When Ellie returned to the room with two cups of coffee, she immediately dropped them, spilling the hot liquid all over the floor. “HOLY SHIT!” 

The two simultaneously shouted, “Ellie!” It's safe to say that Tommy escorted her out of the room as a doctor walked in to help bring your baby into the world.

It wasn’t an easy birth. Contractions were punctuated by Joel fighting the doctors to remain in the room and fighting to stand so he could be right by your side. You could barely think through the pain, but Joel held you steady, rooting you right beside him as you moved through the waves this labor was pushing you through. It was white hot pain and agonizing waves of nausea, but somehow, within a few hours, a sweet relief poured over you, and you knew everything was okay. 

She didn’t cry at first, needing a little backrub to find her voice, but the sweetest song filled the room when she did. She was a howler.

You panted from the relief of the absent pain and the relief from knowing your baby was okay, but all Joel could do was look at you like you were a goddamn miracle. He couldn’t tear his eyes off you to even look at his newest child. You were okay. He leaned forward to press a kiss on your sweaty forehead, and you weakly raised a hand up to his cheek to hold him there. He was okay. The baby was okay.

You didn’t even register the tears running down your face as the doctor handed you the baby. She was perfect. You let out a breath, stunned into stillness at her perfect face. Joel still looked at you. His eyes glued to your face as he watched you see your child for the first time. 

But when he finally did look, he was entranced. She had Sarah’s nose. Now, it was he who gripped the railing to still himself. 

You took a shuddering breath and smiled. “Sorry, kiddo. Your daddy tried to overshadow your debut.” Joel laughed and then groaned from the pain of moving his side. You looked at him in fear, but he shook his head. 

“I’m fine, darlin’. How are you?” He pressed another kiss to your forehead and then leaned forward to ever-so-gently place one on your daughter’s nose. You watched in complete bliss. 

In a whisper, you said, “Guess we should give her a name. Any ideas?”

He smiled, still looking at her perfect face and shook his head softly. “I thought something would come to mind the second I saw their face but all I can remember is this memory. Of Sarah.” His voice caught. “She had this little doll. Called her Holly. Would carry her around everywhere like she was a little sister.” 

You used your free hand to cover his over the railing. “I think we found our name.” You looked down at your daughter and smiled weakly. “Well, hello there Holly.”

It took you and Joel two weeks to fully recover from his wounds and your delivery. Your community of Tommy, Maria, Dina, Jesse and Ellie took turns helping look after your little family. Ellie was by y’all’s side as often as possible but spent her nights at Maria and Tommy’s. 

When you were finally cleared to go home, you placed Holly in a newly gifted baby carrier and left the hospital for the first time as a family. Joel carried your baby, much to your dismay, but like hell, he was not going to let you strain yourself further. You, him and Ellie took slow steps toward your home, letting you take it easy. 

When you were finally at the front door, panting from the walk, Joel gently set Holly down to unlock the door. Before he opened it, he paused and looked at you. His face looked unsure, and it sent a cold feeling through you. Did he not want to be back here? Now that Holly was here, were he and Ellie going back home? 

You swallowed nervously. “Thank you. For walking us back. If you and Ellie want to go back home, I’ll be fine, I promise.” He and Ellie looked at you with mirrored, confused faces, eyebrows equally scrunched together. 

Finally, Joel cracked a smile and shook his head. “I was just thinkin maybe, we’ll stay.” He looked at Ellie. “For good.” 

Ellie beamed at you, waiting for your answer. All you could do was look at the two of them in surprise. 

“Really?” He nodded and waited at your door, at the mercy of your decision. You swallowed back the rising tears, but it was no use. You walked up to him, your daughter sitting in her carrier between the two of you, and wiped your cheeks. “Sorry, it’s the hormones. Yes, please stay.”

He let out a laugh, and his eyes were also filled with tears. “Is forever okay?” 

All it took was a nod from you before he leaned over Holly to grab your face and kiss you. 

Ellie was eating this shit up. Finally. Now, the four of you could go home. 

Final Chapter.

Tag List :) @silksepia @hello-nah817 @longlivetheloneliness @keseqna @millers-girl @treacherqus @lemonboi @spnfic85 @secretlettersfromyourlove @nosebeers @boscogirlsworld @aleemendoza2425-blog @puppi-sonnenschein @needz1nk @ashleyfilm @melmel-fandom

[bittertasteofhoney]

Since Good Day Sunshine is coming to a close soon, and I’m finally writing and posting these ideas I’ve had for years...I need help deciding what to do next. 💛

Please lemme know which tickles your fancy the most! Both fics will eventually get written, but I’m torn on which one to start with. Thank you in advance for enabling my inability to choose!

[bittertasteofhoney]