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fansalot · 4 years

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Of The Valley (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 5: The Flesh Failures

Summary: Life in Jackson is never easy. Consoling angsty teenagers, wading through the mysterious waters of Joel’s romance language and with a child of your own on the way? Life is about to get a lot harder.

Of The Valley Masterlist

RDR2 Masterlist

Tag list (please comment to be added or removed): @sidepuff @joelsheartache @fangirl-inthe-us @cowboyfrazer @scarletpines @mikah-writes @writersblockincoming @sleepylunarwolf

A/N: Thank you guys so so much for all this support, it’s genuinely astounding! Your guys comments really make my day!

•••

There was no way you were pregnant. Absolutely no way. It was a stupid thought. You couldn’t be pregnant, there was no possibility of that.

You were probably just sick from dinner last night. It was common. Especially since Tommy couldn’t manage to find any fresh ingredients. It was definitely the stew, you assured yourself. Not a chance you could be carrying a baby.

When was the last time you had your period? Two months? Even before that? It was probably just the stress that caused you to miss it, or forget about it entirely. That was most likely it. You were okay. There was no baby.

“You alright in there?” Joel’s gruff voice asked from the other side of the door.

His question didn’t even register for a few seconds.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” You said, trying to keep the pain out of your voice, regardless it still came out weak and painful.

“Why do you sound like you’re on the floor?”

You got up quickly and opened the door for him. “I’m fine.”

Joel stared at you in confusion and glanced over your shoulder. The nausea was making it hard to stand up straight, but you managed, as wobbly as you looked.

“Are you sure? You don’t look too well,” Joel interrogated you.

“I’m good. Just feeling a little sick.” The nausea was slowly increasing, causing your stomach and head to feel much worse. Your body began feeling warmer.

“We can head back right now to Jackson if you aren’t feeling well,” Joel suggested, his eyes filled with worry.

As much as you wanted to go home, you still owed Maria. You couldn’t give her a half assed job, even though Tommy could have finished it easily.

“Whatever Tommy thinks is best,” You dismissed as you leaned against the counter, feeling the sickness wash over you.

“I don’t think Tommy would want you getting sick on the job.”

“Well, let’s just run it by him first,” You managed to get out as you felt your stomach churn. It was too damn bright in here and the sound of Joel’s voice was almost too loud.

“Okay. I’ll go get him.” Joel left the bathroom in search of Tommy while you tried to balance yourself on the counter.

This was not the first time you were sick in the morning. It was common enough that you didn’t bat an eye at it. It was surely that.

There was no way you were pregnant.

Tommy and Joel came back a few moments later.

“How you feeling?” Tommy asked you, stepping into the bathroom with you.

“Not that good. Did any of you guys get sick last night from the food?” You wondered. Joel and Tommy shook their heads, eyeing you cautiously.

“No. I don’t think Ellie did either. Maybe you got sick from the bar,” Tommy suggested.

“That’s probably it. I heard the daycare got hit pretty badly with the stomach flu, maybe Denise or Charlie came to the bar and spread it,” You replied, making up excuses you hoped to be true. Denise and Charlie were the owners of the daycare.

“Last I heard they didn’t get it. Not many of the parents did either. Could be something else though, who knows,” Tommy answered. Your stomach was feeling worse and worse, going out and finishing off the rest of the infected seemed nearly impossible now.

You were quiet, trying to quell your intrusive thoughts and your stomach pain.

“We don’t have to go out if you don’t want to. Maria will understand,” Tommy assured you. Maria would understand, that was given, but she had begged you to do the job outside of town, you didn’t want to let her down. But you were not going to do another job again out here, as easy as this one was, you had to put your foot down. You couldn’t risk having to go back outside of a Jackson again.

“I have to finish this job,” You grumbled. You really weren’t looking forward to throwing up in front of Joel and Tommy. They needed to leave.

“You’re looking awfully sick. I don’t think it’s best if we go out again,” Joel said this time, Tommy nodded in agreement.

“I’m not going back out here to finish the job if I go back,” You replied firmly.

“I can finish it off. Joel will take you back with Ellie,” Tommy said.

You nodded, someone would have to explain it to Maria when you got back, and then you would return to your normalcy, however that looked from now on.

“Just don’t take too long. Maria will get worried,” You told Tommy, wincing in pain.

“I would never. She would have my head on a spike.”

•••

Joel, you, and Ellie set out for Jackson once again. Levia was happy to see you, you hoped it wasn’t too cold for her and Caesar in the garage.

Ellie and Joel were mostly quiet for awhile. Everything was quiet, you hated it. There was only the clicking of hooves and the gentle noises from the horses.You passed through the abandoned buildings and streets with ease, there was no infected, but wildlife was abundant, although autumn was quickly killing off the land.

Yet you couldn’t take your mind off everything that happened. Would you even be able to return to normal with your friends? Was that even an option anymore? You shut them out for three months, they felt betrayed. You were worried about Ellie in particular, a lot seemingly happened with her and Joel. You couldn’t place your finger on the severity of it, you prayed you would be able to mediate it soon, if you could.

And then there was the possibility of you being pregnant. Was there a possibility of you being pregnant?

You looked down at your abdomen briefly. Was there life inside of there? Was there a baby and you had no idea for three months? There was a small bump.. when had that gotten there? It was just from the change in your occupation, patrol was a lot more physically demanding, you told yourself.

A shiver ran down your spine at the thought raising a child. Especially in a world as cruel as this one. You were barely able to manage yourself these days, let alone a baby.

Your mind was on high alert, though you didn’t let it show. Not even when every toss and turn made you feel sick. Your stomach was still feeling as awful as ever, you were sure it would last most of the day.

You wanted nothing more than to be in bed at your home. Despite the memories held there, you could care less.

Ellie and Joel were talking up ahead. Neither of the two seemed particularly pleased with each other. Their words were muffled, both speaking quietly as they trotted next to each other, nipped sentences and awkward silence. It was uncomfortable for even you to watch.

•••

You snuck quietly back into town, Joel and Ellie handed Levia back to the stables, taking your rifle with them, Joel offering to explain it to Maria while you got some rest while you went back to your house at the edge of town. It was a nicer house, small but homey. It was in one of the neighborhoods near the north district. Though your backyard wasn’t next to the wall, you were only a street away.

It was a craftsman style home. The flowers on your porch had long since died, your lawn was neglected too. Your neighbor was kind enough to cut it occasionally since your property wasn’t too big, but you felt embarrassed knowing that you hadn’t taken care of it, and that it was noticeable. Mark liked cutting the grass especially.

Two chairs out on the front porch, dusty from lack of use, you sighed, adding property care to your list of to-do’s. You opened the front door with your key, pulling off your shoes as you entered.

“I’m home,” You mumbled quietly, hoping perhaps someone would hear you. But no one did, and no one would. You lived alone these days.

Your house was painfully quiet. And you hated quiet. It was such a stark contrast to the life you lived three months ago. Dancing to music in your kitchen while you made dinner, the flickering candle in the corner creating a warm glow, children laughing outside, spraying each other with a hose. The buzzing sound of cicadas outside, the heat of early July on the blacktop, a man who loved you in the corner cutting watermelon. You missed it. You missed it dearly.

Now there was a cold, dark, house, devoid of any life. There was no music, there was no glow, there was no sound. Only the cold, dusty air, a bedroom empty yet filled with things, boxes of records you would never touch again.

You were tired, sickly feeling. There was no one to hold your hair back while you emptied your stomach, no one to hug you while you cried. There was no one here now, just an empty house and an even emptier woman, your secrets suffocating you.

•••

Ellie and Joel returned to their respective rooms for the day.

Ellie was planning on going out with Cat later in the day to watch a movie or two, maybe sneak out at night to go down to the lake with a few other friends, smoke some pot, eat some s’mores, steal a six pack. Normal teenage things. Ellie just wanted to take her mind off things again and not have to worry about her old man.

Joel had nothing on his agenda for today. He had things to do on his day off yesterday, but it was too late in the day to get started on them now. So instead, he decided to finish a carving he had begun, a sparrow. It was a nice enough hobby, it kept his mind off things and it was time consuming. He was using a book Ellie had gotten him for his birthday a few years back as a reference. He was thinking about giving the carving to Maria, he had enough carvings as is.

Later in the day, when the sun was beginning to set Maria knocked on Joel’s door. Ellie left with her friend Cat, he saw them through the window of his bedroom earlier, he wondered where they were going.

“Maria, Tommy,” Joel said as he opened the door, noticing Tommy was with her. He was glad his brother had made it home safely.

“May we come in?” Maria asked, glancing through his door behind him.

Joel opened the door further and let them in. It wasn’t unusual for Maria and Tommy to visit him, sometimes just wanting to socialize, other times coming to him for the odd job or two, or patrol reports.

Joel went into the living room and sat down in his chair, Tommy and Maria going for the couch. They exchanged a look before speaking. Joel immediately knew something was up.

“How was it yesterday?” Maria asked.

“Tommy didn’t fill you in?” Joel replied, raising a brow.

“He did. I want your take on it.”

Joel was perplexed until he remembered yesterday was supposed to be a test for you, he would just be grading it.

“On what exactly?” Joel pressed.

“Y/N. How she did,” Maria corrected.

“She panicked when she shot that first pack of infected. Was hard for her to do the second round too, but she managed,” Joel shrugged, there wasn’t much else to say.

Maria nodded her head. “And her shooting, still as sharp as everyone says?”

Joel nodded in response. You were always a good shot.

“What’s all this testing stuff even for? Why is everyone being so damn secretive?”

Maria and Tommy looked at one another, Tommy began to say something but Maria shook her head, stopping him.

“We want her back on patrol. She asked me not to say anything to you, but I think it would be best if I did. Something happened out there with her, it’s why she went off the grid,” Maria said, her words serious and careful.

Joel knew of this already. Tommy had told him yesterday too.

“What happened?” Joel questioned, trying to piece together the complex puzzle.

“As head of Jackson, it’s not my place to say. But because I’m her friend I think it’s best if you know.”

“Okay,” Joel trailed off, wondering what Maria was going to say.

“Mark died on patrol while they were together.” Maria confessed.

“Mark Lane? As in Y/N’s Mark?”

Tommy and Maria both nodded grimly.

Joel cursed under his breath before speaking to them. No wonder he hadn’t seen him around town, then again he hadn’t seen you much either. But Mark was dead? They hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but they were well enough acquaintanced. Mark was an amazing patrolman, a little under the radar, but his talent was well known.

“How’d he die?” Joel asked.

“Just died out on patrol,” Tommy replied, his eyes boring into Joel’s. Joel took the hint.

“Is that why she has been avoiding everyone?”

“I tried to get her to talk to you, I did. She wouldn’t budge,” Maria said to Joel.

“You should have told me.”

“I told Y/N it was her call and she asked me not to mention it, so I did. But it’s dragged on too long, we need her now,” Maria told him. Joel nodded understandingly.

“For what? We have enough people on patrol as is. Ellie’s moving up, she can take Y/N’s place.”

“I told her I wouldn’t put her on patrol anymore, but we have word of a large horde of infected heading directly our way as we speak. We’re dividing assigned patrollers and future volunteers into groups, we need Y/N as the leader of our sniping group,” She explained carefully.

“A horde?” Joel asked dumbfounded. He had never in his life been even caught in one. He knew New York City was one big horde now, as well as Los Angeles and Miami, he had ran from large groups of infected, sure, but he had never been close to a horde.

“We can take them. We already have our traders coming early to bring supplies. Best case scenario, the horde barely misses us for the winter, worst case scenario, we lose some people in the fight, but we can kill this many infected, we have the manpower to do it,” Tommy replied determinedly.

“We have groups of infected coming up here every damn winter, what makes this one any different?”

“The difference is that this is a large horde. Bigger than any one we’ve seen yet, our people down south said we need to prepared, we can’t risk this horde getting close to town,” Tommy explained to him.

“And where do I fit into this?” Joel asked. The sun was setting further now, it was beginning to get darker. The street lamps turned on outside. Halloween was in a few weeks, he had been meaning to decorate. It was Sarah’s favorite holiday, they always went all out. Perhaps he would light an autumn candle tonight and make some fall comfort food — hearty soup or pasta.

“You’ll be head of our field patrol with Tommy, along with a few others. Tommy and you will coordinate defenses, you’ll be out on the frontlines,” Maria was the one to explain this time.

Joel’s heart began beating faster, he couldn’t sit back and watch his friends fight a horde of infected, he was glad he would be fighting alongside them.

“And the sniper unit?”

“That’s where Y/N comes in. Where our frontliners can’t work, we’ll have our snipers lead,” Maria claimed. They would have a good chance, especially with the supplies and manpower Jackson had.

“When is this horde due to hit us?” Joel asked. All they would need is a couple days, lots of molotovs and explosives and ammo to pick off this pack

“Right now it’s looking like early December. We expect the horde to leave some stragglers behind through cities they pass so it won’t be quite as big as it is looking right now,” His brother explained.

Jackson being hit by a horde? Joel was more worried about the people of Jackson panicking, the frenzied fear of people was sometimes more dangerous than a group of infected.

“Have you told Y/N about this?” Joel asked Maria quietly.

She shook her head gently, “I don’t want to spring this all on her so quickly. We just need to ease her into this, I’m sure it’s all very overwhelming right now.”

Joel understood well enough. Losing someone you were close with is never easy, he was well acquainted in that department, he knew the pain that came with it. He would talk with you later about it, but first he would take you to the lake like he had promised.

•••

Maria came by at night, holding a box of cookies, waking you from your nap. At least your stomach had stopped hurting, yet you still felt beyond tired, your whole body ached.

“Hey,” You greeted her softly as you opened the door, your eyes still adjusting to the light.

“I heard you got sick earlier, how are you feeling?” She asked as you let her in. You could smell the leaves as you opened the door, the slight remnants of the crisp autumn air from last night still lingering in your mind.

“Better, not sure what came over me,” You sighed, shutting the door while you both stood by the door.

“Do you think you can go into work tomorrow?” Maria asked you, her eyes softening.

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’m good,” You said quickly with a shrug, playing it off.

“Are you sure you’re not getting sick? Flu is common around this time of year, working in a bar probably wouldn’t make it better.”

“I’m fine, Maria, seriously,” You reassured her.

“Have you gotten sick at all recently?” She continued.

“Yeah, I get sick usually in the morning, I’m sure it’s just because of my nerves and what not,” You confessed to her. Maria’s eyes widened briefly.

“You look a little flushed.. you’re one hundred percent sure you’re not getting sick? Or that this isn’t something else?” She emphasized on the last sentence.

Your mind wrestled with itself, should you tell Maria you think you may be pregnant? She would be supportive of you surely and would make sure to accommodate you.. but you didn’t want her to fret and you weren’t even totally convinced.

“I don’t feel sick now, it’s probably nothing,” You said, attempting to reassure not only her but yourself too.

“Okay well, how was yesterday then?”

“Joel’s angry with me. Ellie’s angry too,” You sighed, looking down at your shoes.

“They’ll come around eventually. But patrol went off without a hitch?” She redirected the question, dismissing your original statement.

“I guess, I’m glad it’s over though.” Patrol hadn’t gone off without a hitch, in fact, it was anything but smooth, but at least you had gotten some work done. You were sure Tommy or Joel had already told her all about it.

“Good. Well, it’s getting late, I still have to go stop by Ellie’s room when she gets back from wherever the hell she is, so goodnight. I hope you like the cookies,” Maria said, handing you the tin of cookies.

You looked out into the street, your neighbors had already put up some decorations for Halloween. Mark had a love-hate relationship with Halloween, sure he got candy and could indulge in as much as he wanted, but when he was little he had tripped and fell on Halloween and broke an arm and the year after that he had broken his other arm on the same night. His birthday was near Halloween too, hence why you teased him and called him Devil Boy. He hated the nickname, but it didn’t stop him from teasing you right back.

There wasn’t much Trick-or-Treating in Jackson, people carved pumpkins and made costumes and went to the Halloween party, but you always missed seeing little kids go door to door, their eyes bright as they shouted for candy. You were only a kid too when Trick-Or-Treating died out.. it was one of the things you missed the most.

You picked up your box of cookies and examined it, it seemed Maria had made chocolate chip, her specialty. You decided to eat a few now before you went to bed again, you got up from the couch and placed the box on the counter.

A movie sounded nice too, so you went to go retrieve a blanket from your bed. You grabbed the heavy blanket and folded it in your hands, looking over at your calendar by your bed. Luckily, someone in Jackson had kept up with the days and made yearly calendars, it saved you a lot of trouble.

You forgot to mark off some days, so you picked up the marker on your bedside table and began crossing off the days that had already passed, then you noticed something.

You had put the days on your calendar where your period would come, months in advance so you could plan around it.. you had missed your period by a week.

It was just a coincidence.. a few coincidences in a row. Then you looked back at your other months.. you didn’t remember having your period on any of those days…

“There’s no way I’m fucking pregnant,” You said quickly, panic rising in your voice.

“There’s no way, no way at all,” You muttered, your breathing unsteady. You flipped through all the way back to July, remembering the Fourth of July.

“Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!” You shouted, realization hitting you like a tidal wave, hot tears forming in your eyes. You were pregnant. There was no doubt in your mind now.

You sat down on your bed and tried wiping away your tears with a shaky head. A thousand thoughts raced through your head, how would you raise a child? You knew nothing about childcare. The last thing you wanted to do would be to bring a child into a world as cruel and unforgiving as this one.

You felt angry, confused, cheated, scared for your baby’s future. You couldn’t give the baby a conventional childhood, there was none of that now. Raising a child on your own was scary enough as it is, you weren’t fit to be a mother.

How could you be so careless and not see any of the warning signs? How could you even let this happen? You were three months pregnant and not once did you think of the possibility you could be before today. The morning sickness, increased fatigue, nausea to certain smells, heightened moods and appetite? The warning signs were right there in front of you, how had you missed every single one of them?

How would you even tell anyone about it? Would Maria truly understand? Would she look down at you for not being careful enough?

And Joel? How would he react? There was enough you were keeping from him already.. you could only keep this secret for a few more weeks anyways.

How would your life look with a child? Limited freedoms? Always having someone to look out for? Perhaps it was selfish to think that way.. there was supposed to be unconditional love between a mother and child

Yet there was a spark of hope in your heart. The thought of having a little one giggling as you held them, their bright eyes twinkling up at you, their tiny fingers so gentle, curling around your own.

Maybe things would turn out okay for you and your child, Jackson was much better than raising a child in a QZ or outside of one, it was the closest thing you would get to a normal civilization. There were other children around in Jackson too, a daycare, a school, playgrounds, other families who would help you.

You rubbed your stomach gently, wiping away all your tears, thinking of the good and the bad that would come out of this situation. There was the sound of a child’s laughter or the sound of a gunshot, which one would resonate louder?

•••

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fansalot · 4 years

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Jealousy // An Ellie Williams imagine

Possible warnings: drinking, jealousy, pettiness (?), Dina and Jesse are really the only spoilers

Request: Hey!! I was wondering if you could maybe write something where ellie is jealous because the reader has been hanging out with Jesse or Dina a lot. Maybe end it angsty or fluffy (idk it’s up to you (: )

Life in the apocalypse wasn’t easy by any means. You had to face the fact that anytime you left the safety of Jackson’s walls, you could easily be killed. Having to face that fact everyday really took a toll on those who understood it. While yes, you we’re born into the cordyceps infected world and didn’t know much about the world before it, you still struggled standing on death’s doorstep every day. That’s why any chance you got to let lose, you took full advantage.

You sat at the bar, beer in hand, and enjoyed the couples dancing. Some were really good and others were terrible, but they were all having a good time and that’s what made it entertaining. As you went to take another sip of your beer, the bottle was swiftly removed from your hand. Your head quickly shot up and towards your now empty hand. That’s when you found the culprit.

“You think just because you’re my patrol partner you can take my beer?” You raised an eyebrow, making Dina laugh.

“Listen, I just danced my heart out. I deserve a drink.” She smiled behind the bottle before finishing it.

“Seth, we need two more down here.” She half yelled while waving an arm. The old man nodded and pulled out two beer bottles.

“You gonna trade anything for these, Dina?”

“Put them on my tab.” Dina winked at Seth, causing the old man to roll his eyes.

“Cheers to surviving another patrol.”

“To surviving another patrol.” You clanked your bottles together before drinking. The two of you sat and watched the dancers for a few minutes until Dina sat up straight.

“Hey, your girlfriend is here.” She pointed across the room to the open door. You had to look around a few people, but you eventually saw Ellie’s red flannel.

“I’ll be back. Don’t drink my beer!”

You jumped off the barstool and made a beeline to your girlfriend. You almost ran into a few dancing couples, but you eventually made it to Ellie. Without hesitation, you pulled her into a bear hug.

“Hey! I didn’t think you were coming.” You loosened the hug ever so slightly so you could look at your girlfriend.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but I missed you and I knew you’d be here.”

“I missed you too, babe. Come on, I already have a spot at the bar.” You let go of Ellie only to grab her hand and drag her across the dance floor and to the bar.

“Babe, take my seat.” You gestured to the barstool next to Dina and she accepted. You sat down beside Ellie and gently placed your hand on her back.

“Hey Ellie. Didn’t think we’d see you here.” Dina greeted while swirling her beer around.

“Yeah, I wanted to hang out with y/n for a little bit. We may live together, but we don’t see each other much.”

“Why is that? Y/n, your dad runs the scheduling. Why don’t you have him put you two on the same schedule?” Dina raised her eyebrow at you while finishing off her beer.

“My dad does the scheduling for the jobs around town. Maria is the one who does patrols.”

“Then talk to your stepmom about getting you two together! All the other couples work together if they want to. You should be no exception. Seth, I need two more beers! Ellie, you drink beer, right?”

“Not tonight. I have early morning patrol tomorrow.”

“Y/n, you need another one?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Awesome! Seth, where are my beers?” Dina got up and marched to the other end of the bar where Seth was defiantly hiding from her. You couldn’t help but laugh at your friend.

“She’s something else.” You took a sip of your drink, officially finishing it. When Ellie didn’t respond, you noticed the mild scowl on her face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Are you two going to get hammered again?” Her tone said it all. Ellie was pissed.

“I was hoping to have a few drinks, yeah.”

“Okay. Just don’t be obnoxious when you come home. I’m not cleaning up your mess again.” Before you could respond, Dina came back and handed you another beer.

“Thanks Dina.”

“No problem. So Ellie, how’s the North lookout treating you? I’ve heard there’s a lot of infected out there.”

“It’s good. There’s defiantly…”

You tuned out their conversation. She probably didn’t mean to, but Ellie kind of ruined your night with that comment. Most of your time spent with Dina was on patrol, so, you were really looking forward to enjoying the night in the safety of Jackson. You sat quietly and continued to drink a few more beers while Ellie and Dina caught up with each other. Just as you finished your drink, one of your favorite songs came over the loud speakers. At that point, you had just enough to forget Ellie was mad at you and vice versa.

“I love this song. Will you dance with me?” You held Ellie’s hand and looked at her with hopeful eyes. You knew Ellie wasn’t a big fan of dancing, especially to fast songs, but you thought maybe she would try it for you.

“Oh no, I can’t. I’m terrible at dancing.”

“Come on, babe. Pleaseeee.” You held her hand a little tighter and tried to work your puppy dog eyes.

“No, I don’t want to.”

“Come on, y/n. I’ll dance with you.”

Dina jumped up and quickly pulled you onto the dance floor. You and Dina immediately started jumping around and dancing like idiots. You didn’t care how stupid you looked flailing around, you were having so much fun. The song eventually ended and you and Dina fell into each other, both of you laughing uncontrollably and getting a ton of strange looks. You wrapped an arm around each other and swayed back to the bar.

“Man, I love you, y/n. Seriously. You’re one of the best people I know.” Dina slapped your shoulder before leaning against the bar.

“I love you too, D. I-hey, where’d Ellie go?” You quickly spun around and tried to find her in that red flannel.

“She left. Looked pretty upset too.” The guy sitting on the other side of Dina said. Those words were enough to block most of the alcohol in your body. Dina looked at you with a slightly concerned look.

“Looks like you better go find your girl. Can you make it home okay?”

“Yeah. Can you?”

“I’ll be fine. Go get your girl.” Dina slapped your shoulder again before you ran off.

You stumbled through the crowd and eventually out the door. Things started spinning a little, but you had made the exact same walk a dozen times. The only thing that really posed a threat was the wet leaves everywhere. But, you knew you’d be fine if you fell. It took a little time, but you eventually found your way past the mini greenhouses and to Ellie’s. Without hesitation, you opened the door and nearly tumbled in. Once inside, you saw the most heart breaking sight. Ellie was sitting on her bed, head in her hands and trying not to cry.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” You tried to sit down beside her, but Ellie quickly stood up. Her eyes were red and puffy, causing a ache to settle in your chest.

“What’s wrong? Something is going on between you and Dina. That’s what’s wrong.” Your eyes widened at the accusation.

“Ellie, what are you talking about? There’s nothing going on between me and Dina.”

“You think I haven’t picked up on how you two have been acting these past few weeks? You specially requested her to be your new patrol partner, you always get home late from patrols, and you were just flirting with each other at the bar.” Ellie fought back tears as she spoke. Every word sounded like it was her breaking point. You slowly stood up and stepped towards your girlfriend. Much to your surprise, she let you hold her hands and looked you in the eyes.

“Ellie, babe, Dina has been my friend for years. Hell, she’s practically my sister at this point. There’s nothing going on between us. You have nothing to worry about. I swear. You’re the only one I love.” Ellie pulled her hands out of your lose grasp and crossed her arms over her chest.

“You two haven’t spent this much time together since I’ve known you. If nothing is going on, what’s caused you two to spend so much time together recently?” Her tone changed from heartbroken to even more accusatory and that didn’t sit well with you.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because she broke up with Jesse and has a little more free time?” You shrugged, genuinely not knowing (or caring) why Dina was spending more time with you. Ellie dropped her arms to her sides before shrugging.

“Okay, fine.” Her tone wasn’t very convincing and you knew she was annoyed. She tried to playoff her annoyance by casually walking to the dresser and pulling out her sleep clothes.

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, I do.” Once again, Ellie’s tone wasn’t convincing. If anything it conveyed more annoyance.

“Fine.” You walked over to the desk and grabbed your backpack for overnight patrols. You could feel your girlfriend’s eyes on you as you gathered your own sleep clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to stay at my dad’s. I think we need some time apart.” Your tone was harsh, probably the harshest it had ever been with Ellie. You could tell she was worried now.

“You don’t have to do that. We can keep talking this out.”

“What’s the point? You obviously don’t believe me. I can put up with a lot, but I refuse to sleep next to someone who thinks I’m a liar.”

“I don’t think you’re a liar, y/n. Please, put the bag down and let’s talk.” Now her tone was laced with worry as you put on your flannel shirt.

“No. I can’t be around you right now, Ellie.” All bets of you staying where off when you opened the door.

“Please don’t go. I want you here.” The ache settled in your chest again when you heard the hurt in her voice. You took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night. Love you.”

You stepped out into the cold fall night again and made your way to the other side of Jackson. You couldn’t help but notice all the looks you were getting as you walked down the street. After what felt like an eternity, you reached the doorstep of your former home. You softly knocked, hoping your dad would answer.

“Hi y/n. What are you doing here this late?” Maria asked, already in her robe for the night.

“Hey Maria. I um…I was wondering if I could talk to my dad.” You watched as her eyes landed on your backpack.

“Of course. Come inside it’s cold. Tommy, y/n is here for you!” She stepped to the side, allowing you to walk inside the house. Maria placed her hand on your shoulder to get your attention.

“Is this something you want me to hear? I know how you feel about people knowing your business.”

“It’s nothing personal. This-” she placed her hand up, effectively shutting you up.

“I’ll let you two have your talk. Let me know if you need anything.” Maria walked into the kitchen, leaving you alone until your dad walked downstairs.

“Kiddo, what are you doing here?” Tommy asked as he held his arms out and pulled you into a hug.

“Hey Dad. Do you think I could stay here for the night? Ellie and I kind of got into a fight.” Even though Maria was in another room, you found yourself whispering. Tommy quickly pulled away, his smile was replaced by a puzzled look.

“Of course you can. Is everything okay between you two?”

“I don’t know.” That lump in your throat returned and you try to hold back your unexpected tears.

“Hey, it’s okay. Did you eat dinner?”

“No, but I’m not hungry. I really want to lay down actually.”

“Okay. Here, I’ll take your bag.”

Tommy helped slip the bag off your shoulders and started towards the stairs. You followed him even though you knew where he was going. You followed him upstairs and down the hallway to the last door on the right.

“We haven’t changed it since you moved out.” Your dad opened the door, revealing your childhood bedroom. He wasn’t lying, everything still looked like you remembered.

“Brings back memories.” You couldn’t help but smile as memories from your childhood and teenage years came flooding back.

“You remember that time Dina put her foot through the wall?” Tommy walked over to the far side of the room and pointed at a discolored portion of blue paint.

“Yeah. She was trying to do a handstand and fell backwards.” You both chuckled at the memory, but your smile faded when you remembered why you were back in your childhood bedroom.

“Man, you two were always getting into something when you were younger.” He said with a soft laugh.

“Yeah, we always had a good time.” You sat down on your old mattress and let out a sigh. Tommy walked back to you and carefully sat down on the bed.

“You wanna tell me what happened with Ellie?”

“She thinks something is going on between me and Dina because we’ve been spending more time together. I told Ellie I didn’t love Dina, I only loved her. I could tell she didn’t believe me and that made me mad. So, I packed my bag and I came here because I didn’t want to be around someone who thinks I’m a liar.” You let out a sniffle as a tears attempted to roll down your cheeks. You quickly wiped them away and looked down at the old hardwood floor.

“Kiddo, I’m sure Ellie doesn’t think you’re a liar. She’s probably just really upset at the moment. You both need to cool off for a minute and then talk this out.” Tommy wrapped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you a little closer.

“I don’t understand. I used to run around with Dina for days and Ellie was fine with it. What changed?”

“That’s something you’re going to have to ask her yourself. Remember, that girls been through a lot, more than anyone should ever have to go through. If you both take your time and be patient with each other this will all be fixed.”

“You really think so?”

“I do. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. It’s the look of love if I’ve ever seen it.” That made you feel a sense of pride, enough to make you smile a little.

“Thanks, Dad.”

“No need to thank me. This is just part of parenthood. Now, I’m going to leave you alone so I can get some sleep.” Your dad lightly tapped your shoulder in an attempt to be supportive before slowly standing up.

“Jesus the bed is hard. Good luck sleeping on it.”

“I slept on it for years. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Night, kiddo. Sleep tight.”

“Night, Dad.”

Tommy finally left your room, closing the door behind him. You let out a sigh and actually felt a little better, albeit tired. You decided to change into your sleep clothes while you still felt a little better about the situation. You had to admit that it felt weird doing your nighttime routine without Ellie there to make conversation with. Once you were changed, you slid into the old bed and hoped to get some sleep.

Instead of falling asleep right away, you thought of the first time Ellie snuck over. You were fifteen and she wanted to show you a knife she found while on patrol. She ended up sleeping over and you two talked about anything and everything. That was the first time you felt feelings towards her. The painful ache returned to your chest the longer you thought about it. You forced yourself to shut your brain off and eventually fall asleep.

You woke up the next morning with a mild headache and a growling stomach. With a groan, you forced yourself out of bed and out into the hallway. Just before you reached the stairs you heard Joel’s voice. You tiptoed closer to the stairs until you could barely see your dad and uncle at the kitchen table.

“So, Ellie’s pretty heartbroken about this?” Your dad questioned while eating his breakfast.

“Yeah, she is. She showed up on my doorstep at one in the morning and asked to talk for a bit. She hasn’t wanted to talk to me like that in years.”

“What did she have to say?”

“She said she was really upset about y/n leaving. Felt like crying for a while, but decided to talk to someone instead. She talked about some other stuff too.” Joel paused and took a drink from his mug.

“Like what, Joel?”

“You know, getting married and moving out of the garage. She thought they were ready for that, but this little mess has her thinking otherwise.”

You had to stop yourself from gasping at that revelation. You knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Ellie and move out of the garage someday, but you had no idea she actually wanted to get married. Realizing the severity of this small fight increased tenfold, you decided it was time to go home. Cautiously, you went back to your bedroom, changed into your jeans, shirt, and flannel from the previous day, and mentally prepared yourself to face your family.

“Look who’s up.” Tommy greeted as you walked down the stairs. Joel looked at you with a somewhat stern look that was usually reserved for Ellie.

“Morning, Dad. Morning, Uncle Joel.”

“Hey, kid.” His stern look stayed, even as he took another drink from the mug. You adjusted your backpack, feeling a little uneasy about the situation you got yourself into.

“Where you running off to? Too good to hang out with your dad and uncle?”

“Of course not. I figured I better get home and take care of some things.” Tommy and Joel gave each other a look, making you feel even more uneasy.

“How much of our conversation did you hear?” Your uncle looked at you for a moment before reaching into his jacket pocket. A small part of you was worried you were about to be shot or stabbed. If that was going to be your last moment, you wanted to be honest.

“All of it. That’s why I’m going home, so I can work things out with Ellie.”

“You might want to take this. It’ll at least get your foot in the door.” Joel finally pulled his hand out of his pocket and revealed Ellie’s switchblade. Your eyes widened in surprise since Ellie rarely let it out of her sight.

“Well, go on. She’ll give up eventually and leave for patrol.” Joel held the switchblade out for you to take. You carefully took it and placed in in your jeans pocket.

“Wish me luck. If she stabs me don’t punish her. I probably deserved it.” Your joke didn’t totally stick, but both men gave you a halfhearted smile.

“Good luck, kiddo. If things don’t work out you can always move back in.” It was a sweet gesture, but you really didn’t want to move back in with your dad and stepmother.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

You hastily left the house, determined to make it back home before Ellie left. After running through town you reached the garage you could see Ellie through the door window, searching for something. You placed your hand on the door handle, but paused before twisting it. We’re you allowed to just walk in after a fight? You pulled your hand away and knocked instead.

“Come in!” You slowly stepped in, expecting her to turn around. Instead, she continued to rummage through her desk drawer.

“You don’t have to say it, Jesse. I know I’m late. I can’t find my switchblade.” You stood there practically frozen. What exactly were you suppose to say in situations like this?

“Uh…it’s me.” Ellie stopped searching and looked over her shoulder. You gave her a small smile and in return she finally turned around to face you.

“Hey. I uh…I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Sorry. I found your switchblade in my bag. I knew you’d want it for patrol.” You pulled the switchblade out of your pocket and walked towards her. When you were a few steps away, Ellie held out her hand, silently telling you to keep your distance. You handed her the switchblade and felt the awkwardness in the room intensify as you both stood in silence.

“Thanks for bringing it back. Now I can finally go on patrol.” Ellie stepped to the side and walked past you. You knew you couldn’t let her go out into the world where she could possibly die without talking things out first.

“We need to talk about last night before you go.” You forced yourself to turn around and look at Ellie. It took her a moment, but your girlfriend eventually turned around to face you.

“What is there to talk about? We fought, you left and now you’re back. We’re fine.” She shrugged, trying not to show she was still upset about this whole thing.

“We are not fine. Come on, talk to me, Ellie.” You carefully approached her and much to your surprise again, Ellie let you hold her hands.

“I’m jealous of Dina. There, are you happy now?” Ellie barely looked you in the eye as she spoke. She also let go of your hands and quickly crossed her arms over her chest.

“Babe, why are you jealous of her?”

“Like I said…she gets to spend a lot of time with you and I don’t. She’s also really pretty.” Ellie nervously bit her lip and rocked back and forth slightly.

“I’ll talk to Maria about maybe scheduling us for the same patrols or at least have us both work mornings. That way we’re both home at the same time.” Ellie finally shifted her gaze from the floor to you.

“I’d like that, but I realized it’s unfair for me to ask you to stop hanging out with Dina. You guys have been friends since before I got here.”

“She’ll understand. After all, she did pretty much abandon me the first month she was dating Jesse.” You chuckled at the memory while Ellie smiled at you. It felt amazing seeing her smile again.

“So…are we good?” Part of you was nervous that she would say ‘no’ and your relationship was permanently damaged. The other part was certain things were finally mended.

“Yeah, we’re good.” That was all the confirmation you needed to pull Ellie into a hug. A smile crept across both your faces as you held one another. Ellie pulled away just enough to fit her arms between you that way she could hold your face in her hands.

“You know, you never denied that Dina was pretty.” She tried to give you a serious look, but ended up looking adorable.

“I can’t deny it because she is pretty. She’s not my type though. I only like girls who are interested in space, comic books, guitars, and who are immune to a certain virus that turns people into walking fungus.” Ellie tried hard to fight her growing smile, but failed miserably. You didn’t even try to hide your amusement.

“You’re such a sap.”

“Yeah, but I’m your sap.”

Like a scene out of a movie, you looked each other in the eyes for a brief moment before leaning in for a kiss. The kiss was sweet at first, but after a few moments things heated up. Ellie’s hands found their way up to your hair, effectively pulling you impossibly close together. Just as you took off your flannel there was a knock at the door.

“Ellie? You in there?” Jesse’s muffled voice called out. You quickly jumped apart, both breathing heavy.

“Shit. Yeah, I’m in here! Just give me a minute!”

“Take your time. It’s not like you’re missing work or anything.” Ellie rolled her eyes and let out a groan.

“I guess we’ll pick this up later?” You asked, straightening out your shirt.

“Definitely. I’ll get back as soon as I can.” Ellie turned around to finally leave for patrol. She only made it a few steps before you grabbed her wrist. Ellie stopped and turned to face you.

“Be careful out there. I can’t lose you after I just got you back.” Your girlfriend smiled before leaning in and placing a kiss on your cheek.

“I’ll always come back to you.”

“I love you, Ellie.”

“I love you too, y/n. See you later.”

“See you later.” She leaned in and gave you another kiss on the cheek.

Ellie finally reached the door and was promptly greeted by Jesse sporting a raised eyebrow.

“And what took you so long?”

“I was busy. Now, let’s go.”

Ellie and Jesse left, officially leaving you alone. You walked over to your bed and laid down, enjoying the feeling of being back in your own home. Just as you closed your eyes for a moment of rest from the emotional rollercoaster you had been on for the past ten hours, there was a knock at your window. You turned your head to see Dina waving furiously.

“Let’s go get breakfast!” Her muffled voice came through the window. For a moment, you considered not going since Ellie told you her feelings about you spending time with Dina. But, Ellie did say it would be selfish of her to ask you to not hang out with your longtime friend. What could one breakfast together hurt anyway? You quickly climbed out of bed and met Dina outside.

“Hey, D. What’s up?”

“I think you know what’s up. You really think you could get into a fight with Ellie and not tell me about it?” Dina placed her hands on her hips and tried to look angry at you.

“How’d you find out?”

“People in this town talk, y/n. Come on, you can tell me all the details over breakfast. I’m starving and hungover. Not a great combination.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

You threw your hands up in a surrendering way before walking with Dina to the bar. It was going to be a long morning, but after the drama you had just been through, you were ready for anything.

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fansalot · 4 years

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TO BE SAVED, ii

i love one (1) man

pairing: joel miller x reader summary: you tend to the wounded. warnings: usual. rated m! blood, injury etc.

-()-

You sigh, bending down, lifting his lids carefully. Hazel eyes have slurred back into the sockets.

It’s safe, you think. You hoist one of his arms very softly up and begin hauling him towards the open, blue metal door. He’s pretty heavy, and you struggle for the better part of a minute, but you’re able to slide him into the mall and lock the door behind you. The front door was barricaded- this one was the only way in or out.

Keep reading

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fansalot · 4 years

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If I ever were to lose you I’d surely lose myself.

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fansalot · 4 years

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Joel through the years ⌚

Nothing really interesting, I just felt like drawing some overworked portraits lol

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fansalot · 4 years

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rainbow added. 🤠

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fansalot · 4 years

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Joel Miller Headcanons: Music Edition Pt 2

My first post was popular and this is so fun

I'm also hyperfixating oops

It's mostly country you can fight me on these idc it's quality content

Gary Allan's 2003 smash country hit "Nothin On but the Radio" is one of Joel's favorite sexy songs

Joel listens to Nine Inch Nails

but imagine "it's the remix to ignition" coming out of that man's mouth

BARENAKED LADIES "ONE WEEK" HE CAN SING IT BY HEART

acoustic Matchbox Twenty and Santana on late nights at home

2005's "Pickin Wildflowers" by Keith Anderson is another kinky song he's unashamed of

He can and will play an acoustic version of "Electric Feel" on guitar and it's glorious

Okay but Joel singing heartbroke 80's country used to earn him extra cash at the bar and bring him women

Vern Gosdin's "Set Em Up Joe" is the perfect amount of angst for Joel

He tenderly searches for and carries home tapes and records that he can scrounge up in record shops while lovingly building up an eclectic display of alt, rock, country, etc that he shows you when you're alone with him

He collects guitar picks and you can't change my mind on that

drunk karaoke specifically REO Speedwagon is his guilty pleasure

Joel Miller fucks to ZZ Top pass it on

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fansalot · 4 years

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The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 12: Seattle, Day 3

Chapter 11

(A/N: So I want to make some announcements on this story. In this story, Mel is NOT pregnant and Lev and Yara DON'T exist. Even though I did like Yara and Lev, the reason they won't be seen or mentioned in this story is that they were basically used as part of Abby's redemption arc in the game. Since Joel is not dead and Abby is dead set on killing him and (y/n), they won't be in here. So I hope you guys understand.)

*2 Years Earlier*

"Joel! Joel, honey, wake up!" I said, frantically, as I shake him awake. It was the middle of the night and we were on one of our patrols out with Ellie. I woke up just a few moments ago when I noticed that Shimmer and Ellie were gone. This worried me and I got up and saw a note from Ellie.

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" He asked me once he starts to wake up. "It's Ellie." I said and Joel sits up, quickly. "What happened?" He asked and I hand him the note I found. He reads it then his eyes widen and he looks up at me.

"She's gone." I said and we exchange a worried look before we got up, got dressed, mount our horse and head off after Ellie.

As the dark night sky started to turn a pink hue, we made our way back to that old familiar hospital and see Ellie sitting down on a crate. She looks up and sees us coming before she stands up as we get closer to her. "Ellie!" Joel and I call out and our horse stops then we dismount the horse and walk over to her.

"Come here." Joel whispers as he goes to hug her and I stand next to them and placed a hand on her shoulder. "The hell were you thinking? Running off in the middle of the night like that?" I asked her, worriedly, while I noticed she has this blank, disinterested look on her face.

"You talk to us. You don't just leave us a damn note--" Joel said to her, his voice full of worry as well, when Ellie shoves him off of her then she slaps my hand off of her shoulder. She let's out a shaky breath then she looks up at us.

"Tell me...what happened here." She said, firmly, to us. Joel and I exchange looks before we look back at her, my heart pounding in my throat as I knew that this would happen. "If you two lie to me one more time...I'm gone. Both of you will never see me again. But if you guys tell me the truth...I'll go back to Jackson. No matter what it is." She said.

I look back over to the hospital and all the haunting memories of that night came flooding back into my mind. I look over at Joel as he looks at the building then he looks down at the ground. "Just say it." Ellie whispers to us and I bite my lips at this while I could tell by Joel's face that he was fighting the urge to say the truth.

"Guys..." Ellie pleads to us and I take a deep breath as I continue to stare at Joel. "Making a vaccine...would've killed you." I replied and Joel's face relaxed a bit as he turns to look at me and a tear runs down my face then we look over at Ellie, who looked shocked and disbelief. "So we stopped them." Joel finished and then the hurt and sadness hit Ellie as she looks down.

Then she sits down and starts to sob. "Oh my God!" She cries then she bends forward and starts to cry, her left hand over her face then she lowers it and places it over her heart as she continues to cry. Joel and I go to reach out to her, trying to comfort her, but she stands up and yells. "Don't you fucking touch me!"

She looks at us angrily while I tried to give the best I'm sorry look to her. "I'll go back. But we're done." She said, angrily, then she bends down, grabs her backpack and stomps away from us.

At that moment, I began to sob then I full on cried as I place my hands over my face, the tears running down my face. I felt Joel's hands on my shoulders as he turns me to face him and I bury my face into his chest while he holds me close.

"I...told...you. I...fuckin'...told you." I whispered, in between tears, to him as he holds me tighter and I hear him sniffling and his breathing shaking. "I know..." he whispers back, his voice full of tears, as we stay like this for a few moments just as we hear a horse start to gallop away.

Present Day

*3rd Person POV*

Joel groans as he wakes up in the same spot he always does since he was captured. Tied up to this damn chair. "Aiden and Ethan." A voice said and Joel jerks his head over to see Owen was sitting near him.

"Who's Aiden and Ethan?" He asked and Joel glares at him, confused. "You mumble in your sleep. Awhile ago you muttered those names. I mean, they must be important to you." Owen said. "That's none of your concern." Joel growls and Owen chuckles a bit. "Oh, they must be really important if you're being this tight lipped about it. Who are they, hmm? Friends? Cousins?" Owen asked.

"Why do you care?" Joel asked him, with a growl. "Just curious." Owen said Joel scoffs and turns his head away from him. "Okay, fine. You don't have to tell me. I'm just here trying to make friendly conversations." Owen said and Joel rolls his eyes and scoffs at this again.

"But I would like to know...who's Sarah?" Owen asked and anger flared in Joel's chest as he slowly turns his head to Owen, if looks could kill...Owen would be dead a thousand times right now. "Oh I must've hit a nerve with that one." Owen said, curiously, when there was a knock at the door.

Owen gets up and heads to the door, opens it to reveal Mel standing there. "Hey, Mel." Owen said her. "Can I talk to you?" Mel asked him just as Joel let's out a loud cough. Owen looks over at him then back at Mel. "Sure. What's up?" He asked her. "I need to talk to you, privately." She said and Owen sighs then he walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Joel watches and listens as their voices and footsteps fade away before he looks down and raises his foot, revealing a knife. When Owen got up to the door and talked to Mel, the knife fell off the tray of food Owen had brought earlier. Once the knife hit the floor, Joel quickly fake coughed to disguise the noise as he used his foot to hide the blade.

Once Owen and Mel were far enough away, Joel manages to get the knife up to his hand and begins to cut the rope, freeing himself.

*(y/n)'s POV*

I wake up from sleeping on the floor of the backstage room and started to grab my backpack and head back towards the lobby. I'd hope to find Ellie alone and maybe talk to her about last night; but once I got to the doors that lead to the lobby, I found Jesse and Ellie sitting in a chair while Dina was curled up in a couch.

I look over at her and see that she looked pale and she was sweating. I frown over at her then at the other two before Jesse gestures for me to follow him. The three of us head up the stairs and we walk up to the top balcony, Jesse leans against the barrister before he speaks.

"She had a rough night. Barely could get her to keep water down." Jesse said and I look over at them and could see that Ellie was barely looking at me. "Should've woken me up." I said to them as Ellie rubs the back of her neck while Jesse looks out towards the theater.

"Is she pregnant?" He asked us and Ellie and I look over at him, shocked that he figured it out. Course he is a smart guy, he would've figured it out. "Yeah." We said. "We've got to take her back. She needs real care and she's not gonna get it while she's here." Jesse said and I nod.

"I know. And that's why I think you two should go and take her back to Jackson. I'll get Tommy and Joel." I said and Ellie finally looks up at me. "What? No, I'm not leaving you here alone!" She said, quickly. "And if she stays here, Dina will stay too." Jesse said and I stare at them and smile a bit at them.

"Screw it. Let's go get them." Jesse said then he turns to me, goes into his pocket and pulls out the map. "This aquarium that girl told you guys about. Tommy hasn't found Abby or Joel yet. We'll post up there 'til he does." Jesse said as he hands me the map.

I take it and look it over before I look up at them. "And you two are good with leaving Dina by herself?" I asked them. "Her orders." Ellie said. "Okay." I muttered. "I'll tell her we're heading out." Jesse said and Ellie started to leave but I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ellie, can I talk to you?" I asked her. She looks at me then at Jesse before I look over at him and said. "It won't be long..." he nods and he walks down the stairs. Ellie folds her arms across her chest, still not looking at me. "(Y/n), we have to..." she started to say but I interrupt her.

"You don't have to say anything, just listen..." I said and she slowly looks back at me. "I just want to say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that...what I did to Nora last night scared you..." I said. "You didn't scare me." Ellie said, trying to act tough, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh come on, Ellie. Ever since last night, you've barely looked at me. It's almost like you're...scared or afraid of what I'll do next." I said and she sighs before she looks down.

"I know you and Joel have said you've done some fucked up shit...but...I guess...just seeing it in person...was different than being told about it. I was just in shock." She replied and I frown a bit. "I did warn you." I said, softly. "I know, you did. I just...I thought I could handle it..." she said.

I frown at her again then placed my hands on her shoulders. "I've done even worse things to people. Things I'm not proud of. But that was under the guide of survival. Now I'm doing it for my family. For Joel, for Tommy, for Aiden and Ethan...and...for you." I said and Ellie's eyes widen in shock. "You guys are all the family I've got and have."

Tears start to fill Ellie's eyes then she goes and hugs me. I let out a small sob and hug her back then kissed the top of her head. We pull back from the embrace and I give her a smile as she stares into my eyes. "Okay...enough of this mushy shit...let's go get Joel and Tommy." I said and she nods and I walk over to the stairs and walk down them.

After waking Dina up and having her get the door for us, Jesse, Ellie and I head out into the rainy streets of Seattle. "Okay, the map showed the aquarium along the shore. Should be down this way." Jesse said and we make our way through the downtown area of the city.

"Did that girl ever tell you why they're doing this? Why they want you and Joel so badly?" Jesse asked and I could see Ellie giving me a worried look, I couldn't tell Jesse the real truth...at least not now. Hell, I'm still in disbelief on the truth as well.

"Yeah... they were part of the Fireflies. And Joel and I had some fallen out with them years ago." I replied. "What kind've fallen out?" Jesse asked.

"Joel and I were smugglers and we had some disagreements about some cargo. A fight broke out and some of their people died. And now they're wanting payback." I replied. "Damn. Seems a bit...I don't know...a lot of work for something pretty small." Jesse said. "Yeah, well, when you want revenge it can make you do some crazy stuff." I said and Jesse and Ellie nod.

"All I care about is to get to Tommy and Joel and bring them and Dina home." I said. "But that means leaving some of these assholes alive, including Abby." Ellie said. "Most of her friends are dead anyway. And as long as she or any of her living friends don't get in my way, then yes...we'll leave them alive. But if they do or try to come back to Jackson, we'll be ready." I said and they nod.

After making through some more collapsed buildings and large ponds and fighting through some WLF, we make it on top of a truck and I could see a ferris wheel off into the distance. "Hey, that aquarium. It's right next to that ferris wheel." Ellie said as she pulls put the map and shows it to me. "Good. Hopefully, Tommy has the same info." I said and we jumped down and started to swim through the collapsed area of the city.

We came up to an old bookstore and I started to look around when I hear Jesse and Ellie talking. "You know, I would've come with you guys. If you told me." He said. "I-I didn't think you'd want to or thought that it be a good idea." Ellie said as I look through some shelves. "I look up to Joel and (y/n). I would've come." Jesse said and I smiled at this.

Then I found some children's books that seemed to be intact. I wipe of the dust and look them over to see that they were, indeed, in great condition. "Yes." I muttered and I take off my backpack and put these books in my bag.

"Whatcha got there?" Ellie asked me. "Some books for Aiden and Ethan." I said as I put my backpack back on. "Oh, cool." Ellie said then she looks around and smiles. "Here some more." She said as she pulls out more books out of the shelves.

She goes to hand them to me but I stopped her. "Why don't you say that those are from you. They would love it." I said to her. "Really?" She asked, shocked. "Of course." I said and she smirks a bit as she puts the books in her bag. "You know, they missed you." I said and she nods. "I missed them too." She said and we share a smile before we head out.

"Done with the shopping?" Jesse asked us. "Yep. Maybe you should look for some books for...y'know..." I said and Jesse shrugs. "Or I can borrow your books." He said and Ellie and I laugh. "Yeah, okay." I said and we head out.

"You think Abby picked the aquarium because it's so damn hard to get to?" Jesse asked us as we climb though some buildings. "Probably." Ellie said as we walk through this hole and walk along this walkway and look out towards the downtown area, where there was a highway off to the side and where the roads should be was replaced with a river. But the Ferris Wheel did look a bit closer now.

"Jesus. How the hell are we crossing this?" Jesse asked as I looked around. "We could us that road." Ellie said as she points out the highway. "It's pretty fuckin' far." I said then Jesse looks down. "Or we use that." He said and we look down to see one of the soldiers using a boat.

"Yeah. That's better." I said. "Okay, this way." Jesse said and we go through another building, climb down the floors until we reach the bottom area to see it was flooded.

We swim through it then ended up at looked like the main area of a mall, but it was crawling with WLF soldiers walking around. "Sniper spotted in 12. I repeat, sniper sighted at the marina. Likely a trespasser. Any nearby units report. Over." We hear a woman's voice say over the radio.

The three of us exchange a look as one of the soldiers ordered some of his man to head to the marina. Sniper. That's got to be Tommy. I thought as we swim over to a rope and we start to climb up.

We get to the top floor and I could see a soldier trying to start up a boat. Then I walk over to Jesse and Ellie as they stand next to a large hole of the building on the side. "Okay, here's the plan. You two head to the marina and help Tommy, I'll go to the aquarium." I said. "Are you crazy?" Ellie asked me. "Maybe." I said, shrugging.

"You can't go by yourself." Jesse said to me. "I can and I will. Plus, if Abby is there..." I started to say but Ellie shakes her head. "I'm not letting you go alone. I'm not turning my back on you and Joel again." She said and I give her a look. "I'm sticking with you. No matter what." Ellie said, her eyes full of tears. I stare at her for a moment then looked over at Jesse.

"You think you can handle getting Tommy on your own?" I asked him. "Yeah, I can do that. I've handled a bunch of WLF before, what's a few more gonna do." He said and I smiled. "Okay...good luck." I said and Jesse looks between us. "I really hope you guys make it." He said and he walks one way and Ellie and I walk another way.

@fangirl-inthe-us @critical-musings @sleepylunarwolf

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fansalot · 4 years

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Some pictures of Joel using the photo mode

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fansalot · 4 years

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The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 13: Reunited

Chapter 12

After sneaking around the soldiers and getting to the one available boat, Ellie starts it up and we began to take off just as the WLF noticed us. They fired their guns at us but we got out of there before they could do any serious damage. "Steady." I said to Ellie as she steers the boat out of the old mall and towards the outdoors.

"There! We did it!" She said once we got out. "Great! Now...Where's that Ferris wheel?" I asked as we head on. "Uhhh...oh, there!" Ellie said as she points ahead. I follow her finger and see the wheel was still a bit aways. "Okay, let's just head that way." I said and she steers the boat. Almost there. Please be alive, Joel. I thought

At one point, we ran into a middle of a warzone of the Scars and WLF and Ellie slows the boat down. "What do we do?" She asked me as I look over the situation. It looked like the WLF were losing the battle and the only way to make it to the wheel was to drive through the building the Scars were residing in.

I sigh then shake my head at this. "Fuck it. Just continue on through." I said and I pull out my pistol. "You sure?" She asked. "Yeah, I'll just shoot if any of them sees us." I replied and she nods and steers the boat through the building. The WLF soldiers were killed by a molotov thrown by the Scars just as the Scars saw us and started to whistle.

I raise my gun and fire at any of them I could see as Ellie kept going through. We make it pass them, taken a few out in the process, and see that the wheel was getting closer. We go through some old buildings until we come up to an old arcade and the door to lead us out was closed. I looked up and saw that some debris were tangled up with the chain.

"Of course, cause that would've been too easy." Ellie said, annoyed, and we get out of the boat. "We're almost there." I said as I looked out the door and see that the Ferris Wheel was just right there. "Come on." I said and we make our way through the building.

Ellie and I make our way to the upstairs and come up to a large double door. I go to it but the door wouldn't budge. "Really?" I grumbled. "We could get up there." Ellie said as she points at the gap on top of the door. "Good idea....see anything we can use to get up there?" I asked her as we look around.

"Over here!" She said and she runs over to a crate that we could move. I go over to her and start to help push when we heard a loud crack under our feet. Before we could react, both of us and the crate fall through the floor and land on the bottom level of the arcade.

"Shit." I grumbled as Ellie muttered. "Fuck!"

I look over and was about to ask her if she was okay until I heard a familiar growling noise. We look up and see a Bloater near us as it munched on a dead body, but then it looked up and noticed us.

"Oh fuck!" I exclaimed. "I was beginning to wonder when you fucks would show up in Seattle!" Ellie yelled and we begin to run as the Bloater started to come after us. We split off into different directions as I pulled out my shotgun and began to fire at the monster.

It came at me just as Ellie threw a molotov at it. The Bloater roars in pain and started to go after her but I fired my shotgun at it a few times while she threw another molotov. A few more infected started to come out and attack us but we were able to take them out as the Bloater finally died.

Once the dust settled, Ellie and I exchange a look before I said. "Okay, now...back to that damn wheel." Ellie nods and we begin to make our way back up on the upper floor and see the debris that the chain was tangled up in. We grabbed the long pole and pull it back, making the chain untangle from it.

"Great!" Ellie said and we head back down towards the boat. I go over to the chain and pull on it, making the gate open, while Ellie started the boat up again. She moves the boat over to me and I get in and we head out. The wind and the rain was blowing harder, the thunder rumbled and the lightening strikes as we make our way to the wheel.

Finally, we were coming upon the aquarium when the boat quick working. "Come on! Come on!" Ellie growls as she tries to start the boat but I look to the side and say a wave coming at us. "Ellie!" I exclaimed but before we could react, the wave hit us and knocked us off of the boat.

I shake my head a bit then resurfaced back up and let out a gasp of air. I look around but couldn't find Ellie. "Ellie? ELLIE?!" I called out, panicked. "Right here!" I hear Ellie call out and I turned around to see her a few feet away from me. "Thank God!" I said and I swim over to her but then another wave hit us and we fall back into the water.

We resurfaced and I could see the dock just ahead of us. "Come on! We're right there!" I said to her and we make our way over to the dock.

Finally, we climbed up and made it. "You alright?" I asked Ellie as she helps me up on the dock. "Yeah, fine." She said and we walk up to the aquarium. We go to the double doors but it was locked, so we begin to look around and found a broken window we could get in through.

We get inside and started to make our way in the aquarium. One of the doors was barricaded so we back tracked a bit and I found an open air vent we could crawl through. "Over here." I said and I climb through it then Ellie followed me.

We crawled through the vent for a few moments until we heard a creak and the vent collapses. Ellie and I let out a yell as we fell down and hit the floor. I groaned in pain as I try to get up while Ellie stood up but I could've sworn I had hear a dog barking. "Here." She said as she holds out her hand to me. I go to grab it when I heard running paws on concrete and a growl.

I look over just in time to see that it was a dog as it jumped and landed on me, knocking me back. "Fuck!" I shouted as Ellie yelled my name while I held the dog back as it nashes its teeth at me. Ellie then came and stabbed the dog and yelled. "Get off of her!" Then she stabbed it again before she yanks the dog off of me and tosses it aside.

The dog let out a pained whimper before it let out it's last breath and dies. I take some deep breathes as Ellie looks over at me. "You good?" She asked me. "Yeah...yeah." I said, breathless, and I stand up and look down at the dog in pity. "Stupid dog." I muttered and we make our way out of the room.

We come up to a door, with a crab painted on it, when we hear voices on the other side. Ellie and I stopped and listened as it sounded like a man and a woman fighting, I couldn't quite make it out. Then the man said something about "needing to check on the prisoner" and I hear footsteps.

Ellie and I exchange looks before we open the door, slowly, and we see a woman with short dark hair standing in the middle of the room, her back to us. We started to walk towards her until we heard what sounded like a loud thud from upstairs.

Ellie and I hide behind these crates as the woman looks up. "Owen? Owen, what's going on up there?" She calls out and it sounded like a fight was going on upstairs. Joel... I thought and I quickly pull out my pistol, make my way to the woman, before she could move, and grabbed her.

"Don't you fuckin' move!" I threatened as I had an arm around her neck and a gun pointed at her head. "Oh God, please don't--" she pleads to me. "Shut up." I growled as Ellie walks up next to me while we still hear a fight going on upstairs.

"Come on." I said and I move my hand from around her neck and grabbed the scruff of her coat collar and lead her up the stairs. "Mel! Mel, I need help!" I hear Owen call out then I push Mel through the door. I turn to Ellie and held a finger to my lips then pointed at the wall, telling her to hide by the wall. She nods then leans against the wall near the door.

"Sorry Owen. Got my own problem." Mel said as we enter the room, my gun still trained on Mel's head. I look into the room, which had to be an old office area, and see that Owen and Joel were in the middle of a fight. Joel looks over at me and he has a look of shock on his face.

"(Y/n)?" He said then, taking advantage of him being distracted, Owen grabs Joel by the shoulder then kicked the back of Joel's knees, making him fall forward, then aimed his gun at Joel's head. "Don't you touch him again!" I yelled as I aim my gun at him.

"Look...I don't want to kill you or this young lady..." I said as I nod towards Mel. "Just hand him over and I'll let her go...and then we'll leave." I said as I nod to Joel. "Yeah, right. After everything you and him did, you think we'd just let you guys go?" Owen spat at me, as he gestures at Joel. "You should be thankful that I'm giving you a choice." I growled.

"How about I shoot you and him that way you two will be here when Abby comes back." Owen said. "Owen please..." Mel pleads then I signaled to Ellie. She pops up next to me and aims her gun at Owen. "Looks like you're outnumbered, pal." She said as Owen looks at her, surprised as well as does Joel.

"We just want Joel. And you two can go on your Merry way." Ellie said, in a low tone. "But if either of you or your friend, Abby, set foot back in Jackson again...you will regret it." I threatened as I hear Mel sniffling and Owen glares at me. "I will personally make sure of that." I growled. Owen looks at me and Ellie then at Mel before he looks down at Joel.

"Owen...Owen please....this isn't worth it!" Mel pleads as Owen has his eyes shut tight, almost like he was contemplating something. "Owen, please!" Mel begs, frantically, before Owen looks up at me while Joel looks up at him.

"Fuck it." Owen growls and he aims the gun at me. "No!" Joel and Ellie shout as Joel gets up and grabs Owen's arm just as he fired. At that moment, I felt a pain in my right shoulder and I fall backwards, dropping my gun. "(Y/n)!" Ellie screams as Mel grabs my gun and goes to aim it at me but Ellie was quick as she shoots Mel in the head.

"Mel!" Owen screamed as I growled under my breath from the pain in my shoulder. I look up and see Joel grabs the gun out of Owen's hand and shoots him twice in the chest. I groan and start to sit up just as Ellie comes up to me. "(Y/n)! You okay?" She asked me. "Besides a hole in my shoulder, I'm doing good." I said and she chuckles a bit then she helps me up just as Joel walks up to me.

Both of us stare at each other for a moment before he pulls me into an embrace. Both of us laugh with relief as we hugged each other, a tear running down my face. "I'm so glad you're okay." I whispered to him. "I was afraid I wasn't going to see you again."

"I'd never leave you and the kids alone." Joel said and I smiled as I pull back and get a good look at him. There I noticed that his face was covered in bruises and there were some fresh cuts on his face. "You look like shit." I said, teasingly, and he chuckles. "You should look in the mirror. You look like you hadn't slept in days." He said and I rolled my eyes. "Wonder why that is..." I said and Joel smirks and he kissed me.

I smiled at him once we broke the kiss and I look over at Ellie who was smiling at us, fondly. Joel turns to her and, immediately, there was awkward tension in the air. "Hey, kiddo." Joel said as Ellie looks at him before she rushes over to him and hugs him.

Joel, startled by this, hugs her back and I hear him let out a sob at this. My eyes filled with tears and I placed a hand over my mouth, watching these two hug, when I heard footsteps. I turned around, ready for an attack, but it turned out it was Tommy and Jesse.

"Tommy." I said, relieved. "Thank God." Tommy said and he goes to hug me. "Oh, careful. Got shot in the shoulder." I warned him. "Sorry." Tommy said and we pull from the embrace and he saw Joel just as he and Ellie stopped hugging. "Holy shit!" Tommy said and he goes to hug Joel, who starts to chuckle.

"How you doin', baby brother?" Joel said to him and Tommy chuckles. "You sonuvabitch." He mutters and Joel laughs as they pull out from their hug. "I'm glad you're alive." Tommy said and Joel nods.

"Holy shit." Jesse mutters as he noticed Owen and Mel's bodies. "Yeah, we need to get out of here." I said then the five of us head out of the aquarium and make our way back to the theater.

@sleepylunarwolf

@fangirl-inthe-us

@critical-musings

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