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jayispunk · 1 month ago

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I loved this fic so fucking much, please read it guys!

Falling For You - Part 3

Joel Miller x f!reader | 10.6k | 18+ | masterlist | fic masterlist | ao3

fic summary: Joel Miller gave up on the idea of a soulmate at least 20 years and one apocalypse ago. But it turns out the universe hasn't given up on him quite yet.

Part 3: Joel and Ellie made a deal to live, and it turns out there's a bit more left for Joel in this life than he expected.

a/n: annnd we're here! Part 3 of 3. This is the end. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing this AU. I love these two. see tags/warnings below and check the fic masterlist for the full tags. Thank you again @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta!! 🧡

tags/warnings for part 3: fluff, angst, more family fluff, hand holding, dancing, Joel Miller can dance I don't know what to tell you, ogling, kissing, teasing, flirting, so much flirting, pet names (darlin', beautiful, sweetheart, baby), public cuddling? is that tag, smut (kissing, groping, fondling, grinding, oral (f!receiving), p-in-v sex)

Part 3

Joel had never felt like this before.

He walked out of the shop with his hands tingling, mind spinning, tracing back over the ways she’d touched him. The way she’d reached out and held his hand and he hadn’t wanted to pull away, hadn’t wanted to run. He’d wanted to stay right there on that couch, with her, and let her hold his hand. He’d wanted to reach out and touch.

His soulmate.

Something about the way she’d looked at him…

He blinked. He found himself standing frozen in the middle of the road, halfway back to the office. No one seemed to have noticed him standing there, but he hurried forward.

When she touched him it was like sinking into something warm. Something familiar. He had no idea how much time had passed while he was at the shop — no idea how long her gaze had held his and pinned him in place on that couch. How had she done it?

Joel couldn’t believe he’d said all of that. He’d told her, somehow, told her everything, and now he was walking the street in a daze. Something about her, her smile, her warmth, put him so at ease that he hadn’t even hesitated.

His eyes caught on his reflection in a shop as he passed. He looked down and realized his hands were clenched into fists. He couldn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything but the pounding of his heart and the vice-like squeeze around his lungs.

He didn’t know how to do this.

…

That night on the walk home from dinner, Joel finally managed to get it out.

“Talked to Bolts, today,” he said, and ignored how he sounded like he was being strangled by his own feelings.

Ellie lit up. “Yeah?? And?”

He shrugged. “And nothin’. We’re havin’ lunch tomorrow. Gettin’ to know each other.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Nothing? Were you grumpy at her? I told you your face will get stuck like that.”

He rolled his eyes and swiped over her hair before she could dodge, messing it up. He smiled when she squawked in protest. “You makin’ fun of my natural sunny disposition?”

Ellie poked him in the side and he bent in half with a played-up oof. “Sunny? Sure, Joel. More like cloudy. And thundery.”

He laughed and shook his head. Ellie always knew how to make him laugh. “We just talked. I apologized for takin’ so long. ‘N I told her I told you, so it’s not a secret. Just don’t go botherin’ her about it.”

Ellie gasped dramatically. “Are you calling me a bother?”

Tommy had called her “a bother” a few days before and then had to explain what he meant when Ellie had responded that’s a verb, duh. Her vocabulary was expanding in the most unexpected ways.

“Isn’t bother your middle name?” Joel asked mildly, and raised his eyebrows when gasped again. “Ellie Bother Williams, ain’t it?”

Ellie started coming up with middle names for him in retaliation – Grumpy, or maybe Grandpa. No, Old Man! – and he smiled the whole way home.

…

Joel arrived at Nuts ‘n Bolts just before noon the next day, lunch carefully tucked into a canvas bag he’d borrowed from Tommy. He took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders before stepping inside.

“Hello?” he called over the tinkling of the bell over the door. As he glanced around he marveled again at how good Bolts was at her job.

“In the back!” she called. “Same spot as yesterday. Lock the door, would you?”

Joel smiled as he turned and locked the door behind him before heading back. “That ain’t gonna be a problem?” He took his time remembering the way through the maze of shelves but found it easier than he expected.

“Nah,” Bolts called, and he could hear her smile. “People know if the door is locked to come back later. If it’s an emergency they’ll knock.”

He turned the last corner and found Bolts tugging a low coffee table towards the loveseat. “Hi Joel,” she said brightly, and he smiled. “I usually keep this in the office but I figured we’d need it. Might work better here, anyway.”

He looked around. “There’s an office, too?”

She stood up straight and waved her hand to the right. “It’s over there. It’s pretty tiny, but it’s helpful to have a place to keep the inventory. That’s mostly what it’s for.” She gestured for him to come closer and he set the bag down on the table. “What’d you bring?”

“Sandwiches. Nothing fancy, but Priya over at the dinin’ hall told me you’d like ‘em.” Joel felt suddenly nervous at his admission.

Sure enough, Bolts looked up at him from where she’d just sat on the loveseat. “You told her it was for me?” She sounded hesitant, but she hadn’t lost her smile.

He nodded. “Yeah, um, might’ve said we were havin’ lunch.”

She grinned. “It’s ok, Joel, Priya’s not much of a gossip. You’re just lucky Artie wasn’t there. It woulda been around town before dinner.”

He laughed and moved forward to take a seat. “Didn’t even think about it, honestly. Just wanted to make sure you’d like it.” Now that he was thinking about it he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it then. He felt a sudden tightness in his chest and took a deep breath to ease it.

“Thank you,” Bolts said, and he glanced at her. She was smiling down at her hands. “Shall we?”

Joel nodded and started to get the food out. He divvied everything up and relaxed back into his seat as they dug in.

“Priya was right, this is my favorite,” Bolts told him when she opened the cloth wrapping around her sandwich. “Thank you.”

“‘Course,” he said. He felt awkward, suddenly, and cast around in his mind for something to say. The silence grew longer as he stared down at his sandwich. He took a bite to stall and glanced over at her again.

She was already looking at him. “What, am I suddenly scary?” She was smiling, but he thought he could see a little bit of worry around her eyes.

Joel shook his head, setting his sandwich down in his lap. “No. And yes. You’re not scary, but this whole thing…” He sighed. “I just… don’t know how to do this.”

“Me neither, Joel,” she said, and reached out to take his hand. As soon as she touched him he felt it again. “It’s the first time for both of us, right? Never had a soulmate before.”

He smiled and felt himself relax a bit more, and marveled at how she made it sound so easy. Her hand was warm in his and he squeezed it lightly. “Alright. Maybe we’ll figure it out together.”

“We will,” she agreed, and squeezed his hand before taking her hand back to eat. “So, you were a contractor before, right?”

“That’s right. What about you?” He settled in and watched as she smiled a bit wistfully before she answered.

“I worked at a hardware store through college,” she said, “but after I finished I was working as an engineer.”

His eyebrows flew upwards. “An engineer? Why’re you–”

“I know, I know,” she cut him off, laughing. “Why am I working in here? Well, not a lot of need for robotics, nowadays.” She shrugged. “I help out with stuff where I can. I helped with the dam, even though I never did much with hydraulics. But this?” She waved a hand, gesturing at her shop. “This I’m good at. Got years of experience, after all.”

He nodded. “You are good at it.” Bolts looked suddenly shy, and he smiled. “You are. I could tell even before we met, just from the way you do your work. Too smart for me by half.”

“Joel–”

“It’s true.” He nudged her foot with his boot. “Did you tell Ellie you worked in robotics?”

Bolts grinned. “Not yet. I’ve been saving it for a rainy day.”

He laughed, and a warm feeling settled inside of him at the knowledge that Ellie had someone else who knew her well enough to know she’d freak out. In a good way. “Can I be there, too?”

She eyed him. “We’ll see.” He could hear the tease in her tone.

Soulmates, huh? he mused to himself. He couldn’t deny it – she made him smile. Made him want to smile. He couldn’t get the smile off his face for the rest of the day.

…

Joel went back for lunch twice more that week, and then once over the weekend.

By the next week they were having lunch almost every day, and he found himself thinking of her all the time. He’d be doing some demo or working on some wiring and realize he’d completely stopped moving, lost in his thoughts, smiling at nothing at all.

Thinking only of her, of her smile, of the curve of her neck when she ducked her head, of the way her nose scrunched when she laughed, of the warmth of her hands in his. The ease he felt every time he reached out to touch, so foreign and unexpected. The way she’d clung to his hand when she told him more about her brother, and the way she’d made him feel able to talk about Tess at all. The softness of her gaze when he confessed how worried he was about doing right by Ellie. The light in her eyes when he told her he was happy Ellie had found in her another person she could trust. The way they both seemed to know exactly how to be there for each other already.

Sometimes when he looked at her, he could hear the echo of their music playing in his mind.

He didn’t know he could still feel like this. He was trying to savor it, to actually let himself enjoy it, and it wasn’t nearly as hard as he’d expected.

…

A few weeks after their first lunch, he convinced Bolts to come see a few of the houses he was working on, the ones she’d heard all about already.

“Have to admit, I’ve been curious,” she said as they stepped inside the house he and the team had just finished working on the day before. “I know these were pretty run down…” she trailed off, looking around, mouth dropped open. “Joel! This looks amazing!”

She moved to the middle of the living room and turned in place, taking in the changes they’d made – some new paint, of course, but under that repairs to the walls, a new beam in the roof, and repaired wooden flooring. They’d fixed up the windows and made the fireplace operational. She was grinning and she hadn’t even seen the kitchen yet.

“This is some good work, Joel,” she started to wander further into the house. “I mean, you know the guys, they had some experience. But with you and Tommy together?” She disappeared around the corner into the kitchen but poked her head back around the doorway and grinned at him. “Well, this is a whole new thing.”

He smiled. “Yeah?”

She nodded. “I’m impressed.” She disappeared around the corner again and he heard her make an “oooh” noise in the kitchen.

He felt a warmth filling his chest – of course he liked that she liked it, that she was impressed, but really he just liked the way she looked at him. During their lunches and now, she looked at him and seemed to really see him. It was heady. He could feel himself getting lost in it.

It had been that type of knowing look that had hooked him with Tess, back in the beginning. She’d always seen straight through him. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised, he mused. Thinking of her still hurt, but he was pretty sure he could hear Tess yelling at him – you better not be thinking of wallowing, Miller.

Joel followed behind Bolts and turned into the kitchen to find her marveling at the back window. “Was this like this before?” she asked without turning. It was a big picture window, they’d been lucky to find the glass intact.

“It was, but the frame was rotted. And it was pretty dirty, ‘course.”

She turned to look at him, still grinning, and took a step forward. They were looking at each other, and so they were both surprised when she stumbled over a stray bit of flooring.

“Oh–” she started, and put her hands out in front of her. Without even thinking about it, Joel stepped forward.

He caught her, arms wrapped around her middle, firmly holding her up. She was leaning forwards, hands on his shoulders where they’d landed as she fell, toes still on the floor but not holding all of her weight.

Her face was inches from his, and for a moment they just stared at each other. He slowly became aware of all the ways she was pressed against him and felt his face start to get hot.

“Thank you,” she breathed, and his gaze traveled across her face, tracing the lines of her eyebrows and cheeks and jaw, and finally coming to rest on her lips. Every thought, every word, flew from his mind.

Without consciously deciding to do it, Joel leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

She kissed him back instantly, and the moment their lips touched, he heard it again.

He lost himself in it, in the music, in all the new sensations – the feeling of her body against his, the softness of her lips, the warmth of her in his arms. When she broke away with a gasp, he realized they were both breathing hard. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers and took a deep breath.

“Darlin’,” he murmured, and smiled when she tightened her arms around his neck. She liked it when he called her that, and just knowing that she liked it lit up something inside of him that had gone out when he lost Tess. He thought it had gone out forever, but now it raced through his veins, setting him on fire from the inside out. “Never thought I’d feel like this again.”

At some point in the last few minutes she’d gotten her feet underneath her and she was steady in his arms. She hummed and he felt it in his chest. “Me neither, Joel.”

He nudged his nose against hers and smiled. “Sorry I’m so slow,” he said, already regretting the fact that he knew he shouldn’t go further than this. Not right then. Even though he wanted to. Even though he could feel her against him and wanted nothing more than to take her hips in his hands and squeeze, tug her forwards and–

“It’s ok,” she said, interrupting his runaway thoughts, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. He felt it like a lightning bolt to the chest. “I get it.”

Joel wanted more, though. And he thought he might be ready for it. “Can I take you out?”

Bolts pulled back to look at him, but neither of them released their hold on each other. From just a few inches away, she smirked at him. “Sure,” she said, and he could hear that she was teasing him. He smiled. “To one of our commune’s many fine dining options?”

He laughed. “I was thinkin’ maybe to the Bison. Get a drink, maybe dance a little?”

A wide smile broke across her face. “Joel Miller, do you dance?”

The smirk that took over his face felt both familiar and not, like he was stretching a muscle he hadn’t used in decades. But it also felt right, it felt easy to flirt with her, to tease her back. His soulmate. “Well, darlin’, why don’t you let me take you out and see for yourself?”

…

Joel was taking you dancing.

Joel Miller was going to take you dancing.

You’d been floating on air ever since he asked, ever since he kissed you. And that kiss…

It had been soft and warm and hot and you hadn’t wanted to pull away, hadn’t wanted to do anything other than let him press you against the wall and do it again. And again.

You’d had to stop, but you were pretty sure there was going to be more kissing in your future. You thought of little else as the days passed until Friday night. You kept finding yourself humming a familiar tune, lost in the music, mind across town rather than in your work. You had no idea how you’d wait until Friday for drinks at the Bison and dancing.

By the time Friday rolled around, you’d had to re-sort a new delivery of screws three times because of your own inability to think of anything other than Joel Miller’s lips. And his hands. And the way his shoulders had felt under your hands, the way his hair had curled around your fingers. The way his face softened when he smiled at you, and the way he’d smirked at you when he’d teased you about dancing.

You looked down at the pile of screws in the box in front of you and sighed. You were going to have to do this later, you were absolutely useless.

At that exact moment, Maria popped her head around the side of a shelf, eyebrow raised.

“Shit!” you said, startled. “I didn’t hear you come in!” You took a slow, deep breath to calm your racing heart.

“I noticed,” she said, tone wry. “I called your name and you didn’t respond.”

You sighed. “Sorry, I’m distracted.” You stretched your neck from side to side, feeling some tension release from your shoulders. You must have been hunched over the box for a while.

She laughed. “I bet! Why are you still here? You can close up shop and go home, get ready.”

You shook your head. “I’ve still got like four hours, Maria, if I go home I’ll be even more useless than I am here.”

Maria clicked her tongue at you. “Well, then, you’re coming home with me. Come on.” She took the box of screws away from you and placed it to the side of your workbench. “I’ll feed you and then distract you while you get ready.”

“I knew you were my best friend for a reason,” you said, and she laughed again.

“Don’t worry, you’ll pay me back with babysitting.”

You looped your arm through hers as you walked towards the front. “You don’t have to barter with me for that, you know I’ll do it for free.”

Dinner with Maria was exactly the distraction you needed, and after she helped you pick your outfit, you were feeling much better. Still nervous, as you watched the clock and waited for Joel to arrive, but better.

When Joel knocked on the door, your heart rate picked right back up again.

You opened it to find him looking extremely handsome on the other side, in a dark green, button-up shirt that fit him like a glove, and jeans that you were certain were doing nice things for his ass, even though you couldn’t see it yet. His hair was tousled and styled and you wanted to dig your fingers into it.

He was looking at you, eyes wide. “You’re beautiful,” he said, voice low and sincere.

You smiled. “You’re looking pretty handsome, there, yourself.”

Joel reached forward and tangled his fingers with yours. “You ready?”

You nodded and let him tug you out the door. As you walked to the Bison, he told you Ellie was having movie night with Tommy and Maria.

“I heard,” you said, smiling. “I had dinner with Maria, she told me Ellie and Tommy have been talking about it all week.”

Joel rolled his eyes and you laughed. “They love those space movies.”

You gasped, playfully. “You don’t? Joel, they’re classics!”

He sighed, and you felt something fizzing inside of you, light and airy. You loved teasing him like that, especially because he would tease you right back every time. Flirting with Joel was so easy and you marveled a little at how quickly you’d become used to it.

He squeezed your hand. “Not you, too?” He shook his head.

You teased him more as you walked, and before you knew it he was holding open the door of the Tipsy Bison for you. As you stepped inside you noted the Friday night crowd with a few couples already dancing in the middle of the floor.

“Let’s find a table,” Joel said, leaning in so he could speak lowly in your ear. You shivered as his hand came to rest against your lower back. “And then I’ll grab us some drinks.”

You settled in at the table you found and let yourself watch him as he moved across the room. Your eyes caught on his shoulders and slipped down the curve of his back to – I knew it – the nice outline of his ass in those jeans.

You smiled to yourself. Right at that moment, Joel turned to glance at you and caught you looking. He smirked.

“What,” you mouthed, trying to look innocent. He grinned, and you smiled back. He began moving back across the room towards you, drinks in hand, and you didn’t hide the way you checked him out as he got closer.

“See somethin’ you like, darlin’?” he teased as he sat down across from you at your small table. His knee nudged yours and you took the chance to hook one of your ankles around his.

“Maybe,” you said, and took a sip of your drink. “Maybe I’m taking a page out of your book with those jeans.”

He reached across the table, suddenly looking a bit shy, and tangled your fingers together. “Yeah?”

You leaned forward, eyes darting across his face. He has to know, you thought, and decided to tell him just in case. “Joel, you are very handsome,” you said, tone sincere. “Hot, even. So freaking hot.”

Joel’s eyebrows flew up, and you wanted to lean forwards and kiss his cheek that had just turned a bit pink. “Me?”

“You,” you said, nodding. “I might’ve had to completely start over with some inventory I was doing earlier because I was thinking about it.”

Joel looked at you and then suddenly stood up. You blinked, wondering if you’d said something wrong, but before you could even fully form the thought he sat down next to you on your side of the booth.

He nudged you over with his hip and curled his arm behind you on the seat. He leaned in, and you could feel his lips brush against the shell of your ear when he murmured, “thinkin’ about what, darlin’?”

You shivered, again, and this time you knew he noticed. “You,” you said, your eyes meeting his. He leaned back, but not far, and you were so close you could feel his breath tickling your jaw. “Your smile. The way your eyes crinkle when you laugh.” He laughed, a bit taken aback. “Just like that,” you said, smiling. “Your hands.” You looked down and watched as his free hand slid onto your knee. “Your arms. Your shoulders.”

“You said that before,” he said, looking down to either side at his own body. “My shoulders?”

You nodded. “You are very broad, Joel. It really does it for me.”

He laughed. “Well, darlin’, everythin’ about you does it for me. Everythin’,” he repeated when you opened your mouth. You closed it again and he nodded. “God, you’re so smart, so good at what you do, you know that? And then on top of that you’re funny?” He leaned in and hummed, pressing his lips to your jaw in soft kisses. “And you’re so fuckin’ beautiful. Takes my breath away.”

“Joel,” you breathed, and your breath hitched when he kissed the corner of your mouth. You turned to kiss him fully but he leaned back.

“Dance with me, darlin’?” He held out a hand for you, expression open, eyes full of hope. You took his hand.

“Where’d you get these moves, Joel Miller?” you teased as he pulled you to standing.

He shrugged, eyes bright. “Come over here and find out.”

He led you onto the dance floor, and you realized a more upbeat song was playing. He maneuvered you into a position you’d seen other people take before – other people who knew what they were doing.

“Uh, Joel,” you said, suddenly realizing you’d never brought up your less than extensive experience with dancing. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

He just smiled and tucked you more securely in his arms. “Don’t worry, darlin’, we’ll start slow. I’ve got you.”

And he did. Joel showed you the steps, slowly at first, and then speeding up a bit when you caught on. He led you carefully around your little corner of the dance floor. You could tell, just from his movements, that he was very good at this.

Once it felt like your feet didn’t need your full attention, you asked, “where’d you learn to dance like this?”

Joel turned you and you looked down at your feet again. “Been dancin’ like this since we were kids,” he said. “Me ‘n Tommy. Learned from our family. Our mom’s side was huge, we had so many cousins. Every family gatherin’ had dancin’. A bit of this, a bit of that. Everybody was two-steppin’, we’d dance to anythin’. And my aunts loved bachata. Had a cousin that used to teach salsa lessons.”

“Wow,” you said, impressed. “Can you do those, too?”

He laughed. “Haven’t in years, but I probably still know the steps somewhere up here.” He tilted his head. “This is goin’ well enough and I haven’t two-stepped in more than 20 years.”

“Well, I’m impressed,” you said, and you really were. He was leading you seemingly effortlessly, after all, and you’d been pretty sure you were a terrible dancer just 10 minutes ago.

He taught you a few more moves, and before you knew it you were twirling and breathless as he showed you what he could do. Your head was spinning from the feeling of his hands guiding you, his body pressing against yours, his voice murmuring instructions and praise in your ear. That’s it, darlin’, just like that. You were dizzy from it, from Joel.

After a few songs you stepped back, ready for a break. “Let’s sit,” you said, and Joel followed easily behind you back towards your table. He slid in next to you in the booth without hesitating.

“Joel, that was amazing,” you said, after taking a long sip of your drink. “We’re going to do that again, right?”

He laughed, looking very pleased. “Whenever you want, darlin’. Might be sore tomorrow, but it'll be worth it.”

You turned in your seat to look at him and ignored it when your knee came to rest atop his thigh. He dropped his free hand onto your leg again. It was big and warm and the tips of his fingers were touching your inner thigh.

“Joel,” you said, leaning forward. Your eyes dropped to his lips. “I like dancing with you.”

“I like dancin’ with you, too, darlin’,” he said, leaning forward. “Like it quite a bit.”

You took a breath, and then took a leap. “Liked kissing you, too,” you said, meeting his eyes.

“Did you?” he murmured, and his eyes were dark as he leaned even closer.

“I did,” you said, and he hummed.

“Didn’t want to stop kissin’ you,” he said, nudging his nose against yours.

“Me neither,” you breathed. “Joel?”

“Yeah, darlin?” He pressed a soft kiss to your cheek, and you sighed.

“Wanna get out of here?”

Joel leaned back slowly, eyes dancing over your face. “You mean–”

“Come home with me?” You could hear the hope in your voice. Please say yes.

“Darlin’--”

You could hear the hesitation in his voice, and your stomach dropped. You cut him off. “No, I mean, it’s ok, I know you said slow, Joel, I’m sorry–”

“Hey,” he said, voice soft. He cupped your face in his palm and titled it gently upwards until you met his eyes. “Hey, I was goin’ to say – yes. I’d love to. I just can’t stay over, I promised Ellie I’d be home. Didn’t want you to think that meant I didn’t wish I could.”

You let out a breath, relieved. “Oh, no I totally understand.” You laughed, a bit embarrassed. “I thought you were going to say–”

“No, darlin’,” he interrupted, leaning forward to kiss you once, gently. When he leaned back he ran his thumb over your cheekbone. “You got no idea how much I want to go home with you.”

You grinned. “Well, then. Let’s get out of here.”

…

You flirted all the way home.

It felt like a first crush, dizzy and disorienting in the best way. He teased you and you laughed, he slipped his arm around your waist and you pressed a quick kiss to his scruffy jaw.

By the time you stepped onto your front porch your entire body was buzzing like a live wire.

Joel crowded behind you as you unlocked the door and you sighed when you felt his lips trail down the side of your neck.

“Joel—“ you sighed. Your breath hitched when he kissed you, right behind your ear.

“Let’s get inside, darlin’,” he said, voice deep and gravely. You shivered as you opened the door.

He tucked his arms around you and followed right behind you as you stepped inside. Before you could even blink you found yourself with your back to your closed front door, Joel smirking at you with his left forearm resting on the door over your head. His right hand slid down to your ass. He squeezed.

“Hey there, beautiful,” he said. He leaned in and kissed you softly.

“Hi,” you murmured, chasing after him when he pulled away. He looked at you, dark eyes dancing over your face. Warmth was coiling inside of you just from the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off you.

You felt like a starry-eyed teenager, like someone feeling everything for the first time, but also like everything was somehow familiar. You’d never kissed him before, and you’d kissed him a hundred times. The touch of his fingers sliding under your shirt was new, but you knew them. It felt like something beloved that was coming back to you, only just forgotten. The way his body fit with yours had you teetering over the edge of something huge and new, but it wasn’t scary.

You knew what you’d find at the bottom of that drop. It had been waiting for you all along, just out of reach. Like you’d just been waiting for the right moment to fall.

Joel’s eyes fell to your lips again and you smiled. “Can I touch you, darlin’?” He asked, and you nodded.

“Please,” you said, and he smirked.

“Since you asked so nicely,” he teased, pulling you from the door and walking backwards towards your couch. “C’mere, beautiful.” Joel dropped down onto the couch. He pulled you towards him as if he wanted you to sit next to him, but you straddled his lap instead.

“Well hello there,” he said warmly, hands drawn like magnets to your hips. He squeezed.

You grinned. “Hi,” you said, and wrapped your arms around his neck.

“You know, darlin’, I’ve been thinkin’ about this,” he said, tugging you closer and leaning in to kiss your neck.

You hummed. “This?”

Joel traced his lips along the line of your neck and teased with his teeth behind your ear. You wondered if he was leaving a mark. “Pullin’ you into my lap on that loveseat. Touchin’ you. Gonna be hard not to do this in the shop, now that I know how nice it feels. Never gonna get any work done.”

You dug your fingers into his soft hair and ground forward with your hips. His breath hitched and you smiled. “Well, the door of the shop does lock,” you said, voice teasing.

He laughed. “That it does.” Before you could say anything else, he leaned forward and kissed you.

You lost yourself in it instantly. His grip on your hips tightened as his mouth moved against yours. When his tongue teased against your lips, you shivered.

Joel tugged your hips forward and you felt the growing evidence of his interest under you. He was big. He shifted one hand to your back, sliding it upwards until he could cup the back of your neck.

You realized your hips were moving, rocking in a rhythm you’d started without consciously deciding to. Joel broke off and pressed soft, warm kisses down your neck until he reached your collar. “You feel so good, sweetheart,” he said, and you almost moaned at the new endearment. The hand on your hip slid under your shirt and up your side. “Shit.”

“I love the way your hands feel, Joel,” you said, almost burning under his touch.

“Yeah?” he said, and you could hear the smile in his voice from where his face was buried in your neck.

“Mm-hmm,” you said, nodding.

“Well, I like touchin’ you with ‘em,” he said, voice a low murmur. “Can I touch you more?”

You used your grip on his hair to turn his head just right so that you could kiss him. “Yes, please.”

Before the word was fully out of your mouth, he cupped your breast in one hand and unbuttoned your pants with the other. “Lemme make you feel good, darlin’.” Joel slid his hand inside your pants and cupped you. It felt like your entire body flashed hot, suddenly alive.

“Joel–” you said, but cut yourself off on a sharp inhale when he rubbed his thumb over your nipple.

He hummed. “That’s it, sweetheart,” he said, nibbling a mark just above your collarbone. “Let me hear it.” You moaned when his fingers nudged your underwear to the side and teased along your slit. “‘S that good?” he murmured.

You nodded. Joel twisted his fingers and almost instantly found your clit. You gasped.

“You feel so good, you know that?” he said. His flingers slid down to tease around your entrance while his thumb took over working you up. “Show me how you like it, darlin’.”

You did – you moved against his hand until you had it just right, and you sucked in a sharp breath when he curled his fingers upwards. Your heart was beating so fast you thought it might beat right out of your chest.

“Just like that, huh?” He said, voice low and deep as he watched you. “Let me see it, yeah?”

He moved his hand faster and you tilted forward to rest your forehead against his. “Joel—“ you breathed, and he smiled. Your world narrowed to the places he was touching you and the warmth of his gaze, everything else faded away as he drove you to the edge.

“Yeah, darlin’. Come for me, I wanna see it. Bet you look so beautiful when you do. Come on,” he urged, lips brushing against yours. With every word you felt it stoking higher inside of you, pushing you upwards towards a fall you knew you’d never come back from. It was lighting up your spine and tingles all over your body and you couldn’t get enough.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” he murmured. He pressed down with his thumb in a tight circle and quirked his fingers just right, and you did. It hit you like a wave that washed over you from head to toe and swept you out to sea. You lost time, adrift on the perfect sensations he wrought from you, until you came back to yourself gasping.

Joel was still talking. “I knew it,” he said between hot kisses down your neck. “Knew you’d be fuckin’ breathtakin’.”

You grabbed both sides of his face between your palms and pulled him into a kiss. He hummed into your mouth and you couldn’t help but thrust your hips downward against his hand. The sudden overstimulation made you whine.

Without another thought, you slid both palms down his chest and to his jeans, unbuttoning them. “I need to touch you,” you said, voice rough.

To your delight, Joel shivered in response. “By all means, darlin’,” he said, smiling. “Ain’t nothin’ I want more.” As you slid his zipper down he pulled you into a kiss. “Been thinkin’ about it,” he murmured against your lips.

“Me too,” you said, and gripped his cock in your fist.

Joel made a very gratifying noise.

“Hmm, I like the sound of that,” you teased, twisting your palm around the head. His eyes opened and he looked dazed. “How do you like it?”

He reached down and squeezed your hand just a bit tighter. “That’s perfect, darlin’, I—“ he sucked in a sharp breath when you reached down with your free hand to cup his balls. “Shit, that’s good. Fuck me.”

“Not right now but you bet your ass I’m getting this inside me sooner rather than later.” You grinned when he laughed, just once, looking a bit taken aback and very turned on. You like to laugh during sex, so it was probably good he learned that now.

You sped up a bit and watched as he completely lost himself in it. His cock hardened deliciously in your hands and you leaned in to kiss him, imagining all the things you could do together.

He groaned when your tongue teased his.

“C’mon, baby,” you said softly, kissing him again. “Get me all messy.”

Joel thrust his hips upwards at your words and, with your name on his lips, he came.

His cock pulsed in your hands and you watched the bliss wash over his face with a smile.

“Fuck,” he said again, collapsing back against the couch with his head thrown back. “That’s already so good, anything more might kill us.”

You laughed. “Speak for yourself, old man.”

He tilted his head back up and smiled at you. “You are not that much younger than me, darlin’. Did I not tire you out?” He pulled you in for a kiss. “I’ll have to go for another next time, then.” He squeezed your ass and you realized at some point in the last few minutes he’d parked his hands there. “Maybe get my mouth on you.” You squirmed in his lap and he winked. “Ah, you like the sound of that?”

You laughed and kissed him again.

“So,” he said, pulling back. “Baby, huh?”

You nodded. “Figured you've taken a bunch, better claim one fast.” He snorted and you grinned. “Like it?”

He cupped your face in one big hand and smiled softly. “I do.”

You leaned into his hand, just looking at him, and then moved forward and murmured, “good,” just before you kissed him.

You made out softly for a few minutes, no urgency at all, soaking in the feeling of doing nothing but being there together.

Finally you pulled away and tucked yourself into his shoulder with a happy sigh. He wrapped his arms around you and rested his chin on your head, and you were pretty sure you hadn’t felt this warm and happy in years. You almost dozed off, but Joel squeezed your hip gently, rousing you.

“Hey,” he murmured, and you picked your head up off his shoulder to look at him. His face was open. “I’m real glad I found you here.”

You smiled and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. He turned his head towards you, lips brushing against yours as you said, voice soft, “me too, Joel.”

…

After that night, you saw Joel and Ellie almost every day.

You kept up your lunches, most days, and then he invited you to have dinner with them– with him and Tommy and Maria and Ellie. You’d been nervous at first, but it turned out there was no need – you and Ellie were friends, you spent time together almost every afternoon when she came to work in the shop, and somehow having dinner together with all of them felt like settling into a place you already belonged. Like so many things with Joel, it was so new and so familiar, all at once – it just felt right. And that was wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

Joel seemed to feel the same, as he’d told you that first day you had lunch together. It was scary, but it was also good, so good. And like you’d said to him, you were figuring it out together.

A few weeks after your date, after a couple more dates and many more lunches and dinners and easy afternoon walks and brief moments behind the locked doors of your shop, you were starting to trust in this new thing you’d found.

You were humming while you worked, reorganizing some of the shelves to make room for some new inventory, when the bell tinkled.

“In the back!” you called, and you smiled when you heard Ellie’s voice call out a greeting. A few seconds later her head appeared around the shelf to your right. You turned to smile at her but faltered when you saw the look on her face.

“Ellie? Are you ok?”

She frowned a bit and nodded. “Yeah, um. Can I talk to you about something?”

You straightened up and moved away from your workbench, nodding towards the back. “Come sit.”

She followed you, and when you turned back to look at her you started to worry. “Ellie, are you–”

She plopped down on the seat next to you and sighed. “No, it’s ok. I mean, ugh.” She curled into herself a bit and crossed her arms. “I just… wanted to ask you something.”

“You can ask me anything,” you said immediately, voice firm.

She nodded, which made you feel a bit better. “I know.” she was quiet for a moment, and then continued, “ok, so, I was talking to Joel yesterday. And he said, um. Well I know you’re dating or whatever, and I’m happy about that. I promise. But he said, um, he said you…” she trailed off and you resisted the urge to say anything. You just nodded and gave her some space. She sighed. “I know that people who are together, I mean, obviously they live in the same house. That’s just normal. I get it. But I’m not…” she winced. “I’m not ready— I don’t—“

“Hey.” You couldn’t help but say something. “And that’s ok, Ellie, I–”

“No, listen,” she said, and she sounded so worried, you felt like something was squeezing your heart. “I don’t… I don’t want to take things away from Joel. I don’t want to be the reason he doesn’t get to have things, things he should have. He’s my…” she trailed off and bit her lip. “I don’t–”

“Ellie,” you said, gently. “Listen. You’re not taking anything away from Joel. You are his world, you know that? You’re his kid. You come first for both of us. And I think I get what you’re saying. But it doesn’t feel like we’re missing anything.” You smiled when she looked up at you. “I promise, it doesn’t.”

She frowned. “You don’t want to live with Joel?”

“Someday, sure,” you said, and nodded. “But we haven’t known each other that long. As much as we like each other, it’s still all pretty new. I’ve lived alone a long time, you know? Pretty set in my ways. And we have time.” You smiled. “Besides, dating is fun. I promise we’re happy just the way we are.”

She turned towards you and leaned her head against the back of the couch. She looked so young, curled up in front of you, and you felt suddenly proud and honored that she was comfortable coming to you with this.

“Ok,” she said, “I believe you. And I’m not, like, against the idea, it’s just–”

“You’re not ready,” you said, and she nodded. “And that’s ok. There’s no deadline here, you know? We’re not on a schedule, and it’s ok if you’re never ready.”

She sighed. “I don’t think it’ll be never.” Ellie finally smiled, and you felt it warm you from the inside. “Just.. not now.”

“Ellie, it could be never, and I’d still be here. For you and for Joel. I need you to know that. I don’t have to live with him to love him. Or you.” You took a deep breath, hoping that wasn’t too much. You hadn’t exactly said it to Joel yet, but you felt like she needed to hear it.

She swallowed, looking a bit choked up, which made two of you, because you were feeling a bit teary yourself. “For me?” she asked, clearly a bit overwhelmed.

“For you, Ellie. Of course.” You reached out and squeezed her forearm gently. She twisted her arm so that she could grab your forearm from underneath and squeeze back. “Even without Joel, we’re friends, too. Right?”

She nodded. “Right.”

You smiled. “Right. I’m here for you, too. Besides, you’re the coolest kid I know, you have to keep me in the know about what the cool kids are doing these days.”

She laughed and leaned back, and you grinned, letting go of her arm. “Joel said you’d be cool with it, but I had to make sure. I just don’t– I don’t like feeling like he has to give stuff up for me. Because of me.”

You hummed. “I get that. But I don’t think he sees it that way, you know?” She shrugged and you shrugged back. It made her smile, which was the goal. “It’s not about him not getting to have things, it’s about giving you everything he wants you to have. And he wants you to have a lot, you know? Because he loves you. You’re family.”

Ellie blinked her eyes a few times, looking a bit lost. “He, um. A while ago, when we weren’t… he said he wasn’t my dad. But last night, he said, um.” She turned red and looked down.

“Did he say he was?” You brought your own knee up on the couch, half-mirroring her.

She nodded. “Kinda. Said we’re family, and we don’t have to use the words for it to be true, not if I don’t want to. That he feels, knows that it’s true, either way.” She peeked up at you, still red, as if looking for confirmation.

“Well, he’s right, and he knows what it’s like to be a dad. He would know,” you said, smiling. “And Ellie, oh my God, he is such a dad. But you don’t ever have to use the words for it to be true, for the two of you to know it and trust it.”

She seemed to turn that over for a minute, looking thoughtful. “I’ve never had a family,” she said in a small voice, and your heart broke.

You poked her foot with yours. “You do now, though.”

Ellie finally looked up at you again and smiled. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

…

One year later

You walked quickly towards the other end of town, already racing against the clock but determined to eat lunch with Joel. You had a few more orders to get prepped before you headed over to the town meeting scheduled for just before dinner, and it was going to be tight.

(The meeting promised to be a boring one, with nothing scandalous or controversial on the agenda, but they were always more fun with Ellie and Joel on either side of you, muttering to each other under their breath and making you laugh until Maria glared at all three of you from her spot up at the front.

That’s what she got for wanting to be in charge.)

You spotted the house you knew Joel was working in and passed the rest of his team coming out as you stepped inside.

“He’s upstairs in the back bedroom,” Stan told you, grinning at you as you passed. “Glad you’re here, he’s been grumpy today.”

You laughed. “He’s always grumpy on town meeting days.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Stan called, laughing too.

The stairs had been finished since the last time you were there, and you smiled as you climbed and ran your free hand up the now-polished railing. You looked left and right at the top of the stairs, not sure where to go next. “Joel?” you called.

“Back here, darlin’,” he called back from the left, and you turned to look for him. You found him all the way at the end in the last bedroom, moving a bed frame into place. “Hey there, beautiful,” he said, looking up when you walked in. “Just about done.”

He lined up the frame with the wall and stepped back, hands on his hips, looking over the room. “It’ll be nice to be done with this one, and I know the Martinez-Carlson clan is about to burst out of that two bedroom over by the school.”

“It looks great,” you said, setting down the bag with your lunches and stepping up beside him. He snaked his arm around your waist easily and you leaned in to his side. “As always.” You looked up at him and smiled. “And you know I like watching you lift heavy things.”

Joel laughed, cheeks a bit pink. You loved that teasing him still got him to blush like that. “Should I go do it again?”

You hummed. “Nah,” you said, turning into his arms. “I like you right where you are.”

“‘S that right,” he murmured, and then kissed you. You wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned into it.

Joel broke away and smirked at you. “Thought we were havin’ lunch,” he said, and laughed when you tugged on his hair lightly.

“Well, I mean, if you’d rather eat than–” you squeaked as Joel turned you suddenly and pressed you against the wall beside the empty bed frame.

“Now, I don’t think I said anything of the sort, did I?” He teased before kissing you again. You sank into it, arms around his neck. The shape of him was warm and familiar against you and you felt the evidence of his interest against your hip.

He nudged one of his legs between yours and you tugged on his hair again. He pulled back but not far, pressing a line of kisses along your jaw and down your neck.

“Forget lunch,” he said, and you could hear the smile in his voice. “I got a better idea.” And he sank down to his knees.

You shivered. “Joel–”

He shook his head as he undid the button of your jeans, yanking them down unceremoniously. “Don’t you say a word about my knees. C’mere,” he said, helping you step out of your pants and underwear. He pushed you back into the wall with his left hand and lifted your left leg over his shoulder. “Now, let me take care of you, darlin’. Been thinkin’ about it all day.”

Your head fell back against the wall and you gasped as he dove right in. He held your folds apart with his thumbs and licked from your entrance to your clit, soft and dizzying. He took you apart expertly with his tongue, circling the tip around your clit before pressing the flat of it down. By the time his fingers teased at your entrance you realized you were breathing hard with your hands tangled in his hair, holding his head in place.

“Fuck, baby,” you said, head spinning. “I’m– how–”

He thrust his fingers inside of you, setting a pace that you could barely wrap your mind around, while also keeping up a steady rhythm on your clit with his tongue. He was pressing all of your buttons at once and somehow you were already about to fly over the edge.

You tugged on his hair, but he didn’t let up, and you knew what he wanted. He wanted you to come so he could fuck you and make you come again on his cock.

Just the thought of it sent you flying.

“Joel–” you cried, and you would have fallen over if he wasn’t holding you up so firmly against the wall. Your orgasm crashed into you and you surrendered to it, unable to do anything but breathe as it sent lightning down your veins and shivers up your spine.

You tugged on his hair again, breathing hard, and he finally pulled back. You flopped your head forward to look at him and found him grinning up at you, way too fucking pleased with himself, face glistening.

“You fucker,” you said, smiling at him. “I’ve never come that fast in my life.”

Joel laughed and leaned forward to kiss your hip. “Thought we were in a rush,” he said, and nipped at your hip.

You squirmed. “C’mere, then, before your guys get back.”

He surged upwards and captured your mouth in a kiss while your hands dropped to undo his belt. “You and this damned belt buckle,” you complained, finally tugging his belt free.

“You can’t fool me,” he said, leaning down to slip the neck of your shirt to the side so he could kiss your shoulder. “I know you like the way it looks.”

“Shut up and help me undo your pants,” you said, and he laughed. You reached inside and grasped his cock.

“Mmm,” he groaned, thrusting his hips forward. “I wanted you so bad this mornin’, darlin’. Can’t believe we slept late.”

You sighed as he grasped your hips and turned you around. “I know,” you agreed, flattening your palms against the wall and tilting your hips back. “You felt so good in bed, I didn’t want to get up.”

He pressed up behind you and you both sighed when his cock slipped between your thighs, nudging at your clit. “Right where I left off,” he murmured, and you smiled. You’d woken up to him wrapped around you in bed that morning, with his cock pressed against your back and his face buried in your neck. He’d just tugged your underwear down, ready to slip inside when Tommy had burst in through the front door and called for you both to come downstairs.

You were already plotting how you were going to get him back for that.

Your thoughts were brought back to the present when Joel notched his cock at your entrance. As he slipped inside, pressing forward, your mouth fell open. You pushed your hips back, reveling in the stretch of his cock.

“Fuck, darlin’,” Joel groaned, squeezing your hips and holding you in place as his hips came flush with yours. “You always feel so fuckin’ good.”

Joel braced his right hand against the wall, just above yours, and held your hip firmly in his left. “You ready?” he asked, and you nodded. He pulled almost all the way out and then filled you again in one quick thrust.

You gasped.

“Darlin’--” he said, sounding a bit worried, but you shook your head.

“Fuck me, Joel, just like that,” you demanded, and he laughed.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart,” he said, and started up a pace that had you seeing stars.

You pressed your palms into the wall and pushed your hips back to meet his thrusts. From the very first time you’d loved how he felt inside of you, and you never got over it.

He knew just how you liked it, fast and deep, hitting just right inside of you. You were breathless and tingling all over. Joel leaned forward and murmured in your ear, “you feel so good on my cock, darlin’. You know that? Can’t ever get enough of it.” He slipped his hand from your hip to wrap around you, sliding down to tease at your clit. “You gonna come for me again, beautiful?”

“Yes, Joel,” you said, breathing hard as he thrust forward again and circled his fingers around your clit. “Please–”

“Faster?” he asked, and you nodded. His hips sped up and so did his fingers and you lost yourself in it. Every thrust sent you spiraling higher, gasping for breath. “C’mon, darlin’,” he said, nipping at your neck behind your ear. “Let me feel you come on my cock.”

You squeezed him and his hips stuttered. You were so close.

“That’s it, darlin’,” he said, burying his face in your shoulder. “Come.”

You whined and pushed your hips back as you teetered over the edge for the second time in just a few minutes. You felt it rush through your body like a wildfire and squeezed his cock until he gasped, thrusting inside you as he came.

For a moment you both just breathed, hard, and then Joel slumped forward onto you. You laughed as you staggered under his weight, though he wasn’t even really putting all of it on you. “Tired?” you asked, teasing.

He nodded into your shoulder. “Need a nap,” he groaned, and then slowly stood and pulled out. Your breath hitched as his cock slipped out of you. “Mm,” he hummed. “Messy down here.” You felt his fingers sliding between your folds and shivered.

“That’s enough of that,” you said, squirming, and he snorted as he pulled his fingers away gently.

“You don’t want another?” he asked, turning you in his arms and gathering you to him. When you met his gaze it was warm, his happiness easy to see.

You shook your head. “Pretty sure you’d knock me out with a third,” you laughed. “And I’ve got work to do.” You leaned forward to kiss him and he smiled against your lips.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, you heard the door open downstairs.

“Shit,” he said, and you both reached for your clothes. You dressed in record time, laughing, while Joel pretended to frown at you. “They’re gonna notice I haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

You laughed again. “Sounds like a you problem.”

He smiled, finally, and kissed you again. He tugged you into his arms one more time. “See you at home later, before the meeting?” he asked, tucking his face into your neck.

“Yeah, baby,” you replied, running your hands through his hair and trying to tidy it. He leaned back to look at you and you kissed him again, quick. “See you there.”

…

“Thank god that’s over,” Joel said as he stepped outside onto the road, groaning as he stretched. “Jesus, they can really talk.”

You laughed. “Joel, you didn’t even listen to a single thing anyone said after they finished talking about patrol training.”

He smirked at you. “You tellin’ me they said anything remotely interestin’ after that?”

Before you could respond Tommy stepped outside. He spotted you and immediately moved over to where you were standing nearby. He groaned. “Well thank god that’s over. You think they ever get tired of talkin’?”

You burst out laughing. You flung your hand out and tangled it in Joel’s flannel shirt to hold you up.

“What’s this?” Tommy asked, and Joel scoffed.

“Don’t scoff, Joel Miller,” you said between laughs. “Not my fault the Miller genes run strong.” Joel sighed. You straightened and took a deep breath.

“Ohh-kay,” Tommy said, drawing out the first syllable. “Whatever. Y’all comin’ over for a drink?”

You shook your head. “We got plans.” You waggled your eyebrows at him, fighting a grin.

Tommy made a disgusted face, just like you knew he would. Joel sighed again, but you could tell he was amused. “You know I got a delicate constitution. Why’re you doin’ this to me?” You laughed again. “Joel, why is she doin’ this to me?”

Joel shrugged. “You probably did somethin’ to deserve it.”

Tommy gasped, hand over his heart in shock. “My own brother? Betraying me?”

Before either of you could respond, Ellie popped up out of nowhere, grinning. “What’d Joel do now?”

You and Tommy both startled, but Tommy jumped about a foot in the air. Joel didn’t react at all, just smirked, and you figured he’d seen her coming.

“Jesus, Ellie,” Tommy said, taking a deep breath. “I’m gonna put a bell on you.”

Ellie raised a single eyebrow at him. “You’ll never catch me.”

Tommy pointed at her. “You’ll never see me comin’.”

Ellie opened her mouth to start another patented Ellie-and-Tommy Show but someone called her name before she could really get going. You looked and found Dina and a couple other teenagers waving at her. “C’mon, Ellie!”

Ellie spun back around to look at you. “Gotta go!” She darted forward to give you a hug, and then Joel. You could see him fighting the urge to squeeze her tight. “I’ll see you at breakfast.”

He murmured something to her before he pulled away, and she grinned back at you both.

You reached out and tugged on her braid. “You know what to do if you need us?”

She rolled her eyes but nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I can come home if I need to, I know. I’ll only be one street over.”

You smiled. It was still kind of new, for all three of you to say home and mean the same place. You’d moved in just a few months ago, after Ellie had burst out with it at dinner one night (oh come on, Joel, she basically lives here anyway. Besides, she has better taste in movies than you, I need her for back up) and it made you feel warm inside every time you thought about it. And a little bit like you might cry. “I know. Have fun at your sleepover, Ells.”

“I will!” she said, smiling brightly. As she turned and ran over to her friends, you glanced at Joel. He was looking a bit misty-eyed.

“She’ll be fine,” you said, nudging him with your elbow.

He nodded and turned to look at you. “I know. Just–”

“Just worried,” you said for him, and he nodded. You smiled. “Bet I can take your mind off it.”

“Annnnd that’s my cue. I’m leavin’,” Tommy butted in. He shook his head, hands raised in front of him, palms out. “I don’t wanna hear anymore about that. Good night.”

You laughed as Tommy walked away, and turned to grin at Joel.

“You ever gonna get tired of teasin’ him like that?” Joel asked, still smirking.

You hummed thoughtfully. “After all the times he and Maria couldn’t keep it in their pants and I stumbled across them? After the number of times I’ve seen your brother’s bare ass?” You shook your head. “Not any time soon.”

Joel laughed. “Alright, troublemaker, let’s get out of here.”

You let Joel lead you down the road towards your house, arm around your waist. You snaked your own around his middle, leaning into him as you walked.

“Whole house to ourselves,” you said, smiling. You watched him out of the corner of your eye. He hummed. “First time in quite a while.”

“Sure is, darlin’,” Joel said, looking at you.

You turned to look at him and smiled. He was still the most handsome person you’d ever seen. “What’re we going to do with it?

Joel pretended to think it over. “Well, I got a few ideas.” He winked at you.

You laughed. “Do you?”

He nodded. “Sure do.”

You turned at your front walk and stepped up onto the porch. “You gonna share with the class?”

Joel leaned forward and kissed you, and you smiled into it. It had been a while since you’d heard the music when he kissed you, but that didn’t stop you from reacting to it, to him, just the same way every time. You felt a shiver run up your spine as he murmured, voice deep, “let’s get inside, sweetheart, and I’ll show you exactly what I’m thinkin’.”

You smiled and did as he said. Whatever he had in mind, you had a feeling you were going to like it.

...

a/n: the end 🥹

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