raine-or-shine - Tumblr blog

[raine-or-shine]

abt 2 be cringe on here w all my bad batch shit. I HAVE HCS. IN THE WORKS 🤩🤩🤩

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HEY GUYS i’m alive . with school and work still draining me a bunch BUT I STILL WANNA WRITE 😞😞😞miss making fics 💔

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typically happy-go-lucky sunshine character is in a bad mood so the always grumpy keeps to themself character tickles them into feeling better because they know how much sunshine likes it

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me praying 4 a dellie tk scene in the remastered

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self care is rereading my fics and spotting a mistake nine months later and tracking it down to edit it

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ellie “i’m not ticklish fuck off” williams

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(gripping bathroom sink) i like tickling a normal amount. (eye twitches) i am completely 100% average about this.

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YOUR TLOU POSTS LITERALLY GIVE ME SO MUCH SEROTONIN ITS SO HARD TO FIND TLOU FANS IN THIS COMMUNITY

HEHEHAGHSH IM SO GLAD!!! THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TO HEAR i was actually debating on whether or not i should post some of the tlou stuff i’ve written recently YOU’VE MOTIVATED ME TO THANKS

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Joel strolled up to her door, setting his bag and rifle against the frame. Her door was ajar, just as she left it every night, as did he. In the case of emergencies, or nightmares, it’s how they lived. It made them feel safer knowing the other wasn’t behind a closed door.

He pushed it open, the hinges creaking at the motion. It wasn’t quite 6am when he was scheduled for patrol. Moonlight was still peaking through the pine trees, forming streaks of white light into Ellie’s room.

Ellie stirred at the creaking, but settled back comfortably on her right side. Joel tip toed to her bedside, his weight pulling the end of the mattress down as he sat by her feet.

“Mornin’, kiddo,” he whispered, setting a hand on her calf and lightly rubbing his thumb back and forth. “Headin’ out for patrol with Tommy. I’ll be back before dinner. We can cook something up together, yeah?”

Ellie gave a mumbled “mhm” into her pillow, barely registering that he was even there, let alone talking about anything she could understand through her sleep.

“Alright, it’s a plan,” he smiled, knowing she couldn’t see him. “Be safe today, kiddo. I’ll see you a bit later.”

He started to push off the bed as she mumbled something again, sleep coating any attempt at a coherent string of words. “Hmm?”

“Rub. Back.” She said it half into her pillow; it’s a miracle Joel could make anything out. Ellie adjusted herself from her side to laying flat on her stomach, giving Joel more access.

He chuckled to himself, pulling the blanket down to rub her back through her sleep shirt, which just so happened to be one of his dirt stained t-shirts.

She let out a number of content mumbles and incoherencies as he rubbed her back, eventually tracing her name letter by letter on her back over and over again.

“Alright, baby, I gotta go. I’ll be back later this evening.” He rubbed his hand over her back a few more times before pulling away and drawing the blanket back up to her shoulders. He pushed off the edge of the mattress to stand, stepping closer to her head. He leaned over, pressing his fist into the mattress on her other side to press a kiss to the crown of her head. He tucked a few hair strands away behind her ear, smiling to himself again. He’s home.

[raine-or-shine]

Please do write about the bad batch! If you want to of course! I’ve been scouring for bad batch tword content so to see a fellow bad batch fan is so exciting!

OH YEAH FOR SURE it’s definitely in my list now, i’ll try to get around to it when i can <3

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Have you watched The bad batch? That’s my favorite Star Wars show because I love the found family stuff!!

YES!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BAD BATCH bro the silly clone family i think abt everyday i just know omega and wrecker are the silliest ever and drag tech and hunter into goofiness

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If you have any hcs for Joel and Ellie please share them! We would love to hear about them!!

ᴊᴏᴇʟ & ᴇʟʟɪᴇ (hcs)

a/n: **DO NOT TAG AS A SHIP**—these are tickle hcs, move along if that's not your thing.

✩THEY ARE SO VERY SILLY.

✩Ellie used to rely on her goofy puns to get him laughing (they still work on occasion) but ever since they'd started being more physically affectionate she loves giving him random side pokes to get him to at least laugh a bit under his breath (which makes her more determined to get a further reaction)

✩And as much as he loves to get Ellie, he's not immune to her silliness and will play along with her (and though their tickle fights usually end with Ellie laughing herself silly, he does give her an occasional win)

✩One of Ellie's classic moves is sneaking up behind him and going "guess who!" and tasering his sides (his surprised laugh never gets old)

✩When Joel started warming up to her, he'd attempt dad jokes of his own, which usually resulted in a playful scowl or scoff from Ellie who was definitely not impressed /silly

✩He uses her not laughing at his dad jokes as an excuse to poke her sides randomly till she laughs, which of course prompts a few dorky giggle fits to which he can't resist throwing in a "wow, I didn't know I was that funny—"

✩Ellie goes from dorky giggles to a squeaky laugh, which Joel can't help but grin once he hears—and not to mention her snorts that start when she laughs harder. He almost always has to go "pff, you snorted" or his classic "god damn kiddo, you sound like you oughta be on the farm" and she just LOSES IT even more /silly

✩She also kicks her feet when she's laughing her ass off n Joel thinks its endearing as fuck—never letting her live it down (when she's standing and can't kick she just bounces around like a dork /silly)

✩Joel is just the biggest goofball dad ever he loves to mess with her and takes any opportunity and excuse of her being "annoying" to wreck her shit <3

✩He can't help but laugh along with her when he's not actively teasing the everloving shit out of her (she would rather die than admit she loves it)

✩Ellie is a dork who Cannot Handle being teased at all /lh The minute someone comments on her laugh or her reactions she immediately cusses them out (Joel just finds it endearing as fuck and makes him more entertained and wanting to continue)

✩She'd rather die than admit how much fun she has with the sillier they act, the playfulness always adds to the fun which just makes her more giggly, but she'll deny it forever the second someone points out how much she's smiling/laughing

✩She does have more of a soft spot with Joel, she likes feeling like she can act more like a kid around him, especially when they're being silly together like this <3

✩Ellie is such an instigator, she's the cause of almost every tickle fight and provokes daily (will NEVER admit it and tells Joel to fuck off every time he starts to go "are ya doin' this on purpose?—")

✩But Ellie is just a fucking gremlin all the time and Joel secretly loves being silly too but won't ever say it <3

✩I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH AAAAA

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I am emotionally devastated after the past few episodes of the last of us but reading your fics has really helped with that! Could I request a fic with some cheer up tickling between Joel and Ellie? Like Ellie has a nightmare and Joel comforts her and when Ellie tried to insist that she’s fine and Joel is like, “well I’m not leaving you until I see you smile, that way I know you’re okay” and because Ellie is stubborn she goes out of her way to not smile which leads to Joel tickling her to get her to smile? I love your fics!

oh my GOD this took me forever to post but here you are anon! your fic as promised! so sorry for the wait, dude!

HERE IN MY ARMS

. . .

fandom: the last of us (hbo)

summary: ellie has a bad nightmare after her encounter with david. joel doesn’t want to go back to bed until he’s sure she’s alright.

word count: 1.5k

warnings: strong language, nightmare mention, hurt/comfort, tickling (very brief tbh)

A/N: this fic is set after episode 8 and before episode 9 for reference! title is from depeche mode's song, enjoy the silence. (i also kept the tickling brief in this one because i'm not very big on the cheer up tickles trope but i still loved this idea either way!)

. . .

Ellie was talking in her sleep. 

Joel had noticed it about an hour ago when her mumbling had startled him awake before he had a chance to really fall asleep. He hadn’t dared to try and go back to bed, his body turned towards her as she fitfully rolled from side to side. He looked on in worry, unsure if he should try to wake her up or leave her be. 

They had been walking for about a day to find Salt Lake City, nightfall forcing them to settle in a broken down building secluded by vines and trees. He figured they could both get a few hours of sleep there since he barricaded it, but it seemed that wasn't so. 

His attention turned back to Ellie, her face contorted in fear and her eyes still tightly shut. She began muttering something, some of it sounding like half-baked sentences and some of it sounding like complete gibberish. “Joel,” she suddenly said, clearer than the rest of her murmuring. Her breathing noticeably quickened, her shoulders rising and falling at a rapid pace as she looked more and more terrified. Joel sat up in a panic, starting to reach out to her but stopping himself midway. He didn’t want to startle her even further, but it seemed that whatever nightmare she was having was causing her great distress. 

As he fought himself over what to do, Ellie suddenly bolted upright with a gasp. Her breathing was heavy and ragged as she reached blindly for Joel beside her, whimpering in fear like a wounded animal.

“Hey, hey…” Joel quickly caught her in his arms, holding her gently as she clutched his shirt in her fists. Their eyes met, Ellie’s breathing seeming to slow slightly when she saw that Joel was right in front of her, not leaving anytime soon. She took in a few long, deep breaths, still staring at Joel as tears pooled in her eyes. 

“I got you. You’re safe,” Joel murmured, letting her bury her head in his shoulder and cry quietly. He rubbed soothing circles on the girl’s back, stroking fingers through her hair and rocking her back and forth. “What’s wrong, babygirl?” he asked softly when Ellie met his gaze again, cupping her face in his hands as he gently wiped tears from her cheeks. 

“I had a really bad dream,” Ellie explained through hiccups and sobs, looking up at him with watery eyes. “You were in it and he was in it and-” she tried to say, choking up at the end and going silent save for her gasps for breath through cries. “It felt so real-” 

Joel shushed her tenderly, holding her head close to his heart. “It’s okay. You’re okay. I got you, Ellie. I’m right here,” he said sincerely, still running fingers through her hair comfortingly. Ellie wrapped arms around him weakly, her crying slowly dying down to heavy breathing and sniffles. They stayed like that for a long time, Joel whispering soft reassurances to Ellie as he kissed the top of her head, doing his best to calm her completely. It worked quite well judging by the fact that Ellie was completely silent after a few minutes, her quiet breathing the only thing audible over Joel’s whispers. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” Joel asked in his usually somewhat hidden southern drawl, his guard obviously as far down as it could be. He hadn't called anyone sweetheart since... well, it was a long time ago. Ellie nodded slowly, still sniffling a bit. She felt somewhat guilty that she had woken Joel for a nightmare. He needed rest as well.

“I’ll be alright,” she mumbled, starting to push herself away from him so she could try and go back to sleep. Joel didn’t budge, giving her a concerned look. 

“Are you sure?” he asked carefully, his gaze full of worry as he gently held onto her shoulders. Ellie went silent, not looking him in the eyes.

“I’m fine, Joel,” she tried to solidify her statement only for it to come out shaky and unsure, her fear still making her voice waver. Joel didn’t quite believe her, still giving her a look that almost pleaded for her to be honest with him. She felt a wave of shame wash over her. First she had woken him up and now she was lying to him. Ellie felt terrible.

“Fine. I’m not fine. Whatever. Fuck.” Ellie shrugged aggressively, frowning and meeting Joel’s eyes at last. “I don’t want you to have to stay up all night with me because of this shit,” she muttered, to which he immediately cut her off.

“I'm makin’ my own choice,” Joel argued, his gaze empathetic. He knew what it felt like to be a burden. He didn't want Ellie to feel the same. “If I wanna stay up to make sure you're okay, I'm gonna damn well do it. You hear me?”

Ellie swallowed, looking away. Joel furrowed his brows, frowning. “Ya hear me?” he repeated a bit softer, shaking her shoulders. The ghost of a smile was on Ellie's face as she quickly wiped it away, looking up at him and rolling her eyes. 

“I hear ya,” she said, mimicking Joel's thick southern accent. He glared at her for a second before breaking into a quiet chuckle, letting go of her shoulders. 

“You're about silly, girl,” he said with a fond smile and a shake of his head, gently patting Ellie on the back. She glared at him, hiding her smirk by forcing a frown back into her face. Joel noticed, his eyes twinkling with delight. “C'mon. You ain't gonna smile for me?” he asked playfully, nudging her with his shoulder. Ellie glared, forcing her frown even lower. She didn't reply, but Joel knew her answer all the same by the way her eyes shone with mischievous glee. He smirked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh, so it's gonna be like that,” he said with a chuckle, scooting a bit closer to Ellie as she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, still fighting to keep that frown on her face. Her tears had dried now, Joel's playfulness a welcome breath of fresh air from everything that had been happening lately. 

Joel had a huge, goofy grin on his face as he bumped against Ellie, craning his neck to see her face. She quickly turned her head away, making him laugh. “You know you wanna smile,” he teased, nudging her again. “I ain't going to bed until you do.” 

Ellie turned her head to glare at him, her mouth twitching as she struggled not to lose the little game they were playing. “I guess you'll stay up all night then,” she said, still forcing her smile away. 

That was his confirmation that Ellie was receiving his playfulness well. It was as if Ellie had said ‘this is okay. we're friends. I trust you.’ without even speaking. With the confirmation, Joel narrowed his eyes, grinning. 

“Don't make me get you,” he said playfully, pointing a finger at her. Ellie didn't know exactly what Joel meant at first, but she began to imagine it clearly when his pointing finger landed on her side, gently poking her. She flinched, moving her arms down to protect the spot without thinking. 

“Don't you fucking dare,” she tried to growl, though it came out less intimidating than she would've liked as she choked down laughter. She was playing along with him. They were having fun. It seemed like that happened so rarely lately.

“Why not? You ticklish or somethin’?” Joel asked, fully aware of the answer. Ellie started to point that out but before she knew it his hand was squeezing at her side, making her burst into a fit of squeaky giggles immediately.

“Joel!” she shouted, crumbling like sand as she fell against him, doubled over in laughter. Joel kept gently poking and prodding at her ribs, her snickers muffled by his jacket as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“I think you're smilin’,” he said with a smirk, stopping his tickle attack for the moment. Ellie looked up to glare at him, shoving him away with a giggle. 

“No shit, Sherlock,” she replied snarkily, still grinning. Joel raised an eyebrow, smiling. 

“Are you sassin’ me, kiddo?” He asked playfully, raising his hands as if to come after her again. Ellie squeaked and flinched back, shaking her head. 

“Nope, no sass here. Cross my heart and all that,” she said while watching his hands, smiling innocently at him. Joel narrowed his eyes before he dropped his hands with an amused chuckle. 

“Alright, alright. I'll take your word for it. ” Joel snuck in one last poke before he turned away, starting to curl back up on his sleeping bag. Ellie sat in silence, prompting Joel to turn back over curiously. “I was... um... going to go to sleep. You planning on going back to bed, kid?” he asked with concern, frowning.

“Mhm,” Ellie hummed, hesitantly shuffling a bit. She didn't move any further, eyes still trained on Joel. "Can I..." Ellie began, her mouth hanging open as no words came out. Joel was confused for a moment, but his gaze soon softened when she gestured to his sleeping bag awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course. Come here," Joel murmured, barely opening his arms before Ellie had crashed into them, wrapping her arms around him in the tightest hug he'd had in a very long time. "God damn, girl, you just about broke my ribs," he wheezed, earning a 'sorry' from Ellie as they both settled down, her head nestled into his shoulder.

"Jesus fucking christ, you need a shower. You smell like shit," Ellie groggily mumbled, half asleep. That was the last peep Joel heard out of her as fell asleep within a few minutes, her nightmares seemingly gone and her usual spunky attitude back once more.

“Thanks. Love you too," Joel whispered sarcastically when he was sure she was asleep, holding her tightly as he closed his eyes with a sigh of content, the sounds of the world seeming to settle to a low hum just for them. It had never been this quiet before. If he didn't know any better, he would've been scared.

But he wasn't. He had everything he needed in his arms. That was enough to quell his fears for the night.

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Could you write a fic on how Joel found out that Ellie is ticklish herself? Like at this point she’s been constantly teasing him for his own sensitivity but this one time he decides to fight back and retaliate only to be pleasantly surprised that she’s just as ticklish as he is? And of course he feels the need to exploit the fact given that she’s exploited his sensitivity for weeks now?

stop this is so them... they'd be so silly like this... regardless, here is the fic anon! thank you for the request! hopefully i did it justice!

500 QUESTIONS TO BREAK THE ICE

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fandom: the last of us (hbo show)

summary: Ellie's been annoying Joel all week since she found a questionnaire with some interesting questions. When he finally gets sick of it, he discovers that they're not so different after all.

word count: 1585

warnings: strong language, tickling

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Joel was so tired. 

He was tired in general, yes, but he was specifically tired of a certain piece of cargo that so happened to be named Ellie. The kid had done nothing but annoy him to the point of exhaustion, unable to stop talking for even a minute to give him some peace. It all started when she found an abandoned magazine with a questionnaire in the back.

“Look, Joel. ‘500 questions to break the ice,’” she had read, giving him a smirk.

For 500 questions, it sure did seem like she had a near endless supply of them that she would use to bug the ever-loving hell out of him until he finally snapped.  As of a few days ago, he was resilient to her tactics. There were a few eye twitches here and long sighs there, maybe he'd considered leaving her in the woods for wolves that one time… But other than that, they were getting along great. Just fine and dandy. Ellie asked him questions, Joel never answered. That was how things went.

And then Ellie asked something that he hadn't expected.

It was a regular day of trekking through ruined buildings and grabbing what they could find until Ellie decided she was bored. That was also how things went, Ellie got bored and then her boredom spiraled into causing trouble as she dragged Joel along for the ride. This time, however, she had that damn questionnaire. So, she asked a question that Joel hadn't heard in... well, forever. 

“Hey Joel,” she had started in a sing-song tone, rocking on her heels innocently. It didn't help her case since she looked about as innocent as a devil in a cardboard halo, the magazine in her hands telling him what he was in store for. Joel had scowled at her, knowing whatever she was up to couldn't be good.

“Ellie,” he said exasperatedly, shining his flashlight on her so he could see her properly. She had the grin of a Cheshire cat, eyes glittering with mischief. “Now's not the time for whatever—” Joel began to chide her only for Ellie to cut him off abruptly.

“Question one hundred and fifty,” she announced dramatically while grinning, “Are you ticklish?” 

The question threw Joel for a loop at first, catching him off-guard and making him stop dead in his tracks. “Uh…” he stammered, furrowing his brows and looking away. He'd quickly tried to think of a way to get out of answering without her trying anything, but Ellie was quicker. 

“Well? Are you? C'mon, I'm trying to get to know the guy that's transporting me halfway across the country,” she complained, reaching a hand out to experiment when Joel didn't respond to her question. He jumped back at least half a foot, holding his flashlight out as if it'd ward her off somehow. Ellie's jaw dropped as Joel groaned, upset with himself for reacting. 

“No fucking way! You are ticklish!” She shouted, her voice echoing around the house. Joel shushed her, glaring.

“You can be that loud when we're not in the middle of Clicker Central,” he whispered harshly, though Ellie's yell apparently hadn't attracted any of them. Joel muttered something under his breath when Ellie only stared at him with a wide grin. “C'mon. We need to get going,” he said gruffly, dragging her along by the sleeve of her jacket.

“You're so fucked later,” Ellie whispered to him as she shoved the magazine back into her bag, giggling like she'd just discovered the best thing since sliced bread. Joel just grumbled and kept walking.

Since then, he had been under constant attack. He didn't know if it was better or worse that Ellie had abandoned the magazine for this. She swore she would never let him live it down and she had stuck by her promise quite well. Every day was a new batch of mischief with that girl. 

Today, she had decided that her method of annoying Joel was to nearly give him a damn heart attack by suddenly hopping on his back and squeezing at his sides until he toppled over. He couldn't count how many times both of them had eaten dirt when Ellie knocked him down, each incident punctuated by Joel warning her if she did it again she'd be sorry. Ellie blew him off every time, giggling and springing back up again like it was nothing. If there was one word to describe Ellie, it was energetic. Another less friendly word might be nuisance. 

However, Ellie hadn't performed her new party trick in a while, as Joel had noticed. They walked side by side, the kid's restlessness becoming evident as she kept stealing glances at Joel. “How much further?” she asked, boredom present in her tone. 

“Dunno. Keep walking,” Joel replied bluntly, not even looking her way. Ellie grumbled, shoving her hands in her pockets and kicking a few pebbles on the ground. 

“You know, I might be less bored if you talked to me. Or answered my questions. Just saying,” Ellie said, raising her eyebrows hopefully as she slowed her pace.

Joel shot her a look. “No. Good talk.” He kept walking, leaving Ellie a bit behind him. He flinched forward when she reached out to squeeze his sides, giggling mischievously.

“Alright, that's enough,” Joel suddenly growled, whirling around and glaring at Ellie. She grinned, unphased by his anger. In fact, she seemed to find it funny. “You have been nothing but a pain in the neck all week and I'm putting a stop to it now,” he said, his brows furrowed in anger. Ellie only smiled.

“What are you gonna do, kill me?” she asked jokingly, chuckling. Joel pretended to ponder this for a moment, humming to himself. “If you kill me, you've gotta explain to the Fireflies why you don't have the cargo they asked you to deliver. You're not supposed to kill the cargo, dude,” Ellie pointed out, giving him a look.

Joel was amused by her antics for once. “Y'know, maybe I'll just stab you a little so you'll shut up,” he said thoughtfully, making Ellie roll her eyes. “You're also not supposed to damage the cargo,” she replied, shaking her head at Joel in mock disappointment.

Joel was surprised at his own sudden playfulness, but maybe if he acted along for a bit Ellie would be satisfied. “Well, they wouldn't know if I just stabbed you right… here.” Using one finger he lightly poked at Ellie's ribs, marking a spot where he would theoretically stab her. To Joel's surprise, she jumped and burst into giggles, backing away.

“Ellie,” he said slowly, raising an eyebrow as a smirk spread on his face.

“Joel,” She tried to say sternly, though her confidence dwindled as she backed up further. They were at a standstill, Ellie's legs tensed to run as Joel was poised to pounce. This was a bad idea, they both knew that it could attract attention. But maybe, just this once, fun was the priority.

As soon as Ellie bolted Joel followed, barely having to travel a few steps before he scooped her up in a bear hug, her shriek probably echoing for miles. He barely had to claw at her sides before she squealed and cackled, her legs flailing uselessly in the air. She was even worse than he was. Joel found that hilarious.

“Can't take what you dish out, huh kiddo?” he teased, chuckling along with Ellie's shrieking laughter. He only tickled her for a bit longer before he let her down, amused by her heavy breathing and wide eyes as she recovered from his ‘vicious attack’. 

“You're a fucking dick. I hate you,” was all Ellie said, shoving him harshly. Her smile betrayed her complaint, something that didn't go unnoticed by Joel. 

He decided not to comment on it, instead rolling his eyes and shoving her back. “I'm flattered. Now, don't you have something to say to me? Something like 'I'm sorry for annoying you, Joel'?” he asked, looking at her expectantly.  

Ellie groaned dramatically, her theatrics making Joel snort. “Sorry for annoying you, Joel,” she reluctantly mumbled, looking away.

“What was that?” Joel inquired, cupping a hand around his ear and leaning towards her. Ellie glared daggers at him.

“I'm sorry for annoying you!” She shouted into his ear, causing him to flinch back. “There. Happy now?” she threw her arms out, raising her eyebrows and giving him a look. 

“Very,” Joel replied, grinning. “Now, c'mon. We're gonna have to settle down for the night soon.” He patted her on the back, starting to walk again. She jogged to catch up with him, a noticeable bounce in her step now. She was happy. Joel felt a bit guilty as he walked in silence. After a bit he sighed, unable to believe what was about to come out of his mouth. “Alright, kid. You win. Get out your damn magazine,” he said begrudgingly, crossing his arms over his chest. Ellie's eyes lit up like stars, a beaming smile on her face as she dug into her pocket, pulling it out within seconds.

“Okay, first question. What is your dream job?” Ellie began, grinning at him. Joel already regretted his decision. 

“One where I don't have to deal with you,” he replied snarkily, though he smiled when Ellie laughed uproariously at his answer, hitting him with the magazine.

"Terrible choice," she said with a disapproving head shake, grinning. "Okay, next question..."

They walked off into the distance, chatting avidly as Ellie asked question after question. Eventually, Joel began asking questions of his own, finding himself curious about the kid he was going to spend so much time with. 

Maybe that stupid magazine did help them break the ice after all.

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Hiii tlou anon here! Those hcs of yours were so damn good, and I was wondering if you write one shots, and if so I would absolutely love to see something like one of Joel and Ellie’s first ever official tickle fights that start out with like Ellie telling Joel some stupid pun and when he doesn’t laugh she just squeezes his side to make him bark out a laugh only for him to retaliate, I would love to see your take on something like that! - Tlou anon

okay okay okay sorry this took a bit but i actually did write a fic for this! here you go tlou anon! i hope you enjoy <3

. . .

BAD COMEDIAN

fandom: the last of us (specifically hbo show for this fic, not the game)

summary: Ellie’s determined to get Joel to laugh at her jokes. Turns out she doesn’t need them at all.

word count: 1377

warnings: strong language, tickling (obvi)

(this is all platonic. do not tag as ship.)

“Alright, listen to this one. What do you call a well-balanced horse?”

Joel heaved a long sigh, turning his head to look at Ellie frustratedly. She was sitting beside him with her pun book poorly covered by her sleeve so Joel couldn't see the punchline, a cheeky smirk on her face. “What do you call a well—” she started to repeat it, only for Joel to cut her off. 

“I heard you the first time,” he muttered gruffly, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing again. “What do you call it?”

Ellie broke into a wide grin, chuckling to herself at the joke. “Stable!” she announced, bursting into giggles not long after. Joel groaned, shaking his head at her. This had become her nightly routine, pestering him as they sat by the fireside huddled together for warmth. Apparently annoying him all throughout the day wasn't enough to satisfy her, Joel thought with a scowl.

Ellie waited impatiently for him to laugh, frowning in disappointment when the moment never arrived. “C'mon, that was funny! You're the worst audience ever,” she complained, nudging his shoulder with her own and glaring at him playfully. Joel rolled his eyes, giving her an annoyed look.

“Maybe it's because you're just a bad comedian,” he retorted dryly, suppressing a smirk when Ellie's jaw dropped wide open. 

“Maybe it's because you're just an asshole,” she shot back quickly, trying to match his grumpy look. Joel had to turn his head to hide a small smile. 

“I still think it's because you're not funny,” he said with the slightest hint of playfulness, making Ellie grumble and glare at him.

“I am too funny. Here, here, listen to this!” Ellie quickly flipped through her pun book, settling on one page and shuffling away from Joel so he couldn't see. It was in vain, as he'd already read the joke she had her finger hovering over.

“How can you tell if a tree is a dogwood tree?” Ellie said after a moment, turning her head to give Joel a grin. 

He stared at her for a few seconds before he replied, “By its bark.” 

Ellie whipped around with her mouth wide open in shock, a smile slowly spreading on her face in spite of herself. “You fucking dick! You read the joke before I told it!”  

“I already knew that one,” Joel bluffed, smirking. Ellie didn't believe him in the slightest, waving her hand at him dismissively. 

“Oh, bullshit,” she said, still grinning. “You're a liar. And you're a shitty audience. You suck.”

“Good for me,” Joel hummed, not phased by her comments. Ellie scowled.

“I’m not stopping until I get you to laugh, you know that right?” she asked, giving him a pointed look. Joel smirked again, shaking his head.

“Not gonna happen,” He said as he looked out to the snowcapped hills ahead, seeing her roll her eyes from the corner of his vision.

“Will too happen, asshole,” Ellie retorted while throwing her hand out to squeeze at his side, a habit she’d picked up from Riley. She didn’t think much about it until the chain reaction was already in motion, recoiling in shock when Joel barked out a laugh, jerking away from her hand like he’d been shot point blank.

They both looked at each other for a long time, Joel's involuntary grin turning to an uneasy scowl as Ellie's smile only got bigger. “Dude. Holy shit.” Ellie stared at him, eyes wide as saucers. She tossed her book aside, leaning forward.

“Don't you dare,” Joel warned, defensively wrapping his arms around himself.

“Dude, holy shit!” Ellie repeated, still in disbelief.

Joel glared. “Don't. You. Dare,” he said again through gritted teeth, inching away. Ellie inched forward, grinning from one ear to the other. 

“Well, now I kinda gotta.” Ellie chuckled as she rocked back and forth, unable to hide her excitement. She scooted forward more so that she was cornering him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I definitely have to do this. Y’know, with you being a shitty, grumpy bitch and all. Sorry,” she said, even though she wasn't sorry in the slightest.

“No, no, Ellie—!” Joel tried to block her with his arms but he was two seconds too late. Her hands were already under his jacket, clawing at his sides feverishly and making him jerk as if he were possessed. He broke into a wheeze-filled cackle, fighting and kicking against the kid as she quickly overpowered him. He was curled up in a ball on the ground trying to muffle his laughter in his shoulder as Ellie loomed, grinning with genuine glee. He could've pushed her away with ease, that was true, but who was he to deny the kid her fun?

“Look who's funny now, dickhead!” Ellie shouted triumphantly, still tickling the ever living daylights out of him as he laughed from the depths of his chest, weakly slapping at her arm. He hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Eventually, Joel was forced to shove her off with a grunt, gasping for breath as she tumbled away giggling like a giddy kid in a candy store.

“I made you laugh! I fucking did it!” Ellie yelled as she shook dirt from her hair, her eyes as bright as the fire crackling in front of them.

Joel didn't waste a second before he launched himself with impressive speed, wrapping arms around Ellie while she screeched in surprise.

“Wait, wait, lemme go!” she shouted, kicking at the dirt and shouting profanities through nervous laughter. She hadn’t expected the tables to be turned so quickly. “Joel!” she protested half-heartedly, not making much of a move to escape. She could’ve easily elbowed him in the gut and freed herself, but she didn’t for some reason. Joel would never tell a soul if his heart melted a bit at that realization.

“I kinda gotta do this, kiddo. Sorry.” He decided to play along, mimicking Ellie's taunt from earlier and grinning more than he had in a while. His fingers skittered over her ribs like little spiders, eliciting a peal of squeak-filled giggles from her. Ellie managed to free one hand and reach back to squeeze Joel's side again, causing him to wriggle away and retaliate by clawing at her stomach. They both fought like their lives depended on it, laughter filling the air as their battle raged on for a few minutes.

At long last, Joel managed to win the fight when he latched onto Ellie's sides with both hands, squeezing until she was reduced to incoherent giggles and squeaks. She gave in quickly, wrapping arms around herself and cackling into the ground. Mercifully, Joel let up, taking his hands away with a smile and tapping her shoulder. “You gonna die on me?” he asked, grinning when she gave him a go-to-hell look.

“I’m fine,” was all she said, completely drained of the energy to deliver a cocky comeback for once. Joel chuckled, something he was doing yet again for the first time in a long time. Ellie finally sat up after a moment, immediately slumping against his shoulder in exhaustion and sighing. Joel slid his jacket off as well as he could without disturbing her, wrapping it around Ellie’s shoulders gently.

“Tired?” he asked, though it really wasn’t a question at all with the way Ellie could barely hold her head upright. She hummed in response, staring at the fire with droopy eyelids. Joel ruffled her hair, beginning to stretch his legs out. “I’ll take first watch. Get some rest,” he said, groaning as he stood. Ellie grabbed his leg before he could walk away, giving him a solemn look. 

“I have a serious question to ask you.” She looked up at him as he looked down at her, raising his eyebrows. Ellie split into a grin. “Why is grass so dangerous?” 

Joel sighed dramatically, hanging his head. “Why, Ellie?” he asked, giving her a look. 

“Because it’s full of blades,” she whispered, bursting into a cackle not long after.

Joel only shook his head, looking away with a smile. “You're still not funny.”

“And you're still an asshole,” Ellie replied, laying down and turning away from him, using his jacket as a blanket. He figured he wouldn't get it back. “Goodnight, dickhead.”

“Goodnight,” Joel muttered, rolling his eyes. He hated to say it, but the kid was definitely growing on him.

[raine-or-shine]

JOEL MILLER AND ELLIE WILLIAMS - TICKLE HEADCANONS

for tlou anon!

these two are the father daughter duo that everyone adores recently so obviously y’know they’re not immune to being a little silly

(all platonic, please politely jump off the nearest cliff if you interpret this as ship)

. . .

JOEL MILLER

everyone loves to see a tough guy indulge in some silliness and joel is NOT immune to this, ellie probably drags him into whatever mischief she starts by his ankles 

he doesn’t usually try and start anything on his own, he waits for ellie to get on his nerves enough and then uses it as an excuse to tickle the ever living daylights out of her (rip)

he’s definitely a big ol goof about it. cmon. you cant tell me he isnt. he either laughs along with ellie or takes on the role of the tickle monster because he knows ellie (secretly, she would rather get bitten again than admit it) loves it

he smiles really big whenever he tickles ellie and she does her iconic squeak laugh, he’s so girldad your honor

he ALWAYS tazes ellie’s sides and then pretends he's innocent and makes fun of her for being “all jumpy”

he tells the unfunniest jokes in the history of planet earth and then goes “what? am i not funny enough?” and pokes at ellie until she laughs

however. this man is not immune to getting back what he dishes out

ellie could DESTROY him if she ever found out he was ticklish and that’s exactly what she does

sometimes he just lets her, he usually says something like “oh no, you got me kiddo” and accepts his doom because he knows she’s having fun

other times ellie sneaks up on him and he almost has a heart attack trying to throw her off, he’s going to go into cardiac arrest one day (he’ll be fine)

he tries not to laugh at first but then just breaks into this really wheezy giggle-filled laugh that he rarely lets out

he has a super ticklish neck so sometimes ellie just shoves her hand there to make him screech

ellie holds it over his head that she can make him laugh and he hates her for it (he doesn’t)

he ALWAYS pretends that he hates whenever he and ellie act silly around each other but he doesn’t, he loves getting to act like a dad again and getting ellie to act like a kid again

. . .

ELLIE WILLIAMS

this kid is the most mischievous little gremlin you could ever meet, starting tickle fights is her favorite pastime outside of annoying the shit out of joel

she finds out that joel’s ticklish before he finds out that she’s ticklish because she won’t leave him ALONE

sometimes she just annoys joel to oblivion to get him to do something (tickle her) but she would die before admitting that

she’s executed many sneak attacks on grumpy ol joel and she always runs away giggling like an asshole, she’s such a little menace

she gets so giddy and giggly whenever she makes joel laugh and then joel laughs harder, they’re both infectious to each other

she CONSTANTLY has a silly grin whenever she’s goofing off with joel and she WILL deny it if he points it out

she tries to be tough and doesn’t like acting her age most of the time but she actually loves getting to be a kid as long as joel is around

she makes fun of joel for how ticklish he is ALL THE TIME. “dude. dude. this is so funny, you know that right?”

she finds it hysterical that she can just shove her hands under his arms and suddenly he’s wriggling around yelling at her to get off through giggles

she’s just as bad as joel but she won’t admit it, she flinches and laughs immediately whenever joel pokes her

she kicks her feet when she laughs too hard. to this day joel won’t let her live it down. it probably haunts her nightmares

she also has ticklish EARS and joel won’t let her live that down either. he just blows in her ear and she squeals

ellie is the biggest sucker for hugs that turn into tickles and she tricks joel constantly. after a certain point he picked up on it and started doing it as revenge

she’s definitely the giggliest kid ever. basically the pandora’s box of giggles. once its opened it can never be sealed again

i hope this was enjoyable. i love these two goofs so much <3

[raine-or-shine]