#congratulations ellie my love!

[arcielee]

Closing Time

Summary: You and Billy do your best to make time for one another. Paring: Billy Washington x Female!Reader Word Count: 1895 Warnings: Semi-public sex, kissing shenanigans, teasing, oral (f receiving), p in v unprotected. Author's Note: This is in the same universe, just a smutty continuation inspired by the wonderful, the brilliant @helaelaemond. I cannot thank you enough and I hope I did your husband justice. Thank you to my brilliant beta reader Angsti, my beloved. 💜 Dividers by @saradika 💜

Billy could be considered your favorite customer.

There was a bias, of course, since you lived together, though lately your schedules were conflicting. You had made the choice to finish your degree while continuing with your shifts at the coffeehouse, to help with income but also because your boss liked you enough to flex with your academic schedule. Meanwhile, Billy had finished his suspended sentence and had impressed enough to receive a job opportunity to work at a warehouse, though its shifts were a bit grueling with four days on for three days off. 

But it allowed you to find time together with the fourth day becoming something habitual between you two: he would come in to wait around until you were done with closing, and then you would walk home together. Eventually, your boss allowed Billy to remain indoors once the seasons changed, but only after he had insisted on paying for the free flat you had poured him. 

“Such a nice boy,” she tutted along with her permission, though you knew she preferred having a second closer that did not require a separate payroll. 

This night felt different. You were aglow from the moment he dipped through the door frame, his cheeks pink from the growing cold outside. Winter was pressing in and the time shift now tucked the sun away earlier, making the days shorter and encouraging a homebody mentality overall.

Billy was seated with his mug–a holiday treat made by you–and his eyes rapt to you, watching as you escorted the last customers out, locking the door behind them. 

You were well aware of his unwavering stare throughout your shift, now following your movements as you ticked off your closing duties. You were playing into his want, into his desire that swirled and mixed with the black consuming the blue of his eyes. A smile hints at your lips with the sway of your hips, your languid steps that saunter towards a neighboring table, bending over to unduly arrange the holiday decoration. Your lips curl upwards when you hear him finally stand up. 

His chair scrapes against the linoleum floor, the light switch flipping off to cast the coffeehouse in half shadows, half golden glow of the street lights spilling through the windows. His muted steps come up behind you and you feel the press against your backside, his large hands touching your hips and moving to pull you upright, wrapping around until you are flush to his chest. Billy tucks his head into the curve of your neck with a deep inhale, a gentle kiss. 

“We’re closed, sir,” you tease, turning in his embrace to face him. 

He hums in response, his large palms now resting on your hips with a tantalizing squeeze that sends a jolt towards your core. “I’m almost done, Billy,” you continue with your coy tone, “I think I just have this table and then the bartop–” 

He stops you with a kiss. His mouth is warm with the taste of peppermint and chocolate, a drink he only enjoys when you make it for him. Billy steps closer to you, his hands following your curves to cradle your lower back, guiding steps until your backside presses against the solid oak table. 

A sigh accompanies your smile now and his tongue curls into your mouth, moving in tandem with your own in response. It is slow, it is searching, it is swallowing your soft noises that threaten to spill and dragging the air from your lungs. 

You are dizzy when he pulls away. “Billy…” is all you can manage, your voice barely a whisper.

His nose and cheeks are stained crimson, a crooked smile as he looks you over. “I missed you,” is all that he offers before he captures your mouth again. 

Your arms reach to wrap around his neck and he circles your waist, crushing you against his chest. You can feel the heat of his palms following the slope of your back and cupping below your ass, lifting you enough until you are seated on top of the table. 

He kneels in front of you and you peer down to watch his long fingers untie your laces, removing one shoe. You quickly toe off the other. Billy looks up, eyes glittering, shining with his desire. “Look at you,” he breathes, standing up to slot himself between your plush thighs; your breath hitches, your fingers grappling to unbutton your jeans; his fingers dipping into the waistline and peeling them away. “So beautiful.” 

Your felicity that has been thrumming beneath now rises to the surface, a flush of red that spreads from your face to your neck and lower. “Billy,” your tone is soft and you reach to tuck your fingers in the waist of his joggers, pulling him to close the space created between, “I need you, please.” 

His palms cup your face. “So needy,” he murmurs and then kisses you again with a new tensity that curls your freed toes. Billy then pulls away to remove your uniform top over your head, his hand pressing to your chest, “I wanna go slow. Lay back for me, pretty, and raise your arms above your head.”

And you do just as he asks. 

One hand wraps around your wrists, holding them to the table, and then Billy leans forward until his lips are barely flitting across your skin, his hot exhale causing it to rise. He takes his time, nipping and kissing and licking, careful to cherish your soft curves until your blood simmers to the surface, until your writhe and plead beneath him. 

“So beautiful,” he murmurs again, pulling back so his other hand can dip between your thighs. He cups your still clothed cunt and you cry pitifully. His hum is low: “I love the sounds you make,” he admits, his dimples lining his cheeks. 

He finally releases your wrists and your hands move to clamp the edge of the table to brace as you lift your hips, allowing him to finally pull away your underwear. You tilt your chin to your chest, blinking, your eyes wet from your want, watching his smile spread still when he tells you: “I want you to spread your thighs for me.”

They tremble when you do and Billy grabs a chair, pulling up to the table. Your skin pickles when his warm hands press to the insides and push further, dipping his head between. His hold dimples into your skin, pulling you closer to the table edge, his tongue finally tasting you. You mewl tearfully and his moan reverberates your bones beneath, his mouth finally latching to the bloom of nerves above. 

Billy knows you, knows your body. His tongue follows the intricate grooves, a merciless suckle until your pleasure is splintering into your bloodstream and returning with vigor to your core. You gasp from the craftful curl of his finger, coaxing that spot within you that has you seeing stars. 

He feels the flutter of your walls and hums against your cunt, his tongue continuing to pull a pleasure that courses through your veins. It flares to the ends of your nerves until you feel alight, aglow, and you cry out with your release that pulls the air from your lungs and splits you into a thousand pieces, now floating above. 

It is the warmth of his palm that grounds you, guides you, returns you back to your flesh again, aflame and breathless. He is standing now with his hand pressing between your breasts, feeling your heart bruising against, feeling the rise and fall as you slowly catch your breath. 

Your name sounds far away and you look up to Billy. “Good girl,” he praises, his voice low, gravelly. 

You feel dazed, a chill from your post-climax sheen. You also see the swell of him pressing against the crotch of his joggers, his hand dipping to grab the base and pull it above his waistband. There is a genial glide as he sinks into your warm heat, a fill so satisfying that you can still feel the aftershocks of your peak pulsing around his girth.

Billy takes a sharp breath, pausing to compose himself, a red stain on his cheeks with his concentration. “You feel perfect,” he rasps, his hands moving to the outside of your thighs, coming to hold onto your hips. “You’re just…perfect.”   

He moves, his pace brutal but unhurried, and filling you with each thrust. You see flashes of color in the darkness of the shop, your pleasure now white and hot, building and bursting in front of your eyes with each snap of his hips against yours.

“Billy,” you whine, your ankles hooking behind him.

He presses his thumb to your bottom lip and you take it in your mouth, your tongue quick to suckle and coat with your spit. Billy pulls his hand away and presses with intention to a spot he knows so intimately. 

Your back arches with his touch and his other hand grips into the softness of your hips. “I got you,” his voice is low, hoarse, punctuated with how his hips rut against you. “I know, I know. I can feel you,” and he draws a shaky inhale, “and you feel so perfect…” 

You shatter with his words, a tensity that pulls lower, deeper, until it rattles you to the marrow of your bones. Billy follows after you with the hot pulse of his cock buried in your velvet walls, and your cunt clenches with his release, your thighs tightening around his slender waist. 

After a moment, Billy leans forward with golden curls of his sandy locks on his damp brow. He presses a kiss to your hairline and his movement sends another trill of pleasure through you, faint but delicious. His hands grab hold of your thighs and rests them on top of the table where you lay, boneless. 

“I believe you might be one of my favorite customers,” you finally say, pushing to your elbows to watch as he tucks himself back into his joggers.

He chuckles. “I wonder how I can become your favorite?” He bends over to grab your puddle of clothes, coming back to give a chaste kiss on your mouth. “Where did I put your shoes–?” 

You push to sit upright, your fingers clawing into his shirt and pulling him back towards you. Billy looks at you, his brow lifting in amusement, but follows, allowing you to wrap your arms around his waist and burrowing your head onto his chest. He wraps his arms around you and presses another kiss to the top of your head.

“Let’s go home, Billy.”

His hands drop to both sides of you and your arms fall away, looking up to meet with his eyes. The blue has returned, still brilliant in the shadows of the shop. “We should probably wipe this table off first.”

And you dress quickly, remembering to count down the till, peering over to watch his lean form hunch over the table, thorough to wipe away the smell of sex that was pungent in the crisp air filling the coffeehouse. 

Outside, your breath is white and dissipates quickly above. You lock the door and then knit your fingers with Billy’s, which he tucks away into the warmth of his coat pocket. You press close, smiling as you begin to walk home. Together. 

Taglist [Tumblr kindred spirits]: @aaaaaamond @annikin-im-panicin @watercolorskyy @sylasthegrim @fan-goddess @httpsdoll @theromanticegoist @assortedseaglass @theoneeyedprince @babyblue711 @itbmojojoejo @girlwith-thepearlearring @lauraneedstochill @theobjectofyourire @troublesomesnitch @multyfangirl

arcie's masterlist

[plutolovesyou]

how soon is now? | part one

READ THIS FIRST 🇵🇸

teasers: one. two. series masterlist. next part here!!

♡: hallway crush!ellie x uni student!reader

☆: listen, i know this timeline is kind of ridiculous, but i’ve organized it all best as i can! this is the expanded story based on those first little blurbs introducing the au (reads fine on its own though), and this part specifically was originally going to be one huge fic, but i've ultimately decided to split it up and drop the first part now, because i feel like it ends in a convenient enough space where i can make a separation not so jarring. so that means this will have a direct continuation (how soon is now? 2 ? lol this is so stupid-), and that will be posted soon enough once i finish it! but yes that means after so much waiting, it's finally here for y’all. i literally thought up this silly idea right before i passed out on new years, and never expected y’all to love it so much…but i keep my promises, so here. also love the smiths and felt the title sort of fit. i feel like not too much happens but eh anyway, thank you for waiting, thank you for reading, and please enjoy!

♧:4.6k word count

◇:suggestive but not explicit - horny descriptions and tension, however no smut (for now?….BUT DON'T HOLD ME TO THAT.) no descriptions of reader’s physical appearance, no use of “y/n”, slow-burn construction and loooooads of pining, a lot of build up but stay with me, attempts at occasional foreshadowing, smau elements(text messages lmao), savage starlight is a plot point lol, hallwaycrush!ellie is sort of a mix of loser/modern/university au/dorky-ish ellie I DON'T EVEN KNOW. abby is your bestie, girl what else do i put here- this is just kinda plot, plot, and more plot progression about the whole ordeal, and me indulging my obsession with modern!ellie. (lmk if there's anything to be added!)

“Abbyyyyyyyyyy.” 

You rolled around your lifelong best friend’s bed, babbling her ear off while she studied away at her desk, or tried to at least. This situation has been a daily occurrence for weeks at this point.

Laying on your stomach facing away from her, you could hear her scoff in annoyance. “What?” “Please give me some advice..I don't know what I'm even supposed to do. She's driving me up the wall." This crush was the sole thing occupying your poor mind, so naturally, you had to drown your bestie with your troubles as well. That's what friends do. Abby spun around on her chair to face you, with a clearly fed up expression on her face, and leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. 

“Well I don’t fucking know man, I’ve already given you my best advice, and that's either introduce yourself, or suffer.” She said coolly. You sat up and groaned. Wasn't there an easier way? One that didn't involve actually taking initiative and doing something? Maybe, hypothetically, you ace a test, and the professor announces it in front of everyone as he emotionally congratulates his star student, and she bounds over, beaming. Then tearfully confesses her love and admiration for you- hold on, where the fuck is this going?

“Oh come on, you know I can’t do that..” You gulped a burning bundle of anxiety down as you replayed the scenarios with your obsession for the thousandth time that day, the mere crumbs you were forced to fixate on until you saw her next, the first sighting that started this whole fiasco,  and shook your head to clear it and listen to what your best friend had to say. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, slamming her textbook shut and making her way over to sit next to you.

“Listen babe, I love you, but you really gotta get ahold of yourself, alright?” She spoke sternly, looking you straight in the eyes to make sure you understood and absorbed every last word she said. “Listen, here's what you're gonna do. when you pass her in the hall, smile, it's simple but it's a classic, okay? And then you listen to the lecturer as normal, right? I have no idea what you nerds do in astrophysics, but that's besides my point. Make sure to pay attention and not stare only at her like a stalker or something, I cannot stress enough how normal you gotta be. But here's where it gets good, you still with me?” 

You're listening to her for sure, and nod vigorously. Crystal clear. She continues, “Okay you said you sit as far as possible from her? Sheesh, why'd you do that? When the class is over I want you to go over to her, and introduce yourself. Catch her on her way out, tap her on the shoulder if you're feeling bold. Ask for some of her contact details, play it cool. Just don't shit yourself, got it? All you gotta do." 

Abby finishes her speech, smirking and looking smug. She's positive she got through to you this time. On the surface you're totally chill, confident even, ready to snatch this ethereal being for yourself, however underneath all that you knew you didn't have an ounce of the courage that was required for this seemingly impossible task. 

Breathing deeply to calm yourself and try to take in her helpful words as best as possible, you give Abby a hug. “Thank you Abs, really. I'll do my best. Oh, but what if I freak out and start stuttering- or what if I trip and fall on her…I can't do this what the hell.” Swarmed with worry, you start doubting yourself yet again. Burying your face in your palms, you feel two strong hands on either side of your upper arms and you look back at Abby, who's really not playing around anymore. 

She was so serious about this it almost scared you. Either she cared about you more than anything, or she wanted to hear the end of these pathetic, lovestruck rambles. You prayed it was the former. 

“Suck it up. You can do this. You've had crushes before haven't you? This should be a piece of cake c’mon, I believe in you. Make sure to keep me updated every step of the way! I need to hear every last detail.” She lightens up at the end and releases you from her grip once she sees you've relaxed. 

Unsurprisingly, your best friend always knew what to say to snap you out of your spirals. Maybe most would disagree with her methods, say she was being rough, but they worked for you. Heart rate returning to a normal pace, you reply genuinely. 

“Okay, okay I got this. Yeah, it'll be fine.” She was getting through to you, this time you felt sure of it. “Good, good. Now will you let me finish this stupid assignment? Then we can watch something or do whatever." Abby chatted as she got up and sat back at her desk, resuming her studious endeavor as she left you with your thoughts. 

Immediately you heard her mutter, “All this and you don't even know her goddamn name…good grief.” For the sake of preserving the peace you chose to graciously ignore that one. She said she wanted some quiet, didn't she? 

Drifting away into a sea of daydreams, your thoughts inevitably returned to being clouded by this cryptic figure. It was like she'd cast a love spell on you. Did she even know who you were? Or did she shoot everyone those insufferably charming looks of hers. Was she even aware of how fucking cool she was? 

Dressed in that deliciously grungy style, you yearned to know what floated behind her greener-than-grass eyes. Her hair looked so smooth and soft, the wispy auburnette strands framing her refined features, intriguing fern tattoo decorating her lean forearm…. You felt your cheeks begin to heat up as a portrait of her materialized in your mind's eye. Nestling into the comfortable atmosphere of your best friend's room, you sunk deeper into your thoughts.

Like Abby had mentioned, it certainly wasn't as if you've never had crushes before, you've certainly had your fair share of them, like most people. But that was a sort of flaky, surface level interest, whether it be for their looks, their little quirks, or ways they treated you. Maybe it has been a while since you'd had a proper crush, but you couldn't recall a time when the infatuation, the pure limerence, had hit you this hard before. You almost felt helpless, just besotted by her.

You simply needed to act on this. Right then and there you steeled yourself, and decided you were going to follow Abby's advice after all, and go after this hallway crush. Worst comes to worst, she turns you down, you get over it eventually, bla bla end of story. It wasn't going to be too complicated, right?

You and Abby had stayed up all night, dusk till dawn, gossiping about things other than your hallway crush, shocking, and you were greatly regretting that decision the very moment it was time to gather your books and get to class.

You really did not feel like stunning everyone around you with a gorgeous outfit today, you were just trying to make it through the day in one piece to be honest with yourself. 

With a pounding headache you threw on some mismatched sweats, and ran out the door to be on time. Your bag felt unreasonably heavy as you made your way down your apartment stairs, and you cursed your past self for choosing a building without an elevator. Sure, exercise is healthy, but it can’t be when you’re feeling like a zombie, and wish for nothing more than a good, long nap.

Luckily the lecture hall was a comfortable distance away from your place, not far enough to make it a pain, but enough so you could get a much needed breath of fresh air. The tiredness had pushed all plans of action you and Abby had discussed the previous night to the back of your head, and you weren't thinking of your crush at all. At least for now. 

Walking slowly with your gaze pointed downward, you eventually made it to the hall. Completely dazed and zoned out, you made a mental note to never pull an all nighter again, gross, who’s idea was that- thump. 

Out of nowhere you're rudely jolted from your silent sulking by colliding with something, or someone? It takes a moment to register what happened, and you quickly look up from staring at the ground to sort the situation out. “Oh my gosh I am so sorry..” 

Profusely apologizing while simultaneously being smacked across the face with the realization of who this was. Her. Your words trail off as you’re suddenly winded, and you feel your blood run cold. You’re transfixed by the intense eye contact, and it feels like time has stopped. Goodness, this is dramatic. 

In the time it takes for you to briefly die and come back to life, the young woman has lowered her chunky headphones so they rest around her neck, Morissey’s vocals faintly floating out of them, and is looking at your stunned state with an indiscernible sneer playing on her face. Was this actually happening? Holy shit you and Abby did not discuss this scenario…you weren’t looking where you were going and had collided with an actual Earth angel. Great.

Still gawking at her like an absolute buffoon, akin to a deer in headlights, she breaks the tension first, with a smooth voice that you would obey virtually any command for. 

“Nah, you’re good.” And a wink. Your heart skipped a beat, or four, when you witnessed her wink at you. Did you imagine it? Was she being suave on purpose or did she have an eyelash in her eye…Was your life a literal rom-com or what? 

“Um..” Your mouth opens and closes in an attempt to form a coherent sentence, but your brain is much too fried to do so because, well, you had just made physical contact with the literal girl of your dreams. And gods did she smell good…while you’re unable to tear your eyes away from hers, she keeps talking as if nothing happened.

“I think the prof had an emergency or fuckin’, I dunno.” She stops to gesture around the two of you at the crowd that had formed in front of the auditorium’s double doors with elegant, ring adorned fingers..holy fuck you needed those inside you right fucking now- WHAT. 

Briskly shoving those thoughts down to the deepest depths of your subconscious back to where they belong, you turned your attention back to her, and put on a brave front. Hyper aware of how searing hot your face felt, her pretty self didn't show a hint of caring that you were making a fool of yourself. They say that any situation is always worse in your head than it was in actuality, well you hoped so. 

“So, what are we supposed to do now?” Clearing your throat you managed a sentence back, hooray. You were doing this. Good job. Although, of course, before the gorgeous nymph before you had a chance to respond with her own assumptions, a substitute lecturer you had never seen before pushes his way through the crowd and unlocks the door while people file in, separating you from her. You felt like Rose, viciously torn away from Jack from Titanic, what a cruel, cruel world this was.

And once again you didn't get to ask her name. Re-slinging her bag with one arm, she looks back at you one final time and throws you a “cya around.” Before disappearing into the auditorium with everyone else. You meekly nod at her and force a lopsided smile, before leaning against the wall to steady yourself after that fiasco in the now empty hallway.

Wasting virtually not a moment of time, you pulled your phone out and began furiously texting Abby with a recount of the events at a speed faster than the speed of light. 

Once that excruciatingly torturous class was over, you applauded yourself for containing the stares in her direction and keeping your eyes fixated on the professor. Whether you actually retained any information, now that was a different story. Picking up your bags and laptop, you stay behind for a moment as everyone else files out, no need to crowd and suffocate amongst the other students, and you had nowhere to be except catch up on your favorite shows and relax all by yourself. 

Filing out the auditorium with everyone else, you see a familiar face pass by you, and vaguely hear Abby’s voice in your head urging you to seize the moment. Now’s your chance, go! And so you gather every little bit of strength you possess to do just that. 

After a couple deep breaths you jog up to her. “Uh, hey.” She turns around and gives you a warm smile, making your legs instantly turn to jelly. You subtly checked her out and took in her outfit, another bulky jacket and lightly distressed jeans. Fingers studded with layered silver rings, and those big ole headphones seemed to be magnetically attached to her, she always had them on her. Note to self: ask for some music recommendations.

She was even hotter up close…with a beautiful galaxy of freckles scattered across her fair skin, you wanted to place a kiss on every single of them. “I, um, never caught your name.” “It's Ellie.” She sticks out her hand for a handshake and you accepted it, you finally had a name to the face you've been pining over so intensely for so long. Abby was going to lose it once you tell her about this. You steady your voice and hide the glee that was likely evident from this interaction going so smoothly, and introduce yourself to her as well.

After some time of idle chit chat and standing there, neither one of you knowing really what to say, Ellie pipes up, facepalming, tsking, and furrowing her brows. “Oh yeah, I don’t mean to spring this on you outta nowhere, but would you wanna study sometime?” She flushes a dusty pink, “I don't know anyone else taking this course and am having kind of a hard time with it...when I chose it, I expected it to be more about space and the planets, and less about numbers and math, my head hurts.”

Her demeanor was making you feel rather comfortable with her, even though the two of you had just formally met a few minutes prior. “I would love to, yeah!” Maybe you were being a little too enthusiastic, but at this point you were operating on pure instinct and not thinking critically of what was coming out of your mouth. “I actually don't have any plans now, or today at all, so if you want to, we can get a head start before the next class?” Well that just slipped out. Go you, blurting things out. 

You had no idea why you'd said that because your place was an absolute mess, clothes strewn everywhere, trash can still full, you'd been too preoccupied with your studies, and well her, to do much about it. To your horror, Ellie exclaims, “Hey, that's perfect! I don't have anything to do right now either, and it would be good to act on it while it's still fresh in my mind, y’know?” Her face morphs into an adorable toothy grin as she taps on her skull comically, you were becoming more obsessed by the second, if that was even possible.

Every little sliver of her personality you got to see under the stoic one you had assumed she had just grasped at your heartstrings. You smiled back at her so hard you almost pulled a muscle in your cheeks, “Awesome! Follow me, then, my dorm isn't far.”

The walk there was mostly fine as the two of you made it to your place, Ellie occasionally making comments about how she hates the class even though she adores outer space and learning about it on her own time, and you were nodding and acting as if you're listening, agreeing with her robotically while she rambled away and you daydreamed about what her lush lips would feel like on yours. You wondered if she was gentle with it, or if she’d kiss you hungrily, devour you like her very last meal….gulp.

Leading her to your place was an automatic task, not much navigation needed, and when the journey was done you had to legitimately stop short for a moment in an attempt to soothe the pounding in your chest. 

The crush that has plagued your mind for ages, who you've just met formally today, was about to be in your room. The two of you were about to be alone. That was totally fine, yeah, she can't be a murderer…..right?

“You good?” She asked sweetly, why did she have to be so nice, “Those stairs were killer, I totally get it, phew.” “Oh for sure, gets me every time.” Covering up your panic smoothly, you unlocked the door and went inside with her. When she walked inside, Ellie took a glance around your room and set herself down at the edge of your bed, immediately making herself comfortable, while you still lingered in the doorway, awkwardly swaying and staring at her, unsure of what to do with yourself. 

Suddenly you had completely forgotten why she was here in the first place. “No way, you read Savage Starlight too???” She spotted the figurine on your desk and snatched it up in her hands to inspect it thoroughly, with a childlike wonder in her eyes. “Wow, this one was a limited edition and it sold out in like an hour, I'm so jealous you got this!! How much you want for it, I'm serious.” She was so excited, and you couldn't believe it. Savage Starlight has always been one of your favorite comics ever, you've loved it since you were a young teen, and now this seemingly perfect human before you, who you're hopelessly obsessed with says she loves it too? Could she get any more flawless, is all you could wonder.

Her happiness because of this little thing you two bonded over was infectious, and some of your nerves slowly began to go away.  Grinning genuinely, you sheepishly said, “I've never met anyone else who likes it, that story has helped me through lots of phases in my life, and Daniela was my gay awakening.” Ellie gaped at you for a beat, making you almost doubt revealing that information.

“No. Fuckin’. Way. Mine too! Her suit was just- damn. And those action scenes in the third volume had my thirteen year old self’s brain just mush for, I don't even know for how long. This is crazy, I can already see we’re gonna get along so well.”

You wanted to talk to her about everything and anything forever, and her glee made you want to squish her, but there was unfortunately work to be done first. “There’s so much we have to discuss, but we gotta get some studying done first if we wanna make it out of this course alive.”

You were sitting at your desk, hunched over the sprawled out textbooks and messy notes, as you drew the graphs and talked to her about the concepts she was struggling with. Your desk was so small and you only had one chair, and you were the one using it, so Ellie was forced to hover over you to see all you were doing.

Focusing solely on the subject before you was proving to be more difficult as studying time went by, because you were a little too aware of the way she had caged you in against the desk to watch, her oversized shirt grazing your upper back. You gripped your pen ever so tightly to minimize any trembling, and kept a steady voice as best you could while explaining it all.

She was so, so close, the tension in the tiny room was palpable, she didn't seem to notice your nervous tremors or the proximity she’d created, and the low murmurs of, “ohhh, mhm, yeah,” as you embarrassingly stammered over your explanations made you flushed and to be frank, needy. You could feel her warmth radiating off of her, could faintly hear her breathing just above you. You didn't dare move a muscle. Was she feeling this too?

At this point you swore the delicious gravelly vibrations from her voice this close to you would be plenty enough to make you cream your pants. The air in the enclosed space was getting hotter and thicker by every passing moment, it took everything you had to keep yourself from losing your mind right now. If you moved back a petty few inches, you’d be pressed flush with her front. What would that be like, you wondered. Oh, no. Your throat felt drier than the desert when you swallowed, the thought of that making you weak.

Since your focus on the work was lapsing, you were beginning to make some little mistakes and blunders, compelling her to take the pen right from your hand and fix them herself. “No, no, this one’s supposed to be like this instead, see? Then you're able to get the right answer which is…” She stretches over you further, you nearly whined, someone save you, and grabs the textbook to review the solution. “Like this, yeah, I was right. Honest mistake though, don’t worry about it.”

You nod your head and make a pathetic murmur of approval, ignoring the fiery tingles spreading all the way up your arm when her hand bumps yours to return the writing utensil, and the blistering coil of want forming in your stomach. This all had to be deliberate, right? She couldn't lack that much spatial awareness, could she? Well, it wasn’t that you minded, she could get as close as she damn wanted to, you'd let her throw you around like a ragdoll even- you were just afraid your heart was going to give out if she kept it up. “Could you show me this work you guys did? Of course the one day I'm late, the prof talks about something new and I miss it.” 

What feels like an eternity later, you hear her groan above you and she returns to her earlier spot on your bed. You can finally breathe properly. Glancing at the clock, your own headache begins to set in. Crap it was late, how time flies. 

“We’ve been studying for so long, it’s getting late.” “Shit, you’re right, I’ve definitely overstayed my welcome. Sorry about that, and hey, thanks for this. I understand it all a lot better now, see you tomorrow.”

She stands up abruptly and ushers herself out of your door in a flash, to which you clumsily stand up, knock your chair over, and hastily run after her, not wanting her to go just yet. “Wait, Ellie!” “What's up, did I forget something?”

She pats her pockets and looks at you with concern. Round puppy dog eyes, and lips in a miniscule pout, so cute. You were in front of her now, but did not process what you actually wanted to say. Just ran after her like the smitten nincompoop you are. Upon feeling your face go hot, you look at the ground to mutter, “Uh- nothing. See you later.” Realistically, what were you planning on saying, or doing?

After stumbling over your words you two finally part ways and you slump down against your door, missing her presence already. You simultaneously wanted to jump around or open your bedside table drawer to release the energy you'd accumulated, and wanted to fall into the deepest sleep of your life to recuperate from the experience. This was just, a lot. You wanted to scream and screech like there's no tomorrow, but did not want to deal with noise complaints from the others living on your floor. Gosh she was so close, she shares your niche interest, your hands touched, albeit accidentally, lo and behold you were in love with her.

Maybe it was early to call it that, but you were going to plan out your future together. Preferably a quaint, peaceful farmhouse, the one you two lovebirds renovated together exactly how you envisioned, where you could ogle her doing the farmwork. Ugh. Cook all her favorite meals, make sweet, sweet love under the moonlight. Take strolls through the flower gardens you two planted, receive her curated bouquets as gifts, you two are going to have such a tender, domestic life. 

You had to mull it over some more, and didn’t dare wish to forget how close she was to you, you were still buzzing from her essence. You were pointlessly pacing around your room now, unable to stop looping the study session's events in your head. The simplicity, the eroticism of the encounter. One-sided or not, you had yet to find out more about her, the impatience was going to take over. The day almost seemed too good to be true, but for now you had to force yourself to relax and think about something other than her. Time to browse Pinterest with striking kitchen ideas for your beautiful future. 

What were you going to say to her the next time you see her? You were eager to know how, or if at all, this new friendship was going to progress. Part of you was dying of impatience, but the rest of you wanted to take it all as slow as possible, savoring every little moment and making the most of it. 

You sighed, this was going to be a long, long, year.

lovely taggies: @amiorca @mostlyhornyandsad @lasting-lover @radioheadfan699 @sophie-thefrog8 @machetegirl109 @ellieschair @aouiaa @wavesgocrash @tangerinngi @elliesbitchvenus @dinaissoprettyoml @rxreaqia @camicocom1a @elliesexual @ellslvr @boobdrug @writing-on-a-bathroom-stall @bready101 @yourelliewillms

.......really hoping this doesn't flop because it isn't smutty, yall wanted more fics that are plot soooo

[w2soneshots]

Race cars -W2S

words: 0.9k+

warnings: pregnancy.

summary: you, your baby daddy and the rest of the group spend a day at the F1 - British Grand Prix.

notes: Hello loves! This was requested on my wattpad🫶🏼. I don’t know much about f1 so that part of this fic is pretty vague but I hope you enjoy!!😚💕

A few weeks ago the boys were invited to watch the an f1 race and were told that they could each bring a plus one. Ethan chose Faith, Simon chose Talia, Josh chose Freya, Vik chose Ellie, JJ chose Callux, Tobi chose Calfreezy and Harry chose me.

The past few months of mine and Harry's life have been pretty crazy due to the fact I found out that I was pregnant. It wasn't planned but I've been with Harry for almost six years so it was a happy surprise.

Today is the day of the race. I woke up wrapped in my boyfriend's arms, one of his hands gently resting on my growing baby bump. I slid out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom to begin getting ready.

I took a quick shower, styled my hair, applied some makeup then picked out a cute but comfortable outfit. Once I was finished Harry was already up and in the kitchen making us both breakfast.

"Good morning my love." He smiled wildly at me as I sat down on one of the stools at our breakfast bar. "Morning. You exited for today?" I asked cheerly. "Yeah! Can't wait. The group chat has been blowing up since last night, everyone's really excited." He replied, plating up our food.

After eating Harry got ready into a relatively fancy outfit (well, what Harry considers fancy) and soon we were in a taxi on our way to Silverstone.

When we arrived I text the girls and they told me that they were already inside. I opened the back door of the taxi to see Harry already waiting there. He put out his hand and I graciously took it. He helped me to stand up then we headed towards the entrance.

"Hi!" I let go of Harry's hand when I spotted the girls. We each shared a hug and they were quick to comment on my growing stomach. "You look so cute." "I can't believe you're actually gonna have a baby!" I smiled. "I know. Oh and guess what!" "What?" Faith tilted her head to the side. "I felt the baby kick last night." I replied. All three of them stared at me for a second before bright smiles spread across their faces.

The night before I was sat in bed when I felt a flutter in my stomach. You couldn't see or feel it from the outside but the doctor had told me what to look out for so I knew it was the baby. When I told Harry a cute smile graced his features.

Once I said hello to the boys we all got settled in our seats, ready to watch the race. When the green flag was waved everyone suddenly became very focused. I sat between Harry and Talia, my hand gently resting on my small bump.

After almost an hour I got up to use the bathroom. "You alright love?" Harry asked. "Mhm," I hummed. "Just going to the toilet. I'll be back in a minute." I smiled lightly. He nodded then returned his attention back to the large outdoor tv screen that showed the parts of the track we couldn't see.

I made my way down the stairs and I walked towards the toilets. Just as I got there someone stopped me. "Excuse me?" I turned around. A teenage boy stood in front of me. "Are you Wroetoshaw's girlfriend?" He asked. "Uh- yes I am." I replied. "Could I please get a pic?" He was polite so I agreed. "Oh and congratulations by the way." He glanced at my stomach. I smiled. "Thank you." He nodded with a smile then he walked away happily.

When I returned to my seat I told Harry about the interaction. "I forgot that people don't know about the baby." He replied. "Well they'll probably know after today." I said quietly, carful not to annoy anyone around us trying to watch the race. "That's not a bad thing though, we didn't want it to be a big deal, right?" "Yeah, I'm a little sad that it won't be our little secret anymore though."

Since I'm not really on social media we hadn't even thought about telling the fans since it wasn't like I needed to hide it in pictures or anything. But when they find out they find out we're not that bothered about it.

Once the race ended we all headed to a nearby restaurant to get some lunch. We ordered our food then began having separate conversations. Me and the girls chatted away about what we'd all been up to recently while the boys discussed an upcoming sidemen video.

Later that night as me and Harry lay next to each other in bed he turned his phone around so I could see it. "Look." The screen showed an instagram post with a picture of me and Harry sat at the f1 race, my hand perched on my obvious baby bump. The caption read "congratulations are in order for w2s and his girlfriend y/n! The couple were seen earlier today with the rest of the sidemen at the f1 British Grand Prix and y/n seems to be pregnant! Nothing has been confirmed by them as of yet but fans are extremely excited about the news."

I smiled. "Well, I guess now everyone knows." Harry put the phone down, shuffling closer to me and pulling me into his chest. "I'm glad. It's been hard keeping the biggest thing in my life a secret. The amount of times they've had to cut stuff out of the podcast because I accidentally let something slip." He replied. I chuckled then let out a content sigh as we both slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

[katiemccabeswife]

Babysitting

Matilda’s x Reader

Word Count: 615

You take the honour of babysitting Harley and Harper.

As the team walked into the entertainment lounge they heard the melody of “Walk the Dinosaur” through the closed door.

“Oi, who’s in there?” Hayley asked, looking around the group of girls for whoever was missing.

“Y/N was watching Harps and Harls, so I assume it’s them,” Katrina answered.

You had tweaked your hamstring in the last game so you were supposed to be resting it for the upcoming game but you raised your hand for babysitting and you were having the time of your life so were Harper and Harley.

Sam, who was leading the group opened the door as the music ended to see you and the two young girls, posing.

“Mumma!” Both of the girls screamed before running towards their mothers.

“What's going on here, Y/N?” Ellie asked with a smile on her face.

“We dance!” Harley yelled from Tameka’s arms.

“Can you show us!?” Kyra yelled from the back of the group.

Harper screamed in delight and ran up towards you, Harley following closely, both girls tugging you back towards the makeshift stage. You got onto your knees so you were level with the young girls, “Do you want me to do it with you or just help from in front?” You asked as you pretended to whisper.

The girls had agreed that you have to do it with them and so you got into your positions before you played the song from the start.

You started facing with your backs to the girls and started bopping your knees before jumping to face the front and clapping your hands above your head. The girls were eating it up, multiple of them had their phones out filming but you did not falter and held a picture perfect smile on your face, Harps and Harls copying you.

As the song built up to the chorus the three of you started popping your chests with your hands on your hips, all three of you put in 100% effort. As the chorus began you followed the steps sung though the song and you were so proud of the girls beside you for remembering all the moves.

The dance continued with the older crowd clapping and wooing before they found you once again in your finishing positions.

The small crowd that had formed cheered loudly and you bent down again to give the girls high fives.

“Thank you!” You and the girls bowed, “We’ll be here all week!” You joked.

Tameka and Katrina came up and thanked you for watching their girls as well as entertaining the team and many of the girls came up and congratulated you on your outstanding performance.

“Best dancer out there,”

“Didn’t know you were that coordinated?”

“How did you move your hips like that?”

We’re only some of the many questions and statements thrown at you. Everyone over all of the social media platforms loved the performance and the girls from Arsenal made sure to message you to borderline bully you.

“Thank you for looking after me, Y/N,” Harley came up and gave you a hug.

You pouted at the cuteness, “You're very welcome my love, thank you for being such a great dance partner.” You kissed her cheek and tickled her sides making her giggle and run away.

Before you could stand from your crouched position Harper came up and tackled you into a hug, “Thank you for teaching me dancing Y/N/N,” She gave you a kiss on the cheek.

“You are ever so welcome, lovely. You were amazing on the dance floor,” You kissed her nose and picked her up and danced with her again as someone had put on more music.

_______________

Sorry it's kinda shit but I've been having major baby fever lately :) Also why does everyone forget about Harley?!

[eyesfullofsttars]

⋆ ୨୧ ₊ﾟ your lips + my lips = apocalypse ⋆ ୨୧ ₊ﾟ

sypnosis: once they become gfs, this lets abby freely be the most affectionate and loving partner, constantly giving ellie kisses for absolutely anything.

notes: this is pure, senseless fluff!!! i firmly believe abby would be obsessed with giving cheek kisses (ellie too, but she's more into neck kisses)

Abby’s new favorite habit since starting a relationship with Ellie is showering her with affection! After spending so long in love with her, laughing at all her bad jokes, and subtly seeking her touch, she now has the freedom to be physically affectionate without any awkwardness.

Ellie can be entirely engrossed in a video game, and her focus will be delightfully interrupted by Abby, who gently cups her freckled face with her large hand, covering every inch of her skin with tender, adoring pecks.

In the mornings, the first thing Abby does before even opening her eyes is search for Ellie, snuggling up to her and planting soft, loving kisses on her shoulder, trailing up to her neck, and ending with a gentle nibble on her ear.

When she returns from training, work, or just being out of the house, Abby eagerly anticipates being welcomed with a kiss on the cheek from Ellie as she takes off her sneakers at the door.

Even the wallpaper on Abby’s phone (without a single crack on the screen!) is a picture of Ellie trying to take a selfie in the mirror, with Abby playfully interrupting by grabbing her jaw to plant a sweet kiss on her lips.

In the winter, when Ellie refuses to bundle up despite being the coldest person in the world, Abby ends up holding her hands between her own, warming her cold fingers and planting delicate kisses on her knuckles with a small, knowing smile that silently says, “I told you that it was freezing outside…”

Summer has its perks too. When Ellie asks for help applying sunscreen, Abby seizes the opportunity to massage her back muscles, leaving a trail of soft, gentle pecks on every freckle she finds.

Whenever Ellie says something that makes Abby laugh (which is always), Abby ends up giggling and giving her a kiss on the cheek or the top of her head, as if thanking her for making her smile without even trying.

Even just seeing Ellie focused on cooking or working on a painting, constantly scrutinizing her own art, Abby will appear behind her, wrapping her arms around her and calming her with slow, tender kisses on her cheek.

Any excuse to kiss Williams is good enough!

Did Ellie’s hard work on dinner turn out to be delicious? Abby will take a bite and then immediately congratulate her with a tender peck on the lips.

Are they about to go to sleep next to each other? To ensure sweet dreams free from nightmares, their lips will meet, promising to find each other between the sheets before they rest.

Abby is completely obsessed with her loser girlfriend...

[jflemings]

— raso’s piper’s ribbons

pairing: hayley raso x child!oc {piper’s world}

synopsis: piper thinks hayley can fly

warnings: a short and sweet one bc i love this dynamic and just don’t write about it enough

୧ ‧₊˚ 🎗️⋅ ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

piper loves all her aunties. every single one of them, biological or not. she loves laughing with guro and katie, and riding on macca’s shoulders. she loves getting to be leah and steph’s mascot and she loves it when erin sneaks her sweets behind jessie’s back at lunch.

piper also loves watching her aunties play football. she loves kyra’s slide tackles and mini’s yellow cards, and she loves watching sam score goals.

what she loves most of all, however, is watching hayley fly.

sometimes, if hayley pushes hard enough, piper swears she can see her grow wings that lift her down the pitch effortlessly. the tails of her hair ribbon flutter through the air and follow her like streaks of yellow and teal, leaving nothing but a blur in their wake as she outruns the opponent.

before every game piper asks if hayley’s going to fly and without fail everytime, the winger assures her that she’ll fly just for her.

tonight is no different.

mini passes it up to emily, who draws the other team’s defenders in and then sweeps the ball straight past them and to the feet of raso. she streaks down the field effortlessly like a blur as she grows wings and flies.

the goal, too, is effortless. she takes a split second to line it up, pulls back with ease, and then lets it rip straight into the back of the net, putting the tillies in front 2-1.

piper jumps up along with tony, her little arms in the air as she roars in delight. hayley holds out her arms like a plane and zooms around in celebration before you and ellie catch her on her back, pulling her into a group hug.

piper jumps up and down before mimicking hayley and holding out her arms, running up and down the bench like she’s just scored. caitlin, nevs and polks clap for her as she does so, the smile never wiping off their faces as piper returns back to her seat.

hayley gets subbed off before you and takes a waterbottle and all the congratulations the team and staff have to offer her before she squeezes herself in between caitlin and teagan. piper wastes no time and appears by her side before she can even sit down.

she places her little hands on hayley’s knees and jumps in excitement “i saw you fly! i saw you fly!”

“i told you i would” hayley smiles as she winks “just for you, of course”

she lifts piper onto her lap and turns her around so that she can still watch you on the pitch “mummy remembered my ribbon this time!” she says cheerfully as she gets settled “and nini said she’ll get me some red and white ones so that i can wear them when i watch canada”

“no blue ones for chelsea?” hayley questions. caitlin makes a noise of disapproval from beside her.

“no way” piper says cheekily “auntie leah says no”

“and auntie leah’s right” caitlin interjects “you’re arsenal’s little mascot, aren’t you?” she tickles piper’s sides, making the child erupt in giggles. she squirms in hayley’s lap and the winger wraps her arms tightly around her.

“hayley help me!” piper laughs

“i’ll protect you!” she says, making a show of pushing caitlin’s dancing hands away “no more tickle monster caitlin”

piper blows a raspberry “yeah caitlin, no more tickle monster!”

caitlin puts her hands up in defeat and pretends to hide away from hayley’s playful glare “alright, alright! i relent! you win!”

hayley nods affirmatively but keeps her firm hold on piper, pulling her back against her front so that she can lean back against her chair.

australia keep the lead all the way to the end and you play the full 90 minutes, a sigh of relief leaving your lips as you clap to the crowd. instead of piper jumping off the bench and running straight to you, however, she keeps ahold of hayley and the two of them makes their own round of the stadium.

piper collects friendship bracelets and messily signs posters and a few of your jerseys, remaining shy under the attention of so many people. if raso has to put her down it’s only for a photo and only for a minute or two before she lifts your daughter back into her safe hold.

“you two are matching!” a journalist points out as he holds his phone up to record the short interview “we see that a lot. do you and hayley match all the time?”

piper nods shyly “i like matching with hayley”

hayley smiles “we do it every game don’t we?”

“yeah” piper answers “because i want to be like hayley when i grow up”

the journalist nods kindly “do you want to play football when you grow up?”

“i want to be a matilda” piper says loudly and with more confidence.

“they’re not just raso’s ribbons anymore are they? they’re piper’s ribbons too”

hayley smiles widely and proudly “she’s gonna take over the trademark soon! just watch her”

[strang3lov3]

Congratulations on 2K!!! You are amazing and you deserve all of the love!!!💜💜 I am so happy I found your account!

I have a joel request hehe😉

Reader is sleeping next to joel and she starts having a wet dream about him. He hears her and makes her dream come to life. ( basically any kind of somnophilia with Joel makes me feral)

love u bye

thank you non! love this idea. i really appreciate your support, i hope you enjoy this smutty little story

Sleeping Beauty

Joel Miller x Reader

Warnings: soft dom! joel, smut, one bed!, oral f receiving, rough smut, unprotected piv, dubcon (somnophilia), very loosely proofread

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: my first kinda drabble for my 2k follower celebration! woohoo! if you have any requests, please feel free to send em! doing this all week to celebrate all of my lovely readers and supporters

dont forget to leave me a comment or reblog if you enjoyed! i love you all!

“Fuck, Joel,” you moan into the pillows. His head is between your thighs, devouring you with unmatched power and intensity. He’s taking his time with you, fucking you slowly with his mouth, watching you melt into a puddle as his tongue disappears further and further into your wet heat. 

“Taste so good f’me, sugar. So fuckin’ good,” he pulls away for a second to kiss his sweet praises into your thigh. You whine at the loss, grasping at his salt and pepper curls. You’re a mess beneath him, the hot skin of your thighs trembling and glimmering with a mixture of your juices. His sweat, your sweat. Your sweet arousal, his spit. 

“Please, don’t stop. Need you-need your tongue,”

“Impatient, are we?” he teases. “You take what I give you, baby.”

“Stop it,” Joel scolds you through a whisper-yell. He’s regretting his choice to share a bed with you. Your wiggling and rustling is relentless.

You, Joel, and Ellie all stopped in an abandoned motel to get some sleep. Most of the rooms were filled with rubble or water damage, except for two. Ellie had already claimed the single room, leaving you and Joel to share the other. It held two beds, both you and Joel each picking one. No problem, right?

Wrong. 

It was the dead of winter, and Ellie was freezing in her room. So she did what any asshole teenage menace would do, and stole your blanket. 

“Ellie!” you hissed. “Give that back!” 

“No. I’m cold,” 

“So what am I supposed to do, then?”

“Just snuggle Joel,” Ellie smirked as if she were concocting a diabolical plan and then watching it come to life. 

Your cheeks went bright red as Joel looked to you, then to Ellie. “Ellie,” he grumbled sternly. “Give it–”

“Have fun snuggling!” She chirped as she ran out the door and shut it behind her, your blanket in her hands. 

You shivered a bit, staring sadly at your measly sheet on the bed. There was no way in hell Joel would ever let you–

“Go on, get in,” he motioned towards the bed with an impatient and annoyed expression painting his features. “I ain’t snugglin’ ya.”

“Yeah, I’m not either,” you spoke through a yawn, trying to mask your excitedness. You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t wanted this. The sun was just about to set, the last sliver of orange daylight seeping in through the windows quickly disappearing. You situated yourself in the bed, Joel following suit. He was stiff as a board next to you, as far on his side of the bed as he could be without falling off the edge. 

You couldn’t get to sleep. Neither could he. In truth, you were both too cold to even get tired. You lay shivering, curling your freezing toes and fingers into yourself, tucking into a ball to conserve heat. 

He must have been cold too, because the next thing you knew, Joel wrapped his body around yours. His soft tummy pressed into your back, his strong arm wrapped around your torso and held you close. “Don’t tell Ellie,” he grumbled.

You fell asleep within minutes.  

Joel, on the other hand, did not. He laid next to you as you wiggled against him, your ass grinding on his cock as you tried to get closer and closer to his body’s warmth. His cock was growing harder with each wiggle of your hips. 

“God bless it, quit your squirmin’,” he hisses. “Movin’ too damn much.”

You make a noise, somewhere in between an exhale and a moan. You wiggle your hips again, wrapping your arms around his. 

He says your name, scolding you. But you don’t hear, you’re off in your own head dreaming your limbs intertwined with Joel’s, his tongue and fingers pulling whimpers and cries from your body.

“Joel,” you whisper, flipping over and pulling him close. You nuzzle your head into his neck and pull one of his legs between your thighs, unconsciously squeezing and grinding on him. 

“Hush,” he quiets you in annoyance. “You’re driving me up a fuckin’ wall, honey.”

Joel adjusts in your embrace, his thigh pressing into your pussy. “Just like that,” you gasp. 

“Huh?”

“Oh, Joel,” you breathe, your hot breath tickling his neck. You kiss and nip at his skin, pull him closer. “Need you, your tongue,” And then, 

Oh. 

Oh. 

You’re dreaming, he realizes. And not just dreaming, you’re grinding yourself on him, whispering his name, begging for his tongue. His cock is straining against his jeans, begging for release. 

He knows it’s wrong, he should wake you up. But the thought of tasting your sweet pussy…

“Please,” you beg. 

“I’ll take care of you sweetheart, I’ve got you,” he whispers as he unbuttons your pants and pulls them down in one swift motion, along with your panties. He situates himself between your legs and quickly stuffs your panties into his jacket pocket, before dipping one of his thick fingers into your dripping cunt. “Fuckin’ drippin’ for me, honey. Need my tongue, s’that right?”

You only mumble in response, your legs spreading wider for him. You grasp at his shoulders, his hair, anything to pull him where you need him most. 

Joel pulls you close to him, pressing sloppy wet kisses first to your thighs and then to your cunt. He dips his tongue between your lips, letting the sweet and musky taste of your slick cover his tongue.

“Taste so fuckin’ good, honey. Love this pussy,”

You whine softly, bucking your hips into his mouth as his tongue explores every inch of your velvet soft folds. He loves how you taste, how you unravel underneath him. The way you pull him closer, desperately chasing your high. Your soft whimpers and cries.

Joel looks up at you for a second, your brows are knit together and your closed eyes are fluttering. He pushes two thick fingers deep inside your hole, fingertips petting that spongy spot inside you. He wraps his lips around your swollen clit, tongue teasing the sensitive bud. You melt in his mouth, and in moments you’re coming on his tongue, your wetness flooding his mouth and dripping into his hand.

You awaken with your orgasm, your eyes widening when you realize Joel’s between your legs, kissing and nipping at your thighs, licking up the mess you’ve made in your slumber. You open your mouth in shock, Joel quickly covers it with his hand. You can smell your arousal on his fingers. 

“There she is, sleepin’ beauty,” he smirks proudly. “You know, all y’had to do was ask if you wanted me to make you come, honey.”

Your cheeks heat in embarrassment, you quickly try to shut your legs closed. Joel catches your movement and holds them open, his fingers digging into your thigh a little too painfully. 

“Joel,” you start, your voice small. You struggle against him, trying to hide your most intimate area. Not that it matters, Joel was already tongue deep inside you. 

“Don’t hide from me now, honey. I know you’ve been dreamin’ about me,”

You freeze, unsure of what to say, what to do. Maybe you’re still dreaming, you hope. 

“M’not tryna embarrass you, sweetheart. It’s natural,” he coos, his fingers walking up your thighs and just before your pussy, he’s playing with your tuft of curls. “Poor thing, s’that why I hear you cryin’ for me late at night? Been havin’ dirty dreams about me?” 

You whimper, nodding furiously. 

“What do ya dream about, sweet girl?”

You shift a little, his pointer finger tracing lazy circles into your clit. If you weren’t so worked up, you’d be humiliated by the situation. You should be humiliated. 

“You,” you whine. 

“Me how?”

You groan in irritation. “Fuck, your tongue. Your cock. All of you,” you whisper.

“Mhm. And what am I doin’ to you?”

“You, you kiss me. And you f-fuck me,” you admit. You’re bucking your hips into him, needing more than loose circles on your clit. 

“Makin’ me blush,” Joel teases you. It’s dark, but you can see the mischievous glint in his dark eyes. You feel him smirk against your quivering thighs. “I like that you’ve been thinkin’ about me like this. How long?”

You moan, unable to form words. Your chest is heaving up and down in anticipation, your heartbeat like thunder in your ears.  “Fuck, I dunno. Forever,”

“Forever?” Joel asks, his voice feigning sincerity. “That’s an awful long time. You think about me when you touch yourself?”

“Joel,” you exhale, swallowing thickly.

“Do you?”

“Every time,” you rasp. 

“Shoot, poor thing. Just need a real man to fuck you, don’t you? You don’t know what you’re doin’ with all this,” he pushes his fingers back inside you, punching his fingers up at a tantalizingly slow pace. “I can take care of you, fuck ya real nice. Just say the magic word.”

“God, yes. I need you, Joel,” you breathe, your voice hungry and desperate. You’re pushing your hips further into him, begging him to give you more. 

“Magic word, baby. Where are your manners?”

You’re growing increasingly frustrated, tears filling in your eyes and threatening to fall down your cheeks. 

“Say please,” he instructs you, stopping his motions inside of you. “Say ‘Please, Joel. Please fuck me’,”

“Please fuck me, Joel,” you repeat, loudly. You can’t take it anymore, you need him with every fiber of your being.

“Shh,” he hushes you. “Wasn’t so hard, hm?”

You shake your head no and he pulls back, pulling his cock out of his jeans. He flips you over on your tummy, shoves your chest down with his hand and pulls your ass up. Using one hand, he caresses the soft and wet skin of your pussy. With the other, his thumb, pointer, and middle fingers loosely holding his stiff member, he notches his tip in your leaking hole, then pushes into you unceremoniously. Hard and fast and hitting you deep inside, just how you’ve dreamed. The stretch hurts you, but you don’t care. You love it. 

“Fuck, thank you,” you cry. “Thank you, thank you!”

“Such a good girl for me, usin’ your manners. Gonna take real good care of this pussy for ya,” Joel promises you. He’s hovering above you, hiking your shirt up your chest to pinch and twist at your hardened nipples. You gasp at his touch, arching your back into him. 

You’re at a loss for words, in disbelief this is even happening. Your heart jumped at the idea of snuggling Joel just hours ago, and now he’s behind you, inside of you, fucking you like you always fantasized.

The bed squeaks and creaks with every powerful thrust he delivers you. He’s so raw, radiating power and pure sex above you. 

“Fuck, you needed this, know you did,” he whispers. “You love this cock, don’t you?”

“Yes, Joel. S’perfect, you’re perfect,” You love the way he’s fucking you, how deep and hard he thrusts into you. You wish you could see him, his face contorted in pleasure, furrowed brow. 

He’s grunting behind you, letting out a moan every so often. He inhales through his teeth, you feel his balls slapping against your pussy. A deliciously sinful feeling.

You’re a mess. A complete and utter mess. Hair tangled, back arched. Whimpers and cries falling off of your tongue. Joel loves you like this, you’re his. All his. 

“You think about coming on this cock? Hm?” he asks you through exhales. When you don’t answer, he slaps your ass lightly. “I asked you a question.”

“Yes, please. Need to come, need you,”

“Keep makin’ those pretty noises for me,” he commands. “Wanna hear you cryin’ for me, just like you always do.”

“Please, please, need you to make me come, need to come,” you’re frantic, chasing your high. 

“Say my name, darlin’. Ask me nice,” You wonder how Joel can stay so composed, so demanding. Your head is nothing but fog, but it seems he’s calculated every last detail about tonight. You’re his, you’re going to do what he wants, how he wants. “Come on now.”

“Please make me come, Joel. Please,” 

“There’s my girl. So fuckin’ good to me, honey,” Joel wraps an arm around you, fingers quickly finding your clit. A few tight circles is all it takes before you’re whimpering, quivering, crying out in ecstasy. Joel forces you up, your back pressing into his firm torso. With one hand between your thighs, he covers your mouth with the other to muffle your filthy noises. 

Joel fucks you for a few moments longer, his thrusts are sloppy and feverish. With one, two, three deep and hard movements, he spills into you. His moans are choked and his voice gravelly as he paints your insides with ropes and ropes of his hot seed. He pulls out of you quickly, dragging you down with him on the bed. 

Both of you panting, he hovers over you to kiss your forehead, then your cheeks, the tip of your nose and your chin, then finally, your lips. 

“What was that for?” you ask. His kisses are so tender, a stark juxtaposition to the way he just mercilessly fucked you. 

“Said you dream of kissin’ me,” he mumbles plainly, like the answer is oh so obvious. He pulls you into his embrace, still trying to catch his breath. 

“Oh,” is all you mumble. Your head is spinning, still trying to process tonight’s events. 

“Sweet dreams, sleepin’ beauty. Wake me up if you need anything,” he whispers, giving you one last kiss on your cheek. “Anything.” he reiterates, pinching your ass. You smirk to yourself, you know what he means.

tags: @swiftispunk @rosaliedepp @pedrotonin @kittenlittle24 @walkingintheheartbreaksatellite @brittmb115 @bigboiseason123 @laysmt @guiltgoreglory @aubreysylvain @leeeesahhh @oliveg95 @ifall4dilfs @alloftheboysivelovedbefore @harriedandharassed @vickie5546 @louisxosblog @southernbe @ravenouswild @luvrking @r02eg0ld @amythenortherner @walkintheprk @zpandaqueen @silkiers @angel-with-a-heart @kdogreads @boofy1998 @theoremrobin @ihatespoilers @2valentines @happy--birthday--kiddo @elissaa @paleidiot @brie-annwyl @str84pedro @sesigsss @bigcreatorwombatdreamer@palomaluvsdilfs @kyloispunk @tiredbuthappy @yuk-for-president @jazzy-music-cat @anoverhwhelmingdin @dontatmethebeasts @venus122idkpleaze @nopealoupe @blackvelveteen1339 @monboudoir @darleneslane @bbyanarchist @spideysimpossiblegirl

[dancingtotuyo]

10. hold you from the world and it's curse

Woman | Joel Miller X Female Reader

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter Summary: You begin to come to terms with things. Ellie struggles with the limits of her immunity.

Tags: Joel Miller X Female Reader. Age Gap (13/14 years). HBO Characters. Mostly cannon compliant for show & game. Timeline is changed.

Chapter Warnings: pregnancy related things, angst, hurt & comfort, self worth issues, Character Death, references to canon violence and gore, talk about guns & shooting people (mercifully), lots of grief, anger,

Notes: huge thank you to my constants, my rocks @ramblers-lets-get-ramblinand @janaispunk for beta reading and letting me yell and scream and break their hearts.

If you have checked out Before, I would encourage you to do so for more backstory on our dear reader! The final part is out now!

Words: 4933

Series Masterlist | Author Masterlist | Playlist

When Maria was pregnant, she unashamedly let her bump grow in front of the gaze of the town. It came on with the winter months but she kept her coats unbuttoned and off while inside. She was excited, cherishing it all, marking and sharing milestones as she could. You don’t do any of it. You keep your bulky coats zipped and make sure your layers disguise your growing abdomen. 

It’s not a secret by any means, but you know even in the tight-knit community of Jackson there are still people who don’t know as you approach your 23rd week of pregnancy, even if you feel twice as large at this stage as you did during your first pregnancy. It’s been getting easier to keep the layers on as the temperature falls and Christmas approaches.

But it’s only a few days from Christmas, and there’s a dance. You’ve fallen in love with the dances again.  While it’s a relatively casual event as everything in Jackson is, you’re not prancing in there in your worn leggings and layered jacket. The body heat flowing between the dancing bodies is more than enough without your layer. With the extra heat you’re producing on your own, you’re sure you’d pass out in 20 minutes. 

You have one option: the dress with quarter-length sleeves and a skirt that hits your knees. You basically lived in that dress when pregnant with Carter, but it accentuates your condition. That’s the last thing you’re ready for, the stares, the questions, the congratulations. You feel a vein of guilt rush through you. You shouldn’t dread people congratulating you on this. 

You rest your hand on top of your swollen stomach. You’re starting to feel the baby move more often. It’s just as weird as it was with Carter, but it still sends a little thrill through you each time. 

Joel walks out of the bathroom to find you sitting on the bed in his sweatshirt staring at the closet like a monster might come barreling out at any given moment.  “Sweetheart,” he says. “It’s almost time to go.” 

You bite at your thumbnail, the closet mocking you. It’s just a dress. Why does it feel like so much more? “We don’t have to go. Let’s just stay in.”

“After you bribed Morgan with heaven and earth to watch Carter?” He crosses his arms, eyebrows raised.

“We could just stay here? Do other things.” You shoot him a suggestive wink. 

Joel seems to consider it for a moment. He surprisingly enjoys the dances. There’s something about the semblance of normalcy, and the night he kissed you in front of the whole town is a fond memory, but he likes being alone with you more. He sees through it though. You’re avoiding something.

Easing next to you, his shoulder brushes yours. He gazes at your profile as you keep your eyes pinned to the closet door. His fingertips brush along your cheek rounding behind your ear. “What’s actually buggin you?” 

Chewing your lip, you finally meet his gaze, unshed tears shimmering in your eyes. “If I put on that dress, everyone is gonna know.”

He sighs, arm wrapping around your shoulders. You lean into him, your heart rate slowing. “We can’t avoid it forever.”

“I know. I just thought I could for longer.”

“Baby, you’re over halfway there,” Joel cracks a smile. “And I promise that most of the town already knows.”

“Yeah, but they don’t officially know.” 

Joel wraps his arm around you, letting his hand fall over the one that rests on your bump. “We have to face it sooner or later. Maybe even embrace it?” He kisses your temple. He manages to pull a slight smile from your lips.

He rubs your arm softly as your head eases to his shoulder. “I’d really like to spin you around that dance floor, kiss ya for everyone to see. We don’t have to go for long, but I think you’ll feel better.”

You inhale deeply, nodding softly. “Help me up. I’ll get dressed.”

“Now I know you’re not that pregnant.” He grins, standing before you and pulling you to your feet anyway. 

You laugh, arms wrapping around his shoulders. You sway, pressed against him for a few seconds. Your lips press against his and then he’s pressing against your hips, directing you toward the closet. “Get dressed, Sweetheart.”

He kisses your head and slips out of the bedroom. You steady yourself with a deep breath before finally opening the closet. You can do this. 

Carter is sitting on Joel’s lap as he reads him a book. Morgan preps a light snack in the kitchen. You haven’t worn a dress in ages. This is the only one you own. You traded the others ages ago. 

Carter sees you first, letting out a soft gasp. “Mommy, you look so pretty!”

Joel’s head snaps up, the book lowering in front of him. Carter jumps off Joel’s lap, rushing toward you. You laugh, going to your knee to accept his hug. He’s still small enough for you to pick up and spin around, squeezing him tightly too you. He laughs as you pepper his cheek with kisses. “You’re gonna listen to Miss Morgan, right?” You stare right into his eyes, keeping him at eye level with you.

Carter nods with a great solemness. His big eyes sparkle in the light, his nose pressed to yours. His bright eyes are so close to yours, so reminiscent of Gabe’s. It sends a soft ache through you that he doesn’t get to be here for these moments. “Daddy already made me promise.” 

“Did he?” A grin captures your lips as you glance over to Joel.

Joel rises from the couch with a chuckle, adjusting his jeans over his hips. 

“Mhmm,” Carter says, kissing your nose before he slides to the ground. He rushes off toward the kitchen. “Miss Morgan? Is my snack ready?”

Joel laughs, watching the child disappear before sliding his arms around your midsection. “You look beautiful, but that’s nothing new.”

Heat floods your cheeks. Once again you’re smiling like a flustered schoolgirl. “You gonna take me out, Miller?”

“Tempted to take you upstairs.” He winks. His hands travel down your back to your ass. No underwear lines, just as he expected to find. One of these days he’s going to figure out what you have against the damn garment. The last thing he needs to know is that you’re bare under the skirt, that when he spins you around tonight and your skirt spins you’ll feel the air moving against you.

You let out a laugh, pushing against his shoulders. “Too late for that, Miller. I put on the dress. We’re going.” You head toward the kitchen. 

Joel lets out a groan trailing behind you. You give Morgan a few instructions, but she’s familiar with the routine by now. “I love you,” You kiss Carter’s cheek as he eats at the table. “Mommy and Daddy will be back after you go to sleep.”

“I know.” Carter grins proudly, face scrunching up slightly. “Love you, Mommy.”

Joel leans down, kissing Carter’s other cheek. “You behave.”

Carter cheese again, kissing both your cheeks in quick succession. “Love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too, bud.” He chuckles softly. 

Joel pushes you toward the door, helping you into your warmest coat before you can find a way to stall. Your legs freeze on the way to the Tipsy Bison, cool air shooting right up your skirt. This might be the first time you’ve regretted your commitment to not wearing underwear. 

Joel’s hand stays pressed to your back on the short walk over as if he’s trying to keep you from making a break to the safety of your home but The Tipsy Bison welcomes you in with warmth and vibrance, drowning out all your fears. When Joel helps you out of your coat, something amazing happens. The world keeps spinning. People go about their evening, seemingly oblivious to your arrival and your announcement. Throughout the night, you get a few stares and a few congratulations, you take them all with grace. 

After exhausting you on the dance floor, your stamina not what it was thanks to your pregnancy, Joel guides you toward a back corner. Chairs line the wall but few people mill about on the outskirts. 

“I’ll go get you some water,” Joel says, kissing your warm cheeks. 

You smile at him as he weaves through the throngs of people. Before you can sit down, you catch sight of Ellie further down the line of chairs. She watches, arms resting on her knees, the cheer of the night like an outsider looking in, the rush and thrill of the night ineffective against her armor. 

You tilt your head to the side before approaching. You ease beside her, letting out a soft sigh. You hook your foot under the legs of a stray chair to pull it closer so you have a place to prop your feet. Ellie doesn’t acknowledge you. She makes no movements that indicate she’s even aware of your presence. 

You follow her line of sight to the opposing corner. Dina and Jesse are flirting like all of Jackson doesn’t have eyes. Cat rolls her eyes at something Chris Lamer says to her, a playful insult likely rolling off her lips. The sight brings a smile to your lips. At least within these walls, they can act like teenagers.

“You’re not feeling very social tonight?”

Ellie lets out a sigh, falling back in her chair. She shoves her hair behind her shoulder. It’s getting longer than you’ve ever seen it. She shrugs. “Just not feeling it tonight.”

“Wish I’d known that before I bribed Morgan to watch Carter.” You offer a teasing grin. She doesn’t return it, crossing her arms over her chest as she shifts in her seat. Your brow furrows. “What’s up, Ellie?”

She bristles, taking her time to find words. “You look nice tonight.”

“You’re deflecting.”

“People do that when they don’t wanna talk about things.”

“Which usually means they should talk about things.”

She glances over at you, unamused. You smile back, but she doesn’t say a word, letting her eyes fall back over to her friends. 

“You know,” you say. “I didn’t want to come tonight.”

She looks surprised. “You and Joel love these things.”

“Yeah…” You nod, eyes scanning over the crowd. “But I can’t really hide this anymore.” You motion to your swollen abdomen. “Especially not in this dress. Which is about the only thing that fits me now.”

Her eyes flicker over to you, landing on your bump. You catch something in her eyes. “I thought you’d gotten used to it.”

“Don’t know that that’ll ever happen,” you sigh. 

“Even with Joel moving in?” 

That’s when it clicks. The changes. You should’ve known, or guessed. Joel brought the last of his things over last week. Ellie decided early on to stay in Joel’s house, or her house now. 

“Ellie, if you’ve changed your mind-”

“No,” she cuts you off. “I haven’t- at least I don’t think I have.” She bites her lip, frame ridgid. “Guess I didn’t think it would feel any different. He basically lived over there already.”

“But his things are gone now.”

Her eyes snap to yours like you’ve hit the nail on the head. Her eyes look shiny under the Christmas lights strung from the rafters. She blinks a couple times. 

“I didn’t think I’d miss that damn owl mug so much. I used to hate the way its eyes followed me when I was in the kitchen.”

A laugh tips out of your mouth. “Glad to hear it. I’ll smuggle it back over to you.”

Ellie’s head shakes, a smile pushing against the edges of her face. “Hell no. I said I missed it, not that I wanted it back in my house.”

The two of you laugh together until a comfortable silence forms between you. You feel like there might be another layer, but you’ve pushed as much as you can tonight surrounded by people. She’s smiling, the tension gone from her body, and that’s the most important thing right now. 

“Change is hard.” Ellie says. 

“So damn hard.” You agree. “Don’t make yourself a stranger, okay? I know you’re like kind of an adult in this world and a certified homeowner now.” You wink at her and she laughs with a shake of her head. “But we still want you around as much as we did. Really even more.”

“So you’re not tired of me?” she asks. She’s joking, but you catch the hint of a real question, that soft need for assurance.

Your arm wraps around her shoulders, tugging her close. “Never. I mean, who else is gonna talk to Carter about space. That shit goes right over my head.” She laughs, head falling onto your shoulder. “But in all seriousness, I don’t think I’d ever get tired of you, Ellie. You’re my family.”

“Guess I’m not very good at this family stuff.”

“We’re all still learning.” 

She nods softly, waiting just a few seconds before pulling away. She looks better, lighter. Her eyes land over on her group of friends, seemingly glued to one particular female. You look between them, a knowing grin on your face. “You know, I think she’d say yes if you asked her to dance.” 

Ellie’s eyes snap to you, confusion dancing in them. 

“I’ve known you for years, my dear. You can’t hide much from me.” 

She bites her lip as Joel finally materializes out of the crowd with your water in hand. “Sorry it took me so long. Adam was trying to rope me into trouble.”

You raise an eyebrow suspiciously. 

“Stayed out of it. Cross my heart, darlin.” He leans down to kiss your cheek. 

“You two are gross.” Ellie teases as she stands, stretching her arms above her head. 

“Promise I can make it even grosser.” Joel chuckles, easing into the chair next to you.

“That’s not even a word.” You roll your eyes, swatting him away from you. He only laughs more, arm settling across the back of your chair, finger tips twisting and turning lightly across your shoulder. 

“As much as I’d hate to see that,” Ellie says, taking a step back. She’s returned to her usual, playful self. “I’m going to join my friends.” With that, she dashes off. 

You and Joel talk in hushed tones, playful flirting firing between you. He’s distracting you, definitely trying to seduce you, and it’s working. As he pulls you through the crowd, you’re surprised to see Ellie dancing with Cat. 

You’re in the clinic the next afternoon when she bursts in looking wide eyed and terrified. She reminds you of the 14 year old you met two and half years ago. Your heart drops to your stomach. She was on patrol. They weren’t due back until tomorrow. 

“Ellie, what-”

She collides with your chest, sobs shaking her small frame. Your arms fly around her, holding her close. Your brain wracks through names and faces. Who was she with? Who did your community lose this time? But your brain won’t work, can’t piece together who you’ve seen today tucked within the safety of the clinic and who you haven’t. 

Eventually, she pulls away, eye red and swollen, cheeks flushed from crying and wind chapped. She doesn’t look any closer to sanity than when she walked in. Her eyes search frantically about. 

“Ellie,” you say firmly, trying to capture her attention. She doesn’t seem to notice, slipping through your fingers when you attempt to grab her shoulders. 

She scrounges through a bin until she feels the cool metal of scissors. The metal flashes in the clinic lights. She slams them down on the counter. “Cut it.”

“Cut what?” You’re confused and worried, your mind spinning as you’re still trying to process who was lost today, two days before Christmas. “Ellie-”

“My hair!” Tears stream down her hair. “I should’ve never let it get this long- I don’t even like it- and now-” Another sob breaks through, her voice cracking. 

You pull her back into your arms. She fights against you. “Please, just cut it off!” She’s desperate, barely hanging on. “I want it gone.”

“Okay.” You say. “Okay. Sit down.” 

She plops onto the nearest chair, eyes fixed on the letters of the eye chart straight ahead. It’s silent, nothing except the snip of the sheers. You could hear a pin drop, can hear her long tresses drop to the floor. You take it to her shoulders, about where it was when you first met her. This isn’t the first time you’ve cut her hair, but it feels like the most impactful. 

“Shorter.” She says.

You place your fingers midway between her shoulders and earlobes. She shakes her head. You move a little further up and still another shake of her head. You repeat it until your fingers are right under her earlobes. Finally, you get a nod. 

You hand her a hand mirror when you’re finished. She looks it over. It suits her, you think, makes her look older. 

“Thanks.”

“Ellie?”

She hears the question in your voice, knows what you’re asking. She’s not sure if she can manage the words to describe the pictures looping through her mind. 

“We ran into a couple infected. Got most of them except for one. I- my hair got caught on a bush.”

She holds eye contact with your reflection in the mirror. She shakes her head, the tears return. “I told Chris to go. I could handle it.”

You shudder. These are always hard, no remains to bring home, very little closure. You know first hand what it’s like, but losing teenagers on patrol is the hardest, losing someone Ellie’s age brings the danger too close.

“He came back. Put his arm in front of its mouth when it went to bite me.”

“Fuck…” it’s out of your mouth before your brain catches up. 

“I told him to leave me. I had my knife. I would’ve been fine.” It's barely a whisper, her hands shake.

“Ellie.” You reach out to take the mirror from her but she slams it to the ground. It shatters. 

“I would’ve been fine!” Her body shakes with all the rage it can hold, angry tears stream down her cheeks. “I had to shoot him! I would’ve been fine, but now he’s dead instead!”

You pull her into you. She tries to fight it, but you don’t let go this time, not until her tears dry up and her body stops shaking. When she pulls back, you cup her cheeks. Her voice is hoarse, scratching her throat until she settles for a whisper. “I have to do something. This can’t keep happening.”

“Ellie, it’s not your fault.”

“I think it is this time.”

Your heart breaks for her, because you see the determination set in her eyes. She’s convinced and there’s not a single thing you can say or do to change her mind. 

“I could fix this. I could save people! What’s the point of everything? Why was I made immune? To watch everyone get infected and die around me?!”

“What happened to Chris wasn’t your fault.”

“He tried to save me because he thought I needed it! And then I had to put a bullet in his head. There was no reason!”

“You didn’t kill him. Cordyceps did.”

“Are you sure? Or is that just what you tell yourself so you don’t get mad at Maria for killing your husband?”

Your breath catches in your chest. You know she doesn’t mean it, but it stings. It digs deep. You had blamed her at one point, spat the words in her face, but you push it away. You apologized. She granted forgiveness. You don’t blame her anymore. 

Her eyes burn with a rage you’ve never seen. You see the guilt weighing on her. You’re not sure she’ll be able to shake this one, another ghost to the host that haunts her. 

It’s quiet in the clinic. You can’t explain away what she feels. This one was preventable. There was a happy ending in sight. You both know that. 

“Look at my blood. I’m ready.”

“Not today.”

“Why not!?”

“You’re not in the right state of mind for this. None of us are.”

“It’s a vial of blood!”

“Not today, Ellie.” You’re firm. 

“What if something happens to you? Or Joel? Or Carter? Or this baby? And I could’ve stopped it?” She’s pleading, grasping at straws. 

“Another day. When you’re in a better place.”

“I can’t do nothing anymore!”

You hold her gaze. She’s stubborn, but so are you. She’s like a deer stuck in headlights, mind darting between rushing forward or darting back until it’s frozen. Then she’s gone in the blink of any eye. Only then do you allow room for your emotions to fill the empty clinic. 

You’re alone for maybe an hour before Joel finds you face up on one of the cots, tears streaming from the corners of your eyes. He lets out a long sigh, kneeling at your bedside. His hand runs over your head as you turn your head to him.

“I take it you heard?”

“From the source herself.” 

Joel inhales sharply. “She wouldn’t talk to me when I went over.”

You take a deep breath, chest quivering as you do. You ease into a sitting position. Joel helps you up. Your feet dangle over the side. He sits next to you, arm supporting your back. 

“She feels guilty?” Joel asks. 

“She’s blaming herself.” You run a hand over your face. “Chris put himself between her and the infected. Got bit so she wouldn’t.”

“Shit.” Joel cringes. 

You nod, keeping the rest to yourself. It doesn’t feel right to share the rest of what happened. You walk home together. The town feels silent. You pass a few people on the street, but they’re mostly in their homes, holding their families close. 

Maria comes out of Ellie’s house as you reach your congregation of houses. Unspoken words pass between you and your oldest friend. Joel kisses your head. 

“I’ll go get Carter from Tommy’s,” he says, leaving you and Maria.They nod to each other in passing. 

“She tell you?”

Maria nods. You catch the tension in her chest, even under her many layers. She’s reliving it too. 

“You know that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” You’ve rarely heard her voice quiver. 

Your arms wrap around her. She holds on to you. “I know.” You don’t have more tears to shed, but you would if you did. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

“I know that… now.” Maria sighs, arms staying around you. “She doesn’t. Not sure she ever will.”

“I know.” 

The two of you stand in the middle of the street, depending on each other for support until Joel and Tommy pull you inside, worried you might freeze. You spend the evening at Tommy and Maria’s. It’s mostly quiet. Joel plucks at the strings of his guitar. He’s only missing one string now. Elias plays contently in the corner. Carter sits beside Joel, intently watching the way his fingers play across the frets. You’re doing what the rest of the town is, leaning on family for support. 

Eventually, the front door opens. Dina and Jesse pull Ellie inside. She looks like a ghost of herself, eyes skirting around trying to figure out who she should sit beside. You get the feeling you weren’t the only one who got snapped at today. 

“We didn’t want to leave her alone,” Dina says. 

You pick up the blanket on your lap, making room for her next to you on the couch. Her head picks up, looking for permission, like you might reject her after what she said earlier. You only nod your head and she’s falling beside you, curling up in a ball, head tucked into your side. You wrap the blanket around her.

“Thank you.” You smile up at Dina and Jesse. 

They nod. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Ellie,” Dina says. Ellie manages a small nod. 

The pair leaves and the quiet settles again. Joel is more thoughtful in his chord progressions, humming a soft melody. Carter makes his way toward you. He peers down at her. 

“I like your hair, Ellie,” He whisper yells. Ellie’s lips tip up just a little bit, but she doesn’t move otherwise. “I hope you feel better soon.” He kisses her cheek before wiggling in between you and Maria on your other side. 

Joel’s voice starts to raise as he sings. His voice has polished some the past few years, after being dormant for two decades. It reminds you more what he sounded like before the outbreak. Carter is asleep before the first song ends. As Joel transitions into another song, there’s movement in your womb. It’s happened more lately, but this picks up. Whatever the baby can hear, it likes. 

You peel through your knowledge of gestational benchmarks. You’re approaching the mark that it would be able to hear sounds outside of your womb, your voice, Joel’s. The kicking ramps up. You shift and Ellie picks her head up. “Should I-”

“No, you’re fine.” You both keep your voices low. 

But she looks unsure as you shift again. You let out a soft sigh, taking her hand and pressing it into the firm mass just above your hip. Her brow furrows and then she feels it, a firm thud right under her hand. 

“Woah… That’s so weird.” 

You smile. “You can hit back.” She looks confused. “Just nudge back. I promise, it doesn’t hurt.”

She does, a little soft at first and then harder. There’s a pause and then a double tap against her hand again. 

Ellie laughs. She actually laughs. Joy flashes across her face. Her hand doesn’t move for the rest of the evening.

Joel is curled around you in bed that night, holding you tightly to him. Ellie sleeps in the downstairs guest room and you’re 98% sure you heard Carter’s footsteps head down stairs as soon as your bedroom door closed. It would hardly be the first time he’s crawled into bed with her. 

Joel can feel the baby moving around under his arm. He doesn’t say anything about it, but you can feel the faint smile against your neck. Tonight with Ellie, the smile on her face as she essentially played with the baby, your baby sticks in your brain. You meant it to cheer her up, figured it would slide into that category of weird but cool. It seemed to, but it was really the first time you’d embraced the pregnancy, and it felt good. 

“You think Ellie’s gonna be okay?” He asks. 

You bite your lip, contemplating your response. You get a literal punch to the gut, getting out a soft grunt. 

Joel chuckles. “That was a hard one.”

Something sprouts in your chest. He’s never directly acknowledged feeling the baby even though you know he has before tonight. You’re okay with it. 

“The baby seemed to like your singing tonight.” 

Joel’s arms tighten around you. His smile grows. “That so?”

“Yeah,” You lay your hand on top of his. “Guess you’ll have to sing more often.”

“Suppose I will.” 

Silence falls again. You know he’s still waiting patiently for your response to his first question. You give it a minute. 

“I think it’s going to take a long time.” You roll over so you can face him. He cups your face, thumb running across your cheek.

He nods, mouth opening to say something before he closes it, eyes roaming over your moonlit features. 

“What is it?”

He sighs. “Just thought of something, but I shouldn’t-”

“What?”

“If we were out, and I got infected- I’d take care of it myself. I wouldn’t make you do that. Wouldn’t make anyone do it.”

You run your finger over the scar on his temple. It’s a serious conversation, one you hate the idea of, but you can’t help the teasing remark that comes out. “You so sure about that?”

Joel takes your hand in his, kissing each of your fingers. “To protect you, I’d do anything, Sweetheart.” 

You let out a shaky breath, touching your forehead to his. “I think you’d have to put the bullet in my head.”

“Ain’t ever gonna happen. I’ll make sure of that.” 

You want to shake your head at the chivalry, at the thing he can’t promise, but somehow you still believe him. Joel Miller will learn how to turn back time before he lets anything or anyone near you. 

His hand falls back to your stomach, running over and around your bump. You inhale deeply, feeling drawn toward sleep. 

“Sweetheart?”

“Hmmm?”

“If it’s something else that gets me… where I’m not putting you in danger…”

“Joel,” You want him to stop. You can’t think of that happening. You can’t think about him not coming back to you in one piece. Especially after what happened to Paul this summer. Especially now that you’re pregnant. 

“I want the last thing I hear to be your voice. Not a gunshot. That’s all.” He rubs your back. 

Tears gather under the lids of your closed eyes. He’s thought about this. You fight the constricting happening in your chest, remind yourself this is all hypothetical. 

“Okay.” You manage, wrapping your arms around his neck. “When we’re both old and senile, I’ll make sure to tell you goodnight so that it’s the last thing you ever hear.” 

He chuckles lightly, kissing your temple. “Okay.” 

Taglist: @pedrotonin @amyispxnk @joeldjarin @ilovepedro @justagalwhowrites @missladym1981 @jessthebaker @annieispunk @ashleyfilm @moel-jiller @eloquentdreamer @lizzie-cakes

[janeyseymour]

Love Thy Neighbor- pt 3

Summary: Melissa comes over for a 'thank you' dinner. Things happen. A short, sweet chapter before things get a little wild.

Part 1. Part 2

WC: ~1.6k

After your interview, you head home, change into something more suitable to spend your day in. You pour over the information that Ava had given you while preparing a special dessert for you and Melissa to share before deciding that you should probably start your delivering for the day. Before you go anywhere, you head to the liquor store and pick up what Melissa revealed to be her favorite bottle of wine, along with some champagne to celebrate the fact that you were no longer unemployed. 

When you see that it’s about time to start heading over to Abbott to pick Ellie up, you head in the direction of the school. You wait for a bit before the front doors open, and your little girl is once again hand in hand with Melissa. It absolutely warms your heart.

“Momma!” Ellie shouts and waves in your direction. You make your way up the steps to get to her and the redheaded teacher that has taken a liking to your daughter.

“Hey there, sweet girl,” you crouch down and pull her into a hug. She wraps her arm around you, squealing with delight. “How was school today, little one?”

“So good!” she giggles. “I love Mrs. Howard. She lets me go with her to the secret lounge to give Miss Me- Miss Sch… Miss Sch…” she fumbles through Melissa’s last name, and she looks up to Melissa for guidance.

“Schemmenti,” the teacher chuckles.

“-a snuggle!” Ellie finishes.

You glance up at the redhead who still has Ellie’s hand in her own with a smile. “That’s so good to hear, sweetness. I’m glad you like school.”

“It’s the bestest!” your daughter chirps. She lets go of you to raise her arms in a silent request to be picked up by Melissa. She obliges. “I love you, Miss…”

“Miss Mel is fine,” the teacher smiles and squeezes your daughter gently.

You raise a brow in curiosity.

“I told the kiddo I can be Miss Mel at home or when it’s just the two of us, but at school in front of everyone else, I have to be Miss Schemmenti,” she explains. You nod along- that makes sense.

“Alright, love bug,” you tickle Ellie. She squirms and giggles in Melissa’s arms. “I think it’s time we head home so you can play and Momma can start making dinner… so it’s ready when Miss Melissa comes over.”

The woman in question brightens at that, and she nods. “I’ll be over once I get my things settled.”

You have dinner going by the time there’s a knock on your door, and Ellie is up and running to it before you even have to ask her.

“Who is it?” she singsongs.

“Melissa!” the redhead calls through the door, and you can hear the little girl whip open the door before you hear a soft ‘oof’ coming from Melissa as Ellie no doubt tackles her in a hug.

“You act like you didn’t see me a couple hours ago,” the teacher, and your new coworker, teases as she picks Ellie up and walks with her into the kitchen. 

“Hey,” you smile as you continue to chop up some vegetables for the salad you’re making. You point to the two glasses of wine you already have poured.

“Hey, yourself,” Melissa laughs as she sees Ellie on the table and lifts the glass to her lips. “How was your interview?”

“As if you don’t already know,” you roll your eyes playfully. Melissa feigns confusion. “I walked in and Ava threw my resume in the trash because someone already told her about me and that she would be a fool not to hire me.”

“Wonder who that could’ve been,” the redhead grins. “Congratulations.”

“So, I will officially be a third grade teacher starting on Monday. They said I’ll be working closely with the teacher who already has these kids-”

“Me,” the woman reveals. “You’ll be working closely with me.”

“i thought you said you were a second grade teacher?” you furrow your brows.

“I’ve been teaching two grades for a year and a half now,” she sighs. “But I have more second than third.”

You furrow your brow. “That can’t be effective.”

“I’m a damn good teacher, so I make it work,” she shrugs. “But now we got you, so I’m sure we’ll be better off.”

You blush. “I hope so. I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”

“Momma’s the bestest teacher in the whole world!” your daughter giggles. “She helps me read all the time!”

Dinner is set out on the table a bit later, and you and Melissa are raising your glasses, clinking them together gently.

“I wanna cheers!” Ellie proclaims as she holds her cup of milk up. “Cheers!”

The two of you let out small laughs and do as the little one wishes. And then you’re diving into dinner.

“Dang, Y/N,” Melissa says through a mouthful. “I thought I was a good cook. Do you do it all?”

You blush. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You teach, you cook, you clean, you raise an adorable little girl-” Ellie grins at that. “And I saw the guitar and ukulele in your living room, so I know you play. Jesus, what do you not do?”

“Crotchet,” you deadpan.

The redhead lets out a laugh. “Well, I can always teach you how to do that.”

Dinner is cleaned up, Melissa absolutely insisting to help you (and because Melissa is helping, so does Ellie) before the three of you settle on the couch.

Your daughter watches Bluey, content to curl up in the redhead’s lap, while you and your new coworker discuss work and what you should expect. She tells you who you need to watch out for, who is a helper, and what students are at risk. You’re immensely grateful that she is able to tell you as much as she can about each kid, and you write notes in the binder you had put together for the class.

“For the first week or so, we’re going to transition you in… so you’ll split time between getting your room ready and observing the way that I handle the third graders,” Melissa tells you. “During preps, we’ll work together to make sure that the curriculum is working out for you and that you know what all you need… but, and I don’t usually offer this, if you need help outside of school all you have to do is holler across the hall.”

“I appreciate it,” you lay a gentle hand over hers. “Thank you, Mel.”

“It’s my Miss Mel time, Momma,” Ellie playfully scowls at you as she moves your hand back into your own lap.

“Yeah, Y/N,” Melissa teases you. “It’s my Ellie and Mel time.”

You rolls your eyes playfully before sighing. “A few more minutes, but then little miss has to start getting ready for bed.”

“Can you read me my story again?!” Ellie whips around and asks your neighbor. Melissa chuckles but nods before looking to you for approval.

After a few more minutes, you tell your daughter to start getting ready for bed, and she does happily.

“Miss Melissa and I will be in in a few minutes,” you promise her gently. She grins and gives you two thumbs ups.

When Ellie is out of sight, you look to her. “Stay after she goes to bed? I have a surprise.”

She nods, but she looks suspicious. 

No sooner is Ellie bouncing out of her room, her stuffed rabbit in her arms and bellowing, “Momma! Miss Mel! I’m ready for my bedtime story!”

The two of you chuckle at your antics, and you scoop your daughter into your arms, tickling her as you take her back to the bedroom.

The little girl picks a book from her bookshelf before handing it to Melissa and climbing into her lap.

“After the story, I’ll lay down,” she tells you when you raise an eyebrow at her not getting under her blankets. You decide you’ll let it slide for tonight.

Melissa reads this story before hugging Ellie tightly. “Goodnight, little one.”

“Goodnight, Miss Mel,” the six year old chirps. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

You tuck Ellie in, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead before flicking off the light.

You and your friend head out, leaving the door open just slightly. You lead her back into the kitchen and pull out the tiramisu you had made earlier, along with the bottle of champagne you had bought to celebrate your new job.

Melissa looks impressed as you put the dessert onto two plates and pop the bottle. You raise your glass in a toast, to which she mirrors your actions, before sipping the bubbly. She takes a bite of your creation, and her eyes light up.

“You like it?”

“Hun, this is… incredible. Better than my Nonna’s, but don’t ever let her hear that,” the redhead smiles as she takes another bite.

You smile, eyes warm, before leading her to the couch. You turn off the Australian show before settling on another program. The two of you eat your dessert together. 

After a bit, you take the now cleared plates and set them on the coffee table before folding your legs underneath of you, relaxing into the cushions of the couch. She leans back with you, and her shoulder bumps with your own.

You blush, looking at her and seeing the way that she’s looking at you with such a tenderness. Her green eyes sparkling in the dim light of your living room.

Before you know what’s happening… her lips are on your own.

[guess-my-next-obsession]

Stable Girl!Joel and Sunshine

Joel trying to take care of her pregnancy cravings and needs. Massages, carrying her to see how the horses are doing, I googled how to make oatmilk ice cream and it could be doable, just need like butter or cashews to make it creamy ♥️♥️ I like the idea of Joel being taught how to do it by hand♥️ just for her!

Ah Strawberry ice cream?!

Love Language

pairing: The Stable Girl-Verse!joel miller x f!reader (Sunshine)

rating: F (talks of pregnancy/symptoms, joel is perfect)

a/n: AHHHHHHHHHH this SENT me anon 😭 the strawberrrriesssssss 😭

the stable girl masterlist | joel masterlist

“Again?” Joel’s voice sounded from behind you as you sat at the dining table in the middle of the night, scarfing down the chocolate cake Ellie baked as a “congratulations” for your newly announced pregnancy. You froze as he flicked the light on to get a better picture of the scene he was walking in on—you in your nightgown, your belly as round as a watermelon, chocolate frosting on your mouth.

“I had a craving,” you meekly justified your current state, bringing an amused grin to his face as he walked over, sleep tousling his hair and softening his eyes. Pressing his lips to your forehead, he pulled up a seat beside you and plucked your fork from your hand and shoveled a piece of cake into his mouth. “Who said I wanted to share, huh?”

“My apologies,” he smiled as he lifted a piece to your lips, his lazy grin growing wider as he watched your lips wrap around the fork, cleaning it off. His thumb brushed against your bottom lip to collect the chocolate frosting that rested there before sucking it off with a satisfied hum. “I love seein’ you like this.”

“Yeah?” You laughed and rolled your eyes at the compliment. “I’m sure I look like an absolute goddess right now.”

“You do to me,” he crooned, his hand reaching down to rub over your stomach through the cotton of your gown. “Carryin’ my baby. You couldn’t look more beautiful to me than right now.”

“You’re awfully sweet for being woken up in the middle of the night,” you cooed back with a smile, pinching his chin.

“One more bite and then you’re comin’ back upstairs with me,” he ordered, reaching for the fork to feed you a satisfying final bite before doing the same for himself.

Obeying his command, you let him take you back up to bed for the night, your sugary craving now satisfied and a new, sweeter craving dawned—a craving for Joel’s arms wrapped around you, lulling you to sleep.

“How’s baby Miller doin’?” Joel mumbled against your shoulder as he kept his lips pressed there, holding you from behind and rubbing your stomach.

“Starting to kick a lot,” you chuckled through your sleepiness. “And they apparently have quite the sweet tooth. I haven’t stopped craving sugar since the third trimester started.”

“Oh, I know,” he chuckled and hugged you closer. “Can’t wait to have her here with us.”

“Me neither.”

Joel stood in the kitchen, a piece of paper in front of him on the counter with a messily scribbled recipe he’d jotted down courtesy of Maria. With the cake long gone by now, you’d gone days without something sweet to fulfill your cravings. Though you didn’t make a fuss over it, Joel took it upon himself to remedy the situation with an attempt at homemade ice cream—strawberry, thanks to the community garden’s latest impressive harvest.

“Oof,” you came waddling inside the house from the backyard, your hands still wearing your gardening gloves as they supported your lower back. “I think I’m getting too pregnant to take care of my flowers,” you pouted as you found yourself a seat at the dining table to watch Joel as he shuffled around the kitchen. After a beat of no response, you huffed out, “Hello? Am I a ghost?”

“Huh?” He turned around with a frantic, flustered expression and seemed to just now realize you’d come inside. “Sorry. I’m just…why are recipes so damn hard to follow. What’s the damn difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon?”

“Well, one’s bigger,” you chuckled and found the strength and energy to stand up and waddle over to the sink, your gloves coming off so that you could wash up. Peering over his shoulder, you nosily studied what he was working on before catching a glimpse at the recipe sheet. Though his handwriting wasn’t the cleanest, you could clearly make out “Strawberry Ice Cream” as the title. “Are you making ice cream?”

Joel whipped his head over at the sound of your bright voice, your smile wide with delight.

“Yeah,” he sighed, disappointed that his surprise had been ruined. “Was tryin’ to keep it a surprise until after supper but—“

You tugged him into a hug so tight he worried for a moment that you’d crush him.

“Thank you,” you mumbled against his neck as your face buried there. Joel chuckled and peeled himself from you enough to look you in the eye, his smile soft as he studied the appreciation written all over your face.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he laughed, leaning in to peck your lips. “Might fuck it up.”

“I have full faith in you,” you assured with your thumb and index pinching his chin. “Especially when I call Ellie in here to help you because I need that ice cream, my love. More than I need anything.”

“Oh, anything, huh?” He crossed his arms over his chest and turned playfully jealous in an instant. You laughed and stroked over his beard until his pour turned into a smile.

“Fine, almost more than anything.”

“Thank you,” he smiled into the kiss he planted upon your lips before tapping your ass lightly. “Now what were you sayin’ when you walked in?”

“Oh, I was just saying I don’t think I can look after my flowers anymore. My back is so sore these days—“

“Is it sore now?” He slid his hand up to rest on your lower back, his warm palm soothing over the aching muscle. When you let out a sigh of relief and rested your head on his chest, Joel felt a frenzy of affection swarm in his belly. “Baby,” he cooed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Let me take you upstairs and fix you a bath.”

“No,” you objected, lifting your head off his chest. “I really need to fix up the nursery. Baby girl is gonna be here in six weeks.”

“I’ll get someone else to do it—“

“No, you already got someone else to cover my shifts at the stable, and the garden, and now you’re trying to take away my nesting?” you playfully scolded him, a smirk on your face.

“I just hate seein’ you work too hard. You’re already workin’ a miracle by bringin’ my baby into the world,” he frowned a bit, something he’d only ever let you see. “I’ll leave you to your nestin’ but not until you sit in a hot bath. Your back’ll thank me later.”

“Fine, it’s a compromise,” you grinned and pulled him down for another short but satisfying peck. “Okay, I’ll go upstairs for my bath while you and Ellie finish the ice cream.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Later on that night after having spent at least an hour in the bathtub and twice as long fussing over the nursery, Joel forced you to relax at the dinner table, bringing you a plate of the most tender roast you’d ever seen.

“Oh my god,” you beamed as you looked from the plate to his eyes. “You did this?”

“I’ve been workin’ on my cookin’,” he shrugged bashfully. “It ain’t exactly fine dinin’, but I thought you deserved a fancier dinner than what I normally throw together.”

“You—“ You grabbed his chin and turned his face towards you, your smile still bright and beaming. “You are the love of my life, Joel Miller.”

Joel looked touched, his smile soft and sweet, just like him—or at least the side of him that you knew.

“And you are my life. Everything I do, everything I got—“ He placed his hand on your thigh and squeezed. “Everything. It’s yours.”

“Don’t make me cry on my food,” you chuckled and wiped the tears that filled in your waterline. “It looks too good to ruin.”

Joel laughed. “You started it.”

[yelena-bellova]

Twenty Years Later: Joel Miller x F!Reader - Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Luck

Plot: Joel, Y/n, Tess and Ellie encounter Clickers, and sacrifices are made.

Warnings: tlou ep.2 spoilers, language, violence, gore, blood, guns, death, (16+)

Word Count: 4.4k (what else for chapter 4? lol)

A/N: So the only reason I was able to get this out so fast is because chapter three and this was supposed to be one big chapter. It ended up being too long, so it got split. Please don’t make this your expectation 😂

I love reading all your comments, even if I’m horrible at responding to them. I’ve never had this kind of response to my writing and it’s a lot to keep up with. I, once again, have to reiterate that this is a 16+ series and if your name is not listed on your page, I will not be tagging you. Gotta look out for younger eyes 👀 I hope you enjoy this chapter! There’s no flashback, but a lot of hints about things to come later…I’m a terrible tease 😂🤫 Enjoy!!

———————

The museum doors were covered in fungus.

“This feels like a great plan,” Y/n sarcastically stated.

Joel ignored her disapproval, going ahead and kneeling down at one of the fungal sites. He ran a hand over it before breaking through it with the butt of his rifle.

“It’s bone dry,” he reported, “It could mean they’re all finally dead in there.”

Could was the key word of the sentence. ‘Coulds’ were like ‘probablies,’ hope with barely a breath left in it. The adults all started going through their packs, puling out their flashlights.

“Oh, man…” Ellie muttered.

Joel whipped out his light and looked exepctantly to Ellie, “Marlene pack you one of these, or just sandwiches?”

“Yeah,” Ellie answered, searching through her pack.

Y/n nudged the kid’s arm, drawing her focus. “You stay behind one of us at all times,” she instructed, “Slow and steady. Do not wander. Got it?”

Ellie nodded, “Got it.” When Tess crossed her hands, a gun and a flashlight in each, Ellie took notice. “I have a spare hand.”

“Congratulations,” Joel noted sarcastically.

With her pistol drawn, Y/n watched Joel move forward. It bothered her that he had been leading them the whole way. Their talk on the highway proved he thought he was capable of more than her. He assumed that just because he’d known her when she could afford to be delicate, she couldn’t have possibly grown into a fighter. Setting caution aside, she marched forward to walk parallel to him.

“Get back,” he ordered.

“Get bent,” she grunted.

The four of them moved as silently as they could through the museum’s lobby, posters and signs proving it had once been a landmark. Y/n moved alongside Joel, at one point taking a step ahead of him and finding a corner full of dry Cordyceps.

“We’re good,” she announced.

“Oh, finally,” Tess remarked, “Some fuckin’ luck.”

“I guess we should’ve gone this way in the first place,” Joel acknowledged.

“Oh, shit!” Ellie exclaimed, the three of them ran to join her. She’d broken Y/n’s third instruction like it was nothing.

There lay a body, covered in fresh blood and claw marks through its clothing.

“What the fuck did that?” Ellie inquired.

Y/n, Tess and Joel shared a knowing look.

“Maybe,” Tess’ voice shook as it lowered, “Maybe he was attacked outside and crawled through the doors. The door was open. Could’ve been him. I don’t hear anything.”

“Who would you hear?” Ellie asked.

The adults shushed her, Joel held up a hand.

Ellie lowered her voice, “Who would you hear? Are you saying an Infected did that?”

“Shh,” Tess crooned.

“Because I’ve been attacked by one and it wasn’t like that,” Ellie added.

Joel took a breath, it was all he could allow himself. “Okay, from this point forward, we are silent,” he whispered, “Not quiet…silent.”

“What-“ Ellie began.

“No, no questions,” Joel stopped her, “Just do it.”

Having very little trust in the man who had openly admitted to wanting to kill her, Ellie peered at Y/n, who nodded in solemn agreement. Things had suddenly become very, very real.

The four of them made their way to the museum’s staircase, taking slow steps up the creaking steps. Joel and Y/n made it to the top first, only having to stop when a piece of debris fell in a cloud of dust. They shined their flashlights across the way, a massive piling of death and fungus-covered bodies laying tragically still.

Crunch.

The exes spun around to see Ellie baring her teeth nervously, a skeletal hand below her sneaker. Everyone held their breath. There was creaking coming from above them, every step they took was a step closer to being buried alive.

Joel and Y/n made it into the Independance Hall exhibit, taking stock of their surroundings and coming up clean. Ellie followed with Tess close behind her.

Suddenly, there was a crashing sound; the building was finally giving out. Lightining fast, Y/n surged forward and grabbed Ellie’s arm, pulling her forward as Tess nose dove to the floor. Y/n let go of Ellie to extend a hand to Tess, who braced herself with it and got to her feet. They barely had a second to gather their thoughts before a loud, animal noise echoed through the room.

Then came the clicking.

Y/n and Joel drew their guns together, aiming in the direction the sound had come from. They slowly backed up, Tess and Ellie moving behind them, as the noises drew closer.

Fear can stop a clock, and none of them could tell how long they waited until the snarling, shriveled monster stepped into the room.

Y/n and Joel’s grudge ceased to exist as they moved in sync, silent as the grave they prayed they weren’t about to meet. As their group passed a doorway, more clicking sounded through it. They startled, backing up as the erratic footsteps came closer.

Two. There were two Clickers.

The foursome sought shelter behind a glass display case as the Infected began to roam the room. Each of them were processing the situation spearately, but they needed to move together as one.

Joel saw the fear in Ellie’s eyes, he couldn’t take it from her, but he could prepare her. “They can’t see,” he mouthed, leaning over Y/n, “But they can hear.”

On the other side of the display case, one of the Clickers walked past, shrieking as it jerked around. It had been over a year since Y/n had been this close to one of them, she’d forgotten what it was like. The way experience melted away and fear overtook all your senses.

Joel held up a finger to the three of them. If the Clickers could pass through without noticing them, they could make a straight shot up to the passageway and be gone. Everything rested on how the next thirty seconds went.

Y/n was too afriad to shut her eyes and too scared to face the creature head on. She simply stared ahead, trembling with each sound the monster made.

They listened as it turned the corner of the display case, until it was mere inches from them.

Ellie gasped.

Y/n grimaced.

The creature spun around to them and screamed.

Joel unloaded his rifle on the creature, who reached out and dragged him forward.

“Run,” Joel screamed.

Tess took off with Ellie, shooting at the other Infected before escaping the room. Y/n stayed, firing shots at the creature as it fought Joel. It knocked the rifle out of his hands, leaving him with only his pistol. Y/n was able to wound it enough to momentarily stun it, giving Joel and her time to run away.

They sprinted down the hall, Joel turned around and fired a shot before they dove into the next room. He knocked over a podium, creating an obstacle in the Clicker’s path, buying him and Y/n a few extra seconds. Joel grabbed her wrist and threw them behind a shelving unit.

Now fear, it turns out, is a powerful thing. It can cause people to turn on one another, or it can bring them together. Y/n had spent the last twenty four hours listing all the ways she wanted to kill Joel Miller, but face to face with the reality of losing him, she was doing everything she could to save him. They both were.

Joel’s hands shook as he reloaded his gun, his flashlight tucked between his shoulder and his chin. Y/n stretched her arm out over his chest, her breath trembling in time with his as they waited…

The Clicker was right next to them.

Joel shone his flashlight around the corner, the Infected was a mere ten inches from them. Mercifully, it hadn’t sensed them, and headed around the other side of the shelving unit. Y/n peered through the dusty screens, charted a clear path, and motioned for Joel to come forward. They crouched as they walked, Y/n spotted Ellie hunched against another display case.

Joel and her quickly crossed the space and got down alongside her. Joel looked to his side, signaling for Ellie to follow them around the case. They crawled in the opposite direction, the Clicker only a few feet away from them and but a second from discovering them. It just needed to take a few more steps and then it would be in the other room….

A piece of glass crunched under Joel’s boot.

The three of them stopped.

The Clicker screeched and leapt across the case, tackling them to the floor. Ellie thrashed and yelled as it pinned her down. Joel and Y/n each kept an arm against its chest, pushing it away with their combined strength. Y/n freed her arm from between her and Ellie’s bodies, pressing her gun against the Clicker’s abdomen and shooting it three times. It stunned the monster, giving Joel time to shove it off of them. Y/n shielded Ellie, who was gripping her jacket, and Joel shielded Y/n. Joel aimed his pointed at the Clicker once again, and gunned it down as it ran towards them. He fired a few final shots, just to ensure it was dead.

The second Clicker charged towards them, Joel and Y/n shoved Ellie behind them, no time to draft an attack plan. Saving the day, Tess came from the side and lodged an axe in the Clicker’s head. Thinking quick, Joel left Y/n and Ellie to retake his rifle, firing one shot before a second that did the creature in.

Joel surveyed the Clicker, examining the bloody chunks of fungus laying around its head. Fear was enough to create doubt, even in front of fact.

“You all right?” Joel asked Tess, who was getting to her feet.

“Twisted ankle, but…yeah,” Tess answered.

Y/n turned to Ellie, “Are you okay?”

“Well, I didn’t shit my pants, so…” she responded, glancing around her in case they’d missed one. She stopped and rolled up her sleeve, revealing a bloody mark, “You fucking kidding me?”

Y/n didn’t know whether or not to be scared. Joel knew exactly what to feel.

“I mean, if it was gonna happen to one of us,” Ellie muttered.

Joel didn’t let his anxiety come over him often, but he could feel it building. Tess was tuned into him enough to see it happening.

“Hey,” she coaxed, “Let’s get the fuck outta here.”

The four of them filed out the top window, Y/n offering Tess her hand to help her onto the roof. Joel went to work immediately, pulling out a first aid kit and a piece of cloth.

“Put this around your arm,” Joel instructed Ellie, handing her the cloth. In the chaos, he hadn’t even thought to ask Y/n if she was injured. “You-“

“I’m fine,” Y/n said coldly, eager to settle back into blind hatred.

Ellie made her way to the makeshift bridge, a few wooden planks, and took the first step. “Over there?”

“Yeah, I know,” Joel spoke as he examined Tess’ ankle, “It looks scary.”

“That was scary,” Ellie replied, “This is wood.”

Y/n followed Ellie, her legs steadying more with each step across the divide. In the world they lived in, fear had to pass as quick as a summer storm.

“Are they always like that?” Ellie asked once they were both on the rooftop.

Y/n sighed, “Not at first. I mean, they’re always scary but at the beginning, they look…” she paused, forcing the memories out like a tide in the ocean, “They look normal.”

Ellie hummed, wandering off to the edge of the building. As Joel crossed the plank, Y/n went to stand beside Ellie. The sun was shining gold down on the remnants of Boston, illuminating the good and the bad.

This. This was what still gave Y/n hope. She needed to believe that maybe, maybe, there was a way to restore the world back to its beauty. That was the key difference between her and Joel; she still wanted to find what little good was left out there.

Joel came to stand on Ellie’s other side, peering over at the girl. “Is it everything you hoped for?”

“Jury’s still out,” Ellie gave a half-shrug, “But man, you can’t deny that view.”

Tess rejoined them, walking with new purpose. “C’mon, let’s get there before it’s dark,” she grunted, climbing over the edge and scaling down some siding.

Joel and Y/n stood at the edge of the roof, each staring out into the horizon lost in their thoughts. Their severed connection lived in the space between them, sparking and straining as it tried to pull them together.

But they’d had twenty years of ignoring one another’s memory. It was going to take more than a fight and a sunset to come to any kind of truce.

Y/n silently climbed down the side of the building, leaving Joel on his own. He glanced down at his watch, taking a valued second to himself, before heading down after the rest of them.

—————————

The rest of the way to the State House was spent in quiet suspicion. Everyone watched Ellie with more interest than before, waiting for something to happen.

When they arrived, Y/n spotted the truck that was supposed to transport Ellie and her. There was supposed to be someone outside waiting to meet them and yet, the place looked as deserted as the rest of the city.

Joel glanced at Y/n, silently asking if this was right. She answered with a distant shake of her head as she looked around them. She drew her gun and got up, stepping strategically through the grass. Joel huffed in exasperation, coming out in the open to follow her.

Y/n approached the truck cautiously, her breath already trembling like she’d already seen what lay inside. She ignored Joel practically breathing down her neck as she swung open the vehicle’s door. Empty.

Joel held up a hand to Tess, who stood with her gun aimed and Ellie protected behind her. “Stay back,” he mouthed. When he turned back to Y/n, he found air.

Y/n rounded the vehicle, examining the other side before her eyes and nose were drawn to the ground. There was a bloodied body laying underneath the truck. She knelt before it, whatever had happened to it hadn’t been more than an hour or two ago. The blood was still new, but the flies had already found the poor soul.

Joel was at the rear of the truck, bracing himself for whatever fight lay inside it. He threw the back door open and took a stance, finding the same nothing they had in the cab.

“Joel?” Tess called, coming to join them, “What the fuck is going on?”

“I don’t know,” Joel said, looking around the corner of the truck to Y/n, “What was the plan?”

Y/n sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Driver was supposed to be waiting here, one or two Fireflies just to verify it was us…we were supposed to jump in the truck and go.”

“They went inside,” Ellie announced, staring at the steps leading to the State House. The three adults peered over to see the bloody footprints painted on the staircase.

“Come on,” Tess grunted, grabbing Ellie’s hand and letting the blood tracks show them the way.

“Tess,” Joel called, Y/n wasn’t waiting for him to call the shots. She jogged up the stairs with the same urgency as his partner. “Tess!”

Tess burst through the doors, holding both Ellie and her pistol in front of her. Y/n flanked Ellie, ready to attack whatever could been lurking in the building. Joel followed the women, exhausted by their recklessness.

What they found was worse than they could have imagined.

Every Firefly body was on the floor, their blood spread across the slick marble.

Y/n could feel her chest cave in on itself. Her comrades, the plan to take Ellie west, hope itself, it all dead lay around her.

Tess showed the same panic Y/n was trying so hard to contain. “Okay, I mean there’s gotta be a fuckin’ radio or something, right?”

“Start looking,” Y/n holstered her gun, running to check the crates, the equipment…anything that could offer them a morsel of chance. If she could get in contact with Marlene, they could form a new plan. She’d take Ellie herself, if necessary, doubts be damned. They couldn’t admit defeat so easily.

“Tess,” Joel called, having already deduced that one Firefly had got infected and it had spread to the others, “What’re you doin’?”

Y/n threw open crates, scouring the contents for a radio, with Tess searching beside her. They both ignored Joel.

“Where did Marlene say you two were going?” Tess asked Y/n.

“Tess-“ Joel tried again.

“Just west,” Y/n answered, her breath quickening, “We were supposed to get the exact location here.”

Tess threw her hands out in exasperation, “Just west. Fuck. Okay…well, one of ‘em’s gotta have a map on them, right?”

Y/n was already examining the bodies without touching them, “Check each one.”

“Joel, can you help us?” Tess impatiently asked, kneeling next to Y/n and searching through the victim’s pockets.

“No,” Joel bellowed, refusing to indulge the fantasy any longer, “Tess, it’s over. We are goin’ home.”

Tess spun around, shooting daggers out her eyes, “That’s not my fucking home!”

Her cry was loud enough to silence the rest of them. Tess hung over one of the bodies, fighting back her tears enough to stand up and face Joel.

“I’m stayin’.”

Y/n stayed on the ground, confusedly watching the scene play out.

“I mean…” Tess almost laughed, “Our luck had to run out sooner or later.”

Joel stood perplexed. Perhaps he’d have figured it out if he had looked in between her words. In her eyes. In her quivering lips.

“Fuck,” Ellie exclaimed, her voice lowering to a whisper, “She’s infected.”

Joel felt the very ground they stood on crack down the middle, a divide separating him and the only person he’d allowed himself to care about in twenty years. The unspeakable plague had finally come for one of them, and it had attached itself to the wrong person.

“Show me,” he muttered.

“Joel,” Tess said softly, taking a step forward. Joel flinched, jumping back an inch away from her. He regretted it immediately, it was pure instinct.

Tess pulled back her jacket and shirt to display the reddening bite mark.

Y/n got to her feet upon seeing the wound, unafraid to close the distance Joel was putting between them. Joel threw out a hand to pull her back, but Y/n smacked it away and placed her fingers around Tess’ wound. In another life, it could have been extremely well done Halloween makeup. She wanted it to be.

“Oops,” Tess tried to smile, “Right?”

Y/n rubbed her fingers against Tess’ shoulder, if these were her last minutes, she wanted her to feel human touch one more time.

“Take your bandage off,” Tess ordered Ellie.

The girl unwrapped the cloth from her arm, showing the adults her newest bite mark. It was already healing.

Tess surged forward and took Ellie’s arm, holding it up to Joel. “Look. Joel? This is real,” she pulled Ellie forward, “Joel, she’s fucking real.”

Joel and Y/n spotted it at the same time: Tess’ hands were beginning to shake.

Tess retracted her arm into her person, her breaths quickening with passion. Passion for a future she would never see.

“I need you to get her to Bill and Frank’s,” Tess stated.

“No,” Joel started to argue, a flurry of emotions hitting him at once. It was real. This was real.

“They’ll take her off your hands,” Tess continued, unstoppable in her pleas, “They’ll handle it from here.”

“No, no, no,” he shook his head, sounding like a child in denial, “I can’t. They won’t take her. They’re not gonna take her.”

“They will,” Tess insisted, “Cause you’re gonna convince them.”

“I’ll take her,” Y/n said from behind Joel, “Tell me where they are and I’ll get her there.”

Tess squeezed her eyes shut, “No, it has to be him,” she looked to Joel, “I never ask you for anything. Not to feel the way I felt, not to-“

“No,” Joel said, a kneejerk reaction. He had spent so long caring for her as much as his grief would allow him.

“Shut the fuck up,” Tess snapped, “Cause I don’t have much time. This is your chance. You get her there, you keep her alive…” she bit back her tears, “And you set everything right. All the shit we did…please say yes, Joel, please.”

Joel could feel what was left of his heart beginning to break. He couldn’t lose anyone else.

A strained gasp from one of the Infected Fireflies echoed behind Ellie, “Oh, fuck!”

With all the tranquility of a piano melody, Joel stepped forward, cocked his pistol and blew a chunk of the one-time human’s brains out.

The strands of fungus began to stretch out around the Infected’s hand. The signal had been sent. Within minutes, hordes of Infected would descend upon the State House.

Joel exhaled, realizing what he’d done and ran to the building’s door. He could hear the distant snarling and choking of the Infected. Whatever pitiful amount of time they’d possessed had just gotten slashed in half.

“How many?” Tess asked calmly.

“All of them,” he reported, “Maybe a minute.”

Y/n took a shaky breath and raised her gun to Tess’ head. Joel was quick to aim his rifle at her head.

“Don’t you fuckin-“

“Do you want me to do it?” Y/n ignored Joel, locking eyes with Tess. It wasn’t an act of anger, it was an act of mercy. She was trying to save what was left of Tess’ life.

Tess shook her head, taking stock of her surroundings and rushing around the room. She tipped over barrels of gasoline and crates of grenades, letting them spill across the floor. Twenty years of sin and her last act was to save. This was Tess Servoupolis. Not her reputation, not who she’d been forced to become to survive…her.

Joel watched, heartbreak etched in each line of his face. He wanted to scream, to cry, to punch, but time had numbed his emotions enough to be able to keep it all inside.

Tess finally came to face Joel, keeping a foot of space between them. She couldn’t handle watching the man she loved move away from her like she was…what she was.

Y/n backed up to stand with Ellie, feeling like they were intruding on an intimate moment.

“Joel…” Tess said his name one last time, knowing just how much weight the words she was about to say carried, “Save who you can save.”

He was holding so much back, so many things he wanted to say, even just to touch her one last time. His grief overwhelmed him, for both women he wasn’t able to save. But if he couldn’t heed Tess’ final wish, he’d never be able to look himself in the mirror again.

Joel took one last look at her, the two of them committing each other’s gaze to memory, and Joel turned on his heel, grabbing Ellie and dragging her away.

“No!” Ellie yelled, hitting Joel’s arm to try and break his grip, “We’re not leaving her! Get off me, you fucker!”

Y/n, let them pass, standing firmly planted in front of Tess. She wanted to say something, but nothing rivaled the weight of the moment. She wanted to thank her for her sacrifice, tell her how sorry she was that she was about to what was to come…something to let her feel some sort of compassion before she lost herself entirely.

“I-“

“Protect her,” Tess urged, staring straight past the Joel and Y/n’s resentment and into her soul, “Protect him.”

Y/n’s breath shook as she considered what Tess was asking of her. She wanted to know the man she loved would live to see the days she wouldn’t. Y/n couldn’t fault her that, it was so easy to care about Joel. If Tess was a better woman than Y/n and had earned that devotion he showered upon a select number of people, she would feel the same devotion to him till death.

Y/n wanted to run in the opposite direction, but she wasn’t so heartless that she wouldn’t obey Tess’ last request. She nodded, pouring out her condolences through her pained stare, and took off the same way that Joel and Ellie had.

Leaving Tess to die.

She found them outside, Ellie still fighting Joel tooth and nail. Y/n pressed her hands to Ellie’s back and urged her forward, running alongside them in a desparate effort to escape the tidal wave of Infected encroaching.

They’d put a safe amount of distance between them and the State House when the building exploded.

Joel wrenched Ellie forward to shield her, letting him and Y/n take the heat of the blast. They drew their guns, waiting for a stray Infected to pass through the violent flames, but none came. Tess had succeeded.

The three of them stayed perfectly still, except for their heaving chests, watching the fire consume the State House. Twenty years ago, Joel would have allowed himself to break down. He would have let his knees hit the dirt, his fists ball and his grief would have spilled out of him as if he was made of it.

Twenty years ago, he could feel whatever he wanted. But to survive, you had to bury your desires with the dead. Joel knew that better than anyone.

And so, skipping the eulogy and going straight for repression, Joel lowered his rifle and walked away.

Y/n, who wasn’t as hardened as her ex-love, could no longer keep her tears at bay. She crouched down in the dirt, pressing her hands to her lips in a praying position, and allowed a silent rain stream down her cheeks. Losing anyone was awful, but losing someone who wanted redemption, who wanted to atone for their sins and leave the world better than they’d found it…that was tragic. Tess had sacrificed herself to save them, to save Ellie, to save a future she could only hope came to pass. Perhaps Joel couldn’t mourn her, Y/n knew his grief was the match that lit his whole being ablaze, but she could. She would.

Ellie stood beside her, tears filling her once-innocent eyes. Her naivety had always been on life support, but it was fading with every minute she spent outside the Wall.

Deciding her momentary memorial would have to serve as enough for Tess, Y/n got to her feet and wiped her eyes. “Come on,” she whispered, her voice strained as she put a hand to Ellie’s back. She led them down the dirt, following Joel’s ghostly silhouette…

————————

TYL Taglist: @bachiracore @stolenxkissess @kayleezra @the-wistful-reader @allthesesonsofbitches @goth-detectives365 @trippovert @rh1nestonecowg1rl @emiliaserpe @khaleesihavilliard @frietiemeloen @gracie7209 @dorck26 @thegirlnextdoorssister @alanis-altair @mariwinns16 @whosscruffylooking @endofthexline @alexiaricciardo @eonnyx @pedrosmexicangf @scarlettequinn @ao-sleepy @toinfinityandbeyonce2 @deanlovescassie @turmoil-ash @sorrowjunky @kpopslur @xxlilyxx90 @midgetpottermills @presidential-facts @scoopsnini @tubble-wubble @jamesdeerest

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[elliespeach]

no chances part six | ellie williams

pairing: ellie williams x afab reader synopsis: you and ellie are on rival volleyball teams and after letting your competitive nature get the better of both of you, tensions are high on and off the court. warnings: 18+, foul language, implied sexual themes, no smut, fluff after the angst, ellie is a little mean to herself in this part, mentions of weed uhhhh i think thats it? if i missed anything pls let me know authors note: this is the last part guys :)) i wanna do an epilogue but it wont count as a full part really but expect that!! thank you guys so so so much for all the love for this series it really means a lot you have no idea. my bad it took me so long to get this part out, ive been quite busy with life and being sickly but i am so happy to share this with you guys finally !!! i hope it's everything u wanted and more <333 w peace n loveeee

somehow you had managed to keep yourself collected until the end of the game, returning to the gym after splashing some water on your face. ellie never made an appearance, instead remained sulking in her car at how she had treated you. she knew you didn’t deserve that and it haunted her while she drove, alone and in silence. with her absence your team had taken the win but you found it hard to be in a cheerful mood, instead putting on a fake face for your teammates while they were over the moon. the bus ride back was loud and full of energy, everyone was complimenting each other on how they had played, and congratulating each other on a glorious victory. 

at the beginning of the season this would have never bothered you so much. ellie’s words did little to affect you then, but now it took over your mind and her words echoed in your head. her decision to sit out because of you weighed on you heavily and it felt like you were about to burst into tears at any moment. not only sit out, but not show up at all. you’ve always hated her, but the past few months have felt different. felt lighter and more playful, rather than how it was in the beginning. 

staring out of the window, watching the blurry trees zip by while the bus went down the highway, you thought about the hotel. the one little moment you two had shared that wasn’t driven by lust. you weren’t sure what it was that night, but you remember how nice it had felt. seeing her in a completely different light for the first time, wrapped in her arms and just feeling at peace. a tear fell from your eye and you quickly wiped it away, shaking your head and deciding to not think about it right now. 

when you got back into your dorm room, peeling off your clothes and jumping straight into the shower you finally broke down. letting out any and all emotions you had about her. you remained in the shower way longer than you had to, just letting the hot water just run over you. it didn’t bother you until the memory of one of the nights ellie and you had come back here flooded your mind. you had felt extra sweaty from the game and wanted a shower, and ellie didn’t hesitate to join you. she had laughed while stepping into the small shower, “we should conserve water, y’know?” 

that night had been the same as the rest, after the shower she promptly went home, leaving you satisfied but missing something. and that something vanished the second she closed the door behind her. 

with that you ended your shower, stepping out into the cold of your small bathroom. a shiver went through you while you looked in the mirror, seeing how disheveled you looked. it was pitiful to be honest. you thought about texting her, telling her all of the things that crossed your mind as you stood in front of the mirror. how could you say that to me? i was just trying to help. 

only to realize that you didn’t even have her phone number. it made some sense, there wasn’t a need to anyway as you only spoke at games. still, the realization burned in your chest like wildfire and you quickly made a decision. “fuck it–” you said to yourself, throwing off your towel and replacing it with comfortable clothes. thankfully, during one of your new found traditions with ellie, she realized she didn’t bring any of her stash and you had looked a little too disappointed for her liking. she offered her dorm up almost instantly, following it up with a quick and faulty reasoning. you knew exactly where to go. 

within seconds you were in the stairwell, keys jingling in your hand and the sound of your slippers echoing off the walls. you went down three floors all the while rehearsing the speech you were going to give her the second you laid eyes on her. because of me? you didn’t play because of me like it’s my fault that we’re in this fucked up situation? you trotted down the last few steps leading to the exit door. you’re vulnerable enough to have sex with me every week but a conversation is far out of your realm of capabilities i guess. you pushed open the door with a huff. you’re too stupid to realize that we might actually hav–

“can you hold the door for me–” the sound of her voice made you look up from the ground, your pace diminished and you took slow steps out of the door. it shut with a click behind you while you looked into those familiar green eyes. “oh, fuck,” ellie said nervously, she defiantly wasn’t expecting it to be you. 

“what are you doing here?” your eyebrows furrowed, but your tone remained neutral. suddenly feeling the burning in your chest start to evaporate. the lamp posts cast a dim light on her standing on the sidewalk, playing with her fingers nervously and often shifting her weight on either foot. 

“was waiting for someone to let me in–” 

“no i mean, like why are you on my campus?” you asked, swiftly putting your keys in your pocket.

she hesitated, looking down to the ground before back up to you. “i uh, wanted to talk to you–” 

“thats a first,” the words spilled out of your mouth with a sarcastic laugh. 

ellie’s face contorted into a grimace and she shook her head, “whatever, i knew i should’ve just went home.” she spun around, taking only a few short steps down the sidewalk. 

involuntarily your eyes rolled and you jogged to catch up to her, pulling her wrist and turning her back around to you. now only being a few feet apart,  ellie could see the redness in your eyes from crying. being embarrassed you looked to the side and let go of her wrist. “if you wanna talk, let’s talk.” 

she gestured to your pocket where you had placed your keys, “i don’t wanna keep you from wherever you were going,” she tried to deflect.

you blinked, quickly trying to come up with anything besides telling her that you were on your way to give her a piece of your mind. although now standing in her presence everything felt too harsh, all the words you had prepared slipped away from you. “it wasn’t as important,” you shrugged, offering her a faint smile, “we can talk.” 

“so i’m important?” ellie teased, her lips curling at the ends slightly and she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants. seeing your smile ignited something inside of her that made her feel softer, more comfortable. 

“didn’t say that,” you quickly rebutted while walking leisurely past her, expecting her to follow you and she did. 

“yeah but, you implied it.” she quipped, coming up beside you and keeping your pace. the lamp posts did little to illuminate the world around you and most of the walkway was dark until you were directly underneath the light. 

you sighed lightheartedly, “yeah, whatever,” you began, taking a beat between your thoughts. “so are you like, gonna apologize for being a total asshole?” 

ellie sucked in a deep breath, looking straight ahead. the cool night breeze was comfortable, but it didn’t stop your face from growing hot with anticipation. “yeah, i’m sorry ‘bout that,” ellie’s voice dropped, the amusement in her tone vanishing with the wind. “i shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.” 

“then why did you?” you asked genuinely, your voice matching hers. your eyes were glued to your feet as they scraped the cement below. 

“i don’t know,” she responded, taking a quick look at you but you didn’t meet her eyes although you could feel her gaze. “i do know that whatever this is between us is confusing–” 

“i’m not confused,” you admitted, playing with your hands. “i don’t think you are exactly that confused either. that conversation by your car a million years ago? you all but told me how you felt, so why is it so much harder for you now?” 

“because someone like you doesn’t need to waste their time with me,” ellie’s eyes diverted to the field beside the sidewalk, staring into the darkness while you finally glanced over to her. “i’ve been awful to you, even before our–” her hands gesture in front of her, “you know.” 

“we’ve both been awful to one another, ellie. somehow none of that changes anything for me, does it for you?” her eyes found yours, now under the glow of the lamp posts her green eyes bore into yours and her expression was one you hadn’t seen before. 

“i don’t want it to,” she started, keeping her gaze on you as you two remained walking forward. her mind was racing, she had been too focused on how she treated you that she didn’t even take into account that it was a two sided street. if she was being honest with herself, she never paid mind to how mean you could be right back to her. it finally registered that no matter what you did to her, her feelings for you would never dissipate. “i meant what i said that night.” 

“about what?” 

“about not wanting to see you upset,” her feet stopped, and you only took another step before noticing, turning to stand in front of her. there was a moment of silence as you looked at her trying to find her words. “i really am sorry for everything.” 

you approached her, standing just inches away. “i’m sorry too,” her eyes wandered up from the ground and into yours yet again, “we really were assholes to each other, huh?” you chuckled lightly, trying to alleviate the heavy mood that had settled around both of you. 

ellie couldn’t help but laugh as well, “yeah, we were.” your hand reached up to her cheek gently and she leaned her head into your hand. “but that all stops, okay? i promise.” ellie’s hand grabbed the wrist that was holding her cheek, rubbing her thumb across your soft skin. 

“i’m not promising anything,” you joked, the tone in your voice going up. “it’s fun to see you all flustered.” 

“oh, so it’s like that?” ellie’s lips turned up at your words and she grasped for your hips but you snaked away. you giggled, playfully turning around to escape her grasp. you made it only a few feet before she had come up behind you, wrapping her arms around your waist. you both fumbled over one another, rolling into the grass beside the sidewalk all while laughing at each other. 

“ellie!” you giggled again, the grass tickling every part of your exposed skin. ellie had landed on top of you, her arm planted firmly in the grass beside your head as she looked down on you and the smile on her face never faltering, along with yours. 

in this moment, it was only you and ellie. everything around the two of you seemed to disappear as you longingly stared into each other. a piece of her hair had fallen from her tight bun and you gently tucked it behind her ear, running your hand along her cheek again. “can i take you on a date? a real one?” she asked in a whisper, never taking her eyes off of you. 

“you don’t even have to ask,” you answered her in the same tone, your chest swelling with her every word. ellie leaned down and planted a soft, loving kiss on your lips. something unlike she had ever done. every kiss you two had shared was sloppy, desperate and full of lust. but this time, it was sweet, slow and passionate. her hand cupped your cheek before she finally pulled away, resting her forehead on yours. 

“if our coaches could see us now,” she laughed, which made you do the same. you wrapped your arms around her neck as you always do, the warmth from her radiating like the sun. 

“bet they’d still try to bench us–” another spring of laughs came from the both of you before ellie finally pulled herself off of you. standing up she stretched her arm to help you up, which you took happily. “do you wanna stay over?” 

the question was like music to ellie’s ears, “i’d love to–” she planted a delicate kiss on your cheek. 

“good good,” you trailed, turning around to look at your dorm building which was easily more than a few yards away by now. being around ellie brought out the competitiveness in you yet again but this time it was more playful. “wanna race?” 

“seriously?” she turned her head, the smile on ellie’s face was now permanent in your presence. 

“what? you scared?” you mocked her lightly, tapping her shoulder and she scoffed at the accusation. 

“you know what? yeah, let’s race. i bet you–” 

you took off sprinting, even in your slippers you had managed to get a great head start. you could hear ellie’s footsteps behind you, slowly catching up. “hey, that’s cheating!” she shouted from behind you. while she watched you win the childish bet, she felt stupid for not allowing herself this type of happiness before, but if she had the chance to go back and change anything, she never would.

epilogue

[sl-ut]

always

pairing: ellie williams x fem!reader (also kina platonic!joel x ellie)

description: things didn’t exactly end up the way ellie wanted them today, but she wouldn’t give it up for anything.

warnings: UNEDITED, swearing, slight nsfw implications (i literally just mention that r and ellie have had sex), alcohol and marijuana consumption, slight angst

words: 1.1K (super short but i like it)

date posted: 10/01/24

For the first time in her life, Ellie longed for it to be wintertime. She wished for cold air to cut through the bitter warmth, allowing her a breath of relief for even a moment, having stepped out onto the front porch of the Tipsy Bison to take a moment for herself. To be fair, it had been partially her own fault, winter had ended only a few months prior, why hadn’t she asked sooner? It had been under a gentle descent of snowflakes that she had fallen in love with Y/n, after all, but she also hadn’t expected there to be anything official beyond the trading of a few vows, the sharing of a joint, and completed with the rest of the night rolling in the sheets together. Though, it would seem that that was far too much to ask for. 

She really should have known better than to expect that Jesse would keep his big mouth shut, though she really did try to keep it a secret until the ring fell out of her pocket and onto the cold floor of their outpost. Jesse had teased her relentlessly, but seemed genuinely happy for his friends, promising to keep the secret until he knew that Jesse asked. However, as soon as she had, Dina was pounding on their door, demanding to see the ring and to know exactly when the wedding would be. 

She was not overly thrilled for the wedding to have become such a large spectacle, but Maria had been just as enthused as Dina had been, stating that there was a desperate need for something like this to boost town morale. Ellie had immediately declined their offers of throwing a party for them, she was suddenly aware of the twinkle in her fiancée’s eyes at the idea of wearing a pretty white dress and dancing the night away at the Bison, leaving her little choice but to agree.

She had to admit, her heart had never felt quite as content as it had when she first spotted Y/n striding towards her, dressed in a horribly ugly wedding dress that was probably found in the attic of one of the houses, her smile radiating nothing but happiness as she met Ellie underneath the large willow tree. 

Even now, watching her get passed around on the dancefloor, now wearing a simple white blouse and a pair of jeans that she had cut into shorts, but still as beautiful as ever. Ellie shook her head, letting out a large puff of smoke as a smile broke through her normally monotone expression.

A figure sidled up next to her, letting out a low whistle as they both stared through the large glass windows, eyes following the bride’s joyful movement closely, “I never got to say congratulations.”

She huffed a laugh, not taking her eyes away from her wife, “Thanks, I think I got pretty lucky.”

“You sure did. So did she,” Joel quipped, “You’re a real catch there, kid.”

“Please,” Ellie shook her head, “I’d be dead if it weren’t for her,” She was quiet for a beat before she continued, “And you.” 

“Now I don’t know about that…”

“Shut up,” She chuckled, “What you did…I was–am angry with you. You took my choice away from me.”

“I know,” He nodded, “And you’ll never know how sorry I am for making you feel that way, but I’ll never feel sorry for keeping you alive.”

She nodded, “I know. I both hate you and–”

He sighed when she paused, “I know kid, me too.”

Ellie turned her emerald gaze to the man, her vision growing fuzzy as tears gathered along her waterline, “I wish you could have been here.”

His figure seemed to begin to fade into the darkness, but his voice was clear and true, “Me too, baby girl.”

“Ellie?” Y/n’s voice drew her attention to the front door, where her bride was standing with curiosity on her face, “Everything okay, babe?”

When Ellie glanced back at the spot next to her, “Yeah, everything’s good.”

The girl came closer, a smile growing on her face. She wrapped her arms around her wife’s neck, playing with the wispy ends of her short auburn hair. Ellie had also dressed up for the occasion, wearing a youth sized button up top and a poorly-tied tie hanging around her neck, which had been loosened throughout the night, even more so as Y/n pressed her body against hers. Ellie’s long fingers dug into her fabric-covered hips, leaning her head forward to accept the kiss that was being offered to her forehead.

“What are you doing out here on your own?”

The redhead shrugged, “Just needed to get away for a second. It’s hot in there.”

Y/n nodded, plucking the joint up from where she had set in on the railing next to her and taking a long drag, “I know this isn’t really what you wanted, but it really does mean a lot that you put in some effort to enjoy it.”

“I did enjoy it,” Ellie responded, “Maybe not all of it, but I wouldn’t trade today for anything.”

She leaned forward, capturing her wife’s lips with her own in a long and slow kiss, a small moan vibrating through her throat at the taste of cheaply made whiskey and cake from her lips. 

“How much longer do I have to wait to get you in bed?” Ellie whined as they parted, earning a loud laugh from her wife’s lips. 

“A little longer,” She shrugged, “Maybe after you come in and dance with me.”

Y/n made a break for it, only glancing back at Ellie once before disappearing behind the doors of the bar, leaving Ellie alone on the front step. The auburn haired girl chuckled at her, mentally trying to figure out a way to get her out of the bar sooner rather than later. As she stalked towards the door, her ears perked up at the sound of the voice once more.

“I’m happy for you, kid.”

The figure did not appear when she turned to look over her shoulder, but she knew he was there, watching over her. He always would be. A small smile graced her lips, uttering one last sentence before pushing through the doors and allowing her wife to drag her onto the dancefloor.

“Thank you, Joel.”

[jenwritesstuff]

Jealousy

Summary: You and Noah have been going out for more than a year and he’s possessive, but not jealous. You want to see how much he can take before actually getting jealous. Be careful what you wish for.

(P.S there's smut)

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“Is it normal that my boyfriend just never gets jealous?” You ask as you mindlessly sip on your coffee.

Your friends, Ellie and Olivia looked at each other, both wondering what the hell you’re on about this time.

“Just because he doesn’t get jealous doesn’t mean he loves you less. Maybe he’s just secure in the relationship and he trusts you. That’s pretty reassuring if you ask me.” Olivia decided to speak up when she saw you chewing onto your straw.

“Yeah… but he got jealous around his exes. I just want to know what it’s like to see him jealous. It could be so hot. Or cute. Or both.” You decided to imagine a scenario where you make your boyfriend, Noah jealous.

He could be the rough type; tearing you away from whoever was trying to get too close to you. Or he could be the pouty type; he’ll sulk and ask if you prefer the attention from another man apart from his.

Alas, you were about to find out that night that it was definitely not the latter.

And of course, you didn’t mind it one bit.

Later that same night, you guys were headed to a housewarming party of a mutual friend. Most of them were band members and you were familiar since you’ve been on tour with Noah for the past year. You were heavily involved in some of the events that they’ve played at considering it was part of your job so you were always around one another. It didn’t cross your mind that your ex might be there. Your ex, who happened to be in another band, was also invited to said housewarming party.

As both you and Noah were making the way to the venue, you heard him talk for the first time in hours. You brushed it off as him being stressed out with work because he tends to do that. He tends to shut off from the world when he’s too immersed in his work.

“Do you think he’ll be there?” he asks.

“Who?”

“Tim.”

“Oh.”

There was silence for a bit. Finally, you decided to break the silence because it was a stupid question to be pondering so long about.

“Yeah, he might. I don’t know exactly who’s gonna be there.”

“Right. Of course you wouldn’t know.”

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Noah had said it with so much sass it caught you off guard. It offended you nonetheless.

“Nothing.” He mumbled in response.

You rolled your eyes and looked out the window as he continued driving.

Wait.

Is he… jealous?

You turned your head so quick you could’ve strained it but you looked at him with gleaming eyes. He gave you the side eye because he had to focus on the road but he quirked an eyebrow and asked, “What?”

“Are you jealous?” you asked, almost too excited.

“Why would I be?” He replied, trying to remain cool.

“Because you think Tim might be there. Are you jealous?” You couldn’t contain your smile.

“No, of course not. Don’t get any weird ideas. I was simply asking.” He said as he parked the car.

He turned to look at you and grabbed your face so that your faces were inches apart.

“No funny business. No playing, no tricks, understand baby?”

It wasn’t a question.

You nodded your head because you love this side of Noah; all dominant and in control.

Unfortunately for him, you were a brat. Of course you are.

You practically skipped towards the house before ringing the doorbell, gift in hand.

When the doors opened, you could already see a crowd inside. You hugged your friend and congratulated them on their new home. As you walked in, you beelined straight to the food table. Noah was busy looking for his friends to catch up with and you were hungry and couldn’t think of anything else. That’s when you came face to face with none other than your ex of 5 years, Tim.

“Hey.” He looked up at you and smiled.

“Hey there.” You answered and there was a heavy beat of awkwardness hanging in the air.

It has been over 3 years since the breakup but you’ve never actively looked him up or tried to remain in contact. It was a clean, mutual break up but getting over someone you’ve been in love with for 5 years was still tough.

“So… samosa dipped in mayo? Some things just don’t change.” He looked over at your plate and chuckled.

“Hey, good food is good food. Don’t yuck my yum.” You said and picked up more samosas which earned another low chuckle.

Tim was following behind you, taking more food as you guys walked down the buffet line. When you were done, you found a corner with a few chairs and sat down to eat. You didn’t realize that Tim had followed you and sat down next to you.

“Soooooo how’ve you been?” He asks as you looked up at him with a mouth full of food.

You chewed and swallowed before answering, “Everything’s going great so far. How about you?”

“I’m good. I moved into a new home myself. How’s you and Noah?”

“We’re good as always. Been busy with tour stuff and work lately but other than that, everything has been great.” You scanned the room to find your tall lanky boyfriend only to find him sitting at the living room, talking to his friends but his eyes were dead set on you.

You smiled and turned your full attention to the man beside you.

You made some small talk and laughed at some of the not so funny jokes he cracked. This went on for only half an hour before you felt a tall presence right in front of you. You looked up and smiled at the love of your life who seems to be smiling too but you knew otherwise.

“Having a great chat?” He asks.

“Yeah! We were just catching up on life. How’s your friends?” you asked, as if you didn’t know what was going on.

Tim stood up, “Well, looks like things are going well. Let’s catch up again sometime. See you guys around.”

He smiled at both you and Noah before walking away. You watched as Noah gave one of the most forced smile to ever exist. Noah slowly turned his head to look down at you, who was sitting and trying to get another bite of your food when you realized he was actually pissed.

“What was so funny that you didn’t notice me walking over?” He asked, still looking down at you.

“Nothing. We were talking about Lucy, his family’s dog. She’s still as sassy as ever. I miss her.”

You knew what you were doing. You wanted to see how much he could take. Jealousy looked pretty hot on him if you were being honest.

“You miss her? So are you going to visit her? Visit his family? Laugh like the good ol’ days?”

You looked up at him with wide eyes. You set aside your food and stood up in front of him, chests touching.

“And what if I do?”

He smirked and grabbed your arm, pulling you closer than humanely possible.

“Then I’ll make it so that you won’t be able to even walk.”

You felt shivers down your spine as he pulled you out of the room to go upstairs. Well the both of you were planning on staying over in case Noah had one drink too many but not even an hour into the party and he was already dragging you into one of the guest bedrooms. The moment the door closed behind the both of you, you found yourself pinned against the door.

Noah had placed his thigh right between your legs as he grabbed your face to look at him.

“You like pissing me off?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You replied, feigning ignorance.

“You knew what you were doing baby. Do you miss him?”

As he asked his other hand was working its way up from your hips to your waist, stopping right below your breast.

“Of course I don’t baby. It’s been years. And I have you.” You shamelessly tried to shift your lower half to grind against his thigh.

He glanced downwards and looked at you with a smirk.

“What a slut. You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” his hand shifted from your face to your neck, grabbing it and jerking you forward.

His mouth was already on yours before you even got the chance to answer.

“You shouldn’t have done that baby.”

Shivers ran down your spine before he pinched your already hard peaks through your dress. You jerked at the pain that was mixed with pleasure, grabbing onto his shoulders and grinding your already soaking cunt against his thigh.

You weren’t given a chance to form a coherent sentence before he dipped a hand between your legs.

“You’re soaking wet baby. Just the way I like it.” He whispered into your ear before reaching for your neck and biting.

You let out a yelp and started melting into his touch. His lips met yours before he bit down on your bottom lip.

“I want him to hear your screams.”

Your hips bucked as you felt his thumb on your already swollen clit.

“Let him know who you belong to baby. Scream my fucking name.”

You moaned as he drove two of his long fingers into your cunt.

“You’re mine. You’ve come on my face and hand. You’re always on my mind. You drive me fucking insane most days.”

You couldn’t comprehend anything that was happening before he carried you onto the bed before throwing you on it. Right before you could look up he had already slammed himself into you. You cried out his name. You didn’t realize how wet you were because Noah slid into you with no resistance. The sensation was so sudden you clenched around him without thinking.

“Relax baby. You can take me.” He hissed and didn’t move until you could acclimate to his size.

Once your whimpers of discomfort faded, he grabbed onto your hips with force you knew you would bruise the next morning. You felt Noah pull out and flipped you so that you were on your knees. He rammed into you again, making you cry out. You felt him much deeper in this position and your knees almost bucked if he didn’t hold you up. He thrusted into you ruthlessly and grabbed onto your ass and gave it occasional smacks that would leave red handprints.

Your eyes had rolled back and you were starting to forget your name before he grabbed your neck so that you were up right against his chest.

“Do you enjoy making me jealous baby?”

“I- I’m sorry!” You screamed as one of his hands reached out for your clit and started rubbing.

You were so close to coming it was driving you insane. You felt your orgasm build up as you let out a strangled scream. Your legs were shaking and eyes were rolling back but you couldn’t fall because he was holding you up by your neck.

“Look at me.” He commanded as you opened your eyes to look at him.

He placed his hand in front of your face.

“Look at the mess you’ve made. Open your mouth.”

You obliged and opened your mouth before he stuck his fingers that were coated with your juices into your mouth. You were supposed to feel disgusted but you were so turned on you started sucking on his fingers like an animal starved.

His grip on your neck tightened before his teeth scored marks on your shoulder. He pushed your head down onto the mattress before fucking you with so much intensity you knew he meant it when he told you you wouldn't be able to walk the next day.

Nothing you said made sense and you were a moaning mess. You didn’t care if anyone below could hear your cries and moans anymore. If anything, that turned you on even more.

“You like this? Me destroying this pretty little cunt of yours while you make a mess of my cock?”

You couldn’t respond with anything other than a strangled noise.

“I’m the only one who can make you like this. Remember that.” He said as he grabbed both your arms and started thrusting erratically.

“I’m gonna cum in your mouth. Don’t spill a single drop baby.”

He pulled out before flipping you over so you were laying on your back. You watched as he stroked himself a little more before forcing his whole cock into your mouth. You gagged at the sudden intrusion but relaxed as you felt his hot cum shoot down your throat. He was moaning and thrusting a little as he came inside your mouth. He sighed as he looked down at you and stroked your hollowed cheeks.

“So pretty with my cock in your mouth like this.” He said as he pulled out.

He held you there and tapped your cheek.

“Show me your mouth.”

You opened your mouth, sticking your tongue out showing him that you swallowed every single drop of his bitter cum.

“That’s my good girl. Now, do you want to make me jealous again?”

You smiled up at Noah sweetly.

“Maybe?”

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A/N: I don't know how this works. Didn't proofread either. Anyways, hope you enjoyed. (I'm rusty)

[alicealmost]

1 month of Jaiden Bunnydoll

Actually, it was yesterday, but I got distracted with Olympics (quick pause to congratulate Rebeca Andrade, for her golden medal in women's floor exercise🇧🇷) It has been one month since I created Jaiden, and I hope you guys like her as much as I do❤️💜

I also got a lot inspired by @raggstosketches more than lovely comic and here are some doodles:

I wish I could shade it and draw more siblings, but I don't have time and my fingers are hurting (I need to get a digital tablet and a drawing pen ASAP lol)

Mopsy and Buster belong to @raggstosketches (thanks again for your comic) Jaiden loves them, especially Mopsy, her cool and caring big sis, who protects her from Buster awful pranks and sings to her until she falls asleep❤️💓💜

Abby belongs to @fizzyellouw Jaiden's beloved little sis.

Ellie, Ethan and Owyin belong to @livi-in-digital-circus , Jaiden prefers Ellie over the boy's, because Owyin sometimes ignores her and Ethan is just a Jax 2.0 sometimes

Look, @beanandberry , Jax is holding her -^-^-

Thank you guys for everything. May God bles our week.

[familyvideostevie]

hi hi lovely first of all i would LOVE to read your fluffy joel fic with no smut, i love your writing a lot and it’s just perfect and so comforting. also, if it is okay i would like to request a joel fic where the reader is someone who gets cold really easily and he’s always being a bit bossy and grumpy with her because she doesn’t wear enough layers or always gives him their blankets, and just like very fluffy very cute vibes! i love youuuuu

omg. yay!!! congratulations you are my first joel request!! thank you very much, this was a lot of fun. it's very short and a bit sweet and i hope you like it! (hope you like the fluffy joel fic, too!) joel doesn't get why you won't wear your damn gloves. fluff, jackson au, 0.8k

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It starts with gloves.

"You okay?" Joel asks. Well, grunts, more like. You're on patrol which is serious business so you're getting serious Joel.

"Uh, yeah," you say. "Why?"

His jaw shifts like he's grinding his teeth. "You look..."

You try not to smirk too much. "How do I look, Joel?"

The two of you have been doing...whatever it is you're doing for a few months now. Gentle flirting turned to drinks turned to dinner turned to nights in his bed or yours, whispers in your hair and lips on your skin, his steady, solid presence at your side around town.

It's nice. You're enjoying it. And, perhaps most of all, you're enjoying how Joel Miller continues to surprise you. The depth of his worry and care, the jokes he tells out of nowhere, how his nostrils flare when he's trying to hide his smile.

You knew him to be a man capable of violence. You're all capable of violence. You've seen it, done it. That's life. It hardens you.

And while Joel is grumpy a lot of the time for good reason he also knows how to laugh loudly and is learning a song you love and haven't heard in twenty years so he can play it for you on his guitar.

So his unamused glare delights you more than anything.

"You look cold," he huffs.

"Well, it is fall in Wyoming, Joel," you say. "It's cold outside and we're outside." You sweep your arm in a wide arc at the beauty of the valley. Your horse snorts as if agreeing with you. He's right, though. You're cold but it's bearable. You get cold pretty easily, in fact, but Joel has no reason to know that. The weather just started to change.

"Well," he says, mocking you. "Why don't you have gloves or a hat or somethin'?"

He knows why. Because you left for patrol from his house without stopping at yours. You know he's going to find a way to make this his fault, for not checking that you had everything you needed, for not offering you the clothes on his back. You also know he's going to file this away and make it his new mission.

"Because I'm fine, that's why." Your tone leaves no room for argument but Joel tries anyway.

"Your hands are red."

"Joel," you snap. "I'm fine. Leave it."

Sometimes it's overwhelming to be cared about by a man with his intensity. He doesn't do things by halves. You're still learning what it means for him to be all in on you.

He says nothing. You glance at him and see he's holding out a pair of leather gloves you recognize.

"I'm not taking your gloves --"

"Just fuckin' take 'em, alright? If your hands are cold then you can't shoot and I don't want to have to leave you out here because someone got the jump on us. Ellie would kill me."

Typical Joel. Covering up his concern with gruffness. But you know better than to take it personally by now -- you see him with Ellie, see him with people in town. You know what he's like in your bed when he wakes up, the way he strokes your jaw and presses his lips to your temple. You know what's underneath this exterior.

So even if it's a little overwhelming you take the gloves and work them onto your hands. But you don't say thank you because you can't let him win everything.

But after that patrol Joel does make it his mission to ensure you're not cold. It's a little overbearing but you know he likes to be useful so what do you do? You lean into it. You do get cold easily, after all. You let him drape his flannels around you when you don't wear enough layers on the way to his house. You let him tug the hat on your head over your ears. You let him tuck a blanket under your feet on the couch. You let him take care of you.

"Feels like you're doin' this on purpose," he grumbles one night as you walk back from The Tipsy Bison. There's a bite to tonight's wind and he's got his arm around your shoulders so you're pressed into his side. You aren't wearing a coat warm enough for the chill.

"Doing what?"

"Being a pain in my ass. Givin' me grey hairs with your fuckin' determination to get frost bite."

"Well if you hate it so much --" You pretend to pull away from him but his doesn't let you go far.

"Didn't say that. Just think you should dress properly for once."

You laugh and pull him to a stop, turning so you're pressed against his chest.. "Why do I need more layers when I have you?"

"I see how it is," he drawls. "Usin' me for my warmth, are you?"

Joel isn't big on public displays of affection. He's a private man and likes to keep his cards close to his chest. But it's nighttime and there's hardly anyone out, so when you lean close he allows it, brushing your noses together.

"Course I am," you whisper.

He huffs. His palms press into your back. "Figures."

The kiss he gives you warms you all the way down to your toes.

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, general masterlist here!