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scribbling-dragon · 2 years

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A God’s Insight

Summary:

The kingdoms he’s visited tend to blend into each other, the same buildings over and over again, reaching into the sky as though they can ever hope to achieve the grandeur he’s reached. Reaching higher as though they can hope to scrape their fingers against the same ones he’s cradled close to his own chest.

Still, the people shove past him, barrelling down streets that are far too small for the crowds of people that swarm them, bustling and heady, vendors lining each side of the street, yelling and calling and offering their wares to each and every person that passes by them.

A god's interlude

(AO3 Link)

(Masterpost)

(5,668 words)

hey! this fic took me a while to write, and it might be the last thing for a few days (i may have hurt my wrist) so it’d be super nice if you’d reblog it! :]

The pans of food smoke and sizzle as he slips past them, escaping the people that are trying to catch his attention, pulling his cloak further around himself as one vendor in particular tries to snatch at it, daring to attempt to lay his hands upon a god.

The streets are winding and uneven, several holes dug or cracked into the ground. Not that he trips on any of them, stepping over them gracefully and carefully, pulling his cloak upwards so it doesn't drag through the puddles that lie in the bottom of them.

This kingdom is one of the more colourful ones, bright and beautiful in a way he can appreciate, the buildings made of dark wood that contrasts wonderfully with the cheerful accents on it.

He shoves past a particular large cluster of people, sneering back at someone when they turn to spit a curse at him. He flicks a hand in their direction, lightning crackling between his fingers before he can even think about it, clenching his hand to extinguish them.

The person doesn't chase after him for the insult, leaving him to go on his merry way, further down the street. He’s here for one reason and one reason only: there’s rumours of an incredible blacksmith within the city, one that’s said to have been blessed by the gods with incredible skill for handling metal.

And he needs a new chisel, his old one lying at the bottom of a ravine, probably in several pieces and left to rust. He hasn't been able to do any projects without it, and he’s itching to carve something, none of the sketches he does are quite able to capture it in the same way.

He stumbles out of the main crowd, falling over his own feet as the sudden push and pull of the crowd falls away, leaving him unsure of his footing and glancing around to see it anyone else witnessed his fumble.

He straightens up, brushing his shoulders off, wings twitching a little beneath the cloak as he glances around once more before he forcefully stills them again. He’s heard a few choice things about this kingdom, and you can never be too careful when exploring such ones, even as an almighty god such as himself.

He’s not sure how mortals deal with it.

He continues down the street, taking longer moments to appreciate the architecture of the buildings he passes, eyeing up the techniques they use as he turns the idea of his own kingdom over in his head again. Everyone would worship him there, temples surrounding the empire and allowing the people to truly see his worth.

He grits his teeth and moves away from the building he’s been scrutinising. It had rather nice details along the fences, carved in a way he had never thought of before. Someone comes running past him, barging him in the shoulder as they sprint past.

He turns, a yell already making its way from his throat as the person continues to sprint away, something clutched in their hands as they laugh, blue hair bouncing as they turn and skid around the corner, disappearing back into the marketplace.

“Oh,” someone else screeches to a halt in front of him, “Dang it.” He turns back around, watching as the person that had spoken hunches over, hands on his knees as he breathes heavily. “Gimme a moment, sorry about this.” He laughs, and it’s rather high, almost nervous sounding.

He straightens up a moment later, sticking out his hand, a beaming smile already on his face. He takes the hand, looking over this person oddly. His mark of godhood may be faded and dull now, but it’s still rather prominent on the back of his hand.

The weird stranger in front of him takes one look at it, turning his hand over with a rather sharp gesture and staring at it for a moment. “Nice tattoo,” he says, grinning at him again. Seriously, is it all this person does? “Where’d you get it?”

“It’s not a tattoo.” He says, yanking his hand out of the stranger’s grip. “It’s a mark of godhood.”

“I thought they were all golden and colourful though.” The stranger frowns, “Like, a more radiant version of blessed marks.”

“Sometimes.” He says, and the stranger seems to register his annoyance, grin faltering for a moment, eyes darting over his face almost nervously.

“You're not from around here, are you?” This stranger asks far too many questions for his own good, it’s a good thing he doesn't particularly feel like being banned from another kingdom. Murder charges are not fun to deal with. “Your accent is all funny.”

“My accent is not funny.” He protests, frown deepening as the stranger laughs. “It’s not!”

“It is. Just a little bit.” The stranger holds his fingers just a tiny bit apart, eyes crinkling from amusement.

“It’s not.” He huffs, “You're testing my nerves, mortal. Don't you know it’s a bad idea to test the nerves of a god?”

“I've heard,” the stranger shrugs, “You're too funny not to make fun of, now, c’mon mysterious god, not even a name for me?” He grins again, wiggling his shoulders in a way that’s a little endearing. Like a dog wagging its tail.

“And how do I know you're not going to steal it?”

“Because I'm not a fae,” the stranger laughs, “Fae aren't welcome in this kingdom, so I doubt I’d have made it this far if I was.” His laugh sounds a little more nervous, eyes darting around as he speaks. Fear of someone listening, then. Huh.

“Doesn't sound like many people are welcome here.” He comments, and the stranger laughs again, that same nervous laugh.

“Let’s not talk like that, huh? You might be a god but even gods can bleed, you know? Exercise a little caution.”

“I reckon I could take whatever royal guard this kingdom has,” he allows lightning to crackle between his fingers again, watching as the blue flashes in the eyes of the stranger as he stares at it, “Let me guess, they're wearing metal armour?”

“Yeah,” the stranger nods, entranced by the lightning and he sighs, clenching his hand shut again and shaking off the remaining sparks, “I can see why you exercise so little caution.”

He hums. “You don't happen to know of any blacksmiths in the area, do you?” The stranger nods, “I'm looking for one, I've heard someone here has been blessed by the gods with a hand for metalwork.”

“Oh!” The stranger brightens up again, fear abandoned to the wind as he begins to walk away, beckoning for him to follow, “Well isn't that convenient!” He laughs, at a joke only he is privy to.

“And how is that?”

“Well, you're looking at him!” The stranger turns around, dropping into a bow, hand extending behind him with a flourish. He continues to walk backwards, face upturned towards him with a smile. “Sausage, blacksmith apprentice, at your service.”

“You're an apprentice?” He pauses, cloak swirling around his ankles as he stops. Sausage stops too.

“Well of course, can't exactly take over the blacksmith when there’s still someone else there.” He tilts his head slightly to the side, eyes shining a bright silver in the light, “I am god blessed, I swear to you, can't you tell?”

He can't, but he hasn't been able to tell that sort of thing since- whatever. He shakes his head, and Sausage looks momentarily confused, but resumes his journey, skipping more than walking as they make their way down the winding streets.

The houses slowly become more and more rundown. They're still as colourful as before, just with less variation, less deep purple and magentas, and more yellows and greens decorating the slightly rundown buildings.

He begins to consider that Sausage is lying to him, and simply leading him to somewhere he can steal all of his valuables. Or scam him. Either seem like a viable option right now.

Instead, Sausage strides through an open doorway, announcing loudly to whoever’s inside that he’s home. Someone responds, a low, gruff voice that Sausage eagerly responds to. A moment later there’s someone else poking their head out the door, staring at him.

“What do you want?” He asks, shoving his goggles up onto his head, pinning back his grey hair.

“I'm looking for a chisel,” he says, which brings both Sausage and the new person to a pause, both of them staring at him.

“You've come to us, for a chisel.” The man shakes his head, muttering something in another language beneath his breath, turning to Sausage in disbelief. “A chisel.”

“I heard him, Eddie.” Sausage pats the man- Eddie, apparently on the shoulder, almost in sympathy.

“I just want a chisel!” His voice pitches higher, and both Sausage and Eddie turn to hush him, Sausage darting forward and grabbing his arm, pulling him into the building. He yanks his arm back and out of Sausage’s grip, rubbing where the other had grabbed him, a red mark beginning to form. “There’s no need to be so rude.” He snaps.

Sausage rolls his eyes, grin dropped completely. “We don't need another noise complaint, okay? I’d really like to not get evicted again, and neither would Eddie.” He gestures to the other, who’s returned to working on…whatever he was working on. It just looks like a glowing blob of metal at the moment. “People just don't seem to understand that banging metal into shape is hard work.”

“And I can pay you something good if you bang a chisel into shape for me.” He responds, already reaching for the bag he keeps his gold in. He pulls it out, jangling it in a way he hopes is enticing.

“What are you even the god of?” Sausage looks and sounds unimpressed, shoving aside the bag of gold to stare at him instead. Odd, normally all mortals fell for that.

“None of your business.”

“I think it is, seeing as you are quite literally currently my business.”

“I don't want to talk about it.” He crosses his arms, gold digging awkwardly into his skin as he stands there, staring Sausage down.

“Just accept the goddamn commission Sausage,” Eddie grumbles, dunking the metal into water, steam hissing from the barrel he’s currently got his arm buried in, “If only to get him out of here.”

“It’s going to take a few days,” Sausage murmurs, “And I’d need time to draw up schematics for it, and then get you to approve of it before I can even start.”

“No need,” he fishes around in his pockets; honestly, whichever god is responsible for the creation of pockets is a godsend. “I've drawn some up myself already.” He presents Sausage with the only slightly crumpled schematics, the sole survivor of his last sketchbook, and watches as he smooths it out, looking over the diagram.

“You made these yourself?” Sausage sounds faintly impressed, turning the diagram around to face him. He’s already seen the design a million times, so he doesn't bother looking at it, pushing it down so he can look at Sausage instead.

“How long is it going to take you?”

“Well…” Sausage turns the schematics back around to himself, frowning as he looks at it. “I’d need to get the metal for it, you've been rather specific with it, and it’d take a few days to shape and cool.”

“No need,” he says, and Sausage rolls his eyes, “I already have the metal for you.”

“Do you want to make it as well?” Eddie asks, snorting at his own joke before turning his back on them again.

“I'm fine thanks.” He bites back.

“You are awfully prepared for this.” Sausage says, accepting the metal ingots when he hands them over, “And it’s still going to take a few days, you've taken the price down a bit by providing the metal you've requested, but it’ll still be,” he glances at the paper, “Thirty gold pieces.”

He sighs, but hands the nuggets over anyway, mourning the loss of several good gold blocks as he watches Sausage count them out. “Great!” Sausage grins at him again, almost bouncing back up, “I’ll have that ready for you in… four days, feel free to come back and check in for progress.”

He’s being guided out the open doorway before he can protest, Sausage’s hand warm on his back. He turns around to protest, but the other has already disappeared back into the shadows of the blacksmith, leaving him on a rapidly darkening street with no idea where the nearest inn is.

He hangs his head and tries not to scream.

--- --- ---

On the second day he makes the trek from the inn he’s staying at. It’s a nice inn, expensive, as it’s closer to the centre of the kingdom. And he has to brave the crowds once more and hope they don't elbow him in the wing and break something.

He’s not sure how fragile his bones are anymore. Normally he’s near invincible, but he hasn't wanted to test how easily breakable they are now.

Still, he hovers awkwardly in the open doorway, wincing backwards with each loud clatter of the hammer on metal, his ears protesting at the loud noise. He knocks on the door, regretting it almost immediately as his knuckles ache with the consequence of knocking on solid stone.

It gets Sausage’s attention anyway, as he looks up from whatever he’s doing, eyes widening visibly behind his goggles, before he makes a wait gesture, returning to hammering what he assumes is his chisel. He waits, rather patiently if he does say so himself, standing not at all awkwardly in the door as Sausage finishes whatever he was doing and dunks the chisel in the barrel, steam rising around his face, hissing.

He emerges from the cloud a moment later, grinning and sweaty. He takes a half-step backwards, smiling at Sausage in return as he looks him over, eyes catching on the charred apron and gloves.

“Good afternoon.” He greets, raising his eyes back to Sausage’s face. He curses his current form for making him shorter than the other, resenting the fact that he has to look up to meet his eyes.

“Heya!” Sausage claps him on the shoulder, “Come to check up on your chisel?”

“Yes,” he nods, allowing himself to be pulled into the blacksmith again, only slightly surprised by Sausage’s strong grip this time.

“I’m almost finished with the main part of the chisel, just needs a little bit of refining and then I can get started on the handle for it. Any preference for the wood?” Sausage asks, and he looks at him, “You didn't specify which one you want, and we have quite the range of woods here, I chop it myself.” He sounds quite proud of himself for that.

He resumes looking over the chisel piece, finding it already done beautifully, better than he actually expected it to be done, despite the claims at being a god blessed. Many claimed they had been blessed by the gods that wandered their lands, but few claims were actually true, and it’s not as though he could actually tell at the moment.

“Do you have any spruce?” He asks, “I know it’s a wood that grows in a colder climate, but it’s the one that I had with my last chisel.”

“I’m pretty sure we do,” Sausage disappears behind a counter, the sound of barrels being opened, then closed again echoing from behind it. He waits, again, rather patiently, only slightly fiddling with his hands before realising what he’s doing and tucking them into his pockets. Out of sight, out of mind, or whatever.

“Aha!” Sausage straightens up, a nice, firm branch of spruce in his grip. He lays it out on the counter and he steps forward to inspect it. “This up to your standards, oh mysterious god?”

“Hm?” He looks up at that.

“You didn't give me a name yesterday.” Sausage leans on the counter, until they're almost at the same height, Sausage only an inch or so below him. He doesn't feel as offended as he normally would at such open mocking.

“Joel.” He says, not bothering to extend his hand as they've already done that part of meeting each other. “God.”

“Nice, can I know what you're the god of now?”

“No.”

“Worth a try.” Sausage grins, and he shrugs in response.

“It was a nice try, but it didn't work incredibly well.” He turns to leave, a thanks already forming on his tongue as he brushes through the doorway.

“Wait!” Sausage is suddenly behind him, and he turns, wings trying to flare out at being startled. He presses them flat again, managing to give Sausage one of his best unimpressed looks. Sausage wilts slightly, which means it worked.

“Yes?”

“Uh, do you want to go out for drinks together?” Sausage asks, which is not at all what he was expecting.

“What?”

“Drinks?” Sausage looks confused, “You know, alcohol.”

“I know what drinks are,” he waves Sausage off, “Why are you asking me to go out for drinks?”

“Because you're interesting?” Sausage tilts his head to the side, only looking more confused, “And I want to know more about this mysterious god that is apparently content with being shorter than me and currently not going to the god that blessed me for this chisel rather than seeking out a mortal to do the job for me.”

“You're less expensive.”

“I reckon that’s a lie, but I’ll buy it anyway.” Sausage grins, “So? Drinks?”

He stares at him. “Do you know any good places?”

“Do I know any good places,” Sausage cuts himself off with a scoff, “Who do you take me for?”

“Someone that barely looks like he can legally drink.” Sausage laughs at that, pulling him off the entrance to the blacksmith, beginning their adventure down the street.

“Trust me, I know all the good places.”

--- --- ---

He doesn't remember the good places. At least not in incredible detail, waking up instead with a headache so painful that he thinks he sees stars, vision blacking out when he tries to sit up. He groans, and someone else groans in response, which might be the quickest way he’s ever sobered up, eyes flying open and finding someone else splayed out on the floor of his inn room, face down and barely moving.

“Hello?”

A muffled groan is his only response, and he leans further over the edge of his bed, balancing himself with his wings as he stares down at the person he’s slowly realising is Sausage.

He pokes him, lurching backwards as Sausage flails, sitting up and watching Sausage try and do the same. He groans again, almost falling straight back onto the floor, but he just barely manages to catch himself with his hands. Shame, it would have been funny if he did that.

“You good?” He asks, watching as Sausage slowly blinks his eyes open, squinting at him.

“No?” Sausage blinks again, “Do you have wings?” He asks, eyes widening.

He snaps his wings close to his back, leaning back with a laugh. “Wings?” He laughs again, “What makes you say that?”

“The wings you have on your back?” Sausage stands, stumbling slightly as he straightens up, still squinting at him. His headache has miraculously disappeared, adrenaline beginning to hum in his veins as he leans back a little further, still dressed in his clothes from yesterday. Which means he can cross…anything else off the list of potential ventures last night.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Calm down, Joel, gosh.” Sausage laughs, “I'm not gonna kill you or anything.”

“Fool me with the way you're looming over me right now.” He laughs as well, looking away, leaning back a little further as Sausage continues to loom. He sits down a moment later, rather abruptly, jostling the whole bed.

“Sorry.” He apologises, which he ignores. “Ugh,” Sausage cradles his head in his hands, which makes him rather glad for his headache disappearing, “My head is killing me, do you even remember anything?”

“Bits and pieces,” he shrugs, “Not much. You weren't kidding when you said you knew the good places.”

“Course I wasn't!” Sausage laughs, “Though I'm not sure where we are now.”

“My current room,” he spreads his hands out, “Welcome to my godly pantheon.”

“It’s a lot less grand than what I thought you’d settle for,” Sausage says, getting up and beginning to poke around the room. He almost tells him to stop, but finds he doesn't have the energy to do so, flopping backwards on the bed and ignoring the way it traps his wings beneath himself and how he’s definitely going to have to move in a minute unless he wants a cramp in his wing.

He hears Sausage stifle a laugh, and he sits up on his elbows to watch him poking around on the little desk in the corner, raising a hand to cover his mouth, turning to look at him. “Have you seen this?” He holds his sketchbook up, open to a specific page that’s covered in sketches and unreadable notes.

“No.” He leans forward, holding a hand out for the sketchbook, “Gimme.” Sausage hands it over without complaint, still grinning at him as he looks over the page. He recognises his own handwriting easily enough, notes pointing to the small statue of what looks like a young child, probably about five or six, stubby wings protruding from his back, similar to his own.

Someone else’s handwriting decorates the page, scribbled in the spaces between his own. It’s just barely readable, mostly chicken scratch he has to squint at and turn his head to read.

“Oh come on,” Sausage complains, “My writing isn't that bad.”

“Uh, yeah it is.” He puts the sketchbook at an arm’s length as though that’s going to help him read it any better. “It looks like a chicken got a hold of a pencil and tried to write with it.”

“I take offence at that.”

“You were meant to.” His own writing states that the statue’s name is Hermes. Weird name for a statue, he’s sure it’s a mortal name of some kind. He’s heard it somewhere before, at least. “Seems like we drunkenly sketched out my first project with your chisel.”

“You're actually going to make it?” Sausage asks, laughing slightly.

“Might as well.” He shrugs, “I try not to think of my drunken incidents as mistakes.”

“How many times have you told yourself that?” Sausage asks with a grin.

“Far too many to count.” He responds, with a matching grin of his own. Sausage is weird, definitely, way too confident around a god for a mortal, but it’s refreshing the way he speaks to him, not constantly praising him for simply existing.

The praise is nice and all, but it makes it rather hard to have a serious conversation with anyone.

“Guess I better get around to finishing that chisel then.”

--- --- ---

It’s ready five days later rather than four, Sausage having to take a day off for a migraine. It’s a lie that Eddie doesn't seem to buy, as he scrutinises him when he comes in to collect his chisel and hand over the remaining payment to them.

“Where are you off to next?” Sausage asks, pulling his attention away from Eddie and his glare. His wings are safely tucked beneath his cloak again, and neither of them have brought it up, meaning Sausage either forgot (unlikely) or he has more tact than he thought he did.

“I've heard stories about a new continent, one that’s recently been discovered. Or rediscovered, one of the two. I've been thinking of starting my own kingdom.”

“Your own kingdom?” Sausage asks, a laugh in his voice.

“Or an empire, I always thought empire sounded more fancy.”

“So you're heading there next? Settling down?”

“Yeah,” he nods, taking the chisel and tucking it away in his cloak, “West. A new continent awaits, with new adventures.” He deepens his voice slightly, and Sausage laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners.

“Good luck on your ventures, perhaps we shall meet paths again.” He bows to him, reminiscent of their first encounter, and he’s struck by the urge to reciprocate it, lowering himself slightly, though not as low as Sausage, having to physically remind himself to not stretch his wings out with the motion.

“Perhaps we shall. I wish good fortune upon you until then.” He knows they will likely never meet again, his own lifetime expanding so far beyond Sausage’s that his will be over in the blink of an eye.

--- --- ---

Stratos is a nice empire, one of the first on the continent, springing up before Dawn and Animalia can, overtaking the Goblands in gold momentarily until they regain their title and begin hoarding their gol, hiding it away in the depths of their caverns.

He doesn't understand how they can stand to live so walled in, his wings twitching slightly at the thought, shifting back and forth from where they're draped behind him. He adjusts them back to their previous resting spot, leaning forward and sticking his tongue out in concentration as he chips away at the face of Hermes.

It’s the last details that he’s putting on now, but he keeps the sketchbook set beside him, open to the page where his and Sausage’s notes overlap, messy in the way only drunken writing can be.

It’s still amusing to him, even a few years later, and he sometimes stops to wonder how the other man is getting along. He was sure he would have forgotten him by now, if it wasn't for the reminder carved into the handle of his chisel. He still doesn't quite understand the bravery of that mortal.

He has a collection of letters in a chest somewhere, each signed by the same person in that same horrendous handwriting. Apparently it wasn't even the drunkenness that made it that bad, his handwriting is just like that.

He feels a pulse of power from the fountain as he leans back from the statue, admiring the work he’s put into it. He stands, stepping around it slowly and eyeing all of the details that have come together so beautifully over the last few months.

He’s sure he could have done it quicker if he was able to dedicate his time to it in the same way he could before the start of Stratos, when the villagers in the town below didn't demand his attention at every turn. He’s subject to their every whim, even against his wishes as they yell up to his islands with their woes.

He brushes a hand over the carefully sculpted hair of Hermes, bringing his hand to rest atop it as he closes his eyes, focusing on his centre. Just a little bit of magic, something to just give it a little boost and finish off the last details.

He may hate his title as a god, but it brings many perks with it. He allows the energy to hum at his fingertips, restored to him when he managed to set up a Heart of his own. A beginning of a pantheon, if you will.

The fountain decides to give him a little rush of power then, and more of his magic spills over into the statue than he intended to. Where he was only going to give a drop, a mere taste of his power to smooth out the rough edges of the statue, so to speak, he now dumps an entire bucketful onto the statue, taking a hurried step back almost immediately afterwards.

He watches, staring at it as the statue glows a faint gold around the edges, pulsing with his magic. He watches, partially horrified and partially intrigued as the statue begins to breathe, fingers twitching as it turns its head towards him, eyes blinking once, then twice, as dust falls off the child, revealing blonde hair and bright purple eyes.

Whoops.

--- --- ---

He hits his axe into a tree again with a satisfying thunk, grumbling under his breath about the stupid villagers and how they don't actually do what they're meant to. Like get him resources when he asks them to. And they ask him for payment? As though simply living in his shadow isn't payment enough.

He also hopes Hermes hasn't knocked anything over again. He didn't like looking around for whatever Hermes had done when he refused to talk, standing in silence and looking incredibly guilty but refusing to tell him what’s wrong and letting him find it himself.

He’s told Hermes several times that he doesn't care if he breaks something, and he really does mean it, but the young god refuses to say anything every time he does something by accident.

He thinks the only accident that Hermes was proud of was when he managed to get into the shipment from Chromia and dye his hair purple. The ruler of Chromia had simply laughed at him when he flew over in a panic, blue hair flipping in a way that’s almost familiar, but he can't quite recall where the familiarity is from.

The tree finally topples with one last hit of his axe, crashing to the forest floor loudly. He steps towards it, pausing when something rustles in the bush behind him. He adjusts his grip on his axe, stiffening as he turns around and preparing to sink the axe head into the wandering’s zombie’s head.

Something stumbles out, but it looks significantly less green than a zombie as it looks up, though no less bloody. He gasps, dropping his axe as they meet eyes, uncaring of where it lands.

Sausage stares back at him, clothes bloody and torn, chest heaving for breath. One eye is squinted shut, blood leaking from an unknown gash on his face.

“Sausage?” He can't help the surprise that leaks into his voice, looking the other over in disbelief.

“Joel?” Sausage sounds equally surprised, though also relieved as he stumbles forward, limping heavily. He lurches, and he steps forward to steady him, pushing his shoulders back and making sure he doesn't just collapse.

“What happened to you?” He asks before he can help himself, looking his friend over and taking in the various injuries that seem to be afflicting him.

Sausage’s face crumples at his question, and he instantly feels guilty, pulling Sausage towards him for a hug. He hasn't hugged anyone outside of Hermes in decades, and it’s a little awkward, especially with the growing wet patch on his shoulder and the way Sausage seems to be shaking apart in his arms.

“They,” Sausage draws in a shuddering breath, “They took Eddie. I think they killed him.” Another sob crawls up his throat, shaking him. He breathes out, staring over Sausage’s shoulder and into the rest of the forest.

“Gods above Sausage.” He manages, “I'm so sorry.”

“I didn't know what to do,” Sausage says, voice shaking, “They were going to kill me next, and so I just- got on the next boat and left! Like a coward, and I left Eddie to die because I came looking for you.”

“If they were going to kill you too, then you did the right thing.” He says, hoping that it comes across as soothing rather than condescending, “I'm sure Eddie would have rathered you alive than both of you dead.” He didn't know Eddie all that well, so he actually has no clue what he would have rathered.

“That doesn't mean it was right.”

“But it means that you're still alive,” he leans back, carefully extracting himself from the hug but also making sure he doesn't immediately collapse, “I'm assuming this is why your letters stopped?”

“I'm sorry,” Sausage apologises, tears bubbling in the corners of his eyes again, “I haven't stopped in months, I've been running because they sent people after me and I haven't been able to sleep, or- or eat in peace, without worrying for my life in ages.” A tear trails down his cheek, “I’m so tired, Joel.”

“It’s fine.” He rubs a hand up and down Sausage’s arm, “What did you do to get that treatment though?”

“Eddie wasn't…human. And someone found out and told the King for a substantial reward. And I got lumped in with him for hiding a non-human.” He’s crying again, shaking, chest heaving for breath as he stifles sobs.

“I promise they can't get you here.” He says, “Stratos is the safest empire here, unless you can fly there’s no getting up there.”

“You actually made it?” Sausage wipes at his eyes, chest still hitching every now and again with sobs, blood still trailing down the side of his face. He’s sure the wound is going to scar.

“Of course!” He begins guiding Sausage away from the felled tree. He doesn't particularly care about it anymore, Sausage becoming his first priority. “I'm nothing if not a man of my word.”

“Oh wow.” Sausage stares at the islands as they come into view, just beyond the tree line. They cut a pretty impressive line on the horizon, honestly.

“Yeah,” he grins, “Just wait until you meet Hermes.”

“You made him?” Sausage turns to him, a grin on his face, “You actually made him?”

“I did a little more than that,” he admits. “I…might have brought him to life?”

“What?”

#juno.writes #red bandit au #im gonna make you guys like rb!joel goddamnit #smallishbeans #empires smp #empires smp fic #mythical sausage #mythicalsausage #empires sausage #empires joel #empiressmp #i also really like the title for this #i feel smart bc its the only one with capitalisation in the series #and its from joels pov lol

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minustwofingers · 1 year

Text

exoplanet p. 4.5

second half of exoplanet part 4!

pairing: ellie williams x reader

summary: you’ve won the life lottery as one of the few people on earth with parents who gained admittance to the most prestigous safezone in the world after the outbreak. but after a lab accident sends you out to jackson, wyoming, real life hits you fast. it’s a good thing that a hot lesbian finds u. (lol). mean ellie at first, slowburn, enemies to friends to lovers, fem reader asf

warnings: PLEASE READ! mentions of nsfw content (read at your own risk), violence, explicit language. also a lot of angst. ellie is still kind of a dick but not quite as much.

a/n: haha. isn’t it sooo funny how i said this would come out almost 12 hours later and then i posted it? i need to hit the hay early asf today if im to be frank w you guys so here it is now. i want to thank you all for the sweet and kind messages and comments i’ve been getting—they’ve been fuel for my writing!! also, i’ve got a better idea of how i want to end it now, so i’ve got a pretty good outline for what’s going to happen. expect around 3 more parts (one of which may or may not be an epilogue from ellie’s pov). as always thanks for reading!

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4.0 (first half of this part)

playlist inspired by exoplanet!!

wc: 6.5k

tags: @prettyplant0 @666findgod @sawaagyapong @rystarkov @buzzybuzzsposts @addisonnie @galacticstxrdust @parkersmyth @pinkazelma @ariianelle @lu002 @blairfox04 @sparkleswonderland @elliesflower

enjoy x

Dina’s sudden reappearance in your life was turning into one of the best things you had going on. When you were done with work, instead of loitering about Joel’s home and hoping to run into Ellie, you’d knock on Dina’s front door and spend your afternoons gossiping and trading stories.

She never asked so explicitly about Ellie again, but you could tell that occasionally she wanted to.

“Guess whose birthday it is this weekend?” asked Dina one day in late April. The Wyoming sun was hung high in the sky, and the weather was steadily becoming warmer. The temperature was stuck at a breezy 60, and a part of you wondered just how hot it would get over the summer.

Terranova rarely ever got over 70 degrees. Would it be hotter than that? Would you even be here to see it?

“Yours?” you guessed casually, pushing away the ever-present question of how long you’d really be in Jackson.

Dina snorted. “No. Not quite. You just missed mine, actually. I’m a December baby.”

“Jesse?”

“No.”

“Joel?”

“Nope.” Her mouth popped on the p.

Your heart thudded. “Uh—Ellie?”

Her face split into a wide grin. “Yes! It’s her 20th. Isn’t that crazy? She’s ancient.”

“Wow!” you said, coaxing faux enthusiasm into your voice.

You and her had kept seeing each other at night, long after Joel had turned in. It always proceeded like clockwork—she’d come knock at your door, you’d fall into her bed, and then you’d leave.

You’d thankfully avoided any of the embarrassing stuff that you’d done the second night—no more unnecessary sensual face touching and whispers of her being a good person. You wanted to, though. There was so much that you ached to tell her, so many words that threatened to spill from your lips that you just barely managed to keep at bay.

The worst part was the way that nothing had really changed between you two beyond what transpired every few evenings in her room. Each morning, you’d wake up knowing that you were in for another day of pretending like she didn’t know what it sounded like when you whined and begged and told her where to touch you. Like you didn’t know how her mouth tasted.

“I want to get her a present,” Dina was saying. “I do something for her every year, but I want this birthday to be a little different—given that she’s made it two decades and all, you know.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you.”

Dina’s eyes sparkled. “I know! Do you want to help? If you do, I’ll tell her it’s from you, too.”

“Actually,” you said, wheels in your head turning, “That would be amazing. I have no idea what I’d get her otherwise.”

“Great.” Dina leaned back, nabbing her backpack from the ground and fishing through it until she produced a map. She unfolded it and began gesturing over the marks. “I found an abandoned bookstore in this area outside of the wall.” She tapped on a dot that she’d made, situated a fair ways away from the wall and on the opposite side of the town as the dam.

“So we’re going shopping?”

Dina laughed. “Yeah. 5 finger discount, too. The only problem is that we might need to kill some baddies to qualify, but once we clear our way, it’s home free.”

“Right,” you said, fear creeping into your bones at the thought of having to fight off the infected. You’d only been on a few patrols since you’d been shot, and each had been totally unnoteworthy. You’d yet to actually shoot your gun at anything. “You—you do know that I’m not actually that good of a patrol partner, right?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Dina, waving her hand dismissively. “I can take care of us. Plus, we haven’t seen infected in this area for a while. This is a pretty remote area—tough to reach unless you know what you’re looking for.”

“So, when are we going?”

A glimmer appeared in her eye. “Now?”

“Where are you going?”

Ellie stood, her arms crossed as she leaned against the opposite wall. You were grabbing your patrol things, slinging your backpack over your shoulders and pulling on the gray sweatshirt she’d given you.

“Out with Dina,” you said, slightly breathless from moving so quickly. You hadn’t been expecting Ellie to be home—normally she was keeping herself busy picking up extra patrol shifts and helping Joel. It had been an unwelcome surprise to run into her, sour faced and serious while you were trying to get ready.

“Out where?”

You shrugged, trying your best to look nonchalant. “Dina said she wanted to show me something.”

She was silent as you finished lacing up your shoes, but you could see her watching you from the corner of your eyes.

“I’ll be back in time for tonight, if that’s what you’re worried about,” you offered snidely, hardly realizing what you’d said until it had left your lips. It had been a low blow. It had been nasty. You weren’t sure why you’d said it.

“That’s not—” She rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know.” You stood up, feeling deflated. “Sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”

Ellie sent you a tight smile. “It’s fine.”

You walked back to Dina’s feeling heavy. That was how most of your interactions with Ellie seemed to go nowadays—awkward, stiff, and remarkably unfriendly. You weren’t sure what changed. And she was still fucking you, which didn’t make much sense.

Sometimes it felt like she was distancing herself on purpose. But that had to be wrong, because why would she do that? You obviously liked her. She wasn’t the one at risk of being hurt.

You and Dina took off by foot as the sun began to set, well-armed with both weapons and navigational equipment. Well—Dina was, at least. All you had was the small gun Ellie had given you. Dina was doing all of the heavy lifting.

The forest was quiet, interrupted only occasionally by songbirds and the sound of wind rustling through the leaves. Spring had hit Jackson suddenly, the underbrush exploding in volume and flowers blooming everywhere.

As you two walked through the woods, chattering mindlessly and generally enjoying each other’s company, you made a mental reminder to return to the forest to pick up a makeshift bouquet of flowers. Ellie didn’t seem like the type to swoon over things like that, but even the most unromantic people could recognize the gesture of flowers. You were sure she’d at least put them in a vase.

Eventually the path Dina was leading you on opened up to a heavily overgrown street, a small decrepit strip mall hidden away in the shrubbery.

“Here!” said Dina cheerily. She jogged forward, scrubbing the moss off of the door to show a book icon on the filthy glass.

“And you said that there’s no infected here?” you asked, your fingers wrapped nervously around your gun.

“Of course I did,” said Dina. “Do you think I’d take you somewhere that was infested?”

The glass shattered as a body came crashing through the door, thrashing and clicking in a mass of bloody limbs as it took Dina to the ground.

Your finger squeezed the trigger before you could think, sending a spray of gore into the air as Dina forced the thing off of her and stood, panting.

There wasn’t even a chance to breathe. A piercing shriek cut through the air before three more followed the first, not paying any mind to the jagged edges of the broken door that grabbed at their mutilated skin.

“Fuck!” Dina’s knife went swinging through the air, slicing and jabbing at the creatures in front of you. They fell in quick succession, but there was more rustling and screaming from inside. Far too much rustling. “Run!”

She didn’t have to tell you twice. Despite the fact that you’d never been a track star in school, you bolted quicker than you’d even known possible. Your backpack banged against your back as you sprinted down the road, ducking into the brush and making a break for it with Dina right on your tail.

The walk there had taken close to 30 minutes. Your sprint cut that in over half. You and Dina ran in stride, with her lagging behind to send off a few shots to ground the runners that were quick enough to keep up. The clearing you appeared in all the way back in the winter flashed by you in a second, and within another few moments, you were both resting against the wall, chests heaving as you both picked off the stragglers that had come out of the forest to investigate.

By the time the last gunshot rang out and the final infected slumped to the ground, you were shaking uncontrollably, your gun vibrating in your hand.

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” said Dina, equally breathless though significantly more composed as you two walked through the entrance, getting concerned looks from the people who were manning the gate. “I’ve never seen so many in that store before. I don’t understand. It was clear the last time I went.”

Before you could respond, someone stepped into your eye line.

“What the fuck did you do,” seethed Ellie. Her eyes were wild, her lip curled in a manner so derisive you began to wonder if you’d ever actually seen her angry before this.

“Chill, Ellie,” said Dina. “Y/N and I were just going to try and pick something up for your birthday. There were…a few more than what I was expecting. But it’s fine. We handled them. She did great.”

Ellie looked at you then, and you could feel her taking you in. Her eyes rested with accusation at the way that your hands were trembling. “You’re so fucking stupid, Dina. You knew that she’s never done this before. What the fuck is wrong with you, taking her out like that?”

“It was clear the last time I was there!” Dina spoke with her hands, waving them through the air in emphasis.“There wasn’t supposed to be any. I don’t know what to tell you. I didn’t purposefully try to get us killed.”

Ellie sent her another scathing look before turning her attention to you. “And don’t even get me started with you.”

You blinked. “What?”

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” she snapped.

Dina sent you a wink and disappeared down the street in the direction of her house.

“I was thinking of your birthday, actually,” you said delicately. “We were going to get you something from the bookstore.”

“That is not an excuse to go get yourself killed!”

You held up your hands in mock surrender, which looked really stupid considering how hard you were still trembling. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t the original plan. Can we not do this right now? I’m still trying to, uh, process what happened.”

As if to punctuate your point, the next step you took nearly sent you to the ground, your knees wobbling.

Ellie’s hands were at your sides in an instant, solid and steadying against you as you regained your balance.

“Sorry,” you said again, lower this time.

“How many?” Ellie asked. Her voice was softer now, almost resigned. She hadn’t let go yet.

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “After the first three or four, I lost count. They just kept—” You winced at the memory of the wet sound that they made hitting the ground. “They just kept coming.”

“You did them a favor,” said Ellie, stepping back and to your side as you began to walk forward. Her hand stayed posed on your forearm. “It gets easier.”

“I don’t know if I want it to get easier,” you confessed.

“Well, how about you start by never doing something that fucking stupid again.” Her words lacked any venom. “Don’t you ever go out without me again, okay? Do you have any idea what could’ve happened to you?”

You gave your trembling hands a look. “I can take a guess.”

Ellie walked you back to Joel’s house, helping you out of your jacket and unsubtly checking your skin for bites. Or at least that’s what she said she was doing. She couldn’t seem to stop touching you.

You headed back up to your room to get changed as Ellie shut the front door and was off to finish her work with Tommy. As you leisurely made your way down the hallway, you noticed that something was off—the hallway closet was slightly ajar.

The memories of your first night there came floating back to you, images of Ellie shutting the door before you could see inside emerging to the forefront.

It wouldn’t hurt to look, would it? It was probably nothing.

Your hand wrapped tentatively around the handle, pulling the door open so slowly that the old, rusty hinge fell silent.

It wasn’t what you were expecting. It wasn’t what you were expecting at all.

It wasn’t really a closet—there were a few shelves, but no hangers. In their place, there were stacks of textbooks with old, dated covers of the stars, planets, and physics. The back wall was plastered with drawings of constellations and calculations in Ellie’s messy scrawl, reminiscent of the leftover scrap paper from when you sat your physics exams and did your problem sets.

The memory of Ellie staring at your textbook re-emerged to hit you with full force. No wonder she was interested in it. THIS is what she was going to say that she wanted to study when you’d asked her.

A slow smile crept onto your face as you thought about her upcoming birthday.

You knew what you were getting her now.

Preparing for Ellie’s surprise party was a full day’s worth of work. You and Dina had convinced Maria to give Ellie enough things to do that she’d stay out of the house for the majority of the afternoon. You felt kind of guilty that Ellie was being put to work on her birthday of all days, but Dina just shook her head.

“It’s Ellie,” she said. “She lives to act all macho and patrol and shit. This is probably an extra present to her.”

You two had located some flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and were hard at work baking a cake. It was tough going without a real recipe, but you’d grown up with a mother who loved baking, so you tried to do it from memory.

The result was a rather lopsided looking monstrosity that you and Dina had attempted to salvage through the liberal application of the thin icing you’d managed to whip up using milk and powdered sugar. It didn’t work, and you two didn’t wait long enough for the cake to cool before frosting it, so it melted in puddles and made the cake soggy.

“Fantastic work,” said Dina, wiping her hands on her front as you two surveyed the final product. “Really incredible, Y/N. You should really consider a career change.”

“Shut up,” you said, snorting. “Ellie’s gonna hate this.”

“She’s going to think it’s hilarious,” Dina corrected. “I’m sure it can’t taste too bad, right?”

You shivered. “Don’t say that.”

The decorations and gathering of presents were thankfully an easier challenge, and before you knew it Joel’s living room was fixed up to look obnoxious as possible, with a tacky “HAPP BIRTHDAE ELLIE” strung up in blood red reflective plastic (you two couldn’t find any Ys) above the fireplace. “Happy 5th Birthday!” balloons filled the ceiling, their gaudy purple color clashing horrifically with the red of the lettering.

“This is just awful, Dina,” you said. “Ellie’s never going to speak to us again.”

“You need to chill,” Dina responded. “She might act grumpy all of the time, but I know her, and I know she’ll secretly like this.”

7 rolled around quickly, and with it came the guests.

First was the unsurprising Jesse, grinning and carrying a satchel that had a makeshift card attached to the top labeled “Ellie”.

Next came Astrid, Bonnie, and Greg—all of the patrolmen that were roughly around your age. You hadn’t spent all that much time with them, but they’d always been fun.

Last came a girl you’d never seen before.

“Hi!” she said, extending a hand and looking at you through a fringe of choppy black hair.

“Hi!” you said, taking her hand and shaking it once. “I’m Y/N.”

“I know,” she said, her eyes crinkling. “I’m Cat.”

“I can’t believe you two haven’t met before,” said Dina, swooping in to stand beside you. There was something written on her face—something that looked kind of like worry.

“I can’t either!” you said good-naturedly. “How do you know Ellie?”

Dina cringed.

Cat just smiled wider. “Oh. Ellie and I go way back.”

“Cat, why don’t you go help me in the kitchen? I need to finish plating some stuff,” said Dina.

“Sure!” Cat sent you one more winning smile, following Dina with a bounce in her step.

Something felt deeply off about that interaction, but you couldn’t quite put a finger on what it was. You’d never seen Dina so eager to get you away from someone. Maybe it’d just been a coincidence?

You didn’t get a chance to dwell on it further, because Ellie was opening the door.

“Surprise!” Everyone in the living room yelled upon seeing her.

Ellie blanched, her eyes landing on you for a moment before she cast her gaze to the rest of the room. “What’s this?”

“Your birthday party,” said Dina, appearing from the kitchen with a plate of crackers and other appetizers, Cat in tow. “You didn’t think we were just going to let you turn 20 without embarrassing you just a little bit?”

“Those are the most hideous balloons I’ve ever seen,” said Ellie, crossing her arms.

“Thanks,” you said, beaming. “I picked them out myself.”

Much to your surprise, her lips lifted until she was smiling back. “You’re such a loser.”

“Okay!” said Dina, clearing her throat and stepping in between you two. “You two can flirt later. I’ve been slaving away in the kitchen for an entire day. Let’s eat.”

You shut your mouth, blushing uncontrollably as your eyes lifted. Ellie’s cheeks looked uncharacteristically pink and her eyes were fixed on your shoes.

Dinner went by quickly, with everyone trading odd stories about patrolling and their life before Jackson. You learned that Dina had actually been born in New Mexico and that Astrid was from Oregon. You heard all about how Jesse and Greg came across an old mall a few miles out of Jackson that was so full of infected that they could hear them scratching at the doors and clicking even before they were within eyesight of the building. You told some stories about your life in Terranova, about studying and your family.

“What the fuck is this?” asked Ellie once Dina had reappeared, carrying your sorry excuse of a birthday cake. Time had not treated it well. The first layer was almost entirely slid off, and the cake looked damp from the melted icing.

“It’s your birthday cake,” you said. “We, uh, tried. I don’t have a cake recipe memorized, and it was harder than I expected.”

The candles Dina attempted to stick into the cake kept falling out, the structural integrity so weakened from the melted frosting that chunks were coming off.

“Let’s just pretend that there’s 20 candles,” said Dina finally once the top layer of the cake finally split in half.

“Right,” said Ellie, snorting.

Dina led a very enthusiastic rendition of the Happy Birthday song that ended in cheers and hollers as Ellie dramatically lowered her head to the cake and pretended to blow the “candles” out.

No one touched the cake, but you couldn’t blame them.

Next came presents. Jesse went first, giving Ellie a satchel that held a bunch of cleaning equipment for her patrol rifles. Dina had found a t-shirt that said “Enemy of the State” in goofy comic sans lettering, and Ellie was unsuccessful in holding back her giggles at seeing it.

“Dina, this is so stupid,” she said, but there was no venom in her tone, just amusement.

It was your turn next, so you leaned across the table to place the small box in front of her.

“Please tell me you didn’t almost die getting this one,” said Ellie, giving you a suspicious look.

“Not at all,” you said. “I accidentally brought it from Terranova.”

Her nimble fingers untied the flimsy ribbon you’d haphazardly wrapped around the tiny brown box, lifting the lid off and peering inside.

“It’s a…rock?” Ellie frowned, pulling it out and holding it in her hand.

“You got her a rock for her birthday?” Cat asked you from her position to your right, her eyebrows raised.

“It’s not just a rock,” you said. “It’s a moon rock. Like, from the moon.”

Ellie froze, her eyes saucers as she stared at the rock balanced in her palm. “What?”

“I told you I studied astrophysics,” you said casually. “One of my professors let me borrow it because my research supervisor wanted to take a look at it, so it was in my bag. And I never had the chance to give it to him, obviously. So it’s yours now.”

“Holy fuck.” She turned in over, her fingers running across the surface. “This is…wow. Oh my god.”

“That’s so cool, dude,” Jesse said. “Like, insane. I didn’t even know that those were a thing.”

“There’s only a couple in the world,” you added. “And even fewer that are still reachable. The rest are…well, out here somewhere. Terranova only has a few from our own expeditions and the professors who managed to grab what they had when they moved.”

“This one’s from me,” said Cat, leaning forward and placing an envelope in front of Ellie. “It’s not as cool as a moon rock, but I thought you’d like it.”

Her fingers slid under the tongue of the envelope, ripping it open and pulling a piece of paper out.

“Good for one more free tattoo,” Ellie read out.

Cat sat back, looking awfully pleased with herself.

“Cat was the one who gave Ellie the one on her arm,” Dina explained to you.

A memory pricked at your consciousness, dating back to your first patrol with Ellie.

An ex had given her the tattoo on her arm.

The girl who had given her tattoo was Cat.

Cat was her ex.

That makes so much sense you realized with horror as you remembered how Cat had told you so confidently that she and Ellie went way back. Of course they did. They used to date.

“Where’d you go?” asked Dina, bumping your shoulder.

“Sorry,” you said, rubbing the bridge of your nose. “Just, uh, tired.”

When you looked up, Ellie’s eyes were on you, her lips slightly quirked.

You looked away, instead focusing on the placemats that Dina had set out. Cat was so different from you—so peppy, so confident, so loud. No wonder Ellie didn’t want anything more than what you had now. Whatever Ellie had seen in Cat had nothing to do with you.

The night ended with you all sitting on the couches in the living room with Dina mixing drinks so strong that you were wondering if she was trying to kill you.

“Jesus Christ, Dina,” you said as you watched her pour. “What is that? 90 percent vodka?”

“I prefer to call it efficient,” Dina corrected.

It burned going down your throat and you fought back a cough as you placed your glass back on the coffee table. Ellie was right next to you, her thigh barely brushing against yours as you moved.

Cat was on the other side of the room, seated next to Jesse and Astrid. You were internally very proud that Ellie had chosen to sit next to you instead. Her arm rested on the back of the couch behind you, and even though it couldn’t have meant all that much, you couldn’t help but wonder if it at least meant something.

You were just halfway through your cup by the time you started to feel really and properly sloshed. Your voice sounded tinny in your ears, and from the way that Ellie was laughing at anything anyone said, you had a sneaking suspicion that she was somewhere around where you were.

It wasn’t long before everyone had excused themselves and wished Ellie a final happy birthday—it was getting late and quite a few had early shifts the next day.

Dina was the last to go, saying goodbye and sending you another look as she pointedly stared at the arm rested behind you.

For a few minutes, you and Ellie just sat in silence, hearing the fire crackle and the sound of her softly breathing.

Then she spoke.

“How did you know that I’d like the moon rock?”

“Oh.” You blushed. “Don’t be mad. You left the closet door open the other day—you know, the one with all your space textbooks and everything. It was an educated guess.”

“So nosy,” she tutted.

“But you do like the rock?”

She smiled. “Yes. Thank you.”

You reached forward and polished off the rest of the drink that Dina had made you, feeling the liquid fire slide down your throat and settle in your stomach.

When you turned back, you could see Ellie staring at you, her auburn hair glowing in the firelight, her pupils blown wide, and her eyes slightly unfocused. She’d had more than one of the drinks that Dina had made, and it was really showing.

“You’re so pretty.”

You froze. Out of all the things you expected her to say, that was nowhere on the list. The words had left Ellie’s lips like a compulsion, raw and honest.

She hadn’t stopped looking at you, but her eyes were wider, her cheeks red. She hadn’t meant to say it, you realized. Now she was embarrassed and flustered, and it was all because of you.

It was the boldness of being tipsy that made you move towards her, pulling your legs up until you were seated on your knees in front of her.

Ellie didn’t move apart from wetting her lips, her eyes darting from your eyes to your mouth.

When you kissed her, she melted into you. The arm that had been draped over the couch behind you dropped to your back, your own hands sliding into her hair and tightening at the back of her neck.

She gasped as she felt your nails scrape against her, and you took the opportunity to lick into her open mouth, tasting the vodka on her tongue as it slid against yours.

To your surprise, her hands didn’t creep up your shirt or dip below the waist of your pants. They stayed static, one glommed onto your back while the other clutched your jaw as she let you kiss her, over and over again.

You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but there was something about it that felt different than your usual nighttime meetups. It felt more—vulnerable, almost, that Ellie was kissing you just to kiss you, not with some other agenda.

The grandfather clock chimed, indicating that it was almost midnight. You pulled away from her for a second, panting as you caught your breath. A string of saliva suspended between your lips, snapping as you waved a hand through it and flushed.

“Sorry,” you whispered.

She just smiled.

“Is Joel going to be back soon?”

As if to punctuate your point, the front door banged open, the man in question pulling his jacket off and turning to see you both. You’d thankfully managed to get off her lap before he saw.

“Oh!” he said, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. “I wasn’t expecting you two to still be awake.”

“Uh, yeah,” said Ellie, scratching the back of her neck. “We’ve just been…talking.”

“Good party?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m glad. Tommy and Maria wish you a happy birthday, by the way. Though I’m sure you knew that.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Well,” said Joel, giving a sigh that only old men could recreate, “I’m off to bed. You two don’t stay up too late, huh? You’ve still got work tomorrow.”

“Goodnight,” you two chorused.

Once Joel had disappeared into his room, you turned to look at her.

“That was close.”

“Yeah.” Ellie laughed nervously, picking at her cuticles. “Um—do you want to move somewhere else?”

Something deep in your chest ached. Sure, you’d be okay with spending another hour or so feeling her hands on you as she made you finish, but a part of you had really liked just touching her for the sake of touching her—kissing her just because you could.

“Sure,” you said. “Just give me a chance to change.”

When you knocked after switching into more comfortable clothes, the door swung open to reveal a significantly more nervous looking Ellie than you’d seen in a while.

“Hi,” you said shyly.

“Hi.”

You stepped into her, pressing a tentative kiss to the corner of her mouth. When she didn’t react, you pulled back.

“Is everything okay?”

“Do you want to stay over?” Ellie blurted out, her eyes wide and afraid.

You balked. “Uh, what?”

“You don’t have to,” she said, her eyes dropping to the ground. “I’m sorry. I know we’re not like that. I just thought that—maybe, I dunno, just this once—”

“Yes,” you interrupted. “Please. I’d really like that.”

“Right. Good. Okay.” She took a deep breath, then laced her fingers through yours to lead you to her bed.

When your mouth found hers again, it was just like on the couch—no intentionally rough or overtly sexual touches, just gentle brushes against your skin and the weight of fingers tangled in your hair as she pulled you further into her.

For the first time since you confessed, you didn’t sleep together. When you two finally tired out, you flopping down on the pillow first, Ellie’s head came to rest on the expanse of skin between your shoulder and your neck, your arms coming around her.

It was strange. For someone so deadly and tough, Ellie suddenly looked so small and fragile curled against you, the rise and fall of her chest synchronized with your breathing.

“I’m sorry Cat was invited,” Ellie said, her voice muffled from where her face was pressed into your neck.

“What do you mean?”

“I should have told you what her name was. That must’ve been a nasty surprise.”

Her foresight and understanding made your heart ache, deeply. How was it that she could say all these things but not want anything more with you?

“It was alright,” you said. There was no conviction in your tone. “I wouldn’t have expected you to tell me.”

Ellie was silent for a few beats. You knew she was thinking, though; you could feel the flutter of her lashes against you as she blinked.

“How long do you think it’ll take for you to forget me?”

You paused. “What? What do you mean?”

Ellie shifted against you, one of her arms draped over your chest. “I mean, when you go back.”

“Ellie,” you chided, bringing your hand up so you could run your fingers through her hair. “Don’t be ridiculous. As if I’d ever just leave you behind. If I go back there, I’m finding some way to bring you with me. So, no. That’s not even a valid question. I’m never forgetting you.”

In truth, you hadn’t even begun to consider what you’d do if—when—you were found. You’d been so focused on trying to fit into your new life here that your past had largely just faded into the back, shrinking in the horizon. What you did know, at least, was that even in some dystopian future without Ellie, she’d never be off of your mind.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I’m not,” you replied, tapping her shoulder. “I mean it. You’re stuck with me.”

Her diaphragm vibrated as she let out a short laugh. “Oh, the horrors.”

She fell silent as you kept threading your fingers through her hair, letting your nails scrape against her scalp. The hand that wasn’t draped over your chest had crept up, her thumb rubbing back and forth as she traced the outline of your jaw.

“I’m sorry,” she said suddenly. “I can be such a sad drunk sometimes. It’s pathetic.”

“It’s okay,” you soothed, your other hand lightly dancing up and down her back. “I think it’s sweet.”

She snorted. “You would.”

Then, after a few more seconds of silence: “You really weren’t jealous?”

“I never said that.”

“So she did make you jealous?”

You flicked her shoulder. “Fuck off. Of course she did. Happy?”

“Thrilled.”

A few moments later, she spoke up again.

“Can you promise me something?” Her voice was deceptively casual.

“Anything.” You’d give her anything she wanted.

“Promise me that you’ll take the first opportunity to go home,” she said softly. “Promise you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I’ll take the first opportunity to go home as long as I get to have you around, too.”

You couldn’t see it, but you knew she was rolling her eyes. “Not good enough.”

“You want me to leave that badly?” You weren’t sure if you should be hurt.

“Of course not,” she responded. “I just...I don’t expect you to wait around here for me. I don’t want you to. I want you to be safe.”

“I feel safe with you.”

“Will you just—fucking—say you’ll go?” Her voice sounded raw, tired.

“Fine,” you said. “I promise.”

Your words were empty. You couldn’t promise her that. She had to know that. But would it matter? If you never had to make that choice?

In retrospect, you weren’t sure when you drifted off. All you remembered was the warmth of Ellie gathered up in your arms, her measured breath blowing across your exposed neck as you felt the slow, marching rhythm of her heart.

When you awoke to the early morning sunbeams streaming in through the window and warming your face, Ellie was passed out cold on top of you. A few unruly strands of her auburn hair had ruffled upwards overnight, sticking to your cheek and threatening the seams of your lips.

You’d never been happier.

As you thought, running your hand gently up and down the length of her spine, Ellie’s breath hitched.

You froze, thinking you must have woken her.

Then she made a quiet snort. She took another deep breath in, whistling as it went. Her next exhale was louder and caught in her nose.

You did your best not to laugh enough to wake her.

Ellie snored, even though she wasn’t that loud. The part of you that was still intimidated by her was shrinking by the minute. If only you had known in the beginning that after a long day of bullying you she went back to her room to honk shoo the night away, you never would’ve let it bother you.

She jolted awake, blinking rapidly as she pulled away and looked up at you.

“What the fuck are you laughing about?” she said groggily. “It’s—” She twisted in your arms, squinting at her desk. “It’s 6 in the fucking morning. Shut up.” With that, she flopped back down on top of you, laying one arm over your torso so she could shove it the space under the pillow beside your head.

“You shut up,” you heard yourself say.

Ellie smacked your shoulder, not even bothering to lift her head.

“You snore,” you said, quieter this time.

“I don’t.”

“You literally do. I was there when it happened.”

She was silent for a few moments. “Really?”

You pressed your lips to her forehead instead as you trembled from the laugh you were doing your best to rein in.

“Oh, god,” groaned Ellie. “That’s so embarrassing.”

“I thought it was cute.”

“You think everything I do is cute.”

“And what about it?”

You settled back in, wrapping your arms around Ellie as you tried to drift back off.

“Do you hear that?”

Her voice was whispered.

“Hear what?”

“That sound.”

You let go of her and sat up, your eyes unfocused as you tried your best to tune into whatever Ellie was talking about. Out of the corner of your vision you could see her staring at you with big, nervous eyes.

It took you a moment to notice it. No one could blame you, really. It was hardly a rarity to hear the sound of a plane when you grew up in Terranova.

“That’s a plane, Ellie,” you said, reaching out to cup her face. “It’s fine.”

“A plane?” She frowned, still blinking bleariness out of her eyes. “I’ve never heard one before. Joel told me that they stopped being used after the government officially fell.”

“That’s not true,” you corrected. “There’s some in—”

A puzzle piece clicked into place, and with it came a sense of underlying dread. But you shouldn’t be dreading it. It’s what you were hoping for after all, weren’t you? What you’d been praying for since you’d arrived?

“Let’s go outside and look,” you said, nudging her side. “I’m sure it’s nothing.” You were hoping it was nothing.

Ellie followed you, pulling a throw blanket from her bed and draping it around her shoulders like a cape. She looked so cute like that. You wanted to bite her. Not, like, in a weird blood kink way. Just in a…you didn’t know how to describe it. Better leave it there.

A lump formed in your throat.

Maybe you were wrong. Maybe this had nothing to do with you.

The air was tepid and pleasant against your bare skin as you two quietly opened the front door and crept onto the porch. The town was quiet. No one was awake at this hour, not unless they were down by the stables or doing night watch.

There was a sliver of pink and orange hanging over the tops of the mountains, no doubt remnants of what had been a spectacular sunrise. There were still snowy caps on the highest peaks. You hadn’t known that mountains could stay so cold for so long until you’d come to Jackson.

The lump in your throat grew larger.

“Shit,” said Ellie, leaping down from the porch and onto the road. “Do you see this?”

The plane was no longer in sight, but the swirling papers that hadn’t been on the road the night before were left as evidence.

“They must’ve dropped them,” said Ellie excitedly, snatching one from the ground and bounding back up the steps so she was next to you. “What do you think this says?”

You smiled sadly. “Why don’t you read it?”

She unfolded the envelope, ripping open the top and dumping the contents out in her hand.

“Oh.”

It was a picture of you. It’d been taken months prior at your family’s Christmas party. You’d worn glittery silver eyeliner and curled your hair. The upper half of your body was in view, clad in a rich red fabric that landed right below your collarbones. A string of creamy white pearls were clasped around your neck, matching the teardrop pearls that hung delicately from your ears.

HAVE YOU SEEN HER?

There was no other text, but you did notice a divet at the top right corner in the shape of a small oval.

Terranovan security. Of course.

Wordlessly, you pressed your thumb into the mold, holding it there for a second as the parchment recorded your print.

Then a paragraph formed at the bottom, ink slowly leaking into the paper.

COME TO THE COORDINATES LISTED BELOW AT EXACTLY NOON, MAY 15TH. A LIFT WILL BE WAITING TO ESCORT YOU.

You’d been found.

final a/n: sorry not sorry this was the original cliffhanger that i was planning for part 4 all along. you guys are incredible for still sticking around and reading even though this is getting lengthy as hell. anyway i hope you guys enjoyed this sort of different side of ellie before we reach the final act. the plot is abt to reach its peak and i’m hellaaa excited to share it with you. okok let me know what you think! it might take me around the same time it took me to finish part 4 to get part 5 out considering how sick i am/how much i have on my plate, but i promise it’s coming :))

#ellie williams x reader #ellie williams imagine #ellie williams self insert #ellie williams x you #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams x oc

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theactualclrofblue · 3 months

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Just some random doodles, mostly designing Tango

ALSO SMALL RANTS:

Beards: okay but like I’m trying to make them all look older (cuz I’ve seen a lot of stuff saying how people should draw them older 😭) so I resorted to giving the guys who have beards irl, beards. Turns out THEY ALL HAVE BEARDS BUT IT DOESNT WORK FOR SOME OF MY DESIGNS?? Like tried giving Grian one, NOPE. But for like Joel and Jimmy, IT JUST MAKES SENSE. Joel without stubble is odd to me (no hate to the designs lol). It hurts for trying to change up my designs cuz I draw beards (stubble really) the same.

Ranchers: I don’t know much abt them but they’re adorable as hell from what I’ve seen. I’m gonna eventually watch all of Tangos POV and finish Jimmys. Working on it tho..

Jimmys design: idk, he just turns out like a butch lesbian and it’s so funny to me when he’s like the straightest guy ever. And his designs are always really straight looking even if he’s shipped with every guy lmao

anyway working on something big with Grian rn 🫶

#trafficblr #art #life series #double life #ranchers duo #tangotek #jimmy solidarity #impulsesv #goodtimeswithscar #limited life #3rd life

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finnsbubblegum · 1 year

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Second Chance (Joel Miller x Reader)

Pairing: post-outbreak!joel miller x f!reader

Warnings: I choose not to use warnings to avoid spoilers.

Summary (Series): You were popular in Jackson but you have been single your whole life. Despite many men flirting with you, you have never found your ideal type. Until one day, you saw Joel and you fell in love at first sight. But he felt insecure.

Summary: Pov: Joel being the best husband in the world.

Words count: 2.5k

A/N: This is part 8 (last one) for I Don’t Deserve You series. But it can also be read as a standalone. I’ve been having baby fever lately, that's why I’m writing about pregnancy lol. If you don’t like it, I’m sorry. But I swear it's just fluff, hope you like it!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

You had been trying to move to both of your sides but you couldn’t find a comfortable sleeping position. You knew Joel must be tired from working so you didn’t want to disturb Joel’s sleep.

You sighed as you got up and walked to the living room.

“Can you let me sleep, please?” You rested your hand on your belly talking to your baby who had been kicking you the whole night.

“Please.” You begged as your baby kicked you again.

You tried to lay down on the sofa and you still felt uncomfortable. You wanted to lay on your stomach but you couldn’t. You were tired and you just wanted to sleep. You couldn’t hold it so you cried. It was probably 3AM and you were sitting on the sofa alone, sobbing in the dark.

“Baby?” You heard Joel walking down the stairs.

You turned your head to look at him. Your eyes were red and your face was wet with tears.

“Why are you not in the bed with me?” He came closer to you.

“Are you crying? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” He cupped your cheeks.

You shook your head.

“What’s wrong baby?” He rubbed your back in circles.

“I can’t sleep.” You wiped your tears on your cheek.

Joel stroked your hair. He was feeling helpless because he couldn’t do anything to help you.

“The baby keeps kicking me and waking me up. It’s so uncomfortable. And I miss sleeping on my stomach.” You cried.

“I’m sorry, baby. Hey there, be good to your mama.” Joel poked your belly with his index finger and moved his head closer to your belly and talked to his baby. It’s the least thing he could think of to help you feel better.

“I think they listen to you.” You didn’t know your baby’s gender so you called your baby they.

“Thank you.” You kissed Joel.

“Come to bed with me?” Joel held your hands and you nodded.

The sun was rising and Joel groaned. He turned to look at you and rested his hand on your thigh stroking it up and down. You didn’t really sleep well but you smiled at him. You were thankful to have him beside you.

“Morning.” Joel leaned in to kiss you.

“Morning.” You stroked his head trying to fix his messy morning hair.

You started your day as usual by having breakfast with your family, Joel and Ellie.

“I’m going to school. See you!” Ellie put on her backpack and was ready to go out.

“Have a great day, kiddo.” Joel pat Ellie’s head. Ellie gave him a side eye.

“Have a great day at school, Ellie.” You smiled and rubbed your belly.

“You’re going somewhere?” Joel put on his jacket as you tried to wear your shoes.

“I’m meeting Maria.” You struggled wearing your shoes. You couldn’t tie your shoes because of how big your belly was.

“Girl’s day out?” Joel crouched to help you tie your shoes.

“Uh-huh.”

“Done.” He groaned as he stood back. You could hear a crack from his knee.

“Thank you, darling.” You smiled and kissed his cheek.

“Anything for you.” He kissed your lips and went to work.

You went home after your day with Maria and heard Joel’s groan and a loud thud.

“Joel?” You walked slowly upstairs.

“What are you doing?” You saw Joel was placing a bed on your bed.

“Got this for you.” He wiped his sweat on his forehead.

“A new bed?” You were confused.

“Yeah. You told me you missed sleeping on your stomach. Thought this might work.” He put his hands on his waist proud of his invention.

You wondered what was so special about the bed than a normal bed so you step closer to look. It was a bed with a hole the size of your stomach in the middle.

“Did you make this by yourself?” You laughed.

“Uh-huh. I’m smart, ain’t I?” He put on a proud face.

“It’s brilliant.” You let out a tear from your eyes and hugged him.

“Hop on. Why don’t you try it? See if it works?”

You hopped on the bed which was slightly higher so Joel helped you. You slowly laid down on your stomach and put your belly right in the hole.

“Hmm.” You rested your head on the bed.

“I missed this feeling.” You closed your eyes.

“It fits.” Joel threw a fist in the air.

“Thank you, baby. You’re the best husband in the world.” You gestured Joel to come closer and you gave him a kiss.

“Anytime.” He smiled.

“By the way, Sam’s having a birthday party at the bar tomorrow night. They’re inviting us. Do you want to come?” You asked Joel.

“Will Tommy come?” Joel would go if his brother goes.

“I think so. As far as I know, Maria told me she’ll go.” You shrugged.

“Alright, I’ll go. But me and Tommy will be working a bit late tomorrow.”

“That’s fine. I can go there with Maria and we can meet at the bar.”

At the bar

“It’s them!” You pointed as you saw Joel’s and Tommy’s figure.

“Here!” You and Maria waved your hand.

“Hey, baby.” Tommy kissed Maria.

“Did you wait long?” Joel rubbed your belly.

“Pretty long.” You smirked.

“Sorry.” Joel kissed you.

The waitress came and offered drinks. You forgot you were pregnant for a second and instinctively grabbed a glass of alcohol.

“Nuh-uh, you’re not drinking alcohol, mama.” Joel snatched the glass you were holding.

“Oh! Right! Forgot I’m pregnant for a second.” You covered your face in embarrassment.

Everybody laughed.

“Let’s go to Sam and say happy birthday.” You held Joel’s hand.

“Sam! Happy birthday you birthday boy!” You hugged him.

“Thank you! You’re really big!” His eyes widened as he saw your belly.

“Few more weeks to go.” You laughed.

You, Joel and Sam had a chat for a while then Sam went to talk with his other friends.

“Shit! Joel..” You squeezed Joel’s wrist.

He quickly turned his head to the direction where you were looking. It was Josh. He was walking towards you and Joel and you had eye contact with him. You hadn’t seen him for a long long time and suddenly he showed up now. He looked different from the last time you saw him. He looked awful, his eyes had dark circles, hair and facial hair was messy. You were trembling. You were scared of him. Especially since you were carrying Joel’s baby now. You didn’t want to risk your baby’s life for a mere psycho.

“Let’s get out of here, baby.” Joel dragged you but you froze.

“Baby..It’s okay. I’m here. He’s not gonna hurt you.” Joel cupped your cheeks.

Josh was walking closer to you. You saw his pace was faster or was it just your imagination?

“It should have been mine!” Josh shouted as he stabbed a knife towards your belly.

You gasped as you tried to stop him from stabbing your belly. You were in pain grasping the knife with both of your hands. Blood was dripping to the floor. Joel turned to Josh and he tackled him. Joel was too late to stop him from stabbing you. Everyone’s eyes were now at you. Tommy and Maria ran towards you.

“Are you okay?” Maria saw your bleeding hands.

You were in shock. You couldn’t feel whether the blood was from your hands or your belly. You didn’t dare to look down because you were too scared to see. What if the knife got in your belly? What if you had to lose your baby? You couldn’t live with that.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It didn’t get to your baby. You stopped it. But you need to get your hands fixed.” Maria assured you as she covered your hands with a cloth.

You closed your eyes, tears streaming down your cheeks, and you exhaled. You slowly looked down and saw that your baby was okay.

Meanwhile, Joel was hitting Josh over and over like he was a punching bag. He didn’t care about the fact that almost the whole town was staring at him. He was too wrathful to let someone hurt his wife and baby. The people he loved the most.

“Joel! Stop it!” Tommy tried to stop him but Joel fought him.

Josh’s face was already red with blood. You couldn’t even recognize his face. He was already unconscious and laying on the floor but Joel kept punching him.

“Joel, baby, please..” You cried.

Joel stopped and glanced at you. His eyes were full of anger.

“Will you take me home, please?” You begged.

“Get her home, Joel. I got this.” Tommy held Joel’s shoulder.

“I’m not done with him, Tommy.” He growled as he stood up.

“Got it.” Tommy nodded.

“You okay, baby?” He put his hands on your shoulder.

“I stopped it with my hands. I’m okay.”

“Let’s go home.” He put his arms around you and walked home.

“Wait here.” Joel sat you on the bed while he prepared a warm bath for you.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” He held both of your upper arms and guided you to the bathroom.

Joel held your arm as you slowly hopped in the bathtub filled with warm water.

“Will you hold me?” You sat in the bathtub and asked him to join you.

He nodded and took off his clothes. Then he joined you in the bathtub sitting behind you. After he settled in a comfortable position, he pulled you to his chest and let you rest on his chest.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.” He apologized as he raised your wounded hand and looked at it.

“It’s fine. You did your best. He didn’t hurt our baby. That’s all that matters.”

Joel kissed your shoulder. You hissed when he rinsed your hands to the water to clean it. He helped you bathe with his palm pouring water to your body. Slowly and passionately. You went to bed with Joel after the bath and got your wound fixed.

The next day you went to the council as a victim of murder attempt. Apparently, Tommy put Josh on trial with the council. Everyone witnessed what happened so he was given punishment immediately. The town agreed to banish Josh outside Jackson. You finally felt safe now. On the other side, Joel was angry at Tommy. What he meant was for Tommy to keep Josh himself so Joel could torture Josh or even kill him himself. But Tommy knew what Joel would do so he decided to send Josh to the council.

“Baby, he’s gone now. There’s nothing to be worried about.” You rubbed Joel’s back.

“But he’s still out there alive. I should’ve killed him. Goddamn it, Tommy.” He clenched his fist.

“Come here.” You gave him a tight hug until he calmed down.

The next few weeks were spent at your house crocheting. Joel and Ellie spent more time at home. They wanted to make sure you were doing okay since what happened at the bar. Joel and Ellie loved you so much that your safety was their priority.

You groaned as you felt pain on your back and lower abdomen. You sat on the bed and tried to massage your back. You felt wet under you so you flipped open the blanket. The bed was drenched.

“Joel..Joel..” You panicked as you tried to wake Joel.

“Joel! Wake up! My water broke!” You shouted.

“Huh? What? What’s wrong, baby?” Joel was still half asleep.

“The baby is co-” You groaned at the pain shooting at your back.

“Fuck! Okay, just breathe baby. Everything is gonna be fine.” He saw the bed was soaked and rubbed your back helping to ease the pain.

“I’ll be back.” Joel got off from the bed.

“Don’t fucking leave me.” You were panting.

“Okay, okay.” He went back to sit on the edge of the bed beside you.

“Ellie! Ellie! Come here!” He shouted to wake Ellie up.

“Ellie! Goddamn it! Hurry the fuck up! Come here!” Joel was panicking as he tried to soothe you by rubbing your back. You were wincing in pain.

“What the fuck?” Ellie opened the door.

“Holy shit! Are you okay?” Ellie saw you grimaced.

“Get Maria and call the midwife here! Hurry!” Joel told Ellie and Ellie ran as fast as she could.

Joel guided your breath and helped you feel comfortable throughout your labors. Ellie came with Maria and the midwife and she stayed there to comfort you. Joel sat behind you and you rested your head on his chest.

“I feel like pushing.” You told your midwife as you tried to breathe.

You started pushing and the pain hit you like hell. You groaned, screamed and cried in pain.

“I can’t. I can’t. Please, it hurts. Joel, please, make it stop.” You cried as you squeezed Joel’s arms that were hugging you on your chest.

Joel wanted to cry. He couldn’t see you suffering in pain. But he should stay strong. He should be your rock so he kept telling you encouraging words and supporting you. He wanted to be as much help as he could.

Your midwife guided you to push until you were crowning. You took short breaths and blew them out through your mouth. Joel did the same to guide your breaths.

“It’s a girl. Congratulations!” Your midwife held your baby and put her on your chest.

“You did amazing, baby. I’m proud of you.” Joel tucked your wet hair to your ear and kissed your temple.

“She has your nose. She’s beautiful.” You looked at Joel as tears fell down to your cheeks.

Joel cut the cord and then your midwife and Maria helped you get cleaned up. Joel and Ellie couldn’t take their eyes off the baby as you were getting ready to breastfeed. Joel carried the baby and gently put her to your arms so you could breastfeed her.

“You look so beautiful.” He kissed your forehead.

The next few days, Joel let you rest. He didn’t let you do much work besides breastfeeding. He insisted on doing most of the baby work and he just wanted you to recover well.

“I’ll get her.” You heard the baby cry when you were eating dinner.

“Let me do it.” Joel stood up from his chair.

“No, no. You’ve been doing it for the past few days. Let me.” You stopped him. He sat back.

“Shh.Shh..” You cradled your baby in the dining room.

The baby kept crying even though she was already fed and her diaper was already changed. You kept cradling her that you forgot to eat your dinner.

“You need to eat.” Joel shoved a spoonful to your mouth.

“Thank you.” You opened your mouth and munched.

“Baby..” Joel called you.

“Hmm?” You looked at him with tired eyes.

“I haven’t told you this but thank you for giving me a second chance to be a father and a husband. I have two beautiful daughters now. A perfect wife. I swear on my life to keep my girls safe.” His eyes were watery as he put his arms around you.

“I’m sure Sarah is proud of you up there.” You leaned in to give him a kiss.

“I love you so much it hurts.” He kissed you back.

“I love you, too.”

And they lived happily ever after. (Let’s pretend the golf scene doesn’t exist)

The End

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Taglist:

@nyotamalfoy @stevengmybeloved @happinessinthebeing @angelicbbsblog @aheadfullofsteverogers @mxtokko @bebe07011 @brockl33 @sarahhxx03

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cassberry · 6 months

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(Looking to watch 3rd Life, Last Life or Double Life? Here you go!)

If you are looking for a guide of some Limited Life episodes to catch up on for no particular reason at all (certainly not a new season being around the corner), I've got you covered!

Now I'm not going to lie, trying to curate this list for Limited Life broke me. The mechanics of this season meant that you gained time by killing other players and in doing so it felt like 50 things were happening all at once constantly across the server. As such I haven't been able to get absolutely everything onto this list, but I did try my best to get all the important events and a wide range of perspectives!

WARNING: Incredibly long read more where I go over why I picked certain POV's and what to expect. I do so love to ramble. Spoilers ahead!

SESSION ONE

Skizz - Breaking from tradition from recommending Grian first because you need to watch Skizz's POV first out of everyone unspoiled. The way things unraveled this episode felt like a sitcom in the best and worst ways lol

Grian - Just a good solid first episode honestly and with the start of the Bad Boys™ how can you not love it.

Scar - I really have no words for whatever is the dynamic of the Clockers because you really just have to see it to understand. It’s a fun episode and as Scar, Cleo and Bdubs have set up near spawn, you always get to see something interesting.

Big B - Big B’s episodes are always a treat as he does super long ones that give you a little more insight into what's happening on the server, rather than just the big events. But if you wanted something specific to watch, his last 10 minutes of this episode were a blast.

SESSION TWO

Joel - Bad Boys Bread Bridge was both the most amazing and ugliest build on the server and I’m so glad it was made. Also Joel gets some amazing kills this episode that are so tense to watch.

Martyn - Look this one is here because of a little personal bias. Martyn shouts me out in the episode so I couldn’t not add it lol It’s also a very good episode in of itself in that it introduces the Mean Gills and I’ll always be a Mean Gills supporter. Also that Tilly roast? oof

Pearl - Pearl is constantly on the move this episode and living up to her Nosy Neighbour title so watch her episode if you want some good gossip and to see the lay of the land.

Tango - Tango always delivers a solid episode and as he was building the TIES Tower a majority of the time he receives a lot of foot traffic through the area creating some fun interactions.

SESSION THREE

Scar - And in this episode of Limited Life, Scar rediscovers the joys of minecart TNT.

Impulse - Impulse is such a fun boogey to watch, and the way he edited this episode around his thought process of who to kill was great.

Grian - Kind of a different episode this session as Grian was sick so he was afk the entire time. It was very very very funny to watch, but as he wasn’t interacting with anyone you’re going to miss a lot of context if you only watch his POV. You should still give this a watch though!

Joel - Watching poor Joel run around after Grian trying to keep him safe was incredibly entertaining lmao

SESSION FOUR

Scott - I believe Grian said it best, but this session felt like a final session with the way the yellows were chasing after the greens. It was pure chaos the entire time and Scott beautifully evading them all until his descent into yellow was perfection.

Tango - Tango is here for the same reason as Scott but as the last green the final hunt for him was terrifying to watch.

Cleo - I love Cleo’s episodes and this one was just a joy. She was slightly sick this week but I feel like that only lowered her inhibitions to do some out of pocket stuff.

Jimmy - The exciting saga of Judge Judy and Executioner continues in Jimmy’s episode this week and if you didn’t know anything about it, that's ok! Neither did anyone else on the server except for Jimmy, Pearl and Big B lmao consider this the best episode to watch if you want this plotline covered.

SESSION FIVE

Etho - Considering the episode starts off with Etho having to babysit Bdubs, then an awkward family dinner and an explosive game of catch, I really couldn’t have asked for a better Etho video.

Big B - This session was a lot more calm than the previous, so there was a lot more alliance talk happening. Big B has a great perspective on all that as he and Pearl get up to a tonne of mischief that causes some problems with some alliances they already had.

Scott - Once again this was an alliance building week and Scott’s episode really highlights some of the more fun things that happened to make and break some relationships.

Grian - Poor Bread Bridge o7 you will be missed. Thankfully M-Rye 5 was there at the end to rain chaos from above. (<-sentences that make no sense out of context)

SESSION SIX

Cleo & Pearl - I couldn’t choose between either of these two this session. Both Cleo and Pearl were out sick so they handed over their accounts to two other players. I won’t spoil who they are but these episodes were amazing.

Jimmy - The Bad Boys were going through it this week goddamn lol It never stops being funny how much of a mess everything becomes when they get together.

Martyn - It was his birthday this session and he’s just a little guy! Surely nothing would go wrong at his birthday party? And certainly not caused by him!

Tango - The last half of Tango’s episode is just a comical amount of deaths that only get funnier and funnier as the time between them shortens.

SESSION SEVEN

Skizz - Oh Skizz. You are too good for this world. His ending for this episode was heartbreaking and Affirmation Station will live on in my heart forever.

Scott - I love watching Scott run around the map and hunt people down because he is so good at the game! I believe he had the highest kill count this session and I loved every minute of it.

Joel - (Major Spoilers) Ah Joel it just wasn’t meant to be! But hearing the desperation in his voice grow higher and higher as the clock ticked down was nail biting. Scar - Just a good Scar episode honestly! Shows what the Clockers are up to during all the chaos and a great view of the server devolving into anarchy.

SESSION EIGHT

Martyn - WOOOO YESSSS LETS GOOOOOO (<- does that count as spoilers???)

I distinctly remember being on the edge of my seat this whole episode and Martyn delivers in every way possible for a fantastic final episode of the season.

Impulse - I haven’t mentioned it yet but Impulse’s editing this season went wild and it's none more apparent than in this episode. He and his team went crazy for the finale.

Etho - Such a fun episode!! The twist at the end with the diamond sword coming into play was everything I could have wanted and more.

Pearl - It was really a toss up between Pearl and Scott for this last spot, but I loved her perspective for the one last minigame on the server.

BONUS

Bdubs - Do you have a spare 12 hours to dedicate to Limited Life? Then oh boy does Bdubs have a video for you! Instead of weekly videos he decided to collate all his episodes into one mammoth video which was an absolute blast to watch over a weekend! It’s a really interesting POV to watch because when LimLife was airing Bdubs would just appear all over the map and we never had any idea what he was doing so it was awesome to have some concrete evidence of his shenanigans. Definitely give this one a watch if you’re in the mood for a marathon!

IN SUMMARY…

I swear if the next season is as messy as this one, I think I’m going to have to start taking notes when it's airing because I think this took years off my life haha if you think I’ve missed anything please tag it because I would love to see it! I definitely could have added more POV’s per session like I did with the Last Life and 3rd Life guides, but I think a more curated list helps keep down the overwhelming nature of trying to watch a million Limited Life episodes.

But really, I loved watching Limited Life live so I’m glad I give myself an excuse each new season to go back and watch the season over again. There are so many little foreshadowed moments that you don’t see on the first watch and honestly it all just makes me more excited for the new season! Thanks for reading <3

#limited life smp #limited life #life series smp #trafficblr #mcyt #this was meant to be done ... ages ago but you know life gets in the way lol #i still love doing these :D #so im glad i got it done before the new season drops friday!#berry.posts

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raindropren · 4 months

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!!!!!! Secret Life Episode 9 Spoilers !!!!!!

THIS SEASON IS SO FUCKING GOOD HELL YA

I LOVE THIS

I LOVE SECRET LIFE

IT'S SO GOOD

I'M

SIIJOHFSIHFJSNF

LETS GO, SCAR!! WOO HOO

I GENUINELY LOVE THIS SO MUCH AAA

ALSO WHY IS PEARL SO CRACKED AT THIS GAME!?!?!

So she was i think 3rd in last life, Won in double life, I think 4th or 5th in limited life, and now, 2nd in Secret life!!

What the F u c k

I love it so much

It really helps all my headcanons tbh, it makes me so happy.

Also why does pearl always survive longer then her allies/teammates(Unless they win)

and by always i mean like, 2 times? 2 and a half? if u count tilly maybe? i do... 2.5 :]

I really do wish joel or bdubs won, mostly joel because it would've been so good but I deffo think scar deserved this win.

I think it wouldve been kind of funny if in the 1v1 battle between scar and pearl.. pearl won... and it's just, awkward cause she... didn't want that. at all.

She wanted scar to win after bdubs and joel died, she wanted to sacrifice her life to scar in the end because she wanted her allies to win.

I also think shiny duo is a tragedy in the end. I really hope someone makes a fanfic about them in secret life cause they just, they, they just, <3 <3 <3

I love them alot

I'm making a theory that Gem might, win the next life seires.

Shiny duo winning their second season, please please please /hj /lh

I've already really loved the pearl fanfics from this season cause omg but I just, i just <3 <3 can't wait to see more!! aaa :D

if i get the motivation i fucking will make a fic about gem and pearl coming back into hermitcraft. They have very similar vibes in the life series(they're fucking crazy, don't mess with them, but also you'd rather be on their side then not(I haven't watched gems life series so if i'm wrong on this one, oopsie) cause they are more loyal then most) and I think it'd be fun to see them coming back and talking to eachother about the season ngl.

Murder camel my beloved, shiny duo my beloved

I also think(if I get the motivation) i'd want to make a fic with Pearl and Bdubs, in hermitcraft, afterwards.

ooo so many ideas, so many ideas so little time and motivation.

i wanna know what would happen if pearl accidentally won, despite not wanting too, if she hit scar just alittle to hard and now she was alone, as the sole 2 time winner. I think AU!pearl would have a mental fucking breakdown but i also think it'd be a fun concept aaaa

I want a fic about Pearl just after Bdubs and Joel died, just crying. like tears down her cheeks when she meets back up with scar and aaaa <3

All these would be my au obviously cause i'm way to obsessed with it but my au is set in canon, mostly. or at least alittle, i'm trying LOL

I'm proud of scar :]

like, i'm proud of all the winners but, i really do feel like scar deserved this win

I might watch his pov at some point, i can't wait for people to tear the angst from scars episodes, they already have alittle but with him winning, I can't fucking wait, omg <3

I'm just so excited now

aaaa

i'm nhjgofubkhgfubkjhdfjl eee

I really hope gem and pearl team next season instead of just being temporary allies because they are so fun omg

I really hope there's another season cause god they are so good /nf

I can't get enough of life series pearl in my au

which is why i keep mentioning her, i've basically only watched her pov cause I have a hard time watching others. I wanna watch gem, lizzies(it's ies right? i'm bad with spelling names aa), and now scars. stars above, i love this series

aaaaaaaaaaaaa

secret is probably my new favorite season, idk why, maybe it's because of shiny duo alittle, but y'know :]

There's so much i wish i wanna talk about

like how Pearl said "Always Watching" to BigB

Or just any moment with Pearl and Scott, I miss their last life dynamic alot /pos /notneg

Cleo and Pearls pupper alliance breaking and Pearl saying she really wanted to be allies with Cleo, like I need fics of that so much guys omg (Big MoonRot fan!! ee)

Anytime Gem, Impulse, and Pearl were in a trio together, like omg, It's Soup Group!!! Guys!!! it's them!!! omg!!!!!!!! guys!!

Pearl walking the Warden around like a pro, i love that so much LOL

there's deffo more, but i've typed way to much LOL i just love this so much, it's insane.

#GUYS I'M SO NORMAL ABOUT THIS SERIES #aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa #secret life #life series #i'm gonna tag everyone i mentioned so yee #not tagging people i only mentioned once hmmm #pearlescentmoon #geminitay #goodtimeswithscar #bdoubleo100 #bdubs #smallishbeans #joel smallishbeans #shiny duo #idk which one is the main tag for them aaa #I mention moonrot btw. i've seen people use that duo name as a shipping thing. i don't ship them!! it's all platonic!!#I type so much omg i'm so sorry

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cheetah-roll · 4 months

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Oh my god I just watched the secret life finale and omfgjfsjkn,msl;dzvkmad

I actually only watched Gem’s POV lol, then I went to Scars’ and watched the end BECAUSE I JUST HAD A FEELING THAT HE’D WIN

I was really hoping for a Gem or Joel win but Gem made it to the last three, which is awesome, but that Scar win was amazing as well.

Also, HIM NOT REALIZING THAT PEARL WAS DEAD IS THE MOST SCAR THING EVER OMFG. DUDE THE LIGHTNING WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. IT WAS ALL OVER YOUR SCREEN. DID YOU NOT HEAR IT????

And then he’s like, OH PEARLLLL WHERE ARE YOUUUUU AND HE’S JUST LOOKING FOR HER AND HES LIKE OH THERE WAS A ZOMBIE ALL THE GHOSTS ARE JUST WATCHING HIM AND SIGHING AND GRIANS LIKE “no you idiot, she’s dead” AND HE’S OH I WON JHFUVKJKnhFj

i love scar

“How did the guy with no friends win’” iuskbkJVhkjds,dbjh,sxYVBJnd

Anyways, what are you guys thinking for Scar’s title thing? Grian’s the sun, Scott’s the stars, Pearls the moon, and Martyn’s either the ocean or mars or a comet (guys we have to pick one). I’ve seen people say that Scar should be the Earth, which I think goes really well with him.

ALSO THE WHOLE THING WITH GEM AND SCOTT AAAA I’M LITERALLY SOBBING

HE TOLD HER TO KILL HIM BC SHE HAD A BETTER CHANCE AT WINNING AND COULD USE MORE HEARTS OMFG THATS JUST UGYDJSMAGH>K>KS

I’m very normal about the life series, as you all can see.

I’m very excited for the next season. Hopefully Lizzie and Mumbo stay in and Ren joins back because we need the whole gang together for at least one season lol.

#trafficblr #traffic series #life series #traffic life series #traffic smp #traffic spoilers #goodtimeswithscar #geminitay #ldshadowlady #mumbo jumbo #gem and the scotts #secret life #life series winners #lifeseriesfinale

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theminecraftbee · 2 years

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sorry. okay. things from joe's episode alone that delight me so far, i have literally only watched their episode, i haven't gotten around to anyone else yet this one is just rotating too much:

joe spends the entire first five minutes of this episode trying to come up with as many ways to misinterpret the very little information she has from the compass and grian's base as possible

i actually. hadn't seen the little circuit banners in grumbot' before, or at least hadn't noticed them, thanks for showing them off

joe is mesmerized by the cube.......

the transition between hermitcraft and empires is IMPRESSIVELY smooth actually

grian: "don't look at me!" joe, immediately: "everybody look at grian"

SCATTERED AU REAL?

joe noting that the two most important things about stratos are the neo-classical greek architecture and also that it is floating

joe punching a tree

joe managing to FAIL to punch a tree because he has litematica installed but doesn't know how it works. he broke his arm guys it doesn't punch anymore :(

OLI ORIONSOUND???

oli and joe interacting is EXACTLY everything i had hoped it would be. it's so funny. they're two normal weirdguys interacting in normal weirdguy ways.

joe is just vibing but he gives off such a confused and overwhelmed vibe this whole time (in like, roleplay mode) and it's really funny he's just. nodding along here. sure why not that makes sense

joe and pearl both instantly being like :D I KNOW THAT GUY when they see each other

pearl in scott's hat...

everyone on this side of the pov keeps on repeating to joe that the sheriff here is really corrupt and that's like, very much going to come back and bite them later, isn't it

they go to stratos and find grian and he's just. stealing things. and insisting he's borrowing

grian is WEIRDLY TOUCHED that scott just gives him food and stuff he's like. wait i... don't have to steal? madness

scar and cub are hanging out with joel and in that time scar has discovered that joel is a "chiseled god" and declares he may have better abs than he has. grian thinks this is blasphemy.

scar does in fact wear the hat better

grian and scar IMMEDIATELY die to the gaps in the paths in upper stratos

scott showing pearl the farming goddess temple and badly mispronouncing pearl. pearl being like "wait is this me" but then just like. entirely moving on. pearl, honey,

it's really clear that they did not discuss how canon the life series should or shouldn't be because impulse recognizes scott, scott doesn't recognize impulse, they play it off as impulse not having a beard, lol.

joe just getting increasingly overwhelmed and confused and being like. right that's enough. there's too much happening. i'm just going to leave now. and then she does

he puts a sign on the inn door in chromia... @/joehills do not disturb...

the episode just ends? IMPLYING FURTHER CROSSOVER SHENANIGANS?

THIS ISN'T EVEN EVERYTHING THIS EPISODE JUST HAPPENS TO BE PERFECT FANSERVICE FOR ME SPECIFICALLY,

#hermitcraft spoilers #empires spoilers #joe hills #OKAY AFTER THIS I WILL WATCH PIX THEN I WILL. TRY TO BE NORMAL I GUESS???#sorry i'm just. like i said. this is perfect fanservice for me specifically

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pedroscurls · 1 year

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Title: The Teacher (Part 4).

CHAPTER TITLE: Flashbacks

Character(s): Joel Miller, Reader (female, first person POV) Summary: Your relationship with Joel develops. Word Count: 5,240 Author's Note: So, we’re definitely gonna dive a bit more deeper into the Reader’s history after the outbreak, so please be wary! Warnings are listed below. We’re in for an angsty chapter, but I promise it ends on a good note. (btw, this chapter definitely got way too ahead of me lol, enjoy) Warning: Mention of implied rape, killing, violence

Maria had visited you the following day. While Joel brought you comfort, so did Maria. You wondered if it was because she saved your life; though, she had always been so welcoming and understanding since the moment you met her. She never put any unnecessary pressure on you to open up or discuss things you weren’t ready to talk about.

“So,” she began with a smile. “You and Joel seem to hit it off.”

You blushed instantly, trying to hide your feelings for the man. “He’s nice,” was all you said.

“Just nice?” Maria chuckled.

“He’s becoming a good friend,” you smiled.

Maria gave you a knowing look, her head tilting in amusement. “Well, you must be really special.”

“Why’s that?”

“Joel just doesn’t normally like to make friends,” Maria admitted. “It’s like he’s a different man when you’re around though. I mean, I’ve never seen him smile or laugh this much and I’ve known the man for years.”

You blush deepened and you shrugged a shoulder. “That’s a good thing, right?”

Maria nodded with a smile. “Oh my god, are you kidding? It’s the greatest thing. He’s less of a grouch.”

You laughed to yourself as your mind drifted to Joel. You had only been at Jackson for a couple of days and already, you had developed a crush on your next door neighbor.

“Well, I suppose I should say you’re welcome,” you teased.

Maria laughed at that, leaning back against the couch. “Aside from that, how are you doing?”

You cleared your throat, dropping your eyes for a moment. “Doing okay.”

“You sure?”

“I just–” You sighed. “I’m still getting used to everything. You and your father built this amazing place and don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful, but it’s just– It’s a lot.”

“That’s understandable,” Maria replied. “Everyone has their own process… You had been out there by yourself for a while so being here, in a place like Jackson, it can be overwhelming.”

You nodded in agreement. “I’m grateful, Maria. I am–”

She gave you a small smile. “Move at your own pace. Trust me, we want you to be comfortable here and we want you to feel safe. So, however long that takes, so be it. Just– Don’t rush it.”

You sighed, glancing over at her. You could see the genuine look on her face; her eyes were soft, displaying an emotion of empathy, and you felt a weight being lifted off your shoulders. “Thank you, Maria. I think once I start teaching, Jackson will start to feel like home.”

Maria nodded, “With that being said, I wanted to give you some updates.”

Your interest piqued and you listened intently. “Oh?”

“We’re building the classrooms right now and we’re deciding to put it in the middle of the community. There are plenty of parents who work around that general area, so it seemed like the best place to have the school,” Maria began. “We’re also going to have a meeting with the families next week so that they can meet you, you can meet them, and you can also meet the kiddos.”

You grinned as your mind drifted to the upcoming week. You figured that once you started meeting the kids and started teaching that you wouldn’t be so on edge; you hoped that Jackson would at least start feeling like a place where you could finally start living again.

“I’m excited,” you replied. “I really can’t wait.”

“How do you feel about coming with me to the bar tonight?” Maria asked. “No pressure though.”

“Maybe for one drink.”

She grinned. “Great. I’ll see you tonight.”

—

Later that night, you walked into the bar and noticed Maria immediately. You were wearing your boots with white fitted shirt tucked in with your light washed jeans and a flannel on top. She handed you a beer as you sat on a stool near the counter, looking around with a smile.

It was cozy. There were string lights hanging from the ceiling, music filtering through the room, but you noticed how warm and welcoming it felt. Plenty of people had come up to introduce themselves, even meeting some of the parents and expressing their excitement for the school opening up. It started to feel like you were part of this community and you felt all anxiety and worries disappear when you started to get more comfortable.

“Having fun?” Maria asked, leaning against the counter of the bar as she noticed you were halfway finished with your beer.

“Surprisingly, yeah,” you smiled. “Thank you for inviting me out.”

“Anytime,” she grinned, pointing towards your beer. “Want another one?”

You shook your head. “One’s enough, thank you.”

Maria nodded and then grabbed your hand, motioning towards the dance floor. “You dance?”

“It’s been a while,” you replied, following her eagerly. “I might make a fool out of myself.”

Maria laughed and kept a hold of your hand. “Don’t we all?”

“Fair point.” When she released your hand, you let your body sway to the music. The effects of the alcohol were burning through your veins, allowing you to fully calm down and just embrace the moment. Just a couple of days ago, you were so sure that you were going to die, but then Maria saved you and here you were, feeling surprisingly content and happy.

“You can dance!” She exclaimed, her arms raising in the air as she danced to the music as well.

You smiled, downing the rest of your beer and setting it on the counter. Returning to the dance floor, you shut your eyes and continued to sway, moving your hips rhythmically to the beat of the song.

Tommy and Joel had walked into the bar with a groan. Their patrol was easy, but tiring. There were no signs of any Infected or any threats, so it was a good day. When they entered the building though, both men were surprised to see a crowd forming in the middle of the dance floor.

“That’s new,” Tommy said, ordering two beers.

“Hm,” Joel said. “I’m only havin’ one beer and then I’m callin’ it a night. My back hurts.”

Tommy laughed to himself, handing his older brother a beer and shaking his head. “Alright, old man. One beer, that’s all.”

Joel shut his eyes for a moment, taking a long swig of his beer as he felt himself slowly relax. Though, when he heard Tommy gasp, Joel opened his eyes to look over at his brother.

“What?”

“Look,” Tommy said, pointing to the dance floor.

Joel turned his attention to the dance floor, his eyes immediately finding you. Though, his eyes drifted to the rest of your body, watching your hips move expertly to the song that was playing in the room. He grabbed his beer and took another long swig as he forced himself to look away.

“Looks like she’s havin’ fun,” Tommy smiled. “And she’s havin’ fun with my girl.”

Joel just nodded.

“Joel,” Tommy said, nudging his brother.

“I should get goin’,” Joel said, eyes flickering over to you.

“Oh, come on. You know you don’t wanna leave.”

“Well, she’s havin’ fun and I don’t wanna–”

Tommy shook his head, calling out Maria’s name. You looked over at the sound of Tommy’s voice and immediately noticed Joel. Your cheeks had turned red and you removed your flannel once it had gotten a bit too warm. You were smiling though, following Maria to Tommy and Joel. Your eyes though hadn’t left the older man’s; once more, it felt like everyone else in the room had disappeared and the only person you saw was him.

Joel.

“Hey baby. How was the patrol?” Maria asked, kissing Tommy’s cheek.

Tommy wrapped his arm around Maria, holding her close. “Was fine,” he said. “Nothing too out of the ordinary.”

Joel didn’t reply. He kept his eyes on you once you were now standing near him. He wanted nothing more than just to sweep you off your feet and take you back home, but he couldn’t. He shouldn’t.

“Wanna dance?” Maria asked Tommy, giving her husband a look to signal that they should give you and Joel some space.

“With you? Always. I’ll see you later Joel.” Tommy then turned to you and winked. “Nice moves you got there.”

You blushed, looking over at the younger brother. “It’s no longer a secret.”

Maria chuckled. “Now I’m wondering what else you got hiding.”

You laughed, shaking your head as the couple moved to the dance floor. Turning your attention back to Joel, you noticed how he was avoiding your eyes, sipping at his beer.

“Um,” you started. “I’m glad you’re home safe.”

“Me too.” Joel replied. “How are you?”

“Feeling really good,” you smiled. “Though, that may be the alcohol.”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Just one beer,” you blushed. “I’m a lightweight.”

Joel chuckled. “Well, good to know. It’s good to see you havin’ fun.”

You nodded. “All thanks to Maria. She invited me out tonight.”

“That’s good,” Joel said, finishing his beer. He cleared his throat and motioned towards the door. “Well, have a good night.”

You furrowed your brow, pulling your flannel back on. “Wait, what?”

“I told Tommy I was just havin’ one drink and then I’m headin’ home.”

You bit your lower lip anxiously. “Would you be surprised if I told you that I told Maria the same thing?”

Joel’s eyes widened just slightly and when he looked you over, he noticed that you weren’t holding another bottle. So, he assumed that you were also now ready to go home.

“Want some company on your walk home?” Joel asked.

“I’d like that.”

Maria and Tommy watched the both of you leave the bar and they turned to each other with a grin.

“They’re good for each other,” Maria told Tommy.

“Just as long as Joel gets outta his head,” Tommy replied.

—

The walk home was quiet, but you both were taking your time getting home. There was no rush and you enjoyed each other’s company anyway.

“So,” Joel began. “You mentioned last night that you were married.”

You nodded, looking down at your feet. “I was, yeah.”

“Lucky man,” Joel commented.

You blushed, looking up at him as he kept his eyes forward. “You remind me of him actually.”

He arched a brow, glancing over at you. “That so?”

You both stopped walking once you were at your porch, turning to face each other. It was a quiet night, the outdoor string lights illuminating both of your features just right. Joel’s hands were in his pockets and your arms were crossed over your chest.

You looked up at him, staring into his dark brown eyes. You wanted nothing more than to just kiss him, to feel his lips, to feel safe again.

“Yeah,” you replied. “You make me feel safe, Joel.”

Joel cleared his throat, looking down at you. He inched closer, taking his hand from his pocket to move a strand of hair away from your face. His hand lingered on your cheek as his thumb gently brushed against your soft skin. He smiled, feeling you lean against his touch.

“M’glad,” he whispered. “You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”

Suddenly, you took a step back. The look on your face shifted instantly and it was no longer a look of desire, of want, but was replaced with a look of fear. You weren’t looking at Joel anymore. Instead, you were looking at a different man. A man from your past and when Joel took a step closer, you immediately raised your hands up.

“Don’t.”

“Darlin’–”

“I said don’t,” you repeated. “Get away from me.”

Joel’s brows furrowed, but he stopped himself from moving closer to you. He didn’t know what caused the drastic shift, but he hated the way you were looking at him. The fear in your eyes, but the threatening stance you were in… It was like you were a different person.

“Okay,” he whispered. “Okay.”

“You don’t get to hurt me again,” you mumbled, dropping your hands to your sides as it curled into fists. Tears were filling your eyes and Joel was at a loss. He didn’t know how to calm you down, how to make you see that you were safe and that whoever you were seeing wasn’t reality.

“Darlin’,” Joel repeated. “You’re in Jackson, okay? You’re safe. Ain’t no one gonna hurt you, I promise.”

“Stop!” You exclaimed, looking around frantically. You were vulnerable and when you realized you didn’t have any weapons, you kept taking a step back to further your distance. It wasn’t until you tripped over your own feet that you had fallen backwards, passing out in the process.

“Shit,” Joel mumbled. He scooped you up into his arms and brought you inside your home, looking around quickly. He gently set you on the sofa and grabbed a match to light up a candle. It was too dark, even for him, so once the candle was lit, he set it on the coffee table and sighed. He didn’t know what had just happened and he wasn’t sure if he should even stay, but Joel couldn’t help but stare at you.

You were sleeping, but you didn’t look peaceful. Your lips were formed into a pout and your brows were furrowed together. You had curled up into a ball once Joel set you on the couch and he could hear your quiet mumbling. It pained him to see you like this, especially since just an hour ago, you were dancing, smiling, and having fun.

Joel opted to stay, at least until you woke up. His back was killing him and he was exhausted, but you were far more important than sleep at the moment. He had to wonder how often your flashbacks occurred; he was fortunate to have had someone nearby, whether it was Tess, Tommy, or Ellie. He wasn’t ever alone and it put a lot of things into perspective when he found out that you had been on your own for over a year. He couldn’t imagine it.

It had been a couple of hours later when you awoke. You sat up in a quick motion, looking around the room and noticing the single candle that illuminated the living room. You noticed Joel had fallen asleep on the single loveseat, realizing what had happened. You felt embarrassed; you had tried to keep the negative parts of your past to yourself, but Joel had managed to see it firsthand.

You tried to think about what had triggered you. You knew you were both sharing a moment. You remembered the feel of his hand on your cheek and how you had willingly leaned against his touch. Then, you remembered what he said.

“You’re somethin’ else, you know that?”

To anyone else, it could have been sweet and special, but to you, it brought back memories of a past that you had tried to forget. It had been a year after you left the QZ in Washington, stumbling upon a group who had been happy to take you in. You kept your guard up though, making sure to keep your head down and contribute in any way that you can.

But the leader. The leader had a thing for you.

He had cornered you one night and said those same words. You could still remember the sound of his voice, the feel of his body forcefully against yours, the pain you felt when he hit you every time you tried to scream for help… It was something you would never forget and hearing Joel say those words had practically transported you back to that moment.

You slowly stood from the sofa, trying to quietly tiptoe down the hallway, but you didn’t get far. Joel had woken up and called your name in such a soft tone that you immediately looked over at him.

“I–I’m so sorry,” you whispered.

Joel stood with a low grunt, walking over to you slowly. “Ain’t gotta apologize.”

“That wasn’t your fault,” you mumbled. “It was– It was just my shit coming back and I’m sorry you had to see that.”

Joel stood in front of you. He understood exactly what that meant, and experienced it almost every night. “Hey…”

You bit your lip, bringing your eyes up at him. “Joel–”

“I’m here,” he replied. “For you.”

“Joel, you barely know me… We just met and–”

“You make me feel alive again,” Joel blurted out. He brought a hand to rub the back of his neck, sighing quietly. “M’sorry if that’s a bit too forward, but–”

Your response was to wrap your arms around him in a tight embrace. His scent filled your senses, causing your eyes to fall shut. When his arms moved around to wrap around your waist, you held onto him tighter.

Joel was taken by surprise when he felt your body press against his and your arms wrap around his frame. It didn’t take long before his arms wrapped around you as well, which caused him to feel your arms tighten around him. It was comforting, holding you this way and inhaling your scent. It felt like home.

He then buried his face against the side of your neck, his nose brushing against your skin. Joel could have held you like this forever.

You let out a shaky breath when you felt him move to bury himself against your neck. You felt his facial hair tickle your skin and his hot breath breathing against you. You had only known Joel for a couple of days and yet, this felt normal; it felt like you belonged here, in his arms.

You hadn’t felt this safe in so long.

You both stayed in each other’s arms for a few more minutes before you slowly pulled back. Your arms remained around his shoulders and his hands moved to rest on your hips. The distance between you both were mere inches and you could feel his breath against you.

“Thank you,” you whispered.

“Anythin’ for a friend.”

Friend.

“You should probably get home.” You said, pulling away from him and immediately missing his warmth and his strong arms around you.

Joel nodded, biting the inside of his cheek. “You gonna be okay?”

“I will be. I’ve survived this long,” you let a small smile line your lips. “I’ll be fine.”

“Well, I’m just right next door. Don’t hesitate to come over if you need anythin’, okay?”

You nodded. “Okay.”

Before Joel left, he pulled you into another hug, his eyes falling shut as he felt his entire body relax. It had been so long since he felt this way, but there was just something about you that made every concern, doubt, and worry that Joel felt, disappear.

“Goodnight, darlin’.”

You smiled against him, reveling in this moment. “Goodnight, Joel.”

—

It had been two weeks since that incident. You were slowly getting used to Jackson, now feeling like a part of the community. You still had nightmares, which happened more often than you liked to admit, but you kept it to yourself. Even when Joel asked how you were doing everyday, you had lied to him and said everything was great. You were glad he didn’t pry even further, simply just nodding and going about his day.

Since that night, it seemed like you and Joel had gotten closer. When he had the early morning patrols, he would come by your house with Ellie for dinner that it had become a routine for the three of you. You enjoyed their company though and Ellie knew just exactly how to get your mind off things; she was truly a breath of fresh air and you always found yourself laughing and having a good time with the young girl.

The school was finished; two rooms connected with a variety of small tables and chairs in each room. You had already met the parents and the children, thoroughly excited to start teaching again. You were going to teach all ages, but you had found that there were more younger kids than there were older ones. It seemed like most of the students you were going to teach would be around five to six years old with a small group of ten to twelve year olds.

You had started teaching and it gave you a sense of purpose and reminded you so much of the old world. It was tough in the beginning, but once you settled into a routine, the kids had found it so enjoyable. You ended every day in the reading corner that you created. All of your students gathered around you, listening intently as you read to them; each day was a different book, but your students were so engaged.

You always stayed until each of your students were picked up by their parents or family members. One day, however, a little girl stayed later than usual. She was sitting at the table, drawing on a piece of paper when you walked over to her.

“Hi Rosie,” you smiled. Her hair was curly, messy, and sat on her shoulders. She looked up at you and flashed you a toothless grin. She had told you all about losing her front teeth and how excited she was that she was now getting bigger.

She called you by your name with the Miss in front of it and then lifted the piece of paper for you to see.

“I drew a picture.”

“I see that, it’s beautiful.”

“It’s Jackson,” she grinned proudly.

“Looks exactly like it,” you smiled.

You were interrupted by the sound of footsteps running into the room. You looked up and noticed it was Rosie’s father. He was out of breath and had begun to apologize.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. Rosie grinned at the sight of her father, raising her arms to be picked up. “Patrol ran late.”

“No worries. Rosie here was just drawing a picture,” you smiled.

“Thank you,” he said. “For staying with her. Having this school– It’s been a relief.”

You nodded. The other man was a bit older than you, taller, and definitely muscular. He had blue eyes, brown hair, and dimples whenever he smiled. He was handsome, but he definitely was no Joel Miller.

“I’m glad,” you replied. “It’s been great to teach again.”

“I’m Jack. Rosie’s dad.” Rosie was already resting her head against her father’s shoulder, her eyes falling shut.

“I remember,” you said. “We met during the meeting with the other parents.”

“Right,” he chuckled. “Sorry, it’s just been–” Jack sighed. “It’s been tough. Patrols are getting tougher. We’re encountering more infected…”

“Well, if you’d like, I don’t mind staying a bit longer with Rosie until you get back to Jackson after patrols.” You offered as your mind drifted to what he had said. Infected. You had killed plenty: clickers, runners, stalkers, even encountered a Bloater once, and it still terrified you.

“Really?” He asked. “I mean, that’d be great, but you don’t have to. I can figure it out and–”

You shook your head, taking the drawing that Rosie had done and handing it to Jack. “I don’t mind, really. It’s okay.”

Jack smiled, letting out a sigh of relief. “You’re amazing. I owe you.”

You simply gave him a smile. “I’m your daughter’s teacher. It’s part of my job. Don’t worry about it.”

—

You were surprised to see Joel sitting on your porch once you finally walked home. When he saw you, he gave you a small smile and stood from his seat. You walked up your steps and looked over at him, giving him a tight hug.

“Hi,” you said.

Joel returned the hug and immediately missed your warmth once you pulled away to open the door. “Long day?”

You nodded, though you couldn’t stop thinking about what Jack had mentioned about his patrols. It was brief and not a lot of information, but it was enough for you to start ruminating on. Joel followed you inside and you quickly lit up a few candles to illuminate your living room and he noticed how quiet you had gotten again. It was something he took note of for the past couple of weeks.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied. “I’m just tired.”

“Should I go?”

Then, you blurted. “What’s going on outside of Jackson?”

“What?”

“Joel…”

He sighed. “Nothin’. We got it handled.”

“What’s going on?”

“Darlin’, you ain’t gotta worry about it.”

“Well, I am!” You exclaimed, not realizing how loud you had gotten. For weeks, you were putting on a facade, a front, masking your emotions and pushing away the nagging thoughts and flashbacks.

Joel was taken aback, looking at you with a furrowed brow. “It’s under control.”

“You’re lying,” you said. “Don’t lie to me, Joel.”

Joel sighed, running a hand over his face. “You’re safe here, in Jackson.”

“Bullshit,” you spat.

“What’s really goin’ on?”

“I can’t relax,” you mumbled. “I can’t sleep and when I do, I wake up in a sweat and frantic state.” You admitted. “Teaching is a good distraction, but I just thought– I thought I’d be okay.”

“You are,” he sighed. “I’m tellin’ you the truth. We have it under control.”

“The last time someone told me that our entire group was overrun,” you replied almost immediately. “So please… I can handle the truth.”

“The infected…” Joel let out an exhale. “We’re encounterin’ more of them on our patrols, but darlin’, we do have it under control. It’s just tiring.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“I didn’t wanna scare you.”

“I’m not this fragile little thing that you have to handle with care,” you said. “Stop treating me like I can’t handle myself, like I can’t handle what’s out there. I’ve done it! I’ve experienced it! I was out there, on my own, for over a year!”

“Okay,” he said. “Okay,” Joel repeated, trying to step closer to you but noticed how you had moved back and away from him.

“You don’t know half the things I’ve done to survive, Joel,” you admitted. “It haunts me… Every second of the day and I can’t run away from it.”

“You did what you had to, to survive,” Joel replied. It was ironic that he was saying the same words that Tommy had told him. Joel understood your dilemma, related exactly to what you were feeling, experiencing, and here you were, being open and vulnerable with him.

“No,” you shook your head. “No.”

“Darlin’...”

“Did you ever stop to think how I made it this far?” You asked.

“I don’t need to,” he replied.

“I’ve done so– so many unthinkable things, Joel,” you said with a shaky voice and teary eyes. “I’m so broken…”

“Hey…” Joel hated seeing you like this, hated hearing you talk about yourself like this. “Look at me…”

You looked up at him and felt yourself relax. You had been on edge for weeks and it finally came crashing down. You thought you could push this aside, to force yourself not to think about your past, but it was tough. Your nightmares served as a daily reminder of the things you had done, the people you killed… It was just too much.

“You ain’t alone in feeling like that,” Joel added. He knew that feeling all too well; being broken, damaged goods, and feeling like he didn’t deserve anything good because of the bad things he had done. He took a step closer and sighed in relief when you didn’t move away. “I– I have nightmares too.”

That wasn’t surprising to you. You had heard stories from the people in the community, but truthfully, it didn’t scare you. In fact, it made you feel safer to know that Joel would do anything for the people he cared about.

“H– How do you deal with it?”

“I don’t,” Joel admitted. “But I probably should.”

“We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?” You sighed.

“Come ‘ere,” he whispered, pulling you into his arms. When he felt your arms wrap around his shoulder, Joel moved his arms to wrap around your waist. Once again, he held you like this, feeling your warmth radiate against him and the feel of your chest heaving against his own.

“Joel,” you whispered to him. “You’re the only one that can calm me down, that can make me feel safe and I don’t know what that means, but–”

He held you tighter, pressing his lips to your temple. Joel sighed contentedly before he quietly interrupted you. “I’m here… I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

You pulled back to look up at him. Your lips were mere inches from his and your arms remained around him. “Joel…”

“Hm?” He whispered, moving his hands to your hips. Joel rubbed circles against the fabric of your shirt, feeling it slightly lift upwards as the pads of his thumbs touched your skin.

“Can I– Can I kiss you?” You asked. A blush crept along your neck to your cheeks, biting your lower lip in anticipation.

Joel smiled and moved a hand to cup your cheek. The pad of his thumb brushed against your cheek as he leaned down to capture your lips with his own.

It was electrifying, feeling your lips slowly move against his. Joel kept his hand on your cheek and used his free hand to bring you flush against him, his hand moving from your hip to your lower back.

You had imagined this moment plenty of times and yet, this was far better than your imagination. Joel kept a protective hold around you as you felt yourself mold against his strong frame. Your lips moved expertly with his and when you whimpered, Joel used that as an opportunity to dart his tongue out. It was perfect and it was intoxicating.

Joel had to pull away, feeling the center of his pants tighten from the pressure of his member pressing against the fabric.

“We should–”

“Can you stay?” You interrupted.

“You sure?” Joel asked.

You nodded. “I just– I don’t want to be alone.”

“That makes two of us,” he whispered. Joel leaned down to peck your lips, smiling once he pulled away.

You led him down the hallway and to your bedroom. You removed your boots and socks, tossing your flannel to the side. You lied back in bed, clad in a t-shirt and jeans before watching Joel do the same with his own boots. When he climbed into bed with you, you felt yourself instinctively move closer to him.

Joel was lying on his back with his arm stretched out for you. You smiled to yourself and moved closer until your head rested against his shoulder, his arm wrapping around you.

The string lights from outside illuminated your room, giving you and Joel a perfect view of each other. You were staring into each other’s eyes before he leaned down to press his lips against yours once more.

You moved to lie on your back, feeling him move to hover above you. Joel gently bit at your lower lip, hearing you quietly moan against his lips. The sounds you were making immediately caused a reaction from him, blood rushing straight down to the center of his pants.

“Joel…” You mumbled against his lips.

He pulled back, his arm propped up with his other hand resting on your hip. “M’sorry, we should stop.”

You shook your head. “I want you.”

Joel grunted lowly. “A– Are you sure?”

“Take me, Joel.”

---

Part 5.

Taglist (let me know if you'd like to be tagged!): @rye-flower, @3zae-zae3, @orangevtae, @flippittygibbitts, @blairfox04, @ohthemisssery, @avengersfan25, @somebodytookmyusername, @littleshadow17, @beltzboys2015-blog

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller fanfic #the last of us #the last of us fanfiction #the last of us fanfic #tlou #tlou fanfiction #tlou fanfic #joel x reader #joel miller x reader #story: the teacher

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dmwrites · 4 months

Text

2023 fic roundup! Thanks for reading my stuff this year!

Below is all of the fic links, summaries, and any additional notes (in chronological order) from yours truly:)

NPC Bdubs: an in-game explanation to why Bdubs didn’t upload his Limited Life pov- Cleo notices that Bdubs is acting a little weird, almost like some kind of non-playable character.

The Coral Kids’ Keeper: Martyn and Scott live out on a island on the sea on the Limited Life server, and a sea creature that calls himself xbcrafted take interest in them. He protects them. He is here to protect them, right? (Dm note: oh my goddd I love this one still I love the horror at the end [I may just be biased to xb tbh lol])

Impulse’s post-death affirmation: Impulse got second place in Limited Life, and Skizz is so proud of him.

Clock Full of Love: Impulse gave Bdubs a clock in the beginning of Limited Life. At the end, Cleo adds her own touch to it.

Grian and Scar’s punishment: It all started when Grian and Scar touched his (Doc’s) redstone (tunnel bore). Their punishment? Zombiecleo scolding them.

Talks of Adoration on the Tower of Team TIES: Etho and Impulse have more in common then they think, and reflect on it all one sleepless night in the Team TIES base

Big and Handsome God Has A Big Sad: the empires s2 server can’t be empty, right? Sure, Joel hasn’t seen anyone in forever, but people still love him, surely, right? They wouldn’t all leave him. They wouldn’t. Right? (Dm note: this idea wasn’t executed as well as I would have liked, but I really like the crumbling reality vibes of this one)

Cuddling with the Homies: Grian, Impulse, Scar, and Skizz playing Sons of the Forest. They get one tiny-ass tent to all sleep in. It’s if the “only one bed” trope was four dudes being idiots in the woods in a tent.

I know how to keep you warm;)): the new life smp folks wonder if Chillager Martyn will freeze up if he gets flustered. Scott is up to the task. It’s all silly.

Copper Pearlo takes on The Button (2): Grian and Mumbo stumble upon copper golem Pearl

One Year Later: Double Life ended one year ago (when I posted this fic lol). Impulse makes Bdubs another clock

The CuteGuy Who Stepped Up: Scar needs a CuteGuy sidekick, and Grian does not want to be a sidekick in the slightest. Enter Joe Hills from Nashville, Tennessee. (Dm note: the CuteGuy main character was decided by a poll. This is also my second most-liked fic of 2023)

The Slime Code: Gem is a slime in New Life! She calls Jevin on Hermitcraft to ask about any slime rules she now needs to follow

A Dream of Pink: Joel has a dream of showing a pretty girl with pink hair (who roasts him) his hardcore world builds. She seems familiar…

3rd Life x NightVale: the radio transcript when Cecil Palmer from the town of NightVale interviews a strange man with a red sweater and split knuckles and keeps talking about something that happened in a desert. (Dm note: love this one, definitely caters to a very specific audience, but this one shows up in my notifs almost every day. I think I did a good job at the ad breaks and such.)

Sacrificial Impulse: Grian, Scar, and Skizz died while hunting ghosts with Impulse. Impulse wants to bring them back, no matter the cost. Also, EvilNotion is the ghost hunters’ boss.

xB’s Revenge- a Blood on the Clocktower story: based on the first session of hermitcraft’s BOTC, Iskall accuses xbcrafted of being the demon, and xB becomes the first innocent to die. But xB sticks around after death, and wants the sweetest revenge on Iskall. (Dm note: this one is long as hell but man the concept was so good. Drowned!xb is so good.)

Bdoubledown? How Cute: a brief conversation between Impulse and Skizz about Impulse’s brand new soulmate in Double Life

GIGS gets another G: Gem is jealous that Grian, Impulse, Scar, and Skizz are hunting ghosts, and wants to join in. Pearl, local odd woman, has a way. Possession is fun among friends! (Dm note: this is the most liked fic of this year, which is definitely not what I expected lol)

The Dungeon Is Hungry: Hypno thinks all the superstitions around the Decked Out 2 dungeon are stupid. That is until everything goes sideways and Cub is covered in sculk and pointing a sword at him down in level 4.

The Impossible Task: Martyn gets a very simple, two-word task in Secret Life: find RenTheDog. But Ren isn’t here… right? (Dm note: when I thought of this idea I literally said “ouch!” in my head lol)

GIGGS Hunts a Ghost!: the GIGGS crew gets called on by Zedaph to find and capture evidence of a ghost he claims he has seen haunting hermitcraft. (Dm note: the b-plot grian and zed rivalry is so funny to me idk why I decided they hate each other lolll)

A Moment of Peace: Martyn and Cleo are estranged soulmates in Double Life, and they take a moment to drink some tea and talk about what soulmate they’d like to have if they had a choice.

It Feels Different Now (and that’s a good thing): Pearl has to hurt people on the Secret Life server as part of her task, but she takes no joy in it now. She harkens back to what has changed between Double Life and now.

Jimmy’s Grave: Cleo made Jimmy a grave before he died in Secret Life. He did end up dying that very day, and a mourner comes by his grave when it’s all said and done.

Red: Pearl’s favorite color is red. She is made to be a red name, even when she’s not.

Becoming the Villain of the Server: (secret life) Scar digs up Jimmy’s grave to take his spine, to sell it to Joel, pretending that it’s Lizzie’s. Hey, what else is a man to do? (Dm note: this one fucks so hard, i love how fucked up the idea of it is, what Scar would have to do to make it happen. Eating this.)

From One Lonely Winner to Another: Scar wins Secret Life. Sunflowers grow from his skin to be with him as he goes to succeed the final task. (Dm note: another one I love, I just love the aesthetic of it all.)

#seriously thank you #I honestly can’t believe anyone reads my stuff at all #it’s been so fun and rewarding #here’s to another year of putting blorbos into situations

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toomanystoriessolittletime · 1 year

Text

Counting Stars

Summary: Mel gets used to the life in Jackson. And her two new roommates.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Melanie Summer

Wordcount: 2.4k

Rating: T

Warnings: Soulmate AU, Angst, Pregnancy, talk about forced pregnancies, talk about childbirth, mention of child death, mentions of human experiments, character death, slowish burn, a ✨moment✨, changing POV's

A/N: I started writing this chapter four times and this is the version I hate the least lol

follow @toomanystoriessolittletime-fics to get notified for updates

Counting Stars Masterlist

✨two✨

Mel was living in a house. With a porch. And a small garden.

She had a fully stocked kitchen.

Her own bed.

A bathroom with warm water.

And she had two roommates.

It had been two weeks since she had been cleared to stay in Jackson after arriving with Joel and the girl whose name she had learned was Ellie.

When she arrived in Jackson with them she had been given the choice to stay with someone she hadn’t met before until new houses would be finished, or live with Joel and Ellie.

Before she could have answered Joel had asked her quietly to stay with them. She didn’t question it, deep down thankful he had offered, not wanting to stay with someone she had never met before.

Jackson was like entering the twilight zone after so many years of running and surviving.

If she did not know that outside of these high and strictly guarded walls cordyceps had taken over the world, she would almost believe nothing changed. The first night she spent switching the light on and off until she fell asleep. Exhausted from the previous days, maybe years.

Sleep felt different now that no one was there to watch her.

It did not stop the nightmares though. She woke up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night, with the knowing feeling like somebody was watching her.

But no one was there.

The Fireflies had kept her like a prisoner and Mel couldn’t even remember how it was to make her own choices. Yesterday she had eaten almost a whole bowl of potato salad that had been in the fridge, one of the many welcome presents the townspeople had gifted to their newest residents, like a cavewoman just because she could.

She felt rather sick for the rest of the day but the point was, she could (and would) do whatever she wanted, and she did not really know how to handle it.

And then there was Joel.

Even though they lived together, they did not see each other much. He had been taken advantage of pretty quickly, going on patrol and when he wasn’t there, he was helping around town to build houses or fix things.

She had learned that he was a carpenter before.

Ellie had told her so. Ellie, who has spent most of her time with Mel since they got here.

The girl clearly was going through something, zoning off through conversations and being in her thoughts throughout the day when she wasn’t talking a hundred miles per hour. She also was struggling with her relationship with Joel.

He had lied to her when Ellie asked about what exactly had happened in the hospital. Even though he was completely right doing it, saving Ellie before the Fireflies got the chance to kill her.

Marlene really had done quite the job on the girl. In her talks to Ellie Mel noticed that she genuinely believed the Fireflies could have found a cure because of her immunity. And she was angry Joel took that from her for whatever reason.

If Mel could talk to Ellie and explain what the Fireflies really had been up to… But she hadn’t even talked to Joel about it. And she didn’t know if she would ever be ready to talk about it.

Mel only had to take one look at Joel to know that it was because he loved the girl.

So, living with these two was quite… intense. And most of the time quiet once they were in the same room.

And Mel could not handle quiet. Because her own thoughts would get too loud.

So she kept busy.

Cleaning the house, even though her back was killing her. Attempting to cook dinner (mostly with average success), always keeping a plate for Joel in the fridge because he mostly wasn’t home by dinner time.

She read books.

She took a bubble bath in the middle of the day with home made soap Joel brought home one day just because she could.

Today she had a doctor’s appointment to check on her and her baby. She’d even get a sonogram picture to take home to pin at the fridge, like her mother did with the paintings she made for her before….

“Ellie?” Mel called upstairs to where the girls room was at the moment. She wanted to move to the garage but hadn’t asked Joel yet. Not because she wanted his blessing, but because she needed his help to build the place but was simply too proud (or stubborn) to ask.

Ellie also was weirdly fascinated by Mel’s pregnancy.

It was quite adorable actually.

Tommy, who she met as Joel’s brother on the day they arrived, had brought over some books the day after, intended for Mel to read. Yet Ellie had been the one to read all of the book in a matter of days, making for some weird conversations when Mel and her were making cookie dough and she wanted to taste some of it.

Ellie literally knocked it out of her hands before asking her if she didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to eat anything that contained raw egg.

Mel didn’t.

Ellie’s protectiveness about Mel’s unborn child was why she asked the girl if she wanted to come with her to the first real doctor's appointment with her.

She wasn’t interested until Mel told her that they might be able to see the baby.

Ellie almost fell down the stairs, stopping just in front of Mel.

“Ready?” Mel asked. Ellie nodded.

It was like Joel knew she was there when he turned his head and found Mel and Ellie walking down the road towards the center of Jackson.

He hadn’t talked much to Mel since they got here.

He hadn’t talked much at all since they got here.

There were so many things on his mind, the easier way for him was to keep busy and bottle all of his feelings inside and try to make sense of it.

Like he had been for twenty years.

“You’re starring,” Joel’s hand whipped around, finding his brother grinning at him.

Joel only grunted before he focused back on his task, pointedly ignoring his little brother.

“You talked to her yet?” he asked.

“Who?” Joel asked, still not looking at him as he grabbed his hammer.

“Your soulmate,” Tommy hummed and Joel narrowed his eyes before he looked up.

“What? You think I did not see the scar on her temple?” he asked.

“Could be any scar,” Joel pointed out.

“Sure. What about your Butterfly Tattoo on her shoulder?” Tommy asked.

“When did you see that?” Joel asked suspiciously while Tommy’s grin only got wider.

Joel had seen it earlier this week, his chest tightening at the sight for a number of reasons.

Yes, he had seen some of his scars on her body, his eyes seemingly finding another one whenever he saw Mel. But the Tattoo…

When Sarah had turned eleven her wish was for Joel to get a Tattoo.

And because there was nothing in this world Joel wouldn’t do to make his girl happy, he let her paint a butterfly which he took to a local Tattoo Artist and got it tattooed on his left shoulder, much to his daughters delight.

He had been inside the house when he saw it on Mel’s shoulder as she sat on a blanket, directing Ellie in the garden on how to take care of the wild vegetables growing there.

It was like the air had been sucked out of his lungs as he saw this tattoo on her skin.

Because up to this moment he lived in heavenly denial about the scars that seemed to match his.

But the tattoo?

He could not deny this. But he didn’t know what to do about it, because he was bad at feelings (that he totally was not having). And he was even worse at talking.

He felt a hand on his shoulder before Tommy sat down next to him.

“Are you gonna tell her?” he asked.

Joel sighed.

“She has more important things to take care of soon,” he shook his head. Which was the truth. And then there was this part of himself that didn’t want to allow the idea of someone new in his life. Because the people he loved either leave or die and he already cared too much about Mel to lose her either way.

“You deserve to be happy,” his brother said. Joel turned his head to look at his brother. The brother who disappeared for years because of the way Joel chose for them to stay alive when the world ended.

“Do I?” Joel asked, before he got up and left.

“This is so weird,” Ellie had not stopped looking at the sonogram picture since leaving the doctor’s office. She had gotten her very own copy of the picture of the baby girl growing in Mel’s belly. Mel had some reservations about going to see a doctor with the way she had been treated the last years. Her anxiety was on the highest level, yet she chose to work through it instead of hiding away.

Because she needed to know the baby was okay. That one good thing would come out of the hell she went through these last years.

Ellie seemed to pick up on her mood, hesitantly offering her hand. Once Mel took it, she didn’t let go of it until they were through with the doctor's visit.

“Even more weird when she moves,” Mel put a hand on her belly.

“You feel that?” Ellie looked at her with wide eyes which almost made Mel laugh.

“All the time,” she fondly rubbed her belly.

They walked back towards the house after picking up some groceries, intending to try themselves at cooking again. Mel was bad at it, and Ellie had never done it before, so they made quite the team.

Mel was pleasantly surprised to find Joel sitting on the porch, guitar in his lap.

It was the first time he was home earlier.

She watched Ellie shrink a little, her smile disappearing. Mel didn’t know what their relationship was before Salt Lake City, but she’d bet that it wasn’t that… difficult.

“Promised I would teach you,” Joel said with the hint of a smile as he looked at her.

“Uh. Yeah. That… That’d be great,” Ellie mumbled.

“You play?” Mel asked, walking up towards the house.

He nodded.

“Been a long time though.”

“You taking requests?” she asked with a small smile. He huffed a laugh.

“Maybe later,” he said.

Mel’s eyes lingered on the scar on his temple, her own scar tingling.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it then. Gonna try to cook some dinner,” Mel smiled, looking from Joel to Ellie.

“You sure?” Ellie asked.

“Very. I might yell for help though cause I have no idea what I’m doing,” she opened the door, letting Ellie carry the groceries they had gotten inside, before she followed her.

“Mel?” Joel asked behind her. She turned around, looking at him as he got up.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Thank you,” he said. Mel frowned.

“For what?”

“Looking after her. Things have been… Tense and you could have just… left or I don’t know but… Fuck I’m just…”

“It’s okay. I’m glad to look after her.”

“Good. That’s… yeah. That’s good.”

Mel was smiling softly at him and Joel seemed to lose every word he had ever learned before.

“Between us, I think she misses you.”

“She hates me,” he said and Mel shook her head.

“She’s hurt because she knows you lied to her. And I more than understand why you did, now that I got to know her more. I don’t think she would have understood why you did what you did if you explained right away back in the woods.”

She took a step closer, and Joel stopped breathing for a second.

“Try talking to her,” she put her hand on his arm and he closed his eyes for a moment before he sighed.

“I will,” he promised.

“And spend more time with her. She wants to ask you to redo the garage to live in there, but she doesn’t know how,” she whispered the last part, hearing Ellie come back outside.

She gave Joel a meaningful look to which he nodded.

“I put the picture on the fridge,” Ellie informed Mel to which she snorted.

“Of course you did,” Mel said.

“What picture?” Joel asked.

“We went to the doctor today and he got this cool machine where we could look inside of Mel? Like at her baby? It was so fucking awesome. And also weird,” Ellie sat on the bench outside, grabbing the Guitar.

“You got a sonogram?” Joel asked. Mel nodded.

“You wanna see?” she asked softly. After a moment he nodded.

He watched her reach into the tote bag she had been carrying, his eyes lingering on her tongue between her plush lips as she searched for it.

She got a book out, opening it to reveal a black and white picture that had been sitting in between the pages, probably to keep it safe.

“She’s a perfectly healthy baby girl,” she smiled as she held the picture out for him to look at.

He remembered the feeling of seeing the first sonogram of his daughter like it was yesterday. He had been so fucking scared when he learned that his ex girlfriend had been pregnant. But seeing his baby girl for the first time?

He felt a finger on his cheek and he blinked his eyes a couple of times to get back to the here and now, finding Mel brushing tears from his cheek, he hadn’t been aware of.

“I can not wait to meet her,” he managed to say quietly.

Mel wanted to ask a million questions at the way he reacted to seeing the sonogram picture. But this wasn’t the right time. Maybe she would get some time to talk to him some time.

“Me neither,” she cupped his cheek.

“I’m gonna head in and try to cook,” she said.

“Call for us if you need help,” he said as he let her hand fall from his face, immediately missing his warmth.

“Oh I will,” she winked, giggling as she turned away from him and walked into their house.

#my fic #counting stars fic #Joel miller x ofc #Pedro pascal #Joel miller #fanfic #fanfiction #fan fiction #tlou fanfiction

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robinismywifee · 10 months

Text

in my room || pt. 1

pairings madly inlove!ellie williams x madly inlove!reader

summary based of the song, in my room by insane clown posse

warnings reader stalks ellie? just lowkey creepy reader, reader has trouble eating due to her mothers death, not much warnings for this chapter since its the backstory and how they met, but theres gonna be KINKY smut in the other chapters

a/n idk how many chapters this will be, 3-5?? its in 3rd pov with some flashbacks that are 1st pov and i really hope nobody has based an ellie fic off this song bc im really proud of it since it was my own idea lol, also i think for the next short fic i do its gonna be like an 80s camp consular thing if u guys want that??

wordcount 4k

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4

—

aime and ellie had been best friends ever since they met eachother. ever since aime first laid eyes on ellie, she knew she was going to be hers, ellie didnt even know she existed, but she was hers.

aime remembers the first time seeing ellie like it was yesterday, even though it was almost 6 years ago.

aime was walking down the road of jackson, walking down to get food, and stopped by the horse stables when she heard a mention of new people.

"yeah, apparently it was actually just tommys brother" the older male teenager said from inside the stable

"tommy has a brother? and he has a neice? i didnt know that, where were they?" the slightly younger, also male, teenager said, also from inside the stable

"no, the girl wasnt his kid, i heard her calling him by his name and tommy didnt know her, i dont know their relation but theres a rumor that they traveled from maine to here on feet"

"that's impossible, and why would he travel all those states with some kid? maybe he knew her mom"

"yea, i have no fucking clue.. hey give me a hand with this-"

and with that, aime was back on her feet, done with easedropping

hmm.. a new girl and a new man?

aime didnt know anything about it. she had just gotton back from sneaking outside the walls, only coming back because the empty feeling in her stomach was getting to hard to ignore

she walked into jacksons cafeteria, immediately spotting the back of girl with brown hair (with lots of red undertones) tied up into a ponytail, sitting next to a bigger man, aime immediately noticed the food the girl had stuffed into her pockets.

she walked quietly over and hid herself behind a pilar that held the building up, well not actually but in her little 14 year old brain, if that thick wood pilar were to be chopped off, the whole roof would come down with it.

she peaked over the piller, now infront of the girl, able to see her face.

and thats when she felt it. its impossible to describe with measly words of what she felt, but she just knew. she saw the girls eyes, she could tell from the meters away she stood, that they were the most beautiful eyes she's ever seen. they were green, the edges of her eyes lighter, more like chartreuse, but got darker in the middle, like a juniper green, and is that a mix of cedar brown in there too?

after getting lost in the unknown girls eyes, she moved her back behind the pilar, hiding herself completely, she couldnt help but a small smile forming. the bright energy she carried radiated off her. shes mine.

the day after, she watched out her window as the girl from the food center, which she learned by now her name was ellie.. what an adorable, name.. it suited her face so well.. escaped with one of the horses from the stables. she had watched as she rode off, peaking over her shoulder making sure nobody saw her leave, which nobody did, execpt of course aime, but aime didnt mind her leaving, because she knew she was to see her again, and would finally then introduce herself.

it wasnt for months until ellie came back. the guy who she came with, tommy's brother, which aime had also learned awhile backs name was joel, came back with her as well. they both were fearly bruised, scarred, but they came back.

her girl came back for her.

aime had lived in an empty house, it was small, only one floor, but it still had two bedrooms, but technically only one considering the other bedroom was boarded shut with wood and nails across the doorframe, leaving everything inside the room completely abandoned.

it was her mothers room. the same mother that had tought aime to kill every person in sight that wasn't her, no matter their pleads or screams, no matter if they did absolutely nothing wrong. if they breathed it was a threat.

it felt weird, after going her whole entire life of killing every single person without a second thought, to just.. not. to just.. let the strangers pick her up and drag her to saftey.

i cradled my mother that was covered head to toe in blood, holding her head in my lap, i stared blankly down at her, the emotion i felt was overwhelming, my vision was foggy, blurring, blackening, my chest was moving up and down rapidly, but my eyes didnt even near water.

my mom always had a lot of rules i needed to follow, and to never cry was one of them, she told me it meant i was weak, and it was a threat for our lives to be weak, to show emotion to others.

my ears also rung, i knew there was people around, their light beamed down onto us, i was waiting for them to shoot us, i mean, why wouldnt they? some girl comes to the gates of their community, skin and clothes soaked and covered completely in crimson red, matching the women she held as she collapsed to the floor.

but when my vison faded to black, the ringing got louder, and louder, until it was completely dark and silent.

2 days later, im sitting in a chair, leaned over, my elbows to my knees, hand cupped tangled into my mothers. she layed in the hopsital bed, tubes connected to her, a moniter beeping

i was inside a community. the community that i showed up to the gates. i had passed out, and they took us both in, immediately getting my mother that had a gunshot wound to the head medical attention, she's still alive, the bullet only grazing her, but not conscious, the doctor says its a coma, and she could wake up in one minute, or never, and theres no way to tell, and they also couldnt tell how messed up she was until she woke up. i had only passed out asleep, a really deep sleep from how exhausted i had been from doing all that running with no sleep for days and no food or water for too long.

me and my mother had to leave the cabin that we had been staying at since a horde of runners was coming through and we didnt have enough supplies to take them down, and while trying to find a new home, we ran into these guys, it didnt go well. but when i saw burning smoke from not too far ahead, i dragged my mother's unconscious body towards it, just in hopes that it was a community home to moral people. i had collapsed at the gates once i had gotten there, i couldnt even push out a single word, i though my mother had died,

i had broken so many rules. i trusted these people. let them take us in, i wanted them to. i asked for their help. i didnt kill them, i still havent killed them, i dont want to kill them!

the community is called jackson, aime had asked the guy, whos wife was basically the leader, his name tonmy, why he took her in, he asked why wouldnt he, and explained to her that her and her mother were no threat, and she was just a child, with her hurt mother that did no harm. he gave them their own home, aimes mother got moved into it too, still in her coma.

that was when aime was 11. her mom didnt wake up for almost 3 years, and when she did wake up, she wasnt good. it took weeks for her to gain full consciousness, and when she was fully conscious, it was only a week before she passed.

some stupid infection apparently.

then, 2 weeks later, ellie showed up again.

aime watched from her bedroom window as ellie and joel walked on the path, accompanied by tommy and maria. ellies eyes were empty, she didnt have the energy she radiated before, and aime was determined to regain her the energy.

aime had already planned out how she was gonna interact with ellie and how she was gonna get her to fall inlove. she decided on not introducing herself until a few days or maybe even a week after her arrival. ellie was already getting bombarded by everyone, so once everyone calmed down, aime was gonna make ellie speak to her first.

aime had spent the next 5 days sneaking around and.. well, stalking ellie. she needed to find out what she was like, what her interests were, her pet peeves, that kind of stuff.

ellie liked astronomy, books about space and planets, that type of stuff, were stored into her room on her shelf, while a half opened comic of ‘savage starlight’ seemed to be what she was currently reading. ellie liked to draw and write, even more if she was listening to her walkman during it, aime assumed that she used writing to get her thoughts out or maybe as a coping mechanism. aime had a strong temptation to sneak into ellies room and snoop through her journal and see what she wrote about, or to even check what music was in her walkman, but she knew that was going too far and if she were to get caught, it would ruin everything.

she also saw ellie talking to dina and jesse a few times. aime bit back her jealousy when she did, dina and jesse were dating and have been for awhile and so clearly are inlove with one another and aime shouldnt worry about them getting in the way.

aime didn’t necessarily have friends, she was really quiet, reserved, she wasnt even supposed to be in a community, ever, and under the circumstances of her mom, people understood why she wasnt bright and cheery. the only time she talked was when she was spoken to, but aime decided she needed to push past it, and finally become a real person. finally have a fucking personality.

a few months after aimes first arrival when she was 11, maria had talked to her about putting some work in, aime undertsood, as she was getting free medical care for her mother, free food, free water, free shelter, and agreed on it, at first maria put her on teaching the young kids how to read and write, but aime hated it, and begged maria to do patrol with the older teenagers, but since she was only 11, maria said no, and put her on teaching kids self defense. aime had tought the kids how to protect themself from others for 2 years before maria finally agreed for aime to do group patrol.

aime was the only 13 year old allowed to go on patrol, after maria had seen how good she was and after aime begging for years, she was the exception.

aime woke up early, gently brushing her hair till it was smooth and soft. she decided on folding the peices of her hair to make two french braids, her hair ending a few inches below her shoulders, from the hot and sticky weather. it was spring, and the weather had been unpredictable, going from rainy and gloomy one day to sunny and sticky the next. today was a sunny-hot day. she splashed cold water on her face, patting it dry, and applied cherry scented lip balm that glossed her pink lips and left a red tint.

her patrol group had rode past some old underwear store a few weeks ago, and aime had snuck behind the group, searching until she found a pair that looked close enough to her size. she wore the bra she had gotten from that day, pushing up her small breasts to make them look full, and put on a simple white tank top, just barley showing off her cleavage. she just wore regular jeans with it, they were dark blue, warn out, hugging her hips perfectly, the bottom of them got baggy, covering the hightop part of her converse. she should probably wear her boots today, it had rained a few days ago and would be muddy, but ellie wore her converse shoes everyday so aime would wear hers too, to match.

once the girl was ready, she stuck her lipgloss into her pocket just in case, and left.

“hey aimees! you’re up pretty early” jesse smiled, as he sat on one of the bar stools to the same cafeteria where aime first saw ellie. jesse was super friendly, he definitely would call aime his friend, if not, his best friend, but aime wouldn’t consider him her friend. its not that she didnt like him, she actually found him quiet amusing, but she wasnt really the people type and didnt like opening up to people.

“yeah, i woke up at 5, couldnt fall back asleep so i just thought i’d take my time getting ready and actually get breakfast for once” i nodded

“troubles with sleeping again? maria has pills for that i think if you ask her about it im sure she wouldn’t mind giving you some” he said with that look in his eyes that everyone else had been giving her lately

“jesse, stop”

“stop what? im just trying to help”

“yeah, thats the problem, i dont need help, and stop giving me that sad look”

jesse stayed quiet, aime left him, ording some food, once she had gotten it, she came back and sat down, staring at it. she never was good with eating, but ever since her mothers death, its been worse. she picked at the pancake with her fork. the only reason she had gotten food was because maria talked to her the other day about how she never eats and she asked her to grab food before patrol today, she said she would, and she alwyas keeps her word. she didnt think it would be this hard, but now that the food was infront of her, she felt sick.

“you okay?” jesse asked

“m’ great” aime hummed, slicing off a peice of pancake and shoving it into her mouth. she slowly ate, a simple conversation with jesse going on between, when suddenly he asked about her.

“have you met ellie yet?”

aimes eyes widened, but quickly went to normal. jesse didnt notice. “uh, no? is that the new girl?” she asked looking up from he food, she asked as if she didnt spend every other second of her day thinking about her. hell, two nights ago she spent, watching her.

“yeah, she’s actually pretty cool, and she said she would come here this morning and dina too, thats why i was here in the first place, they should be here soon”

“hm” aime hummed quietly, pretending not to care. jesse continued talking about dina, just him thinking outloud basically, until he stopped mid sentence to start a new sentence to new people- “oh! finally, i was starting to think you guys ditched me” jesse smiled to the two girls, aimes eyes were glued to her plate, only a few bites were left of her pancake and she only ordered one, and had been here for about at least 20 minutes.

“hey jesse!” aime heard dinas voice, the corner of her eyes she could see dina coming up to jesse to give him a quick hug, before she turned to aime

“hey aime! how you’ve been?” dina asked gently, aime rolled her eyes. she hated it. she hated the way people treated her. aime saw dina everyday, and dina always asked the same question as if it was gonna make her depression disappear.

“great” aime mumbled, ignoring her thumping heart of being only a few feet away from ellie

it was silent for a few seconds, “oh! aime, meet ellie!” dina cheered, how the fuck can she be this happy at 6:30 in the morning? everyday too. “hey” she mumbled, not looking at ellie at all. aime pretended as if she didn’t care. “uh, hi” ellie shuffled awkwardly from behind her

“come on aime! actually introduced yourself”

dina smiled, waiting for us to fully meet.

i hopped off my seat, standing only a foot away from ellie, we were about the same height, execpt i was a few inches taller

i smiled at her awkwardness. “hey ellie, im aime, i live next door to you in the wooden house” i lifted my hand out to her, she looked up to me, confused at my sudden change of personality, “hi..” ellie said quietly, unsure of what to say since aime already knew her name

aime looked down to ellies arm as ellie connected her hand to hers, aime felt sparks in her stomach, and ellie felt weird too, but she assumed it was just the anxiety of meeting a new pretty girl.

aime immediately felt worried for ellie as she noticed the white bandaged wrapped around her arm, she hadnt notice it before, from ellie always wearing long sleeves until now, aime let go of ellies hand, eyebrows furred, aimes left hand held ellies arm right beneath the bandage, while she reached out with her right and traced gently over it, “what happened? are you okay?” aime asked, her voice was calm, but panic was inside her

aime batted her eyes down to the girl, aimes dark brown, almost black, eyes met with ellies jade eyes. “oh, its just uh- a small wound from- a, from a knife, and its wrapped so it doesnt get in-infected” ellie stammered, aime watched as ellies eyes glued to the wood ground, and ellies cheecks blushed red

“that sucks,” aime started, she slid her hands that were on her right arm down to meet with ellies right hand, both of aimes hands grazing over her hand and brushing against her fingers, “i hope it heals fine” aime stood there for a few seconds, just playing with ellies fingers, “i gotta go,

group patrol starts soon, it was nice meeting you, ellie” aime smiled to her, dropping her hand and leaving, not even bothering saying goodbye to dina or jesse who stood there confused and shocked

once aime left the building, jesse and dina both looked at eachother, mouth ajar, ellie stood there, her thoughts racing over trying to figure out what just happened to her, surely she was like that with everyone?

“that was insane!” dina was the first to speak, ellie finally looked up confused, “what was?” she asked, jesse and dina looked at eachother once more, and back to ellie

“nothing, its just..” dina tried to explain but couldnt find the words, “shes never like that, i mean, her smile when she looked at you was genuine, she never smiles! and she continued the conversation? she never does, she always is super quiet” jesse explained better, “oh” was all ellie could say.

“hey, i thought you couldnt do group patrol until 16?” ellie asked, she wanted to do it but both joel and maria immediately said no. “yeah, you cant” jesse shrugged, “what? shes 16? you guys said she was our age” ellie asked confused, “no, shes 14, shes just the only one allowed to do patrol that young”

“oh, how come?”

“just is” jesse shrugged

the rest of the day ellie spent asking and asking jesse and dina questions about aime. ellie felt so intrigued by her and wanted- no, needed, to learn more about her.

the next day, after aime finished patrol, she layed on her couch, writing about a certain girl in her journal when a knock came to her door. she placed her journal down with the pen ontop, before walking over to the window, she peaked out, seeing jesse standing there, she sighed, unlocking and opening the door

“hey aimees, me, dina, and ellie were gonna hangout at my place, play card games, wanted to know if you wanna hang with, we can be as noisy as we want, my moms not home” jesse smiled

once aime heard that ellie was going, she knew she was going, but she needed to not seem suspicious. “uhh.. i dont know” she hummed, “come on, what were you even doing before?” he asked, peaking behind me, aime glanced over her shoulder looking at my journal on the table, “not much” she said with a shrug, “exactly! come on, go get your shoes on, ill be waiting, okay thanks!” jesse said, and before aime could reply, jesse grabbed the door handle and shut the front door

aime smiled, her plan working, she rushed to her bedroom, applying more lipgloss, and tying her shoes, she brushed out her hair, she kept on her pajamas, she wore a dark wine red hoodie, and black plush shorts

“jeez, took you long enough” jesse over exaggerated, “whatever, you’re lucky im going”

when aime showed up, she pretend that she didnt feel like she wanted to grab the nearest kicthen knife and repeativly stab dina in the chest. what did dina say that was so funny to make ellie grab onto her shoulder like that?

“oh! hey guys, hey aime! im glad you came!” dina smiled, aime gave a small nod with a small smile

“come on! sit, we have the cards ready!” dina exlcaimed, aime sat directly infront of ellie on the ground, jesse and dina next to me, as they started playing uno

“hey ellie” aime smiled, not bothering saying hi back to dina, everyone could already see blush forming on ellie, “hi aime” and with that they started the game

once it got really late, and dina had fallen asleep, aime decided that she and ellie were gonna leave, and they would finally be alone. aime stood up, not bothering to fix her shorts that rose up from sitting down, now exposing her ass. “its getting late, i have patrol early tomorrow, i should get going” aime said, looking down between jesse and ellie, ellie stood up too, “yeah, joel wanted me home by 10” ellie fidgeted her fingers looking at jesse and dina, they were both leaned against the couch still on the ground, dina asleep with her head on his shoulder

“all good, im getting pretty tired too, see you guys tomorrow, get home safe” jesse waved bye, aime nodded and turned around to leave,

knowing ellie was following behind her

ellie trailed behind aime, her eyes trailing to the loose hem of the girls shorts, she could feel her face getting hot

aime could feel ellies eyes on her, so she peaked over her shoulders, smirking to herself once she saw ellies eyes flicker around back to the ground as she pretending like she wasnt looking

aime stopped walking, waiting till ellie caught up to her until they were side by side

ellie kept her eyes on the ground, feeling embarrassed, knowing the aime had saw her looking. aime stared into the girls eyes

“has anyone ever told you that you have the prettiest eyes in the whole existence?” aime asked softly, ellies face grew even hotter, she took at least 30 seconds to reply as her brain malfunctioned. “no” ellie said softly, “oh, well you do, i could just look at them forever, theyre so easy to get lost in” aime continued, knowing it was making ellie incredibly flustered

“i- thank you..” ellie said in just above a whisper, about a minute pasted before ellie spoke up, “you have really pretty eyes too”

“thank you, ellie” aime smiled, ellie finally looked back up to her, smiled with her

after that, they chatted and joked until ellie stopped infront of her house, “do you.. maybe wanna come in?” ellie asked, fidgeting with her fingers, aime smiled, walked closer to the girl, and grabbed her hand and connected it with hers to stop her from fidgeting. “i would love to”

and from that day on, ellie and aime became best friends, always with eachother like they were conjoined twins

but it didnt end like that

#ellie williams #ellie williams tlou #the last of us #ellie williams tlou2 #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x oc #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x you

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