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youlikefanficdontyousquidward · 1 year

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Bubble baths

Sort of a continuation of this lyle fic, but recom now! (Mainly a surprise gift for @thevanityofthefox)

Sequel to

Summary: Recom!Lyle is a little body conscious but decides to share a bubble bath with his partner!

Warnings: Sexual content, smut, na'vi gentles differences (Will link the post if I find it but picture that scene from the shape of water)

Of all the team Lyle found himself adjusting the easiest. Miles brooded, Mansk was grumpier than normal and even Lopez wasn't up to joke around. He felt Walker and Zdog at least had more of an excuse, their biology was the most altered.

Although at least they still looked themselves downstairs. Lyle grumbled at the ken doll look he sported in the mirror. The lab coats had given them a very amusing sex ed lesson. One they could barely get through from the laughter of their audience.

He was still there, just tucked up and hidden. Suppose that explained the loin cloths their enemies wore, nothing to hide. Well not entirely true, the human DNA left him still with his happy trail.

He'd avoided being intimate with you since he'd returned. You were keen no question but he just wasn't comfortable yet. Angel you were you'd backed down, being extremely affectionate without pushing it.

It was incredibly frustrating. Of course you had no idea how bad he wanted you, innocently pecking his cheek, sharing his bed, cuddling. All perfectly tame behavior, it was Lyle's mind that kept dwelling on your touch. The feel of your hands on him, your soft flesh squishing against him under the covers.

You'd been enjoying the new facilities. Lyle's room was even bigger now at Bridgehead. Large soft bed, windows, a desk big enough for both of you and the en suite. This new bathroom had you giddy, jumping in place and holding his arm.

It was pretty nice, even he had to admit it. Walk in shower, large sink, lots of surface space and the centerpiece, a huge bath tub. This truly was massive, easily five times the size of any he'd seen before. Though with his new body it had to be. Even so he'd probably still have to raise his knees to fit but the water could go up to his chest.

He'd not been in yet. He'd joked you were never out of it to the others. Prager smiling cheekily at him from across the table.

"You could join them!" He smirked, jabbing Walker beside him.

"You better or I will!" Ja clapped his shoulder taking a seat beside him. Lyle feigned jealousy, demanding a duel for your honour. It didn't bother him, their jokes were just that and he trusted you more than anyone.

It was in that spirit he entered your shared room. The tell tale light and steam coming from the bathroom. He was being silly, he knew it. You wouldn't shame him for his new form, it was his problem and he wanted to deal with it.

He entered the room, removing his shirt and tossing it to the bed. He'd been in plenty of times while you'd bathed or showered now. There was no shyness left in you as you grinned from the tub.

"Dinner good?" You hummed, your eyes slipping closed again. You'd even lit some scented candles he'd found for you. Hell he should have got some rose petals! You looked beautiful in the bubbles, skin glowing in the dim flames.

"Mhm, nothing beats grubs and roots." He joked, new diet had been hard to adjust to. He stood at the mirror above the sink, stalling a moment. He heard you shift in the water behind him, glancing at your reflection. You moved to the edge closest to him, gazing up his bare back.

He took a deep breath, unbuckling his belt. The seconds dragged on in to infinity, it felt torturous. He watched your gaze linger on his figure, drinking in his muscled back. He remembered your first night on the base, you fingers lazily tracing his glowing freckles in the dark. His throat tightened as he unzipped his trousers, letting them fall and kicking them away.

"Mind if I join you?" He called over his shoulder, his voice calmer than he felt. His heart fluttered at your spreading grin, exited to be close to him.

"Sure!" You chirped, "Big spoon or little?" you added. It'd been a joke at first but he'd come to really enjoy being little spoon at night. Your frame wrapping around him, tucking his head to your chest, legs around his slim waist.

"Little." he decided. If he was gonna do this he wanted to relax. He heard the squeak as you shifted back to the other end of the tub. With one last gulp he dropped his pants.

There was no reaction, of course not, you'd been well aware of na'vi biology before he had. You just smiled up at him before reaching grabbing hands to him. He chuckled, stepping into the warm water and leaning back against you.

It was heavenly, the gentle scent on the bubbles and candles, the warmth of the water seeping into his skin and you hands. You rubbed bubbles up his arms, stopping to knead into the muscle of his neck. He groaned, letting the tension drift out with the sound. His tail shifted uncomfortable before he moved it to curl around your waist.

He felt you legs on either side of his own clench together slightly before your hands continued to his scalp. You rubbed the skin as Lyle relaxed further, slipping down your chest a little. He felt amazing, cursing himself for not enjoying this luxury sooner. When your massage ended your hands slipped forward to rest on his chest, giving his peck a playful squeeze.

He laughed a little, before he felt you kiss against his neck. It was just a peck, you weren't pushing things but oh what it did to him. He let his hand glide down your thigh, feeling your breath hitch behind him. One thing was glad for now, was that he could literally smell your arousal. Even past the soap and candles your scent was the sweetest thing.

Lyle sat up twisting to rest his back on the other side of the tub. He smirked across at you, now able to see the blush tipping your ears. He reached his hands out, beckoning you to join him. You rose to your knees, giving Lyle a good show of your chest. Water and soap tracing down your form as he stared, desperate to engrave the sight into his mind.

You took his arms, Lyle tugging you to him. The water sloshed, spilling out onto the tiles. Neither of you could find it in yourselves to care for a little mess right now. Both caught so strongly by the others gaze. Now closer you shifted up, climbing into Lyle's lap.

He felt his core twitch, an aching in him stronger than he'd ever felt. A drive to be closer, his tail reacting on its own, wrapping round your thigh. He trailed his hands up your spine, your body arching against his own. Closer, he needed to be closer.

Your hands cupped his cheeks, silent question hanging between you both. You were too sweet, still waiting to be sure he was ready. Lyle answered with a kiss, heated and greedy.

His hands tangling into your hair, tilting your head to deepen the connection. He nipped gently at your lips, weary of fangs before trailing his kiss to your jaw. He felt your hands gripping his shoulders, your hip now grinding down against him.

He muffled his moans into your neck, sucking and nipping where your scent grew stronger. Your whimpers above him were driving him wild. His hips bucked up against yours desperate for friction.

Lyle let a hand slip down, grazing against your hardened nipple on his way down. You whined, body so sensitive under his touch. Maybe from the weeks without his attention or maybe just your own changes. Whatever it was it didn't matter, it drove him feral to hear your reactions.

He tipped you back to mouth at your chest, while his hand slipped between you both. You moaned out his name, Lyle's ears flicking at the wanton sound, focusing forward desperate for more.

He rubbed languid circles against you, savoring the way you tensed and writhed. Your nails digging into his arms, even the sting was exquisite. He felt his own need growing, desperate for more. The driving need to be closer still.

He reached to his own, feeling the hardened tip pocking there, the need almost painful. He pressed in and up under it, the strange new sensation making his eyes roll back. He unfurled, his hard cock bouncing up against you.

He tipped his head to meet your gaze. Your hooded eyes staring down only looked hungry. Your hand slipping bellow the water to curl around him. Lyle sucked air in through his teeth at your touch, hands darting to the tubs sides for support.

You gently explored his length, excited by the feeling of hard ridges, wondering just how magnificent he'll look out of the obscuring water. You rose, hand aligning him to your entrance before locking eyes again.

Lyle's pupils were blow, almost black in the dim light. His mouth slack as he took in the sight. You sat, sliding down his length in one motion, keening at the sudden stretch. Still it was worth it for the sound Lyle made, an animalistic growl that set your hairs on end. His hand gripping your hips to grind you against him.

You rose again, slapping back down, Lyle grunting and bucking with you. His head diving down to your throat again latching on as you road him. You were sure you were covered in love bites but you couldn't care. Your need driving your hips deeper down, grinding after your own high.

He could feel you getting close, the fluttering walls tightening against him driving him deeper. His hand slipped back down, needing to add more sensation, craving your release around him. You chanted his name in his ear, unable to form any other word past the moans.

He was edging closer himself, keeping pace despite the dizzying pleasure. Just a little longer, he needed to hear you first, need to feel it.

Your orgasm crashed against you, crying out as waves of it coursed through you, gripping onto Lyle. He was barely a second behind, the sudden rush of warmth, the tight spasm, your voice, it was all too much. You road out your high, stilling against his stuttering hips as it passed.

Both your chests heaved in rhythm together. Lyle whispered praises against your skin, leaving open mouthed kisses up until he reached your lips.

He kissed you gently, hands stroking your hair delicately before pulling away to admire your blissed out expression. He kissed the tip of your nose, watching your eyes refocus and letting out a giggle. The movement making him twitch inside you.

"Again?" Your eyes widened, a small smiles spreading across your swollen lips. Lyle leaned in to kiss you again, sure he'd never want to stop.

#lyle wainfleet x reader #lyle wainfleet #avatar imagine #my fics #the way of water #recom reader #maybe if you squint #wanted to leave it vague enough you could be human #also fun fact if your reading down here doing it in the tub really increases the risk of UTIs #and pain for the penetrated partner as water washes away lubrication #the more you know

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probssomethingorother · 8 months

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I can't do this without you: a tlou fic

Another cross-post up! FYI this is a middle bit of what should be a longer fic, but I never got around to finishing or posting the rest of it, so it now lives as a weird one-shot.

post episode 6, basement angst, hurt/comfort

Ellie & Joel one-shot (for now)

The days in the basement were hard. She didn't know what she was doing or how to help him. Ellie just had to trust her gut and hope he wouldn't die in front of her. You keep going for family, and Joel felt pretty close to family, she wasn't going to give up on him. You don't quit.

Words: 3,850, updated 7/16

Find it on AO3 here and below the cut :)

I can't do this without you

… … …

A soft whimper pulled her out of her own thoughts, head turning toward Joel. She was surprised to see his eyes meeting hers, his head turned just slightly to have her in his line of vision.

“ga-ah pee.” The words barely made it out of his throat, scratchy and hoarse. “Fuck, I ah-ok…“ “help me..” He began, before trailing off, losing the strength to even keep talking. He raised his arm weakly, motioning for her to tug him up. “Okay, um-,” she nervously stammered, readjusting to her knees next to him. One arm gripping his and the other slipping under his shoulder, Ellie did her best to push Joel up to a seated position. He gripped her hand tightly for leverage but really had no strength of his own to be effectively pulling his own weight. Her face tightened as she hoisted him forward, doing all the heavy lifting. The guttural moans that slipped out of him as he moved made Ellie’s heart tighten. Her brow furrowed in extreme concern as Joel’s head lolled. It was like his neck had forgotten how heavy his head was now after a day of disuse. For a second, Ellie thought he might pass out again, color emptying from his face. “Joel?” His eyes were set forward, but his face was almost emotionless. It was like he was in a haze. Maybe this was too much for his body. “Back down?” She asked softly, searching his eyes for a reply. Joel huffed and shook his head, the movement barely more than a twitch. Ellie let out a steading breath.

She released her hand from his, moving it over to his chest, the other still staying put on his back to help keep him seated as she peered over his shoulder. Her eyes searched around the basement, locking on the stairs for a moment and then breaking away. She had been going upstairs to use the bathroom herself, but there was no way she was going to be able to get him there. Her eyes did another sweep, landing on a corner with a discarded unplugged black mini fridge. If he couldn’t stand against the wall, at least there would be something there for him to sit on as a chair if he needed it.

“Alright. Let's... let's do this," she mumbled, more to herself than to him. She adjusted her grip slowly, one hand always somewhere on him as she shuffled from his front toward his back. She wiggled her small hands into his armpits and pushed through them, hooking both arms under his shoulders.

A deep inhale.

“On three okay?…Okay, Joel?” His only acknowledgment was a puffy exhale through his nose. “1…2…3.” With all the strength she could muster, she began to lift him, her eyes screwing shut as she willed her muscles to work overtime.

Joel grunted hard, a gut-wrenching sound that made Ellie's heart feel like it was being ripped apart. As she pulled up, Joel’s legs and feet clumsily tried to make purchase on the mattress, heels scrapping against it as he to get them more underneath himself. His efforts to push himself up only caused him to careen back into her, making Ellie stagger backward as she felt his weight heading her way. But, there was a spark of adrenaline that bloomed in that instant, keeping her moving and holding him upright. Her arms quickly untethered from under his shoulders and slid down to his waist, her head and shoulder pushing up against his back to keep him from falling backward completely and pancaking onto her.

Joel let out another horrid moan, this one lasting longer than all the rest. It rang in her ears as she realized her right hand was feeling something wet, quickly coming to understand that her hand had fallen close to his puncture wound when she had readjusted. Ellie immediately withdrew it, sliding it up the safety of his ribs, mumbling some sincere apologies as she did so.

Joel's face twisted with pain, a low growl escaping his lips as he staggered, one knee buckling. "Fuck," she cursed under her breath as her grip tightened and her head dug deeper into his back, straining to keep him upright. He was twice her size, and she could feel the pain of his weight sinking against her, his body unyielding like the deadweight it was starting to become. It seemed like forever as they swayed there, barely a second away from collapsing to the floor.

"Joel, we gotta... you need to stand... please…I can’t..“ she huffed, her voice trembling slightly. There was a helplessness in her tone and a twinge of fear. It was so un-Ellie-like, but the threatening reality of Joel toppling back onto her was enough to bring her to that point, especially after the last day or so.

Joel tried to tell her something, but it just came out as breathy remnants of words, indiscernible. Holding her breath, heart pounding in her ears, Ellie readjusted her grip again, groaning as she carefully slid out from behind his back to his side, slipping next to his side under his arm. She pushed her right hand into his upper ribs, grasping hard at his shirt, her left wrapped around his back. Her arm was so small compared to him that her hand barely was able to reach his waist on the other side.

“I got you, Joel... okay…I got you," Ellie whispered shakily, her own strength already waning - and they hadn’t even attempted walking. "Just ah, don't like, piss your pants, okay?" She sputtered, trying to crack a joke, but it hardly came out affably under the strain of the situation.

Joel made a sound that might have been a chuckle in a different life but now was more of a pained wheeze. His hand slowly moved to cradle his midsection as he let out a long exhale through his mouth.

“I’m going to…move that way.. to your left.” Ellie forced her voice to sound steady as she tried to motion him in the direction of the corner with her head, tapping it against his chest. The arm draped around her shoulders clenched weakly around her in response, his pale, chapped lips parting to take a ragged breath as Joel took a small step to the side.

Drawing in a deep breath of her own, Ellie grit her teeth and began the agonizingly slow shuffle toward the corner. It was more dragging than walking really, with Joel's feet scraping against the cold concrete floor. With each step, the corner seemed to grow further away, like they were somehow making less than no progress. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, the sound echoing in her ears. She was starting to feel too hot under her winter jacket, body heating up from the physical effort of it all. He was so heavy it was almost hurting her.

As they neared the corner, Joel’s legs faltered, almost tripping over his own feet, in clear sign of exhaustion. “No, no, Joel. We're… we're almost there, alright?” Her voice was desperate, pleading with him to hold on just a little bit longer. Joel groaned in response, his hand suddenly gripping onto her shoulder with a strength she hadn't expected. It was enough to push them the last few feet to their destination.

Joel dangerously swayed when Ellie stopped them, his head weakly rolling about as he tried to survey where she had led him to. Ellie looked up at him, his face catching the light seeping through the small upper window. The light dusky golden light highlighted a caste of sweat and his deepening under eyes. He looked so worn out, more than when he was lying on the mattress moments ago.

“Wall? Or sit?”

In his stubbornness, he abruptly released his arm from around Ellie and pushed himself off of her toward the concrete wall just a foot away. Without any strength, he practically tumbled into it, shoulder smashing against it, body sliding down just a little before somehow managing to catch himself. His left forearm pushed into the wall as his right hand palmed it to hold himself up.

Ellie watched in disbelief as he somehow managed to keep himself vertical. She knew she had to help, but she was frozen in place, unsure of exactly what to do next. She hadn’t really planned for anything else other than getting him over here. Joel cast a weak glance over his shoulder to her but didn’t say anything. With a small shake of his head, he removed his right hand from against the wall and brought it shakily to his waistband. His vision was swimming when he tried to look down, trying to see where his jean button was as his finger fumbled to pop it open. Joel swallowed deeply, a sudden wave of dizziness threatening to overtake him. Just as he finally was able to release his button, his knees began to buckle and he was heading to the floor, badly sliding against the cool concrete wall.

Ellie, who had been watching him intently, was at his side within a second, catching him before he could sink down completely. “No no no, no you don’t.” She had to push him deeper into the concrete just to keep him upright, not managing to really get much of a good grasp on him in her haste. His ragged breaths seemed to be moving his whole body, pushing him down further and further. There was another throaty groan from Joel as he tried to slide his arm up the wall in an effort to raise himself, but it only caused him to lose more balance and sink down further.

"Shit... shit,” she murmured, her heart pounding against her chest as she tried to stop it. He was practically standing head-to-head with Ellie now, matching her height.

Joel let out another deep mewl, almost a yell this time, as Ellie dug her body up against his, desperately trying to prevent him from slipping down further. “Joel, you can’t... you have to stay up," Ellie pleaded. Her voice was ragged now, echoing with the desperation she felt. But the only response from Joel was another weak grunt as his head flopped against the wall, painted with a grimace. He was in so much pain.

Ellie’s mind raced, thinking of the possible impending reality of letting him fall. He was too heavy, she knew that, but she also knew that she couldn't just let him collapse onto the hard floor. She wouldn’t be able to pick him up again. She would have to drag him all the way back to the mattress. And he probably would eventually have to piss in his pants.

Biting her lower lip hard, she threw a panicked look over to the mini-fridge just a foot or so away. Might as well have been a mile away. Every time Ellie moved to reposition herself even just slightly, Joel felt like he slipped down just a little bit more. But if she didn’t move, she couldn’t get him there, and then they would both certainly be a heap on the floor. Tears started to prickle at her water line in sheer frustration.

He just needed to use the bathroom, it shouldn’t have been this hard. It all felt like a mistake.

With an exhale that sounded more like a choked sob, she tried to regain some of her composure. Swallowing down her worries, she softened her voice, “Joel, buddy, you gotta help me a little here. Okay? …please.” Taking his right arm, she slipped over her shoulder and then paused staring him down. His eyes were glazed over, his brows furrowed in pain. “On three, just push off the wall. I got you.”

He gave a weak nod. Despite being lost in a bit of a pain-induced fog, it wasn’t lost on Joel how much she was struggling to help him. Anything he could do to make that better, he would. Nodding herself, as much to convince herself as him of the next step, Ellie planted her feet into the ground making sure she was ready for his weight to be back on her.

On three, Ellie tugged hard and Joel gave a little bit of a push. They were free from the wall, but Joel was practically dead weight, and even with anticipation, Ellie fumbled. Yet, determined not to be anywhere near the floor, she used the momentum to take a few clumsy steps toward the fridge. Stumbling, the pair fell into it. Joel’s free arm jutted out to brace them from impact, preventing them both from completely crashing over on top of the small fridge. A hollow metal bang and a deep hiss from Joel filled the air almost simultaneously as Ellie sputtered out a string of remorseful “sorry’s.”

"Sit," Joel rasped out, almost begging. His legs were giving out on him again, the pain in his side ripping through him even more than before. “Yeah yeah,” Ellie replied softly, releasing her grip, allowing Joel to all but slide off her and into a slumped, but seated position on the top of the fridge. When she was finally free of him, her knees buckled a little as she stepped back, tired from all the strain. She briefly looked at her hands - shaky and slick with his blood. Ellie wiped them feverishly on her pants, before turning her attention back to Joel.

His head was hanging low, one hand back over his midsection, the other white-knuckling the edge of the fridge, gripping it as if it was the only thing keeping him there. He was panting now, his eyes clenched shut as he tried to recover.

“You good?” It was an almost silly question, but Ellie didn’t really know what else to ask. The way he looked, she wondered if she had accidentally ripped open his stitches. His silence was almost more alarming than the pained noises that had filled the room minutes ago. She wished he'd say something. Anything.

Although delayed in response, he gave a long nod. He was swaying in place just slightly, almost like a toy top losing its spin. Ellie hoped he was just unsteady and wasn’t on the verge of collapse yet again. She waited for it to happen, but Joel stayed upright, although he was also not making any moves to accomplish the task at hand either.

“Do you..um..need help?” The words caught in her throat as she asked, the question filling the air with a tense discomfort. Her mouth was going dry just thinking about what “help” may entail.

Her heart sank a little when he remained silent, the lines in his face deepening as he clenched his teeth, his brow furrowing as if contemplating his own ability. She took his silence as a bitter confirmation. She warily stepped closer to him, feet sliding across the basement floor.

”Okay… okay, Joel. I'm gonna... I'm gonna help, alright?" Her voice was hushed, trembling slightly with the uncertainty of it all. His eyes were open now, and she could see the realization flicker in his gaze, but there was no immediate protest, just a tired resignation.

As she sheepishly reached for his zipper, she found her hands quivering. Her gaze flickered between his pants and his face and back while swallowing down a lump in her throat. Nervously, one hand came to the top of his waistband while the other found the pull tab. She felt his body go rigid, his breathing changed ever so slightly, hitching. Just as she was about to tug it down, Joel’s bloody hand came over and grasped her own, halting her movements. He lazily batted her hands away with a throaty, “uh-uh,” as he shook his head wearily at her.

Blushing, Ellie removed her hands quickly, taking a slow step back away from him. “Sa-sorry,” she apologized shakily, a deep sense of embarrassment settling within her, feeling like she had accidentally crossed a line. Mortified, she couldn’t meet his gaze, staring straight at his knees instead.

"You... around, Ellie," Joel managed to rasp out after a few moments, his finger listlessly twirling at her to do so. The words were punctuated by a grimace, his eyes squeezing shut as he tried to shuffle closer off the edge of the fridge.

Ellie took a few steps forward and then turned around, giving him a semblance of privacy while he struggled to do what needed to be done. She heard the metal of his zipper being pulled down, some ruffling fabric in sync with some groans, and then there was a brief moment of deafening silence before the sharp splattering sound of his urine hitting the basement floor echoed in the air.

She exhaled. Joel did too.

The splattering turned to a trickle and there was a huff from Joel, followed finally by a delayed sigh of relief before silence fell again.

Ellie nervously fidgeted with her hands, eyes staring down at her feet as she waited to hear the rustle of his pants once more. It was faint, and slow, mixed in with some heavy sighs for Joel, but eventually, it was there.

“Ellie,” Joel weezed out. “Good?” She called over her shoulder, not wanting to turn around and seem exposed if her ears had been wrong. “Hm-hm.”

She turned around slowly, still nervous for some reason. The embarrassment she had felt before still lingered in her gut and meeting his eyes was only reigniting it. It was misplaced, but it was there regardless. Joel clearly was also feeling it too, his once hardened stoic face looking rather dejected and uneasy.

With a little nod of her head, Ellie began to take a few steps forward, pausing suddenly as her eyes fell away from Joel and toward the floor. The porous concrete floor was beginning to soak some of it up, but there was still a quite evident pool of pee right in front of him, his stream not making it far away from him at all.

Joel’s eyes followed hers as she looked at it, and a ripple of shame passed through his body. He felt a desperate need to apologize, but couldn’t bring his mind to produce words. He was feeling dizzy again, and not passing out seemed to be his brain's only occupation at the moment.

Despite pausing initially, Ellie continued on in a beat, her sneakers making a soft squelching sound as they hit the wet spot on the floor. She tried to navigate around the puddle the best she could, but it was right in front of him, where she needed to be.

“Bathroom break done, so back to bed, yeah?” She tried to be light with it, trying to take away some of the current awkwardness that was settling between them. “On three again, okay?” She told him as she resumed her position tucked into his side, dropping his arm back over his shoulder and squirming her arm behind his back. Given her small size, she barely had to bend down even though Joel was sitting.

“1..2..3,” a hefty pull-up, some rough groans from Joel, and a cry of exertion from Ellie, had the pair standing, although not strongly. They stood together, breathing almost in tandem, chests heaving for a second.

"Okay... okay, we're good. We're good, Joel," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Her eyes flicked to his face and she could tell he was getting dizzy again, his eyes fluttering as he tried to keep himself upright. As if on cue, Joel began to pitch back just a little, the back of his knees knocking against the fridge, his body reflexively bending as if he was about to sit again.

“Nope, nope, Joel, up.” Ellie spat through gritted teeth as she tugged him forward, instinctively counteracting gravity’s backward pull on Joel. Joel’s face turned ghostly white as he clenched his jaw to suppress a scream, and Ellie could feel her heart shatter in her chest. With a deep breath, she tightened her grip on him, white-knuckling his shirt, and braced herself for the agonizing shuffle back to the mattress.

Hesitantly, she took a step forward and Joel thankfully matched it with a small step of his own. Another small step, and they were off, hobbling along inch by inch.

Going even slower than before Ellie carried most of his weight, her small form almost engulfed by his body as he leaned into her. ”You’re… you're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" She tried to sound light-hearted, but the fatigue in her voice betrayed her, making it sound more genuinely upset than joking.

Joel let out a remorseful mew in reply, soon followed by a barely audible, hoarse, and slurred, “Sorry, kiddo.”

Ellie’s heart caught in her throat realizing she had made him feel bad, which was never her intention. Silence fell between them again as they marched the last few feet to the mattress.

When it finally seemed close enough, Joel detached himself from Ellie and haphazardly pitched toward the floor. Ellie tried to keep a hold of him and control his descent, arms sliding against his as he dropped down to the mattress. He landed in basically a heap and then languidly flopped over onto his side.

"Fuck... okay," Ellie breathed out, her own body trembling with exertion as she stepped back, free of Joel’s oppressive weight. She allowed herself a moment to catch her breath, her hands bracing on her knees as she gulped in air. Ellie dropped down next to him and then pushed Joel over onto his back.

His eyes traced over the ceiling as he held his hands over his stab wound. Every part of his body was throbbing and although now laying flat, his dizziness had not abated. He cutely tried to push it all away.

“Joel?” Ellie asked, worry sparking again at the lost look in his eyes.

He tried to look at her, but couldn’t keep focus on her face, his vertigo causing her appearance to dart around his vision.

Ellie carefully took his hands and raised it away from his gash gently moving them further up to rest on his chest. With shaky hands, she lifted his shirt, apprehensive to see the state of his stitches after all that moving. The fabric stuck at the edges she tried lifting it, dried blood acting like glue. She let out a soft empathetic hiss as she pulled the material free. Joel groaned.

Ellie let out a breath of relief when she saw that the stitches had held, although the area around it was looking much redder and angrier than before. It was looking really gross and inadvertently, her nose scrunched up and her lips curled, disgust evident at the sight of it.

Casting a quick glance up to his face to make sure he was all right, she then lowered his shirt back down carefully and sat back on her heals.

“No more bathroom breaks okay?”

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