#Family dynamic
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family dynamics 🏘️🚙
the 4th house can tell about the type of family dynamic u grew up around since it rules family and also is associated with our inner child ♡⃝
depending on whether ur parents were at a lower or higher vibration in life when raising u, u may not relate to some of these traits ♡⃝
the 4h sign itself can tell abt ur family dynamic, but if u want to dive deeper check the 4h lord - how to find ur house lords ♡⃝
do not copy my work - ©novy2sirius ♡⃝
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ aries 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of aggressive energy as well as fighting/arguments in ur household. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur parents were likely very direct and assertive. they likely did not play around when u did something bad and showed a lot of tough love. one of ur parents (or both) may have played lots of sports with u growing up or made sure u were active as well. they likely taught u to be someone confident, bold, and passionate. u may have also grew up in a wealthier household with this placement because due to numerical reasoning aries is the wealthiest sign
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ taurus 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of stubbornness from ur family members or parents growing up. they may have tried to buy u things to make up for how terrible they treated u or been a lazy parent. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur family dynamic was likely on the more chill side. ur parents likely let u make ur own decisions and weren’t terribly hard on u, but still made sure u were safe at the same time. they were likely patient with u and reliable whenever u needed them. with this placement u also may take a lot of what u saw from ur parents marriage into ur own relationships and depending on the type of home u grew up in this could be either a positive thing or a negative thing that u must work to unlearn. ur parents likely taught u to be a grounded and determined person
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ gemini 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there could’ve been lots of gossip/arguing in ur household that was childish and immature. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then u were likely very close to ur siblings growing up and learned a lot from them. u likely grew up in a household with a more fun and energetic dynamic where there was lots of healthy communication between everyone. some ppl i see with this placement r raised by their siblings more than their parents. with this placement ur family or siblings and u could become well known on social media and profit off of posting online together. this placement also indicates that ur parents taught u to be someone who was rly charming, communicative, and intellectual
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ cancer 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably always gaslighting and playing victim in situations where they were not the victim. they could’ve been emotionally manipulative which rubbed off on u in a negative way. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very caring and sensitive toward ur emotions. this would be an ideal sign to have in this house if ur family was good to u since cancer is the natural ruling sign of the 4th house. this could mean u had a very ideal childhood as well and beautiful family dynamic. ur parents likely taught u to be someone who’s empathetic, family oriented, and super protective of the ppl u love
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ leo 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably very egotistical and self absorbed. they probably yelled at u a lot. u could’ve grown up with a narcissistic parent. they probably never apologized to u and brainwashed u into thinking u were always the problem as a kid. if u were raised in a middle to high vibrational home tho then ur parents likely tried to raise u in a very happy home dynamic and did everything in their power to make u happy. u could’ve been the favorite child or spoiled a lot. ur parents likely taught u to be confident, optimistic, and to be proud of who u r as a person regardless of what others think
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ virgo 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents were probably very judgmental and critical of u, even when u did something that would make most parents proud. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur parents were probably very organized and did everything they could to help u become the best person u could be. they likely r very humble ppl and taught u to be humble as well. sometimes i notice these ppl r closer with their family pets than their own family tho
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ libra 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there may have been a lot of passive aggressiveness rather than problems being confronted directly. u may have had lots of fights with ur family that got swept under the rug and forgotten the next day which over time led to more conflict bc nothing ever got resolved. ur family may have also cared too much abt looks and made u insecure abt ur appearance bc of it. if u grew up in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur likely grew up in a very harmonious and loving household. ur parents likely taught u to be someone who’s very loving, charming, and someone who seeks fairness in every situation. this also indicates having beautiful houses/homes or growing up in a beautiful place/neighborhood
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ scorpio 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then there may have been lots of aggressive, manipulative, or intense energy in ur household. this can indicate having family members that have anger issues and don’t know how to control their anger. this placement often indicates someone with a lot of family trauma. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very strict, assertive, and showed u tough love. they likely were very sensitive to ur emotions and not ashamed to apologize to u when they were in the wrong. ur parents probably taught u to be very powerful, confident, and ambitious. they may have played a lot of sports with u growing up as well
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ sagittarius 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then it’s likely ur parents were egotistical and complained a lot abt u never being enough even when u tried ur hardest to be. they probably never apologized to u when they hurt u and may have said they’re just “honest”, but in reality were harsh and mean. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were probably actually honest and straight forward with u rather than plain mean. u likely grew up in a positive home dynamic and ur parents were likely very optimistic. ur parents likely taught u to be smart, constantly seeking positive growth, and probably taught u to be a positive person in general. u may have traveled a lot as a child and loved to explore/go on lots of adventures. this placement often indicates moving out of ur hometown once u become an adult as well
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ capricorn 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents may have come off very cold and may not have shown u enough love. they could’ve been overly strict at times isolating u too much and not letting u do things others kids did which made u feel rly alone. many ppl with this placement have a rough childhood which causes them to mature quickly. i’ve seen many with this placement who basically had to raise themselves. if u were raised in a middle to higher vibrational household then ur family was likely stable and put together. ur family was likely filled with hard workers which taught u to be hard working as well. ur parents probably also taught u to be very humble and have a lot of self discipline
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ aquarius 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents could’ve been absent as aquarius is the sign associated with rebellion. u could’ve been forced to be overly independent as a kid and probably had to learn a lot on ur own that should’ve been taught to u by ur parents. this can also indicate a chaotic family/family dynamic in general. there could be lots of ups and downs with u and ur family’s relationships. if u grew up in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very unique people who taught u to also be ur most unique and authentic self without caring what others think of u. ur parents also probably gave u a lot of freedom growing up which allowed u to make mistakes and learn from them so u didn’t have to make them as an adult. this placement can also indicate switching residences a lot growing up since aquarius is associated with ups and downs
𖥨᩠ׄ݁ ˖ pisces 4h: if u grew up in a lower vibrational household then ur parents probably acted like u were insane and they were the victim (even in situations where they weren’t) and also gaslit u. ur family dynamic could’ve caused u to want to escape as quickly as u could. if u were raised in a middle to high vibrational household then ur parents were likely very kind, empathetic, and compassionate towards u and taught u to be the same way. they could’ve taught u a lot abt spirituality and become ur most powerful spiritual self as well. u may have grown up with family members who believed in things like astrology, numerology, etc and were very artistically talented. ur family was likely very supportive of ur dreams as well
#family dynamic#family#family dynamics#4th house#astrology#astrology blog#astrology chart#birth chart#astrology community#astro community
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Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice
Summary: Joel Miller x Fe!Reader -> You and Joel by no means are 'friends', but when things go wrong, you find comfort in hearing his voice.
Disclaimer: Mentions of murder, death, swearing, blood, gunshot wounds. Enemies to lovers, I guess. Single moms hitting on Joel. Hint of fake dating. Age-gap but not really specified. Angst, fluff/smaller intimate moments, Ellie calls Joel 'dad' and they have a cute moment. This is kind of a long one. Not Proof Read.
Yourself and Joel were by no means friends.
In fact, there hadn’t really been a time since you’d both met that you hadn’t knowingly hated each other. He found you too “new” – whatever the hell that meant. And you found him to be, well, an asshole.
You’d both first met through mutual friends. If you could call them that. You’d call Frank a friend. Bill was just…well, all being said he was a decent guy. He just didn’t take much to people.
A small lunch had been put on, allowing a nicer air of discussion around the topics of smuggling and trading. Initially, Joel had been…nice. As nice as he could be for an asshole.
But when he found out you were the one that the suppliers talked through, he practically ran in the other direction.
“She’s too new, Frank.”
Frank shook his head. “Just give her a chance. I promise. She knows more about this than you think.”
Walking around the corner, pretending not to have been eavesdropping, you held up a bottle of wine. “Figured this would go nice with the food?”
Frank smiled. Bill yelled.
“Did you take that from my-”
Keeping eye contact with Joel as you handed the bottle over to Frank, you yelled back to Bill. “Relax. I brought it with me. Your precious collection is safe.”
Bill relaxed after that and Frank went to find a bottle opener. And you stood with Joel in the sunny path.
“If you don’t want my suppliers, you can just say so to my face. But have it be based on their product. Not on how “new” you think I am. Whatever the hell that means.” Turning away, you walked back to the dinner table and acted as if nothing happened.
Ultimately, Joel agreed – however, to a smaller shipment.
“This is a trial run. If you get caught-”
“We won’t.”
For a moment, Joel looked confused, but then seemed to convince himself of something else and the conversation was cleared up before you all went your separate ways.
Except, the trial shipment never made it to Joel. At least, not all of it.
“You're short.”
“Trust goes both ways, Miller.”
Joel didn’t miss the way you were covered in scratches and bruises that were freshly forming. It had shocked him when he rounded the corner and found you considering he didn’t think you were also a delivery courier.
With a heavy sigh, Joel pocketed the goods and handed over his items before he turned to walk away.
“Wait.”
He stopped and looked back at you where he found you pulling an old card from your jacket pocket. “My details. In case you need to reach me.”
Joel took them reluctantly. “Thanks.” Then he nodded to your head. “You’re bleeding.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Then you walked away. But he called after you. “Hey, don’t you need mine?”
“Relax, Miller. I know how to reach you.”
Each meeting after that never got less colder. It was a business exchange being made with minimal trust via delivery system.
And then one day you simply dropped off the face of the planet when you were meant to be making another delivery to him in Boston.
“I knew it! She was too new!”
“Joel.”
“I warned Frank. I told him she would never-”
“She’s been good so far.” Tess explained. “Maybe she’s just having to lay low for a day or two. Security has gotten tighter with the fireflies going around.”
That was true but Joel couldn’t shake the feeling. Then one afternoon, your voice came over the radio.
“Wait a sec. He’s here.”
Tess stood from the chair and handed the receiver over to Joel who had just walked through the door.
“It’s Y/n.” Tess mouthed and the buried fury began to erupt inside of Joel.
“Yeah.”
“Joel?” Your voice crackled over the radio.
“You were meant to be here three days ago.”
“I know. But I’m not coming.”
“What?” Joel’s fury was starting to become white hot. “No, we had a deal.”
“I am sorry, Joel.”
He breathed out. “So what are you gonna do? Run with our supplies? Why call?”
You fell silent for a moment before your voice crackled back over the radio. “Guess I just wanted to hear your voice. I am sorry. To both of you.”
Then you signed off.
And he never heard from you again.
Until he found himself in need of an extra pair of hands at the house Tommy and Maria had set him and Ellie up in. As he stood on his porch in the morning sunlight, he heard a familiar set of tires pull up against his driveway.
First, Tommy stepped out of the passenger side. “Hey, figured you might need some extra panels. The ones around here have mostly rotted away with the winter.”
Then the driver stepped out. And Joel had to check he was still alive.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” You had beaten Joel to his own thoughts.
“Tommy, what the fuck is she doing here?”
Rounding his truck with the extra panels over his shoulder, Tommy looked between both yourself and Joel. “You’ve both met?”
“Yeah, I ran a couple supplies to him a while back.”
“Run off with them more like. What the fuck are you doing here?”
Placing your sunglasses into your shirt pocket, you climbed the stairs of his porch. “Wow, warm welcome. If you must know, I moved here. And I’m guessing you have, too.”
Tommy piped up. “Yeah, Y/n found us after-”
You shot a look at Tommy and he shut up. “After I left Frank and Bill. They left a note for you, if you’ve seen them.”
Joel nodded. “I got it.”
“Good.” And for a moment, the short silence was awkward. “So what can I do?”
“Fuck all.”
Tommy slapped his brother on the shoulder. “She can help fix this porch before Ellie falls through the rotting wood.”
“I can do it myself.”
You looked around and then back at Joel. “Couple extra hands can’t hurt.”
You were right. Joel hated that you were right. And the only reason why he didn’t completely kick you from his home was because the image of Ellie’s foot slipping through one of the wooden slats earlier that morning kept flashing through his mind.
You were banned early on from his porch, left to measure and cut wooden slats for one side of the porch whilst Tommy worked on the one between yourself and Joel, and Joel worked on the opposite side.
Most of it was finished by the time Ellie came strolling back up the driveway. “Joel, you won’t believe what happened today- Hi.”
You looked at Ellie and smiled. “Hi.”
From where Ellie was standing, you were a friend of Tommy’s. “I’m Ellie.”
You went to shake Ellie’s hand and introduce yourself when Joel came around the corner. “I’m-”
“Nobody. Ellie, get inside.”
From the look Joel gave at the sight of you, Ellie didn’t question his order. But she did question his judgement. So, just before he shut the door behind her, she turned back to him.
“Be nice.”
“I am nice.”
Ellie looked around. “Has she been helping all day?”
Joel couldn’t bring himself to voice the answer so just nodded.
“Then be nice.”
Joel just turned her around and lightly pushed her inside. “There’s some soup on the stove.”
Ellie was quick to turn back around just before he shut the door. “I’ve got homework and I…I don’t know…”
Joel just nodded. “I’ll help you.”
Ellie smiled. “Thank you. And be nice.”
An hour or so later, Joel had finally gotten rid of you, leaving him and Tommy with Ellie as she sat at the kitchen table trying to figure out her homework.
Which Joel and Tommy were no help with.
“When would I ever need this shit?”
“Ellie,” Joel sighed. “Language.”
“When would I ever need this stuff?”
Joel nodded. “Better.” Then he turned to Tommy.
“Don’t ask me. I don’t know how a fucking thing is taught anymore.”
“Well do you know who does?” Ellie asked.
“Can’t you ask your teacher?” Joel asked but Ellie shook her head. “Why not?”
“She’s…scary.”
Joel held back a laugh. “She’s scary?”
Ellie didn’t know how else to put it. “She got mad because I didn’t do fractions how she wanted me, too.”
“Did you get the right answer?”
She nodded. “Still got mad though.”
Joel looked to Tommy. “How can fractions change?”
Tommy shrugged. “Beats me. But I do think I know someone who might be able to help. Promise they’re not scary. She tutors a couple of the kids in the square. I can ask if she can drop by later on.”
“Really?”
Tommy nodded. “Sure, kid.”
It was a day later when Joel got a knock to his front door and found you standing there.
“What the fuck are you-”
You held back your smile. “Doing here? Guess I just wanted to hear your voice again.”
Joel wasn’t amused. You held your hand up. “I’m just here to help your daughter. Trouble with homework?”
“You’re the tutor?”
You nodded. “I’m the tutor.”
“You’re a smuggler.”
“I was a teacher before I was a smuggler.”
Then Ellie’s voice called out. “Joel! Who is it?”
Ellie appeared by his side, holding the door open wider. “Oh, hi.”
“Ellie, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“I’m Y/n. I’m, hopefully,” you looked from Joel and back to Ellie, “going to be your new tutor.”
“Promise you won’t get mad if I don’t do it your way?”
You nodded. “A lot of kids, and parents, learn differently from the way your teacher wants people to learn. Promise I won’t get mad.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Then Ellie looked at her dad and nudged him. “Joel…”
“What?”
“Let her in. I need her help.”
Reluctantly, Joel let you inside your home. “Come on, kitchen’s this way.”
You followed Ellie through her home and towards where she’d set up her homework station and you sat opposite her whilst Joel brought in a couple of old items from the garage outside and laid them on the kitchen island.
By the looks of it, the things he was ‘fixing’, weren’t in desperate necessity of a new working life. Especially considering he only ‘worked’ on them when you looked in his direction.
“Is he always like this?” You whispered to Ellie across the table. Ellie looked to her dad.
“Sometimes. Do you two know each other or something?”
You nodded. “Or something.”
“Aren’t you meant to be talking about contemporary…normal…analytics or something.”
You looked at Joel and smiled. “Or something.” Then you turned back to Ellie when he finally looked you in the eye.
“Let’s try the next line.”
You were in Joel’s home for another hour before you looked at your watch. “I’ve got to go, but I run a small class in the dance hall every Tuesday if you want to join us next week? I think you’d find it fun. You don’t even have to talk if you don’t want to. But it can provide some good insight into what you’re doing at school.”
“Why can’t you be one of the teachers?”
You laughed. “I’ve got my hands full helping others in town. But if your teacher is ever sick, I’ll step in.”
Ellie thought she already knew the answer. “How often does that happen?”
“Not very often.”
Ellie grimaced.
“But still, come on Tuesday. And if you hate it, you don’t have to come again.”
“Okay.”
Joel stood. “I’ll walk you out.”
And he did so, walking you to the end of his driveway towards your truck. “Thank you, for helping her.”
You shook your head. “Don’t mention it.”
“This doesn’t mean we’re okay.”
You gave a flat smile. “Joel, I’m just helping your daughter. We don’t even have to interact outside of you dropping her off at my classes in the week. I get you don’t like me, but that doesn’t mean you have to actively hate me. I’m just trying to help.”
“Like you helped me in Boston?”
You didn’t say anything in reply to that. “Goodnight, Joel. Give Ellie this.”
He opened the paper. “What is it?”
“It’s a schedule. And my radio code. If she needs my help, she knows where to find me.”
You and Joel didn’t talk much, if at all, after that. Ellie attended your classes when they were on and much to his chagrin, Ellie had found a friend in you.
Why was it out of all the people, in all the towns, in all the worlds, it had to be Jackson where you were? And why did you have to be one of the first people Ellie made friends with?
But one afternoon as he was sitting by the kitchen table, tuning up his guitar, he got a sense of deja vu.
The radio in the corner of the kitchen crackled and your voice sounded through its speakers.
“Why are you calling?”
“Just wanted to hear your voice.” You replied. “Joel, it’s Ellie.”
His heart dropped. “What? Is she okay?” He’d completely forgotten she was with you after school before she’d head to the bar to walk up with Tommy.
“She’s fine, but I think you should come down here. She needs her dad.”
Joel was inside the barn hall calling out for you and Ellie when he entered one of the back rooms that had your name and a large poster that looked like it had been decorated by some of the school kids taped on the outside.
As Joel walked inside, he found you and Ellie sat on a bench, your arm over her shoulder. And when you saw him, you whispered something to Ellie before she looked around and found Joel.
Immediately, she ran over to him and crushed him with a hug. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Babygirl, I’ve got you. What happened?”
Joel managed to pull away a little so he could get a look at her face. “What’s going on?”
“I’m really sorry.”
“Joel, can I speak to you for a moment? Ellie, want to grab your things?”
Ellie looked to you and nodded, forcing herself from Joel’s embrace as she walked back to the bench to grab her bag and books.
“What’s going on?”
You sighed and spoke quietly. “It’s best if you ask Ellie about it but some asshole kid made a comment about Ellie and she stood her ground. As a teacher, I can’t condone her actions. I can’t condone what the kid said, either. But off the record, she was right to stand up for herself and I’m glad she did.”
Joel had to read between the lines from what you said and once Ellie was back at his side, he gave you a curt nod and headed for the door. He didn’t get any answers from Ellie until the next morning at the breakfast table when, in the open silence of the morning, she finally explained what happened.
“I…I know I’m not your daughter, Joel. But as families go, you’re the closest thing I’ve got to one. Some kid,” Ellie named him. “He said some things about me. About me having a family. A…about…about having a dad. Eventually, I lost it and pinned him to one of the posts and Y/n had to break it up. I…I didn’t stick around after that but she came to find me later. I know I shouldn’t have attacked him. He deserved it but I know I shouldn’t have…I just want to tell you I’m sorry and that if Tommy has to do something or if I have to leave, I will-”
Joel shook his head. “No. No, you did right. And, Ellie?”
She looked at him.
“You’re my daughter in every other way that counts. And if you want me to be your dad…I know we’re not blood but, if you see me as your dad…if you say I’m your dad, that’s okay. You’re my family, too.”
Ellie didn’t know what to say exactly so, looking down at her hands, she nodded trying to will the tears away. “Mmh, y-yeah. I…I’d like that.”
Then Joel smiled before standing and cradling his arms around his daughter. “And you don’t have to leave. Y/n’s on your side, too.”
“You really should be nicer to her. She’s a good person, Joel. I know something happened back in Boston but…are you going to hold it against her forever?”
Joel thought about it for a while. He probably would be thinking about it for a while longer, too. You had done what you had said. You had helped. You were helping.
“How about I make us some breakfast? Eggs?”
Ellie nodded.
Joel stood with a smile, kissing the top of her head quickly before turning around. “Sunny side up or scrambled?”
“Scrambled.”
“Coming up. You brushed your teeth?”
Ellie shook her head and stood. “I’ll be back.”
Just as she got to the kitchen entrance, she stopped herself and turned back. “Hey…dad?”
Joel turned around to face her as if it was the most natural thing in the world until he realised what she’d finally called him. “Yeah?”
Ellie let the moment settle. “Thank you.”
Joel just nodded before waving the spatula at her. “Go on, brush your teeth. And maybe run a brush through your hair.”
Ellie laughed a little before disappearing upstairs leaving Joel to finish cooking breakfast with a faint smile on his face. Never in his whole life had he ever imagined hearing someone call him “dad” again, but it washed over him like a fresh wave.
Then he remembered what she had told him.
What Ellie had said about you.
He never thought he’d be called “dad” again. Maybe some things could change for the better after all. He’d just need to learn to trust you more. Trust you in a way that didn’t have the end result be the same as Boston.
It took Joel a week to approach you.
During that week, you saw him across the square. He walked her to your lessons and waited for her every day. By day four, he stood a little closer to the building until one afternoon, when you thought everyone had left, his voice rang through your classroom.
No “hello”, no coughing, no calling of your name to get your attention. Just…
“Thank you.”
You internally swore at yourself for jumping the way you did. Looking around the room, your brain let itself relax when you realised you were correct in your initial thought of who the voice belonged to. Not the rest of the people your head named after him.
“Joel.” You breathed, a hand against your chest. Then you fixed yourself.
Standing straighter with a couple books cradled in your arm, you turned and faced him properly.
Joel felt a little awkward but considering you seemed to not mention how he’d scared you, he didn’t bother to mention it either.
“Thank you,” he repeated. “Ellie..told me how you helped her, so I just…didn’t want it to go unnoticed.”
Never in your life had you heard Joel say so much as a nice thing towards you. To others, it was few and far between. But to you; not so much.
You didn’t know how to take it exactly. “I appreciate that, I do. But that’s not why I did it.”
Ellie had told him the rest of the story when she came back downstairs for breakfast. How you’d broken up the fight, called out the student and warned the rest of the class before dismissing them. And how you’d spoken to her when you found her. You didn’t make her feel scared or “shit” as Ellie had put it every so gracefully to him. And if he was being honest, Ellie’s love for actual school was much better even just after a few weeks with you.
“She’s a good kid, Joel.” You told him. “I don’t pretend to know what either of you went through to get here. But despite whatever did happen, she’s a good kid. She, nor anyone else, deserved to be treated the way she did. She stood up for herself and I’m proud of her for that. And I hope you are, too.”
Joel could only nod. “I am.”
You nodded in agreement. “Good.” You went to turn away to collect the rest of the books but then quickly turned back around. “Oh, here. Let me give you this.”
Joel was about to walk himself before you called out so, standing in the middle of the room a little worried about what you were going to give him, he watched as you rushed towards your desk and picked up a piece of paper.
Walking over, you held it out to him. “We’re having a parent-teacher night next week. Just gives the parents a chance to talk about the kids and see their work for this year. They say it’s mandatory but I do hope you’ll show up.”
Rubbing his jaw, Joel read the page. “Sure.”
“Good. Don’t tell Ellie but I plan on showing a couple of her school books. She’s a smart kid.”
“Smart mouth, too.”
You laughed a little. “That, too.”
But all in all Joel agreed. “I’ll be there.”
“Goodnight, Joel.”
“Yeah, night.” Joel reminded himself that he had to leave and finally made his way towards the door.
Yet he stopped by the door and looked back to where you went back to collecting the rest of the books and he couldn’t help but feel his mind was changing on you. He couldn’t place why but the fact Ellie liked you was a start.
By the time Parent-Teacher night rolled around, Joel found himself being bossed around by Ellie as he got dressed.
“Put on the green one!” Ellie shouted up the stairs.
“What?”
“The green shirt. Put that one on.”
“Why?”
“Just do it!”
Joel grumbled but did as he was told. And once he was showered and dressed, Ellie practically shoved him out of the door. “Come on, we’re gonna be late!”
“Since when did you become so eager to get to school? I usually have to drag you out of bed.”
“I know but tonight’s important.” Ellie laughed. “Come on.”
Joel found himself laughing, too as he locked up before they both headed towards his truck. Maybe they could have walked but Joel had a feeling by the time the night had finished, Ellie would be about ready to fall asleep.
And when they did finally walk inside, Joel looked around before he spotted a familiar face in you. And then you spotted him and waved. Ellie waved back.
Then Joel was greeted by Ellie’s teacher. You chuckled as you watched them both step back and recoil a little. Like father, like daughter.
“Fuck.” They both swore under their breath.
“Mr Miller.”
Joel started getting flashbacks of his middle school principal who seemed to have a vendetta against him and Tommy.
“Ellie.”
Ellie nodded, moving to stand behind Joel a little. “Mrs Davis.”
“Mr Miller, I was hoping to speak to you about Ellie. She’s been, let’s say, a little harsh in her language since she got here. And, despite her improving grades, she hadn’t quite been grasping the concept of how we complete work-”
Joel and Ellie got another shock when you suddenly appeared from behind Mrs Davis, except this was one of pleasant surprises.
“Mrs Davis-”
“Please, do not interrupt-”
“Frankie’s parents are asking to speak to you personally.” That seemed to change Mrs Davis’ tune.
“Oh, right. Um, please…please excuse me.” You pointed her in the direction of Frankie and his parents and replaced where she stood and only spoke when she was finally out of ear-shot.
“Sorry about her. And please ignore everything she said.”
Joel raised his brow. “Everything?”
You both looked at Ellie and then back at each other. “Okay, maybe not everything. But she has been swearing less.”
Joel gave a ‘dad’ look to Ellie but she tried to hold back her smile as she held up her hands. “Hey, she said less.”
He rolled his eyes.
“Ellie, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve decided to show some of your work.”
“Really?”
She seemed shocked, rather than horrified. You nodded. “Both of you follow me?”
They did and once you’d all reach one of the middle tables, you held one of the books out to Joel.
“Holy shit.” Ellie whispered. Joel nearly shut the book to give her another look but she apologised and studied the books you’d laid out.
“Ellie, do you mind giving your dad and I a minute?”
Ellie looked between you both before giving a slight smile and nodding. “Okay.”
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
“How is she?” Joel asked, looking through Ellie’s books.
“She’s good. The swearing could use a bit of an improvement,” you smiled a little and Joel finally met your eyes. You tried your best to avoid taking a mental picture or keeping a written memory of how he looked. “She’s doing well, Joel. She’s even starting to make friends. It’s taking her a while to trust people, but she’s getting there like the rest of us.”
Joel’s stare softened for a moment.
You forced yourself to look away and back at her books. “She needs a bit of help with her maths and science but we’re working on that in our sessions. But she’s excelling at history.”
“There’s a museum not too far away. I was thinking about taking her to see it.”
You graced him with another smile. “I think she’d really enjoy that, Joel.”
He nodded, feeling pleased at your agreement.
“Look, I just need to go and speak to a couple other parents but, feel free to stay here as long as you’d like. We…we have the kids write in a diary every week. Just jotting down what they want to work on, or what they want help with in class. Some kids even write short stories and things. I think you’d like what Ellie did.”
Lifting the diary from underneath the pile, you handed it over to Joel.
“Last couple of pages.”
With a smile, you left him alone.
Joel opened it up. There was the usual. Reviews of books they’d read in class. What Ellie wanted help with (science), what she enjoyed (history). Joel found himself smiling as he read through the comments. He could hear her voice in his head as he did so.
Then he got to the back couple of pages.
It was different sketches of their home. Of their windows, porch, backyard. Then small notes; things he’d told her. Things to remember when playing the guitar, how to fix the porch, what things are in a car. Just small notes of information she believed important to her.
You didn’t know how long you’d left Joel to fend for himself. You knew the minute he walked in that all the single moms had their radars switched on. They already tried to get his attention whenever he walked past the school during the day. But this Joel was freshly showered and wasn’t covered in layers of heavy clothing. He had a green shirt that made his eyes stand out more than usual, his hair softening as it dried in the warmth of the building.
You didn’t know how long you’d left him alone, knowing it wouldn’t take long for the single moms to make their move. But when you were wading deep through double digits of parent-talks, Ellie came and found you.
“I think Joel needs your help.”
You saw when Ellie was looking and held back a short laugh. As Joel managed to get out of the grasp of one woman, another one popped up out of nowhere. And then another one. And another. And another.
“I tried but they kinda swarmed over and I got pushed out of the crowd.”
You chuckled watching the comedy play out in front of your eyes as Joel tried his best to escape.
“Okay, give me a minute.”
“I think it’ll take longer than that but, good luck.”
Making your way over, you called out to him before forcing yourself through the crowd. A few women were about to scold you for doing so until they realised it was you. The teacher. Apparently in search of Joel, the parent.
“Help me.”
Taking Joel by the hand, you drew him in front of you before taking him by the shoulders. “Sorry, ladies but I need to talk with Mr Miller for a moment.”
Practically directing him out of the crowd, you beckoned Ellie over and she immediately pushed around the crowd to get to both you and Joel. You and Ellie looked back to find the women still standing waiting for him to come back.
“I don’t know about you two but I could use a drink.”
“Yes.” Ellie agreed completely.
“Don’t you have work?”
“I’ve spoken to enough parents tonight. Mrs Davis will only speak to them after me anyway. Want that drink, or would you like for me to throw you back into the pack?”
“Anything but the second one.”
“Can I have one?”
“No.” Both you and Joel said before he added. “You can have a soda.”
Grabbing your bag, you showed Joel and Ellie to the back door of the school and you all took the long way round the building to get towards the bar.
“I’ll go and tell Tommy you’re coming.” Ellie took off running. Joel tried to shout back but she just called back.
“Be safe! I know!”
“That kid is gonna be the death of me, I swear.”
You laughed, slowing your steps as you and Joel were finally far enough away from the school.
“Thank you for showing me her work. And the other stuff. Kinda made my night.”
“It wasn’t the single moms asking you a thousand questions that did it?”
Joel chuckled. “Thanks for that, too.”
“Oh, you’ll need to thank Ellie for that one. She came and got me. Who knows, if she didn’t, you could have drowned in phone numbers and radio stations.”
Joel tried his best to laugh it off. But you disagreed.
“Don’t knock it. Hot and handsome single dads are few and far between in this town.”
Joel couldn’t help but repeat your words. “Hot and handsome.”
You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your slight embarrassment of letting your inner thoughts slip. “Alright.”
“No, no. Please. Tell me more of these hot and handsome single dads.”
“You’re hilarious. I hope you know how funny you are.”
“Why?” Joel asked. “Does that make me hotter?”
You rolled your eyes, trying your best to hide your smile. “Okay. Don’t let it go to your head, Miller.”
“Too late. It’s already there.” Joel reached for the door handle of the bar and held it open for you. “Come on.”
“Thanks.”
Entering, you found the place a little quieter than usual before you both met Ellie at the bar and Tommy made his way over.
“Here you go.”
“I already ordered for you.” Ellie told you both. “I didn’t know what you drank but Tommy said he remembered.”
You thanked them both before accepting Joel’s invitation to sit with them at the bar. Joel sat in the corner, his back resting against the wall whilst you sat between both him and Ellie as she moved up quickly before you could take your original seat.
And for the first time, you both talked.
At first, it was just about a few things around town. Joel asked you about how you got into teaching, or at least, why you taught tutor sessions but not lessons at the school. You told him the truth. Day one of you arriving here and meeting Mrs Davis, you knew you didn’t want to be dictated by her rules that were already scaring the kids enough into thinking they were back with FEDRA. They needed help learning and a safe space to do so. That was where you could help.
Then you told him you were sorry about Tess. He tensed for a while, unsure of what to say or how to react.
“I know she meant a lot to you.”
Conversation flowed for a little while longer than a distraction was provided as Ellie disappeared to the toilet and a group of moms walked in through the front door.
Then Joel ducked and somehow tried to shrink himself in the corner of the bar. “Shit.”
You laughed. “Oh please, they won’t hate you for it. In fact it just adds to the chasing element. More than anything they’ll be hating me for dragging you away for some ‘alone time’.”
“Why? Because I’m hot and handsome?”
“I regret saying it now.”
“They’re your words, Darlin’.”
You tried to ignore what his words and accent did to you, and tried to focus on the fact that one of the moms was making their way towards both of you.
“Where’s Ellie?”
“There was a line, she’s probably still in it.” You told him. “Relax, once she comes out, she’ll see that you’re uncomfortable and you can both go home.”
“You can see I’m uncomfortable.”
“Joel.” You leveled with him. “You look like you’re about to run out of your own skin. How could you have been a smuggler in the QZ for so long but be scared of a single mom? Just talked to her.”
“Where are you going?”
You were about to leave when Joel reached out for you. “Going to get Ellie.”
Joel looked at the mom making her way over. She was getting closer. “You said it yourself that she’ll be able to see we’re uncomfortable.”
“We’re?” You questioned. “Joel-”
But you couldn’t say anymore than that because the mom had arrived beside both of you and Joel had tugged you back by your shirt to stand with him.
“Emma, hi.”
She smiled at both of you. “Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to Joel. We didn’t really get a chance to finish our conversation since, you know, you came and kinda dragged him away.”
“Yeah,” you laughed. “Sorry about that, it’s just…” You looked at Joel hoping he’d maybe butt into the conversation. “We had to talk about his daughter.”
“I didn’t see you leaving with any of the other parents,” she mentioned to you.
Joel finally spoke up after clearing his throat. “I, uh, well, Ellie actually…invited her out with us.”
“Ellie did?” Emma seemed shocked.
“I did what?”
Both you and Joel seemed more than relieved to see her appear from behind Emma.
Emma looked from Ellie to Joel and then to you, back to Ellie and then she smiled. “I was just hoping to talk with your dad for a minute if that’s okay?”
Taking a quick look at her dad to see him subtly shake his head, Ellie half-faked a yawn.
“We were actually just about to leave.”
“But your drink is still half full.”
“That’s, uh, that’s Tommy’s. Anyway, we’d better be off. Ellie?”
As they got halfway to the door, you called after them, making something up to Emma. “I need to tell you about next week’s homework-”
The doors shut behind you and you rushed to join Joel and Ellie.
“Who was she?” Ellie asked.
“A woman.”
“She was trying to hit on Joel.”
Ellie looked at you. “Hit on Joel or hit you to get to Joel?”
“Both probably.”
Then something strange happened. You and Joel looked at each other and then started to laugh.
On the way back to the school, you explained to Ellie everything that had happened and she started to laugh with both of you before swearing to protect Joel when and where he needed to be.
“Hey, can I drop you off home?”
You hitched a thumb over your shoulder. “I’m just down here. But thanks.”
Then from the car Ellie called out. “Dad! Let’s go!”
Joel laughed and looked back at you where he found a light smile on your face. He tried to ignore what it made him feel.
“You better go, before she comes to hit me to get to you.”
Joel nodded, laughing a little at that. “Okay. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Joel.”
As Joel drove back home, Ellie quickly falling asleep in the passenger seat, but not before saying; “I told you she was a good person.” leaving him to roll his eyes lightly and agree, he found himself thinking over what he had been feeling since he saw you show up beside Mrs Davis.
Maybe his feelings for you were starting to change more than he had expected.
And they only continued to change over the following months.
Three months later, Joel found himself as your actual friend. Between your tutoring sessions with Ellie, and being forced to work together by Tommy when he was a couple hands short for a couple jobs that needed doing around town, you’d both become friends.
And he’d learnt to trust you. And you had learnt to trust him.
From running the lunch tables in the school every Tuesday and Thursday and Friday together, to taking on a couple of patrol shifts on the weekends together, you and Joel earned each other's trust.
And between all of that, you had somehow become Joel’s shield from the rest of the single mothers in the town that did not wish to hide their already obvious crush on Joel.
Until that shield began to crack.
“I heard she left them for dead. Why would anyone want to be with someone like that…he deserves so much better.”
“Left them for dead, more like killed them for everything. And for what? So she can come and teach our kids and steal our men.”
“I’ve tried talking to Maria but she must have her claws in her, too. She doesn’t want to listen to reason. Joel doesn’t deserve her. Nobody does. The stories people tell. And she doesn’t deny them.”
Tommy leaned over the bar. “Don’t listen to them.”
“Hard not to when gossip about you changes every hour.”
“Have you even told Joel what happened?”
You shook your head.
“Why not?”
“I’m happy where I’m at with him. I’m able to help Ellie without her dad wishing me dead because I bailed on a trade.”
Tommy didn’t have the chance to reply because another mom came and sat beside you. “He doesn’t deserve you, you know. He has the choice of a lot of women in this town, and he chooses you? Why?”
You sighed. “Like I told Emma, and Ashely and Tracy and every other mom in your friend group. Joel and I are not dating. We are not a thing. If you want to talk to him, then go ahead but do not blame me for something that I am not doing. And if Joel doesn’t want to talk to you, then maybe take the hint.”
“Why wouldn’t he want to talk to us? What have you been telling him?”
You looked across the bar and shouted to Tommy. “Schedule’s in the glasses!”
“Oh, okay. Thanks!”
And you stood up. But the mom gripped onto your arm to stop you from walking away.
“We know the truth about you and sooner or later, he’ll come to his senses.”
Ripping your arm from her grasp, you made your way out of the doors and down the square. As much and as hard as you tried to forget what she had said, the stories, the gossip and what she had said to you continued to play on your mind.
But a week later, none of that mattered. At least for you. For Joel and Ellie, it meant something different.
When Joel had gotten up that morning, he went about his routine. Getting into the shower, getting dressed, waking Ellie up, getting his work gear ready, knocking on Ellie’s door once again, making breakfast, knocking on her door a third time before she swung it open and stumbled out of her bedroom and into the bathroom. Eating breakfast with his daughter before driving her to school and heading to work.
Except, when he finished work and went to pick Ellie up from the group tutor session after school, he found her sitting outside the doors already waiting for him.
“How was school?”
“Y/n didn’t turn up.”
Joel was confused. “What?”
“I waited for her to, but she didn’t.”
Joel checked the radio. “Did she cancel the session?”
Ellie shook her head. “We were meant to go over the new science homework.”
“Did you try to find Tommy?”
“Couldn’t find him. The dude in the bar said he was on patrol.”
Joel hummed, trying his best to make sure his mind remained focused. Maybe you’d just gotten caught up doing another job. You wouldn’t have forgotten about the kids.
But before he could drive away, there was an uproar of noise coming from the main gates where Tommy rode in as quickly as he could before coming to an abrupt halt.
“What’s going on?”
Joel switched off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt. “Stay here.”
Ellie did as she was told but wound down the widow in hopes she’d be able to hear what was being said.
“Tommy!”
“Joel! I don’t know what happened but-”
“Who is it?”
Then Tommy went from frantic to unnaturally calm. “It’s Y/n.”
Then Joel saw and slowly made his way over. Your body was slung over the back of a horse before being dragged onto a stretcher. And for a second, Joel saw the worst. He thought you were dead.
“She should be okay if we can get her fixed.”
“What happened? Tommy!”
Tommy joined his brother as you were taken away. “I-I don’t know. She was covering a shift. We were meant to be back an hour ago. But when she didn’t turn up with her partner, I went to look for her. I just found her like that.”
“Dad?” Ellie had gotten out of the car.
“Get back in the car!”
“But-”
“Now, Ellie.”
She just nodded and made her way back.
“Go home, Joel. There’s nothing you can do for her right now.” Those were Tommy’s last words before Maria came running out of one of the town buildings and towards her husband whose hands were covered in patches of blood.
“Is she going to be okay?” Ellie asked, her face pale, as Joel got back into the truck.
“I don’t know.”
You spent the next three days unconscious and Joel spent his time trying to work out what had happened and why. You hadn’t been bitten. You’d been shot.
Joel had also spent three days hearing the whispers around town, hoping to hear any updates on your condition. He couldn’t bring himself to go and see you, and neither could Ellie.
But rather than updates, he heard…stories.
“It’s karma, though, don’t you think?”
“What they say about her? Everything she did? Maybe someone came to get revenge.”
“Maybe it was just self-defence.”
“Would she really do that here?”
“Maybe one of them followed her here and waited for her. After all, she never volunteered for that job.”
“Would you, though? Hunting those things? I couldn’t do it.”
“She's probably just looking for some sympathy. Not getting anywhere with Tommy’s brother – I heard they’ve got a past.”
“A past or a past? Because if I had a past with that man, I’d be making sure it was present and future, too.”
“Would you shoot yourself to make sure of that?”
The woman laughed. “Honey, for a piece of him? I’d do almost anything.”
Over the days, he heard more than just that. Of stories about you and your past before you came to Wyoming. Some were nicer than others, but many were…if he hadn’t somehow become your friend over the last few months, he would have been saying the same thing. So…was it still the same? Were you still hiding something? He still didn’t know what had happened back in Boston. All he knew was that you had practically disappeared off the face of the earth.
When people like you sold his trade, it was usually to someone else. But he hadn’t heard anything. No extra sale. No new traders. Just complete silence.
He had thought about asking you a few times. Part of him, he guessed, still didn’t trust you. Especially since Ellie was now involved, too.
It wasn’t until a week later that Joel could bring himself to come and see you. They’d placed you inside the doctor’s surgery. You still hadn’t woken up but the doctors that were in the town seemed a little more hopeful for you pulling through.
“She’s still young, her body should heal like it did before.”
Joel had to do a double take. “Before?”
The doctor nodded and rested the chart at the end of the bed. “When she arrived here, she collapsed just outside the gates. Thankfully, I was on patrol that day – otherwise they would have shot her. They thought she’d been bitten but…”
The doctor gave a heavy sigh and they both looked back at you before he continued. Joel looked back at the doctor.
“I’ve seen enough of those bites in my life to know the difference between that and a bullet wound.”
“D’you know who shot her?”
The doctor shook his head. “She never could bring herself to tell me. But when Tommy walked in, she looked like she’d pass out again. She didn’t talk for three days after that…then…one day she just opened up. Tommy was the only one she’d talk to and I’d figure he’s the only one who knows that whole story.”
If his brother knew the whole story, why didn’t he ever say anything?
“I suspect she’ll be waking up soon, ‘might be nice if someone is here this time.”
Joel just nodded after a while, realising what the Doctor was asking of him. He’d stay. You were alone last time. You were probably terrified to go through what you did for, as far as he knew, a second time. You shouldn’t have to be alone when you’d wake up, too.
Except, as he sat by your bed, he’d gathered more questions in his head than he had answers.
It took you a while before you could bring yourself to open your eyes, almost like you’d had the deepest sleep of your life and you weren’t ready to get up yet. Beneath your hands and legs you became familiar with the feeling of bedsheets.
Slowly your fingertips felt for some kind of grip. Some kind of notion that you weren’t still left in the dirt, buried between the trees and moss alone. One hand provided you relief. Bedsheets. The other…
Opening your eyes, the brightness cut through your vision until you finally blinked them open and found Joel’s hand in yours.
Carefully looking around the room, you recognised where you were. Only, the last time you were in the same bed, in the same room, you had woken to find yourself alone.
“Take it easy. Tommy…he found you and brought you back.”
You swallowed but your throat felt like it had been attacked by a grater. “How…how long have I been out?”
“Little over a week.”
You relaxed back into the pillows and closed your eyes, forgetting your hand was enclosed in Joel’s.
“Do you remember what happened?”
It took you a moment but you eventually nodded. “The doc…he told me this isn’t the first time you’ve been shot…”
Opening your eyes, your gaze met Joel’s. He looked curious…concerned.
“What happened before you got here?” You waited for his true question. And you didn’t have to wait long.
“What happened back in Boston?”
You figured he’d ask you one day. You just hadn’t expected it to be like this. Joel let you take your time. Blinking back the oncoming tears. Trying to control your breathing. Trying to control your fears from hitting you at full force.
“I was with my team.” You took your time explaining what had happened. When you’d realised Tommy was Joel’s brother, you explained what you could to him. You could deal with Joel hating you for what you’d done. You would have felt the same. But you didn’t want the one place you might have been able to call a home to be thrown away on conspiracy.
“We’d run the route a thousand times. I’d done it on my own for years. But, one night it just poured with rain. Buckets and buckets could have been filled. I remember finding new lakes in parks when I got out, but…umm…”
You swallowed thickly and bit back the tears.
“We were only a couple miles out of Boston so we found shelter. Checked it over. It was clear. We would have been safe for the night. A couple of us stayed on watch for a while but I must have fallen asleep,” tears came to your eyes and a few escaped down your cheeks. “Because…”
You didn’t know where from but you gathered enough strength to bring your voice back, even if only for a short moment.
“Because when I woke, half of my team was missing. A couple of our supplies had been thrown around the place. Grabbed my gun, woke the others and started searching the building. We found the rest of our team on one of the upper floors. One…one of my guys got bit. But he didn’t want to…he didn’t want to die. He’d convinced himself he wasn’t infected and when the others saw, I guess they tried to do something about it but he got…he got one over on them.”
Joel waited for you to continue but then noticed the twitching in your side. You sat up quickly and tried to lift your t-shirt. “It…ahh.”
You closed your eyes from the pain and squeezed Joel’s hand just before he stood up and reached for some of the balm the doctor had made and left by your bedside.
Rounding the bed, Joel sat beside you. “Come here.”
“Joel, it hurts.”
“I know, I know. Can I lift your shirt?”
You nodded and hummed in pain, letting his fingers slowly lift it up. “This might sting, but it’s gonna help.”
You heard Joel open up a metal screw-top tin before he gathered some of it on his fingers and rubbed it gently around and over your healing wound. You let out a small gasp and covered grunt in pain as the hand that had previously been closed in reached for his arm.
“I’m sorry. I know.”
You tried to concentrate on Joel’s continuous movements as he rubbed the balm into your skin. It was less itchy, and it was cooling down a little. The pain in your side was still there but it was becoming bearable.
“The infection came over him pretty quickly.” Joel’s fingers stalled for a moment before he continued, making sure he wasn’t causing more harm than good.
You could finally open your eyes again.
“It all happened so fast. I guess one of us moved and before I knew it…bullets were flying everywhere. I must have gotten caught in them then, but I can’t be sure. I just started shooting and he dropped the gun but then…Joel, he started biting. And I just…I didn’t know what to do. People were trying to help him, trying to help those he was attacking. I just fired. For a moment I thought I could get him out, maybe lose him outside and get back in time. Find another way to you. But he was too fast.”
As your tears fell down your cheek, you hadn’t realised Joel had stopped rubbing the balm into your side and was holding you steady whilst his hand held your face, his thumb tracing the tears away.
You finally looked at him. “I shot them all, Joel. He’d bitten them all. Some in the neck, others in the arm. A few hours and my team that knew every smuggling route, that knew every way into a QZ without being detected, that…that were my family. I tried to wait. Hoped that maybe it was just a bullet graze. That they’d be okay but…just as one turned, so did the others…”
Joel didn’t know fully what to do. If he had known…
He pulled you close to him, kissing your temple before holding you against him. You didn’t know how long he held you for, but you knew he never let you go. He never left your side. He didn’t even try to.
“I don’t know how long it was before I radioed through to you. All I remember was seeing a lot of blood on the floor and wondering why it was down my clothes. But I was glad to hear your voice. Even if you did hate me for bailing on you.” You eventually explained. “I’d managed to get some supplies to take with me. Fixed what I could of my wounds and prayed I’d make it some place. For a while I was okay, my wound was healing. But then I guess I ran into the wrong people. Some guy decided to start firing and I got hit again. I don’t know how long I ran for but the last thing I remembered was hearing horses.”
“Does Tommy know all of this?”
“Parts, but not all.”
Joel wondered whether or not he should tell you about what he’d heard over the last few days. “People…they’ve been talking since you came back…what happened when you went out?”
You shook your head. “I don’t know. I just remember hitting something and then a sharp pain. I told my partner to meet me at the bottom of the hill. Guess the others finished the same as him.”
“What do you want me to tell Ellie?”
“Just tell her I’ll be okay. She doesn’t need to know the whole story yet.”
“Too late.”
Joel and you looked towards the door and found Ellie standing in the hallway. “Mrs Davis let us out early. I wanted to come and see you. And…I’m glad you’re okay. And as far as I’m concerned, everyone can go fuck themselves.”
“Ellie. What have I told you about eavesdropping?” Joel asked her as she walked inside.
“Not…to do it.” She answered slowly. “But you know I’m right. You’ve heard the stories, too.”
“Stories?”
Joel sighed and turned back to you. “People in this town…they’ve got nothing better to do but gossip about what happened to you before you came here.”
Ellie jumped into the chair where Joel had previously been sat. “Yeah, and some of em’ are wild.”
You looked between her and Joel. “Like what?”
Joel looked from his daughter to you and sighed. “Most of them aren’t so nice, but…” Silently, Joel gave his permission to Ellie to tell you.
“There’s one that says you’re some bigwigs daughter who ran away to run his kingdom but then you got overthrown by a rebel group so now you’re waiting here before you can take your kingdom back over.”
You raised your brows. “Wow.”
“And someone else has said you’re actually a fortune teller that is secretly training us to help you and your psychic army to take over the cordyceps and make them human again.”
That one made you laugh a little.
“People have nothing better to do with their time.” Joel told you.
You shook your head. “It’s okay. The people…” you looked at Joel and Ellie. “The people that need to know the truth already know. Nobody else matters.”
Joel smiled at you before looking over at his daughter. “Go and find the doc so he can look her over.”
Ellie nodded before pulling herself out of the chair and spinning out of the door. “I’m really glad you’re okay, Y/n.”
You smiled before looking back at Joel finding him looking at you, too. Then you found your fingers tracing his own.
“I’m really glad you were here with me when I woke up.”
Joel smiled before lifting his hand and lightly brushing the few stray hairs from your face before his eyes found yours.
“Guess I just wanted to be the first to hear your voice.”
You smiled, hearing your own words echoed back to you from him. You leaned into his touch before you felt yourself lean forward a little only to have his lips meet yours in a tender kiss.
With a little confidence growing around your heart, you leaned in a little closer, feeling Joel’s fingers dig a little into your hair as he pulled you closer, and into a deeper kiss.
“Hey, the kid told me- whoa.” Tommy stalled in his tracks and covered his eyes. “Uh, sorry. I…I guess you’re okay. Uh, yeah. I-I’m just gonna-”
Tommy looked around himself, making sure the door he came through was still there and accessible for him to leave through it. “Good–Good door frame job.” He tapped it twice. “I-I’ll remember to knock on next time.”
You chuckled a little, leaning into Joel the same as he did with you as he watched his brother become 12 again and leave through the door.
“I guess we should wait until we’re actually alone before Ellie comes running through her and gets the shock of her life.”
Joel chuckled. “I guess you’re right.”
But he couldn’t help himself. Kissing you once more, you both made sure to listen out for the jingle of the door and when you did, Joel made sure to sit up a little as you leaned back. However, your hand remained in his, his thumb brushing continuously over your knuckles. He pressed a quick kiss to them before Ellie appeared through the door with the doctor who seemed more than relieved to see you awake and alive.
Maybe when you and Joel had met, you were the furthest thing from friends. But now, with a developing connection and deeper feelings, you found yourselves moving further from friends, but in the opposite direction.
Towards happiness.
Towards love.
Towards the light.
#joel miller#joel miller x reader#pedro pascal#pedro pascal joel miller#joel miller x fe!reader#the last of us#tlou#joel tlou#falling in love#ellie and joel being dad and daughter#fluff#angst#tlou themes#joel takes care of reader#kissing#ellie x platonic!reader#found family#family dynamic#enemies to lovers#'friends' to lovers
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cringe death note oc posting what’s new
BIG PIECE of mello & my dn oc, M, more info about her right here 😈😈⤵️⤵️
i love her sm and i WILL talk extensively about her the second i’m given the chance. she’s literally the reason i got into death note so everyone say thank you M!
#piece so big to make up for being gone ( i got literally super sick 😭��� over it now! )#and to make up 4 the fact i’ll be gone for awhile 2 go work on my m*llom*tt week pieces :3c#SO EXCITED FOR THAT EEEEEEE‼️‼️���️‼️#but yes i fucking love M i would die for her#not expecting this to do well BUT IDC SHE MEANS SO MUCH 2 ME I HAD 2 SHARE HER AND MELLO’S MOTHER-SON RELATIONSHIP#hoping to do a near piece with her after i finish up the m*m stuff ^^!!#art#fanart#my art#death note#death day au#death note au#death note mello#mello#mello death note#death note oc#masatoshi miyake#m death note oc#family dynamic#chosen family#fan oc#original character#oc#my oc
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whenever i talk about dps with my dad he tells me how he gets mad at neil for when his dad asks him “tell me what you feel” and he says “nothing” like he gets mad because neil killed himself but he could have just told him
and i sit there like staring at him remembering all the times he asked me to tell him what im feeling and i think of all the things i could tell him and instead i never say anything
my dad says “i just dont get it”
and im like “i do.”
#does this make sense#hes my mr. perry#im never getting over the relationship between mr perry and neil#its the same#my dad wants me to go to medical school to be a surgeon and make lots of money#my fig tree#the biggest fig#the one ive been pushed towards my whole life#doctor#ask me anything#dead poets society#dps#dps fandom#neil perry#dead poets#dead poets fandom#tom perry#family dynamic#family line#mr perry and neil
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In a old ask you said that Chris loves MC, while he cares for Jade but doesn't love her, but do MC's parents and Jade love MC? Would they be sad if MC cut ties with them for good, or they would just blame MC and move on with their life? If after years of no-contact they would know from someone else that MC got married and had a child/children would they want to be part of the children life?
MC's parents do care about them, but that doesn't erase the fact that they are toxic. Their love for MC isn't going to look the same as Aunt Em's love for MC. Jade does care for her sibling; even she would go so far as to say she loves them. But it's a bit more complicated than that.
Not everyone loves the same way or equally. The time and energy that MC would put into their relationship with Jade, they wouldn't have received the same amount from her. Because Jade isn't built that way, in her mind, she comes first, always.
If MC cut contact and had a family, their father would be more affected than his wife. He always wanted another child and a grandchild even more so.
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I won’t pretend like our family dynamic isn’t…unique.
(Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow #6)
#superboy: the man of tomorrow#superboy#conner kent#kon el#Superman#family dynamic#kenny porter#jahnoy lindsay#dc comics#comics#2020s comics#clark kent#kal el
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you guys think that in some twisted turn of events will would sing that rock a bye billy lullaby to mable and mason instead of having it sang to him since neither of their parents/guardians are loving in rev falls or am i just going insane
#reverse falls#will cipher#mable gleeful#mason gleeful#family dynamic#i need them as a found family so bad#that>>>>the whole slave stuff idk
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Whump Prompt #1230
Anon asked:
Hello! May I request prompts for stoic whumpee with a older motherly caretaker? I love the dynamic I think it's so interesting
I’m a sucker for the matron-like mother figures. You see this a lot in the Endeavour fandom with Win, and I can see Rip Hunter having the same dynamic with his adoptive mother. So I have a few ideas:
The no nonsense character who has looked after so many stray kids that she knows every remedy to different illnesses, the best tactics for dealing with nightmares and panic attacks, as well as the basic first-aid knowledge when one of the kids inevitably gets hurt. (No matter how many times she tells them, the tree in the yard is too dangerous!)
There’s always that one character who is different. A little more on edge; a little more scared and guarded. If they’re a young adult, perhaps they have more emotional intelligence than a child, and this throws the mother for a loop, and the two are invited to get over their pasts together.
The mother is always there with a blanket and a comforting meal. She knows when to push and when to let them be. She knows when to walk into their room on their third day of their brooding, throw the curtains open complaining about a lack of sunlight, finds them some clean clothes and says there’s [favourite meal] downstairs for after the character has showered.
She also knows when to just sit with them quietly - waiting for them to open up to her.
They’re settled on the sofa, she has a book in hand and the character is half-watching the television. She knows they have a lot to say, but are having trouble figuring out how to express themselves. But she has the time, so she waits. They tentatively lean across, searching for comfort and she invites them to lay their head in her lap. She cards her fingers through their hair, still reading and waiting. Maybe they speak, maybe they don’t.
#whump#writing#prompts#angst#mother figure#family dynamic#comfort#nightmares#endeavour morse#rip hunter
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one of my fave dynamics ^^
if anyone knows any good examples of the latter, feel free to share ^^
#ship dynamic#shipping dynamic#family dynamic#interspecies romance#interspecies adoption#dog#cat#mouse#found family#family of choice#dynamic#interspecies#interspecies love#interspecies family#multispecies family
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ghostwalker x teenager reader hcs (platonic!)
- you’ve known each other for a while, but regardless, he’s still very indifferent to you. he tolerates you at best and can be a little annoyed with you at worst.
- as long as you don’t get in the way of his work, he’s fine with having you around.
- he doesn’t grow any sort of attachment to you, because that’s just how he is, but he doesn’t dislike you either.
- he does give some interesting bits of wisdom and advice for you, which actually ends up being very helpful.
- while he doesn’t grow attached to you, he can be more fond of you than others, and hell, maybe he can even see you as an apprentice or student of his.
#phighting x reader#ghostwalker phighting#ghostwalker x reader phighting#ghostwalker x reader#ghostwalker x reader platonic#platonic#family#family dynamic
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If Las Mañanitas was written before 1914 I'd have every reason to believe Javier Escuella would've absolutely sung that song for Jack Marston's 4th birthday. Bonus points if he just sang that for each of Jack's birthdays in RDR2.
(IK THIS HEADCANON IS SO SPECIFIC BUT MY LATINO ASS IS SO OBSESSED WITH IT IT'S SO CUTE TO THINK ABOUT)
can you tell I'm obsessed with family bonding dynamics
#rdr2#red dead redemption 2#red dead redemption community#red dead redemption#jack marston#javier escuella#headcanon#family dynamic#i just like thinking about how everyone would go about entertaining jack as a kid
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Something about how Rosalie and Campbell only have each other now after everyone had gone their separate ways, something about how Eddie and Francine's future is uncertain with no hope of improving their lives, something about how Eddie said "Do you want to end up like me" to Campbell, who's only ever looked up to him as one of the first positive figures in his life who gave him the opportunity to DREAM.
Yeah okay, thanks for that Takin' Over The Asylum 😭 Anyway what should be my next fic, Ive already done my Fergus grieving one so Im looking to do more >:)
#takin' over the asylum#takin over the asylum#rosalie garrity#campbell bain#francine boyle#eddie mckenna#oh fergus.. Your family's become a mess without you#fergus mackinnon#Im crying#family dynamic#tota#I hate them so much#I love them so dear
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hi read the recent chapter of beyond the final frontier and now want more dadio and sonic content
slightly off topic but i'd love to see fics that would tackle the idea of "Oh Mario saw him as a fellow Hero until ___ which made him realize how Sonic was just a kid" kinda thing idk /silly
anyways no thoughts just silly family dynamics okay byeee
#super mario bros#mario#dadio#sonic#sth#sonic the hedgehog#family dynamic#brainrotting#i forgot how to tag shit send help
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When The Man takes your child for war
#The Man#children#war#family#family dynamic#ryan amusements#journey to the surface#ride#amusement park#andrew ryan#big daddy#subject delta#bioshock#bioshock 2#bioshock the collection#bioshock: the collection#video games#trilogy#girls who game#nintendo#nintendo switch#nintendo switch games#switch games
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Whump Month #12: Panic
For @cirrus-ghoulette’s Whump Month!
Summary: Young Giovanni comes down with a case of the chicken pox, and Antonio is worried. (I rushed this a little, but wanted to look into Copia and Primo’s relationship when they were young. Twig is also here.)
WC: 1458
Tags: Original names for the Emeritus brothers. Primo: Antonio, Secondo: Valentino. Terzo: Dante, Copia: Giovanni. / No definitive ages, though Primo is much older than Secondo and Terzo. / Original Ghoul Character
Maybe Twig was jaded from his time in the Pit, but the concept of infirmary visitors had him perplexed. Why would the healthy wish to wait with the sick and themselves and the patient vulnerable to further illness? Maybe it was jealousy, or maybe it was logic, but Twig often thought about it during his long infirmary shifts.
Outside of the tall windows shrouded by white curtains, a steady rain thrummed against the panes, drowning the outside world in the autumnal downpour. He sighed, reclining back into his chair as the potted plant next to him wilted at his aura. He pouted and poked the plant, finding distraction in healing the leaves as well as pulling a stick from his pocket. Biting into the soft flesh of the wood did little to better his mood however, as his most recent patient began to cry. His ears pressed back as a terrible wailing crossed the room, grating on his sensitive ears and waking the slumbering visitor. Sighing, Twig swung his legs from where they were propped on the desk, and paced the length of the ward. Two hours, two hours of quiet was all the patient had managed.
The visitor, a Cardinal, was quick to hush the patient, his hands grasping the sheets in a white-knuckled panic as the shrill cries of the patient set Twigs teeth on edge. He bit harder into the wood as he approached, beelining towards the nearby table where he kept his supplies.
Upon the bed was a small child, just over a year old and quite small for his age. He had short, auburn curls and long eyelashes that brushed against his fever-blotched cheeks that were covered in red spots, as was his entire body. Upon the small boy's arrival to the ministry, having traveled a distance with one of Nihil's many partners, he contracted a nasty case of chickenpox; treatable but unpleasant.
***
Twig was happily sitting at the desk, frowning over a crossword from a topside newspaper when the doors to the infirmary flew open, causing him to spit out the bark he had been chewing on. Immediately, the earth ghoul recognised the eldest Emeritus brother - Antonio - as he charged through the doors, a wild look in his eyes and a screaming bundle in his arms.
“The child.” He gasped. “Something’s wrong.”
Twig tried to take the bundle of blankets from his arms to assess the patient, but Antonio refused, instead he led him to the bed where he sat, balancing the child on his lap to give better access to the ghoul.
Twig produced a questioning trill towards the Emeritus brother, and began pulling the blankets aside, frowning at the intense fever radiating from pale, clammy skin.
“His fever is so high and he’s come out in red spots. He won't keep anything down - please, he’s so young.”
Chicken pox. Twig had seen it before, often in siblings that had never been exposed to it as a child. The boy was going to be just fine, the earth ghoul had already began pulling the large tub of homemade salve from the medicine cabinet, as well as a fresh washcloth for the fever. He paused as he looked at the vial of medicine, wary of giving it to a child so young.
“He’s been fussy for a couple of days, itchy too. Imperator told me that he was fine before she left for her business trip, but something’s just not right. He was refusing to eat and overnight he appears to have developed these spots-”
“‘Tonio?” A different voice, younger, called from the door. They were by the bed in a flash, the two youngest Emeritus brothers crooning over the screaming child in the blankets.
“We got your note.” Valentino said, watching as Antonio bounced the child on his knee, which helped somewhat.
“What's wrong with him? He looks weird” Dante, the youngest of the brothers, said. He gingerly stepped back behind Valentino, the older teen towering over his short frame. Hm. From all of Twigs reading on human anatomy he was sure Dante should’ve hit some sort of growth spurt by this age.
“Ghoul?” Valentino pressed.
“His name is Twig, Valentino.” Cardinal Antonio reminded him. Twig nodded his thanks, then gestured for the child to be laid down on the bed. Reluctantly, Antonio obliged, the brothers still hovering close as Twig removed the swaddle and onesie with gentle hands. Much to his annoyance, he’d had to clip his nails short lest he harm someone accidentally. He then unscrewed the lid to his pot of cool ointment and collected it on his fingers. The child initially jolted when the cool cream hit his exposed, feverish skin, and the ghoul could practically feel the brothers close in, and if they were of ghoul descent, he was sure they would’ve growled at him.
Miraculously, the child's whimpering began to die down, and even giggled when Twig applied the cream to his ticklish feet and sides.
“Chicken pox.” Twig grunted as he was finishing, a little perturbed to see the brothers begin to take up residence around the bed. After all, he didn’t want the boys to get sick with something so easily avoidable.
“How long until he gets better?” Dante was already impatient from his spot at the foot of the bed.
Twig shrugged. “Week. Maybe two”
“Thank you, Twig.” Antonio looked aged; old before his time as his parents overworking him as well as the rearing of three younger children evidently had an effect on him. He made an internal note to supply some herbal teas, or maybe even introduce him to a hobby such as helping out in the greenhouse to ease his stress. In that moment, Twig felt a strange twinge of guilt for the baby, as surely he was destined for the same fate as his brothers.
***
“What’s wrong?” The Cardinal gasped, scrubbing sleep from his tired eyes. It had been four days already.
“Same.” Twig hummed, preparing a fresh, damp cloth as well as the next dose of medicine. Before he replaced the compress to the child’s chest, he felt his skin for a fever and became satisfied that it was receding. He placed the cloth and moved to measure the next dose of medicine, now modified to be safe for toddlers. He then reached for the tub of cream, already admiring how quickly the itchy spots were receding. He’d hate to admit it, but Dante’s idea of putting the child's socks on his hands aided in stopping him scratching the spots, and the frequent visits surely had the child feeling better in spirit.
“He is responding well.” He elaborated, when he felt the Cardinals eyes on his back. He could almost feel the Cardinals sigh of relief as he relayed the information.
“Good. That’s good.” He huffed, tucking the blankets up to the boy's chest; gentle but sure of his movements. Practiced, Twig supposed. The Cardinal hadn’t left the boy's side, deciding that his work was best completed at his bedside since they entered just days before, and the ghoul supposed that he only got away with it since Imperator was away. Small victories and all, as Twig knew no more than how to shake a toy in front of the infant's face when they started to cry on him. The Siblings of Sin found it hilarious, Twig just found it stressful. Leaving the Cardinal to sleepily look over his charge, Twig moved to the nearby kettle and began the ritual of preparing tea, one of his favourite topside luxuries since his discovery of the cheeseburger.
Once the two cups were prepared, he returned to Antonio, and offered the drink. The man took it gratefully and placed it aside to cool. Twig pressed his mouth together. He hadn’t taken the hint.
“Rest.” Twig said.
Antonio's head shot up at the instruction, a little taken aback but welcoming of a subordinate looking out for him.
“When he’s better.” He sighed, weary and bloodshot eyes scared to leave the child.
“Your brothers.” Twig pressed, but the man declined again.
“Dante, he’s too young to have to look after a child. Valentino too. I cannot place that burden upon them as they are already busy with their studies.”
They weren’t too young, Twig knew this for a fact, but left it nevertheless. The man needed quiet; time away from his ministry duties, and who was Twig to deny him such?
“I should say that they have offered to help, but because of the child's questionable parentage, they are wary of getting so attached.”
There was a pause.
“I think I will remain here, with Giovanni, if you don’t mind.”
The earth ghoul shrugged his indifference, a newfound respect for the man as he skulked back to his desk, crossword waiting for him.
#the band ghost#ghost bc#whump month#ghost bc whump month#panic#chicken pox#family dynamic#?#sort of#Ghoul OC#papa emeritus i#papa emeritus iv#papa emeritus iii#papa emeritus ii#copia#terzo#secondo#primo#imperator (mentioned)
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I've read a lot of manhwas, is the mc an illegitimate or adopted and that's why jade is the favorite of the parents 🤨🤨
MC is not illegitimate/adopted. Does that go for the rest of the cast? My lips are sealed! (Love hearing the theories though.)
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