#Joel crying because he feels like he’s gonna fail and lose Ellie

[rosieshipper]

How I feel rn after finishing episode six of the last of us

!Spoilers in the tags!

[sugarcoated-lame]

This was so unbelievably soft and sweet and so freaking cute and I am feeling SO MANY EMOTIONS 😭😭

Joel being a grumpy, overprotective girl dad, while also just being the softest dad is literally my favorite thing ever. Like, sneaking crayons because he knew it would make his baby girl happy 🥹 and this:

It is hard. Because even though she isn’t his, she’s his and he’s afraid to lose her somehow.

The amount of care Joel has for both of his daughters is just so abundantly clear in the way he worries for them and wants nothing more than to protect them and it’s everything to me

Having a child had changed your body and while you two seldom had time to yourselves to do anything of this nature, when you did find time, he never failed to make you feel like you were still just as beautiful to him, if not a thousand times more.

And also his love for the reader too, this bit was so sweet and made my heart melt 🥹

“‘Cause. As long as daddy’s around, he will always protect you,” he promises her. “He’ll never, ever let anythin’ bad happen to you, Rosie. I swear it.” Joel kisses the top of her head, his gaze meeting yours. He murmurs his oath quietly, “On my life.”

“And Ellie,” he nods, firmly. “M’always gonna keep my girls safe. S’long as I’m around, you’re all safe.”

Vee, my HEART !!!!

“I—uh, I have an angel in the clouds who looks out for me. She watches over me, keeps me safe and sound.”

“Her name was—her name is Sarah.”

The way I literally started sobbing after this… aghhhhwjgjejgh

This was such an emotional, but also very comforting read, it’s beautiful and I just love their little family so much 🥹 and can I just say Rosemary is the absolute cutest !! she’s so precious and I just want to protect her at all costs. Ok I’m gonna go cry some more, but I loved this! 🧡

safe and sound

Post Outbreak! Joel Miller x Female Reader

summary: Your daughter has a nightmare—her daddy makes it all better.

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI. set in Jackson. slight canon age deviations (Joel is 56, Ellie is 17) READER’S AGE IS NOT SPECIFIED. she’s a child bearing adult woman so do with that information what you will. established relationship, reader and Joel have a toddler (her age is not specified in fic but she’s 3 ish years old), reader has NO PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION and neither does their child except she has Joel’s eyes and his dark curls, no mentions of her skintone. Joel and Ellie are fine bc he deserves it, Joel’s an overprotective girl dad, reader is the chill parent. implications of a toddler being told about clickers, bad dreams, almost smut, Joel and reader get cockblocked, SOFT Joel who comforts his babygirl, mention of Sarah towards the end. very minimal editing.

word count: 2.3k

a/n: listen, i love me some daddy joel but tonight i needed a bit of actual daddy joel. this was whipped up last minute bc i haven’t had the best weekend and needed some comfort. also i didn’t have the mental capacity or energy to come up with a moodboard, so gif it is.

Joel looks down at the old, worn book in his hand.

Winnie the Pooh.

He never would have imagined it. This.

Reading a bedtime story to a toddler. His toddler.

He’s in his fifties—he shouldn’t have a toddler.

He shouldn’t have a teenager, either.

Yet, he has both.

The toddler has his blood, the teenager doesn’t.

But that doesn’t matter to him.

Joel still considers her to be his own kid.

Only, she’s not a kid anymore, not really.

She’s seventeen now. She doesn’t need him much anymore, not the way that his toddler needs him.

“Ellie’s not coming home tonight,” you’d said from where you stood at the stove, stirring in chunks of potato and chopped carrots into the pot of stew in front of you. “There’s a birthday party down at the bar. She’s going with Dina and Jesse.” You can feel the look of disapproval on his face and add, “I said she could go, Joel. She asked me permission.”

“She didn’t ask me,” he’d gruffed. He looked down at the little girl sitting in his lap, scribbling away on an old state map. He had given it to her along with the pack of crayons he’d found during patrol when his group stumbled across a schoolhouse. Though crumbling on the outside, the inside had remained untouched throughout the last two decades—little coats hanging over the back of little chairs, papers scattered all over little desks, little lunch boxes still stored in their cubbies at the back of the room. He instructed the group to search for anything useful, anything that Jackson’s teachers could use for the children in their classrooms. Joel knew that taking without trading was against the rules, but that did nothing to stop him from secretly slipping the box of crayons into his jacket pocket when no one had been looking.

His daughter’s squeals of delight when he’d gifted them to her had been well worth the theft.

“Because she knew you’d say no to her.”

“I would have. Kid’s got no business going to a bar at her age. She’s fuckin’ seventeen years ol—”

The little girl had gasped and stopped coloring.

“Daddy said a bad word.”

You’d turned around and glared at him. “He did.”

She looked up at him with her wide, brown eyes.

Those she’d gotten from him. His dark curls too.

Everything else?

Her smile, her nose, her softness?

That was all you.

“M’sorry, babygirl,” he apologized, sheepishly.

“S’okay, daddy.”

And back to coloring she went.

“Joel, let’s face it. Ellie’s growing up. She’s turning eighteen in a few months and truth is, she has one foot out the door.” Crossing your arms, you leaned back against the counter. “She was telling me how she wants to turn the garage into her own space.”

“There a reason she ain’t talkin’ to me ‘bout this?”

You’d smiled wistfully at him.

“Because she knows this is hard for you, Joel.”

It is hard. Because even though she isn’t his, she’s his and he’s afraid to lose her somehow.

Joel manages to snap himself out of his thoughts.

Rosemary’s now fast asleep, her well loved stuffed bunny rabbit wrapped in her arms. She’s a handful for him during bedtime—she has too much energy and most nights, you have to step in and help him. But tonight, after her bath, he had warmed a glass of milk for her to drink and it seemed to have done the trick because within minutes of him reading to her, her eyes fluttered closed.

Joel sets the book down and leans over to brush a kiss onto her cheek, quietly whispering goodnight. “Sweet dreams, babygirl.”

He switches off the lamp on the bedside table and steps out of his child’s bedroom, being careful not to wake her as he closes the door behind him.

“I still can’t believe she fell asleep within minutes,” you say, staring at him in utter disbelief. “How?”

“Gave her a glass of warm milk before I tucked her into bed,” Joel explains, tugging on a pair of faded black sweatpants. He peels off his shirt and tosses it onto the floor before climbing into bed. “Worked like a fuckin’ charm. She’s out like a damn light.”

You set your book down and raise an eyebrow.

“Joel, I brushed her teeth before her bath.”

“I brushed them again after she drank it, darlin’.”

He outstretches his arm, beckoning for you.

Grinning, you scoot closer to him, draping an arm over his bare chest. “It’s only nine,” you tell him. “I have no idea what we’re going to do with all of this free time we have. Rosemary’s asleep, Ellie’s gone for the night.” You slowly drag your hand down his chest and over his stomach, a finger skimming the waistband of his sweatpants. You hear the way his breath catches in his throat and tease, “I guess we can actually get some good sleep for once, huh?”

Groaning, Joel rolls over and pins you down to the bed as he positions himself on top of you, his eyes glazed over with lust. “We can sleep,” he murmurs as his mouth hovers over yours. He reaches for the buttons of his flannel you’re wearing and begins to single-handedly pop them open only to find you’re not wearing anything underneath. He groans once more. “Or I can make you feel good. S’your choice, baby.”

You gasp as he nips at your chin and starts trailing his lips lower, peppering kisses down the length of your body. Heat blossoms in your lower belly as he settles himself between your thighs. Hooking both arms around them, he nibbles at the soft spot that is right below your navel, the spot you hate, but he adores. Having a child had changed your body and while you two seldom had time to yourselves to do anything of this nature, when you did find time, he never failed to make you feel like you were still just as beautiful to him, if not a thousand times more.

“Fuck,” you whimper. “Please, Joel.”

“Please what, sweetheart? What do you want?”

His voice is low, husky.

Your hands reach down and tangle in his curls.

“Your mouth, Joel. Please. I need your—”

The sound of a teeny knock at the door makes you both freeze on the spot.

“You heard that, right?” you ask him breathlessly.

There’s a second teeny knock.

It’s then followed by an even teenier voice.

“Mommy? Daddy?”

“Fuck,” Joel hisses, scrambling off the bed. “What the hell is she doin’ out of bed?” Picking his t-shirt up from the floor, he quickly throws it on, ignoring that he’d put it on inside out. Watching you as you fumble to button his flannel, he calls, “Just give us one second babygirl, alright? We’ll be right there.”

“I’m decent,” you tell him, getting the last button.

Nodding, Joel opens the bedroom door. His knees protest when he squats down, lowering himself so that he can meet Rosemary’s tearful gaze.

“S’matter, Rosie Posie?” he asks her in a soft voice that he reserves for his girls. “What happened?”

She sniffles. “I—I had a bad dream, daddy.”

You sit on the side of bed and wait patiently.

Joel has it handled. He always has it handled.

He never stopped knowing how to be a father.

“You had a bad dream?” he repeats, frowning.

Rosemary nods, clutching her rabbit to her chest.

A single tear slips down the side of her little face.

Joel reaches out, gingerly wiping it with his finger.

“M’sorry it scared you, babygirl. Tell you what, just for tonight, how about you sleep with me and your mama in our bed? That sound good?” With a small labored grunt, he scoops her into his arms. She is getting heavier and you often tell him it’s not good for his back—he can’t care less. He’ll keep picking her up until the moment his little girl decides she’s a big girl and doesn’t want him to pick her up. Joel carries her over to the bed and sits her on your lap and reminds her, “But this is just for tonight, Rosie Posie. Tomorrow night you’re back in your own big girl bed, alright?”

“Okay,” she nods again and leans against you, tiny shoulders slumping.

“Rosie? What was your dream about?” you ask her gently, wrapping your arms around her. She hardly ever has nightmares—she’s too young to know the world outside the commune’s walls, smart but still too little to understand why she cannot go outside the gates. “What did you dream about, honey?”

She hesitates, then answers, “Monsters.”

“Monsters?” Perplexed, you glance at Joel.

He seems to be just as confused as you are.

“Who did you hear that word from, babygirl?”

“Robbie.”

Your neighbor’s unruly, troublemaker son.

Joel’s jaw clenches slightly. “Thought I told you he ain’t allowed to be around her. The kid is nine, ain’t got no business bein’ around Rosemary. Little brat ain’t nothin’ but a bad influence. He’s always up to no good.” He shakes his head at you. “Said I didn’t want that boy anywhere near our daughter.”

“The kids were out playing in the snow today,” you remember. “He must have been there too. It’s kind of hard to tell who is who when they’re all bundled up and flinging snowballs at each other, Joel.” You shoot him an apologetic look. “Rosie was having a blast playing with everybody—I’m sorry. I suppose I should’ve paid more attention to who was around her.”

He bites back a sigh. He knows it’s not your fault.

Rosie’s too good of a girl, too pure and innocent to know that not everybody is her friend.

“Rosie, what did Robbie say to you?”

Again, the child hesitates.

“He said—he said monsters live outside. They bite people and turn them into monsters too. He said it happened to his daddy.” Rosemary’s eyes flit from you to Joel. “He said it would happen to you, too.”

Your eyes widen in shock. “He said that to you?”

Hands curling into fists, Joel reminds himself now isn’t the time to let his anger take over. “S’not true at all, babygirl.” He reaches over and slides her out of your lap and onto his. Like you, he wants to lie—tell her those monsters she was told about are not real, that they don’t exist. But they do exist and as much as he wishes he could keep her from finding out about all that lies beyond Jackson’s walls, Joel knows that one day, she will. “Listen to me. M’real sorry to hear ‘bout Robbie’s daddy, baby. But I can promise you, that ain’t gonna happen to me.”

She points a chubby finger at you.

“What about mommy?”

“Ain’t gonna happen to her either.”

Rosemary drops her hand, fear clear in her tone as she asks the both of you, “What about me?”

“Of course not,” you say, smoothing back her dark curls. “You’re safe here, honey. As safe as can be.”

Joel nods. “Your mama’s right, darlin’. You’re safe,” he reassured her. “You’re safe and sound.”

“I am?”

He gives her body a warm, gentle squeeze. “Mhm. Always will be. Y’know how I know that, babygirl?”

“How?”

“‘Cause. As long as daddy’s around, he will always protect you,” he promises her. “He’ll never, ever let anythin’ bad happen to you, Rosie. I swear it.” Joel kisses the top of her head, his gaze meeting yours. He murmurs his oath quietly, “On my life.”

Flashing him a small, grateful smile, you reach out and touch his forearm and he places his hand over your own.

“And mommy too?” Rosemary questions him.

“And mommy too.”

“And Ellie?”

“And Ellie,” he nods, firmly. “M’always gonna keep my girls safe. S’long as I’m around, you’re all safe.”

Rosie tiredly snuggles into his chest, yawning.

“What about you, daddy?”

“Huh?”

You squeeze his arm. “Think she’s asking you who is supposed to keep you safe, Joel.”

The little girl nods sleepily. “Yeah. Who?”

“Well.” Joel’s throat bobs nervously. He knows the moment he says what he’s about to say, there’s no going back. Not that he never planned to tell Rosie about her sister, but he’d always imagined doing it when she was older and understood death. “I—uh, I have an angel in the clouds who looks out for me. She watches over me, keeps me safe and sound.”

Rosemary’s curiosity is all that is keeping her from completely passing out in his arms.

“Really? You have an angel?”

Your heart squeezes tightly in your chest. “Joel—”

He lightly shakes his head.

“S’fine sweetheart. I don’t mind tellin’ her.”

Rosie’s fighting to stay awake just a little longer.

“Daddy? What’s your angel’s name?”

Joel answers in the steadiest voice he can muster.

“Her name was—her name is Sarah.”

“Sarah,” she mumbles, her eyes closing. “S’pretty. Your angel has a really pretty name.”

“The prettiest name,” you agree, softly.

Rosie yawns again. “Daddy?”

“What is it, babygirl?”

“Will you tell me stories about Sarah? Please?”

Joel chuckles, rubbing her back. “I sure will. I have plenty of them to tell, Rosie Posie. But not tonight. I’ll save them for tomorrow ni—”

You cut him off “Joel?”

“Yeah?”

“She’s out cold.”

He glances down and sure enough, she’s asleep.

Moments later, the three of you are in bed. Rosie’s in the middle, curled up against Joel’s chest—your chest is pressed against her back but you’re being careful not to sandwich her in too tight in between your bodies.

In a beam of silvery moonlight shining through the bedroom window, you meet Joel’s gaze.

“Thank you,” you whisper.

He chuckles. “For what? Doin’ my job and soothin’ our daughter after a bad dream?”

You smile at him.

“For being so good to her. To me and Ellie.” Lifting a hand, you reach over and cup the side of his face in your palm. “You’re so good to all three of us and I can’t even imagine what we’d do without you.”

Joel turns his face, brushing a kiss into your hand.

“I mean it,” he says, quietly. “S’long as I’m around, you girls will always be safe and sound.”

credit divider @saradika-graphics

[punkrockmads]

I Need You Now

Unspoken Words part 2

It's been a week since Sarah left her room. A week since anybody but Ellie has heard a word from her. They've tried. Jesse tried, Dina, Joel, Tommy... Hell, even Maria tried. But nothing can convince the girl to speak to them or leave her room to do anything other than use the bathroom or shower. After many failed attempts, Joel decided it was best to give her space.

So, she hides in her room, wondering what she did wrong. Wondering why Joel didn't want to be her dad. If only she'd given him a chance to explain himself. She's angry, but beyond that, she's hurt. The only person she talks to is Ellie. Ellie's the only one who doesn't try to force her to talk or leave her bedroom. She simply sits with her, makes sure she's feeling okay and that she's eating, and does everything she can to keep her from shutting down completely. If she's lucky, Sarah will comment on the stories about patrol or Boston that Ellie tells her. Usually, she just stays quiet, cracking a small smile at the funny things Ellie says to try and get her to laugh. It hurts Ellie to see Sarah so distant, but she knows the girl just needs time. She understands how it feels to realize someone lied to you about something important for years.

Today is no different. Ellie enters Sarah's room with two small bowls of soup. Sarah's asleep at her desk, right cheek smushed against the wood, a pen and a notebook beside her. Ellie sets the bowls on the desk, nudging Sarah lightly to wake her up. Sarah's eyes flicker as she allows herself to be pulled away from sleep. She sits up, rubbing at her eyes to hide any obvious signs of crying that Ellie has already seen.

"Hey." Ellie says, offering Sarah a small smile. She leans against the desk. "I, uh... thought I'd eat with you today. Keep you company."

"Okay." Sarah responds, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face. Ellie nods, grabbing the bowls once more and moving to sit by the window. Sarah watches, only moving when Ellie waves her over. She takes a seat in front of Ellie, taking the soup she's handed.

"Maria asked about you today." Ellie eats a bit of her soup, glancing at Sarah. "Wanted to know how you were doing."

"Oh." Sara says, quietly.

"Yeah. She wanted me to ask if you were wanting to go on patrols again. Get out of the house for a bit." Ellie continues. Sarah thinks it over. "She can assign you with Jesse."

"Why would that matter?" Sarah asks. Ellie finds a bit of comfort in the fact that she's talking more.

"Cause everyone knows you two like each other." Ellie says, a teasing smile on her face as she shoves Sarah with her foot.

Sarah shoves her back, rolling her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah, sure." Ellie says sarcastically. "But seriously, it'd be good for you to get back out there. That way you're not cooped up in here all day."

Sarah bites her lip, contemplating what Ellie said. "I think that's a good idea." She concludes. "Just... I don't think I'm ready to speak to Joel yet."

"Did he tell you why he lied?" Ellie asks. Sarah shakes her head. "When he lost your mom, he didn't wanna get close to you and possibly lose you, too. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. When he told me he wanted to tell you, I said it was a good idea."

"Still wish he wouldn't have lied." Sarah mumbles. "Or screamed at me when I called him dad."

"Yeah, that was kinda dumb." Ellie admits. "He's crushed, y'know? He really didn't wanna hurt you, he just couldn't hide it anymore." She puts a hand on Sarah's knee. "He loves you, Sarah. He kinda sucks at showing it, but it's true. Every day, he asks me how you're doing, if you're eating... he worries about you."

"Yeah." Sarah says. "I know."

A month passes and Sarah still hasn't spoken a word to Joel. He leaves notes on her bedroom door or the kitchen table for her to read before patrol. Simple notes that say things like 'Made you breakfast' or 'won't be back till late tonight'. He's even been watching over Gus after he was accidentally left on the couch. Sarah's spent as much time as she can going on patrol and picking up extra chores; anything to stay away from the house for as long as possible. Maria's put limits on how much she can do, though. She's afraid Sarah will overwork herself. Usually, the patrols are simple but today's would prove to be a bit more eventful.

Sarah's in her head, not really focusing on searching for infected as she rides behind Jesse to the next patrol sign in. Jesse's talking but, for some reason, Sarah can't pay attention. She keeps remembering what happened at St. Mary's two years ago. She isn't happy with how they saved Ellie but she's happy they did save her. Ellie is like a sister to her. But that's not what she's thinking about. She's thinking about being shot. The feeling of the bullet going into her torso as they were running. She didn't say a word, didn't even flinch, she just kept going. But what if she hadn't been able to? What if she had fallen and was too weak to run? Would Joel have helped her? No, there'd be no way for him to save her. He had Ellie and she clearly couldn't run. He would've left her there... right? He would've abandoned her...

"Earth to Sarah!" Jesse snaps her out of her thoughts. She looks up to see him staring back at her. "You good back there?"

"Yeah, sorry." Sarah replies quickly, tightening her grip on Ponyo's reins. Jesse looks forward again.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks, stopping in front of the next sign in; an old bar Tommy had said was shut down way before the apocalypse.

"Just... I was thinking about Joel." Sarah says, deciding not to tell him everything going on in her head.

"You still mad at him?" Jesse asks as they tie up their horses to a pipe outside the back of the building.

"A bit." Sarah admits, walking in front of Jesse into the bar through a hole in the wall that's hidden by vines. "But, I think I understand why he did it now. Why he lied, I mean." The bar smells like damp soil and rotting wood. Thankfully, the broken glass that once littered the floors has been cleaned to make it safer to walk around. That doesn't mean they don't have to watch where they walk, though. In certain areas, the wooden floor is rotten enough to break underneath them if they step on it.

"Maybe you should talk to him." Jesse says, signing the two in as Sarah peeks through the windows. "He feels really bad. I don't think I've seen him this upset since that fight he had with Ellie. Even then, it only took them a couple weeks to make up."

"Joel doesn't like fighting." Sarah says, simply. It's easier to say that than 'He lied to Ellie because he didn't want her to sacrifice herself for a possible cure for humanity.' "I was thinking about talking to him tonight, actually."

"That's good." Jesse says, a hopeful smile on his face. "I'm sure he'll be really happy about that."

"Yeah." Sarah says, looking around at all the abandoned booths and barstools. "I kinda feel like a dick for shutting him out, y'know?"

"He understands why you did it." Jesse assures Sarah, moving to stand in front of her.

"Yeah, but I... I shouldn't have done that to him. Or you and Dina. You didn't deserve that."

"Hey." Jesse puts a hand on her head. "Don't worry about it." He gives her a warm smile. "I've got something to show you. C'mon, shorty."

"I may be short but I'll kick your ass." Sarah warns, teasingly.

"I don't doubt it." Jesse chuckles, leading her through a door to the Employees Only room. Sarah follows, confused. There was never any reason to go back here.

"Where are we going?" She asks. Jesse stays quiet, moving a heavy metal filing cabinet out of the corner and revealing a hole in the wall. "Jesse?"

"Just c'mon. You're gonna like this." He says, crawling through the hole. Sarah groans, looking behind her before crawling in after Jesse. Jesse helps her stand up and she looks around. They're in a very small, very cramped bathroom.

"Wow." She laughs, tone full of sarcasm. "I love this bathroom."

"Well, then you're gonna love what's outside of this bathroom even more." Jesse grins, pulling a set of keys out of his back pocket.

"Shouldn't it lock from the inside?" Sarah asks, watching Jesse unlock the door.

"Yeah, but I switched the handle around so nobody could get in here." Jesse explains, opening the door. "You coming?" He asks, holding the door open. Sarah walks into the medium sized room. It's empty other than a few boxes, a door that's boarded up, and a desk in the far right corner with a wooden chair.

"What is this?" Sarah looks around. The room is lit only by a window on the right wall that lets in sunlight.

"It's an Employees Only room. You know that hair salon next door?" Sarah nods. "It's connected to that."

"Does anyone else know this is here?"

"If I wanted other people to know it was here, do you think I'd keep it locked up?" Jesse asks, rhetorically.

"Okay, I see your point." Sarah chuckles.

"Now, I know it's not much but I was thinking we could fix it up a bit, make it look cool, and turn it into our own private hangout. Just you and me. Whaddya say?" Jesse gives her a hopeful look, silently pleading for her to say yes.

"I think I can get behind that." Sarah decides, smiling at him.

"Yes!" Jesse yells, raising a fist in the air. "Oh... Hey, Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Look up." Sarah does so, eyes going wide and smile growing bigger.

"Stars?" She chuckles in disbelief. The ceiling had been painted to look like the night sky. Blends of dark blues and blacks, tiny white dots to look like twinkling stars.

"You like it?" Jesse asks, hands on his hips. Sarah turns to look at him.

"Did you...?" She can't seem to form a sentence, completely in awe. Jesse just nods, his heart fluttering at her reaction. "How did you paint this?"

"My mom found a bunch of old paints in storage and gave them to me." Jesse explains. "I wasn't sure what to do with them at first but, when I saw this place... it just clicked." Sarah lunges at him, making him take a step back at the force as she hugs him.

"Thank you, Jesse." Sarah mumbles into his shirt. "This is amazing."

"Aww, you're welcome, shorty." Jesse says, hugging her. Sarah pinches his side and he flinches. "Ow! Okay, I guess I deserved that."

"You did." Sarah chuckles, pulling away. She looks around the room, noticing the boarded up door. "Think we can get this open?" She points to the door.

"Actually..." Jesse walks over to the wooden desk, opening one of the drawers. "I know we can." He takes out a hammer, grinning.

"You just conveniently have a hammer laying around?" Sarah asks.

"I meant to take these boards off last time I was here. So, yes. I conveniently have a hammer laying around." With some effort and assistance from Sarah, Jesse manages to pry the boards off the wall. He turns the handle of the door, walking into the salon.

"Well, this place is a wreck." Sarah comments, looking around at all of the misplaced items. Spray bottles, hair dryers, shampoo... there were even a few cracked mirrors.

"Front door's boarded up." Jesse says, walking to the middle of the room. The floor creaks loudly underneath him and, before either of them can react, it collapses and he falls through onto the cement floor of the basement with a loud crash.

"Jesse!" Sarah yells, running towards the hole.

"Fuck! I- I'm fine! I'm okay!" Jesse calls, slowly trying to stand up. "Just fell onto a pile of glass..." He pushes himself up, looking at a panicked Sarah.

"You scared the shit out of me!" Sarah exclaims. She's about to yell more but notices blood soaking through Jesse's jeans. "Jesse... your leg." Jesse looks down at his right thigh. "You got cut."

"That's a lot of blood." Jesse mumbles. He looks around. "Okay, there's a staircase over here. I think I can get upstairs."

"Just be careful." Sarah says. "Toss me your keys. I'll open the door." Jesse throws his keys to Sarah and hobbles in the direction of the staircase. Sarah goes to the basement door, fumbling with the set of keys to see which one fits. Finally, she finds the right key, opening the door to find Jesse leaning against the wall. "Jesus." She whispers, seeing the blood dripping down his leg.

"It's just a cut." Jesse assures. "I'll be fine."

"At least let me wrap it." Sarah insists.

"Alright." Jesse says. "Guess I don't wanna bleed out before we get home. Let's get back to that Employee room."

Jesse sits in the chair as Sarah pulls a roll of bandages out of her backpack. She wraps the bandages around the gash tightly, trying to be as gentle as possible. When she's finished, she leans and places a small kiss on the bandaged wound before standing and holding out her hand for Jesse to take. He takes it, letting her help him stand.

"Man, these stitches are gonna hurt like a bitch." Jesse groans, following Sarah out to the horses.

"Probably. Hey, you gonna be able to ride?" Sarah asks, flashing him a concerned look.

"Yeah, I..." Jesse wants to say yes but he knows he's losing a lot of blood and the bandages can only do so much. He's already a bit dizzy. "Maybe not."

Sarah thinks for a moment before coming up with an idea. "Okay, you're gonna ride with me. I'll tie Cobalt up inside and get our secret spot locked up. You stay here."

"Yes, ma'am." Jesse says, mocking her bossiness as he leans against the building. Sarah takes Cobalt inside. She's only gone for a few minutes, returning to Jesse who greets her with a smile.

"Here, let me help you up." Sarah guides Jesse onto Ponyo, making sure he isn't going to fall off before getting on in front of him. Jesse's arms wrap around her waist securely. She can't help but feel better with him close to her. She can't deny, it makes her feel safer. As they ride, Jesse leans forward, resting his forehead on Sarah's left shoulder. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Jesse mumbles. "Think I hit my head when I fell."

"We're almost home." Sarah says, silently hoping they'll make it back without any issues. "Just hang on a bit longer."

When the two make it back, it's around 4:00pm. Sarah dismounts Ponyo, handing the reins to a stable worker so she can help Jesse down.

"He's got a cut on his right leg and he might've hit his head. He fell pretty far. Cobalt is tied up in the bar." Sarah explains to a few people who agree to take Jesse to the infirmary. She stops them, putting a hand on Jesse's chest. "You want me to come with you?"

"I'll be fine." Jesse assures. "Go talk to Joel. I'll come find you after I get patched up." Hesitantly, Sarah nods, going home. When she gets there, Joel isn't back, yet. She sighs, setting her bag down and searching for one of Joel's usual notes that would explain where he went. She finds it on the kitchen counter by the coffee pot.

'Girls, Tommy and I are headed out

to clear out a group of infected.

Won't be back 'till later tonight.'

"Great." Sarah sighs. "There goes that plan." She decides to see what Ellie and Dina are up to. She heads out to the garage, knocking on the door. Ellie opens it, smiling when she sees Sarah.

"Hey! Come on in!" Ellie says, holding the door for Sarah. Sarah walks in, seeing Dina on the couch searching through DVDs.

"Hey, Sarah." Dina greets with a grin. "We're gonna watch a horror movie. You in?" Sarah completely forgot tonight's movie night.

"Definitely." Sarah says, unzipping her jacket and tossing it on Ellie's desk before sitting on the floor in front of Dina.

"Where's Jesse?" Ellie asks. She picks up a DVD and puts it into the player, starting the movie.

"He's at the infirmary. He fell on some glass but he's okay." Sarah explains. "I wanted to go with him."

"He's a big boy." Ellie says, sitting beside her girlfriend. "He can take care of himself."

"I know." Sarah shrugs, watching the beginning of the movie. "Is this Carrie?"

"Yep." Dina confirms, smiling.

"How? The DVD got destroyed when Tommy borrowed it."

"We found a DVD rental place on our last supply run." Ellie answers. We also found a movie called "Blue is the Warmest Colour."

"Oh, I think I saw that one with Evelyn." Sarah recalls.

"You mean back when you had a huge crush on her?" Ellie teases.

"Oh my God." Sarah rolls her eyes. "She was cute but she turned out to be such a bitch! All I did was reccomend the movie! I still can't believe she punched me in the face."

"Yeah, after she called you a faggot." Dina reminds her. "She was an asshole. I'm glad you came to your senses, though. Finally gave in to your crush of two years. Now, one of you just has to make the first move."

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asks, feigning confusion.

"Uh, you and Jesse. Duh!" Dina grins. "You two are so fucking in love-"

"Okay, no more talking during the movie." Sarah cuts her off, quickly.

"...You never denied it." Ellie says after a few minutes.

"Shut up." Sarah snorts, making the couple laugh.

Twenty minutes into the movie, there's a knock on the garage door. Ellie stands up, opening the door.

"Hey, Jesse." She says, inviting him in. Sarah smiles, glad to see him patched up. "Sarah told us you got hurt." Jesse chuckles, smiling down at Sarah.

"Ah, just a few stitches in my thigh." Jesse explains. "Be good as new in no time. Anyways, what are we watchin'?"

"Carrie." Sarah responds as Jesse tosses his jacket and backpack to the side and sits beside her on the floor. "Careful of your stitches." She warns.

"I'm fine." Jesse assures. "Doesn't even hurt that much." He stretches his legs out to make his point. Ellie flops back down on the couch, her head laying on Dina's shoulder as the four of them watch the movie. Sarah lays down on her side, resting her head in Jesse's lap. About halfway into Carrie, she manages to fall asleep, unknowingly clinging to Jesse's pant leg as she drifts off, completely forgetting about her plan to speak with Joel.

Jesse doesn't notice Sarah's fallen asleep until he looks down and finds her laying there, curled up, lips slightly parted, and fist holding onto his jeans with all of her sleepy strength. He chuckles quietly, brushing hair out of her face and smiling at her with adoration.

"What is it?" Dina asks, both her and Ellie growing curious as to why Jesse is laughing during a horror movie. Jesse turns back to look at them, a wide smile on his face.

"She's asleep." Jesse explains, nodding towards Sarah. The two girls lean over to see her, confirming what Jesse said.

"That's fucking adorable." Ellie chuckles. "She must be exhausted. All that extra work she's been picking up..." Ellie sighs, kind of glad to see Sarah finally resting and not working her ass off.

"I'm gonna take her to bed." Jesse says, standing and lifting Sarah up bridal style. Sarah hums i9n her sleep, shifting a bit before settling again. "Jesus, she needs to eat more." He points out, feeling how light she is.

"You okay carrying her with your leg?" Ellie asks. "She's not gonna be happy if you tear your stitches."

"I got it." Jesse nods. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He carefully opens the door, carrying Sarah out to the house. When he gets inside, Joel is in the living room. He looks over when he hears the back door open, offering Jesse a tired smile.

"Hey." Joel says, voice gruff. "Patrol go okay?"

"Yeah. No infected." Jesse says. "How about you? Heard you and Tommy were sent to clear out a group of infected."

"Whoever said it was a herd overreacted." Joel laughs a bit. "It was maybe four or five hiding out in an old motel. But, I guess it was worth it. Found some good supplies." He looks down at Sarah. "Alright. You should go put her in bed."

Jesse nods, walking up the stairs. He stops at the fourth step. "Hey, Joel?" Joel turns around, looking at Jesse. "It may not seem like it, but... I'm pretty sure she forgives you." At that, Joel lights up, turning and walking away with a smile. Jesse carries Sarah to her bedroom, laying her down on the bed gently and pulling the blankets up to her chin. He places a kiss to her forehead and lets out a small sigh before turning and heading back to the garage. As Sarah lays there in the dark, she begins to shift, mumbling incoherently. Her sleep will prove to be anything but peaceful.

St. Mary's Hospital. A place that would remind Joel, Ellie, and Sarah of the Fireflies and the lie Joel told Ellie to protect her. For Sarah, it's also a reminder of the time she was shot during the escape. What if she had been too weak to keep going? All she could rely on was her own strength and the hope that she'd be able to keep running. What if she hadn't?

She's back in the hospital, running beside Joel who's carrying an unconscious Ellie. The adrenaline, the rapid heartbeat, the fear, all of it returns. The same feeling of dread mixed with determination floods through Sarah. The three round a corner and that's when Sarah's shot, the familiar sensation of the bullet piercing through her skin and spilling her blood. But, this time, the pain is too much and she falls to the ground with a cry. No... She fights to get up; to keep going. But the fight is useless. She can't move.

"Joel!!" Sarah screams, reaching out for him. He's only a few feet ahead of her. He stops dead in his tracks, turning around slowly. She calls for him again and he only smiles. He stares at her, watching her bleed out and scream for him, laying there, helplessly waiting for something to happen. Sarah feels sick to her stomach at the way he grins. Joel turns away from her again, walking off with Ellie.

"Joel!! Dad, please!!" Sarah sobs, trying to stand only to fall back again. "Dad!! Help!!" Her cries are ineffective, her father walking out of sight... leaving her behind... "Dad!!"

In Joel's bedroom, he's sitting in bed reading a crappy novel he found in the motel earlier that day. He hears Sarah's desperate screaming and wastes no time throwing the book to the side and rushing out of the room. He practically trips over his own feet running into Sarah's bedroom to find her laying stiff in her bed, sobbing and screaming for her father... for Joel. He sits next to her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"Sarah...Sarah!" Joel calls her name, trying to pull her out of her dream. "Sarah, wake up!" She jolts awake, sitting up so quickly she almost smacks her forehead against Joel's. She sobs, rapidly searching the room, trying to remember where she is. "It's okay. It was only a dream." Joel says, rubbing her arms. Sarah looks at Joel and sobs louder.

At first, Joel thinks she's mad at him for being there but she scrambles into his arms, clinging to the back of his shirt. "Dad..." Sarah cries. "Please don't leave me..."

"Shh, I've got you, baby girl." Joel coos, holding Sarah tight against him as her tears create a damp spot on his shirt. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll never leave you." He's extremely happy to finally hear Sarah call him dad but hides his excitement so he can focus on comforting her. His daughter needs him. "You're okay." Joel rocks her side to side, patiently waiting for her to calm down. "You're okay." When Sarah's nearly asleep, he lays her back down, moving to cover her up.

"Dad?" She mumbles, eyes half open.

"Yeah?" Joel responds, feeling another spark of joy at the title. Sarah reaches for his forearm, tugging at it.

"Stay with me?" Sarah asks, almost pleading.

Joel finally lets himself smile, overjoyed with Sarah's forgiveness. "Okay."

[chxronica]

Breathe, Ellie... breathe

Rating - Teen 

Pairing - Ellie and Dina : Ellie x Dina 

Word Count - 3274

Summary - After a tough night on patrol and Dina almost dying, Ellie has a breakdown, but like everytime her best friend is there to hold her. One love confession later and their dancing in a room of people their attention complexly devoted to the other. 

A/N - i honestly really enjoyed writing this,,,, even if it got waayyyy longer than i intended lmaoooo,,, but who cares,, enjoy this and the fact that only joel has his accent written in because i legit wrote a majority of this one a plane or at four in the morning lmaooo 

Ellie could feel her whole world collapsed around her as soon as the water hit her bruised and bloody body. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, and in reality she couldn’t. She was hyperventilating as she thought about all the ways everything could’ve gone wrong that night. The teenager had been through a lot worse but every second of this felt like absolute torture.

Without even thinking about it she was sitting on the floor as the semi-hot water, which she was lucky considering they worked with a damn and some electricity, hit her back. Her arms instantly wrapped around her knees as the tears merged with the water. All that she could focus on the fact is that she could’ve lost Dina that night. Thank whatever God their might be that she didn’t. That she kept her best friend safe.

Breathing only got harder as the tears continued to fall from her eyes. She barely realized her short breaths until someone was making their way into the bathroom. The tall girl, who looked small now, couldn't bring herself to face whoever entered the bathroom. It wasn’t until she heard clothes drop to the ground that she actually looked up.

Her breath caught as she stared at Dina, almost completely undressed. She gave Ellie that familir half cocky, half flirty smirk that always made her heart flip. “Like the view?” She teased as she stepped out of the last of her clothes, making her way over to the tub. Once she had stepped in she wrapped her tanned arms around Ellie.

In that moment, with Dina holding onto her as water encompassed the two, the girl truly broke down. She buried her face into her knees as she felt her best friend hold onto her tightly. Her breathes were coming harder and harder for her as she was held tightly, but there was something about the shorter’s girl soft “heys” and “breath, baby that made things slightly easier.

Eventually she stopped and her breathing began to go back to a normal pace. When the other girl felt that she adjusted, spreading her legs so that Ellie could sit in between them. Which she didn’t hesitate in doing, even if this was only best friends and would never mean more than that. Once she was settled in there, Dina placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.

“I thought…” She trailed off as she began to whisper an explanation of why she was found in the bathroom sobbing. “I thought I was going to lose you.” Her voice is barely a whisper and that was being generous, but Dina managed to hear her through the water pounding around them and the soft words of comfort.

With those words, the other girl practically melted in a mix of love and comfort. “You will never lose me, babygirl.” She reassured her, running a hand through Ellie’s soft, soaked hair. Another kiss is pressed to the top of her head, meant to comfort her the best she can. “You will always have me.”

“I almost lost you today.” She whispered more, pulling her knees back up to her chest. Which was true, if she was only a couple seconds later than Dina wouldn’t be here right now. Which absolutely terrified Ellie, cause she loved her so much and never actually told her how she truly felt. Yet, even after everything she still couldn’t find herself to actually tell her best friend how she felt.

With the tone of the taller girls voice, Dina was quick to jump in and reassure her again. “But you didn’t. You saved me just in time. You’re the reason I’m here right now, holding you.” The last part is barely above a whisper but it hold more meaning than Ellie would ever realize in that moment.

“I’m the reason we were in that situations. I didn’t do enough recon. I didn’t check every corner. O told you it was safe when it was-“ She’s cut off before she can finish the rambling of blaming herself for what had happened on patrol. There was more than two of them, so it really wasn’t her fault but Ellie would always think it was. “Don’t blame yourself. There’s no way you could’ve know.”

At the reassurance of her friend words she found herself relaxing, something incredibly strange for her, into her best friend arms. Maybe Dina was right. Maybe she really wasn’t the one with the whole blame in that situation. “I am right.” She teased, knowing exactly how the freckled girl’s mind worked in the years they got to know each other.

Almost like clockwork Ellie rolled her eyes at the darker girl, pushing herself out of the tub. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel. There was only on towel between the two of them, so she was more than expecting an teasing comment to come from the other girl. Which didn’t take long as Dina stood up shortly and walked over to her, stealing the towel. “It’s ladies first.” Her tone is unsurprisingly teasing, with that oh so familiar undertone of flirting.

With that she grabbed the ends of the towel and pulled Ellie closer to her, so that they were bare chest to bare chest with towel half wrapped around Dina. The sudden changes in position, and the fact that she was no longer panicking, brought a vibrant blush to the freckled face that belonged to the slightly older girl. It took over her face like it wasn’t giving away the fact that she had very gay feelings towards her best friend.

That easily brought a light giggle from her, as her hand went up to wipe away the wet hair in her face. With an satisfied smirk placed on her features she let her hand linger, thumbs brushing away the rest of the water on the taller girl’s face. Before she could even stop herself she was blurting out the three words she’s been thinking of for months, maybe even years. “I love you.”

Dina’s face instantly softened at the sudden declaration of her feelings towards the girl. “Not like the best friend love that you always think I mean because this time that’s not what I mean. I mean that I love you like love love you. I love the way the corner of your mouth goes up whenever you see something you like. I love how you always known how to calm me down, ever since day one. I love your stupid jokes that you think are the best thing in the world. I love the way your eyes shine whenever you see an animal when we’re patrolling. I just… I love you and I’m gonna stop talking now.”

At this point, Ellie’s face is completely red and her cheeks are burning from blushing so hard. There was so much to what she just said but she couldn’t stop herself. A part of her knew that with this confession came rejection of some time because she knew that Dina was still with Jessie. So it was only a matter of seconds before she felt the pain of rejection in her heart, but she would be okay as long as she always had the other girl in her life.

All throughout her entire ramble of why Ellie loved her the way she did, she couldn’t help but let her features soften more and more. Her heart hurt for the taller girl because she couldn’t say it back, not in that moment; the two of them naked with their bodies pressed closely together. “Oh Ellie…” She whispered as she cupped her cheeks and let her thumbs stroke them. “You know I can’t.” Her voice is still soft as Ellie nods, refusing to let herself cry again.

With that Dina leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of lips, not daring to kiss her but not wanting to settle with just a cheek kiss. After a few minutes of silence with them just staring at eachother one of them, which one they had no idea, pulled away and started to get dressed again.

Once both of them were dressed and ready to go they left the bathroom in complete silence. “Are you going to the dance?” Was the first thing said between them as they laid on Ellie’s bed, facing each other. It was like the bathroom scene didn’t just happen but at the same time the weight of her confession sat above them.

A freckled nose instantly scrunched up at the sudden question about the dance. “You know I don’t like those things.” She raised a brow at Dina who had only shifted her body over as response to the question, a feigned pout of her soft lips.

“Will you pretty please go? For me.” Her tone was childish and teasing as she gave the other girl her best puppy dog eyes, which never failed to work on her. She had to look up at her as she did since even laying in bed she let their height difference remain instead of just leaning up. Of course that only made everything work on Ellie so much more than it normally did.

Rolling her eyes she moved to lay on her other side, facing away from the pouting girl. A small smile played on her features as she felt Dina poke at her back now that she wasn’t facing her. “Night darling.” Is all she said before reaching over to turn of the light.

“If you don’t come I’m going to hunt you down.” Dina decided as she cuddled up to the older girl’s back. The threat was definitely serious because she knew more than anyone that she was the only one thar Ellie would actually listen to. With that she let herself fall asleep against the back of her best friend.

After that night Ellie did her best to avoid Dina at all cost, even getting up earlier the next morning than she had to. She was quick to dress and start her day, asking Joel if there was anything extra she could help with during her free time. The more time she spent working the less time she had to think about her best friend and the previous night. It actually worked until she was working a nob with Jessie and he brought the girl up.

“Dina broke up with me this morning. Said somethin’ ‘bout needing time to think.” With that sentence Ellie brought her attention from fixing the fence to the tall man standing next to her. She had no idea how she was supposed to be feeling in that moment, but a part of her was hopeful that she was the reason they broke up. On the other hand though, she didn’t want to be the reason her friend was hurting.

“Sorry to hear that, Jessie.” She mumbled as she stopped what she was doing. Then she was pretending that she was out of nails so that she’d have a reason to actually leave the situation. The last person she wanted to talk about was Dina, especially about her love life. “Last night probably has her a little shook up.”

With that she excused herself from the situation, saying something about going to go check on her. Except this time it was Dina who seemed to be avoiding the other girl because the second she saw Ellie she would turn the other direction. Honestly the whole situation was awkward and anyone who noticed the two of them would instantly know something happened.

Eventually she gave up trying to look for the other girl and just got some dinner. Once she had eaten she found herself going back to her room instead of enjoying the rest of the night. Maybe it was so that she didn’t run into her best friend too because now she was too tired to have an conversation.

The good thing about having patrol in two days meant that she got to sleep in all of the next day. That’s how the jobs ended up working, if you had to go out you got the day before off of any chores. So that meant that Ellie spent a majority of the day in her house, only getting up when she decided that she was hungry enough.

By the time the end of the day had come around she hadn’t really left her place. The whole time she stayed on the couch and read old comic books that she and Joel had collected over the span of all the adventures that they had together. Which was almost relaxing because she didn’t have to think of anything else.

At some point in one the stop bys he made at the house, Joel had sat himself down next to Ellie and put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, kid, what’s gotcha you inside all day? You usually with Dina on your day off.” Concerned filled the voice of her father figure, the only thing not concerning to him was the fact that she wasn’t at the dance.

“I told her, Joel.” She whispered softly as she looked up from her comic and over at him. He knew exactly what she referring to because he was the first one she asked about it. It was after a few years of knowing the amazing girl that she finally found the courage to ask him about it.

He was never the best at comfort but hell neither was Ellie, so put the two of them together and you’ve got a horrible mess of dad trying to help daughter. Sighing softly he did the only thing that he could think of to help, pulled her into a warm and strong hug. He knew what it was like to have a broken heart, even if it had been years since his last one.

“Ya know what I reckon?” He asked her, in the same old Texan accent that Ellie had come to love. Not that she would admit it but it hadn’t taken long for her to pick up the same one in the months they spent with just the two of them. Which made people think they were even more related instead of the fact that they weren’t.

She sighed as she snuggled into her the chest of the man who was pretty much her father. “What do ya reckon?” Ellie asked, deciding to look up at him instead. There was a hopeful look sparkling in her eyes because Joel always knew how to give her hope again and was always right but some higher power of some sorts.

He gave her a reassuring smile as he thought over what he was going to say to his daughter. “I reckon she broke up with that boy of hers for a reason. ‘N’ I reckon you outa’ get down to the dance.” He told her as he let go of her, already knowing she was going to get up and changed. He knew her well enough to know that she knew when he was telling her something for her good, he also knew that Dina felt the same way about his daughter. It was obvious from almost day one that they were going to fall in love.

Grumbling something that sounded like a ‘thanks’ under her breath the girl pushed herself off the couch. She knew that Joel was making some type of sense so she also hadn’t put the rest of what he said to thought yet. For once, he didn’t tease her about it and let her go to her room to get ready. Even for the mess of a gay that Ellie was didn’t really think about her outfit as she slipping into a fresh flannel and made her way to the mess hall that was hosting their monthly dances.

As soon as she stepped in she spotted Dina, dancing with some guy and looking like she was genuinely enjoying herself. The whole thing had started about half an hour before, so it had had the time to really get into gear. Which meant that the bar was already up and running and serving drinks to the older people in the crowd. A majority of the people there were eighteen and up but there was also a decent amount of kids there with their parent(s). So that meant that it didn’t take long for the freckled face girl to arm herself with a glass of whiskey.

It also didn’t take her long to settle at the bar, watching the happy girl swing around and switch to a new partner to dance with. At some point Jessie had walked over to her and started talking to her, but she was only paying attention partially as most of her attention was directed to the girl who had her attention. And before she was knowing it she was telling Jessie that they would totally be getting back together because seeing Dina so happy dancing with all the guys made her lose any hope that Joel was right.

But then she was making her way over to the two of them and before Ellie knew it the two of them were slow dancing with each other. The light and joking way quickly turned into something else between the two of them as they danced. There was a weight over them that neither of them addressed because for the blushing girl with a freckled face that was just enough for her to not care about that weight. To not care about anything but the girl that was dancing with her.

“Every guy in this room is staring at you right now.”

“Maybe they’re staring at you.”

“They’re not.”

“Maybe they’re jealous of you.”

“I’m… just a girl, not a threat.”

From what she had scene from Dina she really didn’t think that she was a threat. Afterall she could choose anyone guy in the room and Ellie was just… well Ellie. Maybe it was a sense of self doubt that made her believe that she would never have the love she wanted from Dina, or maybe it was reality. But then the shorter girl is pulling away from her body and looking at her with soft eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh Ellie…” Her tone is soft and caring as she looked her in the eye. It was barely above a whisper and it was like the rest of the world wasn’t there right then. In that moment it was just the two of them, slowly swaying to the music in the background. “I think they should be terrified of you.”

Then she was being kissed. Soft lips were pressed against hers and she couldn't think. Every last bit of doubt that had encompassed her thoughts earlier left her. When Dina pulled away slightly she didn’t want her to but it didn’t long because they’re lips were connected once again. This time she fully sank into the kiss, letting her eyelids flutter shut. This was a moment that she never thought would happen was happening.

When Dina pulled away for real, Ellie wasn’t sure what to think of the whole thing. Luckily for her the shorter girl spoke before she had a chance to turn into a rambling mess. “See I told you, they should be terrified.” The words left her mouth and it brought a small smile to her lips as she looked down at the girl.

“Because I love you more than I could love any guy in this room.”