#Maybe Ellie joins him on the Job?

[bet-on-me-13]

Bank Security Guard Danny AU

So, the People of Gotham are extremely desensitized to Rouge Attacks at this point. It got to the point that whenever a person gets a job at the Bank, they have a whole 1 Hour Training Video on how to deal with a Rouge Attack right.

So, when they hire a New Security Guard from a lesser known Security Company, they don't even bother showing him the Training Video. They assume that he'll either Die or Drop them within a Week.

Danny, for the record, did not know how bad the Rouge problem truly was. All he knew was that some random guy in a Ski Mask had just walked into the bank like he owned the place and started showing off a Gun telling everybody to get on the ground.

Danny did the sensible thing and Knocked him the Fuck Out.

Then, the same thing happened the very next day, but this time it was an entire group of people. Danny had them dealt with before the first person had gotten to the floor.

Then the same thing happened the Same Day!

By the end of the week he had become a Legend among the Citizens of Gotham. There was only a single Bank in all of Gotham that had avoided being robbed for a Whole Week, and it was all because of this one Security Guard who was freakishly good at his Job.

By the end of the Month, most criminals don't even bother trying that Bank anymore. It got worse when he got loaned out as Security for another Bank, and the same thing happened again.

Eventually, he ends up rotating shifts in Every Bank in Gotham, and it becomes a Game for the Criminals to see if the Bank they try to Rob is the one Danny is in that night. And they can't even reasonably predict his next location, since he always moves around at Random!

No matter what Bank he is in, he always manages to beat the Crooks trying to Rob the Bank.

Then it gets weird. Due to a scheduling Mix Up, Danny ends up being scheduled for 2 different Banks on the same day, each across the city from the other.

One Bank reports that Danny stopped a gang from Robbing them at 6:00 PM, which really confuses the other Bank because Danny did the same thing in their Bank at the same time. Security Footage proves it, Danny was somehow in 2 places at once.

They decide not to confront him about it, but they do test a theory. They intentionally hire him at multiple different Banks at the same time for a week. He shows up to work every time without fail.

By now they have basically confirmed that he must be a Meta, but they don't really care anyways. Now he can protect multiple Banks at once with his usual perfect Efficiency, and he'll be payed accordingly as well. The Banks get protected well, and he gets payed Extreme Overtime by the Banks, everybody wins!

Well...except for the Crime Bosses of Gotham.

Before this, it was a Game for them to try and beat Danny. They didn't really care since a single Uber Competent Security Guard was still perfectly fine for business, sure they would fail a Job once in a while if they ran into him, but he could only be in 1 place at a time. It wasn't a Huge Loss.

But now it was too much. They needed to take care of him.

Assassination Attempts didn't work. He was just as competent Off the job as he was On it, so they could never get to him.

They tried attacking his Bosses, but then they hired themselves to protect...themselves. It was hard to kill his Bosses when he was constantly Bodyguarding all of them at once.

Attempts to get to him through his Family were...let's not talk about that...

It continued on like this for a while.

...

Soooo...I don't know how to end this one.

Go ahead and put your own spin on this Prompt! The basic idea is that Danny is using his Duplication Power to get to every shift on Time, and he is really annoying the Local Crime Bosses.

What do you think?

[rheitais]

DP X DC One shooting star later.

Honestly this is a dp x dc prompt that has been in the back of my mind for a while.

So the fentons (and i mean the whole family, Maddie, Jack, Jazz, Danny, Dan and Ellie) get stuck in the dc verse with not really a good way home. Not that they want too. The GIW feeling betrayed by Maddie and Jack siding with their half dead son, forced them to move universes in an attempt to kill Danny and Dan (ive made them twins because yes). (Ellie was alerted later.) CW telling danny that this universe is better for his family, safer than his last, and Danny being the protector that he is, agrees.

Weird and might be less than legal shenanigans later, The formerly known Fenton's, now Nightingales move to Gotham. Maddie and Jack were offered jobs at Wayne industries for a very worded article they submitted. Of course being a family with 50% ghosts/ghost-adjacent and the other half close if not borderline mad scientists have to deal with the younger siblings getting kidnapped because they look like Wayne bait but they can easily escape.

__________________________________

Danny: Ancients I hate clowns, why couldn't we get kidnapped by Poison Ivy or something. I rather have a plant based speech.

*process to break out*

Dan: It's because you just had to jinx us. Not even Jazz deals with this much shat and she wants to be a shrink

*punchs a joker goon*

Danny: har har, You know better than anyone how crappy our luck is

*stares at the joker*

Dan: Are you seriously dissing me right now?

*joins danny in staring at the clown who is now laughing and waving the gun around crazily*

Danny: If the explosion fits-

*Dan pushes danny into the vat of acid under them and body slams the joker*

Dan: Ancients the laughing was getting annoying. Maybe you were right I take the plants over clowns any day-

*Danny grabbing dan ankle and dunks him in the vast aswell*

Bats watching the twins play around in the vat of acid as if it's a kiddie pool: 😟

[Part 1.5 | Part 2 ]

[viennakarma]

Satisfaction [Part 1]

Lewis Hamilton x reader

Summary: Four times you tried to befriend Lewis, and one time you didn't.

Word count: 2.1k

Tags: female!reader, asshole!Lewis (he will get better), physiotherapist!reader, no romance yet, Lewis is being rude, reader is trying, cursing, a bit angsty, not beta read

Note: Lewis is being kind of an asshole, but I promise he will grovel a lot. This is a two part story. Gentle reminder that english is not my first language (so please bear any mistake), I'm also taking requests for F1 drabbles and oneshots (at this moment I'm writing for Lewis, Fernando, Max and Toto Wolff).

Find me on Twitter!

I.

You drank the rest of your iced tea in one gulp, pushing the nervousness away. It wasn't exactly anxiety, but more first-day jitters at a new job. Adjusting your ponytail, you stood up as one of the team approached.

“Y/N? It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Ellie from the HR team, we spoke on the phone. Lewis is around, so we thought we’d introduce you two now, okay?”

“Of course, of course, it’s nice to meet you, Ellie.”

Ellie showed you around, giving you a tour of the entire motorhome. You were aware that it was difficult to join a team after the season had already started, especially to take the place of a person who was very loved by everyone and who had been there for several years, but you were willing to do your best to get along with everyone.

Finally, Ellie took you to a training room, where Lewis was inside. He was sitting in an armchair, drinking water from a bottle when Ellie introduced the two of you. You smiled and offered your hand for a shake, but he just ignored his hand with a blank stare.

“Lewis, this is Y/N Y/L/N, your new physical therapist, you'll be seeing each other every other day” Ellie introduced them, not seeming to notice the cold way Lewis greeted you.

“Nice to meet you,” you murmured, trying to ignore the awkwardness between the two of you. Lewis just nodded his head briefly and turned to pay attention to his own cell phone.

Ellie then went over your entire routine for the next few weeks, as well as giving you a short guide to Lewis's physiotherapy sessions over the past two years, and required exercises from fitness to pre-race and post-race.

Your official working day began the following Tuesday at seven in the morning at one of the Mercedes workstations in Brackley, where the entire team was gathered. You needed to be there to look after Lewis' fitness as he had team meetings, and you needed to follow him wherever he went to be able to do your job. Honestly, it wasn't a big problem since you used to work with the Real Madrid football team, so you were used to the traveling routine.

As soon as you entered the building's small gym, Lewis was already inside, tying the laces on his shoes.

"Good morning!" You walked in with a smile, setting your bag aside and holding the two glasses of iced tea you had purchased on the way, “the weather is kind of warm today, huh? I bought iced tea for both of us.”

“No thanks,” Lewis said, standing up, “can we get started?”

The sharp tone left you speechless for a moment, but you soon recovered, tying your hair into a ponytail. You had hoped that the mood on the day you met Lewis was just because he was stressed or had some problem on that specific day. But it seems that today he also wasn’t very interested in being polite to you.

You took a deep breath pulling your iPad out of the bag where you had prepared the day's entire session. Okay, you were patient, you could win him over with time and maybe you could even become friends, or at the very least, on friendly terms.

“Alright, let’s start today’s session with some intense stretching to prepare your body for the intensity of the next few days’ sessions,” you murmured, pointing to the mat on the floor.

“Angela didn't use an iPad during our sessions,” he commented casually.

“Because Angela had been with you for years and had already memorized her exercises. Can we start?"

II.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late,” you said, entering the gym, plopping your bag on a nearby table.

“You could have a little more respect for other people’s time,” Lewis said, suddenly. You froze in place, your eyes fleeting to the watch high on the wall, that showed you were barely ten minutes late for the session.

“Yes, I’m sorry,” you repeated, pulling your iPad open.

You were a few weeks into your new job, and acquaintanceship with Lewis had not gone better in the slightest. If anything, it had gone even worse. Lewis was adamant in not opening up to you, not even in the professional sense of your work relationship. Every time you tried small talk, or even professional talk, he had shut you out barely politely. He was constantly annoyed by your presence, and didn’t engage in anything other than the exercises you were helping him with. You noticed his performance was going bad in the season, and you attributed his bad mood solely to that. That’s why you usually brushed off his rude remarks and his questioning of the quality of your work.

“We’ll do core strength today, Lewis.”

You spent the next two hours walking him through every exercise you had for the day. Sometime during your session, you tried to help him fix his posture by pressing a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed you off, only saying he was able to do it himself.

By the end of your session, he was visibly tired, and you reached in your purse to your small stock of protein bars. You grabbed two and tossed one to Lewis. He caught it in the air, staring at it with a frown.

“It’s a protein bar. It is healthy, vegan, and doesn’t taste like cardboard, for once,” you giggled, trying to strike up conversation, “honestly, I found this small brand from Hungary out of sheer luck and my life hasn’t been the same ever since, now I just order like this crazy-”

“Are we done?” He cut you off, you stopped smiling.

“What?” you said, staring at him going to his bag.

“Is our session done?” he insisted.

“Yes,” you said, deflated. Lewis walked away, and on his way to the door, he dropped the little protein bar you gave him in the trash.

You felt a lump in your throat, defeated. You had never had a client so difficult to deal with. Most of them were usually standoffish in the beginning, but they became friends with time, some of them you had a great relationship even now, years later.

Lewis just- he just hated you for apparently no reason, and it was making your professional life pure hell. It was hard not bonding with someone you work so physically close with. And honestly, you had tried everything in the book to help him acclimate to you, but he was just- immune. He didn’t like you, you had no idea if he even liked your job because he refused to give you any feedback whatsoever.

You refused to go to HR because it would make you look like a kid throwing a tantrum because the other kid doesn’t like you. What would HR do? Force Lewis to tolerate you? He would probably hate you more if that happened.

You just sighed, swallowing the tears as you left.

III.

“I was considering adding pilates sessions once a week, we can do reformer and clinical pilates alternating” you told Lewis as he did the final stretching of the session.

“I don’t like sudden changes in my exercise routine,” he said, getting up.

“Well, I believe it would do you good. And we can start slowly for you to adapt better. Does every other week work for you?” You taped your schedule on the iPad.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he muttered, visibly annoyed now.

“I can forward you a few articles I have been reading to show you, why I think it-”

“No, I don’t want that,” he shut you off completely, “can I go now?”

You sighed, enough was enough. You were pissed at him, being difficult, being annoying, fucking up your routine by being rude and being a fucking asshole.

“No, you can’t,” you said, voice firm, which kind of surprised him, since it was the first time you ever used that tone with him, “what is your fucking problem?”

“What are you talking about?” He folded his arms.

“What is your problem with me? Is it something I did? Or maybe something I said?” You pressed, walking towards him, the closest you have ever been to him.

“I have no problem with you,” he said and you scoffed, “we are not friends, you’re just my physiotherapist, nothing more, nothing less.”

You felt grateful he left as soon as he said that, otherwise he would have seen the tears filling your eyes.

IV.

“I went back to therapy, because I’m feeling like a failure,” you told Angela over the phone.

“Is he being so difficult?” She asked, sounding worried.

“You have no idea…” you whispered, pressing your temples.

“You want me to talk to him?” Angela said, concerned. You stared at your own reflection in the mirror inside the gym, seeing the dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep. The last encounter with Lewis was enough to take a toll on your mental health and trigger a bit of insomnia.

“No, I think it would make it worse, but I appreciate the offer,” you sighed, exhausted, “I’ll work around these difficulties, and if it gets any worse, I’ll call you so you can talk to him. Deal?”

“Deal. Just- Don’t burn yourself out, ok? I know how he can be hard to deal with. Let me know if you need anything.” Angela offered, and you wanted to cry with the kindness in her voice.

“Yes, of course. Thank you very much for letting me vent, yeah? Talk to you later” You said, and noticed how Lewis entered the gym, seemingly surprised that you even were there.

That would make two of you.

This time you went through your training session in complete silence, only talking about his physicality and the exercises. You didn’t joke with him, nor did you make commentaries on the session. You just did your job silently, staring at him with a blank face.

As you finished, you packed your bag and left without a word, going straight to HR to put in your resignation letter you had written during your day off.

V.

Lewis noticed your absence as soon as he entered the gym for your session. You hadn’t been late ever since that time he called you out the first and only time you were late. Since then, you were always there when he arrived. But you weren’t there and he felt something was off. Maybe you had a cold or something and HR forgot to tell him.

He walked up to Ellie’s office, knocking lightly before entering.

“Hey there, Lewis! Can I help you?” She asked, putting away a few papers.

“Hey. Where is Y/N?” He asked, sitting down.

“Oh, I thought she had told you… She resigned two days ago.” With Ellie’s words, Lewis felt his stomach drop, but Ellie just continued talking, “she said she didn’t adapt very well to the routine, which is sad considering she is such a big fan of Mercedes and Formula 1. And, you know, since she was a recommendation from Angela Cullen, I really thought she would fit perfectly with the team.”

Lewis felt his mouth go dry. He didn’t know any of this. He didn’t know you were a fan of the team, as he didn’t know Angela had put you in her own position after leaving. He felt so, so bad, he was suddenly nauseous.

“Did she say exactly why she was leaving?” Lewis asked, heart beating in his ears.

“She said she wasn’t adapting to the traveling routine and it took a toll on her. She also apologized profusely, but I told her it was alright, it happens more often than she thinks.”

Lewis knew exactly the reason you left. He had made you go through living hell by being a stubborn asshole. You tried to befriend him, to be nice, to start small talk, to be kind and his only response to your attempts were flat out rudeness.

“Well, these things happen, right?” Ellie shrugged, sympathizing with you more than Lewis ever did. “So, while we find someone to fill her position, you’ll do your pre-race and post-race with George and his physiotherapist.”

Lewis didn’t hear any of the other stuff Ellie said, guilt eating up at him with such force he was out of breath. He didn’t even think before treating you that way, his brain just turned to that everytime he remembered he was alone now, that he had lost his best friend and confidante. Stress of the season had also caught up to him making him more irritable than ever.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered as he left Ellie’s office, he needed to do something.

He called your phone, but you had blocked him already.

“Fuck, I need to fix this.”

[Part 2]

[joels-shitty-puns]

Sweetheart

Pairing: Post-Outbreak Joel Miller x F!Reader

Summary: Another year without a Valentine... Until you find yourself spending the day unexpectedly with your crush, Joel Miller.

Warnings: Mostly just fluff! Some kissing, light angst.

Other notes: Hi!! This is my entry for Space Sister's secret valentine for.... *drumroll* @skittlesfics!! Hope you enjoy!!! I tried to go with your prompt mentioned, though I won't spoil it in the summary :) Happy Valentine's day Skittles! <3

_____

It was the beginning of February and you could feel Valentine's day looming over you on the calendar. No Valentine for you this year. Pre-outbreak, Valentine's day was always flowers and chocolates lining the aisles of the stores, Valentine's cards for kids in elementary school, and large fluffy stuffed animals for kids of all ages. It wasn't the first February 14th you'd spend buried in a box of chocolates on your couch and watching cheesy romance movies, and you're sure it wouldn't be your last. One thing about the outbreak, you didn't have to worry about things like love. Survival was more important.

But since moving to Jackson, you've been able to experience a lot of the old traditions you'd once forgotten or could only reminisce over. One of which, you've learned, would be Valentine's day. You could feel it in the air without even knowing the plans for the big day. Children whispered and giggled with friends over their first crushes. Couples kissed and held hands. It wasn't long before heart shaped decorations were hung and red and pink lights were strung through the streets. They were going big it seemed.

It probably wouldn't bother you that much. It probably shouldn't bother you that much. You'd be fine just admiring couples in love. If it weren't for him. Joel Miller. Brother of Tommy and guardian of Ellie, you'd met him a couple times before striking up a friendship. Responsible for upkeep of the local library as your town job, you often saw Ellie pop in, wanting to find any comics that might have been recovered. At first Joel seemed impatient waiting on Ellie to find a book, but after the two of you began talking, he seemed to visit more frequently, and often it was Ellie persuading him to head home instead of the other way around. Somewhere in the long talks over stacks of books, you developed a crush. You looked forward to their visits, were eagerly surprised to see him on the street, and couldn't help but be hopeful when going to town for meals. But you didn't have high hopes for him feeling the same way. 

When Ellie suddenly had plans for Valentine's Day with her own crush, Joel was left alone with his thoughts. What were his plans? Sure, he'd like to take the pretty librarian out for a date, but it had been years since he'd been on a date. He had a relationship with Tess, but living in the QZ didn't leave much time or interest in romantic dates and couple activities. Maybe Valentine's day wasn't the best first date anyway. Too serious, he feared.

So on the evening of February 14th, he strolled towards the town for dinner, alone. He grabbed his food and looked for a table, noticing many already filled up with couples. Just when he was about to take his food to go, he noticed you sitting alone at a table in the back and decided to take a shot.

“Hey,” he muttered.

You looked up from your meal, taken aback to find your handsome Joel staring back at you. He wore a green flannel, your favorite, and had his hair recently combed after a shower. You could smell the fresh shampoo and soap wafting off of him, and he smelled amazing. What a difference from the years of apocalyptic bathing.

“Hi Joel,” you replied back, quieter than anticipated, feeling a bit nervous despite your best efforts.

“I was just thinking of leaving before I saw you sitting alone over here. Mind if I join ya? Or are you waiting on someone?” Joel asked, dinner tray still in hand.

“No, no, I'm alone. Please, sit down if you'd like,” you gestured to the empty seat across from you, a rose and candle placed between you, and on every table. “You look nice…” you mumbled.

Joel's cheeks flushed. “Thank ya, darlin’. So do you.” He quickly looked down at his plate, cutting his meat as a distraction.

______

After the initial awkwardness, dinner became easier, with normal conversation flowing. The two of you laughed and smiled, stealing glances when the other wasn't looking. It seemed only a blink of an eye when the rest of the dining hall had emptied out.

Not wanting the night to end just yet, the two of you walked through the town. They were playing Never Been Kissed in the community center, but both of you preferred to keep talking and being alone together. Popping into the general store, you found some Valentine's snacks, and baking supplies, which you offered to bake for Joel at your place. Rubbing his neck nervously, he obliged.

_____

Turning the key into your cabin, Joel followed close behind you. The air was buzzing with tension, and as the two of you baked cookies, sparks flew even further. As well as flour. Pausing your frosting to take the last pan of heart shaped cookies out of the oven, you turned, just in time for Joel to wipe frosting on your nose. 

“Joel!” You squealed.

He laughed, only to be quickly shut up with a spoonful of frosting that you stuck into his mouth. Both giggling, you continued decorating cookies, opting to make them look like the conversation hearts you both remember eating before the outbreak. 

Frosting your last cookie, you turned to Joel, cookie behind your back. 

“I decorated one specifically for you, Joel.”

He turned to face you, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

Handing him the cookie, he read the pink icing. “I like u, Joel.”

Your cheeks warmed, and you nervously rubbed your arm, waiting for his response.

Looking up from the cookie, he met your eyes, but didn't say anything.

“Joel…?”

Your stomach felt like lead and your blood felt cold. You must have misread the signals, and were about to turn away and start floundering for words when he threw the cookie on the counter and grabbed your face instead, planting a desperate kiss to your lips. He tasted like frosting and sugar cookie, the kiss urgent yet delicate. As you both pulled away to catch your breath, smiling, he replied while stroking his thumb over your cheek. “I like you too, Sugar. Happy Valentine's Day.”

“Happy Valentine's Day, Joel,” you grinned, leaning in to place another kiss to his lips as the two of you embraced, hearts beating faster and bodies warmed by love. Thankfully, Valentine's Day wasn't so bad this year, after all.

_____

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

[antiquarianfics]

Accidental pt. 5

What happens when you accidentally kidnap the exact man you were looking for?

pairing: mob!bucky x reader

warnings: canon level violence, kidnapping, profanity

a/n: lol i updated this. it’s a little bit of a date and a—oh, what’s this—new conflict? hehe. (is this enemies to lovers? it’s a little enemies to lovers.)

note: I do not own the character Bucky Barnes or any other Marvel affiliated characters.

You do not have permission to copy, translate, or repost my work; however, feel free to like, comment, and reblog.

part 4

»»———-———-———-———-———-———-———-««

You take a few steps past Bucky, turn around, and walk back to the table. You stop right beside Bucky and hold out your hand. Bucky looks at your hand outstretched to him and trails his eyes up to you, and you watch as he carefully searches your face.

“Hi,” you say, smiling. “I’m Y/N. Mind if I join you for dinner?”

Bucky’s face breaks out into a grin as he takes your hand, grasping it firmly as he shakes it. “Bucky,” he greets, playing along. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

—

“So, yeah. Maybe it was mean, but she deserved it,” you say, finishing a story about Ellie stealing your toys and you locking her in your closet for an hour as children. You take a sip of your wine as Bucky lets out a mirthful laugh.

“That’s brutal, Doll,” he teases you with a grin. You shrug.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Mob Boss,” you tease him back. A thoughtful look crosses your face. “By the way, how did you become this kingpin of Brooklyn anyhow?”

Bucky scrunches his nose. “Firstly, let’s avoid the term “kingpin.” Wilson Fisk has taken to the name, and I have no intention of taking that from him. His title and Hell’s Kitchen is his.”

You raise your eyebrows in surprise, but you nod slowly in understanding. There is, you realize, more politics to the mafia than you’d previously considered.

“But, to answer your question, I was born into it. My father was head of our family and in this business for years, his father years before that. It was always their intention for me to take over when I was old enough, and they, ah, groomed me for the job.”

You frown. “That’s terribly sad.”

Bucky shrugs.

“Did you ever want to be anything different? Like, when you were a kid?”

“No, I never really thought about it.”

“Really?” You challenge. “You never wanted to be an astronaut, or a firefighter, or president? Oh! Or a police officer? That would’ve been ironic!”

Bucky offers you a sad smile but shakes his head. “No, I always wanted to take over for my father. It’s what he wanted, so it’s what I wanted.”

You frown. “You don’t see how sad that is?”

“I do.”

“If you had a child, would you bring them up the same way?” You purse your lips and feel your heart rate quicken. His potential answer scares you (like you might see a future with him? Wait! Stop it!).

“No. Of course not. All of this,” he gestures vaguely, “would be unfair to push onto a child. If I have children, I will make sure they have every opportunity to be whatever they want.”

“Even if it’s a police officer hellbent on taking down the mafia?”

“Even a police officer hellbent on taking down the mafia,” he agrees with a smirk. You giggle.

“What about you?” He asks. “What did you want to be when you were little?”

You feel your cheeks heat up as a blush takes over your face.

“Um,” you stutter. “Promise not to laugh?”

Bucky pulls a face. “Why? Is it embarrassing? Did you want to be a nun? Or did you want to be a super spy who kidnapped the head of the Brooklyn mob?”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Okay, fine,” he raises his hands in surrender. “Fine. I promise.”

“I wanted to be…” you trail off, mumbling the end. Bucky leans forward, holding his hand up to his ear.

“What was that? I missed the end there.”

“I wanted to be a princessastronautpresident,” you say quickly this time, letting your words blend together.

“What?” Bucky asks again, but he’s smirking now and you suspect he heard you.

“I wanted to be a princess astronaut president, okay? Happy now?” You ask, reaching for your wine only to find you’d already drank it all. You frown. Bucky laughs.

“That career covers two different forms of government… in space?” He half states, half questions. You simply nod.

“And what about it? At least it’s legal,” you challenge. Again, Bucky’s hands go up next to his head in surrender.

“Well?” He asks.

“‘Well’ what?”

“Did you become a princess astronaut president?”

“No,” you say, dead serious. “I lost the election on Mars. I’m going to try Jupiter next time, though.”

Bucky laughs once more: you note he’s been laughing a lot throughout your date.

“So what do you do?”

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t know everything about you.”

“I thought you would have looked me up.”

“Maybe you intrigue me enough I want to learn about you naturally.”

“I’m an investigative journalist.”

Bucky’s eyebrows shoot up. He looks genuinely surprised.

“Really? That’s all?”

You quirk your head. “Yes?”

“Sorry. I just thought with your… erm—skill set—you were a Green Beret, or something.”

“You flatter me, Barnes, but all I did was hit you really hard in the head with a gun I bought scarily easily at a department store I buy my groceries and drag you to a building that’s been on the market for years. Nothing about that was exactly special ops.”

He hums and finishes his own wine.

“Doesn’t explain your interrogation skills.”

“I’m a journalist. I interview people for a living—particularly people who don’t necessarily want to be interviewed.”

“How’d you know where to find me?”

“I didn’t. You were an accident, remember?”

“You wound me,” he says. You shrug.

“Even so,” he continues, “you knew about my bar. You knew it was connected to the mafia—your sister’s disappearance. How?”

“Is this a date or an interrogation, James?”

“Professional curiosity.”

Irritated, you respond. “Still, I am a journalist. I knew about the connection because I had a good hunch. I’d been working on a piece that led me to the bar; I smelt a connection. Or, I hoped there was one.”

Bucky leans back in his seat, his blue eyes piercing your person. You shift uncomfortably. He seems to accept your response, though, but the subject is far from dropped.

“What’s your piece about?”

“Nothing.”

“Clearly it’s something.”

“You can read all about it when it’s published.”

“Why so defensive? Is it about me?”

“You flatter yourself, Barnes.”

He shrugs. You sigh.

“I received an anonymous tip not too long ago that the mafia was picking up promising prodigy students. 4 or 5 have gone missing in the last 6 months, and my tip told me they may be hanging around your bar.”

Bucky’s face is stoic, and you feel yourself become suspicious of the well dressed, charming criminal in front of you.

“I connected the dots between the situation and the location: the mafia. When Ellie went missing, too? Well, she didn’t quite meet the M.O., sure, but it was all I had to go off of.” You shrug.

“You think I’m kidnapping university students?”

“No, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you… uh. Made them an offer they couldn’t refuse?”

“The Godfather? Really? A little on the nose, no?”

“Look, James. I was doing my job.”

“Where did the tip come from?”

“I don’t know. It was anonymous. Are you done interrogating me now?” Your tone becomes irritable, and you cringe slightly at the bite behind your words.

Bucky sighs, “Yes. Sorry. This evening has been lovely; I’m sorry for ruining it. I’ll take you home?”

You purse your lips and nod.

The two of you stand and gather your belongings before walking back through security where your weapons are returned to you. Bucky then escorts you to the car and drives you home.

After he walks you to the door, Bucky stops and looks at you, hands gently falling to your shoulders.

“Y/N, look. I’m sorry for the first degree; I really did have a good time tonight. I hope you’ll consider doing this again.” Bucky’s voice leaks sincerity, his eyes promise it.

You smile somewhat sadly and it doesn’t reach your eyes. “We’ll see, James.”

He nods. “I understand.” He pulls out a business card with nothing but a phone number on it and hands it to you. “My personal cell,” he explains. “If you reach out, we’ll do this again. If not, I’ll take the hint.”

You nod slightly as he leans forward and pecks your cheek. It’s soft, barely a whisper of a kiss. Then, he turns and returns to his car, driving off. You watch until you can’t see his car anymore. Finally, you turn to your door and fumble around with the key.

You turn the lock and hear your deadbolt unlock right as you hear a whoosh next to your ear, your eyes drift to the side where, stuck in the wood of your doorframe, is an arrow with a note tied to it. Carefully, anxiously, you pull the arrow out and unroll the note. You nearly choke on air when you read it:

I left the tip because Barnes messed with what was mine. Best not get cozy with the beast, sweetheart. I’d hate to think I mistrusted you—underestimated your usefulness.

»»———-———-———-———-———-———-———-««

@cjand10 @vicmc624 @mostlymarvelgirl @livingoutsidethetardis @onceithough @thedonswife13 @kaithesimps-blog @buckitostan @julvrs @unaxv @searchn0tfound @10ava01 @ordelixx @pinkpantheris @hi-im-fan-trash @bubblegumbeautyqueen

[talaok]

Hi!

I have a joel request

Ok so reader is with Joel from Boston, maybe Tess introduced them, but they’re end up taking a liking to each other and don’t tell Tess.

Reader ends up pregnant (remains a secret between Joel and her) but she joins them on the quest with Ellie and to Tommy.

They meet Haney and Sam and Joel is extra overprotective of reader all the time, maybe she’s around forth month and just slightly showing, enough for Henry to catch on

Pt. 2

You didn't know exactly how or when it had started, it kind of just... had.

The Boston QZ wasn't an easy place to wander alone, so when Tess had offered you some company, you hadn't refused.

Since you were both smugglers, after some time she had introduced you to who you believed to be her partner, to work together for a job. As it turns out, Joel Miller wasn't her boyfriend, what he was, however, was a man of few words.

It wasn't easy at first, you kept asking him questions and he kept answering with no more than a grunt or a mumbled yes or no.

You were sure he despised you or was just unnervingly indifferent to you.

But then one day, something changed.

He had asked you to help him out with a job, and of course, you had agreed, completely conscient of having just condemned yourself to hours of endless silence.

But that's not how it went, not at all.

He had spent the night asking you questions, and thanks to some kind of miracle, even answering yours.

You had talked and talked for hours, and that night, the man who up until that point you believed to be just a ruthless survivor, turned into a kind, fun man.

You had asked him about that night months later, and after a bit of pressuring he eventually confessed:

"I don't know, I guess I finally decided that I had spent enough time punishing myself... and I was tired of seeing your pretty face frown each time I pushed you away"

Things after that night changed, you started spending more and more time together, until well... that's all you wanted to do.

He showed you part of himself he kept hidden, and you did the same until you both knew every good and bad and sad of each other. Until there was nothing to hide anymore.

It's weird... finding love at the end of the world, and yet, you'd done it.

And as happy as you were, you were both terrified too.

In the world you lived in, love wasn't just love anymore, it was weakness,

it was the possibility of losing everything again.

And the fear only grew stronger when you found out you were pregnant.

There were so many things to be scared of, the practical part, having to deliver a child in a world where zombies roamed the streets, having to be a good mother, not knowing how to be a good mother, and then finally... having to tell Joel.

You saw the fear in him too, when you finally told him, you saw the paralyzing fear flash before his eyes, and then, like magic, you saw it all melt away.

He had hugged you for what felt like an hour, feeling so many things at once he had no idea what to say.

Until, finally, leaning away, he had made you a simple promise:

"I love you. And I'll protect you, if it's the last thing I do I'll protect you, both of you"

You chose not to say anyone, not even Tess. It was safer and easier. When the time would have come, you would have said something, but then Ellie came along.

Joel had begged you with everything he had to stay in Boston, to not follow him and Tess, and to forget about him if he was to never come back.

But you had fought back with the same intensity. You had told him the truth. That you couldn't do it without him, that he was the only person you trusted.

"fine" he had sighed, after you had given him a headache "but don't do anything stupid"

And at that, you had smiled "When have I ever?"

Now everything had changed once again, Tess was dead.

You would expect it to get easier, loss... but it doesn't.

you never told her, she never knew, and now she'll never know.

You were four months pregnant, shirts had just started getting tighter, and your brain fuzzier.

you still hadn't told Ellie. For some reason it felt like the moment you did, everything would become real, and your luck would run out.

You had "met" Henry and Sam along the way, Joel wasn't a big fan, but you liked them, especially Sam, he was a smart boy.

You had walked in the tunnels all day until you stumbled across an underground settlement.

"Can we rest here for a while?" Ellie asked after she and Sam found one of the awful comics they apparently both loved "There's like- actual shit to do here"

"wouldn't be so bad to wait the light out a bit" Henry intervened, feeling the need to explain himself better when Joel shot him a look "safer in shadows when we pop back out on the other side"

He wasn't convinced, you could see it, and your feet were killing you, so...

"please Joel" was all you needed to say to change his mind.

"fine" he sighed "Just for a while," he said, before walking to you.

"Are you all right?" he asked, worry evident in his tone

"I'm fine, I'm just tired"

"did you eat enough?"

You smiled "I did"

His eyes fell to your belly for a moment "Here" he said, reaching in his pocket for some food he had in a napkin "Eat this"

"Joel..."

"I don't need to eat tonight, don't worry"

"you do need to" you protested, trying to give it back

"no" he shook his head "what I need is for you to be healthy"

You bit down a smile as you put the food in your backpack "Y'know... I miss kissing you"

"I kissed you this morning"

"yeah well..." you pouted

"I know," he said, as his thumb stroked your arm "I miss it too"

Ellie's laugh brought you both back to reality.

You grinned, watching as she talked to Sam.

"I better go see what she's up to," you said "wouldn't want her to teach the poor kid all the bad words she knows"

Joel's lips twitched into a small smile "We'd be here for hours" he joked, making you laugh "Try to rest, ok?" he said, more seriously now.

"Yes sir" you mocked "you too"

Something traveled between your eyes before you went your way.

Joel watched as you sat with the kids, and decided to sit next to Henry, he owed him some sort of apology.

"If you were collaboratin' to take care of him, I shouldn't have said what I said. I don't know your situation. And I'm not saying they should let it go, but... all things considered, seems kinda cruel to send a whole army after you for that" Joel spoke, his eyes not leaving you. He knew damn well he too, would do anything for you or the baby.

"You know, I wasn't exactly telling you the truth before, about me not killing anyone," Henry said after some time, as he started telling Joel everything, about Kathleen's brother, about Sam's sickness... everything.

"I am the bad guy because I did a bad guy thing," Henry said, pain and frustration tracing his words "but you get it though. you might not be her father, but you were someone's... and you're gonna be someone's"

Joel's jaw twitched, and he tightened his fists as he stared at the man.

How does he know?

"I see the way you glance at her whenever you hear a noise, I see how you always get her behind you," he explained, without needing to be told to "The first thing you said when we woke you up with guns pointing at you was, - don't point it at her-" Henry recalled "plus" he smiled "she's the only one you listen to"

"don't worry" Henry said, noticing Joel's look "I won't tell"

They both turned in your direction, as they heard you reading the comic aloud.

Both the kids were looking at you, completely hypnotized.

"she'll be a great mother"

"I know," Joel said "I know she will"

— —

Pt. 2

[lillaydee]

One Heart

Sheriff Joel Miller / Reader

Trying and failing miserably to recover from an inconceivable loss, you accepted your best friend's invite to spend time with her and her family for a summer, hoping for a chance at a new beginning. Little did you know that the new beginning you were stepping into was a little too close to home.

WARNING:

Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Grief/Mourning, Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Ellie is mentioned, Sheriff Joel, Sarah plays matchmaker, No age gap, Joel is in his 30s, Joel is Trying His Best (The Last of Us), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us), Fluff and Angst.

SERIES MASTERLIST

---

You scanned the arrivals hall, looking for the face of your best friend whom you haven’t seen in over a year. She upped and moved to be with her boyfriend almost ten years ago, only coming back every few years to visit. Both of you were inseparable growing up. You even went to the same college, took the same classes, shared rooms and apartments, before she met the love of her life and moved to be with him to a small town up north. She’d been living up there since then, opening her own restaurant, which you gathered was doing really well in the touristy town, considering she personally called you asking you to come help her at the restaurant.

You didn’t want to come at first. You were deep in your own head, to the point of depression. You couldn’t get out of bed, refuse to socialize; you couldn’t function, much less go to work and be an adult. Your sister Lennie was at a loss. You lost your job ages ago, living on the small pension bestowed to you by the police department after Eric… anyway… You tried to move on, but since Ellie… since the other tragedy, you had been living in your sister’s basement, mostly alone, except when Lennie joined you on nights you had nightmares so bad you screamed your lungs out, holding you tight until you fell back asleep.

It got so bad that Lennie called your best friend, suggesting that she give you a call, maybe invite you up north for a visit for a while. Perhaps a change of scenery will do you some good. So when she called you, she told you how her restaurant was flourishing, she could really use your help during the summer, when tourists were aplenty, and the restaurant was fully booked. Just the summer, she said, and then you can go back home. Okay?

Lennie talked you into it. It’s too familiar here Lynn, she had said, you are haunted by the past everywhere you look. She was right. You had been living there your whole life. You were born there, you went to school there, you met your love there, you started a family there, and you also lost everything there. There was not a single place you could turn in that town where you didn’t have a memory associated with your past. Maybe they were right. Perhaps a change of scenery for a while would do you good. It’s only for the summer, right?

“Lynn!!! Lynn!!! Over here!!!”

You turned and saw Maria waving enthusiastically at you, her raven hair in her usual braid. You hugged your best friend tightly, suddenly feeling emotional at seeing her again after so long. She was whispering her apologies for not being able to be there for you when it all happened, only coming down for the funerals for a few days before having to go back to her life while yours shattered. When you both pulled back, the teary smiles that decorated both your faces were mirrored in each other’s. Behind her, a very smiley Tommy was patiently waiting for his turn to give you a hug, before taking your luggage from you.

Your journey to your temporary home for the summer took about an hour, Maria filling you in on the area, how idyllic it was, how beautiful, and how much she hoped that you could find peace there. The place you would be living in was a tiny house cluster, owned by Tommy’s foster mom. The houses were tiny, and so was the rent. Why not? You would only be there a few months.

Tommy and his brother had grown up in the foster system, going from one dysfunctional foster home to another, becoming more and more troubled before ending up at Jenny’s at the age of 15. Apparently, Jenny had a reputation for taking in troubled boys. She had looked after her foster boys as if they were her own, and now had a small army of grown foster boys who were so indebted to her they would do anything to make her life easier.

The housing area was right next to town, where the restaurant was. It was perfect, seeing as you no longer drove. You had brought your reliable Brompton with you, figuring you could just ride to work, rather than walk. It had been over a year and a half since you had driven, and you were nowhere near ready to get back behind the steering wheel any time soon.

When the car went through the small town, you saw what Maria meant. The place was basically straight out of a tourist guidebook. It was just so quaint, rows upon rows of cute shops and people going about their daily business, the streets clean and the air nice and crisp even in the summer, and the views… oh… the snowcapped mountains that was the town’s namesake framed the town. It was just a dream. You could see why Lennie and Maria encouraged this break so much.

About a five-minute drive after the town, Tommy turned left, into a gated residential area that consisted of a bunch of differently shaped houses, some regular looking, some tiny. He parked in front of the big house in the centre of the cluster, a tiny older lady with snow-white hair coming out, a wrench in her hand, smiling wildly at them.

Before you could even open the door, you heard her complaining to Tommy about the sink, how it’s clogged again. Maria gave a small laugh, telling you that the lady can fix a tractor with her eyes closed, but since Tommy started his own plumbing business, she magically couldn’t fix her own kitchen sink anymore, steadfastly refusing to listen when Tommy refused her money. Maria claimed that her biggest mistake was teaching Jenny how to transfer money online. She had been transferring all the money her boys had given her to her grandchildren without her boy’s knowledge. Such a mother, she said, her eyes rolling.

Jenny opened your door before you could even laugh.

“Hello there, Lynn, is it? I’m Jenny. Come on out, I’ll show you to your very own tiny house.” She gave Maria a hug, before fishing out an alarmingly huge keychain from her overalls. “I hope you are not claustrophobic, it is tiny, but livable. It’s this one right next to mine, so if you have any issues, or need any help, just holler and I will come running, or I will send one of my boys over.” She fiddled with the keys for a bit, looking for the one that fit the house.

The house was indeed tiny. It had a small porch, just enough for a wood box, a plant pot and a small rattan chair. It was maybe ten steps away from Jenny’s kitchen door, with only one house to your left, much bigger than yours, but still smaller than the average house. It had 2 bedrooms, Maria told you, a small family lived there. When Jenny finally got your door unlocked, you stepped in, and immediately became aware of how tiny this house really was.

The door was smack bang in the middle of the house, to your left was the living room, a day bed functioning as a sofa sat against the wall, a tv cabinet opposite it, a small coffee table in the middle. A window seat with storage underneath ran along the end of the section. To your right was the kitchen, small, but functioning. The bathroom right at the end. Right against the wall across from the door was a folded table, and a couple of bar stools. A ladder ran off the kitchen cabinet next to it, going up to a loft, where a queen mattress sat, the ceiling far too low for your liking, but hey, it’s only a few months, right?

It struck you that you didn’t have to move at all to see the entire house. But you felt different, good different, than you had felt in over a year. Maybe this really was what you needed.

---

Maria stayed with you and helped you unpack, not that there was much to unpack. The closet was right between the kitchen and bathroom, across from the washer and dryer. You kept banging your elbows and shoulders into this and that, but no matter, you just needed to get used to it. You will be fine, you thought. What’s a few bruises here and there?

Once you have finished packing, Maria took you to the restaurant, you will start working there in two days, which will give you the time to catch up on the local time and get yourself focused and mentally ready. She was going back to the farm to get Tommy and offered to drive you back, but you had brought your bike with you, telling her you would like to go to the grocery store to get some basics, and would love a chance to ride home, get yourself acquainted with the route. She gave you a hug, telling you she will see you bright and early on Tuesday, and to come with your game face on.

You wandered in the grocery store, walking from isle to isle, dragging your folded bike along, your basket balanced on the seat. You hadn’t cooked for yourself in a while, everything you cooked just reminded you of your loved one’s favourites, the thought of it being too much for you to handle. But you are in a new town, and even if it’s just for a few months, you were starting over. So, what better time to go back to doing what you loved doing than now? You picked up the basics, salt, sugar, coffee, tea, eggs, flour, rice, bread, butter, jam, and then started planning what you would be eating the next day, when a small body collided with your left leg, both legs on your left foot, hugging the leg for dear life.

You looked down, and your eyes locked with the big wide brown eyes of a little girl. Maybe two, three years old? Ellie would have been about this age if she… anyway, the little girl didn’t speak, just looked at you with cheeky eyes, a small smile on her cute pouty little lips. Your heart skipped a beat – Ellie used to do that too, just clung on to your left leg whenever you were out and about and didn’t feel like walking herself. She would just let you drag her around on one leg, never letting go until you get to the car, or until you picked her up.

Before you could even speak to her, a deep voice called out frantically from somewhere in the next aisle.

“Sarah??? SARAH!!!”

The little girl hugged your leg one more time, smiled at you and ran off to the voice. Your heart clenched. For a moment, you felt as if Ellie was there, and you found yourself unable to decide if that was a good thing, or the opposite. You took a few deep breaths before going about your shopping.

When you arrived back at the farm later that evening, there was a police cruiser in front of Jenny’s house. She was out front, coming to you with gloved hands covered in dirt from the potted plants.

“I see you did some shopping. You made it back to the place okay with your bike there, so that’s something.”

“Yeah, it’s not too bad, the road is not hilly, and it’s pretty much straight from the town to here. Er… Jenny, is everything okay?” you asked, pointing at the cruiser.

“Oh, yeah. That’s just one of my boys. He lives here with me and his daughter. Everything’s fine. I’m about to put dinner on the stove, why don’t you come join us?”

“That’s so nice of you. But I think I’m just gonna make myself some PB&J and go straight to sleep. Jetlag’s a bitch!”

She laughed knowingly and told you she would be around the farm the next day to show you around if you are interested in taking a look. You heartily agreed.

You had your little sandwich and went up the ladder to the loft. You stood on the ladder a while, sheets and pillows in hand, trying to decide how to go about doing this. You were relatively tiny, about Maria’s height in comparison, but the loft was low. Even without a bedframe, you had to wonder how they got the queen-sized mattress up there. Did they just build around it? How was this possible? You crawled onto the mattress and laid down. The ceiling felt as if it was right there on your nose. How did people sleep up here? You sat up to get the sheets, and immediately banged your head against one of the beams.

Yeah… nope.

So, you made up the daybed instead, and watched TV until you fell asleep.

---

You were in a room made of glass. Eric and Ellie were outside, playing. You went to the door, wanting to get to them. You wanted to play too. But when the door swung open, you found yourself in another room, identical to the one you just left, Eric and Ellie still outside. No matter how many times you tried, you couldn’t get to them. They couldn’t hear you calling them. They looked so happy, playing together, father and daughter laughing and giggling, having the time of their lives. And here you were, in a glass room, unable to get to them. They were just there. Right there. Why couldn’t you get to them? You called their names, you begged them to let you play with them, but they couldn’t hear you. The room kept reappearing every time you left it, and you were getting so tired, but all you wanted to do was get to them. Why couldn’t you get to them? You screamed and screamed, and still, they couldn’t hear you. You broke down crying, and suddenly the floor to the room gave way, and you fell.

---

You woke up, startled, sweating, despite the cold night. You spotted movement at your bedside. You jumped to the wall, goosebumps erupting all over your body. You hugged your knees close to your body, wanting to scream, but your groggy state only allowed a weak, high-pitched yelp to come out.

A small, familiar face was looking right at you from beside the bed.

“Sarah?”

She gave a tiny nod, her eyes studying you carefully.

You couldn’t move. What the fuck? Did you not lock the door? Where did she come from? Were you still sleeping? Was she a ghost? Oh shit was this place haunted? Like a tiny house haunted by a tiny girl ghost? Was there anything scarier? You sat curled up against the wall, not daring to touch her, just in case.

She climbed the daybed without much difficulty and hugged your arm. She rubbed your arm for a while, then curled up against you, her little hand playing with the ends of your hair.

Ellie used to do that, too. This must be a dream. But if it was, you were going to savour it. Better this than the nightmare you had been plagued with nightly. You didn’t dare touch her, but you let her play with your hair, closing your eyes, feeling as if Ellie was there with you.

You fell into a dreamless sleep for the first time since she left.

---

You woke up the next day to a furious knocking on your door. You sat up, realizing you had fallen asleep sat against the wall, confused and disorientated, wondering if you had dreamt about the night’s happening. The little girl was nowhere to be seen. The knocking got more and more persistent. A deep voice yelling at you to open up.

You wrapped your torso in a blanket and opened the door, the sun barely up yet, to a very angry looking face. A handsome one, but extremely angry and certainly hostile, nonetheless. He towered over you. This was an extremely good-looking man, an intimidating one, who, even in his sloppy, ripped, inside out t shirt and sweatpants, looked like he was about ready to tear your head off.

He looked taken aback for a split second, before coming back to his resolve - to chew you out.

“Do you get off kidnapping and sleeping with innocent little girls, lady??????”

You blinked in the weak sunlight.

"WHAT???"

---

PART 2

[judesmoonbeauty]

The Past Records: Ellis & Jude Chapter 1

Fan translation only. Not 100% accurate. Please expect grammatical errors. Cybird owns everything. Feel free to reblog, but please do NOT post my translations elsewhere.

Translation notes are marked with ***

We met four years before we entered Crown, I believe.***

The night I drifted into the town of London, I passed by a bridge looking for a place to stay and saw a man looking up at the moon.

I looked at his empty-looking profile and thought he was going to fall straight into the river when he finished his cigarette.

So I just had to ask the question.

Ellis: Are you happy?

Jude: What's the point if I'm happy or not?

Ellis: I'll make the happiest moment of you're life....last forever.

Jude: Ha. What is that? Are you crazy?

Jude: The happiest I've ever been in my life. Maybe-

Victor: Working again? I heard about it beforehand, but you are very busy.

It's early morning at Crown Castle. Victor comes into the dining room for breakfast.

He called out to them in passing as they were about to go out after finishing their meal, which was already too early.

Ellis: Sorry, Victor. We'll be back tonight, so we'll talk about the mission then.

Victor: Oh, how industrious! It's totally okay!

Jude: Shut up. You don't have to apologize every time you deal with a freak.

Victor: Jude is so harsh. I love that about you, though. (SO DO WE!)

Jude: Disgusting.

Ellis: We're off.

The two left the castle with opposite expressions on their face.

Liam: I'm impressed that you don't get down at that rate every day, Victor.

Victor: Well, I'm the one who recruited those two.

Liam: I joined Crown on the condition that I could keep my current job, but those two guys seem busier than I am.

Liam: I wonder if they have time to do their duties for Crown?

It's been a few days since Ellis and Jude joined the team, and they haven't even had their first mission yet.

William: Well, it doesn't matter when their first mission is.

Harrison: Hey, can we really trust those guys?

William: Why do you say that?

Harrison: It's said he's a trader, but I've heard some fishy rumors. I hear he has a lot of enemies here and there.

Liam: Oh, I've heard that too. It's even talked about mong the fellow actors from time to time.

Liam: Some aristocrat got ripped off and had all his money squeezed out of him.

Harrison: I don't care if he's just a crooked merchant. If he's a spy, I can't just sit idly by.

Victor: You can't trust them?

Harrison: You're a random weirdo, but I know you have a good eye for people. It's just....

Victor: !Did you hear that, William?! Did you hear what Harry just said about me?! (My guy is an excited chihuahua LOL.)

William: Oh, I heard. There's more to come.

Victor: Yes, you may continue!

Harrison:.....you're a real pain in the ass.

Harrison: It's just that his background is too shady to be trusted beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Harrison: I don't think we should let those two act individually too much, do you?

Victor: Hmmm, well I don't want to restrict....their freedom too much.

William: Why don't you just make sure? Whether you can trust them or not?

Victor: Make sure....I like that!

Liam: Haha, looks like something's about to start, doesn't it?

Harrison: I have a bad feeling about this.....

Victor: So, all of Crown is together! We are going to observe Jude and Ellis' way of life!

Liam: Oh! *Claps*

Alfons: Is this another one of Victor's dimwitted projects? It's the best.

Victor: I want everyone to observe the two of them and report back to me.

Victor: The theme is: Are those two worthy of Crown?

Harrison: Damn...I shouldn't have said anything. I'm too busy for this.

Elbert: What are you busy with...?

Alfons: As I recall, you were in the middle of a reviewing job with no time to meet the deadline, and the first draft had not been submitted by the writer.

Alfons: It's as he said, “I'm going to have to stay up all night just before the deadline.”

Liam: Well, wouldn't it be nice if Harry acted as the command center?

Liam: The investigation will be shared among the members other than Harry!

Alfons: A stealth mission, sounds like fun.

Elbert: I don't mind.

Roger: Well, that's good, isn't it?

Harrison: By the way, what's your reason for not doing it?

William: I don't think we'll get that far.

Harrison: ...right?

Victor: Then let the investigation begin!

***Note: I just wanted to affirm that Ellis mentions it had been four years since he met Jude prior to joining Crown. This is not a mistranslation.

[Next] [Masterlist]

[kurishiri]

The past records ③ event info!

The past records: “In the medical records [1] of the Crown members reflects a hidden love”

Roger decided to sort out his medical records, where he unravels the yet unknown pasts of the Cursed ones.

Is that which is hidden in the hunter’s heart betrayal, or perhaps, love——

Starting from July 23, 12:00 JP time, the event for Roger’s past records will begin.

If you send 🩷s 350 times in a certain period of time, you can get this 4☆ card featuring (child) Roger and Alfons—

🍻: “Al! From now on, you and I’ll be friends, just as promised!”

🪞: “That’s just you saying it. I will never see you as a friend, for my whole life.”

When I fell into the depths of hell known as ‘despair,’ only one person was there at my side——

This card comes with a story and voices featuring both of them interacting!

As you continue to send hearts, you will be able to obtain more records, about how Roger met the other members of Crown. In total, there is 5 chapters, plus an epilogue, excluding the early bird bonus featuring Alfons and Roger.

Early bird bonus — [Alfons and Roger’s meeting] about the unforgotten promise between the hunter and the mirror

send 160 times: [Meeting Victor] the betraying hunter is tempted by the god of death

(Roger joins Crown — I don’t think there’s a story for this.)

230 times: [Elbert] about the start for the hunter and the greedy queen

300 times: [Ellis] the hunter hides the fleeting truth from the thorns

370 times: [Jude] the dangerous promise between the hunter and the intelligent yakuza [2]

(The heroine joins Crown as the Fairytale Keeper)

430 times: In the medical records reflect a hidden love

700 times: [epilogue] The medical record of the love between the hunter and me

Furthermore, they have rankings for the guys, where if you rank in the top 200 for any of the boy, you can receive responses to medical records — from Roger Barel himself — on the one you rank for.

If you rank for Roger, you’ll receive a letter from him.

The sample shows an excerpt from Jude’s medical record.

They have outfits you can get from the event! The leftmost one features Roger “on the job” with the background having the records of all the Crown members scattered around.

Also, they have the Barel family’s “I love corgi” T-shirts that you can get in this event too!

Furthermore, you can get corgi dolls featuring all 9 characters by ranking for them in the event, or buying them in a limited time set that will also include story tickets!

Also, there will be a mission board where you can get goodies, and a BIG Roger plushie, which you can get by reading Roger’s main story and completing the board! The mission board will stay on until August 27, 22:59 JP server time.

Also, here are the lucky times, in JP time.

ストーリー = story

エスコート = escort

Y倍 = Y-times bonus (i.e. 2x or 3x bonus)

NOTES:

[1] every time they mention “medical records,” the apparent pronunciation (furigana, aka the little characters above the kanji which tell you the reading or pronunciation) is “carte,” which I believe means card. but the actual kanji is basically referring to medical records.

[2] here, they say [インテリヤクザ] (interi yakuza), where [インテリ] (interi) refers to an intelligent or educated person, and [ヤクザ] (yakuza) is like a gangster or a mobster. though in Japan, yakuza were also groups who helped run businesses in a certain area. so they’re more like a mafia, maybe? I wasn’t sure exactly which English word to use, so I left it as is. but you can interpret it how you want from here!

[tintinwrites]

nothing’s new | Joel Miller x Reader

A/N: I hope everyone has a happy new year and that you do amazing things!

Rating: 18+ this is smut

Warning: THIS IS SMUT! This includes a hint of a blow job and P in V sex. Reader is AFAB and their body parts are mentioned heavily, but no gender is mentioned. Smoking cigarettes. Naughty words.

Word Count: 3,441, apparently!!

Summary: It’s New Year’s Eve in Jackson and you and Joel are the only ones not celebrating.

GIF Credit: ^^^^

——————————————————————————

You sighed to yourself as you stared up at the stars glittering in the sky, the silence of the outdoors only broken by muffled music and laughter coming from inside the church hall.

Everyone in Jackson was celebrating the start of the new year with midnight just a handful of minutes away and while you wanted to join in, something was just…missing.

Of course, you spent so many new years just trying to survive that you couldn’t celebrate those, but you’d been part of the community for nearly a year now. You had a semi-normal life when you weren’t patrolling. You had friends and neighbors.

But it still felt so…empty.

Your gaze lowered to the unlit cigarette you held between your fingers when the noise from inside the church hall suddenly became much clearer. You straightened and looked back to see the door was opened, Joel Miller half way out it.

Joel had been there just a tad longer than you and you knew him a bit; he was Tommy’s brother and worked in patrol as well, though you’d never been partnered with him. You heard the watered down version of the story of him and Ellie. But there was never really a reason for the two of you to do more than exchange small talk or simply nod at each other in recognition when you crossed paths.

Besides, he mainly kept to himself and more often than not seemed a little grumpy, so you didn’t want to bother him.

He was cute, though. Handsome in a rugged sort of a way. You’d even venture to consider him hot when he was freshly showered and wearing just the right flannel…or sweaty and covered in dirt in a potato sack.

There was just something about him, even if he was a little bit unapproachable.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes as he noticed you standing there, probably staring at him. “Didn’t know you were out here.”

You smiled softly. “Yeah, I just needed a little alone time.”

“Shit. Sorry,” he mumbled, starting to step back into the church hall. You couldn’t tell if he was embarrassed for intruding or annoyed that you got there before him.

“I can be alone with you here.” It wasn’t as if he was going to be talking your ear off or anything.

He hesitated and glanced back into the hall, but some uproarious laughter seemed to make him decide to step outside fully. The apparently funny conversation was muffled once more as the door creaked shut.

The two of you stood in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few moments, you looking at the sky as clouds covered the stars and Joel surveying the empty town.

“You smoke?”

You glanced at him in confusion so he nodded at the cigarette in your hand and your brow softened. “Oh! Honestly…no. Someone gave them to me and I didn’t want them to go to waste. So I just kind of hold them and hope that’s enough to relieve stress which, as I’m saying it, sounds real fucking stupid.” You felt embarrassed to admit it to him, because he was hot and you now portrayed yourself as a total loser.

Well, maybe you were a loser, but you didn’t want him to know that. Who didn’t want a hot, mysterious, probably emotionally unavailable man to regard them highly?

He held his hand out, silently asking you to give him the cigarette.

You shrugged and handed it to him, watching as he fished around in the pocket of his jeans with his free hand. “Do you smoke?”

“Here and there. I’ve mostly quit.” He procured a weathered, yellow lighter out of his pocket. “Found this a few weeks back, it still works well enough.”

He put the cigarette between his lips and cupped his hand around the lighter, flicking it until it sparked a flame before lighting the cigarette. He returned the lighter to his pocket and took a drag, turning his head away so he wouldn’t blow the smoke at you.

“Can I try it? I’ve held them long enough and it sure as shit never actually relieved my stress.”

He offered it to you and you grabbed it, taking a long drag like you’d seen other people do.

But other people were smokers and you weren’t, so you immediately began to cough as soon as the smoke hit your lungs. You put one hand to your chest and doubled over, tears pricking your eyes from your uncontrollable coughing.

You felt Joel tug the cigarette from your outstretched hand that was hurriedly trying to get rid of the evil, little stick and you swore you heard him snort, but you were too busy coughing to be certain.

Finally, fresh air replaced the smoke in your lungs and you were able to straighten up, breathing shakily. You could see amusement in Joel’s eyes, though he kept himself pretty composed; most likely to maintain his grumpy demeanor rather than for your benefit.

“That’s awful. How do you even manage to get addicted to nicotine in the first place so you can relieve stress?”

“Practice,” he said simply before taking another inhale.

“It doesn’t even taste good. Bleh.” You stuck your tongue out as if the chilly night air could fix it.

Silence fell over you both again, still comfortable. It wasn’t long before Joel was dropping the cigarette butt and extinguishing it beneath his boot.

“So you really came out here to hold a cigarette?” Joel asked so nonchalantly that you weren’t sure he was talking to you. He was looking straight ahead like he wasn’t, but you were the only one out there.

But he was asking you a question and staying instead of returning inside or going home. Maybe the hot, mysterious, probably emotionally unavailable man didn’t think you were a loser.

Did you mention he was hot?

You found yourself briefly distracted by the profile of his face, watching little puffs of air pass his lips from the temperature outside rather than a cigarette.

Having the chance to actually talk to him and know he was more than just some grumpy guy actually made him more attractive to you.

“Yes. No? I mean, yeah, like I said, it’s my lame attempt at stress relief, but I also just…needed to get out of there.” You highly doubted he wanted to hear your thought process. “What about you? What brought you out here?”

He didn’t answer for a moment and you thought maybe you shouldn’t have pried. “Celebrations aren’t my thing.”

You nodded and warred with yourself as you decided whether or not you wanted to push the conversation further. Maybe he did want to hear your thoughts. Maybe he understood.

“I don’t…get it.” You weren’t sure whether or not to go on, but felt confident when he glanced at you. “I mean, New Year’s and all that stuff. Well, I do get it, we’re trying to live our lives fully and normally, but I just…I don’t know.” You sighed, pulling at a thread on the hem of your jacket. “Nothing ever changes. Nothing’s new. Don’t get me wrong, Jackson is amazing and probably the safest place to be, but that clock’s gonna strike midnight and everything’s gonna be the same. We’ll still be living in a world full of the infected, stuck in one town, having to choose careers that don’t lead anywhere, and nothing will have changed. I’m probably not even making sense…”

“No. That makes sense.”

So he did understand. You smiled a bit to yourself and looked at your hands. “I wish I felt differently. But sometimes shit like this just feels so meaningless.”

He made some noise that you thought might be affirmative, but you didn’t want to push your luck and spook him by trying to get him to open up about his own feelings.

Even you weren’t admitting fully why you didn’t want to be inside. The celebration was meaningless, sure, but you were also hyper aware that everyone had someone to celebrate with.

Maybe it would mean more if you had someone by your side, but you were alone and when the clock struck midnight, you would still be alone.

Nothing would change.

Through the door came the muffled sound of everyone beginning to countdown from ten, which you knew meant that it was nearly midnight. Funnily enough, after your rant about how useless it all was, the thought of kissing Joel popped into your head.

He was hot, and he understood, and you were lonely. It wasn’t like you were going to build your life with the man, but even just a few hours with someone at your side might help that emptiness the old holiday brought.

If you kissed him, it wouldn’t be to celebrate the new year. No, it was a convenient way to make a move on him now that you’d gotten to know him the tiniest bit. If you didn’t make a move now, you knew you would be too anxious the next time you saw him, and you would only get more anxious from there. You couldn’t lose the chance of a fun night with someone as hot as Joel.

You imagined that he was lonely too and that was why he was so closed off. You’d never seen him with anyon anyway.

The countdown hit three and you knew it was now or never. If he didn’t respond, you would just never speak to him or look at him again and you would move out of Jackson to avoid the humiliation. So what?

As you heard everyone begin to celebrate, you turned and kissed Joel before you could talk yourself out of it.

He was warm and he smelled good, but he was definitely not kissing you back. You kissed him for maybe four seconds before you pulled away awkwardly, refusing to look him in the eye.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, I should have asked before I did that, it’s just that you’re hot, and we were talking, and I’m lonely and…God.” Well, you had a good run in Jackson, but now you had to go so you didn’t have to look at Joel and know he probably thought you were a pathetic idiot.

You turned to run off so you could really solidify his opinion of you, but he grabbed your chin and turned you back, capturing your lips in a firm kiss. You would almost call it desperate if you didn’t know any better and if you were in your right mind what with him kissing you.

Your knees buckled a bit and you grabbed onto his arms for stability, closing your eyes as his tongue touched your lips to deepen the kiss. You granted him access easily, moaning softly.

Cigarettes seemed a little more appealing when you were tasting them through Joel.

He drew back and gave you a quick kiss, while you stood there with your eyes closed like a fool. You felt something cold hit the end of your nose and you blinked your eyes open, meeting Joel’s dark gaze. You could tell what fell on your nose by the new specks of white quickly accumulating in his hair.

“It’s snowing,” you said stupidly as if he didn’t know, but you weren’t sure what to say. You were a little stunned by him kissing you and how good he was at it.

He looked around briefly before his eyes met yours again. “Your place?”

Oh. He actually wanted to have sex with you.

You hoped you weren’t totally crosseyed and dumbstruck as you nodded simply, gesturing in the direction of your neighborhood.

He pushed you ahead of him, which allowed you to snap out of your stupor enough to lead him to your home. You weren’t gonna skip out on a night with Joel by not knowing how to get to your damn house. You would definitely leave Jackson if you got this close to fucking someone so attractive when you were so lonely only to forget you lived two streets down.

Joel was on you as soon as you entered the front door of your small house, pressing you against the wall and cupping your face to hold you still as he kissed you again. You could feel the bulge in his jeans for the briefest moment before he was pulling away a bit, still kissing you while he hurriedly pulled his coat off.

You were doing the same as well as kicking your boots off, not really caring where anything landed at this point.

Your fingers found the buttons of his flannel when he broke off the kisses for air and you slipped your hands under the shirt to push it off, palms gliding over his skin that was still warm despite the weather. It was soft too, unlike his hands which were a bit rough and calloused.

He grabbed the hem of your shirt before you could go for his belt, so you abandoned your quest and lifted your arms to help him. He tugged you away from the wall, one arm around your waist as his free hand reached around you to grab the hooks for the plain bra you wore. He fumbled for maybe a few seconds before he managed to unlatch it, pulling it down enough to reveal your breasts.

“Jesus Christ,” he breathed out, yanking your bra the rest of the way down your arms to join the pile of forgotten clothes on the floor.

He went for the button of your jeans and you went for his belt at the same time, which merely caused you to slap your hands together in a bit of a tangle. The chuckle he let out was soft and short, but made you want him all the more for finding the humor in it.

He reached your jeans first and undid the button and zipper with ease, slipping his hand underneath both them and your panties. You fell back against the wall so you could stay standing as he gently cupped your cunt. He felt around experimentally before he touched your clit, rubbing light, little circles with those aforementioned rough hands you were growing to appreciate.

“Fuck, you’re warm.” He kept his eyes on your face, watching your lips part and your eyelids flutter as he touched you.

“Yeah…” You were currently too dumb to form something clever or sexy to say, not that it mattered. The silence as you both hardly spoke was unnoticeable with the desire and need thrumming between you.

“Been a while,” he said in a way where you couldn’t tell if it was a statement for him or a question for you.

Probably both.

You didn’t realize you closed your eyes until you were opening them again to look at him. You reached out to unbuckle his belt, tugging it out of the loops of his jeans and hearing it smack the floor.

When you went for his zipper, he pulled his hand out of your pants and grabbed your wrist. “I’m too old to be doing this against a wall anymore.”

“Wall sex always gave me a cramp in my hips anyway.” You grabbed his hand to guide him down the hallway toward your bedroom, briefly forgetting he was a grumpy old man as you tugged him along.

You stopped him at the foot of your bed and met his eyes meaningfully, moving down to your knees and undoing his pants. When you tugged them down along with his underwear, he groaned and you gasped.

“I’d be grumpy too if I had to pin this thing in my pants…”

“Shut the fuck up.” He was lighthearted about it, sounding like he wanted to laugh.

“I’m just saying, it’s big.” You allowed him no retort, wrapping your hand around his cock to stroke him slowly.

He let out a breath slowly and tilted his head back, which encouraged you to press gentle kisses to his tip and along his shaft. You flicked your tongue out against his tip and felt him shudder.

He didn’t let you get much farther than that before he was grabbing and, much to your surprise, throwing you onto the bed. You heard he dealt with lifting dead bodies back in Boston which probably made him able to lift anyone. Which was…morbid.

He had kicked his own boots off at some point back in the foyer and now he shed his jeans and underwear fully, reaching out to pull yours off by the cuff. They were a bit snug so he ended up pulling you down the bed a bit, and you couldn’t help but giggle a little.

Your underwear was on the floor next and then he was climbing onto the bed, pushing your legs back so he could fit between them. Now he explored you, his hand gliding along your thigh, up your side, until he reached your breast and cupped it almost greedily.

You whimpered, rocking your hips so you could rub against his cock as he played with your breasts. “Joel. Please.”

He glanced at you and slid his hand between you to stroke his cock, kissing you hard as he pushed his tip inside you. He shuddered and paused for a moment. His forehead pressed against yours to break the kiss like he needed to focus, eyes closed tightly as he gave slow and shallow thrusts, easing into you fully.

“Fuck,” you hissed when he was finally filling you, gripping onto his biceps tightly.

Then he started to move, quickening his pace until he was all but pounding into you. The headboard of your bed slammed into the wall with each thrust, but you couldn’t give less of a shit about it. Not when Joel was grunting and panting above you, his cock hitting all the right spots. You weren’t even embarrassed by the way you were whining like a porn star in those old pornos some creep smuggled into Jackson.

His lips found your neck, sucking and biting and kissing, the scruff on his face scratching the delicate skin there. You were so sensitive, every single touch felt like fire in the best way possible.

One of his arms left your grip so he could rub your clit and you practically arched your back, crying out in pleasure. You were already pushed over the edge, squeezing his cock tight as you came, hearing him mumble curse words somewhere in the distance beyond your own little world.

He pushed one of your legs back farther so he could thrust even deeper, keeping his hand there and squeezing tight.

It didn’t take him long either. You blinked at him as you came down from your high and he lost his rhythm, movements desperate as he started to fill you.

He groaned softly, his hips starting to slow until he stopped completely, letting your leg go so he could practically collapse onto you. His hair tickled your heaving chest as he lazily kissed at your skin.

You didn’t think as you moved a hand into his hair, stroking it and playing with it. “I’ve never cum that fast before.”

He glanced up at you. “Like I said, it’s been a while.”

“Wanna do it again?”

He chuckled and pulled out of you carefully, rolling off to lay beside you. “I need a little recovery time and I’m not usually up this late anymore. Wake me up in an hour.”

You were honestly a little surprised he intended to fall asleep there, but you weren’t bothered by it. In fact, you kind of liked it.

As you laid there and watched him, you couldn’t help but think that you had been wrong earlier.

Sure, new years didn’t change everything; you were still in a world where you had to fight to survive, but that didn’t mean nothing changed. Lots of little things could be changed and that could make all the difference to keep someone going.

That was probably why Jackson had a celebration. Because they had food, and water, and love, and fun. Even though they couldn’t control the world around them, there were things they could do to make it a little easier to handle. All they had to do was make those things possible.

You couldn’t say that you and Joel would be best friends or lovers from here on out, but just that moment of human connection made everything a little more bearable and a little less lonely.

It was something new in a world where everything always seemed to be the same, and that was what you both needed.

[bet-on-me-13]

My Dad can beat up your dad

Imagine if Ellie joined the Teen Titans (Cartoon Version)

When Trigon attacks, everybody is freaking out because how are they going to stop him? Raven is a kid, there are no other magic users around, and the Justice League is off world (idk what the canon reason is)

But Ellie is strangely calm

She mentions that her dad may be able to help, or at least be able to hold him back long enough for them to get help

Robin: How is your Dad going to stop THAT!

Ellie: Well, you know how I'm half ghost?

BB: Yeah?

Ellie: Ans you know how that one time the ghost we fought called me "Princess"?

Cyborg: yeah...

Ellie: Well the thing is, they weren't lying. My dad is the King of a Dimension called the Infinite Realms, and while he is young for a King he is still powerful.

So she calls in her dad, who is sporting the classic Ghost King Redesign, and he goes to hold Trigon back as the team comes up with a plan.

I don't like the "Insanely OP Danny" stuff too much, so for this let's just say that Danny can grow in size to be comparable to Trigon, and they have a Giant Kaiju battle in the middle of Jump City. He doesn't win, but he manages to hold on long enough for Raven to finish the Job

Also i really want Danny to start doting on Ellie, like really excited that he gets to meet his daughters friends and all that. He even pulls out some embarrassing Baby Photos from that time Ellie was reverted to her actual age.

Once he hears about Raven being Trigons daughter, he adopts her on the spot.

Raven suddenly has a new Dad, Sister, Brother (reformed dan), Aunt, Grandma and Grandpa (good parents jack and maddie) and maybe a new mom (Sam? Val? 3rd person?)

Basically I just wanted a "Kaiju Danny vs Kaiju Trigon" fight

[sassenashsworld]

Nick stuck in his office

(mew?)

The List

It’s been a while. It’s been a long time since things have changed.

Things.

Nick leans on the back of his chair, gazing out in the void. He remembers when the first change occurred in his life. The first moment he felt something... abnormal. It was the very moment when the door to vault 114 opened, not on a thug but on a vault dweller. A vault dweller in a vault has something funny in itself in the situation he was in. Then he find that this very person, as they went out of their way to get his poor little synth ass out of his dead end, was also getting the Minutemen out of the dust of their oblivion.

They had come a long way. On the trail of Kellogg, Virgil... the Institute... And some detours along the way to help all the poor lost souls they encounter.

"Nick, did you finish with the Fyfe file?" suddenly asks his secretary, Ellie.

Nick quickly returns to the present, startled from his reverie.

“Uh, yeah..yeah.” He stands up from his chair and crosses the office to Ellie, placing some sheets of paper onto her desk. “Sorry for that; I wasn’t paying attention.”

"Obviously. But, eh, that's my job to keep you back on track. What do you think?"

“Yeah, yeah, I know...” Nick shakes his head and sighs, “Just thinkin’...” He glances at the file on Ellie’s desk. “...the Fyfes are a real piece of work, huh?”

“Yes.” She looks down at his notes. “They had what they were seeking—never listening to their son.”

“Damn fools for not listenin' to the damn kid,” Nick mutters under his breath, leaning against Ellie’s desk.

"But what a chance they fall on the Great Synth Detective and his assistant," she remarks, a thin smile on her face. “Where is Sole anyway?”

Nick tries to keep his voice unwavering.

“Sole’s gone to meet with Preston about something. Didn’t tell me much, but somethin’ about a missing persons case, I think?”

"And they didn't ask you to tag along?" Is surprise Ellie.

And Nick, as well. He was surprised that Sole didn't ask him. Sole always asks him since... since they first met and teamed up. Never seems to be a day since when Nick doesn't travel with Sole. Or Sole works with Nick.

Nick frowns, feeling a tinge of confusion and worry in his heart.

“Yeah… Guess they didn’t... thought... it's... odd.”

Usually, Sole always wants him to tag along if they’re going off on some sort of case, especially if it was a missing persons case. They’d always ask him to join them if that was the case. Why didn't they invite him this time?

“Maybe they wanted to just chat with the Garvey man alone...” Nick tries to offer as an explanation to Ellie’s words, but he can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

Why hadn’t Sole asked him to come along?

Nick tries to shake off the resentment that is trying to make room in his core. Or his processor. He still has difficulty locating his emotions in a... synthetic body... with a human mind.

One soul?

Sole seems adamant on the subject. Since they and Nick closed the case of Eddie Winter, Sole no longer lets Nick down talk himself. Nick can hardly use self-mockery without the General riding on their big horse about it.

Nick lets a small chuckle escape his lips as he thinks of the many times Sole had reprimanded him for speaking down upon himself. He can practically hear their voice scolding him, their hand on their hip, their eyebrow raised, disapproving of his cynical tongue.

Ellie raises an eyebrow at his chuckle.

"Some funny though?"

Nick shakes his head, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Just remembering some of the times I’ve been scolded by the Sole Survivor for my cynical tongue. Always gettin’ on my ass for my bad habits.”

"Just good they do," she answers, getting her attention back on the paper to classify. "At least, you listen to them."

Yes. Nick can't deny it. He listens to them. He is even surprising himself. He never really listens since... since he wakes up as a synth. How could a human relate to him? He even attempted to reason with Sole a few times, but his friend held a completely different perspective on the situation. Nick had really a hard time wrapping his mind around the stubbornness of Sole on this matter.

"I don't need to be a synth with the long-lost memory of a man to know you ARE your own man and a good one. And that you deserve all the better."

He closes his eyes and sighs; he can hear Sole’s voice in his mind, their words echoing around his programming.

“Damn stubborn bastard,” he mumbles quietly, but he has a small smile on his face as the memories of his friend and all the things they’ve done together flood his mind.

The case of Jack Cabot... The Institute... The Railroad... Nick and Sole had been through so much together; he’d grown so accustomed to their presence... He wondered if his friend was doing alright.

Ellie returns her gaze to him.

"You are worse than ever, you know? I am accustomed to your zone-out and your self-mumbling. But today, you really appear elsewhere. You sure are alright?"

Nick doesn’t answer for a few seconds, silently contemplating Ellie’s question. Was he alright? He couldn’t be sure of that for himself.

“Yeah, yeah… everything’s fine.  Just... ah... somethin’ on my mind,” he responds after a while, still remaining leaned against her desk.

His secretary frowns, but Nick shakes his head and returns to his own desk, looking in his drawer for a pack of cigarettes.

“It’s dinnertime. You should get something to eat,” he recommends to his secretary.

"Is there another elegant method to request solitude for your menacing thoughts?"

Nick grimace. He could not say that his thoughts are dark. Just... strange... almost nostalgic.

“Oh, shut up, I don’t need you fussin’ and prying into my thoughts,” Nick mutters, half jokingly.

He fishes a cigarette out of his pack, places it between his lips, and lights it. His eyes wander around the room, not focusing on or even really looking at anything in particular.

The young woman sighs and gets up.

“Need anything? A schedule with Arturo for a tune-up?”

Arturo no longer regularly performs Nick's tune-ups. Sole is so much a hell of an engineer. Arturo has made it, but Sole is just... a high class over.

Nick shakes his head, taking a long drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke billow from his mouth.

“No, no. I’m fine.”

His eyes wander back over to the door, as if expecting it to burst open and for his friend to stride in, a smile on their face. But there was no such thing. Nick tries not to feel disappointed. He had no reason to. He glances at the clock above the door. When would they be back?

Ellie finally leaves the office, letting Nick all alone. Why did the detective feel like that? What is he feeling exactly? When did it really have begun? He is really puzzled about himself just now.

Being alone with his thoughts was not a beneficial thing in the end. He couldn’t keep his mind from going over the times he and Sole have spent together; he couldn’t stop wondering why they hadn’t asked him to come along on their trip to the Commonwealth, and he kept worrying something terrible was going to happen to them.

Nick lets out a heavy, frustrated sigh. He’d probably just sit here worrying his ass off until they return.

Nick sighs again and takes a seat in his chair. He takes another drag from his cigarette; the smoke plumes out of his mouth.

He should be used to being alone. He’d been alone for the most of his existence, only really having Ellie and the occasional client to talk to.

He’d gotten used to having Sole around, though, he’d gotten so used to having them near and always around.

Damn it, why did he feel so worried and weird about them leaving?

The door opens again, and Nick doesn't even bother to look in it's direction at first.

“Forget somethin', Ellie?” He asks, taking another drag from his cigarette before finally looking up towards the door.

He quickly stops himself before his next sentence when he sees that it’s not Ellie who has returned.

“Sole...” Nick mutters, feeling slightly surprised and confused.

His coolant as his processor speed up slightly, which he tried to ignore. He didn’t understand why it did that, but it usually does in situations like this. He places his cigarette down.

“Nick, sorry. I know you should have worried, but I will explain you all,” they swiftly tell him with a smile.

Nick can’t help but smile back at them, their smile brightening his entire world. The strange anxiety, worry, and confusion he was feeling just a few minutes ago seems to melt away. His circuits warm up at the sight of his friend; his core is almost leaping, his fans drifting up faster and faster. Damn it, why did they always have this effect on him?

Why did they make him feel like this?

Nick clears his throat after a few seconds.

“Ah… welcome back. Thought you were Ellie for a minute, heh…”

He stands up from his chair and approaches them, stuffing his hands into his trench coat pockets.

And Sole is just eager to tell him all they’ve gone through, as always. And Nick is just eager to hear it all.

As Always.

And as Nick stands in front of them, he realizes just how much he’s missed them, how much he’s missed spending time with them and talking with them just like this.

Their smile, their laugh, their eyes...

Damn it. He missed them more than he liked to admit.

And as his friend brightly smiles up at him, Nick finally understands.

Everything falls into place.

All his questioning finds an answer.

As the smile of Sole warms up all his old, beaten-up circuits, Nick understands that the reason why he is so trouble lately is because Sole has finally given something to his synth life he never had before.

Nick is happy.

[rou-luxe]

modern AU - crown's christmas party!!

william has been keeping his eyes and ears open. he works together with victor to give the crown boys exactly what they want. harrison finds it extremely creepy. william gets him the mystery book he mentioned ONE TIME. UNDER HIS BREATH.

harrison will be cordial, just this once. doesn't buy presents (is really busy with his job and had to drive hours to get here), but buys food for everyone and tries to brush it off as "courtesy".

liam is singing christmas karaoke, maybe with william!! somehow gets harrison to join in too. also brings movie DVDs. makes handmade gifts for everyone, mostly knitting. harrison is astonished when liam takes out a giant fox-themed quilt for him

elbert likes looking at all the intricate decorations. turns off the flashing christmas lights. he gives others some insects trapped in resin. some are creeped out, but alfons thinks it's like cats giving their owners dead birds

alfons didn't want to be here. he tried to dodge it, making excuses and trying to find ways out of it (ie. his friends). elbert dragged him anyway. with every gift he receives, his smile looks so bitter. he eats like. half of the food. he doesn't give anyone anything, helps clean up though. takes a lot of leftovers home with him

roger is having the time of his life. uncle vibes. he's catching up with how everyone is doing and cracking jokes left and right. you can hear his hearty laughter throughout the entire room. is still drinking booze. his gift is life advice

jude didn't want to be here either. secretly enjoys the party. gives everyone a check and mumbles something about "worthy investment". jude leaves after an hour or two, he's a busy man after all, he's got things to sell and places to be!

ellis checks up on everyone as well. listens to everyone's stories with roger, and overall contributes a lot of wholesome vibes. he's excited to spend time with everyone (<- gets dragged away by jude)

victor LOOOOOVES christmas. bakes treats for everyone and is spending time with all his boys. brings out the silly little william cake. pppponytail vic... 🤤 ahem back to the topic. he loves seeing everyone's smiles and gives jude and ellis some big hugs before they leave

happy holidays!!

[strawberrysodaslut]

may i request a joel miller fic pretty pretty please? 🥺🙏 maybe one where he has all these panic attacks and has no idea what is wrong with him but reader notices. at first she thinks like ellie: he’s having a heart attack but then realizes it’s not that and she uses the “5 things you can see” technique. obviously she doesn’t want to worry ellie or anything so every time she notices he’s having one of those panic attacks, she gently squeezes his hand a few times. the more it happens, the more joel feels “okay” about it and now, whenever he feels the fear creeping in, he looks for her and holds her hand for a bit because it grounds him 🥲 thank you 💕

Breathe - Joel Miller x GN!Reader

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[main masterlist]

[joel miller masterlist]

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word count: 2.2k

summary: when joel has his first panic attack, he relies on you to calm him down.

warnings: hurt to comfort, angst, completely SFW, panic attacks/anxiety, mentions of death, guns, no use of y/n and no pronouns directed at reader (i believe), mentions of a heart attack, might not be 100% medically accurate pls don’t use fanfiction as education especially in regards to health, reader kisses joel on the face but that can be either platonic or romantic depending on what you want

authors note: this was supposed to be a blurb… whatever i love it. this request was so cute i loved it, i wish someone was there to help joel though this so bad… also i am so excited to watch ep 7. it’s out now but i’m not watching it until later tonight and i CANT WAIT.

join taglist

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The first time Joel had a panic attack, he swore he was dying.

He was standing watch while you and Ellie slept, sleeping bags huddled next to each other. His eyes trained on the hand you had resting on Ellie’s head. Fingers in between her hair as if you were stroking her, but it was perfectly still. A smile crossed his face. Even when you were sleeping, you still cared for Ellie.

Your hand drops slightly as Ellie stirs, rolling over in her sleep, but she subconsciously wraps her arms around your own, as if it’s her own personal teddy bear. He sighed, watching the silent bond between you two. Even unconscious, you were so kind, so caring. He wasn’t that. He’d made sure you knew, but you didn’t believe him. You made sure he knew that, too.

The peacefulness of the moment was rare, so rare it felt off putting to him. But it was a reminder to him of what he was protecting. The burdens he bore would be worth it to keep these moments. Even if it was only during sleep.

But those peaceful moments were not only rare, they were painstakingly fast.

A loud creak filled the small cave you had settled in, not loud enough to wake you, but loud enough to snap Joel out of any softness he was feeling. He couldn’t be soft, couldn’t afford it. Softness is weak. And him being weak means you and Ellie dead.

Gun in hand, Joel trudged his way out of the cave. He listened out for any clues to the source of the noise. It’s quiet now, but whatever made that sound is still there, he’s sure of it, and it’s his job to change that. He made his way around the trees, praying that even his deaf ear can pick up on any noises necessary.

Gun in hand, Joel trudged his way out of the cave. He listened out for any clues to the source of the noise. It’s quiet now, but whatever made that sound is still there, he’s sure of it, and it’s his job to change that. He made his way around the trees, praying that even his deaf ear can pick up on any noises necessary.

Gun in hand, Joel trudged his way out of the cave. He listened out for any clues to the source of the noise. It’s quiet now, but whatever made that sound is still there, he’s sure of it, and it’s his job to change that. He made his way around the trees, praying that even his deaf ear can pick up on any noises necessary.

It’s not long until he reached a creek, the rush of the water distracting him from other noises. It’s only then that Joel realised how thirsty he actually was, his throat growing drier as he looks at the water below him. He knows realistically he shouldn’t, but he can’t help but reach into the creek, scooping up the water into the cup of his hands and pouring it into his mouth, he sighs in relief as the cool liquid runs down his throat, feeling some relief.

Now, Joel may be deaf, but he’s able to hear the crunch of leaves from behind him.

He whips around, pointing his gun directly at the source of the sound, ready to protect Ellie, you, and himself from any harm coming from whatever is coming towards him. His eyes drop to find a small animal with two big ears and a lot of fluff… “Jesus Christ,” He mutters, lifting his hand to cover his mouth and swearing under his breath.

It’s a fucking rabbit.

Joel shakes his head in disbelief, staring down at the rabbit as it cautiously hops past him towards the creek, clearly looking to get its own hydration. He’s about to laugh to himself when he hears the same creak from earlier. Howver this time it’s much, much further from where he is. It’s where you and Ellie are.

His feet travel before he can even process what’s happening, fighting his joints to go faster as he goes uphill towards the cave. He’s desperate to get to you, having to stop himself from calling out in case that alerts anything else to your position. He can only hope he gets to you fast enough.

He only stops running once he gets to the cave’s entrance, finding you and Ellie asleep in the same position you were in when he left, unbothered by whatever the noise was. He stepped back outside the cave, listening out for anything that could’ve made that noise. A gush of wind comes through. It’s so strong that the trees are moving quite far, some rubbing on each other.

Wait…

Oh.

It’s the trees.

Joel sighs, but you being safe doesn’t bring him much relief. He looks back, and the two of you are dead to the world. That hadn’t been something dangerous, but it could’ve been. And you would’ve been sitting ducks. He wouldn’t have gotten there fast enough, he knew that. He was too slow. By the time he got to you, it would’ve been too late. You and Ellie would be gone.

His chest tightens.

You would be killed, or worse. God, you’d be so scared. All he can picture is the look on your and Ellie’s faces when you realise you were wrong to trust him, that he couldn’t keep you safe. That all those times he saved you he got lucky, they were flukes. He wasn’t any good at this. He’d gotten you killed.

He’s gonna get the both of you killed.

And he’s gonna be alone again.

His vision blurs as pain strikes him in the chest. He nearly doubles over, gripping to the rock of the cave for support. Breathing has no longer become an option. He gasps for breath, clutching his front.

Joel’s mind races. Is he dying? Is this it? No, he can’t be dying. He can’t leave the two of you alone.

Is Ellie going to find his body?

Tears roll down his face as he tries to stand, but it’s to no avail, only leading him to sink further into the ground, hunched over. A mixture of sobs and gasps for breath pours out of his mouth, begging for something- but he’s not sure what.

He jumps when he feels a weight on his shoulder, going to launch back, but whatever it is holding him keeps him steady. The surrounding sounds might be muffled, but he can still recognise your voice in the blur.

“Joel? Can you hear me? Joel?” You say, your voice just above a whisper, desperate to not wake up Ellie. “I need you to tell me, does it hurt here?” You say, guiding your hand to his left arm and squeezing, unable to hide the tremble in your voice as you do so.

Joel shakes his head, scrunching his nose. He can feel your body relax where you’re pressed behind him. “What’s- what’s happening to- me?” He wheezes, unable to catch enough breath to speak properly.

“It’s okay, you’re having a panic attack, you’re not dying.” You whisper, your voice much calmer now. You know he’s going to be fine. It’s now your job to calm him down. “Joel, can you tell me five things can see?” You ask, rubbing circles into his shoulder with your thumb.

Joel grunts, “Can I what?” He asks, his voice nearly unrecognisable from his normal tone.

“I’m just checking your eyesight.” You lie, knowing he wouldn’t be on board if you told him the real reason.

Joel’s head finally lifts from looking at the floor. He looks around slightly. “The- the trees.” He says in between his fights for breath.

You nod your head, muttering praise as you use the other hand to stroke his hair. “What else?” You ask.

“Uh- the- the grass, and the sky. The cave and- and you.” He turns his head slightly to look at your hand. His voice is shaking, matching how he trembles under you, his chest rising every half a second as he tries to breathe.

A sigh escapes from you as rest your forehead on the crook of his neck, fighting back your own tears as you try to guide him. “Doing so good Joel, how about four things you can feel?”

Joel’s hand quickly finds your arm, gripping it like a vice. His breathing has slowed down a little, but it’s nowhere near where it needs to be. “I can feel you.” He says, relaxing slightly into your touch. “I can feel my trousers, uh- the- the floor, and- my gun.” He says, alerting you to the rifle placed just at his side.

A part of you wants to move it, knowing how accidents can happen, but you worry that if you try, he’ll only get more freaked out. Joel’s gun is like his security blanket, it’d be too big of a risk to take it off of him now, leaving him more vulnerable than he already is.

“That’s great, Joel. How about hearing? Can you give me three things you can hear?” You ask, trying to keep your voice as gentle as possible, matching the tone you would use when approaching an animal.

Joel grumbles, “I’m fucking deaf.” He mutters, his voice losing some of the shakiness it had before.

A bubble of laughter forms in your chest at his words, but you don’t let it come out, opting for muttering ‘Just do your best’ instead.

His sobs quieten down as he tries to listen out for any noise, just as he does, another gush of wind blows, the trees making the same noise that started all of this. “The creaking of-of the trees.” He looks up at the trees, how they blow in the wind. His ears then focus on the light bubbling in the creek. He can hear it all the way up here. You whisper more praises into his ears, leading him to list your voice as the third thing.

You chuckle, your smile sitting on his skin like an anchor to him, making a smile of his own form. His breaths have almost completely evened out, but you continue. “What about two things you can smell?” You whisper, your hand finding his and funnelling through his fingers to hold.

Joel chuckles before he speaks. “Us. One, two.” He jokes, head leaning back against your body as he spoke. You can’t help but choke out a laugh and shake your head where it sits.

“Fair point.” Your smile pokes out as you speak. “One more, okay? What can you taste?” You ask, lifting your head from his neck and tilting it to get a look at his face. Even in the dark, you can see the streaks on his cheeks from his tears, one loose on rolling down. You take your free hand and wipe it away.

He pauses when you do so before looking back at you. “Creek.” He says, swallowing as he speaks.

Your brows furrow, wondering what he means. “Creek?” You repeat, making sure you heard him right. How can his mouth taste like creek?

Joel nods. “I drank some water from the creak earlier, felt good at the time, but now my mouth tastes like shit.” He says, nose scrunching as he focuses on the muddy flavour of his mouth, only slightly regretting the decision.

He revels in the laughter you release, still keeping quiet as to not wake up Ellie, but it’s a sound of pure joy. Your laughter slows down and you look at him again, the same care in your eyes as when you care for Ellie, so much warmth. “How are you feeling?” You ask, a pursed smile forming on your lips.

After a moment of thinking, Joel speaks, “I feel fine.” He says. Not missing the look of annoyance on your face when he says that, thinking that he’s just deflecting. “I mean it. I’m feelin’ much better now. That was… it was scary, but I’m okay now.”

You nod, telling him that if he ever feels that way again to come straight to you, and he did.

For the first time in however long you’ve known him, he actually listened to what you had to say. He was always careful about it. Ellie never found out what happened that night and he didn’t want to scare her.

So, whenever he felt an attack coming on, he’d wander over to you and slip his hand into yours, squeezing a few times to let you know what was going on.

In response, you would repeat the exact things you did that night, squeezing five times for him to count what he sees, then four, then three and all the way down to one. Sometimes it didn’t work immediately, and you would have to do some breathing exercises, but his episodes became much easier to manage when you were around.

It became pretty easy for you to figure out exactly what the cause of most of his panic attacks was. You couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt when you realised it was partly you. You fretted for a few days, trying to make sure that Joel knew you could take care of yourself. However, you quickly learned that this was just how Joel is, the eternal protector.

A few months after that night, you had learnt Joel was hiding his attacks from you at nighttime. He didn’t want to wake you up. You had woken up on your own accord to him trying to count the things on his own but still barely working.

After how much you had calmed him down, it was basically instinct to go over and slip into his sleeping bag. You held him as you helped him through the tail end of calming himself down.

Once he had calmed down, you pressed a small kiss to the spot just under his ear. You then made him promise that if he ever needed you, he’d wake you up. Just like he made you promise you’d do a long time ago.

Because while he made it his job to protect you, it was your job to protect him.

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[strangerscallmegray]

Are we the same? Pt. 2

Link to Pt. 1

Soo I hope you like this, this is from your PoV where you think Joel hates you basically but in reality he does not.

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You did not know where you had gone wrong. You had been training for the past two years and you were now as good as anybody else who patrolled and maybe even better. No doubt your father’s training had a lot to do with it but you knew he didn’t particularly like it. You were on your way to go to Tess. She understood you like nobody else, you supposed that you should have people your own age as friends but that was not a privilege you enjoyed.

“Hey Tess.” You said as soon as you saw her.

“Aw Kid, what happened this time around?” she asked turning around to see you and one look at your face told her what had happened.

“I just wish he’d stop hating me so much.” You said sulkily looking up at the skies.

“Kid, that’s the last thing he does. As much as I love disagreeing with your father, there ain’t a drop of blood in his body that hates you.” She said eyeing him but continuing to do her job.

“Yeah well” you said and followed her movements, “It sure as hell looks like he does.”

“His methods are different, I agree but he loves you, never stopped loving you. He just wants you to live through this.” She said seriously.

You swallowed tearily and looked towards the floor, sitting on a chair nearby. You knew that he did not hate you but sometimes the things he said and did made you think otherwise. You believed that he sometimes blamed you for Sarah’s death and wished you were dead instead of her. You were not far from that thought, you yourself wished that it had been you that night and not Sarah who had died just so that she could live. She was you little sister whom you loved deeply, so, you didn’t blame dad if he thought that sometimes. Sarah would have been utilising and living her life had she been here instead of throwing it away like you were.

That was the very reason why you had been so steadfast and stubborn to join the patrolling. So that you could prevent such an event again if it was in your capacity and that included protecting Joel, he was the only family you had left and you were going to protect him. Dad never understood you. You were too reckless sometimes, you know it. This was the very reason why your Dad got so incensed whenever something happened on patrol.

Another reason you thought he didn’t exactly like you was that when Ellie came, his whole demeanour changed. You had never treated Ellie differently despite seeing Sarah in her. But you thought that was what your Dad needed, a daughter, not a son. So, the distance that already existed, you started extending it. If Ellie could make Dad happy then so be it. But sometimes he just wished for that kind of love and affection from his Dad, after Sarah died Joel had gone down a spiral forgetting to do a lot of things for you but then his eyes had opened nut not how much you wanted.

In the meantime, you had been proving every day to everyone that your age was not something that would be of hinderance. When Sarah died, you knew that the normal life was not meant for you anymore. You had to take a different path. You just wish your path could one day be understood by your Dad. You remembered certain instances.

“Why am I not going on patrol today? Why did you decide that?” you said angrily storming into your house after Tess had told you that you were not going today.

“Because I said so.” Joel had said continuing to prepare and pack his essentials.

“Why!? Why do you not trust me after all this while?” you said, tears of anger in your eyes.

“I don’t want to be the one scraping pieces of your brain from the roads if this goes sideways, it is a very risky business today.” Joel had said and honestly, you were shocked because it was the first time Joel had spoken so much to you about this and given you a reasoning. You simply stared at him. His words were not said in anger just in casual acceptance. That day you felt his care towards you.

“All the more reasons why you need me there Dad! I can help you.” You resorted to pleading because the way he was speaking made it sound like he’d lock you in a room to keep you away and have no guilt about it.

Joel had calmly looked at you, it was unnerving really and said, “Not today kid, just listen to me please.” And surprisingly, you had. You were a bundle of nerves that day and when Joel returned, he had bruises all over him.

“Dad!” you rushed to him, “Are you okay, what the hell happened? See this is why I should have come with you Dad.” You continued rambling looking at his state. The anxious thought that he could have died coming to your mind. He just stared at you for long and pulled you in for a long crushing hug. You didn’t remember him hugging you properly since after Sarah’s death. You had hugged him back and made him coffee that day. Whatever he had seen that day, you never asked.

You hoped one day the opportunity would present itself where you could mend your relationship with your Dad.

The next chapter will give them a chance to reconcile their differences and misunderstandings.

[lavendertales]

Can I request Joel miller x plus!size reader. I was thinking the reader could be Ellie’s older sister and the reader is immune like Ellie and she is very protective of her sister so when they hand them over to Joel and Tess she doesn’t trust them the reader is mean to them at first let’s just say Joel develops a crush on the reader while they are heading to find Joel’s brother Tommy maybe Joel confesses his feelings when they settled in the little town Tommy was living in and the reader feels the same.

can't help falling in love—Joel Miller x Williams!plus size!f!reader

summary: after everything you've been through together, Joel comes to realize just how much you mean to him.

word count: 2.1k

You’ve warned Ellie from day one of Marlene and the other Fireflies finding the two of you that this plan is a disaster waiting to happen. You’ve made your opinion well-known. But in the end, it was her choice. You weren’t about to deprive her of making her own decisions.

You knew she’d agree to travel across country with two random smugglers.

The thought alone gave you anxiety, so you simply told Marlene that you’d be joining Ellie. Harsh words were exchanged, insults were casually shouted, until Marlene surrendered and agreed to have you go with Ellie.

How could you not? This was your baby sister. And the secret that united the two of you ran deeper than anyone could ever imagine.

Marlene was the only one who knew about your shared immunity. It was beyond peculiar—and now life-threatening as well—which meant it had to remain a secret. During these uncertain times, people would kill for a speck of food, maybe even less. Who knows what they’d do if they’d hear that there are people immune to the deadly infection that destroyed the world walking around.

Then you met the two smugglers, Tess and Joel. They were a pretty rugged couple, harsh and just as against the idea as you were, but since the three of you adults were on the same page, you agreed to the plan.

“We’re a package deal, Ellie and I,” you said upon first meeting them. “Wherever she goes, I go.”

“And just so we’re clear, you’re okay with delivering your little sister to a swarm of Fireflies somewhere upstate?” Tess asked.

You hesitated, accidentally meeting Joel’s eyes. “No,” you replied, to which he made a gesture to reveal his I-told-you thoughts to Tess. “But it’s something Ellie chose, so we’re gonna do it.”

“Lettin’ a kid make his own choices in a goddamn apocalypse isn’t gonna get you very far,” Joel commented.

Your eyes narrowed at him. It was instant distrust, but not in his intentions. Oddly enough, you felt like he’d be the type of person to get the job no matter what. No, you simply didn’t trust his judgement when it came to fourteen year old girls. What could he know about that?

“Good thing I didn’t ask for your opinion,” you retorted, grabbing Ellie’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Do I get a say in this?” she asked. “I thought you were gonna let me make my own choices.”

“You had your say. Now let’s go.”

You weren’t concerned about being unlikable or not befriending them. Your baby sister’s life was far more important than two strangers who also wanted something in exchange for Ellie’s delivery. Surprise, surprise.

But it’s how the world functioned. Always has been, not just post-outbreak. You never worried about the petty little things that might’ve bothered you once. Once upon a time, maybe you would’ve felt awkward standing next to Tess, who was tall and feisty and slender, and you were far curvier. Now, you didn’t give a shit. Surviving was a priority, not worrying about how your shirt fits. And over time, you grew more than comfortable with your own body. You were just as great as Tess. Comparison had no place there.

Ironically or not, you and Ellie befriended Tess along the way. It was easier to talk to her, perhaps on the account of being three ladies traveling together. Joel always remained in the back, quiet and grumpy, and honestly, you were thankful for that. There was something inherently curious about him that made you—let’s say not his biggest fan. At the very least he gave the three of you space.

But then Tess got infected, remaining behind to kill those who could come after you and Ellie. And Joel got promoted to the sole protector of the Williams sisters. He disliked it, and you could easily tell from the creases between his eyebrows and on his forehead, the look in his eyes whenever he helped Ellie climb or crawl and pulled back his hand like she had rabies.

You saw how Tess’ demise affected him. He clearly cared about her, regardless of the dynamic that was between them. You wanted to ask him whenever the two of you were awake still by the fire somewhere, but instead, you let silence take the reins and walk you through the night.

As the days went by and sort of blended together in a mixture of exhaustion, hunger and fear, you began to untangle the mystery revolving around Joel. He wore this tough mask, impenetrable and cruel, to a high degree—and you couldn’t blame him for that. You slowly started to realize that he too might have suffered loss that changed him forever and naturally, he’d grown skeptical and repulsed by the prospect of strangers walking into his life.

Like you and Ellie.

But he kept your secret. Ever since that night when he and Tess accidentally discovered about your immunity, while shocked, neither took back their promise to deliver Ellie to the Fireflies. Maybe their reward was far more important than her life, you didn’t know.

“You could’ve backed out of the deal,” you told Joel one evening as Ellie slept peacefully by the fire. “After Tess was gone. You could’ve turned around, walked home. Why didn’t you?”

You and Joel hadn’t made much eye contact in the weeks since you’ve been traveling together, but now you did, and it made you shudder. An odd sentiment creeped up on you, crawling up your spine in slow, shocking waves.

“We made a deal,” Joel said. “We’re finishing this.”

Simple, to the point, and yet—still wrapped in a cloud of mystery.

As the road toughened and you suffered more loss—discovering Tess and Joel’s friends Bill and Frank dead, watching two brothers, Henry and Sam, perish in pain, nearly losing Ellie to a manic and cruel cult leader—Joel began to fear that he might actually be endangering you and Ellie further. He was supposed to protect you, but he felt like a fraud. All the way to Salt Lake City, he felt like he was failing you.

But then, something else unbelievable happened. Gradually, he began to gravitate around you more; he began to hear your crystal laughter at Ellie’s bad puns, to see the way your eyes sparkled in the sun, how affectionate and overly-protective you were with your little sister, and warmth bubbled in his chest. It took him some time to recognize its value and its meaning, but it finally hit him.

It finally hit him when he massacred a hospital alongside you in order to save Ellie. There was no denying it.

He would’ve died for you two. He killed for you two. He loved you.

The road back to Jackson had been silent, though you could feel the relief radiating from Joel as you rode in the passenger’s seat next to him.

“We did what we had to,” you reassured him.

Ellie was sleeping in the back, still filled with medications to help her do so, which meant freedom of speech.

If only words would’ve came easier to Joel.

“She’s gonna want to know,” he grumbled.

“We tell her they stopped making a cure.”

“Think she’ll believe it?”

You paused, knowing damn well your feisty sister won’t. But you desperately needed her to believe everything you and Joel said.

“I think she’ll want to,” you replied.

Ellie did ask questions for days after that, even when you settled in Jackson, the town Joel’s brother Tommy managed to put together. You and Joel did your best in answering her questions, stretching the truth to a somewhat believable degree, and you could see on her face that she cared far too much for you both to doubt your words.

She wanted to believe you. So she chose to.

Now that you were living a somewhat normal life in Jackson, Joel suddenly had all the time in the world to look at you, to wonder, to feed his delusions that you might feel the same. And it terrified him.

He didn’t know how it happened, feeling all this care for you, the overwhelming urge to keep you safe at any cost and to hold you close, but it did, and now he felt helpless. You were a wonder to observe, and an honor to be had—if you’d have him too.

Having dinner with Tommy and his wife Maria every Sunday night became a regular occurrence, and tonight, when everyone’s bellies were filled with warm food and the sting of an alcoholic beverage, Joel felt intoxicated by your presence. You were sitting right next to him, smelling of lavender soap and a little bit of whiskey, and his head was spinning. He wouldn’t say anything in front of the others, of course. He doubted he could even say something to you in private, but he had to try, right?

Yeah, he had to try. Otherwise he’d never be able to sleep again.

“Hey, uh—I wanted to talk for a bit,” he began, already feeling flustered and clumsy with words. “If that’s okay.”

Frowning, you stopped on his porch, staring at him attentively. “What is it?”

Your voice had definitely softened towards him since you first met. Last year you had been cold and distant, even downright cruel sometimes, but you were only protecting Ellie at the time. You didn’t know what his intentions were, but now, after everything you’ve been through, after everything you did together to keep that little girl safe, there was much more bonding the two of you.

“I think you know by now… I’d do anything to keep Ellie safe,” Joel gulped. “And you.”

You smiled, and Joel’s shabby knees nearly gave out on the spot. “I know.”

“I thought you looked lovely tonight.”

Your face instantly softened, your whole body craving and aching. You wouldn’t allow yourself to believe some silly fantasies that may or may not be true because… why would you? How could you believe that this man has feelings for you?

God, how badly you wanted that to be true.

“Oh. Uh—thank you,” you replied with a knot in your throat, already sweating.

“Not just tonight. In—general.”

You could tell he was struggling to find the right words to compliment you, and that alone meant more to you than an actual confession. Making the effort to let you know he appreciated you was, to you, of a greater significance.

“Joel,” you cooed, shyly approaching him. “You don’t have to say anything that you… might not feel comfortable saying.”

“It’s not that. ‘m not good with words—“

“In general?”

You both chuckled, feeling like a couple of awkward teenagers trying to ask each other out on their first date.

“Look, I know you cared about Tess,” you said, carefully measuring your words. “I saw the toll it took on you after she was gone. I don’t expect you to—I don’t even know. I just… I want you to know that whatever you do, whatever we are… it’s okay.”

The look in his eyes disarmed you completely. It’s a good thing you couldn’t get in his head to see the many thoughts running wildly in there because he’d be mighty embarrassed if you did. Shameless thoughts of kissing you, of making your curvy body tremble in ecstasy, his large hands kneading your plump flesh till it reddened under his touch, burying himself into you—

“Joel?”

He shook his head, returning with his feet back to earth.

“I care about you,” he nearly whispered, the confession taking you aback. “A lot. I’d—I’d kill for you. I’d kill just to—hold you.”

You found yourself breathless, unable to utter any words back.

“I know I’m not much, but—“

You instantly grabbed his hand, gesture meant to reassure him and bring some peace to his chaotic mind.

“How long have you felt this way?” you asked.

“A while. I just—“

“Joel. It’s okay. For the record, I’d—kill for you too. Because you are a whole lot more than you realize.”

Echoing his own words back at him made a big impact on Joel. He found himself holding your hand in return, his skin burning with your presence, and his body trembling once he held you in his arms, downright aching when you pressed your lips on his.

He never dreamt of having this kind of life again. It almost makes him glad for having gone through hell and back for you and Ellie.