The Babysitter (a Last of Us fanfic) pt. 1
Title: The Babysitter
Fandom: The Last of Us
Rating: PG (Later chapters will be explicit)
Characters & Pairings: Joel Miller x Reader
Word Count: ~2,000
Summary: Sarah's babysitter has a thing for Joel. Lovingly beta-read by @bs-fangirl, The Last of Us's number one fangirlie. <3
Part 1 (below cut) | Part 2 (posted 2/2) | Part 3 (posted 2/6) | Part 4 (posted 2/10) | Part 5 (posted 2/14) | Part 6 (posted 4/2) | Part 7 (posted 7/29) | Part 8 (posted 5/13)
Austin 2002
“Hey, Sweetpea!”
You looked up at the sound of your childhood nickname, not sure right away who was calling for you. In a small town familiarity was de rigueur. You went to school with people referred to exclusively as Cooter, Biggie, and Ears, so it could have been worse.
You were waiting for the bus just outside the school cafeteria when your brother, Paul, came over in his football uniform. He almost never talked to you at school, so you figured he wanted something. He was old for his grade and had made the varsity team as a sophomore; your parents were over-the-moon. In your opinion, it had gone to his head.
“You have a dollar? I want to get a gatorade before practice.”
“Here,” you dug through your purse and fished out your last dollar, rolling your eyes as he sprinted off toward the vending machines without so much as a thank you.
“We’re going to the mall when Andy gets out of practice, you wanna come?” Your best friend, Cheryl, asked.
“I can’t,” you said. “I’m babysitting.”
“Nah,” your friend Mercedes teased. “She’s got a hot date with Papi Joel.”
“Oh my God,” Cheryl laughed. “That’s so messed up, stop it.”
“Yeah, that’s super weird,” you laughed along, hoping they wouldn’t notice the blush rising in your cheeks.
The truth was, you had long-harbored a crush on your handsome neighbor down the block: rugged good looks and soulful brown eyes, hardworking, good with his hands, a loving father, the whole package left you feeling weak in the knees. But you would never say so, not even to your best friend. As nice as it was to daydream about, you knew it could never happen and admitting it would just make you look desperate and pathetic.
“Seriously though,” Mercedes insisted. “If you had to pick a dad, he’s primo DILF material.”
“JJ’s dad is kinda hot,” Tina said, stubbing out her joint on the sidewalk ramp.
“JJ’s dad isn’t hot,” Mercedes corrected. “He just lets us party in his barn–besides, clearly Mr. Miller has ulterior motives. What 12 year old still needs a babysitter?”
It was true, Sarah was getting a little old for a sitter, but Joel still asked you to keep an eye on her. You figured he wanted her to have another girl to talk to. Someone older and wiser she could confide in about bullies, to go shopping with her, and teach her how to use a tampon. On paper, you were a certified good-influence: a church-going honors student, marching band, a literal Girl Scout.
Joel couldn’t afford to pay you much, but he was a good guy. He kept your favorite snacks in the house and gave you rides when your daddy wouldn’t let you use the Jeep; last summer he had installed a phone jack in your room so you could have your own line. More than that, Sarah was actually a pretty cool kid; you liked hanging out with her.
“Seriously, Mercedes,” you warned. “I know you’re just fucking around, but you can’t talk like that. Not at school. That’s the kind of shit that got Mr. Spaden put on a watchlist.”
“That and flashing sixth period APUSH,” Mercedes laughed.
“He’s like a widower, right?” Tina asked. “Kind of emo.”
Your brow furrowed.
“I don’t know,” you admitted. “They don’t really talk about Sarah’s mom.”
“I mean, she has to be dead, right?” Cheryl said. “What kind of mom would just abandon her kid like that?”
You shrugged. “Maybe that’s why they don’t talk about her.”
The Millers’ house was just two streets over from yours. At 4pm you met Sarah at her bus stop and walked her home.
“So how was school?” you asked.
Sarah shrugged. “You know, it’s school.”
You wrapped an arm around Sarah, giving her an encouraging squeeze as you walked.
“Guess what I brought,” you said, reaching into your bag for your copy of Clueless on dvd. “We can make popcorn and paint our nails, give you a little makeover. What do you think?”
“Sounds good,” Sarah leaned into you. “As long as you use real butter this time. None of that diet crap that gave me the shits.”
“Well excuse me,” you rolled your eyes. “Not all of us can be effortlessly thin.”
You ordered pizza–an indulgence, but Joel insisted on treating when he had to work late–and put on the movie. By the time the credits rolled your mani-pedis had time to set, so you brought out your makeup bag and let Sarah pick out a CD to put in the stereo–some twangy duet. A man and a woman singing along to a surprisingly cheerful tune.
Bye bye love, bye bye happiness
Hello loneliness, I think I’m gonna cry…
“What happened to Destiny’s Child?” you asked.
“Nothing,” Sarah stuck her tongue out. “It’s one of my dad’s.”
You knew Sarah had more alternative sensibilities–even more than yours–and sometimes struggled to fit in. She didn’t shop at Hollister and Abercrombie, she didn’t have straight hair and pencil-thin eyebrows. She didn’t even have a traditional family. Everyone wanted to belong somewhere, but you hoped with a little guidance, Sarah could avoid some of the pitfalls you had faced in high school and figure out she didn’t have to change herself for the sake of others.
“You don’t have to like something just because your dad does,” you said as Sarah took a seat on the carpet beside you. “You have to decide for yourself–make your own way in the world.”
“For your information,” Sarah said. “Loretta Lynn is very punk.”
“Alright, punk,” you laughed. “We can work with that.”
You gave Sarah a mirror to hold as you dusted her eyelids with sparkly blue shadow and showed her how to apply pencil to her waterline.
“You’re pretty enough as it is,” you said, dipping a brush into the blush to apply on the apples of her cheeks. “We’re just enhancing your natural beauty.”
Sarah shifted her seat, her brows furrowing with tension.
“How do you find somebody,” she asked. “Someone you like and let them know you want to get to know them.”
“I’m sorry, honey, I think I’m the wrong person to ask,” you said with a laugh. “I haven’t had much luck in that department. Just be yourself, anyone who doesn’t appreciate that isn’t worth your time.”
“There aren’t any boys you like at school?”
“To be honest, high school boys are pretty gross,” you said. “Why, is there someone you’re interested in?”
“Do you like my dad?” Sarah blurted out.
You froze; the hairs on the back of your neck prickling.
“What? Are you being funny?” you forced a laugh, setting down your makeup brushes. Your ears burned red. “Of course I like your dad. He’s super nice.”
“No, I mean do you like him like him,” Sarah pressed. “Do you think he’s cute…”
“He’s a good looking man,” you stammered, hoping it sounded like it was the first time this had occurred to you. “You know, for a grown up.”
“He doesn’t have anybody,” Sarah frowned. “Doesn’t go out..Meet people…Date. If he’s a good guy and girls think he’s cute. It’s gotta be me, don’t you think? I’m the reason he’s alone.”
“Oh Sarah,” you sighed, taking her hands. “It’s not you. And even if it were, you’re worth it. Your daddy loves you more than anything–I wish my parents had half as much interest in my life as your dad has in yours. You are amazing; you have such a good heart. So you can’t think like that, okay? You are enough. You are everything.”
Sarah nodded and you dabbed her eyes with a tissue before her mascara started running.
“Come here, let me put on the finishing touch.” You swiped peach-flavored gloss across her lips. “What do you think?”
“I look different,” she said, observing her reflection in the little compact mirror. “I think I like it.”
“You should keep this one,” you said, handing her the lip gloss. “Color looks better on you.”
Sarah held the tube of gloss in both hands and finally cracked a smile.
“It’s getting late. You go wash up before bed, alright,” you told her. “You want to take a bubble bath? I brought Warm Vanilla Sugar.”
You waited downstairs while Sarah cleaned up; she changed into her pjs and was in bed by 10:30. You nodded off on the couch for a bit until Joel came in a little after 11.
“Hey, Sweetpea, thanks for staying,” Joel said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling a $20 out of his wallet for you. “I really appreciate it.”
He looked tired. In your half-dozing state, you wondered what it would be like to be the one he came home to at night. To greet him at the door with a beer and a kiss. To curl up on the couch together for movie nights with Sarah nestled between you. To have someone to take care of and someone to take care of you.
“Yeah, of course,” you yawned, rubbing your eyes. “She’s been good as gold. Just got to bed about a half hour ago.”
“Let me just say goodnight and I’ll give you a ride home,” Joel said, heading up the stairs.
You gathered your things while Joel tucked in Sarah. He grabbed his keys and ushered you outside. He opened the passenger side door of his truck for you to climb in.
Joel started up the car and pulled out of the driveway. His hand was resting on the gearshift. You stretched, letting your hand brush against his. He pulled away like you had burned him.
“Your hands are freezing,” he said, reaching for the heater, turning the dial all the way up. “It’ll warm up in a minute, put your hands up to the vent.”
You drew your hands back into your lap, sitting stock-still and ashamed as Joel turned the car at the end of the cul de sac.
“So how’s school going?” Joel asked, breaking the silence.
“Pretty good,” you nodded.
“You thinking about college, or–”
“Right now, UT Austin,” you said.
“That’s a great school,” Joel said. “Close to home.” You watched a muscle in his jaw flex.
“It’s a guaranteed scholarship once I finish my Gold Award,” you said. “I’m building a rosary garden for the church.” That was if the stupid council ever approved your damn project. Even after you had planted and mulched and hauled paving stones and gravel, they kept insisting you needed to do more. Apparently anything less than solving world hunger fell short of their expectations–and yet the Eagle Scouts got all the prestige?
“I remember, you were working on that the last time you came over,” he said. “How’s it going?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you might let me borrow some tools,” you said. “I’m building a pergola, you know, to shade the Blessed Virgin.”
You chuckled and Joel chuckled.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “Can’t let the Blessed Virgin get heat stroke, right?”
“I really appreciate it,” you said, glancing sideways at him. “My daddy’s kind of useless.”
“Your daddy’s a good man,” Joel said sternly as he turned the truck down your street. “A good man.”
“I know.” You stared out the window. Your father had helped the Millers out after Tommy got arrested at Benji’s drive in for decking some guy for calling him a wetback. But clearly Joel had never seen your daddy drunk. “I just wouldn’t trust him around power tools.”
Joel stopped the car along the curb at the end of your driveway. You held your breath as he reached over you to unlatch the door and push it open.
“You go on now,” he instructed. “I’ll watch you get in the door.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Joel,” you said, sliding down from the seat of the truck. You were keenly aware of his eyes on your back as you made your way down the driveway.
You paused with your key in the front door, looking back down the drive before you stepped inside. Joel was still waiting; you waved at him and he smiled back before shifting the car into gear as you closed the door.
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Someone Finally Loves Me
by phantom_star739
He chirped again involuntarily, and then it was like he couldn’t stop. Tommy pressed his hand over his mouth, biting down on his tongue, but he only succeeded in giving himself a coughing fit. He didn’t want to wake up his foster family. They didn’t have to take care of him, Tommy was old enough to do it himself. He has been doing it himself.
But what if they laugh? What if they aren’t apathetic to your struggles, what if they pull at your feathers and make fun of the chirps you can’t control? What if—
“Tommy? Open the door, please.”
Tommy sucked in a breath. That was Wilbur again.
OR: tommy gets bullied, wilbur finds out, wingfic fluff pursues
Words: 3529, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English
Series: Part 2 of whump/flufftober 2022
Fandoms: Dream SMP, Video Blogging RPF
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: Gen
Characters: Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Additional Tags: whumptober2022, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Hybrids, Bird Hybrid TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Bird Hybrid Wilbur Soot, preening, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Brothers, Protective Older Brothers, Protective Wilbur Soot, Chirping, Insticts, surpressing insticts, Bullying, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, SO FLUFFY, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i have to study for apush after this because this author is NOT slaying that class, Injury, Hidden Injury, Happy Ending, Wingfic
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