#joel x gender neutral reader

[mushrubes]

Pillow

Masterlist | The last of us masterlist

Requested : No

Prompt 37 “Fine, you can use me as a pillow.”

Pairing : Joel Miller x reader (No use of Y/n)

Pronouns used : You/yours

Type : fluff

Contents : mutual pinnings, soft joel, wholesome

Word count : 903

You're loved

--------

Looking over, you saw Ellie already curled in her sleeping bag, sound asleep. "You should get some sleep." Joel spoke up, turning to face you, the only source of light is the soft glow of the lamp. "I'm not tired." you assured, moving slightly closer to him. Moments like this you seek throughout the day, a moment of peace and slight relaxation. You also got to spend some time with Joel. You loved Ellie but it was nice to have some time with him.

Joel had known you for a while before the outbreak, due to you being friends with his younger brother. The three of you had stuck together when the outbreak had struck before you met Tess. When she joined, it was the four of you before the brothers split, Tommy deciding he could no longer go ahead with the ruthless way. You had been the one who initially persuaded him to take Ellie when Marlene had asked, seeing that she needed someone and you didn't entirely trust Marlene anyway with your suspicions of the fireflies.

Ellie had trusted you almost immediately, finding comfort in you and seeing you as a parent figure in her life. Even though she never said it often, she was thankful for you. Without you, she didn't know where she would be and thanks to you, there was some sort of civilised behaviour between her and your grumpy partner.

----

"Him?" she spoke up as you walked along, Joel ahead as he navigated through the woods, finding the way to Jackson. You raised an eyebrow, not following along with what she was talking about initially. "You picked him to be your partner?" she said in disbelief, earning a chuckle from you. "Don't be so harsh Ellie. He does a lot for us." you vouched, Ellie sighing in defeat as she knew you were right. Despite the pair not seeing eye to eye, she saw how he never hesitated before protecting you and her, doing anything he could.

"But he's so grumpy!" she groaned, shaking her head at you. You looked over at him, speeding up slightly and making Ellie do the same. "He's not!" you argued, knowing she had a point but it wasn't entirely true. "Just give him time, he'll come around." you assured, frowning at her as she hummed. You knew she didn't mean the comments nastily and if you weren't close with him, he was hard to read. But you knew Joel, and you knew he would eventually come around to her. 

----

You'd been sitting with him for an hour now, making small chat and resting. He looked at you, smirking as he saw you fighting sleep, almost giving in. "Go to bed, sweets." he pestered, you rolled your eyes playfully at him. "I'm not..." you started, interrupted by a yawn as he raised an eyebrow. "...tired." you sighed, accepting the defeat. He hummed, looking back at Ellie. Joel's body froze as he felt your head on his shoulder. Sure, you'd had physical touch with each other - hands brushing, he'd held your hands when teaching you how to shoot a gun - all of that. But he didn't miss the way his heart skipped or the slight rush to his cheeks - he wasn't used to it. "What are you doing?" he asked, clearing his throat to cover up his nerves.

"Using you as a pillow." you grinned, moving it back up to see a small smile on his face. Normally, Joel would tell someone to get off or shove them off already. But with how peaceful you looked and enjoying your company he found himself wanting to leave you there. "No, fine, you can use me as a pillow." he sighed, pretending to be annoyed about it. As you pressed your head back down on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around you protectively. You missed the look of affection he gave you, nothing but pure love in his eyes. Once he was sure you were asleep, he pressed a kiss to your forehead, wrapping both arms around you as you snuggled yourself into him. He made sure to leave the gun near enough for him to reach just in case.

"Sleep well, darlin'"

----

"Joel!" Ellie whispered, carefully shaking him. She had already been up and about to get dressed before she realised neither of you were even awake yet. It was around half an hour the time he had told her you were all going to leave. "Hm?" he mumbled, stretching his arms out. He looked down, seeing you still asleep in his arms. "What time is it?" he asked, grimacing as he heard the answer. "Go get dressed while I wake them." he instructed, seeing her nod. He smiled before he shook you lightly, waking you. "Sweetheart, come on." he whispered, seeing you look up at him.

"Morning, Joel." you yawned, nestling your head into his neck. He took in the moment, not wanting the move. "Can we not just stay here?" you huffed, earning a chuckle from him. He kissed the top of your head, tapping your side to move. "I know, but we need to get going." he sighed, helping you up. You wrapped your arms around him, stopping him from moving. "Just five more minutes." you bargained, enjoying the body heat and the safety you felt in his grip.

Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

[agender-wolfie]

When you’re reading a fic that says it’s gender neutral but then “You wore a short skirt and tied up your hair”

[bingbongsupremacy]

Newborn

Pairing: Joel Miller x reader

Summary: Joel's nervous about holding your new baby.

Warnings: Reader is able to give birth, swearing.

I tried my best not to mention anything very descriptive in this. Pls leg me know of I missed anything. Also I'm taking requests!

♤♤♤♤♤♤

" Fuck! " I gasp, clutching onto Joel's hand. I squeeze him hard. " I don't know if I can fucking do this, Joel. "

This pain is unlike anything I've ever felt before. Red hot flashes course through my body as a new contraction starts up. They're getting closer together.

" I'm so tired. " I groan. Sticky sweat coats my forehead. They say birth is supposed to be beautiful. It doesn't feel beautiful.

" Just a little more, baby. You're almost there. " Joel mumbles. He leans down from his spot next to me and plants a kiss on my sticky forehead.

" You're almost there, Y/N. Just a few more pushes. " Maria encourages. Her hands are cool against my warm legs. " Take some deep breaths. You can do this. "

I don't want to do this anymore. It's been fucking hours.

The sharp pain returns once again, this time stronger than before. I let out a painkiller shout, digging my nails into Joel's hand.

The world blurs with instructions from Maria and gentle words from Joel blending together with my screams.

" The baby's here! " Maria's voice sounds distant as blood rushes through my head. A sharp cry echoes through the room.

My baby. Our baby.

The pain begins to slowly calm down and I'm finally able to catch my breath.

" Good job, baby. Good job. " Joel presses another kiss to my face, his words mumbling against my skin.

" It's a girl. " Maria announces. She carefully walks towards us before gently placing the newborn on my chest.

I stare down at the small wiggly baby on my chest. She's perfect.

Her body is warm and slipper. I gently put a hand on her back, worried she could somehow slip off of me and get hurt.

" She's beautiful. " I whisper.

Her fingers are so small. She's so tiny. I'm scared of breaking her.

I can't believe something so innocent and beautiful can exist in a world like this. A world so dark and hurtful.

" Hi baby. " I gently run one of my fingers along the side of her face. " I'm your mom. "

■■■■■■■

" She looks just like you. " Joel mumbles quietly, his gaze fixated on the baby sleeping in my arms.

Soft grunts escape her little lips every few minutes, a beautiful reminder that she's finally here.

" She's got your eyes. " I reply.

Joel's been fairly quiet the past few hours. He's spent most of his time observing the baby.

" You haven't held her yet. Do you want to? " I ask, looking over at him.

He tenses slightly, a conflicted look flashing over his face. " I don't know. "

" You don't know if you want to hold your baby? "

He's been acting strange today. I'd offered to let him hold her earlier when Ellie came by, but he said he wasn't ready yet.

" I'm scared of hurting her. What if...what if she gets turned? What if I can't protect her? " Fear is evident in his eyes. " I'm old, Y/N. What if I let her down like I let down Sarah? "

I reach out to touch his arm. " Joel, you didn't let down Sarah. You did what you could. You can't blame yourself for something you had no control over. And you won't let down this baby. You haven't let down Ellie. You've fought tooth and nail for that little girl, and I know you'll do the same for our baby. " I gently stroke my thumb over his calloused hand. " You are the strongest man I know. And you're not old, Joel. You're seasoned. "

Joel lets out a laugh. " Seasoned. What the fuck. "

I laugh quietly, trying not to wake up the sleeping baby in my arms. " Besides, I like seasoned men. "

Joel rolls his eyes. " I can't believe you're calling me seasoned. " He mumbles.

" It's better than old. " I point out. " I know you're scared, Joel. I'm scared too. I'm terrified to raise a baby in a world where tomorrow isn't promised. But I have confidence that we can do this. We have each other. We have Ellie. We've survived this long and we can survive longer. " I gently tug his hand towards me. " Now, I have a little someone who really wants to meet her daddy. "

Joel hesitates for a second before finally giving in. He takes a seat on the bed next to me.

I carefully set the baby in his arms. Immediately a smile breaks onto his face.

" Hi, baby. " He mutters while bringing her closer to his face. He gently presses a kiss onto her forehead. " I'm your dad. "

This world is scary.

But I know we can make it together.

[romanarose]

Flannel

Jackson!Joel Miller x gn!reader

Masterlist : Taglist

Summary: Joel comes back from patrol with some clothes for you, but doesn't understand the sentimentality of your old one.

Warnings: Uh nothing?

Immersability: Reader is gender neutral bc I saw no reason to have a gender, however, i generally write fem!reader so if I slip up and used a pronoun or something fem presenting, let me know!

**************

"Honey?" You call to your husband downstairs. Joel was cooking dinner. It was getting chilly, even with the generated heat in Jackson, and you wanted to wrap up in your favorite flannel. It was a worn thing, dirty and stained and more than a few patches but it was a comfort to you.

"Hm?" Joel couldn't hear you. His hearing in his bad ear had only gotten worse as he aged, so you hopped your way down the stairs to see him. God he looked good with an apron on.

"Joel, baby, have you seen my flannel?"

He turned to you as he stirred the soup. It smelled amazing. "The one I just brought back? It's on the bed, last time I saw."

Joel had found a box of old winter clothes while looking through houses on an overnight search, and stole a flannel aside just for you earlier this week. It was a great flannel, thick and warm and durable, and you were so, so grateful, but not the one you were looking for.

You shook your head. "No, not that one." Taking out spoon, you sneak a sip of the tomato soup he had been brewing; garlic bread was in the oven.

"Hey." Joel playfully smacked your hand away. "I promised Ellie taste tasting."

"Damn right you did!" Ellie sauntered in, snatching the spoon away as Joel obligatory reminded her of her manners. "Delicous, when's dinner?"

Peeking in the oven, Joel decided the toast was toasty enough and grabbed a oven mitt. "I think right about now." Ellie woops and Joel turns to you. "Sorry darl'n, what was it you were look'n for?"

"My old flannel." You clarify. "I was hanging up last I rememeber."

Joel instructed Ellie to set the table, please and thank you. "Oh that old old thing? I donate it last week after I brought you a new one."

"Donated it? To who? I was falling apart." You begin to panic, heart beating at the thought of your comfort item being gone. Why would Joel do that? You had to get it back.

Looking confused, he set up dinner, even platting up yours and Ellie's soup and bread and a simple salad. "To scraps. You said it yourself, it was falling apart."

"But Joel, why? It was mine."

"Technically, it was mine." Joel tried to joke, but when Ellie cough, he looked to her and she made a face at him. Joel turned to you and saw your forlorn expression, he realized this wasn't a joke. "I'm sorry, baby. I thought you wouldn't need it since I got you a knew one."

"Joel, you can't just give away things that are mine…"

He nodded, setting down the food to give you his full attention. "You're right, darl'n." Joel took you in his arms, kissing your forehead. "I really am sorry, do you forgive me?"

You did, and you told him as much, then tried to sit down for a meal with your family. Joel clocked right away something was wrong, but opted to wait until family dinner was over. When he found you crying in the bedroom, he knew he fucked up, he just didn't understand why. It was just a flannel, a flannel that was useless. In fact, he specifically got the new one for you so that you could get rid of it. Joel thought you deserved the best, and he'd give you the best he could provide.

"Darl'n?" He asked carful as he approached. "What's wrong?"

You sniffle, wiping your eyes. "I'm sorry, I was trying to get it together."

"Is this about the shirt?"

"Yeah."

"But... Why? I'm sorry baby, I know you wanted to keep it... but I don't understand wasting your tears on it?" He cleared his throat. "Not that it's not important, it obvious is, I just don't understand... why?"

You smile at him, knowing he's trying him best. It was sweet, how much effort he put into being a good husband for you and a good dad for Ellie. "Do you remember the day you found me?"

"Clear as day."

It wasn't a fond memory to Joel. He was out on patrol when you came across you, starving and cold and stumbling; he wrapped you up in his flannel and took you on his horse to Jackson, and you never gave it back. To you, the flannel smelled like safety, like home. Wrapped up in its warmth that day, it smelled like Joel and in his arms you knew you were safe.

"That flannel makes me feel safe because it reminds me of you, it reminds me of the day you saved me, it makes me feel safe..."

Joel started carefully. "Darl'n, do you not feel safe?"

You shook your head vehemently, shaking off with it such a notion. "I feel safe, especially with you." Resting your head on his shoulders, you take his scent that comforted you so much. "It's just... I dunno, like a kid with a blanket or teddy, I guess."

Joel nodded. "I'm really sorry, darl'n. Really. I'll check by first thing tomorrow, see if they havn't cut it up and repurposed it yet, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." You sniffle, rubbing your face on his shirt but he didn't seem to mind. "And it's okay, you didn't mean anything by it."

*

It was already cut up, to late and too tattered to save in any meaningful way. He let you know, but you didn't seem so upset anymore; Joel had let you pick out a shirt of his to steal from now on, and you had already assumed it was gone.

What you didn't know is Joel had saved the scraps, taking them over to Maria and asking for help. He wasn't a creative by any means, but he did know how to sew a little. Being a single dad on a tight budget he had gotten hang of fixing up holes.

What he didn't know was what to do with the fabric; the final project was Maria's idea. She cut out the pattern for him and gave him the stuffing as well as a place to work away from your eye. When it was done, Joel held it up to her, rather proud. It turned out pretty nice.

*

"Darl'n?! You home?" Joel called a few days later.

"Upstairs, Joel!"

Joel approaches you doing the laundry, wearing the new flannel no less. His hands were behind his back. "I got a surprise you for you."

The broad smile on his face piqued your interest. "Oh?"

With pride, Joel reveals to you a plaid, stuffed, teddy bear.

"Joel..." You speak softly, taking the toy in your hands "Is that...?"

"My shirt? Yes ma'am." He was beaming. "They had already cut it up by the time I got to up, but I was able to save the scraps. Maria helped me with a pattern and we got this put together."

Tears welled up in your eyes, spilling over quickly. "Oh honey..."

His face flattered. "Oh, was I not supposed to-" You cut him off with a hug, burying you head in the warmth of his chest that had softened in age. "This is the sweetest thing anyone has done for me..."

You slept with the teddy bear in your arms, Joel's arm around you that night. This was even better than a flannel. The flannel would continue to wear and tear, needing to be patched up and cleaned the stains out of. A teddy bear would be there forever.

Just like Joel

*******************

Sweet baby Joel, trying his best <3

I have a tag list, if you'd like to join it's linked above??

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[prentissluvr]

too cold — joel (and tommy) miller

gn!reader , (future)fatherfigure!joel (and tommy tbh) , takes place a year or two after joel and ellie settle in jackson , reader is in their mid/late teens , hurt/comfort, angst , cw : brief mentions of loss of friends and family, hypothermia , wc : 3.8K , special thanks to @piggyjeans for reading this for me and motivating me to wrap up this part and get it out to you guys !! <333

at this point, you’re beginning to wonder why you even try. you wonder if there’s a point when the scraps of any family you had left, found or biological, are long gone and you’re on the brink of freezing to death yourself. you managed a fire last night, but you’re shivering beyond control even in the daylight with your sore lack of a real coat. wherever you are, it’s cold as hell and winter is setting in far faster than you could ever combat. essentially, you’re screwed. it seems like it might snow more, there’s not a building in sight, and you’re running out of bullets and food. the cold bites at your exposed nose and takes permanent root in your bones.

night falls far too quickly, bringing the thick snow that you feared almost as much as infected or people; those you could fight, but the snow? against that you have no defense but a sputtering fire, measly shelter, and a slowly thinning sleeping bag. curled into yourself as much as you can, it takes a concerningly small amount of time for you to fall asleep.

by the time you finally come back into consciousness, the struggle to open your eyes scares you even in the muddled state of your mind. the sun is far higher than ideal; already you’ve lost precious traveling time now that your only hope is to find abandoned buildings to scavenge for supplies. and yet, the last thing you want to do is get out of your sleeping bag. it’s kept you as warm as you could be, and even now in the leftover warmth sleep, you’re all too aware of the snow that blew into the small overhand of rocks you slept underneath and the way it’s freezing temperatures will soak into your feet until it reaches every nerve of your body when you continue your trek through the forest.

but, despite that heavy question of what’s the point, there’s no way you’re going to let yourself give up and waste away in the cold without trying to save someone, even if that someone is yourself. so with every struggle, you pull your hands out from their haven in the swaths of fabric, fumbling slightly to zip open the bag and pull yourself out. you’re eternally grateful that you have gloves, but within the few minutes of packing up, the cold has already started to settle in your hands, feet, and face. begrudgingly, you swing your pack onto your shoulder and shove your hands into your pockets, looking for the most direct path to higher ground to scope out any buildings.

as you start out, it seems as though travel may not be the worst. but the thick snow from last night’s flurries and the still slowly falling flakes are quick to tire your legs from the effort, and the way that your jacket lets in too much of the numbing wind hinders your pace. you find yourself exhausted, taking moments to rest against trees that stretch into minutes, maybe longer as your mind becomes foggy and consistent shivering sets in throughout your whole body. 

you stumble a bit and clumsily grab hold of the nearest tree. what the hell am i doing? you wonder. you let your whole side press against the rough surface of the tree, squeezing your eyes shut, then opening them in attempts to clear your head. but that doesn’t seem to help when you start to wonder if you’re hallucinating. just meters away your eyes land on a tall brown horse, an animal you don’t think you’ve seen outside of pictures. you stare at it in wonder for a moment, but a feeling of panic sets in when you process the fact that there’s a man sitting on the horse, a large rifle strapped across his back.

with your shaky hands you fumble around to pull out your gun, but it does you no good when the rifle is pointed at you in seconds. 

despite the threat, the man’s voice isn’t harsh when he calls out to you. “’s alright. ’m not here to hurt you, alright? just drop your weapon.” without much resistance, you do as he says, seeing no other choice and feeling not an ounce of energy to fight back. within moments, he’s off the horse, one hand on its reins and the other put up in the air in a careful truce as he slowly moves closer to you. when he’s near enough that the snow doesn’t obstruct his view of your face, he can see the way that you’re shivering and the unfocused look in your eyes and can immediately notice that something’s not quite right.

“i need you to tell me if you’re infected. don’t lie now, alright? i’ll shoot you if i find out you do.” at this, his voice is more stern, stirring up a bit more fear in you. but you’re able to shake your head clearly.

“no. no, ’m not infected. haven’t run into any for days,” you speak aloud for the first time since you woke up this morning, and you don’t notice the way that your speech is slurred, but he does.

“alright, then. kid, i’m gonna get you somewhere warm, okay?” in the back of your head, you’re terrified to let him closer, to let some stranger lead you somewhere, but the promise of warmth is something you desperately need. even so, you flinch away when he’s finally right next to you and reaches out. “i promise ’m not gonna hurt ya. i’ve got somewhere safe and warm for you, you’re gonna freeze to death if you don't get some help now.” he’s completely right, you realize, so you just nod. “there ya go. do’y have a coat we can get on you?” he frowns when you shake your head, but doesn’t hesitate to unzip his own padded coat. gently, he pulls your pack off your back and sets it down. you don’t even realize what he’s doing until he shrugs his own coat over your shoulders and pulls it tight over your front. the leftover warmth from his own body is heavenly, but in the action, you lose your support against the tree and unconsciously lean into his firm frame. you don’t notice, but he stiffens at this, and his frown grows deeper when he feels how cold you are to the touch.

with strong hands, he pulls you away from him slightly. wordlessly, he guides your shivering arms into the sleeves of his coat, silently grateful for the warm jacket he still has on.

“we’ve gotta get on the horse, now.” 

you just nod, letting him guide you to the tall animal. but you stop short at its side, completely unsure of how you’ll get up.

“first you put your right foot in the stirrup, right here.” you don’t have to say anything for him to begin telling you what you need to. “put your hand on the saddle here to help you up. i’m gonna hold you steady, okay?” you nod, letting him place his firm hands on your waist as you put the last of your strength into lifting one foot into the stirrup. “now you’ve gotta push up with that foot to swing your other leg over the horse.” it takes all of your concentration to understand what he says, and strength that you don’t have to actually do it. it’s messy, but thanks to his help and some miracle, you find yourself on top of the horse and putting all of your effort into staying upright.

“there ya go. i’m gonna get on in front of you, don’t you fall off now.” he quickly fastens your pack onto the horse, letting out a small grunt as he pulls himself up onto the animal. his body warmth right in front of you is precious and you don’t have it in you to feel awkward in the way he does as he pulls your arms around his torso to keep you steady. “just hold on and stay awake, alright? shouldn’t be too long til we get you warm.” once again, you just nod, knowing he can feel it with the side of your face pressed against his back.

as the horse starts forward at a decent pace, his instructions of holding on prove to be harder than ideal with your weakened grip. you don’t know how much time passes until the horse’s movement stops and the man’s voice, along with another, meets your ears.

you startle when the unfamiliar voice calls out. “joel! what took you so lon– what happened?”

“sorry, tommy.” you can feel the rumble of his voice while pressed against him, and turn your head to face the source of the other voice. “found ‘em leaning against a tree just a bit off the path. think they’ve got hypothermia.”

there’s another man on a horse, probably younger, but you can’t tell much else in the snow and the state of your mind. either way, you can’t help but read him as a danger. the man in front of you, joel, you assume, must have picked up on your fear behind him

“’s alright. that’s my brother, tommy. he’s here to help too, okay?” 

another nod from you, and a “damn” from tommy.

“let’s get going, then. we’ll stay in the lookout for tonight then get them back to jackson first thing in the morning. it’ll be dark soon.”

joel agrees, and with that, you set off. every so often, his voice brings you out of your daze long enough for you to nod your head against his back when he checks if you’re still awake. your sense of time is long gone; all you know when you arrive at the mentioned lookout is a vague sense of relief. 

“kid?” his voice rings out and you realize the motion of the horse has finally come to a stop. you do your best to sit up, hating the biting air that immediately hits your front now that it’s not kept warm by joel’s back. your hands stay resting absentmindedly on his shoulders in order to keep you from slipping off of the horse. “tommy’s gonna help you off, okay?” you let out a small hum of acknowledgement as tommy dismounts his horse and comes to stand beside you.

“here we go,” he gives you a small, encouraging smile as he lifts his arms up for you. “put your hands on my shoulders, and i’ll get you down safe ’n sound, alright?” it’s a bit of an awkward reach, and you begin to slip down before you have a proper grasp, but his hands are quick to secure themselves under your armpits, preventing you from falling and instead pulling you into his chest. your knees buckle the moment they hit the ground; tommy’s strong grip keeps you upright. “there you are, ’s alright. god, you’re shivering like a leaf in the wind. we’ll get you nice and warm now.” 

there’s a bit of a struggle getting inside, your legs practically refusing to hold your weight. an immense wave of relief washes through you when you collapse onto the couch they bring you to and you let your eyes shut in exhaustion.

“now don’t you fall asleep on us quite yet,” joel warns. “we gotta get you warm first. tommy, get some hot water going.” you force your eyes back open to see him crouching in front of you. “listen, uh. some of your clothes are a little wet from the snow, and we can’t have that.” he pauses at that, studying your face to catch any sort of reaction.

“okay,” you whisper, somehow coherent enough to still understand what he’s saying and know that he’s right.

“okay,” he repeats. “can i take these jackets off?” you nod. his grip is gentle when he pulls you up from your slouched position, allowing you to lean into him when he slips off the coat he gave you, then your own slightly damp jacket. you begin to shiver even harder, your thinning cotton shirt doing nothing to keep any cold at bay. “alright, alright,” he mumbles, half to himself as he pulls his thicker, dry coat back around you. then comes a blanket, taken from the couch and wrapped securely around your shoulders. he shifts you to rest against the back of the sofa.

that’s when he pauses, at a bit of a loss of what to do because your jeans, despite your thick boots, are soaked from the snow almost up to your knees. but there’s no way in hell he’d feel comfortable taking off your pants, much less how you’d feel. 

“i’m gonna have to cut your pants,” he concludes. “promise we’ll get you new ones in town, but you’ll never get warm like this.”

“’s okay,” you mumble. so he rummages in his pack until he finds a pair of scissors, doing his best to avoid touching your bare skin with his hands or cut you with the cold metal. it’s tricky business; the jeans stick fairly close to your skin, but he manages not to even nick you with the sharp edges. the moment you’re free from any damp clothing, he wraps another blanket securely around your legs so it won’t fall off. 

moments later, tommy reappears in your line of sight with exactly what joel asked for. he leans down, holding it out to you. with shaky hands, you grasp the cup, sighing in immediate relief at the warmth that spreads right into your fingers through your gloves.

“careful, now,” tommy advises. “it’s real hot, don’t burn your tongue.” you do your best to follow his instruction, weakly blowing at the hot water when you bring it close to your mouth. resisting the urge to down the whole thing, you grip it tighter and bring it to your chest, hoping to let some of the warmth permeate through other parts of your body other than your hands. it feels like a little piece of heaven when you feel the steam rising up to warm your chin, your lips, and the tip of your nose and the heat from the cup itself travel through your thin shirt and to the skin above your collarbone.

when you finally begin to sip on the warm water, it’s almost glorious; you can feel its warmth spread through your body. so once you discover it’s no longer too hot, you take long gulps and heave heavy sighs of relief. your trembling doesn’t disappear, but with the third cup, it certainly subsides.

this, and the far more relaxed expression on your face finally convinces joel that it’s safe to let you fall asleep—you’re halfway there anyways. tommy takes the empty cup from your hands before it can slip from your hold, and joel unravels your sleeping bag. at that point, you can no longer process the softly spoken words being exchanged by the brothers, but you’re vaguely aware of tommy’s arms tucking themselves under your shoulders and knees and pulling you off of the couch. then you’re being maneuvered into the sleeping bag that now lays across the surface of the couch, tommy setting you down while joel ensures that you stay properly wrapped up in the blankets. sleep claims you so quickly that you don’t hear the agreement between the two men to take turns keeping watch over you to periodically check your temperature and breathing.

joel wakes you in the morning, his gruff voice quickly recounting the events of the previous day when your jumbled state of mind after waking from such a deep sleep launches you into a panicked confusion. his explanation and comforting hands on your shoulders calm you in moments as the memories return, however vague they are due to the haze of your sickness.

“thank you,” you whisper as he helps you to sit up, his hands still gentle and supportive on your shoulders.

“course. like i said, we’ve got somewhere safe for you if you need. and at the very least, we’ve gotta get you some new pants and make sure you don’t get sick. were you travelin’ all alone?”

“not at first,” you explain, knowing he’s probably wondering about finding someone so young alone. “but now… yeah.” he sighs as if that’s the answer he expected.

“’m sorry,” he frowns. you just give a tight-lipped smile in response. “alright. we should get moving so we can get you to the town doctor. tommy’s gettin’ the horses ready.”

your eyebrows raise at his words. “town doctor?” you question. that puts a small smile on his lips that you don’t quite understand.

“yep. it’s a good place to be,” is all he offers in explanation.

“okay.” you begin untangling yourself from the blankets and sleeping bag that did the job of keeping you warm throughout the night. still covered by his coat, your upper half stays comfortable, but the feeling of your exposed calves hitting the cold air is unwelcome, not to mention the slightly embarrassing sight of the jagged edges of your jeans at such an awkward spot. 

“sorry ‘bout that,” he comments, “but we’ll keep your legs wrapped up with blankets for now and get you new jeans in town.” once you nod, he grabs a hold of one of the blankets he laid on top of you after you feel asleep, a rather small piece of fabric, but the right size to help you out. he wraps it around your left leg, using ropes from his supplies to gently secure the fabric, then repeating his actions for your other leg.

as he does so, he keeps his gaze focused on his task, but his gravelly voice meets your ears. “realized we never asked your name,” he phrases it like a statement, but the obvious question is there.

to be honest, you hadn’t even realized either, first, mind clouded by the hypothermia, and up until now too caught up in the oddness of your situation. one moment you’re all on your own and on the brink of death, the next you’re saved and seemingly on the way to what sounds like some sort of miraculous safe haven even from the vague glimpses of information you hear.

you state your name, hoping with all you can muster up that this isn’t some kind of cruel trick, and that the kindness the two men have shown you is as genuine as it’s proved to be thus far.

“well then,” he repeats your name back to you as he secures the last knot, still not looking up at you, “let’s get you home.”

those words nearly knock the air from your lungs. he throws them out like they don’t mean much, but in the most confusing way, because you’re sure he did it on purpose. you’re sure he does know that they mean a whole lot more than a casual tone and avoided eye-contact, but you suppose you can’t blame him. it’s often easier to pretend they don’t mean anything, certainly much more with people you don’t really know at all, people like you. and yet, you can’t help but think he said it to reassure you. to tell you that this place he’s talking about is one where you can find that thing everyone in this world has lost. as if it’s somewhere you already belong without having set foot in it yet. and you can’t tell the difference between hope and fear in that moment, so you shove it all away.

“sure.” you stand just after he does, grabbing your sleeping bag and beginning to roll it to the best of your ability while still weak. but he stops you, quickly taking over the task of clearing and packing up the last few things in the lookout after handing you a cup of warm water, not too hot. you finish it quickly, still more than grateful for any warmth that can be provided.

joel motions towards the door once he’s finished, and on still slightly wobbly legs, you walk up to him, stopping before he can lead you out.

“thank you, joel,” your voice is quiet, but sure when you say it.

“of course,” he assures, genuine in the affirmation.

“and tommy. tommy, too, of course,” you stutter, suddenly feeling awkward.

“sure thing.” he clears his throat, one his occupied hands almost moving up to rub the back of his neck. at that he turns, and you follow him out, back into the cold.

the shivery weather is not welcome by you, but in a properly warm coat and definitively out of the worst of your condition, it’s far more bearable. you feel bad for taking over joel’s coat, but he seems just fine in his jacket that’s clearly far warmer than your old, lousy excuse of a winter garment.

tommy and the horses are waiting there, just as joel said, and he smiles upon seeing you.

“good to see you up and alive, kid,” he grins with a gentle pat to your shoulder.

you answer his playfully reassuring attitude with a bashful smile of your own. “yeah, the alive part is definitely a plus,” you say in attempts of matching his tone. the way his grin grows tells you the joke landed, putting you at even more ease than before. unfortunately, it doesn’t make the way you formally introduce yourself to him any less awkward, but he seems glad to know your name. by your side, joel tightens one last strap on the horse before placing a careful hand on your shoulder.

“i think we’re good to go now. it’ll only be a few hours of riding,” he informs.

“sure,” you nod. pausing for a moment, you cast eyes down before speaking, albeit a bit timidly. “could you.. could you help me up again?”

you completely miss the soft look on his face at your request. “course i can, kiddo. i’ll get up first and help you from there, okay?” at your affirmative, he easily mounts the horse before holding a hand out to you. “just put your foot here, grab my hand, and i’ll do all the work, alright?” he moves his leg away from the stirrup so that you can use it yourself, his grip on your hand steady the moment you place it in his palm. gratefully, you follow his instructions, doing your best to use your own strength in tandem with joel to ease the effort he has to put forth to help you up. as you swing your leg over the horse, he guides your hand to hold onto his shoulder for you to grip far easier than his hand and succeeds in getting you into the saddle behind him. with that, you’re off, traveling somewhere that you somehow dare to hope is the sort of paradise joel and tommy have described.

,

part two here !!

[the-mandawhor1an]

Domestic God - Joel Miller x Reader drabble

Disclaimer: despite the pictures up here this can be read as gn!reader. The picture is more to invoke a vibe than a display of reader's appreance

Tags:  Safe for work. One instance of cursing and that's it. pre-outbreak (or no outbreak, We’ll never know) Joel and you are in your 30s. You’re married. No Sarah (Sorry babygirl. Your dad loves you very much but this is a universe where you don’t exist) No use of Y/N, no descriptions of reader’s body or gender, pure fluff, just Joel being an absolute meow meow teddy bear

Synopsis: Instead of spending a week off with your husband, you’re forced to endure the stress of a work week while also dealing with your husband and his newest antics. 

Words: 1.8k 

A/N: It may be painfully apparent in this that I’m European. I’m sorry. This could lead up to smut one day. I'm not promising anything yet. Unbeta'd

Mondays… Monday is the worst day of the week as is, but today is particularly nasty. What is supposed to be the first day of your week-long time off turned into a nightmare. One call from your boss to ruin it all. 

“Hey, so I know I approved your time off already but … I have to revoke that. The others have their time off planned for longer and we’re understaffed otherwise.” Oh how wonderful.

Translation: You and your one coworker are alone this week. On top of that you get grim reminders regularly that this week is supposed to be you week off. Joel, your lovely husband, better half and in general a lucky bastard, has the week off. He isn’t actively rubbing it in your face, but the sheer fact that he stayed in bed while you got ready for work was enough. 

You promptly forgot to kiss him goodbye. Maybe this was a smart move, after all. If you had walked up the stairs again to give him a kiss, he would certainly have pulled you back into bed and held you close. Seeing him slumber peacefully, his pillow hugged close to his chest, was too much to handle today. That should be you, nestled into his embrace and staying there until noon.

Joel deserves the week off, no discussion there. He works so hard, day in, day out and barely taking a break. And when he’s home, he continues working on the multiple little projects he’s got going. You practically forced him to take the week off with your incessant asking. To spend time together. Now he has all the time for himself. You know, maybe he even pulls out his guitar again. You haven’t seen him play since you got married. 

Your car stops on your driveway. Thoughts rush through your mind, how you’ll most likely spend your evening cooking dinner for you and Joel, clean the kitchen, and then take a shower and go to bed. Not something you look forward to, to be honest. Having little free time that you spend for chores, only to repeat the same tomorrow. This whole situation isn’t your husband’s fault, you don’t blame him and you’re not really mad at him either. It’s simply… unfair. He gets a whole week for himself and you have to work for 3 people. All further thoughts halt as suddenly the front door opens.  

Joel scratches the back of his head and yawns. As soon as he sees you in your car, a smile creeps up to his lips. Judging by his demeanor and his unruly hair, he has just woken up. Oh what a life you have, Miller. He approaches the car and opens the door for you, his favorite person. His greeting is the same it always is. “Hey, Sugar,” he purrs towards you. How can you be mad at that? Especially if he kisses you the way he does right now? It’s short and sweet, but it still conveys the love he has for you. He plants a second kiss on your temple. “Missed ya, Baby.” There it is: The salt in your wound. This should be your time off too, cuddling up to him and staying in bed all day.  

“Missed you too. Work was a fucking mess,” you reply with a sigh, melting into his chest as you feel his lips graze your face. The groceries wait in the trunk and you are about to get them, but Joel takes that task off of your hands. “You went grocery shopping after work? Sugar, I could’a done that.” Yeah, sure, while in bed all day? You take a deep breath. The bottled up frustration is still lingering. “Don’t worry. I needed to let off some steam and what better way to do that than fighting with a middle-aged woman over the last pack of coffee that’s on sale.” He chuckles as he carries the groceries inside. God, you love that man. 

When you enter the house, a pleasant surprise awaits you. The floor is suspiciously shiny and it smells wonderful. Apparently someone has cleaned the house. The living room looks tidy, as does the kitchen. “Wow,” you comment on the state of the house. Joel brings the groceries to the kitchen. Setting down the bags, he gives you a questioning look. You’re still in the entrance, looking around as if this is the first time entering the house. “You’ve cleaned.” “I did,” he nods. The groceries are slowly unpacked and put away by Joel, who continues. “Well, I had time. Tidied up, vacuumed and mopped the floors. The wood really needed some love. I’m making your favorite food for dinner. C'mere and tell me about your day. You want some tea?” You unload your bag, take off your shoes and shuffle over to the kitchen. “Please. But I have to ask, who are you and where is my husband?” Laughter erupts from him as you approach. You’re handed a warm cup of tea but you set it down on the counter, a little off to the side to give him space. 

“S’that so out of character for me?” he asks as you pull the cup closer. You think for a moment and play with the string on the tea bag. It’s not, Joel isn’t a lazy man at all. “Not in particular… but you waiting for me by the door is new.” He shrugs. “Heard the car, thought I’d greet you. And the look you gave me was scary, Sugar. Do you want to talk abut what happened?” He switches on the stove, but he walks behind you to wrap his arms around you for a while. He peppers soft kisses on the back of your neck. He always knows how to comfort you after a long day. With every kiss a little bit of your frustration leaves. “Ah, just work,” you explain, taking a careful sip of your tea. “It’s just two of us working and, well, after lunch break I was alone. Honestly I wanted to just call my boss and tell him that I’m going home. “ Joel rests his head on your shoulder and nuzzles into your neck. “I’m sorry, Baby. You’ve been looking forward to this more than I did. Could’a went on a vacation together.” He kisses your cheek, making you sigh softly. A vacation would’ve been so nice. Just a few days with him, maybe a road trip to one of the coasts.  

“A beach trip would be nice. It’s not warm enough yet. Maybe I’ll try to get time off in the summer so we can have some quality time.” “Sugar, we can have some quality time now. I’m taking care of the house so you can relax after work. Maybe I can even get the garden ready by the weekend.” You turn your head to face him. “You sure you’re my husband?” You share a grin before he kisses you again. The stove calls for his attention. You watch him cooking and let your gaze linger on his back, up to his broad shoulders and back down to his waist. He continues to tell you what he’s done in the home today. The whole ground level is spotless. “To be honest when I saw you open the door I thought you’d slept all day,” you confess finally. “Maybe that’s also why I was looking at you like that. Sorry, Honey.” “Don’t worry. I can handle you having a bad day.”  

Although you enjoy not moving a finger while Joel cooks, you set the table. The now empty tea cup sits in the sink, you’ll wash it later, when you’re sure you don’t want another. Dinner gets served and you ogle at the food before you. “Thank you so much, it looks great,” you tell Joel, he smiles back at you. “Of course, Sugar.” “Should I be worried that you broke something?” The jokes won’t end. But by now you realize you’re probably being a bit mean. You continue. “It’s just… you have the week off and I don’t expect you to work in the house all day just so I can relax after work. Especially not on the first day. I’m very grateful, obviously, but you should relax as well.” Sitting down, Joel sighs. “I know. It’s just that I can focus better when stuff is neat. At least anywhere besides the workshop.” He watches you take the first bite. Your face lights up and so does his. “Is it good?” “Yes. It’s wonderful.” “You’ve worked so hard leading up to this week and now you’re stuck working. Ain’t fair. And mopping the floor’s easier when no one’s home.” It makes sense, you think. To be honest the floor needed a good cleaning and you never seem to get to that.  

Joel grabs hold of your hand for a second and gently stroked over your skin with his thumb

Some of your neighbors are jealous of your relationship. You and Joel still behave like the freshly in love young adults you once were. Your love for one another has only grown since then. He really is your everything and you’re his. “What’s the plan after dinner?” you ask. Has he planned more? Not that you expect him to, but you are curious. Joel has thought about a lot today, it seems. “Your choice, Sugar. You can either take a bubble bath and read your little romance novel or I make some popcorn and we watch a movie.” With that outlook your choice is easy. “Let’s watch a movie.”

After dinner is eaten and the dishes clean, you and Joel cuddle up on the sofa. Nestled into his side, you watch the TV. The popcorn is barely touched, only Joel reaches into the bowl every now and then. All the frustration over work is gone. Only the comfort you feel in your husband’s presence remains. A fuzzy blanket covers you two, encapsulating you two in that little bubble of coziness. Your eyes are heavy, the stress of today weighing down on them. For a moment you look at Joel. 

You’re so lucky to have such a handsome husband and the thought makes a smile creep up to your lips. He notices and nudges you with his nose. “What’s up?” “I’m thinking how lucky I am to have such a sexy man by my side, that’s all. Thank you for taking care of me.” “Of course,” he kisses your forehead and gently strokes over your shoulder. “I’ll always take care of you, Sugar.” 

Spring is just around the corner in Texas. As much as you’d like to think that Joel is simply turning into a housewife on his time off and doing some spring cleaning, you suspect he does it for a different reason. He probably doesn’t even realize it, but that’s what you’re here for. He’s preparing a nest. 

You’ve talked about children before, but it always felt like you’re not ready. Maybe the time’s now. You sigh with contentedness and cuddle more into his side. He pulls you closer and you kiss. 

[wrightingwithalex]

Eyyy a new writer! Could I request some headcanons for Joel with a shy s/o?

A/N: Absolutely! Here are some I thought of, I hope you like them!

Joel Miller x GN!shy!reader dating headcanons!

Warnings: a bit of implied violence at the beginning, but nothing more than that, just fluff :D

Banner by sam on Pinterest!

To start off, he thinks your shyness is absolutely adorable, and it makes him even more protective of you.

If anybody were to comment on it though, he'd have to control the urge to bash their head into the ground right then and there.

He's more than happy to order for you in restaurants and trivial things like that.

If he senses you're getting overwhelmed or anxious in group settings, he would wrap a comforting arm around you or pull you aside until you're ready to come back out again.

However, your shyness also poses a bit of a problem with communicating boundaries in your relationship.

Usually, Joel can read you like a book and see if something he's doing is bothering you. But, at the end of the day, he's not a mind reader.

One day, he noticed that you're really off and decided to ask you about it.

You kept denying that anything was wrong every time he asked, and at that point, he started to get extremely worried, and it took a lot of reassuring for you to finally tell him.

When he realised it was just you communicating a boundary, he began to laugh.

"W..Why are you laughing?" you asked in a quiet voice, your pretty little head already overthinking the whole situation, "I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have said anything at all, it's-" He took your hand into his as you rambled, his other moving below your chin to make you look up at him.

"Hey, hey, listen to me. I promise, I ain't mad," he drawled, his hand moving to cup your cheek, his calloused thumb caressing it, "I'm proud of you for tellin' me, darlin'," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You felt your worries melt away the more you two talked about it.

With time, you managed to grow a bit more confident in yourself and with communication, and you're more than thankful to have somebody like him by your side to give you reassurance when you need it.

[sammyluvr]

JOEL MILLER M.LIST all works are gender neutral, reblogs + feedback are greatly appreciated !! no longer writing for tlou .

⟢ eyes open | 2.4K , kinda hurt/comfort , platonic or romantic . > > >��pt.two | 2.3K , angst, hurt/comfort

⟢ the weight of his care | 2K , hurt/comfort + fluff , platonic

⟢ too cold | 3.8K , hurt/comfort + angst , platonic , ft lots of tommy !! . > > > finding warmth | 3.4K , angst + hurt/comfort

⟢ feverish | 1K , sick fic , platonic

© SAMMYLUVR 2024 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYING, TRANSLATING, AND REPOSTING IS PROHIBITED.

[sweetercalypso]

I want to watch dbf!Joel make himself cum tbh, I know it’s hot 😵‍💫🥵

18+, minors dni — male masturbation, pet names, gn reader

Joel fists the length of his cock languidly, pausing briefly to dip the salty head between your parted lips.

“Y’think my cock’s pretty, baby?”

The sight of his digits running over the length of his cock is hypnotizing — rough, calloused fingers against warm skin, collecting drops of precum as they spill from his tip.

“mmhm,” you answer, shuffling closer on the bed until your head rests on his thigh. “I wanna watch.”

His free hand comes to rest gently on the back of your neck, holding you in place while he works over his cock. “Y’gonna watch me fuck my fist? Huh? Gonna make you ride my cock after this.”

The vein on the underside of Joel’s cock throbs from the attention of his heavy palm. His thumb teases the cleft under his head until he grunts from sensitivity and pulls back to stave off his end.

Your eyes match the steady rhythm of his hand, mesmerized by the way he follows the curve of his length and the way he occasionally grips the base. When he picks up speed and spits out a muttered fuck, it takes all your strength to keep your twitching fingers from joining in the effort to make him come.

“Whose cock is this?” He asks between breathy grunts.

You glance up at his face, barely able to tear your gaze away from the sight of his flushed cock twitching in his grip.

“Yours.”

His head tilts back and his jaw clenches, showing off the tense muscles in his neck as he rasps out a reply.

“No baby, it’s yours. Yours to fuck and love on all you want. S’all for you, sweetheart.”

Fighting the warmth rising to your cheeks, you hum fondly and press your face into the dip of his side, littering his warm skin with distracted kisses while you wait eagerly for Joel to finish.

“F-fuck.” His hips jump when he comes, spitting out profanities until his mind blanks from pleasure. Spurts of opaque cum splash over his fingers and land on his knuckles, staining them with glossy rivulets of his spend.

When Joel catches his breath, he sits forward with a groan, catching your eye when you raise your head from his lap.

“Give me five minutes,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Then I’m gonna fuck you like I promised.”

[nehi-soda]

'Late-Night Confessions' - BFD!Joel x Female Reader Ficlet

Summary: Ellie teases you about your crush on Joel.

Word count: 900ish

Warnings: drug use (weed), sexual tension/crush on an older character, implied past sexual encounter (between Ellie and reader), Inappropriate relationship dynamics (crush on a father figure type), mild sexual innuendo, jackson!joel, bfd!joel, no use of Y/N, reader's features aren't specified.

The smoke twisted in lazy spirals above you, the dim light in Ellie's place giving the room an extra hazy quality.

Ellie strummed her guitar absentmindedly, the familiar twang filling the room as the smoke settled between you two. It was an old tune, one you didn’t recognise but felt like something Joel might have hummed under his breath. 

Your fingers brushed hers as you passed the joint back, and you tried to stifle a giggle—weed always had a way of making you feel lighter. You exhaled, letting the thick cloud escape your lips, and dropped back against the bed.

"How'd you learn to play?” you asked. 

"Joel taught me," Ellie didn’t look up, her gaze still fixed on the guitar as her fingers worked. "He’s kinda good at it, surprisingly." She glanced at you from under her brows.

"Maybe I should ask him for a lesson too."

Ellie snorted, setting the guitar aside and sitting up straighter on the bed. "Yeah, I'm sure he'd love that. 'Hey Joel, can you show me how to finger a G chord?'" Her smirk was sharp, teasing. "Bet he'd teach you all kinds of things if you asked nicely."

Your face heated up immediately, your brain too slow to come up with a quick comeback. Ellie just grinned wider, clearly enjoying your embarrassment. "Oh, come on, don’t pretend you haven’t thought about it," she taunted, reaching over to poke you in the ribs. "You know he's been eyeing you too. He’s not as subtle as he thinks."

Your stomach flipped at the thought, the idea of Joel—his strong, weathered hands, that rough voice, the way he carried himself— You felt your pulse quicken again, the heat settling low in your belly.

"Shut up," you muttered, swatting at her hand, but you couldn’t shake the image now— you in Joel's lap, his hands guiding yours, maybe a little closer than necessary.

“What, you started it. You know what, you’re right, that's... gross." She made a face, scrunching her nose. "He's, like, practically my dad."

You laughed nervously, feeling your face flush. "I know, I know, but there's just something about him. The way he talks, the way he—"

"No, seriously, stop. I don’t wanna hear about you crushing on my old man Joel," she interrupted, waving her hand dismissively, though there was something playful in her tone. She leaned back, taking another hit, before looking at you with a sly grin. "You know he asked if you were my girlfriend once."

Your heart skipped a beat. "Wait, what? Why?"

Ellie chuckled, the sound low and a little raspy. "I don’t know, you’re always hanging around. He was like, ‘Ellie, is she your girlfriend or something?’ And I just laughed and told him no, that you’re definitely straight." Her grin widened as she added, "Though, you know, I never told him about that one time…"

You blinked, feeling your throat tighten with a sudden wave of embarrassment. "Ellie..."

She smirked, eyes glinting with mischief. "What? You were into it."

Before you could respond, there was a knock on the door—three solid taps that jolted you both out of the moment. Your heart leapt into your throat as you recognised the pattern. Joel.

Panic set in. The weed. The smell. You quickly fumbled to hide the joint, shoving it beneath a pillow and sitting up straight, trying to look casual, but the flush on your face and the lazy smile tugging at your lips probably betrayed you. Ellie just rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall like she couldn’t care less.

The door creaked open, and Joel strolled in, eyes flickering between you and Ellie, lingering just a little longer on you.

"Everything alright in here?" His deep voice sent a shiver down your spine, as it always did, the kind that made you want to hang on to every word he said.

You swallowed hard, trying to keep your cool, but the buzz from the weed only made you feel more hyperaware of everything—his presence, the warmth in your cheeks, the flutter in your stomach. You opened your mouth, but nothing came out.

Ellie, of course, jumped in to save the moment. "Yeah, yeah, we're fine. Just hanging out." She waved her hand lazily as if to brush him off.

Joel’s gaze shifted back to you, and for a split second, you thought you saw something flicker in his eyes—something that made your pulse quicken. 

"Alright," he finally muttered, though his voice held a note of suspicion. "Just makin’ sure."

He turned to leave, and as soon as the door clicked shut, you let out a breath you hadn’t realised you were holding. Ellie burst into laughter beside you, shaking her head.

"Jesus, you’re hopeless," she teased, elbowing you in the ribs.

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. "I know, I just—God, it’s embarrassing."

Ellie shrugged.

"Hey, your crush is your problem. I’m just here for the entertainment," she snickered, fishing the joint you had forgotten that was still burning from under the pillow and took a hit.

Your mind was spinning, half from the weed and half from the fact that Joel had just been in the same room as you while you were busy thinking about him in ways you shouldn’t.

divider credit to @saradika-graphics

[bonkwosher]

Ho could you do a joel x reader where maybe tess is jealous. And maybe that we get close to ellie ?

A/N: I just got caught up on the show for this... Bill & Frank- I need a hug, they are so precious. Anyways, yes, this. I'm not hung up on anything /j /lh

Pairings: Joel Miller x GN!Reader

Contains: Jealous Tess (obviously), Bill & Frank (CRY ABOUT IT), family member death, implied age gap (10ish years), only one bed? lmao, reader gets injured

2009, Six years after the apocalypse started

You were in your late-20s when you wound up lost & alone. Your dad was a conspiracy theorist before the outbreak & he kept you safe. You lived in a bunker in the middle of some random forest. Everything was fine, you were as happy as one could be in a zombie-infested world. Well... you were until your dad didn't come back from hunting. After a week, you went outside. The color assortment that filled your vision had you borderline overwhelmed. While taking in the view, a guttural sound hits your ears. You turned to see your father, infected & staring at you like a starving predator.

"No," you muttered, there was no way he could've been bit, right?

Your denial was ripped from your body when he began to run at you. You screamed & sprinted off, out of the forest. As you ran, a fence slowly came into view. Safety? You beelined towards your possible safe haven, barely taking note of the tripwire on the floor. At the last second, you jumped over it & kept running. You continued running until a gunshot went off. you quickly stopped & raised your hands above your head.

"I'm not infected!" You yelled, gulping & closing your eyes.

The fact that the sounds of your assailant had stopped made you turn your head. Your father, or what was left of him, lay dead on the floor. A bullet hole on either side of his head.

"It's just a stray infected, Frank!" Bill shouted from behind you.

No sudden movements, they'll shoot, "I'm not infected! Please, I need help."

"Turn around!"

You turned slowly to face the man. He was tall, 50s maybe older, the more important detail was the large gun pointed at your head.

"That's a hunting rifle, my father loved to hunt," you tried to find common ground.

"Where is he now?"

You nodded behind you. Bill slowly leaned to the side to look past you & kept a poker face, his boyfriend did not, "You poor thing."

"How are you alive when he's...?" Bill trailed off.

"My father was a prepper, I just got home from college graduation the day that things went to shit. This is my first time seeing a color other than gray in years."

"When did you last eat?" Frank yelled from behind the fence.

"Five days ago."

"Oh my god, Bill, let them in!"

Bill seemed very upset, "Hold your horses. You, stand still & keep your arms in the air."

Bill pulled out a cordyceps scanner & held it to your head. You know you weren't bit but you still were afraid it would show red. The device beeped & Bill gave it a cursory glance before nodding towards the gate. You two walked back & into the gated town.

Frank directed you to the shower & laid you out some of their clothes for the meantime (They totally take you to the boutique later). As much as Bill wants to kick you out immediately, Frank convinces him otherwise. You eat a meal & cannot stop completing Bill's cooking. As soon as you finish, Frank asks you to sit on the couch while he talks to Bill.

"We have to let them stay, they're practically a child!" Frank whispered.

"No, absolutely not. We do not have to do anything to help them."

"Okay, Bill. We don't need to. I- I want to," Frank hesitated with his words, knowing no matter what, he'd upset his boyfriend.

"They could hurt us."

"They don't want to!"

"You don't know that!"

Frank grabbed Bill's arm & led him into the living room. You were curled up in a ball & fast asleep. Bill's eyes softened for a moment, he knew he wouldn't win this argument.

Bill was cold around you initially, but he grew to care for you. Frank, on the other hand, practically babied you. He wanted to do everything for &/or with you. He would style you, go on runs with you, teach you how to garden & paint, whatever made you happy. You quickly became something like his own child. You tried your best to learn from Bill, thinking it would allow you to be closer. Boy, were you right. When you asked him to teach you how to hunt he wanted to sign the adoption papers right there (if there were any). Although you were a full-grown adult, it became an unspoken thing that you were their child. You thought you wouldn't see another human until one day you heard your fathers fighting outside.

"Well, I've been talking to a nice woman on the radio!" Frank yelled (I'm too tired to find the exact lines).

There was a pause, "YOU WHAT?!"

Within a couple days, visitors appeared at your gate. The three of you walked up to the gate, all dressed nicely. The only thing that reminded you that you were in the apocalypse was the fact that a gun rested at your hip & another was pointed by Bill, right at the visitors.

"Please put the gun down, Bill."

"It's me, Tess! I brought my friend Joel like I said!" The woman yelled.

You became distracted by the man for a second. He was tall & dressed in a nice brown jacket & jeans, a gun holstered on his hip as well. He's smart. Frank let the two in & scanned them to keep Bill sane.

"They're healthy, Bill!" Frank turned to you, "Y/N, take Joel to get some vegetables for lunch. It'll make cooking lunch easier for your father. I'm going to show Tess around."

"Alright," you spoke quickly, desperately trying to hide the fact that hanging out with this handsome stranger excited you.

Joel gave you a soft smile as he walked towards you. Unbeknownst to you, Tess saw your cheeks flush as you looked up at her friend. She gave an unseen glare in your direction before Frank whisked her away for a tour. You lead Joel to the main garden, filled with vegetables.

"So... they're your fathers?" Joel tried to start a conversation.

"Well, you know, not biologically. They took me in last year & kind of... adopted me."

"Aren't you an adult?"

"Twenty-nine, yes. I don't care, it's nice to have a family in these times."

"I guess you're right."

You two knelt down next to the garden to pick some carrots.

"Is Tess your...?" You began, seeing if you even had a chance.

"It's complicated, I guess, no."

"Oh, I'm sorry to pry."

You both reached for the same carrot & you grabbed Joel's hand on accident. You jumped & apologized profusely.

"Hey, Y/N, it's okay," hearing his deep, southern voice say your name sent chills down your spine.

"We- We should pick some lettuce or something, I don't know."

"You don't have a list?"

"No."

"Lettuce it is."

The two of you picked vegetables for a while longer & Joel offered to carry everything back for you. Arguably, a good thing for two reasons. One, you didn't have to waste your strength. Two, you ended up falling flat on your face & not one vegetable was harmed. Your leg caught on a root of an overgrown tree & you hit your head on the sidewalk. Your consciousness level was unstable at best, Joel set the vegetables down & picked you up.

"Bill! We need some bandages!"

Joel opened the door & brought you into the dining room, setting you down in a chair. Bill entered the room & saw you hurt.

"What happened?!"

"They fell while we were walking, hit their head on concrete."

Joel lightly pressed a towel to your forehead, "We're lucky, no broken skull. Can you get some bandages?"

Bill left & returned with a first aid kit & pulled out some rubbing alcohol, pouring a little onto your cut. You winced & Joel's hand darted to yours, offering you comfort through reassuring squeezes. The two men wrapped your head in some bandages & brought you random snacks.

"Feeling any better?" Joel was still holding your hand.

"Yes, thank you. I'm such a klutz sometimes."

"Well then, I think I need to come back more often to make sure you don't hurt yourself," Joel gave you a small smile before looking down at your hand.

Tess & Frank walked through the front door talking about possible trades. Tess had picked up the basket of vegetables that you two had left behind.

Frank noticed you in the kitchen & rushed to your side, holding your face with both hands, "Y/N, what happened?"

"I'm fine, I just tripped again. Joel bandaged me up & stopped the bleeding," You spoke softly & gave Joel's hand a squeeze to say 'thank you.'

"Thank you, Joel, you don't even know how much this means to me," Frank stood up & took the vegetables from Tess before heading to the kitchen, "Keep them safe, I'm going to help Bill in the kitchen."

Tess looked down at your & Joel's hands then held eye contact with Joel. She directed a glare at her friend. Joel looked at the floor & quickly pulled his hand from yours. You looked over at Joel only for him to stand up & walk towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to see if they need help in there."

With that, you were left alone with Tess. She seemed nice, but you managed to miss all her looks & just thought something was up with Joel.

"Joel & I are together," Tess finally broke the silence, crossing her arms.

Well, now you didn't want to be a home wrecker, "Good for you two."

"Get the hint, kid. It means back off."

"I'm not a kid."

"Oh shut the fuck up, Joel is at least ten years older than you. You're practically a baby."

You paused to figure out how to word this, "Look... I don't want to cause any problems. Joel told me there was nothing going on between you two. Plus, we met maybe half an hour ago, nothing was happening."

Tess dignified your response with a nod before sitting down. You two sat in silence for a moment. You heard a lot of metal clinking coming from the kitchen.

"Y/N! Come help Joel!" Frank yelled.

You entered the kitchen to see Joel on his knees picking up a pile of utensils. How did he manage this?! You knelt down beside Joel & began picking up all the utensils. Once they were collected, you handed them to Bill & Frank to wash. They, in turn, trusted you two to bring out the plates & glasses.

"Don't drop them this time, Joel," Frank teased.

The two of you walked outside & began setting the table. Tess sat on the porch & watched you.

"How'd you end up dropping everything, that looked like you emptied the whole drawer," you laughed.

"Your father, Frank, stepped away from the sink at just the right time to bump into me as I was heading outside with everything."

"Well, maybe you need me to make sure you don't hurt yourself either," you teased, giving him a light jab to the arm.

Joel looked down & smiled, "Yeah, maybe I do."

"Joel! Come over here, I need to talk to you about the trade deal we're making!" You two finally noticed Tess on the porch.

Joel gave you a soft smile, maybe saying he was sorry to leave again, & ran off toward Tess.

Joel & Tess chatted on the porch while you finished setting the table. Every time Joel would unknowingly turn his attention to you, Tess would do her best to pull his attention back. She was growing annoyed each time you'd walk by, drawing his eyes to you. Still believing the two of them were in a relationship, you resisted the urge to touch his arm or pat his head as you walked by each time, simply to remind him you were there. Not like he needed you to remind him anyways, he was doing pretty good at that by himself.

Lunch was short, Bill kept a gun pointed at Joel for a while, much to your & Frank's chagrin. Frank decided to show Tess something & left you with Joel & Bill. You continued to eat your food as the two of them spoke.

"If my," Joel paused & looked at you, "If I had a partner that did this, I'd be upset too."

You were genuinely confused & hiding it didn't even come to mind. Joel placed his hand on your arm, pulling your focus back to him.

"Something on your mind?" He chuckled.

I shouldn't bring it up, "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Frank had decided it was too late to let your visitors return home, they had to stay the night. After dinner, you took the dishes & began washing them. You could hear the conversation, even with the door closed.

"Alright, Y/N can share their bed with one person, the other can have the couch in the living room."

Joel practically jumped the gun but did his best not to sound excited, "I can share the bed with Y/N."

Tess looked shocked. Frank looked at Bill with a knowing smile.

"I-I mean, I'm too tall for that couch. It would be uncomfortable. Tess would fit, right Tess?"

"Yeah, you're right."

You walked back into the dining room & Frank asked you to show Joel to your room. You avoided eye contact with Tess & walked toward your room, the only thing implying Joel was following you was the sound of heavy footsteps. You arrived & opened the door, allowing Joel to walk in first. He silently admired your room while you hopped onto your bed. It was getting late so you were already on the verge of knocking out.

"Ready for bed?" You asked with a yawn.

"Just about," Joel spoke as he saw you bury yourself in the covers.

"It can get pretty cold in here at night, but maybe with the two of us it'll be tolerable."

Joel took off his shoes & climbed into bed next to you. Your comforters were softer than he'd felt in years.

"Oh my god, this is so much better than the QZ," Joel turned to face you & the reality of the situation hit you like a truck.

Your face was extremely red now. You were sharing a bed with this stranger you just met, who may or may not be in a relationship, & you have a huge crush on him. His face was close enough to the point where you could feel his breath.

"Are you & Tess together?" You felt like a broken record.

"You already asked that," Joel chuckled, pulling more of the blanket on top of him.

"Well, Tess said you were together."

"I guess, together in the sense that we came here together (This himbo lmao), but we aren't dating."

"Oh, she seemed upset when she saw us holding hands."

Joel let out a huff, "Alright, Tess & I... we had a thing. I don't know, but it's over now. It does feel weird trying to flirt with attractive strangers in front of her."

Joel looked up with a small smirk, as if you could become any redder.

"You- Wait, you were flirting with me?"

"Maybe a little," he teased.

"I like you, Joel."

Joel placed wrapped a hand around your waist & pulled you close, "I like you too, Y/N."

Joel looked down at your lips then back to your eyes. You seemed to finally catch on & nodded, bringing another small smile to Joel's face. He closed the gap between you two.

A/N: Not my best work but I'll edit it at some point. I forgot about the Ellie bit but I can make a part two or another one-shot. Tada!

[mushrubes]

Bags

Masterlist | The last of us masterlist

Requested : No

Song : Bags - Clairo

Pairing : Joel Miller x reader (No use of Y/n)

Pronouns : you/yours

Type : fluff + angst

Contents : mutual pinning, grumpy + sunshine, canon divergent, slightly wholesome <3

Word count :  3k

Have a great day / night !!

--------

Every second counts

I don't wanna talk to you anymore,

The house was peaceful for once. Ellie was out with friends, Joel was sitting at the kitchen counter, fixing a new guitar he'd managed to find for Ellie while you were sat aimlessly staring into space, the TV in the background only on for a sense of comfort. Quietly, you admired the older male in front of you, noticing all the big or small features you'd noted many times. The way his face contorted when he was focused, his hand occasionally brushing through his salt and pepper curls, the little humming he'd do sometimes. You were so lost in thought, that you hadn't even realised Ellie had returned, a smug grin on her face as she noticed where your gaze lay.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, a knowing look on her face, giggling as she saw the flustered expression settle on yours with a soft blush on your cheeks. "Just...thinking." you responded, clearing your throat as you brushed her off. She raised an eyebrow, going to say something before you nudged her side. "Not a word, kiddo." you mumbled, sending her a look as she laughed softly, nodding. "Secrets safe with me." she assured, a soft grin on her face as she looked over at him before back at you. What you had missed, with the lovestruck grin on Joel's face as he watched you interact with the girl he'd come to love like a daughter.

All these little games

You can call me by the name I gave you

Yesterday

"Ellie, be nice." you reminded before bursting into laughter with her, unable to hold it back as she called Joel a 'grumpy, old man'. He let out a huff, rubbing his face. "Alright, alright, go, just be safe." he grumbled, earning a grin from Ellie who thanked him before running off to see her girlfriend. "Grumpy, huh?" you teased, causing him to roll his eyes, a small grin on his face. "Stop it." he warned, his usual stern expression softening as he looked over at you, pulling you into his side softly. "She's not wrong, y'know." you teased, Joel groaning in response before he gently gave you a nudge. "I hate you." he jokingly responded, heading back into the house, and letting you run to catch up with him.

"Well you're not exactly a sunshine are you?"

----

Sleepily stumbling down the stairs to the kitchen, you tugged your blanket around you a bit tighter, letting out a small yawn. "Mornin' sunshine." Joel greeted, a smirk on his face as he chuckled in amusement, pulling you in for a brief hug. "Morning, grumps." you muttered, feeling Joel's chest rumble with his soothing chuckle. "Cold?" he asked softly, his fingers carefully running through your hair, caressing the back of your head. You let out a small hum of agreement, nuzzling into his chest.

"Sit down. I'll make your favourite hot chocolate."

Every minute counts

I don't wanna watch TV anymore 

Can you figure me out?

Just doin' to waste more time on the couch

It felt like it had been hours since you, Joel and Ellie had sat down and started watching whatever old movies he had found in a random box in the attic, finding a way for the three of you to somehow kill some time. You were sat in the middle, with Joel on your left and Ellie on your right. The recliner was up, your legs on one half while Joels was on the other, but a small amount of space in between.

Throughout the movie, the gap between the two of you slowly gets smaller, with only a slither of space in between that stops you two from touching. As Ellie had gotten up to go to bed, you could see Joel's arm that was closest to you raise, your cheeks a light shade of red as you braced yourself for the contact that never came. But you were right. He was going to put it around you, but he backed out last second, silently cursing himself as he saw the disappointed look on your face.

Can you see me? I'm waiting for the right time

I can't read you, but if you want, the pleasure's all mine

The pair of you were riding back in from patrol, laughing at a corny dad joke he had said. "God, you've been spending too much time with Ellie." you teased, earning a chuckle and an amused look from the older male, sending his usual smile to you. "My jokes are better than those puns." he joked, both of you knowing that really, even though he'd never verbally admit it, he did sometimes approve of Ellie's puns - even if they did come from that shitty book.

He helped you off your horse, making sure to put both of them back into the stables and shut them properly before walking back over to you. "You alright? You look like you have something on your mind." he asked, his stern demeanour melting away and his face now soft as the concern was evident in his voice. "I...uh..." you responded, clearing your throat as you tried to think of an excuse.

"Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me." he assured seriously, his hand finding yours and intertwining, squeezing comfortingly. He ran his thumb along your hand soothingly, trying to help you as much as he could for now. "I was wondering-" you started, but was interrupted by a voice calling out to Joel. "Joel! Tommy said he needs your help, like urgently!" Ellie shouted out, jogging over to the pair, not noticing you sighing in defeat.

Joel shot you an apologetic look as he nodded at Ellie. "We can talk about this later?" he murmured softly, the sadness in his eyes clear. "Don't worry about it." you brushed off, a slight bitterness in your tone which caused him to quietly wince but nod regardless. He looked at you one last time before he quickly headed off to Tommy's house, Ellie looked between you two confused. "...Did I interrupt something?" she asked, a slight look of remorse on her face, sighing as she watched you start to walk back to the house, running to catch up.

Can you see me using everything to hold back?

I guess this could be worse

Walkin' out the door with your bags

"Are you sure about this?" you sighed softly, the worry clear in your expression as you leaned against the doorframe, watching him pack. Joel had agreed to go out for a few days with Tommy, in an attempt to find any extra supplies that could be helpful. "Hey, we'll be fine. I'll be back before you know it." Joel tried to assure, unable to ignore the small feeling in his gut that always gave him 'What if' scenarios he'd tried to learn to ignore.

"I know, I just..." you sighed, moving in slightly. "I'm just scared something might happen, y'know?" you admitted, slightly hesitant of what his response would be, unsure of how he'd react. He shot you a small smile before pulling you into a gentle hug. It was hard for either of you to miss how perfectly your bodies fit together, your head tucked into his chest as his head rested atop yours, gently swaying.

"I'll always come home to you. You know that."

--------

Pour your glass of wine

Mitchell told me I should be just fine

Cases under the bed

Spill it open, let it rush to my head

Ellie was out with friends, leaving just you and Joel at home. He'd managed to find a bottle of wine you both loved (he didn't find it, Tommy got it from the bar in Jackson for him) and the two of you were going to have a relaxing night in. You were rummaging through a box of vinyls that you'd managed to collect throughout the years from patrols or when you and Joel had been exploring in previous years, settling on "A case of you".

Joel had finished pouring the two glasses of wine, watching you dance with an amused smile on his face as he took a gulp. You held a hand out, causing him to chuckle and shake his head. "No, no, I don't dance." he denied, taking another drink of his wine as you did the same. You kept grinning at him, not retreating your hand as you fluttered your eyelashes at him. He let out a defeated sigh, taking your hand and slow dancing with you, the usual tension filling the room. He could never say no to you.

I don't wanna be forward, I don't wanna cut corners

Savour this with everything I have inside of me

"I don't get it. Why don't you just tell her?" Ellie huffed, walking alongside Joel as they patrolled around the outside of Jackson. "I don't like them, Ellie." he tried to lie, hoping she'd think the tinted redness of his cheeks was due to the cold weather. "Oh come on! You're not fooling anyone with that. I can feel the tension-" she carried on, Joel's hand coming up and covering her mouth to not let her finish that sentence, giving her a look. Ellie sighed, pushing his hand away.

"Look, I'm just saying. It's clear you both have feelings, why don't you just be straightforward?" she huffed, kicking a rock as they made their way back to the gate. He let out an annoyed huff in response. "Because it's not that easy. They don't deserve to be stuck with someone like me. Now I don't want to hear a single word more about it." He ordered, a cold and unreadable look on his face to cover up with vulnerability he almost showed, storming ahead of Ellie. He wasn't ready to lose you yet. 

I'm not the type to run, I know that we're having fun

But what's the rush? Kissing, then my cheeks are so flushed

Joel let out a slight huff in the mirror as he got dressed, regretting having agreed to go to the baby shower - but it was his brothers, after all. He had to. You walked in, Joel immediately admiring how you looked in your outfit, the colour suiting you. He loved it when you wore your favourite colour, you always looked good to him. "You okay?" you asked softly, bringing him out of his thoughts as he nodded, grunting as his tie kept annoying him. You didn't say a word - you didn't have to. You walked over, gently pushing his hands away and tying it for him. "We don't have to go if it's too much, Joel, I'm sure Tommy would understand." you suggested, frowning as you knew why it was bothering him, considering his late daughter.

"No, no, it's the least I could do." he mumbled, his arms subconsciously wrapping around your waist as yours wrapped around his neck. He rested his forehead against yours as he peered down at you, a small smile on your face. "Thank you." he whispered. He didn't say it often but he didn't need to. You knew. You knew how grateful he was for both you and Ellie, you knew how much he prioritised and thought about both of you, he made sure to show how important both of you were to him through actions, not being one to trust his words.

You bit your lip, trying to think of something to say back, both of you looking at each other with pure love in your eyes. You couldn't even comprehend what you were doing as you leaned in, your lips intertwining with his, a soft but passionate kiss being shared between the pair of you. All you could do was hope this wouldn't make things awkward.

Tell you how I felt

Sugar coated melting in your mouth

His eyes stayed on you the entire party, no matter what was happening. He stood with his brother, a small smile on his face as he watched you interact with other people at the party, especially Maria, Tommy's wife. His thoughts trailed, thinking about how life could be with you being his. You, him and Ellie being a family of three, with Tommy and Maria together along with their soon baby. He felt nostalgic, watching you interact with not only Ellie but the other children there, noting your parental nature.

A part of him wished he'd met you sooner, wondering what life would have been like if he'd met you before the outbreak, wondering if you'd get together, wondering if you'd treat Sarah how you treated Ellie. His brother didn't say anything but he could see what Ellie had been saying to him. She was right, it wasn't hard for anyone to see how enamoured the two of you were with each other.

Tommy chuckled to himself as he watched you wave at him, Joel waving back as he approached you, standing close to you as he made conversation. "You're right, kiddo." he hummed, standing next to Ellie who nodded, grinning. "Wanna bet when they'll finally get together?"

Pardon my emotions

I should probably keep it all to myself

Know you'd make fun of me

The kiss had been replaying in his mind all night, stopping him from being able to sleep as he sighed quietly, looking over at you next to him, taking in your sleeping form. You always looked ethereal to him, whether it was when you'd just woken up, hair all messy and in old pjs or you were dressed nice. The thought of confessing crossed his mind constantly but he just couldn't. A part of him wanted to do a sweet confession - take you out for dinner or something, bring you flowers and tell you how much you meant to him. But he just couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to do it. There were so many reasons in his head why it would be wrong. He was almost double your age. He wasn't good with his emotions as it was. You were such a light in his life - his sunshine - you didn't deserve someone as grumpy as him.

He let out a sigh, noticing you shivering from the cold air filling the house. Pulling you into him, he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, taking in how peaceful you looked, chuckling as your 'sleeping' form nuzzled into him - he hadn't noticed you were awake. He continued, nuzzling into your neck, pressing some soft pecks against it. "One day, I promise." he mumbled, caressing the back of his head. You could've sworn you heard him whisper 'I love you' before his snores filled the room, but you shook it off, assuring yourself it was just you being tired.

Can you see me? I'm waiting for the right time

I can't read you, but if you want, the pleasure's all mine

Weeks passed, every day leaving you hoping for something - anything to happen. Nothing. He'd almost become more hesitant after the kiss, neither of you bringing it up to the other, almost silently agreeing that it never happened. Everything else continued as normal - the 'subtle' glances, the tension in the room, hell, even the constant almost crossing the line between lovers and friends but it never actually happened. You'd had enough of it when he spoke to you as if nothing was going on, deciding you'd confront him later on in the evening. You just hoped nothing would go wrong.

Can you see me using everything to hold back?

I guess this could be worse

Walkin' out the door with your bags

"Can we talk?" you asked quietly, sitting down on the sofa once Ellie had gone to bed. Unlike last time, there was clear space between the two of you, almost as if it would hurt if you made the slightest bit of contact. "What's up?" he asked nonchalantly, not looking away from the television to look at you. "The kiss the other week, Joel. We can't just pretend it didn't happen-" you started, running a hand through your hair in frustration. He still didn't look up, but his body clearly tensed as he heard you. "What about it?" he asked, his voice now unreadable. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you looked at him, confused as to why he was suddenly being so shut off and cold towards you.

"What did it mean-" you started before he huffed, sitting up and looking at you, his face cold and stern. "It meant nothing." he responded, the room going quiet. You blinked a few times, registering what he had said. "...What?" you asked, not believing you had heard him properly, almost certain you had misheard his words. "It meant nothing." he repeated, biting his cheek as he lied to you, hands gripped in fists at his side.

And then it happened. He could see the disappointed look on your face, the heartbreak evident. His guilt only got worse as he saw your eyes well as you nodded, taking deep breaths as you got up. "Okay. Thanks for clearing that up." you responded, but he immediately noticed how small your voice was, how it wavered. He wanted to stand up, pull you into his arms, tell you he was lying. But to him? Pushing you away was the best idea. He zoned out as you said goodnight, his gut dropping as he saw the tears you thought you were hiding roll down your face as you walked off, leaving him alone in the living room. He slumped down in his armchair, head in his hands. What had he done?

Walkin' out the door with your bags

[agender-wolfie]

Y’all need to understand what gender neutral actually means. Saying “This fic is gender neutral and there are no pronouns or descriptors used” then using “pretty girl” or “that’s my girl” immediately after is NOT gender neutral! Stay out of our spaces if you can’t respect us.

[chasedbyatlantic]

persimmon, joel miller

masterlist summary: IN WHICH — when you and joel miller are having a relaxing day outside of jackson, you accidentally come across one of his favourite things.

warnings: post outbreak!joel, jackson era!joel, female!era, no use of y/n, relationship-like content from joel and reader, cute bickering and flirting, literally just fluff, mentions of guns/injuries/swearing. lmk if i missed anything!

wordcount: 2.1k

a/n: i am heavily obsessed with the new fruit for flies ep by the army, the navy so i was heavily inspired to write for this. tell me joel wouldnt absolutely love persimmons like ik he would love them. remember to like, comment, reblog, and follow for more!! xoxo

—

Days spent outside the walls meant days spent with him. You were not one to complain about company, not now, not ever. You two started your runs a year ago, by a force of sorts. Tommy, one of your best friends, had assigned you the role of "protecting" his brother while outside. Tommy trusted you with his life, the two of you rolled together before you guys found Jackson, so he knew you very well. To ask such a big thing from you, to keep his brother out of trouble, meant a lot to you.

Though, it also brought on a lot of stress. Joel had none of it at the start, he thought it was stupid to have more people around him then needed. At first, you thought it was stupid that Tommy had wanted this, Joel carried himself well and was very smart when it came to surviving outside the walls. Soon enough, you had realized why. Joel was old, as much as he may have not wanted to admit. He couldn't move as fast as he once could, his reflexes weren't instant, he ran a step slower. You, on the other hand, were young and stealthy- you were the sense of freshness in his life.

Joel didn't like you at the start, he made it crystal clear. For weeks, he would barely talk to you, only to bicker or to give you directions. It was after you helped Ellie recover from a flu that almost wiped her out that he started talking to you. It went from zero to one hundred very quick, but as mentioned earlier, you would never complain about it.

Today was the first day the two of you had gone and done your usual route outside of the walls since spring had started. The winter was long and rough, many people caught some sort of sickness and passed in the town the two of you resided in. It was sad, some people you knew, but that's what happens when you're not able to operate with proper medical care. Anyway, after it had rained for about a week straight, the sun was out today. It's warmth made you think about the nice weather to come, and not the rough time everyone had months prior.

Your hands were gripping onto your backpack straps as though your life depended on it. Your eyes were shut the opposite, gentle and carefree. Joel's presence beside you was enough to shut your eyes for just a moment, and not worry about everything around you. In this moment right now, Joel was protecting you when it should be the other way around. "Careful now, cowgirl," He said so casually, "Don't go'n trip on my watch."

You didn't want to open your eyes, you really didn't, the sun didn't want that either. Your eyes opened, though, and you were left blind for a moment due to having to adjust to the brighter area. As you did this, you could feel Joel's hand linger around the small of your back and lead you past some piece of rusted metal that was on your path. You swatted him away after he did this, shooting him a glare. "Don't baby me, Miller."

He could only laugh as his hand moved off of you. He held his hands up in defence. "Ya' better start watchin' where y'ur goin', then. Tetanus will get ya' before a runner does." You wanted to stay mad after he said that, you really did, but you couldn't help but let a small laugh or two escape from your pissed off expression. Joel would never say it out loud, but he thought it was cute when you did that. When you did anything, really, but that was a topic for another day.

You and Joel had been walking for what felt like forever now, but in reality, only about three hours. As per usual, the two of you were further than deep in conversation. "Y'ur such a country guy. I'm bettin' on Keith Urban." A smile rose to your face, trying to remember other country artists that were popular around the time before hell rose. "Listen, I won't deny it," Joel began, "Rock'n'roll is where it's at, though." You almost stopped dead in your tracks, before you burst out with laughter. Joel? A rock and roll man? There's no way.

Joel stood there, extremely unimpressed, as he waited for your laughs to die down. Once you stood back up and composed yourself, you dramatically wiped a fake tear from under your eye. "I've never laughed so hard." He shook his head, "Ya' piss me off, you know that?" You gave him a pat on the shoulder as you continued down your path, "Love you too!"

The two of you bickered for the next while as you walked down the road. It went from concrete to gravel in a short amount of time, indicating you two were in the remote part of the city. By stepping along this gravel road, it brought back so many memories that you had distanced yourself from. The first time out with him, the day both of you got caught in the rain, the day he kissed you. It was in the heat of the moment, no feelings attached. Some days you wish there were feelings attached, but you had more important things to worry about.

It was strange, the second the two of you stepped on the gravel path, three deer were seen down the street. You went to open your mouth, but you could feel a hand cover the bottom half of your face. It wasn't yours, you were sure of it, the hand felt too rough to be yours. That meant only one thing. You turned to face Joel, your eyes focusing on his. His arm was outstretched (not by much) to cover your lips and chin, his other hand reaching up and placing his pointer finger on his lips, indicating for you to be quiet. You listened.

You both turned your heads back in unity, to face the deer. They seem to have seen you, now turning and carefully running back into the woods. You shoved Joel's hand off of your face as gentle as possible, yelling a quick 'shit!'. Joel had reached back for his hunting rifle that was slung across his back, "Hungry?" Before you could even reply to him, you were taking off. You were sprinting like you were in a race to win a gold medal at the olympics.

Joel was on your tail in no time, he was taller which meant that his strides were longer. The two of you ran for fifteen minutes, following the deer as closely as you could. Though, they were still faster. As they slowly exited the picture, from where the both of you could see, Joel fired a shot. He swore he hit one, but nothing decided to wait around for when you two got closer. A sigh left his lips when he came to the realization that he didn't get one, not so much for him to enjoy, but for you to have.

You noticed this, shoving his arm with your elbow. "Cheer up," You began, "We can set up here for a little bit. If ya' need somethin' to do, I'm out of water." You passed Joel a small smile, sticking out your water bottle for him to grab. He wanted to stay upset, but he couldn't help himself. He nodded and took it, "Stay put'n call if ya' need anythin'." And he was off. Joel didn't question you, or bicker to stay. He knew better when you were looking out for him.

You did anything but stay put, actually. You decided to scavenge the area. If there was anything (or anyone, for that matter), they would've came over when they heard you and Joel. The ground was extremely unreliable, bumps and holes were scattered everywhere so you took your time. You weren't sure how long you walked for, but it was long enough to get to an open field from the secluded forest.

It was so beautiful, the long rows of nothing. The once short bushes that were probably maintained were now grown completely out of control, growing everywhere but in place. You wish you had a camera, to keep more than just a mental image of this beautiful place.

You stood in the same spot for at least ten minutes, just capturing every small detail. Sure, Jackson had a nice garden, but it came nowhere near as unique as this one. Just when your eyes finished the look-around, they laid on the deer you and Joel had tried to get earlier. Your eyes had widened, you had found them.

If they hadn't noticed you before they heard a twig crack, they sure as hell did now. They took one look at you and ran off. You hadn't moved a step, so who made that sound? Your hand fell onto your holster as you spun around faster than you had thought you did. Your eyes landed on the man you knew too well. "Didn't think ya' had it in ya' to shoot me, cowgirl."

For fuck sakes, Joel, you thought to yourself. You buttoned your holster back up and turned back to face where the deer stood just a moment ago, too angry to look at Joel right now. He must've taken the hint, since he didn't bug you anymore. Instead, he decided to walk in front of you and to where the deer were. Joel didn't crouch, but he stuck his hand into the tree's green and brown branches.

You rose your brow, how couldn't you. Joel was channeling his inner garden boy with this, but you didn't break a laugh. A quiet 'ah, there ya' are' had escaped Joel's lips, just loud enough for you to hear. Instead of remaining where you were, you followed his trail and closed up on him. Your gaze fell onto the small orange thing he had in his hand.

Without warning, he just- bit into it. You had a blank stare, your mouth slightly opened. This could've been poisonous for all you knew, for all Joel knew. He took note of your horrific look, "Eat it, it's good." He handed you the small, orange fruit and waited. You had no choice but to take it, and take it hesitantly. You rose it towards your lips, and carefully took a bite.

It was mushy and sour, definitely too ripe for your liking. You handed it back and turned your head, spitting out whatever remained of the fruit in your mouth. You had a grossed-out look to your face as Joel popped the rest of the fruit in his mouth. It was genuinely disgusting, and you didn't know how he could eat it, you thought to yourself.

"It's persimmon." He told you, wiping the juice from his hands off and on his pants. Persimmon, you've never heard of it. "Like the colour?" You had asked him, giving up on your strike from talking to him. He let out a loud laugh, definitely scaring off any animal that might've came to check the two of you out. "Like the fruit, cowgirl."

"Well," You had stood on your tip toes and picked another one of these persimmons off the tree, "you enjoy them then." Your hand moved without thinking, it reached forward and grabbed Joel's, and placed the fruit in it. The fruit was about one fourth of the size of Joel's hand, so it looked a bit silly to you.

His hand closed, almost taking yours with his. "Ya' best believe I will." A small smile rose to your lips as your eyes rolled, he was too cocky for your liking. You thought to yourself for a moment. You had remembered this one story that Maria, Tommy's wife, had told you, about an olive theory. One person absolutely hates olives and refuses to eat them, whereas the second person loves them and will eat them for the first person. This story had reminded you of this moment, reminded you of yourself and Joel with the persimmons.

You two would mingle around the tree for the next while, Joel stuffing his face while you stuffed your bag with the bright orange fruit. Even though you didn't eat them, you smiled as you watched Joel enjoy something he loves. The two of you wouldn't dare tell anyone back home about what you had discovered while out and about. For this, this was yours and Joel's persimmon tree.

—

persimmon, the army, the navy

[prentissluvr]

feverish — joel miller

gn!reader, platonic!reader, fatherfigure!joel , sickfic , cw : mentions of fever & coughing, sickness in general, mostly unedited , wc : 1K , anon i hope you enjoy it !! <333

joel notices immediately when you begin lagging behind him and ellie. but you don’t say anything, so neither does he, just pausing occasionally to let you catch up.

in the end, it’s ellie who says something.

“hey, are you okay?” she asks you once you’re all settled by the fire. joel, whose attention seems to be solely on the meat he’s cooking, is peering at you subtly, listening intently for your reaction.

“i’m fine,” you wave off her concern, “just a little tired today, is all.” your answer’s not a complete lie, it’s true that you’re tired, but what you don’t tell them is the way you can feel the sickness starting to settle in your bones. really, it was yesterday you first started feeling it, but it hadn’t begun to slow you down until a few hours into hiking today.

“well then, we’d better get to sleep right after eating,” joel advises. “best get as much sleep as you can for tomorrow.”

you heed his advice, curling into your sleeping bag the moment you can in hopes that good enough rest will prevent you from truly falling ill. ellie talks for a few minutes the way she normally does before sleeping, but joel cuts her off earlier than normal tonight for your sake. with that reasoning, she actually listens to him and settles down to sleep herself.

—

your hopes of escaping sickness are unfairly stolen from you in the morning when you wake up with the sun, groggy and completely out of it. your nose is stuffy, throat sore, and limbs heavy when you rustle about in your covers. you just turn to your side and do your best to drift back into what turns out to be a quite restless sleep.

the next time you wake, it’s to ellie gently nudging your shoulder for you to get up as joel finishes cleaning up camp. you groan in protest, halfheartedly pushing her away.

“it’s almost time to go,” she says, “joel let you sleep in.”

you let out a huff of breath, wishing you could lay in bed all day before struggling to sit up. rubbing at your eyes, you take in the state of your tired, compromised body and decide it’s certainly best if you say nothing about it. no reason to make anyone worry or slow down your journey.

so you push past your discomfort, standing up and quickly packing up your bag. but your plans to cover up your sickness do not go as well as planned when you begin coughing and sniffling uncontrollably.

about the fourth time you lean against a tree to support yourself during a coughing bout, joel stops completely, handing you water and waiting until you’re done to speak.

“you’re gettin’ sick, kid,” he states, very aware that you’ve been quiet in order to prevent causing an inconvenience to him and ellie. you shake your head, so he continues. “you can let us know if you’re not feeling well, you know? that’s not something you can control. what d’ you say we make camp early and rest for the day?”

“no!” you exclaim, “no, that’s alright, i’m fine. i swear. i don’t even feel that sick, it just sounds like it,” you try to explain away the actual extent of your sickness.

he says your name, gentle and firm like the hand he places on your shoulder. “you look like you could fall over any second. i ain’t buying any of that, alright? you need to rest so that you don’t get more sick, you understand me?

you want to keep trying, to convince him and a watching ellie that you’re fine, but it seems you can never argue with that tone of voice he uses when he’s truly serious about something.

“fine,” you relent with a sigh, feeling half grateful, half guilty, and one hundred percent sick as you trek along until you find an appropriate campground.

joel orders you to lay down when you try and help set up, only asking you to move once a fire is going so that you can soak up it’s warmth. as you lay there, it seems as if all of your stubbornness is catching up to you, and you can’t resist it when your eyes drift closed despite the sun still being clear in the sky.

with a mind too groggy with sickness and sleep, you don’t process much even when you’re awake. ellie stays close by to your laying form, silently worried by the sickness that’s visible in your face and the coughs that wrack your body. she jumps up each time joel asks her to do anything, eager to help you rather than just sit by and do nothing. joel too is dedicated to caring for you, his soft palm feeling your forehead for signs of fever as you slip in and out of sleep. he does his best to create a broth from bones and freshly hunted meat throughout the hours that you sleep for you to eat when you wake.

when you squirm uncomfortably in your sleep with your brows furrowed, he does his best to calm your distress with gentle touches. past memories of caring for a sick child are clear in his head, both hurting his heart but helping him to help you the best he can.

you try to resist his help again once you wake, but the weakness in your limbs doesn’t let you get far, so your resolve crumbles far faster this time. he helps you drink and eat all while ellie does her best to cheer you up with corny jokes and over exaggerated retellings of things that have happened throughout your journey all together. it works well, her words resulting in your laughing so hard that you begin to cough and a non-threatening glare from joel in her direction.

but soon, you tire again, so joel insists you go back to sleep, just as twilight fades into total darkness. you don’t argue this time, nor at all the next day as he and ellie patiently nurse you back to health until you’re spry and well again.

[pedros-husband]

You have a big ass

pedro pascal characters x male/gn! reader

characters included: Javier Pena, Joel miller, Javi Gutierrez, Marcus Moreno, Ezra, Din Djarin, Frankie Morales, agent whiskey, Silva, Oberyn Martell

javier pena: he loves a juicy ass so his eyes are constantly on yours, especially if you wear any of his 70's style jeans. he has no shame so wether your in the office, in town, or at home he will slap your ass or squeeze it. he especially likes it if your bent over someones desk trying to speak to them, he loves picturing how you'd look bent over his desk whilst he fucks you.

Joel miller: hes not into PDA so he'll only ever stare at your ass if your in public, but he'll still do it shamelessly. sometimes he'll let you walk ahead with someone else on patrol or by yourself simply so he can stare at your ass and they way your jeans cling to it, or the way yoour hips move at each step, making your ass jut out.

when yoru at home though, hes completely different. he has absolutely no self restraint when your in the comfort of your house and no ones prying eyes are on you. he'll smack, slap, kneed your ass, at every chance he gets, in the morning or evening thoguh he loves smacking your ass in the morning whilst you make coffee, making you stand up straight and let out a surprised snort, snapping you awake.

Javi Gutierrez: he’s a sucker for you in anyway possible and he loves praising you in any shape or form so he loves commenting on how much he loves your body, especially your ass. When your cuddling his hands will subconsciously move to rest on your ass, sexually and non sexually. If he’s feeling more frisky he’ll squeeze and/or slap your ass. He’s also a sucker for making you feel good and he loves eating you out. (I totally see him as a power bottom)

Marcus Moreno: he’s super cheesy and I can totally see him as that chest single dad so he’ll mostly make cheeky comments and jokes about your ass (In a cute way though) he totally loves eating you out and holding your ass cheeks as he does so, because like javi he’s all for making you feel good and giving you the pleasure, because he gets pleasure from yours.

Ezra: he is a man of words and poems so he’ll go on long tangents about how much he just loves your ass or he’ll talk in great detail about what he wants to do to your ass/ with it. He also likes smacking your ass when you don’t expect it.

Din djarin: he’s not very touchy especially because he’s spent most of his life alone, but he’ll admire the way your armour/clothes cling to your ass. He loves watching you work or train in silence, he is so grateful of his helmet so you can’t tell that his gaze is almost permanently on your ass. When you do get more intimate or touchy he’ll mumble about how sexy your ass is and if he’s feeling particularly bold he’ll grab it and pick you up, punning you against the wall.

Frankie morales: he also is shameless in public so he’ll smack/slap your ass as a greeting or in passing. He smirks when you gasp and smack his arm, smiling at your angry blushing face. In bed/cuddling he’ll

Agent whiskey: he’s got no shame as well, in public, at work, or at home. He loves if you wear tight fitting jeans and if you do he looses all self restraint. If it’s in the office he’ll fully pick you up by your ass and onto his desk, he can and will take you at work, tequila and ginger are used to it by now and have earplugs for when you do it. He’s slap your ass as he walks by you as reflex, sometimes he doesn’t even realise he’s doing it.

Silva: he’s so sweet and soft for you, but he worships you and your body so he’ll constantly mumble under his breath to you about how much he loves your ass, how it drives him wild. When cuddling on the bed/couch he’ll pull you into his chest by your ass cheeks and knees them softly.

Oberyn martell: everyone knows he’s a complete man whore with no shame at all. Hell fuck you all over the palace and in the garden. So sometimes he’ll slip out of meeting and duties just to watch you train, admiring the way your armour and underclothes excentuate your ass. Hell not necessarily slap your ass but he does like to knees it in his hands and watch as it goes redder with his touch. He also likes eating you out and holding your ass cheeks as he does so.

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I didn’t include as many characters this time because this serves as more of a placeholder whilst I finish my main fic that hopefully should be finished soon. It’s already over 1.5k long and I’m not halfway finished yet 😅