#will ft. joyce ( kusatta )

[sasouken]

he closes his eyes as she presses a kiss to his forehead, his arms tightening around her. she had always been his safe place, even when things seemed impossible. will could draw and come up with all kinds of superheroes, but none of them would ever come close to what his mom actually was. he burrows his face into her chest and nods at her question. "yeah, but. . ." the infected were scary. he didn't want joel to get hurt trying to find them, either. ". . . okay. yeah, he'll find us and then we can go somewhere safe, right?"

                               " of course, sweetheart. " she brushes the hair from his face, leaning down to place a chaste kiss to his forehead before she pulls him in closer, protectively. " joel . . . he always nfinds us, doesn't he ? you just have to trust him. "

[sasouken]

"yes," she answers quickly, despite the reluctance to step away from joyce. she hesitates before she turns, leaving her safe space to go find will. she finds him looking through clearance jeans and he looks up at her, ready to ask something before his expression falters.

"what's wrong?" he asks, dropping the clothes he hand in his arms onto the rack of jeans. eleven isn't sure how to answer that, lips parting and closing before she looks over her shoulder to where joyce is waiting. something seems to click because will lets out a soft breath before he's offering eleven a reassuring smile. "right. i'm sure we'll be right back." the two walk back towards joyce and eleven immediately is in her space once again. "do you want me to get you some water or something, mom?"

"we do . . not have to get the dress," el says, wrapping her arms around joyce as they walk. the colors had been pretty, had reminded her of the fields they played in in hawkins over the summer, dotted with colorful flowers. perhaps this was the universe telling her to let go of hawkins.

moved from legacy. / @sasouken.

it’s a heated debate,   annoyance clear in the adult’s tone as she keep the girl close,   hand settled upon her shoulder.   by the time the other grabs the mother’s attention,   she is well above needing a smoke break.   she sighs,   allowing anger to filter through her breath before she turns to el,   raising a hand to brush hair from her face before she digs in her purse,   fishing out a lighter.   “   yes,   sweetheart,   just   —   ” an exacerbated sigh, " i need a smoke anyways, go get will, would you ? "

[sasouken]

her words knock the air out of his lungs and he has to fight to remember how to breathe for a second. he's just a kid. his jaw clenches and his gaze falters before he closes his eyes to anchor himself once more. "i know," he says softly. "i know." his hands squeeze her shoulders before he's tugging her into him, wrapping his arms around her. "joyce, i'm not gonna put him or you in danger. 'm. . . sorry that . . . things got a little out of hand, but i would give my life for that kid, y'know that?" he sighs, giving her a squeeze. "why don't you go in there and get some rest with him, yeah? i'll keep watch."

sasouken​.

                                “damn it, joyce — why’s everythin’ gotta be an argument with you, huh?” hand rubs against his forehead, smudging dirt and grime. “we didn’t have time to find another way. if we were havin’ a stroll in the park – sure, take all the goddamn time y'want, but we’re not.” he turns to glance over at the door where will is on the other side. “you’re payin’ me to keep him safe, yeah? if i thought there was a chance he’d get hurt, i’d’ve found another way.” he gave will a hard time, but it wasn’t because he didn’t like the kid. he just didn’t want him to get hurt. he wanted him to toughen up so this doomed world wouldn’t hurt him anymore than it has. lips press together as he shakes his head, turning to face joyce. he reaches out, placing both hands on her shoulders, squeezing. “he’s going to be fine. he’s tougher than he looks.”

                                “   I’M NOT   —   “   an   exasperated   sigh,   lips part to   counter,   only for   voice to die   in her throat.   why did he   always   have to   undermine   the things she said   —   as if she wasn’t   AWARE   of the danger the three of them were   constantly   in.   “   would it   kill   you to listen to me   ?   “   brows furrow,   “   i mean it   :   i want you to   really   listen to me.   “   hands are raised,   fingertips wrapping around the other’s wrist as she   squeezes.   “   —   just because he’s   immune   doesn’t mean anything other than the fact that he can   survive   a bite,   joel.   i get that we have to do what we   need   to in order to make it out of this   alive,   but   …   he’s just a kid.   “   a pause,   she searches his expression for any sort of acknowledgement,   “   he’s just a kid.   “

[sasouken]

                               breath catches in his throat, but he allows her to pull him into her. he can hear shuffling around outside the shack they've taken shelter in for the night. he moves his arms to wrap around her, burrowing as close as he can manage. "is joel going to be able to find us?"

hand is raised to settle atop the other's head, gently coaxing the boy into her side as she holds him close. " it'll pass, " she whispers, arms wrapping around will protectively. " it'll pass. "