tlou au where everything is the same but from the very start, joel, tess, and ellie are pursued by a mysterious woman with 8 fingers who wants nothing more than to kill ellie

The First Kiss 2/4 - Dad! Joel x Daughter! reader, Ellie X reader

Summary: You've been on a long trip the last week, between Tess dying and your dad injuring himself to protect you and Ellie, you really needed a pick me up, instead you both get kidnapped by creepy cannibals, barely making it out alive you and Ellie both realize something crucial to your guys's friendship

warnings: This is a heavy one, but I needed to pass the time so I can also get in some storyline of Part 2 in the series, attempted assault, murder, you and Ellie both murdering a creep, you being worried what Joel will think about you liking Ellie

The Apartment felt cold, like you guys weren't meant to be there, everybody was silent, you could tell Joel didn't like the idea of having both you and Ellie, you just kept quiet only speaking with Ellie to make sure she's comfortable and okay. Ellie laid on the couch, using her bag as a pillow and your jacket as a blanket. "Dad.." You whispered walking into his room, he was laying in bed with a notebook writing things down and counting rations cards. "Yea?" He asked looking at you, your chest felt heavy, you didn't want to ask but you needed to know. As tears brimmed your eyes you looked at him "W-where's Sara?..." You whispered, you watched his body tense, you knew something happened with your father, he wasn't the same as before but neither were you. "Not right now, y/n" He whispered, you could tell it was a touchy subject but you deserve to know, she was your sister. "Dad." You said sternly sitting on the bed next to him "Why are you caught up with the fireflies?" He asked "You're barely sixteen, just about the girls age you're supposed to be protecting?" He pressed more, his tone taking more authority "If I tell you..will you..will you tell me what happened with Sara?.." You asked looking at him "Fine" He huffed, you frowned sitting back against the wall next to him. "After Tommy gave me to the military..They ran out of room in the Austin QZ..." You whispered "They gunned the truck down..I managed to get out..run to the treeline and take off for town" You whispered sadly, you could feel his eyes on you "I stayed in different houses...starved..I got attacked by clickers one day..Marlene found me and brought me to their camp..At first I was lower rank..Older guys picked on me..grabbed me..Marlene found out and left them out for dead against the infected.." You mumbled, Joel was breathing shakily, his chest hurt, why couldn't of he have looked for you? "Then you came.." You whispered "I had to convince myself you were dead..I was almost getting myself killed looking for you.." You whispered sadly.

Joel was quiet, holding you tightly in a hug, you were quiet trying not cry, he didn't need to see that "Sara...Sara didn't make it..past Austin..Soldiers shot at us and she got hit..I-I couldn't save her.." he whispered, his voice shaky "Whenever Tommy told me he saw the dead truck passengers...I lost it..I thought I lost both my girls a-and I-I promised your mother to protect you two" He rambled, your dad had changed, he was broken, he was broken and trying. You hugged him tightly, wrapping your arms around his neck "I-I'm sorry dad.." You whispered "But..I'm here.." The room was quiet, Joel was quiet, but you still stayed with him till you ended up falling asleep leaning against his shoulder.

That Night you snuck out of the QZ, watching Tess grab Ellie after finding out she's infected made you huff, you didn't care people were coming, you aimed your gun at her growling "Let her go!" You yelled glaring, you glanced over scoffing as you saw Joel holding his gun pointed at you "Don't Y/n put it down!" He demanded, he knew he'd never shoot you never in hundred years but he needed you to stop. You grabbed Ellie's hand pulling her towards you before rushing down the path ahead "Y/n!" Joel yelled as you sped your pace up "Are you okay El?.." You whispered looking at her, You cared about Ellie, you couldn't help it she was just a couple months younger than you and you guys had bonded the past day, Marlene was right, she was special just not in the way Marlene thought.

Whenever you found your first safe house you ignored Joel and Tess, they're arguing about what they should do, You just stuck with Ellie "Ya know..He was alot cooler before all this.." You whispered nudging her shoulder "Oh yea? I bet" She sassed smiling playfully at you "He was..He was super cool..It's weird seeing him now" Admitting it was weird, but felt good it was weird seeing Joel, he looked exactly like your dad, and was your dad, but he acted nothing like your dad. "I'm sorry, Y/n..I overheard what happened with your sister.." Ellie whispered "It's okay..Sara was too sweet for this type of world.." You whispered looking at the ground playing with a random rock you found, Ellie watched you closely before slowly resting a hand on yours, she wasn't gonna say it out loud but whenever you stood up for her and held her hand the entire way here protectively had her face bright red with a blush, she had a girlfriend before, kinda, Riley, but she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. You accepted her hand squeezing hers gently before sighing as you heard Tess and Joel's footsteps, you pulled your hand away quickly standing up and looking at your dad. "You aimed a gun at me" You said sternly, he huffed looking at you "You've gotta understand y/n. I wasn't goning to actually shoot but I needed you to put the gun down. She's infected! She could turn at any minute and kill every one of us!" He argued before walking past you "Show me. Show me the fucking bite" He demanded, you watched Ellie nervously pull her sleeve up showing the bite mark "She's immune...it's why she needs to go to the lab" You huffed looking at him "She got bit two days ago, and she's fine" You defended, Joel sat down watching you two.

The rest of the night was awkward, you fell asleep watching over Ellie but not the same way Joel and Tess were, whenever you woke up you had your arm wrapped around Ellie protectively, your excuse you told yourself was to feel if she moved but it was comforting. It still felt tense and you hated it, but you stood your ground, nobody was hurting Ellie.

4 days later

Tess's death brought you and your dad closer together, and you were grateful but you couldn't think about that right now, Right now you needed to find a way out of here, you knew you should've left Ellie with your dad to make sure he's okay but she insisted you would need backup. Now you were being tracked by some creep after rescuing Ellie from becoming some type of main course to their dinner, you rushed into a bar hiding behind a counter nervously glancing at Ellie "Hide..I'm gonna go around and come up behind him" You whispered quietly, slowly crawling between counters nervously, you could hear him, taunting you and Ellie to fight him. You moved to a different spot whimpering whenever you heard him gasp and start to walk over making you crawl quickly to a different counter, he was gonna find you, and Ellie was gonna have to watch you get murdered.

Your heart was racing and the man was just feet away, tears brimmed your eyes and you knew this wasn't gonna end well, Joel was hurt, bad, Ellie was trapped across the room hiding behind a fallen cupboard waiting for you, whenever you peaked around the corner you were forced to the ground "No!" You screamed crying out, he grabbed you roughly flipping you forward before reaching for his belt, you struggling screaming out for help, you fought against crying and screaming as loud as possible before feeling blood splatter on your face, Ellie stood behind you two, her knife covered in blood and the man now bleeding from his neck, You quickly flipped over repeatedly slamming the brick next to you now into the mans head, you felt hands grab you quickly pulling you away and into a sitting position, you shoved them away crying loudly "No! No! no! Stop!" You cried swinging your hands around "Y/n Y/n it's me!" Ellie said sternly, You looked at her feeling relief wash over you before sobbing loudly, Ellie hugged you tightly playing with the tips of your hair "H-He was- He was gonna-" You sputtered choking on another sob "I know..I know..I've got you, y/n..I've got you" She whispered kissing the side of your head "C'mon We've gotta get out of here and back to Joel" She whispered before cupping your cheeks gently "Are you alright?..You're good to walk?.." She whispered nervously, you panted nodding, you glared at the dead body slamming your boot into his skull to make sure he was dead, Ellie quickly lead you out and towards the camp, it took you a minute to get to back to the house but whenever you did you were met with Joel stumbling out calling for you both. Ellie helped you rush to your dad letting you go so you could hug him, she stayed quiet watching the both of you. You explained to your dad what happened, your tone dull and missing any form of life as you spoke, Joel just listened trying to keep his tears back before hugging you tightly "Im so sorry baby girl" He whispered sadly keeping you close, he failed to protect you again. "Ellie saved me.." You whispered leaning back looking at him, he glanced at the redhead behind you nodding softly "I was wrong about you, kid..looks like you really are a good kid" He chuckled, you nodded humming in agreement, Joel sighed watching Ellie walk up to you kneeling next to you to wrap your hand, it being sliced open from one of the cannibals fuckers that was trying to kill Ellie. Joel could tell something was happening between you two, the way you always kept a hand hovered over Ellie's back or held her hand anytime you walked out into the real world, or the way Ellie watched you closely with everything you did, or the way she'd blush everytime you touched her hand or shoulder.

That night you were staying in a different house, not far from the last one, you just needed one with no broken window considering the raiders shot out the ones for the house you were staying in. The house still had beds and basically room setups so after clearing it out with Ellie you helped your dad in bed in the master bedroom. Now you and Ellie sat in an old kids room setting up shifts to keep watch "Y/n?" Ellie whispered after a moment "I...I thought I was gonna lose you..and..that scared me..because I didn't know..if..- nevermind, just I thought I was gonna lose you" She rambled, you looked at her smiling a bit "it's okay, Ellie..I've made it this far without dying...plus I can't leave you with mr. crankypants alone" You giggled nudging her shoulder, you couldn't put your finger on it but you really cared about Ellie, you wanted to hold her hand all the time, any chance you got, her skin was soft and her voice was soft and sweet, even though most of the things that came out of her mouth were the exact opposite of soft and sweet. "Ahhh true true" She smiled looking at you, the silence was comfortable, peaceful, other than your father's obnoxiously loud snoring. You both leaned against each other watching the sunset through the window "Do you think we would've met if this clickers thing never happened?" Ellie asked softly playing with your fingers quietly "I hope so...We click together nicely" You giggled looking at her trying to hold back even more giggles "Oh my god! That pun was horrible!" She laughed loudly, you smiled watching her in awe, she really was the prettiest girl you ever met, you thought of yourself as lucky, to be able to of been in a world where you and Ellie met and were so close in age. "Why're you looking at me like that? Ms. googly eyes" Ellie teased poking you gently "I dunno..you're pretty" You could feel your face heat up blushing, you never even had a boyfriend before the clickers came and after it wasn't exactly easy to find someone your age that was tolerable.

Ellie looked at you, you could tell she was thinking about something, or rather debating something but you couldn't tell what. That was until she grabbed your cheeks kissing you softly, you were stunned, watching as she pulled away nervously standing away from you quickly "I-I'm sorry I-Im sorry" She said going to leave the room but you grabbed her hand from your spot on the floor. "Ellie. Stop for a moment..." You whispered holding her hand gently "Are..Are you sorry you kissed me..or sorry you feel that way towards me?.." You asked nervously, Ellie huffed nervously, you could tell she was feeling trapped but you knew letting her run away would hurt you both. "I-I..Both.." She whispered defeated looking away from you "Ellie...I've...I've never had a relationship..like ever..but..I know I like you..and I haven't felt like this towards anybody..I wanna hold your hand all the time..and..I- I don't know how..I mean I don't care what my dad thinks but..I don't know what he'd think about us.." You whispered shyly, she nodded a bit slowly sitting down in front of you "Okay...So we take it slow..and keep it secret for now.." She whispered holding your hand with slightly more confidence, you smiled, looking at her before nodding. You both smiled at each other before giggling loudly, you brought your hand up to her cheek before kissing her gently, it felt right, like your brain already knew what to do. Ellie smiled against your lips squeezing your hand gently as you both pulled away, your heart and smiled dropped though whenever you heard Joel clear his throat from the hallway.

**slams fists down ** five times kissed !!! ( basically make me feel things )

send  five times kissed  for a drabble about five times our muses have kissed.

i. )  there was always a sort of unity when they were in the fireflies. they were a family, to a certain extent, but nothing like how it is here in jackson. it’s truly a  community, full of people who know everyone else, people who keep up with other’s troubles, and do their best to help  ease  those troubles. no one is given too much of a workload, and it’s fairly easy to get time off if you need it. it’s a sense of normalcy, something that’s one in a million. brian’s convinced that there’s no other place like it in the world. though, their world is very small compared to the endless opportunities that could be waiting somewhere else. they don’t know what could be waiting on another continent, if those places were even  effected.  he believes they were ; he believes everywhere is gone, everywhere is bits and pieces, and wherever there are people they’re trying to make due with what they’ve got.

tonight, the community has gathered out in the streets ; fires blazing, music playing. they’ve somehow convinced joel to play a little guitar, but most are amused by the way his brother strums on his own, taunting and joking with him. it’s not that tommy is bad, he’s just  definitely  got his own taste. laughs are shared, children run freely (  brian’s being one of them  ), and he finds himself snuggled back in a corner next to the stairs of the saloon with the one person who’s made this place truly feel like  home:  paul. 

there’s a hot cup of cocoa in his mitten-clad hands, and a gaze that was previously set on all the fuss around him slowly begins to focus on the man next to him. he just  watches.  watches as paul smiles, watching the music play and the children dance ; dina has managed to pull ellie up, and she’s up to her usual antics of putting on a show, this time with her lover. the flicker of the flames near them puts a special kind of sparkle in paul’s eyes, and brian can’t help but  smile. he leans over, presses a lingering kiss to the man’s temple. it’s sweet, soft ; it’s meant to show appreciation, more than anything. appreciation that paul is here, that he’s  alive, and that he’s  with  him. it’s an impulsive move, but at the same time it feels so  natural, like it’s the right thing to do.

ii. )  it didn’t take much convincing to get himself and paul put on a patrol together. maria and tommy are forgiving. they seem to sometimes  exude  love ; this deep care for everyone in the community, no matter the diversity or the situation. they want everyone to be happy, that much seems obvious to brian, and as long as it doesn’t harm anything and they can still get their work done, why  not  have two people who enjoy each other’s company on the same route?

brian has always had a love for horses, and has since gotten his own after being in the community for awhile. whiskey. his pride and joy. a large, brown horse who stands as tall as the highest building, with the elegance of a fine ensemble. he’s beauty, he’s  grace  --  he might just  be  mister united states. it’s why he rides him with such  pride. today, he managed to talk paul into just taking one horse ; yes, it’s due in part to him wanting to show off the stud, but also because he wanted to be  closer  to his favorite jackson patrol member. he follows along the muddy trail, sat high, hands loosely gripping the reigns as whiskey trots along through the tall grass. brian’s head turns to the side to glance over his shoulder, halfway keeping his gaze on the trail before them as he speaks to the other man,  ❛  -- i’ve always had a soft spot for animals, y’know?  ❜  oh, really?  ❛  yeah.. -- before all of this, we had a rottweiler named jackie -- she was badass. i had a horse for awhile, too-- and a  snake. i think, out of all of ‘em that the snake probably made it out.. maybe he got to live a long life. i don’t know how well they don’t out of captivity once they’ve been in it, though..  ❜  probably not  well. he turns his head back to the front, chuckles before adding,  ❛  -- his name was steve-o... y’know.. like that guy from  jackass? he was still little when everythin’ went to shit, only about two years old. he was a ball python, they’re great for p-- ❜  it’s when he glances back that he cuts himself off because, well.. quite frankly, he can see the way paul is looking at him. he’s looking at him like he’s the biggest  dork  on the planet. but that’s the thing with brian: you get him started on a subject he likes, something he’s  passionate  about, and he could talk for hours.

❛  -- what?  ❜  oh, nothing..  ❛  i’m ramblin’, aren’t i?  ❜  he gets a chuckle in response, no words, but a kiss to the corner of his mouth pairs with it. he’ll take it. smiling wide, he takes one of his hands off the reigns to reach back, giving paul a pat on his thigh. ❛  you’re by far my  favorite  person to run patrol with, you know that?  ❜

iii. )   ❛  ohhhh, c’mere, munchkin--  ❜  he drawls out, bending down to pick up his son from where he sits in the living room in front of paul. he’s got all of his legos out, and it’s no doubt going to be a  task  to clean them all up.  i don’t wanna!  ❛  well, i know you don’t  wanna, but you  gotta  go to bed. you know why?  ❜  the child shakes his head, looking rather bashful, and still rather  skeptical ; bedtime just doesn’t seem like it should be such a necessity... especially when you’re having so much fun!  ❛  ‘cause you gotta get big ‘n strong. and if you get a good sleep, maybe we can get up early and go play in the snow with dina tomorrow, huh?  ❜  that seems enough to persuade him. the boy smiles, nods his head quickly.  ❛  all right, then,  ❜  brian agrees, and he turns to look at paul before heading for the stairs,  ❛  i’ll be right back.  ❜

when he comes back down from putting oliver to bed, he notices the smile on paul’s lips. he’s intrigued, shown by the smirk that’s tugging at the corner of his mouth. ❛  -- and what are you smilin’ about?  ❜ he inquires as he heads over to the fridge to pull out two beers ; he then moseys on back over to where the other man sits, taking a seat next to him.  you’re a good dad, you know.  not even a question, a  statement. the once  uplifted  mood the man had has now turned a bit sour, proven in the way he loses eye contact with paul and looks down. he breaks open one of the beers, sliding it over on the coffee table to the other, then opening one for himself. well, he’s got some kind of vice now, so he’s willing to talk about the dirty past  (  as long as he can drown himself in  something  ).  ❛  wasn’t always like that.. -- don’t really know if it even  is  like that,  ❜  he comments, knocking bag a large swig of the amber liquid.  ❛  i wasn’t there like i should’ve been when he was a baby.. when he was  younger. had a lot of.. bad shit goin’ on in my head.  ❜  a multitude of things, but, mainly, a nasty drug habit. ❛  i’d probably still be just as shitty if the infected hadn’t started eatin’ everyone.  ❜  hey--  paul seems quick to cut off the harsh criticism of himself, and it’s probably best that way. if he lets it go, brian could easily spiral into spilling all the things he finds wrong with himself, and that would just ruin the mood of the night. he’s never been his biggest fan, and that’s one thing the end of the world  couldn’t  change.

a kiss to his shoulder is what finally makes him look back over, and he winds up resting his forehead against the other man’s, eyes slowly falling shut.  you can’t change the past.  he’s right, of course.  ❛  -- is there ever a time that you ain’t up to par on everythin’?  ❜  he swears, there’s never a time that paul  isn’t  right. still, it’s said with good intention, and it’s clear paul has lightened his mood a bit just by the faint smile on brian’s lips. he tips his chin up, lets their lips meet for a short, sweet kiss.  ❛  stay here tonight.. i don’t want you to go.  ❜

iv. )   ❛  hey!  ❜  it’s the first time he’s felt  frustration  towards the man, and he definitely isn’t scared to  show it.  paul begins to head towards the exit of their stationed patrol at the sound of a  shrilling  scream (  one asking for help, no less ), stating he’s going to go check it out.  ❛  -- we can’t just go out there like it’s nothin’, you don’t know what’s out there!  ❜  someone could be hurt, brian, you heard that. it was a call for help.  ❛  it’s outside of our zone--  ❜  brian. he’s right-- fuck, he  knows  he’s right, and it’s not like brian to be wary of going outside of zones or to even be wary of going and helping someone. he’s usually the first to jump to it, but there’s been more raiders around than usual lately, and he fears this one might be a trap. 

why are you fighting me on this?  because he’s  scared. he could give a  shit  about himself, but if something happened to  paul?  that’s something he’d never be able to forgive himself for. leaving the fireflies, all the damage and death that followed, including the death of  joel -- those are things he can find the time to push away, or find the time to get over  (  even if it comes back to haunt him every so often  ).  the more time he and paul spend together, the more he finds himself becoming  attached ; he’d be terrified to even think of it, the word  (  love  ), but he fears he’s edging closer and closer to it becoming his truth.  ❛  i’m sorry--  ❜  it’s a rarity for him to apologize, to admit he’s  wrong, but he  is. it’s out of character for him, and paul has to have noticed that, as well. he lets out a sigh, steps over to reach for his backpack that’s rested on an office chair, and he makes his way to where the other man stands. 

he fights with himself on what to say. he fights admitting that he doesn’t want anything to happen to him, that he doesn’t know what he’d do with himself if something did, that he’s increasingly becoming  scared  whenever they go out because of the countless possibility of  bad shit  that could happen to him. instead, he takes his hand, presses a lingering kiss to his forehead, and gives his hand a tight squeeze. he hopes he knows what it means without having to say it.  (  i want you safe, i want you with me when we get back to jackson. )  ❛  let’s go check it out, but let’s be smart about it.  ❜  always.

v. )  he would fight an army of infected, he would leap  bounds, if it all meant that he could savor in even  one  of these moments. he hangs onto these tightly, close to his heart. they’re both sat on paul’s bed having come back from a long patrol, the weight of his backpack finally falling as dead-weight to the floor. he brings his hand up, rubs at his sore shoulder. he watches paul as he sets his own backpack on the bed, beginning to unpack a few things he needs, and while he does that, brian pulls off his own jacket and his dirty shirt. 

when paul rids himself of his shirt, that’s when brian makes his way over to him. the bruises and scars that pepper the skin of the man he’s grown fond of are reminders of the fight they battle each day, and brian runs his calloused fingers along a few of them. his head dips down, soft kisses being sprinkled along the length of his shoulder to the curvature of his neck. one hand raises, loops a finger in the hair tie that holds the other’s hair, and he tugs until it’s loose and falls, cascading over his shoulders. palms run up and down his arms, squeezing soft at his biceps, and he nuzzles his nose against his jaw.  ❛  you’re so beautiful..  ❜  it’s spoken soft ; no one is around, but he wants to make sure only he can hear it. he wants him to know how  special  he is, because he feels like he doesn’t show it enough, and he definitely doesn’t  say  it enough. index and middle find paul’s jaw, and he turns his head until his entire body follows, and he’s facing brian. a kiss, slow, passionate, and  wanton graces his lips, fingers beginning to thread through the hair at the back of the man’s head.  ❛  you have to know how much you mean to me. i want you to know..  ❜  brian..  ❛  -- just let me love you.. even if it’s just tonight.  ❜