Beefro proudly presents:
a Joel Miller & his Darlin' drabble: Just Wanted To Hear Your Voice
Summary: You go for a night out and your minds wanders back to the man you share a home with. (Post Outbreak)
Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader | Rating: 18+ (MDNI) | Word Count: 1,245
Content Warning: allusions to smut, swearing, Joel & Darlin' being cuddle bugs
Author's Notes: this whole thing is courtesy of @iamasaddie & their prompt challenge. Thank you to @noxturnalpascal for being so sensible in their support and betaing this for me.
The need to socialize was something you’d not anticipated to ever feel again. After everything ended, normalcy became fight or flight and socializing for fun was a thing of the past. That is, until you and Joel had settled in Jackson. Being that you now no longer had to wonder where your next meal was coming from or had to keep looking over your shoulder for another threat, things that hadn’t held weight in years were starting to make their way back into your life.
“I’m goin’ out tonight.”, you said nonchalantly as you buttoned up your flannel shirt.
Looking up at your reflection, you caught Joel giving you a small smirk as he hoisted himself up from the bed.
He came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you flush with his big middle.
“Goin’ out? With who?”, he said in a hushed tone, pressing kisses to your neck.
“Maria, Dajana, Lisbeth… the usual suspects.”
“Ah, ‘s a girls night out.”
“Yeah. ‘S why you’re not invited.”
Joel chuckled and playfully gave your ass a spank.
*****
When you’d gotten home from working in the kitchen, you’d quickly cleaned up and changed, nervously anticipating something that you’d long since given up on ever doing again. You ran down the stairs just as Joel walked in the door and saw you in a dress.
He let out a long, low whistle. “You sure you’re goin’ out, Darlin’?”
You smiled at him, did a spin to show off your outfit, and Joel licked his lips. He nodded his head at you, and crooned, “Get over here. Need a closer look.”
The clock on the wall read that you were already in danger of being late, so you shook your finger at him with a smile as you tried to pass him to get to the door. Despite his added weight, he was still quick enough to catch you.
“You behave tonight. And have fun.”, he said against your mouth between kisses.
“Can’t do both at the same time, Joel.”, you teased. Giving him one last kiss, you squirmed out of his grip and scampered out the door.
*****
You’d lost count of how many rounds your table had ordered at the Tipsy Bison, and you were thoroughly enjoying yourself. Feeling the alcohol dampen your senses in a euphoric way, you found yourself lost in thought over how the luxury of letting loose was now something you had.
The conversation at the table moved easily through different topics, starting tame with things like the weather and town events and then slipped into gossip, giggled between sips of beer and bouts of laughter. The subject of sex came up and you sat back with a wide grin as the women went back and forth over just about anything and everything that could potentially fall under the umbrella of sex. One had a complaint about their partner that they expressed in a hilarious anecdote, another regaled the table with a story about almost getting caught by her in-laws giving a blow job. Tears were in your eyes from laugher, and when it was your turn to speak, you paused, keenly aware that Joel’s sister-in-law was sitting at the table. Instead of sharing how Joel pulled you apart with almost surgical precision before he fucked you into oblivion, you settled for one of your favourite things about him.
“I love his voice. The way he talks.”, you smile, looking at your half full glass of beer with a small smile.
“Joel is not what I would a talkative man. You sure we’re talking about the same guy?”, Lisbeth teased.
“The man knows exactly what to say.”, you chuckled, feeling your cheeks heat up. Realizing that everyone at the table assumed you were referring exclusively to Joel’s dirty talk, you saved yourself the embarrassment of getting sentimental and stated, “He saves his daily word count for nocturnal activities.”
The knowing looks and nods around the table followed by agreement and similar sentiments allowed your mind to wander to Joel. Sure, his bedroom talk was just something else, but his voice - now that was what you loved. The non-verbal sounds he made: the grunts, the huffs, the chuckles, the sighs, the moans, the breaths, the whines, the whimpers, the growls, the hums…
You’d learned that Joel was more than the words he said long before you realized you loved him. Just the slight pitch change in a groan was enough to tell you it was safe to push or to retreat. Being allowed to get close enough to learn this about him was not just a point of pride, it was something you cherished. In turn, Joel could read you well enough to know if he could move forward or let you take the lead.
You were shaken from your thoughts by Dajana nudging you with a laugh.
“Daydreaming about that dick, huh?”
You laughed and agreed, not yet ready to delve into the depths of how bad you had it for Joel. “Speakin’ of – I’m gonna head out.”
The women all half-heartedly tried to get you to stay as they one by one all decided to head home. You bid them good night and paid your tab on the way out the door.
*****
“You’re home early, baby. Everything okay?”, Joel asked softly with brows furrowed as you walked in. He was sitting in the armchair in front of fire with a small knife and a little wooden giraffe he was carving in his hands.
You said nothing, keeping eye contact as you took off your jacket and walked towards him. He watched you, seeing the telltale haze of beer in your eyes and held his hand out for you. You took it and crawled onto his lap, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling his head against your chest. He wrapped his arms around your middle and held you close, letting out a content hum and your heart swelled. The rhythm of his breaths was even and soothing.
You held each other for an indeterminate period of time, each relishing in the other’s comfort and yet existing as one. The pleasant cocoon was paused as Joel moved his head and nudged his nose against your chin, silently asking for you to look at him.
When you did, he gave a soft smile that traveled to his eyes and his brought his hand to your cheek. “You okay?”
“Keep talking…”, you hummed in response.
Joel huffed a laugh and eyed you, “Darlin’… you’re home early an’awfully cuddly.”
You smiled and a soft giggle hovered in your throat as you closed your eyes.
“Come on, baby. Talk to me. Somethin’ happen or one of th – “
“I just wanted to hear your voice.”
Joel pulled back and looked up at you, confusion written on his face. His brows raised and the confusion melted into amusement.
“Darlin’, you’re drunk.”
You let a laugh out, echoing through the house like chimes. “Maybe, but I know I love you.”
As soon as the words left your mouth, you froze. You and Joel had never said it to one another. You felt Joel pull you into him again, coaxing your tense body to relax. The small sound he made in response, the pitch and tone and the timber, the way you felt the sound vibrate from him through to you more than you heard it… it was all you needed to know he loved you, too.
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