#pls don't suck | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

seokmattchuus · 5 months

Note

Hi I’m the anon that was asking about how many prompts I can request… I decided that I’m going to put them all in here and then you can pick what you want. If you want to make more than one go ahead of you want to use all of them in one be my guest, if you do use any of them, can it be with Matthew please hahahah okay so we are looking at 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 30… sorry for being annoying, if you want to ignore this you can haha I get it…

A/n: This took so fucking long and I'm so fucking sorry but I really didn't like it at first and it needed to marinate in my mind. Then I got sick and it's just been a mess, but long story short, here it is and it kinda sucks just a teensy tiny bit.

P.S. I don't think I proofread and I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to reread this and I don't have writer friends that I can send to look over 💀 We will suffer about it together <3

"I can’t help but get a little angry when they’re looking at you like that." Matthew leaned over to whisper in your ear as he wrapped a possessive arm around your shoulder, his eyes never leaving the table that sat behind you. "They've been staring all night."

"Cameras, babe." You reminded playfully, trying to get him to remember you were currently at an award show.

"Everyone knows we're together, anyways." He gave you a boyish smile. "It'll be good press for our collab, anyways."

You left him be and focused your eyes back to the stage.

Matthew's protectiveness was something you loved to see. After years of dating people who didn't seem to care, Matthew's attitude made you feel like a prized possession. As cringey as it seemed, it did feel nice to be wanted to that extent.

"Your stylist must hate me." He whispered again. "Remind me just once," He licked his lips. "Who do you belong to?"

You turned to him with wide eyes and smacked his arm.

"We're in ear shot of a lot of people." You whisper-scolded. "They know we're dating but they don't know we're dating seriously."

"Are you saying you don't want to say it out loud?" He raised a brow, the playful tone long gone. "Do I have to make it known that we're dating seriously?" His eyes were serious, but you didn't back down.

There was a time and place for everything, and this was not it.

"I don't know what got into you, but we have to behave here." You tried to ration with him.

"We can always find a way out." He countered.

"You wouldn't."

"Don’t tempt me." He stated simply. "It's not like I asked for much, just something to prove a point." He shrugged. "So, you can prove the point, or I can."

"Did something happen?" Your face and tone were serious now. "You're rarely like this at events like this." You could tell something was getting to him, but you weren't sure and as he kept this act up, you were getting worried.

You pulled your phone out to message your manager, asking for the keys to the car because you were feeling a bit sick. Within minutes, she was at your table, and you explained you'd run to the store and be back soon, plus, it wasn't fair to your members to be left alone. Before she could reply, Matthew told her he'd go with you, and you could see her caving.

In the end, you were given the keys and Matthew all but ran to the car with you barely keeping up.

Once the doors were closed, he couldn't help but pull you on his lap.

“Open your mouth for me, darling.” He whispered as he brought his hands up to your lips.

Your stomach was swirling at the thought of doing this in the back of the car. In the parking lot of the award show at that. Getting caught by anyone was a high risk.

"Don’t pretend to be so innocent, now.” He tsked. "At least the windows are tinted. If we're careful when we get out, no one will know."

You licked your lips before parting them and letting his fingers coat themselves in your saliva.

As he took in the sight of you, legs spread over his dress pants, looking all dolled-up while he had his fingers almost knuckle deep in your mouth, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You dirty, little slut." He cooed at you. "So oblivious, aren't you." He teased, one of his hands trailing down to pull up the hem of your dress so it was draped over his thighs. "I bet you couldn't hear them saying how much they wish they could be doing this to you."

Your eyes darted towards him, and you pulled back.

"That's what this is about?" You looked at him like he was crazy. "Because you're jealous?"

"And if you heard someone say how much they wish they could ride me all night long? How they give me a better night than you ever could? Right in front of you?" He paused and waited for a response.

You stayed silent, unable to think of how you'd react.

"That's what I thought." He scoffed. "Now be good for me."

He finished his sentence by roughly slamming his lips onto yours, the fingers that were in your mouth now moving under the dress and through your underwear.

"All this for me?" He smirked as his fingers were met with slick. "And to think.." He paused as his fingers slowly slid over your clit. "We wouldn't be doing this right now had you just said you were mine."

He let silence take over the car as his fingers quickly worked their way inside you, your legs unable to close due to being on his lap.

"Matthew-"

You started but got cut off as his thumb started working against your clit, your head falling against his shoulder in a silent scream.

"God, I hated hearing them talk about you like that." His voice was lower, almost a growl, as he roughly sucked hickies onto your neck. "You're fucking mine."

You wanted to respond, but with the way his hands and lips were working against you, you couldn't find it in you to make words.

He looked at the marks he left and his hand came up to grab your chin to make you look at him, the fingers that were inside you starting a rougher pace.

"Who left these marks on you?"

"Y-You, fuck." You felt your legs tighten around his thighs as your voice broke.

"Are you going to cover them up?" He challenged as his thumb worked faster against your clit.

You shook your head as you didn't trust your voice, your eyes closing as you felt yourself getting closer.

"Use your words, angel."

"No, fuck, no, just please." You could feel your face redden as the words just flew out of you. Something about Matthew always made you a mess.

“Say my name. Scream it.”

"Matthew~" You whined loudly, your legs shaking around him as you felt yourself cum undone.

"Louder."

"I-I can't," You gasped as you tried, and failed, to catch your breath.

"You don't have a choice here, angel." He gave you a boyish smile as he kept rubbing your clit, his free hand holding you in place as you started trying to back away. "Don’t forget who you belong to.” He paused to watch your mouth fall in an open scream. "I'll use you until I'm done with you."

He quickly pulled his fingers away from you and moved them to work against the button of his suit pants.

"Matter fact." He licked his lips as he pulled himself out of his boxers. “I’m not going to stop until you’re begging me to." He smirked down at you as he moved both hands to move you over him.

Your mind was still hazy as you let out a chuckle.

"Do you think this is a joke?" He furrowed his brows, but his tone was full of amusement. Watching you lose yourself because of him was an ego boost he'd never get tired of.

"You're cute." You giggled until you felt him slide into you, the pleasure making you shiver.

"And you're cuter." He pulled you in for a kiss as you were fully sat on him, your hips moving before he could tell you to do so. He smiled into the kiss as his hands moved you faster against him.

“That's my good girl.”

#i still don't like it kinda #but oh well #if you're gonna tell me it sucks pls be nice about it. i am fragile #seok matthew #seok matthew imagines #seok matthew scenarios #seok matthew smut #zerobaseone #zerobaseone imagines #zerobaseone scenarios #zerobase #zb1 #zb1 imagines #zb1 scenarios #zb1 smut #kpop #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop smut

61 notes · View notes

dustydaddyyy · 1 year

Text

i. start me up | joel miller x reader

a/n: pheeeeeeew, a little joel miller because the pedro pascal brain rot is realllll it's currently so bad. but yeah still toying with the idea of writing a second part to this. . .let me know what ya'll think!

flash point (series) masterlist

pairing: pre-TLOU! joel x fem!reader summary: on a particuarly wet night, you run across tess servopoulos and joel miller, and they help you out of a tight spot warnings: canon-typical violence and gore, swearing, lots of tense moments, mentions of stab wounds, blood loss and unconsciousness. oh and another cursed stitching-you-up-with-what-i-have scenario. you're very welcome. no use of y/n but a very subtle switch from third-person to 'you' at some point (the struggle of transitioning from joel's POV was real)

"if you start me up,

if you start me up, i'll never stop,"

GIF credit goes to: @/manny-jacinto

Joel Miller had never really minded rain. Sure, it rained a lot in Boston, and often that meant everything was cold and grey, but Joel felt it matched his mood of late. So, when he finds himself trudging through the rain on a Tuesday evening, the sky having darkened several hours ago, he finds he doesn't mind so much.

Tess, on the other hand, is muttering up ahead to herself about getting soaked to the bone, cursing under her breath as the rain comes down in a light but potent drizzle, and Joel bites back the beginnings of an amused smile.

"You alright?" he asks instead, drawing level with her, and she gives him an annoyed look.

"I'm fucking cold,"

"We'll be home soon," Joel says, keeping his tone neutral, and Tess shakes her head with a scoff as they power on.

"We should've left earlier," she says pointedly, and Joel chooses to ignore her as they round the corner of the street, taking a right into a dark alleyway. At first glance it looks like a dead end, but Joel knows there is a pile of sandbags in the corner that allows you a leg up over the wall at the end of the alleyway. It's a shortcut into the downtown area, or what used to be the downtown area, and Joel and Tess had been using it for years to cut their smuggling routes into half.

Just as they reach the end of the alleyway, Joel's ears perk at the sound of noise behind them, and almost on instinct, he pulls on Tess' sleeve and presses himself into the corner of the alleyway, where they remain shrouded in darkness.

"Where are you running off too?" comes a loud, jeering voice from the night, and after a few seconds Joel watches as a young woman turns the corner, "We just want to talk to you!"

She's walking fast, in a hurried step as she glances furtively over her shoulder. The sound definitely hadn't come from her, but Joel doesn't have to wonder for long as three men round the corner after her. They're an assortment of tall and short, small and large– it feels almost like a bad movie scene, but nevertheless Joel's eyes meet Tess' as a slight sigh of mourning for his peaceful evening leaves his lungs; it doesn't take a genius to know where this is going.

The evening had been going so well.

The sigh isn't necessarily one of mourning; while Joel was hoping to get home relatively peacefully this evening, he also knows there's no way either him or his partner, hardened as they are, are going to watch this happen in silence.

"Leave me alone," the girl stutters, and one of the men laughs.

"You are alone," he says, and his tone has a chill to it before he gives a creepy smile, "We ain't going to hurt you, honey,"

"I somehow doubt that," comes her voice, and if Joel hasn't been paying attention, he would've missed the quick wit in her tone before it returns to a meek pleading, "Please, just let me go home,"

There's more drunken laughter from the men, and Joel and Tess share a look as one of the men takes a step closer to the girl, who is backing down the alley. "Come here, girl,"

When she sidesteps him, – with surprising ease – Joel thinks to himself, his hand reaches out and his face morphs into a snarl.

"I ain't asking again, you little prude," he hisses, and the minute his fingers close over her forearm, Joel's shoulders tense as he prepares to move.

This had gone far enough.

Then, several things happen at once; Tess' hands extends to stop Joel as he moves to take a step, and he'd been so focused on how he was going to barge into this situation that he hasn't even noticed that the girl has moved swiftly, jerking her arm towards herself, which makes the guy hanging on to her stumble forwards. She takes advantage of his momentum and puts a hand on his shoulder, pulling him down towards her as her knee comes up with what Joel assumes in an inordinate amount of force for someone her size. It makes a sickening cruch as it comes into contact with the guy's face, his nose crunching, blood spattering up her jeans as he stumbles back, stunned into silence.

Joel doesn't know if it was enough to knock the fucker out, but she barely gives him a chance as she steps forward, foot coming up to give him an almighty kick of her boot to the middle of his sternum, sending him flying backwards, limp.

She turns around towards his two friends, who had been watching in shock, and when they move forward towards her, fists extended, Joel watches as this girl unleashes one of the single most beautiful displays of violence he thinks he's ever witnessed.

It's clean, controlled, nothing like the raw violence that overcomes Joel in situations like this; it's precise, aimed specifically at incapacitating the two men. The tall, skinny one barely stands a chance, and she sidesteps him as he swings forward, giving his back an almighty two-handed shove as he falls face-first into the floor. She turns swiftly on the ball of her foot, and Joel watches with a sort of fascination as her leg extends in a wide arc around her, landing a kick to the jaw of the second one, who buckles almost immediately.

She turns again, methodically almost, as the skinny one tries to scramble to his knees, and in two strides she's standing behind him, crouching for a second to wrap her forearm around his neck. The guys struggles, but she's holding fast, his kicking feet struggling as she tightens her grip with her other arm.

Then, Joel catches something; a reflection in the dim moonlight, the glint of a blade, and he seriously fights an urge to call out and warn her but it's too late. She lets out a pained grunt as the man's hand slashes wildly, the blade sinking into her upper arm. Another contained yell escapes her, and Joel watches as her face contorts in sudden pained anger and frustration. He knows it's coming, having recognized the expression on his own face more than once, and he's not surpised when she jerks the man suddenly in her grasp, his neck breaking under her grip, his body going limp. There's a resounding thump as she drops him, his form collapsing in a heap at her feet.

She lets out a breath, hands on her hips as she surveys the damage for a minute, before her head turns to her arm, the blade still sticking out of it.

"Motherfucker," she hisses to herself as she inspects the handle of the blade, letting out another pained breath, before sucking it right back between her teeth, "Fuck,"

She takes a deep breath, before crouching beside the bodies, two knocked out, one lifeless. It takes a second for Joel to realize she's going through their pockets, and he has to bite back a scoff.

Little thief.

After pulling what looks like a few ration cards and two watches off your would-be assailants (or were they your victims? Had this been planned out?), you get back to your feet with a groan, inspecting the knife still sticking out of your bicep. Your face contorts in pain as you suck some air in between your teeth sharply. Your hand moves towards the handle, as if you're contemplating taking it out. Joel thinks he probably would have if it had been him.

"I wouldn't do that," Tess speaks up, her voice echoing through the silent alley as she steps out of the shadow.

You're fast, wheeling around in the alleyway towards the sound of her voice. Your hand moves quickly as it reaches into a holster than had been hidden against your side, the sound of the gun safety clicking off following it soon after. This makes Joel kick into gear, his own gun coming from his holster as he points it at you, which catches your eye.

"Not another step," you threaten, your voice low as you point the barrel of a gun at Tess, but your eyes are boring into the darkness, almost as if you can see right through it, through Joel, standing half hidden against the wall, "I won't hesitate to shoot her, and trust me when I say I'll be taking her right down with me if you pull that trigger,"

It's a silent for a moment, before Joel moves, stepping into full view.

Your expression doesn't change, but Joel watches with some satisfaction as your eyes roll up to his face, taking in his height and his broad shoulders, and running down his built arms and towards the barrel of his gun.

You're wondering whether you could take him in a fight.

(Joel quietly believes you could, but he doesn't voice it)

"Easy with that,"

Joel's voice is deep and level as he doesn't waiver, gun still pointed at your face, which you find surprising considering the situation, but equally unnerving because he doesn't seem at all fazed at the gun you're pointing at his partner.

"Don't patronize me," you say, giving him an unimpressed look, eyebrows raising as you stare straight into Joel's eyes, moving the gun and pointing it at him, instead, "Now did you hear me stutter? Put that down,"

"Can't shoot us both,"

Joel knows he probably shouldn't be taunting you, but it feels like a force stronger than himself as he raises a singular eyebrow at you, almost in challenge.

"Fine," you say with a hint of a sarcastic smile, "I'll shoot you first, grandpa, and then her,"

Joel's eyes harden slightly at your threat and the name, and for a moment it's a standoff as your stare him down. He's impressed by how well you're standing your ground, considering your relatively smaller stature compared to him, but as his finger itches over the trigger, toying with the idea–

"Why don't you both put your toys away, hm?" Tess asks, and she sounds unimpressed, unbothered, almost, "Bad enough we have FEDRA on our asses, don't need to be killing each other, as well,"

Your eyes haven't budged from Joel's, hand tightening around your gun. "You first,"

Joel lets out a humourless scoff. "You think I'm that stupid, do you, sweetheart?"

The name rolls off his tongue with surprising ease, and Joel watches with great satisfaction as your face hardens, your hands gripping the gun with renewed strength, finger pushing against the trigger.

"Joel," Tess says, partly in surprise, considering she's never, ever heard him use that word, and partly in warning as she watches your shoulders square.

"Didn't I tell you not to fucking patronize me?" you say, your voice filled with barely restrained anger, eyes flashing with fury as you contemplate shooting him. He'd be an easy kill from here; he isn't old, but he's older enough to be slower than you, and there's no way he'd beat you to shooting him right in the chest.

Your thoughts are interrupted as a light sweeps across the main street, along with the faraway sound of radios and a FEDRA truck.

"Shit," Tess curses, before peering at the wall, looking back at Joel, "We have to go,"

Then she turns back to you. "Look, you can shoot each other, whatever, but the minute either of you pull that trigger, FEDRA is going to come charging around this corner and then we'll all be fucked,"

Her tone is almost chastising, as if she's mediating a conflict between children.

"Or, you can put that down and come with us over this wall, and live to tell another day,"

"She what?" Joel lets out incredulously, head finally moving as it snaps to stare at Tess in disbelief, but Tess isn't looking at him, instead exchanging a glance with you.

"Besides, you've lost like half a pint. . . someone has to take that unsanitary shiv out," Tess says finally, and you let out a small breath, clenching your jaw.

It's clear you're still in pain, and Tess had been right in observing your wound hadn't stopped bleeding, soaking through the several layers you're wearing, the rain doing nothing to wash it away.

After a short second filled only with the approaching sounds of the soldiers in the night, your eyes flashing with mild panic, flitting nervously between Tess, Joel and the street, you nod.

"Fine," you say, curtly, dropping your gun and tucking it in the waistband of your jeans, before you look up expectantly, "Lead the way,"

It's easy, maybe too easy, Joel thinks to himself, but after another withering look from Tess and the growing noise and approaching light, he relents with a sigh, turning on his heel and stepping back towards the darkened corner.

"Come on," Tess says, beckoning you, and you follow them, pressing up against the wall and watching as Joel gives Tess a leg up over the small wall, which she scales easily. Joel turns to you, raising a brow expectantly as he waits for you to move.

"You going to stand here all night waiting for the other shoe to drop, Cinderella?" Joel finds it in himself to be sarcastic, his tone harsh as he regards you, and you let out a breath.

"I can climb the wall without a boost," you rebuff him, before motioning your head, "Now get a fucking move on or we'll get caught,"

Joel isn't sure he appreciates your tone, but he doesn't have enough time to consider his reaction as voices sound directly from the other end of the alleyway. Joel doesn't think, he only reaches for the front of your jacket, pulling you towards him and under the cover of darkness as he flattens himself against the wall, pressing you against him.

"What the fuck–"

You're surprised, caught off guard by the sudden closeness, but Joel shushes you harshly, one of his hands coming up from the grip on your jacket to cover your mouth. You let out a surprised sound, which is muffled by his hand, and your arm moves past his head and against the wall, palm flat to steady yourself. You let out a small groan of pain, eyes closing tightly as the blade in your arm jerks, more blood pouring from the wound. You take a deep breath, eyes opening, before they narrow to slits as you glare at Joel, ripping his hand away from your mouth.

Before you can say anything, however, a bright search light sweeps over the street illuminating the three slumped bodies.

"Shit," you swear under your breath as you hear several alarmed shouts, and beneath you, Joel doesn't move, his hand still gripped into the front of your collar as his eyes follow the commotion in the alley. He watches as the FEDRA agents jump from their truck and go to inspect the carnage in the alleyway. There's three of them, large guns strapped over their shoulders, and you feel Joel's grip on your jacket get tighter as you desperately press yourself further towards him in an attempt to remain unseen. He doesn't rebuff you, probably because he realizes that if they see you, then they'll see him, too.

"This one's dead," says one soldier, nudging the tall one as he shines his flashlight down, "Neck looks broken,"

"Pockets empty," the other one concludes after he takes a look at the other guy, "But just knocked out, it seems,"

"That's the second time this month," the third one says, walking around the truck, "Looks like we got a thief with anger issues,"

"It's sloppy," says the one crouching, before getting to his feet, "He's going to get caught one way or another,"

You have to bite back a smug look at the use of the pronoun. They didn't even think it could be a woman.

"Load them in the back of the truck, they're still out past curfew," says the one nearest to the car, before turning and calling over his shoulder, "And make sure to check the alley. . . they could still be hanging around,"

Your eyes go wide as you hear one of the soldiers oblige, and they meet Joel's. It's unspoken, but Joel sinks slightly through his knee, cupping his hands for you to step in. You don't protest, and he boosts you over the edge as the light approaches the corner. You don't jump down to the other side, though, and for a terrifying moment you're almost completely exposed in the light of the moon as you thrust your hand down to Joel. Part of your leg dangles down over the other end as you straddle the wall, lowering yourself as Joel gives you a glare at the risk, but takes it nonetheless. You strain as you pull him up, and can feel another set of hands holding firmly onto your calf, steadying you as you pull Joel over the top. You're the last to jump off, and at that moment, your hands poised on the top of the concrete, ready to push off, the beam of light from the flashlight shines straight into your back.

"Should've known I'd find you lurking out here," comes the voice of the first soldier, but it isn’t loud; he isn't shouting or pointing his gun at you.

On the ground on the other side, Joel scrambles to his feet and looks up, eyes wide as he watches your face change. You motion with your hand for them to be quiet, before turning to look over your shoulder, facing the guy.

"Good evening, Samuel," you say, your voice full of a tone that was very different than the one you'd used with Joel. He hears the confidence, the sureness; you don't even sound remotely worried about getting caught.

"You seen any of this?" he asks, gesturing behind him, and you shrug nonchalantly.

"Sorry, I was just passing through, I didn't see shit," you lie, and Joel hears the soldier scoff.

"Now why don't I believe you, hm?"

Again, his tone doesn't sound angry or aggravated, but familiar, and Joel realizes with a start that you two know each other, and by the tone of your voice, rather well.

"Come on, you going to bust me, Sam?" you let out in a scoff, tone almost playful, but still quiet enough not to attract too much attention, "What on earth would you do if they hung me, hm?"

"Get out of here," comes the guy's voice, and he sounds like he's fighting a smile, "Don't let me catch you out here again, you understand?"

"I'll see you around," you say, and the guy actually manages a chuckle.

"Without a doubt,"

With that, you jump down, landing on the ground next to Joel, groaning slightly as you land. On the other side of the wall, the footsteps recede, his shouts mixing in with his fellow soldiers'.

Joel moves incredibly fast for his age, and in no time he's crowded you, pushing you up against the wall with a forearm against your neck.

"We don't work with rats," he warns, low, under his breath, but as he goes to press his arm down for maximum effect, he feels something poke him in the abdomen, right in the fleshy part of his stomach. It's sharp, not quite piercing his shirt, but enough to serve as a very real warning.

"Joel," Tess's voice comes in alarm as she undoubtedly spots the blade pressed against his abdomen.

"That's right," you say under your breath, and the look you give Joel is one of pure challenge, corner of your mouth pulled into an almost-smirk, "You move one more inch and this rat will gut you like a fish, old man,"

"Cut that out," Tess hisses, putting a hand on Joel's arm, "We barely got out of that. . . if you two fucking kill each other in the street we're going to have more problems,"

All of a sudden, you blink your eyes several times as you feel your head begin to spin, stumbling slightly to the side, taking a sharp breath in. Joel's arm pulls back slightly as his other hand comes up to rest flat again your waist, keeping you steady. It's almost a reflex, and he doesn't know why he does it, but something about the way the blood drained from your face just now isn't right.

"Woah, hey," he lets out in surprise, and he feels the sharp object's poke in his stomach lessen as your shoulders go slack against him, "Tess, she's passing out,"

"Jesus," Tess curses as Joel completely withdraws his arm from your neck, and she steps around to your other side, slinging your arm over her shoulder, "Hey, you can't fucking bleed out on us out here, you hear me? Come on, help me with her,"

"And do what? Where are we going to take her?" Joel asks, frowning because he has a nasty feeling he's not going to like the answer to his question, and Tess glares at him.

"In case you hadn't noticed, she just risked her neck for you to pull you up this wall and get that soldier off our back. . . if it had been you he'd found, something tells me he wouldn't have been so lenient," Tess reprimands him, and Joel is taken aback by how quickly she's coming to the defence of a strange girl they'd met barely 20 minutes ago.

Joel grits his teeth as he realizes Tess has a point, and after a second, he crouches slightly and slings your other arm over his shoulder. You're still conscious enough to make small steps, but your breaths are shallow as the two smugglers hurry through the darkened streets, taking you with them. They manage to get you to a building with relatively no hiccups along the way, but by the time they're pulling you over the doorstep of an apartment, your entire shirt is thoroughly soaked in blood. It's everywhere, hot and sticky, and your eyes barely stay open as they drop you in what feels like a dining chair.

"You have to pull it out," you hear Joel order as he rummage through a cupboard, and you don't even protest as you feel Tess' fingers close over the handle of the blade sticking out of your bicep.

"Wait," you mutter, eyes opening as your head straightens, "You c-can't just pull it out if you aren't going to stitch me up. . . I'll b-bleed to death,"

"Good thing I was planning on stitching you up, then," comes his deep voice, and you barely manage to focus your gaze on him as he crouches in front of you, eyes inspecting your face as you barely stay with it, "Tess, pull it out,"

"Alright, alright," she says, and you brace yourself as she grabs the handle and yanks.

Your scream is somewhat strangled, staying stuck in your throat as your eyes fly open in shock and pain, fingers gripping the side of the chair with white knuckles, a sharp gasp coming in through your lips. Then, your eyes roll into the back of your head and you lose consciousness, head lolling against your chest.

"Jesus, fuck," Tess curses, using one of her hands to support your neck.

"Help me get her shirt," Joel orders, and together they manage to pull your top over your head, exposing your arm to Joel. The wound is bleeding profusely, and he uses a spare strip of fabric to tie the top of your arm, in a desperate attempt to slow the bleeding so he can clean and stitch you up. He's quick with it, having been almost entirely desensitised to this kind of gore in the years they'd spent travelling, with Tommy, and the stitches aren't even half bad, either. You're still covered in blood, so Tess tries her best to clean it up with a towel, before she disappears for a second to fetch a spare shirt. When they've finally managed to move you to the bed, Joel thinking to himself that he'll take the couch, you're passed out cold, a frown etched into your asleep face.

Ten minutes later, him and Tess are standing in the kitchen, and he peers from there into the darkened area of the room that serves as the bedroom.

"What the fuck are we doing here, Tess?" Joel asks her, gaze coming back to meet hers in a harsh, questioning gaze, and she lets out a sigh as she takes a drink from the alcohol in her glass.

"I don't have a clue, okay?" she admits angrily after swallowing it down, "We couldn't just leave her behind, Joel,"

"Why the hell not?" he hisses, putting down his glass with a harsh sound, "We have no idea who this girl is. . .who her enemies or allies are,"

"You're being so fucking dramatic," Tess says with an almost dismissive snort, shaking her head, "We saved her life, she won't rat us out to FEDRA,"

"You don't know that," Joel says pointedly, putting his hands on his hips and regarding her.

"So what, you want to smother her in her sleep?" Tess suggests sarcastically, "I thought we weren't doing that anymore, Joel,"

His silence is angry as he regards her, jaw clenching before a frustrated breath leaves him, his fingers grasping for his glass.

"I'm going," Tess declares, putting down her glass, "I have a place to crash not far from here,"

"What?" Joel chokes out, "You want me to babysit?"

"Not babysit," Tess lets out in an irritated tone, before grabbing her coat from the back of the chair, "If we're lucky, she'll wake up tomorrow and be out of your hair by the morning,"

"If we're lucky," Joel mutters, "If we're unlucky, she'll either die of infection, or smother me in my sleep and steal all our shit,"

"I'm sure you'll manage," Tess says, her tone almost final, and Joel feels the irritation boil deep inside him as she pulls her coat on. "I'll see you in the morning. . . and she better still be alive when I get here, Joel,"

The last thing Joel hears is the soft slam of the door as Tess leaves, and when she's gone, he down his drink, head turning to look once more into the bedroom. If Joel strains his ears, he can hear you snoring softly, the light from the kitchen providing enough visibility for Joel to watch the consistent rise and fall of your chest under Tess' shirt.

At least you weren't dying. . . yet.

Joel eventually goes to bed, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible on the couch. It isn't a bad couch, per se, but Joel's back does not agree with using it as a bed. It takes another hour for him to fully drift off to sleep, the consistent sound of your deep, raspy breaths eventually drawing him into the darkness.

When Joel next opens his eyes, it's barely light outside, and you're gone.

The beginning sounds of a waking QZ filter through the poorly insulated windows as he steps into the kitchen, eyes falling on the pockets of his coat hanging off the chair, which have been completely turned out of his ration cards.

"Little fucking thief," he curses, but when he goes to grab the coat, his eyes fall on his wrist, his mind only just realizing the absence of a familiar weight as he finds his watch is missing, too.

On the table, you've left a hurriedly scribbled few words on the back of the open map, having folded the corner up so that it was visible.

I owe you. Sorry about stealing your shit.

"I've been running hot, you got me ticking now don't blow my top"

#finally able to post this #pls don't let this completely suck omfg #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller one shot #pedro pascal #the last of us #tess servopoulos #joel miller hbo #tlou hbo

208 notes · View notes