Deucalion &amp; Peter

travels tended to be quiet. the first few weeks ellie asked a lot of questions, tried to pry her nose into joel's life - into his private affairs, trying to find out about his family & life before the outbreak, even though she understood early on that joel didn't so sharing. she was a means to and end, she was cargo & he liked it that way.

peter was different in that regard, he shared a lot & ellie needed that - it felt like. joel didn't mind so long as they left him out of it. so, while the hike through the woods was pleasantly quiet to him, the two chatted away & when she complained about not wanting to walk anymore, he carried her piggy-back, something else ... joel likely wouldn't do. maybe he would, but she never asked & joel tried not to reply to her complaints because he knew rewarding it would only make it worse.

if peter wanted to deal with it, so be it. they avoided towns as best as they could, but not all could be skipped unfortunately. they were back on concrete, his heavy boots thumping with every step taken - stealth .. impossible, but then again - ellie never shut her mouth, so stealth was impossible in the first place.

finger ready to jump on the trigger as they entered the town, joel motioned for silence - he could try, right? they didn't really need resources for now, so they could make their way right through. cars were in the way & roadblocks, but they could climb. "c'mon, i got you." ellie was no the best climber, so he tended to have to give her a hand.

"we got maybe two more hours of light."

He didn't share anything too sensitive with her, he shared the good memories he had of his family before everything happened and avoided mentioning anything supernatural. He piggybacked her a few times but mainly chatted with her. Once in the city, he walked more quietly, though she didn't quiet down whatsoever. Joel didn't seem to mind, it seemed to be a normal occurrence, too.

However, he could hear something approaching. In an instant, he pushed Joel against a wall and pressed himself against him to use the small shadow to hide them. He had dragged Ellie with him to their side and had a hand over her mouth.

Seconds passed, and suddenly, a group of cars began to drive past where they had been. Once they had driven past, he pulled away from the small space, they had cars on both sides of them. He sighed, and Ellie eyed him momentarily but didn't seem to ask anything. He had shown her his true face, and she hadn't said anything about that either.

"Let's find a place to stay indoors tonight. We won't reach far from the city with how much time we have left," he told the other. "Sorry I pushed you," he added. Though he wasn't sorry, he had sort of felt him up a little.

joel was less passionate about ..most of it. he was letting the other string him along, nothing he did or sad felt like a bad thing, or like he shouldn't be doing it. he felt so light, so good - so calm, so content with hands roaming his body & lips caressing his neck. it'd been way too long since he let himself do this. after sarah's mom, he just.... didn't have to will or time to go out & chase pleasure. the first few years he couldn't, but after that? not easy when you were married to your work.

he knelt on the bed, following peter's lead with ease, on all fours with his ass up in the air was not exactly what he had imagined - or thought would happen tonight when he went to the bar to get shit-faced, but ... fine. this wasn't too bad, really. he didn't have to do a lot & he still felt good. better now that peter knelt by his side & wrapped around him. yeah, nice, good. he knew what he was doing, definitely, while joel just drifted along with soft little noises announcing he was indeed enjoying this.

& then he was spun around onto his back, which ... was somewhat confusing, but he didn't protest. instead he looked up at the other when he straddled his hips. again, question. like joel had a preference, which he really didn't. not right now, but also not if sober - most likely. or maybe he would've - he couldn't quite tell. "jus' do it."

#ireallymisscoffee02 #nsfw

This time around he got the message. Joel didn't want to think or make decisions, he wanted to enjoy himself, so Peter will obliged and make him enjoy it. He dropped the lube on the bed, next to his knee, and lifted his legs so they were on his shoulders then he moved his mouth to his now hardened cock and began sucking it while watching his every expression. After a while he let it free with a filthy pop and turned him around, he wanted to see his face, but he didn't want to hurt him and this position was best for less pain.

Back on all fours, he began to tease him with his tongue, hand back to his cock before he pushed his tongue in. He was planning to dedicate some time to this though, to eating him out and making him whine with need. So Peter began doing just that. Pushing his tongue in and out, while his one hand stroked him. The other hand soon joined his tongue and he began pushing some fingers in before he pulled away and got some lube on his fingers. It was flavored lube, so he returned to eating him out, stroking his cock, and pushing now lubed fingers into him together with his tongue.

He didn't have much patience tonight either though. His own erection was throbbing with need but he ignored it, for now. He growled at how delicious this was. He bit an ass cheek softly before pulling his fingers out again. He wanted attention too, so he turned Joel around again. "Lube me out, use plenty of lube," he told him placing the lube in his hands and just giving him orders as he licked his fingers clean before going to caress his face. He had made Joel sit up on the bed and he was not straddling him like he had last time, last time he had just wanted to show off a bit. Now? Now he just wanted attention. Pleasure too.

ellie liked the company, joel was not oblivious to that, so that was most likely part of why he felt more & more tempted to agree to letting him walk with them. back-up for him, a friend for ellie - because joel knew he sucked at being that to her & maybe one day a friend to him, too. or he'd leave next chance he gets & they'd be back to traveling alone - it didn't matter to him in the end. joel didn't travel to make friends, he was out here to find his brother & to get ellie somewhere safe. with the fireflies.

& after tess... after henry & sam, he felt like ellie deserved a friend. "then stay." he.. looked at him shortly when he said it, but didn't let his eyes longer. it wasn't with much fanfare, it wasn't the best invitation - but it was the closest to an invitation to becoming part of their little family had been. so if peter was smart, he'd take it.

the night after that was quiet - on all fronts. joel wasn't much of a talker, peter was lost in thoughts, or something & the only noise ellie shared with the group were soft, teeny-tiny little snores. he felt somewhat relieved when the sun rose, announcing a brand new day & another day to get closer to wyoming, which ... was still months away... if they stayed on foot, which they probably would. the fireflies had been their best option at a car, getting bill's had been pure luck. finding another, out during travels? unlikely.

their little morning routine entailed breakfast, which was usually heating up some cans on the remains of the fire - the embers usually still hot enough for that, pack everything up, let ellie get a few bad puns out of her system & then they'd walk. they'd run out of coffee a little while ago, which ... was unfortunate, but they'd been lucky to get their hands on any in the first place.

the woods in the morning sun would never cease to amaze him, he'd often taken hikes with sarah & moments like this... reminded him of those weekends. it was practically the same, but without the underlying fear of being found by murderous savages. "c'mon, pack up."

"i'm on it, joel."

"readin' those damn puns ain't on it, ellie."

"uh, yeah it is. gotta bring my book. you can't escape will livingston."

"fine, whatever. just pack up, will ya? we only got so much time before the sun's settin' again."

"I will stay then, thank you," he replied to the invitation with a soft smile. it felt nice to be invited to stay somewhere, to be wanted like that. it made his heartache and it made him want Joel to succeed even more. He didn't voice that, however, he will secretly help him succeed. He was a werewolf, he had good reflexes and amazing abilities that he would use for Joel and Ellie.

Ellie, she was another mystery. Her scent was so different yet so normal. It was strange. Confusing.

Peter was packing up the next day, fixing things up in his backpack just to waste some time while the others got ready to leave. He heard Joel talking to Ellie, trying to get her to pack up and he chuckled quietly as he moved to sit beside Joel but not too close. "Come on, princess, you won't get piggyback if you don't hurry up." He teased her with a smile.

He could imagine Malia in her place, he missed her daughter growing up and now she was with Scott doing who knows what and probably still didn't want to have anything to do with him.

Once she was ready he clapped once and got up to start their day walking. After a few hours, he had Ellie back on his back and he was mentally giggling at how she was enjoying this nonsense. When they hit the road, the piggyback ended. They had to be alert here and he had his gun at ready though he really used it.

he'd fought so hard to resist temptation, to stop himself from indulging, to not let the other lure him into his hotel room of sin again, but ... it was so difficult to withstand. he didn't know what it was, or why it was peter - his goddamn boss who got under his skin this way, but he knew he had reached a point of no return in his struggles. he was... feeling exceptionally light, though - like part of him knew everything was going to be okay. a lot of guys did this these days. it was fine. his heart beat extraordinarily fast when the seat belt clicked, his brain trying to warn him that he shouldn't be doing this, but everything else was being incredibly positive about his plans.

joel felt like nothing could hurt him, nothing could stop him. yeah, he was doing fiiiiiine. it wasn't until the lock of the hotel room door clicked shut behind him that he realized he .... fuck. peter was on him in seconds & the attention just felt too good to put an end to it. joel hadn't exactly spent the past few years looking for hook-ups, so his might or might not be insanely deprived in that department. maybe that was the reason peter got to him the way he did. he was so weak to his touches, leaning into him when he wrapped his arms around him, arching his back against him & letting soft noises fall from his lips.

he watched as peter took his pants, let the other guide him out of them without comment, let him ... move him the way he wanted. not a single care in the world right now. teeth came down on his bottom lip with the decision, letting his inebriated mind ponder the decision until ultimately it concluded a very reasonable & very simple solution.

"don't care."

#ireallymisscoffee02 #nsfw

He wanted to take him on the table, bend him over it and just take him, and the thought made him growl. A human growl at that, he wasn't crazy to growl like a werewolf. But, he decided he would take him on the bed. It was simple and easy, and comfortable. Peter took Joel's shirt off and moved him softly towards the bed while kissing his neck from behind.

Once close to the bed he guided Joel onto it making sure Joel was facing downwards with that beautiful ass facing him. Peter caressed his back and moved his hands below Joel to touch his cock and stroke him into life. While Peter was still dressed, he would address that detail later. For now, he focused on Joel, on giving him pleasure, on hearing him moan and wiggle over his bed.

He just hoped this time Joel would remember this, any of this, how he felt tonight with him. Otherwise, he was fucked. He growled again at Joel's little noises, he kept stroking his cock in his hand while he watched. He wanted to eat him out, but not yet. He did squeeze his ass though and teased his hole with his free hand.

Soon enough he turned him around again and began stripping while kneeling over Joel. He was semi-hard already and his breath was a little labored. "Fuck, you're gorgeous," he says eyeing Joel's naked body as he took his pants and underwear off. He moved around the bed to take the lube out of one of the drawers and returned to Joel. "Anything special you want, baby?"

1anonyymous1

My problem is I never healed I just kept going

#About Peter

mistressvera

#faceclaim #I love his suit here

boysappetit

Ian Bohen

#faceclaim

"it was fuckin' twice. you ain't gotta stay if you think you ain't safe with us. i know you're tryin' to help, but we're fine. we've been fine." because joel & ellie had been fine running together - without peter. it was easier like this, sure - but they had been fine before & they would be. what he didn't need was someone who ...whatever it was peter was doing, really. he didn't need this. not after reliving the worst day of his life ..in vivid detail again just now. just... not now, wrong time, wrong place for that discussion. & he definitely wouldn't entrust ellie's safety to him. they'd ran together for a week, a week. a week was nothing. not even remotely enough time to get to know another person.

"besides, once we're back to sleepin' in houses we got walls to protect us - doors to watch." it was so much easier. he could booby trap doors & they could all sleep peacefully through the night. well, somewhat peacefully. probably not peacefully at all, but still.

"up to you." joel wouldn't force him to stay, not if he was unhappy with how they ran their little group. ellie trusted him & he'd do his best to keep that trust, hold it in honor. just like he was trusting her with some things now, though... not quite entirely, with everything.

joel stifled a yawn against the back of his hand & rubbed said hand over his eyes. another yawn followed, though he wasn't really sleepy anymore right now, just... drained. this journey had taken so many detours that weren't planned, he didn't know what to expect anymore. could they even find tommy? was he still alive? what if he wasn't? what if all this was for nothing? without tommy they would never find the fireflies. soft sigh.

"No, not what I'm saying." He replied. He could go, he had his fix, but Joel wasn't kicking him out, Joel hadn't said he wanted Peter gone, so he didn't move. As the other, though, he had a nightmare which was why he woke up and he didn't really feel like sleeping again. But he had to think of ways to protect them. He was a light sleeper, any dubious sound would wake him up. Right, so sleep with a knife at hand and gun close. His senses were sharp, sharper than ever. Any intruder? He would smell them, hear them, and fuck them up. "I'd like to stay if that's the same to you."

I am always safe, Joel. I'm not easy to kill, that fire 30 years ago proved it. Now? You can't even see the burn scars on me. That is what he thought, he wanted to say it too, but he didn't. He rested his back against the tree and looked up again. He couldn't wait for that moon, to feel alive again. But... he was starting to feel alive with these people even without the moon. He didn't know who Ellie was and why she was cargo, but he knew she was different. Not supernatural different, but definitely different. A new breed then. Who knew. Maybe even immune. Was he going to test that? Fuck no.

Morning came faster than he wanted. They had both been quiet the rest of the night, nothing to say really. The constant fires were doing a number on his psyche, his nightmares were coming in stronger and as they approached the winter and the cold states, it would only get worse. He should leave, run to warmer places where a fire wasn't needed. He mentally thanked Joel for not mentioning the fire, or wanting help with it, or asking about his fear of it. He should be over it by now but it just...it brought terrible memories with it. Pain, sorrow. He closed his eyes tightly until he felt Ellie stir awake. He opened his eyes then and sighed. Time to start their day.

maybe was still on the table. joel agreed to let the other join them for the time being, partially because he enjoyed having someone else there, but also because he ...somewhat... felt like he could trust him. he wasn't sure yet, obviously - a few days or even a week wouldn't be enough for that, but after henry & sam.. joel felt like others might e deserving of a chance, too. he still wished they'd joined them, wished that ellie didn't have to suffer loss after loss so early on & under his watchful eyes, but there was only so much he could do, unfortunately.

apparently he was somewhat able to keep her alive... but not others, which made peter the perfect candidate to test his theory. would he also get him killed? dude seemed capable enough to look after himself if company was the only thing he needed. either which was, joel was ...still undecided, if closer to yes than he had been a week ago. the past week had been... fine, actually. peter seemed to fit in quite well, though he disapproved of some of the chats he had with ellie, like about skinning animals they hunted. ellie didn't need to learn that shit just yet. joel & peter could take care of it, she'd seen enough. the last thing they needed was a little cold little murder robot.

they'd have to stray from the safety of the woods soon, find a road & make their way towards wyoming, where - hopefully they'll find tommy. tonight would likely be their last night out in the open for a while, so he could stay up, make sure everything was alright & the next night, or any other night he could catch up on some rest. he couldn't sleep out in the open anyway, too worried someone had seen the smoke from the fire. though exhaustion caught up on him once more, because three long quarters through the night, it caught up to him. he ...dozed off, rifle in his arms... sitting up. just gone.

his nightmares were usually the exact same. the night of his biggest regret, the night everything began. the night he died. when he woke abruptly, hands shot out to the rifle, ready to shoot or smack someone over the head with the handle, but ... it'd only been peter. ugh. leaning back against the tree stump he'd placed himself by, he gave a little sigh. he'd fallen asleep. damnit. "'m fine." he'd lived with those nightmares half his life, he didn't need a little boy - compared to him at least, tell him about them. "can't sleep?"

He forced a smile. "You're not the only one with nightmares," he reminded him just crossing his arms. "I had one, that's all, and saw you asleep so I stayed awake to watch over the camp. We should seriously think about taking watch turns, especially now that we will be getting out of the forest. You cannot keep this up, it's not safe for any of us," he eyes the other, the fire is out by now but he refuses to look in its direction when Joel is far more interesting to look at.

"It's been almost a week and you've fallen asleep several times already. Let me help," he says trying to convince the other. "I know trust doesn't come easy, not in these times, but...think about the consequences of otherwise." He gets his bag and searches for something in it. He pulls some jerky out of it and starts eating, by now Joel must have seen he eats more than most but he had provided food, so that shouldn't be an issue, right?

He finishes the jerky and just leaves the backpack on his legs as he looks up at the moon. The full moon was approaching, still far away, but getting nearer each day. He was at his best during those days, he wondered where he would be at during it. He turns from the moon to look at him. He wanted to tell him he could smell the pain off of him, that he knew how much pain he was in, that he wished he could take it away but, that kind of pain? That was the pain he couldn't take away ever.

Maybe, just maybe, he was getting softer. Maybe he should leave the group and preserve his strength. Sex wasn't worth it, but he looked at Ellie, and...he had bonded with her a bit, even if Joel had been upset he thought her how to skin an animal, but if she was ever alone she will need to know how to do it. Just in case, Peter had told Joel at the time, just in case.

if joel had been any more sober than he was, he would've responded with a growl, a grunt of sorts or something else that spoke fuck off, dumbass. but alas, his main goal was the bathroom, to which he made it without help - even through peter seemed to want to try. he didn't quite fancy his presence, or the fact he ...was here when he needed to relieve himself, but .. fine, whatever. joel didn't have the time to deal with that now if he wanted to keep his jeans dry.

he ..froze when peter suddenly pressed against him. he fuckin' knew he had ulterior moves. he was wrapping around him & that soft little question breathed against his ear... he felt guilty. not that he owed peter anything, it was his own right to do or not do whatever the hell he wanted & it wasn't his fault peter thought they'd marry after one night spent together, right? yeah. joel didn't have time for anything serious anyway, he had a job & a child to take care of. but... warmth... it felt so good. he felt so light in this moment & yeah, okay, he couldn't deny he was aroused from this... despite the rather awkward & maybe somewhat dirty location peter seemed to have chosen for this.

"not here." he... wouldn't have sex in a goddamn bar bathroom, even though he liked the bar. if they were going to do this, which.... seemed to be something he definitely considered & deep down he knew that was the alcohol, because otherwise he'd ..not...agree to something he'd fought for the past month, but ... somehow he really wanted to & fighting it.... him... was so tiresome. "your place."

#ireallymisscoffee02 #nsfw

Peter got the message, so he pulled Joel's pants up and fixed his clothes while kissing his neck. At least he was going to get what he wanted even if that meant ruining his chances at having Joel as a friend. "My place then." He agreed letting the man go and guiding him outside. They walked out of the bar and straight to Peter's car, which was parked fairly nearby. After being inside, seatbelts on, Peter turned on the car and drove to his hotel a bit further away from this location.

During the drive, Peter began touching Joel. First on his leg, then up on his thigh, but not further up. He was touching, but not enough to make Joel have a hard-on, just enough to tease him and make him shiver. He even thought of prompting Joel to suck him off during the drive, but he desisted from that idea. Another day. Joel didn't seem to like things in public, he was still afraid of who he liked or not it seemed and he thought it was normal. The man was Texan after all.

20 minutes later, the pair were getting into the elevator of the hotel, Peter took his hand and kissed it in the elevator before letting it go as soon as the doors opened on Peter's floor. Peter guided the other towards his door and unlocked it for him, opening the door wide for Joel to enter. Once inside, he got in and closed the door behind him hearing the automatic lock click behind him.

He didn't waste any time, he pressed himself against Joel's back and began kissing his neck with desire, his hands sliding under his shirt and teasing his nipples before going down to squeeze his stomach slightly and just touch his warm skin. Peter moved his lips to his ear as he began undoing the man's belt. He went to his knees and brought Joel's pants down with him, carefully helping him off of them. Peter squeezed his ass before getting up again, he'll have time to eat him up later. "Bed or table? Or shower?" He asked where Joel wanted to be taken.

"family ain't always easy." or grateful. he'd been on both sides. he gave everything to protect tommy after the outbreak, but he still took the first chance he got & ran, leaving joel in boston, where tommy wanted to go in the first place. but no, he had to join the damn fireflies. stupid, fuckin' idiot. "if you survived until now you're either fuckin' lucky or good at it." there were no other options, so he didn't doubt peter was good at it for even a second.

"huh." he wanted to come with them? just like that? well, he said he had no one, nothing to do other than to survive, so maybe peter needed purpose & saw his chance, which .. was fair. should he take the risk? it was a pretty big one, they barely knew the guy. he could be part of some raider group for all he knew. a decoy. he.. couldn't tell yet, although... he didn't seem the type. "maybe." was the best he could offer right now. he had to think on that, because he was already busy trying to keep ellie safe & alive from dangers outside their own ranks... having to watch peter.. might not be the best idea.

but having someone else with him would make this so much easier, too. someone to keep watch while he napped, someone to protect ellie while he dealt with dangers, someone else to help him hunt or gather food, or carry cans. maybe he had to take a leap of faith this once. "slept last night, i'm good. you go get some shut-eye if you need." he'd be fine for a while longer, hopefully through the entire night. it should be safe, they'd been careful. but you could never know.

#ireallymisscoffee01 #nsfw

Maybe. It was the best he was going to get from Joel at this point. He understood, though, he was careful like every other group he had encountered before. You didn't survive this long without being careful. He side smiles and remains on his spot looking into the darkness before looking back again. The full moon was far away still, he felt uncomfortable on those days but he was always under control though he tried to find a wet body to calm himself during those nights. His eyes turned to Joel, maybe...

A few days passes and they fell into a sort of routine. Peter would stay awake some nights and Joel would fall asleep against his will getting some rest in that way. They would chat about anything some days, tricks about survival, hunting, trap-making, and the like. Ellie had been curious about how to hunt and kill animals, but mostly she had been curious about how to skin them. Peter had shown her to do it by demonstrating with a piece of wood. "See? Even when this is wood, as long as you keep it tight against the skin, it will peel off easily. The skin of animals is strong, and good for leather items." He had explained, much to her glee.

Another day, Ellie seemed more tired than usual as she walked, and asked Peter if she could go on a piggyback ride. He wanted to say no but ended say yes and letting her ride his back. He was a werewolf, walking was easy when he could run for miles on end. Carrying someone else was a bit harder, but, again, they were just walking so he walked easily and without tiring himself too much. He did end up eating more than usual that night and Ellie seemed to look at him inquisitively. She was smart and he had shown her his face, surely she was testing him? He didn't know, but he wondered.

Tonight marked a week of walking through the woods, everything quiet so far except for the animals. Joel had fallen asleep against his will again but this time he seemed to have a nightmare. He frowned, he knew how those could be. So Peter moved forward and shook him. "Joel," he whispered moving him again. "Wake up, it's just a nightmare."

When Joel woke up he moved his hands away and up showing he didn't mean any harm. He lowered his hands after a moment. "You were having a nightmare. Ellie is safe, you are safe." He says and Peter just looks at him, he wants to touch him, but instead, he moves back to his tree. "I know what having nightmares is like, they haunt you until your dead probably." He says lowering his head.

joel had a child & brother to take care of. he couldn't be selfish, couldn't chase his own dreams, let his own preferences & wishes dictate life for them. he did what he had to, so sarah could live a decent life & hopefully go to college so she didn't end up like him.

even in his rather inebriated state, joel felt attacked for the jab at his ability to drive himself home. not that he'd planned to... he probably would've stumbled home, or called his brother. but still, how dare he? peter was not his goddamn mother. "whatever, i don't need your... help. all right? just... leave it." he was not a child. jesus.

he didn't know why peter's presence annoyed him so much, it was like the other only had to breathe for joel to feel irritated & it was tiring to feel hostile all the time, but he also couldn't quite help it. there was something about him that just ...rubbed him the wrong way & he wasn't sure why. he... somehow thought it a viable option to just stare at him as he stretched to rest halfway on the counter, like he would find the answer to his questions in his eyes or something.

the joel from when he entered the bar would've smacked the other's hand away instantly, but the one that felt a lot more at ease & good about himself didn't. that joel let the other nudge him to his feet, let peter move his hands over his skin & didn't protest. he was tired of fighting. "whatever, i gotta... go to the bathroom." he ... needed to pee. too much alcohol, too small a bladder.

he spun around & it took him a short moment to regain proper vision again. maybe he was a bit drunk.

"Alright, bathroom first, then we drive. Okay? Okay." Peter had ignored Joel's words about not needing help and was helping him walk to the bathroom. He still could walk well so he mostly served as support for the other and to prevent him from falling. Once in the bathroom he let go of him so he could go pee and watched him for the door. It wouldn't be fair for other drunks if he locked the door. So he didn't, he still walked towards Joel and grabbed him by the hips just pressing himself against the other. Fuck. It felt good. He wasn't even moving and it felt good.

Peter pressed his forehead over his shoulder. "Why do you hate me, Joel? Do you hate liking guys so much that you hate me for it?" He asked now against his ear, he wanted to know the answer too, but he also wanted to fuck him. If he was a witch he could lock that door he left open, but he was just a werewolf. So once Joel was done peeing he moved a hand to touch him, to help get clean, but ultimately give him pleasure. "I can't help myself around you, you...you smell so right, like home. I can't help but fight for what I want, for what I...feel, for you."

"If you want me to stop, say it now. If you want us to do it somewhere else, also say it now. My hotel is very much available and we're totally ending there anyways." He says as he slowly strokes him. Peter kissed his neck then and then moved to his lips, kissing him with passion and need, and he was going to burn in hell and probably burn this bridge of having any kind of friendship with Joel, but he couldn't help himself and he was a man that delved into guilty pleasures anyways.

“nah, it’s good pay. my brother and i built this from the ground up.” he couldn’t abandon tommy, even if he wanted to - which he didn’t. family was worth fighting for & joel just had to get better at juggling family & work without family getting the short end of the stick. he.. had to make it work. sarah deserved better than what he’d been giving her.

peter’s little story surprised him a little, but if anything - he didn’t let it show as that. instead he let a little chuckle sound. “didn’t think you ever set foot in one.” privileged little kid mingling with the scary working folk. “guess there’s more to ya than i thought.” or something. he wasn’t quite sure, it was complicated & he didn’t know enough to judge, even though he very much did.

“i don’t need your help, alright? i’m fine.” he was an adult, he could take care of himself. if he wanted to get drunk, then he could get drunk & nobody had the right to belittle him for it. more drinks, more warmth filling him top to bottom, giving him that … that sense of peace he craved.

yeah, he was feeling good, letting himself lean against the counter a little & therefore stretching his body a bit. not… to put himself on display, just … to be comfortable.

If he didn't want to change jobs, that was fine, but he needed to do better as a father. Not like he'll tell him that. "Alright, if you ever do want to change jobs, let me know." He says ordering another round. He dropped his hand from his shoulder and he struggled. He needed to stop looking at him but the smell it didn't help. It was intoxicating. He smelled like freshly brewed coffee and cedar wood with leather. It smelled like home. Fuck.

"No, Joel, you aren't driving. First of all, its illegal. Second, you could kill yourself or someone else. This is not up for discussion." He says taking his new drink and drank it all. He stopped drinking there, for apparences, but let him drink a bit more while alcohol was added to his scent.

He looked at him stretch and goddamn was he hot. He watched for a while longer before stopping the bartender for serving him more drinks and gave her his card to charge it. Once his card was back he eyed the other. "Time to go, come on." He said caressing the back of Joel's neck.

He got up and tried to guide the other to get up too. He took the chance to caress his arms softly, to cause shivers in Joel. He shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't stop himself. If it were for Peter, he would take Joel in the bathroom.

joel wasn’t an alcoholic, not at all, but some days he just felt like drinking until everything around him felt a little less intense. today was one of those days, it hadn’t been special per se, joel was just tired of it all & desperately needed a break sometime soon. he didn’t even need a lot, just a good night’s rest & some quality time with his daughter. the weekend seemed to far away. he was content, sat in his favorite bar, knowing sarah was taken care of - with one of his favorite drinks to get utterly hammered in record time.

by the time peter stepped into the bar, joel was a handful of drinks into tonight’s mission, so when the other joined him, he was … calm. drunk him had felt drawn to the other - unsure why, but when alcohol lowered his level of hesitance … he was in danger. his eyes shouldn't be lingering on the other's lips while he nursed his own drink at a significantly slower pace than peter, which - he was a few drinks ahead, so it only made sense. "thanks." for the drink & the company, although joel would've been just fine on his own.

"not worse than any other. missed another play at school, but sarah.. that's my daughter, she ain't even mad, 'cause she's so used to me bein' at work." he was tired, of himself. "she knows i either forget or can't come - or both." sarah never complained, unless joel forgot her birthday cake, so he felt even worse. "jus' tired, i guess." he concluded with a little sigh & a swift jug of his drink. down went the glass, hand up & waving the bartender over again for a refill. "want one, too?" eyes on peter, awaiting his decision.

"what about you? wine tasting all booked out in the city?" there was the softest slur in his voice, but for the amount of alcohol cursing through his body, it was tame.

He felt bad for Joe. He had a daughter and he had hated having missed her growing up, seeing a man going through that while living with his daughter was... kind of heartbreaking. "Why don't you change jobs? I could help you find something good, suitable to your skills," he offered leaning forward on the bar. He watched as he ordered another round and he nodded at the bartender, agreeing to get another drink.

"No, I like bars. Believe it or not. Reminds me of the old days when I had my family and things were chaotic for me and I used to go to the town's local bar to relax a little." He told him. He used to lace it with wolfsbane sometimes and get his sister angry for it too, but he wasn't saying that.

"I'm not letting you drive like this, I'll drive you home whenever you're ready, but you shouldn't get too drunk. You don't want your daughter to be seeing you like this." He told him touching his shoulder, he felt warm and nice to the touch.

The bartender did their refills and he drank his in one go again, making another face. Strong drink indeed, there was no way Joel wouldn't be getting drunk any time soon.

seriously, there was something unnerving about that guy. the way he could just sit there, calmly & stare at him like it was completely normal to look at someone else like that. like it was normal to stalk someone you hooked up with once. jesus. he didn't know how to fix this. i'm here for you. he said that with such ease that joel didn't know what to think of it. his emotions on his tongue, clearly - but joel wasn't like that. emotions had no room in his life, they wouldn't feed his child - or keep a roof over their heads.

"friends?" that's what he was after now? friendship? why him? it didn't make sense to him, not right now. not when peter had been so adamant about dating only a few weeks ago. did he change his mind? not that joel cared, he was just curious. "we barely know each other." friendship required trust, understanding & some level of affection. he had none of that with peter. but he wouldn't deny him that... if they got to that point. some day.

his eyes followed peter's when he mentioned his brother, surprised the other had ignored him & stayed instead of leaving already. he stood with a little nod, sipped his coffee again & headed for his brother's side. together they went back to the size to work.

the next few days were calm. joel did notice the camaro not far from the construction side, but he didn't say thing this time around - nor did he go & approach him. a little over a week after they last officially met, joel was back in the bar, alone, just nursing a few drinks after a long, long day at work.

He couldn't read minds but he knew Joel wasn't buying it or didn't care for it. Friends came with time and so did love, but for that, you needed to spend time with the person and Joel didn't seem interested in that. Peter watched him go with his brother and sighed before continuing his meal and leaving shortly after.

He went by the site a couple of times, and he watched them work. If only he could go closer and chat, having a friendly conversation with him without the other being so...defensive. Tonight, he felt like trying to get drunk. He couldn't, not without a little help, and he didn't want to actually get drunk. It wouldn't help anyone if he lost control. So he went to that bar. It had...sentiment in it.

As he approached the bartender, he noticed a familiar figure. Joel. Maybe he could actually get him to loosen him a bit and talk to him like civilized people trying to socialize and be friends. He sat next to him and ordered. "Whatever he's having and another for him," he asked turning to Joel. He smelled like alcohol and work and like Joel. Damn, it was intoxicating. What had this man that attracted him so much? Like a fly to the light.

"Bad day?" He asked. "It's a nice bar, I'm glad you brought me here." He added and thanked the bartender as he left the drinks in front of them. He drank his in one go and made a face before leaving it on the bar again. It was strong, but it had good taste. Not bad. Joel had good taste.

"you keep goin' for family." joel mused with a little shrug. family was the only thing you had left in this world, even if your family didn't want you around - there was nothing else to fight for these days. food scarce, safety a myth, infected everywhere. family kept him going. tess did. without her.. he only had tommy left & this sense of duty he felt for getting ellie to the fireflies. he still didn't believe they could make a vaccine, so many had tried & failed - so many times had rumors spread across the country about a possible cure & hope was crushed not long afterwards. joel didn't get his hopes up anymore these days. wasted effort.

"i'm fine huntin'. we haven't needed to. cans are safer, quieter. don't need a fire. i didn't always live in the qz." joel was a capable survivor, even outside the qz's walls. yes, jerky & stuff was handy, but hunting made noise - unless it was rabbits but you didn't find those in city-areas, fire drew attention tot heir position & carrying meat around did draw in wolves. joel didn't take unnecessary risks when they had enough food to get by. even if ellie complained. yeah, they'd run a little low, but joel made sure she still got enough until they found more, which they usually did. they had a camping stove until a few weeks ago. he missed it.

stars? nowadays joel didn't really pay attention to much anymore, too busy calculating, planning & organizing their next move every day. without a car, their journey's difficulty level had increased at least tenfold - if not more. but joel didn't plan to give up that easily. he'd find tommy & they'd find fireflies. he knew it. "i didn't wait twenty years. my brother and i, we ran together until he joined the damn fireflies. i lost contact a few months ago. guess somethin' happened. that's why i'm here. i gotta find'm." save him, probably, but joel didn't mind. it was his job to protect his brother.

"he's somewhere in wyoming, that's where we're headed."

He hummed pensively. Why had he survived for so long? His sense of living was strong in Peter, he had worried for his family, but they were safe for now. If they didn't sneak out, that is. But Derek was strict and werewolves had a better chance at survival than humans did. Malia had survived years being a coyote alone, she could handle herself well. He hadn't heard about her in a while, probably still with Scott and his pack. That would be safe if they weren't in Beacon Hills. Harder to fight monsters these days.

"Family. Yeah, I guess so." Peter says thinking about it. "I have a strong sense of survival, I want to live, but I don't know why just yet. I just...live. I saw my family to safety, but they still don't care about me. I'm good at surviving hardships, I guess that's why." He liked to think so anyways.

"Wyoming." He wondered why Ellie was with him if she was a job, but he didn't ask. She smelled different, she had to be different somehow and he didn't want to make Joel's walls go up again. "Well, if you'll take me, I wouldn't mind accompanying you there. If you are against it, I'd understand." He eyed Joel. Maybe with this man, he could find a motive to continue on aside from just being alive, aside from seeing his family well. No one cared about him, they knew he could handle himself so he was sure they cared even less. That was his secret though.

He just watched the darkness, his senses alert for anything. He was tired, growing tired, but they were in the open and his senses weren't as sharp as if he was asleep. "Why don't we take turns? That way we both get to sleep some."