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Joel meeting/holding Skylar for the first time?? (I'm already crying and there is a good chance Joel would cry to ngl)

@themechaneer Here goes nothing!

Ever since the Death Stranding, people were not having children. Birth rates had already been on the decline, but the Stranding was the straw that broke the camels back. No one wanted to bring a precious life into a world that was full of death and disarray.

Joel couldn’t blame them. There were rare moments where he tried putting himself in the shoes of a potential parent in this kind of torn up world, and alas he couldn’t fathom it. Even if he wanted a family, Joel felt like the quality of life outweighed whatever primal needs he or someone had.

It was one thing to hear about a child coming into the world, but another to see one in the flesh. A child was something Joel least expected when Gene sent word her and Higgs would be visiting and they had a surprise. Joel didn’t think much of it at first, just happy to have company for a little while. People he could tolerate. It made things easier when he had to be away from his home and in the garage working on things.

It was late evening when Gene and Higgs arrived. Joel could see from afar they had taken a bike to get up to the garage. It was strange given he was used to the pair merely jumping to his location when Higgs could get enough juice to up his DOOMs. Nonetheless, he smiled and prepared to greet them with a shout. His features went neutral upon seeing Higgs get off the bike first, carefully helping Gene off. She had something that looked like a porter pack on her front, carrying a heavy thing against her chest that she held onto protectively. The dots began to connect in Joel’s mind as his lips lightly parted while Gene and Higgs approached him.

“Hey Joel!” Gene’s voice snapped him out of his trance as Joel nodded to them both.

“Good to see you two,” He then paused, canting his head curiously as a little hand stretched out. Tiny fingers grasping here and there before settling back against Gene. Joel did a double-take, then gestured.

“Or I should say three?”

Gene let out a laugh, shushing the infant in her pack. She cradled her daughter in her arms carefully and pulled back some of the blankets she was wrapped up in. The baby’s blue eyes fluttered open as a yawn escaped. The infant staring at Joel with a confused look before going back to sleep.

Joel took in a deep breath, hand covering his mouth for a moment as he glanced between Gene and Higgs then back at the small thing. The baby looked just like both of them. There was no question about it. A warmth grew in his gut as his mind flooded with euphoria at seeing something so rare. Joel was speechless.

Higgs cleared his throat, then gently took the baby from Gene and out of the pack. He was careful at tucking the blankets back around her so she wouldn’t get cold from the evening winds. There was a care in Higgs’s eyes that Joel had never seen before as he looked upon his daughter before approaching Joel. Higgs pressed his lips to the baby's forehead for a brief moment. Letting out a nervous sigh, Higgs held the baby out to Joel.

“Careful with Pipsqueak,” He whispered, gently putting her into Joel’s arms.

Joel held the child as if she were made of glass, afraid the slightest movement would break her. He swallowed, feeling tears escape the corners of his eyes as he looked upon the sleeping face. Joel couldn’t explain the elation at seeing something so pure. He sniffled, grinning from ear to ear as he murmured aloud.

“What’s her name?”

“Skylar,” Gene said with a soft smile as Higgs stood by her side, his arm going around her waist as he looked on. It took a lot for him to trust Joel with his baby, but he was feeling good about going through with allowing Joel to hold her. He could tell Gene was proud of him for not being overprotective.

“She’s really cute,” Joel said, sniffling as Skylar began to wake up. Her tired eyes looked over Joel. Her little smile at him made her cheeks look puffier as she tilted her head in the blankets and studied him. Joel moved a hand to tuck away some wild hairs, only to have a tiny hand grip his index finger. She squeezed it as small noises left her. Joel chuckled as Gene walked over, looking down at her daughter and then leaned her head against Joel’s shoulder. She was exhausted from the trip, but happy seeing how things paved out.

“You did good kiddo. You really did.” Joel said sincerely to Gene, trying to tamper down his tears.

Higgs watched the scene unfold, smiling himself as he could feel the tensions he had carried on the trip fall away. Skylar was safe with Joel. They were all safe and the world became a little bit bigger for his daughter.

**A link to my ko-fi account. If you enjoy my content and want to support me getting my monthly medication for fibromyalgia and arthritis, I would be eternally grateful. It is NOT a requirement however! All my work is free to read!**

❤️ JoelxGene uwu it’s happening nonny

@themechaneer I just remember the icon represented a kiss so I’m gonna roll with it!

“Do you want to talk about it?” Gene asked, sighing as she took it upon herself to sit on the couch in the garage next to Joel. Despite the morose look in his eyes, Gene could tell Joel was seething. Everything about his body screamed he was angered. In hindsight, Gene knew it was best to not keep digging into the issue, but she cared too much about Joel to let him off the hook that easily. She wasn’t gonna let him run from his problems. Not this time.

“The UCA has done some crap that pissed me off, but using my brother--Kai, like they did for an advertisement to join the cause is just--” Joel clenched his fists, shutting his eyes tightly before opening them. Gene watched as Joel blinked away tears, her heart going out to him as she listened.

“Why can’t they let the dead rest? I know I’m trying to.” Joel said bitterly, his voice scratchy as he fought with himself to gain composure.

“If it makes you feel better, they used the deaths of my parents and the entire city of Middle Knot as one big political cause. It was never about forming connections and being there for each other in a crisis. It was all about getting certain folks that have an edge in this world more power. One man’s death is another man’s up and coming.” Gene said, furrowing her brows as she let out a deep breath. She herself was trying not to give into anger much like Joel had. It was proving somewhat difficult as Joel watched her skin tense up. He rests a hand on her shoulder, getting Gene to gaze at him.

“You get it,” Joel said sincerely as Gene laughed.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“You see through the bullshit most folks turn a blind eye to. That’s what I appreciate about you, Gene.”

Gene shrugged, not noticing that Joel’s hand hadn’t left yet.

“There’s other people that think like us. You’d be surprised.”

The corner of Joel’s lip turned into a soft smile while he shook his head. He murmured ‘bullshit’ under his breath. It was barely audible for Gene to pick up on, and before she could ask him to repeat, Gene froze as Joel’s lips gently collided onto hers.

Gene froze, her eyes widening before they fluttered shut. Her mouth moved along with Joel’s testing the waters. The texture of his lips was rough, but there was a calm in his actions that eased Gene into the motions. Her pulse skyrocketed though, letting out a breathy groan as Joel deepened the kiss. Both their hands caressed each others faces, leaning into the movements and getting lost in-breaths and sincere touches.

Abruptly, Joel stopped, pulling away as he let out a harsh breath. Gene tried to lean forward to continue only for Joel to gently tap on her cheek with his thumb to stop.

“What’s wrong?” Gene whispered.

“I don’t know if I did this for the right reason.” Joel murmured, keeping his eyes off of Gene as he looked down at his lap, letting a deep sigh roll from his lips.

Gene nodded, looking down as well. She debated with herself on the matter. The affection came out of nowhere, but then she couldn’t deny there had been tension between them both for a long time. One of Gene’s hands left Joel’s face, gently patting over his arm while he still held her.

“I’m glad you did it,” Gene muttered, smiling nervously as Joel let out a huffy laugh.

“You mean that?”

Gene nodded, looking up at Joel as his eyes returned to hers. “I’d be lying if I wasn’t curious. I was too much of a chicken shit to try anything. I didn’t think you liked me that way. C’mon,”

Gene wrapped her arms around Joel’s shoulders, using her weight to force him back into the couch as she crawled up onto his lap and smiled down at him. He returned her actions with a boyish grin, eyes roaming over her, excited at what she was gonna do next.

“Let’s do it again,” Gene said, her lips finding Joel’s as they smiled against each other, getting lost in the motions. Nothing else registered in their minds but each other.

i’m trying to stop the bleeding so hold still. JoelxHiggs - themechaneer

@themechaneer Here you are my dear💙

“Damn it,” Higgs exclaimed through gritted teeth, trying to avoid Joel’s touch. The mechanic was growing frustrated with him by the second. A gruff noise escaped Joel’s lips as he shot a brief glare at Higgs, and forcibly grabbed a hold of his arm and held it down on the table.

“Look, I’m nice but you’re starting to piss me off. I’m trying to stop the bleeding, so hold still.” Joel was professional despite being irritated. Higgs had to give credit where it was due. Most folks would have decked his ass by now with how he refused to be compliant.

“I don’t like people gettin’ all up in my space.” Higgs spat, tensing under Joel’s touch. He subconsciously shirked back a bit, and this little nuance was something that didn’t go undetected by Joel. His expression somewhat softened, eyeing the goosebumps going up Higgs’s arm before he made contact with Higgs’s eyes. For a moment, Joel thought he was looking at the eyes of a kid. Too scared to stand up for himself.

Joel gave a half-smile then started cleaning up the large gash on Higgs’s lower arm, a token of him not being careful with the tools Joel had. Truth be told, Joel thought he deserved it and then some. Nonetheless, he did feel empathy towards the former terrorist, just not in the way one would think.

Higgs grumbled to himself while Joel cleaned up the injury, leaning on his free hand as he glanced about the garage. He tried not to look Joel in the eye, but occasionally he could feel Joel’s gaze upon him. Higgs didn’t like that. Not one bit, but the last thing he needed was a fight. He wasn’t in the mood.

“I take it you don’t like people helping you out much,” Joel said bluntly, getting Higgs’s attention in full. He shrugged.

“Can’t trust most folks,” Higgs said as a matter of fact. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing of importance. Just an observation.” Joel said with a small huff, smirking a little.

“Since we’re making small talk, what do you think you know about me?” Higgs asked, curious even though he wanted to call Joel a smartass for his remark.

Joel was quiet, taking out some bandages as he got the sewing kit ready to make a few stitches. There were sections on Higgs’s arm where the wound was too deep to simply patch up.

“I think you had a rough upbringing. Someone close to you had hurt you growing up. You don’t like looking weak in front of others. You’re also kind of an asshole, but that’s just your general persona.” Joel smirked at that last part as Higgs rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, he chuckled.

“Maybe you should’ve been a shrink instead of a mechanic,” Higgs muttered.

“I’m a man of many talents, but listening to others' misery isn’t my idea of a good time.” Joel said.

“Could have fooled me with how you read me like a book.” Higgs said, for once not sounding sarcastic.

“You want to talk about it?” Joel asked, watching for Higgs’s reaction. He sighed and shook his head.

“Not really. I don’t like thinking about it.” Higgs said. “I thought you said you didn’t like hearing people bitchin’?”

Joel chuckled. “For someone like you, I’m kind of interested. Don’t get the wrong idea though.”

Higgs smirked, shaking his head. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all. It was a shame they never met until this point.

#higgs monaghan #ds higgs #death stranding higgs #death stranding joel #joel #ds joel #death stranding #death stranding fandom #drabbles #one shot #quick write #free write #writing #practice #death stranding oc #hope this is okay #i tried love #Anonymous

“You’re staring. Should I be worried or flattered?” Joel to Higgs (themechaneer) have fun dear 💜

@themechaneer Here you are hon :D!

Higgs kept his arms crossed, observing Joel while he got the last of his project done. He was working on installing a new engine for a truck. The task had been a tedious one at that. Timefall had eaten and rusted away many of the central components a long time ago. It was hard getting enough material to have his personal chiral printer conjure up new things, but Joel managed to pull it off.

Higgs kept his features neutral as he watched Joel and tried not to give any indication of how he felt about the guy. He was still uneasy with him, not sure what to make of the mechanic. Joel had a stoic presence in mind but based on how he was interacting with a client earlier and Gene herself, Higgs knew the guy had a softer side or at least approach. He didn’t trust Joel though. Something about the guy made Higgs feel uneasy. His stomach churned in painful knots, blood boiling a little. There was a part of his mind screaming that Joel was everything he wasn’t.

“You’re staring. Should I be worried or flattered?” Joel asked bluntly, looking in Higgs’s direction as Higgs shrugged and cleared his throat.

“Depends,” Higgs said.

“On what?”

“However you want this to go,” Higgs said, as a matter of fact, watching as Joel briefly smirked then shook his head and went back to work. Joel had a suspicion Higgs was feeling uneasy about him and decided not to say something for now. Usually, Joel was quick to call someone out on their bullshit but considering the circumstances, he didn’t want Gene to worry about things.

“Want to make yourself useful and hand me that wrench near you?” Joel gestured to the table nearby Higgs. He watched as Higgs did a double-take then reached out, grabbing the wrench and went over and handed it to him.

Joel observed Higgs’s hands, tilting his head curiously before meeting his gaze.

“I take it you haven’t done much mechanic work?”

Higgs shrugged. “Not really. I know a lot about weapons, porter stuff and software, but not--this.”

Higgs gestured at the truck as Joel laughed quietly, shaking his head before he sighed, relenting with himself. “Do you want me to teach you something?”

Higgs made a face, eyes squinting in suspicion as he hummed. “What’s the catch?”

Joel snorted, shaking his head. “No catch. No bullshit.”

Higgs rubbed the back of his neck, but alas decided to bite the bullet. To be honest, the kind of stuff Joel did interest him even though he’d never admit it aloud.

“What the hell...” Higgs said, his tone defeated as he gestured. “Sure I guess.”

Joel smiled briefly, then had Higgs follow him and began talking about the basics. Higgs listened quietly, watching with fascination the longer Joel pressed on. He figured he could push his hostility towards Joel back for a while. The man had a talent for keeping one’s interest in mechanics, Higgs gave credit where it was due. He was learning something.

“ w — what? “ Joel and Higgs (ft. Gene if you want to include her!!) -themechaneer

Coming right up honey bunches 💙 @themechaneer

Higgs was distracted, looking around Joel’s garage all the while waiting for Gene to get done taking a shower. He wasn’t exactly comfortable being around Joel by himself, but Higgs being Higgs, he held himself up with high esteem. Higgs managed to be civil around Joel, but based on the interactions Gene had with Joel earlier, he felt a twinge of jealousy spark its way through his veins.

Joel was an attractive guy. Even Higgs had to admit it. The brief history lesson Gene had given about her relationship to Joel didn’t sum up enough to satisfy Higgs’s curiosity. He cleared his throat, leaning against a wall with a bunch of tools and crossed his arms and legs, getting Joel’s attention as he stopped hammering at a chunk of metal and smiled.

“Something on your mind?” Joel asked. Higgs was already damning the guy for being polite. Right from the start when they had met, Joel was open. A little too good-natured for Higgs’s taste.

“Just curious bout somethin’,” Higgs started as Joel gestured.

“I’m an open book! Ask away, Higgs.” Joel offered.

I can clearly fucking see that. Higgs thought to himself before he pressed on, trying to keep himself neutral as he rubbed the back of his neck briefly.

“Gene and you, what’s up with it?” Higgs asked bluntly, earning a chuckle from Joel as he made a face.

“I’m sorry?”

“You heard me.” Higgs managed to save face by adding a laugh, masking his disdain. “See she didn’t tell me much other than you two were good friends from back in her Brisk HARPYdays.”

“Oh! I gotcha!” Joel made a contemplative face then pressed on. “Well, I kind of taught her how to fix things, vehicles and tools mostly. To be honest, it took me a while before I warmed up to her but we’ve been friends ever since. She helped me through a tough time in my life. You’re really lucky to have her.”

The sincerity in Joel’s voice was enough to guilt Higgs just a bit with his bitter feelings towards the guy. He merely nodded and looked away, deciding to drop the subject.

“You’re scared we had something going on, huh?”

“Pardon?” Higgs raised a brow, not looking amused in the slightest as Joel grinned and shook his head.

“I could tell you were pissed when we hugged, flirted and did that forehead touch.”

Higgs sighed, figuring now that the cat was out of the bag he didn’t have to hide much.

“You’re lucky I respect her enough not to hit you,” Higgs said firmly as Joel let out a laugh, hearing Higgs suppress a growl in his throat.

“Look, I understand we got off on the wrong foot but we never had anything. I’m being honest. Deep friendship, yes but it never took off beyond that. Also,” Joel put down his hammer, wiping away some of the grease from his hands and approached Higgs. The manner in which he did it made Higgs tense as he squinted his eyes suspiciously at Joel, still holding his ground even though Joel was nothing but friendly.

“Gene’s really lucky to have you too, Higgs.” Joel said softly as Higgs’s eyes widened.

“W--what?”

“You know, if you felt left out, I could have included you earlier,” Joel said with a wink. Higgs could feel his face turning red.“She’s got great taste just looking at how gorgeous of a guy you are.”

Higgs, stunned and in shock, blinked a few times speechless. The only thing snapping him out of it was Gene’s laughter permeating the room. Higgs quickly turned and faced her along with Joel as she wiped a tear from her eye.

“Jesus, I’m gone for twenty minutes and you’re already on each other? You two should get a room!”

“Gene it’s not like--!” Higgs interjected.

“I’m just playing around with him.” Joel said and chuckled, giving a wink to Higgs before deciding to go back to work on his project. Higgs, feeling put in the spotlight and still trying to process what happened with Joel and himself, glared at Gene as she came to his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He looked down at her, raising a brow.

“Don’t get all cute.” Higgs forewarned as Gene smiled big, looking at him.

“He’s not all that bad, is he?” Gene asked.

Higgs furrowed his brows, glaring towards Joel before he rolled his eyes and sighed. A look of defeat crossed his features.

“Alright, maybe he’s not a prick.” He murmured begrudgingly.

“I lied before.” JoelxSam (samuelungerbridges) I have so many headcanons in mind but I hella need to see this because of reasons qwq

@samuelungerbridges I hope I can deliver for you hon. Thanks for sending this to me, please enjoy :D! @themechaneer tagging you too cause your boy is involved.

“I lied before,” Joel piped up while he went about cleaning some of his tools from an earlier project. The statement drew in Sam’s attention as he quickly turned and let out a hum.

“I used to be a part of Bridges I. My brother and I were placed on security and maintenance. That’s how I--you know, got good at engineering and fixing stuff. Take your bike for example,” Joel gestured towards the beaten-up vehicle. Sam briefly looked at it as his expression turned remorseful.

“I learned a lot from being on the team. Anyway, shit happened and I quit. Then my brother upped and--perished. I cut all connections with Bridges after that.” Joel swallowed, feeling his throat constrict on that last part until he cleared himself. It still wasn’t easy, saying the words aloud about what happened to Kai, but it felt good getting it out nonetheless.

“Why didn’t you come clean before?” Sam asked. He was sympathetic to a degree, but given the circumstances, he was now wary and cautious around the mechaneer. Someone he had grown to trust.

Joel shrugged, letting out a puff of air. “I didn’t see the point.”

“That’s not good enough.” Sam countered.

“I know,” Joel nodded. “And I’m owning up to it now. I know what it’s like to have Bridges on your ass even after telling them to back off. You have my word they’ll never know you two were here at my residence.”

Sam shook his head, he cautiously glanced down at Lou who fell asleep in his arms a while ago. Her mouth slightly hung open as her foot kicked out. A small smile appeared on Sam’s face before he went neutral, trying to steady his nerves.

“How can I take your word now?” Sam asked.

Joel furrowed his brows and let out a sigh, shaking his head as he peered towards Sam’s gaze. His body language was firm, but his facial features calm, pleading like a kid wanting a second shot from their father.

“Cause I’m the best shot you have at getting the fuck out of here, out of the UCA.” Joel said as a matter of fact. “At the end of the day, you’re just a client like everyone else I deal with, Sam. I have nothing to gain from ratting you out to them.”

Sam forced himself to look in Joel’s direction. He eased up a little upon hearing those words. Though Sam was visibly upset, his gut told him Joel wasn’t blowing smoke up his ass. Still, there was something else that bugged him, but he chose not to address it for now. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t that important as much as Joel’s past was something of a curiosity to Sam.

“There anything you want in return?” Sam asked.

Joel merely huffed, letting out a laugh before he decided to get back to work repairing the legendary porter's bike.

“Yeah, don’t screw with any shit in my garage and we’ll call it even.”

Sam chuckled, watching as Joel went about things in his workshop. He let out a sigh, hoping his gut was right about him.

JoelxGene 💃 Pull my muse onto a dance floor/up to dance (I guess they can have a "Harry and Hermione" kind of moment, dancing away their hurt and fears while the world is falling apart)

@themechaneer Tagging you, cause ya’ll be involved. Here you go nonny, I hope it’s to your liking! :D

Silence was a heavy thing, and much like the ocean, it was easy for one to drown under the waves. Both Gene and Joel were mentally finding it difficult to keep their head above water. The news had hit them hard to the point where neither could fully comprehend what it all meant. The end of the world didn’t hold a torch to the sorrow and loss they could feel brewing in their guts and minds. Joel lost his brother, and Gene lost her parents both in a single day of misfortune. The worst of it, neither of them could be there for their respective loved ones. Whatever remained now, was nothing but ash.

Gene had been sitting down near the entrance of the garage while Joel had been lying back on the couch. Each of them respectively trying to mourn in their own right and give each other space. It had been hours. And over time between silently crying and letting an occasional whimper escape, Joel didn’t feel like being alone anymore.

He got up and calmly approached Gene. His feet treading lightly to not startle her. When he got close enough, Gene didn’t acknowledge him unlike how she normally would. Whatever spark she carried was gone. Joel could make out her tears streaking across her cheeks while she pondered. He knew Gene was strained with her parents since she became a porter and joined BRISK Harpy. He couldn’t imagine what sort of anguish she was feeling right then and there.

Joel quietly extended his hand, Gene blinked a few times, rubbing away at the corner of her eyes before she hesitantly reached out. Joel pulled her up, leading her into the garage and near a space where a motorcycle was once being repaired. Timefall began to lightly tap over the roof of the building as Joel held Gene in his arms. They both embraced each other tightly, coming to grips with the reality of the situation: none of their loved ones were coming back. They had no one now.

As they lost themselves in mourning, Gene began to hear a faint rhythm being played by the raindrops outside. The soft melody that conjured in her mind began to play out in her body as she gently swayed with Joel. At first, taken aback, Joel found himself shuffling his feet in time with Gene’s movements. They broke into a slow dance, mouths also breaking into soft smiles as they got more into it. Sad chuckles escaped their throats as they complimented each other's movements, their bodies flowing together like a current in a stream. Occasional silliness would arise from their dance, Gene making faces at Joel or him blushing.

Much like the sadness in their hearts, they lost track of time. The pillars of their souls may have been gone, but they had each other. That was enough for now.

"You think you're real cute dontcha." Joel @ whatever your lovely mind comes up with (edited from the CUTE prompts)

@themechaneer Here you go 💙

It wasn’t every day Joel got to babysit. Nonetheless, he was enjoying Skylar’s company. The little one that belonged to Higgs and Gene. While he pulled apart electronic bits and screwed in bolts to a new plate for a vehicle, he’d occasionally look over his shoulder to see the sleeping toddler on the couch in his space. Her hair was a wild mess filled with debris from playing outside, drool dripping down her mouth as her little foot would twitch every so often.

A small smile pulled at Joel’s lips, recalling how hyperactive Skylar had been earlier on, wanting to look at every little thing the shop had to offer. She asked a lot of questions, and Joel was more than happy to oblige. It was nice mentoring a kid in the work he did which was a rarity in of itself.

“If I could sleep that deep, I’d be in paradise.” Joel mused aloud, chuckling to himself as he shook his head and went back to work. He continued to press on with the project his recent client left for him, only to hear something fall twenty minutes later. He quickly bolted his head up from his working station, seeing Skylar had managed to crawl up onto a shelving unit and had been fiddling around with various tools and car parts.

Joel let out a sigh, smiling as he sat down his tools and got up, making his way over to her. As soon as his shadow engulfed her small form, Skylar let out a gasp, dropping a wrench as her small hands covered her mouth and she jumped down. Try as she might to appear bashful and ashamed, Joel could see through her act. Her hands poorly hid the big smile that was plastered on her mouth: proud of herself for sneaking about up until this point.

“Are you up to no good?” Joel asked playfully as Skylar shrugged and then pulled her hands away, giggling at him.

“Maybe a little bit. Who wants to know?” Skylar asked. Her tone bold and sassy for someone so small.

Already sounding like Higgs. Joel thought to himself as he rolled his eyes for a moment then crouched down to get on her level. He recalled his childhood, how he didn’t much care for adults looking down at him like he was puny.

“Well little miss, your mama and papa would kill me if anything bad happened to you here in the shop.” Joel honestly doubted it. Gene at one point even mentioned that if Skylar got into trouble, she needed to be a big girl and handle it on her own. He admired the indpendence Gene was trying to instill in her kid already. The world was a tough one, especially for children in this day and age.

“Mama said she’d probably kill papa before killing you so I don’t think you have to worry about anything.” Skylar laughed, her little voice echoing in the garage as Joel sighed and crossed his arms.

“You think you’re real cute dontcha. Trying to appease me so you don’t go on timeout for getting into things? You can’t be getting into the shelves by yourself, Skylar.”

Skylar bowed her head, now visibly upset with her actions.

“I’m sorry uncle Joel. I just really like the shiny things you have.” Skylar said as she looked up, her eyes watering as Joel scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his work station. She let out a laugh of surprise as he began gesturing at the equipment, letting her know the names.

“Do you think someday I can help you run the shop?” Skylar asked excitedly as Joel amusingly booped the side of her nose, causing Skylar to giggle.

“Let’s worry about you making it to age six first.”

“But I’m almost five!” Skylar protested, showing her fingers for emphasis.

“And with how many times you nearly got yourself killed according to your mama and papa, you’re very lucky you’ve made it to four.” Joel chuckled. “Do you want to watch me work on this engine?”

Skylar nodded rapidly as excitement brewed in her eyes, ignoring his previous remark as he sat her down and then pulled up a stool nearby. Skylar climbed onto it, scooting close to Joel as he began to work once more. He was going to miss her company when Gene and Higgs pick her up later.

#joel forges #joel #ds joel #death stranding joel #skylar nephthys monaghan #ds skylar #death stranding skylar #death stranding ocs #death stranding #death stranding fandom #drabbles #one shot #quick write #free write #writing #request #thank you #themechaneer