bf!jackson!grumpy!joel, fem!jackson!cheerful!reader, tlou spoilers, jackson, grump x sunshine trope, strangers and/or one sided enemies to lovers, angst if you squint, fluff, maria, tommy, ellie, sarah, a/n—sorry I kinda got carried away with this one, I love this man
bf!joel. bf!joel who doesn't talk to anyone but maria, tommy, and ellie when he first arrives in jackson—sharp glares and rough exterior scaring everyone else off. you who can't help but try and talk to him, ignoring every huge red flag waving boldly in front of your eyes. "h—" "don't wanna talk." "I brought cookies," you continued anyway with a smile. bf!joel who pretends to hate you when he's forced on patrol with you and his brother, trying to avoid you as much as possible. he sighed as you hovered over his shoulder, eyes glued to the sights on his rifle as he aimed at an elk. "that's a big one, huh?" "yeah just, stay out of the way, okay? don't wanna be responsible for you." bf!joel who slowly but surely starts to warm up to you, offering small "hi"'s in public and chuckling at your antics. bf!joel who reluctantly finds himself falling for the way you still manage to enjoy everything so warmly in such a cold world, how you're happy but not naive, vulnerable in ways he thought didn't exist anymore. bf!joel who eventually opens up to you after long, painstaking months of prying him open. "I had a daughter," he started, taking a sip of his coffee as he sat on the same chair he always did on the porch. you stayed quiet as you waited for him to go on, eyes open and ears listening intently. "not ellie, but uh, sarah. her mom left me 'fore everythin' went to hell, and then I lost my little girl the first night o' the outbreak." "I'm so sorry," you said after a moment, careful not to interrupt him. "I know how hard losing someone is, too." "oh yeah? but you're always so... happy," he stated, observing you in all your glory. your hair was a little messy from the cold, gentle breeze, and you were looking out at the street. "I'm not, I just like to act that way so that," you swallowed, "maybe things will change, maybe they'll start being worth being happy about." you turned to face him and realized he was a lot closer than you'd expected, warm breath fanning over your face. "this okay?" he murmured against your lips, eyes already half closed. "perfect," you said. before you even finished he crashed into your mouth. bf!joel who doesn't kiss rough, but firm—steady and close like if he softens up you'll run off. "I'm not good at this," he said as he pulled away for air and looked into your eyes, "but I'd like to be." bf!joel who has no need for all his stolen missing parts anymore because you fill all the cracks in his heart.