Remember when Ellie smeared her blood on Sam’s leg and you were filled with hope, thinking that Sam wouldn’t turn? But he did anyway? This feels worse than that.
warnings: canon events, stolen dialogue from the show
ch1 | ch2
The trotting of the horses hooves dragging across the snow and slight howling of the wind fills the comfortable silence between niece and uncle. You and Joel have been travelling for a few hours, making the necessary stops along the way to your final check in at the old copper mine.
“So you and Jesse?” Joel asks so nonchalantly, almost like he was just making a passing comment about the weather.
“What?” You cough, inhaling the crisp air too sharply. Your throat tightens as you choke on nothing. Subtlety has never been your strong suit.
“I know my eyes sight is goin’, but I ain’t blind or stupid, baby girl. I see the way that boy looks at you.” Joel barely glances at you, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. Partly because of the approaching storm but mainly because of that infamous Miller trait you all share: the incapability of outwardly showing your emotions.
“Joel-” You’re already preparing to lie, to bury your feelings, ringing true to your shared Miller genes.
“I ain’t sayin’ it’s a bad thing, it’s your life. Jesse’s a good kid. Reliable, respectful. I’m just saying to be careful.”
“You won’t tell Dad?” you ask, almost timidly despite your twenty-two years of age. The question confirming what Joel already knows to be true.
“He won’t hear it from me,” he huffs a soft chuckle, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. “You know he just wants what’s best for you, wants to keep you safe. Ain’t nobody good enough for you, baby girl.”
You look away, blinking away the sudden sting behind your eyes, if Joel asks about it later, you’ll blame it on the wind. “Thanks Joel.” You can’t help the small smile that breaks through.
“But if he hurts you,” Joel adds, his voice steady and eerily calm. “Your dad will be the least of his problems, you hear?” While Joel has aged the last few years in Jackson, you know what exactly he’s capable of. Especially when it comes to the people he loves. Tommy, Ellie and you.
“I’ll let him know.” You nod, your voice full of affection.
The change is the weather is almost immediate. The wind shifts, the cold cutting through your multiple layers, straight through to your bones. The snow around you starts falling thick and heavy, the visibility in front of you low. “Joel!” Your head flicks around, searching, suddenly alone in the snow storm.
The silhouette of your uncle barely becomes visible, almost camouflaging into the white background. The storm has picked up faster than Jesse expected.
“Come on, kiddo! We need to pick it up and get to the mine! Stay with me!” Joel rides into view, coming closer to you, his voice barely heard over the howling wind.
You tighten your freezing hands around the reins, squeeze your thighs, your horse surges forward on your command, galloping after Joel’s into the storm. The biting wind feels like cold knives slashing across your skin, it’s an uncomfortable sensation until suddenly, nothing. Your face feels unpleasantly numb. Not a good sign.
And then, in what feels like an eternity but in reality is only a few minutes, the shape of the metal structure appears like a mirage through the white haze.
Joel swings down from his saddle, his boots hitting the snow heavy. He wrenches the door to the mine open, its rusted hinges groaning in protest, the mine providing you with sanctuary from the blizzard. Joel moves closer to you before pausing, turning to assess your surroundings.
“It’s quiet… too quiet,” Joel pauses, listening, waiting.
Your fingers tremble as you pull the scarf tighter around your mouth and nose, your teeth chattering uncontrollably, the hypothermia settling into your body.
Despite the roaring wind that rages on outside, there’s an eerie feeling that settles uncomfortably in your chest.
You move to dismount from your horse, only stopping when Joel holds his hand up. A faint noise can be heard, not the howling of the wind or the groans of the metal structure. It’s different. For whatever reason, it’s not the cold that sends a shiver through you.
“What the fuck is that noise?” What initially started as a low rumble crescendos into a thunderous roar that echoes off the walls.
“Stay here!” Joel bolts up the rickety stairs, two at a time. “Joel!” You call after your uncle, the panic evident in your voice. He doesn’t spare a glance back, disappearing from your eye line.
“Fuck, what the fuck are we going to do? What would Jesse do?” you whisper while you try to centre yourself, so many thoughts swirling around in your head.
Crack! Crack! The distinct pop of gunfire brings you out of your spiral. A beat of silence. A door above opens, before quickly slamming shut, a latch locking.
“Joel?!” Despite your tremors, you force your fingers to close around the handle of your pistol attached to your thigh. Just hoping when it matters, you’ll be quick to the draw. “Up here! I’m coming!” The sound of your uncle’s voice only brings you relief for a moment. Joel hurries back down the stairs but he’s not alone. A young woman who can’t be older than yourself trails behind him, an indescribable expression on her face.
“Infected. Hundreds of ‘em.” Joel recounts the ominous scene from above.
A sudden slam pounds against the mine’s outer walls. Then another. Then dozens.
“Fuck, what do we do? We’ll never make it back to Jackson. If we stay in here, we die. We go out there, we die.” The words almost tripping out of your mouth, there’s no time to waste.
“I don’t know, I don’t know! I’m thinking!” Joel snaps, his hand anxiously moving through his hair.
“The lodge!” The young woman shouts over you, over the banging on the walls. “My friends and I are held up at the lodge, half way up the mountain! If the infected are down here, maybe there aren’t any more up there.” In theory, it seems logical what this mysterious woman suggests.
“Fuck it, it’s all we got. Are your friends armed?” Joel doesn’t hesitate, but anywhere but here is safer at this point.
“Yeah.” She nods.
“Joel…” You do hesitate, your instinct is telling you not to trust this person. Something feels wrong about her. Why was she out here by herself? Coincidentally near your post? Who is she? Who are they?
Crash. There’s no time to question his decision, the doors to the mine finally give way. Dozens of infected swarm along the walkway above, the first wave of mutated soldiers clawing over each other in their haste to reach the lower floor, to reach the three of you. “Oh my god,” you whisper, your horse stomping its hooves in anticipation for a quick getaway.
“Good, we’re going to need ‘em. Get on!” Joel remounts his horse, yanking the young woman onto his saddle behind him.
“Get goin’ kiddo and don’t look back.” His eyes catch yours for a second, and you can see the concealed panic behind his brown eyes. You share a brief nod, so many words unsaid.
But there’s no more time to hesitate, the three of you burst back into the freezing blizzard once more.
*
If you weren’t suffering from hypothermia before, you definitely are now. Your body trembles violently with each passing second. Somehow, by the grace of God, you and Joel have successfully managed to outrun the hundreds of infected.
However, you both can only watch on in horror. The infected have redirected, no longer chasing you, but stampeding down the mountain, towards Jackson. Towards your family.
“We have to go back. I have to go back.” You shout to your uncle against the wind, the panic evident in your hoarse voice.
Joel and the young woman ride up beside you, gripping your reins before you can bolt. His eyes meet yours, laced with the same fear that’s crushing against your chest. “We’ll get her friends and we’ll go,” he says, voice steady. “I promise.”
*
It doesn’t take much longer for the three of you to ride to the top of the mountain, the lodge coming into view, and who you can only assume are the young woman’s group of friends, calling her name out in the howling wind. “Abby!”
Abby deftly removes herself from Joel’s saddle, only to be quickly swaddled in a young man’s embrace, the unknown group leading the way inside the lodge. “Let’s get inside!”
“Come on, baby girl.” Joel removes his jacket and wraps it tightly around your trembling frame, there’s an urgency in his movements as you enter the warm room. Your whole body shakes uncontrollably now, your full lips blue, teeth chattering too hard to speak.
From the frost covered windows, you catch a glimpse of the tall flames licking at Jackson’s gate, the first line of defence against a horde of infected or raiders that dare to try to attack. “D-dad…” you mumble, struggling to form the word.
“I can look after her?” A softly spoken woman offers, before slowly easing you out of Joel’s arms, inching you towards the warm fireplace. “W-who are you?” you stutter, eyes focusing in on the emblem stitched on her backpack. A wolf’s head baring its teeth and three bold letters. W. L. F.
Military?
“I’m Mel, I’m a doctor,” her tone practised, concise, like she’s done this a thousand times before. “We’re going to raise your body temperature up slowly, okay?” You nod weakly at her words.
You barely acknowledge when Abby introduces you to the room, before taking time to personally introduce each of her friends. Owen, Manny, Nora and Mel.
“And him?” She points to your unsuspecting uncle, his gaze firmly focused down on the town below. “His name is Joel.” The atmosphere in the room completely shifts. Guns are drawn, aimed at him, before you can even dare to move a muscle. You move to reach for your gun, but you’re too slow, too cold, too exhausted.
You can only flinch as the woman who’d been tending to you is shoved away from you. You don’t even have time to defend yourself before the icy cold metal of a gun barrel is pressed hard against the side of your head.
“Don’t fucking move.” A manly voice whispers in your ear. The woman introduced as Nora comes closer to you, crouching down for a moment to remove your gun from your thigh holster.
“She has nothin’-“ Joel steps forward on instinct, moving closer to you, but the sound of a safety switch flicked off from the rifle aimed at him, stalls his movement. “You wanna rob us? Fine, take what you want,” Joel says, voice low, cautious, his hands raised in the air.
“Do we look like raiders to you?” Abby asks, a cold edge to her voice. “No.” Joel calmly responds.
“What do we look like?” “Military… Fireflies?” The expression that befalls on your uncle’s face is one full of regret.
“Used to be, haven't you heard?” She pauses, a cold joking edge in her tone of voice. “There are no more Fireflies. They're all gone.” You’re clearly missing an important piece to the story. Something vital. The cause of all this.
Fireflies? You glance around trying to memorise each of their faces. You knew the Fireflies once, vaguely, years ago before you found Jackson. Yet, none of these faces are familiar to you, clearly not a part of the Boston faction of the rebel movement.
“I’m going to give you one chance to tell the truth,” Abby says, walking closer to you, the muzzle of her gun presses hard against your temple. “Otherwise I’m going to blow her fucking brains out.” Joel’s helpless eyes lock on yours, unshed tears pooling in his eyes.
“G-get the f-fuck away from me!” You struggle against male hands. You try to thrash against his grip, but your body tremors causes you to falter, your reflexes dulled from the hypothermia.
“Where was the last place you saw the Fireflies?” Abby asks. “Salt Lake.” Joel replies instantly, there’s no hesitation, the price of your life too high to even risk a lie. “At least you’re honest,” Abby mutters, lowering her gun from your head. She turns her back on both of you, stepping away closer to the tall male named Owen.
“I saved your life,” Joel calls after her, reminding her that she would be dead without him. Joel turns to you, in an attempt to comfort you. “It’s okay, baby girl-”
“What life?” Abby says before the sound of a shotgun blast ricochets off the walls.
“Joel!” You watch on as Joel hits the floor like a dead weight. His leg forcefully giving way, blood and shattered bone exposed underneath the torn denim.
Adrenaline flows through you.
You heavily stomp your boot down on the foot of the man who’s holding you, before quickly throwing your head back, the sickening crunch of someone’s nose breaking behind your skull. You’re finally able to twist free from his grasp just as Nora lunges for you, but you jab an elbow into her stomach, hard. She doubles over in pain, gasping for breath. Your fingers can only lightly brush against the hidden dagger you’ve stashed in your holster.
The fight leaves you as something collides heavy against your temple, your uncle’s face contorted in pain, his hand reaching out to you, the last thing you see before darkness pulls you under.
*
“Jesse! They’re down here!” Dina? Her voice is urgent. Distant. The sound of heavy steps drawing closer. Familiar calloused hands gently cradle your face, lightly brushing your hair away from your face.
“Baby, hey, you gotta open your eyes. Come on, baby.” You try to focus on the sound of his panicked voice, coaxing you out of the dark haze.
“Ouch, my head…” Your eyelids flutter open, heavy and reluctant to the light. Jesse’s concerned face hovers close to yours, his brows furrowed tightly together in worry. Where are we? For a moment, you don’t understand, you can’t seem to remember the moments before the darkness crept on you.
Then it hits you.
You sit up, fighting against the pounding in your head and the bile that burns in your throat, eyes searching, only to land to the sight just behind Jesse.
“No…” You instantly roll to your side and violently retch the contents of your stomach up, your body convulsing with each heave, sobs of Joel’s name breaking through in between. Jesse kneels beside you, hands carefully holding your hair, murmuring words of comfort into your ear. “I got you, baby, it’s okay, I got you.” It’s not okay, nothing is okay.
Your uncle’s body lies crumpled on the floor. The torture he must of endured evident. His once handsome features are barely recognisable under the purple swelling and deep gashes. A brutal dent crushed into his skull in what must have been the final blow that ended his torment.
You don’t know at what point Ellie came to your attempted rescue.
You only really register her presence in the room when she silently begins to drag her body closer to Joel, you take note of the weakness in her body and dried blood caked on her face. She must’ve been here.
The three of you can only watch on in despair when Ellie reaches his corpse, weaving her small fingers through Joel’s stiff unmoving ones, her body draping protectively around his. The struggles of her breathing, her chest heaving with each silent cry.
You can’t watch anymore. You bury your head into Jesse’s shoulder, your hands gripping tightly to his jacket, his own arms wrapping around you.
The four of you taking a moment in your shared grief.
You carefully cradle Ellie in your arms, mindful of every sob, every wince, every sharp intake of breath. Each one of her breaths are laboured, most likely the result of a collapsed lung. She folds in on herself, and the only thing you can do is wrap your arms around her, securing her to you.
There are no words of comfort. Both of you silently watch on.
Across the room, Jesse and Dina move in tandem, their own faces solemn, while they gently wrap Joel’s body in a tattered blanket. Then comes the plastic tarp, a cocoon of sorts, sealing him away from the world.
You gently shift away from Ellie, careful not to cause any more pain to her injuries. Your limbs feel heavy with each step you take closer, when Dina and Jesse begin to lift your uncle’s corpse. You move in between them, your arms sliding beneath Joel’s torso, the weight of him a devastating reminder of what you’ve lost today.
The three of you carry his body outside, the storm has finally settled, but you pay no attention to the cold that bites at your skin. Together, you slowly lower him onto the makeshift stretcher newly attached to your horse, on the snow covered ground. Jesse turns to go back inside, to bring an injured Ellie out, for you all to go home together. Dina lingers for a moment, then takes a step back, giving you a moment of privacy without a word.
You remain there, frozen in place, you stare perplexed at the still shape in front of you. A foolish part of you expects a sign of life from the body. But he doesn’t move.
“You’ve got her?” You hear Jesse behind you, helping lift Ellie on to Dina’s horse. “I’ve got her, Jess.” Dina’s reply lost in the wind.
You move to kneel in the snow, your gloved hands pulling tight on the ropes that secure the plastic tarp that encases your uncle’s body. You make sure every knot is tight and firm, that the plastic tarp protects his earthly remains on the journey home.
You drop your head to his chest, the silence within causing you to sob. “I love you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”
“Come on, baby.” Jesse’s tone soft as he crouches down next to you. “We have to get back. We have to take him back.” You don’t even resist as Jesse helps you to your feet. Each movement mechanical, instinctual, your brain switching off to all thought and feeling.
You and Jesse ride together, your body pressed against his, your gaze steadily fixed into the distance, yet you see nothing. Every now and then, you glance behind, silently checking that Joel is still with you. Jesse’s arms are strong around you, holding the pieces that are threatening to break, together.
The gates of Jackson open at the sight of your small group. Hundreds of infected bodies cover the ground surrounding the gate, their bodies left to slowly burn in the snow. The stench of burning flesh seeps into your nose, turning your stomach. The adrenaline that had kept you going finally begins to drain from your body, leaving behind the pounding in your skull and a hollow ache in your chest.
You notice immediately the town in ruin, having taken a big hit to its defence. Bodies of infected and people you once knew lay scattered, dead in the streets.
Jesse slides off the horse first, his hands firm as he reaches up to help you down. You barely register his commands to deliver the stretcher to the morgue. “Who is it?” Jesse’s arms wrap tighter around you at the question. “It’s Joel.”
The words are so final, so real, the pieces inside you are finally breaking. Despite the ache behind your eyes, you swivel your head around, searching for the only person who can keep you from falling apart so spectacularly.
You catch sight of him, his eyes locking in on the tarp, before glancing at you, a moment of relief crosses his face. Jesse doesn’t resist when you push away from his hold, running towards your father. “Daddy…” Tommy catches you in his arms just as your legs give out. He pulls you in tightly, his arms wrapping protectively around you. Tommy’s calloused hands cradle your face, his fingers lightly tracing over the cut above your brow, a matching one on his own temple.
“I’m so sorry, I-I tried, I-I couldn’t-“ Tears freely fall from your eyes.
Tommy tenses, the realisation that while he might not of lost his daughter, he has lost his only brother, hits him hard in the chest. Your father can only pull you in tighter, his chin resting on your head, and both of you just hold on to one another.
“It’s not your fault, sweetheart, it’s not your fault.” Tommy whispers over and over. He presses a delicate kiss to your head, his own tears slowly slip into your hair while he rocks you in his arms.
Note: thank you so much for reading if you’re still here, can promise the next one has more Jesse x reader interaction with some smut too
Tag list: @larascorneroftheworld, @jellyfishlord123, @aleemendoza2425-blog, @justcallmesams, @onlyforyuto, @genrockstar, @peachyxlynch
summary: as tommy’s daughter and joel’s niece, there is an unspoken rule in jackson that you’re off limits. jesse, someone known for sticking to the rules, breaks this one rule
pairing: jesse x miller!daughter reader
word count: 1,673 words
warnings: none, although have changed the story from niece to daughter
Chapter 2
“You’re both lucky it was me… if it was Tommy…” Maria doesn’t finish her sentence. She doesn’t need to. All three of you know the unspoken threat in her words.
You say nothing.
You don’t even spare a glance at Jesse as you hold Maria’s gaze. Steady, unflinching, defiant.
“Jesse, why don’t you get out of here, get the patrols ready.” Maria says coolly, her words directed at the young man, yet her eyes are fixed solely on you. The dismissal is subtle but enough to be understood.
“Maria…” Jesse protests quietly. “Jesse,” her tone stronger. “Don’t make me ask you again.” A beat of silence between the three of you, so silent you’re able to hear the faint sound of falling snow around you. “Yes, ma’am.” You can hear the tightness in Jesse’s voice as he leaves the pair of you alone, obeying the orders directed to him.
Maria casts a glance to Jesse’s retreating silhouette and then to the quiet house behind her, her expression hardening as she turns to face you. “I don’t want you to do anymore patrols together.” Maria says matter of factly. It’s not a suggestion, but a command.
“What? You can’t do that!” You shoot back in disbelief. You and Jesse had patrolled together now for several months, moved as one, trusted each other to keep the other safe.
“You’ll find that I can,” Maria says simply. “And I am.”
Maria’s face softens ever so slightly, if you blinked you might’ve missed it. “I’m not doing this to hurt you, I’m doing this to protect you. Both of you. You know Jesse’s place on the council would be questioned.”
You open your mouth ready to argue, ready to defend, but Maria, always one step ahead, holds her hand up, silencing your words.
“You think they won’t start whispering that he got that position because of you? Because of your Dad? Because of me?”
“So it’s self-preservation then?” you snap, anger searing through your veins. “You know Jesse worked hard for that position, he deserves a seat on that council more than anyone.”
“I know that, but it won’t matter.”
“I’m patrolling with Jesse.” You refuse to accept her command, zipping your jacket up as a cold gust of wind sends a chill through your body. You move to follow Jesse’s path to the stables, no doubt preparing for the patrol. Maria gently but firmly catches your arm, stopping you in your place.
“I’m not asking you, I’m telling you, no more patrols together. You get distracted for one second, or he makes one wrong call and someone doesn’t make it home.”
“What?” You say incredulously, offended that Maria believes you won’t be able to separate your professional and personal relationship with Jesse. As if you haven’t already been doing that for the last year. Not that she ever knew. Not that anyone did. “You think I don’t take my patrols seriously when I’m with him? Or that he can’t control himself? That we’d let someone get hurt?”
“When you’re out there?” Maria points, signalling to the world outside of their small protected community. “When there’s a horde of infected or a group of raiders, you have to make a choice, you don’t get to hesitate, you don’t get to feel. You start to think with your heart and not your head?” Maria pauses for a moment, emphasising the next words. “Someone dies.”
You want to argue, to tell her she’s wrong. But then she drops the final blow.
“Might be someone else… but most likely? It’d be you… or Jesse.” She’s not trying to scare you, she saying it because it’s true. And that’s what terrifies you more. You could never forgive yourself if an error in your judgement led to Jesse getting hurt. Or worse.
“No more patrols together.” Her words are final, no more room for argument. You don’t say anything, just nod, albeit reluctantly, at her words. She releases the gentle hold on your arm. “You can patrol with Joel today, Ellie can go with Jesse.” ‘Joy.’ You think bitterly. You’re already thinking of the ways you’ll have to repay Ellie for dragging her out of her bed earlier than usual.
Maria begins to retreat back to the main house, taking a few steps before turning back to you. “Are you happy?”
You think of the morning you just shared with Jesse, the feel of his skin on yours, the look in his eyes when you caught his gaze lingering on you for that extra moment, the smile that he reserves solely for you. Your lips unknowingly curve at just the thought of him. “He makes me happy, Maria.”
Maria softly nods, her expression unreadable to you, “We’ll figure it out, kid.”
•
You softly knock on the familiar white door, rubbing your hands together in an attempt to ward off the early morning chill. “You know you don’t have to knock, baby girl.” Joel stands in the open doorway, steaming hot mug in hand, the scent of the elusive coffee he had somehow managed to scavenge, wafting into the air. “Habit.” The older man steps aside so you can enter his abode. Joel is already prepped and ready for his patrol, snow jacket on, boots laced tight, his pistol strapped to his thigh. You can’t help but notice how the years have changed your uncle. There’s more grey than brown in his thick hair, the wrinkles around his dark eyes a little deeper, a slight heaviness to him, as if he’s been carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders…
“Everythin’ alright?” He asks, closing the door behind you. The house is familiar and warm as you glance around, taking note of the new hand carved ornaments.
“Is Ellie still asleep?” You lightly touch the intricate wooden owl, appreciating the finer details.
“It’s barely light out, of course she is. What’s wrong?” Joel’s tone is concerned as he places his mug down, a little harder than necessary, on the small table by the door, seeking your attention. “Can I patrol with you this morning?” You glance at your uncle, the confusion evident in his face. He knows your schedule. Hell, he’s the one who makes it half the time. And he knows that you almost exclusively patrol with Jesse. “Did Jesse do somethin’?” His voice tightens, the fingers on his right hand stretching before clenching into a fist, almost on reflex.
“No!” You say immediately. “No, nothing like that… I just want to go with you, if that’s okay? Plus, we can talk about what we can get Dad for his birthday.” You offer a little smile, trying to lighten the mood and deflect away from Jesse.
Joel narrows his eyes in suspicion, studying you for a moment before deciding to let it go. “If you’re sure, kiddo.”
“I’m sure… Do you want me to wake Ellie to tell her?” Like the rest of the community, you couldn’t help but notice the tension between the pair of them. You knew that Joel and Ellie had travelled the country, seeking out the Fireflies to develop a cure, and along the way had developed a bond similar to that of a father and daughter.
A small smile appears on Joel’s face.
“No, let her sleep in.”
•
You and Joel walk side by side, the Main Street of Jackson slowly becoming alive, marking the start of another day. “So, what patrol are we on today?” You try your best to sound casual, it’s probably something that you should’ve already known as one of the senior members of the community.
Joel raises his eyebrow as he side-eyes you. “Copper Mine, it’s not too bad. Maybe one or two infected.”
“I thought so.” You say confidently, if you knew the answer the whole time, a small laugh escaping you as your uncle rolls his eyes at you.
“Nothin’ we can’t handle.” He gently pushes his shoulder into yours giving you an affectionate push.
It’s only a short walk before the stables come into view, the smell of hay and horse shit rampant. You watch as Jesse prepares the horses and commands the outgoing patrolling teams around him. He turns his head at your approach, a ghost of smile on his face, but that soon vanishes when he notices Joel walking beside you. Joel and Jesse nod their heads in greeting, neither man says anything. Both men similar in that they use their actions to speak for them, rather than using words.
“I’m patrolling with Joel today. Maria said Ellie would cover my patrol with you.” You lightly emphasize Maria’s name, hoping he catches on to the hidden meaning. There’s a moment’s pause, a hardening in his gaze, before Jesse gives the smallest nod, understanding. “You have to wake Ellie up though.” You pat Jesse’s chest in fake sympathy as you walk past him to mount your horse.
“What patrol you on today, Jesse?” Joel calls out as he mounts his own horse with ease.
“Cottonwood.”
“Straightforward run,” Joel nods slowly, no doubt analysing the Cottonwood run in his head.
You watch as Joel’s face contorts, the lines in his face deepen, his voice sharp and commanding. “You keep her safe.” Ellie. “I will.” Jesse hands Joel the green and yellow flags. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to give Joel the typical patrol instructions, the routes and procedures a second nature to Joel at this point. ‘Stick to the road, scan the country side, hit the checkpoints, and sign the logbooks.’ The phrase echoes in your mind.
You glance above at the darkening sky. “Storm?” “We think it’s going to hit hard later on, try and be back by then.” Jesse comes closer to you under the pretence of tightening the straps on your saddle. Hidden from Joel’s view, his strong hand strokes your calf, before gently squeezing his fingers around you. “Be safe out there.” You reach down to touch his gloved fingers on the saddle. “You too.” Jesse stands back from the horse, his hand raising to signal for the gates to open.
“COPPER MINE MOVING OUT!”
note: if you’ve got this far, thank you so much! i think i might do a little tag list, so if you would like to be tagged in the next chapter update, let me know! also, i have changed it from niece to tommy’s daughter, i think it just made the story make a little bit more sense
summary: as tommy’s daughter and joel’s niece, there is an unspoken rule in jackson that you’re off limits. jesse, someone known for sticking to the rules, breaks this one rule
words: 854 words
warnings: barely there smut
Chapter 1
The early morning sun slips through the gaps in your curtain, scattering warm rays across the room, across the bed. The light catches on the faint scars and toned contours of your lover, painting him in an almost ethereal glow.
You tilt your head back, slightly breathless as you grind your body back and forth. Strong calloused hands grip your waist, guiding your thrusts.
Three sudden knocks on your garage door causes you to halt your movements, your brow furrows in annoyance. A whispered groan escapes from the man tangled in your sheets. “Yeah?” Your voice unsteady and low.
“Just makin’ sure you’re up, you’re patrollin’ with Jesse today. He don’t like tardiness.” Your Dad’s Southern drawl commands from the other side of the door. At the mention of his name, you watch as Jesse lifts his head to the look at the blaring red numbers illuminating from your alarm clock, his hand raking through the mess of his dark hair, his head dropping to the pillow in frustration.
“I’m sure he won’t mind.” You call out, your tone full of mischief as your hands drop to either side of Jesse’s head, caging him in. Your bare breasts brushes against his warm chest as you begin to slightly roll your hips, Jesse still very much hard inside you. You bite your lip to stop yourself from moaning Jesse’s name.
“Get your ass movin’.” Tommy fires back, unimpressed and completely unaware of what is transpiring just behind the wooden door. ‘Don’t mind if I do.’ For a moment you wait, listening as your dads footsteps crunch over the snow covered driveway, each step growing fainter.
Jesse shifts beneath you, his hands moving to lift you off him, but you press down firmly on his chest, keeping him in your bed. You press your lips to his, your kiss deepening as you ride him with more urgency than before.
Jesse swings his legs over the edge of the bed, you sit up behind him, still breathless, your fingers faintly ghost over the red scratches across his shoulder blades, vivid against his pale skin. Jesse glances over his shoulder at you, an amused glint in his dark eyes. “Admiring your handiwork?”
You inch even closer until you’re pressing your breasts against the warmth of his back, your arms loosely resting against his torso. Resting your chin on his shoulder, “You know, I seem to recall you enjoying it last night.”
“Oh, I very much enjoyed it.” He turns to face you, his hand comes up to cradle your face as he places his lips against yours in a quick kiss. “We have to get moving.”
You sigh and lovingly roll your eyes at your lover. Jesse has always been a stickler for following the rules, always the one who shows up early, triple checking every route before delegating patrols. Except when it came to being with you. With you, he became a little bit more reckless, a little more free.
Being Tommy’s daughter and Joel’s niece made you off limits, not just to Jesse, but to everyone. If there was an unspoken rule within Jackson, that was it.
Out of the two of you, Jesse had the most to lose. He had earned his place beside Tommy through years of hard work, commitment and dedication to the community of Jackson. He had finally gained a seat on the council, a seat elected by the community.
That’s why you had resorted to sneaking around, the late nights, early mornings, brief glances when they thought no one was looking. All to keep Jesse’s integrity intact.
You glance at the Korean man as you step into your jeans, his eyes already on you, watching you unashamedly. “Stop staring.” A smile tugs on the corner of your lips. “Can’t help it.” Jesse replies, his own smile, the one solely reserved for you etched on his face.
You both dress quickly with almost military precision. No fumbling, no stalling, just practice that came with years of survival.
Both you and Jesse walk to the window at the back of your garage. You ease the frosted glass open, careful and quiet. Jesse braces himself on the frame, one leg already over the sill. His glances back at you one last time. “I’ll see you out there.”
You gently cup his cheek, eyes full of affection. He leans in, brushing one final kiss on your lips, then disappears into the cold morning.
Pulling your jacket over your shoulders, you step out of the garage, the bite of the cold December air not the only thing to send chills through your body.
Maria stands on the patio of the main house, arms tightly crossed, her gaze flicking between you and Jesse, who’s been caught red handed, in the act of slipping away. Neither of you move.
You watch as Maria gently closes the door behind her, before slowly descending down the patio stairs. She stops just a few feet away from the both of you, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the sight before her. She raises an eyebrow, silently gauging both of your reactions. “You’re both lucky it was me… if it was Tommy…”
Have been messing around with ProCreate. I don’t know if we’ll get Polaroids from the Jackson trip because Dina has told Ellie who everyone is, but I’d thought I’d make them.
KAITLYN DEVER as ABBY ANDERSON
SPENCER LORD as OWEN MOORE
THE LAST OF US | 2023 —
S02E01: Future Days
"We're finding him. Yes, we are. Yes, we are."
"Alright, let's talk about how. Because here's what we got. He's a smuggler. His name's Joel, or Joe. There's some confusion about that—"
