The Imagination Latibule: The Last of Us - Don't Dream it's Over

You didn't need taking care of, but when you did, it was nice to have someone to watch over you. Joel was that person for you, and although he rarely admitted it, you were that person for him. Sometimes, when he saw someone that reminded him of his daughter Sarah, you'd see a change in his eyes - so subtle, but something that sent a shiver through you. After those moments, he would always be more protective - an arm around you during a Fedra Rally; a step ahead in a darkened alley; an extra slice of bread on your plate when you were last in line for food and others had taken more than their share.

Joel admitted one day, whilst the two of you were 'enjoying' a drink -- Fedra brewed alcohol was grim -- that you were the first and last person to ever ask if he was ok. He said it so casually over the kitchen table and you didn't know why it struck such a nerve, but you stood up and hugged him. 

That's when you learnt that whilst Joel hated public displays of physical affection, in private, he needed nothing more than for someone to show him they cared. Even though his hugging skills were rusty -- all his emotions beyond grumpy were rusty -- that didn't stop him.

At first he went rigid, but you'd known Joel in the QZ for 4 years, and knew all you had to do was stick it out. So you did, one arm around his neck and the other around his waist, holding on tightly as your fingers curled around the fabric of his shirt. At first, nothing, but then his arms slowly but surely crept around you, holding you tighter than you'd ever remembered been held as he sunk his face into the crook of your neck. He took a deep breath, fingers splaying across your back. You stayed in that same position for as long as he needed you to, so long that at some point you ended up on his lap. After all, you'd learnt to never pull away from a hug first. When Joel did, his eyes were red, and you pretended to not notice a tear fall from his cheek as he swiftly inhaled, taking with the breath all his emotions. But they were less buried than before, and you hoped that with time they'd come back for good.

From that point onwards it was an unspoken rule between you. You and Joel mostly had different shifts, and when the two of you got home, the first thing you did was hug. It was reassurance. It was friendship. It was hope. When you did work the same shifts, you hugged all the same.

***

You were walking back from work one afternoon; it wasn't uncommon for you to leave early, especially when your shift started at 5 in the morning and the Fedra agent watching over you had decided to skip lunch break, when suddenly, something hit you over the back of the head. 

You were only aware that you'd been knocked unconscious when you woke up, tied to a chair and struggling to see out of one eye.

"I'm sorry y/n," said a man sitting in front of you, and immediately you groaned. "I told the boys to fetch you, they weren't meant to be so... hands on." 

"Robert?" you mumbled, wincing at the pain in your head. You'd been dealing with this scumbag for weeks, trying to get a car battery for Joel so the two of you could find his brother. A rift had separated them - Tommy had joined the fireflies against Joel's wishes, and had promptly vanished from the QZ. Eventually his replies had stopped, and you'd been the one to watch Joel descend into his inner turmoil as he made plans to get his brother back.

"So, here's the thing," Robert said, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "I accidentally sold the car battery to someone else." 

"Shit," you said. Joel would be so upset. But you wanted to make sure you'd get out of the dingy basement you were in, so you weren't about to go letting on.

"It's not like I planned on... ripping you off." Robert rubbed his face in his hands. "I'm sorry."

"Well," you shrugged, a heavy migraine coming on. "How about we just let it go?" Robert looked surprised. "What else are you gonna do?" you asked logically. "Ya gonna keep me here? Kill me?"