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

Chapter 8

"Ok... How long do Infected live?"

"Oh, I thought you went to school."

"It's a really shitty one," Ellie laughed, and so did you.

"Well, some last about a month or two," you told her. "But there's others been walking around about 20 years."

"Ever kill one?"

"Yeah, I killed lots of them."

"Was it hard? Like, knowing they were people once?"

You fell quiet for a moment. "Sometimes."

"I just finished making a truck battery," Joel said, walking back into the room. "It's charging right now."

"Okay," you smiled.

"Ellie. I know I haven't told you much, but I have a brother out in Wyoming. He's in some kinda trouble, and I'm heading out there to find him. He used to be a Firefly, and my guess is he knows where some of them are out there. Maybe they can get you to wherever this lab is."

"All right," Ellie said. "Uh, listen, about Tess, uh..."

"If we're taking you with us, there's some rules you gotta follow," Joel said, and Ellie fell quiet. "Rule one, you don't bring up Tess. Ever. Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves," he said, and she nodded. You gulped. Had he heard your conversation? Is that what had prompted the rule? "Rule two, you don't tell anyone about your... condition. They see that bite mark, they won't think it through. They'll just shoot you. Rule three, you do what I say when I say it. We clear?"

"Yes," Ellie said, with no quick witted comment attached. 

"Repeat it."

"What you say goes."

"Okay," Joel said, and then he sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. He was tired, and when he was tired, he seemed so much older.  

"We'll stay here for the night. Grab what we can," you decided, taking charge. "Ellie, grab some cans from the pantry; nothing dented or swollen. Joel, we'll stock weapons from the bunker." You kicked your head towards the door and Ellie wandered into the kitchen. You punched the four digit code into the bunker and the wall slid open, revealing a ladder heading down into a dark room. Thankful that Bill was a prepper and a bit crazy, you slid down the clanking ladder and flicked on the light. The room was lined wall to wall with guns and other weapons, but as Joel climbed down, he only had eyes for one thing. The radio. 

"Holy shit," Ellie cried, peaking her head through the hole from above. "This guy was a genius." Joel ignored her, turning off the radio, and it became eerily quiet. "Why was the music on?" 

"If Bill didn't reset the countdown every few weeks, this playlist would run over the radio."

"80s," Ellie muttered, and you nodded. As she pulled her head out of the hole, you saw her reach for a gun, and smacked her hand away. 

"No," you said sternly, and her eye roll looked even more exaggerated when she was hanging half upside-down.

"There's a wall of them," she said, shaking her head as she disappeared. You and Joel stocked up on all the weapons and ammo you could need, and then climbed out of the hole, bags almost twice as heavy as they had been. 

Joel took yours as you grunted at the weight, and you whispered a quiet, "thank you," as he placed them by the front door. Then, as Ellie emerged, cans spilling over her arms, you went to help her and Joel disappeared.

"Needs another hour," he called, checking the battery, and as you glanced his way, you noticed the boiler on the wall and beamed. 

"They have hot water!" you cried. "I'm taking a shower. And then you're showering because seriously..." You pretended to gag as you walked past Joel and he nudged you in the arm, feigning offence. 

"Save some water for the rest of us," he said, and you shrugged, running up the stairs.

A hot shower had never felt so good. When you were done, you stole a couple of Bill and Franks old but clean clothes, and even found a stick of deodorant to use. You tied your hair back, and with all of this sudden pampering, found yourself shattered. You yawned, yelling to Joel that the shower was free, and heading into the spare bedroom. 

"You alright Ellie?" you asked as she walked by, and she nodded. 

"Better than I've been in a while," she said.

"Good. Get some rest whilst you can," you said. "There's some comfy blankets downstairs. Take a sofa." 

"Don't I get the bed?" she asked with a pouting lip, and you chuckled.

"Nice try," you replied. "Good night." 

"Night y/n," she said, wandering off downstairs. You heard her walking around for a while, before the hall light clicked off and she settled down for the night.

As you turned down the covers and got into bed, Joel appeared, hair slicked back and a comfortable shirt on. "Oh shit," you mumbled softly, and he glanced your way, unsure of what he'd heard you say. "Well, don't you look pretty," you joked, masking your genuine attraction to him. 

"Shut up," he said, and then he smiled a little. "So do you." He stood, lingering by the door, not saying a word, but his body language told you all that you needed to know. 

"I think after everything, it's one of those nights," you said, and he nodded. You slid across to the far side of the bed, opening your arms as Joel climbed in next to you. You rested your chin atop his head, his breath tickling your neck as he sighed. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" you asked, and he grunted slightly. 

"You already know 'em all," he answered, and you scoffed, accidentally louder than intended. Joel stiffened slightly. "Does it really bother you that much that I don't tell you things?" he asked, and you nodded, rubbing his arm gently. 

"I know it gets annoying. I ask a lot. But yeah. I just wanna make sure you're alright," you said. You braced for Joel to get angry, or worse, say nothing at all, but instead he wrapped his arms tighter around you and pulled you into his chest, his lips pressed to your forehead. 

"I'm worried about Tommy," he whispered eventually, pulling the blanket up around you both. "And I'm worried about you. And I'm working on communicating... I'll get there." 

You smiled gently, looking up into his eyes. Your lips were inches apart, and if you'd had any courage you would've kissed him there and then, but then Joel shuffled back slightly, nuzzling his head into the pillow. "You have no idea how much that means to me," you settled for saying instead, and Joel hummed, nearly asleep.

"You have no idea how much you mean to me," he answered, and then before you could respond, he was snoring softly. You stroked his hair, a happiness in your heart that refused to leave. Progress, it seemed, was finally being made.