Consequence

Chapter Sixteen

That stopped Joel Miller dead. His head snapped to attention as he looked back up at Ellie, his hazel eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. "What...No...That's not..."He rambled. "It's today, Joel." Ellie said with a shit eating grin. "You forgot didn't you?" She teased. "No... Are you sure it's today?" He said leaning back on his heels and scratching at his bearded chin. "I could've sworn it was in January..." he mumbled to himself. The teen shook her head. He was thinking of the anniversary when they first got together; this however was their wedding anniversary and it was painfully clear that Joel had completely forgotten. "Well I mean it's only the first one right? So I suppose you get a pass, you guys have been together together for what... three years now?" Ellie guessed. Folding her arms and kicking one leg back to cross over the other.

"Two years, eleven months and nineteen days." Joel recited as he awkwardly tucked his hands into his jean pockets, leaving Ellie dumbfounded that he had actually just fucking said that outloud. She grunted a laugh as it snorted through her nose. "Oh my god! You kept count! That is fucking adorable!" She giggled, her smile growing even wider as Joel cleared his throat while rubbing self consciously at the base of his neck, all the while avoiding eye contact as Ellie continued to giggle at him. She took a gasping breath through her laughs, leaning back to glance at him again. "So...what, do you like, keep a diary under your pillow and keep track of every day you and Ada are together?" She asked, fighting through another fit of giggles trying to escape. "No wait! Do you doodle little pictures of the two of you with kissy faces and heart eyes? NO WAIT!! I bet in the corner of the pages you wrote J + A 4ever in a big love heart." The teen gasped for air once again through her deep chuckles that made her eyes start to water. Almost doubling over from the cramp that was beginning to form in her stomach. "Oh man! I can't fucking breathe!" She wheezed. Holding her middle to stop herself from toppling over. Joel sighed deeply, puffing out a breath of air as he fought the smile that pulled at his lips. Moving to clear his throat again in feeble to attempt to hide his own amusement at Ellie's teasing. His cheeks turning a deep red, an evident sign of his embarrassment. He hadn't meant to say it out loud; it had just come out.

But in truth he had been keeping count of every day he and Ada had been together. Not for the silly soppy reasons Ellie had suggested but because in reality he had wanted to appreciate every day they had together. It had been stupid at first. Just to help him believe that it was real. That he really did have something like that in his life again after so long. To help him appreciate every day they made it out alive. Another day with the woman he loved. But then it had just seemed to become a habit. Something he had just needed to do. In the end, it just made him damn grateful that they'd had all that time together in the first place. And the fact that number kept growing was a blessing to him.

To have Ada. To call her his wife. To have Tommy and Ellie. His family... Something he was convinced was gone for good. Wasn't anymore. In his mind that was his purpose, that was his something to fight for. He coughed to get Ellie's attention as her laughs began to die down as she managed to catch her breath again, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You done?" Joel asked with a knowing smile. "Oh no fucking way! I'm nowhere near done. Just wait till I tell Tommy!" Joel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please don't tell Tommy." He begged jovially. The teen snickered again with an evil gleam in her eye. "Oh I'm definitely telling Tommy!"

The older man playfully rolled his eyes as he followed her towards the front of a hotel building, his eyes following hers as they looked to the other both sharing a knowing look. With no other way forward, they 'd have to cut through. Joel was just grateful Ellie dropped the subject.

After making their way inside, they split up both scoping the place out. Keeping both an eye and ear out for infected. The place was quiet and empty...until it wasn't.

Joel heard the groans and clicks of the infected before he even opened the door to the foyer; the two of them creeping in slowly as Ellie darted behind the bar while Joel moved towards the closest clicker to stab it swiftly in the neck. Before carefully lowering its body to the ground to not alert the others shuffling around the room. The teen was quick to follow suit; taking down the next one with her pocket knife. Letting the body slump to the floor with a dull thud. She glanced across to Joel who signaled for her to move forward into the next room, passed the reception desk. She nodded and crouched low, keeping close to the walls and around the edge of the large oak desk. Between the two of them they managed to take out the remaining infected rather quickly and efficiently. Both rising to their feet to take a breath and collect themselves for a moment before moving on through the building.

Ellie waited as Joel moved forward pushing an old couch blocking a doorway that took them through into what the girl assumes was the hotel's gym. Following the older man she takes a second to veer off towards the old changing rooms. She creeps through looking along the rusted lockers, pleasantly surprised when she finds a copy of Savage Starlight she has yet to read. "Aw sweet." She mumbled to herself. "Whatcha got there?" She flinches slightly at Joel's deep voice breaking the silence, having not realized he'd followed her inside. "Oh, I just found another issue." She replies with a smile as she waves the comic book for him to see. "Jesse and Dina's gonna lose their shit when they see this. We've been waiting for weeks to find out what happens next."

She quickly kneels to stuff the comic into her backpack before jumping up to her feet to join Joel back in the main room. "What's the deal with those two anyway?" He asks unexpectedly. " They're dating right?" Ellie froze for a second, her mind reeling as she wondered just where Joel was going with this. "Uh...on and off. Why?" She really wished she hadn't asked when the older man turns and smirks at her. " I hear the way Jesse talks about you..." he grins and it's the same shit eating grin she gave him not an hour earlier. "No. Jesse and I are just friends." She clarifies. But Joel is not convinced, stopping in place and turning to face her. A mischievous gleam in his eye and that damn smirk. "Oh I see. So that's where you draw the line, when it comes to talking about your love life." He chuckled. His arms crossed over his chest, giving her that disapproving dad look he did, that they both knew wasn't serious at all. Ellie just smirked back.

Two can play at this game, old man. She thought smugly. "Oh really? You wanna to talk about all that stuff right now? Okay then, hey Joel; where do babies come from?" She challenged biting back another laugh as Joel's face fell at the question. His cheeks blooming red again as he blushed. He cleared his throat, turning on his heel and walking away. "Okay I give up, you win." He conceded, throwing his hands up in defeat. "That's what I thought." Ellie grinned in victory as she followed on a few steps behind. She smiled towards Joel's back as he continued on in front. It was clear they weren't going to get those guitar strings today or an anniversary present for her mom either. But hey at least Ellie had a pretty damn good story to tell when she got home. And no matter what happened, she was definitely telling Tommy when they got back. Consequences be damned.