Warning: light smut, a bit of angst I guess.
I'm not satisfied at all with the first part of this chapter, and the rest could be improved to, but I've been stuck on this for a few days and I don't see how to do it. Next chapter should be better, I've wrote a part of it a long time ago and I like it! Anyway, thanks for all the reads and support <3.
Photo by Nathan Wright
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Despite the pain, Joel manages to resume a more or less normal life. Day after day, he clings to Chloe to stay afloat and not sink, engulfed in his past. She hurts to see him like this. Joel was never more vulnerable than when things were about Ellie. Chloe knows it, she can't mend his scars. But she can appease them, by being present, with small gestures, with good dishes. Simple things that ease his pain and make him grateful, even if he can't express it with words. So when he places soft kisses on her forehead, or hugs her tenderly, she knows she's made him feel good.
Tonight, he was persuaded to come to the party. Despite the loud music, he manages to chat with other residents, beer in hand. He keeps an eye on Chloe, who once again gives in to the dance.
At the bar, a group of younger men are talking. One of them has been in Jackson for only a few weeks but has quickly integrated with the rest of his age. The thirty-something toasts with his new friends before asking in a tone of confidence.
"Hey, what's the name of the girl who was serving earlier, the one dancing over there.
-Chloe? Why you're asking?
-I think she likes me, she kept smiling to me. I think I'm gonna dance with her, try to get to know each other, you know what I mean.
-Yeah, I wouldn't do that buddy.
- What, because you didn't succeed? Don't worry, I've my way with ladies."
The others exchange knowing glances and let the man named Carl head for the dance floor. As he walks away, they laugh softly, knowing full well how he's going to be greeted. With a smile on his face, Derek serves the others, laughing at their remarks. As the newcomer is now near Chloe, one of them notices.
"Her old man won't be please.
-Whose old man?"
With a shudder, they turn to the deep voice. Leaning on the counter, Joel arrived to get a refill. The one who spoke stammers an apology, drawing a smirk from the older man. Derek fills his glasses, indicating his companion with a nod of the head.
"You're going to intervene?
-Nah she can handle herself."
Joel responds while watching his partner gently push the newcomer away. Still, he doesn't take his eyes off her. Even though he doesn't show it often, he's the jealous type. So when the other starts to get too pushy, he puts his drink down and walks up to the floor, earning amused glances from the spectators of the scene. Anyone knowing Joel knows how protective he can be with those close to him. Carl is going to find out. He jumps when he feels a hand rest on his shoulder. He frowns as he recognizes the one Tommy introduced as his brother.
"Why don't you go back to the bar and have some water.
-I'm fine dancing with the lady.
-No, you're not."
His deep voice turned almost threatening. The youngest swallows at Joel's cold gaze. He pulls back and returns aback to the bar. Watching him walk away, Chloe smiled at her partner's demeanor. As usual, he worries about her.
"You ok?
-Yeah, but maybe you should stay around, just to be sure."
She says with a pout more sexy than innocent, knowing full well that he would crack. He shakes his head and does so. He can't deny her anything. She starts to dance again, not taking her eyes off him. He imitates her, having drunk enough to forget the judgment of others without making a fool of himself.
At the bar, mocking smiles greet an annoyed Carl. Taking the glass of defeat handed to him, he can't help but watch Chloe and Joel dance without touching each other. One of his mates begins to explain to him, deciding not to reveal everything immediately.
"Yeah, we should have warned you, he's really protective with her.
-Why?
-Well, she lives with him since she got here.
-They're roommates or something? He's like her father?
-Oh, he's her daddy alright."
Too absorbed in his observation, he doesn't notice the amused smiles of the others around him. Even Derek can't help but sketch at smirk, even though he knows Chloe would have gouged out the head of the blatant who spoke if she had heard that.
On the floor, the dance got closer, more sensual. The lovers share a smile of complicity, knowing full well what is going on near the bar. They feel the eyes on them. He comes a little closer, putting his hand on her hip before speaking into her ear so that she can hear him.
"That kid, he's one of the new recruits that I have to train tomorrow for the patrol. It might be interesting.
- Maybe we can make it even more interesting."
With a smirk, he nods to his partner's suggestion. As she completely clings to him, continuing to move her hips in rhythm, he leans down to kiss her. Both smile in the kiss as they hear laughter coming from the bar. The gang couldn't help when they saw Carl's bewildered face, apparently far from having imagined this relationship.
As a new song rings out, Joel leans in again to whisper in her ear, eliciting a mischievous smile from his mistress. They return to the bar, ignoring the insistent looks of the others. She asks Derek to pass her the vest she left behind the counter.
"You're leaving already?
-Duty call."
Derek chuckles softly as he winks at her. He knows how diligent she is on these kinds of responsibilities. Beside her, Joel gazes casually at the young men despite his lover's hints. He warns them.
"Don't overdo the drink, I'll expect you at 6am tomorrow. Don't be late."
Chloe quietly bites the inside of her cheek so as not to laugh at the incredibly serious air from her companion. Although he has integrated into the social life of the city, he continues to maintain that harsh, stern look that impresses most people. This contrast with her Joel, the one who looks at her tenderly, laughing at her idiocy, amuses her enormously. He puts his hand on her waist and they walk away without looking at the others. Smugly. It's only once in the streets that they let go, laughing like teens proud of their silliness.
"I'd like to be there tomorrow to see his face.
-It's gonna be gold
-Maybe I should come and take lessons too. They say the instructor is cute.
-You would just distract him, pretending not knowing how to hold a gun just to have him touching you."
She laughs softly as he slips his arm around her shoulders. She looks at her watch.
"It's still early, what are we going to do?
-I think you already know that."
She looks up at him brightly, biting her lip suggestively. He chuckles, shaking his head, and she laughs too before stating the most likely scenario for this evening.
"Let me guess. Watching a silly 80's movie that I will fall asleep to after ten minutes.
-Yup. And people think I'm the old one.
-Hey! I'd have dance all night long, you're the one taking me out.
-You can go back, I'm pretty sure Carl would be glad.
-Nah, I'm better dozing off against you."
----------------------------
Chloe chuckles softly as she mixes her dough. Behind her, Joel hugs her, kissing her shoulder, trying to distract her from her job. As she resists, he gently mocks her, hoping for a reaction. With a sulky gesture, she puts paste on his nose. You're gonna regret this, he threatens gently. Forcing her to turn around, he leans towards her neck to rub his nose there, getting rid of the food preparation. She lets out a slight moan of disgust before laughing at his proud look. Not resentful, she wraps her arms around his neck to keep him close to her. He observes the features of her face before resting his forehead against hers, whispering under a breath.
"Why are you so pretty?"
She responds by kissing him tenderly. When their mouths part, he leans to the side to clean her neck with his lips. With application, he removes traces of food one by one. She squirms a little at this gesture, as much because it tickles her as because she feels a familiar warmth rising inside her. She tries to ignore the blood rushing right to her core, diverting the conversation.
"Does it taste good?
-You always taste good.
-I'm talking about the food.
-I'm not."
Without giving her time to reply, he catches her lips in a heated kiss. He feels her excitement, arousing carnal appetites in him. With a confident gesture, he lifts her up to sit her on the counter. His hands play with the inside of her thighs, making her tremble in anticipation. He breaks the kiss to take her shirt off in one quick motion. Without further ado, he moves down her upper body to kiss her chest, pushing aside the remaining cloth to reach his goal and take her nipple in his mouth. While heaving light sighs of relief, she lets her hands slide over his body, searching for the opening of his jeans, beginning to undo the buttons eagerly. Suddenly, the back door swings open.
"Hey Joel, do you- Shit!
-Goddammit Tommy! Have you ever learned to knock or what?
The older one growls, angrily pulling his pants back, annoyed at being interrupted. Chloe puts her bra back on correctly before grabbing her t-shirt nonchalantly. Too bad for the moment of intimacy, it will have to wait. With his back turned, Tommy can't help but comment.
"I know I'm in no position to make a point, but what you're doing isn't really hygienic.
-Do you want me to remind you life in Boston?"
For a few moments, the two brothers continue to shoot pikes at each other as they often do. Still sitting on the counter, Chloe bursts out laughing. They stop bickering to look at her, taken aback.
"I can already imagine you two in thirty years, old and spoiled, rambling the same stories and growling at each other.
-Thirty years? You're generous, I think my dear brother is already there."
Joel nudges him in the ribs to silence him. Still annoyed, he asks why he's disturbing them like this. Tommy needs him for some consolidation work, one of the construction workers being injured. The older sighs and kisses his partner before going out after his brother.
As silence returns to the kitchen, she looks at her preparations, discouraged. She's not in the mood for it anymore, but she's getting it done anyway. At least that will keep her busy for a few hours, perhaps helping her forget that she's craving for his touch on her body.
----
"Why are you still here, shouldn't you have finished your shift already?"
Behind the counter, Chloe has returned to her old role. It still happens from time to time that she lends a hand. She likes it, it allows her to meet everyone, to chat with them. Thus, she gets to know the people of the community better and can provide solutions that are better suited to everyone's needs. The young woman is proud of her new role, proud of being able to make a difference without having to step outside the city walls. Grabbing a glass to fill it, she answers Maria.
"The patrol still hasn't come back ... 'Got to keep my mind busy. "
The blonde just nods her head. She didn't go home herself, preferring to spend some time surrounded by people than in the silence of her own home. She knows it though, patrols with new recruits sometimes take longer, especially if Tommy and Joel stumble upon an opportunity to teach them new things. So she keeps her usual calm and takes time to chat with members of her community. She and Chloe present their new ideas to their neighbors to strengthen the city's defense while allowing its development.
After much discussion, the two women look up as the doors to the bar swing open. Everyone steps aside to greet the patrol members, tired but happy to be back. Chloe looks around for Joel, and when she finally finds him, her smile immediately disappears. He is livid, looking more exhausted than the others, his clothes dirty and damaged. Quickly she walks around the counter to approach him.
"What happened?
- I'll tell you later.
- Are you hurt?
- I'm fine.
- I still think you should go to the infirmary.
- Tommy! I'm fine. I just want to go home."
Ignoring his brother, he gazes her, silently asking her to accept his request. Throat tight, she nods. He puts his arm around her shoulders as she hugs his back and the two step out as the bar under the stare of the bar regulars.
At home, she can clearly see his difficulty in climbing the stairs, but she says nothing. In the bathroom, she fills the tub, heating the water with the small stove they have set up for this purpose. He's never been able to fix the house's plumbing system, but they're good as it is. They have known much worse. As she works, he slowly undoes the buttons on his shirt. Grimacing in pain, he must ask her to help remove it.
When the fabric slides down his back, her heart skips a beat, her face crumbling. He sees it but remains silent, turning his head away. A huge bruise covers part of his back, accompanied by scratches that extend to his arms. He doesn't explain anything to her, she doesn't ask questions either.
He painfully slips into the water as she continues to fill the tub. When finished, she kneels beside him and grabs a bath sponge. Gently, she runs it on his back to remove the dust and dried blood. He winces at the contact but doesn't complain. He had to go through worse. After a few minutes, he grabs her hand to stop her and asks her softly.
"Come with me."
She looks at him for a moment and nods, taking off her clothes without a word before slipping into the water. Once she sits between his legs, he wraps his arms around her, pressing her back against his chest. They remain like this for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the warmth of each other. In a hollow voice, she finally dares to ask.
"What happened?
-I was checking the second floor of a house when this runner jumped on me. I backed up and stepped on a rotten plank. I went through the ceiling and fell to the floor below.
-Seriously, what is it with you and falling from higher floors?"
He can't help but laugh softly at the remark, stroking her arm absently.
"At least this time there wasn't an iron bar to accommodate my fall.
-I still don't get how you survived that.
-Well, I had to meet you."
She smiles as he gently kisses her shoulder, her neck, making her shiver. He resumes his story.
"That man... Carl. He saved my ass back there.
-How?
-The runner. It fell right on me. He didn't hesitate, he shot it without flinching."
She quivers, imagining the scene. He tightens his grip on her a little more, kissing her temple tenderly. Sensing that she is still tense, he whispers softly.
"I'm home now."
---
For several days, Joel stays at home, his body too slowed down by his injuries. He can't do much, the slightest gesture awakening the bruise on his back. With an everlasting smile on her face, Chloe takes care of him, bringing work home so he's not alone. Yet the man does not let himself be fooled by this apparent serenity. He sees her absent-mindedness, her slightly feverish gestures.
This evening is no exception. She has a shift to take and comes over to kiss him distractedly to say goodbye. Before she can walk away, he grabs her hand to make her look at him.
"I'll be coming to the bar later."
She nods with a faint smile before leaving, grabbing her bag in the process. She has a stop to make before going to work. On the way, she tries to clear her mind. Since Joel's return, a sneaky anxiety has gripped her stomach, which can act up at any time without warning. Arrived at destination, she takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. Moments later, she finds herself face to face with Carl's surprised face.
"Chloe? Are you ok?
-I did this for you. To thank you. It's not much, but I'm a good cook."
He stammers a thank you as he takes the dish, surprised. She's about to leave, but he stops her.
"I... I'm sorry about the other night, I had a bit of a drink, you know how it is."
She sweeps it away with a wave of her hand. It's long forgotten. She doesn't blame him. She never even blamed him. She stands there in front of him, seeing that he has something on his heart that he doesn't dare say yet. He scratches his head.
"You know, when I first saw you, I thought it was just lust. I didn't think it could be a real relationship.
-You're not the first, you won't be the last. It's okay.
-But I saw how you looked at him when we got home. You really care about him, right? "
She gives a small smile before greeting him. She walks away, her throat tight and the tears ready to come out. Yes, she really cares about him. It only takes her a couple minutes to walk to the bar, much to her relief. It's time for her to go drown her mind in work.
----
Sitting at one of the tables, Joel pats the wood in rhythm. Some musicians brought out their instruments to brighten up this ordinary evening. A few couples dance among the regulars who have come to enjoy a drink at the end of the day. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Chloe move around the tables and the dancers, less talkative than usual. When a slow song starts, he grabs the young woman's arm as soon as she walks past him. She looks up at him as he stands up, ready to drag her with him.
"What are you doing?
-Making you dance.
-I can't Joel, I'm working.
-They can do without you for just a song."
He argues but she has already given up, wrapping her arms around his neck. They dance in silence against each other. Glancing around the room, she can't suppress a smile.
"They're staring again.
-I think they're jealous.
-As they should be. We're super cute AND super hot. Like, no one get both but us. We're special Joel."
He looks at her, an expression both tender and amused on his face. He bends down to kiss her softly. She ended up resting her head on his shoulder, suddenly elsewhere. He senses that something is bothering her. A bad move pulls at his wound and he hisses. She pierces him again with her serious gaze. In a soft voice, he tries to reassure her.
" It pulls a little, that's all. Don't worry.
-You shouldn't be dancing if you're in pain.
-I'm ok. Honey girl, what's going on with you?"
She looks away, plunging her face into the crook of his neck. He closes his grip on her a little more. He guessed, of course. There are not a thousand explanations for the behavior of his mistress. Resting his head on hers, he whispers softly.
"I'm here, and I'm fine.
-I can't lose you Joel."
She finally manages to articulate, her voice starting to hoarse with tears. He knows he can't promise her anything. Until now, when he tried to prepare her for his death, she waved off the conversation, doing anything to move on to another topic. But now she faced with that reality, those hours without knowing where he was, those wounds that could have been much more severe. She is terrified. He pauses for a moment to hold her face in his hand, forcing her to look at him as he speaks in his calm, gentle voice.
"You're not losing me. Not just yet."