Last of Us:Bonding
Hey guys I'm back. So yes I did cancel Missing but that doesn't mean that there isn't going to be anything else one the last of us from me. This is a shorter story that is in a idea that came to me two sleepless nights ago or one morning ago. Anyway enough about that onto the story. Enjoy.
It's been a few weeks since the two teens escaped the mall with their lives and now back on the road with their elder protector Joel. Winter wasn't treating them well, they were both freezing cold and Joel's condition was worsening as a result. Ellie turned back to see the bearded man who had risked his life for them. He was still, you'd hardly be able to tell he was alive the only sign being his small frosty breaths.
"Not looking good for him," Ellie stated quietly.
"Once we get to some shelter we'll worry about fixing him up," Jake reassured "Which is what I'm working on now. Stop here," Jake said as he got his horse to halt and Ellie copied. They had stopped in front of an old broken down house which didn't seem to solve their shelter problem. Jake then dismounted his horse "I hear people round the corner of this building, 5 to be exact. Gotta be shelter nearby then. I"m gonna go deal with them you stay here."
"Are you cra-"
"Don't worry," Jake cut off "I've dealt with worse, and someone has to watch old sleeps a lot," Jake said with a still expression but Ellie still wasn't convinced, she had a look of worry on her. Joel was already in such a state, she didn't want anything happening to Jake. Jake seemed to pick up on this a gave a small reassuring smile "I don't plan on dying here so don't worry," Jake said and walked away from Ellie. He stuck to the wall the broken building and started listening for movements. "Four on the ground in a diamond formation, one on a house," Jake thought and pulled out a smoke bomb. He waited for right moment to throw it and when it arrived the smoke bomb was launched into the middle of the four on the ground. The sniper was then distracted by the smoke so Jake emerged and threw a knife right at his chest killing him. He then ran into the smoke with another knife in hand and stabbed three of the men by hearing their movements. The smoke had cleared before Jake had got to the fourth but it didn't matter he was as good as dead in Jake's eyes. He slowly walked up behind the man.. one step at a time. "You're finished," Jake said once he was behind him and the man started shaking with fear, he wanted to turn but fear stopped him, he stood rooted in his spot. "Fool," Jake said and plunged his knife into the man's stomach and blood spilt out. The man feel to the floor still with a look of fear in his eyes and death approached him, he looked at his murderer to see the face of a child but with the eyes of a killer and blood of others on his face.
"How… you're just a kid?" the man struggled to ask
"A kid that has the blood of many of his hands," Jake said with a grin "It seems more blood than on you."
"What… the hell… are you?"
"A killer. Now say goodnight." Jake said then stabbed him one more time in the throat. Jake rose from the ground and turned to the house "Ellie come on," Jake shouted and the teen came over with both horses and the man they were pulling. The two went over to the garage door and Ellie dismounted to open it up "There are still some people inside, get the horses and Joel in the garage then meet up top," Jake said then walked to the stairs that lead up to the front door of the house, he pulled out his pistol then listened for movements inside."Two people, cowering in a corner, like taking the life of a baby," He slowly moved the handle on the door and opened as slowly as possible causing a creaking when he entered he saw a mother and daughter in each other's arms slumped in a corner, the mother shakily holding a pistol in her hands.
"St st stay back," the woman shivered but Jake took no heed and moved towards them slowly "I'm I'm warning you," the woman stuttered but her words were empty. Jake crouched down in front of them and grabbed the gun from the woman's hand and threw it across the room.
"Are you… afraid?" Jake said tauntingly instilling more fear in them "Scared?" Jake asked and stood up "You should be," he said then pointed the gun at the mother "Be afraid because death is coming for," Jake said then shot the mother and the small girl screamed and began crying "There there child, no need to cry. You'll be with her shortly," Jake said and then shot the girl. Blood oozed from both of their heads and Jake smiled satisfied with his 'work'. He went into the kitchen set his bag down on the floor and then sat on of the chairs with his forehead in his hand. Ellie then emerged and looked at Jake confused by the state he's in.
"Jake?" Ellie asked with innocence in her voice though she was far from innocent. Jake looked up and saw the worry in her eyes, no not worry, fear.
"Idiot you can't act like this around her," Jake thought as he remembered and composed himself. He stood up and started walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" Ellie asked with urgency in her voice.
"I need some fresh air."
"Are you kidding it's freezing?!"
"So naive," Jake said as he walked outside, once outside he rested his arms on the railing and looked into the distance to find only destroyed buildings and snow. Jake reached into his back pocket and pulled out a faded photo of his family. Snow begun falling onto his hands and he began to fondly remember time when his only worry was what he and his sister would do for fun. He then begun humming to the tune his mother sang when they were little.
Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm
This tune was etched into him since he was young but the words now escape him.
Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm
Hm hm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hmm hm hm hmm hm hm hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hm
Hm hm hmm hm hmm hm hm hmm
"I will love you always, never doubt that," Jake said "The only words I can remember to that song," Jake explained and Ellie then walked forward to stand next to him. "I wonder if you can see me, and whether you'd still love, after what I've become," Jake contemplated.
"It's sounds really nice," Ellie said and then looked at the photo in Jake's hands.
"Look at us with those fat ass grins on our faces," Jake said talking about his younger self and his sister "Ignorant of everything, so stupid and naive," Jake said then put the picture away "Well some things aren't meant to last."
"Are you ok?" Ellie asked and Jake shook his head with a small smile on his face.
"So naive. I'm not ok. I don't feel anymore. This cold is nothing compared to the cold in me," Jake explained then Ellie put her and hand on his and flinched slightly from the touch.
"You do feel. You were worried when Joel got injured. You cared even when he said he didn't about you. And you worry about me, that's why you came with me. Not just because Tess told you to but because you care. Someone who feels nothing can't care," Ellie explained and Jake turned to look at her and saw the truth in her words "Everyone feels, no one can live without feeling, it's what makes us who we are."
"I suppose," Jake replied simply and then looked at her hand that was locked in his. His eyes then moved to her arm, the one with the bite "Dose it hurt?" he asked remembering how much that bite hurt his head after a day. Fear stopped him from pulling the trigger that day, not sure whether to be thankful for that or not.
"It used to but now it's fine," Ellie replied "And what about you?" Ellie asked and Jake turned in confusion "You may not have an infected bite, but you have something else hurting you, don't you?" Jake moved his arms off the railing and turned his whole body to face her.
"Yeah," Jake said with a sigh "I think about it everyday. It hurts," Jake said and Ellie placed a hand over his chest.
"Here?" she asked and Jake gave a nod "Get that blood off your face, not something that should be there," she said then moved her hand to wipe away the blood. Her touch was soft on his skin it felt so foreign. Jake grabbed her hand, it seemingly moving on it's on, while it was on his face and they starred at each other for a moment. They moved closer together and could now feel their cold breaths on each other, inches apart. They moved closer once more and just as their lips were about to touch, it seemed all of Jake's closed up wounds opened all in an instant and a wave of emotion came over him. Sadness, pain, guilt and fear of loss, all these and more came over him and was physically shaken from it. "What's wrong?" Ellie asked.
"Idiot, how could you let yourself come to this. How many times do you tell yourself not to get attached?" Jake thought he then turned to face away from Ellie.
"Jake?"
"Go."
"What?"
"Just leave me alone," Jake reiterated.
"No I'm not going to,' Ellie said and grabbed his hand but Jake moved it away almost on instinct.
"I said leave me alone. Please."
"Why? Tell me so I can help. Open up a little it won't hurt you."
"It already has," Jake muttered under his breath.
"What?"
"Please just go. Something that I don't want will happen if you don't."
"Fine. I'll be inside if you want to talk about it," Ellie said then went back through the door.
"Damn," Jake said then punched the wood pole holding up the porch roof of the house then continued to do so. "She hates you now why did you do that. And not even that why tell her that stuff getting attached will just hurt you more how many examples do you need?" Jake thought as he kept punching the post "Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. You fucking idiot. YOU FUCKING IDIOT," Jake thought.
It was night fall now Ellie had checked the food, checked up on Joel, made sure he was warm and did some reading but Jake hadn't come back inside yet. She was about go check when she heard the door close and saw him enter with a somber expression about him. Ellie quickly noticed that Jake's hands were bleeding. "What did you do?" Ellie asked then went over to him and pulled him into the kitchen and sat him down. Ellie gingerly cleaned away the blood and heard nothing from Jake as she did so, his mind seemed else where. She then bandaged both of his hands and put away the supplies. "All done. Now come we need to get some sleep," she said and pulled him out of his chair. "I gave Joel some the blankets in the other room so we won't be cold but it doesn't seem like it will be enough. And we can't really get him out of that thing so he was to sleep on the garage floor. So I gave him all the blankets except one," Ellie explained and they entered the room which had the remaining blanket and Jake just realised what was happening.
"I'll sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag," Jake said and went to go get his sleeping bag but Ellie grabbed his hand causing him to turn around.
"It's too cold to do that and you know it."
"So what do you want me to share a bed with you?" Jake asked and Ellie blushed deep crimson and nodded her head causing Jake to also blush "Are you serious? You know what that means right?"
"I know what it means," Ellie replied "This is to keep both of us warm. And I… trust you… I wouldn't agree to do this with just anyone," Ellie said and the second part caused both of them to blush even deeper. Jake composed himself and saw that Ellie was right, it would help them stay warm and if she agrees then he has nothing to complain about.
"Fine,"Jake sighed and they both slide into the bed together with Jake keeping to one edge of the bed as much as possible.
"Are you serious? You gonna stay there the whole night? You're gonna fall. Come on, move over here," Ellie said and Jake moved closer to her until he was no longer on the edge. Jake's face was still red from the awkward circumstance and sighed through his nose.
"This is what I've come," Jake thought and rolled on his side with his back facing Ellie. After a few minutes Ellie slid closer to Jake a put an arm over him and Jake reddened again from the touch
"Hey Jake, I'm having a trouble sleeping and I'm bored," Ellie said teasingly "Whaddya say we have a bit of fun?" Ellie asked and giggled afterwards then started tracing her handf over him.
"Ah what the hell Ellie?" Jake asked as he jumped out of bed and Ellie burst out laughing. Jake was not amused at all his face now a very deep crimson. Jake then got back into bed and laid there in silence with an embarrassed look on his face while Ellie laughed her lungs out. After about five minutes of Ellie laughing the night away she had finally stopped but still had a smile on her face.
"You should've seen your face it was amazing," Ellie said with a light giggle in her voice and Jake rolled his eyes in response "You reacted like it would be such a bad thing."
"That's not what I meant," Jake replied.
"Then what did you mean, well go on Jake," Ellie teasing and Jake scowled in response "Oh I'm messing around with you, calm down."
"Just go to sleep," Jake said as he rolled over.
"Alright fine," Ellie replied.
"Goodnight Ellie."
"Goodnight Jake."
And there it is, I decided to put that last bit in to lighten the mood a bit and it seemed in Ellie's character to Joke around like that. The next thing I write is probably going to be more backstory for Jake but I'm not sure yet. Anyway let me know how you felt about that story and Merry Christmas.