Note: I once read somewhere that Joel's surname is 'Miller' and that's why it's being used here. In the game there is no use of his surname and I don't think there's any mention of it else where but if anyone does know what it is for certain or has a better idea let me know. I think I just went with Miller because it seemed reasonable for Joel to be called Joel Miller.

Shoutout to N2Horizon who contributed to this chapter, your ideas definitely helped. Thanks a bunch!

Can I just say big thank you to everyone who has been following this story so far. As my first published fanfiction I can hardly believe people are actually reading it. So yeah, thanks guys.

forestgimp (^∇^)


Chapter three: The Chat

"Ellie!" Joel yelled, rage making his fists lock around the neck of the bottle, while blood pumped around his body in violent anger or arousal, he couldn't tell.

Every muscle in his body clenched up in an aggressive manner that let him know he was going to hurt someone here and that someone was going to be Derek unless he removed his hand. Quickly.

The two fell away from each other like they'd heard Joel's thoughts out loud. And maybe they had, Joel had a tendency to lose focus when he was engulfed by the mind-numbing anger that only ever surfaced when Ellie was involved.

Their faces were pale and frozen with fear, lips glossy and swollen. "Fuck- Joel, oh my God, you weren't meant to be back till tomorrow morning! What are you doing home? Th-This isn't what it looks like, we were just- I was just helping Derek, um.. I-I... Derek lost his err..."

She stuttered and mumbled her excuse while her emerald eyes flickered back and forth between Joel's glaring scowl and Derek's face, paralysed with concern for his well-being now that the infamous Joel was back. Derek's own clear, blue eyes fixed on the ceiling as his lips moving in a silent pray.

The boy had a healthy fear of Joel, that was one thing Joel could give him credit for. Then again, he had a fear of almost everything from bloaters to house spiders, it was pathetic really.

"Derek lost what? His hand in your underwear maybe?" Joel asked, peering at the two blushing teens. Ellie giggled but Derek swung his dark, shaggy hair from side to side. "No, Mr Miller, it's not like that. Look Mr Miller, I'm sorry okay? It wasn't what it looked like. I gotta go anyway. I-I'll see you later Ellie," Derek stuttered, trying to get up and leave but Joel grasped the boy by the ball of his weak shoulder and pushed him down onto the sofa again.

"I don't think so, Derek my boy, we need to have a long chat," Joel chuckled as he collapsed down opposite the teens in a large armchair, placing his beer on the little wooden table to his right.

Sighing, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Ellie, could you please... Could you please put your panties back on?" He finally said staring at the excited, blushing girl as she leaned over the lap of her boyfriend in that teasing manner that made Joel want to crush the boy's skull in his huge hand.

"Derek, close your eyes," he commanded making the boy promptly close his darting eyes. Ellie glared at Joel, waiting, her panties in her hand. But when he raised his eyebrows, refusing to advert his gaze, she slipped her legs up slightly, making the short blue summer skirt rise up further to flash the glistening wetness between her legs and the soft, pale flesh of her thighs.

Joel groaned quietly, his body responding at the small glimpse of what lay beneath that thin, blue dress forcing him to shift uncomfortably in his seat, his pants now tighter across the crouch than they were a second ago. Despite this, Ellie managed to sort her underwear and smooth down her dress in the most classy and modest way possible. "Happy?" She asked but he just ignored her remark to take a sip of his beer, "Derek, open your eyes," his voice was stern but not threatening.

Somewhere deep down Joel was creating a list of all the deeds Derek did to offend him and a list of all the things Joel was going to do to Derek one day in return. So far, the boy hadn't crossed too many lines besides annoying Joel by breathing.

This really was too far though, he'd come home to find them on the brink of sex and though it may sound like a hyperbole that was where it was going and Joel knew it. He used to be a teenage boy. He knew what they were all after because once upon a time, he'd been after it too.

More frustratingly though, was that nibbling feeling of irritation and hatred that bothered Joel about this whole thing. He was happy to live out the denial of his feelings for Ellie in quiet secrecy but Derek made him want to drag it out into the light and point at it shouting, 'Look! Look! I love her more than he does!' Until everyone in this God damn town knew it.

However, he couldn't do that. So sitting in the small, cramped room with Derek and Ellie he contemplated his next move. Ellie, his brilliant shining beacon of hope and beauty sitting there so perfect and untouched while Derek glanced at her nervously from time to time. Joel's jealously was almost visible, crackling in the tense air between the three of them. He hated Derek because he wanted to be Derek.

"Let's not play games here, this has gone too far," Joel thumbed the fine, loose threads on the arm rest of his chair while Ellie and Derek sat with blank faces, "Ellie, you are... A grown woman now," he concluded thoughtfully, "I hate Derek so much he makes me wanna kill-"

"For fuck's sake Joel-"

"Oh my God, please don't kill me," Derek cried out, voice breaking but Joel cut in after him shouting, "See what I mean! He is fucking pathetic, you deserve someone way better then this piece of shit. Someone who can watch your back and who isn't gonna run off crying when they see a damn house spider."

The fear on Derek's face was priceless and Joel had a little internal chuckle to himself knowing that the boy would probably piss his pants if Joel threatened him.

Blowing out his anger he looked at Ellie, his features soft and tired from having this argument, "If you really like him... I will... Tolerate him," Joel congratulated himself for getting this far, "But you will not, I repeat, will not be doing... That!," he yelled, jabbing a finger at the sofa while getting up to tower over the two, "Especially not in this house. Wait until you're married." He concluded with a smug smile on his face.

Ellie frowned, anger clouding her features, "That's such bullshit! You weren't married when you first had sex,"

"Not the point Ellie," Joel snapped back, fumbling for excuses that didn't point a concerning finger at his feelings towards the eighteen year old. "And anyway... How would you know when I first had sex?"

"Oh c'mon Joel, I'm not stupid," Ellie said it in a matter-of-fact tone but there was obviously a story hiding behind the statement that Joel would need to investigate later. He hadn't intended to get upset tonight but it was like Ellie went out of her way to make it difficult for him.

He stared at the smaller girl, venomous words and animalistic rage simmering beneath his cool exterio. Joel was not her father, he had never been her father despite what people thought. He didn't want to tell her how to live her life. Pivoting towards Derek, the teen's eyes darting everywhere but at Joel's face, he said, "I don't like you. You're a weak and pathetic ltitle kid. You're in no position to protect a girl like Ellie."

Painfully, Joel looked back that Ellie. His tongue like a lead weight and spite visable inside his dark eyes, "If you stick around him for much longer you're gonna wind-up dead."

Both teens looker taken-aback by what Joel said, Derek's features seemed to darken in challenge while his eyes narrowed in a way Joel had never seen before. Was the boy angry? It was gone thougg by the time Joel looked again, broken by Ellie's voice yelling, "I can do what I want," her arms tightening over her chest.

"Over my dead body," Joel rushed out quietly, his eyes burning holes into Ellie's up-turned face. "That can be arranged," she spat back looking up at him. Derek remained deathly silent while an awkward pause stretched on between the two others. Joel stunned into speechlessness by her retort.

"Why do you care so much anyway?" She asked bitterly causing Joel to throw his hands up in the air in uncontainable rage, "Why do I care?! I-I just want what's best for you!" He motioned to Derek, "and this isn't it."

"And how would you know what's best for me?" Ellie inquired raising up to appear intimidating and it might have worked if Joel wasn't a whole head taller than her and over three times her weight. Tommy's words rang in Joel's head causing him to wonder if it was truly his words or Ellie's.

"I don't. I just think-"

"Think what? Think you know something about me because you don't, you don't know anything about me," Ellie spoke with such venom it felt like being physically hit with the force of sledge hammer, "Ellie.." Joel's words died off as she smirked victoriously, "You don't even know me anymore Joel."

"I think I should be going now..." Derek muttered, walking out of the room quicker than you could say 'panties'. Meanwhile Joel had dropped down to his armchair, "Yeah, that's right, get the hell out my house," Joel called after him but his energy wasn't in it anymore. He was too shaken by what Ellie had said.

"Wait, Derek! I'm sorry, come back," Ellie called after him.
"Bye Mr. Miller! Seeya Ellie!"
"Derek! Come back!" She ran into the hallway after him as Joel grabbed for his beer and downed it, feeling numb and dead.

Joel could hear them arguing and whispering in the hallway before Derek said, "Come find me when you're psychotic dad isn't going to kill me," he said it mockingly and as he slammed the front door shut Joel heard Ellie whisper after him in a hurt tone, "He's not my dad you asshole."

She stormed back into the living room and sat on the sofa opposite Joel an enraged frown across her face. Arms wrapped deviously tight across her chest so that her small breasts were perky and standing to attention.

"I hate you," she said not meeting his eyes but Joel just grinned sadistically in return and toyed with his empty beer bottle.

"You ruin everything," she spoke through choked up unshed tears, her eyes sparkling in the dim candle light of the living room, "He loves me you know," she said it matter of fact but it just sounded childish and immature.

"He loves how good your underwear looks on the floor you mean," Joel said harshly in return. Ellie cupped her own face, wailing in a loud bubble of grief.

"Why can't you just be happy for me Joel?" She pleaded but by this time, he was becoming comfortably sedated thanks to the alcohol. He huffed a laugh and in a dead tone said, "It's good to be home," before slumping off to bed leaving Ellie to sit crying on the sofa by herself.

Joel stumbled into his bedroom and stripped off to his boxer shorts before face planting the age-hardened mattress but he didn't sleep.

He lay awake, quietly listening to her weeping in the next room to well after midnight. He felt terrible about his actions, he despised himself for what he'd said since it destroyed her so utterly but he couldn't bring himself to apologise and he didn't have it in him to lie anymore and say he didn't actually mean it.

He'd finally said his piece and she'd said hers, there wasn't anything left to do but see how the other responded.


Continues next chapter, hope you liked it! Leave reviews if possible and thanks for reading.