Chapter 50: 525, 600 minutes
Vindictam ( I put them at John's because him and Tommy would still be fighting. As a counsler once said you need to step up healthy boundaries with people who are emotionally draining and they drain each other. Also, it would be hard to get a new house (I know I used that in my other story). Also, it goes back to the sick parent. Maria would encourage them to move to her dad's), edgaryg (Men tend to be way worse then women if they have mood swings. I listen to country just to imagine Joel singing. But super freak would be so cute. They have to take turns being strong. Ellie was strong for him) KuroiHanabixShenny (Yeah… Joel would love that…), doomsta27 ( I love them being smart asses), QuietSunlight (That will be a great idea… let me go add something..) nachoiscool11 (Joel will get some birthday loving soon), MasterHollow (He will find soemthing), ThatChickontheInternet (Ellie gets the same reaction. She gets pissed off)
-...- I picked the song because it is the minutes in a year. And just too sweet.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The trio cheered as Joel entered. The man blinked a little as Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck. That little spider monkey could easily climb him.
"Thanks." He stumbled. Tommy gave him the heads up, but seeing a party- a real party set up for him was a surprise. Ellie dropped down and he had to smile at the flour-covered girl.
She looked down figured out what he was staring at.
"We use an electric hand mixer and it was...jumpy."
Joel smiled a bit. Sarah and his ex weren't the best in the kitchen and neither was Tess. Why do all my women not know how to cook?
Ellie dragged him to the table. "Come on. We having steak. Like real steak!" They make fake steak?
"We butchered a steer last year and I had it in the freezer." Tommy explained. "I used Mom's secret recipe on the marinade."
Joels mouth watered as he sat down. He nodded at John who joined the party.
Maria nodded "and we got some baked potatoes and fresh sour cream."
"A real man's dinner. Meat and potatoes." Joel said, looking at the spread. "I got to say. Thank you. This is the best birthday I had in decades." He looked at Ellie. "Though, I hope this is a party for two because we never celebrated yours."
"I wanted to celebrate together." She said as they began to pass the plates in a circle like a civilized family.
"You didn't get me much time to get you gifts."
"I don't care about the gifts. I have cake." She said chirpily.
"I got something for you."
She raised her eyebrows. He had really two gifts, but he couldn't give it to her in front of the family, but he had something for her.
"What is it?" Ellie bounced a little.
"After dinner."
She pouted and they all ate quickly. No one talked because they were too busy eating to say much of anything,but slowly plates were scraped clean and Maria disappeared and brought in a cake. They only had two small burnt candles, but it was enough.
They lit it using Joel's lighter and they embarrassed him by singing Happy Birthday. He never knew where to look when people sang that song.
Both of them blew out the candles and Ellie gave him a smile that made him wish they were alone. The cake was cut and Joel had to admit it was a good. He hadn't anything that sweet in years. A cup of coffee would be good right now…
Ellie danced off to turn up some music and returned with her arms full with cloth wrapped gifts, and he had to admit she knew what he needed. He got plaid shirts, word searches and odds and ends including some coffee (which he was willing to make a cup to see how jacked up it was.) For his last gift, Tommy slid him a bottle of moonshine.
"Let me grab the gift. I left it on the porch."
"Is it a dog?" Ellie sounded so damn excited, he wished he would have got her a dog.
"No. But you will see."
He came back in with a guitar. "I traded in town and found one guy. I had to restring it, but it works just fine."
Ellie lit up. "So, you're gonna teach me!" She bounced.
"Yes, Ma'am." He smiled.
Tommy came in and with the birthday moonshine and cards. Maria is going to make sure Dad gets home and we can turn it up." He put the bottle down. "We got something for you two. But I think Ellie will like it more." He took a second for a dramatic pause "Callus is officially yours."
Ellie lit up. "Really?"
"Yeah, you guys named it."
Joel nudged her with his elbow. "That means you will have to take care of him from now on."
"I already do that." She nudged back. She looked serious for a second. "Thanks. It means alot to me. I never had much that was mine."
-...- (Joel)
The fully party started after Maria came back from her Dad's. Once all the adults were back and alcohol distributed, the party began. They played one mean game of Uno that got wilder as they drank. The only one left out was Ellie, but she seemed fine just feeling the vibe of the party. Besides she did have bad habit of stealing sips of his drink when she thought he wasn't looking.
The little radio was a good idea, but sometimes a crappy song came up. Ellie jumped and changed the song to match the party. She stopped.
Red solo cup, I fill you up
Let's have a party, let's have a party
I love you red solo cup, I lift you up
Proceed to party, proceed to party
It had a decent beat and you can pick up the lyrics pretty quick, but she even sang and along a little. But she looked at Joel for an explanation as to what he was talking about.
"Er… they are these red cups that people people carried around to party with…" He hadn't seen one in ages, but he liked the song anyways. It made him miss tailgating. We really need to make some of those cornhole games… They settled on dealing out cards and cheating when they could now that only one of them was sober.
"Another round!"
-...-
"Damn." Joel shook the was nothing left.
Maria laughed. "I will see what we got." She shakily got off the couch and went to the kitchen. Tommy was spread out happy and drunk on the couch.
Ellie shifted closer to his side. "Wanna dance?" The music still bopped along to its own beat and the teen had a plan.
"Nope." He teased.
"AWWWW Come on!" She pulled him to his feet and tried to put him in some position where he would be behind her to dance. Her let her move him for a minute more until he purred "Let me show you how it is done." He left a hand on her lower back and took her hand. He eased her into some steps. They took two steps and back one. A good old country two step.
"Look at me, not your feet." Ellie ventured to look up.
The glided around to country song. The rest of the room faded away when she danced with him. He was just lost in her touch.
Maria laughed. "We are officially out of booze." She wrapped an arm around her husband who never left the couch. "I am calling it a night."
"It not over yet." Tommy purred wrapped back around her waist. He kissed her stomach.
"Its cool. Joel got to start giving me guitar lessons." Ellie said with a smile. He would show her how to strum something...
"You always have another job for me to do." He teased. "Work work work. It is all I do."
"You offered to teach me and you will." She stuck her tongue out at him as she gathered up the gifts. "I am going to take the cake with me. Do you want me to help clean up"
"The mess will be there in the morning. Go home." Maria was already pulling Tommy by his belt loops toward the rooms.
Tommy waved. "Night, Y'all." He chased her off to bed.
Joel pouted. "I thought I was the one who got birthday sex…"
Ellie squeaked and hit his arm. "They might have heard you!" She whispered.
"I don't think Tommy would care at this point…" Ellie shook her head and pulled him toward the door, cake in hand. He snatched up the gifts.
Their fingers were still linked as they walked in the moonlight. The air was muggy with the summer heat, but he didn't mind. He had a pretty woman on his arm.
"Have fun?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Good. Maria and I put a lot of time in it." She nodded.
"It was the best I had in a long time." He stepped up onto the porch. They quietly entered the house and slipped up stairs. The nurse was still talking to John about this and that. Joel turned on the stealth and they went up to the bed they had been sharing.
The room was on the smaller side and the bed took up most of the room, but it was enough for them.
"Do you think they will be mad when we tell them about us?"
The question caught him off guard like a sucker punch.
"I- I don't know." He doubted they would be thrilled, but he loved Ellie that should be enough for the fucked up world they lived in.
"Hm." She shifted around as he tucked away his new gifts.
"Come on, sugar." He purred pulling her to his chest. "Don't think about it. It will be what it is and we can't do anything about it." He kissed her cheek.
She sighed, but offered her neck.
"I love you." He muttered against her skin.
"Ditto." She said with a sigh.
They began to lazily kiss.
A/N: A cliffhanger for tomorrow. Quiet sunlight is going to co-writing the chapter and things are being slowly wrapped up. This week is super busy for me, but I will try and continue to only give you my best.
