A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter has been re-uploaded with a few slight changes, e.g Kira's age and extending certain scenes.
Joel watched intently as Kira loaded the rifle in her hands, her movements swift and experienced. She raised the rifle up in the air, appearing to try to get a feel for the much larger weapon. Her eyes flickered over to Joel, who realised he had been staring. He turned his back to her, becoming very interested in the canned food in front of him all of a sudden. Kira's lips twitched into a slight smile, as she unloaded the rifle, deciding that it was one of the guns she would bring with her. They had found their way into Bill's bunker and discovered over thirty guns on the wall. Grenades, smoke bombs, and even a few Molotov cocktails were littered over the counter. Kira had to admit, she was impressed. The guy certainly knew how to handle himself.
"Dude?" Ellie exclaimed, as Joel looked over to find she was running her hand over a shotgun.
" No " Joel answered, immediately.
"There's a wall of them!" Ellie insisted, as Joel sent her an unimpressed look.
"It's still gonna' be a no, El" Kira mumbled, grabbing one of the duffel bags on the floor and grabbing some of the grenades.
"It's not fair! You've been shooting guns since you were like twelve" Ellie pointed out, as Kira turned to her with a sardonic smile.
"Well, then I guess I must be pretty good with them by now. No need for you to have one, right?" Kira stated, making her sister groan.
"You're both as bad as each other" Ellie muttered, storming up the stairs of the bunker, as Kira and Joel shared an amused look.
"How's your back?" Joel inquired, after a few moments of silence.
"You did a good job. And look what I found..." Kira trailed off, throwing a pot of pills toward him.
"Amoxicillin?" He murmured, reading the label on the pot.
"Looks like it's my lucky day" She grinned.
"The truck batteries gonna' need a few more hours charging. I figure we stay here tonight, leave at first light" Joel suggested, earning a quick nod.
"And then where?" Kira questioned.
"My brother, Tommy, is out in Wyoming. He's in some kind of trouble and I'm heading out there to find him. He used to be a firefly, as you know. My guess is he knows where some of them are" Joel explained, as Kira stopped rummaging around on the counter.
"Marlene said he quit the Fireflies a few months back. Is that true?" Kira asked.
"He was never very good at following things through" Joel muttered, more to himself than her.
"When you last spoke to him, uh...was he on his own or was he travelling with...anyone else?" Kira stuttered over her words, not meeting Joel's eyes.
"He had a couple of his buddies with him, I think. Sounds like they quit the Fireflies too" Joel informed her, watching as she stiffened a little at this information.
Her shoulders were hunched over, eyes scrunched shut, as she opened her mouth, appearing to want to ask him more. Instead, she shook her head, letting out a shaky breath before stating they should check out the rest of the house before they left. Joel's eyes narrowed at her odd behaviour but decided not to comment on it. He was already getting too close to the sisters.
The shower was heaven. Sure, the water wasn't that hot, and the water pressure could use some work, but still...running freaking water. After so many years of having to wash with jugs of lukewarm water, Kira decided she never wanted to leave that bathroom. The water had gone cold by the time she finally admitted defeat and slipped a towel over her chest. She ran a hand through her dripping wet hair, knowing how tangled it was going to become if she didn't grab a hairbrush soon. She opened the door to the en suite, coming to a halt when she found a pile of clothes on the bed that certainly hadn't been there before. She couldn't imagine Ellie rummaging through the numerous boxes in Bill and Frank's cupboard for something for her to wear so that only left... Joel.
There were a few shirts and trousers, all appearing to be around her size, a blush rising on her cheeks when she found a couple of bras and panties as well. Also strangely enough being exactly her size. With a frown, she looked down at the clothes she had discarded outside the bathroom door and realised Joel must have checked for her size before picking the clothes out for her. The blush on her cheeks only worsened at the thought of Joel going through her underwear. Biting her lip, she grabbed a black shirt and jeans, as well as a matching bra and panties. Changing quickly in the bathroom, she began to search through the different rooms to find a hairbrush in some shape or form. From the drawings of Bill and Frank, they definitely had enough hair between them to need to brush it. Making her way into one of the guests' bedrooms, she found a vintage-looking hairbrush on the bedside table, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her for a moment. It felt wrong taking the dead men's belongings. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as she heard the bathroom door open, steam pouring out from inside. Her eyes went wide as Joel stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel barely hanging on his waist, his defined hipbones on display. Kira's gaze trailed over his muscular form for a moment, her cheeks reddening once again as she saw the trail of hair from his abdomen disappearing under his towel.
" Fuck " She mumbled, as Joel quirked an eyebrow, staying silent.
"I was just, uh...getting this...so, I'll...yeah, I'll be going now..." Kira stuttered, as she twisted around to rush out of the room.
Instead of making it to the doorway, she managed to knock into a set of drawers, knocking half the contents on the counter off. She crouched down to pick up the different items, grimacing when she saw she had managed to break one of the ornaments. Throwing the contents back on top, she tried once again to exit the room, almost colliding with the wooden door as she did so. She could swear she could hear Joel laughing as she raced down the stairs, but maybe that was just her imagination.
"Why are you running?" Ellie frowned, as she saw her sister all but sprinting toward her.
"I was just...you know, exercising. Got to keep in shape, right, brat?" Kira murmured, heading toward the kitchen.
"Is that why you're blushing too?" Ellie grinned, following close on her heels.
"You may be the cure to save mankind, but I will hit you" Kira warned, grabbing a nearby saucepan, and holding it up toward her.
"Someone's touchy. Did Joel walk in on you in the shower or something?" Ellie teased, as Kira's cheeks grew even painfully red.
"Zip it" Kira insisted.
"Oh, shit! Did you walk in on him?!" Ellie gaped, as Kira grabbed a nearby spatula, and sent it hurdling toward the teenager.
"I will tape your mouth shut, Ellie Williams. And don't think Joel won't help him. He'll think it's an improvement" Kira warned, as Ellie held her hands up in defence, pulling out a chair to sit at the kitchen table.
"...And you do just love to please Joel, don't you?" Ellie mocked, with a teasing grin, as her sister sent her a pissed look.
"Keep talking and you won't be getting any dinner" Kira stated, as Ellie made a gesture of zipping her lips shut.
"So, what's our options?" Ellie inquired, as Kira picked up two of the cans they had brought up from the bunker.
"Beans or...more beans" Kira exclaimed, making Ellie pout, as she threw the contents of the first can into a saucepan.
"It smells puke" Ellie grimaced, as they heard footsteps approaching.
"Well, if you don't want it, I'm sure I can force myself to eat your ration too" Kira retorted, eyes flitting over to where Joel was lounging in the doorway.
"You cooking?" Joel inquired, still seeming amused.
"Boiling. There's a bit of a difference" Kira shrugged.
"We'll probably still end up with food poisoning" Ellie muttered, under her breath, before turning her attention to Joel.
"Well, don't you look pretty? Kira, don't you think Joel looks pretty?" Ellie teased, as Kira bit the inside of her cheek to hold in the curse on her lips.
She reluctantly looked back toward Joel, who was now wearing a dark plaid shirt, his wet hair slicked back and looking way too inviting. He looked good, there was no denying it. And Ellie just loved putting her sister in an awkward position.
"Without all the usual blood and dirt all over him? Sure" Kira responded, quickly.
Ellie slouched down in her seat, crossing her arms in annoyance, wanting to get a rise out of Kira. She looked on as Joel reached into the kitchen cupboards to grab three bowls for them all, clearly knowing where to find them. Ellie couldn't stop the smile that grew on her face as she watched them prepare dinner for her, wishing for a moment that they could all just stay in the house. Together.
They left at dawn, wanting to make as much distance as they could in the daylight. It was a slower trip than Kira was expecting, as they had to stop every hour to find more gas for the truck. Kira only had vague memories of riding in a car, as she was only a toddler before the world went to hell. It brought a strange wave of nostalgia over her, especially when Ellie insisted on them using the cassette player. It almost felt like a normal road trip.
"Back in the day, we'd drive 10, 12 hours on one tank. You could go anywhere" Joel informed, a curious Ellie, while Kira sat on the boot of the car, he was siphoning gas from.
"So, where'd you go?" Ellie asked.
"Pretty much nowhere" Joel shrugged, as Kira quirked an eyebrow.
"Very mysterious" She teased, as Joel brought the siphon pipe to his lips and blew into it.
"Nice! How does that work?" Ellie queried, watching as gas began to run into the can underneath the pipe.
"It's a siphon. It's when liquid...travels against gravity because pressure..." Joel stuttered over his words, making Kira snort.
"He doesn't know" Kira whispered to Ellie, as Joel gave her a look.
"And you do?" Joel exclaimed.
"Are you asking me if I know how to blow, Joel?" Kira mocked, making him huff out a sound close to a laugh.
"That was almost a laugh that time. See, I'll get him soon, El" Kira announced, as Ellie pursed her lips.
"Okay. This is your fault then" Ellie told her, as she unzipped her backpack and pulled a book out.
Unknown to Joel, the sisters had challenged each other in secret to see who was the first to make the older man laugh. It led to a lot of bad jokes from Ellie and even more innuendos from Kira, but Joel still wouldn't crack.
"It doesn't matter how much you push the envelope...it'll still be stationery" Ellie giggled, as Joel just gave her a confused look.
"No Pun Intended, Volume Too" by Will Livingston. "Volume Too." Look. You get it? "Too"? Like, T-o-o" Ellie went on, shoving the book in Joel's face.
"Jesus" Joel muttered, pushing himself to his feet, a hand going toward his aching back.
"What did the mermaid wear to her math class? An algae bra" Ellie laughed, as Kira let out a groan.
"I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went...and then it dawned on me" Ellie grinned, as Joel shook his head, looking physically pained.
"Feel free to wait in the truck" He exclaimed, crossing his arms, as Kira jumped off from the car.
"Ugh, okay, but just know, you can't escape Will Livingston. He'll be back. There's nothing you can do to stop him" Ellie informed him, as Kira suddenly lunged forward to grab the book.
"You sure about that, El?" Kira smirked, as her sister tried grabbing at the book, which she held just above her head.
"Joel, pass me your lighter" Kira called out, as Ellie stomped her foot on the ground.
"Don't you dare" Ellie warned, as Joel tried to ignore the smile growing on his lips while watching their antics.
"Okay. Okay, here. It's cool, take it..." Kira trailed off, holding the book out to her.
However, just before Ellie could grab it, Kira jumped back, causing Ellie to groan. She then chased after her sister, pulling at her arm, giggling as she did so. The girls were too busy to notice the way Joel had placed a hand over his mouth to muffle the laugh that left his lips.
Twenty minutes later, they were on the road again, with Kira having chosen their choice of music. Joel was a little taken aback when Linkin Park began to blare from the speakers of the car, as Kira gave him a shrug in response. She definitely had a way of surprising him.
" In the end...it didn't even matter... " Kira sang along to the song, waving her hands in the air.
"I don't know who's worse...you or your sister" Joel scoffed, with a shake of his head.
"Got somethin' else here. It's, uh...light on the reading, but it has some interesting pictures" Ellie announced, as Joel looked in the mirror to see Ellie looking at a porno magazine.
"No, no, no. Put that back. That's not for kids" Joel told her, as Ellie's eyebrows lifted up as she turned a page.
"How would he even walk around with that thing?" Ellie gaped, making Kira snort.
"Please get rid of it" Joel insisted, as Kira could hardly hold in her laughter at his panicked tone.
"Hold your horses. I wanna' see what all the fuss is about...why are all these pages stuck together?" Ellie frowned, as Kira bit her lip.
"Uhh..." Joel trailed off, his mind going blank.
"I'm just fսck¡n' with ya" Ellie grinned, as Kira burst into a fit of giggles.
"Oh my God, you're face!" Kira exclaimed, nudging Joel with her elbow.
"Bye-bye, dude!" Ellie announced, before throwing the porno out of the car window.
"Hey, what if I wanted to read that?" Kira complained, half-heartedly.
"Nah, I think they were a bit too age-appropriate for you. C'mon, Kira. We both know you like old guys" Ellie teased, as Kira's smile immediately fell.
"...Shut up, Ellie" Kira muttered, all the humour had left her voice.
"Touchy. You're not still hung up on—" Ellie began, when Kira suddenly cut her off.
" I said shut the fuck up! " Kira snapped, causing Ellie to flinch, not used to her sister's angry tone.
Joel didn't question her when she told him to pull over, stating she was going to scavenge from some of the abandoned cars on the highway. She threw open the passenger door before Joel even stopped the car, storming out without saying another word. Joel wasn't as oblivious as the sisters seemed to think. He was aware that he was reluctantly starting to care for the sisters, despite himself. He pushed down that part of him as much as he could every morning, knowing he couldn't open himself up to that kind of hurt again. Still, he couldn't understand why Kira sounded so hurt at Ellie's accusation, having figured it was about him.
"What was that about?" Joel couldn't help but ask, looking in the rear-view mirror to find Ellie slumped against her seat, legs drawn up to her chest.
"It's just this stupid ex-boyfriend of hers. She always gets weird when I bring him up" Ellie mumbled, rubbing at her eyes.
"Oh...right" Joel nodded, his eyes flickering over to where Kira was wrenching a corroded car door open.
"...Things ended badly between em'?" Joel guessed, hearing a soft huff from the teenager.
"Yeah. I think so, I mean I was just a baby back then, I didn't see her much" Ellie admitted, as Joel's brow furrowed.
That would have been, what...fourteen years ago? Kira would have only been seventeen or eighteen, if that. And Ellie didn't just call the man older...she said old.
"How much older was he?" Joel inquired, before he could help himself.
"Hmm, I don't know. Thirty maybe. He was part of the Fireflies. Old friend of Marlene or something" Ellie explained, as Joel's jaw clenched, putting the dots together.
Ellie was only a kid herself, she probably couldn't see what the problem was with a seventeen-year-old dating girl a thirty-year-old man. Which meant Kira at the time likely hadn't either. Joel felt a strange amount of guilt weighing on him suddenly, wishing that he had met Kira and Ellie earlier. They had both been through more than anyone should have.
"What?" Ellie frowned, seeing how his shoulders had gone rigid.
"Just...don't bring it up to your sister again, alright?" Joel advised, earning a quick nod from Ellie.
They pulled off the highway just as the sun started to set, hiding the truck in the nearby treeline and setting up a small camp. It was growing colder at night, and after sleeping in warm beds the night before, Kira was in a particularly foul mood. It certainly wasn't because of the bad memories Ellie's earlier words had brought up.
"Slow down" Joel scolded, as he watched Ellie wolf down her dinner, not even swallowing between bites.
"This is slow...how long we staying out here?" Ellie asked, through a mouthful of ravioli.
"I figure I sleep tonight...and drive tomorrow all day, all night, get us to Wyoming by next morning" Joel suggested.
"So can we start a fire? I'm freezing" Ellie complained, as Joel's eyes snapped up to hers.
"Now, why am I gonna tell you no?" Joel exclaimed, in a condescending tone.
"Because Infected will see the smoke" Ellie sighed.
"No. Fungus isn't that smart. This is too remote for Infected, anyway" Joel pointed out, cutting up his ravioli slowly, trying to savour his meal.
"People? So, what are they gonna do? Rob us?" Ellie huffed.
"Oh, they'll have way more in mind than that" Kira announced, shocking her companions as it was the first time she had spoken that evening.
Ellie nodded slowly, looking back down at her dinner, but Kira didn't miss the way her hand shook a little. She didn't want to scare Ellie, but it was the truth. The majority of people were bad. Most of the good ones had died twenty years ago. And she knew what the remaining people would do to a teenage girl.
"...There's no way anyone knows we're here though, right? I mean...no one's gonna' find us?" Ellie asked, shakily.
"No one's gonna' find us" Joel told her, instinctively wanting to soothe her nerves.
"I'll keep watch tonight. I see anything, I'll shoot before it can even get near you" Kira stated, seeing Ellie instantly relax.
"We can take watch in shifts" Joel suggested, but Kira shook her head.
"No. You need to rest up so you can keep driving. Besides, we only have two sleeping bags" Kira retorted, as Joel reluctantly had to agree.
An hour later, the group were preparing to sleep, with Ellie and Joel pulling their sleeping bags over their aching bodies. Kira stayed in between the pair, a lamp to one side of her, and a loaded rifle on the other side. Joel had rolled onto his side, looking away from the girls, while Ellie stayed up a little longer reading her book.
"Joel?" Ellie called out.
" Joel! " Ellie hissed, a little louder this time.
"What?" Joel questioned, his voice already growing thick with tiredness.
"Can I ask you a serious question?" Ellie inquired, as he nodded quickly.
"Why did the scarecrow get an award?" Ellie asked, as Joel turned to face her.
"Because he was outstanding in his field" He replied, as Kira raised an amused eyebrow.
"You dick! Did you read this?" Ellie complained, gesturing to her book, as Joel rolled back over.
"No" Joel told her, as Kira could swear, she could hear the smile he was hiding.
"You almost cracked him that time, El" Kira smirked, as Ellie raised a triumphant hand in the air.
"Now, go to sleep" Joel insisted, as Ellie settled back down in her sleeping bag.
"You're really gonna' stay up all night?" Ellie questioned her sister.
"Promise" Kira nodded, as Ellie shot her a grateful smile, before her eyes fluttered closed.
Kira soon found herself wishing she hadn't refused Ellie's earlier idea of building a fire, rubbing her hands together to try to keep them from going numb. Before long even her teeth were starting to chatter, as she brought her legs up to her chest, trying to hold onto what body warmth she could. She wondered if Joel had packed any blankets in the back of the car, and was about to wander over to the vehicle when she noticed the man in question was looking up at her.
"You planning to stare at me all night?" Kira exclaimed.
"Never gonna' be able to sleep with you shaking like a leaf over there" Joel complained, making her roll her eyes.
"I'll try to freeze to death more quietly in the future" Kira scoffed.
"Jesus Christ, just take it" Joel grumbled, unzipping the sleeping bag and chucking it toward her.
"I think it might be a little small for the both of us" Kira pointed out, as Joel gave her a look.
" Kira " He insisted, in a commanding tone, as she pursed her lips.
"What about you?" Kira frowned, reluctantly lying down and pulling the sleeping bag over her shaking body.
"I'll take watch for a couple hours" Joel shrugged, as Kira pursed her lips, resting her head on her hand, still staring up at Joel.
"Do you miss your brother?" Kira asked, making Joel frown.
"If I answer, will you let me sleep?" Joel replied, gruffly.
"Maybe" Kira shrugged, jostling his own shoulder as she did so.
"...Course' I do. He's my family" Joel confessed, not meeting her eyes.
"And there's no one else?" Kira inquired, as Joel's face contorted in pain for a moment.
"Not anymore" He answered.
"...Tommy's out there on his own...I gotta' go get him. That's what you do for family. That's why you keep going" Joel explained.
"Then why are you dragging me and Ellie along? Sounds like you should of cut us loose by now" Kira pointed out, turning over to face him.
"I made a promise to Tess. And she was like family" Joel informed her, as Kira hummed.
"I think we're getting under your skin, Smiley. You just don't want to admit it" Kira argued, as Joel looked down at her, their eyes connecting for a moment in the dark.
"Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment" Joel huffed, making Kira grin.
"See. Another joke from you. We'll get that stick out of your ass soon enough" She teased.
"Go to sleep, Kira" Joel complained, a slight hint of amusement in his voice.
"Alright, alright. Night, Smiley" Kira yawned, bringing the sleeping bag up over her shoulders and closing her eyes.
The smell of coffee filled Kira's nose as she awoke up from a nap later that morning. She had only let Joel take watch for a couple of hours before she was throwing the sleeping bag his way and insisting he needed to sleep or they'd end up veering into a ditch when he drove in the morning. She had stayed close to her sister's side, smiling a little at how peaceful she looked. Her thoughts drifted back to present time, as she rubbed her eyes as she sat up in her seat, seeing the sun was high in the sky above them. Her eyes flickered to the back seat where Ellie was also knocked out. She then turned her attention to Joel, who was sipping on a flask, smiling to himself.
"Is that coffee? Like real, coffee?" Kira gaped, as Joel nodded.
"Want some?" He offered, holding the flask out to her, as she grabbed it from his hands.
She took a few cautious sips of the drink, enjoying how warm it was, but found she didn't like the taste much. She couldn't understand why her mom used to love the stuff so much. Her eyes snapped up when Joel slowly brought the car to a halt, seeing a large truck was blocking the ramp in front of them. Her forehead wrinkled, finding it odd that the vehicle seemed to have been placed almost perfectly to stop anyone from entering the city.
"Where are we?" Ellie yawned, sitting up from where she had been slumped in her backseat.
"Kansas City" Joel murmured, looking at the map, eyes widening when he realised how screwed they were.
"How far back do we have to go to get around this?" Ellie inquired, as Joel sighed, telling both girls it was too long.
"Screw it" Joel muttered, before turning the car back around.
"What are you doing?" Kira frowned.
"We can jog right around this tunnel, take the next ramp and we're back on the road. Minute tops" Joel informed them.
"Are you sure about this? What if someone put that truck there deliberately just to get us to do this?" Kira pushed, as Joel shook his head.
"I need to get to my brother" Joel told her, as Kira could tell the matter wasn't up for debate.
"El, pass me the duffel" Kira announced, wanting to have her weapons ready.
She was quick to pull out a handgun, shoving it into the waistband of her jeans, and grabbing a rifle. She even thought about handing a gun to her sister but decided against it. Someone needed to read the map. Not that it helped much. They had become lost almost as soon as they entered the city, driving around aimlessly, confused as to why there appeared to be no people or infected.
"Stop! Is that the QZ?" Ellie exclaimed, pointing to where the checkpoint gates were wide open, appearing abandoned.
"Where the fսck is FEDRA?" Ellie questioned.
"Joel, we need to go back. Like right fucking now" Kira insisted, the panic clear in her voice.
" Hey! Please, help!" A man suddenly called out, clutching at his stomach, appearing only metres away from their truck.
"Put your seatbelt on" Joel told the girls, who were quick to do as they were told.
"Aren't we gonna help him?" Ellie frowned.
"He ain't even hurt" Joel muttered, before accelerating toward the man.
The man jumped out of the way just before they could hit him, as Kira spotted a man from on top of a nearby fire escape. She screamed Joel's name as she saw him throwing a cinderblock toward them, which cracked the front windshield. Ellie let out a shriek as their tires suddenly burst from a trap the men had set out, causing Joel to lose control of the car. A man jumped out of nowhere a second later, his rifle aimed toward them, as Joel swerved to avoid him. Kira braced herself as they were sent hurdling through a launderette, the truck smashing into a row of washing machines before everything went black.