This is Not the Last of Us

Chapter 21

Ace, Seth, Joel, Tommy, and Maria were all seated at a raised table. Sharing drinks and stories from their past and most recent days. The five of them were just enjoying each other's company.

It had honestly been a while since they'd all allowed themselves to not talk business in each other's company. Seth was sipping on some whisky, his fingers interlaced with Ace's. He hadn't let himself do that in a while either; he'd been so worried about his daughter and how hard that she'd been working herself. He hadn't been allowing himself to relax either.

Ace smiled at Joel and pointed, "Check it out, old man. I told you."

The group of five stared at where Ace pointed and were surprised– or rather not surprised– to see Ellie and their daughter dancing.

"You owe me some of that coffee, old fart."

Tommy laughed loudly and leaned back in his seat, "Well, I'll be damned."

Seth looked more surprised than anyone else. He sucked in a deep breath and chugged the rest of his drink before sharply exhaling.

Ace rubbed his husband's back and smiled, "Come on, you have to be a little bit happy that she's finally growing up?"

"She's going to have a girlfriend... my baby... Oh my god, am I finally old? And what if they break up? She already has a hard time making friends, what if she loses Ellie?"

"She won't." Maria assured him. "I mean, look at the two of them."

It was hard to deny that. The two girls were staring at each other with eyes full of love, and they were laced around one another. They seemed to be just enjoying one another in a way they hadn't been able to express before.

Seth ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, "It's just... I guess I'm overly worried maybe?"

Then they kissed.

"Woah," Tommy laughed awkwardly and shook his head, "Kids these days sure do move fast nowadays, don't they?"

Maria smiled, "I'm happy for them. Ellie's had a crush on her for years, hasn't she?"

"Yeah," Joel said, "practically since we were all traveling together, I'd say. Girl had it bad."

Ace snorted at Seth's look of disbelief.

"There's no way it was like that," Seth frowned, "they were just girls being friends."

"Remember when we were just boys being friends, Seth?"

Seth shifted in his seat and groaned, "I just don't want to believe it. I know they're both just getting older and having feelings but... I don't want to think that I'm old."

"Hey, Seth," Joel laughed and shook his head, "She's nineteen this year, ain't she?"

"Shut uuuup," Seth groaned and held his face in his hands.

"Hey!" They heard a man bark and the group of adults immediately went to attention.

The two girls didn't realize they were being targeted at first, but Seth the barkeep had no problems with making it clear that he was regarding them. He grabbed Ellie's shoulder and violently tore the two girls apart.

Seth, Ace, and Joel didn't hesitate to get up. The three immediately tried to move to the commotion, shoving their way through the crowd.

"This is a family event," he continued, staring at the two girls in disgust, "we don't need that around here."

Ellie glanced over at her friend who very visibly shrank away from him, "I'm sorry."

She looked over at Ellie with an embarrassed look and glanced around the room. They were all staring at them, some people were whispering. Ellie knew her friend didn't do so well with crowds, much less people staring at her.