How can you mend a broken heart (Joel Miller AU)

Chapter 2.

The next morning, you woke up to the sound of music coming from the living room.

You got out of bed and walked around the house, taking in your surroundings. The house wasn't small, with a living room that had a comfortable-looking couch and a TV that seemed to be a few years old. The walls were painted in a faded yellow colour, and there were some posters and pictures hanging on them.

A small dining area was next to the living room, which led to a narrow hallway with four closed doors. You assumed one was Joel's room, another was probably a bathroom, his daughter's former room and the guest room where you stayed. The dining area was connected to a small kitchen.

You found him sitting on the couch, surrounded by empty beer bottles.

"Good morning," you said, trying to sound cheerful.

Joel grunted in response and turned up the music. You lowered the music and asked, "Hey, do you mind if I clean up the place a bit?"

He looked at you skeptically. "Why bother? It's just gonna get messy again."

You ignored his grumpiness and started cleaning up anyway. You decided to take matters into your own hands. You cleared the empty beer bottles and dirty dishes from the coffee table and put them in the sink. After gathering the empty bottles and cans, you took them to the recycling bin outside. You also picked up the clothes and tidied up the living room.

As you were cleaning, Joel asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just trying to make the place a bit more livable," you replied.

Joel grunted in response and went to take a shower.

You decided to make breakfast and opened the fridge, which was almost empty. All that was in there was half a dried lime, a few beers and some old cheese. You realized that Joel probably hadn't gone grocery shopping in a while.

When he came out of his room, you handed him a list of groceries you wanted him to get.

"Can you pick these up when you're out?" you asked.

Joel looked at the list and grumbled, "Why can't you do it?"

"Because I'm cleaning up the house," you replied calmly.

"I don't have time for that," he replied, not even looking at you.

"You can't just survive on beer and rotten cheese," you said, exasperated.

Joel grunted again but eventually complied, taking the list you had written and leaving the house to go grocery shopping.

He sighed and said "Fine, I'll go get them"

As he was gone, you took the opportunity to clean up the rest of the house. You washed the dishes, vacuumed the floors, and tidied up the living room. You even dusted the pictures on the wall, taking note of his daughter.

When Joel returned, you could see the annoyance on his face as he carried the grocery bags into the kitchen.

"Thanks for getting these," you said, trying to break the tension.

Joel grunted again and started to put away the groceries.

As you started to prepare dinner, Joel watched from the living room. You could see the curiosity in his eyes as you chopped vegetables and stirred pots.

"What are you making?" he asked, finally breaking his silence.

"My speciality," you replied, trying to keep the excitement out of your voice.

Joel raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

As dinner was ready, you set the table, and Joel came into the kitchen, looking surprised at the spread before him. You had made a large pot of pasta with a rich, homemade tomato sauce, and garlic bread on the side.

Joel sat down at the table, and you served him a generous portion. You could see the hesitation on his face, but he eventually took a bite and then another.

"This is really good," he said, his mouth full of pasta.

You couldn't help but smile, feeling proud of yourself."Thank you," you replied. "I used to cook for my mom all the time."

Joel nodded, and you both continued eating in silence.

Joel ate the whole plate and then went back for seconds, something you hadn't expected him to do.

After he finished his plate, Joel looked up at you and said, "That was really delicious. Thank you." you could see a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes.

You smiled and said, "No problem. I'm happy to help out."

You could see a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and you knew that you were making progress with him. Despite his grumpiness, you could sense that Joel was a good person underneath it all.

As the night came to an end, you headed to your room, feeling exhausted but accomplished. You decided to try to get to know him better, hoping that you could help him somehow.