Light in the Dark||TLOU||Joel x Reader

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Joel beats a man, listening to the other hunter - who he had tied to the chair - yell at him: "What the fuck?"

The man lies, now bloodied and Joel stops, clutching his stomach when he grabs a knife from the table. "Now..." he pulls up a chair, sitting opposite the hunter. "...the girls, are they alive?"

"What girls? I don't know none!" He exclaims and Joel shakes her head, stabbing the knife into his thigh and he screams.

"Focus right here. Right here." Joel orders, pushing the man's head up with his finger. "Or I'll pop your goddamn knee off."

"The girls." He says through gritted teeth and the man whimpers. "My girls." He whispers.

"They're alive. David's newest pets." The man gives up and Joel's anger boils over. "Where?" He asks, twisting the knife.

"In the town. In the town." He breathes out.

Joel pulls the knife out and places the handle in the hunter's mouth. "You're gonna mark it on the map." He states, holding one up. "And it better be the same exact spot your buddy points too. Mark it." He instructs and the man doesn't argue, spitting the knife out once he's done.

"It's right there. You can verify it. Go ask him. Go on. He'll tell ya. I ain't lyin', I ain't lyin'." He rambles.

Joel stands, wrapping his arm around his neck, strangling him and then snapping his neck, letting his body fall back. The beaten man jumps back, leaning against the wall. "Fuck you, man. He told you what you wanted."

Joel picks up a broken part of the radiator and the man shakes his head. "I ain't telling you shit." He says, but eyes the pole.

"That's alright. I believe him." Joel shrugs, bringing the pole up and swinging it down.

--

(Y/N) jolts awake, breathing heavily and gripping the bars. Ellie snores lightly and she sighs in relief at the sight of her, sitting back and rubbing her face. The door bursts open and David gives her a smirk, making a bee line for Ellie and shaking her awake. "Wakey, wakey."

He unlocks her handcuffs and hauls her up but she struggles against him.

"David, no! Let her go, take me instead!" (Y/N) screams, shaking the door and another man helps David haul her to the table. They thrown her on, holding her down and David holds up a butcher's knife. "I warned her." He tuts to Ellie.

"She's infected!" The Firefly yells, the tears creating paths down her blood stained cheeks and Ellie nods. "She's right, I'm infected." She mutters and David hesitates. "Really?" He asks.

"... and so are you." She mumbles and he shakes his head, not believing her. "Right here. Roll up my sleeve." Ellie nods towards it.

"Look at it!" (Y/N) hisses through her teeth. She had noticed that when she had slept, someone had bandaged her leg up and the thought of them touching her like that made her sick.

"I'll play along." David sticks the knife in the table by her head and pulls back her sleeve.

"What'd you say?" Ellie breathes. "Everything happens for a reason, right?"

The one helping David looks worried and he points to her bite. "What the hell is that?"

"She would've turned by now. It can't be real." David says and his friend shakes his head. "Looks pretty fucking real to me!" He exclaims, letting go of her arm.

Ellie takes the chance and grabs the knife, stabbing it into his neck and pulling from David's grip, falling behind the table. David shoots at her and she looks at (Y/N). "Fucking run, Ellie! Go!" She orders and she nods, running out.

He picks up the knife, rounding on the Firefly who smirks. "Bested by a teenage girl once fucking more."

"Shut it!" He yells, throwing the knife at her that clangs against the bars. He then follows after Ellie and (Y/N) breathes deeply, kicking against the wires.

--

Footsteps sound from outside her room and she perks up, pressing close to the door to try and listen.

"What is this?" A faint voice is heard and she passes her hand through the gap, taking the knife. "Why is their stuff here?"

Recognising his voice, the knife clatters to the floor and she stands. "Joel! Joel, in here!" She shouts, her voice breaking. He runs in, grabbing her hands through the gaps. "(Y/N)." He breathes and then frowns. "Where's Ellie?"

"She ran away. David tried to... to cut her up and so she stabbed him and -" she rambles and Joel shakes his head.

"It's okay, calm down. We'll find her." He promises and she nods, letting him take a good look at her. "What happened?" He whispers.

The Firefly's face was bloodied, with pathways of dirt and tears streamed through and he glances down at her legs, where she was leaning heavily on one. "The usual." She mutters and he chuckles.

"Please get me out of here." (Y/N) adds and he lets go of her, searching the room for a way in to her. Grabbing a crowbar from the drawer, he comes back to her. "Okay, move back." Joel instructs.

Using the crowbar, he breaks open the door and it swings open, allowing (Y/N) to rush out and head for the door. "We need to get to her." She begins, but Joel grabs her hand and pulls her back to him for a kiss.

"Don't ever do that again." He mutters, pulling away and she tilts her head in content with a small smile. "Let's go, cowboy."

Grabbing her bag and bow, she makes her way through the building and out the other side, shivering in the cold. Her attention is grabbed to one of the houses burning with a blazing fire. "Shit, Ellie..."

The pair waste no time in running to the building, dodging the escaping flames to find a clear entrance. (Y/N) stops dead, frozen as she watches Ellie bring the machete down on David over and over again.

It's Joel who moves forward first. "Ellie!" He yells, grabbing her.

"No! Don't fucking touch me!"

"Stop, stop. It's okay - it's okay, it's me. It's me." He repeats, turning her to face him. "Look. Look. It's me." He says, steadying her as she calms down.

(Y/N) carefully makes her way towards them, a look of rage and pure hatred when she stares down at David's lifeless body.

"He tried to -" Ellie begins, a wave of tears cutting her off. Joel lets out a breathy sigh in realisation and he hugs her tight. "Oh, babygirl it's okay. It's okay."

"El, I'm so sorry." (Y/N) whispers, her legs giving way and she falls to her knees, allowing Ellie to break away from Joel to bury herself in the woman's embrace. He wraps his arms around the both of them in a barrier of safety and he presses a kiss to the firefly's temple.

He pulls away from them, (Y/N) placing her hands on Ellie's blood covered cheeks, muttering words that seem to drown out as none of them can process what had happened. With a nod, Joel helps them both up, his hand not leaving hers and she doesn't let go of Ellie.

Together, they walk out of the building and leave the dead man with the memories behind them.