#but That Smile Though

#but that smile though

I'm sobbing you guys this is so good 😪😪

Under the Cherry Blossom Trees

Joel Miller x gn!reader (no use of y/n)

Word count: 1.1k (1485 with optional epilogue)

Warnings: fluff, protective!Joel, established relationship, kissing, sweetness, optional angst epilogue

Notes: My blog remains 18+ only even if this fic isn’t explicit! I loved this writer Wednesday pic so much and the idea just instantly popped in my head! Thanks so much @writer-wednesday @autumnleaves1991-blog @clydesducktape for hosting this every week! Hopefully this formats ok since I’m posting from mobile!

I also have an update blog @flightlessangelwings-updates to stay up to date on when I post!

~

“Joel, where are you taking me?”

“It’s a surprise, baby,” Joel replied with a smirk.

You rolled your eyes playfully as you tightened your grip around his waist. The horse the two of you shared walked gently through the quiet forest. Everything seemed at peace here, with no sign of infected for miles. The only sounds in the forest other than the clop of your horse were scattered bird calls and the rustle of the local wildlife.

You let out a short chuckle, “You know Joel, if it were anyone but you I would think I was about to be murdered and dumped out here in the middle of nowhere.”

Joel moved a hand from the reins and gave your wrists a tight squeeze, “You know I ain’t never gonna let anything like that happen, baby.” His tone was too serious for your attempt at a joke.

“I know,” you whispered as you leaned your head against his broad back and savored the warmth of his body, “I was just kidding.”

All Joel offered was a soft grunt and another squeeze before he fell silent again. You decided to keep quiet as well and just enjoyed the feeling of his body against yours and the soft warm wind against your back.

It was a sunny spring day, and as much as you loved living in Jackson, it was nice to be out and get some fresh air. Things almost felt normal like this with you and Joel out on a horseback date in the woods. But Joel always tried to make life seem as normal as he could for you.

Even so, he surprised you this morning when he told you to get ready to go out with him. He tried to hide it, but you saw through Joel’s calm and collected facade and noticed that he seemed nervous and jittery. But when you asked him why he needed you, he refused to answer.

Stranger still, Joel grabbed his guitar on the way out.

“Baby, we’re here.”

Joel’s hushed voice jolted you out of the trance you were in from the warm air and the soothing beat of his heart. You hadn’t even realized you almost dozed off right there on the horse until his voice broke the silence.

Suddenly, a rush of sensation flooded you and you took a deep inhale to smell something you hadn’t smelled in a long time, “Cherry blossoms?”

A soft rumble echoed from Joel’s chest, “Surprise,” he whispered softly.

Before you could restrain yourself, you gasped loudly, “Joel… Holy shit…”

In front of you was a long pathway lined on either side with cherry blossom tree after cherry blossom tree. The pink of the fully bloomed flowers in the sun lit up the forest in a way that completely took your breath away. Puddles from yesterday's light rain reflected the sunlight and made this patch of forest seem brighter than what surrounded it.

Joel turned over his shoulder and took in your reaction. Sure the trees were beautiful, but they didn’t compare to the look in your eyes as your face lit up in awe. He never could get enough of looking at you, and he swore there was never enough time to fully admire and appreciate your features.

He kept the horse still for several moments before he ushered you all towards a tree with a low hanging branch. You barely even noticed the movement.

With a click of his tongue, Joel steadied the horse, swung his leg over and pushed himself off. He quickly tied the reins to the branch before he extended a hand to you and said your name in such a sweet tone, “You coming?”

You shook your head as your eyes landed on Joel, “You bet!”

Joel’s hand felt warm in yours as he helped you down. You kept ahold of him even as you were steady on your feet and you let him guide you down the path. Your trust in Joel compared to nothing else and you followed his lead while you looked around and soaked in your surroundings.

“Wow…” you breathed, “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

A warm smile lit up Joel’s face as he looked over at you. His heart skipped a beat in his chest as he studied your every feature as if he was seeing you for the first time. But then again, to Joel, every time he saw your smile felt like the first time all over again.

You felt the weight of Joel’s gaze on you and you froze in place. When you met his eyes and saw the look of pure admiration there, you swallowed hard and suddenly your skin felt like it was on fire, “What?” you asked in a whisper.

“Nothing baby,” Joel murmured as he suddenly felt embarrassed as well, “You just look so damn beautiful in the flowers like this.”

A chuckle escaped your lips before you could help it, “Always the romantic, aren’t you Joel?”

“I do try,” his voice was low as he ushered you ahead of him, “You like it?” Joel used his nose and pointed towards a small setup on the side of the path.

You gasped as you saw the small tent that was set up between two large trees. Inside were some blankets and pillows to make it homey and cozy. And the front was open so you could sit and enjoy the magnificence of the trees and flowers around you.

“I found this place with Tommy yesterday on patrol,” Joel explained as he led you into the tent and sat the both of you down, “I checked for infected, there’s no one for miles. Just you and me. We can finally get some quiet alone time,” he rested an arm around your waist and kissed the side of your face, “How’d I do?”

“Joel… It’s…” you couldn’t even finish your thought before you lunged at him and kissed him deeply.

A low rumble echoed in Joel’s chest as he eagerly kissed you back and held you close. Soft moans filled the tent as you immediately deepened the kiss and showed him just how much you loved his surprise.

“Happy anniversary baby,” he murmured against your lips when you finally broke away for air.

You didn’t even open your eyes as you rested your head on Joel’s shoulder and settled comfortably at his side. You felt him place one last kiss on the top of your head before he pulled out his guitar and played a soft, sweet melody just for you.

At that moment, everything was absolutely perfect under the cherry blossom trees.

*

Optional epilogue (warnings: tlou2 spoilers, angst, major character death)

The sun shined brightly as you rode your horse through the woods, but it still felt dark to you. Nothing seemed the same anymore, as if all the color in the world drained from your vision. Even the pinks of the cherry blossoms seemed dull in your eyes.

Everything was quiet around you, as if the world stood still for the moment, only to be broken by the sound of the clop of the horse beneath you. It was a strangely familiar feeling, yet it was different.

You rode down the path that Joel had taken you before, only this time it was just you. What was once a happy memory now felt somber as you had never felt more alone.

A sigh escaped your lips as you reached your destination: the tent Joel had set up for you.

You jumped off and tied the horse to a branch before you approached the space. What was once a warm, inviting space now felt cold and distant. Moss covered the blankets that were left behind and it felt like a shadow of what it once was.

But then again, so were you.

As you sat down on the damp ground, you choked back a sob. What should have been a happy day felt heavy on your heart. Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out Joel’s old watch and cradled it in your hands before you wrapped yourself around it and finally broke down into tears.

“I miss you so much, Joel,” you cried, “So fucking much.”

Birds fluttered in the trees around you, but you ignored it.

“Dina had the baby recently,” you spoke to the watch, “JJ is what they called him,” you let out a soft exhale, “Yeah, one of those J’s is for you,” you paused as you caught your breath, “Everyone is doing fine. You’d be so proud of Ellie, Joel. I’m watching over her, like I promised I would.”

Your eyes dropped down as you watched your tears hit the ground in front of you, “It’s not the same without you though,” you let out a deep sigh as you brought the watch up to your lips and gave it a gentle kiss, “Happy anniversary Joel.”

New imagine for Ellie x reader is coming today!!!! Stay tuned ya'll.

If only Ellie could see this 🥺

NASA’s Webb Space Telescope Reveals Astounding, Unprecedented Views of the Universe

Just want to make sure before I send in a request today, are your requests still open?

Yes they are open!!

LMFAO SO TRUUU

when Chloe says, "And that's the last workout," but then says, "Of the first set," <<<