"Your old man is pretty scary, you know?"
Ellie snorted, looking through her scope at the stragglers walking around. There were a few, so she shot at a tree to gather them together.
"Joel is harmless. He's like a teddy bear."
Jesse gave her a look of disbelief.
"Yeah, a teddy bear with razors for hands and needles for stuffing."
She rolls her eyes, lines up her shot and headshots the first of four from the lookout.
"His beard isn't that scratchy."
Another gone.
"Yeah, but do you even know the 'talk' he gave a certain Miss Cat after he saw you hugging at the bonfire?"
"Cat's just dramatic, I wouldn't worry."
He slapped her shoulder, making her look up from the scope with an expression of pure annoyance.
"Dude! This is the first time we're allowed to snipe on these stupid 'group' patrols, even though were 16 and basically adults. Bullshit, anyway. Don't make me waste ammo!"
"You wouldn't have pulled the trigger. But the guy thought I liked you and have me dagger eyes for a month. He found out we were on patrol together today and pretty much threatened the other three of us."
She rolled her eyes.
"He just has a tone, you wouldn't get it. He's as soft as a cloud. But not as wet."
"And twice as spooky."
"Jesse if you keep talking about him I'm gonna think you're in love with him or something."
She took aim, taking out the last two together. Jesse laughed, looking with his binoculars.
"Wow, never mind him. I think you're scarier."
She gave him a wink and sat back in her chair.
"You got that right, now go write down how awesome we are."
He stood to mark down the infected they'd seen, and Ellie watched as the trees whistled in the wind.
They get back to Jackson three hours later, Dina met them with her group before they got back. Ellie tries to ignore the itch she got on her neck as she and Jesse hugged before the shorter girl grabbed her in a tight embrace.
"Ahhh we're all back! Nice!"
Ellie snorted and let go, hearing some loud talking as they approached the gate. As they got closer it was easy to hear who it was.
"Oh for fucks sake."
Dina laughed and looped her arm through Ellie's, dragging Jesse by the hand.
"Joel is terrifying, man."
She groaned and shook her head.
"Like the fuck he is! I'm sick of this, people always walk on eggshells around me when he's around."
They walk through the gate, low and behold Joel is stood there with his arms crossed, jaw tight as he talks to a sweating gate watcher.
And Ellie honestly doesn't know what comes over her. Seeing him so tense and demanding.
Truly, she couldn't help the laugh which bubbles in her throat. She side-eyed her friends, seeing that they actually looked scared.
That was the tipping point.
The laugh is a shock and Joel stops mid-sentence, himself and a few others looking at the source. He smiles a little before realising he was mid discussion.
"Erm, El- Ellie?"
She stops, makes eye contact with him for a moment before the laughter hits her again. She damn near howls , arms around her stomach from the pain.
"Oh my- oh my god! Sorry, sorry. I'll-"
She saw the stare from her friends. She was gone again. Joel walked over as she tipped her head back, full-on guffawing at this point.
"Is she okay?! Did she hit her head? Kyle?!"
The adult of their group looked terrified.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
She points at his scared face, falling to her knees and rolling to her side, kicking from pure hilarity.
"... Is she okay?" Dina asked Jesse shrugged.
"Was she ever?"
Ellie sits up, wiping at her eye.
"Okay- I'm okay, sorry."
Joel helped her up, giving the girl a concerned yet somewhat agitated look.
"Well, if you're okay. I was just talkin' to Chris-"
Chris looked so scared, Ellie tried to keep her laugh in, honestly she did. Joel noticed the tears in her eyes and sighed so heavily.
"Jus- just let it out."
"BHAAAA!"
She leant her head on his chest, smacking it every few seconds. He pats her back, staring at the sky and wondering why any deity would do this to him.
He looked over at Jesse and Dina.
"She gets like this sometimes." He says with a shrug.
"Yes, we know sir," Jesse replies.
This does not help Ellie at all. She leans back, head tilted and roared another laugh. Joel huffed.
" Sir! He called you fuckin' sir!"
She stumbled back, pointing at Jesse and Joel, confused as to why no one else was in such a state as her.
"Fuckin' hell, this shits oranges."
Joel narrowed his eyes.
"Bananas."
"What?"
"It's this shits- oh, never mind."
She sighed, wiping her eyes for the last time.
"Ah, I'm all good. C'mon scary boy , we got a movie night tonight!"
She walks past him, and he wipes his face.
"God sake. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Chris."
"Yes sir!"
Jesse and Dina were stood in somewhat of a shocked trance, listening as Ellie's laugh reached them again.
"Him too! Are you for fucking real?!"
"Ellie."
"Oh, sorry sir!"
She snorts, laughing again. He groaned and walked after her.
Chris leant against the wall in relief.
"Thank god, I thought he was gonna eat me alive."
"Don't be a dumbass then, Chris." Kyle replied, winking at the middle finger he got back.
"Or just... be Ellie?" Jesse added, walking with Dina who snorted at his comment.
"Ellie, with that nerve of steel? Yeah, I'd rather be her."
The next morning there was a sea of complaints from the volume of laughter from Joel's house through the night, none of them was said to his face though.
Which, of course, Ellie found hilarious.