Tough and Weak 𖣘 Joel Dawson x Reader

012 ||Parting Ways||

[Y/n's POV]

"Roar! I'm gonna kill you, Joel Dawson! I'm gonna eat you like broccoli!" Minnow roared. We were helping Joel with target practice, as we have done every day. "I'm Joel, and I can't protect my girlfriend because I'm useless and insecure and an awkward little teenager." She did an impression of Joel, her voice higher than normal. I may have discovered my romantic feelings for Joel, but that was funny. "But I need you to save me! I thought you loved me." She made her voice higher and higher. I laughed even harder. Minnow was now making dying noises.

"What?" Joel asked, eyebrows furrowing, not removing the crossbow from its position.

"That's your girlfriend dying. Or Y/n. Whatever you choose." Minnow smirked.

"Even if I was in danger, Joel would be the last person I would scream for," I ruffled Minnow's hair.

"What?" Joel gasped.

"A needle through water." Minnow reminded him. Joel shot the arrow and, surprisingly, it was the closest to the centre than it had ever been.

"Now, that, is what you would call a moment of glory," I congratulated.

"Yes! See? Bulls-eye!" Minnow threw herself onto Joel, engulfing him in a large hug.

"You got yourself an admirer there, huh?" Clyde shouted from far away. "Hey, we gotta get going."

"Uh, okay." Joel smiled, still celebrating his victory.

Joel and I walked towards Clyde while Minnow kept a tight hold on Joel.

[Joel's POV]

Dear Aimee,

I made friends! Human friends! And they're teaching Y/n and me everything they know. Like lesson three: Don't take shortcuts.

Lesson eight: Target practice every day. I'm getting pretty good with my crossbow.

Lesson ten: Keep your socks dry. That's a great one.

I'm kinda struggling with lesson two: Not both. That one is not great.

Y/n's doing fine with it. She keeps trying to encourage me.

It's great. I feel like I can tell her anything now.

I'm super tired. So is Y/n, I can see the bags forming under her beautiful e/c eyes.

Scratch that last one.

"Alright, a lot of things out here you shouldn't touch or eat. But, ferns like those are an anti-venom." Clyde was telling me. "What you want to avoid at all causes, is a Queen," Clyde warned after naming several more bugs.

"How do I know if it's a Queen?" I asked.

"Well, your first clue would be a giant fin slicing through the earth, following every single sound and vibration you make, you howling in pain as you're being ripped in half will be your second."

"Copy, I'll keep that in mind," I said sarcastically.

"Well, we're getting close to where our paths diverge," Clyde told us when we approached a wooden sign. Goodbye? Already?

"I think I'm gonna come with you guys," We all stopped walking when Y/n spoke for the first time.

"What?" I asked.

"To the mountains," she clarified.

"What? Y/n, you can't go to the mountains." I walked towards her.

"Joel, yes I can. I have nothing at Jenner Beach. You have Aimee. I'm not really living for anything if I go there. For the last seven years, I've only been surviving." She...she can't leave. Not now. "I wanna start living. And... I can't do that if I go to Jenner Beach."

"But, I need you. What if I-" I could feel my eyes starting to burn. I was just starting to have serious feelings for Y/n and now she was leaving.

"Joel, you can handle yourself now. You've gotten pretty good with a crossbow and you'll have Boy." I could see tears in her eyes.

Everyone was silent. I thought she would stay with me.

"Okay," I whispered. It was all I could say. I walked back to Clyde and Minnow as we continued walking.

I was upset that Y/n was leaving. If she had told me this when we first left the bunker I probably wouldn't have let myself fall completely head over heels for her. But she stayed...and now I'm having second thoughts.

No, Joel, you have to keep going to Aimee. If Y/n doesn't want to come, that's fine. That's her decision. Who needs her anyway? Not me.

"You're gonna wanna head west toward Jenner Beach. Or you can be sensible like Y/n and come with us to the mountains."

"Yeah, um, I think I've been sensible all my life, it's really gotten me nowhere," I caught myself glancing over at Y/n.

"Come with us, strengthen numbers, you know? Besides, I think we'd make a good team." Clyde tried to convince me.

"No, I think so too, it's just... it's something I gotta do."

"It's not fair," I heard Minnow from behind me. I could see her start to cry.

"Hey- wh- Woah, Woah, Woah. What's going on?" I crouched down to her level.

"Why do you gotta go?"

"Cause this girl, she means a lot to me. You know?" I felt like I was lying to myself. "C'mon. You know I gotta do this. We talked about this. Hey, you know what? I've got something for you." I pulled the lipstick we found in Boy's trailer out of my pocket. "I don't even know if you'd know what this is but-"

"Lipstick!" Minnow exclaimed. "What?" She laughed.

"Yeah," she then pulled me into a tight hug.

"Please don't settle for your girlfriend, Joel. Y/n really likes you," She whispered into my ear. I didn't answer, instead, I just blushed as she pulled away.

"Thanks, Minnow. You got some snot," I wiped away some boogers that were on her upper lip.

[Y/n's POV]

I felt bad for leaving Joel. But he'll be happier this way. He won't have to deal with how annoying I probably am. I can't say that I won't miss him though.

"Final lesson. Listen to your instincts out here. They'll keep you alive." Clyde told Joel.

"What if I have terrible instincts?" Joel asked.

"You'll die," I joked.

"Listen, man, good instincts are earned by making mistakes. If you're lucky enough to survive a few mistakes, you're gonna be okay out here. This might come in handy too," Clyde pulled out a grenade.

"Wow!" Joel gasped. "Oh, that's great. Do you have- uh- do you have any more that I could have?" Joel pleaded.

"You get one. Pull the pin, count to five. Not four, not six."

"Five," Joel repeated. "Got it."

Clyde and Minnow started to walk away. I wanted to say goodbye to Joel, properly. I stood in front of him, looking into his brown eyes.

"You're gonna be okay," I said. I could feel tears threatening to fall once again. I pulled him into a big hug. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I put mine around his neck.

"Thanks," Joel muttered into my hair. Before pulling away, I gave Joel a short kiss on the cheek. I tried to contain the heat crawling up my neck. I could see his cheeks become a light pink hugh.

"See you around, Joel," I patted his shoulder before walking off with Clyde and Minnow.

"Goodbye, Y/n," I heard Joel say before I walked off with Clyde and Minnow.

I knew I was never going to see Joel again.