"Seems like we're close to Jackson city." Makayla said as soon as she saw the sign 'JACKSON COUNTY'
"Shouldn't be more than a few miles." Joel mumbled.
"Are you ready to see your deer old brother?"
"I'm just ready to get there."
"You nervous?" She nagged.
"I don't know what I'm feeling." He shrugged and they continued making their way down the muddy road.
It was slowly getting dark and the sky looked pretty cloudy.
"The river should lead us straight to Tommy's." He notified.
"Great, what now." Makayla said when she noticed a barricade in front of them.
"That's a hydroelectric power plant." Joel declared making Makayla furrow her eyebrows, "A hydro who?"
"It uh- uses the river's movement and turns it into electricity."
"How does it do that?"
"Look I know what it is, I don't know how it does it but what I do know is that it'd be better to get across in the daylight." He stopped and Makayla looked around.
"What if there's infected around?" She asked.
"This area looks pretty clean. We'd hear them if they were near." He said as they started making their way into the woods just to be a bit more covered.
Joel started gathering sticks on the way and when they finally found a place that looked comfortable enough they put their backpacks down.
Makayla was looking around the backpack making sure she didn't forget anything at the tower. While doing that she heard Joel messing around with something but she didn't pay much attention to it.
She could smell something burning, making her turn around only to see Joel making a fire.
"Damn. Didn't expect you to be such a forest man." She said making him raise an eyebrow, "Didn't expect you to know how to sing."
His words made her shut up. But in a good way. She gave him a small smile, "Yeah well that's just another thing I'm good at."
Joel rolled his eyes at her cockiness.
"Here." He said taking out a blanket from his backpack and placing it on the ground so they would have to sit in the mud.
She sat down on one side and Joel sat down on the other, throwing a few more things into the fire.
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They both stayed quiet for a few moments until Makayala decided to speak up, "What happened between you two?"
"What do you mean?" Joel asked with his low voice. His voice was definitely the most attractive voice she had ever heard.
"You and Tommy. You're not together so clearly something went down." She said and he turned to look at her, making her heart beat ten times faster.
"We just had a bit of a disagreement. That's all." He shrugged.
"What was it about?"
"Tommy saw the world one way I saw it the other."
His response made her think.
"Is that why he joined the Fireflies?"
"Yeah your friend Marlene promised him hope. That kept him busy for awhile but just like Tommy he eventually quit that too." Joel rolled his eyes.
"How was it, the last time you saw him?" She asked curiously yet carefully while Joel still hypnotized the fire in front of them.
"I believe his last words to me were 'I don't ever wanna see your goddamn face again'."
Makayla frowned, "You sure he's gonna help us?"
"I suppose we're gonna find out." He muttered.
"We gotta get there you know." She said with a more of a demanding tone in her voice, making him look at her.
Their eyes met for a split second.
His eyebrows slightly furrowed, "You really do believe it's gonna work."
"I know it's gonna work. I can't just give up without giving it a go. I- have to keep going." She nodded firmly after saying that as if she wanted to confirm it.
Joel remained silent.
"You know I- I'm really glad you're with me. I wouldn't have made it this far by myself." She admitted, dodging his eye contact but he still didn't take his eyes off of her.
He inhaled sharply and looked at the fire again.
Makayla looked at him and couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts for a second. Her eyes focused on his button up shirt and the way she could just imagine his muscles underneath.
His forearms were veiny and strong. Made her wanna touch and examine them.
He could feel her gaze and it made him look at her as he froze. They were both so close as they were looking into each others eyes.
Makayla's eyes shifted to his lips and to his chest and Joel tensed up when he noticed.
The tension filled the air just like the time before.
"I promised myself I won't try it again." She whispered and this time neither of them dodged the eye contact as her eyes dragged up to look into his.
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She started to lean in, noticing how his eyebrows furrowed and forehead creased but he didn't pull away nor moved his head.
Makayla gulped hard before getting on her knees, turning to face him directly as she was now sitting a bit taller.
Joel's eyes followed her every movement. He seemed to fight himself. His hard chest was rising and falling rapidly making her even more nervous.
She leaned in letting their lips brush against each other before she finally toughened up and let them connect.
