THE LAST OF US IMAGINES

Unsaid Things

   Plot - Tess has an unsaid relationship with Joel but none of them brings it up. They both know it's not healthy and toxic so all they do is to hide their feelings and not saying anything. One night Tess has a panic attack and is not very good at hiding it. Seeing her in this state, Joel wants to help her to overcome her distress.

   A/N - Hey guys!! First of all, this is my first imagine of Tess and Joel and I'm so happy about it because they're basically partners in crime and I really loved seeing them in the first game and I hope we can see lots of scenes together in the TV show too!

     If there are grammar mistakes, I apologize for that because my main language isn't English and I try to improve it <3 If you see any mistakes you can comment! And before I forget, If you have any ideas how I should be writing, let me know because I want to know your thoughts <3

   Tess was going through one of those troubled times again. It was as if her brain could not handle the emotions she perceived, and she wanted to get away from the environment she was in as soon as possible. Her union with Joel (they had both made love to forget a little of what had happened that day) felt like it had never happened, and she knew it really wasn't true. They had a very toxic relationship and neither could argue otherwise, but apocalypse was something else and no matter how much you cried, no matter how uncomfortable you were with the situation you were in, it would always be together. Tess thought of what they had been talking about with Joel, and a smile appeared on her face.

   '' Do you think we can get out of here and go somewhere where we're more free? ' Tess asked hopefully. The panic attacks that she had been experiencing for a long time started to become more frequent that day, but of course, she never showed this to Joel. 'Maybe I can live inside myself and console myself,' she always thought, but her mind, which was so confused, could not make anyone's mind. Tess thought she saw Joel's faint smile, but that later gave way to spoon brows. Tess could sense Joel's seriousness because the two of them were almost Partners In Crime now. They were two people whose paths would not even cross in real life. Perhaps both had lost their sense of love over the years, but at least one of them could have corrected the situation by explaining it to the other. Well, and that was a maybe thing. Nothing was always clear in their situation.

   Sometimes the two of them wanted each other so much, but it was as if they were struggling to contain themselves. They stare into each other's eyes like animals trying to hunt their prey, but something is holding them back. Neither of them wanted this to happen, but it wouldn't be a very healthy relationship. The thing that cut off the calf's tail happened the day before, in the evening of that day. As always, as if to clear her head, Tess threw herself out the door and opened the window in the apartment they were in to get some fresh air. It wasn't very good fresh air. The stinking dead bodies, the smell of blood mixed with the smell of sweat, made it difficult to breathe. The increasingly polluted environment was accumulating them inside, and it was as if they were mixed with a wind and dragged them all over the place. More disgusted than ever, Tess closed the window and sat down on the sill.

   There wasn't much to see outside. Everywhere was filthy. In that moment, Tess saw a family trying to run away from their home. 'What idiots they are,' she thought to herself. Even she and Joel would do a thousand somersaults every time to avoid being caught. Tess, who was watching them even more carefully now, saw a soldier running from the side. She held her breath and watched as a mother carrying her child in her arms turned the corner unannounced. Tess felt sorry for the first time in many years. For a moment, a shout echoed in that street. Tess closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, and then she gasped when she heard the gunshots. After a few seconds, she got up from the window to avoid seeing those lifeless bodies and came to the apartment where she and Joel were staying. There was movement in the apartment and Tess was thinking, 'How can I get in without being seen by Joel?'

   "Fuck this," she muttered. Whatever was going to happen would happen. If she had to tell Joel that she was constantly having a secret panic attack, she would. Se didn't think Joel would care too much because they almost didn't care about each other's feelings, but the reason Tess had been having such frequent panic attacks lately was that she couldn't stand anything like she used to. She still didn't know why they were in this shithole and not in a place where they were more beautiful and free, but collecting enough ration cards was a ticket out of here. She put her thoughts aside and grabbed the doorknob as she opened it and quietly walked in. The voice from inside could not be heard now, but she knew that Joel was awake now. She threw herself into the not-so-clean seat and waited for the adrenaline to subside. She closed her eyes for a few moments to rest her eyes and listened to the silence.

   Her heart began to race as she heard clattering from the other room, but she just stood there without opening her eyes. When the steps reached the room she was in, she waited for Joel to say something, but instead Joel walked over to the couch where Tess was lying, sat on the floor and just waited for her to say something. Tess opened her eyes and tried to make out Joel's eyes with the darkness, and when their eyes met, she just laid there without turning her head. They both knew what they wanted but couldn't express it.
But Joel made an unexpected move and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumb, and Tess was surprised because she didn't know she was crying until now. Joel was the first to break the silence as they just stared at each other.
   ''You wanna tell me what was that about? " He took her hands in his and waited for Tess to speak. Tess sighed heavily and sat up without taking her hands from Joel's. Instead of sitting on the floor, Joel sat on the couch and stared at Tess curiously. Tess turned her grounded eyes to Joel's curious gaze and snuggled closer to Joel. Joel didn't expect this, but he still let Tess hug him, but he didn't wrap his arms around her. They were both there for each other, but it wasn't love, it was just a distraction. So, even though Joel knew he couldn't go far, he didn't neglect to place tiny kisses on Tess's head, who was leaning against his chest.

   For the first time in years, Joel felt a tightness in his heart, and he couldn't help but wrap his arms around Tess's body. So while the two of them listened to the silence, they started to feel the love that was inside them and maybe right next to them, and they stayed like that until the morning because they both knew they wouldn't be like this the next day. But when they woke up in the morning, they seemed more energetic and happier, and they both looked at each other and smiled as if they wanted this moment to always happen. What the day would bring was unknown, but even these small but beautiful moments could heal their wounds.