Secrets And Hope {The Last Of Us Fanfiction}

XIX

Morning came as the two loaded themselves into the horse-drawn cart that was tucked away in the barn overnight, and with a tight grip to the reins, Nora gave a gentle click and the horses gently pulled the cart with a start. The journey back was a rather pleasant one, as the morning sun peaked gloriously above the horizon, its orange fiery hues firing relentlessly into the sky, the mere sight of it warming to witness. The two rode silently, the kiss shared the night previously still thick in both of their minds, and the odd secret side glances were shared. Though as soon as one noticed the other, they both looked away with heat rising in their faces.

"How's your leg?" Nora broke the silence that was lingering between them, which was hard to establish whether it was awkward or not.

"Sore," Joel replied with a scoff, his eyes peering down at his now bandaged thigh, "But, I've had worse,"

"Really?" Nora asked with a smirk, "How worse?"

"Bullet to the shoulder," He said simply, "That hurts like a bitch!"

Nora chuckled, the nonchalance he fronted humoring her as she shook her head. The silence then fell once more between them, but this time, it was comfortable. A knowing between them that they were fond of each other.

-

The arrival of the horse and cart caught the attention of Maria as she stood patrolling the fence of the settlement. Gripping her gun tightly in her hands, she squinted her eyes to focus on the oncoming vehicle. However, seeing Nora give out a signaling wave, Maria shouted down to the gate to open up to allow the pair in. The arrival had roused everyone from their current jobs out of curiosity and excitement, seeing that they were successful in receiving back their supplies. Fussing and chatting enthusiastically amongst one another as they began to unload, left Nora to help Joel down from the cart. Gritting his teeth against the stinging pain, Tommy and Maria's brows furrowed.

"What happened?" Tommy asked as he took over for Nora, holding Joel's weight as they walked to the infirmary.

"Bloody hunters got a shot at me," Joel grumbled, hissing at the slightest weight bringing down on his bandaged thigh. It wasn't long before Ellie had entered the courtyard and saw Joel limping.

"Joel? Fuck, are you okay?" She came running over, and Joel nodded.

"Don't you go worryin' about me, i'll be fine," his Texan accent drawled and his hazel eyes glistening with a smirk on his lips, surprisingly upbeat despite all that had happened. Little did anyone other than a certain someone knew, his mind was filled with sparks from a secretly shared kiss.

"Lets get you seen to first, shall we?" Tommy said as he led Joel to the infirmary, Ellie and Nora left outside as he gets seen to.

-

Half an hour went by, and after the excitement from the recovery of the supplies, everyone was back to their daily jobs. Ellie and Nora were in the stables, brushing down the newly received horses.

"Will Joel be okay?" Ellie asked, her voice thick with worry.

"Of course he will, he only got shot in the leg. Could be a whole lot worse," Nora reassured, her eyes studying Ellie as she gazed absentmindedly at the thick coat of the black Friesian.

"It just... nerves me when anything happens to him, like I could lose him so easily whilst I'm not around," Ellie's voice was almost a whisper, "I almost did and it was the most painful thing I have experienced,"

"When was this?" Nora's brows furrowed.

"A while ago," Ellie's eyes finally lifted to Nora as she began to share the events of the past, "He um... we were in Colorado to... find something... and we got ambushed. We were trying to get out of this building and Joel got attacked and the rail on this balcony broke..."