borderline - the last of us.

21. kindness.

RALPH HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT BEING IN AN ACTUAL HOUSE HAD FELT LIKE, even after being at Bill and Franks, which was at least four months ago by now. Obviously, there was before the apocalypse, out in Connecticut, but back then he had never really thought to admire every room in the home or indulge in every kitchen appliance. There were the apartments in the QZ, and although he had great memories there, they were never the same as having his own house again.

Maria had handed him the keys with the assurance that she would bring them some groceries later on, and also steal Lou back from her new friend. Then, she left them to it, and Ellie ran up the stairs without another word to call dibs on her room and hop in the shower before Ralph could get there first.

He decided to explore a little bit more, but he didn't bother to go too far. He flung open cabinets in the kitchen and inspected pictures in the living room and that was about it. He spent the rest of his evening on the couch, falling asleep while he was waiting for Maria or Lou or Joel, or even for Ellie to stomp down the stairs from her shower and begin to terrorize him. Joel was taking a while, though. And Ralph couldn't help but wonder what him and Tommy could be talking about for so long, or why Tommy had turned the cold shoulder on him so suddenly. There was no way Tommy knew. Tommy of all people, seriously? No way.

Ralph woke up to a knock at the door, praying Joel was back and that he wouldn't come face-to-face with Maria for the third or fourth time today. She was, arguably, more humble than Tommy, but that didn't make her any less goddamn terrifying. At least Tommy was silently passive-aggressive, with Maria, it was far worse because you had to engage in conversation while knowing that she could kill you right then and there if she wanted to.

Just his luck that Maria was standing there with two, full brown paper bags in her hands and Lou at her side. The younger girl's face was pink from the cold outside and the time she had spent in it.

'Jesus, look at you!' He gasped, tugging her in from the doorstep and placing the back of his really warm hand on her really cold cheekbone. 'You're like an icicle, poor thing. Go shower, you got the room on the right.'

'Oooh, you are Joel are sharing?' Her frostbite didn't stop her from wiggling her eyebrows at him. He used the hand that was still against her cheek to pinch her skin between his fingernails, nipping her on the face for her remark. She giggled and smacked him away, running for the stairs.

'No boots upstairs.' Ralph demanded. Lou huffed, jumped down from the first step to kick off her boots, and then disappeared upstairs. Ralph pushed the door further open to allow Maria in, something he probably should've done a while ago.

'Well, I've got good news and bad news.' Maria sighed, placing her grocery bags on the kitchen island and nodding at Ralph to help her put things away. 'What do you want first?'

'Bad.' Ralph said, taking bag number one and beginning to put things away.

'The objectively bad news is that your girl has the hots for Bowie Delvecchio. The good news is, we have a church to marry them in.' Maria joked, and she had the same joking voice that Joel did, only hers was slightly more pleasant. Ralph scoffed and placed a container of sugar on the counter by the sink.

'I will piss on the priest if I have to, Maria.' Ralph tsked, offering her a quick smile, one that he didn't want to give, when he found a bit of amusement in her eyes.

'How long are you folks staying for?' She questioned, opening the fridge and keeping it pinned open with her leg so she could stock it. Ralph hadn't seen a working fridge since Boston but that was just probably because he didn't go snooping around in Bill's.