Lilium || A The Last of Us story.

Day 2 of 6

Joel allowed the girls to sleep in as the sky remained dark before dawn. Pear had turned to her right side, facing the ashes of the fire, with the glow of the embers casting a warm light on her crisp lips. Joel found himself struggling to look away from her, as his inner turmoil wreaked havoc within the depths of his chest. He had just lost Tess, and he couldn't help but wonder if his sadness was seeking an outlet in Pear. However, he knew he had to get her away from him. The best thing he could do was to take her to the coast and ensure her safety, far away from him.

As he brought the lid of his flask to his mouth, Pear's eyes fluttered open. Joel quickly averted his gaze, not wanting to be caught staring. Pear felt her cheeks flush with warmth as she sat up, noticing the dark green sleeping bag that had been draped over her. Joel must have covered her when she had fallen asleep. She pushed the cover off her body and gently placed it over the snoring Ellie before standing up.

"Good morning," Pear greeted Joel with a nervous smile as she followed the aroma of coffee. "Is that coffee?" she asked, her excitement evident in the caramel gleam in her sleepy eyes.

Joel stirred the small pot on top of his camping stove and replied, "Yeah, you like coffee?"

Ellie, hated it and had on more than one occasion mentioned the similarities it shared with shit.

Pear nodded eagerly, "God, yes! I haven't had any in years." She ran her hands through her long chocolate brown hair and tied it into a knot at the nape of her neck with the hair tie Ellie had given her.

As Joel observed Pear, he noticed the little fine lines by the side of her eyes, and it was the first time since meeting her that she looked her age.

Despite her excitement, Pear's nervousness was evident, and Joel wanted to put her at ease.

He poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her, "Here you go, Pear." The warmth of the coffee cup in her hands and the aroma of the coffee made Pear feel at home.

With a smile on her face, she took a sip of the coffee and savored the taste, her eyes disappearing in the back of her head she shuddered in pleasure.

How could any one have hurt her.

"Ugh! With the shit drink?!" Ellie groaned pulling the sleeping bag over her head, colourful curse words were being muttered beneath.

As a gentle breeze rustled through the trees and into their clearing, Joel caught a whiff of the scent of Pear, copper and earth.  He knew those smells, and it churned his guts. He couldn't shake Pear's story out of his head. The vivid images her words had painted in his mind were haunting him. In an attempt to distract himself, Joel began to pack up camp. Pear rose to her feet to help him, picking up items from the ground and handing them to him. As he took the metal cup from her hand, their fingers brushed, causing her to inhale sharply. Joel's heart was struck with a pang of sadness as he realised just how damaged she was.

"Ellie," He called, giving her snoozing body a nudge with his boot, "It's time to go."

Ellie groaned, rolling out of her sleeping bag.  She glanced up at Pear who was giving her face and neck a wash with the remnants of the water that Joel had boiled to mix with the coffee.
"Feel better?" She asked Pear.
Pear nodded, "Yeah, much.  Thank you Ellie."

They began their trek to Bill and Franks, two of Joels "friends" although he didn't speak about them like that.  Ellie and Pear had taken a short bathroom break prior to leaving the camp, Ellie told her the stories that Joel had relayed to her.

Pear's heart ached at the thought of Joel having lost someone he loved so recently. Tess had been his girlfriend and had been taken from him just a few days prior. This revelation provided insight into why Joel appeared so melancholic.