Don't let go: Joel Miller x OC

Closer

It had been a long, long time since Joel had 'dated'. Well over twenty years ago to be more precise and even then it usually only extended to meeting something easy in a dive of a bar with one goal in mind. Actual well intended dates even back then were few and far between with none of them lasting beyond a second or third meet. Not one of his potential prospects being deemed good enough to meet his little girl. Since the world went to shit, dates became even less of a necessity so much so he'd even once dared to say it was a tradition long extinct. That was of course until he stepped foot in Jackson, a small pocket of the world that still seemed to function like 2002.

Nervous was perhaps the wrong word, it was more apprehension. He was fourty-nine and going on a date, it just felt weird to him. As a young man, he'd always assumed he would have settled down by this age. A house with a wife, maybe even with a couple more kids. The world well and truly made sure that was off the cards for him... until now, anyway.

The front door knocked softly and he took in a sharp breath before answering.

"Evening." Ava spoke sweetly.

Silky blonde hair, freshly trimmed that sat resting against her collar bone with plump cherry red lips and a blue polka dot summer dress that sat low on her sun kissed chest and hugged each curve of her figure before flowing out towards the bottom. All he could do was stand and stare. Breathtaking is what she was and take his breath she did as he found himself tongue-tied, unable to find nor form the words to respond.

She was attractive enough in her usual apocalypse style attire but tonight? Dressed like that? He was in two minds to drag Ellie over to Tommys for the night and tell her that he was done taking things slow and instead take her straight to bed. Fuck.

Ellie's voice called out boisterously from behind the bannister of the stairs, snapping him straight out of his daydream. "For fuck sake, you're supposed to tell her she looks pretty, Joel!"

The pair chuckled bashfully at the teens prompts. A lopsided smile creeping across his lips at the sight of her cheeks flustering with pink. So goddamn pretty.

He nodded as he gave his date another obvious look up and down, taking her in inch by inch. Still somehow fumbling his words as he tried to confirm Ellie's remark.  "Y- You do look real pretty."

Her face flushed further and a soft smile spread across her painted lips, the kind of smile that left dimples in her cheek and its intended weak at the knees.

The teen had agreed to try and stay in the house on her own for the evening on the promise that Joel would be home by eleven. She hopped down the remainder of the stairs to join him at the door, squeezing past his side to get a glimpse of the blonde waiting for him.

She rammer her fingers into her mouth and blew in a failed attempt at a wolf whistle, the noise that emerged not being so dissimilar from the sound of a raspberry. It did however, break the awkwardness as Ava couldn't help but simper at the teens attempt whilst Joel responded in his usual way- an exasperated slam of the eyes.

"Right, let's go." He asserted as he playfully shoved the teen further back into the house.

The girl bounded back towards them like a damn boomerang to have the last word before Joel even had the chance to shut the door on her, her voice once again trying to mimic a posh British accent to further taunt him, "and I want you home no later than eleven or else you are grounded, mister!"

"Jesus" Joel muttered with a heavy sigh followed by a shake of the head as he closed the door behind them. Ava instantly slipping her palm into his with another beguiling smile cracked across her face.
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