Bite The Hand (Joel Miller x f!reader)

Bite The Hand: Chapter Two

The rhythmic tapping of your finger, synchronized with the second hand's precise movements, softly echoed in the quiet apartment. Each tick of the watch seemed to stretch time, intensifying the anticipation for Tess' return. Joel's soft inconsistent snores and occasional creak of the floorboard beneath your own feet took over the atmosphere of the dark and dreary apartment. The longer you sat at the table, the line between optimism and pessimism blurred, leaving you in a state of emotional turmoil.

Not long after you arrived, the sun from earlier vanished, replaced by a strong downpour on the QZ. You watched the rain stream down the two large windows in the living room, the view of the world outside blurring into swirls of various shades of blues and greens; the motion was nearly hypnotizing.

You glanced around the living room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was actually quite small. A table with a large radio sat up against the wall between the two windows, accompanied by a lone book with its spine facing outward. Narrowing your eyes, you mouthed the title word by word: Top 80's Hits. In the center of the room sat an oversized coffee table, much too big for the room. It was covered in various nameless books and loose pieces of paper were scattered messily upon the surface. The glass of the empty liquor bottles seemed to reflect the rain streaming down the windows, drawing your eyes to the motion. Across from the coffee table, against the wall, was a sagging and torn beige couch, which honestly wasn't much to look at.

Resting your cheek against your hand, you allowed your gaze to focus more closely on the items scattered across the cluttered table. Aside from the pills, there were several map books, varying in size from large to small. As you straightened in the chair and leaned over the table, the wood creaked beneath your movement, prompting a subtle crinkle of your nose. Your eyes briefly flickered toward the bedroom; from the angle you were sitting at, all that was visible were Joel's motionless feet. He hadn't bothered taking off his boots before falling asleep. A near sigh of relief escaped you as you realized he hadn't stirred. It was preferable for him to remain asleep while you waited, having decided that his company might not be particularly enjoyable.

To pass the time, you grabbed the first four in the stack of maps, setting them before yourself and spreading them out: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Colorado. What an interesting collection, you thought to yourself, mentally taking note of each state.

As you opened up the map of Wyoming, it became evident just how extensively marked it was. Either Tess or Joel was particularly interested in it. Lines, circles, and X's adorned the surface, accompanied by some illegible notes scrawled off to the sides of certain marks. Your eyes followed one of the highways, tracing it with an arrow that pointed towards Nebraska. The sight of the heavily marked map sparked a plethora of questions in your mind. What could Tess and Joel possibly be seeking in Wyoming? The journey seemed far too extensive for a simple trade if that was their intention. Perhaps they were contemplating a permanent departure from the QZ, which would make more sense. While Tess had never mentioned such a drastic move before, it occurred to you that she might have been cautious in keeping such plans to herself—a precaution you understood all too well.

The sudden crack of thunder startled you, prompting an instinctive jump in your body. "Jesus," you muttered quietly to yourself, recoiling from the unexpected noise. With a soft sigh, you restacked the maps and slid them to your left. As if in response to the thunder, the rain intensified, its soothing sounds on the roof growing louder. A flash of lightning soon followed, illuminating the room for a fraction of a second.

Beneath some clearly reused plastic baggies you assumed were intended for the pills, lay a disorganized pile of thin pieces of paper. As you started sifting through them, a twinge of guilt crept in. It felt almost illegal; acknowledging the invasion of Tess and Joel's privacy. Morally, you recognized that it was wrong, but really, what else was there to do with your time while you continued to wait for who knows how long? You were well aware that you had no intention of doing anything with the information. The demands of your current dealings were challenging enough to manage, and delving into Tess and Joel's affairs was a burden you had no intention of taking on.