𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓜𝓸𝓸𝓷 (Joel Miller x Fem OC)

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝐼𝐼𝐼 *

▷ My Silver Lining -  First Aid Kit

                                                                            *suuuuper light fluff*

I must have been fast asleep, as I didn't realise we had pulled up a rundown motel that had overgrown foliage pouring out of broken windows. It was now 10pm, we must have been driving for hours, and I have no idea how long I was asleep.

 I rub my eyes and stretch my back as the passenger door opening startles me. Joel is standing in the darkness, holding a finger up to his mouth as to quiet me. He raises an eyebrow, awaiting my understanding of his gesture. I nod drowsily. 

"Stay here. I'm gonna check out the area," He pulls his large gun over his shoulder and inserts fresh bullets, "If all clear I'll come grab you. Need to stop for the night." He quietly closes the door, leaving me in the darkness of the truck. I watch as he cautiously scans the perimeter of the building, gently kicking open each motel room door to look for clickers. They're everywhere now. Containment measures failed, so you have to watch your back at all times. I stay as silent as possible, shifting my eyes from Joel to the surrounding area, keeping an eye on anything I might see.

After a while, Joel returns. He knocks on the glass of my door, gesturing his head to exit. Seems to be safe. I exit the truck and head to the back to grab my bag.

"Looks all safe. Saw a room that had a bed mostly in tact." He flips his gun to hang off his back, grabs his bag and leads me towards the room. He stops before the door and opens it for me.

"Ladies first." His tone is as dry as ever. He keeps his voice low, accentuating the huskiness of his accent.

I enter the room, glass and leaves crunching beneath my boots. I examine the room: an overturned armchair, bathroom with the door half-off, and lucky us, the smallest twin bed to exist. I let out a long sigh, though I can't complain. This is first class compared to other sleeping arrangements I've had in the past. 

"You take the bed," He tosses his bag on a small area of floor with the least amount of glass, "I'll sleep here. Okay?"

"Okay." I make my way over to the bed. The mattress is stained and the bed frame is one sleep away from breaking into a million pieces. I unroll my sleeping bag and lay it on top of the ancient mattress. My hand touches something moist, causing me to retract my hand and shudder. 

"You good?" Joel stares at me, a slight look of disgust on his face.

"Mhm..." I respond, wiping my hand across my coat. "I'm gonna use the bathroom. Can you... uhh..." I motion Joel to turn around to which he sighs and faces the front door. I enter the bathroom, the smell of mildew attacking me. Surprisingly, the faucets still work, although they spew out a terrifying brown liquid for a few moments before the water turns clear. I undress and step under the cold water, my skin perking up with goosebumps. I can hear Joel moving around the room outside.

"Don't use up all the water. We don't know how much is left." I hear him between the water hitting me and the cold tile. 

After a few minutes I turn off the shower and change back into my clothes. As I exit, I see Joel sitting at the edge of the bed, still staring in the opposite direction. I clear my throat, which he acknowledges as it being his turn. Joel enters the bathroom as I curl up into my sleeping bag. The sound of the shower running acts as white noise and almost instantly I drift off to sleep.

3am

I'm awoken by my own coldness, shivering from the iciness of the night. With the glass of the window being broken, the wind is blowing directly on me. Even with my coat and the sleeping bag, I'm uncomfortably frozen. Efforts to warm myself up are fruitless, and as a thought pops into my mind, I fixate on it until I can't think of anything else.