One Step Forward, Two Steps Back | The Last of Us
- Reads 4,187
- Votes 180
- Parts 19
MatureOngoing3h 46m
Last published Sat, Nov 8, 2025
If there was an easy way out, Imari remained on the opposite end of it. An orphan that grew up with Ellie Williams, Imari was taken under Marlene's wing, an early introduction to the Fireflies.
She was born a soldier to say the least.
Stumbling upon an old letter signed off by Tommy Miller stating that he was in Jackson, Imari leaves her life in the W.L.F. in hopes of finding any family there. Leaves Abby without any warning. Their complicated relationship leaves a haunting mark that follows her to Jackson, all while she rekindles her deep connection with Ellie.
One that feels too real to ignore.
Little did Imari know, Abby was on the hunt for Joel, a man that grew to be like family to her. Their paths keep crossing against all odds as they face their own consequences of betrayal and selfishness while trying to survive in this world.
When it comes down to it, who will she choose?
Abby or Ellie?
𝘈 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
All Rights Reserved
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Firefly
Joel Miller x Reader (HBO Show) STOP! READ⬇️ (This will be an age-gap story.) Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Last of Us of the characters. I only own my characters and some plot and Dialogue I make up. Yn is neighbors with the Millers and watches Sarah. She has a close relationship with both of them. She lives across the street with her Grandmother who she has been living with since she was five years old after her parents had been killed in a car accident. She's with Sarah when everything happens with the Adlers and ends up staying with Joel and Tommy after Sarah dies. as time goes on and she gets older she and Joel grow closer and closer. She fills a big hole in his chest where his heart is supposed to be. He doesn't care about, love, or trust a lot of people. But her and Tommy are his family and he would do anything for them. Read the authors note for more about the story! It's is a request for all my stories. it has not only more of a description but also has triggers and warnings for the story.Complete
Older (Joel Miller, The Last of Us Fanfic)
"I'm old." He said, glancing to her. She looked up, meeting his eyes. "No, you're not. Grandpa's old." "Still, I'm older than you." "Yeah." She replied, letting her eyes sweep appreciatively over his body. Her eyes lingered on his arms, and the way they were folded. Joel didn't know what to do with that and let his arms drop to the sides of his body, dangling loosely as his fingers twitched. "I'm too old for you." "Agree to disagree." "I'm fifty." "Fifty-two, actually." Life's been trudging on since Joel and Ellie returned to Jackson from Salt Lake. The girl's been adjusting well, but Tommy has some choice words for Joel's lack of sociability. Just start with getting a haircut, why don't you? This is a fanfic of Joel Miller and an original female character. It takes place shortly after the end of the first game/first season, following life in Jackson, and Joel's attempt at dating. Also available on AO3!Complete
The Last of Us: Revenge And Justice (SEASON TWO) - (Male OC x Dina x Abby)
[The Last of Us Part II X Male OC] BASED ON THE VIDEO GAMES AND THE HBO SERIES OF THE SAME NAME ✝☮ In the aftermath of the massacre of the Fireflies back in Salt Lake City, Joel, Ellie and Ricky returned back to Wyoming, Jackson and they are now refugees and members in their new home afterwards. Five years later, the two teenagers are now struggling to reconnect with him after he admitted he killed everyone in the hospital. But suddenly, the young woman named Abby Anderson, the daughter of the late doctor Jerry Gerald Anderson, the one what Joel shot him in the head, seeks revenge and vengeance for what he did terrible things. In order to stop her madness, Ellie and Ricky must face their challenges when they must stop her at any means necessary if she kills the loved one they care about. They must work together with Dina, Jesse, Cassie, Kate, Claire, Tommy and their friends just to hunt her down and her crew to the place of Seattle where they are working on a militia called Washington Liberation Front. They learned that group is in middle of the war zone with the religious cult: Seraphites. Ellie, Ricky and their friends must do their best in surviving together as one while struggling with their own loss and fears. They're gonna kill every single one of them if they stand in their way. 🔫🏙️🧟 The Last of Us and The Last Of Us Part II © Playstation Studios, Naughty Dog All Characters and Original Characters are Owned by Me HBO Original © Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO Max Creator of the The Last Of Us Series © Craig Mazin Game Creator and Co-Creator of The Last Of Us © Neil Druckmann Age Rating: TV-MA It will include love, emotional supports, understanding, loss, revenge, anger and everything in it.Complete
¹epiphany ─ j. miller
❝ just a flesh wound, here's your rifle crawling up the beaches now 'sir, I think he's bleeding out ❞ ───★─── joel miller knows he has nothing. outbreak day comes and he decides to leave his daughter safe in the house, rushing down to the hospital. before the explosion, he meets one of the doctors, and after sarah's death, she takes him to tessa. a few weeks later, the woman got caught up with a lot of fedra officers, and joel never saw her again. until ellie. ───★─ ── [JOEL MILLER x OC] takes place during the last of us. i do not own anything to do with the last of us. only my oc.Complete
The Last Of Us: Part I - Darker Days (Male Reader)
Y/N L/N, an alone 16 year old in the apocalypse, trying to survive a world full of killers, thieves and infected. After losing his parents 4 years ago, the boy went into a place of solitude, avoiding people like the plague, or in their case, spores. But when Y/N arrives to the city of Pittsburgh, he finds an old man and a young girl trying to outrun Hunters. Feeling sorry for them, he decides to help them out. But unknown to him, he'll end up getting more than he thought he would. Y/N will ultimately decide on joining them on their quest to find the Fireflies. Why? He doesn't exactly know, but what he does know, is that these people are different. Perhaps, people he could grow to trust? (Ellie Williams x Male Reader) (I do not own The Last Of US! That right goes to Naughty Dog and their writers)Complete![This Isn't The End [Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader]](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/255725349-256-k139388.jpg)
This Isn't The End [Ellie Williams x Fem!Reader]
-Set during the time frame of The Last of Us 2 but without any spoilers!- You always thought the day your mom was infected would be the hardest day of your life. Never would you have imagined that you'd end up alone in the world. Wandering, surviving. You never stuck around anywhere long, you never joined any groups, never had a reason too. But here in Jackson, things were different and you might just stick around for some reason, or someone. #1 in Ellie Williams on 3.1.2021 !! Thank you all! Completed: 4.3.21 Words: 34,495Complete
Silver ||Joel Miller||
Laura knew the dangers of her world. Between Cordyceps and the survivors, she often wondered how she'd made it twenty years. Lacking a purpose, she acted as a FEDRA plant for the Fireflies before she became the guardian of an immune kid. Ellie. But, of course, her life wasn't challenging enough already. And so, to stay with her kid she'd have to work with 'Texas'. He was a reminder of why it was dangerous to let people in - a reminder of her biggest regret. Joel never forgot 'Quebec', a person with whom he'd shared parts of himself he never wanted seen. It was safe to do so with her, because they'd agreed never to share their real names. It was a failed attempt at emotional detachment, which was why he'd never admit how much it hurt when she'd left four years ago. But when they have to cooperate to get Ellie across the country, he's confronted with their entwined history. Joel just wants to survive long enough to find his brother, and all he can do is prevent Laura from pulling him in again. He didn't realise he was already drowning until they made code words. 'Silver' meant 'help'... God help anyone that made Laura say 'silver'. ||Joel Miller Fan-Fiction - The Last of Us|| ||basically a season 1 rewrite with a new OC and an epilogue correction to what will happen in season 2 iykyk - 🏌♀️|| ||canon-typical violence, swearing, and trauma I guess|| ||complete - undergoing edits|| notable rankings: #1 in joelmiller #1 in tlou #1 in thelastofus #1 in mutualpining #1 in foundfamilyComplete
The Last Of Us 2: What it means to be a Survivor (Male Reader X Ellie)
In the aftermath of life-altering events, Y/N L/N finds himself trapped in a turbulent struggle to rebuild his shattered world. Five years have passed, yet the wounds of a devastating breakup and an insidious, unidentified virus continue to haunt him relentlessly. As the virus slowly transforms him, Y/N battles with an overwhelming sense of isolation and despair. To compound his anguish, the love of his life, Ellie, has moved on and discovered solace in the arms of another. Y/N watches from the side-lines as she embraces happiness with someone new, a bitter reminder of the love he lost. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when Y/N is abducted by a vengeful faction known as the Fireflies. Led by a commanding Colonel hell-bent on enforcing his will upon humanity, they see Y/N's immunity as a means to exert control. Bound by captivity, Y/N must confront a pivotal choice surrender to his evolving nature or desperately cling to the remnants of his former self, all in hopes of earning Ellie's forgiveness. Amidst this harrowing struggle, a dormant monster from the past awakens, threatening to plunge Y/N into a maelstrom of darkness and chaos. As he navigates treacherous alliances and confronts his own inner demons, Y/N must find the strength to forge his own path in a world teetering on the brink of destruction. Will Y/N succumb to the ever-changing virus within, or will he grasp onto the fragile threads of his humanity in a bid to reclaim the love he once held dear? The answers lie in the shadows of a hauntingly beautiful and treacherous world, ready to test the limits of his endurance and resilience.Complete
Riptide (The Last Of Us x Teenage! Reader)
Completed (✓) •°•°•°•°•°•°•° "I've been caught up in the Riptide," "For too long 'cause it's all I know..." "I've been lettin' this shit slide," "These bad habits, they die too slow..." •°•°•°•°•°•°•° × in which a brave, teenage girl loses her family as she fights for a new one × "I won't let you hurt me anymore...this is where it ends. Right here, right now." Sometimes having a photographic memory is more of a curse then a blessing. •°•°•°•°•°•°•° A/N: I never thought that I'd have to say this but, Ellie and (Y/N)'s relationship is NOT romantic. (If you expect that, don't even bother reading this book unless you are fine with reading something that ISN'T romantic). They have a sisterly bond and nothing more! Thank you and enjoy reading 👍Complete![𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 [𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐁𝐎]](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/393402266-256-k868339.jpg)
𝐏𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 [𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐁𝐎]
•••• "God, I have my father's eyes- but my sister's when I cry. I can run, but I can't hide from my family line." •••• Cara Miller left the community that she had helped her uncle and aunt build from the ground up- in the name of finding a missing friend in the ruins of the old world. She soon comes to the realization that she had bit off far more than she could chew, when she is suddenly thrown into a battle that she never should have been a part of. Love, sacrifice, selfishness and loss are the only things that she finds on her quest across the country after she reunites with her estranged father while he smuggles an immune thirteen-year-old girl across the country, in the name of finding a cure that could save whatever was left of the crumbled world. •••• LOVE INTEREST(S): Henry Burrell x oc, Oc x Manny Alvarez Oc x Jesse SEASONS: 1- EPISODES COMPLETE: 1 (not following Joel and Ellie in 1-4 tho!!) CHAPTERS COMPLETE: 7 SEASONS COMPLETE: 0 IDEA: March 2nd 2023 STARTED: April 28th 2025 PUBLISHED: May 24th 2025 FINISHED: 🚧 WRITING STATUS: ongoing.
Joel Miller x Reader (HBO Show) STOP! READ⬇️ (This will be an age-gap story.) Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Last of Us of the characters. I only own my characters and some plot and Dialogue I make up. Yn is neighbors with the Millers and watches Sarah. She has a close relationship with both of them. She lives across the street with her Grandmother who she has been living with since she was five years old after her parents had been killed in a car accident. She's with Sarah when everything happens with the Adlers and ends up staying with Joel and Tommy after Sarah dies. as time goes on and she gets older she and Joel grow closer and closer. She fills a big hole in his chest where his heart is supposed to be. He doesn't care about, love, or trust a lot of people. But her and Tommy are his family and he would do anything for them. Read the authors note for more about the story! It's is a request for all my stories. it has not only more of a description but also has triggers and warnings for the story.
More detailsContent Guidelines