Ellie had always liked you. Seeing another kid when Joel and Tess weren’t the happiest about smuggling her, was more comforting than she’d admit. Everything that she went through from that found, she had you. Even when Tess went and Sam. You were there.

If you weren’t Joel’s daughter, she would’ve told you how she felt from day one. But you were and she wasn’t gonna get in trouble with the old man. She knew how protective he was of you since Sarah. And she knew she mattered to him just as much, and complicated things more. The idea that she shouldn't look at you that way or act on it plagued her mind more than she wanted it to.

It got worse when she stopped talking to him. She was afraid to lose you over loyalty to him, but you stayed knocking on her door in the middle of the night angry at Joel. In fact, you bothered her even more when she decided she was done with him. She remembered you saying ‘you can be done with him, sure, but not me.’ And things grew. Maybe cause he wasn’t around as much, giving her her space, but she didn’t mind it.

“You’re not supposed to be here this late.” She said as you climbed into her bed, snuggling next to her. She feigned annoyance as you leaned on her shoulder, watching her sketch. “Joel’s gonna knock on my door and I’m gonna have to talk to him. And we’re gonna have to tell him. You could see how that’s complicated, right? hmph—“ She gasped as you pulled her into a kiss just to shut her up. “That’s very rude.” She mumbled against your lips. “I was talking.”