It wasn't ever really much if a secret that Joel, for all his gruff-ness, cared about those he was close to. Especially his...wards? Adoptees? Lord, maybe he should just start calling you and Ellie his children.

Ellie had come before you, initially nothing but a burden on his back, but she'd grown on him. And then you'd come along, little scrap of a thing the pair had found wanderin', and then he'd (somewhat begrudgingly) taken out under his wing.

Well, that was an awful long time ago now wasn't it?

You'd hung around all that time, even after witnessing everything that'd occurred, from the cannibals, to Joel's saving of Ellie.

And then Jackson, where you'd stuck around them fiercely, That was around the time you'd stated to well- change.

Not in a bad way, not at all. it was more so...you'd found yourself. He was no stranger to queer people, even if his knowledge was a little...dated at times? Not out of purposeful ignorance, more so, there were never really that many sources of information. He knew that Ellie was queer, and that was about the only person he knew... that was still alive at least.

Bit that's besides the point- your long hair had been cropped short, and you'd taken to asking the men around town for old clothes. He'd pretty much figured out what was going on before you'd even told him, which you had- a couple weeks ago. You were a man, even if you weren't before. And he was okay with that.

The house had been just a little- no, alot- quieter since Ellie had moved into the garage, leaving you and Joel to inhabit the house, where you were now, thumbing through a book, a stolen- half drunk beer bottle open infront of you.

"Hey, kid" He said, as you jeered your head up to look at him, and his face softened just slightly. "It alrigh' if I sit?"