Based off of the fic, Fourth of July by jrrmint on ao3/tumblr

The heat was sweltering. Unfair to Joels dark hair, making his head overheat and making his skin glisten with sweat. This miserable summer barbecue could’ve get any more… miserable.

Joel and your father have been friends since before you were born. Meting in high school and staying friends since then. Both being two miserable, middle aged single fathers, they confided in each other. They had each other. Closer than anything, working together and all the good stuff.

Now, where you come into play… You had just graduated college, getting a bachelors in English Lit. Or something else… he couldn’t remember. All he knew was that he was proud of you. Proud that you finished college so quickly, enrolling at nineteen and graduating as twenty-three. You’d come back to Austin for the summer, spending more time with your father, picking up a summer job and trying to figure out where you wanted to go. You were young, full of ambitions and all different kinds of dreams.

Which is why he shouldn’t be feeling the way he is. Jealous.. protective. He’s watching some guy chat you up. He vaguely recognized the guy. You and him didn’t really go anywhere, but he wouldn’t leave you alone… Joel’s fist tightened on the neck of his beer, looking the kid up and down. ‘Kid’ was an odd word, the guy was the same age as you.

He slowly made his way over, the sound of the conversation slowly coming to his ears, hearing something about a date, to which you declined and he made a passive aggressive comment. Joel scoffs as he comes up next to you, locking eyes with you and raising a brow, then looking back to the guy. A slight look of terror written on his face.

“From what I heard while walking over here… she said no.” Joel grumbles to the guy, frowning at him, so which he begins to stammer a reply before Joel cuts him off,

“Think it’s best you go home. Now.” Joel says, watching the kid slowly retreat. Turning around and scurrying away, shuffling through the crowd to leave through t the gate,

“You good?” He huffs, taking a swig of his beer and setting his free hand on his hip.