Girl that loves a lot

Just imagine Joel coming back home from patrol and he's got his jacket zipped up. Then Ellie hears a tiny "meow" coming from his jacket and is like "what's that???" and he opens up the jacket and this tiny black kitten just pokes its head out and meows at Ellie 🤧🤧🤧

Ellie's eyes widen in disbelief, tears of joy pricking at the corners. "Are you fucking kidding me?" she exclaims incredulously.

Joel smirks and opens his jacket a little more, revealing more of the tiny black, but smudgy kitten that weighs next to nothing. "You've already had your birthday, but I mean..." he says, gently scratching the little thing behind its ears.

"No way, seriously?" Ellie can't believe it. Had this hardened old man really softened up just for a kitten?

Joel rolls his yes playfully. "He wouldn't leave my side when I told him about you."

"Oh, shush!" She giggles as she reaches for the tiny thing, carefully picking it up and snuggling it to her chest. "Did you say it was he?" She asks, not paying attention to Joel anymore as she becomes preoccupied with how soft the kitten's fur is.

"Mm-hmm." The weary old man lets out a heavy sigh as he plops down on the couch, thoroughly exhausted from his long 12-hour shift. "Reach into my pocket. There's a can of tuna." He instructs, his voice soft with affection as he glances over at the girl. The sight of her happiness never fails to bring a smile to his weathered features. He would move heaven and earth to keep that joyful sparkle in her eyes. "Feed that little asshole."

Ellie gives him an indignant frown, her eyes scrunched up with mock anger. "Hey! Don't talk to my baby like that!" She chides playfully, turning her attention back to the cat and pressing a kiss to its furry head, hearing it purr.

"He deserves it." Joel retorts, holding up his scratched and bleeding hand in proof of the cat's misdeeds. "He's got some claws." He adds, wincing slightly as he re-examines the wound.

"Orion surely didn't mean to do that." Ellie defends the tiny ball of fluff responsible for her old man's hurt. "I mean, have you taken a look at yourself? Poor little guy was probably terrified out of his mind when he saw you."

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." He chuckles, letting her poke fun at him. He loves nothing more than this. "Orion, huh?" He raised an eyebrow at such an unusual name.

"It's a space thing." She grins, cradling the black fur baby in her arms before hugging it close to her chest. "And he is now a new respectable resident of Jackson." She makes a funny face at Joel, her eyes shining with love to the sound of the little meows.

"Okay, okay. I get it." He jokes, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. "I can't believe how easy it was for me to get replaced like this."

Gently holding the cutest creature she's ever seen in real life, Ellie sits next to Joel. "Thank you." She says quietly, leaning in to place a soft kiss on his bearded cheek, conveying her gratitude.

Joel wouldn't expect this, but he knows this moment is precisely what gives his life its true meaning and purpose.

the kitten would totally climb joel as if it were climbing a tree every morning while he's making breakfast 😭 and poke him with his little claws! 😭

and while joel's going "ouch ouch get your cat's claws off of me ouch you're ellie's cat, bud, go be with her OUCH", ellie's just like "orion loves you already 🤧🤧🤧"

Joel, wearing his old gray sweatpants, stands by the kitchen counter, preparing a meal for the mischievous little bugger he had sworn off caring for. Curious and hungry, Orion attempts to climb up the old man's leg, only to have his tiny claws entangled in the fabric. "Hey! These are my favorite pair!" Joel hisses, attempting to shake the kitten loose.

"What clothes that you wear are not your favorites?" Ellie teases, ambling over and carefully unhooking the unaware cat. Depositing him on the kitchen counter gingerly, she watches Joel shoot her a stern warning glance, disapproving of having an animal up there. "What? He wants to observe." She quipps back in defense.

Joel just shakes his head. "What have I done?" He mutters under his breath, realizing what trouble he had brought upon himself by bringing that smelly ball of fur home.

"What was that?"

"Look what I've done." He quickly plays it safe, showing Ellie the kitten's wooden bowl adorned with his name carved in it.

"Aw." The girl says softly, a warm smile spreading across her face as the realization dawns on her. "You did this for him? Not for me, but for him?" She asks incredulously.

Joel furrows his brow and scratches his bearded chin, pretending to ponder deeply. "Yeah, sure. Let's say that."

She delivers a playful slap to his bicep. "I hate you!" She giggles, finding his silly antics amusing.

I just know Joel would always be on the look out for dinosaurs and space stuff when out on patrols. He'd bring home every plushie, book, pin, poster, whatever he could find for Ellie.

Imagine Joel finding a stuffed dinosaur on his Patrol.

Hiding something mysterious beneath his jacket, Joel makes his way home from his scavenging expedition. Ellie's curiosity is piqued as she notices an irregular lump protruding from his chest. Mid-chew, she swallows a hefty mouthful of her meal. "What do you have there?"

Joel gives her a half-smile as he toes off his shoes. "Stop being nosy and eat your food." he says before disappearing upstairs without offering any further explanation. In the privacy of the bathroom, he carefully washes the smudgy, stuffed dinosaur he finally takes out of hiding, making sure to clean away the remnants of its ordeal. Afterwards, he dries it gently before stowing it safely away under his bed to fully dry out of sight

The next day, as they both sit together in front of the television, the older man shoots a sly, knowing glance in the girl's direction, a smirk playing across his weathered features. "Hey..." he says in a low, conspiratorial tone. "...wanna know what I was hiding under my jacket the other day?"

Ellie shoots him a fleeting look, still carrying the grudge since yesterday. "Not really."

Reaching behind his back, Joel pulls out the soft, plushy dinosaur he was so proud to find. "In that case..." He grins playfully. "I think I'll just name him Earl and find a perfect spot for him right here." He stands up and places the green thing on one of his nearby bookshelves, giving it a little pat before settling back on the couch, looking quite pleased with himself.

Knowing what game Joel is playing, she can't help herself. "He looks more like Robbie, though." She says, getting up to retrieve the toy, referencing one of the characters in her favorite show that she and Joel often watch together. He would really tease her with the only thing he knew was her weakness.

wow like father like daughter ofc both of them like animals lol

They do. Ellie is more crazy and outspoken about animals, unlike the grown, grumpy man. Joel would be using little insults for animals as 'his' kind of an endearment," like "Look at that little bugger." or "Oh, that bushy-tailed bastard!", when referring to the squirrel they know all too well, the one that constantly swipes his stashed nuts from the porch table. Ellie would always snap at him with, "HEY! Don't talk about George like this!" already giving the squirrel a name.