Possession

His gazed was intense and focused solely on the young woman that sat across the small room. He could have taken about five long strides over to her and swooped her up in his arms. If he could, he would take her far away and keep that infectious laughter that escaped those pert lips of hers. Her voice made heads turn and eyes shift, but he knew his gaze would forever be locked onto her.

He hated these feelings that festered.

Joel wanted her to only belong to him. Everything about her would be his. His selfish need to have her in his possession grew every time he would watch her from a distance. He was supposed to be her protector, not her possessor. The older man tried to beat this thought into his brain, so that maybe one day he wouldn't have to feel that quiver in the pit of his stomach whenever their eyes met.

All he could right now was sit there and admire the way her laugh lines appeared just slightly upon her cheeks, or how an amused twinkle shone at the corner of her eyes when she smiled. The girl that was years younger than him seemed so out of reach – untouchable – although she sat in a chair on the other side of the room. The difference in their age made him feel as if he was stepping over an invisible boundary that everyone else could see except him.

His brother nudged him and he looked back at the game of cards he was playing.

He heard a scoff from his sibling and the side of his nose twitched before he laid down a winning hand. The men around him all groaned and complained and the corner of his lips curled upwards into a small smile – not because he won, but because he heard that infectious laughter once again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Last of Us.

Author's Note: Thanks for deciding to read my drabble fic. I have been toying with the idea of making a Last of Us multi-chap fanfic but I have another, somewhat long, story on the side that I am dedicated to.

I really want to continue with this drabble series because I loved the relationship between Ellie and Joel. I thought their personalities created this dynamic that could have easily been taken further. Yet … she was 14. Haha. So, to clarify, in this drabble she is 19, and Joel is in his late 40's. In game he is already in his late 40's but I decided that I'd rather him be the age he is now because I thought the story would flow better.

Did that make sense? I hope it did. I'll choose an exact for Joel later on. Maybe. If I remember.

Also, I am going by Kathrine Roid's 100 Themes Challenge Writing Prompt for each chapter, which you can easily google for yourself if you were interested. If anything, I would love for you guys to review and mention a theme that you would like for the next chapter, and I will choose randomly!

Please let me know how you liked my drabble, even though short, and what you would like to see next time. Thank you for reading!