[Can't believe she's real. Holding her in his arms feels no different from any other time he's done it, except for the careful way they're avoiding direct contact with the infected bite. He remembers his utter disbelief when he'd first learned she was hiding it, demanding to see it the way he'd done, and then everything happening much too fast.
I can fight.
The small laugh that escapes from his mouth when she speaks is hollow, kind of shaky. He used to argue with Tess all the time about taking it easy. He'd get brushed off, just about every single time. Nice impossibilities. Joel had been old enough when the outbreak began that he could remember things like vacation from too much work in a normal context; Tess was younger, her edges a little sharper from spending her young adult life in complete chaos.
Joel holds her a little tighter.]
Yeah, vacation for us would just be taking a break, wouldn't it? Something else you never wanted to do.
no subject
I can fight.
The small laugh that escapes from his mouth when she speaks is hollow, kind of shaky. He used to argue with Tess all the time about taking it easy. He'd get brushed off, just about every single time. Nice impossibilities. Joel had been old enough when the outbreak began that he could remember things like vacation from too much work in a normal context; Tess was younger, her edges a little sharper from spending her young adult life in complete chaos.
Joel holds her a little tighter.]
Yeah, vacation for us would just be taking a break, wouldn't it? Something else you never wanted to do.