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the gold and the rust by BarlowGirl
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
27 Feb 2026
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And she’s always had her moments of quiet. After Sam and Henry especially, it took days for her to tell him a pun or ask him a question, days of only speaking when necessary. Hell, even when she’s her normal self, he can tell she’s tired because she goes quiet.
This is different. More. Terrifying. But he’s not surprised, exactly.
Or: Sometimes Ellie doesn't talk.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
12 Mar 2026
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Silver Lake by Corvid_Creatures
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
14 Feb 2026
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There’s a fog that never quite lifts from Ellie, even when they make their way back to Jackson. Even after Salt Lake, even after by some miracle she was good for something, even after the cure— there is something wrong with her, and everyone can see it.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
17 Feb 2026
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All Over Again by Nandorluna for cardigains
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us
22 Jan 2026
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Joel catches the front tire with his hands, sets it spinning with enough force to create a soft whirring sound that echoes in the garage's shadows.
“See how the tread’s still in a straight line?” His finger traces the air in demonstration, his other hand automatically shooting out to grab Tommy's shoulder when the boy leans in too close to the spinning wheel – he’s got enough scrapes on his face already, his chin still red and glistening. “Means you didn’t bend the rim.”
“Cool.” Tommy grins up at him. “Next time, I’m gonna use a ramp.”
“You don’t have a ramp,” Joel points out with the roll of his eyes.
The tire's spin gradually loses its momentum, then staggers to a stop. Joel rights the bicycle easily, toe nudging the kickstand into position when Tommy informs him: “No, but I could, if you help me build one.”
Joel snorts. “Now, why am I gonna tell you no?”
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Joel, through the years; his family, and how he takes care of them - and how they care for him in return.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 53,309
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 118
- Kudos:
- 165
- Bookmarks:
- 51
- Hits:
- 4,138
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
30 Jan 2026
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i don't know what to call this song so i'll call it nothing at all by PaigeGoneRogue
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
26 Jan 2026
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It started off as innocently enough. In fact, it started out justified.
She’d gotten bit. She’d run into a shabby cottage (in the name of recon, of course), with only three bullets left in her gun. She’d missed the first two, but her last shot made impact with the rotting, snarling thing, sending a spray of blood onto the wall behind it. The metal buried into its shoulder, disabling its left arm. Then it pounced on her.
She hadn’t even been mad about it. She hadn’t taken it out with three tries, it felt only fair that it got at least one shot at her in return.
It sunk its rotting teeth into her shoulder, the acrid stench of the thing curling into her nostrils. It growled, teeth clamping down as it shivered at the taste.
The second she saw the non-existent glow of flames, her knife was buried in its head. The fun was gone now.★☆★
Ellie reaches her lowest point, but Joel's there to pull her out.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
26 Jan 2026
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Of the things Ellie could choose to spend her time on as a teenager who has finally recovered enough from playing labrat to be awake for longer than an hour at a time, he supposes there are worse things she could pick.
It doesn’t make the idea of a frog hotel less weird, though.
“And what is the point of this again?” He asks as Ellie carefully rearranges spare bits of pipe she asked him to bring home from his current jobsite for the sake of this project of hers. They’re on arrangement twenty-three by this point, and he’s not entirely sure that these “hotel guests” of hers are going to care about the aesthetic of their accommodation as much as Ellie clearly thinks they will.
Still, it's the most enthusiastic he’s seen her about anything in weeks, so if playing frog preference architect makes her happy, he’ll do his time shifting pipes around at her instruction.
He’s done far worse for her, after all.
(on frog hotels and breaking generational trauma)
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
23 May 2025
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blackbird, blackbird, what do you see? by marchflower for historian_in_pearls
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
22 May 2025
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“I think I - fucked up my ankle.” She points to her left foot. “When I fell.”
Her remorse lies thick and rank between them. Joel imagines he can see it rotting there, in between shafts of honeyed sunlight. Shame, he thinks, fits her so poorly. He’s reminded of Kansas City, of her sitting her with her back to the newspaper lined window, chin on her knees, a single tear on her cheek as she tells him:
It wasn’t my first time.
Little girls, he thinks, have no business carrying that sort of regret. He has no business reading into it this way - thinking about all the tender spots Ellie’s got lying in ruin inside of her, all of the ways this world has failed her. All of the ways he’s failed her, all of the ways he might still. She’s only a job, he tells himself sternly. She’s cargo.
*
Joel patches Ellie up again, and again, and again.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
23 May 2025
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“Can you get me some weed?” She asks, and to his credit, Tommy just raises his eyebrows. “Or some vodka, I think, but weed, preferably.”
Tommy takes a deep breath, and afraid of a no, she speaks again.
“Not a lot!” She reassures him. “Just like-” She gestures with her hands to indicate the amount she saw someone else carrying to Gail’s house when she was spying to get some intel earlier. “Like that much.” She might need more later, but if the lady’s studied how to fix brains, surely she’ll be able to do it pretty quickly. Ellie might be fucked up more than other kids her age, but she can’t be the most fucked up person in Jackson. Just statistically, other people have had more time to get more fucked up. She’s probably barely even fucked up, comparatively. Freaked up, really, if anything.
That’s what she’s been desperately telling herself, at least.
(after accidentally hurting joel, ellie decides to get help to make sure she won't ever do it again) (now if only that help wasn't gail)
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
09 May 2025
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“You're not the boss of me,” she says defiantly, and it’s true. She’s still not entirely used to only being directly answerable to one person, but she knows she is. Maria has no direct power over her. Only Joel does.
Maria doesn't appear to take it personally. In fact, she looks mildly amused.
“True,” Maria says mildly. “Come on then.”
Ellie stares in disbelief at her back as Maria starts walking–really, it’s riding the edge of a waddle, but Joel kicked her ankle when she made the observation about someone else before, so she gathers that’s probably rude–and the woman pauses only when she’s at the end of the road, turning only her head back to look.
“Or you can stand in the middle of the street until you get caught for skipping,” Maria suggests lightly, and Ellie glares.
(Still, she follows.)
(ellie finds her feet in jackson)
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
17 Apr 2025
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Eremophobia by MessyDepressy95
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
13 Apr 2025
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It’s alright, she thinks, if her life does come to a close in the middle of Wyoming with nothing but the howling wolves to keep her company, because at least then there was someone to sing her to sleep one last time.
She wishes it could’ve been Joel, his warm lilting timbre more of a quiet hum than actual singing, but she’ll settle for this.
She can play pretend.
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Ellie’s first chaperoned group patrol ends in disaster. A classic Ellie whump with a much-needed side of Joel being her parent.Series
- Part 1 of Neurosis
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
14 Apr 2025
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one more song about moving along the highway by becomethesun for two_birds_alone_together
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
17 Mar 2025
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Summary
Ellie goes quiet again, pulling her knees to her chest. Joel has half a mind to turn around and take her home, call off work and let her hang out on the couch watching YouTube videos of other people playing video games, which she seems to prefer over actually playing games herself. But it’s the last week of eighth grade, she should be in class, and on top of that, everything he’s read says that grieving kids need structure, routine, normalcy. He knows it’s what he needs, too. He can imagine how easy it would be for him to fall apart and shut down, the same way he did when he lost Sarah.
But now there’s another little girl, sitting here in his truck, fiddling with the car door lock switch, who’s depending on him to keep his shit together.
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In an outbreak-free world, Joel makes a promise to Tess to look after Ellie. Together, Joel and Ellie navigate life, loss, and something like family. (A modern foster-ish AU featuring cameo appearances from some familiar faces and the healing power of a Taco Bell Baja Blast.)
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 12,240
- Chapters:
- 2/2
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 80
- Kudos:
- 220
- Bookmarks:
- 52
- Hits:
- 3,227
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
19 Mar 2025
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wherever you will go by BarlowGirl
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
14 Mar 2025
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Summary
“Don’t move,” he says. “Might bite.”
She glares at him as much as she can around the butterfly. She doesn’t believe him, clearly, but he can see she doesn’t know enough about butterflies to know if he’s messing with her or not.
He doesn’t know what made him say it. She’d just looked so… surprised by the bug on her face.
“You’re full of shit,” she whispers, only sounding half sure of it.
“You’re already some kind of weird mutant,” he says, the first time he’s brought up her immunity since they left Bill and Frank’s. “You really wanna catch butterfly disease too?”
Or: Ellie and animals.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
17 Mar 2025
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To spiral out, to try and float by onthewallwiththis
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
09 Mar 2025
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“Well howdy Ellie, how can we help you?” Tommy drawls with a welcoming smirk.
“I know it's a long shot, and you're busy–busy people but I wanted to ask if I could– I.” God she's bad at this.
Fuck it.
She strides over to the more engaged Miller with her file, “here these - these are my most recent times from the Eastern Massachusetts District Championships, and there's others. I placed in all my events in the Boston Winter Classic, and every YMCA championship in the last year.” she harbours a deep breath
“I'm good, please, Just let me get in the pool and I’ll show you.”
–
OR
Ellie is an elite swimmer and Joel is her coach; who will do anything to help her get to nationals, and then probably anything she ever asks of him, because my man is father shaped in every universe.(TLOU elite swimming AU nobody but the voices in my brain asked for).
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
07 Mar 2025
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the old man is snoring by BarlowGirl
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
07 Feb 2025
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Summary
She needs to stop watching Joel sleep. It’s getting kinda weird.
Honestly, it was probably weird a few months ago.
In Ellie’s defence, for a while there, there wasn’t anything to do but watch him sleep and hope he wouldn’t die.
Or: Ellie watching Joel sleep
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
10 Feb 2025
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Living On The Edge by MessyDepressy95
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
05 Apr 2025
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“I ain’t doing this to earn some sort of self-fulfillment. You’re a good kid, and turning eighteen doesn’t make you an adult.” The first wet arc of a tear rolls down her cheek, and he catches it with a dry thumb before it reaches her chin.
“You are going to stumble, and I’d like to be there to catch you, if you will allow me to be.” Leaning her head back into the steady beat of his heart, she lets him rock her side to side as she cries, her arms slipping around his torso.
--
Joel and Ellie meet at an NA meeting. Joel is ten years sober, and Ellie is just four weeks clean. After begrudgingly becoming her sponsor, Joel finds himself stepping back into the shoes of a father for the first time in 15 years.Bookmarked by berrycherry98
30 Jan 2025
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Make Glad the Heart by amysue512
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
04 Jan 2026
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UPDATED 1/3/2026 with an epilogue nobody asked for!
"Ellie is asking Santa to make it snow for Christmas." Joel blinks at her. Is that all he thinks? Sarah raises her eyebrows to emphasize that she's serious.
"Well, I hope she's asking for other stuff, specifically a Jurassic Park Lego set," Joel replies, unsure what else she thinks he can do about that.
Sarah exhales loudly, "Dad! You don't understand; what if she stops believing in Santa when it doesn't snow on Christmas? What if that is what breaks her belief? Can you live with that?"
Joel scrubs his hand over his face. "Baby, she's 5, but she's not dumb; she knows it doesn't snow much here. She probably said that trying to make a joke."
Sarah shakes her head forcefully, curls flying. "No, I think she's serious. If she's already questioning Santa, and then it doesn't snow on Christmas, that may be what convinces her he's not real. I'm not letting that happen." She crosses her arms and sets her jaw in determination.
"What are you going to do?" Joel asks, slightly concerned.
"I don't know yet," she admits, "but I'm not letting her stop believing."Ellie asks Santa to make it snow for Christmas, in Texas. It all goes from there.
Series
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
24 Jan 2025
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Dirges for the darkness by onthewallwiththis
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
16 Jan 2025
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All at once, Ellie feels 8, and 10, and 12, and 14 again. She feels all the fragments of herself morph into one, she sheds the tears she never let herself shed. She says the words, the mumbled eulogies she never got to speak aloud. She lays to rest the bodies of the people who she loves most. And it still doesn’t feel like enough.
But she doesn’t know what will be.
And that only makes her cry more.
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After the loss of someone in the Jackson community, Ellie is thrust into facing the grief, guilt and pain that has been following her around her whole life. Luckily this time around, she doesn’t have to do it alone.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
20 Jan 2025
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if the trees could talk by captainredspade (CodenameArtemis)
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
17 Jan 2025
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A tragedy in Jackson leads to a dead kid, a grieving father, and a missing Ellie.
Series
- Part 1 of Little House AU
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
20 Jan 2025
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a hand to hold, a hug to warm me through by two_birds_alone_together for 6hoursgirl
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
08 Jan 2025
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Summary
She must fall asleep because the next thing she knows, Joel is tucking her in. With sleep so welcoming and comfortable, there’s no reason to open her eyes. Normally, he just tucks her in and says good night. Sometimes, when she’s almost asleep, he’ll say “G’night, baby girl” and kiss her head. It’s the only time he calls her that, and as much as she’ll never admit it, it makes her feel special. Wanted.
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(five times joel says goodnight to ellie + one time he doesn't)
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 46,341
- Chapters:
- 6/6
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 135
- Kudos:
- 321
- Bookmarks:
- 81
- Hits:
- 7,958
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
08 Jan 2025
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Shoeless child on a swing (reminds you of your own again). by avabava07
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
27 Dec 2024
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He knew what it meant, even if he didn’t want to admit it. Anna was slipping. Again. And Ellie was bearing the brunt of it.
Joel watched her go, his chest tight. As she rounded the corner, he made a silent promise to himself: if Anna didn’t pull it together soon, he’d step in. Scared or not. Because Ellie deserved better, and Joel couldn’t keep pretending he didn’t care.
OR: Modern setting, abusive Anna, eight-year-old Ellie, and neighbor Joel, who will do anything for Ellie. Even if he doesn't want to admit it.
Series
- Part 1 of Shoeless Child on a Swing
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
28 Dec 2024
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Ellie’s pretty sure dudes don’t wear nail polish. She’s never seen a picture of them with it on, anyway. And Joel probably wants to go home. It’s late and he spent the day bashing in former human's skulls.
But her curiosity gets the better of her. She looks up as he walks into the kitchen after her, taking a few bottles out of the box. “I’m gonna do yours.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
Two girls. Two times. Numerous bottles of nail polish.
Bookmarked by berrycherry98
09 Dec 2024