stumblingaway
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Recent works
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Sweet Dreams by stumblingaway
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
19 Oct 2025
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Summary
“Woah.” Ellie’s face is inches away from her window when Tess looks back, her gaze fixed on the deer. “They’re so big.”
“There’s a whole lot of things bigger than them,” Tess snorts.
“The only animals I’ve seen are birds and dogs.”
Right.
Joel rolls down his window and she’s hit with a blast of cold air to the face. She’s thankful, actually, as the roar of the wind fills the car, drowning out any of the kid’s attempts at further conversations. He rolls it back up once the sun has started to set, the insects beginning their evening songs.
Tess, Joel, Ellie, and the rare occurrence of sleep. A Tess Lives story.
Written for Whumptober Day 18: Dystopia
Series
- Part 4 of Whumptober 2025
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Summary
“Do you want to put away Ellie’s things?" Tommy asks. "We can put them in the attic for now.”
“The hell would we do that for?” Joel lifts up his dead little girl’s shirt, rolls his eyes at the dirt stains that didn’t come out, and folds it neatly.
Tommy swallows. “Cause she died, Joel. And maybe it’s too hard right now to…” he cuts himself off. Joel isn’t listening anymore. He unfolds and refolds the same shirt, his eyes glassy. “Joel—”
“—You got the roster out for next month yet? Was hoping to get Ellie’s birthday week off, I’ve got plans.” He shakes his head. “16, jesus.”
Tommy drops it. Ellie keeps living.
Ellie is presumed dead. Joel doesn't react the way Tommy thought he would.
Written for Whumpter Day 16: Repressed Trauma
Series
- Part 3 of Whumptober 2025
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In Good Hands by stumblingaway
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
14 Oct 2025
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Summary
Tommy takes the bin from her when she’s done and cleans it out, placing it back down beside her. “Well, looks like it’s you and me for the rest of the day.”
Ellie curls in tighter on herself.
“Won’t be that bad, sugar, I promise.” His voice drops when he speaks again, lower but softer. It reminds her of Joel’s. “I can run across the street if there’s anything you want from your place?”
Hah. The one thing she wants from her place is two days away. She wipes sweat away from her face. “I’m okay. Really. You don’t need to—you won’t have to take me to the clinic.”
“We’ll see how it goes,” is all he says in response.
Ellie is sick while Joel is away.
Ft. Tommy showing his sick niece and infant son The Exorcist
(Written for Whumptober Day 14: Ignoring an Illness)
Series
- Part 2 of Whumptober 2025
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Summary
“Dude, knock,” Abby says, like she does every time he bursts into her room.
Lev trips over a dirty sweater, giving it a disdainful look. Then, he glances up at her. She can see the moment his face pales.
“It’s—” she starts.
“—You need to go to the clinic.”
She sighs. “Listen, I’ll be fine—”
“Clinic.”
“Okay, okay.”
Little hardass.
(Written for Whumptober Day 3: Found Family)
Series
- Part 1 of Whumptober 2025
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Summary
“Joel, get Joel. Please.” Bile is rising in her throat. She swallows it back.
Ian makes a scoffing noise, taking a step closer. “Seriously, you’re fine. You just knocked it, that’s all. You go crying to your daddy every time you get a bruise?”
Ellie fucking doesn’t. Ian bruises her almost everyday, and she never cries.
Someone tries to make Ellie grow up too fast.
Ft. Worried Joel and a teddy bear named Fuckface
Recent series
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Whumptober 2025 by stumblingaway
Fandom: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
19 Oct 2025
Summary
Prompts:
Found Family - October 3rd
Ignoring an Illness - October 14th
Repressed Trauma - October 16th
Dystopia - October 18th
- Words:
- 38,534
- Works:
- 4
- Bookmarks:
- 1
Recent bookmarks
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breathe in, breathe out by flannelfeelings
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
28 Sep 2023
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Summary
Sarah Miller is, without a doubt, a daddy’s girl.
She never stood a chance, really. It’s always been just her and her father. Her mama died when she was just a baby, so young she couldn’t remember her face if she tried. And Daddy never brought home no girls from the bars or giggly waitresses like Uncle Tommy used to before he met Aunt Maria.
Never in her life has she had to share him.
That is, until Daddy comes home late on Thursday evening with news for Sarah.
(Ellie is a foster kid- Joel and Sarah take her in)
Series
- Part 1 of Fosterverse Series
Bookmarked by stumblingaway
23 Feb 2025
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swing low, sweet chariot by marchflower
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
01 Sep 2024
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Summary
“How do you feel?”
Ellie thinks, sucks on her lower lip. “I guess- mostly just really sad.”
It’s an understatement if there ever was one. Sometimes the sadness feels so big that she’s not sure how she’d ever manage to escape it, to exist outside of it. It feels like a balloon, constantly growing bigger and bigger and never once popping. Ellie’s terrified of what it’s going to feel like when it finally breaks.
“Sometimes,” Maria says, “Sometimes, sad and stuck are the same thing. And that’s okay. You can be sad every day for the rest of your life, Ellie, and you can still live a rich, full, exciting life. Okay?”
*
Ellie Williams at the intersection of grief, faith, and love.
Series
- Part 4 of out of the mouths of babes
Bookmarked by stumblingaway
03 Sep 2024
Bookmarker's Notes
Quite possibly my favorite thing I've ever read.
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of holiday parties, dresses, & inadequacy by spritejac
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
18 Dec 2025
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Summary
It isn't uncommon for Joel to come home bearing gifts. He's always finding little trinkets on patrol that he thinks Ellie would like, or trading within Jackson's community when something that would suit her catches his eye. Ellie received items ranging anywhere from wall decor to DVDs to new bedding. She cherishes everything brought to her. The sentiment that Joel thinks about her so often lives strongly in her mind, and she loves how well he seems to know her even after such limited time.
So when Joel comes home and presents a velvety red dress adorned with a large white bow, Ellie can’t help but falter a bit.
"I was thinkin' about the holiday party comin' up and I know you were sayin' how you don't have anything to wear…”
Joel strokes a hand down the soft fabric of the gown, and there's a reminiscent glint in his eyes.
"Sarah used to have a dress just like this. I figured you could have one too."*
Ellie forcing herself to wear a dress that Joel gave her so that he can have a good holiday with a fond reminder of his deceased daughter.Or:
Ellie not understanding that she's in addition to, not in replacement of.
Bookmarked by stumblingaway
20 Dec 2025
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potatoes and molasses (mystery meat) by azazalea
Fandoms: The Last of Us (Video Games), The Last of Us (TV)
01 Dec 2025
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Summary
Joel attempts to teach manners to the table creature. The meat is wonky and bad, and Ellie doesn't want to eat it.
Bookmarked by stumblingaway
01 Dec 2025
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don't you call her baby (we're not talking lately) by spritejac
Fandoms: The Last of Us (TV), The Last of Us (Video Games)
02 Nov 2025
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Summary
“Sure thing, kiddo.”
The words freeze Ellie in place, hand suspended where it was reaching for her fork as time seems to stop around her.Kiddo.
Since when the fuck is Dina “kiddo”?
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Ellie not knowing how to confront Joel about Salt Lake and learning that maybe she is, in fact, replaceable.
Or:
Jealous Ellie and Joel who takes in every teenage girl.
Bookmarked by stumblingaway
03 Nov 2025