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“Is it always like that with her?” His attention shifts quickly from a gleeful kid, playing around the newest addition to the family, to his younger brother, handing him the closest thing to beer the town has to offer.
“Like what?” He takes a sip. It’s cold at least, a much needed sensation under the warm sun of early summer.
“You know, like…” The younger Miller leans back on his porch chair, arm over the backrest, his eyes never leaving the girl carefully playing around with his young son. “Like one day she despises every single one of us and the next she can’t get enough of our company.” His gaze also lingers on the young pair, his palms cold from the drink he’s holding, not even caring about the many droplets of condensation running down his skin.
“She gets like that sometimes.” Is all he offers, not really sure how else to explain something he doesn’t really understand himself.
“But not with you.” He now feels the other man’s gaze on him, pushing him to elaborate, to help him understand. He merely takes another sip and nods, reclining on the weirdly comfortable chair.
“Yeah, not with me.” His voice is soft, almost like a whisper, his eyes studying the kid as if he could get all the answers he seeks just like that. As if it were that easy.
“The way she speaks to me sometimes…” The scoff Tommy lets out is more from amusement than annoyance. “If words could kill, I’d be six feet under.” At his tense shoulders, his younger brother takes pity on him, patting his back. Understanding, feels like. “I don’t blame her, brother. I can be a bit too much, I know that.” His warmth lingers on his skin as Tommy leans back, drinking from his own beverage. “But she just gets so… defensive , you know?.” Still not looking at him, his grasp on the cup tightens. His brother doesn’t stop talking. “Especially when I’m talking to you.” He restrains himself from breaking it, leaving the drink on the floor.
“She gets protective sometimes.” Tommy snorts, he doesn’t see the amusement in it.
“More like jealous.” His jaw tightens, his entire body stiffs. “I get it, Joel. She’s been attached to your hip for months, she’s had no one to rely on other than you.” He takes a deep breath, controlling his breathing, his body relaxing somewhat at the shriek of laughter Ellie gets from Leo as she throws him softly in the air.
“Be careful, kid. He’s still too young for that.” She rolls her eyes but does as she’s told, setting him on the ground and continuing to entertain him.
“She’s a good kid.” He can sense his brother’s not done talking, his little interruption not enough to discourage him from continuing. “You did good.”
“I did nothin’.” Tommy snorts, once again he doesn’t see the amusement in it.
“Sure you didn’t.” He knows that tone, he’s had it directed at him one too many times. Wanting to get it over with, he turns his attention from the children to his brother.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Raising his hands in a placating manner, Tommy has the audacity to grin.
“Nothin’, nothin’.” Chuckling, he crosses his arms. “You sound just like her, brother.” Instead of retorting and sounding like a child, he leans forward, hands clasped as he takes a look at Ellie, making sure she doesn’t get too rough with the baby.
“She’s not codependent.” The younger man’s laughter stops. “I heard you talking to your wife the other day.” He can hear his gulp all the way from his seat. “You know, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about her behind my back.”
“Joel, I-” Before he tries to defend himself, he clears his throat. He knows what he’s going to say, that he didn’t mean any harm by it, that he was just voicing his concerns with his wife… and he understands, he gets it, even. That doesn’t mean that the harshest part of him, the one that tends to come out whenever Ellie’s involved, isn’t going to intervene.
“Before you go tattle to your wife about her like you seemed to do with me,” his little brother, always fidgety, never seeming to calm down, freezes in his spot for what feels like the first time in his life. “You talk to me. Because she’s my responsibility, not yours.” His knuckles turn white from sheer pressure. “Just as I would about your kid. Got that?”
“Joel-” he sounds like a frightened little boy, just like he did that first time he witnessed their Dad laying a hand on their Mama. He hates himself a little for getting that tone from him after all these years.
“We clear?” He turns to the side, wanting a clear confirmation. His heart beats quickly in his chest, a sign of an incoming attack he’s not willing to go through right now. He looks away and closes his eyes, controlling his breathing once again.
“Clear.” It’s nothing more than a whisper, it feels like daggers anyways.
“Here comes Leosaurus ! Rawr!” He can’t even pretend to smile at Ellie’s antics as she comes barreling towards them, a giggling baby in her arms. Tommy, always the better actor, plasters a big smile on his face and a warm tone to his voice.
“Oh, no! Leosaurus’s gonna eat me!” Taking his son from her hold, he shakes him around softly. “Not your Papa, please!” He peppers the baby’s cheeks with kisses, and at the obvious display of love and affection, he has to look away, his heart clenching dangerously in his chest.
“Don’t worry, dude. He’s a herbivore. Barely stopped him from eating all the grass on your lawn.” Tommy chuckles, a true one at that.
“Well, he’s got his real food inside, so thanks for that Ellie-girl.” He can sense how close his younger brother is to ruffling Ellie’s hair, but he’s amazed at the quick change of plans after merely catching her slight flinch. “Speakin’ of food, Maria left way too much for me to eat today. Wanna get a taste?” Tommy stares at Ellie, not willing to look at him, clearly still shaken from their earlier conversation. Ellie does though, waiting for permission seems like. The last thing he wants is to spend another awkward minute around his brother, but he still lets the decision up to her.
“Your call, kiddo.” He shrugs at her pleading look. After a few seconds, he thinks she might cave, the thought of a good meal, enough to convince her. But somehow, this kid, this too-clever-for-her-own-good kid, sees right through him.
“Nah, I’m good.” She shrugs, trying not to make it sound like a big deal. “Joel’s cooking is shit, but he needs to practice if he ever wants to get better at it, right?” And just like that, his mood improves, getting a chuckle out of him and a soft ‘ little shit ’ under his breath. This fucking kid. “Besides, he promised we would try to make tacos today, whatever that is.” His brother smiles warmly at her, clearly not bothered by her refusal to stay around.
“Oh wow, tacos? How can I compete with that, then?” Settling the baby better in his arms, he smirks.
“Yeah, Joel said your mom made them for you all the time. Must be good stuff, then.” For the first time in a long while, Tommy looks at him, bewildered.
“You got Mama’s recipe? I thought-”
“Got it memorized.” He stands up, groaning as he does so. Ellie opens her mouth, surely ready to grill him about his old age. “Can it.” He gives her a knowing look, making her stiffen a laugh. Deeming it enough, he turns to his brother. “Used to cook it for Sarah all the time,” he feels both Tommy and Ellie stiffen at the mere mention of her name, but somehow, for the first time in years, he feels nothing of the sort. “You tend to memorize things after so many times of doing them. Just like this one-” he nudges the kid, making her shake out her stupor “-has every single dialog memorized from that comic book of hers.”
“I do not!” She blushes, he smiles, Tommy laughs. He pats her back, making her blush even harder.
“Sure, kiddo. Whatever you say.” Still flustered, she crosses her arms, frowning adorably.
“ Dick .” She mumbles under her breath, making Tommy laugh out loud.
“You got that right, Ellie-girl.”
“Anyways…” he butts in, not wanting any more foul-mouthed vocabulary directed at him. “Why don’t you take this inside, kid?” He hands her his empty cup.
“It’s yours, old man. Why should I do your job?” She looks up at him defiantly, all embarrassment clearly forgotten.
“‘Cause I told you so. Now, take this and scram.” He places the mug in her hand, softly pushing her towards the front door. “Take Tommy’s too while you’re at it.” She groans but does as she’s told. “Clean ‘em too.” Right as she’s about to open the door, she turns to him, frowning.
“You’re an asshole, you know that?” There’s no malice in her words, there never is.
“Known that my entire life, kid.” Clearly disappointed her jab didn’t get a reaction out of him, she groans again and gets inside, shutting the door a bit too harshly.
“I could’ve cleaned them, she didn’t-” Tommy starts talking, he motions for his little brother to hand him the kid. Clearly taken aback, he does.
“Just needed an excuse for her to get out of earshot.” Taking Leo in his arms had been hard the first time, too many memories of little grabby hands making his heart constrict dangerously. It hasn’t gotten much better, he doesn’t think, which is why he doesn’t tend to do it too often. Still, the kid’s his nephew, he loves him, so he makes an effort from time to time.
“Right.” His younger brother mutters, expecting another lecture.
“I was out of line.” He says those words looking at his nephew’s little face, frowning adorably as he fusses with the buttons of his flannel. “I shouldn’t have said that to you and I’m sorry.” He pushes his head away softly as Leo tries to get the button in his mouth. “I understand your concerns about Ellie, ‘cause believe it or not, you ain’t the only ones who has them.” Finally, he looks up at the younger man, who leans against the wall, arms crossed, listening closely. “She’s been through a lot, even before I came along and this is the first time she’s had someone to lean on.” Sensing his nephew’s getting bored of playing around with his flannel, he lets him wrap his little hand around his finger. “Sure, she hangs around me a bit too much for a girl her age, but we’ve been here merely a month, Tommy. She needs her time and her space to settle in.” The other man nods, understanding. “I appreciate yours and Maria’s concerns, but I think this is something I have to tackle with her myself, alright?” After another nod and a soft kiss to Leo’s head, he hands the baby back to his father, who instead of taking him back, keeps his arms crossed.
“Wanna babysit?” Before he can answer, a hurricane of a kid comes barrelling out of the house.
“Hell yeah we do.” Reaching out, she takes the baby from his outstretched hands. “We’re gonna annoy the shit out of your uncle Joel, aren’t we buddy?” She coos at the baby happily. He sighs, a soft smile adorning his face.
“Thanks for that, Tommy.” He says sarcastically to his brother, who chuckles in return.
“You are going to be my little kitchen assistant.” She says to the baby as she starts to descend the porch stairs. “I bet you’ll cook better than Joel, which isn’t that hard, to be honest.”
“Cut that shit out!” He yells over his shoulder as they reach their own porch.
“I’m just telling the kid the truth!” She yells back, closing the door behind her.
“Don’t kill each other in there, please.” Tommy pats his back, having the audacity to laugh out loud at his face.
“I might just kill you .” He spats back, no malice in it, starting to walk away.
“You wouldn’t dare. You’re too scared of my wife.” The guy keeps on laughing, he turns around, smiling.
“You got that right.” Without another word, he makes it home, opening the door only to find his nephew on the island counter, covered in flour. Next to him a floured-covered teenager looking at him like a deer caught in headlights. “What in the-”
“He started it.” She points at the baby who suddenly starts giggling, playing around with the white powder. Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing, he takes a good look at the mess.
“Oh, well.” He makes his way towards them, taking an apron out of a kitchen drawer and placing it over Ellie’s head, then doing the same himself. “We were probably going to make a mess anyways.” Staring open-mouthed at him, she starts laughing, the baby follows suit. He’s a grumpy asshole, but hearing the kids’ laughter, how can he not join in?
He hasn’t felt this happy in ages.