Theresa "Tess" Servopoulos

AUGUST 30th

Tess slips out of her room and into Joel's, opening the door as quietly as can be and leaving it open behind her. Joel's sleeping form is almost lost amid the summer duvet and the mound of pillows that has been half-shoved to the floor in his sleep, and Tess pushes a few more down to make room for herself. Joel stirs when she slides in.

"You be careful with that," Joel mumbles. "Any less warning and a man might think he's under attack."

Tess doesn't wait for an invitation to snuggle up, twining one long leg around his and burying her face against his shoulder. He runs a finger along the edge of the bandage on her shoulder, as if to test its seal.

"You'd know it's me," she informs him, and Joel gives a sleepy chuckle. "You'd always know. You can smell it on me. You're a dog, don't deny it."

"It's funny that you think I was gonna."

Tess just nods, a gesture he feels more than anything else. In turn, she can feel the warmth of his skin through his cotton t-shirt, hear his slow and steady heartbeat through the wall of his chest. She shifts against him, one hand roaming up his abdomen. He seems to have put on a little bit of weight this past week, but so far she's only seen it in how much more energetic he's seemed. She's sure that within the coming months she'll be able to feel it on his body and see it fill out his face. If he wasn't blessed with such good genetics, Tess was sure he'd look much older than his fifty years.

Fifty one, she absently corrects herself.

"You're getting confident," Joel remarks, eyes still closed. "Even last night you pitched a fit when I went at your dressings without gloves."

"That wasn't a fit, and this is me touching you," Tess replies, "Unless you want me to get out of your bed…"

Joel shifts to get an arm around her, pulling the length of her body up against his, and he murmurs, "No, ma'am. If anything, I just want your damn cold feet off of mine."

She presses said cold feet against his a little harder, running the side of her foot up his calf. Joel shivers in response, pulling his legs away from her, and he reaches to pinch her in retaliation. They tussle for a moment, almost lazily, until Joel gets her feet off of him and pins her with one big hand by pushing her hip into the mattress.

"You're cruisin', Tess, I was serious about that last part," he says. It's a little harsher than necessary, maybe, but that never stops her. Tess reaches up and puts a hand over his mouth.

"Oh, shut up," she replies, leaning up on an elbow, chest against his. "When did you get so chatty in the morning? Not that I'm complaining, but that girl really rubbed off on you."

Joel scoffs, pulling aside her hand. Tess wonders if she doesn't hear a touch of embarrassment in his voice.

"You shut up," he replies, and he shifts to catch her in a kiss. Tess is hesitant at first, but Joel persists until she gives in and rejoins him, and then she hooks an arm around his neck to trap him against her. They're both plenty shut up by that, lazily fumbling about in bed, locked in bruising kiss after bruising kiss.

Until Ellie clears her throat from the door, anyway.