Fandom The Day The World Changed { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 26, 37 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Soren was a little worried that being at the wedding would strike up some… negative feelings between Josh and Hayden. Hayden had not been subtle about his frustrations with Josh and the lack of any want to actually do this. Or perhaps he was not subtle when it was Jacob and Soren around. Soren treated himself like a mediator a lot of the time. He would hear from Hayden or Jacob and then he would try to relay concerns and thoughts in a less aggressive way. “It means a lot to me that you’d do that.” He took a moment to be a little giddy and then put himself back together. They were still on patrol after all. Everything was looking pretty normal so far.

Theo was back up as Kai fell so he slid in beside him and bopped his shoulder. “Tag!” He screamed and giggled as he popped back up and was running into the living room again. “I think going now is a perfect idea. We have a lot of places to search, of course. Besides, I think there’s only so much tag you can play in some of these places.” He opened up the front door. “Boys! Want to take this game outside?”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Commander, FEDRA Civilian | 26, 32 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh was determined to make this day happy for Soren. Did he worry that it would lead to another argument after between him and Hayden? Yeah, he did. But at the same time, he didn’t care either. This wasn’t for him, this was for Soren. “Of course my friend.” Josh said, patting his shoulder gently. He knew life was hard, and harder on his partner, but those feelings and emotions, he just tucked them into a corner of his mind and ignored them. He continued with the route, silent for now.

Kai felt the bop to the shoulder and laughed, giggling and making it to his feet as Theo ran into the living room. He skidded to a halt when he heard Hayden’s words. “Outside!” He cried, turning to run towards Hayden and Jacob. Jacob chuckled, nodding. “Alright, let’s get this party going yeah? Come on Theo!” Jacob called to the three year old.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 26, 37 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Occasionally, the routes were a little boring. Patrolling was not his favorite part of his job. In fact, it was one of his least favorite parts. Though, when they came across situations that needed them to solve something and ended up making things better, it made it all worth it. Today, though, he did not mind a little bit of quiet. He was glad to have the moment to do nothing but think. He moved along with Josh, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He was not worried about what was left to get together for the wedding. He felt that Jacob and Hayden probably had that handled. He moved along in comfortable silence with his friend.

Theo was on the other side of the living room, crawling over a couch like getting the high ground was going to somehow give him an advantage in this game, when he paused as Jacob called his name. Everyone was moving out of the room and into the hall. Outside? “Okay!” He bounced off the couch and bounded past everyone else and into the hall. He was halfway down by the time that Hayden made it out there as well. “Don’t go down the stairs without us!” Theo had recently learned how to use the stairs, and one of his favorite games was to literally run up and down them for actual hours.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Commander, FEDRA Civilian | 26, 32 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh was silent in the outside, but his mind was just as turbulent as it has been for a while now. Days like today, that cage he shut his emotions in rattles. The lock threatens to break and he nails it back down again. Nights like last night linger in his mind, push at his psyche. Nights where he doesn't even speak to Hayden are the worst. They are the nights that push him, that have him wake up grumpy and angry. Upset and frustrated. So as they walked in silence, he was nailing that cage shut again. As they came around the courthouse, there wasn't anyone around, it was just.. them. And it made him jittery. He needed to run, but he didn't know what he was running from anymore. His relationship, this new world, or his job? The job he excelled at, the job that had him rising up ranks quickly. "So. It's in two days right? Or was it three? I can't keep track anymore." Josh finally broke the silence with his question.

Jacob watched as Theo crawled over the couch and chuckled as he paused, and watching him bounce off the couch and out into the hall. Kaiden took off after him well, until he heard Hayden's yell. "Theo! Wait!" He said, grabbing hold of Theo's arm so he didn't go down the stairs. Jacob followed after the two, shaking his head with a chuckle. Once he got to the two little ones, he took Theo's hand. "Remember we don't go down stairs without an adult present."​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 26, 37 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

In the quiet, Soren was not always sure what he needed to do. Let the silence stay there or find a reason to interrupt it. He wished that he could see into Josh’s mind. All he wanted was to help, and that was very difficult. It wasn’t Josh’s fault or at least not all his fault. Thankfully, Josh interrupted on his own. “Two days. I don’t think I could wait that extra day.” He really did not like not being married anymore. Since they talked about it, it was all he could think about. He never thought he would be that guy. In another life, he would have waited maybe three months to ask. Maybe. That would have only been because Cap would have told him three months was a little soon. He was sure it would have been something about first relationship, especially with a man. How was he supposed to know blah blah blah. Three months. Max. The ever changing disaster of the world made that longer.

Theo skidded to a stop when Kai took his arm. It wasn’t that he didn’t listen. He really was trying, but his body moved way faster than his brain. Or maybe his brain moved so fast that it was having to keep up with itself. His ears were kind of slow. He threw his arms out to the side as a counterbalance. “Down!” He tugged on Kaleb’s hand and pointed to the stairs. “Down! Down!” He was so ready to run. Hayden was there as fast as Jacob. “We are here now. Ready to go down the stairs?” He held out a hand of Kai wanted it, but he also knew that sometimes being four meant going down some of those steps alone. But not too many.​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Commander, FEDRA Civilian | 26, 32 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh knew that if the world hadn't broken like it did, he probably would've been like that too. Maybe a few months after asking, and then have the wedding. Now? He wasn't even sure if they were still getting married themselves. He was always busy with something FEDRA related, between patrolling and getting new officers trained properly, he was so busy. And he didn't think that Hayden wanted to marry him either, not after the mess that was the last two years. He nodded as he heard Soren's words. "Okay. I suppose I should find a suit somewhere huh? Can't go showing up to your wedding in uniform can I?"

Kaiden looked at Theo, taking hold of his arm as they managed to stop just before the stairs. He heard his best friend's words, and felt the tug on his hand, but Kai remained still as stone. "No! Wait!" Kai said stubbornly, looking back at Jacob when he finally walked over, and he saw the hand held out by Hayden. Kai took it, as Jacob nodded. "Alright, time to go down." Jacob said, leading the way with the excited three year old. Kai was a little slower as he started to go down the stairs.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Hayden Gaines and Soren Truelson
FEDRA Civilian, FEDRA Officer | 26, 37 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

The suits were never important to Soren. What they wore while getting married was second to the actual wedding. “I dunno, you look good in your uniform. We could probably find one of the military ball uniforms that the military used to have officers wear way back when. I actually had one of those at one time.” He never really cared about those either, though he would not have minded wearing one now. “Or we could always find you a suit somewhere. Or you could just wear whatever. It doesn’t matter to me. I just want you there with me.” Though, if they found him a suit worth being a part of a wedding, maybe he could use it again for his own wedding. If Josh and Hayden ever did that.

Theo had very little patience, so waiting for Jacob and Hayden was probably the most difficult thing in the world. Once he finally could run down, he did. Well, he tried but he was being held back by Jacob. He huffed but was overall too excited to be cranky. Instead he changed “down! Down! Down!” with each step that they descended. Hayden was happy to go at whatever pace Kai wanted to do. He liked Theo a lot, but Kai was his. In a weird way. They were bonded. “We’re going all the way down, boys.”​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Joshua and Jacob Smith
FEDRA Commander, FEDRA Civilian | 26, 32 | Current location ;; Seattle Quarantine Zone

Josh listened to Soren as they walked, and he thought about it. He had his normal uniform that he wore everyday. "If we find a suit then I'll wear it, but if we don't in two days' time then I'll use the uniform." He agreed as he walked. "Seems quiet today." Josh said, looking around the abandoned streets of the Zone. Quiet was good, or bad. He just wasn't sure. "Do we know if the rations are running low again?" He asked, because the quiet could be the build-up before a fight to storm the ration center. Could be, but not always.

Jacob moved with the three year old, making sure he kept upright and didn't tumble down the stairs on accident. "Yes Theo, we're going all the way down." Jacob said, as Kai giggled, watching Theo. "Down! Outside!" He said, picking up pace a little bit. He was much better at the stairs when he was two years ago. He also wanted to run in the fresh air, it wasn't often that he got to go outside, but he enjoyed it immensely when he did.​