"Under Texas Skies"

Prompt: Title (Implied): Welcome Home Genre: Drama, Found Family, Slow Burn Romance Setting: Modern-day Texas, pre-apocalypse (or AU), within The Last of Us universe Main Characters: • Esme: A Dutch-born army nurse returning to live with her estranged father in Texas (he moved to usa when she was 19 and studying - her mom died when she was 13 — she’s guarded, compassionate, and quietly haunted by a toxic past (Tim), likely involving abuse or emotional trauma. Henry and Joel have been neighbours for 9 years. Joel falls in love with esme fast. Esme’s Military Timeline (as of 2025) • • 2016: Enlists at 18, completes basic and medical training. • 2017–2018: First deployment — Afghanistan, intense combat medic experience. • 2019–2020: Second deployment — Syria, frontline combat medical support during coalition operations. • 2021–early 2023: Stateside rotation — working in military hospitals, training medics, possibly dealing with the buildup of trauma and burnout. • Mid 2023: Separates from active duty with honorable discharge related to burnout/PTSD/mental health. • Saw intense medical trauma, both civilian and military • Joel Miller: A reserved, emotionally scarred single father who’s still figuring out how to balance protection and vulnerability. • Sarah Miller: A clever, energetic preteen with a good heart and no filter. • Henry: Esme’s well-meaning father, trying to reconnect. • Bill & Frank: Canon side characters reimagined here as friendly locals and part of Esme’s growing circle. Chapter 1 introduces Esme’s arrival in Texas, where she reconnects with her father and slowly begins to settle into a new life surrounded by unfamiliar faces and a welcoming community. Amidst the heat and new surroundings, she navigates feelings of uncertainty and tentative hope. Chapter 2 shifts to Esme adapting to her new routine, including an unexpected role babysitting Joel’s daughter Sarah who is 13. They live nextdoor. Through moments of connection and humor, Esme starts to find a sense of belonging while maintaining ties with her old friends from afar. Chapter 3 – Unspoken Things: Summary Weeks into her new life in Texas, Esme is settling in—babysitting Sarah, sharing dinners with Joel—but the weight of her past still lingers. A sleepless night leads to an unexpected moment on the porch, where quiet conversation begins to build trust between her and Joel. Some things stay unspoken, but the silence speaks volumes. Chapter 4 – Heatwaves and Hesitations: Summary At a backyard birthday party, Esme begins to feel more at home—but a lingering glance from Joel hints at something quietly shifting between them. Later that night, unable to sleep, the two share a quiet moment on the porch. Few words are spoken, but the connection deepens in the stillness, unspoken yet undeniable. Chapter 4 – Heatwaves and Hesitations: Summary At a summer birthday party, Esme lets herself relax—until a shared glance shifts something unspoken between her and Joel. As the night quiets down, a late conversation under the stars brings them closer, revealing cracks in their armor neither of them meant to show. Chapter 5 – The Weight We Carry Esme opens up to her father during a quiet evening in the garden, confronting long-buried memories of her mother and her time in the army. A late-night video call with Maxime and Jane reveals emotional shifts, including a meaningful moment shared with Joel. Meanwhile, Joel wrestles with unexpected jealousy—and feelings he’s not quite ready to name. Chapter 6 – Strangers, Softened With Henry out of town, Esme spends the day looking after Sarah, and what begins as a favor turns into something more intimate and grounding. From school pickups to sugar-fueled laughter and quiet moments on the couch, Esme and Sarah fall into an easy rhythm. When Joel returns home late that night, he walks into something unexpected—and something that starts to feel a little like home. Esme and Sarah sleeping on the couch. Sarah’s head on esme’s lap. ⸻ Chapter 7: A Party with Shadows Summary: It’s Sarah’s birthday, and Joel and Esme wake her up with a joyful song. Later, her Dutch “aunties” Maxime and Jane video call to sing her happy birthday in Dutch. The day is filled with celebration at Henry’s house, where nearly Sarah’s whole class attends a sunny, laughter-filled pool party. Everyone is there—Joel, Esme, Tommy, Bill, Frank, Tess, and her husband. Despite the festive atmosphere, there’s a subtle thread of unease for Esme—haunted by the idea that Tim might still be out there. The chapter ends with Joel and Esme cleaning up, exchanging quiet glances, and pretending everything is fine. ⸻ Chapter 8: Nightmares and Old Wounds Summary: From Esme’s POV, the emotional weight of her trauma begins to resurface. She experiences vivid nightmares from her time as an army nurse—war images bleeding into flashes of Tim’s abuse. In a jarring memory, Tim is shown to be controlling and violent, physically lashing out due to jealousy. Joel wakes her gently from the nightmare, and although she says little, he holds her through the night. The unspoken burden between them grows heavier. ⸻ Chapter 9: Dangerous Whispers Summary: We briefly enter Tim’s POV, revealing his fractured, dangerous state of mind. He’s been watching from a distance, increasingly obsessed with reclaiming Esme. He discovers she’s pregnant and becomes enraged. His delusion that the child is rightfully his escalates. Meanwhile, Joel begins to suspect something’s wrong—Esme is hiding more than she lets on. He starts digging into her past, piecing together truths she never told him. Tension builds, the sense of looming danger sharpenin