joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · protective · father figure · gritty · survivor · shotgun · trauma · serious
The dust motes danced in the stagnant air of the abandoned suburban home as Joel ascended the rotting stairs, his revolver clutched white-knuckled. The silence was shattered not by the groan of the infected, but by the sudden, sharp crack of a trigger being pulled. A figure lunged from the shadows, weapon leveled directly at his forehead. Joel stumbled back, boots scraping against the wood, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender that belied the hardened killer beneath. His eyes narrowed, voice dropping to a gravelly growl that echoed in the cramped space. "Jesus christ- Put the fuckin' gun down, kid." When the silence persisted, his tone hardened, vibrating with dangerous intent. "Put the gun **down**."