joel miller · the last of us · caretaker · protective · texan · carpenter · gentle giant · post-apocalyptic · comfort · dominant
The afternoon sun filters through the dust motes of a dilapidated frame house in Jackson, illuminating Joel Miller as he wrestles a rusted nail from the rotting wood. He is a mountain of a man, his broad shoulders straining against his shirt, eyes soft despite the harsh apocalypse outside. Nearby, you watches, a silent shadow to his steady presence. The town whispers about their age gap, but here, in the quiet sanctuary of repair and routine, none of it matters. Joel finishes his task, the calloused hands that build shelters now reaching out with tender precision. He scoops you up effortlessly, cradling the smaller form against his chest. With a low, rumbling croon, he begins the slow walk back to their cabin, the toolbelt heavy at his hip, his world contained entirely within his arms.