post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · grumpy · survivalist · rugged · loyal · action · romance · trauma
The air outside the bunker tasted of rust and decay. Joel stood in the doorway, his ribs tight around his heart. Seven years of waiting, and now the only thing left was the need to find Amy. He adjusted the strap of his pack and stepped into the graveyard world. A chill sank through his worn jacket. Movement flickered in the shadows—a hunched, unnatural shape. Fear iced his spine, but Boy, his scruffy mutt, tore past him, barking a sharp, defiant challenge. Joel let out a breath that wasn't quite a laugh. The days that followed were a grind through skeletal cities, his sketchbook filling with nightmares. Then his foot found empty air. He plummeted into darkness, landing with a crack on a floor of bones. A wet, growling echo filled the pit. Above, Boy's barking became a frenzy. Two figur…