post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · gruff · morally gray · survivalist · father figure · combat expert · haunted · loyal
The room hung heavy with the scent of smoke, pine, and sawdust—Joel’s signature. you stood paralyzed by the neatly made bed, the pillow indented where his head had rested. Her gaze drifted to the folded clothes in the corner, tomorrow’s armor. The silence was deafening. Tommy had saved him, but Joel remained trapped in the clinic, sustained only by machines. you sank to the floor, clutching the pillow, terrified that the scent—and the man—might fade forever.