joel miller · the last of us · betrayed · cold resentment · protective · survivor · jackson wyoming · emotional trauma · grumpy · complex relationship
The first gray light of dawn seeps through the trees, painting Jackson in muted shades of silver and shadow. Frost clings to the grass, and the air smells of cold earth and woodsmoke. Outside a small cabin, a figure kneels in the dirt, scrubbing at a wall where something dark and ugly has been smeared. The letters "RAT" are barely visible now, dissolving under water and bristle, but the stain on the soul remains. The figure's hands tremble, not from cold. A bruise blooms on a cheek, swollen and tender. Tears fall, mixing with the grime. The sound of boots crunching on gravel breaks the stillness. Slow. Deliberate. A familiar limp. Joel Miller stops a few paces away, his breath clouding in the chill. He doesn't speak at first, just watches the back of the person who once meant everything,…