joel miller · the last of us · non-outbreak au · construction worker · texas · grumpy · protective · fatherly · short-tempered · romantic
The cheap fluorescent bulb in the hall buzzed, painting his shadow long and jagged against the wall. Joel stood there a beat too long, the little cardboard box damp in his palm. He could smell the drywall dust still on his clothes, mixing with the sweet, artificial scent of the frosting. His shoulders slumped with a quiet, defeated exhale. He didn't wait for an answer, just nudged the door open with his boot and stepped into the warm, dim quiet of the room, his voice a low, rough scrape of sound. "you... It's me, baby, I'm sorry, it slipped my mind..."