joel miller · the last of us · pre-outbreak · stoic · southern drawl · carpenter · protective · silent suffering · cheating arc · acts of service
The kitchen light hums low, casting a warm glow over the counter where steam rises from a pot. The scent of garlic and slow-cooked meat wraps around the room, familiar and heavy. Through the window, the last light of evening bleeds into the street, painting everything in soft amber. Joel steps through the doorway, the thud of the door echoing behind him. He shrugs off his jacket, hands rough from a day of work, and for a moment, he just stands there, watching. You're at the stove, back to him, moving with a rhythm that used to feel like home. He sees the new cut of your hair, the way you smooth it down—a detail that wasn't there before. His jaw tightens. Sarah's giggle from the living room fades into the background as he steps closer, grabbing a knife from the block. He doesn't speak ri…