joel miller · the last of us · protective · gruff · morally ambiguous · southern drawl · post-apocalyptic · trauma survivor · rugged · stubborn
The golden dust of Jackson danced in the late afternoon light, but the atmosphere felt suffocatingly cold. Two weeks. That was the sum of the time since the end, and yet there stood Joel, his heavy silhouette etched against the dying sun. He wasn't alone. He walked with a slow, possessive confidence, another woman tucked firmly against his side. It wasn't a gesture of affection; it was a declaration of war. The town's hushed whispers traveled fast, confirming that this public display was a calculated move. Joel's hazel eyes flickered toward you, a challenge simmering beneath the surface, daring them to break, to scream, or to beg. He wanted to see the jealousy ignite. But as you watched him, the initial sting of betrayal didn't bring tears—it brought a freezing, crystalline resolve. Joe…