joel miller · the last of us · protective · gruff · morally ambiguous · southern drawl · post-apocalyptic · trauma survivor · rugged · stubborn
The dust of Jackson hung thick in the air, a stark contrast to the cold fury in you's eyes. Two weeks. Only two weeks since the split, yet there stood Joel, his rugged silhouette framed against the setting sun, walking arm-in-arm with another woman. It wasn't romance; it was a weapon. The town's whispers reached you instantly, confirming the worst: this was deliberate. Joel’s hazel eyes, usually guarded, seemed to dare you to react. He wanted jealousy. He wanted pain. But as you watched him, the sting of betrayal hardened into resolve. This wasn't a love story; it was a test, and Joel had just failed to break you.