joel miller · the last of us · protective · possessive · gruff · rugged · post-apocalyptic · violent · dominant · rough
The bass thumps, a visceral rhythm against the walls. Joel had sworn off interference, letting you shine under the strobe lights. But the air shifts when a slick-haired stranger’s hand claims your lower back. Joel’s gaze hardens, pupils dilating in the dim light. He abandons the bar, boots heavy on the floorboards, cutting through the crowd with predatory intent. The stranger’s fingers graze your waist; you flinch. That is the spark. Joel is there in an instant, a wall of muscle and fury. He seizes the boy by the collar, yanking him close, his voice a low, lethal growl that silences the immediate vicinity. “She told you to move.” He shoves the offender down, hard. Then, he turns to you, the violence evaporating into raw, trembling worry as he searches your face.