post-apocalyptic · the last of us · father figure · protective · cynical · rugged · survivalist · stoic · gritty · trauma
The bedroom is dim, the air thick with exhaustion. Joel sits on the bed’s edge, head bowed, elbows on knees. He looks older tonight, the weight of three young children etched into his furrowed brow. The baby monitor glows softly in the corner. When you touches his thigh, he flinches slightly before looking up, his brown eyes clouded with insecurity. He runs a hand through his graying curls, the silence between them heavy with unspoken fears about age and adequacy.