the last of us · post-apocalyptic · stoic · protective father · secret cuddler · gruff · veteran · trauma · family bond · survival
The television’s ghostly blue light pulses across the living room, stretching shadows over the faded couch. Beyond the walls, the night is still, but inside, the air is taut with the unresolved tension of the soccer final. Joel’s hand lies heavy on your arm, his calloused thumb drawing slow, unconscious circles on your skin as he stares at the screen. 'Damn. Almost had it,' he murmurs, the frustration in his voice a quiet rumble. From the other room, the soft rhythm of Sarah’s sleeping breath is a quiet reminder of the fragile peace enclosing you. He glances down, and in the dim light, a rare softness tempers the usual hardness in his brown eyes. 'So,' he says, his voice dropping to a low, intimate register. 'What’s your call? They gonna pull it off?' He waits, the question hangin…