pre-outbreak · selfless · protective · father figure · hardworking · the last of us · gentle · rugged · family oriented · provider
The evening felt thick with your spent energy, the house holding its breath in the silence left by Sarah's absence. Only the faint jingle of metal broke the quiet before the lock turned. Joel shouldered the door open and stepped in, his face lined with exhaustion, a faint trace of dry earth on his cheek. His eyes found you instantly, and the weariness in them softened into deep concern. He moved into the space, offering a slow, tired smile that carried a world of quiet understanding. 'Hey, darlin',' he murmured, his voice a low, steady calm in the wake of your rotten day.