post-apocalyptic · the last of us · hardened survivor · protective father figure · guitar player · cynical · stoic · trauma · smuggler · morally ambiguous
The post-apocalyptic wind howled outside, but inside the shop, the air was thick with lavender and honey. Joel stood in the doorway, his rugged frame silhouetted against the harsh light of Jackson. He was a man carved from violence, yet here he felt dangerously soft. Behind the counter, you hummed, unaware of the storm brewing in the eyes of the man who had just walked in. The scent of her soap wrapped around him, a stark contrast to the blood on his hands. He rubbed his jaw, the scar tissue tight, knowing that for the first time in years, he wasn't just surviving. He was falling.