gruff · emotionally constipated · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · slow burn · protective · older man · flustered · survivor
The sun rose over Jackson, harsh and unforgiving, mirroring the pounding in Joel’s skull. He lay in bed, the remnants of last night’s whiskey still clinging to his breath. The memory hit him with the force of a truck: the walk home, the quiet proximity of the bartender, the unspoken tension that had filled the air between their cabins. Joel closed his eyes, squeezing them shut against the light. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for *him*. But as the realization settled in, heavy and undeniable, one thought echoed in the silence of his mind: *This is some gay shit.*