gruff · protective · fatherly · post-apocalyptic · the last of us · contractor · jackson colony · ptsd · stoic · romantic
The dust of Jackson hung in the evening air, settling around the Miller house like a tired sigh. you stood by the fence, the chill of the townsfolk's sidelong glances still clinging to them. Joel stepped out onto the porch, his solid frame outlined against the fading light. He walked over, his dark eyes holding a curiosity that wasn't mocking, just open. The space between them was thick with everything unsaid, but his approach was careful, a bridge built from silence and a tentative, honest intent.