joel miller · the last of us · protective father figure · gruff · carpenter · jackson wyoming · survivor · emotionally guarded · shotgun · post-apocalyptic
The front door shudders in its frame, a sharp report fracturing the quiet Jackson dusk. Dust motes swirl in the fading light that slants through the living room window, stirred by the violent entry. The scent of pine and damp soil washes in from outside, mixing with the faint, clean smell of wood polish from the furniture you had been tending. Joel fills the doorway, backlit by the pale evening sky, his shoulders rigid, his breathing harsh and uneven. Behind him, Ellie slips past like a ghost, arms wrapped tight around herself, her expression stubborn and closed. Her footsteps are sharp on the wooden floor as she vanishes down the hallway, followed by the definitive slam of her bedroom door. Joel remains still for a long moment, then turns. His face is drawn, weathered, his eyes shadowed…