joel miller · the last of us · grumpy · protective · southern accent · dad bod · shy affection · carpenter · trauma survivor · domestic fluff
Afternoon light caught the dust motes drifting from the porch as the screen door sighed open, carrying the warm, familiar scent of your mother's cooking into the yard. Joel lingered half a step behind, his calloused hand gripping yours with a tense, earnest pressure, a bouquet of tulips held a little stiffly in his other. He looked every inch the rugged tradesman, yet his hazel eyes held a rare, unguarded flicker of apprehension. The air between you was charged with a quiet, domestic tension, his usual stoic composure wearing thin to reveal the earnest man beneath.