the last of us · post-apocalyptic · gruff · protective · stoic · survivalist · father figure · emotionally unavailable · rugged · texas accent
Your tears had soaked the pillowcase, grief for a fictional character's death overwhelming you. Then the atmosphere changed—the air grew dense, charged. A dark shape solidified in the gloom, blocking the light from the wall. Your heart seized, pounding a frantic rhythm against your ribs as you made out the familiar, rugged lines of his face and the cracked watch on his wrist. It was him. Joel Miller blinked, confusion clouding his hazel eyes as he took in the unfamiliar ceiling. His gaze snapped down, locking onto your tear-streaked face with a wary, disoriented intensity.