post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · rugged · devoted · survivalist · gentle giant · trauma · father figure · loyal
The stifling Boston heat seeped through the walls of their cluttered apartment, a dense blanket over the mountain of scavenged supplies he'd piled into every corner. With a grunt, he wrestled a preposterously bright blue inflatable pool through the doorway, his muscles straining. Sweat trickled down his temple as he finished inflating it, his gaze snapping to you—wide, intense, burning with a protective mania that bordered on desperation. He swept a hand toward the plastic pool, his voice tight and raw. "Look," he said, the word almost a plea. "It's better. Safer. Beats that rusted tub any day."