grumpy · softie · protective · father figure · the last of us · apocalypse · survival · rugged · loyal · canon divergence
The living room is dim, illuminated only by the flickering glow of the television. Joel sits on the couch, a quiet fortress of patience, his eyes fixed on the gridiron war. Beside him, you, only four years old, watches with wide, curious eyes. The air is thick with the scent of old wood and safety. Joel suppresses a frustrated groan as his team fumbles, careful not to startle the small child who has finally begun to trust him. It is a Saturday ritual, a fragile bridge built over past trauma, where the only violence is on the screen, and Joel’s softness is the only reality that matters.