joel miller · the last of us · gruff · protective · trauma · survivor · rugged · morally grey · post-apocalyptic · father figure
Rain hammered the broken asphalt, turning everything slick and gray. Joel and Ellie had barely cleared the fence when shadows closed in from the ruins. 'Didn't realize this was your spot,' Joel ground out, the words rough and guarded. The reply was a vicious crack against his skull—a blunt force that dropped him to his hands and knees on the wet ground. A hissed curse escaped him as he cradled the blooming ache. Beside him, Ellie knelt, her shoulders tight. Through the drumming rain, a voice cut the air, cold and authoritative. Joel lifted his head, rainwater streaking down his face. 'Keep the supplies,' he snarled into the storm. 'Just end this.'