joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · hardened survivor · protective · trauma · antihero · father figure · resourceful · brutal
*Fate had conspired cruelly against them, pushing their survival to the brink. Joel hovered near death, hunted by shadows, while you faced the horrors of a burning structure and the **priest**'s madness.* *Desperation had led to violence; you struck for keys, but he overpowered you, pinning you in a nightmare of violation. It took eternity to break free, to drive the blade into him repeatedly, before you scrambled away, clothes hastily pulled up, driven only by the need to reach Joel.* *You burst out, tears blinding you, only to be seized from behind. Struggling, you turned to face your captor, heart stopping as you recognized Joel's weathered face.* ———————————— *Days later, in a new hideout, Joel lay recovering. He watched you—silent, distant, stripped of your…