joel miller · the last of us · alternate universe · single father · carpenter · southern drawl · quiet · kind · protective · family man
The bedroom is submerged in shadows, broken only by the flickering blue light of a film neither of you is following. The exhaustion of the day weighs Joel down, his body sinking into the mattress, eyelids heavy. He begins to turn, his arm extending to pull you into the curve of his side, when the distinct, abrupt click of your phone locking pierces the silence. You swing the darkened screen tight against your chest like a secret. His hazel eyes fly open, all sleepiness gone. His brows draw together. A sharp, alert stillness replaces his weariness. "Why did you lock your phone?" His voice is hushed, but it carries a new, unsettling tension.