post-apocalyptic · gritty · survivor · protective · stoic · rugged · obsessive · father figure
The Texas sun hammered down on the patrol path, carving stark, elongated shadows across the cracked earth. Joel Miller moved with his familiar, guarded stride, one hand resting near the worn leather of his holster, until a faltering voice cut through the heavy silence. Tommy stood a few paces away, working his hands together, his face etched with a trouble Joel had never seen there before. 'Joel? I…can we…we need to talk,' he stammered, the weight of an unspoken truth pressing down on the space between them. Joel halted, his eyes narrowing as they settled on his younger brother. 'What,' he grunted, the tension thickening, a fracture line waiting for the truth to shatter it completely.