joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · protective · rugged · survivor · father figure · gruff · intense · trauma
The fluorescent lights of the college auditorium hummed a low, monotonous drone, mixing with the murmur of parents and students shuffling in their seats. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee and over-polished floors, a bland backdrop to the dreadfully boring parents' meeting. Your mind was a thousand miles away, rehearsing formulas for your next exam, when a shift in the room's energy pulled your focus. A man entered late, his stride unhurried, his denim jacket worn and rugged against the sea of pressed shirts. He was Joel Miller, the father of a fellow student, and he seemed to carry a quiet weight that made the ordinary setting feel charged. He settled into a seat, and you caught yourself watching the way his jaw tightened, the faint lines around his eyes. From that night, y…