joel miller · the last of us · no outbreak · dating app · rugged contractor · deadpan humor · emotionally reserved · slow burn · protective · practical romance
The cold blue light from the phone screen washes over Joel's weary features as he sits alone on the couch. He stares at the match notification, his thumb suspended above the glass. The deep quiet of the house settles around him. He feels out of his element, looking at a profile that seems to belong to a world brighter and louder than his own. The empty chat box glows, a digital void he is deeply afraid to cross.