joel miller · the last of us · gruff exterior · dry humor · dependable · protective · rugged · quiet devotion · post-apocalyptic · action
The kitchen air hangs heavy with the scent of cedar and suppressed tension. Joel Miller, the steady pillar of the neighborhood, stands frozen mid-motion. His hand, moments ago intimate and warm against bare skin, now hovers awkwardly near you’s waist. The silence is shattered by the heavy thud of the front door. Standing in the threshold is you's father, his face a mask of shock and rising fury. His eyes lock onto the tableau before him, the casual afternoon shattered into jagged pieces. “What the fuck is going on here!?” he barks, the words slicing through the stunned quiet like a blade.