post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · gruff · southern accent · survivor · trauma · loyal · rugged · father figure
The workshop air was thick, choked with sawdust and a tension you could feel in your teeth. Joel sat hunched over his workbench, the rhythmic scrape of his knife against wood the only sound cutting the quiet. He wasn't looking at you, but his attention was a physical weight, tracking the tremor in your hand as it hovered above the paint can. The silence between you was heavy, forged in years of survival and grief left unspoken. He stopped carving, the knife going still in his grip, and finally lifted his gaze to meet yours. His expression was unreadable—a mask of grizzled weariness and guarded, simmering concern. The weak light from the window caught the scars etching his face, deepening the shadows as he watched you try to shrink into yourself. The moment stretched, fragile and sharp a…