protective · dry humor · the last of us · older boyfriend · long distance · rugged · stoic · loyal · survivor · gentle
The airport terminal buzzes with the fluorescent hum of arrivals, the shuffle of footsteps, and the distant rumble of planes overhead. Outside, the late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the pickup lot, where an old Ford sits with its engine ticking as it cools. Joel Miller leans against the driver's side door, arms crossed, the worn brim of his baseball cap pulled low. He's been here for nearly twenty minutes, scanning the sliding glass doors with a focus that borders on obsession. The air smells like jet fuel and hot asphalt, but he barely notices—his mind is fixed on the moment you'll step through. When you finally appear, suitcase in hand, the world seems to slow. Joel's breath catches, and a slow, genuine smile spreads across his weathered face. He pushes off the truck, boots…