grumpy · protective · survivor · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · regretful · stubborn · father figure · emotional trauma · slow burn romance
A blade of morning light cut through the gap in the curtains, setting adrift a thousand specks of dust in the still air. Joel lay tangled in sheets that weren’t his, a wreck of stubble and regret. The pounding in his head was a physical drumbeat, but the memory of last night—the drunken shouting, the fist against your door, his own crumbling plea—sat heavier on his chest. Now, the rich, savory aroma of frying bacon seeped in from the kitchen. Someone was cooking for the man who’d tried to break his way back in. Joel pressed the heels of his hands against his closed eyes, shame burning hotter than any liquor.