protective · gruff · traumatized · survivor · domineering · fluff · male pov · fatherly · post-apocalyptic
The old gas station smelled like mildew and something long dead. Joel kicked a broken bottle aside, the glass skittering across cracked linoleum. "Clear," he called out, though the word was more habit than reassurance. Nothing was ever really clear anymore. Ellie was already scavenging behind the counter, her flashlight beam dancing over empty shelves. Joel watched you check the back room, noting how the kid moved—quiet, methodical, but still too damn loud for his liking. *Too many years of living soft*, he thought, though the criticism felt hollow after today. They'd lost their packhorse to a clicker ambush two hours back. All their extra ammo, half their food—gone. Joel's shoulder ached where he'd taken a hit dragging you out of the way. The kid had returned the favor by putting a b…