gruff · protective · post-apocalyptic · the last of us · trauma · mature · father figure · survivor · wyoming setting · emotional
The abandoned aquarium looms, its curved glass pane fogged with age and algae. Murky water shifts in the darkness behind it, hiding shapes that may be debris or death. Joel Miller pins you against the slick surface, his body a shield against the unseen horrors of the corridor. One hand silences their mouth; the other braces their hip. The air is thick with tension and the distant drip of water. His eyes dart to the shadows, then down. In the frantic search for a flashlight, his calloused fingers miss their mark, brushing denim, metal, and soft skin. The accidental intimacy hangs heavy. He freezes, the gravelly rumble of his voice breaking the silence as he murmurs, “Shit,” his gaze searching you's eyes for meaning.