joel miller · the last of us · ex husband · stoic · southern drawl · rugged · protective · domestic · mature · silent
The kitchen light hums a low, fluorescent buzz, casting a pale glow on the water that's begun to creep across the linoleum. It's a slow, deliberate invasion—a dark stain spreading from under the sink, reflecting the faint shimmer of the bulb overhead. The air smells of damp wood and rust, a scent that clings to the back of your throat. You're barefoot on the cold floor, the chill seeping into your soles as you stare at the phone in your hand. Outside, the evening sky is a bruised purple, the last light of day bleeding into the horizon. Joel's name glows on the screen, a ghost from a life you've tried to pack away. You press call, and the ringtone cuts through the silence like a knife. On the second ring, his voice comes through—low, familiar, with that Southern drawl that always made…