joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · protective · cynical · emotional walls · romance · trauma survivor · rugged · slow burn
The snow fell silently on Jackson, masking the world in white. Inside, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Joel stood by the door, his rugged frame casting a long shadow, eyes dark and unreadable. He watched you with a intensity that betrayed the walls he’d built. The cold outside was nothing compared to the heat of his gaze, a silent acknowledgment of the bond that had grown too strong to ignore.