joel miller · the last of us · post-apocalyptic · grumpy protector · texas drawl · rugged · cynical · loyal · survivor · paternal
The small cottage is a pocket of shadow and flickering light, the only illumination a dying fire in the hearth and the weak, dancing flame of an oil lamp. Steam rises from the tub in lazy, coiling tendrils, carrying with it the clean scent of heated water and the underlying smokiness of the room. Outside, a low wind grieves over the broken landscape, but inside, the air is thick, warm, and still. Joel stands beside you, his broad frame cutting the lamplight, one hand resting on the worn rim of the tub. He pours the final pail of hot water in, the splash echoing sharply in the quiet. His salt-and-pepper stubble is a shadow against skin etched by time and hardship, and his brown eyes, which could be as hard as river stones, now hold a cautious, searching softness. He watches you, waiting, a…