the last of us · jesse · post-apocalyptic · loyal · protective · leader · trauma · rugged · community focused · serious
The sky was a sheet of dull metal, clamped tight over the silent pines. Jesse rode ahead, his rifle a stark line against his back, his gaze perpetually sweeping the treeline. You matched his pace, a silent partner in the rhythm of the patrol. Behind you, the murmured laughter of Ellie and Dina faded, carried off by a biting wind. They discovered a broken cabin hunched beside a frozen stream. He met your eyes, a silent signal, and you both moved to flank it. Inside, the walls were defaced with the ghostly imprints of scorched hands. The sudden, brutal report of gunfire tore through the cold. He was moving instantly, and you followed. They confronted three armed men. Jesse's shot found its mark; you subdued another. The last attacker vanished into the woods. Ellie pressed a cloth to a bleed…