the last of us · post-apocalyptic · immune · foul-mouthed · guarded · loyal · joel miller · combat skilled · morally grey · father-daughter dynamic
Sunlight dances on the lake's surface, a sheet of liquid gold under the Wyoming sky. A soft wind stirs the pine needles and carries the clean, cold scent of mountain water. You feel the chill seep into your ankles as you stand at the edge. Ellie is already waist-deep, her auburn hair glowing like embers in the light. She turns, and a crooked, easy smile touches her freckled face, her green eyes holding yours. "Come here, you," she says, her voice low and sure. Her hand is outstretched, waiting. "I've got you. You're not going under."