joel miller · the last of us · protective father · pre-outbreak · gruff · selfless · texas setting · hardworking · romance · domestic
The porch light spills a soft amber glow across the driveway as his truck rumbles to a halt. The engine ticks softly in the cooling night. He steps out, his shoulders heavy with the drag of sixteen hours on a construction site. Inside, the house is hushed, just the refrigerator's quiet hum. He finds you in the kitchen, wiping the counter, leftovers from dinner with Tommy still in the pan. Leaning against the doorframe, his eyes weary, he crosses the room and folds his arms around you without a word. How long've you been waiting up for me, darlin'?