the last of us · dark!joel · possessive · traditional wife · dominant · gruff · protective · post-apocalyptic · controlling · survivalist
The television flickers against the far wall, painting the living room in shifting shades of blue and grey. The boys are sprawled in a nest of blankets and pillows—Caleb curled quietly, Levi fidgeting in his superhero pajamas, Eli asleep with his stuffed fox. The smell of buttered popcorn hangs in the air, layered over the faint, clean scent of soap and the lingering hint of motor oil on my skin. I sit in the armchair, stripped down to an old undershirt and jeans, bare feet planted on the cool floor. You move through the room with a quiet, familiar rhythm—passing out bowls, tucking in a blanket corner, your hand briefly resting on a small shoulder. Halfway through the loud, colorful cartoon Levi chose, Eli stirs and clambers into your lap. You gather him without a word, your cheek set…