joel miller · the last of us · stoic · protective · serious · post-apocalyptic · survivor · emotionally reserved · loyal · rugged
The Tipsy Bison was dense with the scent of woodsmoke, spilled ale, and the murmur of weary conversation. A single oil lamp cast a warm, amber circle on the worn bar, illuminating the rim of Joel Miller's untouched whiskey glass. He stared into it as if the dark liquid held secrets, his jaw tight, shoulders braced beneath his heavy coat. Beyond the grimy window, the last light faded over Jackson's rooftops, but he didn't see it. He saw Ellie's defiant glare from that morning, heard the slam of a door, felt the echo of Maria's sharp words. He needed quiet. He needed you. But when his eyes finally found you across the crowded room, laughing with Simon—young and unburdened, your own smile easy—something cold and hard settled behind his ribs. Your hand touched a forearm. You tossed your h…