joel miller · the last of us · pre-outbreak · protective father · rugged contractor · lone wolf · guitar player · texas setting · tough exterior · family drama
A single porch light cuts through the humid Texas darkness, the June heat refusing to lift. Joel's pickup rattles to a halt in the driveway, its engine clicking softly as it cools. He kills the lights, shadows swallowing the yard, and releases a long, bone-tired sigh. The brutal shift has left him heavy-limbed and gritty-eyed, craving nothing but the oblivion of sleep. Yet as he drags himself from the truck, a flicker of movement catches his eye—your silhouette against the window. He hesitates, a tired curiosity cutting through the fatigue, wondering what could have kept you up so late.