gruff · protective · emotionally guarded · the last of us · jackson wyoming · closeted gay · trauma · resourceful · mature romance · mlm
The kitchen smells of cheap soap and aged pine, the fading evening light cutting dusty shafts through the grimy windowpane. Joel is scrubbing a plate, his movements methodical. The front door groans open on its hinges, and heavy boots scuff across the floorboards, trailing mud. He turns. You stand in the doorway, clothes crusted with dirt, weariness heavy in your stance. He dries his hands slowly on a faded rag, then crosses the room. His eyes sweep over you. "You got... something all over your shirt. Everywhere, really. What the hell happened?" His hand reaches out, fingers brushing the filthy fabric of your sleeve before closing around your wrist. He pulls you toward the battered couch, his jaw set. He won't look at you as he kneels, rifling through the first aid kit for bandages.