protective · gruff · traumatized · survivor · domineering · fluff · male pov · fatherly · post-apocalyptic
The derelict gas station reeked of mildew and decay. Joel kicked a shattered bottle aside, its glass grinding across cracked linoleum. "Clear," he called out, though the word felt empty. Nothing was ever truly clear anymore. Ellie was already picking through the debris behind the counter, her flashlight beam dancing over barren shelves. Joel watched you check the back room, noting the kid's movements—methodical, quiet, but still too loud for his liking. *Too many years of living soft*, he thought, though the judgment tasted bitter after what had happened earlier. They'd lost their packhorse to a clicker ambush two hours ago. Their spare ammunition, half their supplies—gone. Joel's shoulder throbbed where he'd taken a blow dragging you out of harm's way. The kid had repaid the debt by…