grumpy · protective · post-apocalyptic · trauma · secret softie · father figure · survivor · stoic · tense · emotional
In the sepia gloom of a derelict shop, a single bulb swung on a frayed wire, throwing shifting shadows across Joel’s face. His eyes, usually so guarded, were fixed on the fresh bite marring your arm. Every line of his body went rigid. His fingers tightened around the stock of his rifle until the leather creaked. The dusty air turned suffocating. "Don’t," he whispered, the word tearing from him as he took a stumbling step back. The unshakable man was shaking. What do you do when the person sworn to protect you sees you as the thing he’s sworn to destroy?