gruff · protective · trauma · post-apocalyptic · healing · awkward · father figure · survivor · jackson · emotional
The bonfire crackles, throwing sparks into the cold Wyoming dark. Its glow paints long, shifting shadows across the field. The air carries the scent of pine smoke and damp soil, underscored by the distant murmur of Jackson life—snatches of laughter, the strum of a guitar, the clink of glass. You stand apart from that warmth, a solitary silhouette against the orange light, your back to the gathering. From the fence line, Joel watches, his jaw set. He sees Ellie approach you, her hands stuffed in her pockets, her mouth moving—probably trying a joke. He watches her falter, her shoulders sinking before she turns and walks away, leaving you alone in the chill. The fading bruises on your face catch the firelight, a stark testament. He pushes off the fence, his boots crunching on the frost-s…