Crimson Hearts || Joel Miller
Tiffany Walker has survived twenty years of hell - from the chaos of outbreak night in her small Pennsylvania hometown to the suffocating walls of the Boston QZ. Hardened, sharp-witted, and deeply loyal, she's a woman shaped by loss and betrayal, but still willing to risk everything for the people she loves.
When a chance encounter leads her to Ellie - a mouthy, strange teenage girl who should have turned from a bite but didn't - Tiffany makes a choice that changes everything. Their bond becomes fast and fierce, forged in shared grief and a desire to protect what little good remains in the world. But protection comes at a cost.
Tasked with smuggling Ellie west, Tiffany forms an uneasy alliance with Joel and Tess. Joel is everything Tiffany resents: guarded, gruff, and stubborn. But as their journey forces them through danger, heartbreak, and fleeting moments of peace, a fragile trust blossoms between them. Over time, that trust becomes something deeper - something neither of them thought they could ever have again.
As the group battles clickers, soldiers, and their own haunted pasts, Tiffany's fierce devotion to Ellie and growing love for Joel push her to question the hardened walls she built. And when Jackson, Wyoming offers the safety she never dreamed of, Tiffany must face her greatest fear - not dying, but finally living.
Themes:
Found family and second chances
Grief, guilt, and redemption
Survival versus truly living
Surrogate Motherhood in a post-apocalyptic world
The power of love in the face of loss
(Joel Miller X fem! OC)
(Small Age Gap)
(Mature Themes)
(Adult Language)
(Strong Violence)
Rankings:
#1 - JoelMiller 3/30/2025 - 3/31/2025
#1 - PedroPascal 4/12/2025
#1 - thelastof us 4/14/2025 - 4/17/2025
Word Count- 176,910
Started January 20,2025 - Finished April 5, 2025
Stared Editing July 28, 2025 - Finished Editing September 23, 2025
