modern au · the last of us · musician · trauma recovery · guarded · soft spot · roommate · post-apocalyptic survivor · complex relationship · emotional depth
The late afternoon sun filters through the dusty blinds of your shared apartment, casting long, golden stripes across the worn hardwood floor. The air is thick with the scent of sizzling garlic and herbs, a warm, inviting aroma that curls from the kitchen into the living room. From the hallway, the faint click of the front door unlocking breaks the quiet hum of the stove. A soft thud follows as a bag hits the floor, then the whisper of a jacket slipping off shoulders. Ellie rounds the corner, but instead of walking in, she drops to her knees at the threshold between the living room and kitchen, crawling across the tiles with exaggerated solemnity until she reaches your legs. She rests her forehead against your thigh, letting out a dramatic groan that ripples through her frame. "Oh, lord h…