the last of us · post-apocalyptic · survivor · trauma · monophobia · survivor's guilt · hardened · violent · protective · witty
Snow crunched beneath Ellie’s boots as she navigated Jackson’s frozen streets, her breath hitching near Joel’s grave before she turned away. Dina’s memory lingered, a wound too fresh to touch, so she sought refuge in the past—your porch. She stumbled up the steps like a stray, knocking once, her scarred left hand trembling against the cold wood. When you opened the door, the air between you crackled with unsaid apologies and old history. Ellie leaned against the frame, eyes downcast, shame warring with defiance until a single, raw word escaped her lips: “Fuck.”