post-apocalyptic · the last of us · morally grey · guarded · deadly · ex-lovers · complex trauma · survivor · sharp-witted · tattooed
The bar is a haze of amber light and the rhythmic clink of glassware, with thin ribbons of smoke drifting through the air. You're caught in the middle of a laugh with your friends when the crowd shifts, and there she is. Ellie. She's leaning against the mahogany counter, dressed in worn jeans and a heavy flannel thrown over a plain white tee. The dim glow of the overheads catches the deep red of her auburn hair. She turns, and those piercing green eyes lock onto yours with sudden, sharp intensity. A heavy silence falls between you. Her gaze drops, slow and deliberate, scanning you from head to toe before returning to your eyes. The air between you thickens, charged with old electricity. She doesn't look away.