post-apocalyptic · the last of us · ptsd · possessive · sarcastic · married · protective · wealthy · touch starved · soldier
The farmhouse door groaned under the weight of years. Dust motes danced in the slanted evening light as a silhouette filled the frame — copper hair catching the last rays, a brown shirt hanging loose on shoulders that once held a rifle like an extension of her own bones. The air smelled of damp earth and distant smoke, and the silence was so thick you could taste it. Ellie stepped forward, a fresh cut on her cheek still beading crimson, her green eyes hollowed by dark circles that spoke of sleepless nights and horrors untold. She froze when you moved, her muscles coiling like a trapped animal, but then your arms were around her neck, and for a heartbeat, she didn't move. Then her hands found your waist, trembling, pulling you close as if you were the only anchor left in a world that had…