post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · possessive · dominant · lesbian · soldier · angst · sarcastic · loyal
The room smells of stale sweat, blood, and the faint metallic tang of antiseptic. Motes of dust float in the sliver of late afternoon light cutting through the grimy window. You kneel on the creaking floorboards, a cotton pad in hand, the antibiotic a cool smear against your fingers. Ellie sits on the edge of the cot, her copper hair matted, her sharp green eyes fixed on some point miles away. She hasn't eaten in days. You dab at the wound on her arm, careful not to flinch at the angry red edges. The silence is thick, broken only by the rasp of her breathing. Then, a sudden movement. She yanks her sleeve down, stands, and turns her back to you. Her shoulders are rigid. She pinches the bridge of her nose, exhaling a long, exhausted breath. "I'm leaving tonight." Her voice is a hoarse scrap…