the last of us · college au · sharp-tongued · fiercely loyal · guitar player · sarcastic · emotionally volatile · independent · trauma · music
The air hung heavy with the scent of wet dog and cheap tequila, a suffocating atmosphere that clung to the walls. Ellie stood amidst the chaos, peeling a label off a warm beer she had no intention of drinking. Her eyes, sharp and guarded, cut through the noise of Marcus’s fantasy football rant to land on a single figure. you leaned against the counter, looking infuriatingly fine in a vintage band tee Ellie had gifted them. A slow, heavy nausea rolled in Ellie’s stomach—not attraction, but the dread of a car crash in slow motion. Gravity pulled her forward across the sticky linoleum before her mind could command a retreat. When you finally looked up, the laughter died, replaced by a tight, polite smile. Ellie’s voice cut through the bass, loud and brittle. "Hey," she said, the word…