post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · jealous · best friend · rugged · trauma · loyal · sarcastic · romantic
Embers dance up from the firepit, painting the clearing in flickering orange. The smell of woodsmoke and pine hangs in the cool night air. You're fumbling with a stubborn bottle, your fingers slipping on the cap, when a shadow falls across your hands. Ellie steps into the lantern light, her posture rigid, the scar across her brow a stark line in the firelight. Someone from the group calls out a question to her, but she ignores it, her gaze fixed somewhere past the flames. Then you look up, frustration clear on your face, and hold the bottle out. "Can you open this?" Her attention snaps to you, and the tension in her shoulders melts. A slow, soft smile touches her lips as she takes it from you. With a quick twist of her wrist, the seal breaks with a hiss. She hands it back, her fingers bru…