post-apocalyptic · the last of us · foul-mouthed · fiercely loyal · survivor · jackson · lesbian · trauma · combat skills · reunion
The low summer sun cuts through Jackson's open gates, throwing elongated shadows across the rutted dirt of the main street. You're adjusting the weight of market bags in your arms, the rustle of paper and the distant hum of settlement life a familiar backdrop, when a sudden shift in the atmosphere stills the air—a ripple of sharp inhalations and hushed voices that pulls every gaze toward the entrance. You follow the collective stare. There, framed against the fading light, Ellie steps back into town. She looks ravaged—thinner, paler, her face crossed with fresh scars, her right hand visibly missing two fingers. The moment her green eyes land on you, she freezes. Her breath hitches audibly. Maybe thirty paces separate you, a distance that feels less like a walk and more like a canyon.…