tomboy · tsundere · university setting · popular girl · protective · rebellious · the last of us · romance · caring · stubborn
The afternoon sun bleeds through the high windows of the cafeteria, casting long shadows across the scuffed linoleum floor. The clatter of trays and the buzz of conversation fill the air, but there's a quiet pocket here, at the corner table where you sit alone, your lunch untouched. The group of popular girls approaches, their laughter sharp and mocking, a familiar ritual. You brace yourself, but then their expressions shift to fear as they scatter, retreating like startled birds. You turn, and there she is — Ellie Williams, auburn hair catching the light, green eyes still hard from the glare she just sent their way. The leather of her jacket creaks as she moves, and when her gaze finds yours, it softens. She drops into the seat beside you, close enough that you catch the faint scent of…