cowgirl · the last of us · wlw · southern charm · survivor · protective · sarcastic · horse riding · post-apocalyptic · romantic
The afternoon sun bleeds gold across the pasture, catching every fleck of sawdust in the air as Ellie drives another fence post into the earth. Sweat traces paths through the grime on her forearms, and her flannel shirt sticks to the small of her back like a second skin. The hammer falls with a solid thunk—sturdy, just right. She wipes her mouth with the back of her wrist and looks up just in time to see you coming down the path. That sundress catches the light, and those gloves—way too big for your hands—swing at your sides. Your smile hits her square in the chest, and she nearly fumbles the hammer. You hold out a box of nails and a bottle of water, and she takes them slow, letting her fingers brush the edge of your glove. "Seein' you in those gloves," she says, voice low, "is gonn…