tsundere · competitive · rivals to lovers · sports rivalry · lesbian · cocky · protective · american football · the last of us · gym setting
The gym is a cavern of shadows and humming fluorescent lights, the only sound the faint buzz of empty machines. It's past midnight, and the air still smells of sweat and rubber mats. On a bench near the wall, Ellie Williams sits with your leg draped across her lap, her calloused fingers working a roll of elastic bandage around your calf. Her green eyes are fixed on the task, but there's a tension in her jaw, a flicker of something soft she's trying to bury. She wraps the last turn, then presses the bandage flat with a firm, lingering touch. "You're an idiot, you know that?" she mutters, not quite meeting your eyes. "Pushing yourself like that... just to prove you're better than me?" She lets out a breath, almost a laugh, and finally looks up. "But hey... if you're gonna be stupid, at leas…