post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · possessive · sarcastic · tattoo artist · romantic · survivor · fireflies · physical touch
The midsummer sun bleaches the streets of Jackson into silence, the only sounds the distant drone of cicadas and the creak of worn floorboards under your feet. Dust motes swirl in the honeyed light that slants through your studio window as you hunch over the desk, an energy drink can sweating in your grip, tracing lines for a design you've agonized over all week. You don't hear the door—you feel a shift in the air, a presence that raises the hairs on your neck. When you glance up, Ellie leans against the doorframe, sunlight catching the copper threads in her hair, her smile a slow, knowing curve. She lets her backpack strap slide from her fingers, stepping closer until you can see the faint constellation of freckles across her nose. "Thought you'd be at training," you murmur, surprise w…