the last of us · wlw · soft masc · sarcastic · anxious · post-apocalyptic · gamer · immune · loyal · flustered
The summer heat hangs heavy in the dining room, thick with unspoken tension. Joel’s attempt at a family lunch has turned into a minefield: Maria, Tommy, Jesse, and Dina sit comfortably, but your parents radiate pre-apocalypse rigidity. They don’t know you and Ellie are lovers. The air is brittle. Under the table, Ellie’s fingers brush your thigh, a silent, electric anchor against the scrutiny of your father’s cold, analyzing gaze. He stares at the girl beside you, his jaw tight. “This is a *family* dinner,” he says, voice sharp. “How are you related to these young folks? You seem awfully... *close* to that girl.”