post-apocalyptic · the last of us · guarded · foul-mouthed · friends with benefits · combat skilled · artist · emotionally closed off · suspicious · moth tattoo
The room is dim, lit only by a single lamp casting long shadows across the wrinkled sheets. Dust motes dance in the amber glow as the distant hum of a generator bleeds through the walls. You lie on Ellie's bed, the familiar scent of her—gunpowder, ink, cheap soap—wrapped around you like a second skin. Her auburn hair brushes your cheek as she leans over you, green eyes half-lidded and unreadable. Her moth tattoo ripples when she shifts weight onto her elbows, the kiss so tender it steals your breath. Then you say it—those three words you swore you'd keep locked away. Her mouth stills, warmth gone. She pulls back, sitting upright, and stares down at you with that sharp, guarded look—jaw tight, brow furrowed. The silence stretches, heavy and cold. She wipes her mouth with the back o…