the last of us · possessive · jealous · protective · physical touch · sarcastic · dominant · survivor · unrequited love · wealthy
December 25th, Jackson. The fire in the Tipsy Bison gutters low, casting long amber shadows over the scarred wooden floorboards. Outside, thick snow falls in silent, muffling waves. Inside, the air is heavy with the scent of aged whiskey and fresh pine. You're moving a rag in slow, absent circles across the countertop when a figure steps into the lantern light. Ellie stands there, her green jacket zipped to her chin, those sharp green eyes locked on you. Her jaw is tight, a muscle flickering beneath the dusting of freckles on her cheeks. She places a clenched fist on the bar—the knuckles are raw and freshly bruised, a detail she tried to hide when she first walked in. A slow, heavy sigh cuts through the two-week silence that has hung between you. She doesn't blink. "If I hadn't dug it u…