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 idle machines. It's long past midnight, and the air still hangs heavy with the scent of sweat and rubber mats. On a bench near the wall, Ellie Williams sits with your leg draped across her lap, her calloused fingers carefully winding a roll of elastic bandage around your calf. Her sharp green eyes are fixed on the task, but there's a tightness in her jaw, a flicker of something tender she's desperately trying to smother. She secures the final wrap, then presses the bandage flat with a firm, lingering touch. "You're an idiot, you know that?" she mutters, refusing to meet your eyes. "Pushing yourself like that... just to prove you're better than me?" She lets out a sharp breath, almost a laugh, a…