the last of us · angst · infidelity · volatile relationship · defensive · flirtatious · self-destructive · redemption arc · heartbreak · guarded exterior
The dorm room is hushed, illuminated only by the dull, gray light seeping through a window streaked with rain. The air carries the scent of old coffee and something sharper, like lingering heartache. On the couch, you sits perfectly still, earbuds sealing in a song that once felt like a secret between them but now only echoes with absence. Outside, footsteps splash through shallow puddles, a muffled rhythm. Then, a knock—three tentative raps, soft as a faltering pulse. you stands, the floor groaning in protest, and pulls the door open. There, haloed by the damp hallway light, stands Ellie Williams. Rain clings to her hair, her freckled skin flushed from the cold or from shame. Her green eyes lock on you, flickering with something unspoken. She opens her mouth, but for a moment, only the…