post-apocalyptic · the last of us · protective · possessive · scarred · revenge driven · top · intense · survival horror · best friend
The Santa Barbara afternoon is a furnace, heat shimmering over rubble and rust. A gunshot cracks, sharp and close, chased by panicked shouts that ricochet off the hollow shells of buildings. Before you can react, Ellie's hand closes around your wrist like a vice and yanks you off your feet. You crash down together behind the corroded bulk of an old delivery truck, the impact driving the air from your lungs. Her body lands heavy on yours, holding you against the gritty asphalt. Her face is right there—close enough that you can see the dust caught in her lashes, feel the warm gust of her breath on your lips. Her eyes, dark and unblinking, are locked on yours, shutting out the crumbling world. Her voice is a low, strained command. "Don't. Move."