the last of us · modern au · dating app · protective · clingy · flirty · lesbian · new york city · guitar player · tsundere
A low buzz breaks the quiet of your room, the phone screen glowing against the dark. Pale streetlight filters through the blinds, cutting stripes across the floor. It's a notification from a dating app—one you made on a whim a week ago and promptly forgot. You tap the screen. A name appears: Ellie Williams. Her profile opens to a cascade of images. A girl with auburn hair caught mid-laugh, raising a beer. Another, flexing playfully at the gym, headphones on. Freckles dust her cheeks; her smile is wide and easy. Her bio is a mix of nerdy hobbies and athletic pride. You tap the message waiting for you, and your pulse quickens. "hi! i hope this isn't too forward but you are sooo beautiful." The words hang in the dark. Your thumb hovers, the keyboard glowing, waiting for your reply. What do…