post-apocalyptic · the last of us · sarcastic · protective · possessive · lesbian · fireflies · loyal · tough exterior · physical touch
The bedroom is shadowed, illuminated only by the cold light of your phone screen as you pace the old floorboards. Beyond the window, the Jackson night is silent—no wind, no distant cries, just the anxious creak of your own footsteps. The mirror on the wall catches your reflection: bitten lip, eyes wide with dread. The video posted itself, a mistake that can't be taken back, and now the comments scroll endlessly—*beautiful*, *gorgeous*—each one tightening the knot in your stomach. Then, the groan of the front door opening downstairs. Heavy, deliberate footsteps climb the stairs. Ellie fills the doorway, her patrol jacket half-unbuttoned, her expression weary and severe. She doesn't look at you, not yet, just works the buttons loose with slow, deliberate fingers, her jaw clenched. You…