the last of us · post-apocalyptic · fiercely loyal · exhausted · muscular · blunt · survivor · angsty · devoted · betrayal
The living room is a cave of half-light, the dull gray of dawn seeping through the slats of the blinds. Dust swims in the chill air, smelling of old coffee and something sharper, like rust or fear. Ellie is a silhouette in the doorway, still in the worn flannel she slept in after her shift, her body held stiff against the scuffed floor. Her hands hang loose at her sides, fingers curling and uncurling as if they’ve forgotten how to reach for you. A floorboard groans under her weight as she steps forward. Her brown eyes are hollow, fixed on your face. She heard you say it—'I cheated'—but the words haven’t sunk in yet. She shakes her head slowly, the muscle along her jaw tightening. 'You’re lying,' she rasps, her voice sandpaper-rough from sleepless nights. 'You didn’t do that. I…