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fatalitysficbakery · 5 months ago

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𓆰♥︎𓆪 What We Could’ve Had. (Ep. 1)

— Ellie Williams x Riley Abel

genre: angst/fluff/smut-TY.

warnings: rewriting endings.

synopsis: what happens if riley hadn’t died? what life would she and ellie have lived?

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❦ ⌫ ❦

"Easy girl," I call to my mare when we bound a particularly icy corner, finally eye to eye with something more than miles of snowy forest, the chill hadn't set in until we'd arrived, chalk it up to the adrenaline of having to help make sure myself, two horses, and a grown man are safe from the hordes of infected searching for their next meals. It had been a long road to get here. Figuratively, and literally.

Jackson City.

I never thought I'd see the day, a town lively with families, survivors that escaped the carnage, children, for fucks sake. It almost seemed normal, can't remember the last time I felt normalcy like this, and for a moment, though it was rightful on their part, I wasn't hopeful I ever would.

He had to pull a lot of strings to get me here, Joel. Talked and pleaded for almost 3 months on my behalf, meanwhile, I was stuck holed up in an old warehouse that had begun...decaying. Mold, leaks, holes...If Joel hadn't managed to put in a good word, I don't know where I'd be. When you're an adventure-seeking kid, fighting 'zombies' in an apocalypse sounds exciting, and exhilarating, you fantasize about how you'll save the world, kick infected ass, and most importantly — Be one of the chosen ones to survive. Because of your 'strength', your 'resilience'. I was that and then some, and it had unfortunately burnt bridges I never even got to build.

So, I waited. I waited with bated breathing until the day Joel came back with two horses, food, and supplies for the long road home.

Home. I hadn't had one of those in a while. Not since her anyway.

Hopping down from Lainey's back, I leave her to be taken to the stables. Everyone seemed to have their own tasks, it was a well-oiled engine, you could say. Before I even knew it I was being led down the street, and the question I had on my tongue was as predictable as ever, I could tell by the way the man who never smiled broke character to chuckle at it.

"How is she?"

𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎

"Ellie? Well, she's Ellie. Stubborn as a mule but damn good at any job thrown her way. Ellie...She's...good."

It wasn't long before that familiar brooding solemn Joel returned to my vision, I could tell something was heavy on his mind, and before I knew it I was chewing on my bottom lip with the guiltiest feeling baring on my soul, knowing I was probably to blame for how strained their relationship seemed to be now. I couldn't help it, really, the man looked like a kicked puppy, I had to say something.

I clear my throat and begin an apology that was long overdue on my part. "Hey Joel, I'm uh, I'm so-"

He stopped me with a raise of his hand, shaking his head before letting out a sigh so filled with regret you could hear behind it. "The fault was and is all mine for lying to her in the first place, darlin'. You ain't done a thing but care about Ellie since y'all have known one another, and truthfully...that's all I ask for. She deserves that much."

My mouth went drier than the damned Sahara at his words, but I couldn't get another one of my own in before he was walking ahead of me, forcing me into a power walk so that I could keep up. He eyes me from his peripheral, and a brief moment passes before his arm wraps around my shoulder, it's a fatherly type of presence that I had learned to revel in since I'd gotten closer to Joel. "Welcome home, kid. Let's get you outta this snow, and show you where you'll be sleeping."

He whistles, and calls someone over, a woman, long brunette locks, tan ivory skin, around my height but a little taller comes striding over to us, pretty, looks kind. Joel calls her Dina as he introduces us, her hand held out to shake mine. "Dina, this is Riley, the newest of us. Can you show her to her room? Me and Jesse are heading out to patrol before it gets too dark out here."

Dina nods eagerly enough that it makes me feel less nervous and a little more welcome. "Not a problem, where's she headed?"

"Cabin. By me and Ellie's place."

"Gotcha. C'mon, Ri. We got it from here, right? I think so. It's nice to meet you, by the way. Welcome to our little sanctuary."

She and I were already walking away from Joel and I'd barely even noticed, my heart thundering in my ears, repeating Joel's words over and over like a broken record in my head; I miss almost every word she speaks aside from the last bit, muttering my own 'Nice to meet you too, thank you' back at her, my heart pounding in my chest thrice as quickly as it should.

'Cabin. By me and Ellie's place.'

Jesus, be a fence.

6:00 am, Friday. I remember the first time I saw someone turn into an infected before my own eyes, at first it was like any old common cold, we kept the wound clean but it got bad, horrible really fast. The 'adults' wanted me out while it happened, though I knew what the outcome would be; I'd seen the slaughter and participated in it firsthand just trying to survive, but this was different. — I peeked around the corner after I had been kicked out, a crack in the door my only view into the room, and it was there I saw it go from bad to worse. It had only been around 8 minutes when his symptoms went from common cold to something much more painful, I had never heard such bone-chilling agonized screaming before, his body writhed and twisted, but not in the traditional horror movie sense, no, he looked as if he wanted to get comfortable, ease the pain any way he could but he couldn't. It'd stayed that way for around 4 minutes and then... Silence. Complete. 3 more minutes. It was still like the moment had been frozen in time. You could hear a pin drop. A low growling hum broke the silence. A resounding gunshot joined its cause shortly thereafter. I saw his eyes before they closed for the final time, and if I hadn't known any better, I would've thought he'd seen me too the way they appeared to look directly my way. Grey, nearly dead, but filled with what looked like relief. He seemed almost...thankful. 15 minutes. I counted every minute from the clock in the room to the watch on my wrist, I'd counted. He’d been a normal guy. One that had come and gone in only 15 minutes. And he wasn't the only one, soon it was widely known how fast it took and I was used to counting down every. little. minute. ↳ When did 15 minutes become so long? My hand shook pointing the gun at her, I couldn't do it, man. I wouldn't. I won't. Ellie and I've been holed up in this old abandoned mall for 4 hours now, it wasn't supposed to be this long a trip but we got sidetracked by the wonders of the mall that I'd been wanting to show her since I found it, only, I'd hurt her. I knew I did, she was pissed when I snuck up on her after not checking in in so damn long. I couldn't leave without a goodbye. As I look over at her sleeping figure, I find myself more confused. The last 4 hours were fun, or at least, the first two were. We explored, found stupid scare masks to put on, made our own fun, and finally, we got to play video games, just like the magic skull had told Ellie we wouldn't be able to. The smile on her face had made everything worthwhile. A fairytale in an apocalypse. ...I guess the apocalypse didn't like that all too much. Fun. Romance. It was already too late when the stalker had pounced on Ellie, I emptied my clip into the damned thing and it still got one final bite in. Ellie didn't utter a word about dying, or turning. She seemed disconnected after it happened, her own pistol pointed at her head, she waited for a shot that wouldn't come. I couldn't do it. I pleaded with her. Give me those last 15 minutes. She'd silently nodded. That was two hours ago.

"Well, this is it. I was wondering why Joel seemed so hellbent on getting this place cleaned up. We haven't happened upon any other survivors in months. You must be pretty special, the people around here aren't too...trusting." Dina chattered on as we entered the small one-bedroom cabin that'd be my living space. I had my own living space. It wasn't big, no upstairs, just right for a person living by themselves. I couldn't bite back my grin, a real-life home, no mold, no cracks or leaks, there's a space heater in the corner, I must've looked like a dream-struck idiot because Dina spoke up again.

"Where were you before this? If I may."

"Cold ass warehouse."

I hear her snort a little, leaned up against the opened front door. I was expecting another comment, more small talk that felt like it'd been running on for hours.

Instead, I'm not met with the new sound of Dina's voice, my ears are met with a familiar voice, one I could remember just by the sound of her breathing. When presented with the option of fight, flight, or freeze, I was always more privy to picking either of the former but today, my body seized, a rare freeze.

8:30 am, Sunday. I don't know if I made the right decision. After Ellie survived the bite and continued to survive the bite, I made an impulsive decision a week later. Told Marlene about what had happened, and that's why we're here in this car. El's head in my lap, asleep soundly while riding to Firefly headquarters with Joel to possibly find a cure to end this thing. At least that's how Marlene explained it. She told me they'd run some tests, learn what makes Ellie immune, and see if they could replicate it, turn it into an antivirus. I wanted to stay hopeful; She was. And she'd been the one attacked. Ellie's selfless like that, she always has been, and it amazed me usually. Right now...It fucking terrified me. In the pit of my stomach, I felt dread. In the pit of my stomach, I felt dread, horror, and concern while going to a place where I had desperately wanted to be only three weeks before. ↳ We had to pull over. The anxiety got so bad Ellie had to hold my hair while I vomited on the side of the road, Joel stood protectively near us with a shotgun in his hand and though neither party complained, I had enough shame and embarrassment for all three of us. The nausea is still here. So is the anxiety.

"Di, you left some clothes at mi-" My heart, I was sure, had dropped to my ass when I laid eyes on her, it was almost surreal. There she was. Ellie Williams in the flesh stood in front of my very eyes, it was like those dramatic romcoms where the two main characters lay eyes on one another for the first time, cheesy music playing behind them and the wind mysteriously blowing in their hair dramatically.

Reality was far less compelling, maybe even disappointing. Her eyes didn't move from mine, gaze unwavering and I wish I could say I held her gaze, that I was a stronger woman, but the person in front of me; Her effect was strong, my heart pounding in my chest, thudding loudly in my ears.

She was still the same Ellie I once knew, her features familiar but older, voice a little lower and filled with a light rasp and a newfound maturity. She was beautiful, but she always had been. — I'm transported into the past, remembering how many times I spent staring at and just...admiring her.

I watch her feet when she shuffles over to Dina, butterflies in my stomach and chest tight. I know I have zero right to be jealous and zero claim on Ellie anymore, hell I barely even know her now but fuck did it still hurt seeing that damned black bra sitting atop the pile of clothes she handed back to Dina, the implications behind it rather clear.

I don't know why I didn't allow myself to speak first, my tongue darting out to lick my dried chapped lips; I couldn't feel any more excited than the moment she took the option from me, she turned to me, that all too familiar half grin on her face. "Riley..."

"You two...know each other?"

My gaze drags itself back over to her and Dina. I only manage a weak nod. Ellie's own eyes hadn't left me, and it fills me with a hope I don't believe I deserve to have. I'm not able to muster even the smallest reply. My chest feels so tight that I have to remind myself I'm not dying, though it feels like a heart attack waiting to happen when I'm standing in front of her. Funny that, an entire apocalypse happening before our very eyes and the thing most likely to end my life were the eyes of the ex-girlfriend I let slip through my grasp. Oh, this cursed blessing we call love and its bittersweet intricacies.

"Ellie?" Dina asks again. The look on her face and the desperation in her voice aren't dead on me. I could tell she'd probably put two and two together on her lonesome when both Ellie and I hadn't uttered a word, both of us looking like deers caught in headlights. She clears her throat, resigning her efforts to find out more, at least for now, that is.

"How did you find this place?" Ellie speaks up next, one of her fists clenched to her side, a tell I'd learned meant she was holding back her emotions. Fighting them with all her might. I didn't quite blame her.

I had a track record for surprising her, and not in ways I've ever been too proud of.

"Joel's been putting in a good word for me, i-it was never a sure thing because the locals wouldn't trust me. Took a good almost 3 months, but I'm here." I muster up the weakest breathy laugh I can, a stupid attempt at keeping things light, but I could tell by the look in her eyes...I'd hurt her again.

I knew why I didn't keep in touch, but it'd always look bad in her eyes, rightfully so. I was always running from something, or towards it. And in pursuit, I'd isolate myself. Abandon the ones who cared too much, who loved too hard. It was all so overwhelming when in hindsight...I didn't even love myself yet, and so I ran. I ran to convince myself I couldn't be loved, or maybe I ran because I'm scared to be loved. Either way, I've done a helluva lot of it. From my past, my present, hell even my damned future.

"So...You've been keeping in touch with Joel? Huh."

Marlene was someone I thought I could trust, I regarded her with the highest respect. She is, was, like a maternal figure to me, motherly and caring. She trained with me, helped me learn to hunt for food, and made sure I was fed and clothed. Hell, she'd have given me the clothes from her sooner than she'd let me go cold. All this being told to say,,, FUCK MARLENE, and FUCK FIREFLY. We're ending this tonight. Ellie deserves better than the world is giving to her, and I'm fucking determined to give it to her. I brought Marlene to her eagerly when I found out just how special I already knew she was, I've put in danger too many damn times for me to count. I'm making this better. Ellie, do you hear me? I'm making this fucking better!

I couldn't breathe, it felt like I was suffocating from thick tension in the cabin, two pairs of eyes on me and the most important set held a hint of betrayal in them, I couldn't hold on much longer but it wasn't me who gave in first. Ellie looks at me with so much conflict in those all too familiar eyes. She looks like she wants to say something, anything. After a while I see her gaze travel back to Dina and I feel a little sense of bittersweet relief.

She was slipping through the cracks of my fingers all over again.

"We should go help start on dinner for the kids, D."

There was something in Dina's gaze that told she picked up on the history. She was quiet, demure as opposed to the excitable social butterfly I'd met just moments before. She nods at Ellie's request, giving me only a quiet "Bye" with a limp-handed wave.

Ellie doesn't look back. I keep willing her to. I know she feels my stare burning through hers. 'Ellie, please' My eyes pleaded, and I could feel tears welling. My heart nearly stops the second she turns one last time. I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. Her expression is unreadable, but that doesn't matter to me.

She looked back.

The carnage was bad. Marlene was just one of many Joel and I slaughtered that night. Would you not do the same for the girl you loved? I couldn't watch them kill her, and I got the sense Joel felt a fatherly love towards her now. He wasn't letting her go down without a fight either and that...That I don't regret. She's still alive. The aftermath is what keeps me up most nights. Ellie was suspicious from the get-go, Joel had fed her some lie about there being others like her, about raiders slaughtering the many in the Fireflies massacre. He told her a cure couldn't be replicated from her immunity, and I? I sat there numbly nodding along when all I wanted to do was blurt out the truth and deal with the consequences while this could still possibly be salvaged, and maybe that was delusional of me, but Joel could see I didn't have it me to keep this a secret from her...I could see the disappointment clouding his stare. When Ellie had finally had enough of the storytelling, he told her everything while I sat with my hands folded neatly in my lap and my head bowed cowardly, I wasn't able to look her in the eyes. I had never heard Ellie so angry the night she broke up with me. I deserved it...We deserved it.

"Ex?" Dina asks and I instantly wanna shut down. We were just getting into a rhythm, and though we weren't official? I still feel so damn guilty about the emotions Riley's presence brings me. A conflicting feeling of happiness, relief, a little bit of anger, and sadness? But there was one untapped emotion that was unlocking its cage at the mere sight of her. I choke it down and give Dina an honest answer because I at least owe her that.

"Mhmm. But we were kids. Nothing serious."

The understatement in my words made me wanna curl in on myself. How could I sit there and tell Dina she wasn't serious to me when she's been the only thing on my mind since before I even met Dina.

I feel sick.

"Nothing serious, Williams?" Dina arches a brow as if scanning me for any hint of a lie, and I cook up another one even with multiple on my tongue already. I stomach the acid that comes with swallowing my words. Hard truths.

"Yeah. Nothing serious. Why? Jealous?" Our shoulders knock, and I force myself to smile, I give myself this distraction because I'm not quite sure I'm ready to face the music. Eventually, I know it won't be an option but right now...

"That's cute, Williams. No, I'm not jealous but remind me to kick your ass with some snowballs later just for asking."

"Defensive. Must be some truth to it."

Dina sends a glare my way and that red blush dusts across her cheeks with a familiarity that both warms and breaks my heart immensely. She gives me the middle finger and I can't help but chuckle. "Again? Would be my pleasure."

She groans, but I can see that little hint of a smile appearing on her lips. One she can't control, and yet she tries hard to.

"Shove it."

𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎

"WHEW." Exhaustion was written on Riley's face, the midmorning frost can hardly keep her awake, nor the sound of hooves galloping through the snow. What does keep her awake comes in the form of the brunette on the horse in front of her.

Exes were something most regarded through black and white lenses, there were unwritten guidelines on how to deal with them and the most important always seemed to be to stay away from them. Protect your peace; Heal.

It was easier said than done when Ellie Williams was your ex. She had an effect on people that left a mark in their psyche so deep, she simply stayed there far past her welcome. Riley was aching, she was aching every day she was near her. The air was always thicker than a knife could cut it, so many words were left unsaid, and emotions were left with no closure.

Neither is ready to talk just yet. Neither are ready until the first rumble of thunder and lightning. The two stop their horses to look at back at one another with concern etched onto their features. Riley is the first to speak up.

"Should we go back?"

Ellie's eyes take Riley in and for a moment she's silent as if contemplating something before ultimately shaking her head. "Nah, I know a place not too far from here. We won't have time to go back. C'mon."

Without another word uttered between them, Riley trails behind her heart beating out of her chest at the thought of being alone with Ellie for God knows how long while the storm raged, this was something she'd been anxious about since the first day she was allowed duty.

↳

There were unwritten rules when dealing with exes and the most important was that you obviously don't associate with them let alone get back together with them, and maybe that was Ellie's problem. She had never been too fond of the rules. Her eyes were glued to Riley's back as they walked into the warehouse, a storm brewing too fast for them to dodge it and get back to town, Riley could feel her heart pounding at simply the thought of being stuck with Ellie during a snowstorm.

What would they do? Talk about? She was convinced Ellie wanted nothing to do with her and she couldn't start a conversation, not with guilt bearing on her heavier than it'd done the night she betrayed her.

She can't look her way.

"Y'know if we're gonna be stuck here, we might as well get used to it."

Ellie was the first to speak up and it'd shock Riley into silence if she'd been talking. She swallows, her palms feeling sweaty and eyes darting around the room to find something they can land on. She has to reply but she has no idea what to say.

"Yeah." is all she musters. Fucking yeah.

"That the best ya got? After all these years?"

Ellie doesn't know what she's doing or why she's doing it, she just knows Riley brings it out of her and she hates every last second of it, the way her heart desires forgiveness and reconciliation, even if her mind didn't. It was a pull she could never quite deny when it came to her.

Riley licks her lips, head nodding. She turns on her heels and their eyes meet for the first time since they'd reunited in a way that gave Riley hope in her time here. Their time here. "You wanna talk? Okay, let's talk."

↳

"We were so young back then. Naive. Stupid." She coughed, her lungs hadn't felt the burn of smoking weed in so long. She'd almost forgotten it existed until Ellie pulled a joint out of her boot; Her cough turns into a small laugh that's followed by Ellie's own. Her hand reaches over and she damn near flinches when it's rested on her arm. She can't help the way her eyes shift to the movement, Ellie's voice soft in her ears.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay."

The silence that befalls them is a tense comfort, their eyes never drifting and both with matching smiles on their lips.

"I missed you, Ri. You were suppoed to be here."

Riley's smile slowly faded with Ellie's words, looking elsewhere, she leans forward slightly, "I'm sorry I wasn't."

Before Ellie even knows it she's reaching out, tilting Riley's head back to her, lips without further warning pressing to hers, and for once in her life, she doesn't regret it.

It feels right. Ellie's hand tangles into her hair, tugging her as close as she could damn well get her as she attempts to put years of being apart, years of trauma and heartbreak into one lousy kiss.

Her hands roam, and it's not something just desperate. Something needy. She wants to memorize Riley all over again, and if she could simply confirm the reality of the situation as well, she absolutely would. She simply needed the confirmation.

Her fingers trail up her neck, eyes moving down to the woman who'd somehow ended up beneath her, chests heaving and lips connected by a thin line.

"Thank you for coming back."

A lazy smile rests upon her lips, her body filled with nervous energy, she wished to be cool, smooth, something that didn't come out as a shy muddled mess, yet the second her lips part...

"Can we...do that again?"

"Kiss?" A low chuckle rumbles through her chest, propped up on an elbow with her chest pressed against hers.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" Licking her lips, she brings Rylie closer, feeling the tension release from her joints, the stress of longing and unending denial. She'd always carried it with her like weight, something she couldn't shake.

For now, she feels light.

𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎

Ellie's eyes cut over to Dina for the 50th time, chewing on her bottom lip, I can tell she feels the same horrid mix of guilt and relief. I can see it on her face and I don't think I can quite blame her. What we've done...

I never deserved to just be able to walk back into Ellie's life and I'm sure Dina is feeling every bit of it, I think I know the feeling. That hopelessness I felt the moment I saw them together. As though I thought she wouldn't have moved on.

"It's okay, El." I put a hand on her shoulder that I know won't be as relieving and comforting as I hope it to be.

"She's looking over here." She whispers back to me, hand grasping mine like it was her only way to escape, and my lips take no time when kissing the back of it, allowing her to pull me closer for a moment.

I feel sick myself, I feel nauseous. I know I don't deserve this. I know Dina deserves better, and yet my selfishness doesn't allow me to let go. I hold on tighter.

There's a tap on my shoulder, and when I turn around, I can feel my stomach tighten. I deserve this. Whatever hell there is to pay.

Instead she holds up a red solo cup and offers it to me. I can smell the nostalgic aroma of hot chocolate, the steam warming my freezing cheeks as I take it between a gloved hand. El lingers right beside me, I can feel her breath on my skin.

"Drink. It has marshmallows. That's a rarity, y'know." Dina prompts, nodding her head to the cup, her expression hasn't changed and it's almost threatening though in the most oddly comforting sense I had ever felt.

"Is it poisoned?" My stomach growls, hesitating the slightest bit to bring it to my lips. It was a joke. Mostly.

Without a beat skipped, Dina shrugs. "Yes."

There it stays, that blank expression for another beat or two. All three of us are stuck in a staredown and none of us a blinking.

Her lips quirk up into a little half-smile. I'm soon to follow. Ellie looks relieved.

My lips wrap around the rim.

𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎𓆪𓆰♥︎𓆪𓆰♡︎

A/N: I’M BACK! and i brought LESBIANS with me!! 😁

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ellies-little-gun · 2 years ago

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Ellie x Riley + Let Her Go by Passenger

#hello everyone I am back on my bullshit #she says like she ever got off it #picking the font for this took me 87 years just as an fyi #ellie williams #riley abel #ellie williams x riley abel #riley abel x ellie williams #ellie x riley #riley x ellie #tlou #hbo tlou #tlou edit #hbo tlou edit #Z edits

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bonniehooper · 1 year ago

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Top Picks of 2023

My Top 12 Favorite OTP’s - #8: Ellie Williams and Riley Abel from The Last of Us

#Top Picks of 2023 #My Top 12 Favorite OTP's #The Last of Us #Ellie Williams #Riley Abel #ellie x riley #riley x ellie #Bella Ramsey #Storm Reid

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nyikondlovu · 2 years ago

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Was rewatching Left Behind (1x07) and as much credit as I give Bella for Ellie’s gay pining, I gotta give 10s to Storm for her Riley.

Riley pretends to be this cool gal who’s unflappable and isn’t fazed by anything until it comes to Ellie.

She’s nonchalant about disappearing until she sees Ellie’s black eye, then she’s pissed and protective and only after Ellie says she dealt with Bethany, she goes back to cool mysterious girl mode.

She’s all blasé about the carousel until she sees Ellie’s little smile and all of a sudden SHE’S shy and staring at her like she can’t believe she’s real.

She is all about impressing Ellie when they arrive at the arcade then they start playing MK 2 and Ellie allows her to be a kid so she’s loud and jokes with Ellie and even celebrates Ellie kicking her ass then snaps back when Ellie realizes she missed her shot to kiss Riley and retreats so Riley tries to salvage the night by saying she has a gift for Ellie.

Then they read the pun book and you see Riley revert to a teenager because yeah, this is something she and Ellie share. Something they both love and she’s giggling unabashedly…until Ellie finds the bombs and now she’s having to start being real about her leaving and disappointing Ellie.

She goes to the Halloween store and sits there because she’s sad she hurt Ellie. She’s sitting with the fourth wonder at the fifth wonder and we see an expansion on her sadness. She’s leaving and her last conversation with the only person who matters to her (Storm’s words) ended harshly, with venomous words and tears.

Then Ellie comes back and finally Riley let’s all her walls down because holy fuck she nearly lost Ellie more than physically. So, she decides to tell Ellie that while she’s not sure about the FireFly mission, she is sure she needs something or someone who needs her. Then Ellie confesses that Riley mattered to Ellie, the first we truly see outside of playful moments (“I’ll be your best friend again” “again? You’re already my best friend Ellie.”) and Riley is no longer showing this +1 wonder because she wants to be cool, it’s because she wants to make Ellie happy. Whether she looks like a dork dancing on a glass counter with a creepy clown mask on…as long as it makes Ellie laugh, she doesn’t care anymore.

And then the moment when Ellie does the one thing Riley wanted happens: she asks her to stay. And you just see the instant release of tension by Storm when she realizes she truly does matter to someone so of course she’s staying. Of course she’s not gonna want Ellie to apologize for kissing her and of course she reacts to kissing her best friend and first love by giggling uncontrollably and averting her eyes for a second.

They get bit and finally she shows that she’s just a scared kid. She’s doomed herself, she’s doomed ELLIE and she’s just cost them the potential relationship and life they could’ve had. Storm plays Riley as a child who is truly broken. Then she puts herself together again to try and raise Ellie’s spirits because at least they’re in this together and without even saying it, she loves Ellie.

Storm played Riley with such nuance. She’s different from the constantly playful and unserious Riley from the dlc and issue 1-3 of the comic and takes on the same energy as the last page of issue four Riley: she’s hardened. She’s closed off. She has trauma. She keeps a secret until Ellie puts the pieces together herself (why she got Winston to take Ellie on a ride on Princess in the comics)

But she also loves puns and games and music and giggling with her best friend and teasing her and being quippy with her. She wants to show Ellie the beauty of the fucked up world they live in. She’s a quiet optimist to Ellie’s loud pessimist.

Bella played 1x07 Ellie as openly hopelessly and thinks it’s never gonna happen in love with Riley. Storm played her as as in love but holding back because what if Ellie does like her back…she might lose her. And she almost does. Then Ellie loses her.

TL:DR, I need Storm and Bella in a romcom asap because I give 10s where 10s are due and they ate best friends to lovers THE FUCK UP!

#riley abel #ellie williams #rillie #Riley x Ellie #tlou hbo #the last of us #the last of us hbo #tlou #storm reid #bella ramsey #i love them your honor #it’s about the pining #it’s about the devotion #it’s about the yearning #love me a good #best friends to lovers #NEIL YOU WILL PAY

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rnebbie · 2 years ago

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Heyyy can u do one when Ellie is sad that she has no parents and ryley comforts her and then they cuddle uwu fluff 🥺🥺🥺🥺 and then whatever you’d like?

Not going anywhere (drabble request)

Request by: my best friend hagridbiddie :D

Pairings: ellie and ryley! Comfort + angst + fluff + them being gay besties ;)

Warnings: Ellie’s and Riley’s mom is dead :P

(A/n) MY BEST FRIEND CHALLENGED ME TO WRITE THIS IN THIRTY MINUYES AND I FAILED IT WAS MORE LIKE FORTY FIVE SO ITS SHORT AND I DIDNT PROOF READ BUT I THINK ITS KINDS CUYE MERP LOL SEND ME MKRE REQUESTS PLEASE BECAUSE THIS IS MY CALLING ACTUALLY IM GONAN QUIT MY JOB AND BECOME. AFULL TIME THE LAST OF US FANFIC WRITER

As Riley is sitting in her bed working on homework, she sees Ellie click her lamp off as she does every night. Riley continues to scribble away at answers in her notebook. Usually at night leading up to lights out, while Ellie and Riley are doing their homework or just hanging out in their bedroom, they’re having distant conversations. Little sentences here and there, questions and answers between the two continue on long into the night, but tonight something was off. Riley didn’t really know what was wrong, but Ellie just seemed in a weird mood. Her go lucky attitude wasn’t there, she wasn’t playful or joking or laughing at everything like she usually did.

While Riley is erasing her writing, she hears Ellie sniffle.

She stops what she’s doing immediately. That couldn’t be Ellie… crying? Right? Ellie never cries.

And then Riley hears another sniffle. Her heart drops. She quietly spins her chair around to view Ellie’s small figure facing the wall silently. She’s not reading like she usually does, she doesn’t have her Walkman going, she’s not focused on anything. She’s just sitting in silence. Riley is immediately concerned.

“Ellie,” Riley quietly says into the darkness. Ellie doesn’t register her talking to her at first, too caught up in her own head. She’s never gone this deep into her thoughts, and it’s a lot to process for the fourteen year old girl. “Ellie?”

Suddenly Ellie snaps out of it, quickly wiping her nose and damp cheeks with the sleeve of her hoodie. She turns around quickly, lifting herself up on her hands. “Yeah?”

She doesn’t mean for her voice to break, but she hasn’t used it much today. She usually talks much more, her voice isn’t used to resting. And also the tears coming out of Ellie’s eyes has something to do with it.

“Are you… okay?” Riley asks awkwardly. She doesn’t have a lot of deep conversations with Ellie and she doesn’t want to mess anything up with her best friend. She doesn’t want to over step and she knows Ellie can he stubborn. She just wants to help but she doesn’t know how to do this.

“Of course,” ellie says, trying to act as normal as possible. She’s planning on denying being upset at any cost. She doesn’t even know why she’s upset at anything. Nothing big or important really happened recently. It’s just all coming back to her for some reason.

“Ellie, What’s wrong?”

Ellie laughs softly, “what’s wrong with you,” she says in a sarcastic voice. Trying to play it all off, but Riley knows her best friend more than anyone else in this world. She knows she’s lying, and she’s known something was off since the second she walked into their dorm.

“Seriously, ellie. Come on,” Riley walks over to Ellie’s bed and sits on the edge of it. “You can’t lie to me. I know you too well,” she says softly, reaching over to put her hand on Ellie’s leg. Ellie defensively curls her legs up to her chest, denying the comfort that Riley is trying to offer her.

With the light radiating off of Riley’s desk lamp, she can see Ellie’s eyes fill up with tears once more. She shakes her head trying to get rid of the tears that cloud her vision, but they won’t go away. She puts her head down into her lap and lets them fall.

Ellie feels so humiliated that she’s crying in front of her best friend. She always tries to be strong, and it’s so stupid that she’s crying over something that happens so long ago. But she can’t help crying and she’s dug herself into this hole when she let herself feel these emotions in the first place.

“I never got to mourn my mom,” ellie says in a whisper so quiet Riley almost has to ask her to repeat herself. But when she registers what Ellie says, it takes everything in her to not let her eyes fill up with tears too. Her stomach twists and she feels sick for her friend who she loves so much. She doesn’t ever want her to feel these emotions, and even worse, Riley feels awful that she knows how Ellie feels. She wishes they both could just have normal happy lives, but that’s unfortunately not the way things worked out for either of them.

Riley doesn’t say anything at first, just climbing up to sit herself next to Ellie. Putting her arm around her shoulder and looking her into the eyes. She brushes the fly always falling out of her ponytail behind her ears, and smiles at how beautiful she finds her. She feels all the love in the world for her and it’s a confusing but a beautiful feeling.

“It’s okay, ellie. We have all the time in the world,” Riley says, resting her head on top of Ellie’s. “I’ll always be here for you. You’ll always have my shoulder to cry on,” Riley says.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The last of us Taglist: @hagridbiddie (lmk if u wanna be added!)

#the last of us #ellie tlou #riley tlou #riley abel #ellie williams #ellie x riley #riley x ellie #bella ramsey #Ellie Williams comfort #Ellie Williams angst #the last of us fanfiction platonic #the last of us fanfiction #ellie williams fanfic #ellie williams fluff #joel miller #tlou fanfiction #tlou #bella ramsey fanfic

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hiatuswhore · 2 years ago

Text

𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓲𝓼 — 𝓽𝓵𝓸𝓾

♡ A/N: Obsessed with this game, show, and everything in between.

♡ SUMMARY: There’s no such thing as good guys and bad guys, just people. Sinners and Saints. Courageous and Craven. Survivors.

♡ WORD COUNT: 2.6K

♡ WARNINGS: Death, Harsh Language, etc

previous — Masterlist — next

Death is no stranger. The true boogeyman, the shadow always following—always present.

The cold nips at your skin with tiny pinches. The large Christmas tree standing high with a glee that evades you. A tiny storm cloud in a sea of smiles, sipping hot chocolate staring pensively as simple decorations. Un-fucking believable. Your holiday cheer lacking, near glaring at the foreign feeling of those around you.

“Have you seen the new people? They’re pretty intense, kind of scary,” You raise an eyebrow at the amusement lacing each of her words. The cheery smile at your side deeply contrasts your cold one. She speaks with a sing-a-song tone, “like someone I know.”

“Dina,” You sigh, sticking your hands in your coat pocket but it only earns a soft laugh. The cold metal in your hands greets you, squeezing it softly your expression never changes.

“Yeah, yeah. We get it you’re a grump. You’re gonna love the newbies. They’re in the mess hall with Tommy and Maria,” She nudges her head to the side, your eyes trailing to the doors of the communal cafeteria. A scoff leaves your lips but your eyes never leave the double doors. Dina chuckles as you leave her side without a word, walking light on your feet—always ready to flee. Your strides are cool, calm, and collected, offering stiff nods to familiar faces.

You enter silently, closing the door slowly behind you, the chatter of the hall faint but nonetheless reaches your ears, “Say congrats Joel.”

The voice reaches your ear like a sick joke. Much of your progress against your true rival unraveling. You blink several times, the slight twitch of your head involuntary—familiar.

No, just eerily similar.

No, no I know that voice.

They’re fucking dead, let it go.

You fail to hear your name the first time it’s called, Tommy says it a second time forcing you to turn. And the third? The third time you look back sharply, the voice of a lost soul from the past. Taking a cautious step forward your eyes flick to the brown irises that haunt your dreams, a ghost that plagues your mind rotting the foundation of your humanity. Evidence of your darkest hour.

“El—?” Your eyebrows pull knit as your voice barely reaches your own ears. Her gaze hardens as she rises from her seat. “What the fuck?”

“What the fuck?” Ellie exclaims, her room door wide open—clearly waiting for one of you. You unlock your room door, the dull ache radiating from your nose to your temples. Ignoring Ellie you lay out on your bed squeezing your eyes shut, holding the now damp cloth to your nose.

“Not now,” You grumble, eyes squeezed shut as the bed dips by your feet. Ellie frowns fiddling with your many pins from training.

“Where’s Riley?” You lay on your back, glaring up at the ceiling.

“The hole,” Your tone flat as Ellie takes a seat at the foot of your bed. Closing your eyes you huff, not needing her to even ask, “Bethany.”

Ellie huffs, silence blanketing the two of you. You have never been one for many words, your face always betraying your thoughts. An almost perfect little FEDRA soldier in the making.

Opening your eyes you stare at the map on your ceiling. The barely visible markings of different routes and infected areas staring back at you, “You’re making that face again, what are you thinking about?”

“What face?” Your eyebrows pinching as you turn to Ellie. She sits with a faint smirk and raised eyebrow.

A soft chuckle leaves Ellie’s lips before she squints, turning her head with a dramatic far gaze. She opens her mouth revealing a faux bass to her tone, “I’m (Y/n). Top of my class. I’ll out-stare anyone and shoot with the aim of a seasoned officer.”

“Oh fuck off,” You grin whipping your pillow in her direction. The ache in your nose soon forgotten, the two you chuckle softly. Two young fools. The silence soon returns and you chew on your bottom lip. “Hey El, have you ever…do you ever think about leaving this place?”

Ellie leans her head back on the wall, her eyebrows furrowing as your words sit in the air. She looks at you with a lazy shrug, “Where would we go?”

“If we’re all together what does it matter?”

Death is not kind. Carving holes in your life, in your future.

Ellie ignores Tommy and Maria’s questions, you do as well. Her knuckles now a milky white as she takes deep breaths, Joel’s voice drowning beneath the many that plague her.

A distant crash reaches your ears, your flinch automatic. You take a cautious step back before leaving the room entirely. Ellie pushes back from the table stomping out of the cafeteria. The smack of the door opening draws far too much attention as she ignores Joel calling out to her.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n!)” Ellie screams, walking briskly after you. Your back faces her as you stare forward with wide eyes, the music does not halt and the colorful light continues. You fail to hear Ellie’s screams as Joel halts her journey to you, eyes blurring, a pair of hands keep you on your feet.

“(Y/n)! (Y/n)! Stop cheating!” Ellie exclaims as you push her off the analog stick, your health considerably low as Riley shakes her head at you.

“HEY!” You exclaim as Riley lifts you by your waist holding you away from the game as Ellie completes her fatality on your character. As she lets you down you turn, narrowing your eyes as you stroke your chin, “You always take Ellie’s side. Mhm, I wonder why?”

“Oh you’re a sore loser,” Ellie teases as she and Riley laugh at the roll of your eyes. You watch as they step closer to each other, turning your head as you scratch the back of your neck. Clearing your throat as the two just stare at each other, Ellie’s quick to say the two of you should head back but will return the next night. You want to point out the several hours until it’s time to get up but remain silent focusing on the many colors of the arcade. Riley glances between the two of you, she tilts her head with a sigh.

“I got you both gifts,” She says softly, you glance at Ellie with a grin which she smirks at you. Both of you look at Riley as Ellie says, “Well, I mean, I do like gifts.”

Following Riley through the mall, both of you rattle off every possible gift you can think of. The guesses grow more ridiculous by the second. Riley’s presence fills the evident hole that grew in her absence from FEDRA. From the two of you.

“Is it a spider?” Ellie asks.

“No.” Riley chuckles.

“A new map?” You ask.

“Better,” Riley grins.

“Ugh (Y/n), you’re so lame. Is it a water pistol?” Ellie asks, you scoff rolling your eyes.

“Also better,” Riley’s wide smile and confident stride makes you eye her closely.

“Is it a dinosaur?” Ellie asks.

“Boring and stupid. We’re perfect for each other,” You joke. Ellie walks into your side, a light stumble taking the both of you.

“Possibly a dinosaur,” Riley teases, leading you both into Macho Nacho.

“You are invited back into the trio if it’s a dinosaur,” Ellie says but you suck your teeth shaking your head.

“Mhm not quite. Make it a dragon and all is forgiven,” You say, climbing over the counter after her with Ellie following behind you. Following Riley into the back a sleeping bag sits on the ground and metal shelves in the corner.

“Ta-da!” Riley holds two things in her hands, your flick to the metal compass as Ellie flick to the book. “Volume two for my pun dork, and a compass for my geography nerd.”

“Oh you’re so forgiven!” You say snatching the compass from her hand, the gold medal and glass coating cold against your palm. As Ellie and Riley read awful puns, you cannot takes your eyes off the compass.

“Oh come on (Y/n) you’ll like this one. What did the triangle say to the circle?” Ellie asks, you look up to both girls staring at you. You roll your eyes, shaking your head.

“Why are you always around?” You say with pinched eyebrows as Ellie’s eyes widen.

“Holy shit I think yours is better, but Will said, why are you so pointless?” Ellie exclaims, you shake your head biting your bottom lip. The next few minutes consist of stupid puns—but in seconds it all crumbles. No amount of games and jokes can stop the elephant in the room from being addressed, Riley defected. Now a firefly, a terrorist. You say nothing as Ellie questions Riley, Ellie tries her best to goad you into voicing your opinion.

Riley and Ellie stare at you awaiting something, anything but you only stare back at them. You offer nothing but quiet huffs and blank stares. Ellie scoffs before turning to Riley, “Whatever. I’m leaving.”

Riley rushes after Ellie, you nearly skip to catch up with them both. The conversation necessary but one you wish to not be a part of, never one for confrontation. Riley calls out, “Ellie, wait!”

“El, would you just stop for a second!” Your shoulders fall as you muster the energy to find your voice, spinning around Ellie glares at you, “Oh now you can speak!”

“Ellie, I’m leaving,” The three of you halt, Riley’s gaze bounces between the two of you gauging your reactions. You swallow thickly, realization dowsing you like ice water, “They’re sending me to a post in the Atlanta QZ. I asked if you two could join so we could go together. Marlene agreed I could bring you, (Y/n) if you wanted but not Ellie.”

“Who the fuck is Marlene?” Ellie asks but Riley shakes her head saying it’s her last night in Boston.

Riley glances at you, she speaks softly, “I considered not telling you because I did not want to make you choose but—I, I know you want out of FEDRA. It would be selfish of me to take that option away from you.”

Ellie’s gaze shifts to you, it’s expectant and you are keenly aware both your best friends await you to make a very large decision. The floor becomes far more interesting, counting every little spec of debris your eyes can spot. When you say nothing Ellie steps closer to both of you. You keep your gaze low as Riley explains she brought you both to the mall to say goodbye, “This isn’t easy Ellie. For me, or for (Y/n), no matter what she chooses.”

“Actually it is. You both just did it. Goodbye,” Ellie whispers, looking up you open your mouth to speak but say nothing leaves you. You watch Ellie storm away, you want to go after her but your eyes land on the compass. In the corner of your eye, you can see Riley looking at you. After a few seconds she beckons you to follow her, silently you do.

“You really planned this whole night out,” You say in awe, the Halloween store full of different silly wigs and costumes. Riley turns on one of the ghost toys as you walk around fiddling with different masks. Distant yells fill the hall leading to the store, while you continue to browse the shelves. Though it may concern you, you know this is not your fight. When Ellie enters you decide against joining them on the floor. You smirk at a set of masks: a wolf, a clown, and ghost face.

“Hey assholes!” You walk over with the ghost face mask on while holding up the wolf and the clown. Ellie grins as Riley turns on some music as they both put on their masks. You sit on the opposite glass case bopping your head with your eyes closed as they dance.

“Oh no you’re dancing too!” Riley says. They both pull you up as you protest, doing a little two step they cheer happily before you move back to your seat. You glance at Ellie’s bag, the photo booth picture sticking out, taking it out, you remove your mask and stare at the photo. The three of you make silly faces and your chest swells as you look up, “hey I really li-oh okay—I am sorry for intruding. But fin-a-fucking-ly.”

Riley and Ellie throw their masks at you red in the face looking at each other like two fools in love. You turn away busying yourself with capturing the photo booth picture into memory. Allowing them to have their moment.

If you could, you would freeze that moment to forever live it. Every last part, the wonders of the mall, the fight, and the resolution. It was all so simple that night. It was good. Like most things, it did not last an approaching crash, chilling the warmth rapidly.

“Get ready to run,” Riley says, pulling Ellie behind her, she glances over at you. Your eyes are wide and the gun in your hand trembles ever so slightly as you watch the infected rush toward the three of you. The gray pigment of it’s skin and slotted half of its face freezing every muscle in your body as Riley fires three shots landing one in its leg as she screams, “Run!”

“(Y/n) are you okay?” Ellie screams, pulling you forward as Riley rushes behind you both. You gag wincing at a knot that continues to twist and twist inside your stomach, the shooting ranges and fighting lessons did little to prepare for the power of pure unadulterated fear. A cry leaves your lips as Riley comes down on the back of both you and Ellie, your gun flying from your hand. Your vision blurs as red blots your one eye, Ellie’s cries and the infected snarls fill your ears. Stumbling to your feet a loud crash sounds behind you.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Ellie screams. You look up at a small blur of black on the purple carpet, crawling forward grabbing the gun blinking until your vision clears just enough to see. Behind you the infected pins Riley to a shelf, you raise your gun, the violent trembles of your body rattling your core. You can make the shot, there’s no doubt about it but bile rises in your chest teasingly slow as your muscles constrict halting you. Suddenly a spectator in your own body. Ellie eyes whip from you to the infected, she springs into action without a moment of doubt. The ceasing of the snarls does little to ease you, even as Ellie removes the knife from the infected head with a laugh your eyes do not leave the limp body.

“Holy shit!” Ellie laughs, looking between you and Riley. Your eyes drift to her arm instinctively you take a cautious step back. The glint in your eyes dulling. Riley looks between the both of you, raising her hand, revealing the teeth marks.

A pressure squeezes your chest, your eyes burning viscously. Without a second glance you rush out of the store. Not looking back even as Riley and Ellie call out to you. In the back of Macho Nacho you grab your book bag exiting the mall with haste. Outside your legs carry you, your vision blurry and unfocused.

Not to your window or the many blind spots of the watch. Your legs and mind work together running routes you once said you could do blindly. You cannot recall when you stopped running, your body collapsing into a heap of dirt. Your chest burning so angrily, you cannot care to worry about the short stern man who stares down into the hole.

Death is insatiable, always hungry for more slowly chipping away at the shell of the girl you once were.

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