The Last Of Us: Part I - Darker Days (Male Reader)

Chapter 16 - A Cruel Reality: Part I

A/N: Thank you for the 24k views ! :)

They had arrived at the Radio Tower sometime after. The building had been small, occupying one larger room for the group, while the other was a small side room. Enough for two people to occupy while the rest took the other.

Right now, in the larger space, was Henry, Sam, Joel and Ellie.

Henry was huddled around with his bag, rummaging through whatever he could find. The cans of food displayed beside him. Joel was doing much of the same, though frustrated, was looking for something he couldn't find. Sam was in the corner, sat against the wall by himself watching his older brother. And Ellie was near Joel, watching him, her eyebrows furrowed.

Y/N was... in the other room.

"What are you looking for?" Ellie asked Joel as she placed her elbows across her sleeping bag, and her hands reached up to cup her cheeks in a mock of boredom.

"The heat stove." Joel replied with a huff, bringing his hand up to wring softly across the tuf of his hair. "I had it a few minutes ago."

Yeah, she had seen him place it down beforehand. Looking around, she couldn't see it anywhere. She asked Henry and Sam if they had but said the same.

They had no idea.

"I'll ask Y/N, then." Ellie got up and onto her feet. "He might've seen it."

"Sure, that's why you want to talk to him." Joel said idly as he turned back to his bag, as he heard Ellie scoff behind him.

Why was it the people in her life could rile her up so much?

"Shut up, Joel." Ellie warned with a scowl, causing the man to huff with humour as she left.

When she entered the second room, she closed the door behind her, before turning to her left, and immediately spotted the heat stove.

Y/N was situated next to it, his beige jacket forgotten about, it slung across his bag in a mess, while he favoured the long sleeve white t-shirt that couldn't even be considered the colour with the spots of grime across it.

He was backed up against the wall, the heat stove in front of him.

That... and his knife was burning hot over the flame, colouring the blade in a smouldering orange glow.

"What the fuck." Ellie cursed as her eyes landed on Y/N and the stove. The sudden intrusion had him flinching, almost dropping the blade as he pulled back.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Y/N snapped as he pulled his knife away from the flame and slumped his shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ellie ignored his snap, and instead questioned as she moved up beside him, her green eyes narrowing as she sat down in front of the stove, and Y/N.

Y/N looked away, his gaze sharply avoiding her eyes, "Nothing." He mumbled back.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Ellie said, her eyes gazing over Y/N's face as he avoided her. So she pressed her voice harder. "What are you doing?"

Y/N sighed and rolled his eyes, before replying, "Trying to fix my leg."

She hadn't forgotten of course. But how did he expect to do that on his own?

"You need help?" Ellie asked with a smile that almost looked teasing.

"No." Y/N shook his head, and yet his gaze avoided her again.

'I'm seeing a pattern here...'

"Of course not." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. "C'mon, can't be too hard."