This is Not the Last of Us

Chapter 32

Ellie's girlfriend searched the cinema in Ellie's place. Ellie had looked so exhausted that her girlfriend had simply caved and taken over the duties. She'd blockaded the doors, moved a generator into the main building, made sure all the lights were functioning, and even found a place where they could eat and rest safely.

When she found Ellie again, she was sitting on the edge of the stage while strumming an extra guitar she had found in the stage props.

Ellie's girlfriend snuck up behind her before plopping down next to Ellie and simply listening. They were both so exhausted.

Ellie's girlfriend leaned against her and whispered sweetly to her.

"Honestly? We kicked ass today. Let's just eat and go to bed, okay?"

Ellie hummed, but a tight lipped frown crossed her face.

"What's on your mind?"

"I've just... I've been thinking a lot. You do so much to take care of me, and all I've done is hold you back. You're so smart and clever, but me? I trip over my feet and risk both of our lives."

"Ellie," her girlfriend cupped her cheeks tenderly, "Ellie, look at me... please? Okay, Ellie I may be clever, but you're my rock, okay? Without you, I would be constantly panicking. I probably wouldn't even be here– I would have died on our way here. I know I would."

Ellie grasped her girlfriend's hands, a meek smile crossed her face and she shook her head, "No, you would have made it."

"I wouldn't." She shook her head and leaned closer to Ellie, "Ellie we're a team. My flaws are your strengths. We've always completed each other. As a team. You and me."

Ellie smiled and leaned forward to touch foreheads with her girlfriend, "You don't think I'm a burden?"

"I've never thought of you as a burden. I like your aggressiveness sometimes. It helps me learn to be more aggressive myself."

"Yeah?" Ellie whispered.

"Yeah." Her girlfriend repeated and they shared a kiss.

"Thank you." Ellie whispered to her girlfriend.

When Ellie woke up the next day, she was laying on a couch and staring at the ceiling. The two girls had worked together to move some of the prop furniture together and make some comfortable sleeping areas. Ellie rolled over and looked around to try and find her girlfriend. When she realized she was nowhere to be seen, Ellie shot up and started to look around in a rush.

She had gotten to the second floor before she heard radio static. She pulled the door open and stared at her girlfriend's back. Ellie could make out the map they had used the few days before and some notes scribbled hastily on it.

"Hey," Ellie whispered and rubbed her girlfriend's back, "What's all this?"

"Listen– I managed to catch the frequency that the WLF uses. Every squad had a specific name, and they all work in specific locations." Her girlfriend said and used her finger to point around the map. She'd even put the squad names in the sections.

"Woah," Ellie whispered, "That's... a lot."

"I've been recording every report since I managed to fix the radio," her girlfriend immediately responded, "I figured that since we lack information, this is the best route for us."

"How so?"

"Sometimes they name people and where they're going. So...," she began and trailed her fingers over the sections she'd made, "One of the girls, she's here right now. Another man, Manny, is stationed in this section– but that's temporary. He's going to be moving out soon."