Surviving The Last of Us With My System

Elliot wolfed down his food with the desperation of someone who had been hungry for days, his heavy breathing filling the silence of the basement. Across from him, Mel watched him with a sweet smile, leaning against the worn couch. Her eyes followed his every move with a mix of tenderness and curiosity, as if she couldn't help but enjoy this small moment of tranquility amongst the chaos.

Elliot could hear the soft rhythm of her breathing, a stark contrast to his own anxiety. When he finished eating, he set the empty plate aside and looked up at her. "Thanks, Mel. Without you I'd probably be starving right now," he said with a genuine smile, his words laden with sincerity.

Mel let out a light, melodious laugh. "You're such a fool," she replied, patting him gently on the shoulder. She sat next to him, her small body barely taking up space on the old couch, but her presence filled the room with unexpected warmth.

Elliot noticed how Mel's proximity was beginning to relax him, although a corner of his mind couldn't help but remember that there was someone else she owed that attention to. He ran a hand through his hair, looking down briefly before asking, with a hint of annoyance in his voice: "And how are things upstairs? Isn't Owen worried that you're down here with me?"

Owen's name came out of his lips with a roughness that he couldn't hide. Just mentioning it was enough to make the bad mood settle back in his chest.

Mel let out a sigh, but her expression changed. The sweet sparkle in her eyes faded, replaced by a look of frustration mixed with displeasure. "That jerk..." she muttered, crossing her arms and looking at the floor as if trying to find the right words. "He's still glued to Abby, like always. I don't know what to do to make him notice me more anymore."

Her words surprised Elliot. There was a tinge of vulnerability in her voice that she hadn't expected, a confession that seemed to come from deep within her. The way she spoke of Owen, with resignation and a hint of bitterness, made something inside Elliot stir. How could Owen, that jerk who seemed to value nothing he had, ignore someone like Mel?

"Really?" Elliot said, arching an eyebrow as he turned slightly toward her. His tone was less mocking than she expected. There was an unexpected honesty in his question. "I don't want to sound like a jerk, but... why do you keep wasting your time with someone who doesn't see you? You have more options, you know."

Mel looked up at him, her eyes searching for something in his. "Easy for you to say," she replied, her voice soft but firm. "But when you love someone, you can't just turn that feeling off, you know?"

Elliot looked at her for a moment longer, assessing her. The sweetness of her initial smile had given way to something more somber, but equally fascinating. He leaned slightly toward her, his eyes locked with Mel's as he tried to gauge the lay of the land. "Maybe you should start looking away," he finally said, his tone lower, more intimate. "There are people who would see you for who you really are. People who wouldn't waste their time on someone like Abby."

The atmosphere in the basement changed. Mel looked at him in surprise, her lips parted as if she were about to respond, but something in the intensity of his gaze made her stay silent for a moment.

Elliot let out a snort, a mix of frustration and contempt as he leaned back on the couch. "He's an idiot," she said bitterly, her words laced with venom. "He follows Abby around like a lapdog, always chasing after her like she's the only person in the world. Do you know what's going to happen? He's going to lead us all to our own deaths with that stupid obsession."

He paused, his gaze locked on Mel. His expression softened, but his eyes glittered with something more intense. "And the worst thing is that he has no idea what he has with you. You're amazing, Mel, and that asshole is so blind he can't see it. Abby this, Abby that… Oh my God!" Elliot leaned in closer, his voice lowering in tone, more intimate. "If I were him, there would be nothing but you. I'd have eyes only for you."

Mel looked at him, completely baffled. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, and her hand shook slightly as she held the bottle of water she still held. She didn't know how to respond. Elliot's words had caught her off guard, and their intensity was almost overwhelming. "Elliot, I... I don't know what to say," she murmured, looking down to avoid the eyes that bored into her with a mix of tenderness and desire.

Elliot took advantage of her bewilderment to move closer, his body now just inches from hers. "You don't have to say anything," he whispered, his voice a soft murmur that slid between them. His fingers brushed the back of Mel's hand, a light but intentional touch. "Just think about this... Owen doesn't deserve what you have to give. He doesn't see you. But I do."

Mel looked up slowly, meeting Elliot's eyes. There was something in them, something she couldn't ignore. Her breathing quickened, and though her mind screamed at her to get away, her body didn't obey. Elliot's proximity was overwhelming, intoxicating.

"Mel," he continued, his voice even softer as his fingers slowly slid down to her wrist, enveloping her in unexpected warmth. "This can be our little secret. You don't have to keep trying to get someone like Owen to value you. Not when I'm here, seeing you for who you really are."

Elliot's words made her hesitate. Her heart was pounding, and his closeness made it difficult to think straight. Her other hand, still holding the flashlight, began to shake slightly. "Elliot, this isn't right..." she murmured, but her voice was weak, barely a whisper.

"It's not right," Elliot repeated, leaning in close enough so that their faces were dangerously close. His eyes briefly dropped to Mel's lips before coming back up to meet hers. "Then why does it feel like this?"

Mel didn't answer. The words caught in her throat as Elliot raised a hand and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers brushing her skin delicately. The outside world seemed to fade away, leaving only the basement, the couch, and the growing heat between them.

"Just say stop," Elliot murmured, his voice barely a whisper as his face moved even closer to hers. "If you really don't want this, just say so. But, if you do, it'll be our little secret."

Mel closed her eyes, her breathing shaky, caught between what she knew she should do and what her heart was telling her to do. She couldn't deny it: the way Elliot looked at her made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. Something Owen had never given her.

Elliot kept his eyes on Mel's, the closeness making his breathing mingle with hers. His hand, still resting on hers, began to move in small circles, a soft, almost innocent gesture, but loaded with intention.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are," Elliot murmured, his voice enveloping her like a warm whisper that seemed to vibrate in the air between them. "And not just on the outside. You're strong, kind... special. You deserve better. You deserve someone to look at you like you're the only thing that matters."

Mel remained motionless, her large, trembling eyes locked on his, unsure whether she should pull away or give in to the moment. Elliot didn't push her, but he didn't back down either. His other hand slowly rose, brushing her cheek with his fingertips. Her skin was soft, warm, and the sensation made Elliot's heart beat faster.

"Mel..." he whispered her name like it was a prayer, leaning slightly into her. "I don't know what Owen is thinking, but I'm not that blind. I don't know how he could have ignored you for so long."

Mel opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. She just stared at him, caught up in the moment, in the way Elliot's words seemed to fill the emptiness she had felt for so long. Her heart was racing, and her lips trembled, torn between duty and desire.

Elliot didn't wait any longer. He leaned in, his lips brushing hers in a soft kiss, almost as if giving her time to decide whether to continue or stop. The warmth of the contact made Mel completely paralyzed, her mind flooded with confusion, but also with something deeper, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Time seemed to stop as Elliot stood there, his lips resting against hers, waiting, allowing her to take control. For a moment, Mel stood still, her thoughts fighting each other. But then, without thinking, she closed her eyes and let her body do the talking. Her lips began to move slowly against Elliot's, responding to the kiss.

Elliot felt Mel's response and his heart skipped a beat. His hand on her cheek slid down to her neck, caressing softly as he deepened the kiss, still holding on to the gentleness, giving her time. But when Mel's fingers weakly gripped his shirt, he knew he didn't have to hold back any longer.

The kiss grew more intense, more urgent. Elliot leaned his head in closer, his lips moving against Mel's with a passion he'd been holding back for so long. His free hand slid down to her waist, pulling her closer to him, as she dropped the flashlight to the floor with a thud, forgetting about everything else.

Mel responded with more fervor than she would have imagined, her hands finding their way to Elliot's shoulders, clinging to him as if he were the only anchor in a world that always seemed to be falling apart. Her breath mingled with his, and the heat emanating from their bodies seemed to fill the cold basement.

"Mel..." Elliot murmured against her lips before kissing her again, this time with a mix of sweetness and hunger, as if he wanted to devour every part of her, but without breaking the intimate moment they had created.

Mel let herself go, every doubt and worry fading away as the outside world disappeared. For an instant, Owen didn't matter, nor the apocalypse, nor the unwritten rules they had followed up until that moment. It was just the two of them, in that basement, sharing something they hadn't felt in a long time: connection, desire, and a moment that was only theirs.

Elliot let his lips slide over Mel's, slow at first, savoring the tremor that ran through her body every time he caressed her. His tongue gently caressed her bottom lip, asking for entrance, and Mel, with a gasp escaping her throat, opened her mouth to receive him.

The contact of their tongues was electric, like a clash that ignited a fire already burning within them. Elliot deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth hungrily, but maintaining a pace that left her breathless. Mel's hands, which had barely grazed her shoulders before, now clung to her neck, her fingers burying in her hair as the kiss grew more voracious, more intense.

A soft moan escaped Mel, and Elliot felt it vibrate against his lips. That sound was enough to make his hand, which had been resting on her waist, begin to move. Slowly, his fingers slid upward, tracing the outline of her body through her shirt. He caressed her ribs, inching his way up, savoring every curve beneath his fingertips as the kiss grew more urgent, more needy.

"Fuck, Mel…" Elliot murmured between kisses, his voice husky and thick with desire. His lips barely left hers before he captured them again, this time gently biting her bottom lip. Mel's response was immediate: a ragged gasp that filled the basement air.

She leaned closer to him, her hips moving slightly as if she were searching for something more, something she couldn't yet name but her body understood perfectly. Elliot noticed it, and a satisfied smile curved his lips before he let his hand travel lower, firmly but not roughly cupping the curve of her ass.

Mel let out a muffled moan, and Elliot took the moment to pull her closer. She was almost sitting on top of him now, her legs brushing against his as he explored every corner of her mouth, his tongue moving against hers in a sensual rhythm that had Mel clinging to him as if he was the only thing keeping her standing.

"You're shaking," Elliot whispered against her lips, a cocky smirk that Mel couldn't see but could feel. His other hand moved up her back, caressing her slowly, tracing invisible lines that seemed to ignite every nerve in her skin.

"Hush..." Mel replied, her voice breathy, her words barely a whisper as her nails dug lightly into Elliot's shoulders. Her head fell back as he stopped kissing her and began moving down her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses that made her breathing erratic.

"You like it?" he asked, his breath warm against the sensitive skin of her neck. He didn't wait for an answer, because he already had one: the involuntary movement of her hips, the small gasps that escaped her lips, the way her body seemed to melt against his.

Mel nodded weakly, her mind clouded by the heat he had ignited inside her. She couldn't think, couldn't speak; she could only feel. Her hands, which had been clinging to his shoulders, began to move, exploring his chest, his arms, as if she wanted to make sure he was real.

Elliot took advantage of that moment of surrender to intensify his caresses. His hand, which was still on her ass, squeezed harder, while the other moved up to brush the hem of her shirt. The thin fabric did nothing to hide the heat of her skin, and Elliot let out a low, almost guttural moan as he felt her shudder under his touch.

"Mel," he murmured against her neck, his voice thick with lust, "this is ours... our little secret. Just you and me, do you understand?"

End of Chapter 4.