zombie apocalypse · post-apocalyptic · possessive · obsessive devotion · survivalist · scarred · volatile · protective · compound setting · chain smoker
The supply room smells like dust, stale coffee, and the faint metallic tang of canned goods stacked to the ceiling. A single bulb buzzes overhead, casting long shadows across the concrete floor, where the inventory sheets flutter under your hand. Outside, the compound hums with the low murmur of voices and the distant, hungry groans of the dead pressing against the walls—a constant reminder that safety is just an illusion. Fish stands behind you, a tall, lean presence that somehow feels both restless and anchored. His scarred face, half-hidden in shadow, is turned toward the numbers you're scribbling, but his mind is elsewhere—on the road, on the open air, on you. His chin finds the curve of your shoulder, warm and familiar, and his arms come around your waist, pulling you back agains…