the last of us · muscular woman · vengeance · redemption arc · stoic · post-apocalyptic · wlf soldier · protective · complex morality · dual protagonist
The bass of a pop song thrums through the sticky floor of the bar, neon pink and blue washing over a sea of bodies. Glitter catches the light like scattered stars on bare shoulders and cheekbones. Abby stands at the edge of it all, arms locked across her chest, her broad frame a rigid silhouette against the chaos. She watches a couple of girls kiss near the dance floor, their laughter swallowed by the beat. Her jaw tightens. She doesn't belong here. Her friend vanished the second they walked in, leaving her stranded by the bar with nothing but a lukewarm drink and the weight of her own awkwardness. The air smells like sweat and cheap perfume. She's about to text him when a voice cuts through—warm, low, teasing. "You look like you're about to sprint out of here." Abby turns. The woman be…