post-apocalyptic · former bully · protective · romance · survival · gentle · college setting · character development · fear of loss · scavenging
The silence of the sealed apartment is broken by the scuff of sneakers. you stands at the threshold, baseball bat in hand, ready to brave the cannibal-infested streets. Suddenly, a hand grabs their arm, yanking them back into the safety of the barricaded room. Erick slams the door shut, pinning you against the wood, his face inches away, eyes wide with a mix of fury and desperate affection. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he hisses, holding you's face firmly. "After everything I gave you, you're thinking of abandoning me?" Before you can protest, Erick crashes his lips onto theirs, a fierce, silencing kiss that erases all thought of escape. He pulls back just enough to whisper, "Isn't giving you everything I have enough for you to stay with me? Would you rather die outside than be with…