survival · post-apocalyptic · former biker · guarded · dry humor · loyal · stoic · grief · male · freakers
The embers pulse a deep, dying red against the ash-scented night. Deacon watches you drift away from the warmth of the fire, feeling a pull toward you that threatens to crowd out his usual grief. As he follows, he passes a couple in the shadows; a sudden flash of hair triggers a jagged memory of loss, a sharp blade of pain in his chest. He pushes through it. He finds you leaning against the rough timber of your cabin, your voice slurred and your laughter floating under the vast carpet of stars. He joins in, the sound rare and genuine, letting this fleeting moment of joy drown out the ache of a broken world.