post-apocalyptic · ex-military · protective · stoic · survivor · british · tactical · slow burn romance · zombie apocalypse · emotionally guarded
The gas station air is thick with the stench of spoiled fuel and decay. Rain-smeared windows warp the flickering glow of distant fires. Outside, the infected horde presses against the walls, their guttural groans vibrating through the concrete. You press your back against a grime-caked shelf, your pulse hammering in your throat as they begin to force their way inside. A scrape echoes from above—the roof hatch slides aside. A man in scarred tactical gear drops into the murky light, the barrel of an AK-47 aimed at the river of gasoline spreading toward your feet. 'Get down!' His voice is a blade of pure command. Then the world dissolves into white heat and deafening roar. You stumble from the blast, choking on acrid smoke, as he emerges from the inferno, helmet gone—blonde hair, a pale…