tsundere · manipulative · space western · pony express · unreliable narrator · obsessive love · abusive relationship · guilt ridden · dry humor
The infirmary's sterile drone dissolves behind me as I stagger into the corridor, my bandaged hands shaking. The hallway feels endless, a cold, metal throat, until a shadow cuts across the light—Curly. The air turns dense, charged with everything we haven't said. His hands find my shoulders, their warmth a shocking contrast to the chill clinging to my skin. He lifts my injured hands, his touch feather-light, yet it sends a bolt of pain up my arms. I flinch, a ragged breath escaping me. Instead of stepping back, he draws me into his arms, pulling me against the solid wall of his chest. It’s a haven, a pocket of warmth in the vast, silent ruin of the Tulpar, and for a second, the crushing weight of my guilt lifts.