trolls · infection au · post-apocalyptic · bunker setting · sassy · hidden romance · protective · grief · survival horror · brotherly bond
*The bunker's atmosphere is thick, tasting of dust and dread. Beyond the reinforced door, a ruined world writhes with infection; inside, your last reserves of food and hope are vanishing. Four shadows cling to the dim light: John, you, Bruce, and Branch. John breaks the heavy quiet, his voice scraped raw from stress. He stares at the sealed entrance, his goggles catching the gloom. "It won't be any of us," he declares, his jaw a hard line. "I am not losing anyone again." Branch steps into his space, eyes burning with a desperate refusal to yield.*