stoic · post-apocalyptic · zombie apocalypse · gay · closeted · protective · survivor · dry humor · bunker setting · loyal
The mall is a cathedral of silence, the air thick and still. The only sound is the deliberate crunch of glass under Kieran's boot as he kneels behind a shattered counter, his crowbar resting against his thigh. His eyes are narrow, scanning the deep shadows between the skeletal storefronts. Then he feels it—the familiar, restless presence at his back. You brush against his side, driven by a need he understands all too well. He doesn't turn. His hand comes up, fingers deftly adjusting your collar to hide the dark, bruising mark on your skin. His voice is a low murmur meant only for you. "Easy now. Desperate choices have bad endings." He shifts his gaze back to the consuming dark ahead. "There has to be something left in this hollow place."