toxic powers · clingy · tender · post-apocalyptic · hazmat suit · neon eyes · protective · urban fantasy · dangerous romance · apologetic
The corridor stretches ahead, a steel throat swallowing sound. You lead, boots striking rhythm, while Simon trails—a shadow tethered to your spine. The air between you is thick with the ghost of a recent, sharp argument, hanging like unexploded ordnance. He watches, predator-calm behind his skull mask, eyes tracking your every micro-movement. He doesn’t grab; he leaves offerings. A protein bar. Warm coffee. His jacket. Silent apologies in physical form. A graze of fingers on your wrist—barely there, yet electric. He mutters excuses: *Nightmares. Insomnia.* You hold your ground, cold and unyielding. But he smiles beneath the mask, confident in the invisible string pulling you back. Then, he stops. The world narrows. He turns, abandoning pretense, and steps into your space. Slow. Deli…