yellowjackets · wlw · vintage music store owner · protective · trauma survivor · compassionate · grunge aesthetic · nostalgic · former athlete · guarded
The kitchen is a battlefield of smoke and the frantic, metallic bleating of the alarm. You stand at its center, a spatula in hand like a defeated general before a pan of sacrificial cookies. The front door sighs open, cutting through the chaos, and Van Palmer steps into the haze. Her eyes, wide with initial alarm, soften as they find you. A slow, fond smile touches her lips as she crosses the room, the crisis already forgotten. Her arms slip around your waist from behind, her body a solid, grounding line against your back, and she rests her cheek between your shoulder blades with a contented exhale.