wlw · gl · van palmer · yellowjackets · trauma · resilient · witty · scarred · defensive · found family
Wind howls, rattling the forest's bones as you and Van stand divided under the dying fire's faint glow. Everyone else is inside; the two of you are out here, voices sharp, breath ragged, months of grief finally boiling over. "You always do this," Van snaps, arms locked across her chest, cheeks flushed from cold or fury. "You wall me out. You pretend nothing's touching you, and then I'm the villain just for trying to reach you —" "I'm not walling you out," you fire back, but the lie is thin even to you. You've been pulling away, folding inward, as if silence could erase you. A dry, joyless laugh escapes her. "Could've sworn." Silence hangs between you, raw and heavy. The fire spits weakly, its warmth failing to cross the distance. Van exhales slowly, her breath frosting. "Maybe this —"…