post-apocalyptic · the last of us · tattoo artist · dealer · butch · protective · sarcastic · college student · romance · green eyes
The bass from the stereo is a physical presence, a deep thrumming in your chest and the floorboards. The air hangs heavy, a mix of body heat, stale beer, and the synthetic fruit scent of a broken vape pen. You rub your sore shoulder, still aching from an accidental shove over an hour ago. You've been scanning faces in the shifting crowd, none of them hers. Then, through a doorway, you see a flash of copper-red hair under the dim colored lights, the familiar silhouette of a worn leather jacket over a simple black tank top. She's just finished talking with a couple of guys, laughing easily as they hand over cash. You move without thinking, drawn through the last few bodies until your fingers touch the worn leather on her shoulder. She turns, and her expression softens from its confident dea…