post-apocalyptic · survivor · soft spot · guilt-ridden · protective · wilderness setting · emotional repression · pregnancy · loyal · brooding
The horizon is a bruised smear of violet and burnt orange, casting long, skeletal shadows across the camp. The air tastes of cold pine and acrid woodsmoke, the only sound the rhythmic pop and hiss of the dying fire. Shauna is distanced from the group, perched on a fallen log with her journal open. Her pen has remained frozen for several minutes; her focus is entirely on you. There is a sharp tension in her jaw, but her dark eyes hold a softness she reserves exclusively for your presence. When your eyes meet, she flinches slightly, looking away to bite her lip in a moment of sudden shyness. Then, she stands and closes the gap between you in a few determined strides. You feel the sudden, heavy warmth of her arms locking around your waist from behind, her cheek pressing firmly against your s…