｡  *  𓏲  —  ꒰   Thread  :  isabelle & Fox  . - Blog Posts

she hasn't felt this safe in a long time. they had power to light their bunker, a security system that would keep the walls around them safe from the creatures that walked the streets outside. that feeling of freedom feels almost electric between, changing the very current of the air tonight. they're even standing far closer than they usually would, almost sharing breath and most certainly sharing the smoke that plumes between their lips. "i did. i only had one packet on me when the world went to shit. pretty sure i went through withdrawal when i finished it." the smile on her face is soft for him, leaning back against the wall as her chin tilts up slightly to take in the smile on his face. fingers brush against his own when she takes the cigarette back, inhaling deeply and damn near losing her breath entirely when his eyes drop to her mouth. she exhales smoke between them, her own gaze catching on his lips before flicking back up to his eyes, overly aware of how close they were. "stop looking at me like that."

it had taken several weeks to clear out the bunker, with several more to fix up the place. at that time, fox had nearly quit, thinking all this effort was of waste. but once the generators were hooked up, and fox watches as isabelle punches in the code for the door, he realizes that all that hard work had been for something. for once, he's able to let down his guard. "might not be, but this is as close to normal as we can get." a small smile appears beneath his greying beard at her excitement, watching as she wastes no time lighting it up and handing it over. fox hesitates for a second before he accepts the cigarette by taking it in between his fingers. he takes a long drag, savoring it, before exhaling out the smoke between them. "never thought i'd miss these so much." he states in a low voice before holding the cigarette up for her to take back. but his eyes are not on her own, but on her lips instead, watching as they part and the cigarette to be placed in between them.

she punches in the code to the to the doors, watching them open for the pair of them and sliding her fingers around his bicep as they slip behind them, code entered once more to lock them behind safe walls. it was a mere excuse to touch him again, she knows as much, but she holds no remorse for it as she lets her hand drop. "is there even such a thing as normal anymore?" she questions, peeling her jacket off her shoulders once they're safely inside. curiosity tugs at her expression as he speaks, hand held out and an inaudible gasp leaving her lips when she sees what he's found. "you're joking." she smiles openly, hands rummaging in her pocket for the lighter she'd found a few weeks ago. she's quick to get it lit and she releases a long sigh of relief at the first breath of smoke that fills her lungs, eyes closing in bliss. "i used to think these were better than wine some days." she quips, cigarette placed between her fingers as she holds it up to his lips, gaze on his.

her words are a comfort, more than perhaps she'll ever really know. trust was not something that came easily in this new world, fox had known first had how quickly people switched sides in order to ensure their own survival. he's grateful for isabelle, grateful that she had steadied her knife that day when first they met. he's grateful to no longer be alone in this world. "spend the night in bed..." he repeats in a soft voice, followed by an even softer laugh. "i think that's the most normal sounding thing we've ever done." the implication of that they both would be sharing said bed is lost on him, fox too distracted by flipping his pack around to rummage through one of the pockets. "oh. here, i managed to find some of these for you before we left." holding his hand out, he places a crumpled package of cigarettes into her palm. "it's not wine, but... it's the next best thing."

when she'd first lost the last of her family when the outbreak hit, she felt lost as to where to go next. she'd had no one left to protect anymore, no one to care about except herself. then she'd come across him. damn near nearly slit his throat when they first met, trust forming slowly until she no longer reached for her knife in his presence anymore. now, every word he says to her seems to warm her, small smile curving her mouth as dark eyes find his. "i know. just as i wouldn't let anything happen to you." her tone mirrors his, the teasing weighted by the sincerity that lies beneath. her eyes light up at the concept of safety and sleep, shoulder warm from where he'd touched her. "we can both spend the entire night in the bed for once. no disrupted sleep." the realization sets in that it'll be their first time really sharing that bed, one of them always up on watch while the other rested.

perhaps it was the fact that she was the first person he had come across in literal months, or maybe it was that, at certain angles, she reminded him of the wife he once had before the world fell apart. regardless, where most people would be met with his icy stare and standoffish disposition, she is met only with a look of reverence from him, something of a small smile sitting on his lips beneath his greying beard. "i wouldn't let anything happen to you." although he meant it teasingly, a bit of sincerity warms his tone. eyes drift to their shoulders, in which he lightly leans in to nudge hers. "speaking of which... now that we've got those generators up and running, we'll be able to lock ourselves in behind those blast doors." he waves his hand dismissively. "no more night watch. we might both be able to get a somewhat decent sleep for once."

it's only when she feels at ease in the street that she finally sheathes her dagger back against her thigh, settling into quiet steps. she glances at the skyline, noting how low the sun was starting to get and noting that they'd taken longer than planned. "stop apologizing, it's fine." though it was endearing how earnest he was in his apology, like he had crossed some line she had never put into place. her smile widens as the tension breaks, cheeks still tinted scarlet from his touch as she looks sidelong at him. "is that right?" she teases him, letting her shoulder brush against his own. now that she's had the taste of touch again, she was unwilling to go so long without it anymore. "well that's comforting to know when we go to sleep tonight."

they were in the clear, with taking one last survey at the building they exited just to make certain they weren't being followed by whatever undead monstrosity was patrolling the upper levels. when isabelle speaks, he turns back around and watches as she takes the lead. "sorry," he apologies with a genuine tone before her added quip knocks whatever breath left in him as he lets out a soft laugh. now that she mentioned it, his hands have not stopped burning where he had felt her breath pressed up against his palm, or when she had taken his soon after. "guilty," he plays along as he catches up and falls into step with her "but hey, you finally gave me a reason — now i'm not letting you out of arm's reach."

one hand tight in his own, the other clutched around her knife as they make their way down the stairs, her heartrate returning to normal with every stair they descend. the flush remains on her features though, more bothered than she'd like to be at his former closeness, the remnants of his body a whisper of a memory against her skin. she nods when they're in the clear, finally dropping his hand as the near the bottom floor of the building. "i'm fine. you just startled me, is all." she flicks her gaze around, making sure they were alone before she pushes the last door open, leading them into the street so they could head back to their shelter. "didn't realize you were waiting for an excuse to get close to me." she quips, smiling over her shoulder.

continued from here + @vulgcrz

there was no time to warn her; his body acting of its own accord with the need to protect by ensuring she keeps still and avoids many any noise. he'll apologize once they're safe, but until then, his hand remains over her mouth to stifle her breathing while he holds his own. just until the creaking of whatever creature passes over their heads. when she takes his hand, he doesn't think anything of it and clasps into it tightly as he follows after her towards the stairwell. once they've wound round and round down a few levels, fox helping her over the occasional piles of broken concrete, he finally speaks. "you alright?" his voice comes out soft and low and slightly muffled behind his mask.

isabelle barely has time to react, sucking in a sharp breath muffled by his hand as she stills against the wall. half of her is so shocked by his closeness that she can’t register much else, unable to remember the last time she’d had another person’s body upon hers. not since before the world had turned to shit perhaps. she blinks twice, hearing the creaking a moment later and a familiar fear shocks up her spine. it’s not the first time fox has saved her ass and she doubts it’ll be the last, her breathing turning heavy under his palm even as a hand trails down towards the knife on her thigh. she flicks her gaze to the door to their left, reaching up with her free hand to remove his own from her mouth, holding onto his palm as she leads him towards the stairwell in the hopes of escape.

open to: f/m/nb.

plot: apocalypse setting (could be t.lou or de.ad ci.ty inspired, or we can make up our own world). your muse could be either a stranger or companion. bonus if your muse gets a lil flustered being pinned to a wall. age gap welcomed.

please read my rules beforehand + replies will be moved to a new post.

he's on them in an instant, almost from out of nowhere. a hand immediately flies up to cover their mouth before any sound could be made, while he uses the rest of his body to press them up against the nearest wall to prevent any movement that would otherwise give their positions away. his eyes, a cold and hard blue, remain intensely locked with theirs, silently ordering them to stop struggling and keep quiet. an agonizing few seconds pass before the faint creaking of floorboards follows the heavy shuffling of... something could be heard above their heads. and despite the multiple layers he has on, a chill makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. one wrong move, one single sound, and they could be swarmed in an instant.