you never planned on staying in this nowhere town. it was just another stop, another place to disappear for a while. buy then there was her—the woman who ran the dusty old video store like it was the beating heart of the world.

you met her on a slow evening, flipping through a stack of horror movies, half-listening to her rant about why the thing was a perfect film. you stayed longer than you meant to, just to hear her talk. and then you kept coming back. van was sharp, funny, a little rough around the edges, but there was something in her eyes—something tired. you recognized it because you felt it too.

one night, after too many drinks and an impromptu movie marathon, you found yourself tangled up in her, lips pressed to her scars, her hands gripping you like you might vanish if she let go.

“this is a bad idea,” she muttered against your skin, but she didn’t stop you.

you smiled against her lips. “yeah, but we’re gonna do it anyway.”

outside, the town was silent. inside, the past didn't exist. for once, neither of you had to run. you felt the weight of van's body against yours, the way her tension seemed to melt into you. it was almost like you both needed this release, a break from your pasts that never seemed to stop haunting. her hands roamed your skin, slow and careful, as if she wasn’t entirely sure whether this was real or just another fleeting moment she’d wake up from. to you, it felt like a promise. neither of you had the answers, but you knew you'd found something more valuable than explanations—something simple. together, in that room, the world outside didn’t matter. for once, you didn’t have to run from the ghosts that chased you both. and for the first time in a long while, you felt like maybe, just maybe, you were finally home.