There is no us

Torn

The sun was high in the sky, casting warm golden light over the camp as Jackie walked through the narrow dirt pathways between the tents. She wasn’t entirely sure where she was going, but after the past few days of keeping mostly to herself, she felt restless. The weight of her choices still lingered in the back of her mind, but she wasn’t in the mood to dwell on them right now.

As she rounded a corner, a voice caught her attention.

"—No, you absolute i***t, that's not how you do it!"

Jackie stopped just outside one of the larger tents, peeking inside out of curiosity. Inside, she saw Gunnar and another man about his age sitting at a wooden table, engaged in some kind of playful argument. The man had short, dark hair and a cocky grin that reminded her of someone who enjoyed being a nuisance.

Gunnar, on the other hand, had an amused but exasperated look on his face. His usual composed demeanor had cracked slightly, making him look younger, more carefree. It was a side of him Jackie hadn’t really seen before.

"You’re hopeless, you know that, right?" Gunnar said, shaking his head.

The other man laughed, leaning back in his chair. "And you’re too uptight, man. Loosen up a little. Not everything has to be some strategic move."

Jackie smirked at their ridiculous banter but didn’t announce her presence. That is, until Gunnar turned his head and spotted her standing in the entrance.

The change in him was immediate. His relaxed posture stiffened, and he sat up straighter, quickly regaining his usual composed attitude. Jackie raised an eyebrow at the shift, finding it oddly amusing.

The other man followed Gunnar’s gaze and turned toward Jackie, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Ooooh, is that your girlfriend?"

Jackie blinked. Gunnar shot his friend a sharp glare.

"Shut up, Tyler," Gunnar said flatly.

Jackie crossed her arms and tilted her head. "So you do have a fun side. Who knew?" she teased, glancing between him and Tyler.

Tyler laughed, standing up from his seat. "You have no idea," he said, then patted Gunnar on the shoulder before giving him a knowing look. "Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone."

Gunnar exhaled sharply, clearly unimpressed with his friend’s antics. "Tyler—"

But Tyler was already walking past Jackie, sending her a playful wink before disappearing out of the tent.

Jackie turned back to Gunnar, a smirk tugging at her lips. "So… who was that?"

Gunnar sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was Tyler. He’s a friend, unfortunately."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunately?"

"He’s a pain in my ass," Gunnar said, though there was an undeniable fondness in his voice.

Jackie chuckled. "I think I like him already."

Gunnar rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, he pushed back his chair and stood up, nodding toward her. "Come on. Let’s get out of here before he comes back with more dumb comments."

Jackie followed him out of the tent, and from that moment on, the rest of the day belonged to them.

They spent hours wandering through the camp together. At first, they talked about trivial things—how Jackie was feeling, the different people in the rebellion, and Gunnar’s responsibilities. But as the day stretched on, their conversations grew deeper.

Jackie learned that Gunnar had been with the rebellion for years, longer than most people here. He had fought for this cause long before many of the others had joined, and he wasn’t just some soldier following orders—he was a leader, one of the most trusted people in the entire camp.

"You don’t act like the leader type," Jackie mused as they sat on a wooden fence near the edge of the camp, watching the sunset.

Gunnar smirked. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"I don’t know," she admitted, glancing at him. "You’re just… different from what I expected. You don’t bark orders, you don’t act like you have some god complex. You actually listen to people."

Gunnar shrugged. "People follow those they trust. Fear only works for so long."

Jackie considered that, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. He wasn’t like the other so-called leaders she had encountered in her life. He was different.

And she liked that.

They kept talking until the sky turned dark, the campfires flickering to life around them. Jackie hadn’t even realized how late it had gotten until Gunnar finally stood up, stretching.

"It’s getting late," he said. "We should probably call it a night."

Jackie nodded, feeling a strange reluctance to end the day. As they walked back toward her tent, the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable—it was filled with something heavier, something unspoken.

When they reached her tent, Gunnar stopped, turning to face her.

"Well," he said, his voice softer than usual, "goodnight, Jackie."

But before he could step away, their eyes met.

Something shifted between them in that moment. A tension that had been building all day suddenly became undeniable.

Gunnar took a step closer. Jackie didn’t move away.

His hand brushed against her waist, hesitantly at first, as if waiting for her reaction. She didn’t pull back. Instead, she let her own hand rest on his side, fingers curling slightly into his shirt.

Their breathing slowed. The space between them vanished.

Gunnar’s other hand slid up, tracing along the side of her neck, his fingertips barely touching her skin. Jackie felt a shiver run down her spine as she instinctively leaned in, her body moving before her mind could catch up.

And then, finally, Gunnar closed the remaining distance.

His lips met hers, slow at first, as if testing the waters. But the moment Jackie responded, the kiss deepened. Gunnar’s hand tightened on her waist, pulling her closer, while his fingers tangled in her hair.

Jackie melted into him, her hands gripping his shirt, holding onto him like she was afraid to let go.

The firelight flickered around them, but nothing else seemed to matter in that moment.

When they finally pulled away, they were both breathless. Jackie’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared up at him, still feeling the warmth of his lips on hers.

Gunnar exhaled softly, his forehead resting against hers for a brief second before he finally pulled back completely.

"Goodnight, Jackie," he murmured again, this time with the faintest smirk on his lips.

Jackie swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. "Goodnight, Gunnar."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jackie standing there with her heart still racing, her fingers still tingling from his touch.

She touched her lips, still feeling the ghost of the kiss.

She was in trouble.

Serious, serious trouble.