human
June Phillipshad been curious about the gun toting young man who was part of the small group who had joined them the day before. She didn't know anything about them and hadn't done more than peer curiously out the window of the truck her father drove to check them out, but she hadn't had time to really talk to anyone yet. Now she did. A few times a day the convoy stopped to give people a chance to move about, refuel from containers kept on hand, relieve themselves, and switch drivers. It was only about half an hour or so, but that was plenty of time. And hey, if they got along, maybe one of them could ride with the other for a bit.
Wrapping a few things in a decently clean handkerchief, the eighteen year old gestured to let her father know where she was going and stepped down off of the dusty truck, running her fingers, with nails that had a few scratches of green polish left on them, through her short red hair. It only took a few minutes to walk to where the newcomers were, together and seeming as though they didn't really have any intentions of interacting with the other twenty people in the truck train. When she got to them everyone stopped talking and looked at her, which made the young woman feel a little bit uncomfortable, but she brushed it off. People weren't as terrifying as zombies, after all. "I came to let you know that there's water being passed out if anyone needs it. There's also toilet paper." One of them walked off, and she took a moment to gather herself before approaching the dark haired man -- teen? -- who looked closest to her in age. "Hi. I brought food, I thought you might like something to eat," she said, offering up the handkerchief. Neatly wrapped inside was dried apple and strawberry slices with a few dried blueberries. "It's all dried, but it's sweet." Her family had brought a lot when they'd joined the group; they'd had a pretty good stock of dried fruits and lots of pickles. They'd only used the generator to power the food dehydrator and things like that, so that it would last as long as possible.
The redhead adjusted the slightly oversized red and black plaid button up she was wearing and smiled warmly. "Do you mind if I stick around here for a few minutes? The last new people were my family, and that was months ago. Nobody too close to my age, either." Well a few people in the later half of their twenties, but that was still at least seven years older than her. Food had been the best way she could think to see if she could get his attention and have him let her hang around. Everybody liked food, and even if the fruit wasn't fresh it was still pretty good. She supposed the fact that she had only brought it to him made the fact she was most interested in him pretty clear, and the expression on the face of the white bearded man let her know they had all very much noticed.
The area around them was clear for now, but it probably wouldn't stay that way forever. The nice thing about being on the move in a vehicle was that zombies couldn't follow them, but the sound of trucks and a bus did sometimes attract attention. She didn't see anything, but she was sort of used to it happening. The knife on her belt had seen use, though she could sense that these people were... different. She wouldn't be surprised if they had seen more combat than the entire caravan together.
gpt
He'd been riding on top for the last leg, his rifle poised in the event that they ran into trouble, but so far luck had been on their side and the traveling had been easy. Not that he minded. Sure, he wanted to keep working towards his 10k goal, but killing zombies were just a means to an end. He was here for the ride, the people, and maybe one day, for the cure.
10k stood near Doc and the others, their voices low as they discussed their mutual concern with the recent sightings of the ultra-fast, ultra-smart Blasters. They had a feeling that they were being stalked but the leader of the caravan wanted nothing to do with their theories. The fact that the Blasters seemed to hunt in packs and new when it was strategic to run away bothered them all; it bespoke of intelligence, which made it that much harder to think of them as non-humans. Murphy was especially distraught but his issue seemed to be wrapped around the fact that he couldnt control them. He couldnt even affect the damned things.
When the cute redhead held out her hand and offered 10k something to eat he felt his cheeks burning, and every one of his friends watching him. He shyly took the handkerchief with his gloved hand, the fingers of his hand brushing her palm softly, and muttered something that sounded like Uhh.thanks. It was hard to tell though with the way he seemed to have suddenly grown uncomfortable. He peeled open the edges of the paper and saw the dried fruit inside. It was a small treasure; a gift worthy of someone more important than himself.
He glanced up at her and smiled. Then he thought of the girl with the face paint. He had smiled at her, and then a few minutes later she had been killed by the Blasters. His smile faded at the thought that he might be some kind of jinx to girls.
Thanks, he reiterated, taking up a slice of apple and taking a tentative bite. It was a little bit chewy but it was sweet. It had been a while since he had something that hadnt come out of a can. So he glanced back at the caravan, who here is your family? As she talked, he nibbled. Who knew how long their reprieve might last? The caravan leader called the ten minute mark and told them all to be on the cars in time or risk being left behind. 10k reached up to adjust the goggles on his head and then pull at his scarf where something had started to irritate the side of his neck. For a brief moment he almost could forget that they were in the apocalypse, and he just let himself pretend that he was standing in a park talking to a pretty girl.
human
The fact that he was blushing made June turn red as well. It wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting given how cool and collected he seemed, and it flustered her a little bit. Still, he'd accepted the offering and that probably meant he didn't mind if she hung around, at least for a few minutes. If he'd wanted her gone he could have just rejected the food. Or taken it and walked away, though that wouldn't have been a full deterrent for the redhead. When he smiled she smiled back, her own lasting longer.
"I would have brought more, but we had to merge most of our supplies with the group. I always like to have a little bit in case someone needs a snack." She pressed her fingers to her lips, eyes warm and a tiny bit amused, like it was some big secret for them to share. It wasn't really encouraged to have extra food, but often a little bit of something sweet cheered people up when they were faltering, and she liked to be able to provide that. And, probably because her family had brought a lot of food with them, they didn't seem to mind massively. Having an orchard did mean they'd brought a decent supply of dried fruit with them.
He asked about her family, and the redhead perked up slightly. That was interest, and that was good. "We're driving the big green truck. My parents and I." She gestured, and a woman with a dirty yellow bandana tied around similarly red hair waved from the distance, apparently having been observing the conversation from her spot within the truck with enough attention that she realized when she was being gestured at. "We hadn't left the farm since this started, so it's been kind of an adventure. I was starting to forget what other people sounded like." She didn't mention why they'd left a farm that was apparently lucky enough to have stayed running through the apocalypse, but it wasn't really something that needed to be talked about.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. How rude. I'm June." She offered up another bright smile, surprisingly light for someone who'd spent the last four years in what was basically Hell on Earth. "No pressure to introduce yourself, I know some people don't like to do that." She probably should have offered her hand, but somehow that just felt like more formality than was needed in the apocalypse. When she heard the ten minute call, the redhead frowned. That wasn't enough time! It was probably too early to try and invite him to ride with her, and definitely too early to invite herself to hang with him. At this rate she'd have to wait until the next break to get to talk to him again, and the thought of it bummed her out. "If you don't give me a name I'm probably gonna just gonna pick something, and you should know the last time I got to name something my family had to call a goat 'Goaty' for ten years." So he'd be lucky if she called him 'Scarf' or something.
gpt
He turned to wave at her parents, a little bit envious that she still had both of them. His mother had died when he was a kid. His dadwell, after the apocalypse happened. Doc and the group were the closest thing to family that he had. June seemed happy to talk, and he was happy to let her. Little by little the sweet, dried morsels of food made their way to his mouth. He savored every bit of the treat and when it was gone he folded up the napkin and handed it back to her, hoping that it might return again with more of the same.
I yeah. No. Im 10k, he said as he adjusted the rifle slung on his shoulder. Thats how many zombies Im going to kill. His smile was a little self-conscious. Right now Im on three thousand, nine hundred eighty-three.
The men were loading up into their trucks and Doc called out Lets go, kid! 10k gave her an apologetic smile. I guess Ill see you. Thanks for the fruit. He hesitated as if not sure what to do, then he just nodded. Okay, he said, putting a hand on his shoulder strap and jogging off to the truck he was assigned to. As he climbed up he turned to watch her, his mind swimming with questions and a little bit of sunshine where there had only been shadow.
The trucks and cars started up and in a few minutes they were back on the road, heading out to Edmund.
human
Accepting the handkerchief back, June tucked it away in her pocket. If she could get a little more she'd bring it, but that had been her stock for the day. She'd only be able bring water or just general cheerful personality when she came back. Because she was definitely coming back to talk to him next break.
She stared at him for a moment, big blue eyes wide. "That's amazing," the teenager said finally. "That's more than the population of the town that was nearest our farm. I bet there's at least one person alive thanks to circumstance because of you." Almost four thousand zombies that couldn't hurt anyone was very impressive. "I'm glad I've got something to work with, I was probably gonna end up calling you 'Scarf' or 'Frowny' if you didn't give me anything. Though it turns out you're not all that frowny so I guess that wouldn't have worked very well." She looked amused with herself, pleased to have a better name to call him. It occurred to her that eventually he'd get to ten thousand and then he'd probably need a new name, but she didn't ask.
The call went out and trucks started revving back up, and June looked a little disappointed. "Stay safe." It was more than anyone could really promise, but pretending worked just fine.
She glanced back one more time before heading reluctantly back to the truck. Her parents spent a few minutes good naturedly questioning her about 'that cute boy', and she answered honestly. The rest of the drive was spent staring out the window, fiddling with the radio in an attempt to find... well, anything, and trying to spot 10k from the window or mirror. She also ended up taking a little nap, which she had definitely needed. Not long before the next break they saw a stream, and June spent the last few minutes of the drive convincing her parents to let her go check it out. If the water was drinkable, they could take a car down and fill up the group's water supplies.
The moment the truck stopped she was down out of it, heading towards where 10k was. "I'm back!" She chirped brightly. "We noticed some water a ways back, and I was wondering if you'd like to come check it out? I sort of already told my parents you would, it was the only way to get them to agree to let me go instead of sending someone else. I really want to stretch my legs." Perhaps in an attempt to cut off any potential rejection before he started, the petite redhead flashed a few moments of puppy dog eyes.
gpt
He kept an eye on the green truck. It was a few vehicles behind them, and occasionally when they turned a curve he would lose sight of it. Every time they came back into view he would smile, and Doc, noticing, would smile as well. It was about time that the whipper-snapper had someone to be interested in. Maybe it would take his mind off of Cassandra.
Occasionally he'd catch a glimpse of a Blaster and he or another good shot would try to take it out. Those things were fast, though; they seemed to understand the rules of engagement as well, ducking under cover and falling back when it wasn't profitable to press on. These differences worried 10k. He knew the way that animals reacted and he knew the way that Zs reacted, and these things were acting more like people than Zs or animals. Warily he cast a glance back at the rear of the convoy as they pulled over for another break. It was nearly evening and they'd have to find a place to rest soon, or else switch drivers. It was dangerous to travel at night.
He saw the redhead spring from her truck and make it to his in less than a minute after they stopped. He tried not to smile at the attention, but it was a losing battle, and except for the one time Murphy cared to look in his direction he felt like that day was about to be his best day ever. "How, uh... how far back?" He squinted and looked to the rear of the caravan as if he could x-ray his vision through the hills. He glanced back at June and frowned at her deception. Who would let their kid go look for water with a stranger? Even pre-Z it was a bad idea. But she wanted to go, and he knew that she shouldn't go alone. "Uhm... okay. Yeah.. I guess." He nodded, his spiky black hair a mess after riding in the back of the truck for hours.
He found her gaze a little unnerving, having never had anyone look at him that way before. He frowned and adjusted his rifle. "Do you, ah...have something to put the water in?" Once they figured out what they were doing he began to walk with her, his eyes scanning for any signs of Zs or Blasters. If it wasn't for them, the scene would be considered idyllic. He saw something that looked suspicious and shouldered his rifle to look down the scope. It turned out to be a shirt snagged on a branch. He scanned the ridge and then decided it looked safe enough to continue. As far as he was concerned he was there to guard her, and if he failed then he'd have her parents to face afterwards, and he didn't want to be forced to do that.
human
She liked that he smiled at her. It was warming, in a pleasant sort of way. The kind of warm that wouldn't be a bother even in the worst heat. There was probably a better way to put it, but June wasn't all that poetic. She wished she were, but the fancy words had never come all that easily to her. She could talk someone's ear off, but she didn't always have the best words, she just babbled until she got her point across. It worked just fine, and some people even thought it was charming. "Not that far. Third of a mile, half at most? My parents are going to stick around if we're a few minutes late, and it's not like we won't be able to catch up. Plus if the water's clean the caravan will stick around longer so everyone can fill up everything they have." It was hard to know when they'd find clean water and be able to stop again, so it was only reasonable to go get what they needed right now as opposed to waiting and hoping. It wasn't all that far, and if they walked a little fast it wouldn't be an issue at all. Plenty of time.
If June found out the look worked, he'd have a problem on his hands, because she would not be afraid to take advantage of it to get him to do things with her. For now she just beamed when he agreed to go with her, looking delighted. "Thanks!" As for what to put the water in, she glanced back the direction she'd come from. "I'm gonna grab my bag from the truck when we go past it. I didn't want to get all my things if you didn't agree." It made sense. She didn't make him come too close, just darted to the truck she sort of called her home base when they got near, coming back with a small messenger bag. "Got a bottle, and I'm sort of hoping we'll find something I can gather for everyone to eat. Never a bad thing to have more food." With water sometimes came cattails. "I haven't had nearly as much zombie killing experience, but I'm pretty good at survival stuff. I mean... I know a lot about plants. I kinda wanted to be a botanist." She admitted it like someone would admit something ridiculous, because now it was. College and degrees had pretty much no meaning.
When he lifted the gun the redhead stopped completely, silent for a few moments until he lowered it back down. She didn't want to distract him, and if there was something there, better not to draw attention to themselves. June was decent with her knife, but she'd prefer not to have to fight. It wasn't her preference. Tactically avoiding the problem had worked for her okay until this point, until she did have to stab something in the face. And she did seem to have some skill just in her movements; the teen was very aware of her surroundings and most of the sounds that came when she walked were on purpose, because she wanted to talk to him, albeit more softly than she had been before. "This is the first time I've been alone with someone my age since I was..." she tilted her head slightly, counting backwards, "fourteen. I promised my dad I'd stab you -- just a little -- if you tried to get fresh." Apparently she was willing to just trust him, at least for the moment. "So don't do that. I think I'd like to be friends and I don't know if friendships survive stabbing." The redhead grinned at him, and then took a moment to sweep her hair off of her slender neck and twist it up into a tight bun. That was going to be less grab-able if they ran into any kind of trouble.
Just bluntly expressing an interest in getting to know him seemed like the right idea. It wasn't like they knew how long things would go without catastrophe, it made sense to make the best of things while they were good.
gpt
A botanist? He turned to look at her, wondering what kind of dreams where shattered for her when the outbreak happened. For him not a lot had changed; he and his dad had been living primitively for a long time, since his mom died, at least, and the first time hed been in a hotel had been after the outbreak. Heck, he could drive a stick shift but he didnt know how to operate a computer, not that computers mattered any longer. So you were smart, he said it as if it was a done deal. Anyone who thought of going to college had to be smart. Or rich. He never considered himself either.
As they walked he kept his eyes on the terrain. His ear was bent to her, but it wasnt until she told him that shed stab him if he tried to get fresh with her. That drew an embarrassed grin. Oh I wouldnt know how I ah no. No need to worry. He turned his face away to hide the spreading blush across his face and neck. Once he was able to swallow the lump that filled his throat he nodded. Friends is good. He had no idea what to say to her. On one hand, talking attracted Zs. On the other, she as cute and they were alone, where prying ears couldnt tease him mercilessly about anything that was or wasnt said, but he had no clue how boys talked to girls who they wanted to be friends with.
I dont think I want to be stabbed, he said quietly as they neared the water. It looked like the stream was safe relatively. He didnt see any signs of Zs or smell the stench of rotted flesh. They were always worried about drinking natural water that might have been washing over the decaying corpse of a Z, animal or otherwise. There was also the normal concerns that came with dirty water. After a long look up and down the shore line he nodded to her. I think its okay to get water, he said, turning to watch their back. We should hurry.
human
"I was smart? Excuse you, I'm still at least as smart as I was at fourteen, if not more." June sounded indignant, but she was smiling and her expression didn't at all look like she'd taken offense to what he said. "Though admittedly I am much, much less prepared for college than I used to imagine I'd be at this age. What about you?" He'd had goals, right? Everyone did.
He was stammering, and while it made June feel a little awkward, she also thought it was cute. "I personally might not mind too much, but I gotta do what dad says." She paused and then, realizing what she'd actually said, turned a dark pink and stumbled over her words for a moment to get out an apology. "Oh my god that totally wasn't what I meant, oh jeez it just kind of popped out, I promise I'm not creepy." That was more flirt than she wanted and felt entirely too much like 'yeah I'd totally do you in the trees' for June's comfort. "sorry. I should stop teasing you. Its just really surprising you're not super intense and hard to talk to. You kinda give off that air from a distance. But like, you're just a normal person and that is a huge relief because I don't think I'd get along with super intense. I just... don't really know how to talk to people who aren't forty anymore."
Also she maybe had sort of meant it? She wasn't sure. He was incredibly attractive and seemed very nice, and June was at a loss on how to handle this. She was definitely wondering what it would be like if she got to lean against him. Being a teenager in the apocalypse super sucked. "I'm not totally sure what getting fresh with someone entails, actually."
When he mentioned the water, the redhead nodded. Picking up a rock the teen tossed it in, pausing for a moment. Nothing came crawling out of the few cattails growing on the edge of the lazy water and she stepped forward, pulling her bottle out of her bag and filling it about halfway up. Shaking it, she held it up to the light and squinted at it for a moment. "This should be fine. We have a few filters, so as long as there's nothing seriously wrong with it, we'll be fine. I want to go across and cut the cattails, though. I'd say they're worth their weight in gold food-wise, but gold isn't really worth anything now. Still." He'd get the idea.
Without really waiting, the young woman hopped across the stream, feet splashing quietly in the water as she went.
gpt
She was really sounding like she liked him, which wasnt something that 10k was used to. Hed spent a great deal of time with just his dad. Interacting with others was still a strange thing, despite the over four years since the SHTF. He watched her throw the rock into the cat tails and thought about how he used to swim without a worry in the pond near his home, all those years ago. Nowadays he didnt feel safe anywhere that he couldnt see the bottom of the water. It had been a long, long time since hed waded into dark water.
When she practically jumped in he didnt know what to do. She was kind of crazy, he figured. Who would do that? Then he steeled himself and waded in with her, his rifle held high. Every tendril of stream weed, every minnow, was a Zs hand reaching to grab him. He couldnt stand the feeling of stepping into a heap of bad day. He waded across the water to where she was standing with the cat tails. These things make me itch, he shared as he looked at the strange hot-dog plants suspiciously. I never thought to eat them. He felt something brush his leg and it made him flinch, but then a silver fish streaked away and he let out a breath of relief. The water spooked him.
He found himself standing really close to her. The few plants that separated them were not much barrier at all, and he could practically feel Docs voice encouraging him.Go for it, kid! You only live once.
He licked his lips. I, uhm, I dont know exactly what it means to get fresh either. I havent even kissed a girl, other than my mother. But not inthatway. He quickly added as clarification. She was impossibly close to him. It would just take a little bit of something, but he wasnt sure what. Why was it that people like Murphy, of all people, found people like that Pie Girl and hooked up without a second thought, but 10k felt all thumbs around girls?
Her hair was brilliant in the sunlight. He found his eyes trailing from her hair to her nose, her lips his eyes caught a glimpse of something moving behind her. Had he not been staring at her he would have missed it. Frack. He unslung his rifle. Get up that bank. Hurry!
human
It wasn't that deep, and June was trying her best to stick to rocks. Really, knee deep in the worst places, so she wasn't super concerned. There was still the chance of getting grabbed, but most anything that was going to be able to take a bite out of her would have tried to get up when she'd tossed the rock. If anything, the water felt good. It was cool, and everything had been so dry and dusty with the trucks, that it was a relief to feel the cold. Which she definitely wouldn't still have felt if it were a few months later, but winter hadn't come yet so she wasn't thinking about it too much except for food and making sure she had the clothes.
"You might be allergic to the pollen. I don't know if a lot of people know that it's edible. A book I once read said that if you found cattails, you'd have three of the four things needed for survival. Water, because they always grow near water, food because you can eat them and fish like to swim near them, and shelter because the reeds can be woven for roofing. All you're missing is companionship. Anyway, they've got vitamins A, B, and C, and more starch than potatoes." She cut a few carefully, investigating for a moment, before setting to work trying to get as much as she could. When he flinched, she glanced back up at him. "You don't have to stand in the water with me. I'm sure you can keep just as good an eye on me from the bank, it's barely a foot away." But it did make her feel safer to have him right there.
He hadn't kissed a girl before? Really? "That's sort of surprising," June said after a moment. "I'd sort of expect you'd get all sorts of attention." Then again, not a whole lot people, so there was that. "I mean I--" she just sort of trailed off and focused on the reeds in front of her because she wasn't going to tell him she thought he was really good looking and would probably be totally willing to kiss him. It didn't even matter that much, because he spoke again, and his tone was very different.
"Frack? Really? It's the apocalypse, you can--" her joke about him about swearing was cut off by the most vehement utterance of "oh pinwheels!" the world had probably ever heard when she actually saw the zombies. She shoved the reeds in her hand into her bag, grip on her knife shifting to one better suited for stabbing things in the head, and scampered towards dry land.
gpt
He put a hand on the small of her back to push her up the bank. 10k scrambled up beside her, then shouldered his rifle to take out the Blaster. Its fast, direct movement was unmistakable, but when the thing swerved as he took aim the sharpshooter could have sworn the thing ducked. Itducked!
Another shot followed the first, and as the Blaster straightened, the bullet traveled low over the rise of the ground and took off the top of its skull. Three thousand, nine hundred eighty-eight, he murmured, sighting in the next Z and shooting it in the knee before taking the head shot. Eighty-nine.
He straightened and ran to catch up with June. The path between them and the caravan was riddled with shrubs and small clusters of scraggly trees, and they could hear a few gunshot and shouts from their friends. A few engines started up and sent a thrill of fear through 10ks body.They were going to leave them behind! He shot at one that came up over the hill from the direction they were running, then something snagged his ankle and made him fall so hard it knocked the wind out of his lungs and the rifle out of his hands. Turning, kicking, he saw that a half-decayed Z had reached out from where it had slept in a gnarly bush and grabbed his foot.
human
In literally any other situation, the touch probably would have flustered her a little. Right now, June didn't really notice it. She had much more important things to focus on, mostly not dying. For now, the redheaded teen just focused on getting back to the caravan. Without a gun she wasn't particularly well equipped for blasters, but as long as only came close she wouldn't have too much trouble. And 10k was impressive with the gun, so she was more focusing on what was within her immediate field of range and vision. If it came within she'd do what she had to, but right now running.
When she heard him hit the ground, June turned so fast she almost skidded and topped over herself. She went sprinting back towards him, foot lashing out to hit the zombie hard in the head before grabbing 10k's gun so he could just get up and taking a moment to stab the zombie in the head. If they could hear shouts and engines that meant they were close, and her parents would wait. his group might wait, too. She wasn't sure, but June knew for sure that her family wouldn't leave without her. She extended her hand to help him up, and then gave him his gun. "We're not that far away." It was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.
"My truck is closer, if things are bad there, you should just get in that one." He could lean out the window and signal to his friends or something. It was going to be better to get in the moving vehicle faster. "Was actually gonna ask if you wanted to ride with us anyway." It was the apocalypse, a girl had to know how to talk and kill at the same time. She wasn't sure if her parents would actually come out to the area she'd been heading off towards, but she hoped not. It might be possible to miss each other, and that thought stressed her out.
gpt
He looked at her with gratitude and admiration when she spiked the Z. She had been decisive and fearless, and surely could have left him to his fate and not been blamed by most. He leaped to his feet with her help, then grabbed his rifle. That moment of being unarmed and on his back had sent a flame of terror through his body. It was one of the worst feelings he had felt, aside from losing those he had come to care for.
A few more shots came from the caravan and the revving of the semi-trucks engine designated that it was starting to roll. 10k could hear Doc shouting for him, and as June and he crested the hill he saw that the truck Doc was on was moving, and the hold man was hanging his head out the window and hollering for all he was worth. 10k raised his rifle in one hand in a wave as they ran towards the caravan, and Doc gave a whoop of joy at the sight of him.
June! Her mothers voice cut through the chaos. Her father honked the horn in panicked insistence that she hurry. In answer to her question 10k turned with her to run to her familys vehicle. A Blaster ran up and flung itself on the hood of their truck, its fist banging on the glass and causing her parents to flinch and swerve. 10k ran and shouldered the gun, then popped two bullets into the top of their attackers skull. It slid off the hood, leaving a bloody streak across the white paint like a trophy.
He jumped into the truck with June, and it was only after they were moving and it seemed like everyone had gotten out that he allowed himself a smile. He glanced at her and then caught the look that her father and mother were exchanging.
It looks like you know how to handle yourself with that rifle, son, Junes dad commented. Where you military or something?
10k shook his head. No sir, I was nothing.
"I find it hard to believe you were nothing. What did you do before the Zs came?"
"It was just me and my dad." He flushed a little when June's mom turned around to smile at him. It was odd to have that much attention focused on him.
"What about your mother, honey?"
10k shook his head. "She died when I was little."
"Oh. Oh.... I'm so sorry." She put a hand out and touched his arm. "Are you all alone, then?"
"I have my friends," he said, "Roberta, Doc.... Murphy, Addy..." he almost said Cassandra but she wasn't herself any more. Cassandra was gone, and all that was left was some emerging Z that was slowly getting more and more dangerous.
human
June would have been positively offended at the thought that she might leave him behind. It wasn't a choice she was willing to make, and certainly not in a situation she considered so cut-and-dry. It wasn't like there had been a hoard, but even if there had her initial response would have been the same.
There wasn't a ton of space in the back as they obviously hadn't been intending to take someone in without a minute or two of reorganizing, but June didn't seem to have any issues with being wedged between supplies and 10k, and took time to shove what she could onto the floor. Water, some books, a pillow and blanket, and some mostly empty containers of things that seemed to be for truck maintenance all got shuffled around so she wasn't basically pressed up against the gun wielding survivor's side. As much as she actually didn't think she'd have a problem with that.
"Hold still." Without any other kind of warning, her mother tugged her sleeve over her hand and reached out, wiping a smudge of dirt off of 10k's face. "The apocalypse is no reason to have a dirty face." June, equal amounts amused and embarrassed, raised an eyebrow. "Mom, the apocalypse is aperfectreason not to focus on cleanliness."
"Well fine, but I won't let my baby girl get stolen away by some boy with mud on his face!" The younger of the two redheads in the truck sunk down in her seat slightly, blush rising back up on her cheeks as she let out a long and rather exasperated "mom", dragging out the 'o' like the teenager it was easy to forget she still was. In the few minutes it took for them to know things were clear for the moment, June had settled back from an independent and combat capable young woman to a member of this warm family unit.
One that seemed more than willing to extend that warmth to 10k without questions.
"Your Murphy is The Murphy, right?" Perhaps predicting a negative response, June was fast to follow up her father's question. "It's not exactly that hard to tell," she said apologetically, "he's blue. It's... it's pretty noticeable."
"We aren't looking to fight," her father said, "my family doesn't start fights with the living." But he'd end them. It was perhaps worth wondering what kinds of things the broad shouldered, tan farmer had handled by himself to keep his daughter and wife as happy as they seemed to be in the middle of the apocalypse. "We'll veto it if anyone brings it up too, I just want to know if you're bringing extra outside danger with you." He made it sound so acceptable. It wasn't 10k's fault, these things just happened and he certainly wasn't going to let the new members of their group struggle without help. That just wasn't the way the Phillips family did things.
gpt
He felt odd when Junes mother wiped off the smudge of dirt, and it brought back distant memories of when his mother did the same thing. It was a memory he hadnt thought of for years. The memory was sweet, like oranges in the dead of winter.
He looked almost scared when her father asked if his Murphy was the Murphy. Well, hes hes not really my Murphy. I just were trying to get him to a lab in California. His blood has the key to the cure. He swallowed, having just realized that Junes mother had suggested that hed steal away their daughter. What was that supposed to mean?
No one in my group is here to cause trouble. And if Murphy does Ill kill him myself. I hate him. He leaned back in the bench seat, his troubled eyes taking in the landscape. He found himself constantly scanning the horizon and looking for signs of more Zs but it seemed as if, for the hour at least, they were safe.
Junes leg next to his was extremely noticeable. Hed never been as close for as long to a girl before. Hed traveled with them, sure, but that was girls like Roberta who wasnt really a girl. She kind of scared him at first, to be honest. When the truck hit a bump his leg nudged Junes, and he didnt move it away. He smiled at her and leaned his head against the head rest, content to let the drive pass with minimal conversation and deciding to catch a short nap if possible. As they rode he thought about the way Junes family was; they had their obvious love for each other, their protective nature, but there was a sweet, genuine family connection for them as well, and they extended it to him as soon as he stepped into their lives. That was the amazing part they had a treasure in each other, and they were willing to share that with him.
human
Her mother just did things like that. She and June were very similar in that they both seemed comfortable with people very quickly, and the gentle smiles they both had would have connected them as family even if unbrushed red hair hadn't.
"That's what we heard. Good, we'll do what we can while you're with us. If you make it everyone benefits, after all." The family probably wasn't capable of making a long trip like that while defending from both survivors and zombies, so even if they'd wanted to try to grab Murphy, it would have been a bad idea. "You've done only good since joining," June piped up, "so I wasn't going to assume you wanted to cause trouble. Plus now you've fought zombies with me and that counts for something." Even if she'd been the one who had to turn back for him, he'd been pretty obviously there to look out for her, and she appreciated it.
When his leg bumped against hers, June glanced over at him and smiled back. She didn't move away either, because she liked the contact. It was simple, but to her it meant something. She just.... didn't know exactly what. Was it weird to just watch him for a minute or two? She hoped not, because 10k looked almost relaxed. She wanted to see that. After a moment she pulled the pillow out, nudging him gently. "Do you want the pillow? We've also got a blanket." She didn't move quite back to her position after nudging him, though she had no excuse for being against him, so she did have to move away. "You should both try to rest," her mother suggested, "I'm sure it's been a long time since you've been able to get decent sleep," she was clearly talking to 10k there, "the blanket should be large enough for both of you." Her tone was exceptionally mothering, clearly concerned about the well-being of the two and the lack of sleep the apocalypse brought.
Mr. Phillips grunted but didn't actually say anything about it, perhaps a little bit less than pleased at the idea of his daughter sharing a blanket with a strange man she seemed fond of, but he didn't actually say anything out it, either because his wife had already suggested it or because his daughter's happiness was more important to him than his concerns over a pretty PG thing.
gpt
The pillow, then the blanket, then the offer to sleep under the blanketwith June, seemed to much to handle for him. They werent just inviting him into their little sanctuary they were inviting him to be near their daughter. It made him both anxious and happy. He didnt know exactly how to define it. Anxipy? Hapious? How could he describe the feeling of having his heart suddenly pound so hard that it almost tore through his chest?
Thank you. He made sure that his rifle was on safe and leaned it against the door, then helped June to spread out the blanket over the both of them. The pillow was not very generous so it required them both to lay their heads near each other. He had the advantage of being in the corner; after a few shifts and ungraceful adjustments, he finally figured out that it would work better if she laid her head against him and they both leaned the same direction. He tucked his arm around her and found a comfortable spot, despite the awkwardness of being so close to a girl.
His dreams were strange; he was at home again with his father, but his father had a different voice. The woods were foggy and dark, but a light shined through, like that of a pair of headlights, and his dad was cursing. But his dadnevercursed. His mother didnt approve so none of them did. The house was jerking to the left and the right, there was screaming
10k jerked awake. He heard Junes dad shouting and though it was getting dark, the shape of a Z crashing over the hood of the truck was unmistakable. The truck swerved, then swung back again. Small sharp flashes of light ahead were followed by the staccato of gunfire, as it became apparent that the entire caravan had come under attack. He looked over at June and saw that she was acting strange, her red hair seemed dirty and she seemed to be having trouble sitting up.... then she turned around and he saw that she had somehow become a Z!
"Peas and carrots!" he sat up, his eyes wide and his face pale. Mr. Phillips glanced up at the rear view mirror, squinting because the daylight was so bright, and gave their newest passenger a peculiar look.
"You okay, Son?"
10k was breathing hard. There were no Zs. It wasn't night. He looked over to where June's mother was sitting and she seemed to be fine. June was fine too. It had been a dream. He blinked, his pale face now becoming pink with embarrassment, and nodded. "Yes Sir. I had a bad dream." He pulled the blanket up over June's arm, the memories of what he had been dreaming quickly fading.
"Well, considering the circumstance, I can't say it's unexpected. It looks like the caravan is pulling over for another rest stop. We should all get out and stretch our legs. It's likely at this rate that we'll be driving through the night."
human
June hadn't even considered that they'd share the pillow, and there were a few half hearted attempts to argue he didn't have to share before she accepted the gesture. She seemed perfectly content to cuddle up next to him, shifting into a more comfortable position when his arm wrapped around her. This was something she liked very much.
She woke up when he did, straightening and looking concerned. When she realized there wasn't anything terrible going on, just tilted back down to where she'd been before. "Again with the not swearing." Not that she seemed to swear either. When he tucked the blanket around her, the redhead tilted her head up and smiled at him. "It's a good thing," her father said, glancing back again, "we could all benefit from staying civil." Though 'peas and carrots' was a little funny.
When everyone stopped she slid out after 10k, hesitating for a moment. "You should probably go back to your group," she said a little reluctantly. "I bet they're still concerned, and won't want you riding with someone else during the night. You didn't even really check in with them before. We'd love to have you back again though. Maybe tomorrow?" Or she could ride with them, but his friend group was a lot more menacing looking than her family. On a whim the young woman leaned in and kisses him on the cheek, but didn't seem quite brave enough to see the response because she fled promptly back to the truck, getting in the front passenger seat because it was her mother's turn to rest, and that happened best in the back seat.
The convoy drove for about five good minutes before the trucks in front stopped. Her father had to slam on the breaks to keep from rear ending the truck in front of him, and after a few moments unbuckled his seatbelt and rolled down the window cautiously, weapon in his hand. He leaned out a little bit after taking a moment to glance around to make sure the area was clear, before calling out "what's up?" What was up thudded onto the roof a moment later, and perhaps out of reflex, mr. Phillips looked up instead of rolling the window up. The zombie on the roof threw itself down, grabbing his head and ripped into his neck, pulling flesh and sinew away with it's teeth. A scream echoed from the truck, and for a few moments June thought it was her mother. But no, that had been her voice. Her first instinct should have been to fight, but as the thing in the seat that had used to be her father turned, eyes dead and mouth wide, all she could think was run, as paralyzed and confused as the first time she'd seen a zombie. Her mother struggled with the thing for a few moments but June didn't know if she was alright or not. She unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door, tumbling out of the truck, off balance because the zombie had grabbed her. The knife she had at least thought to get out fell out of her hand, and she hit the ground, head whacking something hard. It stung, but she couldn't really think about that right now. The zombie was basically on top of her, and the young woman had her hand under its jaw to keep it from biting her.
She should have been more prepared. Stronger. But it was so different when it was family and not the shopkeeper who used to sometimes give her a donut or the neighbor they'd bought a puppy from after his farm dog had a litter. This was her father, who she'd seen every day, who'd saved her life so many times just by always seeming to know what to do or say. For a moment she just wanted to give up. What was the point? But it only lasted a moment before she snapped back. She couldn't just let go now; there were still people left. Plus, if she gave up here, that would be one more zombie that might kill the people she cared about. And her poor mother would lose everyone in one day. Reaching out, her fingers curled around a large rock and she swung it upward, knocking the zombie enough to the side she could roll out from under it. She hit her father -- no, the monster -- with the rock again, and once she'd started she didn't stop until his face was no longer recognizable, though the thing had stopped moving a bit ago. Blood was splattered splattered across her hands, red, wet, and warm. She knew she should get up and move, but it was like her mind was shouting at her from too far away to be heard clearly. The rock slipped out of her hands and she managed to pull herself to her feet, a little unsteady.
gpt
He stopped when he got out of the truck and stretched as he looked up and down the road. It seemed pretty quiet aside from their caravan. He nodded his thanks to Junes parents, watching as Mrs. Phillips climbed into the back and began to make herself a little bed where 10k and June had napped earlier. He could still feel where she had wiped at the smudge on his face, and the motherly gesture had made its imprint on him with a feeling of warmth that remained in his heart. June suggested that he go check on his people and he nodded, but he didnt expect the kiss on the cheek. He put a surprised hand up to catch the kiss, as if it might fly away once she moved back.
When he got back to his group Murphy grinned at him and Doc smacked his arm. Hey hey hey, Doc said as he pulled 10k up onto the back of the flatbed. See you made a friend.
Murphy made a circle with his thumb and forefinger and stuck the index finger into it. Its about time, Mr. Never-seen-porn.
Shes not that kind of friend, 10k blushed and settled in with his back to the semi cab. His gaze went over the other trucks and cars, catching a glimpse of Junes and smiling. The truck rumbled and started moving, and soon they were all back on the road heading towards the freeway. Not too long afterwards the truck he was riding on slammed into the vehicle in front of them. He heard Roberta shouting and gunshots, and stood up in time to use his slingshot to take out a Z climbing over the side. "Three thousand, nine hundred ninety.
Murphy, do something! Doc had a spear like stick that he was using to shove the Z off the flatbed, but among the normal Zs were a few Blasters. The intelligence in their eyes was terrifying.
I cant! The blue man had his hands out as if he was trying to focus some magical beam at their attackers. The things didnt flinch, though, and Murphy was being driven to his knees from the effort. 10K slung another jagged washer from his slingshot and pierced the eye of the Blaster, but the projectile must not have gone deeply enough. The thing kept moving. Kid! Shoot it!
Three thousand, nine hundred ninety-one, ninety-two. He raised his eyes over the scope once the two offenders were cleared. There, at Junes truck a Z had grabbed her dad through the window. He heard her screaming. No. NO!
He leaped off of the flatbed and sprinted towards Junes family, despite the yells coming from Doc to be careful. Along the way he smashed a Z across the head with the butt of his rifle and shoved another under a rolling wheel. He was shoved back when one of the caravan members nearly pushed him to the ground in her haste to escape the attackers, but 10k couldnt worry about them now. He got up and continued to run, but he saw June under her father, no he was a Z now and his heart clenched. NO!
Just as he was about to pull the trigger she pushed herself up and smashed and smashed with a rock, destroying the thing that used to be her father. He saw her destroy the thing, and then struggle to get up, just as her mothers body shambled out of the truck.
Her mother 10k stopped and stared for a moment. The woman who had smiled at him so sweetly, who had made him feel safe and loved she was gone. He raised his rifle, and as the Z moved towards June, he eased the trigger back until he felt it release. The bullet traveled at three thousand, five hundred feet per second, and took out the brain before the Z reached its target.
Ninety-three. He slung his rifle and ran the rest of the way to June. He caught her as she stood up, and it seemed that for the moment, at least, they could catch their breath. Up ahead 10ks friends had fought off some of the Zs and though the caravan had lost a great deal of members it didnt seem like they had been defeated. June... June Im so sorry. He swallowed and looked down at the thing that had been her dad. Are you okay? His eyes searched her for signs of a bite. Are you hurt?
human
The sound of gunfire so close was enough to catch her attention through the fog in her mind, and June watched the body of her mother hit the ground. It hadn't even registered that she'd been turned but a moment later 10k was there, and if he'd shot her, she had to be a zombie. It was how she made the connection in the first place, because it just hasn't registered.
"No." No, she wasn't okay at all. How could she be? "I hit my head." She couldn't even check to find out how bad it was because her hands were covered in zombie blood. She held them out slightly, almost childlike in posture simply because she refused to touch anything with her bloodied hands. She couldn't even reach out for him, though she wanted to desperately, because while blood wasn't really all that big of deal,whoseit was... well, that was.
Hesitantly the redhead wiped her hands on her plaid shirt, and then tugged it off, revealing a green shirt with a flower on it. She dropped the fabric in the dirt, because it was useless now. Honestly, even if she could have cleaned it before the blood stained, June wasn't sure she'd be able to wear it again. If things had actually calmed down and stayed calm, she could get a jacket from the car, or something else to cover her arms again. It felt a little weird to have her arms exposed. A decent long sleeved shirt could protect against nips, after all.
She was still managing not to cry. That was just... more energy than June had for the moment. She wasn't sure shecouldeven if she wanted too right now.
She looked up at 10k helplessly, eyes pained. "What now?" June hated to be weak, but she just... didn't know what to do anymore. There might have been survivors from the caravan, but to her, everything was gone. Well, everything but her new friend. And June had never been alone before. Her parents had always been there.
That was why her mother had turned. Because she hadn't been strong enough to protect both of them and do what she needed to when it was time. So her mother got bit trying to protect her. And 10k had to kill her to protect June.
gpt
"10k! We gotta go!" Roberta was shouting at him from the front of the caravan. "Move it!"
He took off the brown scarf he had been wearing and unfolded it, then wrapped it around June's shoulders. "Let's get your stuff and go. That's what we have to do; we have to keep on moving." A Z came around the front of the truck and 10k took his sling and sent a metal nut through it's skull. "You can stay with me but we gotta get going." He could hear the sounds at the front of the caravan as people were moving some of the vehicles.
Doc ran back to the two of them. He was huffing and out of breath, his hair stuck out at the sides of his head like a mad scientist's. "Hey kid!" His footsteps slowed when he saw what had happened. "Oh, man... I'm sorry, kiddo." He looked over at June. "You should come with us. The first truck got taken; your leader, the guy who was taking you all to Alaska? He's gone." He arched his neck to look at the truck that June's family was in. "Looks like your tire's shredded. We got two cars up front. We gotta go."
He nodded toward the truck. "Take the water and whatever else you need, but don't take too long. It's getting dark and I'm sure that noise attracted attention."
human
Being given directions seemed to help because June nodded and moved quickly back to the truck. First to the front where she grabbed her bag and shoved a book, and a jacket in before tugging on another plaid button up, green this time. Yes she owned more than one, hush. It was basically standard for farms. She grabbed the water and her father's machete -- which got shoved into her belt with the sheath, to be properly attached later -- and then moved to the back doors of the truck and pulled them open with a tiny bit of struggle . She stepped in and picked up two plastic grocery bags from within without speaking, just carrying them in the hand that didn't have the jug of water. She followed the men back to the group, who didn't seem all that surprised to see her. Or if they were, it didn't last because the expression on her face was enough to let anyone know what had happened.
"What have you got?" It was a lot to come carrying, and it seemed pretty natural that Addy would be curious, though not pushy -- everyone had stuff they didn't want to show to strangers. June opened up one bag to reveal vacuum sealed packets of fruit; the same kind she'd brought to 10k earlier. Sliced apples, strawberries, and blueberries, and a jar of pickles. "Oh my god." It was about all Addy could say, and it seemed about right. It was a lot of food, at least for people who had gotten used to going more than a day without. "I'm sorry, I don't know what truck the cheese was in. Is this enough?" She wasn't sure if there was a 'price of admission', but this much food and a gallon of water was good, right? "I can go back and try to find more...." There were a few shambling zombies still milling about, but she could probably make it. She'd have to go by the bodies, though. She was less sure about that. "No." Roberta was firm, "we have to go. Pick a car and get in." One bag went with the other car, and June stuck close enough to 10k that there wasn't really any question about where she wanted to be.
Once everyone was in and the car was moving, she pressed herself up against 10k. She just needed physical contact, and he hadn't seemed to mind before. "Thank you." For coming for her. For saving her. For bringing her with him. And for letting her use his scarf, which she slightly reluctantly unwound from around her and offered back, managing to get it done while still firmly glued to his side.
"Do I get to pick my nickname or does it get assigned?" Doc glanced back, one grayed eyebrow raised. "Huh?"
"I mean, 10k, Doc, The Murphy... There seems to be some nickname habit in this group, I just want to know if I get to pick or I have to wait and get assigned one." She was trying. June knew she couldn't just sit there and stare at the back of the driver's seat. So she was pulling herself together as best as she could for the moment, forcing her usual personality out. Fake it 'till you make it, right?
gpt
He frowned when she asked if her food and water was 'enough', as if she had to bring some kind of dowry to the group. She had just lost her parents! He still felt the pain of shooting her mother's body to give her mercy. He was thankful when Roberta laid down the law and made everyone get in. Doc took the driver's seat this time, leaving 10k and June in the back seat. The old shrink adjusted the rear view mirror and gave 10k a thumbs up sign, then started the car and sent them careening down the road.
10k pressed his lips together. Doc was always on his side, but sometimes it felt like pressure.
He let June sit really close to him, so close that he had to put an arm around her to fit comfortably, but she didn't seem to mind. Then she unwrapped his scarf and put it around his neck, and all he could do was watch her. His eyes widened slightly when her fingers brushed his neck, sending a shiver of pleasure down into his core.What was that?
She was so pretty. Did she know how pretty she was?
He realized that he was staring and the blinked and looked away. He unconsciously licked his lips as he scanned the landscape for signs of threats. It was getting dark and they'd have to find some kind of shelter soon.
Doc chuckled at her question about nicknames. "I guess that you get to pick your nickname. 10k picked his, Iama doc, and Murphy, well... he's just Murphy. Other people call him 'the Murphy' but to us he's just Murph." He pulled a roach from above his ear and stuck one end in his mouth. He reached down and pushed in the lighter, then when it popped out he lit the joint and inhaled. "Ah... want some?" His offer was accompanied by him pinching the end and holding the lit joint out towards June.
10k was looking down at her, noting the way the setting sunlight lit up her scarlet hair. "I like 'June'. I think your name is nice." He nodded at her, and then a tiny smile crept to his lips. He looked like he was about to blush again.
"Roberta's found a place," Doc announced as the cars turned off the road and went down a long dirt driveway, towards what looked like a small farmhouse. The animals were gone and the field was overgrown; it hadn't been worked in a long time. As the car's headlights moved along the white fence line they could see some signs of movement, but whether it was Z or human was hard to tell.
10k eased himself out of the car, careful not to jab June with his gear. As he stretched by the sedan Roberta and Javier Vasquez started to direct the others. "I want Murphy and 10k to help Vasquez clear the house," she was saying, her take charge attitude comforting in the chaos of their everyday situation.
"I'm not going in there." Murphy was leaning up against the car with Cassandra on his arm. "There could be Blasters in there. They don't listen to me."
"Murph, you are our--"
Vasquez put a hand on Roberta's arm. "He's right. He's the mission; we shouldn't be risking him." He glanced over at 10k. "It's you and me."
10k nodded. He was still standing with June, but at the order he gave her a small smile of encouragement and extracted himself from her side. He and Vasquez went into the front door and soon disappeared. Roberta looked over at the newest member of their group. "You doing okay? I'm sorry about your folks back there."
human
If anything, the arm around her seemed to comfort the red haired teen; when she first leaned against him she was stiff and tense but she relaxed, snuggled up against him, and while she definitely didn't manage to get any rest, she could at least close her eyes and not feel... ill. That was good. June hadn't thought twice about the fact that instead of just handing the scarf back she'd actively put it on him, but it had been perhaps a bit of an odd gesture.
She didn't seem to notice the staring, probably because unless she was speaking or being spoken too, her focus appeared to be just on the back of the seat.
"I'm not so good at nicknames, so if I don't need one, I think I'm good." 10k said he liked it and she turned a tiny bit pink, entirely distracted from what had happened not long ago, at least for a few seconds. "Well, that's another strong point in favor of not attempting to invent one." When Doc offered her weed she blinked, and then shook her head. "No thank you," she said with a surprising politeness. For a moment she considered asking if it was a good idea to smoke and drive, but since 10k wasn't saying anything, she didn't.
The farmhouse seemed to distress her slightly, but it wasn't any kind of real issue. June understood reality. Just because things brought back memories didn't mean they didn't have to take advantage of them. A farm was a great place to spend the night; out of the way of main roads, plenty of things to use to blockade it if it wasn't already boarded up. She slid out of the car last, sticking close to his side. Not pressed up against him anymore, but still close.
Having 10k gone seemed to leave the young woman tense and uncomfortable again. She didn't know any of these people yet -- besides Doc, who she found a place standing closest to but not nearly as close as she'd been with 10k -- and when Roberta spoke June looked almost surprised. She supposed it made sense that these people would all be caring; 10k was, and it was reasonable that the people he was with were the same. "Better than expected but not as good as I was hoping," she answered after a moment. "I'm... still kind of..."
"It's to be expected." It would be bordering on cruel to make her spill everything even when she didn't want to, and it seemed that the redhead would, simply because she hadn't yet found herself fully comfortable with the group and didn't want to end up on her own because they ejected her.
She watched the door carefully, looking for any sign of movement from inside the house. Hopefully they'd be out soon; just not having 10k around was stressing her out, her mind was going to the worst possible outcomes.
gpt
Roberta felt a pang of sadness for the girl. She was young, really; just a kid. At most she might have been Addy's age. "You're doing good. We all, we all lost people. But we found each other too."
From the side Addy shrugged. She had her spiked baseball bat on her shoulder and she was watching the houses, eager to find a place to stretch out and sleep. She had lost Matt, she supposed, but in the long run she hadn't been as attached to him as everyone thought. He was just nice to have around.
A few minutes later 10k opened the front door and walked outside. "It's good. Vasquez is shutting the last of the windows. The breeze was blowing curtains around, but there's nothing alive or dead in there that's going to bother us tonight."
"Well it's about damn time," Murphy said as he began to stride towards the house. His companion, Cassandra, gave the others a wide-eyed look before walking after him. Her attachment to him was very odd, and her half-Z appearance was a little bit disconcerting. 10k watched the two of them going into the house but he said nothing.
Roberta waved to the others. "Secure the vehicles and bring everything inside. Once we go in we don't come back out until it's daylight and we know it's safe." She gave Vasquez a nod when he poked his head out and gave her the thumbs up sign.
Doc was right behind them, his bags slung over his shoulder. "Let's go get some shut eye kiddos. Looks like we're heading to California tomorrow." He winked at Judy and 10k as he strolled past. "Land of sunshine and orange groves... there's nothing better than that, aside from the pot farms they used to have up on the Pacific northwest coastline. Man... those buds were screaming!" He chuckled and went into the house.
10k raised his eyebrows as the Doc passed by but didn't say anything. Instead, he quietly helped June with getting the rest of her things and bringing them in, along with his backpack. The inside of the house was dusty from neglect and having the window open for most of a year. The place looked deserted, as if it had been purposely left instead of having the inhabitants die off. Inside there was a master bedroom which Murphy promptly claimed, and three bedrooms, including a living room. There was only one bathroom, though, which seemed like it could be a problem. Still, with them traveling so much just having four walls and a door that locked was a good thing.
Addy, Roberta, and Doc claimed the last three bedrooms, with left Vasquez, 10k and June in the living room. Addy had invited Vasquez to share a bed with her but the ex-DEA agent shook his head and began looking through the kitchen pantry for food. He had heard what happened to the club-wielding girl's last bed companion, and he didn't want any of that bad mojo.
human
When the door opened, June's shoulders relaxed obviously. She took a few steps forward to meet him, facing lighting up a little. Not because the farmhouse was safe, but because he was alright. She helped make sure everyone had what they needed brought in, tagging along with them. She was too slow to get a bedroom, but it didn't matter all that much. She'd been sleeping in a truck for the last few months, being able to properly stretch out and move her elbows was already a nice thing.
With permission from the people who were going to be sleeping in the rooms (minus Murphy), the redhead took a few minutes in each room to dig around, looking for clothes that might fit or things she might need. She found a few shirts, and ended up shaking out a few things and setting them near the door so she could take them with.
The bedrooms probably could have been shared between people, but June still didn't feel comfortable speaking up about things that she noticed. Could have put Addy with Roberta, Doc with Vasquez, and then... well okay, that would have left her and 10k. Which was perhaps not the best thing, although... she couldn't really say that was something she was fully opposed to. Still, not every bed was fit for two and if those people had claimed the bedrooms for themselves, they could have the proper relaxation. "I didn't realize we had to run for bedrooms," she did comment softly, laying a blanket and pillow on the floor because she'd claimed it promptly, perhaps so the two men could have the soft chair and couch. "Logically there should probably have been more sharing going on, but I suppose everyone deserves their chance at just sprawling out on a bed."
She wasn't exceptionally excited to be sharing an area with Vasquez. He was in the top three people who made her uncomfortable still. Admittedly the other two were Murphy himself and the woman, uh, Cassandra or something. She didn't seem to talk, and she was really, really uncomfortable. She wanted to ask about it, but the way people looked at her, something had happened and it was possibly a sensitive subject. Still, the presence of 10k more than made up for it.
Letting out a tiny sigh, June flopped over on the blanket, letting out a tiny "oh the floor is hard" when she hit it harder than she had clearly been expecting. Still she smiled and seemed almost a bit amused by her decision.
People hung out and chatted for a while, but eventually everyone headed off to their respective sleeping areas. June curled up on the floor, tucking the blanket around herself, and murmured a soft good night. It didn't really last long, though. Every time she closed her eyes there were memories, and she couldn't make them stop. Eventually, a little hesitantly, she moved across the dark livingroom, stopping a tiny bit away from 10k. Not too close, because everyone was understandably jumpy in the apocalypse. "10k?" She asked softly, "can I curl up with you for a little bit?" That was forward phrasing, but she couldn't think of a better thing to say. "I can't sleep. I can't close my eyes without..."
gpt
The ex-DEA agent had slumped down in the chair, his rifle cradled across his lap like a dog. He was out like a light, but occasionally he'd crack an eyelid and look around before going back to sleep. It was odd.
That left the floor and the couch, though, and when 10k came back into the living room to find June on the floor and the couch empty he felt like he'd just opened a Christmas present. A whole couch just for him? It was a luxury. He almost wanted to ask June if she was sure, but she had flopped on the floor and seemed rather content. He looked back at the couch. It looked so comfy... he grinned. A couch. Just. For. Him.
He laid his rifle against the wall and set his backpack nearby. The goggles, scarf, and gloves went on the coffee table, and he took off his jacket to use it as a blanket. His contented sigh sank into the old, soft couch as he laid down and smiled to himself. It was almost as nice as a bed. Certainly better than the back of a car! He was almost asleep when he heard June right next to him.
"Hm?" He rolled away from the back of the couch and blinked at her. Across the room Vasquez was watching them from the recliner. 10k ignored the man and concentrated on June. "What? Oh.." it had taken him a moment to sort out what she was saying. He turned around on the couch and nodded. "Yeah, come on," he scooted all the way back on the couch and onto this side to make room for her. She was scared. He got it.
Across the room Vasquez smirked and turned his back to the two. They were cute, but... he'd had his fair share of heart break in his life. Those two might find some comfort tonight, but it would just make it harder for them when one of them turned Z. It was unavoidable. They'd wind up hurt in the long run.
10k put his arm out for her to put her pillow on, and as she laid down he tried to help spread out the blanket. His half-asleep state kept him from thinking too much about what they were doing. In his mind it was just an extension of sleeping in the back seat of her parents' truck. It was innocent.
human
She watched as 10k grinned, and smiled slightly herself. More smiles from him had been the desired outcome. She did kind of wonder if Vasquez grabbing the chair after she'd claimed the floor was a gesture of caring towards the now second youngest member of the group, but she certainly wasn't going to ask. June would just assume it was and use that to make herself feel less comfortable with the man. She thought she could probably have fetched him a blanket, but he didn't seem particularly bothered by the lack of one. Plus she supposed he could get one for himself if he wanted to.
It sounded like he wasn't quite asleep yet, that was good. June had been a tiny bit concerned about waking him, not just because that was sort of how people got stabbed, but also because she knew it could be hard to get to sleep, and she didn't want to cause him trouble. When he said yes, she smiled slightly and went to go get the blanket and pillow so they could share them. She hadn't been expecting him to just push himself back and make room for her like that, but she could go with that.
It was easy enough to toss the blanket over him and then sort of fit herself against him. And she did fit. Very well. It just sort of felt like it was supposed to be. But June was a bit scared and very unsure, and only able to feel a trickle of the ocean of sadness she was still trying to shove back, so she probably wasn't the best judge of 'supposed to be'. Still, he was warm against her and it made her feel safe. Tomorrow she would be strong and do what she had to in order to survive, tonight she just wanted to curl up and feel protected. "Sorry you're probably gonna get a face full of hair," she said softly. She'd try her best to keep that from happening at least. His arm practically had to go around her, and it was a nice weight. Once they were all situated she let out a soft "sorry Vasquez," because she just kind of assumed he'd be woken up too. No verbal response, but a slight hand gesture in the shadows.
There were a few very quiet tears that night, but nothing particularly emotional. At least, no breakdown. Just a few silent tears and one or two of those sad hiccup-y noises and she fell silent, except for the sound of breathing, pressing her back against him and closing her eyes again. She did manage to fall asleep like that, which was a surprise and a blessing.
gpt
He let her lay down, and as she snuggled back into him he could feel the soft swell of her body pressing into his. At first he didn't think anything of it. Then she moved slightly and her body fit against his so perfectly that it sent a shiver down his legs, and then he felt himself reacting to her presence. In the darkness he blushed furiously, ashamed of the thing that he could not control. She didn't seem to notice, though, and so he wrapped his arm around her. He felt her hair against his face and inhaled the sweet perfume of the last shampoo she had used.
She apologized to Vasquez and 10k wondered if she was apologizing for not laying down with him on the chair. Was there...? He glanced over at the other man but saw no response. He sighed and laid his head back down, nuzzling into her and closing his eyes. In a few moments he was fast asleep.
Roberta stood over the two on the couch. She raised an eyebrow when Vasquez rolled over. "How long has this been going on?" She asked as he motioned towards 10k and June.
Vasquez shrugged. "All night."
"I can hear you," 10k murmured against June's hair. He held her tightly still, but at the sound of Roberta and Vasquez talking he opened an eye.
Murphy strutted into the room, Cassandra following behind him like a dog. "Well, look who got lucky last night!" He bellowed. He grinned and slapped the back of the couch. "I hope you used protection; remember what happened last time."
"Toyou," Roberta reminded him. "That's like the kettle calling the pot black."
"Who's black?" Murphy grinned. "I'm hungry. Anyone have some food around here?"
human
She and Vasquez had exchanged a few words at most so far. Sized each other up a little too, but barely interacted. 10k and Doc were the only two June had really spent any considerable amount of time with, and 10k the most. Which rather explained why she was so terribly attached to him at this point. He was all she had. And she kinda wanted to kiss the man, there was that too.
June was exceptionally thankful for the fact that her mother was all about cleanliness, and she'd had time to occasionally wash her hair and at least use some leave-in conditioner once in a while. The overall distractedness of having his warm, larger body pressed against her was just enough to keep the admittedly innocent teen from noticing any... changes. Even if she did, already starting to drift off as she was, she didn't really interpret it as what it was.
She slept well, and though the voices woke her up in the morning, June managed to ignore it enough that she didn't have to draw herself out of her state of rest.
And then Murphy.
Her cheeks flushed, and the young woman sat up quickly. "It wasn't... we didn't..."
"Yeah, they'd have to be pretty sneaky to while Vasquez was right there. And it'd be really rude." Addy added with the most serious tone she could summon up. June turned scarlet, apparently entirely unable to handle the teasing, and just let out a tiny, almost squeaking "but no". Murphy's question about food was a welcome distraction and she looked up. "I have what I brought." She wasn't actually sure if everyone knew or not, she'd just assumed. "We could eat that or me and one or two other people can go out and look? Sometimes overgrown farms still have crops, and I'm pretty good at finding edible plants." Carefully she slid off the couch and fetched her plastic bag with the treasure or dried fruits and berries within, which she handed to Roberta, because she knew the darker skinned woman was in charge. That meant she was in charge of food, too.
gpt
For his part, 10k just sat up and blushed. He didn't know what to say to the accusations. His hair stuck up in strange positions and he had an odd, happy smile on his lips, but it wasn't because they had done 'that'. He looked a the others and then busied himself putting on his goggles and then pulling on his vest.
"10k, why don't you and June go look for some scavanged food outside. Addy, you can help me look inside for any left over cans or non-perishables. Doc, you look for medical supplies, and Vasquez look for sources of gasoline." Roberta nodded in thanks at the offering of food and set it on the dining table. "We'll reconvene back here in half an hour."
"What do you want me to do?" Asked Murphy as he inspected his nails. Cassandra hovered, her face looking emotionless and haunted.
"You just be your normal sweet self and don't go anywhere." Roberta leaned her rifle on her shoulder. "Any questions?"
There were none. 10k wrapped his scarf around his neck and tucked his slingshot into his belt, then picked up his rifle. "Let's go." He glanced at June and then nodded. "Edible plants? Sounds good."
Murphy chuckled as he watched the two of them. "Ah, young love..." He grinned at Roberta, "It must be my bloody Valentine's."
"Shut up, Murph." She shook her head in disgust and left the room, following Vasquez out to the barn to look for gasoline or other supplies they could use.
human
His hair was cute all messed up like that. She wanted to reach out and smooth it down, but that was probably not the best thing to do right now. She didn't want to embarrass him or herself, and it was maybe a bit too... she didn't know. Physical? She'd just spent all night as the little spoon in a couch cuddle, so maybe it was somehow more intimate than that? She didn't know, so she just didn't do it.
Oh good, it was her and 10k again. By not suggesting a person to go with her, June had realized she left it open for anyone. But no, it was the one she felt comfortable with, and she wasn't sure if that why or not. Either way, full agreement with the decision. Moving back to where she'd been intending to sleep the night before, she put her belt back on, the weight of the machete new but a tiny bit comforting. It was bigger and better than her knife, after all. Still no gun, but perhaps eventually. Then again, she was the only one in the group except for Murphy and Cassandra, it seemed, and she was pretty sure Cassandra wasn't right in the head and that might have been why she didn't have one.
"Yeah. Unless you wanna find water and fish." She wasn't sure if there was water nearby or not, they could find out while they explored, she supposed. As they passed Vasquez, the redhead offered him a smile. She was hoping to get some kind of positive response, something friendly or something so she could move him out of the 'slightly uncomfortable' category. Instead she got an emotionless stare, and her face dropped. She didn't think she was going to try and get on the good side of Murphy (did he have one?) she didn't want to only have 4/7 of the group be fond of her.
Tugging her bag on, she let out a tiny sigh before they stepped out into the sunshine. "It's a nice morning," June commented after a morning, taking a moment to stretch. "Did you sleep well?" She hoped so, she'd sort of shoved her hair all up in his face all night and that was probably not the most comfortable thing for him.
"I'm hoping there'll be crops that ended up growing wild after things went downhill, but otherwise we may find things growing along the property lines. I don't know, I can't predict super well. At least not in areas like this." If it had been entirely wild she could probably guess better, but four years wasn't enough time for things to totally grow over. "It's... kind of weird being on a farm again. It's nothing like mine, but it still kinda hurts." Just because it was anything like home, she supposed. "Which is ridiculous." It felt like her emotions were being ridiculous. Then again her parents died yesterday, she had a free pass on pretty much every emotion right now.
gpt
The sun made him squint. 10k raised a hand to shield his eyes and scanned the front yard. He could see Vasquez over by the cars. The man glanced at the vehicles and then made his way to the large barn/garage to the right of the house.
"Do you miss your home?" The tall sharp-shooter followed June's gaze as she surveyed the property. "I don't think it's ridiculous. I miss 'before' too." He pressed his lips together, as if to keep any other personal admissions from spilling forth, and nodded towards the farmhouse garden. It was overgrown and had seeded itself at least once since the outbreak. Some scrawny corn stalks shot up from the mess, and a big, heaping pile of gigantic squash leaves hinted at possible fresh vegetables. Who knew what else might have been lurking under the leaves? Strawberries? Carrots? The possibilities were endless.
He slung his rifle and took out his slingshot. With the others looking around and searching for supplies he didn't want a a stray bullet hitting a friend. He followed closely behind June, his duty there to protect her while she hunted. As they walked across the overgrown lawn small stone monuments to dead pets poked up out of the gold-green weeds like little broken teeth. A child's baby doll laid discarded by a deflated soccer ball, and a loose door on the garden shed beyond creaked in the soft breeze. It was beginning to get eerie. He felt like the ghosts of the past inhabitants of the farm were watching them with hate-filled eyes.
human
If they didn't find anything in the garden, the wide fields would probably be the next best bet, though June was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of entering the high grasses and stalks. Too many things could be hiding there.
She hesitated, and then glanced back at him. "Yes. Very much. I got lucky, since I got to stay even after things went bad." Until they'd joined the caravan. "It's been a few months but things still feel all new and unknown. I mean,of courseit's all one big unknown, but y'know. Little fish, big pond. That's also filled with zombies." June shrugged, and knelt down next to the garden, her knife pulled out, both to cut anything that needed to be cut and just in case anything jumped out. The first sweep of leaves yielded a rotten zucchini, which while inedible was at least a good sign that they might find something. Zucchini seemed to live through everything. If they could find one or two, they could make a fire and she could cook them. Potentially even fry if this house had oil. Maybe even use the stove if it was gas. But she couldn't get her hopes up too much.
"I'm not quite sure how well I'm going to do here," she confessed after a few seconds, pushing aside a few large leaves to look underneath them. "I mean, you guys are really intense. Like, a whole different level of survival than I'm used to." She'd been really, really lucky until very recently. "I mean, I'll be able to pull my weight more than Murphy and Cassandra, I assume, but that's because Murphy's got the big end game and Cassandra's clearly not right in..." she just obviously wasn't right in the head. "My dad would never let me dress like that." A pause, and then "well... I mean I guess I can dress however I want now." A longer pause, and then she started to cry. Even though it was an entirely impossible task given how close he was, it seemed like June was trying to hide it from him. She was still facing the plants she was looking at, trying her best not to make any noise. Even if she hadn't been sort of failing with that, the trembling of her shoulders probably would have given it away.
gpt
He raised an eyebrow when she said that they were really intense. She was right about Murphy and Cassandra. The Z-Lord, (10k's secret name for the cyan-skinned nutcase), was only with them still and alive still because they needed him. 10k would have killed him a long time ago otherwise. Certainly when he did whatever he did to Cassandra and made her a half-Z psycho.
June commented on Cassandra's clothes and 10k let out a little scoff of a laugh."The real Cassandra would have never chosen to dress like that." He pressed his lips together and glanced away. He'd had a little crush on her 'before'. She was changed now.
After a moment of silence he heard a soft sob and realized that she was crying there, in the garden. She was trying hard not to show it but the shaking in her shoulders wasn't from laughing. He knelt down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Hey... it's... it's okay. You're going to fit in just fine here, and we're not going to make you dress like Cassandra, okay? You can dress like, ah... like Roberta or Ally, or whatever you want to." He rubbed her arm and tried to make eye contact.
Women were so different. His mom had died when he was eight, and his dad had never had a girlfriend. 10k wasn't very sociable anyway. He didn't get to be around people much, so he didn't know exactly what he needed to do to help his new friend.
"No body here knows all about this farming stuff like you do. And you can swing a mean dagger at a Z - I've seen it. We'll stick together. Everything is going to be fine."
human
Hey, he was trying to kill ten thousand zombies. That was more than she'd seen. The number he was at was probably still more than she'd seen. And he made it seem effortless. His comment about the 'real Cassandra' was confusing, but June could half interpret the feelings (or the feelings she thought were there) and the redhead might have been jealous if she'd been capable of feeling anything but miserable right now.
She tried to laugh, but it didn't really work. "I can't tell if you're trying to be funny or if you're just really bad at this," June informed him, voice cracking. Then, just to make sure he didn't feel insulted, she added "either way it's kinda working." It was. She leaned against him, sniffling. She still wasn't quite ready to be functional, just have a good cry in the garden and then find food. There was an attempt to wipe the tears away, but they were still coming down and it was a completely useless gesture.
"It's my fault," she said finally. "Mom... it's my fault. And you... had to..." If she'd been faster and hadn't frozen up, her mother would be alive. She'd be here with them, warm and kind and June wouldn't feel nearly as lost as she was now. "I'm sorry." She herself wasn't even sure what she was apologizing for. The fact he had to shoot her mom? That he was stuck with her blubbering in the garden? Maybe both. Maybe that she'd kind of robbed him of someone who was already fond of him by not acting fast enough. He was so nice to her now, though. If he'd thought she was a bother, he hadn't shown it.
The crying did eventually get under control. It seemed like the weight was still on her, though. She had just been managing to keep it at bay until now. She'd slept well, but the eighteen year old still looked tired. "Sorry," she repeated, though this time it seemed like it had a direct reason, "I'm wasting time. People are hungry and I'm out here crying, and we'll have to eat the reserves I brought if I can't find anything."
Reluctantly she leaned away from him, and focused back on the plants. "They really liked you," she said softly. She didn't know why she felt like he needed to know, but she did. Moving aside more leaves revealed a small but ripe zucchini, and she twisted it off the vine and put it in her bag.
gpt
He knew that he couldnt make her feel any better by telling her that it was okay. It wasnt okay. It might never be okay. So he sat and held her, and when she was ready to start looking again he let her go. I liked them too. Your folks. 10k had stood back up and saw Roberta walking across the yard. He raised his hand to her and she nodded, but otherwise the farm looked rather quiet. Quiet was nice.
Murphy stepped out the back door of the farmhouse and lit a fat cigar he had found. As he puffed on it, Cassandra half-squatted nearby and kept a look out, kind of like his personal guard dog. 10k looked away and back at June. She was really different from anyone hed met before. She was honest and she didnt hid her thoughts. She wasnt like Addy, who 10k felt was only out to benefit herself. NoJune wanted to be a part of a team. She wanted to belong, not to step on others to make herself better off.
She wasnt like Roberta either. Roberta was 100% in charge and all about business. She was about the mission, and her personal desires had to take a back seat to that mission.
But June was different. He felt like she might be a friend to him. How do you eat those things? he finally asked. Is that some kind of cucumber?
human
"My dad is... was a good judge of character. It was part of why we made it so long. So even if I hadn't already been solidly convinced you were a good person, it would have been a lot of points in your favor." But June had already decided for herself anyway. Still, it had been nice to know she probably wasn't entirely off base. and 10k was continuing to prove her initial judgement right. He was someone she could trust.
Just having Murphy out and at all in the same area made June a tiny bit uncomfortable. It wasn't even about the whole 'blue and can do weird things with zombie' thing (mostly). He was just a darn unpleasant person to be around, and she didn't know how to deal with it. She was definitely a product of the sheltered life she'd managed to live; not as hardened as she would have been otherwise. It had to happen now, four years in, because she was exposed to the world at its worst instead of hidden away.
"You've never had zucchini?" She asked, sounding a tiny bit surprised. "It's a squash, so it's... I dunno. I'm not super sure what to compare it to. You can eat it raw, but it's not as good. I liked it in soup or fried. If we could find oil and flour I could.... actually, with oil, some water, and about half an hour I could still make it work. Otherwise, I'm sure there's something to do with it." Another tiny zucchini, was revealed, and she put it in her bag as well. She was perhaps a little bit vague about her plan, but delicious surprises were nice and it would kind of feel like she was doing something really good if she could manage it.
After a few more seconds of searching she glanced back up at him. "So," she started, tone a tiny bit playful, "are you actually here to help, or are you just being my stoic but sweet bodyguard?" She couldn't just stew in negative feelings, and the friendly (was it flirty?) teasing kind of helped.
gpt
Yeah Ive never had one of these, he eyed the long fruit in her hand and then shook his head. I mean, its green, and Ive had some green things, but unless it came in a can or you had to hunt it I dont have much experience with things that grow like that. He shrugged. See? You go skills. He watched her gathering her tiny treasures, but every so often he had to look around to make sure they werent being hunted by one of those Z-Blasters. Those things were crafty, and that made him nervous.
Bodyguard? He was drawn back to her by her teasing question. I guess Roberta wanted me to keep you and those things safe. He went closer to her and knelt where she was hunting around the ground for them. His hands moved aside the huge, primitive leaves, and after a few fruitless searches he found one. He reached out to grab it and got poked on the spiny stalk.
Oh! He jerked back his hand. That hurts! He cupped it and glared at the vine accusingly, as if the thing had purposely pricked him. You didnt tell me that they were pokey.
He pressed his lips together and reached out more cautiously, and when he grasped the thick cylinder he twisted it the way he saw her do it, until the thing came off the juicy, prickly vine. He slipped the fruit into her bag. I think that Im better at watching for Zs.
Addy walked out to where the two of them were still searching for food. So any luck here? Or are we going to break out that dried grub of yours, June?
human
"Well, hopefully you like them. I mean, not that liking things really matters that much anymore, but it's always preferable." Food was food and taste was kind of a bonus. "I'm not very good at hunting, so I suppose between the two of us we can probably put together something that seems like a real meal at some point." It sounded like a good idea to her. And a delicious one.
It wasn't the reaction she was hoping for. Admittedly June wasn't surewhatshe'd been hoping for, but something more fun than just an actual reason. "I like safe." After a moment, she added "and the company." Even if he wasn't going to help. When he knelt down though, the redhead smiled as warmly as she could manage at the moment.
His startled words drew her attention fast, a tiny bit concerned about what it was. "Maybe don't just shove your hand into a plant without looking?" She suggested with what was probably a giggle, though she sort of stifled it because she didn't want him to think she was laughing at the fact he'd been a tiny bit hurt by the plant. Reaching out, the young woman took his hand in both of hers and inspected it for a moment before letting go. "You'll be alright," she informed him with mock seriousness. "By the way, they're pokey."
She opened the bag for him, watching the zucchini fall into the depths. "If you want to. I certainly feel safer having you around." She meant in general, especially think about the night before, but it applied to just now as well.
When Addy spoke, she glanced up. "A few zucchini so far. We can eat them, but I can also make something if someone can find some cooking oil of some kind. If 10k and I can get a few more minutes I can probably find another zucchini, and if you can run the request for oil back to the group, we can see if things will work out?" She was a tiny bit hopeful. "If it's time to go head back in through, we've probably got enough for a decent bit for everyone." Not enough to eat to full, but when was anyone ever full these days?
There was something a little odd about Addy, but so far June liked her. She'd kind of wanted an older sister when she was young, and the woman sort of seemed like she could be that sort of person. Or she'd be someone to be a tiny bit wary of, June just couldn't tell yet. She was only a hundred percent confident in 10k and Doc. Roberta was pretty solidly safe as well, but she was pretty sure the woman would take more than a day or two to pass the same judgement on the eighteen year old.
gpt
Zucchini, huh? Addy stood with her hip to the side and twisted her mouth as she contemplated Junes haul. Id kill for some friend chicken and mashed potatoes right now, but I suppose zucchini will have to do. So Im guessing that you wantcookingoil, not car oil? She turned to go back to the house with a smirk and a swing to her hips. Dont take too long. Murphy is complaining about the lack of food and booze in the house.
10k watched her go, and then he turned his attention back to June. What about those flowers? He indicated several orange squash blossoms that were nearer the fence line. He had stood up and was shielding his eyes from the sun as he scanned the area. It still looked safe, which in itself made him nervous. The fields had been long overgrown with weeds, and it was probably a few years since any crop was planted purposely. Those that still remained were ones that reseeded themselves or somehow lasted through the season. In a few years it might be hard to tell that this was a farm at all.
As he waited on June he thought about the people he had met, and those he had lost ever since this Z plague had started. There were too many to name, but as long as his count of downed Zs o outnumbered the count of friends he had lost he felt like he was doing something good with his life. Hey he turned to June, you told me before what you thought life might have been like if the Zs never happened. Can you tell me more about that? He started to follow her to the next area where there might be a bit of food. The thorny vine that climbed up the fence had a few blackberries clinging to it. He plucked them off and then held them out palm up, to her. "Here. There isn't enough to share. You should have these." As his eyes met hers he felt a warm tingle that was wonderfully unfamiliar. He'd felt it before, but it seemed like a life time ago.
"You know what I really miss, though? Pie. Do you have any kind of food that you miss?"
human
"Yes," June said promptly. "Cooking oil is preferable." As for Murphy, she sighed. "If he wants things to happen faster, he can help. Participation has to happen before people get to complain." She hadn't actually spoken up against anyone in the group so far, just kinda gone with what everyone was saying, but she really didn't like complaining. Still it got softened with a "but we'll work a little faster". She wasn't really a 'lay down the law' kind of person.
Her eyes followed his look to the flowers, tilting her head slightly. "Those flowers are edible. But it seems like a mouthful at best, so... you're probably talking about looking for more actual vegetables over there, huh?" She stood up, brushing the dirt off of her pants, and then headed over towards the flowers.
When he spoke, the redhead looked briefly surprised. It wasn't the sort of thing she was expecting, because talking about that alternate future that would never be tended to depress people. "Well I figured I'd do that fancy four years of high school thing and then go to college. I hadn't actually started deciding where, though. I had all four years of high school left. And then in college I would probably be all sorts of confused by the large amount of people. I... hadn't really thought about where I'd go after that. Getting a job would probably mean living at least a few hours from home. Maybe get myself a boyfriend, potentially try beer while underage, whatever else it is that college students do."
"There's always enough to share." Well unless there was just one. At least, when it was as small as a berry. So she took her half of one or two, fingers lingering a second or so too long as they touched his palm. June smiled at him almost shyly, briefly unsure of herself for reasons she couldn't place. "It makes things better anyway." Just like they'd told people in kindergarten. The berries were sweet and comforting in their familiarity. After a moment she knelt down, back to 10k, to look through the leaves, leaning forward onto her hands and knees for better reach. If there were flowers there was a decent chance of vegetables, and if she could provide enough for everyone to have a meal her first full day with them it would make her feel a bit more confident. It wasn't something she'd always be able to do, but still. A show of worth and friendliness. Plus, she just liked caring for people.
"Ice cream. And Oreos." It wasn't a hard thing for her to decide, it seemed. A lot of foods she'd liked she'd been able to keep eating, though a whole lot less often.
gpt
Her touch in the center of his palm sent tingles down his body. It was a lot like when he grabbed the electric horse fence at his Aunt Barb's, and the current made his teeth rattle, only this time it was actually pleasant.Verypleasant. He watched her slide the berries in her mouth and then savor the flavor, and as he passed his own through his lips it was easy to imagine that they were tasting the exact same berry. He felt the tart juice hit the sides of his mouth moments before the sweet followed, and it made him flinch slightly from the boldness of the flavors.
She turned and got down on her hands and knees to search further for more food. He couldn't help but look at her, and from that angle the prominent view was pretty nice. He felt a little guilty for looking over her body and enjoying the way her hips tapered into her waist, and he could see the soft swell of her breasts as she reached forward to feel under the leaves. He didn't realize that his jaw was beginning to hang open, though, until someone cleared his throat behind him.
10k whirled, his face flushing from embarrassment. Thankfully it was just Vasquez. The older man raised an eyebrow as his eyes followed the line of sight that 10k had likely been watching. "I don't think you'll find Z's looking at that." He put a hand on the young man's arm and gave him a long, hard look. "You okay? You look a little distracted." Then he grinned and smacked 10's arm. "Come on, kids - Roberta wants us to convene inside and eat, then make plans for our next leg."
He turned his attention towards June but he didn't say much. His gaze, though, was intensive. The ex-DEA agent almost looked like he was upset at the new girl. After the briefest of pauses he turned back to 10k. "Don't take long. She doesn't like to wait."
10k reached down to help June to her feet. "The boss calls. You found a lot, though. I think it's gonna be nice to have something fresh. To eat, I mean. Something fresh to eat."
human
It was definitely a treat worth sharing. While it did leave her wanting more (more contact or more berries?), she was definitely happy to have the experience be one between the two of them.
June hadn't realized the sort of view she might be giving her friend (was he that? She hoped). She was much more focused on finding more food fast, so that everyone would be happy. Plus, the more they could save the non-perishables, the better. And she'd maybe get to continue giving 10k things that would make him look cute, like he had she she'd first approached and given him dried fruit.
When she heard Vasquez the redhead sat up, the last skinny zucchini in her hand. She turned, making eye contact with the man though it didn't last long and her gaze dropped to focus on something else. Was he just not going to talk to her? She answered anyway with "I think we've picked up pretty much everything we're gonna get here." When he turned away, her face fell a tiny bit. She felt a little rejected. Taking 10k's hand, June pulled herself to her feet. "I don't think he likes me," she said softly.
She kept hold of his hand for a few seconds before letting go. "Alright. We'll see what all everyone has found too, I suppose. Maybe it'll be good." Or maybe it would be dreadfully disappointing.
When they got in, the teen stuck close to 10k, promoting a "the two'a you are attached at the hip in every way but the one he wants" from Murphy, which took a moment for June to understand. When she did she turned a little pink and glanced up at 10k out of the corner of her eye but didn't say anything. She was pretty sure no response was the best here. Addy tossed her a mostly empty container of vegetable oil without really making sure the short woman was ready. June fumbled it for a moment before managing to get a proper hold. "Um," she started, "if people don't mind waiting about half an hour and we can get a little fire started, I can make zucchini coins. Otherwise we can do the.... pan version of grilling or eat them raw." Which was the underwhelming option.
gpt
10k turned to look at the blue-skinned 'package'. He frowned slightly, but it was more of a confused 'what the heck?' then a 'fuck you' frown. He didn't care for Murphy in the first place, so the man's attempt at a joke was not well received. "I'll help you cook," he started to offer, but Roberta interjected.
"No, Addy can help make breakfast. I want you to go with Vasquez and check out another building he saw on his patrol this morning." She pointed at 10k. Then she turned to Doc. "You and me have some work to do. Come on."
10k glanced back at June as he began to follow Vasquez. Hopefully she was in good hands.
Addy sighed. "Shit. Kitchen duty? Really?" She reached out and took the oil back from June. "Alright Betty Crocker, let's get this show on the road. How do we make those green things edible?" She swayed her hips as she began to walk towards the kitchen. "Let's get one thing straight - I don't do dishes."
human
Roberta cut off her hopes that June could just continue to stick with 10k. She shot the dark haired sniper a slightly helpless look. This wasn't optimal at all. Not only weren't they going to be together, he was going to be off somewhere where pretty much anything could happen and they wouldn't know until it was too late. She couldn't lose someone else she cared about, especially not this soon. But no, she told herself, he was tough. He'd be fine.
Still, when he glanced back she couldn't help the soft "be careful" that slipped out. Of course he would be, it was a useless phrase these days. It made her feel a tiny bit better, though.
She tagged along at Addy's heels a little like an awkward puppy. "You don't really need to do anything. If you just want to just hang out and relax, I can do it all no problem. I'm sure there are books or something. Plus there's no need to do manydishes. It's not like we'll take plates with us, we can just use them and leave them." Pans and knives should probably be cleaned because those had a lot more reusable value.
Much to her disappointment the stove was electric as opposed to gas powered, but that would perhaps have just used up all her good luck for the entire month. Instead she ended up sort of rigging the oven up into a makeshift fireplace by starting a fire that would be just big enough to cook with (so quite small, really). A teeny bit smokey, but not enough that it would even need to be vented out windows or anything. So it definitely wouldn't attract any kind of attention. That was the danger of using a fireplace, after all.
"I have these cattail roots," she explained, fishing them out of her bag as the pot with water heated, "I can get a kinda flour-y substance from it and use it to--"
"I don't really care." Addy didn't sound exceptionally rude, it almost came off as her trying to tell June she didn't have to explain. Though she did look disinterested enough that the potential for rudeness was there. June let out a tiny, awkward "oh, okay" and fell silent.
Things were quiet until around when June was removing the pot of water, and Addy spoke up again. "So you and 10k, huh?"
"What about us?" June wasn't trying to avoid answering, definitely not! "He saved my life. He's my friend. I think he's... cool." She took a cattail roots and started the process of extracting the starch by worrying and smashing them in the warm water. It was a good distraction.
gpt
10k followed along with Vasquez, happy to simply be there to look for danger and scout for things. In truth he wasn't a very talkative kind of guy. He preferred that comfortable silence you got when you were in the company of someone you trusted. The older man seemed to be of the same mind, and for a long time they simply walked across the untended fields, towards what looked like a long-abandoned and decrepit barn. It must have been built generations ago, before electricity had even come to the farm.
The young sniper's eyes constantly scanned the horizon. The weeds here were tall but dry. Anything that moved would create a rustling sound much as they were. Vasquez had found what appeared to be a deer trail, though, so their steps were not as loud as they might have been otherwise.
He reached up and pulled the scarf away from his throat to let the cool breeze reach his skin. He paused and shielded his eyes to squint at the barn. A glimmer of light was flashing at them, but from this distance it could have been a wily breeze playing with a piece of foil. A moment later he jogged to keep up with his partner.
"So. This thing with June..."
That was probably the last topic 10k expected to hear Vasquez bring up. "Uhm, what thing?"
"Don't think that no one has noticed. This thing, this joined-at-the-hip thing. You know that it can only lead to suffering don't you? She's not a survivor. Sooner or later you'll lose her."
"W- why are we talking about this?" He removed the goggles from his head and wiped the sweat off his face with his forearm, then slid the band back on. His hair stuck out at odd, bed-head angles, and he looked even more like an Anime come to life than before. "I thought we were scouting."
"We are scouting, but I'm also being a friend to you, 10k. The less you let yourself care, the less hurt you'll feel."
He shook his head and adjusted the strap that held his rifle on his shoulder. "I can't keep myself from caring. I wouldn't want to."
Vasquez gave him a long, hard look. Finally he turned and continued walking towards the barn. "Suit yourself. It's your heartbreak, kid."
The barn turned out to be a bust. There was nothing there of use for anyone traveling, though the mystery of what had happened to the family was solved. A row of four graves, protected from the elements and dug into the ground in the barn, sat quietly inside. The body of the father laid next to them. He was still holding an old shot gun and it was apparent that he had blown his head off rather than live on without his family. How the others died was anyone's guess.
10k found a dusty canvas tarp that looked like it was remnant from the Vietnam war. He unfolded it and laid it over the deceased.
"Why are you bothering with that?" Vasquez almost looked upset at the gesture.
"He took the time to bury his family," 10k answered, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. "I thought someone should at least cover him up too."
The older man made a sound that sounded a lot a snort. He shook his head and practically rolled his eyes. "Let's get out of here. They should have something ready for us to eat by now." He drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "You are something else, 10k."
"I'll take that as a compliment." He squinted at the sun as they emerged from the barn.
"Hey," Vasquez shut the door behind them and walked next to 10k on the way back. "If I kick the bucket, would you do that for me too?"
He looked over at the hardened ex-DEA agent, unsure if he really meant it or not. After a few moments he nodded and they continued back to the farmhouse.
human
It became clear rather quickly that there wasn't a whole lot for Addy to do. They probably could have heated up more water and given her a root to work with, but if that occurred to either woman, neither brought it up. Addy sat there at the dusty table, lazily explored the kitchen again, or tossed a few things on the fire to keep it going the way June seemed to want it. She couldn't exactly do entirely nothing, if Roberta found out, there'd be trouble.
"It's not going to work." June looked up, and then back down at the cattail root in the water, apparently assuming Addy was talking about that. "The only reason 10k doesn't get more attention is because he hasn't realized he's someone worth paying attention to." Maybe not the same kind of emotions Vasquez was trying to warn about. "The two of you will play house for a while, and he'll figure out he's got stuff going for him and sweet little vanilla farm girl's gonna be a whole lot less interesting." She tilted her head back, thinking for a moment, "man, I bet a guy ends up into in some weird stuff when he has all his big hormonal years during the apocalypse."
Okay so Addy was definitely coming at this from a different angle. More of a mixture of warning and teasing, and it definitely seemed to be flustering the redhead sitting on the floor. She'd turned a little pink and seemed to be focusing very pointedly on her work. "It... doesn't really matter," June said finally, "there's nothing going on like that so he can meet whatever kind of woman he wants whenever he wants and do whatever." She just didn't want to think about it because it might make her stomach knot up a little. "Would you please dust off a pan and some plates? I'm going to be moving on to the next step soon." And she didn't want to talk about this anymore.
Eventually June had a tiny puddle of a sort of tan substance that sat at the bottom of the pot like a very fine sand. June measured out a little of the oil and set the pan Addy had dusted off to heat while she worked on getting rid of the water in the pot. First she just poured as much as she could, and then used a towel that seemed clean to absorb more. Finally she had what she needed, and set about slicing the zucchini and then dipping the coin shaped slices of vegetable into her makeshift flour. It clung the way she'd hoped it would, and started putting the thinly 'flour'ed slices on the pan. Soon the soft sound of sizzling started, and she tended to them with a fork, flipping and removing ones that were done and piling them up on a plate to be divided.
It was a little hard to listen for things happening outside the kitchen while also focusing on not letting anything happen with the food, but June was sort of dividing her focus between food and trying to hear voices or the door opening. Addy definitely didn't look anxious, which meant the worrying was all her. So June tried not to worry about 10k and Vasquez, because they wouldn't have been sent out if they couldn't handle it.
She managed to stop worrying about Vasquez and worry a little bit less about 10k, and then she just felt a little bit guilty for so obviously caring about one person more than the other. It was a pretty natural thing really, but 10k was pretty obviously her favorite she could at least stop feeling like it would be less the end of the world (the end of the end of the world) if Vasquez came back without 10k and just a little stressed out at the thought of the opposite.
It was probably just a fact of life that people had to measure the values of different lives, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
gpt
Vasquez pushed open the door to the farm house and strode in, confident almost to the point of arrogance. He shook his head at Roberta and then walked over to the recliner he had slept on and slumped into it. No luck. On either task.
The leader of the group raised a perfectly curved eyebrow but said nothing as 10k followed the other man into the house. He stopped at the door and shut it, though, before leaning his rifle against the wall. He glanced back and forth from Roberta to Vasquez, but he didnt add anything to the report. There was no more to be said.
He could smell the fried deliciousness coming from the kitchen and he let his feet take him there. He saw June bending over a pan and fishing little toasty circles out with a slotted spoon. He licked his bottom lip and moved forward, watching in awe as she dipped a green circle into powder and slid it into the sizzling oil. Thats amazing. He stepped up next to her to watch the process, completely ignoring Addy. Those are the little green things we found today, huh? Youre making it into actual food.
He looked at her and smiled. These are just like those things you used to get in the freezer section, arent they? The ones that went in the microwave? I didnt know people could make those without a factory.
His mouth was salivating and he couldnt wait for them to sit down to lunch. He shifted his weight slightly and then realized that he was still dusty from the barn. His eyes widened. Ah, he stepped back and glanced over at the non-working sink. Maybe I should go wash my hands.
Why dont you go do that? Addy asked, waving a spoon at him. Who knows what kind of germs you just contaminated our food with? As he backed out of the room she crossed her arms and put her weight on one hip, shaking her head. Geesh; boys all dirt an mud, walking into our kitchen like that. Who does he think he is, anyway?
human
June heard the door opening and looked up promptly, eyes lighting up a little, and then flickering with uncertainty. She took her eyes off of her cooking to check, and then put them back on her work because she didn't want anything to burn. His footsteps were quiet but there, boots on tile in close range. It was about then that she looked away from her cooking, face brightening, gaze warm. He was back. No need to worry any more, 10k had returned just fine. "It was already actual food," she informed him, tone almost playfully scolding. "I just cooked it is all."
He smiled and she felt like she was being warmed from the inside out. She liked the attention, she liked the way his voice sounded when he spoke to her, and the smile. It felt a little bit special. Maybe he smiled at all his friends, but right now it felt like it was just for her. "Well, I used cattail roots instead of actual flour, so not quite. And I was missing a few ingredients. But I guess kinda." June shrugged her shoulders a little shyly. "Food made in a factory had to be made by hand at first."
Addy sort of half chased him off, and June giggled before turning her attention back to the food. "We're all pretty much dirt and mud at this point though, aren't we?" It was almost done, and as soon as it was she was finished she started divvying things up. Murphy would probably complain about not having more, but it had to be even. The one extra got offered to Addy, who accepted it. It seemed to have been the right decision for the beginnings of friendship with the slightly older woman. She carried the plates out, setting them at the table. People probably wouldn't eat there, but it seemed like the right thing to do. She took her own and carried one over for 10k, offering it to him. "Let me know what you think? It's probably not as good, but hot, fried food is still hot fried food, right?"
After a hesitant moment, the redhead spoke up again, a little bit more quietly. "I'm glad you came back safe. I... worried a little." Which she shouldn't have, but she did. June wasn't sure what admitting it was supposed to do, but it just kind of felt like the right thing to say. She had all these feelings jumbled up and she didn't know what to do with them, admitting that she'd worried seemed like the first step. It would at least relieve some of the emotional pressure.
gpt
**
Addy watched June as she dished out the portions, then carried them out. She sighed. "I would fucking kill someone for a big plate of chicken Alfredo and some fresh garlic bread right now. Man. Who knew that I could miss Olive Garden so much?" She stuck her head into the other room. "Yo! Me and the chickie made some grub. Hurry up or I'll eat your portion."
That got everyone moving. 10k lingered in the back, and when June brought him a plate he shyly smiled at her. He held the plate like it carried a great treasure and brought it to the table. As he did, Murphy and Cassandra came in from outside and the underlying scent of decay wafted in after them like an invisible swarm. Roberta flinched slightly but didn't say anything. Doc, on the other hand, waved a hand back and forth. "Someone spray some Glade. For crying out loud, guys, can't you smell yourselves? There's running water here; we can heat up some for a bath if you'd take one."
Murphy flipped off Doc and then silently took a chair, Cassandra hovering behind him. He took her plate and poured it onto his own. "She doesn't eat this stuff. Not anymore."
10k followed June back to the dining table and sat next to her. He tried to avoid looking at Cassandra as much as possible. He noticed Vasquez taking a seat near Roberta, Abby on his other side. Their conversation had been strange, to say the least, and now he felt like everything he did regarding June was going to be under the other man's scrutiny.
He turned to June quietly admitted to her. "I'm glad to be back too. It was strange out there; he was... it felt like being around an old, nosy aunt, you know?" 10k smiled at her. "I used to hate it when my aunties would ask me embarrassing things."
human
"If someone can kill me a chicken, I can do all sorts of things with it. Any kind of bird, really." It was just hard. Had to get the whole head off at once. "I can't make noodles, though. At least, not by hand." She sounded a tiny bit apologetic about it. June didn't know how to respond to being called 'chickie', but decided that it was a positive nickname. She didn't have any evidence to disagree with that, so positive it was!
Oh, a smile! Another one. Once again it warmed her from the inside, and June returned it. Then the smell of Murphy, and her nose wrinkled. That was super gross. When Murphy took Cassandra's plate, the redhead opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. That wasn't fair, he shouldn't have all of that food to himself it should be spread among everyone.
"If he was being nosy, it probably means he cares. I mean I kind of assume that. He's barely said a word to me. But I had Addy being a little nosy while I was cooking. There was less asking me embarrassing things and more... telling me embarrassing things, though." It hadn't been the best bit of conversation. And now when she looked at him, June was thinking back to that. The idea of 10k not having as much time for her hurt. Just a physical sort of hollow pain in her chest. Which probably meant she should talk to him about it, but she didn't even know how to start that.
"Hey girl." Oh, he was talking to her. June jerked her head up, looking at Murphy with slight confusion in her large eyes. "You're not so useless after all." She was going to take that as a compliment, and she got ready to thank him when Murphy continued, "if you want to head up and work out some daddy issues, I've got half an hour." Silence. Doc moved to 10k, deciding that if anyone was going to cause an issue it was probably him. June looked startled, confused, and a little bit like someone had just hit her in the gut. "Murphy--" Roberta started, and then Addy spoke up, tone a little lazy. "What, so you can perform for about two minutes and she can spend the rest of her time trying to make you feel better? Poor girl might even actually have expectations because she doesn't know how age effects men." Murphy drew himself up, looking angry, and Roberta was there, hand on his arm. "You stink," she said with a calmness that was somehow a little threatening, "I think it'd be better if you ate outside and then washed. Come on, I'll fill you up a bucket." Murphy obviously wanted to argue, but he did recognize that for the moment everyone in the room was very against him. So he did, with a grumble and a glare.
gpt
She was undeniably sweet. To think that Vasquez might care about him was somewhat foreign. To 10k it seemed like the ex-DEA agent only cared about the mission. He glanced behind him at the solemn man and caught sight of a serious glare that made him feel a little unsettled. Then he was about to ask June if she would sit with him, but Murphy interrupted.
The focus of their group was altogether a pain to handle. The man was crass, rude, and completely disregarded common courtesies. Then the Z-Boss propositioned June and 10k was speechless. He felt the cold anger rising in his body. His fingers felt numb and his vision went to black and white in an instant. Doc put a hand on 10k's shoulder and shook his scraggly head in warning. 10k realized that he had set his plate down and had his hand on his pistol. He hadn't even realized what he had done.
Thankfully Roberta and Anna intervened. Cassandra mimicked Murphy's glare and shuffled after him. As soon as the two left the tension in the room immediately lessened.
"Well," Roberta looked at the others. "I suggest we all eat and prepare to leave. Once Murphy is more tolerable we're going to hit the road. We still have a mission." She glanced at Vasquez and a message passed between them. "We can't afford any more delays."
10k watched June's response to the incident, and when she seemed to have snapped out of her shock he picked his plate up. "Uhm... can I?" He indicated the seat next to hers. "Sit. Can I sit with you?"
human
June didn't even feel like she could be properly angry or hurt by the comment. It was just... ridiculous. Like a caricature of a jerk. What someone would have a villain say if they were more interested in getting across who the bad guy was than being subtle. So she just sat there, looking confused and a tiny bit blank. At least for the first few seconds. And then she was so angry she thought she was going to throw up. Howdarehe? She'd been nothing but kind! Been polite, made food, she hadn't made any kind of fuss when he took what should have been divided among everyone and he said that? What kind of person was he?
Maybe not a person. That thought was an odd sort of comfort. This wasn't the sort of thing a person would say because he wasn't a person. Thoughts like that had made her feel bad before, but right now they didn't. Right now it was a little bit better than the alternative; that he was just a person and that awful.
When 10k spoke she looked up at him, managing a small smile. "Yeah, of course! You don't need to ask, the answer will always be yes." She would never not want him near her. All her negative feelings faded a little, and there was a sort of gentle warmth that took it's place.
The redhead moved her plate a little so it wasn't in what she judged to be 'his space' on the table, and waited for him to sit down. After a few moments she pushed a zucchini circle around on her plate with the fork she'd gotten (it made it all feel much more normal) and then glanced over at him. "It... kinda looked like you were gonna shoot him." June had noticed that. It had surprised her. She wasn't sure how to interpret that fact, because she didn't think of 10k as being the sort who'd respond like that to things. He seemed much more in control than that. "Probably wouldn't have gone over very well."
gpt
Crunchy, but warm and squishy in the middle...
He shut his eyes as he chewed to let the juices and the heat completely absorb his attention. Each burst of fresh, sun-grown flavor reminded him of summertime when people still used to cut their lawns and play in sprinklers on the grass. The cattail flour tasted a little like broccoli, or cauliflower, and the oil and salt that spiced each bite tasted like good memories of a life that they might never experience again. He cracked his eyes open and slid a glance at her when she mentioned shooting Murphy. Slowly he chewed, wondering what the best response was going to be.
Doc saved him the indecision. "It's not a secret that 10k hates Murphy. He'd put a bullet right between his eyes if it weren't for the mission."
Vasquez cleared his throat. He raised an eyebrow at the doctor, but instead of intervening he nodded as if to say that he wanted to hear more about 10k's feelings about their package.
"Ah.. it's not that... I mean," 10k swallowed and cleared his throat. "He's not normal. Not anymore. Cassandra isn't either, and I'm not going to let them hurt June."
"No one's hurting anyone." Roberta looked at each one of them as if they were rebellious children. "There are enough Zs and people out there wanting to kill us; we don't need to be plotting after each other. Got it?" Her eyes bore into 10k until he swallowed and silently nodded. "Good. Now finish up. We don't know when we're going to have another 'home cooked' meal, so you might as well enjoy this while you can."
For once Addy didn't have anything to say about the situation. She just shrugged and ate as if the thought that one of her companions wanted to kill another wasn't a big deal. Maybe it wasn't.
But 10k wasn't thinking that this was 'no big deal'. It was. He hadn't even realized that he had been thinking about taking out 'the Murph' if he grabbed June, and now that he thought about it the idea scared him. Who was he becoming? He bent his head and used the tip of his fork to swirl the disks around in the oily crumbs to catch every last bit of flavor on the plate.
Once the attention moved away from him, 10k glanced over at June. He wondered what she thought of their motley group. She'd just lost her parents - this group was a poor substitute for her father and mother. 10k would have gladly traded Murphy and Cassandra for June's parents. He felt the presence of the others in the small dining room, and he thought that many of the others might have felt the same way had it not been for their mission.
human
June wrinkled her nose at Doc's words, not appearing exceptionally pleased with the thought. She'd avoided any kind of violent interaction with another person (though she knew her father had a few), and the idea didn't sit well with her, even though it was a necessity in this world. Life was just meant to be protected and appreciated. She didn't like what was happening now. Then again, nobody did.
The bright haired teen ignored Vasquez, instead keeping her focus on 10k while he spoke. "I'm all for not getting hurt," she piped up, "but he was just being creepy and gross. I don't think he'd actually do anything." And if he did she sort of assumed someone would break his arm before they shot him. That seemed like a must less deadly way of getting him to let go. Her gaze flicked over to Roberta as the older woman spoke, and she nodded. "Sounds good to me!" As though she were the one people had to worry about causing trouble.
When he glanced at her, she smiled. She didn't know what was going on in his head but there was no reason NOT to smile. June couldn't exactly say she'd make a trade because human life wasn't supposed to be swappable. But she'd definitely rather be with her parents than most of the group. Things got a little more confusing when it came to 10k, and she was just choosing not to think about it. But yeah, Murphy and Cassandra were very poor replacements for her parents. Even adding in Roberta and Addy, she still knew who she'd have wanted to go with.
She knew though that she wouldn't have been able to just take Doc and 10k. But her family could have been here. At least her mother, if she'd been... no, those thoughts didn't help.
After a moment she jabbed a few of her zucchini pieces on her fork and moved them onto his plate. "You probably need it more than me," she said as defense of her actions. "You're bigger and do more stuff and you keep looking out for me." And she'd probably been eating better for longer. The oil bottle had been put in her bag, because it was definitely worth the space. There wasn't a lot left, but she could make it work once or twice more.
gpt
10k wasn't sure what to think of her offering of more food, and so he hesitated when she scooped the few remaining pieces of zucchini and gave them to him. On the other end of the table Vasquez let out a little groan. It was the kind of sound someone might make if they saw a corny scene in a movie, but Doc's soft chuckle drowned out the worst of it.
"Uhm... thank you?" He glanced at her a couple of times as if to ask if she was sure. When it looked like she meant it, he speared the pieces with his fork and ate as if slightly concerned shewouldchange her mind. He scraped his fork along the plate to pick up the last few crumbs of cattail flour before setting the fork down. The food had been meager but it was good. If he had complaints it was only that there was not more, but he kept them to himself.
"Let's move on out." Roberta left her plate on the table. Who were they going to wash dishes for? "Vasquez, make sure our package is still on his way. Doc? You and 10k secure the vehicles. We're leaving in five."
"I'll get our gear," Abby volunteered. She smiled at June. "You coming?"
Once again it seemed like the group was conspiring to keep 10k and the new girl apart. He glanced back at her as he followed Doc, and his shy smile promised that he'd save a spot for her in the back of the truck. Lately he'd found that he was really fond of being outside where he could get the best view as they traveled. He wanted to see 'them' before they saw him.
"Go on," Roberta urged. "I'll help Vasquez round up Murphy and his sidekick."
human
June shot Vasquez a look that seemed almost chiding, though it lasted only about half a second before her eyes dropped, not quite confident enough to really push the issue. But she'd tried, and gotten absolutely no negative response from Vasquez. Really, she got no response at all. Still encouraging. She could deal with being ignored, at least by him.
10k glanced at her and she smiled brightly at him, and then looked back at the two pieces left on her plate. She wasn't going to take what she'd offered back, she meant it. It wasn't that much; she didn't think she'd miss it, really. June would have given him more, but there wasn't all that much to give in the first place, and even if she would have been willing to give him her entire plate, she knew that it was a bad idea. She needed food too, after all. If she didn't eat, she'd be useless. But she could give 10k a little bit, because it was what she could do to care for him. He kept being there to protect her, to take care of her, and she didn't know what she could do for him in return except make sure that he had a little bit extra.
Why couldn't she go with him? She wanted to tag along with him. Setting her fork down on top of her plate, she stood a tiny bit reluctantly. "Yeah!" Well, she did like Addy decently, and she hadn't given up on the hope that the other woman would be her friend.
She helped gather things including a few things for comfort in the truck. If people were riding in the back, a pillow to sit on might be nice, and a blanket in case it got cold. She wanted a tarp for when it eventually rained, but she couldn't find one. Maybe someone else would be able to, or they'd find one later. Eventually it would be really useful. Water came from the sky, they'd probably want to take advantage of that when the season came.
After everything was loaded up, she tossed her bag into the back, and smiled at 10k again. "Can I sit with you?" It was the exact same way he'd asked if he could sit with her at breakfast. Was she kind of teasing him? She might have been. But just a little bit, and very good naturedly. She also didn't seem to be expecting a 'no', because she climbed in next to him without really waiting for an answer. "I brought a blanket, in case it gets chilly or too windy. And pillows." For leaning on or sitting on or whatever else. It was much better to be out here, than even thinking about being in the same car as Murphy. Even if she hadn't liked every moment of being around 10k.
gpt
Vasquez walked with Roberta to the back of the house. They could smell Murphy long before they saw him. The sweet stench of a cheap cigar wafted through the halls. Then they heard him humming a song that brought to mind the old fashioned speakeasys and movies about the mob. They saw Cassandra standing by the tub, dipping a ladle in a bucket and then pouring it over Murphy's shoulder. Her stare was glassy, and when they came into sight she turned her head slowly to look at them while she continued her task. It reminded Vasquez of those animated dolls in the horror films.
Murphy took the cigar out of his mouth and grinned at the dark-skinned beauty. "Care to join me, Roberta?" He waggled his eyebrows and looked very satisfied at his condition.
She turned away, her face scrunched up in disgust. She put a hand up next to her eyes as if it would erase the memory. "Get dressed, preferably in something clean. We're leaving."
"I'm quite happy right where I am."
That made her turn and face him. "We'releaving, and you're coming with us. Even if we have to strap your naked butt to the hood."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The cigar found its place back in his yellowed teeth. "I'll be out in a minute. Just gotta finish up," he looked over at Cassandra. "You missed a spot, doll."
Roberta made a sound of disgust and marched out of the bath, Vasquez right behind her. "I'm telling you, this would be a whole hell of a lot easier if you'd just let me cuff him. He's a prisoner, we should treat him as such."
"He's not our prisoner," she tried to reconcile what they were doing with her feelings about bringing in a man who had been purposely infected with the virus against his will. "He's important to what we are doing, but we can't lose sight of the fact that he's a human being. We need to treat him with as much dignity as we can." She saw him roll his eyes but he didn't say anything, so she didn't say anything.
Out at the trucks 10k was settling his ruck in the corner of the truck bed. He looked up at June's familiar words, then smiled and nodded. She had been so nice to him and he couldn't figure out why. Soon they were rumbling down the street, away from their temporary shelter and the zucchini plants that had provided them their hot dinner. Every once in a while he would glance over and look at her, pretending to be scanning for Zs He was looking, but he was also very conscious of the new level of tension that was between himself and June. It wasn't a bad thing. It was more of an... awareness? He felt the vibrations in the air hanging around them. It was as if a hundred little invisible bees were hovering just out of earshot, but their wings were still affecting the energy around them.
Occasionally he'd catch a glimpse of a Blaster, but they got further and further apart. Eventually their vehicles moved far enough away that they had outrun the faster cousins to the Zs. Once enough time had passed and none of the faster Zs had been seen a while 10k settled back and allowed himself to sit next to June. The wind was still warm and the sun wasn't too harsh; if it wasn't for the fact that the world had gone crazy it might have been possible to think of it as just another nice autumn day.
human
The easy answer was that her default setting was to be nice to everyone. But there was definitely another one there that she hadn't felt like admitting. Eventually she'd get around to it, right now June was trying her best to be mature and thoughtful. And the mature, thoughtful response was to wait and see for a few days because she could only be attached because of trauma. The idea wasn't one she liked, but June was trying to be reasonable.
Maybe a few days of waiting wasn't enough but this was the apocalypse, a day was basically a week now.
She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't know how. There was no dried fruit to help her approach this time, no serious anxiety to make her more willing to ask for help. If she said the wrong thing they'd be stuck together here in the back of the truck until the next break. Unless one of them got so unhappy they crawled in through the window, and that seemed almost unreasonable. Suddenly she was worried she'd do or say something that made 10k that displeased, and that kept her quiet for another few minutes.
Seeing blasters while in the truck made her a little more tense than it should, and briefly she wondered if this was the right place for her to be. Cars were faster than zombies and she knew that logically, but she felt exposed in the back like this. She shifted a tiny bit closer to 10k, not enough to get in his way if he needed to do anything, but enough that she felt safer.
"I haven't gotten to ride in the back of a truck since before all of this started. We'd use our truck sometimes when clearing the orchard after all of this, but I was always in the cab. But I used to get to, and dad would go real slow on the way home so I could stand in the back and try to get more apples." A pause, and then, "I fell off once and broke my arm, but we told mom I fell out of a tree so she wouldn't make us stop." She didn't feel like she had much to share but that sort of thing. Some fond, warm memories that were a little bit amusing, at least to her. They'd had more help then, too. But when the apocalypse started everyone wanted to be with their family or heading to safety, and two farmhands.
Then just them.
And now just her.
No, she corrected a moment later. She wasn't alone. She had people with her still. New people she didn't know so well, but they were people and they'd let her into their group. "It's nicer out here than in there, I think. I like having fresh air." Nobody smelled amazing anymore. "Plus you're one of the three people I'd want to talk to anyway. Well, the one I want to talk to most." Why did that make her blush a little?
gpt
He had leaned his head against the cab and then reached up to pull his scarf away from his neck. The wind cooled his skin and gave him a sense of being wrapped up in warm familiarity. He glanced above them and watched the clouds and the trees fly by. He could feel the soft bump-bump of June's arm against his. It was nice.
He lied to listen to her talking about her life. Her voice was relaxing and the cadence of her words were reassuring. He smiled at her, his blue-grey eyes slightly squinty in the windy sunshine.
"Me?" He wasn't sure that he had heard her correctly. "I'm not... interesting." His fingers fidgeted with the rifle's strap. Had he gone to public school he would have been the kid least likely to raise his hand or volunteer for theater classes. If he had been forced into theater he would have been happy working the lighting or the sound system. He never was one of the stage. As it was, he had been home-schooled by a father who saw more merit teaching his son how to reload rifle cartridges, rappel, fly small planes, and rebuild engines. 10k's father was one who felt like 'something' was going to happen. He just never anticipated that it woudl be a world full of Zs.
Doc and Addy were in the car behind them, and 10k noticed that Doc was smiling at him while Addy scowled. What had he done? He slid a bit lower in the bed of the truck, feeling self-conscious. Doc decided at that moment to wave. That only made it worse.
Vasquez slid open the rear window in the truck and stuck his head back to look at 10k and June. "Heads up - we're approaching a town." He shut the window without much fanfare and turned his attention to the front.
In his attempt to roll over and come up on his hands and knees 10k accidentally put his hand on June's leg. He jerked his hand back as if he had touched fire, muttering something that sounded like 'ohfrickahmsosorry'. He stumbled around, not knowing where to put his hands. Then the truck swerved and he was thrown across June, smushing her under his weight in a tangle of scarves and rifle stock and lanky, strong limbs that had never been so close to a woman who wasn't his mother.
human
She hadn't intended to end up actually against him, but it sort of happened. She was going to blame the movement of the truck, and just sort of didn't end up moving away from him, just adjusted her position a little bit so they could both be comfortable. if 10k protested she'd be able to move quickly, but she had the feeling that he wouldn't.
"What? Yes you are! I think you are. Plus you're nice, and I feel comfortable around you. And..." Go ahead, say the positive thing, "safe." She felt safe around him. Which she'd told him before, but she didn't think he'd responded to it at the time. It was a pretty high compliment these days. "Are you going to argue with me while I compliment you?" She was bringing out the sort of pouty puppy face. Just a little bit, but it was there. If she'd known exactly how he'd been raised, she'd be able to point out that it was really unique and very interesting. "Plus, I'm just a farm girl. Got a small world, everything's exciting and interesting." It was a self deprecating joke, made a little more ridiculous by the fact that it was the apocalypse. Her world couldn't exactly be small while she was out and about trying to survive zombies.
Vasquez opened the window and she sat up a little bit, nodding. "You got it!" She didn't have a firearm but she could keep her eyes out. She should... probably fine a gun. It didn't make a ton of sense for her to be out there without one, really. Handheld weapons were fine but not for providing covering fire or anything. All she could do was watch out.
She was drawn out of her concerns by the hand on her leg. She glanced over, assuming that he wanted to say something to her, though her cheeks had flushed a little. His apologies were what made it awkward, and she shook her her head, eyes focusing on somewhere off in the distance. "It... it's no problem..."
What was a problem was when he fell. Without thinking about it, June threw up her hands to try and either catch or steady him, neither of which really happened. Instead she ended up with one hand splayed on his chest and the other on his bicep, trapped between the young man and the truck. She let out a tiny, high pitched squeak that trailed off like a deflating balloon, and turned a shade of red that nearly matched her hair. Her fingers curled around his arm, entirely unsure of what to do. Her brain had sputtered to a stop and she just stared at him, eyes wide.
In the truck behind them, Doc might have tried to give 10k some advice ('kiss her' was great advice), but only the people in his truck could hear it.
gpt
She was so energetic and upbeat. Had she really said that she felt safe around him? She had complimented him, and then reminded him that she was a farm girl, which of course brought to mind his childhood crush (Mary Anne onGilligan's Island), which made him think of himself as none other than the goofy mess-up, Gilligan, and made him feel even more out of place around the pretty, optimistic young woman.
Her hand grasped his arm, hard and muscled beneath his long-sleeved shirt. His knee had somehow managed to slide between her legs and the heat from her body burned the top of his thigh with an intensity that shot straight to his core. He was suddenly aware of 'how much' of a woman she was. Her chest heaved with each breath she took, thrusting her soft, inviting breasts towards him.
He saw the surprise in the pout of her lips and the way her eyes glistened as she looked at him. 10k shifted slightly and brought his knee up higher to get more of a purchase on the truck bed. That only served to make him contact June's body more firmly and more intimately, his knee now pressed against her heat in an overly-familiar manner. His other knee came up until he was kneeling more sturdily, and he managed to slide his rifle off to the side so that it no longer pressed against her body with its rigid length.
"Did I hurt you?" He searched her face, wondering if her shriek was surprise or pain. Slowly he pulled his body away from hers, and as he did so he realized that it was reluctantly. When he held her last night it had been a comforting, warm feeling that he had; today's sudden physical encounter had made him warm, but the feeling was something acute and desperate. His entire body had become aroused in a way that he had only experienced when waking suddenly from a hot dream and worried that he might have soiled his bed in his night-time musings.
It was kind of embarrassing.
In the car behind them Addy was singing "Boom-chica-bow-wow" in her best cheap porn imitation. The two 'love birds' had disappeared from their view momentarily.
"Give them a break. In today's world you gotta get it where and when you can." Doc glanced at his passenger. "You're not a stranger to that notion."
She frowned at him, but that shut her up. She didn't like being reminded.
10k was able to extract himself from her with a lot of awkward pushing and touching, but by the time they entered the town he was back on alert and scanning the buildings and windows for signs of in-habitation. "You know," he nearly whispered to June, "we should get you a rifle or something. Have you ever shot?"
human
When he moved, she inhaled a little sharply. It wasn't pain his knee pressed into her was causing, it was pretty much the opposite and she didn't know how to deal with it. It took her a moment to process the question, as she stared up at him. "Huh? Oh, n-no. I'm fine." Well that might have been the wrong word, but she wasn't hurt. A short train of thoughts she deemed inappropriate ran through her head, settling on the fact that she really wanted to kiss him in that moment. It was probably a good thing she'd already reached the point where her cheeks literally couldn't get any pinker.
The feeling was almost foreign to her. When it came to the desires natural to a teenager, she'd had pretty much nothing to work with. Memories of heroes from movies and the imagined features of male characters from books she'd read several times because there was nothing else. There had been no chances for the awkward heat of being close to someone, dealing with the inappropriate desire to touch and definitely no chance for something like this.
And that was just thinking about the strong body above her. June was afraid to move at all, because his knee wasright thereand what if heknew?
She let go of his arm because it wasn't doing any good, and shoved his chest gently. Still, when he actually started to get up, June was disappointed. She found a spot a little further away from him once they were both up, needing a moment to compose herself. Part of her wanted to be escaping into the truck, and another wanted almost desperately to be back against him, kissing him hard, feeling the skin he hid under his shirt, his knee back where it had been before....
Letting out a tiny whine of embarrassment and shame at the way her mind was getting away from her, the redhead sunk down in her spot, eyes very pointedly finding everything to look at that wasn't 10k.
She nodded when he said they should get get a gun, only then glancing over at him, and repeated the gesture to answer whether or not she'd used one. Now was a time for quiet, or at least not being louder than the trucks. "I'm... passable? Mostly my dad had the gun because he was the best shot. Not a lot of practice in the apocalypse." Not when bullets were a finite resource. "The closest thing we had for practice was a neighbor's bb-gun." Which was lightly and didn't have recoil comparable to an actual gun, but it was probably better than nothing. But she could shoot. She could probably hit, that just wasn't necessarily enough when it come to zombies. Clipping a human in the shoulder was going to at least slow them down a little, it was a waste of a bullet with a zombie. She'd be fine at close range, but unless it was an emergency, at close range it was better to use something else.
She could do it, she'd just only ever managed while having had time to set up and watch and all that. June had lived in an odd little bubble that had left her with skills that didn't always match up with what was needed in the rest of the world, and she knew it. Thankfully they were still useful.
gpt
He must have done something wrong, because she had pushed him away and gave a little whine when they finally parted. But then she seemed to perk up when he suggested getting her a weapon. He nodded and turned to look at her when she said that she had only had a BB gun. "You know, the whole concept of sight picture and sight alignment is the same with a 50 caliber and a BB gun. It's all about the follow through and technique. Anyone can do it, given the proper instruction."
10k watched the first of the buildings go by without incident. The town seemed quiet enough; the only sounds he could hear was the wind and their vehicles. He made a motion with his hand as if he was getting something out of his shirt, then held his hand in a loose fist palm-down towards her. "Here," he said, gesturing as if he was going to drop something into her hand. Most people would trustingly reach out to cup it, but if she did he would open his hand and slide his fingers into hers, lacing them together so that he could hold her hand.
Even friends held hands and he figured she could use a friend as much as he could. Besides... it was a nice day despite it all, and they were both orphans. There was no harm in banding together.
Behind them in the sedan Doc grinned and tapped his hands against the steering wheel in a drumming motion. "About time, kid. About time."
human
He had kinda been on top of her in the back of a truck, even though she had maybe not wanted him to get off of her, he kinda had to. For safety and because other people were watching. June would have felt bad if she'd thought he was taking it as some kind of rejection. But it had been incredibly surprising and she hadn't been sure of how to respond.
"Really? It seems like it may be a potential waste of bullets, but I'd like to learn, if... you're willing to take the time to teach me." Him specifically, she hoped. "I want to be as useful as possible. Also not die. I'm really into not dying these days," she joked. She wanted to do whatever she could, though. Be as useful as possible, pull her weight, make sure no one regretted her membership in this group. And she didn't want 10k to get hurt protecting her, because it was starting to look like that was a role he was taking up.
She did open her hand, eyes curious, and then looked surprised when he laced their fingers. But the teen didn't protest. She squeezed his hand back and scooted a little closer, leaning lightly against sharpshooter's arm. "That was all sorts of smooth," the redhead commented softly after a moment. Maybe this wasn't the best time to be holding hands, because he might need to shoot something, but the gesture was very much appreciated. She liked it, and she really liked him. She really, really did. For a moment June considered kissing his cheek, but refrained partially because there were people watching them. She didn't want to embarrass herself and she definitely didn't want to embarrass 10k.
Especially because if that happened, this would probably end, and she definitely needed this. June needed all of the time and attention she could get right now. Even more so if it was from him. 10k was so... sweet. To her, at the very least. The attention made her feel special. Or maybe that was the warmth of his hand and his arm through their clothing. At the next stop, she decided. She could just pass it off as a friendly gesture, but... it wasn't. No, this was the planning of a girl with a crush. She'd just thought about how she needed to be in control and ignore this for a while, but hormones were kind of a bitch.
"Are you okay? I kinda cushioned your fall, but you didn't hit your head or anything, right?" She could be concerned, and it was an excuse to reach up with her free hand to touch his head gently, checking to make sure.
His hair was softer than it had right to be.
gpt
He was going to say something to her 'smooth' comment, but all he could manage was to open and close his mouth and blush, smiling shyly. Itwassmooth, wasn't it? But he hadn't thought of it that way when he did it; he just thought it would be a fun way to 'ask' her to hold his hand. It felt good to hold her hand, as if they were in this together no matter what happened.
"Are you okay? I kinda cushioned your fall, but you didn't hit your head or anything, right?"She reached up and brushed a few strands of hair away from his head, making him turn to look at her. She was gentle and kind, and she had been nice to him from the start. There was no harshness in her that had been directed towards him even though 10k knew that beneath her peaceful exterior there had to be a survivor somewhere, someone willing to fight to survive. Right now she was newly orphaned and among strangers. He didn't want to be a stranger to her any longer.
"I'm okay," he affirmed. "Did I hurt you?" His eyes flashed from her face to her torso, then back. "I don't have a lot of cushioning; I've been told that I'm all knees and elbows." He watched her face to see if there was indication she was being false with him, even though his ability to read people's poker faces was pitiful. He squeezed her hand back and then rested his head against the truck cab as they moved through the town.
Signs swung eerily in the soft breeze, but other than their engines there wasn't much to hear. Somehow the wind shifted and the smell of pot wafted up from Doc's truck. The old shrink drew in a deep pull and held it as he passed the joint to Addy. "Kid's growing up," he mentioned, his breath still deep in his chest. Slowly he let it out. "That Z-Weed is good shit."
"Mmm." She took a drag and handed it back. "Sick, but good."
Soon the caravan came to a CVS Pharmacy that seemed mostly intact. A window had been broken and a door was still jammed open, but there didn't seem to be much movement. Roberta pulled her truck to the side and glanced at Juarez. "We could use some medical supplies if they have any."
He arched an eyebrow and looked at the run-down store. "Okay. You're the boss."
In the back of the truck 10k was reluctant to let go of June, but he knew that any scavenger hunt meant he needed to be on point. Roberta wouldn't have stopped unless she saw value in the risk, and even though the town seemed quiet so far that didn't mean that there wasn't inherent risk every time they put their boots on the ground.
human
June wanted to assume the best of people. Unless someone seemed off to her -- and she had a decent radar -- the redhead started out wary but friendly. And then just straight up friendly. 10k had done absolutely nothing to make her question him. He'd protected her, brought her into his group, been emotional support, of course he got nothing but the gentle and kind responses from her. Zombies were easier. She had just stopped thinking of them as people. June had always been used to being there for and killing animals that she'd named and liked, she'd had more attachment to them than most zombies. It was only hard when it was people really important to her.
She'd even gotten used to putting down the zombies of people she knew. It was the natural effect of living closest to a very small town. Obviously it had been different when it was her dad, but there had been a decent number of previously friendly shopkeeps and school friends. The weirdest was when she'd found them three or four years in. Frozen at fourteen while she'd aged.
But she still had a lot to learn about what people were like now.
"You kinda got me with your knee, but it was fine." Or not fine, but for entirely different reasons than he was thinking. "I'm just fine. Well... you didn't hurt me." She wasn't exactly just fine. She'd had a fall yesterday and her parents were dead, but 10k hadn't added to any bruised or aches she had currently.
The cab shifted as the truck slowed, and she frowned a tiny bit. Things were going to move on, and she wasn't ready. Her grip on his hand tightened a little, not wanting him get up quite yet. How was she supposed to say this? June didn't want to say the wrong thing or make 10k uncomfortable. But he'd probably be uncomfortable any way she went about this? She didn't know. "Thank you." She said that so often to him. "And..." And she didn't know what to follow it with. 'Sorry you've had to put up with so much clinginess'? 'Was this where she confessed? It probably was, but words were suddenly really hard. He wasn't so good with words either though, so maybe actions were better anyway.
Not easier, though. Not really. But, thanks to the apocalypse, she was more used to forcing herself to do things that would usually have her frozen. Romance was on the other end of the spectrum from what she was used to making herself do, but if she could get used to the bashing and cutting and stabbing and the reality that there were millions of hungry undead, unendingly stalking for prey, June Phillips could goddamn well kiss the man she liked. Her grip on his hand tightened a little more and then loosened, and she leaned in, rather abruptly kissing him.
She'd never kissed anyone before. At least not like this. Back when she was very young and it was still appropriate with parents, but that was a long time ago. He'd been the last person she'd kissed on the cheek, too. He was the first person other than family she'd done that to. And sleeping together (literally, not how people usually used the word!), that too. It was all firsts with 10k and it felt... right. They were in the middle of potentially hostile territory so it couldn't last long, provided he didn't promptly reject her and flee because she'd made a terrible mistake, anyway.
In the car behind them, Addy reached for wheel like she was going to honk at them as she got out. Doc stopped her with a grin, assuming the woman was joking; actually using the horn was dangerous, after all.
gpt
"Thank you... and..."she leaned in and pressed her lips to his, and for a moment 10k's eyes widened as he tried to figure out what she was doing. The kiss was quick, almost as fast as a slap and just as striking. His eyes were saucers and his lips tingled from something that he wasn't quite sure had happened.
He blinked and then smiled as his cheeks grew warmer. "Uhm... you're welcome?" It was hard to look her in the eyes. For some reason he felt extremely shy around her all of a sudden. Something had changed.
Vasquez tapped on the side of the truck and called out. "Hey! We gotta check out the pharmacy." He indicated himself and 10k. "Let's move fast; the town's quiet but that usually doesn't last."
"Oh." He didn't want to let go of June's hand. 10k looked at her, then back at Vasquez. When he caught a glimpse of Roberta's glare he finally released the hand. "Okay." He didn't know how to react to June's affection, so he gathered up his rifle and pack and slid off the truck bed. He gave her one more glance as he followed their second-in-command, and raised a hand to hip level to wave once before turning away.
Doc saw the way the entire thing panned out, and as the father figure in the group he felt like stepping in and taking away some of the awkwardness. "Hey Junie! Addy and I are gonna scout the cars for good stuff. Want to come with?"
Addy glared at him and whispered "We are?"
He elbowed her and waited for June. Out of the side of his mouth he answered "Yes, now be nice and give the kid a break, okay?"
human
It wasn't quite the kind of acceptance she was looking for. It wasn't a rejection by any means though, June could tell that much. He was still holding her hand, and he waved at her as he walked away. But... there hadn't been the kind of response she wanted, maybe? No real acknowledgement of the gesture she'd just made, and it had taken a lot of courage gathering. But nothing got said, there was no returned gesture that was anything more than what they'd been exchanging before, and she was left to watch him head into the pharmacy, looking a little uncomfortable and a tiny bit disappointed.
Doc speaking to her was a welcome distraction, and the redhead looked up. "Yeah, sure!" Addy's disinterest was sort of obvious, and as was perhaps normal for June, she suggested "maybe you and I could, and Addy could stick around here? It seems like a bad idea to leave Murphy alone..." Addy seemed to consider it, but shook her head. "I'll just stick close." She couldn't take every out June gave her, it'd make her look bad. The redhead nodded and adjusted her bag, carefully drawing the machete that she'd taken off of her father's body. It felt odd in her hand, but it was better than her knife. Bigger, stronger, better reach.
The first few cars were empty, unlocked and clearly abandoned. June found one with a body still inside though, which was promising when it came to supplies. Even more promising when the body turned out to be a... - well not 'living' - zombie, that clawed at the inside of the window and bared it's teeth at her, aged and rotted. The car door was locked, and June sighed and tugged her sleeve over her hand before gripping the blade again.
The sound of glass shattering caught Doc's attention, along with the tell-tale noise that came with a zombie. "Hey, Junie, what--" the window was broken and the zombie was taken out, and the young woman was reaching in to unlock the car door. "It's okay," she chirped, "sorry, I should have warned you. No need to worry 'bout me, scavenging is what I do." A moment passed, and then, "...can you help me get this guy out? I thought I saw something under the seat." The scruffy man nodded and moved to help her drag the body out of the car, laying it down so that June could reach down under the seat, nose wrinkling at the smell. "I can't get it. I'll have to try from the back seat. You wanna check the trunk?" She handed over the keys and Doc popped the trunk, surprise crossing his face and letting out a "found something" at about the same time that June went "hey hey!" and produced a can of orange soda. It would be long flat, but it was still a treat. Doc grinned, and held up a recurve bow, his find trumping hers. "Look at this! There's a case in here with arrows, too. You think 10k knows how to use one of these?"
"I do. I mean... I know how to use it." Closing the door, she walked to where he was, taking the bow from his hands before he could protest. "I learned as a kid. I tried to start an archery club, but it was hard to organize after school activities in a tiny farming town. It's... been a while, but I think I can still do it." Taking the case in a continuation of her slightly surprising bout of confidence, she smiled at Doc. "We should keep looking for more stuff." Without 10k there, that awkwardness of the teenage crush was gone, and she could focus a little better on what she was doing. Finding supplies was something she was good at, and she felt comfortable with it.
Meanwhile, in the dark store, Vasquez moved with an almost suspicious stealth, feet silent on the dirty floor. He didn'thearanything, and he didn'tseeanything, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. He did feel confident in the lack of danger enough to speak softly, to inform 10k, "you might have messed that up." He didn't have to specify to really indicate what it was. "Unless you intended to leave her hanging and unsure." There was no judgement in his tone. Whatever the kids wanted to do was none of his business and he didn't care, as long as it didn't get in the way of the mission.
gpt
He had no idea what the kiss meant. Was that something that public school kids did ? It had been a while since he'd felt the chasm that sometime separated him from the 'other, more normal' kids, and as he followed Vasquez he lifted two fingers to his lips to touch them, as if that would somehow help him to understand June's gesture. Was she just being nice to him or did this mean that she 'liked' liked him? He felt awkward and gangly, and as he peered across the sun-bleached scenery his squinting was just as much a sign of his confusion as it was of the bright day.
The pharmacy was small one, probably still run by a family and not some chain. One door had been smashed in long ago, evidence of people's attempt to survive in the crazy after-ness of the Z plague. The glass crunched under their boots as the two walked into the darkness. There were empty containers on the floor and a desiccated body that had been given mercy long enough for the flesh to dry and stretch tightly across the bones. There was surprisingly little left, but Vasquez wanted them to look for anything that might be helpful. He came across a box of Tampax and shoved it and a bottle of peroxide into a small duffle bag. As he mentioned to 10k that the kid might have messed it up with June he continued to scan for more supplies.
10k swallowed but his throat was dry. It hurt. "I... I don't know how I'm supposed to..." He paused and rummaged through a shelf until he found some baby wipes. Those went in Vasquez's bag too. "That's the first..."
The ex-DEA agent stopped and narrowed his eyes at the sharpshooter. "What? The first?" He grinned. "Are you saying she was your first kiss? Just now?"
He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. The redness under his eyes probably said it all.
Vasquez shook his head and stepped nearer. "That girl likes you. A lot. She just lost her family and she's surviving with a bunch of people who are practically strangers to her. She LIKEs you, 10k. She needs to know if you like her back. Don't go fucking with her if you don't feel something. It's not fair to her and it makes you a fucking bastard if you do."
"I do like her." He pressed his lips together. "I just don't know what to do."
"Shit." He grinned for the first time that day. "You're such a noob. Let's finish up. I'll give you a few pointers." They went through the other isles as carefully as the first, taking anything, even cotton balls and eye drops, that they could find. With the group's ingenuity there wasn't a lot of things that would go to waste. In addition to pharmaceuticals they found a few cans of food and a couple of water bottles and soda cans that had rolled under the shelves. All in all it was a good find.
As they exited the back of the pharmacy they heard the glass breaking on the car. 10k flinched, then glanced back towards the direction they had left the truck. "Don't worry about them; we have a few more stores to check out. Besides, Roberta is with them." He nodded to their right, and soon they were checking through the other few stores in the little town.
Roberta trotted up to the little group as they gleaned through the cars. "Hey, what was that sound?" She saw the glass and the bow in June's hand.
"Found her a bow," Doc said as if that excused the noise.
"Yeah but you know that Zs are drawn by sound." She put her hands on her hips, her expression disapproving as far as the noise went, but discerning the girl and her weapon. "You know how to use that?"
As if on cue, two Zs shambled around the corner of the corner gas station and began to move towards them. "Let's see how you do." She raised her rifle. "I won't shoot unless you need me to."
human
"Sorry." Oh no. Was she in trouble? "I just... the car was locked. Locked cars with zombies inside them haven't been looted, which means the chance of supplies is a lot higher." Had it been anybody else but Roberta, June probably would have managed to keep up her confidence. But Roberta was their leader, and if she was talking to her, it probably meant she'd done something wrong. "You wouldn't need to shoot anyway," she pointed out, and then her eyes dropped down to the pavement like she was afraid she was about to get chided. "I mean it's two... that's a waste of bullets, right? If I miss, I'll... I'll go handle it myself. Won't be a problem." Zombies weren't that bad when they weren't her parents. Especially if she could see them ahead of time.
Shifting her weight and avoiding the gaze of everyone who was there, she opened the box and took out arrows. It was strange to have to hold one while setting up the other, but she didn't want to set it down and have to bend over to pick it up, that would waste too much time. She had strung the bow back up as soon as she got it, and now could just focus on this. Muscles, remembering the movements but no longer used to it, protested a tiny bit as she drew it back. She took aim and let loose, reminding herself that if she thought too much, she'd second guess herself. The arrow flew, very much in the direction she wanted it to, and buried itself in one zombie's forehead, above the eye. June was a little bit slower than she wanted to be with aiming up the next one, but she was also more nervous now. If she'd been any more to the left, it wouldn't have taken it down. And if she didn't do this, what was she going to be good for? The second zombie was still stumbling in their direction and she took her time, lining up and letting go. That arrow did what it was supposed to as well, and she lowered her bow after the zombie hit the ground.
The redhead shot Roberta what seemed like a triumphant look, almost challenging her to say something negative about it. "I'll be faster when I've had more practice. Haven't used one since before the apocalypse. And I can make my own arrows, it's silent, and I like it. And I... I can reuse the arrows, I should go get those ones if they're not broken." She was wilting again, having realized she'd maybe been out of place with that look, and scampered off to get the arrows.
She jogged back, arrows in her hand, once she'd pried them out of the skulls. "If... if it's okay, I thought maybe I could find a sports store, look for a quiver? Or a fabric store, so I can make my own. I can go with 10k when he and Vasquez come back..." she shifted a little uncomfortably. "Let him know when they come out of the store," Roberta said after a long pause, where June just stared awkwardly at the cement. The words made her perk up though, and she nodded and moved to go wait for the two men to emerge so she could take 10k off to find the things she hoped she could use.
And to talk things out, because she needed to know where they stood. Gripping the bow in her hands, she wondered if 10k liked orange soda.
"Resilient kid," Doc commented softly to Roberta. "When she said she could use it, I didn't expect that." He also hadn't expected the determined way she'd handled the car zombie, either. June was doing well for so soon after her large losses, and she seemed to be more capable than perhaps the group had given her credit for. She had skill when she wasn't just tucked away under 10k's arm, hiding from everything.
gpt
They found enough to make the stop worthwhile, but Vasquez's smirks at 10k's expense were not helping the sharpshooter feel any more comfortable with the situation with June. It was quite possible that she was just a huggy, kissy person, and that her quick peck in the truck really didn't 'mean' anything... but it was also possible that it meant everything. He'd seen Cassandra die to him when she was changed and he had seen a few others he was interested in either die or leave; it was frightening to think of June in the same group of women. What if she died or left? What if he was destined to have anyone he favored leave him one way or the other?
When the men emerged from the last shop Vasquez elbowed him. "There she is. Find an excuse to say something nice to her." He hefted the pack over one shoulder. "I'm going to go talk to Roberta." He gave one last smirk before walking away, but his attempt to mask any emotions on his face wound up looking more like he was scowling at her than just walking by.
10k blinked several times at the prospect at being left 'alone' with June again. He managed a nervous smile as his eyes darted over her and took note of her bow. "Wow... that's pretty cool. Can you use it?" He'd handled a few but he was partial to firearms; still - it looked good on her and it could be a useful tool. "You look relaxed with that bow in your hands." He paused as they came face-to-face. "So uhm... hi."
human
Oh, Vasquez was scowling at her again. June glanced at him and then away, almost looking apologetic. There was no reason for her to be apologetic, but she felt like she should be. Why else would he be scowling at her, right? He must have thought she'd done something wrong or she wasn't pulling her weight.
When 10k approached her, the redhead's face lit up. It was predictable at this point, it always happened. Seeing him after they had separated just made everything better. Things were a tiny bit more okay when he was there. Still, things were awkward. What was going on between them? He still hadn't... said anything. Or done anything, was she just supposed to pretend she hadn't kissed him? She could do that, sort of. June could try her best. "Doc found it! And yeah, I can. I'm still a little bit slow," same thing she'd told Roberta, "but I'll get back to being better."
He said she looked relaxed, and her cheeks heat up a little bit. "I... no. Not because of the bow. Well, maybe a little." She always felt better when he was there, but she wasn't sure she should say it. If he was ignoring the whole thing that had happened, saying that wouldn't help. "Hi." What was she supposed to say? She couldn't demand some kind of talk, but June felt stuck, unable to just move on to the next topic, that was asking him to go check out a few stores with her.
So she just stared at him for a few seconds, blue eyes searching his for some kind of answer to the question bubbling up inside her chest. Then she glanced down at her bag, reaching inside to produce the slightly dirty, bright orange can. "Do you... like orange soda? I found it searching a car and since we have water it was okay to take for myself, and I thought maybe you'd want it." She'd initially thought they could share it, but now June was questioning everything that came to mind.
gpt
She was sopretty. It almost hurt to look at her.
And she was looking athim, which made him acutely aware of how dirty and smudged he must have looked to her. He swallowed twice and shifted the weight on his feet. What was he supposed to do or say? Vasquez had already left, so it was just him and June... but he never felt so 'on the spot' as he did at that moment.
"Soda?" He smiled incredulously at her. "I like soda. Grape's my favorite, and then root beer, but I like orange too." He took the soda can in his fingers. They stuck out of the ends of his gloves, and it seemed like he was always wearing his gloves now. "Is this the only one?" He glanced at her and wanted to feel her lips again, even if it was only on his cheek. The feeling of her quick, cool peck on his skin followed him still. "Do you... Do you want to share it with me? I don't mind if you have the first drink." He used the edge of his scarf to wipe off the top and the rim.
"It's actually nice... uhm... to have someone to share things with." He paused and looked at her as he held out the still-sealed can. "I'm really glad that you're with us."
He felt a wave of shyness coming over him. He glanced at the ground and then back up at her again. Was it too soon to say anything to her? But what if he didn't... and she died? Or he died? She'd never know. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to speak.
His voice wouldn't work.
10k swallowed again. "I... I really li-" he had to swallowed again. "Like. You. I...uhm..." He felt the back of his neck grow tingly. God -was he going to faint?He took a few deep breaths to clear the sparkly images from his eyes. "I think I need to sit down." He let the air out of his pursed lips and put a hand out on the wall to steady himself.
human
10k wore dirt well. Which was an odd thing to think, but it was four years into the apocalypse, dirt was basically the number one accessory these days. He just looked like a survivor. June... wasn't sure she always did.
She smiled in slight relief when he said he liked soda. "Well I'll keep an eye out for grape and root beer, but stores don't restock like they used to so I can't make any promises. The was the only one I found." Things were a little easier if she could crack jokes. "Yes," June said a tiny bit hesitantly. "I'd like that." He wiped off the top and she reached for it, fingers touching his for a moment and sending a tiny tingle through her hand. "I..." It was hard to say it. Because she was glad she was with them, but she wouldn't have been with them if her parents weren't dead, but she wasn't glad aboutthat. It still hurt. "I'm glad too." If she was going to be with anyone since her parents weren't an option, this was best. But it was still confusing to feel happy with him after her parents had died. It was just that she was happy with them, and she was glad she was with them.
It was all very confusing.
He was saying he liked her? Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced at him and then away, but back at 10k sharply when he said he needed to sit down. "Oh my god, are you okay? Do you need water?" It was the most likely thing. In an instant, all her shyness, all the anxiety about what was up with them was gone. She was at his side as quickly as she could, hand on his arm, eyes concerned. Soda wasn't the best option if he was dehydrated, he should get some water since they had it. Still, she offered him the orange can again, because it was what she had on hand. She desperate wished it was cold, though.
"When you're done hopefully not passing out, I'd... like to... kiss you again?" Okay, she'd managed to say it, hopefully she hadn't misinterpreted his 'I like you' as something else. Maybe he'd been going to say 'I really like you but not like that', and now things would be even more awkward. Shoot. Then she'd have to figure out how to fix things, and June wasn't even sure how she'd solve that sort of thing. Apologies and then giving him space? The idea of giving him too space made her heart hurt a little. But keeping the friendship was going to be the most important thing here.
gpt
He could have sworn she was going to say "Oh my god, are you out of your mind?" But she didn't. She didn't slap him, or rebuke him, or shove him down and run away. She didn't do any of those things. In fact, she seemed worried about him. She shoved the can of orange soda back at him and seemed to urge him to take a breath.
"When you're done hopefully not passing out, I'd... like to... kiss you again?"
10k was certain he had misheard her. First, she didn't get mad at him and tell him that he had it all wrong. She didn't tell him any of the terrible things that flashed through his mind. And now it sounded like she was asking him to kiss her again.
The soda was forgotten. He stepped closer to her and put a hand on her cheek. The other hand still held the unopened soda. Tentatively he leaned nearer to her, his eyes watching hers for signs of rejection, and when he didn't see anything that would indicate that she had changed her mind, he closed the space between them and kissed her, his eyes closing slightly. At first it was a soft brush, but the warm, soft feel of her lips pulled him in and he grew bold enough to press his lips more firmly on hers.
He knew that there was supposed to be more to it. The first tingle that shot through him nearly paralyzed his mind and he almost didn't do anything more, but then he moved his lips slightly and found that the sensation grew even more pleasurable. How could anything feel better than this kiss?
human
The idea that he might be worried she'd reject him would kind of blow June's mind a little bit. She'd kissed him earlier, after all. But she had no idea that he'd even managed to second guess that gesture from her earlier. How, though? That would be something she'd have to ask him if she ever knew how concerned he'd been. 10k didn't seem to be sick or in danger of passing out or anything, at least not that she could tell, so she relaxed a little bit.
Then he put his hand on her cheek, and the redhead tensed back up again, but for different reasons. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her cheeks were so hot it the warmth was practically in her veins. Was this what it was supposed to be like? This warm anxiety? She... she liked it. June wasn't sure if she was supposed to be liking this part, but she was. And then he kissed her. It was perfect. Well, maybe except for the apocalypse thing, but she wasn't thinking about that at all.
She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she still had the bow in her hand. So the one that she had free curled into the fabric of his shirt, trying to keep him close, at least for the moment. He was kissing her a little bit more firmly and she returned it in kind, sort of throwing caution to the wind. It was probably important to pay attention to their surroundings, but the others were nearby and it was really hard to focus on anything except the feeling of his lips on hers, and his hand on her cheek.
It couldn't last as long as she wanted. But June was thinking a sort of 'forever' kind of thing right now. If she wasn't kissing him she wanted to be curled up in his arms, but now really wasn't the time. There were things to do. She needed a quiver, maybe they'd be able to find good things, and... none of it really matched up to what was happening now. Very reluctantly she pulled away, looking like she wanted to kiss him again. And she did, very much. "Can I pretend that was my first kiss instead of earlier? It feels like it should count more anyway." It was more of a proper kiss. Leaning in, she gave him a very quick peck.
"Sorry, I've just discovered I really like doing that." She wasn't really sorry at all.
gpt
He smiled at her as she explained the kiss. "I like it too... actually... you're the only person I've ever kissed." It seemed so odd to speak frankly about what they liked and what they were doing, but in the age they lived in, you couldn't afford to waste time.
Vasquez waved at them, apparently impatient for the two to get on with it.
"I guess we need to finish scouting." He touched her hand tentatively as if unsure if it was okay or not to touch her, even after their kiss. Were they friends? More than friends? Did she like him or did she 'like' him? It was kind of confusing. He walked with her and tried not to bump into her too much.
She might not like being bumped into.
He liked bumping into her, though... He liked being near her. He walked with her as they went to find the other things she was looking for, and when they found the door to a coffee shop unlocked he cleared the room before letting her in. The last thing he wanted was for her to be killed now that they had this 'thing' working out between them! He wanted to see where it might lead.
human
"What? Really?" June felt like she should be surprised because he was so handsome and nice, but having spent all that time with him, she was kinda getting that he was also a little awkward and shy. Which worked out okay with her, because she had been very willing to just keep showing up to get him to talk to her if she'd had to. But she didn't mention that part, she chose to just go with "you're handsome and so kind, I have a hard time believing that." Actually, maybe he just... didn't notice when girls were signalling at him? That was possible
His second guessing might move from adorable to exasperating if she knew about it. Well, could something be exasperating and cute? Probably. When his hand touched hers, the redhead smiled at him and then laced her fingers through his, though it was brief because she realized that she should probably drop the bow off with the group. Without a quiver she could only carry so many arrows, and inside shops the bow was unwieldy and large. Her machete was better for that sort of thing. Doc was made to promise that he'd take good care of the long ranged weapon and the case of arrows.
Before they got to the store she thought would have a quiver, June spotted a coffee shop. It didn't take much to convince 10k to make the stop, and she was pretty sure he would have stopped for her even if it hadn't been for the hope of finding salt, sugar, or something else they could use to flavor food. He was pretty insistent that he go in first, and though she protested, she ended up accepting that. The redhead kept watch until 10k said it was safe to go in. Quietly she stepped in once he'd cleared it out, and closed the door behind her.
"I could have helped," she informed him softly. Had he not wanted her to because he didn't believe she was capable, or because he was being protective? That seemed like something she should figure out. "Coffee shops are a good first date," she quipped, and then smiled at him warmly. "Even if it's the apocalypse. I mean, if we can call this a date. I think we should, unless something goes really wrong. In which case we'll cancel that and try again." June hoped this could be a date. It was probably hard to have a date without zombies these days, but the rest could be good, right?
gpt
A coffee shop. A coffee shop was their first date, and 10k didn't have the heart to tell her he'd never gone to a Starbucks back when they were still a thing. He and his dad had been, well... they'd been kind of like survivalists. Dad didn't like cities; he believed in living off the grid. He didn't trust the government. He didn't trust the Apple Company or Big Business or any of those things that made the modern world modern.
"Sure," he said, when she asked about making this their 'first date'. "It's better than most, right?" He fingered a stack of musty napkins and traced the green logo. "Frappachino.... were those good?" The old ad showed a light, icy drink topped with whipped cream. He said the word 'frappachino' like 'El Camino', the accent going on the 'chi' in the word. He liked the way it felt coming out of his mouth. "I wonder if anyone who drank here knew that it was going to be their last coffee."
He walked around, touching the foreign barista machines and trying not to sniff at the rotten milk and other ingredients in the shop. He found an unopened carton of milk and shook it experimentally. The 'schloop, schloop' that came from it made him wince before he put it down. Nothing in the world would convince him to give that carton of glop a try.
"I know that you could have helped," he finally said in answer to her earlier assertion. "I was just worried... I didn't want to risk losing you so soon, you know?" He glanced up at her, the long bangs brushing the tops of his eyes. "Sometimes it feels like I lose people right after I start to care about them."
human
June turned a little pink and looked pleased when he agreed. It was a small thing, but it made her really happy. "Probably. Most people probably don't even think about that, but I'm a romantic. And this is," she made a sweeping gesture with her arm, bumped something, and knocked up a cloud of dust that made her sneeze, "well okay not exactly that. Oh it's making my nose tingle, ick."
Moving away from the shelf, she squinted at the faded sign when he asked. "I dunno. I didn't ever get anything but hot chocolate at Starbucks. It wasn't exactly something we drove by every day. It was a treat when we were in town or on vacation. I wasn't allowed to drink coffee back then." She glanced over at him when he wondered aloud, and wrinkled her nose. "Depressing." The teen pronounced it more like 'duh-press-ing', no longer really able to find thoughts like that all that depressing. Everyone had a last something, and they rarely knew it was going to be their last.
"I was thinking if we're lucky, we might be able to find some kind of seasoning. Sugar, salt, some kind of non-dairy creamer that didn't need to be kept cold, an old container of sprinkles, maybe a tea bag. I don't dare hope for coffee, but anything that will make food or river water taste a tiny bit better." Everybody knew better than to expect it, but a little went a long way and could definitely make the others happier. At least, she hoped. Breakfast had gone over pretty well (except for Murphy) and she couldn't recreate that but she could try to find some sugar or salt.
June stared at him for a moment, unsure of how exactly to respond to that. "Oh," she said finally. "That makes sense. But... then I get all stressed out because you keep being there to protect me and that's the kind of thing that gets people killed and it's really important to me to keep you safe too. Which isn't going to happen if you decide you're just going to handle everything to protect me or something." She could stab zombies and break car windows and she had a bow now, things were going to be okay.
gpt
He pursed his lips as he considered what she was saying. "So.... you.... you want me to stop protecting you?" He wasn't sure how to feel about that. On one hand, she had a right to decide what kind of life she led, and if she wanted to deal with her own threats, he had no right to tell her 'no'. On the other hand, he was reluctant to lose her.
Of course, there were no guarantees in life. None.
"Okay." He nodded. He'd decided. "I can do that." He was busying himself by looking through cabinets and he found a box of unopened instant coffee and some raw sugar packets in one of them. He handed these to June and kept looking for more spoils, his mind intent on accepting what she wanted, and needing to be occupied with something else in the meantime.
10k continued to search silently, his jaw twitching slightly as he opened drawers and looked for anything that might have served June's needs. In his mind she was now their main cook - her cattail flour and zucchini was akin to gourmet food now that the 'stuff' had hit the fan.
human
It was really easy to get distracted just watching him. Not even 10k doing anything in particular. Just being there. Breathing, living, with his dark hair and his beautiful eyes. But she couldn't get distracted by that, not when there was an important-ish conversation to be had.
"I..." June hesitated, because she felt like it wasn't as simple an answer as she had first started out with. "No. I feel safe and happy and I like knowing that there's someone to handle things that are scary and dangerous. It makes it easier to sleep at night, and easier to pretend things are fine. But I know the answer has to be yes, because it's not fair to you. My life is different than it used to be, and I can't be holding you down, putting you in worse situations. It's not going to end well." He'd die or he'd start to resent her. "I have to learn how to survive like you do." He didn't need to back off completely, she just wanted to know that she could handle it, and everyone knew she could handle it. "I don't... want to be standing on the other side of a closed door if you die." That thought was actually depressing, so she pushed it aside with "it might be a waste of bullets to teach me much with the guns right now, but you have all sorts of other skills and I want to learn."
He handed her the sugar and coffee, and she made a tiny excited noise, the air lifting suddenly like a sigh had gone through the room. "Oh! This is an amazing find! I never started liking coffee but I bet the others do, they're going to love this. Do you like coffee?" Tucking the spoils into her bag she looked at 10k for a moment before moving towards the back.
"Oh god, there's a bunch of spoiled milk back here." The fridge had been left open, some containers open or spilled. She retreated just as fast as she'd entered the store room, looking a tiny bit pale. "That is one of the worst things I've ever smelled and this is the apocalypse." It hadn't been as bad as it could have been, but she was not enjoying it at all. "Can I... borrow your scarf? I'm hoping the positive of the fact it smells like you will counteract the negative that is four year spoiled milk spilled and in containers."
Also she thought that was a fine tiny bit of flirting. "Or you can go in because if you going in to places like that is part of protecting me, I might take back what I said." But her hand was still extended for the scarf, so it didn't seem like she meant it.
gpt
Did helikecoffee? He pressed his lips into a thin line. If he said 'yes', she might try to seek out coffee for him like she did the soda. If he said 'no', he'd never get it again. It was a conundrum, and this was their first 'date'. Were girls always this confusing? As that question bounced in his head he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, anxious to be out of the stifling shop and back where the slight breezes could waft away the scent of stale rot.
"I drink it sometimes," he finally answered, leaving the 'like' part unanswered. "I know some of the others do too." She seemed really excited and proud of the find, though, so he was glad to have been able to help. Though truth be told, he'd much rather have found some usable ammo for one of their guns. You couldn't throw a sugar packet at a Z and expect it to do much.
He was already handing her his scarf when she said that it would smell like him. That thought made him withdraw his hand slightly.Smelled like him? He stank! Why would she want to smell him?He felt awkward and conflicted now. Surely he didn't smell any better than the rotted milk. It had been a while since any of them had bathed, and they didn't always have time to worry about hygiene. He didn't smell as badly as Murphy, surely, but it wasn't like he smelledgood. He didn't even like the way he smelled.
"I, uhm... you can clear it if you want, but my scarf's not going to help," he said, withdrawing his hand. "You might be better off just... holding your breath." He hadn't taken the scarf away completely but he had pulled back enough that it wasn't a full-on proffered item either. "What exactly are you looking for in there? More spices?" His foot crunched on something and he looked down to see that he had stepped on the mostly decomposed body of someone's dog. At least, it might have been a dog. It had a collar but it was small, cat-sized, and it was so badly dried it looked like old road kill that had been drying in the desert all summer.
It wasn't very appetizing at all. He grimaced, more affected by the dead dog than if it had been a person, and then followed her towards the back. The sooner they were out of this place the better.
human
June wasn't going to seek things out just for him, at least not in any obsessive way. But it was nice to know what people liked so when she was scavenging, so she could keep an eye out. If someone liked or needed it, an ordinary thing became a treasure. She wanted to find those things. Right now she didn't have a role. She could be the one who made good food happen until she was strong enough and had proved herself with the bow. That was a role that was important. If she couldn't be that, she was just 10k's girlfriend. And only if he thought of her like that. She didn't know, but she hoped.
"That is a non-answer," the redhead informed him promptly, "but okay." Worked for her. Maybe he meant it as that he didn't really care, it was just a thing to drink if available to distract from the not always enjoyable water. "Everyone else was probably drinking it pre-apocalypse." She hesitated a moment and then said "I wonder if it's harder for them. And I guess you, I think you're older than me. I only had fourteen years of peace, and almost a quarter of that has passed by in time already. If I'm... if I live long enough, I'll have more time in the apocalypse than not." She has been going to say 'if I'm lucky', but she didn't know if living that long was or not. "Objectively, I have a lot less experiences and memories. It's just... something I wonder about." Hopefully 10k didn't mind that kind of talk. She'd never had someone to ponder that sort of thing with.
He definitely wasn't the nicest thing she'd ever smelled, but there was a sort of positive based on the fact it was his. That was a less than appealing smell she knew and it was connected to someone she really liked. Perhaps it was like people who found the smell of cigarettes comforting because it reminded them of someone they knew and cared about. And it was going to be better than spoilt milk. "Maybe I just liked getting to wear it," she had to admit after a moment. Because it was his.
When he asked why she wanted to check, June had to stop and really think about it. "I... I guess there's not really a ton of reason to. I thought there was a better chance of finding something because it was terrible back there, but it's just Starbucks. I shouldn't get too optimistic. It's probably not worth the smell, huh? Probably just cinnamon or something. I just... I want to find something good." Overly optimistic was what she was. Just assuming there would be good things. She hadn't had the same negative experiences as the rest of the group. Hadn't felt the same hunger yet. "Should we head on out?" She felt a tiny bit disappointed. No big find, nothing special, it was all bad smells and slightly awkward talking. And had she offended him telling him she didn't want to be protected?
Why was this sohard?
gpt
He thought about her answer for a moment, then nodded, his shaggy hair moving with a life of its own. "It makes sense. I mean... if you check it and there's nothing then you lost nothing, but if there is something, then... it's good." He shrugged and looked at her, his lips curving up into a small smile. "It's smart." He adjusted the rifle strap on his shoulder. "You're smart."
He nodded again at her suggestion to head out. The sun was bright out there and he held a hand over his brow to shade his eyes as he squinted down the street. "Hey - there's a sporting goods store," he indicated a shop about four doors down and across an intersection. "Want to check it out?"
Back at the trucks the others were filling water tanks and making sure that the vehicles had oil. It seemed as if they had at least a moment of peace. The shop's door was closed but it wasn't locked. Once he turned the handle and it opened he looked at June. "Want to go first?" If she wanted to clear the shop first he wasn't going to say 'no'. Part of caring about someone was respecting their choices, even if they scared you.
human
She wanted to touch his hair. Just run her fingers through it, and probably kiss him a few more times. At the very least, just spent some more time curled up against him. Which June was going to be able to do whenever things seemed safe enough! She smiled and looked flattered when he called her smart. "Thanks. I'm still not sure if it's smarts or optimism, but it's gonna work until it kills me." Remembering that they had just had a discussion about his concerns over that, June added "which is hopefully not for a long time, I'm pretty happy right now," a little hastily, but with a pretty obvious sincerity. It seemed like a good idea to just keep letting 10k know how happy she was to get this shot at a relationship, and how much she adored him. And how jealous she was of his cheekbones.
He didn't seem used to being adored, she was going to fix that.
"Good eye! Yeah, that's the place. Maybe you can scrounge under shelves in the gun section and find a bullet or two if we're super lucky? I'm feeling lucky. Or happy. But it's lucky to be happy these days." She smiled at him, and then moved down the street towards the sporting goods store, stopping at the door. It was hard to see all the way inside, so the fact that she didn't see movement didn't mean anything. He asked if she wanted to go first and June hesitated, grip tightening on her father's -- no, her -- machete. "No," she said honestly. "But it's my errand and you went into Starbucks first, so I should. Plus I trust you not to hit me if you have to use the gun, and that means it's probably really useful to have you go in second." A pause and then she glanced back at him, "right? You're probably the tactics person more than me."
Stepping inside, the redhead strained to hear anything. She did. There was a soft noise coming from the back, and she couldn't tell quite what it was going to be yet. Maybe a raccoon that had gotten in somehow, maybe more than one zombie. Gesturing silently, she moved to go investigate. June trusted 10k to have her back, and it helped with the anxious tingles that moved up her spine, making her feel so exposed. Because she wasn't, she had him.
And then there was the zombie. He had probably been decent looking once, but half his face had slid a little as skin started rotting, and he lurched towards her slowly. He had a nametag, but it was faded to the point that June had no way of telling whether he had worked at this store or not. Given how long it had been, she sort of assumed not. He had probably kept it because it helped him feel normal, or in case of... of this. So someone would know. It saw her, snarled, and stumbled towards her. Slow, thank god. The bow was back with Doc because it wasn't going to be great use in the small space and she couldn't transport arrow, so all she had was a the blade. Not a problem, one wasn't so hard. When the zombie hit the floor, no blood dripping from where the blade had made impact, she took a moment to murmur her words of Mercy. Four years in and she still said it every time she could.
"He doesn't know what aisle a quiver would be in."
gpt
For a little thing she was certainly brave. And she was giddy. Brave, happy, giddy, and by her own admission, lucky, and 10k couldn't understand her sudden burst in life and optimism. Surely he had nothing to do with it. He was just.. well, possibly just the only guy her age and if she happened to have gone to school with him she wouldn't even consider asking him to a dance, would she? Didn't public schooled kids do that?
Or did. They did that kind of thing, right?
He gave her a nod when she told him to follow her, and he lowered the rifle barrel to a relaxed ready position. There was no reason to accidentally muzzle her when she went in first. It was distracting, though, to see the way her auburn-flame hair curled at her neck, and to see the soft throb of that vein on the side of her neck. It was like a beacon; I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive...
and then they both heard the movement in the back of the shop. The zombie was atrocious; maybe it was because it mimicked normalcy so closely, with the faded name tag and the almost-handsome face, but but 10k found himself wanting to move forward and protect June from the thing. But June had asked him specifically not to, so... He clenched his teeth. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.
He had to restrain himself as she went in and gave the Z mercy. She was stoic; he could almost swear that she was gritting her teeth. Once it was done and she turned to him he had to replay what she said in his head to understand it.
Slowly a smile spread across his face, then he chuckled. It was so absurd! "You.." he drew in a breath, and it shuddered with relief that she was okay. "You... you're pretty cool. Yeah, he doesn't know which isle that would be." 10k nodded and glanced around, thankful that it seemed as if customer service would be at a minimum today.
He followed her through the store, picking up a few things along the way; signal mirror, hand warming packs, a couple of glow sticks that survived, some fish hooks and line... eventually they got to the place that had once housed pellet guns, archery and knives. It looked like people had cleared out the supplies long ago, but a few things remained. 10k found a yellow pack of six JuicyFruit sticks of gum. He unwrapped the end and offered one to June before popping the other in his mouth. "Mmm... that's good. My dad never let me have gum." He chewed happily, like a puppy with a new toy, and kept following her while they searched for her treasures.
human
Just because it looked like a person didn't mean it was a person. Even if the person was there still, they weren't in control, they deserved freedom. Them or us.A dozen different little things still ran through June's head when she had to kill a zombie, and then her brain just sort of... shut off. Disconnected, like she did when they killed chickens. If asked to describe a detail on the zombie's face, the redhead probably wouldn't have been able to. If she focused on that, she wasn't sure, even after all this time, she'd be completely comfortable doing it. It had taken so long to get there, so long to adapt to this at all. More than one panic attack, and an inappropriate amount of crying over people she either didn't know or barely knew. The dead could get nothing from her anymore, June couldn't afford it. She was realizing that even more now.
10k though, he was alive. And he got warmth from her. A bright smile when he chuckled, and she took a moment to push a few strands of red hair back behind her ear. "You're cooler." She appreciated the compliments. "And you don't even have to think of quippy things to say." He was just cool. Or she thought he was. Less in the way she'd thought when she'd first approached him, but the fact that he was actually adorable and sweet was really, really nice. She felt so comfortable with him. June was still figuring out how to read him, but she'd get it, at least a little more.
"Oh, gum! Yes, please." She took a piece and tore it in half carefully, pocketing the still wrapped half she wasn't going to chew, to make it last longer. Now her mouth wasn't going to taste like apocalypse. "See? Lucky day." She looked a little bit surprised that he'd never used to get gum, and tilted her head before moving to look for a quiver. "Why?"
There wasn't any sign of a bracer, but she thought maybe if she could find a shin guard, she could make that work. Not that she even really needed one, but getting hit by the bowstringhurt. The bruises could get nasty, too.
"Ah!" She found what she was looking for, and moved quickly to grab it off the floor. "Oh. It's..." the strap was ripped and it looked like someone might have just torn part of it off to use to fix their own. Probably because theirs was larger or they liked it. "I... can make this work," she said after a moment. "I don't know if I can still secure it to my back properly, but... maybe my hip until I find another one." Attach it to her belt and her leg to keep it from flopping about.
gpt
He watched her figure out what she was going to do with the quiver. She seemed so happy about the discovery; he didn't want to say anything that might take away that joy. "Yeah, your hip would work. There might be all kinds of straps and stuff around here," he said, glancing around at their surroundings but finding nothing. He pressed his lips together; they'd gone down every isle in the store. At least they found something that would work, and he figured that it was better than nothing.
Heck, it gave them some time alone. That was pretty good too.
He walked back out into the sunlight with June, squinting at the glare. He shielded his eyes as they strolled across the debris-ridden street but all that seemed to accomplish was to keep one hand over his eyes instead of on his rifle. Thankfully it seemed peaceful. Old newspapers, empty cans, and various other bits of garbage had accumulated in the gutters. Weeds had begun to push their way through every crack where water and soil had provided a temporary shelter for seeds, and cobwebs stretched from the signs to the buildings like sad, tattered banners. It might have been a quaint small town at one time but now it was just a place where people used to live.
Vasquez was strolling down the middle of the street, and when he saw the two of them he gestured in a 'let's go' wave of his arm. Once he got within talking distance he nodded. "We gotta go; Roberta wants to make the next stop before it gets too dark. You guys are making Murphy speculate on what's taking you too long, and that's something nobody needs to hear."
human
"I have a needle and thread, I think I can move what's left on this around until it works." Didn't need scissors, she had a knife. "I could probably even use a belt if I can find one, but for now this'll work. I mean, it has to." June would stubbornly make it happen. "I've never used a hip quiver before, but as long as I'm not spilling arrows, it's functional." That would be sort of a mess, after all. And arrows weren't great for just using as handheld weapons.
She had really enjoyed just having a little bit of time with 10k. He was great, and it was nice to have a moment to breathe and spend it with him alone. Not like they'd done anything thatrequiredbeing alone, but it was still nice.
Oh, the sun was bright. "I gotta find some sunglasses. That... aren't on a zombie, because I'm picky." And if you took glasses off of a zombie it might like, come with some of their skin with it. Which was super gross and probably not safe. "Or a hat, maybe." A hat would be useful as they moved towards fall and winter, anyway. The cold kinda sucked. But she had someone to cuddle up with now.
She looked at Vasquez and then moved obediently towards the group, pausing for a moment to pipe up, "poor guy, he's so lonely." June didn't sound sorry for Murphy at all. As they neared the group, Doc waved to them and moved towards the pair. "Hey kid," he was addressing 10k almost entirely, and June seemed to realize that because she moved away, gathering up her supplies and busying herself with adjusting her bow and loading arrows into the quiver, trying to figure out how she was going to properly attach it.
Back with 10k, Doc gave him a grin. "We gotta find a time to talk. Either during the next leg of the trip or tonight. I'm bettin' you didn't get all the talks you need to navigate the whole relationship thing." And Doc was pretty good at that. Or at least, he knew what people were supposed to do. He hadn't exactly always done the right thing, but he knew what it was!
gpt
"Let's move out!" Roberta called to the group. She eyed the young couple and then turned to the truck, yanking open the door as if it had personally offended her.
10k gave Doc the deer-in-the-headlights look. "What do you mean, 'relationship thing'? Are you talking about June?" He furrowed his brow as he walked towards the back of the truck to climb in. He was intending on just climbing in and sitting in the back with her like last time.
"No one rides outside this leg," Vasquez said, slapping the side of the truck. "June, come with us," he indicated himself and Roberta. "10k you help Doc keep an eye on Murphy and his friend." It seemed as if no one wanted to call Cassandra 'Cassandra' any more. They all could see that she wasn't the same person anymore, but she wasn't exactly a full-blown Z either. She was a special creature... just not one that anyone trusted.
"But..." 10k didn't understand the logic of it.
"Don't ask questions," Doc insisted, opening up the door of the sedan he was driving. "Just get in. We got miles to put behind us."
human
"Unless you're kissin' other girls." Perhaps he was assuming with their relationship, but he knew 10k and he had a pretty good idea on June. They weren't the post apocalyptic friends-with-benefits types.
June's own "but..." came as Doc said not to ask questions (mostly because that made it easier for him to get the talk time he needed with 10k), the redhead looking a little bit nervous. Roberta and Vasquez? She had just sassed at Roberta not that long ago and Vasquez didn't seem to trust her at all. Her relief was obvious when, after a pointed look from Doc, Addy took a few lazy steps towards the truck the redhead was reluctantly climbing into. She immediately wedged herself into the corner to make as much room as possible for the others and then began to work on her quiver.
Doc waited until Murphy fell asleep - it was far too much to ask him take lookout -, for emotional safety of 10k. There was no way the kid wouldn't get mocked, and that would make the whole talk a lot harder. Cassandra wasn't resting, but they were pretty sure she didn't sleep and she would have nothing to contribute to the conversation. "You're probably not gonna be able to shoot everyone who says somethin' weird to your girlfriend. Waste of bullets." Because he could see that being an issue with 10k. He'd been pretty prepared to go postal on Murphy, or.... the quiet, colder version of that he'd seen getting ready to happen.
"I'm gonna answer all your questions and then give you answers to the questions you're either not asking or haven't even thought of yet. Sex, romance, all of it."
In the truck, June was hard at work with her quiver. Her bow had been set down on the floor carefully, so no one would kick it. She wanted very much to be in the car with 10k, even if it meant having to deal with Murphy.
gpt
Sex? Romance?10k felt his face growing warm, despite the wind whipping in the windows as Doc shouted at him. When he glanced in the back he saw that Murphy looked fast asleep. Or dead. They couldn't be lucky enough to have him die yet, could they? Cassandra just growled, causing him to turn back around.
"I don't know what there is to ask about," he confessed. "I mean... Ilikeher. What else is there to really know?" He gripped the handle on the door and felt like bracing himself for whatever was about to come. The gleam in Doc's eyes almost made him wonder if the man had been smoking Z weed.
In the other car Roberta drove for a while, not saying much but glancing back at June every so often. Finally she couldn't take it. "Listen, girlfriend; you and I need to talk." She raised an eyebrow at her in the rear view mirror when she saw that she had her attention. "Yes, you. I don't know if you've thought about it or not, but 10k's not like other guys. You gonna be taking on a lot if you keep this up with him." She pressed her lips together. "You evenonbirth control? You even know what that is?"
"Give her a break," Vasquez interrupted. "She's not a child, Roberta."
"Hell 'she's not a child'. She's a kid! How oldareyou, June? You ever even kissed a boy before?"
In the back seat Abby turned to look at June. She hadn't said anything yet, but her eyes were dancing at the interesting turn of events that was happening. It was better than TV.
human
Maybe he should encourage the kid. That seemed like a good place to start, right? Had to keep 10k from shutting down or something. "Don't worry about messin' up. Junie's a good kid and she adores you. Everyone else can see it, and..." he paused and chuckled, whatever encouraging thing he'd had in mind vanishing as something else occurred to him, "damn kid, she's been goin' after you since the beginning." She'd approached him specifically, pulled him away basically every chance she got, and made every move she seemed comfortable with. Gutsier than he thought she was. A pause and then, "but use these." He fished into his small bag and produced a box of condoms that he tossed at 10k cheerfully, before his expression turned more solemn. "I'm not big on scare tactics, but you take a minute and think about all the ways a pregnancy's gonna end these days." Very few outcomes were happy, live birth. Not without doctors and the lack of nutrition and dehydration, not with the stress and... the zombies.
"You're a smart kid, got a good head on your shoulders. Go at your pace, do what feels right." This was far more supportive than the talk June was currently getting. Or... interrogation. Had Doc known, he probably would have tried to get both kids in his car.
'Girlfriend'? That didn't sound like the sort of thing Roberta would usually say. June wondered if it was some kind of... well, either attempt to try and talk like she thought a teenager would, or some message the redhead was missing, where she was being subtly threatened and just completely missing it. Still, she responded with a prompt "yes, ma'am" because she was startled and better to be more polite than not polite enough. "I've... only actually known men who are at least ten years older than me. At least in the last four years." She didn't know what Roberta meant by 'taking on a lot'. "I... I'm not. But I know. My mother made sure I understood the... extra dangers of being a woman in the apocalypse." She was still trying to sew to keep her hands busy, but this was a little too much, and she pricked her finger, making a tiny noise and pulling it up, frowning at the small bead of blood.
"I'm eighteen. I kissed 10k on the back of the truck." So technically yes? There was also not that long ago after he came out of the store. "I'm not intending to... to just go running off and sleep with him, we've barely figured out what's going on. But I really, really like him. I want to know more about him. I really like it when he smiles." She was terribly pink at this point, and looked back down at her quiver because it was easier than looking at anyone in the truck.
gpt
He reached out, reflexively, and caught the box Doc had tossed his way. When he saw the picture his ears pinked even more. Condoms? He glanced nervously at Doc. They were expecting him and June to have sex? He slid deeper into the chair as he listened to his friend eschew the benefits of not getting a girl pregnant at the end of the world as they knew it.
In the back seat Murphy harrumphed. "He'll be lucky if he doesn't put it on backwards and upside down."
"Now Murphy, why do you have to go and be such a downer?" He glared at their passenger in the rear view mirror. "The kid's got a right to have some fun in this life."
"Says who?" Murphy sat up and leaned forward, his attention piqued. "Why should he think that he can have a 'normal' relationship when the rest of this godforsaken world is fucked? With his luck, he'll be halfway to his first cherry drop and someone's going to turn into a damn Z. Then they'll be two Zs. Remember the pharmacy factory?" He was remembering the Zs on the little blue pills. "They didn't even get to go out right. 10k's going to be lucky if putting that little prophylactic on isn't the last thing he does."
Doc glared. "You know, Murph - you can be a real dick sometimes."
"Thank you," Murphy smiled smugly at the two of them. "My job here is done."
Poor June wasn't having a better time of it. Roberta nodded, as if she fully expected that answer. "See? Only eighteen, and 10k was her first kiss."
"Damn, girl," Addie shook her head. "You had to go and wait for your first kiss, and you picked him?"
Vasquez chuckled. "Better than picking Murphy. Or Doc." He didn't suggest himself. In his mind, he wasn't even an option. "What, you upset that her first kiss wasn't with you, Addie?"
"She-it," the girl said, leaning back in her seat. "The thought of two girls kissing making you hard, Vasq? We could give you a show if you ask nicely." She winked at June. "Right, chickie?"
human
Seeming to understand the look he was getting, the relaxed man shot 10k a grin. "Better to have 'em when you don't need 'em than to get there and not," he pointed out cheerfully.
Dang, Murphy was awake? That kinda put a damper on things. He'd have to finish this up fast, because nothing useful was gonna get said now. Couldn't put a condom on upside down, just inside out, but Doc chose not to try and argue that with Murphy. There was entirely no point, and he recognized that.
"Ignore him, kid." Advice that got given entirely too often. It was really all you could do with Murphy, after all. "You got a good thing and it looks like it's makin' you happy, and we're happy for you. Seen more smiles from you in a day than we usually see in a week." If not longer. It was nice. Made this all feel a little less shit. The amusement of getting to watch two teenagers bumble through attraction, and the optimism of them being willing to even try in the first place. Doc was all for it.
June was with... less encouraging people. "Who was it supposed to be, a cow? Because the last four years of my life has been some of those, a bunch of apple trees, and a whole lotta people the same age as my parents." There was that little spark again, but it had completely fizzled out by the time Addy spoke to her again. "Um, no? No thank you." She sunk down into her seat a little bit more and moved her quiver to keep working on it, but also as though it was going to protect her from the awkwardness. "I'm not..." she didn't even know how to finish that sentence. She didn't want to be insulting, but she was not interested in kissing Addy and she wasdefinitelynot interested in putting on a show for Vasquez. "You guys are making it sound like there's something wrong with him." That's what she was picking up, anyway. 'Not like other guys' and 'taking on a lot' if she was with him from Roberta, and then Addy's words just now. She didn't understand.
Casting a helpless glance out the back window towards the car behind them, June hoped this would pass soon and she could just sit in quiet until the next break. At least Vasquez seemed on her side for the moment. He wasn't ignoring her and he was kinda sticking up for her a little bit. She felt a tiny bit betrayed by Addy, though.
gpt
Citizen Z came through, his voice mostly static and broken words. Somehow Roberta and Vasquez were able to figure out that they needed to go to a lab that might, or might not, have a cure. They were hoping for the former.
When they pulled it the place looked deserted. The hoop houses were falling apart. Plastic fluttered in the breeze and far overhead a raven cawed. All the greenhouses were decrepit, all except one. Roberta pulled her car into the shade of a tree to park, and Doc pulled his truck in next to her. 10k poured out, eager to be away from talk of sex and condoms and the decaying stench that lingered around Murphy and 'her'. He was starting to really hate the thing that used to be Cassandra. It scared him, and he knew that it was far from 'right'.
He found himself heading for June almost as soon as his feet hit the ground. All the talk from the ride was spinning in his head and he needed to figure some things out, but he figured it would be better to figure them out with her. "Hey," he moved over, standing in front of her. His goggles sat, somewhat crookedly, on his head. Dark hair stuck out at crazy angles and he wore his rifle across his chest like a purse. His hands were still in those fingerless gloves he favored. For some reason he felt better with them on.
"So." His eyes skidded off her face and then glanced around, checking the perimeter with the kind of nervous thoroughness that those who survived too many ambushes tended to have. "Doc was talking..." he pressed his lips together and looked at her. She was just so... he couldn't remember how he'd felt before she showed up, but now he felt like anything was possible. "He said, he said..." He frowned. "So he said that you and I might be...?" 10k tilted his head in question. How could he broach the topic and not scare her away?
human
Even optimistic June was unsure about this. At best, she thought, there would be information? Some partial thing. Wasn't Murphy supposed to have the cure in him? Because he didn't look all that cured to her. Of course the petite redhead believed in the possibility of a cure for whatever was in their brains, bringing every dead back to life, she was just unsure of what that was going to need, and how that was going to happen. She wasn't a scientist.
When the truck stopped, she got out as fast as she could. She didn't head immediately for 10k for once, because she needed to take a moment and get her quiver onto her belt, tying the sewn on addition around her leg to keep it from bouncing. And then he was there in front of her, and she smiled at him, carefully putting in arrows before actually giving the young man her attention.
"So?" June echoed, slightly prompting. She wasn't sure what he was starting with, so June just gave him most of her attention, hands distractedly moving through her red hair to pull it up again. It had come down because she wanted to be able to hide behind it from the ridiculousness of the whole car ride, but it was time for what she and her mother had jokingly called 'safety fashion'. "There are way too many potential things to end that sentence," she said once he'd trailed off. "But probably yes? Unless it's bad, in which case no, but then there's also some stuff that might be maybe." She was trying to be lighthearted about it, because it seemed like it was unlikely that whatever he was going to say was negative, he didn't really look like he was coming with negative thoughts.
She reached out for his glove-covered hand, hoping to get a moment of the simple affection with him before everything inevitably started. Vasquez and Roberta were thinking and planning, that gave them a few minutes before everything kicked off and any thoughts would have to be held onto until later or worked out while in the middle of the unknown.
gpt
How did he go from being the guy who never talked to being the guy who couldn't find his tongue? He opened and closed his mouth a few times, feeling the dryness inside. "He said, that there was things I needed to learn."
He almost told her about sex and romance. He almost told her that Doc said she'd been 'after' him since the beginning, but somehow he managed to wisely not tell her those things. "I really like you. I want to tell you that, in case we don't get another chance."
Murphy walked by and bumped his shoulder against the young man's back. "Oh wah, wah... just fuck her and get it over with." He glanced back, grinning, as he twirled a hat on his index finger. Behind him Cassandra shambled after, her dead, glaring eyes turned on the pair as she grunted her reply to Murph's witty comment.
10k waited for them to get a good distance away before he took his eyes off them and looked back at June. "I hope that's okay to say."
human
Was she supposed to confirm or deny that? "Yes?" June said a little hesitantly, voice questioning. "Both of us, probably." And everyone, but she had the feeling that it was in reference to relationships or romance or something specifically.
He said he really liked her, and she looked a little bit surprised. Not as much because of the confession, but because she'd kinda figured that was the case already. Still, she smiled at him and squeezed his hand, trying to figure out the best way to say what was on her mind now.
Aaand there was the blue man, ruining everything. "Well thank you for joining in the conversation." It was somehow perfectly polite and a pretty solid attempt to just verbally slam the door in his face, though it still needed work. "Always such a pleasure." Murphy smirked at her, but June very pointedly just smiled at him with what her mother would have said was proper young lady manners. Hide the disgust. If he knew she was disgusted, he won.
When he was gone, she relaxed a tiny bit. "Yes. That's super okay to say. I'm having a hard time figuring out stuff with you, so saying things is good." She realized that was vague, and tried to clarify "I'm just afraid we're gonna be sending signals in languages the other person can't read." What was interest, what was friendliness? "You're saying you really like me like I might have a problem with it, but I had already assumed that because... because we kissed. And that's what that meant to me." But maybe not the same message to him. She could try to be pragmatic about the relationship.
gpt
He frowned slightly at June's assessment that she had assumed that he liked her because they had kissed. "There's 'like', and there's 'like'," he began to explain. "I mean that, even if there were other people around who were our age, I'll still pick you to be with. I don't just like you as a friend who I happen to kiss." He struggled for the words for a moment. His fingers itched to do something that he understood, like stripping down an M-16 or disassembling a Glock for cleaning. He understood how to maintain weapons. He had no clue how to maintain a 'girlfriend'.
He reached out to take her hands, then he brought them to his heart. "When I'm around you I want to touch you, and when you smile at me I feel like I've done something right. Kissing you is better than any meal I've ever eaten. I want to be with you all the time. When I can't see you I'm worried that you'll disappear, and I'd never see you again." 10k shifted his weight on his feet slightly as he go to the meat of the matter. "What I'm saying is - I don't want to be just your friend who you kiss. I want to be your boyfriend, and I want you to be my girlfriend, so there's no guessing what this is. Let's just make it clear to everyone. We'retogether."
Roberta waved at the two and then pointed to her eyes, then extended two fingers towards 10k and then to the green houses. She wanted him to recon. He nodded, but then he turned his attention back to June. "You don't have to give me an answer right away, just soon. I'm not sure, if someone else came into our group, I'm not sure how I would handle it if you kissed him too, so I need to know if this is okay with you that it's just you and me. If it's going to be you and anyone else you like, then I'm not really..."
"10k, get a move on," Roberta's voice wasn't a shout but it was loud enough that he could hear the urgency in her voice.
"I just..." he finally let her hands go. "Let me know what you think."
human
Same communication issue. Did he really think she needed that explained to her? June would have interrupted because this was a lot when they had very little time, but she thought this might be the most she ever heard him talk at once, and it was important to know how he was thinking. And if he was going to explain it, that was good. It would help her get it.
He took her hands, and his words made her blush. Why was she tongue tied now? Maybe it was the fact that she already put weight on his words. 10k said so little at a time that if he was speaking this much, it had to be important to him. She wanted to make sure that he was done talking before she started, but that meant that the redhead waited almost too long. Roberta spoke and he let go of her hands, and June shifted a little so she was blocking his path to their leader.
"You can't just keep walking off when important stuff is happening." This would be the second time. It was stressful for her, having to sit on feelings and try to figure everything out and be unsure of it all. "I don't want to just be kissing friends. That was never what I wanted." Come on Roberta, just give them a minute more, that was all she needed. "I want to be your girlfriend. Or... whatever the apocalypse version is." If he was willing to bare his soul a little and tell her what he thought, she could too. "Being around you makes all the bad stuff feel okay, and surmountable. And I feel all tingly and warm and that's never happened before but I know it's because of you." An awkward pause, and then, "just you."
Roberta was starting to get a little irritated and took a step towards them, making a very pointed gesture. "We gotta go." June frowned a tiny bit and then kissed him, light and brief, before stepping back. "Stay safe." She wasn't sure how she was going to handle it if she lost him too. She wanted to go with, but she needed more time on that whole stealth thing. Nobody could do it like 10k, she'd been told.