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What Do You Fear? [randomname98766789 and Amaranthine]

randomname98766789

randomname98766789

Pulsar
Joined
Dec 22, 2014
Location
United States
“Fuck…”

Thankfully, the wound wasn’t deep. Shirtless, the 18-year-old Bryce Kemp looked at himself in the mirror. The adrenaline had long worn off now. Alicia was safe even though they lost the supplies. The rogue soldiers intended to take Alicia as their captive, to do unspeakable things to her. Seeing his best friend in trouble, Bryce acted quickly. Combined with his fire and Alicia’s grit, they fought off the soldiers. Bryce was left with a knife stuck into his left shoulder. Liza had been able to tend to his wound before she succumbed to her fate. Bryce was out of the woods – he was not going to die and the wound was superficial. It just hurt like hell.

With white gauze wrapped around his shoulder, Bryce decided to keep his shirt off. Besides, he was alone inside of this cabin on Victor Strand’s yacht. The male was still clad in his dark blue jeans and boxers underneath with wool socks on his feet after kicking off his shoes. Deciding to call it a night, Bryce walked towards the bed. Halfway there, he stopped at the sound of gentle knocking at the door. Turning on his heel, Bryce approached the wooden door with a slow stride, unsure of who it was.

Cracking open the door slightly, Bryce spotted Alicia Clark. The softness on his face showed before the entrance to his cabin was wide open. Bryce assumed Alicia was here to check on him – he had no idea of her real agenda. All he knew was that an expression was on her face unlike anything he had seen before. It worried him and it confused him.

“Alicia. Is everything alright?” Bryce asked, stepping away from the door so there was enough space for the brunette to enter if she wished.

---------------------------


The dead were walking the Earth – literally and figuratively. Anna had been dead to Nick for a couple years even though she was physically alive. Did he ever enjoy being in a relationship with her? Perhaps he just enjoyed getting high with her. Sometimes, it felt like that was all they had. It had taken a toll on Nick. Losing the relationship and the friendship with Anna had been painful. When Nick caught her cheating on him with one of their fellow users, it felt like his entire world crumbled. Since that day, Nick felt himself getting better slowly.

Though he never got clean, he found himself doing better. At least, it felt that way. On what would have been their anniversary, Nick found himself back at an old, abandoned church they frequented. Then, he hit one of the hardest relapses of his life. It spiraled into finding out the world had ended. Fast forward to tonight and Nick was lying on his bed restless because the same ghost from his past was here, too.

They were thrown in adjacent cells at the military compound. When his family rescued him, Nick somehow felt implored to help Anna escape as well. They had not spoken much, though. Nick thought it was something they needed to do – talk. Well, they were never good at that in the first place. Caught up in his dark thoughts, Nick figured some fresh air could not hurt. Getting dressed in a dark brown t-shirt and matching pants that were both too baggy for him, Nick found himself on the upper deck. Just when he thought that this was the perfect place to be alone with his thoughts, fate had a different plan.

“Can’t sleep?” Nick murmured quietly, just standing near the entrance while his brown eyes landed on Anna who seemed to have the same idea.
 
Words couldn't even begin to explain the day that Alicia had, from rescuing her brother (and that trashy ex girlfriend of his) to finding herself on some boat with her family and best friend, escaping from a world where the dead had started to rise around her. Such a thing was much to take in, and she had a problem trying to rationalize everything going on. Maybe that was what kept her awake that night, as the boat rocked gently from calm waves and everyone was trying to get a good night's sleep.

She ended up down the hall from the room she had been in not long after everyone had quieted down, and knocked on the door that she knew held her best friend since childhood. She could have very easily lost him today, and she was proud of him for the way he had put himself at risk for her. Without his aid, she would be as good as dead and in the hands of rogue soldiers who wanted nothing more than to let their morality fade in the end of the world.

"Hey," she said in a soft tone as she moved in to the entrance, bracing one hand against the door way. "I couldn't sleep and wanted to check in on you, are you alright?" She knew that he was, or would be - at least physically - but she had to ask, had to make sure.

--------------

Anna was leaned against the edge of the boat, her arms crossed on the railing and her wild brown hair untamed, when she heard the shuffle of feet approaching her. As they did, she glanced in their direction from the corner of her eye - Nick. Once upon a time he'd both been her high and helped her stay high, and to this day she wasn't sure if she'd ever really loved him or if she had just loved how he helped her get her rush. They'd been destructive and dependant and even though they wanted to be good for each other they were so, so bad for each other. Maybe that was how she had ended up in Ronnie's bed, or maybe she had just been desperate for a hit.

Either way, there had been no plans to ever find herself around Nick again and especially not on a boat while the dead walked around them. She didn't have much of a choice, though - somehow she had been lucky enough that Nick had taken the time to get her out of the military compound. She owed it to him to at least try and be amicable even if she wasn't even sure she had anything to say to him.

"Nope." She popped her lips on the p and finally turned to face him. The brunette struggled to find words to say to him. She'd say thanks but she wasn't yet sure she was thankful to be saved, as she could feel the withdrawl setting in to her bones and that was going to make for one interesting boat ride. "You either?" She settled on returning the question and her words came in a strained, almost uncomfortable tone.
 
“Yeah, I’m doing fine. I’m thankful to still be here and happy that you’re safe. Just knowing that you’re okay is all I need.”

With a soft smile on his charming face, Bryce gestured towards the bedroom.

“If you can’t sleep, maybe you should stay here for a while. We can just sit and talk like old times.”

It was one of Bryce’s favorite things to do. Bryce would go into Alicia’s room or vice versa and they would talk. Often, it comforted one another. When Bryce was 13, his father died on duty as a police officer. Not long after that, Alicia lost her father in a car accident. More recently, his mother had died – taken during the beginning wave of the outbreak. Alicia was there for him every step of the way. Honestly, those nighttime talks kept him going.

It was not just a coping mechanism. They enjoyed many laughs and smiles together. Many people thought they acted like a couple but they had just never made that leap. Bryce had girlfriends before that were always quite jealous of Alicia. It was strange to most people. The star football player was best friends with a quiet, artistic girl. He dated the head cheerleader at one point and she tried everything in her power to end the friendship between Bryce and Alicia but some bonds were truly unbreakable. Closing the door once Alicia entered, Bryce walked towards the bed and sat down onto the edge, patting the mattress. He would die for this girl if he had to – he very nearly had. Yet, Bryce did not act like some hero or act like Alicia owed him anything. This was a true love, a true friendship that could stand any test.

------------------

“Nope. No luck.”

It had always been interesting to Nick how Anna almost always seemed to be innocent in her mind. Even when she was caught sleeping with another guy, she carried herself like Nick had done something wrong, that she had nothing to say to him. In reality, Nick barely had anything to say to her. It frustrated him because even though Nick knew he had not been the one to cheat, it felt like he should be sorry for something. Nick was late getting to their hangout that day because he was too hungover and high to move. Perhaps it was deserved, to lose Anna the way he did. Nick struggled with it often.

Leaning against the rail about five feet away, Nick glanced towards Anna. He saw the look on her face – she was going through the same shit he was. It appeared they both took their last hit of drugs around the same time. Nick was in the same state she was and the rocking boat was not helping.

“How the hell did you end up in that compound?”

Finally, he broke the silence. The tension was uncomfortable and Nick did not want to function like this. The world was ending and he found it pointless to give someone the cold shoulder or hold a grudge. He did not even expect a “thanks” from Anna. Instead, he just wanted a conversation for once. It hardly mattered what they talked about as long as it was more than just a greeting and a goodbye. Even though Nick left that day without a word, he wanted to talk now. Nick felt like he did abandon her though he felt it was justified. He doubted this conversation could end well.
 
Alicia walked in to the room and a calm came over her, just being in Bryce's presence made her feel safe and welcome, and that was a feeling she never wanted to lose. With a soft smile she moved in to his room and towards the bed. She would be taking his offer to stick around, and would most likely end up spending the night. Byrce was peace and comfort to her, a lifelong commitment to always being there for each other even if they had never used those exact words. She loved him and he loved her, and that was all that they needed regardless of what they were to each other.

Or maybe that wasn't enough. The world was ending around them and she didn't know if she had days or weeks or years left on this planet now. It made her question what she really wanted in life, and when it came down to it all she knew was that she wanted to have Bryce around for the long run.

"I'd like that," she said with a sweet smile as she continued to mull, debating if what she wanted to say and do right now would be the right call or the end of the best thing she ever had.

-----

"Bad luck. Or maybe good luck?" Anna was really questioning what the right answer to that was right now. In reality it was simple, or maybe not so simple: she'd been unlucky enough to be found near the compound, high off of her kite to the point that she was passed out in an alley way with a needle still on the ground beside her and her makeshift tournequet still wrapped, albeit losely, around her upper arm. She wanted to pretend that wasn't the case, that she was a better person than she was a couple years back, but she'd sunk lower before she got even a touch better and even that felt like next to nothing in the scheme of things as heat flushed her chest and neck red. "Not sure yet."

She really wasn't sure how to talk to him, not any more. Anna only existed because she ran from her problems, ignored the faults in her own existence because if she didn't the guilt and regret would consume her whole. She couldn't run right now, though. This was one position that she had never wanted to be in, because it meant facing one of the many things that she had fucked up in her twenty three years.
 
Sitting beside Alicia, Bryce felt uneasy. It was not a feeling of unease towards Alicia. Instead, it was a feeling that there was something wrong. Though she smiled at him, Bryce could understand there was something on her mind. Placing one of his rough hands onto the girl’s back, he gently applied one of his famous back massages that he loved to give Alicia. He could do this for literally hours at a time until she fell asleep or stopped crying – whichever she needed.

“Is there something on your mind, Princess?”

Even in a relationship, this was a nickname reserved for only Alicia. She was his Princess and she would always be his Princess. Since Alicia never asked him to stop using that name, he kept going with it. Bryce certainly enjoyed calling her Princess. It was fitting. Besides, he did always treat her like royalty after all. Looking deep into those gorgeous, green orbs, Bryce waited for a response. Hopefully, she was forthcoming tonight. Bryce wanted to help her however he could. Whenever Nick went into relapse or whenever Madison just flat out ignored her daughter, Bryce had always been there for Alicia. It always seemed like she was the center of his world even if they had not been in a relationship yet.

-------------

“Yeah… that’s shitty.”

Honestly, Nick did not know how to respond. This just reminded him why they did not talk often. Neither of them were good at it. This was not exactly the answer he wanted to hear. He hoped for elaboration or something substantive. At this point, Nick realized that was probably asking too much. Unsure of how to approach her, Nick tired treading carefully.

“So, it’s been a while. I didn’t think we’d meet again under these circumstances.”

It was ironic that Nick met Anna again when he hoped that he never saw her again. It was even more ironic that it happened during the end of the world – the zombie apocalypse. These were things they would have laughed at in the past. However, it was real and the infected were now a real danger and threat. It appeared that grudges or arguments of the past were not applicable. They were not the most intelligent move. Nick just wanted to get any arguing out of the way because when they had to be around a group of other people or if they had to count on one another to survive, Nick hoped it was all aired out by then. Again, he figured that was still asking too much.

“How have you been?”
 
Princess. It was a name only he had ever called her and one he called only her. Not only that, but a wave of comfort overtook her at the familiar term of affection.

"Nothing more than to be expected," she said as she leaned in to his massaging touch, a sensation that made her want to melt in utter bliss. Her neck crooked to the side and she closed her eyes, trying not to fight with herself over what the right call would be. One chance - that's all the world had no. Do it.

"Maybe a bit actually," she confessed, and she knew those words would make him push to figure out what was bothering her. That was it, yeah? That was all it took for her to let her secret out? Suddenly, anxiety hit deep in her palms and her throat, welling up a ball deep within that made her feel like she was choking.

If this was the wrong call, she had just messed up severly.

----

"Year and a half maybe, yeah?" Plus or minus a few months, Anna wasn't quite sure. The days and weeks blurred together for her, especially when she was in the dark depths of her addiction and her life revolved around finding her next high. She wished she was present enough to really know, to give Nick the kind of love he deserved but never got from her - would never get from her. She didn't know what the future would hold but right now... Well, she felt like she would just drag him down - and this time drag the family of his that she had only met a few times down with im.

"I've been alright I guess." She wished she had something more substantial to offer him. She wished she knew how to have a conversation and act ike nothing had ever happened or just get over it. "Been here and there... Managed to keep myself alive at least." Hey, that had to count for something, right? "What about you? You been alright?"

She cares - or she tries to. Caring has never been enough, though.
 
With a raised eyebrow, Bryce found himself in a state of complete focus. If something was wrong with his Princess, Bryce would divulge nothing but his undivided attention to Alicia. While one hand continued massaging the girl’s back, his other hand gently placed itself against the girl’s cheek.

With a soft and affectionate movement, his thumb stroked against her soft face. Now that she had said something was on her mind, Bryce would find out what it was one way or another. He cared more than anyone could imagine.

“Talk to me, Alicia. What’s on your mind? Are you okay? You can tell me anything.” Bryce felt it was necessary to remind her of the last phrase.

It had always been true. There had been things that Bryce told Alicia, and only Alicia. She was a constant source of tension in relationships. Many of his exes were uncomfortable with him having such a close female friend. Bryce just never thought Alicia could see him in a romantic way – not in the same way he saw her. She was an unreachable goal, honestly. Bryce would give up his entire life just to kiss Alicia once. Though he never struggled with girls, this was a different story. The last thing he wanted was to make Alicia upset but the thought of ever seeing her with another guy was painful. It was almost impossible to keep silent about his feelings.

-----------------------

She cares - or she tries to. Caring has never been enough, though.

It had been closer to two years but Nick did not bother to make the adjustment in her timeline. Again, he was given the exact answer he expected. However, when she asked about him, Nick gave a similar answer.

“Yeah. More of the same. In and out of rehab. Not much has changed for me.”

That was a lie. Everything changed. The day he left Anna in Ronnie’s arms, Nick lost a part of himself. He thought it was impossible to love again. Sure, he had Gloria but she was just a coping mechanism – a defense against the feelings. No woman would ever be enough because no other woman would ever be Anna.

“So, got any plans? You sticking around when we find land?”

Nick asked curiously. Nobody knew where they were going. Strand had been secretive about it, but he assured them it was safe. Nick could not help but wonder if Anna was going to stick around with him and his family or if she was going to try it on her own. It would not have been the first time she disappeared on him, though. It felt like the last few weeks of their relationship that she was not even there half the time even if she was physically present. Nick did not know what to expect with her anymore.
 
Alicia questioned if she was imagining things - romance in a gentle touch to her cheek, love in the soft tone that Bryce used to speak to her. That was how she got through her days and managed to act like she didn't want to love him, because she knew that he deserved better than her. Nowadays there wouldn't be time to waste, though, and that was what motivated her to actually do what she did next.

There was a moment of hesitation before she acted, a second in which she hovered still before she leaned in and her lips met his in a soft, gentle kiss that lasted just moments before she pulled away and read his reaction on his face. She hoped and she prayed that he wouldn't be upset and that she was welcome, though at the same time she doubted it. They were just friends... yeah? Well, they were - except now she had just gone and spoiled that for them.

-----

"Not sure if I can." Sticking around? Anna hadn't thought that far ahead yet and she dreaded when she would have to. For now she could blame it on outside circumstances and because of that she was able to to distance herself from the choice and make it easier for her to accept the thought of leaving again. Everything was easier when it wasn't her fault, when she could talk herself in to thinking that she had no say in what happened even in the moments where the bad calls were all her own. She avoided responsibility like the plague that kept her from the waves of guilt that would crash down on her and swallow her hole.

"Am I welcome to?" The simple question makes whether she stays or goes his call, and for a moment she prayed to a god who she didn't believe in that he would say she couldn't stay just so she could walk away and pretend he never happened again. Was it unhealthy? Sure. Did that keep her from acting the way that she did? Not at all.
 
Sometimes, words were inappropriate. Only actions could utter the necessary words. Looking into Alicia’s eyes after the kiss, a soft smile grew on Bryce’s face. She felt the same way. She really felt the same way! Unable to hold himself back, he suddenly wrapped both arms around her shoulders and pressed another kiss to her lips. This kiss lasted about twice as long as the first kiss and felt significantly more passionate when Bryce used his tongue to trace her bottom lip.

The next move Bryce made was important. He ducked his head down towards her chest though there was nothing sexual about this. Instead, he kissed over Alicia’s chest where her heart was located. After the kiss, he uttered a quiet word.

“Mine.”

How could he have been so blind? How could he have missed Alicia’s love for so long? It was easy to just toil over the years of his life that could have been so much better. Instead of doing that, Bryce was focused on the present, suddenly pushing Alicia down onto her back as he straddled her, moving to plant another kiss onto her lips. The male wanted to cuddle and kiss her all night long. Now, that seemed like quite the possible outcome.

----------------

Unsurprising – again. At least some things never changed. It always felt like Anna looked for an excuse to back out of something in Nick’s opinion. It was happening again right now. Instead of giving her an out, Nick just shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know why you wouldn’t be. It’s up to you, though. It’s a tough world to be alone in now, though.”

Nick would have felt guilty if he told Anna to leave when she had the chance. Even though that might have seemed easier for both him and Anna, Nick just could not say those words. Why? Because he knew she would leave if he told her to. It would have given her a reason to not blame herself for what happened. If she went off alone, it was likely she would die. In this world, nobody needed to be alone. Nick knew that much already and he just hoped that whatever Anna did, she was safe.

As much as he had disliked her, Nick did not want her dead or unsafe.

“I don’t even know where we’re going anyways. There’s no telling. I guess being out here on the water is safer than being on land. I don’t think they can swim.”
 
Sometimes crossing boundaries was a good idea, and Alicia was incredibly pleased that this was one of those situations. She leaned in to Byrce's tender touch and his lips met hers a second, longer time and the soft sensation made her feel like she was melting in his palms. Somehow, this had proved to work for the better. When his head ducked down she worried, feared this was going in a direction she wasn't quite ready before, but his lips fell to her chest where her heart was and his single word made her body flutter.

His. Alicia loved hearing him say that, and wished that she had taken the risk much earlier than today. It had only taken the end of the world for her to gain the courage needed to show him that she craved something much more than a friendship - though she hadn't been complaining when that was what she had been offered. He was on top of her as she laid down, his lips pressing to hers over and over and over.

Alicia never wanted that moment to end.

--

Anna knew that leaving would be a death sentence in this world, but was that really such a bad thing? She had never been of much use to those around her, and she had already spent years figuring that she was better off dead. She had risked herself, shot up what could be just a little too much, popped a few to many pills. None of it had ever been enough and sometimes she wonderd if that meant she was supposed to keep being here, or it just meant she was even bad at trying to end it.

"Guess that makes sense." They could end up anywhere in the world when this ship landed and he was right - it was useless to try and live alone in this world. Anna pulled her arms away from the railing as her fingers twitched and the first hints of the withdrawal shot pains in to the back of her head. She tapped at the bar, fidgetting to keep herself distracted. "Thanks, by the way. For helping me out of there. Not sure I woulda got out of there if you hadn't."

She wasn't sure that was a bad thing, but she knew the right thing was to express gratitude. Had positions been reversed, Anna knew that she would have been too petty to help him.
 
Pulling back from the kisses, Bryce eventually rolled off Alicia. Beside her now, his arm gently wrapped around her neck before his head turned to face her.

“I am so sorry, Alicia. All my life, I have tried to find love in the wrong places. I have always wanted you to be mine. I was simply afraid that it would never happen. You are my best friend and I feared ruining that. Besides, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire world. I could never see it possible that you could want me because you’re so perfect and I’m so… not.”

Sighing quietly, the male was happy to know that his worries had been for naught. Though he regretted not saying something to Alicia before, it was important to make the most out of their time they had left.

“I understand, now. Alicia Clark – you are the only one for me. It doesn’t matter that it is the end of the world for as long as I have you, I have nothing to worry about or fear. Will you stay tonight – and every night? I never want to sleep without you in my arms. That’s where you belong after all.”

--------------

It genuinely surprised Nick when Anna thanked him. It was unexpected and Nick almost did not believe she said thanks to him. Besides, he knew if the positions were reversed, Nick would have likely been left for dead and killed in the bombing of the city or ripped to pieces by the infected. It made him wonder why he helped Anna. Nick did not think he had high moral standards. Maybe he did.

“Oh, it was nothing. I’m sure you would’ve done the same. I just couldn’t leave you there to die.”

Well, Nick was not sure she would have done the same. He just did not know what to say and he wanted to make it seem like he did not care much for her anyways. Even though that was false, Nick wanted to give that impression that she did not matter to him. Oh, he could not be more wrong though.

“You alright?”

Nick questioned when she started getting jittery. He knew what was happening though. They would both have the same symptoms. It was not like Nick was a stranger to feeling withdrawal. He was just trying to play it cool though. It felt like drugs and withdrawal would have been a touchy subject between them.
 
Bryce has been in love with her and it wasn't all just in her head and a thrill coursed through Alicia's veins as he pulled away from her lips on to the bed beside her. She couldn't look away from his lips the entire time he spoke and a gentle smile lit up her face as she basked in the pure peace she felt in that moment. He wanted her, he had always wanted her and even though it had taken much too long for either of them to do anything about it, the end of the world had an ability to make people act like they might die tomorrow - because they might be.

"I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same way as me." She spoke in a soft tone, barely more than a whisper, as she leaned on to her side. Her knee rested over one of Bryce's legs and she held on to the fabric of his shirt with one of her hands. With his body so close she could feel his breath on the top of her head, Alicia never wanted that moment to end. She also never wanted to be anywhere that didn't involve having him by her side. "Of course I'll stay. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, Bryce. I really wish I had said something years ago.... But at least now we have the future, whatever ends up coming of it."

"Please never leave me," she said in the same soft whisper. The remark was both a request and a need.

-----

He either thought too highly of her or just wanted to keep things as light as possible. Anna liked to think she would have done the same and helped him out, but at the same time she knew that would never have happened - first and foremost, because she lacked people who would try and help her escape in the first place, but also became when it all came down to it she still blamed him for the hole she had fallen in to after they had gone separate ways.

"I will be," she said to him as she cocked her head slightly to the side and arched her back in to straighten her spine. "You know how it goes. I'd rather not think about it." Distraction would be good, but it would also only do so much for her. She would become useless and nasty, with a tongue like a snake ready to bury its fangs in to someone. Overall, she was not a pleasant person to be around when she was getting the junkie jitters.

"Will you?" She didn't even know if he was still using (most likely, she assumed based on, well, him) but she knew that he would understand what she meant. As detached as she seemed she didn't want his world to fall apart around him - well, any more than it already was.
 
“I will never leave you.”

Bryce focused his attention on the word “never”. It was not something Bryce said without thinking it through. There were only a handful of people in this entire world Bryce could promise to be with them forever (or as long as she would have him, at least). Alicia was most definitely one of those people.

“I don’t want to spend our time regretting the past. I know we lost precious time, but we’re still here. Now, we’re together. Things will be different.”

Honestly, Bryce felt sick to his stomach when recalling previous relationships. How was he so blind? It was almost criminal to Alicia that she had suffered, watching him with other girls. Bryce could not have stood the thought of seeing Alicia with another guy. Thankfully, that was never happening.

“You know, I liked to think you felt this way. I would think I caught you staring at me for a while longer but then convince myself you would never do that. I always felt sure there must have been other guys better and more interesting. Sometimes, I thought I saw you start to lean forward to kiss me but I convinced myself that was probably not true, either. Now, I understand you’ve been giving me these hints and I’ve been so fucking blind. I promise to make up for that time. I’m going to start tonight. You are not leaving my arms until we absolutely have to depart. Even then, I want to hold your hand for as long as I possibly can. I never want to be away from your touch.”

There was no exaggeration. For some reason, Bryce always thought Alicia might have been a clingy girlfriend. Even before today, she often touched him more than one would expect a friend to do. Now? Bryce was hoping that Alicia would indeed act clingy. It was going to be obvious sooner or later. To be honest, Bryce hoped Alicia never let him go. The things that most guys hated in regards to clinginess were things Bryce adored. Besides, he had a decent idea. She practically begged Bryce with her words, her hand clutching his shirt, and her eyes to never leave her. She showed a couple signs already and Bryce wanted to see how far that desire ran.

---------------------

“I don’t think there’s another choice.”

Where could Nick get the drugs now? His dealer was dead and this ship was not exactly loaded with anything. His addiction would have to focus on something else. Because of that, Nick knew he was about to enter into a world of shit – just as he warned Madison days ago.

So far, Nick was composed. The willpower to hold his tongue slowly diminished. Typically, Nick Clark was calm and collected. Not much could grind his gears or get underneath his skin. Anna, however, always managed to piss him off with small things. Their deteriorated relationship was not minor – so one could imagine how testy Nick felt while thinking about it. Unable to hold back any longer, he said something.

“I’m surprised you’d be worried about me being alright. It never appeared to bother you before if I was or if I wasn’t.”

The tension was thick. Nick was not even looking at Anna right now but he could picture her facial expression. She did have a fiery temper and a tongue ready to lash out. Nick expected nothing different. They fought all the time even as a couple. It only felt normal to fight again about something. Finally, the male turned his attention towards his ex-girlfriend, ready to take whatever she was throwing his way.
 
Bryce was right - from here there was no place to go other than forwards, where they could work for the future that they deserved together instead of being upset over could have beens and past mistakes - the biggest past mistake being not acting on their feelings much, much sooner than today. He said he would never leave her and she leaned in to kiss him. Her hand moved to his face and he back of her knuckles stroked against his cheek in a feather-like touch and the closeness between them filled Alicia with a warmth she never thought she would feel, not after how she had watched him with other women in the all the ways that she had wanted. She'd never wanted anyone else, just him, but how was she supposed to say anything when speaking up could have cost her the most important person in her life?

"No one's ever been better than you Bryce," she said as her thumb took over the gentle caresses of his cheek. She was truly being honest with him with the mos important part of her life and it felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, every second she felt more and more right. This was right, more right than anything that had ever gone on in her life before today. She could touch him without feeling like she was living a lie now, and she now knew that every last caress and fleeting touch would be wanted. "I... I've only ever had eyes for you, but I didn't know how to tell you without risking what we had. I'm so glad that I took that chance, I've never been able to picture a life that didn't have you by my side."

-------

It's not that nothing was ever her fault, it was that she just couldn't take the blame for shit. She never could. She knew she was the one who fucked up everything she touched like poison seeped from her skin but god be damned if anyone tried to tell her just that. It wasn't good, wasn't healthy but what about her was? Anna was a walking disaster and had been since she was young, and she had the fuckin' right to be after the shit she endured as a kid and in to her teenaged years. Okay, maybe that wasn't quite true. No one had "the right" to be a piece of shit addict but that had never stopped her and it still made sense for her. No one goes through childhood abuse and walks away unscathed, and it came as no surprise when she first turned to weed then the bottle and then much, much harder stuff (at least she graduated high school before smack became her best friend and most intimate lover, she had told her mother at twenty, when she saw the bitch for the first time in seven years). She hadn't been sober a day in her life since she was sixteen damn it she really didn't want to - especially with him of all people beside her.

She hated the memories. Hated his tongue and the way he wasn't afraid to call her out on her shit. Hated the way she'd fucked someone else after talking to her mama that day and even though their relationship was terrible, hated that having him around was a reminder that everything was her fault and they both knew it.

"Don't act like that," Anna hissed back. "You have no fucking clue what shit I go through. Of course I wanted you to be okay, sorry that acting worried was never my top priority." Worrying never had been a priority of hers, at least not for anyone but herself and maybe that came off like she just didn't care at all but that was just how it was.
 
“As long as I have a say in it, you will never face life without me by your side.” This new relationship would cause Bryce to act more cautious than ever before. Sure, he wanted to be the protector whenever possible but risking his life unnecessarily was no longer an option. The last thing he wanted was to cause their time together to end abruptly. “Be prepared, though. I call you my Princess and I sure as hell will treat you like one. Be prepared to have me carry you places and to have me hold you every second of the day that I can.” If Bryce had any major qualms about past relationships, the girls he dated did not enjoy physical touch as much as most girls did. With Alicia, it felt like she never could get enough while other girls were shy about even holding hands in public. Honestly, Alicia had clung to him more than any girlfriend had. It was not something Bryce ever regretted, either.

“I meant it earlier – if you never want to let me go, then don’t.” Of course, this was both figuratively and literally. If Alicia wanted to fucking jump onto his back and have him walk everywhere like that, Bryce would have done it. Grinning at the thought, Bryce decided to reveal a fantasy of his – but this was not unlike any typical fantasy a guy might have. It was not anything sexual. “I’ve always wanted to play with your hair while your head was in my lap. We’ve done that briefly before but I always wanted to have the chance to kiss you while I did it.” He made the suggestion, hoping she’d lay her head down in his lap so he could both play with her hair and kiss her while they talked.

--------------------

“You’re right. The only thing you cared about was yourself. Fucking someone else was a priority for you, though. I know that much.”

It made Nick wonder how many times this happened. Common sense told Nick that if it happened once, it likely happened multiple times. Nick often wondered if she even cared about him at all. Was she with him for the sole purpose of drugs? Sometimes he shared with her and vice versa. Now that he reflected, there was hardly any emotional connection between them. What did they share in common? They never talked about feelings or their past. Nick wanted that, however. At times, he tried to actually talk with Anna but that never ended well. She would either never allow it to happen or she’d just pass out from the drugs. Sometimes it was his fault, too. He started shutting her off if she ever prodded him about anything in his life.

“Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to fucking call it quits? I wasted time trying to figure out how the hell to please you. If all you wanted was to fuck, you should have told me that instead of making me think it was something else. I don’t even know why the hell we were together in the first place. My dumbass let myself get drawn into your trap. I should have known you could only care about yourself. Everything’s always about you, anyways.”

There it was – the emotions were flowing. Gradually, as Nick talked, his voice became more laced with emotion. The only emotion there was anger. He was pissed off – at himself, at Anna, at the world. Out of all the people in Los Angeles, how the fuck did he end up stuck with her on this damn yacht? More importantly, how long did either of them last before they threw the other off into the water? Nick just wanted to hurry and reach land so they could get some distance. He almost wanted her to just fucking leave when they landed. There was nothing good that could result from being here together.
 
Alicia had felt like an idiot once upon a time for her intense urges to cling to the people around her and especially him, but now she was finding herself grateful for that need. He reciprocated it, wanted it - as long as he wasn't exaggerating she could spend every moment with him and it wouldn't be any kind of a problem. She was loving that and felt like she could melt right in to him in that moment. When he spoke of his desire, pure affection filled her gaze and she nodded, adjusting her position so that the pair could make his wish come true. She loved the moments she spent laying in his lap, and all the casual touches and soft caresses that it came with. To be able to kiss him, to add such an honor to those moments...

"I would love that," she said with a soft, genuine smile as her head found his lap and her hair fell in loose locks around her head and face. She looked up towards Bryce and her expression showed nothing but affection and a hope for what the future could bring them. The world outside wasn't even a speck in the back of her mind.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Anna pursed her lips tightly together and nodded slightly, over and over again as she tried as hard as she could not to lash out. Her hands grasped tight on the railing until her knuckles were drained white and she flexed and extended them repeatedly over the rail of the yacht.

"You know, I saw my fuck mother that day, you douche. Maybe I didn't react right but fuck, you go and see your child molester apologist womb donor for the first time since you got out of that mess and be right in the head after." And here came the f-bombs, peppering her vocabulary like Parmesan on pasta. They'd never talked about the elephant in the room - how she ended up moved out at fifteen, why she refused to speak of the people who had once raised her. That topic had always been off limits and she had made sure that he knew never to push that boundary.

She didn't dare even look at him right now else she would freak, except she did.

"I tried to reach you that day, you asshole, but the one time I actually genuinely needed you to be there you weren't." She turned quickly ninety degrees and stepped towards him in a long stride, her arm flailing as if to to go strike him. She caught herself, she always caught herself, and she stood there facing him with her fist clenched by her chest and a flush on her face from fast, bothered breathing. It was hard to imagine that once upon a time they had actually thought they would work together. It was hard to picture it nowadays for her - the way she had been all smiles back towards the start, before she really knew him and she really started coming loose. He had come around at a bad time in her life and, frankly, she had only gotten worse since. "Maybe that doesn't excuse it but don't act like I asked for so much from you; you weren't some fucking angel yourself, Nick. You know what I asked of you? To answer your god damn phone when I called it."
 
“Thank you.” His voice barely above a whisper, Bryce allowed his facial features to express everything words could not. There was almost some twinkling in his eyes. Not wasting a single second, Bryce began stroking his fingers through Alicia’s long hair. The soft texture curled around his fingers, bringing him into a state of bliss. Small things. This gave him more joy than just about anything Bryce could have imagined. Keeping the promise he just made regarding the kisses, he leaned down for his first kiss. Their lips pressed together softly as Bryce made sure she could feel his smile against her mouth.

This might not have been what a “fantasy” would have consisted for of most guys, but this was sure as hell everything Bryce wanted. Realizing his second hand was idle, Bryce decided to plant it onto one of her shoulders, slowly massaging the girl’s shoulder through the material of her shirt. His lips moved down lower, kissing her neck and trying to figure out where her sweet spots were located. “When I’m with you, time stops around me. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I know you’re the one and only for me, Alicia. I hope you’re enjoying this as much as I am.” At first glance, it might appear that Alicia would get the most enjoyment – the kisses, the stroking through her hair, and the shoulder massages. In reality, it was likely Bryce that enjoyed this the most because nothing compared to that wonderful feeling knowing that he made Alicia smile, that he made her happy, or that he made her feel good.

------------------------

It was impossible to forget anything about Anna. The telltale signs of her impending outburst showed by the classic flexion and extension of her fingers. Honestly, it was often when Nick created this ruse from Anna. He recognized that look in her face but the male was standing his ground. Even though Nick could not relate to having a child molester for a parent, Nick did not excuse her actions that day. She could have talked to him about her feelings but instead, she decided to fuck the closest person near her. Hell, she could not have even waited a few extra minutes?

That was one specific area where Nick differed from his ex-girlfriend. Even when the girl raised her fist back to strike him, Nick knew better. She always did this – she could never finish the job. It was almost amusing to Nick about how pissed SHE was. How did SHE have the right to be upset about this? It blew Nick’s mind, really. After she finished that little speech, Nick just stepped backwards a couple steps, propping up against one of the tables.

“Wow. I miss one phone call and I’m the worst boyfriend ever. I can totally see why you fucked someone else. I missed a phone call – that’s fantastic logic. I can’t believe I was ever upset.”

Since the world had been in existence, not a single soul had ever spoken with as much sarcasm as Nick just did. If there was anything he did well, it was answering the phone whenever Anna called him. Obviously, it was more than just one time when he did not answer her call immediately. The reverse was true for her as well. It made Nick ponder why she kept using that as an excuse.

“I never claimed I was an angel. I just claimed that I never broke your loyalty. I never fucked anyone else when we were together. That’s one thing I can take pride in doing. I did the best I could but you didn’t even fucking try. I refuse to believe you cheated on me because of a fucking missed phone call. Even you aren’t that childish or pathetic. If I had known this, I’d have fucked every girl I could whenever you didn’t answer my call. I always think I’m worthless, that I’m trash, but I always will know someone worse than me.”
 
Bryce was soft and gentle with her and it was everything that Alicia could have hoped for. She met his lips fervently in a need that wasn't sexual but still very much a need of hers - the need to feel close. She could lose herself in that moment and as she laid there she was doing exactly that. His fingertips dug in to the tense flesh of her shoulders and her neck arched just slightly at the contact and the warmth from the release from that day - that week's very growing tension. When his lips fluttered against the sensitive flesh of her neck she craned away, opening up and giving him more access to the sweet spots - hers just happened to be the thin flesh over the bump of bone behind her ear and just above her collar bone where her jugular disappeared under her flesh. He found them and she hissed, a pleased sound rather than one of displeasure.

"Just keep me close please," her soft tone was barely more than a whisper and she couldn't tear her gaze from his even if she wanted to. She was entranced, mesmerized by every piece of him and both confused and thrilled that the time had come that she could call him her own. Too much time had passed wondering and passing herself over, thinking all those other girls were the right one for him when she knew that she wanted to be that woman. Now she could be and the change was both a shock and a joy, and she wanted to be everything he could ever want in life. What would that be though? How would she know what to do to keep him close?

Her hands fiddled with shirt hems and glided over arms and abs and everything in between as she idly touched and explored. Every touch was feather light and delicate, like he - or they - may break if she dared to press too hard. "I've never felt so at peace."

----

Maybe one of the reasons they never worked out was that Nick wasn't a pushover - he didn't stand down when she made her calls and Anna thrived on being in control. She needed control of something in her life so she took control of people, used them sometimes without even realizing it. Drugs and distraction and desperation - there was always something she needed to take and take and take. She was never quite happy with herself.

"You know why I cheated? Because he was there and you weren't, and I was a mess. I know it's fucked and I know it's my fault and it was a terrible thing to do." Her hand was still held by her face and there was fire in her eyes. Sometimes she watched the world spin around her, watched herself make everything worse and worse until there was no way to turn back and undo the mess she had made. She had done it time and time again for as long as she could remember and nothing could excuse her actions when they were terrible - but she wasn't trying to make excuses, not really. It just came out that way and honestly she'd be damned if she tried to actually make sense out of the way her own mind acted some times. She acted before thinking, letting the impulse guide her and the impulse was to self destruct. The bullshit made sense to her in a weird, twisted way and she couldn't fathom a better way to try and explain things.

"You didn't have to save me you know," she said as she shook her head and her fist fell to her side. Her hands clenched in to tight, knuckle-blanching fists as the anger gave way to a wave of guilt. Just talking about he mess she had made, admitting out loud the things she had done, the things that had caused him so much pain... He was right though - in every sense of the word she was worse than him. She had always fallen deeper in to the pit and she had let a monster consume her and turn her in to a person she couldn't even recognize. "We'd both be better off if you hadn't."
 
“I can say the same about myself.”

It was ironic, wasn’t it? The most peaceful and happiest moment of Bryce’s life took place during the fucking zombie apocalypse. Even with the entire world around them collapsing into a fiery flame of death and destruction, two teenagers found something beautiful.

“As long as you are mine, I feel like things are going to be okay. I didn’t think they were at first. Earlier this month when my Mom died, I thought my life was over. I didn’t have any parents left and my other relatives were thousands of miles away. When I felt this way, you were there for me and you helped me grieve. When I first realized what exactly happened with this infection and saw that the dead were literally walking the earth, I had no idea how anything could ever be alright again. Yet, you still managed to change the way I think. Alicia Clark, I don’t want you to ever leave my arms. I have hope again because of you. I can feel happy again, because of you. Thank you for everything you do, my beautiful, sweet Princess.”

Their bond was always strong. It felt like they both always put each other first. For example, Madison had to miss one of Alicia’s birthday parties because Nick showed up at their doorstep high as a kite. She and Travis had to take him to the hospital and she was going to just cancel the birthday party reservations for Alicia. Thankfully, Bryce swooped in to save the day. He worked part-time at the bowling alley. His mother was great friends with the owner, and she allowed Bryce to set up a quick celebration with pizza and a few reserved bowling lanes for Alicia, himself, and their friends. They have always put each other first and Bryce realized that was probably not something Alicia had been used to since Madison seemed to favor Nick over her.

“As much as I love playing with your hair, we should probably get some rest soon. We’ve cuddled before, but not really cuddled while we fell asleep. I want to do that so badly – and kiss you on top of that. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms. That would be a dream come true, again.”

---------------------------

Nearly scoffing when Anna said “I know it’s my fault and I know it’s a terrible thing to do”, Nick rolled his eyes. Another stark difference between them involved their arguments. Anna got fired up, a look of murder in her eyes, and raised her voice quite a bit. Nick, on the other hand, was more sarcastic than anything. He could give the appearance of being relaxed while being pissed off. He was not a screamer and he was not adept at showing those positive emotions.

“If that’s your attempt at an apology, you need to reconsider how you say it.”

Next, Nick heard Anna talk about him not needing to save her. They would have both been better off if he had not saved her. Was that true? Nick knew it was false. If he left Anna behind, he would have never gotten another wink of sleep that night. It was funny how he did leave behind dozens upon dozens of other people in those cells, screaming and begging to be freed. However, Nick had his eyes set on only one person. Surely there were others in these cells much more worthy of being saved. Nick thought about it constantly, but he chose the lowest-level of a human scum that he could.

If he felt this strong of a dislike for her, then why did he save her? Nick confused the hell out of himself. Unable to figure out his thought right now, Nick gave her another coy answer.

“You’re probably right. I saved you and the very first thing you do is bitch at me and blame me for shit you did wrong. I should have left you in that cell to rot.”

Of course, Nick did not mean it. He was aware of it – he just did not like expressing his feelings. In truth, Nick would have saved her again if he could. Maybe it was not a conscious admission that he would – but Nick certainly would have saved her. They had so much time together and so many memories together that it just could not be forgotten at the snap of his fingers. This was not something he wanted to admit aloud, though.

“But here we are. I did save you. I have to live with those consequences, and you do, too.”
 
Alicia was grateful that she had been given the chance to support and love Bryce over the years, from childhood scrapes to the more recent traumas. After her father had died she had been left feeling despondant, but one good thing that came from that was that she knew the support and love that he would need. It was the same kind that he had offered her over and over again throughout the years. The pair of teenagers had never been anything less than completely supportive of each other.

It was hard to remember the dead were rising around them when she was able to lose herself in the serenity of this time, this place, this moment. She wanted it to never end but when he brought up that they would need to sleep in order to be prepared for what tomorrow would bring them, even Alicia had to admit that he was right. Wordlessly she adjusted her position enough to allow him to and then cuddled up. With her head against his chest and one of her arms slung loosely over his abdomen, she felt utterly at peace.

"I'd like that," she whispered in a soft, sweet tone.

----

Apologies - Anna was terrible with apologies and always had been, a tendency that stemmed from a combination of not wanting to acknowledge her own faults and the fact that she just really didn't deserve to be forgiven anyways so why even try to ask? What was the point of trying to mend something that couldn't be fixed? Once upon a time he had mattered to her, mattered a damn lot more than she even cared about herself, but how was that supposed to matter now when it hadn't been enough to keep things from falling apart two years ago? The snark in his tone, condescending disdain and that sarcastic tone that drove her right up the walls - she didn't know what it was like, how he managed to not scream when he had to deal with her. She couldn't wrap her head around that and it drove her mad. Hell, she made herself want to scream half that time and that was without including outside factors.

“But here we are. I did save you. I have to live with those consequences, and you do, too.” As much as Anna wished that he was wrong she knew he had a point, knew that getting angry and pointing fingers and placing blame wasn't going to get either of them anywhere but sometimes she didn't know how to just stop. She scratched at her arms and looked up towards the sky, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, I know." She looked back towards him and she was virtually speechless - she had no clue what she wanted to think or say or how she was supposed to make this bearable for either of them. Then, instead of offering any departing statement or even offering Nick any sort of further acknowledgement, she turned her back and walked towards the room she would be staying in.
 
The next day, Bryce woke with the love of his life wrapped tightly in his arms. They spent most of the day together on deck, just cuddling. There was not much to do, anyways. Madison saw them together and saw them kiss but she only smiled at them. As Alicia’s mother, she fully approved of Bryce being with Alicia. He had grown up around the Clarks and she trusted him with Alicia’s life. It made her feel better knowing that Alicia had someone looking after her like that. While they were on deck, a small skiff overflowing with nearly two dozen passengers flagged them down and begged for help.

Unfortunately, Strand refused to stop. After leaving the stranded survivors behind, Travis asked for someone to scan the radio channels and look for help. Bryce nearly volunteered for the duty, but Nick’s ex-girlfriend took that job. Strand informed the families that their destination was San Diego – hoping to receive help from the Navy or the border patrol. After the funeral procession for Liza, the day was ending so Bryce returned to his room with Alicia. Later that next day, Chris jumped into the water and Nick jumped in after him. They ended up finding that same skiff from earlier but it was shot up and the dead were around. Nick narrowly had escaped the clutches of the infected before returning Chris to the yacht.

At this time, Strand detected something going on the radar. Someone was behind them, perhaps chasing them. The only logical explanation was that whoever shot up the skiff was coming back for them. They decided to retreat from the coastline and head for Catrina Island since the military had already leveled San Diego. They were approaching the island and Madison spotted some flash inside a house near the ranger station which meant someone was there. Bryce was currently standing with Alicia, his arms wrapped around her as her back was against his chest.

“You stay close to me, understand?” It was not even up for discussion. They had not spent a second away from one another since their dual admission the other night. Bryce was showing his protective side – especially since it was nighttime.

-------------------------

After Anna left, Nick did not even chase after her. Instead, the male returned to his own cabin and retired for the night. The next day after the skiff incident, Nick found that Anna volunteered to take over the radio listening duties. They hoped to find anyone that could help them – Coast Guard, military, border patrol, whatever. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard had made contact with the distressed channel and informed them that they were unable to save anyone. Instead, she somehow managed to make contact with some guy named Jack. Nick would eavesdrop and it sounded like she was flirting with him – it got especially heavy when she was lounging on a deck chair when Nick was around as well.

It should not have bothered Nick, but it did. The male wanted to not care, but he could just not do that. He wanted to just get away, so he started to hang out with Strand. The older man admitted there was no backup plan if San Diego was a failure. It was not the best news and it was impossible to get away from bad news, it seemed. Not long after Liza’s funeral, Nick saw Chris suddenly jump into the water. Even though he was “Just going for a swim”, Nick knew his mental state was in a bad place. He just lost his mother and Chris did not act like he had everything together.

The male barely escaped the clutches of the infected. Someone had apparently shot up the skiff boat and left everyone for head. When they had all returned, Nick watched the approaching vehicle with Strand. He agreed that they should find somewhere to hide until they passed. Travis suggested an island nearby with a Ranger station. Nick stood with the others as they approached the island, having done his best to ignore Anna ever since their confrontation on the first night.
 
With nothing but the sea ahead of them there wasn't much for Alicia to do besides spend time with Bryce, which wasn't something she argued with. While she had been about to offer to take over the radio, she was also more than willing to hand it off to Anna. She would have just spent the day with Bryce anyways, her head in his lap and her eyes on the sky. It would have been peaceful, relaxing even - and it was. She didn't miss the way that Anna was acting, though, and she caught sight of Nick walking away from the deck with a less than pleasant expression as Anna had laid on the deck. Alicia didn't get what her older brother saw in the women - there had been several times that Anna had met the Clarks and each time had just made Alicia less and less impressed. Though she wasn't going to sentence anyone to death by kicking them off the boat, she didn't understand why the woman had been brought along in the first place.

"Of course I won't," Alicia said as they approached the island. She was already close to Bryce's side and had barely a moment without him since their confessions. That wasn't about to change now, especially given that they didn't know if whoever inhabited the island would be friendly. They stepped off in the darkness, leaving the Salazars on the boat with Strand, and from there the group ventured towards the house in hopes that whoever lived here was friendly enough to allow them passing shelter while they figured out where to go from here now that San Diego was no longer an option.

----

If there was one thing that Anna was a champ at handling it was withdrawal, which is what she ended up spending most of the first night doing - the fever, the chills, the shakes. She was able to keep herself from puking but only just barely and by the time that morning came and the others had awoken she had, for the most part, sorted herself out. The physical symptoms were gone at least, but she still found herself restless and with only one smoke in her pocket she was trying to save it for a time when she really, really needed it. Volunteering to take over the radio was an easy call - it gave her a distraction and something to do to keep busy, and eventually she found herself talking to someone by the name of Jack who was stuck with his brother and girlfriend. There was no denying that there was flirtation in her voice, a sweet tone that that had once upon a time drawn Nick himself in and she found a strange sense of superiority in using it in front of him - she would deny it though, if asked. She had genuinely laughed when Nick walked away, and explained to Jack that she was stuck here with her ex of all people.

Jack seemed like a good person, and was a much needed distraction - not to mention part of her saw him as a way to get away from here. Tensions had remained high after her fight with Nick and she didn't expect that to come down any time soon. She couldn't pretend that her heart hadn't dropped when she watched Nick dive in after his step brother and the dead from the boat they had passed earlier began to circle in on him, though. She almost - almost - ran for him as soon as he got back on to the boat, wet clothes be damned. She had switched her button down in favor of a low cut tank top anyways. Luckily she caught herself - that would have been interesting to try to explain, both to him and to herself.

Anna was interested in the island that they were approaching, especially after the discovered that there was someone living there. That meant food, shelter - the chance to maybe get her hands on something that might sooth the itch in her veins. As the boat neared she paced on the deck, and once they docked she was one of the first to walk off.
 
Approaching the house, Bryce stuck to Alicia like glue. It was the first time in days where Bryce was not looking at Alicia because he was too busy scanning the foreground, ready to defend the girl he loved. Thankfully, the family reached this house without encountering any enemies or infected. When the door creaked open, everyone collectively held their breath. However, when a young boy walked out with his father, everyone breathed out a sigh of relief. “My name is Travis Manawa.” Travis began, slowly walking forward towards the house with his hands out to his side, showing no threat. Travis went through and introduced everyone before explaining the situation. “We were out on the water. We need a place to dock for the night. I heard there was a ranger station here and I thought this was safe. If you’ll allow us to dock for the night, we can leave first thing in the morning. We mean no harm.”

Apparently, little negotiation was needed. The male, George Geary, allowed the family to dock their yacht for the night. For that, Bryce felt thankful. Perhaps they would have some luck after all. Inside the house, George and Travis quickly engaged in conversation. George feared most of the Western half of the country had been sealed off and doomed according to the chatter over the radio. Madison went to speak with George’s wife, Melissa. It left Bryce and Alicia deciding to play with the children as Nick did as well. Bryce watched Alicia interact with the two kids and it made him think about the future, what could have been in their future. Marriage? Children? Maybe he was jumping too far ahead, maybe he was not. It was so adorable watching Alicia. He knew she would be a fantastic mother if they decide to go that route one day. For now, he just sat on the couch beside Alicia as they got to know Harry and Willa.

------------------

Nick walked with his family towards the island. Rather, his family and Anna. The male wondered why she was going with them, but she had freedom to do whatever she wanted. Nonetheless, when they arrived, Nick realized they seemed like decent people. George, Melissa, Harry, Willa, and Seth. Nick quickly identified with the younger brother, Harry. He watched his sister and Bryce talk to Willa. Seth did his own thing, being a teenager. Nick honestly just tried to ignore Anna. It had been a rough few days. Not only was he dealing with his withdrawal, but he was dealing with his ex. Thankfully, he managed to only puke or show the effects of his withdrawal when he was alone, away from Anna. It had been torture, though. Nick hated these feelings and he had half a mind to raid the Geary house for anything that could help. He decided against that, however. Harry took Nick to his room, showing him different action figures with red dots on their head like gunshot wounds. That gave Nick the first warning sign that something was not quite right here.

Then, Harry showed Nick something. They were what he called “power pills”. They were the reason he did not worry about getting sick. Harry claimed that it would keep his family together and keep them safe. To Nick, it sounded like some kind of poison pill. He took that like it was a sign. Just when he wanted to find some pills or drugs, there was something eerie going on here with these “vitamins”. Nick figured it was better he left everything alone that he found in this house. It worried Nick, thinking these kids needed to be someplace better.

Despite the concerns, it was truly not Nick’s place to say anything. During the rest of their night, he spent time with Harry and got to know him. Madison did the same with Melissa and came to the conclusion that she might want to leave the island, but she was too afraid of her husband to say anything about it. From there, the family knew they had to leave and spend the rest of their night on the yacht. They might leave in the morning or it might turn into a longer stay. After Nick dismissed himself from Harry, he returned to his mother as the family prepared to return to the yacht.
 
Alicia was grateful that they were welcome to dock without a fight. After what felt like ages on the water she was starting to feel like there was nowhere to go from here and while she appreciated being able to spend time with Bryce she had to wonder how long they would be able to keep going before they ran out of fuel or found themselves in danger as Strand worried about. The children gave her a chance to relax again, and watching Bryce interact with them brought a warmth to her heart. She had always known that he would be good with children even though she had never seen him with them, and for a moment she found herself wishing for something she could never have - children. It wouldn't be right to welcome one in to the world any more, not this world. Maybe somehow things would go back to normal one day but she was starting to doubt that, and the loss of that world meant the loss of so many things she was supposed to enjoy. College, marriage, having a baby. The thought was saddening but she did her best to push it to the back of her mind and focus on the now, where Willa was singing "ring around the rosie" and asking about what a posie was, leaving her to try to explain the black plague in a child friendly manner.

Back on the ship later that night she originally went back to her room with Bryce. They talked about everything, talked about how they were supposed to live in this world, but as the night wore on she found herself restless and asked if he would mind if she went up to the deck by herself for a moment. She had a lot on her mind with everything going on, and she had wound up catching Nick on the bench. The two had the chance to talk, actually talk - it was a rarity for the Clark siblings to genuinely be able to interact with each other. Nick was always high or gone or, well, she just didn't know what to say. It wasn't too long before she left him there and returned to her room, where she found Bryce still awake. She curled up to him and whispered a soft good night before passing out almost instantly. The events of the day had taken their toll and maybe tomorrow would bring better things.

She woke first, before Bryce and as much as she wanted to let him sleep she also wanted to head upstairs and see what the day would bring them. Sleep and waking up next to him had quelled her worries and she gently roused him from his slumber. "Hey, it's morming time sleepyhead," she said softly with her lips close.to his ear.

----

The Gearys didn't seem like bad people, but for some reason Anna felt... Well, off. Maybe it was the withdrawal, Nick, the whole "the dead are walking among us" shit that was going on around them. She couldn't place a specific cause for her worry so she elected to blame it on all of the above. While the Clarks had gone inside, she elected to stay outside and she spent a good part of the night laying down on solid ground with her hands crossed over her belly with her shirt riding up to her naval and her eyes closed. She focused on her breathing and keeping herself from picking a fight or trying to raid the house for something, anything that would take the edge off. Only when she heard the sounds of the family returning leaving the little house did she move, and she sat up much too fast. She brought her hand to her spinning head until it calmed, and then beat the family back to the yacht. By the time they got there she was already back there, this time lounging on the deck. She didn't know if she would return to her room that night or not - with the open sea no longer rocking the boat, quite literally, she had a chance to enjoy the fresh air without feeling additionally queasy.

Anna moved eventually, finding her room before the Clark siblings had ended up on the bench. Before she knew it morning had come and voices outside her door awoke her. She had always been a light sleeper so she knew the activity must have been new and everyone else was just rising. Did she leave the room or was there even a point? While Madison and Travis weren't hostile she could tell the friendliness was fake, Alicia didn't even try... Nick made sure he knew he hated her and she was sure Bryce knew something or another about her by now and would want nothing to do with her. Her best bet was with Ofelia and while the two had gotten to talking before she still felt like her presence there was more a burden than anything else. She left eventually though; she threw a black button down over her tank top and didn't do it up and then made her way to the main area to grab something quick to munch on. Everyone already seemed to have risen.
 
It felt surreal. Waking up, Bryce opened his eyes and what was the first thing he saw? It was Alicia Clark, her faces inches away from his. Even in the early morning, those green orbs were shining bright and full of life. Unable to even formulate words right now, Bryce gently lifted his right hand, placing it onto Alicia’s face. He gently started stroking the girl’s cheek before cupping it and pulling her head down for a peck kiss. However, after the peck kiss, Bryce decided that was not enough. The world now saw the dead rising and walking the lands. If you were going to kiss someone, you might as well go all the way. Sitting upright, Bryce pulled Alicia even closer so their lips could touch again. This time, his tongue pressed against her mouth, rubbing against her bottom lip before attacking her upper lip soon after. He allowed their tongues to dance together and battle for a few moments before pulling back. Now – that was one hell of a way to get a good morning kiss. “Good morning, Princess.” Bryce finally answered, pushing himself up to sit onto the edge of the bed. If he was not careful, Bryce would have lay in bed all day and night long with the girl that he loved.

“Alright, let’s get moving and see what everyone else is doing.” Travis and Madison were already preparing to head out. Apparently, Chris was already gone so Travis needed to search for him. The poor kid was still slowly deteriorating. Bryce felt like he could relate to Alicia’s step-brother. Even though they lost their mothers under significantly different circumstances, but by similar means, Bryce felt bad for him. Nonetheless, he pushed the negative thoughts out of his mind and just grabbed Alicia’s hand.

“I don’t know what else we can do around the house. I think we should head up to the ranger station. There could be some supplies that can help us.” There was a chance some of the food storage was still in tact. Maybe they could find a weapon or two. Maybe there were clothes to take. Bryce figured it was best if they explored together. After waiting for Alicia to either confirm or deny, Bryce and his girlfriend informed Alicia’s mother of their destination. After telling them to be safe, Madison went off on her own to find Melissa. Meanwhile, Bryce walked with Alicia’s hand in his own towards the station. They started to search and funnily enough, he found a notebook and a pack of markers. “It looks like I know someone that might want this to pass the time.” Bryce loved Alicia’s artwork. She was so damn talented. When they left her home, they did not exactly have the time to grab her art supplies since that was not quite as important as food and water. But now, he found this for Alicia to use so he held it out to her with a big smile on her face. “I love watching you draw.” Bryce added, hinting that he would like to see something now – even something simple.

-----------------------

That night, Nick decided to go lounge around on the deck. Besides, he was losing his mind alone in a room with four walls. He hoped being outside and in the air would help him feel better. However, it appeared his sister had a similar idea. Of course, being the protective big brother, Nick first wondered if Bryce and Alicia had gotten into a fight or something. Was she coming here to cool down? Nick quickly decided that was not the case. Ever since Bryce and Alicia had admitted their feelings for each other, Nick saw this new glow on Alicia’s face. It was still there, so he figured it was not a relationship problem. Instead, they just talked for a bit. They did not have any particular subject they kept in mind and it was nice. Nick had missed just talking with Alicia. He missed so much in her life and he regretted it. Hopefully now, he had more than just a reason or two to change that fact. When Alicia left, he had to admit that he felt jealous. Jealous because she was going back to a room with someone she loved. She was going to hold Bryce in her arms and vice versa.

And damn, if Nick did not want exactly that. Many nights, he and Anna passed out in each other’s arms. Sometimes, they just passed out soon after a rough sex session or after spending time just quietly cuddling. It was ironic how when the only thing he should care about was surviving, he started to care about living. He felt alive back then and he was a moron to think it was only the drugs. Anna did something to him, something that nobody had ever done before. It was likely nobody would ever do this to him ever again. Unfortunately, he was still alone and he did not have anyone to comfort him. He tossed and turned all night before leaving his cabin early the next morning. Of course, the one person he did not want to see was in the area where he was headed. Anna. Nick grabbed a granola bar quickly and averted his eyes. They were alone so the tension was thicker than ever before. “Morning.” He greeted coarsely, hoping to avoid any altercation. Madison and Travis were getting ready to head inland while Bryce and Alicia had just headed out on their own.
 
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