Mallory sat on the roof of their latest hideout, the crisp night air tugging at her hair. The stars above were clearer than she'd ever seen, an ironic beauty born from the apocalypse's destruction. The world had gone dark in many ways, but the night sky was alive, glowing with a brilliance she'd never noticed before.
"Mind if I join?" Alex's voice broke her thoughts.
She glanced at him, surprised. He rarely sought out quiet moments like this. "Sure. Plenty of room for two."
Alex settled beside her, handing her a mug of what he claimed was hot chocolate. Mallory sipped it cautiously, wrinkling her nose.
"This is coffee," she said.
He smirked. "Well, it's mostly coffee. Supplies are limited."
She rolled her eyes but took another sip anyway. It was bitter, but the warmth was welcome.
"You've been quiet today," Alex said, his tone casual but his gaze sharp. "Something on your mind?"
Mallory hesitated. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head—about the apartment, about Greg and Vanessa, and, most of all, about her place in this chaotic world. "Just... trying to figure things out."
He nodded, as if he understood. "Yeah, I get that. It's a lot to process. But for what it's worth, you've been handling things pretty well."
"Pretty well?" she echoed, raising an eyebrow. "I've been winging it the entire time. Half the time, I don't even know what I'm doing."
Alex chuckled. "That's called surviving, Mallory. No one knows what they're doing in a situation like this. You're just better at pretending than most."
She snorted. "Thanks, I think."
They sat in companionable silence for a while, the sounds of the night filling the space between them. It was rare to have moments like this, and Mallory found herself appreciating it more than she expected.
"Do you ever think about what's next?" Alex asked suddenly.
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... after all this. Assuming we survive, assuming there's an 'after.' What do you see yourself doing?"
Mallory stared at her mug, the question catching her off guard. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Surviving day-to-day was hard enough without worrying about the future.
"I don't know," she admitted. "I guess I always thought I'd just keep doing what I was doing—living in my apartment, taking things one day at a time. But now..." She trailed off, unsure how to put her feelings into words.
"Now it's different," Alex finished for her.
She nodded. "Yeah."
He leaned back, looking up at the stars. "I used to think I had it all figured out. A stable job, a nice apartment, a predictable life. But now, I can't even imagine going back to that. It feels... small."
"Small?" she repeated, intrigued.
"Yeah. Like, all of this—everything we've been through—has made me realize how much more there is out there. Don't get me wrong, I'd kill for a hot shower and a real bed, but part of me doesn't want to let go of this... chaos. It's stupid, I know."
Mallory shook her head. "It's not stupid. It's honest."
He looked at her then, his gaze lingering in a way that made her heart skip. "You've changed too, you know. When I first met you, you were so... comfortable. Content. But now, you're different. Stronger. More decisive."
She looked away, uncomfortable with the intensity of his words. "I'm still lazy," she said, trying to lighten the mood.
Alex laughed. "Yeah, you are. But you're also one of the most resourceful people I've ever met. Don't sell yourself short."
Mallory felt a warmth rise in her cheeks, and for once, it wasn't from embarrassment.
Before she could respond, the rooftop door creaked open, and Greg poked his head out. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No," Mallory said quickly, grateful for the distraction.
Greg raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. He joined them, plopping down on Mallory's other side. "Vanessa's on watch. Altair's fiddling with his tech. I figured I'd see what you two were up to."
"Just talking," Alex said, his tone neutral.
"Talking, huh?" Greg said, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Mallory glared at him. "Don't start."
Greg grinned but didn't push further. Instead, he leaned back, staring up at the stars. "You know, it's weird. I used to hate camping. Bugs, dirt, no Wi-Fi... But now, this doesn't seem so bad."
"That's because you don't have a choice," Mallory pointed out.
"True," Greg admitted. "But still. It's kind of nice, isn't it? Being out here, away from everything. Makes you realize what's important."
Mallory snorted. "And what's that? Snacks and naps?"
Greg laughed. "You know me so well."
Despite herself, Mallory smiled. It was moments like this—quiet, simple, and utterly ridiculous—that made her realize how much she valued the people around her.
---
The next morning, the group gathered in the kitchen to discuss their next move. Altair had pieced together a map of the area, highlighting potential supply caches and safe zones.
"We've got two options," he said, pointing to the map. "There's an abandoned hospital about ten miles east. It might have medical supplies, but it's likely crawling with zombies. Or we can head south to what used to be a military base. It's farther, but there's a chance we'll find weapons and maybe even survivors."
"Or we could stay put," Mallory suggested, earning a chorus of groans.
"We can't stay here forever," Vanessa said. "Supplies are running low, and this place isn't as secure as we thought."
Mallory sighed. "Fine. Let's vote. Hospital or military base?"
In the end, the military base won out, though not without some heated debate.
As they prepared to leave, Mallory found herself standing in front of her old apartment key, which she now wore around her neck like a talisman.
"Ready?" Alex asked, appearing at her side.
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said, tucking the key under her shirt.
And with that, they set off into the unknown, the bonds between them stronger than ever.