Danny's words hit Alex like a punch to the gut, the shock coursing through him like a knife tearing at his heart. He stood frozen, unable to even look at him, his body rigid with the weight of those words. When Alex finally opened his mouth to respond, Danny cut him off, his voice soften but still laced with the same intensity.
"I wished for that when I thought I was going to die. At least then, I'd get to see you again—up there," Danny said, his tone hollow and distant.
Danny's statement left Alex feeling both relief and disbelief. Just moments earlier, his heart had been pounding, convinced he might collapse from the overwhelming tension. Despite how harsh Danny's words sounded, there was a truth underneath—a flicker of light buried in the darkness.
"You bastard," Alex muttered under his breath, hitting Danny on the arm, his frustration spilling over. He didn't know whether to be angry or relieved.
"Ouch! What was that for?" Danny asked, rubbing his arm with a slight wince. "I literally said I missed you!" he added with a playful smirk, though his eyes softened.
"Yeah, with the *best* choice of words," Alex replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"I... sorry. Now that I think about it, it was stupid. I should've—" Danny began, his voice faltering as he struggled to find the right words. Before he could finish, Alex quickly reached up, placing a hand over Danny's mouth to stop him from talking. Even though Alex had to stand on his tiptoes to reach, the gesture was firm.
"Shut up, Harding. Don't overthink it. I know what you meant," Alex said, his voice calm but direct. He let his hand fall, and Danny remained silent, clearly taken aback by the gesture.
Alex turned toward the door, ready to leave, but stopped halfway. His voice softened as he spoke again.
"You idiot... I missed you too," Alex admitted, his words barely above a whisper. He then added, louder, "Now come on, it's freezing out here."
He threw Danny a half-smile, one so genuine it made Danny's grin spread across his face. Together, they walked inside, sneaking quietly into their room, careful not to wake the others. Within minutes, they were asleep, and Danny could finally rest, knowing Alex was there, safe beside him.
|7:34 AM|
The military shelter was already buzzing with activity as soldiers gathered in uniform for their early morning run, their stomachs growling from the lack of breakfast. As they jogged through the camp in groups, the rhythmic sound of boots hitting the ground filled the crisp morning air. Afterward, they filed into the cafeteria, tired but eager for their first meal of the day. Thirty minutes—that's all the time they had to eat before heading off on their next mission.
Now, the cafeteria was nearly empty, save for the clatter of plates being stacked and the low murmur of the cook cleaning up. The middle-aged woman had already fed most of the soldiers, who were now back outside. But at exactly 7:34 AM, the door creaked open, the sound of footsteps echoing in the silence as a bench scraped across the floor.
"I can't believe I'm smelling, seeing, and about to eat real food that's not from a can," Owen added, pulling his plate toward him with a satisfied grin. He eyed his food as if it were a rare treasure.
"Don't interrupt this moment," Vanessa said, taking a bite of her food with a look of pure contentment. "I couldn't stand another fish-tomato-can soup."
Owen leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "The food's not the only pleasurable sight for my eyes," he added, teasingly.
Vanessa glared at him. "Owen, shut the fuck up. I didn't miss your shitty pickup lines," she shot back, her tone sharp but laced with amusement.
"I'm here to make you smile," Owen said, shrugging. "I have to pull out the old ones. I know you're on Team Girls, Nessie, but I got too bored with just Danny by my side."
"Yeah, and there's no one gayer than you and that rat," Vanessa noted, smirking.
"Interesting that you didn't mention your best friend," Owen said, his voice turning more serious, though his expression remained hard to read.
Vanessa paused, narrowing her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, her tone more cautious now. Owen always had a way of twisting words, making it difficult to know what he truly meant.
"Chill out, Nessie," Owen said, taking a casual bite of his food. "I didn't mean anything hateful about Alex. Everyone knew it before. Just because of that, I'm not even surprised. Nor is Danny."
Vanessa's eyes flashed. "Oh really? So that's not what he found disgusting after all?" she retorted, her voice edged with suspicion.
Owen raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely curious, but before Vanessa could answer, the sound of a door creaking interrupted them.
It had taken about fifteen minutes for Danny and Alex to finally roll out of bed after Vanessa accidentally slammed the door earlier. Now, they walked into the cafeteria, groggily grabbing plates of food and sitting down with Owen and Vanessa. Owen's question went unanswered, but he didn't forget it.
"I can't believe you woke up after me," Vanessa teased, her voice light but playful.
"And I can't believe you let the automatic door close by itself. It sounded like an atomic bomb dropping on Hiroshima," Alex replied, shaking his head as he sat down, his expression exasperated.
Owen grinned. "Impressive statement for someone who's been awake for less than an hour," he noted, chuckling. "And why the fuck do you look more demolished than before?"
"And why do you talk so much the day after getting the shit beaten out of you?" Danny said, chewing his food when Owen interrupted his peace with some stupid question. He didn't waste a minute thinking about a response and immediately shot back, making it clear Owen should shut up already.
"Someone choose to wake up grumpy," Owen remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"I can go back to sleep and choose violence, how about that?" Danny tilted his head to the side, giving Owen a creepy smile.
"Try it, then," Owen said, unfazed.
"When I said he'd make a great patient for a psychiatrist, you didn't believe me," Vanessa teased, glancing at Alex with a sly grin. Alex only sighed in response. He knew better than to expect peace and quiet when stuck in a room with both Owen and Vanessa. Still, he didn't mind the morning banter; it reminded him of high school, back in the cafeteria where, at 9:05, they'd all sit together in their uniforms and gossip. Owen and Vanessa, as usual, enjoyed messing with the two "nerds" who just wanted to eat in peace—peace that of course never existed.
The door creaked open, drawing the group's attention. Pablo stood in the doorway, watching them.
"Good morning... You couldn't have sat any closer to the door?" Pablo said, raising an amused eyebrow.
"Nope. From here, I can better see who's coming," Owen replied casually, gesturing toward the door.
"And who exactly do you expect to see out here in the middle of nowhere?" Vanessa asked sarcastically.
"The fact that we used to sit closer to the door just so *you* could see him when he came out is just—" Owen began, but Vanessa kicked him under the table, hard in the knee, cutting him off as Pablo approached.
"I see you're getting along wonderfully, as always," Pablo noted with a small smile. "I hope you rested well after yesterday's action."
"When you talk like that, I feel like a stray dog that's been taken to the asylum," Owen commented, half-joking.
"You literally just described yourself," Vanessa shot back, smirking.
Pablo chuckled lightly but turned serious again. "I think your moods speak for themselves. And you two," he added, looking at Danny and Alex. "Was it difficult getting up after last night's walk?"
At Pablo's words, all eyes turned to Danny and Alex. The room fell silent as everyone waited for a reaction.
Danny broke the tension, shrugging slightly. "As you can see, no problem at all," he said with a small smile, showing he wasn't bothered by the revelation. Alex, on the other hand, still couldn't believe Pablo had let that slip. Even more shocking was that Danny was so unbothered by it. Vanessa and Owen stared at them, eyes wide.
"I misjudged you then... Savs," Pablo said, turning to Alex and addressing him firmly. "You can find me outside around noon to discuss your plan from yesterday."
"Sure," Alex replied, still somewhat in disbelief.
"Well, that's the only reason I came by," Pablo said, nodding to the group. "I won't disturb you anymore. Enjoy your day, and if you need anything, ask Bruno or Daniel." With that, he turned and left, the door closing behind him, leaving the group with an untold story hanging in the air.
"I won't say anything about what you two do. I don't care what faggots do after midnight," Vanessa suddenly said, her tone sharp.
"Excuse me?" Danny said, his voice low, a warning tone creeping in.
"You heard me," Vanessa replied, unapologetic.
"Vanessa, quit it," Alex said sternly.
"Whatever, I don't care," Vanessa shrugged, dismissing the tension. She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and slid it across the table to Alex before he could ask anything. "But I have to show you something," she added.
Alex glanced at the paper before looking back up at Vanessa. "What is this?"
"I found a way to end all of this," Vanessa said, her voice firm. "It was an accident, but it makes sense. If we can figure out where all of this started—the red dot of infection—we can stop the mass attacks. You just need to figure out where the first attack took place and whether it was human-caused."
"You know I have zero knowledge of chemistry," Alex said with a slight smile, glancing at Vanessa. He could sense the tension in her voice. He passed the paper to Danny, the one who could actually make sense of Vanessa's plan involving poisons and chemical mixing.
"So, you want me to figure out how everything really started?" Alex asked, his voice thoughtful.
"That's necessary if we want this plan to work," Vanessa confirmed.
"And you have to find out if the red dot still has water, because for this plan, you'll need a lot of it," Danny noted, skimming the paper quickly.
"Let's hope Pablo will let us go. He did everything he could to save us, and now we're literally planning to leave," Owen said, his voice a mix of doubt and hope.
"If we don't go, no one will ever leave this shelter," Vanessa said firmly.
"Alright then," Alex said, standing up. "I'll talk to Pablo later. If everything goes well, be ready to leave tomorrow."
"And where are you going now?" Owen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To smoke," Alex replied without looking back.
"You forgot something," Owen called after him, causing Alex to pause and turn around. Owen pointed at Danny.
"I see," Danny said calmly, standing up to follow. "You can't zip your mouth just like your pants," he added with a smirk, causing both Vanessa and Alex to stifle a laugh.
"Ha ha, your comedy's as low as Alex's standards," Owen shot back, grinning.
"Oh, fuck off, Owen," Alex replied, his voice high-pitched as he yelled over his shoulder. He walked out of the cafeteria with Danny trailing behind him, leaving Owen and Vanessa alone.
"So, should we continue?" Owen asked, turning his attention back to Vanessa, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
[09:27 AM]
The atmosphere outside was eerily quiet, as lifeless as the residents of the area. The only signs of life beyond the shelter were Danny and Alex, walking together. Bruno had opened the gate for them, granting permission with a warning not to go too deep into the woods and to return by noon. It was as if he were their parent, not just an old friend doing his job. They walked through the leafless forest, the late autumn air heavy with silence, broken only by the faint rustle of wind through barren branches.
Two figures stood motionless. They seemed to be waiting for the right moment to shatter the silence between them. Alex finished his cigarette, flicking the last embers to the ground. The small action caught Danny's attention, and it was the key that broke the stillness.
"Was autumn this warm when we were in school?" Alex asked suddenly, his voice slicing through the quiet like a random thought escaping his mind.
Danny blinked, slightly taken aback by the question, but a small smile crept across his face. He maintained eye contact with Alex as sunlight broke through the clouds, casting a soft, warm glow around them.
"I don't think so... I remember when we met, it was freezing," Danny said, his voice calm.
"I shiver just thinking about it. It was way colder back then... I'm still wondering how you didn't catch a cold," Alex replied, his voice tinged with curiosity.
"Me? Why?" Danny asked, feigning confusion.
"Why? Don't play dumb, Harding. At the end of the first semester of third grade, you were sick for two weeks. Not one, but two," Alex reminded him.
"That doesn't count," Danny noted, waving it off.
"How come?" Alex questioned, glancing at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Because," Danny said as he moved closer to Alex. He tugged Alex's hood over his head with a grin, finishing his thought. "It was your fault."
Alex huffed, clearly irritated by Danny's playful gesture. "Your nut head was empty back then," he said before turning and walking in the opposite direction, heading back the way they came.
"Oh yeah? And who was freezing at the time?" Danny teased, following behind.
"Let's not start that again," Alex said, his voice low as he picked up the pace.
"And why not... are you starting to blush, shrimp?" Danny taunted, his tone more mischievous than usual. Normally, Danny was quiet and avoided pushing Alex's buttons, but today was different. He seemed to be in the mood for a little challenge. Perhaps to break the boredom or to pass the time.
"At least I don't make it too obvious," Alex shot back, his words sharp.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Danny asked, now walking beside Alex, his eyes fixed on the shorter figure, who had a faint smile on his face but revealed nothing more.
"Well, since you're so curious," Alex said, stopping abruptly. Without a second glance, he reached out and grabbed a fistful of Danny's jacket, pulling him down until their faces were nearly level. Danny, towering over Alex normally, now found himself at eye level with him.
"Saying what you want too see ,makes you redder than tomato soup, Harding," Alex said, his voice low and teasing. He released Danny, who stayed frozen for a moment, processing the shock of what had just happened. Meanwhile, Alex continued walking, the silence stretching out between them again. He eventually stopped and turned back, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"One to zero for me. Why did you stop? We have to get back or Bruno's going to kill us," Alex said, his tone light and playful.
Danny, still half-flushed and half-lost in thought, blinked and finally responded, "Yeah... we should, for sure."
He caught up to Alex and patted his head, a grin forming on his face as he continued walking. The two of them walked through the forest, the morning sun filtering through the bare branches. The leaves crunched beneath their feet, and they paused occasionally to breathe in the crisp autumn air. There was no need for words—their presence spoke volumes, their faces adorned with half-smiles. Their bond was deep and genuine, evident in every silent step they took together.