Morning came around without much fanfare. Stale light filtered through the blinds in the window, slanting across Lexi's face annoyingly. She crinkled her face up before even opening her eyes. It took a few moments for the brunette to remember the events from the night before, but once she did, her eyes widened and she twisted in place, her gaze sharply flicking towards Law's spot. It was empty, but his bag remained where it was. Apparently he was already awake but thankfully had not left the building. The painful spike of a bad hangover shot through her head, and she curled up into a fetal position, hands holding her throbbing temple with a groan.
Some of the day before was fuzzy, in fact, most of it, but there were several things that were clear as day. Like the giant fight outside the office, and the herd that had decided to stick around. And...she couldn't forget the hot feeling of his hands trailing her body, his lips not far behind. Phantom tingles lining the areas he'd kissed made her shiver, and her thighs rubbed together uncomfortably tight. God, this had all been her fault. If she had been sober enough to push him away then all of this could have been prevented.
She couldn't imagine what Law thought of her now. That she was an easy slut who just wanted in his pants? That she had taken advantage of their bad situation? That she didn't respect him? The more she guessed at it, the worse she felt, until another throb through her skull made her stop thinking entirely.
Penguin and Shachi were also gone, leaving her by herself in their sleeping area. What's more, she could hear quiet conversation from the floor below her, some of them distinctly male in tone. But from this distance and with a floor between them, she couldn't tell who was talking. She pushed up into a reluctant sitting position, careful not to move too fast for fear of making her hangover worse.
Several minutes of pep-talking herself into going down there, and having to come face to face with Law no less, Lexi got dressed into her spare clothing and stood, shuffling towards the stairwell with rising trepidation.
"How's the hangover?" Penguin asked quietly from beside Law. He gave him a dry glance, letting his tired expression answer for him. Penguin gave him a sympathetic, slanted smile before giving their leader some space. Which was good, because he was in no mood for conversation that morning. None of the others fared any better, all looking worse for wear and definitely in no condition to leave even if they wanted to.
The zombies outside still hadn't vacated the area. They no longer banged incessantly at the building's exterior, thankfully, but most had opted to mingle around the building, preventing them from going anywhere for the day without having to fight through 30 or so of the undead. Which was unfortunate, considering just how much Law really didn't want to stay cooped up in the office all day. Being stuck in close proximity to a certain brunette he was trying his best to avoid wasn't something he was looking forward to in the slightest.
Law had woken up that morning with a raging headache and a slew of embarrassing memories. Part of him had desperately hoped that it had all somehow been a cruel nightmare, but he doubted anything his mind conjured up could be so vivid. He distinctly remembered the way she squirmed under his hands, and the breathy moans she'd whispered so lewdly into his ear. God, or how her skin had tasted under his tongue...She'd been so receptive to his actions, so encouraging.
Waking up early had been the biggest blessing, so he could escape from her sight before being caught in a very uncomfortable conversation should she happen to awaken first. With any luck, she'd forget the whole night happened and wouldn't be the wiser.
Look at me, hiding from her like it would make a fucking difference. If you remembered it, she sure as shit will.
He'd taken advantage of her, used her. He knew full well if they hadn't been startled in the middle of things, he'd have taken it further. Much further, into territory he tried very hard not to think about right now. If she held any respect for him going forward, he'd be surprised. Bitterly, he thought that perhaps this would give the final push she needed to make up her mind and go with Brittany's group when they finally did leave. Why would she feel the need to stay in a group where they'd done something so dastardly. Law's own stupidity had probably pushed her away, in the end. What a great leader he turned out to be.
Footsteps from the stairwell made him tense, but he forced himself not to look at her as she emerged into the front lobby. The others mumbled out their half-hearted 'good mornings' but he remained silent, unsure of what to say that wouldn't feel awkward as hell.
Her feet crossed his line of sight and proceeded to the left. He risked a glance at her back, seeing her turn and sit against an opposite wall, by herself and away from anyone. Understandable. For one brief second their eyes locked, but he quickly looked away before he could tell what she was thinking.
A heavy silence descended upon the room. It was thick and uncomfortable, but no one was confident enough to break it. Eventually, and almost predictably, it was Brittany who broke that silence with a loud sigh.
"I wish those freaks would leave already so we can go scavenging. There's a place I want to check out ..."
No one answered her and that was the end of that. Yet another silence persisted, this time stretching for an indiscernible amount of time. Everyone was tired. Everyone was hungover. And they'd designated today as their R&R day anyway, since they couldn't leave. They were taking what time they could to get their strength back and relax.
However, Law couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut, no matter what he did. He sat stiffly against the wall and stared at the floor, hoping for the day to end quickly, if only for his own sanity.
After a few hours, everyone had mostly recovered from their hangovers. Brittany's group found the energy to talk quietly among themselves in the corner though still in a very subdued manner. Penguin counted himself lucky for having the good sense to forgo the alcohol this time around, enjoying a nice morning just relaxing without any of the grief. Shachi grumbled and bemoaned his poor decision to drink so much the night before, but he too found some time to sleep against his jacket on the ground in 20 minute bouts. That's what he expected everyone to do, just laze around and eat and drink to their heart's content while the hours dragged on.
But something was definitely up with Lexi and Law. Neither of them seemed particularly relaxed or happy. Their expressions were dour, solemn. What's more, it hadn't gone unnoticed that they'd sat so far apart. There was this palpable distance between the two of them that he'd never encountered before, and Penguin couldn't for the life of him understand why. What could have happened between now and when they'd left the room drunk last night?
"Hey." Penguin nudged a laying-down Shachi with his elbow gently, keeping an eye on Law in particular as Lexi stood and went back upstairs for some reason. He still wouldn't even glance in her direction.
"Hmm?" His hatted companion hummed easily, looking up at his friend's face, realizing that something was on his mind. "What is it?"
Penguin made sure to keep his voice down so the others wouldn't hear. "Have you noticed something weird between Law and Lexi? It's like they don't even want to be in the same room together."
"No, what do you mean? What happened?" He sat up a bit, shifting to plant his back against the wall next to his friend.
"I don't know but...just watch. You'll see." Penguin said, willing to bet that Lexi would return before too long.
It took a few minutes, but eventually they heard her footsteps descend down the stairs again. She walked back into the room, carrying a few bags of the jerky they'd taken from the warehouse under her arm. For a split second, she faltered in her steps as she neared Law, the rhythm breaking pattern just for a moment, but then resumed her original course and stopped beside where he was seated.
She mumbled a few words, too low to hear from their distance, and held a bag down to their leader. Her head was turned away to the side, staring at the ground, and Law didn't raise his head to acknowledge her at all. He replied shortly, taking the bag and setting it beside him as she walked in their direction.
"Here. I don't know if you ate before I woke up but...figured I'd bring you some anyway, just in case." She said, handing them both some jerky to eat.
Penguin noted that she didn't seem to have any problem looking them in the eye, and even managed a tired smile when they thanked her for thinking of them. With her small task finished, she returned to her seat on the other wall and chewed quietly on her jerky.
"See what I mean?" Penguin continued after she was out of earshot.
Shachi appeared concerned, but hid it by taking a bite of his jerky. "Yeah, they're avoiding each other...something definitely happened."
"Maybe they got in an argument or a fight last night when they left." Penguin commented apprehensively. "Though I don't know what they would have to argue about. Everything seemed fine yesterday."
Shachi shrugged. "Who knows? It just makes getting them together more difficult."
The two hatted survivors were the biggest silent advocates for Lexi and Law's relationship. They'd discussed early on in Lexi's joining of the group that they both wouldn't pursue her romantically out of respect for their leader, since he'd shown small signs of being interested in her. Even if they'd tossed the idea around before she'd become a permanent fixture to the group, neither wanted to come between whatever might develop between her and Law.
Since their days of randomly bumping into her in bus stations and winter cabins, they'd always known that Lexi had caught his eye. Whatever it had been precisely, they would never know. But they also knew how proud and stubborn Law could be when it came to feelings. He wasn't comfortable with admitting attraction, and with things the way they were now, that fact was intensified by about a hundred. When you could lose so much in so little amount of time, people weren't too eager to bond that closely with another person anymore. Some didn't see it as worthy of a risk.
But they wanted so desperately for their friend to be happy that they were hoping to take that risk for him, subtly pushing them together in whatever way they could. Law may be the intelligent one of the group, devising their strategies and making the tough decisions for them, but they could be subtle when the need arose.
And it wasn't like Lexi was just a pawn in all this, some sick plan to get Law laid, no. The brunette wasn't as adept at masking her emotions as their leader was, and it was fairly obvious to the two mechanics that she liked him as more than a friend. She actively sought his company the most out of the three men, and she'd let slip to them before that she felt safe when he was around. Add together her sheepish glances, her preference to go with him to scavenge,the way her sleeping spot generally was near his, and the way she'd always smile more around him, and you got the obvious answer.
They liked each other. Both of them knew it, but Shachi and Penguin knew better than to just tell them to get a room. There was a big possibility that doing so would ruin whatever progress they'd naturally made. Having to watch them start from the ground up again would probably drive the two friends insane.
So they watched and waited, willing to provide help when they could, but knowing there wasn't much they could actually do in this regard. The longer Penguin observed this out of place behavior between the two, the less he thought it had been the result of a fight. For one, they didn't appear angry, rather...gloomy or disappointed. Perhaps a rejection? It didn't seem likely. Lexi was the more probably of the two to make the first move, but even she didn't seem all that confident in Law's feelings to do something about it yet.
Ahh, it was impossible to know without asking directly, and he didn't feel comfortable butting into their personal problems like that. It felt nosy and inappropriate.
For now, they'd have to solve it themselves. And unfortunately, him and Shachi would have to bear with the tension until they did. Things were going to be awkward for the next little while, he knew.
Evening came at a snail's pace. Brittany and her entourage had elected to explore the first floor in order to pass the long hours, wondering what other secrets the office building was hiding. Their leader had asked Lexi if she wanted to come alone, and she'd agreed, if only to get up on her feet and do something. Law cautioned against being close to the windows, in case the zombies saw them moving around. With barely an acknowledgement to his warning, other than Lexi's silent nod, they disappeared down the hallway, leaving Law's group to themselves.
He didn't really enjoy the thought of them snooping around without him to see what they were up to, but he had no energy to move from his spot and he supposed Lexi would keep them out of trouble. The long day of no activity had really taken a toll on his motivation. Not to mention, having nothing to do. At least Lexi had something to occupy her time with up until now.
She'd taken out her rubik's cube around noon, and routinely tossed it to Shachi or Penguin to randomize for her, before they'd throw it back and she'd begin solving it again. He couldn't count how many times she'd done so that day, and after awhile he didn't understand how she still found entertainment in it.
On the few occasions where she felt him staring at her, he'd look away, opting to stare at the door of the lobby. After a moment, she'd stop and go back to her cube, and his gaze would eventually return to her.
When darkness fell, Brittany's group was still somewhere exploring. Lexi suddenly entered the room from another hallway, appearing to be alone.
"Where are Brittany and the others?" Shachi asked when it became apparent Law wouldn't.
Lexi shrugged. "They wanted to keep looking around, but I'm tired. Think I'll head up early."
Her eyes glanced up at the boys, but were generally fixed to the ground where she gathered up her rubik's cube and the trash from her meal that morning. Law didn't stop her from heading upstairs, and the boys called their goodnights before she disappeared up the stairwell.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Shachi turned to Law. "Dude, what is up with you and Lexi? Did you get in a fight or something?"
The leader winced, having hoped they wouldn't have noticed any change, but they were smarter than he sometimes gave them credit for. Just because he made all the big decisions didn't mean his companions weren't capable of being observant and intelligent. But hey, if they thought it was a fight...best not to correct them.
"Yes, we had an argument." He said simply, daring to meet Shachi's eyes with his own.
"What happened? Everything seemed fine before." Penguin added, curiosity getting the better of him. Discourse amongst his companions didn't sit well with him.
Law shook his head and crossed his arms, looking away. "It's not something I want to discuss."
The boys knew better than to push him into spilling the beans. He was too stubborn for his own good, and they had a feeling that he wasn't being entirely truthful about it, but they'd let it go for now. Perhaps Lexi would be more willing to talk, if they managed to get her alone for a second.
Alright, well...we're your friends, you know. If you need to get something off your chest, we're here for you." Shachi reminded him, before standing from his seat. "It is getting late though. Think I'll head up too."
Penguin risked a glance out of a small portion of a window they'd left uncovered. "Seems like the herd has started to disperse. Hopefully by morning most of them will be gone."
Law grunted a reply, watching as they went towards the stairwell. He was left alone in the lobby with his own thoughts.
It didn't sit well with him to lie to his friends, but in this case it was necessary. They really didn't need to know what had happened. And it would solidify his title of asshole if he started talking about it behind Lexi's back. There was a high possibility she didn't want them to know anything having to do with her romantic couplings. Plus, disturbing their team dynamic could be fatal if you weren't careful. Better to leave it strictly between himself and the brunette.
He waited up on Brittany's group for another half hour. Once they returned from their exploration, he picked up his stuff and went to join his group upstairs, hoping that Lexi was already asleep.
"We're gonna check out a spot I saw when Lexi and I went to get that water. We'll be back later!"
With that cheery admission, Brittany and her two friends headed out the entrance to the office building and started up the road a few hours ago. Law kept an eye on them through the window, just in case zombies hiding in the alleyways around them somehow cut they off, they could provide assistance. But no danger presented itself and they rounded the top of the street without problem.
Thankfully, the herd had gone wherever it decided to. They no longer had a mob of zombies hanging around their front door. Still, having seen just how many can congregate in a small area in such a short amount of time, Law was reluctant to go walking through the streets so readily. It had been a very unpleasant wake up call.
This city was dangerous, and part of him wanted to pick up and move somewhere else. If things had been like they used to, he would have made the decision already and told the others to get ready to leave. But things had changed, Law valued his group's opinions and wanted them to be able to have some sort of input in their next course of action.
The only problem was breaching the issue when he could barely look at one of them. Things hadn't magically gotten better overnight, as Lexi and Law were still very awkward around each other. Neither knew how to talk without thinking back on their night together. But he knew that a discussion regarding their survival was too important to put aside. Well, no time like the present to get this over with.
"The zombies within the city are easier to aggravate lately. It's like we're stirring them up every time we leave. I'm sure that we'll encounter more and more herds the longer we stay here."
"We'll just have to watch our noise and be careful, but I'm sure we could manage." Penguin shrugged, then saw Law's thoughtful expression. "Why, what's on your mind?"
"I'm not sure it's worth the risk of staying here any longer. I want to know how you feel about leaving." He put out there, opening the discussion up to any of them.
Shachi and Penguin glanced between themselves, as if trying to come up with a response. Lexi met his gaze for the first time since their little...incident. She was concentrating hard on something, as if seeing past him. He didn't know if that was a good sign or not, but at least for the time being, for a serious discussion, they could act as they once did.
"I mean...it's not the best set-up we've ever had, but this place isn't bad." Shachi eventually said. "If we decide that things aren't secure here after all, we can move to a more defendable building nearby."
"One with beds." Penguin added enthusiastically. "Sleeping this many nights on the floor is not helping anyone."
Shachi nodded, agreeing with his friend. "Definitely. And that warehouse probably still has plenty of food."
"It's not exactly close by. It's an hour walk." Law pointed out, wanting to spell out all of the facts and make an informed decision.
"Brittany's water source isn't any closer." Lexi quietly interjected, arms crossed. Her eyes were fixed on the floor in front of her now. "It took us about an hour and a half to get there."
"You didn't tell us much about it." Law remarked, not missing the slight raise of her brow. He could practically hear her say that she didn't get the chance to until now, but pushed it aside.
"It's a water bottling company. It's easy to get into, and there didn't seem to be any zombies inside. But there were hundreds of water bottles still left on the production line. And three giant steel tanks of water, but you'd have to figure out a way to break them open to access any of that." She explained, glancing at the boys, and even Law for a brief moment. "There's months worth just sitting there. I don't know how wise it would be to just leave something like that behind."
Law nodded slowly, taking in what she'd said. Being the scarcest resource that they needed to survive, he felt compelled to stay close by a reliable source. The only question was if they felt the danger involved in retrieving it was worth it.
"So we're stuck right in the middle of two large supply spots, but they aren't exactly close by. If we move locations, we'll be going further away from one of them, regardless. It will definitely be a risk going to get more, no matter how careful we are about it. And the longer we stay, the more zombies we'll have to contend with." He remarked offhandedly, mulling everything over. Lexi cleared her throat.
"If this is a vote sort of thing, I say we stay. We can't pass up food and water in the amounts this city has." She said matter-of-factly. "I've never come across so much anywhere else and I doubt we will again."
"I think so too," Penguin said, "but I still think we should relocate at the very least to somewhere that's a bit more comfortable. It doesn't have to be super far away from where we are now, maybe just down the road. If we have the option of sleeping in a bed, I say we take it. No use suffering for no reason."
"Same. I vote stay." Shachi added lamely.
Law slowly nodded. "Ok, then we will stay, but look into a nearby apartment complex or other type of building. We've sacrificed comfort for a long time, and you're right, it isn't doing us any favors waking up for the day."
He looked around at the others one more time. "All in agreement?"
Three heads bobbed up and down, leaving him satisfied. "Good. With that out of the way, now I'd like to talk about your friend, Lexi."
Her brow furrowed, eyes flicking up to meet his for a split second. "What about her?"
"I need to know if leaving your friend behind is going to cause a problem for you." He stated, staring her down despite maintaining no eye contact. She still wouldn't look at him. "I have no intention of telling them where we are going, nor if they'd like to join us. We've made things work this long and thankfully nothing's yet happened, but I'm not willing to further risk an incident between our groups. They are not trustworthy. So tell me now if you won't stand by that decision."
"What makes you say we can't trust them?" Penguin questioned. "They seem alright."
"On my run with Natalya she told me about Brittany's intention to ask you to join them." Law admitted, causing all them to look up sharply. "She said it would be smarter if you declined, because she didn't believe you would last a week with the way they do things."
Shachi looked confused. "What did she mean by that?"
"She didn't elaborate, but did allude to the fact that even within the group, there is a certain amount of distrust towards each other."
The boys watched curiously, wondering what she'd say. For several moments, Lexi just sat there with crossed arms, thinking on her answer. Her teeth gnawed on the corner of her mouth.
"It...won't be a problem. I understand." She said quietly.
"Do you?" He reiterated. "Are you sure you're ready to put her behind you?"
"Yes." Her answer came more confidently this time, and for once, she looked up into his eyes clearly. She really needed him to believe her. "I put Brittany in the past once before. I can do it again. I'm not saying it won't hurt, but I can handle it."
"You won't resent deciding to stay with us down the line?"
Her head shook. "It's my decision, there's no reason to resent you either way. But no, I wouldn't. I can see that she's changed...even if I didn't want to."
With that, she looked sadly down again, her piece said. Law was still doubtful that Lexi was 100% sure of what she wanted, but he'd take what she could give for now. At the very least, he knew that she did want to stay with them, which was a plus. One of his fears was somewhat alleviated.
And another thing, they'd just proved that they could hold a serious conversation without things being too awkward. However, now they were back to being not sure what to say. At least they could function together when the they absolutely needed to. Everything else in between was up in the air.
Lexi suddenly stoop up. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" Law questioned.
"The bathroom."
Penguin hopped up as well, feeling the need to relieve himself. "Same. I'll go with you."
The only situation they'd come up with for the bathroom was to use the ones on the far side of the building, away from their living quarters. Of course, there was no plumbing anymore, so the waste would simply collect over time, but at least the doors could shut and keep out most of the smell.
They walked carefully, mindful of being in view of any windows where they could be seen.
"I'm sorry about your friend, Lexi." Penguin said suddenly. "I'm sure having to make a decision like leaving a good friend behind can't be easy."
"Yeah..." She sighed. "I don't know, it's been so long since I've seen her, and I honestly thought she was dead by now. After all that, I don't know just how close we are as friends now. It makes it a little easier."
"Well we're glad you're staying with us, even if that makes us a little selfish."
Lexi smiled. "I don't think it does. I see you as very good friends, and I can only hope you do the same."
"We do." He reassured, returning her smile.
They came upon the doors for the bathroom. They entered their respective rooms, and both stunk just as bad as the other. She would bear with it though. Penguin zipped down his pants, holding his breath while he took a piss. They didn't have much other choice, seeing as this was the most hygienic way they could deal with their waste.
Penguin finished his business first, and waited for his female companion in the meantime. Despite being in a building, it was still dangerous to wander around on your own. Any number of things could happen, and Law would probably disapprove of just leaving her behind.
She emerged from the bathroom and smiled, seeing him waiting for her. They fell back into step as they began making their way back to the front lobby area. Penguin took the opportunity alone with her to say what was on his mind.
"Hey...Shachi and I couldn't help but notice that you and Law seem to be...not on good terms right now." He said, noticing the way her eyes widened minutely. "He said you'd gotten into an argument, and maybe it's none of our business, but we just want to make sure everything's ok."
She pursed her lips, trying to think of a response. Despite not knowing how to feel about Law at the moment, she appreciated that he didn't go telling the others what had happ-what had almost happened. She supposed it was a testament to his leadership abilities, reigning in something that could disrupt the group and cause dissent. Or maybe he was just savings his own ass from looking bad. No way to determine that.
"Yeah, we...just had a few things that we disagreed about, and I don't think things are fully settled between us, but I'm sure over time we'll work it out." She reasoned, hoping he'd accept that as answer enough.
He did, nodding evenly. "Ok. Well, we're as much your friend as we are his, so don't hesitate to tell us if you need anything. Besides, I know how much of an ass he can be when he wants to be."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Lexi chuckled, and they traversed the last few hallways. Emerging into the room, they stopped, seeing a lone figure stepping through the entrance of the office. Law and Shachi were already standing, watching the person come inside.
Brittany had returned from her outing, but her clothes were splattered with random patterns of blood along her right side. Most of it was the blackish-red color of the zombie's fluids, but there was still a good amount in the vibrant shade of the living, breathing, human variety. She held two backpacks in her hands, in addition to the one strapped to her back. And she was alone.
"Hey, guys." She said with a half-hearted slanting smile. "I'm back."
ns 15.158.11.180da2
