The Endless Torment of an Admin (MCSM Fanfiction)

Chapter 13 - Connecting Dots

Petra had spent the last ten minutes mustering up a fake smile as she walked back to the cabin through the forest. She had dried off any evidence of the tears that had been running down her face, a slight red tint to her eyes being the only evidence that she had been crying. Hopefully Lukas would buy it that she just went for a morning walk to clear her head after what happened the previous evening.

Petra's weak leg was beginning to quiver beneath her weight as she walked up the porch's steps, her muscles tired from the walk. She reached for the wooden door, carefully pushing it open and stepping inside the cabin. Immediately Petra froze, her eyes landing on Lukas who was working in the kitchen with his back facing her.

"You're up." She said in surprise.

"Oh, hey." Lukas glanced back at her, smiling. "I got up only about five minutes ago. At first I wondered where you disappeared off to, but then I realised you were probably in the barn with Ray."

"Oh, yeah." Petra quickly lied, scratching the back of her head. "Couldn't really sleep, thought I might as well go spend some time with her. How're you feeling?"

"Just a bit of a headache now, I'm good." Lukas said, walking over to Petra and offering her a glass of orange juice. "I know yesterday, or earlier this morning really, took us both a little by surprise, but I thought maybe we could still take Ray out today." He shrugged. "We both need to clear our heads a little before we make any choices, and I don't think sitting around in here while it's so beautiful outside is going to do us any good."

"That'd be nice." Petra said, beaming. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot."

"What about you go give Ray a quick brush down and saddle her up?" Lukas suggested. "I'll make us a flask of coffee and pack up some cookies. We can have breakfast by the river."

Petra nodded excitedly, momentarily forgetting about her encounter with Jesse earlier that morning.
While she still really wanted to mend things with Jesse, Petra didn't quite know how to at that moment. And until she and Lukas can come up with a plan together, there was no point in continuing to mope around. At least there was hope again.

It was a little less than half an hour later when Petra and Lukas walked out across the grassy meadow, Petra positioned on Ray's back. She was sitting back in the saddle, holding the reins with one hand and letting her feet dangle out of the stirrups. The bay mare tossed her head excitedly as she walked, occasionally giving the blonde beside her a nudge with her head to ask for scratches. It was quiet between Lukas and Petra, but a comfortable silence.

As they reached the river's edge where they liked to hang out, Petra threw her leg over the saddle and dismounted Ray. She was steady on her feet despite her long early morning walk.

The moment the bit was out of her mouth, Ray lowered her head to the ground and pulled out a mouthful of fresh green grass. Chuckling softly, Petra gave the grazing mare a pat on neck, before walking over to where Lukas had already sat down. He had already poured them both some coffee from the flask, and opened the small container of cookies he had brought.

It was one of the small luxuries Petra had grown to love about living with Lukas – Baking was one of his hobbies, and as a result the cabin was almost always stocked with treats. They had only baked those cookies a few days ago, and there was still an assortment of snickerdoodles, choc-chips, shortbread, and coconut cookies left that they enjoyed for breakfast.

"I can never quite get over how beautiful it is out here, and I've been living in this cabin for almost three years now." Lukas said, grinning as he dipped one of the snickerdoodles in his coffee.

"It is beautiful." Petra agreed softly, smiling. "I think one of the main reasons I missed adventuring so much, was because I was constantly cooped up inside Beacontown or Champion City with nothing to do. Out here, surrounded by nature, with you and Ray? I don't miss adventuring as much as I used to."