Apocalyptic Love

Forever

The sun was smouldering as we worked through the heatwave, the summer came on quicker than we expected, and everyone was working together to make our newfound camp a home.

Matt prepared schedules to start training people properly, if we were going to protect this place everyone would need to know how to use a gun, he asked me to teach self-defence and I happily agreed.

Jason was working along-side me and every so often I would catch him stealing glances, pushing his dirty blonde hair across his crown as he looked over. "This place is really coming together" the boy broke the silence first while hammering another pallet to the fence.

I sent a small smile "It is. I have a good feeling about it" It was the truth; this place had the potential to be something great. "I never really saw you at the school, what did you do there?".

Jason paused slightly, wiping the moisture from his forehead "I found the place a little before it fell, I mainly just scouted and watched the walls. Nothing too crazy".

Somewhere hidden in his words were lies, I could tell by the way he couldn't maintain eye contact while he spoke, but I didn't push him; making a mental note to ask Sandra about him.

"Same, mostly".

Jason chuckled lightly "That's not true" I studied him confused "Everyone knew who you were, Andrew never stopped talking about you" it didn't hurt as much hearing the man's name anymore, even though I missed him. He was the father figure I needed at the time. "He really thought highly of you, I can see why".

Jason was gazing at me, with a directed hint in his eyes. "Are you being friendly or flirty?" I was straight up and blunt with him, the boy gave me the creeps.

Blush was creeping across his bare cheeks, and I knew my answer "Would it be a bad thing if I was?". Yes. Yes it would.

"I'm with Carter" I faked a smile behind the awkwardness, but I wanted him to know I wasn't interested. I didn't think it was possible, but his face grew even redder.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know" his words were quick and stumbled, and he quickly went back to work silently as if I'd just ruined his day.

The time dragged slowly and by the time we were done my body was aching, I was leaning against the new wall when the ample brunette walked over to me, food and a bottle of water in his hands. Carter looked radiant under the sun, his muscles gleaming under the harsh light, he was wearing a sleeveless tank and I'd never been more thankful for it. His bright smile was back since our kiss the other night and I never knew how much I missed it until this moment.

"Break time?" he held his hand towards me, pulling me against his chest when I gripped it. I hummed smiling up to him as he pulled us towards the benches, I didn't miss the glare Jason was giving us when I glanced back "That guy gives me the creeps" Carter whispered.

I raised my eyebrow to him as I climbed to the table of the picnic bench, Carter sitting on the stool below me between my legs. "You are telling me" Grabbing the crisps from his hands I tucked in, his smirk slowly growing "he tried flirting with me".

The boy tensed under me, looking like he was ready to tramp over there until I rested my hands on his shoulders "I told him how it is, don't worry" he didn't seem impressed "hey" I turned him to face me "I'm a big girl, I can handle him".

Carter leaned closer, pressing a chaste kiss against me "I know you can, I just don't like the way he looks at you".

"Let him look, I'm all yours" That finally relaxed him as he inclined back against my thighs "How's it been today?".

"Matt is a nightmare. Everything has to be in his order, or he throws a tantrum, I swear I never though storing weapons could be so draining until I spent the day with him" I smacked his shoulder and laughed getting a smirk from him "Went to the gates, there was a few dead but the people on watch handled them".

We didn't see many corpses around here, and I was thank full, but I couldn't strip the gut feeling that we would get the latter. They didn't travel solo anymore, they travelled in herds, and I don't know how everyone would cope if one came knocking at the gates.

"We will be fine" Carter gripped my hands as if he'd just red my mind.

"How the hell do you do that" I laughed "Maybe instead of Lucifer I should call you Wizard".

He turned around with a serious look, his eyebrows drawn as he struggled to keep a straight face "Please don't".

By the time night fell, my porcelain skin was red raw from working in the sun all day, and if the dead didn't kill me heatstroke surely would. Despite the soreness in my body I wasn't tired, and it seemed neither was my family. I'd just walked from the showers when I noticed Matt, Carter and Melanie all sitting around a small campfire, laughing to each other.

I stood silently watching as bliss rolled from them. The dimples in Mel's face as she smiled, the way my uncle held his stomach as he laughed and how Carter's eyes brightened each time they spoke.

In this world all I needed was these people, it didn't matter if the world was trying to eliminate us or destroy us, because we would always have this.

The three looked in my direction beckoning me over and I happily obliged, sitting myself between Mel and Carter. The girl held a glass bottle of clear liquid "Found it in the storeroom, thought we could all use a drink".

Taking the bottle I laughed to myself "Remember the last time we drank, you and Ash had to put me to bed because I threw up all over my clothes" I thought back to our old lives when the only thing that seemed dangerous was passing out after drinking; it was simpler.

"Yeah. I'm not doing that again. That's his job now" Mel hiccupped pointing to Carter, his face was a picture. A mix between worry and humour, but he shrugged as he took a sip from his own drink.

"In any other circumstances I wouldn't let you drink Katie bear, but we are celebrating" My uncle bellowed leaning back against the metal of the rollercoaster.

"You realise I'm nineteen now? You couldn't stop me if you wanted to Spartacus" sipping from the glass I screwed my face, the liquid hit my pure throat like fire, burning as it slid down.

Matt shrugged but nodded in agreement "Why do you call him Spartacus" Mel added.

"Look at him, he's built like a brick" I pointed to Matt as he rolled his eyes, flexing his muscles through his shirt "Spartacus just suits him, he's like a modern-day muscle man. But this one" Grabbing Carter's chin as I squished him gently "Is Lucifer. The boy could out death stare any fucker, I thought he wanted to kill me when I met him. Plus the dark hair and eyes".

Carter smirked down at me, a devilish look across his face "It was tempting, you are pretty annoying".

"So who am I?" The girl added.

"Hmm. Your kind of like an apocalypse brat doll" We were all amused at this point "You got the big eyes, big lips and even at the end of the world you somehow look good".

We spent the majority of the night like this, laughing in each other's company as we drank under the moonlight. Matt told us stories from his childhood, making sure to deflect the parts about my father, I silently thanked him for that. Melanie told Carter some of my most embarrassing memories from our teenage years while he laughed harder than I've ever seen, and I just sat and smiled. Wishing we could be like this forever.

But we don't know how long forever will be.

Edited