Enjoy this chapter

-Hunter's POV-

It was quiet... The air was still, but there was a hard stench of blood and a fleeting scent of gunpowder. The remaining of my teammates and I met up. All that could be heard was the soft crunch of snow under our feet. Most of us were untouched, unscathed; some of us got the shorter end of the stick.

We gathered around a table in the lodge and evenly split up the supplies. I always thought to myself, "Some of us sacrificed more than the others. Some of us put more effort. Some of us...nearly died to earn this. How is it fair?" Those words clouded my mind, but I dismissed it like I always did and pulled a sack out of my backpack. I mindlessly put everything into the bag, giving the rest of the Hunters a grunt meant to be a good bye as I walked out and headed towards the small shack.

This is how it usually goes: finish the fight, take the goods, leave. I never wanted to see their faces again, but I usually do...

'Hopefully that Firefly is still there...and still alive.' I mentally prayed to myself. I turned the corner and walked into the wooden shed. What came next scared the shit out of me, considering I was still lost in my thoughts.

I sidestepped the two by four and caught the man by his wrists. He was cold to the touch and it worried me in the slightest amount, but I wasn't going to make it known that it worried me.

"Jesus! Are you trying to kill me?" I wanted to smack myself for asking that. 'Of course he's trying to kill me, I fucking shot him.' He looked like he was ready to just faint at any moment, and it wouldn't be good in the cold. He would freeze faster in his sleep.

"...S'cold..." He whimpered and leaned into the touch of my hands on his wrists. By then he let go of his stick, and he was blinking more slowly each time. "...I'm c-cold..." I let go of his wrists, earning a whimper of disapproval.

"Well, just suck it up; we'll be out of here soon. Before you even know it." I declared. 'You would think a Firefly would be able to endure more... But then again, he's only human.'

-Firefly's POV-

It was finally warm, but only on my front. I leaned into the warmth, welcoming it and trying to get as much of it as I could. I wrapped my arms around the source, pulling it closer to me and ensuring it wouldn't leave. A faint sound of hooves trotting on the ground lead me to suspect I was on a horse, considering I was bouncing every so often. But I was too exhausted to think, too drained of power. My thoughts faded as I was being embraced by sleep, and nothing else mattered at the moment. Nothing but the warmth pressed against me.

Before I even knew it-sounds familiar for some reason-I was waking up. I blinked slowly, and the intervals of my eyes being closed grew shorter over time. They were wide open in seconds. I began to panic, and adrenaline started to kick in. Cold sweat plagued my body as I stare at an unfamiliar ceiling. It wasn't even a ceiling, but something else. I shot up, wincing when a sharp pain ran through my body, however I ignored it. It wasn't important. My mind was running a mile a minute as I recalled what happened earlier...yesterday? A few days ago? How would I know? How long had I been asleep?

I was on a makeshift bed, still perspiring cold sweat as I clenched the sheets under me. I looked around what seemed to be a tent, and immediately noticed a pair of blue eyes staring intently at me. I calmed down a bit. It was a small boy that seemed nonlethal and fragile even, but I knew looks could be deceiving. I knew it all too well. A shiver ran across my body and the boy's sudden yell startled me, causing me to tense up.

"Michael!" The boy called out. Who was Michael? Was he a friend or foe? Well I was about to find out soon because what seemed to be the entrance of the tent opened and a man who I met before crouched down and made his way in. He plopped himself down next to the boy that was on another bed parallel to the one I was on. The male across from me ruffled the boy's hair and placed what seemed to be a piece of candy in one of the boy's hands.

"Thanks, kid. You can go now." The man who I guessed was Michael said in a surprisingly smooth voice. Then it hit me, it was the Hunter that shot me and...saved me? What was up with that? He smiled at me and I was confused beyond anything. A Hunter sort of helping a Firefly... "Good morning, Sunshine!" He chirped, and it only made me furrow my brows further. 'Sunshine? What the hell?'

"Morning." I grumbled lowly, though he seemed to hear it because once the word passed my lips he smiled even brighter. Then I realized... "Wait, morning?" He nodded, still smiling his carefree smile.

"You were knocked out." He stated.

"For how long?"

"About two days, or so." I groaned and laid back down with an audible 'thunk'. Covering my face with my forearm, my thoughts were running wild.

"This is a dream..." I whispered.

"...No, I'm pretty sure this is real." He replied. He must have good hearing because every word I said went undismissed. I ran a hand through my hair and noted that it wasn't slick back like I usually had it. I shot back up, looking at him with bewilderment.

"How am I clean?" I demanded an answer and the volume of my words surprised me. He jumped a little, looking sheepish when he realized he did.

"Ah, you were bathed." I went silent. 'Bathed...bathed...bathed?! Meaning someone saw me nude, and had their hands all over me.' I shivered at the thought. "Not by me, if you're wondering." He quickly added when he saw the panic and disgust in my face.

"That doesn't help the case." I sighed, letting out a shaky breath. "Nevermind dream..." I looked to him, and he gave me a confused look. "This is a nightmare." Right on cue, my stomach grumbled lowly, indicating my apparent hunger. Speaking of, that would mean I hadn't eaten for at least two days. Michael laughed a hearty laugh. He seemed to enjoy the small things that came with life. That was an admirable trait. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and looked towards him.

"Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"No, thank y-" I muttered, but cut myself off when the smell of food invaded my senses. Was it always there? I bit my bottom lip, and debated whether I should agree to eat or not. Soon enough, I gave in, and nodded slowly. He smiled once more before gesturing towards the entrance of the tent. I rolled out of the makeshift bed and stumbled out of the tent.

We sat down around a fire and ate. Despite my hunger, I had no appetite and spent most of the time pushing the food back and forth, rather than actually eating. I was sure Michael noticed it, but let me be and for that I was grateful. He cleared his throat, suggesting that he wanted my attention. I looked away from my plate and up at him.

"So...I'm Michael. Last name Gradek. I'm 26, and I guess that's all you need/want to know about me." He scratched his cheek, which lead me to notice that he had stubble. 'Funny, I'm older than him and I've never been able to grow facial hair.' He looked at me expectantly with a sincere smile. Then I realized what he was waiting for.

"I'm, uh, Allard Wells and I'm 29."

"Wow~ 29, huh? Would have fooled me. You look pretty young."

"I don't take that as a compliment." He seemed surprised. "I'm older than you, I'd appreciate the respect I deserve." I have such a bad way with words. Always did, always will. He blinked a couple times.

"Believe me," he smiled at me, beaming with happiness. "You have it, and you will for as long as you want it." How could a man in the middle of an apocalypse be so carefree? So happy? So...fucking calm? I hated him for that, but most of all I envied him for it. I looked away from him, and my eyes wandered around my surroundings. Everywhere around us were tents and people. People who seemed to be as equally happy as the man whom I suspected ran it all. They laughed together, sharing stories and other intangible things. I glanced back at Michael, and really couldn't help but think, 'I'm such bad company. He could be with his friends, having fun and sharing a laugh. But he's here with me. My unhappy, worrisome self. Why IS he even here with me?'

"You don't have to stay with me, you know." I stated, still reluctant to look him in the eyes.

"True, I don't have to..." Something sickening washed over me, and I just wanted the world to open up and swallow me whole. Maybe I had little hope that he would disagree and reassure me that it was fine. Maybe I actually wished that he- "But I want to." I turned my head sharply to see him, to see if he meant it and when I saw his sincere smile still gracing his lips, I couldn't help but smile to myself a little. He stared at me with slight surprise and my smile dropped.

"What?" I asked gruffly.

"You should smile more often." He gave me a pat on the back. "After all, someone could be falling in love with it." I set my plate aside, and began to twiddle my thumbs. I was also never good at dealing with compliments. I usually just avoided them, changing the subject.

"So, you have a lot of people here, huh?" He nodded and broadened his shoulders a bit, obviously proud of the accomplishments. I rolled my eyes, letting out a scoff under my breath. Although, that scoff was more like a laugh.

"At the moment," he gestured around us. "We're at an all-time best. Almost every day a new person is joining us. People of all ages, races, genders, religions, etc. are welcomed with open arms. With the world being in an absolute shithole, there is no room to judge each other."

"Really? So you've had a Firefly before?" He laughed heartily and patted me on the shoulder.

"No, you're definitely the first!" He grinned and I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips. He was just so...amazing...

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, thanks for reading.