To crashdownbabe: Actually, believe it or not, I've never actually watched PPGZ, though I know *of* it. I've seen fanart but it's not really my cup of tea, tbh. But nah, when I write Boomer's house, I kind of have a general modern-type of house in mind, nothing specific, if that makes sense? Idk lol but any of my readers are free to imagine both houses however they want. Thank you for your reviews!

To Animalcrunch12: thank you so much for reviewing! I'm honored you think so highly of my story and I hope you continue to enjoy! :D

To those of you who have reviewed, favorited, or followed this story, a huge thank you to you! Seriously; you really don't know how much it means that you guys not only gave this story a chance but you're still following Bubbles and Boomer's journey. And it's gonna be one heck of a journey lol.

Guys, I am SO sorry for the huge wait. I had so much to do at the end of last semester it wasn't even funny, then I hit writer's block. This chapter gave me so much trouble, but thanks to a few friends (you know who you are!) this chapter was able to get finished up. I didn't wanna leave you guys hanging; I know it's been months since my last post (I think?). No idea when I'll be able to get the next chapter ready, but I'll be working on it, promise!

Hope everyone is well and had a wonderful holiday season! God bless!


.: 18 :.

As they walked, Bubbles couldn't help but think about how much progress she'd made. She used to be afraid of the darkness, but now, she shone her flashlight around confidently, silently daring whatever could be hiding in the shadows to come out. Of course, a part of her was still fearful that an infected had somehow found its way down here—was it even possible to wound them, let alone kill them?—but so far, the tunnels were completely empty, which was an excellent sign. Bubbles wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but she'd learned that if you expected the worst, you could only be pleasantly surprised.

There were no other sounds except for their footsteps and the occasional dripping of water somewhere. They must have walked for at least two miles before they came to a point where the tunnels branched off into three directions.

"Which one is which?" Boomer asked.

She shone her flashlight down the left tunnel, trying to remember herself which tunnel led to where.

"If I'm not mistaken, this one leads us away from both Townsville and Citysville," she replied. "What do you think? Should we try this one, or should we try one of the others? The middle leads to the heart of Townsville and the right is more towards Citysville."

Getting away from both city areas was a no-brainer, but she wanted to give Boomer a chance to give his own opinion. They were a team and it wouldn't be right if Bubbles was the only one calling the shots.

"The left one is perfect," Boomer reassured her. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to wind up in Townsville, especially not with what happened at City Hall."

Bubbles shuddered. The sight of all those mutilated corpses, the bloodbath... That was a memory she'd rather forget.

He chewed his bottom lip anxiously before adding, "And I really don't think it would do us any good to be near Citysville, where all this bullshit started."

"All right, left tunnel it is."

They continued down the left tunnel, keeping an ear out for any strange noises or extra footsteps, but luck was on their side and they didn't encounter anything dangerous. After walking for what felt like hours, they came to the end where a ladder sat against the wall, leading up to some sort of metal trapdoor.

"This is probably a stupid question," Boomer began. "But did you guys ever worry about these things getting flooded? You know, when rainy season rolls around?"

"Nah." Bubbles set her backpack down and handed Boomer her flashlight. He trained the light on the ladder as she began climbing it, holding it so that she could see each rung. "When my dad had these things reinforced, he discovered the exits are usually in structures well-hidden from the public eye."

"How is that possible? Wouldn't people see these structures and think there's something funny about them?"

When she got to the top, she felt around for a latch. When Buttercup discovered the door that led to these underground tunnels, the Professor sat all three of them down and explained everything he knew about these underground passages, from where they led to what exactly they opened up to. Each tunnel was sealed off by a sort of airtight trapdoor; she just had to find the latch. She mentally patted herself on the back for remembering the Professor's lecture; who knew one day she'd actually have to use the tunnels?

"You ever see those tiny little dog houses that are not quite dog houses? The ones that have, like, a little cross on top with tiny windows and a door-shaped opening with no door? They're kinda just sitting there in a field or away from an abandoned house?"

Boomer scratched the back of his head, trying to remember if he'd seen such a thing. "I think so."

"From what I understand, that's where the exits are located, although the actual structures are supposed to be a little bigger than doghouses. No cross on the top, either; they're more like shacks, I think, but I've never actually seen what they look like. Professor's only ever described them, so I could be completely wrong."

Bubbles' fingers brushed the latch and she fiddled with it before it opened. She pushed it upward slightly, allowing a sliver of sunlight to enter the tunnel. The rush of warm summer air was refreshing after breathing in the damper, cooler air of the underground tunnels. Although Professor Utonium had added reinforcements to them to keep them from caving in, the thick smell of dirt and moss was so pungent that Bubbles wondered if there was mold growing somewhere.

Nevertheless, she peeked from under the trapdoor, letting her gaze sweep around the area. Sure enough, the tunnel had opened up to one of the tiny, open shack-like structures and she was pleased to hear a chorus of nature echoing around the little building. Wherever this was, they were in the middle of a thick wooded area.

Bubbles lowered the trapdoor again and Boomer immediately asked, "Is it safe?"

"I think so. I don't see any signs of infected and we're literally in the middle of nowhere. It looks like we're far from civilization."

"Lemme see."

She descended the ladder and allowed Boomer to take a look for himself. When he came back down, he seemed slightly uneasy.

"Umm... Quick question: have you ever seen any of those things climb trees?" he asked.

When she shook her head 'no,' Boomer pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I haven't either, but this seems a little too good to be true. What if they're hiding in the trees or something?"

Her heart sank. He had a valid point.

"What do you think we should do? Should we turn back, take another tunnel?"

"No." Boomer sighed. "No, we've come this far, so we might as well check it out. Maybe we'll get lucky and they're, like, allergic to pollen or something so they're not in the woods."

Bubbles cracked a smile. "Alright. I'll go first; you got your bat ready, just in case?"

"You know I do. You sure you don't want me to go first?"

"Have you ever seen me wield a baseball bat?"

Boomer thought back to when he'd first met Bubbles in that little corner store in the heart of Townsville. He gave a curt nod.

"Touché. Lead the way, milady."

Bubbles climbed up the ladder again. It was difficult to crawl out of the slim opening with her heavy backpack in tow, but she managed to squeeze through; once she'd pushed herself to her feet and dusted the dirt off her knees, Boomer emerged from the tunnel as well. She offered him a hand and he took it with a murmured 'thanks,' coming to stand next to her.

"Where are we?" he asked.

Bubbles looked around and was immediately filled with relief when she caught sight of a few Townsville skyscrapers in the distance. She had no idea where this tunnel had led them to, but at least they had put a lot of distance between themselves and the city.

"We're far from Townsville," she replied. "I don't know specifically where, but I know we're a long way from my house."

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" Boomer didn't seem to know what to think about that.

She offered him a weak smile. "I guess we'll find out."

They crept out of the small shack. The woods, although thick, were filled with the sweet sound of various birds chirping. Occasionally a locust would chime into the harmony, letting the blondes know that a heatwave was on its way. To hear nature so lively and excited was a million times better than the blanket of silence that remained over Townsville.

Well... Townsville was mostly silent, anyway. The only other sounds were those of the infected hunting down prey or destroying something, two things they were unfortunately good at. Sometimes they might hear a few birds singing, but it never lasted for long; even animals knew better than to make noise and potentially expose themselves to infected that could be lurking around.

They walked for what felt like hours and the darkening sky seemed to confirm that they'd been travelling for quite some time. Bubbles didn't know what to expect come nightfall, but she knew it wouldn't be good if they didn't find a place to stay soon. Camping was fine, but having four walls around them would keep them safe from the elements and infected alike. It would also take time to build a fire, and there was always the possibility of a campfire creating enough light or sound to draw unwanted attention to them.

To her relief, they eventually came to a series of cabin buildings, which she assumed was a campground. A few cabins were small while others appeared luxurious, clearly for families wiling to shell out some extra cash during their stay. A couple of other buildings were stationed close by: a shower building, one for laundry, another for entertainment (probably with pool tables, arcade games, maybe even a bar), a recreational area complete with a basketball court, and a huge L-shaped cafeteria sat just off next to the huge lake.

In front of them stood a small office building (if the sign that read 'CHECK-IN & MANAGEMENT' was anything to go by), which was more like a tiny house, with a front porch decked out with wicker furniture that was in surprisingly decent shape. The front door had a large piece of stained glass in the shape of a flower, its various colors popping against the woody exterior. The flower beds beneath the windows were thriving, full of yellow and orange wildflowers that made it look homey rather than a place where visitors could check in and lighten their wallets.

With how thick these woods were, there was a high chance that there were no people around, i.e. a slim chance of the infected sticking around, but then again, it was summer; perhaps some campers were still hiding out in the buildings, some infected, some human.

Boomer looked at Bubbles.

"Suspicious," he whispered. She nodded; he'd basically voiced her thoughts. They were taking a really big chance if they decided to stay here for the night. Who knew what was in the other buildings? Did they really want to go up against a number of infected in the woods, where they had no idea where they were going? And what if some of the infected were kids? Bubbles really didn't want to have to wield her bat against some poor little kid who just happened to contract whatever illness had turned the people of Townsville into monsters.

But... They wouldn't really have a choice. It was either this or continue wandering around in the woods, and they would be taking a huge risk walking around in dark woods where they wouldn't be able to see two feet in front of them. Bubbles didn't want to have to hurt anyone if she could help it, but she and Boomer could really use a place to spend the night, and if that meant forever silencing a few infected, then they'd have to cross that bridge when they got to it.

"What should we do?" Bubbles asked. Boomer eyed the office-like building for a moment before shrugging.

"We should check it out, see if anything is inside."

"What do we do if there's people in those buildings?"

"You mean infected?"

"Well, no, we know what we have to do if we find infected." She gripped her bat a little tighter, hating how cold her words sounded; in actuality, she felt nervous. "I-I mean actual survivors. If there are other human beings in there, how do we handle that?"

Boomer shrugged again. "We could always try to reason with them, ask to spend the night. If they're hostile, we leave."

"And if they follow us?"

A determined gleam flashed in his eyes. "If they follow us, we make sure they understand that we're not the type of people they should fuck with."

Fair enough.

Wordlessly, Bubbles approached the front door of the camp counselor's office and knocked on it, subconsciously holding her breath as she waited for some kind of indication that someone was on the other side. After quite a few heartbeats and straining her ears to listen, she knocked again; still no answer. Finally, Bubbles tried the doorknob but it was locked. She grabbed a bobby pin from her hair and messed with the lock before it clicked, and she pushed the door open to reveal a rustic-themed office complete with a few framed pictures of the camp along the walls. There were two doors on the back wall: one leading into a bathroom, the other leading into a small bedroom with a metal-frame bed, a nightstand, a bookshelf filled with tomes containing information about roughing it outdoors, and an open, empty closet.

"Think there's infected inside?" she asked. The sun was setting faster than she would have liked and if this was going to be their makeshift housing for the night, now was the time to ensure it was safe before darkness cloaked the world once more.

"Nah. They would've heard you knocking and come to open the door if that was the case. It's not good business to leave your customers hanging."

Bubbles shot him a look and he offered a goofy grin in reply.

"Just kidding. In all seriousness, if there was anything or anyone inside, at the very least, they would've come to investigate the knocking sounds. We should still look around, though; make sure nothing's hiding."

She heaved a sigh, trying to keep her nerves in check. "Right. Okay."

Bubbles stepped inside and stifled a cough at how dusty it was. Boomer was right behind her, pausing only to get a better look at their new surroundings.

They split up, Bubbles agreeing to take the cheaper cabins while Boomer covered the more expensive-looking ones. For the most part, nothing was out of place or showed any signs of forced entry, a struggle, nothing. While the rest of the world was busy contending with infected, this particular place seemed to be completely safe, hidden away from the dangers in Townsville and Citysville. Each and every cabin was empty save for the typical wooden cots, bunk beds, and small sets of tables and chairs, maybe even the occasional bookshelf.

Closest to the cafeteria building were a pair of docks that led out into a huge lake. The water was mostly clear—an amazing feat in and of itself—and looked incredibly tempting what with the hot afternoon sun baking down on them all day. There weren't too many supplies other than first-aid kits in the main office, but the fact that they would have a roof over their heads plus a lake to cool down in was more than they could ask for.

When they met up again after clearing most of the buildings, they headed into the office building and began to settle in for the night.

Boomer plopped down onto the bed, the springs squeaking in protest from the sudden weight.

"This place is pretty incredible," he remarked. "I think we've actually got a shot at surviving here."

Bubbles hummed in agreement, happy to just sit down next to him and rest after walking for literally hours.

"Hey, did you and your family know this place was here?" Boomer continued. "I looked at some pamphlets in the office and it seems like a pretty popular place to spend the summer."

"I didn't even know this place existed till we found it," Bubbles admitted, clearing her throat. The dust in this place was irritating her lungs, and now really wasn't the time for her asthma to act up. "I think you're right, though, I think this place is cut off from all the craziness out there. We should be safe here for the night, if not longer."

While Boomer changed into dry clothes (both of them were drenched in sweat from the heat), Bubbles placed her family photo album on the nightstand. Her fingers hovered over the embroidered lettering that spelled out 'family,' her gaze lingering over the cover photo of her father and sisters from a few summers ago. She missed them so much, and actually, now that she had time... She set her backpack down on the floor and rifled through it for her phone. It was still updating, much to her dismay, and she was frustrated to find they had crappy reception here. Even if her phone finished updating, there was a chance it would still act up and she wouldn't be able to keep in touch with her family.

At that thought, Bubbles' stomach dropped.

Her family... They'd left a note for Boomer's brothers, but they hadn't left any sort of note for her own family. What if they showed up at the house?

She swore under her breath. Maybe she could always... No, no that would be suicide. Going back to her house wouldn't be safe, especially since it would be very easy to get lost in these woods let alone make the trek through the tunnels again. It was a miracle they'd found this camp without issue, and it was even more of a blessing that the campgrounds were completely vacant considering most families would have reserved a cabin for vacation by the time the infection hit.

"What's wrong?" Boomer asked, once he'd finished changing. "Did you finally get your sister's text? Is she okay?"

"No, it's not that," she replied. "My phone's still updating anyway, so I don't think I'll be able to check it for a while. I just realized that we never left a note for my own family if they get to the house."

"Nah, girl, I got you covered." He grinned. "I left a note at my place and there's one at the kitchen table back at your house. Both have your number on it, just in case."

Relief flooded her and she hugged him. "You're a lifesaver!"

He kissed her temple and they remained like that for a few minutes, just holding each other. When Bubbles finally pulled away, Boomer stood up and stretched, his joints popping audibly.

"You know, I was thinking of exploring the perimeter a little bit, make sure there's nothing that might sneak up on us in the middle of the night. Do you wanna come with me, or do you wanna kick back for a bit?"

Bubbles smiled. "I'll come with you. Better for us to stick together than to go off alone, honestly."

"Baby, this is why you're the brains of our team."

She laughed. "Yet I forgot to leave a note for my family."

Boomer reached over to ruffle her hair. "Can't be perfect all the time. Besides, that's why you've got me; I've got your back."

As they grabbed flashlights from their backpacks, Bubbles glanced at her phone where she'd placed it on the bed. She wondered what kind of text message awaited her when her phone was accessible again. Was it an update on where they were? Had something happened to one of them, to her father who was injured? Or was the message positive—was humanity finally gaining the upper hand on the infected? Maybe a cure had been invented and all of this would soon be only a bad memory.


After checking the perimeter of the camp, Bubbles and Boomer were happy to find that this place had been virtually untouched by the infection that had taken humanity by storm. There were absolutely no signs of the violent creatures anywhere in these woods from what they could tell so far and—God willing—it would stay that way.

As soon as they returned to the office, they both decided a good night's rest was in order in case the coming day held any problems. Boomer conked out instantly, his soft snores comforting among the nighttime chorus of nature outside. Bubbles had fallen asleep immediately after, but now she found herself blearily opening her eyes to see nothing but darkness engulfing the room. Boomer was still sleeping, his arm wrapped around her waist loosely, and she wondered what had woken her up.

She listened to the noises of the small office but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe she woke up because this was a place she wasn't used to being in? When people moved to new homes, they usually had a little trouble sleeping because they weren't used to their new residence. Maybe that was why she woke up in the middle of the night?

Buttercup, ever the kind sister, once told Bubbles that people often woke up at odd hours of the night because the body could sense that something was watching them. That wasn't exactly comforting to remember, especially not in this situation, but then again, Blossom counteracted Buttercup's lovely words of wisdom by explaining that the brain will often block the body's signals during sleep to keep the individual unconscious while cells repaired themselves. However, sometimes signals came through anyway hence why people woke up in the middle of the night without knowing why.

...Bubbles liked to think Blossom was right and Buttercup was just trying to scare her, but in this new world, Buttercup's explanation could actually be the reason why she wasn't sleeping. Maybe something was wrong, but if it was, wouldn't she feel it in her gut? She didn't feel like she was being watched, so then why was she awake?

Suddenly, a blinking light illuminated the room for a second and she realized that it was a text notification. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and clicked it on, immediately opening her inbox to see the new message. It was the one from Buttercup. Bubbles tried to open it, but the app crashed.

She sat up, earning a soft groan of protest from Boomer as she did so, and tried again.

The app refused to work.

She sighed.

Boomer stirred again. "Bubbles? Wha'sa matter?"

She glanced at him before placing her phone back on the nightstand.

"It's nothing, just woke up for some reason."

He opened his arms, signalling he wanted to cuddle her again, and she obliged him, snuggling close despite the sticky air around them.

Her mind wandered to her sisters again. Were they okay, was her father okay? Why wouldn't that stupid text message load?

And why did she get the feeling that this specific text was important?


The next morning was spent going through the cafeteria, which actually had quite a few non-perishable foods they could use.

"We really hit the jackpot with this place," Boomer remarked, holding up an unopened box of Golden Grahams. "We've got enough food in here to last us for months!"

"Is it still good, or has it expired?" Bubbles grabbed a can of beets from one of the shelves and checked it for an expiration date. Sure enough, it was still good; most of the non-perishables in this pantry were good for years, let alone months.

"It looks like most of it is still good," he assured, examining a box of stove-top stuffing. "You think anyone's planning on coming here?"

The idea gave her pause. What if they were raiding someone's food supply? What if there were other people staying here only to come back and find the two blondes stealing from their stash? It was possible there were other folks using this campground as a kind of headquarters...

At Bubbles' silence, Boomer turned to her.

"Bubbles?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"I was just thinking," she admitted. "Do you think there were people before us? You know, using this place as a hideout? What if we're raiding someone else's food supply?"

He blinked at her. "Uh... We've been doing this apocalypse thing for weeks, now. I think if there were people staying here, they would've come back by now or they would've taken their food with them... unless something happened, of course."

She nodded slowly, considering his words. That made sense... But still, maybe they shouldn't indulge in too much food just in case.

Boomer seemed to read her thoughts because he set the box of stuffing down. "We won't take much, just what we need. I don't think the owners are coming back anytime soon, but we'll be careful just in case."

"Okay." She heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't trying to be a pessimist or anything—she knew that Boomer was happy to have found an entire stash of edible foodstuffs, and rightfully so—but they had to think realistically. If there was anything Buttercup's horror movie marathons taught her, it was that the real monsters in apocalyptic situations were almost always human beings. The monsters were dangerous, of course, but an irrational, pissed off human being—most likely armed with a grudge, a gun, and/or obedient henchmen? That was the last thing they needed.

Boomer pushed a few boxes aside and whistled at something he discovered, reaching back into the pantry to retrieve whatever he'd found.

"Oh man, I forgot about these," he moaned, opening the box of cereal and immediately pouring some into a bowl. He knew it wasn't going to taste great with water, but food was food. He closed his eyes and hummed his appreciation at the taste of Golden Grahams, a cereal he never thought he'd get to have again.

"So good..."

Bubbles smiled at him and helped herself to a peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. They sat at the table enjoying their breakfast, listening to the sounds of nature echoing around them through the thick woods outside. This place was like a mini-paradise; after they'd woken up and gotten ready for the day, Boomer mentioned he couldn't wait to take a dip in the lake. The water looked even clearer when the sun was high in the sky and it was sweltering outside; even Bubbles, cautious as she was, was seriously considering joining him if the heat got too unbearable.

When she finished eating, she leaned back against her chair contently. "You know, it's strange that all this food was here."

Boomer poured a little more cereal into his bowl, appreciating how crunchy and fresh it tasted despite sitting on the pantry shelf for God knows how long. "Whaddya mean?"

"Think about it," she continued. "All this food is considered non-perishable, meant to last for a long time."

"They were probably stocking up for when people came to check in," he offered, pressing his spoon against some of the cereal squares to submerge them in the water. "Kids usually eat cereal for breakfast, so maybe that's why we've got, like, fifty boxes of cereal and pop-tarts and stuff. Maybe they were only able to get the non-perishables and were actually waiting to order the perishable foods once they actually had customers."

That made sense.

"Could be," she admitted. After a moment or two of deliberating, she plucked the box of granola bars off the floor and helped herself to another one. She wasn't going to take too many out of respect for a potential owner of this stash, but there were at least thirty boxes of granola bars. Maybe another one wouldn't hurt; they might as well make the best of this sudden good fortune anyway. There was no telling how long it would last.


A few days passed without issue. Bubbles and Boomer were relieved to find that no one came poking around the camp to claim the store of food they'd discovered, and no infected were prowling around the woods.

On this particular day, Bubbles was sitting on a small bench located next to the recreation area, her legs tucked underneath her while a book lay open in her lap. It was noon and the hot weather was still going strong. She and Boomer had already gone swimming in the lake a few times, and they'd even bathed in it. Along with the stores of food, there were also complimentary items in the cabins like tiny bottles of shampoo, conditioner, bars of soap, disposable toiletries and towels. Bubbles didn't have a bathing suit, but that didn't stop her from diving off the dock in her bra and underwear when she couldn't take the heat anymore.

Usually when that happened, Boomer would wolf-whistle at her but it was all in good fun. He'd then sit on the dock and let his feet soak in the cool water, content to chat with her or relax in the sunshine, or he'd join her, which would result in either a splash fight or a game of Marco-Polo, which then resulted in lots of kissing once the other person was finally caught.

Although Bubbles had a book cracked open, she hadn't been able to read a single sentence; most of her attention was on the blonde young man currently dribbling a basketball a few feet away from her.

"Twenty bucks says I make this shot!" he challenged, and at his cocky tone, she smiled.

"You're on."

Boomer made the shot and missed, the basketball bouncing off the hoop and back towards him. He caught it easily and kicked at a stray pebble.

"Dammit! I thought I had that one, too."

"I do believe you owe me twenty bucks, good sir," Bubbles teased, and he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He winked at her. "As soon as I can find a job, I promise, you'll be twenty bucks richer."

"You might have a hard time in this economy," Bubbles joked, and he laughed.

"You're not wrong."

Bubbles went back to her book after that, her attention divided again as she listened to Boomer continue to try to make the basket. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he started doing well.

"Okay, another twenty bucks says I can do it this time."

She made a face. "That's not fair, now you've had practice."

"Well duh, practice makes perfect." He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed.

"Keep sticking your tongue out at me and you won't get it back for a little while."

It took him a moment to understand what she meant, and when he got it, his face turned red and he covered his face for a moment.

"Holy shit, Bubbles."

She made kissing noises. "Love you, Boomer."

"Love you, too." Despite his blushing, a sincere smile lit up his features and he set the basketball to the side. "I think that's enough exercise for one day. The air is getting sticky and I have yet to wash my clothes in the lake. Last thing I need is another sweaty shirt to add to the pile."

Indeed, the humidity was increasing again. The summer heat was not exactly a bad thing; it was much easier to deal with than the brutal, cold winters that Townsville usually experienced but it also wasn't exactly fun to feel the air getting all sticky and gross. Sometimes the humidity made it difficult to breathe, resulting in headaches for both of them. Not to mention they weren't sure if some of their canned foods could spoil in the intense heat, taking away from their precious food supply.

Boomer sat down next to Bubbles with a towel in his hands. As he dabbed at his sweaty forehead with it, she closed her book and set it to the side.

They both looked around at the thin woods surrounding the recreation area, enjoying the sight of golden sunlight filtering in through the thick green foliage. It was an almost nostalgic glow and it made Bubbles wonder what it was about afternoon sunshine that made everything look so warm, cozy, and surreal. The chorus of nature around them provided a soothing soundtrack and the water of the lake looked oh-so inviting, the sunlight making the surface sparkle. Boomer's hand found hers after a few heartbeats.

"This is nice," he commented, his voice soft. "I'm glad we found this place."

"Me too." Bubbles squeezed his hand gently and he smiled, turning to really look at her as she looked out at the gorgeous greenery around them. The way her hair shone in the light, her skin practically glowing even though their diet hadn't exactly been the best for the past few weeks... He couldn't remember the last time he thought of a girl as truly beautiful. Sure, there were girls he could recognize to be pretty or attractive, but after getting to know Bubbles, after spending time with her, after falling for her slowly but surely... She was beautiful, from her looks to the perpetual compassion of her heart. If he was being completely honest (and he usually was, whether he wanted to be or not), he could stare at her forever.

He could see a few freckles here and there on her cheeks, tiny little kisses from the sun that she'd obtained over the years. He wondered if she spent her summers at the beach, and he wondered what it would be like to spend a day at the beach with her. Something about Bubbles felt like home, like he'd known her his entire life, and he wished the world was normal because if it was, he had a feeling they'd have a wonderful life together, even if all they did was hang out as friends.

After a few heartbeats, she turned to him, the sun still bathing her in its rays. A smile lifted the corners of her lips.

"What's up?"

"N-nothing." He blushed and looked away, slightly embarrassed that he was caught admiring her. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"Staring."

Bubbles giggled. "You're sweet. There's no need to apologize."

After a few minutes, he decided he should say what he was thinking.

"You know something?" Boomer said, moving closer to her. He took her hands into his and she turned to him, glancing down at their intertwined fingers before lifting her gaze to his curiously.

"Hm?"

"You're really beautiful."

Butterflies filled her stomach as her cheeks grew pink.

"T-thank you."

"It's the truth," he assured her, his thumb rubbing soft circles into her knuckles. "So... Yeah."

She didn't speak for a moment, but then she looked up shyly at him.

"Well, you're really handsome."

Boomer's own cheeks began to grow pink and not merely because of the heat. "Thank you. I-I just thought you should know that, y'know... You are beautiful. I've seen a lot of pretty people and things in my life, but none of them hold a candle to you."

Bubbles was speechless. She'd never received a compliment like that before. Sure, guys had fed her the whole 'you're beautiful' line in the past, but they lacked the sincerity that was at the core of Boomer's heart. When Boomer said something, he usually meant it and she knew that.

Turns out that she didn't need to say anything because Boomer leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss.

That same night, Boomer was going to take first watch. They were both feeling lazy after eating a makeshift dinner of canned vegetables and the humidity had only gotten worse, leading to Boomer discarding his shirt and Bubbles changing into a pair of shorts and a cotton tank top.

Boomer was initially going to sit outside the office they'd taken residence in and keep an eye on the world outside, but Bubbles couldn't sleep. She joined him on the wicker loveseat and they held hands, content to gaze up at the stars while keeping an ear out for any suspicious sounds.

"What do you think is happening out there?" Boomer asked absentmindedly, his voice barely audible.

Bubbles glanced at him, her eyes lingering over his handsome features before following his gaze back to the heavens above.

"I really don't know. It seems like everything keeps getting worse, though."

"The infected got smarter. Isn't that strange?"

"Very," she agreed. "It's like something out of a horror movie."

"Yeah." Boomer snorted. "And thank goodness we haven't been killed off yet."

She cracked a slight smile, but the thought of her family chased away any inkling of amusement. Then she thought about Brick and Butch, and hoped they would return and see the note they left. If she could have it her way, everyone would be okay; there would be relieved reunions, no one would be infected or hurt, and the world would resume as it once did. Not that Bubbles wanted the bad stuff to continue, like crime and pain and sorrow, but... If she could have a regular day where all she worried about was dragging her lazy butt out of bed to get to class on time, she'd be overjoyed.

"I hope this lasts forever," she murmured.

"What, the apocalypse? Damn, Bubbles, that's dark."

She elbowed Boomer playfully and he chuckled.

"Okay, okay, bad joke."

"I meant about us."

His eyes widened with surprise. "Us?"

"Being here with you." Her voice was calm, reflecting the peace and ease she felt. "We're safe right now, we have everything we need... I hope it lasts forever. I hope our families are okay and that we get to see them again soon, but for right now, I'm glad that we're okay. It feels like a dream after being locked in a nightmare for so long."

Boomer considered her words before nodding in agreement. "You know, I'm really glad I met you."

She blushed. "Me?"

"Yeah. I don't know what I would've done if Brick and Butch left me behind and I didn't have you with me. You've been keeping me together, honestly, and you make me happy. It's just... Thank you. For sticking with me, for kicking me in the pants when I felt hopeless... For everything, really."

"You don't have to thank me for anything," she joked, poking his arm. "If anything, you've been keeping me together. I wasn't doing well by myself... I mean, I had supplies and stuff, but you pulled me out of my shell when I was being held back by fear. You really... You gave me hope when I was just barely hanging on. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come along. I don't know how long I would've lasted by myself, a-and I don't mean... I don't mean because of the infected. I'm not good at being alone for a long time, so without my family, I probably would've..."

By the end of her statement, her voice had grown resigned, hints of despair bleeding into her tone. Boomer looked sad at her words, opening his mouth to say something, but Bubbles forced a smile.

"B-but! On a lighter note, thanks for teaching me how to laugh again, for being a good friend to me, and for showing me what it's like to kinda sorta be in love with someone, even though everything kinda happened really fast," she finished, grinning sheepishly despite her watery eyes.

He knew she had meant her previous words. Bubbles was sweet and sunny, but he understood perfectly that if someone was alone for enough time, it could prove detrimental... Even fatal. Back in Citysville, he'd been alone a lot thanks to the lies Princess had spread after their breakup. No friends, barely any time with family (Mojo and Butch were always at work and Brick was always either working or going to class), plus constantly being stuck in a dead-end job where his boss and coworkers clearly disliked him? Sometimes Boomer used to think that it might be better if he didn't exist at all, that if he disappeared no one would care.

But then they moved to Townsville and suddenly, he had a clean slate. People didn't look down on him or treat him like a pest; he could actually make conversation with people and not feel like a total burden.

And then the infection, losing Mojo, his brothers leaving... Meeting Bubbles had been a blessing in itself. She was his partner in crime, his girlfriend, his... Well, he wasn't sure if it was right to call her his 'other half' just yet, but he definitely knew she was important to him. She was everything he wasn't, but not in a bad way; she complemented him, made him laugh, she was strong and smart but also kind. She could (and already had) matched his wit; for someone that had been called useless his entire life, he was happy to have been able to give her some sort of light in this world of darkness.

Boomer pressed his lips to her forehead. "You're important to me, Bubbles. I don't know how you did it, but you stole my heart the minute I met you, just took me a while to realize it. You really are my best friend and I love you, I love being with you. Even though we can't go on dates or anything, just getting to sit with you and make you laugh, to hear what you think, to hear all your stories... I don't think I'd have it any other way. I'm glad I met you and that, y'know... You're still here with me. I could say the same for myself, honestly... If I hadn't met you when I did, without my brothers or my dad, I don't think I would've been able to make it either."

She leaned her forehead against his and they both closed their eyes, simply reveling in each other's presence. No more words were needed; they understood everything that was unspoken between each other.

After a little while, though, Bubbles decided to lighten up the mood. She nuzzled her nose against his affectionately.

"Sorry if I got sappy on you."

Boomer pretended to wipe away a stray tear. "It wasn't sappy, it was beautiful!"

"Oh, shush," she laughed, shoving him. He laughed as well, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"Kidding, as always." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "If there's ever anything I can do to make you smile and keep you safe, you better believe I'll do it. You deserve to be confident and happy, and in this world, if I had to survive with anyone, I'm glad it's you."

"Me too. I'm glad that if I'm with anyone right now, I get to be with you."

Boomer leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled away, Bubbles leaned over and began peppering his face with kisses, causing him to grin like a fool.

They were safe, for now, and they were happy.

And Bubbles really hoped that this little shred of happiness would last.


Quick note: the tunnels opening up to the doghouse-like structures? Yeah, so... I see those little doghouses everywhere in the countryside, the ones with the crosses on top and the little windows? I have no idea what they're for, but they're the first thing that came to mind. I'm not sure if they're burial grounds for beloved dogs and no disrespect meant towards people who use these kinds of structures to create a memorial. To be honest, anytime I see a crumbling shed or a tiny building in ruins, it always fascinates me, like what if some kind of awesome secret was inside?

Anyway so yeah, again, no disrespect meant! Just playing with an idea lol.