Jack didn't wake up abruptly, it was sluggish and slow. His eyes didn't open when his brain awoke, blackness was all he could see. Though he could still feel, the bed didn't feel as comfortable as it had the first time he slept in it. The blanket clung to his body and he could feel the thin layer of sweat on his body. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Sunlight sneaked in through the slit in between the two curtains. His eyes scanned the room, and there was no Atlas to be seen. There was no smell of cooking, no quiet noises of light footsteps. A sudden panic flowed through Jack's body - had Atlas left him? The blanket was pulled away from him, and he leaped out of bed a little too hard and the bottoms of his feet stung. The cold of the room bit at his bare body as he searched for something to put on, Atlas's clothes were not where they had been the night before. Once he found his clothes he dressed quickly and searched for any trace of Atlas. Then he remembered something. He turned back to the bed and searched the top of the table beside it, a small flask was there anything inside it probably older than Jack. He stopped searching once he found the ring. Atlas's wedding ring lay in the same position, but as Jack picked it up he started to think. Why would this mean Atlas was still here? Surely, Jack thought, the memory of his dead wife was too much and he left without taking it with him. In a hurry, he slid the ring into his pocket and climbed the stairs to the second floor. It was bare, nothing but spaces left in the dust where furniture had once stood. He tackled the stairs once again until he felt the harsh wind circling around the top of the lighthouse. There stood the tall and broad Irishman, his hands gripping the railings tightly as he stared off at the sea that never seemed to end.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Atlas asked and Jack wasn't entirely sure if he knew Jack was there or not.
Jack took a few steps forward, allowing the wind to swerve in and out of the holes in his jumper. The air tasted salty and smelt of damp. He wondered about how others pictured the sea, of how they would see it as tranquil and calming. Jack saw it as a thick barrier between the land and the depths where beasts lived. When he saw the sea he saw a gate to Rapture and nothing else.
"A boat has to come by." Jack replied, his mouth dry.
"Why does it have to?" Atlas asked again, turning his head to look at Jack.
The look in his eye was as chilling as the wind, his hands gripping onto the railings as if the floor was crumbling beneath him. His eyes looked heavy and dark, darker than usual. His hair was all over the place and nowhere near as styled as it had always been. Jack wondered what had happened between the Atlas he had last night and the one he had now. Atlas's body swayed slightly and it could have been the wind but Jack couldn't help think that he had been drinking. Why else would the flask be there? Jack took another step forward but more steadily this time. The bulb in the lighthouse looked dim and slightly broken, clearly it had been abandoned for some time.
"The bulb doesn't work." Atlas answered Jack's unasked question "Nobody's been here for years."
"People won't stop sailing because the lighthouse doesn't work." Jack took another step.
"But lighthouses stop working when people stop sailing." Atlas stated.
"Have you been drinking?" Jack quickly asked, moving away from the dim subject.
Atlas spun around completely, dropping his harsh grip on the metal. He was only a couple of inches taller than Jack yet he managed to make Jack feel so small. Atlas looked down at Jack like somebody would look down at a puppy. His eyes were full of affection but Atlas just looked condescending to Jack. He didn't know exactly how old he was, he knew he had developed incredibly quickly but to what age? Surely he could only be around five years old, but how old was his body? Atlas didn't look incredibly old, nothing above 40 for sure. It looked like Atlas knew Jack was studying him because the edge of his mouth curled up into a smile.
"I don't think you understand the procedure of one night stands." Atlas smiled, as if he knew something Jack didn't.
Jack's shoulders slumped, he was worried this would happen. Their life would continue on as it always had and they would only speak about in a joking way. Though it would never be funny, it would always be awkward and uneasy. Atlas chuckled, a hearty chuckle but it was filled with weight. Atlas ruffled Jack's knotted hair between his long fingers. Was Jack really such a child in Atlas's eyes?
"I don't understand a lot of things." Jack admitted "I don't know how I'll survive out there."
"Don't worry boyo." Atlas moved his hand back to his side "I'll look out for you."
They both slid back to the edge to admire the sea. It was strange how something that had trapped them for so long could look so beautiful. There had been no boats passing by, no sign of life at all excusing a few squawking birds. Jack really had no idea about how they were going to leave there, he just figured that their good luck couldn't have run out yet. With all the terrible things that they had gone through, surely something out there would reward them.
"How are we getting out of here?" Jack asked "I figured that getting out of Rapture would be the hardest part of all this."
His body collapsed into himself, letting out a heavy sigh as he rested his chin against the cold bars. His eyes caught a glimmer on the calm water, the water rippling. He bolted up, and pushed onto the front of his feet to get a closer view.
"A boat." Jack whispered "Is that a boat?"
Atlas moved his eyes casually, it must have been the drink slowing him down. His light eyebrows slid up on his forehead, covered in sweat. The long fingers he had grasped on the bars tightened and he let out a quick breath. The harsh wind brushed the dark hair away from his pale face, allowing Jack to admire his sharp face in all its glory. It didn't matter what the situation, Jack's eyes always lingered on Atlas longer than they should. He always noticed the small details - the way his fingers clenched when he was deep in thought, the way his eyes flickered when he was surprised and the way his breath stiffened when he was around Jack. A small smirk spread across Atlas's plump lips.
"Let's go say hello." Atlas spoke lightly, placing his hand on Jack's forearm to signal him to follow.
His footsteps echoed against the metal stairs as he swiftly tiptoed down to the door. Jack could sense the eagerness inside of him even though Atlas tried to hide it. Surely the boat wasn't moving that fast, and they would be waiting at least an hour. Though as the thought left Jack's mind there came three rhythmic knocks on the door. Jack pulled his jumper into his hands, feeling a sudden chill run through him. Why were these people here and how did they know anybody was in the lighthouse? Atlas strode as calmly as anybody would when they opened the door, but he was so casual that it seemed abnormal. Before he opened the door he looked back at Jack, his eyes flickering gently. It opened with a loud creak, and Jack rushed to join Atlas's side.
"Good morning." Two voices spoke simultaneously, their tones rich.
Before them stood two people, standing straight backed and blank faced. They were identical in almost every way, though one was male and the other female. Their hair was ginger and lay still in the wind, faint freckles dusting their cheeks in the same places. Their voices moved within each other, as calming as a song but still empty. They were dressed sharply, in light yellow jackets and green ties. Jack would say it was odd, but he had seen stranger things. A small smile pressed against his cheeks, this had to be their reward.
"I do believe you require a mode of transport." The man spoke, turning to the side to reveal the boat behind him.
Atlas looked back at Jack once more, his eyebrows brushing together and his eyes full of glimmer. He rested his arm upon Jack's forearm once again and Jack followed him onto the boat.