Author's Note:

No more annoying last chapter recaps! I figure, what with most people moving on from one chapter to the next, I'm sure you haven't forgotten what you just read.

I'll keep this A/N short and sweet. Thanks to my wonderful beta, Arenoptara ( /users/Arenoptara), chapter four is ready for your reading pleasure! This one is a tad bit more on the short side, but something happens in this chapter that really helps push Allie and Luke's relationship along. Although it's short, it's perfect for leading up to the monsters that are chapters five and six.

I hope you enjoy!

After soaking in the tub for what felt like ages, I finally stood and climbed out of the tub to grab a towel. I sighed, longing for some fresh clothes and eyed the tub one more time. Quickly, in a bout of decisiveness, I reached down to stop the water from draining completely and tossed my dirty clothes into what water remained. I squeezed some shampoo from the bottle on the ledge of the tub and swished the water around a bit, causing bubbles to form. Washing my clothes with shampoo wasn't exactly ideal but it was better than sweaty, bloody clothes.

The realization that now I had no clothes to change into hit me. This is why you shouldn't make decisions on a whim, I thought to myself. Swearing under my breath, I crossed to the door and opened it a crack, sticking my head around it into the kitchen. I turned to face down the hall and yelled, "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" His voice called back.

Embarrassed, I asked, "Uh, so I tossed my clothes into the water to clean them a bit. You wouldn't happen to have an extra shirt I could borrow until tomorrow, would you?"

I heard him mumble something and some noise came from the living room. He came around the corner and stopped suddenly when he saw my head and upper shoulders peeking out from around the open door. I lifted my hand up and waved at him. "Yep, still here."

He started walking again and turned to head into the bedroom. "Sorry, I just didn't realize you were in the kitchen. Uh, let me grab one for you." He disappeared into the bedroom. A few seconds later, he emerged from the doorway and headed my direction with a folded red and black plaid flannel shirt in one hand, a protein bar in the other.

He held the shirt out to me and said sheepishly, "Sorry, this is all I have that's clean. I've been meaning to do laundry but haven't had a chance. You might be a bit warm in it. Oh and uh, it'll probably be huge on you." Then he held out his other hand grasping the protein bar and said, "Also, the food from earlier is pretty much cold. You should eat this."

Taking the shirt from him, I laughed and replied, "It's fine. An oversized flannel shirt is better than nothing. Thanks." I ducked back inside the bathroom, shutting the door. I didn't hear him walk away from the kitchen so I turned back to face the door and called out, "Luke? You still there?"

He cleared his throat and replied, "Yeah, sorry. You, uh, didn't take the protein bar."

At the thought of food, my stomach growled. I shouted back through the door, "Oh right, one second."

"Sounds good." I heard him puttering around the kitchen.

I unfolded his shirt and ruffled it a bit to try to get the wrinkles out and lifted it to my nose. It smelled a bit old, probably stale from being folded and tucked away for awhile. But it also smelled spicy and musky. My brain recognized it as an inherently male scent. I wonder if he also smells like this...

I shook my head vigorously to rid myself of that thought. Wow, I'm turning into a creeper now.

I pulled the shirt up and over my head, wincing when my stitches pulled at my skin. I realized a little belatedly that I had no clean underwear to change into. I turned my back to the mirror and looked back over my shoulder at my reflection. The shirt dwarfed me and the hemline hit me about mid-thigh so I figured if I didn't say anything, then maybe he wouldn't notice.

I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself to walk back out into the kitchen wearing what was pretty much considered 'morning-after attire'. I opened the door and Luke turned to look in my direction, a glass of water in his hand. I watched his gaze quickly go from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes and I shuffled my feet, feeling uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat and said, "Sorry. I tossed my pants into the tub too."

His gaze quickly flickered up to mine, briefly holding it before he turned and set the glass down on the countertop. "You're fine. It was my fault for not bringing you something to cover your legs with."

I looked down, almost disappointed at what felt like a dismissal. I asked him softly, "Right. So, that protein bar?"

He reached out his hand to me, protein bar held tightly in his grasp, without looking at me. Okay, then...I thought. Taking the bar out of his hand lightly I asked, "Luke, are you...okay? Did I do something to piss you off?"

A couple seconds of silence passed and when he replied, his voice sounded strange. "Nope. I'm just fine."

I slowly crossed the kitchen and came up behind him, trying to look at his face. "You don't seem fine."

His hands came up and he gripped the edge of the countertop. "I would be a lot better if you'd back up a little bit." His voice was gruff again, almost strained.

I leaned back and away from him, irritated at his sudden mood swing. With a little more attitude than was probably necessary I said, "I'm sorry if I did something wrong, I didn't mean to make you upset."

He whirled around to face me, his expression closed off. "You seriously have no idea what could make me upset right now? Was this your idea of a joke?!" He gestured with his hands towards my legs, obviously frustrated. By the time he finished talking, his tone of voice had risen in volume.

I put up my hands as a warning and glanced behind me nervously. "Luke, don't be too loud. And no, I didn't mean it as a joke. I honestly wasn't thinking when I tossed my clothes into the tub to wash them. I didn't intend for you to see me so exposed. Like I said, I'm sorry if I made you upset."

He let out a long and tense sigh. A few seconds passed, silent and emotionally charged, before he looked back up and met my gaze again. "No, I'm sorry I overreacted. I haven't really done this in awhile."

I crossed my arms and said, "This being...?"

He looked at me for a few moments longer before crossing the room to stand in front of me. The space between us became electrically charged and I subconsciously tried to step back, attempting to distance myself from him.

His arm reached out and snaked around my waist, pulling me back in and trapping me against him. His eyes darkened and his expression changed into something more primal. "This."

I swallowed, my throat closing up. "Oh..."

His raised his hand to cup my cheek and said softly, "I don't really want to talk anymore."

His lips met mine before I could even process what was happening. His body suddenly pushed me back and pressed me up against the kitchen wall. I gasped at the sudden pain and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue met mine and I moaned, causing him to moan deeply in return. There was something about the sound of a man moaning in pleasure that shot straight to my core.

He lifted my legs up and brought them around his waist, using the wall as leverage to keep me up. His fingers laced through my hair and tightened, causing me to moan again. After a few minutes I broke the kiss, gasping for air and breathlessly said, "Luke wait, stop. Are you sure this is what you want?"

He gazed at me intently, his eyes a deep, steel blue. His expression changed from heated lust to indecision. "I don't...I don't know." He braced his knee against the wall underneath me, so he could still hold me up. "I want you. But this seems so...I don't know. Soon? I do know that you're driving me crazy." He leaned his forehead against mine and I reached up, running my fingers through his hair.

I whispered softly to him, "We don't have to do this yet. Not if you're not ready."

He let out a long and strained sigh, slowly setting me back down on the ground. After stepping away and giving me some space, he lifted his head and he met my gaze again. "I'm sorry."

I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It's okay. I uh, think I'm going to head to bed now though."

He nodded and then mumbled, "We should probably bandage that first," glancing at my neck. He walked past me towards the bedroom and I hesitated before I followed behind him. As if sensing my trepidation at going into a bedroom with him after what just happened between us, he paused in the doorway. Bowing, he waved his hand in a sweeping motion and said, "After you."

I smiled slightly, appreciating his attempt at using humor to break the tension. I walked in and sat down on the bed. He turned on the lamp beside me and reached for the gauze, unrolling a good amount. He motioned for me to angle my body towards him and he leaned over, placing the gauze securely over my wound. After he'd completely covered it and cut off smaller strips, he grabbed the medical tape and tore off short pieces, lining them up along the edges of the gauze to secure it in place.

As he worked, his expression changed into something more serene. It was as if the familiar sensations of working on a patient put him at ease. It gave me the opportunity to really look at him, to study him. When I first met him, he had seemed so rough. Almost unapproachable in comparison to his appearance in the photos. His tough demeanor that was the result of our harsh environment gave him a dangerous edge but I sensed that underneath, he was just like every other man who was fighting to survive on his own while trying to escape from his memories. When he had a softer expression on his face, like he did now, he really was remarkably handsome.

Luke stood, finished with patching me up and I stood as well, reaching out to touch his forearm and getting his attention. He looked down at me, question in his eyes and I reached up on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his lips. It was brief and chaste, but I just wanted him to know that I understood why he had hesitated earlier about us. We all went through something that changed us when the outbreak happened and maybe he was still fighting away ghosts from his past.

He studied me after I rocked back onto my heels and a moment passed between us. He looked down and turned to grab the tray off of the nightstand. He crossed the room to the door and as he reached it, he turned back to look at me once again. He met my gaze and after a couple seconds he said quietly, "Goodnight."

I nodded and replied, "Goodnight."

He shut the door behind him and I was alone once more.