A/N:
Update 4/23/15: So...as I'm sure many of you have noticed, it's been awhile since I've updated this story. I have every intention of finishing it, but the original spark of inspiration that I was hit with, has since faded. I wrote nearly an entire chapter every day, to every other day, but haven't been able to get anything down for chapter seven since then. I only have about 2000 words down but the chapter is nowhere near ready to be published. Again, I promise I'm not abandoning this, but it could be awhile before I update again. I'm so sorry :(
I apologize in advance for how long this chapter is. If chapter five was considered a monster, then this is by far the monster that destroys all other monsters (basically chapter six = Godzilla) - it is a massive chapter. Normally I'd have split it into two, but the first half of the chapter - while important - isn't strong enough to stand alone without the second half. On the bright side, there is a lot of development that goes on, so it's not just a filler, I promise. This chapter also took me a long time to edit because instead of revising, I ended up re-writing almost the entire thing. Whew!
Luke and Allie are so easy to write and I really hope everyone is enjoying where the story is going so far. There's a little present for you all in this chapter ;) The next one will bring some progression along the game's story line so keep an eye out for that!
Dying Light belongs to Techland, thank you to Arenoptara for being my beta, and thank you for reading :)
Luke's POV:
Voices from outside the door woke me. I groaned and rolled towards the wall to try and get away from the sound. As I drifted back to sleep, the alarm on my wristwatch beeped, a constant electronic trilling noise that I swear existed only to drive me insane. I rolled back over and reached down to grab my watch from off the floor, shutting it off and reveling in the sweet silence that followed.
I sat up slowly and ran my hand down my face, taking a few extra minutes to wake myself up. I was normally pretty good about waking up in the morning but yesterday's journey took a lot more out of me than I thought it would. Once I was less groggy, I stood with my duffel bag and moved to leave the room. For some reason, I felt as if I was forgetting something and I took one last cursory glance over the room. I didn't see anything on the bed or on the floor next to it so I shrugged and walked back out into the hall.
Before I headed over to the elevator, I decided to make one last stop at the store to replenish some of the supplies Allie and I had used at the safe zone recently, as well as the items I'd used on the way here. I walked around the chain link fence that surrounded the elevator door and entered the apartment that had been turned into the store front.
I nodded at the guy who manned the counter as I approached and set my bag on the surface. I opened it up and peeked inside really quick, doing an inventory count.
"Hey man, so I think I'm going to need some gauze, alcohol, and as many firecrackers as you've got."
He turned and disappeared further into the room for a minute and then set the items I'd asked for on the counter when he returned. I stuffed them into my bag and pulled out a few bills for him. I waved as I left, heading back through the opening in the fence so I could press the button to call the elevator up.
As I waited for it to get here, I pulled the radio out of my pack so I could check in with Allie before I headed out. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. After I stepped in and the static from the radio cleared, I lifted it up to speak into it.
"Hey Allie, how are things going?"
Her reply came back immediately. She must have had the radio sitting right next to her.
"Luke! Last night came and went with no big events so I'd say thing are going pretty well. How about with you? Are you getting ready to leave the Tower?"
The elevator finally reached the bottom and once the doors opened, I walked out, heading towards the last drop before I'd reach the ground floor.
"Yeah, about to walk out actually. I just wanted to check in with you before I got moving."
I waved to Mesut as I passed his desk and hopped down from the ledge, onto the lobby's concrete floors.
The bright sunlight of the early morning shone through the front entrance of the Tower as I stepped out, and I found that it was difficult to focus on any single object for too long. The rays were just way too bright. There was a light breeze that caused the palm tree fronds to sway softly and with the coming of the wind, I caught lingering scents of smoke still. I must've been standing close to one of the pillars of smoke that I'd seen yesterday.
I turned to the south and started walking.
"I'm out of the Tower now so I'm going to start heading back for the safe zone. I should be there in a few hours."
"Alright, I'll see you then. Luke, be careful, okay?"
"I will, thanks. Out."
"Out," she responded, and the radio fell silent.
I put the radio back into my pack and stretched, rolling my shoulders to prepare for the run. I broke into a light jog, anxious to get back.
If all went well, I'd see Allie soon.
Allie's POV:
Twelve Hours Later.
I paced the living room tensely, my arms crossed over my chest.
The sun was now closer to setting than I was comfortable with. There were deep orange rays of light shining into the room from between the wooden boards covering the window, which meant that nightfall would be here in about an hour. I could already hear the Volatiles screeching from the outskirts of town that had already fallen dark. They were ready for the night, and Luke still hadn't returned.
I played with the ends of my hair as I paced, stressed beyond belief. Even though it was still technically before nightfall, I was hesitant to call him over the radio, in case he was in a situation where the noise would hurt him more than it would make me feel relieved.
As soon as I'd finished that thought, the radio crackled to life and I lunged for it frantically.
"Luke?! Luke, where are you?"
Silence answered me and I desperately tried again.
"Luke, are you there?!"
I heard a faint groan through the speaker and he finally responded.
"Yes, I'm here. I'm down in the lobby. But I need you to come get me, quickly. I'm on the net."
His voice sounded strained and tired.
I immediately threw down the radio and yanked the steel door open, smacking my shoulder into the doorframe as I ran out of the apartment. When I reached the end of the hall, I stopped abruptly at the ledge, shocked by what I saw.
Luke was indeed sitting on top of the net as he'd told me, his head resting against the wall behind him. I couldn't see all of his face because the UV lights cast half of it in dark shadows, but the half that I could see was scrunched up in pain. The bottom left of his shirt was completely soaked through with blood and I gasped.
"Luke...oh my God...what happened?"
At the sound of my voice, one of his eyes cracked open and he said softly, "I would be more than happy to tell you exactly what happened...as soon as you get me up there and into my bed."
"Yeah, you got it."
I reached over for the ropes that operated the net and pulled him up slowly, struggling with his weight.
"Jesus, you're a heavy son of a bitch," I teased.
He started to laugh and it turned into a fit of coughs immediately.
Concerned, I tried to pull faster and grunted with the effort. When he'd finally reached the top, I tied the ropes around a hook next to me to hold the net in place. I offered him my hand and he tried to use it to pull himself up without making us both fall back down to the ground floor.
He cried out in pain and I quickly reached down to throw his arm around my shoulder, allowing him to brace his weight against me and pull himself up without straining himself. We hobbled back to the apartment at a snail pace and when we were finally inside, I gently set him down on the couch, pulling his pack off of his back and setting it on the floor beside him.
I closed the door and hurried over to the desk to flip the lights on before we forgot.
Now that we were safe for the moment, I turned back to him and asked sternly, "Okay. What happened?"
He held up his hand which was covered in blood, and in a commanding tone, said, "I need medical attention first. I need you to bring me the first aid kid in the bathroom, fast."
I nodded and sprinted down the hall to the bathroom.
When I returned, I handed it to him as fast as I could and he took it, opening it up next to him on the couch. He pulled out alcohol, gauze, and a needle and thread. With no hesitation whatsoever, he lifted up the hem of his shirt and held it under his chin so he could attend to his own wound.
I stepped forward and took the alcohol bottle out of his hand, scoffing incredulously. I shook my head at his stubbornness and set the bottle down on the table behind me.
"Luke, take your shirt off. It'll be easier to do this without it in the way."
He stared at me, perplexed, and asked, "My shirt?"
Oh honestly, I thought to myself.
"Yes, Luke, your shirt. I'm not a doctor like you are, but you can walk me through it. This will go a lot faster if you don't have it on. Trust me, if I wanted it off for a different reason, this would so not be the right time."
He looked down, pondering what I'd said and finally sat up. When he tried to lift his shirt again he winced and I stepped up to him, grabbing it and lifting it off for him, tossing it aside afterwards.
Dear Lord.
Even with a giant gash in his side, I could still tell that he was seriously fit.
Of course he is, I thought sarcastically.
Now that his shirt was off, the air was infused with the coppery, thick scent of blood. As I started to clean his wound, I asked, "So. Are you ready to talk about this now?"
He sighed and it was tense and long, filled with what seemed like frustration but was somehow different.
"I was making good time on my way back, until I got about half way. I tried to run through the tunnel by the overpass, thinking it would save me some time. Little did I know, a Bomber was in there and right when I went to run past him, the fucker blew up right next to me. I hit a car and it knocked me unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was nearly surrounded my biters, had this gash in my side, and a couple of hours had already passed. I have no idea how I didn't get attacked right after he blew, the sound was so loud-" He shook his head in disbelief. "It should've attracted Virals."
I stared at him, shocked into silence again.
"Uh, why didn't you call me?" I asked faintly.
"I had to hightail it out of the tunnel; it was a miracle I even survived. I guess the other cars were shifted by the blast somehow and kind of blocked me in so the biters couldn't get to me right away. I got seriously lucky. When I woke up, they were trying to climb over the cars."
He shuddered at the memory and closed his eyes, clearly shaken up.
"I had to try to make it back here by nightfall. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but I was bleeding all over the place and couldn't go too fast, otherwise I'd likely bleed out. You know, the sad irony is, I told you that you couldn't come with me back to the Tower because you'd tear your stitches and bleed. Now, I get myself hurt and do the exact same thing."
I paused and looked back up at him tenderly.
"Hey, you had no way of knowing this was going to happen. Those Bombers are insanely dangerous and you couldn't have gotten away, even if you'd tried harder, if that were even possible. Don't blame yourself, Luke."
He opened his eyes and held my gaze for a long moment, gently putting his hand over mine, and nodded. I squeezed his hand in reassurance and pulled away, setting the alcohol and now dirty cotton pads down.
I cleared my throat and asked, "Now what do I do?"
He reached over and grabbed the needle and thread, casually handing them over to me.
I took them tentatively and tried to stay calm. After taking a deep breath, I said in a low voice, "I don't know how to do this."
Luke asked, "Do you know how to sew?"
I nodded.
"It's exactly the same. Except instead of connecting two pieces of fabric, it's skin."
I grimaced and muttered, "That's disgusting."
I tried to thread the needle with my trembling fingers and after what felt like ages, I finally got it through and tied a couple knots in the ends of the string. I reached up to touch him, a thought niggling at the back of my mind.
Suddenly it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I sat up swiftly.
"Wait! Shouldn't I be wearing gloves?"
He smiled lightly and said, "Yes, yes you should. There's a box in the closet in the bathroom, where you found the first aid kit."
I promptly ran back to the bathroom, grabbed the gloves and snapped them on as I returned to the living room. I kneeled down in front of Luke and picked the needle back up. When I attempted to start pulling the edges of his skin together, he winced and placed his hand on mine again, albeit a little tighter this time in warning.
"Woah, stop, stop. You need to start with one side first. Push the needle through one side of skin and then pull it through the other side. That way, you'll close up the wound one side at a time. Otherwise, if you try to push the skin together first, when you remove your hands to push the needle through, it's just going to slide apart again. Trust me, it does not feel good."
I tried to nod but I was extremely tense and my hands were shaking again. If I didn't manage to stitch him back together just right and he got an infection or something, I could put his life in jeopardy. I couldn't have that on my conscience.
Luke squeezed my hand again to get my attention and I looked up at him hesitantly.
He said confidently to me, "You can do this, Allie. I know you can. Just focus."
I took a deep breath trying to steady myself.
In, out. In, out. In…
After a few minutes of that, I had reassured myself as much as I thought I possibly could that I had it under control. I decided to just go for it and stuck the needle through one side of his skin, towards the bottom of the gash. I pulled the string taut and closed that part of the wound, repeating the process multiple times. By the time I was finished, Luke was sweating and panting in pain.
I snipped the thread with some small scissors from the kit and tied a few knots to secure the stitches. After I'd laid out a few pieces of gauze over the wound and secured it with the medical tape, I sat back on my heels and let out a long and relieved sigh.
Luke smiled at me faintly.
"You did good. I'm proud of you."
I returned his smile and joked, "Now I can put stitching together a wound with no medical experience on my resume."
He started to laugh and it was cut off by a cough again. He placed his hand over his abdomen, cradling his wound, and said, "Don't make me laugh, it hurts like a bitch."
Still smiling, I apologized softly, "Sorry. Do you have any painkillers?"
He pointed towards the hall lazily and said, "Bathroom closet again. I think it's an Ibuprofen bottle."
I washed my hands in the bathroom and grabbed the bottle, heading back out to the living room.
Luke had snatched one of the protein bars off of the coffee table and was munching on it. I handed him two pills and a glass of water I'd left on the table earlier and he quickly swallowed the pills and leaned over to set the glass back down.
I finally plopped down onto the couch next to him and gestured towards his duffel bag.
"So, I take it you were able to stock up on some supplies."
He followed my gaze and said, "Yeah, I grabbed some more gauze, some alcohol, and some stuff for when we need to head out on runs. I have your Antizin doses too."
I nodded in relief and asked, "Only a few doses though, right?"
He tilted his head onto the couch and replied quietly, "Lena gave me ten doses. It should be enough for about a month, maybe more if you try to stretch it out. You'll have to check in with her or Dr. Zere for more doses when you return though."
I fell silent at his mention of returning to the Tower. While I appreciated Brecken letting me stay there and trusting me enough to be a runner, I had to admit that I preferred it out here. It was quiet, it was just us, and it felt normal. While I knew I was trying to escape from reality, especially after being bitten, I couldn't help it.
Besides, I had never been one to fit in with big groups of people anyway.
Luke looked over at me in concern when I hadn't responded in a while and asked, "Allie, you okay?"
I sighed for what felt like the tenth time tonight and said, "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."
I waved my hand towards the bedroom.
"You can take the bed tonight. My neck feels a lot better and I don't mind taking the couch."
Luke furrowed his eyebrows.
"I'm not going to take the bed and make you sleep out here, no way. Stay in the bedroom."
I rolled my eyes and turned to look at him.
"This is no time to attempt to be chivalrous. You're way more injured than I am and you need to rest. I'm fine, seriously. Take the bed."
He frowned and stayed quiet, lost in thought for a few seconds before he stood. I rose after him hastily and offered my shoulders again.
He slung his arm around me and we trudged over to the bedroom. I nudged the door open with my foot and he gingerly sat down on the bed, swinging his legs up. He kicked off his shoes and slid up the bed, trying not to use his ab muscles. When he moved to lay down, I reached up to pull the covers over him. I tried not to stare at his bare chest because it would've been pretty inappropriate.
He sighed in comfort and said, "Damn, it is nice to be back in my own bed."
Amused, I replied, "Yeah, Brecken's bunks aren't the most comfortable. I'll be up for a little bit longer, so let me know if you need anything, okay?"
He nodded, his eyes already drifting shut.
I tiptoed to the door, closing it a little bit but not completely so that I could hear him if he needed to call out to me, and headed back to the living room.
I laughed to myself, and thought, We're quite the pair. Stitches in my neck, now stitches in his side. Honestly.
I shook my head, amused, and laid back down onto the couch. I had told him I would be up for a little while longer but I was so exhausted and I couldn't help but shut my eyes.
He had been in bad shape. What would have happened if I hadn't been here? Would he seriously have tried to stitch himself back together? I cringed inwardly at the thought of him, alone in the apartment, sticking that needle through his ruined skin himself.
I rolled over into the couch, facing the back cushions, and tried to rid myself of my morbid train of thought. After letting my thoughts wander about other things for awhile, I finally dozed off.
The next few weeks passed more quickly than I would've liked. I had to take a dose of Antizin about every four to five days. At the four day mark, I started getting extremely tired and Luke thought that if I tried to push it any further than that, I'd begin to have seizures and we definitely did not want that. We only had about half of Lena's doses left.
My stitches eventually came out somewhere close to the end of two weeks, but Luke's had to stay in for a few days longer. His wound had been much worse than mine. I was pretty proud of the fact that they were healing perfectly.
Neither of us brought up the subject of what had happened between us in the kitchen before he'd left for the Tower, though it was pretty obvious it was on both of our minds. We never went out of our way to touch each other necessarily, but when it did happen, we'd glance at each other to see how the other had reacted. Most of the time however, we tried to give each other a wide berth, almost like planets in orbit. We circled around each other but never met.
We didn't do much day in, day out. We usually just sat and talked about the things we both missed the most about pre-outbreak life. We missed our families, we missed home. He had a pretty shabby collection of DVDs from the rental store a few blocks away and I'm pretty sure we watched each of those movies four times each on his tiny, old-school television. Other times we'd just sit in silence together in the living room, enjoying the fact that there was another live human being to share the space with.
There was one night, about a week ago, when I had been heading into the bedroom to get some sleep and Luke had stopped me, grasping my hand. When I had turned back to him to ask him what was wrong, he had leaned in, almost as if he were going to kiss me. At the last second, he straightened and walked away, not looking back at me. The next day, he had acted completely normal and I never asked him why he did it. He also never bothered to explain.
Before we knew it, the day of my departure had finally arrived.
The smell of freshly cooked eggs drifted through the apartment from the kitchen, thanks to me cooking breakfast. I dumped the eggs onto a plate and carried it with my obligatory cup of coffee into the living room.
I was sitting at the table, eating my delicious - though somewhat rubbery - eggs, when Luke came into the living room. He set something down on the table in front of me and the sudden noise startled me. I glanced up sharply and saw that he'd set a small pack down.
"Uh, what's in that?"
He held his hand up, tallying on his fingers as he spoke.
"Some snacks for your trip back, some gauze to stop your incessant bleeding if something happens, a UV flashlight, and...my spare radio. Oh and some of those firecrackers I picked up a couple weeks ago."
I straightened, setting my plate down on the table.
"I can get all of that at the Tower, Luke. I don't want to take your supplies."
He put his hands out in a placating gesture and insisted, "No, I'd rather you take them in case you end up needing them. If you don't use any of it, just give it to Mesut. I'm sure he'd pass it on."
I looked down, feeling grateful that he'd thought of me. I mumbled my thanks and went back to finishing my eggs.
Now that he'd gotten that out of the way, Luke walked over to the desk and sank down into the chair in front of it. The atmosphere got incredibly awkward and neither of us seemed to know what to say.
After a few minutes of silence had passed, I stood and took my plates to the kitchen. When I returned to the living room, Luke had moved from the desk to stand by the door, his arms crossed.
I picked up the pack and slung it over my shoulder, walking up to the front door. He pulled it open for me and stood slightly behind it, to let me pass by.
I shifted my weight uncomfortably, bringing my arm up to rub my other forearm. I heard Luke chuckle and I looked up at him, not understanding what was so amusing about trying to say goodbye.
He monitored to my arms and I brought them down, embarrassed that he'd noticed my bad habit.
He laughed again and said, "I started noticing sometime last week that you do that when you're nervous."
I crossed my arms, self-conscious now, and said, "Yeah...I kind of suck at goodbyes."
His smile faded and he said softly, "Then let's not make this an official goodbye. I'm sure we'll see each other again. I'm at the Tower every few weeks."
I nodded slowly, not at all satisfied with his answer, and took my time walking out the door into the hallway.
I turned to face Luke again and said, "Well then, I guess I'll maybe see you in a few weeks."
He stared at me for a long time, not saying anything. I did the same to him. The light from the window illuminating the dust in the air as it floated between us, giving the moment an almost magical, if not slightly dispirited, feel.
Eventually, he nodded and I finally turned away. When I reached the ledge, I hesitated for a moment, fighting with myself on whether I should turn and wave one last time. I took a deep breath and jumped to the ground floor.
As I walked through the lobby, I tried to hold my tears back, refusing to allow my emotions to overwhelm me. I had always been an easy crier and I was absolutely terrible at goodbyes. I definitely did not lie to him about that. I walked through the front doors and looked up into the sky, admiring the clear blue shade. I blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the lingering liquid that was still there.
I took a shaky breath and set off for the Tower. The entire time I ran, my mind was filled with thoughts of Luke. What was he doing now? What was he thinking about? How was he feeling? What would things be like at the safe zone, now that I was gone?
I had made it about halfway back, just above the tunnel that Luke had gotten trapped in, when I came to a sudden stop and swore under my breath. My mind was way too jumbled and it was frustrating me. I put my hands on my hips and stared out over the city, breathing heavily. So that I wouldn't be too exposed on the street, I hopped up onto the abandoned train car that still remained on the tracks I was standing on.
I started to play with the ends of my hair again and pulled my radio out of my bag, the anxiety driving me crazy.
"Jade, are you there?" I asked impatiently.
After a few moments of silence, she finally replied.
"Allie? Yeah, I'm here, but I'm a little busy right now. Where are you?"
"I'm about halfway back. You're busy? What's going on?"
She sighed and made a sound that came from the depths of pure frustration.
"Crane has been out running errands for Rais, trying to secure a couple crates of Antizin. He hasn't returned yet though and we just had someone on the eighteenth floor turn. People are starting to panic, and for good reason."
"Woah wait, Rais?! And someone turned?"
Jade hummed in affirmation and said, "Yes, unfortunately. We used the last of our Antizin last week. We were expecting Crane to be back by then but…"
I stayed silent for a few minutes, chewing on my lower lip in deep thought. I was so torn. Luke had about five doses back at the safe zone. Part of me wanted to tell Lena that she could have them but the other part of me wanted to turn around and go back to him, never letting Jade know. It was selfish and I hated myself for it.
Apparently, the good side of me won because I quietly told Jade, "I know Luke still has five doses, if you guys need them."
Jade didn't say anything right away and I knew she was also weighing the pros and cons.
Eventually, she asked, "Aren't you using them?"
I shook my head, even though I knew she couldn't see me.
"I'm already half way back, remember? They're back at the safe zone with him."
More silence came from the radio and I could barely hear Jade when she finally spoke again.
"Are you really coming back, Allie? I know we haven't known each other long but Luke...I think he needs you there."
"But...doesn't Brecken need me with you guys?"
Jade scoffed.
"Things are so crazy right now, I doubt he'll notice if you don't return for another few weeks. Talk to him about staying out there permanently then."
I smiled softly and thanked Jade, grateful that she had made the decision for me, and switched the radio off.
I lowered myself down onto the top of the train car, deciding to think about this a little bit more. I still felt bad for keeping the doses for myself, but knowing that I could get to stay with Luke at the safe zone...that happiness greatly overshadowed the guilt, which I'm pretty sure made me the world's worst person. I hurriedly checked my watch, seeing that I had only been gone for a couple of hours. Decision made, I swiftly turned back towards the safe zone, my smile widening into a full blown grin. I broke into a sprint, easily jumping down from the tracks and running along the street, weaving in and out of biters.
I was so elated, the entire concept of being concerned that I was acting stupidly by running on the street, didn't even occur to me.
Out of sheer luck, I reached the safe zone again and ran into the lobby. I couldn't wait to see his face when he opened the door and saw me standing there. After I pulled myself up to the main floor, I skipped to the apartment door and knocked firmly. I beamed up to the camera that was looking down at me and waved, hearing the bolts on the other side slide open.
The door opened and Luke stood there with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Allie? What are you doing here?"
Still bouncing on cloud nine, I shrugged my shoulders and smiled up at him.
"I decided I didn't want to go back to the Tower. I want to stay here with you. If...you don't mind, that is."
Luke shook his head and said, "What are you talking about? Brecken needs you there. He told me himself you had to go back once you were healed."
"Yeah uh...I talked to Jade and she knows I'm not going back. I'll tell Brecken myself when we go together next time for supplies."
"We? What exactly are we now, partners in crime?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.
I crossed my arms, irritated and confused at his tone and replied, "No...but I thought I could help you out here. I can come with you on runs and watch your back, plus I can help around the safe zone. Things are always easier with two people instead of one."
He looked down and said in a low voice, "I do things alone, Allie. That's why I came all the way out here. I don't need your help."
"Really? So you could've stitched yourself back up that night then, huh?" I retorted.
When he looked back up at me, his eyes seemed almost cruel, their shade of blue resembling tumultuous waves during an ocean storm.
"It wouldn't have been my first time. I don't recall asking for your help that night and I'm definitely not asking for it now. Go back to the Tower, Allie. Maybe you'll find someone there who actually needs you."
I reeled back, hurt by what he had said.
I took a minute to compose myself and process how to respond without pissing him off further. Softly, I asked, "So that's how it is, then? You saved me, I helped you out, so our debt is repaid? You really didn't enjoy spending time together over the past few weeks? Was I mistaken about that? I know I felt like things were different here, between you and I. I felt comfortable here. You didn't feel any of that?"
He moved his hand from behind the door and raised it, bracing it against the door above his head. In it, he held a half-drunken beer bottle. I glanced quickly at it and my heart dropped in disappointment. He'd been drinking since I'd left.
I gestured to the bottle and said, "Seriously?"
He shrugged his large shoulders and said, "Why not? Everyone leaves eventually. I figured I'd start enjoying my own company after you turned out not to be any different."
"That's not fair, Luke. You and I both knew from the start that I was returning to the Tower."
"If you were going to come back, then why'd you leave in the first place earlier?"
I sighed and looked down, inspecting my shoes. Ignoring his question, I waved my hand inside and asked, "Can I come in now? Please?"
"Why should I let you in? You probably won't leave if I do."
"If you really want me to go, I'll go. I'm just asking for a few minutes, Luke."
He watched me for a few seconds and finally pushed the door open, stepping to the side. I used the opportunity and brushed past him quickly, before he changed his mind.
Once I was inside, he shut the door loudly and I cringed. A steel door was already loud enough, let alone when you gave it your all in closing it.
He walked past me towards the couch and I caught a whiff of the sharp scent of beer that was on him. When he sat down, he immediately put his feet up on the table and I saw that there were three other bottles that were already empty. I'd only been gone for two hours, he must have started as soon as I had walked out of the building.
He looked up at me and taunted, "So, you gonna convince me to let you stay then, or what?"
I shook my head in disappointment and sighed.
So much for a heartwarming reunion, I thought to myself.
"You're already drunk. Are you even going to remember any of this?"
He lifted the bottle in his hand and eyed it thoughtfully.
"I haven't had that much…" he trailed off.
Luke hadn't told me anything about his past or where he had come from originally, but I did notice now that when he was drunk, a slight Texan accent started to sneak out and taint his speech. It would've been really adorable, if he wasn't being extremely obnoxious at the moment.
He raised the bottle towards me and said, "So! You gonna convince me or what?"
"Fine, you want me to just get right to it, then? Well for starters, I think you're just in denial about enjoying my company and that really, you would like me to stay with you rather than return to the Tower. I think that you thought it was nice to have someone else here because I know I wasn't the only one who felt like we'd gotten closer over the past few weeks. But...I think that you're afraid to let anyone in because you've tried so hard to push people away, like you tried to with me. You've avoided any physical contact with me, even after we kissed-" He cringed. "-and now you're trying to keep me from staying. I think that you believe if I'm gone, there is definitely no chance of anything happening between us."
Silence fell after my tirade and Luke didn't say anything in response, perhaps realizing that I had hit closer to the truth than he was comfortable with.
Suddenly, he shot up off of the couch and set his bottle down on the table harshly. He tried to cross the room, nearly tripping over the coffee table when he went to walk around it, and came to stand right in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.
Startled, I jumped at the contact and looked up at him questioningly.
"Luke? What-" His eyes narrowed at me and he gently brought his hands up to cup my face, caressing my cheek with his thumbs. "-are you...doing?"
"So...you think I'm in denial, huh?"
I swallowed and nodded. "Yes, yes I do. We've...never talked about what happened in the kitchen the first night I was here. You also never brought up that night you almost kissed me again the hall. Ever since then, it's like we've been avoiding each other because neither one of us wanted to come to terms with what it all might actually mean. I'm ready to admit it, but are you?"
He leaned his head back and studied me, before quietly asking, "What exactly are you ready to admit?"
I blushed and averted my gaze, embarrassed that he was actually going to make me say it out loud. I whispered, "That...I'm attracted to you, Luke. I want to stay here with you because I like you and I enjoy spending time with you. I don't want to return to the Tower without you."
His expression changed, his eyes darkened, and he brought his hands down behind my neck, tilting my head up.
"Hey, that's all I wanted to hear."
He leaned down and kissed me then, softly at first but then more insistently as the kiss lengthened. He moved his hands to my waist, playing with my shirt and brushing his fingers along the front of my waist, making me gasp into his mouth.
I could feel him smiling against my cheek as he moved down to kiss my jaw, trailing his lips from the bottom of my chin to my ear, then back to my lips again. Each time he reached my ear, he'd bite lightly on my earlobe and I'd gasp at the sensation. My skin tingled every place he kissed me.
After a few minutes of teasing, he leaned back and started to lift my shirt up at an excruciating pace, asking permission silently with his eyes. When I finally nodded, he pulled it completely off and tossed it aside, pulling me back in. His shirt rubbed against my exposed skin now and the sensation gave me goosebumps everywhere. When I shivered, he slowly ran his hands up and down my upper arms.
Now it was my turn to play with his shirt and I coyly looked up at him, toying with the hemline. He smiled at me seductively, and stepped back to take it off. After he'd lifted it over his head, he held it in his hand as I admired his body. I'd only had the chance to see his bare chest once, when I had stitched his wound back together a few weeks ago. Now that it was during the day and he wasn't bleeding all over himself, I had ample time to appreciate the view.
His body was built like a lumberjack, the perfect example of masculinity, with all of his strength in his upper shoulders and biceps. He had lean hips but they were wider and stockier than say, a swimmer, who tended to have more tapered lines. He had a fine dusting of brown hair along his pecs and it traveled down to a thin line below his belly button. It was darker than the hair on his head, of course, and when my eyes followed the line down to his waistline, my stomach did a somersault of anticipation.
I ran my hand along his biceps, over his pecs, and then down his rippled abs.
They tensed, iron strength moving underneath supple skin, and he grunted. Through teeth clenched tightly, he said, "It's...been awhile."
My mind filled with thoughts of what else would be extremely sensitive. I hooked my fingertips around his belt loops, tugging lightly, trying to hint that I wanted them off.
He smirked and tossed his shirt onto the ground. As if to tease me back, he undid his button and proceeded to unzip his zipper, one metal tooth at a time.
I grinned mischievously and pulled on his belt loops, taking his jeans with me as I lowered my body to the ground. His eyes were a deep shade of blue as he watched my progress, even more rich than they were when we first started.
After I helped him out of his shoes, he kicked his jeans aside. Delicately, I ran my hands up his thighs, brushing softly against the fine hair on his legs as I stood back up. He groaned softly and pulled me backwards towards the bedroom, his hands under my elbows.
I allowed him to lead, never taking my eyes off of his.
When we neared the bedroom, he turned me and pushed me gently towards the bed. The backs of my knees hit the edge and I pulled him onto the bed after me, relishing in the feel of his weight pressing me into the mattress. It was a comfortable weight, a weight that made me feel protected and safe.
All of my senses were hyperactive at this point. I could smell the same musky, spicy scent that I'd smelled before on the shirt he'd let me borrow, radiating from his body now. The heat he was giving off burned me, but in the most amazing way. The sheets on the bed tickled my back and my skin felt extremely sensitive once more, as if I'd come apart if he so much as touched me.
He kissed my collarbone and I gasped at the sensation. As he reached underneath me to unhook my bra, I arched my back to allow him easier access. When he tossed it over his shoulder onto the floor, I giggled and slapped my hand over my mouth, shocked at the sound.
Luke tilted his head at my reaction, confused, and I shook my head in response.
"Oh the things you do to me, Luke. I never giggle…" I whispered.
In a low, flirtatious voice, he said, "I'm hoping giggles aren't the only sound I can get out of you…"
My giggle from earlier turned into a full blown laugh and I tilted my head back.
"Wow, someone is feeling really confident today."
He kissed down my chest and circled his tongue around my belly button, eliciting more giggles out of me, before he unbuttoned my jeans with a snap. He grasped the band of my underwear with my jeans and pulled, lifting it off of my hips and I lifted my body to allow him to pull them completely off. He stood and quickly did the same with his boxer briefs, making a cold breeze drift over me, then slid his body back over mine.
He met my gaze and held it for a few seconds before asking, "You're sure, right?"
I nodded and interlaced my fingers behind his neck. "Are you?"
He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "I'm sure."
I gasped as our bodies became one and Luke buried his face in my neck. Every time he thrust, I dug my fingers into his back, moaning. He kissed me again, roughly this time. I could feel the urgency in it.
As he kept moving, the pressure in my body built, like a violin string tightening, racing closer to the point of snapping. I arched my back, almost at the point of no return and he tucked his arms underneath me, lifting me so that we were wrapped around each other in an embrace. He used his strength to lift my body, and I gasped at the difference in sensation.
I tightened my hands in his hair and he groaned. Spurred on by my reaction, he moved faster, harder. I tossed my head back, lost in what I was feeling. Suddenly, the tension snapped and I cried out, clinging to him. The edges of my vision blurred and through the haze in my mind, I faintly heard him cry out as well. I leaned my head on his shoulder and gasped for air, trying to come back down to Earth. His arms wrapped around my back and he gently lowered me onto the bed, rolling behind me and draping his arm over me.
I sighed in contentment, focusing on his finger tracing circles on my stomach. I flinched, and he chuckled behind me.
"Ticklish, are we?"
I held up my thumb and pointer finger in a gesture that was supposed to mean, 'a little bit'.
He nuzzled the back of my shoulder and teased, "So worn out you can't talk?"
I elbowed him lightly in the abdomen and he coughed. I turned my head to the side, trying to look at him over my shoulder.
"Are you sober now?"
He laid his head back down on the pillow, resuming his tracing, and said, "I've been sober for awhile, actually. Two of those three bottles went straight down the drain. I wasn't even really drunk, just in a good place."
"Oh, is that so?" I asked sarcastically.
He laughed and stood, reaching for his pants and quickly putting them on as he walked out of the room.
I smiled at his change in attitude and sat up, reaching down for my clothes as well.
When he didn't return after a few minutes, I stood and walked over to the bookshelf, picking up one of the photos of Luke and the blonde woman. He looked more like the Luke in this picture now than he had when we first met. Not necessarily in his physical appearance but in the look in his eyes.
He came back into the room suddenly and saw me mostly dressed, holding the picture in my hand and froze. I turned to look at him, silently questioning him with my eyes and trying to gauge whether he would be willing to talk about it now.
He slowly came to stand in front of me, taking the picture out of my hand and gazing at it with an impassive expression that was impossible to read.
"Who is she?" I whispered.
Gently, he set the photo back down on the shelf, caressing the edges of the frame lightly with his fingers.
"She was my wife," he said quietly, still facing away from me and looking at the photo, a tender expression on his face.
I pressed on.
"What happened to her?"
He sighed and turned, heading back to sit down on the bed. I sensed that this could be a long talk so I settled down next to him, crossing my legs underneath me. I reached out and took his hand in mine, hoping to comfort him as he dredged up old memories.
In a soft voice, he said, "She died, two years ago. In a car accident."
I squeezed his hand and he looked at me, his expression haunted.
"Luke, I'm so sorry."
He nodded and looked away.
"Do you want to talk about it some more?"
He gazed off into space and he started to speak slowly, as if he had to gain momentum in order to get further into their history.
"We met in college. Dated for a few years, got married at a local church."
"You were religious?"
He shook his head.
"Not really, but her family was. Christian. Anyway, we had decided to get married before I left for my residency, not knowing where we'd end up. That way we could put roots down together rather than one of us having to sacrifice anything."
"You guys really wanted to do everything as a team, it sounds like."
He smiled lightly, his expression gentle.
"Yeah, she was always all about teamwork. I was notified that I'd been granted a position at Harran City Hospital in their Coronary Care Unit. We went out to dinner to celebrate. On our way home, as we were driving through an intersection, a...drunk driver...came barreling through. He'd run a red light. Hit us on the passenger side of the car."
I looked down, shaking my head, my chest tight with empathy.
He let out a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair.
His voice trembled when he said, "She died, right in front of me. I held her while we waited for the ambulance to arrive on the scene. Her blood was all over me. It coated my hands, it stained the ground beneath her. I couldn't escape the images. They haunted me every day and night. The day after her funeral, I flew out here. I couldn't take it anymore."
I sighed, the air heavy with emotion.
"I don't even know what to say."
He pulled his hand out of mine and stood, facing the window, as if he were trying to distance himself from me.
"There's nothing that you can say. She's gone, I'm here. That's how things are now."
I stood as well and wrapped my arms around him, barely able to completely embrace him because his body was so much wider than mine. I placed my cheek against his back and nuzzled it against his shirt, comforted by the soft fabric.
"But I'm here with you."
He placed his hand on my forearm and turned his head towards me, his voice low and soothing.
"You are, aren't you?"
I closed my eyes and said quietly, "And I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon."
After a few moments of cuddling, I teased softly, "But you know...you never admitted you wanted me to stay..."
He chuckled and turned to kiss me softly, whispering, "I would've thought I had made it pretty obvious I wanted you here. So, I talked a little about me, now it's your turn."
I met his gaze, panic washing over me at the thought of having to face my own memories. I didn't know if I was ready to think about what happened when I first arrived in Harran. It was only fair that I shared my story though, since Luke had shared his with me at my insistence.
He pulled me back over to the bed and sat down, scooting back to lean on the wall and indicated that I should lean on his chest.
I smiled lightly at his attempt to make me feel more comfortable and crawled back towards him, settling in against his body.
After a few seconds of silence, while paying with the bottom of my shirt and looking straight ahead at nothing in particular, I quietly started.
"My best friend Emily and I have been together since we were kids. We grew up together. We went to elementary, junior high, high school and even college together. This year was our senior year of college. We were supposed to graduate in just a semester. Emily's mom's family is from Harran, but they emigrated to New York when her mom was just a kid. Anyway, they decided to take a family trip back here to introduce Em to her heritage and whatnot. They were nice enough to invite me along and I figured hey, it's the last summer before my last semester in college. I could use a vacation, right?"
When I buried my head down into his chest, he raised his arm and caressed my back, encouraging me to continue.
Tears started to pool in my eyes and I said, "It was me, Emily, her parents, and her grandparents. We were supposed to fly out back to New York the next day. But...all of a sudden, we heard people start screaming. They were running everywhere and there was so much chaos. Even if we had managed to make it to the airport, there was no way we would've made it out."
Luke asked gently, "How did you make it out?"
I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, trying to stem the tide of tears before they started falling. It didn't help, and they started streaming down my face.
I choked out, "Emily's grandfather got caught by a biter. Her grandmother turned to help him and then she went down...obviously her parents couldn't just run, you know? Emily looked right at me and she pushed me away, towards the gate at the entrance. She told me if her family was dying there, then so was she. But that I didn't need to. Then she turned and ran back to the hotel. At first I called after her, trying to get her to leave with me. She didn't even look back. When I saw the biters take her down, I...panicked. I turned and ran. I can't believe I just left her there."
Luke pushed me up and away from his body, lifting my head up so he could look into my eyes, his expression stern.
Forcefully, he said, "You didn't leave her there. She made her choice. You did what you had to do in order to survive, Allie. It was not your fault."
I nodded and when I spoke, my voice was hoarse.
"I know that now. But after it happened I just felt so guilty for being the only one to survive, so guilty for just leaving them there. What if I could've done something else to save them? What if...if I hadn't left, I could've at least helped Emily? Convinced her to come with me?"
Smoothing back my hair, he cupped my face in his hands.
"There's no point in asking what if. You're just torturing yourself. You have to keep looking ahead."
"Thanks, Luke," I murmured.
He tenderly kissed the top of my head and rested his chin there.
We sat in silence, comforted by each other's presence. I had to admit that finally getting what happened to Emily and her family off of my chest, made me feel liberated from the guilt that I hadn't realized I'd been running from since.
Luke continued to hold me like that as we shared stories with each other from before the outbreak, both sad and happy. Eventually, the sun set on us and night came once again. I fell asleep cradled in his arms, feeling truly safe for the first time in a long time.
A/N:
And there it is! Luke & Allie finally share a moment and we got to learn a bit about their lives before Harran. I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
I try not to ask this much, but I know I have a few readers who've been following this story since chapter one. If you like Effervescent so far (or even if you didn't), I humbly ask that you please review so I know what you all think! At this point, I'm not sure if it's going well or not (though I'd like to hope that it is). Thanks guys :)