[3] 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 ― p.jackson, l.valdez

025.

「025. nothing says first date like almost getting killed (this is a long chapter you guys, brace yourselves) 」

CHERRY WAS holding onto leo when the rubble fell. and until she heard hazel yell their names, she'd been convinced the two of them were dead. she was trembling. well, both her and leo were. the rubble of the tunnel just a centimetre behind them, the ground rumbling and her body pumping more adrenaline than she thought was possible. her body shook, her mind feeling electrified but like goo at the same time. her ankle throbbed, probably broken or sprained. but she didn't care. after a few shaky moments, she let go of leo, putting her hands to the side of his face before their foreheads touched, "you're okay. you're okay."

"the problem is," leo managed, "i don't know how we are. we were so far away from the tunnel before it collapsed."

cherry gasped, "look." she pointed to their feet, the only remnants of their friends being tendrils of blue smoke around their legs. "kenji." she stared back up at her boyfriend (which was... a weird but cool thing to say now) "kenji- he saved us, leo."

"that dumb child of hecate," he mumbled, "val is gonna shout at him so bad for that."

"where is-?"

a yell was heard not too far from them. cherry squinted, trying to see where it had come from. but to no avail. it was dark, terribly dark. she nudged leo, "we need light."

"oh, right!" within a few seconds, flame appeared in the hand that wasn't holding cherry's and he moved it around until they found hazel.

poor hazel. cherry's heart ached for her.

when they found her, the girl was on the floor. pounding the ground, sobs racking her body, breathing hard. she let out choked sobs, yells and curses, her fists blooded as she punched a wall. she continued to yell, her voice broken. the couple looked to each other as hazel began to breathe harder, and cherry took a hesitant step towards her whilst leo found a rubbled piece of wood and stuck it into the ground, lighting it so they could see.

cherry had experienced a few panic attacks, but by the choked sobs coming from hazel, she didn't seem to properly know what was happening to her. not that cherry knew everything, but she kind of expected it. ever since learning that hazel was from a different time period, she kind of assumed that mental health (especially anxiety and panic attacks that often followed) were properly assessed.

"hazel," she said, trying for a soothing voice wincing as she walked over- her ankle throbbing as she walked, "hey there- hey, i'm gonna sit beside you, is that okay?"

she continued to cry, but cherry heard a panicked, "yes."

"okay," continued, her voice soft, "hey- i'm so proud of you, you're gonna get through this, okay? you're going to get through this. focus on my voice hazel, focus on the present."

she continued to breath harder, and leo crouched in front of hazel. "hey- you gotta breath, hazel. should we do it together?" he looked at cherry and she nodded. "c'mon hazel, deep breath in through your nose, out through your mouth. we'll do it with you."

and so they did. for maybe, five or six minutes, they crouched beside hazel, breathing with her until she had stopped shaking and was no longer crying. cherry's mind had calmed, and she asked hazel in a calm voice (or as calm as one can be when potential doom is near and you yourself are terrified), "hey- hazel, am i allowed to put a hand on your shoulder?"

there was a nod as leo kept breathing with her. cherry gently placed her hand on hazel's shoulder before she stared rubbing her back, quietly asking if she could hug the girl. she nodded, and hazel breathing slowed when cherry let go.