Infectious Affections {Zayn Malik||Harry Styles AU}

Chapter 1- Choices

Please vote and comment if you enjoy it. The boys will be entering the story in the next two chapters.
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Melodie's POV

"According to my calculations we will be running out of supplies in about two months, two and a half if we ration better." I speak to the room filled with soldiers dressed in casual clothing but their weapons still attached to their belts, like always.

When the world went to shit, the government gathered a certain group of people in our area and brought us to the silo as the news of the supernatural existing create havoc right around the globe. We have survived for months now, without even needing to retrieve supplies from the surface, but tha luck has run out and we are sitting with major problems.

I take the time, while speaking, to glance at every soldier, men and woman. "Time is not going to be waiting for us and we have mouths to feed." I sigh. "So, any suggestions?" I ask.

"We could try growing our own food."

"We serve less food."

Were the only two suggestions. Under the circumstances I understood why anyone with any other suggestions would keep them to themselves. We don't have much options and have tried almost everything we could think of.

Ever since we started rationing the food to this extent everyone started loosing hope to survive. Deal with people in an understanding and civilized manner was becoming harder by the day, and I don't do well with conflict situations... I might have a minor anger issue.

Our little safe heaven, the silo, was no longer going to keep us alive... 

"We cannot grow our own food. We'd need sunlight for that, which we do not have, we'd also need water, fertiliser, pesticides- all of which we dont have." I shoot down the suggestion with logic, while looking at the soldier that suggested it with a shrug, at least he tried. "We cant ration the food even more than we are now, either, that would be incredibly unhealthy. We only have two meals a day as it is now." I shake my head dismissively. Even I was losing hope.  

"Then what do you suggest?" Austin, my best friend and lover, asks. I glance at him, he sits in a chair to my right, casually leaning back.

"The surface?" a dark skinned soldier, Griz, asks or suggests, I wasnt sure. I keep my face straight, not wanting to show the soldiers I agree, but also not disagreeing. Griz is one of the soldiers whose opinions mattered to me, more so than others, because he always put the survival of others, and his family, ahead of himself. He was a someone I admired.

Mumbles erupted the room. Everyone seemed to disagree with him. The surface was way to dangerous. No one was willing to face vampires, witches, werewolves and god knows what else out there when they could be in the silo, safely.

Austin watches me carefully while everyone argued why it was a bad idea. He noticed my calm and un-opinionated response, which is very rare. I shifted my weight under his harsh gaze and listened to everyone sharing their opinions. I didnt say anything. I glance to Sargent Lino, the man who runs things here in the silo with me, to see his expression. Calm and observing, matching mine.

Sargent Lino and I have discussed this earlier, while Austin was on watch duty, and came to an agreement. If we want to survive we need to take risks otherwise we are just going to wait to die. We made a good team. He isn't afraid to object to my choices and suggestions, and I him, and he respects my authority despite our age difference. 

I slam my hands on the table to my right, the sound echoing over the voices and bringing the much needed silence I was seeking. I hate so much unnecessary noise, it pisses me off.