Apocalypse [Pentatonix AU | Kavi / Scomiche]

Chapter 15 - Disbelief

Kirstie's fingers were laced through the metal links of the fence in front of her as she stared off into the orange and pink sky, which was casting a gorgeous tinted light across the grassy land around her. She stood in the outdoor overpass that connected one cell block to another, taking solace in the crisp autumn air and rare, peaceful quiet.

She toyed with the paper in her pocket, fiddling with its torn edges. The words written on it ran through her head on a constant repeat, the handwriting burned into her memory.

Don't let the people around you influence you too much, where you lose track of what's important

~ J

Jeremy had always been so loving. Every morning when they woke up, cold and starving, his first priority would be to tell her how gorgeous she looked, or how grateful he was to be with her. He hadn't allowed the apocalypse to change him at all, and that's what Kirstie adored the most about him. Throughout all of it, he'd stayed positive, never killed a single living soul.

That's why she found it so ironic that his suicide note was advice.

He didn't bother telling her that he loved her, that he'd miss her, that he was sorry. He knew that she already knew all of those things. He made sure to immortalize himself in those seventeen words. For some reason that Kirstie couldn't fully understand, he chose those words.

"Hey," a soft voice said, tearing her from her thoughts.

She stuffed the paper deeper in her pocket, looking up to see Avi walking toward her, immediately causing her smile to widen. He looked stunning in the soft lighting, his chestnut hair glowing almost auburn. He stood next to her, wrapping his fingers around the metal links as well.

"How's Scott?" Kirstie asked, just above a whisper. She felt like even speaking would disturb the serenity of the setting around her.

Avi shook his head. "I can't get him to talk to me. You should give it another try."

"I don't understand, he was fine yesterday."

"Something must've happened either last night or this morning."

"I haven't seen him talking to Mitch at all today, which is strange. Maybe something happened between them?"

Avi shrugged. "Maybe."

She noticed he couldn't seem to stand still, his weight constantly shifting from one foot to the other. She studied his profile, confused by his stern and somewhat determined expression. His gorgeous emerald eyes were scanning over the changing leaves, across the golden grass, yet somehow they were unseeing. She noticed him constantly linking and relinking his dirt stained fingers through the chain fence.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked curiously.

Avi took a deep breath, turning to face her. His eyes met hers, but he stayed silent. Instead he took a step closer to her, and Kirstie felt her breath catch in her throat. She could see every cut on his face, every wrinkle that was beginning to crease his skin, every split in his rosy lips, every blemish that only made him that much more beautiful to her...

"I'm in love with you."

Time stopped.

Kirstie froze. She stared at him blankly. What the hell did he just say? There was no way he just said what she'd heard. He hadn't. 

He was in love with her.

No, he couldn't be. Except he was, and she knew it. She wasn't an idiot. It just didn't seem real. And while she couldn't accept that he was actually in love with her, she really couldn't accept that she was in love with him too.

Once again the paper in her pocket became heavy.

Avi's eyes were desperately scanning Kirstie's face, searching as if to read her thoughts. Kirstie tore her eyes away, looking back into the sunset, whose beauty seemed irrelevant now.

"I can't," Kirstie finally said, feeling both her and Avi's heart consecutively break.

"Oh," he said, barely audibly, turning away from her.

"I'm sorry." Shit, her voice broke. She also turned away, not able to bring herself to look at him. She knew if she did, it would only shatter her. "I can't be in love with you, not now. This world isn't susceptible to love. I can't."

Avi was nodding his head solemnly, tears clearly falling down his dirt stained cheeks. Hastily he brushed them away, clearing his throat again but refusing to look at her. "Right, yeah." His voice seemed mangled, only further cracking Kirstie's heart. "I'm sorry. I just needed you to know. I'm sorry if I messed it all- yeah. I'm sorry."

He turned away and walked off the overpass, closing the door gently behind him.

As soon as Kirstie heard it click shut she burst into tears.