Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️FIFTEEN: THE SHOPPING CENTER⚠️

These days, life always kept you on your toes. Things were constantly happening, especially when you least expected them.

As you might expect, today wasn't any different.

Of all the strange things you'd seen after the apocalypse, this was by far one of the strangest. Zion and Jay stood in the second floor corridor,  tossing an old lightbulb back and forth as hard as they could.

"Heads up!" Jay called, pulling his arm back and throwing the bulb forward like a pitcher, Zion caught it easily, throwing it back.

You couldn't help but laugh as Eugene emerged from his classroom, looking like he was going to go to 1-C, but then seeing Zion and Jay and turning back around, closing the door.

"Don't get hurt, you guys," you said, refocusing your attention on the piece of paper you had in your lap. You were trying to fold it into a paper swan but you couldn't remember how, accidentally ending up with boats every time you refolded it.

"Careful," someone warned, and you looked up to see Lawrence walk by, along with Ethan and Harry, just arriving back from getting food. You guessed it went well because Harry smiled brightly at you, his backpack full.

"Oh! I almost didn't see you down there!" Lawrence said in surprise, looking down at you sitting on the floor. "What are you making?"

"I'm trying to make a swan," you said, blowing out a breath of frustration.

"Swan..." Lawrence repeated, lost in thought. "Here, I think I remember. Let me show you."

He took his backpack off, giving it to Ethan and telling him to unload in the storage room before sitting next to you, gently taking the piece of paper.

"Here, we fold this in half... put this part back... bend it right here..." he recalled, but then stopped. "No, that's not right."

He smoothed the paper flat on his leg before trying again, and you saw Zion glance over.

"I think it's like— no, that can't be right," Lawrence murmured, seeming more and more stumped. You giggled as he continued to struggle, folding and smoothing and refolding the paper so many times that it became a wrinkly, creased mess. Zion was still watching.

"Wait! If you do it like this, then..." he fell silent as he got to work, and you gasped as you saw the swan take form. Lawrence beamed, holding it out to admire it.

"Thank you," you said, pretending to pet the small paper animal. He opened his mouth to say something when the sound of breaking glass filled the hall.

"Shit!" Zion said through gritted teeth, and you jumped to your feet. The shattered lightbulb lay at his feet and he held his hand, blood dripping from a cut.

"I told you not to get hurt," you scolded. "Let me see."

He didn't protest, holding his hand out for you. It was a thin cut, but it was decently deep.

"That's what you get for not paying attention," Jay said, but you could tell he was worried. "Keep your eye on the ball."

"Here, come with me," you said to Zion, choosing to ignore Jay. "I'll wrap it up."

"Sorry Lawrence, thanks again for helping me," you said to him as you led Zion to the storage room.

"Anything, (Y/n)," he called after you, but he was staring at Zion with an unreadable expression. Shrugging it off, you opened the door to the storage room where Ethan and Harry were unloading food.

"Hey," Ethan greeted, his head buried in his backpack.

"What happened?" Harry asked, coming towards you and Zion.

"He cut his hand playing with that stupid lightbulb," you said, going over to a shelf to look for cotton and bandages.

Zion just grumbled, turning his head away from Harry. You reached behind a bottle of rubbing alcohol and found a roll of bandages and cotton balls.

"Here, give me your hand," you told him. You took out a couple cotton balls and placed it on his cut.

"Watch it, that hurts," he said, wincing.

"I'm trying to help you, stay still," you scolded, taking the bandage and beginning to wrap his hand. You tied off the end, patting it with a smile.

"All better," you said, putting the bandages and cotton away. Zion inspected the bandages, looking surprised.

"Hey, where'd you learn to do this?" he asked.

You shrugged. "I lived on my own for a while, so I kinda just learned how to take care of myself. I was always getting hurt somehow," you recalled, smiling as you remembered the first time you hurt yourself on your own, falling in a bush, one of it's branches cutting all the way up your arm.

"Funny how that works," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

"But anyways, be more careful! I'm not always going to baby you," you teased, pinching his cheek.

"I know, I know," he muttered, his face going red in embarrassment.

"We should probably get back to 1-C," Harry spoke up, the food shelf fully stocked. "We found something when we were out today."

Ethan nodded, walking out of the storage room, Harry close behind. Zion exchanged a look with you before following after them, walking past Eugene, who was kneeled on the ground. You realized he was picking up the remains of the lightbulb.

"Here, let me help," you offered, bending over to pick up the bottom part of the bulb and a few stray shards.

"Oh, thanks," he said absently, carefully gathering the thin glass in his hands and standing back up. You scanned the floor for any pieces you missed before doing the same.

"Just give it to me, I'll take them to the trash," he told you, and you tipped the fragments of the lightbulb in his hands.

Without saying anything else he turned to dispose of the glass. Zion was standing in the doorway of 1-C, looking impatiently at you.

"Any day now, (Y/n)," he said. You shook your head, hurrying over and walking in to see everyone present except Eugene, who came a few minutes later.

Lawrence had a map unfolded at the four tables and showing the others something. You walked closer, the pencil marks and worn edges telling you of it's frequent use.

"We went closer to there today, and it seems untouched," you heard him say.

"What's untouched?" Eugene interrupted, looking interested. Lawrence looked up from the map, smiling.

"A shopping center," he said. "It's a little further than we usually go, but it has to be full of useful supplies."

"Like cheese pretzels," Zion broke in, his eyes rolling back in his head at the thought.

"I wouldn't bet on it," Lawrence said, but he too seemed to like the idea of it. You couldn't even remember the last time you had warm food.

"So when are we going? Tomorrow?" Zion asked excitedly.

"I don't see why not," Lawrence responded, his eyes scanning the room. "How about me, Zion, Harry, and (Y/n) go?"

You felt your heart raise when you heard your name. You were just as excited as everyone else to see what you would find there.

"Fine by me," Jay said, flicking a lint ball off of his sleeve.

"Then that settles it," Lawrence said, folding up the map. "Now let's all get something to eat and rest. We've got a big day tomorrow."

For the first time in a while you felt excited for the future. Who knows what you would find at the shopping center? You thought that your excitement would keep you from sleeping, but you didn't have any difficulty.

And then you had a weird dream about paper swans and lightbulbs.