sleepless club ▸ c.g [ 𝐈 ]

𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚠 ⇢ 𝟶𝟷𝟹

September 7th ┆09:19 pm

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!"

Anxiously making her way out of the room, not fazed by the pain that only worsened, Anais pushed the door open by the ball of her shoulder─ lightly shoving at the frame to inevitably reveal the room waiting on the other side.

She took a moment to look over the empty living room before shaking all interest off and moving across the space; entering the kitchen area that appeared to be attached─ merely to rummage through all cupboards and concealed spaces for any object that could fashion as a weapon. Her quivering breath and the rapid beat of her heart was all her ears could catch.

   "You're awake."

With this sudden voice springing within her eardrums, the teen gasped; spinning around to point the first thing within arm's reach at the stranger.

     Lips once tightly pressed together eventually part to take in a sharp breath at the sight. There, a few inches away from her own feet, stood another female. Her short, platinum locks of blonde effortlessly fell over her emerald-like eyes─ initially, Anais found to be captivating. Not even the scars sliced down her eyebrow's edge could grasp her focus.

    "Pepper?" Uttering that word alone felt so strange to Anais. Its been so long since she last said her name, it almost felt foreign, "You're. . You're alive."

  "Hey. . " Scanning eyes down Anais's physique, Pepper cocked up a brow before releasing a soft chuckle, "Can you put the wooden spoon down now?"

   Awkwardly glancing down at the utensil her digits still cling on to, she allowed it to fall by her feet before taking a hesitant step forward; watching as Pepper's arms opened wide for Anais to instinctively fall into her embrace.

Her face nuzzled into the heat of Pepper's shoulder, prompting her to quietly inhale the scent of fresh berries─ any unpleasant body odour seemed to be absent from the mix. That was Pepper. Even though she strolled through the core of the apocalypse, she always made sure to have any kind of deodorant at hand.

"I missed you." Anais murmured, voice somewhat muffled against the crook of Pepper's neck.

A light curve invaded the blonde's lips before she brought a hand to the other's back; giving it a slow, comforting rub, "I missed you, too, Ana Banana."

The nickname earned Pepper a scoff from her fellow adolescent, "You're really not gonna let that name go, are you?"

Guiding her hands to the brunette's shoulders; Pepper grinned before moving Anais back just a tad─ focusing eyes back to the features upon her face, "Absolutely not."

Hazel orbs roll before a soft chuckle escaped between her parted brims; resulting in Pepper's smile to stretch out that bit more.

"So, it's just you, huh? Did you see anybody else escape the ambush?"

  Stuck in a short pause, Anais's smile fades as the seconds led on─ only replying with a small shake of her head and granting eyes the opportunity to fall to the floorboards before giving a proper response.

   "I made it out with Matty. . The looters were so distracted with starting war with the others, I managed to worm my out through the fire exit out back. . I eventually found him hiding out at that greenhouse by the lake."

  Pepper's features soften at the look Anais gave, "By his absence and the lack of poor jokes being said, I assume he's no longer with us, huh?"

   Anais merely sniffled, slipping a strand of greasy hair back behind her own ear. She couldn't find the courage to speak much on the topic, and Pepper could see that.

  "Hungry?"

Bringing gaze back up to focus on the other's; Anais's light smile made a return, "Starved."

  Pepper proceeded to turn on the ball of her feet, retrieving the backpack propped up by the dining table, "I managed to pick up some jerky, crackers and some granola bars while you were out. It's no four course meal at the Hilton, but it'll have to do."

   Giving a slight nod of her head, Anais brought a hand up to rest on the forearm that was previously treated and wrapped up in bandages.

  "No─ That sounds amazing, Pepper. . Thanks."

September 7th ┆09:25 pm

  Pulling knees close to her chest, Anais found herself in a brief daze whilst she viewed the small flame building up in the fireplace. She couldn't help but wonder what happened to Carl, or if the boy was merely a figment of her imagination. If that was the case, she couldn't figure out why her mind would fabricate a story as such. He seemed so real to her. Too real.

  "Want some more jerky?"

Sitting herself down comfortably next to Anais, Pepper chewed on her own snacks; lightly humming a soft tune to herself at the taste.

  "Nah, I'm good. ." Anais quietly said, allowing her shoulders to slouch down and relax.

  "Something on your mind?" The blonde asked, arching a brow before tossing the last of her granola bar into her mouth, "If it's about your finger, it doesn't look that bad. . I mean, missing finger, missing boob; anyone would go for anything these days, so─"

  "It's not about my finger." Anais began, before rolling her shoulders back in a lazy manner, "Okay, maybe. . Just─ It's everything, really."

   A brief silence was left between the two girls, before Pepper decided to break it with a sigh, "I don't blame you. A lot has happened this evening. I'm not surprised that you're feeling overwhelmed."

    Turning her head to look at the other, Anais listened to the young woman's words with ease, "Very overwhelmed. It's all one big shit-show."

  The brunette scoffed, then granting a weak chuckle to fall from her mouth.

   At the mere sound, Pepper smiled─ leaning in a tad bit more before raising a hand to lightly pinch at Anais's chin with her thumb and index; inching her face closer to her own.

   Anais's orbs grow a tad bit wider at the contact, as well as the closeness. She couldn't tell if it brought her discomfort, nervousness, or happy butterflies to burst in the pit of her stomach.

   "I'm here for you, okay? Trust me."

  Guiding focus down to the plump lips that were now closer than an inch away from grazing her own─ a quivered breath escaped Anais, only to be quickly silenced by the lips possessed by the other.

   The brunette's eyes instinctively close, lips moving slow with Pepper's before they eventually part, leaving behind a small chill and tingling sensation to linger over her mouth.

   Lids flickering back to inevitably set upon the other adolescent's, Anais hesitantly nodded.

  "I trust you."