Peace Town

Struggling Together

Chapter 10

DAY 22

The start of the fourth week since the world had fallen was peaceful. Atlas once again woke up before everyone else but this time he woke up with a smile on his face. He didn't have to hide himself or his feelings for Paxton. They could be together and be happy, well as happy as someone could be in an apocalypse.

Stretching, he got out of the bed and with one last look to Pax he walked out to the backyard.

He had been slacking.

He had been focused on everybody else, not that he minded, but he was going to take this morning to do something he enjoyed. He was going to exercise. To most people that sounded crazy, Atlas couldn't help but smile thinking about Pax's reaction when he told him he would workout every morning but he had a routine that he did with his brother. It was more of a competion between the two but they did it together and it brought them closer together. It was always who could do more push-ups? Sit-ups? Who could lift the most weights?

Atlas was worried about his brother, sister, and mother but he didn't think he could get to them. People were already beginning to act savagely, the incident at the hospital proved that. To him it made sense to wait until Rick to woke up, gather supplies, then go find his family. His brother was smart and strong, if his brain couldn't get his family out of a problem his muscle probably could. He knew that the world now was not a safe place but he believed in the willpower of his family to survive.

If he could survive this long surely his family could too. "They have the advantage," he would tell himself, "they're together." Atlas sometimes found himself wishing he was with his family but he was also worried that if he was with them that he would have to watch them get ripped to shreds. It really was a morbid thought but he couldn't help but be glad knowing that if he wasn't with them then he wouldn't have to see them in pain. Pain from exhaution, hunger, or anything else they might have to suffer through.

Atlas and his calming morning was interrupted with a bark sounding from beside him followed by Shadow running up to him and licking his face. When he looked up he saw the sheepish still half asleep Paxton, grinning in the backdoor.

"Sorry," a yawn escaped but Pax continued, "he wanted out. I didn't think he'd jump on you."

"It's alright Pax. He's just showin' how much he likes me," Atlas' attention turn to the dog, "Yeah, you're a good boy." After petting Shadow he noticed Paxton still in the doorway so he called out, "Come sit with me?"

Paxton couldn't help but try to ignore the blush spreading across his cheeks and the grin on Atlas' shown he had noticed the red hue even from the short distance, "Let me go get a water and i'll be back out."

Atlas smiled and wiped the sweat off his face with the tail of his t-shirt and stood up stretching his muscles. When Paxton came back out he found Atlas now sitting on the steps watching Shadow dig in a flower bed.

"You know he's gonna get all dirty, right?"

Atlas jumped at the sudden voice, "Yeah, but look how cute he is." Atlas tried to justify letting the dog ruin the flowers but when Paxton whistled for the dog's attention he knew it didn't work. Paxton sat down beside Atlas and handed him a spare water bottle. "You know you should be resting your foot?"

Paxton placed his head in atlas' shoulder and the man relished in the feeling.

"My foot doesn't hurt that bad."

"What about your thigh and ribs? How are they feeling?"

Paxton can't help but grimace, "They're still tender but I can handle it."