Multi-Fandom One-Shots Part 2

the sky is falling while i hold you tight

The end of the world comes slowly, unhurriedly. The changes- when they start to happen- are slight, almost unnoticeable, ebbing and flowing until they're huge and tidal.

In the course of a year (or maybe it's been centuries, compressed by the weight of loss and a bone-deep sorrow) the streets are empty, the fields are barren, and the ocean is drying up.

She meets him while she's scavenging for food at a grocery store in a tiny town on the Cape. Her senses, trained by months of hard living on her own, instantly go on alert at the presence of another human being. She whips around the instant she feels someone at her back, thrusting outwards with a well-placed shove that sends him crashing into the shelf across from her. His back hits the shelf, and then he crumples into a heap on the ground. She aims her metal baseball bat at him, torn between knocking him out and continuing her scavenge for food and hoping that he'll just leave her alone if she asks nicely. Throughout all this time, she hasn't actually had to hurt anyone yet, and she doesn't know if she can do it to someone who hasn't even technically threatened her.

"No, please, I'm not trying to hurt you or anything," he splutters, holding his hands up before him in surrender.

It's the first time she's seen another person in at least a month. Maybe she's starved for contact, or maybe she just doesn't care anymore, but she lowers the bat and crosses over to sit down beside him. He looks startled at the movement, but he just blinks at her and arranges himself to sit more comfortably.

"The store's mostly empty, by the way. Sorry to disappoint." Nini's voice is raspy from not speaking in so long, but the words come out easily enough.

"Oh." His voice is raspy, too.

She rummages in her bag for a protein bar and hands it to him. "You can have that, though."

Their fingers brush when he takes it. Electricity shoots through both of them, quick and crackling.

"Sorry! Sorry, it's my sweater; it's wool," Nini explains.

He smiles easily, and if she wasn't already sitting down, she would've been knocked off of her feet by the sight of that smile. He smiles like people used to before the end of the world started. "It's okay, don't worry," he says, turning that smile away from her to munch on the protein bar. "Thank you for this, uh...?"

"Nini," she supplies. "Nini Salazar-Roberts."

"I'm Ricky Bowen. Nice to meet you, Nini." He offers her a hand to shake, and she laughs at the meaningless formality of it all. Still, it feels good to laugh.

After Ricky finishes the protein bar, he stands up and brushes his clothes off of the grime of the grocery store floor. "Coming?" He offers his hand to her again, and she eyes him incredulously.

"Are you serious? I just met you. And in case you haven't noticed, we don't have anywhere to go."

He shrugs, extending his hand further out to her. "I found an empty house a couple streets down that's pretty nice. Still has power and water and everything. Pantry is stocked, too. I just came here to see if I could get anything else. So... are you coming?"

Foolishness and loneliness drive her to slip her hand in his and allow him to pull her up. "I guess I am."

It's a two-story cottage with charming, baby blue shutters and lace curtains. Whoever used to live here has nice tableware: porcelain plates and long-stemmed wine glasses. Nini runs her fingers across the lid of the upright piano in the living room, stunned at the discovery of such a treasure. She hasn't been able to play since everything ended a year ago.

"Do you play?" Ricky's voice is quiet as he stands in the doorway. It doesn't feel like he has to speak loudly to her, partly because there's no one else around to hear and partly because he trusts her already. Maybe it's stupid and maybe she'll kill him in the middle of the night and leave, but it's been so long since he's heard someone laugh, and he's hooked on the sound of her high, airy giggle.