They had been in the bad-smells-no-sun-damp-air place for three days, and it was a bad place. Things had died here, or had died and been left here. And maybe they would, too. It made Apple chittery to consider; that his Bad-Eyes-Good-Pets Friend had taken him all to a die-place with her mate. There was no water to be found, even though the sleep-nests and walls were sweaty. And there was not much else to the place: Just four walls and two soggy nests and a little room to skitter and hover and sniff about in. The floor was too hard to dig. Big-Friend (Pets-Friend's mate,) had found the hole they crawled down. He picked it open like a scab on the ground, and there was a climb-thing, and Big-Friend had put Bad-Eyes on his back and said "Apple come," and then they had gone down and not come out again since. Whatever was outside, Bad-Eyes-Good-Pets smelled scared of it, and Big-Friend smelled scared, too. But mostly everything just smelled like droppings, thanks to the corner with the little bucket for everyone to do their business in. Bad-Eyes-Good-Pets said it was a "BadApple!" thing to drink from, even though the water-holders they had brought were almost empty. Apple did not like it here, and he was tired and hot. His furry-fizzed body flopped to one side at the feet of Pets-Friend, and let his frondy antennae droop over his eyes. He did not know why his friends had left the cool-nest, soft-sounds, good-food place they had been in before, but he was a good Apple. And good Apples did not question these things. ---- [color=8C6868]"You ever wonder what he's thinking?"[/color] Orion asked, strapping on his left boot. His right one was already on; an assertion of the decision he had already made. There was a false levity in his tone, somewhere between "I'm not scared," and "I don't like this plan either, but it's a bit late to tell me you're dumping me over it." Mitch did not reply at first, staring ahead into the white-grey blur before her. Her feet dangled off the edge of the molded mattress and she folded her arms. [color=76D7C4]"Probably, [i]'I'm going to leave my partner to die in a shit-reeking, abandoned [i]human[/i] war bunker while I tromp about getting myself killed trying to barter with Ashrats for MREs. But I'm gonna dart around the elephant in the room to talk about her pet roach.'[/i]"[/color] She paused, and turned to shoot him a glare that leveled remarkably close to his face. [color=76D7C4]"Or were you talking about Apple?"[/color] One set of Apple's eyes opened at the sound of his name, but closed again as soon as he realized nobody was paying him adequate attention. Orion yanked on his boot laces. [color=8C6868]"Listen, Leila--"[/color] [color=76D7C4]"Don't you [i]'Leila,'[/i] me-"[/color] [color=8C6868]"-- We're out of food. We're out of water. And I don't hear a better plan."[/color] [color=76D7C4]"I should come,"[/color] she snapped. He answered first with the thud of his rubber soles hitting the floor, and then with the [i]zrrrrirp[/i] of his backpack zipping shut. [color=76D7C4]"I don't care if it's dangerous, Orion. I don't care. I'm not going to just let you go out there and- and... What if you get killed? How will I know, or will I just- just-"[/color] Mitch was cut short by the touch of a calloused hand cupping the side of her face. She pulled back. [color=76D7C4]"I didn't risk my life just so you could go die."[/color] Her voice was soft, then. Like all of the edge she had mustered for her brief protest had finally crumbled under the weight of the past week. Orion ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, his thumb pausing to wipe away a single tear doing its damnedest to clean a streak through the caked on Ash. [color=8C6868]"I'm gonna be okay, Mitch. I can fight hard if I don't have to look out for you, too. And Apple's not exactly a pro at moving quietly, so..."[/color] She sniffled, and turned her face away. [color=76D7C4]"I'm not a damsel."[/color] [color=8C6868]"Nah, you're the prince. You saved me from the tower and everything. But-"[/color] He crouched in front of her, and put one hand on her knee. [color=8C6868]"I gotta do this. I can't get shot, and you can. And I'll be back before sundown, maybe with a better place we can move to, yeah?"[/color] Mitch nodded. Orion kissed her knee before standing. [color=8C6868]"You be good, Apple. You look out for each other for a minute, yeah? And I'll be back before you can even worry."[/color] [color=76D7C4]"Be safe."[/color] Orion was climbing the ladder, his muscled weight causing the tired bars to creak. [color=8C6868]"I'm always safe."[/color] [color=76D7C4]"I love you, Mr. Lazos."[/color] The weight of the bunker hatch swung open. The rush of fresh air poured in like a flood, and both Mitch and Apple took a deep breath below. Orion's nostrils flared and he closed his eyes against the glare of daylight. [color=8C6868]"I love you too, Mrs... Mrs. Ingram-Lazos-to-be. And that's a promise."[/color] The door swung shut, then, and the earth above was so thick that Mitch could not so much as hear him walk away toward the ruins in the distance. The hand she clapped over her mouth to muffle her sobs, too, was completely unnecessary. Apple, being a good Apple, flutter-hopped up into her lap.