𝙿𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚎 *𝙻𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚡

*The last of us*

*Requests : AshtonDooley0 asked for a one-shot of Lucas and Max living in the alternate dimension of the apocalyptic world of The Last of Us. I really liked this one, enjoy!

-

In a world where the haunting strains of zombies echoed, Max and Lucas found themselves navigating through a landscape devastated by the fungal-infected humans, reminiscent of a grim deception. Max and Lucas moved stealthily through the rubble-strewn streets, keeping a watchful eye on the eerie silence that enveloped them.

"Think we're clear?" Lucas whispered "For now. But they could be anywhere." Max sighed, quietly glancing around. The dead of night cloaked the landscape in an eerie stillness, broken only by the haunting echoes of the infected in pursuit. As the faint shuffle of the approaching infected grew louder, Max and Lucas exchanged urgent glances, their hearts pounding with the imminent danger closing in.

In their desperate search for shelter, they stumbled upon an abandoned house looming amidst the ruins. "In there!" Max hissed, her voice laced with urgency, as they darted towards the dilapidated structure. Max gripped Lucas's arm, yanking him into the house. With the infected trailing close behind, they dashed inside, their breaths ragged with fear and adrenaline.

Lucas slammed the heavy door shut, fumbling to lock it in a frantic attempt to keep the undead at bay. The interior was cloaked in darkness, save for slivers of faint moonlight filtering through boarded windows. They moved cautiously through the eerie silence, trying to find a safe spot to hide, their senses heightened by the encroaching threat.

"This way!" Lucas whispered, leading Max to a small closet tucked away in a corner. With trembling hands, they closed the closet door behind them, enveloping themselves in pitch darkness. The air was thick with tension as they huddled close, their breathing gradually slowing in an attempt to quiet their frantic hearts.

In the suffocating darkness, the minutes stretched into an agonizing eternity as they strained to hear any sign of the infected outside. Silence settled over them, punctuated only by the occasional shuffle of their movements in the cramped space. Exhaustion weighed heavily on their shoulders, yet the fear of the unknown kept sleep at bay, the adrenaline refusing to ebb.

Lucas spoke in a hushed tone, his voice barely audible in the darkness. "You okay?" Max's response was barely a whisper. "Yeah, just... No." Lucas sensed the tremor in Max's voice. He shifted closer, their shoulders nearly touching in the cramped space of the closet. "What's wrong?" Lucas murmured, his concern evident in the gentle tone of his voice.

Max hesitated for a moment, the weight of their dire situation pressing down on her. "Everything," she confessed, her voice barely audible, carrying the weight of their shared fear. "My family is dead. Our friends are dead... And us... We probably won't last any longer without any food." Lucas felt the weight of Max's words like a heavy burden in the darkness.

He tightened his grip on her hand, offering what little comfort he could muster in their dire circumstances. "I know, Max. It's... it's hard," Lucas murmured, his voice laced with empathy. "But we'll find a way. We have to. We have to keep going, find supplies, find somewhere safe." Max's breath caught in her throat, the reality of their losses weighing heavily upon her. "I just don't know if I can do this anymore," she admitted, her voice trembling with exhaustion and grief.

Lucas's heart ached for her, for the overwhelming despair that threatened to consume them both. "Hey, d-don't say that, we're gonna figure this out." he said, trying to infuse his words with a sense of hope. But his words did not help Max. "Face it, Lucas, we're gonna die out here." Lucas felt a pang of helplessness, his heart sinking at Max's bleak proclamation.

He struggled to find words to counter her despair, his mind racing for something, anything, that could offer solace in their dire situation. "We've survived this long, Max. We'll find a way," Lucas insisted, his voice tinged with a desperation to convince her otherwise. Max's resolve seemed to waver in the suffocating darkness.

"You're just trying to be optimistic, but it's over, Lucas. We're running out of options," she murmured, her voice heavy.Lucas hesitated, the weight of her words settling like a heavy shroud around them. "I don't want to die," she admitted, her vulnerability echoing through the darkness, a rawness in her tone that tore at Lucas's heart. "You're not going to die. I won't let it happen."

He tightened his grip on her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. Max swallowed hard, her eyes glistening in the dimness. "You... You can't promise that," Lucas replied, his voice laced with a mixture of determination and empathy. "I'll do everything I can to keep you safe, to keep us safe." Max's gaze flickered between uncertainty and a glimmer of hope.

"But what if there's no way out? What if this is it?" she whispered, her voice fragile with the weight of their predicament. "If they get me- or you?" Lucas shook his head, "I won't let anything happen to you, I swear it." Max's gaze held a mix of uncertainty and a fleeting trust in Lucas's unwavering determination.

"I want to believe that," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Lucas felt a chill settle in the confined space, the cold seeping through the walls, a harsh reminder of the harsh world outside. "Let's try to get some sleep," he suggested his voice a gentle plea in the frigid darkness.

They nestled close, seeking warmth in each other's presence amidst the cold like they did every other night recently. Huddled together, Max and Lucas found a fragile comfort in their closeness, their shared breaths creating a soft rhythm in the suffocating darkness. "It's freezing," Max murmured, her teeth chattering slightly.

"Yeah," Lucas agreed softly, his arms instinctively wrapping around her, offering what little warmth he could in their little closet. Lucas felt the biting cold seeping through the cracks of the closet, an unwelcome companion to their already dire circumstances.

He pulled Max closer, trying to shield her from the harsh chill as best as he could. "We'll manage," he murmured, his voice a gentle reassurance amidst the cold darkness that enveloped them. "I hate this," she whispered, the cold seeping into her words. "I know, it's rough," Lucas acknowledged, his arms holding her tightly.

They remained entwined in the suffocating darkness, their shared warmth offering a fleeting comfort against the bitter cold. In the silence that stretched between them, Lucas tried to ease the tension, to distract them both from the biting cold that gnawed at their resolve. "I'm glad I'm doing this with you though,"

Max glanced up at Lucas, her eyes reflecting a mixture of weariness and gratitude. "Yeah, me too," she murmured, her voice carrying a hint of warmth amid the frigid atmosphere. "Goodnight Lucas," "Night, Max," Lucas replied softly, his voice tender. In the cold confines of their shelter, the air heavy with uncertainty, they settled into an uneasy rest, seeking respite from the relentless trials that awaited them at dawn.

Max nestled closer, seeking warmth in Lucas's embrace. As the night wore on, their breathing gradually synchronized, a faint rhythm amidst the oppressive silence. Despite the chilling cold that seeped through the darkness, they found a fleeting comfort in each other's presence. Lucas kept a vigilant watch, a silent guardian shielding the sleeping girl in his arms from the dangers that lurked outside. For now.

-