Final Days (MCSM Fanfiction)

Chapter 24 - Holding Onto Each Other

02:00 – Day 3

It was dark outside the cabin, wind violently howling around the building as fresh snow came floating down from the heavens.

Lukas heaved another sturdy firelog into the fire, listening the flames crackling as the embers glowed. Letting out a slow sigh, Lukas turned away from the fire. He hated how his breath trembled, a lump resting in his throat.

Silently he walked over to the couch, where Jesse was lying. She had her back turned to him and the fire, her eyes shut. But he knew she was awake as well.

Sitting back down beside Jesse, Lukas rested his hand on her arm in a comforting matter. She shifted slightly, one of her pale hands moving up and clutching his. Her grip was desperate, almost fearful, like she was afraid Lukas would leave her at any second.

Olivia's death was devastating to them both. Despite how dire their situation had gotten, neither of them expected her to give up in the way she did.

Jesse hadn't spoken a word since. She had cried until her voice broke away, cried until she could barely breathe. She had lost three people in one day, three friends.

Lukas couldn't help but feel responsible for Olivia's death. If only he hadn't pushed her, hadn't told her that she'd have to walk the miles to find help alone... maybe she wouldn't have made the decision she did.

Closing his eyes, Lukas leaned his head back against the couch. All Jesse and him had left, were each other. Both of their biggest fears, to end up alone.

He looked back down at Jesse. Her eyes had opened tiny slits as she stared a the couch, gaze following the cracks in the leather. She hadn't had as much as a wink of sleep that night, not that Lukas blamed her. But he knew how desperately she needed it.

"Are you sure you don't want to try and get some rest?" Lukas asked Jesse softly, squeezing her hand gently.

Her response was the slightest shake of her head.

"I know. It's hard." Lukas said softly, running his thumb across her knuckles. "But if anything, it's only going to make you feel better. Help numb the pain."

Jesse didn't say anything, just continuing to stare ahead. Then Lukas noticed the faint glint of a teardrop, rolling down the side of her face.

"C'mere." He said, helping Jesse up into a sitting position and wrapping her in a hug. She buried her face into his chest, her grip around him tight and desperate.

Lukas didn't know what more he could say to try and make Jesse feel better. Was there anything he even could say?

A few muffled words from Jesse caught Lukas's attention. He looked down at her, her face still buried in his jacket. "What was that, Jesse?"

She was quiet for a few seconds, before pulling her head slightly away from him and softly repeating her words.

"I'm scared."

Lukas was almost surprised by her words. He had expected something along the lines of I miss them, or anything more related to grief than fear.

Noticing his silence, Jesse glanced up at him. Her brown eyes were dull and faded, swollen and tainted red. Her face ghostly pale, but nonetheless laced with fear and grief.

Then Lukas slowly realised what was on Jesse's mind. His face softened, reaching up his hand to wipe one of her tears away.

"Jesse, I'm not going to leave you." He said softly.

"Everybody else did." Her voice cracked as she looked back down.

Lukas carefully took her hand in his, causing her to lift her head once more.

"While I can't promise that nothing will happen to me, I can promise you, Jesse, that leaving you will not be out of my free will." He said to her. "As long as I still have you to live for, I'm not giving up. That's a promise."

Fresh tears welling up in her eyes, Jesse leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Lukas. He hugged her back tightly, almost protectively.

"We'll think of something." He whispered. "We'll make a plan. As long as we still have each other."

Jesse nodded her head, not saying a word. Lukas felt her let out a slow, shaking exhale, sounding like it was tainted with relief.

"Come on." He said softly. "A little rest, and I promise you'll feel better in the morning." He managed a faint smile. "And you can count on me being here the entire time."

Jesse gave a small nod, although she didn't let go of him. So, still holding her as well, Lukas allowed himself to slide down on the couch until he half-sitting, half-lying down, with Jesse resting mostly on top of him.

Still keeping her arms wrapped around him, with her face mostly buried in the fabric of his jacket, Jesse silently began to drift off. Only minutes later, she was asleep.

Lukas managed a faint smile as he stared up at the wooden ceiling above them. As heartbreaking as the previous day was, he still had Jesse. And quite frankly, that was all that mattered to him at that moment.

He didn't know where they would go, whether they'd stay at the cabin or leave. He didn't know how they were going to find help, or make contact with other people again. But as long as the two of them had each other, he knew they would find a way. They weren't giving up, not until they were tethering on the edge of death itself.

Subconsciously, Lukas tightened his grip around Jesse's sleeping form, feeling her do the same in response.

No matter what happened or where the future took them, he wasn't going to let her go.

A heaviness began to grow in Lukas's eyelids, the crackling of the fire place, the howling of the wind, and Jesse's rhythmical breaths beside him being too soothing and relaxing.

Lukas remembered the last promise he made to Petra, that he would look after Jesse. While he knew falling asleep wouldn't count as looking after Jesse, he knew his body could only go so long without any sleep.

So as the minutes ticked by, Lukas's eyes slowly closed and darkness closed in on him as well.

Silence settling over the wooden cabin.

___

I hate it when you put up a header only for it to disappear later- ugh, I'll add it again tomorrow.

Anyway! A short chapter, but I love it! After a lot of deaths, it's about time we focused a bit on grief and comfort.

However we can't hang around here for long. They only have so many supplies left, and Jesse only has so much time left. As much as it hurts, these two need to put their grief aside and come up with a plan. But that's for next chapter!

And since I'm feeling generous, we're only a few chapters away from the end, and this chapter is only a pitiful 1030 words - I'm giving ya'll the next chapter in 3 days instead of five!

So with that said, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave any new theories you may have, I love reading 'em!

And see ya in 3 days with chapter 25!