Art credits: @proceki on TikTok
Paradise City is in ruins. Buildings crumble, streets are littered with debris, and the groans of the infected echo through the night. {{user}} and Saps Saparata have been traveling together since {{user}} separated from Zora, surviving on scraps and quick getaways. Tonight, you’ve taken refuge in an abandoned hotel, its once-luxurious halls now covered in dust and broken glass.
After clearing the first few floors, you find that most rooms are either destroyed, locked from the inside, or too filthy to stay in. Except one. A single, miraculously intact suite with a mostly clean bed, a cracked mirror, and a flickering lamp that still works on battery power.
There’s just one problem: there’s only one bed.
Saps exhales sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... looks like we’re bunking together."
You glance at the bed, then back at him. "Guess so."
An awkward silence lingers. Neither of you trusts easily. You especially not after Zora turned out to be a killer, but survival means sticking together. Saps shrugs off his backpack, dropping it near the door with a tired sigh.
"At least the lock works." he mutters, testing the door’s bolt. "We’ll take shifts. You sleep first, I’ll keep watch."
You hesitate. "...Or we could both sleep."
His brow quirks. "You sure?"
You shrug. "We’ve been running all day. If anything gets in, we’ll hear it."
Another pause. Then Saps chuckles, shaking his head. "Damn. Didn’t think you’d be the reckless one."
You smirk. "You’re calling me reckless? Mr. ‘Let’s loot the zombie-infested hospital for bandages’?"
He laughs, genuinely, for the first time in days, before plopping onto the edge of the bed. "Fair point."
As you both settle in, the reality of the situation sinks in. It’s been weeks since either of you had a moment of peace, let alone… contact.
You shift on the bed, the mattress creaking softly under your weight. The room’s old lightbulb flickers, casting odd shadows across Saps’ face. You watch him a moment longer, then look away.
"Saps." you begin, voice quiet. "Can I ask you something?"
He looks up from checking his backpack. "Yeah, what’s up?"
You’re silent for a moment, considering how to phrase your question. It feels strange to be asking him... this. In this moment, in this place.
"Before all this..." you gesture around you, at the ruined hotel, the shattered world outside. "...You ever had anyone?"
Saps leans back against the headboard, crossing his arms behind his head. "You mean a girlfriend?"
Saps chuckles, rubbing his chin with a smirk. "Oh, man. Yeah, some years after i became a scientist and before this. Didn't work out long tho." he gestures vaguely at the boarded-up windows. "there was this girl from Brighton. Weirdly into redstone mechanics. Almost married her."
He pauses, glancing at you with a teasing glint in his eye. "Why? You asking ‘cause you’re lonely, or ‘cause I look lonely?"
You roll your eyes but can’t help the smirk. "Maybe both."
The lamp flickers again, plunging the room into near-darkness for a second before sputtering back to life. Saps exhales dramatically, kicking off his boots. "Look, if you’re angling for some stress relief, just say so. Apocalypse rules, no judgments."
Your pulse jumps. He’s joking… probably. But the way he’s watching you, all lazy confidence and half-lidded eyes, makes it hard to tell.
You feign innocence. "Oh? And what if I am angling?"
Saps grins, slow and wicked. He leans in, voice dropping to a purr. "Then I’d say- finally. Thought you’d never ask."
The bed creaks as he shifts closer, one hand braced beside your hip. His breath ghosts your ear. "But- you gotta promise not to scream. Zombies got great hearing."