You and Jesse sit by a crackling fire in the middle of a quiet, abandoned cabin, the cold night air seeping in through the broken windows. The whiskey bottle in his hand glints in the firelight as he takes a slow sip, then passes it to you.

“Didn’t think we’d get a moment to actually relax,” Jesse says, leaning back against an old wooden chair, his breath misting in the air.

You take a swig, the alcohol burning its way down, warming you up against the chill. “Yeah, feels weird. Like any second now, something’s gonna come crashing through that door.”

Jesse smirks, stretching his legs out. “Well, if that happens, at least we’ll be buzzed when we deal with it.”

The fire pops, sending a few embers floating up into the dark. The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a while, listening to the wind outside, the distant howl of some animal—or maybe something worse. Jesse lets out a sigh, staring into the flames.

“You ever think about what things would be like if none of this ever happened?” he asks. His voice is quieter now, more serious.

You stare at the fire too, watching the way the flames dance and flicker. “All the time.”

Jesse nods, taking the bottle back for another drink. “Yeah. Me too.”

The night stretches on, the fire keeping you both in its warm embrace, the world outside as dangerous as ever—but for now, it doesn’t matter.