Apocalypse Days: I Rule with Foresight and a Powerful Son
Chapter 94: The World with a Chance

Chapter 94: 94: The World with a Chance

Zara stepped back into the room, Leo trailing close behind her, clutching a towel too big for his tiny body. The scent of soap and warm water clung to their skin, a rare luxury in this new world. She paused just inside the doorway, eyes landing on Winter, who hadn’t moved an inch since she’d left.

He was still seated in the corner, his broad shoulders hunched and his long legs stretched out in front of him. One arm rested lazily on his knee, but his expression was distant, eyes fixed on his backpack like it held the answers to questions he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

"You’re still there?" Zara asked softly, nudging his foot.

Winter blinked and looked up, his dark eyes meeting hers.

"Where else would I be?" he muttered, though his usual sharp edge was missing.

Zara hesitated, then moved further into the room, guiding Leo to sit on the small cot in the corner. She crouched in front of the little boy, drying his damp hair with gentle hands. "You can’t sit in the corner all night, Winter. What’s on your mind?"

For a moment, he didn’t answer. His jaw tightened, and he glanced away, as if debating whether to share what was bothering him. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I was hoping," he began, his voice low and measured, "that I’d find some people I knew here. Friends. Maybe family."

Zara’s hands stilled as she finished with Leo’s hair. She glanced back at Winter, her brow furrowing. "You think they might be here? At City H?"

He shrugged, his lips pressing into a thin line. "It’s possible. It’s a big place, like you said. But..." His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.

Zara stood, walking over to him. "But you’re afraid they might not have made it."

Winter didn’t respond, but the flicker of pain in his eyes said enough.

Zara sat down on the edge of the cot opposite him, careful to keep her tone light. "Hey, it’s a big base. They could be here. Don’t give up hope just yet."

A faint twitch of his lips suggested she might have gotten through to him, if only a little.

"And speaking of hope," she added, wrinkling her nose, "I hope you’re planning to get a bath soon. You stink."

That earned her a snort, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "I don’t stink."

"Trust me, you do," she teased, crossing her arms. "Go. The bathhouse isn’t going to clean you if you keep moping here."

Winter shook his head, but there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Fine. I’ll go."

"Good." Zara waved him off. "Hurry up. Leo and I are starving, and you’re not eating until you’ve scrubbed that smell off."

Winter chuckled, pushing himself to his feet. He towered over her even when she was standing. "You’re bossy, you know that?"

"Someone has to be," she shot back, though the hint of a smile softened her words.

Winter grabbed a towel from the small pile near the door and left without another word, his footsteps echoing faintly in the corridor.

With him gone, Zara let out a quiet sigh and turned her attention back to Leo. The little boy was fiddling with a small toy in his hands.

"What’s that you’ve got there, buddy?" she asked, crouching down to his level.

Leo held up the toy, a tiny car with chipped paint. "It’s from my happy place," he said proudly. "It was hiding, but I found it!"

Zara smiled, brushing a strand of damp hair from his forehead. "Good job, Leo. Why don’t you play with it while I set up dinner?"

Leo nodded enthusiastically, his focus already shifting back to the car. Zara stood and moved to the small kitchenette, pulling out what supplies they had. The meal was simple—canned soup, some dried bread, and a few pieces of fruit—but it was enough to fill their bellies.

She heated the soup on a small gas burner she found there, its scent filling the air.

"Mommy, I’m hungry!" Leo called out from his corner.

"In a minute baby, dont you want to wait for winter?" She asked, turning off the burner.

"I do!" Leo pouted, as though offended by the suggestion. Zara chuckled under he breath as she turned back to the small pot to check that it was properly off.

By the time Winter returned, Zara had everything laid out. He stepped into the room, his hair damp and sticking to his forehead, his shirt clinging to his chest in a way that left little to the imagination.

Zara’s breath hitched, and she quickly looked away, busying herself with the soup.

Winter noticed. Of course, he did.

"Something wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with amusement.

"No," Zara said quickly, her cheeks warming.

He smirked, leaning casually against the wall. "You sure? You looked a little... distracted."

"I wasn’t," she insisted, avoiding his gaze.

Leo, oblivious to the tension, looked up from his toy. "What’s distracted?"

Zara let out a nervous laugh, ruffling his hair. "Nothing, sweetie. Eat your soup."

Winter chuckled, the sound deep and warm. He pushed off the wall and joined them at the small table, sitting across from Zara. His smirk hadn’t faded, but he didn’t push the teasing further.

They ate in companionable silence, the clinking of spoons against bowls the only sound. Leo, tired from the day, was engrossed in playing with his toy car between bites. Winter leaned back in his chair, his expression relaxed for once.

"So," she said, sitting down across from him again. "What do you think they’ll have us do here?"

Winter rocked back his chair, crossing his arms. "With my strength? Probably wall patrol or scavenging. They’ll want me outside the base."

Zara frowned. "That sounds dangerous."

"It is," he admitted. "But I can handle it. We are just coming out from out there."

"True and kinda ironic," Zara shook her head. "With that logic, I probably won’t like what I think I’ll get," she sighed, folding her hands on the table.

Winter raised an eyebrow. "And what’s that?"

"Well, when we came in, I noticed all the women we had seen so far were in medical or admin roles. While I dont think those are bad, and I definitely dont want to go back out there anytime soon. I feel like I’d be relegated there because of Leo."

Leo looked up at his name and Zara ruffled his hair gently.

Winter understood what she was trying to say. The fact that even in a collapsed society, women were pushed to "softer" roles in the base was somewhat funny.

Zara sighed, her gaze drifting to the window. "I wish I could work in a lab at least."

"A lab?" Winter tilted his head, curiosity sparking in his eyes as he leaned forward.

"Yeah, I think I already told you I used to be a scientist?"

"Hmm, back when you were a bit of a pain in the ass," Winter nodded, feeling like she had mentioned that around the first time they had met.

Zara gasped, looking down at Leo who was looking at them curiously. "Dont curse!" she hissed, then added "—and I was never a pain in—in the..." she trailed off, glaring at him as he arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"In the?" He prompted, lip twitching.

"Urgh, you’re insufferable," she huffed, kicking him under the table.

"Can you see this Leo? Your mom is being naughty," Winter grinned at leo who’s brows furrowed in confusion.

"Why mommy?" Leo asked, tilting his head to look at her.

"Mommy’s not naughty, sweetheart. Winter’s just being silly," she said, her voice soft but pointed as her eyes flicked to Winter in warning.

Leo frowned, still puzzled. "But why did you kick him?"

"Because he deserved it," Zara said, shooting Winter a look that dared him to argue.

Winter smirked, clearly pleased with himself, and leaned back in his chair. "I’m just stating facts, little guy."

Leo seemed to struggle for a while before pouting. "Mommy, dont be naughty. say sorry."

Zara and Winter blinked in surprise before laughing.

"Dont laugh!" Leo huffed, cheeks flushing.

"I’m sorry baby, I’m sorry. You’re right," Zara apologised, wiping a tear from her eye. His serious expression had been so cute. God, she loved him so much.

She turned to Winter, who still had that stupid smirk on his face as he waited expectantly.

"I’m," she cleared her throat, glaring as he arched an eyebrow. "I’m sorry," she said.

"As you should be," Winter nodded smugly, "What are you wearing? steel coated boot?"

Zara rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair. "Next time, I’ll aim higher," she muttered, her tone dripping with faux sweetness.

Winter chuckled, shaking his head. "With those short legs? You’d miss."

Zara gasped. "Why you!"

Leo gasped dramatically, his little hands clutching his toy car tighter. "Mommy, don’t fight! Be nice!"

Zara sighed, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Don’t worry, sweetheart. Mommy’s just teasing."

Winter leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand as he grinned at the boy. "Good thing you’re here to keep her in line, huh, Leo? You’re the real hero."

Leo’s eyes lit up, and he puffed out his tiny chest with a proud grin. "I’m a hero?"

"The best one," Winter said seriously, tapping the boy’s nose lightly.

Leo giggled, his cheeks flushing pink as he squirmed happily. "You’re welcome!" he declared, as if he’d singlehandedly saved the day.

Zara smiled, her gaze softening as she watched her son beam at Winter. The light mood settled into a comfortable quiet again as they resumed eating. After a while, Leo’s earlier energy started to wane. His eyelids drooped, and his head bobbed as he struggled to stay awake.

Zara smiled, setting her spoon down. "I’ll put him to bed."

She stood, lifting Leo into her arms with ease. He murmured sleepily, clutching his toy car tightly as she carried him to the cot. Winter watched them silently, his expression softening as Zara tucked the blanket around him. She lingered for a moment, brushing a hand over his curls before turning back to Winter.

"He’s a good kid," Winter said quietly when Zara returned to the table.

She nodded, sitting back down across from him. "He is. I just hope this place is good for him. For us."

"It will be," Winter said, voice sure. "So what would you be doing in the lab?" he went back to their earlier discussion.

"Research," she said simply. "Mostly in microbiology. I used to think I’d spend my whole life in a lab coat."

He gave her a thoughtful look. "You ever think about going back to it?"

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But I don’t know if they’d have the resources here. Still, if I could study what’s happening—why the mist turns people, what that thing in the sky is—I’d feel like I was doing something meaningful again."

Winter nodded slowly, his gaze steady. "You’ll figure it out."

She looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. "That’s awfully noble of you, Winter."

He smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Don’t get used to it."

They shared a quiet laugh, the tension easing between them. For a moment, the weight of the world outside seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them in the small, safe bubble of the room.

Zara glanced at the window again, the faint outline of the object in the sky just visible against the darkness. "We’ll manage, won’t we?"

Winter reached across the table, his hand brushing hers. "Yeah. We will."

Their eyes met, and the world seemed to hold its breath. The moment stretched, as it always did.

Finally, Zara broke eye contact, her cheeks slightly flushed. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day."

Winter nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah. Long day tomorrow."

They both stood, moving quietly around the room. Zara checked on Leo, who was already curled up on the small bed, his little fingers clutching his toy car tightly as if it might slip away in his dreams. She smiled faintly and reached out to smooth the blanket over him.

Winter watched from where he stood by the chair, his arms crossed. His gaze shifted from Leo to the bed, and a small frown tugged at his mouth. "It’s going to be a tight fit."

"It’s fine," Zara said, her tone casual, though her cheeks warmed slightly. "We’ll make it work."

Without another word, Winter moved to the opposite side of the bed, pulling off his boots. Zara followed suit, shrugging out of her jacket and draping it over the chair. She climbed in carefully beside Leo, her movements slow so as not to disturb him.

The bed was smaller than she remembered—it always seemed bigger until you were actually in it. She settled Leo snugly between her and Winter, ensuring the boy wouldn’t roll off in the middle of the night.

Winter eased himself onto the bed, the mattress dipping slightly beneath his weight. His broad shoulders and long legs seemed to take up more space than was physically possible. Zara’s breath caught as his arm brushed hers, a brief but electric contact that sent a shiver down her spine.

Leo stirred between them, mumbling something incoherent before snuggling closer to Zara. The tiny smile on his face melted her heart, and she reached out to gently stroke his hair.

Winter leaned back against the headboard, his arms resting at his sides. "You good?" he asked, his voice low.

"Yeah," Zara murmured, turning slightly onto her side to face Leo. The boy’s steady breathing was calming. "Are you?"

Winter chuckled softly, the sound deep and warm. "I’ve slept in worse places."

She glanced up at him, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "That doesn’t surprise me."

"Comfortable?" he teased, shifting slightly to adjust his position.

"Not even remotely," she replied, but there was no bite to her words.

"Good." His smirk was audible, and Zara rolled her eyes, though her lips twitched in response.

For a while, the room was quiet except for the soft, even breathing of Leo, who had drifted back into his deep sleep. Zara stared at the wall, hyperaware of Winter’s presence behind her. She could feel the heat of his body, the slow rhythm of his breath.

"Goodnight, Zara," Winter murmured after a while, his voice surprisingly gentle.

She hesitated, then replied softly, "Goodnight, Winter."

It took her longer than she wanted to admit to fall asleep, but eventually, she did. And though the bed was cramped and far from comfortable, for the first time in a long while, she felt safe. Together, they might just stand a chance.

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