John and the rest of the survivors had taken temporary refuge in an abandoned office building. The place was dirty, dusty, and full of spider webs. But it was better than nothing.
"You were amazing," Stephanie said, wrapping her arms around him.
"Thanks, baby."
"You did great," she murmured, kissing him softly.
John couldn’t help but smirk as he thought about how he had killed the Draconian. He had taken its corpse into his inventory for now. He didn’t have the means, but scales that hard were bound to be useful.
Julia was sitting by the window, her gaze fixed on the sky. The clouds were dark, and the air was heavy with the scent of rain.
Dalia was resting her head on her knees, her eyes closed.
John could see the fatigue on her face.
He was tired, too. But he couldn’t rest yet.
"I’m going outside to take a look around," John said, his gaze landing on Julia.
She didn’t respond.
John sighed and walked towards the door.
"Hey," Julia said, grabbing his arm.
"What?"
"Be careful, okay?"
"Don’t worry," John said, smiling.
"I’m always careful."
"Promise me," Julia insisted.
"Okay, I promise," John replied.
"Good," Julia said, nodding.
John took a deep breath of the fresh, humid air as he stepped outside and let the air fill his lungs. It smelled fresh and clean.
John thought about the battle and Theodore’s shelter. He had managed to get everyone away from it somehow. As he stood there basking in the gentle breeze carrying the scent of petrichor, he thought now was his chance to take everyone to his new base. He also had promised that group of survivors to find a fortress. He chuckled as he remembered it. Now he could take Stephanie and the others with him while he builds the promised fortress.
A few days had passed and John, along with Stephanie, Dalia, Julian and Julia had moved into their new base. Thanks to the Portable Base’s capabilities, John had reformed the old factory into a proper base.
John had made some adjustments to the structure, turning it into a proper base. He had used the materials from the Draconian to reinforce the walls and windows. He had even made a small garden in the centre.
The walls and windows were made of reinforced glass and steel. The windows were also bulletproof.
There were several rooms, including a kitchen, a bathroom, and two large bedrooms. Unfortunately, it meant they all had to sleep in the same room. The other survivors John had invited occupied the other room.
They were happy with the arrangement and the base’s facilities.
The kitchen was fully equipped, and the bathroom had a shower and toilet.
In the kitchen, John, Stephanie, Dalia, and Julia are enjoying a meal together.
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"This is really good," Stephanie said, taking a bite of her food.
"Thank you," John replied, smiling.
"You’re a good cook," Dalia added.
"Thanks," John said, smiling.
John stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh, humid air. It smelled clean and fresh.
As John stood there, he thought about the future and what it would bring. He had always wanted to travel the world and see new places, but the apocalypse had changed everything.
Now, all he could do was focus on surviving.
The sun was setting, and the sky was filled with vibrant shades of pink and orange. John thought about the people he had met in the past and the ones he had saved. He had made a promise to take care of everyone, and he was determined to keep it.
As the sun disappeared behind the horizon, John turned back to the base and saw Dalia approaching him.
"Hey," she said, smiling.
"Hi," he replied.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Good," he said.
"That’s good."
There was an awkward silence between them.
"What about you?" he asked.
"I’m fine," she said.
"Good."
John smiled.
She fidgeted with her hair and cleared her throat.
"So," she said.
"So," he replied.
He noticed she was wearing a new outfit, a stylish combination of leather and denim that accentuated her curves. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing her delicate neck and shoulders. She had applied a touch of makeup to enhance her natural beauty.
"So, what’s on your mind?" John asked, his voice softening.
She bit her lip, her gaze locked on his.
"I’m not sure how to say this, but..." her voice trailed off.
"But what?"
"Nothing... sorry."
She shook her head and turned away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
John is a bit confused.
"I, uh, I need to tell you something," she said.
"Go ahead."
"I... I’m attracted to you," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
John smirked, how the tables have turned, he thought. A few years ago, she had abandoned him because she thought he was in love with her and now here she was. She had a boyfriend, but she was confessing her feelings to him.
"Is that so?" John asked, his voice laced with amusement.
"I think I might be falling for you," she said, her cheeks flushing red.
John chuckled, it was not the reaction she was expecting.
"That’s nice," he said.
"What’s wrong?" she asked, her tone defensive.
"Nothing," he said. "It’s just that you have a boyfriend."
She nodded.
"So," John said as he stepped closer. "What are we going to do about it?"
She hesitated, unsure how to answer.
"I don’t know," she replied.
John cursed at his ongoing quest. He couldn’t push Dalia, she had to leave Julian all on her own if he wanted to complete the quest. Otherwise, he could’ve made his move and taken her right there and then.
He had an idea.
"Dalia, why don’t we go on a date?" he asked.
She frowned, surprised by his proposal.
"You’re serious?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"But how? I mean, we’re in the apocalypse!" she exclaimed.
"It doesn’t matter," John said. "We can still have fun."
She nodded, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Alright, then," she said. "Where should we go?"
"I know a place, don’t you worry about that."
She chuckled.
"Alright," she said.
He grinned.
"It’s a date, then."
"Yes, it is."