Chapter Text
1
Val is worn out and famished by the time she returns to their hideout.
“I’m back,” she calls out as she pushes the shabby door open, peering into the dark living space. It’s a small apartment room that’s been long abandoned after the virus broke out, and it offers adequate safety for the trio. Although it's a bit cramped, the three manage to work their way around it. After all, they always have.
Val hears the shuffling of bed sheets from the corner of the room, where a tattered mattress lays.
She smiles and walks slowly across the room, meeting the small lump that has molded itself into the bed sheets. “Ginger?”
The small lump wiggles a little, then deflates as a leg shoots out of the sheets. “Hrrmphg.”
Val laughs a little and pokes at what seems to be Ginger’s waist, making the latter squeal in surprise.
“Ah!”
Ginger shakes the bed sheets off herself and looks up at Val. It’s dark in the room, with the windows boarded up and door closed. Ginger can’t see Val properly, but she won’t complain. Val had finally returned after fourteen days of scavenging. The absence in Ginger’s heart has been filled again.
She grabs the hem of Val’s jacket and pulls her down to meet eye level, then finally closes in for a warm embrace.
“I’ve missed you,” Ginger says in a quiet whisper. “A lot.”
Val stays quiet for a while, letting herself enjoy the domestic feeling she’s missed so much. It’s only been fourteen days but-- fourteen days. “I’ve missed you too, Ginger.”
****
“Fortunately for us, the trip I made this time got us stuff that can hold out for weeks.”
Ginger marvels at the amount of canned food and supplies spread out across the floor, her eyes scanning the different labels and colors. Her mouth waters and she resists the urge to open a can of beans now. “This is amazing. We- we’ll be able to eat full meals again.”
Val picks up a small rusted knife from the scavenged items and twirls it skillfully with her fingers. “Yeah, no kidding,” she snorts. “I managed to find a goldmine of food in this big ass house in the vicinity of Garan. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. Thought I was hallucinating or some shit- grabbed the loot as fast as I could and sprinted out. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Ginger laughs softly and tucks a few locks of hair behind her ear. “I was worried, you know. When you left, I knew you would come back with injuries. And when you came in last night…”
Val frowns and tosses the pocket knife, reaching for Ginger’s hand and covering it with her own. There’s a distant look in the Ginger’s eyes. She’s sad. Val can tell. The mood in the room has changed.
“Ginger…”
“You came back as soon as possible. And you looked horrible. There was- ah, a lot of blood.”
Val squeezes Ginger’s tiny hands and hopes that the latter doesn’t start crying. Val wouldn’t know how to deal with that- especially now. There’s a large chance that she’d start crying along, and then they wouldn’t be able to stop.
Ginger sniffs, then stares down at their hands. “You promised you wouldn’t leave.”
“What?” Val says incredulously. “Of course I wouldn’t. I mean- I’m here now, aren’t I?” She draws back her hand and gestures towards herself, letting her face pinch up in confusion. “You said it yourself. I came back as soon as possible.”
“I mean-” Ginger chokes out. “You won’t die. Out there. You know?”
“Oh- Ginger, come on! We’ve had this talk like a thousand times,” Val says in a pleading tone, heart pounding. “You think someone like me would die out there? Seriously? I’m like- the toughest person you know. Okay? Jesus-”
“I know!” Ginger snaps, making Val flinch. “I just- I get so anxious when you two go away. All I can do is sit here and wait for your returns. I don’t even do anything to help us. You guys are the ones ensuring our survival.”
Ginger purses her lips and rubs at her eyes, sniffing again. There’s an awkward silence before Ginger speaks again. “I know you guys hate it when I get all self-deprecating, but I can’t help it. I just feel so useless sometimes. I always think about what if you guys get hurt or- I, I don’t know.” She looks disorientated and teary eyed as she finishes her vent, then licks her lips. “I think this time just really stressed me.”
Val sits there, not knowing what to say. They’ve had this conversation plenty of times. Ginger fretting over her and Nim and patching up their wounds, chastising them on their carelessness. Ginger expressing her fears of losing the two and crying a worrying amount of tears. It always ends up in with Ginger in one of their embraces, melting the troubles away. But it’s different this time.
Because Nim’s not here.
**