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A chill from outside blew in, a cold relief from the stuffy cave. Lukas pressed his forehead to the horse’s, muttering encouragements under his breath. The horse seemed to calm with his words, her eyes closing.
“There… It’s gonna be okay…” Lukas said softly. He stroked the horse’s dark brown fur. “It’ll all be alright…”
“You work with them often?” Jesse asked, trying to keep a semblance of a smile in her voice, to little avail. She fidgeted with the gloves of her new armor as she approached. Plucking at the fingers. The fabric, though strongly woven, was loose fitting. It bunched up at the ends. But that didn’t matter. It had come at the cost of a person’s life. Magnus’s life.
Lukas nodded as he let his hands rest on the fence, still looking at the horse. “I lived out in the plains when I first spawned. I worked as a farmhand and learned how to handle them,” he explained, “And then I moved closer to the city, and I befriended Aiden, and-”
He cut himself off with a deep sigh. “Do you ever make choices you regret, Jesse?”
She watched the horses, noting how much calmer they became under his care. “Always.” Jesse said quietly. Her gaze flickered to his face.
Something was on his mind.
“You regret something, don’t you?” she asked.
Lukas turned his head away, looking out at the dark sky. Occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the silhouette of the Witherstorm, followed by harsh thunder. And yet, there was no rain. But it didn’t faze either of them. He watched for a few moments. Then his shoulders slumped, and he turned back to the horses.
“Aiden.”
Jesse raised an eyebrow. “You regret… Aiden. Like, being friends with him?”
His eyes widened slightly and he shook his head. “No- No, I just-” he sighed. “I left him behind. I left all of the Ocelots behind.”
Lukas’ hands tensed on the fence, scarred knuckles turning white.
“And for what?” his voice cracked. “I would’ve been just as helpful to this group had I gotten caught with them.”
“What?” Jesse’s eyebrows furrowed. “No, Lukas, are you kidding? That’s not true.”
He breathed a scoffy laugh. “You’re quite the optimist, Jess. But it’s okay, I’m of no use to you guys. You can say that. An architect’s useless in the apocalypse.”
She stared into his dark cyan eyes for a few seconds, a cold, unrelenting stare. “Do you take me for a liar, pussycat?”
This apocalypse was really giving her quite the confidence.
“I- What?” Lukas stared at her for a moment, a confused smile of suppressed laughter creeping across his face.
“Do you take me for a liar?” Jesse repeated, very matter-of-factly.
“You just called me ‘pussycat.’” Lukas stated. He chuckled. “It’s possibly the end of the world and-”
“Is it inaccurate?”
He blinked. “I-”
Jesse gave him a pointed look, then let her gaze settle on the horses again. He didn’t say anything. “Pretty boy, do you get what your issue is?” she asked.
“What?” Out of the corner of her eye, Jesse could’ve sworn she saw his face turn two shades pinker. She stifled a smile.
“You.” She turned her head slightly towards him, watching his face intently. “You are your worst enemy, Lukas. Nobody else here hates you other than yourself. Anyone who does hate you can answer to me.”
Lukas blinked a few times, seemingly at a loss for words. He tried to say something, probably some point to counter hers, but failed. He met her eyes, his a stormy blue that had seen monstrosities that were only supposed to be in stories, hers a vivid green that still held hope, despite the horrors they’d endured. She could see him search her expression, trying to find the catch in her statement.
She kept his gaze. “You can tell yourself whatever you want, but it’d be stupid to perceive people based on lies.” Jesse said. “So I don’t care what lies you think about yourself because you are not worthless to the team, Lukas. Your quick thinking has saved our lives multiple times. You’re our friend.”
He looked as though he could almost believe it, just for a moment. Then a look of shame washed over his face, and he couldn’t meet her eyes. “No- I abandoned my friends. I shouldn’t have- It all just happened so…” His voice trailed off with a sigh. “I’m so tired of picking the wrong options over and over, Jesse.”
Jesse nodded slowly. “I… That’s what this whole thing has felt like to me. They all look to me to save them and then I-” Her voice cracked and she sighed. “The weight on everyone’s shoulders here… it’s more intense than anyone should handle. Even the Order of the Stone. And especially us.”
Her head turned towards where Ellegaard sat with Gabriel. Ellegaard looked like she was holding back tears while Gabriel was staring at his hands as though they were something unfamiliar to him. The leader of Redstonia was deliberately avoiding looking at Jesse. Out of her peripheral vision, Jesse saw Lukas follow her gaze.
“We can’t change the past,” she said quietly. She turned towards him again and then gestured with her head to the doorway leading into the open night. Maybe the fresh air would help him feel a bit less bad.
Lukas gave her an expression that was probably the closest look to that of a sopping wet ocelot that was humanly possible but nodded and led the way outside. Dark clouds swarmed overhead. The Witherstorm howled in the distance. When they reached the edge of the cliff, he turned to her with folded arms.
“...So?” he asked, emphasizing with raised eyebrows.
“Well,” Jesse kept her eyes firmly on Lukas as she continued, “I am becoming a firm believer in second chances, Lukas.”
She paused for a moment, shifting her weight to her right leg. “I’m actually really glad you’ve stuck around,” she said hesitantly. “I know we weren’t exactly welcoming when this whole thing started.”
Lukas shook his head. “It’s fine. I mean like, I deserved it. I’m the leader of the group that hates your group. I was a total bully to you guys.”
Jesse nodded. Only a small part of her brain did a little victory dance at his admittance. Just a small part.
“And I’m… really sorry,” his voice suddenly cracked. Jesse felt a pang in her heart. “I know I hurt you and your friends. I know I was awful, and I’ve been awful, and I- I’m just so sorry.” He closed his eyes and bowed his head. A tear trailed down his face.
Jesse juggled around a few options in her mind before she chose to embrace her former rival in a tight hug.
“But you changed,” she said softly. “I’m glad to have you on my team.”
She quietly shed a few tears too when Lukas hugged her back. They held each other, crying on one another’s shoulders.
“You’re a good hugger.” Lukas mumbled, wiping at his tears with the heel of his palm when he broke away. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
Jesse shrugged, blinking her own tears away.
“Somehow it means more coming from you.”