Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse With My Military System

"I can't believe we've actually done it," Richard whispered, his voice laced with a mix of astonishment and satisfaction.

The room was silent except for their soft breathing, creating a comfortable hush that settled around them. The digital clock on the bedside table displayed 5:00 AM, its red numbers glowing gently in the dim room. It was September 16th, 2023 – a date that would now hold a special place in his memory.

The morning rays of the sun were beginning to announce the arrival of a new day, sneaking through the gaps of the heavy, dark curtains that hung from the ceiling to the floor. The curtains, meant to block out the light, couldn't contain the sun's persistence. The soft, golden light created a warm and serene atmosphere, casting gentle patterns across the room.

Lying there, Richard couldn't help but replay the events of the night in his mind, a small smile playing on his lips. He turned his head slightly, stealing a glance at Sara who was lying next to him. Her hair was spread out across the pillow, and she looked peaceful in her slumber. 

His eyes remained fixed on her sleeping face, it was just too beautiful as if it was art, yet everything about this situation was way more real and down-to-earth than any painting.

He noticed the faint smile on her lips, wondering what she was dreaming about. The thought that it might be about him crossed his mind, but he quickly brushed it aside, not wanting to seem too full of himself. He was just happy to be in this moment, regardless of where their minds were wandering off to.

Her breath was steady, a gentle rhythm that was soothing to hear. He couldn't believe his luck. Sara, the girl he'd been pining over was right there beside him. He had imagined this scenario in his head countless times, but he had never thought it would actually come to fruition.

Just as Richard was lost in his thoughts, he noticed a slight change in Sara's breathing. It became a bit more shallow, and her eyelids started to flutter gently. He held his breath, realizing that she was waking up.

For a moment, Richard was frozen, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what to do or say. But then he decided to just act natural as if waking up next to her was the most normal thing in the world.

"Good morning," he murmured softly, his voice just above a whisper.

Sara's eyes fluttered open, and for a brief moment, she looked disoriented, not quite sure where she was. But as her eyes focused and she took in Richard's face, a soft smile spread across her lips.

"Hey," she replied, her voice husky from sleep.

The tension that Richard had been feeling started to dissipate as he saw her smile. Maybe things were going to be okay after all.

"You, uh, slept well?" Richard asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Yeah, I did," Sara answered, stretching her arms above her head. "What time is it?"

"5:10," Richard answered, glancing back at the digital clock. "We've still got some time before the world expects us to be up and about."

Sara nodded, still looking a bit sleepy as she ran a hand through her hair, trying to tame it. "Cool, I haven't slept this well in a while," she admitted with a small yawn.

"That's great to hear," Richard said, feeling a bit relieved. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable, especially after everything that had happened.

There was a short pause before Sara spoke up again, her voice more steady now that she was waking up more fully. "So, um, about last night…" she began, trailing off as she looked at him with a thoughtful expression.

Richard felt his heart start to race again, unsure of where this conversation was going to lead. "Yeah?" he prompted, encouraging her to continue.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really glad it happened," Sara said sincerely, her gaze meeting his. "I mean, I know we didn't plan for it, but I wouldn't change a thing."

Richard felt a wave of relief wash over him, his own smile mirroring Sara's. "Me too," he replied honestly. "I'm really glad we took that step together."

Sara's smile grew wider, and she reached over to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Good, I'm glad we're on the same page."

The room was filled with a comfortable silence again, the earlier tension now replaced with a sense of understanding and mutual respect. They both knew that they had crossed a significant boundary in their friendship, but it felt right.

"Now, since we did that, what are we now? Can you be my boyfriend?" Sara asked tentatively, her eyes searching Richard's for his reaction.

Richard felt a mixture of surprise and happiness at her question. He hadn't expected her to be the one to bring it up, but he was glad she did. "I was hoping you'd say that," he replied, his smile widening. "Yes, I'd love to be your boyfriend."

Sara's face lit up at his response, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Good, because I really like you, and last night just confirmed that for me."

"I feel the same way," Richard admitted, his heart feeling light. "Now, we should get ourselves prepped up. I'm sure our staff in the Command Center are waiting for our update, and we have a lot to brief them about."

***

At Ayala Exchange Tower One. The command center of the Blackwatch Military Camp Oriental. Six o'clock in the morning.

"Wait? You aren't joking, you and Sara are boyfriend-girlfriend?" Graves stared at him with wide eyes. 

Richard couldn't help but chuckle at Graves's reaction. "Yeah, it happened last night. We talked it through, and well, here we are."

"Oh I'm sure something more steamy happened last night," Mark teased as he sipped his coffee. 

Graves's eyebrows shot up at Mark's comment, his attention now fully on Richard, awaiting his response. Richard could feel his cheeks heating up, but he maintained his composure, deciding to play it cool.

Suddenly—there was an alarm in the command center, getting the attention of the room.

"What is it?" Graves asked. 

"It's a distress signal," Sara replied and added... "I believe it'll only sound when a certain someone calls for it." 

"Who is that?" Graves inquired.

"Andrea," Sara revealed.