One Laugh at a Time
Jacob offered a sheepish smile. "What? Too soon?"
"Way too soon," Connor replied, though the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth hinted at reluctant amusement.
As the group slowly dispersed—some seeking their temporary resting spots, others preparing for the next phase of their journey—Lyle lingered. Leaning casually against a splintered wooden beam with his arms crossed, he watched Connor and Jacob with a sharp, assessing gaze, as if silently weighing their worth.
Eventually, night fell, and one by one, exhaustion claimed them.
By morning, most of the group stirred awake, feeling rested and ready to move on. Finn, however, sat apart from the others, his scruffy hair falling messily over his face, dark circles betraying his lack of sleep. Clearly drained, he chose to stay behind and recover.
Connor woke to find Jacob still sleeping beside him. He remained still, quietly observing as the others stirred, their morning routines unfolding with a practiced familiarity. As if following an unspoken ritual, they gradually gathered in a loose circle to plan their next steps.
Hunting was the priority, and Finn was assigned to stay back as their lookout while the rest prepared to venture out.
Jacob finally stretched, feeling the stiffness in his muscles—a lingering reminder of the night spent in awkward slumber. He let out a small sigh, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand as the crisp morning air mingled with the residual warmth of sleep.
With a yawn, he pushed himself up on one elbow, his tousled hair falling messily into Connor's face. In response, Connor inhaled sharply, his breathing growing a fraction heavier in response to Jacob's action.
Jacob tensed, his gaze darting around the area beneath the tree where they had been resting. "Where did everyone go?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
Connor glanced up, his expression unbothered as he adjusted his makeshift leg. "Stop worrying about what everyone else is doing," he replied coolly. "You're going to need to stand on your own at some point. Why don't you help me find some scrap to fix this?" He gestured to his leg, his tone matter-of-fact.
He heard Connor, but it was way too early in the morning to deal with his downer energy. Not about to let it ruin his mood, Jacob shifted his attention to Finn instead. With a lazy glance in his direction, he called out, "Hey, you. Finn."
Finn, half awake and twisting a finger in his ear, barely looked up. "Yeah?"
Jacob gestured vaguely at the empty space around them. "What happened to everyone?"
"Oh... that," Finn muttered, catching his knife as he lazily tossed it into the air. "They went hunting."
Oh, Jacob said right now he wanted to get up and do something, but he and Connor didn't have a leg; he was stuck and unable to move freely. He grabbed a stick that was broken on the floor, and he used it to start drawing a tic-tac-toe game on the floor.
He started playing by himself, round after round. He wanted to ask his brother to join in, but he knew it was impossible; due to their being merged on Connor's chest, it made it impossible for Connor to play with him. Well, he could, but the process would be uncomfortable for both of them.
Jacob sighed, his gaze drifting to the broken stick in his hand. With nothing better to do, he dragged it across the dirt floor, sketching out a simple tic-tac-toe grid while staring into the distance. Absentmindedly, he played round after round against himself, the faint scratch of the stick filling the quiet.
His eyes flickered to Connor; he looked lost, a thought lingering at the edge of his mind. Maybe I should have asked him to play, but the reality of their situation gnawed at him. He wanted to stay positive; he and Connor couldn't give in to despair; if they did, they would not have survived this place for too long. Being fused to Connor's chest made any movement a complicated affair; whatever happened, he had to stay grounded after all they. Sure, they could make it work with both of them being in despair, but it would be uncomfortable for both of them, and it would not be a circumstance he would prefer to be in or live through.
Right now he was not in a good mood, but he can't collapse; they depended on him to maintain this and not Instead, he muttered under his breath, "Guess I'll just keep beating myself." He drew another "X" on the grid and stared at it for a moment before scratching it out with a huff.
Connor, who had been watching in silence, finally spoke. "You know, if you're that bored, you could actually help me figure out our next move instead of sulking."
Jacob rolled his eyes but didn't look up. "Sulking? Nah. Just waiting for inspiration to strike." He tapped the stick against the ground rhythmically. "Any second now."
Finn, still half-dazed, snorted. "Inspiration's overrated. They'll be back before you find any."
Jacob glanced over at Finn and smirked. "Yeah? And what are you doing that's so productive, oh great lookout?"
Finn stretched, yawning. "I'm looking. Out." He gestured vaguely in the distance.
Jacob chuckled and shook his head. "Right. Well, let me know if you spot anything other than the same empty wasteland we've been stuck in for days."
Connor shifted slightly, his voice quieter now. "We need a plan, Jacob."
Jacob finally looked at him, eyes scanning the worn lines of Connor's face. Despite the attempt at casual banter, the weight of their reality pressed down like an unseen force. With a sigh, he threw the stick aside. "Yeah, I know. But planning isn't exactly my strong suit." He grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's your job, right?"
Connor frowned but didn't argue. Instead, he adjusted his position, feeling the dull ache in his body. "We'll figure something out. We always do."
Jacob nodded, leaning back on his elbows. "Yeah... we always do."
Silence settled between them again, comfortable in its familiarity.