New Dawn Chapter: 0114

As her tear-filled eyes met his, a wave of emotions flashed across her face. Confusion, surprise, and an unmistakable flicker of embarrassment quickly gave way to anger. In an instant, she wiped away the evidence of her distress and sprang to her feet. "Hey! Ever heard of knocking, jerk?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Doors work better when closed all the way." Tysone retorted, unfazed. "But if you're asking for my opinion, it'd be better for you to lock that shit." He gestured towards the windows with his head. "Zombies could easily break in." At least the evolved ones.

Marin's anger visibly subsided as he said that. She let out a small sigh of defeat and plopped herself down onto her bed, her gaze now fixed firmly on him. Her voice, usually filled with a bubbly energy, was uncharacteristically subdued. "What do you want?"

Tysone was silent for a moment.

"Nothing, really." He ran a hand through his hair. "Heard you cry, and I thought I'd check in to see if everything was alright." His gaze then shifted around her room. It was a colorful and chaotic space, reflecting her eccentric personality. "I can leave if you want to be left alone." He offered, his eyes lingering on an outfit she must've been working on.

It was a detailed cosplay, intricate and meticulously crafted. He couldn't help but admire her talent, and the amount of time and effort she must've poured into it.

Marin noticed his gaze, and her eyes flicked to the costume as well. For a moment, there was a spark of something—pride perhaps, or a wistfulness—in her eyes before she turned away.

"I'm fine." She said, her voice still quiet but carrying an undertone of something else. "It's nothing." Her gaze then darted back to him.

He could sense her hesitation. She clearly had something to say, but she seemed to struggle with finding the words or the courage to speak them.

After a few more seconds, she took a deep breath. "I know it's stupid." Her voice was softer now, more vulnerable. "Especially with..." She waved her hand vaguely, gesturing to the world beyond her window. "...All that's happening. But... sometimes, I just..."

Her words trailed off, and she seemed to retreat into her thoughts for a moment.

She stood up, tears once again tracking down her face. She faced the mirror, looking at her dolled-up reflection. Tysone watched as the reflection stared back, a mirror image of his own exhaustion and confusion. Her shoulders slumped, the vibrant colors of her costume seeming to dim along with her spirit. "Look at me, playing dress-up, making cosplay, like it matters..." She sniffled. "But I miss it. I really do... my friends... my hobbies... The life I had..." A bitter chuckle escaped her. "It's stupid, isn't it? To cry over something like this. When so many have lost so much."

Tysone sighed, walking up to her, his movements slow and deliberate.

"It's not stupid. I miss my old life too, you know." He reached out, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Marin flinched slightly at the contact, but then her tension melted, replaced by an almost palpable relief. She turned away from the mirror, facing him directly. The mascara she wore ran down her cheeks as tears spilled over her eyelashes. "You... You do?"

"Sure." Tysone smiled softly. "I miss a lot of things, even though my old life wasn't really as flashy or fun as yours seemed to be."

He stepped back a little and sat on the edge of the bed. "But... that's normal, ain't it?" His voice was soft, understanding. "We're still people, no matter what's going on outside." He chuckled. "Even if the dead walk among us, that doesn't mean our emotions are dead, or our desires are."

Marin hesitated for a moment before sitting down beside him. She looked at him, really looked, her eyes searching his face for something, for some sign of mockery or pity. But she found none. She sighed, stretching her legs. Tysone would've been distracted by the sight if not for the exhaustion of the day's events sitting on his shoulders like a boulder.

"It's fine, you know?"

"Huh? What's fine?"

"You're free to cry." He clarified. "If you need to. If you think it's necessary. If it makes you feel better." His voice held an unusual tenderness. "I don't judge. I'm not going to tell you what you're feeling isn't valid. Everyone deals with this shitshow differently. If you need to dress up, dress up. If you need to cry, then you can. The point is that we all need some way to cope. Maybe in a couple of months we won't be so sad and depressed about our old lives anymore, and we can focus on making this our new life, our new reality... but right now, we're not there. And that's okay."

She wiped away some of her tears and smiled slightly, a ghost of her usual, cheerful demeanor shining through. "You know." She said, her voice still slightly hoarse from the tears. "That's probably the smartest thing I've ever heard you say."

Tysone huffed. "Yeah, well, I have my moments."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while.

"You're... surprisingly understanding, you know?" Marin remarked, her tone lighter, more relaxed.

She wiped at her eyes, smudging the remnants of her tears across her cheeks.

"Thanks..." He paused, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Though, to be fair, you didn't exactly set the bar very high."

She laughed, a sound that was genuine. "What are you trying to say, you big jerk?"

"Nothing at all." He closed his eyes, leaning back on her bed. "It's good to have someone who understands what's going on. And sometimes it's my job to make sure everyone is okay."

She snorted at that. "You sound like a therapist." He didn't respond, and for a few seconds, only the sound of her soft breaths filled the room. "You're really weird." She said.

"Says you, Ms. Cosplayer." He teased.

Marin chuckled, still sniffing a little.

"Alright!" She held a fist up. "I've got to be stronger! No more of that crybaby crap!"

"You do whatever the fuck you need. No one's here to judge." He responded, sitting up.

She looked down at him.

He met her gaze and smirked.

"You've got makeup on your cheeks, by the way."

Her face immediately flushed red.

"Shit!" She turned back to her mirror. "That's so uncool!" She immediately started fixing herself up.

"Well, I'll get out of your hair now." He said, standing up.

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, her gaze lingering on him for a long moment.

"You're really going to leave just like that, aren't you?" She asked.

"...?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, it's your turn now. Come on!" She patted the spot next to her. "Spill the beans, what's gotten your big, strong self so upset? You're usually like, I don't know, an oak or a mountain. Solid, unmovable, but today, you seem... kind of down?"

He scoffed at that, a smile creeping back onto his lips. He couldn't deny her words. "Nothing you should worry about..." Tysone shook his head, his gaze distant, his mind clearly somewhere else. "You should go get some rest. You're still exhausted."

Marin frowned, her expression turning stubborn. She crossed her arms, a defiant gleam in her eyes. "Oh no, mister. You don't get to come in here, comfort me, and then walk out without sharing." She gestured towards her bed, a determined smile playing on her lips. "I am all ears. Sit."

"It's really nothing."

"It's something."

"It's not."

"It totally is!"

"I don't wanna share. It's dumb."

"So you do have a problem?"

"Fine. If it makes you sleep..."

She cheered.

"Alright, let me tell you something about the dumb shit that happened to me today."

He sighed, sitting back down on her bed. Marin leaned forward, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"So...?"

"So..." Was he really about to talk it out with Marin, of all people? Perhaps an unbiased party was exactly what he needed to clear his head. She wouldn't have any sort of bias. "I have a situation. I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

"A situation?" Marin's eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilted in a questioning manner. "What kind of situation?"

"A... relationship situation."

"A... what?" Marin's voice rose an octave, her surprise palpable. She blinked, once, twice, then a sly, knowing grin spread across her face. "Ooh, Mr. Leader is having some personal drama, huh?" She teased. "Spicy."

"Shut it."

"Oh, come on! Who is it? Do we know her?" Marin leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with interest. "You're surrounded by beautiful women, you know. I bet it's a tough choice."

"I... it's complicated." He ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't deny that. It was indeed complicated.

"Isn't that what makes it interesting? The complication?"

"Sure. But it's not the kind of complication that I want." Tysone's voice was low. "Or the kind I'm ready to handle."

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at P@treon.com/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.