Victoria let out a groggy groan as she slowly woke up. Her small face scrunched up with eyes still closed as her nose twitched sniffing at the air and breathing in deeply the heavenly fragrance of chicken and spices. She simply laid there and enjoyed the quiet ambiance. She wasn't sure where she was or what was going on, but all she knew was she was warm, and comfortable, the sizzling of oil and the repetitive sounds of a knife on a chopping board as soothing as any seaside melody she had ever heard at this moment. She might've slipped back to sleep were it not for the fact her stomach decided to protest against such actions loudly. 

With a supreme amount of effort, she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before they widened in shock at her surroundings. She was visiting her friend who works at the Sears on the first floor and had convinced her to take an early lunch break when it all began. They had just gotten their smoothies when suddenly people started passing out. While others ran away screaming about terrorists and poison they had gone to help the people. It was a mistake. 

She didn't know who it was but a firefighter had happened to be in the mall on their day off.  The man had managed to rally everyone into organized groups to help tend to the victims until proper help could arrive. His calm had rubbed on the others around him. His was a reassuring presence. 

He was tall, good looking, and had the makings of a charismatic leader. At least he did until the woman he was tending too decided to take a chunk off his face.

She winced at the memory of all the chaos and violence that had followed, a deep bitterness filled her briefly as she recalled how she and Julia, her best friend, had been separated. How Victoria didn't try to follow after her and hid away in the toilet covering her ears and pretending she couldn't hear all the screams outside.

Yet, as she looked around there were no bodies as far as she could see. All the tables and chairs had been neatly picked up and arranged where they were supposed to be. The thick and heavy stench of iron had been replaced with the refreshing smell of oranges. If she didn't know better she would've thought the past 24 hours were a dream, a horrible nightmare, because under the bright moonlight it looked as if she was just in an ordinary mall at night. All alone...

Was she still asleep? Where did it all go? Who had done this? A shiver crawled up her spine at the thought of being by herself in the middle of the night surrounded by flesh-eating monsters. What had happened to Grey? Was he out fighting more of the undead? Was he alright? Did... Did he abandon her like the others..? Before she could drown in her own thoughts of her bleak future someone interrupted.

"Ah, you're awake. That's good, you had me worried there, you know?" The familiar voice shocked her out of her rumination. Victoria turned around so quickly that she almost gave herself whiplash. She didn't mind though, because she was too overcome with joy and relief. He was still here. Yes, he didn't just leave her all alone. Another closer glance to her immediate surroundings clued her in on exactly how she had fallen asleep so soundly.

She was laying on two winter coats with a rather warm jacket acting as her blanket and a rolled up sweater as her pillow. She idly ran her fingers through the thick and luxurious fur. Her eyes flickered to Greys form, the young man who had not only saved her but made sure she was comfortable. 

The leather jacket she had seen him wore the entire time clutched between her fingers. It was the middle of December and Square One Mall's heating had barely worked even before the dead started rising again, heck if she looked carefully she was sure there were signs of frost creeping on the glass ceiling, and yet here she was warm and comfy in his jacket while he had been out there... 

"Um, here you go. Thanks." She said a bit awkwardly, bashfully handing back her makeshift blanket which Grey draped over his chair. "You're welcome, how are you feeling?"

"Much better now thanks to yo-" Her sentence was interrupted and with eyes widened and her face flushed in embarrassment a slight rumbling was heard. The small growl coming from her stomach came as no surprise to him as she had been out for a while and probably missed lunch. While she covered her face in mortification he didn't make a comment and politely pretended to not hear a thing. The black haired boy placed down his large plate on a nearby table before beckoning her over to take a seat.

"Here, have a seat." He pulled out a chair for her as he continued setting up the table. "I just made some stir-fry, would you like some?" he asked even as handed her a bowl of rice and some utensils before she could reply.

"Thank you." she softly muttered as she carefully took the bowl with both hands. Victoria woodenly sat down and stared at the plate for a moment. It was a chicken stir fry. Even without eating a bite she could tell it was masterfully done with a blend of a dozen different spices, with ginger and garlic the only ones she could recognize. She could almost taste the richness of the flavors dancing on her tongue just by inhaling its aroma.

She took a glimpse at him and even though the hazy white steam his blue eyes stood out in the dark. They were just like the plate in front of her: Warm and inviting, full of hidden intricacies, and left her just as incomprehensible in their making.

"Please, go ahead. Let me know what you think." and without need for further prompting Victoria dug in. Ignoring the pair of chopsticks for the spoon she made sure to scoop some chicken and rice. The savory sauce combined with the tenderness of the chicken was absolutely divine and made all her taste buds sing. It was just a bit spicier than she normally would've liked, but the pleasant heat it spread was perfect to combat the how chilly it was. With a hearty meal in front of her to focus on she soon lost some of her somberness.

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"It's delicious..." She declared with a whisper, despite the strained smile she had on it was obvious she was feeling crestfallen. How couldn't she be? Here she was enjoying such a wonderful meal while Julia was out there somewhere fighting for her life trying to not become one. How many people had died? How many more in the following days, weeks years? How long will it last, if it even ends, and will she ever see her family again?

Her posture was stiff as a board as she mechanically went through the motions of eating, lost in somber thoughts. Seeing this, Grey gave a soft chuckle as he watched her eat with his elbow on the table and head resting on his palm for a bit before grabbing his own bowl and joining her. After all, sharing meals together was a great way to bond, a brief calculating glint in his eyes.

He neatly rolled up the sleeves of his sweater and Victoria noted how toned his arms were. His fingers were as long and slender and his large palms no doubt radiating a considerable amount of heat despite the chill outside. She could almost feel their warmth on her cheeks just as they were earlier. A closer look showed that his pale skin wasn't as flawless as she had first thought. Dozens of tiny fine scars wrapped around his arms and his knuckles were battered. 

He moved to pull his facemask and even before she finished she knew he was a looker just from the fine shape of his nose. She wasn't disappointed. She was knocked out of her not so subtle observations when started talking.

"I'm glad to hear that you enjoy it. I had learned it from my friend's mother back when we were kids, it is authentic Chinese cuisine. A traditional family recipe from her home in Shanghai that took me years to weasel it out of her." She looked up at him in confusion. Where was this going? He then proceeded to give her an impromptu cooking lesson including all the ingredients he had used and how to best cook them to maintain fresh flavors.

"So you see, the trick is in knowing how to prep your ingredients and making sure to cut everything evenly so they all cook at the same rate. To be honest I mostly learned from her grandmother whose a much better cook, but don't let her know I told you that." Here he gave her a playful wink with a cheeky grin and suddenly Victoria gave a laugh. This wasn't like the forced smiles she had given previously and had none of the painful awkwardness she had felt. No, this was something real and refreshing, like a summer's breeze.

The sudden story from his past surprised her, it was such an utterly mundane topic. And yet it was exactly what she needed. There was no impending doom, no mentions of the countless dead seeking their flesh, just a casualness that one could find on an average day. As strange as it was, she felt safe here within this moment with him, this strange unknown boy who can slay zombies with the same grace and ease as he walked and who was apparently a skillful chef in his own right.

She listened intently as he shared more tales of his foray in the culinary world, laughing at things such as when he was making cupcakes and once mistook salt for sugar when helping out at a local bake sales, or absorbed into his passion when describing certain methods of cooking. Breaking down the art and unveiling the science behind every action. She didn't know when she let go of her weariness, but eventually, they were sharing stories and laughing like old friends. 

All too soon they finished their meal and she helped him clean up. Victoria didn't really understand why they were washing the plates and tossing things in the trashcans when nobody was going to care. It's not like anyone else was likely to be alive to lecture them on leaving dirty plates or littering a more cynical part of her whispered. 

"No, perhaps not," He agreed even as he wiped another spoon to place in the drawer. "We might very well be the only survivors left here and you're right in saying nobody would bat an eye if we just left a bunch of dirty plates or trash laying around, but I've never been one for having others clean up my messes." She just nodded her head. It wasn't like she was against it or anything, in fact, the repetitive actions gave her a sense of calm and normalcy she so desperately wanted- needed as much as she needed air.

That yes, even in such a fucked up situation, things will be ok.

Far too soon the chores were completed and as the last plate clank against the drying rack, she turned towards Grey and gave voice to the thoughts that had been eating her up this entire time. With her head held higher than its ever been the entire day she made up her mind.

 "Hey, Grey?" she tentative reached out for his attention. He gave a soft smile at hearing her call his name and looked at her from over his shoulders, drying his hands on a towel. 

"Yes, Victoria?"

She looked at him in the eyes and for a moment her confidence wavered, however, she knew what she had to do. Taking a deep breath to steel herself she cleared her throat before continuing. Her green eyes blazed with life as they did their best to convey all the raw emotions she felt. 

"Please teach me," It was a simple request all things considered. A mere three words, with nothing being syllables. It wasn't even the three magic words 'I love you', and yet they were so full of earnest desire and hope. They did not lose out in intensity and meaning. She was going to change, she was going to become better, and she would do it by his side through this hell.

The words and implication hung in heavy in the air for a few moments and as the seconds ticked by anxiety reared its head. Of course, he wouldn't agree. How shameless could she get? This wasn't some fairy tale, some Hollywood chick flick or novel, this was real life and expecting him to take care of and train her during such a disaster was completely ridiculous.

Victoria was not his lover nor even friend for that matter and not only had she been saved by him she even tried to reach for a mile after taking an inch. She almost took back her words but decided to dig her heel in. She couldn't assume they would just stay together to get out of here and even if they did what in the world was she supposed to do after? What if the world outside was just as bad, or even worse? Plus she still had to look for Julia.

The thought of her bosom buddy gave her courage she couldn't hope to muster by herself. And so she waited to hear the coming rejection she was all but expecting. It would've been a nigh death sentence, but one she couldn't blame him for, after all, he had no reason to put himself at risk for such a clumsy and useless girl. In times of danger, it was only natural to look out for oneself and as much as she hated to admit it she was a burden. In the midst of her self depreciation and fear she didn't see him draw closer. 

Her fears were soon put to rest however, as he laid a calloused hand on her head and ruffled her hair gently. The look in his eyes was enough to allay her worries, but he went on to put it into words regardless.

"Of course." He simply said and went back to the table he was at just a bit ago. Just like that, he agreed to her selfish request, as if it was a given and she didn't need to get so worked up over something simple and obvious. She was caught flatfooted and didn't even know how to reply.