A sweet kiss

At the shelter, John paced anxiously as Edward meticulously prepared the Neuroregen-X treatment for Maria. Time stretched out before them like a torturous snail crawl, as John's mind buzzed with a whirlwind of possibilities.

What if the drug failed? What if the alien technology interfered? Maria's fragile existence hung in the balance, teetering on the edge of life and death. But Edward had promised that this experimental compound held the greatest chance of bringing Maria back from her coma.

Jolene stood beside him, her hands fidgeting nervously. "Do you think it will work?" she asked hesitantly, echoing the unvoiced fears that haunted them both.

"It has to," John declared with unwavering conviction. Beneath his confident exterior, however, doubts gnawed at him. John couldn't know for certain, but he wanted to reassure Jolene.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Edward emerged from Maria's room. Jolene rushed to confront him, her breath held in anticipation. On Edward's sombre countenance, she found her answer.

"Well?" John demanded, his voice crackling with impatience. "Did it work?"

Edward sighed heavily. "The treatment seems to be fighting against Maria's system's enforced hibernation. But it's too early to determine whether the treatment will triumph. We'll know in a few hours."

Jolene's heart sank at the uncertainty. But a glimmer of hope lingered. If the drug succeeded, it would offer them a lifeline to save Maria from her perpetual state of unconsciousness. Now, all she could do was wait and trust in the silent battle unfolding within Maria.

Just then, Jolene offered John a cup of coffee. "Hey, John, why don't we step outside for a minute? There's a bench nearby where we can talk in peace."

John nodded, grateful for the opportunity to clear his head. As they sat on the bench, Jolene started talking about her life before the apocalypse. She shared stories of her unhappy childhood, her absent parents, and her desperation for a better life.

John listened intently, feeling a strange mix of sympathy and relief. He realised that despite his own troubled past, he felt strangely content in the chaos of the apocalypse. He confessed to Jolene that he often wondered what his life would be like if the invasion never happened.

Jolene placed a comforting hand on John's shoulder. "We can't change the past, John. But we can make the most of our present. And maybe, just maybe, we can find happiness again."

John smiled and as he remembered the new quest from the system, he stole a peek at Jolene's breast. They were large and full, with perky nipples that puckered in the cool breeze. He admired the way they swayed gently with each breath, drawing his gaze back to her chestnut-coloured hair and deep green eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"So, Eric, huh?" John said, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Yeah... I can't believe you two were friends. Small world, I guess..." Jolene muttered.

"Friends?" That's one way to put it," John said, rolling his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Jolene asked, genuinely curious.

"I only learned this a little while before I dropped out," John explained as he paused dramatically. "But it turns out, Eric had chosen me the very first day of high school. Can you believe it?"

"Chosen? For what?" Jolene inquired, intrigued.

"It must have been around the time he was getting tired of bullying me, but he told me that he chose someone at random, someone he could use to pass time. In other words, someone to bully."

Jolene froze, stunned. This was nothing like the Eric she knew. "You're...you're not joking, right?" she stammered.

"Unfortunately not. There were many reasons why I had to drop out, but Eric was undoubtedly the main reason. I just..." John took a pause and closed his eyes with a pained expression, feigning vulnerability.

This was most certainly not a happy memory for John, but he had moulded his unwavering optimism into detached indifference. Something like this was not enough to break him, but he needed Jolene's sympathy. 

Unconsciously, Jolene drew nearer to John, placing her hand softly on her chest as she whispered, "I'm sorry, John."

John took in a deep breath, putting all his effort into his acting, his lips curved ever so slightly. 

'I have to come off as if I'm trying to maintain a strong facade,' John thought.

He then spoke gently, caressing Jolene's cheek with his thumb, "There is no need for apologies, Jolene. You did nothing wrong. It was him, not you."

A single tear rolled down Jolene's cheek. John tenderly wiped it away, the perfect facade of sensitivity.

Jolene laughed shakily. "I was supposed to be comforting you."

"Having you here is comfort enough," John replied, holding her gaze. On the inside, his mind churned with satisfaction. 

Jolene was fully ensnared in his fabricated vulnerability. She smiled at his words and he pulled her close to his chest. He could hear her heartbeat quickening, thumping like a jackhammer.

John leaned in closer, gently guiding Jolene's head to rest against his shoulder. She tensed at the sudden intimacy, pulse quickening.

He angled his face near hers, lips just barely grazing her ear. "Jolene?" he murmured softly.

She turned towards him reflexively and found her nose only centimetres from his. Her heart hammered wildly now in her chest. His features blurred, enveloping her senses - those dark, penetrating eyes, the warm breath tickling her skin, his proximity paralysed her.

Despite having a boyfriend, she couldn't shake off the undeniable chemistry between them. It was as if time stood still when they were together, and everything else faded away until there was only Jolene and John.

Some invisible chemistry seemed to suspend reality when they were this close. The world receded until nothing existed but the two of them. She knew it was wrong, but the attraction refused to be ignored.

John leaned further in, elbows resting casually mere inches from her. Jolene's body thrummed, hyper-aware of each subtle movement. His steady gaze transfixed her, threatening to pull her into unknown depths.

The very air around them felt electric, charged by something profound. Jolene tried to resist the current, reminding herself of commitment to her boyfriend, but she was helpless against its power. Forces beyond her understanding were at play, drawing her ever closer to John's mysterious aura.

"Jolene," John breathed, his voice a hypnotic whisper in her ear. His warm breath cascaded over her skin, blooming rosy heat across her cheeks.

She shivered, heartbeat raging out of control. "Y-yes?" she managed weakly, trapped in his smouldering gaze.

With torturous slowness, his hand slid to her waist, fingertips igniting sparks along her spine. He leaned closer, to the point she could feel the heat radiating from him.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, the words like velvet. His lips hovered a hair's width from hers, so close she could almost taste him. The pull between them was magnetic now, irresistible.

Jolene's mind clouded, overwhelmed by dizzying sensations. She unconsciously parted her lips, an invitation and plea wrapped into one. Her eyes fluttered closed as she gave herself fully to the intensity of the moment.

"John..." she sighed, ready to dissolve into the kiss that teetered agonizingly close. His name on her lips was the point of no return. The world around them faded, meaningless in the face of such exquisite anticipation.