Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse With My Military System

"Is this true?" Richard asked, his voice laced with concern as he sought clarification from Lisa.

"I'm not entirely sure, but during one of our recent conversations in her free time, Sara opened up about her feelings," Lisa explained, her tone earnest. "She mentioned how she's noticed a distance growing between you two, and she seemed genuinely saddened by it."

Richard fell into deep contemplation, his hand unconsciously stroking his chin. Lisa's words resonated with him, shedding light on a truth he had been avoiding. The demanding nature of their roles within Blackwatch had indeed created a chasm, a silent gap filled with unspoken words and missed opportunities. The past weeks had been busy, leaving little room for personal interactions.

"It's just that…" Richard's voice trailed off as he grappled with his thoughts, trying to put his feelings into words.

"It's just that?" Lisa repeated, prompting him to continue. But Richard forgot what he wanted to say. 

Richard shook his head slightly, deciding to change his course of action. "Never mind. I'll talk to Sara directly, clear the air. Thanks for letting me know, Lisa."

"Sure, but brother... do you like her? Is she your type?" Lisa asked, her expression turning playful as she teased him.

Richard was caught off guard, blushing slightly. "Wha— What does that have to do with anything?" he stammered, trying to deflect the question.

Lisa just laughed, "Nothing, nothing." She patted him on the shoulder. "Just wondering! But judging by that blush, I think I got my answer."

Richard rolled his eyes, though he couldn't hide his smile. "Just go on, you," he said, trying to sound annoyed but only managing to sound affectionate.

Lisa grinned, satisfied with his reaction, and waved him off. "Good luck, brother! She seemed to be a nice girl and therefore you have my approval!" 

"Why are you giving me a thumbs up?" Richard asked, raising an eyebrow at Lisa's enthusiastic gesture.

"Just showing my support!" Lisa replied, her grin not fading in the slightest. "You'll need all the encouragement you can get if you're planning on hitting on her."

Richard couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's antics. "I'm not sure your approval was needed, but thanks, I guess," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

"Oh, trust me, it was needed," Lisa said with a wink. "Now go on, don't keep her waiting."

Richard nodded, his smile fading as he turned to leave. He appreciated Lisa's support, but he couldn't shake off the nerves that suddenly gripped him. Talking to Sara directly was the right thing to do, but that didn't make it any less daunting.

***

At the Blackwatch Command Center.

The Blackwatch Command Center location was relocated to a new building near Ayala Avenue. Ayala North Exchange Tower One. It was their intended place to relocate and where they found Andrea.' 

The Oriental Condominium was too residential for it to stand as a command center but in the Ayala North Exchange Tower One, where the building is built for office spaces, it suited Blackwatch's operational needs much better.

Richard made his way through the bustling command center, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Sara, who was intently focused on her computer screen. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he approached her workstation.

He took a peek at what she was doing, and as always, it was about her conducting reconnaissance using the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout. It served as an early warning detection system where she'd look out for a horde of zombies and have the ground forces intercept and neutralize them. 

Richard cleared his throat, trying to get her attention, but her eyes remained fixed on the monitor screen as if she didn't hear him. He took another deep breath, steadied himself, and spoke up a bit louder, "Sara?"

This time, she looked up, a bit startled. "Oh, Richard! I didn't hear you there. What's up?" she asked, quickly minimizing the window she was working on.

"I was wondering if you have a moment? Can we talk?" Richard asked.

Sara noticed the seriousness in his tone and nodded, "Sure, what's going on?"

Richard gestured towards a more private area, away from the hustle and bustle of the command center. Sara followed him, curiosity in her eyes.

Once they were out of earshot from the others, Richard took another deep breath and began, "I wanted to apologize if I've been distant lately. The workload has been intense, and I didn't realize it was affecting our relationship." 

"Relationship? I'm sorry, I'm confused Richard, but why are you apologizing to me for that?" 

Upon hearing that, Richard felt embarrassed. He just put himself in an awkward position where he assumed there was something special between them, her words stung him like a swarm of bees. For a moment, he was at a loss for words, his thoughts racing as he tried to salvage the situation.

"I mean our friendship," he quickly corrected, his face turning a shade redder. "I didn't realize that I was becoming distant, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay between us."

Sara's expression softened as she realized what he was trying to say. "Richard, we're good. I understand that work has been demanding for all of us. But I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about it. Though really, you don't have to apologize or bring this up. I don't see it as a problem after all." 

"Really? But my little sister said that you were quite saddened by us not interacting as much recently," Richard said, slightly confused but relieved to hear Sara's words.

"Wait—your sister told you?"

There was a sudden shift in her tone. Her face was bashful, a slight flush of red coloring her cheeks as she glanced away for a moment before looking back at Richard. "I mean, yes, I might have mentioned something along those lines, but it wasn't a big deal, really."

Richard raised an eyebrow, sensing that there might be more to the story than Sara was letting on. "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel neglected or anything. We're teammates, after all," he said sincerely, hoping to assure her.

Sara smiled, appreciating his concern. "I know, and I really appreciate you checking in on me. Yes, things have been busy, and we haven't talked as much, but I understand. We all have our duties, and I know you're just doing your job."

She paused, her eyes meeting his as she added, "But it has been nice talking more lately. I've missed our chats."

Richard felt a warmth spread through him at her words, relieved that they were able to clear the air and glad to know she valued their conversations as much as he did. "Me too," he admitted, "and I'm sorry for not making more of an effort to stay in touch. Let's make sure to catch up more often, even when things are crazy."

"Agreed," Sara said, her smile widening.

"You know what? How about we go dine together later?" Richard said. Finally, he was able to muster the courage to ask her out.

Sara's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but then she smiled warmly and nodded, "Yeah, I'd like that."

Richard felt a surge of relief and happiness wash over him. "Great! It's a date then," he said, his tone light.

Sara's smile faltered for a moment, and she seemed to ponder his words. "A date?" she repeated, her tone questioning.

Richard realized he might have misspoken and quickly clarified, "I mean, not a date date unless you want it to be. I just meant...dinner. As friends. Or not. I'm good with whatever."

"Fuck kill me lord, kill me lord!" Richard inwardly cursed. It was too embarrassing for him.

Sara chuckled softly at Richard's flustered state, finding his nervousness endearing. She could see the genuine intent in his eyes and decided to put him at ease.

"Richard, relax. Dinner sounds great, and we can just see how things go, no pressure," Sara said, her smile reassuring.

Richard let out a sigh of relief, grateful for her understanding. "Sounds perfect," he replied, his smile returning. "See you later?" 

Sara nodded.