Sun breathed in the air, instantly regretting it. She coughed trying not to gag as the overwhelming scent of human BO and excrements filled her lungs. She was used to the smell of Blights, but this was more potent. Alex clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"Never been to trading centers, have you?" She shook her head, covering her mouth and nose with her hand. "You're doing well for your first time," he  mused. "I threw up the first time." She sent him a writhing look, trying to get across he wasn't helping. He smiled innocently.

"It'll get better in a few moments. Just start breathing in through your mouth and eventually you won't smell it as much." He guided her towards a double set of doors. They were ajar, and chatter animatedly leaked out. She dropped her hand from her face, breathing in deeply through her mouth.  Alex opened the doors in front of her; they swept open in a grand gesture. She  took in the room with her mouth open. Rows and rows of humans filled the open area. A few people milled about, going from dirty blankets filled with knick-knacks. A few actually had rickety old stands, and owners stood behind them proudly, trying to sell their products. They started making their way down the first aisle. Bent pieces of metal from hubcaps to pieces so twisted and deformed littered the first one. A confused look twisted onto her face as she looked at the grisly old seller.

"Don't give me that look, punk," he spat angrily, sending a loogie towards her feet. She jumped away, and Alex grabbed her upper arm, rushing her away.

"Rule number one: never look at the merchandise strangely. Their motto here is 'one man's junk is another one's treasure'. He probably spent hours trying to get all of that." Sun nodded her head as they continued down. They spotted food stands, scrap stands, jar stands,  even clothing stands. You named it; they had it. They were about halfway through the stands when they came across their first wooden cart display.

"Hey there!" a man in his mid twenties called out. Alex stopped abruptly, causing Sun to halt unexpectedly. She pulled up beside him, shying closer to his side when the man looked over towards her. He glanced back at Alex before grinning.

"I see that you have quite a few weapons there," the man whistled out, taking in the two rifles protruding from his back. "How would you like a bag to stick those into?" Alex's eyes brightened as he looked over to Sun, asking for permission. She eyes the man in front of them, suspicious of his words. She turned her gaze back towards her eager companion before nodding.

"Sure! What do you have? We don't need anything big," Alex said towards the clerk, smiling. The man tapped his chin a few times in contemplation before snapping his fingers and ducking down. There was the sound of sliding doors before he came back with a small golf club bag. Alex's mouth shaped into an 'O' of appreciation.

"That's perfect!" he decided, looking back towards the man. "What can I trade for it?" The salesman's mouth quirked up.

"You see," he started off, resting the bag on the top of his stand. "I've been needing a certain type of magazine. It's been lonely around here, and anything nice to look at has died." His eyes slid over to Sun. "Mostly anyways." She squirmed uncomfortably, hiding herself a bit behind Alex. The motion didn't go unnoticed, and he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. The clerk's eyes dragged back towards Alex.

"I'll give it to you for a Playboy mag." Alex stiffened, before rolling his head in exasperation towards Sun.

"And if we don't have one?" he asked, bitterness edging into his tone. The man shrugged, taking his offer off the table and stuffing it back into his compartment.

"You don't get it."

"Okay," Alex said in a clipped tone. He pulled Sun with him as he finished going down the hallway as a woman
was screaming: "Drugs! I got cocaine, pot, ecstasy, whatever you need! I just need some goddamn food!"

"I blame you for my problems," he grumbled at Sun. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"I didn't know someone would want that! No one thinks about adult magazines in the apocalypse!" she answered him exasperatedly. She brought her hand to her forehead as she breathed loudly. "Look, I'm sorry that you had a bunch of junk in your backpack, and I didn't think anyone would want things like that."

"Now you've very clearly never been to a trading center," Alex muttered. He ran a hand through his hair.  She bit her lip, shying away from him a bit.

"We don't need a gun bag. Just let me carry my things. I can handle it." She smiled thinly through her lips. "I'm not as broken as I might seem. I've been through worse." He watched her intently, his pupils flicking back and forth between her eyes before he sighed. He shrugged off her gun and backpacks handing it over to her. Her grin widened as she gave him a happy look.

"Are you really okay?" he asked her softly. "I get it if you're not. You don't have to try to be strong just to put up a front. It's okay to let your feelings out every once and a while. It's what makes you human." He looked down before peeking up at her. She smiled lightly at him. Moving forward, she patted his chest a few times, stopping by his side.

"I'll be fine eventually." She walked past him, before stopping and turning around to face him. "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get a move on!" He pursed his lips in an attempt to hide his grin. He hurried after her, and she laughed before taking off. Alex was surprised, yet excited about her willingness to open herself up to him. He felt special to be invited into the world of a girl who was so tightly bound to her past.