Infection. [4/?]
Title: Infection
Author: luhan_da_civic
Genre: Action (zombie!AU), humor, DRAMAAAA
Pairing(s): Various; Hunhan, Taoris, Kaisoo… I’d name more but I’d probably spoil some of the fic T^T
WC: 2,968
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence, some language. SO MUCH CHARACTER DEATH. SO MUCH.
Summary: ”No, Chanyeol. You’re being ridiculous. There’s no such thing as a zombie apocalypse,” Kris sighed.
A/N: For some reason, this chapter was really agonizing to write. And I think you'll understand why when you read it. This is slightly shorter than the other chapters, though. I hope you enjoy!
They didn’t have any time to waste. The group of ten bolted and instinctively branched out, scattering in different directions.
The first thing Lay did was abandon his chainsaw. It was extremely low on fuel, heavy, and noisy. In other words, a hindrance. The closest pair of people next to Lay were Tao and Kris. He grabbed both of them and shoved them into the hair salon. It was the first store that caught his eye. The three of them tumbled into the salon and scrambled to block the doorway with tables and chairs. They made excellent time, easily going undetected by the zombies and finding their shelter for the time being. A long and stuffy silence filled the air for awhile.
“Goddammit.”
Tao and Kris looked at Lay. He was sitting on the ground with a look of upset realization. “I’m a third wheel,” he let out, the expression never leaving his face.
…
It was almost unfair. The zombie experts intuitively grouped together when they were running for their lives, leaving their inexperienced friends to run off on their own. Suho, Chanyeol, and Chen ran for awhile until they stumbled upon an electronics store. Without any words, they rushed in. Chanyeol put his weight on the door while Chen and Suho hurried to get heavy boxes to barricade the door. The process was going by a lot more quickly with practice.
“We really shouldn’t have wasted our time,” Chen hummed.
Suho’s expression of frustration was confirmation for Chen’s statement. “This is all my fault,” he huffed. “I’m the leader. I’m the guardian. I’m supposed to keep everyone together, not let them split up. They can’t survive on their own without me; without us.” He sank down, running his hands through his hair repeatedly. “We’re supposed to be one. But we left Baekhyun to die. We let Sehun turn into a zombie. And now...” He took a pause. Suho stood up and paced around the store for awhile. His breathing was loud and uneven. His very presence made Chanyeol and Chen more nervous than they should have been.
Suho suddenly stopped and said, “Now, our friends are going to die because we let them go off on their own. Because we couldn’t even think of one stupid plan that could have potentially saved their lives!” Suho threw a few electronics off of their shelves. He was furious and racked with self-hate. He sat down again, breathing even more intensified. “Anything would have worked as long as we stayed together. Anything.”
Chanyeol and Chen had never seen Suho become angry. They had always envisioned him to be the docile, calm leader. He was a bit overbearing like a father, but the group just shook it off as him acting his role. But Kris, the other leader, saw through his image and was right. He had always told the group that he takes his role too seriously and that he let it get to his head. Kris’s words never sounded more true than it did now.
“It’s not your fault,” Chen said quietly. “You’re not responsible for everyone’s lives, Suho. Everyone is able to make their own decisions, and sometimes, it’s not the best. And we can’t help that.”
Suho was about to snap and lose his mind when he opened his mouth to scream at Chen, but he stopped himself and took a deep breath. “The leader is always responsible,” he slowly breathed, words lingering in the air.
…
This was Minseok’s moment of glory. Though he was a bundle of scared and insecure, there was always a chance of him shining under pressure. He saw the opportunity before him and seized it by the hand. Minseok grabbed Luhan’s wrist and ran out of the elevator. He didn’t know where he was going, but he thought, “Wherever I am with Luhan is where I’m supposed to be”. It felt right to Luhan’s warmth right in his palm.
He wanted to be Luhan’s defender. Minseok would risk his life for him.
Luhan was scared. He didn’t look back, but he could feel the zombies chasing him. He started panicking when he saw a swarm zombies appear in front of them. They leapt out of the stores ahead, snarling with their craving for human flesh.
“We’re surrounded,” Luhan yelped.
Minseok didn’t say a word as he kept running forward. His grip on Luhan’s wrist was just tight enough to be reassuring. His free hand pulled out a pistol from his jacket, firing at the zombies in front of them. His efforts were barely noticeable. The number of zombies were overwhelming. Minseok continued to run on and on. He didn’t want to seem like a coward in front of Luhan. No, he wanted to be brave. He wanted Luhan to see that he was more than just a bundle of scared and insecure. This was his moment.
Minseok charged while still shooting straight in front of him. He managed to kill enough so that it formed a small, momentary gap within the wave of zombies. Minseok suddenly tugged Luhan’s wrist, forcing Luhan to lunge forward a bit and squeal in surprise. Minseok immediately grabbed Luhan by the waist and sprinted to his very limits.
Luhan struggled to catch up with Minseok as he stormed through the swarm of zombies. A public restroom was in view. Minseok opened the door and shoved Luhan into the bathroom.
Because of the precious time it took to open the door (every second was valuable), the zombies managed to catch up at an alarming pace. They were almost in the doorway, grabbing at Minseok and bringing them to their teeth.
Minseok screamed in pain when he felt his flesh being torn apart by sets of teeth. Luhan shrieked and grabbed Minseok’s pistol from his hands, killing those that were closest to Minseok. He rushed to pull him through the doorway. He shut the door and locked it as quickly as he could. The zombies kept screeching and banging on the doors. The sounds bounced off the walls in the bathroom.
Luhan grabbed Minseok by the shoulders and shook him. “Minseok. Minseok!” He was screaming through his tears. He had already seen his lover die and he didn’t think he could bear killing his best friend before he killed him.
“You didn’t call me Baozi for once,” he gave a pained smirk. Minseok grunted and changed his demeanor in half a second, quickly saying, “I don’t have much time left. Hear me out, okay?”
Luhan nodded, tears streaming down his face. His breathing was extremely uneven.
“Luhan... I’m sorry I got you into this. I thought we’d survive together, y’know...” Minseok took another breath. He was fighting his feelings of illness, which were creeping up to him. “Give me the pistol,” he weakly said.
Luhan hesitated at first, but he realized that he had no time to spare. He quickly gave the handgun to Minseok.
“I’ll kill myself, alright? So you don’t have to kill me.” Luhan made an urgent noise in protest, but Minseok continued. “Just listen. I don’t want you to go through with that.”
The illness was really getting to Minseok. It made him feel heavy and sleepy. “Luhan, I know you don’t feel the same way, but remember that I love you. I always have.”
At the moment where Minseok could feel his mind slipping away, he shot himself in the head. The noise was loud and unpleasant, blood and brain matter spilling all over the door and on Luhan himself. The very sight of Minseok’s unrecognizable, mutilated, and defiled face made Luhan feel queasy. He hurriedly stumbled to the sink to throw up. The feeling of bile rising in his throat stung his eyes, along with the tears he had been shedding.
He moved to lie on the cold bathroom floor. Luhan’s back was facing Minseok’s body. He didn’t want to see the horrid image again.
The zombies wouldn’t stop screaming. Their persistent attempts to break down the door were endless. The sounds never escaped the atmosphere as Luhan lay there, hugging himself desperately. The noises scraped against his mind, grinding and grating against the little remains of his sanity. It drove him crazy and it terrified him.
Luhan was on the brink of suicide. He had lost all hope now. He was alone, shaking, and weeping in the fetal position. His lover was killed in front of him. His best friend, who loved Luhan more than anything, died saving his life. He confessed to Luhan and left him the guilt of his unrequited love.
What was the point of surviving? What was the reason for living if no one would be there in the end? Everyone was already dead from the start. Luhan tried delaying Death with his friends. But Death was there the whole time. He could see Death itself, motioning him to come.
The zombies were still shrieking. It sounded louder and louder. Louder and louder. Death was telling him to come. Luhan couldn’t take it anymore.
He let out an agonized scream of desperation and scrambled to pick up the pistol. There was one bullet left. His hands were shaking. His tears were flowing. This was it. Luhan’s life was already over the moment this whole apocalypse started. He just had to make it official.
Luhan shot himself in the head. The whole bathroom was quiet.
The zombies had actually given up on Luhan a long time ago.
…
Kai and Kyungsoo slipped undetected into a movie theatre in the mall. They were lucky to find it completely empty. It seemed as if all the moviegoers were already zombies, lurking around the mall. The couple held hands tightly while walking up the ramp and stairs of the dimly lit room. The atmosphere was thick with silence, steps, and nervous breathing.
They made it to the top row, which had loveseats instead of the typical stadium seats. Just one of the few perks of getting VIP tickets to a movie theatre.
Kai and Kyungsoo simultaneously sat down and wilted, their bodies molding into one another. Their legs were intertwined like growing vines as they held each other closely. Kyungsoo’s head rested on Kai’s chest. He could hear his nervous heartbeat through his clothes. Kai meticulously and thoughtfully played with his lover’s hair, breathing in and admiring him. They shared a long and somewhat comforting silence together, but the tension was palpable.
“Are you scared?” Kyungsoo asked suddenly.
Kai stiffened a little. “Yeah. I’m scared shitless.”
“I am, too,” he replied quietly. Kai continued to pet his head gently. It calmed Kyungsoo. He knew it did. Kyungsoo always told him that his gentle shows of affection felt nice.
All the while, Kai had a lot of time to think for himself. Their chances of surviving had plummeted. He also lost a couple of friends along the way. He knew the apocalypse was going to get all of them one by one.
“Do you think we can survive this?” Kai asked in the midst of his thoughts.
“Of course,” Kyungsoo replied without hesitation. There was a hint of doubt in his voice, though.
Kai had expected that answer. Kyungsoo was an optimist. He was always looking on the bright side, even if there was only a shimmer of it in sight. Kai, however, disagreed with him. Of course they weren’t going to survive. Their numbers were low. Their supplies were none. The apocalypse had just started and they were already losing.
Kyungsoo let out a random “I love you” while Kai was thinking. He laughed a little before returning his statement. Kai brought Kyungsoo to his lips and kissed him tenderly. It was an eclectic mix of emotions. It was of regret, passion, fear, and so much more. Kyungsoo felt each and every feeling upon his lips. And he tasted it when Kai’s tears met his mouth.
Kyungsoo curiously and gently asked, “Why are you crying?”
Kai showed a pained smile. His lover could see his teeth despite the darkness. “I’m just glad you’re with me,” he half-lied. He was much more than grateful to be with Kyungsoo, but that didn’t set off the waterworks. “Let’s rest, okay?”
Kyungsoo nodded immediately. They recited their final “I love you”s and laid facing each other. The couple couldn’t see each other all too well, aside from the faint outline of their faces in the dim glow. In Kai’s arms, he felt Kyungsoo’s body loosen over time as it adjusted to slumber. He patiently waited and made sure he was asleep before carefully shifting Kyungsoo’s arms off of him. He moved in his sleep a little bit as a result, but never woke up.
Kai bit his lip. He didn’t want his sobbing to startle Kyungsoo.
He was about to play God. Kai knew that the worst way for Kyungsoo to die was at a zombie’s hands (or rather, teeth). He knew Kyungsoo wanted to be with him before his time was up. Why not let end the entire apocalypse while their time was still sweet? It was all in Kai’s hands. Literally.
He gripped his katana tightly. The blade was slightly rusted with blood. Fond memories of his lover pulsed through his veins and flashed before his eyes. He remembered all the times they held each other and whispered to each other that they would make it through anything together. He remembered all of it.
Kai covered Kyungsoo’s mouth as he stabbed him in the heart. He could feel Kyungsoo’s screams against his palm.
“I’m so sorry,” Kai muffled through his sobs. Kyungsoo’s cries of pain slowly ebbed away into a dead silence. Kai’s pained whimpers never ceased, even after he straightened himself up and pulled the sword out. The glide of the blade through flesh has never haunted him so much.
“I promised you that I’d follow you into the dark,” he quietly said, stroking his lover’s face.
He positioned the sword, still wet with Kyungsoo’s blood, and impaled himself in the heart.
They would be together even in death.
…
Chanyeol was beyond irritated. Suho was spitting orders again.
“First thing we’re going to do in the morning is sneak around the second floor and try to find our friends...”
But he knew it was necessary. In times of trouble, in times of desperation, a leader was needed.
“... We have to be quiet so as to not attract any zombies. If we find anyone, we’ll try to get their attention somehow; waving our arms or knocking on the windows... anything.”
Still, it pissed him off.
“Understood,” Chanyeol muttered. Chen simply and weakly smiled in agreement.
…
Lay wanted to fast forward to the next day, so he fell asleep in a comfortable salon chair, leaving Tao and Kris alone.
Kris sat against a wall while he held Tao in his arms. Even though they teased each other to show their affection, they had heart-to-hearts, too.
“I’d tell you that I’d protect you from the zombies and keep you alive, but I don’t think you’d believe me,” Kris whispered in Tao’s ear.
Tao laughed a little. “I’d tell you the same thing, but you already know that I’d save your ass every time. It’s kind of hard to ignore you when you’re always crying for my help.”
Okay, maybe they still tease each other all the time.
Kris chuckled. “If you keep mentioning how I can’t handle zombies, I will punish you.”
They playfully wrestled, making jabs to grab wrists and tickling one other all the while. It was a competition of strength, agility, and mostly pride.
When they finally got tired, the couple dropped to the floor and positioned themselves to face each other, staring into one other’s weary eyes. Kris stroked Tao’s face gingerly. They were frozen in their places, feeling like it was an eternity before one of them spoke again.
Tao’s eyes were watering at a thought. “You really mean a lot to me, you know?”
Kris smiled slightly. “You mean a lot to me, too.”
“And... you really taught me a lot, Kris. I want to thank you for coming into my life, and--”
“You’re really corny, you know that?” Kris smiled and wiped Tao’s little tears.
Tao looked a little flustered despite him crying. “I’m being serious here! A zombie apocalypse is happening right now and I’m telling you my feelings because we always just play around or crack jokes at each other. I want you to understand how I really feel, okay? And once I start talking about it, you call me corny--”
“Because you really are being corny. I already know how you feel and you know I feel the same way. Why recite words over and over?” Tao looked somewhat offended. “Okay, fine. I’ll say ‘I love you’. I. Love. You. Are you a happy panda yet?” Kris pinched Tao’s cheek.
Tao only smiled and nestled himself closer into Kris’s body, letting his arms wrap around him.
Kris ran his hand through Tao’s dark hair. “This is exactly what I mean. I know how you feel through these little actions because some words just aren’t enough.”
They both held each other, falling asleep and waiting to see what tomorrow would bring.
Author: luhan_da_civic
Genre: Action (zombie!AU), humor, DRAMAAAA
Pairing(s): Various; Hunhan, Taoris, Kaisoo… I’d name more but I’d probably spoil some of the fic T^T
WC: 2,968
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence, some language. SO MUCH CHARACTER DEATH. SO MUCH.
Summary: ”No, Chanyeol. You’re being ridiculous. There’s no such thing as a zombie apocalypse,” Kris sighed.
A/N: For some reason, this chapter was really agonizing to write. And I think you'll understand why when you read it. This is slightly shorter than the other chapters, though. I hope you enjoy!
They didn’t have any time to waste. The group of ten bolted and instinctively branched out, scattering in different directions.
The first thing Lay did was abandon his chainsaw. It was extremely low on fuel, heavy, and noisy. In other words, a hindrance. The closest pair of people next to Lay were Tao and Kris. He grabbed both of them and shoved them into the hair salon. It was the first store that caught his eye. The three of them tumbled into the salon and scrambled to block the doorway with tables and chairs. They made excellent time, easily going undetected by the zombies and finding their shelter for the time being. A long and stuffy silence filled the air for awhile.
“Goddammit.”
Tao and Kris looked at Lay. He was sitting on the ground with a look of upset realization. “I’m a third wheel,” he let out, the expression never leaving his face.
…
It was almost unfair. The zombie experts intuitively grouped together when they were running for their lives, leaving their inexperienced friends to run off on their own. Suho, Chanyeol, and Chen ran for awhile until they stumbled upon an electronics store. Without any words, they rushed in. Chanyeol put his weight on the door while Chen and Suho hurried to get heavy boxes to barricade the door. The process was going by a lot more quickly with practice.
“We really shouldn’t have wasted our time,” Chen hummed.
Suho’s expression of frustration was confirmation for Chen’s statement. “This is all my fault,” he huffed. “I’m the leader. I’m the guardian. I’m supposed to keep everyone together, not let them split up. They can’t survive on their own without me; without us.” He sank down, running his hands through his hair repeatedly. “We’re supposed to be one. But we left Baekhyun to die. We let Sehun turn into a zombie. And now...” He took a pause. Suho stood up and paced around the store for awhile. His breathing was loud and uneven. His very presence made Chanyeol and Chen more nervous than they should have been.
Suho suddenly stopped and said, “Now, our friends are going to die because we let them go off on their own. Because we couldn’t even think of one stupid plan that could have potentially saved their lives!” Suho threw a few electronics off of their shelves. He was furious and racked with self-hate. He sat down again, breathing even more intensified. “Anything would have worked as long as we stayed together. Anything.”
Chanyeol and Chen had never seen Suho become angry. They had always envisioned him to be the docile, calm leader. He was a bit overbearing like a father, but the group just shook it off as him acting his role. But Kris, the other leader, saw through his image and was right. He had always told the group that he takes his role too seriously and that he let it get to his head. Kris’s words never sounded more true than it did now.
“It’s not your fault,” Chen said quietly. “You’re not responsible for everyone’s lives, Suho. Everyone is able to make their own decisions, and sometimes, it’s not the best. And we can’t help that.”
Suho was about to snap and lose his mind when he opened his mouth to scream at Chen, but he stopped himself and took a deep breath. “The leader is always responsible,” he slowly breathed, words lingering in the air.
…
This was Minseok’s moment of glory. Though he was a bundle of scared and insecure, there was always a chance of him shining under pressure. He saw the opportunity before him and seized it by the hand. Minseok grabbed Luhan’s wrist and ran out of the elevator. He didn’t know where he was going, but he thought, “Wherever I am with Luhan is where I’m supposed to be”. It felt right to Luhan’s warmth right in his palm.
He wanted to be Luhan’s defender. Minseok would risk his life for him.
Luhan was scared. He didn’t look back, but he could feel the zombies chasing him. He started panicking when he saw a swarm zombies appear in front of them. They leapt out of the stores ahead, snarling with their craving for human flesh.
“We’re surrounded,” Luhan yelped.
Minseok didn’t say a word as he kept running forward. His grip on Luhan’s wrist was just tight enough to be reassuring. His free hand pulled out a pistol from his jacket, firing at the zombies in front of them. His efforts were barely noticeable. The number of zombies were overwhelming. Minseok continued to run on and on. He didn’t want to seem like a coward in front of Luhan. No, he wanted to be brave. He wanted Luhan to see that he was more than just a bundle of scared and insecure. This was his moment.
Minseok charged while still shooting straight in front of him. He managed to kill enough so that it formed a small, momentary gap within the wave of zombies. Minseok suddenly tugged Luhan’s wrist, forcing Luhan to lunge forward a bit and squeal in surprise. Minseok immediately grabbed Luhan by the waist and sprinted to his very limits.
Luhan struggled to catch up with Minseok as he stormed through the swarm of zombies. A public restroom was in view. Minseok opened the door and shoved Luhan into the bathroom.
Because of the precious time it took to open the door (every second was valuable), the zombies managed to catch up at an alarming pace. They were almost in the doorway, grabbing at Minseok and bringing them to their teeth.
Minseok screamed in pain when he felt his flesh being torn apart by sets of teeth. Luhan shrieked and grabbed Minseok’s pistol from his hands, killing those that were closest to Minseok. He rushed to pull him through the doorway. He shut the door and locked it as quickly as he could. The zombies kept screeching and banging on the doors. The sounds bounced off the walls in the bathroom.
Luhan grabbed Minseok by the shoulders and shook him. “Minseok. Minseok!” He was screaming through his tears. He had already seen his lover die and he didn’t think he could bear killing his best friend before he killed him.
“You didn’t call me Baozi for once,” he gave a pained smirk. Minseok grunted and changed his demeanor in half a second, quickly saying, “I don’t have much time left. Hear me out, okay?”
Luhan nodded, tears streaming down his face. His breathing was extremely uneven.
“Luhan... I’m sorry I got you into this. I thought we’d survive together, y’know...” Minseok took another breath. He was fighting his feelings of illness, which were creeping up to him. “Give me the pistol,” he weakly said.
Luhan hesitated at first, but he realized that he had no time to spare. He quickly gave the handgun to Minseok.
“I’ll kill myself, alright? So you don’t have to kill me.” Luhan made an urgent noise in protest, but Minseok continued. “Just listen. I don’t want you to go through with that.”
The illness was really getting to Minseok. It made him feel heavy and sleepy. “Luhan, I know you don’t feel the same way, but remember that I love you. I always have.”
At the moment where Minseok could feel his mind slipping away, he shot himself in the head. The noise was loud and unpleasant, blood and brain matter spilling all over the door and on Luhan himself. The very sight of Minseok’s unrecognizable, mutilated, and defiled face made Luhan feel queasy. He hurriedly stumbled to the sink to throw up. The feeling of bile rising in his throat stung his eyes, along with the tears he had been shedding.
He moved to lie on the cold bathroom floor. Luhan’s back was facing Minseok’s body. He didn’t want to see the horrid image again.
The zombies wouldn’t stop screaming. Their persistent attempts to break down the door were endless. The sounds never escaped the atmosphere as Luhan lay there, hugging himself desperately. The noises scraped against his mind, grinding and grating against the little remains of his sanity. It drove him crazy and it terrified him.
Luhan was on the brink of suicide. He had lost all hope now. He was alone, shaking, and weeping in the fetal position. His lover was killed in front of him. His best friend, who loved Luhan more than anything, died saving his life. He confessed to Luhan and left him the guilt of his unrequited love.
What was the point of surviving? What was the reason for living if no one would be there in the end? Everyone was already dead from the start. Luhan tried delaying Death with his friends. But Death was there the whole time. He could see Death itself, motioning him to come.
The zombies were still shrieking. It sounded louder and louder. Louder and louder. Death was telling him to come. Luhan couldn’t take it anymore.
He let out an agonized scream of desperation and scrambled to pick up the pistol. There was one bullet left. His hands were shaking. His tears were flowing. This was it. Luhan’s life was already over the moment this whole apocalypse started. He just had to make it official.
Luhan shot himself in the head. The whole bathroom was quiet.
The zombies had actually given up on Luhan a long time ago.
…
Kai and Kyungsoo slipped undetected into a movie theatre in the mall. They were lucky to find it completely empty. It seemed as if all the moviegoers were already zombies, lurking around the mall. The couple held hands tightly while walking up the ramp and stairs of the dimly lit room. The atmosphere was thick with silence, steps, and nervous breathing.
They made it to the top row, which had loveseats instead of the typical stadium seats. Just one of the few perks of getting VIP tickets to a movie theatre.
Kai and Kyungsoo simultaneously sat down and wilted, their bodies molding into one another. Their legs were intertwined like growing vines as they held each other closely. Kyungsoo’s head rested on Kai’s chest. He could hear his nervous heartbeat through his clothes. Kai meticulously and thoughtfully played with his lover’s hair, breathing in and admiring him. They shared a long and somewhat comforting silence together, but the tension was palpable.
“Are you scared?” Kyungsoo asked suddenly.
Kai stiffened a little. “Yeah. I’m scared shitless.”
“I am, too,” he replied quietly. Kai continued to pet his head gently. It calmed Kyungsoo. He knew it did. Kyungsoo always told him that his gentle shows of affection felt nice.
All the while, Kai had a lot of time to think for himself. Their chances of surviving had plummeted. He also lost a couple of friends along the way. He knew the apocalypse was going to get all of them one by one.
“Do you think we can survive this?” Kai asked in the midst of his thoughts.
“Of course,” Kyungsoo replied without hesitation. There was a hint of doubt in his voice, though.
Kai had expected that answer. Kyungsoo was an optimist. He was always looking on the bright side, even if there was only a shimmer of it in sight. Kai, however, disagreed with him. Of course they weren’t going to survive. Their numbers were low. Their supplies were none. The apocalypse had just started and they were already losing.
Kyungsoo let out a random “I love you” while Kai was thinking. He laughed a little before returning his statement. Kai brought Kyungsoo to his lips and kissed him tenderly. It was an eclectic mix of emotions. It was of regret, passion, fear, and so much more. Kyungsoo felt each and every feeling upon his lips. And he tasted it when Kai’s tears met his mouth.
Kyungsoo curiously and gently asked, “Why are you crying?”
Kai showed a pained smile. His lover could see his teeth despite the darkness. “I’m just glad you’re with me,” he half-lied. He was much more than grateful to be with Kyungsoo, but that didn’t set off the waterworks. “Let’s rest, okay?”
Kyungsoo nodded immediately. They recited their final “I love you”s and laid facing each other. The couple couldn’t see each other all too well, aside from the faint outline of their faces in the dim glow. In Kai’s arms, he felt Kyungsoo’s body loosen over time as it adjusted to slumber. He patiently waited and made sure he was asleep before carefully shifting Kyungsoo’s arms off of him. He moved in his sleep a little bit as a result, but never woke up.
Kai bit his lip. He didn’t want his sobbing to startle Kyungsoo.
He was about to play God. Kai knew that the worst way for Kyungsoo to die was at a zombie’s hands (or rather, teeth). He knew Kyungsoo wanted to be with him before his time was up. Why not let end the entire apocalypse while their time was still sweet? It was all in Kai’s hands. Literally.
He gripped his katana tightly. The blade was slightly rusted with blood. Fond memories of his lover pulsed through his veins and flashed before his eyes. He remembered all the times they held each other and whispered to each other that they would make it through anything together. He remembered all of it.
Kai covered Kyungsoo’s mouth as he stabbed him in the heart. He could feel Kyungsoo’s screams against his palm.
“I’m so sorry,” Kai muffled through his sobs. Kyungsoo’s cries of pain slowly ebbed away into a dead silence. Kai’s pained whimpers never ceased, even after he straightened himself up and pulled the sword out. The glide of the blade through flesh has never haunted him so much.
“I promised you that I’d follow you into the dark,” he quietly said, stroking his lover’s face.
He positioned the sword, still wet with Kyungsoo’s blood, and impaled himself in the heart.
They would be together even in death.
…
Chanyeol was beyond irritated. Suho was spitting orders again.
“First thing we’re going to do in the morning is sneak around the second floor and try to find our friends...”
But he knew it was necessary. In times of trouble, in times of desperation, a leader was needed.
“... We have to be quiet so as to not attract any zombies. If we find anyone, we’ll try to get their attention somehow; waving our arms or knocking on the windows... anything.”
Still, it pissed him off.
“Understood,” Chanyeol muttered. Chen simply and weakly smiled in agreement.
…
Lay wanted to fast forward to the next day, so he fell asleep in a comfortable salon chair, leaving Tao and Kris alone.
Kris sat against a wall while he held Tao in his arms. Even though they teased each other to show their affection, they had heart-to-hearts, too.
“I’d tell you that I’d protect you from the zombies and keep you alive, but I don’t think you’d believe me,” Kris whispered in Tao’s ear.
Tao laughed a little. “I’d tell you the same thing, but you already know that I’d save your ass every time. It’s kind of hard to ignore you when you’re always crying for my help.”
Okay, maybe they still tease each other all the time.
Kris chuckled. “If you keep mentioning how I can’t handle zombies, I will punish you.”
They playfully wrestled, making jabs to grab wrists and tickling one other all the while. It was a competition of strength, agility, and mostly pride.
When they finally got tired, the couple dropped to the floor and positioned themselves to face each other, staring into one other’s weary eyes. Kris stroked Tao’s face gingerly. They were frozen in their places, feeling like it was an eternity before one of them spoke again.
Tao’s eyes were watering at a thought. “You really mean a lot to me, you know?”
Kris smiled slightly. “You mean a lot to me, too.”
“And... you really taught me a lot, Kris. I want to thank you for coming into my life, and--”
“You’re really corny, you know that?” Kris smiled and wiped Tao’s little tears.
Tao looked a little flustered despite him crying. “I’m being serious here! A zombie apocalypse is happening right now and I’m telling you my feelings because we always just play around or crack jokes at each other. I want you to understand how I really feel, okay? And once I start talking about it, you call me corny--”
“Because you really are being corny. I already know how you feel and you know I feel the same way. Why recite words over and over?” Tao looked somewhat offended. “Okay, fine. I’ll say ‘I love you’. I. Love. You. Are you a happy panda yet?” Kris pinched Tao’s cheek.
Tao only smiled and nestled himself closer into Kris’s body, letting his arms wrap around him.
Kris ran his hand through Tao’s dark hair. “This is exactly what I mean. I know how you feel through these little actions because some words just aren’t enough.”
They both held each other, falling asleep and waiting to see what tomorrow would bring.