The bed dipped next to him with the weight of Will joining him. Will had had to stay on the bridge late, working on his report from the planet they had visited earlier that day.

He waited until Will was settled and then he rolled over and sighed, pressing himself into Will's warm body. Will was always warm and Wesley liked curling up against him, the heat from Will's body comforting and relaxing.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Will murmured into the top of his head.

"No. Much better with you here." He pressed his nose into Will's neck and sighed again.

"Did you ever figure out what happened to all of those people on that planet?"

"No. We don't have a clue."

"A whole planet of people…just dead. No traces of poison or anything else. I just don't understand. I hope you guys figure it out."

"Me too, Wesley. Me too."

He and Will had both been on the ship when the away team went down the first time. Will had gone down with them the second time but with all of the necessary precautions to protect him against anything on the planet.

The original away team was all in quarantine right now.

"We should be safe though, right?" Wesley asked. If something could wipe out a whole planet like that, he was wary of having the exposed people back on the ship. Even if they were in quarantine.

Will tilted Wesley's chin up so he could kiss him. "Don't worry, Wes. We'll be fine."

Will kissed him again, deeper and with intent this time. Wesley lost himself in a passion-filled night and forgot all about the quarantined crew.

"Will, do you think my mom has been getting strange?"

They were sitting in Ten Forward enjoying some dessert. It had been two days since members of the crew had first been quarantined, and they were still there.

This was the first chance that he and Will had gotten to sit down together. Will was exhausted and it showed.

"Strange how?"

Wesley shrugged. "I don't know. The way she talks and the way she moves."

Will shook his head. "Can't say that I've noticed anything. Sorry."

"That's okay."

They ate the rest of their dessert in silence. When they finished, Will stood up. "I have to get back to the bridge."

Will probably saw the disappointment in his eyes because he rested a hand on Wesley's shoulder and leaned down to whisper into Wesley's ear. "When this is all over, I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll make sure we get a day off together and I'll keep you in bed the whole day and do whatever you want. Even if it means just reading to you all day."

Wesley huffed out a laugh. Will knew him so well and knew how much Wesley loved hearing him talk. "You better."

Will kissed him gently. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Will gave him one last kiss before heading off.

It was late when Will finally joined him in bed. So late that it was early.

"Will, you need more sleep than this. Actually, you need sleep period."

Will curled around Wesley, seeking his warmth, pressing his nose into Wesley's neck. "I know, but we might have a problem. Remember how you were asking me about your mother?"

Wesley nodded.

"Well apparently other people have been acting strangely too."

"Do you think something came onto this ship even though those crewmen are quarantined?"

"I don't know how it's possible, but I think that's our best explanation."

Wesley wrapped his arms around Will and began stroking his hair.

"Mm, that's nice," he murmured into Wesley's neck. Wesley chuckled. "So what's being done?"

"More tests on the people in quarantine. We're also limiting the number of people that go into sickbay."

Wesley tightened his grip on Will. "Is my mother going to be okay?"

"I hope so, Wes."

And Wesley knew that Will didn't mean it for just Wesley's sake. Even though his mom had pretty much wanted to kill Will when she had found out about their relationship, the two of them had grown even closer than they had been before it. She had even given them her blessing when they had decided to get married.

"Let me guess, you're only here long enough to say hi and to shower, right?"

"I'm sorry, Wes, but we have to figure out what this is."

"But you're no use to anyone if you can't see straight."

"I'll be fine, Wes."

Wesley pushed Will away and got out of bed.

"Wes –"

"No! Will, you need your sleep. I don't need you slipping up and being affected by whatever this thing is."

"I'll be fine."

"You can't know that. All I'm asking is that you get a few hours of sleep."

Will scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "Will you wake me up in a few hours?"

"What do you think?"

"You can't keep me from my job."

"Will, I've never kept you from your job. I never once tried to talk you out of staying late when you needed to. All I'm trying to do now is to get you to rest. After you've done that you can go back to work. Can't you see how this is different?"

"Fine. I'm too tired to argue. But you have to get back into bed with me."

"That's not a problem." Wesley crawled back into bed and wrapped his arms around Will, stroking his back until he fell asleep. Only then did Wesley allow himself to relax enough to sleep.

Will stirring in his arms woke him. Only a few hours had passed, but at least Will had gotten some sleep.

Will opened his eyes and peered up at Wesley. "What are you smiling for?"

"I was just thinking that there are some definite benefits to doing what I asked."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and what might that be?"

Wesley dragged Will out of bed and into the shower where he proceeded to thank him. Twice.

Will looked well rested and relaxed by the time they were out of the shower. Will kissed him goodbye. "I'll see you later."

"Try and come back at a decent hour."

"I will."

They both knew that Will wouldn't be back at a decent hour. He hoped they solved this soon. He missed his husband.

Later that evening, Wesley was lucky enough to be having dinner with Will. He wasn't paying attention to Will though. He was watching his mother eat.

His mother was eating a steak, and she was eating it rare. His mother never ate her steak rare. Wesley let his eyes roam and saw that his mother wasn't the only one eating a bloody steak.

It wasn't even that their steaks were rare, it was the way they were eating them. It was like they were ravenous. And the people who were eating like this? They weren't eating together, and if they happened to be sitting at the same table together they were ignoring each other. They were grunting though.

"Uh, Will. I think things are getting worse."

Will groaned. "I noticed."

"Please tell me someone is working on a vaccine for whatever this is."

"Yeah. It's being worked on."

Wesley reached across the table and grasped Will's hand. "Thanks for taking time out to have dinner with me."

Will smiled and brought Wesley's finger to his lips to kiss them. "Wes, I know you're going to hate me for this, but I think you shouldn't leave our quarters until this is over."

"Do you honestly think that's going to happen?"

"No, but I had to try. I just want you safe. Can you at least spend as little time out of quarters as possible?"

"Only if you promise to come back to quarters and get some sleep."

Will chuckled. "Okay. Fair is fair."

Will stood up and Wesley followed suit. Will kissed him and whispered in his ear. "I love you."

"I love you too. Be safe."

"You too."

Wesley watched as Will walked off and then at the people around him. They were all staring at him and he didn't like the way they were looking at him, like he was their next meal. Maybe Will's advice to stay in their quarters wasn't such a bad idea.

Wesley spent the rest of the evening back in their quarters, but when it was becoming early hours of the morning and Will still wasn't back yet, Wesley became anxious.

He left quarters in his pajamas, intent on going to the bridge, or sickbay, and demanding that Will get some sleep, but just as he stepped out of the door, he paused, and went back in to grab a weapon. Better safe than sorry.

He made his way along silent corridors to the bridge where he was informed that Will was in sickbay helping to research their mysterious problem. It was strongly suggested that Wesley go back to the safety of his quarters, and he knew he should, but Will's health and sanity were just too important to him, more important than his own.

So he made his way to sickbay and didn't encounter anyone until he was nearly there. That was when he encountered a group of people, and they seemed to have formed a circle around something.

Wesley managed to get a look at what was in the middle of the circle. It wasn't a something - it was a someone. Will, to be more precise. Will's phaser had been knocked to the side and he was defenseless in the middle of the circle.

Wesley didn't know if his phaser would work, but he set it to stun and fired. Thankfully it worked. He knocked down a couple of zombies, for lack of a better word, and Will was able to break free from the circle.

He and Wesley took off down the corridor and didn't stop running until they were at their quarters.

"Will, before we go inside, I have to ask, did they touch you at all or were you exposed to the virus in sickbay at all?"

Will held up his hands. "I'm still clean."

Wesley nodded and they entered their quarters. As soon as they were inside, Will grabbed Wesley and hugged him tight. He was clinging to Wesley like there was no tomorrow. Will must have been terrified.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," Will mumbled into his neck. Will squeezed him tighter, and then suddenly let him go. He grabbed Wesley's face in his hands and kissed him hard.

Wesley felt himself being walked backwards towards the bed. When his legs hit the bed, Will pushed him down onto it.

"We're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you want to have sex?"

"Yes," Will said crawling onto the bed next to him.

"Well okay then."

Will wasted no time in removing Wesley's clothes first and then his own. Wesley was pushed onto his back and Will kissed him like a drowning man starving for oxygen. Wesley was left trying to catch his breath as Will started kissing his way down Wesley's body.

Will kept up with the desperation and the hunger. One blowjob later and Wesley was seeing stars, but Will wasn't done with him yet.

Their lovemaking was frantic and desperate, and had Wesley clawing at Will's back, but something changed and Will just stopped. He kissed Wesley deeply and when he started thrusting again it was slow and steady.

His orgasm built slowly and when he tumbled over the edge Will kissed him through it, his own orgasm triggered by Wesley's.

Will held him tightly in the aftermath, kissing Wesley wherever he could as their breathing returned to normal.

Wesley wanted to stay awake and talk to Will about what had happened to him and what was happening on their ship and what Wesley could do to help, because they needed a cure, and they needed it fast.

Between the fear and the sex though, Will had exhausted him, and the warmth of Will's body pressed against him had a soporific effect on him, and he felt himself drifting asleep, Will whispering "I love you," the last thing he was aware of.

Movement in their quarters startled him from sleep. He moved a hand to the spot next to him. The bed was empty. He opened his eyes and saw Will pacing. "What's the matter?"

Will jumped at the sound of his voice. "Wesley, I thought you were still asleep."

"I was, but there was somebody pacing and muttering right in front of the bed."

Will stopped walking and looked at Wesley. "I'm sorry," he said sitting on the edge of the bed. Wesley slid down the bed and sat behind Will, wrapping his arms around him.

"It's okay. What's the matter?"

"I think it's too late."

"Too late for what?"

"Too late to save these people."

Wesley shuffled around Will to sit next to him. "Why do you think it's too late?"

"Too many people on this ship are infected. I think we're going to have to leave."

Wesley looked at Will. "What about my mom?"

"I'm sorry, Wes." His voice was soft and he was looking away from Wesley.

"So that's it then?" Wesley's voice was shaking. "We're just going to leave my mother and all of those other people as they are? We're not even going to try?"

"Wesley," Will started.

"No!" Wesley grabbed Will and forced him to look at him. "You look at me when you tell me we're leaving my mother to die."

"Wesley, I'm doing this to protect you. I want you safe from whatever this virus is."

"You can't force me to go, and you can't force me to leave her."

Will's shoulders sagged and he hunched over. "I know," he whispered. "I just hope that you'll leave with me because I'm asking."

Wesley sighed and slumped against Will. "I would never not go with you. I just…are you sure there isn't anything we can do for my mother?"

Will put an arm around him. "Wes, it pains me to leave your mother like this too. You have to know that. But you are my number one priority, and right now, I have to make sure you stay alive. It's what she would have wanted."

"Do you really think that now is a good time to say something like that?"

"Right now I will say anything I have to to get you to leave with me." Will looked as desperate as he sounded. Wesley scrubbed a hand over his face.

"Okay, say I agree to this. Is there even a planet nearby that we can get to? One that doesn't carry this virus?"

Will smiled and pulled out a PADD. "Did you really think that I would even bother suggesting this if there wasn't somewhere we could go?" Will pulled up something on the PADD and handed it to Wesley.

Wesley read through the information on the planet that Will had found. He read through it quickly, and when he was finished, he just looked at Will. Will's smiled slowly faded as Wesley looked at him, not saying a word.

"You don't like it."

"I just… it's not that I don't like it. I still feel guilty about leaving my mom here."

Will wrapped his arms around him and kissed his cheek. "I know, and I'm really sorry."

Wesley pushed Will down on the bed and curled into him. "So a planet filled with cats. That ought to be interesting."

Will snorted. "We could always go back to the planet with the zombie disease."

"I guess we should get ready to go."

"This isn't a vacation, Wes. The only thing I want you carrying is weapons."

"Does that mean you also want me running around naked?"

He smirked at Will but shrieked when Will started tickling him. "Why do I put up with you?" Will asked over Wesley's laughter. He stopped tickling Wesley and looked down at him.

"Because you love me," Wesley replied breathlessly. Will closed the distance between them and kissed him. Wesley wound his arms around Will's neck, pulling Will even closer.

"We should go," Will murmured against his lips.

"We should do this first."

Wesley let the unspoken 'because it may be the last time' hanging. Will nodded and kissed Wesley again. The kiss was needy and desperate.

Will bit his lip hard and broke the skin. He licked the blood off and Wesley arched up into him. Will ran a hand down Wesley's body and slid two fingers into him. Wesley moaned and moved to meet Will's fingers as they thrust into his body.

"Will, just fuck me already."

Will groaned. He loved hearing Wesley swear in bed. It probably had something to do with Wesley's age. Will grabbed the bottle of lube that they had left out from last night. Will slicked himself up and eased his way into Wesley.

Wesley gripped Will's shoulders. "I want to still feel you when we're finished."

"I think I can do that." He pushed Wesley's knees back to his chest, resting his hands on Wesley's thighs, his legs draped over Will's shoulders. This position allowed Will to go deep and Wesley groaned at the feeling of Will all the way inside of him.

"Ready?"

"Just move already."

Will chuckled, but began thrusting. He started slow, but was quickly pounding in to Wesley. Wesley lost the ability to form words and was just babbling incoherent nonsense.

It didn't happen often, but every once in a while Wesley was able to come without being touched, and this was definitely going to be one of those times. Wesley came with a shout, and the world around him faded away.

Will was stroking his stomach when he came to. "Welcome back to the world, Wes."

Wesley grinned and stretched, the movement making him very aware that parts of him were sore.

"Are you sore?"

"Yep."

"Just what you wanted?"

"Oh yeah."

Wesley frowned. "I don't want to do this."

"I know." Will sat up and tugged Wesley with him. They got out of bed and went to the head to clean themselves off as best as they could. They got dressed and Will loaded them up with weapons.

"How did you get so many weapons?"

"I've been nabbing them since this whole thing started. Just in case."

"Just in case?"

Will shrugged. "I just want to keep you safe."

"Will, don't sacrifice yourself for me out there. If one of us goes then both of us go."

Will looked like he was going to argue, but then changed his mind. "Okay."

"Do you promise?"

Will walked over to him and hugged him. "I do. I promise. If one of us goes, then both of us go."

"Good. I don't want to live a life without you in it."

"I know. I feel the same way." Will cupped his face and kissed him. "Let's do this."

They opened the door and Will poked his head out. He motioned for Wesley to join him. Wesley looked up and down the corridor. He didn't see anyone. No zombies and no people. He wondered if anyone else was still unturned. He wondered who was flying this ship.

They crept down the corridor to the turbolift. Will had told him that he hoped they would make it to the shuttlecraft without encountering any zombies, but Wesley didn't think they would be that lucky. The corridor from the turbolift to the shuttlecraft was longer than the length they were travelling now, and Wesley was sure that they would find trouble.

They managed to reach the turbolift safely. Wesley didn't like that. It was too quiet. Where the hell were all of the zombies? He knew Will was thinking the same thing because he grabbed Wesley's hand and squeezed.

The turbolift was empty, another small blessing that only increased Wesley's worrying. Once in the turbolift, Will pulled Wesley to him and hugged him tight, but neither of them said a word. Will kissed the top of his head and the turbolift opened.

There was nobody. No zombies and no humans. Again.

They walked side by side down the corridor as quietly as they could. As they neared the shuttlecraft, they could hear grunts and moans. It sounded like the zombies were right in their way.

Will stopped Wesley and put his hands on his shoulders, looking him in eye. "Wes, I know this is asking a lot of you, but you can't be afraid to kill just because you know them. They aren't the people you know, and it's either them or us."

"I know."

"I know you know that, but it doesn't make it any easier. You might have to shoot a friend or worse."

Wesley swallowed hard. He knew what worse meant. He hoped she was nowhere nearby because he wasn't sure he could do that.

They rounded the corner and there was a group of zombies. It almost looked like they were guarding the door that he and Will needed to get though, but Wesley had seen them and knew they weren't that smart. There must be other survivors there.

"There must be other survivors past that door, Will."

"Yeah, I had the same thought."

Wesley stayed and kept an eye on the zombies while Will retreated down the corridor so he could try and make contact with whoever might be behind that door.

Wesley got his first really good look at what the members of the crew were turning into. They walked slowly and stiffly, their bodies hunched over. They were incredibly pale, like vampires would be if they existed. Wesley briefly wondered if there was a disease out there that made people pale, unable to be in the sun, and want to drink blood. There was a disease for zombies, after all. Wesley decided he would rather not think about it.

Some of the crew had huge chunks of skin missing. The eyes were the worst though. They were dead. There was nothing there.

Wesley shivered.

A noise behind him made him whirl around. While he had been paying attention to the zombies they were going to have to get through, others had sneaked up on Will. Will, he saw, had been quick though. There were already a couple of bodies on the ground, but he had two more in front of him.

It was the one behind Will that was going to get him though. He didn't even think Will knew it was there.

All Wesley could think about was that he had to save Will. His phaser was set on stun. He shot the zombie but it didn't go down. It had been one of the first to change though and maybe that made it stronger.

He tried to stun it a few more times on a higher energy level, but it wouldn't go down and now it was dangerously close to Will.

With trembling hands he set his phaser to kill. As he aimed, he thought of Will. His hand steadied and he shot. The zombie went down.

It had been too close to Will for comfort.

Will finished off his own zombies and turned around, surprise to see Wesley standing there. He looked down and saw what Wesley had done, and his face paled. He raced over to Wesley and took his face in his hands. "I need you to keep it together for just a little longer so we can get to the shuttlecraft, okay? Can you do that?"

Wesley nodded, though he wasn't really sure if he could. Will kissed him hard.

"Liar," he said. "Can you at least try? Data and Worf are going to help us get to the shuttlecraft."

Wesley snorted. "I take it Worf can't be changed."

Will sighed and took Wesley's phaser from him. "That's a good thing right now, Wes. He's going to help us escape."

Will changed the setting on his phaser and handed it back to him. Will pushed him towards where the zombies were grouped, where salvation was waiting. Will kept a hand on his back as they walked. Will held up his other hand, the one holding the phaser, and started firing, so Wesley did the same.

The zombies were distracted away from the door and out came Data and Worf, phasers raised. They started firing too, but the zombies weren't staying down for long.

Wesley shut out everything except for the warm hand on his back and fired at anything that came towards him. He spared a moment to worry that he might hit Data and Worf. Then he realized that at the moment, as long as didn't hit Will, he really didn't care.

Wesley hadn't even realized they had made it past the zombies until he felt Will prying the phaser from his hands. Wesley struggled to take in the sights around him. Apparently they were in the shuttlebay.

Wesley walked off to the side, sank down to his knees, and hurled. Will was by his side in an instant, stroking his back and murmuring in his ear.

When Wesley finished, he slumped against Will. Will used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe Wesley's mouth, which though incredibly gross, was also incredibly sweet.

"We should get you to the shuttlecraft."

Wesley wrapped his arms around Will's neck, a clear gesture that Will should carry him. It was a true testament to how lousy Wesley felt because he never allowed Will to carry him in public. Hell, he hardly let Will carry him in private either.

Will lifted him easily and carried him onto the shuttlecraft. He sat Wesley down on one of the seats. "I'll be right back, Wes. I'm going to give Geordi the coordinates for Artoria. They didn't plan as thoroughly as we did."

Wesley managed to nod, so Will walked off. Nobody asked him any questions. Most had probably been through their own horrors.

Nobody except Will knew what he had done. Not yet anyway. News would travel the way it always does, and then there would be a flood of sympathy. Will would help shield him from the worst of it, but he would still have to deal with it when all he wanted to do was forget.

He had done what he had to do. He had done what was necessary to keep Will safe.

Will joined him again and pulled Wesley into his arms. He stroked Wesley's back, but remained silent. There would be talking, but Will was putting it off until later for him.

Wesley felt exhaustion settle over him as he rested against Will. After everything he had been through, he really wasn't surprised. Wesley let the exhaustion pull him under. He was safe in Will's arms.

He was in bed and it was light out. He had no recollection of how he had gotten here. Slowly he pulled himself up into a sitting position. It looked like he was in a hotel room. They must have made it to Artoria then.

Will walked in and smiled when he saw Wesley. "Welcome back to the world. I was getting worried about you."

"How long have I been out?"

"About twenty-four hours. Can I get you anything?"

"Some water would be nice."

If he had been out for twenty-four hours, then Will must have been more than worried. He felt bad about that even though there's nothing he could have been able to do about it.

Will came back with a glass of water and sat in bed next to him. Wesley drank the water and sighed. That had felt good.

"I've probably missed a lot, haven't I?"

"A bit."

"Other than Data, Worf and Geordi, who survived."

"Guinan."

Wesley huffed out a laugh. "Of course she did."

Will laughed with him, but their laughter sounded strangely hollow in the hotel room."

"Miles survived."

"What about his wife and kid?"

Will shook his head. "No."

"Oh. That's terrible."

"Yes it is. There were a few other crewmembers that you don't know, and that's it."

That meant Deanna didn't make it either.

"I'm sorry."

Will nodded but looked away from Wesley. He knew that Will still cared about Deanna, but he knew that Will loved him more than anything, and that Will loved him more than he had ever loved anyone else.

He knew Will was hurting though, and not just because of Deanna. He'd lost his captain and practically his entire crew. Saving Wesley had been his priority, but in a situation where sacrificing Wesley wouldn't save people. Wesley knew that if Will had to he would sacrifice Wesley if it meant saving the lives of many. It came with the job, so Will tried hard to make sure there were never situations like that.

"What about the Enterprise?"

"Starfleet has been informed of the problem. The ship was destroyed."

In the face of everything that Will had just lost, Wesley's own problem seemed so insignificant.

"Wes, are we going to talk about what happened?"

"What happened to me doesn't compare to the loss you're suffering right now."

"Wesley, you killed your mother."

"She wasn't my mother and I'm well aware of what I did."

Wesley could feel tears forming, so he lay down and rolled onto his side, away from Will. Will lay down next to him and pulled Wesley into his arms. The tears began to fall. Will just held him and let him cry. He turned in Will's arms, burying his face in Will's neck and soaking the top of his shirt.

Finally the tears subsided and he wiped what he could from Will's neck, Will using his hands to do the same to Wesley's face.

"You know that you did what you had to do, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm sorry that happened to you."

"I know."

Will tried to kiss him but Wesley turned his face. Bad enough they were talking this closely when Wesley couldn't remember the last time he had brushed his teeth.

Will chuckled and gently turned Wesley's face back to his. The kiss was chaste, but sweet, and Wesley wanted so much more.

"Come on," Will said, getting out of bed and offering Wesley a hand. "We can both use some freshening up."

Wesley took Will's hand and let himself be led to the head. The two of them would be okay. It would take some time and a whole lot of healing, but he could do that with Will by his side, and he knew that Will felt the same way.