Author's Note: Hi all... another idea I couldn't get out of my head until I put it down 'on paper'. I do love myself a good zombie film/movie and I thought it was about time I had a go at one of these.
I really hope you like it. Please read and review – let me know what you think.
It felt like a lifetime since what was effectively the end of the world... or at least the end of the world as they'd once known it.
The idea of a zombie apocalypse had been laughable when looked at by the 'experts'. They said time and again that it simply wasn't possible. That human beings, so over-exposed to the idea of zombies would effectively wipe the problem from existence the moment it arose. Easy to say from the comfort of the theoretical; not so easy when the solution meant 'killing' your mother, your brother... your son.
In the end it had been human compassion – love of family and friends – that had destroyed them.
Of course the end of the world for most was the beginning of the new for those few pockets of survivors scattered across the US... probably the world. Those lucky few were those who had escaped the horror, retreating to quieter areas outside of the cities and towns where it was safer. Safer not only from zombies but also from the hunters who cared only for their own survival, killing anyone they came across for even the chance of the supplies and weapons they might loot from their corpses.
Despite the difficulty in trusting in this new world, there were still those out there who weren't bad people, and it was with a group of these that Blaine and Kurt found themselves. They'd only met the group just over a month before – six months after the world had fallen – and yet it still felt like they'd known these eleven people their whole lives. Trust, once considered unessential in everyday life, quickly became necessary in a world when one might have to rely on ones companions to survive.
Kale, the unquestioned leader of the group, was an incredibly skilled archer, though remained remarkably vague when asked specifics. His competition grade compound bow was forever strapped across his back, and Blaine couldn't remember a time when he'd ever seen the man without it.
Timothy was the group's second in command and Kale's right hand man. Whenever Kale went out on a supply run he would leave Tim in charge. A former firefighter with the CFD, he filled the role well and was the first of the group Blaine had ever felt comfortable around.
It was with Tim whom they were sitting when the news of new survivors filtered back to them, what was almost alarm flashing briefly through Tim's dark eyes. At a curious look from Blaine, Tim just shook his head.
"Nothing, kid. Don't let it worry you. Sometimes Kale can be a little impulsive when it comes to inviting new people in, is all."
"We turned out alright, didn't we?"
A brief flash of a smile crossed Tim's face at the reminder of his initial suspicion when Kale had brought them back to camp.
"Harmless as flies, the pair of you. How you survived as long as you did astounds me."
Joking though he might have been at the time, Blaine still noticed the older man shoot a quick look of concern at the group of adults filtering into their small camp after Kale.
"Besides," Blaine continued, Tim's dark eyes moving to catch his as when he spoke. "At the moment we number thirteen. Damn unlucky if you ask me. It's like practically begging for trouble."
Tim had to chuckle at that, Blaine having quoted words another of their group – Tyler – had been known to say this month past. If paranoia had a personality it would have fit Tyler's perfectly. Conspiracy theories abounded in any conversation involving the young man, but when it came to ferreting out hard to find items, he was the very best person for the job.
"True, true. Still... caution isn't completely uncalled for..." and with that the tall man rose and made his way across the camp to speak with their leader.
"And we call Tyler paranoid..."
Blaine looked over when Kurt spoke to find his blue eyes fixed on the two by the entrance of the camp.
"He's not paranoid. He's just being cautious; looking out for us all."
"He needs to lighten up."
It was a habit of Kurt's these days to be consistently negative; a habit that Blaine was quickly becoming frustrated by. He knew Kurt had lost a lot – had been through a lot, they all had – but living wasn't living if you didn't at least try to enjoy it. "He's not the only one."
Kurt's eyes narrowed then, shifting back to meet his own. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Recognising the tone in his voice, knowing exactly what it meant, Blaine just shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing." Kurt had never been a fan of criticism, constructive or not, and the apocalypse had definitely done nothing to soften that attitude.
Watching him with narrowed eyes a moment longer, Kurt looked away again, his eyes drifting back to the small group that had followed Kale into camp. For a few minutes they sat together in silence, Blaine's mind wandering again to thoughts of just how quickly everything in his life had changed so completely.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!"
Blaine glanced up in surprise at the sudden expletive, hazel eyes attempting to catch those of his boyfriend. Unable to do so, Blaine followed his significant other's gaze to the survivors Kale had brought back to camp.
It was a few hours later and Tim had come back with their story from Kale; how they'd apparently been holed up on a farm in the middle of nowhere Ohio when they'd been attacked and forcibly relocated. Kale's scouting party had found them hiding in an abandoned municipal building. There, seeing the significant quantity of supplies they'd managed to save from the farm – fresh bread among them apparently – and the fact that their number included a former surgeon, Kale had convinced the few remaining to return with him.
The small group were presently standing at one end of their camp, conversing in low voices; hesitant gazes shifting between one another and those seated comfortably around the fire, finishing what remained of their evening meal. It was very clear from their behaviour that they'd seen just what some survivors of this apocalypse were capable of.
"What is it?"
Apparently without words to explain his frustration, Kurt waved his arm angrily at the group standing uncertainly at the edge of the camp. Utterly bewildered at this reaction, Blaine glanced at the small huddle. There were five of them. Three men and a woman, and the fifth... Christ! She couldn't be older than eight years old, hair the colour of polished oak pulled into a small ponytail which was swinging madly as she bounced almost excitedly on the balls of her feet.
"What about them?"
"Not them... him!"
"Him?" Honestly, what the hell was Kurt on about? And why was this 'him' such a big deal. Sure, they had limited supplies and more survivors meant more raids into the nearby towns, but Kurt's reaction was more than a little extreme to the discovery of others who'd been lucky enough to survive the plague that had decimated the world's population.
Ignoring Kurt for the moment, his eyes remained caught on the little girl, more than a little taken by the sight of the bright smile that lit up the little girl's whole face as she tugged urgently at the navy shirt of one of her small group. It had been a long time since he'd seen a brilliance like that in a smile. Even children these days tended more towards the subdued; most had experienced far too much to ever smile like that again. It was honestly great to see it, and Blaine found himself glad in that moment that they'd taken in the little group. They could use some of that around here.
So what was Kurt's problem?
It was when the tall guy in the navy shirt crouched down before her, obviously enquiring as to her excitement, when Blaine suddenly understood his boyfriend's reaction.
Oh.
Familiar wide green eyes followed the little girl's excitedly waving finger, touching briefly on the group – barely long enough to see them, let alone pick out individual faces – before glancing back at her, making some comment in response. Her reply, whatever she might have said, drew a grin that almost matched the brilliance of her own to Sebastian Smythe's face, and he ruffled her hair playfully to her (obviously put on) outrage. Then rising back to his feet, he turned back to continue speaking to those in his group.
"You'd think with the end of the world and everything we'd at least be free of him."
Blaine shot Kurt a quick look to find him grimacing darkly at the younger man, before shaking his head with a quick smile at his boyfriend's dislike. "The undead practically destroy the entire world and you're still holding onto that grudge?"
Kurt muttered grumpily, but made no further comment, conceding the point.
Unable to help his smile, Blaine found his eyes wandering back to the small group just in time for Sebastian to turn around again, this time that green gaze catching on his.
Startled was probably the best way he could think of to describe the expression on Sebastian's face, but the other recovered quickly, lifting his hand in a pleasantly non-committal greeting.
Offering a smile and a wave back, Blaine looked back to Kurt again to find him watching him with moody blue eyes, as if resenting the fact that he'd taken the time to greet the other man. "Oh come on. He's going to be living with us for the foreseeable future. Might as well try to be pleasant."
"Sure." Kurt acknowledged with no small irritation, before adding, "If he decides to try too."
"Kurt... He's always pleasant. You just let everything he ever said rub you the wrong way. And like I said back then, Sebastian doesn't mean anything to me. I'm in love with you, Kurt. Now please let it go? For me?"
Kurt studied him warily for a long moment, as if trying to discover some kind of hole in his reasoning before he nodded with a sigh. "Fine. I'll try." Then added quickly, "But if he–"
"He won't." Blaine spoke the words over whatever argument Kurt was going to make, making the other guy grimace.
When they finally looked back over at the guy in question he, along with the rest of their group, were gone.