I watched dawn of the dead last night with Marcus (the walking dictionary) and thought i'd try mixing it with KH. haha. Should be fun. Totally AU

Title from the song by The Get up Kids

Disclaimer: Don't own :(

Roxas

The disease, later known as 'Nox Syndrome', broke out the morning of October 2nd.

Well, for me, anyway. It was strange, how ordinary everything had seemed. Only seven hours earlier I had been sitting on the porch with Namine, telling her about my day. I didn't see her very much anymore since she went to stay with her sister outside town, but she was visiting for the weekend. I remember how my lips tugged up at the edges as I heard her voice over the phone, saying she missed me.

Sitting next to her that night, I think I would have laughed in the face of anyone who said tomorrow would destory me.

She declined my offer for her to stay the night, though; saying she wouldn't want to intrude and would spend the night at a motel.

"Besides, wouldn't want Sora getting the wrong idea," She had pointed out, laughing softly. I merely smiled, telling myself that it wouldn't have mattered.

We talked for a little while longer after that. I asked about her sister: she was fine. Namine asked about Sora: he was annoying, I answered. She laughed at that. She got an amazing grade for her art and design project at college, and I congratulated her with a tight embrace. I insisted that she take my money for the motel which she reluctantly accepted, threatening to return it to me one day. Then she left, quickly kissing me on the cheek before disappearing along the street.

Sora showed up later that night. He stumbled through the front door, nearly tripping over his own feet on his way to the kitchen. I looked up from the counter as he walked in, dropping his keys onto the table and sinking into one of the mismatched seats - two of which were patio furniture.

"You're looking healthy," I commented, biting into the apple I had been throwing between my hands for ten minutes. "Bad day?"

Sora shook his head, which was now resting on the tabletop. He groaned softly. "Feel like shit…" He mumbled, almost incoherently.

I frowned slightly. He wasn't exactly pale, but it was obvious that something was wrong. By his appearance, he could have been dead for months. His face had somehow thinned over the last few hours, showing the line of his cheekbones more prominently. There was a strange tinge to his skin; soft grey.

"Where've you been all day?" I asked anxiously. Maybe he'd caught something?

Sora groaned again and slowly lifted his head off the table. His eyes were bloodshot and weary, like he hadn't slept in days. "Kairi called me this morning," He answered breathlessly. "She said that…Riku was in the hospital. She said…he was really…sick."

I pulled a face and spat out the piece of chewed up apple. It was brown inside, I noticed, the skin discoloured and bruised. I dropped it in the trash. "How long were you with him?" I asked Sora, moving into the seat next to him. "Riku, I mean."

Sora breathed in deeply and closed his eyes. "I wasn't allowed to see…him," He sighed, somehow unable to summon the anger he had clearly intended. "They're quarantining loads…of people who are…showing these symptoms…"

I shook my head and cut him off, lightly resting a hand on his shoulder. My thumb grazed the skin of his neck. He was freezing.

"Go get some sleep," I told him, pulling my arm back. However insensitive it seemed, I didn't want to catch whatever sickness he had. "You need to rest right now. Tell me how you feel in the morning, OK? If you're no better I'll take you to the hospital."

Sora nodded once and pushed himself up from the table, the chair legs scraping against the kitchen tiles. He stood up carefully and trudged back towards the door, resting a hand on the doorframe to support himself as he passed through to the hall. His hand remained on the frame until it was out of reach, pushing him forward as if encouraging him to stay on his feet.

I watched him go until he slid out of view, heading up the stairs to his room. I briefly wondered whether Riku was all right and if I should have asked about him. Then I stood up from the table, following the same path Sora had taken to the stairs.

Ordinary? Maybe not. But when I looked back on that day, weeks later, I knew I'd give anything to have it back.

Yay or nay? Next chapter - Outbreak, whoop

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