Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
AN: This is my very first Fanfic (I know it's not the first time you've heard that one), but I just want to let you guys know that I am definitely open to criticism. I want to learn to get better at writing but I can only do that with your feedback. This is a Lexark fic that has quite a few head-cannons from Tumblr, as well as my own little details. I don't know how long I plan to make this fic yet but I will warn you though that the content will eventually get mature as the story progresses. Thank you.
She knew it was a bad idea. She knew even before they stepped foot back on land. She told them too, but no. No one listens to a seventeen-year-old, even in the apocalypse. And yet, because of their stupidity here she was, running for her life. Again.
Her breathing became ragged and shortened quite quickly. But she kept on running, even though her thighs and calves burned in protest. She took a left and ran into an alley, hoping to catch her breath. As soon as she turned the corner she collapsed against the brick wall, held into a standing position only by her shoulder blades and whatever strength was left in her legs. She took a couple seconds to breathe, in, and out, in, and out. She never had many issues with anxiety before all this, but things can change after the apocalypse, and mental health was definitely no exception. She continued her breathing exercises for a few seconds more before turning her head to look around the brick corner and look back to where she had previously ran from.
No infected, she thought, relieved. She must've ran far enough to lose them. But now what? She thought, as another, nearly crippling wave of anxiety poured over her.
It was her mother's idea to leave the safety of their island to go get supplies. It was a valid idea but with the infected walking about everywhere it would be very dangerous. Alicia had suggested that they just continue with their fishing approach but the rest of the group shot it down immediately. They couldn't afford to waste time on something that had yet to be successful. Alicia's mother proposed instead that they go onto the mainland town to raid stores instead.
"If we can raid a grocery store or maybe a pharmacy then we wouldn't have to worry about food, water or medicine for a while." Alicia's mother said. "We are getting low on supplies and I'm not sure that we can last much longer."
So it was then decided that the group would go on the boat and look for a grocery store. Everyone was hopeful that they could have a successful raid to last them at least through the week, even Alicia was hopeful when she got off the boat, despite the fact that she still thought it was a terrible idea. They went over the safety rules, including the one where if they get separated then the boat will wait near the docks for three days. No more, no less.
To put it bluntly, it ended up being anything but successful. To begin with many places were already raided, filled with the infected or more often a combination of both. When they finally found a tiny organic foods store that seemed to be untouched, they went in, gathering everything from the shelves, not even bothering to check what it was. That could be done later, back at the island. They had gotten so supply happy that they forgot to assign someone to keep watch. Therefore, not noticing the other customers shuffling and limping into the organic store, customers that were less than interested in the organic kale.
Alicia was the first to notice the horde, wisely not screaming but instead running to the others to warn them. Her step-brother however, didn't have the same idea. He screamed at the top of his lungs, warning all infected within a block's radius of their existence, well, those that didn't already know. The group panicked, some running out the back door, like her mother and her brother, but others such as her step-father and step-brother chose to weave their way to the front door. Alicia had hesitated, unsure of whether to follow her mother or step-brother. The front door was closer but it had the infected pouring in. She could try to make it to the back door but that would put her uncomfortably close to some infected that tried to follow her mother and brother. She took out the hunting knife she had been given by her brother on the boat ride over, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it, and ran for the back door.
She weaved her way around distracted infected, even bumping into one's shoulder when it gave little running space in the aisle. Luckily, none of them had quick enough reaction times to grab her. She made it to the back door and slammed her body against it, which did open it after a second slam. She was just too terrified to stop and use the handle, which would've slowed her down. But that didn't matter anyway because as soon as she stepped into the alley she froze, because there were two directions, and only one way her family could've gone. She was too late to find any evidence for where her mother and brother had gone. To her right the alley opened up to the main road, and to her left the alley deepened. She had only moments to make a decision since the infected weren't that far behind her in the store.
Her breathing spiked, and without any other information to aid her she chose to go right. She ran, not looking behind her even though she could hear the groans that definitely weren't human, not anymore anyways. She reassured herself after remembering how her step-father and step-brother had gone out the front door. But when she ran around the corner and into the sunlight of the main road she stopped again. Her step-brother's scream had apparently attracted an entire horde. She exhaled a small sound of utter desperation and fear, before running in the opposite direction of the horde, which were piling themselves into the store.
She ran up the main road, away from the horde, but also unfortunately away from her scattered family. She kept running and didn't look back. She probably had run several blocks, fueled by her adrenaline, but then again she didn't count, which might become a problem when she wanted to find her family.
When she felt she was going to collapse she turned the corner into an alley way.
But now what? Alicia thought as another, nearly crippling wave of anxiety poured over her. Alicia resumed her breathing exercises which increasingly became shaky and weak. I lost them, ran away from the store, but… now what do I do? Alicia thought, looking around at the brick alley for any ideas for a plan.
Organizing her thoughts always seemed to relieve panic, and usually ended in good decisions too. So that's what she decided to try. It's probably past noon already, but I can try to get back to the docks… if, I can remember how to get back… Alicia began to panic again after she realized that they had taken a complex path to get to the store, and that there wasn't a very good chance that she could retrace her steps correctly before sundown.
She resumed breathing exercises more forcefully to calm down. But everything so far had just been a disaster. They were separated and even worse, by now they could be dead if they didn't find a good place to hide or didn't run fast enough.
Alicia forced herself to remain calm and turned to peak her head around the corner again. No infected still, thank god. She thought with slight relief. She then focused her view further past the general area and onto the horizon. Since she had to run up a hill to evade the infected she could see the dark blue of the ocean on the horizon from her higher ground. She knew that the docks where the boat would wait for three days, were obviously less inland and closer to the coast. But she couldn't afford attracting the attention of the horde while walking back to the coast, so she decided instead to go even further inland for a better view, hoping she would see the docks.
Alicia looked down at the holster for her hunting knife, strapped to her hip with a belt. She panicked a moment, seeing it empty, but then realized the knife was still in her hand. She put it back in the holster and let go of the handle with slight hesitation. Even when she let go her knuckles were still white from holding the knife so tightly. She didn't particularly like knives or weapons in general but the steel strapped to her hip could mean the difference of her living or dying if worst came to worst.
Alicia collected herself with a deep breath and exited the alley, and heading further inland, hoping to find a larger road or some kind of landmark that would tell her where she was. She walked a little faster than her normal pace, but she still looked carefully around every corner before crossing the entrances of alleyways. She had counted six blocks inland before she heard a rumbling noise, which she then identified as an engine. It sounded like it was even further inland, so she started walking faster and faster towards the noise until she was practically jogging. Even though it wasn't them, it might be someone who could be kind enough to give her a ride back to the docks, or maybe her brother jacked a car.
As she jogged she could hear the sound getting closer and closer, but she soon realized that it was the sound of a motorcycle engine and not a car. Still hoping its rider would be a good Samaritan, she broke into a run. She then saw the motorcycle cross the road she was on, and she started waving her hands and ran faster towards the bike. The rider noticed her and stopped. Alycia was on the verge of crying tears of joy as she ran as fast as she could towards the bike. She was about 30 feet away from the black Harley when the rider who was wearing a helmet which covered their entire face, pulled out a shotgun from some kind of bike holster, cocked it, pointed it towards Alicia and yelled stop.
Alicia froze, she took a moment to realize how a person who was alone, out in the open, and desperate for help might seem like a threat. She slowly rose her hands above her head and waited for the rider to react.
The rider didn't lower their shotgun. "have you been bit?" the rider, who was now identifiable as female, said with a thick, raspy, Australian accent.
"No," Alicia responded, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "I got separated from my group."
The Australian considered this for a moment before lowering her shotgun slightly. "Do you have a fever?"
"No, I haven't been bitten, or scratched or anything to get infected," Alicia answered, almost pleadingly.
"Well we don't have much time since the nasty buggers just love to follow the sound of my bike, so can I trust you not to kill me?" the Australian asked with slight humor but also slight seriousness.
"Yes, but only if I can trust you not to do the same," Alicia said, also with slight humor. Laughing shortly to try her best to cover up her fear.
"Hop on then," The Australian said, putting away her shot gun away and beckoning Alicia over to the bike with a quick tilt of her still-helmeted head.
Alicia, cautious of the stranger, walked slowly towards the bike, lowering her hands at the same speed.
"I will warn you though, this bike doesn't run the smoothest, and we'll need to go pretty fast if we want to lose the biters" The Australian said as Alicia swung a leg over the bike. Alicia was suddenly uncomfortably unsure where to put her hands.
"I don't bite… much, but you need to hold on if you want to stay on the bike when we're moving." The Australian instructed Alicia, who then slowly wrapped her arms around the biker's leather jacket, her hands resting right under the rider's sizable breasts.
"Right then, ready?" The Australian practically purred.
"Uh, yeah, let's go." Alicia said, and the biker revved the engine.
They took off at an alarmingly fast pace, and Alicia probably would've said something about it if she wasn't deterred by her fear of distracting the rider or even possibly angering her. They weaved through alley ways, and around infected, sometimes coming within less than ten feet of them, but they were moving way too fast to be threatened by them. They soon got into a less populated side of town and into what seemed like the millionaire neighborhood. They pulled up to a white colonial house with a grey roof and a very impenetrable gate topped with barbed wire surrounding the property. They stopped and the biker turned off the engine.
"Hop off first, let me park my bike and then we can talk." The Australian said with her thick accent.
Alicia did as she was told and watched as the Australian got a key out of her pocket to unlock the chains and heavy padlock holding the tall black gate closed. The biker opened the gate, pushed her bike in and gestured for Alicia to follow her in. Alicia did go in and took a look at the property. The black fence was tall and probably around ten feet, and it was topped with razor sharp barbed wire that seemed to be put on the fence by someone who clearly didn't have access to a welder, but instead… shoestrings? It was holding none the less however, and in the corner of the property was a ladder, propped up and tied on the inside of the fence, and it was the only region free of barbed wire. The house was also modified, the first floor windows were boarded up and the second floor windows were open. The roof had some kind of shack structure on top of it with a small roof and a camping chair under the tiny roof. The yard was empty, and the grass wasn't doing so well.
"Oi! Knife Girl! Are you coming in or what?" The biker yelled at Alicia from the front door. The bike was already parked near the porch and the biker was in the doorway. Alicia jogged over to the Australian but nearly stopped in her tracks when the biker took off her helmet. Beautiful, full, blond hair fell out of it and shaped an impossibly more beautiful face with striking blue eyes. A smirk soon appeared on the biker's face and Alicia put her head down for the rest of the way to the porch, hoping that the biker didn't catch her staring.
When Alicia made it to the porch she looked up at the biker. "My name is Alicia, not knife girl." She said, trying make her features stoic again.
"Well I didn't plan on calling you knife girl permanently." The biker shifted her helmet from her right to her left to extend out a hand which had a fingerless, black glove, that for some reason also had what seemed like finger bones sewn to the outside. "My name is Elyza, Elyza Lex."
Alicia took Elyza's hand and shook it firmly. Elyza took back her hand, narrowed her eyes, smiled and then turned around to walk into the mansion. Alicia followed her this time, trying to avoid another reminder by Elyza. The mansion led into a kind of marble-floored parlor which led into a spacy living room. The living room had knives, guns, and ammunition on nearly every surface.
"Sorry 'bout the mess, didn't exactly expect that I would be rescuing a girl and taking her back to my place, but you know, shit happens." Elyza said with a cheeky grin, while she tried to put up her weapons and clear at least one couch for actual sitting.
"Thanks again, for the rescue." Alicia said, smiling down at Elyza who had taken a seat on the cleared, black couch.
"It wasn't too big a deal, you know, just risking my life to help a complete stranger who was armed with biters trailing behind… but what can I say? I'm a sucker for beautiful damsels in distress." Elyza said with a smirk, then proceeding to pat the empty seat on the couch next to her, scooting over to make more room.
Alicia tried to hide her blush as she sat down next to the blond. She didn't expect a stranger to flirt with her, let alone a beautiful woman, but a sense of humor was a pleasant change to her usually sullen family atmosphere. She decided to change the subject before things got awkward.
"So I'm guessing that you're not the previous owner of this house?" Alicia said, taking in the high ceilings and fancy and stiff furniture.
"Well, I'll try my best not to be insulted but no, no I didn't live here before… before it all happened." Elyza said, slowly getting quieter, seemingly distracted by memories. "Cupcake where does your group hide out?"
"…" Alicia paused, unsure whether she should reveal the island. "Did you already forget my name?" Alicia said, with the intent to distract Elyza.
Elyza cracked a smile, "Of course not Alicia," Elyza purred. "I would never forget the name of a such a pretty gal."
Alicia couldn't help but blush again, she wasn't foreign to flirting, especially after dating Matt but she didn't have any romantic experience with the same sex. It was unexpected, but she realized that it wasn't entirely unwanted either. But that's probably normal, who wouldn't want to be called pretty… right?
Elyza paused. "You never answered my question." Elyza said with suspicion, before relaxing; realizing why. "Look, if you think I want to raid or live in whatever shack you and your group have then rest assured I don't. I spent too much time clearing out this area of biters to want to relocate anywhere else."
"I can't say exactly because my group would kill me for it but we meet up at the docks." Alicia admitted, hoping that the Australian would hold her word if she ended up seeing the boat.
Elyza snapped Alicia out of her thought process by getting up off the couch and talking while she walked towards a wardrobe against a wall near the couch. "It's going to be dark soon and I don't ride at night, a little too unpredictable for my taste but maybe I can get you to the docks in the morning, but the thing is I used quite a bit of my gas going out on that supply run." Elyza said, her smile gone. "But maybe we can find a gallon or two on the way there."
"That would be great… thanks." Alicia said sincerely.
Elyza just smiled in response and turned to open the dresser, putting her helmet in and unzipping her leather jacket about three inches or so, stopping, then zipping it back up.
"Are you hungry? I don't have much but I can make us some spaghetti." Elyza called over to Alicia in a voice of Australian velvet.
Alicia sighed, happy for a change in conversation, but also happy for food in general, her stomach had started to ache after getting away from the infected in the store. "Yeah, spaghetti sounds great." Alicia yelled back, getting up with the intention of helping to make the meal.
When they had finished making the meal they had sat down at the much too large dinner table, Elyza at the end and Alicia to her right. Alicia wondered in silence whether sitting at such a big table alone would make you lonely. Elyza didn't seem to mind the silence, much too preoccupied with her spaghetti, which they made on a gas stove, and Alicia had never used a gas stove before, her family usually ate prepackaged goods rather than meals. Alicia swallowed hard at the thought of where her family might be, whether they were afraid, cold, or even dead. Before she knew it tears had sprung to her eyes.
"Hey, Alicia, hey, it's all gonna be ok… we'll find them in the morning." Elyza said reassuringly, reaching out to hold Alicia's shoulder. This was the second time Alicia had been emotional in front of Elyza, the first being when she told Elyza what had happened at the store and how they had gotten separated, and Elyza tried her best to comfort her then too.
Alicia laughed as she realized something. Elyza narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "What're you laughing at?" Elyza asked suspiciously.
"I just think it's funny how you only use my real name when I'm sad. All the other times you either flirt or call me some type of food." Alicia said, laughing as Elyza rolled her eyes.
Elyza smiled and then her smirk turned dark. "Maybe that's because I think you would be rather tasty." Elyza purred and Alicia stopped laughing immediately. It wasn't the first innuendo she had heard from the blond but definitely the most direct so far. The color drained from Alicia's face as Elyza leaned closer to speak in Alicia's right ear.
Elyza's breath tickled her ear as she spoke. "I just think it's funny how flustered you get when I flirt with you." Elyza said, leaning back and laughing as the color slowly returned to Alicia's face in a harsh blush.
Alicia swallowed again and stood up with her plate, and walked to put it in the sink. Elyza finished quickly and did the same. Elyza started walking up the stairs and Alicia followed without a word.
Alicia's breathing and heartrate quickened when she realized that Elyza was leading her to the bedroom, she had no idea whether she expected her to sleep in another room or to sleep beside her. It wouldn't be a big deal; they were both girls but the way that Elyza loved to flirt with her she wondered whether her sexuality would affect her decision. She didn't think she would mind sleeping next to her but it was up to her whether it was appropriate or not.
Elyza opened the door and walked into the master bedroom, which, like the house was large with high ceilings. The bed was in the middle, pressed up against the back wall with a heavy black blanket, black sheets and a tall headboard, with the buttoned fabric on the headboard, similarly black.
Alicia let her hand slide over the silky smooth blanket on the bed while she watched Elyza paw through a drawer.
"What are you looking for?" Alicia asked, allowing herself to lean against bed post.
"Some candles, it's getting kind of dark in here." Elyza commented, looking around the indeed dark room. Alicia however perked up.
"You have candles here?" She asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I found some in another house and decided to bring them back for the blackouts." Elyza explained as she brought out three candles and a lighter.
"Ca-, Can I light them?" Alicia asked, her eyes were locked on the candles.
Elyza scrunched her eyebrows together to give Alicia a strange look, but handed her the candles none the less. "Yeah, take 'em pyro."
Alicia ignored the comment and set up the candles on a nightstand, religiously lighting them one by one. She stared at the lighted candles for several moments, watching the way the flames danced and the wax melted.
"Are you ok over there? Did I find a fetish or something?" Elyza asked, sounding genuinely concerned for Alicia's mental health but also excited at the aspect of finding a kink.
"No. Elyza. I just really like candles… When I was eight, if I had my way, my room would've had candles on any place that would hold one… but my mom cut me off at forty-three, and then withheld my candle privileges." Alicia said quietly, not taking her eyes off the flames.
"Well if you're done being weird then maybe you might want to consider sleeping, we took quite a while getting home and then cooking dinner. It's probably already past eight o'clock." Elyza said, finishing off her sentence with a yawn. "Plus we have your family to find in the morning."
"So, where should I sleep, because if you have an extra blanket then I wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor, with the size of my family it wouldn't be the first time." Alicia said, hoping that Elyza wouldn't fight to sleep on the floor instead.
"No, that's nonsense, this bed is huge, probably a king size actually…" She trailed off, then snapped her head back up at Alicia, realizing the dilemma. "Uh, that is, uh, if you feel comfortable, I mean I would totally understand why you might be uncomfortable, I mean it wouldn't be the first time that a girl felt uncomfortable, I can be a bit… forward I suppose." Elyza rambled, and Alicia smiled, finding it endearing of her.
"Elyza, stop, you're right, the bed is plenty big. And as far as your sexuality goes I could care less… I mean, have you felt these sheets?" Alicia enthused to a much relieved Elyza, while stroking the sheets again.
"Yeah, they're pretty sweet, but wait 'till you feel the mattress." Elyza bragged.
"Hey, I don't much like sleeping in jeans, so I am gonna change into my jam-jams first. I have an extra pair if you want." Elyza offered, despite the ironic fact that she would have to sleep in her leather jacket. Alicia was confused as to what the difference was but when she asked Elyza just used more innuendo, saying she just "liked leather" in the most sexually charged voice yet.
Alicia was elated that she would offer but she could survive one night in a tank top and jeans, she did it before and she got pretty used to it by now. "No, but thanks for the offer of your," Alicia laughed at the word, "Jam-jams."
"It's what we say in Australia," Elyza defended tiredly, going into the bathroom with her 'jam-jams' to change. She closed the door behind her and Alicia took the opportunity to take off her windbreaker, set it on the bed and stretch her tired muscles a little.
"Why did you move to L.A.? It's quite a distance from down under don't you think?" Alicia inquired teasingly.
Elyza yelled through the door, "You'll have to get me drunk to answer that one, it's pretty personal."
"Oh, sorry." Alicia yelled back. Elyza stepped out of the bathroom in her leather jacket and sweatpants that hung low on her hips, exposing just a tiny bit of belly and hip bone.
"Nah, it's alright, you couldn't've known." She said nonchalantly, but Alicia could see a tiny bit of pain in her deceiving eyes. "So, which side do you prefer?"
"Uh, I mean, I would usually be nice and say it doesn't matter but the candles are taking precedence over my manners." Alicia said with a smile, gesturing towards the right side of the bed where the candles were still burning healthily.
"You have to blow them out Alicia, I won't sleep knowing that there's an open flame in my house." Elyza argued, getting into the bed.
"but they're not even very big and nowhere near anything flammable." Alicia whined, it was amazing how comfortable she felt with this stranger who she couldn't consider a stranger anymore, but a friend.
"Except for our bed!" Elyza countered, but Alicia just crossed her arms. Elyza sighed deeply and looked at Alicia with a face of pure determination. "Listen up buttercup, if you won't blow them out I will." Elyza threatened and Alicia reacted with a face of horror.
"You wouldn't." Alicia accused.
Elyza got closer, "Watch me." Elyza then, instead of going around the bed to get to Alicia's side with the candles, -like Alicia expected- leaned over Alicia completely, in one smooth movement, and pinned Alicia's body down with her own, and used her hands to pin down Alicia's. And before Alicia could react, with a quick breath the light from the room was gone. Elyza then rolled back over to her side of the bed, releasing the girl from her grasp, and Alicia was glad that the light was out so Elyza couldn't have seen her blushing profusely as she was now from the unexpected contact. Honestly it had felt exhilarating and as much as she wanted to deny it there was a part of her that wanted Elyza to do it again.
"You're a terrible person." Alicia mumbled out finally, hoping that Elyza would think she was quiet because she was mourning the candle.
"And you have to realize it was for your own good, I think I would agree with your mother that you have a problem, a strange addiction but an addiction nonetheless." Elyza countered with recent victory evident in her cheery voice. "But you have to admit, I really threw you for a loop." Elyza bragged, knowing that Alicia was probably blushing.
Alicia didn't answer, instead she analyzed the entire encounter and her questionable reaction to it. If Elyza had given her any time to react then there was a part of her that would've tried to hold her there, maybe even kiss her. It could've meant that she was just too competitive but a part of her recognized these exhilarating feelings from dating Matt. But this was much, much stronger. And it scared her.
Alicia turned her head to try to see Elyza, careful not to make any noise. Elyza had clearly taken her silence as surrender because she could see the faint outline of a chest, rising and falling slowly, and peacefully. Alicia turned her body and watched Elyza breathe until she herself fell asleep.