A/N: Gosh! I wrote this in two days. It's hella long, in my opinion. I didn't expect to spend this much time on a oneshot. It started out slow but seemed to get quicker. I had a sudden thought on writing a Hongice fic with a Zombie Apocalypse AU. I thought it would be really interesting to see one of them as a zombie and one of them as a human. That's almost a direct inspiration from the movie "Warm Bodies" XD! And as the title suggests, please do listen to "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. Reviews appreciated as always :)
(1)
He is starving.
His stomach never growls. But there is always this tormenting wave of hunger. He can just feel it.
The craving. The immense need. Thirst.
He is too pale. His brother always says. Even when they were still alive, he would urge him to eat more and do some exercise. Be healthy. Don't walk with that terrible posture. That's what he's doing at the moment. He hunches like an old man. All the energy is drained. Occasionally a grunt escapes his mouth. His arms sway beside him. His face is pallid and dry. His eyes are sunken. His lips are almost as white as his unkempt hair.
He totters towards a table in the cafeteria. He wanders in the airport alongside his companions. There are many of them. They roam the place. Never spill a word. They all look pretty much the same. With hollow eyes and ashen skin. They wobble and stumble. They communicate by exchanging groans and grunts.
He doesn't remember his name. It starts with an "E" though. That's all he can tell. His brother is called L. His eyes are blue. Dull and void. He wears a cross barrette in his light blond hair. He is slightly taller than him. His brother's boyfriend is M. He looks better than all the others, probably because he used to be a cheerful outdoor person. His hair is spiky and his eyes are of a darker blue. Drooping. Still hollow. They have two more friends named B and T. B wears glasses and is the tallest in their group. T is smaller and has a rounder face. He still wears his white hat.
Time ceases on their side. Every day is just the same. They never sleep. E wanders around with his brother and friends. They go for hunts together. There are various types of them. Some are more aggressive and prone to hunger. Less human and more bestial in that sense. Some are impassive and they simply let the days roll on. Some feed when they're in need. Some hunt whenever they see a prey.
E has eaten a human brain before. When they consume a part of a living body, they gain access to their memories and feelings. The last one he ate was a teenage girl. She was already bitten when he found her. He cracked open her brain out of curiosity and tasted it. All the images came flooding him, like a flowing river. He lived through her memories and learnt that she was a high school girl. She got separated from her family during their escape.
He has never tried a heart before. L has. And from what he hears from his brother, a human's beating heart grants them emotions. Even if it's just a spontaneous thing, it feels incredible. It's as if they're alive again.
E wants a brain. He's forgotten most of his past. He wants someone warm to cradle, to live through. And maybe to make him feel rejuvenated again.
He turns to his brother and groans.
"I wanna go out."
L stares at E nonchalantly and grunts back.
"You wanna hunt?"
E nods.
M suddenly stands up and slams the table, startling a couple of Things around them. B and T look up at him.
"So you're not the only one!" M tries to grin, but it never shows. They can sense the eagerness in his groan though.
"Just…one, maybe," E groans timidly.
"Awesome! We're gonna have a blast, right, L?"
L ignores M and stands up. He takes E's hand. Together, they march towards the exit. B and T follow.
(2)
He can smell it. A refreshing scent.
A prey in 100 metres. They glance towards the abandoned building. What used to be a residential house is now nothing but a skeleton of peeled walls and putrefying flesh.
"You sure about this?" M groans. He's more attracted to the gas station though. There are a couple of lost boys scavenging the convenience store. It's going to be a fancy meal tonight.
But E insists on the building. L isn't going to leave his side, so M tags along begrudgingly. B and T are leading the way to the entrance.
"Damn it, Yong Soo," Leon hisses and rummages in the drawer, "would you, like, make it quieter?"
"What?" Yong Soo flips the card boxes in one corner. A few bottles of drinks fall out and hit the ground.
"You're making too much noise," Kiku whispers and opens the cabinets in the kitchen. He sweeps all the tins into his bag.
They're short on supplies. They haven't had anything for two days. They have been driving away from their last shelter- a cabin near the mountains. A group of Things attacked them unexpectedly. Fortunately, they had the car with them. They had to go back to the city to get food and medical supplies before they sought shelter in another suburban area.
Leon grabs some clean clothes from the drawers and stuffs them into his backpack. Kiku empties the cupboard of some chips and candies.
"Look what I've found da-ze!" Yong Soo beams and holds up a box of chocolate.
"Sh!"
The other two boys are about to shush him before a thud is heard. Yong Soo drops his things and gasps.
BANG!
Leon freezes. Kiku spins around and races out of the kitchen.
"They're here!" Yong Soo yelps and quickly loads his gun.
Two…no…three are sticking their heads in. L and M storm in first. They run towards Yong Soo.
BANG!
He fires. L dodges and glares at the quivering boy. His eyes widen.
"I told you to be quiet!" Kiku yaps and pulls out his katana. He runs towards L and attempts to stab him. A pair of strong arms clasps his wrist and flings him across the room. Kiku grunts as he strikes the wall hard.
Yong Soo fires again. The bullet goes straight through T's chest. B lets out a fuming growl and stomps towards Yong Soo.
BANG! BANG!
"Fuck, Leon, help!"
Alerted, Leon abandons his bag and rushes out of the bedroom. He halts in the corridor.
E tilts his head and stares at Leon. Leon takes a step back gingerly and pulls out his pistol. He aims at E's head and fires. The lifeless boy ducks agilely and dashes towards Leon.
"Shit, he's fast!"
He doesn't want to waste his bullets so he punches E in the face. E staggers and growls. Leon kicks his stomach hard. E stumbles back and lands on the ground. He seizes the opportunity to run towards the living room.
Yong Soo and Kiku are outnumbered. Kiku keeps slashing B. He tries to reach for his neck but B is too enormous.
BANG!
M grabs Yong Soo's throat and pins him to the wall. The boy groans in agony. L steals the gun and tosses it away. M opens his mouth.
CRACK!
Shards of glass scatter on the ground. Leon strikes M in the head with a vase repeatedly. M releases Yong Soo. The boy falls to the ground and stands back up instantly. He treads towards L and punches him. L retaliates by grabbing his hair. The two start rolling on the floor.
"No!"
A scream pierces their ears. Kiku peers out of the window and his face pales.
"We've got to go! Yao-san and Mei-chan are being attacked!" he shouts, catching a glimpse of his older brother and his younger sister being chased around their car.
"Run, Leon!" Yong Soo manages to smack L and wiggle out of his grip. He packs his bag and races towards the door. Kiku slashes T hard on the chest. B clutches his arm and twists it. Kiku grunts and delivers a final kick to B's stomach. The Japanese boy leaps into the air and lands steadily on the ground. He joins Yong Soo by the door.
Leon stands far from the exit. While M is cornering him, L starts to regain his senses and stands back up. B and T all shift their focus to him.
"Leon!" Yong Soo yelps. Kiku wants to walk back in but Leon yells, "Run! I'll join you later. Go help them out now!"
Yao and Mei are being surrounded by five Things. As much as they don't want to abandon Leon, they trust his capability. Biting his bottom lip, Yong Soo turns around and runs. Kiku follows. T and B chase after them.
Leon raises his pistol but M is much stronger and faster. He grabs the weapon and yanks it out of his hand. He shoots Leon in the shoulder. The brunette gasps. L kicks him in the back. He trips and falls. Before L latches onto his nape, he whips around and punches him. L growls and clutches his hair. He slams his head to the ground several times. Leon crushes L's stomach with his knee and gets back up. Pressing his hand onto his wound, he hobbles back into the bedroom. He locks the door and runs towards the window. He's on the third floor, but if he lands on the little roof down below, he might make it.
Yong Soo and Kiku are fighting the Things. Yao is trying to shield Mei and get her back securely into the car. His brothers knock down the last Thing and look back at the building. B and T are walking towards them.
Leon tries to slide open the window but it's locked. Footsteps inch closer. He starts to panic. He hits and slaps the window. It's not working. There's no way to open it. He grabs a chair and hurls it at the glass. It doesn't break.
BANG! BANG!
He looks out of the window again. M and L have decided to join B and T. They surround the car. Yong Soo fires but to no avail. He hops into the car with Kiku. The four Asians all stare up at Leon. The moment their eyes meet, they can tell what it means. Leon doesn't cry. He shakes his head and gestures to his siblings to drive off. Yao refuses to do so. He wants to hop out but Kiku stops him. M and L are beginning to crash the car. B and T are breaking the window. They have to leave.
Mei wails. Kiku yells something into Yao's ears. Yong Soo is shuddering.
"Go, idiots!" Leon shouts.
Yao reluctantly starts the engine. More Things are approaching them. There are groups of them. All coming towards the car. The car springs back to life.
THUD!
The door is kicked open. Leon races towards the nightstand. He picks up the lamp and throws it at E. E dodges. Leon pulls out a pocket knife and hurls it at E. It delves into his chest. E stands motionless and glances down at the knife. He plucks out the blade and tosses it back at Leon. It hits the boy in the thigh. Leon moans and collapses.
Blood drenches his shirt. E runs up to Leon and tackles him to the ground. He straddles him and wraps his hands around his throat. Leon chokes.
Something comes out of the boy's eyes. They trickle down his face. E can't take his eyes of those things. Leon glares up at E and pants.
E frowns. Amused by the other boy's tears, he bends down and licks them. They taste salty, but somehow it hits him with a wave of bizarre feelings. He can hear Leon's heartbeats. It goes thump, thump, thump…
So gentle. So smooth.
His lips quiver. His blood is sweet.
E blinks and lets go of the throat. He rubs Leon's cheeks with his thumbs. The boy widens his eyes and stares incredulously at E.
E touches the wound on his chest and soaks his hand with his own blood. He wipes the blood on Leon's face.
M and L barge into the room. They growl.
"Are you alright, E?"
E turns to his companions calmly.
"What're you waiting for? Eat him!"
"No."
E groans back.
He gets off Leon's body and pulls him up.
The others stare at him in puzzlement.
"He's one of us."
M sniffs the blood on Leon's face and believes that E has bitten and transformed him. L is not convinced though. He's always been the smarter one.
But there's nothing he can do when E walks towards them clutching the other boy's hand possessively.
(3)
At some point, Leon faints.
His shoulder aches. Something cold tickles his cheeks. He gasps and snaps open his eyes.
The boy with silvery hair stares down at him. Leon bounces up on the ragged mattress. E seems slightly startled by his sudden movement. He twitches and withdraws his hand from his face.
Leon squints and scans the surroundings. He's in a bedroom. There is a chair by the window. A broken table. A second door that probably connects to a bathroom. The curtains are drawn. Some old, dusty paintings and shelves hang on the wall.
He glimpses his shoulder. The wound is patched up. His jeans are ripped. A bandage wraps around his thigh. He stares back at the Thing.
"Like, what do you want?" he asks.
E only blinks back and hands him a bottle of water. The boy takes it tentatively and drinks the liquid hungrily.
The door opens. M and L step in. Leon blanches. M is growling. L is glaring at him. E stands up and walks towards them. He grunts back. They exchange some groans and mutters, all of which appear unintelligible to Leon. Leon gulps and watches E direct the other two out of the room. M walks out first, crossing his arms. L remains and continues conversing with E. E eventually manages to shoo him away.
E closes the door and locks it. When he turns back again, Leon is leaning against the wall in one corner in bewilderment.
"It's okay. You don't have to be scared."
He tries to utter, but he knows all Leon hears would be groans.
Leon's brows furrow. He squeezes the bottle nervously as E walks up to him. He tries to think of an escape plan but having just seen M and L, he's almost certain that the rest are just downstairs in the same house.
He's trapped.
E squats down and cups his cheeks. His fingers are cold. So damn cold.
Just like his gaze.
"Do you, like, have a name or…something?" Leon asks, not sure if he's going insane already trying to interact with this Thing.
But this one looks different. So do his companions. They look more human. They're agile and intelligent. They seem to have retained a bit of their own thinking and conscience.
"E," E blurts out.
"E?" Leon frowns.
E nods. He points at Leon.
"Me?" Leon starts to relax a little. E nods again.
"Oh, my name's Leon," Leon replies with a faint smile.
"So, like, you aren't planning on eating me now?"
E shakes his head.
"Not killing me either?"
E shakes his head.
"What the hell do you want then?"
E grunts.
"You know, I, like, can't understand what you're saying…" Leon says. "Or if you're saying anything at all."
E groans and stands up. He looks around the room and finally picks up a piece of paper on the shelf. He comes back with a pencil. It takes him an hour to write the word.
Leon waits patiently, fascinated by the fact that E is still able to write and think.
E holds up the paper and shows Leon the word.
"Friends?" Leon cocks his brows. E nods and puts down the paper. He lowers his head and stares at his own lap.
"You, like, want me to be your friend?"
E nods again.
Leon chuckles, "Interesting."
(4)
Leon peeps through the narrow gap of the curtains. The streets are mostly vacant, but sometimes, one Thing or two would be wandering. E pulls him back abruptly.
E looks like he doesn't want him to be found. Leon doesn't understand why he's keeping him.
Time passes. Day turns into night. He doesn't know how long he'll be staying here with E, but E surely looks harmless now. His other friends though still scare him to death.
"Are you, like, by any chance related to those four?" Leon asks. Since he has nothing better to do, he might as well chat with E. It's not like E can talk back properly. He can make guesses. It's fun trying to decipher E's responses.
E nods sheepishly. They sit side by side against the wall. There is a cushion. E drapes a blanket around them after Leon sneezes.
"You're…unbelievably considerate," Leon mumbles as he snuggles up to the blanket. It's getting colder at night.
E hands him a random snack. Leon frowns but takes it gratefully. He tears open the wrapper and munches on a biscuit. He offers E one but E shakes his head.
"You, like, seem so different from other Things," Leon says. "I've always thought…you guys only know how to eat someone's brain."
E grunts and shakes his head.
"You…can still think?" Leon ogles the boy. E curls up and hugs his knees. He stares desolately at the tiles. "Can you feel?"
He pokes E. E grabs his hand and brings it to his cheek. Leon blinks, but doesn't resist. E fondles his warm hand.
"You're, like, so cold," Leon mutters.
E lets go of Leon's hand and averts his gaze.
"Wait…are you, like, upset?" Leon gasps. He can't believe that besides thinking, E is capable of feeling too. E doesn't know either. He does feel peculiar around Leon. His craving for a human brain has vanished since he met Leon. For some reason, he wants to keep him by his side.
"Good grief, you're weird," Leon says. "But thanks for sparing me."
E feels his cheeks heat up a bit. He scoots closer to Leon and bends down.
"What…are you doing?" Leon frowns.
He stops at Leon's chest and places his ear against his heart.
"Um…E?" Leon looks at his "friend" awkwardly as E continues listening to his heart beat. He shuts his eyes and leans against Leon's chest.
The sound is so soothing. Like a melody. And it's getting faster.
A blush taints Leon's face. He puts away the snack and shoves E off.
"S-Stop…Don't get too close to me," he mumbles, immediately regretting it because an upset look returns to E's face. E sits away from Leon and glances at the ground.
"I…have no idea what you're doing…" Leon mutters. E points to his own chest. Leon looks confused. He guides Leon's hand to where his heart ought to be. Almost instantly, Leon realises what he's trying to convey.
"I don't have a heart."
"I see…" Leon nods. "Um…so you wanna eat my heart?"
E wants to laugh but he can't. He only gives an extremely small smile.
"Hell no, my heart doesn't taste good, okay?" Leon jokes, "Don't, like, even think about it. It's black."
Leon pulls the blanket over him and yawns.
"I'm tired," he says and lies down on the mattress. E lies down with him. They face each other. "Do you, like, needa sleep?"
E shakes his head.
"Oh…" Leon can't help but reach out for E's hair. He keeps wondering what it feels like to touch those white locks. He's hardly seen someone with white hair, except the old people. E's hair is sleek. E doesn't bulge as he ruffles his hair.
"E…is that all I can call you?" Leon asks.
E shrugs.
"You, like, don't remember your full name?"
E shakes his head.
"I see…" Leon nods and stops stroking E's hair. His shoulder aches a little but nothing serious that will keep him awake. He's exhausted. He knows E is going to watch him sleep. Astoundingly, he isn't too much bothered by it. It feels safe and comfortable to be around E.
"I'm, like, gonna sleep now," Leon yawns again and shuts his eyes. "Good night."
"Good night."
(5)
Leon wakes up early in the morning. He sits up and stretches his arms. He hisses once he remembers the wound on his shoulder. E is nowhere to be seen. He rolls off the mattress and wobbles towards the window. Despite E's warning, he peers out. There are around ten Things walking down the street. Leon tries to locate himself. He can see the airport not far away. Apparently, a lot of Things live there. He can speculate that he's in a house, or a cottage in the nearby neighbourhood. Probably an abandoned residence.
E opens the door. He growls when he finds Leon peeking out of the window. He pulls Leon back forcibly and stands before the curtains.
"Sorry, I'm just wondering if you'd, like, ever let me out?" Leon asks.
E looks a bit disturbed. He frowns and shakes his head.
"Oh…okay…" Leon isn't too disappointed with the answer. He can't go out unarmed anyway. Staying here might actually be safer.
"I wonder…how they're doing…" he murmurs. He hopes that his siblings have gotten away safely and successfully found another hiding place.
E walks up to him and hands him a loaf of bread.
"Where…did you get this stuff?"
E points to the door. He takes Leon's hand and leads him out of the bedroom. It's a two-storey house. All the curtains are drawn. No lights are on. They walk downstairs and stop at the kitchen.
"Oh," Leon nods. He almost jumps when he sees the others. B grasps his arm first. E reacts quickly and pushes B away. He growls and B steps away a little.
M and L stand up from their chairs and walk towards E. Leon steps back fretfully as the others four corner them.
L looks indignant. He keeps growling at E. E keeps Leon behind him and growls back.
"What're you doing with this guy?"
"I d'n't l'ke h'm, n't a b't."
"Kill him, E."
"No, I'm not gonna do that."
"You can't fool me." L narrows his eyes. "He's not one of us."
"What? He's not?" M grunts.
"E, what're you doing?" T grunts.
"He's my friend," E finally growls.
The other four look dumbfounded.
E takes Leon's hand and quickly drags him back upstairs. He closes the bedroom door and locks it. Never is he going to bring Leon out again.
"Are they, like, gonna eat me?" Leon asks. "What did you talk about?"
E shakes his head. He makes Leon sit down on the chair.
"Stay."
"You want me to stay here?"
E nods. He makes a gesture.
"Don't go out again."
"Okay…" Leon continues to eat his bread.
After breakfast, E gives him his backpack. Leon can't find his phone. He must have left it in the car. He finds some more snacks and pulls out a set of new clothes he's taken previously. He goes into the bathroom and takes a bath. The wound is still fresh and raw. He endures the pain and washes the blood. After deeming himself clean, he dresses himself in a white T-shirt and a pair of black pants. He walks out of the bathroom. E is sitting by the window.
There isn't much to do. Leon explores the room. He finds some books on the shelf, a MP3 in one of the drawers and some board games under the bed.
E helps him bandage his wounds. He thanks him and climbs back into bed.
"Does it, like, hurt?" he asks curiously, pointing to the gash on E's chest.
E looks down at the dried blood and shakes his head.
"Oh...so I take that you guys don't feel any pain?"
"Maybe."
E climbs into bed with him.
"So…what're we, like, supposed to do now?"
E shrugs.
"Do they have names?" Leon asks, "Those four guys downstairs."
E nods.
"Are they your friends?"
E nods.
"You and that guy with a curl look kinda alike. Are you, like, related?"
E nods.
"Brothers?"
E nods, albeit tentatively.
"L."
"L?"
E nods.
"That's his name?"
E nods.
"What about that one with spiky blond hair? The big guy I kinda, like, crushed his head with a vase last time."
"M."
"That tall guy with glasses?"
"B."
"Is that, like, that other guy his boyfriend or something? He seems very protective of him."
"T."
"Oh, okay." Leon nods. "I'll try to remember your names."
E lets out what seems like a chuckle.
"So, E, how long have you, like, been this way?"
E frowns.
"You don't remember?"
He shakes his head.
"Okay," Leon says. "I guess I'll take a nap again."
Leon lies back down. E stares at him silently.
"I hope they're all safe now," he says.
It takes E a minute to realise that he's referring to those people that accompanied him.
"They're my family."
E blinks.
"You look interested." Leon smiles. "Wanna hear about them?"
E nods.
"I have an older brother called Yao. He's like a nagging mum. Never stops bossing us around. He was working as a marketing assistant when the apocalypse broke out. His workplace got sabotaged. He was with his boyfriend; Ivan or something. I never like that big dude. I mean, he looked ridiculous sometimes. He always wore a scarf, a trench coat and big boots. So old-fashioned. And he was creepy. He stalked people and laughed like a pervert. I seriously don't know what Yao saw in him until…"
Leon shifts and turns to face the ceiling. His eyes glitter.
"He threw himself at those Things and saved my brother. They were, like, getting chased down in an alleyway. A dead end. Ivan wanted to distract them and buy Yao some time. He threw my brother over the fence to the other side and stayed there himself."
E frowns. He feels a strange squeeze in his chest.
"Well, I guess I did misjudge him. Never really know what happened to him. Yao, like, wouldn't talk about it. He came back with blood and tears and a crumpled sunflower. A gift from Ivan that day. It was Valentine's Day as I remember."
Leon shuts his eyes and sighs.
"Kiku's the second oldest. We aren't really related by blood. He's, like, adopted. He's a final year student majoring in arts and animations. He never talks much. He likes video games, anime, manga, figures with big tits... Well, he's pretty much obsessed with all the otaku stuff. He doesn't like Yao that much. They always bicker. He tried to leave home once but came back after Yao begged him. And then…there's Yong Soo."
Leon scratches his head and leans against the pillow. E has lain down next to him, listening intently.
"He's my cousin. We're both freshmen. He lived with us because he couldn't get along with his twin brother. And I absolutely loathe sharing a room with him. This jerk is totally inconsiderate. He stuck up his ugly posters everywhere. Had a really awful taste in music. Always infringed my privacy. Ate on my bed and messed up my stuff. We fought a lot and usually beat each other to a pulp. It was fun though. He's loud and annoying. Pretty much an immature brat. Yao yells at him a lot. But he's the kind that would stand up for ya when you need him most."
E grunts. Although Leon doesn't know what he says, he guesses he's trying to respond to him.
Leon smiles and continues, "Mei is our younger sister. She's, like, the only normal one, I think. She likes cute stuff and all sorts of fancy things. She shops a lot and that usually bugs Yao. She looks up to Kiku, so when he left home, she almost left with him. And because she's the only girl in the house, she gets all the privileges, I guess… They spoil her. We, like, all do."
Leon's smile fades.
"I, like, have another brother. He's a year older than me. He didn't live with us. He moved out a year ago with his Portuguese friend. We haven't seen him since the apocalypse started. I hope he's alright."
He feels a tug on his sleeve. He looks at E.
"I suppose your brother tried hard to protect you too, right?"
E's eyes widen. A sudden pang of sorrow clutches his chest.
L? Protecting him?
A fragment of memories drifted back to him.
He saw…
L…yes, definitely L. He fought hard to shield him. He kept him locked in a storage room. He asked him not to come out. He didn't listen because he wanted to be with his brother. In life and in death.
"We all want to save the ones we love," Leon says. "My family means a lot to me. I don't care what happens to me, but they've, like, got to live no matter what."
E touches his hand. Leon doesn't flinch. He takes the cold palm. They don't make any more sounds. They only stare at each other. E leans close and snuggles up against him.
"They'll be alright."
E wants to comfort him.
Leon swallows the sobs and closes his eyes. In his vague consciousness, he feels E tighten his grip on his hand and cuddle him.
It feels amazingly reassuring.
(6)
The rain is teeming down. Everything is grey outside. At least, most Things are smart enough to stay indoors.
"L-L-Le-on?"
Leon opens his eyes. E hovers over him and pokes his arm.
"W-What…did you just say?" Leon sits up immediately and rubs his eyes. He doesn't know what time it is. There is never a clock or a watch to look at. He feels like he's been sleeping for eternity.
"L-L-eon…" E stutters with much difficulty. He bites his lips hard. Leon stares at E in astonishment.
"You…can talk?"
E frowns and looks around the room aimlessly. He just feels like saying his name. And he succeeds. It feels weird, yet satisfying.
"L-Leon…"
"Yes?" Leon blinks curiously.
"L-Leon…" E repeats, proud of the sound he makes. It gets clearer and more intelligible. He turns back to Leon and attempts to stretch his lips. Leon gulps.
"Leon," E mutters accurately.
"Yes?" Leon smiles. E smiles back. He can't believe it! He can…smile!
"Wow…this is, like, incredible," Leon says. E's complexion has darkened. His eyes are no longer void. They seem to blink quite frequently and he definitely looks less haggard than when Leon first saw him.
E hands him a couple of snacks. He opens a packet of chips and eats them. He's not sure if this is his lunch or supper. Time seems to pass without his knowing. When he is not sleeping or tending to his wounds, he will chat with E. E would respond by nodding or shaking his head. Sometimes, he would groan or strive to make some incomprehensible speech. He's called his name a few times, each time with increasing accuracy.
"Well, um…let's see..." Leon scans over the shelf and randomly picks a book. "Wanna, like, read a book together?"
E stares at him blankly for a minute before nodding.
"Cool," Leon chuckles and jumps back onto the bed. They sit close to each other and lean against the pillows. "Since we've got, like, nothing else to do, might as well read to kill time."
E nods again, seemingly intrigued by the idea.
"I'll, like, read to you."
The book is all about Scandinavian Folklores and Fairytales. As Leon reads aloud, E listens and looks at the lines with him. Most words look unrecognisable to him, but some do look familiar. As they read on, E becomes more concentrated and drawn to the writing. Leon's voice is soft and clear. He feels like someone is reading him bedtime stories, lulling him to sleep.
A flashback crosses his mind. L used to read to him when he was a kid. Their parents were seldom home. The two brothers were always left to fend for themselves. As a result, they spent more time with M, B and T than anyone else. They also kept each other company. They usually read to pass time. Stories soothed him especially in one of those stormy nights.
E grabs Leon's hand as he is about to flip the page. There is a sketching of a troll. He remembers it…He's seen it before. L has read this story many times to him!
"T-T-T-ro-" he frowns.
"Troll," Leon says. "It's a troll."
"Y-Ye-a…" E swallows and creases his brows. He glances up at Leon and forces the words out of him. "L…L…"
"Huh?"
"L…"
"L?"
E nods.
"Your brother?"
"L-likes…trolls," E sputters.
"Does he?"
E nods again. He flips the pages and points to every single sketching of the mythological creatures. Fairies. Dwarves. Elves.
"M," E mumbles as he points to a picture of mermaids.
"He likes mermaids?" Leon raises his eyebrows. E nods.
"L…talks…fairies," E says.
"He does?" Leon chuckles. "That, like, reminds me of a friend. He used to be my mentor in high school. He can see weird stuff and does magic. He, like, borrowed our kitchen once and Yao swore to God he would never let him into our house again. You know what happened?"
E shakes his head and stares inquisitively at Leon.
"BOOM!" Leon makes a gesture. "He blew up the entire kitchen. I don't think anyone is capable of doing that. There was, like, a lot of smoke and soot coming out. We even called a fire engine."
Leon laughs. E tilts his head in amusement.
"I think he, like, messed up his spells. And he's got these extremely bushy brows they almost look like caterpillars." Leon tries to mimic the thickness of Arthur's eyebrows.
E lets out what seems like a suppressed laugh.
"But-" Leon's smile fades as he fiddles with the page, "I heard that he didn't make it when his workplace got attacked…He turned into one of them along with his French colleague."
E closes the book and touches Leon's cheek with one hand. For once, it doesn't feel that cold. Leon smiles faintly and places his palm over E's.
"Do you, like, wanna do something else?" Leon suggests. He leaves the bed and walks over to the drawers. He opens the first one and grabs the MP3 player.
"Oh, this should work," Leon says as he checks the battery in the gadget. He plugs the headphones in and switches on the player. He smiles and walks back to E's side. He shares a side of the headphones with him.
"Let's see." Leon scrolls down the playlist. "Boston, Bleeding Love, The Reason, Love Like Woe, 9 Crimes, Europe Skies, A Thousand Years…" Leon stops scrolling because the list looks infinite. He looks at E and asks, "Anything you wanna listen?"
E shrugs.
"That's, like, okay." Leon smiles and chooses a random song.
As soon as the sound of melody hits his ears, E feels unexpectedly warm inside. It's as if something is tickling his chest. A little worm wiggling and growing in what used to be an empty shell.
Their faces lean close to each other. He can feel the warmth radiating from the living boy. Leon starts humming to the song. A genuine smile. E glimpses his long eyelashes. Those dark orbs have never been livelier and more captivating. When "Canon in D" comes on the list, Leon suddenly takes his hand and drags him to the middle of the room. He plugs out their headphones and lets the player play aloud.
"I like this one a lot," Leon says and grabs E's hands. "They played this on the prom and I, like, did a dance with my ex."
E looks confused for a second before Leon gives him an encouraging smile.
"It's, like, okay. I'll lead you."
Before he knows it, Leon has taken both his hands and led him to move. Step by step, he starts swaying. He stumbles. He steps on his shoe. He trips. Leon holds him. They move slowly. They sweep across the floor. He swirls. Leon smiles.
The heat grows stronger. E stops and clutches his chest.
"Is…something wrong?"
E shakes his head.
He recognises this feeling. It's happened before. It's so warm and pacifying. So beautiful. Whenever he looks into his eyes, he feels the tingle. When Leon smiles and isn't afraid to touch his cold, pasty skin, it gets stronger.
His cheeks burn.
"E?"
He nestles his head on his shoulder. Leon doesn't move. They stand like that for a long time.
The rain continues pouring down. Everything looks grey.
But inside his own realm, E seems to catch a glimpse of colours.
He closes his eyes. He feels Leon's fingers run through his hair.
They listen to the songs until the battery runs out.
He's never felt more peaceful.
(7)
He never counts how many days have passed. They spend every day together. As long as Leon is here, he'll keep him alive and safe.
They read. They chat. They draw. They play board games. Leon teaches E how to play poker and chess. E learns everything all over again. Leon tells him about himself, his past, his family, his school life, his…everything. E will listen to them all. And he starts to learn how to utter things other than his name. He can respond with simple utterances.
A couple of times, E goes out of the room to get food for Leon. He bumps into his "family". M and L both look at him in awe. B and T also notice the changes. They can feel it. E is starting to look different from them. He's less pale. Less gaunt. Less…dead.
There is a locked drawer in the bedroom. Leon has been trying to open it for a while. He tells E about this and they begin to look for the key together. When they can't find the key, E goes downstairs and brings back an axe.
"Wow…that…you have that thing here?" Leon chuckles and takes it. He crushes the lock and the drawer slides open.
He picks up the photo album and gasps. He opens it and sees a host of photos. All of them are…E's.
E peeks over Leon's shoulder. When he sees himself in those pictures, he blinks quizzically.
"E-Emil?" Leon reads. E twitches. The sound makes him tingle with warmth.
"Emil…" Leon looks at the photos and then at Emil. "That's you…that's your name."
They look through the album. There are all sorts of photos, starting from when Emil was still a child. He looked chubby and sulky. He carried a stuffed puffin around him all the time. He looked leaner when he was in middle school. But still, pouty. Leon laughs when he sees Emil trying to turn away from the camera.
"You're not that photogenic, are you?" he giggles. There are photos of Emil when he was in high school. Looking a bit brighter but still, shy in front of the camera. There's a picture taken during his graduation ceremony. Plenty of pictures he was forced to take together with his "family".
"Lukas- that's your brother's name, " Leon says, tracing the name written underneath Lukas in the photo. "Mathias. Berwald. Tino. You've marked them all down."
E stares wide-eyed at those photos. He snatches the album from Leon and starts examining each of them.
Another item catches Leon's attention. He picks up the small pocket diary.
"Emil…this is also yours," he says.
Emil looks up from the album in perplexity.
"You…don't remember this at all?" Leon raises his brows. "I mean, this is technically your own house, Emil. You lived here. Your family lived here."
Of course, he did…
How could he have forgotten that…
This is their house. Their shelter. Their nest.
This is where they have built years of precious memories together.
"And I'm guessing," Leon points out, "this is your room?"
Emil looks around the room and holds the album close to his heart.
Yes…it is his room.
He used to sleep and study here. There used to be a computer but it got smashed during the attack. The curtains used to be blue in colour but now they were faded grey. Those books used to be his valuable collections. Lukas bought them to him when they were kids. He would always read to him. As he grew older, he wouldn't let Lukas read him to sleep. He would read by himself. He used to listen to the music and play video games. He used to dream…
"Emil," Leon hums, "that's a very nice name. You, like, shouldn't ever forget that again."
Emil stares at Leon. It's getting stronger.
The heat.
Leon holds his hand and they both sit down on the bed.
"Like, want me to read the entries for ya?"
Emil nods.
"Okay." Leon smiles and starts with a random one. "My first day of school officially got ruined by Lukas. I asked him not to walk me to school but he wouldn't listen. Great, now everyone knows that I still need my own brother to accompany me even when I'm in high school."
Leon widens his eyes.
"Seriously?" he laughs. "Your brother's, like, worse than Yao."
Emil blushes and flips over the page.
"Damn it, Lukas made me wear one of those ugly sweaters to the party today and they all stared at me like I'm some weirdo. I have a hunch that he just didn't want me to get a proper date. The girls said I looked like a nerd and they wouldn't stop making fun of my hair. I couldn't be more embarrassed-"
Emil frowns and turns over the page abruptly.
Leon chuckles and continues, "Okay, there's something called privacy which I desperately want Lukas to know. I'm not talking about how he practically pokes his nose into my every business. He just lacks the sense of personal space. Damn it. My room is right next to his and I don't need to hear him fucking Mathias every weekend. They fuck like there's no tomorrow and gosh, the moans. I'm lucky I've got my MP3 with me-"
Emil grunts and flips the page. Leon continues to read some more entries. They all revolve around Emil's school life and his eccentric "family". Short. Simple. But sweet.
"So, there's this boy in my Economics class. He probably doesn't notice me. We have the same major. I think I kinda like him. He's got choppy brown hair and dark eyes. He's an Asian. He always hangs around his brothers and sister. Not sure if they're really related that way. I mean, they're all Asians and look similar to me! I don't think I've ever seen someone set up a firecracker prank in the lecture room. This boy seems interesting-"
Emil snatches the diary and slams it shut.
"Oh," Leon's mouth gapes open. Emil blushes immensely.
"Wait a minute, so you were also attending W College?"
Emil looks at his lap and tries to recall his college life. His first day of school was always disastrous. He missed the train and entered the wrong lecture room. He bumped into a boy who was kind enough to give him the correct direction.
That boy was Leon.
He wore a red jacket and blue jeans, a big headphone around his neck.
"Now that I think about it, I suppose we've met before," Leon smirks. He wants to keep reading the entry but Emil grips the diary protectively. The blush remains.
"You, like, had a crush on me?"
Emil covers his face with his hands. This feeling…
"It's so embarrassing I think I can die now."
Leon laughs.
"I'd have noticed you if you had, like, spoken up," Leon says. "I'd have become your friend."
He takes down Emil's hands and smiles.
"And you're, like, blushing," he titters. "That's so adorable."
"I-I-Idiot," Emil grunts and tries to turn away. Leon leans in and captures his lips.
The kiss is swift, but Emil will never forget the touch of Leon's lips. They're tender and sweet.
"Emil," Leon coos, "you've got a lot of beautiful memories. You shouldn't let them go, you know?"
Something hot prickles the corners of his eyes. Emil isn't sure what they are, but his chest twitches. He feels…pain.
"Emil?" Leon gasps, tracing his fingers along those two streams of hot tears.
All those memories rush back to him. He remembers every single fragment of his past. He hasn't had a particularly successful life but everything he has experienced so far is precious. Every little scene is etched in his mind. It always tells something. It all means something to him.
Be it Lukas, or Mathias; Berwald or Tino.
They've been together since forever. They've never left him.
"Emil," Leon whispers. He wipes those tears away and kisses him again. "Do you, like, feel anything?"
He's got his name. He's got his "family". He's got his friends.
He's got his life. His memories. His past.
And Leon.
He doesn't say anything. He wraps his hands around Leon's neck and burrows his face into his shoulder.
His chest feels heavy now. Something is beating. His cheeks burn. He feels nothing but warmth. A wondrous feeling of love.
"And you're not lonely," Leon says, stroking the other boy's back gently. "You've got me now."
(8)
They can lie there forever, just relishing each other's presence.
Leon holds his hand. They both look at the ceiling. The rain has stopped. It's past midnight.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound is clear.
It's beautiful.
His heart is beating. He can feel it.
And he can speak now, without any ado.
"When they said there was an epidemic, we thought it was just some random infectious disease," Emil says. "We didn't know it was that bad. I mean, they never explained this much on the news. We stayed home most of the time. That was until Lukas and Tino went out to run some errands one day. They came back getting chased down by those Things. Berwald and Mathias tried to build a barricade. They stayed downstairs and guarded the living room. Those Things tried to break in. I was scared... I remember crying and Lukas holding me. We stayed upstairs. The barricade didn't work. There were lots and lots of them... They broke the glasses and tore down the door. Berwald and Mathias tried to take them down with guns and axes. Lukas got out his pistol and Tino had his machete with him. We were clearly outnumbered. I don't remember what exactly happened down there. I was locked upstairs. Lukas wouldn't let me out. All I heard was their voices. I knew we weren't gonna make it, so I thought, if I had to live alone, I might as well join them. They fought so hard to protect each other, to protect me. So I ran out."
Emil pauses. He doesn't quite remember how he got bitten, but when he woke up again, he was bleeding and convulsing.
"I suppose…that's alright, as long as we got to stay together," Emil says. "Even if we aren't living…"
"I get it." Leon nods.
It's ironic how love is always manifested in times of adversities.
And they both believe things happen for a reason. Their meeting does account for something.
"Have you, like, always felt this way towards me?" Leon asks bluntly. "Even before everything started…"
"I don't remember…" Emil shakes his head. "Maybe I did… The feeling has gotten much stronger now..."
"Is that why you didn't kill me?"
"I don't want to kill you." Emil turns to face Leon and says candidly. "That's all I was thinking at that moment. Don't wanna see you hurt or bleed."
"Thanks, Emil."
"No, I should thank you."
Emil climbs on top of Leon and bends down to kiss him. Leon kisses back. They lick and nibble each other's lips, only stopping to gasp for air.
"Tomorrow," Emil pants, slowly unbuttoning Leon's shirt, "I'll show them the album and the diary. I'll tell them everything they need to know about our wonderful past."
"Do you, like, think it will work?" Leon asks, helping Emil take off his shirt.
"If your love works on me, mine should work on them too." Emil smiles.
"But right now," he says as he leans in to nuzzle Leon's neck, "let's enjoy ourselves first?"
"Right," Leon chuckles.
For once, they see the light to the darkness outside.
Even if there's so much uncertainty, they decide to cling to that slowly growing seed of hope.
Leon knows that somewhere out there, his siblings are still living, making every day count and missing him.
One day, they will reunite again.
Emil knows that somewhere inside his family's hearts, there is a place secured lovingly for him.
Tomorrow, everything will be okay.
Their love is everything.