A/N: Hey everybody! I come back with another one-shot. The plot took me about ten minutes to think of, and the whole draft drained half an hour of my day. I hope you enjoy! Do leave a review :)
Cautiously, Ellis surveyed his surroundings in search of the danger he was now used to facing. It startled him that it was all so quiet and still. Not a trace of wind whistling in the air, not a bird soaring in the dark night sky, not an insect or animal making any sound. It was abnormally silent.
A few minutes later confirmed his safety. No zombies around. All was clear.
His shoulders relaxed as he pulled out a plastic chair from one of the many deserted tables and sat down. Ellis' green eyes wandered around the restaurant. It was almost night-themed; the lights were comfortably dim, the tables were similarly stylish to the chairs and the bar was on the far left side, where broken liquor bottles and glasses littered the racks.
The auburn-haired man inhaled deeply, biting his lower lip. Somehow, he suddenly felt stupid. Weren't he and his friends in a rush to New Orleans? He knew this but could not miss the chance to get to know the seraph that the Heavens named Zoey. She was beautiful and had an amazing smile. His heart skipped a beat every time he saw her.
What events led him to the resturant? Let me tell you…
After the bridge was lowered, everybody was depleted of energy and Coach decided to spend one night in Rayford before continuing their 'excursion' to New Orleans. Seizing the chance, and approaching her like the nervous wreck he was, Ellis (with much difficulty) asked Zoey out.
She laughed, which discouraged him a little. But then she agreed, and the date was set at a small, deserted night-life restaurant near the riverbank.
Nick contained his laughter as Ellis narrated the events which occurred, and the conman agreed (grudgingly?) to help Ellis get some new clothes for the date.
"If I was Zoey, I would have laughed and then walked away without saying anything," Nick smirked as he loaded his AK-47. "Seriously, it's the middle of the zombie apocalypse and you want to go on a date? That's very ill-timed."
Ellis cheeks heated up and he frowned as he picked up a cricket bat. "Well, she already said yes, so there's no turnin' back now."
"True," Nick shrugged his shoulders. Quietly, he opened the saferoom door of the small house they took refuge in. "It's clear outside. Let's go, kid."
They crept outside and crossed the recently-lowered bridge to the riverbank. They took out the lingering common zombies which littered the dim streets as they re-searched the stores for a department store.
"If only I was here when the apocalypse struck," Nick murmured subconsciously as they passed by nightclubs. "This really looks like my kind of city, besides two others. What was I thinking going to Savannah?"
"Well, if ya weren't in Savannah, ya wouldn't have met me," Ellis grinned.
Nick redirected his gaze from the nightclubs to Ellis, looking at him with a raised eyebrow and an inquiring smirk. "Again, true…but, really, this would be my kind of city. Have you ever been to a nightclub?"
"Sure, but I never got too drunk or stayed out too late or nothin'," Ellis nodded.
Nick stared at him incredulously. "Wait, Ellis—don't tell me," at this point, his disbelief changed to a desperate attempt to stop immense laughter. "You've never invited a girl back home before?"
Ellis bit the insides of his cheek and his face tinted red. "I-I ain't nothin' like you, Nick!"
Nick laughed and the hick sighed angrily. At this point, Ellis spotted the store they were searching for.
The two entered the store, but it was dark. With the aid of their flashlights, they browsed through the clothes and jeans.
"Hey, this looks nice," Nick smiled, taking a pair of folded jeans from the rack. It was dark blue, stylish, and still new. He turned to call Ellis, who was at a different part of the store. The hick approached him.
"Is this your size?" Nick asked, unfolding the jeans. Pinching each edge of the jeans, he held the denim to Ellis' hips, testing the size.
The mechanic blushed at the contact, but the conman took no notice. He grinned and said, "Just the right size. Have you found a shirt yet?"
"N-No, I'm havin' a hard time choosin'," Ellis stammered, still recovering from his embarrassment.
Nick wondered temporarily why Ellis' face was red, but considered it of no importance and advanced towards the shirt section. The emerald-eyed man followed.
Just as Nick began to browse, Ellis exclaimed happily, "Hey, that one looks pretty cool!"
He pointed to a plain, grey shirt. Nick pulled it out, and Ellis grinned. It had to special design or pattern, other than the 'Bull Shifters' imprinted at the back in red, medium-sized font.
"Geez, I've been dyin' ta find the other version of the shirt!"
Nick looked disgusted. "You seriously think Zoey would like that? That shirt will disgust her."
"Really?" Ellis looked bewildered.
"Yes, really," Nick rolled his grey eyes. "You're going on a date, Ellis. God, why can't you put that in your head? Everything is according to the girl. You dress based on her, you eat based on her, you talk based on her. Are you that clueless?"
"Oh," Ellis said as he put the shirt away, lowering his head. "Well, alrigh'. You're the one with the experience, Nick."
Nick, satisfied, browsed through and pulled out a bright, pearl-coloured, button-up shirt. "Zoey, I think, would like to see you wear this."
It was Ellis' turn to look disgusted.
"You're the one going on a date, kid," Nick smiled apologetically, and he gave the shirt and jeans to the younger man.
After returning to the house, the two were relieved to find Coach and Rochelle still asleep in their separate rooms. There were only three rooms in the house, one of which was shared between Nick and Ellis.
Nick looked away as Ellis changed.
"Alrigh', I'm done. How do I look?"
The brown-haired man turned. Ellis looked much more attractive now that he was out of his dingy coveralls and jeans. He looked clean and startlingly handsome, and Nick smiled, unaware of the faint red creeping up to his cheeks.
"Wait, there's something off," Nick approached him and took off his cap. Then, he grinned. "There. You'll definitely sweep her off her feet."
Elated, Ellis set out to the designated spot, carrying a combat rifle with him.
Now then, he had already arrived. It was, perhaps, two in the morning. Ellis grew nervous five minutes into waiting, and wondered if Zoey forgot about their appointment. He grew discouraged, but then crunching footsteps became sensitive to his hearing.
It could be his angel, or it could be a zombie…
Zoey popped round the corner, still dressed in her blood-stained clothes.
"Hey, Ellis," She smiled sweetly. Noticing his clothes, she looked at him approvingly, commenting with a giggle. "Aw, you really didn't have to go through all the trouble to get those clothes…but you look really good. I feel embarrassed I haven't actually dressed up."
"Ya don't have to," Ellis flashed her a nervous, yet winsome, smile. "Ya still look really pretty, even in those clothes and bruises."
"Thanks," Zoey said, looking flattered. Her expression brought back his courage, and the two soon became engaged in a deep conversation.
She told him of her prior life (excluding her family, Zoey was not so intimate with him yet), of how she became acquainted with her team, of the meaningful moments between them, and of Bill.
Ellis was happy, but then he was not so. There was something not quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it…
Zoey's smile was alluring. Her tender and beautifully-carved lips were made to impress. But there was something about the way she smiled which dissatisfied him. It was a smile which didn't actually capture his heart. Nice to look at, yes, but not the smile he wanted. It was strange…what kind of smile did he want?
Her brown eyes, and the way she looked at him didn't thrill him so much as it did with someone else, someone vague in his memory. Her gaze lacked something important, which made her eyes rather blank. The excitement was lost due to the lack of this unknown element.
Zoey spoke freely and kindly. He liked how she selected her words and pronounced each syllable gracefully. Yet, the elegance in her words was foreign to his ears and failed to interest him. Again, there was something missing, something she didn't have and made her conversation suddenly dull.
"Are you listening, Ellis?" Zoey asked, abruptly stopping halfway through a story taking place in Riverside.
Ellis didn't immediately reply. He stared at her for a few seconds, before coughing and scratching his head. "Err, I'm real sorry ta say this, Zoey," He started, rising awkwardly from his seat. "I…I really don't think things are gonna work out between us."
Zoey looked at him inquiringly, and Ellis was ready for the slap, but it never came.
Instead, she smiled heartily and stood up as well. "Oh well, I really don't mind that. Besides, I'm not really your type, and you're not actually mine, either."
"I'm real sorry, Zoey," Ellis apologized again.
"You don't have to," She grinned. "I was wondering how to tell you I'm already attracted to Louis. Besides, I already knew you were thinking about someone else the whole time."
Ellis blushed, embarrassed. "Y-Yeah, I guess so."
After a few more exchange of words, the two parted. Ellis crossed the bridge to get to his team's safehouse.
As he walked, combat rifle cradled in arms, the mechanic wondered what happened just a few minutes ago. He was so infatuated with Zoey, and that was just a few hours earlier. Now, seeing her up close, she lacked all the attractive attributes he found in somebody else.
But then, that was the question. Who was that somebody? Who was that person who had that sparkle in the eyes which exhilarated him, the special smile which attracted him, the way of words which enchanted him?
He pondered and pondered even as he reached the steps of his temporary home. He knocked and was answered by Nick, who looked at him curiously as he stepped in.
"What, she didn't show up?" Nick guessed, following the hick into the bedroom they shared.
"She did, but…there was something off," Ellis murmured, putting his combat rifle down.
Nick plopped onto the bed. "What do you mean, 'something off'? She wasn't as pretty as she looked from the bridge and when we were getting the fuel?"
"It's hard ta explain," Ellis shook his head with a small smile. "She…she was missing something. It made her…not my type."
As Ellis unbuttoned the shirt he was so uncomfortable with, his green eyes met Nick's grey orbs. It suddenly triggered him to grin, and Nick smirked in response.
"You're strange, you know that?" The conman said quietly.
Ellis' heart suddenly leaped. Wait…what was this? Everything that was missing in Zoey…everything that he wanted…was it the attributes he found in Nick?
Strange, how Nick looked at him. It either made him happy or embarrassed or often triggered involuntarily movement or expression. It thrilled him, the unknown sparkle in Nick's grey eyes. The mystery in them, and the magic surrounding it…
Then again, Nick sometimes had snarky replies which led to petty arguments, and icy words which came on an impulse. Yet, it was that kind of speech which made their talk exciting. Every conversation was never dull. It was full of sparks and meaning, always.
Lastly, Nick didn't always smile. His smirks were dreamy, his frowns were cute and his rare, genuine smile always took Ellis' breath away. No matter how his lips moved, he looked incredibly charming. What kind of trick was Nick using? How did he do all that?
Ellis slipped the shirt off his shoulders and arms, revealing his fit and tan torso. He turned to Nick and noted, for the first time, the faint blush which appeared on his face.
Approaching Nick, who was sitting on one side of the bed, Ellis bended down and did something he didn't know whether he would regret later or not. Closing his eyes and the space between them, he pressed his lips against the conman's.
Ellis hated to admit it. He fell for Nick. Nick was what he wanted…nobody else he knew had his characteristics. Nick was a friend and love interest at the same time, and Ellis despised mixed feelings.
Although Ellis thought he was going to be shoved back, his heart skipped a beat when Nick returned the kiss, and pulled him onto the bed.