It should have been unsettling driving through the dark and quiet, his headlights dimmed to the lowest setting to ensure they wouldn't come across any unwanted visitors. Too bad Kurt's head was swimming with memories of his loved ones, his friends, the people he had left behind, the people he had no hopes of ever getting to properly say goodbye too. His mind constantly flowed back to Sam, the lifeless body that used to contain so much spirit. He could still hear the sound of Sam's voice in his head, the lilt in his voice when he sang. And his goofy smile, trouty mouth. He looked up in the mirror, focusing on Santana who was curled around Brittany in the back seat. Worry lines creased her forehead and he wondered for a moment if it was worry over Brittany, or Sam. Because she had dated him, and you don't just forget the people who mattered in your life. You couldn't. It wasn't possible.
The sun rose too quickly and he was still not tired, adrenaline coursed through him and he couldn't remember what it was like to sleep. His bed, the warmth of his blankets that he would never feel again, the pillows fluffed to perfection. Everything perfect like it was supposed to be, but instead everything was broken, falling apart and far from perfect. He could see the cracks in the surface and he knew they weren't things that were easily set right. The world was literally ending, instead of worrying about what would happen in a couple months he was worrying about making it to the next day, living to see another morning and making sure Blaine was there to see it rise with him.
Kurt knew he was underestimating Blaine, keeping him safe and tucked away when his boyfriend was completely capable of fending for himself. He was stronger than him, physically at least, Blaine's countless hours of boxing had in fact toned his muscles, making him stronger than Kurt by a lot. But Kurt still felt protective over him; above all else he needed to know that Blaine was going to be alright in the end, that nothing would hurt him. He still remembered all too clearly the look on Blaine's face when they had explained what happened. That Sam had been bitten and that Santana had shot him. The tense look on his face, the taut string of muscles on his neck and the swallow that looked like Blaine was trying to swallow down emotions and not just saliva.
Everything was quickly falling apart as he realized they had a body count. It wasn't just a game anymore; they had already killed two people, two of their friends. And at least three of their friends were dead. Kurt swallowed back the lump in his throat, he tried to promise himself that everything was going to be okay, but he just couldn't lie to himself like that. He practically scoffed out loud at the thought, that they were just going to all wake up and this was going to be a big dream. A nightmare really, that they would go to Glee rehearsal and everything would be okay again. But it wouldn't be. Nothing would ever be the same again, and deep down he knew it. Things were changing, and it was up to them to change and adapt faster, because if they didn't they wouldn't make it to the next day.
"Kurt?" The voice was softer than he'd ever heard it before, a slight vulnerability in it that he had never heard and he resisted the urge to completely turn around in his seat and gape at Santana. "Do you wanna let me drive? So you can get some sleep too?" The girl asked her voice completely void of the tone it had earlier, a transition so quick Kurt was sure he had imagined it. "Yeah, that'd be nice." He murmured his voice low so he wouldn't wake Blaine.
The stretch of rode in front of them was abandoned, and he stopped the car, both waiting for a few moments before getting out and switching, their guns taut in their hands. "Thanks Santana." Kurt murmured; sleep overcoming him as he settled into the backseat. "No problem. I just couldn't sleep anymore." The vulnerability was back, if only for a split second before she put the car in drive and pulled off. The highway had more and more abandoned cars and Kurt found himself counting each one as they passed before his eyes finally flitted shut.
It was shouts and doors slamming and guns firing that woke him. Kurt's eyes opened to something he had hoped was only a nightmare. Santana and Blaine stood in front of the car. Firing. Guns going off almost simultaneously as they shot zombie after zombie. They had all seen the zombie movies, Kurt and Blaine's guilty pleasure was the Walking Dead but nothing could prepare them for this. The hordes, the people, the sounds. Kurt reached for his own gun only to have his hands wrenched free by Brittany. "Brittany I have to go help them!" Kurt said, his voice higher than normal as his eyes moved from Brittany to Blaine outside the car, outside of safety. "No Santana said for you to stay here, that the world needs more unicorns. We're supposed to stay here." Brittany said, her voice urgent and with more clarity than he had experienced in a while.
Kurt stayed hands clutching back to Brittany's as he watched in a mixture of aw and disgust. The way Santana and Blaine worked in tandem, watching each other's backs as they shot, reloaded their guns and fired again. He had really underestimated Blaine, by a lot. The curly haired boy was good, he had a steady hand and a good eye. When everything finally settled Blaine and Santana stood there, guns cocked and chests heaving.
"I never took you for a shooter, Blaine." Santana said an odd assortment of pride and surprise in her tone. Blaine just laughed his voice breathy and tired. "Yeah well, building cars isn't the only thing my dad did with me in the hopes of making me less gay." Santana grinned and clasped her hand on Blaine's shoulder. Blaine just grinned and nodded at Santana. The sight of Kurt getting out of the car caught his eye and he turned, the grin melting into something softer. "You're awake." He said as he shook Santana's hand off and walked over to his boyfriend.
Kurt just nodded, still a little awestruck and smiled back. "You're amazing, Blaine." He said quietly. They stood there for a moment, just watching each other. Feeling pride and love and gratitude all around them as their eyes connected. For the first time they really felt like they could be okay, that they would actually make it out of this. It wouldn't be easy, and if the sweat glistening on Blaine's tanned skin was any sign, it was going to be the hardest thing they ever did. Killing people would not come easily to them, but killing zombies had become something else entirely. "King Gay and Killer Gay can we get a move on? This shit is starting to smell and I do not need to add the smell of decaying zombie flesh to my list of familiar things."
Both boys stare at Santana as she climbs into the backseat, leaning over and kissing Brittany lightly on the cheek. "I couldn't imagine," Blaine starts, looking from the car to Kurt. "Knowing what she knows and having to pretend like nothing's wrong." He paused and took Kurt's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Anyone would do it for the one they love. In times like these you tend to break all your rules." Kurt said softly, his eyes dipped down from Blaine's eyes to his lips and he smiled before leaning forward and pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss. The lingering taste of Blaine on his lips was disturbed by the smell of metallic blood in the air and he shivered slightly. "Santana's right. Let's get out of here." Kurt said as he pulled away.
No one had really been feeling very hungry that morning, not after the carnage and the killings. Around noon however everyone's stomachs started grumbling and Kurt pulled the car over in a clearing. "We need to get out of the car anyway. Stretch our legs." As they all climbed out Kurt handed his gun to Blaine, he watched as his boyfriend cocked the safety back and aimed near the woods that were on the far side of them. "Blaine, Santana can you all do a perimeter, Brittany and I are going to unload some food, restack the provisions and see what we have left. We've got some miles to go before we hit the next town. We can find supplies there." Kurt said an easy tone of authority in his voice.
Santana and Blaine walked off, Blaine nudging her as she grumbled about who died and made Kurt king. "Well you do call him King Gay." Blaine said shrinking away as Santana shot him a look.
Kurt and Brittany worked in amicable silence, Kurt handing her the things to repack in boxes while he counted and kept track. "Brittany?" He asked after a moment and the blonde girl looked up smiling. "I just want you to know, that everything's going to be just fine." He said carefully. His eyes widened and he had to force his gaping mouth to shut when Brittany spoke. "The zombies aren't really going to go away, and we might not all be fine, but at least my parents don't have to worry about me anymore. Santana and I have each other, and now you and Blaine." Brittany's voice was gentle and she smiled genuinely. "It's a little scary, thinking that everyone we ever knew can become a zombie. But at least we have each other."
"Yeah, you're right Brittany. What's important is that we're together." Kurt murmured. He tore his eyes away from her to watch Blaine and Santana as they moved along the edge of the clearing; he could hear their laughter from here. Brittany turned and watched them too, he couldn't see the expression on her face but he assumed it matched his, a mix of love and envy. How they could be so carefree when everything was falling down around them.
After everything was counted and categorized to Kurt's high expectations and Blaine and Santana came back to the car the group stood there, eyes to the horizon. "Lunch?" Santana said after a moment and they all agreed. They opened up a couple tins of food, fruit bowls that would expire after a time, bread that had been something Kurt had grabbed on a whim and a can of beans that they shared between them. "We're going to need meat in our diets." Kurt said quietly as they sat on the grass by the car in a tight circle.
They all quietly agreed and Kurt laughed. "Now would be a great time to have the meat-a-phobic Rachel Berry in our midst." He shook his head, Santana rolling her eyes in amusement. "When we get into the next town we should probably find a book store or a library, get some books on edible plants or whatever. That way we're not going to die of starvation. If I'm going out in this damn world, I'm going out fighting."
They talked while they ate, about nothing, about memories. Everyone was careful not to mention the dead, or at least not out right, the awkward pauses they would make when they tried to talk around Sam or Artie or Sugar, the open and shutting mouth as they realized they were about to say something about a dead friend. After a lull in the conversation Santana looked at Kurt and paused. "Kurt. Where the hell are we going?" She asked her voice amused as it dawned on her that she didn't know. Blaine and Kurt quickly looked at each other, Blaine's eyes wide at Kurt.
"We're looking for Cooper. Blaine's brother." Kurt said quietly. Santana just stared at them both for a moment. "That didn't answer my question, gays. Where is he?" Her voice had lost the amused tone and her frown deepened as she realized that Kurt and Blaine didn't actually know. "You don't know." She intoned lightly, her lips tilting up into a sneer. "You're risking our lives for your brother when you don't even know if he's alive. Are you freaking kidding me?"
Blaine blanched, the color draining from his features and Brittany just leaned against him. "I- Santana." He stopped midsentence and his eyes widened and he reached for his gun. "Walkers." He said simply and they all got up, guns cocked, eyes alert and scanning the landscape for anyone else. "Blaine, Brittany. Car." Kurt said and nudged them to get in.
"We're not going to shoot are we?" Santana asked her eyes trained on the two walkers as they came over the ridge. They were out of range of their guns still and that was good so they could get away. "No. We're not. Car." He said again looking at her. "You're driving." Kurt handed her the keys and she nodded. He waited until she started the car before he turned and ran to the backseat. He climbed in and nodded for her to go and they sped off.
They were only half a mile away when the ringing of a phone could be heard. "Who bring a phone to the apocalypse?" Santana said exasperated as she looked around for the sound. "Blaine… isn't that yours?" Kurt asked carefully. Blaine's eyes were wide from the front seat and he reached into the glove compartment, his hand hesitating. "Answer it would ya!" Santana said rolling her eyes and huffing. Blaine carefully palmed the phone and answered the call, an unknown number flashing across the screen.
"Hello?" Blaine asked his eyes widening as the voice on the other end responded. "Cooper?"
A/N: Hi guys thanks for reading this, I'm going to try to update twice a week and I'll let you know anything else on my Tumblr or you can follow the tag Code Name Charlie which is the tag I'll be tagging this fic with. Tell your friends and if you like it let me know!