Disclaimer- I do not own left 4 dead. These characters in my story are made up. This is my own take on events so flame elsewhere. Encouraging reviews are welcome. I was thinking about this story and after reading the first chapter of a nice story, I was inspired enough to try.

By the way, if you don't like slash, leave now. You hear me? That means MAN/MAN loving! I don't want to hear any shit. I'll just delete your post anyway if I don't like it.

Anyone who isn't going to be a bigot may review as normal. I appreciate it. *smile*

The special ones. Part three.

Malachi rummaged through the compartment on the passenger side for paper and a pen so he could write the directions down. He found Rahab's passport, his car insurance papers, a gun, a…wait, what?!

"A gun?" Malachi questioned out loud.

He heard Peter squeak from the backseat, Lenora gasp and no sound came from Joseph. Rahab's eyes flickered over for a moment before facing the road again.

"It was our foster father's. Before he died, he gave it me for protection."

Malachi nodded. "Well, I can't say it wont come in handy during a zombie invasion."

"Brother…" Lenora whined from in between Peter and Joseph. "I thought you got rid of that thing!"

Rahab shrugged. "Couldn't bring myself too. I figured if Lori ever drove me crazy enough, I'd use it to blast my brains out."

"RAHAB! Lori is a good foster mother! You wouldn't do such a thing!"

"Relax." Rahab reassured his baby sister. "I was joking."

Malachi studied his expression. It seemed relaxed but something behind his eyes told Malachi that he wasn't joking. He recalled a conversation before about his foster mother. He didn't speak too kindly of her. It was obvious he was the only one who had a distaste for her.

Malachi found what he was looking for and wrote down the directions and handed them to Rahab. It would take them at least half the day, well into the night to get to Maine, so he reclined slightly in his chair, just enough so that he wasn't hitting Peter in the legs and stared out the window. The car was silent except for everyone's soft breathing and the occasional shift of discomfort.

Malachi tried to stay awake as the hours leaked away. The snow had been cleared from the road, probably by salt trucks. As they drove further north however, the snow had begun to ebb away and the air stated to get warmer. Malachi recalled the newscaster saying that Maine was in the middle of a heat wave in the middle of winter. If that wasn't global warming, Malachi didn't know what was. Apparently it would be about 60 degrees in Maine. Malachi knew that was a dangerous temperature for the world to be at, but at the moment, he didn't care. He could use the break from the below 20 degree weather. He only hoped that when they hit Canada it would be frigid.

He must have dozed off because the next time he opened his eyes, the car was deathly silent. Malachi looked over to Rahab, who was concentrating on the road. He looked in the backseat and saw that all the other occupants were fast asleep. He smiled slightly. They all looked so peaceful…. Even that asshole Joseph. He guessed even homophobic jack off's could look like angels when they slept. Malachi looked back up at Rahab and pulled his seat back up into the sitting position.

"You need to switch so you can sleep?"

It seems that Malachi's voice had startled Rahab because he jumped a bit in his seat.

"Oh! Hey." he looked over and smiled. Malachi felt his heart melt. He was so handsome. "Nah. I don't need to, I'm….okay."

Malachi tilted his head. "You sure?"

"Yea, Yea…" Rahab looked back out at the road. "I just…..I hit one of 'em a while back. It went right for us, so I knew it was one of them. I've never hit anyone in a car before… It makes a nasty noise, I'll tell you. That noise will probably be with me till the day I die."

Malachi nodded and looked around. He saw one of Rahab's hands were on the shift and he was clutching it so hard that his knuckles were white. Malachi wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but he reached out and touched Rahab's hand. Rahab looked at him out of the corner of his eyes, slightly startled.

"I'm sorry." Malachi spoke softly and rubbed his palm with his thumb.

Rahab looked confused, his gaze flickering back and forth between Malachi and the road. He spotted a picnic area and pulled over to the side with a slight lurch. Then he gave Malachi his full attention. He gripped Malachi's hand so that the shorter male could not pull away and tugged his hand up to his lips. He gave Malachi's hand a gentleman's kiss before smiling charmingly at the stunned Malachi.

"Thanks, sexy."

Malachi was too stunned to move. Did he just call him….

Something in the backseat stirred and it knocked Malachi out of his daze. He ripped his hand away from Rahab, blushing furiously and looked away. Rahab looked back to see Peter just waking up. He smiled to the overweight teen. "Hey Peter, could you wake Lenora and Joseph? I figured we should stop to eat."

"Sure." Peter replied as Rahab grabbed the back pack and got out of the car. Malachi followed suit, no longer wanting to sit in the car. Peter proceeded to wake up the other two occupants with a scowl. Little did anyone know, he'd been watching the whole time.

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Within a few minutes Lenora and Joseph were up and were seated at the park bench with a can of some miscellaneous food inside. Rahab kept the gun close by and kept looking around, just in case.

The silence was deafening so Lenora decided to speak up. "Brother, how close are we?"

Rahab sighed. "We still got a ways, baby sis. We wont get there before night falls."

Malachi thought for a moment while he picked at his tasteless spam. "there's an inn along the way if my memory serves me correctly. They have a couple rooms upstairs. We can rest up there, sleep in shifts and barricade the stairs. They are probably not smart enough to use elevators."

"Oh!" Lenora spoke happily, for once. "I would love to sleep in a bed tonight!!! Can we, big brother? Pleeeasssssseeee!?!?"

Rahab smiled gently at his sister. "Sure. I wouldn't mind a bed either."

When they were all agreed, they finished supper as soon as possible in silence, there momentary spirits gone.

Peter spoke up finally after a long silence. "Hey, Malachi?"

Malachi regarded his with an eyebrow lift.

"Do you remember seventh grade at all?"

Malachi nodded. "Yea. You sat next to me."

Peter smiled. "Remember when Mrs. Medeiros tripped over Joni Evan's tipped desk in front of the door?"

Malachi smiled instantly. "yes. That was epic. Mrs. Medeiros was really tall. Like freakishly so. She dropped all of our tests and broke her leg! We had a sub for two months!"

Peter laughed. He reached out and touched Malachi's shoulder. "And the time that someone folded a origami bird with huge feet and stuck it on her desk, because her feet were so large!"

Malachi snorted as he tried not to laugh, which just made him laugh more. "We wrote big bird on it too. Then she demanded to see the person responsible for it, but no one came forward so we all spent the afternoon in an hour's detention." He vaguely knew that Peter hadn't moved his hand from his shoulder yet, but Malachi figured he was going to be spending a lot of time with these people, he might as well get used to them.

"It was me." Peter admitted.

Malachi's eyes widened. "You did it? Wow! You were always so quiet and never said anything! I wouldn't have thought that you had the balls. That's pretty cool, Peter!"

Peter brightened considerably as Malachi smiled at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rahab watched their interaction, a scowl on his handsome face.

Within a few hours, they had found the hotel that Malachi mentioned. Besides the front door being knocked down and only one broken window in the lobby, the place was in pretty good shape. Rahab parked the car around back and made Joseph carry their few meager belongings and the gun. Malachi walked in first and surveyed the surroundings.

It seemed like anything that might have been here had cleared out at least a day or two ago. Probably no food and they had to move on. Although the lack of life disturbed him. He was paranoid by the silence and expected a zombie to pop out at any moment. To his immense surprise….nothing did. The wallpaper was peeling and it smelt like something had died in here. Everything was in a state of disarray. Paintings had fallen from the walls, chairs had been knocked aside, dishes, lamps and fine china lay broken on the floors. It actually made Malachi a bit sad to see the hotel in a horrible display of disrepair, unlike it's former beauty that he had come to know as a child.

Rahab hopped behind the counter and began to search for keys. "Alright everyone. The less rooms we take up the better. I believe these are mostly two to a room. Joseph and Peter get room 203.." he threw Joseph the key who caught it one handed. "Malachi and I will get Room 204 and Lenora can have the room that attaches to mine. 205."

Peter looked like he'd speak up but a look from Rahab stopped him dead. Malachi caught this for a brief second before Rahab's charming mask was placed back on his face.

"We'll sleep in shifts. Peter, you get first watch. Then Joseph, then I will. Okay?"

"How come They don't have to?' Peter questioned a bit irritated at Rahab's superiority.

"My sister doesn't have to and Malachi…." Rahab paused. "He got us this far. Lets let him rest."

"Yes." Joseph agrees. "lets let the girls sleep, while the men stay up."

Malachi glared. "What did you say, cock sucker?!"

Joseph growled and handed the gun and backpack to Peter. He stomped forward and looked down at Malachi. Joseph's 6'8 feet in length defiantly overshadowed Malachi's 5'5.

"What did you say, you little pussy?"

Malachi held his ground. "I called you a cock sucker! Or do your boyfriends call you bubba?"

"That's enough guys." Rahab warned. It went unheeded.

"If anyone is going to be a prison bitch, it's going to be you, you little fairy!"

"Shut up!" Malachi growled.

Joseph smiled. "Can't handle the truth, bitch? You'll end up in prison I'm sure. You got that swollen lip from a beating?"

Malachi quickly touched his lip and felt that it was indeed swollen. Probably when his mother hit him.

"None of your business!"

"Awwww poor little Malachi! His mommy hits him!"

That was it. Malachi spit in Joseph's face. He might as well have been spitting in the eye of the devil himself.

That was also the straw that broke Joseph's back. Joseph's fist reeled back for a punch and Malachi cringed as he waited for the impact….that never came. He cracked open and eye and saw that Rahab had caught his fist mid flight.

"Enough." Rahab spoke sternly. "we need to get along if we are going to survive."

Joseph scowled. "he asked for it."

Malachi growled but he received a warning look from Rahab and he kept silent.

Rahab sighed and let go of Joseph but waited until he walked away to move from Malachi. "It's already almost dark and we haven't even begun to barricade. We need to get moving."

For once, everyone agreed.

Between Joseph, peter and Rahab they managed to get the front doors and the busted window barricaded with furniture from the lower rooms. They also went though all the downstairs room available to make sure there were no stray zombies. Malachi was forced into the upstairs rooms with Lenora. He felt useless but Rahab wouldn't let him help. He was wondering why. What was Rahab's problem? When he was in the car, he was like his old self. But after the rest stop Rahab became a bit hostile exspecialy toward Peter.

Malachi looked over to Lenora who was sitting on the bed for Rahab painting her blood red nails even darker. She refused to be by herself right now even though not word transpired between the two since she showed up.

"Hey, what wrong with your brother?"

She looked up with a snotty look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Malachi huffed slightly. "He's acting different."

She blinked. "You don't even really know him. How can you tell?"

Malachi couldn't argue with her. He really didn't know Rahab that well. He wished he did. He didn't blame Rahab from being hostile. They were in the grips of a zombie apocalypse. Anyone would be on edge, he supposed. Although his mind kept traveling back to when Rahab kissed his hand and that handsome smile…

Malachi blushed visibly and Lenora lifted a fine eyebrow.

"You okay?"

Malachi scowled. "Are you asking because you really care, or are you asking because you feel obligated?"

Lenora rolled her eyes. "Your weird."

"Seriously…" Malachi growled. "What happens when your brother is all nice one minute, then hostile the next?"

Lenora shrugs. "Rahab's protective of me. He gets like that when someone messes with me. He's scarier than he looks. Happy now?"

Malachi rolled his eyes and laid down on his bed. It didn't explain why he started acting that way because no one said anything about Lenora. No one even regarded her….the bitch.

Rahab, Joseph and Peter all walked in, looking slightly tired.

"Downstairs is clear." Rahab spoke with a grin. "Barricaded the stairs up too. We should all be set to start our shifts. Everyone should get a good nights sleep. I think were going to need it.

Lenora nodded and got up from her brother's bed before going into her own in the adjacent room. Joseph walked out immediately with a snort that sounded like goodnight but Peter lingered for a moment.

"Good night Malachi."

"Night." Malachi answered immediately.

"Malachi…I wanted to say…" he stopped when he notice Rahab glaring at him. The stare was so intense that Malachi saw Peter visibly shutter. "I wanted to say goodnight!"

Malachi blinked. "You did."

Peter nodded and left the room quickly.

Malachi then turned to face Rahab. "What's wrong with you?"

Rahab looked over innocently as he took off his shirt. "I have no idea what your talking about."

Malachi was about to retort but he saw something interesting. A beautiful crimson red butterfly Tattoo was displayed on Rahab's lower back right where it met the waistline of his jeans. "what the?"

"Oh?" Rahab spoke with a smile. "You like it? I got it one night when I was plastered. I can't bring myself to get it removed though. I kind of like it." He turned around to face Malachi.

Malachi's mouth hug open. Rahab was well built for a British smoker. He had washboard abs and well defined hipbones that just stuck out from the top of his pants. He saw Rahab grin almost a bit evilly, so he looked away quickly.

"You okay, Malachi?"

Malachi said nothing and nodded, turning the other way on his bed. Maybe it was something about the way Rahab smiled at him or maybe just Rahab himself, but Malachi had…a little problem pitching a tent in his pants. Goddamnit….

"what's wrong?" there was amusement behind his tone. Bastard.

"what's wrong with me?" Malachi's voice slightly cracked. "What's wrong with you? Why were you acting that way?"

He felt his half of the bed sink down and he swallowed the lump in this throat.

"What do you mean?"

"Your being hostile." Malachi breathed trying to calm himself to no avail. It was too hard to do so with Rahab so close. His scent flooded into Malachi's nose and it drove him crazy. He could also feel Rahab's body heat against his back and it made him shutter. He wanted to surrender and fall back into his arms but his pride would not allow him to.

"Hostile?"

"Yes." Malachi squirmed. "Exspecialy to Peter."

Malachi heard Rahab growl and it didn't help that that growl made Malachi's erection throb. It was so ferial and sexy.

"Don't talk about him." Rahab scowled.

Malachi looked over his shoulder and then wish he hadn't. Rahab had taken his long hair out of it's ponytail and it was slung over one shoulder. His eyes also had a dangerous gleam to them that reminded Malachi of a predator who just spotted prey.

"Why?" he managed to whisper as he was paralyzed by that gaze.

"He likes you. In that way."

Malachi's eyes widened. "Who Peter?!"

Rahab growled again. "Yes. Him."

Malachi blushed and tried to close his legs tightly. "I-I don't-t think that P-Peter likes me that way…"

"Are you blind?" Rahab raised an eyebrow. "He was being way too affectionate with you for my liking. I know what it looks like to see someone who has no idea what's going on to be hit on. Think about it."

Malachi blinked. Was Peter really hitting on him? "Why is it any of your business?"

That was a mistake.

In a flash, Rahab had pinned him to the bed and hovered above the shorter male. Rahab's face was inches from his and it made Malachi's crotch throb to have him so close.

"Isn't it obvious to you?"

Malachi squeezed his eyes shut. "get off me!"

"Malachi, listen to me! Look at me!"

"No! Get off!" Malachi struggled in Rahab's hold but to no avail. It was like iron.

"Malachi!"

"GET OFF! GET-"

Malachi was cut off as a pair of warm lips descended upon his. Malachi never believed that his first kiss with a man would feel so much better than any girls lips could. It felt so right. He felt Rahab's tongue trying to part his lips for entry into his mouth. Malachi had never French kissed someone before. Right now the idea excited him. He parted his lips to allow entry. He felt Rahab smile against his mouth but just before their tongue's touched a knock at the door sounded. Malachi seemed to fall out of his trance with the sound and moved his face away. "Rahab stop. Get off me." he spoke in a panicked whisper as the knock came again.

"Why?" Rahab whispered back with a soft purr. "I finally got to kiss you. I don't want to stop."

"hey! Open up, it's Joseph!" A voice from behind the door called.

Malachi's eyes widened. "Now, defiantly get off."

Rahab sighed sadly and got off of Malachi. He went over to the door and answered it. It was indeed Joseph behind the door.

"Everything okay, man?" Joseph asked.

"Yes." Rahab smiled innocently. "Why would it not?"

"Peter said he heard Malachi yell like a little girl. Is our little lady okay?"

Malachi growled from his spot on the bed. Rahab smiled calmly enough. "Peter must be hearing things. Tell him everything's okay." Malachi saw Rahab's eye twitch. The real meaning behind his words was 'back off Peter.'

"Well, okay." Joseph grinned. "I'm going to start my shift anyway. Sweet dreams man."

"goodnight." Then he locked the door and stalked back over to Malachi. "Hey, I-"

"You need to get some sleep. Your shift is coming up in a few hours."

Rahab sighed and touched Malachi's shoulder. "I meant it. The kiss I mean. I really like you. If we get out of this…I'd like us to become something serious."

Malachi blushed. His back was turned toward Rahab so he was glad he couldn't see him. "I'll think about it."

Rahab smiled. "Okay." He hesitated before he went back over to his bed and laid down on it.

Malachi turned the other way and sighed. Rahab was so different than anyone he'd ever met. He made him want to believe that everyone would get out of this thing alive. He was fooling himself though. There was no way. As much as he hated admitting it, he had a crush on Rahab Valo. A man he'd just met the other day in a class room that he was forced into staying by said man. A man he only knew a little bit about. A man that he had fallen so hopelessly for….

What a bastard.

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Malachi was lulled awake by the vague feeling of someone touching his legs. He opened his eyes, instantly fearing that it was zombies. He bolted upright and threw his blanket off himself to peer underneath. To his immense surprise, he saw Rahab between his legs, dressed only in his tight jeans, his hair undone and it's gold strands falling like rivulets down his strong back. He caught sight of the crimson butterfly peeking out just over the hem of Rahab's jeans. Only one thought crossed Malachi's mind and this was it…

"WHAT THE FUCK!?!?"

Rahab put a finger up to his perfect lips and made a shushing sound. "You'll wake everyone up."

Something behind his voice made Malachi shutter. He wasn't one hundred percent sure but if he knew better, he would think that it was lust.

"What are you doing?!" Malachi whispered tried pulling his legs away but Rahab held them tightly. He struggled half heartedly an Rahab chuckled. The sheer sound sent a wave of pleasure to his groin.

"Well.." Rahab began griping Malachi's baggy pants. "I figured I'd show you how much I want you, since you wont believe me." And with that he tugged down Malachi's pants and boxers in one smooth motion.

Malachi gasped as his erection hit the cold night air that flowed within their room. "WHA?! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK-"

Rahab covered his mouth. "I told you to shush. Use our inside voice, please."

"stop it…" Malachi spoke through clenched teeth as he tried to cover himself but Rahab would have none of it. He grabbed Malachi's wrists and pinned them to his side while he rested between Malachi's parted legs. Malachi's face was a red as a tomato and he knew Rahab knew that he was hard. This was so damn embarrassing! No one had ever seen Malachi in this state.

"Stop what?" Rahab asked with a cocky smile. What a bastard!!

"Stop looking at me!" Malachi blushed like mad.

"Why?" Rahab asked more gently this time looking up into Malachi's green eyes. "It's hard to not look at you. Your so beautiful."

Malachi turned seven shades of red as his heart hammered in his chest loudly. He was sure that Rahab could feel and hear the racing of his heart. "You don't mean that…"

Rahab smiled charmingly, like he had in the car. He moved up Malachi's body and moved his face close to Malachi's. "of course I do. I've been awe struck since I met you. I think…" He whispered as he closed the distance between their parted lips. "…I think I love you."

Malachi moaned into his kiss, which was a sweet as honey. He tasted the tobacco on Rahab's tongue but it didn't displease the senses, like Malachi thought it would. It had the unique taste that was purely Rahab mixed in with that flavor which made his kisses like his cigarettes. Highly addictively.

Malachi felt himself melt in Rahab's touch and just become physically weaker. All his defenses and walls that he had built were tumbling down around his ears and there was nothing he could do about it.

Rahab pulled away with a smile and kissed down Malachi's chin to his neck and then lick the neck line where skin met hoodie. He then let go of Malachi's wrists and placed them on the half naked boy's hips. He moved down and his head hovered over Malachi's erection.

Malachi blinked rapidly. "w-what are you d-doing?"

Rahab answered by engulfing him to the hilt. Malachi screeched as sudden heat enveloped him, making him feel something unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He cursed Rahab for having a very talented and devious tongue as it ran up the base of his scrotum to the tip, all along that dreaded blue vein that made Malachi twitch in pleasure.

Malachi grabbed fist fills of Rahab's golden hair and tugged down to get him to go faster. "Y-you Bastard-d…"

His basic instant took over and he wantonly tired to buck up into that taunting heat but Rahab kept his hands on the shorter males hips so he couldn't. Rahab hummed as he gave his erection a long generous suck.

"R-Rahab…." He moaned in bliss as he felt that tightening sensation in his gut that he got right before cumming when he masturbated. Except this feeling was seven times better.

Then his mind derailed. He felt Rahab's tongue wrap around his erection…but it seemed much longer than usual tongue should. It startled him slightly and broke him out of his orgasmic haze. He looked down at Rahab and his breath caught in his throat.

Rahab looked up at him, a long prehensile tongue was wrapped tightly around the now very frightened Malachi's manhood. Rahab's beautiful blue eyes seemed to have lost some of their luster and looked glassed over just like if he were…..

"dead…" Malachi mumbled.

Rahab or what he thought was Rahab, made an inhuman noise that stopped Malachi's heart that had been beating furiously a few moments ago. Malachi came to his senses and screamed, trying to dislodge the being attached to his most private areas.

"Malachi…."

Malachi blinked but still screamed as he struggled against the creatures hold. It sounded like someone called him.

"Malachi.."

It was a little louder now and it sounded….like Rahab's voice.

"Wha?!!?"

"Malachi! Wake up!"

Malachi blinked as things started to fade away and he felt someone violently shaking him.

"Wake up!!!"

Malachi bolted upwards. The dream world melted away back to the real hotel room with a very concerned and fully dressed Rahab shaking him.

"Wha? Rahab?"

"We need to go!" Rahab spoke quickly. "There coming! The barricade wont last out forever and there's too many of them!"

Malachi suddenly remembered the predicament that they were all in. He could hear snarling from below him and it sent a shiver down his spine. "How many is too many?"

Rahab put the backpack filled with supplies on his back and pulled Malachi out of bed. "Over fifty at least."

Malachi felt his stomach lurch. Oh shit. "W-where is everyone else?"

"I sent them out the fire escape and gave Joseph the keys. I couldn't wake you at first and I wasn't going to leave you. I figured I'd carry you, but you woke up."

Malachi swelled with fear and devotion. Fear that they were about to be eaten by a bunch of flesh eating zombies and devotion for he couldn't believe that Rahab stayed behind for him.

Rahab pulled him by the hand into the hallway. The fire escape at the fall end of the long red hall. Malachi heard the barricade give way in the stairs and that monstrous noise emitted from the stairs. Malachi could only guess that it was a howl of triumph. He didn't have time to look though. Rahab sprinted down the hall with the startled Malachi, booking it toward the window. Malachi didn't dare look back but he could hear the rapid footsteps of the infected, who had busted through the barricade and were chasing fresh meat.

Malachi heard Rahab curse under his breath and instead of opening the window to the fire escape when they reached it, he took an immediate right, down another hall that led to the back of the hotel. One lone window stood at the end and it wasn't a fire escape.

"Rahab!"

"No time!" he huffed. "Can't stop or we're fucked!"

Malachi cringed as they neared the end of the road. Where did Rahab plan to go?!

"Trust me Malachi!" Rahab yelled as if he read his thoughts.

It was sad, but for the first time, Malachi trusted someone. "Okay!"

Malachi felt himself being picked up by one hand before he was cradled in the taller males arms. He could hear the snarls of the zombies and the stench of their rotten flesh invading his nostrils. They must have been right on their heels. He could feel the malice and impending doom as he knew Rahab had slowed down slightly because of his added weight. Malachi looked up to see the window close to his face, before Rahab made him face his chest in the split second before they met glass.

A defining clash of broken glass and the scent of blood filled the air. Malachi felt himself plummeting but two strong arms holding him tightly. Then he hit something with a dull thud and his world went black. He knew no more.