This took too long, but life got it the way as it always does. I hope it's worth the wait. As always many thanks to the dearest CastleAddicition. Enjoy.
For the next few days. we continued our way north, not really following any particular direction other than our instincts. It is safe to assume that said instincts weren't particularly sharp, as after a full day's driving we ended up face-to-face with the ocean, which was unquestionably located east, not north. It was no wonder we were getting nowhere fast.
The further up the coast line we got, the hotter it became, more humid too. Unfortunately we didn't find any more abandoned motels, but we figured out that if one was willing to sleep on hard plastic, covered by a very thin carpet, they could curl up in the boot of the car. Luckily we weren't driving a sedan, instead of the open plan SUV, or whoever had the privilege of the trunk would have run out of air sometime during the night. Being the smallest, it was most often me, the other two alternated between the backseat.
Kurt and I alternated between flirting and being awkward. Max didn't help the situation by making wildly inappropriate comments at every possible opportunity. It is difficult to be disarmingly charming when your younger brother keeps asking if he should include lube on the shopping list. I swear that boy was made to make crude comments. I suppose what with being fourteen, andwithout any parents to reprimand him, it's in his job description, right?
We were eating our way through our supplies from that first shopping trip quickly. I had them rationed tightly and it felt like we were always hungry, but they were still going fast. I knew that sometime in the near future we would have to make another stop for food.
During the next three days, I ran over no less than four zombies. Not including those I estimate we killed fifteen. I have to say I was a little disappointed. I had expected hordesof undead chasing us at every waking moment. I suppose it wasn't exactly a bad thing.
It was three days since we had left Sue and we were well into the next state, having crossed the borderat least two days ago. It was getting hotter by the hour, but I couldn't tell whether that was because we were getting closer to the equator, or the peak of summer.
It had become part of our daily routine for Max to scan the radio after we stopped for lunch. Our lunch stops always consisted of more stopping than lunch due to the diminishing pile of food, but it was a break we needed. Have you ever noticed that sitting on your ass all day is tiring?We always stopped in the middle of the day, as it was the hottest. We had long ago determined that zombies didn't like the heat so it was the safest time for us to rest. It was very rare that we would run into any trouble during this part of the day.
Whenever we decided it was time to get back on the road, which was usually no longer than half an hour after we stopped. Max would call shotgun so he could play with the radio. He had gotten it into his head that this was the way we were going to get information. I don't know why, in a world where we have the technology we do, he thought this would be the first option. I suppose it was because that was the most common thing to happen in the movies. Personally, I thought he was an idiot, but we had no phone reception and we didn't even have a computer, let alone the internet. What where the chances there would be a broadcast? Then again what are the chances there would be a zombie apocalypse?
He had been doing this for three days now. I know that doesn't seem like much, but when you are on the run and there are three of you living out of a four wheel drive, it is. It frustrated the hell out of me. There would be was constant static for at least half an hour as he tried every single possible wavelength. Whenever he did this, his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth, I dunno, to balance his concentration or something. It gave him an innocence that made it difficult to hate him, but believe me I tried.
On the fourth day, my nerves were fraying. I was about thirty seconds from telling him to shut up when the static stopped. At first I thought he had given up of his own accord, but instead of leaning back in his seat in defeat, as he usually did when he finished one of these sessions, he froze. I'm not sure why he froze, it's not like his being still was going to change anything. Then we heard it.
'Survivors...' We didn't actually hear the message the first time through. Kurt, Max and I were all too busy screaming at the sound of the voice on the radio. It was actually pretty stupid of us, considering there was every possibility the message may not have been repeated. Lucky for us it was.
'Survivors. Those of you out there, who have access to transportation, should make their way north immediately. There is help. I repeat there is help. Survivors make your way north. Help is at the following coordinates: fourteen degrees, eighteen minutes south, one hundred and thirty two degrees, twenty five minutes east. Survivors…'
The message played for another half hour, we let it run the whole time. I think I was in shock for the whole announcement. There were others out there. There was safety somewhere. Kurt had been right; we had to go north. There was help, and others, people who knew what they were doing, who would be in charge and I could just give myself over to their instructions without having to think for myself.
Somehow we managed to find an old napkin and pen and get the coordinates down. By this stage I had pulled over, I was much too worked up to be driving. Kurt had found a street directory in the back pocket of one of the car seats. Unfortunately for us, it was only a single state. As none of us knew where the coordinates lay we needed a map of the whole country.
So then, because life is never easy, particularly in a zombie apocalypse, we knew where we were going but had no idea where that was. Helpful. Super helpful.
Of course it was Max who was the one to point this out. 'So anyone know where those coordinates actually lay? I'm really hoping it's somewhere in the country. I hope it's not, like, and island or something. That would be a bitch to get to.'
Kurt and I both nodded in agreement. Yes, that would be a bitch to get to. What we needed was a map of the country. Preferably a detailed one, with coordinates. I had enough confidence in my basic geography skills that I could locate the point, but without a map we had no hope.
'But where are we going to get a map, dear brother?' After all this time Max still didn't have faith in my ability to plan.
'Well, dear brother,' Sarcasm is fun. 'We are on a highway. Often people who use highways don't know where they are going. People on highways also need to stop for fuel. Therefore places that sell fuel also sell maps.'
'Of course, petrol stations!' Kurt exclaimed, clapping his hands together and bouncing a little on in his seat. Both Max and I turned to look at him.
'Sorry. I got excited.' he said sheepishly.
'Okay, then. Let's get back on the road. Kurt, you're driving, I'm tired.' I checked our surroundings before hopping out of the car and making my way to the passenger side. As I opened the door I heard Max's hopeful voice.
'Can I drive?'
Kurt and I answered in sync. 'Hell no.'
We just kept heading north. With no idea where the coordinates lay, we followed the simpler instruction. There was no other choice, really.
We must have been heading into the tropics, because it was getting humid. We had tried to keep the air con off, as we wanted to minimize stops for fuel. But I figured if we were stopping for a map anyway, I could indulge.
Kurt and I decided to wait another day before attempting our grocery run, giving us time to plan our trip. Max wanted to dive straight in, just break into the first place we found. I think he just wanted food. Plus the further north we headed, the warmer it was, and the less zombie activity there was. I realize when I tell this story I make it seem like there was barely any of them around. This is so wrong.
The thing about zombies is they were always there. There is always that movement out of the corner of your eye. If you keep moving, they don't have enough time to realize you are fresh meat. In the car, we were basically a moving can of spam. Problem was (well, for the zombies) we moved too fast for them to realize they could eat what was inside the tin.
That's why we barely stopped. We couldn't give them the chance. It was why I hated toilet breaks. Why I couldn't sleep at night. We weren't zombie fighters. We were just a bunch of kids trying to survive.
As the sun set we pulled over into the breakdown lane, next to the highway, parking the car in the best possible position for a quick getaway. We all sat in the back of the car, legs crossed and tangled together.As the other two talked about Spartan fighting formations (something Kurt declared he had absorbed from his step-brother) I realized this was my family now. These two people, who I would, did, and had trusted my life with. I couldn't imagine life without them.
I pretended to hate Max, but really, he was my brother, no matter how deep the love was buried, it was still there.
And Kurt. What could I say? There was no more denying it, I couldn't lie to myself any longer. I loved him. This man I had known for less that a week. We basically shared a brain. I had to wonder, if that was true, did he feel the same way? Was there any possibility that maybe I could gain some happiness from the world going to shit?
Max was drawing feverishly, muttering something about phalanx formations, on the back of the napkin with the coordinates on it. Kurt looked up, the smile sliding from his face (I say face, because that's what happened when he smiled, his lips, cheeks, eyes, eyebrows, evenhis fucking forehead all smiled) when our eyes met.
Something is my face must have told him I was thinking too much because he leaned over and whispered in my ear so Max couldn't hear. Not that he was listening anyway, he had launched into a speech on the Romans now, still doodling on his napkin.
'Are you okay?' I don't know why, but this caused my breath to hitch. How could he go from humoring Max and his fighting "techniques" once second, to having such a sincere look of concern the next.
I nodded, not trusting my voice notto break.
'Okay.' He gave me significant look, one that said let me know if that ever changes, and turned his attention back to Max.
After an hour of planning we had finally agreed on a course of action. I couldn't help but think maybe we had over-planned. We hadn't really left room for anything to go wrong. But the plan was fool proof. Right?
The plan went along the basic lines that one of us would fill up the car while the other two would go into the petrol station itself and find a map. Max would be the one to fill the car, as he was second best shot and could look after himself. Kurt would accompany me into the station because he was best shot. I would look for the map because I was theworst shot. That was hard for me to admit, but it had to be done for the sake of our plan. And our lives.
The strategy was to be fast. There was no reason for us to linger, and the sooner we were moving again the better. We also hoped that we would find a place as close to the middle of the day as possible. But as we had no idea exactly where we were, we couldn't exactly plan that aspect of the mission.
I was nervous, I can't deny that. All this talk of plans and zombies and moving quickly had got me all worked up. I volunteered to take the first watch shift, as there was no way in hell I was sleeping anytime soon.
Kurt gave me another one of his significant looks as I climbed into the front seat, our designated watch post. I tried my best to give a reassuring one back as I switched my gun off safety, sat back and waited.
I only had to shoot one during the watch that night. Generally, we tried to avoid it, because it doesn't exactly aid sleep to have a constant stream of gunfire right next to your temporary bed. As such, we only kill zombies out of absolute necessity during the night.
Kurt was next to watch. He gave my shoulder a squeeze as we switched positions. As I curled up in a ball on the back seat I tried to concentrate on the warmth of his hand, rather than the constant noise of movement right outside the window.
I was sure I was going to drop the gun my hands were sweating so much. How embarrassing would that have been? I couldn't even imagine it without blushing. Kurt was driving because I was panicking too much to do so. He kept shooting me nervous glances, but I wasn't sure whether that was because he was nervous too, or he was worried about me. I decided now was not the time to dwell on that.
He pulled into the petrol station slowly, giving us all time to brace ourselves. The moment he pulled the handbrake on we were out of the car.
Max headed straight to the pump, while Kurt and I headed to the door. There were only a couple of zombies between us and our destination. We were moving fast and they hadn't really registered out existence yet, so they were easy targets. Kurt and I took out one each. Worst shot my ass.
There was another shot from behind us, but I didn't look around, there wasn't time. I just had to assume that Max had killed another. I hoped there wasn't too many of them hanging around out here. What was more pressing, however, was how many would be inside where they could hide behind counters and magazine stands.
From outside the window, I could see at least four inside. It made sense that they would stick to indoors, it was cooler there. I didn't like the fact that we were outnumbered, but I reminded myself that we were the ones with the guns, and therefore the advantage.
Kurt entered first, kicking the door open so he could keep two hands on his gun. It was the hottest thing I had ever seen, leading my mind down a totally inappropriate avenue given the current situation.He shot the first one immediately. The problem was, we had forgotten just how fast these things were when the heat didn't affect them. By the time I was inside the door, two of them were upon us. I shot one easily and Kurt aimed at the other. He missed the first time, due to the speed of the thing. We had been in the small building five minutes and made no progress towards finding the map. It was not helping my nerves at all. We got rid of the four I could see from the outside and made our way deeper into the store. It was my job to search for the maps while Kurt covered my back.
I headed to the magazines, I don't know why, seemed reasonable at the time. Besides Victoria Beckham, no zombies. But no maps either. Another shot rang out from outside. 'Kurt?' I asked, knowing he would know what I was asking.
'He's fine.'
Next stop was the touristy stuff, you know, hats and t-shirts. Before we got there, another one of the things appeared from behind the shelf. Kurt shot it from above my head. I think that was the first time in my life I have been thankful for my height. Now that the zombie was dead, I stepped over it and half jogged to a plastic shelf that contained hundreds of leaflets and different types of maps. I grabbed as many as I could, not exactly having time to sort through them and find the best one. I stood and turned around, arms full of paper.
'Go!' I shouted at Kurt, who as it turned out, was a little slow on the uptake. I guess he didn't expect me to have so many.
I pushed past him, now useless to defend either of us with my arms full, and headed to the door.
'AHHH! Shit!'
'Come on, Kurt. Stop - oh fuck.' I turned around to find Kurt face down on the ground, ankle held by a rotting hand. He twisted in the zombie's grip, kicking hisfoot in an attempt to free himself. But it wasn't enough, the thing's grasp was too strong.
'Oh shit, fuck.' I danced on my feet looking between Kurt and the maps in my arms. It felt like I took an eternity to make that decision when in reality it can't have been more than ten seconds.
Dropping everything in my hands, trying to make a neat pile as I did so, I pulled the gun out of the waistband of my shorts. I was shaking so hard that I missed the first time. Okay, maybe I was the worst shot. But I got it on the second go, and it immediately dropped Kurt's foot. He scrambled to his feet.
'Come on, let's get out of here ASAP.'
I bent down, picked up all my flyers, and we were out the door. Max was sitting at the wheel of the car, zombie bodies scattered in the surrounding area. We had agreed to let him be the getaway driver, but only because that would be fastest as he was already waiting. At the soonest possible moment, we would swap. No use surviving a zombie attack if you are killed by your little brother's driving on the getaway.
Kurt and I came sprinting out of the shop, both still shaken from the sudden turn of events. We dived into the back seat and Max had taken off before we had even shut the door. We bunny-hoppedup the road, but it was enough to put distance between us and the small crowd of zombies that had now gathered.
'So what happened?' He met my eyes in the rearview mirror.
'One of the things got Kurt.' I said through my panting.
'Dude, it didn't bite you, did it?'
'Nah,' Kurt was breathing pretty heavily himself. 'It tried it's hardest, but I am just too fabulous to be taken down by one of those disgusting things.'
'Good, cause I wouldn't want to have to shoot you in the head or anything.' I looked at Max, horrified. Whether it was because of the brutality of the statement or the image of him shooting Kurt, I couldn't tell you.
After about half an hour we switched drivers. Kurt took over as I was still too shaky, and I wasn't even the one who had been attacked by a zombie. The joint decision had been made to keep going and get as far away from the petrol station as we could. We would look at the maps when we stopped for the night.
It turned out that our overnight stop would take place a lot earlier than usual. We were all exhausted from both the physical and mental activities of the day and had mutually decided we deserved the break from travelling. I spread out our swag across the boot of the car. We had one full map of the country, and many that showed parts in detail.
I climbed over into the front seat to find the napkin with the coordinates on it. It took the three of us a good fifteen minutes to find the spot on the map.
'There.' I pointed to the place, feeling quite smug that I was the one that had found it.
Kurt looked confused, 'The Kimberly? Why would they make us go there?' The Kimberly is a national park, north west of our current location. It mostly consists of low mountain ranges and heavy bush land. There are also dry grasslands and our coordinates pointed us to the spot where they meet the mountains.
Max shrugged. 'There is not much out there, you know, human-wise. I suppose you could build something and keep it quiet. They probably had this thing ready to go.'
Max's words made me uncomfortable. Mostly because it was very possible. Going by the evidence we had gathered, and what Sue had said, this wasn't a surprise to the government. It made sense that they had some shelter or something set up. It made me wonder why they hadn't warned anyone.
'How are we ever going to find this?' I decided to focus my concern elsewhere.
'Well,' Kurt tilted his head so he could look at the map the right way. 'I suppose we get as close as we can, via the highways. From there, we wing it. If there are others heading in this direction it can't be too hard to find. I mean, they are telling people to go there, so maybe they have a lookout or something?'
I climbed into the backseat while they continued discussing the plans. Max was trying to convince Kurt to let him drive more. Thankfully, Kurt was flat out refusing.
It wasn't long before their conversation died out and Max fished his iPod out of his pocket. Sometimes I forgot he was simply a teenage boy, younger than Kurt or I, and that his favorite way to drown out the world was really loud, obnoxious music. Kurt climbed in to sit next to me. I looked at him and suddenly felt overwhelmed, the events from the day rushing back to me. I could feel tears pricking at my eyes, and he must have been able to see them too.
'Whoa, hey now. What's up?'
'Nothing,' I stuttered, quickly reaching up to brush at the tears.
He grabbed my hand and swiped his thumb along my cheek. My breath hitched at the intimacy of the act.
'What's up?' He looked at me frankly, like he really wanted to know.
'Oh god, I am so stupid.' I was so frustrated with myself for feeling all these things.
'Yeah, but that's beside the point.' He said in a joking tone. How can someone be loving, earnest and funny all within the space of five minutes?
'I- just- I was thinking about how I nearly lost you today and kinda started freaking out.' The words fell from my mouth so quickly they started to jumble into one.
Kurt let out a musical laugh, 'You can't get rid of me that easily.' I don't know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't for him to lean in and brush his lips against mine.
I closed my eyes out of instinct, feeling his warm breath mingle with my own. When I had recovered somewhat I began to move my lips with his. My tongue reached out to lick at his lips before he parted them and our tongues met. God, he tasted good; a little bit of mint, but mostly just boy, him.
It was then that I realized exactly what was happening and pulled back.
'Um, sorry.' He blushed and moved away from me. My fingers came up to touch my lips. Yep, they were still there.
'No,' My eyes flickered up to meet his, 'No, it's okay. I just- well- I guess that wasn't exactly the reaction I was expecting.'
We were both silent for a few moments letting the awkwardness wash over us. The tension was almost tangible. Then I laughed. And so did he. We lost ourselves in the laughter, forgetting where we were and what had just happened. When our laughter finally died down the embarrassment quickly rushed back to replace it.
'So…' I let the end of the sentence trail away. I didn't really know where I was going with it but I felt the need to fill the sudden silence. Kurt put his hand over mine where it was resting on my knee.
'So indeed.' He seemed a lot less uncomfortable than me. I suppose he was the one that had kissed me. 'Blaine. I- I really like you.'
I felt like there was a "but" coming.
'I don't know if we can make anything work considering the situation.' Close enough.
'But I'd like to try.' Well. There was it was, but it wasn't exactly the one I was expecting.
I didn't even think about the words. 'Me too.'
Then he swooped down and kissed me again, this time with the passion of someone who had just been given really, really good news.
The best bit of the story is always when Klaine get together.
