Talker – Chapter Twenty: Just an Innocent Chat

Author's note: Uh oh, did I scare off my readers? Eek! Anywhosit, things are starting to…uh…happen? This story is well on its way. Offline, it's almost finished. Enjoy.

"Well you can imagine, I was pretty pissed. Probably more pissed than I'd ever been at anyone." Tyler relayed, throwing out his hands as though to convey his mentioned rage through them. "I felt like I'd spent the night in a cement mixer, and I guess I looked about as good. So by the time I got to his door, I was livid. I mean seething like a rodeo bull. I pounded on his door," he cleared his throat, surpressing a chuckle. "and I just punched him in the mouth, soon as he opened it."

"You hit him?" Ana laughed, by this point very into his tale. He nodded fervorantly.

"After that, I let him have it. I just lay into the guy. I was screaming so loud that I ran myself hoarse, and man, he was just laughing his head off the whole damn time. I thought I was gonna reach out and strangle him right there."

"Well what did you end up doing?" she asked jovially.

Tyler was laughing himself at the memory, a hand on his head. "Cody, that bastard. He just laughs until tears are soaking his shirt and asks—yeah, he has the nerve to ask 'What the hell are you so angry for?'. And I said, 'What the hell am I angry for? You wanna know what the hell I'm angry for? I'm angry because there's a fucking tattoo of a butterfly on my ass, dipshit!'!"

Ana put a hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle a wild fit of laughter that hit her as her eyes widened in shock, doubling over where she sat slightly and shaking her head. "Oh…my…God…you have…? You mean…?"

"Yeah, laugh it up." Tyler said in mock-annoyance. "That's right. I do."

"Oh God, that's…awful!" she continued to erupt into snickers at his expense.

"Hey hey hey, come on! It's black, it's a-a manly butterfly!" he grinned and slapped a hand over his face.

"I-I'm sure it is, it-" she tried, choking on her own laughter.

"Like you've never been plastered enough..." He shook his head, still laughing.

"I guess there was one night," she tried to compose hereself. "I went out for a few drinks with some co-workers. Only it wasn't really a few. And it wasn't really night by the time we were done. I must've tried my key in every single car in that parking lot before I realized that I was parked across the street…but at least I don't have a personal everyday reminder on my-"

"Okay, okay." He buried his head in his hands. "Why do I tell people that story, God, it's so embarassing." 

"I don't know, but I'm glad you did. Jeez, do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for something to make fun of you for?" Ana prodded, lightly punching his shoulder.

"Great. Now I'm gonna have to find something on you…" he said deviously as he watched a scattered collection of sand crabs that had edged gradually towards them. They were making their way to the shore, wherein they would submerge themselves beneath the sand under the rolling tide.

"I've done plenty of stupid things." She replied, not meaning to sound quite so suddenly serious about that.

"Well I doubt that." He took a side glance at her. "You've about got the most level head of anyone I've ever met."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Thanks, but I don't know how much it's helped."

"It sure as hell's helped me." He looked down. "Otherwise I'd've either bled to death or gotten my head blown off from the start."

They could both feel the mood shift into darkness. How did it always seem to come to that?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that…" Tyler said with a weak half-smile. "To uh…say it like that. Thanks, was all I meant. For what you've done for me."

She felt a definate pang of guilt at that. She just couldn't help it. They hadn't exactly treated him well in her opinion, brushing him off, watching him from a distance, leading him into a zombie infested area while he was sick and injured. They hadn't really treated him like he was…one of them. And suddenly she felt horrible, compelled to try and apologize, but knowing it would be in vain. Here he sat thanking her. "It's okay." She shrugged.

They sat silently for a long while after that, gazing alternately to the darkened sky and the ocean in a sort of calm that had come upon them secretively. The silence was ironically a nerve-wracking tranquility to them.

"So I guess this island is ours now." Ana said, that thought making her feel funny. Well technically it was theirs now, wasn't it? Who else was left to own it besides the dead?

"I guess so…" Tyler agreed after a moment of consideration.

She laughed silently and closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. "So what would you call this island? I mean it's ours. We can name it."

"And I get naming rights?" he cocked his head to a side.

"Why not?"

"Hm…" he looked out at the ocean again and narrowed his eyes, letting his vision fall unfocused with the thought of this opportunity. "Then I shall call the island 'Tyler'."

A rough snort was all that came from Ana, a mirthful semi-chortle that marked her surprise. "Gee, I thought you'd be a bit more creative."

"No, it's a good name for an island. And I'll be the ruler of Tyler." He nodded.

"Oh really? And what am I?" she absently picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through her fingers. "Your servant?"

"Well you can co-rule Tyler." He decided. "I'd be a good ruler. Cultivate the land, create world peace, make tax cuts, you know."

"Co-ruler? And what exactly does that entitle me to?"

"You get to be the ruler when I'm indisposed or…have to use the bathroom or something." He explained.

"Oh yes, I can see that." She said jokingly, eying a crab that was making its merry way onto Tyler's shoe.

Tyler noticed it as well, leaning forward and picking it off to let the small creature rest amongst his fingers as he brought it up closer. "You, you shall spread the word of my takeover and-ow-" the crab responded by nipping his skin with a claw, upon which he furrowed his brow in disappointment. "Hey. How dare you defy the king of this island."

Ana bit back another chuckle and lifted her head. "Oh so it's 'king' now?"

"Why not?" he set the crab back down and rubbed the nicked spot on his hand. "Didn't I tell you? That's what I wanted to be when I was five."

"A king?" she mocked.

"Yeah. Why? What did you want to be?"

She paused before letting a breath push the stray blonde hair from her face. "…a doctor."

They both looked at one another and laughed for a minute before Tyler muttered and shook his head. "You see? If you made it, why can't I?"

Ana smiled again and looked back to the easing tide pushing up against the shoreline. "Okay, Tyler. You can be the king of this island."

"I thought you'd see things my way." He proudly sat up straight and surveyed his new island. "The first thing I'm gonna do is put up an eviction notice."

"Good luck with that."

"Hey, you're gonna be helping me, right? I mean, you are sitting on Tyler after all."

She scoffed and shoved him slightly. "Oh really? Well maybe I'll just make some construction of my own on Tyler."

"Wha-? Hey!" he squawked as she dumped a handful of sand onto his head.

"I'm building you a castle, your highness." She quipped, reaching for another.

"Oh-ho, you'd better watch what you're doing, I know where you sleep." He shook his head roughly, letting he sand fall between his legs.

"I don't know, Ty, it looks to me like there's a revolt already." She pointed to the gathering of crabs that was sinking into the sand near the ocean tide. "They're abandoning you."

"Cowards!" he called out. He then turned to Ana with a small shrug. "They'll be back."

"Maybe." She said as she looked at him. "Then again, they're crabs, they might already have a king."

"Hm." He sighed.

"I don't know how much the others are gonna like the name of this island." She said, reaching up to ruffle the sand out of his hair.

"Yeah. They'll probably wanna name it something good. Damn them." He gave her a genuine smile as she looked back to him, her hand falling down onto his shoulder. "But…that's okay…" his smile faded.

"They'll just have to live with it as is, I guess." She paused. "One more thing to get used to."

"I don't know, I think they're still getting used to me." He shifted.

Ana sombered, her expression softening. "…Tyler…" she tried to think of what she was supposed to say here. She couldn't apologize, he wouldn't understand. She couldn't tell him he was wrong, he wasn't. She knew the group didn't have any animousity towards him but…where had he ever had the opportunity to learn that?

"I-I didn't mean that like it sounded…what I mean is…I'm getting to know you guys. You accept me…even if I'm infected."

She grimaced, her fingers pressing into his shoulder. "Damn it, Tyler…you're a man, you still know that, don't you?"

"Yes…" he looked down for a while before returning to her. "…It's just that…I'm one of them, too. You know that."

"No you're not." She place her other hand on his wrist.

He forced his eyes to meet hers, eyes that he knew were not human. But she didn't falter as he may have expected. She only looked at him with that familiar mix of sorrow and sympathy and gently lifted a hand to touch the side of his face… He dipped down timidly and slowly, initiating a light kiss. Ana was frozen for a good long moment, shock tingling up her spine and inhibiting movement—until she was eventually acting without realizing it. Her hand released his arm in favor of his chest, lips parting just slightly to accept more of his contact while the other hand gripped his shoulder harder. He was offering a maddening kind of warmth that was unfamiliar from what she knew, not the lustful heat of passion or the raw friction of a human body. She wanted to embrace him, to kiss him deeper, but her panic was steadily kicking in instead. She quickly shoved away from him, panting lightly with a bewildered expression.

Tyler reeled, stumbling back from her. "Ana…Ana, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't've done that…" he desperately apologized.

She stood to her feet, a torrent of wild emotions stabbing her at all sides. "No…I…I have to go." She choked. Visions, memories, feelings, all rushing mercilessly up to meet her at once as she turned from him and quickly departed the scene.

"Ana-" Tyler called shakily. "God, I'm so sorry…" he wanted to go after her…to tell her he hadn't meant to. To apologize. But he'd already hurt her, he wouldn't be able to take it if he made things worse. "Such a fucking idiot!" he said to himself, pushing his head back down into his hands. What the hell is wrong with you, Kawazumi? What the hell is wrong?…

Author's note: Damn. And it started out so happy, huh? Oh well. Will have more soon.