They couldn't see the sun through the treetops, and they weren't sure if they ran in a straight line. All they knew was that they couldn't go back the way they came. West was lost, until they could get above the trees to see the sun. For convenience, they decided to follow the gravel road. It had to lead somewhere, and maybe Adrienne's camp was at the end of it.

As they walked, the sky grew darker with clouds. Even still, Alex couldn't be happier. He and Thomas were alive; God had answered his prayers. And his son was out there, somewhere. He just had to find him.

"Pip, Angie, and Eliza were all at her father's house when this all started." Alex told Thomas as they walked. "It was a family reunion, of sorts. Her siblings were there too. If one of them is alive, they all are."

Thomas made a noise in the back of his throat. "I mean, hopefully."
"You've never seen Eliza when she's mad." Alex told him, "She can be pretty terrifying. They all can, actually. The Schuyler siblings are a force to be reckoned with."

"There's three of them, right?" Thomas asked, putting his hands in his pockets. "Eliza, a brother, and a sister?"

"Pegs isn't a boy. They're nonbinary." Alex explained, "They don't identify as a man or woman; and they use they/them pronouns."

Thomas pursed his lips, frowning slightly. "And that's another gay thing, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a gay thing." Alex snorted, "Is that a problem?"

"No, I'll just need to practice." He said, looking at him. Alex smiled, pleased with Thomas' growth. Alex used to think that he was just a homophobic southerner, but now he was comfortable with cuddling with Alex and discussing LGBT rights. He genuinely seemed interested, like he wanted to learn what Alex told him.

Thomas cleared his throat and asked, "Um, are you excited to see Eliza again?"

Alex sighed happily, looking up at the dark clouds, "I can't wait. I thought she was gone, but she's not. I miss her so much. I just want to hold her, you know?"

Thomas was quiet, and Alex glanced at him. There was a somberness to his expression; but he gave Alex a small closed-mouth smile. Alex' heart sank as he realized the other man was probably thinking about his late wife. He sighed and kicked some gravil. Maybe he shouldn't talk about Eliza too much. It felt like he was rubbing it in.

"So, how long have you known Adrienne?" He asked, hoping to cheer Thomas up.

"Oh, all my life, basically. Most of my family is from France, and we visited several times a year. Adrienne was always with my cousin. Their dads worked together. I think she and Gil were going to have an arranged marriage, but that was before he came out."

Alex raised an eyebrow, "You have a gay cousin but you didn't understand bisexuality?"

"We didn't talk about it much." Thomas muttered, his cheeks darkening slightly. He sighed and glanced around. "We've been walking forever."

Alex looked behind him and he couldn't even tell where they had come out of the forest. They left a trail in the snow with their footprints, which disappeared in the distance. He became aware of his body then; everything hurt. He was sore and his feet were throbbing. His period hadn't lasted longer than a day and a half; but his stomach still cramped from hunger. Alex could only hope that they'd find shelter soon.

"How many people do you think are in this forest?" Alex asked. "Why'd they all gather here?"

Thomas shrugged, "Guess they all ran the same direction." He paused, then answered, "Gotta be at least ten."

"Helpful." Alex said, nudging him gently. Thomas gave him a weak smile, but he stumbled from the push. Alex reached out to help steady him, worry growing in his chest. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Thomas said, although he sounded a little breathless. Almost on cue, he sneezed. Alex's eyes widened, and Thomas shook his head. He repeated, "I'm fine, Alex. It's just cold as shit and I'm tired."

"Okay." Alex said slowly. "Let's keep moving."

They followed the road until the sky grew dark. It had started snowing, light at first and then heavier. Alex had to lift his feet higher and higher the more they walked, until they were trudging through a foot of snow. His teeth were chattering, and his toes hurt from how cold they were. Their movements were slow, their march neverending. The wind picked up, and Alex was panting from the effort to stay upright and walking. They had stopped talking, unable to spare the energy.

Over the whistling wind, Alex heard a sudden thunk. He turned and saw Thomas a few feet behind him. When did he stop walking? He was on the ground, and Alex's heart dropped. He scrambled to Thomas' side, his hands shaking.

"Thomas?" He shook the man, his hands on his back. "Thomas, get up!"

His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing. Alex could feel his back moving shallowly up and down. He pressed a hand to his forehead, but he couldn't tell the difference between the coldness of his fingers and the coldness in Thomas.

"Thomas, can you hear me?" He asked, but the man didn't respond. Alex looked around and cussed, realizing that they had to get out of the cold. He slipped the gun around Thomas' shoulder and then lifted him with all his might. He pushed the dead weight of the other man until he was able to wiggle under him, successfully maneuvering him onto his back.

Thomas' arms hung over his shoulders, and the gun kept hitting his side. He struggled under his weight, but forced himself to move forward. Step by step, he slowly trudged through the snow. His breathing became labored, but he couldn't stop.

If he stopped now, they would both die.

He could feel Thomas' body shivering violently against his back, and that only made him more determined. They just escaped a zombie colosseum, they couldn't let weather be their end. Alex kept moving forward.

Eventually, he saw a building in the distance. He tried to pick up his pace, now that he had a destination in sight. It was a small, one-story house. It could have belonged to a forest ranger, or maybe just a recluse. Either way, he was thankful. He needed to get Thomas somewhere warm.

It took far too long to reach the house, by the time Alex pushed them up onto the front porch, his legs were shaking from effort.

The front door was open, and Alex could see the inside had been raided. Any furniture in there was ripped apart by people or animals. He could see feces and mud on the floor. It would have to do; they didn't have the luxury to find a better place.

He carried Thomas into the house and searched for a bed. The couch in the front room was trashed; no one could lay down on it comfortably. Thankfully, Alex found the bedroom, which was mostly intact. The mattress and bedframe seemed sturdy, but the blankets were taken from it. He laid Thomas down on the mattress and checked him. His breathing was still slow, and his eyes closed. Alex set the gun down beside the bed and blew air on his hands; trying to warm them. The house wasn't much warmer than the outside; but it provided protection from the wind and snow.

Alex needed to find blankets. He left Thomas and moved through the house as quickly as he could. He searched under the bed and in closets, trying to find anything to help them. He found towels in the bathroom and a closet full of clothes. He grabbed those and brought them to Thomas before he searched once more. Finally, he found a thick quilt at the top of the closet in the hall.

He ran back to Thomas and got to work. He pulled off Thomas shoes and socks, then his pants. He struggled to get dry sweatpants on him, and then wool socks. The clothes didn't fit that well, but it was better than his freezing, wet clothes. He did the same with his shirt, pulling a sweater over him. Then he wrapped him in the quilt, and changed his own clothes.

He closed the bedroom door and locked it, then put the towels over the windows to block out the draft. With all that settled, he climbed into bed with Thomas, under the blanket. He pressed himself against Thomas' side, slipping his hands under his sweater. He hoped their body heat would be enough to save them.

They shivered together in silence, Alex's face hidden in the crook of Thomas' shoulder and his neck. He desperately wished and prayed for Thomas to warm up. Eventually, against his own will, he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Alex awoke with a start, his body on edge and restless. He was still pressed flush against Thomas; unwilling to leave him even in his sleep. He felt warmer himself, so he hoped Thomas had thawed. He moved slowly, his body stiff and sore from their journey. He pushed himself up on his elbows and inspected Thomas.

His breathing was deeper now, more even and strong. That was a good sign, right? Alex pressed his ear against his chest to listen to his heart. It sounded healthy, and that discovery made Alex relax.

He leaned up and kissed Thomas' cheek, and brushed his hair gently. "Please, please be okay."

Thomas shifted, the first movement he's made in hours, and Alex held his breath. Thomas turned his head and sneezed, then groaned and his eyes flickered open. He squinted at the wall in front of him, before slowly moving to look at Alex.

Alex couldn't help the wave of emotion washing over him. He clung to Thomas in a tight hug, tears dripping down his face. Thomas' arm loosely wrapped around him. He mumbled in a slurred voice, "G'morin' han'some."

"I thought you died." Alex whispered, his body shaking as he pressed even closer to him. "I-I thought-"

"Shh…" Thomas mumbled, weakly pulling him closer. "'M tired."

"You collapsed in the snow-" Alex said, shaking his head. "You had hypothermia."

"It's cold…" Thomas whined, snuggling against Alex. He turned to his side and curled around Alex, like he was a teddy bear. "Yer warm."

He didn't seem to be listening to Alex. Or maybe he couldn't understand him. Maybe he was still too cold. Alex didn't know what to do except to keep him warm. Thomas sneezed again, and Alex could feel a shiver run through his body.

"I love you so much." Alex whispered, hiding his face in Thomas' chest.

Thomas hummed, a happy noise; like he didn't have a care in the world. "Me too."

Alex felt a kiss pressed against his forehead, and he sighed in Thomas' embrace. In this moment he allowed himself to relax; to be vulnerable and calm. The snow hadn't stopped outside, the wind howling against the walls. He knew the world was falling to shit around them; but in here, he was safe. He was warm. He was with Thomas.

Right now, that's all he needed.

Tell me what you think!