Time frame: February
Rating: M (for language and non-consensual contact)
Description: Let's find Nick
The following morning, the group awoke to not one, but two surprises.
A grey cat sat on the front counter of the donut shop, presenting a sleepy Ellis with two dead rabbits.
"Leningrad!" Ellis shouted, picking up the unimpressed ball of fur and cuddling it. He made a mental note to himself to ask Keith to cook the rabbits.
Also, Danny arrived at some point in the night and was awake, gawking at the rabbit carcasses.
"When did you get here?" Ellis asked, after exchanging glad-you're-alive hugs.
"About three hours ago. I got back to the zone for extra food, and I found your note on the wall for Nick. So I was heading back, but it was dark and I got lost as holy hell. But that guy you're with was outside…walking in the moonlight for some reason. I thought for sure he was one of those Hunters. Luckily I was wrong and long story short, I'm here and safe." Danny explained, pulling up his long hair.
"Is he still outside?"
Danny nodded.
Ellis stepped out the front door, scanning the woods around the small building. It wasn't long before he located the group's newest companion, emerging from the woods.
"Hey, did you find Danny?" Ellis asked.
"Kind of, yea. He was on his way here, but we ran into each other." Derek answered.
The two headed back into the donut shop.
"Why…why are there dead rabbits in here?" Derek asked, eying them in confusion.
"The cat caught them- Morning Keith, you mind doing the rabbits?" Ellis asked as his best friend emerged from the men's room.
After being brought up to speed regarding both Danny and the survival of the cat, Keith agreed without much of an argument. Cleaning rabbits with less fingers made it more difficult, but the work would at least be time-consuming.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Ellis continued his conversation where he left it before coming back to the donut shop.
"Yea, of course." Derek replied, taking a seat on the counter.
"Yesterday, you said that you had a thing, where you can find people?" Ellis started, hoping that he didn't hear incorrectly.
"Yes."
"How do you do it?"
Derek paused, as if he was trying to put what he was about to say into words that other people would be able to understand.
"After the CEDA treatments, an odd side-effect developed. Well, several odd side-effects developed but this one is useful. See, the doctors were trying to piece together a cure by injecting human beings with altered body fluids of them things. Some had really bad reactions. Some people died. I just got sicker than I've ever been. But, now my sense of smell has really improved, because the zombies can smell pretty well. It's how they find people." He explained, continuing to choose his words wisely.
"So you can do it all the time?"
Derek nodded.
"Would you… be willing to find someone for me?" Ellis asked, waiting for an answer that seemed like it took forever.
"Sure. Just tell me who I'm looking for, and it would help if I had something of his or hers. Think of it like how people get a hound to find a missing person."
"We lost a whole bunch of people after the fire. I want to find all of them that are still alive."
Derek's eyebrows pinched together, puzzled.
"I've never done a group. How about we start with one at a time, and when we find one, I'll move on to the next one."
"Deal." Ellis said excitedly.
"Great. Who is lucky number one?"
"My boyfriend, Nick." Ellis answered, completely over being shy about it.
Derek's expression changed from dubious to entertained.
"Really?" He asked, sneaking a secretive smirk at a very annoyed Keith.
"Yea. We got separated in the fire. The thing is, I don't even know if he's alive." Ellis started to explain, but trailed off. The idea that Nick may have died was too painful to face.
"We can find out. Once Coach wakes up, we'll go find your man. We should probably have as many people as we can, just in-case."
Ellis was so excited at the prospect of seeing Nick again that he didn't even ask, "in-case of what". He didn't care. He hadn't seen a zombie in over a day, and his spirits were high. He was hopeful. Maybe at the end of the day, Nick would be alive and well, beside him like he should be.
"Do you happen to have any of his possessions?"
Ellis shook his head. Sadly, he had nothing left of Nick but his memories.
"Okay, how long ago was it that you had any physical contact with him?"
"The night of the fire was the last time we...were intimate, if that's what you mean." Ellis tried desperately not to flush at the cheeks.
Derek nodded, "Yes, that's what I meant. It's worth a shot. You might still be retaining some smells that aren't yours."
"You're gonna smell me?" Ellis grinned, trying not to laugh.
"Not trying to be weird, but yeah, I'm gonna need to smell you." Derek clarified, taking a couple of steps forward.
He gave the air around Ellis a few brief sniffs, before coming in a little closer, smelling about his shoulders, before moving to his hair, not touching him at all during the process.
"Hands" Derek muttered, and as soon as Ellis raised his hands, Derek smelled around his fingers and palms before stopping.
"I think I may have it right. Pretty sure."
He almost couldn't wait to wake Coach up, who only ended up regaining consciousness early because the cat was hacking up a hairball on the floor.
"That damn cat is still around?"
As the group headed out for the day, Ellis had an extra bounce in his step.
"Hey El?" Danny motioned for Ellis to walk closer to him, while Coach hung back just a bit with Keith and Derek was weaving about in a semi-circle behind them.
"Yea?" Ellis whispered, being that the lack of volume in Danny's voice was hinting that this was something he wanted to talk privately about.
"Do you know that guy?" He asked, pointing with his eyes back at Derek.
"Yea, he was Keith's brother's friend. Why?"
"Do you happen to know if…he's into guys?" Danny was blushing.
Ellis raised an eyebrow. He looked at Danny, then back at Derek, then at Danny again.
"Don't judge me. He's a lot cuter in the daylight."
Ellis shrugged. He didn't automatically associate Derek with physical attraction, but he did admit that somewhere under the years of…whatever he was into, Derek could be a good-looking guy. At least he was when they were younger, before he got involved with CEDA. Even now, he wasn't ugly. He just looked like an average guy that was very sick.
"I don't know, really. It's worth a shot. Just ask him." Ellis smiled. He enjoyed helping people out with their romantic endeavors. He only wished he could help his buddy Keith find somebody.
"You don't think he'll get offended?" Danny seemed skeptical of everyone in the south.
"I really don't think so. The worst he can tell you is that he's straight. But he'll probably be cool about it. Do you want me to ask for you?"
"Would you, sweetie? That would be so much easier." Danny was now smiling.
"Sure I will. I'll wait until I can get him alone later."
Back several paces, Coach decides that he needs a break and calls up to the others to relax for a few minutes, taking a roll of toilet paper into the woods with him.
Goddamn it, Keith thought.
But it was too late.
While Ellis and Danny were gossiping like hens sitting on a fallen tree, Keith found himself very quickly out of eye and earshot of the both of them…unless he shouted, which would have drawn zombies to their location.
Coach faded away into the distance, and before Keith could make his way quickly to where his best friend was sitting, an unpleasant voice sounded behind him.
"Leaving so soon?" Derek asked, in that creepy rasp that his voice always seemed to do now.
Keith sighed, trying to drop the tension in his shoulders and pretend that he really was in no hurry.
"Just trying to keep up with Ellis, asshole." He answered.
"Bitterness isn't becoming of you." Derek shot back, seemingly unphased.
"I aint bitter. I just want to be as far from you and as close to other people as I can." His voice was inpatient, like he wanted to waste no time explaining it and just run.
Derek stopped where he stood, having easily caught up to his companion. He looked around the forest quickly, before his gaze returned to the now sweating man beside him.
"But you're not. You're with me, and Ellis and Coach are both very much distracted."
"And?" Keith was again trying on his brave voice, and again it didn't fit.
"And, maybe I deserve a thanks for finding your people." Derek hinted.
"Fuck you, ask Ellis to thank you. It's his boyfriend you're lookin for anyway." The redhead grunted.
Derek nodded in agreement.
"Okay, I will. I'll wait until he's not busy and-"
"Don't."
"But you told me to. Can't be givin me mixed signals." Derek's voice was getting more irritating by the second, speaking so casually that it was almost as if he really didn't have anything sinister up his sleeve.
Keith took a deep breath.
"Thank you." He whispered.
The other's eyebrows raised.
"What was that?"
"You heard me, you miserable piece of shit."
With that, Derek's friendly demeanor dropped. He went from polite annoyance to a serious and cold tone. He took a couple of firm steps forward, and in response Keith took steps backward, until he ended up backed into two trees that grew together.
"That wasn't necessary."
Keith stood still, staring into the deep vortexes that were never a normal man's eyes.
"Well in all honesty, you haven't found nothin. What the hell should I thank you for?"
"You know," Derek started, "You're right. I should just give up, because I haven't found the guy yet. Bet you'd be a-ok with that."
Keith glowered.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"I could have sworn, that it wouldn't take you this many years to convince Ellis to let you fuck him. All you have to do is say the word, and I'll fail. Nick won't ever be found and I'll make sure you're there to pick up the pieces-"
"That's sick." Keith never thought he'd pass up an opportunity to be with Ellis. But that was the past. Ellis was happy with Nick, and Keith had Jared… if he was alive.
"I'm a sick man."
"You're full of shit. I bet you can't find him-"
"I already know where he is." Derek replied.
Keith's mind was racing.
"Well then…why the hell haven't we gone to get him?"
"I was going to, til you decided to be a big bitch." Derek traced one fingertip on the stitching of Keith's sleeve, only to have his hand slapped away.
"Stop. Just find Nick."
"Kiss me." Derek was close enough now to where Keith could have done it if he wasn't reeling with disgust.
"Fuck you."
"That too, if you want."
Keith attempted to move around the tree trunk, but each attempt at bolting seemed to already be stopped. Derek knew every move he was going to make.
The redhead's breathing became faster, and his heart was beating in his head. Panic was setting in and he needed to leave or draw attention to himself right now.
"You said you wouldn't…wouldn't…" Keith panted, unable to complete his sentence.
"And I won't, but that doesn't mean I don't still want you."
The younger man now broke into a fit of shivers, and it was as if that incident played over again. It wasn't the same woods, it was just the two of them, and it was daytime. But in Keith's mind, it was the same woods his memory would never escape from.
"This is your choice. And to be nice, I'll make it easy on you. You either stand there and let me kiss you, or I decide that I can't find Nick. He either lives, or he dies, and that's up to you. I can find him, I swear. If you do this one little thing for me, I promise I'll get Nick back alive by nightfall and nobody will be any the wiser."
Keith let out a shuddering breath.
On one end, he could be through with this entire ordeal, if he just said no. There would be no more Nick, but would it really be his fault? No, it would be Derek's for refusing to locate him.
But would Ellis see it that way?
Would he be as forgiving if he knew that Nick never came back because of him? Not because of him, but nobody would ever believe that it wasn't Keith's fault.
Everyone was already such a fan of this freak, and Keith had his past feelings for Ellis stacked against him. All the jealous shit he pulled in the past to turn Ellis against Nick would come up in the conversation. Ellis would have his mind made up. It would be Keith's fault and watching his best friend lose the love of his life was just a pain he couldn't take.
Plus, Keith actually liked Nick. He didn't want the guy to die. Even if it really wasn't his fault, how was he going to let a man die?
And if he ran to the others and told, would any of them believe him? Would Derek be able to spin some sort of story to where Keith looked like the fucked up pervert instead? He'd seen that before. Derek was a master at getting people to follow him.
"You can either punch me in the face, or you can just close your eyes and let this happen."
Keith loosened his clenched fists, pressing his back into the tree. He pinched his eyes closed tight, willing himself not to cry again, even though he felt like he was having a heart attack, like he was stepping into a nightmare.
He felt those same cold hands gently cup his face, and his breath hitched momentarily before rushing in and out as fast as he could make himself breath.
"It's alright." Derek whispered, leaning in to cover Keith's quivering lips with his own, confident as ever.
As he kissed, he coaxed as well, deepening their contact without the participation of the other party.
Keith's remaining fingers dug into the tree bark as Derek pinned him between the solid wood and his body.
As Derek worked his lips into parting, Keith noted to himself how very strange the inside of the other's mouth tasted. It was clean, like some sort of household chemical, but it tingled with it came into contact with his lips. It felt…inhuman. The taste clouded his senses to where he barely registered a long black tongue slipping into his mouth.
As much as he hated this, what was almost a soft moan forced its way out of his throat, and Derek smiled against his lips, letting his arms drop about the redhead's waist. He pressed even closer, feeling Keith's body reacting to his touch.
His mouth continued to drop, leaving Keith's lips and going at his neck, nipping and sucking the flesh he could get to around the younger man's coat. Derek's mouth working at his skin was rough enough to almost hurt, but that tingling sensation continued to spread, pooling just under his heart.
Keith's legs felt cold and heavy as fingers began sliding the zipper down on his coat.
Coming back to his senses, he broke off.
"No more." He panted. "You said just one kiss."
Derek put his hands up in surrender.
"You're right, you're right. I'll stop."
The younger man dropped his gaze to the forest floor, cheeks burning with shame. He felt hot and incredibly uncomfortable. His heart continued to pound while he worked on steadying his breathing. His lower belly felt tight and tingly, and his head was spinning like he'd been funneling down beers.
"Take a minute to compose yourself, and let's go find this Nick guy." Derek soothed, personality making a 180 as he gave the mechanic a gentle pat on the arm, before heading back up the trail.
"Better hurry. Dead people tend to be where I'm not."
I decided to release this chapter today aswell, being that I was done with it. I wanted to wait for a week, but why not? Sorry for the dark turn this has taken, it will get back to being more positive at some point.