A/N: Okay! Here is the next drabble! Admittedly, this is more angst/romance than horror. But I just couldn't make it scary. But this is what this challenge is for; for me to hone my craft and get better at writing. What I really hope to gain from this is a better way to express emotion in ways that is a bit difficult for me. I'm not used to writing serious fics; most of what I write is usually light, and funny.
Anyway, thank you CM for beta'ing! 8D
Sorry, I don't know your username. So I used your initials. ;u;
Word Count: 7,513.
Disclaimer: I don't own teen titans. I just use the characters for play.
Enjoy!
WARNING: Will contain character death, gore and sex. If that's not your thing, then don't read it! 8D
Zombies
Robin bit the inside of his cheek when he felt the cool sting of rubbing Alcohol being poured onto the open wound on his left leg. He didn't want to look at it, he couldn't. Looking at it would've just made it all the more real to him. But it's not like there was anything he could do about it, for a moment he had contemplated cutting the appendage off in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the wound, but there was no use in disabling himself. He had to face facts, and the look in Slade's lone piercing blue eye was enough to make his blood run cold.
He had been bitten by them, and it was only a matter of time before he began to hunger for flesh like they did, and wander the streets looking for food like they did as nothing but a mindless, walking dead; a zombie.
"Robin…" Slade said pressing an alcohol soaked cloth to the bite. It wasn't as if would make a difference. Slade had seen what just a simple scratch from those things could do. He didn't know how long the boy wonder would have before the fever set in and his heart stopped. But that didn't mean he wouldn't do whatever he could to help him.
"I know Slade," Robin whimpered, flinching when the older man lifted the cloth to look at the damage. Even when cleaned, it looked raw and red around the puncture wounds, blackened in between the teeth marks. "I was fucking stupid. I can't believe I got so cocky. What the hell was I thinking—"
"You did what you thought was necessary. You were trying to get some supplies and didn't see their numbers growing." Slade said calmly, his eye shifting to look at Robin's face. The boy's mask was gone; his usual red and green uniform had been exchanged for something more practical and less bright. His hair had gotten a bit longer, shaggy in appearance, his shirt red, but darker in color with long sleeves and thick, hard padding along his forearms. His steel sole boots made it easier to kick those monsters heads in, and where one of his shin guards had been, wrapped around black cargo pants was the torn piece of cloth and the infected bite-mark.
"But I got careless! I should've seen them come from behind…I should've just left when I had the chance and now look at me! Look at the mess I've gotten myself into." He said the last sentence softly, finally moving his head to look at the wound. Robin cringed, bending his leg up slightly to see it better. After a few seconds his expression changed from one of pain to that of startling comprehension.
He had been bit…he was going to become one of them. His breath hitched, fingers curling around the fabric of his pants. "Oh god…"
Unable to hold the panic in, he let out a small sob, head falling forward onto his knee. Ignoring the pain, he let the tears fall. He was really in trouble now. How long did he think he could go about the streets without a care? All those times he had blown their brains out from a safe distance, and those moments when he let them get close...
Slade wasn't sure how to console the teen. It was strange to see him like this; afraid, hurt, vulnerable. He didn't like it. And as much as he rarely admitted it to himself, he had grown to see the boy differently. The last few weeks they had been together, fighting off hordes of the dead, breaking their jaws and decapitating them had forced them to grow in ways they didn't think was possible. When things started really getting bad and police began shooting those who had been in contact with the walking dead in the hospitals, Slade had called a truce with the Titans. He thought he would have a better chance with them than by himself. But all too soon the Justice League became over run with them. Batman being one of the first to succumb to literally hundreds of them breaking down the gates of Wayne Manor. That had been particularly painful for Robin. But it was when the number of his teammates dwindled that the teen had to do everything he could to keep himself from losing his sanity.
Starfire had been urged by him and the rest of her teammates back to her home planet, Raven retreated to Azarath, and Beast boy…
The green-skinned Titan went on to fight with them. And during a rather hard retrieval mission, he had gotten caught by them, and it seemed that no matter what size he took those things were still able to bring him down. Robin could still hear his screams echoing throughout the city, bringing more to their location. It was because of Beast Boy that he was able to escape, but not before Slade dragged him to his feet. Cyborg had been forced shut down, unable to sustain himself without the proper means and still keep the Tower functioning. And Robin, left with no one else found comfort in Slade's indifference. The man didn't seem to let any of what was happening outside slow him down. He went out, grabbed what was needed, and came back, still whole and with bits of rotting flesh stuck to his armor.
"Robin," Slade said, his voice soft but demanding. "Look at me."
It was hard for Robin to lift his head, and when his eyes locked with Slade's the panic was evident. There was no use in hiding it, and he didn't want too. "S-Slade…I don't want to turn into them. I don't want to be like that, I—I…" He paused, trying to swallow down the lump in his throat.
"Stop it! I will not let you go down this road. Not with me around. Calm down and listen to me." Letting out a breath from his nose, Slade gave him a small smile and reached out to cup Robin's cheek, surprising him. "I have something to show you."
Robin watched the man get up from the floor, the light from the setting sun seeping through the boarded windows, allowing him to see Slade clearly. Maybe it was the infection that was pumping through his blood stream, maybe it was the fact that Slade had been the only other person he had been in such close quarters with, but try as he might to come up with an explanation, he couldn't deny the fact that he was very handsome. Boyish good-looks with a square jaw, white hair and a goatee, with an eye patch over his right eye adding to his mysterious yet alluring and dangerous appearance. Just like Robin, Slade didn't see a reason for the mask any more. The world had gone to hell a while ago, and they both doubted that whatever remaining survivors they found would care who they were if they recognized them.
Robin hesitated for a moment, and when Slade took his hand he couldn't help but blush. He winced when he was brought to his feet, squirming a bit when Slade helped him stand and kept the pressure off his wounded leg.
"What is it?" Robin asked, a bit embarrassed but grateful for Slade's assistance. It didn't even bother him to have Slade touch him anymore. After everything they had already been through, they had no one else but themselves to rely on if either one of them got hurt trying to get food or medical supplies.
"You'll see." Slade said as he led him through Titans Tower.
The Tower itself looking nothing like it used to with broken glass and toppled furniture littering the floors. Whatever power they had was saved only for the night, the rest of the day had them in mostly darkness. The light from cracks between the boarded up windows the only thing that allowed them to see what they were doing; it would've been almost romantic if it weren't for the hungry walkers outside. It didn't matter what hour of the day it was, it didn't matter that they were a few miles off the coast on this small island, those things still found a way to get to them. Most making their way across the broken bridge the Titans had placed to help shelter those who needed it.
Even now he could hear their nails scrapping across the wood that blocked the windows, their grunts, groans, and constant wheezing and screams that came from them as they tried to look for a way in was what had Robin reaching out to grip Slade's blanket at night.
They no longer slept in separate rooms. It was after his teammates had gone that Robin found he couldn't stand the quiet of his bedroom alone. It had startled him when Slade had agreed to sleep in the room with him, and it startled him more when the man allowed the boy the peacefulness he took from just the simple touch of the man's blankets in his hand.
As Slade guided him carefully through the halls, making sure to take care not to bump into anything, Robin leaned in, capturing the scent of Slade's uniform. He smelled faintly of the earth and old blood. And for a moment he wasn't sure if Slade had noticed the movement, but if he had, he didn't really care. Robin didn't think he was going to be of sound mind for long anyway, he might as well let himself these simple pleasures.
Once they were in the basement, the sound of airy grunts and moans ceased. The basement being the only place in the Tower that was completely sound proof, it was also the only place that they allowed to be fully powered during the day. It made it easier for the two of them to check the city and the surrounding grounds to see if it was safe enough to leave.
The screens flickered to life as they entered the room, causing Robin to squint to see. He had forgotten how bright it could be, and scowled when Slade chuckled.
"Are the lights too bright for you?" He asked, smirking down at him.
"Yes. But I've also been hiding in the dark for the last couple weeks; so you can you blame me?"
Slade raised a brow at that and sat him down at in front of the security monitors, ignoring the images of those things walking along the streets or munching on the body of some poor soul that had ventured out. None of them were human any more, skin gray and rotting, darkened by decay with missing limbs and body parts. Red eyes stared unfocused at the barricades that kept them out of the tower, trying to get in. Slade knew he would drive himself insane if he stared at them long enough, so he decided to spend his time doing more productive things.
"What are we doing here Slade?" Robin asked eying the screens warily; less unnerved by the vast amounts of dead bodies he had seen as he scoured the city streets. He didn't bat at an eye at their grotesque appearance anymore. He had gotten used to it, a fact that once shook him to his very core.
"Over the weeks I have been experimenting on ways to help combat this infection. I had come close a few times, but I'm not what you would call, 'scientifically savvy.'" He said as he began to pull out different little tubes and beakers from the small fridge in the corner of the room. "No, my talents are better suited for killing and espionage." Slade said with a quirk of his lips as he set up what looked to be some sort of makeshift chemistry set. Most of the things he had been using were taken from the medical ward and garage. Robin could recognize some of the chemicals and equipment he pulled out, most belonged to Cyborg's own high tech creations, others looked to have been obtained through other means, presumably from the Center of Disease Control that they had deep in the city.
"How did you get all of this?" Robin asked motioning to the small set up Slade had going. "I thought the CDC was destroyed for defensive purposes. "
Slade nodded. "Yes. It was. These are things I had gotten from a source I had outside the city. Before things started getting bad, an acquaintance of mine who worked for the CDC in Scholomaze City gave me these samples and whatever else he thought would fight off the infection. Unfortunately he-"
Slade had been interrupted by the power suddenly going out, leaving the two in complete darkness for a second before the blaring sound of alarms rang throughout the building, causing Robin to jump into action. Out of habit he quickly stood, but buckled under the burning pain that ran up his leg and a wave of dizziness that caused his eyes to roll to the back of his head. Taking hold of the arm rest, he was barely able to catch himself before he fell.
"Fuck!" He spat, blinking a few times, trying to get rid of the stars that danced in the corners of his vision. Taking a second to glance at his wound, he had to breathe slowly out from his nose to keep himself from vomiting. The wound had begun to swell, pus bubbled up from the teeth marks, coating his blood soaked pant leg with the sickening yellowish fluid.
Shit…it's getting worse. It's getting worse-!
"Warning, warning, Tower's front entrance gates have been compromised. Warning, front gates have been compromised."
Eyes widening, Robin ducked slightly when the lights came back on, and immediately looked at the monitors. What he saw shocked him, as hundreds of those walking dead came flooding through the barricade. In a few moments they would be at the front door, and they didn't have the means to properly defend themselves. The entire tower was being run by backup generators, and even those were running low. If they tried to use anything to push those things back, it would mean losing whatever little power they had left, and they only had a couple weeks at best before they were left in the dark.
"Relax," Slade said calmly, pointing at the monitor that held a wide shot of the entrance. "I had a plan if this were to happen."
Just as the mob of rotting, crawling corpses made their way up the hill, a cluster of explosions were heard. Unable to see past the smoke, all Robin really could make out were the screams and entrails that splattered the pavement. More bombs went off as others tried to move past, but even then Robin didn't know how long they would have before they made it all the way up and were forced to move.
"S-Slade…" Robin whimpered, but the expression on the mercenary's face had him pressing his lips together in a stubborn line. He was the leader of the Teen Titans. He had been trained by Batman himself. He was better than this; he wouldn't let what looked to be a hopeless situation get the better of him. With a small release of breath, he did his best to calm his nerves before he quickly got himself back into the chair and wheeled his way to one of the other computers.
"You said that you were looking for a way to stop this infection?" Robin asked as he turned on the large machine, smiling a bit when the Teen Titans logo appeared on the screen.
"Yes. Like I was saying, unfortunately, he had committed suicide before he had a chance to complete it, losing his mind when his entire family had been taken away by them. Thankfully, he gave me everything I needed before that. All he was really missing was a fresh sample of brain matter from one of these…things." He said with a disgusted sneer, but smirked as he picked up one of the petri dishes from the counter. "I was able to get my hands on it from someone who had been infected for quite some time and were beginning to show signs of change."
Robin stilled and turned his gaze to the man beside him in disbelief. "You…you killed someone for this?"
Slade's smirk widened as he poured the contents from one of the smaller test tubes into the dish before pouring it into a large beaker. "Hardly, the man was already mostly gone before I got to him. He was just coherent enough to ask if I could put a bullet through his head before he was brought back and turned into one of those things. Who am I to deny a dying man his last wish?" He said, pulling out a lighter from one of his pockets and taking the metal piece off the top, quickly readjusting the flame control before placing the metal piece back on.
Robin didn't have time to think about that comment, nor did he want too. Instead, he turned his attention back to what he was doing and with a few swift commands into the computer, he grinned. "I got the sub ship working; looks like there aren't any floaters in the water, either." Robin said, wiping the sweat that started to build from his brow. He could feel the fever beginning, and grimaced at the popping sensation he felt from the open wound.
"Good," Slade said, warming the beaker with the large flame that erupted from the modified lighter. Slade could still hear the bombs going off, and one quick glimpse at the monitor told him they had only a few moments before they started trying to break down the front door, and forcing their way in through the windows. He didn't know how long the power generators would hold up if he attempted to start the defense systems, but one thing was for certain, they couldn't stay there. Sooner or later they would make their way in, and without a means of escaping from the roof, the water was their only option.
Eyes moving to Robin, Slade furrowed his brows. He could tell the infection was trying to take hold of his young body. He imagined that Robin would try and keep it at bay by sheer force of will, but it would only be a matter of time before that will was broken and he became another flesh-eating beast.
"…Slade..?" Robin called softly, lying against the back rest. His head was down and his hands were folded in his lap. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
Robin was quiet for a moment, fingers clinching tightly together. "If…I mean, that is to say—"He paused and bit his lip.
Lifting his head, he looked at the man, and Slade could see the fear in his bright blue eyes. It sickened him to no end, and he wished there was a way he could take that away from him. He wished he could see that carefree smile of his in those eyes again, the hardened resolve that they showed when he started to witness the horrors of that ungodly epidemic spread; anything was better than fear.
"If, this doesn't work….would…would you maybe…?" Robin didn't finish his sentence. He didn't need to; the look on his face was enough to let Slade know what he was thinking.
Slade didn't respond to that, not verbally. What was he supposed to say? That he would do the same he did for that man and just shoot the boy's head off? Could he? The last thing he wanted was for it to come to that. He wouldn't let it come to that. Not if he had anything to say about it. Not if there was a chance. But, just to help ease the boy some, he nodded once. It was a slight gesture, barely noticeable, but Robin saw it, and the smile he gave was enough to cause Slade to frown and look away. The relief he saw in those eyes…the defeat….he couldn't stand it.
Again the alarm sounded, louder than before. They had reached the main door, and the sheer amount of them had Slade staring at the screen in shock. The doors wouldn't hold it much longer, not with the way they pushed into each other, trying to get through. The wooden planks that were nailed to the windows were already breaking under their weight and shattering the windows.
"Shit…" Slade cursed, and checked the beaker. The liquid inside had boiled and thickened, turning black in color and smelling strongly of dead blood; he hurriedly corked the top of the beaker and went about setting off the defense systems. When he heard Robin wheel the chair next to him, he turned his head to see the teen staring in disturbing fascination as they broke through and burned in the flames that emanated from the broken windows, a strong electric current shocking most of them, turning their eyeballs to sizzling white fluid and frying their flesh. The sound it made was almost hypnotic and Slade had to shake himself out of the strange trance the scene had trapped him in.
Robin's attention moved from the monitor to Slade, the man had packed up the beaker and a small black pouch into a bag along with a few medical supplies. As he walked over, Robin locked eyes with his, spotting something in that one grey-blue eye that wasn't there before. Was it worry? It could have been. After all, Slade had been the only other person he had any contact with for a long time. The man taught him how to shoot a gun, how to get right between the eyes and how to reload the clip. Assault rifles, shotguns, pistols…he taught him how to be an efficient killer. But to Robin, he wasn't killing anything. He was just doing what had to be done, and that was to make sure that they dead stayed dead. It wouldn't have surprised him if Slade had grown some sort of attachment to him. And yet it did. The very idea that Slade felt anything besides begrudging respect for him left him feeling a little breathless and it caused his heart race.
It was almost unreal.
When Robin felt Slade's hands on his arms, helping left him up, he could feel the care that the man had put into that one gesture. He was gentle with him as they walked to the back room, he made sure to hold him close when the lights began to flicker and the generators began to fail, and he was cautious when he loaded him into the Titan's orange small submarine.
Maybe it was the fever that had him feeling this light headed, maybe it was the infection making its way to his brain, baking the cells and putting him in an unusual sense of peace. Maybe he was just in shock, he wasn't sure. All he was sure about was the sounds of those things coming closer, and the lights finally giving out completely after the hatch had opened. All Robin could see was black until the headlights of the sub turned on and he caught sight of hands banging on the windows, broken faces pressed up against the glass, trying to get in.
"Hang onto something." Slade said, as he handled the controls. The constant banging and the number of them increasing with every second had Robin on edge, but the heat that started to grow under his skin faded while he was staring at them, which left him frozen and trembling. It wasn't until the water began to rise and wash away those hungry, blank stares and gnashing teeth that he was able to really breathe. With the lurch of the sub moving forward, the last remaining infected were pushed off the ship by the current of the water.
After a few moments they were shooting out of the underwater cave that connected to the Tower. It didn't seem like Slade had much of a destination in mind, and Robin didn't seem to mind too much. Almost everything Robin had loved had been destroyed, but it was Slade's presence that had reassured him that he hadn't lost everything completely.
The throbbing pain that made its way up Robin's torso had him whimpering. Trying to muffle the sounds of his discomfort, he sucked in his cheeks and closed his eyes.
Slade noticed this, set the controls for autopilot, undid the buckles to his seat, walked over to Robin and got down on one knee to check the damage that had been done one more time. It had swelled more and the red around the puncture marks had become black.
Squinting through his lids, Robin smiled slightly, flushing when Slade returned it. "…hurts." He said, breath hitching when he felt a sharp stab at the wound as Slade turned his leg a little.
"I know, Robin." Slade said gently, no longer hesitant to run his fingers through Robin's hair, there was no reason to be. That little experience had made him realize how he had come to actually see the teen as more than someone to help him survive, but as a person he could face the apocalypse with. It was one of the reasons why he had insisted on finding those samples, and it was one of the reasons why he went looking in the first place. It had taken him some time to track his source down, and it took him even longer to convince him to give him what he needed to continue to look for anything to help beat the infection if either him or Robin got bitten. But even with all that work he knew it was a shot in the dark; there was no guarantee that Robin would recover, not after all the time that had past.
Carefully Slade pulled out a syringe, filling it with the black substance that had been cooked in the beaker. Once he measured it, he looked at Robin with a softness in his eyes that the teen hadn't seen before.
"This should help," He said, taking Robin's arm and lifting the sleeve, leaving out the part of how unlikely that would be. But he had a feeling Robin knew that. "Tell me if you feel anything, alright?"
Nodding his head, Robin watched as the needle was placed into his arm, while the black fluid pushed into his bloodstream, and frowned a bit when it left his veins colored. He took care of pressing the small square gauze to the injection sight and bent his arm up.
They were both silent for a little while, Slade looking at Robin, and Robin staring at the small spot of dirt on the man's uniform. Letting out a quiet sigh, Slade decided to spoke when the silence became too tense.
"…I've never told this to anyone before, but," He paused, smirking when Robin perked up. "I've had always been curious about you. More obsessed really, but that had changed in the recent weeks."
Robin smiled. "Oh, really?"
"Yes. I hardly see you as that annoying teenager who refused to be my apprentice…"
"Looks like that sort of worked out for you in the end anyway, huh?"
Slade raised a brow, his smirk wavering a bit. "I suppose. But not in the way I had expected. I wanted you to come to me willingly. Even if my desire to have you under my wing had me blind-sided, I didn't want to force you."
Robin snorted and shook his head. "That didn't stop you though. There was that time you got me to be your apprentice for about a minute."
"Yes but again, it was by force." He said trying to smile a little bit more. "I think you would've enjoyed it, had you actually tried."
Robin laughed at that and coughed, his chest tightening when he did. Wheezing slightly, his smile lessened. "I guess. Maybe I would have…"
Grinning lightly, Slade took Robin's arm again and ran his fingers over the skin, the veins still discolored. He noticed Robin's small shiver when he brushed his fingers over one of the veins, following it up to the bend of his arm and raised a brow at him. Curious, he continued to follow the vein until it faded at a bicep and turned it to see where else the others ended.
"You know…" He said, eyes flicking from his arm to Slade's face, heart thumping hard in his chest as he watched the man glide his digits along his skin. "I've…never told Bruce that I'm into dudes."
Slade hummed. "I'm sure the Bat knew. He was annoying like that."
"….I never had sex either."
Slade looked taken aback by that little fact, but he quickly hid his surprise, his movements stilling, with his smirk returning in full force. "Don't tell me this little bird is really so pure. Next you're going to tell me you've never looked at porn."
"Not all teenage guys have one thing on their minds Slade!" Robin snapped. "While other boys my age were out chasing skirts all over the city or getting head from the backseat of their cars, I was solving crimes, saving people; you know, doing the hero thing." He said bitterly. It wasn't the first time he had resented his responsibilities a bit. If he could go back, he wouldn't change his life for anything. But given what the future held for him, the only thing he could say he truly regretted was not taking advantage of the peace when it came, as rare as that was.
Slade eyed the boy for a moment, his gaze travelling over his form, noticing he had gotten a little thin since his glory days as the Boy Wonder. But that was a given, after going a few days without any real food, he had lost some weight, but kept the muscle. Even with his eyes sunken in, and the dark circles becoming more apparent, they were still that bright Robin's egg blue that Slade found himself slowly getting entranced by.
"Would you…" Robin asked, snapping Slade out of his thoughts. "I mean, do you think you would ever…uh…"
Unable to keep the lewd smirk from his face, Slade leaned in, his face inches from Robins. "Why Robin, are you trying to ask me what I think you are trying to ask me?"
"W-well, it's not like I have anyone else!" Robin stammered, relaxing a bit when the pain in his leg began to fade some. "And anyway, I…I really wouldn't want to…to…" He didn't finish his sentence. It was humiliating enough admitting that he had never been with anyone; it was even more humiliating to ask Slade to be his first. But none of that really mattered all too much, because the simple fact was that he didn't want to die without at least knowing what it was like to have someone touch him like that.
When Slade caught on to what Robin was trying to say, he was uncertain of how to reply. Robin had looked away, and the man didn't know if the blush on his face was from embarrassment or the fever. Lifting Robin's chin, he saw the unshed tears and the small tremble of his lips.
"How do you even know if I'm gay, or at the very least, interested?"
"I don't. But it couldn't hurt to ask, right? What's the worst that could happen, besides you saying no?"
He didn't respond to that, but once he saw Robin bite the corner of his lip and smile despite the anguish present in those baby blues, he moved in, gently pressing his lips against the boy's and smiling against them when he heard the small moan escape his lips.
It wasn't like kissing Starfire. Where her lips had been soft and unconfident, Slade's were more solid, and dominating. He had a taste that Robin couldn't place, and he wanted more. Hesitantly he lifted his arms up to grip at Slade's sleeves, opening his mouth to allow the man's tongue in. Soon all he could feel were Slade's hands on him, stripping him of his clothes, being extra careful with his pants and touching him in ways he had only dreamed about.
Slade was hesitant at first, hands roaming over the boy's body in gentle strokes, thumbs brushing over pink nipples; hardening to his touch and the content sighs that came from Robin was enough to keep him going. It wasn't because he didn't know what to do, oh he knew. If he wanted he could make him come with just a few well thought licks and pinches. No, he wanted to take his time with this, and he wanted Robin to know that to him, he wasn't just going to fuck him. He wanted Robin to bask in the afterglow of his orgasm with Slade deep inside him, and take in his last remaining breaths with his lips against the teen's.
The fever had worsened, and Slade could feel the heat radiating off his skin. None of it seemed to faze Robin, and soon the only thing he felt was a dull throbbing in his injured leg. When he pulled the shirt off the man's back, he smiled. Inexperienced fingers moved over the contours of Slade's torso, traveling down to the waist of his jeans, and with Slade's mouth on his, he found the courage to continue his exploration.
It wasn't until Slade's rough hands found his hardening cock that his heart skipped a beat and his stomach jumped. Pushing him back, Robin turned his head and emptied his stomach onto the floor.
"Robin-!"
"I…I'm alright," Robin said between breaths. "I'm alright…just-it's nothing. Please…" He grabbed onto Slade's shoulders, lifting himself up so his lips were against his neck. "Just…please…"
"Are you sure you want to continue?" He asked, cupping the back of Robin's head.
"Yes. I want this," he muttered into his ear, kissing the small spot at his neck with hot lips. "…don't let me die without knowing what this is like. Not when I have the option to."
With a tired sigh, Slade took Robin's face in his hands, thumbs brushing under his eyes. They stared up at him, focused and glossy with red marks beginning to seep in through the blue of his irises. Slade kissed him deeply, ignoring the acidic taste on the boy's tongue and instead just allowed himself to feel. Once he had gotten him naked, he let his gaze take in all the small details that he hadn't seen before. The scars were prominent, some of them lifted off the skin and others were so small he had to lean in just to see them. But it wasn't the scars that Slade had found interesting, it was the small little birthmarks and freckles that were scattered all over Robin's chest that he had felt this urge to kiss and trace over the small patterns with his fingers.
The sensation of lips, tongue, teeth and the constant slick of pre-come over the tip of his cock was overwhelming, but what had Robin going breathless was the care that Slade took with every stroke and caress. It was so unlike the man to be so gentle, not when he had seen so much destruction come from him. There was no denying, Slade was a very powerful man. It was one of the things that kept Robin going; the fact that he had someone so powerful next to him. When Slade prepared him, Robin had to bite his lip to keep the whimpers of pain at bay, but any discomfort he felt was quickly pushed away and replaced with a pleasure he didn't know existed. For a moment, he knew why people bragged about sex so much. But this wasn't just sex to Robin, it was life, it was blood and tears and pain and loving; it was everything he wanted and so much more. And it was almost suffocating.
Mouth open slightly, Robin gasped in pleasure, his sobs mixing in with every other moan that left his lips. Wrapping his leg around Slade's waist, he pulled the man in more, helping him enter that tight heat even deeper. He could tell Slade was trying to be mindful of his wound, giving him apologetic kisses whenever he accidently brushed against it. As the tears fell from his cheeks, he could taste the saltiness of them mix with that of Slade's tongue.
"S-Slade…" Robin moaned, taking in a sharp intake of breath as he felt his orgasm quickly approaching. When Slade kissed his neck, tasting the sweat from his skin and sucking on the lobe of his ear, Robin swore he was going to lose it.
Slade wasn't so far from his own climax, and the look on Robin's face was almost enough for him to spill his load right then and there. Even with the sheen of sweat covering his body, and the graying of his flesh, the dark circles that started to become more obvious…he was still unbelievably beautiful. It made him regret that he hadn't made his move sooner, before all this happened. He hated that they had come together under these circumstances. Slade would've preferred that it had happened naturally, but there was nothing he could really do about it now. But what scared him was the fact that all the while he heard Robin's cries of ecstasy, he couldn't keep the unfamiliar sting out of the corners of his eye. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time, an emotion he didn't think he'd be able to have the privilege of feeling again.
"Come for me Robin…" Slade whispered, his breath hot against him. "…Love, let me see it."
And it was those words that had been Robin's undoing. He hadn't been able to hold on any more, and with a shout he came, holding onto Slade, splattering his stomach and chest with his seed. The throbbing that came from Slade emptying his load inside him had Robin shuddering, but smiling. His grin widened when Slade's arms wrapped around him.
Again he shuddered, no longer being able to keep the anguish from clawing its way back into his heart. Robin let it all out, his sobs hard to hear, but ones that Slade wouldn't stop him from letting loose, instead the man held onto him tighter, allowing the teen to cry, knowing he hadn't been able to do that before. He couldn't afford too. Robin had known that if he let himself really think about everything that had happened, all the people he had lost and everyone who had died…he wouldn't have been able to continue. He didn't care about that anymore. He let the memories flow and it broke his heart every time a flash of his friends' smiling faces appeared in his mind.
Suddenly however, different things started popping up. Images of blood and gore, of bleeding mouths and the hungry growls from thousands of the walking dead took over. He trembled in Slade's grasp, and groaned as the pain in his leg came back in full force, this time making his entire body ache. With clumsy movements he pushed away from Slade and stumbled onto his stomach. Holding himself up by his arms, he vomited, eyes widening when the thick bile had mixed with blood. The sight of it caused his stomach to tighten and churn. Robin felt Slade's soothingly cool hands on his back, but he just couldn't stop. Everything came up, and his lungs felt as if they would explode.
"S-Slade…" He sobbed, trying to literally shake the images from his head. "I…I can't make it stop! It won't stop!"
"Breathe, Robin!" Slade ordered, pushing Robin onto his back. "Breath, and tell me what won't stop."
"These images…and the pain, god, Slade the pain-it's too much!" Robin cried, trying to curl into a ball. The chills that wrecked his body and the vomit that threatened to come up had him clinging to the older man when he felt his cool, naked body press against his back.
It was a small comfort, but Robin knew what was happening. The infection was burning him from the inside out, changing him slowly but surely. His head swam, and his vision blurred, but still he lifted his head, kissing Slade's lips once, twice, and then smiled despite the sudden fatigue that hit from the agonizing throbs that shot up his entire side.
Slade had known that the chances of the treatment working had been very slim. But now that he was seeing it take hold of Robin, and the way it just seemed to eat away at the teen, he felt helpless. It wasn't something he was used too, never had he been unable to do something. He hated that he could do nothing for him, and he hated that it took Robin getting bit for him to realize how much he had really grown to love him. His chest felt as if it were literally breaking in two when those soft, hot lips were pressed against his. But he knew what he had to do.
Pulling out the black pouch from his bag, he grabbed a long cord from deep inside one of the pockets and gently tied Robin's hands back in a tight knot, frowning deeply when Robin merely smiled up at him from the floor.
Setting Robin's head down on his shirt, he took hold of the pistol from the holster on his pants. Never had it felt as heavy in his hands as it did then. And when he combed back the clumps of damp hair from Robin's sweaty brow, he didn't fight back the sting of tears when they pricked his eye.
"Slade…I'm so tired…" He whispered, looking up at Slade, his eyes heavy.
"Then go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."
With a nod, Robin let his lids close, his smile falling slightly. "I…love you Slade…"
Slade bit his lip hard, his fingers gripping at a lock of Robin's hair hard before he leaned in and kissed the boy's temple. "I love you too, Robin." He said softly, his voice cracking a bit he felt Robin's breathing slow, and his heartbeat faintly lessen with every second that past until he felt nothing under his hands. No rise of his chest from an intake of air, and no thump from his heart against his neck.
It was strange, because for that moment Robin looked like he always had when he slept, but more peaceful. Eyes closed, lips slightly open, his brow furrowed in thought. It was almost an angelic sight. Until the sudden jerk of his head alerted Slade to the fact that, as innocent as he looked, inside him was an infection that was hell bent on turning him into a flesh eating monster. But for one ignorant second, Slade thought that perhaps, the treatment had worked and Robin was just waking up, and soon he would be met with those bright blue eyes again smiling at him and asking for another kiss, another touch, another fuck…
"…Robin?" He asked, lifting his head to get a better look at him. But it wasn't him, not any more. The thing that stared up at him, with red eyes impossibly wide and locked on him was not his little bird, but something much worse.
A hiss met his ears, and suddenly it was up, lurching forward and snapping its jaws in his direction. Slade held him down with one hand, pushing his head back down against the makeshift pillow. Robin, fighting against his hold, could only snarl and grunt. But it was the word that came from him that had Slade's chest tightening; he couldn't help the small whine that escaped his lips when he pressed the barrel of the gun against Robin's forehead.
"Slaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh-!"
Roughly, Slade forced Robin's face into the cloth, his finger pushing the gun against the back of his head. And with a sad smile, he whispered quietly something close to Robin's ear before he pulled the trigger. "…I'm sorry, Robin."
A/N: I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! 8D
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! It's what keeps me going!