"Well, looks like we're makin' sum good time, huh guys?" Ellis spoke, smiling brilliantly as he leaned against the outhouse standing 'proudly' outside of the swamp. "Jus' a few more miles, and boom! We're tah the nex' safehouse. Sounds pre~tty good to me." he continued, rubbing at his temple and shaking his head, mounting the machete he'd been using on his back as the heavyset man walked next to him, gasping for more air.
After a moment of just standing there and catching his breath, Nick jumped in, stopping Ellis before he got any further in telling another one of his 'Keith' stories. "Alright then, we'd better get moving, isn't that right, overalls?" Damn, it seemed he just couldn't seem to get over this newfound thought that took over his entire being. Ellis was cute. Very, very cute. If only he had met a woman like Ellis, perhaps he might've hit it off well with ehr. No, who was he kidding. Ellis was fucking insane, but he was all Nick had left, and, well ... Truly he wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was a mixture of emotions. He wanted to touch and feel the boy, but those annoying stories of a friend he knew was dead just got on his nerves. He couldn't seriously be starting to like Ellis, could he? No, maybe it was just the way things were.
And, before he knew it, they were moving again. Or at least Ellis was with Coach following as quickly as he could behind him. And, mind every person that might be left alive on the sad planet once known as Earth, that wasn't very fast. So Nick, being the 'affectionate' person he was, hurried ahead of Coach, moving just behind Ellis and grabbing his shoulder with a somewhat exasperated sigh. "Ellis, you are the biggest idiot. Haven't you learned your lesson yet? Coach is so far behind us, and I-"
A few seconds more was all it took for him to register the look on his friends face. It wasn't one of stupidity, but he sure was staring stupidly. Though, once the hick pushed his face closer, Nick could feel his ehart pounding. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! there was definitely something wrong about he felt short of breath just because Ellis was pushing his face closerr and scrunching his nose in that absolutely irresistable manner. He was tempted to close the distance between them, and smash their lips together in what he ws sure would be a kiss he would remember forever, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
But then Ellis pulled back, staring with furrowed brows and a frown that was unrecognizable. "Why'd ya' do it, Nick?" he suddenly asked, stepping closer and forcing Nick to move back, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Do what ... ? What the hell are you talking about, kid?" he asked, staring at him with a frown as Ellis grumbled, then rested his hands on his hips. "Ya' asshole! You were going to molest me in my sleep, weren't you?! Dammit, what's your problem!" he asked, not giving the man anytime to answer before he blushed faintly, then turned and started to walk, coach finally catching up with them, along with the horde of zombies behind him. Just as soon as they'd fought all off the zombies off, Ellis was back to his smiling, happy self, but Nick-Nick couldn't believe it. Ellis had seen?
For the rest of the walk to the safehouse, Nick was silent as Ellis chattered away about Keith. Keith this and Keith that ... Normally it would piss him the hell off. It still did, but he was just too busy thinking about the fact that Ellis knew. the hick was dangerous, and now ... now Nick was the one straying behind, not wishing to get closer to the man then he had to.
"Yo guys, I gotta take a piss. Gaurd me, won't ya'll?" Ellis interrupted the mans thoughts as he headed into one of the public restrooms, leaving both he and Coach to stand outside waiting. As he did, he thought and thought, wondering what the hell sort of mistake he'd made. No answer came. Probably because he was interrupted by the screaming voice of Ellis. He had to admit, even the mans screams were breathtaking. But he hadn't much time to think about that, for soon he was bursting into the restroom, eyes wide with shock upon seeing Ellis hugging another, uninfected man.
"Holy shit, guys!" the man yelled as Nick forced himself to not pull the trigger and shoot the other guy in the head. "Is' Keith!"