Nick awoke to Ellis chitter-chattering to the coldness of the night. He felt fine, honestly, but he felt bad for Ellis having to freeze to death these past few nights when he could have just offered to share his heat. Rolling his eyes, Nick woke Ellis and had Ellis turn on his side to face Nick, then hugged him, sharing his suit jacket and warmth with Ellis. This was a closeness they had never had before…well, besides the bath adventure, but that was completely out of hand.
Ellis was too tired to ask why Nick was doing this, but he thought it was because Nick felt bad for giving him a swollen black eye from the soap and was trying to repay him and say sorry without even speaking. Nick was weird like that. Nick also never really said what he really felt…he hid it? Yes. 'Hid' was the right word. In any matter, he snuggled onto Nick, wrapping his arms around Nick as Nick wrapped his arms around Ellis and held onto him tightly, drifting back to sleep easily with the warmth and scent of Nick so nearby.
Nick woke early the next morning in a really good mood and slipped off his suit jacket, wrapping Ellis in it tightly to keep him warm, and went through the cabinets and shelves, searching for food. He found nothing but canned pasta, as usual, but whatever. He took his pocket-knife out and popped the can open, poured it into a pot, and cooked it to a delicious bubbling hotness for Ellis. Hopefully the smell would be enough to wake him.
Sure enough, Ellis awoke to the scent and clung to the suit-jacket as he sat up, not wanting Nick's scent to leave him. "Nick?" He scanned the room and spotted Nick sitting on the table with a plate ready for Ellis, staring at him. "What time is it?" He rubbed at his eyes and got up all the way from the ground and stretched, putting on Nick's suit-jacket. Nick didn't seem to mind. In fact, he smiled and shook his head at Ellis.
Ellis grabbed the plate from him and sat next to him, digging in. "I never thought canned pasta could taste so good…we been eatin' it for a while now…I got tired of it, but now I jus' wanna eat it a lot now if YOU cook it Nick. You cook real good!" The young mechanic laughed a bit as he ate, enjoying it quite a lot.
Nick began to eat, mostly watching Ellis though. "You sleep good Kid? You were shivering so bad, I thought you were coming down with a damn cold or somethin'." The gambler smiled and reached over, fixing Ellis' hat. "Heh. Why you sleep with the fucking hat on your head?"
Ellis put his dishes away and turned his hat around on his head so the bill was on the back of his head. "What…ya like it this way better? You're crazy…finished?" He smiled widely, showing off his perfectly white teeth. "Anyway, you done? I wanna clean it up since you made it." He waited for Nick to finish his last bites of food, then took the pot and the plate and put them away.
"Hey Ellis…I say we rest here for today, then we head out this afternoon. How's that sound? I don't care if you say no, cuz I'm gonna anyways." Nick grabbed Ellis by the back of his mechanic jumpsuit and yanked him back. "What's a mechanic's suit look like?"
Ellis looked confused, forgetting that he had tied the sleeves of his work clothes around his waist so he could move easier. "Ohhhhh!" The young blonde gave Nick his suit-jacket back and pulled on the jumpsuit, zipping it up. "It's real hot, but it keeps mechanics like me n' Keith from gettin' oil n' shit all over our good clothes."
Nick nodded and looked him up and down. "Nice. I like your shirt better, so take it off." He slid his suit-jacket back on and leaned back onto his hands on the table, entertained in the life Ellis had led before their life together now.
Ellis unzipped it and tied it around his waist like he had always had it before. Nick was acting weird now…like he cared, and that his mood had been altered dramatically. Why though? What caused it? Ellis shook his head and walked off, going to reload his guns and clean his weapons of blood and guts of the undead.
By 2pm, they were headed out to the next destination, a swamp with tons of Mud Men. Nick hated them with a passion because it was so messy, which didn't mix well with his white suit he had paid thousands of dollars for, and there were more hillbillies like Ellis. Well…Ellis wasn't that bad, but he had grown attached to him over time.
"Ellis…where are we?" Nick tried avoiding the mud by walking on the walkways, but failed and ended up having to tread through the mud and disgusting water along with Ellis.
Ellis looked over his shoulder and smiled at Nick. "Bayou! Home of the shrimpin' and good music. You'll love it!" Wrong words to use Ellis. Nick was a city man, not a swamp trudging, country music loving, southern man. At least Nick gave it a try and wasn't complaining about the mud and nasty water—yet.
Ellis turned a corner of a locked, abandoned house and paused, staring in fright. "Oh my god…Nick? We got a problem…about 5 of 'em. Two Jockeys, one Witch, one Smoker, and a Boomer. Why they all grouped together like this?!" Ellis slowly backed away, hoping he hadn't been seen. Zombies didn't find survivors by sight alone, but by smell as well. And Ellis smelled pretty good right about now, all sweaty and hot.
Nick scoffed and got a pipe bomb ready, engaged it, then chucked it over the house and over towards the Specials. They clawed at the bomb with Infected zombies, trying to attack it, and then it blew up, blowing the Boomer, one Jockey, and the Smoker to pieces. As for the Witch and the other Jockey, they ran after Nick and Ellis; the Witch got ahold of Ellis while the Jockey hopped onto Nick's back and yanked at his head, trying to pry it from his body.
"AHH! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME! GET THIS BACK HUMPER OFF ME!" Nick screamed and walked around, trying to resist the Jockey. Ellis shot at the Witch as she clawed at him desperately, pissed off. "Shoot her, SHOOT HER! Nick!" Ellis hadn't been sure which Special had went after Nick, but a quick glance at Nick answered his questions and he fell. Deciding to risk his life, Ellis knew Nick wouldn't be able to do anything until the Jockey was killed, so he directed his attention from the Witch to the Jockey and began to shoot the Jockey until it was dead.
Nick coughed and felt on his neck, sighing in relief. "Thanks. I owe you on- Ellis!" Nick got the boomer bile he had packed out and threw it on the witch. Nearby standing zombies ran at her and began to claw her to death, killing the Witch while Nick helped Ellis up and patched him up. "Fuck Ellis…you gotta be careful! Get in the fucking game!" He gave him a shove and began shooting at the random zombies running at them. Hopefully a horde wouldn't come along. They'd be in trouble. Luckily, a horde didn't come for once. It seemed like bad luck was their best friend throughout this journey.
When they found a safe house, it was dark, midnight, and both men were carrying one another into the safe house, both equally hurt. "Fuck Ellis…that was brutal. Let's get out of the swamp, and stay the hell away from them from now on. Zombies just dwell here."
Ellis couldn't agree more as he locked the safe house door and went to the table in every safe house, laying on it on his stomach. "Uggggh…I am so hurt. I ain't feelin' too good right now, Nick." Ellis turned over and sat up, healing himself with the first aid kit he had saved from the previous safe house.
Nick grabbed a first aid kit and healed himself, then went over to Ellis and stood infront of him, watching him. "Y'okay Overalls? Don't wanna lose ya." When Ellis nodded, Nick leaned forward, hugging Ellis gently around the waist, staring at the wall with a pained expression and listening to Ellis' heart beat quickly. "You almost died…"
Since when did Nick start caring? Eh. Ellis didn't question it because Nick had begun to act more kindly towards him recently, which was completely unlike Nick. He didn't mind it though. It was kind of…nice hearing Nick talk so kindly to him and treat him with such respect.
"Nick, I'm fine…" Ellis slowly pressed his hand over Nick's ear, holding his head in place. "I thought YOU were gonna die many times out there, ya know? You kept sayin' you were fine though. Why'd ya lie?"
Nick moved his head and looked up at Ellis, mouth open slightly. "I was saving my first aid kits for you. I knew you'd need them. You're the better fighter. I'm not sure what my purpose is yet 'cept to kill all sons a bitches. That's my 'fficial instructions." He grinned widely and laughed as Ellis rolled his eyes and smiled back at him.