This chapter was inspired by the song 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons. It was requested by both BloodSuckingFerret and Techno-Organic. Thank you! (I wanted to write another apocalypse piece…)
Radioactive
Matthew crawled over the debris and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He could see the world from up here, not that there was much to see anymore. The sprawling suburban streets were in ruins and the houses burnt to charcoal. The sunset was a brilliant shade violet due to pollution and chemical warfare.
It was beautiful, after a fashion, but it was dangerous.
Gilbert climbed up after him and whistled, low and sweet.
"Not much left, is there?"
Matthew shook his head and held out his hand. Gilbert squeezed it.
The two of them used to live here, once upon a time, before the apocalypse stole it all away from them. Matthew could see the corner store from here, and the old park... The bus stop. The community centre and the new ice rink. He could see the coffee shop that they used to frequent in the evenings.
He could also see the rotting corpses of his friends and neighbours.
He took a deep breath and relied on the respirator he was wearing to keep him safe. The air was no longer viable.
"I guess we should go see…"
Gilbert took a step down and helped Matthew keep his balance, like a gentleman. It was strange how important the simple gestures became when civilization crumbled. Morals and manners became the new guiding stars in place of government and religion.
The government had failed them, after all. So had religion. Manners had yet to.
The streets were familiar but foreign as they picked their way through the remains. The houses were husks of their former splendour. The lawns were blackened with oil and the flowerbeds were stark.
Matthew felt like crying when they passed an abandoned tricycle next to a splatter of gore.
The apocalypse had been bad enough on its own but when the population panicked… Well, Matthew was pretty sure that the child had not suffocated.
Humans were cruel, especially when they should be standing together.
Sometimes, they would rather tear each other apart.
Matthew and Gilbert had escaped before the neighbourhood imploded. It looked like they were the lucky ones.
They turned the corner, and then another, and came face to face with their house.
And this time, he did cry.
Matthew stepped up to the red mailbox and ran his fingertips over it, memorizing the contours. He peeked inside on a whim but, of course, there was no mail to be found.
Gilbert pushed the front door open and went inside. It was unlocked.
Matthew followed him.
The house was just how they left it, if not a little dustier. Their sofa was still in front of the fireplace and photographs decorated the mantelpiece. The photographs showcased their wedding, a date at the fair, a vacation… Their life together. Their friends and family were collected in frames and forgotten.
There was no time to dwell on the past. Besides, it hurt too much.
Matthew turned away.
Gilbert was in the kitchen, collecting cans and supplies with a stern expression. He had always been practical, even before the apocalypse. The end of the world had just made him even more resolute and determined.
Matthew walked up the stairs to their bedroom and blinked.
The goddamned bed was still made. Fuck.
He sank into the mattress and sobbed, holding his head with both of his hands. This house had represented their hopes for the future, for a family of their own and a lifetime spent in each other's arms.
It had represented infinite possibilities and a life together, filled with love and laughter and small miracles.
And now it was all gone.
He was not sure when Gilbert came in. He sat down next to him and held him close. Matthew cried into his chest, letting the fears and frustrations course down his cheeks.
When he was done, he felt better.
Gilbert tucked one of his curls behind his ear and removed his mask to kiss him on the forehead.
"You're beautiful," he whispered. Matthew hiccupped, laughing. He knew that he was covered in dirt and grime and that his eyes were swollen.
"You're just saying that."
"No," Gilbert lowered him onto the bed and crawled over him like they had crawled over the debris of their hometown. He started unbuttoning his shirt and trailing kisses across his stomach. "I mean it."
Matthew watched him and felt his heart twinge. Gilbert was gorgeous, and in the end, he was in love with him.
It was not the house or the neighbourhood. He was in love with Him.
And the end of the world had not changed that.
Matthew reached up and tugged off his own mask, willing to chance the pollution for a moment with his sweetheart. He kissed him on the lips and pulled him down.
It would be the last time the two of them ever made love on this bed. And that made it special.
"I love you," he breathed. The air burnt with each gasp but he did not care.
"I love you more."
Author's Notes:
Yes, I really just wanted to write another piece set after the end of the world. There is a lot to explore. Chapter thirty five dealt with cyborgs, chapter forty two dealt with zombies, and this one dealt with chemical warfare but it's all the same in the end.
It's important to appreciate what you have when you still have it, and after too. I think that this trip home put it into perspective for Matthew.
All of my love!