NO ONE DIES!
Okay good, I hope you read this before skipping after reading the title. People don't seem to like it when major characters die... They don't in this story. I promise! And yes, being a zombie is still dying and I'm not going to be like SIKE he's dead but still moving so it doesn't count... EVERYONE IS ALIVE AND BREATHING AT THE END.
This story is only in here and not Whitebeard Pirate's playground because I find the theme just the tiniest bit too emotional for the fully happy series.
Zoysite - Thank you very much! How it went is a story even I was having a bit of difficulty with writing, wanting to really capture all the emotions. So I'm happy many came across!
Bright pink Hello Kitty baseballbats can save lives in a zombie-apocalypse while ensuring one looks absolutely fabulous.
... Making summaries is hard ...
A one-shot with both Ace and Marco surviving the zombie-apocalypse.
Alternative Universe - Zombie Apocalypse
Mention of blood and violence
Happy ending, no one dies
"Ha-ha we got them Marco haha" Ace laughed between breaths as he and his lover were running through desolated streets.
The blond laughed eventhough he knew he should be quiet. While everything looked absolutely deserted and the only living people… or rather moving people they had passed in this area were gone…. Or well…. they just had their heads bashed in by a pair of freaking pink hello kitty baseball bats!... There could always be more.
"We did-yoi" he panted out, swinging the blood of his weapon, waving it in front of them to grab Ace's attention, "And while these work well, we're switching to something else soon."
"Awwww but darling, they match your eyes!"
"Izou would have argued that very much."
Ace laughed at that once more, wiping off his own matching bat as their current residence started coming into view, "We're keeping these Mar, 100%. Even if we find something better. We not only look fabulous, these things swing amazing! And thanks to being metal they hit so good, did you see that nose fly!? That was definitely a home r-AH!"
"ACE!" Face horror struck in an instant as he saw his lover getting jumped by a zombie that popped up from god knows where, but the world is covered with them now, they're behind every bush, he should have been more attentive to their surrounds, but just having defeated a small horde and being so close to their cover, having a little bit of fun had him distracted. "Get him further away from you, Ace! I'm going to fucking smack him!"
"T-trying!" By some miracle, something very hard to come by nowadays, the zombie was trying to bite through the bat. Just pushing and pushing closer to his face while trying to bite instead of actively pulling off and lunging again. His shoulders hurt from his drop to the concrete, but atleast he didn't hit his head or he would have been a goner already. "I-Im going to push o-on three, t-throw it to the side, to my left!"
"Ready-yoi!"
"O-okay- one- two- THREEEEEEE!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH" TWONK "TAKE THAT FUCKER!" WHAM "LEAVE-" CRASH " MY-" SLAM "BOYFRIEND-" TUNK "ALONE!"
Out of breath Ace watched a wild eyed Marco slam the pink metal bat into the already beaten up skull over and over and over again. Blood, pieces of skull, brains, flesh, all where flowing and flying everywhere.
In the beginning of this whole mess, he had hated seeing any of his friends beat up someone, even if that someone was dead. Especially if they knew that someone. But after so many years, after everything they had gone through, after everything they had lost… they had seen… not only did it make one grew numb to it, he understood it. He got it. Marco wasn't doing this just to protect him right now. He was doing this to protect him and everyone forever, that this one zombie would never get a chance to pull himself off the concrete and attack someone again. They had lost far to many to re-make past mistakes.
Only when a chunk of… of something… hit Marco's cheek, leaving behind a big red splotch, did Ace pull himself out of it. Lifting himself off the floor and grabbing Marco's bicep on the arm that was still swinging down. "Marco, let's go."
Panting harshly the blond look between Ace and the human… the being on the ground, "I- he almost- I can't- I can't lose you too-yoi."
Ace nodded. Fully compassionate with the wild look Marco sported. Something he would have never even imagined seeing on the other before everything went to hell. But now it would be weirder if it didn't appear in these situations, he would be the same if Marco was almost taken from him and right in front of him too, while they had been laughing seconds before.
"I'm okay. You saved me, Mar." He was about to say words of thanks and love too, no kisses though, already long since learned that kissing in the middle of the street in an apocalypse was very unsafe. Those reassuring kisses to proof to each other they were both alive would come once they were absolutely safe. And the rustling and moaning groans he was starting to hear in the distance made it abundantly clear that they were NOT safe right here.
Giving a light tug at Marco's bicep to get him moving again he spoke in more of a whisper, "Let's go. We've attracted more, and I don't wish to find out how many."
With only a glance back in the direction of the sounds, the blond nodded and they were running again. Not holding hands, but each holding their pink bat without complaint in front of them, ready for anything that would pop out again… be they dead or not. Because even the living couldn't be trusted. At least with the dead you knew that their only goal was to eat you as quickly as possible.
A minute later they entered the ground floor of the apartment they had made their home, letting the metal shutters fall down and blocking them from being lifted from outside, but easy enough to get loose from the inside for them should they need to escape. The next minutes were filled with them conquering the single staircase inside the building, taking their time to block every door they needed to pass, to check every blockage they had made.
It was a 15 story building and they choose the 13th floor to live on. It made them be about 40 meters above groundlevel, meaning they could talk, laugh, enjoy their life in their little safe space without the worry of needing to be quiet incase zombies were outside. They could even sit on their balcony and enjoy the sun while making conversation without worry of being pulled down by a godforsaken zombie learning to climb… they had seen hordes use each other as stepping stones to reach to the first level of houses. While the action didn't seem like thought out plans on the zombie's end, that didn't make it any less terrifying.
Why they didn't take the highest level had more to do with the other humans still alive. They knew how to make plans, to think about how to handle situations, analyze their surroundings and use it to their advantage. In the beginning they had been very eager to meet survivors and survive together, form new communities, but by now that wasn't anything they were looking for. Not only had they been betrayed too many times by the living, no matter if it was out of desperation, living in a group also made traveling a lot more difficult.
Sure, you had the advantage of manpower. Defeating a horde of zombies was easier if you had more heads to count then the enemy. But this also meant that sneaking past that same horde, avoiding the fight, became a lot more difficult. There would always be someone that stepped on that one stick or kicked a rock, a child that cried, anything that would blow their cover.
Then there was the amount of recourses. Yes, more people meant more backpacks that could be carried, meaning more items that could be moved and take with you. But you also needed more of everything. Finding a case of food, 24 small and dented -but not breached- cans of any kind of food was a blessing. The two of them traveling together could stretch that amount to last themselves two months, three if needed. But double your amount of people and those days halved. Actually, You were lucky if it only halved. They had learned that people were selfish, even the sweetest looking. The bigger the group, the sooner someone suspected someone else of eating one bite more then their share… and the stealing would begin… if it stayed at that.
The same was with clothing. Clothing got worn quickly on the run. And the luxury of going shopping, trying on the newest releases every season, were long over. You wore what you found, no matter the state it was in. Everyone would be hoping to find some thick sturdy jackets to be protected from the elements. And when someone found one, everyone would be happy for you, would be congratulating you. Your days would seem to be better, now a bit more cosy in the apocalypse, surrounded by supporting people to brag… Right until that same jacket would be the reason of your death. The person who had found the clothing item would disappear and Teach, lucky lucky Teach would have found an identical jacket the same night of the disappearance! What luck!
No. They were good with the two of them. They could trust each other to have each other's backs. To genuinely be happy for the other if they found something, while also being happy to share what the other could use better. To be happy for simply still having each other, even if that meant each eating only a spoonful from the same can of beans for days on end. To share sips of that one clean water bottle. To share that one ratty but warm blanket. To huddle together under ONE jacket, holding it open above both their heads when the rain kept pouring in the middle of no where. None of them tried to take more cover then the other, on the contrary, they each tried to make the other put the jacket on, so at least one of them would stay dry properly. They didn't fight over it. Not for these things. Not in this world.
So, they had the 13th floor. Giving them a leeway of 2 floors to the roof. Something that was an area accessible to smart humans. Living humans that knew how to climb past barriers. To use buildings around them to get on their roof, even after they destroyed the emergency stairs on the outside of the buildings. Living being knew how to get passed locked doors. Now, if they heard things from above… they knew the living were coming. They knew to be alert, very alert, and to be ready to defend their home. After so long of travelling outside, moving from city to city, from hide-out to hide-out, they finally found this spot. A safe spot. A comfortable, small, easy to protect living space in an area not too zombie infested, destroyed or taking over by communities, yet still close enough to areas where they could hunt and scout for food. They-
"-Arco? Marco?"
"Yoi? Oh Ace, yea?"
Worried grey eyes searched him before hands where on him and pulling on his shirt.
"h-uh, what are you doing, Ace?" Not that he was against sexy time b-
"I'm checking if you're hurt." The raven said quickly, "I've been calling you since we got into the safe space. But you didn't move. Didn't speak… just kept… kept staring at me."
"Oh" He heard the scared and worried undertone and didn't hesitate to help Ace remove his clothes, letting him to his full check up on him. Pulling the raven into a hug when no wound was found. "I'm sorry. I was thinking, lost in thought."
"About what?"
"… The living." He admitted after a second of hesitation. Raising one hand he used it to brush some strands of hair behind his lover's ear, clearing the way to see those beautiful freckles. "How we used to search for them, live together.. survive together."
"Do you… want to try finding more survivors?"
"No-yoi." And this he said without hesitation while cupping that freckled cheek. Leaning down and gently pecking soft lips. "I have you. I still ha-have you." His voice cracked as he remembered what happened not even 20 minutes ago and he was quick to fully body hug his smaller lover. With trembling arms holding the other close, pushing his raven head into his chest as his lips pressed to dark hairs, kissing Ace's head over and over again.
Ace was quickly there to return the embrace, "You have me. I'm alive."
"I-I didn't- I didn't see him."
"I didn't either. He came out of nowhere."
"I should have seen him. Heard him." His vision was blurry as tears were falling out of his control. "I-I'm supposed to h-have your back."
"And you have it!"
"Yet I failed-yoi. You could have been bitten. You would have turned. You could have die-"
Pulling away from Marco's touch, Ace slapped hands on the elder's cheek. Maybe a tad too hard, but who cares! He squished them together before almost yelling. "No! You didn't fail me! You saved me. Without you I would have been a goner." He took a breath before continuing, "Or I would have lost the fight against that freaking undead and their endless stamina, or another zombie attracted by the noise would have gotten me. But thanks to you being there, by being by my side, I could throw him off without being worried of being jumped again. Because I knew you were there to stop it, because you stopped it I was able to get out of that situation alive and well." Releasing the squished cheeks he instead gently brushed the still falling tears away. "Because of you, I can take a nap right now without being worried of that thing getting to me. I can sleep without nightmares because you have my back day in and day out."
There was the tiniest chuckle from the blond at the mention of taking a nap, something that stayed the same no matter the circumstances. Little afternoon naps for his lover, nowadays more peaceful then before.
With a small smile Ace leaned up, closing the distance until their lips touched again. And he made sure to hold them pressed together a while longer this time, all the way until he felt liquid pooling at the corners. And not from the saliva of a heavy make-out session, but from pure tears now flowing from the both of them.
Pulling away he smiled more brightly through his own tears. "You make surviving in this horrorstricken world worth it. Even surrounded by all this death, I'm happy to be alive. I want to survive. All because I know that when I open my eyes, I will be greeted by your clear, alive, beautiful blue eyes in return. Because I know that you will stay by my side through everything. Just like I will stay by yours. I love you Marco. Forever."
"Till death do us apart-yoi."
"And even beyond."
... I know I said I would focus on the other stories before making a new one... BUT I COULDN'T CONCENTRATE ON THEM!... Had to write this out... Now I shall focus again on the other stories...
(... There will be a follow up story named... 'And beyond'... Think of that info as you wish)