Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Sabastian wondered if it was his own imagination, but it almost seemed like the man's eyes would drift to him more than the other two. He assumed that if Vin was indeed looking at him more, then it was probably due to the eyepatch. Even if it was a normal one and not one that made him look like a valentine's singing telegram, it probably would have drawn the curiosity of most people. He didn't meet Vin's gaze, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Although, part of him wished that the man's eyes were appraising him, dragging over his skin and caressing his face. The man was quite attractive, giving off kind of a bear vibe almost, with those strong arms and legs. He had a bit of a beer belly, but he found that to be cute in its own way. It made the man seem less intimidating and more soft if that made sense. Sabastian dismissed these thoughts though, not wanting to even entertain the thought of it in his current state.

As Cora spoke, Damien gave her a reassuring nod, trying to let her know that what she had said was perfect. It was basically what they were doing put in a very general way, and he appreciated the way she had worded it. The new man was likely harmless, but they still needed to take precautions just in case.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Honestly, we're just trying to survive right now. We've all lost people close to us, so we're just trying to stick together, stay safe, and hopefully find somewhere we can live for the foreseeable future." Damien shrugged, offering Vin a hopeful smile. He glanced back at Cora when she went back to grab supplies for the siphoning, his eyes going to her ass as she leaned into the car. He followed her over to the other car, watching her work so that he would have an idea of how to do it himself.

When she put the hose to her lips and blew, then sucked hard, a grin lit his face and he said, "hm, I never knew what siphoning looked like. Now that I do, I'm not sure if I would be very good at it, even seeing you do it in person. Maybe you could give me a personal follow-up lesson later. I'd be sure to pay very close attention."

Sabastian rolled his eye and crossed his arms, having not shown the least bit of interest when Cora bent over nor when she was sucking on the hose. "Get a fucking room," he muttered, going to the car door and bending over inside to grab two water bottles. He walked over to Vin and handed him one, unscrewing his own and taking a couple drinks. "You should probably drink some water. You're probably pretty fucking dehydrated right now."

 

[Drobabes]

"We've all lost people close to us, so we're just trying to stick together, stay safe, and hopefully find somewhere we can live for the foreseeable future."

Vin gave a grin.

"Cheers to that."

Cora made sure the hose wasn't leaking gas all over the ground, and then she looked over her shoulder and shot daggers at that cocky grinning face.

"Damien..." she growled.

Vin was just drunk enough to not be able to hold back a hardy laugh at the little exchange, and as he crossed his arms over his chest, he gave a little shake of his head.

"I would watch it man, I've seen that look before. You're walking on thin ice now."

Cora got a blush on her cheeks and looked down to focus on her task.

Vin tried not to get his own peek in as the little blond man bent into the car to get some water, but he broke and tried to hide it behind a mask of simple curiosity. He didn't linger though, simply getting a nice look and then going back to looking around the gas station.

"You're probably pretty fucking dehydrated right now."

"You kidding?" he gave him a wide smile, meeting his gaze directly.

"This body is made of ninety percent booze, five percent good looks, and five percent blood. It's how I can get away with punching zombies"

He unscrewed the cap and drained the bottle in about two large gulps, letting out a satisfied breath when he was done.

"Thanks, I really needed that."

Cora looked over her shoulder and gave him a smile.

"Yea what's the story behind that anyway? Why and how did you get into a situation where you had to punch one?"

Delvins face seemed to drop and to get an angry look in his eyes.

"It bit my guitar. Broke the handle. Pissed me off pretty bad, my mama gave me that guitar. So I punched it."

Cora's mouth dropped open a little bit, both at his explanation and at something else.

"You play guitar?"

She sounded excited, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face. Vin would be lying if he said that grin didn't make her face look beautiful. It disarmed him and he couldn't stay mad.

"Well yea, I do. That's how I was making my living before. Bit of a gypsy, travelling from town to town and playing for the folks who needed a little pick me up. I figure that won't change too much now if something don't kill me first."

He grinned again, the girls smile being a bit contagious.

"That's so cool," she said.

"Do you think if we find a guitar you could play for us? I can sing."

Now she was a bit excited. It was something to look forward to in this new dreary reality.

"Well sure. Infact, yea, I would love to do that. It's been a hot minute since I got someone to sing with me. Do you sing Sabastian?"

His gaze, now much friendlier and happy, turned to the little blond man with a hopeful expression.

 

[Poprockz]

He continued to grin as she glared, thinking to himself that the look on her face was cute, considering the situation. However, when Vin warned him, a spark of annoyance came to him, thinking to himself that the dude was being a bit too familiar.

Sabastian raised his eyebrow about the comment for Vin's body composition. It was obvious to him that 5% good looks was really selling himself short. "No problem." He took the bottle when he was thanked, tossing into the car with the thought that they may wat to reuse it later.

When Cora and Vin started chatting, Sabastian watched the way his face lit up when he talked to her and he thought to himself with disappointment that the man was probably straight. He told himself that it didn't matter because even if the guy was gay, it would never work. It was probably better like that. He stared off into space for a few moments, thinking about it as they spoke.

Damien watched the exchange, his steely eyes going just a bit darker as his lips pursed just a bit. Something burned in the pit of his stomach and made him want to take a leaf out of the other man's book and simply deck him in the face. It wasn't so powerful that he would even consider doing such a thing, but he definitely was starting to dislike the man. It was odd, he had never been attached to someone enough to feel any sort of possessiveness or jealousy, so this was very new to him.

Coupled with his own insecurity regarding his relationship with Cora, the jealousy twisted inside him and soured his mood. He didn't want to hear the man play guitar, nor did he want Cora to sing with him. As far as he was concerned, the man probably just wanted to show off. He remained silent, but trudged over to the car and got himself a bottle of water as well, struggling with all of the new feelings bubbling inside him.

The blonde was startled from his thoughts when the man asked him a question, his expression becoming one of surprise as he found his bearings. "What? Do I sing?" He frowned and shook his head, "no. That's not my forte." In actuality, he actually had a very sweet voice, but he would never sing in front of others. It was far too embarrassing to even consider.

 

[Drobabes]

"Well that's alright, but if you've never tried I would say you should give it a shot. Music is like good food, it's one of those universal things that brings everyone together."

Delvin let his gaze linger on Sabastians face just a little longer than was probably appropriate, hoping the man would continue the conversation with him. He wasn't really one to stick around with any group for too long, but it had been some time since he had any fun, and he wondered if Sabastian would swing that way. Perhaps he could get a little lucky before moving on to the next scene.

Cora finished filling the jug, plugging the end with her thumb and letting the gas in the hose drain back into the car. The little jug only held two gallons, so she would have to siphon it again, but that was fine. Gas tasted disgusting when it got in your mouth, but it wouldn't hurt her too bad as long as she spit it out.

She took the jug over to Damien's car and reattached the knob lid that would allow her to feed it into the tank. Once she got it started, she looked over to him with a small smile. However, noticing he looked annoyed, it changed into a questioning look.

'You ok?' she mouthed silently.

 

[Poprockz]

"I mean I can sing, but I wouldn't want to sing in front of other people." Sabastian said nonchalantly his cheeks a bit pink from the very thought. He had only ever sung around his own apartment when he was alone, and he felt like having someone hear him would be like having someone see him with his pants down. His eye met Vin's for a moment before he looked away again, thinking of how he might change the subject. "What about you? Do you do anything other than drink booze, ride motorcycles, and play music?"

Damien shook his head and muttered, "It's fine." He didn't want to make something out of nothing. It seemed like he was having some really toxic feelings at that point, and he didn't want to drag Cora into that for simply being nice to the new guy. No, it seemed as though it was something that would be best to be dealt with himself by trying to rationalize his thoughts or bury them for the time-being.

He walked over to her and gently took the can and the hose from her and gestured to Sabastian and Vin with his head. "Let me take over. I'm pretty sure I get the gist of what to do with this, and you've been driving for a while. I think it would be best if you got to take a break." He needed an excuse to be a bit anti-social for a while, and filling up the tank would be perfect for that.

 

[Drobabes]

"Oh, a shower singer huh? You know I've heard those are the one's with the best voices" he grinned, trying to get the man to be playful, or better yet, give him that cute, grumpy little glare again.

"What about you?"

He brought a hand up to scratch his beard stubble, noticing that he was going to have to find some razors soon and get that taken care of.

"Well let's see. I got a pretty steady hand for tattoos. I'm pretty good for physical labour, and I've been told I'm a rare, high quality commodity for bedroom activities."

He let out another hardy laugh at his own joke, although it wasn't a lie. At least a few of his partners had told him something similar.

Cora gave him a small nod and rubbed his back before she went to stand with Sabastian and Vin, giving the two a grin.

"What are you guys having such a good laugh about over here?"

Though she was concerned for Damien, she thought that perhaps he was just mentally tired. So much had happened in one day, and she knew they could all use a bit of a break to let their thoughts rest and their bodies catch up. She could already feel the many aches and bruises forming on her skin from the various rough treatment she had put it through, and she was really looking forward to a good rest.

Delvin gave her a large smile before answering.

"Oh was just bragging a bit. You know you guys should be careful; get a guy like me going and I might not stop until you're all snoring."

Cora couldn't help but grin back, giving her own small laugh. The man was so carefree and lighthearted, it was such a nice relief from the crushing mood that wanted to worm it's way into her brain until all she could feel was that familiar cold numbness.

"I don't know; after today, I wouldn't mind a good story or two."

 

[Poprockz]

"Yeah, well don't believe everything you hear." Sabastian muttered in reference to his singing. He listened and nodded politely as the man spoke about his own interests. It interested him that the man did tattoos. He personally had unblemished skin but had considered getting a tattoo at one point. The blonde had chickened out on getting one due to the rumors that it hurt quite a bit, though.

When he got to the bit about his own bedroom prowess, Sabastian actually spit out the water he was drinking in surprise. His face went red as he imagined the man naked, pressed against Sabastian's back, his hands all over the blonde's soft, smooth skin. "Jesus! No one wanted to know about that, you pervert!" His eye glared at the man, his body shifting for a moment as though he was almost afraid that the man would see the embarrassingly steamy images in his mind.

He looked up when Cora arrived and inquired, his face still red. Sabastian hoped people would take it as his face being red from anger, especially since his pale complexion made it all too easy to see the change in color.

Damien continued to pour the gas into the car, glad for a bit of alone time to stew with his thoughts. He tried to block out their voices, but he couldn't help but tune in every time he heard Cora talking. The brooding man wanted to know why she became so light-hearted around him, why he was able to make her smile so easily.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin had laughed even harder at Sabastians startled expression, loving the way his cheeks lit up with color. He wondered if the man was the type to blush deeply like that during sex.

At Cora's willingness to hear some stories his eyes lit up. It was as if she had just handed the man a wonderful gift, and in a way, she had. He was a very social man and he hated being alone, always craving the next scene, or seeking out where the party was at. It was the reason he had been drinking so much when they found him, having gone almost a full week with no one to talk to but himself.

"Well alright!" he said with excitement, his hands coming together in a small clap and then rubbing together.

"What floats your boat? Adventure? Mystery? Dashing heroes and lovely maidens?"

He did a bit of a goofy stance as he mentioned the last, causing Cora to laugh and bring her hand up slightly as if she were going to hold her sides.

"Hmm. How about some adventure? What got you into the gypsy lifestyle? And how did you learn how to play guitar?"

She leaned back against the car, her arms crossing over her chest as she noticed the sun beginning to set. Finally they would get some relief from the heat.

"Ah little miss, I was born to a wanderer. Even from a very young age, I've never felt comfortable staying in one place. The world is huge and holds so many secrets, and all I ever wanted to do was get the chance to find out everything. Leave no stone unturned, no tree unclimbed. At one point I even wanted to explore the stars, but it seems like we just weren't born in the right era for that."

His dark eyes travelled up to the sky then, taking in the sparse amount of clouds. Cora watched him with a look of wonder, and when she spoke, it was very soft.

"My dad was like that. He wandered for a long time before he met my mom and settled down. I kind of wonder if he didn't ever get sick of being a parent sometimes; if he wanted to go back out on the road."

Vin looked down at her then, and with a very serious expression he shook his head.

"No. If your mom was enough to keep a wandering spirit from doing what it does best, then you can bet your ass he was never bored. There's few things in this world that can keep a man grounded when he wants to do nothing but fly."

She bit her lip at his words and for a few seconds she thought she might cry. That's right. He had loved them, loved them more than anything, and he had set his greatest enjoyment aside to be with them.

"He was a good man..." she said. It's all she could muster up for a moment, but finally she clears her throat enough to ask,

"So who taught you guitar lessons?"

"Ah, that would be my mum. I'm pretty sure she had be strumming strings before I could even crawl" he laughed.

"Oh, and she had a beautiful voice. She would sing me to sleep every night instead of giving me a bed time story, and man it would make me sleep like a rock...mhm..."

He stared off again, then his voice got a little heated.

"That's why that white-eyed freak pissed me off so much. That was the only thing I had to remember her by."

His hand came up and he waved it in the air, as if he were tossing something angrily.

"Well that's just kinda silly," Cora said.

"You got a lot of good memories, don't you?"

Vin looked at her then, and gave her a soft smile.

"Yea. Yea, I'll always have those memories."

 

[Poprockz]

A mysterious wanderer, a man who was free and wild like her father had been. Was that the type of man Cora would normally go for? Damien removed the gas can from the car now that it was empty, leaving it open for when he made his next deposit. He went to the empty car and grabbed the hose that was still in there, sucking like he had seen Cora do earlier. When the gasoline hit his tongue, he cringed but quickly put the hose back into the can to fill it up. The mouthful of gas was spit onto the concrete with the aftertaste lingering.

He had taken her, removed her from the path she had been walking on in her life so that he could pull her onto his own for a little while. She had developed feelings for him, but he wondered to himself whether it may have been Stockholm's and then the fact that he was the only familiar guy around. Now that she had more choice, would she be looking for someone who could better meet her needs?

Sure Damien was good in bed, but he hadn't dated before. He had liked Cassidy when he was a child, but look at how that had turned out. He had had hope that things would be better once he was free of his parents, but was that the case? Would he ever be good enough for Cora or be able to be the man she deserved and needed? His mind continued going on this tangent, deep in thought as he worked.

Sabastian wiped his mouth off with his sleeve and recovered from his previous embarrassment, listening in with interest at what he had to say about himself. Honestly, he thought the whole wanderer thing seemed like something someone did to feel like they were cool, but he wasn't going to bash the man and Cora's dad, better to just not say anything for now.

However, when anger crept into his voice and he mentioned "the white-eyed freak" he couldn't help but avert his eye, the color draining from his face. He had to remind himself that he wasn't like them, he had his mind and would never hurt anyone. "For now..." whispered his own self-doubt. It made his heart beat quickly in fear to think about that again; he didn't want to think about what might happen to him in the future. He remembered during one of Margaret's "sessions," she had whispered into his ear that they were the same, and it really bothered him.

He turned around and went to the car casually, hiding the fact that his hands were shaking slightly. The blonde reached into the backseat and put Bowie's carrier on the seat, opening the top and pouring some water into his hand. He knew Cora had watered him earlier, but he had no idea how often snakes drank, and it was hot. It was difficult to keep his hand still, so he rested it on the bottom of the carrier for stability.

 

[Drobabes]

Bowie took a small drink, but then largely ignored the water in favour of climbing up Sabastian's arm. It was as if the little creature could sense the man was in need of comfort.

Delvin was feeling a lot better now that he was in the company of people once more, and he let a comfortable silence fall between them as he watched Sabastian walk back to the car and get in, thinking that maybe the man just needed to sit down. One didn't really know someone after just a brief period of time, but he felt as if he were in good hands with these people and it made him relaxed.

Cora looked over just in time to see Damien spit the gas out, and she cringed.

"Do you want some help?"

Vin took a second to look back in the car, and when he saw Bowie, his eyes went wide.

"Is that a bullsnake?!" he said in excitement, causing Cora to turn her head away from Damien.

"Oh. Yea, that's my snake Bowie."

"He's freakin huge! I've never seen a bullsnake as big as him! Can I hold him?"

His dark eyes met Coras, and she smiled at the boyish excitement in his expression.

"Yea, you can hold him. I mean, if that's ok with you Sabastian?"

 

[Poprockz]

"Stupid snake..." Sabastian muttered quietly as he got a lump in his throat, feeling like he might cry. It had been an emotionally exhausting week, and the bit of affection he was getting from the snake made him feel a bit weak as it slithered up his arm. He cradled the rest of the snake affectionately as it climbed further until it was around his shoulders.

He almost jumped when Vin saw the snake and asked to hold it. His eye went to the man and back to the snake, swallowing hard to try to get the lump to leave his throat. Clearing his throat, he stood up and nodded, "Sure. Just don't drop him." Honestly, he didn't want to give up the snake, but he had to admit that the man's almost goofy smile made him a little more amenable to it. Since his hands were still shaking slightly, he reached out and rested his soft hand on the man's arm, a bridge to allow the snake to slither up onto the other man.

Damien had just been about to answer her when the other man spoke. The irritation bubbled up again, more so when it seemed like she would rather be over there with him, showing him her snake. He finished up emptying some gas into the can and put his finger on the hose like she had done, blowing it back down with his mouth. Not being super practiced, he got some gasoline in his mouth again, spitting it out once more before moving to their car's gas tank. "I've got it handled." His voice was neutral, not giving away the fight going on in his head.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin couldn't help but smile like a kid again, giving both Sabastian and Cora an excited look. As Sabastian reached out and placed his hand on Vins bicep, his brown eyes went to the little mans face and his smile changed a bit as he held his gaze. He didn't want to be obvious with his flirting, but he wanted to let the little man know that he liked that soft touch. He liked it a lot.

Cora's own eyes went back and forth between the mens faces, and she kept her deadpan expression, although inside she wanted to giggle. She knew immediately that Vin really liked Sabastian, and she couldn't blame him one bit-the man was absolutely adorable. She completely missed Damiens comment as he walks by, so enraptured by the small drama playing out before her.

Finally breaking eye contact as Bowie made his way onto the mans arm, Delvin lifted the beautiful snake into his hands and admired it.

"He's gorgeous. I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful bullsnake."

Cora noticed that Bowie seemed to be completely calm, even as the man moved his purple bloodied hand next to his face. She shot Sabastian a confused look before going back to watching her snake, wondering why he wasn't hissing at that blood. Had Margarets blood been different somehow?

"Thank you. I'm a little surprised you recognized the species, most people can't tell a corn from a garter."

He smiled a little before answering, still holding Bowie up a bit high as he admired his orange checkered pattern.

"My ex wife used to have a reptile room in the basement. Kept a few species of snakes and a couple lizards. She had a big tegu she let wander the house too. She was a cunt, though" he said, lowering Bowie back down and draping him around Sabastian's shoulders as if he were putting a scarf on the man.

"She never could quite let me be free to be me. Didn't approve of my wandering and...other pass times."

He stared into Sabastian's gaze as he said the last bit, a small and cocky smile touching his lips.

 

[Poprockz]

Why was he looking at him like that? Sabastian's eye was locked with his as he gave him that little smile. It almost seemed king of smug, but he wasn't quite sure. The blonde man wasn't experienced at all when it came to this sort of thing, and had already written the man off as straight. Sabastian had had a fling on the internet once, cybering back and forth and exchanging pictures sometimes, but he had never actually been held in the arms of another man.

For some reason, his gaze made Sabastian feel a bit shy, but he couldn't pull his eye away. He could feel his loins stirring a bit as he touched the man, his bicep firm under his fingers. Finally, he almost breathed a sigh of relief when Vin released him from the hypnotizing eyes he had been captured by. Glancing over at Cora, he did catch the look she was throwing him.

His eyes went to the man's arm and he saw the purple blood upon him, and yet Bowie wasn't reacting the way he had with Margaret's blood. It seemed to point toward the bloods having a bit different of a composition. He wondered how Bowie would react if he cut himself and then offered his own hand. Would he react the same as he did to Margaret since they were technically the same breed? Trying to be very subtle, he slowly breathed in, trying to discern the blood's scent from his own glorious aroma. The blood smelled a bit sour, but definitely not as putrid as the other blood.

Damien seethed a bit. Having been concerned about him one moment and then forgetting him the next, Cora's attentions were once more diverted by that man. He clenched his teeth as his sharp eyes focused on emptying the can once more. Was Damien not good enough? Was his mother right about him? God, he was acting so strangely, such a hot batch of emotions roiling through him. He didn't want to be angry at any of them and yet he felt like he was being poisoned by his feelings toward Vin.

Sabastian watched the snake leave him, hoping that he would get Bowie back sooner rather than later. He removed his hand from the man's arm once the snake was transferred, putting his hands in his pockets as he listened to the conversation.

So he was married... to a woman. That only confirmed his suspicions. Sabastian looked away from him and only met his gaze once more when he felt the heavy snake being wrapped around him. When he did look up, it felt like the man was very close to him, closer than he should be. His cocky smile was also very sexy, and he couldn't help but wonder what his lips felt like. He still didn't know whether his saliva was different than a normal zombie's though, so no exchange of saliva was advised, even if the man had been gay.

 

[Drobabes]

"Wew!" Cora said suddenly.

"It's hot out here. Maybe we should get back in the car and turn the air conditioner on."

She turned away from the two men then, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep the smile off her face much longer as she watched them interacting with one another. She went to the other side of the car and placed her hand on Damiens back, a relaxed smile on her lips. She hadn't felt so mentally relaxed in quite a few days, and having something normal happen-the small drama between the two, was refreshing. Her fingers rubbed his skin gently, liking the way the cotton felt against his muscles, and she looked up into his eyes lovingly.

"You think the other car has much gas left in it?"

Delvin was getting the feeling that the other man was a bit oblivious to his advances and it only spurred his interest on. He wanted to play with the man, flirt with him in more obvious ways, until he knew for sure he was either straight or didn't have any interest in him.

"Wew!"

He let the little mans gaze go as he turned the cocky grin to her. At least someone knew what he was up to. It made him feel a comrade with the women, as she seemed to get him pretty easily, and he liked that. He had no romantic feelings, and very little sexual ones, towards the women, but he liked her nonetheless. It wasn't very often that he came across people that were so chill and just got things, with nothing more than a simple observation.

"That sounds like a good idea, I'm sweating bullets standing out here."

He turned his gaze back to Sabastian.

"It's kinda cramped back there, you can sit on my lap if you want. I imagine those packs don't feel all that great on your back."

He let his teeth show a little with his grin. Would the man notice that a bit more? How would he respond? He looked forward to it, not breaking eye contact so he could see that beautiful blush.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian blinked, not knowing how to process the man's suggestion for a moment. He was receiving a toothy grin, one that made the man look rugged and suave, disarming him for a moment before he regained his senses.

Oh god, if he ended up on the man's lap, it would be practically like giving him a lap-dance. The way the car vibrated and jumped sometimes, he would no doubt be almost rubbing up against him, against his... His face went a deep red and he shook his head as he remembered the other man's warm bulge bumping against his leg, "I'm not going to sit in your lap. I'm not a fucking child, you know," he sputtered. He swiftly turned away and put the snake back in its carrier, zipping up the top before resituating it and getting into the car himself. His legs were up and turned to the side, resting on the side of the passenger seat so Vin could get in.

Meanwhile, Damien glanced up at her touch, his face neutral as his tone as he replied: "Nope. I think it's drained. We should get moving." He noticed that she seemed happy, relaxed even, and it ground his gears to think that the other man made her more comfortable than he could. He didn't want to take his feelings out on Cora though, so he smiled at her and patted her shoulder. It was a fake smile, of course, but not fake in the cheerful way that some of his other smiles were. Damien didn't want her to worry about him, didn't want to get in the way.

The man turned and walked over to the other side, getting into the driver's seat and turning on the car before buckling his seatbelt. He was pretty sure that she wouldn't try to discuss it in the car with the other two if she sensed something was wrong, and hopefully she would forget it after going to sleep if she did also.

 

[Drobabes]

"Oh I'm very aware you are not a child" Vin said, loving how hot tempered the little man was. It stirred a primal urge in him, something that some of his partners had liked, and some hadn't. He wanted to back the man up into a corner and make him keep eye contact as his hands slid down his body, every touch drawing forth a little whimper or pant.

He went to the other side of the car and got in, buckling his seat belt and putting his arm up on the head rest, making himself comfortable. He hoped Sabastians legs would tire of their position, allowing him to feel his warmth across his lap once more, this time being awake to enjoy it. He gave him a small grin, but then looked out the window as he waited for the other two.

"Nope. I think it's drained. We should get moving."

Cora's smile dropped at his curt reply, and her brows knitted slightly. At first she thought perhaps she read him wrong until she felt his hand pat her shoulder, the gesture almost cold and lacking any of his usual warmth. When he quickly got into the car and started it up, she followed. Buckling her own seatbelt, she gave him a bit of a sad look. She didn't understand why he had suddenly become so cold with her, and as she looked down into her lap at her hands, she tried to think of what she had done wrong. Was he mad that she hadn't helped him more with getting the gas? But he had said he had it, that wasn't fair to be angry with her over that.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian wondered what that was supposed to mean. It didn't sound like the man's tone was sarcastic, and yet it certainly seemed like he was teasing him in a way. When he looked up to gauge his expression though, he saw the man with his usual playful grin. Vin seemed tough to pin down, but it almost seemed like he enjoyed riling Sabastian up. As the man slid into the car, he could feel the man's hip make contact with his ass again. The blonde stubbornly crossed his arms and looked looked out the windshield.

Though it was just a look, Damien picked up on the fact that she was a bit sad from his shortness. He cursed the situation and wished he could reach out and comfort her. All he could do was grip the steering wheel and try not to make things worse. He sighed and said, "hey. Don't be afraid to get some sleep, Cora." He tried to give her an apologetic smile, but quickly looked away, the knots of jealousy still twisting in his stomach.

The position was indeed a bit uncomfortable for Sabastian, his legs feeling cramped in that curled-up but tense position. After about 15 minutes, he tapped Vin on the shoulders and reluctantly mumbled, "can I put my legs down on your lap? Sorry, but they're just a bit cramped right now." With the air conditioning going full-blast, it was also a bit chilly for his own sensibilities, so he twisted around to see if he had access to a blanked. Since he did not, he simply turned back and rubbed his arms a bit.

 

[Drobabes]

Despite his efforts, the use of her name only made her feel worse. It felt like he was still just being curt and cold, and she missed the smile he tried to give her.

"Alright" she said softly, but she didn't look at him when she said it. She was trying not to pout; she hadn't done anything wrong, but she didn't really feel like meeting his gaze right at that moment so she turns her attention to the window.

Vin looked over as he felt the small tap, and after Sabastion asked his question, he moved his other arm up on the window sill out of the way.

"Sure, go for it."

He kept his tone light and easy, not wanting to embarrass the man further or make it awkward. He wanted Sabastian to feel comfortable putting his legs on him.

When he did finally lay them across his lap, he shifted his own hips to get more comfortable and make sure he wouldn't prod the man if he got an erection. He noticed him rubbing his arms and he wished he had had a jacket that he could offer to him. Instead he tries the next best thing.

"Hey, would you guys mind if we turned the AC off for a bit? It's a little chilly back here."

He didn't feel cold himself, his body heat probably a little warmer than most people's from his constant drinking, but he could deal with a little heat if it meant Sabastian was comfortable.

Cora didn't acknowledge him, but she reached over and turned the AC off, then just cracked her own window down to feel the now much cooler summer breeze.

 

[Poprockz]

The guy didn't seem to care whether his legs were on him or not, so he felt a little less shy about putting them over his lap. The man's legs were warm, and he wondered if his arms were just as warm as well, their embrace like a snug blanket. He didn't notice that the shifting the man was doing was a preventative measure, but he did look up when he requested that the AC be turned down. Sabastian knew the man wasn't the least bit cold so he gave him a little smile, a bit touched that the man had noticed he was cold and did something to help.

"Thanks," he said softly, resting his head to the side against the backseat, somewhat nearby where the man had rested his arm. The blonde's beautiful blue eye closed, his long lashes resting against his cheek as he nuzzled his face against the seat before slowly falling asleep. In his sleepy moments before he fell into the realm of dreams, he reached up and rubbed under his eyepatch, wiping away the moistness that had accumulated in the heat. His eye was closed, but there were no scars or scarring across the eye, indicating that his affliction had to do with the eye itself.

Damien could feel the tenseness between himself and Cora and he hated it. He blamed Vin, but he mostly blamed himself.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin returned the smile, but he didn't turn his gaze away as he watched Sabastian nuzzle against the seat. His arm was so close to the mans head, and he wondered what it would feel like to run his fingers through that blond hair. Would it be especially soft? Or a bit more rough and course? He enjoyed both, especially when the person who's hair he had his fingers tangled in allowed him to tug gently. He was just beginning to let his gaze roam down to the mans soft lips when he noticed him rub his eye. It caught his attention again, as he didn't seem to see any scarring, and he wondered again if he had really been dreaming earlier. Maybe what he had seen was scar tissue from where the eye had been injured or taken out. A little too tempted to take a peek, he has to drag his eyes away from the gorgeous man and stare out the window at the setting sun.

A few hours later when Damien pulled the car over, Cora stirred from the window. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep, and the sudden darkness all around her gave her a bit of a start. She looked around and saw that Damien and Vin were already setting up camp, and seeing as Sabastion was still asleep in the back, she rubbed her eyes and got out to see if she could help with anything.

The temperature had dropped significantly, and as she came to stand by the two men, looking for something she could help with, she was hugging herself and rubbing her arms.

"Need any help?" She mumbles sleepily.

Vin looked up at her and shrugged nonchalantly, but he didn't say anything. He was pretty tired himself and Damien hadn't seemed in much of a mood for chatter, so he wanted to just get it done with quickly so they could all sleep.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien had brought three sleeping bags, each of them laid out around the fire pit they had dug out. He had put some rocks around it with Vin's help. He pretty much had only said enough for Vin to help set up camp, not daring to say anything else for fear of acting out on the new guy. When Cora came out, he thought to himself that she looked so cute with that sleepy look on her face. He wanted to scoop her up into his arms and just hold her, but he still felt a bit tense.

"No, everything's pretty much set up as it is. I think we could all just use some shut-eye." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. Damien hoped that some sleep would help him feel better, refresh him so that he didn't feel quite so shitty.

With the click of a car door, Sabastian was now standing there, barely awake as he yawned, and sleepily rubbed his eyes out of habit. It was pretty cold out, so he started rubbing his arms too. However, his eye snapped open when he saw the fire and he stumbled backward. All of them were looking at him then and he didn't really have an explanation. He had never been afraid of fire before, but now there was something innately dangerous about it that he couldn't shake. The man wondered if it had anything to do with how flammable Margaret's eggs and goop had been.

He tried to play it off, chuckling weakly and putting a hand behind his head to scratch it casually. "Jeez, I must still be half-asleep."

 

[Drobabes]

Cora caught the way that Sabastian reacted to the fire, and it woke her up a little bit. She remembered the sound of the loud WHOOSH as the room had gone up in flames, and suddenly she felt deeply concerned for the man. Surely his skin wouldn't go up like that if he ever got too close to a fire, would it? She forces herself to put her arms down and act like the cold isn't bothering her as she comes over to stand by Sabastian for a moment, her eyes watching the campfire like she's just enjoying the flames.

"We've all had a rough day, can't blame ya if your head is still in dream land. Hopefully the nightmares weren't too bad?"

She puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a comforting look before turning away and heading towards Damien.

"You know it's still kinda hot, probably want to move your sleeping bag away from the fire so you can sleep better," she says over her shoulder.

Vin stretched a bit and yawned, then crossed his arms and looked out into the darkness. It made him almost a little bit uncomfortable, having a fire. He didn't really like that he couldn't see very far out, but anything out there could see them clear as day. However, the girl, Cora, might get cold without one so he kept that particular thought to himself for the time being. His head turns towards the group.

"Are we going to sleep in shifts? Or do you guys thinks it's safe enough? I'm tired, but I can take the first shift if you all want. Pay you back a little bit for the ride."

 

[Poprockz]

The little blonde nodded gratefully enjoying the bit of physical comfort he got from her hand. "No, the nightmares barely affect me, but... Thanks." He mumbled, trying not to seem like a scared fool.

Damien looked at Vin, trying to decide whether he trusted him enough to watch out for zombies throughout his shift. he decided that he would allow it. The worst-case scenario would be that the man murdered him and took the other two, and that didn't seem like it would be such a bad situation. Cora seemed to really like him, so maybe she would be fine with that after a while. Maybe she would forget about him as she went off to continue with that carefree wanderer.

He blinked. When had his thoughts become so bitter and cruel? Shaking his head in frustration, Damien tried to fight against the urge to sink into that venomous pool and revel in his feelings of envy and hatred. "Alright. I think that sounds like a good idea. There's some canned coffee in the backseat if you need it- it's in the duffel bag." The man's voice was strained but polite, going to his own sleeping bag and taking off his shoes before slipping into it and zipping it up.

"Hey Cora." Before she got more than a step away, Sabastian's hand reached out and lightly held a bit of the fabric of the back of her shirt in between his fingers. "I know we want to conserve energy and stuff, but do you think I could maybe listen to the music on your phone again?"

His eye looked a bit vulnerable for a moment before he scrunched up his face and looked away. "It's not like I'm scared or anything, I just think it would help me get to sleep better... And maybe Vin could take the phone from me once I fall asleep since he's taking the first shift." He tried to make it seem like he didn't care that much, just in case they declined his request. The blonde man wanted something comforting to ferry him off into sleep, the adrenaline from his newfound fear of fire still pumping strong.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora felt the little tug and turned back. She waited for him to finish and nodded.

"Sure, I actually have a solar battery that I brought with us, so don't worry about running it low. Oh, actually, do you want to do me a favour? Would you mind sleeping with Bowie? I know it's a little weird, but he doesn't have a way to heat his own body up, and if the temperature drops too low he could freeze. I also don't think I can fit him in with me and Damien."

She hadn't thought about it till then, but she was actually really glad Sabastian had stopped her. That was the one thing she hadn't planned for, was how to keep Bowie warm.

Once that was all settled, she made her way over to Damien and took her shoes off as well, sitting them beside the blanket and then quietly getting in. She faced away from him as she laid down, still unsure if he was in a bad mood. His body was so warm against her back that she couldn't help but push up against him though, still shivering a bit from the cold. The ground was hard and uncomfortable, and she was used to sleeping on at least a foam matt, but she was also so damn exhausted she thought she might be able to do it anyway. A little yawn escaped her lips, and when it was done, she tried to bridge the gap with him.

"Goodnight..." she said softly, hoping that he would at least respond to her. He couldn't stay mad all night, could he?

 

[Poprockz]

Cora was rewarded for her generosity with a warm smile and a soft, "Thanks, and it's no problem. I don't mind sleeping with Bowie." He looked relieved as he walked back to the car, grabbing the carrier and Cora's phone before scooting his sleeping bag away from the fire enough to feel safe, but not so far as to not feel the warmth. Slipping half-way into the bag, he undid his pants and wiggled out of them with difficulty. It was uncomfortable to sleep with pants on, so the maneuvering he had to do to get them off within the sleeping bag was worth it. He could have just changed before getting in, but the thought of Vin or Damien seeing his junk made him want to jump in a river with embarrassment.

He unzipped Bowie's carrier and slowly pulled him into the sleeping bag with him, rubbing his own feet together to start getting the bag heated up for the both of them. Thankfully he didn't move too much in his sleep; he only tended to grab things and cuddle them generally. He thought to himself that he hoped he didn't cuddle Bowie too hard and squeeze the life out of him. Although, something told him that Bowie might be able to handle himself even if he did find himself in that situation.

"Goodnight, guys. See you later, Vin." The blond called before plugging in the earbuds and closing his eyes.

Damien felt her get in and she felt so good against him. When he heard her wish him goodnight, he turned over and put his arm around her warm body, resting his head near the nape of her neck before whispering, "goodnight." He leaned forward and kissed the back of her neck before laying his head down once more and closing his eyes. God, he loved this woman so much, he was so afraid she might leave him for someone that she had the freedom to chose.