Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

Tommy was so wholesome, the way he looked at her with such an earnest expression as he declared that he would always protect them. It brought a smile to her face and warmth to her heart. Although, she had no intention of simply sitting back and letting Tommy bear the full brunt of it all.

“I’ll protect you too, Tommy. You may be a big, strong soldier man, but you need someone watching out for you too.” She game him a playful half-smile, continuing to walk beside him. Jesse felt like she could walk a bit taller and with more confidence when he was with her.

Randy smiled at Tommy as well, thinking to himself that it was a bit presumptuous to say he would protect him as well since Randy figured he could usually take care of himself. However, the sentiment was not lost, and he found himself liking the boy. He was a good apple, and of all the guys Jesse could have been falling for, Tommy was probably one of the best young men he had met even before everything went to shit. He felt confident that Tommy meant what he said, and that his feelings for her were genuine.

Dave sighed wistfully, “if only the little blonde would have gone on a date with me. He was so adorable, I couldn’t help but want to get to know him better. From what he said though, he was already hung up on someone else. Seemed a bit conflicted, though.” His eyes slid over to Vin, wondering if the man would be curious enough to ask about it.

—————————————

Usually Sabastian might have tried to act tough and say he was fine like he had with Vin, but he was simply too deep in his own despair to give a shit right now. He leaned into Cora’s arms, resting his head on her chest as he continued to cry. It seemed like every time the tears would slow and he would compose himself, a memory of Vin would flash in his mind and would send him back into being a sobbing mess.

He had no idea how Bowie had gotten into his lap, but he was grateful for the company of the sweet reptile. Sabastian held onto Bowie with one hand while putting the other around Cora.

“I couldn’t smell him anymore...” Sabastian murmured sadly.

Damien, having gotten into the driver’s seat looked back with a pained expression. So he really was gone... he turned around and gripped the steering wheel hard. He would miss Vin; the man had the ability to beat the shit out of someone, and yet he had a gentle heart. He was forgiving and respectful, and Damien realized he did consider the man to have been a friend.

He started up the car and started driving away, leaving the conquered base in their wake.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy had had a moment to calm down now, and Jesse's reply actually manages to bring a blush to his face. He really liked that she called him big and strong, but was also willing to watch his back. It made his heart beat a little quicker and unfortunately, his palms a little sweaty. He didn't notice that last detail though, too caught up in the sudden rush he was feeling from the beautiful girl giving him compliments like that.

Vin looked over at him again, the small smile still touching his face. Sabastian definitely was adorable and he wasn't surprised Dave had made a move on his as well.

He knew what Dave was trying to do. Lure him into conversation, likely to see what that whole situation last night had been about. Vin took his time with it though, not sure if he wanted to take the bait, and was quiet for quite a few moments. The 'hung up on someone' comment did pique his interest, though.

His curiousity won out, as he knew the bartender had likely been able to get more info out of Sabastian, and he couldn't help but wonder why he shot Dave down as well. Was he getting over a bad break-up and didn't want to jump into another relationship yet? Was he just scared of sex? He seemed as if he had waited for a while, although Vin felt like it was something else going on. Something more.

He cleared his throat with a light cough before speaking, "seemed conflicted, huh? He sure was drinking a lot, I kind of wondered if he wasn't trying to drown a memory out."

___ ___

When Sabastian leaned against her, she took it as a go ahead to wrap her arms around him and hug him tightly. She didn't really rock him, not being able to do it against the seat, but she held him in the way that Damien did for her and just hoped it would be enough.

"I couldn’t smell him anymore..."

She tried to control her breathing, but she couldn't stop herself from crying. Her chest shook slightly as she tried hard to hold still and to just be there for him. She wasn't as practiced with it, usually being the one needing comfort, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

"I'm sorry, god I'm so sorry Sabastian..."

She let her hand rub his back as she rested her chin on his shoulder and watched through tears as the world outside the window began to move by.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse noticed his sweaty palms, but didn’t let go. The fact that he might be a bit shy or nervous around her made her smile, loving how cute it was. His rosy cheeks were also adorable, and she wished she had a camera with her to take a selfie of the two of them.

She leaned a bit closer to him and said in a low voice, “hey, do you think there’s any supply caches in here with clothes in them? I don’t think a doll dress and striped thigh-highs are really the best zombie gear. I’d ask the general but he’s kind of intimidating.” The girl forced herself not to look back at him, keeping her eyes forward. She didn’t want to be rude and look back at him like she was gossiping about the man.

Dave shook his head, “no, I think his reservations had to do with a more personal issue. I got the impression that he wanted to be able to have something with someone, but he seemed to have baggage. Like he talked about how he had a “flaw” that he didn’t think anyone would accept, and that it was too risky to talk about. I told him that he was just assuming the response before he even considered asking the question, making it impossible for anyone to decide for themselves whether they’d be okay with it. I kinda wonder what it was...”

The bartender looked at Vin and raised his eyebrow, reaching up and scratching one of his ears near his piercings, “do you have any idea what it might have been?”

————————————

Sabastian cuddled in her arms, leaning snuggly against her. He hadn’t necessarily wanted a pillar of strength, and the fact that she was crying made him feel like she was sharing some of his pain. His heart ached for Dave and the band too, but all he could focus on right now was Vin. The man had such an easy-going smile when he last saw him, his guitar sitting next to him on the seat.

He hoped to god it had been quick and painless, but he suspected otherwise from how his scent gradually dissipated. How many had he taken down before he fell?

The little blonde man couldn’t stop the tears from continuing, especially when Cora had apologized. No amount of sorry’s would bring him back, but he appreciated what she truly meant. She was sorry that everything had gone to hell, and that the man he had started to care for was gone with a finality that was so painful to bear.

“If only I had convinced him to come... if only I hadn’t hit on him like that.., maybe things would be different.” Sabastian cried softly.

 

[Drobabes]

Oh god she's leaning in, what do I do? Do I put my arm around her? I'm still on duty, I can't do that. But I'm not even supposed to be holding her hand! Although the general hasn't said anything. But what if her dad doesn't like it and tells me to screw off? What am I supposed to do her-

"Huh? Oh, clothes. Uh, I'm not sure. Honestly I haven't been down this way yet, but maybe. At the very least we can get some when we get to the next base."

His stance didn't change, but he eyed the generals second as they walked, Jesse's comment about the big man being intimidating momentarily kicking back those sweet little thrills of anxiety. He was the one who had given him the order to shoot, and he couldn't help but wonder what he knew.

Delvin glanced over to him but shook his head.

"No, I'm not sure. I was only travelling with him for one day. The most I learned was that he was a bit grumpy and really loved his mother, but you could say that about a lot of people."

He shifted the man in his arms a bit, hoping they could get him to a medic soon. His breathing seemed to be pretty laboured. He didn't speak up anymore on the subject, choosing to remain rather quiet as they continued to walk, but once or twice he had to stop himself from grinding his teeth as his thoughts tumbled through possibilities.

His mind kept coming back to last night. Not only because of the way Sabastian had acted, turning him on so much it almost physically hurt, but because of the way he had held his wrists down. That strength he had displayed had been unbelievable, and he also couldn't forget the way he had dropped that guy with one good foot stomp. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Tommy hadn't been too far off when he called the little blond a secret ninja. Maybe Sabastian was actually well versed in some kind of martial art and knew what pressure points to hit.

He continued to mull it over, running through different possibilities. For the time being, though, he has forgotten about the conversation they shared by the fire, and about Margaret.

___ ___

"No, no sweety. It's not your fault. We couldn't make him come with us that was his choice, and you know he forgave you. Don't look for reasons to blame yourself, he wouldn't want you to do that."

She hoped that what she was saying was true, but she couldn't deny she felt a small pang of regret herself. She could have done a little more herself. She could have accompanied Sabastian to the bar last night, or went to see if Dave had anymore makeup that could possibly cover up Vin's mark. Maybe he wouldn't have travelled with them, but he might have left the compound at the same time at least.

She said nothing of what she was thinking though, she just kept holding him close and letting him cry.

 

[Poprockz]

“Oh, okay. The next base is probably a ways away, huh?” Jesse mulled his words over, wishing she could get away from the dress. Fortunately, the stockings weren’t being annoying, surprisingly staying up on her thighs just fine. She dreaded to think of the chaffing that might happen down the road, though. Maybe she would eventually take them off and tie them around her waist or shoulders for later.

She would have asked Tommy to ask, but didn’t want him to feel like her errand boy. Jesse thought to herself that if she decided she really needed to know, she would ask the general directly.

“Hmm,” Dave thought about it before mentioning, “were you guys traveling with anyone previously, or were you in the compound a day or two before coming to the bar? He also mentioned having a crush on someone. Didn’t say who it was, but it was definitely a guy.”

He smirked, “I decided to make him talk to me a bit since he looked a bit down and he really wanted booze. He’s such a grumpy little guy sometimes, isn’t he?” Dave shook his head and thought about the blonde fondly.

———————————-

“But-but he probably felt too uncomfortable to come with us after that even if he forgave me.” Sabastian hiccuped, his tears starting to slow once more. He was beginning to become a bit tired, all those tears and all that running starting to catch up with the little man.

 

[Drobabes]

The second in command, who had yet to identify himself to the party, turned his head slightly to answer Jesse.

"We will not be travelling through these tunnels for long. We have a small handful of vehicles stored in a secure location that we will be using to travel to the next base."

He turned his attention ahead once more, leading the line and holding the wounded man in his arms. Little did anyone else know that the man was now a mere corpse, but he would let the survivors continue to believe that he still lived. There was no need to alarm them nor tell them of why the man had been shot down.

"were you guys traveling with anyone previously, or were you in the compound a day or two before coming to the bar?"

He shook his head again.

"No, just the four of us, and we came to the bar right after we all got a shower. Maybe the guy he had a crush on before didn't make it?"

____ ____

Cora had no way to argue against that line of reasoning. It wasn't hard to figure out that Vin had really liked Sabastian, and he was probably right, the man probably didn't feel comfortable coming with them after Sabastion had turned him down. However,

"It's not your fault Sabastian. It is not, your fault."

She squeezed him a little tighter. The reason didn't matter anymore, what had happened had happened and there was nothing to be done to change it now. Even if he could have gone back and done something about it, fate was a cruel bitch and there was no guarantee the outcome would have been any different. For all they knew, Vin might have ran back in there to save someone.

 

[Poprockz]

When the second turned his head and spoke to them, Jesse almost jumped. She hadn't expected him to be listening to them, and was a bit worried that he might have heard the other part she had said about the general. A bit embarrassed, Jesse looked down for a moment and felt her cheeks burn. Damn, she felt awkward.

However, she was a bit relieved that they would be traveling by car instead of on-foot; it seemed that the army was a resourceful lot. She really hoped that she got to sit with Tommy.

"Oh... Um, thanks. That's a relief," Jesse responded, not really wanting to engage him any further than that.

Dave looked at Vin for a moment with a slightly disbelieving expression, silently contemplating how a man could be this dense. It was almost impressive, really. He cleared his throat, "no, he said that he was currently crushing on someone. It's you, Vin. He liked you. A lot, I think. I was totally eavesdropping when you guys were saying goodbye. Don't you remember him asking for your hat? He wanted it to remember you by. Like a memento. And the way he hugged you? That boy was smitten." Dave sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and left him to his thoughts, going over to Bernard to chat with him.

----------------------------------------------------

Sabastian continued to sob and cry intermittently until he was tuckered out. At that point, he simply rested against Cora, slowly falling a sleep and breathing softly. Even in his sleep he clung to her, needing the warmth and comfort of another person to keep him calm. His eyes were puffy and he still looked a bit pale.

Damien looked at Cora through the rearview mirror, giving her a sympathetic look. "The best way we can honor his memory is by continuing on and keeping his memories close. I heard that at a funeral once and didn't quite know what it really meant until now." He said softly.

 

[Drobabes]

The second didn't say anything further, simply continuing on. Tommy wanted to say something but found himself rather tongue tied. Here he was was holding the hand of a beautiful girl and he couldn't even manage to get a few words out.

"So um...what's your favourite icecream?"

Lame!

"I mean cause it's going to be hot once were out of here, and I could go and get you some at the cafeteria..."

Delvin knitted his brows as Dave continued to talk, and when he got to the part about the hat and that last hug, he gave him a bit of a confused look. His pace didn't falter, but for a minute or so he slowed down. Very quickly he found himself at the back of the line, staring at the two unconscious people the general was carrying over his shoulders. A lot was going through his mind now and he wished he had time to sit down and process it all.

He had thought the guitar was a simple act of kindness and maybe wanting to hear him play, but now after what Dave had just told him, he couldn't help but wonder if it had been some kind of apology. After all, the man had gone off alone into town, risking his safety to get the gas, but also going out of his way just to get him an instrument. Even if it had been on his path already, taking any extra time just to get it put him at risk.

Why did he tell him no? If he had liked him as much as Dave seemed to think he did, why turn him down? Or at least, why not just change his mind and try to take his rejection back? What could be so bad that Sabastian thought he might turn away from him? He had to stop himself from grinding his teeth again.

___ ___

Cora never let him go, even when she got too uncomfortable, she simply shifted and brought him more onto her lap. Her own tears had finally calmed as well, and she had turned her face so she could look through the mirror at Damien when he spoke.

"Do you think he's really gone?" she asked softly, although she already knew the answer to that. If Sabastian had lost his scent, then there was probably no way he was still alive.

She was quiet for a moment, then she looked back in the mirror.

"Hey Damien...I'm sorry I was acting so cold last night..."

She knew now wasn't the time to bring it up. Later, when they had a moment to themselves she would, but after what had just happened, death was fresh on her mind. If they were to die in a car crash right now, she didn't want the last thing to have happened between them be pain caused from her own insecurities.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse had an amused smile on her face from the question. It was cute how he was fishing for things to talk about with her. before, they seemed to be pretty casual, just talking about whatever seemed relevant at the moment. Now that they were holding hands, it was like things had been shaken up a bit. Of course she didn't necessarily have proof he liked her, but she thought that it was safe to assume he did at this point. If not, she would leave it to him to tell her that he didn't want her advances if he was uncomfortable.

"Hmmm... Call me basic, but vanilla is actually my favorite. There's just something really wholesome and comforting about a cone of creamy vanilla ice cream, you know? Strawberry is a close second for me, though." Jesse actually thought to herself that after everything that happened, a cone of ice cream didn't sound like a bad idea. "What about you? I feel like maybe you're more of a mint chocolate chip guy?"

--------------------------------------------------------------


"Yes. I think he's gone. If a base full of armed military soldiers fell, I think even his strength may not have been enough," Damien replied, his voice somber. He also recognized Sabastian's extremely strong sense of smell, so combined he didn't have doubts about Vin's fate.

When she apologized, he looked surprised for a moment and then shook his head. "No, it's okay. I thought something might have been up with you, but wasn't really sure. After what happened last night with that guy almost drugging you, I can understand why you would be a bit distant and on-edge. No need to apologize for that." He smiled softly at her through the mirror.

Damien really wanted her to talk about it with him, but didn't want to push her at all. For this reason, he figured she would talk when she was ready.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy had to swallow before he could answer. He had made the mistake of looking down into her eyes and seeing that smile again. It wasn't the first time he had seen her smile, but right now it sure felt like it.

"You're pretty close. I actually really strawberry with chocolate chips, but that's really rare to find, so I usually just shave some chocolate on top."

He couldn't really bring himself to attempt anymore light conversation after that, though luckily for him he got saved from his awkwardness. The two people the general had been carrying woke up, so he called for the party to stop briefly. General Kuznet had been teaching Tommy some basic medical knowledge as situations arose, and now was no different. He called the boy over to inspect the two civilians as he guided him on what to look for and what questions to ask. Once they were sure that the two were fine and could walk on their own two feet, they continued on.

Tommy went back to the middle of the line and then hesitantly took Jesses hand once more. It caused a blush to creep back up on his cheeks again, and it didn't go away until the second time they stopped.

"Alright everyone" General Kuznet called out as they came up on two doors, one on either side of the tunnels.

"The door to your right is the one we'll be taking to meet up with any survivors from the base, if there were any. We will also be procuring ourselves some vehicles and light amount of supplies while we are here. However, the door to the left," he motions with his chin to add emphasis.

"Will take you out to a small abandoned town. It has been cleared of any infected and is currently not being manned or occupied.

"As I am a firm believer in Americas founding principle of freedom, I am going to offer everyone a choice. You may come with us and have the full protection of the military...or you may choose to leave now and try to make it on your own. This does not mean you may not return. Every single one of you are welcome to come back to any military outpost at any time, but I understand that some may want to leave the party now."

He met each of their gazes individually, seeing which ones understood more clearly the weight behind what he was offering them. He gave them all a few moments to think it over, and it doesn't take long at all for Vin to step up.

"I appreciate everything you and your soldiers have done for me, but I would like to see if I can make it on my own. I have some family I would like to find as well."

The general stepped up and took the man from his arms, choosing to hold him in the same manner.

"Very well. If anyone else would like to join him, through that door you will find a locked cache box with some basic medical supplies, gallon jugs of water, and k-rations. I ask that you take only what you need for two days travel and procure the rest on your own. The code for the lock is 5358. It changes daily, so don't plan on being able to come back to it. Goodluck, and may god be with you."

He gave Vin a nod, and then began to lead the rest of the party through the other door and up the stairs.

Vin was left standing there for a moment, stretching his arms and adjusting his guitar belt. He knew Tommy was going to go with his superior, but what he didn't expect was for the boy to run over and give him a brief hug and pat on the back. When he stepped back, he had a big grin on his face.

"I'll catch you on the flip-side."

Delvin grinned back, taking the young mans hand and giving him a hardy shake.

"Yea, and next time we'll sing more than just a few songs."

___ ___

She gave him a warm smile in return, grateful for him being so understanding and loving. A small part of her wanted to continue the conversation now that Sabastian was asleep, but she was so tired herself, and if she really did want to open that can of worms, she better be ready to finish it.

She didn't know when it happened, but Cora soon found herself dozing off to sleep as well.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse nodded, thinking about Tommy holding a strawberry chocolate chip ice cream cone and taking little licks out of it. It was just too cute and she couldn't help blushing a little bit herself.

When the two people woke up, she watched him administer first aid. It was honestly amazing how calm and attentive he was, working diligently and doing whatever the general told him to do to in order to best help them. Jesse found it very admirable and impressive, her eyes holding affection for him as he worked. She figured complimenting him on it right now might be a bad time so she held off, but she was still happy when he ended up returning to her.

His hand in hers felt warm and right, and she was very pleased that he had taken her own hand this time. It made her feel like he wanted to hold hands just as much as she did.

As they stopped, she listened to the general speak. She was a bit distracted, thinking to herself how ungodly big the man was. It just didn't seem like it should be possible for a man to be that big. When his eyes met hers, she had to look away, unable to hold those blue eyes for any length of time; she found them a bit unnerving. Besides, who would want to leave at this point? Hadn't they all seen what the zombies could do? Better to be in a larger group where they would be safer.

With that reasoning, she was surprised to see Vin step up and proclaim that he was leaving. She felt a bit sad, having thought that he was a fun guy to hang out with. Jesse saw Tommy wanting to go over, so she let go of his hand and let him run, following behind at a slower pace. When they had exchanged goodbyes, she also hugged him tightly. "Goodbye, voodoo man. Thanks... Thanks for coming with Tommy to help me and my dad out." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, gratitude shown in her eyes.

Randy, Bernard, and Dave also came over to say their goodbyes, each of them hugging him and wishing him luck before they all filed away into the other tunnel.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damien continued to drive, the car smoothly flying over the pavement as they made their way to their next destination. He just hoped the future held less horrific things in store for them.

 

[Drobabes]

After Vin had said his goodbyes with everyone, he made his way out the door, stopping by the cache box to grab some water and a few supplies. He only took enough for two days, as was asked, then made his way to the town.

He took his time travelling for a while. He didn't expect to find much in the town if the military had already been through, likely clearing the place of any helpful supplies. He did however make his way into a few houses to look at what had been left behind.

He managed to find himself a decent backpack, and though he usually wasn't one to wear the things, he went ahead and took dark brown cowboy hat as well. The summer sun was hot on his head even though it was still somewhat early in the day, and he wondered if he shouldn't just stay in town until he figured out just what it was he wanted to do.

After searching through a few more houses though, he decided against it. Either way he looked at it, he was going to need to find other people again. If the heat got to be too much, he would find himself some shade and wait it out, but every minute of time he wasted not walking was time burning calories. He wasn't no nature survivalist, and he just barely knew how to fish and hunt, so he needed to get to them before he ran out of food.

Around evening, well after he had left the town, he lucked out and found a car that hadn't been abandoned for any other reason than a flat tire, as far as he could tell. He popped the trunk and found the spare, changed it, and was granted the sweet relief of a working AC. The tank read about a quarter full, but that seemed like plenty until he could siphon some more.

___ ____

Cora didn't know how long she had been sleeping for, but when she woke up, Bowie was draped over her shoulders and flicking his tongue against her cheek, making her reach up to scratch it. She let out a little yawn and stretched, then she reached down to itch her foot as well. She couldn't quite get it though, so she gripped the back of her shoe and pulled.

With a quiet ripping noise, the whole bottom piece of her shoe separated from the top cloth portion, and Cora was left sitting there with an old piece of plastic in her hand and a dumbfounded expression.

"Really?" she growled.

"Of all the times...you lasted for three years, you couldn't make it for a few more days?"

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian was roused from her growl, looking blearily at her and the plastic in her hand. It took him a few seconds of squinting to figure out what it was. "What the actual fuck? I've never seen a shoe rip off like that before."

Damien glanced into the rearview mirror, cognizant of the fact that it was starting to get dark. Shoes were essential if they were going to make it to where they were going, so he really needed to get her some more. Beside the fact that she would need them in general, he wanted her to have good, sturdy shoes if they had to run away from zombies in the future.

"Was that your shoe?" he asked to confirm. His eyes glanced at the road signs, trying to see if there was a town they could pull into to see if there was a house they could raid or spend the night.

 

[Drobabes]

"I probably washed it one too many times...and took it on too many hikes..." Cora grumbled.

She looked in the mirror and nodded.

"Yea... Goddamnit."

She tossed it on the floor in a bit of a huff and then sat back and crossed her arms, glaring out the window. The sour expression quickly dropped, however, when she remembered what happened to the base, and to Vin.

All those people... Tommy, Jesse, her dad, Dave. All the soldiers and other civilians. Cora wondered how many had managed to make it out alive.

She could feel Bowie tightening around her shoulders, almost as if he was trying to get her attention or comfort her. She didn't think she was the one who needed the most comfortable at the moment, though, so she blinked the tears from her eyes and then lifted him up and put him into Sabastians lap.

"Were you thinking of stopping somewhere? I know shoes are important, but I don't know how safe the middle of town would be. Maybe we could stop by a house on the outskirts-it doesn't have to be my exact size, it just can't be too small. I can stuff some shoes if they're too big."

 

[Poprockz]

As Vin drove on, the sun slowly went down. The sun soon went down, the dark pressing down on Vin's shoulders to remind him that eventually he would need to go to sleep. It had been a long time since he came across any indication of civilization, and therefore there were hardly any zombies to be found at all. To the side of the road though, a sign came into sight. It read: "Aunt Sue's Diner! 1 Mile!" The sign looked old, as though it had been there for quite a while.

Unlike a motel, a diner was much less likely to have zombies crawling about since it didn't really have any beds, and likely no one actually lived there.

---------------------------------------------

"Huh," Sabastian said, closing his eyes again painfully. He didn't want to be awake right now; to be fair he didn't really want to be awake for the foreseeable future. All that death and loss, and Vin... He felt something heavy in his lap and glanced down, seeing that Cora had set Bowie down on him. The man reached down and picked the snake up, cradling him against his chest. He wondered if Bowie was able to feel the zombies at the base, or maybe just Sabastian when he was carried to the car.

"Well, I was planning on pulling over and seeing if there was a house that had shoes your size, but your right. At the very least, we could grab you a too-large pair of shoes and then keep an eye out for better ones afterwards," Damien replied. He kept driving, now intending to find a house that was more out of the way. After driving for another ten minutes, they came upon a two-story farmhouse that still looked in good shape.

The front door was open which didn't bode too well, but perhaps the person inside was trying to make it look abandoned? Maybe he was putting too much thought into it. The car came to a stop, the headlights lighting up the house as he idled. "I don't know if it's safe yet, so I think I should go in first."

"I can't feel any zombies in there, so it's relatively safe I think," Sabastian said in a flat voice, still feeling tired and empty.

Damien raised his eyebrow and looked back at him and then back at Cora. "You can feel them? Since when? Is that how..." He didn't finish his sentence, clearing his throat.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin had rolled the windows down and was chewing on some old stale gum he had found in the glove compartment just to stay awake. He had risked stopping to siphon some gas from a crash, but he hadn't stuck around long, getting the willies by how quiet it had been. It probably should have made him feel safer, not hearing anything, but for some reason he just kept imagining something was going to jump out at him at any moment, and he hated that.

When he saw the sign he was tempted to drive by, the idea of staying in an old abandoned diner not exactly on his top ten list of things he wanted to do tonight. However, he recognized that he wouldn't be getting much farther without having to pull over and sleep soon, so why not have a comfortable bed at least? Besides, if he lucked out, he might be able to find himself some food in there.

He pulled around to the back of the building once he arrived, idling the car for a few moments to see if any Zombies were going to come lumbering out. While he did that, he pulled his backpack up into the front and looked over the small blowtorch Dave had given him. The zombies that had ran from the biar made him think that it might be best to keep it with him, so he left it in his pack for the time being.

___ ___

Cora didn't feel like answering that for him, but he seemed to have figured it out anyway. Instead she just reached down and grabbed her brothers bat and patted Sabastians knee lightly.

"If you want you can stay in the car. We probably won't be very long anyway."

She scooted over to the door and let herself out, then waited for Damien.

 

[Poprockz]

No zombies lumbered out, but it seemed like there were a few lights on in the diner. If he had been looking closely, he might have been able to see a woman peeking out from behind the counter before ducking behind it again.

----------------------------------------------

"Yeah... I'll stay in the car for now," he sighed and used his newfound room to curl up into a sleeping position, cuddling up to Bowie. He didn't feel like he had the energy to do much of anything. If they were just grabbing shoes, then he didn't mind leaving them to it. He didn't really care what they did from now on. It felt like no matter what he did, he would always be stuck in this shitty reality where he was an infected liability, and good people like Vin died.

Damien looked at Sabastian, his eyebrows a bit knit in concern. He really hoped that Sabastian would be okay after this, but wasn't really sure about how to go about helping him through the grieving process. He hadn't really grieved for anyone since Toby, so he couldn't quite remember how to be a buoy in the storm. Daphne's death had made him sad, but not to the point where he was extremely broken up about it; there wasn't enough time for her to have wormed her way into his heart like that.

Getting out of the car, he took out his pistol, walking to Cora and then moving ahead toward the house. Upon entering, he simply listened, trying to make out any noise.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin turned the lights off and shut the car down, but he hesitated to get out. He thought he had seen a women in there, and while he was certainly afraid of getting a chestful of bullets, he was more nervous about scaring her. If he was a women, he sure as hell wouldn't trust some random guy all by himself. Hmm, how to go about this.

He got out of the car slowly, then pulled his backpack on. He thought about leaving the guitar and hat in the car, but upon consideration it might give some good talking points to break the ice with and make her realise she had nothing to worry about. So he went ahead and put the hat on and then slung the guitar over his chest, then he walked around to the front of the building and knocked like a proper gentleman.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

He waited a moment before continuing.

"I'm not looking to cause any trouble if anyone lives here, I'm just really tired and couldn't drive anymore. If anyone is here, can I park my car here tonight and get some sleep? You don't even have to let me in, I'll sleep in the car if it makes you more comfortable."

___ ___

Cora waited with him, but after a minute of not hearing anything, she took out her phone and turned the flashlight on, then slowly lit up the room from one end to another. She was really hoping there would just be some shoes right there, and they wouldn't even have to go upstairs.

 

[Poprockz]

The woman slowly rose up from behind the counter. She looked so exhausted that she actually looked sickly. In standing up, it was obvious that the woman was very far along in her pregnancy, her belly large as it rose above the counter. A pistol was in her hand as she slowly walked over to him, though she wasn't pointing it at him. She opened the door and looked at him, dark circles under her eyes.

"I... You can come in if you want. I can at least get you some food if you need. Are you hungry? I could make a burger or something..." She sounded a bit out of it, her voice a bit scratchy. It was possible that it was due to some kind of trauma, likely even given the time they were in. Leaving the door open for him, she wandered to the counter, reaching under it and grabbing a bag of buns.

"Have a seat. If you want. I'll be back." She shuffled to the kitchen. The woman didn't look infected at all, but it was obvious she wasn't entirely in her right mind either. Within the kitchen though, a deep male voice could be made out softly saying, "I think we should let him stay for the night. Is that okay with you, babe?"

"Okay..." she answered. The oven then ticked on and the sound of a burger sizzling could be heard soon.

---------------------------------------------------

Damien took the opportunity to scan the room thoroughly. He then moved into the kitchen, then the living room. However, when he went into the front room, he saw someone curled up on the couch. They were alive, but they were breathing raggedly, their hair covering their face. He lifted his pistol and pointed it at the woman.

"Miss... Miss, are you okay? Cora... There's someone over here. I need you to come over here with the flashlight." He continued to aim at her, unsure of what to do.

 

[Drobabes]

When the door opened, Vin took a step back, not really sure what to expect. However, when he saw the pregnant women he immediately felt his wariness melt away and a very sad look falls on his face.

"I can at least get you some food if you need. Are you hungry? I could make a burger or something..."

"Oh no miss, please don't do that. I'm just fine, don't worry about me, you should be sitting down."

He stepped inside a bit hesitantly and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it if he was able to do so. When he turned his attention back on the women, he noticed that it was if she hadn't even heard him.

He didn't want to intrude in her space, but he didn't want her cooking a meal for him when she was so obviously weak from her pregnancy, so he started to follow her into the kitchen.

"Mam really, you don't have to cook for me...is someone else here? Hey, she doesn't have to make me food, really, I'm fine. She should be sitting down, shouldn't she?"

___ ___

Cora waited near the door, but when she heard Damien call to her, she came over quickly. She didn't go near the person just yet, but when she shined the flashlight on them, she wanted to. They looked as sick as a dog, they're hair greasy from what she presumed was sweat.

"Should I?..."

She wanted to try and take a better look.

 

[Poprockz]

Before Vin could get to the kitchen, the door opened and a man stepped out. He was about Vin's size with a slightly more lean build, but not by much. Sauntering forward, his violet eyes fixed Vin with a relaxed look, as though the man weren't worried one bit about his presence. In fact, his eyes briefly flicked down Vin and back up before he shrugged.

"I appreciate your concern, but she's actually been laying down for most of the day. It'll do her some good to be up and about. Besides, that Anita is a real trooper and we were fixing to have a late dinner tonight anyway." He led Vin to a booth, sitting down opposite him as he gestured for him to take a seat. "She hasn't been sleeping well lately. Keeps having nightmares about zombies and... things of that nature."

He gave Vin a smile which might almost be interpreted as either flirty or smug. He had a very deep, smooth voice, his hair brown and curly. The violet shade of his eyes was alarming, as though it shouldn't be a real eye color at all.

----------------------------

"I don't think you should get close to them. Who knows what's going on, and maybe they're infected. I think it would be kinder if we... helped her." He turned the safety off on his pistol, ready to administer a bullet of mercy. Damien was quite pragmatic, and as far as he was concerned, the woman looked deathly ill anyway. Kinder to make it quick and painless.

However, he waited to hear from Cora that it was okay. He didn't want her to be upset with him if he decided to do it himself before they at least talked it over.

 

[Drobabes]

Delvin yet again took a step back as the man came out, his own brown eyes immediately noticing that strange color. It unnerved him, having never seen such a color in a persons eyes before, although it could easily be explained away by colored contacts. Maybe the man was just eccentric.

He went over to the booth and took a seat, though he glanced back towards the kitchen once or twice. The women really didn't look healthy enough to be up, but if she had been laying down all day then he could understand her desire to be on her feet a bit. Her back was probably aching something fierce, and he knew doing nothing but laying in bed could make it worse.

"That seems to be pretty common; not sleeping well."

He turned his attention back to the man finally.

"I appreciate you two letting me come in. I don't know how much longer I could have kept driving. Names Delvin, by the way."

He offered his hand to the man.

"Or just Vin for short."

___ ___

"What?! No! Jesus christ hun, they're not infected, they would have attacked us by now."

She knew he was just trying to protect her, but it unnerved her that he was so quick to flip that safety off, especially when Sabastian had just told them he didn't sense any zombies.

"Hey," she said to the women, stepping between her and Damien. If she made any sudden movements, she didn't want him to shoot first and regret his decision later. She didn't step up closer to the women though; who knew if she was holding a knife or something.

"Are you ok? Do you need help?"

 

[Poprockz]

“Delvin. Hm. Well, my name is Rafael. Nice to meet you.” He reached out and took Delvin’s hand, shaking firmly but not with excessive strength. His hand lingered for just a moment too long before letting go.

“Honestly, we haven’t seen anyone for about a week, so we’re just happy to have someone new to talk to. You don’t seem like a bad guy either, so it didn’t seem too risky to let you in.” Rafael smiled, his eyes going to Vin’s guitar. It seemed to pique his interest and he nodded at it.

“Wow, that’s unlike anything I’ve seen. Where did you get it? I have a guitar, but it’s just a boring wood one, nothing like that silver dragon you’ve got there.” He looked excited, like he really wanted to get a closer look at it.

Over in the kitchen, his lady continued making food, having put enough burgers on the grill for all of them. Through the open window of the kitchen, she didn’t look at them, simply keeping her eyes down on the grill.

——————————-

When Cora put herself in-between his gun and the woman, he immediately lowered it, not wanting to point it at Cora for even a second. He honestly thought it was a bad idea to get too close, but he holstered his weapon and waited to see if she responded to Cora. When she didn’t (other than a soft, pained groan), Damien pursed his lips and stepped forward.

“Do you want me to carry her someplace you could have an easier time helping?” His voice was low and wary, not really liking the situation, but willing to help if needed. After all, he would prefer for himself to be injured rather than Cora if it couldn’t be avoided.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin wasn't feeling very comfortable with this situation. Despite what Rafael had said about her being in bed all day, he still didn't think she should be working and making them a meal. On top of that, Vin thought it was pretty stupid of the guy to let just anyone in their refuge when she was so far along and possibly having complications. To say that he didn't think Vin himself was a 'bad guy', was a pretty foolish thing to just assume, and a week without seeing people wasn't that long with such delicate circumstances. On top of that, eccentric or not, the guys body language was throwing up red flags for him.

"It was a gift" he said simply, but made no move to hand it over as his eyes drifted back to the women again.

"Hey, you know, I just left a military outpost this morning. Your wife? Girlfriend? Really looks like she could use a doctor right about now. If you want, I can drive you both back to that area. They were moving along to the next base, but I'm sure we could find it easily. They had roadsigns up along the highway."

___ ___

"Well...I'm not really sure what's wrong with her. If she has injuries or something, if might be dangerous to move her."

She stepped back and shined the flashlight around again, looking for the stairs.

"Maybe we should head up there and get her some bedding? Make her comfortable until morning, and then see what we can do?"

 

[Poprockz]

“... girlfriend you could say. We’re polyamorous, but I’m not a huge fan of labels.” He looked over to her in the kitchen as Vin talked and mentioned the base. Rafael didn’t seem surprised to hear about it, but he didn’t offer any further reactions other than a polite nod.

At that point, she came out of the kitchen and set two plates down in front of them with double-patty burgers and French fries. He let his arm gently wrap around her waist as he pulled her a bit closer. “You did make one for yourself right, babe? You know what happens when you don’t eat.”

The way he had said it had been in the tone of a concerned partner, perhaps indicating that she had low blood sugar or something. However, his eyes almost seemed possessive as he looked into hers and she looked away from him with a blank expression, nodding her head, “yeah, I know. I’ll grab mine and be right back.”

“Good. Thanks babe.” He smiled at her fondly, one of his hands gently caressed her belly, sliding across it before he brought his hand back into his lap.

For the briefest of seconds it looked like her lip wanted to curl up, but she quickly turned away and headed back into the kitchen. He watched her as she went, grabbing a French fry and popping it into his mouth.

“A military base, huh? Is that where you got this?” He somehow had Vin’s guitar in his hands now. It was odd, the man would have had to bend over and reach under the table to get it, and yet he had been sitting upright the entire time. Leaning forward, he sniffed it and his got a confused expression on his face, glancing at Vin curiously before shaking his head.

“I’m any case, we’ll be staying here. I’m more than equipped to handle my lovely lady, and we’re perfectly happy here.” He glanced over at the kitchen, expecting her to be back by now. His eyes drifted to the floor and he spotted a pool of blood seeping from under it.

“Shit...” he muttered.

——————————————

Damien liked that idea much more than touching or carrying her, so he nodded. “Yes, let’s do that. I agree that more light would really be helpful in checking her for injuries and such. Let me lead, just to make sure it’s safe up there.” He took out his pistol again and flicked off the safety.

The man started making his way up the stairs, treading lightly to prevent being unnecessarily loud. There were only three rooms up there, and he made sure two of them (office and bathroom) were clear before pushing open the bedroom door.