Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

Tommy let out a little sigh of relief when Dave finally let him be and went inside. If he didn't feel so pressured to make sure he delivered his message, he might have enjoyed the bantering a bit more.

Just as before, Randy giving him a pat on the shoulder made him feel really comforted and it helped calm his nerves. He looked at the older man with an easy smile and a little nod before responding.

"Yea, but hey, that's what I signed up for. It helps keep my mind busy, at least."

He cleared his throat a little, and then brought up the bag of cookies with a bit of a sheepish smile.

"So, uh, I managed to sneak some sweets out for you and Jesse."

He handed the bag over before continuing, giving Randy a hopeful smile that he would open the bag and try the cookies he had made.

"I don't know if they're as good as the one's Jesse made me, but I thought a treat would be something good to lift the spirits."

The two cookies on top were large and flat, lined up next to each other so that the message could be easily seen from inside the bag. It read:

It's time. Noon tomorrow Kyle
is going out to gather supplies. Tell the gate-
you're leaving the base to find family. Kyle will
offer to give you a ride for part of the way.
________

Vin let go of his hand just long enough to wrap his arm around his shoulders and pull him against his side. His heart was beating a little faster, knowing that the conversation ahead of him was not going to be a fun one.

Once they were inside, Vin walked them both over to some chairs, sitting Lizzy down in one first, and then pulling two chairs up opposite her so that he and Sabastian could both sit down. Once they were all seated, Vin leaned forward and put his hand on her knee, getting her to look up at him.

"Alright Liz, tell me what happened sweety."

God he wasn't ready for this. His hand on Sabastian's, having grabbed it once again, squeezed him gently, his racing pulse being felt in his hand.
______

Cora had been watching Vin as the three of them walked away to sit down, but when Tiffany introduced herself and Maverick, she had stepped up with a polite smile, ready to introduce herself. It didn't seem as if the other women was interested in that however, as Cora's keen eyes caught the way that she gave her a once over, then dismissed her. It annoyed her a little, the way that women was acting, but she wasn't the type to play stupid social games like that.

Still. She wasn't just going to let the women ignore her in preference to talking to her man.

She steps up to Damien's side, placing her hand on the small of his back, and then she reaches her hand between them to first shake Maverick's, and then once he releases her hand, she turns to Tiffany and offer's her the same greeting.

"It's very nice to meet the both of you. And yes, that is my snake Bowie."

Her tone is polite and soft, and for once, she actually keeps eye contact with the strangers. Anger was the best cure for social anxiety it seemed, although probably the only one there who would really notice she might be peeved would be Damien.

 

[Poprockz]

Randy opened the bag and looked into it, having expected a letter or something, but instead found the secret carved cookie message.

His brows furrowed for a moment when he saw the delicious morsels. "Dammit, Tommy. I already drink enough beer to give me a beer gut. Are you trying to give me what kids call the "Dad bod?"" The man read a bit of it, pretending to be trying to decide if he was going to eat it or not. He then brought the bag up to his face and inhaled, sighing and looking back into the bag again with a look of longing and indecision. "Ah, screw it."

He took one of the top cookies and took a bit bite out of it, chewing and swallowing before sighing. "These are pretty good. Of course nothing beats my Jesse's cookies, but I could eat this from noon till midnight. I'll be sure Jesse gets a couple crumbs." The man grinned and took another bite. "Oh, and I think Dave said something about these being guilt cookies?" His eyes turned curious as he finished the first cookie and started on the second. Now half the message was in his stomach, and the second half was soon to follow.

The message was clear- soon it would be time to move Jesse out of harm's way. He really wished Tommy would come with them, but there wasn't much he could do for him if he had made up his mind. Randy admired Tommy's dedication to his ideals, but he didn't want that to get him killed. What was he supposed to tell Jesse if the boy got himself hurt? Hell, how was he going to come to terms with that himself?

Before Tommy could provide an explanation, something soft and warm suddenly launched itself against his back. l"Tommy!" a girly voice said excitedly before a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. "I feel like I never get to see you anymore! Are you on break or just passing through? And what are those?" Jesse poked her head around Tommy and looked at the bag of cookies. By the look of her face, Dave had stamped her forehead with a green "no entry" stamp.

"Oh, Tommy here is just giving me some cookies to get me a killer dad bod so I can get me a lady friend." He puffed up his chest a bit.

"Ew dad. Gross."

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

Sabastian could clearly see how much Vin didn't want to hear this story. To hear it would mean that he had to come to terms with the fact that one of his close friends had been taken already. That gentle squeeze of his hand reflected the turmoil within, the man needing the comfort of his blonde partner, comfort he was more than happy to provide.

He didn't know whether it would be overstepping in front of his friend, but Sabastian scooted his chair so that his and Vin's sides were touching. His body then leaned against him and he the man's bear paw in his opposite one. The arm closest to Vin went to his back to gently rub up and down his warm skin as his head rested on his shoulder. If he was more comfortable with his body, he moight have wrapped his appendages around Vin as well, but he didn't think either of them would find that to be particularly appropriate.

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

Damien was a bit surprised to find Cora being so friendly. She was kind in general and outgoing once one got to know her, but she was generally more reserved. He wondered what had triggered a different response from her.

"Nice to meet you, hot stuff." Maverick had a small grin on his face as he took Cora's handshake, letting his own hand linger a couple seconds more than necessary before letting go. His eyes covertly raked across her breasts when she was looking at Tiffany, but Damien definitely noticed. His eyes became a bit sharp for a moment before his face became extremely personable, the laminated cheerfulness that Cora knew to be fake.

"Mm. Well it's cute." The pink-haired woman shook her hand quickly and gave her a quick, cheap smile, looking at her perfectly manicured nails the next moment.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you both. So Maverick, are the two of you dating, or married perhaps?" Damien put his arm around Cora's shoulder, his hand pulling her against him snugly. He wanted to remind the man that Cora was his own lover, and therefore he would break the man's fingers if he touched her with too much familiarity. However, he remembered that little scene in his kitchen when she had cowered away from him, afraid that he was possessive enough to hurt her for even mentioning another man's name. With enormous difficulty, he rubbed her shoulder for a moment before letting his hand hang by his side, a finger from his other hand starting to tap with irritated energy.

"I mean... maybe we would be if she wasn't so hung up on the details." He shrugged nonchalantly, crossing his arms.

The woman looked up to glare at the man. "Sure. It's the fucking apocalypse, and you still act like a total fuckboy."

He rolled his eyes and glanced over at Lizz. "She's in our group. It's not like I can avoid looking at her."

"Doesn't mean you have to be a fucking pervert. I fucking saw you staring at her ass yesterday." She said in a snippety tone.

"God, babe. Even if I was, it's not like I was fucking her. Maybe I'd look at you more if you actually-"

"You wanna do this now? Come here!" She dragged him away, the two of them arguing the whole way about how he was sexually frustrated, how she wasn't "putting out," how he wasn't faithful, and how he didn't treat her right. The door to the auto-shop office closed and all that could be heard was the muffled sound of arguing.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy was mostly quiet as the man examined the cookies, hiding his real emotions behind a mask of bashful shyness. Truly though, he was terrified. This was possibly the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, even despite the faces of all those zombies he had killed that still haunted his dreams every night. However, those people were gone. There was no future left for them. But there was a future for Jesse.

"Oh, and I think Dave said something about these being guilt cookies?"

His face, which had started to go a bit pale, suddenly lit up like a cherry and he sputtered.

"T-they're not guilt cookies! Dammit Dave!" he yelled towards the door, which was still open and which he could see the bartender talking to a patron.

Suddenly there was a warm body snuggling up against him, and now not only was he blushing, his whole body was tingling. For just a moment, he got a bit stiff, but very quickly he loosened up and almost a bit uncharacteristically, he wrapped his arms around Jesse's arms where she was holding him. Up until this point, he had barely been able to hold her hand without clamming up or stuttering, but right now, he felt calm. And scared, scared for her.

What he was doing was dangerous, no matter which side of the coin he flipped. He was risking their safety by keeping them in the compound, knowing that some shady shit was happening, or he was risking their safety by taking them out of the compound and where they wouldn't have the full protection of the army.

However, of the two, at least out there they would have freedom and a chance. He wasn't sending them out unnamed either, and he certain wasn't sending them out alone. He had found some other survivors who were not trusting of the army, and he had been able to form a bit of an alliance with them. One of them was even an ex soldier who had left after the last base exploded, and though he wouldn't talk about it, he seemed to know that something was going on as well. He also was keeping a very low profile, and Tommy hadn't even told Kyle that he was staying with them. Only one other person knew of him, and that person was the one really running the shots behind all this. The one who had gotten him the weapons and supplies to be able to even attempt this. Without them, they were all screwed.

After a moment more of holding her, his eyes shutting for just the briefest of seconds as he tried to collect himself, he let her go and them turned around in her arms to give Jesse his soft smile. When his eyes traveled to the stamp on her forehead, he suddenly busts up laughing.
______

Lizz had pulled out a stained and torn rag from her pocket, to wipe her face with-a true grease monkey, if ever there was one. Taking a deep breath, she tried to get her breathing under control long enough to speak.

"I took a couple weeks off work so that I could go home for the quarantine. If either of them got sick, you know, I wanted to be there to help out. Especially with mom, you know?"

Vin nodded. Lizzy's mother was a strong women most of the time, but she also had some underlying illnesses that made her more at risk, and if she had fell ill, she would have likely been hospitalized. Well, that was, if the quarantine had been for something as normal as a virus or flue.

"So I was at home when it happened... Dad...Dad changed, and Mom, she, she tried..."

Lizz had to stop again as the emotions overwhelmed her, and Vin reached forward a bit and grabbed her hand, giving it a small squeeze. Once she got it back under control, she let out a shaky breath and looked down at the ground.

"Dad came wondering in from the garden. His eyes were...white. He was walking towards me first, and I tried to talk to him first. Cause I was freaked out, you know? Yea, anyway, when that didn't work I started yelling, trying to get him to stop. And I guess Mom must have heard me because she came barreling down the stairs, and when she saw him...she told me to run.

"I guess I hadn't really believed the stories of what was happening until I heard her scream like that. God, I've never heard her yell at me like that in my whole life. But anyway, she told me to get out of the house, and I did, and I was standing outside for what felt like forever and then I...I heard a gun shot. And then another...and another one. I think she emptied her whole clip into him."

Her voice had started off shaky and breathy, simply trying to talk through the pain, but the more she went on, the more steady she got, until finally, she simply sounded tired. Tired right down to her soul.

"When it was done, she came out. But she got bit."

Delvin suddenly stiffened in his seat, and very slowly, he took his hand back. He didn't interrupt her, but he didn't need to. Lizz had looked up and seen the way he was looking at her, and it brought on a fresh wave of tears that she had to take a moment to wipe away before she could continue.

"She turned a few days later. She made me lock her in the tool shed, and made me stay in the truck in front of it, doors locked. After she turned, and she broke out of the shed, I just...left. I drove and I didn't stop until I ended up here. I guess I must have been pretty out of it, because I don't even remember how me and Maverick and Tiffany all met; it's such a haze..."

After she finished her story, a quietness settled over them. Delvin couldn't bring himself to say any words of comfort, and Lizz continued to just stare at the floor and occasionally bring the tattered rag up to her face to wipe away some tears.
______

Cora had chosen to ignore that extra little comment from Maverick, knowing from experience that if she showed any annoyance that it would likely only spur him on as he might see her as 'hard to get'. With Tiffany, there was again that very brief greeting and then she was rudely ignored once more. Maybe if she hadn't been looking at her man with such hungry eyes, it might have only mildly annoyed her, but as it were, it sent another strong surge of anger through her, though she likely wouldn't do too much about it. It was very rude and annoying, sure, but she was confident in that the women wasn't going to get much more interest from Damien than what was likely polite. This fact was only furthered when she felt that warm hand on her shoulder, pulling her close, and she heard that fake cheeriness in his tone.

A small part of her was a bit bothered by it, a bit uncomfortable, just because up until this point, his feelings for her had caused him to be a bit extreme. However, at the same time, it did feel really good to have him physically show Maverick that she was his, so they could just back the hell off. Plus, he was trying to do better for her, and when he gave her that soft rub on her shoulder and then put his hand down, she couldn't help but glance up at him with a small smile, and a look of pride in her eyes. She didn't remove her hand from his back, and if anything, it only made her want to pull him close as well.

When the couple started arguing, Cora simply looked at them with her brow cocked, watching with a bit of amusement as they walked away to get some more privacy. Although, once they were gone, she couldn't help but drop her hand and let out a little sigh of relief.

"Well..." she says quietly, but she doesn't finish the sentence. She was going to be a bit bold and say something along the lines of 'that was fun', or 'I don't like that bitch', but she didn't want to be judgy. She had only just met them, after all, so maybe they just needed a bit more time to loosen up and not be 'strangers'. Although, first impressions were very important, and Cora wasn't about to hold onto any strong hopes for the couple.

Looking over to where Sabastian and Vin had sat down caused her to frown. It had been...pleasant, to meet the other couple, but their friends were in pain, and she wasn't about to ignore that in favour of standing there and waiting for them to be done with their little fight. Making her way over to them, she simply stands by quietly, not wanting to interrupt. However, she does put a soft hand on Sabastian's shoulder for just a moment, just to let him know they were there for them.

 

[Poprockz]

From inside the bar, Dave looked over at Tommy's yell, briefly giving him a shit-eating grin before turning his attention to his patrons once more.

When Tommy finally turned around, Jesse gave him a confused look before remembering what Dave had done to her earlier. Her own cheeks flushed a bit and she looked a bit sheepish. After Tommy's laughter died down, she removed her arms from him and took his hands in hers. "That was all Dave's doing, the ass. Wouldn't even teach me how to make a mocktail. Anyway... if you have a minute, I wanted to talk to you about something important." She shifted slightly, then shot an expectant look at Randy.

"I think that's my cue to leave. See you later Tommy, and thanks for the cookies." He clapped him on the shoulder one last time before handing the cookie bag off to Jessie, the remaining cookies being just that: regular cookies. The man then returned to the bar, joining Bernard once more. While he himself was worried about what they were doing, he knew that the best thing to do was pretend that everything was okay until they were out of the General's reach.

Once he was gone, Jesse pulled Tommy insistently by the hand to the side of the building, out of sight... at least out of sight that she knew of. The idea that Tommy was being watched didn't even occur to her. The young woman shifted again, nervously this time, eventually working up the nerve to look Tommy in the eye.

"Hey, so... I know we haven't known each other super long, but I've come to like you. A lot, actually. You're very brave and kind, and I wanted to ask you at a better time, but who knows if there will be one with them keeping you so busy. Do you... maybe want to go out with me?" Jesse looked up at him hopefully, clutching the bag of cookies in one hand and squeezing his hand in her other. This was all very nerve-wracking, but she wanted to know if he was interested or not. Her heart beat quickly as she waited for a reply, those sweet eyes of hers watching him intently.

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

The blonde listened to Lizz's story, leaning against Vin for the entirety until the big man leaned forward to comfort her. He still kept his hand on his back, but he refrained from also leaning. It might be a bit awkward if they both moved closer to her, especially since Vin was the one who knew her better.

Still, her story was heart-wrenching, Sabastian himself being brought close to tears simply from watching Lizz cry and express her pain over the sudden and tragic loss of both her parents. He knew when his own mother passed on, he had been heartbroken, the loss of a cherished parent something that had to be experienced to understand how hard it was.

When it was silent, he glanced up to find Cora's hand on his shoulder, though he thought to himself that her hand should probably be on Vin's. After all, he was the one who had lost such dear friends. Still, her hand was comforting and he gave her a little smile before looking empathetically at Lizz.

"Your mother sounds like a brave woman," Sabastian said softly. "I'm sorry though... I'm sorry it happened like that." He wasn't sure what to say beyond that. It was never easy seeing a parent pass, even more so when it was such a sad ending. Saying that her parents would be happy she was alive would be a hollow comfort, not to mention it would be presumptuous since he didn't even know them.

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

Damien was happy the couple had retreated to fight amongst themselves, leaving himself and Cora alone. He looked at Cora and sighed, his mask dropping for her. "Disrespectful," he muttered. The man stood there for a few more moments as Cora walked over to Sabastian, following her shortly after.

Honestly, he was going to have to keep his eye on that man, getting the feeling that he would try to make a pass at Cora sooner or later. Not to mention, that woman seemed a bit unpredictable, warm at times and cold at others. All in all, Lizz so far was the only one he was comfortable with out of the three of them, and he hadn't even had a conversation with her.

He came up near Cora, simply standing next to her to offer his presence in case any of them needed him. Lizz's loss wasn't really something he could relate to, having killed both of his own parents and not having any love for either of them. Still, he knew what it was like to be lonely, and for that, he felt a bit empathetic toward her.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy knew it was coming, as Randy had clued him in some time ago, but man he wasn't ready. He thought he would be ready. He thought he would be cool and suave, and say something like "yea I really like you too, Jesse. I've liked you since I first saw you in that little doll outfit for the concert, and every day since then I've dreamt about you when I go to sleep at night". But as Jesse took his hand and led him behind that building, he found himself simply clamming up.

His pulse was racing hard and his hands had started to sweat a little. Why he found this all so nerve-racking, he didn't know, because he did like her. A lot. She was the reason he was doing all this, and she was a big part of the reason he had wanted to be a soldier, to protect people like her. She was so cute and innocent, and could get so fired up, like a shooting star, blazing it's way through the sky and grabbing everyone's attention.

You dope! She's waiting for an answer, just say yes!

He realized rather suddenly that a good stretch of silence had passed between them, with him just standing there, probably with a really stupid look on his face, and not having said a single word.

"I...I uhm..."

He clears his throat and looks away, across the compound, and then back down to her adorable little face. God she was so cute, and he needed to tell her this. But he found he couldn't, his mouth suddenly having gone very dry. He tried to swallow but it didn't work, and the more he hesitated, the more he found he just couldn't bring any words to come out.

Tommy sticks his hands in his pockets, he looks down at the ground, and then he does the only thing that he knows how to do-he simply takes action. Leaning down, he suddenly crushes his lips up against hers and closes his eyes, praying that it this would be answer enough where his words had failed him.
________

For a moment, there was simply silence. Lizzy had shook her head in agreement to Sabastian's words, but she simply couldn't bring herself to speak anymore. And as for Vin, well, it was very obvious that he was fighting to hold back tears. His eyes were glassy with moisture as he simply sat there and stared at Lizzy for a few moments. Suddenly he clears his throat, and, after giving Sabastian a little pat on the knee, he gets up.

"I'm going to get my smokes from the car," he says, his voice strained.

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

He didn't expect for Sabastian to follow him as he was going to smoke, and honestly it was likely for the better. As much as he had needed his support while he was receiving the news, now he just needed a moment to process everything.

After he left, Lizzy blew her nose and then finally looks up at the three companions that had come in with Vin. She stands then and clears her throat, then tries to give them each a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Elizabeth."

She holds her hand out in no particular order, shaking first Cora's, then Damien and Sabastian's.

 

[Poprockz]

As the silence stretched on, she continued to wait for an answer. He had a bashful look on his face, as though if asked, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone which way was up. That was one of the things she liked about him- he was courageous, but he wasn't arrogant. Although, the way he looked away from her, it put a little bit of fear into her that maybe she had misread him and he had actually been trying to let her down easy.

However, a more determined look crossed her face as she looked up at him. If the answer was no, she still had time to change it. With time and effort, she could pursue him until he decided to give her a shot. She wasn't going to harass him, but she would be damned if the first 'no' made her give up on him. As many cookies and hugs as it took, she was going to do her best.

"Tommy, you don't have to give me an ans-" her sentence was cut off as he leaned forward and kissed her. Her eyes widened for a moment before closing. His lips were so soft and warm, just like she thought they would be. She thought her heart might burst, so excited that he felt the same way. Jesse had been daydreaming about him for a while now, about this specific moment. Although, in her head, it had been her initiating the kiss and climbing on top of him as he blushed and stuttered that they shouldn't be doing stuff like that yet.

"Mm..." She wrapped her arms around him, pushing back against his lips with hers. The temptation to deepen the kiss with tongue was strong, but she figured they had all the time in the world for that later.

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

Sabastian watched Vin leave with concern in his eyes. He was torn between going with him and comforting him, and staying inside and letting himself have some alone time. For now, he decided to Let Vin go smoke, figuring that once they settled down for the night, he could hold the big man in his arms and let him cry his heart out till he felt a little better.

"Damien." The steely, eyed man replied as he shook her hand briefly. He too was concerned about Vin, though he wasn't particularly practiced at fostering friendship and goodwill, so he wasn't sure how to treat Vin at the moment. With Cora, things seemed to come naturally, and if they didn't, she was understanding and helped him along since she knew his background. With Vin, the man might think some of his behaviors were odd if he messed up and said or did the wrong thing.

"I'm Sabastian. We were passing through and found Vin at a gas station a ways away. We travelled together for a while, got split up, then ended up in a group again surprisingly. If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet him?" He wanted to get her mind focused on something that might cheer her up: the fact that Vin was still alive and here for her. At the same time, it wouldn't hurt to know about the big bad voodoo daddy who held his heartstrings.

 

[Drobabes]

For just a few moments in time, Tommy forgot that he was a soldier standing right smack dab in the middle of an army base, surrounded by dozens of other people. All there was in that moment was the warm embrace of a girl and her sweet lips on his.

After a moment more of kissing her softly, he pulls away just enough so that he can look down into her eyes. His breath was coming a bit heavy, and that damn blush had certainly worked back up on his cheeks again.

"Was that a good answer?" he asks, letting out a small laugh. At some point he had wrapped his arms around her back, although he didn't notice it until that moment.
______

Cora had introduced herself, and then just stood with her arms crossed, letting Sabastian take the lead on this one. Until the women had a bit of time to recover, she didn't think trying to talk to her about anything would really be a good idea. Better to let her calm down a bit, and then once everyone had a bit of time to settle, they could discuss why they were there. She did, however, look over her shoulder towards the door, and then look up to Damien.

"Can you go check on him?" she asks quietly, not wanting to interrupt Lizzy.

"Just make sure he doesn't get jumped or anything..."

She meant, of course, zombies, although there was no telling what or who else might be out there.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you meet him?"

The tears had mostly quelled, and although she took a seat again, she looked as if she was a bit more stable now. For the moment, at least.

"Vin's a family friend. My mother was very good friends with his mother, and we all grew up in the same town, so we've known each other almost our whole lives."

She sniffed and laughed a little, wiping her nose again as she brought her eyes up to meet his gaze.

"I would even go so far as to call him Uncle Vin, but he hates it when I do that."

Lizz laughs a little again, finding it a bit relieving even if it was a little forced. Folding the rag a bit, she sits it down in her lap and then straightens her spine, and then in a very gruff and fake manly voice, she knits her brows and points her finger at Sabastian as she imitates the big tattooed man.

"'I'll be your friend, but I'm no one's uncle. You gotta take care of yourself Lizzy, don't expect me to come save you all the time, grumble grumble, I'm big and tough and ride motorcycles, grumble grumble.'"

The last little part, she put her elbows up a bit and does a bit of a side to side dance before she burst out laughing, her voice becoming lighter once more. Cora couldn't help but laugh with her, finding her little impression to be pretty damn funny and glad that the women seemed to have a bit of strength despite the shitty circumstances that had led her here.

When she was done laughing, her smile turned soft and melancholy once more, but at least for the moment, she seems to be in a bit better spirits.

"I saw you guys pushing the car when I peeked out the window. Do you guys know what part broke?"

She starts to stand again, and she looks towards the door. She wasn't quite ready to go out there, knowing Vin likely still needed a moment longer, but she also wanted a distraction. Turning her eyes away from the door, she starts to scan the shop with her gaze.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse grinned up at him, her own cheeks flushed a bit. She may have been a confident young woman, but there was something about Tommy that put butterflies in her stomach. "Yeah, I'd say that was a good answer. It was the one I was hoping for. For a second there, I thought I was going to have to bake you at least three more batches of cookies before you said yes. I wouldn't have given up on you though; you're just too sweet for me to pass by."

The girl giggled then gave her a softer, slightly shy look. "You know, sometimes I have dreams about when I was in the bathroom that day. I call them dreams because they would have been nightmares, but at the end of the dream, you always come and save me again. I think about it sometimes, how you came back for me and my dad. I mean, I liked you before that, but I'll always remember that through all that bullshit and chaos, you were thinking of me."

It was Jesse's turn to look away, the girl not quite sure what to say beyond that. The fact that their bodies were so close made her feel like she had drank a gallon of redbull, almost as though she could tremble from excitement.

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"Hm? Oh, okay." Damien kissed Cora's head before exiting the shop, heading out to the car to make sure he was safe, just as Cora had asked. He felt a bit nervous, not knowing what he would do if he found Vin crying. With Cora, he would just hug her tight and kiss her, but he doubted that he would get the same positive response from Vin if he did that with the big man. Nevertheless, he approached Vin, soon smelling the cigarette smoke.

Sabastian grinned and couldn't help but laugh at Lizz's impression of Vin since it was so spot-on. He could just imagine the man frowning and scrunching his face up after being called "Uncle Vin." Later when things calmed down, he would have to bring it up to tease him, see his reaction to it. Lizz didn't seem that much different in age to her, so he wasn't sure why she would call him uncle, but he was at least relieved to hear that they had that kind of relationship.

While he was still a bit envious that she had grown up with him, he found that he had been secretly worried that maybe she and Vin had been intimate in the past. Now that he knew that wasn't the case, he felt more at ease with her in general. His laughing died down and grew soft before dying out, the little blonde reading the mood.

"No idea. It just started leaking oil. Damien keeps his car in excellent shape, always has. He's always had the money to make sure that every part is replaced as soon as it shows signs of decay. I'm not sure why it would break down now- just our luck." He shrugged and sighed, hugging his arms.

At that moment, the other couple came out of the office, the woman sitting over at the other end of the shop, angrily eating a granola bar, while Maverick slowly sidled over to the group. "So... What'd I miss?" His eyes went to Sabastian and he grinned. "Hey there, shrimp. I don't think I got to introduce myself to you. I'm Maverick." He ruffled Sabastian's hair, causing the little man's eyes to flash at him, a grumpy look coming over him.

"I'm Sabastian... Don't fucking touch my hair, you asshat." The blonde grumbled.

Maverck seemed surprised by the response before he laughed in a good-natured manner. "Sure, squirt." He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of gum, popping it into his mouth as his eyes gave Sabastian's body an appraising flick down and back up. He then chuckled to himself, walking back over to Tiffany and offering her a piece as well. An argument ensued about him offering it to her while she was clearly eating.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy found he couldn't quite let go of the little lady now that he had her in his arms, and even despite the awkward shyness that wanted to flood his system and make him dizzy, he didn't move an inch from that spot. The best he could do was not let his smile turn full out dopey as all those hormones went flying through his veins, and his affection for Jesse grew with each passing second.

What she had to say about her dreams made him a bit speechless, momentarily focusing way more on the fact that he was literally in her dreams, too, instead of what she was actually saying. Once his brain caught up with him, however, he let one of his hands slide up off of her back to her chin, and then he tilted her face up so that she was meeting his gaze.

"Hey, you know I'll always keep you safe, right?"

His gaze became a bit serious for a moment, his dark blue eyes looking down at her with courage and determination.

"No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do, I will keep you safe."

For a moment, he looked as if he was about to bend down and kiss her again. His eyes roamed over her face slowly and then stopped once they landed on her soft lips. His head began to tilt forward ever so slightly, and in that exact moment, a little crack and plop was heard.

Tommy flinches, and then let's her chin go to look down at the ground, spotting a broken egg spilling out onto the pavement. Before he can even think to ask where the hell it had came from, another crack is heard, this time making Tommy bunch his shoulders up as he flinches again, and then sucks in a breath, his hand flying back to grip something slimy off the back of his neck.

"Tommy and Jessy sittin in a tree!" Kyle yelled from about two yards away. He had a few more fresh eggs in his hand, and he was lifting one up to ready it for launch, going for a round three.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

A slow deadpan settles over the young mans face as he looks up and over Jesse's head, glaring daggers into the building behind her.

"I'm going to fucking kill him."

"First comes the-Hey hey! GUNS AREN'T TOYS! PUT IT DOWN TOMMY!"
______

Vin was leaning against the passenger side of the car, his head hung down just slightly. He had one hand up pinching the bridge of his nose, and the other was just hanging down by his side slightly, the cigarette seemingly having been lit but barely even touched, as was evidenced by the long bit of burnt ashes that he had yet to flick off. When he heard footsteps coming his way, he finally let's his hand drop down away from his face and he looks over to see who it was.

He almost seems a bit relieved to see Damien instead of Sabastian or Cora, and he tries to give him a good natured smile while he let's the cigarette drop down on the ground and he stomps it out with his boot. His eyes were still a little wet, but he seems to be holding it together pretty alright, considering the circumstances.

"They send you to check on me?"
______

"Leaking oil, huh? Well, that could either be a simple fix or a harder one..."

Her eyes start to scan the whole shop, looking around as she bit the inside of her cheek a bit. She didn't seem to like what she was seeing, her expression a bit pursed, but when Maverick came over her face changed to full on annoyance. She watched the other guy make fun of their new companion, and when he went back over to Tiffany, she all but glared at his back.

"Just ignore him if you can. It's what I've been doing."

Cora didn't look much happier, as she had crossed her arms over her chest and was glaring at the man as well. Sure, Sabastian wasn't a very tall guy, but it was really fucking rude to be so blatantly tossing it out in the air like that and poking fun at someone he didn't even know.

"I'll ignore it," she says.

"But I wouldn't be surprised if that guy ends up getting a black eye."

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse was swept away by the way he suddenly tipped her chin up, looking down at her like some handsome prince. Though he may not have been conscious of it, he could be so smooth sometimes. She felt like she might just melt if he kept holding her and looking at her like that.

His words only added to the beating of her heart. God, he was so dashing the way he said he would protect her. It made her feel safe, but also made her want to protect him as well. The little lady had just closed her eyes in anticipation of their kiss, having seen him leaning in, but just then she heard the splat.

She too was confused at what the broken egg meant, looking around before she spotted Kyle behind them. The woman had just opened her mouth to say something about it when she saw him throw another egg. Her wide eyes went to Tommy's face and she saw that Kyle was going to have to run fast if he wanted to avoid the man's wrath.

"You better run fast then." She kissed his cheek before watching him run after Kyle, the two of them running across the base. Jesse didn't envy Kyle at that moment, though he had totally brought it upon himself.

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

"Yeah. They didn't want something to sneak up on you while you took a breather." Damien came closer, leaning on the car next to Vin, crossing his arms and looking out across town.

"I don't want to bug you but... Do you... need anything?" He asked in a strained voice. Damien shifted uncomfortably, though he tried to hide his feelings from his face, keeping a neutral expression. Did Vin need to be left alone? Did he need to be prompted to talk about it? Did he just need a shoulder? It was so hard to tell, and even more difficult to figure out how to offer his support.

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

"I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in the ceiling at some point..." Sabastian grumbled low enough that it was possible neither of the women heard him. While he didn't like being made fun of for his shortness, he also didn't like the way the guy touched him and looked at him. He got vibes that the man was only teasing him as an excuse to touch him, and that was something he absolutely didn't want. For one, he didn't want Vin to start a fight with him. For two, he didn't want to be touched by anyone but Vin. The guy would have to learn some manners because Sabastian wasn't going to put up with that shit.

He relaxed a bit and sighed, "yeah, it'd be nice if you could look at the car later. Otherwise, if you could recommend a car that looks pretty good, that'd be fine too." Sabastian wanted to ask more questions about Vin's past, but he didn't want to be too pushy about it. He wasn't even sure about revealing the fact that they were dating. It was possible that Vin hadn't come out to her, so he didn't want to open that door if he hadn't done so already.

 

[Drobabes]

"I don't want to bug you but... Do you... need anything?"

His brown eyes looked over at the taller man for a moment before looking away. He got the feeling that Damien was trying to offer support, but his awkwardness made it obvious that he didn't know how to go about it. The fact that he was out here at all though was enough for Vin, as it showed that he wanted to be supportive, even if he didn't know how to go about it. Besides, he wasn't up for any deep discussions and he found that Damien was easy to simply be quiet with, not needing to fill the silence if it was comfortable.

"Well..." he says after a beat.

"You know where I can find a beer that hasn't been ruined by the heat?"

Vin started laughing, but it was obvious that it was strained, even sounding like he was fighting it so that it didn't turn into a sob.
______

Lizzy wiped her nose once more, though her tears were all but dry now. She seemed to have a determined look set on her face now as she started walking around the shop, looking at the tools that were available.

"Well, it's definitely an expensive car, which is both a good and bad thing. Good because it's likely in great shape-especially if your friend has been keeping up on it like you say. However, that's bad because not a lot of people are going to have a car that nice. It might take me a while to find the right part, or make a patch, and this is all assuming nothing too serious is wrong with it. I'll have to get under there and take a good look first."

Cora followed behind slowly, not wanting to be left alone. As she listened to the young women talk, she couldn't help but smile softly.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you were a mechanic before the apocalypse hit?"

Lizzy looks over her shoulder and gives them both a toothy grin, not too far off from Vin's friendly expression.

"That's right. I was building myself a pretty good reputation too, but, well" she shrugs as if to say, the rest was history.

 

[Poprockz]

"A beer, huh? Well if I find one, I'll let you know. For now, all we have is hard liquor, and it's bound to be a bit warm at this point. Still... If only we had some wine. I could mix that with some spices and vodka and make something nice, spicy, and hot." He sighed, personally one to enjoy a glass of spiced wine every now and then. The silence then settled once more between them, Damien content to let it continue for as long as Vin needed.

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

Sabastian followed along with them, smiling to himself when Lizzie gave them an almost goofy grin. It was interesting seeing how a woman raised close to Vin could have similar facial expressions even though they weren't blood related. Despite her talk of uncle-ness, he wondered if their relationship wasn't more like brother and sister.

"I think we should wait until tomorrow to check it out if that's all the same. It would be nice to rest a day after traveling for a couple days straight. Maybe that could give you and Vin some time to catch up too." the blonde yawned for a moment. While he wasn't physically tired, road-trips had always tired him out in general.

 

[Drobabes]

The silence went on for a moment or two, Vin quite comfortable to just stare off at the ground. It almost seemed as if he was simply thinking about the news he had just received, and perhaps he was, although the next thing he says might imply otherwise.

"I'm gonna be honest man, that sounds fucking disgusting."

His brown eyes met his steel grey, and he couldn't help but let loose with another small laugh, though this time it was much less strained and more genuine. In his own head, he was imagining something like a Bloody Mary, except instead of a tomato base, a red wine was used just to keep the same color.
______

Lizzy almost seemed reluctant to agree to wait, although perhaps that was just the grease monkey in her. Truly, she would have been happy to throw herself head first into the project and not have to think about anything except the warm metal between her hands, and the smell of oil and grease filling the air around her. However, she did give him a small nod.

"That's fine by me. Honestly, I haven't been outside of this shop very much, and were starting to get a little low on food. But you know...going into town with just three people, it's a little freaky."

Cora looked over her shoulder briefly as Lizzy spoke, imagining Tiffany and Maverick going into a store to get food, but ending up fighting over condoms or some such thing and likely alerting any zombies within the nearby vacinity.

"Well, me and Damien both have our own pistols, but I haven't been able to find any bullets for mine in a while. But besides that, I have a metal bat, Vin's got his guitar, and I'm sure one of us could make pretty good use of a crowbar if you have one lying around."

 

[Poprockz]

Damien raised his eyebrow with a sly smile, "well it's not my fault that your palate isn't refined enough to enjoy the finer things in life. I suppose I'll just have to leave you to your wheat juice." His tone wasn't in-your-face playful, but rather amused. It was his intention to have it mostly be a joke. He really didn't like beer, but he couldn't fault Vin for liking it; it was actually more abnormal that Damien didn't have a taste for it in his opinion since he used to see people drinking it as a favorite whenever there would be office parties.

As the head of the company, he had wanted to maintain a firm hand on his employees while also rewarding them for their effort. After all, if morale was low, quality suffered, and it simply caused a host of problems for the company. Because of this, he always had different parties going on during the year: The winter holiday one, the Spring party, and the Autumn bash. In summer, he simply had a reward program where if someone had completed their work (without cutting corners), he would let them go home early, or have an extra weekend day. Under his leadership, his company had actually been thriving. Though he never attended any of the parties, the man not interested in spending his time mingling.

"It's a hot drink though, so you could think of it like a steaming cup of spiced rum. Anyway... mixed drinks are great and all, but shots are fine too. Sabastian certainly doesn't seem to mind drinking from the bottle." He thought for a moment and crossed his arms. "So... should we join up with this group and take them with us? Obviously Lizz is a good friend of yours, and those other two... well, I don't like the man, and the woman seems... odd as well. If it were up to me, we would drop those other two off at a base and be on our way."

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

Sabastian listened in, thinking about their predicament. As far as he knew, their own stores of food were doing pretty well, but it never hurt to restock when one could. If there was a military surplus store there too, it would be super handy to grab some of the mre's.

The blonde looked at Lizz and piped up, "you could always send me in. I may not look it, but I'm actually a very stealthy person; I'd be in and out before the zombies even knew what happened." He gave Cora the side-eye, knowing that she would know what he meant. It would be much easier and safer to send Sabastian into the store to grab things since he wouldn't be putting himself at risk. Zombies didn't pay him any mind, likely thinking by his smell that he was just another one of them.

Maverick heard Sabastian from across the shop and actually laughed out loud, the pink-haired woman giggling slightly.

Narrowing his eye at them, Sabastian put his hands on his hips and said in an annoyed voice, "what? You think I can't? You don't fuckin' know me."

The man across the way grinned as Tiffany continued to giggle. "Well, excuse me if I don't find it even a little funny that a shorty such as yourself would be able to get in and out of a grocery store without being eaten up like a fun-sized Hershey bar on Halloween night. You barely have any muscle on that slim body of yours, so honestly, it might be safer for you to hold down the fort. You're the smallest one here and I bet you anyone here could smack you silly without you being able to lay a hand on them, and we're not even zombies. Going by yourself is a suicide mission."

Sabastian gritted his teeth, knowing that he could literally rip the man in half. At the moment he kind of wanted to as well, but the little blonde would never even consider doing such a thing.

 

[Drobabes]

He crossed his arms and gave him a bit of a phony, offended look for a moment before laughing.

"Wheat juice? And I'm the one with an unrefined palate?"

Vin laughed again and shook his head. At the mention of Sabastian having no problem drinking straight out of the bottle, he just chuckled. He imagined the little blond really would have preferred to have a chaser, but probably didn't want to dip into the supplies just to cover up a momentary bad taste.

He let out a bit of a sigh and thought about his suggestion, bringing a hand up to move his hair out of his face and then letting that same hand rub down his cheek in a tired manner. They could try to travel with the group, but they would need another vehicle, and they would all need a general goal of where they were going. Right now, Vin himself didn't have much of a plan except to stay with Sabastian and make sure he was safe, and then...well he supposed he didn't know. Try to find other people to build a community with would be the best bet, he imagined.

"I would say we should take Lizzy with us if that's the case and drop the other two off at a base...but after what went down, I don't know if I trust that anymore, you know?"

He was quiet for a moment, thinking, then he went on.

"I have half a mind to take Lizzy back home and make her stay with my sister until something more permanent and safe is figured out, but she's about as stubborn as a damn mule, so even if I suggest it, there's no telling if she'll actually listen to me. As far as the other two, I guess we could tell them about the military base and let them make their own choice. Lizzy though...I don't know.

"Maybe I can convince her to go home. Now that she... Well. She might be happier being around family; give her some time to heal..."

Before he could say too much more on that particular train of thought, he suddenly turns his head towards the door, hearing the sound of laughter from multiple people. He then looks up at Damien with a bit of a curious expression.

"Sounds like were missing some kind of party in there."
______

Lizz had watched Sabastian as he spoke up, but she had taken on a bit of a concerned look. She didn't look angry, but she did look worried and perhaps a bit doubtful.

As for Cora, well, she had stepped up a bit closer to her little companion and she was just about to reach out and tug his shirtsleeve, her own look being a bit neutral as Sabastian met her gaze. She knew what he was doing, but she didn't think it was smart, and she wanted to warn him.

When Maverick laughed and started talking shit, however, something in her seemed to snap and she threw the man a sideways glare before crossing her arms. Sure, going into a store by yourself might be dangerous, but Sabastian was right-that cocky son of a bitch didn't know him.

"Actually," she says, clearing her throat and turning her deadpan expression on him.

"Sabastian here walked into town a few days ago for us and got us some gas for the car so we wouldn't be stranded. And not only did he manage to get us gas, but he brought back a sick dragon guitar for Vin, and Vin has been able to use it to knock off more than a few zombie heads."

Her blank expression falters for just the briefest of seconds so that her hazel eyes can rake over Mavericks muscled arms, and then when they come back up to meet his gaze, she doesn't look at all impressed.

"What have you gotten accomplished since the apocalypse hit? Learning to eat something besides a protein shake?"

She turned her attention back to Lizzy before he could answer that, and with a more genuine smile, she says,

"Damien is very light and quiet on his feet as well. If we can find some clean water so that Sabastian and him can wash up a bit, then sending them both out with some backpacks to carry supplies in might not be such a bad idea. If you're worried about them, though, then we can all go and stay in a vehicle outside the store and just wait for a signal or something to rush in and help, if we have to. But the more feet there are, then the more noise they're going to make, and that would probably just put them both in danger."

Lizz was staring at the taller women with something akin to admiration in her eyes. Perhaps it was just because she hadn't wanted to be ditched and left to fend for herself, but she hadn't had the balls to say anything to Maverick since she had been with them, even though she had certainly wanted to. After a moment of silence, however, Lizzy simply meets Cora's gaze with a huge grin and says, "marry me."

 

[Poprockz]

The steely-eyed man chuckled at his comeback, relieved that Vin caught on to his own light-hearted banter.

"Hm..." Damien responded as he listened to Vin's thoughts on the matter. It was certainly Lizz's decision as to where she wanted to go from here, but the only safe way to travel was in a group. Though he thought to himself that it might be easier to travel with their little band of misfits than with those other two. He could only imagine taking a car ride with the two of them bickering the whole way, and being inappropriate at the times they weren't.

He wondered if being with family would be enough. Family was nice and all, but maybe the woman was closer to Vin and Vin's sister than those outside her immediate family; she did grow up with him after all.

At the sound of laughter, he also glanced over there, wondering what was going on. If it was an indication of them all getting along in there, then he was glad. Sabastian could be a grumpy little man, but Cora seemed more like a peace-keeper for the most part, so they were probably doing fine.

"A party indeed. Should we crash it, or do you want to hang outside a bit more?" Damien wiped his brow, the man starting to feel just a bit warm in the hot sunlight.

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

When Cora stood up for him, Sabastian was a bit surprised but very pleased. It was nice knowing that Cora had his back in this and that she wouldn't try to talk him out of it. The blonde donned a smug smile as he looked over at the muscled man, almost as if he was saying, "ha! So there!"

Maverick scowled slightly and stood up, strolling over to them with his arms crossed and his chest slightly puffed. Even though she had given him that unimpressed look, the fact remained that she had checked him out. While he was happy about that, the man was a bit pissed at her response and it reflected in his face.

"Did he now? Really? You let him go, on his own, into a zombie-infested town, for what? Gas and a guitar? That sounds pretty fucking reckless to me. You guys realize this is the fucking apocalypse, right? He could have been killed. Even if the zombies didn't get him, there are gangs forming out there that could have pointed their guns at him, scooped him up, and turned him into their little fuck-hole. I hope it was a pretty sweet guitar to make a risk like that."

Tiffany rolled her eyes in annoyance, "that's a little fucking dramatic, don't you think?" she called over to him.

He glared over at her, "no, I don't. But whatever, do what you want." The man walked back over to Tiffany and sat nearby, opening another piece of gum and chewing on it in irritation.

Sabastian simply stood there, not really knowing what to say. It was true that if he were a regular guy, it would have been reckless. Still, that guy was still an asshole and didn't have to be a dick about things.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin gave him that toothy grin as he propped himself up off the car, letting his arms hang down.

"I'm always ready to crash a party."

With that, he made his way inside but paused once he was just inside the door, looking at everyone and trying to read the mood because it seemed a bit awkward.
________

Lizz had been laughing with Cora after her little 'marry me' comment, as she had quickly come back with an "I'm flattered, but taken". However, when Maverick started walking over to them, she had quieted down, getting a bit nervous that the guy was looking to start trouble. However, it took Lizzy a bit by surprise when he said what he had to say. Up until this point, she had doubted that cocky man had any humanity behind all that bravado and showing off, but his words just now seemed to imply otherwise. Come to think of it, they hadn't had to take her in either, they could have just as easily told her to get lost and move along.

Cora quieted down as well, but not for the same reasons. The man's body language as he approached her put her on edge, and she crossed her arms in a defensive manner as he came to stand so close to them.

What he had to say put a bit of a shameful blush on her cheeks, and she couldn't look him in the eye. Despite her momentary lashing out, she couldn't deny that the man was right in a way, and it was one of those things that worried her still. Sabastian was immune to the zombies, but there were other threats, and other people. That crazy preacher, and Margaret, not to mention just other people, if they found out what he really was. The thought of someone trying to hurt him or burn him alive made her sick, and for that reason, she did feel guilty that he had gone off by himself into that town. It wasn't completely there fault of course-they had all been asleep when he had did it, but something could have happened and that fact alone was enough to make her feel shameful for her little angry quip.

"So..." Lizz said after a moment of awkward silence, seeing that Vin had come back in.

"You guys want to take a break after travelling for so long?"

Her question was pointed at Damien and Vin now, seeing as she knew Sabastian and Cora seemed to be ready to relax for a moment.

Vin simply nods his head, his eyes momentarily looking over at Maverick, and then to Sabastian. He wasn't sure what had happened before he walked in that door, but if that guy was giving him a hard time, or any of them a hard time, he would make sure it stopped right here and now.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien's eyes went from Maverick chewing angrily, to Tiffany's indifferent look, to Cora's guilty blush, and finally to Sabastian's face. It was a stubborn look if ever he saw one. He wasn't sure what happened either, but the tenseness of the atmosphere made his body tense a bit. Upon glancing at Vin to see his response, he noticed Vin eyeing the new man and he hoped he wouldn't have to get in the middle of things.

He walked in front of Vin and over to Cora, looking at Lizzy and also nodding. "Yeah... I could use a little bit of rest. Bowie poked his little head up off of Cora's shoulders, stretching himself a little so that he could slither up onto Damien's. It would seem that while the air-conditioning was nice, it was still really pleasant to lay on Damien's sun-warmed, dark-blue shirt to soak in a bit of warmth.

Maverick noticed Vin looking at him, the man sighing and looking away, still with an annoyed look on his face. He was pissed at the way they had poked fun at him, but he wasn't in the mood to brawl. After a moment, he got up, grumbled something about going to the bathroom, and went into one of the back rooms. Tiffany watched him go, getting up and walking over to Vin.

"That's a really nice tattoo... I know it's hot out, but I would have thought you'd be wearing a shirt to protect your ink from fading." She reached out and traced a line on his chest, seemingly studying it a bit. "Not that I'm complaining though..." The woman gave him a flirty wink.

Over near Lizzy, Sabastian watched the woman approach Vin, his own body tensing as he saw her touch him like that. It also made him realize that his own shirt was still on the back of the car, and that he was wearing Vin's shirt still. He wondered if she was full of shit and that sunlight didn't affect tattoos. The ink was already set in his skin, wasn't it? The man hadn't even thought to wear sunscreen, so she probably had the wrong idea.

He wanted to go over there, pick her up, walk outside, and javelin-throw her into the sun, her and that stupid pink hair of hers. Sabastian restrained himself, instead simply scowling while narrowing his eyes at her and keeping an eye on her every move. While coming over there and staking a claim on Vin was an option, he didn't feel comfortable doing that with Vin for multiple reasons including Lizzy maybe not knowing he was bi, not wanting to smother the guy, and not wanting to seem needy and insecure.

 

[Drobabes]

Lizz nodded, putting her hands in her pocket to give them somewhere to rest. Even though the room was air conditioned, it was obvious that she had been sweating at some point and looked as if she needed a good cleaning up herself, likely not having been able to take a shower in a few days. Although, her odor wasn't exactly all that bad-likely covered up by the smell of rubber and grease.

"Well, I can help you carry in some supplies if you want, and maybe I can take a quick peak at your car?"

Her eyes lit up just a little at that question. Not only did she want to get her head stuck in another project, but she just really wanted to get her fingers on that beautiful piece of machinery.

Vin watched Maverick as he left, and although his face was a bit neutral, he wasn't backing down from the other man. Damien had already mentioned he didn't like the guy, so now Vin was definitely going to keep an eye on him.

When Tiffany came over and started commenting on his ink, he simply looked down at her. Normally, he would have given her a pleased smile, maybe even done a bit of light flirty banter with nothing serious behind it, but right now he just wasn't in the mood and he made sure to let her know.

Reaching up with some speed, he grabs hold of her wrist with his thumb and index finger and grips it firmly. He doesn't squeeze her, as he wasn't trying to hurt her or scare her, but he does grip her enough so that she can't just pull her hand free from him. Once he had a grip on it, he quickly pushed her hand down to her side and then let her go, giving her a glare of disapproval.

"You should keep your hands to yourself until you get to know people better. Especially people that just learned one of their best friends fucking died."

With that he turned away from her and stalked over towards his own group of friends, grabbing a seat for himself and whipping it around with a little more force than he meant to before sitting down. It was obvious he was pissed, the flirty women having seemingly pushed him just a bit too far, and it only took one glance from Lizzy for her to start scooting towards the door. She knew from experience just how angry Delvin could get, although he had made leaps and bounds to control it better.

 

[Poprockz]

Glancing around, Damien nodded and replied, "well, if we can get the garage door open, we should be able to push it inside so we don't have to carry stuff in as much, and you don't have to work out in the open. I don't know whether there's a switch or something for the door though. I would imagine so, but I always just had someone drop my car off for me."

Tiffany was surprised when he grabbed her wrist, though she looked a bit intimidated when his expression darkened. A deep blush came to her cheeks as he spoke, the woman only now realizing that she had fucked up. She hadn't really been paying attention to the group as they chatted, so she assumed that Lizzy had been the only one broken up about her story. The woman nodded but didn't say anything, guiltily retreating to her chair and sitting down, looking at her nails as though trying to find something to focus on.

Though the man looked angry, Sabastian knew that he was really just in pain. Underneath the skin he was grieving his loss, that sudden news being felt deeply by the man and causing him to lash out a bit. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't a little satisfying to see Tiffany rejected so utterly, but he felt a bit guilty about feeling that way. Vin was hurting, so this was really no time to be focusing on his own petty shit.

Sabastian didn't know if it was the right thing to do, seeing as how Vin looked to be quite pissed, but he walked over to where Vin sat and moved behind him. Leaning over, he draped himself over Vin's back and wrapped his arms loosely around Vin's shoulders. His head rested on Vin's right shoulder and he leaned his head slightly against his gentle partner's. He didn't say anything, didn't really need to. It was pointless to ask Vin if he was okay because he obviously wasn't. All he could do was let Vin know that he was there and that he cared about him. If the man didn't want to be touched, he could easily shrug Sabastian off and he would leave him alone.

"I'm here if you need me," he said simply, his voice soft.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora simply took a seat and watched, her own shame and nervousness from having been approached like that making her momentarily quiet and simply content to stay in the background. Vin's display with Tiffany, while a little satisfying, mostly just made her feel on edge. She didn't like how tense everything had suddenly gotten and she kind of wished Bowie had stayed on her shoulders for a bit longer.

Lizz had gotten just a tad distracted as she watched Sabastian and Vin from her peripheral. She was trying not to be rude and look away as Damien spoke with her, but the way that Sabastian had went over to Vin and hugged him peaked her curiosity.

"Right, it would be easier to work on it in here with the A.C. going..."

Oh she just couldn't help it! She had to look! And what she saw surprised her so much that she crossed her arms and got a bit of blown away look on her face. Delvin had gone from completely tense, tapping his foot on the ground and crossing his hands in front of him, to taking a huge deep breath and then letting it out on a long sigh before reaching up to put his hand over Sabastian's, where it was laying over his shoulder. His whole body seemed to relax, and even though he looked sad, it was as if the little man had simply sapped all that anger away and tossed it into the trash. When Lizz looked back up at Damien, her expression had changed from shock into one of pure affection, like she had just seen a puppy do something really cute or some similar such thing.

"Right, so, anyway, if we are going to move the car in here, we should probably have it ready to go because opening that door is going to make a lot of noise. You see that big metal chain?" she said, pointing to the side of the metal garage door.

"I'm going to have to tug that as fast as I can, cause it's an old fashioned shop and the door isn't electric. It's going to be about thirty straight seconds of just annoying metal on metal, and then I'll have to do it again to get it shut. Now I don't think there's any zombies nearby because the cooler has been running for a bit and none have come yet, but that might just make enough noise to alert some. Or, the other option is we can leave the car outside and just wait until evening for the sun to go down and cool off a bit. What do you think? I certainly don't need the car inside to work on it."

 

[Poprockz]

Damien noticed Lizz getting distracted by something behind him, but he didn’t turn to look. Perhaps she was trying to see his car from out the window or something. It seemed like it might be more than that though, as she her expression changed from surprised to a look of... well, he knew the look but he wasn’t sure that there was a name for it. The man glanced behind his shoulder to see Sabastian hugging Vin from the back before looking at her.

He wasn’t entirely sure why that was particularly surprising. It wasn’t abnormal for someone to give another a hug if they were feeling down, so he didn’t know what the big deal was.

The man rubbed the stubble of his cheek for a moment as he looked at the chain and contemplated their options. Either they made a hell of a lot of noise to get the car inside so she could work on it safely, or they stayed quiet and had her work on the car outside while keeping an eye out for zombies (also having to carry their supplies inside). Making so much noise even for thirty seconds could draw a lot of unwanted attention, so it was a risky move. Even if there was a lot of them, he was confident that Sabastian could get them out of that situation. However, that would mean exposing his true nature to the three newcomers, two of which were unpredictable.

“I’m not sure I have the authority to make that call for all of us if that’s the choice, but if it were up to me, I think it would be better for you to work on the car while someone keeps a look out to make sure you’re safe. How would we raise-up the car for you though?” He glanced at Cora, noticing that she looked a bit tense. A mental note was made to go to her once the conversation was through and their course of action was settled.

Sabastian was glad Vin had responded so well, simply relaxing and taking his hand. It seemed as though the comfort of his physical touch was helpful for the grieving man, so he was grateful that his little gamble paid off. He glanced around and when he knew no one was looking, he turned his head slightly and gave Vin a prolonged kiss to his cheek, one that was soft and sweet. The most important thing for a grieving person was that they knew they were loved, and while he couldn’t say it out loud, he hoped his actions would speak for themselves.

 

[Drobabes]

Lizz let out a little 'snrk' when he said he didn't know if he had the authority for that decision.

"Well, it's your car," she said, pointing a finger at his chest.

"And I'm the mechanic, so I would say that's all the authority we need. As far as lifting it, we'll just use a jack. If the damage is bad, then we can figure out a better solution later. So, can I look at it?"

She had an excited grin on her face now, and similar to a dog trying to get up on some furniture they weren't allowed on, her feet just couldn't help but keep inching towards the door.
_______

That little kiss to the cheek made him smile, despite the pain that wanted to crush down on him, and he turns a bit so that he can kiss him back, on the forehead. After that, he just pats his hand softly for a moment before letting it go.

"I'll be alright" he says softly. He just needed a little time, and perhaps later, a moment of privacy.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien raised his eyebrow when she said that he had the authority simply because it was his car. While that was true, he knew that while it was technically his own property, it could just have easily been another car they grabbed. In general, it would be better to make decisions as a group. Still, he figured this decision was something he could make if he handled it right.

"Not yet. I'd like to wait until it cools down and if at all possible, I'd feel more comfortable if we were all able to shower. The zombies are very sensitive to smell, and although I personally don't think you or any one of us smell, their noses are a lot more sensitive than mine. If we're going to do it this way, we're going to do it safely. I don't imagine there's a shower in the building, but we can either move to another house and find an unscented soap bar, or we could possibly take turns washing off in a sink here. In the meantime... I could probably cook us something nice." He crossed his arms thoughtfully and looked over at Cora as though seeking her input.

"What do you think, Cora? Do you think that sounds like a bit much?" He looked over at her, his steely eyes appraising her face. He did truly want her input, but he also wanted to pull her back into the conversation so she wasn't sitting there, hiding in plain sight in that chair of hers.

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

That kiss to his forehead felt reassuring, and he felt a bit more at ease about Vin's grief, his words only reinforcing that. The little blonde smiled in response, simply continuing to lean against Vin's back. The man was so warm and comfortable, he could stay in this position for hours (though his back might not thank him later).

He turned his head after a moment and spoke into Vin's ear. "I know. You are a big, strong bear-man after all. For extra measure though, cuddle with me tonight, okay? I... want to hold you until you fall asleep." His words got increasingly quiet as his cheeks became increasingly hot. It wasn't a sexual request, but it was still a bit embarrassing to say. He hoped it wasn't too forward or cringy.

 

[Drobabes]

Vin looked down at him and smiled. Even now, those cheeks turning pink were enough to keep that smile on his face, and he can't help but reach up to stroke them softly.

"Alright" he says, just as quietly.

At her name being called, Cora looked up and pushed some of her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear as she thought about it. After a moment of contemplation, she simply nodded.

"Yea, I think some food would be good. We haven't eaten since breakfast."

Lizzy looked between Damien and Cora, then back to Damien.

"Ok, but maybe I could just take a quick lo-"

"Lizzy!" Vin suddenly said, a bit sharply. When she looked over at him though, he softened his gaze and his tone.

"You can play with the car later, can't you? Just...chill out for a bit. Find something to tinker with in here."

She let out a defeated sigh and crossed her arms, but she took his suggestion and went to the far wall, running her fingers along the various tools and parts.