The Virus

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"I have a freaking gun. Did you not see the humans I killed back there? I'm, like-- what's that word? Stealthy? I'm pretty stealthy, Elijah. You're a zombie! You could rip a human apart with your bare hands, so just... have more confidence in yourself, dude!" The fellow zombie grinned, bumping the smaller teenager and hoping the jovial nature of his demeanour and chatter would help relax and ease the other's clear nervousness. He did see Elijah as a friend already, and like hell was he happy that his friend was being this insecure and scared. "Fuck, don't you realise how awesome we are? My brothers, right, they said that we can do what we like now. You don't need to be scared about humans. They need a head shot to kill us, so... relax."
 
"Hear me out," Elijah began, as he carefully tugged the other closer. "I mean, why kill a human? You... could chain them up, so they can't leave, right? Then, you can like, eat the skin in strips? They can heal up in that spot, just take skin from somewhere else? God, that sounds awful... but, if you think about it as a plant, letting the plant grow more fruit means you can have it longer," he tried to explain, though he frowned at just how inhumane it sounded.
 
"...That's logical enough, I mean... hey, if you wanna do that, my brothers would totally be on board. They're a bit messed in the head, really. I know you'd do it because it'd seem less monstrous, in some ways, but my brothers would see it as a good way to get their kicks, y'know? It'd be entertainment-- but hey! If you do it, they'd like you a lot more," he encouraged easily, hiding his genuine disgust at the idea behind another handsome grin. He was someone who had just massacred some humans... but he ended their suffering as quickly as he could. Surely, that was better for them than locking them up and prolonging their suffering over weeks or months? Though, just so he didn't lose Elijah's friendship, he did his best to seem like the idea was... perfectly okay.

"Hey, there's my house, right up ahead, see? It ain't so bad," he smiled, nodding towards the secluded home on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't as large as he had earlier made out during his boasting, but he'd already admitted that he had been exaggerating. It was, though, rather cute looking. In a time of zombies and chaos, it was rare to see the home looking so normal. Hell, there were well-kept flowers outside, which, from the proud look on Frankie's face, were his doing.

"My Mom loved gardening, and... I dunno, I thought I'd keep it going for her. I'm probably the only dumbass zombie risking getting shot in the head just to water some flowers, huh~?"
 
"... I think it's cute," he admitted, as he watched the other beam. It wasn't subtle, after all. Hell, it was hard not to smile at his pride, and went as far as to offer a squeeze of his hand... Not to mention, the whole sweet scene was a good way to put the horrible idea to the side. "Seriously, it makes it seem normal. Like, the whole city is in ruble and ashes, and you've got cute tulips and an orange tree. I commend you. I wish I knew how to garden, you know? H-Hey, if we hang out long enough, maybe we could grow tall bushes to keep humans away? I'd rather see giant rosebushes than dead corpses."
 
"We, uh... We'll have to ask my brothers. I'm sure they won't mind too much. They call me soppy for keeping up Mom's gardening, but... if it offers us some security, and safety, I'm sure they'll agree. They're... stubborn, but they're also smart, so... hey, I think it's a great idea, personally. Besides, roses are beautiful. They'll be a pleasure to grow," he admitted, faintly aware the tough guy exterior he tried so hard to pull off was fading fast. Then again, it hadn't really been in place at the start - from the moment he saw Elijah, he had acted like a long-lost friend, rather than an intimidating foe, which was what his brothers tended to aim for.

Cringing the moment he heard the deep, raised voices from within the house, he smiled back at Elijah in an effort to reassure him that the shouting and swearing wasn't an issue. "...They shout about anything, it's really nothing to worry about. It'll probably be over something dumb anyway..."
 
"Aha, yeah-"

"Jesus fuck, Rob, chill out!" Shouted one of the brothers, as he pushed through the door. Much like Frankie described, the man was bulky and tall, with a pretty strong jaw. He gave off the perfect football player aesthetic... which was appropriate, since he had pretty much dedicated his entire learning career on the sport. Despite this, Josiah couldn't help but immediately grin at the sight of his younger brother, and lifted him into a hug.

"What the hell took you so long?! We asked you to get some food, you don't come back for hours, and when you do, you bring a scrawny friend with you?!" He scolded harshly, though hesitated to let go of the hug.
 
"Get the fuck off me, I-I'm not kidding. Jeez, just say hi, you don't need to grab me..." Grimaced Frankie as he pushed himself out of his brother's arms as best he could. Being the youngest, he was subjected to this sort of stuff, and it didn't really help that he was the shortest of all the brothers. He was far from short, but he was deemed that when compared to his older brothers, which was a constant source of irritation for him.

Nevertheless, he smiled brightly back at Elijah and encouraged him into the home. "This is Eli, he was at school with me-- he's like us, Josiah, he's a zombie, so... he looks scrawny, but I swear he's tough. Like, he helped me try and get food earlier, but fuck, do you know how hard it is finding humans? They ain't hanging out in the streets, Josiah. They're hiding in their homes, scared-- besides, I don't wanna do this anymore. It's boring. Why can't I help you and the others out? I'm fed up of doing dumb stuff. Hey, Eli and I can do stuff for you, we're a great team."

"And what is it exactly you wanna do, Frankie? We'd give you the chance, sure, but you seem more eager on, y'know, watering pretty flowers. I don't want to take you away from that very, very important responsibility," sarcastically responded another of his brothers, who was sat behind the brothers on the stairs with a wide grin-- though he made sure to wipe his mouth free of blood before smiling. He had his manners, after all. Grumbling under his breath as he pushed himself to his feet, the oldest of the five brothers cracked his shoulders back before giving Frankie's hair a ruffle - he knew that his little brother would be embarrassed by it, and Dean liked nothing better than embarrassing his youngest brother. "This 'ya boyfriend, Frankie? Is that why you were so late and forgot to bring back food? Hey, don't let being a zombie stop you, y'know, having sex and getting romantic with a nice young fella."

"We didn't-- I just-- I mean-- God, you're such a dick! Both of you are assholes, you know? Elijah's a mate from school. I saw he'd been changed too, we talked some, I found out he's practically homeless. I did the decent thing and invited him back here. We... We have the room, you know? And he's real sweet and he can help me out with getting food..."
 
"How could he help us out? He's puny," laughed Josiah, and offered a wicked grin as he eyed Elijah. "I ain't judging you on who you call for, bro, but this guy? Really? Hey, maybe he can garden, while you actually go out and get some proper food and weapons. I sure as hell know this kid couldn't do that. Right, Dean?"

"I-I... I, um..." Was Elijah's nervous reply, as he immediately locked on Frankie in utter horror. He wasn't unaware of bullying, since it was beyond common in school, but it didn't make him any less uncomfortable as he nervously avoided the larger men's eyes. "I can be helpful! A-And... we're not dating, h-haha..."
 
"Ignore them, seriously. They're always like this, you know? They're just joking around, to be honest. They aren't deliberately being mean, it's just how they come across." Frankie quietly smiled, pushing past his brothers and, grabbing Eli's hand, began to pull him towards the stairs. "Come on, I'll show you my room. We can share. I have a huge bed, Dean bought it for me, so we can share without even, like, infringing one another's space. Not that we even need to sleep, but... whatever, right? Aha..."

"Hey, hey, come on, don't be such a bore. I wanna talk to your buddy. Hell, if he's staying here, I wanna get to know him," admitted Dean as he folded his arms over his chest, head tilted slightly as he examined Elijah over unsubtly. "He is pretty puny. You sure he's like us? Not some sick human you felt sorry for? Nah, he can't be, you'd have eaten him if he was, huh?"
 
Hanging his head a tad, he quickly followed besides Frankie to escape the other's criticisms. Hell, if it weren't for the fact that he didn't want to embarrass his new 'friend', he would probably cry. He only really felt relaxed when he heard the bedroom door slam behind him, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"I... I'm really sorry. I didn't think your brothers would react so intensely. I just want to have some shelter, is all. Like, I-I don't really even want to be noticed here. I just want to be some guy who takes up space..."
 
"I... I could fucking punch 'em sometimes, you know? They always do this shit, always. Baby me and push me around, saying it's just 'brotherly fun'. Like, it's cool, but I'm always the butt of the joke. Ugh, they piss me off," he groaned, collapsing onto his bed and, after kicking his shoes off with a few angry grunts, peeked back over at his friend with an encouraging smile. "They like you though. I mean, god, it seems like they don't, but... but they do like you. If they didn't, they wouldn't have let you up the stairs. When I was 15, after I came out, I brought a guy from school home -that guy in the football team, Reed- and they verbally tore him apart. If we were zombies then, they'd have probably killed him. They really hated that guy-- so if it's any comfort, they sorta like you."

Beaming happily at that, he rested his hands behind his head and cast a discreet look around his room. "...I really should have cleaned up, you know, but I... my brothers made me head out to get food real early, so I didn't have time to pick up the clothes and tidy up the food wrappers-- I really shouldn't eat human food, it makes me sick, but... I was starving, so what are you gonna do, you know? It sucks I can't eat some Doritos without throwing up everywhere. That's a downside of zombieism-- that ain't a word, is it?"
 
" 'Zombieism'? No, I don't think that's a word," Elijah snorted, while taking his time eyeing the room himself. Picking up the tossed underwear and sniffing a clearly dirty shirt, he held back the urge to gag before flinging it towards the door. If Frankie was like this as a zombie, he could only imagine the horror while he was alive.

"Jeez, man. Do you ever clean up? I know we're sort of dead, b-but... come on. You have a working house, right? Take a shower or something, and maybe clean your clothes? I know I'm just a visitor, but... wow."
 
"...My Mom used to clean up for me. I know it's fucking sad, because I'm 17 and should really clean my room myself, but she... I dunno, she never really told me to, so I didn't, and she always cleaned up and washed my clothes and... it's all sorta gone to shit since she died. It ain't even that bad, you're so dramatic! Like, I'm a teenage boy, ain't it natural that my room be a little messy?" He laughed, while casting another, more observing glance around his room... and did grimace to himself again when realising how messy everything was.

"...I'll clean up tomorrow, because I guess we're sharing now, so this is your room as much as it is mine, huh? See, I'm accommodating. My Mom taught us all that we ought to treat a guest like family. Hey, if you're lucky, my brothers will be lifting you up into hugs and ruffling up your hair," he continued sarcastically, resting his hands behind his head. "Look, chill, would 'ya? Do you want something to eat? I only got human stuff up here, and it will make you vomit later on, but..."
 
"I think I'm fine for now. The food I had before was more than I've had in, like, two weeks. I'm pretty full, actually." He admitted, before taking a stiff seat on the bed as well. "I mean... Look, that's no excuse for you to be unclean. It's really sad that I have to show you how to wash and clean clothes, Frank. Is it safe to assume your brothers don't know either? Not... Not to sound mean, but they don't seem like they would. I don't do mean any offense, though! I-I mean, you guys clearly know survival skills more than I do, so..."
 
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"Hey, that's where you're wrong, actually. My brother Gino is, like, a huge cleanliness freak. He'd have a heart attack if he saw my room, y'know? He keeps the house in good shape, cleans up when he ain't working with the others. My room isn't like the rest of the house, so you don't need to worry about, like, living in squalor," admitted the teen as he rummaged in the box beside his bed he'd filled with junk food. Apparently, vomiting his guts up didn't stop him tucking into a chocolate bar, and he did so -usually- with no regret.

"Hey, my brothers are underestimating us both. We'll help out and... prove to 'em we have stuff to offer," he murmured through a mouthful of chocolate. "You're real strong, I bet. Or maybe I can be the brawn, and you'll be the brains?"
 
"We can be like a team of crime detectives. Instead of beating up bad guys, we can... find food? That's not as cool." He admitted, before letting out a grunt and flopping back on the bed himself. Staring at the ceiling, he offered a light pop to the other's side awkwardly.

Elijah was clearly not the most social boy, as was evident from his generally awkward demeanor, but he at least was trying with Frankie. It was the least he could do, especially after being treated well by him. If that meant trying to conquer his anxiety, it may not seem like much, but it was to him.
 
A smile would have done the trick and sufficed. He already realised that Elijah wasn't the most... extroverted of people, which probably explained why Frankie barely remembered him from school. However, just seeing a smile to indicate he was happy and enjoying Frankie's company would have been enough, so the slight bump sent Frankie's smile into overdrive.

"You're real adorable, you know? Like, could you get any cuter?" He playfully purred, though quickly cut out the notions of flirtation. That was natural for him, but he really didn't think it would benefit his attempts of friendship if he began to flirt with the boy. He'd probably scare him off. "...Anyway, we could hunt for food, we can make it cool, y'know?"
 
Elijah's cheeks almost immediately flushed at the flirting, causing him to bashfully turn away and stare out the window. It was the first time being called cute by someone his age, and he couldn't help but have his heart flutter a tad.

"... Yeah. We could make up names, like in those comics I found in my mom's garage. They always had weird names, you know? I'm not very creative, though..."
 
"And you think I'm creative? Nah-- but we can make up something, sure. Sounds like fun. We'll show those assholes downstairs that we're more than capable of doing this, and... and then maybe we'll get something far more important to do than just... collecting food. Like, can't they get something to eat themselves? I'm the youngest, you'd think they'd look out for me, not send me out where I could get shot in the head," he exhaled heavily, frowning up at the ceiling. As angry as he was with his brothers, it never lasted long. They always had their reasons and justifications for treating him as they did, and it usually went back to them just acting like 'brothers', and he was just overreacting.

"...Anyway, I'll start cleaning up tomorrow for you, even if I don't think it's too bad. It's not dirty, it's just messy. There's a difference," he pointed out smugly as he licked his lips free of crumbs, having tucked into a bag of caramel popcorn, deciding it was well worth the vomiting and sickness. "You should have seen my locker at school, that was pretty messy, actually..."
 
"I remember that, like, I saw you use it once, maybe, since you were rarely ever there. When I saw all those gum wrappers fall out, it was horrifying. I mean, what did you even keep in there? No offense, but it wasn't like you put homework in there. Was it just extra space to put junk in that wasn't your room?" He teased, though knew his words might have been a bit too critical, and immediately tried to silently apologize by grabbing Frankie's hand and offering it a squeeze.

"... Sorry. That sounded mean, I-I... Didn't mean for it to."
 
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