The Virus

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"I... yeah, don't worry about that. Besides, you look pretty human from a distance. I'm sure no human is gonna think you're a zombie if you just clean the blood up off your face," he reminded, stopping suddenly in order to lend his assistance, wiping off as much blood as he could from the other's face with the back of his sleeve. Granted, given Elijah hadn't exactly torn into the amputated limb Frankie had offered him, there wasn't much blood to wipe off.

"What if this virus thing is gonna get worse? Like... I hope it doesn't, but what if it takes some time to really kick in? I don't want to be a monster, you know? I... don't think we're monsters right now. I still feel things. It's why I want to help out with this cure, in case I deteriorate and end up losing what makes me me. I'm being real dramatic, but still... My brothers said it could happen."
 
"I think we'll be fine," he reassured, albeit weakly as he whined at the other's insistent rubbing. "Jeez, you're treating me like my mom. Hmph... You look human, too... sort of. You're totally soaked, but I think it would be sort of weird to go and visit my friend's friend without a shirt on."

Once being clean, he decided to teasingly do the same with the other by playfully wiping the other's cheek with his hand, all the while offering a shy smile. "Even if you didn't look human, you look like a proper, handsome zombie. You just need better table manners, is all."
 
"I mean, I probably look a little human because I'm not as pale as you. My folks were Italian, I got the whole olive skinned thing going on. Mind you, doesn't really make a difference when I'm covered in blood," he shrugged, quietly grinning as he allowed himself to be cleaned up, even if this just emphasised the fact he really couldn't care for himself. His bedroom, though, had probably been the only evidence Elijah needed to make that conclusion.

"I'm gonna start cleaning up properly, promise. And that includes myself, with the blood and stuff. I don't wanna scare that human guy-- though I really don't think I'm that scary, y'know? If he's friends with Logan, I'll probably be a welcome sight 'cause I ain't scary at all. I'm a pretty shitty zombie, really."
 
"You're a bad zombie? At least you've managed to feed yourself a-and survive. I mean, I've only been a zombie for, like, two days, but I can't even properly feed myself. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt people, but I shouldn't! I-I should be brave and emotionless, a-and just eat them. I can't even do that. That's being a bad zombie." He reminded, before offering him a final pat on the cheek to confirm his work.

"Let's just go, alright? Logan will probably explain everything to his friend, yeah? I trust him, h-he's a nice guy! He's like a brother I never had, eh? He'll protect us, even if you don't need much protection yourself."
 
"You're joking right? My brothers pretty much look after me. I'd be, like, full on rampaging zombie mode by now if they didn't. You've seen the zombies that haven't eaten, right? They're like... proper zombies, like from movies. It's terrifying. Dean had t' shoot one in the head 'cause it tried tearing his head open. It's why I'm gonna force meat down your fucking throat, Eli, not even kidding. I ain't watching you turn into one of those out of control monsters because you're too worried about tearing into a human," he grumbled, giving his friend's hand a tight squeeze to emphasis his points. He may have just properly met Elijah, not having known him in school, but he was far from prepared to see him become like that. He didn't wish it on anyone, so he of course was going to make sure it didn't happen to his one friend.
 
"Is that a threat? I am perfectly capable of feeding myself... I think. I don't think I could kill someone, you know? To see the lights go out of someone's eyes, just because you're peckish? It's awful, don't you think?" He babbled, the thought almost immediately causing him to nervously adjust his bowtie with his free hand. Carefully pulling the glasses from his shirt pocket, he put them on and offered a weak smile.

"They don't really do much for me anymore, but... I think they make me look more human, right? They just emphasis how utterly lame I am, though. I dunno. I just want to get better, yeah? So, if anything helps, then..."
 
"They're food, Eli. It's horrible, course it is, but you'll end up savage if you don't. How about I do the killing, then? You'll definitely have to eat, though. Like I said, if I gotta force it down you, I will," he determinedly stated, despite the smile creeping slowly on his face. He wanted to be serious and stern, but the sight of Elijah with his bowtie and the matching glasses was hard not to smile at-- though he was far from being teasing and cruel. Rather, he found the sight incredibly cute.

"Come on, were you really like this in school? I'm sure I'd have talked to you if you walked about in those glasses and stuff? You're too cute. I mean, I skipped school a lot, but hell, I'm sure I'd have remembered you if you did dress like this. It suits you, it's real cute," he praised again as he offered another quick squeeze on his hand, before surveying the area protectively. "Which way is it, then?"
 
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"Well, assuming that Logan's friend's place is nearby where I was, it shouldn't be that long of a trek. It's in broad daylight, though, so I don't know if we should just walk past casually. I'd stay close to the sides of buildings and stuff," Elijah suggested, though a small blush did emerge to his cheeks.

"I... I mean, I don't know if this is the best time for compliments, but thank you. I was mostly made fun of for it, though, but I always insisted that I looked as sharp as possible if I was going to be around. Can't say I look that great anymore, though. I mean... this shirt was a pastel pink, now look at it. It's practically brown."
 
"At least you're trying to still execute the whole look, you know? Humans ought to take that into consideration. I mean, I'm sure they'd rather be killed by a dashing bow-tied cutie like you, than someone like me, y'know? Not that you're gonna kill anyone. Like I said, we're a duo now, yeah? I'll do the... killing, then we can just eat together, and you won't have to feel guilty," he promised, letting the other take the lead - obviously, Frankie had no idea where this place was, so despite naturally wanting to lead, he hung back a pace to allow the other to do so.

"...What if this human tries to shoot us? Logan's his mate, but we're strangers, and... I won't hesitate to break his neck if he tries. I won't let you be killed, and if it ruins the chance for a cure, big deal. I'd prefer staying as a zombie with you than having you die on me."
 
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"Frankie, that's... that's really sweet," he admitted, his face a light pink from being bashful. Hurrying through the streets, he was thankful for their new form to at least help with that issue. He was never really fit, after all - and still wasn't - but his speed did increase tenfold.

"I don't want you dying either, y'know? I know this sounds grim, but you're more of a threat than I am. I'm just some weak loser who needs to rely on someone else to survive because I can't handle seeing gory stuff," he admitted, while adjusting his broken glasses with a nervous glance around.
 
"Hey, I'm not gonna die. Holy cow, I was sat out in the plain open earlier, right in the middle of the road, and I didn't get shot at once. Really, you're overthinking. We're totally safe," he promised, going as far as to begin to walk backwards in front of him-- though admittedly, he did it mostly so he could talk to the other while facing him.

"I have my gun," he reminded, patting his pocket, "and if that ain't enough reassurance, I don't know what is. You're with me, alright? We're totally safe and... I dunno, we're zombies, we can kill a human with our eyes shut-- which you'd like, given you hate blood and probably don't wanna see a human die, huh~?"
 
"You say that as if you do..." Elijah commented, though did offer a smile at the other's clearly calmer disposition. Slowing his pace, the zombie only really relaxed once outside of the tall apartment building, in which he immediately began to peer around the alleyway, begging for some sort of sign from Logan.

"H-Hey, um... Logan? Are you here? I told Frankie, about your friend and the cure and stuff?" He whispered cautiously. At any moment, a human could use the dead end of the alley to their advantage and shoot their brains out, after all. When no response came, Elijah took a seat on the old mattress tossed to the side with a heavy sigh.
 
"Please don't tell me this is where you've been sleeping. Fucking hell, this is beyond disgusting. There are rats and all sorts out here, Eli," cringed Frankie, taking a wary seat at the edge of the mattress. He may be a zombie who was still covered in blood, and he may have a bedroom that looked like a bomb had hit it, but this was a step too far. "I can't imagine myself ever sleeping out in an alley-- you don't have to do this again, obviously, now we're buddies. Hey, we could get our own place, without my brothers breathing down our necks. I mean... we don't have to get an estate agent, obviously. We could just wander into some empty home and live there, it's pretty easy getting properties these days, I guess..."

"...Why are you sitting out here? I thought you were both coming up to the apartment? There are only three humans here, and one's ninety years old, so really, don't worry about coming on in," grinned Logan, having been waiting on the stairs inside the building when hearing the voices, and promptly rushed around the side of the building to welcome them in. "...I mean... Zack ain't too pleased that I'm befriending zombies, but I told him you guys were kids and aren't gonna hurt him. I mean, seriously guys, one attempt to hurt him and you're out, alright?"
 
"We aren't dogs," murmured the teen, though couldn't help but to move for a tight hug. He only knew Logan for a few days, but he couldn't really imagine living without the man. Unafraid to look stupid, he did eventually pull away and warily headed towards the stairs.

The smell of human flesh hit him hard, even when he was two floors below any living human. Unlike Logan and Frankie, he did have the control to keep himself calm once outside of Zackarie's door, as long as he kept his eyes locked on the ground and his hands nervously fiddling with one another. Meanwhile, on the other side, Zackerie peaked through the peephole warily. With the gun that Logan had given him, he cleared his throat.

"Logan, who are these kids?" He questioned quietly, gun held tight in his hand. "Why did you bring more zombies here? This - they know where I live now."
 
"Okay, do they really look like a threat, babe? Elijah's wearing a bowtie, he's not gonna rip your neck open. They're kids, they're like 17 or something. They want to help out with the tests and stuff, and I thought I'd at least get them to meet you so you're comfortable with them," explained Logan with a playful roll of his eyes, while absently scratching at the bite mark on his hand. Now Zack knew he was a zombie, there really wasn't any reason to continue bandaging his hand to hide the mark. If anything, being a zombie was slightly freeing - he didn't have to continue lying to the man he loved, for a start, even though any chance of a relationship with his old boyfriend had effectively ended.

"...You're Zackarie, the really smart one working on a cure? Hey, awesome! I'm not gonna hurt you, seriously. If you had thread and a needle, you can sew my mouth up and tie my hands behind my back, I'd be cool with that. I just want to get this cure sorted out, and hey, take as many samples from me as you need," grinned Frankie, rocking eagerly on his heels with his eyes glittering happily. Sure, the cravings had hit him hard once Zackarie peaked out... but he was pretty confident that he could hold back, given the importance of Zackarie's survival. Nobody else he knew was working on a cure, after all.
 
Hesitating, Zackarie could eventually be heard pulling the hard nails from the door. Each pull made Elijah jump, and the young zombie physically took a step back behind Logan and Frankie with a wary whimper. It was pathetic, to be afraid of a human that he could easily snap his neck in half, and to see Zackarie's weak appearance was even more lame.

"... You two better keep ten feet away from me at all times, understood?" The quiet albino murmured, with the matching white cat nestled in his arms. "I don't want to regret talking to Logan again, so if you even make one attempt to hurt me, I've got the gun loaded. I don't... I don't care if you're children."

"A-Aha, jeez..." Elijah laughed weakly, in clear distress from a healthy cocktail of his own anxiety and his hunger for flesh. "We're... We'll sit on the couch, right, Frankie? We won't be a bother. Um..."
 
"Yeah, we get it. It's kinda like being in the room with a ravenous tiger for you, huh Zack? But we totally get the fact you don't want us near 'ya, I'll sit on the couch. Nice place, by the way. Pretty neat," he smiled back in return, doing his best to seem sociable and conversational-- and he genuinely found talking like this, like he was chatting to a friend, helped him see Zackarie as a person and not a walking bit of meat.

"This is Mars, anyway, who Zack won't even let me hold 'cause he's afraid I'll kill her. She's my cat, my best friend really, and I can't hold her without Zack here glaring at me and holding a gun to my back, so that's nice," laughed Logan, petting the three-legged feline with a coo he reserved only for her... and for Zack when he was flirting with him, but given the circumstances, flirting was a rare activity in recent days. Flopping to the couch himself, he cracked his knuckles tentatively and offered his ex a smile. "...Look, they're kids, and Eli's like my little brother, so... they're not going to hurt you. Chill out, Zack."
 
"If I 'chill out', I'll have a zombie bite my throat out," he protested easily, though only eased when Frankie and Elijah sat down. Watching all three, he warily wandered to the kitchen to set Mars on the counter. Grabbing himself a can of fruit, he popped it open while silently assessing the small group, cursing to himself for how stupid he was for doing this all.

He watched as Elijah fiddled with the battery TV, and how Frankie seemed to be treating the situation casually. He then locked angry eyes onto Logan, knowing well that he didn't need to say anything to the man to show how furious he was.

"... I hope you two realize I can't feed you. It's a pain in the ass enough to feed Logan, so... if you're feeling peckish, you have to go get your own stuff. I hope you guys don't expect me to immediately run to the lab this second. I'm tired. You can wait."
 
"Look, let me explain to you guys. Zack's not normally this bitchy, but I hid from him the fact I'd been bitten when I turned up last week. Oh, and we kinda left things awkwardly back in high school when I dumped him and we fell out of contact-- and he's pissed off with me for having sex with other guys even though we weren't even seeing each other. That covers it all, doesn't it Zack? Or have you got anything else up your sleeve to yell at me for at a later date?"

"...Hey, can we not argue and bicker? God, I just escaped that with my brothers-- I'm not hungry, I just ate, so... thanks Zack." Frankie attempted softly, whilst glancing to Eli to widen his eyes in amusement at the bickering. It was clear to him, at least, that both Zack and Logan cared a hell of a lot for one another, and the bickering didn't really seem bitter or vitriolic. It reminded him of the bickering his long-married parents had when they were alive, and it was sort of nice to be around people who loved one another like that, even if these two weren't really dating.
 
With flustered cheeks, Zack remained silent - as he did when initially angry. Instead, he took a large slurp of the syrup while letting his eyes remain locked and glaring on Logan. After a long minute, he eventually let out a tired sigh before sitting at the small dinner table he had set in his kitchen.

"... I'm sure you would have blown my brains out by now if I was a zombie in your apartment, Logan. It's way too fucking early to deal with your cockiness, especially not in front of guests. Just because you're a zombie doesn't mean you can act disrespectfully. I could kick all three of you out at any moment, hang myself, and you'd never have a cure... Logan, can you change the channel? The signal's cutting out." He murmured casually.

"I-I'll get it!" Elijah stammered, finding the talk more bitter than Frankie, apparently. Living with a single mother, he had never had to face issues like bickering parents. While, yes, it was clearly a caring, while still angry, conversation, the teen panicked on how to react. Once on a proper channel, he offered a nervous laugh while shyly grabbing at Frankie's hand.
 
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