The Virus

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"If it helps, I'll totally devote myself to you now. We'll go on vacation real soon. Remember we always said we'd go to Spain? I'd love to go there with 'ya, sip margaritas on a sandy beach in the sun," he drawled slowly, slightly delirious at this stage as he offered a sleepy smile across. If it wasn't for the sudden sleepiness, he would be flat-out panicking at the accelerated symptoms. In his understanding, infections took two weeks to take full effect, but only days after his own, he was already almost fully infected, and he had worked out why. A scratch from a zombie took two weeks, whereas the more intrusive and direct bite he received, thanks to the injection of saliva, ensured that symptoms were brought on far earlier, to Logan's chagrin.

"I'm too fucking hot now," he whined, too tired to lift the blanket off himself, however. "I... Hey, Zack? Go to bed, alright? Lock the door, too. Just in case, y'know?"​
 
"Logan, I can't just let you sit out here and get sicker..." he warned, though he held an inkling in the back of his head for just why the other was so insistent. Emphasis on inkling, though, as he carefully moved to cup the other's cheek. "I... I can't force you to do anything, but I really wouldn't mind you sleeping with me tonight? I'm sorry for acting like such an asshole lately, s-so at least let me get you some tea, and some clothes?"
 
"...Just some tea, but then you go straight to bed, okay? You need the rest, and I'm really fine cooped up here with Mars. I'd just take up all your space if I came crashing on your bed, s-so really, that cup of tea will be grand, but that's all you need to do for me," he encouraged as persuasively as he could without appearing too desperate, though of course, he was desperate. He knew that his hopes of convincing the other this was the bog-standard flu were slipping fast and cracks growing in his story the more time passed. He also knew Zack wasn't dumb and was probably piecing things together, hence the importance he go to bed and lock the door, because Logan realised he probably wasn't going to last the night the way things were going.

"...Take Mars with you. She'll love to be cooped up in bed, actually," he quietly decided as he weakly handed over the feline, the ghost of a smile appearing at her mewls. He didn't want to wake up, hungry and ravenous, and have Mars be torn apart as a result. That would honestly hurt him as much as harming Zack would. "Keep her in there with 'ya, alright?"​
 
Taking Mars without a word, he held her close before walking to the kitchen and setting up the kettle. Once again, he thanked whatever higher beings there were for granting him a gas stove rather than an electric one, and waited patiently for the kettle to whistle. In the meantime, he set up a proper cup of tea, bar the milk, and only returned once finished. He offered his own feigned smile towards the man, before handing over the cup carefully.

"I... I will, sure. Be careful if any zombies try to get in, okay? I don't want you getting torn to shreds when you're this weak. I know you're stubborn, though, so it's not like I have much of a choice, eh? Hell, if you wanted, you could probably just pick me up and toss me out the window, even with you being sick. Look, um... good night, then? I'll cook up something nice in the morning..." he tried to insist, though his growing dread was evident by his quivering lip and his teary eyes. He didn't let the other comment, though, and instead chose to walk to his bedroom, Mars in hand, and proceed to properly board up the door. It wasn't until there did he begin to cry.
 
Settling down to rest wasn't the easiest thing to do when Logan realised he was probably going to wake up differently than to how he fell asleep. In fact, he did plan on leaving before falling asleep, simply taking his leave in order to spare Zack seeing him infected, and saving him from the risk of being torn apart, but the combination of exhaustion and the hot cup of tea had him falling asleep before he had the chance to even heave his heavy bones up from the couch.

While waking up at morning would have at least been beneficial for his tiredness, he did stir awake at around 4am in agony. Having tossed and turned in his sleep, he woke with both an intense burning all over his body and, from what he immediately realised, incredibly heightened senses-- the main one being smell, which currently was overrun by the smell of Zack in the next room.

"Zack? H-Hey buddy, open the door, would 'ya? I wanna come sleep in there with you," he quietly called out once stood by the bedroom door and feebly knocking against it, his voice considerably hoarser than usual. Now the infection had presumably taken hold, if his sharpened teeth and paler features were anything to go by, he could have easily knocked a hole through concrete, so a wooden door and some panels wouldn't require too much effort. However, until he grew irritated, that thankfully wasn't going to be a reality anytime soon. "It's real cold out here," proceeded Logan pitifully, giving the door a kick with his foot. "-And you said I could come in, right? J-Just fucking let me in already, I ain't going to throw up again, a-aha..."​
 
The faint sound of rustling could be heard from the other side as Zack was awoken, thanks to his sensitive hearing and his crippling anxiety. He wandered towards the door, once assuring that Mars was comfortable on the pillow besides him, and was all ready to unlock the door, until hearing the significantly different voice.

"You sound... better. Why do you need to lay down with me? I got you some blankets, and the stove works fine. I'm... going to bed, Logan. It's, like, four in the morning, right?" He finally replied, all the while snatching the spare knife he had set on the mantle besides the door. "Just, go back to sleep."
 
"Fine, just give me Mars then. She is my cat. Give me her and I'll leave you alone. I'm lonely out here, so give my cat back and we'll speak again in the morning, okay?" Suggested the now zombie quietly as he took only a minuscule step back away from the door-- though, in all honesty, was preparing to kick at it to break it down if he didn't get what he wanted. He could still communicate, of course, but his main motivation like every other zombie inhabiting the planet was to feed. It was the only thought that really broke through in their head. He still knew who Zack was, still had all their memories and sure, still felt the same about him as before the infection. The only difference was that the hunger would take priority, and when he saw Zack, he would lunge hungrily at him and then break down crying over his torn body afterwards.

"If you don't open this door, I-I'll knock it down. I don't know why you won't let me in. It's really unkind. I thought you loved me?" He continued to protect, opting to use emotional manipulation to get what he wanted: entrance into the bedroom. "Yet you leave me locked outside like I-I'm a monster? C-Come on, I just want to cuddle up in bed a-and... I don't fucking know! I want to be in there."​
 
"I'm sure as hell not going to let you in if you keep yelling," he replied calmly, playing off the whole thing as if he was unaware of why the other was acting so irrationally, though it would take an utter moron to not notice the other's irritation. "I won't let you in if you're going to act like an asshole, Logan. Besides, you're sick, and I sure as hell don't want to get sick myself. Just -- for fuck's sake, sleep already. I'm not in the mood to deal with this! If you're not 'feeling well', maybe you should take a shower and relax, huh?"
 
Staring at the door furiously at not just the calm reaction, but the words that came from it too. Being told he couldn't enter did hurt him a little, unable to rationalise just why he was being refused. He also failed to notice that his only reason for wanting to enter was to tear Zack apart and feed from him, only knowing he wanted to get into the room. Once in, instincts would take over without thought involved.

Kicking suddenly at the door, adding several punches in for good measure, he stopped and began tugging at the broken panels in desperation, growling angrily under his breath all the while. "I-I swear to god, Zackarie, I'm g-going to rip your throat out-- you should have just let me in, yeah? I-I... I don't feel too good, I have a really bad headache and-- I think there's something really wrong with me, so... so I just want you to check on me. That's all! I thought you cared."​
 
"L-Logan, I can't let you in!" He squeaked, while holding the knife in both shaky hands. While he was pretty great on the defensive, Zackarie had never been a particularly violent person. Angry? Yes, but he often put that anger towards hurting himself rather than others. So, to be face to face with the reality that the man he loved was very sick, it was natural for him to begin to panic.

"You're sick and you're going to f-fucking kill me, aren't you?! You... You are totally lying! Just because I don't want you killing me doesn't mean I don't care, a-and... I-I'm going to vomit," he stammered on, though his voice was still significantly lower in octave than most people would be. Granted, his sudden sobbing didn't help much.
 
"I'm just... hungry, Zack. Be a pal and just let me in, we can talk this whole thing over and get breakfast. Some bacon sounds damn nice right about now," said Logan relatively cheerfully-- at least until kicking down a hefty chunk of door and managing to force himself through the opening gap. Grinning triumphantly, he made a significant stride forward despite the presence of the knife, unsubtly licking the corner of his mouth and making no effort to hide his intentions. The fact he lunged forward to grab Zack probably said all there was to say.

"C-Come fucking here, Zack. I ain't going to hurt 'ya," he protested as innocently as his hoarse voice could manage, even despite the growls that arose soon after, and the hungry moans every time Zack stumbled away from him. "Quit being a selfish b-bastard, would 'ya? A-At least... give me Mars, I'm starving. She's practically dead anyway, it's not a huge loss, r-right?"​
 
"Y-You are not hurting her!" He shrieked, his face more struck with horror of his dismissive feelings towards Logan's best friend than anything. Keeping the knife tight, he nervously peered around the room until noticing he was essentially fucked.

"D-Did you hear what you just said? Mars... Mars is your best friend, Logan! You two have been through thick and thin, and I know for certain that she's disappointed in you!" He scolded, while shaking violently in fear. "You're going to kill us both, a-and you'll never see us again."
 
"I'm f-fucking hungry, Zack. Do you know what this is like? I-I've... come to terms with this, I've known it's going to happen, a-and I've studied zombies a lot so I know what to expect, b-but god, I didn't know they felt like this. It's unbearable-- your body feels like it's on fire, a-and I just want it to stop, Zackarie. Probably should have told you I was bitten when I first showed up, b-but hey, bit late now," laughed Logan warily, opting to remove the bloody bandage around his hand now the secret was essentially out. He couldn't exactly pretend he was human after smashing down a door and foaming at the mouth; growling, too, and showing off the full set of ragged, sharp teeth he had acquired. Nobody could get themselves out of that one.

"...I-I... I still feel things. I still love you and Mars-- oh f-fuck, Mars," he immediately grimaced, reality apparently hitting him hard as he glanced to his feline friend, and tearing up instantly at the casual threats he had placed upon her. Slamming his fist into the wall, if only to try and gather himself together, he offered an apologetic smile at the gaping hole left in the concrete. "...Tie me up, o-or something-- you won't kill me, will you? I... Tie me up, make sure I can't get at you, b-because there's no rationalising with me, I don't think. I love you, so much, but come near me, and I'm probably going to hurt you, Zack, I-I don't... mean to."​
 
"H-How do I know you're not going to try and, like, rip out my organs while I tie you up?" He weakly asked, while tears continued to dribble down his cheek. "How do I know you're not totally bullshitting me? W-Was this why you decided to stick around? Because you knew it would be easy to kill me when you got turned into a monster?!"

As the smaller man spoke, he slowly tried to walk towards the other side of the room, his knife in hand. Despite knowing it was beyond fucking stupid, Zack admittedly loved Logan. He had done stupider things before, so why would getting a rope and tying the other up be any dumber?

"L-Look, don't fucking move, okay?! I-I'll get the rope, and you're going to stay far away from me. I can't fucking believe you- you didn't tell me?!"
 
"Monster? Really? I just... I didn't want to be like 'hey, long time no see. Guess what? I'm infected!', y'know? Just tie me up, be quick about it and I won't lash out-- I will need something to eat, Zack. R-Raw meat or something, zombies eat that shit, don't they?" Logan babbled beneath his breath, making a grab for Mars, though only to settle her on his lap as he sunk to the bed, promisingly staying where he was. He had witnessed zombies, and did realise that they were able to communicate properly and still have proper brain functions... it just tended to be overshadowed with intense violence as a result of the hunger.

Mars played her part in keeping him calm, thankfully, and focusing on her -especially when he didn't feel any urges to harm an animal- helped him momentarily ignore Zack's presence. Ignoring the urge to hurt him was incredibly difficult, but he could last a few minutes before the pain became too much, he figured.

"I, uh... don't think I've really come to terms with all this," he admitted briefly, his dark eyes flickering up to Zack quietly. "It's surreal-- my f-fucking ex boyfriend bit me, alright? I was ashamed that I was caught off guard, hid it and... I hoped you'd find a cure before I... c-changed... b-but I'm not a monster. I'm still chatting to you! I can crack jokes a-and... and I'm not moaning for brains, alright? I-I'll be fine, I won't hurt you or anyone! Maybe I'm, like, the exception. Maybe I can control myself better."​
 
"Why the hell would you be an exception, Logan? Do you really think, by chance, you'll be the only human being that would be miraculously calm about his urges? Get real." He replied, his voice still somewhat muddled by tears, though growing a bit more confident once being on the opposite of the apartment. Of course, thanks to his hoarding, he just so happened to have rope. Many, many types of rope. Grabbing what he thought was the sturdiest, he eventually wandered back into the room, grimacing.

"... Turn around. I don't w-want you to have any way of facing me and biting me, understood? Let go of Mars, too, I don't want you to hurt her. Just... G-God, I'm so fucking pissed."
 
"You're pissed off? I don't see why. Would you have preferred me to tell you? As if. Just... look, I'm doing everything I can not to bite you right now, so how about less of the insults, and more tying? Make sure it's tight. If I can punch holes in the wall, I can probably get myself out of moderately tightened rope, yeah? A-And I'm not letting Mars go. I don't have any urges to hurt her. You, I do, but not Mars," he quietly promised, his grip tightening a little on his cat to make sure she wasn't let out of his arms - and for the most part, she didn't seem to want to be, her soft purrs of content more than audible, even despite the changes in her keeper.

"Maybe... we can go to the lab? I should be able to walk tied up, and I want to... you know, help with the cure and research, if I can," murmured Logan desperately. He knew Zack had every reason to freeze him out now. Hell, he should have thrown him out and boarded up the home, but the fact he hadn't yet did offer some hope.​
 
Not only did he tighten in for his own safety, there was something incredibly satisfying in nearly suffocating the other for what he had done to him. It was subtle enough that it didn't seem cruel, but even something as simple as hearing a verbal 'huff' offered him at least some pleasure. Using the skills he learned, he was rather proud of just how tight and sturdy the knot had been, before immediately stepping back in a mixture of fear, and pride as he observed his handywork.

"It's four in the fucking morning, Logan. I'm locking the door and I'm going to bed, understood? You can contemplate or come up with a plan, but I'm really not in the mood to talk right now. I'll... I don't know, I-I'll find some meat for you in the morning. I can't believe I'm actually letting you live..."
 
"You wouldn't want me dead, though. I don't think you'd cope without seeing my handsome face each morning. Besides, I'm not... a monster. I'm still me. Just... me, with the addition of wanting to tear you apart," he commented with a wide grin, until realising that the joke, in these tense circumstance, wasn't entirely the wisest thing to say-- and the disappearance of his grin was evidence of that. "Look, sorry, I-- I joke when I don't know how to handle things. You fucking tied me up real good, didn't you? I can hardly move, Zack," he groaned, shuffling and coming unstuck, however much he tried to genuinely loosen the ropes up. "...We're still mates, aren't we? Obviously we are, duh. Not that you wanna kiss me again. I'll probably kill you. I'm a 'monster', apparently."​
 
"Don't fucking dare act offended, Logan. You literally cracked my wall. I'm staying as far away from your mouth as possible, so don't expect anything more than maybe handing you food with a fucking stick." He scolded, while running his fingers through his hairs, groaning. "Now, will you shut up? I need to sleep, so I can have energy to try and make it to the lab. I don't want being bit, I'd rather be bit by you than some random stranger." He grumbled, before grabbing the proper nails and boards. "Maybe if I tie you to the outside, you'll ward off zombies."
 
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