Broken at the seams

There's a constant battle between the head and the heart, the question always is who do you let win.

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

Alice took in the feeling of him under neath her and the sound of his heart pounding in her ear. She never thought it would be such a calming noise, but she felt her heart settle back in her chest and her stomach stop twisting. “It’s okay. It’s fine.” the blonde sighed and buried her face in his neck, her arms gripping around him as tightly as she could. “You scared me.” Alice pulled away and examined his face, her fingers brushing over his cheek before she nodded in and pressed her lips against his softly, smirking at the small zap. “Don’t do that again.” she huffed with a small smile, forehead pressed against his.

[fckiteli]

Eli sighed in relief as he held Alice against him. It felt right, like she was the missing piece of his jigsaw puzzle. He rubbed her back as she spoke and sighed softly. “I’m sorry,” he repeated as she told him he’d scared her and he looked over her face as she pulled away from him. Eli was about to part his lips to say something like we should probably find a place to set up camp or something leaderly like. But it died in his throat suddenly when Alice’s lips pressed against his and a small zap filled his ears. It didn’t hurt, simply stung for a mere second. “I-I’ll try,” he stuttered with a nod, smiling at her before brushing her hair out of her face. “I love you,” he whispered softly “I meant that.”

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

Alice felt cold as the scene around them went silent and all eyes landed on them. “Fix him. Fix him.” she snivelled and grasped at him as she scooted away, not wanting to leave him alone. She never wanted to leave him. Alice loved him and he was perfect and he made her so happy, and it was so scary to think that one little thing could take that all away from her. She watched intently as her hands glowed over his body, silently praying to some god that it was working. 

“It’s not.” she demanded, shooting daggers at her before softening at her touch. Looking back down at him, she almost couldn’t. His face was too peaceful and it gave her goosebumps. “Please, Eli.” Alice whispered to him and closed her eyes, breathing shakily until it was knocked out of her. The horrendous noise made her jump, attention right back to him. 

At a loss for words, she screamed. She screamed and bent over and smushed his body under her. “Oh my god.” Alice blubbered and wailed and smiled down at him, “Oh my god.”

[fckiteli]

Eli jumped at Alice’s screams, letting out an ‘oof’ as she collapsed on top of him and he looked on confused. “Are you okay? Is everyone okay?” He asked, bits and pieces of what happened coming back to him until he remembered running in front of Alice. He remembered what he said, remebered... dying. He remembered his mom telling him it wasn’t time yet and that he had a lot of life left to live. Though Eli missed his family terribly, he couldn’t help but be glad he had more life left. There were things he still wanted to do, had to do. He finally animated himself after a few moments and lifted an arm to wrap around Alice as the other pushed them off the ground before both were wrapped around her. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, sorry for almost dying on her like that. He was kind of embarrassed though, that it took him dying for him to get up the courage to tell her he loved her.

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

Alice didn’t want to process what was happening. She didn’t want to think about Eli… Going away. But she couldn’t just leave let his request go unanswered. “Yes. Okay. I will.” the girl agreed and nodded though they were blatantly empty promises. “I promise.” she swallowed, though everything was dry. Her mouth felt like cotton and her throat was sore and her hands shaking as his eyelids fluttered up and down unsurely like they did when he was sleeping. “Okay, okay.” she frowned and bit her lip, her whole body feeling empty and gutted. “I love you, too.” Alice blubbered, squeezing him tighter as his chest slowed and his hand fell. 

“Eli?” she whispered, smoothing her hands over his chest, nothing thumping against her palms. Alice had half of a mind to zap him, but she knew it wouldn’t help. She didn’t want to fry him anymore than he was. “Eli.” she said again, shaking him hysterically. “Eli, wake up.” her voice cracked as she pulled on his shirt and began to lose it. Alice kept her gaze on his face as she screamed, “Cleara!” begging for anything or anyone to come save him.

[fckiteli]

Eli was floating upward, it felt like. Flying upward into beautiful dazzling light and everything stopped aching and his chest stopped feeling heavy. He could breathe though he felt like he didn’t have to and at the end of the light was the smiling face of his mother, his sisters. Everything felt right for those few beautiful seconds. He was reunited with those he lost but he felt like he lost much more back on the ground where he was lying, hurting. But he had to smile at his mother, hug her tightly and make a scene of it because he’d missed her so much. His sisters too even as they infultrated his moment with his mother and wrapped their arms around them as well. His mother cupped his face in her hands and kissed his forehead.

He parted his lips to say something, tell her how much he loved her, missed her. But she stopped him before he could, tears in her eyes as she smiled. “It’s not time yet,” she whispered suddenly, shaking her head as she looked Eli over. He looked back at her confused, about to ask her what she meant when suddenly he was hurled backwards. “You have a lot of life left to live,” he heard his mother whisper and it felt like he was drowning almost, floating downwards after he’d given up flailing and thrashing underneath the water.

Cleara had heard Alice’s wails as the enemies decided they’d done enough damage and lost enough of their own before retreating back into the woods, leaving them to count their injuries... and their one unfortunate casualty. But, not of Cleara could help it, providing it wasn’t too late. Dropping her hands, the black that had glowed around them fading she ran towards the duo before dropping down next to them. The others gathered around them, faces ashen with loss as Cleara worked over him, hands glowing once more but this time blue as she touched his chest. She ghosted her hands over his wounds, watching as they healed before pressing her hands firmly over where his heart would be. They glowed bright blue and Cleara prayed it wasn’t too late. They needed Eli. Sure he was hot headed and kind of rude, but he kept everyone sane, in order, and together. Plus, no one else could keep Alice in one place.

She pulled away having done all she could, watching Eli’s lifeless body before looking over at Alice. “I’m sorry, Alice... it may have been too late...” Cleara murmured, hating being a healer because she couldn’t save everyone she touched. She touched Alice’s shoulder in condolence, knowing how deep her feelings for Eli went.

Suddenly, Eli broke through the surface and god did he feel like shit. A breath tore through his throat and burned since he hadn’t taken one in a while as his eyes popped open, vision blurry. “Where am I?” He rasped, dazed as he tried to focus before his eyes fell on Alice’s face. “Oh, hi.”

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” Alice stuttered and frowned as his face contorted, his smile really not helping. She felt her eyes burn as his hand touched her face, his fingers warm as always. “What are you talking about?” her hand covered his as her heart dropped and she gripped his fingers tightly, glancing away for a moment before looking back down at him. “You stay.” the blonde demanded through tight lips. “I –” the girl’s mouth hung opened before she sat up straight and shouted, “Someone help!” 

[fckiteli]

Eli sucked in a breath but it didn’t relieve him as much as it usually did. It was like breathing air into a balloon with a hole in it. But he kept inhaling anyway as if one breath would matter and he’d feel the relief he longed for. Eli knew it was hopeless, he knew he was dying. He didn’t know how to tell Alice that as she told him to stay and maybe he wanted to. But it felt physically impossible. His body felt heavy and he was starting to go numb. Eli could feel himself going, but there were things he had to say.

He squeezed Alice’s fingers, shaking his head as she called for help. “Alice,” he mumbled, using what little strength he had to pull her back down. Eli looked over her face, stroking it with his fingers again. “Promise me you’ll stay safe. Promise me you’ll stay with the group and that you’ll be okay.” Eli needed to know that, he had to make sure even with him gone she would take care of herself. Eli felt his eyes grow heavy and they began to close but he shook it off and forced his eyes open. “No, no,” he mumbled, eyes finding her face again. “I have to... I need to tell you something before I go... Alice... I love you,” he whispered, smile adorning his lips. It may have been horrible, him telling her that lying on the ground on his death bed. But he needed her to know, he couldn’t die without her knowing someone loved her even when everything seemed like it was going bad.

“I love you,” he repeated, eyes growing heavy again and this time he let them drift shut as his breath went shallow, heart slowing.

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

For lack of a better word, Alice totally thought this was bullshit. Not only was she the worst fighter in history, she didn’t even like it. The thought of hurting someone else was kind of gross to her, and she’d rather get lightning bolted to death than shock someone into oblivion. But now she didn’t really have a choice. She was completely blindsided, and really, the best she could do was duck and run around and try not to die. 

It surely didn’t help that she had a shit attention span and that the thing that she always reverted back to was Eli. She couldn’t help if he looked cute out of breath and throwing fire balls. Alice had half a mind to go hide behind him, but as soon as she turned to do so, she froze in place. 

It was a blur. A very bright blur. She didn’t notice what was happened until it did. Snapping to, she looked down at Eli’s body lying in front of her before dropping to her knees and staring down at him with a gaping mouth, hands pressing here and there, offering no help. “Eli?” she squeaked, leaning close to him before stroking his face, “Eli, can you hear me?”

[fckiteli]

Eli felt like he was floating. Floating but in excruciating pain. Maybe his friends were shouting his name but it was simply bouncing off him like pebbles off a window. His eyes were closed and Eli felt like he was going, felt his mothers embrace, heard his sisters laughter and it was a beautiful sound. But it didn’t last long and he was crashing down again, sucking in shallow breath after shallow breath as his body burned. Eli’s eyes popped open as warm fingers stroked his face and a voice entered his ears. An important one that made his eyes search for her face.

“Alice?” he rasped looking up at her. Eli coughed, trying to clear his airways and wincing as pain shot through his body at the rough jostling. He pushed a smile to his face, trying to seem okay for her. “Are you okay?” he whispered, a probably ridiculous question in her eyes but he had to know. Eli, wincing again as he moved, lifted his arm and cupped Alice’s cheek in his hand, stroking it with his fingers. “Stay with the group, don’t wander off, stay safe. For me, please.”

[fckiteli]

worth dying for # ali

Eli’s breath was ragged as it tore through his throat, breath he barely had time to catch before he was hurling a half assed flame at some douchebags head. When he woke up after a radioactive blast and suddenly became a mutant along with a few select others it never occured to him that some of them may become power crazed. Thinking about it now as he was practically fighting for his life he felt rather stupid that he hadn’t thought of that. It happened in all the movies when people got super powers, at least one always went rogue. 

Depsite the craziness of those he was fighting against, Eli didn’t want to neccesarily kill anyone. It was kind of a hard thing to comprehend for him, being brought up his whole life being told killing was wrong. But it was a bit different when someone else was trying to kill you. Eli looked around at his ragtag group of... well, mutants, as they fought of the other seemingly more skilled ones and he knew they couldn’t lose. If they lost, it meant the world lost. Burning yet another opponent, he turned to help his friends but his body froze when he saw something bright and dazzling shoot from the other groups leaders fingers. It wouldn’t have worried him so much if it wasn’t heading straight for Alice.

Knowing there was no time to stop it, Eli did the only thing he could think of. He took off running, heart pounding in his chest as the crackling of the electric bolt heading toward her sounded in his ears. Quickly, he leapt in front of her and the bolt intended for her hit him square in the chest before he fell to the ground.

Eli had experienced pain before, but nothing like this. It shot through his entire body and he almost felt like he was choking as his vision blurred. His eyes searched wildly for Alice, he had to know she was okay. He had to see her one last time. He could never admit it, but Alice meant the world to him and he was willing to die for the world.

[fckiteli]

I thought I lost you +{ Ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

"Oh!" the blonde bubbled as she was held tightly against his chest, her heart beating in her ears as he rambled. She happily hugged him back, her arms slinking around his waist as she got comfortable in the spot. She was glad that she was alive, too. Though she didn’t remember being dead. "Zombies?" she questioned incredulously, her arms wrapping around her body where his once resided as he stepped away. "There weren’t any zombies out this morning. Are you having nightmares, Mr. Flame?"

"I promise not to leave without you." Alice smiled and took his hand in her fingers, sending him a small jolt as she lead her in the opposite direction he had come, over newly worn down grass. "By the way, Katniss got hurt in the the tree. I don’t get hurt." she threw a smirk back to him as she brushed away a few branches and pushed him into the small clearing, "If you could be anyone from THe Hunger Games, who would you be? Oh, and why!"

[fckiteli]

Eli rolled his eyes, trying to recover from his very unmanly outburst. "I don't run from nightmares, Alice," he muttered as he peeked around the tree. This wasn't how he wanted to wake up. He liked what had become normal mornings of either him reaching out and waking Alice or even her waking up first and waking up to her -- annoyingly yet adorably -- jumping on top of him telling him it was morning and to wake up in a sing song voice. Not that Eli liked her or anything, that was a ridiculous thought. 

A ridiculously true one. But what would someone as bubbly and wonderful as her want with someone as bitter and hot-headed (no pun intended) as him? Nothing. She was just stuck with him since her only other alternative was navigating the woods alone. That's what he told himself, anyway. He'd never asked how she felt about their situation, afraid she'd only confirm what he thought. "Good," he murmured, letting out a small yelp as her fingers came in contact with his own and shocked his skin. Eli followed her as she walked, faithfully even tho that's what got him into this whole mess in the first place. "Well well, alright then smarty pants," he said with a slight curve of his lips and a shake of his head. "Finnick, because he's hot and badass." 

[fckiteli]

I thought I lost you +{ Ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

Alice stared up at the disappearing stars as she tried her hardest to count the, but ended up blinking away straining tears from looking at something so bright. She loved how it look out here. How calm and peaceful and serene it was. Besides the flesh eating zombies everyone and a while, of course. Alice would be lying if she had told anyone that she didn’t mean for them to get lost all the while back. She’d also be lying if she said she hated the company of Eli and all his being. Also that she hated his hot hand touching her in the morning. That would be an enormous lie.

The blonde sighed and swung her legs off the tree branch before falling down onto the leaves below with a huff and the crack of her achy back. She stood up quickly as she heard a loud shout, undeniably form her partner in the woods. If it was anyone else she would be completely confused and terrified — but Eli has this way that he said things, like it was so definite and all-ending. It was kind of endearing. She kept her mouth quiet as he fell and stumbled along, only becoming more and more angry about his rukous. Alice nearly cringed at his upturned hands, but she knew better than that. He would never hurt her, even though it was an un accidental hobby of hers to send little pricks to him every once and a while. “Why are you being so loud? You’re going to wake the birds.” 

[fckiteli]

Eli was sort of in shock because the girl he thought had died was standing in front of him. He was set on blaming himself for the rest of his life for being a heavy sleeper and not hearing her leave. For not being there to protect and save her. But here she was, alive and saying annoying things about the birds he doesn't care about because she's alive. Before his brain registered what he was doing, Alice was locked in his arms and a breath of relief escaped his parted lips. 

"Jesus Christ, Alice," he muttered into her hair. "You scared the shit out of me! I thought you died and here you are in the trees trying to be damn Katniss. I woke up and you were gone and there were zombies everywhere and I was so worr-" Eli suddenly caught himself and released his grip from around her waist. "Don't do that again. Don't leave the tent without me, okay?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair and trying to collect himself because she wasn't supposed to know that she scared him. Wasn't supposed to know how much he worried about her every damn time she simply tripped over tree roots because he was afraid to lose her. That was supposed to stay between his heart and his brain and not pass his lips.  

[fckiteli]

I thought I lost you +{ Ali

Eli sighed and turned over on the uncomfortable ground. The sleeping bag padding proved not enough since his back seemed to constantly ache anymore. He sighed again as he decided the idea of going back to sleep was impossible before rolling over and stretching his hand out to wake Alice. But all he felt was an empty sleeping bag. Eli's eyes snapped open as he sat up, searching the small tent wildly as if Alice was playing one of her many games. But she wasn't anywhere in the tent and maybe Eli was panicking a bit. Not that he'd admit that to anyone since he didn't really care about Alice or what she did. He'd be better off without her if anyone asked. 

But no one was asking and Eli was, in fact, panicking. 

He pushed off the ground and stuck his head out the tents flap, surveying the area before stepping fully into the woods. "Alice?" Eli called into the trees, half expecting the blonde to fall out of one and say something stupid like "haven't you heard the early bird catches the worm?" and he'd be both annoyed yet relieved. But what emerged from the trees was not the person he wanted to see. In fact it was the last thing he wanted to see. 

Zombies, of course, never traveled alone. That was only proven as what seemed like a dozen more became visible after it. Eli's hands instinctively went up, curses slipping past his lips. But what concerned him more than his current situation was the blood on their tattered clothing looked fresh and all he suddenly could think about was Alice and how she'd left the tent without him. Sure, she was fiesty and could zap some sense into you. But that required you being close to her so she could grab you. And once a zombie got that close, he didn't want to imagine what it could do to her. To his Alice. Well, not his per say... or at all. 

Eli felt the heat move within him, fueled by the anger of losing another thing he let himself get close to. Suddenly, the zombies in front of him were on fire and dropping like stones, giving him a pathway to run through. "Fuck!" he cursed as his foot got caught under a root, causing his body to tumble forward. He quickly picked himself back up, pushing himself behind a tree for cover. His arm brushed against something that wasn't the tree and his head whipped to the left as his hands shot up to protect him but quickly dropped. "Alice?"

[aliceoakes-blog]

Because I can only tell at sunrise.

[fckiteli]

Yeah, okay. Whatever, let's go west or whichever way. We're already lost, why not get more lost. 

[aliceoakes-blog]

We have to go west. We went east.

[fckiteli]

Did we now? And why didn't you realize this while we were going east?

[aliceoakes-blog]

We’re not lost.

[fckiteli]

Oh really? Then why don't you tell me exactly where we are and how we get to the highway? 

[fckiteli]

I think we should give up on finding the others and say we're lost.

[fckiteli]

Then there were two +{Ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

"Oh. Sorry." Alice quickly covered her mouth and ducked her head, cheeks turning red though unnoticible in the deadly dark. The blonde tsked her tongue and shook her head at his comment. They might’ve been able to die at any second, but that was no reason to be so negative. It only made her want to feel more cheerful. If she was going down, she was going good. 

"You don’t know which way?" the girl questioned, completely surprised that he, of all people, was lost. "You just go down the hill on the east and follow the river until you get to the dirt path, and then that goes to the highway." Alice rolled her eyes nonchalantly and reached down for his hand, but stopped and purse her lips before drifting up and grabbing his sleeve, "Almost got you, didn’t I?" she laughed it off and tugged his arm, "C’mon, I’ll show you."

[fckiteli]

Eli rolled his eyes as she apologized, not that she could really tell in the pitch black. Alice knew how to get under his skin in a way he didn't understand and it was annoying. She was too happy, too cheerful, and way too touchy feely for his tastes and that alone should turn her off to him. But he found himself not always completely hating her presence. And that bothered him because Eli hated everyone and there were no exceptions. 

"If I knew the way do you think I'd still be in this forest?" He asked, sarcasm dripping from his words. "I never spent a lot of my time this deep in the woods," he shrugged because sure, his friends and him used to have keggers in these woods but they didn't go too far in. "Alright then, ms. know-it-all. Lead the way then." Eli noticed her go for his hand and he was about to instinctively tug it away before her hand took the opposite route and tugged his sleeve instead. He rolled his eyes again before shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Just lead the way."

[fckiteli]

Then there were two +{Ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

"I thought I was going to have to make myself into Zombie brunch!" she wailed before squeezing him once and stepping away. "I mean, I’m alive but, damn." the blonde smiled and huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "How’ve you been? I’ve seen a lot of Zombie’s around here. They’re like… Multiplying. Oh my god. What if everyone turned into zombies?" Alice laughed and sighed before folding her arms, "So, where are you going off to?"

[fckiteli]

Eli winced slightly as she wailed and squeezed him tighter. "Shhh, jesus you're in the middle of a zombie infested wood and you're yelling," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm fine." He shrugged because he was. He was perfectly fine. Zen, even. Zombies didn't scare him... much. "If everyone turned into zombies? Good riddance." He didn't exactly mean that. Well, he wouldn't mind if a few of their group tripped and turned into zombie bait. The lot of them were tolerable. Alice seemed too giddy for someone who was just gripping on to him two seconds earlier. "I'm off in which ever direction gets me out of the woods," he answered simply because he still had no fucking clue where he was and hulk had the map. 

[jamsoftheday]

Visit Original Link

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

[fckiteli]

Then there were two +{Ali

[aliceoakes-blog]

Alice sat on the branch of the tree, her backpack threatening to send her over the edge as her back tried not to give out that very second. She’d been there for a good few hours, too chicken to do anything beside singe leaves and watch flesh eating zombies moan and trickle by as she tried to figure out a way out of her predicament — which was harder than she had initially thought.

Sighing, she listen to the leaves crackle, and glanced down, looking for a blood matted head of hair, but coming up with something much softer and cleaner. Biting her bottom lip, she swung down and crept behind him, cringing as the twig broke under her foot, “Sorry… Sorry.” she covered her mouth her hands and ran up to him, wrapping her arms around him, “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

[fckiteli]

Eli opened his mouth to insult her more because she'd literally scared the shit out of him. But, suddenly her arms were around him and whatever insult was about to fly out of his mouth fell short. Eli didn't really know what to do. He'd lost touch with his affectionate side when he lost his family, so he wasn't exactly keen on having this girl touching him. But something told him if he'd been scared navigating through the dark forest on his own, she had been twice as scared. 

So, Eli awkwardly patted her back instead of pushing her off like he originally wanted to. "Of course I'm alive, I can handle myself," he muttered, which he could. He'd singed at least three zombies and managed to survive the past two hours without anyone's help. "Are you... uh... alright?"