12. “How you’ve managed to make it this far in life is beyond me.” Zombie AU, Huddling For Warmth, Fluffy Hoodies?
tags: typical zombie death/horror/etc, honestly pretty fluffy considering the subject, found family (kinda)
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Coming to the surface had been a different kind of hell. They’d walked out, seeing the damn sun, and for a moment Red had thought things would be alright. Then the kid had huddled closer to him, the flower in the cracked pot they carried with them everywhere held to their chest, their eyes darting around the edge of the forest. And, well, he knew the look of someone afraid for their life.
“We need to go,” they’d whispered, their voice slightly hoarse. He’d frowned, had been about two seconds away from asking for clarification, when the brush rustled to the side. Frisk hadn’t hesitated before they bolted, running for their life like he’d seen them do only a few times in the underground, and he had just enough sense in him to call after them before everything went to shit.
Turned out, there was a reason they’d climbed up the mountain. Rotting corpses trying to tear you apart tend to active the fight or flight in the best of them.
He’d grabbed his brother and dragged them both to the ripple he could just barely sense that was furthest away, the two of them slamming on the ground with enough force to knock the breath out of him. His brother had checked him over, made sure he was okay, and then turned to where the mountain was a few miles in the distance, a sharp dagger against the sky. “I’m going to go find Frisk,” he’d said, like the stupid self-sacrificing idiot he was, and then he sprinted off before Red’s vision was able to fully clear.
That had been a few days ago.
Red stilled when he heard something in the building beside him, magic sparking at his fingers. It fizzled out quickly, his lack of any food the last day or so sapping most of his extra strength. He crept up, at least knowing how to keep quiet, peering in the bottom of the window of the shop. Over the top of a shelf he saw what was very clearly a skull, there and then gone. Shoving down hope, he moved to the front, walking in through the door and hurrying to the aisle.
Another skeleton blinked up at him, two fangs of gold replacing his incisiors.
Not him.
They stared at one another for a moment before Red turned with a scoff, moving away. His eyes trailed over the shelves, all picked clean, except… Underneath of a display he could see a corner of plastic, so he pulled it out. Beef jerky. His soul clenched at the thought of food, though the shift of footsteps behind him made him shove the bag into the pocket of his jacket, throwing a glare over his shoulder at the other before walking out of the store.
“Hey! Wait!”
Red sped up, wishing he had enough magic to be able to throw an attack backwards to give the idiot a hint. When he got too close Red turned, pulling out a pocket knife- not much, but it was better than nothing- facing him. The other had the sense to stop, but not the sense to run away staring blankly at the blade in his hand.
“I dunno who you are,” he growled, “but I suggest you get back to whatever the hell you were doing and leave me alone.”
“I just-”
Red scoffed, shaking his head. “I don’t give a fuck. From the looks of you, you’ve been through enough to know you don’t just follow behind someone.”
The other let out a shaky chuckle, arms moving to his stomach. They paused in mid-air, as if the other just realized something, before flopping down at his sides. His arms were bare, and heavily scarred. “The rules have kinda changed, yeah? Anyone who doesn’t try to bite a chunk out of me is decent enough in my book.” And then, quieter, more to himself than anything. “I’m made of bone, too. Not sure how good I’d even taste.”
Red stared at the other for a moment. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Slim.”
“How you’ve managed to make it this far is beyond me. Go the fuck away.”
He kept walking. Unsurprisingly, the footsteps followed. “I was just gonna ask if- if you’ve seen my bro.”
Red’s pace didn’t falter. It didn’t. “No. Go away.”
The other continued to follow him. Red was too tired to bother to tell him to fuck off again. They walked into the woods and settled underneath a small tree for the night. As the sun went down, the chill started to set in, but Red didn’t bother building a fire. Not after the attention it got him last time. He ate the food he’d found, and when there were only a few pieces left he threw them in the direction of the other. When his gaze met his own he scowled. “Eat it or don’t. Just keep your damn mouth shut.”
After a moment he heard the crinkle of plastic and the sounds of chewing. Their surroundings got darker until the area was nearly black, covered in shadow. Softly, then growing louder, Red heard the clatter of bones.
Red stared at him for a few long moments, off to the side and shivering like hell in the cold, and he fought the urge to let loose a string of curses. Damn this idiot who had his brother’s face, making him go soft. He grumbled as he unzipped his jacket, kicking the other with his foot. Slim started and looked over at him.
“What-”
“Just shut the hell up and get over here before I change my mind.”
The other didn’t hesitate and scooted over to his side. His limbs were gangly and he was freezing, like he was made of ice. It quickly sapped all the heat from his bones but he didn’t push him away, just stared at the patch of stars visible from the trees and felt the trembling in the other’s body slowly start to die down.
“Thanks,” he muttered, quiet enough that Red wouldn’t have heard it if he wasn’t that close to the other, able to feel the vibration of his chest as he spoke.
He didn’t respond, but pulled him closer.
