We're Marchin' On. [TheoGreenthumb Trufflu drabble.]
He blames himself.
--
It’s been weeks like this. Green refuses to eat anything himself, some lingering part of his mind sparing his morality, his lazy nature, and thus preventing him from going out and eating what he needs in order to carry on.
So Theo does it for him, piece by piece, trying not to think about how he’s doing what he’s doing, concentrating more on the fact that what he is doing is keeping the man he loves alive, because something in Green – maybe his mossy curse, maybe something else – is making the disease languid in reaction. It’s fighting back against the mindless cannibalism, even if his eyes and boils still glow, his flesh still greying, but otherwise keeping him whole, borderline sane, and that’s enough for Theo.
It’s enough.
--
“…Miss Theo…” Green groans, droopy and depressed, curling in on himself on the ground. “Where… where Theo… Miss him… Theo…”
“I’m right here, Greenie, I’m right beside you,” Theo replies with a meant to be happy, consoling note in his voice, but it rings with a sad pang instead. He reaches out and pats Green’s back, smoothes his hand over Green’s shoulder. Green doesn’t register much of the touch, merely hides his face and groans sorrowfully. “It’ll be all right, Green. I promise, I’m going to find that cure for you, and heal you.”
“Promise… promise…” Greenthumb echoes woefully into the dirty, traces of moss growing in his hair, his curse not as strong as it used to be, since it became his immune system against the Truffula virus. He whimpers and Theo idly drops his hand to Green’s mouth to pacify him.
Green nibbles on Theo’s fingers, too weak to do much more than that, and too scared to go farther.
--
“One day, I might have to shoot you,” Theo whispers. He strokes Green’s hair lovingly and keeps both arms around him where Green is curled into his side, both of them propped up against the inner walls of a shed they are taking refuge in for the night. “Because there must be a cure, must be someone out there who’s immune and who someone else can get the cure from, but… if… if you’re too far gone by then, I might have to. Because if I get myself infected to join you, I don’t think you’d like that.”
“…No,” Green mumbles, his mouth around Theo’s forearm across his collarbones. He runs his teeth over the skin, licking the lightly salty taste, feeling the hairs on Theo’s arm tickle his tongue, but he doesn’t bite down, doesn’t do much more than suckle and nibble idly, like a child with a teething ring. “No like that… Theo must… must be human… Stay human. Not die.”
“But it’s getting worse, Greenie, and I’m so afraid that you’ll –” and he chokes on his words, inhaling and exhaling shakily, and he brings Green’s head closer to his own and plants a kiss in his shaggy, dirty hair.
Green lifts his mouth from Theo’s forearm and blinks up at him, foggy, glowing yellow eyes clearing just enough for the green of his irises to shine through, and for a fraction of a moment, before the bright glow returns, Green truly sees Theo for the first time in weeks, and his eyes tear up.
For once, Green’s arms drape around Theo’s waist in return, and as briefly lived as the break from his madness is, it’s a moment without the virus, a moment of peace, and Theo holds Green tightly and accepts it as a blessing.
--
“Theo…? Theo…” Green stumbles, crawling on his hands and knees, small sprigs of grass sprouting on the dead ground as he does so, and he lightly touches Theo’s cheek.
Theo is lying on his side, unconscious, blood trickling down from an angry red cut in his forehead, bruising around the broken skin. Green licks his lips, the smell of blood and fresh flesh distracting and maddening, but he somehow manages not to do more than shake Theo, trying to wake him.
He hadn’t realized they were being attacked. He detected other zombies, but he forgot that they are a threat, because while they wouldn’t bother with him, they desperately want the human he’s with, and he forgot, he forgot, he’s so, so stupid…
“Theo… Theo…” he repeats over and over, confused and pushing and tugging at Theo’s shoulder that isn’t pressed into the ground, and he rolls the young man onto his back and leans down, unsure what to do. He wants to lick the blood away, the urge strong to peel back the skin and eat Theo’s face while he’s down, but he maintains control enough to wrap his arms around himself, algae spreading on his elbows, and shake with the effort to keep himself together. “Theo...! Wake! Wake!” he pleads, because if he doesn’t stir soon, Green is terrified he might give in.
He rarely feels the bloodlust, rarely wants to out forth the energy into hunting and feasting, but when it’s so easy, laid out right in front of him like this, and he hasn’t eaten in a several days… it’s difficult not to feel the hunger burn his stomach.
Finally, after rocking back and forth and hugging himself, Green’s eyes pan over to Theo’s blinking lashes, and Theo groans in pain and sits up, scratching at the dried blood on his forehead.
“I let them knock me out, didn’t I? How come I’m not zombie food right now?” he asks, glancing around. There are a couple dead bodies nearby, and the others scampered off. Only green remains, kneeling and rocking. “…Green? Did… did you fight them off for me?”
“Saved… Theo,” Green mumbles, lip trembling. He bows his head and nuzzles into Theo’s shoulder. “Save.”
“You did save me,” Theo replies tenderly, rubbing circles on the mindful zombie’s back, kissing his head. “Thank you.”
“…Love Theo…” Green replies under his breath, so quiet that Theo nearly doesn’t hear him. Theo tightens his hold around Green and rocks them back and forth where they kneel in the ground, and he shushes him and hums a nameless tune, and Green gnaws gently at Theo’s neck, tears streaming down his boil-ridden face.
“I love you, too,” Theo whispers, and he isn’t sure if he’s saying it to the real Green, the one he used to know who was a lazyass jerk too quick to make sarcastic jokes, or if he’s saying it to this docile, lost creature in his arms, because in a way, he loves them both.
Green sighs raggedly, nuzzles him, and mutters something in unintelligible zombie-babble.
“Come on, let’s get up,” Theo huffs a laugh as he pulls away, smile reassuring and bright, and Green mirrors it half-heartedly. Theo stands and helps pull Greenthumb to his feet, and together, they pick up their fallen possessions and trek onward.
