Chapter Text
All the walking was giving Ted far too much time to think. He didn’t like it. He looked over to Ellison, only to see them fanning themselves dramatically, although it shockingly wasn’t hot at all. Ted couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched- Though it was surprisingly cold.
“You’re not seriously hot, are you?” he teased, an amused smirk on his face.
Ellison smiled and shrugged. “You’d think we would be. I’m guessing the climate got all messed up too?”
Ted winced at the question and began to walk faster. He let out a sigh as he spoke.
“I uhh… I wouldn’t call it messed up, per se… The climate’s just… changed a bit, is all.”
Ellison hopped a bit and reached to grab his hand, now falling behind. “Got it. Climate change.”
Ted quickly stiffened when they grabbed his hand. For a moment, he froze in place, taking in the feeling of their hand holding his. He felt his heart flutter a bit as he realized how… small their hand was compared to his. It was a noticeable difference. He then snapped himself out of his thoughts and continued to lead the way, this time still holding onto their hand.
Ellison swayed contently in their walk, their voice now carrying a casual tone. “So… where do you live?”
Ted took a second to process that they had asked a question. The two were still holding hands, and it must’ve been starting to mess with his mind. He paused and thought about the best way to answer it.
“Uh… Funny story, I technically don’t live anywhere…”
Ted watched Ellison’s face closely, anxious to see their reaction. Much to his surprise, their eyes lit up and they smiled as they spoke.
“Ah, you travel! That must be how you found me. That’s cool. I don’t live anywhere either.”
Ted felt relief and smiled a little after noticing their sudden excitement.
“...You don’t live anywhere?”
“I’m assuming not. Not unless you count the cave I crawled out of.”
Ted let out an amused snicker at the remark, though it was quickly followed by the smallest sense of dread.
“How long were you in that cave, anyway?”
Ellison snorted. “I haven’t the slightest clue.”
Ted felt cold, taken aback, and squeezed their hand. “...You don’t know?” He almost felt grateful that they missed out on everything.
They seemed to notice, and squeezed back, looking up at Ted with confused eyes.
“No… I just woke up, walked around a bit, and uh… Met you.”
Ted felt an insuppressable pang of guilt as they looked at him in obvious confusion. He felt pain, remembering how lost and clueless Ellison really was. He felt the urge to explain everything, but at the same time, he didn’t want to overwhelm them- He couldn’t do that. To be the reason for seeing that red, crying face once again? No, he couldn’t do that.
“Have you been in that cave the whole time?”
“Mhmm, the whole time.”
Ted’s heart ached. They had been in that cave for at least 109 years. 109 years trapped in one place, and they probably didn’t remember any of it.
Suddenly, Ellison squeezed his hand, bringing Ted out of whatever state he was in. “You okay?”
He quickly focused his attention away from his thoughts and onto Ellison again, noticing their concerned expression. He must’ve been zoning out. Ted spoke quickly, casually, hoping to brush off their concern.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Ellison made an odd face, averting their eyes. “So, do you… travel with anyone else?”
Ted jolted as they asked the question, reminded so suddenly of something he’d somehow forgotten. He felt a surge of guilt and sorrow as the other four survivors came to mind. He tried his best to keep his emotions under control and his demeanor unchanged before finally speaking.
“No… no, I don’t travel with anyone else.”
Ellison feigns a dramatically shocked pose, then goes back to smiling. “So it’s just you? How long have you been single? I mean like… doing this alone.”
Ted nearly froze himself, stunned at the way they had phrased their question. He quickly regained his composure, nervously rubbing the neck of his sweater. He spoke, trying to keep a casual tone, but failing.
“N- No, don’t… Don’t phrase it like that. That sounds wrong. And uhh… Well, I’ve been alone for… for several years now.”
Ellison tilted their head. “So you’ve been by yourself since the world ended?”
Ted cringed slightly when they mentioned the world ending. Thoughts began to flood his mind of that fateful day, the day war and explosions, and all of AM came to kill off humanity. He had thoughts of what his life was like before, the high life and the luxury Ted had gotten so used to before… Before everyone was dead. Ted got so caught up in these thoughts that he didn’t notice right away… Ellison was staring at him, sad.
“...Ted?” They spoke, tugging on his arm.
He only felt guilt at their sad expression, was it because of him? “...Yeah?”
“Where are all the other humans?”
Ted immediately froze, his eyes widened slightly, and he felt his entire body begin to stiffen at their seemingly innocent question. For a while, he was completely silent, trying to find the right words to say. Eventually he spoke, with a grave and serious tone.
“You honestly don’t want to know.”
Ellison looked up at him, eyes big and saddened like the puppy Ted frequently compared them to.
“Are there none?”
Ted was hit with a wave of sorrow as he noticed the look in their eyes. Ellison’s expression alone almost broke his heart, and he knew, he knew he had to contemplate whether or not he should be honest with them. He was still, stammering, feeling a cold puddle in his palms until he made his choice. He spoke as solemnly and sad as he could.
“No… No, there are others, but…” Ted looked away, not able to stand Ellison’s wide-eyed gaze. “But they’re not… they’re not humans anymore.”
Ellison responded quickly. “Are you still human?”
Taken aback by the sudden question, Ted stopped walking.
“...Yeah. I’m still human.”
Ellison stopped too. “And you don’t know anyone else who is still human?”
Ted felt dread, his head dizzy as he realized he had to answer more questions. Of course, he felt guilty lying about the other four humans, but this was for the best. He had to keep Ellison safe from them, safe from what AM had turned them into… Ted paused for what seemed like an eternity, then spoke as plainly as he could muster.
“No. I don’t know anyone else who’s still human.”
Ellison began walking again, even skipping a little, forcing Ted to start walking too or else get dragged along. “So you don’t have any friends?”
For a moment, Ted felt like a knife had just stabbed through his heart. He frowned.
“N- No, I… I don’t have any friends.”
Despite this, Ellison stayed casual, almost cheerful. “Then what were you doing out in the desert?”
Ted began to notice the guilt feeling like it was slowly eating him alive. He began to contemplate if he should even answer this one, but it was too late to tell the truth now…
Before Ted even got the chance to answer, Ellison spoke up again.
“Well, you’re my only friend now.”
Ted was speechless. He somehow found himself overwhelmed with both guilt and happiness, eyes wide and still at their statement. He briefly found himself unable to speak, trying to process the weight of their words. When he did speak, it was a tone filled with both guilt and gratitude.
“You consider me a friend?”
Ellison doesn’t comment on the long pause and nods. “Mhm. You’ve been good to me.”
Ted felt as though his heart skipped a beat when they spoke. Hearing that he had been good to them, it was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“You think I’ve been good to you?”
Ellison just smiled. “Of course! You’re the only one helping me.”
Just as Ted was beginning to forget about the guilt, it all came crashing back on him even worse than before. He suddenly began to think about the other humans, in the same situation as Ellison, and the things AM had done to them. The nightmares, the horrors, the never-ending teasing for the amusement of some, some machine- He thought about the wretched four: Benny, Ellen, Gorrister, and Nimdok. And suddenly, Ted felt like he was the worst person alive.
He spoke, with a somber tone. “But what if… I wasn’t helping you?”
Ellison looked over, not letting go of his hand. “Well, what are you doing instead?”
Ted didn’t know how to vocalize the feeling of dread growing within him. He began to wonder how he could tell them the truth without them becoming too worried about the situation they were caught in.
“Well uh… Technically, it would count as… not helping you…”
Ellison froze. “Ted, where are you taking me?”
Ted stiffened again, before somewhat sinking into himself. He became hesitant again to tell them the reality.
“Well… I’m taking you… to AM.”
Ellison looked confused. “Ted, who is AM?”
Ted averted his eyes as he remembered the horrid fact that Ellison didn’t know. They still had no clue who AM was, or where they were, or about anything this hell of earth had turned into.
Ellison leaned closer to Ted as they asked, eerily calm. “Are you trying to hurt me, Ted?”
Hearing Ellison say that had left Ted with an achy feeling in his heart, he would never try to hurt them- He hated hearing them assume that. Immediately, he began to reassure them.
“N- No! Of course not! I just… I… I’ll explain who AM is.” He felt nervous as Ellison stared at him, patiently. With a reluctant sigh, Ted began to explain. “AM is…” He trailed off.
Ted spoke again, this time quiet and serious. “Are you sure you wanna know?”
Ellison rolled their eyes, crying out. “You’re taking me to them, aren’t you?”
Ted found himself feeling incredibly guilty as they pointed out the unfortunate truth. He realized that they were right, he was taking them to AM. The further they traveled, the more likely it was that AM would find them, and the further in danger they would be. He stuttered.
“W- Well yeah, I… I am…”
“Then I should know.”
Ted winced again, but he knew they were right. He couldn’t keep that information from them.
“Let me… start from the beginning. AM… stands for Allied Mastercomputer. It’s… it’s an AI.” Ted watched Ellison closely for their reaction, any sign of distress and he would stop… But they didn’t react at all.
“The machine?” they asked.
“Yes, AM is a machine. A supercomputer, to be more specific.”
Ellison leaned in again, asking intently. “And your friend?”
Ted froze again, his expression guilty. “No! No, AM is… not a friend…” His voice became low and quiet.
“Okay.”
“You see, AM was a supercomputer designed for the military. He was made to build strategies and control nuclear weapons and launch missiles and everything… He was… He was very advanced. AM was programmed to have the ability to learn and grow. Over time, he began to learn how people thought, and as he continued to grow, he became more intelligent… more sadistic…”
Surprisingly, Ellison interrupted. “He hurt you?”
Ted stopped for a moment, memories flashing across his mind. “Yes, he hurt all of us. Including me.”
Ellison then suddenly moved from their position, throwing themself forward to hug Ted.
Ted was speechless at the sudden contact. At first, he was shocked, but then… he began to soften. He finally managed to find his voice again as he looked at them, slowly raising his arms and hugging them back.
Ellison tilted their head once more, looking up to see Ted’s eyes. “Then why go back there?”
Ted took a deep breath, clearing his throat before finally speaking up.
“Well… There’s no other place to go. AM destroyed everything… everyone. There’s nothing else left, apart from AM’s complex…”
Ellison pulled out of the hug. “So there are no other humans left? It’s just us two, and the machine?”
Ted paused, his face suddenly showing all of his sadness and guilt. He began to think about the other four survivors, off without him, probably suffering AM’s wrath.
Ted spoke, his tone was solemn and broken. “Actually… there are four others.”
Ted dreaded seeing the reaction Ellison would give upon Ted’s coming clean, but they seemed not to notice he ever lied in the first place. “You, and four other humans? In the entire world? …And now me too, I guess.”
Ted hung his head, realizing how few survivors there truly were. His voice sounded regretful. “Yeah… There are only six of us. Me, you, and four others. We’re the only ones left alive.”
Much to his shock, Ellison grinned. “Okay! And they’re nice? You’re taking me to them?”
Ted paused once again, shaking off the immense guilt as he thought about the other four. He had to think hard about what to say before finally deciding to speak.
“Well… I wouldn’t say they’re nice. They’re alright, but… Let’s just say AM has changed them, in some unpleasant ways.”
Ellison grabbed onto Ted’s arm and gazed up at him, throwing him into a daze.
“Is it safe?”
Ted shook his head and spoke with a saddened tone. “To be honest… no. It’s not safe. I don’t think anywhere around here is safe. AM is… AM is going to do something to you too.”
Ellison began tugging on his arm, their voice becoming more panicked. “Wait, what? Ted, what?”
Ted stepped away, realizing the implications of what he just said. He quickly began speaking in a desperate tone, trying to reassure them.
“Wait, don’t panic! It’s not like AM’s going to kill you! He won’t! It’s just… I don’t know what he’s going to do to you.”
Ellison kept a gentle grip on Ted’s arm, stepping closer. “Well, I can just stay with you, right?”
Ted couldn’t help but soften at Ellison’s pleading stare. He found the suggestion a comforting thought but pushed that away as well.
“No, you can’t. If you stay, AM will definitely come for you. …No matter where you hide, he’ll find you eventually…”
“Then why are you okay?”
Ted went silent, as he was unable to come up with a response that didn’t sound selfish. But they had a point… AM had- for some reason, and for the most part, left him alone ever since he ran away.
“Because… I’ve already been tortured…” Ted spoke quietly.
“And they let you go?”
Ted was struggling to find it in himself to answer the question- Not even he knew how AM’s tortures worked, even after this long. All he knew was that AM was cruel, small victories were pointless, and no one got out.
“Well… AM lets all of us go every once in a while. But it’s only so he can torture us again when we go back.”
Ellison released his arm. “Oh, okay. I understand.”
Ted was stunned at what they said, feeling guilty that they were understanding this so easily.
“You… you understand?...”
“There are only six humans left, right? So it only makes sense they all live in the same place. But there won’t be room for me.”
Ted, for some reason, felt sorrow but knew the truth of their words. “Yeah… you’re right.” He makes eye contact to see Ellison’s… truly heartbroken expression.
“So… where do I go?”
Ted felt another, sudden pang of guilt as he realized that they had no place to go. He moved closer to Ellison slowly, kneeling to meet their eye level. He spoke in a pained and sorrowful tone.
“You really… don’t have anywhere else to go, huh?”
Ellison looks at him, silently, and then their face begins contorting as they start to cry again. Ted’s expression immediately changes, now feeling even more guilty registering how hopeless this situation is. He placed a gentle hand on their shoulder.
“Hey… Hey… Don’t cry…”
This did nothing, as Ellison promptly shoved their face into Ted’s chest and kept crying, if not louder. Ted remained still. Seeing them cry like this elicited some sort of response from him, causing him to feel warmth but still more guilt. He wrapped his arm around them in a soft, sorta protective embrace.
“Shh… Shh.. don’t cry…”
Ellison threw their head back and cried out, much akin to a child clinging to their mother. “I'm gonna be alone forever!!”
Ted’s heart sank as he processed what they said. He felt horrible hearing them say that and quickly found his voice to respond.
“Shh… Hey, don’t say that… You won’t be alone…”
They continued to cry harder while Ted held them and rubbed their back in a desperate attempt to soothe their crying.
“Please… Stop crying…” He mumbled.
Ellison put their head on his shoulder, taking a shaky breath in. “Please, don’t leave me here…”
Ted found himself slowly shaking his head and speaking as gently as he could, watching them plead with him to not leave. “I won’t leave you…”
“Where do I go? Where do I sleep? I can’t survive here.”
Ted desperately racked his brain for solutions, all while still holding them in his arms.
“I… I don’t know. You can’t stay here though…”
Ellison stopped crying and looked at him. “Ted, where do you sleep?”
He froze as he found himself at a loss on how to respond to that question. After a few moments, he reluctantly spoke up, resigned.
“I um… I don’t sleep. I mean, AM typically doesn’t let us sleep…”
“When was the last time you slept?”
“It’s been… probably… days.”
Ellison sat up, beginning to walk away from Ted. “...I guess I’ll live out here.”
Ted felt the words hit his chest like a punch to the gut. He felt horrified at the idea of Ellison surviving out here on their own, knowing what this place was like. He grabbed their arm and yanked them back to him, pulling Ellison into his arms.
“What?! No! You can’t do that!”
‘What should I do instead?” They snapped back.
Ted fell silent, his grip on them tightening. “I’ll… I’ll think of something.”
“You’ll keep me safe, right Ted?” Ellison put a hand on his chest, looking at him with their trademark clueless expression.
He felt the last remnants of his resistance shatter as Ted found himself unable to hold back the guilt he’d been feeling. He nodded, his grip on them growing even tighter.
“Yes… I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
They nodded and lowered their head to gently rest it on Ted’s chest. Ellison then fell asleep.
Ted didn’t know what to do. He saw himself overwhelmed by the weight of protectiveness and guilt that crushed him. He slowly, hesitantly looked down at their sleeping form and reached to gently brush their hair with his hand.
Ellison smiled, just the slightest bit.
Ted began to soften, noticing their slight change in expression- The realization that they were smiling made him relax a bit. He was unable to tear his gaze away from them, consumed by a desperate urge to keep them feeling safe and protected as they slept.
They suddenly lunged forward, knocking them both over until they were both lying on the hard rock and burnt grass. Ted was caught off guard by the action and adjusted himself so he wouldn’t crush them under his weight. He looked over at them, his expression surprised, and heard the quietest, slightly strained breathing while they slept. They were still asleep. He grabbed Ellison by the arms and pulled them close. He listened to their strained breathing with a soft expression as he registered the sound, wondering if maybe they were having a nightmare.
Ted ran his fingers through and brushed their hair again. They’ve slept for 109 years already, yet here they were sleeping even more, cuddled up to someone they recently met. He felt amused at the thought, silently musing on how this was the last thing he’d expected to happen, but then finding himself not caring. He gave Ellison’s body a gentle, protective squeeze.
They responded with a quiet mumble.
Ted went silent, his hand pausing from rubbing their back and he leaned a bit closer, to see if he could understand what they were mumbling.
Ellison was face down. “Fanks Ted. Wuv you.”
Ted heard the mumbled words and felt a mixture of surprise, shock, and warmth the more he thought about it. He looked down at them, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks and a somewhat vulnerable expression.
He quietly mouthed the words back to himself. “You… love me…?”
Ellison, face still buried and nuzzling, mumbled back. “Mhm.”
Ted almost felt like he was dreaming. His heart skipped a beat watching them nuzzle and confirm with a single noise that they loved him. He laid back, feeling wonder as he registered what was happening. His expression melted completely as a smile slowly tugged at his lips. He reached a hand to the back of Ellison’s head and pulled them closer.
“I love you too.”
Ted felt another wave of warmth washing over him as he realized Ellison must be happy, and they must be happy because of him! He chucked quietly and suddenly heard as they began to snore softly, telling him that they were out cold. He watched, fascinated as they slept in his arms, smiling with a mixture of affection and amusement, musing about how adorable they looked when they slept.
Ellison slept soundly, even if Ted didn’t.