Work Text:
Zombies? A world apocalyptic event that had turned the world into a harsh jungle of survival horror. Was it a government-induced experiment of bio-weapon that had possibly contained rampaging viruses that had somehow broken out to the world, spreading its disease into humans that consumed them from within their veins — turning them into the undead and instinctively devour any living man on sight?
That was of course not what has happened to the world. Zombies were far from its coined term. What had happened was breeding from the earth’s very own soil — a parasitic fungal infection that attacks the brain and begins to alter the behaviour of its host. It was a grisly natural phenomenon, a pandemic that had altered the world that its inhabitants once knew harshly: The Cordyceps Brain Infection.
In a single night, Furihata was shaken awake by his brother — he heard sirens, screams and crashes that rumbled the ground to the high-rise building. The smell of smoke, copper bombarded his senses. Blaring lights of red and blue contorted his darkened room. “What’s going on?” he wanted to ask, but there was no room for him to even speak. He was dragged out of his room in his sleepy wake—his bare feet stepped on something wet, hot, and thick—it was blood. The body of his mother laid horridly before him. “Run! Get out!” was what he heard his father shouted, he was never able to question the way his father sounded—never had his father sounded so desperate and alarming as though he was fighting. “From what?” Furihata had never gotten a chance to ask.
Once outside, almost everyone around Furihata had gone insane, rampaging everything in sight, whatever he had witnessed was inhuman. Furihata then found himself running for his life with his brother, they got into a car with its owner’s dead body lying halfway out of the door, his brother dragged the body out—screaming to Furihata to get inside and as they sped through the chaos, Furihata failed to de-escalate his rapid heartbeat as it slowly sunk into him that none of it was a nightmare. Whatever was happening was real and that only escalated his already racing heartbeat and shallowed his breath.
Thoughts piled and piled, overloading his mind to which he has no answer. His mother was dead, his father whom he had not got a chance to look at was on the verge of death. His brother was by his side—but what about his friends? What about…. “Seijuurou…” was the only thing Furihata managed to voice out that night.
Now, Furihata stirs awake and pushes up against something warm, and inhales the scent of white bloomed Gardenia in the night. Furihata smiles to himself, not needing to open his eyes to know who is there beside him on the super-single bed. He snakes his arm around the person in front of him and glides his palm to rest against the chest, firm and soft that the heartbeat thump against the palm is hand.
“Good morning, Kouki.” Furihata now hears the velvety voice. Furihata hums and nuzzles his head against the back of the other. Furihata feels the body move and stirs to face him. Now, he could hear the heartbeat of the other. He smiles as it lulls him to sleep again, until the other chuckles and rubs the back of his scalp tenderly.
They stay in silence at that moment. Furihata takes in all the soft senses around him, mostly from the person beside him; whose arms wrap around him, the hand massaging his scalp, the beating of the heart behind the rise and fall of the chest, the soft breathing, the scent of blooming Gardenia — only the very being of the other. While the rest of the world muffles somewhere outside in the quarantine zone.
Six years have already gone by since he was last awake in distraught chaos. Now, it is in the embrace of his beloved. “Seijuurou….” he calls out softly. “Yes?” Akashi answers. Furihata sits up and looks into the soft ruby ones — something within him stirs, something familiar, something which he had held within and was too afraid to voice out.
“Let’s go out,” Furihata suggests which raises the other to look at him questionably. “Like out, out ?” Furihata nods affirmingly, his gaze fell from the other. “Why? Is there something you need?” Akashi asks. Of course, he must ask, no normal person now would want to be out there where everything wants you dead. They are safe in the quarantine zone where it is heavily policed under martial law, the refugees in the quarantine zone were well fed and taken care of, and most importantly protected.
No one is allowed in or out of the quarantine zone except for the military, supplying food, medicine, miscellaneous supplies, and scouting out for survivors. However, that didn’t stop some of the civilians to sneak out, sometimes it brought trouble to the quarantine zone, causing chaos, and took at least several days for the military and police to sort them out before they were able to live safely again.
Furihata and Akashi had snuck out several times, at least two to three times a year. They made sure they brought no danger back, however, just sneaking out and back in again was risky enough not only to themselves but those in the quarantine zone.
Furihata knows Akashi wasn’t about to allow them to go out, they had just gone out last week, and it was the third time this year. Worst yet, his brother who is one of the volunteers of the quarantine zone still does not know that his little brother and his little brother’s boyfriend had been up to no good.
“Well,” Furihata starts and glides his bottom lip between his teeth. “I want to….go...somewhere.”
“Where?” Akashi asks.
“Just, just follow me.” Furihata hesitates.
“Kouki, you have to tell me—”
“Please.” Furihata insists, looking back up into Akashi’s ruby eyes. “It won’t be long, I promise.”
Akashi stays silent and finally nods, “Alright.”
The couple begins packing their things and weapons which they had hidden somewhere in the room. Akashi was usually the one keeping an eye out as they sneak out. The apartment unit they were assigned to is shared not only with the two of them but with Furihata’s brother and Kise along with his two remaining sisters. Furihata’s brother will not be back until late at night when the shift rotates.
Akashi opens the front door at the same time someone catches them. “Where are you going?'' The couple turns back and smiles at Kise, leaning against his door frame. Akashi’s lips remain tight and turn to look at Furihata who is the one to answer. “Some...where,” Furihata says softly.
Kise snorts and makes his way to approach them. “Just be safe, OK? But before you guys go, I have exciting news.” Kise grins widely as he pulls up a piece of paper in his hand, it was a hand-written letter. “Yukio’s coming over! They’ve finally approved his request of transfer over and passed the medical test. The refugee bus and military escort were scheduled to leave on the seventh of July in the morning! Which means he should arrive at least by this evening if not yesterday.” Furihata and Akashi smile at this news — they both knew the ecstatic feeling of having to finally be reunited with your loved ones, Akashi being from a different quarantine zone and Furihata being in their current. It took them a year to reconnect through letters after a long search and then three years for Akashi to be granted a transfer.
“That’s great news!” Akashi says, smiling. Furihata embraced Kise. “Took them long enough!” Furihata feels the wetness on his shoulder, the body within his arms trembles. “I really can’t wait. Do you think they’re OK?” Kise sobbed. Furihata smiles and squeezes the other assuringly with comfort. “They will bring him back safely.”
After they had snuck out of the apartment, there is a place somewhere at an alley that leads them under a tunnel towards the sewers, from there it will lead them out from the quarantine zone and into the unforgiving world. Luckily, Furihata especially knows the time of each rotation at each station, and Furihata’s older brother happens to be on patrol duty at another station not too far from their apartment, but far enough to not be able to catch them anyhow.
Bypassing the police and militia, no civilians in sight hang in the alley either so the couple makes their way into the secret room which leads into the hidden tunnel. Before entering, they put on their gas masks — which are vital survival equipment used to avoid breathing in the Cordyceps spores which are airborne, they are denser in damp and humid areas, and with the infected still roaming around freely outside the quarantine zone, the spores infected them will grow from the inside out, thus releasing the spores where ever they went.
Akashi unsheathes his pistol with a silencer attached to its muzzle. Behind him, Furihata prepares his crossbow in his arms. The Cordyceps spores are the least of their problems when they are outside, despite the particles floating being destructible to their very being, it poses no harm as long as they have their protective gear on. What they should be wary of are the infected which turn into several stages. The first stage after being infected by the Cordyceps Brain Infection, are called Runners, wherein the host loses their higher brain function, along with their humanity, rendering them hyper-aggressive and incapable of reason and rational thoughts. They are, of course, still alive while the fungus grows within them. Within only a week or more, they enter stage two, wherein the fungus begins altering the host's sight as a result of progressing fungal growth over the head and corruption of their visual cortex. The two stages of the fungal infection were most commonly found, taking hold of the majority of the population which causes the total breakdown and destruction of the society through widespread violence. The quarantine zone is their last ground to hold on to.
Akashi and Furihata walk in slow and quiet steps, cautiously keeping their eyes everywhere. The air was clear and they could see some fungal growth at some corners of the concrete walls and floor. They reach the sewers, the temperature dampens from here and the fungal particles are visible but not foggy. Up to this far, their way has been clear with no signs of the infected.
About half an hour has passed, and they finally see the light at the end of the sewer tunnel. Akashi creeps slowly towards the edge and scouts his eyes out for signs of danger. Furihata waits for Akashi’s signal as he holds his crossbow up for extra measure. “Clear,” says Akashi and jumps out from the sewer before Furihata.
The couple made out from the underground and climbed up the ladder where they reached the streets. The old city out from the quarantine zone is nothing like they have ever imagined being real; the flames and chaos had ceased long ago but what is left are the rubbles of partially collapsed buildings, abandoned vehicles scattered across the city. Nevertheless, the post-disastrous landscape is still a sight to see to Furihata; with nature reclaiming Tokyo, vines and leaves sprouted within the cracks of stone and concrete, embracing its surroundings as a mother’s arm would cradling her child.
Furihata inhales the fresh air. The air is clear from its floating spores, but one can’t be too careful, and Furihata has learnt that life was too short to be scurrying over little things of what could have been dangerous. Unbeknownst to him, Akashi has his eyes on Furihata. Smiling as Akashi watches the serenity on Furihata’s face that seems to barely age even a bit. Despite the dangers outside, the air was always nicer outside the quarantine zone.
“Where to next, love? This can’t be all the reason why we’re out here.” Akashi says, catching Furihata's eyes. “Of course not.” Furihata replies as he grins up to his boyfriend and begins their journey from there.
“Where to now?” Akashi asks again, following diligently behind Furihata, who now has a crowbar in his hand which he brought along and kept his crossbow at the side of his backpack. Short, lightweight, the kind favoured by burglars in the days when ordinary criminals dared to go out at night. It is still a useful object and very versatile, mostly for prying up floorboards and locked doors, even smashing through thick skulls. It makes a wonderful quick escape weapon.
Akashi keeps his eyes on the back of Furihata's head, it is his only view and with no facial expression for him to read. "You'll see." Furihata finally replies after a few steps of silence through the city ruins. Akashi was the type to question everything, quick to analyse and read a situation. However, he finds the voice in his mind at ease most of the time with Furihata’s presence. Whatever Furihata decides they do, whenever Furihata suggests something, Akashi has mostly been agreeable because he trusts Furihata to make decisions, despite Furihata believing otherwise.
Furihata swallows silently as a certain lump of unease wraps around his chest, unaware of the trust Akashi has for him. Perhaps he was aware, which makes it more uncomfortable sometimes and he begins to question himself, losing all accounts of what he was once assured of. When he turns back over his shoulder to meet Akashi, watching the hollowed structure that was once an office lot before meeting gaze with Furihata, smiling as he does so. This sets Furihata’s mind back on track, he suggested they head out and for a purpose of his own, which he has yet to tell Akashi—what has he even told him? If ever that is.
Soft and warm lips pressed against the hairs of Furihata’s forehead. The winter days after Christmas tend to be a little unforgiving, rendering him unbearably cold and his teeth clattered as he clenched his jaw. The warmth that sent tingles from his forehead to the whole of his body make him a little high with giddiness. Furihata chuckled as he nipped his lips, uncontrolled happiness sprawled on his face as his lover takes a space to study the shade of red of his face. “Better now?” Akashi asked and Furihata nodded. Satisfied with the answer, Akashi embraced Furihata, circling his arms around Furihata protectively from the cold, and then Furihata heard him tenderly say “I love you.”
Furihata never answered. Only a hum and a nuzzle of his head against the other.
Furihata has never taken the time to have thought of it, but the feeling has always been bothersome at the back of his and somewhere squeezing in his chest. ‘Why was I unable to say it?’ was never directly voiced in him, but he has wondered if Akashi has ever thought about it. Akashi never questioned him. Not even once. Furihata feels dread despite this.
Akashi stands beside Furihata by a broken street light, both staring at a partially crumbled storefront: faded vibrant pink of broken bricks, what was once a full view of glass pane was shattered to the ground leaving sharp jagged ends sticking out from the corners. Inside had been long turned over from the chaos. Dark within the shadows and yet, Furihata has pictures of the once jolly storefront in his mind, still fresh as though it was only yesterday. ‘The Creaminals’ was the name of the famous ice-cream store long ago, its signage still attached to the walls above the store.
Furihata laughs at the fond memories in his mind. “Wow.” he breathes. Akashi scouted with his torchlight within the shadows of the ice-cream store, tracing for any infected or bandits. Bandits do roam outside of the city, and they are not something Akashi and Furihata were ever fond of despite never having encountered them before—hopefully, not ever, they have heard of the bandits’ rowdiness far from where they were sometimes.
“Want to go in?” Akashi asks with an inviting smile, the one he romantically reserves for Furihata which of course, Furihata can never find himself to ever refuse. They walk into the store, careful with their steps as they walk in. Furihata had his torchlight lit up and scanned around.
Most of the perky decorations were destroyed or maybe even stolen. The jolly posters that once filled the persona of the store were torn and some barely hanging by a single nail. Furihata directs his light to Akashi’s, pointing at the menu hanging atop the front register. Furihata found himself smiling, barely touched by the destruction of the global chaos.
Akashi tilts his head curiously like a cat’s. “Hmm, we’ve never gotten to try the Jailbreak flavours.”
“Oh yeah.” Furihata chuckles. “We always said we’d try but….”
“We never did.”
“Just the look of the hordes of gummy bears drowned in ice cream hurts my gums.” Furihata recalls.
Akashi laughs and shakes his head agreeably. “Not appetizing. They should remain in jail. ”
“The price for that bail amount was not worth it, I reckon. I don’t think I have any regrets.” Furihata says self assuringly.
Akashi looks at Furihata. “Do you, now?”
Furihata scoffs and looks back at Akashi. “Do you?”
Akashi clicks his tongue. “I don’t think so.” he looks back at the menu. “Maybe we were old and boring.” earning a glare from Furihata. “No. You were old and boring. I was far more interesting than you were.”
“Ohh, was that so?” Akashi cocks his head slightly to one side, challenging his boyfriend with a look. Furihata doesn’t back down and presses his word confidently. “It is so.”
“Then tell me, Kouki, my beloved. If it were still standing here today, what would you have ordered, hmm? ” Akashi inquires daringly, lips turning smug as Furihata’s jaw slowly hangs open. “Well….” Furihata avoids Akashi’s eyes. “I….uhh…” his light slowly glides to a section of the menu, an embarrassment of defeat unfolding in his face as Akashi joyfully watches Furihata glow red. “Biscoff Vanilla Queen.” The couple says simultaneously, Furihata flushes and hides his face on Akashi’s shoulder in defeat.
The said flavour was in the ‘Classic Civilization’ category of flavours, and Furihata had almost always ordered the ‘Biscoff Vanilla Queen’ consisting of good old vanilla ice cream, a sprinkle of salt and topped with crumbles of Biscoff biscuits. On days Furihata had felt adventurous, he then ordered another set of flavours, but they were mostly in the classic category and never wandered far off.
“You are a true loyalist .” Akashi says, chuckling.
After Furihata has his head up and eyes a little wet from laughing, he slings his arm over Akashi’s shoulder. “How about you? What would you like? The usual?” Furihata asks as they step towards the ordering counter. “Houjicha Brewed Cherry Vanilla. Yes, I most certainly do love that.” Furihata hums, it was Akashi’s go-to flavour; Houjicha tea ice cream with vanilla cherry blended ice cream, dually mixed side by side with chewy cherry bits. The taste itself wasn’t something Furihata was able to quite describe, not even now as he thinks back on it. The roasted tea flavour of Houjicha in a cold creamy form, mixed with cherry vanilla that had a scent so fresh and the chewy cherry bits gave a boost of sweet and sour, it was addictive. Almost like kissing Akashi every time, Furihata internally blushes at the thought.
“And we have placed our orders, and then I will pay.” Furihata says and Akashi nods. “Because you refuse to pay for diabetes.” Akashi nods again. The couple turns around and together, with Furihata’s arms still slung over Akashi’s shoulder, they make their way from the counter where they would walk by long lines of queuing customers in a space that is now spacious and wide.
Akashi narrates from here. “And now you will follow me to the table.” Furihata feels a giggle coming up. Towards the end of the open space of the shattered window and jagged sharp edges at the corners, they stop by a still standing table. Both of them stand by each side of the small round, dusty sky-blue table, opposite each other, they smile at one another.
The world was quiet in ruins and what was once their dating spot is dark and hushed what was once bright and boisterous. As they stand within lock gaze, it was as though it was the day where they would meet for an impromptu date. Furihata casts his brown eyes away, pursing his lips as his cheeks bloat bashfully—Akashi laughs unexpectedly. “Kuroko would have teased you for looking like that.”
Furihata shrieks as heat rises in his face—stammering as he struggles to utter a single word.
Kuroko, it had been years since and neither of them had known what had happened to him—to the remaining of their friends whom they had never had contact with since the outbreak. Kise was the only one whom they reunite with and soon, Kasamatsu.
In silence, their thoughts wander to them; Kuroko, Kagami, Midorima, Takao, and all of their names they would repeat as though they were chants of prayers, in hopes that they will reunite, to not forget and wish they are safe wherever they may be.
“Nothing ever leaves his eyes, huh?” Furihata chuckles. Akashi smiles shyly at a few instances of memories in which Kuroko was the first to point out Akashi’s interest in Furihata. “No.”
As the summer wind gushes through the city ruins, Akashi and Furihata’s laughter echoes within the hollow chamber of the ice cream store. Words of memories replay fondly until Furihata reaches his hand out and guides Akashi along with him out through the main entrance, it was as though their cups of ice cream were drained with only outlines of dry cream and they were out once again, to the city where they would hold hands, laugh or say nothing as their date would last until the only thing lighting the city were the neon lights.
Making their way across a bridge of a dead railway, the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium still stands grandly from their view above ground. “Wow.” Furihata stops to look at the futuristic architecture style of the gymnasium. It has a long history of renovation and upgrades phases through decades, only to be eventually left in the abandoned city, its roof surface that was covered by narrow strips of aluminium is seen to have corroded. Still, it was a marvellous sight.
“Still looks like a samurai helmet to me.” Akashi comments, in disbelief, Furihata scoffs at his lover. “ What? ” This is where they would often debate their different views.
Furihata looks back at the large gymnasium, which will not be a surprise if it has become an actual jungle gym. “It doesn’t even have a shape of a helmet—”
“—You have to look at it this way” Akashi merely tips his head at a different angle.
“Still a spaceship! It doesn’t even have that concave shape— Look at it like a normal person!”
“I still see the helmet, you know—like a squashed helmet.” Akashi suggests further.
“So helmets can be squashed now?”
“By a stampede, yes.”
They stare at one another in silence.
“You’re joking.” Furihata finally says.
“Look at the middle,” Akashi suggests again, causing Furihata to groan, Akashi ushers Furihata by the shoulder next to him and points with his arm outstretched. “ That’s the tip and that shape and the Mabizashi resemblance over the slope there.” Furihata laughs and shakes his head. “I really don’t! It’s a spaceship!” The structure is definitely open to many different interpretations, Furihata recalls the time when Kagami compared it to a lady-bug. Perhaps its shape was not based on a recognizable architectural style, whichever way, Furihata still does not see the samurai helmet Akashi kept insisting on.
Furihata then decides. “You know what I think we both can see?”
Akashi tips his head quizzically.
“ There. ” Furihata points as Akashi follows his line of direction. They are able to see the set of steps outside the gymnasium.
Akashi smiles and recalls. “Where we first met.”
“Mm-hmm.” Furihata hums. “You made quite an entrance.”
“And you…” Akashi stares at Furihata, finding a word to match his experience. “Distracted me.”
Furihata dramatizes a flattered gasp. “Did I?”
Akashi shifts his eyes away, it may not have been obvious, but it was usually whenever Akashi gets flustered does he turn away with a smile not so subtle. “I seriously forgot why I was there in the first place when I saw you. You really caught me off guard.”
“Well, pardon me. For the record, I didn’t know it was a ‘members only’ private gathering—” Furihata narrows his eyes at his lover who starts to laugh. “What?—why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”
Akashi catches his breath and lends Furihata a look. “You have no idea at all, have you? I was just awkward but I was also in that zone —I didn’t know what to actually do with my hands—I’ve never felt so self-conscious before—” Furihata gawks. “—What?”
“And when Kagami came and had his hands on you—I kind of just flipped—I don’t know what got into me—I didn’t like it, I mean, I was talking to you and he just came out of nowhere as if I was some kind of a threat—In my defence, I was trying to comprehend everything—”
“—Wait, wait. Were you .... Were you jealous? ” Furihata concludes, smiling from eye to eye, his cheeks flustered but nothing in comparison with the confession his ears picked up.
Akashi swiftly turns his head away. “I did not say that—”
“You were jealous! Wow, was I such an eye-catcher for you?” Furihata teases and bumps his shoulder against the other, Akashi nods in defeat. “ Extremely distracting. Hated you.”
“Who knew you were so soft, hmm?” Furihata teases a little bit more, inching his head closer, Akashi keeps his head away despite not making attempts to shy away the shades of red that blush his pale skin. Akashi was more expressive compared to Furihata, even if it was something embarrassing, Akashi never fails to be honest with his feelings and his thoughts. Which was something Furihata had been struggling with, perhaps it was in his nature, or perhaps it was the difficulty to cultivate his feelings and form them into words, or perhaps it was the uncertainty that was louder than what he truly feels for him to say much.
Furihata suck his bottom lip as a certain feeling began to bubble up again—but with little guts was he ever able to say it. Soon, Furihata begins to doubt if this trip was worth it, if it is even necessarily—“Were we supposed to be here?” Akashi asks, catching Furihata’s thoughts as brown eyes stare back at soft ruby ones. “Walking down memory lane?” Akashi adds up.
Furihata gleans the soft spark in Akashi, always so gentle, unintrusive, radiating warmth and assurance that heeds no questions but only complete trust. Furihata blinks, forgetting the questioning noises in his head. “It’s just a coincidence.” Furihata finally breathes, and screens over the view. “But we have a lot of good memories….didn’t we?”
As their eyes align, Akashi smiles affirmatively. “Yes. We did.”
“Then they really did happen. That’s all that matters to me.” Without looking back, Furihata treads ahead, leaving Akashi to ponder to himself. Furihata was never quite good with his words nor say what he really means to say, but Akash never asks him to speak through them again and wreck his brains out to mix and match sentences to convey what he really meant, but often times, Akashi understood the pit of Furihata’s stomach that explanation wasn’t exactly necessary.
One hour has since passed when Akashi climbs atop an abandoned truck after Furihata. Avoiding the runners was barely a trick especially at this time of day in an open space, mostly staying on higher ground helps to keep their eyes open for safe routes to go around them, it was also best for their ears to tune into the surroundings.
“Well,” Furihata breathes in, resting his hands on his hips. “Here we are.”
Akashi stares ahead. “Seirin?” The once pristine high school had seen its better days. The cream walls had darkened to yellow with patches of mould, peels, stains, and cracks. It was less likely haunted but definitely crawling with runners and possibly clickers, poor fellas probably couldn’t find their way out in such a big school.
Akashi has never stepped foot into the school, not even once, the only times he had seen the school was while waiting outside the premises for his friends and boyfriend. His eyes finds the level and a spot of window which he remembers to be Furihata’s class, where it had been only two times he had spotted his then teenage boyfriend’s mousey brown hair, sitting in class and even banged his head down against his table one time, all because Furihata had absolutely no idea what was going in class. In Furihata’s defence, it was a surprise pop-quiz and marked in the curriculum.
“Yeah.” Furihata answers, not glancing at his partner as he preps his gear in hand, wiping his cold palms against his shirt. It isn’t strange how sweaty his hands are, let alone the beat of his heart that drums in his ears—and that lump in his throat—absolutely a terrible idea—but Furihata never planned to back out—at least try not to.
“Why? Did you forget your homework?” Akashi jokingly asks and notices the changes of treble in Furihata’s voice as he laughs dryly. “Good one.” Furihata clears his throat, still not turning his head to Akashi. “Actually, an unfinished assignment.” Furihata swallowed thickly before explaining, the anxiousness was defined despite Furihata’s best efforts to layer it with courage. “Just follow right behind me after we clear our way in, and seriously , follow close behind me. It’s big but the corridors are long and narrow.”
Finally, Furihata faces Akashi, uncertainty flares in his big brown eyes. “Do you trust me?”
Akashi’s camellia irises are still, his lips thin and close, his spine and shoulders straight and unchanging despite Furihata’s vagueness. “Yes.” is all Furihata needs to hear before they clear the entrance and make their way in.
The school was not swarming with them, Akashi and Furihata spot and mark the areas of escape when need be. As Furihata has said, the school has narrow spaces and strangely complicated directions and rooms but Furihata seems to know his way at every corner. They crouch and silently sneak their way past the sluggish runners and countable clickers, luckily there is not much debris on the ground to cause much noise and attention.
Up to the staircases, presumably to the rooftop where an emergency door remains closed, Furihata leans his ear against the door to give the other side a listen. “It’s clear.” he whispers and tries to open the door but it also remains locked.
“Shit.” Furihata cusses. Usually, the duo would try to pry open locked doors or smash them down, but the premise does not permit them the choice of it. By doing so, it would create a lot of noise and attention, the staircase was narrow and they could duck and hide anywhere safe when they needed to. They could however, try to locate the key which Furihata knows exactly where to get it, but that would mean going to another block and another floor to get the key.
“Let me try,” Akashi then says and ushers Furihata aside and flashes his light to the tiny keyhole to narrowly inspect before he pulls out a paper clip from his backpack. Furihata watches his boyfriend MacGyver, twisting the tiny metal clip out of its shape before toying it into the keyhole, ears leaning close to the lock.
“You can pick locks?”
Akashi smirks at his boyfriend, “With restrictions and locks all over your house, you’re bound to learn some tricks.”
“Ah, someone’s been naughty.”
“My love,” The lock clicks and Akashi pulls his head away. “It’s called being determined.” he winks at Furihata and opens the door. “For your pass,” he chivalrously gestures the way out to the breezy rooftop.
Furihata chuckles. “I can’t say it wasn’t hot though.” Furihata walks out, not realising the blush he has left on his boyfriend’s ears.
The breeze greets Furihata cooly, despite the dead city and in its ruins, the air is fresh as though it is just another new day. The roof was empty and clear, from where he is, he could hear the world; a little silent, probably some far distant chaos, a little screech from the infected, but mostly, it was the sound of nature, the crackle and rustling of leaves, the flaps of birds wings, the hooves of deers, and the steps of Akashi approaching him from behind.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Furihata asks as he squints his eyes to the clear skies where the sun hoovers from the west of his view. Akashi hums and Furihata finds himself smiling, it is so strange sometimes to think of Akashi’s voice to be musical and flow like wind through a flute.
Here, is where Furihata felt his heart quake, the heaviness in his chest, the pit of his stomach tightening and loosening and twisting up to his throat. Akashi stands there beside him, admiring the same view, no question ask and with complete trust, he follows Furihata through it all and Furihata believes that Akashi would go to the ends of the world with him—Furihata wouldn’t say that he would not do the same but never have the courage to ever admit it.
“So,” Akashi begins and Furihata jerks.
No other words have been spilled yet, only waiting and this is what Furihata is here for.
There are three words that he have been dying to say to Akashi, it burns in his heart and the fire has not gone out, nor will it ever and he wanted to say it but never have dared to, even though it was so often said to him—and Furihata wants Akashi to know that whatever he wants to say to him are true.
Furihata’s heart races as his hands shake—he is terrified but it’s something he doesn’t want to hide any longer, something he definitely can’t deny either. They have been through so much together, when the world was bright and until now when the world strives.
“You know,” Furihata’s voice fluctuates considerably, it would have been comical if there were an audience. “What’s the contract to be on the Seirin basketball team?”
Akashi raises a brow. “Screaming your commitment on the rooftop and strip naked if you guys ever lose?” Akashi looks at Furihata. “You’re not stripping naked now, are you?”
Furihata laughs, he knows Akashi wasn’t serious with his question—nor will Furihata actually strip naked! However, he will strip down a wall within him. “Something like that.”
Furihata takes it in, breathes the air as he strides towards the end, it didn’t matter that the metal rails has gone rusty and mouldy from damp and weather, still Furihata latches onto it—Furihata cannot contain it anymore of what his heart’s been screaming and he has to say it out loud.
From the top of his lungs, as the lump thickens in his throat, Furihata shouts to the world. “I love you!”
Akashi chokes on himself—the birds rushes from the trees to the skies and Furihata’s voice echoes widely.
“I love you, Akashi Seijuurou!” Furihata shouts again. Akashi laughs, his neck and ears flushes apparently as he hears it on, “I—I want to convey my true feelings as from now that I, Furihata Kouki is truly—and stupidly in love with Akashi Seijuurou—and he has seen me naked so the punishment has been taken!”
Akashi clutches his stomach with one hand. “You,” Akashi rounds his arm around Furihata’s neck, clinging Furihata close to him. “Are one heck of a crazy, you know that?”
Furihata laughs and pants from the adrenaline of confessing, euphoric from the relief. Akashi kisses the mousy brown hair, drawing more laughs and giggles from the other. “You could have just told me in our bedroom.”
“Well,” Furihata pants, catching up with his breath. “It wouldn’t have been a memorable entrance, would it?”
“Are you saying my first was not memorable?”
“It was on our first-kiss, it is different. I was just…. Too scared and….” Furihata pauses and tries to convey an excuse but Akashi only kisses his forehead again, effectively assuring Furihata that no explanation was ever needed.
“You attracted quite a crowd too.” Akashi says and the couple look down to the ground where a number of infected are running into the premise as well their screeching attention within the building. “I’d say, they are pretty jealous.” Furihata states.
“Hhm, well too bad, the competition is off. I just got an ‘I love you’ from you.”
Furihata laughs and lightly elbows the other. “We better go now.”
“Yes, we shall, before they tear my face for your affection.”
“I know the best way out, come on.”
The couple exits the rooftop and manages to get to the second floor before some of the infected begin charging up the roof. With the runners and clickers going a little haywire, Akashi and Furihata crouch and hide as they slither their way out from the infected sights. It was easier with the clickers, as they are blinded by the spores growing out from their face, however it was more of a task with the runners that were aggressive with any being on sight.
Once out, the couple sprints out of the school as three runners spot them and quickly turn to their tails. With a bottle of molotov in Akashi’s hand, he swiftly lights it up and throws it behind them when the space is clear for their escape.
As the runners screech in ablaze, Furihata quickly aims an arrow at one of the three before it recovers itself from the flame. Akashi pulls Furihata with him and pulls him to take cover behind one of the trees—on the ground where their bottoms hit, with their mouths shut, two runners came running past them, scurrying far into the forest.
The two let out a laugh and catch their breaths. “That—was so close—” Akashi kisses Furihata briefly, stopping their breaths once more before pulling away, both smiling broadly. “That’s enough stupid for the entire year.”
“Yep.” Akashi nods and agrees. “Hey,”
Furihata wipes the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Furihata looks beside him, with red loving eyes staring back softly at him.
With a mirroring smile, and without silence, Furihata answers. “I love you too.”