Work Text:
"San! I think I found it!"
"What? Found what?"
"The cure! I was listening to the radio channels to see if anyone was broadcasting and there is a safe zone set up a few days drive from here. They believe they found the cure." Wooyoung took San's hands in his and stared at him with wide eyes.
"A few days?!" San shook his head. "It's too risky. We are safe here."
"Sannie, we are safe for now. You know it's only a matter of time before they find us. We are only two people..." Wooyoung dropped his hands and ran one through his mangled black hair.
San watched him and felt his heart sink a little. It had been weeks since either of them could take a proper shower. Wooyoung's hair used to be so gorgeous and full of life, just like Wooyoung himself. Now he was covered in his a layer of dirt and grime, his nails cracked, and multiple scars covering his body.
Although the older wasn't much better. Wooyoung looked up at him and bit his lip. He wanted to leave so bad, but he wouldn't go without San. He would never leave his San behind.
And San had been right. They had finally found a place that they felt safe. It was a small, rundown house, but it was in a neighborhood that had already been infected.
They sat on the couch and San pulled Wooyoung into his arms. The only comfort they had was each other.
Almost a year ago, the unimaginable had happened. It was something only talked about in movies and books and was believed to be so impossible that no one ever thought it would ever be a reality.
But scientists had turned greedy and started experimenting with things they didn't understand. One of them created a new disease that attacked the host.
It still felt so weird to say some things even though the couple had witnessed it first hand several times.
The disease had morphed into something that turned the hosts into zombies. It killed the host after being in the system for several days. And it appeared to be an excruciating death. A great deal of it involved vomiting blood, which is how the disease is spread.
If a person touches infected blood, they themselves will become infected after a few days. If they get the infected blood into their system through either an open cut or by getting blood in their mouth or eyes, they are infected instantly.
And for the longest time there has been no cure.
San and Wooyoung had managed to stay alive so far. The disease hasn't effected animals yet, as far as they can tell, so they taught themselves how to hunt and always stayed in places close to forests.
That also lessened the risk of running into any of the zombies because they were less populated areas.
Cities were the worst place you could go because once the zombies couldn't sense a food source, they became 'dormant' and wandered aimlessly.
But once they detected something that had blood flowing through it, they became a swarm. An unstoppable, deadly wave that destroyed anything in it's path.
San looked around the house they called 'home' for now. There was no electricity anymore, so they had formed the habit of taking whatever candles and matches they came across. Water bottles were a must too. And they had a good stock of blankets. More than one of their nights had been spent out in the forest fighting off the bitter cold.
But they had finally found a small town that, after close inspection, appeared to be empty. They still moved with extreme caution wherever they went, but they had yet to run into any zombies here.
For the first time in a long time, San felt safe.
Wooyoung took the time to look around too, but he wasn't as attached to this place as San. He didn't mind the traveling and trying to find a new place to live. Just as long as he had San by his side, he knew he could do anything.
And deep down, he missed being with other people too. He had watched his mom succumb to the disease and she nearly took him down too, but he had defended himself with a knife in the kitchen...
One well timed throw and she had collapsed on the floor, never to get up again.
He had fled from their apartment and was forced into the mass chaos of his city. The screams still haunted him at night sometimes.
San had saved his life a few days later, pulling him into an abandoned store just as one of the waves came by. It had been so focused on the mass of people in front of them that they hadn't noticed the two people huddled in the corner off to the side.
They had been together ever since.
The younger let out a sigh and moved to curl up in San's lap.
Neither of them spoke, but this was normal. A lot of time was spent in silence anymore because sound was one of the things that attracted the zombies.
The following morning, they gathered their guns and knives to prepare to go to the small store and scrounge up whatever non perishable food was left, as well as to look for any other supplies they might need.
Wooyoung still had a hard time when it came to being outside only because of how quiet it truly was. Birds didn't live in the city anymore, so they didn't provide any ambiance. He was pretty sure that would be the most comforting sound to him right now.
But instead, all they could hear was the soft sound of their feet on the pavement.
San kept a handgun ready in his hands and would check around corners, while Wooyoung had a single-barrel shotgun to cover his back.
They met no one on the way there.
There wasn't even a sign of any human living here either.
The store ended up being a minor success. They took several cans of beans and fruit that still had a couple of years before they expired. The stale milk smell was awful and there were a few containers of decomposing fruit, which meant this town was infected semi recently.
Feeling happy with their supply run, San and Wooyoung started the trek back to their 'home'.
Then an explosion happened a few blocks over.
They both spun to the side and watched as a large cloud of smoke rose up into the air, chased by the flames causing it.
Screeches could be heard in the distance.
And they were getting closer.
The couple ran, trying to keep their feet light so they didn't slap against the ground, but they knew they had to get out of there.
An engine revved behind them, making them pause and look over their shoulders. An engine! That meant people! Which would explain the explosion.
A large truck squealed around a corner, slamming into a rusting car parked on the side of the street before it started moving forward again.
"Hey!" Wooyoung shouted, jumping up and down to try and catch the person's attention. It was already loud here so there was no point in trying to stay quiet.
"Over here!" San joined him, climbing on top of another car.
They watched as the truck sped forward, getting closer and closer.
Then it flew past them.
With the driver slumped over the steering wheel.
Wooyoung covered his mouth when the truck hit something and was sent flying onto its side, where it proceeded to roll over several times.
No one would survive that...
"Woo, run." San said urgently.
A screech came from behind them and Wooyoung turned to see three zombies running toward them. They had to be what that person was trying to get away from.
San grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street.
As fear started to take over, their defenses slipped just a touch, and when they passed the wrecked truck, something flew forward and knocked San to the ground.
"SAN!" Wooyoung shouted.
It was the driver. He screeched and fumbled as he tried to grab onto San.
Three gunshots went off and the zombie fell onto it's side.
San whimpered as he pushed it off.
"Did he bite you? Did he touch you anywhere? San look at me!" Wooyoung tried to keep the panic out of his voice as he checked over the older.
"I d-don't think so. We have to move." San said, running forward again.
The couple managed to elude the three other zombies and get back to their house, but their decision had now been made for them.
Wooyoung had the coordinates for the safe zone, so they packed up everything they could and started the hunt for a car that would work.
They found an old van that San managed to hot-wire. Finding a car that would still run was becoming harder and harder so they took this as a sign that they were making the right choice.
San took the first driving shift and floored it as they left the one place he had started to feel safe.
Once they were sure they hadn't been followed, Wooyoung kept an eye out for gas stations so they could fill up some containers for the road, if there was any gas left.
The first one they came to was already pumped dry, but the second offered some promising results.
While Wooyoung went inside the small convenience store to look for supplies, San worked to start pumping gas.
As soon as the younger was out of sight, San bit his lip and looked down at his leg.
His pants were torn... and on his bare skin was blood. They only reason he knew it wasn't his was because it was almost black.
Tears came to his eyes.
He had been infected by the driver.
Slowly, he used an old rag to wipe it from his skin so that it wouldn't touch Wooyoung, and he examined himself for any other signs of it.
He ended up needing to change his clothes, and he took the time to wipe down the van and all their gear, just in case.
His eyes found Wooyoung as he walked out of the store, beaming at the bags of chips he found that must not have been expired.
He truly found the younger beautiful when he smiled like that. And it always made San's heart race. The fact that they had found each other at a time like this had been such a blessing, and San had never loved anyone more than Wooyoung.
And now he was going to have to figure out how to say goodbye...
He knew Wooyoung would never kill him. Maybe he could just leave one night so that way Wooyoung couldn't follow him.
"Are you ready?" Wooyoung asked as he came to stand next to San. He held up a honey-butter chip, which San happily took before caressing Wooyoung's cheek and nodding.
San drove the rest of the day while Wooyoung navigated. It sounded like all they needed to do was find a main highway and follow that west for a few days.
Once they found it, Wooyoung laid his seat back to get some sleep.
It would be too dangerous for them to stop for anything longer than filling up the car with gas.
Maybe they could find the safe zone. Then Wooyoung would be protected at least...
San woke the younger up when he stopped to fill up the car. He had found the highway, so all Wooyoung needed to do was follow it.
He was already feeling the disease trying to attack his body... His hands shook and his vision blurred. There wasn't much time left.
The older took the back seat so that he could lay down, but also so he could watch Wooyoung's face before he drifted off to sleep.
He was to tired to even think. Everything was muddled. Except for Wooyoung...
The hours passed as Wooyoung drove, weaving through the abandoned vehicles on the highway. He had managed to find the radio station the safe zone had been broadcasting on, so he kept the car tuned to that in case another message was sent out.
He glanced over his shoulder once and smiled when he saw San curled up on the long seat. The older was always so precious when he slept. He constantly nuzzled into whatever he had his head on and it was the cutest thing.
"We're going to make it, Sannie. I can feel it." Wooyoung whispered, turning back to lock his eyes on the horizon.
Which meant he didn't notice when San started to twitch on the back seat.
He was aware enough of what was going on that he covered his mouth to muffle any sounds that might come out, but that was it.
His entire body started to shake as it fought the toxin taking over.
But it was useless.
No one had survived the takeover...
San curled in on himself and internally begged for forgiveness. And silently told Wooyoung how much he loved him.
It was the last thing he thought of before his mind latched onto the only thing it would think of again.
Blood.
Wooyoung hummed to himself as he tapped on the steering wheel. It was getting close to time to fill the car, but he would go as long as he could to give San time to rest.
He looked out the driver side window for just a second, then turned forward again.
A shadow appeared in the rear view mirror.
Wooyoung glanced with it and felt his world stop as he was met with a pair of electric blue eyes.
He slammed on the breaks and forced open his door before San had a chance to grab him. Already the tears started as he turned around and watched San wiggle and squirm to climb into the front seat and exit the car.
"S-Sannie?! Sannie please!" He backpedaled and looked around for something he could use to defend himself. "San stop! It's me!"
He watched as the boy he loved ran for him, foam coming from his mouth. An awful screech came from him too that shook Wooyoung's soul.
The older dove and rolled across the ground, limbs flailing as Wooyoung jumped out of the way. His heart raced.
How could San not tell him he was infected? He had to have known... They could have been doing so many other things together other than driving!
But no... They were driving to the one place that could help him. Maybe he wasn't far enough gone that the safe zone's cure could bring him back.
His skin hadn't started to rot. The only signs he was infected was the electric blue eyes.
San pushed himself off the ground.
Wooyoung pulled at the string of his hoodie as he ran and kept ducking behind cars. He needed to figure out how to get San unconscious without hurting him too much.
He could hear the older getting closer, and he took a deep breath.
When San ran by, Wooyoung stuck out a leg to trip him. He worked quickly to get on San's back, using his legs to pin his love's arms to his sides.
San had been strong before, but now it was hard for Wooyoung to stay on his back, especially because he couldn't control his sobs anymore.
Being careful to avoid San's mouth, Wooyoung looped the string from his hoodie around the older's neck and started to pull.
Many studies believed that the bodies didn't lose their need for oxygen until they had been in 'zombie mode' for at least a couple of weeks, so Wooyoung prayed this worked.
He pulled as hard as he could while trying to block out the screeches. Hopefully it wouldn't attract any unwanted attention...
After a few minutes, San started to go limp and his breathing was labored. Then he passed out and sagged beneath Wooyoung.
The younger bent over and pressed his forehead between San's shoulder blades. "Damn you... H-How could you... You p-promised you'd never l-leave me!"
Visions of killing his own mother stared to flood his mind as Wooyoung dragged San back to the van. He used the seat belts to tie him up, making sure he was secure before filling up the van with gas.
He would drive for 24 hours straight if he needed to.
The safe zone had to be close.
Wooyoung took a moment to collect himself before getting behind the wheel and starting the van.
It took everything he had to stay calm while driving. That was the only way he was going to make it safely. And it was the only way he could protect San.
If the safe zone couldn't save him, then Wooyoung didn't know what he'd do... But he didn't want to live without San.
After several hours, muffled growls and screams came from the body in the seat behind him.
Wooyoung kept his eyes locked on the road, but he couldn't stop his hands or lips from shaking as San struggled to break free. He knew the only thing the younger wanted now was his blood.
His San was almost gone...
He listened to the awful sounds for an entire day, only getting a break when he stepped outside to fill up the car or get something to eat to try and keep his strength up.
Time was running out...
At the end of the second day, Wooyoung was exhausted. He had been awake for almost 48 hours. But he was fading fast.
A bright light appeared in the distance, but it was fuzzy.
Wooyoung feared he was becoming delusional as the sounds of his dying lover still came from the backseat.
He didn't want to do this anymore...
But still he drove. He would never give up until there was no hope left.
As the lights got closer, Wooyoung started to wonder if he had finally found it. Could this been the safe zone? Did they have electricity? It looked like the place was lit up like a beacon, calling to all who could see it.
Wooyoung started to drive faster and his heart raced, which in turn set San off even more. His body flopped in the back seat as he fought his bonds, trying to get to the food source in front of him.
The younger gasped when he finally saw a large wall that had been erected in front of him. The front gate was built over the highway, making it so he just had to drive straight up.
He stopped and got out, holding his hands up high. The wall had to be a couple hundred feet tall.
A door opened in front of him and several people came running out.
"Check him, check him!"
Wooyoung tried to stay still and cooperate as he was manhandled and a device was held up to his eyes.
"He's clean!"
"What's your name, Son?" A kind looking older man said, placing a hand on Wooyoung's shoulder.
"W-Wooyoung. Please... You h-have to help me." Tears came to his eyes again as he started walking back to his van.
"We will, you're safe now." The man moved to follow him, then several guns clicked when Wooyoung opened the door to reveal San.
"Don't shoot!" Wooyoung blocked their path and tried to control his sobs. "P-Please... You said you had a cure. He was only infected a couple of days ago... He's all I have left." Wooyoung pleaded, looking at the man.
He bit his lip, then motioned for the men to drop their weapons. Slowly, he stepped forward to look at where San was struggling in the back seat.
His blue eyes were wide with rage as he took in the new people in front of him and his struggling became spastic. As well as the screeches.
Wooyoung fell to his hands and knees as he waited for the gunshot... there was no way they would help him if he was acting like this.
"Get him inside, quickly. I think they got here just in time. Hurry!" The man snapped. "Come here, Son. We are going to do everything we can to save him. Let's get you inside and cleaned up." He said, his voice getting softer as he helped Wooyoung stand.
The younger watched as San was carried inside. People gave him a wide birth and stared in shock.
"Don't worry!" The man shouted to the people gathered. "We are taking every precaution and you have all been treated, so you do not need to worry about getting infected!"
Wooyoung glanced around. There were so many people... Actual people!
He had found it!
The safe zone was real.
He was taken into a lab where he was given a shot of the cure before being led to a place where he could bathe. Food was brought in for him to enjoy and he was instructed to take his time.
Wooyoung did just that. But mostly because he couldn't remember the last time he had a hot bath. It soothed his aching muscles and helped him to relax a little while he waited for news on San.
He was interviewed later that day. The people here were very thorough and kept records of everyone's story. About 500 people had made it to the safe zone. And while it was really a minuscule number compared to how many people there used to be, it was a lot of humans gathered in once place now.
And they were thriving. They had started farms, had animals, houses, and worked together to keep things running. They had built wells to tap into fresh water deep underground, but they also had a filtering system they developed to make their own fresh water.
It wasn't much, but it was a fresh start for this part of the world.
When his interview was finished, the man from earlier pulled Wooyoung aside.
"How is he?" Wooyoung asked, trying to keep his voice even.
"He's going to be just fine."
Wooyoung covered his mouth with his hand and had to lean into the wall for support. His vision blurred as hot tears once more poured from his eyes.
The man pulled him into a hug and rubbed his back. "He's going to need a few days to recover, but he isn't the first one who's come here in the process of turning. You got here just in time."
"C-Can I s-see him?"
"He's sleeping now. We have to keep him sedated so we can get the cure into his system, but yes." The man led him to a secure location, having to enter in several codes to unlock doors.
At the end of one hall, a door was opened to reveal San's room. He was laying in a white hospital bed with several tubes attached to his left arm and his neck.
Wooyoung glanced at the man once, and with a nod, he stepped forward and sat on the side of the bed to take San's hand.
He heard the door close behind him and was thankful for the time alone.
San once more looked peaceful when he slept. His breathing was slow and even.
Wooyoung spent a long time just watching his chest rise and fall. "I'll never give up on you. That's the promise we made to each other." He whispered, running his fingers over San's arm. "I'm sorry for having to do all that to you. But I can't live without you, Sannie. I love you too much."
Slowly, he moved so he could lay down next to San and nestle into his shoulder.
As he started to drift off to sleep, listening to the sound of the constant beeps from the machine, he felt San's arm tighten around him just the slightest bit.