Work Text:
"We urge you to stay indoors. Lock your windows and keep any openings in your house boarded shut. Make sure to check yourself and others for the following symptoms: intense aggression, stiffness in any body part, confusion, disorientation, any neurological abnormalities, a lack of empathy, skin discoloration. If you or others are impacted by these symptoms, please quarantine yourself in an isolated room and tie yourself to the nearest heavy object. Stay safe, and do not go outside."
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You were hiding in a dark, deserted alleyway in the inhabited streets of Linkon, after tripping over a loose floor tile and injuring your left arm. The wound wasn't deep, nor was it infected in any way, but it was bleeding. Which only meant one thing - those... beings, could most definitely smell you, and would soon follow that scent. You winced and ripped your cardigan - your favorite one, unfortunately, and tied the fabric around your wound to stem the bleeding. A quiet exhale escaped your lips and you took in your surroundings.
A faint smell of rotting flesh filled your senses, almost making you gag. The air felt heavy with anticipation - yet it had been, for the three days the apocalypse had been confirmed in the news. You hadn't seen any of your friends for days, which only made you worry more. You were all alone, quietly frightened, and weren't sure what fate you were going to have.
A sudden quiet groan in the distance made your eyes widen in trepidation - a zombie.
Just as quickly as you had arrived, you bolted out of the alleyway and ran down the streets, keeping an eye out for anything that could trip you up again.
Your feet and legs worked faster than your brain as you ran. You sprinted past the old stores that you used to visit so commonly; the bakery that you would stop by on your breaks and buy a little pastry or a coffee. The clothing stores that you found yourself in every other day, looking for something new even though you knew it'd all be the same. Mixed emotions brewed within your heart - pain, sadness at the city which was falling apart by the very second. But also some sort of excitement, or perhaps adrenaline, in the sudden change.
You turned your head and noticed a horde of zombies catching up on you. You swallowed down any excitement as it made way for fear - slowing down meant death, so you sped up.
A large, black mansion in the distance caught your attention. Usually, zombies were banging at the fences trying to get in for something to eat; but from afar, it seemed completely clear, therefore you headed towards it. Upon reaching the building, you pushed open the heavy red doors and shut them behind you, before sinking on to the carpet in a mess of heavy breathing, sighing, and huffing.
Footsteps slowly approached you, pushing through the air of your breathing as a gun clicked towards your head.
"Is she a zombie?" One masked man muttered to the other beside him.
"Well, she's not trying to eat our faces off..." The latter lowly responded, lowering his gun. "Hey, you okay? You're breathing really quickly."
You raised your head, before you immediately flinched and backed away from the two masked men. They had black crow masks covering their features, and no colour was shown in their attires.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to barge in, I was just running away... from... are you...?-" You stuttered fearfully.
"Don't worry, we're not zombies."
"Nope, completely human. I'm Luke, and this is Kieran. And you are?" One of the twins, apparently Luke, grabbed your right arm after you whispered your name. He helped you off of the floor. "You're at Onychinus' headquarters. Well, kind of. This is where the boss lives."
You furrowed your brows and tried to make sense of what they were saying - to no avail. You winced as the Kieran, the other twin, grabbed your wrapped up arm.
"Not that one, it hurts..." You whispered and wriggled your arm away from his grip.
"Sorry. Y'know what? We'll take you to the boss. He'll know what to do."
You walked down the hall with the two crow-masked twins, and you took in the scenery around you. The mansion was finely decorated with gothic furniture - red roses, black tables and mirrors, with hints of crimson littered around the area.
They guided you into some kind of office, where a white-haired man was sitting at a desk, back faced to the three of you - yet he was acutely aware of your presence.
"Yes?"
His voice was deep, stern. You felt a chill of fear shoot up your spine - if it weren't for the twins holding you, you'd definitely run away.
"Boss, this lady found her way here after running away from zombies. She's not infected, at all. What should we do with her?" Kieran asked the man, who was still facing away from you. A short grunt followed a moment of silence.
"Does this place look like a homeless shelter?" The man spat, turning his chair around. However, as your gaze met his red hues, he froze. As if he knew you. But you certainly did not recognise him. The boss's stern expression immediately faltered and he pinched the area between his brows, waving the twins away with his hand.
The two men left the room and shut the door behind them, leaving you and the man alone.
"What's your name?" He questioned, tilting his head. His eyes bore into yours, making you more nervous than frightened.
You muttered your name to him, and he hummed.
"What happened to your arm? Come here."
You hesitantly approached the man, who was still seated. You put your left arm out towards him, and he began to untie your makeshift bandage.
"I fell. I didn't get bit." You reassured him, to which a low chuckle left his throat.
"I never said that you got bit, sweetie. Now I'm all the more curious."
The fabric slowly left your wound, and his eyes scanned it. The top layer of your skin on your upper arm was scraped off by the friction of you falling on the stone. The wound bed was a little shiny and wet with the minimal blood escaping your body, although the foreign materials from the floor dotted the laceration.
He huffed and looked back up at you.
"Does it hurt?"
"Only when there's pressure on it." You responded. Sylus grabbed a clean cloth from his desk and began to dab it gently on your wound. Your face scrunched up in discomfort and he chuckled once again.
"Crybaby." He teased lowly, making you pout.
"We're in an apocalypse. You can't blame me for being scared."
"I'm not blaming you, sweetie. I'm just saying that people are currently getting their limbs torn off and chewed, so you needn't worry about this little thing. Alright?"
You eventually nodded and pulled your arm away.
"I just want this to end already." You admitted and took a step away from the man. He hummed and took in your appearance. You deserved better than to be covered in those scars and grime. "Would it be okay if I stayed here for a while?"
He nodded once and folded his arms. "I suggest you go take a hot bath. My base is securely locked up at all times, except for that one little fluke where you wormed your way in here, so don't worry about meeting an undead in the hallway."
"I don't have any money to pay you back for this." You added, causing him to raise an eyebrow.
"I don't need your money, kitten. I'm doing this because you remind me of someone, that's all. I'll have the twins fetch you some clothes and some materials for whenever you're ready to head on your way."
You exhaled, relief filling your entire form. For the first time in days, you actually felt safe. Felt like you could actually be vulnerable.
"Thank you...?"
"Call me Sylus."
"Thank you, Sylus."
"You're welcome. Go get cleaned up, it's getting late."
----
You headed into Sylus' bathroom and locked the door behind you. You reached out and turned on the hot water, watching the tub slowly fill up with clean warmth.
Your mind kept replaying that look he had. The way his gaze softened as your eyes met. The way he didn't hesitate in allowing you to stay here, with him.
After taking off your clothes and folding them beside the floor, you grabbed two towels and stepped into the bath. The warmth infiltrated all of your senses as you sat down, letting the comforting feeling engulf you while the dirt rubbed away from your skin.
After a long while of bathing, you climbed out of the tub and let the water pool down the drain. You wrapped a fluffy towel around your body and brushed your teeth with an unopened toothbrush, before opening the door. To your luck, Sylus was waiting outside, holding a fluffy looking blanket and a bottle of water.
"Come, I'll show you to your room."
You followed him into the guest room, where there was a large queen-sized bed with a canopy - your eyes widened. If this was the guest room, you couldn't imagine how luxurious his own would be.
Pyjamas were neatly laid out on the edge of the bed. Sylus dropped a spare blanket beside them, and then put the water bottle on the bedside table. He closed the curtains, switched on the lamp, and looked around the room for anything that he may had missed in preparation. Seemingly satisfied with his hospitality, he turned to you.
"My bedroom is just down the hall. Don't be afraid to come in if there's anything you need. I'll be awake all night." He explained, his eyes remaining fixed on yours despite the fact you were only in a towel.
"All night?" You repeated. His eyes moved down to your upper arm, pleased with the fact your wound looked cleaner and was healing.
"Yes. I tend to sleep in the daytime."
You nodded, although not really understanding it.
"Okay... thank you again, Sylus."
"You're welcome. Goodnight, sweetie." He pat your head, before leaving the room and shutting the door.
You changed into the pyjamas and placed the towel on the hook on your door. Before you knew it, exhaustion from the day was settling in. You climbed under the covers and draped the fluffy blanket over you.
Out of habit - and a childhood fear - you left the lamp on, and closed your eyes to go to sleep.