Archive of Our Own

“December 28? That’ll do.”

Lion stashed the bottle in his backpack. Two, three,… ten of them, actually; nothing wrong with some extra painkillers. Who knows if he would bruise his leg again trying to get away from a horde of zombies, putting him in so much pain that alcohol was the only thing that could relieve it? He would rather end it all right there than go through another hangover in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Right, it had been going on for nearly six months.

One moment, he was having Issei over for dinner, chatting about everything and nothing over some booze. In the next, they were woken up by the blaring of sirens, every single screen in his house telling him to stay indoors and barricade all exits. He remembered that moment vividly, how they both had done just as told while trying to divert their eyes from the chaos happening outside. The distress didn’t get to last long, thankfully, as Lion soon realized his house had a basement this whole time.

One of the few times he was grateful for his dad’s money.

So there he went, taking Issei’s hand with him. Footsteps echoed through the night as they hurried down the stairways, then all was quiet once the door was closed with a ‘click’.

“I… I never knew yer had a basement.”

“I’ve never been down here before.”

Lion took a second to scramble for the light switch, and soon the whole area was illuminated in fluorescent white light. It was just another typical storage room but much larger in size, filled with unused equipment, some extra junk he never knew he had and, curiously, lots and lots of canned food. Lion might not be getting along with his old man, but even he knew ‘hoarder’ would not be one of his descriptors.

“Uhhh, Lion?” Issei called from the other side of the basement (since when did he get there?), “how big is yer basement?”

“Isn’t it just… this?” Lion gestured his hands around.

“There’s another door.”

The white-haired quickly made his way across, passing through endless rows of canned food that he would question later, before stopping in front of the aforementioned door. A giant, intimidating metal door that should have no business being in a regular house.

“Is yer dad secretly some sorta doomsday survivalist?”

Lion couldn’t even respond to Issei’s quip like he used to, too busy staring at this block of metal with his eyes wide open. Something didn’t feel right: the basement, the alerts installed in his house, this stupid secret door. He felt his stomach drop.

“What is this?” Issei tapped on a black screen right next to the door, which immediately glowed white. Both men flinched, unable to spare each other a glance before a message displayed itself on the screen.

— — — —

To my son Lion,

In the case of utmost emergency, you are free to seek refuge inside this shelter. To access it, please place your thumb on the pad below the screen. The system will only respond to you and your physical markers.

I will be notified if the room has been accessed, and when that happens I shall return and provide aid. Please be patient as there is no telling where I am or what I might be doing when the disaster hits, but rest assured that I will reach you as soon as I can.

And remember, do NOT leave the basement until it is declared safe to do so.

Yours sincerely,

Dad

— — — — 

“What the fuck?”

“Okay, now this is just insane,” Issei rubbed his temples, his breath shaking. Lion meanwhile could only stare ahead, mindlessly placing his thumb on the designated pad as he was told to do. The screen lit up green in response, signaling for the door to open.

Behind the big scary metal door was no panic room, nor an underground dungeon or anything of the sort. It was a living room just like the one he had upstairs: a nice sofa, two armchairs, a TV with a fireplace underneath, etc. Further inside was a fully functional kitchen area, large enough to hold multiple stove tops, an oven, a refrigerator, and even a kitchen island. One would be forgiven to think it was more of an underground condo than an apocalyptic shelter.

Lion and Issei made their way inside, awestruck and confused. No sooner their feet touched the carpeted ground than the door slammed shut with a rumble.

“Oh, goodness!” Issei flinched. Lion was no less startled.

A brief tour around the compound revealed two bedrooms each with a desk and a king-sized bed, a bathroom with a bathtub, a fully equipped workout room, and pretty much all you could ask for in a resort. Except for fresh groceries, obviously, but that could be compensated with the canned goods in the cabinets and outside the shelter room itself. All in all, they were set to have a comfortable time in here.

“Does this even work?” Issei toyed with the remote control. Pushing the ‘on/off’ button, tapping it against his hand, checking for batteries. None of which turned the TV on.

“Fuck, the internet is down,” Lion impatiently tapped on his phone.

“We’re underground, Lion.”

“Shouldn’t there be wi-fi all over the house?” he looked around, pushing a growing sense of dread to the back of his mind. “There must be a way for us to communicate with the outside world. We can’t just be stuck here!”

“Look,” Issei made his way to the kitchen table, towards a radio sitting nicely on top of it. “My grandpa has one of these. I’ve seen ‘im use it.”

He quickly picked it up and turned in on, a sigh of relief escaping his nose as the numbers lit up. He tuned it back and forth, moving past all the indiscernible whizzing sounds before landing on some resemblance of a human voice from the speakers:

“This is ‘City News at 82.5’ here to remind you that a nationwide lockdown has been issued by the government. There has been a spread of disease that kills anyone it comes in contact with and brings them back as undead corpses. These corpses show no signs of intelligence but are nonetheless violent. They will attack any living human on sight and spread the virus to their victims, so please avoid them at all cost. I repeat, AVOID THEM AT ALL COST! Stay indoors, reduce gatherings, and do NOT confront the reanimated corpses-”

Lion shut off the radio.

“Hey-”

“Those things outside,” his voice shook. “I- I saw some greyish looking creatures. Are- Are they the-”

“I think so, Lion,” Issei replied somberly.

“Oh, God,” Lion grabbed hold of his hair, drawing in heavy breaths, “Oh, God, no.”

“Lion-”

“We’re in a fucking zombie apocalypse,” Lion trembled, his movement staggering at the weight of his fear. Issei swiftly came in to hold him still.

“Lion, listen to me.”

“I can’t believe it,” the white-haired heaved, “we’re in a zombie apocalypse. The world’s gone to shit. Everyone’s dead. We’re all gonna be-”

“Lion, hey, look at me!” Issei forced his boyfriend to face him. Lavender-gray met sapphire as the world stood still for a moment - no zombies, no deaths, no chaos or anything trying to kill them. It was just Issei and Lion, alone in a comfortable abode they would soon call home. Lion felt his breathing slowed down in this pool of dark blue, calm and soothing like the ocean. The ringing in his ears made way for the heavenly voice of his beloved, comforting as the words it transformed into:

“Lion, listen to me,” the familiar blue repeated himself. “Yer gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay. And yeah, the world’s gone to shit but panickin’ will not make it better. Let’s just… stay here and wait for yer dad, just like he said.”

“Just like he said,” Lion reiterated. He leaned in towards Issei, forehead touching forehead. Deep breath, let it out, he thought to himself, hand enclosing his boyfriend’s much smaller one on his cheek. His surroundings stopped shaking, he stopped shivering. Issei gave him a soft forehead kiss on his tip-toes. And with that he could finally feel the ground beneath him, his gravity stable and his throat opened.

Issei was right, there was no point in panicking. He was safe, his boyfriend was safe. For now, it had felt right.

But…

“What about the others?”

“Hm?”

“XlamV, fun4re, illuvista,” Lion listed out, feeling bile rising up his throat again, “should we get them?”

“Everyone’s tellin’ us to stay inside,” Issei sadly replied. “The news, yer dad, the goddamn metal door. Much as I hate it, I think we have to stay here for now. There’s no tellin’ what kinda chaos is happenin’ outside.”

“Right,” Lion sucked in a breath, mentally apologizing to his teammates and fellow idols. One thing still left in mind, however, “Where the hell is my dad, then?”

“No clue. Could be anywhere right now, like the door said.”

So far none of the answers had made him feel better; they all just made him feel worse, in fact. His country in chaos, his friends missing, his father providing no answers. There was just too much to handle.

“Do you think… he knew about this?” Lion muttered, his expression darkening, “This feels like a perfect setup, as though he knew this was gonna happen. H- How else would he be so prepared? What does he know…?”

“…I don’t know, Lion.”

The white-haired immediately sighed, “Of course you don’t. I was just thinking out loud.”

“Just sayin’.”

Issei soon broke off contact and headed for the couch. He sat there idly, feeling the leather texture under his hands with a distant hum. Lion had no choice but to follow suit.

“So what do we do now?”

“Stay here and wait for help, perhaps,” answered Issei. “Keep the radio close by for updates, and until things get better we can just… live.”

“Just live?” Lion was taken aback. “How the hell do I “just live” when the outside world is in shambles?”

“What do ya want us to do? Go out there and kill some zombies like a buncha action heroes? We’re no heroes, Lion, and this ain’t a movie. We’re just idols with zero survival skills and even less combat experience. We’d die as soon as we step foot outside.”

That was… unexpectedly harsh, even coming from Issei. But Lion really had no choice but to swallow the truth, that he was nothing but an ordinary person despite that monstrously tall body of his. There really was nothing he could do other than wait for help, even when his stubborn head vehemently refused to do so out of pure instinct.

Despondently, he sat down next to his childhood-friend-turned-lover. With the fate of all his loved ones up in the air, at least the one that mattered to him most remained by his side.

“How about this,” Issei turned to face him, “think of it as another stay in the Internat. It’s not that different, is it? We’re isolated from the outside world and have a whole space for ourselves, just like that time.”

“There was no apocalypse back then.”

“Yeah, I know. But we did survive the Internat, right? Wouldn’t hurt to do something like that again.”

Lion didn’t answer. He stared blankly ahead at the non-functioning TV, utterly defeated.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”

Issei leaned back on the couch, the aftermath of his adrenaline rush left him exhausted. But soon enough he felt restless again. “Sure hope yer old man stocked some booze,” he said, immediately standing up and heading for the kitchen. Thankfully, the old man did.

And so began the secluded life of Issei and Lion, pulling through the apocalypse as comfortably as they could.

And soon a week passed.

And another.

And then another…

__________

“We’re getting out of here.”

“Huh,” Issei’s eyes were barely open, “What’s the matter?”

“I can’t take this anymore,” Lion paced around their bedroom anxiously. “It’s been four months. Three weeks since the news station went down. I have no fucking idea what’s going on outside and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Lion, calm down,” Issei attempted to reach out. “Yer dad said-”

“That stupid old man didn’t turn up. He might as well be dead.”

“Lion-”

“No, I can’t keep doing this,” Lion placed a hand on his forehead, close to the black roots that were visibly growing from the white portion of his hair . “What happens if we run out of food, or water? What happens if… I don’t know, a fucking zombie goes down here and kills us both?”

“That’s impossible.”

“A zombie apocalypse should be impossible, yet here we are,” he gestured to his surroundings. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he continued, “Fine, if you want to stay inside then go ahead. I’m heading out.”

“Don’t.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“I’m tryin’ to be realistic here,” Issei sat up on the bed, sapphire gaze unwavering. “Sure, yer can go outside, but how will ya protect yerself? Yer strong doesn’t mean ya can fight, and I’m not so sure physically tackling those zombies is a good idea.”

Lion’s breath hitched at the words. Issei, noticing such, immediately softened his tone:

“Look, I know yer impatient. I’m impatient, too. But the last thing I want is for both of us to get killed, and especially not if help is coming any time soon.”

The white-haired looked around, his throat closing once again. There had to be something, anything, he could do other than wait. There had to be something in this stupid shelter.

Maybe there was.

With that thought in mind, Lion stormed out. Issei, truthfully, did not have the energy to follow his sulking boyfriend. He lay back down on the mattress with his gaze on the empty ceiling, trying his best to fall back asleep.

It was quiet, far too quiet. Normal basements weren’t immune to the rumbling of what was going on above ground, but this one thus far hadn’t once shook from the impact. The shelter was perfectly sealed from the inside and out, as though isolating its occupants from the chaos of the outside world.

As though… the apocalypse had never even happened. Not even for a second.

Was it truly okay for him to live in such ignorance?

“Goddamn it,” Issei turned to the side, his stomach churned with guilt. Thankfully for him, something else soon gave him a distraction.

“Oi, Issei.”

“What?” he called from the room.

“You need to see this.”

Sighing, Issei threw himself out of bed. He hoped Lion was prepared for a lecture if this wasn’t worth his time.

He was immediately proven wrong.

“A- Are these-”

“Damn,” Lion picked up a handgun, “didn’t know the old man was such a weapon enthusiast.”

“Holy shit,” Issei’s voice trembled, “these are like… actual guns… with actual ammunition…”

“Not just guns,” Lion picked up another item, “swords, too. Maybe this’ll be useful for you.”

“Okay, put that thing down. And don’t point it at me!” Issei backed away apprehensively. “God, yer old man stashed weapons in here too??”

“Apparently,” Lion observed the sword. Wooden hilt, heavy in his hold, metal gleaming in the light. This was the real deal, an actual Japanese sword in his hands.

“How come we’ve never noticed this?”

“It was behind the TV,” said Lion. “I had a feeling the old man wouldn’t put one down here if it wasn’t gonna work, so I dug around and found this note.”

He handed said note to Issei, which read: “In case of genuine, life-threatening emergency, slide down the black bar that is holding the TV and push the red button underneath it.”

“Yer have got to be kidding me.”

“Hiking boots, backpacks, first aid kits,” Lion looked around. “Looks like we’ve got everything we need.”

“No.”

“Issei.”

“We are not gettin’ out of here.”

“What other choice do we have?” Lion gestured around. “You’d rather us rot our asses in here until we die of starvation?”

“Yes! At least we wouldn’t be torn to pieces by those corpses outside!”

Issei reached for his boyfriend’s shoulders, forcing the guy’s lavender-gray gaze on him. His tone turned desperate, so unlike the cheeky Issei everyone knew and loved, as he pleaded:

“Lion, I want yer to be realistic. The outside world is tryin’ to kill us. If we can’t fight back, we die. And sure, we got all the weapons and gear layin’ around but they’re all gonna be useless ‘cause we don’t know how to use ‘em! We are not heroes, Lion! Even that giant muscle-bound body of yers wasn’t made for fightin’! I may go along with yer stupid plans from time to time but I will NOT get myself killed just to serve yer heroic delusions. Do ya understand??”

Lion went quiet - stunned, even. The ever so stubborn white tiger seemed to falter at his boyfriend’s words, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly as he struggled to form a counter-argument. Issei maintained his gaze, grounded and unwavering. He had to be harsh, even if it hurt to see his beloved so desperate. It was either this or having both of them die meaninglessly.

The blue-haired thought his words had been cruel enough to drill in that thick skull of Lion’s, but nothing could’ve prepared him for what came next.

“I never said you have to come along.”

“…What?”

“I can go out there by myself. Scavenge for whatever we need then come back. You don’t have to do anything.”

Okay, now that was pure insanity.

“No.”

“I told you-”

“Nope, shut up,” Issei interrupted, utterly frustrated. “It was bad enough that yer restless ass wants to go outside, but it’s even worse when ya want to do that alone. What happens if ya die out there by yerself?? How would I know if that happens??”

“There’s gotta be a walkie talkie in the storage.”

“I don’t care! I’m not letting yer go out there alone!” Issei panted, frantically pacing around. It was at this point where Lion began to feel a pang of guilt for pushing him this far.

“Issei...”

“Gargh! I don’t know what to do! I don’t wanna die! I don’t want yer to die! But if we’re stuck here without aid we’re both gonna die anyways! I just- I don’t know. I don’t want to-”

A weight wrapped around his shaking figure, warm and comforting. Weak on his knees and trembling all over, he pressed his face on Lion’s chest, steadying himself enough to hear each individual heartbeat. He took a deep, shaky breath then let it out, following the rhythm of the hand gently caressing his hair. He felt awful, he was awful. Never in his life had he felt so small and cowardly, so powerless against the world around him. Since when had he become so weak?

“It’s okay,” said his boyfriend with that deep, husky voice of his. It comforted and pissed him off at the same time.

“I hate yer.”

“I’m sorry.”

And then Issei’s heart broke into a million pieces. Lion? Apologizing? He must’ve fucked up big time.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t be doing this,” Lion continued, his tone soft and low. “Let’s just stay inside for now.”

There it was, the words Issei wanted to hear. He’d won the argument, he’d pressured Lion into listening to him. Normally this would call for another round of teasing and maybe a drink or two, but this time something seemed… off. He still felt awful, the churning in his stomach didn’t stop, and he found no will or reason to do so much as move his face muscles into a smirk.

Something felt wrong about the way Lion just… gave up. One might think it was good that he’d finally accepted the harsh truth about his current condition, but seeing him surrender so quickly just didn’t feel right. He was the charismatic white tiger, strong and stubborn to the point of demanding. It should’ve taken a whole lot more to wear him down, and yet...

Truth be told, Issei had lost hope for salvation some months ago. He was just keeping up the pretense for Lion’s sake, but now it seemed like he’d also broken the guy and brought him down to his dump. Would he be cruel enough to snuff out the flame of passion that had been pushing his boyfriend through this whole ordeal?

Was it better to die hopelessly and uselessly in a secluded shelter, or die painfully but honorably in a chaotic world? Issei wasn’t sure of the answer himself.

“Y’know what?”

“Hm?”

“Fuck it. Let’s get out of here.”

Lion’s body reacted before his brain did, instinctively letting go of his beloved, “Huh?”

“Ya heard me. We’re gettin’ out,” Issei reiterated, just so it was clear he was serious. “Yer right, there’s no point staying inside.”

“A- Are you sure?”

“Yep,” then the second-guessing hit him like a ton of bricks, “well, maybe not right now.”

Lion blinked himself out of the initial shock, “So what exactly do you want?”

“Okay, how about this,” Issei cleared his throat, “we will go outside, but only after getting the hang of these things,” he gestured to the weapons and gear. “‘Cause let’s be honest, we’re as good as dead if we don’t know how to use ‘em.”

The white-haired looked to the equipment, then back to his boyfriend. It was a bit concerning how quickly the guy changed his mind if he were to be honest. But alas, he’d been the one insisting on the idea and it would’ve caused even more trouble trying to turn back now.

So he nodded, a corner of his mouth curled up into a smirk as he gave his answer: “Alright. Let’s get on with it, then.”

__________

And there they were, two months after the deal, looting for over-the-counter medicine in an abandoned drug store. In the outside world, just like they promised.

“Oi, Issei,” Lion called out, “is there a specific brand you want?”

No answer.

“Issei?”

No response.

Lion took out his handgun, loaded and ready to fire. He quietly made his way along the shelves, heart ramming against his chest at what was to come. One step, and then another. He forced his mind to focus.

Issei.

Not now. He needed to deal with the threat first.

Issei…

“Shoot first, mourn later,” he muttered under his breath. Last year’s Lion - hell, even pre-debut Lion - would be unnerved by such a mindset.

On the count of three in his head, Lion leapt forward with his gun raised. He was lucky the safety was still on, for in front of the barrel was…

“Fucking hell, Issei!”

“Woah, what did I do?” Issei quickly raised his hands, like one would when a gun was pointed at them.

“Oh my God,” Lion lowered his weapon. Any and all worries he had earlier was quickly replaced with anger, “Why the hell didn’t you answer me?”

“Ya called? Sorry, I must’ve spaced out.”

That sure pissed him off even more. “We literally have no time for this.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry,” Issei apologized, somewhat half-heartedly for Lion’s standards, before changing the subject altogether. “But on the bright side, look what I found.”

The blue-haired stepped aside for his disgruntled boyfriend to view his findings. And indeed, the guy was stunned enough to stop being grumpy for once.

“Are these…”

“Yep! These are the XlamV limited edition soda! Our latest brand deal, remember?” Issei proudly presented, “Hah! Can’t believe they’re still around. And on date, too!”

“Are you sure they’re still good?”

“’m sure it’s fine,” replied Issei with a chuckle. “Oh, look, that’s me on the can. Heh, almost forgot I was an idol once,” he ended his remark with a sigh, one that sounded like a mix of nostalgia and longing. He paused for a second, seemingly reminiscing the life that was stolen from him, before continuing like nothing happened.

“C’mon, let’s pack these things.”

Lion did as he was told, not daring to question.

The lovers walked along an empty road, passing by decrepit buildings and barren parks. It was dead quiet save for the rustling of dried leaves, grey and lifeless just like the sky right above. And while they did encounter a zombie or two during their trek, all of which were swiftly eliminated with relative ease, this area of the town was overall deserted.

“Feels like everyone here was evacuated.”

“Or dead.”

Lion turned to give Issei a glare.

“What? It’s a zombie apocalypse. What did ya expect?”

Lion sighed, “Nothing.” Never in his life did he expect Issei to be the more cynical one between the two of them. Or that was just how he’d always been, who knows?

Night falls, so the duo set up camp by an abandoned house, intending to barricade themselves inside afterwards. Following a hearty canned meal of chicken soup and bread, they sat by each other under the starry sky, quiet and peaceful for the time being.

“The sky’s clear today.”

“Mm hm,” Issei dug through their supplies bag, handing out two cans of soda to his boyfriend. “Yer wanna drink yer or me?”

Lion gave him a strange look.

“Just pick one.”

“Fine,” Lion reached for the can with himself on it; Issei just made it too weird for him to pick the other option.

“Ooh, so we’re drinkin’ ourselves, then?”

“Shut up.”

With both cans opened with a fizzy sound, they clanked their drinks together and downed several gulps. Like any other carbonated drinks this would taste a whole lot better chilled, but then again they were in the middle of an apocalypse and resources like this were already scarce. Regardless, nothing like a fizzy drink to wash down all their troubles.

“Woo,” Issei gave his can a good look, “now this is real soda.”

Lion responded with a playful huff, “Not my fault the old man didn’t stock the good stuff.”

“Yeah, let’s leave ‘im a note ‘bout that when we head back.”

Both men chuckled to themselves, comfortable and relaxed. Despite the apparent eeriness and its even creepier implications, a ghost town like this one had one huge benefit: total privacy. No one to judge them for their corny jokes, no one to tease Lion for laughing out loud once or twice. It was just him and Issei, together in their own world. And while they did get to be alone together for nearly half a year in the basement, getting to do so outside just felt more… free, somehow.

Perhaps it was the openness of it all. Perhaps… he no longer felt isolated, getting to be in touch with the world even when it was now in ruins. And he got to do it all with his beloved boyfriend.

“Damn,” said Issei all of a sudden, “has my pose always been this weird?”

“What?”

“Look,” he showed Lion his can, specifically the side bearing his image, “what kinda pose is this? Was I tryin’ to be an idol or an escort?”

Lion nearly spat out his drink, coughing profusely after forcing himself to swallow. Issei, jokingly, took that as a personal offense.

“What was that for??”

“Great, now I can’t unsee it.”

“Ya asshole,” the blue-haired gave his arm a smack.

“Sorry,” Lion wiped his mouth, “I think Sakuya made the same comment during the shoot.”

“Oh, so yer knew all along and never thought to spare me the embarrassment?” Issei dramatically put a hand on his chest. “That’s it, yer no longer my favorite person.”

Lion snorted, “Oh yeah? Who’s your favorite person now?”

“My precious rival Mio-kun, of course! At least he’d be too scared to make fun of me.”

“Hmph, good luck trying to tell him that now.”

Issei’s smile instantly dropped, all the joy on his face disappearing within seconds.

“…Too much?”

“Yeah,” replied Issei, audibly offended. “Don’t ya dare say such things.”

“Sorry.”

“How would ya feel if I told ya Kazu-kun’s dead?”

“Wait, is he??”

“How should I know? We haven’t seen ‘im in ages!” Issei sighed, gaze softening at the shock on his boyfriend’s face, “S- Sorry. Dunno what got to me.”

“It- It’s fine,” Lion awkwardly patted his back. “I shouldn’t be joking about it, either.”

“To be fair, I was the one who used humor to cope first, so...” Issei shrugged, “hypocritical of me to yell at ya for doin’ the same.”

They went quiet. Neither knew what to say to make the other feel better, choosing instead to redirect their gazes to the stars above. Lion never realized how much he missed the night sky, couldn’t help but stare in awe at the glittery blue that was blanketing his view.

“Y’know, I miss bein’ an idol.”

Lion spared his boyfriend a brief glance, “Don’t we all?”

“I mean, yeah, we all miss our old lives. It’s just… bein’ an idol specifically… it was a huge part of my identity, y’know? Like, my whole life used to be revolved around my idol career, from the way I act to the way I dress. It was like… the one thing I wanted to be good at. The only thing I was willing to put a lot of effort on.

“And then… the world goes to shit. All my effort was for naught,” Issei sighed to himself, averting Lion’s gaze upon him. “Then all of a sudden I’m back to square one. I have nothin’. My whole life’s purpose? Gone.”

He turned to face his beloved, his movement sudden enough to make the guy jolt, “Y’know, I’ve always been jealous of ya. Yer so passionate and determined, so full of life and purpose. Ya always seem to have yer life figured out - ‘if not this plan then that’, if ya know what I mean.”

“…What do you mean by that?” And believe it, Lion’s confusion was genuine.

“If yer not an actor, yer can be an idol. If not an idol at Reisen, yer can come back to yer dad. If XlamV disbands, ya can just go back to yer first option and be an actor again. Original plans become backup plans. Rinse and repeat.” Issei then pointed at himself, “Me? I got nothin’. Not even a second option.”

“Issei…”

“Hell, not even the apocalypse stops ya,” the blue-haired bitterly chuckled. “Yer so stubborn yer still want to live in this crapsack world and try to make somethin’ out of it. I gave up seeing a purpose for that a while ago. Like… how did ya do that?”

Lion pressed his mouth into a thin line. Of all the remarks Issei got in his arsenal, this was the first to actually render him speechless. He couldn’t answer not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t even know what his deal really was. How did he do all of that? How exactly, amidst the chaos of the world and the hopelessness of his situation, did he manage to keep fighting for his survival? And more importantly, why did he keep doing that?

Was there even a purpose to continue surviving in this state?

“I…”

“Ah, nevermind. It’s just a rhetorical-”

“I’m not sure of that myself,” Lion admitted. “I think… I’m just used to fighting for what I want. My acting career, my idol debut… hell, even my father’s attention. It’s not that I don’t want to back down, it’s more like I can’t.

“That argument we had two months ago… you were absolutely correct,” he turned to Issei, whose eyebrows raised to his forehead at the words. “The world we’re in right now is dangerous. I didn’t need to go outside to know that falling on my shins while escaping from zombies would fucking hurt. We had all the comfort in that shelter, so there was no point in risking our lives outside, right? I tried to convince myself that, I really did, but… I just couldn’t handle being so helpless.

“Somewhere in my mind… I wanted to fight back. I want to have control over my life, even if it’s impossible in this state…” Lion looked down to his two hands, one still bandaged from a different escape attempt, “I know I’ll never get my old life back but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to thrive in this new one. I want… meaning, I think, to my existence. I want to keep going to see how much further I can go.”

That was really, genuinely corny coming from him. Lion had to suppress the urge to groan at the words that escaped his mouth, but there was no denying that those were his true feelings. He wanted to live, not just survive. He didn’t want to sit around and wait for help, he wanted to fight back with all his might and reclaim his own life. There were no heroic delusions nor suicidal tendencies; it was just him and his utter refusal to give up.

“Th- There. That’s my answer. Happy?” Lion immediately cut through the long silence, uncomfortable at Issei’s sapphire stare. He retreated back to his unfinished can of soda just to distract himself, both from his boyfriend and his own complicated feelings.

“Yer fascinating.”

“Okay?”

“So do ya, like, have any specific purpose for doing this?” asked Issei, genuine rather than sarcastic. “Don’t get me wrong, I get what yer mean. It’s nice that yer wanna fight back out of pure instinct. It’s just, well, how do I say this?”

Lion lowered his can, yet his gaze remained averted.

“What exactly is yer goal right now? Ya wanted to go outside, so here we are. But what happens now that we’re here? Do we just continue to roam the streets? Loot more convenience stores? Find our friends that may or may not be dead?”

“Didn’t you just give me shit for saying that?”

“Ya joked about it. There’s a difference,” Issei sighed. “My point is: just wanting to live isn’t enough. We need a concrete plan here.”

The white-haired sucked in a deep breath because no, he had never thought of any plans other than ‘go outside and see what’s going on’. That would keep him going for a couple weeks at most, but never for the long run.

“I- I don’t know…”

“God, yer pathetic,” Issei shook his head in disappointment, narrowed eyes staring daggers into his boyfriend’s already fragile ego. “Well, ya should be lucky that yer have me around—”

“Tch, whatever.”

“—to suggest a plan or two.”

“Well-” Lion was fully prepared to fire back, only to register what Issei had actually said, “wait, what?”

Issei, on the other hand, shrugged nonchalantly, “I may have a couple plans in mind.”

“…I’m listening.”

“Well, my first thought was to find radio station 82.5. Y’know, the one that went down three months ago?” he gave Lion a nudge to juggle his memory. “We could try to reactivate it and broadcast ourselves. Maybe someone out there would hear us.”

Lion nodded, slowly yet hesitantly, “But how do we get there?”

“Yeah, that’s the issue,” his boyfriend hummed. “The internet’s down and we don’t have any maps. And even if we do get there, neither of us know how to operate a radio station.”

“Then what’s the point?”

“Easy now, Tiger. I’m just throwin’ out ideas for now.”

Issei closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows - ‘entering the zone’, as he usually said. Lion couldn’t do much but observe, picking up on the tiniest details just to avoid thinking too much about what he’d just been called. That nickname… when was the last time Issei had called him that? And not to mention the way that word just so smoothly escaped his pale pink lips…

“Ya know where else we can go?”

“What?” Lion shook away the messy thoughts, pretending to have listened this whole time.

“Yer dad’s place,” the blue-haired pointed to the air. “Not the shelter, but the house he lives in. Yer should know where it is, right?”

“I do, but not how to get there from here,” Lion gestured to his surroundings. “I’ve never been to this part of town before.”

“But yer do remember how to get there from yer house,” Issei snapped his fingers. “We can just return to the shelter as the starting point and go from there. Yer still consistent with the markers?”

“Yes,” the white-haired turned to the nearby tree, already marked with blue paint. The two had been marking their paths every time they step foot out of the shelter, both as a way to not get lost and as a signal for fellow survivors - if there were even any. The zombies weren’t smart enough to track them down using those, anyway.

“Good. If we can get to yer dad’s place, we might be able to find out what his deal is. And maybe loot somethin’ from there too if it’s deserted.”

“You still have that ancient katana in mind?” asked Lion, barely containing his amusement.

“It’s been there long enough as a wall decor. Someone’s gotta make a real use out of it.”

And there he was, the Issei he knew and loved. The Issei who smiled cheekily with his eyes closed, his beauty mark lifted by the upward curve of his lips. The Issei who prided himself for his wit, even for something as small as fooling Jintaro. For a while it’d seemed like the light in his soul had been snuffed out by circumstances beyond his control, but this moment just proved that it had always remained and just needed the right source to reignite.

“Hm? What’s that smile on yer face?” Issei poked his boyfriend’s cheek. “Aren’t ya so impressed by my strategic skills?”

Lion didn’t bother hiding it any further, “That’s more like it.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he smirked. “I just like seeing you like this. Smart and confident, just like you used to be.”

“Ha ha,” replied Issei sarcastically, though the blush painted across his cheeks said otherwise.

“And seems like you finally have a purpose now.”

“It’s just one plan, not a purpose,” Issei quickly rebutted. “I’m mostly plannin’ as we go right now.”

“Better than nothing, I suppose.”

Issei wanted to refute, but nothing came through. It gave Lion a chance to elaborate further.

“Issei,” he started, enclosing his boyfriend’s whole hand with his own, “you’re the most brilliant person I know. You excel in everything, idol related or otherwise. Even now, in the middle of all this chaos, your quick thinking has helped us countless times. I want you to keep it going. I want you to thrive.”

The blue-haired felt his breath hitched, the pink on his cheeks deepening into red, “A- And yer point?”

“I want to live through this and I want you to live through it with me. You are my purpose, Issei. Perhaps the most important of all.”

“Lion…”

“I will fight for you. I will do anything to take back the lives we lost,” said Lion with much conviction. “Even though everything looks bleak right now, I still want to believe we have a chance. All I ask of you is your belief in us.”

His other hand then reached for Issei’s cheek, caressing the beauty mark under his right eye. “Will you trust me?”

Issei couldn’t say a thing. Not because he didn’t trust his boyfriend, obviously - he wouldn’t have made it this far if that were the case. Rather, he couldn’t believe how much Lion had trusted him, even when he no longer trusted himself to survive through this whole thing. Lion was so much stronger than he ever was, enough to carry the emotional burden for the both of them at once. And all Issei ever did was whine like a pathetic child.

He wanted to relieve that burden, to give back what he’d taken so selfishly from his beloved. Funny how the tables have turned now that Lion had become the more rational and patient of the two. Well, Issei wouldn’t want to fall behind so easily.

Maybe this would be his purpose from now on: to survive with Lion, no matter what it took.

“Fuck…”

“What…?”

“I can’t believe it came to this,” said Issei, between a mixture of laughs and sighs. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Come on, Issei.”

“Admit it, I am,” he gave his boyfriend a sad smile. “How could I have not noticed yer’ve been fightin’ our battles all by yerself? Now it got to the point where yer have to get me out of my funk when it should’ve been the other way around!”

“Okay, what’s your point-”

“But don’t ya worry, Issei-kun is back on his feet,” the blue-haired declared proudly. “From now on, I shall be cooperative. I will be the brains to yer brawn and we will survive together.”

“So you’re still gonna make me do all the fighting?”

“Of course. But this time I can strategize.”

Lion opened his mouth, intending to make a comeback, only for a snort to come out instead, “And there he goes again.”

It earned him a light punch in the bicep courtesy of Issei, whose cheeky smile soon turned sentimental as he said: “But seriously, thank yer for that. I couldn’t have done this without ya.”

“I couldn’t have gone this far without you, either.”

The blue-haired blushed. The three big words danced on his tongue for a bit, but alas it couldn’t wait any longer, “I love yer.”

Lion smiled. He’d never know when else would be the perfect time to say it back, so he answered without hesitation, “I love you, too.”

“Oh? Not actin’ all tsundere this time?”

“Shut up and get in here.”

The two leaned in for a kiss without a second thought. Hands enclosing each other’s faces, lips dancing around one another. They wasted no time indulging in the warmth of their beloved’s embrace, taking in the scent, the taste, everything and nothing at once. They kissed even when their bodies fell to the green grass below, when their hair, their clothes, their skin are smeared with dirt and dust all over. It didn’t matter, nothing else mattered except for each other. Two souls now bonded into one, inseparable until the end of time.

It was a moonless night, but that did nothing to detract from the romantic atmosphere they had. Issei and Lion eventually retreated back to the empty house, comfortably continuing with their session now that they were safely indoors. So deeply in love that they never once complained about the lack of mattresses, nor the chilly midnight breeze, not even the dreaded possibility of a zombie breaking in and killing them both.

The two fell asleep in each other’s arms, deeply and closely. Lion finally let himself relax for the night - if anything were to happen, at least the last thing he saw would be the peaceful face of his beloved.

__________

His eyelids moved for one second, and all of a sudden a beam of sunlight hit Issei’s eyes.

He squeezed them shut, his vision now swimming in orange and black. It took several bouts of rapid blinking for those sapphire orbs to get used to the sun, and with it his surroundings slowly took shape and form. Grey walls, partially blocked windows, cold hard floor - they confirmed two things:

One, he was still alive inside the abandoned house they made into a temporary shelter.

Two, Lion was no longer with him.

Issei jolted awake. Before he knew it he was already on his feet, heart beating so fast it almost made him dizzy. But his body forced itself to keep functioning, shaking all over as he dashed towards his bag of supplies.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, where is it???

By the time he managed to pull out his katana and hold it in position, footsteps sounded closeby. He unsheathed the weapon, its metal blade gleaming in sunlight, and slowly walked towards the door. There was a shadow peeking from under the wooden panel, with it came rattling noises that signified an attempt to enter.

Issei drew in a breath. Do not freeze. Do not hesitate. Strike while you can.

The door cracked itself open, and with that he leapt from the ground.

“OI!!”

Within one second, the door closed itself. Issei’s blade pierced cleanly through the wooden panel, though probably nothing else judging by the ease through which it went. But before he even had the chance to pull it back for another strike, the door forced itself open to reveal…

“Lion???”

“What the hell was that??” Lion looked between the pierced door and his boyfriend, equal parts confused and angry, “You could’ve killed me!!”

“Well ’m sorry I didn’t know ya were disappearin’ on me!” Issei yelled back, “Learn how to knock!”

Lion clicked his tongue. But there really was no time for early morning squabbles, much as he wanted to argue, “I prepared breakfast.”

“Canned bread and fruit?”

“What else is there?”

Once breakfast was done, the two set out for their original shelter. Guided by traces of blue they’d left behind, the trek thus far was going well.

“Maybe we should have some sort of code,” Issei started, changing the subject for the third time. “Like, a signal between us. That way we don’t accidentally kill each other.”

“Good idea,” Lion hummed.

“Any suggestions?”

Lion, admittedly, drew a blank in his mind, “I don’t know.”

“Not even a second to think, huh?” Issei sighed, “Why did I even ask?”

“Maybe you’d have better ideas, like you usually do.”

“Ya think complimenting my intelligence would convince me to do the thinkin’ myself, huh?” Issei pointed a finger at his boyfriend. “…‘Cause ya’d be right, I do have better ideas.”

Lion huffed, “Do the thinking, then.”

“I’m thinkin’ of a XlamV song. Maybe somethin’ with an easy beat but also recognizable,” Issei put on what Lion dubbed as a ‘focus face’: brows slightly furrowed, gaze stuck ahead, chin in between his thumb and index finger. “Aw, man. ’m startin’ to forget some of ’em.”

Lion could tell by the way Issei’s voice faltered, the way his hand lowered and his shoulders slumped, that he was genuinely upset by this. All his life’s effort gone within six months.

“How about ‘From Me’?” asked Lion, hoping to salvage things. “Our debut song. Pretty iconic if you ask me.”

“So like,” Issei clapped his hands together to the beat of its instrumental, the part immediately after the chorus where the whole group harmonized, “like this?”

“I think so, yeah,” Lion smiled. “It’s coming back for me now. Your voice was the clearest of all.”

“Okay, flirty guy~” replied Issei with a sly smile. “Didn’t know yer had it in ya.”

Lion let out a smirk in response, which then dropped immediately the moment he darted his eyes above Issei’s head.

“Behind you.”

The blue-haired turned around accordingly. Approaching them was a single zombie, slow and staggered in its movement. Retched noise escaped whatever was left of its throat, a pathetic attempt to scare two much larger and stronger humans.

“Issei.”

“I’ll handle it.”

Issei calmly approached the thing and, in a single move, unsheathed his sword and sliced it in two. Once the upper half had landed on the ground, he wasted no time piercing his blade clean through its skull, rendering its entire being motionless.

“Another one for me,” he pushed the zombie head off the blade with his foot. “How many do I have now?”

“Why the hell would I be keeping track?”

“For fun,” Issei shrugged. “Would be nice to have a body count, y’know?”

Lion rolled his eyes. Not even a step forward did he hear growling sounds from elsewhere, hand instinctively hovering above his gun as he kept watch.

“Lion?”

“Did you hear something?” he asked, listening in for more.

A zombie emerged from a bush. Another crept up from behind a building. Some managed to climb through chain link fences and unceremoniously flop to the ground, but that didn’t stop them from getting back up on their feet. One after another, surrounding all sides. All eyes were on the only two unaffected humans in town.

“Oh, great,” Issei pulled out his katana again. “This is gon’ take a while.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Lion loaded his handgun, racking the slide with a click. “Just clear out a path ahead and make a run for it. No need to kill all the zombies.”

“Got it.”

And off they went in their usual position: Issei hacking and slashing at the front and Lion opening fire at the back and to the sides. Like a master he was, the blue-haired sliced each of the zombie’s skull cleanly in half, guiding the blade with care so that their bodies fall neatly to the side. Lion meanwhile made headshot after headshot, with each one or more zombies dropped to the ground like a ragdoll. Within a few minutes their surroundings cleared up significantly, leaving enough room for the two to spread without getting into a fist fight with an undead creature.

But that didn’t mean Lion allowed himself to relax, not just yet. Sure, most of the zombies were just walking corpses - dumb, mindless creatures out for any signs of life in front of their questionably functioning eyes. Those were not the ones he was worried about; in fact, his ‘body count’ - as Issei put it - must’ve racked up to almost fifty by now.

It was the stealthy, deadly silent ones that were the real threat. The ones that approached without anyone noticing, footsteps barely making any sound. They could ambush people without effort, even in their usual slow, dumb zombie selves. Worse if one were already facing a full horde and had no time to look around for potential sneak attacks.

Like right now, when Lion turned back just in time to see a zombie approaching Issei.

“No!!”

He couldn’t just shoot directly; a few centimeters off and Issei would be the one with a bullet in his brain. He couldn’t just stand there and yell at Issei to turn around, either; the zombie would’ve gotten too close by then. So with a combination of adrenaline, rage, and the survival instincts of a starving animal, Lion lunged forward and shoved his boyfriend with all his strength.

Issei staggered for a good distance and fell to the ground, his sword thankfully dropping to his side and not impaling his abdomen. Perhaps Lion should’ve been more mindful of that, but now was not the time.

Because right now, his arm was the only thing blocking him and the rotting corpse trying to tear him apart. Lion hated getting close to these things, for their persistence compensated for their lack of strength tenfold. Once they had grabbed hold of something, their undead brain just couldn’t find a way to let go, not even when an flurry of bullets were flying through their chests.

Not wanting to waste any more of his ammo, Lion bent down and pinned the zombie onto the ground. With only a few seconds to act, he switched the gun to his free hand and shot the undead thing directly on the skull, blasting the slimy matter that made up its brain all over the concrete road. He didn’t even have time to wipe his hand, let alone get up, before another zombie came from nowhere and fell on top of him.

Then came another, and another, and soon enough the whole horde was pinning him down. Lion couldn’t breathe, lungs filled with the smell of rotten flesh if they weren’t already crushed. The impact of his fall released his grip on his handgun, now lost in the pile of bodies overwhelming him. Lavender-gray eyes stung all over, red veins decorating the whites of his eyes as tears blurred the zombies’ faces into a sickly green amalgamation. This was it, this might be the end of him.

Lion never thought he was going to die, or at least not like this. It should’ve been easy for him; he was far taller and stronger than those mindless corpses. But no matter how much of a physical advantage he had, there was and had always been one thing hindering him from slaughtering all these creatures in one go.

Fear. Even when it didn’t seem like it, he’d always feared dying. Especially in this apocalyptic world, where there was nothing beyond death other than reanimating into one of his killers. He was never an action hero nor a professional zombie hunter; he was an ordinary human, one with far too many regrets to say he had nothing to lose.

Those end-of-life thoughts didn’t get to last long, however. The horde crushing him soon felt lighter, and lighter, until his arms felt free enough to shove the two bodies on top of him away. And before he even got to readjust his vision, Lion felt a grip on his shirt - one far stronger and more, dare he say, alive - that pulled him up to his feet, followed by an ever so familiar voice:

“Lion! Yer okay??”

“I… uhh…”

“I’m getting yer out.”

And with that the person bolted, dragging a barely recovered Lion by the hand with him. His eyes focused on the dark blue as they slowly pick up their surroundings; the dark blue of his lover’s hair, strands flying against the wind as he ran for both of their lives. One hand firmly holding Lion’s own, the other held his weapon and slashed around non-stop. Any zombie on sight would have a katana run through its entire person, quickly and mercilessly. It was as though whatever heroic spirit that had been possessing him had gotten hold of Issei also, only that Issei was able to put a far, far better performance than he ever did.

They ran, and ran, and ran. Jumped through fences and small mounds of land, dashed across empty roads and barren fields. They ran even when the adrenaline wore off and their legs tire out, not stopping until they were absolutely sure they were safe. Just because this was far from the first time they’ve gotten this kind of close call didn’t mean it was any less terrifying.

Eventually the two reached an abandoned house, far and away from the horde that was targeting them. They managed to enter upon Issei’s third attempt of slamming his body against the door, internally grateful that the lock hadn’t been so well-maintained now that the compound was deserted. But that by itself posed the issue of keeping the zombies out, much to their displeasure.

“Oh my God,” Issei panted, balancing himself with his hands on his knees. “That… that was so close...”

“…”

“Next time… don’t shove me to the ground like that. I know yer tryin’ to save my ass back there but that ain’t gonna help.”

“…”

“Just… gimme a second,” Issei straightened up, taking in all the oxygen his lungs desperately needed. His heart grew calmer and calmer with each breath, allowing his surroundings to settle down and not spin around all over. He was still on his feet, Lion was still beside him. He was safe.

“We should barricade the door, and maybe move upstairs,” he continued, more coherently this time. “The zombies shouldn’t be able to climb as far as I…”

His voice trailed at the sight of Lion, whose back was facing him this whole time. Much as he wanted - encouraged, even - his boyfriend to calm down and fully process the whole ordeal, he could do it later when they were guaranteed to be safe.

“Look, we have to move now,” said Issei as he approached the guy. “Ya can spill yer guts la-”

“Stay back.”

Issei stopped dead on his tracks, “…What?”

Lion slowly turned around. He was holding tightly onto his right wrist, under which was the fabric of his sleeve tainted crimson. He rolled it up to reveal bloody lines moving across his forearm in a semi-circular motion - bite marks, to be exact.

“Hey…”

“Stay back,” Lion repeated, voice audibly trembling. “Get away from me.”

Issei’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, “No…”

“I’ll end it myself,” he let out a shaky breath, pulling his backup gun out from his backpack. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Lion, please-”

“You may leave now if you wish. I think it’s better if you do,” he lifted the gun to the side of his head. Muzzle touching his temple, hand already on the trigger. “I… I just want to thank you… for staying by my side…”

“No…”

“I love you.”

“NO!!”

Issei leapt forward with his katana on hand. Keeping the sheath firmly on its sharp blade, he struck Lion’s hand and sent the gun flying. The firearm fell onto the wooden floor and slid across the room, at just enough of a distance for neither of them to be able to reach it.

“OI-” Lion didn’t get to react when the sheathed blade struck him on the side of his jaw, causing him to stagger. Issei, now with a clear opening, held the sword with both hands and pinned his boyfriend to the ground, using all his might to hold on against the man far stronger than him.

“LET ME GO!!”

“NO!”

“You’re gonna… die…” Lion struggled to speak, understandably so with a sword on his throat. His attempts to push back the blade were rendered moot by the stinging pain in his bitten arm, not helped by his boyfriend’s equally valiant effort to hold him still.

“I…” Issei’s voice shook, “I can’t let this happen…”

Lion finally had the courage to look Issei in the eye, his heart aching at the watery sapphire that looked back, “There’s nothing else you can do… You have to let me go.”

“No…”

“Leave. Get out of here. Find your own purpose.”

“I can’t…”

“I believe in you,” Lion nodded. He was starting to get nauseous, his vision dancing as the world before him began to blur. Whether it was from his own tears or those from Issei falling onto his face, he would never know.

Mustering all the strength he had left in his system, Lion shoved the sword - and with it his beloved - away. Perfect time for him to get up and cough furiously, feeling some kind of substance travel up his throat as he did so. It eventually came out as a puddle of black mucus in the palm of his hand, unnatural and sickly like the corpse he was about to become.

He was definitely going to die.

“Lion…”

“Go…” said Lion with much difficulty, his voice now coming out hoarse. “Just let me… end it here… I don’t… wanna… become one of them…”

Black spots decorated his vision. He felt weak, so weak. His world began to spin, walls and furniture becoming nothing but lines meshed together. A chill ran across his spine and all of a sudden he felt so cold, even with all the layers and gear covering him from head to toe. He couldn’t go out like this, not as a zombie that would hurt other people. Not in front of Issei.

The gun. He needed his gun. If only he could just get his limbs to move and grab the damn firearm. He could only hope that the zombification process was slow enough for him to-

“Lion.”

A familiar voice called on him. A familiar touch lifted his chin. A familiar pair of eyes, deep sapphire that stood out against the blurry white of his view, stared at his own. He could feel warm breaths against the cold of his lips, so warm it was almost burning. The face in front of him became clearer and clearer as seconds went by, to the point where the tiniest detail - like the beauty mark underneath its right eye - could easily be spotted.

Wait-

Issei leaned in without a second thought, and just like that their lips touched. They fitted into each other like puzzle pieces, lost in the warmth of their breaths. Lion broke away only for Issei to pull him back in for another kiss, one much more intense and passionate than the first. The whole house was quiet save for wet smacking sounds, interlaced between which were light gasps and desperate whimpers. It was amazing, it felt amazing. Six months alone together and this was the first time their kisses felt so sweet.

But this was so, so wrong. It shouldn’t be happening like this, not when one of them was already dying from a zombie virus. The infection was supposed to be a death sentence for Lion and Lion only; but no, he had to drag his beloved with him to his grave. A kiss laced with poison yet tasted sweet like honey - Issei couldn’t have asked for a better way to go out.

Lion, forcing himself out of his stupor, pushed his boyfriend away. He heaved, half-lidded eyes widening more than they’d ever been. Across from him, Issei was breathing heavily also, lips and chin now stained with black mucus. And then he smiled, despite or perhaps because of what was to come.

“Issei..!” said Lion, his breath turning heavy. “What have you done?”

“I can’t do this,” Issei, his beloved, let out a teary laugh. “I can’t live on without ya.”

“No-”

“Yer are my purpose. My life, my light. I’m nothing without ya.”

From the back door behind Issei came a zombie. It walked straight into the glass frame like a pigeon, but that didn’t stop its dumb self from trying again repeatedly.

“Issei!”

“I love ya so much,” the blue-haired continued, ignoring the banging sounds behind this back. “I love ya. I love ya. I can’t imagine a future without yer.”

Out of sheer dumb luck, the zombie got its hand stuck in the sliding door handle, actually managing to open it in an attempt to wiggle itself free.

“Isse-” Lion coughed profusely once again. Fuck, fuck, FUCK!! ISSEI!!!

Issei didn’t seem to care any less, not even when the zombie was clearly reaching towards him. He was doomed the moment he saw that bite mark on Lion’s arm, when his one true love pulled out the gun and fully prepared to end his life. He was starting to feel nauseous, his stomach churned with the urge to throw up. Good, that meant the virus had already spread.

“Rrrruughhhh…” Lion tried to speak through the mucus in his throat. Even his last word had to be an incoherent mess.

“I love ya,” repeated Issei one last time. He remained still as the zombie got closer and closer, bracing himself to end it all.

BANG!

A deafening sound cut through the thick atmosphere of their shared grief. Issei toppled over from the shock, barely avoiding the now dead corpse dropping to the floor. He looked up to see Lion staring ahead, seemingly just as stunned as he was. And perhaps the most glaring of all: he didn’t have the gun with him.

If neither Lion nor Issei had made the shot, then who…?

From a distance came a familiar head of sky blue. Anyone could tell from the way he ran that this was a human, lanky and non-threatening despite the imposing rifle in his arms. And from that figure came a voice from the memories past, one of many that the duo thought they’d never get to hear again.

“My goodness, ISSEI?!”

The man in question finally turned around, eyes widening in disbelief, “Mio-kun…?”

“Oh my goodness, it’s really you!!” Mio yelled, panting as he got closer to his rival’s location. It allowed him to get a closer look and spot the other half of the duo, “And Lion, too!!”

“Lion?!” another voice sounded close by. The white-haired, once exhausted and barely lucid, was seemingly awakened by the familiar tone. No way…

The second person soon came to view, small yet mighty with his spiked baseball bat. In a single swing, he smashed cleanly through a zombie’s skull, precisely enough to not get any of its gross matter onto his person. The figure turned to the side and immediately his eyes met Lion’s, expressing the same amount of shock at each other’s presence.

“Kazu…”

“Lion! Issei!” the kid ran towards them, equal parts shocked and relieved. “Holy shit, you guys are alive!”

Was this some kind of divine intervention? A contrivance? Or was it all a dying dream? Lion couldn’t tell, not when his head was spinning and no longer able to distinguish truth from imagination. But whatever it was, all Lion could see were Kazu and Mio, both seemingly alive and well, approaching their respective rivals.

Which could not be a good thing.

“Stay back!!”

“Eh??”

“We’re both infected!” Lion raised his hand, showing the black mucus smeared all over his palm as proof, “Get out!”

Kazu stopped on his tracks, yet there was barely a twitch on his face. Hell, not even Mio seemed too pressed about it.

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”

Without a word, both teens calmly approached their rivals. Lion didn’t even get a chance to fight back, his stupid limbs far too weak to do so, when Kazu tilted his head to the side.

“Stop it! What are you-”

“Stay put.”

The boy jammed a cylinder-like device straight into his neck, the needle from which pierced through his flesh and sent searing pain across his muscles. Lion hissed, eyes sewn shut and near tears until the stinging pain - and with it the strange device - went away. Then slowly, his vision returned, his throat was cleared, and he could finally breathe again. He opened his eyes to see his rival Kazu in front of him, so close, so clear. The young teen now had a sharper look on his face, still fiery but in a more calm, controlled manner. The scar running across his right cheek and ending at his nose was a new addition, adding to his toughened up image. Lion wondered how many battles the kid had fought to be where he was right now.

“Hey,” said Kazu, breaking his rival out of his stupor, “can you hear me?”

Lion nodded wordlessly.

“Good. It’s gonna be okay,” he then turned to his teammate, “Everything good there, Mio?”

“Yep,” Mio raised a thumbs up, next to him a slightly less pale but nonetheless exhausted Issei.

“Wha…” Lion struggled to get the words out, “what… was that?”

“Oh, this?” Kazu raised the cylinder thing, “It’s the antidote.”

The older rival widened his eyes in shock, “What?”

“We’ve been developing a cure. Well, mostly Rey; the Kisumi Company seems to know a lot about this outbreak. They can already save infected humans who have yet to transform.”

A part of Lion still wasn’t fully convinced, “How do you know for sure?”

“I’ve been there,” the boy pulled the collar of his shirt, revealing bite marks on his neck and the base of his left shoulder. Quite a nasty scar with all the bruises and tainted veins surrounding each line, but it healed nonetheless.

Lion felt weak all of a sudden. He wasn’t repulsed by the scar, no; it was just that a wave of drowsiness suddenly hit him all at once. Kazu was thankfully fast enough to catch him before he hit the ground, lowering him gently down the cold wooden floor instead.

“You’re gonna feel a bit sleepy, and that’s okay,” said his rival, dragging his heavy body across the room in the process. “Just rest for now, we’ll take care of the rest.”

The voice of Mio echoed from somewhere in the room, “S- Sakuya, we found Issei and Lion.” A frantic voice - presumably Sakuya’s - sounded on the other end of his walkie talkie, to which Mio responded, “Th- They’re okay! They were infected but we got them the cure in time.” Another frantic reaction. “Yep, we need to…”

Lion couldn’t make out the rest of their communication, choosing instead to focus on his boyfriend right next to him. Issei. His Issei. His world and his purpose. If he weren’t so damn tired from the antidote, he would’ve jumped in to give this guy a hug.

So instead he opened his mouth to say: “Hey.”

Issei cracked one eye open, seemingly woken up by the voice of his beloved, “Hm?”

“Don’t ever do that again.”

Issei let out a grunt and said, “’m tired. Leave me alone.”

“Issei.”

“I mean it,” the blue-haired fought his fatigue to continue. “I mean it… when I said I can’t live without yer.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

“Says yer,” Issei huffed. “Let’s be real, Lion. Yer would’ve done the same too.”

“I…” Lion was about to protest, but then he gave it a thought. What would he have done if the roles had been reversed…?

“Y’know what, it doesn’t matter,” Issei cut through his line of thought. “We’re both survivin’ anyway. From now on, let’s just stay together no matter what.”

His hand managed to find his beloved’s, rough and chapped yet comforting all the same. Warmth spread throughout their bodies as their fingers touched, intertwining never to let go. Lion no longer cared if this was real or all in his dying mind; just the fact that he still got to be with Issei, his one true love, was enough to give him peace.

“Yeah, let’s stay together,” he replied with a smile, which remained as he drifted off to sleep.