Archive of Our Own

It had been maybe 3 months or so since the world turned on its head.

Sharpness can't really remember how everything went down. The only thing he remembers was running with his ex team-mate Judelow to a base the purple hybrid had originally made for a trap underground.

You could say a bunker of sorts.

The low hum of the night and screaming ringing in his ears, wet forest floor muddied his heels as he ran.

Jude panting while pulling Sharp by his wrist, holding on tight enough to not let him go but loose enough to trust Sharpness to follow him.

He can't remember when they got there, what they did or if they even said anything to each other. But it seems they've agreed subsidedly to work together in this mess. Even if it wasn't stated outloud.

“God Sharpness are you hearing this?” Judelow referred to the howling of the wind in the dimly lit forest around their base.

Sharpness snapped out of reminiscing remembering that they were out hunting for zombie hearts to use as bait to catch real food they could eat.

It was quite dangerous but considering Sharp would rather get mauled by the zombie attacking him then not be able to show off how cleanly he can move a sword. And the fact this forest basically was owned by Jude with the amount of traps he built in it before everything happened, they were perfectly fine.

“Yeah, it's pretty crazy sounding.” Sharp leant back on his heel while walking to stretch his back, the weight of his sword was getting to him.

“Something's off.” Judelow slowed his steps, stopping in his tracks. Long floppy purple ears flicked around in most directions.

Sharpness ceased his sloppy gait, careful to not disrupt whatever Jude heard that might put both their lives on the line.

He crept up behind Jude and placed a hand on his back. 

“What can you hear Bunny?” Sharpness lowly hummed near Judes ear.

Jude shot his hand up to the blonde's face as if to tell him to be quiet. 

Sharpness was surprised he hadn't been yelled at for touching Jude yet, but I guess he couldn't really make a lot of noise in case there actually was something and it gave away their location.

Jude unstiffened a little bit, his ears didn't fall down to his head though, as dumb as the blonde is he noticed Jude was still on edge.

“I think we should head back, just to be safe.” Judelow looked down at the satchel strapped to his work belt. Stained in redstone and mechanics oil from repairing traps constantly.

“We have enough bait to refill the traps tomorrow anyway, it's not a big deal.” Jude turned around and scrunched his face at Sharp for having his hand on his back.

“Okay, I'm not going to argue with the super sonic hearing grandmaster that he didn't actually hear anything.” Sharpness quickly picked up his feet to plot along next to the purple hybrid, his footsteps light and calculated as the leaves beneath him tore.

“I just heard something, okay? Something I haven't heard before, and I don't think it's friendly.” Jude had a cold tone as if it disturbed him deeply but was trying to hide it.

Sharp sneered. “Nothing I couldn't take, trust me Bunny I don't carry this around for nothing.” he wiggled slightly so his sword sheath clanked against his red trimmed armour.

“Oh I know Sharp, I've had my fair share of it. But it was different.. and you saying you didn't hear anything is freaking me out a bit.” He picked up his pace and bent down a little as if to hold himself.

“Dude are you okay? Like it couldn't have been that bad right? Did it whisper that you were bad at trapping or something.” Sharpness snickered to himself “If so I've got some stuff to say because only I'm allowed to say that.” 

Jude found Sharp at his side matching his pace, he purposely didn't meet the gaze the dumb blonde was offering so desperately for him to take.

“I- I don't want to talk about it while we're still out here. Let's just get to the base and I'll be.. Coherent about what I even heard.” He saw Sharp nod in his peripheral vision and let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding.

-------------------

Sharpness was sat on the bed at the base.

They had gotten back a little bit ago but after eating Jude had refused to talk and immediately shut himself in the so-called ‘study’ where he hyperfixates on trap blueprints and such.

Sharpness was bored, and wanted to know what was so bad Jude heard that they had to stop slashing zombies as if they were in a video game as cool main characters.

Sharp decided it had been enough time and he was going to pester the bunny for answers.

He knocked on the door and wiggled the handle, locked obviously.

“Juuuuuudeee. Can we talk? I want to know what happened.” Sharp pestered purposely trying to sound lighter in an annoying tone.

Sharp heard something fall and very quietly noticed a quick “Shit!” from Jude.

“I can hear you, you know. Come on, I'm bored and you won't tell me anything..” He trailed off letting go of the door handle.

“Go away Sharp, I can't talk to you right now.” He sounded guilty as if he wanted to talk to Sharp but for some reason couldn't? 

This is dumb he thought.

“Jude, I'm coming in whether you like it or not. I'm just giving you an option to open the door.” 

Sharpness hovered for a second, hearing a light pitter patter against the concrete on the other side of the door.

It came to a stop, he heard a sigh and the door clicked. 

Jude opened it, artificial light peering into the dark room bouncing off his purple hair. It was a mess, as if he had been running his hand through it frustrately and creating more and more knots as he did it rougher and rougher. 

His ears lazily flopped to the side of his head, equally as rough, fur in all directions and patches ripped out from wear in general.

“God you're a mess, I don't remember the zombies pretending to be a bad hairdresser.” Sharp gestured his hand to Judes hair, he was a little bit taller then Jude which made it easier to see the amount of damage.

Jude rolled his eyes, he sighed deciding if he wanted to slam the door in the blonde's face or not.

Sharp noticed and grabbed the side of the door and forced his way in, moving to a dusty leather couch behind the work bench. Sinking into the cold leather with no intention to move.

“Look if you don’t want to tell me it’s fine, but i think i should be aware if you are dead set on whatever it was being dangerous?”

“I, uh. Yeah, no you're right. I’m not really sure how to even describe what it was.” Jude paced around the room in front of Sharp nestled on the couch.

“What was it like zombie growls or was it as if you had a schizophrenic episode.” His eyes traced the bunny as he paced in circles like a bored dog.

“That! Exactly like that. I-it was like I had a voice talking to me but it was just in my head.. All though it sounded further away.?” He sounded mildly frantic, his pace slowing a little.

“Okay.. Well, do you remember what it said? Because it surely freaked you out a lot. I don’t think I've seen you this worked up since I blew up your base the first time.” The taller man chuckled to himself slightly.

Jude stopped and glared at Sharp, magenta eyes piercing right through the blonde. He shivered.

“Dude I don’t know. It sounded exactly like you..” He almost whispered it and turned away from Sharp to hover over the mess of a desk he had created. New blue print papers torn up scattered around the floor.
Jude pulled his hands to his face.

“So you think the zombies can mimic? Does that mean they can hear us from down here or do we just talk too much hunting.”

“You know what sharp, it doesn’t matter. Maybe let's just come up with a code so we know when we're actually talking to each other.”

Sharp nodded, thinking for a moment what they could make the code. 

“How about Sharplow? It's both our names combined weirdly surely a skinwalker wouldn't pick that up.” The blonde gleamed proudly at his suggestion.

Jude snickered, “Sharp you're such an idiot, that's the most guessable thing besides just saying ‘Code’ as the code-word!”

“Okay, fine. If you're so much better than me Bunny tell me what it's gonna be.” He sunk into the couch further with a huff.

“Hmm..” The shorter man brought his hand to his chin. 

At some point he'd turned around to face Sharp, he couldn't recall when. Why was sharps armour off anyway? 

He was in a tight black tank top with grey sweat pants, nothing extraordinary but it made judes thoughts skip for a moment. God what's he thinking? 

“Got anything yet bunny?” Sharp interrupted Judes extraterrestrial gaze that wasn't focused on anything but was pointed at him. The hybrid's foot tapped slightly against the floor as he thought.

“Huh, what? Oh right, sorry. Nothing worthwhile yet.” He slunk his posture down and slipped into the seat next to the blonde on the old two seater. It was a lot less comfortable than he remembers from sleeping on it when he spent too much time on blueprints and felt bad squeezing into the bedroom and waking his forced roommate up.

They unfortunately shared a bed as much as they denied it being awkward it was definitely ‘awkward’.

“What about green apple..?” Sharp mumbled as if he didn't mean for it to slip further than a thought.

“Nah dude that's lame, what's something that relates to us in particular..” Jude looked over to meet the dumbfounded blonde's gaze.

“What? Do you have something good?” He tilted his head playfully to mock the rabbit hoping he would start tapping his foot again, instead he just stared more intently at him. Freaky.

“...Uughh, I lost it.” He broke eye contact and decided the floor was better before he said something dumb. 

“You know what, let's just leave it. I’m sure something will come to us in the morning. I’m tired and I want to enclose myself in dirty linen.” Jude yawned and walked outside the room into another split off in the main room of the base.

The blonde yawned and followed after him, slinking straight into bed instead of meeting Jude in the bathroom brushing his teeth.

“You stink and your teeth are going to fall out, get in here-mm.” he heard the shorter man sneer behind toothpaste filling his mouth in the bathroom.

As much as sharp could lay here for eternity until the mattress broke a hole in the shape of him to the floor he groaned and got up.

Somehow Jude had changed to some pj pants and a loose t-shirt in a matter of two seconds.

He brushed his teeth standing next to Judelow, which was minorly awkward but also reminded him of the comfort and stability he felt for a brief moment when they were teammates.

The little times in the base when no one else was bothering them. Oh how guilty he feels, as much as jude seems to have let it go he feels horrible about it still. It never would've worked anyway he tells himself. 

Jude spat into the makeshift sink that was basically just a hole in a stone cube. 

Grabbing one of the water bottles they still had and taking a swig to rinse his mouth. 

Sharp tried to hear the slight bristle of the bunny moving but it was too quiet to hear with the noise of bristles against what feels like spears in his mouth.

“Maybe your teeth wouldn't be so sharp if you didn't act like a rabid animal without access to food. I swear, whenever we go to bed hungry all I can hear is your jaw like a hinge.” 

“Mmm..” The blonde hummed annoyedly as he followed the same ritual as Jude.

“Maybe if you didn't find yourself so close to my face lying in bed you wouldn't hear it so loudly.” The slight echo from the sword master's raised voice made him hyper-aware of his tone.

“Sharp you're a fricking brick! How am I supposed to get any room when you're sprawled over the bed like a broken bag of potatoes.” Jude wiggled his feet under the blanket desperately wanting to thump them angrily.

“Not my problem Bunny.” Sharpness snickered leaving the bathroom.

“Okay, ‘Princess’. You're lucky I put up with your shenanigans otherwise you'd be rotting next to a tree right now.

“Bit, morbid.” He stated coldly. Moving roughly into bed, lying facing Jude.

“..Sorry.” Jude exhaled and turned his face away to break the uncomfortably close breath reaching the tip of his nose.

The swords master mumbles something and wiggles himself deeper into the double bed.

He's really unaware of how much this bed can't fit him and the bunny without them touching, cue his knee hitting Jude in the shin.

“Owww! Sharp!” The shorter man sneered at the blonde who was melting into his pillow more.

“Shhh... Let me have this once.” He slides his arm over Jude trying to gently nudge him towards his chest.

Judelow lays there a bit bewildered by what he's watching.

The man who has caused him so much pain and loss is moe-ishly staring with his soft green eyes like a cat trying to do something it knows it's not supposed to but wants to anyway so badly; All because Sharp wants to cuddle him. 

Judes ears burn up a little, he writes off mentally his body temperature and decides to give in to the taller man. He would probably wake up with no blanket anyway, suppose it's better to overheat then get hypothermia and a grumpy blonde. Right?

“Mmm..” Sharp sung happily holding Jude tighter than the hybrid would like. 

His hand on his head intruding the knots in his hair he didn't fix and bracing judes back so he can't wiggle away.

“You're so annoying..” He murmurs defeatedly into the soft cotton of Sharpnesses shirt.

He waited for a response but one didn't come instead a little nip of air leaving the melted cat's nose told Jude all he needed to know, Sharpness had fallen asleep already. no way out of his grasp now, whatever.. He's pretty tired anyway.

-----------

Sharp woke up to Jude drooling on him, the once nice dry black singlet was now sopping wet in the spot where his head laid, leaving the blondes skin underneath moist. 

It wasn't the most pleasant way to wake up, with a purple fluffy ear inches from your eye and the other trying to enter your nose as a bunny clings to you drooling and has wrapped all his limbs around you. Sharp didn't mind though, as weird as it felt and was.. 

How on earth does he get out of bed?

His problem was solved very quickly when the hybrid lifted his head, drool still on his lip, staring right at him with confused magenta eyes.

“Morning sleepy.” The blonde groaned, morning voice playing with the normal high tone he speaks in.

“Ugh, god, sorry. That's foul.” Jude wiped his lip and looked down at the taller man's chest which was wet from his own spit.

You’d think the same person who makes your hand sting when you try to shove him would be a rock hard pillow, but considering the absolute puddle he had made in his sleep and the immediate energy he felt from just being awake says otherwise.

“Don’t worry. You’ll probably end up being the one to wash it anyway. Do you mind moving your leg-”

“OH- oh my god sorry I actually didn't notice. Dude that's so embarrassing, sorry.” Jude cut him off. Scrambling against Sharp, moving his arms to push off of him to wriggle out of the contraption he had trapped the swords master in with his limbs.

“Are you going to get mad if I get up right now.?” Sharp cautiously said, still holding his arm around Judes waist, when did that get there anyway?

The hybrid stared a bit too long at the blonde, trying to process what he said.

“I can stay a bit longer.” Sharp locked his grasp around Judelow a bit tighter as if to say he's not going anywhere.

“Sharp, sorry I- uh, you can get up if you want. I don't mind, okay?” The dumb bunny realising the implication he just gave off to Sharpness in the silence. 

Becoming more embarrassed and self conscious than before leant back away from the blonde a little. What's going on with him? The day hadn't even really started yet.

Jude stared at Sharp, his eyes mixing with confusion and another emotion he couldn't read, or maybe he just didn't want to.

“I’m going to get up then,” The taller man hesitantly lifted his arm, gesturing with his numb forearm for Jude to lift his head off of it.

The hybrid didn’t have anything he thought was necessary to say so he just nodded and rolled over giving the blonde a bit of privacy to get up. He felt awful and confused about what happened, why was he not bothered? Maybe it’s not meant to make sense. I mean we’re in a zombie apocalypse for gods sake what is he saying.

Sharpness found himself in the bathroom, throwing clothes around and trying his hardest to get a fat knot out of his golden locks. Swearing under his breath as it twinged his scalp.

He decided on a black long sleeve and his flexible black cargo pants. Grabbing Judes satchel full of the hearts off the night stand.

He had decided to let Jude rest today. He felt something was off after his freak out yesterday, so he was going to go out and place all the zombie hearts in the bait traps since they were running low on actually good food they could have. Be nice to smell something other than the dirty scent Jude carries with him, as weirdly comforting as it is, it's one of those things you can't really phase out no matter how hard you try. 

-----

Around the fifth trap or so, Sharpness heard a familiar voice coming from behind him.

Oh, it was Jude. He must've decided to come help. The blonde thought, perhaps more to see if he misses anything than to help.

“Hey Jude, did you bring the other hearts? I thought it’d be good to put two in some of the traps that are denser in the forest. Better luck and I think we collected more than the amount of traps we have.” He was kneeled down fiddling with the mechanism, very quiet footsteps approaching behind him.

“Heyyyyy, Sharpness..” Jude slurred, sounding closer than before.

“What’s up?” The swords master was a little confused, he wrote it off as being early in the morning for the bunny and continued trying to fix the part he probably broke.

“Can, C- can you, uh. Not look at me?” 

His tone was something Sharp couldn’t figure out, was he tired or scared? Confused or cautious?

“I mean, I can if you want Jude. I’m trying to fix this real quick, gimmie a second.” He decided to just talk to him normally, hoping to not make the hybrid self conscious in case this really was nothing.

“No-” Sharpness heard Jude swallow, how close was he? He couldn't feel any body heat or anything. Not even his dirty smell met the blondes senses.

“I mean, don't. Don't look at me.” Judelow's tone was cold.

Okay what the fuck, Sharp thought. 

He desperately wants to say that this isn't anything, but then again.. No this was nothing, it's fine. There's no reason for him to be so anxious right now. 

It’s just Jude, he didn't have the murderous intent in his tone like he usually does when a hatch is about to open below his feet. No manic laughing, no pity speeches. It was just Jude.

Screw it.’

Sharpness stood up and slowly turned around wiping his hands on his thick piece of armour padding his thigh.

Unfortunately, he was in fact met with Jude. He looked clean, his normal work wear and armour way less dirty than yesterday. His hair fully brushed of knots, ears springed on his head with no discomfort.

He stood there for a moment, staring at the shorter man seeing what’d he say or do in regards to the swords master disobeying what he asked.

“You really can’t just not look at me for 5 minutes can you.” His tone was harsh, he was completely still, the only part of him moving was his chest rising up and down breathing.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Sharpness shook a little from the chill in the air that just passed completely through him.

“I asked you to do ONE thing, Sharpness. You're such an idiot! Seriously, I think I’d be better teaming with a rock in this apocalypse! AT-least, I'd have something to punt at the zombies EFFECTIVELY.” His tone was stern, the only emotion behind was anger. 

Nothing playful about what he just said, did he really mean that?
Is this Judes way of deflecting last night? 

They’d done this sort of stuff before, as teammates when Jude didn't hate him for succumbing to the pressure that maybe didn't exist and ruining what they had. God he really is a dick isn’t he.

“I’m sorry.” Sharpness solemnly said looking down at his feet, his high pony-tail flopping to his shoulder flatly.

Jude didn’t say anything, he felt like he needed to leave. The blonde looked up and grabbed his things, brushing past the statue still standing hybrid and went to the next trap.

He went through a couple of them trying not to think about what happened, all he felt was the dread of guilt and he didn't want to base any of his actions off of it while he was still upset.

By the ninth or so trap it was broken beyond repair, which sucked because it would've been helpful for Jude to be here right now.

He heard a couple footsteps behind him, recognizing who it was immediately, the wire lining the inside of his throat resurfaced and choked him.

“Hey Sharp, I was trying to beat you here but I guess you're too quick.” Jude chuckled to himself, kneeling in front of the swords master pulling parts and tools off of his belt.

Sharp tried not to stare a hole into the back of his head, it failed.

“Did you change again.?” He noticed that Judes outfit was slightly different, the dirt from yesterday in the same spots as if it just reemerged.

“What? I wasn’t going to wear what I wore to bed outside. Waste of clean clothes.” He was still leaned over not a stutter in his hands as he fiddled with the metal.

“No, like, you were a lot cleaner before?” Sharpness tilted his head. 

Was the redstone getting to him or was he going insane?

“What?” Jude bent his head around to face sharpness. 

The confused look on his face made sharpness think he implied something wrong.

“Not like that, like..” He tapped his chin thinking of how to word this without sounding schizo.. It mildly clicked to him what could be happening right now. The anxiety was back.

“H- hey do, uh- Do you remember what you said to me an hour ago?” He stammered, his pulse heightening a bit.

“Hmmm, an hour ago? Sharp, are you okay? I only just got out here.” Jude stood up and turned to face the blonde, confusion and concern washing up on his doe-ish eyes.

“Oh god what the hell?” He panicked internally, trying to hide it. It didn't work as the bunny's hand was already cupping his face.

“What? What’s wrong, tell me what happened.” Judes tone was considerate, making Sharpness feel even more sick.

“I-i,” He swallowed and took a step forward to try and ground himself, Judes earthfilled scent entered his nose again.

“You came up to me and told me I was a shit teammate, and that i wasn’t doing something right, i dont even remember what you said you just-”

“Dude, Sharp that wasn’t me.” He let go of the taller man's cheek.
“One, maybe I would say that but not right now; And two, the comment on my clothes being cleaner when you ‘saw’ me the first time doesn't make sense, how could i wash everything and dry it in a couple hours?”

“I never said I could put pieces together okay..” He pouted.

“Don’t feel bad, exactly the feeling of dread and confusion is how I felt yesterday. It’s freaky, and it screws with your head. Badly.” He turned around and continued fiddling, how's he so good at this?

Judes calm tone made Sharpness feel a lot better. 

Okay, Jude didn't care he hung onto him like a baby last night, and he didn't think he was a shit teammate for the moment. He’s fine, perfectly fine. 

The swords master sighed out loud and knelt down next to the hybrid, making a comment about what Jude was doing just to get him to talk so he could zone out a bit.


“Shhhharrrrrpppnessss...” Jude waved a hand in his face.

“Mm.. Huh, what?” It seems he had zoned out so hard he almost fell asleep.

Jude chuckled and got up, dusting his hands off.

“Okay, well that's all fixed and lined. We’ve only got four more and then we're done with that.”

“Uurrrgh..” He pushed himself up off the ground, his pants damp from the morning dew on the forest floor. 

he lightly trailed behind the bunny, admiring his little hop at a more forward gait he accidentally did, his tail swaying as he bent around trees swiftly. It is really hard to admire someone as you're tripping over your feet to keep up with them.

“Strugling to keep up?” The hybrid giggled, slowing his pace to fall in line with the sword-master.

“Not at all, bunny.” He playfully hit Jude in the head with the back of his palm, pushing his feet up a little to get in front of him.

“Heeey!” He quickly caught up and returned the hit.

“I'll meet you there, unless you can actually keep uuuup!” He playfully teased taking off in front of sharpness, if it wasn't for his unique color he would've lost sight of him.

Sharpness had to stop burning a hole into Judes back to prove a point real quick. 

Is he forgetting what happened when he used to try to kill Jude? Only reason he'd get away is because of stamina and that's only a couple seconds short from being even. He's counted.

“Ahh! Sharpness, calm down!” Jude heard Sharps sword slice against the air, he had unsheathed it to have more movement in his heavy chestplate

“Run, rabbit. Run.” He laughed menacingly, sending a mild spike of adrenaline through Jude.

They ran for a bit longer, eventually reaching the clearance of where the next trap was, Jude lost his footing slightly as the dirt below him was actually mud and he slipped back a little. Sharpness coming in at about the same speed, in heels mind you. He stuck the landing and caught jude by the waist with one hand, careful not to slice the shorter man with the open blade.

“Woah there” He held Jude steady, putting his sword back onto his back in a clean motion.

“Ha, thanks. Saved my ass from the mud. Didn't realise.” Jude followed the guide of Sharpnesses hands to turn around, taking a step back off of the mud patch.

“Forgot you could actually out run me if you wanted to.. Got scared for a minute there.” He sheepishly pouted.

“I might be a dumb blonde but I can catch a rabbit. He has to be purple though.” He let his hands fall back to his sides, finger tips stinging from holding the warmth of Judes loose clothes.

“Oh shush,” He tried shoving the sword master as he walked away, obviously failing as he was an unmoving object. 

So weird he makes such a good pillow.

“Um, Jude?” Sharpness locked eyes with something in the distance. Yeah no the wire never left, the anxiety didn't subside and the bottomless pit of dread was back.

“Errrr, that's not good is it?” Jude stared right at it, it stared back with the same intensity. The shadowed figure looked like an exact silhouette of him.

“Quick, give me a code word.” The blonde mumbled behind him, noticing that the shadow had taken a couple steps forward. Creepy.

“Sharpness you don't need a code word I’m right here-” 

“Code word.” He was stern, this was needed to subside the little amount of panic that was about to reach the surface and end in him picking the rabbit up and running for life. 

“I- uh Sharplow, okay? Happy?” Jude spat out the first thing he thought, dumbest name ever by the way. 

“Y- yeah.” He swallowed hard. That did nothing at all to help him. 

Oh yeah let's have a safe word for when I stand on a railway track and a train steams towards me, surely it'll stop right?

You'd be dead wrong, obviously.

The figure is now about a tree away from them. Sharpnesses sword makes a return in his hand, not sure when that happened. 

His senses are completely heightened, prepared to take the role of predator in this fight that was foreshadowing its presence.

“What do we do ‘bout this?” The hybrid mummered to the taller man which he had found himself at the side of once more. He was a comfortable shield to stand and hide behind okay?

“We can run, we can talk. Ignore it, or attack it first.” He listed everything jude was already thinking.

“And what are you closest to doing?” Jude swivelled his head over to Sharp, in a menacing stance about to attack.

“Killing the problem out of my life.” He shrugged, tone stern and cocky.

“Nice healthy coping mechanism, I don't have a weapon to help.” The bunny stood there limp, regretting putting so much trust in if they got attacked sharpness would be able to solely defend them both.

“Bit dumb.” He shook his head, exhaled a little to mock the bunny's faith in him.

“I can probably take that right?” The shadowy figure of what they assume is a mimic, and not an actual clone of Jude, is standing still behind the tree piercing right through sharpness with its gaze.

“You'll probably get distracted by the decoy’s ass thinking it's me and get stabbed in the neck but sure.” He giggled like a little girl, maybe not the time to throw shots at the swordmaster but oh well.

“Only the real one can get me to be that careless.” He had a playful tone, still locked onto the figure readying his stance to make a move.

“Stay out my way.” He charged at the figure, it weaved outside the tree’s cover.

Sharpnesses sword hit the bark as a warning strike to the figure, large chunks sprayed off from how hard the blow was.

He was light on his feet, heels hovering above the earth digging in when he needed to pivot, it was actually quite sad how this thing was attempting to fight.

“Dude, it’s just running around the trees. Slash it or something!” Jude shouted from afar watching with a disgusted expression.

He upped his gait and caught the mimic in a bad spot, ripping right through it’s arm. 

It squealed deafeningly loud. If other zombies didn’t hear them in the surrounding area they don't clear regularly, then they do now.

Sharpness honestly felt bad, he knew it wasn’t actually Jude because the cute bunny was tapping his foot in his peripherals while he toyed with the uncomfortable clone.

Enough was enough, he swung his sword hitting it clean in the back, it fell forward hissing.

He felt no remorse, honestly it was a bit of an old grudge to drive a clean blow at Judelow and actually have it hit. God he’s fucked up.

“Wait, Sharpness!” The real Jude called out behind him, as he swung his leg over the decoy to pin it flat on the ground ready to drive his sword right through it for the kill.

“What, do you want me to let it bleed out?” He snickered, placing his hand on its head as it was thrashing.

“Surely we could get some information out of whatever it is since we have it cornered right?” He leant down next to the blonde.

“Cornered is an understatement, also I think this thing would have to be on steroids to be thinking anything about communication right now.” He points to the mimic clawing at the ground and kicking its feet in pure instinct.

“Ugh, good point.” He stood up, turning around and slowly moving away.

Sharpness let go of its head, grabbing his sword with both hands, driving it straight into the back of the mimic. Another blood curdling screech, Sharpness grimaced. He didn’t find any satisfaction in killing Judes body double, pity was all he felt.

The mimic went limp and sharpness stood up, he turned away as he pulled the blade out of the body. Heels digging into the earth as he shook his sword, tossing it onto the grass in front of him.

“Sorry I could've tried to preserve the clean clothes a bit better. A new pair would’ve been nice.” He caught up to the shorter man who was lurking near the next trap trying to find his satchel he threw in a panic. 

Jude side eyed him.

“What? I’m not saying the blood stained crinkled clothes don’t look good on you.” He pouted audibly.

“Whatever Sharpness.” He shook his head grinning. Excitedly scurrying away once he locked eyes with his bag.

The blonde caught the implication he accidentally made, as if the mimic actually adopted the exact of Judes physic.. Right? He felt heat rising to his ears a bit.

“Help me with this, would you. Your hands are already bloody.” He held the bag open for Sharpness to fiddle the bait out.

“Well that’s done, we've only got like five more to go. Should only take another hour.” Jude tugged the satchel from the blonde's grasp, dusting his knees off turning around to position where the next spot they had to go was.

“Not a problem,” He wandered over to his sword, most of the blood hadn’t stuck to the cold metal, seeping into the floor. He swooped it up and placed it back on his back. Noticing now that his long sleeve was soaked in the same liquid.

“Aw man, I’m all gross.” He turned around facing Jude looking sad at his soaked through shirt.

“Can you cope? The base isn’t anywhere on the way to where we need to head.” He pinched his nose bridge at the taller man.

“Look, I'd much rather toss it and just rely on my chestplate to stop any claws from reaching me, but I'm trying to be considerate to you.” He shrugged.

The bunny tapped his foot lightly, he clearly had a solution, unsure of what it was Sharpness assumed he was wearing an undershirt but didn’t want to share.

“Fuck, fine okay stop looking at me like a wet cat.” He pulled his purple hoodie off and threw it over his head, underneath laid a white tank top. 

Glaring at the sword master still looking at him, he caught the hint and turned around as if something really interesting had appeared behind him and was so much better than the shirtless bunny in front of him.

“Catch.” He heard the woosh of the hybrid's hoodie flying at him full force, he spun around catching it as it hit him in the chest.

“Thanks, bunny.” He unstrapped his chestplate quickly, ripping the skin tight wet shirt off of him and attempting to scrape the leftover mucus it left off of him with the dry parts.

He looked up when he threw his shirt over onto the mess of the corpse he had recreated just before, seeing Judelow staring at him with his hand resting on his chin covering half his face turned to the side.

He slunk the warm tank top over his head, bit tighter than he’d like but it still fit fine. Clipping his heaviest chestplate back together onto himself with ease.

“Where we headed?” He proudly trotted over to the still flustered shorter man.

“Follow me.” He pulled his satchel strap over his chest tighter, picking up a pace in a straight diagonal direction.

They’d been walking for ten minutes or so, in silence. Sharpness would be gazing at the barren nature around them and catch Jude staring at him. More at his missing shirt than his face though. 

“You know, that shirt is loose on me. You better not stain it.”

The blonde giggled at the comment of Jude noticing their slight clothing size differences. “I’ll try not to, I can’t promise it won't get caught in the cross fire if i do have to fend for both our lives though bunny.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He elbowed the blonde in the arm playfully.

---------

They’d finally reached the last trap after 20 minutes of walking probably, it was right on the edge of an old gravel road. 

Sharpness decided to peer around the trees as the hybrid was lining the final trap behind him.

“Woah Jude did you know this was here?” He called out, there was a massive cityscape with greying bricks covered in ivy and unidentified waste. The warm sun peered through the smashed windows, right through the buildings. 

Exactly what you’d picture a city to look like after it’d been through an outbreak of danger.

“Huh? What?” He heard quietly back from Jude beyond the foliage, realising he was probably yelling. He slithered back through towards where he was lurking.

“Did you know there was a massive city just across the trees here?” He gleamed at the hybrid, his tone giddy. He was excited at the thought of seeing something so cool, okay?

“What, no? How’d I not notice?” He followed Sharpness as he sprung through the piles of leaves that hadn’t rotted into the ground yet.

“Oh, wow. There actually is.” He held his hand up to block the sun from his eyes a little, it was a breathtaking sight he’d say that much.

“What, think I was lying bunny?” He shifted his weight, he wanted to have a look around so badly. Feeling the hybrid's magenta gaze brush over him almost sprinting straight for the place.

“Nuh, uh. No, we’re not going to explore that.” He shook his head.
Sharpness pouted heavily, trying to abuse Judes soft spot for how innocent he makes himself appear.

“Dude! Sharpness, that is so dumb. Do you know how many zombies are probably lurking in that city? I don’t even have a weapon!” 

“But, I do?”

Jude dragged his hand over his face. Look, it was cute that Sharpness thought he could genuinely fight off a pack of zombies by himself while protecting Jude, but there was no way he was letting the blonde make this dumb of a decision-

“I’ll just go check around the border okay? I’ll be safe.” He ran off of the tree border towards the city.

Jude sighed the hardest sigh possible. 

“Fucking idiot!” He muttered under his breath, he looked around for a second trying to find a stick or something to swing for some form of a stun. He found a pissy branch on one of the birch trees surrounding him, he jumped up and grabbed onto it pulling it off at the bend of the tree. Good enough.

Sharpnesses heart rate spiked, he was giggling like a little girl running up to this place. He decided to grab his sword out as he ran to hopefully not get jumped the second he gets a good look at the streets of this place. 

“Sharp!” He heard the bunny behind him yell, is that a tree branch in his hand?

Jude stopped just short of the sword master as he had reached an okay length to walk up to one of the buildings.

“Jude, it’s fine. It’s still bright out and we’ve got heaps of time until we really have to panic about the walk to the base.” He walked up to one of the windows, peering into the dark building. It wasn’t as trashed as he’d thought it would’ve been, almost like everyone just agreed to up and leave for a better life. What if this zombie stuff is actually a cult organisation?

“I know, but that doesn’t mean these apartments you're standing in front of aren’t going to be packed with problems.” He met himself at the blonde's side peering in the same window. Weird, everything was in okay condition.

“How badly do I get yelled at if I jump through this window?” He points at the window childishly opened eyed at the hybrid

“You're sleeping on the floor tonight.” He coldly said, disappointment filling his voice.

“Deal.” The taller man holds out his sword for Jude to take, he fumbles with the handle before Sharpness lets go. Not realising how heavy it is he almost cuts his own foot off.

“Careful, put it down if you can't hold it.” He swings his leg over to put his foot on the window cill, swiping off a bit of glass with the cuff of armour on his forearm careful not to cut himself.

“Can’t believe you're actually going through with this.” He scoffs, shaking his head laying the end of the sword across the crate while still holding it. 

Sharpness scoots himself to a seat on top of the window cill, launching himself down landing stiffly as he almost falls over on some loose paper.

“Pass me that, and I'll help you through.” He gestures his hand to his sword outside the window. Jude awkwardly fumbles with it and ultimately sharpness ends up leaning half his torso over the window again to grab it off him. Poor bunny.

“Can you move whatever you almost slipped on so I don't fall flat on my face?” Jude started climbing atop the crate, more swiftly he scooted to the window sill than Sharpness, dropping down in front of the taller man; Also almost falling into him as he didn't move the paper.

“Sowwy.” He pouted, moving his sword sheath's strap to now be around his waist.

“Huh, didn’t know that was versatile.” He shoved past Sharp, to a concrete staircase beyond a door frame.

“Dare to go up bunny?” He matched his pace lurking towards the entrance.

“Why else would I be here?” The hybrid peered around the doorway, flights of stairs with broken railing and covered in glass. Wow, that looks safe.

Sharpness looked up between the crack of the stairs going down and up, it looked as if it went on forever. Well he's going to find the end of it if he can help it.

He started stepping up the stairs, he assumed the worst of the debris would be on the lower floors.

“Careful, you're not in flat shoes if you put your heel on a bit of glass you're flying backwards into me.” Jude chuckled just behind the swords master, waiting two steps behind or watching where he steps to follow. 

“Worried about me? That's a first.” 

“I think ‘being considerate’ is a better word.” He huffed dodging the blonde’s pony tail about to smack him in the face.

“Whatever you say bunny.” He giggled, reaching the top of the first flight of stairs.

“Oh yo! Jude, there's a massive open floor.” He beamed giddily trotting into the assumed second floor.

“Oh?” Sharpness disappeared into the golden door frame just out of eye sight from his angle.

“Careful there's a massive hole in the floor.” Sharpness pointed to a gaping gap riddle away on the floor boards, straight drop to where they got in from. 

The golden sunlight hit the swordmaster as he pranced around the dust environment. Jude stuttered his internal monologue by accident.

“Are you sure we're not going to fall through the floor?” He stayed within the concrete stairway under the white door frame. It was a massive open area with what looked like actual wooden floors, hence the rotting holes.

“Probably, but it'll be me so you don't need to worry. “ He laughed disappearing into a corner Jude couldn't see.

“I'm still worried.” He gripped the door frame leaning in a little, his ears just short of hitting the top slightly leant back on his head.

“There's a hole in the ceiling, next floor is just a bunch of rooms.” He sighed, meeting Judes gaze again.

“Lame. Wanna skip the next floor then?” He stepped back so Sharpness could go first up the stairs.

“Yeah.”

They made their way up following the same step ritual, surprisingly the blonde was good at finding a path in unconventional awkward places.

Sharpness was right about it being less cluttered the further they went, the assumed fourth floor didn't have a lot of debris, only one hole spotted in the ceiling.

“Oh dude, the next floor has a pool table!” He turned around to the increasingly sceptical bunny.

“Do you know how to play pool? If everything's there we could probably sneak in a round..”

“One step ahead of you!” Sharpness rushed up the next part of the stairs, kicking the broken chunks of glass out the way as he went for Jude.

They both entered the next floor, it was about the same layout of the second floor. Open with a small stage holding the pool table, with the hole they looped through right at the left end of the table. 

“All the balls are already set up, are there any cues around?” He glanced to Jude buffing the end of a cue, he held it up like a spear and chucked it at sharpness, catching it with one hand blowing off the dust of the chalk.

“Ready to get beat, Princess?” He watched the hybrid buff the only other cue in sight, prancing proudly to the table in front of the sword master. 

“In your dreams Bunny.” He had to beat Judelow, even if it was just pool he needs his reputation back. He's been to stupid today, too many feelings in the air. He shifted his weight.

Jude struck the white ball into the centre, breaking the scattered array of colours around.

Trying not to let himself slip his left leg in the hole to the previous floor.

“Decent break.” Sharpness watched Jude go for a solid coloured ball lined directly into the far right diagonal hole.

He lined himself up, eye level with the stick. Much force when he struck. 

The yellow ball flew straight into the hole. He looked up and proudly gleamed at the blonde.

He mimicked clapping with his fingers to his palm, shrugging. Hopefully he actually get a go in this game.

“Did you want a pity shot or do I get to keep going until I fail?”

“Just go until you miss.” He leaned on the end of his cue that was touching the ground. Maybe it wasn't so bad getting his ass beat 8-0 if it meant watching Judes concentration and strength. Mostly just staring at his bicep if Sharpness was being honest.

Jude lapped around the table to avoid the hole, meeting the blonde's left side now.

“Scoot.” He pushed Sharp with his hip and started to line up with a blue ball. No hesitation hitting it into a horizontal pocket. It bounced off of the edge curve slightly just as it was about to cleanly roll in. 

“Damn it! Show me what you got blondy.” He smirked, sliding back. Now was Sharp's time.

He locked eyes with a really short distance shot 

to diagonal in the bottom right, he lined up sloppily across the table and hoped hitting it hard would make up from his suddenly shaking forearm. Apparently leaning over a whole table without bending his knees was something he had to work on.

“Dude you good?” The purple blur of judes ear was now in his peripheral.

“Awkward position.” He exhaled, striking the ball in the middle, sliding the cue through his finger. It rolled in cleanly.

“Nice.” He moved back, careful not to let the blonde step back onto him. 

“I would've had to be the unluckiest person alive for that to have missed.” He scoffed, going for a red ball that glowed just almost the same shade as his armour details in the sunlight.

It was a bit of a stretch, hoping he misses and just gets it closer so Jude can move more of the striped balls around a bit.

He hits it to the bottom left diagonal hole, unfortunately it goes straight in. 

The swordsmaster groaned annoyedly, looking around for anything else he could get in. 

Every one of his colours was blocked by one of Judes balls, he decided just to shoot the white ball into the hole.

“Giving me a go are you?” He took the white ball out of the side tray below the table.

“Special treatment.” He stiffly smiled, walking back to his original standing spot atop of the table facing the door to the stairwell.

They played for a bit longer, taking turns until they had one ball left each to get in before they could go for the eight ball. 

Sharpness was up first, after Jude had completely missed his last ball by a long shot.

“Don’t show off too much now.” Jude shifted his weight onto one leg, watching as the blonde lined up for a horizontal shot. 

He pulled his cue back and forth between his hand on the table, he slammed his stick hard.  Hesitating after he shot, the cue drove straight into the green felt of the table, ripping it clean down the middle.

“Oh man!” Jude was across from him at the table, he touched the rip as sharpness stood up.

“Sorry..” He pouted, how did he even manage that?

Jude dived over the table, using it to hold his torso up he reached for Sharpnesses ball. Throwing it into the pocket.

“I can fix it tomorrow if you help me, I've got carpenters glue that should work.”

The blonde sadly nodded, the eight ball was in a bad spot, the only way he would make this is if he still had the middle of the table. 

There was a small gap of non ripped material on the side he could bounce the eight ball off, kinda like the top two lines of a triangle.

“Reckon I can make this?” He glanced at the hybrid walking to the right top corner. He was tapping his foot as per usual, annoyed trying not to let it show. 

“I’ll start channeling Albert Einstein to possess you real quick.” Jude jokingly brang his fingers to his temples.

Sharpness laughed the cue falling out of his hand almost, there was no way he was making this. He hit the ball straight to the side of the bottom horizontal pocket. It bounced off as he wanted, and it missed- it rolled straight in? 

“Nice shot!” Judelow actually sounded happy for him, the taller man gleamed back.

“I had no hope that was actually going to work.” He shrugged, leaning the pool cue against the table and rubbing his hands together.

“Hope finds you when you believe the least.” His eyes were softer, his nose was a light shade of pink. Was he cold?

The blonde tilted his head as if to agree. Catching Jude throwing his cue at him again, lining it up next to his own.

“Wanna explore a bit more?” Making his way over to the stairwell doorway.

“Errrr..” The hybrid trotted to the window behind him, it was intensely more orange in the sky than before. “We probably have about an hour until we desperately need to sprint back, so.. Two more floors and we head down?”

He skipped a couple steps for the bunny to reach his side.

“You betcha fluffy ass!” He started jogging up the stairs.

“Hey! Don’t call me that.” The hybrid desperately chased Sharpness up the stairs, there was a lot less glass then down below them, the railing still couldn’t be trusted though.

Jude slammed his head into the back of the taller man's chestplate, Sharpness leaned forward and was alert at the top of the last flight of stairs.

Sharpness bringing his hand up to his face to gesture to be quiet. 

Ow, that hurt, he rubbed what felt like a red mark on his forehead.

The swords master saw through the corner of his eye a moving shade of ivy, ragged breathing caught both their attention, Judes ears sprung up from laying on his head from the sudden impact against Sharpnesses back.

Sharp felt the shorter man tug on his wrist, gesturing to sneak back down. He shook his head and unsealthed his sword. Pointing down to the floor they just came from for Jude to go down too, the hybrid refused and stood still.

He quietly lurked towards the doorway. A starved looking male zombie within the hallway of what they assumed was an apartment floor locked eyes with him, charging towards him. 

He waited a step, and struck across the zombie's chest. It fell straight down to his feet, he lifted his foot shaking his boot of the crimson liquid. Pouting at his now wet heel.

“Poor thing.” Jude squatted down and poked at the back of the figure's head.

“He was about to maul the shit out of us, but okay.” He laughed wearily, peering into one of the rooms past the fallen zombie. 

“Sharp, let's just go. There's probably more zombies above us if there’s one still so low here.” Jude stood up meeting Sharpness again, tilting his head to meet his emerald eyes.

“Yeah yeah, okay lets go Bunny.” The blonde squeezed past the hybrid to make his way down the 6 or so flights of stairs.

They slunk their way out the window cill they came through, this time Sharpness gave Jude a leg up to get out first. 

“That wasn’t so bad was it.” They matched their pace towards the wall of trees beyond the gravel road.

“I still would’ve appreciated a sword or bat.” He shrugged, holding his arms crossed.

“You could’ve borrowed my sword?” Sharp asked with real belief that was an okay option.

“One, I don’t know how you can swing that thing without breaking a sweat; And two, asking me to protect you with your sword when you're not even injured is just a way to get me to be running off pure adrenaline for no reason.” He scoffed, shivering a little.

“Okay, good point. I agree though, I can’t swing your sword for anything, it just feels like it’ll break.” He gestured with his hands snapping something.

“You will break my sword using it, your sword is just going to break me!” Jude exclaimed, making the blonde laugh genuinely.

“Maybe we should work on that then,” They passed the trap they lined about an hour or so ago. 

“You're not catching me dead training with you tomorrow.” He threw his head back a little.

“Aww, is Bunny tired?” Sharp said softly, with a teasing tone.

“Why do you call me that anyway, Sharpness?” The hybrid asked curiously. Is it the same reason he calls Sharp, Princess sometimes? To piss him off, although being called Bunny by the blonde doesn't make him angry. 

“Well you have bunny ears and a tail, and you stamp your foot when you're having complex emotions. Plus it’s cute.” He listed off a few traits Jude had kept from being a hybrid, looking at his shadow below him as he walked.

“Cute?” He annoyedly snared his lip at the taller man who was contently prancing next to him.

“I mean what I said.” He shrugged, tone soft and concise. 

This confused Judelow, was he calling Jude himself cute, or his traits cute? Did that mean he was cute regardless? 

Sharp giggled, watching the hybrids bewildered look as he plotted along.

“What are you laughing about?” He was frustrated at the blonde, wanting to ask what he meant without asking.

“Nothing.” He turned away suppressing a laugh with a smile instead, covering his face for a second.

“What?” Jude pestered hoping for more information on what the swords master was doing with this weird mindgame thing.

“You're so convinced there's a written answer for what I said, it’s funny to me.”

“Seriously, why are you being so vague, Sharpness? Am I missing something?” This is beginning to piss him off.

“You’re not meant to get it Bunny.” Sharpness's tone was implied without mocking Jude, even though he still took it as mocking him for being to stupid to understand.

“Do you find me cute or is it my traits?” He blurted out, hiding his face within the shadow of the cold forest floor looking down at his dirty sneakers.

“All of the above, you're a cute little purple bunny who cares about what I think. How could I not find you cute? I mean, you're also terrifying when you’re pissed beyond belief at me. But you're still adorable.” He was soft spoken, talking like it was a sacred topic. Jude hated the way it made him feel, heat rising to his ears.

Jude was annoyed, he didn’t want to be cute. It’s not like he can control that he has ears that react to noises, and a tail that bops when he walks. His foot tapping is suppressable, but it’s an easier cope than screaming.

“I’m sorry.” Sharpness caught the wafting rage from the hybrid, he pouted playfully.

Jude stayed quiet, deciding if he wanted to believe this was ill intent from the blonde or not. Today was stupid, he’s overwhelmed. Praying the sword master just lets this go and stays quiet for the rest of the walk home, he lifted his head to the sun seeping through the foliage. Bouncing off the red ribbon in the back of the blonde's high pony tail. God damnit.

-------

They’d just entered the doors of the base. Jude was still mildly annoyed, Sharpness felt the tension in the air.

He was exhausted, marching straight for their bathroom to change and hopefully find judes shirt unstained of the swords masters signature hue. 

They had a shiny piece of metal they hung up for a makeshift mirror, they'd found it from an old house they raided a while back.

He stared at himself for a moment. 

Had he come on too strong in the last day to Jude? Was he even implying what he wanted to imply? 

He dragged his hands along his face, digging his finger nails into his eyelids rubbing them. 

He unclipped his armour and threw it backwards onto an old chair in the bedroom. 

So far the white tank the hybrid lended him didn't look stained, until he took it off and turned it around. Finding a double dots of red below the base of where his sword holster once was. 

‘Shit..’ He thought, contemplating making it worse by attempting to fix it with water.

Before he could figure out how to cover his life, the owner of the shirt stumbled in behind him. Warm purple blurring with his dark figure in the metals reflection.

He turned to the side holding up the shirt for Jude to see, bracing for being yelled at.

“Hmm..?” The shorter man hummed, turning his head to see what Sharp was holding out to him. “Oh, that’s fine, don't worry.” He shook his head, taking the shirt out of the sword masters presenting grasp, throwing it onto the bed behind them instead.

“You sure? I’m sure that city has some form of clothing shop, I can probably find you a new one tomorrow.”

“Don’t I’d rather you not go die over getting me a shirt. I’m the dumb one for caring about white clothing in a freaking zombie apocalypse.” He scoffed, pouring some water onto his hand and scrubbing a spot of blood off his cheek. 

Sharp decided to not fight it, he took the ribbon out that was holding his pony tail. Blonde strands falling onto his bare shoulders, he had to cut his hair soon, it was getting a pain.

Even though it's been a couple months or so he assumed in this hell hole of a situation, they hadn’t really figured out the whole showering thing. Jude’s base had a shower, it used to be working since he’d used it once without him knowing. But, obviously water doesn't really work in a world wide shut down through taps anymore. 

They’d resulted to doing what homeless people do in public bathrooms, using semi fresh stream water they collected in plastic water bottles and wiping themselves down with towels. Not the most effective, or glamorous, but it was better than turning into a sink-hole victim.

Sharpness was wiping the dried blood off of his chest while Jude was swearing under his breath breaking bloodied strands of hair away from each other.

“You’re breaking the hell out of your hair.” He watched the hybrid's expression contemplate yelling, as Sharp almost dislocated his arm trying to wipe the middle of his back.

Jude spun around on his heel, standing there for a second. Stiff, chest blown out deciding what to say. He exhaled instead, offering the hair brush towards the sword master, shyly turning his head away.

Sharp grabbed the brush out of Judelow's hand, placing the towel on the stone bench beside them. 

Sharpness hesitated in front of the shorter man. 

Waiting for Jude to offer his head to the blonde so he didn't have to say anything, he didn’t lift or turn his head.. still facing the door.

Sharpness decided to be risky while the bunny was angry at him, and very cautiously reached for Judes chin. Softly tugging his head to face him, and to tilt it down.

He could see the bunny pouting angrily, his foot was indeed tapping against the cold concrete. Sharpness was gentle, more than he was with his own hair. He brushed through the tangled part in front of judes ears, he'd get to the back later.

Blood was lodged into the front forelock, the blonde hoped he could just brush it out and not have to convince the angry hybrid to let him wash his hair. As much as he wanted to.

Judes stance had seemed to unstiffen a bit, he looked a bit as if he was about to melt on to the floor.

“Did you want to sit, this might take me a bit.” The blonde softly spoke, only just could Jude hear it.

He let go off the hybrid's chin, lowering his hand that was attempting to not pull at his scalp.

By Sharpnesses surprise, Judelow sat down right where he was standing. Cross legged, Sharp met him on the cold tile, he could feel it through his pants he was yet to change. 

Jude was semi eye level with the sword master’s bare chest now, regretting his decision majorly.

The blonde leant over, straining his back mildly to reach Jude. 

He brushed and then combed his hair with his fingers. Repeating this all around where he could see until he had to deal with the blood he couldn't get out without ripping hair. 

“Two seconds.” Sharpness stood up, grabbing his damp towel he was using, flipping it around and putting a bit more water on it. Ringing it out over their makeshift sink. 

“It’s probably going to be cold, I'll try not to touch your skin.” He plopped back down where he was, the warm spot he left was still there thank goodness.

The blonde continued where he left off on Judes hair, he started by dampening the knotted and crusted lump beside his eye that was framing his face. Jude also needed to cut his hair, he could tell it was annoying him.

“You’re so gentle, for someone who used to bat me around so harshly..” Jude giggled slightly, his head moving and hair slipping out of Sharp grasp. He latched back onto it, smothering the dampest part over the worst area.

“I am sorry about that, we were rivals. You know how it gets.” He purposely was trying to be short, in case Sharp talking too much made this moment end quicker.

“Mmm, I mean I was the same. And now here you are fixing my hair after a hissy fit.” Sharpness moved to the only other spot which was just above Judes eye, he lifted it up off his head slightly so he didn't hit the hybrid. It came off in one swipe of the rag.

He reached for Judes chin again, pulling his head up slightly and turning it to the side. Judes eyes sporadically searched the blonde's face for falter. Bad habit he guessed. 

A warm smile appeared on Sharpness’s face. Going from Jude almost having a go at him and passive aggressively talking, to holding him without complaint felt nice.

“Did you need me to turn around?” He sounded sleepy, no way he’d be angry at the blonde now.

“Mmm, if you don’t mind. Too awkward otherwise.” He let go of his face. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to push having Jude lay over him just to reach the back of his head.

Jude nodded, standing up and sliding on his heel again. Sitting down as close as he could to the blondes crossed legs. 

Wow, didn't know it could actually get worse. It was genuinely like a pile of tangled string back here, except it wasn't stretchy, and pulling it would get you yelled at.

Sharpness accepted the challenge, deciding to start with wiping the blood off hopefully to make it easier to brush through.

His strategy worked, it only took what felt like ten minutes to fully make Judes hair run through-able with an open hand. 

The only thing left he desperately wanted to fix was Judes ears. 

He’d never managed to touch them properly, whenever he brought it up he got slashed the hell out of by a sword. Even last night hugging him as close as possible did not graze his ears once with his hands, most he got was the slimmest bit of hair to his eye and nostril.

He quietly sat there stroking the back of the shorter man's hair for a moment, he was very much in fact leaning towards the sword master's touch. 

“I’m all done, your ears are bloody but you can do that.” His hand fell from the hybrid's head, offering the damp towel to him.

“Don’t you want to touch my ears?” Jude sounded confused, and still extremely relaxed. He took the damp bloody towel Sharpness offered.

“I never said I didn't want to, I'm just not asking to do something you obviously don't enjoy the thought of, let alone the actual action.” He stood up, walking outside the bathroom to the cupboard they shared. 

Grabbing a low v neck black long sleeve, and laying out some pj pants on the bed. 

He wanted to pick out Judes clothes for him, but decided not to.

He noticed the hybrid had begun frustratedly rubbing his ears with the still damp towel.

“I can if you want me to, Bunny?” He sang out softly from around the doorframe, hairbrush still in hand.

Jude shook his head, he nodded and slunk back into the room. Changing his pants quickly while Jude was occupied. 

Not that it mattered, he’s had his armour broken and almost all his clothes slashed fully through on multiple occasions by Jude himself. It just felt, less, of whatever this whole aroma was.

“Am I clear?” Jude walked out, towel in hand. His ears were straightened stiff up on his head. 

Sharp had no idea he could actually move them fully like that, usually one of them flopped lower than the other regardless of the state.

“Looks fine to me.” He smiled sitting on the bed, picking up the previously thrown down brush and  combing through his own hair lightly. 

It wasn’t pin straight, but definitely wouldn’t class as wavy. More like, damaged but trying to ignore it.

Jude was pacing between the two cupboards that bordered the doorframe, one of them was actually just a shelf they stole from that same house that had the metal they used for the mirror. 

Ultimately he picked up the exact same loose t-shirt he wore last night and tracksuit pants, this time adding a hoodie and a long sleeve to the mix. Disappearing into the bathroom, closing the door.

It was quite cold in fact, Sharpness was just used to it in some weird way though. 

“Wish I had’ve picked up that book I saw in the apartments. I wouldn’t mind having something to read right now.” Jude emerged back out, changed. His non tangled hair fluffed up a lot making him look soft and cute. Sharpness felt red rise to his cheeks a little.

“Don’t you have all those books in the study you can pick from?” Sharpness stood up chucking the hairbrush into the bathroom, it was only plastic and flew straight onto the bench with a loud bang

He looped around the bed to ‘His side’ before Jude noticed he wasn’t actually on the floor tonight like he said he would be.

“Those are all manuals, this one was some fiction book. Don’t remember what actually, something about fields?” He sat on the bed and fiddled with a glass on his nightstand that was actually just a wooden table.

“Wow, sounds super interesting.” He laughed, sliding into bed. Facing Judes side again hoping he’d latch onto him again tonight so he could bask in the fluffiness of his hair he had created.

“Weren’t you supposed to be on the floor tonight.”  The hybrid remembered as he melted into bed further away then Sharpness wanted.

“Are you really going to be that mean to me Bunny? You ended up having fun and we were perfectly fine.”  He pouted, tone trying to sound sad while staying soft.

“I won't be mean, but also that's not the point. You need to listen to me, especially with this ‘mimic’ stuff going on.” He was cold but also playfully shook his arm that was out of the blanket at the word mimic.

“I know, I’m sorry.” The blonde solemnly hummed.

“You apologise a lot. Why?” Judelow had a genuinely curious tone. 

“I’m not sure, I feel guilty about basically everything I do. Probably part of it.” He didn’t sound like he was digging for attention, just honestly answering the bunny's question.

“I had no idea, you don't need to feel guilty, Sharpness. You're just being you..” He felt bad, did he make him feel that way? Guess Jude was learning about Sharpness tonight.

“Don’t be sad for me. I’m happy, if I wasn't I would be doing something different.” He smiled warmly, making Jude feel fuzzy inside. Could he get away with sleeping on the blonde again.. Probably not.

“If you say so.” Jude nuzzled his pillow in the absence of Sharp's touch. What’s wrong with him?

“Want to go back to that city tomorrow? Bring your sword, we can see if they have a book store.” Sharpness’s shoulder was outside the blanket as well, the tight black shirt really made him look more intimidating than the melted cat he actually was.

“And a clothing store.” He added. “I’m in. I love the atmosphere of stuff like that. I just want to feel like I've got my own back instead of just you having me.” Although he didn’t really doubt the blonde today in the moment when they saw the zombie, he just wanted to instill into Sharpness that he couldn’t leave Jude to solely rely on him for his wellbeing next time he goes off on a whim.

“Yeah I know, I shouldn't have actually let us go in there without you having something to fend off with.” He hesitated apologising again, Jude heard it.

“What did you even do with that stick you have for a moment?” The swords master recalled seeing Jude with a stick he could’ve used for a slight stun if he needed to at some point.

“It broke in my hand.. So I dropped it before you saw.” He exhaled, closing his eyes.

Sharp laughed at the embarrassed hybrid. The silence was comforting, the only noise being the rustle of the blanket when they both put their arms inside.

The blonde made a moue at the hybrid, hoping he’d come closer in the already small bed and let him hold him.

Jude wasn't holding eye contact, his gaze was laid upon the swords master's collar bone outside of his shirt's neck.

He waited, twisting his neck mildly leaning back on his hip.

After a short moment Judes magenta eyes met his emerald green ones.

“Urggh, you’re disobeying being on the floor and being clingy. How dare you.” He shuffled over, laying his head on sharpnesses offered arm. 

Smushing his cheek up to his chest, arm moving around to the blonde's upper torso. Sharp's arm also landed in the same spot on the hybrid, as much as he wanted to hold his waist he didn't want to push it. 

Jude tilted his head up at the blonde, laid so peacefully against his steady heartbeat.

“You're so cold.” He grunted pouting, leaning his head up into the nook of the taller man's neck.

“So are you.” He leant his chin on top of Judes head. Curling his arm that was underneath his neck around to hold his head, careful not to graze his ears that were flat backwards.

Sharpness took the risk of placing his other arm onto Judes waist, instead of complaining jude tugged him closer towards him. 

The hybrid hooked his leg around the blondes, returning his head down to his chest.

“So much for being shy, Bunny.” Sharp giggled against Judes cheek, pressing his hand deeper below the layers of his hair.

“Shhh..” He hummed, melting into him more.

“Goodnight Jude.” He brushed a bit of hair off the shorter man's forehead.

“ ‘Night Sharpness.” Words slurred against the blanket in his face.

------

Unfortunately his sleep didn't go as well as it did last night. Jude had woken up before the blonde, sweating his ass off under three layers of clothing.

Noticing he must've tossed in his sleep ending up with Sharp spooning him tightly.

There was really only one way he was getting out of this situation, which was to wiggle out of the taller man's grasp. This was no easy task, it seems he had left a massive red mark around Judes open stomach from hugging him like this all night. 

Jude felt redder than before on his cheeks, definitely was because of the heat.

He tried prying off Sharp's arm to start, his other one was flat so that was fine. Then it was untangling his knee that had Judes leg in a lock. 

The hybrid yanked at the blonde's hand, then he tried his forearm. He got it just slightly above his skin and then Sharpness held him tighter, hand sliding under his bunt up shirts mildly. God damnit!

The sword master's ‘flat’ arm under Judes head was now curled around with his palm to his forehead. How the hell did he manage to hold him in place so he couldn't move while fully unconscious? 

This clearly wasn’t going to work, his next option was to try and talk him awake. Otherwise it was time to kick and scream.

“Shaaarrrppnessss..” Jude tried softly singing, still stuck ragdolled facing their, the bathroom door.

“Sharpness.” He was louder this time, Sharp's head fell down to the back of his neck off of his pillow. Jude jumped a little, his cold nose digging into his spine. 

“Pain in my ass.. SHARPNESS!” He muttered then yelling, hoping it would provoke something in the blonde dead asleep like a paper weight on him.

“...No shouting.” He slurred, nuzzling into Judes neck more. God he wakes up with literally no physical cue at all. 

“I’m sorry, you wouldn't wake up.” He patted the blonde's hand around his head.

“Mmm, I’m too comfy.” How on earth was Sharp still freezing cold to the touch when he was making Jude blow up like a rubber hot-water bottle in a microwave at full blast.

“Can you loosen up a bit, I'm being choked here.” He groaned, wiggling and making his arm pressing on his lungs fall down back to his waist a bit. 

Sharpness squeezed onto him harder, it was very comforting but also made his ribs burn.

‘I’m having cuteness aggression. I can't let gooooo...” He hummed, taking control over the bunny’s movement again. 

Does he mind, Jude already knows he cant win in a physical fight like this against Sharpness but the strength gap being a constant reminder was getting to him.

“Five minutes and I'll let you go.” He loosened up completely, lifting his head to rub himself in Judes hair.

“You say that like I couldn't leave right now if I wanted to.” Jude lifted himself, propped up with his arm. Throwing himself down as he turned around to face the melted blonde.

Sharp opened his eyes, looking the most sleepy and relaxed he’d genuinely ever seen him. It made the hybrid laugh out loud.

“I don’t think you could melt into that pillow more if you tried.” He giggled moving the lock of hair over the taller man's eye.

He purred, pulling Judelow into him more. Jude pushed himself onto the blonde as well, when all of a sudden half the blonde had fallen out of the bed.

“Ack!” Sharp chirped, catching himself on the bed, landing onto his hip.

“Sorry! Oh my god! Are you okay?” Jude sat up panicked, leaning over in some attempt to help Sharpness.

“I didn’t realise I was that close to the edge of the bed.” He started laughing mid sentence, balancing himself. Arms over the bed stood up on his knees, he threw his head into the mattress.

Judelow started laughing as well, how on earth did he manage to push the swords master out of bed trying to rub up on him. 

They must’ve been equally embarrassed even though Sharpness was the one actually on the floor right now. Guess he did end up ‘sleeping’ on the floor, except he's awake and it was accidental.

Sharpness lifted his head, his cheeks were red from laughing. Hair falling onto his nose cutely, it made Judes heart flutter for a moment.

The hybrid leaned over brushing the hair off of Sharp's nose, skin brushing again.

“Why are you always so cold?” He moved over as the blonde stood up sitting on the bed cross legged.

“Am I?” He looked at the shorter man, his purple hair was still fluffy from brushing it last night, ears lazily bended forward.

Jude reached for the blonde's hand that was on his leg, grabbing it and intertwining his fingers.

“Can’t you feel it?” He murmured as Sharp adjusted their lodged fingers.

“I can feel how warm your hands are?” Jude tilted his head, lifting both their arms to press the back of Sharp’s hand to his own face.

“Mm, I feel it slightly.” He barely could tell what he was supposed to be feeling, more focused on the freckles upon Judes cheeks, the stinging warmth of his fingers intertwined with his own.

“I think the problem is your face is the same amount of cold as the rest of you is.” He pouted.

“Odd. Never knew I was just incapable of being warm to the touch.” Was that a bad thing?

Jude made a moue in response. Moving their hands back down, letting go. The taller man physically hesitated to let go, but complied. 

“Alright, ready to get ready for this expedition today?” Jude hopped out of bed, taking off his hoodie. Ears getting whiplash after getting stuck.

“More than ever, Bunny.” He sang giddily, he was really looking forward to this obscure hang out they had planned.

----

They’d made it all the way to the gravel road across from the abandoned city. 

They had bantered and Sharpness tried subtly flirting on the hour walk there. 

They’d gone another way this time to avoid disturbing what could have been there for them to hopefully eat around the traps. Speaking of food, they were officially out of the little bit they had left.

Meaning tonight they’d either have to try and hunt something on the way back or search the most likely traps to have caught something.

Judelow was used to forgetting to eat, he gets wrapped up in things he's doing and ends up going to bed without realising how much his stomach was trying to alert him audibly he was starving. 

Unfortunately being in a food scarce environment was sharps worst nightmare. 

He dreaded not having something to eat when he needed, and was feeling anxious after finding out before leaving what he had just consumed was the last of the non rationalable rations they had. 

Although it didn't really matter, as he wasn't dying right now and Jude was also aware of the missing food when they got back. Making him equally as responsible. 

This time approaching the city Judelow had a sword this time, and as many little pockets and bags he could fit on his belt and around him. 

He wore the same laid back fit as yesterday, light brown khaki pants. Missing the hoodie for a black long sleeve he’d roll up the arms if he got too hot. The sun unfortunately was blaring today, so he couldn’t conceal his figure that will probably distract the dumb blonde if they get jumped.

Sharpness had also thrown on the same pants and a grey tank top he found, he ditched most of his armour pieces today deciding on just keeping his lower and upper torso pieces, so he wouldn’t have his guts spill if he got caught in a shit spot and allowing a lot more mobility. Deciding to also carry his sword like jude today since it was bulky with his holder on his hip for quick draw yesterday.

He probably should've brought something to cover his bare skin on his arms, they didn't know how much climbing they'd have to do. But it was sharpness after all, the man would survive even if he wasn't supposed to.. In heels, of course.

“Well, where did you want to start?” He met up with the stopped hybrid lurking behind the building they snuck into yesterday. He was peering through the window to what looked like a main street.

“I don’t think we should just loiter around the most open parts, maybe we sneak into this diner and go from there.” He pointed over to an extremely dirty red looking retro bar. This must've been a semi small town or something? Maybe just older.

“Sounds good to me!” Sharpness trotted over to the back door of this diner that was facing the main street-ish. Careful to not hit himself in the leg with his open blade by his side.

He hit the door open with the toe of his shoe, the doorhandle was too rusty to touch.

The inside of the diner looked a lot more panicked leave and raided than the apartment-esc building beside it. No broken glass this time though, thank god. 

“Watch for black mold, it could have water from coffee machines and stuff.” Jude was just behind him as they entered the building. Wooden floors so he was watching for rotting holes to fall into.

“I doubt there would be any, light can get in from the front.” He saw the coffee machines in behind the front counter that the hybrid had assumed would be in here.

“Still.” The place was fairly small, Jude split off into the staff room or ‘kitchen’ that was connected to the main bar area, while Sharp weaved dotted tables and chairs all over the front open area. Big large windows that somehow weren't smashed in met him at the very front, the door was in fact completely broken off though. 

The street was quiet, the more trashed side of what you’d assume from an abandoned city street though. No zombies met his gaze just yet, though they seemed to like hiding around these parts. He noted to pay attention to his sides while they explored.

“Find anything?” He met Jude fiddling with the open metal of a hot dog roller in the backroom.

“Theres copper in these, I should come back and strip some for my traps.” The shorter man picked up his sword that was resting beside the counter. Pushing a bit of wire back into the open pocket.

“Not the worst idea.” Sharp shrugged, backing up outside the black doorframe.

“I probably won’t.” He laughed, following the swords master out into the main area.

“Theres what looks like an old grocery store just across the street here.” They found themselves at the front windows again, Sharp sporadically glancing around to the open doors.

“It looks big..” Jude noted, tapping his foot. There really wasn’t a better option unless they left the back of the diner and walked around the perimeter.

“Theres usually a lot of shelving, worst case if there's a hoard inside we can sneak through the diner again, or just bolt for the forest to your closest mass drop trap.

“Yeah okay, lets scope it out then.” They cautiously left the front door of the diner. 

Judelow hopped straight for the broken window of the supermarket, the front door was boarded up with wooden boards.

The blonde scoped down the streets with his eyes as much as he could, seeing one zombie huddled behind a really far away building, it promptly disappeared behind the wall without noticing them. 

“I just saw a zombie way far down to the left, just to let you know.” The hybrid had half his head inside the broken glass, his ears slung back to not hit the sharp spikes above him.

“Did it see us?” He locked eyes with a zombie in the first aisle to the right in the store, it kinda just.. Froze and stared at him.

“No but careful of mimics, remember our code word.” He leant down a little to confirm that Jude had frozen a zombie in place with just a glance.

“What on earth is that one doing?” Jude backed his head out of the window, not breaking his sight on it. 

“It’s like I scared him. I feel bad, Sharpness. Zombies actually were people at some point weren't they?” He actually sounded a bit sad, pouting and making a doe eye at the zombie showing all the body language signs of being nervous.

“Wow the murderous bunny actually feels some sympathy. Yes, unfortunately this was someone, but I doubt they actually realise that after turning.” The swords master wavered his sword to shine sunlight onto the zombies face.

“See from there? His eyes are red, he’ll feel nothing but an immense feeling to kill once we get closer.” He dropped his sword straight to his side again, Jude nodded, losing interest.

“Maybe we shouldn't go in there then.” He stood up straight, ears resuming back to their natural lazy state.

“I’d rather not know there's a zombie aware of our existence lurking in a very easy to kill spot.” The taller man glanced around them again, spotting the same zombie he saw before staring extremely creepily around the corner at them. These were on a new level it seemed.

“Kinda wish I had a sniper right now.” Judelow muttered, turning to see what the blonde was alert about.

“Oh, well that's not menacing at all.” He exhaled nervously, quickly glancing back to the zombie inside the store that had disappeared within two seconds.

“Okay well that one's also gone, what in the weeping angel is this?” 

“I want to go approach it. But I can tell something's not right here.” He lifted his sword playing with the light behind him to make the back of it glow, hoping to aggravate the figure to do something. Which it did, and started charging towards him. Weird, why were they so short sighted? 

He waited for the younger female zombie to meet where he was, hitting a clean blow to the neck and kicking its ankle down as it reached hitting distance. Blood spat flecks at his blonde forelock.

It’s not like they were any different than what sharpness was used to, it’s as if they were just more.. Wary?

“Well they seem normal, let's just go into this supermarket. We know at least one is in here.” Jude swivelled on his heel back to face the window as Sharp met his side again.

“Yeah, alright.” The hybrid slunk into the supermarket past the tight glass squeeze.

The taller man knew he was going to cut his arm up trying to fit through that, so he resorted to smashing in the other window next to it with his sword, which was safety glass and broke a doorway shaped hole for him to glide through. 

Jude was shifting on his feet watching Sharp decide to be extra and break himself a whole new entrance, he wasn’t surprised, nor impressed.

“Let’s not split in here, also this would be the place to watch for black mold.” He reached into his back pocket to pull out a flash light, shining it over the back fridges leaking cooler fluid.

“Mhm, I wonder if they have a forklift in the warehouse.” Judelow laughed, shaking his head at the sword master's genuine curiosity.

They wandered around for a bit, finding some old products they hadn't seen in a while, reminiscing about what their lives were like before the shit hit the fan.

Sharpness, again tried subtly flirting and getting shut down every time without realising it was probably on purpose from the bunny.

“Oh they have a freezer room, wanna check it out?” Jude double backed, stepping backwards peering into a dark cold room, leaking some form of liquid. They could still have alcohol he thought.

“Can we go to the warehouse first?” The blonde pouted, he had been trailing the hybrid this whole time, trying so hard not to nag to go to the one part he's been hanging to explore.

“It’ll take like two seconds Sharpness, we’re already here.” The shorter man slipped past the hanging plastic strips of the doorway. 

“Okay, well I’ll just meet you there.” Without a second thought the swords master spun around and started sprinting for the warehouse opening, sword steady by his side.

“What? God damnit Sharpness!” The silence was deafening, the slight click of the blonde’s heels had disappeared down into the darkness of the supermarket. He didn’t even have a flash light!

Jude rushed around flashing his light over all the shelves, they've gotta have something right? He felt the pressure of making sure the dumb blonde didn't hurt himself without anyone to cover his back.

Wait, why was he worried? It’s Sharpness that he’s scared of getting stuck by a zombie. Hell probably ten, it's not that he didn’t care for the blonde's well being but, he’d be dumb to say he wouldn’t cope without the bunny’s mediocre sword skills. Did he just call himself Bunny?

Sharpness was ecstatic, running towards the warehouse part. 

He’d oddly always wanted to see what was in the back of a place like this. He also wanted to find that zombie that had such a weird reaction to Jude and then just slipped away earlier. 

Reminding himself about mimics, slowing his pace to enter the dark part of the staff room to the left of the doorway.

‘I can’t see for shit..’ Maybe he should’ve stuck with Jude, this wasn't a bright moment. 

He’ll be fine, he can see in the room slightly because of an old red light coming off one of the industrial machines. That, and the light seeping in the cracks of the broken roller doors. 

“Ugh, Sharpness!” He heard Jude call out from around the corner.

“Yo, shine your flash light. I can't see what I'm stepping on.” The hybrid appeared in the doorframe of the staff room that overlooked the rest of the warehouse, smashed in windows? Couldn’t tell, too dark.

“I can’t, I lost it.” Sharp noticed the missing sword in his hand. Couldn’t be, right?

“How on earth did you lose it?” The shorter man entered the staff room, oddly lurking towards the blonde

“I-i, just lost it?” He sounded offended that sharp would even question it being missing.

“Your sword too?” God, he couldn’t tell if it was a hole or glass he was about to dig his heel into as he tried moving towards the doorframe that had, Jude lurking in front of it.

“Just, stand still.” Yeah no something was wrong, very wrong here. But what if he was wrong? He couldn’t just slash what looked and sounded like jude in the neck because he was acting weird. Could he? Sweep his legs out, maybe, pin him and ask for the code word. 

Without really being able to decide, he had found himself pinned up against the wall holding Jude?’s hand away from his neck.

“What the fuck man?” Quick, make a decision.

“Just let go, Sharpness. You're safe.” The figure's eyes had no reflection of him in its eyes, darker than Judes. It’s tone was cold, obviously trying it’s hardest to get a taste of the blondes neck.

He quickly swept it off its feet, he heard the hard bang of it splitting its skin on the glass on the floor. It screeted.

“Sharpness! Oh my god.” He held himself up almost planking, blood dripping from his head.

Oh god, did he get this wrong? No way right, say this is a part of its plan.

“Uh-, c- code word give me the code word.” He panicked, holding his sword tightly as his palms dampened.

“Sharplow you dipshit!” He seethed his teeth in pain.

Oh shit. 

“U- uh what, what do i do?” He hovered his hands over the hybrid, dropping his sword to his side.

“Help me up!” He grabbed the torso of the man and brang him to his knees, helping him with the assistance of a nearby work bench to get him standing.

“You're bleeding everywhere..” He brushed the hair off of Judes head, blood wetting his nose dripping to the floor. The shorter man lurched forward and grabbed sharpnesses shoulders, going in to bite his forearm. He kicked him in the stomach instinctively. 

“IDIOT!” He screamed at himself, how could he fall for something like that? 

What he actually hoped was the real Judelow was giddily carrying a box of booze and his flashlight as he illuminated the swords master driving his sword right through ‘his’ neck.

“Yikes dude! What did I miss,” He seethed, blood hitting his shoes a little. Turning his head away just as the blonde's sword impacted.

“Me being a stupid idiot. That’s all.” He was angry at himself, retracting his sword out of the twitching corpse that was pouring more crimson onto him.

“Get cornered did you?” He was hesitant of his tone, what could’ve possibly happened? Adjusting his grasp on the cardboard box pulling his shoulder, shifting his weight.

“These things aren't smart, I’m just gullible and I hesitated too long.” He kicked the figure and met Jude in front of the doorway, being able to see where he could step now.

“You’re not gullible, it’s really hard to tell the difference.” He tried making the blonde feel better, pouting a little as he looked into his emerald green eyes that were avoiding meeting his.

“It used the code word, just to let you know.” Jude exhaled, realising how Sharp must've felt. He probably hurt the figure, went in for the last blow and then it used the code word. He did tell the blonde it would be super guessable.

“Wanna make a new one?” He plotted along with the blonde as he wandered aimlessly around the warehouse space.

“Not now, I’ll just stick with you. Sorry.” He looked down at his feet, blood dripping off of his sword still.

Jude put his hand briefly on the taller man's shoulder, before walking away. He didn’t want to linger, he could tell now wasn’t a moment Sharpness wanted to be consumed in his touch.. For once.

“Oh look, they do have a fork lift.” He pointed looking back at the blonde, a yellow machine in the corner parked neatly. Chains tied around its tracks. 

“Shame we can’t just take it, no keys most likely.” Sharp trotted further up in front of the hybrid.

“What did you even want to use it for?” He laughed, as the blonde climbed up onto it to sit in the seat at the top.

“I just want to imagine I could be like those people in games when they get a random machine and just mow down hoards of zombies.” He gestured his arms as if to show a large landscape.

“Would be nice. I don’t even think we have hoards of zombies around here anymore.” Jude stated, why was that anyway?

Sharp jumped down, grabbing onto the cold metal of the roller door next to the machine.

“Reckon we could get this open?” The blonde squatted down trying to find a grip on the bottom of the door.

“How on earth are we doing to lift a metal door?” Jude met his side, Sharp had actually found a minor gap to stick his hand under.

“Maybe don’t cut your fingers off-” Jude grimaced as the swords master had both his hands helplessly underneath the massive roller door.

“Help me would you.” Jude threw his sword at his feet and grabbed the metal just next to the taller man's hands, pulling up as hard as he could.

Surprisingly the roller door actually started going up, and then it got harder, and harder until he lost his grip leaving all the weight of the door onto the poor blonde's arms.  He almost lost his balance but persevered.

“Grab our shit and go under.” Jude rushed to pick up the two swords, more like throwing Sharps underneath and carrying his own and the flash light ducking to go underneath. He’d ditched the box of booze a little bit ago, shoving two cans into his pocket.

“How are you gonna get under?” 

“Do you see a beam or anything you could grab?” Jude could only see the blonde's torso and below, fingers turning white as he was holding the door up. 

“Uhhh..” The hybrid locked eyes with a tall thick metal beam, he threw his stuff down and ran over to get it.

“Ive got a beam!” He dragged it against the concrete behind him, holding the top with both hands over his shoulder.

“Reckon you can lodge it under?” There was no way the beam would go sideways, it was shorter than the diagonal length of the whole door.

“Can you lift it up anymore?” He was gonna have to get sharp to lift it as high as the beam, which was a little bit above the blonde's head.

“That’s a bit of an order bunny. How much further.” Sharps palm was killing him, the underneath of this wasn't solid, it was two panels of metal and a gap in-between.

“..Above your head?” Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Sharpness pushed up as hard as he could, actually getting the door to eye level. He swivelled his hand around to give himself more chance to hold it once it was at the right level.

“Ready?” The swords master gave it one last shove, getting it to the height that the hybrid slid the beam straight up holding the door.

“Quick, before it falls or something.” Sharp let go and rushed through under the door. His palm was in fact bleeding.

He seethed and shook his left hand, blood splattered the grey concrete below.

“That doesn’t look good.” Jude grabbed his hand, a massive cut was down the middle of his palm from his thumb to the start of his pinky finger.

“I’m fine.” He pouted at the hybrid, he was actually in a lot of pain.

“You’re not,” Judelow held the blonde's left hand in place as he searched his pockets for a roll of gauze he bought.

It looks clean enough.. He’ll fix it when they get back. He let go of Sharp's hand for a second, unlodging the end of the roll. 

Sharp hovered while he struggled to find the end, once he did Jude grabbed the sword master's wrist and started wrapping it tight.

“Owwwiee..” Sharpness pouted, with how tight Jude put that on hurt more than the actual cut.

“The pressure will stop the bleeding.” Shoving the gauze back into his pocket.

Sharp hummed, Judes touch stinging around his wrist.

“Where to next, Bunny?” He leant down picking up his sword.

It was an interesting environment outside the supermarket's back warehouse door. 

Like a depressing concrete parking lot but it opened up to some random fences blocking off tall buildings and a bolted-shut gate to their right off to the main road.

“Reckon we could get on top of that office building? Good height to see what we could head to.” The hybrid pointed to their left across a metal fence was a quite tall building. Lots of windows, mostly smashed in but left untouched as the building grew.

“Good idea.” He was already dreading the amount of stairs they were about to climb.

Jude trotted over to the fence, turning off his flashlight and sliding it back to his work belt. Sliding his sword underneath he ran up and jumped onto the fence, hoisting himself up and over landing swiftly.

So how was he supposed to do that in heels, seems like a blunder in his ‘work’ attire.

“You could probably take your shoes off?” Jude flinched as the blonde jumped up grabbing the top of the wobbly fence, sword still in hand somehow. Serious Jude had no idea.

Following the same ritual jude had done just prior, without using his feet.

“That works.” Jude did a moue at the blonde, spinning on his heel eyeing a back door to the building that was right in front of them.

“They don’t call me Sharp for no reason.” He gleamed plotting along next to the shorter man.

“No, they really do.” Jude stepped up a singular step, wiggling the slightly rusty door handle that opened straight away with a wall of dust. He coughed internally.

“Aw.” Sharpness pouted, squeezing past the hybrid to get a scope of the building.

It was about the same open foyer you'd expect in a bank, which was weird since it was an office building. He noticed the doorway to the stairs in the corner of his eye, turning back to point at Judelow and then trotting towards it.

“Sure you don’t want to see if the elevators are working?” Jude double-taked a shining metal sliding door next to them.

“I hate elevators.” Sharp started marching up the stairs, fiddling with his swords handle between his fingers.

“Fair enough.” He nodded following after the blonde. 

Surprisingly the stairs were almost untouched minus the glass every now and then once they reached the floor checkpoints. 

They weren't going to bother looking around, it was just vast spaces with boxes holding computer set ups... now that Jude thought about it there's probably good materials to strip from that. Oh well.

“What if this doesn't go straight to the top?” They’d reached a rhythm in going up the flights of stairs after Jude had almost hit the shoe off of the blonde several times. Sharp thought they were almost half way by now.

“Well I thought we’d just go as high as possible and then use the windows.” Jude snuck a peek outside the window on a checkpoint floor in front, they were high up just not quite above seeing the top of the tall birch trees yet though.

“Yeah okay.” He nodded, almost tripping over his own foot. Hopefully neither of them fall because their swords are most likely flying right through them.

After a lot of silence and heavy breathing they'd made it to the top of the stairs. It was exactly the same floor as they’d seen below, just with nothing on it and a massive desk in the middle of the room.

The blonde's legs burnt so bad, he swung over to sit on the roller chair in the corner of the room and scooted over to the window. Jude met his side.

“Oh wow this place is actually massive.” The city scape was packed, a lot of buildings blocking their view but it was easier to see from up here that the ‘main’ street they’d found at the start was ten times smaller than half of the other roads around them right now. Spotting several zombies dotted around, one fighting the other.

“What are we hoping to find here?” Sharpness found himself looking at a three story building with a flat roof and a what looked once neon glowing sign at the front.

“Better alcohol.” Jude shrugged, finding the same building the blonde was looking at.

“Besides that.” Sharp shook his head, the hybrid obviously hadn't had a decent drink in a while and was giddy about the couple cans he stashed at the supermarket.

“Cool shit?” He’d still wanted to find a decent book.

“Okay, what building looks like it’d have that.” The swords master’s eyes left the shorter building, scanning over the whole landscape. Noting there were several oddly shaped roofs he couldn't see the full building of. Houses maybe?

“What about that block there, those buildings look fun.” Jude pointed over to a little square of shops, fancy street lights and bright shop fronts. He thought he saw a book store, a bar, and a toy store to name a few. 

“Looks promising.” He nodded, excited to see what they could find.

“Okay, well in a moment we can head back down and go there. Try and properly loot it and probably go home.”  Jude grimaced accidentally looking straight at the sun blaring at them, it was a little bit past just being above them. Time was getting on.

“We still have to go around traps for a second to see if we can find something to cook, unless we find something because we have nothing to eat.” Sharp panicked a little, reminding the hybrid of their lack of consumable material.

“What if we just get something through the supermarket on the way out? We should probably take the same path out that we did in.” Jude shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing ever since.

“Good point. Sounds ‘a plan.” He felt a bit better about their food situation.

Jude backed away from the blonde trying to figure out a path for them to take. Noticing a harmonica on the large desk in the middle of the room, picking it up and walking over to Sharp.

“Whats that?” The taller man spun on his office chair, leaning backwards mans-spreading. His high pony tail draped over the back of the chair.

“Harmonica. I know a little bit about how to play it.” The hybrid fiddled with the rectangle, trying to remember how to hold it properly.

“Go on then.” He was intrigued, since when did Jude care for learning how to play musical instruments?

Jude blew on one of the holes, which led to all the dust he didn't know was sitting in the instrument to fly at Sharpnesses face. He flinched, closing his eyes.

“Sorry!” The hybrid dropped his hands from his face quickly, throwing the harmonica down and brushing the dust coat off of the blonde's face. 

Sharpness started laughing, as Judelow cupped his face brushing the dust off of him. 

“How did you manage that?” He opened his eyes to the shorter man leant over him with a panicked expression. He was still giggling.

“I have no idea!” Jude laughed, kicking the harmonica on the floor. “Piece of shit.”

“Maybe the harmonica is supposed to choose you and you're not supposed to choose the harmonica.” He stood up off the chair leaning over to lift his bangs off his head and shaking the dust off like a dog.

“Whatever, ready to head down?” The hybrid lingered over to the stairwell.

“I have a rough idea of a path we can take.” Sharp met him at the stairs, pretty confident in his idea of where to go.

“I’ll follow your lead then.” Jude let Sharp go down the stairs first.

----

Following the blonde's lead was the worst idea that Jude had made. They’d gone in circles twice, and ended up walking in the wrong direction. It’s as if they could see where they needed to go above the fences but for some reason couldn’t actually get there.

“Dude, it’s been at least an hour and a bit. How the hell have we not gotten over there?” Jude stopped walking, standing in the middle of a side street.

“I have no idea, okay! I can’t figure it out, this is like a- a really mean optical illusion!” The swords master spun around, he was extremely frustrated and getting increasingly more stressed as the orange sun increased in hue.

It was about the same spot it was when they were here yesterday, the sun beaming through all the buildings and casting a massive shadow over where they actually were.

“It’s okay Sharp, let me have a go at trying to find a path. Did you want to try splitting up?” He tapped his foot lightly.

“Everytime we’ve done that it’s been a bad idea.” The blonde moued at the hybrid, really not wanting to leave his side.

“Yeah well, it’s gonna be a worse idea to wait until the sun goes down and then we really won't be able to find our way anywhere!” Jude was feeling the tension in the air, getting frustrated this wasn't working.

“Fine! Okay, I'll go this way. Meet back here or at the block when the sun is close to setting. Gives us about an hour or something.” He raised his voice, turning around and beginning to walk away.

“Okay, if we see ‘each other’ just don't hesitate. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell it’s actually me if I bump into you for some reason anyway!” The shorter man yelled after Sharpness.

“Don’t blame me!” The pouting cat stomped away.

God he felt like a dick, why'd he yell at Jude? Why'd the bunny want to split up anyway.. Was he sick of him? He'd tried his best. As faulty as it was. Whatever.

Sharpness plotted along this shorter winding street, his hand stinging underneath the bandages, sword pressing into it. 

He spotted about three zombies ahead of him, he darted to the side of a building. One had already seen him and started charging to the corner. 

The swords master simply held out his sword in front of him at the last minute and the zombie ran into it, he drove it right through and pulled back out eyeing where the next zombie had loidered too. Blood spraying over him again, he wiped his cheek.

The blonde stuck his head around the corner, the other zombies had noticed him from the squeal of the last zombies impact against his blade. One stuck behind while the other came to the same fate it’s friend just did.

Sharp didn’t even have to move, he just stood there as the other zombie tripped over its fellow corpses limbs. Flying down to add to the stack.

The swords master got bored of not moving his feet and quickly swerved charging at the zombie lingering behind, it started running desperately away. This must've been a mimic, they must watch from afar at first and then disappear to ‘transform’.

He caught up and threw his sword to a clean hit in the back of the zombies neck, blood spraying at the concrete wall next to it as it stumbled around eventually falling. Sharp bent down and drew his sword out cleanly, not getting more blood on him this time.

“Burtal.” He murmured turning his head to where he just came from. A flash of purple caught his eye. God damnit this was too soon, it must've been watching the hybrid and found its way over to Sharpness. How has he gotten all the mimics and Judes never gotten to feel the mix of emotions killing him as a mimic? It's honestly unfair.

“Hey Jude, c'mere!" He waved the mimic down, it was playing along. When it met his side he shoved it against the wall with a hard shove, holding it there with his hand on its chest. Charging up his sword arm to drive it right through.

“H- hey! Wait!” Sharp stuttered, waiting for a flash of anything in the figure's magenta eyes. Nothing. He drove the sword right through its chest next to his hand, now there was a lot of blood pouring towards him. 

The mimic fell forward landing its head onto sharpness, its ears brushed his chin. He pulled his sword out backing up before the head hit his feet. He couldn’t bring himself to kill his curiosity, it wasn’t even Jude for gods sake. Right ears, wrong person.

Sharpness felt sick, he felt icky like he’d just done something he would never want to. Even though he knew that wasn’t actually Jude it clawed at his heart mildly.

“Ack!” He pricked his head up, he heard Jude? Mimic fighting another zombie? Nah no way, they had totally just ended up a block apart. Sharp decided to slink down the side turn to another street just next to his crime scene he had created.

He wondered if the ‘mimics mimic’ eventually wore off of the corpses, or if it was an actual physical morphing thing they did. He wasn’t going to stick around to find out. Laughing internally at how many of Judes corpses they're going to pass on the way back out.

Unintentionally he had been leaving a blood trail from his shoe and sword dripping with the path he took, he’d made a couple turns still heading forward though. The block was slightly to his right as he went to the left of the cross road.

He took another right turn that had a forward turn right after. Turning the second corner he was met with a zombie right in his face.

Sharpness flinched backwards, almost flying his sword out his hand, the zombie was clacking at the air with his mouth. What on earth, it was missing an arm? He swung his blade straight into the side of the zombie. 

The blonde didn’t want to leave the zombie on the ground to bleed out and squirm but as it dropped he eyed about 5 more zombies locked onto him. Two saying back starring, the mimics, and the other three charging at full force at him. 

One was super quick, the other two struggled. The fastest one made Sharpness spin on his heel, the zombie slammed right into the concrete walls corner right next to him. Ouch.

This zombie seemed like the biggest threat, as the other two had started clawing at each other for some reason. One of the two presumed mimics had disappeared.

The swords master couldn’t retreat here, he gripped his sword with two hands above his head. The zombie broke off of the corner of the wall, face split down the middle. 

The blonde grimaced, kicking it in the stomach. It fell forward and he stabbed his sword as hard as he could right through its back, immediately retracting and slamming it into the side of the one armed zombie he didn’t notice had gotten up.

Two zombies down, four to go? He blinked, both the zombies that had been mauling each other disappeared. The assumed mimics had left too. Until he heard his own voice behind him.

“Looking for someone?” He spun around, holding his sword in a way he could contort himself quickly if something grabbed him from behind.

“Do you get my abilities along with the body? Or just my good looks.” The blonde wasn’t going to be a sitting duck, the fake had no armour like him and no sword. Just long finger nails and a spear that's actually a heel, that he also had.

“What do you mean?” The mimic was just standing still as Sharpness charged at it, did it think he would hesitate killing his exact replica? It’d be wrong, there was only one Sharpness and it was himself.

He slashed the sword at the chest of the mimic, it stood there and took the blow like a training dummy. Was this thing dumber than him?

It folded forward clutching its torso as if that wasn’t going to make the bleeding worse. “It’s futile, tell me how this works? How do you become someone else?”

“I am you.” It choked out, Sharpness drove his sword through its neck.

“Come out!” The swords master was fully convinced another mimic was going to appear, and he was right. Here came their little play, it was honestly cute. 

Judes mimic came around the corner in front of him further down, where he was eventually headed. The hybrid was attempting to ‘fight’ off the two zombies he saw fighting each other before. They dropped down really unrealistically after Judelow punched them. 

“Hey, Sharpness!” The figure waved him down. “Help me finish them with your sword?” 

Sharpness laughed out loud, smirking and trotting over to the zombies. 

He stood on the head of one of the zombies upon the ground, it started thrashing and he cut deep into its back. Keeping it alive, but not for long. He followed the same thing for the one next to him. The mimic watched with dark eyes.

“Don’t care about your friends?” Sharp flung the blood cleanly off his sword in the air, splatting against the dirty floor and trash near them.

“Don’t care about your own?” It stiffly tilted its head, tone manic.

“I’d say I do.” He shrugged, keeping a close eye on the purple figure, he didn't believe the tactic right now was for them to harm Sharpness. They wanted him to panic, to meet Jude at the end. Run aimlessly until he met what was probably a good to many for him to take all at once. They’re not smart, and the blonde wasn’t going to hesitate on what he knew he should do. 

He kicked the mimic's ankle in, it fell to his knees and he followed the same ritual he had for the last couple zombies. He felt dirty, but it was satisfying how he could kill a zombie with a foul sweep and a slice of his sword. 

The ones clawing at the ground until their fingers bled below him had stopped thrashing, did they realise they could’ve gotten up. Sharp laughed and took a moment, before plotting along around the corner. 

Again, it had been a couple more turns this time, he had only accidentally circled once back to the five corpses he had priorly assassinated due to a wrong left turn. He felt he was on track, and he was correct as a dark figure stood ominously in front of him on a longer road. Was this the final street? Sharp jerked his head ignoring the figure that had a glaring eye staring at him. Totally was. Unfortunately, he wasn’t to be reprieved yet. 

“What do you want?” He spread his feet in a fighting stance, sword steady still dripping now browning blood. The sun was dipping lower than before, not quite sunset but it was definitely extremely close to the time that he had set for the hybrid to return or meet him at the end.

“There’s nothing waiting for you in here. Turn around.” A zombie that could talk without being a mimic?

“You’re shit at keeping secrets, if there actually was nothing for me to find that's half decent here I wouldn't have to fight off your weird theatre act of a squad attack.” Sharp laughed to himself, he was so done with this. Who knew zombies were so desperate for a dumb blonde to actually be dumb.

The swords master spotted a small dagger behind the figure's back. He wasn’t going to panic, that would be his failure.

“Okay, maybe you're right. I don’t actually care though.” The sun was lighting up the side of the figure's face, he had jet black hair and a yellow crown. Couldn’t be right? 

“Are you mimicking Tai orrrrr..” Sharpness rushed as the figure was thinking, immediately knocking the knife out of its hands spotting a purple figure holding a sword just around the right corner of this wall. He sighed internally, Hopefully that was the ‘real’ Judelow.

“Dick head!” Tai screeched as Sharpness pinned him against the wall to their left.

“Hey Jude!” Sharpness called out, really trying to add his accent thicker than normal, the mimics seemed to struggle with it.

“What the hell? Is that Tai?” Jude was at his side immediately, seeming as though he had copped as much blood as Sharpness had on the way there.

“Nah, it’s totally a mimic. Look at his eyes.” The blonde roughly forced the figure's head up by its neck.

Jude moved his head until he could see the sun on it’s eyes. No reflection what so ever.

“I know that’s a fake but I can’t stand here and watch you kill him. I- i’ll meet you in there okay?”

“Okay Bunny.” Judelow had just passed off all the responsibility of killing their ‘friend’ they hadn’t seen since everything happened. Fun. Sharp felt sick, his throat itched with stomach acid bubbling up. He swallowed and stared at the figure too long.

“I’ll make this easy,” The figure sounded ashamed it stooped so low, its hands fell to its side and the blonde let him slip down to his knees.

“Appreciate it.” His tone was bitter sweet, two handedly swerved his sword right through the mimic. Sharp grimaced, fighting the taste at the back of his mouth. He grabbed the crown off its head and placed it onto his back. If mimics had to observe someone before transforming, did that mimic exist from right as the apocalypse started?

The swords master trotted off towards the bookstore he saw the hybrid slink into. He found him in the romance section.

“Find anything good?” The taller man startled Jude. 

“A- you scared me. Too many mimics.” He had a slight red tint dusting his cheeks when he turned towards the blonde.

“Finally get the experience of killing a mimic that acts exactly like your friend?” He jerked his head entitled.

“..Yeah. Not a fun one.” Regret laced his voice.

“Surprised your sword didn’t snap under the pressure, or did you just count on me bleeding out?” Sharpness took the hybrid's dripping sword for a moment, cleanly shaking off a splat of blood onto the carpet below them.

“I think they don't adopt anything but the overall outer appearance, because there were some where you were easy to kill and then there was one where I could barely cut your skin...” He trailed off, grabbing his swords handle back from Sharpness.

“Makes more sense, here I thought you were just easy to kill.” Judelow elbowed him in the side, he laughed picking up a book that looked mildly interesting.

Funnily enough it was in fact a zombie apocalypse book. “Oh hey, it’s a zombie slasher book.” Sharpness skim read the last page. Some cheesy ending about them kissing on a roof.

“Why would that be in this section?” He furrowed his brows, annoyed at the thought that someone had gone out of their way to place that in the wrong spot. Even though the whole city was abandoned around them.

“Probably because it's gay.” He flipped the book to the front, letting the weight of his sword stretch his shoulder.

“Dude dont say that.” the hybrid jerked his head back a little at Sharp's remark.

“No, like it literally has guys kissing on the front.” He tilted his wrist to Judelow who was lightly tapping his foot. He snatched it out his hand and flipped it around to read the blurb.

“Huh.” Jude slid it back onto the shelf.

“Hey, what if I wanted to read that?” He smirked involuntarily.

“You, reading? Sure.” The shorter man rolled his eyes, picking up a book of his own. 

Something about a sunset, he was covering the spine of the book with his hand so the blonde couldn’t see.

Sharpness squeezed behind the hybrid towards a desk that held a couple other books facing outwards. The cash register was open and on the floor, someone must've panicked leaving, or probably robbing the place. 

He glanced outside the window, the sun was setting? Sharp spun around with a shocked expression.

Jude caught it in the corner of his eye, “What?” He turned to see the bright orange hue seeping onto the blonde.. The sun was setting? Already?

“Uhh, that was quick.” Jude stopped tapping his foot.

“We must’ve taken too long getting here.” The taller man tapped his chin, even though they took a direct path at the end they spent so long wandering around in circles.

“We have like an hour and a half walk back!” He could hear the slight panic in the hybrid's voice.

“Do you have everything you want?” Surely they’d be fine if they left now, they got here at the same time so they could probably just follow Sharpnesse's bloody path and get back to near the supermarket in record time.

“Man I'm pissed, I wasn’t ready! We just got here, I was gonna do the pool table on the way back.” He stomped his foot annoyedly, pouting and picking up a book pile up that Sharp didn't notice.

“This sucks, how does a whole day just slip away like that.” Sharpness was disappointed, he was excited to explore this place and now they had to leave. He really couldn’t take anymore fights if they stuck around for it to turn night.

“Ugh, I don't know.” He slipped a couple books into his larger satchel. Hugging the other ones in his unused hand.

“Well we should probably go, we have to make it back to the supermarket and then we trek home.” The swords master huddled towards Judelow, leaning down and grabbing the flashlight off of his work belt quietly.

“It’ll be night by then, I don't think we should go in that forest. It's going to be packed.” The foot tapping returned, his ear cranned forward to match his emotions.

“What do we do then?” The blonde accidentally added a slight mocking tone to his voice. He thought it was a bad idea too, but he’d still do it.

“I don't know!” Jude lurched his shoulders forward a bit, raising his voice slightly as he was frustrated.

“Okay, well lets think.” He tried to make his posture as open as possible, the hybrid was about four seconds away from punching him until he found an answer.

“Where can we camp here for the night?” The shorter man sighed, pouting at the blonde helplessly.  Why was he acting so childish? This was nothing, but for some reason Sharpness being here just made him want the blonde to do everything for him.

“If we start going now we can get into the supermarket and get something to then go to ‘top of that office building we were in before?” Food was really the only thing Sharp cared about right now. Give him a couple hours and he’ll bite his own leg off.

“Wait, good idea actually. We can just block the stairs off with that massive desk.” He looked physically reprieved at the okay plan the swords master had conjured up in a record time.

“See, I’m smart when I need to be.. Mostly.” Jude laughed at him, spinning on his heel out the book store.

“Follow me. I promise I know the way this time.” The blonde slinked in front of the hybrid's path. Marching towards the first turn past the mimic's body, It hadn’t changed or anything, so it must be a permanent thing.

“I’m throwing hands if we take a wrong turn even once.” Judelow jerked his head and scoffed.

“Noted.” Sharp missed a step and almost fell forward. Maybe the bunny was right about his sword being heavy, it’d never really pulled so hard on him than it was right now.

The walk was relatively quiet, he could feel Jude radiating a nervous aura after the sun set completely. They’d just reached the opening to the back warehouse door of the supermarket.

Two zombies were in front of them and charged straight for Sharpness, he was ready fortunately. Jude on the other hand flinched to stand behind the Blonde as he slashed through two zombies chests cleanly.

“Take the right one,” The swords master kicked the first zombie down, it slammed into the second.

Jude ducked back out and slammed his sword through the neck of the zombie closest to him. Sharpness followed the same ritual with the other one right after.

“Sharp! The beam snapped.” He hovered his head up to see the hybrid standing in front of the once open metal door he had cut his hand open to lift. It was back down to the ground with only one half of the beam on this side.

“What the hell?” They both found themselves standing in front of the closed door. Jude readjusted his books he was holding under his arm back into his hand now, meanwhile Sharp couldn't keep the flashlight steady for the life of him.

A really loud zombie wail came from behind them further away, two more followed ‘responding’ to it.

Sharp flicked the flash light around, he could still see but it was easier to tell what stuff was when you didn't have to stare for 5 seconds. He found a door.

“Wait, door.” The blonde skipped over to the door, Jude following behind him. It was tucked in a corner next to a wall that was another shed door. Surely he could get it open right.

The door handle wasn't rusted, he put the flashlight below his chin and reached for the handle. It opened for him, leaving a zombie tumbling for him. 

He jerked sideways dodging it completely, it fell straight to the ground. Jude slashed its back.

“Come on,” The taller man picked the flashlight off of his feet, it fell when he moved so harshly to the side. It was just around the corner of where they were before, how did they not see this?

“This would’ve been helpful earlier.” The hybrid met his side again, ears pressed against his head. Sharp felt a tickle in his chest.

“Oh well, we know it's there now. What are we looking for?” They’d made it out into the opening doorframe of the supermarket.

“Long life stock, cans and things we can just eat without having to worry about anything else..” Sharp could tell they both really didn’t want to eat anything this rotting mess had to offer, but there was no other option at this rate for right now.

“Okay, wanna look down the aisles left to right?” The blonde spoke quickly, slurring words but still enough for the hybrid to understand him.

“Yeah, I'll start left.” Jude ran down the other way and sharpness entered the first aisle, he flashed his light. Nothing he could see, next one, nothing, after that? Still nothing, fourth one, nothing, fifth, looked promising enough to enter.

Drinks, bags of off goods, canned foods there. He lodged the flashlight between his teeth.

Two cans of spaghetti, and a can of soup. Great, anything else?

He felt a hand touch his shoulder. The swords master jumped out his skin.

“Oh my god!” The flashlight fell from his jaw, it was just Jude.

“S- sorry! I didn’t find anything..” The shorter man was out of breath from running, he held a packet of wooden utensils in his hand.

“No it’s fine, I've got three cans of something decent. See anything else?” Judelow bent down and picked up the flashlight, dusting it off with his pant leg. 

“Thats good enough, lets just get the fuck out of here.” He passed the flashlight to the blonde and picked up two cans off the shelf, putting them in separate pockets either side of his thigh. Thank god for mens pant pockets being able to fit a whole other person.

“Alright.” Sharpness nodded, they needed to go back through the way they came, back through the fence they’d jumped earlier but for some reason was now with a massive gap.

“Lead the way Bunny.” He took the books off the hybrid, trading the flashlight. His feet were absolutely killing him, all this endurance training was doing absolutely nothing right now.

Only met by one zombie that had walked outside the office building's door as they approached it, Sharp dealt with it fairly quickly.

“Argh! Not these god damn stairs again.” He whined, meeting the hybrid at the first flight of stairs inside the building.

“I’m not playing with that elevator right now, even if it works.” Judelow started powering up the stairs, presumed safety was so close.

“Screw that.” The blonde spat, he was so tired. His form going up the stairs would probably get him falling backwards and breaking his tailbone if he didn't have good footing from fighting without focusing on it.

Honestly he’d blacked out going up those stairs, his back hurt from leaning forward, his legs were shaking.

“One more thing Princess, then we're fine.” They’d reached the top floor where they were before. The chair and harmonica in the same spot. The desk, he had to help the hybrid push it and then he could rot into the floor boards.

Dark circles were forming around the shorter man's eyes, he looked a bit too long before throwing all his stuff down next to Judes. 

Sharp grabbed underneath the left side of the desk, they both lifted it up. His hand stung but he side stepped efficiently over to the stair well. They put it straight in front of the top stair, turning it on its side.

“Done.” Judelow sighed, slinking over to his stuff, throwing his satchel down.

The blonde saw a broken window near the corner of the room, walking over to grab his can and spork from the packet and residing to hang his legs over the ledge of the broken window. 

The hybrid met his side bringing the other cans with him, sword in the other hand. He stabbed the blade through the top of the cylinder. Sharp handed him his can.

“Didn’t think today would end with eating cold chunks of spaghetti and overlooking a pitch black city.” Jude laughed, taking a sporkful of his wet yet stuck-together ‘meal’. 

His legs were crossed but still sitting at a place he could let his feet hang like the blonde if he wanted.

“I don't know about you, but I think this was the best outcome from this.” Sharpness also took a horrible mouthful of the mush, anything was better than nothing.

“Yeah, fuck getting mauled instead.” He pulled out the two alcohol cans he had shoved in his pocket earlier, they were slightly warm from being up against him despite the fabric barrier.

“Want one?” The shorter man cracked the can open, offering his hand with the other to the swords master.

“I don’t drink.” Sharp waved his hand, looking out into the dark sky finding a couple stars glittering at him.

“Fair enough. Well I do so, more for me.” He laughed, taking a swig and placing it next to him. Letting his legs hang over the edge, when did he get so close to Sharp anyway.

“I feel like I let us down today, I'm sorry for that.” He put his can to the side and leant back on his arms, they shook a little under his weight.

Jude elbowed him in the side. “Dude Sharp, don’t worry. Us getting lost wasn’t your fault.”

“This whole day was a bit of a stuff-around. I hope you had a little fun, I did atleast.” The hybrid took another swig from the can next to him, chewing on more room temperature spaghetti.

"Of course I had fun Jude, I was with you.” He smiled warmly, not removing himself from the stars but sitting up again, hands in his lap hunched forward.

“Have you, uh-. Been flirting with me all day? Just wondering.” He was short, but a sweet tone was seeping through.

“Maybe a littleeee..” The blonde did a moue, turning his head towards the hybrid. 

Red glowing on his cheeks from his minor sip of drink he had. 

Maybe it was because of the cold breeze, or maybe it was his fault. 

God he looked cute, you’d think the darkness would hide his freckles, his little impurities. It’s as if the cold dark touch made them more visible. 

“Here I thought you were just bad at making jokes.” He scoffed, taking another sip of his mediocre drink.

He looked away, the bunny was squirming under his gaze.

“Well, bad at flirting and bad at jokes. It fits me.” He shrugged, biting onto his wooden spork next to him again. He couldn’t even taste the mush anymore.

“You’re good at a lot of things, you make me laugh so you can’t be that bad at jokes.”

“And I somehow make you flustered,” He met Judes gaze, he looked as if he could melt. Every inch of him was screaming for the blonde to grab him, his ears twitching and his little pout.

“Cold bunny?” Sharpness opened his arm up as if to offer his hold. The shorter man hesitated for a second before scooting to stick his side to the blondes, head falling to his shoulder.

“I think I'm going to fall asleep here.” He wiggled himself into the crook of sharps neck, he had lent down a little to allow it. Hand wrapped around his waist.

“You can if you want, but I'm gonna struggle catching you or myself off this ledge.”

“..You’ll manage.” His speech was sloppy, his warmth was stinging Sharpness.

“Wait, Bunny.” He slid his hand up to Judes head, brushing some knotty hair off his forehead. So much for his hard work.

“Mmm, I’m not actually going to fall asleep.. Maybe a little.” The hybrid cranned his neck up to look at the blonde.

Sharpnesses eyes couldn't be more lovey-dovey looking at him. His face grew warmer, but he didn't care. 

The taller man's other hand met the side of Judes face, cupping his cheek. Other hand finding the hybrid's thigh.

“Can I kiss you?” Jude was so close, his face's heat seeping through his bandaged hand. Soft cotton stained with his blood was gentle holding him in place.

Judelow nodded, his ears sprung forward on his head. Sharp leaned in, pulling his face to his. Split lips hitting his soft ones gently, purposely..

The bunny’s hand reached for his face as well, holding him there. Momentarily.

Sharp pulled back a little, the shorter man pulled his face back to his. He kissed him again on the lips, and then reached for his nose, landing finally on his forehead.

Judes hand fell from his face, sliding against his chest for a moment before he slammed his head back into the blonde's shoulder, forcefully removing his hand.

“You’re such a dick you know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” Sharp squeezed his thigh, moving his arm back around the shorter man's waist.

His hand slid back around to Judes head, still holding his back while combing gently through his hair. Finger almost brushing the base of the hybrid's ear.

“Can I touch?” He murmured softly, hovering just above his head.

“No.” He laughed to himself, nuzzling against the swords master's neck again.

“Aw.” Sharp whined, bringing his hand back down to his waist, tugging him closer.

Judelow inhaled sharply, exhaling long. “Fine, only if you kiss me again.” His head left the blonde's shoulder.

“More already?” A smirk met his face as Jude pressed his face against his again, this time it was a bit more messy. He could very slightly taste the drink he had been sipping on upon his lip. It was quicker, Jude pulled back first.

He pouted, melting into the hybrid's touch, “Go on, while I still think you're cute.”

Sharpnesses hand lifted to Judelow's head, he brushed the back of his finger against the soft mink fur of his ear. He squirmed a little under the blonde's touch.

“Ignore me.” His eyes darted down when sharp met his gaze again. He curled his fingers around the base of his ear. Jude leaned into his touch so much he could've made him lean over the ledge if he pulled his hand there.

“They’re so soft..” He sung gently, moving up further on his ear. Thumb curling into the softer inside part of Judes ear. He noticed the hybrid looking at him again, the redness of his cheeks had spread across his whole face.

The blonde let go, meeting the shorter man's gaze again.

“Don’t get used to it.” His head met the crack of the swords master's neck again.

“Thanks Bunny.” It meant a lot to him that he’d finally let him touch his ears, as much as it was something so small on the surface he’d known jude for so long and been this close to him before and never had a consenting opportunity to feel them. 

A good bit of his curiosity was checked off about the bunny tonight, what his lips felt like against his, and how soft his ears were.

He felt a cold wet substance hit his shoulder, Jude was in fact asleep. While still hanging himself over a ledge.

“Bunny,” He petted his head in hopes to wake him up. 

He groaned, “I wanna sleeeep..” 

“You can sleep on me, let's just get away from the ledge?”

“Fiiiine..” They pulled their legs back from the ledge, careful not to knock their unfinished mush and Judes open cans, wandering over to the middle of the room near their stuff.

Jude laid down literally in the middle of the room, Sharp sat down next to him transitioning to laying. Finding the hybrid's head on his chest before he could decide if he even wanted to lay on his back.

He curled his arm around the hybrid, holding his neck up and supporting his back holding onto his mid torso. Bringing his other hand to a makeshift pillow behind his head. Noticing the shorter man didn’t move his ears to his head, they rested naturally against his chest, touching his neck slightly.

“ ‘Night Bunny.” He closed his eyes, feeling Judes heartbeat against his own.

“Love you Princess.” His lip brushed him in the chest as he murmured, almost letting his voice go quiet.

“Aww you love me?” He softly sang, opening his eyes to look at the melted bunny upon him.

“Say it back dipshit.” Warm annoyance coated his tone, hiding the gentle words.

“I love you Jude.” It felt so good to say outloud, holding him.  He felt like he’d made up for their past. Like it was literally just them and nothing else mattered for the rest of eternity.

“Needs work.” He felt the hybrids smile creep up, exhaling as a short laugh.

“Heey..” Judelow was most definitely asleep on him right now. And he was about to follow the same fate. 

Acknowledging the warmth seeping onto him for one more moment, before letting himself drift to sleep. What a day.