#ransand

Absently smacking his baseball bat into a small piece of rubble, Jeminye knocked it away as he strolled through the abandoned morning streets. Clothes dirty and torn, appearance rugged, he let out a soft sigh as he looked up to the dim, grey, cloudy sky.

"Tch... Looks like it's gonna rain later..." he said to no one, expression sour as he stuffed one hand into his pocket. He put the bat onto his shoulder, continuing to amble through the city. "Better get supplies now, then hole up."

It was a normal day, which was sad enough in itself.

It was 6 months after a virus spread throughout the city, contaminating nearly everyone, turning them into monsters. Creatures not recognizable as humans anymore. Those who stayed or were left behind were attacked, and soon became the very terror they had been killed by.

Somehow, Jeminye had survived.

He had been denied access to an escaping helicopter and, soon, he was all alone. If there had been any survivors in the city, there weren't now. He knew the area, now, like the back of his hand. Never once had he encountered another human, non-infected being.

Why he continued to fight for survival, he wasn't sure. He was stubborn, after all. Perhaps, that was the only reason.

Entering the store, he looked about and listened-- but nothing stirred aside from the bell that signaled he was there. He waited and, once he deemed the coast clear, begun to gather food and supplies.

Those things often came out while it was damp and dark. He had to be fast.

Shoving the last of what he needed, he hoisted his backpack up and onto his shoulders. He begun to turn around to leave when the bell, once more, rang.

He froze.

Slowly craning his head, he gripped his bat tightly as he saw the creature lurking towards him. Mouth gaping, eyes empty, body desiccated, letting out a low, menacing guttural cry.

"Great, just what I needed..." he growled to himself, narrowing his eyes. "I just washed these clothes, you know!" He darted forward, swinging the bat roughly into its head, but missed and instead landed the hit on its neck.

It stumbled back and let out another screech before it lunged for him, slashing his forearm with scraggly nails and bone.

"You fucker-- die and stay dead!" He smacked it again, this time hitting its head, the bat cracking slightly under the sheer force, and staggered backwards. The creature fell, limp to the ground, and remained motionless.

Painting, Jeminye watched it for a moment before quickly sprinting out of the store and taking cover in a nearby building. 

"Fucker got me good..." He hissed to himself, checking his arm with a wince. "Christ, that's gonna need stitches... Why couldn't I have been a doctor instead of an actor, tch...." 

Grabbing bandages and antiseptic from his backpack, he attempted to clean the wound. Continuing to growl curses to himself, he almost didn't hear the noise of movement.

He stopped dead, and looked up and around. 'I heard something... Shit, did one of them follow me?' He quickly bandaged his arm before grabbing the bat, standing up and moving towards the noise with silent steps. As he entered further into the darkness, he saw the illuminating figure of someone, crouched over a bag. 'Sneak attack...' 

He raised the bat above his head with both hands firmly gripping it, and went to bring it down-- until it turned and quickly grabbed the bat before it made contact.

Jeminye about kicked it in the face before he realised there was a gun pointing into his abdomen, though that wasn't what made him stop.

Staring up at him was the pale, tired face of a young male, with the prettiest blue eyes that Jeminye had possibly ever seen. The gaze narrowed up at him, mouth thin.

"What the... Wa- wait-!" Jeminye let go of the bat and held his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, don't fucking shoot me--! I- I'm human!"

The gun slowly lowered, but the expression stayed distrustful. "... Your arm. What happened to it?"

"Huh?" He blinked, not understanding, before he glanced at the crudely wrapped bandages on his forearm. "I wasn't bit. It scratched me."

"Prove it."

'Prove it... Are you kidding me? First human I've met in nearly 4 months, and this asshole tells me to prove I'm not insane.' "If I was bit, wouldn't I be trying to eat you right now?" Jeminye retorted with a frown, hand on his hip. "That virus spreads within minutes."

Silent for a moment, the boy finally just nodded and handed the bat back to him.

"Fine." He stood up, bag in tow, and watched Jeminye carefully. "I didn't think there was any other survivors."

With a shrug, the dark-skinned male just smirked. "Neither did I." 'Even with the blood and dirt on his face, he's still pretty.' "... I'm Jeminye Ransome."

Once more, he stayed silent-- for a moment, Jeminye thought he wouldn't respond but, finally, he did.

"... Albone Sandow."

With a smirk and extended hand, Jeminye winked. "Nice to meet you, Gun-Ho Albone."

"Don't call me that."

And that was how the last two survivors met.

- - - - - - -

They soon realised they were as opposite as night and day, and went together about as well as oil and water, they somehow made a team. Probably not the best team, but not the worst.

"Your method of fighting is... a bit too gory, Ransome," Albone muttered with a frown as he watched Jeminye wipe the bloody bat off on a nearby towel.

"It's silent," he retorted, huffing as he pointed the said weapon at his partner. "Unlike your little handgun there, my bat doesn't alert them to my presence."

"My gun does not do that either," Albone simply countered, shrugging as he put his gun into the holster. "I altered it. It fires loudly to our ears, but is a decibel that those creatures cannot hear."

Jeminye was silent for a moment. "Oh." He put his bat over his shoulder, nodded, and they both walked out of the now empty convenience store.

- - - - - - -

"How long have you been alone here?"

Albone looked over to him, blinking a bit in surprise at the sudden question as they sat on their front porch to watch the sun set slowly. Cigarette in hand, Albone simply shrugged and took a drag.

"I'm not alone. You wondered where all the food went, right?"

Jeminye paused, reaching for the cigarette that was held out to him. He put it to his lips and inhaled, looking out to the sky. "... Is there someone else here?"

Albone said nothing but stood up, waiting for the other to follow as they went inside the barricaded home. He maneuvered through corridors and hallways, almost on autopilot, before they came to the cellar.

"The cellar," Jeminye muttered, frowning. "You said we weren't allowed down here."

"I said you weren't," the white-haired Brit corrected, unlocking the door and quietly walking in. His voice, normally gruff and irritable, took a sudden soft tone: "It's safe."

From behind a steel trap-door in the wall, two toddlers ran out and up to Albone. He smiled and knelt down to them, taking the smaller one into his arms.

"Tannyte... Prosper. Are you two okay?" Albone asked softly, stroking the three-year-old's hair with an air of gentleness that Jeminye had never seen before.

"Yesu!" Tannyte chirped, beaming up. Beside him, Prosper grinned toothily and nodded in agreement. "Missu niisan!" He seemed ready to say something else when the green eyes noticed Jeminye. "... Sutranja..."

"That's Jeminye," Albone introduced, picking Tannyte up and walking over towards the older man. Prosper stayed at their heels. "Ransome... This is my baby brother, and his friend."

Jeminye watched them and, for a moment, Albone was sure he was going to sprint away... but he finally just smirked, ruffling Tannyte's hair.

"Well, Sandow..." He begun, looking up at coyly. "You didn't tell me you were a single dad."

- - - - - - -

Another 6 months had gone by, marking one year since the quarantine of the city.

Watching over the abandoned streets and crumbling buildings, they stood side-by-side on the edge of the roof.

"It's hard to believe we've survived this long," Jeminye muttered, lighting a cigarette and putting it to his lips.

Albone made a soft sound of agreement, but didn't reply. They stood, in silence, and watched the morning clouds roll by.

"We should head back soon," the older man announced, flicking his cigarette to the ground and stubbing it out with his shoe. "Let's get the brats some food."

"All right." Albone turned to watch him, beginning to follow when suddenly he felt the ground crack. "Wh... ?!"

Gravity shifted, he stumbled back and landed onto his backside roughly-- the building soon collapsing beneath him, the ruined architecture finally giving way. Before Albone knew it, he was clinging for dear life onto the edge of the debris, struggling to get footing-- but the concrete begun to crumble, and he started to fall.

"Albone!"

Just like that, Jeminye sprinted back to him and dove to grab him, hand catching his wrist.

"Grab my hand! D-don't you dare let go!" He screamed, face pale but eyes full of fear as Albone finally mustered the strength to grab Jeminye's hand with both of his. Using the adrenaline rush and all of the built up force, Jeminye pulled him back safely onto the roof and back away from the ledge.

Clutching him against his chest, Jeminye pushed his face into the younger boy's hair, panting.

"... You saved me," Albone whispered, trembling lightly from the near-death experience. "I... T... Thank you... Jeminye..."

Jeminye only smirked dryly, looking down at him with softly knit eyebrows, one quirked. "I couldn't let you die..." He trailed off for a moment, the smile falling. "... I don't think I know how to be alone anymore."

Albone was silent, before quickly wrapping his arms around him once more and burying his face into his shoulder.

"Me either."

- - - - - - -

Jeminye's idea of romance wasn't the very least bit romantic, but Albone certainly appreciated the sentiment.

Looking around the abandoned, empty skyscraper roof, the blue-eyed Brit's gaze caught Jeminye standing there with a grin on his face.

"You shouldn't be so proud of getting blood everywhere," Albone noted, but walked towards him regardless.

Eyelids lowered, the older boy simply smirked and tapped the bat to his shoulder coyly. "I took care of the zombies, and now we have a nice romantic place where they can't bother us. The door is a deadbolt. Reinforced."

Albone sighed, shaking his head, but smirked in return at him. "I  hope you at least brought a blanket. I don't really want to do it on concrete and gore."

Gesturing behind himself to a neatly set up picnic area, Jeminye winked and leaned in, kissing him softly. "Way ahead of you, Alibone. Blanket, some nice wine, a pillow to help your head, and a bit of snack foods~ I hope it's to your liking, m'lady~?"

Chuckling while returning the kiss, Albone wrapped his arms around his neck and put his forehead to his. Smiling, he nodded. "... I love you, Jeminye..."

Eyes softening, Jeminye just smiled back. "I love you, too, Albone."

- - - - - - -

"I made contact with an army base."

Jeminye looked over at hearing his boyfriend's statement, surprised as he stubbed the cigarette out. "You did? What'd they say?"

"They're coming to retrieve us," Albone replied, but despite the good news his expression seemed unreadable.

"... That's what we've wanted, isn't it?" Jeminye asked softly, moving to sit beside him and put a hand to his back. "You don't sound happy."

"I am, but..." He paused, trailing off, before he shook his head. "It's been one year, isolated from the outside world... What if I... we... can't function normally in this society now? Will we be outcasts? What about my baby brother and his friend? What will happen-- nm--?"

Shutting him up, Jeminye pressed his lips against his and closed his eyes. Staying close, he frowned. "Don't worry about that. The four of us will make it. I promise. We'll get out, live together, and those two kids will grow up to be great as fuck adults. I promise."

Albone hesitated, but nodded, slowly relaxing into his touch. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I love you."

"I love you, too."

- - - - - - -

Albone got bit.

He wasn't sure what to do. They had both been careless. The creature that attacked them was dead now, but there was a large wound on Albone's neck now, nearly a hole, that was bleeding profusely.

Jeminye held him in his arms, the tears overflowing already, shaking his head. "No. You can't die-- Albone, I can't do this without you, not anymore!"

Albone only smiled weakly. "I'm so sorry, J-Jem..." He winced at the pain, panting and wheezing softly.

"Please, Albone, I-- you..." Throat tightening, Jeminye just squeezed his eyes shut and gripped him tightly, pulling him into a hug. "I can't leave you. I can't..."

"I'm sorry, Jeminye... I... I love you."

He stopped breathing.

- - - - - - -

Jeminye sat up with a gasp, eyes shooting open, and quickly turned to grab at the figure beside him. Albone stirred awake and looked at him drowsily, blinking.

"What is it...?"

Relief washed over him.

It was just a dream.

"... Nothing," he mumbled, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "I'm just glad you're okay."

- - - - - - -

1 month later, they were evacuated.

- - - - - - -

Three years and four months later, Jeminye proposed.

Six months after that, they were married.

Prosper was the ring bearer, and Tannyte was the flower girl. They were each other's dance partners. As Jeminye watched Albone walk down the isle, donned in a dark brown suit, he felt his eyebrows raise and lips part.

Albone smiled at him, gripping his hand as they said their vows. As the last "I do" rolled off Jeminye's lips, they embraced and kissed, Jeminye soon cupping Albone's face gently in his hands and whispering "I love you."

"I'm so glad I never have to be alone again," Albone muttered to him and only him.