#zombie run

Steve Sissay glances over as Five carries a bundled up, Sam Yao-shaped figure over to the small bunk that he used. It was too close to the radio shack to be healthy, but with a few new towers going up, and others having taken up some of the responsibility when it came to the growing township. He smirks a bit upon seeing the bundle and falls into step with Five.

“So…this is why you insisted on doing the strongman training with Peter?”

“That and how tired I was after having to carry all that gear. Seriously, two car batteries and two sledgehammers? Plus the ammo, the tent - I might as well be camping.”

“Where in that list Janine put together for camping or being out and about at these times, you need one…” he checks and hears a light snore coming from the blanket, “...very tired radio operator?”

“I don’t listen to Janine on topics like that,” Five points out as they reach the destination, Steve opening the door for them - though Sam is accorded some safety and security, that doesn’t mean Steve doesn’t know that he hid the spare key under the very obvious flower pot gifted to him from Maxine and Paula. Five nods to him as they go in, Steve locking the door behind them before going to help get Sam ready for bed. Sam mutters sleepily when moved, and shifts a bit when Steve goes to remove his shoes.

He had a place with the doctors and Sara if he wanted, but Sam seemed to like his little hut and the nearness of the radio tower. Steve thinks it’s a sort of way to cope with it all - between here and the rest of Abel is the hospital and many other things. It keeps him safe, with the runner’s apartments and homes so nearby. Of course, considering how many runners wanted to use Ian as a piñata despite him being a zombie and very dead, it sort of said all that anyone needed to know. Steve somewhat wishes he’d managed things better, back when Sigrid was working as the Prime Minister, and especially in regards to not only Sam, but also…

“Did you find him with the blanket?”

Five gives him a look as he finishes taking off the final shoe. “Right, wrong question to ask I guess.” His legs are acting up again - damn Ian’s torments - and he wonders if Sam’s glad he was the one that did the bastard in. Steve doubts it, but then again, Sam was always a bit cute in a way. “Well, I’m guessing you’re going to have some fun and ‘warm him up’?” Steve winks at Five as they come in with some more blankets and stuff, shifting to look at him with a long, almost calculating look.

“I got Sam to forget English last time.”

“…bollocks.” Steve shakes his head as he stands up and Five moves to remove Sam’s belt now. Sam mutters in annoyance, having turned and allowed what heat to escape. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not,” Five tells him, as serious as a heart attack. “But he’s also one of those really quiet ones. You should see him try to stay quiet.”

“Shut it,” Steve mutters, but he can see that. Sam’s loud when scared or excited or something else, and damnit, Steve likes hearing… “You’re putting me on.”

“He muffles himself with the pillow,” Five explains, as if explaining what type of explosive they were looking at and how much damage could happen. Sam’s out of his jeans now, and down to just his pants, socks, and a sweater as Five puts his glasses on the nightstand and then pulls out a few more blankets. “He needs to get warmed up, though.”

“You’re being mean,” Steve points out in annoyance.

“‘Mean’ is what I call Peter when he pisses me off. Or the time I had to mediate between your ex and Tom deLuca on the morals of following orders in bad conditions.” He doesn’t question that - he’d heard Five’s long, long ramble about that which they’d taken time out of the air to voice, with citations. “Are you going to help me warm Sam up or not?”

Steve sighs, dressing down to his own pants and sweaters before carefully climbing in, Sam pressing against him briefly before there being some protest right as more blankets were wrapped up, and he was snuggled into a sort of sandwich between Steve and Five.

“Wait, what do you call Peter when he pisses you off?”

“Something he doesn’t like.”

Steve’s sigh moves some of Sam’s hair at the nape of his neck, getting the younger man to squirm against him. At least even with the issues of his legs and not having had anything since…well, for a bit…there’s no mention of his own nether region getting hard. He considers who he’d have to outrun if things get dicey here - the doctors or Five. Considering Five invited him to help heat up Sam, it’ll probably be the doctors. Maxine and Paula didn’t have the same mix as he and Kefilwe, but they had started to warm to the doctor after everything with Sigrid and Ian. The only person who seemed overly fond of him after all of that was Five, but he assumed Sam didn’t like him at all. After all, him being dragged around had resulted in his torment.

“You’re thinking so loud you’re about to actually bring walls down,” Five mutters from where they’re wrapped around Sam. “Try to get some sleep. I talked to the others before getting Sam - he’s off all of tomorrow.”

“Is he?”

“So am I. And I think you’re only on-call for the immediate future?”

“Doctor’s orders exactly,” he mutters, more against Sam’s shoulder than to Five. Sam mutters in his sleep and shifts a bit in between the two and the heavy, warm blankets before settling again. “So…what’s the plan exactly?”

“Keep Sam warm, sleep, and see what he wants in the morning.” Five glances at him curiously. “Why?”

“I wanted to make sure it lined up with everything I needed to do. Thanks, love.”

_______________________

Sam nuzzles into the familiar warmth and scent of his bed and Five. Something presses against his back, getting him to shift a bit as he smells…something strange. Something might have gotten into the comms shack.

No, that was impossible if Five was there. Whatever it was, it wasn’t…wait…that’s smokey, something like….

“You should stop squirming, love, you’re making this hard,” Steve’s voice purrs in his ear as Sam’s eyes shoot open and he sees Five giving him a glare.

“Five! Steve! Wha-I-What-How-?”

“You didn’t dress warm for the radio shack,” Five reminds him, “and then stayed up too late.”

“...yeah, but…um…” they’re pretty much hidden within a warm cocoon of blankets, and he’s stuck between a very muscular, warm, and…um…excited…Steve with Five on the other side, also warm and heavy blankets wrapped around them all, he was good now, but still!

“...I mean…warning would be nice.” his face feels hot as he hides it against Five’s neck. They sigh as Sam does his best to not think about the position he’s in. He’d never have been in this situation before! He wouldn’t have gotten into something like this back before Z-day, and certainly wouldn’t have with anyone like the two now in his bed. The reminder only gets him to blush even more, especially at the fact that they’re here because they want to take care of him.

“You were unconscious.” Five points out simply, “or you would’ve known I carried you to bed wrapped in a blanket and over my shoulder.”

“It was quite the sight,” Steve says as Sam moans in embarrassment, “but at least you weren’t snoring.”

Sam mutters against Five’s neck, not wanting to hear anything but knowing that he’s only got himself to blame for this mess. “Sorry.”

“I’m not.”

“Steve,” Five’s annoyance got “The Builder” to quiet for the moment, “Don’t be sorry, Sam, just work on it. We all worry about you. Besides, I’m sure if you wanted and weren’t currently beet red, you’d be fine between us.”

“Five…”

“We have all day off, Sam,” Five purrs in his ear, near where Steve’s hot breath is against his hair. Sam whines from the possibilities that are currently making his body’s blood not sure if to go and make him blush, or join in the excitement and teasing. A knock on the door gets all three to be quiet before the door opens and Maxine’s voice comes through the bundle of blankets. “Ah, there you both are. Five, today’s your day off, so you need to relax and go to the new physio-building.”

Five grumbles but pokes their head out and nods to Maxine.

“Good. And if you see Steve, tell him to also come, his leg still needs to be taken care of, and Loboste is out for the day, so maybe he can be a bit comfortable.”

Sam shifts to look at him and Steve gives him a grin that has a bit too much pain. “I can deal with it, love.”

“BOTH OF YOU GO AND GET BETTER BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING!”

The three are up at Sam’s outburst, Maxine smirking like she’d won something, and Sam’s blood makes the decision that turning him bright red is the way to go. Five shakes their head at Steve before going to get their trousers and everything else.