Fanfic: The End of My World, Tsubasa Chronicle

Disclaimer: I don't own Kurogane or Fay or any other clamp characters mentioned.

Mirika-rin: hahahaha yes I wrote a random one shot. This all started with 'now why don't babies ever appear in zombie apocalypse movies? oh I'm so doing that'. And of course TRC would be my victim XD I was originally going to end it at the first crash scene you'll read about, but it branched from there and I had to keep going. Please enjoy, it took a while to get it out but it had me sucked in while writing~!

"Whoa, Syaoran, slow down." Sakura said with her hand up in the air in front of her lover. The man beside her looked over and frowned, but did so, and the thin finger on her engagement hand pointed out a man standing in front of a turned over car.

"That zombie is cocking a shotgun." She stated bluntly. Syaoran looked and frowned a little more.

"That's no zombie, dear, that's a man. He looks pretty worn…"

"We should offer him a ride, he might be hitchhiking."

"Last time we allowed that the person tried to eat you from behind, remember?"

"I have a good feeling about this person. Stop the car, honey." She stated and Syaoran reluctantly obliged.

The man standing not twenty feet of the vehicle was indeed holding a shotgun, but now he was reloading a revolver. The man was dressed from head to toe in black, his shirt sleeves ripped here and there from attacks and a bloody bandage wrapped around his bicep told them he had been in one recently. He was smoking a cigarette haphazardly, like he didn't really need to, but did so anyway. His eyes didn't go to them, but they could see that they were red.

"Sir!" Sakura called out from her open window, moving to open the door. The man instantly had his gun up and ready to shoot. Sakura froze and Syaoran called out her name, but the man just simply held it there, not shooting. They stood silent and still for a moment before the man started to move closer, slowly.

"Be quiet." He commanded in a rumbling voice, quiet but loud enough for them to hear. He walked up more toward them and Sakura soon realized he was pointing his barrel to a place behind the car. She swiveled her head around to look but saw nothing. After another moment the man had run up by her door, delivering a couple of shots to people Sakura couldn't see. The sound of bullets hitting skulls created a shiver to go down her spine.

"Stay in the car, girl." He stated next to the vehicle, and she wholeheartedly obliged. After a moment he looked up to her.

"Can I get a ride?" He questioned, and she nodded. Syaoran sighed and nodded as well, unlocking the backseat doors for him. The man moved inside and closed the door, to which the man in front locked. Syaoran turned around, hesitating on starting off.

"What's your name?" He questioned the dark haired man, who was loading bullet for bullet from within his backpack to his handgun.

"Kurogane." He said automatically, half paying attention to the ones who had offered him a ride. Syaoran gave Sakura a look before the woman turned in her seat.

"I'm Sakura Li and this is my husband, Syaoran." She said happily and the man grunted. His eyes went up to her halfway and he was going to make eye contact, but his vision halted at her stomach. It was ripe and swollen. He just stared. Sakura noticed this and blushed.

"A-and we're expecting…" She said. The man looked up at her in complete shock, not understanding how anyone could bring a baby into this world. It was just cruel to the baby…

"How far do you need us to drive you?" Syaoran said, staring distantly at the stranger. His attitude made complete sense, considering the new life he wanted to protect.

The dark haired man cocked his gun and slid it in the pouch on his side.

"Consider me tagging along from now on." He replied, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth to flick it out the window. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. Sakura smiled and turned back around in her seat, watching as Syaoran began to pull away from the dead bodies littering the road.

Night was beginning to fall. Sakura had just woken from a nap and looked out to where they were. She looked over to her husband and smiled when she saw him starting to nod off.

"Dear, it's my turn to drive." She said, placing a hand on his. He jolted but relaxed instantly when he saw it was just her, smiling to her.

"It's fine. I can drive." He replied, but a shuffling noise behind them alerted them that the man they picked up was still there and alert.

"Let me drive. You get some sleep, and you, you shouldn't be driving at all." He told them, making them exchange looks. Syaoran sighed and nodded.

"Sure. We're not headed anywhere in particular, so let's just stay on this road until we get to a convenience store. It might be an hour or two before the next town though." He informed Kurogane, slowing down. After a moment Syaoran moved to open the door, but Kurogane stopped him. They hesitated briefly, then Kurogane lifted his shotgun.

"Boy, crawl back here, I'll get out." He muttered, making Syaoran look at Sakura. She gave him a stern look and he nodded. Doing as ordered, Syaoran stumbled into the back with Kurogane. The taller man looked out the window before suddenly jerking it open, slamming a running zombie right in the nose. Once out of the car, Kurogane pointed the shotgun at the man's face and shot twice. Sakura let out a slight gasp when another tried to attack him from behind, but the dark haired man lifted his gun and with one hand blew the brains out all over the street. Kurogane quickly got into the driver's seat and stepped on the gas with a lead foot, getting them clear away from that spot as he could.

"That was a bit reckless." Syaoran said breathlessly, though Kurogane seemed completely composed.

"I can defend myself better than you." He stated simply to the other, glaring through the rearview mirror to the younger man.

"Get some sleep, I'll wake you when we get to a store." He said, and Syaoran just glared back before settling in the backseat. Sakura watched him for a while before turning to Kurogane. She gave a soft smile, lowering her eyes to her stomach to run a hand over it.

"Syaoran's… not a bad person, Kurogane-san… he's just worried over me and the baby…"

"Don't need to explain, girl." Kurogane replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Sakura looked to him again with a weak smile.

"Is my name not important to say?" She asked softly, and Kurogane shook his head.

"The last time I said someone's name that person died in front of my eyes. I don't need that to happen again." He stated stoically. Sakura nodded and moved to study him. She blinked when she saw a blue phoenix on a necklace tucked haphazardly in his collar. She lifted her finger to point to it.

"…That person?" She questioned sympathetically. Kurogane didn't have to look down to know what she was talking about. He lifted a large hand and clasped it tightly, a glint of a painful expression there and gone again within a second.

"Yes… that person…"

"Well I want pickles and tuna, if you can find any that'd be great. Oh and Oreo's too!" Sakura called, being left in the car with her husband. Kurogane had insisted he'd be the only one to go in, shotgun and handgun by his sides at the front of the door. There hadn't been any sign of dead or alive or undead since they rolled in about ten minutes before, and that never boded well with the man. He'd seen situations like this before. It always ended in a bloodbath.

Kurogane walked to the front where there were plastic bags and grabbed a couple, seeing they'd need to stock up on food. Looking about he realized he was completely alone in the store. He gathered what he wanted and what the couple had suggested, rather surprised he wasn't getting attacked or something. He walked out of the store in one piece, but as soon as he did the store alarms went off and he heard snarls and growls of the undead. He immediately hightailed it to the car and slammed the door shut, turning around in time to see the fatties come to the front of the store to watch Syaoran speed away from this particular place. Sakura smiled as she turned in her chair.

"Tuna?"

"This seems like an okay place. I'll lock the door. We're on the third floor so we should sleep easy tonight." Syaoran said with a smile to his wife as he sat down next to her. She had her eyes closed and her hands on her stomach, feeling the baby inside moving.

"He's already so strong…" She said softly, wincing from the child's feet kicking out. Syaoran hesitantly placed his hand next to hers and he smiled warmly. Sakura and him shared a silent moment of just staring, forgetting the decaying world around them. Kurogane allowed them to enjoy their peace, watching the outside world rave in havoc. He sighed softly and leaned against the window, his hand going to his necklace to hold it tightly. I thought I was strong too…

"You didn't get any sleep?" Sakura questioned as Kurogane loaded up a suitcase into a newer car, considering the last one ran out of gas. The taller one shrugged and lifted another box into the back, wondering if they always had this much stuff.

"A couple hours at most, I can't sleep longer than that. Don't worry about it princess, I've gotten used to it." He replied easily, making her blush at the nickname. She hesitated before leaning against the car.

"It's been almost a year since the big sickness came… how long has it been since 'that person' left you?" She questioned softly, watching Kurogane freeze completely. He thought over an answer and bitterly slammed the package down. Sakura was still as she waited for whatever the man would say, but Kurogane simply stood in the same position he had been in. After a moment he closed his eyes.

"Four months, six days, nine hours…" He looked at her with half lidded eyes. "…the day after our anniversary at around supper time…" Sakura gave him a sympathetic look and lifted her hand to pat his shoulder. He continued to look at her before turning away. She removed her hand as he knelt by another thing of food, grasping the sides of the box before lifting it to set it on top of the last one.

"What was that person like?" She questioned softly, making Kurogane bristle. Her kind, calming nature only made him want to spill his guts though. He sighed and sat down on the back of the trunk.

"Blonde, blue eyes… long legs, great skin… best damn smile I've ever seen." He explained, looking out to the road behind them. Sakura moved to sit next to him with a curious expression. He reached behind him and pulled out his wallet, opening it to ruffle through some random bills and receipts. Out came a creased piece of paper, which he unfolded. It showed a blonde man with shades in his hair by the pool, smiling warmly with crystalline eyes. Sakura could definitely tell he was foreign, and he was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen.

"He looks like an angel." She said breathlessly, and Kurogane snorted, handing her the picture while he got up.

"Yeah, well, angels don't lie." He said, making her look up questioningly. She didn't get to ask him, for Syaoran was running back to them with a few guns in hand and a bunch of hungry zombies chasing after him.

The dark haired man jolted awake from the nightmare and swallowed a scream, panting quickly while looking around the dark car. Sakura was driving and Syaoran was asleep in the passenger seat next to her. Kurogane closed his eyes and swallowed roughly, moving to sit up as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"What're you doing driving, princess?" He questioned groggily, though he was plenty awake from the faces he had seen in his dream. The woman in front smiled, having grown fond of the nicknames in the passing weeks.

"My due date's plenty soon, but I can still do easy things like this." She replied quietly, not wanting to wake her husband. Kurogane grunted, looking down to nothing in particular. The girl in front glanced up to him through the rearview, then back to the road.

"Same nightmare?" She asked almost inaudibly, and Kurogane just leaned his head back in silence. She hummed and looked back to him. He was clutching the phoenix.

"God dammit is it coming or not?" Kurogane asked impatiently, blowing off a couple rounds of his new glock that he oh so adored. Syaoran glared at his back as he clutched Sakura's hand. The woman shook her head, shaking in her husband's arms while trying to catch her breath.

"N-no, j-just an early contraction… But it means it'll be born soon…" She explained, allowing Syaoran to wipe her forehead. Kurogane growled and stuffed the empty gun in his pocket, pulling his trusty shotgun from the strap on his back to shoot and watch pink mist fly.

"Well good, cuz we need to get the fuck out of dodge." He replied irritably, hearing more naked and shoed feet stomp up the steps of the hotel for them. Syaoran looked at Kurogane's back again.

"We need to go to the hospital for it to be born."

"Like fucking hell, brat! Hospitals are ideal feeding grounds for these bloated maggot bags!" Kurogane barked over the sound of his bullets being released from the barrel. He cocked it and shot again, looking over to them. Both pairs of eyes were looking at him in pleading. Kurogane glanced down and froze.

"…S-Sakura…" He whimpered very abnormally, moving his hand from the gun to point between her legs. She looked down. Her water had broke. The girl looked up to Kurogane again and he had already put the shotgun back around his body, pulling his revolver from his other pocket.

"Lift up your wife, dammit, let's go!" He snapped at Syaoran, who nodded and picked up Sakura. The woman wrapped her arms around her stomach as she groaned in pain.

"A-ah… th-the baby…" She whispered, and Syaoran gave her a sympathetic look. The baby was coming, she wanted to say. She didn't have to. He knew.

With Kurogane tailgating them Syaoran moved to go down the fire escape. He squawked when they were met face-to-face with a decaying mobile body, which reached forward and clawed for Sakura. Syaoran pivoted his torso and cried out as dead nails scraped and dug into his skin, though his body knocked the other off the fire escape and to the ground below.

"Syaoran! Are you ok?!" Sakura asked, temporarily ignoring her birthing pains. The man smiled and nodded.

"I'm fine." He reassured her before starting down the fire escape. Kurogane would've followed immediately, but he stopped. His eyes grew wider at seeing the bloody lines across his companion's shoulder blades. Oh no.

"Just keep breathing, sweetie." Syaoran told his wife. Sakura winced lightly as another contraction hit her. It had been a couple of hours since they arrived at the hospital, clearing out enough of the zombies to not be bothered during the delivery. Syaoran winced himself and gripped his shoulders, trying not to breathe on his wife. Kurogane checked his gun and frowned, moving it to his pocket before entering the room.

"Syaoran." He said stoically, shocking the younger. It'd been the first time Kurogane had said either of their names and it had been in one day. Sakura shook her head.

"No… don't leave…" She whispered, and he squeezed her hand.

"I'll be right back, I promise." He said, giving her a soft kiss. "I love you." He added, and she could feel tears prickle her eyes.

"I love you too." She said back, making Kurogane look away. Syaoran stood and walked out with Kurogane. Said man looked behind him to the woman and nodded reassuringly.

"We'll be right outside these doors." He informed her, and she smiled in understanding. Upon closing the doors Syaoran collapsed and started coughing and wheezing.

"I-I know…" He managed to get out, trying not to vomit. He reached up and grasped his shoulder.

"I know… that I don't have long…" He said, slowly looking up to see Kurogane withdrawing his gun. Syaoran felt like crying when the other man pointed it at him.

"Please… let me just see my baby…" He whispered, giving up all dignity as he let a tear slip down his face. Kurogane clenched his teeth, but didn't have a choice when Sakura screamed. He busted open the doors and she was panting.

"I-it's coming! Oh god!" She cried, her head falling to the pillow. Syaoran looked at Kurogane in begging him and the other just looked back. He growled and cussed under his breath, moving his pistol to his pocket before going over to help deliver the child.

"A girl." Kurogane told the exhausted woman while handing over the newborn. She was wrapped as tightly and with as many blankets as they could find that were clean. She was squealing like any baby would, which made Sakura smile proudly.

"Mokona-chan… I want to call her Mokona-chan…" She said softly to her husband, who was looking worse by the minute. He was crying just as much as Sakura was. He had already gone out once to vomit blood and new it was time to say goodbye. Kurogane stood and took off the gloves he had found to toss them away. Syaoran looked at him and the taller closed his eyes in resolution. Syaoran bit his lip and looked at his beloved wife and darling child.

"Mokona…" He said in a voice that could muster only half his strength. He nodded and smiled.

"Mokona, Mokona Nadeshiko. After your mother." He stated, moving away to cough again. Sakura looked up and smiled, lifting her weak hand to stroke his face.

"Mokona Nadeshiko Li…" She stated, though her face scrunched up. "Honey… you're burning up…" She stated, and he simply smiled and moved a hand over hers.

"Sick with worry." He replied, though he looked back at Kurogane and the man was standing by the door with folded arms. He slowly looked back at his wife and smiled wider.

"I'm so proud of you… you did such a good job… our baby is beautiful… I love you two so much and she's not even a minute old…" Syaoran stated, and Sakura smiled.

"You did a good job too…" She replied, her eyes lulling closed. Syaoran moved and kissed her forehead, then kissed Mokona's bald head.

"Get some sleep, ok? Kurogane-san and I will be outside." He said weakly and she nodded. He stood and walked out with the dark haired man and let him close the doors. Kurogane pulled out his gun a second time and Syaoran watched. Kurogane could see blood trickling down from his lips and he doubled over to puke up more blood. The taller had seen this happen before… only this time he was ready to put the bullet in the person's head… the second person he had cared about that had this happen…

"Kurogane-san…" The man on the ground whimpered. Brown eyes looked up and they were beginning to gloss over. "…th…thank… thank you… for t-taking care of us… pl-please take care of Sakura and Mokona…" He said weakly, and the taller nodded. He raised the gun and his finger gripped the trigger, but shrill cries from down the hall stopped him. Kurogane whipped around in time to be slammed against the wall from banshee-like undead, making him struggle to get free. In being clawed at and avoiding having his skin broken from fangs, he lost his gun. Kurogane cried out as he was tossed aside, his body ramming into the wall down the hallway, head hitting the hard surface too roughly. He watched from where he lay, losing consciousness, as the banshees lifted Syaoran up and started ripping him apart at the same time they entered Sakura's room. His vision started to go black, and before all senses dulled, he could hear the woman's muffled screaming, along with Mokona's scared cries.

It was completely black the next time he opened his eyes. He gasped and sat up, reaching for the gun that wasn't there. He was alone. It was silent. Cold. Winter was breathing down his back and out his mouth in collecting vapors he could see. Blood was pooling from Sakura's room. He began to hyperventilate as he stumbled to his feet and ran forward, down the long hall that had been way too long. He clung to the thread of hope until the very last minute.

He slid slightly in the blood, gripping the door frame with his hands to steady himself as he looked inside. He lost all breath. The window's silk curtain was gently blowing in the breeze coming from the broken window. Blood trailed from there to all around the room. Where Sakura used to be laying was just red. No Sakura. No Syaoran. No Mokona. He looked cautiously around the room, taking a step in. It was so silent it made his ears hurt. He would've taken another step in, but he looked down in time just to see the woman's hand sticking out from underneath the bedding. He gasped and kneeled reaching down to pull her out, only to discover it was just her hand. He flung it away from surprise and looked at where it landed. With wide eyes he stared it down, like it was going to get up and start moving.

After a moment, he crawled over to it, looking over it again. He reached down and carefully pulled the engagement and wedding rings off her finger, feeling his chest tighten. He looked around for any other signs that at least the baby was alive, but he knew that was more unlikely than Sakura being wholesome. He reached around his neck and unclipped his necklace, slipping the rings around the chain before clipping it again. The two rings rattled lightly against the blue phoenix in a light tinkling sound. He gasped lightly for air when he realized just how alone he was. He had failed to keep his last promise to Syaoran not even a minute after he had agreed to it.

His hand clasped around the necklace and his eyes tightened, finding himself unable to cry even then. He moved to stand, grabbing his guns as he started back out slowly. He didn't know why, but he wanted to keep moving. He didn't want to commit suicide like he felt like doing. He had to keep traveling. He had to reach a destination. He couldn't look back as he exited the room. He couldn't look back as he shot down more zombies waiting for him. He couldn't look back as he got out of the hospital. He couldn't look back as he slammed the door shut. He finally looked back through the rearview. He got out. That was the official second time he had to put a bullet through the head of a person he cared about. Syaoran was in pieces about the hospital. Sakura was now able to rest in peace at his feet. Mokona was nowhere to be found. He got back into the car. He knew if he did find her, he wouldn't like it, and he would be the third and last to get a bullet in the head.

Kurogane had been driving for days. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't stop. He knew he was still alive. He knew everyone else around him was dead. Everyone he had cared about, everyone he had hated, everyone he had loved, knew, didn't know, wanted to know, wanted to meet, wanted to kill, they were all dead. He was alive. He didn't think about how unfair it was, just that he had to survive. For whatever damn reason, he had to. He had been driving miles and miles faster over the speed limit and miles and miles faster away from where he had gone and been to. He had to go. He had to leave. That was the only thing racing through his mind.

He passed by several cars turned over, dead people, dying people, undead people, dead animals, dying animals, undead animals. The world was dead, dying, undead around him. He was alone, the last left to survive. He had to keep going. Going. His eyes never faltered from the road, not even as he went through cities and countryside. He passed by towns he'd wanted to go to and ones he'd never seen before. Ones he'd been to, ones he hated. He just had to keep going. It wasn't long before he made a full circle on the highway and ended up back in his hometown, driving passed his high school, college, job, relatives' homes, neighbors. He parked in front of his house. He stayed in the car and stared at the steering wheel.

"…What now…?"

He fell flat on his ass. Staring up at the blonde in his home, Kurogane gaped like a dying fish, trying to find words to explain just how utterly impossible it was for Fay to be standing in front of him, who was smiling curiously and raising an eyebrow. He didn't look any different than he had months ago, only he wasn't a zombie and didn't have a bullet through his temple.

"…What's the matter? It's like you've seen a ghost." The same silky voice asked. Kurogane stumbled into a new trail of mumbling excuses before the Fay-impersonator giggled and knelt down in front of him, curling his arms around his knees.

"I've been waiting for you to come back, Kurogane." He said softly, making the other instantly snap back to his senses.

"You called me Kurogane?" He questioned seriously, and the smaller man shrugged.

"That's your name isn't it?" He asked back, making Kurogane blink. The taller sat up properly and looked at the crouching man in front of him.

"…Who are you?" He asked suspiciously and the blonde sighed. He moved to sit better in front of Kurogane before the smile vanished.

"My name is Yuui Fluorite. I'm… Fay's younger twin brother." He said stiffly, making Kurogane just stare at him stupidly. After a moment he shook his head.

"I didn't know he had a twin." He stated, and Yuui blushed lightly.

"Neither did he…" The other replied, moving his hands about. "…but here I am! Same flesh and blood!" He said cheerfully, making Kurogane's heart ache. The taller moved to stand and turned away from the blonde.

"No, not the same anymore." He replied gruffly, and Yuui frowned. The other stood as well and wrapped his arms around Kurogane from behind. If it didn't feel so much like Fay hugging him, the taller would've shook him off.

"I know." Yuui said in the taller man's shoulder. He stood on his toes and kissed the tan skin. "I know what happened to Fay." He admitted moving to nuzzle the strong muscle there. Kurogane stared straight into the picture of him and his lover on the wall, the glass broken from the fight between them the night after their anniversary.

"How did you find me? How did you know who I was and what relationship I had with your twin?" Kurogane asked softly. Yuui sighed again and moved to face the taller.

"Five months ago our dad contracted the disease, and mom and him told me everything before he had to kill himself so mother and I wouldn't get hurt. Mother committed suicide anyway, but I wanted to find you and Fay. She told me Fay had been adopted by a Japanese family nearby, and when I went to them I found pictures of the two of you around the house. I eventually found your phone number and address in one of their rolodexes. I ended up here and stayed in hopes you'd come back, since there's only one grave outside…" The twin said, though he smiled sheepishly.

"I couldn't help myself. I went through some things and found Fay's diary. He wrote so much about you that… well…" He looked away with a small blush. "I-I couldn't help but want to get to know you…"

Kurogane didn't like this at all. He shoved the other away and turned around. Yuui quickly grabbed the back the dark haired man's jacket.

"At least think about it… If I can't replace him then at least let me stay. I don't have anywhere else to go." Yuui said in a tone that made Kurogane's body quiver. That pleading tone was enough for him. Turning around he snatched the blonde up in his arms and held him tightly. It wasn't Fay, it wasn't Fay, it wasn't Fay, it wasn't Fay, it wasn't… but his body, his voice, his eyes, his face, his smile, god dammit! It was all the same! The way he moved the way he talked it was the same!

Yuui blinked from the embrace but smiled, hugging the other back. It might take some time, but he knew Kurogane might use him as a replacement in the end… that was ok with him…

"You're pretty useful with that." Kurogane called over his shotgun's blast, talking about Yuui with a crossbow. The other smiled and shot another zombie through the eye.

"Lot's of practice." He replied easily, buying himself enough time to slide into the car. It had been two weeks since they drove away from his house, away from Fay. It didn't feel like that to Kurogane. If felt like Fay had come back. The taller man had moved the two rings to a different necklace an asked Yuui to wear the phoenix. The image of Fay was complete. Yuui even started referring to himself as his brother, dropping the name Yuui like it was the disease around them. Kurogane didn't mind.

He watched what he said, didn't hit him, didn't yell at him, it was like he was blessed with a second chance. Out of the ashes of his beloved phoenix rose another one, just as beautiful and just as willing to be his lover. Which, he was still having troubles with. He had made love with Fay countless times, but the idea of sexing it up with Yuui was almost repulsive. He got in the car next to the blonde and hit the gas with his foot, buckling up as they drove away from the zombies in front of the convenience store.

He looked over to Yuui. The twin loved sweets just as much as the last, sucking on a sucker graciously while looking out the window, his crossbow lying in his lap ready to be shot. Kurogane watched as the red bulb was pulled from the blonde's lips almost hungrily. He had to look back to the road. Not only to see where they were going, but to keep memories at bay to make sure he didn't befuddle his feelings just for pleasure seeking reasons.

"I wanted to ask sooner, but this seems to be the only time we've had to ourselves without worrying about zombies breathing down our necks." Yuui said as he climbed onto the bed. They had decided it best to share a bed, to keep each other safe. After months of traveling together, they soon realized that they might as well have been the only people alive. They were the only ones they had seen.

Kurogane continued to look at the ceiling even as Yuui settled next to him, not questioning what the other wanted. When seeing the window of opportunity, the blonde inched closer. He raised a finger and pointed at the necklace, reminding Kurogane of the young woman who had done so half a year ago.

"Who's rings are those?" He asked softly, and instantly Kurogane's hand came up to clutch them. Red eyes moved down to Fay and he stared at the blonde. He thought it over and then looked to the ceiling.

"…Six months ago…six months, two weeks, and three days, actually… I had known a young married couple I met through traveling around in search for others alive. They were happy together in every sense of the word… Syaoran was like a little brother and would do anything for Sakura, who was working on becoming a proud mother she should've been. I helped them deliver their baby, Mokona, right before the guy was taken over by the infection…" Kurogane explained, not noticing Yuui had moved to lay on his chest looking up at him. The blonde's hand slithered up.

"Did he kill them?" Yuui asked quietly, and Kurogane shook his head.

"Banshee zombies came in and knocked me out. I only saw them attack the kid and heard the woman and child screaming. I didn't wake up fast enough to find them…" Kurogane replied, clutching the rings tighter. Yuui gave a sad expression before sitting up on his elbows on the other man's chest, moving his hand over the bigger.

"I'm so sorry… that you had to go through that…" The blonde whispered. Kurogane stared up to him and couldn't stop himself from leaning up to connect their lips. It wasn't Fay, but he didn't care. It was Yuui, but he called himself Fay. If he wanted to be Fay, then he wasn't stopping him.

That night, Kurogane and Yuui made love in the hotel room, gasping for air and pleading for more in the midst of all this disaster. That night, Kurogane made a vow that he wouldn't lose this Fay. That night, Yuui made a vow to be better than that Fay to make sure Kurogane would be able to keep him. That night, they both mentally decided that the twin buried in Kurogane's backyard was named Yuui. That night, Fay was reborn.

Kurogane woke with a start, but not because of his nightmares. Instead he woke up because there was a blonde on his chest. He looked down at Fay and sighed, realizing his nightmares had stopped ever since the lithe man had returned to him. It was both a nice and scary thing, something he wasn't used to, something he didn't want to get used to. The other was his savior in so many ways. He swore he would've gone and purposefully got himself killed if his deceased lover hadn't had a twin. The dark haired man wrapped one arm tighter around the blonde and the other lifted to circle his fist around the necklaces. Sakura would've been happy to know that his nightmares had stopped. Or rather, now they were beginning to morph into nightmares about her and Syaoran, and sometimes Mokona. He closed his eyes. Maybe if he thought about the possibilities of them growing up and living, he wouldn't have nightmares about them... like Mokona turning a couple months old now. She would've probably been able to sit up and turn her head. She's be cooing a lot too. More than likely adorable. He smirked.

Maybe he would've adopted Mokona if Sakura and Syaoran hadn't made it. Maybe he would've taken the father role for Syaoran, though he couldn't think of Sakura as anything more than a friend. If he had just stayed awake he could've saved Sakura and Mokona, Syaoran was going to die either way... or if they hadn't been so intent on going into that damn hospital, they could've just had Mokona out in the car. Or in a hotel room. Or garden. Anywhere but a damn hospital. He sighed and closed his eyes, returning his thoughts to the baby. She would be dressed in white clothes, and from what he could tell from that split second he saw of her dressed, cleaned, and wailing like no other, she had a thin layer of hair that had no color. It might've been brown or red like her parents, but he would've sworn up and down she had white hair.

He sighed again and turned over, flinching lightly at seeing blue eyes on him. Fay just smiled and leaned forward, not questioning him about his roller coaster of emotions just then. Kurogane allowed the other to kiss him, focusing all his attention on the blonde then. Nightmares could wait a little bit.

They were driving slower than normal, both their minds on other places. Occasionally they'd stop and kick some zombie ass before driving again, once having to hop vehicles for the gas. They switched driving now and then to sleep and eat, Kurogane having become healthy with these habits once more.

It seemed like they had covered all of Japan by then. Fay frowned at this and looked over to his lover, wondering what to do. He sighed and turned the wheel sharply. The man half asleep blinked and tried to focus his gaze, realizing they were turning back.

"Where're you going?" He questioned while sitting up straight again, rubbing the back of his head. Fay smiled.

"Didn't I ever tell you I was a pilot? We can go flying to the United States or China or Australia to see if they're also like this. I've not seen a speck of life since we started out two months ago." He explained, looking ahead again with the smile Kurogane so loved. The taller grunted and reached in the back for a bottle of water.

"We should stop by a store soon." He muttered offhandedly, to which Fay nodded and started driving to the next town.

"There's an airport nearby, maybe we can find a plane you can test out." Kurogane commented as they passed by yet another wreck on the highway. Fay grumbled in the seat beside him, his turn to nap. They had been driving for another month now, all airports either in total ruin or being rampaged by too many zombies to attempt hijacking a plane. Kurogane sighed at Fay's lack of enthusiasm, but put it up for loss of hope.

The man looked back at the road and grasped the rings around his neck loosely, wondering what optimistic phrase Sakura would use in a time like this. He couldn't help but smirk as a 'we can do it' followed by a cheerful giggle floated through his mind. He bet that if Mokona would've lived she would've picked up the enthusiasm too. Syaoran wouldn't have been able to resist the cuteness of his daughter and wife and would've given into anything they said. Kurogane would've offered for them to go back to his town, live in his house so Mokona could be safe. If he had suggested it sooner, they might've birthed Mokona in his house. They would've met Fay sooner, he would've fallen in love again sooner, they would've built a family together. Mokona would be nine months old now. Almost ten. She'd have an eye color and her baby teeth would've started to grow in. She would've been teething like a mother fucker.

"What're you thinking about, Kuro-puu?" Fay questioned, having been staring at the man's smirk for some time now. The other snapped out of it and lowered his hand to the wheel, looking briefly over to his partner before turning his vision back to the road.

"…Making a family…" He said softly, turning off the road to go to downtown wherever-they-were. Fay tilted his head curiously.

"I'm not a woman, Kuro-chan." He said, but Kurogane shook his head.

"That's not what I meant."

"…About that family?"

"Yeah…" Kurogane was daydreaming. Fay smiled. It was cute. He moved a hand over his lover's.

"I'm sure somewhere else, future past or parallel, we're off living happily together." He said with a smile. Kurogane looked at him. He smiled back.

"That'd be nice, huh?"

"Fucking great. I think we've covered every airport by now." Kurogane barked as they were back-to-back in a museum. How they got here from the airport, Kurogane did not remember. Fay grunted as a zombie came too close, though he booted it in the stomach and shoved it away with the kick.

"Not the Osaka Airport, that's still at least twenty miles from here." Fay replied, reaching for the quiver on his leg only to realize he had no bolts left.

"I'm out Kuro-chii." He said, lifting his hand. Kurogane pulled his revolver from its holster and put the handle in the white palm without even looking. The other man blew away another zombie with a shotgun blast and it stumbled into another one down the empty elevator chute.

"Well then what the hell are we doing here?!" Kurogane snapped, clicking his gun to find it empty. He cussed vibrantly and slung it back, trying to shoot more only to realize all his guns were empty. He looked around for a weapon. His eyes fell on a glass case and he thanked all high heavens that Japan was famous for weapons. He pulled Fay over with him to cover him while he shoved his elbow into the glass, breaking it open. He pulled out a longsword, tipped with a silver dragon head that had emerald eyes. He smirked and unsheathed it. Fay stared.

"Do you even know how to use that?!" He shouted in disbelief, watching his lover brandish it impressively. Kurogane smiled wider.

"I was a gym teacher, I was also the coach of the kendo club." He announced, making Fay stare while he stepped forward to hack an opponent in two.

"Job well done." Kurogane said while hitting his bottle against Fay's, almost making the blonde drop his from shock.

"Is Kuro-run really one for such praising complements?" He said with a small blush, completely flattered by it. The other man chuckled and plopped on the bed next to his lover.

"When it's called for." The taller replied while taking a rather large gulp of his beer. Fay giggled and leaned against the dark haired man.

"I feel so lucky." He said softly while the other wrapped an arm around him. Kurogane smirked and drank some more before setting the bottle on the floor in between their cot and his sword. Fay watched him as Kurogane lifted his chin, placing a fiery kiss on his lips that made the blonde's heart skip a beat. Their eyes locked as Kurogane's hand slipped down to the hem of Fay's shirt.

"You sure you're feeling lucky?" The other smiled wider.

"If this continues, hell yes."

"We're almost there." Fay said with an overzealous smile, now five miles away from Osaka Airport. Kurogane stirred from the blonde's gentle nudging, making him look up.

"Huh?"

"I said we're almost there, Kuro-chan." The other replied with a giggle, tilting his head forward to give the other a kiss. The taller returned it, having completely forgotten this wasn't the right Fay.

"Good. I think I'm getting slightly tired of all this driving around." He replied, making the other laugh again.

"It'll only be worse in the air, hun." He said, leaning slightly against Kurogane. The taller sighed and looked out the window.

"Yeah, you're right. We can't have sex if you're piloting the plane." He muttered, but Fay smiled.

"There's always autopilot."

"Put your hands in the air and get out of the vehicle!" The voice on the megaphone shouted to Kurogane and Fay as they sat in front of the police. They just stared. Since when did the police do something right? And since when weren't they the only two on the planet? They exchanged glances, securing their guns, sword, and crossbow, before opening the doors, not bothering with closing them as they were approached by some men in uniform. They were taken by the arm and led away from their vehicle to a larger vehicle where several other people resided. Kurogane and Fay both stared at the men and women alike, taking seats next to each other. A woman across from them smiled wearily.

"Where are you two from? Tokyo?" She questioned, but they both shook their head. She smiled. "No matter, I'm sure all of Japan's like this. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one alive for a while, then I heard the radio call, and…" She babbled on, but Fay only leaned against Kurogane and they sat in silence. They didn't show any higher level of intimacy in front of these people, not knowing where they were going or who they were going to meet.

"What can you do?" Kurogane was asked. The taller man's eyebrow twitched and he folded his arms.

"I've got great accuracy and I can use a sword." He said with a frown, and the inspector jotted it down.

"We can always use soldiers on the wall. Considering you've been out in this for almost three years, you're a hell of a survivor too." He said, standing with a smile. His eyes caught sight of the rings and he suddenly gripped Kurogane's shoulders, making the other tense.

"Those rings!" He said breathlessly, looking like he was going to start screaming. Kurogane stared at him a little more before… that hair color… that worried expression… oh gods no…

"M…my daughter… have you seen her?" He whimpered, making Kurogane's chest tighten.

"I was with her for a couple months… she and the kid didn't make it." He announced sadly, making the brunette collapse in the chair. Kurogane could only stare as the childless father started weeping on his papers. After a moment, he unclipped his necklace, setting it in front of the man on the table before turning to walk away.

"What the hell? 'Wall scout'? What does that even mean?" Kurogane questioned from his cot in the white room, having opened the letter. Fay shrugged and sat on his own across from the dark haired man, their knees touching.

"Mine says 'Pilot', meaning I pilot aircraft. Wall scout… so I guess that means you patrol the walls. Read the description, Kuro-tan." The blonde said with a smile. Kurogane grumbled and looked down to the bottom of the paper.

"…Says I get any choice of weapon I want. On top of that I make sure 'the walking dead' don't get in passed our boundaries. Don't these guys got an electrical fence anyway?" He asked while looking up to Fay again. The blonde leaned forward and moved the paper to where he could see it too.

"It also says you'll be the first to go out and get survivors, and if you see any, to take them to medics. So you're on survival missions?"

"Guess so. What about you?"

"I'll be flying to the States and other places to help with supplies and things like that. I'll also fly over Japan and look for any survivors. That's actually how they found us, they told me." Fay said, making Kurogane's face scrunch up.

"You can do that in a plane?"

"I can fly fighter jets and helicopters too." Fay said with a grin, making Kurogane stare. He snorted and leaned back in his cot.

"Overachiever."

"First day out?" Kurogane looked over to his side where a man was smiling, reloading his gun as well. Kurogane shrugged.

"You could say that. Why?" He asked, holding his MP5 loosely while scanning the land in front of him. The person next to him tightened his bootstraps.

"No reason, you just seem too good at this to be a newbie." He replied, moving to stand while Kurogane let off a short burst to a group of undead running their way. The dark haired man looked back over to the other who was just now picking his gun up.

"I'm not a newbie." He replied, looking back out to shoot some more. "Not to this."

At that moment a helicopter taking off behind them alerted the two men, making them swivel in their stances to watch the pilot take off. Kurogane smirked lightly and lifted his hand, and the pilot waved frantically back before taking off higher to go around the wall. The man next to Kurogane watched him and suddenly smiled.

"You know the pilot?" He questioned, raising his gun to shoot some more zombies running toward the loud noise. Kurogane lowered his hand and watched the other go, then turned to the other guard on the wall.

"…We traveled together." He said, and the other's face fell.

"Hn… must be nice always being with the person you care about." He said, but Kurogane snorted.

"Yeah, must be."

"He said he wanted you to have it." The messenger told Kurogane as he handed over an envelope. Fay peeked out from behind him in their dormitory, but Kurogane nodded and closed the door. Fay watched as the taller man stared down at the envelope, turning to lean against the door.

"…Kuro-chii… what is that?" He asked softly, threading his fingers together to bring his hands to his chin. Kurogane moved to open the paper.

"When we got here three weeks ago I met a man who turned out to be Sakura's father." he said, peeling the thing open to dump out its contents into his hand. Out came a necklace holding two rings, jingling in his hand. Fay stared at them, then looked up to Kurogane. The man was eyeing the rings with a sad but still stoic expression.

"They just told me he's got two hours before the infection kills him." He said softly, staring at the rings. Fay and him stood in silence by the door, gazing at the silver jewelry that had one diamond per ring. In their silence, Kurogane dropped the paper. In their silence, Kurogane unclipped the necklace and wrapped it around his neck, like it had never left him.

"A year old." Kurogane said suddenly, making Fay lower his report paper from where he was reading it on his bed. He removed the sucker from his mouth and sat up, blinking when he saw his lover was staring at a calendar. The blonde set the paper aside and moved to his boyfriend's cot, staring at the calendar date before looking at the taller.

"A year old?" He questioned, making Kurogane's eyes fall to his hands.

"Mokona." He muttered softly, thinking about the baby. She might've been able to say 'dada' or 'mama' by then. Maybe even 'Kuro'. Fay gave him a sympathetic look before leaning his forehead against Kurogane's deltoid.

"Happy birthday, Mokona-chan…"

"Kurogane, no!" The man shouted from the wall as the taller jumped from his post down to the ground. He shot any zombie that came close, which wasn't many. The crash, the crash, the crash… a helicopter had crashed right before their eyes. Kurogane had watched it go down. He had to see if it was Fay. He had to. If it was Fay, he would let himself be eaten by the zombies. If it was Fay, he would shoot himself all to hell. If it was Fay… oh gods he didn't know what he'd do.

The explosion was gigantic but surprisingly the pilot was still in the cockpit, completely unharmed by the flames and smoke. Kurogane didn't have to worry about the zombies then; they didn't like flame as much as the living. The dark haired man clambered onto the flying vehicle and ripped the door off its hinges. He looked down with wide eyes.

Fay was sitting in the cockpit. His helmet wasn't on, blood streaming down his face from the side of his scalp. Kurogane didn't care to check if he had breath or a pulse at that moment; he could hear sizzling and knew the thing was going to blow. Well, again. He quickly unbuckled Fay and lifted him up with one hand, the MP5 in the other, and started to book it away from the helicopter. He hadn't run twenty feet before the damn thing exploded, sending Kurogane and Fay flying.

The taller regained himself quickly, knowing he was still in enemy territory. He barely registered what he was doing as he picked Fay up and shot zombies before kicking the doors open that were supposedly steel. The people there just looked at him funny as he set Fay down carefully, then turned to shove the doors closed when it normally took five people to do each side. He collapsed next to Fay when he realized they were safe, panting as he looked over the other. He could vaguely hear others calling out to him and to medics. His hand shakily went to Fay's chin, moving it so he could see the blonde's face. He moved his hand over the other's mouth. He about cried when he felt breath tingling his palm.

"You bastard. Don't do such a stupid thing again." He scolded Fay angrily, lifting the unconscious man into his arms for a brief embrace, then he stood and took the blonde to the infirmary.

"How're you feeling?" Kurogane stared stupidly and had to resist punching the bandaged man.

"You're out for two days, lying handicap in bed, and you have enough balls to ask me how I'm feeling?!" He barked at the blonde, who only smiled weakly.

"I woke up sometime yesterday and someone told me what happened. You didn't have to come and get me you know…" He said with a small blush. Kurogane folded his arms and looked away.

"Who says? You're stupid enough to get yourself almost killed. I had to get you. Who else would've? Besides, I made a promise." He muttered, the last part almost inaudible. Fay still heard it.

"Kuro-rin… what promise?" He questioned lightly, to which the other blushed a little bit. He sighed and moved a hand to the golden tresses.

"Get some sleep, idiot." He said before turning on his heel. Fay watched him go, able to see his shadow stop by the door to grab its necklace. The blonde smiled and lifted a patched up hand to his own and looked up to the ceiling. A promise to that Fay, huh?

"Tell me how you met him." Fay said, making Kurogane look up from his sword. The taller man blinked and sat up straight, seeing the serious expression on his lover's face.

"Met who?" He questioned, and Fay sighed.

"You know who; Fay." He said coldly, but Kurogane just blinked. After a moment his eyes widened and he looked down. He had actually forgotten… that this wasn't Fay? This was Yuui, Fay's younger identical twin brother, who he met halfway through his traveling around Japan. This was Yuui, who was a pilot and not a chemistry teacher. This was Yuui, who was proficient in using a crossbow. This was Yuui, his new beloved phoenix. Kurogane looked up. The pout was the same as Fay's. The same stuck out lower lip and tilted head, the same turquoise eyes staring up at him expectantly, the same fidgeting hands in his lap. Kurogane blinked again. The illusion of Fay, no matter how well it was, no matter how tight fit the mask had been, it was gone. This was Yuui in front of him. And he was still madly in love with him.

"We taught high school together." Kurogane replied easily, making the other look down.

"For how long? Before you two…"

"About three years. He said he wanted to be with me two years before that but I was 'too dense to notice his hints'. Like hell I was. He flirted like a bastard." Kurogane answered, talking a little too nonchalantly for even his own liking. He picked up his bottle and the new Fay smiled and nodded.

"Was the sex good?" He questioned, making Kurogane choke on his water. Red eyes stared at Fay and the same expecting pout was plastered on Fay's face. After a moment Kurogane twisted the cap back on awkwardly.

"…Yeah… I guess…"

"Better than it is with me?"

"Look, stop comparing yourself to him! He's dead and you're not! I'm with you now, aren't I?!" Kurogane snapped suddenly, making Fay flinch. Kurogane froze in shock at his own reaction. They sat in silence next to each other for a moment, then Kurogane looked away.

"…Sorry…" He said softly, but Fay shook his head and opened his arms.

"Come here." He whimpered in a tone that suggested he was going to cry. He wasn't used to Kurogane yelling at him. Kurogane obliged and crawled over the blonde, kissing him delicately in a way that said they needed to stop fighting. Fay still needed to heal.

Kurogane stirred from his slumber by Fay's curious hands searching over his jaw and chest. Red eyes cracked open to see the fully healed man's face in the darkness. The blonde smiled down in silence and he leaned down to mesh their lips together gently. Kurogane didn't resist as the other started to undress him, though he did wonder what had caused his lover to wake him up for this.

They made love again, and not just like any average time, but full of compassion and meaning. They shared heated kisses and whispered each other's name properly, drawing out the sex as long as they could. In a final unbearable moment, they reached their peaks simultaneously, muffling their screams of ecstasy in each other's mouths.

As they lay together in their afterglow, Kurogane held the smaller man in his arms, feeling the thin finger trailing invisible circles against his chest. Red eyes opened and he pondered over what could've made Fay randomly spring sex up on him. After a while of thinking he sank back into slumber, not really giving a damn. It was post-apocalypse, bliss was a rare thing to come by. Tightening his hold on Fay, he realized just how lucky he was to have it.

"Breathe, you idiot! Breathe!" Fay commanded, his hands shoving down on Kurogane's chest while counting. Kurogane gave no response. Fay made a desperate moaning sound as he went back down to give mouth-to-mouth, listening for breath that didn't come.

"Asshole! Don't die!" He choked out, feeling tears stinging his eyes. Kurogane couldn't die. He wasn't allowed to! He couldn't!

A few more chest compressions and Kurogane's chest heaved, the man suddenly coughing and gasping for air. Fay whimpered pitifully from joy, feeling all his limps turn to noodles in relief. Kurogane panted and looked up to the other.

"W…what happened?" He asked ruggedly, and Fay smiled, shaking his head.

"The electric fence. One… one of the wires snapped loose an caught you across the arms. The current almost killed you." Fay said, wiping his eyes while still smiling. Kurogane stared at the blonde, unable to comprehend it.

"What?" He muttered, trying to sit up. He grunted in pain and looked down at his arms, seeing one was lightly singed but enough to create a current through his body, while the other had a black line going up and down it in a squiggly motion. He lifted his hand to wipe his nose, looking at the warm liquid to see it was blood. He felt it running down his ears as well, figuring that was from the current too.

"…Where are we?" He questioned, completely dumbfounded. Fay frowned then and shook his head once more.

"Outside the wall. I found this place right beside it in hopes they'd find us." He replied, helping Kurogane sit up. The taller gripped his singed arm and leaned against his lover.

"What if they mistake us for zombies?" He questioned, and Fay sighed.

"If we don't go out at night they won't. We'll go out in the morning when they can see we're human. And you… you'll have to carry me…" He said weakly, making Kurogane look at him questioningly. Red eyes moved down to pale legs, but they were covered up by a blanket. Kurogane reached to pull it off but a bony hand stopped him.

"N…not now, Kuro-chan. We should probably sleep." His voice broke here and there, making the other tense.

"What happened, idiot?" He questioned in a dangerous tone. Kurogane narrowed his eyes and looked around the other. There was a bloody knife nearby… oh gods.

"Fay what did you do?!" He snapped in curiosity, and the other cringed and tried not to become weak.

"I was afraid…" He whispered, unable to stop Kurogane from pulling off the blanket this time. Fay had a huge hole in his calf. Kurogane inhaled slowly, his eyes widening at the open wound while Fay sat there helplessly.

"Y-you… you were bitten?" The taller man questioned, hearing his own heart break. Fay moved his hands to his face, his body shaking.

"It was only a bite… b-but it spread so fast… I carved out as much dead skin as I could and then some… I'm… Kuro-rin… I'm scared…" He said in his hands, making Kurogane's chest scream out to him. The taller pulled Fay closer and they shared a tight embrace. It was like Fay knew… he knew that night that they made love that he was going to get bitten… the coincidence was just… too abnormal… Fay was going to die…

"That's a pretty nasty bite." The doctor said as Kurogane set Fay down on the stretcher. Fay shook his head.

"No, this was done by my knife… I tried to get all the infection out before it spread…" He said, his heart pounding in hopes he had done a good job. The doctor looked it over and hummed.

"We'll have to cauterize it, and take a sample." He said before looking at Kurogane.

"If you'd wait in the other room." The doctor told him, and the taller man nodded. Fay looked at him in a pleading motion, and when the doctor's back was turned Kurogane gave Fay a chaste but passionate kiss.

"I'll be with you at all times." He told the other, lifting his hand to the necklace Fay had. The blonde looked at him with a small smile. Kurogane smirked back.

"I'll protect you… I promised him that, I'll promise you too." He said, and with that, he turned on his heel and left. Fay watched him go, his hand lingering on the gem, even as the wound started to get treatment.

Kurogane stared at Fay on the bed, the other man giving a sheepish smile back. Kurogane sighed and folded his arms.

"I'm disappointed, but I think this is better than you being dead." He muttered, making Fay laugh in almost respite.

"Not being able to walk for a couple months means you'll have to carry me when I don't have crutches or a wheelchair. I'll be able to eventually, but you'll have to help me." He informed the taller in an attitude way more cheerfully than the doctor had told him. Kurogane sighed again and shook his head.

"I'm not ok with that. I don't want you doing something stupid again and putting yourself in danger." He replied, moving to sit next to his lover on the bed. Fay shrugged and leaned against him.

"You always save me though." He said with a reminiscing smile, taking Kurogane's hand.

"At least you won't save me from burning helicopters this time."

"What's the occasion?" Fay said with a small blush, seeing Kurogane handing over a small cake. Kurogane shook his head with a light chuckle, sitting next to the blonde while delivering him a small kiss.

"You've been cooped up in here too long. Happy birthday, dimwit." He told the blonde. Fay stared at him for a moment before the blush intensified and he laughed rather loudly in embarrassment.

"M-my is it already the 15th? I could've sworn it was still the 27th of last month." He said as he admired the cake, wondering how hard it was to come by for fresh sweets nowadays. Kurogane rolled his eyes and leaned back against the bed.

"Eat up before it gets moldy. We'll celebrate my way if you don't complain about its staleness." Fay perked up as he moved a fork to the side. He smiled and leaned down to kiss Kurogane.

"Almost recovered, cake, and you promising my favorite recreational hobby, all on my birthday. You're the perfect boyfriend, Kuro-chu~!"

Kurogane folded his arms while looking at the new recruits. They had been found in Tokyo hiding in the skyscraper tops. They were all around fifteen years of age. He sighed almost angrily and looked down the line, wondering if he could see any familiar faces. Finding none he looked back to their commanding officer, the person ranked just above him and a few others. The new recruits were being drilled about survival. Kurogane had heard this plenty times before.

"…so reloading is almost as important as…" He babbled, making the dark haired man roll his eyes and look away. Some of the females had been watching him and giggled, knowing he was bored. Bad guys were tough, and extra sexy, so Kurogane was the king of all kings in that field. The burned dragon down his arm didn't help that factor, the burn from the wire that he had touched up. His commanding officer felt his eyebrow twitch and he looked over to see who the girls were staring at. He wasn't really surprised to see Kurogane zoning out by the fence around a few others. The officer growled.

"Kurogane! Care to show these guys the ropes?" He called in aggravation. Kurogane looked over and frowned, making one of the girls swoon.

"You too incompetent? Or just too lazy?" He barked, walking over to them. He stopped by the officer and placed a hand on his hip, looking over the younglings. They stared at him in either fear or awe.

"…And I'm teaching these newcomers what?" He asked the officer, who shrugged.

"I only just began." He said with a smirk, walking the other way. Kurogane growled and grabbed his gun from his back, making some of them flinch.

"Kids, this is a gun, specifically an MP5." He said in a sarcastic instructing way. He brought it to his shoulder and aimed for the officer's back.

"It's most useful when you have zombies coming after you, since it's got short, controlled bursts. But that doesn't mean it can't be used for opponents who have their back turned." He commented. Some of them laughed. Some of them looked at him in worry. Kurogane smirked and moved the gun back to his shoulder, ruffling a kid's hair who looked absolutely terrified.

"I'm just kidding, squirt. A damn zombie will get him before I do. I'll thank that zombie with my bullets." He said before snapping to the armor behind them.

"Suit up, maggots! Time for training." He barked, making them flinch to go to the armor behind them.

"Jesus, Kurogane, did you train them for zombie killing or for war?" One of the men came over, watching the children duke it out against themselves. Kurogane had his arms folded, smirking lightly as he watched the others.

"Isn't it the same thing?" He questioned lightly, watching some children roughhouse. He clicked his tongue when one started whimpering, but that child instantly got up and attacked the other. The man beside Kurogane looked at him in doubt.

"They look like they're play fighting." He muttered, and Kurogane looked over at him. He smirked.

"Oi, kids!" He barked to the children, making them all simultaneously stop to line up in a line. Kurogane took his MP5 off his back and handed it to one of the younger, who gripped it tightly. Kurogane looked at the other officer and flicked his head.

"Take off your gun. I'll show you what 'play fighting' does for them." he said with that same smirk. The officer flinched and handed over his gun, to which the children set it aside, unlike the gun the child was holding preciously close to him. He took an uneasy stance in front of Kurogane, while the taller took a few steps back.

"Kids, watch good and hard. I'll show you the reason I've been teaching you these things." He said, taking a stance himself. Some of the girls swooned again when Kurogane gave his signature smirk, while the boys looked eager to see him in action. After a moment the smaller officer cried out angrily and bolted to Kurogane, who just grabbed him by his collar and side and flipped him over to land on his back. The kids cheered as Kurogane stepped back with a smirk. The guy on his back coughed from the rough landing, getting up slowly. Since when had Kurogane been so quick?

"Get up, it's not like that broke anything." He snapped to the shorter, who growled and tried to attack him from around the middle. Before he could get close enough to bite (if he had tried, this was zombie boot camp anyway) Kurogane grabbed the underneath of his chin and yanked him off, using the man's own velocity against him to shove him back to his rear.

"Key thing, never let them scratch or bite you to the point it breaks skin." Kurogane instructed as the other fell. The man, now in a fury, got up and attacked again. Kurogane sidestepped him and easily dodged.

"Anger, fear, and panic are three things that'll get you killed the fastest. Stay calm, always watch your enemies, use their force against them. Their prime attack is also their prime weakness." He said coolly, turning the other man around easily while taking his hands, moving his boot to the man's back. He shoved the other to the ground, making him cry out, and Kurogane just held him there. He looked over to the children, who were staring at him in awe.

"Now I have him where I want him. I could rip his arms off, I could move both his hands to one of mine and snap his neck, I could break his spine, there are countless things I can do that, if he were a zombie, would make him unable to spread the infection to me." He said, not listening to the other officer complain about the way Kurogane was holding him. Kurogane smirked lightly but let go, allowing the other to fall on his face. He placed his hands on his hips and looked to the children.

"You ready to have a go?" He questioned, to which some of them cheered. The man on the ground growled and tried to attack Kurogane from behind, making some of the younger scream in surprise. Kurogane frowned and dodged again, grabbing the man's head to spin him around and fling him back to the ground.

"Also, never get distracted, and always assume that they'll get up." He said with a smirk, ruffling the child's hair who had screamed the loudest. The children nodded and looked at each other excitedly. Kurogane looked up and flinched slightly when he saw Fay standing with a smile on his face, his arms folded while leaning against the entranceway and a crutch. Kurogane looked down to the children and snapped his fingers.

"Oi, time to practice. Get to it." He commanded, the one holding his gun handing it over before they started attacking each other with good intentions. Kurogane crossed the yard and went over to Fay the same time he was pulling his gun over his arm.

"What're you doing?" He asked Fay, who smiled.

"Standing here." He replied simply, looking to the children. "Watching you train the kids." He added, making Kurogane blush lightly.

"How long have you been standing here then?" He questioned, looking back to the kids as well. Fay shrugged.

"From when you said 'key things'. Their cheering for your show of expertise caught my attention." The smaller giggled while Kurogane turned back to him. The taller's eyes fell somewhat and he looked over the blonde's face.

"…How's your leg?" He questioned lowly, and Fay's smile softened.

"It hurts again…" The blonde whispered, making Kurogane frown.

"The cauterization didn't help?" He asked in alarm, but Fay shook his head.

"It's nothing like that. All the infection's gone. It just hurts to stand on it." He informed the other, wanting to lean on him but resisting since there were others to gawk. He was sure some of them were gawking anyway. Kurogane cleared his throat and looked away.

"What're you doing up and about then? Go back to the room." The scout muttered, and Fay simply sighed.

"It's so boring in there though. At least let me watch you train others." He said with a grin, limping to a bench nearby while placing his crutch in his lap. Kurogane rolled his eyes and waved a hand.

"Be that way, you stubborn mule." The taller grumbled, turning away from the blonde to walk over to the students. Fay smiled as he watched Kurogane roughhouse with them, wondering if this is what it would've been like to watch him play with Mokona.

"GET DOWN!" Kurogane shouted over the gunfire, the children beside him lowering their heads as he busted out a few rounds against their decaying enemies. The girl clinging to him whimpered in fear and he growled, moving a hand to her head while switching out to his trusty shotgun.

"Why did they leave us here?" She whimpered against him, and his eyes remained focused on the zombies spilling in.

"A good reason." Kurogane came back with, standing up to blow away a zombie that almost got too close. Seeing their opportunity to run, he looked over to them.

"GET UP! LET'S MOVE!" He barked before taking off through the door, the children getting up with him to run out of the building. Kurogane looked up and heard a jet zoom by overhead, and his radio started going off.

"Big Dog, you down there?!" Came Fay's voice and Kurogane sighed in relief, reaching a hand up to turn it on while the other blasted away a zombie.

"Yeah, Yellow Cat, we're here! We're getting out asses handed to us! It's like a fucking war movie down here!" He snapped into the radio, pulling one of the children out of the way while kicking the zombie from him.

"Watching these Tadpoles sure as hell ain't helping!" He snapped as he watched the jet do a spin in the sky.

"Stand back, Big Dog, and get the Tadpoles out of the way!" He heard Fay reply, and Kurogane looked around him.

"Get the hell back you idiots!" He called to them, and they all retreated back to the side of the building. Fay's plane did an impressive barrel roll before emptying out his guns on the ground below, shooting up all the zombies that had tried to attack them. Kurogane sighed and watched as twenty or more of the undead fell lifeless, well, even more so, to the ground. The children looked up to Kurogane as he placed his hand on the communicator.

"Nice work Yellow Cat." He said with a smirk, and Fay's laughter replied him.

"How'd I do?"

"Better than last time. I'll get these tadpoles to Base 1 and get them some food." He replied, moving his gun to his back to trade it out for his glock. How he had missed his old zombie fighting weapons.

"I'd better get some cat food for this later!" Fay's voice came back, making Kurogane chuckle as they started to run through the dead bodies to their safe spot.

"Keep this up and you'll get the whole damn turkey." He replied, making Fay shout happily and the jet flipped in the sky above them.

"Tadpoles?" The commander said, listening to the recorded transmission between Fay and Kurogane, who were standing at ease in front of him. Fay shrugged and placed his hand on his hip.

"Since this is basically war, I came up with the phrase just for the hell of it." He said with a giggle. Kurogane folded his arms and sighed, rolling his eyes at Fay's childishness. The commanding officer raised his eyebrow and looked back to the recording.

"Big Dog and Yellow Cat, right? Those are odd names for what you two do. If we're going with animals, I'd've thought wolf and sparrow." He muttered, making Fay snort.

"With all do respect, I like Dog and Cat better." He replied, waving his hand. "The Tadpoles are the ones still in basic training."

"What the hell happened out there?" Kurogane suddenly snapped, making the officer raise his eyebrow again. Kurogane continued.

"I was left out there for two fucking hours with fifteen children who don't even know how to tie their own goddamn shoelaces! Why the hell didn't I get back up or some other shit to get those kids to safety!?" He barked, and the man sitting down sighed and turned off the transmission before the cat food part. He stood and looked at Kurogane with a frown.

"You may be one of the best fighters, but we can't sacrifice five men for one."

"How about two for sixteen?! You're fucking lucky none of us got killed or infected!" The tallest barked, turning on his heel to leave. The officer shot a hand out and grabbed Kurogane's shoulder.

"I didn't tell you to leave!" Kurogane whipped around and backhanded him hard, knocking him down on his desk.

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK I AM?! I'M NOT SOME ASSHOLE PLAYING WAR! THIS ISN'T THE FUCKING MILITARY AND I AM NOT A FUCKING SOLDIER! I'M A FUCKING GYM TEACHER! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO EVEN SAVE CHILDREN THEN GO GET YOURSELF EATEN, YOU BASTARD!" He roared, turning on his heel again to storm out.

"Kuro-chu!" Fay called after him, running up to him to the best of his abilities. Some of the onlookers lowered their gaze when Kurogane thundered by, but they watched as he went to his dorm room with Fay. One of the children leaned over to the other.

"I wanna be in his gym class." He said, to which the second nodded.

"Commander is down!" Someone called over the radio. How many fucking times had he heard that today? Kurogane moved his hand to the radio.

"Just fucking leave the bastard to rot. If he gets up again he's infected, shoot the motherfucker." Kurogane commanded. He would've been questioned, but he turned off his radio. He lifted his gun and shot some more oncoming zombies, He listened and heard a gunshot, smiling all too smugly in the midst of the battlefield.

"Yellow Cat to Big Dog, you there?" Came Fay's voice over his second, less frequently used radio that he had solely reserved for Fay's transmissions. Kurogane moved his hand to his other shoulder and turned it louder.

"Yeah, what's up?" He questioned, knocking down an undead woman before climbing to the top of the building.

"Commander's dead!" Fay said in a chipper tone. Kurogane snorted.

"Serves the damn bastard right." He replied, acting as a sniper to take down some of the ones running below that he knew were zombies. Fay's jet soared by in the distance. His laughter rang out crisp like he was right next to him.

"You know what this means, don't you?"

"No, what?"

"Now that he's dead, we can move up. We're the next two officers, Big Dog. Congratulations." Fay's voice told him, making his gun lower.

"…What?" He questioned, distracted only for a moment before shooting another zombie. Fay laughed again.

"Yupp, welcome to the army, baby!"

Kurogane was panting. He looked around in panic, something he never did.

"Fay you damn bastard! Where the fuck are you?!" He screamed, knowing his plane had crashed somewhere nearby. The taller cussed loudly and jumped down from some rubble, not seeing any smoke. It didn't help that in the few years the lands were deserted the vegetation had overgrown everything. Had humans really held it back that much?

"DAMMIT! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Kurogane bellowed, not even getting zombies after him from the noise. Kurogane climbed through a couple cars and suddenly gasped, realizing the had found himself tumbling right down a cliff. He braced himself for impact, only to feel his body hit against metal. He grunted and looked up, seeing Fay's cockpit. He blinked before scrambling to his feet, having flashbacks from the helicopter crash. Only this time, when he ripped off the top, the blood on Fay's forehead wasn't there. Instead, it was coming from his eye. Kurogane stared for a moment before lifting the unconscious man up into his arms.

"Idiot." He said simply, moving to crawl back up the cliff to go back the way he came, Fay securely against one side of him.

"…That's it?" Kurogane questioned, watching from the wall as the zombies started to fall. The other man beside him shrugged.

"It seems the scientists from all around the world came up with a toxin that only aim for the undead cells in the zombie bodies. Now everything that's infected with it will either die or be completely cured, depending on how much infection that person has." He said, looking over to Kurogane. "The cells will target themselves and they'll eat themselves up, until there's only one left. And since that cell will still wanna eat, it'll starve or eat itself into oblivion." He said with a smirk. Kurogane frowned and looked down to the men falling by the wall. They twitched and gurgled appropriately, before some just stopped moving altogether. Kurogane lifted his gun and put some bullets in one's head when it got too close. The guy next to him placed a hand on Kurogane's gun and made the taller glare.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! At least wait for it to take effect!" He stated with a frown. Kurogane shrugged him off and turned away.

"Waiting will get yourself killed." He muttered, moving his hand to his necklace. "Letting your guard down will allow things to slip in and destroy you when you least expect it." He finished before going down the steps to check on Fay.

"Happy 2nd birthday Mokona-chan." Fay said with a smile, crossing off the date on the calendar. Kurogane looked up from their shared bed sleepily, rubbing his hair.

"…It's been a year already?" He grumbled, and Fay smiled down to him.

"Yes, why does that surprise you?" He questioned, and Kurogane had to stare. He was so unused to seeing Fay with an eye patch.

"…I dunno. It doesn't even feel like it's wintertime." He said as he sat up, still staring at his eye covering. Fay turned his head away.

"D…don't stare…" He whispered, but Kurogane lifted his hand and turned Fay's head to face him. The single blue eye looked up to the taller and Kurogane gave a slight smirk.

"You've lost half your magic, but that doesn't mean you don't bewitch me." He said, making Fay blush darkly. He looked away with a giggle, pushing against the taller's bare chest.

"You're mushy~"

"Looks like you won't need to fly anyway." Kurogane commented, seeing that after a month the toxins were still in effect. It seemed the miracle gas was true to its word. Fay hummed lightly, leaning against Kurogane as they sat on the wall together in the early morning. No one else was awake.

"It makes me sad that I can't pilot anymore, but if I don't need to that makes me just as happy as doing some good on the battlefield." He said with a grin, and Kurogane shrugged.

"I don't think I could pick up another gun after it's all said and done." He said, kissing blonde locks. Fay giggled.

"I doubt it; you and your guns..." The shorter cooed, gripping Kurogane's arm to make him flex automatically. Fay blushed lightly and gave a fake whistle.

"Mmm sexy~!" He hummed, while Kurogane snorted.

"You do that way too much." He replied, though he had to look away to keep his blush from being visible. Fay laughed and kissed Kurogane's shoulder.

"Well I'm allowed to, since it's true and you know it." He said with a smile, to which he heard Kurogane grumble something inaudibly.

"Then turn the wheel, gently." Fay said, sporting the coolest eye patch any commander ever had. It certainly gave him some character. He also limped, making the students around him wonder what the hell he had been through. He stood straight and smiled.

"Now everyone, it's break time. Meet me back here in twenty minutes." He instructed to which the children nodded and started packing up for lunch. The blonde turned his head to the doorway and couldn't help but smile, seeing the other commanding officer waiting for him. Fay limped over to him rather gracefully and smiled wider. The students stopped to gawk. Fay and Kurogane were such polar opposites. Fay had a leg wound, Kurogane had a burned tattoo his arm opposite to Fay's leg. Fay had an eye patch, Kurogane had heart problems (specifically when he got too angry, more than likely from the electrical incident a year before). Their physical attributes were completely opposite, their attitudes too. The only thing they had similar to each other was a necklace always around their neck. Fay had a blue phoenix, Kurogane had two rather girly rings, though everyone assumed it was from a sister, mother, or wife he had had at one point.

Although, they were always together. Commanding officers of the ground and air force, the highest ranking in their fields and battlescars to prove how they got there. Kurogane's rippling muscles tensed when he folded his arms, even visible under his jacket, making any girl swoon rather openly. Fay couldn't help but giggle at that.

"How are the students in your field?" Kurogane questioned and Fay shrugged.

"Newbies. What about yours?"

"Same." Kurogane replied, raising an eyebrow to a few students that were staring at them. They quickly went back to what they were doing. Kurogane sighed and looked back to Fay.

"You'd think it'd've changed by now. The zombies stopped coming back to life a few months ago." He muttered lowly, and Fay looked at him with a serious smile.

"The toxin worked, but that doesn't mean it's permanent." Fay replied, looking to the rest of the students.

"I'm beginning to think it's not." He muttered, and Kurogane looked at him with a deeper frown.

"What makes you say that?" He asked back, but Fay shook his head.

"I've got no proof or hunch to go off of, I just have a bad feeling that it's not going to take much longer before they start sprouting up like weeds again." He looked at Kurogane with a new delicate frown.

"If and when they do, do you think we'll be ready?" He questioned the same time the last person left the room. Kurogane smirked and took that opportunity to wrap his arm around Fay's waist, giving him a smooch.

"Don't sweat it, babe, if anyone's ready, it'll be us." He said against Fay's lips, making the blonde smile.

"Don't call me babe." He whispered back abashedly, blushing while wrapping his arms around Kurogane's shoulders before they shared another kiss.

Fay coughed roughly enough to wake Kurogane up. The taller man sat up in alarm, instincts automatically telling him there was a zombie problem. Fay waved his hand while the other clasped around his throat.

"N-no, d-don't give… me that look…" Fay wheezed through his coughing. Kurogane raised an eyebrow and moved his hand to the blonde's back. Fay finally cleared his throat and gasped for air, silently thankful for the other's hand rubbing circles against his shoulder blades.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" He whispered in their room, and Kurogane continued to frown. Fay wiped his mouth free of saliva and smiled to his lover. The taller sighed.

"That's not it, is it?" He questioned airily and Fay leaned against him.

"I'm not infected, I'm just… overworking myself… I guess… it's getting cold again…" The blonde muttered while closing his single eye. Kurogane sighed and moved his arms around Fay.

"You idiot, it's in the middle of September." He muttered, making Fay laugh lightly.

"Oops… only idiots get colds in summertime, ne?" He questioned. Kurogane smelled good. He smelled wonderful. Fay leaned his head over and planted a kiss on bare skin. He tasted wonderful too.

"Oi, if you're getting sick you're not kissing me." Kurogane replied, pulling away from Fay. The other whined like he normally would and moved to kiss the taller man's chest again, but Kurogane held him back.

"Just one~?" Fay whimpered, making Kurogane growl. That puppy dog eyes trick always worked, he didn't know why he resisted, so he grumbled and gave in. Fay cheered happily and leaned forward to kiss the taller. Mm, he tasted so good. Fay couldn't get enough. He moved his mouth against Kurogane's, splitting his lips to have his tongue graze the taller's. Kurogane growled again, but Fay ignored it, suddenly unable to taste his lover enough. He wanted more. To get under that beautiful sun kissed skin. He wanted… His eye opened and he gasped against Kurogane's lips. The other man's face… his neck, all of what he could see of Kurogane danced with red strings. Fay stared, started to hyperventilate. Oh gods what was that? What was that beautiful noise? Was that Kurogane's heartbeat? Kurogane finally opened his mouth for Fay's insistent tongue and they tasted each other. The dark haired man twitched. Fay tasted… odd. Not like he normally tasted…

At that moment Fay couldn't stand it anymore. He moved his lips over one of the red strings and bit down as hard as he could, making Kurogane grunt. Fay held on, spilling Kurogane's blood in his mouth. Strong hands went to Fay's shoulder and pulled him away, Fay's tongue hanging out his mouth while he looked down. They were both panting. Kurogane looked up, able to taste the blood in his mouth, alerted by Fay's strange behavior. He felt his blood run cold when he saw Fay's eye. It was no longer beautiful, majestic blue, but a cold, golden yellow.

"…Th…the fuck!?" He gasped, making Fay's eye slowly widen. He moved to sit up on Kurogane, his hands going to his mouth.

"I-I… Kuro-rin… I d-don't know…" He whimpered, suddenly very afraid. Why the hell had he just bitten Kurogane?! Was he infected?! Had he just infected Kurogane?!

"Oh gods!" Fay suddenly gasped before his eye started to well up with tears. He instantly moved off his lover, wanting to run away. Kurogane swiped for him but Fay ran out too quickly, even for having a limp. The taller man moved his hand to his mouth and felt over the new wound. Fay had bitten him right over a vein.

"Dammit." He muttered, slumping back to the bed.

"That's odd." The doctor said, Fay sniffing on the cot. He looked up in alarm, too afraid to cry.

"What is it? Am I contagious?" He asked weakly, and the doctor shrugged. He walked over to the man sitting on the white sheets, handing him his papers.

"It's true you've got the infection, but this is a weird strand. If this is the normal strand, that bite on your leg would've killed you a year ago." He told Fay, and the blonde stared at him in confusion.

"S-so what does this mean?" He asked.

"Vampirism." The deep voice by the door said, making the doctor and Fay look over. Kurogane was frowning deeply, and the blonde gasped lightly at the smell of his still drying blood. He had bitten him good.

"Vampirism? Vampires are only a myth." The doctor replied skeptically. Kurogane walked in, throwing some papers down. There were pictures of bodies mutilated by zombies, but these were different. There weren't chunks bitten out, only bitemarks and they had rather large holes where canines would be. Fay stared at it blankly before moving a hand over his mouth.

"That… looks like the wound when the zombie bit me… before I carved out the infection…" He muttered, pointing a shaky finger to one of the pictures.

"You didn't get it all." Kurogane replied, moving his hands to his hips. "But you got enough to keep yourself sane and human. What these zombies do is just drink the human's blood. They have an insatiable thirst, a lot like rabies but more under control."

"How do you know about this?" The doctor asked, and Kurogane gave him a pointed stare.

"I've been around for almost four years in this hectic mess. I've seen just about all the shit this war and apocalypse can dish out."

"Why did it take so long for me to have this… er… vampirism?" Fay asked, still trying to wrap his mind around it. Kurogane moved a hand to his chin.

"Perhaps since you got rid of most of the infection it took a while to get from your calf to complete the cycle around your body. That toxin might've suppressed it too." He suggested, and the doctor shook his head.

"What're we going to do?" He questioned them, and they looked at each other. Fay gave a pained expression before bowing his head.

"Kill me. I'm dangerous… I'll be better… off dead…" He whispered and Kurogane gave an angry noise before bashing his hand against the wall, leaving an impressive indent.

"Who are you to give up so easily?!" He barked, startling his lover, walking over to grab Fay's collar. "If you want to die so bad I'll kill you, but until then, you'll live!" He snapped. Fay stared at him before a gentle smile grazed his face. Kurogane looked to the doctor, lowering his partner to sit on the cot again.

"You. We'll keep this between the three of us. Fay's not a zombie, he just wants blood. He's already bitten me…" He looked over to his lover. "…So I'll be his prey."

The doctor looked at him, dumbfounded for a moment, before nodding. He walked over with some of the papers and filed them. Kurogane sat down next to Fay, wrapping his arms around the smaller in not caring if the doctor saw. Fay felt like he was going to hurt him, so he didn't hug back.

"I'll always be hungry… I'll always want your blood…" He whimpered, but Kurogane shook his head.

"You'll get full eventually. I'm ok dealing with this." He told the smaller, moving his hands to Fay's face. He cupped pale cheeks in his palms and made Fay look him in the eye.

"I promised I would protect you, and I intend to keep that promise. If that means keeping your vampirism a secret from the rest of the world, then so be it." He said, making water line the blue eye Kurogane loved so much. Fay gasped and wrapped his arms around the taller, giving into his weaker side to let a tear escape his eye. Kurogane gave a gentle smile and hugged him back. Things would be ok…

"K-Kuro-rin…" Fay whimpered from the bathroom. The taller man got up from his cot ad walked over to it, leaning in.

"What is it?" He questioned, seeing Fay staring at himself in the mirror. His eye patch was in the sink. The blonde swiveled and pointed to his eye that was usually covered. The last Kurogane saw it the eye was completely gouged out, probably from glass scraping across it in the cockpit of the jet. Now it was like Fay had just been blinded, a thin film over an eye that completely filled out the socket.

"I have a fucking eye!" Fay snapped in shock, making Kurogane just stare at him.

"…Such use of the language…" He muttered slowly, walking over to the smaller. He looked over the eye. Sure enough, it looked just as if he were born blind in one eye. Actually, there was an impressive scar over the eyebrow a little down to where it would usually just barely poke out of the eye patch. And that too looked like it was healing up.

"W-what did this?" Fay asked, leaning against Kurogane slightly. The taller hummed.

"Dunno." He replied, moving his hand to the side of Fay's cheek. The blonde kept his eyes open, staring intently out of the eye he could see through.

"C-could… could it be the vampirism?" He asked softly, and Kurogane focused his attention on the blue eye.

"Thought that the zombie vampirism you had was just for drinking blood." Kurogane muttered. Fay looked down.

"Maybe this is developing into full blown vampire myths. Maybe I'll start hating onions and stuff!" He said, making Kurogane snort.

"That's garlic, idiot. And I doubt it. At most you won't like sunlight, and you already sparkle so that doesn't matter." Fay hit his arm.

"I'm not that gay you bastard and that isn't funny! This is serious!" Kurogane laughed again.

"Fine fine, let's see. You drink my blood, that's obvious. You've got regeneration-"

"I thought that was only for things that happen after I get bit?"

"Well that was after you got bit. It just took a while for you to start drinking or anything."

"So I'm going to get my eye back? Completely?"

"Looks like it."

"Wonder if I'll be able to see…"

"I don't doubt it. We're on a roll with possibilities here."

"…Oh shit. What if the zombies start developing stuff like this?"

"What is with you and cussing today?"

"I'm a little stressed out right now!"

"I've noticed… anyway, about the zombies. We've not seen any in half a year. You're the only one on record that had the active strand."

"Then why doesn't the toxin purify me or kill me?"

"…Dunno… Maybe this is a different one? Like a different strand altogether that the toxin can't get to? Maybe… maybe it's been in your body for so long it's taken a unique strand formation?"

"So… you're saying that I'm the only one like this?"

"Yeah."

Fay stared at Kurogane for a moment before his face broke out into a smile. Wrapping his arms around the taller man he sighed.

"That's such a relief. We should celebrate by having sex." Kurogane snorted and looked down at the other.

"For once you're blunt. Not that I'm complaining in any way, but why that?" The taller asked, and Fay giggled.

"I want your sex face to be the first thing I can see again with my new eye."

Fay eyed the wound on his leg. He examined it, prodded it, frowned at it, but it didn't look any different from any other time he looked at it. Kurogane walked in at that moment, rubbing his hair with the towel. Seeing Fay massaging the subtle crevice in his skin made the taller raise an eyebrow.

"Oi, what're you doing? And why aren't you wearing your eye patch?" He questioned, making Fay look up. The blonde smiled, then returned to what he was doing.

"I was hoping this would go back to normal too, but it seems my eye is the only thing that returned. I'll still have a limp." He replied through a sigh. Kurogane frowned and walked over to the shorter, not bothering with getting dressed as he sat with merely a towel on next to his fellow commander. He looked Fay's face over before lifting the eye patch off the bed.

"You know people will ask if you don't have it on." He said, staring at the golden eye for a moment before placing it under the eye patch. His lover gave him a disappointed smile but closed his eyes in agreement.

"I'm beginning to feel you're too used to seeing it on." He muttered, making Kurogane click his tongue.

"You know how I feel about looking you in your eyes, matching in color or not." The taller stated and Fay grinned a little wider, leaning into the bare chest. He traced invisible circles in the dark, scarred skin and locked their vision, lips and chin and nose barely touching.

"Perhaps my magic is losing its touch?" He offered slyly, but Kurogane chuckled. He lifted a hand and grasped the pale one.

"Your fingers dance here every night. You cast spells without realizing it." The other replied, going along with their little game ever since Fay first lost the eye. The shorter giggled.

"My fingers dance over your left breast, your heart. So you're saying I cast a spell on your heart to keep you as mine? I'm a little underhanded aren't I?" The other cooed, but Kurogane stole a quick kiss.

"Maybe, but there's something you didn't know." He muttered, making Fay raise his visible eyebrow.

"What is it?" He wondered aloud, and Kurogane's red eyes flashed open.

"You didn't need to use magic in the first place."

"Oh my gods no!" Fay shouted from the wall, watching as raging undead started to flank them. He flung his arm out to the side.

"Shoot you idiots shoot!" He shouted, looking on as MP5s were fired, the zombies falling to the ground. Kurogane ran up the stairs four steps at a time, moving to stand next to Fay. The blonde looked to him and openly tackled him, making Kurogane blink.

"Uh, get off?" He muttered awkwardly, though others around them were too busy with the zombies to notice their intimacy. Fay was shaking, staring down through his unhidden eye at the oncoming army of dead. Kurogane frowned and pulled the other away, only to have Fay latch to him again.

"Oi, what's your problem? Didn't you say this was going to happen?" He questioned, and Fay continued to stare at the crowds.

"I-I thought…" Fay shivered, swallowing roughly. Kurogane stayed silent and listened. The other was hyperventilating.

"I thought y-you were down there… I th-thought I s-saw you…" He moaned in agony, finally looking up to Kurogane. His eye was watery and he continued to hold onto the other.

"Don't go beyond the wall!" He barked at his lover, making Kurogane flinch. The other grimaced angrily and pulled Fay off.

"Get a hold of yourself, idiot! Breathe!" He commanded the blonde, who inhaled deeply. Blue eye closed and he grasped his chest lightly, trying to contain himself. While no one was looking, Kurogane yanked Fay down to make him sit, covering his ears from the gunfire. Fay knew this procedure and just stared at Kurogane, ignoring everything else around them. This was the second time this had happened. The second time Fay had thought one of the zombies was Kurogane. The second time since the second wave of apocalypse started. Kurogane found this way effective to make Fay realize he wasn't going anywhere. He wasn't going to die by anyone but himself or Fay and neither of them would allow that. The blonde gave a weak smile and closed his eye, giving into Kurogane's treatment.

Neither of them knew it, though they subconsciously assumed, but they were being watched. Watched by the younger of the recruits, the newer ones. They watched them scornfully. Where they lovers? Was Fay having a seizure? A panic attack? Was Kurogane knocking some sense into him? Telling him to calm down? One of the older men slapped the closest person staring.

"Stop that!" He barked, lifting his gun to shoot more zombies. The man looked back as well.

"What's up with those two?" He questioned, not noticing Kurogane moving blonde bangs aside. The other shrugged.

"Who cares? They've been our commanders for a good while. Air Force Captain might be suffering from his bite again?" He said offhandedly. Another man leaned into the conversation.

"I heard he was losing his mind!" He added with a laugh. One more snickered.

"I heard he was one of them!" He replied with another laugh. The man who had originally been staring rolled his eyes as the men around him joked and nudged each other, coming up with wild (and sometimes unknowingly accurate) allegations.

"Alright, alright, I get it, I won't question them anymore." He muttered, blasting off a couple zombies. The man next to him laughed.

"Just leave them be. They've kept us alive better than the last commander that's for sure, and on top of that their business ain't our business! Keep to yourself and you won't get shot like others do!" He informed, watching as the last zombie fell. The man grumbled incoherently, not noticing Kurogane had left Fay to recollect himself.

"Ok you bastards! Reload! There's about fifty more coming in a wave and I don't feel like getting my ass chewed off by anything of the like! One damn good reason my mother died, now let's keep her dead!" He barked at them, making some of the older soldiers snicker. The younger ones frowned lightly at the joke but couldn't think long on it, seeing banshee zombies starting to scream over the horizon like a bad horror movie. They started shooting away, not watching as Kurogane gave Fay a reassuring kiss before lifting the commander up to take him away.

Fay was vomiting. The soldiers were staring in horror. Kurogane was summoned. He was walking angrily down the corridor when he heard the retching noises, booking it the rest of the way toward Fay's training room to bust down the doors. His eyes opened wide at seeing Fay puking up blood. The people in the room had their guns raised to him, as if expecting him to turn into a zombie.

"You idiots lower your goddamn guns!" He roared at them, shocking some of them into silence. Kurogane went over to Fay, who had at that moment finished vomiting out his insides. He looked too pale. Too sick. The blonde looked up to Kurogane, a tear slipping down his face.

"K…Kuro…" He muttered as the second commander wiped the blood from his lips. The taller looked down and noticed the blood was darker than normal, coming from his stomach and not his lungs. He frowned deeper, assessing Fay was just puking up his breakfast and not changing into a zombie.

"Shut up you moron." He commanded Fay, lifting the blonde up. He looked over to whoever it was that had followed him.

"Clean this mess up. Put this team in my corridor until I get back." He instructed, to which everyone nodded. Kurogane carried Fay out of the room, who was now sobbing in his arms.

"I'm dying…" He whispered into the dark haired man's chest. Red eyes narrowed; he would've hit him if he wasn't carrying him.

"You're not dying." Kurogane told him bluntly, but Fay shook his head.

"I can't keep it down… I can't keep your blood down." He said softly, and Kurogane's pace slowed.

"This isn't the first time?" He said slowly and his lover shook his head, covering his face with his shaky hands.

"I'm s-so hungry…b-but I keep puking…" He whimpered. "I feel so bad… so sick… oh gods I'm dying… I'm turning into one of them…"

Kurogane watched in disgust as Fay devoured a just butchered animal. Blood was covering his face, his eyes were golden, he looked absolutely primal. Red eyes had to turn away, looking to the doctor beside him. The man sighed and shook his head lightly.

"He'll puke this up in half an hour if my assumption is correct, but…" He looked to Kurogane. "… if yours is, he'll regain some of his health and start to stabilize."

The taller looked back to Fay, watching him lick his fingers clean of the pig blood.

"If I'm right, he's just missing variety in his system. For a human, eating only one thing all the time would make you ill, like cake, to the point you throw it up every time you swallow. This would be the same as with Fay and blood. He can't always have mine, he'll get sick of it." He elaborated to the doctor, who grimaced.

"You're saying Commander Fay will start needing to feed on everyone to remain as human as possible?" He questioned, looking to Kurogane. The taller didn't look back.

"I'm saying the only way he's going to remain human is if he has something other than my blood. Pig's blood, cow blood, goat, sheep, dog, cat, horse, ox, mule, anything other than human that's still alive and we can get. They don't always need to be slain. I'm still here, aren't I?" At moment, they heard a thud. Looking in front of them, they saw Fay had collapsed. He was sound asleep, having eaten half the pig. Kurogane walked to the side and opened the glass door, going over to his lover. He knelt and moved Fay's bangs aside, seeing the other had truly just passed out.

"…He's fine." Kurogane answered, picking the other up to set him on the cot nearby. The taller sat in the chair next to the bed and grabbed the washcloth, dabbing it in water to start cleaning his lover off.

"Now we'll see who's right."

"How're you feeling?" Fay was questioned, shivering lightly in the bed. He smiled up to Kurogane, not realizing he was in the hospital-like room.

"Cold." He replied, moving his hands from the blanket out for Kurogane. Where the man would normally crawl in with him, Kurogane just stared. Fay gave him a questioning, almost hurt look. Kurogane couldn't resist it and took one of Fay's hands.

"Sorry to hear that. You not hungry at all? Feel like you're going to puke?" He asked, and Fay shook his head, content with just the hand holding his. He moved to sit up, but Kurogane stopped him.

"Rest idiot." He commanded, and Fay let his body go lax.

"What did I do?" He questioned. The taller sighed and looked away.

"Ate half a pig raw." Kurogane told him, making Fay's eyes widen. The other gave a soft smile and shook his head.

"You were hungry, it's understandable."

"B-but why not your blood?"

"It's normal to eat more than just one thing. I talked with the doctor and we came up with a way to make sure I'm the only person you eat from. You're not killing anything, just drinking blood. Think of it like picking apples. You're just getting the fruit from the tree, and the tree is still alive." He said coolly, and Fay gave him a half relieved, half teasing smile.

"You always think you know what to say." He joked, and Kurogane chuckled. Fay brought his partner's hand up to his face and nuzzled against it.

"Sorry I made you worry." He whispered, and the taller's face turned slightly calm.

"Since when do you not? Don't worry about it, idiot, as long as I'm here to protect you and help, I don't mind rescuing your ass." He stated, making Fay giggle.

"That's only because you have ulterior motives with said ass."

Kurogane laughed.

Kurogane stared wide eyed as the toxins were released again. Fay covered his face as quickly as he could but it was too late, the missile landed too close by and the shock wave sent out the nauseating and overpowering smell of dandelions. Kurogane looked below and watched as someone who was just brought in from being bit started to convulse, his wound leaking blood and puss for a moment before he stopped moving, panting as the infection left his body. Others seized too, but they either calmed or died. Kurogane looked over to Fay. He did neither. Fay looked back to him, just as shocked as the other. The strand was completely different. Fay's Necrothropic Vampirism was a completely different strand. Fay was unique.

"Everyone, we have something to tell you." Kurogane bellowed at the assembled lines. One of them cracked off a joke about Fay being pregnant, causing others to laugh. Kurogane rolled his eyes and drew his gun, shooting that man in the foot. Fay sighed and shook his head, watching as the man fell over holding his shoe. Kurogane moved his gun back to his holster and placed his hands on his hips. He looked over to Fay. Fay smiled and took a step forward.

"Ladies, gentlemen. You've all known about my seizures, vomiting, panic attacks. You're all either afraid or grossed out, I know." He said, walking along the lines. He gave a soft smile.

"There is a method to this madness." He stated, continuing to stroll and look over their rather large group of rebels. "There is a reason behind my zombie-like symptoms." He explained, and another cracked off, in a joking manner, that Fay was a zombie spy. Fay waved his hand at Kurogane when he saw the other go for his gun. He walked forward and stepped awfully close to the one who had said the joke, staring up at him with one eye and smiling.

"What if I was?" He questioned languidly, in an almost hiss of a whisper. The man paled, but Fay pulled away. Moving to stand at the end of the line, he placed a hand on his chest and frowned.

"Before our former commander got killed, I was bitten while out of the wall once on a mission with Kurogane to fix the electrical fence. On that day I received this lovely scar." He informed them, lifting his pant leg to show them the bite sized dip in his upper calf muscle. They were all quiet. Fay lowered his pant leg and stood straight again.

"This scar is from a zombie, of course. To be more specific, the zombie that has their throats close up and they thirst for any liquid. This is known as vampirism." He said in a serious tone, threatening them with his eye to see if they'd laugh in disbelief. No one did. Fay continued, walking back up the lines to go toward Kurogane.

"I carved out the infection as best I could while trying to restore your other commander to a stable condition, but in my panic to resuscitate him I didn't get all of the death out of the wound. It lay dormant in me even after the toxin was released. One day while I was in my quarters, going over some rescue missions with my fellow commander, I attacked him, and tired to drink his blood." He said with an all too happy smile. Everyone simultaneously looked at Kurogane, who sighed and raised an eyebrow. Fay continued.

"Luckily, while I was in another haze of panic, Kurogane and the doctor Seishirou came up with a system to keep me as human as possible. I've only drunk one person's blood in the span of my year as a vampire, and I intend to keep it that way until I die. Don't fear me, I don't want to drink blood of anyone here. I'm going to live off of livestock like you do, so the vomiting and seizures will stop. The panic attacks are unrelated, personal problems." He said, the last part an offhanded comment while glancing at Kurogane quickly. He suddenly felt like he was a teacher in school. Amusing himself, he shrugged.

"Questions?" He giggled, and some actually raised their hands.

"Was it Commander who you ate from?"

"Why don't you just take the toxin to get rid of it?"

"Where's the proof you're normal?"

Fay sighed at these questioned and looked to the doctor, who gave a grin and walked over. Fay lifted a vile from the doctor's hands.

"This contains the toxin that gets rid of zombies." He stated with a smile, popping the cap open. He held it out to one of the men.

"Smell." He told them, to which he did. He instantly pulled back and nodded.

"Yupp, that's the toxin." He coughed, and Fay nodded.

"If a human were to drink this nothing would happen except they'd be really grossed out by flavor and texture. If a zombie were to even get a whiff of this, they would keel over and die." Fay explained, holding it up for them to see. Kurogane unfolded his arms, getting a bad feeling about this. The smaller smiled.

"When the latest bomb was dropped, I had no reaction to the smell whatsoever." He stated, lifting the bottle up for all to see.

"I'm going to drink this to show you I'm normal." He said with a wider grin, making some of the men gasp. Kurogane took a step forward.

"That's not necessary." He muttered darkly, but Fay shrugged, giving him a smile.

"The worst it can do is kill me, and that'll solve any problem anyway." He said to his lover, not giving him a chance to reply before lifting the small tube to his mouth, tilting his head with it while swallowing the contents. Fay made a weird face before coughing, fanning the air in front of him.

"Damn that's some nasty shit." He said, making everyone stare at him. He closed the vile and set it back in the doctor's things. He looked around, giggling at his language, then waved his hand.

"Next question; proof." He shrugged again. "Me drinking the toxin to get rid of it shows I'm normal right? The toxin didn't work, so I'm normal. And I'm not a zombie, but I still have the undead strand. It's weird how it works."

"How does it make you different from other zombies?" A girl chimed in. Fay smiled and lifted his hand to the back of his eye patch. Instincts made Kurogane flinch, but he stopped himself as Fay removed his eye patch, his eyes remaining closed.

"Who's seen my empty eye socket?" He questioned, to which more than a few answered positively. Fay smiled.

"I had my eye gouged out by shrapnel in a jet crash. A few weeks ago, this happened." He answered, opening his eyes to show them the golden one filling the eye socket, parallel to his normal blue one. All of them stared, some gasped. Fay smiled and pocketed his eye patch.

"I know, cool, right?" He stated with a grin. He lifted a hand and pointed at his eye. "This is proof I'm not human." He pointed to his calf. "This is proof I'm not a zombie." He looked over to Kurogane. "I'm still your commander, and still side by side with the ground officer." He said to which all of the soldiers 'woooo~'ed and cat called. Kurogane rolled his eyes.

"Shut up you idiots. You know damn well that's not what he meant." He barked at them, making some of them giggle. They quieted down before Fay clapped his hands.

"Now then~! Since I'm leading you, I found it only fair to tell you that I'm not the same as I was a couple years ago. Physiologically, only." He suddenly got really sheepish, standing out in front of all the scrutinizing eyes.

"I can now lead the air force again, since I regained my vision back in full. I can still train you and can help out more with the action." He frowned. "But I need to know. If you want me to stay your commander I will gladly do so, but if not, let me know, and I will resign." He stated, making Kurogane stare at him. After a moment of silence one of the men smiled and lifted his hand.

"Having a commander like Fay-san is the best! Him being half-zombie doesn't make a difference!" He hollered, to which several agreed to. Fay smiled widely at these men, and more joined in. Pretty soon, every man and woman, old or young, agreed, going up to Fay to shake his hand or hug him to tell him he was still their officer no matter what. Fay turned and looked at Kurogane, beaming with happiness. They had accepted him as he was. Kurogane smirked, nodding. Of course they had, idiot.

"You shouldn't have drank it." Kurogane said with a sigh, listening to Fay vomit up the toxin. The blonde stumbled out of the bathroom and collapsed on his stomach against their sheets, panting from his retching.

"It was too nasty to keep down." He muttered into the pillow before lifting his face to look at Kurogane, smiling.

"But… they know, and they don't care…" He said cheerfully, taking Kurogane's hand in his own. The taller looked down to Fay and smirked.

"No, they don't. You're still their commander." He replied. The smaller sat up on his knees and leaned over Kurogane, giving him a kiss.

"Do you still consider me your boyfriend?" He questioned shyly. Kurogane wiped his mouth.

"Where has your mind been? Of course, but don't kiss me after you just vomit."

"Hey, I brushed my teeth!"

"Ohh… Ahh…" Fay whimpered, losing all his air as Kurogane pounded into him. After a moment Fay's body tensed and he spilled his fluids against his lover's stomach, it helping the other out in spilling his. Fay shuddered at the feeling of being filled and they both collapsed on the bed panting. Fay hummed happily and nuzzled bonelessly into Kurogane's chest.

"I love you~" He cooed softly, making Kurogane open his eyes slowly. The taller weakly pulled himself out and off of Fay, lying beside him.

"…When's the last time you said that?" He questioned in their heated room. Fay giggled and nuzzled against the taller again in their new position.

"Just now~ does it really matter? As long as I say it and mean it." He said sleepily, and Kurogane sighed, kissing blonde hair.

"Guess that's true." He muttered. In their silence Fay looked up with a sleepy pout.

"Aren't you going to say it?" He asked, and Kurogane raised an eyebrow.

"Say what?"

"That… well…" He frowned and looked away. "Nevermind…" He sighed, content with just the dark haired man holding him. Kurogane chuckled and kissed the blonde's nose.

"I'm kidding." He stated before smirking. "I love you too." Fay looked up to him with a small blush, though he smiled slowly and wrapped his arms around Kurogane's shoulders, even as they lay side by side. He was content, this was bliss.

"I can't get enough." Fay told Kurogane. Kurogane was silent. Fay was sitting on the ground, the doctor's dead body in his lap with blood barely leaking from the wound. Golden eyes stared up at Kurogane while a velvet tongue lapped up the mess around Fay's mouth.

"I can't get enough blood." He stated more clearly, shocking the other even more than he was. Everything in the room, a pig, a chicken, a sheep, the doctor, all of them were drained dry. Fay had vomited up blood once and urinated as well since his feeding frenzy began, but he wasn't content. Kurogane had walked in to find this.

The blonde stood, licking his fingers. Kurogane took a step back. The other continued to smile knowingly.

"I want you, Kuro-chii." He said slowly, freezing the taller in his place. Slinking hands went up and caressed his chest, sliding around the wide shoulders to kiss the bare skin on his neck. "I want your blood." He moaned, and Kurogane swallowed roughly. He clenched his teeth and closed the door behind him, giving in.

"I told you before right? That I'd protect you." He muttered, and Fay just smiled.

"Even if it's against yourself? Against myself?"

"Especially then." The taller replied firmly, wrapping his arm around Fay's waist. Kurogane locked the door before moving his second hand with his first, moving his lips to Fay's just as some of their students rounded the bend from hearing the doctor's screaming. They stared in horror at seeing Fay's feeding habits get out of control, watching as Kurogane and Fay parted in their kiss. Fay ripped off Kurogane's jacket and attacked his shoulder, a spray of blood misting against the window. The girls screamed. The guys tried to break the bullet proof glass. They could only watch in horror as Fay ate from Kurogane, who had slid down the wall, holding Fay all the while. They could only watch in horror as Kurogane tried to pull Fay away, only to have him come back. They could only watch as Kurogane's body went flaccid.

Fay pulled away from Kurogane a little after that, holding his stomach. It looked like he was going to be ill, but instead he just smiled. And laughed. Golden eyes closed for a moment before they flashed open, one turning back to its normal blue. He looked around him. He saw the doctor, the pig, the chicken, the sheep. The children staring through the window. The blood on the window. The blood smearing down to Kurogane. Kurogane. Kurogane? "Kuro-chii…? Kuro-san…?! Kuro-sama!? KURO-SAMA?!" Fay began to scream, not getting any recognition from the bloody man. He started to go into hysterics, screeching at the top of his lungs as he tried to stop the blood flow that wouldn't end. Kurogane looked pale. He looked too pale. Oh gods! No! No nononononooooo! NOOOO! "NOOOOOOOO! KURO-CHII NOOO!" Fay cried out, muffled through the glass. He was sobbing now. He was crying like no other. He pulled Kurogane away from the wall and hugged him, holding him tightly while his body shook. He was a monster! He killed him! He had killed his lover! Kurogane was dead!

"NOOOOOOO I LOVE YOU! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME!" He cried out, looking to the ceiling with his eyes watering. Kurogane was dead. He had killed him. He had drunk all his blood. He had stolen Kurogane's life for his own… He paused. He laid Kurogane down and in a sudden strike of panicked thinking he bit his wrist, whimpering as he broke skin painfully. He opened Kurogane's breathless mouth and put his wrist to it, forcing dead lips and tongue to drink it. Fay stared through his tears and forced himself to keep his wound open, painful as it was. He watched as blood poured from an overflowing puddle in Kurogane's mouth. He was startled when he saw Kurogane cough as if choking on the blood. He was shocked when he saw Kurogane's hand weakly go to Fay's wrist. He was euphoric when he saw the taller mold his lips around the wound.

"Oh gods! Kuro-sama!" Fay cried out through his tears. Kurogane's eyes opened slowly. They were golden. Fay had infected him. Fay had infected him with the golden gene. Kurogane yanked Fay's hand away, gasping for air before sitting up, coughing and gagging. Fay didn't care. He tackled the taller, shoving kisses against tan skin wherever visible. Kurogane looked over to Fay.

"…What… happened?" He asked, instinctively wrapping an arm around Fay. The blonde moved a hand to wipe his eyes.

"I killed you." He stated bluntly. Kurogane blinked and looked to his shoulder. It had stopped bleeding.

"Killed me?"

"Drinking too much blood. I… saved you in the only way I could." Fay said sullenly, and Kurogane looked back to Fay. The blonde smiled sheepishly.

"Necrothropic Vampirism. We're two of a kind now." Fay told him with a warm smile. Kurogane continued to stare at him. He looked up and saw the children staring at him. He stared back. Fay looked up and frowned, moving to hide his face in Kurogane's shoulder.

"They must think I'm a monster now." He whimpered. The taller sighed and folded his arms around the other.

"Does it matter? I don't think you are." He replied. Fay giggled.

"You always think you know what to say~" The smaller answered, leaning up to kiss his lover's lips.

"Got everything?" Kurogane questioned and Fay nodded. Kurogane smirked and took his lover's hand, clambering to the top of the wall. It had been a month since Kurogane had been transferred the rare disease. He had all the symptoms of Fay's vampirism. But now they both had an insatiable hunger, the tinge of gold in both their eyes. It wasn't healthy to feed off each other anymore, so they had to go elsewhere.

In the middle of the night they gathered up their things, leaving notes on their beds saying what they had done and who was next in charge. Hand in hand they had gone to the wall, going to jump off. The door would've made too much noise to get out and in, and their body structures had reformed to where they could jump and land at higher, greater distances. This fall would be nothing. It was probably the reason Fay survived that one jet crash.

After a moment they counted down and jumped off, suitcases in their free hand, holding each other's hand in the other. They landed gracefully side by side, straightening as if they had just jumped hopscotch. After another moment they exchanged smiles and took off, ready to devour any zombie in their way. They were hungry enough, at least.

"Happy birthday, Mokona-chan." Fay stated as he listened to the rain fall. Kurogane picked at his canine, getting some of the rotted flesh out between his teeth. His fingers moved to wrap around the rusted rings on his necklace.

"It's been another year? How old is she now?" Kurogane asked, nurturing his imagination of the little girl like always. Fay hummed and moved to sit on the car top, letting Kurogane rest his folded arms on his lap. The blonde did the math and looked down with a smile. He couldn't stop himself from wrapping his own fingers around his necklace, thinking of the child.

"Eight?" He said with a grin, and Kurogane smirked.

"Wearing frilly dresses." He remarked. Fay nodded.

"Bows in her hair."

"Purse over her shoulder."

"Mary Janes on her feet."

"Smiling like her mother."

"Determined as her father."

"Bubbly like her second uncle."

"Loud like her first."

"Oi, I'm not loud."

"You are too." Fay teased, making Kurogane growl. All of a sudden they felt a gust of wind. Kurogane and Fay gave a lax, somewhat uninterested look in the direction of the sudden wind, not caring about the temperature of the cold air or the wind or rain. Fay moved his hands to Kurogane's spiky hair and shoulder, while Kurogane just remained in Fay's lap, his foot coming up beside him on the top of the Volkswagen beetle. They stared as two people appeared from the air, wearing capes and broaches. One was an angry little spit, while the other was timid and holding onto him. The one with purple eyes looked over to Fay and Kurogane, bristling at their affection. The supposed younger stopped the purple eyed one from saying anything.

"Boys~" Fay said in greeting, flashing an all too white smile. "Who're you~?" He questioned languidly. The younger smiled.

"I'm Subaru, and this is Kamui." He replied, the other growled, but Subaru continued. "We're twins. Can you help us?" Fay and Kurogane looked at each other before Fay chuckled and closed his eyes, Kurogane giving a languid smirk while looking them over.

"Possibly. What do you two need? Shelter? A bath?" Fay looked over to them with a toothy, fang filled grin. "A meal?"

-end-

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