Gangnam, Ground Zero

Normalcy

They managed to break into a ground level apartment, although neither of them would've made very good thieves. It took Seungcheol far too long to pick the long with a set of paperclips Taeyeon found in an office building a few streets back. But eventually he managed to get it open and they stumbled inside.

It felt wrong, gazing around somebody's home and knowing that it was a place he never should've been in. It was worse coming to the realization that whoever lived here would probably never come home.

"I call the bed."

Taeyeon exclaimed as soon as the door was shut behind them and they made sure every room was empty and safe. Then she ran straight through the door, burrowing into the duvet. Seungcheol laughed and headed to the kitchen, praying there was something decently edible in the cabinets.

"I feel like a trespasser. You don't just sleep in other people's beds without their knowledge or consent. It's uncomfortable."

She returned to the kitchen, watching as he made a couple packs of instant ramen, the only actual thing in the cupboards. He understood the way she felt, it rubbed him the wrong way just to be in someone else's home. He felt like an intruder, although to be fair, they were.

"You're going to share right?"

"Only if you ask nicely."

He flashed her a grin and then laughed as she proceeded to say pretty please, over and over nonstop until he finally agreed. When the ramen was finally done, Seungcheol set a bowl in front of her, smiling at the fact she fell asleep. Her head rested on her arms and hair fell over her face, he reached out and poked her arm.

Taeyeon looks frazzled as she jumped in surprise, her gaze quickly flickering over him. She met his eyes and let out a breath, shaking her head. He knew, she was scared. The light in his eyes was just about the only conformation she was safe in that moment.

"If we survive, I don't think I'll ever meet somebody's gaze without flinching."

He admitted softly, filling the silence. They ate for a while before Taeyeon dared to speak. Maybe because she was still calming herself down. Maybe because she couldn't find the right words. But eventually she turned to look at him.

"Even the people you love?"

"Especially the people I love."

It didn't take a single conscious second of thought to know that answer. There was the worst fear that one day he would be having dinner with the members and look across and wouldn't see the laughter in their eyes. Wouldn't see anything at all besides inky darkness. That in itself was worse than death.

He knew for a fact that with those thoughts in his head that he would never be comfortable holding eye contact with anyone. Probably for the rest of his life. They each silently mulled over his words as they finished eating and Taeyeon took the bowls to the sink. She didn't have to even attempt to clean up, but habits were hard to shake.

"You should rest."

"Don't leave me alone please. I'm too scared of drifting off when I'm alone."

She sounds on the verge of tears, hands curled helplessly into fists as she rests them on the counter. Her shoulders shake slightly before the quiet sobs reach his ears. Something says there's more to her story. Seungcheol gets to his feet and gently sets a hand on her shoulder.

She tries to move away at first, but lets him pull her close. It's nice to hold her when she's falling apart, because in that moment she's just so utterly human. Zombies don't breathe or cry. They don't hold onto you like they're desperate for the touch. They don't let you scoop them up, carry them to the bedroom, and tuck them underneath the covers.

"Cheol please."

Taeyeon reaches out a hand as he gets up and walks away. Seungcheol sends her a ridiculously quirky look as he picks up her bat from where she left it, setting it within her reach. Her eyes never stray from him as he checks the closet, delighted to find a black t-shirt his size. He quickly puts it on, wincing the entire time, before sitting on the bed next to her.

"Sleep."

He insists, watching as she warily sinks lower into the warmth of the blankets. Her gaze is still uncertain, watching him. Seungcheol offers the gentlest smile he can muster, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. It's a simple affection, something he's done to calm down one of his nervous brothers before a performance.

'We're going to be great'

The words stick on his tongue and he fights them down. He's not helping calm a nervous Minghao or soothe Chan when he's feeling out of sync for no reason. He's not in that situation. He might not ever be in that situation again. And that hurts more than if he'd be shot repeatedly.

"I was asleep when my sister went out to check on our elderly neighbor. We'd locked ourselves in when we heard the sirens, hid in my room in the basement of our parents house. They never came home when they left for work. I didn't know she had gone until I woke up."

Taeyeon's voice is so small, as pained as he feels right now. But worse, because the ones he cares for are safe. The ones she loved are either dead, or living dead. The chances of them being alive is low, incredibly low.

"I don't want to lose anyone else I care about when I'm fast asleep."

Seungcheol didn't have the courage to look at her. He didn't want to see the hurt written on her face. So he stared at the wall, trying to keep his focus there. Her fingers glided over his hand before she curled them around his pinkie. Not fully holding his hand, but needing the touch.

"Don't leave me."

7:39: Falls asleep.