wasteland, baby!

44

It all happens too quickly. Jungwon's still downstairs looking around the living room. He's picking up the remnants of the broken pictures, trying to clean them as best as he can as he makes his way around the room as if by cleaning the room, he can pretend that everything's fine.

He's about to pick up a lamp from the floor when he hears a loud bang from upstairs, several gunshots going off before he hears Jay shouting out in pain.

Jungwon drops the lamp, instantly jumping up to his feet and taking the stairs three at a time to make his way towards the sound.

"Jay!" Jungwon calls out. His heart is beating too loud, he can hear it in his ears, too loud, too loud.

There's another loud bang and he hears Jay grunt in pain again followed by more noise and Jungwon starts running to the door at the end of the hall— his old room.

He reaches the room and opens the door, immediately getting hit with the smell of zombie. The bile in his throat burns.

"Jungwon," Jay chokes out. He's on the floor. His gun is off to his side, too far for Jay to reach. One of his arms is twisted in a weird way, obviously broken, while his other hand is pushing away at the zombie's face, trying to keep him at bay.

"Jungwon," Jay says again and this time Jungwon can hear the pain in his voice. Jay isn't looking at him, too busy dealing with the zombie one-armed. He's trying to kick his way out from underneath him but the zombies to big, as it relentlessly tries to get at Jay.

Jungwon wants to move. He tries to move, but he takes one look at the zombie's face and his world feels like it just crumbled underneath him. His dad— or the thing on top of Jay that was his dad— is clawing at Jay's arm, trying to tear it away to be able to bite him. Slime from its mouth drips onto Jay's face, which Jungwon just realized is also smeared with blood, a large cut above Jay's eyebrow.

Jay's pushing at his dad's face, thrashing his body to get the zombie off, but it's too strong.

"Jungwon! Jungwon, please," Jay cries out. He sounds absolutely desperate and broken in a way Jungwon's never heard him sound and that's what finally kicks Jungwon into drive.

He reaches for the gun and that's when his dad— no, not his dad, not anymore— finally seems to notice that there's someone else in the room. It looks up and snarls at him and Jay takes that opportunity to use his arm to hit it square on the jaw. It knocks the zombie back a little, but it was more stunned than actually hurt and he's instantly back on Jay.

Jungwon picks up the gun in his trembling hands and tries to load it. His heart is pounding in his ears and his shaking hands make it almost impossible to keep the gun steady but he takes a shot, missing completely. The zombie doesn't even flinch. Jay hisses in a sharp breath.

"Fuck," Jungwon cries out in frustration. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He goes to reload again, hands even shakier than before.

Jay cries out in pain for what seems like the millionth time and Jungwon feels tears pricking at his eyes, because fuck. It feels like Jake and Sunoo all over again. Not being able to help no matter what he tries, and hearing them scream in agony. He's trying his best to compose himself long enough to get a clear shot.

He takes a deep breath before shooting. Absolutely concentrated on the shot, because he'd be damned if this world took another person that he loved.

He goes to aim and shoots right as the zombie manages to slam Jay's protecting arm down. The bullet goes through the side of his head, causing blood to splatter everywhere. The zombie's body stills and falls on top of Jay.

Jungwon's immediately at his side pulling the body off Jay. He cries out in pain again and Jungwon hates that sound, wishes that he wasn't causing Jay more pain.

There's blood and grime all over Jay's face and they're mixed in with the tears streaming down his cheeks, but he's alive, he's alive and Jungwon feels his own tears finally start to fall.

"Jay," Jungwon chokes out and he leans down to press his lips against his before he can stop himself.

It's not really a real kiss. Jungwon's mouth is just pressed tightly against Jay's, not moving, just wanting to feel Jay safe against him. He pulls off immediately when Jay lets out a pained whine.

"Sorry, fuck, sorry, sorry," Jungwon sniffs. He rubs at his eyes, trying to get himself to stop crying, to compose himself a little because Jay's the one that's hurt here. Jungwon wipes at his face one more time and finally takes a look at the damage on Jay's body. Hoping that he won't find any bite marks. Praying he won't find any.

His broken arm got moved around during the fight and is sticking out in an even weirder position. Jungwon wants to throw up just looking at it, but he just grits his teeth. His other arm has scratches and bruises starting to form, but it doesn't seem to be broken or hurt too badly besides that.

Jungwon holds his breath as his eyes travel down to Jay's chest. His hoodie is ripped a little and more scratches cover the exposed skin, but it's when he sees the large red spot on his stomach, Jungwon's breathing stops.

He lifts up the hoodie quickly, heart pounding, but he lets out a small breath when he realizes it's a graze wound from the gun, not a bite.

Which, okay, still bad, but better than what Jungwon had expected.

"Jay," Jungwon says through a thick voice. He can't look up at him. Can't look at his face right now. It's not a deep wound, but it's still bleeding and Jungwon really needs to get it to stop. He reaches for a blanket on his bed and presses down on the wound to stop the bleeding. Jay sucks in a sharp breath.

"Jay, fuck, I gotta stop the bleeding, I'm so sorry. I-" He feels tears start to fall again and Jay's good hand goes up to cup at his cheek gently and Jungwon breath breaks on a little sob. He didn't deserve Jay's gentleness right now.

"S'okay," Jay says softly. Much softer than he deserves right now. "Just a lil' graze wound. Guess we just need to work on your aim more."

Jungwon huffs out a surprised laugh and wipes at his eyes with one hand, keeping the other pressing down on the wound. "It's not okay, you're fucking bleeding."

"'m bleeding everywhere," Jay mumbles, sounding tired, but there's a joking tone to it. Jungwon shakes his head in disbelief.

Jungwon keeps pressure on the wound, still not looking Jay in the face, and Jay uses the hand on Jungwon's cheek to turn his face towards his. Jungwon bites his tongue but still bring his eyes to meet Jay's.

"Hey," Jay says. Soft. Too fucking gentle. "Jungwon, look at me." Jungwon bites his cheek and keeps his eyes on the wound. Jay sighs softly. "Jungwon, come on. Look at me. Please?"

Jungwon finally looks up and almost instantly looks away because Jay is smiling at him. Fondly and proud and also a little sad and Jungwon can't handle it right now.

"Jungwon, you saved my life," Jay states easily and his grip on his face tightens for a second. "You saved my life."

Jungwon shakes his head, bites his tongue.  Wants to say you wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for me, doesn't say but you've saved mine so many more.

Jay seems to know what he's thinking, though, his grip tightens again.

"You saved my fucking life," Jay repeats with more determination this time. His grip softens and he runs his thumb across Jungwon's cheek. Jungwon leans into the touch despite himself. How could he not?

"You saved my life." It sounds like Jay wants to make Jungwon believe this. Like he'll convince him the more times he says it. Jungwon knows it won't happen, feels wait too fucking guilty for it, but is willing to indulge Jay.

"Okay," he says. Jay strokes his thumb over his cheekbone and Jungwon's eyes flutter shut, leaning into the touch more.

"Say it," Jay says but it sounds a little like a question too.

Jungwon swallows and nods. "I saved your life." He opens his eyes and sees Jay looking up at him, smiling softly, his eyes a little sad and Jungwon wants nothing more than to give this person his whole life again and again.

"Good," Jay says and then more softly, "now kiss me again."

Jungwon doesn't have to be told twice.