ᴜɴᴅʏɪɴɢ ʟᴏᴠᴇ || ✔

~ { * 07 * } ~

   The hospital was quiet. Eerily quiet.
   Their footsteps echoed around them, desperately trying to keep them silent as the pair made their way through the ER to grab some supplies. If their quiet footsteps echoed so easily, their voices would only make things worse. It was silent between the two, gathering as much gauze and antiseptics as possible with each room they visited.
   Hitoshi was glad he brought his shotgun, the weapon slung over his shoulder just in case they needed to make a hasty retreat. He was mildly glad that he and Anna had left the blond with Vixen and Hanta. The engineer would have been shitting himself if he'd joined them.
   They'd split up to cover more ground when they'd made it to the hospital. The couple took the higher floors with the blond while Anna and Hitoshi took the ER.
   Her wince echoed, catching his gaze as she tried to pick up a piece of equipment to move it aside. His footsteps echoed ever so softly as he approached to help her out, and she offered him a grateful smile.
   "We need antiseptics," she breathed, and he nodded.
   "We got plenty of gauze, Kitten." His voice was hushed. The fear of his baritone voice echoing tripled the paranoia. "Let's find the antiseptics and get the hell out of here."
   She nodded quickly, and the pair made their way into the nurses' station to grab what they needed. He watched her sidestep a brownish smear that stained the startling white floors with a grimace, and he tried his best to keep his laughter quiet.
   Fuck, she was so cute.
   A scuffle made the pair whip around with shuddered breaths, only to find nothing but a fluffy black tail darting out of sight.
   Jesus Christ, he hoped this would be over soon. His heart was racing, perspiration beading on his brow with every passing second. The more they stuck around, the worse it would be for them. They hadn't had the chance to scope out the entire building, and he didn't want to stick around to find out what would jump out at them at a moment's notice.
   The shadows along the stained walls were already sending chills down his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
   "It was a cat," she breathed in relief, hanging her head after a moment. She met his gaze, and he could see the laughter in her eyes. "It was a bloody cat." She repeated, holding a hand over her mouth to muffle her snort, and he hung his head with a soft breath of laughter.
   "Thank fuck for that," he uttered, reaching for another vial on the shelf.
   Clink. The noise was soft, but it was enough to make him jump out of his skin, turning to meet her gaze with wide eyes. She had her hand in her pack, removing it after a moment with a shaky breath.
   "It's alright," she promised. "It was just me."
   A shuddered breath left his lips, the noise whistling in his ears. "Scared the shit out of me, Kit." He murmured, and her responding giggle was breathy in the eerie silence.
   "Kit?" She repeated curiously, keeping her voice hushed as she approached to stand beside him. She crooked her head playfully. "That's a new one."
   His laughter was quiet and breathless. "Yeah," he whispered fondly, brushing a fallen curl from her eyes. "You really do remind me of a cat." He added in a hushed voice.
   "What kind of cat?" She asked curiously, keeping her voice down as she reached for another vial. "Like the cat that gave us both a heart attack?"
   He couldn't contain the soft snort that left his lips. "No," he laughed lightly. "You remind me of an orange cat."
   Her giggle was quiet, meeting his gaze curiously. "Why that notion?"
   He shrugged, reaching for another vial. "You're a ball of chaos, Kitten. An orange cat would suit you."
   She hummed in amusement, catching his gaze. "In that case, you'd be a black cat to me." She teased, and his gaze softened.
   "I can live with that―"
   SMASH!
   He jumped at the sudden noise, his gaze falling to the shattered vial at their feet.
   Shit...
   "I..." she whispered, meeting his gaze with wide eyes. "Oh God, I dropped it."
   "Run," he said quickly when the distant shrieks echoed through the corridors. He grasped her wrist to pull her along when the thunder of stumbling footsteps bounced off the walls to reach their ears.
   She followed after him quickly, fastening her pack before she shrugged it over her shoulders. Their footsteps were screaming in his ears now, drowned out by the horde that stumbled around the corner with approaching shrieks.
   "Fuck!" He shouted, grabbing his shotgun to fire into the horde behind them.
   "Keep going, Hito!" She shrieked, jumping away from the walker that tried to take a bite out of her side before she buried her knife into its temple. "Not even on your best day, arsehole!" She snarled viciously, stumbling over her feet to keep up with his strides. "Pass me your hammer!" She said quickly, glancing over her shoulder with wide eyes. "Now!" She shouted, and he tossed her the hammer strapped to his pack.
   She caught it quickly, turning to slam the end of the hammer into a walker's skull. The crack rang through the corridors, bouncing off the walls around him.
   The sound nearly fucking deafened him.
   "Keep going, Kit!" He called quickly, and she rushed after him. Their boots were slamming on the stained tiles now, drowning out the decaying shrieks hot on their heels. He pumped the shotgun again and fired into the horde.
   Fuck, was he ever glad he brought both of his weapons.
   She slammed the hammer into another walker's skull, splattering brownish blood and brain matter across the tiles before they pushed on.
   She jumped over the body to keep up with him. The pair slid around a corner, trying to make their way back towards the exit.
   "We have to lose them, Hito!" She called quickly, glancing over her shoulder with a low growl.
   Crack!
   Another skull shattered with the swing of his hammer, and he gagged when he watched the fucker's severed jaw hit the wall to leave a smear of brownish blood behind.
   God, the smell was starting to get to him. The stench of death was strong, assaulting his nostrils while he panted through the exertion.
   He grabbed her arm to pull her in front of him. "Keep going!" He said quickly when she met his gaze with wide eyes. He turned to fire another shot into the horde with gritted teeth.
   The horde was tripping over themselves, desperately trying to reach the pair first. He guessed that among walkers a meal was first come, first served. He wasn't going to stick around to find―
   He yelped when she grasped his arm to pull him into a dark room, slamming the door behind them loudly. They were thrown into semi-darkness.
   "I panicked," she whimpered when he met her gaze with wide eyes. She quickly barricaded the door by throwing a rack of supplies in the way.
   Whatever was on the shelf clattered to the ground loudly at their feet. She backed into him with a startled yelp when the door rattled on its hinges. The horde slammed into the door repeatedly to try and break in, and he wrapped his arms around her form.
   She was shaking against him, yelps tumbling from her lips with every deafening slam!
   He looked around quickly in the semi-darkness, forcing his eyes to adjust to take in their surroundings. There was a window on the far wall, far too small for either of them to squeeze through and escape.
   "Hitoshi," her voice was quiet, and his face contorted in concern when she doubled over with a loud wince.
   "It's okay, Kit," he promised, gently rubbing her back. "We're gonna be okay. I'm sure the others are on their way to help. They had to have heard the gunshots and screaming by now."
   She shook her head.
   "It's happening again," she whimpered, turning to meet his gaze with dark scleras which he guessed were flooding with blood. "Why... Why does this keep happening to me?" Her voice was nearly drowned out by the decaying shrieks beyond the door.
   She looked so small and sounded so scared as she gazed at him. She was shaking horribly, and he could see the sweat on her brow.
   "I don't know, baby," he sighed, pulling her into his arms to soothe her. The last thing they needed right now was for both of them to be panicking. He had no idea what was happening to her and he was scared enough as it was with the frequent banging on the closet door. "We're gonna figure this out, okay? Just calm down."
   His mind was reeling. His nerves shot from the exertion of running, and his muscles were sore. She was staring at him with bloodstained tears. There was a very real possibility that this was it. This was how it ended, in this tiny ass closet with no viable escape.
   Screw it.
   He pulled her close with a low growl, and she squeaked in surprise when he crushed their lips together. The clatter of his hammer hitting the closet floor rang in his ears, but he didn't care. He'd waited so fucking long for this. He couldn't take it anymore. Her hands fisted his t-shirt when she melted into the kiss, eagerly pulling him closer. Her grip loosened, sliding her hands through his hair to grab the strands in a tight fist.
   He couldn't contain the low groan that left his lips, relishing in the squeak that escaped her when he grasped her thighs to slam her into the nearest object. She melted into him eagerly, parting her lips and he delved his tongue into her mouth with a groan of approval when she met him halfway.
   He put everything in that single kiss.
   If this was the only chance he'd ever have then so be it. He put every single thought, every unspoken emotion, every stolen glance, every laugh and breath in that single kiss. He put everything in that kiss.
   She reciprocated just as feverishly, tugging at his hair desperately.
   She shivered against him with a mewl when her tongue grazed over his piercing, and he couldn't help but grin. Her reactions would always bring him to his knees, and he couldn't help the power it gave him whenever he watched her melt into his grasp.
   No one had ever made him feel like this...
   Don't get him wrong, he wasn't a virgin.
   He'd had plenty of fun while he was in college and shit. But then again, the college Hitoshi had never been one to settle down. Regardless of all the wayward girls who begged him to stay for more than just a few hours after all was said and done. Well, the joke was on him now considering how badly he would've settled with the woman in his arms. She was kissing him like her life depended on it, and considering the circumstances still banging on the closet door. It did.
   He would have settled with this woman in a heartbeat if the world wasn't fucking ruined. If this was as close as he'd ever get to her, then he was willing to accept that. But you bet that he'd go down with her still in his arms if his time ever came.
   "Hitoshi," her voice was breathless, ghosting over his lips and he swallowed the sound of his name eagerly.
   "What's wrong, Kit?" He chuckled, licking into her mouth, and she quivered in his grasp. A choked gasp left her lips when he tightened his grip on her thighs to adjust her when she started to slip.
   "We should―"
   BANG!
   They broke apart with wide eyes when the scuffle of footsteps followed the gunshot.
   "Hey! Pick on someone your own size, dickheads!" The laughter was loud, echoing over the decaying screams. The pump of a shotgun made the tired male stiffen when another loud BANG! followed. "Leave my friends alone!" The pair met the other's gaze with wide eyes.
   "Denks," she whispered, and he nodded, setting her down when the blond's yelp followed the scuffle of footsteps.
   "Come and get me, assholes!" The blond's laughter faded when the banging on the closet door ceased.
   Why did Blondie sound like he was alone? He couldn't help but think when the thundering footsteps dissipated and the blond's loud laughter faded.
   "Oh God," she uttered. "We have to help him, Hito!" She said quickly, blindly reaching for his hammer on the closet floor. "He won't survive that on his own! We barely got away and there are two of us!"
   Hitoshi was already moving the rack away from the door so they could escape. "C'mon," he growled in frustration, pulling the shelf again.
   She's right, he knows she is. There's no way the blond would survive this on his own.
   He yanked the shelf again, and it fell to the ground with a loud clatter. "Let's go, Kit!" He said quickly, slinging his shotgun over his shoulder and she nodded, gripping his hammer when he opened the door.
   Their boots were slamming with every step to chase after the horde. They could hear the blond's gun firing with every step, and the pair rounded another corner.
   "Thanks, Blondie!" Hitoshi called, and the blond's laughter was full of relief.
   "You guys good?!"
   "We're alright, love!" Anna shouted. "Thank you for the assistance!"
   "Where the fuck are Vix and Hanta?!"
   "Those assholes ditched me the moment they heard the first gunshot!" The blond shouted, and another loud BANG! followed the declaration.
   "They what?!" Anna's angered shout echoed off the corridor walls, and a few of the walkers turned to snarl at them. She swung his hammer with a low growl. "What do you mean they 'ditched you'?!"
   "I mean they fucking ditched me, sweets!" The blond called angrily. "They ran! They took the damn truck too!"
   Hitoshi growled deeply, pumping his shotgun to fire another round into the horde. "They what?!" He snarled. "You gotta be kidding me, Denks!"
   "I wish I was, man! They took the fucking truck! I tried to stop them!"
   Anna scoffed, and it was loud, echoing over the decaying shrieks of the horde. "And they left us with the eyesore! What a bunch of arseholes!" She snarled viciously, swinging the hammer again. "Why didn't you go with them, Denks?!"
   "And leave you two behind?! Fuck that!" The blond shouted over his shoulder, and another loud BANG! followed after a moment. "I wasn't just gonna leave you guys behind, babe! You guys woulda died in there!"
   "Denks!" Hitoshi shouted. "Slide into the next vent!"
   "The exit's right in front of me, man!"
   "Just fucking trust me, Blondie! Do it! Now!"
   "Fine!" The blond shouted, swerving around another corner out of sight, and Hitoshi cocked his gun with a low growl, firing a shot into the ceiling.
   The horde turned with hungry eyes at the sudden noise. "Get ready to get to Denks, Kit." He said quickly, and she strapped his hammer to her back with a firm nod. She flexed her fingers, and the crack of her knuckles sent a chill down his spine. "Now!" He shouted, turning on his heel to rush away. "Go, Kitten!" He added over his shoulder, and she avoided the horde by jumping to grab a nearby sign before she released it and kept running.
   "C'mon, Hito!" Her scream faded when he rounded another corner.
   "Run, Tosh!" The blond shouted.
   His boots slammed into the tiles, sliding around another corner. He had to get back to them as quickly as possible. "Get ready to lock the fucking door!" He shouted.
   "We're not going to lock you in with them, Hitoshi!" She screamed.
   "You might not have a choice, Anna!" He retorted through gritted teeth, managing to jump over a nurses' station to get the horde in the wrong direction.
   "That's suicide, Tosh!"
   "Just fucking do it!" He snarled viciously, sliding around the corner. "Go now!" He growled, glancing over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. The horde was snapping at his heels, and he slid through the open door of the exit, wincing at the bite of concrete against his side.
   The door slammed shut behind him.
   "Never do that again!" She shrieked, and he caught her when she choked on a sob. "You gave me a heart attack!"
   He let out a shaky breath, turning to meet amber eyes.
   "You're fucking nuts, dude," the blond uttered in awe, and a laugh left his lips. The trio yelped, scrambling back when the horde ran into the barricaded door, rattling the door on its hinges.
   "You bet, Blondie," the tired male laughed, relaxing against the concrete with a shaky breath. "Holy shit," he uttered when he took a deep breath. "I didn't think that was gonna work."
   She pulled back to meet his gaze with a scoff. "You truly think I want to witness your bloody suicide?!" She shouted, and he stared. Her eyes were flooded with blood, staining the ocean hue of her irises with red, and the veins had returned. The veins crawled up the one side of her face menacingly. Fuck, that definitely wasn't her allergies.
   She looked wild and... inhuman.
   "Uh, Tosh..?" The tired male met the blond's gaze to find the engineer wasn't looking him in the eye. "You're bleeding, dude."
   He followed the blond's gaze to his side. His shirt had been torn sometime during the escape, and there was a bleeding rash against his skin.
   "Shit," he muttered under his breath, wincing when he reached to gently press his fingers to his side. "Fuck," he growled deeply. "'must've given myself road rash with that last slide."
   Anna sighed, grabbing her pack. "Lucky we managed to secure enough gauze and antiseptics, huh?"
   He chuckled, meeting her blood-filled gaze. "No kidding, Kit."
   "C'mon," the blond said quickly. "We shouldn't stay out here in the open."
   The pair nodded, and she helped the tired male to his feet. The trio looked up at the neon green eyesore in the parking lot. Oh yeah, he couldn't help but growl in annoyance.
   "Can't believe those fucking assholes took the truck," he grumbled under his breath.
   "Hitoshi," her voice was clipped, and he met her blood-filled gaze when she turned her glare to him. "They took the guns."
   "Fuck!" He shouted. "It took forever to convince Hika to let me take them!"
   "They took the rest of the food and my bloody guitar too!" She snarled viciously. "Fuck sake!"
   "Anna," the blond said calmly, and she turned to meet his gaze. Hitoshi caught the stuttered breath that left the blond's lips when he stared at her. "Holy shit," he uttered under his breath in disbelief.
   The blond shook his head after a moment, pulling her into his embrace, and she melted with a shaky breath when he curled his fingers through her hair.
   "It's gonna be okay," he promised, meeting Hitoshi's gaze with an understanding smile.
   Whatever was happening to her, it was obvious the blond knew about it. The engineer showed no fear of whatever the fuck was going on with her, and that soothed the tired male's already-shot nerves.
   She pulled back to meet Denki's gaze. "We went through hell just to retrieve everything we'd placed in the truck, Denks," she said firmly. "And now they've gone and left us with nothing but the fucking eyesore." She vaguely gestured to the Jeep with a scowl.
   "And we'll discuss it more when we're on the road, babe," the blond promised. His gaze flickered back to the rattling hospital doors and the muffled shrieks. "We should go. It won't hold for much longer."
   "He's right, Kitten," Hitoshi sighed. "Get in, both of you." He added after a moment, coming around the eyesore to hop into the driver's seat.
   "You shouldn't be driving right now, love!" She said quickly. "You're injured!"
   "And we'll deal with it later, sweetheart," he promised, offering her a reassuring smile. He climbed into the driver's seat with a breath of relief, allowing his body to relax after a moment. The vehicle jolted when the blond hopped into the passenger seat. "We gotta ditch this piece of shit anyway," he sighed, pulling a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "We'll find another car."
   She scoffed, slamming the passenger door behind her when she crawled into the blond's lap to take a seat. Hitoshi didn't exactly blame her. There were only two seats in the vehicle Vixen had chosen. "I nearly died trying to help you lot get this bloody vehicle!" She snarled viciously.
   He hung his head with a sigh. "And you hate the fucking colour, Kit," he huffed bitterly. "We'll find another vehicle. I'd prefer if NASA couldn't find us either." The blond snorted, placing his hands on the woman's hips. "We gotta find a new vehicle anyway. There aren't enough seats for all of us."
   "No kidding," the blond uttered awkwardly, flexing his hands on Anna's hips.
   Hitoshi tilted his head in amusement. The engineer looked uncomfortable to have her seated in his lap, his fingers twitching on her waist to try and adjust her with painted cheeks. He plastered himself to the seat, trying to keep as much distance between the pair as possible.
   He caught the tired male's gaze desperately.
   "Relax, Blondie," Hitoshi chuckled in amusement. "I'm not gonna rip your head off just 'cause she's sitting on you."
   "You said you'd break my fingers if I so much as touched her, Tosh," the blond squeaked, catching her gaze with an awkward smile.
   "I meant if you touched her inappropriately, idiot. You hug her all the damn time," Hitoshi laughed lightly, starting the Jeep. "It's fine." He promised. "Now, let's ditch this fucking eyesore."
   "Fucking please," Anna huffed, leaning her back against the blond's chest. Hitoshi couldn't help but snort when the blond stiffened with bright red cheeks. The engineer caved after a moment, burying his face into her shoulder with a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
   She was radiating with rage, and Hitoshi knew that if they ever came across her sister and her so-called fuck-toy again. She wouldn't hesitate to kill them.
   And honestly, Hitoshi would let her.
   "Are you alright, love?" She asked curiously, peering over her shoulder, and Denki nodded.
   "Yeah," he mumbled sheepishly. "But you're kinda crushing my nuts, babe."
   The tired male burst into laughter when she squeaked with wide eyes, shifting in the blond's lap, and their resident idiot let out a loud breath of relief.
   Hitoshi was still laughing as he shifted the stick to put the vehicle in drive and they peeled out of the parking lot, the sound of the tires drowning out the men's laughter and her loud, "It's not fucking funny!".