Town of Sadness (RoyalChaos)

Settle In

The amount of reads I'm getting are amazing! Thank you all!

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After wandering a few train cars back, GaLm and Smarty came along a sleeping car with a bed and bathroom in it. John was so tired he almost sobbed. He didn't, though, just stood in the doorway, too stiff and exhausted to even move. Anthony rubbed his shoulders, trying to remove the tension coursing through him.

"I'll go start a shower for you, honey. You need to get cleaned up and then we'll go to bed," GaLm whispered, slipping past him and into the bathroom. Smarty heard the sound of running water, which jolted him back into movement. He stepped into the bathroom, stripping down when his boyfriend wasn't looking.

"I'll get in when you're done. Take your time, John." Anthony slipped from the bathroom, shutting the door.

Smarty sighed in relief as the hot water hit his skin, taking his time to scrub down and get clean. A few minutes later, he got out and GaLm took his turn.

John pulled on his last pair of clean boxers and a shirt, then crawled into the pristine and amazingly warm bed. The past two nights of sleeping on a wooden bench at the station had been killing him. He surprisingly wasn't mentally exhausted, though. His whole body may have been on the brink of collapse, but his brain hadn't stopped whirring with conversation ever since they left Salem.

Anthony exited the bathroom in his boxers, yawning and flicking off the main lights. He clambered into the bed next to Smarty, his back pressed against his boyfriend's chest. John smiled, kissing his shoulder.

"I love you, Anthony."

"I love you too, John. And I love having clean sheets and an actual bed and hot water. I'd give it all up to have you, though."

"That's awfully nice of you," Smarty chuckled, nuzzling his head against the other's back.

"It's awfully nice of you to smuggle all of our friends out of Salem for a chance at a better life together," he murmured, shutting his eyes.

"I couldn't leave them. That isn't what I wanted to talk about, though," John said softly, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist.

GaLm rolled over to face him, pursing his lips. "What did you want to talk about?"

John sighed softly, looking down. He already wasn't thinking straight, and GaLm toying with the hair at the nape of his neck was distracting him even more. "I- I don't want you to get your hopes up about New York. I know everyone is excited, because it'll be different and new and not Salem, but it may be just as bad. In a different way, though. Salem was garbage because the government and democracy was just too powerful. New York could be the opposite; total anarchy."

Anthony frowned, resting his forehead against Smarty's. "I know. I'm not some naïve little kid just because I never killed anyone, John. I read the giant stack of newspapers at the station. I know what's up with this new world. The point is, though, even if it is anarchy, we have the ability to be free. We already have the advantage of a group of six people, five of them killers. We have to be confident."

Smarty had never thought of it as they were a pack of murderers, even though they technically were. He never really liked using the word 'murderer' or 'serial killer' to describe what he did. He was a mafioso, not a killer.

"I guess so. Get some sleep, baby, tomorrow is going to be a very long day. We have lots of scavenging to do," Smarty whispered against GaLm's lips, kissing him gently. They held the kiss for a few seconds before pulling away, snuggling into a position better for sleeping.

Even though Smarty knew Anthony didn't sleep for at least a few more hours, it was reassuring to be next to a person who loved him. He should really try escaping cities more often.