Deadman Crawling [m×m]

FOURTEEN

Eloy packs his clothes, heart feeling warm and light as he sees James ready to go with his Spider-Man backpack strapped to his shoulders eagerly.

They're in the living room waiting for the final rays of sun to disappear, shadows growing thick.  There's an excited tension in the air as they shift in their spots waiting impatiently.

It's when the final beams of light hide behind the array of trees that Jace talks.

"Eloy," he calls.

Eloy stands at attention, looking at his... his lover(?) with a tilt of his head.

"I want you to take Ella," he says.

A protest is on Alexis's lips, but she looks at Jace and sees his reasoning.

"I'll take James," he adds to reassure her.

She nods, biting back a comment as Eloy adjusts Ella on his hip.

"Ready?"

It's James who responds, "Yeah!"

Jace smiles, ruffling his nephew's hair adoringly, "Alright.  Remember, keep quiet, stay alert.  Com'on bud."

The door ominously creaks open, a blanket of darkness falling over them as they step onto the soft grass.

The air is humid, too humid, as it makes their skin sticky with sweat despite the cool cover of night.

They don't complain, though.

Jace leads ahead, tugging at James' little hand as they walk silently.

Eloy takes the rear, Ella nodding off against his shoulder.  He doesn't complain, not even when his arm begins to feel numb.

They walk for half an hour and it feels like they've made no progress.  Except, everytime Alexis looks back, she can no longer see her home.

She stays quiet and holds back her tears though.  Her main focus now her children.

They pause by a house, pressing close to the wall and she glances back expecting to find Eloy with her daughter.  Instead she finds Ella, alone and looking disoriented as she stands behind her.

Her heart hammers inside her chest as she scoops her up, quickly tugging at Jace's shirt.

"What?" The man whispers, turning to face the group.

His heart stops when he can't find Eloy.

"Where-"

"I don't know," she whispers back, voice urgent, "he was here, with her, but now he's not.  I only found Ella, I don't kn-"

Eloy appears breathing harshly and covered in black blood that can only belong to an undead.

"Sorry," he breathes, "the infected we passed by saw me and Ella.  Started following and I-"

Jace doesn't let him finish.  He approaches the man and pulls him into a tight hug, an embrace of pure relief.

Eloy's arms wrap around Jace without thought.  He holds the man close, breathes a soft sigh as Jace presses his ear to his chest.  Jace has never felt so relieved to hear another's heartbeat, to feel another's warmth.

"I'm sorry," Eloy mutters.

Jace finally pulls back and kisses Eloy as if his life depended on it.  Eloy's eyes flutter shut as he melts.

"You're safe, it's okay," Jace assures when he gets the will to part.

Eloy nods, looking dazed and flushed.

When the older man speaks next, he directs it to everyone, "We'll walk a bit more and then we'll find a house to lay low."

And although Jace takes the lead again, with James in his arms fast asleep, he doesn't miss the chance to look back, to lock eyes with Eloy.