Deadman Crawling [m×m]

SEVENTEEN

Somehow, they make it to the abandoned doctor's office after four nights and three days of traveling. Alexis doesn't say anything as they walk inside the building, Jace finding a small dark corner for the kids to sleep in.  Instead, she stays behind with a baseball bat hanging loosely in her hand, protective over her children.

Eloy takes the opportunity to look around a bit heart broken. He's been coming to thise office for a few years now and it brings a pang of sadness to see the chaos and destruction.

Jace slips his hand inside Eloy's until their fingers twine together. A light squeeze making Eloy walk forth, both men looking everywhere for signs of the undead or, perhaps, even survivors.

Eventually, Eloy stops at a broken door and Jace peers inside.

There are rows of shelves and Eloy's eyes wander, searching for the one thing he wants and has fought for half his life.

He stops short when he feels a crunch underneath his shoes. He looks down and his heart shatters.

"No," he whispers.

Jace stands beside him and picks up a broken shard with a ripped label. Eloy's bottom lip trembles in disappointment as he picks up another shard.

All the vials, all the medicine, smashed and broken, dried on the ground and leaving behind nothing else but a residue.  He's at a loss and even Jace doesn't know what to say.

So, he settles on a sympathetic, "I'm sorry."

Eloy's laugh is hollow as he turns to face Jace, the shard digging into his skin as he squeezes his hand tightly.  Jace careful cups Eloy's bleeding hand, the broken glass falling with droplets of red as the man kisses Eloy's cool fingertips.

"I'm so sorry," Jace whispers sincerely, "and I'm sorry I can't understand how you really feel.  But I want you to know that you don't need T to be a man, you're more than enough man without it.  You're still you, and I admire you for your strength and courage."

Eloy sniffles, nodding at Jace's soft spoken praises, "just... half my life I've been fighting to get HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and when I finally got it, I felt... I felt good.  I felt like me, like I was complete.  And now, now it'll be like before."

He crosses his arms over his flattened chest and shrinks in on himself.  Jace frowns, he doesn't like seeing Eloy upset, doesn't like seeing him hurting.

He drags him to a chair while he searches for gauze and bandages which he uses to wrap Eloy's injured hand.  Eloy is silent through out the entire time, lost in his thoughts.

Jace, however, snaps him out of it as he tilts the man's chin up.

Their eyes lock for a brief moment.

And Jace, he presses his lips to Eloy's, kisses him fervently.

Eloy melts into the kiss, breaking apart to breathe harshly.

"You will always be you," Jace reassures, "we'll figure it out, we can search for a pharmacy that may carry hormones, or another office?"

Eloy shakes his head, "no."

"No?"

"I... No, I think you're right... I don't need it right now to define who I am.  I know who I am, and though I'll miss the way it made me feel, I still have you.  You complete me in ways T never did."

Jace smiles at the younger man endearingly, kissing the injured palm cleaned and covered with tenderness.

"I-"

He doesn't get to finish when a man, a human man, appears behind Eloy with a gun drawn and aimed at his lover's head.

Jace reacts quickly and pulls out his gun, pointing it at the stranger in turn.

Eloy tenses, breathing becoming short and erratic, "Jace?"

He pulls the trigger.