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[bouncyballparty.livejournal.com]

Challenge : {210} It's Cold Outside
Title : I Really Can't Stay
Word Count : 589
Notes : Considering I almost froze to death in my own house last night, this prompt seems oddly appropriate. Also, AU.

Leon watches the edges of the red-purple sunset over the forest of roofs, breathing out a long sigh that materialized into a thin mist in the air. It was getting colder and darker by the day, each hour making the threadbare and abandoned houses less and less hospitable. Even inside, it was below 30.

Nudging a overturned coffee table to the side with his boot, Leon makes just enough room to sidle past, through the thrown open front door, minding the mess on the floor with cautious steps. It's a typical middle-class home; pictures on the wall, furniture that had been clean and new once. If you only glanced, you probably wouldn't notice the stains of streaked blood curling off the cushions, the smeared lines of gore spread by imprints of shuffling feet somehow swept under the rug.

Sora curses softly somewhere by the door after banging his heel on the table. They trade looks, Sora apologetic, Leon more stern than usual. Leon moves on after a second of listening out for the occasional odd sound. There's nothing aside from the errant breeze, but Leon keeps his weapon ready, just in case. Sora following with more heed behind him.

“Looks empty.” Sora says, scanning the kitchen area, scouring the flung-open cabinets for forgotten items of food. The door creaks and he shoots a quick glance over his shoulder.

“Maybe.” Leon pushes the bathroom door open with a shove of his gun. Nothing. His flashlight glares off the mirror as he tries the faucet, a weak trickle flowing after a few seconds.

“Found beans.” Sora shows him the battered can and Leon nods, filling his bottle with lukewarm water. He stows the can away in his pack and idles in the doorway, watching the hall.

Leon grimaces as Sora starts fidgeting, tapping his foot on the hardwood. It's unavoidable. Youth and impatience are pretty much a package deal, and Sora is still very much a teenager, reckless and headstrong and full of more energy than he knew what to do with.

In the door, Sora shivers and Leon eyes the back of him, figuring it wouldn't hurt to search the house for some thicker clothing for him to wear. The leather jacket he lifted three weeks ago was getting on in years.

“Hey, Leon.” Sora says in a discreet voice, keeping himself quiet in case of any nearby lingering monsters. It was a lesson he learned early on, when Leon first found him splitting zombie heads in a convenience store two towns over. Since then, they elected to stay together. “I think it's almost Christmas.”

Leon blinks and the statement takes a minute to register, “Is that right? Here, drink.”

“Used to love Christmas.” Sora murmurs, drinking down about half the bottle in quick gulps so Leon had to refill it again. “With Kairi and Riku. Everybody.” His hands tremble as he checks his gun, betraying a weakness he'd been trying adamantly to suppress.

It's hard not to feel sorry for him. Leon lightly touches his shoulder, a moment of comforting contact that he didn't show many people. In light of the apocalypse, it seems like the only humane thing to do.

The cold outside is bitter and brings a whole new pain to the stiffness in Leon's arms already. Sora's wearing a heavier coat now, one they found in the upstairs bedroom. It's not much, but Leon figures it's the best thing he could get him for Christmas.

Aside from salvation.

I'm really not sure what the hell this is, but...here it is. Weird ZombieApocalypse!Drabble with a hint of X-mas. Bouncy has been playing entirely too much Left 4 Dead lately.

Comments

[iki-teru.livejournal.com]

I...want this in a fic. Like really.

Also, I love your take on the challenge. <3

[bouncyballparty.livejournal.com]

I have a bunch of KH Zombie fics in the making that I haven't figured out what to do with yet. This was kind of my test-start fic, and now that I realize I really like writing this stuff, I'll probably get to finishing those soon.

Thanks for reading! I'm glad someone else appreciates KH Zombies. <3

[kaos-sparrow.livejournal.com]

*sniff* This makes me all sad-like. Go you! for that, but aww Sora and Leon need hugs.

[bouncyballparty.livejournal.com]

They do need hugs. Poor boys.