Song: The Hour - Answer

------

Evan's desperate cry echoed endlessly down the empty alleyway and all Jonathan could do was listen to it fade as he raced behind him. Evan fell to his knees beside a struggling pile of white fur that whimpered and kicked beneath his hands.

"Lucah, why did you run?" Evan took a deep breath, fighting back tears as he eyed the bear-trap that was holding fast around her leg. The blood stood out so bright against her hair and he didn't know what to do.

"She's been out here for months, we may have scared her or she could have been chasing something." Jonathan got down on one knee beside him, examining the scene before them.

Evan cut his eyes at him and said with just a hint of bitterness, "Like what? There's nothing alive left out here."

Jonathan didn't even blink, "She's alive. That cat we found was alive and so was Livia and her child. It's pretty fucking obvious she's been living off of something or your dog would've starved to death a long time ago. She was probably chasing her next meal and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time like all of us seemed to have been at one point or another. She's alive and she'll be fine, we just need to get her back to the tower and let David look at her."

Evan shut his eyes and ground his teeth together trying to relax himself but when he opened his eyes again, watching the way Jonathan kept his eyes fixed to the dark, shady end of the alley, he felt the uneasiness sink in again. "You still think there are other people out here don't you?"

Jonathan pulled his pack off his back and produced an extra shirt that he ripped into a long strip. "Hold her still."

Evan did as he was told because Jonathan didn't hesitate in finding the release on the trap. Lucah cried when he pulled the metal teeth from her leg and began wrapping it tightly with the ripped shirt.

"I'll put it this way." Jonathan remarked. "I wasn't the one who put these traps here."

Evan seemed concerned about that thought for a moment but he forgot about it the second Lucah cried out again as Jonathan tied the fabric a little tighter. "Be careful!"

"Evan!" Jonathan snapped and grabbed his shirt collar. "She's going to be fine. Yes, she'll be in pain, but she'll be fine. Now let's go before whoever put these traps here shows up."

Evan tried to pick her up off the ground but he was shaking so bad he couldn't do it. Jonathan didn't say a word just pulled him out of the way and hauled the dog up over his shoulder. Evan gave him a worried look.

"I've got her." Jonathan spoke softy for once. "Do you trust me?"

Evan didn't even blink. "Yes."

"We'll go slow with her, just lead the way. We need to stay down on the streets." Jonathan instructed and let Evan gather himself before setting off at a light jog down the empty roads.

He hated how anxious and rattled Evan was, the way his legs were unsteady. But he'd just found his best friend that he thought was dead, so he more than understood. If he'd found Tyler, he probably wouldn't be able to move, let alone breathe. But that was a hopeless dream. Tyler was dead.

So he watched it run it's course through his running partner whose tremble had eased the closer they jogged toward the tower. The sun was pelting down on them and the dog was hot in his arms. She gave a steady but quiet whine, like she didn't want to be loud. He adjusted her until he was cradling her, to ease the strain on his shoulder.

"You're going to be okay." He whispered to her and her blue eyes met his and she licked his shoulder in response it seemed like. Jonathan grinned beneath his mask and turned his gaze back ahead of him to see Evan opening the gate.

Sweat was rolling down his face and he gave Lucah and reassuring squeeze when Jonathan passed by. The doors flew open a second later and Lui took off back inside to call the elevator before either one of them could ask. No one said a word when Evan passed by looking less distraught then he had earlier, but distraught nonetheless.

Lucah kicked a bit once Evan was right there with her, petting her and kissing her face. She struggled and whined but Jonathan held her tight.

Evan grinned sadly, "It's okay, baby girl. I found you, I'm here."

The elevator carried them up and Jonathan didn't realize he was staring until the doors cracked open and Evan's eyes snapped up to meet his. Jonathan turned away and carried her out into the hall.

Brock came around the corner and surprise flashed across his face when he saw a dog in their company. He rushed over and held in hands out in demand for an explanation.

Evan spoke up. "She's mine and she's been out there on her own for months. She got caught in a trap in an alleyway, can you and David help her?"

Brock hesitated but then nodded, "Of course, I don't see why not. Bring her this way and I'll x-ray her leg. That looks nasty."

"It's probably broken." Jonathan added and heard Evan sigh. He felt the need to reassure him, so he did. "But it'll heal just as fast as our bones do, maybe quicker."

"I hope so." Evan mumbled and gave her another pat.

Brock led them into a room that had an odd looking machine in it, the x-ray machine. Jonathan laid her down as gently as he could.

Brock loosened the shirt around her leg and started it up. While he scanned her, he spoke off the top of his head. "I've never treated animals before. That's more of Brian's thing, but . . . you know."

Jonathan gave him a sympathetic look but Evan was confused. "Shouldn't Brian be doing it then? Whoever Brian is."

Brock gave a short forced laugh and shrugged, "Well, if he wasn't out there eating people, I'd ask him for help."

"Oh." Evan ran his hands through his hair and pulled out of frustration. "I am so fucking sorry. I didn't know."

"You couldn't have known." Brock grinned and shook his head. "It seems like people have a knack for losing their best friends around here."

The silence hung thick and the tension was visible all of a sudden. It was uncomfortable and Jonathan was about to turn to leave when Brock shut the machine down and went into the next room for the results. Evan was swaying back and forth anxiously on his feet and Jonathan really wanted to get away. Because all he had the urge to do was ask him if he was okay.

"It's broken." Brock said when he came back in the room. "But me and David can put it in a cast, three weeks tops just to make sure it's fully healed."

Evan put his hands on his hips and looked at his shoes, nodding. "Alright, thanks man. I appreciate it."

Brock clapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "You got your best friend back. That's something to smile about."

Evan blinked at him and broke into a smile, "Yeah. It is."

But then his heart hammered in his chest when he watched Jonathan turn and leave without a second glance. Evan knew why and he felt like an asshole for snapping at him so much earlier. He'd just found his best friend, but Jonathan would never find his and all he felt was the urge to tell him that he was sorry.

So he bolted out the door after him, "Hey!"

Jonathan turned and held a hand up, "Stop."

Evan scrunched his brows as he stopped just an inch shy of the man's hand. He let his eyes rake over his face when he pulled his mask down around his neck.

Evan sighed. "I just wanted to tell you that . . ."

Jonathan shook his head, "Don't tell me you're sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for, I'm glad you found her. Don't thank me either, because I would've helped her no matter what."

He started to back away and turned back down the hall toward the elevator. Evan broke into a laugh. "Are you fucking serious? That's bullshit and you know it!"

He laughed even harder when Jonathan kept walking like an asshole, ignoring him. "Come on, Angel Boy! You know you did it for me because you actually like me! You just don't want to admit it!"

Brock listened to their bickering and couldn't help but grin. Evan's smartass remarks and aggravating habits reminded him so much of his own best friend that he'd lost to the sea of monsters that swept across the city that night.

------

"Oooh, look at this one Brocky. It matches your eyes." Brian held up a purse to the side of his best friend's face and laughed at the look he gave him.

"I don't need a purse. That's what my pockets are for." Brock smirked.

Brian dropped it and picked up something else, "This then! It's manlier. A man purse. Satchel. Pack. Whatever sounds more manly."

The ground shook beneath them and Brock didn't have time to come up with some ridiculous pun that would send Brian into a fit of laughter. Instead he pulled him into a building while a swarm of people ran down the streets. They stayed ducked down, peeking out of the window as the sun dropped and the city got eerily quiet, pulling the curtain shut when two men come walking by. Brian spotted a dog running at full sprint down an alleyway when Brock led him out when he thought it was all over and they could finally investigate. They were in a tight, dark alley, Brock leading the way when they felt another explosion and a scream that pierced the night.

"Where are we going?!" Brian whispered and kept a fist full of Brock's shirt in his hand as he walked along behind.

"Towards the hospital. They have to have help there."

But they weren't close enough to the tower that stood high in the sky ahead of them when they heard a wet disgusting growl behind them. Then there were more that echoed right behind it, uneven shuffling footsteps that slowly started to sprint.

Brock remembered the hairs standing up on the back of his arms when Brian shoved him forward and into a hard run. "Go! There's something right behind us! Don't look back! BROCK RUN!"

"GO! DON'T FUCKING STOP, BROCK! RUN!" He couldn't hear his voice getting farther away as he told him to keep going. The adrenaline was pumping through him and there was a part of him that was grateful he didn't have the courage to turn around at the time. He didn't know what he wouldn't seen if he had. He could only imagine the way they had tackled Brian down, bit as his flesh.

The one thing Brock never would forget was the last sound that he let out before he was silent forever.

A scream.

It still haunted him.

------

Jonathan went up to the floor he'd been avoiding for as long as he could, but he knew that the sooner he told Nana Maria about her daughter, the better. He still had a little blood on his arm from Lucah and he blamed that on the way everyone stared at him extra hard as he moved down the hall avoiding eye contact. He still felt a sick to his stomach at just another reminder that he had no one and that the one person he used to have, was dead, buried. Just another reminder that he had only himself to blame.

He really was glad Evan had found his other half, because if both of them continued on being broken they'd end up killing each other. He still might, so actually the event changed nothing. Why was he even thinking about Evan?

All he used to think about was where he hadn't searched yet, what supplies they needed, how much he needed to shave, how fucking hot it was getting outside, and how pretty the sun was when it was dropping and rising on the horizon. But now . . . it was brown eyes and a smile. Neither of which belonged to him. Jonathan hated it so fucking much but Evan was a necessity at this point and there was no going back now. He shook his head at himself as he turned down another hall. He always did manage to find the most unfortunate ways to fuck himself over. It was almost enough to make him laugh.

He cleared his throat when he entered the room, the kids paying him no mind. The rescue cat was still holding their attention as he made his way over to the woman in her chair. She turned her head when he was beside her and somehow she always knew what he was there for. Always knew what he was about to say.

"You found her." She spoke calmly.

Jonathan nodded and squat down, linking his fingers together. "We found her as the sun went down. I heard her screaming and when we found her in an old building, she was in labor and we were running out of time. She'd lost so much blood and they were coming for us, for her."

"I understand." Maria turned her gaze back to the window.

"No, Maria, you don't." He reached for her hand. "Evan delivered your grandson right there on the tiled floor, but Livia wouldn't . . . she wouldn't let us help her. Told us to take her child and run. So we did. I ran harder than I ever have and I can still feel it in my lungs. But she asked one thing of me. Just one."

Maria squeezed his fingers and touched his face with her other soft hand. "You killed her."

Jonathan nodded and he felt himself about to choke on the knot forming in his throat. "I'm so sorry."

"She did not want to become one of those things."

Jonathan shut his eyes tight, "I snapped her neck."

"You saved her." Maria shook him. "You saved my grandchild. Look at me."

He forced his eyes open and watched her grin sadly down at him, "Thank you."

------

Evan was all over the tower, feeling more like himself since all of this happened. He ate a decent lunch with the girls, Langley and Murphy, who teased him and made filthy jokes about his obscenely long fingers. They attempted to pull Angel Boy's name from his lips but he never gave it up, so they smacked him against his head like they were his siblings and he threw them deuces when they parted ways. Everyone here was really starting to feel like family, even David who was slowly growing on him even though he was a complete loner who only socialized when Evan forced his way into his clinic and insisted they get to know each other better. He hovered like a fly when they put a cast on Lucah's leg.

He went upstairs to check on the baby, but silently stepped out of the room when he found Maria cradling her grandchild with tears running down her face. He'd had enough reunions for one day, the only one he was interested in was the one between him and Jonathan. But the man had vanished and he could only assume he went back out into the favela to distract himself from everything that had happened. Evan had learned that the guy didn't like to linger on things, didn't like to think about the past. He saw how fast he'd turned to leave when the subject of best friends had surfaced. It was like he knew it was going to drag him down so he left to take his mind off of it before it consumed it. Evan wanted to help and really didn't know how, other than to plant himself firmly between Jonathan and his past and make him focus on what was right in front of him.

He wanted to be his friend. He wanted to be there, but Jonathan was a fucking expert at making himself invisible when he didn't want to be found apparently. Evan searched the tower relentlessly when Scotty crossed his heart and hoped to die when he told him that Jonathan hadn't gone back outside.

Marcel watched Evan jump back in the elevator, sighing when the doors closed. "They're adorable."

"Why? They just run together and get sweaty, how does that make them adorable?" Ryan, their newest defender recruit asked with a look on his face that no one had warmed up to yet.

"Dude, you haven't even seen them together yet. They run, take care of each other, put up with each other." Marcel spun the knife in his hands while Scotty squinted at him suspiciously, waiting for him to throw it at the wall beside his head like he had been doing all day. "Evan is loud and enthusiastic and all over the guy, but Anjo keeps pretending to hate him but honestly I think he's starting to warm up to him. I think he'd scared to actually admit that he likes the man. I don't think he wants to stroke Evan's ego and let him know that he was right. It's gonna be hilarious when he does, though. Evan will never let him live it down."

"So are they friends or what?"

Lui shrugged. "That depends on who you ask. You ask Anjo, he'd say fuck no. Ask Evan and he'd say they're best friends and paint each other's toenails."

Scotty snickered. "Ask Langley or Murph and they'd say that they're fucking."

Murphy opened her mouth to retaliate but then thought about it and nodded. "Yeah."

Ryan furrowed his brows, "So, basically this is like a reality t.v. show for you guys?"

"Basically." Marcel confirmed and slung his knife across the room where is stuck into the wall beside his partner's head, making Scotty release a high pitched scream that he cut short by slapping his hand over his own mouth.

Ryan laughed, "Well at least there's not a dull moment around here or I'd be going back to laundry duty."

Langley stood watch by the front door. "Trust me. When you hear and see more of Cat and Anjo, you'll jump on the boat with us. It's better than reality t.v."

------

There was nowhere else Evan could look and he was starting to think that Jonathan had purposefully slipped away behind his back when he wasn't looking. But just as he was about to give up and just turn in for the night, Evan saw a door that had been propped open with a cinder block. He was on the top floor, stepping down the hall to the opening that he learned led to a stairwell that took him to the roof of the hospital where the air was considerably more tolerable than it was on the ground. It wasn't so stifling hot and suffocating, it was almost crisp.

It was quiet and that was something he used to love. He used to seek out the silent places where he could sit and stare out at the scenery and the stars, Lucah sitting beside him in a comfortable moment of peace and quiet. Complete silence. He never had that back in California with his money hungry family. He never had anything really. Or anyone.

Now when he sat in silence, his past crept up on him and all he could think about was how alone he really was and how much he didn't want to be. He didn't want to think and that's exactly what silence in their zombieland made him do. Still, the sound of nothing beckoned him to the edge of the building and the dark city below pulled at his chest. There was nothing but the chirping of crickets and the occasional echo of a scream that he'd stopped flinching from weeks ago. This was their home now no matter which way they looked at it. He breathed in the cool air and felt the goosebumps run up his arms for a moment.

"If you fell, would you land on all fours?" Jonathan said in the dark and Evan was grinning at him where he sat on the edge to his left a little further down. Jonathan motioned him closer with his head and Evan drifted to him like a magnet and threw his legs over the side and sat beside him, legs dangling freely in the calm breeze.

"If I fell, would you try to catch me?" Evan asked out of pure curiosity and only slightly out of amusement.

Jonathan, maskless, shrugged and picked at his nails. "Probably."

Something wasn't right. He seemed more distracted than ever. Evan watched the way he stretched his fingers before pulling them into a tight fist and then repeating it all over again. Evan blinked in comprehension. Jonathan had anxiety, but over what?

"What's wrong?"

Jonathan didn't respond immediately and Evan let him take his time forming an answer because the struggle was obvious on his pretty face. It took him a minute before he got it out. "She thanked me."

Evan didn't know what he was talking about. But Jonathan took a deep unsteady breath and elaborated.

"I killed her daughter and she thanked me for it." He almost sounded pitiful and Evan felt that tiny pull in his chest again. He'd never seen Jonathan hurt over something. This was really bothering him and Evan wanted to fix it. He wanted that look on his face to go away.

"Jonathan, if you hadn't killed Livia she would've been mauled to death. You did what you had to do and she wanted you to do it. You made it quick and painless and that's what Maria is thanking you for. She still has her, in her grandchild." Evan nudged his arm and Jonathan glanced over at him. "The grandchild you saved. So stop lingering on the bad and look at what good came out of it. You're doing everything you can and everyone knows that. I know that. Stop blaming yourself when people die. She died because she wasn't going to be able to get on her feet. She told us to go. She knew."

Jonathan huffed and a sad smile played his lips. "It's funny."

Evan scrunched his brows. "Why is that funny?"

Jonathan clenched his jaw and stared out at the dark city below. "It was the exact same way with Tyler. Except I didn't make it quick and painless. I couldn't do anything. He told me to go and I left him there to die. Alone. I ran and I still wonder if he died fast or if he laid there for days slowly bleeding to death or if the screamers found him and pulled him apart while his legs were stuck beneath our car and the entire building that came down on him. I'll never fucking know and I can't . . . ."

"I'm sorry." Evan said quietly and he didn't really know what else to say or where to look other than at the city, because looking at Jonathan was killing him. He was so full of pain, filled to the brim with anger and agony. Evan didn't know how he had kept it bottled up for so long but he understood a little better why he was the way he was.

"Don't apologize." The man whispered. "It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either." Evan gripped the concrete beneath his fingers. "You need to get that through that pretty head of yours."

There it was, the faintest of smiles played at his lips and Evan felt better about the entire situation just from that small pull at the corner of his mouth. He knew he was going to be okay and he knew that in the morning, he would probably go right back to trying to ignore him and brush their friendship aside and pretend it wasn't there. Evan almost laughed at the thought, almost. Instead they sat in silence for a while until their eyes were fully adjusted to the night and the memories started to surface in Evan's head the longer they sat.

"One of my favorite things back in California, before my life went to shit, was the time we had a bad earthquake and it was strong enough to knock the power out for two weeks. I sat on the roof of our house for days, camped out with snacks, just watching. It was so fucking peaceful. Midnight would roll around and there wouldn't be a sound, just bugs. I could see people in the distance with flashlights. It was so dark and calm and you could see the Milky Way up above if you looked hard enough. It was beautiful, honestly. I remember being so disappointed when everything went back to normal, because I am everything but normal and I felt more at home on that rooftop on those dark nights than I ever did growing up in suburbia." Evan looked up at the sky and saw the cluster of stars in a thick line that made up their galaxy. It stretched across the sky and he felt like a kid again, amazed by the vastness of space and how small and insignificant they all were.

"I practically lived in the woods growing up." Jonathan said and Evan was pleasantly surprised by how much he was opening up. "I'm from North Carolina, so it's forest for days and I made my own little tree house where no one could find me. It was high up enough in a tree where I could see the sky. I'd bring my paint and brushes and draw on the inside of the wood. I carved scenes into the tree. Sometimes I'd sleep there, watching the earth spin and stars move. I'd watch the sun come up and I felt more at home there than I did in my actual bed."

"Do you miss it?'

"Every day." Jonathan sighed. "If it weren't for the screams, I wouldn't mind being stuck here in the dark."

Evan hummed, "That's something else we have in common."

Jonathan huffed. "I hate how you keep finding things."

"And I love how you keep denying them." Evan smiled when Jonathan rolled his eyes and swung his legs back over, closing himself back up and going back to his normal self.

"I'm going to get some sleep."

Evan chuckled. "No you're not. You're going to lie awake and think about me. Don't lie."

"Yeah, think about casually shoving you off a rooftop in the near future." Jonathan flipped him off with a fake grin before he disappeared through the door, leaving Evan sitting there alone to drown in his thoughts.

And Jonathan would be damned if he didn't lay awake for three fucking hours thinking about the bastard and how much he liked sitting up there with him, talking, learning something new about him. Evan had made him feel better about Livia, about everything and he tried to come up with an excuse to dislike him, but there was nothing there and he rolled over on his pillow and sighed miserably to himself before finally falling sleep. For once he didn't have a nightmare, he didn't see the color red. He saw a beautiful thriving Rio, kids laughing, running up and down the streets, music echoing around him. He saw Tyler waving just down the road, his blue eyes shining in the sun. Then he felt a heavy body jumping onto his back and he looked down as Evan's tan tattooed arms circled around him. Jonathan slipped his hands under his knees and held him and he heard him say in his ear. "What are you waiting for? Let's go, Angel Boy."

Something in him felt whole and he didn't know why or how. He walked with the Asian on his back like an obnoxious kid he couldn't shake, but he didn't mind. He liked the way he laughed in his ear. He could feel him smile against his neck. The closer they got to Tyler the warmer he felt, the more complete the hole in his heart was. All he could do was smile and all Evan could say was, "That looks so good on you. And so do I."

Jonathan smiled wider and shook his head because it was something Evan would really say and he didn't know when he started to realized those things. Like how he knew what Evan would probably say or what kind of look he was going to give him or what would make him snort with laughter. He didn't know when Evan crawled beneath his skin but he had and Jonathan didn't know how to get him out.

When he woke, it was to the sound of the Asian's laugh echoing down the hall and when he ventured down the white hall towards it he felt that warmth again, just like in his dream. Jonathan leaned against the doorway to the other's bunks and Evan was sitting in the floor, laughing as Lucah gave everyone licks in greeting. She hobbled around on her cast leg and settled in her owner's lap.

Murphy spotted him at the door and smiled. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Morning." He rubbed at his eyes and Evan caught his stare. Jonathan looked at him for long moment, feeling entirely different about the man now and he swallowed down the revelation as he turned back down the hallway. Distance was his only option right now. He pulled his clothes on, tightened his shoelaces, and wrapped his mask around his face. He was pulling his hat on backwards and grabbing his pack when he heard heavy panting behind him. He turned to find Lucah and all her beautiful albino glory sitting there staring up at him with bright eyes. He dropped down and she moved forward, licking his fingers. Jonathan gave her a pat.

"I know you loathe it, but she's saying thank you." Evan spoke as he moved down the hall toward him. Jonathan eyed his bare chest and the art that was scattered across his skin. "I taught her that while we traveled. She's learned to speak in her own way now."

Jonathan nodded and stroked her hair one more time before he pushed himself back to his feet. Evan cocked his head to the side. "Are you running?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes avoiding the body right in front of him. "Yeah, I'll go stir crazy if I stay here too long. I need to get back into my routine. My feet are restless."

Evan smirked, "That's cute. Well, I'm going to stay here for a little while with her."

"Yeah, whatever you need to do." Jonathan started backing away. "I'll be out there with the wild ones."

"Be careful." Evan chewed at his lip. "I don't know if I've grown on you, but you've grown on me and I'd miss your ass if it disappeared. I almost like it more than I like your face."

Jonathan didn't fight the smile this time because it was useless, but he had a knot in his throat from trying to stop the laugh that forced it's way out. It shocked the hell out of Evan by the look on his face and it scared the shit out of Jonathan because the last time he laughed, it was because of someone he'd never see again. His laughed faded and he felt sick the longer he watched the smiled spread on Evan's face. He didn't want this. He didn't want Evan to end up like Tyler. He bit back the feeling and Evan saw it, he knew he did because he stepped forward when Jonathan stepped away. He dug his nails into his palms and turned for the stairwell. Just before he pushed the metal door open he heard his name.

"Jonathan . . ."

He turned his head slightly, "I'll be careful."

He ran down the stairs, heart beating faster as he pushed his way out into the daylight. He tried to forget but every thing he did, Evan was there in the forefront of his mind, behind his eyelids when he shut his eyes. He could hear his smartass comments while he searched through houses distractedly. He could see him looking up at him, eyebrow raised and a stupid ass grin on his face.

He slid to a stop as he ran down an empty street. The dust stirred around him and he heaved in air, putting his hands on his head as he paced back and forth. There was a dumpster just to his right and his foot kicked at the metal side until it was dented in and he was yelling at nothing.

"Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!" He caught his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Fuck . . ."

He gave up, because there was no denying it and he knew he couldn't stop caring about the guy anymore than he could stop running. He dug around in his pack for a bottle of water and felt something that he hadn't put in there. He pulled it out and in his hand was an old scratched up ipod with a small piece of paper underneath the headphone cord wrapped around it. He pulled the paper out and unfolded it. His heart gave a small lurch.

"Hey, I know you're going through some shit right now and music always helps me. So you should listen while you run to clear your head. This is my ipod, found it in my things when we went to my old hotel room a while back. I put a solar charger in your pack, too, if the battery starts to die. When Lucah gets out of her cast, I'll be back out there with you, so don't get too comfortable. I know how much you like to be alone and I like my space, too. But if I'm being honest, I really really like pissing you off and getting on your nerves, so I'll just keep doing that. I regret nothing. Stay sexy.

And just so you know, you mumble in your sleep. Super fucking adorable, dude.

-Evan (definitely the coolest guy you know)"

(Listen to MO - Kamikaze) -walk

Jonathan didn't have it in him to crumple it up, so he folded it up neatly and put it in a pocket inside his bag where it would be safe and sound. He sighed and put the ear buds in his ears and pressed shuffle before sliding it in his pocket. He waited for the music and when it slipped past his ears, his mind fell silent and his feet started moving, jogging in a steady rhythm with the beat. He found himself grinning again as he pulled himself up onto the rooftops. The city was stretched out in all directions around him and he could go anywhere he wanted to. This was freedom, even if was only until the sun went down. Then it was a nightmare, but they were surviving and they wouldn't let it stop them.

He glanced at the tower and thought to himself that this one more thing that he and Evan had in common: the music. He wouldn't deny this one, he embraced it and let it carry him across the city, he let it clear his head, almost made him forget why he was running in the first place. Jonathan felt more like himself and he had Evan to thank for that.

And he told himself that he would tell him when he saw him again.

------

"You should really stop." Murphy peeked through her fingers at Evan who was doing push-ups, shirtless, with Lucah sitting on his back.

He looked up at her and did another one, smiling when she covered her eyes completely. "Why?"

Langley sat down beside her, "Because it's insanely hot and you're driving us crazy. That's why."

Evan laughed and let Lucah step down before he pushed himself to his feet. "I apologize."

Langley sighed, watching the sweat run down his torso. "So, has your partner in crime confessed his feelings for you yet?"

Evan wiped off with a towel and leaned against a pillar in the the lobby. "No, unfortunately. I thought he was going to for a second. But he just turned and left." He shrugged. "He hasn't come back in two weeks, so maybe he's just working himself up to it."

Evan ventured up a few floors for a shower and turned on the speaker and music player that Bryce, the techie, let him have when he pestered him enough for it one day. Something smooth started flowing through the room and he let it play as he stripped down and stepped beneath hot water. He wasn't lost in his thoughts for too long before the door swung open rather violently and Jonathan trudged in, covered in blood and black stuff with a look on his face that Evan, honest to God, tried his best not to laugh at. But he failed.

"Don't ask." Jonathan peeled his clothes off and Evan reached over into the stall next to him and cut the water on for him.

"You know I'm gonna." Evan leaned on the tile divider and watched the blood roll down his skin in lines with the water when Jonathan stepped into it. "So, what happened?"

"A lot of things. First, I found more traps. New ones in a different place than where we found Lucah. There's someone else out there. Second, I found a screamer in a closet on a third story shack in the middle of the day. No fucking idea how it got there, but it scared the shit out of me and I had to stab it's brains out. That's where this blood came from and all this black shit that smells like gut rot and death. So fucking pissed right now." Jonathan griped and scrubbed extra hard at his face with the soap and Evan just leaned his head on his hand and watched.

"I'm sorry for your troubles. You missed a spot." Evan said and ran a soapy hand down the middle of his back, not missing the way Jonathan tensed for a moment before relaxing again beneath the heat. "So, what do the lines on your arm mean?"

Jonathan looked over at his bicep and looked at the three large chevron arrows beneath one another on his arm. One was blue and the other two were purple and pink, outlined in a thick line of black. "One for each sibling. Older brother, two younger sisters."

"What about the one on your right arm?"

Jonathan turned and put in the light. "Just a doodle I did one day."

"So you're really an artist. Did you do the bird on your chest, too?" Evan wondered and he was feeling lucky that Jonathan was even telling him anything.

"I did. It was my first and it was the one tattoo I always wanted. There was a hawk that would fly around my tree house way back in the day and I sketched it out one day. When I got older I modified it and went and had it done. It's one of the only things I'm proud of."

"You should be." Evan sighed. "It's beautiful."

"What about you?" Jonathan washed the soap out of his hair before scrubbing again for extra measure. "What do your tattoos mean?"

Evan shrugged. "Nothing really. I did some out of spite and some I was drunk. The only one I really put effort into is the one on my back. I wanted it to look like you could see beneath my skin, to my spine."

He turned in the stall and let Jonathan look at it properly. He felt his fingers run over the bones of his spine and the ones that were tattooed over them. "That's pretty awesome."

"I know." Evan turned back around. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Maybe. All I know is that I'm tired of eating granola bars and canned soup." Jonathan cut his water off and toweled off while Evan did the same.

"Well, let's get dressed and go eat something good then."

Jonathan didn't argue and he wouldn't say that he really enjoyed the company that Evan was so willing to give him. It was like he'd stayed up waiting for him to come in and see him and that made his heart beat a little faster than he wanted it to. They sat in a corner in the cafeteria, ignoring the looks they always got. Jonathan was about to die, he was so hungry and he let out a noise of pleasure when he took a bite of a casserole that one of the cooks had made for the hell of it. He looked up to find Evan staring at him like there was something on his face.

"What?" He shoveled the food into his mouth as fast as it would go and washed it all down with water until he felt miserable.

"You just seem . . . different. Usually you're all brooding and avoiding me as much as you can. But now you're acting like a normal guy and it's fucking weird, in a good way." Evan took a bite of his food and shrugged at him. "I don't know. You're just different. I like it."

Jonathan sat back and wiped at his mouth. "I'm going to say something and if you let it go to your head, I will fucking cut you."

"I'm dying to hear it then." Evan crossed his arms and sat back with a smug look on his face.

Jonathan squinted at him threateningly. "I want to thank you for the music . . . . and for everything you said on the roof that night. I know I've been an asshole to you and I did it because I didn't want to get close to you, but you are such an obnoxious persistent little shit that I can't help but like you. I don't know . . . . you make this entire situation a little easier to deal with and I want you know that I do consider you my friend."

Evan sat there in silence, looking at him, waiting on him to take it all back. But he smiled so wide that it hurt when Jonathan never revoked his statement. "How the fuck is that supposed to not go to my head?!"

Jonathan groaned and stood up, his chair skidding out behind him while Evan laughed hysterically, following him. "I mean . . . I know you know that I've been dying to hear you come out and say it. You're a big fucking softy, I fucking knew it. Oh man. You totally love me."

Jonathan spun around with a knife in his hand, but Evan couldn't take him seriously. "I tolerate your Asian ass, there's a difference."

Evan continued to giggle as they washed their dishes and put them up. Jonathan pulled his mask back up and he felt that irrefutable warmth rush through him when Evan hoisted himself onto his back, just like in his dream. And just like in his dream, he absentmindedly hooked his hands behind his knees and carried him. Evan spoke in his ear. "It's bro-code that you carry your bro when he's too full to walk."

"It's also bro-code that I kick your ass for being too big of a bitch." Jonathan retaliated but it held no bite. Evan dropped from his shoulders when they got into the elevator. The doors closed and Evan gave him a devilish grin.

"Nah, you love me. Just say it."

Jonathan looked up at him through thick lashes before stepping forward, pulling his mask down, and crowding Evan's space. "You're right. How could I have been so blind?"

Evan tried to laugh at his bullshitting but he was really close and really hot and he had his wrists in his hands, squeezing and leaning in. "I love you, bro."

Evan struggled to keep his legs straight when his back was pressed flat against the wall and Jonathan's nose was almost touching his. His intimidating eyes were boring holes into his and Evan was about to start sweating. His breath was rushing over his face and he was licking his plump lips with a ridiculously sexy grin on his face. But it fell when the door dinged and was about to open. He stepped away with a smug smile when Evan didn't move.

"Shit, dude. That made my legs tingle." Evan huffed a laugh. "You should definitely do it again, but ya know, seriously. I wouldn't mind."

Jonathan rolled his eyes and walked out into the lobby, ignoring his sexual teasing as always. He didn't mean it, or at least he didn't think he did. Honestly, Jonathan couldn't tell. But Evan liked to fuck with him so he'd say it was all a big fucking show.

"Together again, at last!" Langley called out and everyone whistled at them. Jonathan glared back at Evan as he came off the elevator.

He wiggled his brows at him, "Let's give them a kiss, yeah?"

"NO." Jonathan stalked over to Marcel's room and set down some of his knives that needed sharpening.

"Oh, come on. I have nice lips, so I've been told."

Jonathan picked up some new weaponry and pocketed the blades, keeping one in his hand when he turned on Evan who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. "I'm sure they're great, but I have better things to do."

Evan sighed dramatically, "You know, you're pretty good at running . . . running from your feelings for me. But whatever you say, man. One day you're going to get tired."

"Maybe one day." Jonathan nearly whispered when he passed by him on the way out. "If you're lucky."

Evan's ear practically perked up. "What?"

"I said if you're lucky, Princess."

They headed back to the elevator once Jonathan was completely restocked on supplies and everyone was quiet when they left. Until Ryan cleared his throat and addressed the obvious. "Yeah, so they are pretty fucking in love with each other."

"Boom." Murphy stuck her hand out to Scotty. "You owe me three sticks of deodorant, pay up bitch."

------

Evan was feeling pretty good about himself and his now verbally affirmed friendship with Jonathan; savior of the city, the people's angel. But what he wasn't feeling so good about was how fucking attracted to him he was. He knew from the moment he saw him he was going to be drawn to him and that mysterious identity, the faceless hero. He knew from the start that he was bisexual but he'd always been so suppressed by society and his family that he hadn't got to branch out and taste test all the flavors the world had to offer. He'd been with women, but his thoughts about men were always just as hot and on his mind. Though he'd never been with one.

Jonathan was a flame, Evan was the moth and he knew that he was only going to hurt himself if he fell for someone he knew would never want him in return. Instead he settled for being a friend that he could count on no matter what happened out there. Evan was going to be there, because people were scarce lately and he really didn't want to lose this one.

Jonathan left before the sunset and Evan was getting tired as the dark consumed the world once more and the screams rang out like a bell tolling on the hour. Lucah followed him upstairs and took a bunk that his fellow runner had occupied the previous day because it smelled like him and it was kind of nice. Evan fell asleep with his warm companion sleeping next to him and they woke when they both heard quiet footsteps walking down the hall. He laid there for a moment, waiting on Lui or Ryan or anyone to come walking by, but the sound faded and he fell back asleep in minutes.

Lucah licked him awake an hour later and then peered over the bed at something on the floor. Evan rolled and almost jumped at the creature that sat staring back up at him. He broke into a laugh and picked the Furby off the floor, touching it's worn out fur, soaking in the nostalgia again and the fact that Jonathan had come all the way back to the tower just to leave it on the floor beside him. On the bottom of it was a piece of paper that read, 'this is for you, bitch'.

"That asshole." Evan's face was lit up for the entire day and he really didn't care that everyone was looking at him weird. He really couldn't wait for Lucah to get better because he couldn't wait to get back out there with the one person that was always on his mind.

------

Jonathan fiddled with the walkie talkie that Bryce had handed him before he left again that morning. Lui had the other one and thought it was a great idea in case something happened while the runner was out and he had no way of contacting anyone. It was on a weak frequency and he had to be within range to use it, so he had to hope that nothing happened while he was farther out or he was just fucked. Today felt like an odd day out for whatever reason. Maybe because he'd wasted his morning finding that damn Furby just to fuck with Evan. He grinned to himself because it was worth it.

The air was thick and hot. When he stopped on the rooftop near the Southside markets and took a deep breath, he smelled something. It smelled like meat and he could almost taste it on the back of his tongue. It made him nauseous.

Something small and dark darted across his peripherals and he felt like it was all a replay of that morning Evan spotted Lucah running down the alleyway. But this time it was he who slid down the awning on the front of the building, tucked and rolled when he hit he ground, then took off at a sprint in the direction it went. It had to be a person, who else could set traps as well as the ones he was jumping over? He wanted to know who was out here and what they were doing with the things in the first place? Were they catching animals for food, or were they catching people? Or was it for a completely different reason?

He saw it again and it was definitely a guy, dressed in all black, cutting a corner. Jonathan heard his shoes sliding in the dirt on the pavement. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him until he turned the corner too and there he was, standing against a fence with a baseball bat in his hands.

"Whoa, okay. I just want to talk." Jonathan held his hands up to show his neutrality. "Are you the one who's been laying those traps?"

He nodded and rocked back and forth on his feet, like he was anticipating something. Jonathan sure as hell wasn't trying to start a fight, he was just genuinely curious since he hadn't seen anyone outside of the tower since the bombs fell. "Why? What's is all for? Are there more of you?"

"Quite a few, now that you mention it." He sneered and Jonathan swung his elbow out behind him as soon as he felt someone standing behind him. It met the guy's jaw, sending spit flying as he kicked him backwards and away. He turned back around and dodged the first swing of the guy's bat when he ran at him full speed but he couldn't avoid the two others that came running towards him to join the fight. He ducked and got a few dozen hits in before the bat met his ribs and he went down with the wind knocked out of him. He curled in on himself, the pain running through him in waves as they kicked him.

"That's enough Arlan! All of you, back off and tie him up!" A voice called out and echoed through the street. Jonathan winced every time he went to breathe. He had to have a broken rib or a fracture. While they scrambled he pulled out his walkie and attempted to say anything, but he couldn't even hardly do that. It hurt too fucking much.

He clicked the button anyway. "Ev- Evan!"

The guy in black, Arlan, kicked it out of his hands. "I don't think 'Evan' can save you, sweetheart. You're coming home with us."

They pushed him to his stomach and he cried out in pain as they tied his hands behind his back and dragged him by his feet along with them. There was nothing he could do but watch the tower in the distance move even farther away. There was nothing he could do but breathe and think about how he was going to get himself out of this.

If he could get himself out of this. Big fucking if.