1 Year Later

San sat by the small fire, watching the flames silently. The night was quiet except for the gentle crackling from the fire. There was a small whine and San's head snapped to the side, his eyes searching. They landed on the small blond curled up on the floor on the other side of the fire. He stood up quickly and walked over quietly. He grabbed the blanket that had slipped lower and gently tugged it up over Yeosang's shoulders.

The boy was still shivering though, so San sighed to himself and shrugged off his coat, laying it over Yeosang's body for added warmth. It left San with nothing but a t-shirt in the chilling weather but it didn't matter, so long as Yeosang was warm and wouldn't catch a cold. They were on the rooftop of a building, the door barricaded shut to keep anything from getting to them. They'd been in this place for about two months, returning every night for the known safety it provided them. Nothing had ever gotten through the door once it was barricaded shut. Despite that, San always stayed up for most of the night to make sure nothing bad happened while Yeosang was asleep. He had gotten used to only sleep four or five hours a night most nights, his body adapting to the sleep deprivation.

He got up quietly and went to the door that led to the staircase of the building. He double checked the chains lock, making sure it was holding strong. The plank was also fitted properly in place so that nothing could get to them. It settled him slightly but not enough. He walked over to Yeosang again and sat down beside him. He used the warmth of the fire to try and warm himself up. It didn't help much but it was better than nothing. He rubbed his palms up and down himself to try and generate some more warmth.

"Sannie?" San let out a breath, his eyes slipping closed in frustration. He didn't want to wake Yeosang up as he needed the sleep.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. I was just checking to make sure the locks were secured," San said softly.

"Why? What happened? Did you hear something," Yeosang asked worriedly.

"No, no, everything's fine. We're safe. I just wanted to double check it was secure, as a precaution," San assured him quickly. Yeosang frowned at that, looking over San. He sat up quickly as he noticed San didn't have his coat on, realising it was draped over himself.

"You're doing it again," he said with a sigh.

"Doing what," San asked in confusion.

"Babying me. You do remember that I'm older than you right," Yeosang, removing the coat to instead drape over San's shoulders.

"You may be older but you're still more gentle and innocent," San said with a shrug, glancing back at the fire.

"I was, but not anymore. Anyone still alive at this point has lost any innocence they may have had before the world ended. You need to stop trying to protect me from everything San, it's unrealistic," Yeosang said with a frown.

"It's an instinct at this point Yeosang. It's not something I can just switch off and stop. I still see you as that innocent little kid that can easily be swindled. I don't see you as..." His voice trailed off as he was unsure how to continue.

"A killer," Yeosang finished and San sighed.

"You're not a killer Sannie, and neither am I. They aren't human, not anymore. They're zombies, they can't think. It's a mercy to put them out of their misery, to bring them peace," Yeosang said. San glanced over to see Yeosang watching him with sharp eyes.

"You should get some sleep. I'll stay awake and keep an eye out while you rest. Don't think I don't know that you stay awake most nights," Yeosang said sternly. San sighed once again but allowed Yeosang to gently guide him to lay down with his head in the older boys lap.

"Get some sleep Sannie, I'll keep an eye on things," Yeosang whispered, running his fingers through San's hair softly.

"I should stay awake, make sure everything is safe," San said slowly, trying to sit back up. Yeosang quickly stopped him and held him back down. It was obvious how exhausted San was, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Sleep San. If you're sleep-deprived then it's dangerous for both of us.

"What if something happens," San asked.

"Then I will wake you but right now you need to sleep," Yeosang said firmly. San whined but couldn't protest anymore as his eyes fully slipped closed and his body forced him to drift off.

Yeosang sighed and gently ran his fingers through San's hair. San was always one of his most protective friends, it was just how he was with everyone he cares about. The fighter with a black belt in taekwondo. Now that it's just the two of them, San has always put his safety last. Yeosang took off his own jacket and bunched it up before putting it on the ground and gently moved San's head to rest on it. Once he made sure San was comfortable, he laid down himself and cuddled up to his back, wrapping the blanket around both of them securely. He wrapped an arm around the sleeping boys waist and cuddled close for comfort and warmth and drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~

San jolted awake as his watch started to buzz on his wrist. He sighed and went to sit up but realised Yeosang was cuddled up behind him. He slowly removed himself from Yeosang's grasp, making sure not to wake him and sat up. The fire was out so he quickly lit a match to get it going again. He went over to the old cabinet that had half fallen over in the corner of the rooftop. It was where they stored the cans of long life food they had managed to find on the excursions out onto the streets. He grabbed out a can of ravioli and brought it back to the fire. They had a few pots and pans amongst other utensils that they had taken from houses nearby. H opened the can and tipped it into the pan before putting it on top of the fire to start heating it up. He sat quietly and continued to cook while keeping an eye on Yeosang's sleeping form. Once the ravioli was cooked, he took the pan off the fire and set it aside before going over to Yeosang.

"Hey, time to wake up," he said softly as he lightly shook the boys shoulder. Yeosang jolted awake, both of them having been condition to be able to wake up fully within seconds. If you weren't adjusted to this life, you were as good as dead.

"It's ok, we're safe. It's brunch time though," San said quickly, not wanting Yeosang to panic and think they were in trouble. Yeosang relaxed at his words, slowly sitting up before stretching.

"Come on, you need to eat. We're going to the apartment downtown today so we have to head off soon," San said.

"Oh thank god! I feel so dirty, I haven't had a shower in like a week or two," Yeosang said with a groan. The house down town was one that they had come across a few months ago that used water from a tank and had their own systems so the shower still worked properly. It's dangerous to get to though so they only go about once or twice a month, trying to find other ways to keep their hygiene as good as possible during an apocalypse.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to figure out a safer route so we can go more frequently," San said with a disappointed sigh.

"Hey, no, no. That's not what I meant. I would rather never take a single shower than to have you risking your life more than you already do. Sure, I can fight but we both know you're the main fighter. You're the one that has kept us both alive," Yeosang said as he grabbed a bowl.

"It's not just me, you help a lot," San said. Yeosang chuckled at that and San smiled softly.

"I'm hopeless and we both know that. I would have died the day this all started if you hadn't jumped out of that dumpster to save me," Yeosang said. San's stomach dropped as he thought back to those moments, remembering how he almost didn't leave that dumpster. He moved closer to Yeosang who was busy putting food into his bowl and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Uh, you ok," Yeosang asked slowly as he put down the bowl to hug San back as best as he could with their positioning.

"Just thankful I still have you by my side," San said with a sigh. Yeosang was quiet for a few seconds before shifting slightly and hugging San tighter.

"I miss them," he whispered and San's heart clenched.

"Do you think there's any chance some of them might still be alive," Yeosang asked.

"I really hope so Sangie, I do. Hopefully one day we will come across them again," San whispered, kissing the top of Yeosang's head softly. Yeosang nodded and snuggled closer, nuzzling into San's neck.

"Come on, we need to eat so we can get going. We don't want to be out when it starts to get dark cos we know how dangerous that can be," San said. Yeosang nodded and pulled away from the hug to continue eating.

~~~~~

Once they were both finished eating, San boxed the leftovers up and slid the box into an empty hole in the roof that they've found stays relatively cold. He hen went back over to where Yeosang was now putting out the fire.

"Are you ready to go," San asked and Yeosang nodded. The two of them walked over to the chest they had with their weapons locked up. San unlocked it and lifted the lid. Yeosang grabbed out the steel bat while San grabbed the handgun and a random sword they had found in some guys house. He made sure the gun was safe before he secured it in his waistband. Yeosang grabbed the backpack and slung it over his shoulders. San moved over and grabbed the loose straps, tightening them securely so it wouldn't hinder the older should they need to run.

"It's fine Sannie, I know the drill," Yeosang mumbled softly.

"I know you do but it's better than something going wrong later. Double check all safety precautions remember," San said. When things first went bad, the two of them made a lot of mistakes. Some of them almost got them killed but they've learnt from them now. One of those things was to keep the backpack secured properly so it wouldn't slip down and get caught on something. There's still always the chance that someone or something would grab the backpack though, so San rigged it to come off if you unclick a buckle. The backpack carries a lot of important stuff but nothing is more important than their lives.

"Is there anything we're missing," San asked, nibbling his lower lip nervously. Yeosang's instinct was to roll his eyes at how protective San was being but he knew it was just his nature. Not only that but with the way the word had changed, it was something that was warranted.

"Yeah, we're good to go," he said with a nod. San drew in a deep breath and did one more once over of Yeosang before letting out the breath.

"Alright, come on," he said with a nod. They went over to the door and removed the plank before unlocking the chains and removing them as well. They opened the door and crept silently down the four flights of stairs to the ground floor. Yeosang stayed behind San as they pressed themselves close to the wall and glanced across the vacant street. San reached back and tapped Yeosang's hip before they both moved quickly and rushed across the street to the other side. Yeosang watched where he was walking very closely, making sure he wouldn't accidentally kick or knock something that might cause a loud noise. Loud noises attract nearby zombies and though they have to be pretty close to hear it, there's no way to know if there are any nearby so it's always better to be careful. They walked down the street for a few minutes before pausing at a corner. San looked down the street, scanning for any sign of movement while Yeosang kept an eye out on the previous street behind them.

"Come on," San whispered. Yeosang followed as they walked about halfway down the street before stopping in front of an apartment building. San's grip tightened on the sword, making sure he would be ready if something was to jump out at them. Yeosang followed San's direction and gripped the bat with both hands. San stepped inside the building first, walking slowly and cautiously. Yeosang followed closely behind him, looking around quickly for any sign of movement. They made their way to the stairs and after deeming it safe enough, San continued up them. Yeosang glanced around one last time before following quickly.

"Hey, hey wait. It's the fourth floor remember," Yeosang said quickly as San went to continue up the fifth flight of stairs. San paused and glanced back, raising an eyebrow.

"This is only the third isn't it," he asked.

"No, this is the fourth," Yeosang replied.

"Oh, right. My bad," San whispered. He backtracked and opened the door so they could walk through. Yeosang went first this time but San followed instantly as he closed the door.

"Good catch," he said, ruffling Yeosang's hair. They were safe for the time being as no zombie can get through closed doors to their knowledge.

"You ok? It's not like you to slip up on things like this," Yeosang said with a worried frown.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm a little tired but I won't make a mistake like that again," he promised.

"That's not what I meant. I know I said I really wanted to have a shower but if you're too tired, we can go back. I don't want to risk you getting hurt because you're too tired. Especially because the reason you're tired is because you try to keep an eye out during the night to make sure I'm safe," Yeosang said worriedly.

"No it's fine, I'm fine. We're not far off anyway so we may as well continue. Plus I'm fine," San said, flashing Yeosang a smile. He was a little tired but nothing too bad, he could still protect them. Yeosang had been talking about having a shower for a while now, he's not going to ruin that.

"Are you sure," Yeosang asked, wanting to double check.

"Positive. Come on," San said with a nod as he continued walking. Yeosang nodded and followed him as well. They went to apartment 4F, going inside and heading to the bathroom. San lifted up the window beside the sink and looked out, happy to see the large plank was still in place, connecting to the next building. There was no other way to get into the building as it was completely boarded up.

"Alright. I'll head over first. You follow me when I give you the all clear," San said and Yeosang nodded. This was how they usually do things. San secured the sword and climbed up to the window, crawling onto the plank. He took a deep breath before he begun crawling on his hands and knees across the plank. The first couple of times he made this journey, he had been scared but now he was used to it. It took him a few minutes before he finally got to the other side. He reached out and started to pry the window open. It was an old window so it got stuck often and needed to be tugged up properly. He only got it up a little bit when he noticed a sudden movement in the room and there was a bang as something threw itself at the window. San yelped and flinched back in instinct. The problem with that was the plank was not very wide at all. His instinctual flinch caused him to lose his footing and he slipped over the side. He tried to reach out to grasp the plank but it was a second too late and he plunged down.

"SAN!" Yeosang screamed out as San fell, seeing him hit the ground with a thud. He spun around quickly, racing out of the bathroom and then out of the apartment. He raced through the halls into the stairwell, taking two steps at a time to get down quicker. His heart was racing in fear, worrying for San's safety as that was a very big fall. When he got to the ground floor, he ran from the building, going around to the side of the building. He groaned as he saw the wire fence about 2m high blocking the alley. He looked down the alley, his eyes landing on San's body that was unmoving on the ground. He quickly dropped his bat and started scaling the fence, moving as quickly as he could. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes but he desperately blinked them away. He wasn't sure what state he would find San in but he needed him to be alive. He didn't know what he would do if San left him. He didn't know if he could continue on if he was left all alone in this world.

Once he got to the top of the fence, he jumped down and sprinted towards San. He dropped hurriedly to his knees, not caring about the sharp pain that shot through them. He quickly reached out and checked San's pulse, letting out a sob of relief as he found it instantly. He drew in a shaky breath and checked over San quickly. His eyes were shut, clearly unconscious but he was breathing. Yeosang gently rolled him over and gasped as he saw the small puddle of blood that had come from his head. This was bad, very bad. It's highly unlikely San will wake up any time soon, if at all and right now they were completely exposed. Yeosang drew in another deep breath to control his thoughts, knowing he needed to think rationally to protect San. He looked around, trying to find somewhere he could take San. There was no way he would be able to get San back to their rooftop. It was dangerous enough with both of them looking out for each other, it was practically suicide by himself. Not to mention the fact that both of them were loud and had yelled which may have attracted zombies. His best course of action was to find somewhere close by to barricade himself. It still wasn't safe but it was better than nothing.

"Come on Sannie, we need to get you somewhere safe," he said shakily as he sat San up slightly and rested him against his knee. Yeosang is quite strong, he knew that but San was also quite large and as he was also one who tried to bulk up his muscles. Yeosang bit his lip nervously as he tried to figure out how to carry San. He could try to carry him bridal style but that would be dangerous as it might obstruct his view which would lead to both of them being killed. The best way to carry him would be on his back. That brings the next problem, the backpack. He glanced down at San's unconscious body before quickly unclipping the bag strap and shrugging it off. He dumped it on the ground and moved closer to San. He turned his back to him and grabbed San's arms, tugging them over his shoulders. He crossed San's wrists over in front of him so San's arms were secured and locked in place over his shoulders. He braced himself before shakily standing up, lifting San's dead weight with him as well. He grit his teeth and used one hand to hold San's wrists together, using the other to grab one of San's thighs and tug up his leg. He leaned his body forwards and let go of San's wrist to instead grab his other leg, hooking his arms under both of his knees to hold them up around his waist and keep San secure. He felt San's head lull forwards and rest on his shoulder.

He drew in a deep breath and started moving as quickly as he could, having his body leant a little forwards so San wouldn't fall of his back. He stumbled along anxiously for a couple of minutes, his heart racing as he scanned around everywhere while he walked. By the time he found another apartment complex, he was panting and sweating but he continued on. He went into the building, walking slowly as he didn't know the area and had no idea if there were any zombies nearby. He slipped through the front and into the building as the glass was shattered. He did his best to keep quiet and keep close to the walls, angling himself so that San was more so between him and the wall where it would be safer if anything happened. He looked across the lobby to see a door leading to a stairway at the far end. He huffed out a breath and tightened his grip on San before continuing towards the door. When he finally got there, he let go of one of San's legs to grab the door handle to open it. He let out a breath of relief as the door swung open right away.

He went inside the stairwell and closed the door quickly. His muscles were straining by this point but he pushed it to the back of his mind and started up the stairs. Going up even one floor is safer but two is better. He trudged up the steps slowly, pushing through his tiredness. He got up the first flight and paused, taking a few deep breaths before continuing once again. It took him about five minutes to get to the second floor. He tried the door and quickly went through when it opened, closing it behind himself. He froze right away when he saw a couple of bodies on the ground. He backed up against the door, making sure San would be safe as can be if something was there and tried to attack them. He stayed still for a few minutes, just watching the hall for any sign of movement or noise.

It remained quiet and still so he started to slowly move forwards, one step at a time while making sure there was no danger. The first few apartments he tried were locked but the next one was thankfully unlocked. He slipped inside slowly, closing the door to make sure nothing could get in. It was a small apartment and as he slowly made his way through, checking to make sure it was safe, he saw that there was a kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom. Once the check was done, he brought San to the bedroom and gently laid him down on the bed. He arranged the younger delicately, moving a pillow to rest his head on and tucking a light blanket over the top of him. The minute he was sure San was safe, on the bed, Yeosang collapsed.

A/N

Here is Chapter 1 everyone, I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading. I have no idea how frequent updates will be, they'll probably be all over the place. 

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