Minho woke Taemin up from his mid-day nap. They'd made it to a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where the stench of hot oil would mask their scent for a few moments. Of course, Taemin had immediately wanted to sleep. The younger boy woke up now and yawned, looking around in confusion, as if he forgot that anything had ever happened.

"Hm...?" he muttered, looking up at the table they'd been curled up under and then at the chairs that blocked them from view. Minho waited until he saw the light of realization in Taemin's eyes, and then the boy let out that happy little giggle that he was prone to emanating. This early, and he was already on the imagination ball.

"What's so funny?" Minho asked as he tied the bundle of supplies around his neck. Taemin smiled and gestured to the chairs around them, his eyes seeing something that Minho's couldn't. It was confusing. Minho sometimes felt like Taemin saw things from a different world, one with no zombies or unhappiness.

"It's like a castle wall!" Taemin said with a grin. He turned to Minho with that look on his face that told the older boy that something was up. The gears in Taemin's head were spinning. Minho sighed as he waited to hear whatever Taemin had to say. No doubt, it wouldn't help them on their journey in the slightest sense.

"Wh—"

"What if you were a prince and I was a princess? Oh, and we have a horse! What should we name him? Let's name him Pluffy! And we could ride Pluffy wherever we wanted, and outside there's an awesome palace and—" He was cut off by a low growl from outside. Immediately, he and Minho were back-to-back. Their plan to hide their scent hadn't worked. Apparetly, the zombies didn't know the meaning of the words "giving up."

"," Minho whispered. He heard another snarl, and he tensed his while body to trace where the sound was coming from. He could feel Taemin trembling, but he didn't know that Taemin was immediately calculating. The soft growls started again, and suddenly the younger boy kicked a chair out from its spot. Minho jumped in surprise and turned to see a zombie fall over the moving piece of furniture.

"Kill it! Kill it!" Taemin screamed, recoiling from the sight. Minho scrambled out of the cover of the table at the fallen monster, bashing it in the head with his beam. It groaned and let out weak moans as Minho kept whacking it. It wouldn't stop twitching.

"! Why won't they just die?" Minho snarled as he dodged a blow from the thing's claw. It stood up and glared at Minho, its whole body leaning in for an attack. Minho's hands tightened on the club, his eyes fixed in the zombie's soulless ones. Suddenly, another chair came flying away from the table, and it managed to sweep the zombie off its feet just long enough for Minho to pounce at it.

"Kill it!" Taemin screamed again, his body trembling with fear. He just wanted the monster gone. He didn't care how. That thing scared him, made it impossible to escape, and Taemin wanted it to go away.

"Die, mother er! Die!" he shouted, backing off one step and swinging the huge club down on the zombie's head. The skull seemed to burst, and bits of the brain fanned out around it. Minho tried not to puke at the unnaturally purple color of the organ. It was obvious that this was no normal brain.

"That's... Th-that's not what b-brains look like," Taemin whispered, shifting away in fear. Minho stepped over the body and grabbed Taemin's hand, dragging him out from under the table and holding the shaking boy to his chest. He could hear Taemin's heart beating, or was that his own?

"Come on, there are other zombies that'll find us from this stench. We have to move," he said gruffly. He knew that he was disgusted by the sight, but right now he couldn't be distracted. He pulled Taemin with him as he ran out of the building, feeling the boy's body weakly follow him. He tugged Taemin closer as he walked, his hand around Taemin's.

"Minho, where are we going?" Taemin asked finally, noticing the horrified, determined look on the older boy's face. Nothing seemed hidden with Minho, nothing seemed to sink in, maybe because there was no room. The older boy was filled to the brim already. Anything now just overflowed. Taemin drew closer as Minho declined to answer, trying to find any comfort he could in the fact that Minho hasn't abandoned him. That was a good thing, right?

They dragged themselves along the sides of the highways, past restaurants that Taemin could imagine with dining families. Past repair stores where Taemin could still see mechanics. Past little inlets of gravel, where Taemin could see the ghosts of happy lives, waiting to be led again. It was the worst tragedy Taemin could imagine, to have so many lives just sitting their as their owners now wandered the planet, looking for something to kill. There was still laughter in these places. Happiness, even.

And now it was all gone.

", we need cover," Minho snarled as the stench of death filled the air. Taemin let his hand slip from Minho's as they passed a run-down corner-store, and he heard Minho's footsteps stop too. The older boy took a few steps back to wrap an arm around Taemin's shoulders, senses alert.

"We should duck in here," Taemin whispered. Minho nodded and broke down the glass door. The building was dark and completely empty, but at least it was safe... Sort of. Taemin's breathing quickened as he tried his best to stay happy. The thoughts were faint now, but he clung to them. He clung to the fading picture in his head of that drawing, that one sheet of joy that he could depend on. He felt his hand tighten in Minho's.

"Taemin, I won't let anything happen to you," he heard his companion whisper. Taemin nodded mutely, his throat too dry to speak. Why did he feel so cold? So...

Wait. What was that?

"There's something wrong," the boy whispered to himself. There was a strange smell in the air, like rotting flesh and excrement. He looked around, but the darkness was suffocating his eyesight. He tried to think happy thoughts, to cling to anything and everything. He couldn't—

"ZOMBIE!" Minho's shout snapped Taemin out of his stupor, and he screamed as a half-eaten face appeared two inches from his, yellow teeth falling out even as Minho hit it in the gut with his club. There was the sound of the zombie's body thudding onto the floor a few feet away, and then the sound if its claws scrabbling at the ground. The two boys scampered out of the building as the beast gave chase.

"Minho!" Taemin called out as the older boy tumbled onto the street. He grabbed for Minho's hand, d for that one physical anchor that he could depend on. He gasped as he was yanked onto the sparse grass patches at the side of the road, shivering with fear as Minho swung at the monster with his un-occupied arm. Taemin felt so small when Minho let go of his hand to grip hi club more securely.

"Get out of here, damn it!" Minho roared as he caught the zombie in the jaw. The flesh yielded easily, and the jaw bone came off without a fight. Taemin shrieked as the bottom of the zombie's mouth landed at his feet, white maggots wriggling through the tongue and gums. There was another dull whack as Minho hit the monster in the chest with the blunt end of his club. The wood went right through and the zombie collapsed to the ground. Taemin watched, stiff with horror, as Minho beat the monster to a pulp, swinging until the rotting pile of flesh stopped squirming. The younger boy didn't even notice another presence until a pair of gangly hands grabbed his arm.

"AH!" Taemin screamed as he punched his assaulter in the face. The zombie let out a moan of pain as it stumbled back, and as it lowered its hands, Taemin could see that it was a teenage girl, only recently transformed. There was still pain in her eyes, and her expression seemed to morph between the usual anger and...

Confusion.

"Taemin, kill the thing!" Minho shouted. Taemin held up a hand to cut the older boy off and then, to Minho's horror, he stepped closer to the girl. Thing. Zombie. Taemin's heart was jumping out of his chest, but he tried to be brave. Minho was so close to yelling out, but he didn't want to startle the monster that was so close to his friend. His body shook with frustration. Taemin kept his expression happy and bright, feeding himself happy thoughts. Ponies, puppies, pastry, repeat...

"Hi, I'm Taemin. I'm a friend, okay? Friend," he murmured, his smile bright and his voice soft. The zombie looked up at a little light seemed to return to its eyes. Taemin could hear Minho's soft growls, but he kept the zombie focused on him. The girl's glassy brown eyes searched his, as if seeking the secret to his humanity. Her hands were close to her chest and she was hunched over as she prowled around the slim boy, her eyes on his. Taemin turned as she did, keeping a smile on his face.

"Unh..." The zombie's moan was straining, as if the girl inside was fighting for release. Taemin nodded as if he understood, because to some extent, he did understand. He knew what it was like to be trapped in a prison, a cycle of pain and misery. He knew what it was like to have nothing but anger. He knew that he was lucky not to have fallen back on that. He'd fought his pain with joy. This girl couldn't.

"I know you're hurting, but you have to think positively, okay? You have to get through this and then I can help you," he said calmly. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her, make her that monster again. The girl's eyes flashed for an instant with something humane. The girl's jaw moved up and down, as if searching for words, and Taemin reached forward to take her hand.

And that was where he crossed the line.

"TAEMIN, NO!" Minho yelled as he saw the monster react to the physical contact. The thing launched at the smaller boy, roaring and snarling as it chased Taemin ferociously. Taemin screamed as he ran, but he tripped over the cracks in the gravel and he could only watch as the girl pounced. Minho dashed forward, shouting out as he brought his club down on the thing's head. It shrieked as it died upon impact, the edges of its claws tearing Taemin's shirt. Minho panted as he turned to glare at Taemin for being so stupid. However, the look on Taemin's face made anger impossible. Instead, he found himself submersed in pity. The boy looked so scared, so self-hating.

"I thought I... Why did I touch her? I'm so stupid... Why did I touch her?" he whispered to himself, looking at his hands. He couldn't swallow the despair fast enough, couldn't induce happiness efficiently enough. Minho sank down next to Taemin and hugged the boy close, feeling more sadness from Taemin than he knew the boy was capable of. Why had he never seen this side of Taemin before? He looked at Taemin's blankly horrified expression, his heart clenching with sympathy for the poor kid.

"You couldn't have known. Nothing could've brought her completely back, Taemin. Deep down, you know that," he whispered, holding Taemin's hands in his. They were trembling powerfully, and Minho was scared just looking at them. He'd never seen Taemin so shaken. Never imagined that Taemin could be so shaken. Even though his hands and Taemin's were almost the same size, when he held them like this, his hands seemed to be infinitely larger, as if he was supposed to scoop Taemin into his palms and guard him.

"I had her, though... She was human inside, and I could see that she knew it... Minho, I killed her," he whispered, looking at his older companion with a look of hopelessness. He had done this. He was to blame. Him and his stupidity. "I killed h—"

"No. I killed it, Taemin. That zombie was going to kill you, okay? You have to wrap your head around that," Minho said sternly. He didn't want this Taemin, and he wasn't afraid to show it. He wanted the old Taemin back, because this Taemin was too close to the darkness and despair that was everywhere in the world. What Minho wanted was happiness. Happiness and maybe just a little peace. He gripped Taemin's head with his hands and brushed his callouses hands on Taemin's soft cheeks. "It wasn't human anymore, Taemin. You have to believe me."

When they had gotten away from the two dead monsters, they both felt a bit of a weight lift. The incident hadn't faded from their minds, but they could focus on other things now. Still, it took a while to get Taemin to smile again. The boy was still shaken, there was no doubt about it. Minho moved closer and tried his best to mask the darkness about their world. They talked about school, about the mall and what they'd do with a million dollars. Anything, Minho decided, was better than a sad Taemin. Finally, after countless coaxing and bad jokes, the boy was grinning and yapping away, and Minho was none-the-wiser about the grief that the boy had forced himself to swallow. Taemin still smiled, even as the bitter guilt churned in him.

Why did you murder her?

~

"Why'd you end up in that forest? You know, the one where we met," Minho said as he pulled down the shades of the gas station building that they were hiding in. Taemin looked up from his dinner of stale bread and watched as Minho sat by him and resumed eating his hard crust.

"I just... I wandered there, I guess. I had no where to go and I just followed the clouds," Taemin said with a smile. "Hey, I guess I'm like a bird, huh? I eat bread and I just wander around looking at the sky." He hummed at the thought. He liked the idea of being a bird. At least he could lay eggs, right? Yum, eggs... He looked around at the room they were in, nothing more than a desk with a chair and a few shelves. He could make a nest here and lay as many eggs as he liked! He smiled as the thought danced around in his head.

"Sure, I guess," Minho laughed. He never really understood what made Taemin say the quirky things that he said, but he knew that he loved the little spurts of liveliness. It made this whole dark, scary world a little less crazy. He scooted closer as the darkness settled in and it got colder by the second. He liked being close to Taemin in general, but when it was dark, it was even better. He reached over and took Taemin's hand into his. The boys let their fingers lock.

"That would make you a bird too, right? Would you be a cardinal or a robin or a blue jay?" Taemin asked happily, grinning at Minho with that unrestrained glee that made the older boy laugh through his dry meal. Minho swallowed his last mouthful and laid down, now barely able to see anything but Taemin's eyes. They were barely visible because of his huge smile. Good.

"I am anything but a bird," he said curtly as Taemin stretched out next to him. The boy unexpectedly curled into Minho's side, seeking warmth. Minho sighed and wrapped an arm around Taemin. It was nice to have something warm to hug. At least he couldn't get frostbite. He smiled at Taemin, happy to see Taemin happy.

"How'd you get that big club thing?" Taemin asked, pointing to where he thought the beam was. He was actually pointing to the door, but it was close enough. He let his arm flop over Minho's chest as the older boy pulled the blanket over them. Minho sighed as he looked at the ceiling. He knew that they needed to sleep to survive, but talking was... Nice. He hadn't talked to anyone else in a while, and being close to someone that's joy he didn't bother denying.

"I got it from my house, actually. It was burning when I woke up, and I ran from it without a second thought. The riot that started the fire was gone, and my house was pretty mush just a pile of ash. That's the only piece that was left," Minho said, pointing at his weapon. Taemin nodded softly as he absentmindedly splayed his hand on Minho's chest. The older boy didn't stop him. To be honest, it felt kind of nice.

"Oh... My apartment burned down too," Taemin mumbled, feeling like he ha to share. Even if it wasn't a good memory, Minho had shared something and now it was Taemin's turn. That was how it worked. "I wasn't home at the time, though, so when I heard about it, the whole place had burned down." He tried his best to stay happy, but his smile had already faded. Minho turned his head to look at the boy's face in the dark, and in an act of rare tenderness, he gave Taemin a kiss on the head. The boy's eyes closed as Minho's lips met his skin, and the older boy took in how placidly beautiful he was.

In a world like this, a world so ugly and gory and painful, a small sliver of beauty was worth fighting for.

"Forget about it. Let's sleep," he mumbled, tugging Taemin closer for warmth. He rubbed Taemin shoulder gently and heard the younger boy sigh. Minho succumbed to exhaustion and closed his eyes, but Taemin stayed awake for a long time. He couldn't shake this morning's incident. That girl had been so young... He could've saved her. He didn't care what Minho said. If he hadn't tried to hold her hand, she'd still be alive. He couldn't imagine why he would have tried to touch her, and now look at what he'd done.

Sighing, Taemin rolled around a little to try and stop thinking about this. He knew that if he continued on this train of thought, he'd be back to sadness. He squeaked as Minho's arm tightened around him subconsciously. He looked up in surprise at the older boy. In the dimness, Minho's profile seemed to glow with paleness. Taemin sighed as his eyes travelled down to his hand on Minho's chest. How many times had he fallen asleep, someone else's arms around him, someone's body pressed to his?

"Don't make me go through that," Taemin whispered, closing his eyes. In his heart, the only one that could make him happy was his prince, the one who had given him that sketch of beautiful memories and happiness. That was the only beacon of joy for him. Minho wasn't—couldn't be—that prince, because princes don't exist.

Yet, he couldn't help but want to believe in Minho.

A/N - Sorry it's short :/

But there was a key thing for Bloody Mary in here~

More to come! Comments are love!!!