Wake of the Dead | Two

Chapter Forty-Nine | Killian

Instead of letting the negative emotions fester, Killian said quietly into Jasper's ear, "When we stop for the night, tell me what's going on." He paused, pressing his lips into a thin line contemplatively then adding, "Don't try to tell me there's not something bouncing around in that dumb brain of yours. Tell me what's bothering you, okay? We've been good at telling each other stuff. I don't want that to stop now, or ever."

It felt like forever until Jasper finally replied, "Okay, Boy Scout. I will." A rush of breath left Killian's lungs in the form of a peaceful sigh. At least Jasper had agreed to talk about things. Killian knew that when the man bottled up his emotions, bad things could end up happening. Jasper was an emotional person, much as he hated to show it. It wouldn't be fair to him if Killian didn't recognize and listen when he knew there was something wrong.

The group had nearly reached the edge of the woods, when Jasper paused. Killian tapped his partner's arm to be let down, nearly falling over his own feet when he hit the ground. Being carried had apparently turned his legs into jelly for a few split seconds until he managed to balance himself. A few people who hadn't been watching where they were walking bumped into one another, much to Killian's amusement. He was about to exchange a humorous glance with Jasper, but to his dismay and confusion, Jasper's face was set into a serious frown. Killian hadn't ever seen that face before. Instead of the usual resting expression Jasper had, his brows were narrowed and his jaw wash clenched, lips tugged down at the corners. The man's blue eyes flickered back and forth, scrutinizing every part of the woods in front of them.

From the back of the group Chris yelled, "Hey boss, what's holding you up?" as he pushed through the others in an attempt to reach the front. The way Chris referred to Jasper made Killian bristle, clenching his fists. The word 'boss' hadn't been used in its usual teasing manner, but turned into a sarcastic jeer. He couldn't help but wonder if Chris would have preferred Cohen coming out on top rather than Jasper. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

To Killian's shock, Jasper rounded on Chris and hissed, "Shut your fucking mouth, unless you want trouble." At first Killian wondered if his lover had just threatened somebody, but the way he said it suggested otherwise. The trouble Jasper spoke of wasn't going to come from him. He was talking about some sort of outside threat. But what could it possibly be? Killian couldn't think of anything that could set Jasper off so much, not even biters.

"Jasper," Killian murmured, setting a hand on Jasper's arm in an attempt to settle him down, "Why don't you tell us what's going on?" He did his best to relay the urgency, he shared the rest of the group's confusion and uncertainty. Whatever Jasper knew, he wasn't telling them. Maybe it was for a good reason, maybe it wasn't. Killian didn't know.

There was more rustling in the grass as the group began to huddle together on instinct. The air was frigid, there was safety in numbers and no telling if any biters were watching them. Not to mention possible wildlife Killian could list out on his fingers. Bears, wolves, wildcats and many more. He was positive none would attack a group so big, but there was no telling if desperation for food could drive them to it. Out in the open, the group were sitting ducks, almost begging to be picked off.

Beside Killian, Aubrey pressed herself up against Jackson, who wrapped an arm over her shoulders in turn. Casimir and Samantha stood beside Tom and Harley. Keagan was left beside Darren, since Chris had forced his way to the front. Wryly, Killian couldn't help but note the absence of Dominick and Wilson. He hadn't gotten along well with Wilson, but he still felt a small gap where the man had been part of the group. An even larger hole opened up inside of Killian's chest when he thought of Dominick, the young man he'd promised to be a teacher to. If Dominick were still here, Killian knew they would have turned out to be close friends. He didn't think about him often anymore, but that was because it became too painful.