Rapture (ON HOLD)

.:Chapter Five:.

     As the vehicle full of six individuals pulled into the deserted metropolitan known as Las Vegas, a small sense of dread began to fill each one of them. Zacky couldn't help feeling like something was about to go very, very wrong.. Of course, things had already gone very wrong, but he felt like it was about to get a lot worse. Out of instinct, he reached over and gripped Brian's hand which was rested on the gear shifter, not looking at his roommate as he stared ahead at the empty streets of a city which was once lively with tourists and partygoers. The brown-eyed man glanced down at his hand, not even flinching as he laced their fingers together, giving Zacky's hand a reassuring squeeze. Mel nudged her burly boyfriend, who slowly awoke from his slumber; after giving her a quizzical look and watching her nod towards the front of the car, his eyes fell on the sight of the two men holding hands. A grin cracked across his lips as he made eye contact through the rearview mirror with Brian, and although he said nothing, he knew they could tell he was teasing them.
     "Alright.." The brown-eyed man murmured, cautiously glancing around the vehicle as he pulled onto a side street. "The bunkers are a few blocks away.. But if there are any zombies around there, I don't want to alert them with the sound of the engine, so.. We're gonna have to walk." He parked the car and then switched off the engine, hating the fact that he had to let go of his roommate's hand to do so. He turned around in his seat, letting his gaze sweep over the rest of his friends that occupied the back seat; they all looked terrified, tired, uncomfortable.. These words didn't even begin to describe the group of six individuals packed into a 4-seater car. "We might be able to find some weapons while we're here.. Do you guys want to sleep first, or get weapons first?"
     "Weapons." Zacky said, and suddenly, all eyes were on him. "Guys, I know we're exhausted, but just in case these fuckers get into the bunker, we need something more than a metal baseball bat and a fucking crowbar to protect ourselves." At these words, the rest of the group nodded, seeming to mull over what he had said. It did seem like a logical choice.. "There's a pawn shop literally right down the street," He continued. "More than likely, they'll have guns and ammo, probably other stuff to defend ourselves with too."
     "That's a good idea.." Matt muttered, a sigh escaping his lips. "Alright, here's the deal. Brian and I will lead-"
     "Woah, who suddenly died and made you king?" Johnny snapped harshly, causing everyone else to draw back in shock. "What, so, since you two are the most muscular, you go first? Is that how this is gonna be?"
     "Johnny, calm down.." Jimmy cooed softly. The shorter, smaller man sighed loudly, placing his head in his hands and sniffling softly. The blue-eyed man looked up at Matt, mouthing a very apologetic 'I'm sorry,' to which his friend waved his hand, showing there was no hard feelings. "Jay, baby, I know you're stressed and scared.. We are too.. But we've gotta stick together."
     "I-I know.. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me.. I'm just so angry at everything.." His shorter boyfriend murmured, rubbing his eyes to rid himself of any tears. Melita cautiously extended her hand and rubbed her friend's back reassuringly, a sympathetic frown crossing her lips as she did this. "A-alright.. So.. Brian and Matt lead, and the rest of us follow behind and keep a watch out behind us.. Right?"
     "Right.." Mel's soft and calming voice spoke, seeming to relax Johnny almost immediately. "Okay, everyone.. Let's go, and let's make this quick. The less we're out in the open, the better." She stated, and with a collective breath, the entire group climbed out of the car, waiting until Brian locked the doors to begin their cautious trek towards the pawn shop. Zacky walked right behind his brown-eyed crush, shaking a tad bit as he clung to Brian's shirt, hoping they wouldn't be ambushed. Johnny and Jimmy walked behind Melita, who was walking a few paces behind Matt.
     "The door is wide open.. Everyone stay back. I'm gonna investigate." The brown-eyed man muttered darkly, and before his roommate could protest, he snatched the metal bat and went inside of the pawn shop. Fucking Christ, Brian.. Please don't do anything too stupid.. He thought, biting his lip as the rest of them waited outside of the building. It was only another minute or so before Brian wandered back out to the rest of his group, nodding in silence. The rest of the group walked in, but before the hazel-eyed man could follow, his roommate grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug.
     "B-Brian?" Zacky gasped, stroking his best friend's feathery black hair behind his ear. Brian shook greatly as he buried his nose into Zacky's neck, a sigh escaping his lips. "Bri, what's wrong?"
     "I-I just.. I really needed a hug.." The brown-eyed man replied, but in reality, he just wanted to be as close to Zacky as possible. I never want to let go... Brian thought, but soon enough, he was slipping away from the embrace and smiling softly. "Thank you.. Let's go in." He murmured, taking Zacky's hand into his own and then leading him inside. The hazel-eyed man blushed brightly, not meeting anyone's gaze as the two of them wandered over to the weapons.

     Soon enough, the entire group was armed; Brian had two hand pistols and a close-combat knife, Zacky carried a hunting rifle on his back, a .357 magnum revolver and a utility knife, Matt had double-wielded machetes and a hand pistol, Johnny and Jimmy both had baseball bats and a set of throwing knives, and Melita had a crossbow, a hand pistol and a long-range assault rifle. The entire group had changed clothes, as well, to make sure they were both comfortable and protected from the elements. They all wore combat boots and some close-fitting jeans, but they didn't change their shirts. Each one of them had a backpack as well, containing flashlights, batteries, ammunition for their weapons, bottles of water, and a small first-aid kit.
     "Alright," Brian said, pulling on some finger-less gloves. "Let's head to those bunkers. Is everyone ready?" He asked, slipping his knife into the sheathe on his belt. After a collective nod from everyone, the entire group left the pawn shop. Brian checked his phone for the location of the bunkers, and it showed that they were only two and a half blocks away from the closest one. "Alright. Let's go. Everyone keep your eyes peeled." He ordered, starting to march ahead of the rest of the group. Even though they were in such a serious situation, Zacky couldn't help feeling a little hot under the collar from Brian's orderly behavior.. He'd always found it sexy when his brown-eyed roommate took charge, but now that he was decked out in full apocalypse-fighting gear? Fuck, I need to stop, I'm gonna get a boner.. He thought, a smirk cracking across his lips. He picked up his pace so that he could fall into step beside Brian, gripping his magnum for reassurance.
     "Are you sure these places are secure?" He muttered, hoping his voice didn't travel towards the rest of the group. The brown-eyed man glanced up at him, his brows furrowed together in exhaustion.
     "I have no idea, Zacky. All I know is that this is our best bet, and we've got to try." He whispered in reply, wiping some of the sweat from his forehead. The hazel-eyed man nodded, looking down at his boots as they kept walking towards the bunker. In mere minutes, they reached the double-doors that were embedded into the ground, almost resembling a tornado shelter. Brian wrenched open the heavy metal doors, taking his flashlight from his backpack and shining it down into the darkness. After everyone was inside, the door was shut and dead-bolted behind them, making sure nobody else could get in. One by one, they began to descend into the shelter, and as they reached the bottom, Brian found the light switch on the wall and flipped it on. There were shelves of canned food, bottled water, and multiple sleeping bags.
     "Holy shit, yes." Jimmy sighed, dropping his backpack and grabbing one of the sleeping bags. Everyone seemed to relax at the same time, sitting down on the dirt floor and laughing with exhaustion. Brian rested his head on Zacky's shoulder, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he realized that, yes, he had done well in finding them a secure location to sleep for at least a few nights.
     "Alright.. Everyone get some rest, because we'll have to move out in a few days." Brian ordered, and once again, Zacky felt that same hot flash run through his body at how strict and orderly his roommate could be. I need to stop.. I can't touch myself here, and there's no way he'd fuck me, so.. He thought, pulling one of the sleeping bags onto the floor and then settling himself inside of it. There, inside the warm and cozy blanket-nest-thing, the hazel-eyed man fell asleep, hoping to God that when he woke up, everything would just turn out to have been a nightmare, and that he and Brian would be back in Huntington Beach, still living in their apartment.