Out After Curfew

Chapter 27

Leon wakes in the morning, fully clothed above the covers of the bed in Chesterwood's spare bedroom. He'd slept like this because he still hadn't felt quite at ease in this house, hadn't felt entirely safe, not only because of the way in which he and Tony had acquired the house – not knowing anything about it or whether some other unknown resident might return early in the morning – but after so long of having slept in precarious, dangerous locations, the readiness to abruptly leave, to run, has been engrained in him.

He'd managed to get a good few hours' sleep through the night, in spite of being used to sleeping during the daytime. In fact it hadn't taken him long to get to sleep at all. He'd crashed out only minutes after lying down and slept solidly till now. He wonders if it has been the same for Tony.

It had felt rather unnatural to be sleeping without Tony in immediate proximity. The two have shared sleeping locations for so long, been watching out for each other for so long that parting ways for just one night was strange, and felt like letting go of a layer of safety. Leon was almost tempted to suggest they sleep in the same room, particularly as the large horde of vampires was clawing to get in. As they parted to head to their respective quarters, it seemed Tony was slightly uneasy about being alone as well. Leon even sensed that he may have been about to suggest they stay in one room, but in the end he didn't. Neither of them would allow themselves to suggest this to the other under the suppressive hands of their pride.

Leon gets up, grabbing his hoody from beside him on the double bed – the only item of clothing he had removed. After using the bathroom he heads downstairs in the direction of the muffled mumblings he hears coming from the TV through the wall.

He gets into the living room to find the TV switched on, but Tony absent. Hearing him preparing food in the kitchen he proceeds forward finding Tony looking through the cupboards for something to eat for breakfast.

"Morning. You hungry?" he says, turning to look at Leon as he emerges from through the doorway.

"Erm...I guess so." Leon says, not used to having such ready access to food with such regularity.

"There's some stuff in here we can have." Tony says as he takes out a box of cereal from the cupboard in front of him. "Sit down. I'll find you a bowl."

Leon remains standing.

"What are we going to do after this?" he says.

"I don't know. Anything we like."

"No, I mean, where are we going to go after this place? When are we leaving here?"

Tony sinks backwards against the kitchen work surface, putting the box of cereal down beside him, mildly resembling a balloon that has had half the air let out. He says nothing.

"I mean, haven't you thought about that? How long do you really think we can stay here?"

"Leon...that doesn't matter at the moment."

"Yes it does, Tony. If the guy who lives here is still alive – if he made it somewhere safe before it got dark last night – he's going to be coming to take his house back from us. If he's dead, it's only a matter of time before someone else comes around here looking for him."

"Just SHUT-UP!" Tony shouts, the culminated stress of everything about the situation having become too much for him.

He remains silent for a few moments, trying to calm himself down.

"Obviously we can't stay here forever....But this is the best, safest place we've ever stayed, and we can hang onto it for as long as possible." he says eventually, more calmly.