Wake of the Dead | One

Chapter four

"Why are you helping me?" Killian asked suddenly, his words split by a yawn. His brows knit together as he looked at Jasper more closely. Jasper could admire the boy's observation skills. It hadn't taken him too long to come to, and find a weapon. If he could get Killian to be a little more trusting, he might make a good traveling partner. "You're in military uniform," Killian muttered, "Did you kill somebody for it?"

Jasper snorted with amusement. "That would have been a cooler story," He admitted, but shook his head. Jasper ran a hand through the tuft of hair on his head, which had fallen in front of his eyes from the sudden movement. "No. I was part of a team that came here to try and beat back the...things while people could evacuate." He tried his best to keep the somber note out of his voice as he said, "That didn't work out too well, did it? But it could be worse. I could be dead." He paused, "And I'm helping you because that's what I was trained to do. Keep people safe, help them."

"I guess." Killian mumbled quietly. His hazel eyes stared longingly at the second can Jasper had pushed towards him earlier.

Jasper tilted his head to the side, "Something wrong, kid?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Killian bristled, and Jasper had to take in a deep breath to stop himself from snapping back. Being aggressive to Killian was only going to make things worse. But eventually Killian said, "I'm hungry, but if I eat more too fast then I'll get sick."

"I'm not going to take it from you," Jasper repeated, keeping his voice even and calm. "Take it easy. You can have more when you're ready."

Killian kept his eyes narrowed, as if he didn't quite believe what Jasper was saying. Frustrating as that was, Jasper wondered if maybe he himself was the strange one in this situation. He was part of a group; maybe that's why he was still optimistic about his interactions with others. He didn't think his past occupation had anything to do with that though. He'd always been this way, just like his father. Jasper would be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to why exactly Killian was so distrustful of him, even if Jasper had proven to be rather innocuous. But it wasn't his place to ask or inquire about it.

A few minutes of silence passed between the two; Jasper swore that he could have cut the tension in the air with a knife. Suddenly, Killian spoke up again. "You were in the military?" He inquired. There was a long pause again. "What was it like?"

Jasper leaned back, running a hand idly along the stubble on his jaw. Thinking back on it, he wasn't quite sure. There were good times, and bad times. Times when he'd feared for his life, but been forced to keep a level head. But the outcomes of ultimately keeping others safe and possibly saving their lives had been worth it. "There were good days and there were bad days." He finally managed. "The worst time of my life, but also some of the best. Met my best friend there, Rowan."

Killian knit his brows together, his nose wrinkled irritably into a scowl. "You'd risk your life for other people then? Trust others to help you out, too?"

Jasper tilted his head to the side. "No man gets left behind," he said bluntly. "I'd risk my life to save them and they'd do the same for me." Killian looked down, taking a sudden interest in his soup again. Was that bitterness Jasper saw in his eyes, or jealousy even?

"You're an idiot." Killian said softly. Jasper's stomach sank at that comment, and he narrowed his brows. Was that what Killian really thought of him? What had to have happened to Killian for him to think that way?

"If being brave makes me an idiot, then I'll take the title gladly." Jasper replied simply. Killian scoffed, but Jasper said nothing else. To break through the tense, desolate silence Jasper changed the subject. Asking about Killian wouldn't result to anything so he wouldn't even attempt with that. "We should go out looking for water tomorrow. I'll clean off that old bandage so we can reuse it again, and we can hydrate. Hopefully find some we can carry along with us."

As Killian glared up at Jasper, the light of the moon caught his eyes just right. Jasper paused. They were nothing but hostile and cynical. Dangerous, even. "I never said I was going with you." The younger man's voice was cold and reserved.

"Where else are you going to go?" Jasper replied indignantly. He took a mindful breath to calm down a bit. Raising his voice would only set Killian off even more. "Like I said already, going out on your own is a death sentence. You can barely stand, so what's going to happen when you run into one of those things? If you stay here, they'll eventually break down the barricades. Not to mention anybody who sees you as a good target to steal from," he added hastily. "That man who stabbed you could even come back to finish you off."

With the tense silence between them, Jasper was worried Killian might snap. He was preparing himself for any type of violence the younger man might carry out against him. At this point, Jasper wasn't even sure if Killian hadn't been the first one to attack that other man. But after a long minute that felt like an eternity, Killian relented. "Fine." He spat. "But that still doesn't mean I trust you." He added.

Jasper let out a breath of relief. After silently replacing the old bandage with a new one Killian said irritably,"I'm going to bed." He scoffed, "Spare myself from any more dumb conversations with you." Killian pulled a thin, small blanket from his pack and laid it out on the floor. He moved onto it, wincing. Jasper could tell he tried to hide it, but didn't do a very good job. Killian tried turning his back to Jasper, but laying on his wound was too painful. He struggled to sit up, before turning and laying on his other side. He covered his face with his arms so Jasper couldn't see him.

Jasper shook his head with exasperation. Much as he didn't want to admit it, Killian's grumpy and abrasive nature was starting to grow on him a bit. Despite being as prickly as a hedgehog on a cactus, the young man was intriguing to him. After checking the barricades one last time, Jasper laid out a blanket that he got from his own pack and laid down. Part of him wondered if Killian would possibly sneak off in the middle of the night, but based on how painful it looked just for Killian to switch sleeping position, Jasper assumed he wouldn't.

After a while of pondering his new situation and strange traveling partner, Jasper eventually trailed off into a dreamless sleep.