Pairing: Chan & Felix & Minho & Hyunjin
Genre: Zombie Apocalypse AU
!!TW!! : angst, minor character deaths, bodies, blood, zombies, this AU is way less soft than my other Zombie one so watch out, betrayal
(requested by Cykrie_Lucifer10)
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Ironically enough, everyone saw the apocalypse coming.
Unfortunately, no one did anything about it.
A merciless virus spread without warning, and the various governments were too busy trying to save face to really bother with saving their people. The virus was carried throughout numerous countries, be it by infect waters, animals, or even the very air they breathed.
Some caught the virus and didn't suffer from it. Some caught the virus and got extremely sick, to the point of dying. Some got so sick, dying once wasn't enough for them – the virus affected one's nervous system, making the rotting bodies move on their own. The brains worked, in some way, but no sort of humanity could be retained: all that was left behind were meat puppets driven by their sole need for sources of warmth.
Namely, other humans.
Zombies weren't a proper term for these monsters because though undead, they didn't seek to eat someone's brain like in the movies. All they did was rip people apart in an attempt to take their body heat for themselves – so, people called them Husks. The Husks were absolutely disgusting, completely merciless, and almost impossible to get rid of: they needed to blow their heads to bits in order to damage the nervous system enough for it to stop working altogether. However, their natural inhibitions no longer existed, meaning they possessed enhanced strength and speed, in addition to an uncanny sense for finding people.
All cities fell within a matter of days.
Felix and Christopher were best friends, they'd known each other since childhood and had been on a trip to South Korea together when the apocalypse broke out. They'd rushed to the airport along with thousands of other panicking tourists and locals alike, only to be told that any airplane would be shot down the moment they got in reach of other countries.
That's when they got separated.
There were too many people panicking, Husks already breaking into the airport because the more people there were together, the more heat they produced. So, with people screaming, running, pushing, and dying all around, the two friends couldn't keep track of each other and eventually had to give up on finding each other if they wanted to live.
And now, four months later, Felix was somehow still alive.
"Here's some water, ma'am."
"Thank you, child."
Numerous refugee camps had been built all over the country, but they never lasted for long – again, too many people gathered in the same place only attracted the Husks. However, there was still greater safety in numbers, ironically enough, and Felix didn't have the strength or courage to split from his group. Since he couldn't fight, he busied himself with helping around the camp. He carried supplies, prepared food, offered water – whatever he could do, from massaging an old man's back to repairing a child's doll, really. As long as he could make himself useful and keep his mind off the atrocities happening just beyond their fragile walls.
Their entire group was composed of almost thirty people, which was a lot. They moved every four days or so, knowing that staying in place would only mean their doom. However, this time around, they'd gotten lucky: they'd managed to find an empty supermarket, meaning they could safely resupply and rest for longer than they would normally allow themselves to.
"Make sure she takes her medication on time, okay buddy?" Felix asked softly from the child sitting next to them, gently patting his head.
"Will do!" nodded eagerly the boy.
Felix smiled, then left to tend to someone else. Unfortunately, most people in their group were older men and women, and very young children. They'd already lost most of their able-bodied members to previous Husk raids, and Felix genuinely didn't know for how much longer they'd be able to hold out.
Long enough, hopefully.
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"Felix! Felix, wake up!"
Felix woke with a start and a sharp inhale, his eyes going wide as they landed on Eric, one of the younger people he'd befriended in the last few months. Next to him was also Chenle, another friend – the two of them were usually on guard duty, though. For them to leave their post in the middle of the night...
"Come on, come on!"
There were screams further away, and Felix's blood went cold when he realized that Husks had managed to break into the store. He could hardly think as his two friends hurriedly dragged him along toward the exit in the back, obviously aiming on using the commotion to make a break for it. And, though it broke Felix's heart to leave the people he'd come to know behind, they had no other choice if they wanted to survive.
So, fighting back his tears, Felix started running.
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The three boys were on the run for two full days, barely getting any rest as they tried their hardest to escape the mob their previous hideout had attracted. A few Husks had followed them for a while, but they'd managed to shake them off their trails at last, and they finally found a smaller, deserted convenience store where they could take refuge.
After thoroughly barricading the two entry points, they finally allowed themselves to breathe a little easier. Felix and Eric collapsed against a wall, exhausted, while Chenle began checking the rows, letting out a happy noise when he found food and bottled water, which he quickly brought back to his friends. They indulged in their unexpected findings, having barely eaten or drunk anything since escaping, but that's when reality fully set in for Felix: they'd left, abandoning all of the other survivors to fend for themselves. The older people wouldn't be able to fight, the children were defenseless—
"Lix, we didn't have a choice," choked out Eric, obviously feeling the guilt tenfold since he was the one who made the active decision of leaving. "We couldn't have survived any longer with them."
Felix mutely nodded, rising to his feet – right now, he needed to be alone. Easily understanding this, his two friends let him walk away without protest, and Felix found his way to the bathroom, exhaling shakily as the door closed behind him. But then, for the first time in a long time, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.
I look terrible.
Cheeks sunken in by hunger and eyes darkened by grief. He was thin, with a scarily pale complexion, and his hair was a tangled mess. He was dirty all over, from dust to dried blood to whatever else he'd had to get used to in order to survive, and his clothes smelled and were damaged all over. Plus, he had all sorts of minor wounds – cuts, scrapes, one bruise on the side of his face because he'd accidentally taken a door in the face while they were running away.
He didn't look in any way like he used too, and it was that thought that finally broke the dam and made him burst into tears.
He was so fucking scared. He was so fucking tired.
It's only been a few months – how could I possible survive like this for any longer?
He couldn't fight at all, and he barely had any strength left to run. Sooner rather than later, he was going to become a dead weight for his two friends, and they would have no choice but to abandon him to his Fate, too – and really, he couldn't blame them, but thinking about dying alone only made him cry even harder. He curled up against the wall, making himself as small as possible as he pulled his knees against his chest, trying his hardest to muffle his sobs. But the bathroom was empty, meaning there was a lot of echo – there was no doubt in his mind that Eric and Chenle could hear him right now.
He wished he could be stronger, but he really wasn't.
Felix didn't know for how long he stayed like this, just crying his heart out, grieving the loss of his previous life, of his family, of his friends, of Chan, of the people he'd left behind, of the future he could no longer dream about. He cried and cried until it felt like he was crying blood rather than tears, his eyes raw and painful. His cries quietened down eventually, silent sobs still wracking his body every few seconds or so. He stayed like this, stupidly praying he could just wake up from this nightmare already.
And then the door of the bathroom was pushed open. Felix sniffled loudly, lifting his head and wiping his face in a useless attempt to hide the traces of his breakdown.
"So- sorry. I'm okay, guys. I just—"
"No offense, sweetheart, but you look anything but okay."
Felix stiffened, his head snapping up toward the door – it wasn't Chenle or Eric who'd just entered, but an unknown, surprisingly handsome guy with a heavy-looking gun hanging on his shoulder. The freckled boy scrambled to his feet in panic, pressing himself against the wall in an attempt to put more distance between them.
"Who- who are you!? How did you get in here!?"
"My name is Minho. And I got in through the door...? It was wide open. My partner and I figured we'd find food here – didn't think we'd find another survivor with it, though."
Felix shook his head, gulping. "You're- you're lying. My friends- my friends and I barricaded the two doors, there's no way you could have—"
"Your friends? Sweetheart, the store is empty. You're the only one in here."
Dread filled Felix, and his body moved without thinking. He pushed past the stranger and rushed back into the store, his heart dropping when he didn't find either of his friends where he left them. He started frantically looking around, but the store was small – and empty, too.
Minho was right: Felix was alone.
He slapped a hand over his mouth, choking out a raw cry that tried clawing its way out of his throat as he collapsed to his knees. Any strength he had left, any will to live that remained – all of it was sapped out by the abrupt, unexpected abandon. He knew, deep down, that it was only right for them to leave him behind if they wanted to better their chances, but it didn't make it hurt any less.
"You're hurting yourself, angel. Just take deep breaths, okay? I'll help you."
Another unfamiliar voice. Another man was now crouching beside him, gently squeezing his shoulder as he tried to help him regulate his breathing. Felix hadn't even noticed he'd started hyperventilating, but the dark spots now dancing before his eyes quickly gave away the fact that he was no longer breathing properly.
Felix's sight blurred just as Minho joined them and, with one last, weak exhale, he collapsed right into the other stranger's arms.
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Felix woke up to gentle swaying, and it took him a moment to realize he was being carried piggyback style by the stranger who'd stumbled upon him in the bathroom – Minho. Next to them was the other guy, probably the partner he'd mentioned... Tears pricked Felix's eyes as he remembered Eric and Chenle leaving him to die, but he fought them and breathed in deeply.
"Let- let me down, please," he asked, his weak voice barely a whisper.
"If I do that, you'll collapse," answered Minho, his step not even faltering. "We need to keep moving if we want to reach the hideout before night falls."
Felix shook his head. "You should just- just leave me... I can't- I can't do anything—"
"You've made it this far, didn't you?" replied the other guy, not even glancing his way as he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. "It would be a shame to give up now."
Felix wanted to protest some more, but he didn't have the strength to struggle or argue any longer, so he simply slumped in defeat against Minho's back. Though he couldn't understand why these two were trying to save him, there was still a part of himself that was infinitely grateful, after all.
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They made it to a small apartment block and, using the ladder on the side of the building, they made it to the third floor. The door was melded shut, so they used the window next to it to enter and, the moment Felix made it inside, he did exactly as Minho predicted: he collapsed, his legs no longer able to support him after the strain he put on them.
Feeling a little numb, Felix looked around him. The apartment was... strangely nice. It was spacious and clean, with boxes full of clothes, food, bottled water, and even medication. The windows were also big enough to let the entire place bask in daylight, and he could see candles scattered around for when night fell.
"Come on, angel – up you go." Felix let out a small, startled squeak as the man with long, dark hair picked him up. "I'm Hyunjin, by the way. What's your name?"
"Fe- Felix."
"You're a foreigner?"
Felix nodded, lowering his eyes. "I was... here on a vacation when it happened."
"I'm sorry."
Felix simply nodded in acknowledgement, and Hyunjin then carried him to an adjacent room – a bathroom. He sat Felix on the counter before opening a box next to the sink. He began pulling out some rubbing alcohol, some gauze, some ointment for cuts, and some clean band-aids.
"For how long- how long have you been living here...?" hesitantly asked Felix.
"Two months, give or take. We're trying to keep track using a calendar, but sometimes we forget to mark the day."
"Two months!?" repeated Felix, his eyes going wide. "But how- how have the Husks not found this place yet?"
Hyunjin chuckled, flicking his nose. "Because we're too high up, silly. Those creatures can see heat sources even through walls, but that doesn't mean anything if they can't reach it – their rotting bodies have a hard time climbing stairs, and they don't know how to climb ladders. So, we blocked the main entrance completely, is all."
Felix didn't know Husks could actually sense heat even through walls, but it certainly explained how they always managed to find them so quickly. Plus, Hyunjin and Minho were only two, so what little heat they produced wouldn't be as noticed as a full group's – and even if it was, the Husks couldn't reach them at all.
Seeking refuge in higher places had been an idea but, at the time, their group was too big to fit anyone in normal apartments. Plus, the buildings themselves were infested – going through the trouble of cleaning them out wasn't worth it. Still, knowing this now, Felix couldn't help but wonder if there were more survivors than he actually thought.
"Can I?" It took a second for Felix to realize Hyunjin had asked him a question, and he lifted a slightly clueless look at him. Hyunjin simply smiled. "Can I take care of your wounds?"
"I- I don't want to waste medicine—"
"Even minor cuts can become problematic if they're not treated properly. And it's not a waste if it makes you feel better, okay?"
Understanding Hyunjin wouldn't drop it so easily, Felix gave in. Hyunjin promptly got to work, cleaning his small wounds as gently as possible. The alcohol stung, but Felix bit back his whimpers and let Hyunjin work. It only took him a few minutes and, once done, he offered Felix another smile.
"There you go. Now come on, Minho ought to be done with preparing dinner. I'll carry you, alright? You need to let your legs rest."
Though ashamed of being such a burden, Felix could hardly move his legs without feeling intense pain locking his muscles in place, so he had no choice but to agree. Hyunjin quickly put the medical stuff away before picking Felix up again, carrying him with ease back to the living room.
Minho was there, already setting up the small table. Felix felt saliva pool in his mouth as a whiff of warm food hit him, his stomach instantly knotting up in need. Heated food was a luxury he hadn't been able to indulge in in months since it attracted the Husks. And not only was it warm, but it smelled incredibly good, too. It was normal, canned chicken soup, but it was the most alluring food Felix had ever seen in his life.
Hyunjin carefully set him down on the floor, and Minho promptly served him a bowl of soup. Felix hesitated, but then Minho gently nudged a spoon in his hand, and he completely gave in. The moment he put a first spoonful in his mouth, however, he completely froze. A few tears spilled out.
"Felix, are you okay? Is something wrong with the food?" asked worriedly Hyunjin.
"Thank you," choked out Felix, swallowing thickly. "It's delicious."
His saviors relaxed as they realized Felix was merely overwhelmed and, with matching smiles, they simply started eating too.
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Minho and Hyunjin had been dating for almost three years when the apocalypse broke out. They'd been together when chaos truly let loose, and they'd survived on their own since. They steered clear of other survivors, and they'd built themselves quite the cozy home, all things considered.
Despite the dreadful circumstances, they looked happy. In love.
Felix was grateful, but also terribly envious. They had each other – what need did they have for him? He couldn't understand why they'd bother themselves, yet he couldn't bring himself to ask, terrified of the answer. So, for the three months that followed his impromptu rescue, Felix simply tried his best to make himself useful, dreading the day when they would ultimately kick him out for overstaying his welcome.
Except this day never came – and it never would, apparently.
"Kick you out? Felix, sweetheart, we would never. Why would you think that? Did we do anything that made you think that way?"
Felix never meant to let his worries slip, but when Minho and Hyunjin returned home from their bi-weekly scavenging trip to the meal he'd tried to prepare but only managed to burn (meaning he wasted a lot of food), he'd completely broken down. The stress was too much, and he'd fallen to his knees begging for them not to kick him out.
Felix was still a crying mess, unable to utter another coherent sentence as he tried to make sense of what Minho was saying. Hyunjin sat down and pulled him onto his lap, rocking him gently as he rubbed his back in a soothing manner.
"Shh, you're okay, angel, you're okay. Has this been troubling you this whole time? Shh, we're not going anywhere, and we're not kicking you out. Just take deep breaths, baby – there you go, just like that."
Felix eventually managed to calm down, and he gratefully accepted the bottle of water Minho handed him. He then slumped against Hyunjin's chest, taking selfish content in the way the older's hands pleasantly untangled his hair and massaged his scalp. Minho then gently cradled his face so their eyes could meet.
"Felix... We love you," he announced abruptly. "Finding you is the greatest thing that's happened to us since this damn apocalypse started. It might not make much sense to you, but we care about you as much as we care about each other. We love you, Lee Felix, so there's no way we're ever kicking you out or leaving you behind."
"But- but you already have each other!"
"Yes, and now we have you. What's stopping the three of us from being happy together?" reasoned Hyunjin, sweetly kissing his temple. "Even if we've had each other for a long, the apocalypse... it changed us. Created a rift, made us realize we were missing something. And, eventually, we came to understand we were rather missing someone."
"And that someone is you. You make us happy, Felix – something we didn't think was possible in the world we live in now. And even if you don't love us that way... you won't ever have to worry about being alone anymore, because we're never leaving you behind, no matter what. Okay?"
All Felix could do... was burst into tears yet again.
He truly wasn't alone anymore.
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A few more weeks passed, and Felix bloomed in a completely unexpected way. With the fear of being thrown out completely forgotten, with the knowledge that Minho and Hyunjin loved him, Felix felt safer and happier than ever before. Even if he couldn't quite call his own feelings love just yet, he was still quite content in showering the pair with affection and attention.
He never left the apartment, content with doing more menial tasks like cleaning everything, preparing food, repairing clothes, and doing inventory while the two were away – and, when they were home, the three of them would cuddle together or play board games or just tell each other stories, recalling their lives from before.
Unfortunately, all good things were never meant to last.
"Come on, Felix! We need to go!"
Tears blurred Felix's eyes as he stayed frozen in place, gazing at the merciless flames eating away what had become their home, their only safe space in this forsaken world. An unexpected storm and a damaged gas pipe had made their kitchen explode and, next thing Felix knew, Hyunjin was dragging him outside in a panic while Minho tried to grab as many supplies as he could.
They'd all grabbed their emergency bags, which were always left near the entrance, and Felix had managed to take their favorite blanket on the way out too – and now they were outside, the storm raging around them as the fire spread throughout the whole building.
"We're going to be okay, Lix," promised Hyunjin, pulling him into a hug. "We can find another place, find new supplies, figure everything out – as long as we have each other, then we'll be fine. I promise."
Swallowing thickly, Felix nodded in agreement and finally grabbed Minho's hand.
Hyunjin was right. As long as they had each other, they'd be fine.
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I quite enjoyed writing this one, so I hope you'll like it! Let's just say it's a bit more... on-brand, for my writing style xD Anyway, part 2 will be out tomorrow!