Chapter 16 -
The infected stopped, smelling Zeo's blood and turning towards him. Akari looked up at Zeo. The infected started towards him, interested and hungry for his blood. Zeo stepped back, looking at Leo one more time before mouthing the words, protect him... To Akari then turning and running, the infected energized by running prey, chased after him. Zeo picked up at least 3 guns, one of them being loaded. He took one more glance at his brother, he smiled one last time before turning back and leading all the infected away from them.
Silence went through the air as Zeo led all the infected that were in the warehouse room out. Akari was finally able to take care of Leo, and actually try and save him, but when he looked down. It already looked too late.
Leo's eyes looked glossy as his breathing was slowly hitched and it was a struggle for him to keep his eyes open. "Leo! Stay awake!" Akari yelled at him, his claws going normal, and his teeth shortened, his eyes stopped switching and dilating. He moved to cover Leo's wound again but it didn't seem to matter, Leo didn't even flinch from the pain.
Akari seemed to not accept that, he kept trying anyway. He kept yelling his name, begging him to stay awake. Leo could hear silent words while he slowly stopped trying to stay awake. He wanted so badly to go to sleep. To end this all.
But as he saw Akari fight for him to stay there with him, the pain in his bright yellow eyes made Leo want to cry. But even crying was too much of an effort for him, all he could do was stare at his eyes. It calmed him, made him feel at ease as the pain in his chest started to feel like it went away.
Akari went down to Leo's forehead, he kissed him still pleading. "Please no... I can't lose you Leo.." He whispered letting his tears that streamed down his face fall onto Leo. He looked Leo in his glossy blue eyes, he looked down feeling Leo's now cold blood on his skin. He looked at Leo's neck, a thought went through him as sweat dripped through his stained clothes. He brought Leo closer to him, his limp body resting on Akari. The smell of Leo was dim, no trace of life in his gloddy wet eye, his body leaning lifelessly on Akari's broad shoulders.
Taking a deep breath in, he opened his mouth and bit down on Leo's neck. He never actually infected anyone before, except when his step mother made him do it to see if it was possible. It did, but the person was still breathing and they died a few minutes later after Akari bit them.
He thought since Leo was dying, he could try and save him. Even though it will make Leo become one of the infected, if he had a chance to keep him alive he would take it. He also thought he could make Leo control the thirst for blood the infected had. Well he had to try.
What was difficult was to not mentally taste Leo's blood, or else he would end up wanting to eat his last dying flesh. It was difficult, his teeth sharpened and Leo stiffened. Akari squeezed Leo more tightly, his pupils switching with them becoming dilated quickly before going back to normal a second later.
Leo let out a quick breath feeling something burn in his neck, he felt a pain. It was painful, he was feeling something. His breathing still sucked but the pain made him want to move. To get out of Akari's hold, to stop the burning sensation. He whimpered, biting his bottom lip and tearing up. The pain in his neck traveled through his body, his skin felt like it was being burned off. It hurt like hell and all he could do was clutch onto Akari very weakly. Akari was also squeezing him tightly, still trying to hold in the urge to devour the boy.
Leo let out a slow sigh, he was shaking and his knuckles turned white with his hand still clutching onto Akari. With one more shaking breath escaping Leo, he went silent. His arms limply fell to his side.
Akari felt Leo's body stop, he let his mouth withdraw from his neck. It was hard to stop, he wanted so badly to keep going but he knew he had to stop and not over do it. Putting Leo's small body back down, Akari hovered over him, his eyes and teeth going back to normal. He didn't know for sure if it could really work, but he tried, he would always try for him. He gulped looking down at Leo's limp lifeless body, his eyes were closed and the wound on his neck dripped blood. Akari ignored the blood, gulping while looking at him.
Minutes passed, nothing changed. Akari still hovered over a lifeless Leo. Hope was fading with no change going on with Leo, his body was becoming cold and his skin becoming pale, Akari held in the tears that threatened to go down his face. He rested his head on Leo's non breathing chest, it was still silent in the warehouse room. It felt weird to be in a big room and not hearing a sound, even the running of the car on the second floor stopped. Akari had guessed the others had made it out, except Jiro and Tiger... And Zeo...
While Akari's head rested on Leo's chest, he couldn't see what was happening to him when his eyes were closed.
Leo's skin had started to turn an icy white color starting from his neck and going up his face then to his legs until his whole body was pure white. His ears grew long with black fur mixing into the white skin at the ends of them. A long fox, cat-like black tail grew from his backside, Akari opened his eyes, moving back quickly when he saw Leo's new pure white skin.
He stared at Leo in shock as Leo's now black tail had finished growing. A short slow breath came out of Leo's now open lips. Akari perked up having hope restored inside him seeing Leo breath with his mouth. His heart was not beating but it was normal for the infected to not have beating hearts, since they are dead.
Akari waited, waited more for when Leo would actually open his eyes. Leo's eyes twitched before his eyes drifted open slowly, he opened his eyes to Akari, one of his eyes had turned the same color as his. It was bright yellow.
Akari's eyes widened seeing Leo have the same eye color as one of his. Leo's pupils seemed normal, but Akari knew it would probably become dilated when he smelt flesh like other infecteds.
Leo whimpered using his hand to grasp Akari's larger one. He looked up to meet Akari's... Teary eyes? "A.. kar..i.." Leo slowly liped out trying to pull his head up to touch Akari's. Akari let out a small laugh, helping Leo's weak head reach his own head. They stayed like that for a moment as Akari cried silently.
For a minute Leo didn't understand what was happening at first. For a second he thought he died. Then all of a sudden he was in front of Akari, who was crying like a baby over him. Leo found some energy to smile a little. "You're crying like a b-aby.." He said caressing Akari with his hand behind his head, he was ruffling his hair with his hand leaning on Akari's. He suddenly thought about Zeo. If Akari was here, and he wasn't. It was so silent.
He couldn't even move his head to look around. His neck burned when he tried to move. He looked up at Akari, who was still crying. "Z..eo?" He barely managed to say. Akari's smile faded. To Leo's hope in his non beating chest, Akari shook his head. Leo couldn't form words. Couldn't even form a reaction. He was so tired.
Akari pulled Leo closer to him. "He saved you.." He spoke quietly. Leo's ears twitched, he could only form a small timid smile, a tear dripped down his face. He wished to see his brother after this. But he was gone. He died for him, Leo couldn't help but weakly smile.
Akari's head was leaned onto Leo's, providing warmth in the dark quiet now empty room. The only sound was the dripping of tears that Akari was still letting fall. He wept silently, holding onto Leo for he was scared that if he let go, Leo would become limp again. But Leo was moving the best he could, the boy came to terms with the death of his brother he had loved his whole life. He had given up his life for Leo.
Now Leo had someone to spend his life with, this new life he was suddenly welcomed to. He weakly moved his hand around Akari's neck, pulling his attention to him. "Cr..ing?" Leo weakly voiced.
Akari smiled, the tears not stopping. "I'm just so happy your here.'' He said moving his own hand to go on top of Leo's that were ruffling his hair.
"Me... To.." Leo breathed out, wrapping his arms around his neck and giving him a kiss, shocking Akari. Leo pushed his tongue into Akari's mouth, wanting to taste him more, Akari allowed it, moving his face closer and doing the same. The kiss was softly heated with Leo slowly getting dominated by Akari's much more energized and passionate motion.
They separated with Leo panting and his eyes started dilating. Leo moved his hands, shaking and trying his best to hold in a burning urge inside him he was unfamiliar with. Akair knew what it was, he knew what Leo was feeling so he moved Leo's head over to his shoulder, letting him rest on him, his breathing slowly going back to normal. His eyes still were dilated, he whimpered softly into Akari's shoulder, it calmed him making his eyes turn normal now.
"Thank... You..." Leo said, closing his eyes while on Akari.
Akari looked down at Leo, his now pure white skin popping out, "thank you?" He repeated as Leo moved his head back slowly and weakly just to gaze at Akari's bright yellow eyes.
"For saving me.'' He smiled weakly before scoffing at himself. "Even though you brought me back into this horrible world." He tilted his head like a puppy does to beg for food, "at least you're still in it."
Akari leaned in and put his chin on Leo's matted dyed blue hair. "I won't lose you Leo..." He said once again. Leo giggled, having Akari slightly smirk without him seeing it.
Leo breathed in, smelling Akari's blood that was from a wound on his neck. It started to bleed again, and the healing Akari had was getting slow with how much he had to hold back with biting Leo.
"Smellls... Goo-d...." He whimpered, holding onto Akari tighter before pushing himself back. His head felt heavy and it dropped back down falling heavily onto Akari's shoulder, Leo groaned being angry at himself for still feeling weak.
Akari moved back looking at Leo still struggling with a hunger urge. He thought of something moving his hand over his pocket to look for something he highly doubted he had after everything. Thankfully he grabbed a small circle candy in a wrapper, pulling it out, it was unscratched and shockingly not dirty or messed up at all.
"Leo..." Akari whispered, moving Leo's head back and giving the candy to him. Leo looked at it then back to Akari a bit confused. "Candy." Akari said smiling. Leo looked up, having a feeling of deja vu hearing him say that. Akari unwrapped it, giving the treat to Leo. Leo ate it, having the sour, sweet treat making him feel energized, he closed his eyes again and rested his head on Akari.
Akari let him rest, cradling the smaller boy between his legs. Leo rested having the sweet treat melt in his mouth, the taste made him think back to when he first met Akari. He gave him the same candy, the same sour warm sweet feeling when he looked at him.
Leo smiled, hugging Akari as tightly as his weak arms could before letting his warmth take him into a dream. He didn't even know he could exist in this apocalyptic world.
~ The End ~