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There was a soft breeze that shook the trees, and leaves fell in a gentle cascade before blowing over into the dark asphalt of the street.
There was a movement of a couple of cars as they quietly made their way down the very same street, and, though there were other cars, it was empty, for the cars didn't move.
They came to a halt at a shopping center. The car doors opened up quickly as only two members came out from one of them.
A young boy with dark black hair had come out from the backseat, and his hair was an unruly thing that blew over his forehead when the wind went by. He was skinny yet lithe.
His glasses, much like his face, had speckles of blood that coated the frames and there was tape on one of the arms, indicating there had been a former incident in which they had broken off.
A backpack was hoisted on his back and he held a baseball bat wrapped with barbed wire. A knife holster was attached around his thigh.
From the other car, a blond had appeared, looking very much the part of a frightened boy. He was skinny and taller than the other, but he too had an empty backpack on him. In his hands, he wielded an axe.
The two made their way through the quiet plaza, and they looked at each other before going into a yet-to-be-broken-into grocery store. Harry, the boy with black hair, had gone first. His hand had slowly pushed open the door, and a soft tinkling could be heard emitting from the door at his entry. His green eyes scanned the area and, apart from being messy with some damage, it had looked fairly clear.
He beckoned for the other, who was named Draco, to follow him, and they both went in.
"You were insane." The words hung thickly in the air as Harry stuffed his bag full of canned goods while Draco took to stocking up on the dried foods. They'd put whatever water bottles would fit in and figured they would carry the rest back to the car.
"I only did what I had to do." Harry had said. He bit back his words as he recalled what had happened only a few days earlier.
No one had wanted to discuss it then, but here he and Draco were. Alone. Harry especially, and he could not rely on his friends to tell the other to shut up.
"You could've died! What were you thinking to go back and save Granger?" He'd hissed, and Harry turned just in time to see the sneer that had crossed the pointed features.
"She's my friend, one of the best. She's also the one who's been saving our asses with rationing and planning." Harry said sharply, and Draco seemed to reel from the strength of his words.
"Better her than you! You've managed to do the same, and even better, you always get us out. Whatever you think, stop it. We need to worry about your survival- our survival."
The words echoed in the empty store and Harry had had enough.
He slammed down a box he'd just emptied into a second bag, and he gripped onto the handle of his bat tightly.
"If you don't give a damn about my friends, then you likely don't care about their survival. Your friends aren't too great, but I don't tell you to leave them behind! There is no 'our' if everyone isn't included."
He narrowed his eyes and slung his backpack over his shoulder before grabbing a package of water bottles.
"Hurry up so we can get out of here."
Draco didn't go any further.
When they got back to the cars, Harry threw his bag into the backseat, nearly hitting Ron who grumbled under his breath about how heavy the cans were and how he could've gotten hurt.
"Sorry." Harry said absentmindedly, and he closed the car door despite wanting to slam it closed. He saw Draco get into the other car after sparing him a glance. He looked away.
"What was that about?" Asked Neville from the front, and Harry let out a sigh.
"Sorry- he got on me for helping Hermione again...when we escaped."
The car went quiet and Hermione, who'd been in the front passenger seat, froze. She'd been looking at the map in her lap and marking their destination.
"Sorry." He repeated, but Ron was instantly red.
"He what?!" He roared, and he was already trying to pull open the car door without a second to spare.
"Don't!" Hermione snapped, and Ron let out an angered grunt as he threw himself against the seat, reluctantly listening to his girlfriend.
"I'm going to break up with him. I can't do this anymore." Harry murmured, and he looked down at his shoes as Hermione drew in a breath.
"Harry- I know you care a lot about me and, don't get me wrong, I am glad you are...protecting me from his antics," she paused, and Harry could practically feel her angered gaze towards the other car that started, waiting for Neville to take the lead back.
"This is your relationship. It's understandable he wouldn't want you to try and get yourself killed over me."
Harry sighed and drew himself up into his seat.
"I don't know, 'Mione. I'm not going to deal with this in a bloody apocalypse. I couldn't let you-" he choked, and the memory of her nearly being bitten by the dead shell of who was formerly Lavender Brown played behind his eyes.
Neville started the car.
When they got back to camp (a decently sized building that had long been empty but well-furnished since the outbreak), it was tense, and everyone helped unload the goods that the two boys had obtained.
Before it all went down to hell, they'd found Sirius and Lupin, both of which Harry had known very well. They were barely able to escape their school as well as others (such as Snape, who'd looked frightened and, though he loathed Harry, had helped them all), but they'd been separated when trying to escape after a hoard of zombies had come their way. Many of them had been students and faculty.
In their haste, they'd taken off and, with a shout, had promised they would come across each other eventually.
However, that eventually was drawn into long months without ever seeing Harry's godfather or his husband.
"We need to talk." Hermione had stated.
They'd just finished putting everything away safely in their storage room, which was really just a small room in one of the complexes, and retreated outside for their nightly campfire.
"What for?" Pansy, one of Draco's friends, rose a brow. She'd never been quite nice at school, but they tolerated her now after she'd opened up about her fear of the current world situation. Everyone had become closer despite their school rivalries and fights.
"About everything. We need to talk to each other about what happened." She said firmly.
Her eyes did not leave Pansy's.
"This is stupid." Draco said and Harry was quick to look at him from his spot on the ground near the fire.
"Let her talk." He glared.
Draco looked at him, and his pale silver eyes seemed to look hurt as if he knew Harry was still upset about what had happened. He patted the seat next to him.
Harry looked away.
"Right." She said, and continued.
"Harry saved me, and I'm grateful for that...but in the future, please don't do it. We can't risk losing any more people and if one has to go, it's going to be that way."
"Are you kidding me?" Harry was up from his spot on the ground in an instant, and he felt the warmth leave his body. Cold filled his chest at the thought of possibly losing anyone.
"Well- Harry, it was rather reckless and I couldn't bear to know that you could have- instead of-"
"No! This is ridiculous." He shouted, and Draco was at his side. His hand was on his bicep, gripping him so tightly that his already pale knuckles turned even paler.
"She's right. What would've happened if-"
"I'm breaking up with you." Harry uttered so that only Draco could hear him.
"What?"
His eyes were blown wide and his face had gone pale.
"Harry-"
"We're done. You've never given a damn about anyone here except yourself and what you think. This is the third time you've told me that and you continuously pick on my friends. You've done your damned best to make sure that I stay away from them just so we can be alone together and I'm sick of having to listen to you without you doing the same for me. Now let go of me!"
He yanked his arm away from Draco's grasp.
Harry grabbed the bat he left lying on the ground and took off, leaving the campfire and protesting voices behind as he began to run around the complex.
Draco stood still, and the others were quick to question him on what Harry had said.
Harry didn't care.
He trudged around the building, bat on his shoulder as he looked at the sky. He neared the edge of the forest by the complex and felt the tears trickle down his cheeks. He wiped his eyes vigorously, ignoring the way his metal frames bit into the skin of his forehead.
"Damn Draco." He muttered, and he kicked at a rock on the ground.
On multiple occasions he'd helped the others in the group. Draco had almost fallen out a window after a zombie attack and he'd managed to save him. Ron had nearly been bitten and Harry, with a desire to cringe, had crushed the bloodied and mangled hand that grasped his ankle and had nearly taken him down a stairwell.
How was it any different from saving Hermione?
He let out a frustrated sound and continued along his path, now looking down at the ground.
Now he had broken up with Draco.
Had it been a good idea?
He didn't want to think about it.
Draco had hated Hermione long before the apocalypse and called her a series of colorful names Harry had fought hit him for. On top of that, he'd always mocked Ron's family for not being well off... not to mention the other situations which Harry didn't even feel like thinking about.
Why had he even dated him in the first place?
As he continued, he was far too caught up in his thoughts to have noticed the cries that were not of his own, and so he let out a shout when he was suddenly grabbed by the shoulder.
A body collided with his and, soon, the sounds of choking and guttural moaning filled his ears.
He fell to the ground with a great thud and the breath was knocked out of him as he hit the solid forest floor.
His eyes widened in panic and his bat had rolled free from his hand, falling to the side with a clatter as it struck and a tree and bounced away from his grasp.
"Shit!"
He struggled with the zombie that was now lying on his body, it's bloody hands trying to rip at the skin on his face. He gripped onto the bloody and dirty forearms of the undead man and perspiration was quickly gathering on his forehead.
"Fuck! Help!" He shouted, and he desperately kicked at what he could reach, but to no avail.
His arms trembled and his grip began to slip.
He let out a cry as he narrowly missed getting his neck bitten by the rotting teeth. He struggled but he knew he was losing strength quickly.
If he could only reach his knife quickly-
Blood was dripping from the rotting flesh and fell onto his face, and Harry felt his stomach churn at the sight of its horrid face now stretched wide in a scream.
It's eyes were white and full of bloody red veins. The hair on his head was sparse and thin and looked as if it had nearly all fallen off. His face was half bitten-half torn away.
Suddenly, the zombie had stopped struggling with a loud squelch, and it dropped heavily forward onto Harry.
Blood dropped onto his face and he recoiled, turning his head away from the mess.
A machete was sticking out of the back of its head, and Harry let out a sound as he had finally managed to shove it off after the third try.
"Sorry about that." A smooth voice said.
A pale hand pulled the machete out of the bloody head and Harry sat up on the ground, watching the hand before his eyes trailed up, attaching it to the figure of-
"Need a hand, Harry?"
He smiled, and his dark brown eyes, which were glinting in the moonlight, were stuck on Harry.
"Tom?"
In shock, Harry took the outstretched hand and pulled himself up.
"The one and only." The boy sighed as Harry quickly picked up his fallen bat.
"Where've you been? We've been- it's been months since I last saw you!" Harry gaped at the other as he took in his appearance.
Tom looked similar to how he usually looked. His wavy hair still had the curl that dared anyone to touch it and his skin was as pale as ever, though it was littered with blood stains, bruises, and cuts. He still had the sharp features and was much taller than Harry.
However, he was still very much dirty and bloody, perhaps even more than Harry.
"I managed to get out of the school...got stuck somewhere for a while and had to fight off bandits." He grimaced and he gestured to his neck, which was bandaged and had a faint blood stain on it.
"Oh! Well...my friends and I have a camp- well, not really, but I can take you back there if you'd like."
Harry was suddenly nervous. This boy was at the top of his year, just a year above Harry and his own friends. He'd only known him because he'd managed to ace the class Lupin taught and had moved a level earlier, which just so happened to be the very same class Tom was in.
He grabbed his baseball bat from the ground.
"I suppose. I haven't gotten anywhere else to go. I travel with what I have and manage." Tom said simply, and he adjusted the straps on his shoulders.
"Walking through the forest is much more dangerous with the undead and all, but I figured it'd be safer from those bandits."
"Right. Let's get back then." Harry said with a touch of concern, and he hesitated before finally leading the tall figure of his former classmate.
"I had an outburst." Harry said after a while of trekking, "I just don't want to catch you by surprise when everyone's upset with me."
Tom looked mildly surprised at the words but quickly regained composure.
"I understand. It happens, Harry."
And he'd smiled at Harry like he hadn't just saved him from a near death experience.
"I er- I broke up with my boyfriend because of it. Sorry I'm piling this up on you, I just...wanted to let you know. A lot transpired in a short amount of time." Harry smiled weakly in response, and he opened his strides to get faster to their destination.
"Don't worry. I'll be just fine."
Tom's eyes glinted and a grin formed on his lips behind Harry.
When they finally arrived, Harry was immediately lectured by a tearful Hermione, who'd told him he might as well have tried to kill himself in front of them.
"That's practically what you did!" She said angrily, and her frazzled hair seemed to stand out even more. "I'm sorry- I just. Hermione, you know I wasn't going to let you die." He ground out with his fists at his side. He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"And you better sort it out with Draco." She said, suddenly quieter than before. She looked at him with furrowed brows, as if she still hadn't quite believed what happened.
"I'm not doing that." He said immediately, completely forgetting that Tom was still currently behind him until the boy made a noise in his throat.
"Oh- yes. Sorry, Tom. Hermione, this is Tom. Tom, this is Hermione." He said quickly, finally having an excuse to drop the subject.
"Where did you come from?" She asked, eyebrows raised as she took in his face. Her eyes drifted to his bandaged neck then to the bloody machete in his hand.
"From the city. I was taken by bandits and they took most of my supplies." Tom replied, "I managed to get to Harry just as he was attacked and he asked if I would like to come here."
"Harry!" Hermione gasped and she quickly turned over to the boy around her height, turning his head this way and that and twisting and turning his body to make sure he hadn't been hurt.
"I'm fine- I'm fine!" He insisted, pulling down his shirt with a red face as she tried to check under his clothing. Tom was watching with an amused expression across his face.
"You could've died- or been bitten! God, Harry don't you ever listen to me! This is the fourth time this has almost happened and you weren't going to be able to save yourself!" She hissed.
"Fourth?" Repeated Tom incredulously and looked at Harry strangely.
"He keeps trying to save us but forgets he matters too." She snapped, her narrowed eyes aimed at Harry.
"I'm sorry! I was upset." He responded and shook off the insistent hands of Hermione.
"Anyways, let's get Tom a room or something, he needs to settle down and you're bombarding him with my problems"
"Fine." Hermione said, and she turned to Tom.
"We just ate but you can get yourself a ration. Harry can take you, and he knows where the spare rooms are."
"That's no problem." He said coolly.
"Are you a leader of the group?" Tom asked him as they walked through a hall, their footsteps making soft noises against the tiled floors.
"Leader? No, I don't think I could do that. 'Mione is the one that keeps everyone in check." Harry said slowly, and they turned a corner.
"You tried to save multiple people according to her." He recalled slyly.
"Well, yes but-"
"I think you qualify enough to be a leader, that doesn't mean you have to do everything."
Harry turned pink and quickly took Tom to his room.
However, it was just his luck that he managed to bump into the boy he'd been avoiding.
"Harry..." Draco's eyes were red and puffy and Harry felt guilty to know he was the cause of it.
"I'm fine." He assured with a soft tone, and he quickly felt heat rise in him again when he remembered what the blonde had said before.
"Who's that?" The other asked, his brows knitting together as he looked at Tom, who was taller than him.
And Draco was fairly tall.
"This is Tom, I used to know him at school." Harry gestured towards the boy who gave Draco a grim smile.
"Okay." Draco said slowly, though his eyes narrowed and he looked suspiciously at him.
"Okay." Harry echoed, and he gestured for Tom to continue following him.
"We need to talk when you get back." Draco called out after him.
"Fat chance." Harry muttered, missing the look of annoyance that Tom had thrown the other.
It had been months since Tom had arrived and Harry was now at the age of seventeen. There had been many instances in which Harry had nearly died but always managed to scramble and escape.
That didn't mean the other ones worked out so well.
Draco and him had a row, one much worse than before, and were no longer as close as they used to be, though Harry did his best to be polite. Draco sulked and often lashed out at Harry, though Harry would simply walk away from it and try to ignore him to the best of his abilities.
Unfortunately though, Harry still had a temper when it came to these things, and he would give in.
It was a very bothersome day.
"Really?" Harry scoffed.
"Really!" Draco insisted, his pale grey eyes glaring at Harry.
"Why would I have been hiding Tom before and break up with you? In what world does that make any sense for me to hide a whole survivor?" Harry asked incredulously and ceased putting away extra firewood.
"You think I don't know? I see the way you look at him." Draco accused, and he was suddenly much too close for Harry's liking.
"I don't know what you mean. Don't think you would know what that looks like anymore." Harry ground out, his fists clenched at his side as he restrained himself.
"You're a goddamn tease." Draco growled, and he'd moved forward, kissing Harry roughly and pressing into his body.
For a moment, Harry was frozen.
His heart beat quickly. It had been so long since he and Draco had kissed.
For a moment, he faltered and melted into the kiss, returning it with just as much anger.
It was then he snapped out of it and pushed the blonde away before wiping hard at his lips with his flannel sleeve.
"Fuck! Just leave me alone." Harry turned on his heel and went the opposite direction, leaving the blonde to breathe hard and stare at his retreating form.
"Are you alright?"
Tom stood with his sleeves rolled up and brown eyes looking much darker than usual. Almost as if he'd seen what had happened.
"'M fine." Harry said quietly, and he took to helping Tom with whatever he'd been doing, which had just so happened to be putting away the extra stock of waters.
Fortunately Tom had arrived at a good time, and Harry spent most of his days with the boy instead, who taught him how to kill the zombies in a much quicker way. He and Tom worked on traps that they would set around both in the forest and by the complex to either catch possible fresh food or at least prevent zombies or other people to enter. Though, that wasn't the only thing they did together.
"Doesn't look too bad, I think."
Harry gently unwound the rest of the bandage from Tom's neck and eyes the slice wound that had barely managed to avoid a major artery. It was bleeding, but the fluid was slow to surface.
"Not deep enough for real damage. Same place where I'd been hurt last time though." Tom said, and he sat on the chair, his eyes curiously watching Harry.
Funnily enough, Draco had managed to "accidentally" hurt Tom with a piece of metal when they'd been in the on a store run and had to fight off a couple of the undead.
He took a spray bottle of hydrogen peroxide and smiled cheekily.
"Might sting a bit."
"I don't mind a little pain, it's fun once in a while."
With red ears and pink cheeks, Harry avoided the intense brown eyes before spraying the area and watched as bubbles formed. He busied himself by looking through their first aid kit for any other supplies before realizing he'd needed to clean off the solution first.
Tom made no noises of pain, and Harry assumed that was a good sign.
He cleaned off the hydrogen peroxide before going back to the kit. He took out a small package and ripped it open, removing an alcohol wipe before cleaning the wound and applying an ointment.
"Not too bad, I hope?" Harry asked after a comfortable lapse of silence, where the only audible sounds came from their breathing and the soft chatter outside.
"No pain at all, nurse." Tom confirmed with a smirk as Harry began to dress the wound.
"Nurse? Are you flirting with me, Tom?" Harry asked lightly, tenderly using his fingers to press down on the wrapping.
"I could be. Depends on how you like my answer." The boy responded, his white teeth on display while Harry felt his face burn at the words.
"I might like it depending on what you say." Harry said slowly, a sly smile crossing his lips before he tucked away the medical supplies.
"Mmm really?"
Tom had stood from his chair now and was swiveling his head slowly as to stretch his neck, but it looked far too sensual in Harry eyes.
"Really."
Harry said in a rush when Tom came closer, his body so close to Harry's that he could feel the warmth come off of him in waves. He was looking up into dark brown eyes and his breathing stuttered when he found them looking back at him intensely.
He knew what that look meant, it was-
Just then, Draco came strolling in, his head held high as he looked around the room.
He came to a stop at the sight of Tom and Harry so close together and let out an indignant sound.
"What the bloody hell is this?" He asked.
His hands were shaking at his sides but the flustered Harry said nothing.
He glanced back at Tom and the older boy smiled, his lips curled in a smug smile as he rested a hand on the small of Harry's back.
"What does it look like?"
The smooth voice was by his ear and Harry felt himself shudder before he looked back at Draco, opening his mouth for a response before quickly shutting it.
"Whatever." Draco said finally, and with a glare towards the two, he quickly took his leave, sounding very much as if he wanted to get as far away from there as possible.
Harry let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"Thank you- I never know how to talk to him. Always mad at me for something." He muttered and stepped away from Tom.
He felt the warmth slowly disappear as he returned to putting away the items he'd used.
He'd missed the disappointed look the other held when his hand fell from Harry's back.
"I can't believe you!" Hermione said when Harry finally joined them at the campfire. She was covering her mouth.
"What?" Harry blinked owlishly at her and took his usual seat next to her.
"Mate... Malfoy was ranting and raving to Pansy about Tom feeling you up! You should've seen him, he was awfully jealous." Ron added from the other side of Hermione, his face a bright red even as he said it.
Hermione nodded gravely, but her smile showed that she wasn't truly upset with him.
"What?!?" He repeated, this time much more shocked than before.
"Well- is it true?" Hermione asked eagerly, tucking her frizzy hair behind her ear as her eyes glinted with mischief.
"Oh come on! You can tell us. We're your best friends and besides...it's been a while since we had juicy details." She added on hastily, now smiling wider than before.
"No! I- we didn't even-" he sputtered, his face going from pink to red in less than a minute.
"I was just helping him with his cut!"
"Of course." Hermione said shortly, though she was not convinced and was still smiling as she turned back to the fire.
"Well, whatever happens...tell us, yeah?" Ron asked, and Harry gaped at him.
His friends must've been pulling his leg.
The next time something like this had happened, it was a rather warm day. Something that didn't happen too often.
Tom and Harry were together, as Harry had grown to trust him and they actually worked quite well together, and helping work on building the defenses around the complex. His group had managed to survive for a good amount of time and they figured that a fence would be awfully helpful if they were planning on being here longer than they planned while Hermione tried to put together a strategy to get somewhere else that might be safer.
To do this, they'd gone out of their way to find a tool shop and had managed to take a very alarming amount of poles and fence wire (along with barbed wire, there was never enough precaution).
The group had largely been able to do the task but had decided to go and cool off, but Tom and Harry remained just by the part of fence they'd put up, simply talking and drinking ice cold water they'd taken from Ginny.
"I never told you what happened." Harry said after a while of their aimless chatter, and Tom looked at him expectantly.
They were both a bit sweaty, but Tom was practically flawless with only a bit of perspiration on his forehead and brow.
Harry couldn't even imagine what he would look like.
"See...Draco went back the night we were in the medical tent," Harry coughed into his fist and averted his gaze, "and he went on to talk to Pansy. He was like a lunatic apparently, upset and thinking that you were, and I quote, 'feeling me up'! He's insane, I think."
Harry laughed and heard Tom join him, and he felt as if the boy's chuckle made the world seem much brighter than before.
"Maybe I was. What's the problem with that?" Tom hummed, taking a long drink of water.
Harry's laugh died off and he flushed pleasantly, slightly embarrassed as he noticed Tom's eyes never left him.
"Right. I mean, he has no authority over anything I do, anyway." Harry agreed, though he diverted the conversation from Tom's flirtatious remark.
"Oh, Harry. Are you embarrassed?" Tom purred and stepped closer, seeming much like a cat trying to sneak up on its toy.
"W-why would I be embarrassed? I do think you're right." He stuttered and backed up into what was apparently a tree. He could feel the rough bark against the palm of his hands.
Ah, he'd dropped his water at some point and it lay forgotten in the grass.
"No reason." He said simply, but a hand was by Harry's head, caging him in as Tom leaned closer. Harry could feel his breath on his lips, and his widened considerably when he could feel the cold water Tom had drank not too long ago.
"I don't believe that's what you implied." Harry said slowly, though his eyes were now focused on the pink lips before his own.
"It wasn't." Tom agreed.
He smiled and leaned further, closing the space between them.
It was both cold and hot.
It was hot when Harry realized Tom was kissing him and they were so close that he was starting to feel sweat gather on his head again, and cold when Tom had managed to get his tongue into Harry's mouth.
He let out a soft sound of surprise but did not hold back and his arms were instinctively around Tom's neck, his fingers grazing the curls of hair at the base of his neck.
There was a sharp intake of air that came from Tom and Harry let out a small laugh. It was like he hadn't expected Harry to react that way.
There they were, with Harry squirming against the tree and unable to get enough of Tom, who was leaning down and pressing into the shorter, lithe body.
There was a clearing of a throat and the two broke apart. Harry had pushed Tom away but his hands rested on the broad shoulders.
The group looking at the two.
Ron and Hermione were at the front of the them and they both looked far too smug for Harry's taste. At the back, however, Harry could see a rather shocked Draco and Pansy, who already was murmuring words into Draco's ear. The rest of the group, which included Neville, Blaise, Luna, Ginny, and a couple of others, were standing and looking very much uncomfortable.
Harry, who quickly tried to cover up his panting, let out a squeak and stood frozen in his spot. Tom laughed at him and Harry aimed a punch to his arm.
"Sorry." Harry said, his face a bright red as he picked up his water bottle from the ground and took to chugging it.
Tom smiled and shrugged at the group before running a hand through his hair.
"Shall we finish this up then?"
"Go back to snogging each other, why don't you." Draco grumbled, his eyes fixed on Tom.
"As much as I would enjoy that, and I'm sure you would enjoy watching, I'd much rather get this done sooner so we can retire early." Tom responded smoothly.
Hermione covered her mouth and stifled a laugh with a rushed clearing of her throat. Draco turned red and narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, let's please get this done." She ushered everyone back to the areas by the fence and they slipped back into their duties.
Harry was quick to run back and return to what he was doing with Tom at his heels, looking very much satisfied.
The next time something had happened, it was after a close call.
They had gone a run for more supplies to place around their base and additional weapons if they could find any. They had come across multiple shops that were side by side and they had mistakenly thought that it was clear. They chose to enter a shop that, not only did it have hardware, but it also had an array of guns behind a locked shelf among other useful things. It was truly one of the most amazing things they'd come by.
With that being said, Draco, Tom, and Harry had decided they would be the ones to go in. Harry was fast and quick on his feet in both the mental and physical sense, Draco had a great swing, and Tom had an advantage of strength and height on most of the undead. He was very useful and could carry most of what they gathered.
Unfortunately it had been a mistake, as the air was as tense as being around a horde of zombies.
"So...you two are a thing?" Draco asked nonchalantly as he picked up a variety of compasses and packaged knives before stuffing it into his bag.
"A thing?" Harry repeated.
He looked around the store before finally settling on looking at the display of weapons.
A crossbow would be handy.
"And if we were?"
Tom had found a large generator that was solar powered and was wheeling it to where the two were.
"Nothing." Draco said much too quickly.
He shifted the backpack he held.
"No. I do believe it's something." Tom snapped and paused in his movements.
"You always bother Harry when I'm around, always angry and muttering. Get over it."
Harry looked over at Tom, mildly surprised at his tone. He had never heard Tom act like that.
Tom was always ignoring Draco despite loathing him.
"It's nothing!" Draco snarled, dropping whatever he'd been holding. His fingers were flexing around the handle of his axe.
"Let's hurry up and get out of here." Harry interrupted and slid over the counter. He removed his lock-pocking kit from his pocket and quickly got started on trying to unlock the sliding glass case.
"Oh please, Harry. You know he's been watching your every move. When we went swimming in that waterfall he was suddenly acting very different." Tom said loudly so that his voice carried over the counter.
Harry ducked his head and fumbled with his tools before finally popping it open.
"Fuck you." Draco spat.
There were some words exchanged in hushed yet harsh voices that he couldn't quite hear.
Harry heard squeaking and grunts just as he finally managed to get the crossbow from its restraints and grabbed the arrows that were in pouch.
He turned just in time to see Tom throw a punch to Draco's face, which landed and practically threw the blonde into a shelf.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Harry shouted.
There were more noises and Harry could practically hear the blood that hit floor.
He quickly attached the crossbow and pouch onto his back and shoved his tools away.
He swiftly went over the counter and let out a shout as he barely managed to pushed Tom away from Draco, who'd been trying to punch him in the gut.
Very luckily for Harry, he had gotten in the way of the punch and felt the force of it hit him as he fist met with his stomach.
He let out a pained grunt and dropped to the ground, missing the look of horror that was splayed across Draco's bruised and bloody face.
The blonde was staring at his fist and guilt was clear in his voice as he took not of his rings.
"Oh shit- Harry! I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Take the damned generator and put it in the car you came in." Tom hissed between his teeth and immediately tended to Harry, who was holding his stomach and was doubled over on the floor.
"'M fine." Harry groaned, taking shallow breaths as Tom helped him stand up.
"Fuck. I'm sorry." Draco said finally and, after Tom glared at him for a final time, he took the generator and started leaving the store.
"You shouldn't have done that." Tom said quietly into his ear, wrapping an arm around Harry's waist and throwing one of his arms around his shoulder.
"You were acting like children." Harry coughed.
He felt blood trickle from his mouth.
Maybe Draco was stronger than he thought.
Or it could've been the adrenaline, he supposed.
"Don't do that ever again. I would have completely butchered him into the ground if I had the chance. Don't try to stop me next time." Tom glowered, and Harry knew Tom probably would have.
He shook his head and they trudged back to the car, both packs in Tom's grasp.
"At least I've got a kickass crossbow." Harry laughed weakly.
When they got outside, they found a very panicked Draco quickly waving them to get into their own car.
"Oh." Harry breathed after Tom froze.
He'd looked up only to find what was one of their worst fears.
A horde of zombies were coming the opposite way they'd come.
"Quick." Tom said.
With his aid, Harry was able to walk much faster than he would've without him, and they scrambled into the backseat of the car just as Ron tried to start it.
He let out a serious of colorful curses as the ignition refused to start.
The other car had already started and was starting its retreat back to their complex.
"Fuck!"
He hit the dashboard and Hermione looked frazzled, her eyes wide in panic.
"Move!" Barked Tom, and Ron quickly climbed into the backseat as the dark-haired boy opened the car door quickly and got into the front.
"Bloody hell." Ron looked terrified as he sat next to Harry.
The air was tense as Tom drew out a multitool and ripped open the bottom part of the steering wheel and began to fuss with the wires.
"Tape!" Tom called out from under the steering wheel.
Harry felt his heart thudding in his throat and his stomach dropped as the zombies came nearer. He felt his hearing change from the panicked breathing of the passengers to white noise as he dug through his bag and handed Tom electrical tape.
Tom connected their wires and taped them together before dropping everything to the floor of the car. He turned the key and the car started.
He floored it and reversed the car, narrowly missing the hands of a zombie that was trying to reach for the hood.
He swerved and turned them around, driving them back to their base.
Harry swallowed thickly and breathed hard.
All he could feel was adrenaline as he held his aching stomach.
"Draco punched Harry." Tom said through gritted teeth after they neared the camp.
"What?" Hermione peered into the backseat, her eyes quickly going to the hand at Harry's stomach. He smiled at her.
She scowled.
Ron's mouth was in the distinct shape of a line.
"What happened?" He demanded as he looked at Harry with an accusing gaze.
Harry sighed.
"They were fighting and I wanted them to stop- Draco was already swinging at Tom when I stepped in. I wasn't his target."
"Like hell you weren't! He probably was glad you stepped in so he could hit you." Ron said angrily.
"Ron!" Hermione said sharply, and she looked at Tom.
"Why were you fighting?"
"He keeps bugging Harry." Tom didn't elaborate.
"He was asking if we were together." Supplied Harry.
"Then Tom got upset at him for prying and they fought after some bickering. However, I did manage to get this."
Harry quickly changed the topic to the crossbow as he saw Tom's grip tighten on the steering wheel. His knuckles were white and bloody.
Harry tried to ignore how hot it had looked at that moment.
When they got back to camp, Harry assured them he'd felt fine and just a little sore.
"Besides," he started, "you should probably tend to Draco. He looks a lot worse than I do."
And after following his advice, they found he had not lied.
Draco's lip was busted and there was a bruise on his cheekbone where Tom had hit him. He was rather bloody and so they had decided he was the priority after they unloaded all the gear that Harry, Tom, and Draco had managed to get before the zombies arrived.
"You go ahead." Harry told Hermione, who insisted she check him for any more wounds, "I'll be fine. I just need to talk to Tom...alone."
Hermione let out a frustrated sigh but begrudgingly complied. Ron gave him a pat on the shoulder and told him if something happened, he would have to call for them right away.
Harry smiled as they left him.
When he turned, he found Tom leaning against the hood of the car and staring off into the sunset.
"Hey."
Harry jumped onto the hood and slid closer to the older boy.
"Hello, Harry." Tom replied.
His usually dark brown eyes seemed especially bright when he looked at Harry.
The sunset cast a golden look over the both of them and Harry couldn't seem to look away. He looked almost ethereal despite the cuts and blood on his face. His usually sharp cheekbones were more pronounced, probably because they were still so young, and his hair, though longer than before, still fell perfectly across his forehead.
Harry took a sharp breath as he realized Tom's eyes were not so far from his own.
When had they gotten so close?
"Thank you for telling him off...I just didn't want you two to fight." He said suddenly.
Tom was looking at his eyes intensely again.
Harry felt the heat rise in his cheeks.
He twiddled his thumbs in his lap and looked back to the sky.
"I would do anything for you." Tom said honestly.
He turned Harry's face towards his own, his thumb and index finger holding his chin in place.
"Oh." Harry said dumbly, at a great loss for words.
Tom moved towards him slowly, testing whether or not Harry would run away or stay put.
Harry seemed to have his own plans.
He moved forward, far too impatient as he crashed their lips together in a heated kiss.
The warmth of the sun and Tom's heated stare was enough to make Harry feel like he was melting. His brain was short circuiting and all he could focus on was the sweetness of which Tom shared with him.
The bitter, copper taste of blood mixed in their mouths, though Harry's didn't quite know whose it was.
God, Tom had saved them all back there, and he'd been so gentle when he handled Harry in the store.
He felt a surge of affection and held Tom's head in his hands, his thumb caressing his jaw.
"Oh, how I've waited for this moment." Tom let out a soft breath and Harry felt a tingle of excitement course through his body when the boy stood in front of him, his body caging Harry on the hood.
He wrapped his legs around his waist and grinned, cocking his head to the side.
"Waited?" He asked, and Tom let out a snarl.
Abruptly, he grabbed Harry off of the hood and picked him up, moving to the back of the car.
Harry clutched onto Tom and let out a small sound of surprise.
"What're you doing? Tom!"
Said boy did not respond but rather threw the car door open and dropped Harry inside, who plopped onto the backseat with a loud "oof!".
Tom got in not a moment later and shut the door, caging Harry against the seat.
"Are you okay with this?" Tom asked.
His eyes were wild and his hair tousled.
God, he was hot.
Harry nodded, his mouth feeling dry at their position.
"Good, I didn't intend on moving." Tom's eyes were bright and twinkling even in the shadow of the car.
Harry felt weak.
Tom was on him in seconds, kissing at his mouth desperately and in a way Harry had never felt before. His hands were at the hem of his shirt and pushing up on the fabric so that it bunched around his chest, and the long, thin fingers were touching him everywhere.
He was arching into Tom's hands and god, he couldn't help but feel weak by him. His fingers were light and persistent, pressing into his sides and playing with the nubs on his chest.
He could feel the heat in his face, could feel the way Tom was breathing much more shallowly than before.
For the first time, he felt safe and content.
With Draco, it'd been different. It'd been desperate for the reasons of their age and their previous school rivalry. It was pent up anger and past grudges. It was everything that shouldn't have been in a relationship.
With Tom, it was like an understanding.
His mind raced as he was kissed again in a short peck. Suddenly, lips were trailing down his jaw and neck, the press of skin both soft and harsh at the same time.
"Y-you must really be excited."
His eyes fluttered shut when Tom peered up at him, his face aflame with a joy that looked akin to how someone would look on Christmas morning.
"Oh, I am..." Tom purred, "and I can't wait until I have you begging my name."
Harry felt his stomach flutter at the words.
Tom didn't stop his flurry of affection.
He continued kissing down Harry's body and trailed down to his stomach, getting teasingly close to an area Harry would tense when he got near to.
"Would you like me to help you there, dear?"
Harry was far too aware that his body was reacting faster than he could even manage to recognize.
"Please." He whined, letting his head drop against the cushion of the seat.
Tom did just that.
It was a series of Tom being affectionate towards Harry.
He was kind enough to know that he wouldn't be able to handle any teasing, and so he was very forward when Harry had managed to shuck off his trousers and toss them on the floor.
Tom had grinned at his antics and his hands were quick to take Harry into his hands. He pumped him hard and twisted his hand just right, making Harry curse under his breath and thrust his hips, chasing after his own climax with a breathy moan.
It was then that he realized the other boy's fingers were teasing at his backside.
He tensed but forced his nerves to relax, but, soon, he didn't need to worry about it.
Tom hadn't even given him time to fully enjoy only his hands.
He had wrapped his mouth around Harry's cock and bobbed his head, his eyes never once leaving Harry's face even when Harry's eyes were clenched tight in pleasure. His fingers were already slick as they slipped in, stretching him and prodding at his insides.
"Oh god- Tom!"
"Mmm."
Tom, that bastard, was smiling at him from around his cock and beckoning him with his eyes. He felt the sudden jolt when Tom crooked his fingers within him. Stars appeared behind his eyes and his mouth was wide open, a cry escaping past his lips.
How many fingers were in him now?
"C-coming." Harry ground out shakily and he couldn't help but to thrust his hips forward into Tom's mouth.
Hands were at his hips, holding him down while Tom did wicked things with his tongue.
Finally, Harry's bodies tensed as he came.
He was arching off the seat and stifling his lewd moan with a fist.
"I want to hear you."
Tom was looking at him, list clearly etched into his features as he wiped his shining lips.
Harry felt himself harden quickly at the sight.
"Oh fuck!" Harry clutched onto the seats on either side of him, his grip tight as Tom thrusted into him. His pace was absolutely breathtaking, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to care.
Of course, he didn't want to be treated delicately, he just wanted to be ravished.
"You're just wonderful, dear."
Tom was breathing hard into his ear, his voice nearly a chilling growl that made Harry shiver.
"A-ah."
He moved and, instead, wrapped his arms around Tom's neck, getting as close as he could to the strong, hard body.
Tom's hand were on his hips and now they were pulling him up into his own body, and Harry could feel the ripple of abs flush against his stomach.
Truly, he hadn't realized just how attractive Tom was before.
He was handsome with his sharp features and wavy tresses of hair.
But what Harry didn't see was his...other physical attributes.
He was rather large.
In general.
He was tidy and trimmed everywhere Harry could see, and he was much more muscled than he'd anticipated.
It definitely did not bother Harry in the slightest and he quite enjoyed it.
Tom was sucking loudly at his skin, his face buried between the junction of Harry's shoulder and his neck, leaving dark purple marks in the wake of his lips. Harry's nails were digging into the muscled back and he felt much like a cat clawing at him.
Tom's hips were slapping hard against his own, and his cock was bouncing between their bodies. He was getting friction every time he brushed against Tom's taut stomach, and his eyes were rolling into the back of his head from the force of his thrusts.
He felt the tightening in his lower abdomen and knew he wouldn't be able to hold on any longer.
"Tom....Tom!" Harry was panting and his glasses were falling off his head as Tom was moving harder and faster than before, chasing quickly after his orgasm.
He cried out and Tom's hands were on him again, pumping him hard.
He arched his back and let out a guttural moan, the white liquid spilling from his cock as Tom sent a punishing pace.
"Harry." He breathed, the name rolling off his tongue so sweetly that Harry felt his ears ring at the sound of his name. He was forceful and snapped his hips violently into Harry as he came.
Then Harry was coming hard and tears were spilling down his cheeks.
"Oh god." He cried out and he could feel his thighs spasm from the force of his third orgasm.
Tom set Harry down gently, his eyes soaking in the sight of his twitching body. He was breathing hard and looking back at Tom who was panting. Harry felt his lower half twitch.
The sun had already disappeared and the moon lit up Tom in a way that had him smiling weakly.
"You look like a vampire."
Harry said and forced himself to relax, letting go of Tom's neck. Once he'd regained his breathing, he sat up slowly, wincing in pain as he felt the aftereffects of their session.
"Sorry." Tom said, though he did not look sorry in any shape or form. "You look like a fairy, dear. Though...I don't know what they'll say about you hair sticking out all over the place. It's much worse than usual."
"Oh, shut up." Harry mumbled.
Why was he always blushing around him?
"I liked the way your eyes looked. They were such a bright green...not to mention you're very pretty when you cry." He murmured and wiped the stray tears from Harry's cheeks.
It was suddenly very warm.
"We should probably get back. God knows how mad Hermione will be with me for not going back sooner." He groaned and pulled on his shirt, which had been thrown over one of the passenger seats.
Tom was pulling his pants back up and buckling his belt. Harry, entranced, snapped his gaze back to his own trousers and quickly put them back on over his sneakers.
"She'll have a field day." Tom confirmed and, now fully dressed, kissed his forehead before picking up his fallen glasses and replacing them on Harry's nose.
Harry wrinkled his nose.
"God, it's going to reek of sex in here. I'll just be glad that we won't be using this one anymore."
Tom opened the car door they'd originally come in through and hopped out before holding it for Harry, who slowly crawled out and got to his feet.
He shut the door and was back at Harry's side.
His hand intertwined with Harry's and gave it a squeeze.
"I'll protect you." Tom said suddenly on their way back.
Thankfully, they were moving slowly. Harry was far too sore and was hurting too much already to move any faster. Tom's thumb was moving in circles on the back Harry's hand.
A warm feeling rose in his chest and the butterflies were back in his stomach. It was like a garden full of them and they wanted to spill out.
"And I'll protect you." Harry responded, smiling down at the ground.
And how could an apocalypse get any better?