Disclaimer: I do not own The Evil Within.

Author's Note: So it's just an awesome game that I want to write about. I mean, I COULDN'T SHUT UP THE LITTLE FANGIRL IN ME, but there was all these cute subtle stuff between Sebastian and Joseph that had to be put down. Also, since I haven't seen the whole story yet, I don't really know what's up with Joseph or Sebastian. Bear with me as I play around?

"There. That should be the last of it." Joseph said as he tested the sturdiness of the bookshelf blockading the door. There were several of them actually, each made of thick, heavy oak.

The two had barricaded themselves inside a room on the third floor of an abandoned home. Sebastian stood by the window, sniper rifle in hand. They stationed themselves in an advantageous spot because the house was built on a hill, overlooking the desolate town below. The setting sunlight streamed into the room, casting everything in shades of golden amber.

"Alright. Hopefully we'll be good for the night." Sebastian responded, carefully sneaking a peek out the window. Only two of the horrific creatures were visible outside, but luckily, they were the daft ones, wandering around aimlessly. No ammo needed to be wasted on them.

The sound of coughing pulled Sebastian's attention away from his ground surveillance. Joseph was coughing into his hand, sinking himself down onto the only bed in the room.

"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked, leaving the gun by the window and stepping closer, but the younger man just held out his hand in a halting gesture, trying on his own to quell his coughing fit. Knowing that noise would attract unwanted visitors, Sebastian shut the window and drew the curtains closed, throwing them into colorless shadow.

As soon as the coughing died out, Joseph laid himself down on the bed and closed his eyes. "I don't know how much more of this I could take…"

Sebastian couldn't help but watch every move his partner made from the corner of his eye. There was something inside his partner – something evil and sinister. Yet still he could not leave Joseph behind. Joseph was a skilled spotter and he had done a damn good job of watching his six. If anything, he knew he wouldn't have gotten this far without the help of his partner. They were a team and together they would survive.

Joseph's coughing fit started up again.

At least… that was how things were supposed to be.

"Hold on," Sebastian walked over to where they left their bags by the blockaded door, rummaged around, and pulled out a half empty water bottle from one of the pockets. "Here." He tossed it over towards Joseph, the bottle landing beside his thigh.

"Thanks, Seb." Joseph sat up to grab the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and drank it all in one go. When every last drop of water was gone, he sat silently, fiddling with the plastic bottle in his hand. "I'm holding you back, aren't I?"

Sebastian stayed silent.

"Just let me die. I…" Joseph's voice lowered as he stared down at his preoccupied hands. "You know what I am."

Then the detective finally spoke, "Get some rest."

"What if I turned while you were-"

"Enough, Joseph." Sebastian said tersely, cutting him off. "Sleep." Now was not the time. He was exhausted to the core.

"You can't ignore this and hope it'll go away." The bottle in Joseph's hand crinkled loudly as he gripped it tighter.

"I'm not ignoring it."

"You essentially trapped yourself in a room with me. Anytime I could just-"

In a matter of seconds, Joseph was lying on his back again, pinned down by Sebastian, and he could feel the cold touch of a barrel against his temple.

"Do you really want to die?" The detective questioned, his eyes steely and unreadable. He pressed the pistol deeper into Joseph's skin.

"Yes." There was no hesitation in Joseph's answer and his voice seeped with a pleading so profound.

A minute of silence passed between them – each boring into the eyes of the other. It was a battle of wills. Finally, Sebastian broke the stillness.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He growled lowly, returning his pistol back into its holster. The bed creaked from the shift in weight as Sebastian stood up to glare down at his longtime partner. Joseph was now the only thing he had going for him and he would try his hardest to keep what he had left. Even if his partner was the one that wanted to call it quits. He released a tormented sigh and turned away from the sight of the sickly younger man.

"I could ask you the same thing…" Joseph muttered at his superior's back while readjusting his glasses. His question went unanswered as the detective went to the corner of the room and sat down on an old, cushioned armchair.

A chill settled over the two as the unspoken fear rose between them once more. Neither wanted to know the outcome, but each was prepared.

A/N: This is going to be a fairly short story. Roughly 3-4 chapters long. Tell me if you likey? I actually haven't written in a while. :c