Running full pelt towards the 'safe house', the four survivors, Coach, Rochelle, Nick and Ellis opened fire at oncoming infected. Coach was dressed in a yellow and purple gym shirt, with the logo 'FHS' on the side, no doubt relating to a high school of some sort, along with dark coloured pants. Rochelle had a pink slim-fit tee on, adorned with a thin black belt on her hips, blue jeans, and big tan boots. Ellis wore a light brown coloured T-shirt, embellished with the words 'Bull Shifters': his favourite Truckin' team. He also wore dark blue overalls, tied firmly around his waist by the arms. And Nick was wearing a blue shirt, and a crisp, white suit, well, what was crisp... now blood and dirt stained, just like everyone else was.

"Reloading!" Coach boomed out, as he quickly flipped his shotgun up, Nick then moved infront of him, axe in hand, ready to give a hand to hio if he needed it.

Just as they got to the door, a Smoker launched out his dark, slimey tongue. It suddenly latching onto, and curling around Ellis, like a boa constrictor coiling itself around a prey. The tongue tensing tight, enough for the young man to lose his breath, making it a struggle for him to call out for help, as he sees his comrades get to safety, whilst he gets dragged backwards rapidly. His hands trying to grab and tug at the tongue around his ribcage and throat.

"Shit, a Smokers got Ellis!" The dark skinned woman called out, her flashlight pointing to the hick-napper.

"I'll get him!" Nick replied, before effortlessly sprinting towards, what probably is one of the only friends he has left, launching the axe at the tongue, just above Ellis' head, severing the tongue in one bloody slash.

"Get up overalls... pronto." Nick muttered, offering a hand down to his fallen, and slightly dazed friend, a smug smirk on his lips.

"Wh...Ugh..." Ellis groaned, taking the older mans hand, a slight flush having crossed his face as he looked up at Nick, somewhat adoringly, before quickly heading back to the safehouse with the Con-man.

"That'll keep 'em out." Coach declared, as he bolted the thick, metal door shut, before starting to shove boxes infront of the door.

The safehouse was located near the outskirts of the town, nicely placed by one of the abandoned evac centers. Within the room, there lay a heap of boxes, a table covered in weapons, ammo and various other neccessities. It being almost not real the way everything was readily available for when they needed it there. A small side room with a single bed also occupied this specific house.

"Hey, it's quite big in here, isn't it... Gotta be the best safe room we've been in for a while." Rochelle replied, smirking softly down at the barrel of her gun, before heading to grab a med pack off the nearby table.

"Yeah..."

The dark, dimly lit room was cold. Very cold. And each of the survivors could feel it. Aside from the temperature outside, the actual look of the room didn't help much: the metal, bolted door at the other side of the room seemed daunting, especially as each of them knew that the next morning they would venture out it, and have a painstakingly long day ahread of them.

"I'm going to bed, the sooner I sleep and get this day over with... well, the better." Ro muttered, as she headed towards a small side-room, always getting the better of the safe house facilities, with her being a girl'n'all.

The retired gym-coach nodded once, before moving to slump himself down near some boxes, pulling out a thin cover from one of them, as all the boxes in the safehouses were usually stocked with quite small, thin blankets, as well as the usual basic food supplies, being just enough to get by with.

"Well, I'ma stay up for a while, Y'all can go to sleep or whatever." Ellis replied, before heading over to the large table, with the assortment of guns, ammo and a few bottles of pills, his hand gently brushing over the half-empty boxes of ammo, having a general nosy around, more-so to occupy his mind than anything else, hating this time of day, purely because of how scared he gets, hearing the groaning of zombies wandering past the door, to the sobbing and crying of witches, who occasionally sit by the door.

Grunting, Nick takes off his white jacket and proceeds to sit in an old, scratched up chair. "Ellis... try get some sleep before I -MAKE- you sleep." He says in a somewhat irritated tone, not feeling at ease with Ellis wandering around the safe room like a fool, instead of resting up when he has an oppertune moment.

"I'm not tired, plus, s'not like theres anywhere I can get comfortabl-"

"You haven't even tried."

"But... I know I wont, this one time, me a-.."

"GO TO SLEEP, ELLIS."

Hearing Coach grunting his and Nick's argument, Ellis sighs and walks next to Nicks chair, putting his back against the wall before slumping down, setting his gun beside him in such a manner that would make it easy for him to grab it if he ever needs it. "Fine... night y'all."

The room was silent. Rochelle had drifted off to sleep via crying softly to herself, as she usually would, it being her release at the end of the day, especially with the guilt that rode on her shoulders every moment outside the doors of the safe-room, killing what she feels, are.. ..were innocent people. Coach had quickly nodded off, his somewhat loud snore making it more than obvious. Nick was always a light sleeper, drifting in and out of sleep, his jacket being used as a make-shift cover. However, Ellis hadn't got to sleep, unluckily, he heard a witch wander past nearby, and, having had bad experiences with a few in the past, he was wide awake with fear.

Shuddering softly to himself, Ellis started to snuffle softly, shifting to try get into a more comfortable position, unaware that his shuffling and moving had woken Nick up. A sudden sigh had escaped Nick's lips in the process, which had made the young hick turn to look up at the older man with a blush.

"S-Sorry... can't sleep, I swear I heard a witch, an' it startled me some." The boy muttered upto the Con-artist softly.

Nick then moved his hand from under his jacket, over to rest ontop of the younger mans head, his fingers gripping the edges of the hat. "Get up, and come here." He said firmly, yet somewhat caringly, and almost sleepily.

"Uh, Okay?" Ellis replied in a confused tone, standing up so that he was infront of Nick, instead of aside his chair. "What're you wanting me to do?" he then added with a blush across his face, taking the cap off his head.

After grabbing the young boys waist and pulling him on his lap, Nick moved close to the mechanic, his soft breath dissapating on his neck, making Ellis shudder once more. "Sleep on me, I'll protect you."

"N-Nick..." he whispered, being both excited and relieved at the sudden, not-so-Nick-like actions his pal had just made.

"No talking Overalls... sleep." Nick said once more, before shifting into a comfortable position, having shifted his jacket so it was over both him and Ellis.

"Thanks..." Ellis added quickly, before falling asleep in his arms, Nicks gentle hold being soothing for him. This night no doubt going to be the best nights sleep he's had in a while.

AN: o_o Ogod. This is so bad. I'm sorry if it's in and out of past/present tense. It's been well, two years since I last wrote a fanfic. Theres going to be more than just this chapter :3 I need to get in some sort of crush hinting, though that should've been more in this part D: Ellis has a little man-crush on Nick anyway. xD Despite Nick being a douche and hating him. They love each other really ;D 'Nick protected Ellis'.

3 Peace.