This was written for the Klaine AU Friday on Tumblr and I thought I'd upload it here too! Enjoy and review! :)

His stomach rumbled with hunger but he refused to move from his spot, curled underneath the many blankets in the dark room. The curtains had been pulled closed to shield him from most of the light and the fabric cocoon he had built around himself filtered out the rest. He would stay here, forever if it took that long, even if this... thing took over him.

Kurt could have laid there for an hour, maybe more, when the door cracked open and a sliver of light sliced into the room.

"Go away," he ordered before he even knew who the other person was. It wasn't like it would be hard to guess out here with just the two of them but it didn't matter, he just needed everyone to be as far away from him as possible.

"No."

The single word made Kurt want to simultaneously bolt from the bed and throw his arms around this person or turn his face into his pillow and cry in frustration. His chest tightened but he didn't move in any way.

"Go. Away." He was more forceful this time, his voice hard. There was the sound of shuffling - the scuffle of feet, the rustle of paper on paper, a thump as the person kicked into the end of the bed post. The sounds were slowly making their way closer and when they were right beside him Kurt tugged the blankets over his head, ignoring the stale and stuffy feeling of inhaling his exhaled air.

"Kurt-"

"No! Go away, please," he begged. The last word was so lost, so strained and he couldn't help it. His voice cracked and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore the prickle in the back of his eyes. Why couldn't they see? Why couldn't they realise he only wanted to keep them out of harm's way?

There was a sigh and he felt the bed dip as the person sat down. They tugged at the bed covers and Kurt didn't even try to fight them off. He didn't know what time it was, but there was so little light in the room it had to have been night or close to it.

"Go away," he said again but this time it was a whisper. A silent plea filled with so much emotion and desperation that he felt his own heart constrict.

"Not without you," he told him. There was movement, some fumbling and then the light on the bedside table flicked on. The yellow light illuminated the small room, not strong enough to touch the far corners but enough so that Blaine's face looked more beautiful than ever. He was tired with bags under his eyes and due to the rationing his face was a little thinner. His cheeks and lips had lost a little of their colour from having to stay inside and hidden most of the time. But even though he was ratty and grimy because of the water rations, he was still the most amazing thin Kurt had ever laid eyes on. His dark hair still held their curl even after all these years and his hazel eyes held so much life and love in them that Kurt's heart gave an uneasy stutter.

He turned his head into the pillow, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears. "Blaine, please just-"

"No, Kurt!" he snapped. Blaine pulled at his hands, trying to hoist him upwards into a sitting position at least but he squirmed and twisted out of his hands. He gave an exasperated huff. "You can't do this to yourself."

"I have no other choice." His voice was so quiet that he hoped it would go unheard. He wasn't so fortunate.

"Bullshit!" Blaine said sounding annoyed that jury would even think something like that, starling Kurt where he lay. His voice returned to its regular volume. "You always have a choice, Kurt, and this... thing, this virus, isn't going to-"

"Of course it is, Blaine!" Kurt yelled, bolting upright. "This thing affects first born children faster than anyone else! I'm a first born! Sooner or later it's going to happen and I would really prefer it if you weren't around when that happens so I don't claw your head off of your neck!"

"But it's only first borns whose mothers had the gene-" Blaine tried.

"Right, and mothers can be tested for the gene," Kurt said, his almost bored voice betraying the thousands of times he had said this or explained this to someone. He could feel the tears threatening to spill over and he closed his eyes to stop them. His head bowed and, despite himself, he dropped his forehead to Blaine's shoulder. Instantly, Blaine slid his arms around Kurt's torso. "My mother's dead," he said in quiet voice, "she can't be tested. We don't know when or if The Change is going to happen to me. I don't want you to be there when it happens, Blaine. I can't ever let it hurt you, or get to you. Even if you are immune to the airborne toxin, there are other ways to be infected or worse, Blaine, I might..."

He didn't finish his sentence, didn't need to. Once The Change happened, you were no longer yourself. You killed the people you loved the most as if they were just an insignificant bug on the sidewalk.

They were silent. Kurt tried to make his body relax to the soothing rhythm of Blaine's breathing. He needed Blaine to understand, needed him to run, but at the same time he wanted to hold on tight to him and never let him go.

"Kurt Hummel," he said softly. His voice was so gentle, so loving, that it made Kurt pull back to look at him. His eyes were shining with tears and, though Kurt couldn't understand why, hope. There was the most delicate of smiles around his lips, one that Kurt knew was only ever for him and it made his heart burst with emotion. "I made a promise to you once to love you for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. If this happens, you will be at your worst. I promised - and I'm promising again - that I will love you. I will love you despite The Change, despite the fact you're essentially a zombie, despite the fact that you'll only ever want to rip my head off. I love you, Kurt, and nothing - especially not some stupid disease! - is going to change that."

Kurt surged forward, crashing his lips against Blaine's, feeling him, tasting him, trying to get as close to him as he could. Clothes are shed, the need to be together so overwhelming until they are tangled, entwined so tightly that it was almost impossible to imagine who's limb belonged to who. After they came with shouts and cries of names, whispered 'I love you's and soft, gentle, lingering kisses, Blaine curled against him, resting his head on Kurt's bare chest and wrapping his arms so tight around his torso Kurt thought he would break. He held on just as tight with one arm and ran his fingers through the curls with the other. He needed Blaine more than he would admit to him, not because he was scared of his feelings but because he knew if he did, when the time came - if, if, the time came - that Blaine wouldn't leave him, not even to help himself.

He hated how this happened, how it started out so happy and such a miracle to the world and was now the thing that would destroy them all or haunt the lucky few who managed to survive. A cure for the common cold, so simple and so unbelievably welcomed. Kurt had worked with a girl called Lisa whose brother was in medical research and development. He had been on the team that discovered the new antibody and even ended up winning awards for his work. Lisa used to tell him about her brother's work. It was just a simple injection. That was it. And then good bye runny noses and sneezing fits! Everything was fine for the first few years of the vaccine. There was some minor change in some people's make up but it was so small that no one even noticed the it, there was nothing to be seen on the outside, just buried deep within their DNA.

But everything happened so quickly. Lisa arrived into work looking tired and worried and when Kurt had asked why she explained that her brother was being kept in quarantine and that some bio-toxin had accidentally been released. The government had brushed it over, saying the airborne material was being contained, but soon there were reports of cases coming through, of horrible deaths and terrifying creatures. One word appeared again and again and sent shivers down his spine: zombie.

Kurt buried himself in Blaine's hair, breathing in the familiar smell of Blaine and sex. That had been a little less than two years ago and now the world was in turmoil. The governments of almost every country had lied and failed to prepare their people efficiently. They discovered, all too late, that those who had experienced the change in their DNA had carried a gene passed on by mothers to their first born. When they came in contact with the airborne toxin The Change took place, and they became rabid and wild. While it was only these people who were susceptible to the airborne toxin, most of the others could be infected in any way that resulted in it entering their blood stream as simply as through something a small as a paper cut. There were those who were immune entirely, like Blaine and Cooper, who were lucky enough to have a high chance at survival so long as they weren't eaten alive by these things. But even then, some chose to die rather than live in a dystopian world without the ones they loved with them.

Blaine sighed in his sleep, nuzzling closer to Kurt's chest before settling again. He resumed running his fingers through Blaine's hair. He didn't want to think about, didn't want to have to worry, all he wanted was Blaine. Pushing the thoughts away he hugged Blaine's still naked body tighter against him and let sleep take over, ignoring the early morning light beginning to creep through the crack in the curtains. They should leave today, try and make their way to the survivors' camps on the outskirts of the city, but no, one more day. He just wanted one more day where all he knew was Blaine, all he felt was Blaine, all he thought was Blaine. He dropped a drowsy kiss to the top of Blaine's head and vaguely registered another contented sigh to fall from his husband's lips as sleep took over him.

They didn't end up leaving for another two days. The first day was just spent wrapped around each other, trading lazy kisses and acting like they were seventeen again. Neither of them said what they both were thinking, that this might be the last time they did this because when they left here there was no guarantee that either of them would make it to the camps alive or that Kurt wouldn't become infected. It was an unspoken agreement to stay twisted around each other in the blankets and not speak about the outside world though they both caught the dark looks the other had when they were quiet for too long. The only time they separated was when they had to relieve themselves or when Blaine left - with a playful slap to his bare ass - to find them food. He came back with their secret stash, the things that they had been saving up for so long, too afraid to waste them. They were just simple things, things that once were so common but now almost as valuable as gold. They feasted on three snack box packets of crackers, half a bar of chocolate and a tiny pot of raspberry jam. Blaine also returned with the bottle of champagne they had been saving for... An anniversary? A job promotion? A child? They never really knew what exactly but it was to celebrate them, always to celebrate them. It would be their last chance to drink it together.

So they sat, in their master bedroom, in their apartment, in their New York City walk up, eating their tiny feast and drinking their French champagne out of chipped mugs. Blaine took a bite of a cracker and a blob of jam fell onto his stomach. Kurt vaguely heard him mumble 'shit' before he bent down to run his tongue along the skin, licking up the raspberry drop, noting how much better it was when mixed with the taste of Blaine's skin. "So it doesn't go to waste," he planned to say but Blaine didn't even give him a chance, crashing their lips together and once again they became as close as they could until it became dark and they fell asleep interlaced with each other.

The second day was spent packing and preparing to leave. They were deliberately slow, each movement punctuated by soft touches and lingering kisses until by the time they were ready it was already night. They fell into bed together, intent on making their last moments in what had been their happy home the most memorable, the most amazing. Kurt didn't sleep, and when the morning light began to filter in he slowly nudged Blaine awake.

They dressed and left, slipping out onto the deserted streets just as the sun began to rise. Most of the city had either left or already experienced The Change. Blaine took something from his pocket as walked over to Kurt, wrapping it around him and tying it off at his hip. Kurt sucked in a breath through his teeth when he saw what it was.

"I know you said that you wanted to leave all your clothes behind, that they were dead weight right now," Blaine said, toying with end of the black and white Hermes scarf and keeping his eyes trained on his hands. "Remember this? I got it for you for our first Christmas in New York. You always said you would never let it go... Fashion was your life, Kurt, your passion, your job...you should at least take it with you."

Kurt took his face in both his hands and turned it upwards so he could see Blaine's eyes. "You are my life, Blaine. It wasn't the scarf I never wanted to let go, it was you." Blaine smiled softly and Kurt dropped one hand down to cover Blaine's where it still held on to the ends of the fabric. "But thank you so much." They pressed their lips together and then slowly, began to make their way quietly through the streets.

The trip to the outskirts where the camps were would take three or four days. They'd have to wind their way through empty streets, avoiding the infected colonies that blocked their path. Once it began to get dark they would have to find somewhere safe to sleep, an empty building or shop until it was bright enough to start walking again. They barely talked, too afraid to make a sound. The first day they almost walked into a street with an established colony, but Kurt noticed just in time the tattered remains of clothes strew haphazardly in a half circle around a parking lot entrance. The creatures had taken to collecting the clothes of their victims and using them as sort of a marker for territory boundaries. They turned quickly and ran.

Their second night was spent on the third floor of what must have been an office building. Empty desks, overturned chairs and a mess of papers decorated the room. They curled up together in the furthest corner from the door, Blaine dozing in the silence while Kurt was on watch. It was so quiet, almost peaceful, but it was broken by a crash of glass outside.

Kurt jumped, sitting ramrod straight, breathing heavily. Blaine snapped up beside him, eyes wide and hands on Kurt like he was trying to make sure he was still there.

"What? What is it?" he hissed but Kurt shushed him with a raised hand. Blaine's brow creased, staring at Kurt who was concentrating on a broken window not too far from him. There was another crash followed almost immediately by shouts. Automatically Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's middle and Kurt pulled him close, tucking Blaine's head under his chin. He rubbed circles into Blaine's back wanting to find some way to drown out the shouts but not wanting to risk making a sound.

The shouts became louder and louder and words became easier to recognise. They were mainly calls of names, a man's voice kept calling a Mary and a Kate and constant reminders to run, always to run, not to stop running. Kurt's heart was racing for these people, he wanted them to be all right, to find safety, but he also wanted them not to come into this building and risk him and Blaine.

Suddenly there was a strangled sort of cry, more animal than human and vaguely reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. It was a scratchy, ear-piercing sort of roar and it made Kurt's blood run cold.

The Zombies.

"Kate! Kate! For God's sake, Kate, run!" the man yelled, his voice carrying up from the street. The desperate sound was drowned out by another crash and a dying woman's scream. There was more yelling, another crash and then the second woman's cries.

"Jack! Jack!"

The man's voice - Jack's - was strained as he ordered, "Mary, go! Go now! Just go!" Another crash, a loud grunt, more of the animal like screeches. The was a loud yell of pain from the man that was quickly cut off.

Everything went silent apart from the occasional sounds from the streets. There was another animal cry, quieter and not as agitated, one of the zombies was probably communicating to the others. Kurt could hear movement in the street below; things being pushed aside, scraping along the ground, the tinkling of a rolling glass bottle and then the smashing of glass as though one of them stepped on it. The sounds faded away leaving them in the terrifying silence.

Blaine was shaking in his arms, and it was only when Kurt raised his hand to run through his curls that he realised he was shaking too. He pulled Blaine as tight as he could, protective arms shielding him from the world as he rained kisses down on his hair, his face and any part he could reach. It took him four tries before he managed to meet his lips, crushing Blaine against him in a desperate need just to know he was there with him.

A faint scream tore their lips apart. Blaine stared, white as a ghost at the window. "Wh- what is...?" he said in a scared and shaking voice.

"The other woman, I think," Kurt guessed, hating how his own voice shook. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and pulled Blaine back into his chest. "It sound like it's a few streets over. We'll be... We'll be fine."

Blaine nodded into his chest but didn't say anything. Kurt held him close, terrified he would slip away from him. He didn't know what would happen if they came back. Would they find them? Would they be able to fight them off? Blaine was immune, he should have a chance, and Kurt would make sure he got to the camps even if it meant he didn't.

Neither of them slept that night.

When they walked outside as the sun rose they couldn't stop their eyes from staring at the pools of fresh but almost dried blood. The bodies were gone; the zombies must have taken them back to one of the colonies. It made sense when you considered the fact that there were no dead bodies littering the streets. It was the only logical explanation. Neither of them ate, which was probably for the best right now. They'd need the little food they had left for strength tomorrow as they neared the outskirts of the city. The zombie colonies became more concentrated the further out in the city you went. There was more of a chance of catching a stray from one of the camps there than here was of finding anyone alive inside the city. Had Kurt and Blaine not been running out of food they would have stayed in their little apartment.

They found an abandoned antique store to stay for the night. Everything had been cleared out but the room in the back had a couch and a couple of blankets which they wrapped around themselves. Moonlight flooded the room, leeching the colour from everything. Kurt snuggled down closer into the couch and pulling the blankets tighter around where he lay with his cheek pressed Kurt's shoulder. If he tilted his head a little he could see the slope of his nose, the stubble along his jaw, the pout of his lips as he slept. The moon light accentuated his features and created shadows of his eye lashes across his cheekbones.

There was the sound of a gun fire some way off, followed not long after by three in quick succession. Blaine started awake and Kurt instinctively started combing his fingers through his hair. "Shh, it's okay, everything's fine," he said softy, ignoring the way he suddenly felt his palms become itchy. He saw Blaine's shoulders relax and nuzzle closer to him. He kept moving through Blaine's hair.

"You want to sleep? Properly, I mean?" Blaine offered. "I could stay awake."

Kurt shook his head. "No, I'm not tired," he lied, hoping Blaine would go back to sleep. He didn't and instead traced designs onto the fabric covering Kurt's chest without any aim or meaning. Kurt took hold of Blaine's hand, pulling it up to his lips and pressed a single kiss to the knuckle of his index finger and then held it against his chest again. They just lay there and listened to each other's breathing until it was time to get up and go again.

Kurt's neck was stiff as he pulled the ratty and torn coat on him and he rolled his head around to loosen it, ignoring the uncomfortable prickle underneath the skin that had joined his itching palms. He closed his eyes, breathing deep. This was it. He just had to get Blaine to the camp safely, as long as he did that he didn't care what would happen to him.

"Kurt?" He spun around to see Blaine fixing him with a worried looked. "Are you okay?"

Kurt blinked and then nodded. "Of course," he croaked and then cursed his rough voice. He cleared his throat and added, "I guess I am just a little more tired than I thought. I probably should have slept earlier."

"We could stay and go to the camps tomorrow?" Blaine suggested but Kurt was already shaking his head before he was even finished his sentence.

"No, the sooner we get to the camps, the better," Kurt said, pulling the rucksack up off the ground and sliding his arms through the straps. "I can, um, I can rest there."

He saw Blaine's Adams apple bob along his throat and knew he was refraining from calling Kurt out for lying. He tore his gaze away from Blaine and said in hard voice as he made his way out of the back room, "Come on, we should get going if we want to get there before night."

Blaine followed him out, swinging his own rucksack onto his shoulder, knocking over a coat stand by the door in the process. Kurt turned at the clatter to see him bending down over the fallen items. The owner must have left them behind. Kurt fell to his knees beside Blaine to see the three walking sticks beside the metal stand and Blaine turned to him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly and Kurt looked him, surprised at him for his apology.

"No, no, no, don't be sorry!" Kurt rushed, kissing his cheek and squeezing his shoulders. He picked up one of the sticks and tested the balance. "We can use these to help us get to the camps."

This idea seemed to please Blaine and he picked up one of the other sticks too as he stood. Kurt watched him test it a little and couldn't stop the smile on his lips until he realised what exactly Blaine would have to be defending himself from. He got up slowly and walked over to him, right up against him until he was close enough to pull him into a kiss.

"Wh… what was that for?" he said and it thrilled Kurt to hear him a little breathless. His eyes fluttered open and he was grinning up at him.

"I love you," he said simply. Blaine's smile turned soft but grew. He tugged Kurt forward until he was kissing him again.

Outside the sky was clear, clearer than it had been in weeks, shining down in a bright periwinkle blue of the morning sun. It couldn't have been any later than seven or eight but already there was heat lingering in the air that would only build as the day want on. Kurt double checked the water bottles they had left and then grabbed the hand that Blaine wasn't using to hold the walking sick, gripping his own in his free hand. The third one was poking out through a hole in his bag.

They stopped when the sun was high in the sky and slid into the shadows of a ransacked restaurant. Everything was gone so they sat in silence, nibbling on stale bread and sipping their rationed water. They stayed as long as they dared this far out in the city.

Kurt became more anxious as the day went on. His hands, arms and neck were all tingling uncomfortably, like pins and needles, and his throat was tightening, making him sound wheezy and out of breath. His head was pounding, a constant throb pulsing at the forefront of his skull but he ignored it, all of it, he wouldn't let this overtake him.

His nerves only heightened when the sun began to dip in the sky. They weren't as close as he would have like them to be to the camps and it would be too dangerous to stay here for the night. It was hard enough finding a safe path that didn't have colonies in the way, they had to backtrack more often than not and it set Kurt on edge. The only thing he had to anchor him was Blaine's hand in his.

The sky began to turn orange, dappling pink along the scrapings of clouds that had appeared throughout the day. Kurt quickened their pace. They had to be close, had to be! They turned another corner on to what had been a little one way street and were three feet down it when the saw the signs of a colony a few metres away. Backing up quickly they raced into another. Two colonies in this street. One in the next and four at the end of the street. It was too far and would take too much time to circle around them so Kurt made the only decision that seemed logical in this situation.

"We have to go through there," he told Blaine in a hushed voice, pointing to the street that had only one colony. Blaine's eyes immediately widened and he started shaking his head, opening his mouth to speak but Kurt cut him off. "We have to Blaine, it would take too long to go around - if we even could go around - and it will be dark soon."

"So we'll find somewhere to stay for the night," Blaine argued, gripping onto one of Kurt's arms as if to keep him from running off. "We've done it before."

"They'll find us, Blaine, there's so many of them out here it would be hard not to," Kurt told him. He didn't mention the fact that he also didn't think he's last that long until The Change happened. Tears prickled at his eyes and he blinked them away quickly. "We have to get to the camps tonight, Blaine, and right now that's the only way."

Blaine stared at him, searching his eyes. He knew Kurt was right and, with a sigh, his shoulders slumped and pressed a chaste kiss to Kurt's lips before nodding.

They didn't speak as they made their way down the street, linked by their hands and walking sticks in the others. The colony was about half of the way down and they winded their way through the rubbish and abandoned and damaged cars that were strewn haphazardly across the road. Kurt felt Blaine's hand tense and squeeze his as they passed one of the cars with its windows caved it and he didn't want to think about what he might have seen. As they neared the colony, Kurt became suddenly aware of a smell that made him want to gag. The smell of death, rot and decay filled their nostrils and lay in their mouths and throats and turned their stomachs. Kurt didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the way it seemed to taste in his mouth. Blaine tugged at his hand and he tugged back, pulling him forward, closer up against him.

"Kurt," Blaine hissed in his ear but he ignored him, needing to concentrate on their path so they didn't trip over anything. It was already hard to see in the fading light of dusk but Blaine just hissed again. "Kurt."

"Shut up, Blaine," he snapped quietly, sleeping over what might have once been a leather briefcase but now just lay shredded and torn.

"Kurt," he repeated and this time he could hear the quiver in his voice and it made Kurt's heart jump. He gave Blaine's hand a very tight squeeze but he was suddenly yanked back with Blaine yelling a very loud, very terrified, "Kurt!"

Kurt twisted around, pulling Blaine so he stumbled towards him and swinging his other arm around until the walking stick he was holding connected and splintered over the head of a person.

Or what had once been a person, he supposed, because this was certainly not a person any more. He watched the humanoid creature, with blue-grey skin and gangly limbs fall to the ground at the force of the blow. What little hair it had was thin, stringy and matted and growing from scabbed patches on his head. It twitched where it lay, the vague remnants of clothes pulled in strips across it's body. Open wounds along its arms and legs were black with rot and blood because that's all they are, a decaying vessel, rotting from the inside out. There were two more slowly making their way over to them, leering at them in a hungry way and letting growling, desperate sounds escape them. The smell was so strong now and he stared transfixed at the monster on the ground until Blaine's calls dragged him back to reality.

In an instant he and Blaine were running, sprinting away from the two oncoming zombies. They were faster now that their prey was escaping. Kurt didn't know where to run, where to go and the sight of more of these things coming out of a dark building up ahead made the blood in his veins run cold. He didn't slow down because he knew the ones behind them would show them no mercy.

When they passed it the idea hit him so suddenly that his body barely had time to react. He pulled Blaine into the narrow alleyway between two buildings, turning so sharply he really hoped he hadn't hurt Blaine. They charged down the gap not too much more than shoulder width wide and Kurt's chest tightened at how dim it was here in the twilight. He could barely make out ten feet in front of him and the terrifying screeching coming from behind them weren't easing his worries. They turned again and raced down behind the buildings, a brick wall trapping them in from the other side parallel to the street. There was another opening up ahead, another alleyway leading back out onto the street but as they neared it two more of the creatures crawled out from it. With a yell of surprise, Kurt pulled the other walking stick from the hole in his bag and swung it so it collided with the closest one, sending it crashing back into its friend.

"Quick, Blaine, hurry!" Kurt yelled as he jumped quickly over the two things on the ground and led them at top speed back into the main street. He chanced a look back at their pursuers and could see them tripping over those on the ground. At least he bought them some time. He glanced around the now empty street, trying to figure out what he could do. Something unusual prickled at his neck, as if it's trying to grab hold of him but he pushed the feeling aside and made his mind up to pull Blaine into a grocery store just across the street.

It wasn't big, defiantly not a chain store. Just inside the door was a single cashiers desk and behind that were chipped, white painted shelves. The shelves were movable metal frames, entirely empty and suddenly Kurt had an idea.

"Kurt, what the hell are we doing?" Blaine panted as they ran up and down the aisles, his hand still tightly in Kurt's.

"Leaving our scent."

There were only about five aisles so it didn't take long before they were leaning along the wall furthest from the door, trying to catch their breath and listening to the sounds of the monsters outside. Kurt's neck and throat felt like it has bugs crawling under his skin and he raked his nails across the flesh, no doubt leaving angry red marks.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Blaine asked, moving his hand to Kurt's shoulder and god, the worry in his voice made Kurt want to break down into tears, cling onto Blaine and never ever ever let him go. But that wasn't an option, it would never be an option again.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," he lied, rubbing his hand over his stomach. It felt like there were butterflies in there, but flesh eating butterflies that were devouring his insides.

"Kurt-" Blaine began but the creatures had made their way to the door of the little supermarket. Kurt straightened up and moved to the shelf directly in front of them. He placed both hands on the highest shelf, just above eye level, and motioned for Blaine to do the same.

"When I say, we're going to push the shelf over, okay?" Kurt whispered at him. Blaine sent him a quizzical look but nodded. He turned his attention back to their hunters and realisation dawned on him.

The creatures were following their scent, down one aisle and up another, until almost all of the grey skinned monsters were in the shop and there were only two shelves between them and Kurt and Blaine.

"Kurt..." said in a shaking voice as they neared but Kurt waited until the last of them were in the building.

"Now!" he yelled, just as the leader of the pack turned into the aisle directly in front of them.

They both pushed at the shelf and it moved easily under their combined efforts. They watched through the metal brackets as it knocked into the first two zombies, and then hit the second shelf with such a force that it too start to tip over. There was a domino effect, one shelf would crash into another, trapping the monsters underneath and causing the next one to topple over and repeat the action. Kurt and Blaine stood frozen and watched in almost slow motion until the last metal frame fell with a deafening crash. The air was filled with dust and the pained cries of the creatures all caught underneath.

"Shit."

The sound of Blaine's voice shocked Kurt back into life. He grabbed Blaine's hand again and quickly hurried them outside onto the quiet street. They rushed to the end of it and Kurt knew they weren't far from the camps now, no more than half an hour's journey but they hadn't made it more than a few feet before he doubled over, clutching at his stomach.

"Kurt!" Blaine cried, helping him hobble over to the wall of one of the nearby buildings and slide down into the ground. "Kurt, what is it, what's wrong!"

His stomach felt like it was burning from the inside. The skin all over his body was shivering uncomfortably and there was a horribly, scratchy, clawing feeling in his throat like something was trying to climb out. He let out a sound that was a mix of pain, anger and frustration.

"Blaine... you have... have to go," he hissed, pressing his hand painfully into his stomach in an attempt to lessen the gurgling feeling.

"No, Kurt, I'm not leaving you." Kurt looked at him, so worried, so scared but so perfectly unharmed. He looked so beautiful in the little light left behind by the sun.

"Blaine, please, just-" He let out another groan of pain. The clawing feeling was everywhere now, taking over him. "Just go, get- get to the camps!"

"Not without you!"

"Blaine!" he shouted, and Blaine froze halfway to picking him up. Kurt's breath was coming in short gusts as he looked up at him. "There is no use! It's happening... The Change... There's nothing we can do."

Blaine's eyes were filling with tears and the sight broke Kurt's heart. He never wanted to be the reason for making Blaine cry. "H-how long?"

Kurt gave another grunt of pain and said through gritted teeth, "it started sometime last night." Blaine's face twisted up and he looked away for a second as the first tear spilled over, leaving a glistening trail through the grime on Blaine's cheek.

"I'm not leaving you," he said in hard voice but it's wavering. Kurt reached blindingly out and knowingly Blaine slipped his hand into Kurt's. "I promised to love you no matter what-"

"Blaine," Kurt hisses at him, squeezing his hand painfully tight, "I did not go through all that - through fighting off nine fucking zombies - for you to turn around and do this to me." He held Blaine's hand to his cheek, closing his eyes at the feel and wincing as another uneasy and painful ripple shot through his body. "This is happening, Blaine, The Change is happening and you can't be here for it. I did not go to all this trouble to keep you safe just to end up killing you myself. Because you know that's going to happen."

He stared up at Blaine, willing him to understand that he didn't want Blaine to go but he needed him to go, needed him to be safe and alive. "Please, Blaine."

He dropped to his knees in front of Kurt and pressed their foreheads together. "I don't want to leave you," he said in a raspy voice. "I don't want to be without you."

"I know, I don't want to be without you," Kurt whispered back. He sucked in a breath through his clenched jaw. "Promise me you'll be strong? And that you won't do anything stupid, okay? Promise me you'll survive."

"I-I promise Kurt.

"I love you."

Blaine let out a choked sob, deep and gut wrenching. "I-I love you, t-too," he heaved and then suddenly he was kissing Kurt, long and passionate and it seeped into every vein and bone and he could feel Blaine's hot tears on his cheeks. It washed out the horrible feeling inside him, filling him with bliss. For just that moment all he knew was Blaine, all he saw was Blaine, all he felt was Blaine.

But then there was another stab of pain in his gut and a wounded cry rumbled up from inside him.

And Blaine was gone.

Kurt couldn't open his eyes, The Change was too intense and it seemed to be controlling every part of his body. He could still feel the ghost of Blaine's touch, of his kiss as he writhed on the ground. Blaine's the last person he thought of before suddenly there was a white hot, blinding pain running through him and he cried out the only thing he could think of.

Blaine.

Blaine sat on the ground with his back pressed to wall of the warehouse, knees pulled halfway to his chest. It was night but the bright lights shining out from the windows above spilled their glow onto the ground before him. He breathed hot air onto his chilling hands and rubbed them together through the fingerless gloves before tucking them under his arms. In his lap was a rifle. They had trained him once he had arrived at The Camp how to use it but he was lucky enough not to have had need for it yet. Their camp was one of the largest, the monsters knew to keep away. He didn't really like being on watch but everyone in the camp had to pay their dues. It was either this or tend to the vegetable gardens and Blaine wasn't very fond of the back pain that came with it. Plus this usually came with some much needed alone time.

The air was so still, so quiet. The thick walls of the warehouse trapped in the sound and gave the world outside an eerie silence. Any and every sound was amplified. Despite himself, Blaine felt his eyes shut as he slowly nodded off into a doze. It was a half sleep, he was still marginally aware of the world around him, so when he heard the crunch of gravel a few feet away he snapped forward, bending on one knee with the rifle poised and cocked in his hands.

"Whoa there, Blaine!" a familiar voice called from just beyond where the light reached. "It's just us."

He kept the gun in place but raised his head slightly for a better look. The speaker stepped into the light, a rifle of his own slung over his shoulder. He was a burly man with a rough face from years spent in the fire service. But it wasn't him Blaine was glad to see. A smile broke out across his features as the second man stepped into view.

"Mike Chang!" he greeted, lowering the gun and standing up. He nodded to the man who spoke as he passed him. "Edmund."

Edmund grunted in acknowledgement and gave a jerk of his hand almost like a salute. He stood in the doorway just beside where Blaine was sitting and glanced over his shoulder. "You coming, Michael?"

"I think I'll stay out here and keep Blaine company," Mike mused as Blaine returned to his sitting position and already fighting his drooping lids again. "It looks like he needs someone to keep him awake anyway."

Edmund gave another grunt and then glanced down at Blaine. "Eyes sharp, lad," he told him and Blaine automatically sat up straighter, mimicking his mock salute. "And careful where you point that gun."

With a wry grin, Mike sat down beside him. "It's Wednesday," he noted, "you don't do watch on Wednesday."

"Andrew's wife is having a baby within the next week or so," Blaine explained letting his head fall back against wall. "Everyone has been pulling extra weight to let them have some time together."

"That's sweet," Mike hummed. "So is all the extra work why you're sleeping on the job?"

Blaine's head dropped forward and his mouth set into a hard line as he stared at a pebble on the ground. It took him a moment to speak but when he did his voice was quiet. "It's our anniversary on Saturday." He didn't have to look at Mike to know he understood who exactly the other half of the 'our' he was referring to. Blaine took a deep a deep breath and let it out slowly. He felt Mike grasp his shoulder tightly.

"I came here a year and a half ago. A year and a half ago I left him all alone on the street and let something horrible take over him." He could still remember it clear as day - hiding behind the corner of a building, watching Kurt twist and writhe and cry out until soon his cries were more animal than human and screeching like nails dragged across a chalkboard.

He ran after that, stumbling his way, unable to get the image of Kurt - his Kurt - in so much pain and the horrible, gut wrenching feeling of not being able to do anything about it. He couldn't remember finding the camp, it was so dark and he just kept moving in the vague direction he knew it to be. People must have been on watch, much like he was now, and him tripping his way towards them. All he knew that after fitful days and nights of sleep he woke up in the infirmary of the camp, plagued with his last images of Kurt curled in on himself, with that god damn Hermes scarf still tied around his waist.

"How did your visit to Tina go?" Blaine said suddenly, dragging his mind away from images of Kurt. Mike's expression darkened.

"The zombie attacks on her camp are becoming more frequent," Mike told him. "I tried to get her to come back with me but she wouldn't leave her parents. I'm so worried about her." He paused for a second and turned to look at Blaine. "I want to go back to her, and stay there, but…"

"But what, Mike? She's there, she's alive and you have a chance to be with her," Blaine reminded him. "Personally I thought you were crazy for staying here this long when she went to stay with her parents." Blaine looked at him, trying to read his expression and then has to supress a groan. "Please, please don't tell me you've been staying here because of me."

"What? I can't stay here with my buddy?" he laughed, nudging Blaine with his shoulder. "When you first came here you… you were a mess, Blaine. I get that it's been a year and a half but how do I know it won't go bad again if I leave."

Blaine was silent for moment and then said in a sure voice, "Because I promised. I made a promise to Kurt."

He helped Mike pack his things the next day, unable to stop the grin that formed at seeing his friend's excitement for being with his wife again. He owed a lot to Mike since he came here, it wouldn't be right to keep him away from the one thing that made him truly happy.

Mike had been there when he woke up in the infirmary. He had been so surprised at seeing him but Mike had done everything for him. Both he and Tina had. If it wasn't for them, Blaine would have broken his promise to Kurt a long time ago and that would have been something he would have never been able to live with.

"Blaine, can you take this down to Edmund?" Mike asked. Blaine turned and caught the heavy jacket he threw from across the room. With a nod of affirmation he left.

The hallways of the camp were unusually loud as he made his way to the East wing where the higher ups lived with their families. But as he neared his destination the shouts grew louder and louder.

Blaine found himself running, skidding to a halt in front of Edmund's door. He swung open before he had a chance to knock and Blaine felt himself being rammed back into the wall behind, an iron hard arm pressing against his throat. A second later the pressure fell away.

"Sorry, Blaine," Edmund's grunted, stepping back. Blaine sent him a questioning look. Camp rules meant no hostility between refugees. Edmund's grim look sent Blaine's heart racing. "There's been a zombie attack. They're inside the building."

Blaine's eyes widened. "But how did they get in!"

"Ambushed the main door," he explained before glancing quickly into the room behind him. Blaine followed his gaze and saw his wife and two young daughters hiding just a little way in. "I have to go and help but…"

He trailed off and Blaine knew immediately what he needed. "I'll stay," he offered, gesturing into the room. "I'll look after them and you can go."

Edmund studied him for a moment a clapped him hard on the shoulder. "Good lad," he said and then turned to kiss his wife and daughters. The moment he had disappeared, Blaine ushered them further inside and closed the door but not a second later did the lights start to flicker. Blaine recognised the screech of the oncoming monsters and his whole body shivered. He crowded the woman – Joan, he thought her name was – and her daughters by the wall, getting them to hunch down and hovering over him as the animals cries became louder and louder until suddenly they were outside the door.

Everything went suddenly silent and Blaine thought maybe they had passed. He made to move towards the door but an ear piercing cry and a smash broke the door from its hinges and sent it spinning into the room. A single, blue-grey creature stumbled into the room, bringing with it the same horrible stench that Blaine could never get out of his senses. His heart was pounding in his chest and the only thing he registered was that he had to save these people. He spread his arms out, protected the three hunched on the ground as the zombie slowly limped towards him.

This was it. This was his end. Despite everything he was oddly calm. He would even go so far as he was ready to die, even. He took a deep breath and braced himself and he looked over the monster that would take his life. A very dirty, torn jacket that was so badly worn through that it was falling off the creature's shoulders, one shoe and a black and white Hermes scarf tied around its waist.

Blaine's heart stopped. And not because the zombie had ripped it from his chest. His mind was racing and he vaguely registered another screeching cry coming from outside but now that he looked it was so obvious. He knew that coat, he knew that shoe and he definitely knew that scarf.

"Kurt."

The monster stilled suddenly, its head tilting at Blaine. Those eyes, those were Kurt's eyes!

"Kurt," Blaine repeated with more confidence in his voice. He blinked at him, Kurt blinked at him with those eyes so full of-

There was a deafening howl behind him and two more zombies appeared in the door. One of them charged straight for Blaine and he threw up his arms in defence, waiting for the blow.

But it didn't come. All that came was a pained cry like an injured dog.

Blaine looked up to see his would be attacker lying curled on the ground beside the door and Kurt – because there was no way it wasn't Kurt – with his back turned to Blaine towering over him. The other zombie at the door took two steps forward into the room and instantly Kurt swiped at him, smacking him into the door frame. There was a low growling sound punctuated by a painful cry coming from Kurt and in seconds the two were scampering from the room at top speed. Kurt followed them but he paused briefly at the door, Blaine thought, to look at him.

Blaine was glued to the spot. He just stared at him until shouts down the hall startled Kurt and he ran, leaving Blaine staring after him as he cried out his animal like noise.

Kurt had just saved his life. His Kurt – Kurt the zombie – had just saved his life.

It was a while before he regained use of his limbs and when he did he raced straight to the infirmary, ignoring everyone's reports about how the monsters all seemed to fall back at the call of one of the zombies.

That was Kurt! Blaine couldn't help but think.

He charged into the backroom of the infirmary where there was a small little office and a lab combined to see a man in a grubby white Doctor's coat sitting at a desk. Blaine knew him well, even before the The Change began to take over. Kurt used to work with his sister, (Lisa, he thought her name was).

"Arthur, we need to find an antidote!" Blaine all but demanded. The man just looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Anderson, you're insane," Arthur told him. "You can't help, they're lost souls. I'm sorry, I know you miss Kurt but he's gone. There is no way you will ever get him back."

"I don't need to 'get him back' because he's still in there," Blaine stressed. He watched Arthur's brow furrow and Blaine explained what had happened during the zombie attack. When he had finished Arthur's eyes were wide and he was scribbling notes down in an old journal.

"Blaine, if what you're saying is true," Arthur began, getting up from his seat and walking around to stand in front of Blaine, "then we can get them back, all of them back, if we find an antidote."

"You have to do, Arthur, please," Blaine begged. The man stared at him for a moment before nodding to a coat rack by the door.

"Grab a lab coat, Blaine," he said. "I'm going to need your help."

Blaine threw his arms around him, feeling Arthur chuckle underneath him. This was it. He was finally going to get his Kurt back. And maybe even save the world doing it. He knew it would happen, because even in that creature's eyes, Blaine could see it.

Kurt was there. And Kurt still loved him.

He could get Kurt back!