HIGHWAY
TO DAEJEON,
S. KOREA.
10:45 AM, 20th September.

The truck a constant charity of buzz under their numb butts, their scenery instigating a flourish of hues brought about by several demolished gas stations and restaurants, a surreal touch to their sorry wreckage.

Taehyung mulled over various speculation the during the ride, settling upon the fact how Jeongguk, from Busan till present, has been awfully quiet. He recalled the night before, when the older gallantly dodged the askance of being a guest of his dear brother, Hoseok. Perhaps it was the latter who Jeongguk was afraid to converse about.

In the end, Taehyung couldn't stand it, as they neared the city limits, so he uttered in an undertone, his eyes rested upon Jeongguk's frame, the morning sunlight a holy glow to his pale skin, "What's so bothering about your brother, Jeongguk?" The person glances for a beat at the voice, his sight back at the smooth road once again.

"Hyung to you, Taehyung. Jeongguk hyung." He mumbled back, his lips a pout of slight pique, proceeding more loudly, "And nothing is bothering me." Taehyung knows he's lying, with the older's eschewed scrutiny, dismissive vowels.

So, he pressed adamantly, despite the constrain of further dialogue by Jeongguk, hitting it pin-point; "You never assumed your Hoseok hyung would kiss another guy, did you? Offended he never told you about his sexuality?" He caught a minuscule twitch of muscles in Jeongguk's physique.

Nonetheless, the reply is insouciant, breezy, "Yeah, I guess. Of all people, I never once considered Hobi hyung to be... queer."

"Say what?" said Taehyung sharply.

Jeongguk's features warp in a defensive approach, readjusting his say, "As in, half gay." Taehyung's stare was remoulding into a glare, the older clutched in a tight spot, "Bisexual. Rainbow power? Nothing bad in that!" His tone attained to a certain pitch, utterly disheveled, "Truly - I'm one of them!"

Wait, what.

Albeit to Taehyung's staggering deem, Jeongguk's face contorts in a miffed scowl at the view out front, jaw clenched as he voiced, "Oh, come the fuck on!" To which the younger, recovering, perceived their barricaded pathway, several ditched cars jam-packed on the bridge's mouth, and a stretching distance forward, the structure ravaged to halves.

Taehyung stumbled upon his words, still hugely disoriented, "What do we do now?" The wide river flowing underneath the bridge roared, with rocks jutting out of it: crossing it would be suicide.

Jeongguk's respond was brisk, imprudent of their previous tête-à-tête, "There's a hike up the hill north-west, through the suburbs, might take a day. Gotta be on foot, the infected are lured by even a small click. There might be soldiers, too." He goes on, squinting in the said direction, "There's another bridge, that's our only way to Seoul."

Taehyung frowned, hating the thought of journeying on foot once more. "I'll get our stuff, then," he grumbled, springing out of the pickup, missing Jeongguk's curt nod.

The former hasn't resolved with Jeongguk's exposure yet, hence he pondered on their trek, taking advantage of the elder's lull, a trip down a memory lane, his feet robotically in pursuit of the other; the soothing song one night on the roof, the benign actions, a tenacious temperament of undying protectiveness of not handling guns of any sort, periodic concerns.

It can't be. Can it? He wondered as they edge up, mind a clutter of thoughts hither and thither.

Taehyung's nose was itching achingly, his body reacting instantly and he gives a mighty thunderous sneeze, making Jeongguk flinch terribly, his hiss following, "Jesus!"

"Sorry!" breathed back Taehyung, heart drumming in his chest. Anyone else didn't hear them, did they? He scoured his surroundings. They were on the purlieu of a neglected neighbourhood, concrete houses and the same-old, same-old wilderness, reeking of broken sewer pipes and decomposes.

Taehyung assumed they were safe, so did Jeongguk, as they crawled through the bushes of someone's (probably dead) backyard, their shins scratched with the spikes, their mouths clasped shut, bearing the agony of it all.

There's a short gasp few meters from them, up on the street maybe, and the sonorous shout shaking the pair up, "MATES, GET OVER HERE! I THINK WE HAVE SURVIVERS!" Taehyung breath hitched, he shot an inquiring look at Jeongguk, who shook his head in dismay, They'll kill us and take our supplies.

Taehyung muttered, few air particles away from Jeongguk, his adrenaline rushing back, quivering a little, "Run like crazy?" The older had a mole under his nose, Taehyung only noticed -

He nods, shortly, his sturdy profile tensed up. Through the gaps in the plants, Taehyung scanned their opening, an empty alley straight head. He gestured at it, Jeongguk bobbing his head, lips apart. A humongous tanker rolled up on the street, and Taehyung almost lost his shit.

Up to ten soldiers, fashioned in camo and heavy armour, marched, poking the bushes (literally) for the said survivors.

One gruffly barked, "Hyun, I don't think there is anyone around, you dumbfuck!" A few laughed along with him. No one seemed to come near the two veiled behind the greenery.

A bead of sweat, despite the coolness of autumn, slipped down Taehyung's face, his limbs trembling with fear. Jeongguk, upon examining him, wrapped his masculine fingers around Taehyung larger hand, tightly as to stop it shaking, who was too petrified to acknowledge all this.

The band of soldiers were persistent in their lookout, so Jeongguk, still holding Taehyung hand, fixated his gaze on the younger, silently asking him to be prepared.

Just as the tanker riled afar from the alley they were aiming for, all the soldiers a fair distance away, Jeongguk and Taehyung jumped to their feet, and, without looking back, ran like crazy, deeper into the residence, a hoot and gunshots resonating behind them.

Out of the alley, dodging bullets, half-tripping, laboured breaths, farther in they go, desperate. Jeongguk, upon realising they lost the men for now, dashed up a metal staircase, Taehyung's hand in his, shoulder a door open, blurry, closing it after Taehyung fell through, unsteady.

But an arm snuck around Jeongguk, aggressive and buff, clutching the guy in a neck-aching grip, another presence Jeongguk wasn't able to figure, fighting back weakly, his face swelling red.

-

+ merry christmas/
happy holidays !!
if u celebrate it, i
just wanted you to
know that its alright
if you didn't get
gifts. i just hope you
make through your
tough times. pls
take care of
yourself !!