The Rescue [Zombie_In_A_Box and Koe-chan]

[BlaqueCatt]

Koe-chan's Character

 

Kerry Breckenridge

Age 24

 

 

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Zombie's Character:

 

Logan Schmidt

Age: 21

 

 

 

 

---

The words were still ringing in his ears. Expelled. That happened three days ago, and he still couldn't process it. He didn't believe these things even happened. He lost all contact with his parents, too, and his rent was due tomorrow... He had no money to pay for it. Everyone abandoned him, his parents, his friends, even the cause for being expelled - the professor he'd begun dating. Logan doubted everyone who told him it wouldn't end well. The man was so nice to him, so what if he was more than ten years older than him? They were made to be together... Or so he thought, until he found out about his marriage. That was the day after his expulsion, the last thing he wanted to hear. He crumbled, completely.

 

Gathering what strength he still had, the blond gathered all his stuff into a backpack; what he could carry, that is. His remaining few dollars he put into his wallet and left the apartment. He could sell some things, and if it came to it, he'd beg for money from others. With these dark thoughts in his head, Logan stepped out into the street. He had no idea how he was going to continue living, what he would do and where he would go. Maybe he should just jump off some bridge and let the universe be rid of his useless life?

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry's milk-chocolate brown eyes stared blankly at the cream-colored wall across from him as he mechanically wiped the surface of a crumb-covered table with a wet cloth. His expression was distant, as if the young man's mind were somewhere else, and every so often his eyebrows would furrow and his lips would press together in a grimace of concern. This was a strange sight for his coworkers; they had never seen him without a shy smile on his face, and he was always attentive to his work, even though he was easily distracted. It was obvious that something was bothering the brunette, and everyone present wanted to provide some sort of assistance, as Kerry was like the mother who held all of them together.

 

The three other staff members that belonged to the small, family-owned cafe stood behind the counter, whispering amongst themselves as they watched Kerry clean tables that had already been dealt with minutes before. "We have to do something," said a blonde teenage girl, her big green eyes staring at the faces surrounding her pressingly. "The cafe closed five minutes ago, but he hasn't even noticed!" The last customer's exit had momentarily startled Kerry out of his reverie, as the bell above the door had a tinny, metallic ring to it, but he had quickly fallen back into his thoughts. No one else had gone home yet because they feared that Kerry would be stuck polishing the same table for hours.

 

"I'll talk to him." A man who was a few years older than Kerry slipped away from the group and walked over to the quietly suffering employee. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and tapped Kerry on the shoulder. Kerry jumped about a foot in the air and dropped the cloth, spinning around and fixing the man with wide brown eyes. The man smiled sheepishly, and Kerry's cheek flushed in embarrassment. "Um, it's time to head home," the man said. Kerry blinked and looked around, his lips forming an 'o' when he realized what he had been doing.

 

"I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, fixing all of them with an abashed smile that was slightly forced. "I didn't mean to keep you all here. You should have gone home by now!" Before anyone could respond, he went behind the counter and placed the cloth in one of the metal sinks before grabbing his coat from the hook on the wall. He tugged it on over his red-and-black uniform, then made his way to the door. "I'll see you on Monday!" He waved and was gone in an instant, leaving the rest of the staff standing dumb-founded and worried in the empty cafe.

 

Kerry sighed once he was outside, shoving his hands into his pockets. Logan hadn't visited the cafe in days. He had been a regular, like many of the college students in the area, and he and Kerry had gotten along rather well; the older man liked to think of them as friends. I hope nothing happened to him...I'm just being paranoid. He probably has a lot of work... He stumbled as he collided head-on with another person on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry--!" He cut himself off when he saw who was standing in front of him. "Logan?" His relieved smile vanished when he saw the overflowing bag and the redness of the younger man's eyes. "Logan? What happened?" He had taken on his motherly tone and hesitantly reached out towards him.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan stared at his feet as he walked, unsure of where he was headed. His body was forcefully stopped as someone bumped into him and he nearly lost balance, but somehow managed to keep standing. The voice that reached his ears was familiar, but in his current state he couldn't recognize to who it belonged until he looked up. His lower liptrembled as a child's, eyes filling up with tears again; his glasses had been dirtied before by them already, now it would be even worse.

 

"I... I got exp-..." His voice was cut off by a lump in his throat as he clenched the straps of his bag, his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried not to cry. Logan was usually smiling, happy and carefree, he didn't let the stress get to him, but this was too much. He didn't manage to just push it away and focus on something good... Because he didn't find anything good at the moment. He was alone, with no money, no job, no place to live in. He was getting closer and closer to the idea of just giving up.

 

After a bit of trying to keep himself together, Logan's walls broke down and tears slowly rolled down his cheeks. He was feeling so helpless, he had no idea what to do now. He knew what he needed, but he had no clue how to get it.

[BlaqueCatt]

The slight tremble of Logan's lower lip and the tears threatening to spill from his bright blue eyes brought an unbearable ache to Kerry's chest. Something horrible must have happened to cause such a playful, lighthearted young man to fall to pieces in the middle of the street on a chilly autumn night. "Hey, it's all right," Kerry reassured him, his need to nurture overtaking his urge to panic. There has to be a reason why he's not at home or at school...and why his bag is full of clothes. The blonde attempted to speak, and Kerry himself nearly broke at the pain and loss within the others' voice. He acted on instinct then and gently hugged the former student, holding him close and letting him cry for several moments. He wasn't sure if this was appropriate, but he felt as though they were friends by this point, and friends were supposed to do this for each other. "You don't have to tell me now," he said softly, pulling away and giving Logan a small smile. "You can come to my apartment and tell me when you're ready. I don't mind having guests." He could tell that Logan needed someone to comfort him, and he had a sinking feeling that the younger man didn't have a place to go.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan choked down a sob when he was hugged, tightly wrapping his arms around the other as he willed himself to stop the tears. He didn't cry that often, it was a rare sight for anyone to see him sad, even. Even though no more tears escaped his eyes, the blond still looked rather helpless. Kerry's words, however, nearly had him sobbing - how could he be so nice? The man only nodded, as he didn't trust his voice enough to try and say something. He quickly wiped off a stray tear before taking in a deep breath and shakily exhaling. "You... You don't have to do this." Logan muttered out, swallowing down the lump in his throat before managing a smile. He was trying, and pretty hard at that, to look like he was alright.

[BlaqueCatt]

When Logan returned the hug, wrapping his arms around Kerry and holding onto him tightly, the brunette closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his own tears from falling. He was an extremely sensitive person, and he hated seeing anyone upset, especially those he cared for. I can't start crying...it will only make things worse. The older man took a deep breath to calm himself, and then pulled away, though he remained in close proximity to the blonde. "I don't have to, but I want to," Kerry replied, his expression becoming even softer when Logan tried to smile. "We're friends, aren't we?" He reached out and gently pushed against Logan's shoulder, steering him down the sidewalk. "I don't have a car, but my apartment is just a few blocks away. Is that okay?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan sniffled softly, a small, yet honest smile tugging at his lips as he nodded at the question. Perhaps he did have one friend left... But Kerry didn't know what and why happened. The blond was sure he'd be rejected by him as well once the truth surfaced... And he was too honest to lie about anything. After a few steps the teen stopped, his hands clenching into fists as he braced himself. "No, wait... Kerry, I... I was expelled for d-... Dating my professor..." Logan admitted hesitantly, mentally preparing himself for disgust, anger and being pushed away.

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry froze upon hearing the younger man say his name so brokenly. His brown eyes widened and he turned around, staring at the blonde with surprise and confusion written across his features. "Hey, if it's too hard to say we can wait--" He was cut off by Logan's confession, and for several moments he simply stood there, processing the information. Then his eyes narrowed and, for the first time in years, the brunette felt anger bubbling within him. "Since when is loving someone a crime?" he demanded, more to himself than to Logan. "You weren't hurting anyone by caring for your professor. You didn't do anything wrong." He glared at the sidewalk, then sighed, deflating considerably. "That kind of thing is new for a lot of people, and they're not used to it, but they have no right to expel you for it. It's like expelling someone for being homosexual." He had no idea that the professor had been male, or that Logan's family had cut off ties with him due to their illogical shame. "Do you want me to speak to the school?"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Kerry's words were sucessful in making his eyes fill up with tears again. No, he did cause harm, to the marriage, to his parents... The blond hiccuped softly as he tried to wipe his tears off, looking like a child. He shook his head when he heard the question; if he came back to the university, he would, first of all, have to pay, probably. He was sure his scholarship would be useless. Besides, everyone would know what happened and he wasn't sure he would be able to handle it. No, at the very best, he would try to get in a different college, somewhere further away from this one. The blond continued desperately wiping away any tears that escaped, biting down on his trembling lip as he attempted to calm down, at least a little bit. "I am gay, though..." He muttered once he got his voice back, unwilling to go anywhere with Kerry until he knew everything. "And the pro... Pr... Professor, he-... He was married, and he didn't tell me... Tell me until he broke up with me!" The man sounded hurt, betrayed even. He couldn't believe he was used like that...

[BlaqueCatt]

Logan's unbelievably sad expression - the tears flooding his eyes, the soft hiccuping noises that he struggled to stifle, the way in which he wiped at his cheeks as if he were no more than four years old - had Kerry's stomach lurching and his words catching in his throat. He timidly reached out towards the younger man, compelled to hug him once again and comfort him, but he was worried about how the blonde would react. "Logan--"

 

"I am gay, though...And the pro... Pr... Professor, he-... He was married, and he didn't tell me... Tell me until he broke up with me!" Kerry's brown eyes widened, and he gaped slightly, his mouth open as if to say something, but no sound came out. Then, he shook his head and threw caution to the wind, enveloping the taller man into another hug, his head only reaching Logan's chest.

 

"Logan," he murmured, gently, "You did nothing wrong. Being gay is completely natural. And it was the Professor's fault for getting you into such a situation. He let his lust cloud his judgement." The brunette pulled away and smiled again, though it was weaker than before. "What I say might not make you feel any better, but I'm not mad at you, and you're still welcome to stay with me for a while. If there's anyone I'm mad at, it's your professor. He should be fired for doing such a thing!"

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

This time Kerry's actions caused his tears to spill freely, quiet sobs sometimes coming from him as he hugged the other tightly, hiding his face in the man's hair. The blond hiccuped softly; telling Kerry what happened just made everything hurt again. Maybe it was part of the healing process, but it hurt so bad... As the older man spoke, Logan could barely believe what he was hearing - not one of his friends tried to stand up for him. Not even his parents... And now a man he only knew because he happened to go to a certain cafe was willing to help him. Life was weird sometimes.

 

"You'll r-really take me in?.." The blond managed to ask in between the quiet sobs, slowly calming himself down. It was hard to, but he knew he must've looked stupid like that; clinging onto Kerry and sobbing his eyes out. "I'm sorry..." Logan found himself apologizing, unsure himself for what. For crying, for being expelled, for telling the truth... He didn't know anymore, he just felt like he had to.

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry closed his eyes when the younger man returned the hug, lightly rubbing his back with his right hand in a comforting gesture. He didn't even react to the feel of warm tears wetting his straight black hair, giving Logan some more time to let it all out. His method of handling the situation may have seemed strange to some - after all, he had only seen the blonde a few times, and their meetings had been brief - but he was of a gentle nature and enjoyed helping people, even those he didn't know. This didn't make him naive, as he was careful and a good judge of character, but he considered Logan to be his friend, or at least someone he wanted to get to know better, and it was impossible for him to turn someone he knew away when they were in such a state. "Of course I will. And don't be sorry." Once they were parted for the third time, and took a few steps back, motioning down the street. "Come on, my apartment is this way."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan was so glad Kerry held him like that... It felt awfully nice, even if he felt a bit like a child. He liked being held, he always had. It calmed him down, and being calmed down was what he required a little bit too frequently.

 

After pulling away, the man rubbed at his eyes again before nodding, managing a smile. "Thank you so much." He muttered out before following Kerry to his apartment. The rest of the way he stayed quiet, getting himself under control. Logan didn't exactly enjoy crying, but it helped him get some bad emotions out, quite literally.

 

He planned on staying long enough to find a job and earn enough for his own place. Perhaps then he'd think about going to college; obviously a different one than he went to. Even if he was allowed to get back,he couldn't.

[BlaqueCatt]

They reached the apartment complex within ten minutes, and Kerry let out a relieved sigh when the front door came into view. "It's really cold tonight, isn't it?" he commented, pulling his coat tighter around himself with his left hand while his right turned the door knob. "My apartment is on the second floor," he told the younger man once they had stepped into the lobby. He led the way to the elevator and ushered Logan inside before pressing the white button with a faded '2' printed in black. The elevator ride was awkwardly silent, as the blonde was still upset and Kerry had always been shy, even around his friends. Now that the initial panic was gone, he felt embarrassment blossom within his chest. I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable... The doors opened with a 'ping', and Kerry stepped out first. The third door on the left was his, and he rummaged through his coat pockets for a key. He ended up finding it in his pants pocket, and he blushed slightly, giving Logan a sheepish smile before opening the door.

 

"Here we are," he said, letting the younger man enter first. It was a small apartment, and the furniture was simple. The rooms were all in perfect order, and everything was organized. "I don't have a spare room, but the couch is a pull-out," he said, shrugging off his coat and hanging it on a hook by the door. "Are you hungry? I can make something."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

"Yeah, it is..." Logan agreed, showing no signs of wishing to continue the conversation. He was still calming himself down. He would be fine now, or so he thought. He didn't know Kerry all that well, he had no idea what to expect, even. As both of them rode up the elevator, Logan shifted a little bit uncomfortably, the silence slowly suffocating him. Even so, he didn't know what to say. He felt pretty damn hopeless in this situation, he really didn't want to be a burden for Kerry. He felt like he was, though.

 

"I, um... No, I'm not. Thank you, though." Logan answered, a bit shyly as he stepped in. He took off his backpack and placed it by the door, then took off his shoes and jacket. "Your apartment's so nice..." Logan muttered as he walked towards the other man, ruffling up his hair before taking off his glasses to clean them. "I can take care of the cooking, that's probably the only way I could repay... And laundry, I could clean too!.." Logan spoke, looking at Kerry for a while before biting down on his lip. "I won't stay here too long, I promise. I just need to find a job and get enough money to afford my own place, then I'll be out." He promised, letting out a soft, somewhat shaky sigh. Saying it was a lot easier than doing.

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette glanced over his shoulder at Logan, as he had moved into the kitchen after hanging up his coat. He gave the younger man an understanding smile. "Okay. Make yourself comfortable." He pulled open the refrigerator door and bent over, searching the shelves. He bit his lip as he considered his options, then settled on taking out a carton of orange juice. When he stood, the blonde was behind him, and he muttered a soft apology as he slipped past Logan to grab a glass in the cabinet behind him. "Thank you," he replied, setting the glass on the counter and pouring the juice into it. Once it was halfway full, he put the carton away. Just as he was about to take a sip of the juice, the younger man spoke. Kerry stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, and then smiled widely. "That's nice of you, but you don't have to do any of that. I don't mind if you really want to, though."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan knew he'd feel bad if he just laid around doing nothing when Kerry might've saved his life with this gesture. "When do you have to wake up tomorrow? I'll make breakfast." He said, rather firmly. He hated feeling in debt for anyone, even the smallest kind of help had to be repaid. He didn't mind if others didn't repay him, though. Logan just found it nice to help others, it gave him a certain sense of achieving something good. If he lazed around the house all day and in the evening went out to feed the strays, that alone was good; maybe not good enough, but not as bad as doing absolutely nothing. He had an extremely soft and warm heart, not to mention how emotional he was.

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry took a moment to recall his schedule. The next day was Thursday, which meant he had the morning shift, rather than the afternoon shift. "My shift starts at eight o'clock, the time that the cafe opens. I'll probably have to get up at seven." He made his way into the living room and sat down on the couch, taking a sip of the orange juice before resting the glass in his lap. "It's really nice of you to offer," he said, smiling genuinely at Logan. "Usually I just eat something from the cafe when I get there." There was a moment's pause, and then the brunette asked, "Do you want to take your things out of your bag? I can fold them and put them away in the closet down the hall." He was hoping that doing so would give the blonde a sense of comfort, as if this was his home.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan made a mental note for himself to get up at least at six thirty to make something warm for breakfast. During his free time, the man enjoyed watching cooking shows or learning new recipes; mainly because his mom was a professional chef and would always prepare the most interesting meals... Thinking about her had frustration and sadness bubbling up inside him. "I'll make something. Are you a vegetarian?" Logan asked, nervously clenching the hem of his shirt. He himself couldn't imagine a life without meat. He was used to eating at least five times per week. "Oh, um... I'll do it myself, if you can tell me where." He said with a small, hesitant smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry shifted onto his knees and turned his body, resting his arms on the back of the couch so that he was facing Logan, the glass of juice hanging from his right hand. "I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't have any food allergies," he replied, the small smile still on his face. The blonde was extremely cute at the moment, what with how flustered he appeared while trying to do something nice. Why would anyone toy with someone like him? Kerry wondered, a sense of frustration rising within him when he thought of the professor who had used the younger man. He was drawn from his thoughts by the blonde speaking up. "You can use whatever's in the kitchen. Hopefully I have enough. And don't forget to make something for yourself, too. I don't like eating alone."

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan smiled shyly, nodding slightly as Kerry answered. "Okay... Is there anything you don't like? Spices, any meals, preparation of meals?" He questioned, as he was a fan of using a lot of spices. Logan liked vibrant tastes, so to say. If it was spicy, it was really spicy. Same with sweetness or sourness. He could make a lighter meal too, but he always preffered nice seasoning. "Oh, thank you!" He smiled a bit wider, finally looking like he was relaxing. "I'm really, really thankful you let me stay here... I don't know what I'd if you hadn't." Logan admitted with a saddened smile, quickly brushing at his eyes when he felt there was a slight chance of tears coming out. If anything, he would be able to cry at night, when no one saw him.

[BlaqueCatt]

The brunette's smile faltered when Logan brushed at his eyes to ward off the potential reappearance of tears, but he did his best not to let his discomfort show on his face; he didn't want to make the younger man uncomfortable just as he was starting to relax. "Hmm..." He distracted himself from the concern that had made itself known within him once again by considering what foods he liked and what he didn't like. He wasn't a picky eater, and he was open to trying most things, but he had never had time to experiment with food, even if he was a decent enough cook. "There aren't many things I dislike," he said, tilting his head slightly, a thoughtful expression on his pale face. "I don't really like sour things, and I have a low tolerance for spicy foods." His cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment and his smile became a bit more shy as he brushed a strand of inky black hair behind his ear.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Logan could feel something inside him just cracking. Low tolerance for spicy foods? Well, this would be hard. "Okay... Anything else?" Although he tried to hide his disappointment, a hint of it stayed in his voice. He supposed he could always just add the spices to his own meals and leave Kerry's untouched. Although it was always better to add spices before cooking, this could be a compromise. The blond let out a soft sigh as he sat down on the armchair, lightly messing up his hair. He still hadn't told Kerry so much - not even the fact that his parents cut all ties with him. Should he?..

[BlaqueCatt]

Kerry immediately detected the disappointment lacing Logan's words, and his smile faded, replaced with a small frown. "Did I say something that bothered you?" He asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. He replayed his answer to the blonde's question in his head, but he couldn't remember saying anything offensive. He slid off of the couch and placed the glass of juice on the table before turning to face the younger man, his expression now a mixture of worry, guilt, and confusion. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to upset you."