I pushed the door open and hurried inside, shivering as I looked out at the horrifying darkness of the night. I closed the door behind me gently and smiled as I noticed Leorio asleep in the stiff armchair with a lit candle beside him on the table so the room was lit just barely enough to see our surroundings. I knelt down beside him and tapped his shoulder, calling his name until he woke up with a small gasp.

Once he had fully registered his surroundings, he grinned widely and hugged my shoulders. "Gon! Why did you come back so late, I was starting to get worried. I was waiting forever!" He whisper shouted, gently shaking me back and forth. I took his arms off of me and held up a bag, before placing it on the floor again. "Well, I found what we were looking for, which was a lot more difficult than you'd think." Inside the bag were food and some simple knives I'd found in a 'Kitchen Cutlery' store on the other side of town.

"I bet that couch isn't all that comfortable, why don't you go upstairs?" I offered but cringed slightly as id remembered that we slept on the floor on a couple of stinky blankets we found in a closet. "Or maybe not. You can sleep down here if you'd like." He seemed to have his mind made up already, as he was walking up the stairs already. "No way, there are weird noises every once in a while and that means I'll be the first dead if a walker breaks in, so I'm not taking any chances."

Upstairs were two rooms, the one closest to the stairs was a bathroom and the farthest was an empty room. There was a closet built into the wall just in front of the empty room where we found some blankets and pillows. The bathroom looked old-fashioned, with a blue-tiled floor and a white polished sink and toilet side by side. Above the sink was a mirror, and on the other side of the room was a bathtub and shower, with a white, cyan spotted curtain.

We walked past that door and settled into our very thin bed covers. "I'm not feeling well right now, Gon. My head is pounding." Leorio groans and stretches into a starfish position, discarding his blankets. "We'll see how you feel in the morning; just try to sleep for now," I tell him, almost utterly forgetting about his previous job.

-------------------------

"Leorio, your burning up!" I exclaimed with one hand on his forehead. Leorio looked up at me with a dazed expression, rosy cheeks, and a runny nose. I could only conclude one thing, which was that Leorio was definitely sick. I took a cup of water and poured the fluid onto a clean cloth, folding it before placing it on his forehead.

"Well... I'll go out and find you some medicine. Uh, what should I look for?" I question, trying to recall if I'd seen a medical hospital or a drug store in the area. Leorio rubbed his chin slightly and sighed. "I think... Maybe some Tylenol? I think that would help. And thanks Gon, I know this is trouble." He closed his eyes and leaned back onto the blankets, adjusting the towel.

I frowned and patted his shoulder. "This is no trouble, it's nothing you can control. I'll be back soon, alright? I'll keep the water bottle here if you need to switch the towel." I stood and walked to the door, turning in the doorway and making a heart with my hands, smiling as he chuckled. And then I was off, without anything but a knife made for chopping food. I really need my backpack back.

We woke up not long ago, and the sun was shining brightly on the town. I took a step outside and locked the door from the outside with the key Leorio had found when we first found this place, then stuffed it back into my pocket before walking down the sidewalk. It was usually dangerous around these parts, but it could also be peaceful at times. It wasn't like that today; I could hear groans and steps now and then.

I stepped into an empty alleyway, fiddling with my knife as I got to the other side, stopping in my tracks because I'd seen a group of walkers tearing pieces out of each other and stuffing their mouths full as if they hadn't eaten in weeks, out of the corner of my eye. It was truly terrifying, and these creatures are notorious for being unpredictable.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side, and I managed to drop my knife to the ground, attracting the attention of the half-eaten walkers. I quickly grabbed the knife and ran as soon as I could, knowing they wouldn't be far behind. I entered another alleyway, and I'm sure I could have lost them by now if I hadn't cut my leg on some barbed wire that had been lying on the ground.

I hissed in pain as I rounded another corner, and they followed. It baffled me how something dead could move so quickly. Straight ahead was a single store with the words 'Medical Clinic' in large letters on the front. I hadn't noticed that spot before.

As I limped in pain, I observed a longish cut in my leg, but it wasn't deep enough to draw a dangerous amount of blood. I tightened my grip on the knife. I knew I'd lose if I tried to fight them off. With my leg in this condition and about five walkers opposing me, victory would be a miracle. So, if I wanted to prolong my life, I'd go into hiding.

I pulled open the doors of the clinic and slammed them shut, taking the broom which was coincidentally placed right beside the door, and stuffed it between the door handles. I sighed as they eventually caught up and started banging on the doors.

I needed to find something much more stable to barricade the door, but before I could, strong arms wrapped around my waist, and a chin rested on my shoulder. "Did you miss me?" I stiffened and just stood there like an idiot until I pushed his arms away from me and I was faced with none other than Killua.

I was in shock. It wasn't too long since we had seen each other, but it felt like such a long time. His clothes were cleaned and he looked a bit neater, but that wasn't what I was focused on. I grinned and pulled him into a hug, and he laughed before hugging back. I suddenly pulled back and punched him in the shoulder not so gently. "Where did you go? you left us, all alone. I spent every night and day wondering if you were still alive, or how you were doing, but you were fine all along. You didn't leave a note or anything!" I rambled, my eyes tearing up.

He frowned and pulled me into a hug again, rubbing my back soothingly. "It's a long story, are you sure you want to hear it?" He asked as if it wasn't obvious. "We haven't seen each other in how long? I've got forever to listen to you." I tugged his shirt and he let go of me, and I pulled him into a gentle kiss. "I l- missed you," I said. He smiled softly and we both leaned in again.

Someone cleared their voice from behind Killua, and I jumped slightly in surprise. "Sorry to ruin your moment, just didn't think I'd want to see that." I froze, stepping away from both Killua and the other. "Well if you don't want to see it then step outside with the walkers because this is my boyfriend and we can do whatever we want," Killua argued, but the man stepped around killua and towards me. With wide eyes, all I could say was,

"Dad?"

"Yes Gon, it's me, your dad."

"I fricking KNEW it!"