Find Your Ground (boyxboy / lgbtq+)

Chapter 6

It was like a dance.

Connor watched as Abe's blade sliced through another rotting, walking corpse, and the thing fell gracefully at his feet like it was a choreographed waltz. A second, and then a third went down, all from a smooth series of short, flowing strokes. Abe was a master at his art, the blade being just an extension of his body. It was incredible to watch, soothing, enough that Connor had started to wonder what it meant when his favorite pastime had become watching someone cut through dead bodies like they were made of butter.

Amir pulled the truck through the gates and Abe started loading deadies into the bed. Once the group was gathered up, Amir and Abe would take them to The Pit, an eighteen-foot trench about forty miles away. There they would unload the bodies and burn them. This process had to be done a few times a week to prevent the deadies from piling up outside the compound. The more deadies in one place, the more likely there would be more coming. Best to keep the numbers under control.

Abe had only been with the camp for a week, but he had fast become something of a celebrity with the story of how he had saved their beloved leader and the rest of her team. The fact that he could dispatch a deadie quicker than most was a nice bonus.

Connor leaned against the bricks and continued to watch as they readied the truck. There were a lot of things that made Abe interesting to the rest of the camp, but most of those Connor didn't think twice about. What Connor liked about Abe was the way he stood, the way his body seemed relaxed but was ready for action at any moment. They were about the same height, about an inch shy of six feet, and while Abe wasn't skinny like Connor, he was slender, muscled in a low-key kind of way like a swimmer, or runner. He wasn't a big guy, but there was something about Abe that made him seem larger than he really was. There was something unassuming about his presence, but it filled the rooms he occupied. It was hard not to feel when he was close, and even harder not to look at him.

Connor was aware he was spending a significant amount of time watching Abe. Thinking about Abe. Watching Abe while thinking about how he shouldn't be thinking about Abe. But he couldn't help it, Abe was fascinating.

Abe also knew when to ask questions, and when not to ask questions. He was tactful and minded his own business when it came to certain personal matters. Abe had never brought up the subject of Connor's muteness. He had also never asked about the scarf. It was obvious he had noticed that Connor wore the thing twenty-four hours a day, Connor had caught Abe studying the thin gray cotton more than once, but he had never said anything about it. That small bit of space, that tiny bit of privacy in a world where telling your life story to strangers was sometimes a way to keep yourself alive, was so important. Connor was so grateful for it.

"Connor?" a small voice from the bottom of the ladder made him look down. A little girl was standing there, her small hand shielding her eyes from the grey afternoon glare.

Connor climbed down, skipping the last few rungs and hopped to the ground at her feet. He waved a hello and signed N-I-K-K-I.

She waved back, but it was lethargic. "Miss Wiles sent me out of class to see Dr. Rose because I have a cough. She gave me this."

She held up a small slip of paper and Connor took it.

She needs honey tea, lemon if you've got it. – Rose

Connor nodded, smiling at Nikki and motioning for her to follow him to the kitchen. He gave her a few bags of the dried lemon tea and brewed a cup with a spoonful of honey to take back to her bunk. After writing a note for her mother he sent her off with a thumbs up.

"You're good with kids."

Connor turned and met Abe's soft smile. He had his sword strapped into the new harness Aaron had made for him. The buckles across his chest and the thick leather of the straps, combined with the black, long sleeved military sweater he had gotten from Amir, made him look nothing less than completely badass.