Vinliam Oneshots II ☾★☽

Afterflash Au: Flashback {M}

★ Warnings!: Blood/Gore scene's, Corpses, Injury ★

The bitter cold clawed at his skin, seeping into his thick clothes with each labored step.

The vast and empty city streets weren't familiar anymore, its once vibrant streets now stained with blood and littered with the remnants of those who had thought they could deny this gelid winter nightmare. Every corner Vincent turned revealed scenes of horror, trails of mahogany cutting through the bloodshot snow, frozen corpses piling on top of each other; each especially infected with mouthfuls of dull colored fungus, the dead bodies seemingly even more sickly than before.

He moved through the desolate landscape, each its own flashback of that day. When this apocalyptic world became known, when that very flash blinded the whole world and arose to the diseased fungus. He was only a teenager, ah he pondered it so well, until it happened, everything erupted into anarchy, people going insane and committing suicide. Some people catching the disease right away, others taking advantage of the government and police force being distracted by this outbreak to commit heinous crimes. He was only a child however it felt like it was only a day ago, but it's been fifteen years. He watched his own mother succumb to the power of that flash, it broke her brain hemorrhage, drove her mad, he remembered so well, too well, as she jerked her head against the hospital window, her blood splattering everywhere, the bruises on her face, the way her crimson trail flowed down the window, before she just fell, and never opened her eyes again.

Most would say he's lucky he had not only survived the flash that started this all, the deadly disease that could kill you in minutes, the fungus, the poor people who instead of just dying, became undead and moved as the parasite ordered, Vincent hadn't fell to any of the foreboding disasters. But, he truly believed that staying alive was the worst consequence of them all. He's lost so many, witnessed so much, and suffered through the worst of the worst.

He continued his path down the coat of memories in cold feet, and with each step, he believed he would yield to the brumal conditions of this morning. However, he had heard something in the distance, it was the reason he was going into the brutal scene of bodies in blood, for he heard soft squeaks and whines, as if someone was in pain.

And he was so glad he did, that trail of crimson in the pure snow led him to that beautiful crumpled, trembling form. He found that poor man, lonely and bloody, holding a small packet of food in his hands. The more Vincent got closer, the more he could hear his stuttering, shaky, whiny rambles and his soft sobs. He didn't hesitate to pick this blood-soaked man up from the snow, quickly taking his jacket off to wrap it around his poor bitter skin. Taking the cloth that tied his hair together now to place on the worst of this young man's wounds, his loose hair falling messily onto his bare shoulders.

From his consistent ramblings, Vincent heard important keywords, such as children. This man had kids? It would explain why he hadn't eaten the food in his hands yet, however, Vincent carefully prodded it from his fingers, slipping the food into his shoulder bag so it wouldn't slip out of the man's hands. He heard a soft pitch cry from him, more of a complaint at his action. "Shhh.. you'll be alright, sweetheart." He cooed, gently slipping his fingers around his body and picking him up, the warmth of another person felt incredible and drastic from the crisp environment of winter. He hadn't remembered the last time he found someone up here, they all moved south, where the winters stayed hot.

The bleeding had calmed, and Vincent was able to carry him through the terrain with ease. He could hear his ragged breaths steady now, and his eyes peek out of their sockets to take a shaky look at Vincent. Vincent squinted back as he plodded down the arctic trail, and examined him. His eyes were a stark contrast to the outside world, a warm, ebullient splash of amber marigold compared to the boreal and azure surrounding. The poor thing looked so pale and dead, but his orange orbs were full of ardor.

It made something odd in Vincent's chest burn, such as protectiveness. An urge to keep him safe even if he didn't yet know this man. He knew had to bring him to the car hurriedly if he didn't want him to freeze or bleed to death. Eventually, he stumbled over to the loaded truck and plopped the person in his arms into the backseat. One of the most luckiest things was that the electricity still worked in some places, the water ran, and cars still moved. Hence, why he was able to turn the heater on and tend to this man's wounds without freezing to death. It was simple, his truck already held the necessary accessories. Such as hydrogen peroxide, antibiotics, and medicine kits.

It didn't take long for him to pour the peroxide over his stomach wound as he slowly lifted his shirt up, replacing the headband with freshly wrapped bandages. Vincent carefully checked for more bruises or bleeding cuts as he undressed the man, but he found none thankfully. After helping him lay down, he took a seat in the car next to him. "Can you speak, darling?" He asked as softly as he could, running his fingers through his ombre black strands.

He saw how the man hesitated for a minute, but his lips quivered as if he was trying to. "Y-Yes.." A brittle but angelic voice spoke from his pale lips, taking a long inhale after speaking.

Vincent eagerly nodded while the corners of his lips lifted to form a consoling smile. "Good, I have only one question. What is your name?"

He saw how his eyes widened in hesitation, but his mouth parted to speak yet again. "William. William.. Afton."