Z Nation 10K x Reader

Part Two- No Home, but Sure Feels Like One

A/N: So I cut that last one short because I was busy, but I made sure I came back by immediately going into a second part. :D

By the way, if you like my writing enough to be thrilled for the next part, go ahead and check out my Quotev account if you can because I happen to more active on that site. Here's the link: https://www.quotev.com/PuppyChowChan?viewAsVisitor

Outside it would have been beautiful with the way the sun laid on the horizon with streaming orange light descending from a calming magenta sky, but the sound of snarling in the distance replaced the beauty with the image of Zs with skin hanging from the jaws that would sink in anyone's flesh if they weren't careful.

Saddened by the beauty, I took a look at 10K who was observing the area as the orange light glistened on his skin giving a nice outline of his appearance. I wonder what his life was like before all of this. Another regular life thrown into disaster but prepared by the danger?

I quickly looked away to make sure I did not focus on an idea that could remain as nothing but a fantasy.

"So where is this place exactly?" I asked him.

"Over here." He retorted before dragging me forward to an duplex with a red, iron gated door.

"Is it safe inside?" I asked.

"From the outside for sure."

I huffed. Of course I would have to kill some zombies before going to bed. Ugh. I don't want to slip up and embarrass myself in front of him....more than I perhaps already have....

He motioned for us both to stand on each side of the door as he would open it from the opposite side. I nodded and pulled out my wakizashi. He gave an approving turn of the head for my taste before turning the knob.

First the gate...

Then the door!

Adrenaline took me as three Zs lined up to get out through the entrance and I swung left and right three times to cleanly slice off the heads as they piled on in variant heights. I then turned my ear to listen for nearby Zs before I searched for a switch and flipped for the lights to go on. Must be an solar- powered...how resourceful of a place... Soon, I waved my hand for 10K to go in.

As we entered and 10K closed the door behind our steps, the hallway widened allowing us to walk diagonally from each another and checking each other's fronts. The hall went in two directions with two sets of stairs before a large lounge full of coaches.

He motioned for us to go right. This time, I opened the door.
Nothing. Reached for the switch and now, again, nothing. We scanned all the other rooms within and they were empty.
I motioned for us to check the next room and I turned the knob. This time, a Z sprawled from the room and 10K slashed it with ease, behind it a book shelf that must've been holding down the Z fell forward. As it was about to crash onto 10K, he instantly took a step back and dodged it with complete preparation.

We both entered the room by stepping over the bookcase. With entrances less narrow we checked the other rooms on our own. A child and a woman had exited a bedroom I was checking with their skin pealing from her faces. I winced as I stabbed their heads at once and drew out the blade and let the girl's feeble, little body plummet on top of the woman. I looked back at the Z by the bookshelf. There was a resemblance between them giving me the terrible thought that perhaps these two were protecting themselves from the girl's father and locked themselves inside without ever leaving. God knows why. Maybe fear overcame hunger...

I checked if they were dead and laid their bodies next to each other in the room. "They must've been a family." I told 10K who was checking the bedroom next to me.

He crouched down with me to take a look. "They must've been..." He stared in awe for a moment before saying more. "They died together..."

After clearing our throats, we returned to the living room that came through. We cleaned up the man and the bookshelf then scanned the room.

A single boarded-up window stood on the wall before two strewn mattresses, a couch, and a radio.
"Did they just move in or something?" I jested.

10K gave me an unamused glance, but added an amiable shrug.

"Do you know how to use that radio?" He asked me.
I looked at it, " I don't have a license, but yeah, I know how to use a HAM radio. " I answered.

I walked up and crouched next to the radio. "Only the best long-range communication network in a broken world and it's vintage. Anything specific you'd like me to tap into?" I said as I switch it up.
"Yeah, in the NSA, there's a guy that goes by Citizen Z. He's pretty useful sometimes." 10K said while examining me.

That said, I configured the knobs.

Upon static, there came a voice, "Come in Delta X Ray Delta."krrrrrrr. "This is Citizen Z."
"Do you know a Delta X Ray Delta?" I asked 10K.

"Yeah, it was the guy that left my group with a mission. I'll tell him I'm here. " 10K said before joining me.

After speaking with Citizen Z, we had found information on a place where 10K and I could go to join the group. Some words were difficult to make out, but Citizen Z claimed it to be "quite a pickle."

Once 10K and I confirmed our destination, we made a plan to get there and took out our cans to eat side-by-side, but not too close.

I handed him my leatherman and he accepted and handed it back to me after prying open the can. I did the same and chowed down on some beets.
We chatted for a bit about our choice of weapons and bonded in a sense. I even told him how my Japanese swords were just decorations on the wall of my house and I just found them exciting when I had to kill my first Z. We took a laugh at that, and I was glad to be with someone. I just let the words spill out. It was just so easy...

Soon enough, we decided to go to sleep once the sun no longer left a trace in the room.

We took care of our hygiene, and while 10K was turned around, I stuck my hand gun under the mattress sat on.

Once he turned around, I picked up my knife and shared a few words, "I'm a light sleeper and I plan to use this if you dare try anything."

"Got it. " He uttered as he came to sit on the mattress across from me. His presence so sweet, I almost felt guilty even if my threat meant nothing to him.
"Just to be safe. I don't mean to scare you. " I reassured him.
"H-heh. I'll do the same. " He said and swayed a knife in his hand with a side-ways grin. It widened childishly as he showed his teeth.

I chuckled before turning out the lights with a flash in my hand and laying onto the bed. "I hope we find your team, 10K."

"I hope so too, and I hope you can stay with us."

"Hmph." Those simple words were music to my ears. "Goodnight and sweet dreams to you. "

"Goodnight. You too, (Y/N)." He whispered, with a husk as the sound drew out into the air.

Even with his body next to mine in the dark, I once again thought I heard him smile. I could tell that he was silent and shy, but because every word he said was careful and kind. Next to him, I believed that there is a place I could call home.

Finally I closed my eyes and let the night take me away.