The Medium Part 2

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Their guns, glistening in the stale light, were trained on him, by some miracle not firing.

They all looked tense, especially the girl with the red jacket. The old man looked ready to clear a threat.

"Please-" you said, finding your footing and standing up, to which your hunter immediately straightened up, still snarling and all but shrouding your figure with his height, "Don't shoot."

You attempted to step around him, put yourself first so they wouldn't be able to riddle him with bullets, but he cut you off, stepping to the side and solely focusing on the group of four.

The second time he tried this, you slapped his arm, and forcefully walked in front of him, hearing him snap his teeth several times and resort to standing ominously behind you, chest heaving with the occasional snarl.

"He-... uh, we... haven't had the best experience with other survivors..." One of his bloody claws gripped your shoulder.

"I swear he doesn't always act like this."

His hot breath fanned the back of your head, and you swore he could sense how disturbed you were by the set of survivors before you.

The biker was the first to speak, "I hate things that make me question my morals."

The old man was next, gruff voice making you all the more scared, "This isn't a matter of moral anything," He pulled something on his gun, "This is about protecting the group."

The man with a pack of pills on his belt said nothing, glancing to and from all the members in his group with a worried look.

The female once again spoke up, "Bill- think for a moment. It can kill her right now. It isn't."

The older man shifted his tired eyes. From your nervous face, to the tight claw that rested on your shoulder.

"That doesn't change my opinion." He frowned harder, "It tried to kill us."

The female frowned looking back to you, standing in the middle of the hallway.

You opened your mouth to speak, nearly squeaking with the anxiety of it all, "All I need is a gun, please. I don't have to stick with you guys of you don't want me to."

The man with the pills finally spoke up, "Zoey's right, it isn't killing her. Or us right now."

The older gentleman harrumphed, saying nothing yet still focusing his gun on the hunter behind you.

The biker sighed and shrugged, before walking away, and towards the supply table.

The rest of the three stayed, two staring at the older man with a pleading look.

"Any other infected would be on us already. What if there's a cure in him." The final words that left the females mouth put a nail in the coffin, as he lowered his gun with an annoyed sigh.

"Your lucky Louis was on your side, cause one against two would've made a god awful argument." He flicked his cigarette, before immediately fishing a new one out of his pocket.

The female looked to you, "You can stay."

The old man didn't back down, despite his gun being lowered. He stood, in the same standoffish position, as the other two walked to the table with the biker.

He held your gaze- or more specifically, your hunters gaze.

Watching, waiting for him to act out.

You started to take the first few hesitant steps forward, still tense as you walked closer to the older man.

He pulled a lighter up to his cigarette, lighting it and taking in a deep breath, gun clenched in his other hand as you only got closer to him.

Your hunter huffed another few growls, almost as though a warning.

Just as you walked around him, he spoke, smoke filtering through his mouth and white beard shifting, "Keep your head on straight girl."

You didn't say anything, simply tugging your hunter along with you as you made your way to the guns table. Making yourself sparse, you grabbed an automatic before retreating and pulling your hunter towards the corner.

He complied without question, standing beside you as you leaned against the wall. In another attempt to keep peace, you let him mosey closer, full well knowing that if they shot at him, they'd shoot you too.

It was quiet like that for a bit, whispering, and weary glances filling the small bit of silence in the room. The never ending stare that the old man gave you was shearing years off your life. You could feel it.

From beside you, your hunter's claws were ticking in their offbeat pattern.

Tap.. tap .....tap....

Tap..... tap.. tap.. tap

The small clicks against the wall were restless. Still defensive and tense despite the atmosphere cooling off.

After that break of quiet time, the two survivors that defended you broke off from the group and went in your direction. They knew such little about you, yet still smiled at you, so the least you could do was smile back as they stopped before you.

The female, the closest to you, put her hand out, briefly flinching as the hunter growled.

"Names Zoey."

Her smile was a comfort, and finally, after standing in that corner tense and nervous, you sighed in relief, reaching your hand out to shake her own.

"(Y/N)."

She grinned just a little bit more cheerily.

The man with the pills was the next to reach his hand out, grinning even more cheerily then Zoey was, "Names Louis- Glad to meet you."

Smiling back, you shook his hand, "Glad to meet you too."

Zoey and Louis briefly shared a look of, 'I knew they weren't so bad' before looking back to you.

"The biker dude back there is Francis." Zoey gestured to the man at the table, tattoos a bit dirty from the apocalypse. He raised a middle finger pointedly.

Louis chimed in after, "Don't take his threats seriously. He does it as a joke. I think."

You rubbed your arm, waiting patiently for them to tell you about who the bad egg of the room was.

"And the old dude in the corner opposite to you?" Zoey started, glancing back at said old man in a corner, "That's Bill. Never not take him seriously."

Louis once again decided to add an extra fact, "He's just a little rough on the edges- and he wants whats best for the group."

Zoey spoke up, "And he's a veteran."

With all things said and done- facts spoken and introductions given- the four of you stood in an awkward silence.

In the midst of it, your hunter shifted closer to you, putting a leg out as though to step in front of you.

You quickly smacked his chest, to which he backed up against the wall with a quick snap of his jaw.

Zoey and Louis stood in wonder, eyes openly observing your hunter.

"Wow." Zoey spoke first, "Did you teach him that?"

Looking up to her, you shook your head, "Aha- I guess....?" You rubbed your arm again, "He just started picking up my gestures one day. Though pushing him backwards is pretty straightforward."

Zoey nodded, muttering another 'wow' before glancing to him. "You said he's not always like this-" she paused, looking back to you, "what was he like before... whatever it was went down."

Glancing to your hunter, you eyed him, small breaths beginning to even out.

"He didn't react at all." You started, looking to Louis, then Zoey, "But after a different survivor stabbed me in the back, he just kinda..."

You made a crushing movement with your hands, "Starting acting more clingy. And aggressive to unknown things."

The red jacketed female just nodded rubbing her chin and looking to Bill, "Sounds to me like he has a good reason to be aggressive."

Bill huffed, clearly not letting up on his suspicions.

"Well," Zoey looked back to you, "Guess we'll leave you to it. Let you adjust to being around people that won't stab you in the back."

With one last wary smile, the two turned and made their way back to the other side of the room. Seating themselves as they took a small break.

Back to quietly chatting to each other, Francis soon joined them, all the while shining his shotgun.

They were nice. They kept to themselves respectfully, albeit a bit warily.

Bill, on the other hand.

Bill clearly didn't like your ragtag group. He kept eyeing you, slouching in the corner and letting off small puffs of smoke. He was as persistent as he was old, which is a bold thing to say when not knowing his age.

Despite that, you could tell he cared for his group members, so a small bit of respect was still held for him no matter how trigger ready he was.

Feeling a set of claws rest on your shoulder, you glanced to your hunter. Still standing tall and protectively. Despite that, he looked more relaxed then when you first came in.

Peering at his claws, you spoke, "Yeah- me too buddy."

Sighing, you slid to the floor, letting your head hang as you waited. Your hunter followed your example, and crouched down.

For what you both waited for?

You weren't entirely sure.

Did you want to stay with another group?

They didn't give you bad vibes, despite the rough greeting- and they were heading to the same place...

They wanted to be rescued, just like you- and some of them even vouched for you, despite not knowing who you were.

You definitely wouldn't be opposed to tagging along with them.

Grabbing one of your hunters claws to get his attention, you watched as he jolted, a bit startled by the sudden contact.

Once he settled and looked firmly at you, you smiled and said, "I like em."

He just rumbled out a soft noise, looking to the two hands on his claw with a contented quirk of his lips.

Keeping your hold on his hand, you sighed, slunching into his personal space and taking several glances towards the other group. The persistent rub of your thumb against his hand was helping to calm your nerves, as they continued to spike at the thought of Bill shooting either of you.

Not you.

Not him.

And not now.

And you were glad for that fact, yet still wary.

Another swipe of your thumb against the back of his hand.

Crusted blood flaked off with every swirl, and the more you felt the contrast of skin and blood, the more he seemed to rumble.

Bill cut you train of thought off with his voice, grabbing everyone's attention, "We're takin' a break right now- and seeing as you haven't left yet-" He threw his head in your direction, "Then I'll have to assume you're wanting to tag along."

"Well, tough luck-"

"We'd love to have you!" Louis grinned, cutting Bill off with a wave of his arm.

Bill let off a deep, long, and utterly annoyed sigh, before glancing up at you, glare on hand, "Alright- there are some rules."

You didn't say anything releasing your hunter's claw and looking Bill head on.

"Keep that thing at least two feet from any of the group members."

Francis stopped shining his shotgun, glancing up at you for about the first time. He scoffed, looking back down, "I could take them both."

"And get hurt." Zoey chimed.

Francis rose an eyebrow, "And come out looking fucking awesome, is what you mean to say."

Bill coughed, sourly watching as they interrupted his speech.

"Hurt." Zoey persisted.

Louis chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand.

It was pleasant to see that people could still have jokes in a time like this. Enjoy each others presence, despite it all.

Finally, Bill cut in, "If he hurts any of us- consider your little friend expired."

Swallowing, you nodded, turning your head away from his stare like it was acid.

A few moments of awkwardly looking away, and you forced yourself to look him in the eyes, taking in a shaky breath, "I'll try my best, sir."

One last harrowing look from Bill and he spoke.

"Take five everyone, we'll move out after we catch our breaths."

So, with everything settled, and your place within the group established, no matter how untrusted- you felt yourself relax. In turn, your hunter relaxed almost as if understanding your body language.

He let out a quiet and happy trill, moseying closer, his thigh shifting to touch yours. Not bothering to stop him, his legs pressed close to yours in with a comforting warmth, again happily rumbling.

The whole group glanced up as he made the noise.

"Uuh..." Francis started.

"Was that....?" Zoey interrupted.

Coughing into your fist you nodded, a blush rising to your features at their inquiring gazes.

"Yes- he uh..." you glanced at the he in question, "He does that."

Louis let out a laugh, "Wow- I never heard a hunter make that sound before!"

Zoey nodded her head, "Yeah- haha- it sounded really happy."

You did a double take at what they said.

Sounded happy.

Sounded...

Happy...

So all those times you called yourself crazy...

All those times you assumed it was just a hallucination...

It really... did have emotion behind it?

The brainless infected you had been lugging around could actually feel the complicated and intense emotions that someone such as yourself felt?

Understand the feeling of grief and remorse, understand your sadness- or at least remember what happened before all of this... went down.

You cut yourself off.

Let's not be hasty- a stranger can't possibly know if he actually is happy or not- they haven't been around him enough.

The nagging thought rose in your mind.

'But I'm not a stranger.'

And yet

'I feel like he's happy.'

Shaking your head with a harshness to it, you forcefully removed the thoughts from your head.

You were just still in the grieving process.

Looking to the hunter, you eyed the small quirk of his lips as he trilled out another pleased rumble, pressing his shoulder into your own.

That's what it had to be.

Right?

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