bite
Quinn
“A fucking what?” Quinn yells as they pry open the sliding door and run into the backyard. Of course, it was barren, with absolutely nothing to hide behind or seek cover in. They were in a small neighborhood, so this backyard led to another house’s backyard that was fenced in. Quinn figures they could climb over and at least save them some time before it inevitably knocks it down…
Quinn hears the ominous stomps behind them, turning around and aiming her rifle at its head. The moonlight was offering some help to aid Quinn’s eyes, but she curses in frustration as the bullet enters the shoulder, which seemingly does nothing except make it roar. Then Ellie yells, waving her hands above her head, and it turns, aims at her, and…spits something at her? Quinn watches, dumbfounded, at the spores that explode into the air. I’m so fucked.
As if things couldn’t get worse, she saw two more clickers leave the house, one heading straight for Quinn.
Quinn wishes badly she had a shotgun. Maybe shoot off an arm or something of this disgusting creature. She vaguely hears Ellie yell something about a gas mask, and Quinn frantically rips open her backpack, putting on the mask. She takes a deep breath, trying to alleviate her nerves. The bloater was chasing after Ellie as well as a clicker, continuing to blow spore bombs at her. Quinn hears something behind her and she spins around, not hesitating to pull the trigger. The clicker howls, waving its hands around.
“Yeah, yeah,” Quinn growls, taking a step back and transferring her rifle to her left hand, taking her knife out of her pocket and stabbing the clicker in the neck. The clicker groans and drops to the ground, and Quinn hears a yell behind her. Quinn turns, watching Ellie drop the clicker, the bloater on her heels. Quinn’s heartbeat rises, the disgusting thing the pinnacle of Quinn’s nightmare. Quinn runs over to Ellie, trying to dodge any spores that are floating through the air.
“We can hop that fence and cut through the house to the other side. We can outrun this thing,” Quinn says quickly, trying to aim again at the head. The bullet lands but does very little damage. Quinn huffs, knowing she’s getting low on ammo. Her heart races again, the panic bubbling up to the surface. She tries to quell her fears, forcing her brain to focus on the logistics.
“Save your bullets,” Ellie advises. Gee, thanks. She then nods to Quinn’s suggestion, making their way to the fence that lined the yard. The bloater was frantically whipping its head around, listening for their movement. Ellie glances at Quinn. “We have to come back for the horses.”
Quinn couldn’t help but smile, despite the panic once again set in as it begins to lumber over to them. Quinn jumps and frantically tries to find a grip on the wood fence. She swung her leg over the fence and then it shot at her, the spore bomb landing squarely in her shoulder. Quinn yelps, falling to the ground, choking as she tries to catch her breath. She feels Ellie’s hands around her and Quinn scrambles up, rubbing her shoulder. They don’t have time to linger. Ellie opens the inside gate that leads to the street, jerking her head to the left. They run, occasionally looking over their shoulder.
“We’ll come around for the horses and book it. We need fire to actually kill this damn thing,” Ellie instructs, and Quinn blinks, realizing Ellie must have some kind of experience with this horrifying thing.
“I know how to make a Molotov cocktail,” Quinn offers, and Ellie glances over at her, a small smirk on her face.
“Do you have alcohol?”
Quinn grins and Ellie raises her eyebrows in response. Quinn had plundered the kitchen cabinets and found a few bottles about half filled. She had also replenished her med kit. Quinn hated not being extra prepared, and when she opened the bathroom sink back at the house, she nearly collapsed in relief. She had shoved nearly everything into her backpack.
They made their way back to the front of the house, hearing a groan behind them. Quinn doesn’t hesitate; she pulls out the alcohol and a rag, soaks the rag in the alcohol, checks there was plenty left in the bottle, and stuff the rag in the top of the bottle. Ellie watches her back, knowing they weren’t in the bloater’s “eyesight” yet. Quinn stands up, bringing a lighter out of her pocket.
“Okay, Williams,” Quinn breathes, keeping an eye on the rumbling bloater. It truly was disgusting, flailing about and groaning. Ellie holds up a hand.
“As soon as you throw that thing, get on your horse and fucking run,” Ellie commands. Quinn nods, watching the bloater closer. Quinn flicks the lighter on, the flame strong. It took two more steps before pausing, officially sensing Ellie and Quinn. Ellie’s hand drops. Quinn takes the flame to the rag and throws it, immediately booking to her horse and mounting on Bucky.
Quinn thanks the heavens above as the cocktail lands squarely in the bloater’s chest. It shrieks, and she hears Ellie fire two shots at the thing before following suit, yelling at Shimmer to run. They make their way to the main road, Quinn taking one last look over her shoulder at the writhing bloater, casting an orange light in the darkness from the fire explosion. She shudders, feeling the wind on her sweaty face. She rips off the gas mask, carefully putting it back in her backpack.
Quinn’s heartbeat was just beginning to slow, as well as their pace, when she noticed Ellie’s hand wrapped around her waist, her eyes looking haggard and face especially pale in the moonlight.
“What happened?” Quinn demands, and Ellie looks at her, attempting to look nonchalant.
“I’m fine,” Ellie responds. Quinn’s eyes narrow in disbelief and Ellie sighs. “I got bit.”
Quinn’s mouth drops. Ellie holds up a hand, a sheepish grin on her face. “I’m immune, remember?”
“You are a fucking idiot,” Quinn mutters, scanning the area for a house that looked mildly intriguing. “You’re bleeding out and you don’t say anything. Of course not. You stubborn ass.”
"When did this happen?" Quinn demands, continuing to glance between the path and Ellie's face.
"Um...before we hopped over the fence."
"Fuck you."
Ellie scoffs but doesn't retort.
They find a small house, and Ellie nearly slides off the horse. Quinn helps her get down, instructing her to stay outside. She doesn’t protest.
Quinn does the fastest check possible, only finding remnants of a decaying body with a suicide note. Quinn frowns in sympathy for this complete stranger. "Sorry, buddy," she whispers, tearing her gaze away and finishing the check.
Quinn walks back out to Ellie, who was hunched over, leaning against Shimmer for support. Quinn sidles up to Ellie, throwing one of Ellie’s arms over her shoulder, and leads her into the house, finding a couch to lay Ellie on. The bite was on Ellie’s right side, the pooling blood stain seeping through Ellie’s shirt, slick with blood. Quinn swallows, gently pulling up Ellie’s shirt and tank top. Quinn sucks in a breath.
It was a decently deep bite, the marks clear and nearly purple. The skin was already beginning to look infected, and Quinn’s hairs raised on the back of her neck. She must trust that Ellie was immune and not a one-time deal. She glances up at Ellie’s face, whose eyes were closed, sweat beading on her forehead.
Quinn curses for lack of light, and she digs through her backpack to find her flashlight. Quinn swallows. Maybe she shouldn’t have turned on the light.
“You won’t need stitches,” Quinn says shakily, aiming her flashlight in her backpack and sifting through it. Thank God she stole all those med supplies. She takes out antiseptic, a rag, some gauze, and her water bottle. She reminds herself to collect some more water tomorrow. She wets the rag with her water, needing to clean the wound first.
“Do you want to clean it or do you want me to?” Quinn whispers and Ellie opens her eyes, staring at Quinn.
“I trust you,” she says with a grin. Quinn rolls her eyes, dabbing at the bite. Ellie sucks in a quick breath but Quinn doesn’t stop, trying her best to not irritate the skin.
“You’re not going to listen to me when I say that we probably shouldn’t continue tomorrow morning, right?” Quinn asks, tossing the bloody rag to the side and finding a new one, wetting it with the antiseptic. Ellie grunts.
“We have to keep going.” Quinn looks up at Ellie’s hardening eyes, staring off into space. “We can’t waste a single day.”
In response, Quinn presses the rag against Ellie’s bite. A flash of frustration went through Quinn, annoyed at the fact that Ellie won't let herself rest. Ellie lets out a soft yelp. Quinn doesn’t need to look at Ellie to know she’s shooting daggers with her eyes. Quinn smirks arrogantly, gently dabbing the wound before dressing it in gauze.
“There, you ass,” Quinn says, pushing back from Ellie and standing up, taking the dirty rags and rinsing them out as best as she could. Once they find some water she’ll properly rinse them out. She needs to busy herself, maybe find another clicker to kill to let off some of her annoyance at Ellie's insistence and lack of self-care. But for right now, she needs to scour the house. Her stomach grumbles, and she sighs. Their food supply was beginning to become very limited, adding another worry to Quinn’s list.
“Quinn?” Ellie asks, breaking Quinn’s train of thought. Quinn turns, seeing Ellie sitting up on the couch. Quinn stares at her, noting the way her lips part and eyebrows furrow before softening again. “Thanks.”
Quinn nods, swallowing hard. She wordlessly walks into the hallway, finding a bedroom with a bed. She stops in the doorway and glances over her shoulder, seeing the back of Ellie’s head. She lets out a small huff. “Ellie?”
Ellie turns, and Quinn juts her head behind her to the bed. Ellie’s lips twitch into a small smile, and she gets up off the couch and walks toward Quinn. Quinn turns and drops her backpack on the ground, flopping into the bed that smelled of dust but was insanely comfortable.
“Damn, these people had it nice,” Ellie says as she leans cautiously into the mattress on Quinn’s right, close enough that their shoulders touch. Quinn lets out a small laugh, leaning over the edge of the bed and taking out her gun, double-checking that it was fully loaded. She lays it next to her, flashes of the bloater flitting through her mind. She adjusts and lays on her back, staring at the ceiling, trying not to let paranoia trap her.
“You’ve really never seen a bloater?” Ellie asks after a few moments of silence. Quinn lets out a dry laugh.
“No. And I wish that was still true,” Quinn says, turning to look at Ellie. Ellie grins.
“You’ve become a true survivalist,” Ellie says, putting a hand to her forehead in a mock salute. “Congratulations, Quinn. Now you’re almost as good as me.”
Quinn laughs, gently nudging Ellie’s head with her hand, afraid that any movement Quinn makes will hurt Ellie's bite. Ellie laughs and stares into Quinn’s eyes, a small smile set on her face. Quinn slightly squirms under the intense gaze, her heartbeat rising for some totally unknown reason.
Ellie takes her right hand and brushes against Quinn’s temples. Quinn involuntarily closes her eyes, relishing in the soft touch. Ellie’s finger traces against her cheekbones, and trails down Quinn’s jaw, slowly raking her nail against Quinn’s neck. Shivers went down Quinn’s spine. She opens her eyes into Ellie’s that seem to be studying Quinn’s face.
“What are you doing?” Quinn whispers. She watches Ellie’s eyes drift to Quinn’s lips and back up to her eyes. Fuck.
“Something I should’ve done a while ago,” Ellie breathes, bringing her hand to the back of Quinn’s neck and closing the space between them. Ellie’s lips meet Quinn’s, soft and sweet and just perfect. Quinn’s eyes flutter close, bringing up her hand against Ellie’s face, their kiss slow and making Quinn’s head spin. Quinn wants to move, but her fear of hurting Ellie makes her stay in place, just relishing in Ellie’s lips and warm fingers that were gently stroking the back of Quinn’s neck.
Quinn pulls away, staring into Ellie’s eyes, feeling flushed and positively swept away.
Ellie's eyebrows slightly furrow, darting her eyes across Quinn’s face, trying to read her look. “That was pretty impulsive of–-”
Before Ellie could say anything stupid, Quinn closes the gap between them again, this time a little harsher and a tad sloppier, their breaths becoming more erratic. Quinn’s chest was on fire, glowing with warmth and the joy of the fact that she is kissing Ellie Williams and she kissed Quinn first.
Ellie pulls away this time, breathing heavily.
“You’re pretty decent, Quinn,” Ellie notes, slightly impressed. Quinn scoffs slightly.
“Of course I am,” she says, and Ellie rolls her eyes.
“I take it back,” Ellie scowls playfully, and Quinn just leans over, kisses her again--long and slow--before pulling away. Ellie sighs. “Never mind.”
Quinn grins in victory, laying on her side, cheeks warm. Ellie was lying on her back, eyes closed with a content smile on her lips. She traces Ellie’s features with her fingers.
“So how long have you been in love with me?” Quinn teases, and Ellie scowls.
“More like the other way around,” Ellie says, opening her eyes and smirking. “How long have you been dying for me to kiss you?”
“Yeah, you kissed me,” Quinn points out, waving a hand in the air. “Face it, Williams, I’ve got you wrapped around my little finger.”
Ellie mumbles something under her breath, and Quinn gives Ellie a shit-eating grin. She leans forward and presses her lips to Ellie’s temple.
“C’mon, we should get some sleep,” Quinn whispers. Ellie yawns in response, closing her eyes. Quinn settles on her side, her arm gently placed across Ellie’s chest. Every fiber of her being was warm, giddiness that made her chest squeeze in the best way.
There they lay, hints of a small across their lips as they drifted off to sleep.