Chapter 13

Tsuki looked at Midori with sadness in his eyes, ‘how could parents do such a thing to their child! Really if they were before me I would kick them! No wonder he has such eyes for a child. So young and betrayed by the people he trusted the most and who were supposed to love and protect him.’

Alphonse did not have any expression on his face throughout the story. He just nodded and asked, “ If you survived and still had your conscious mind, what would you do?”

Midori said with hatred in his eyes, “Live until I find those pigs and have revenge.”

Alphonse: “Afterwards?”

“I don’t know. What do I have to live for apart from revenge?” Midori said as shivers wracked his body.

“You can be my friend. I need a friend.” Tsuki said in a small voice.

Alphonse looked at Tsuki and Midori wore an expression of surprise on his face.

Midori: “Friend?”

Tsuki nodded, “ yes friend. And who knows, it may eventually become little brother. I, no, we need someone that we can trust with us. And anyway, we are going to find Alphonse’s friends so one more won’t hurt. I don’t have any friends.”

Midori: “You, you are not normal zombies, are you?”

Alphonse: “Obviously.”

Midori: “You want to make me like you?”

Alphonse remained still while Tsuki nodded.

Midori asked as he looked at Tsuki, who was clearly the one invested in him, “you want me? You won’t ever betray me?”

Tsuki fiercely replied, “betray? What betray?! Never will I betray those I consider friends or family! If I had your parents before me , I would kick them, throw them to the zombies to play then feed them to Alphonse!”

Midori stared at Tsuki’s honest and fierce eyes then turned to look at Alphonse.

Alphonse: “If you are important to Tsuki then you are important to me. I won’t ever turn my back on you. I never betray my comrades. But make note, if you ever betray Tsuki’s generosity and trust, I will make you live to regret it.”

Midori shuddered under Alphonse’s heavy and cruel gaze. He nodded and hastily said, “I won’t, I swear. I know how that feels. I will never betray those I love.”

“So what do you say. You want to come with us?” Tsuki asked gently.

Midori looked into Tsuki’s beautiful eyes and his own eyes started tearing, ‘He wants me. He doesn’t even know me. I am just a kid he saved but he still wants to be my friend. Brother even. Even my mother never looked at me with such gentle eyes. One look at him and you can see that he is sincere. I won’t be alone again. I swear to repay your kindness Tsuki.’

Tsuki watched as hope and loyalty flared in Midori’s tearing eyes. Midori then nodded and bowed his head with utter gratitude, “thank you. I will never forget your kindness and your acceptance of me.”

“Don’t bow you little fool!” Tsuki said as he lifted the little child up. “What are you bowing for? Aren’t we friends now? Friends do not need to do such things! Now Alphonse, what is your decision.”

Alphonse: “If you want to do it, do it. But first, go fetch the food and water in the trailer for me please.”

Tsuki grumbled but still went to do as Alphonse asked, “why do I have to go get it for you? Alphonse big idiot.”

Alphonse waited until Tsuki was far way before he said, “Tsuki’s blood will make you like us but it will be extremely painful. You may not survive. Are you still willing to do it?”

Midori decisively nodded his head.

Alphonse: “Then tell Tsuki that you want to undergo the transformation alone in one of the houses in the village. He doesn’t know it is painful and I want it to remain as such. And let me remind you, you better never forget his generosity and protect him with your life. Oh and if you ever divulge the particularity of Tsuki’s blood, I will personally cut off your tongue and feed it to you.”

Midori: “I won’t. I will keep the secret. And I will lay my life for him without hesitation just like he didn’t hesitate to help me.”

Alphonse: “Good.”

Tsuki returned with his arms loaded with food and deposited it all into his companion’s lap, “Here, I didn’t know what you wanted to eat so I brought a little of everything. So you can eat other things than bloody ‘meat’? By the way how does that even work? We are dead so how can we eat and digest? Well, I don’t think we’ll die if we don’t eat…maybe go berserk…..ooohh bad imagination.”

Alphonse ignored Tsuki’s rambling, “sit down.”

Tsuki blinked and sat down next to Alphonse, “here?”

Alphonse hummed then proceeded to put all the food in his lap in Tsuki’s. Tsuki looked dumbly at his full lap then turned to Alphonse with a clear interrogation mark above his head.

Alphonse: “Eat.”

Tsuki: “Why did you tell me to bring food for you then give it all to me?!”

Tsuki squinted his eyes suspiciously at Alphonse, “you……you are not planning on chomping on me again, are you?! No way! I refuse to eat! I am going on strike! Even a zombie has rights!”

Alphonse just took a piece of meat, bit into it then approached Tsuki. Tsuki started panicking and backing away, “wait, what are you doing? Alphonse…. Wait no I was wrong! No hunger strike, I swear! Mmfff…” Tsuki words were muffled as Alphonse grabbed his chin and put his mouth on his.

Tsuki tried to uselessly push the tall zombie away. Alphonse ignored his efforts and inserted the piece of meat into Tsuki’s mouth with his tongue. He put one hand behind Tsuki’s head then took this chance to explore the others mouth. Tsuki thumped on his back while internally screaming, ‘There is a child right there! And he is in pain too! What do you think you are doing?! Stop it you fool!’

Midori, who was suffering, would have fake gagged if he could. His only thought was ‘Yuck!’. He took one look at Tsuki’s watery eyes and decided to take pity on the other. So he burrowed his face into his arms, ‘but I can still hear the dubious sounds….’ Midori sweatdropped.