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zombiethrillerthings · 18 days ago

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Think of Me

Think of Me (Nick x Rochelle Oneshot)

[Set in the “Dark Carnival” Campaign]

(Note: It’s been a while since I’ve been into writing so I want to apologize in advance if the dialogues and paragraphs are kind of funky. I wanted to write something for these two because their ship is underrated. Like seriously. Anyway, enjoy.)

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“Tunnel of Love? Jesus Christ!”

Nick scoffed in disbelief when he realized that the next safe room they were going to be in was a space that encouraged a lot of closeness. But of course, he wasn’t worried about that. In fact, it was the least of his concerns right now. They were running away from the danger that is the horde that were screaming bloody murder, their frantic and almost animalistic footsteps thudding loudly against the concrete, reaching his ears and to the other survivors.

“Everyone, into the Tunnel of love!” Coach screamed, turning around briefly to shoot an infected, the bullet passing through their stomach before getting shot in the head as they fell down face first, the blood gushing out of their bullet wound cascading down their furious features.

With deep, heaving breaths, they all made a mad dash towards the entrance of the Tunnel of Love with Nick yelling to “Cut in line”, adding a bit of what seemed like an attempt at easing up the tension despite the fact that they were being chased by zombies wanting to beat the shit out of them. With another bullet whizzing past and hitting an infected square in the face, Ellis was quick to shut the door once the last person—that would be Nick—entered the safe room. Panting heavily and grinning like a mad dog, he hollered and threw a fist in the air.

“We are the kings of the world!”

His voice echoing within the room, Coach couldn’t help but chuckle at Ellis’ contagious positivity. Despite their situation looking pretty damn dreadful, the young mechanic’s penchant for reckless optimism was, while inconvenient at times, a welcomed and needed reprieve from the horrors of the vast epidemic that is the zombie apocalypse.

Nick simply let out a huff as he leaned against the wall, his head tilted back and his eyes glued at the ceiling above him. The safe room wasn’t exactly spacious, but it had enough space to house 4 people and give them some time to breathe. All the running they did from the Vannah Hotel to the Liberty Mall and even passing through Rayford’s unfinished under-the-river tour has made his lungs heave for more air as sweat trickled down his forehead to his jaw and onto his expensive white suit.

He couldn’t stop the scoff that left his thin lips as he wiped the sweat from his forehead using the sleeves of his suit. His suit, his beloved $3000 white suit—they weren’t made for all this running and trekking through shit water. Their once pristine and immaculate white color was now stained with grime and a remnant of sewage water courtesy of that stupid under-the-river bullshit back in Rayford. He will never stop complaining about unsanitary places but for now, he was exhausted from the mad dash they did.

“This is the most relaxing safe room I’ve ever been in,” Nick muttered a little sardonically, checking the bullets in the magazine of his magnum before placing his gun in its holster. He crossed his arms and sighed, the adrenaline in his body slowly calming down.

Just to his right, Rochelle was glancing around the room noting the lack of… anything except for one long table with an ammunition pile that they could use to refill their arsenal.

“Gee, my bedroom was painted like this when I was a kid. Baby blue. I think my dad wanted a boy,” She commented, wincing slightly at the memories of her childhood before shaking her head. She hoped her parents were alright back in Ohio, though with how fast the infection was spreading, it may be a little too late. She didn’t want to think that.

Managing to escape the horde and into the safety of the tunnel of love, the four survivors took a moment to catch their breaths, leaning against the wall or taking a seat at the edge of the table.

The safe room was silent for a while, each of them taking a moment to collect their bearings before they would leave the room and fight another horde of zombies. Getting to New Orleans was harder than they had anticipated with the Jimmy Gibs stock car they used previously stuck at the highway after the roads were blocked by cars and trucks and with Whispering Oaks still having its lights on, they hoped that there was still a way for them to get to safety.

With their breaths collected and their muscles ready for another mad run, Coach glanced around the room and settled his gaze on the door that would lead them further into the Tunnel of Love. Pursing his lips into a thin smile, he turned to his fellow survivors and mused, “Looks like we’re going through the Tunnel of Love, people. No hanky panky.”

Rochelle chuckled, Ellis grinned, and Nick added with his trademark sarcasm. “Did you see the sign out front? Cousins only today.”

“Very funny, white suit Nick,” Ellis grumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly at the gambler before slinging his hunting rifle to his arms and checking the ammo he has in his person.

“Lighten up, Ellis. At least you get to have your wish, right? We are on a ride, buddy.”

“This ain’t that kinda ride, Nick,” He responded, leaning in close as Ellis raised his hand near his mouth and whispered almost conspiratorially, “This is where you make out with your girlfriend.”

Nick’s gaze briefly sought Rochelle before he turned his attention back on the mechanic, one brow raised slightly.

“Alright people, let’s get with it. Make sure to stay close,” Coach commanded.

“I think we should clarify what constitutes ‘close’.”

“Nick, shut your white ass up.”

With the four of them armed and ready, Coach pushed the door open and all of them stepped out of the safe room. They walked through a narrow passageway that led them to the starting point of where the swan boats would take its passengers. Of course, no swan boats ever greeted them, just a couple of infected staggering about.

They were quickly taken care of with Nick pulling his magnum out of its holster and shooting one on their stomach and neck, Coach shoving one before shooting them point blank and blasting their head to smithereens, Rochelle gripping her fire axe firmly and swinging it down on their head, and Ellis using the scope of his hunting rifle and shooting them square on their forehead.

After that’s done, Coach took a quick sweep of the surroundings before urging his fellow survivors with a tilt of his head. Together, they traversed through the narrow tunnels, the red and purple string lights strung along the walls providing them just enough light to see. That, and they also had flashlights attached to their weapons.

“Back in the day, I had some posters that would’ve looked good in this light,” Coach mused mostly to himself, a small hint of a smile curling on his lips as their footsteps echoed against the floors of the tunnel.

“Well, does it bring back any memories, Coach?” Nick smirked teasingly. “You, a cheeseburger, romance in the air.”

“Nicky, I was on the football team. Coach did just fine.”

Rochelle couldn’t help but snicker, her plump, full lips twitching up to a grin. “Damn. It sounds like you used to be on a diet of cheerleaders, Coach.”

The big man simply shrugged his shoulders somewhat cheekily, his small smile now turning to a wide, wolfish grin.

The little conversation they had helped in a way, the nervous tension in their muscles easing just a bit as they continued to walk through the tunnels, reaching what seemed to be the maintenance room.

“Into the swan maintenance room of love!” Ellis voiced quite cheerily, jogging in front of the group as he stepped into the room, hunting rifle in hand in case there was a zombie in his path.

Coach followed suit with Rochelle and Nick trailing behind him. While Ellis was already climbing up the stairs like he was some energy drink, the rest of the group were scanning the area to see if they could find anything that would be useful. A molotov, a pipe bomb, bile bomb maybe? Anything they could throw that could kill the zombies or distract them for a few minutes.

Their search was fruitless; they soon followed after Ellis and climbed up the stairs while Ellis finished off two infected he spotted just by the shelves of what seemed like a storage unit. Reuniting, they took another flight of stairs before making their way to a room with a blasted hole on the floor. Despite the risky factors of not being able to see what was on either side of the tunnel, they all eventually jumped down and continued their trek through the tunnels hoping that they could find the exit already.

If their furrowed brows had anything to reveal, it was the fact that they were annoyed at how seemingly long this tunnel was. Nick was ready to scratch his eyes out and bash his head against the wall as the tunnel seemed to never end. How much longer do they have to walk for the exit?!

In spite of his visible annoyance at the winding tunnels, Rochelle’s teasing voice echoed to his left as she cooed, “I bet Nick remembers the Tunnel of Love being this long.”

His lips twitched and he scoffed, “Not cool, Rochelle.”

She simply responded with a cheeky chuckle.

Wanting to add to the fun, Ellis decided to chime in and slowed his steps until he was walking alongside Rochelle. With a wide grin, he nudged her with his elbow before saying, “What about you, Ro? You ever been to a Tunnel of Love?”

“Nope,” She responded with a slight incline of her head as she peered at Ellis. “Not really a big fan of this kind of thing. Sitting in a plastic tub in a half foot of water? It’s stupid.”

Her answer didn’t seem to faze the mechanic as Ellis’ grin grew wider, leaning in towards her as he whispered, “Oh yeah? Then imagine this. You and that biker dude from Rayford sitting in a swan all close because of how small it is, you’re all smiling and giggling, he wraps an arm around your shoulder and then he whispers into your ear and—”

“Ellis, do not,” Rochelle snickered, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she shook her head and gently pushed Ellis away with her elbow.

“Aww come on, Ro! I mean sure, sitting in a plastic swan sounds stupid but you got that biker dude for company. Ain’t that romantic?” He cooed, wiggling his eyebrows at her as he poked her arm with his finger.

“Can we not talk about that greasy pig?”

Ellis and Rochelle turned to Nick whose jaw was visibly clenched and his eyes narrowed into slits.

“Nick, I don’t wanna sound mean and all, but this is between me and Rochelle. This ain’t about you, brother,” Ellis chided as he stared at the gambler.

“I still have ears, therefore I can hear,” Nick snapped back, his annoyance coming out of him like a steam.

Out of all the things they could talk about, they had to talk about that vest-wearing jackass and they had to talk about him while they were still inside the Tunnel of Love? Nick knew his frustration and annoyance with that biker they met at Rayford was irrational. After all, they were miles away from the other group already and it’s not like they would ever cross paths again. But man, even without mentioning his name, when the word “biker” emanated from Ellis’ mouth, all Nick wanted to do was punch him.

And the image of Francis and Rochelle sitting together in a swan in the Tunnel of Love did not sit well with him.

Nick scoffed, careening his neck just a bit as his fingers curled towards his palm, his words muttered through slightly gritted teeth.

“Why did you have to bring him up? It’s not like we’ll ever meet them again.”

“Man, what’s got you so twisted? I was poking fun at Rochelle, not you.”

Nick scoffed once more as he clicked his tongue, rubbing his face with his palm before adding with a harsh tone, “Yeah, and now she won’t be able to stop thinking about that monkey.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on,” Rochelle interjected as she glanced at Nick with furrowed brows and lips curled to a frown. “Let me put this as nicely as I can. What in the hell is wrong with you?”

He frowned back at her. “You heard me. Now that Ellis mentioned that biker pig, I bet you can’t stop thinking about him now, can you?”

Her jaw dropped at his audacity.

“Excuse me?”

Rochelle glared at him and Nick glared right back at her. He can be an asshole—well, he is—but Rochelle knew that this sudden animosity was out of character for him. Sure, the first time they met the other survivors back at Rayford, Nick was an asshole to them, especially Francis. And while his obvious dislike for Francis still remained, they both were able to have some sort of understanding before they left. And now, his annoyance was anything but logical. But you know what? She ain’t backing down from a fight.

“You know, maybe you’re that annoyed because you were the one thinking about him. You miss him that much, Suit?” She retaliated with a small grin, stepping in front of him as she placed her hand on her hip.

Nick narrowed his eyes into a glare, his annoyance skyrocketing even further as he took a step forward, lowering his head slightly as he stared pointedly at her. Her eyes, brown and ever so defiant. Her lips, thick and ever so plump. He hated the smug grin written on her mouth. If he leaned in a little closer he could—

“Quit it, you two!” Coach bellowed, reprimanding the two of them as he stepped in between and gently pushed them away from each other. “Nicolas, I know you’re an asshole and I’m trying my best to keep my fist away from you, but you’re teetering closer to that edge now, son.”

Then, he would turn to Rochelle. “Ro, don’t add more fire to the flames. We’ve got to focus.”

Her grin ceasing to a pursed, thin line, Rochelle took a deep breath before letting it all out from her nose. Her shoulders sagging slightly, she glanced at Coach and gave him an apologetic smile before whispering, “Sorry, Coach.”

Smiling at Rochelle, Coach patted her on the shoulder, only giving Nick a quick glance as he knew that the gambler would not apologize at all. With a slightly strained sigh, he inclined his head and gestured to the group to keep going.

With another scoff leaving his thin lips, Nick rolled his eyes and rubbed his face with his palm again before trailing behind them, keeping away from the group for a bit in order to calm himself.

He knew that his sudden frustration and irritation was nonsensical and just utterly ridiculous. He knew that Ellis was just joking around with Rochelle and Rochelle wasn’t really thinking about that vest-wearing pig at all.

But that image, that image of her with that biker guy sitting in a plastic swan giggling like a lovestruck teenager irked him immensely. Thinking of it just made him senselessly annoyed again and it was made worse when he imagined Francis wrapping his arm around her shoulder, leaning in and—

He shook his head. Stop it, He would say to himself. Don’t be stupid. Rochelle won’t ever meet that guy again.

That train of thought made him smile a little. That’s right. They won’t ever meet again. They’re already far away from each other and, if she gets a little lonely, he could—

Nick shook his head again as a dry chuckle slipped out of his lips, reaching a hand up to his hair and combing through the strands with his fingers. This tunnel was getting into his nerves, having him think about kissing and getting laid and all that shit. He needed to get out, pronto. Luckily for him, a breeze of air coming from the blasted hole on the side of the tunnel made him let out a sigh as he quickened his steps and hurried after his fellow survivors.

“Thank god,” He rumbled, inhaling in the air before letting it all out in a deep exhale. His body bent over slightly, the sound of blades whirling in the night skies whizzed past them, Coach’s baritone voice slicing through the loud noise. “There’s a chopper!”

The sound of helicopter blades, while loud and irksome, was like music to his ears as Nick glanced up and watched the vehicle fly forward deeper into the amusement park.

“I think it’s headed towards the stadium,” Ellis pointed out. “We should find a way to signal the pilot.”

Coach nodded and Nick let out a huff of approval at the idea. Rochelle patted the mechanic on his shoulder, a gentle smile gracing her lips before looking forward and asking softly, “Is that a roller coaster ahead of us?”

“It is,” Ellis then perked up as he hollered, “That’s the Screaming Oak, baby!”

“A coaster?” Nick mused out loud. “Oh god, we are going on the tracks, aren’t we?”

Coach glanced around his surroundings, noting the truck and a room that seemed like a storage room or a staff room. Whatever the hell it was called, he tilted his head towards the small building before saying, “Let’s check for supplies first. We only have one medkit on us and I doubt our trek on the tracks will be smooth and easy.”

They all nodded in unison. Nick was carrying the only medkit they had, that and he had much more confidence and experience in providing first aid to his fellow survivors. Sure, it didn’t hurt to have the others provide first aid, but his selfish instincts can get the better of him and it somewhat gave him assurance that he won’t die if he had the kit on his back. He wouldn’t hog it though should the need for it rise.

Splitting up in two groups, Coach and Ellis checked inside the truck while Rochelle entered the small building with Nick following behind. There wasn’t really much in the room except for a medicine cabinet, another door that had nothing but crates, and another door that led to the exit. She was quick to open the medicine cabinet and discovered pain pills. There were 6 of them, plenty enough for their travels. She took them in her hands with two bottles in each palm before handing them to Nick.

“Here,” She muttered noncommittally before handing him the last two bottles and closed the medicine cabinet.

Nick couldn’t help but stare at her as he pondered for a moment, putting the pills inside the medkit before pocketing the remaining two in the pocket of his pants.

“Ro,” He would call to her in a low, rumbling tone as he leaned against a nearby wall. “Is there something on your mind?”

“Hm?” She turned her head towards him. “No, not really.”

“Still thinking about that greaseball?”

Her brows then furrowed into a deep crease.

“Will you stop? I wasn’t thinking about him.”

He couldn’t help but shrug his shoulders, arms crossed. “Well, you’re a bit quiet for someone who’s usually a little loud.”

The vein on her forehead throbbed achingly as Rochelle stared at him with a pointed glare, jaws tightening slightly before taking a deep breath and forced herself to answer through gritted teeth.

“I am focusing my energy looking for supplies, Nick.” She stepped away from the medicine cabinet and left the small building, his footsteps following after as he pushed himself off of the wall. “And just because I am quiet does not mean I was thinking about Francis.”

Nick couldn’t stop the smirk that curled on his mouth. Maybe he could give this a little push.

“You are,” he cooed teasingly. “You mentioned his name just now.”

Nick was, and still is, an asshole, she knew that very well. He was just pushing her buttons, she knew that. She didn’t mind a little back and forth but right now, there were more important things to focus on.

Rochelle did her damnedest not to cave in to his teasing, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath as she pursed her lips into a thin line before saying, “I am not thinking about him, Nick. I am trying to focus on our present situation which is to get to the stadium by getting through the coaster.”

By now, the two of them made their way to the emergency gates of the coaster where Coach and Ellis were waiting for them. Nick leaned against the wall as he continued to poke at Rochelle with an infuriating smug smirk on his mouth. “Yeah, but the little red dusting your cheeks says otherwise.”

This suit-wearing piece of shit. Rochelle thought to herself, the furrow on her brows crinkling deeper as she took her fire axe from behind her, clutching it tightly within her palm as she stared at him so hard it seemed like she was trying to drill into his head and kill him.

Coach was quick to interrupt and stop their escalating bickering by opening the emergency gates and having the alarm blare throughout the entire park and said, “No time for arguin’, people! We need to cross this coaster.”

“Oh man, this is like Christmas!” Ellis bawled excitedly, mimicking a train’s sound as the rides whizzed past them before the gates opened.

“Alright people,” Coach pulled his shotgun close to his chest. “Let’s hustle!”

“WOOO!” Ellis was first to enter the tracks with unbridled joy and recklessness as he pulled his dual pistols from their holsters and immediately shoved zombies back before shooting them.

“Go, go, go!” Coach then gestured to Nick and Rochelle to follow with Rochelle quickly stepping on the tracks and trailing after Ellis who was still hollering while saying, “We gotta turn that alarm off! Zombies are swarmin’ in!”

Nick followed suit with Coach being the person on the back and protecting their rear.

“Keep following the tracks! Don’t stop running!”

Despite the mad dash through the tracks with the alarm screeching like a banshee, Nick took long strides and matched his pace with Rochelle as he raised his voice slightly before saying to her, “If it makes you feel any better, the alarm’s louder than you are!”

“Nicolas, for the love of god, SHUT YOUR MOUTH!”

They shoved and shot zombies as they ran through the tracks with Ellis still treating the apocalypse like a vacation and the others busying themselves by shooting and whacking the infected on their heads.

“Hey, at least this ride’s a little better than that tunnel of love huh, Rochelle?” Nick teased again, shooting a zombie that was beginning its ascent towards the tracks.

“Nick, can you stop for just a minute and focus?!” She snapped with a harsh tone, craning her head towards him as she gave him a deadly glare.

“I just can’t understand why you would think about that greasy biker—”

“Are you seriously still on THAT?!”

Nick simply responded in an incredulous huff as he stared at her like his question wasn’t nonsensical or anything.

“I am just asking a reasonable question—”

“I wasn’t thinking about him in the first place! Ellis was the one who brought him up!” Rochelle cut him off as she retorted, her voice growing slightly high-pitched as they continued to run through the tracks, reaching a dip and sliding down before landing on their feet with a grunt.

Nick staggered slightly on his feet before regaining balance. “But you know at the back of your mind, you were thinking about him!”

“Oh my GOD!” Rochelle grumbled out loud.

“Quit your bickerin’, you two! Focus on running!” Coach bellowed as he admonished them with a hard glare, whipping his head around to shoot a zombie following them before turning his gaze back in front of him. “This ain’t the time to be actin’ like children!”

“Blame him! He won’t shut up about that Francis guy!”

“See, you mentioned his name twice!”

“Nicolas, I will shove this axe right up your—”

“AAAGH!”

The three of them gasped as the shrieks of pain from Ellis alarmed them. Pushing past the other two, Coach quickly hurried towards the young mechanic leaving Nick and Rochelle to trail after him as they shoved zombies aside.

“Hang on, Ellis!” Coach screamed, his legs skidding to a stop as his eyes settled on the Hunter clawing on Ellis as it growled and snarled with a blazing rage that plagued its mind due to the Green Flu.

Gritting his teeth, Coach charged forward and shoved the Hunter off of Ellis, pointing his shotgun and quickly pulling on the trigger as the Hunter screeched in pain before falling on the wooden tracks while Rochelle took Ellis’ arm and pulled him up hastily and gently.

“Come on, get up! Can you still run?” She asked, her voice laced with worry.

“I’m hurt all over but I’ll live, ma’am,” Ellis grunted, one arm clutched over his abdomen as he turned his head towards her, grinned, and thanked her.

“See what happens?!” Coach snapped as he glared at Nick and Rochelle. “Now come on! We’re almost there!”

Their run lagged as they matched Ellis’ pace, not wanting to leave him behind and not wanting to rush him too much since he was in pain. After emerging from the tunnel of the coaster, Nick’s gaze landed on the controllers of the coaster and pushed past the group as Coach shouted at him, “Turn it off!”

“I’m on it, I’m on it!” Nick shouted back, shoving the zombies left and right as Coach and Ellis provided him cover while Rochelle covered their rear.

He entered the booth and quickly slammed his palm down on the button as the alarm ceased to screech. The zombies’ growls and shrieks of sickly rage soon filled the air as Coach, Ellis, and Rochelle trailed after Nick, peering over his shoulder as he called out, “Safe house!”

With the alarm off and the infected still chasing after them, they all hurried to the safe room. Finally reaching the safe confines of refuge, Coach then slammed the door shut and locked it. Panting heavily, Rochelle let out a soft chuckle, relieved that they can have a moment of peace before having to face the horde again.

However, her chuckles soon died down when she noticed Coach’s narrowed eyes, shrinking slightly as she asked in a low whisper, “What?”

He crossed his arms and huffed through his nose before turning towards Ellis and stretched his arm out towards him as Ellis sat down on a box, hunched over with one arm on his stomach, his sides scratched with crimson coloring his yellow Bullshifters t-shirt.

“Look at him,” he grunted. “Because of you two, Ellis is bleedin’!”

Rochelle gasped and Nick scoffed as the two of them began to come up with a reason—more of an excuse, really.

“He wouldn’t shut up about—” “I was just trying to—”

“SHUT IT!” Coach bellowed, making Ellis raise his head and reach out his free arm in an attempt to placate the big man from blowing up any further.

“It’s just some scratches, Coach. I’ll be okay,” Ellis murmured softly with a slight wince, his eyes peering at each of them with worry.

“You should be blaming him, not me!” Rochelle pointed an accusatory finger towards Nick who turned towards her with a glare, his jaw agape.

“I’m blaming you two,” Coach exclaimed with finality, taking his steps forward towards Nick as he asked for the medkit. Nick simply let out a small, annoyed huff as he rolled his eyes and took the medkit from his back and gave it to Coach. Before the football coach could go to Ellis’ aid, he first swung the medkit on Nick’s head eliciting a loud ‘ow!’ from him. Then, turning to Rochelle, she just closed her eyes and waited for the impact as Coach swung the medkit on her head as well before adding, “Go to the corner and sort your issues out right now.”

He then marched up to Ellis, his head whipping back towards them when he noticed they hadn’t moved an inch from where they were standing. “CORNER. NOW.”

He’s a teacher alright. Rochelle thought, a deep and exasperated sigh leaving her lips as she did what was instructed. She leaned against the wall and crossed her arms, biting her inner cheek in frustration as she stared at the floor with a frown etched on her features.

Nick let out an audible grumble before begrudgingly walking towards the corner, standing just inches away from her as he slid his hands into his pockets.

Neither of them said a word, neither of them even glanced at each other. Nick was annoyed and so was she. I mean, who wouldn’t be? They were bickering while running on the tracks and they weren’t quick enough to react to Ellis getting pounced by a Hunter.

Her brows creased deeper as she picked the skin on her arm, the tiny portion of her own flesh trapped between her fingers. She knew that she wasn’t the one who started their child-like back and forth, but she supposed that she still shared the blame since she could have just ignored Nick and let him ramble on while they ran. If she did, she might have picked up on the low growls of the Hunter and alerted everyone before it pounced on Ellis or any of them.

She tilted her head up towards the ceiling, lips pursed into a thin line as she began to wonder why Nick was so incensed with the idea that she was thinking about Francis when the guy wasn’t even on her mind until now. That was done and over with, and sure she might have reciprocated Francis’ somewhat implied attraction towards her but that was done to humor him a little. Her main focus was to get to New Orleans and try to survive this apocalypse as much as she could. Hell, by the time they left Rayford, his name had taken a backseat in her brain as she focused on their current situation and in their current group.

Rochelle was shaken out of her stupor when Nick scoffed and glowered, “Will you stop thinking about him?”

“I wasn’t, you boorish jackass.”

He let out a mirthless chuckle as he angled his head to face her, a cynical smirk dancing across his thin lips before continuing, “Big words, Ro. But we both know that’s not true.”

Her eyes narrowed into a harsh and pointed glare as she gritted her teeth before jabbing back, “How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn’t? I wasn’t thinking of him back in the Tunnel of Love, I’m certainly not thinking about him now. Honestly, the only reason you would react this way is because—”

Rochelle paused, her eyes scrutinizing the features on his countenance before a wide, knowing grin curved on her lips and stretched towards her ears, a cheeky chuckle escaping her chest as she slanted her chin in a mischievous and somewhat challenging gesture.

Shit.

Nick looked away, his smirk giving way to an annoyed frown as he grumbled and huffed. He didn’t want to say it out loud and he certainly didn’t want to hear her say it out loud. It was bad enough that he had already realized this early on before they got on the tracks, now he was facing the brunt extent as to why he was so huffy about the whole ordeal.

Jealousy.

Just thinking about being jealous of that biker was enough to make his skin boil as he gritted his teeth and scoffed. Why should he be jealous about that scumbag? He was much more well-dressed, he wasn’t a dumbass, and he certainly was much more handsome than Francis ever will be.

And sure, Nick might have also encouraged her to go after that biker when he showed interest in her but even then, there was a small part of him that regretted giving Rochelle a small push towards that tattoo-wearing, greasy-looking, almost bald biker jackass.

Why did Ellis have to bring up that guy again? Why did he have to paint a picture to Rochelle about sitting in a swan together like they were on a date?

Nick was right there. He was there, he was here. He was here with them, with her. He’s the one standing right beside her.

“Nicolas,” Rochelle more or less purred, her voice a soft and low whisper as his lips twitched a bit before turning around to face her.

His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed as he stared at her with a slight scowl. She simply grinned at him as she teased, “I never thought you would actually be jealous over something so small. Afraid you’re losing your touch?”

Nick scoffed and grumbled, “Shut up, Ro.”

She giggled feverishly, her hand coming up to her mouth to stifle her laughter.

He would never admit it out loud, but her laughter was music to his ears. Sure, he’s used to hearing women giggle and laugh since he was, and is, a charming asshole, but to hear Rochelle laugh and chuckle like this in brief periods of their respite somehow soothed him. She was always trying to focus on their main goal, on being level-headed and being calm, so to witness her in this rather laidback manner brought some sort of solace in his guarded heart.

“And here I thought you were nothing more than a jackass. Turns out you do have feelings,” Rochelle cooed like she was speaking to a toddler.

He scoffed and chuckled wryly, shaking his head before staring back at her as an almost imperceptible smile flashed across his lips. God, if only he could smash his mouth against hers and wipe that teasing smile away.

“You know, now that I think about it, I kind of miss that guy.”

“ROCHELLE,” Nick growled, his jaw tightening as he glared at her in warning.

A bark of hysterical laughter rose from her lungs and out of her mouth as she placed a hand on his shoulder as if to steady herself. Shaking her head, she hunched over slightly before straightening herself as she peered at him, her laughter getting fueled at the sight of the annoyed scowl written on his features.

“I seem to remember someone telling me and encouraging me to go after Francis since I wasn’t, and I quote, “getting any younger”. So what, does that still ring true today?”

“Absolutely not,” was his quick response as Nick begrudgingly shrugged her hand away from his shoulder and crossed his arms. “Just… Just stop talking about him. Think of something else, you know? Anything but that jackass.”

Her grin widened. “Are you trying to control my thoughts, Nicky? Not very ‘ladies’ man’ of you.”

“I don’t care, Ro. I don’t have that many options especially when the only women I know that are alive so far are you and that Zoey girl.”

“Zoey hates your guts and you will find yourself staring at Ellis with a grenade launcher pointed at you.”

He rolled his eyes, rubbing his face with his palm before letting out a sigh. “Look, you’re an attractive lady, Ro. Calm, sensible, takes no shit from anyone, especially my shit. Not only that, you’re quite a crack shot even if you aren’t that fond of guns.”

Rochelle raised an eyebrow, a little perplexed. “Uh, where are you going with this exactly…?”

“What I’m trying to say is,” He paused, his eyes staring deeply into hers that sent tingles down her spine. He murmured with a deep and low rumble of his voice, “Stop thinking about that guy and think of me instead. I’m the one here beside you, aren’t I?”

Her eyes widened and a small, amused grin stretched on her lips as she inclined her head before asking, “Is that a confession, Nicolas?”

“And if I told you it is?”

A snort escaped her. “Real smooth, Nick.”

Nick chuckled, the corners of his mouth twitching up to a smile. It then grew quiet between them, a warm stillness just simmering beneath the surface of their thoughts as their eyes met once more.

The Green Flu had taken a lot from them; families, friends, a place to go, a place to stay. A trying time in which building trust can be questionable, can be advantageous, or can be one’s doom. They all knew they would never be grouped like this, they all came from different walks of life. And yet, despite the shaky beginning, despite the lingering doubt of whether one would leave the other behind or not, they continued to stick together like glue. Practically speaking, it was necessary since they all knew they could never survive on their own. But the funny thing about facing trials and tribulations with someone together, a bond would form imperceptible to the eye. An inkling of its presence and there would be denial. Still, with each hindrance conquered, realizations would seep into their minds and it would be effortless to say that they need each other, come what may.

Nick was still apprehensive of sticking together as he was used to looking out for himself and only himself. This was contradictory to everything he stood for, but he knew that his chances of survival would slim to zero if he went to New Orleans on his own. And, despite all the complaining, the cynicism, the desire for self-preservation and selfishness, he could picture himself with this group beyond just New Orleans. Rochelle, Coach, even Ellis. It might not be much but it was a start.

He gave her a small, almost warm smile as he muttered softly, “I’m not leaving you behind, Ro. Not when you’re this sexy.”

She laughed and playfully rolled her eyes. “Oh really? And how many women have you told this exact line?”

“Cut me some slack, Rochelle,” He laughed with her. “I’m trying here.”

Eyes brimming with amusement, Rochelle simply shook her head before settling her gaze on his handsome features once more. She still noted the slight apprehension with how tight his shoulders were from just saying those small words, but she also noticed the sincerity that bubbled beneath the tough bravado he was displaying. It was slow but he was getting there; they were slowly allowing themselves the vulnerability of trusting one another.

With another smile, she nudged him with her elbow before saying, “I’m not leaving you behind either. We all won’t.”

“I know,” he remarked a little cockily. “No one’s going to butt heads with Coach, Ellis won’t have his number one bully, and you’ll miss me and my complaining.”

“On second thought, maybe I should’ve swapped you with Francis.”

“Okay, I’ll stop.”

Sharing another chuckle together, they both leaned their backs against the wall before turning to one another, the corners of their lips upturned into a small smile. His gaze would roam over her countenance, taking note of how her forehead was free from any baby hairs and how her eyebrows were thin and sharp. There were still remnants of her eyeshadow that colored her lids and her cheeks and lips were more or less relatively clean, save for the one bruise on the right side of her cheek. He was tempted to give her a different kind of bruise.

He was shaken out of his somewhat drunken daze with a gentle prod from her elbow. He met her eyes that brimmed with glee at how shameless he was staring at her. Rochelle gave him a knowing grin, careening her head against the wooden wall before whispering, “You’re not that subtle with your thoughts, Suit.”

“Subtlety has never been in my dictionary, sweetheart,” he grinned back, mirroring her.

It was strange how you could find solace from such a person in the middle of an apocalypse. Rochelle knew she would never entertain the idea of being with someone like Nick given that he was a conman that never settled in one place, ladies included. And Nick knew that he would never be with someone like Rochelle who seemed more focused with her career than anything else before the shitshow that is the Green Flu happened. Their lifestyle and personal choices weren’t necessarily bad, that was just who they were. But perhaps, it was what made them connect much more easily on an unconscious level. The banter, the push and pull; it reminded them of the present, of where they are, that they were still here, alive and breathing. Nick would rather have her loudness fill his ears than the groans and growls of the sick. And Rochelle, she would rather have him begrudgingly help the group than never meeting him at all.

“I’ve got your back, Ro. That’s for certain.”

“You’re going to have to phrase that differently, Nick.”

“Jesus Christ woman, we just met a couple of days ago.”

Another bark of laughter would fill the air between them as they cackled, their grins wide and stretched from ear to ear. They would keep their eyes on each other as if talking telepathically, their bodies slowly inching forward towards one another before Coach’s voice sliced through the growing tension.

“I told y’all, no hanky panky,” he uttered with amusement, arms crossed as he eyed them with a raised brow.

Rochelle simply chuckled and Nick rolled his eyes, a little annoyed at the interruption. Perhaps, when they get to New Orleans, maybe he and Rochelle could share a moment or two alone.

“How’s our little mechanic?” she asked gently.

“Like he wasn’t pounced on by a Hunter at all.”

Together, the three of them whipped their heads to see Ellis already rolling his shoulders, bandages wound firmly around his body as he grabbed his hunting rifle and gave them his young, boyish grin.

“All good to go!” he chirped, flexing his arm. “Them zombies ain’t takin’ us alive.”

Pleased that he was still as energetic as ever, Coach would turn his attention back to Rochelle and Nick as he asked, “A’ight. Have you kids sorted your issues out?”

A chortle exited her lips as she nodded. “We’re good, Coach.”

Nodding his head and smiling, he both patted their shoulders before turning around and making his way towards Ellis who was now uttering another tale regarding his buddy, Keith.

Letting another chuckle leave her chest, a small gasp exited her lips when Nick followed after Coach and pushed past her, his fingers just barely brushing along her arm and his lips ghosting near her locs. Her cheeks warmed just a bit as she stood there, frozen. Taking a deep breath and staring at the back of his head, Rochelle couldn’t help but smirk before trailing behind him. Standing just to his right, she would gently reach out with her pinky finger and lightly touch his hand. In response, he extended his pinky finger and wrapped it around hers all while keeping their attention and ears to Ellis recounting another tale of how he and his friend Keith made fireworks.

It was something so minor, so minute. And yet, it kept the fire in them, the will to go on, alive and burning. It would still be a long and arduous journey before the two of them could ever bring down the walls fenced around their vulnerability. But for now, this little gesture was a small promise that they were going to get out of this hellhole and reach the embrace of safety. With Coach, with Ellis, with him and with her—

—Together.

=====

(A silly idea came to mind while I was playing L4D2. I thought, “What if Nick and Rochelle were arguing while running on the tracks in map 3?” The characters might be slightly OOC so I do have to apologize for that. I’m planning on posting this on ao3 as well and hope to create more fics for these two because I love them so much it makes me cry. I hope you enjoyed this! If not, I… uh… I’m sorry………..)

#l4d2 #l4d2 nick #l4d2 rochelle #nick x rochelle #nickro #nickrophilia #l4d2 fanfic #my first time posting a fic here on tumblr #fanfiction #it's been a while since I wrote anything pls forgive me #Left 4 Dead 2 #Nick and Rochelle need to kiss #and [REDACTED]

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