Chapter 11

Desire's P.O.V

Raven's constant screams made an uneasy atmosphere in the truck. Somehow through the chaos, we had all made it back to our assigned truck. But through it all, Raven had gotten infected by one of the birds. Luckily Fresh had given him a cure, but as soon as it was was injected into his arm he started screaming in agony. He laid curled up on the ground for several hours and still going, jolting randomly as the cure killed off the zombie infection. Blueprint sat close to him, looking worried. It's strange. Fell told us that his cure wasn't at all painful. He had barely noticed it had taken affect when it was injected into him. So why was this cure so painful?

"When is he going to shut up?" Sage asked. "He's giving me a headache."

"He wouldn't even have been infected if you hadn't set the birds off, Sage." Sprinkle scolded.

"My formula saved everyone from those birds! You should be thanking me!"

"You're the reason we needed saving in the first place!"

"Oh boo-hoo, get over it, Sprinkles, nobody cares!"

"Everyone cares!"

"Come on, brahs." Fresh said. "No arguing. S'all in the past now."

"Oh shut up you eighties trash." Moon grumbled.

Fresh glared at Moon. "Brah, calling people names is super unrad."

"You're accent is 'super unrad'."

"Brah! That's rude!"

"Stop with the arguing!" Gradient yelled. "It's not going to get us anywhere!"

Now perhaps if this was the usual situation, nobody would've listened. But Gradient never, I repeat, never, raises his voice. So it took everyone by surprise. We noticed that Raven had stopped screaming and was now trembling weakly on the floor. Blueprint got to his feet and picked Raven up, then set him down across two seats.

Sprinkle opened his mouth to begin arguing again, but he stopped when I wrapped my arms around him, embracing him from behind.

"Just let it go..." I whispered.

Sprinkle sighed. "Fine..."

I gently pulled him away and sat us on seats away from Sage and Moon.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"I'm so sick of those two thinking they can do whatever they want without any consequences. It's so frustrating." Sprinkle answered.

"You're not the only one. We all find those two infuriating."

Sprinkle hummed in response and leaned against me, resting his head on my shoulder.

I smiled. "You're cute when you're all cuddly like this."

"And you're as flirty as your parents."

I chuckled and cupped his cheekbone with my hand. He closed his eyes and purred softly. Aww, just like a kitten.

Blueprint looked down at Raven, who's head was resting on his lap. He wondered to himself why he had saved Raven, a stranger of all people. Was it because of instinct? No, humans and monsters were naturally wired to save their own skin and bones. Perhaps it was because Blueprint found Raven interesting. He hadn't met many friendly people while out in the wasteland, let alone someone as cheerful and energetic as Raven. Maybe Blueprint wanted to know more about this mystery.

Blueprint examined the open wound on Raven's shoulder. Why hasn't he fixed it? Why I there no bandage? Raven murmured something and his eye sockets fluttered open. It took a good ten seconds for Raven to process the position he was in.

"Hi." He said.

"Hello." Blueprint replied.

"Why am I laying down on your lap?"

"Because I put you there."

"Ah, alright then."

Raven sat up, groaning in pain.

"Are you alright?" Blueprint asked.

"My back is killing me..." Raven complained.

"What about the cut on your shoulder?"

"Nah, that's always been like that."

"You mean you were born with it?"

"Yep. It doesn't hurt. Unless I use magic..."

"Oh."

"How long was I out?"

"Well...you were screaming in pain on the floor for about two hours, then you fell asleep for another two hours."

Raven leaned against his seat, grunting as his back stung.

"I think you should go back to sleep." Blueprint suggested.

"No, I'm fine." Raven smiled cheerfully. "You were a total badass out there, by the way! You took that big zombie chicken down like it was nothing!"

"Thanks, but I don't think it was a chicken."

"Whatever it was, you were amazing!"

"Weren't on the edge of falling unconscious?"

"I mean...maybe. But that doesn't mean I didn't see it!"

"You're very loud."

Raven went to a quiet whisper. "Sorry."

Blueprint smiled. "It's OK."

Then there was a silence. Raven leaned unusually close to Blueprint and Blueprint raised a bonebrow.

"Why so close?" he asked.

Raven pointed at Blueprint's cheekbones. "You've got a really cute blue blush."

Blueprint felt his cheekbones, realising that they were really hot. "O-Oh...thank you..."

Raven giggled. "You're funny."

Blueprint huffed, but smiled. Raven decided to lay across Blueprint's lap again.

"What're you doing?" Blueprint asked.

"You said to get some rest, didn't you?"

Blueprint rolled his eyes playfully. "I did say that, didn't I?

Blueprint stroked Raven's skull softly and Raven closed his eye sockets. I'm not the only one with a cute blush, Blueprint thought.