Food

Fandom: Marvel, Captain America.
Ship: Stucky X Reader.
Word count: 761 words.
Square: 10 "You are who you eat."
Rating: Teen.
Summary: Steve, you and Bucky can survive, can't you?
Major Tags: Zombies.
A/N: This is my entry to Here There Be Monsters Bingo.

The air had a stench of decay and death, mixed with the cold breeze that made your skin crawl. You walked cautiously, knowing there was no safe place. The world had changed drastically since it all began.

You were not alone. Beside you, Steve and Bucky walked silently, their eyes fixed on the horizon. They had both survived the disaster. You felt safe with them, or at least, you had until recently.

For weeks now, you had noticed something strange about them. Their gazes had become colder, more distant. You tried not to make a big deal out of it, convincing yourself that it was just the stress of the situation, but deep down, something wasn't right.

That afternoon, as you were walking through the ruins of what had once been a grocery store, Steve stopped suddenly, holding up a hand to signal you to stop. You obeyed him instantly, accustomed to following his orders in dangerous situations. Bucky stood next to him; his gaze fixed on a point up ahead.

"What is it? "you whispered, trying to see what they saw.

Steve didn't answer right away. He seemed to be concentrating on something, staring into the darkness at the back of the tent. Bucky didn't say anything either, but his lips curled into a small smile.

"There's something in there," Steve finally muttered, not looking away. Something is waiting for us.

"We have to get out of here," you said quietly, trying to stay calm. I don't like this, Steve.

But Steve didn't move. Neither he nor Bucky made the slightest attempt to back down. Something wasn't right, and you knew it.

"Bucky..." you called, waiting for him to react, but the smile on his face only widened.

Suddenly, Steve turned slowly toward you. His face now looked pale and empty to you; his eyes were dull, lifeless. It was then that you noticed the first signs: his skin, greyish and dark veined, and the smell—the same smell of decay that you had sensed in the air since they entered.

"Steve... what's wrong?" You asked, your voice trembling, trailing off.

"We..." Steve began, "We're not what we used to be.

Bucky stepped closer, his body moving unnaturally as if his bones were no longer completely fused. Like Steve, his skin was stained a sickly grey, and his eyes glowed with a pang of savage hunger.

"We were hungry," said Bucky, "and now we have a new truth.

You began to back away faster, not taking your eyes off them. Tears began to blur your vision, but you knew you couldn't stop.

"You..." Steve took a step toward you, raising a hand that now looked like a moving corpse. You'll understand soon enough, too.

"Understand what?" You asked, terrified, though you knew you didn't want the answer.

"You are what you eat. You are who you eat.

Steve and Bucky were nothing but animated corpses, zombies who were once your friend and boyfriend but were now soulless monsters. You turned and began to run, the sound of their clumsy but quick footsteps following close behind.

You ran as fast as you could, zigzagging between the empty shelves, desperately searching for a way out. But their voices kept echoing in your head, closer and closer.

"You can't run away from what you are," Steve shouted behind you. We all fall for this. We all do.

You tripped over an empty box, falling to the floor. Pain coursed through your body, but you knew you couldn't stay there. You got up immediately, panting from the effort, but when you looked back, Steve and Bucky were almost on top of you.

"Don't struggle," Bucky whispered. "You'll be just like us.

His hands were almost on you as you managed to slide under a broken table, pushing what you could in his way to gain a few more seconds. You knew you didn't have much time.

You found a half-broken side door and pushed it with all your might. The sound of splintering wood echoed throughout the store, but it finally opened enough for you to slip through. Once outside, you slammed what was left of the door shut, knowing that it only gave you a few minutes of head start.

"There's no escape," Steve shouted, his voice echoing in the distance. "You are who you eat."

With your heart pounding in your chest, you kept running towards what seemed to be the only safe direction: the outskirts of the city. You knew that sooner or later you would have to face them.