Two years later...

In regular steps a loud noise resonated out of the old building. Its house facade showed slight decay and also the garden didn't sprout anymore, but consisted only of bleak soil and few culms. Partly, that was the season's fault. To the beginning of winter, the plants found ever less nutrients until they eventually withered or the trees shed their leaves. The entire region was bleak and only some spots were full of still splendid plants. The sky was colored in a bluish-grey and several clouds piled on top of each other, for which the sun couldn't shine through properly. Even the temperature sunk drastically and caused to let everything freeze during night.

In the abandoned looking house were two young men located. One of them held a hammer in his hand, hitting it several times against the selfmade chair to fix the nails in it. The other one watched him in silence and followed the orders he got every now and then.

"Hand me two more nails, then you can go," The older one said and checked the chair for imperfections. As told, the smaller one grabbed a pair of nails out of the toolbox and put them next to the chair.

"Already? Shouldn't I help you with something else?"

His counterpart laughed pleased and ruffled through the smaller one's hair, to what he puffed his cheeks. He didn't like to be treated like a dog.

"C'mon, Oliver. All I have to do is sanding the chair and I'm done. Go ahead and bring some firewood. You can also collect the parckages tomorrow."

Oliver frowned and leaned against the table behind him.

"Is already another month over?"

"Be rather grateful. Our food rations ran short, it's almost too little already," The older one sighed und shook his head. Oliver sat down on the table, even though he knew his housemate disliked him doing so.

"Why all of a sudden? A few months ago it was enough, wasn't it?" He looked at his counterpart, who threw at him him a sly grin.

"Well, that happens when you have to grow up so badly and eat so much."

"Yohio!" Oliver complained and looked away with a frown. "That's not true."

Yohio laughed and hammered the last nails into the chair, picked it up and eyed all sides. Oliver watched him silently as he stood up and made his way to the front door. He took his coat from the clothes' rail and put it on.

"Then I'll go ahead. See ya," He shouted through the hall and Yohio waved him goodbye.

Oliver shut the door behind himself and hissed. Unlike the floor in their house, the soil was much colder and his bare feet cramped. During summertime, it was comfortable to walk around without shoes, but the colder months were always torture. Even so, he just had to accept it. Owning a pair of shoes was rather luxury and in their region were neither cars nor shops. Nearly everything was abandoned. Only a few people still lived there.

Ever since an unknown virus bursted out almost two years ago, a lot has changed. In the beginning, panic ruled the day as everyone tried to escape and left his belongings behind. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn't come that far and got infected. What exactly happened to those was still unclear to Oliver, but there was no need to know as well. All the things he was informed of were things Yohio once had told him and he knew the best how much the younger one should know.

Yohio and him - as well as some other people - were the only ones in this region that survived the virus. They were in constant danger. Even the slightest contact with body fluid of an infected person made oneself turn into the same. Being outside was dangerous but it wasn't of use to hide completely as well. You had to survive somehow.

The western countries tried to help them with monthly sent survival packages, filled with catering. Without these all of them would've already died.

Oliver buried his hands even deeper in his coat pockets. If he didn't hurry, it would get even colder. However, after a few minutes, he arrived eventually at the spot that offered him what he needed. Unfortunately, he forgot his axe. He cursed about his stupidity and decided to take at least the firewood that lay around loose and already dry. He also ripped off the bark from the fallen trees and some branches.

Eventually, he finally managed to collect enough wood that it almost blocked his view while being carried in his arms; Oliver made his way back home.

As he arrived there, his several attempts to open the door with loaded arms lead to success and he sighed relieved to store the weight resting on him in the chest, next to the chimney. Yohio entered the room while Oliver put his coat back to its place.

"Hey, didn't you forget something?" The older one smiled and swung around the axe his housemate had forgotten. Oliver grunted and sat down on their sofa, regardless of how much he was drowning it. Yohio took a seat next to him and leaned the axe against the wall.

"Luka called some minutes ago and asked if we'd like to come over," Yohio said but Oliver looked at him, crossed his arms and averted his face.

"Spoiled bitch," Oliver murmured loud enough to not hide it from Yohio, who flinched surprised about the wording and grabbed the blonde's shock of hair. Provoked by the sudden action, the younger one protested but couldn't free himself out of the tight grip. He looked in Yohio's eyes who was staring down at him just as upset.

"Don't talk about her like that. She does a lot for us, and aside from that, she even was the one to have saved you back then."

He let go off Oliver who backed away instantly.

"And don't use those words. You're still too young."

Oliver burst out laughing and rose an eyebrow. He ignored Yohio's last comment.

"She didn't save me, it was you. And besides that, you should rather save the electricity you have instead of wasting it for phone calls. If she wants to say something, she should come over on her own."

Despite these words, Oliver knew very well that he didn't mean everything the way he spoke them out loud. Deep inside he was grateful for what she did. Even so, he simply didn't like her behavior. Back then, she had been an ordinary housewife who lived in poverty. Now she was - considering the circumstances - wealthy and acted like that as well. Well, once rich, forever rich.

Yohio shook his head in annoyance and sighed. Sometimes he simply couldn't understand Oliver's behavior. On one hand he was a small and enthusiastic boy, but all of a sudden he switched and complained about everything that annoyed him with a vile language. Yohio blamed it on the hormones and hoped for it to end fairly soon. He didn't feel ready to take care of an adolescent with mood changes.

He immediately got rid of those thoughts and smiled gently while clapping on Oliver's back, who didn't react much to it.

"What do you think of it?"

After some hesitating Oliver pursed his lips annoyed and huffed.

"For all I care."