Who: Dan and Liv What: Liv wakes up looking human When: November 9 Where: Their place Rating/Warnings: Low Status: Complete!
Things in Seattle were a lot different once zombies were outed. There was a wall around Seattle now, no one allowed in or out - humans and zombies alike. There were humans who wanted to get in, wanted to be snatched to cure whatever illness they had. Or just wanting to get in to see loved ones. On top of that brains were scarce. Not for Liv given her work at the morgue. But for all the other zombies. People weren’t as willing to donate their brains after they died as Chase had hoped they would be. Of the humans left in Seattle, many of them were not a fan of zombies.
In her dreams Liv had begun to dye her hair and spray tan in order to pass as human. As much as she hated it, it was something she had to do. Liv had always preferred to embrace her zombie looks. But with all the hate for zombies it was better she fit in. However, she wasn’t expecting the new look to carry over to her waking self. Which was precisely why she didn’t even notice that she looked human when she woke up on her birthday. She just rolled over and snuggled into her boyfriends arms. “Mmm,” Liv mumbled eyes closed again. “Let’s just stay in bed.”
Dan’s dreams ended months ago and with them had brought no real resolution. Now he was getting repeats, which all things considered, weren’t so bad now that he knew what to expect. He garnered no new information a second time around that helped him figure out what was happening in them, and Dan had to be content in knowing that he probably would never really be able to figure them out. At the very least, he could take solace in the fact that he wasn’t going to wake up shot through the chest again. So he hoped.
He stirred slightly when Liv rolled over and wrapped her arms around him. Staying in bed seemed like a good idea to him and why shouldn’t they? He murmured an agreement in his Detroit-Irish lilt. He opened one eye as Liv nestled in closer, then smiled and closed it again.
Then opened both eyes. Had he seen that correctly? Brown hair?
Dan untangled himself from Liv’s arms as he sat up. “Liv, darlin’,” he said a little more urgently then he really needed to. “Wake up. Yer hair it’s --” Sitting up, Dan could get a better look at his girlfriend and saw that not only was her hair it’s human color, but her skin was as well. She looked an awful like the way she had when she’d shown up at his apartment last December. Human.
Liv frowned, her brow furrowed. Why was Dan making her get up? Sleeping in with her boyfriend was the perfect way to start her birthday and he seemed to agree only a moment ago.
She sat up slowly. “What?” she asked her boyfriend. “What’s wrong with my ha-“ her words were cut off as she ran her fingers through it. It felt longer than usual. Strange. It was definitely enough to wake her up though.
Liv shot out of bed walking over to the mirror to examine her hair. It definitely wasn’t platinum blonde anymore. And her skin was far from pale. “What the hell?”
Dan was still sitting on the bed, watching Liv as she examined herself in the mirror. Had she really turned human again? Like she had last December? Dan pushed himself up from the bed and joined her by the mirror. Dare he hope, for her sake? Being a zombie was a part of Liv’s identity in a way, but it had never defined her. Not to Dan at least. His own death and reincarnation had meant that the two of them could be together without fear of Dan becoming one of the undead himself, but...there were still so many other things Dan knew Liv wanted. Not to have to rely on brains. Not to have traits of her personality scrambled every time she ate the brain of someone new….To be free from all of that….
“How are you feelin’, Darlin’?” He asked her carefully. “D’ye feel any different?”
“No,” Liv replied with a furrowed brow. “I feel the same.” The time she woke up human, she had felt different. At the time she didn’t know why, even when she saw herself in the mirror. But today? She felt the same as any other day.
“I guess I could try eating some food without brains or hot sauce.” It was worth a shot at least. Even if she didn’t feel any different she was still hoping she was human again. The fact that her spray tan and dyed hair might have carried over didn’t even occur to her. The hope that she was human overpowered logical thinking.
The fact that Liv didn’t feel any different made Dan pause. The last time she had woken up human, she had known she was human. At least that’s how it appeared to Dan when she’d showed up at his apartment that same morning. A slight worried frown creased his features. He didn’t want to get Liv’s hopes up only to have them dashed away. At the same time, he didn’t want her to completely give up either. Damn, this place could be cruel.
“Well, we kin give it a shot,” he said of Liv’s suggestion that she try eating something without brains or hot sauce. “I’ll make us some breakfast and we’ll figure this out together.” He leaned in and gave her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, babe,” Liv replied with a small smile. Normally she would offer to cook it herself but if hadbeen so long since Liv had eaten non spicy food she didn’t even know if she remembered how to cook it.
Dan made his way to the kitchen. What did someone cook in order to test whether their girlfriend was still a zombie or not? After a few moments of just standing in the kitchen staring at the fridge, he opted to make a cheese omelet. That was pretty tame, he figured. Plus it was easy and quick. He pulled out a couple of eggs, milk, cheese, some onions and spinach and started cooking.
Occasionally he glanced at the freezer, where Liv’s brains were, then at the cupboard where the hot sauce was kept. It was hard not to hope that this time she had turned human for good. For Liv’s sake. Dan would still love her whether she was a zombie or not, but it wasn’t an easy life for Liv to live. Dan knew that. That was why he tried to be as understanding as possible when her personality changed to match the new brain she was on. It wasn’t easy, no and there had been a few times in which it had been incredibly difficult for him take a few long breaths and hang on to that patience. But they had been through so much together and Dan was determined to stand by her, no matter what happened. He had to laugh a little at himself. He never would have thought he’d fall so hard for someone.
“Breakfast’s ready, Darlin’!” He called to her as he slid the omelet from the pan to a plate.
Liv made her way out to the kitchen at Dan’s words. A smile on her face. Even though she didn’t feel any different she still had a bit of hope. Besides it was also her birthday. How could she not be smiling?
“Thanks,” Liv replied that smile still on her face as she bit into the omelette. The smile slowly vanished from her face as a look of disgust came over her features. It was all she could do to keep chewing. A large part of her just wanted to spit it back out, but that just felt too rude. So she swallowed. “I think I need some brains,” Liv frowned making her way over to the freezer.
Liv cut out a chunk bringing it back to her omelette. She poured some hot sauce on top and then took a bite. Much better.
“Guess I’m still a zombie.”
Dan felt a wave of disappointment the moment Liv’s face contorted into one of disgust as she chewed her eggs. “I’m sorry, Darlin’,” he said as she got up to get some brains out of the fridge. He watched her scoop some onto her omelet and add some hot sauce and sighed. It wasn’t fair. The Dreams could be one fucking mess, but building up hope by having Liv wake up with brown hair and tanned skin only to find out that she was still reliant on brains. It was cruel.
He took a seat at the table and scooted his chair closer to her. He rested his arms on the table and leaned towards her. He took her hand in his, lacing his fingers between hers. With his other hand, he brushed her hair behind her ear. “I love you no matter what you are,” he said. “You know that, right, Liv?”
Liv gave a small nod, forcing a smile on her face. “I know,” she replied softly. “I love you too,” she added giving his hand a squeeze. “I should have known better.” Of course that was in referral to her thinking she woke up human. “I guess the hair dye and self tanner from the dreams carried over.” That was the only explanation for why she looked the way she did when she was indeed still a zombie. “I’ve had to hide what I am with zombies going public.”
If Dan had the ability to somehow magically make everything alright, he would have done so in a heartbeat, no matter what it cost. It hurt so much seeing her so disheartened. He wanted to tell her it was going to be alright, but giving her such platitudes without actually knowing for sure that it would be would have been even crueler.
He shook his head. “No, darlin’, there was no reason for you to think otherwise. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before…” he trailed off, his eyes moving towards her plate for a moment. Slowly he turned his eyes back towards her. “It isn’t fair that you have to hide,” he said. “Either there or here. Especially here. No one else does, why should you have to?”
“Because,” Liv began with a small frown. “Most people can’t see past the stereotype to realize not all zombies are monsters.” And Liv certainly wasn’t willing to take that chance. “It’s fine,” she added forcing a smile on her face. “As long as you’re okay with what I am. That’s all that matters.”
Dan wasn’t sure about that, but he understood where Liv was coming from. Especially lately. But it still unsettled him. He didn’t like the way she was forcing herself to smile. Dan was of the opinion that those on the network would be more accepting of Liv’s zombie nature then she believed they would be. Leon certainly had accepted it, and he was known to be particularly cagey about the more weird stuff Orange County did. Though, to be fair here, Leon’s “acceptance” was total avoidance of the situation, but still. He hadn’t tried to shoot Liv or run away. When everything was said and done, he still considered himself her friend. If Leon could do it, then others could too. Dan thought it would have been worth the risk if for nothing else than for Liv to not feel so alone – so ostracized. Zombie or not, people were not designed to live like that.
But it wasn’t Dan’s decision to make. It was Liv’s. If she wasn’t ready to take that risk then Dan couldn’t make her. The only thing he could do was stand by her and support her. Love her.
“Aye, Darlin’,” he said with a small reassuring smile. “I am. I always have and I always will.”