They eat chewy cheese crackers and cans of Beefaroni warmed over a camp stove. They don’t talk much, Brad because he’s tired, Nate because he’s probably thinking about the guys they live in the office building downtown with: Ray, Poke, Walt, everyone. Nate worries about them, even though he doesn’t have to.
Brad doesn’t ask. He’s too tired. Nate’s okay, and if memory serves, the guys weren’t planning on leaving the building today.
He gives Nate one of the Pop-Tarts, waving away the half he offers. Brad’s always hated them, thinks they taste like cardboard, especially when frozen, but he likes the pleased determination on Nate’s face as he chews on it.
When Nate has nothing left but crumbs, they sit in silence for a while, listening to the wind and snow screaming through the aisles, a few inches of space between their shoulders.
Finally, Nate says, “It’s gotten colder,” quietly
“Yeah.”
Nate scrubs his fingers over his close-cut hair. “We should probably…”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.”
They zip their sleeping bags together. It feels oddly intimate, even though Brad’s done this with Ray and Mike and he knows Nate’s done it with others.
Maybe it’s different because of the heat that’s there, even when they don’t touch. Maybe it’s because Nate’s better than being a Marine, better than just being alive.
Nate’s coat is thicker, so Brad gets into the one big sleeping bag first and Nate crawls in after, zipping it up tight and turning his back to the zipper. It’s close quarters, only a handful of inches between them, and dark too, since they’ve ducked down to protect their faces. It’s the best way to share body heat though, and that’s what counts, even if Brad does feel a little short of breath.
Nate peers at Brad, brushing the fur on his parka away from his face.
“Are you alright?” He asks, almost whispering even though there’s no one alive for miles.
“Yeah,” Brad says faintly.
Nate inches closer, until he’s pressed up against Brad from knees to nipples. His eyes are bright and his cheeks are still pink. They’ve been pink for most of the five years Brad’s known Nate, for one reason or another.
Brad has a favourite reason, but it’s a very recent one.
Nate whispers, “C’mere,” although he’s the one that lifts his head, tilting his mouth onto Brad’s. His breath slips into Brad’s mouth, tasting like sugar and chemically-created strawberries, much too sweet and damp fur brushes Brad’s face as Nate deepens the kiss. One of his thick mittens presses against the centre of Brad’s back, holding Brad close as he rises up a few inches, his mouth coaxing Brad’s open.
The tip of his tongue circles Brad’s playfully before slicking down into Brad’s mouth. He takes a shaky little inhale of Brad’s breath, which Brad is learning means he really likes something. It’s a spur in Brad’s mind, has him shaking off one of his own mittens so he can cup Nate’s face while they kiss.
Nate leans into him harder, full of intent, and Brad lets him, his hand touching Nate’s cold cheek and his tongue on Nate’s hot tongue.
Re: Part TwoalethialiaOctober 30 2009, 08:07:09 UTC
On particularly cold nights when he dreams about things that don’t exist, he wakes up with tears frozen on his cheeks. He has to use his fingernails to pry them off his face and rub at the white trails leftover until they’re gone.
!!! LOVE your description.
He looks at the boxes of frozen condoms and cracked bottles of lube. “Did you bring your gear? We might have to sleep here.”
::snorts:: Is that a sign or what?!
He takes a shaky little inhale of Brad’s breath, which Brad is learning means he really likes something. It’s a spur in Brad’s mind, has him shaking off one of his own mittens so he can cup Nate’s face while they kiss.
Boys kissing hotly in the freezing snow! Yis. And this is an amazing world you've created here - now I want to know where the summers went.
Re: Part TwoamberlynneOctober 30 2009, 16:55:03 UTC
I can't believe how quickly and awesomely you came up with this incredibly detailed little world for them. I love how you don't really know what kind of relationship they have until those last little moments with Nate's pink cheeks and Brad learning what he likes. BOYS! ♥
I HOPE RAY AND WALT AND POKE AND EVERYONE ARE OKAY TOO NATE!
Re: Part TwooxoniensisOctober 30 2009, 19:26:34 UTC
Oh, this is gorgeous! Nate's pink cheeks - and of course the real reason is Brad's favourite reason - and Brad searching for Pop Tarts for Nate, and the kiss. I so love the kiss, the quietness of it in the middle of the storm, all wrapped up in the dark of the sleeping bag. Perfect! Thank you!
Re: Part TwofosfomifiraNovember 1 2009, 08:16:01 UTC
I love how you slowly give away details of Brad and Nate's relationship here. It starts off with them being survival buddies, but then it grows and it's all about Brad thinking about Nate -the heat they share, how Nate's always pink, the sweet kisses and them all cuddled up, how they're learning what they like and being in a little hot world of their own- rather than just remembering what summer used to be like.
Re: Part TwojujubinhaNovember 2 2009, 02:53:41 UTC
I was never a big fan of apocalypse!AUs, but this is amazing. I love how you manage to paint this desolated world and their relationship with so little, each sentence so full of meaning and awesome imagery.
On particularly cold nights when he dreams about things that don’t exist, he wakes up with tears frozen on his cheeks. He has to use his fingernails to pry them off his face and rub at the white trails leftover until they’re gone.
This image, damn!
Nate worries about them, even though he doesn’t have to.
Of course he does. Oh, Nate!
Maybe it’s different because of the heat that’s there, even when they don’t touch. Maybe it’s because Nate’s better than being a Marine, better than just being alive.
And oh, Brad! You are so head over heels, I love it!
I love that despite this being a terrible set, what with the storms and the end of the world feel, this is still so sweet, and it feels a little hopeful, now that these two got together. I love that they're still discovering things about each other, and everything is extra special and meaningful. Awesome!
Re: Part TwoprysmicdorkNovember 2 2009, 05:19:31 UTC
(I know it's been said already, but) Eee! Post Apoc! Which is another one of my favorite things, heh. They're just a group of lost boys (apologizes to Nate for mentally calling him Wendy a few times), but they've made rules for survival and they have (and are still) adapted to this almost unsurvivable world. And I love the glimpses you've put in of what they lost, that Nate pretends not to remember, but one of his favorite things is obviously something he loved as a child, back in the summer days. And then, them together, holding on to each other in the middle of the storm (but with the heat of something new between them).
Brad doesn’t ask. He’s too tired. Nate’s okay, and if memory serves, the guys weren’t planning on leaving the building today.
He gives Nate one of the Pop-Tarts, waving away the half he offers. Brad’s always hated them, thinks they taste like cardboard, especially when frozen, but he likes the pleased determination on Nate’s face as he chews on it.
When Nate has nothing left but crumbs, they sit in silence for a while, listening to the wind and snow screaming through the aisles, a few inches of space between their shoulders.
Finally, Nate says, “It’s gotten colder,” quietly
“Yeah.”
Nate scrubs his fingers over his close-cut hair. “We should probably…”
“Yeah, yeah, okay.”
They zip their sleeping bags together. It feels oddly intimate, even though Brad’s done this with Ray and Mike and he knows Nate’s done it with others.
Maybe it’s different because of the heat that’s there, even when they don’t touch. Maybe it’s because Nate’s better than being a Marine, better than just being alive.
Nate’s coat is thicker, so Brad gets into the one big sleeping bag first and Nate crawls in after, zipping it up tight and turning his back to the zipper. It’s close quarters, only a handful of inches between them, and dark too, since they’ve ducked down to protect their faces. It’s the best way to share body heat though, and that’s what counts, even if Brad does feel a little short of breath.
Nate peers at Brad, brushing the fur on his parka away from his face.
“Are you alright?” He asks, almost whispering even though there’s no one alive for miles.
“Yeah,” Brad says faintly.
Nate inches closer, until he’s pressed up against Brad from knees to nipples. His eyes are bright and his cheeks are still pink. They’ve been pink for most of the five years Brad’s known Nate, for one reason or another.
Brad has a favourite reason, but it’s a very recent one.
Nate whispers, “C’mere,” although he’s the one that lifts his head, tilting his mouth onto Brad’s. His breath slips into Brad’s mouth, tasting like sugar and chemically-created strawberries, much too sweet and damp fur brushes Brad’s face as Nate deepens the kiss. One of his thick mittens presses against the centre of Brad’s back, holding Brad close as he rises up a few inches, his mouth coaxing Brad’s open.
The tip of his tongue circles Brad’s playfully before slicking down into Brad’s mouth. He takes a shaky little inhale of Brad’s breath, which Brad is learning means he really likes something. It’s a spur in Brad’s mind, has him shaking off one of his own mittens so he can cup Nate’s face while they kiss.
Nate leans into him harder, full of intent, and Brad lets him, his hand touching Nate’s cold cheek and his tongue on Nate’s hot tongue.
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!!! LOVE your description.
He looks at the boxes of frozen condoms and cracked bottles of lube. “Did you bring your gear? We might have to sleep here.”
::snorts:: Is that a sign or what?!
He takes a shaky little inhale of Brad’s breath, which Brad is learning means he really likes something. It’s a spur in Brad’s mind, has him shaking off one of his own mittens so he can cup Nate’s face while they kiss.
Boys kissing hotly in the freezing snow! Yis. And this is an amazing world you've created here - now I want to know where the summers went.
Reply
<33
And this is an amazing world you've created here - now I want to know where the summers went.
Fortunately/unfortunately, I've also interested myself, too! Fuuuuuuu-
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I HOPE RAY AND WALT AND POKE AND EVERYONE ARE OKAY TOO NATE!
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Ray might have lit a chair on fire, but it was only to keep everyone warm, he promises.
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I'm intrigued, in the best of ways :)
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On particularly cold nights when he dreams about things that don’t exist, he wakes up with tears frozen on his cheeks. He has to use his fingernails to pry them off his face and rub at the white trails leftover until they’re gone.
This image, damn!
Nate worries about them, even though he doesn’t have to.
Of course he does. Oh, Nate!
Maybe it’s different because of the heat that’s there, even when they don’t touch. Maybe it’s because Nate’s better than being a Marine, better than just being alive.
And oh, Brad! You are so head over heels, I love it!
I love that despite this being a terrible set, what with the storms and the end of the world feel, this is still so sweet, and it feels a little hopeful, now that these two got together. I love that they're still discovering things about each other, and everything is extra special and meaningful. Awesome!
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I am so in love with them. So many possibilities!
Awesome!
Thanks!
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They're just a group of lost boys (apologizes to Nate for mentally calling him Wendy a few times), but they've made rules for survival and they have (and are still) adapted to this almost unsurvivable world.
And I love the glimpses you've put in of what they lost, that Nate pretends not to remember, but one of his favorite things is obviously something he loved as a child, back in the summer days.
And then, them together, holding on to each other in the middle of the storm (but with the heat of something new between them).
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