This is a sequel to my Sleeping Sickness series. You COULD read it without reading Sleeping Sickness, but I'd suggest doing that first. (Sleeping
Sickness is only 4 parts, so it shouldn't take you long.)
And I just want to thank all of you who waited so patiently for this!
"Just like that," Cooper says softly from behind his little brother. They're standing together in a lush green field, grass up to their knees, in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. Blaine's arms are raised, steadying the pistol in his hands and he's taking deep breaths like Cooper had instructed.
"Can I shoot it now?" Blaine asks, exasperated.
"Not yet," Cooper replies, voice still quiet, "You need to relax." Blaine lets out yet another frustrated deep breath at his brother and rolls his shoulders back, attempting to do as he says. It's hard to relax, with the world the way it is, but he tries to take his advice.
It's been over a week since the brothers made it to Colorado. Over a week since they separated from their friends. And over a week since their talk on the bridge. The thought of the talk alone, causes Blaine's heart to race – despite the fact that he's trying to calm himself – and Cooper's hands hovering just slightly over his hips don't help.
In the following week after finding Red Cliff, (the small mountain town they came across after leaving Vail) Cooper and Blaine had settled down in a small cabin and things became somewhat normal. Or as normal as they were going to be. They decided to stay for a while, despite Blaine's initial protest, and Cooper had assured him that they would still look for their parents, but they needed to have their own strength, too. So while they were gathering supplies and resting in the small town, the two had time to relax, and enjoy one another as they had both been aching to do.
"You need to be able to calm down like this, no matter what situation you're in," Cooper says, shaking Blaine out of his thoughts, "I don't care if there are thirty of them and you think we're horribly outnumbered. If you're not calm and steady, you're not going to hit any, and then we will be fucked." Blaine nods in response, still breathing deep and trying to stop his hands from shaking. When Cooper finally decides that he's ready, he breaths out, "Now," and points toward the coffee can that's sitting on a log a few yards away.
At that, Blaine takes one last deep breath before pulling the trigger. The gun kicks back – which he's used to now, thankfully – and a loud bang rings out in the air, reminding Blaine again why they decided to drive away from camp to train. When he sees the coffee can still standing, though, he lets out a sigh. "Fuck."
"It's okay," Cooper assures, "I never got it on my first try either." Without warning, his arms wrap around Blaine and come to rest around the younger boy's, raising them again. Blaine's breathing hitches as he feels Cooper's breath hot on his neck – and he wishes that he'd just kiss it – and he takes a moment to try to calm himself. "Try again," He says softly, "I've got you."
Blaine takes a few deep breaths, his body moving in time with Cooper's. He can feel their breathing, their movements, their heartbeats synchronize, and he takes one last deep breath before pulling the trigger again.
When the coffee can goes flying off the log, Blaine wants to jump with joy, but settles with turning around quickly to hug his brother, squealing something along the lines of, "I did it!" When the boys finally pull apart, Cooper is smiling down at Blaine like a proud parent. His eyes dart momentarily to the younger boy's lips and he almost leans down to kiss him, but Blaine beats him to it, leaning up on his toes to press their lips quickly together.
It isn't until the boys hear the faint sound of rocks tumbling down the hill and something moving toward them that they pull apart and turn their heads in the direction of the noise. They allow themselves to hope (stupidly) that it's a deer for once, but aren't surprised when what appears to be a former park ranger with a missing arm and a nasty snarl comes stumbling aimlessly down the hill. "I knew we were pushing it by practicing here every day…" Cooper mumbles to himself, pulling out his own gun to kill the undead man. He pauses when he sees his brother – lover – raising his own weapon instead. And he watches as Blaine steadies the gun, takes aim, lets out a deep breath, and fires. In an instant, the man's head is practically exploding and he hits the ground.
"You're getting good," Cooper compliments, smiling. The old him wouldn't smile at a time like this – Blaine just shot and killed a man for crying out loud – but that part of him died long ago when he buried an axe in the head of a small girl who had been trying to kill his brother.
"I have a good teacher," Blaine replies coolly, smiling back up at him. The older boy gets lost staring down at him for a moment before shaking himself out of it and motioning toward the car.
"We should probably get going. I'm sure those shots attracted some more, and we don't want to be here when they show up," He explains, leading the way back to the car. Once they're inside and pulling away, Blaine's hand finds Cooper's naturally and their fingers intertwine much like they did on that fateful day when they left their home behind. Cooper can't help but think about how much has changed since then, some things for the better. He glances at Blaine, who smiles back at him and squeezes his hand lovingly.
The town is practically deserted, save for a roamer every once in a while, which Cooper usually kills quietly, so as not to attract any more. So when the boys pull up to the now familiar grocery store around four or five, (if Blaine's watch is still correct) they're not nervous in the least bit. They walk inside after unlocking the doors (Cooper had found the keys and insisted on locking it up every time they left so there would never be an unexpected zombie inside) and start piling food into their backpacks, taking only what they need for now.
"Honey, what should we have for dinner tonight?" Blaine jokes, strolling down the canned foods isle, grinning at his brother.
Cooper rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but plays along, "I dunno… I was thinking a romantic dinner of raviolis?"
"Sounds delicious," Blaine teases back, coming up to wrap his arms around his waist and kiss his chest.
The boys make quick work of finding food, especially perishables that haven't quite expired yet, and head out to their car a few minutes later. Maybe it's because they feel safe while they're alone in the grocery store, or maybe it's because they let their guard down when they were inside, but either way both boys are caught off guard when something practically tackles Blaine to the ground as they exit the building. When he opens his eyes after falling – and thankfully not hitting his head – he's met with two dead eyes staring right back at him, white and glossed over and hungry. "Coop-" He manages to squeak out, hoping his brother is right there, as he holds the snapping and snarling jaws away from his own face. The woman's face – or the half that isn't already chewed off – is covered in blood and it smells and Blaine has to hold back a gag as he tries to push her away, his heart racing.
And then, thankfully, he feels a thunk and opens his eyes again to see the tip of the pickaxe that Cooper found the other day sticking out of her forehead. He can see – and feel – the blood and other fluids spilling out of the woman's face and onto the front of his shirt and he shakes his head as his brother helps him stand back up, "Well, there goes this shirt…"
The look in Cooper's eyes says not now, Blaine, and it makes the younger boy quit joking and glance around to make sure that there aren't any more of them before pulling off his soiled shirt and tossing it on the ground next to the limp body. The boys wordlessly grab their things and head back to the car, double checking over their shoulders, then drive off. "I'm sorry," Blaine finally says, breaking the silence as they make their way back to their new found home, "I know you hate it when I joke about shit like that."
"I do," Cooper says, staring straight ahead, "And it's okay. I just… I don't like thinking about losing you…"
"Then don't," Blaine replies softly, reaching out to caress his leg, "I'm right here."
Cooper turns to smile at him, "I know."
"I love you," Blaine says simply, and smiles when his brother returns the words.
They heat some raviolis over a fire that evening before the sun goes down – just as Cooper had promised – and are inside before it gets dark out, a couch barricading the front door. They're held up inside a small cabin they found after getting into town on their first day. It was the only house that looked abandoned, not because the occupants were dead, but because nobody was currently living there. There had been a gone fishing sign hanging on the front door, and after little searching, Cooper found a spare key and came to the conclusion that it was probably someone's vacation home. The house was mostly bare when they found it, just the essentials, but after some searching, the brothers uncovered two shotguns in the master bedroom and immediately loaded them into the car.
It's about ten that night when the boys find themselves laying side by side in the bed upstairs, Cooper's arm draped lazily around Blaine's middle as they both think to themselves. And Blaine – though he doesn't want to worry about stupid things because he and Cooper are more than fine – can't help but think about things between them. Though they have been great ever since their talk on the bridge, they also haven't had sex since their first time. He knows it's something stupid and trivial to worry about, but then he thinks that maybe it's a good thing to worry about. It's definitely better than worrying about dying at any given minute.
"Hey Cooper?" He finally asks, breaking the comfortable silence between them.
"Yeah?" Cooper replies sleepily as Blaine turns to face him. His flashlight is sitting upright on the nightstand next to the bed, giving them some light, but he's on the verge of falling asleep until he looks at his brother's face.
"Let me know if I'm stupid or whatever for worrying about this…" He starts, suddenly feeling like a nervous teenager, "But why haven't we… you know… since Missouri?"
Cooper's body suddenly freezes at the memory. Not because it's a bad memory by any means, but because it's one of the few times he's allowed himself to think about it. Though he and Blaine worked everything out and are now together – Blaine even called Cooper his boyfriend the other day – they haven't discussed sex, or the sex they had over a week ago. It's not that he regrets it, necessarily, but he does regret how it happened. He wishes his first time with Blaine had been perfect, not rushed and unsure and somewhat angry. "I uh… I don't know," Cooper replies honestly, "I guess we've just had a lot to worry about…" When his brother is just silent in return, he speaks again, "Did you want to?"
"Well I mean…" Blaine takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and his racing heart but he can't because he's talking to his brother about sex, for Christ's sake. "I do. But… Only if you want to."
"Jesus, Blaine," Cooper says, smiling and shaking his head a little against the pillow, "Of course I want to. I just… I want it to be special, you know? I kind of fucked that up last time and we haven't really had the time to talk about sex and I didn't want to stress you out more and-"
He's cut off, though, when a pair of now familiar lips press softly against his own. Blaine pulls away after a second, smiling softly, "We have time now."
The words practically make Cooper shudder, and it's hard for him to keep his cool when he replies with, "Now?"
"Now," Blaine confirms, smiling, "I'm all for making it perfect now."
"Fuck," Cooper mutters in response, "Alright. Yeah." Instead of diving in and kissing Blaine though, he just lays there, head propped up on his elbow, unsure of what to do next.
"You know, I'm sure there's some candles around here, if you want it to be really romantic," Blaine teases, trying to lighten the mood, and thankfully it works.
Cooper cracks a smile before replying, "It's okay. This is perfect."
It's perfect because it's Blaine.
At those words, he leans in, pressing his lips delicately to Blaine's. The kiss is soft, much like the ones they've shared since their talk on the bridge, and Cooper can't help but note the difference between it and their very first kiss. Before he really has time to think about it, though, Blaine's tongue is probing gently at his lips and he parts them, the taste of his brother filling his mouth.
It isn't until Cooper moves to straddle over Blaine's hips that he pauses, pulling away and looking down at him. "You're sure?" He asks nervously. Even though they've done this before, this time is more intimate. It means more, and Cooper wants to make sure that Blaine is okay.
The younger boy nods, his eyes bearing back into Cooper's, "I'm sure."
At that, Cooper lets his hands settle at the hem of Blaine's shirt, tugging up on it before pulling it over his head when he lifts his arms in response. Blaine mimics his actions, leaving both boys shirtless in the dim light of the bedroom, taking eachother in. Cooper's hands splay out across his brother's chest then up to his shoulders and back down his arms, learning his body – taking his time, unlike before. "You're beautiful, B," He murmurs softly, drinking in the boy underneath him.
"You are," Blaine breaths back, unable to really say much more – not with the way that Cooper is looking at him. With that, Cooper is diving down again, his lips attaching to the crook between Blaine's shoulder and his neck, smirking slightly at the whimpering noise the younger boy makes when he sucks the skin into his mouth, and he makes a mental note to do that again.
It doesn't take long before the older Anderson's hands are trailing down Blaine's chest and stomach, stopping at his hips as they kiss again, toying tentatively with the skin just above his jeans. His heart is pounding in his chest at the thought of pulling the offending fabric off, and he has to stall for a moment to collect his thoughts. So instead of moving his hands lower, Cooper goes back to kissing down Blaine's neck and chest, loving the sounds that he makes in return.
It isn't until Blaine thrusts his hips up slightly that Cooper stops kissing at his neck and pulls away again, looking down at him. He wants to ask Blaine if he's sure again, just in case, but by the look on his brother's face and the way his hips are moving underneath him, he knows that he's more than sure. His hands finally find the button on his jeans, and when Blaine just smiles nervously up at him in return, he pops them open and slides them halfway down his legs and Blaine kicks them the rest of the way off.
Within a few seconds, Cooper is sliding down Blaine's body, kissing his way down until he's level with his hips, and then he looks up and speaks for the first time since he pulled Blaine's shirt off. "Can I?"
The younger boy nods his head yes quickly, and at that, Cooper hooks his fingers under the waistband of his boxers and slips them off, leaving him completely exposed. He doesn't waste any time before he's leaning forward, breathing in Blaine's scent and kissing at his thighs. Blaine's fingers immediately thread through his hair as he does so, and even though Cooper hasn't even touched him yet, he throws his head back, breathing heavily.
Finally, after what seems like forever, Cooper leans forward, taking just the tip of Blaine's cock into his mouth and sucking tentatively, earning a whimper in return. "C-Coop please," Blaine whines out, his fingers gripping his brother's hair roughly.
It doesn't take long before Cooper is letting the rest of his mouth sink over Blaine, and it doesn't take long before Blaine is bucking up and moaning out, "Cooper stop, I-I don't wanna come. Not yet…" And what that, Cooper pulls off of him with an obscene pop and sits up, studying him with lust blown eyes.
"You're sure..." He manages out one last time, causing Blaine to roll his eyes in return.
"Yes, I'm sure, you idiot," He jokes, smiling up at him, before grabbing at the back of his neck at pulling him down for a kiss. And it isn't long before Blaine is tugging down at Cooper's jeans and boxers, leaving them both naked on someone else's bed.
"I- I wish I had… I mean I don't have any…" Cooper starts then trails off after pulling away from Blaine again, trying to tell him that he wishes he had lube, to make it better for him.
"It's okay," Blaine reassures, smiling up at him, "I trust you. It's okay. Just… Please…" And at that, Cooper leans down again, kissing Blaine hard. And he can't help but think that he couldn't have asked for a more perfect lover.
Before long, one of Cooper's spit slicked fingers is circling Blaine's entrance and Blaine is writing on the sheets underneath him, whimpering out something along the lines of, "Fuck, Cooper, please just do it…" He makes quick work of preparing him – much like the last time only more gentle – and it isn't long before Blaine is whining out variations of fuck, Cooper and please from underneath him, grinding down against his fingers. And it isn't long before Cooper is pulling his fingers out and replacing them with the head of his cock, staring down at Blaine lovingly.
"I love you," He murmurs, leaning down to kiss him, and his heart thrills when Blaine repeats the words back to him.
At that, he presses slowly into Blaine's tight heat, sighing out as he does so. Blaine's tight and fuck, Cooper doesn't know why he didn't draw this out last time. He doesn't know how he didn't stop to enjoy it, like he is now. Blaine's muscles clench around him, dragging against him as his hips push forward. Once he's fully sheathed, he stops, lowers his head onto Blaine's chest, and lets out a shuddering deep breath.
It isn't until he feels Blaine tremble underneath him that he lifts his head, glancing up at his brother, "You okay?"
Blaine nods furiously, "Please just… move." At that, Cooper pulls out slowly, before thrusting back in and biting down on Blaine's shoulder to muffle a moan. "You don't – ah – you don't have to be quiet," the younger boy manages to get out as Cooper sets up a rhythm and just the thought of it sends a tremor through Cooper's body. He doesn't have to be quiet for fear of someone – or something – hearing. They're alone, finally, and Blaine is writing underneath him, practically begging him to be loud. To enjoy himself.
"Fuck," Cooper groans, gripping Blaine's hips hard enough to leave bruises the next morning, "Blaine…"
The little ah ah ah's that begin to escape Blaine's mouth as Cooper picks up the pace practically drive him nuts and add to the heat already pooling in his stomach, and when Blaine cranes his neck up to kiss him and whisper let go, that's it. Even if he wanted to, Cooper can't control the snap of his hips as he pounds into Blaine, drinking in the sight of his back arching and his mouth opened in a silent scream.
It only takes a few more thrusts from Cooper and a flick of his wrist on Blaine's cock before the younger Anderson is coming hot across their chests, still thrusting back against him, whispering come for me, Cooper in his ear. And that's all it takes before Cooper is coming as well, finishing inside of Blaine before pulling out and rolling onto the bed next to him.
It's a long while before either boy speaks again, but it's not an uncomfortable silence. Cooper closes his eyes, a smile playing across his lips as he listens to the crickets chirp off in the distance outside the house. He catches himself wondering if things like crickets even know that the world has changed, and decides that they probably don't. And then he decides that just because things have changed, it doesn't mean that they have to change for him and Blaine. They still love eatchother, even if they're on they're own, and Cooper knows he still has to protect his little brother, but he's okay with that. As long as they have eachother.
"I love you," Blaine says softly after a few minutes, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"I love you too," Cooper replies without so much as thinking it. It's second nature to him, and he knows that it's nothing short of the truth.
Blaine sits up to pull the covers over them and turns to his side, waiting for Cooper to wrap his arm around his middle and nuzzle his face into the back of his neck like he always does now. And sure enough, Cooper does it without thinking, and lets out a deep breath before kissing the skin just under Blaine's hairline.
It's silent between the two again for another ten minutes, and Cooper begins to think that Blaine is asleep until he speaks again, "Coop, are you awake?"
"Yeah," He breaths back.
It's quiet for a moment before Blaine speaks again, as if he's trying to decide what to say. "Do you think this will be our permanent home?" He finally asks, voice unsure.
"I…" Cooper starts, trying to come up with the right answer. He wishes – god, he wishes – that they could just stay there. But Cooper knows that they came out to Colorado to at least try to find their parents – not to give up when they're almost there. That, and even if they don't find their parents, he knows that eventually, they're going to have to find a better, sturdier house to live in. They need to find something that can withstand anything. "I don't think so, B," He finally manages.
Blaine sighs, "I didn't either."
"I'm sorry-" Cooper begins to say, but he's cut off.
"No, it's okay," His brother interjects, "I knew that we'd have to leave eventually. I just wish that it could always be like this…"
"I know," Cooper sighs, tightening his grip around Blaine's waist, "Me too."