Ellis could feel Nick's gaze on him consistently throughout the day. At first he thought nothing of it. Then he started thinking that he may have said something that irked the conman. Then he realised that he hadn't actually said anything all day expect for the few words that had been exchanged that morning before they left the boat. Maybe the problem was Ellis' lack of words. No, wait, Nick would be ok with that. He told Ellis to stop whenever he got the chance.

Ellis bit his lip. He was definitely over thinking it. He shot a zombie to the left of him and continued to think of what the problem was.

"Ellis, you ok?" Rochelle asked, walking up close to him.

"Yes" he said quickly.

She raised a brow. "Okay, if you wanna talk though, I'm here for you."

"I know" he smiled politely. "Thanks for always checkin' up on us an' all that. It's real nice of you."

She smiled. "You are most welcome Ellis."

"Safe room ahead!" Coach called.

"Thank God" Rochelle smiled.

They quickened their pace, shambling into the safe room.

Ellis closed the door and Coach threw the metal bar in place.

Nick lay his gun down on the table and sat down on the old couch. New Orleans. Hell, he didn't think they'd ever make it here alive, but here they were. He looked around and noticed Ellis looking through the cupboards in the kitchen. He got up and walked over. "Ellis?"

Ellis looked at Nick, heart beating a little faster. "Nick… uh-?"

"What were you and Ro talking about?" Nick quietly asked him.

"She was just checkin' up on me. Y'know how she does that with us all-"

"Nope. No idea."

"Right." Awkward. "Maybe she thinks you don't need it."

Nick just shrugged. "But then again do you really think she 'checks up' on Coach?"

"I think they're close enough without her really havin' to ask."

"Then why does she check up on you?"

"Why does it matter?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering why she cares."

"Because some people are nice, Nick."

"Hm." He stood up, stretching. "I'm going to rest. Wake me when your watch is over, yeah?"

"I ain't even on watch now. I'm last on watch."

"Oh."

"Ro, Coach, you then me, so you best be wakin' me up, Nick."

"Whatever."

"What?"

"Get some sleep."

Ellis frowned. Nick was weird, but he admired him. He didn't know what it was about the older man, but he liked him. Maybe a little more than he should. Hence the reason he was losing it over the fact that Nick was observing him earlier. He grabbed the can of beans out of the cupboard and sighed. There was no way he was eating beans again. He left them on the bench for Ro or Coach. They could eat them during watch.

He walked over to the bedrooms, to find that they were both occupied by Coach and Nick respectively. He sighed and lay on the couch. At least it was comfy.

…

"Ellis."

He looked drowsily up at Nick.

"Your turn for watch."

Ellis nodded and rubbed his eyes.

"Y'know, my bed was a bigger bed, you couldn't have just slept in that bed with me."

Ellis blushed, but he was glad that it was dark so that Nick couldn't tell. "Uh, it's alright Nick" he drawled sleepily. "I'm fine."

Nick just nodded. "Ok. See you in a couple of hours then."

Ellis nodded.

Nick took leave back to the room he had claimed as his.

Ellis got up off the lounge and made his way into the other room, taking a seat in the dining chair. He reloaded his gun and leaned back, looking through the sights every now and again, ears pricked for any unfamiliar noises, but at the present all he could hear was Coach's snoring.

He didn't realise how weird it was for Nick to offer him half of his sleeping quarters until half way through his watch. It was so unlike the older man to offer anything but a well thought up insult. Hell, Ellis was surprised, but then again he had been half asleep when the con man was in the room, so he may have imagined it.

He rubbed his eyes, trying not to let sleep creep back up on him. His body was exhausted from the weeks of running and physical exertion, the awkward sleep pattern and the adrenaline that seemed to be constantly running through his body.

The sun was starting to rise when Rochelle stood next to him at the table. "Look here" she chuckled.

Ellis got up and followed her into the lounge room. Nick was lying on the lounge that Ellis had been.

"That can't be right" Ellis murmured.

"And why not?"

"He walked into the bedroom."

"Coach stole his bed, just as I stole Coach's."

Ellis chuckled.

"Imagine if he had tried to climb back into his bed."

Ellis held in a laugh as to not wake the older man, but grinned widely.

They walked back into the dining room and sat down.

As soon as they made eye contact they laughed.

"Boy watchu doin' in mah bed" Rochelle mocked.

Ellis was in fits of hysterics. "I ain't mad, but getcho ass outta mah bed."

They both laughed again before Nick walked into the room, his grumpy expression quieting them both.

"Uh, well, good mornin' Nick" Ellis smiled, trying to lift the con man's mood.

He grunted a quick "Hi" and sat with them.

Rochelle decided against saying anything.

"How did you sleep?" Ellis asked politely.

"Had better." He cracked his back and neck.

Ellis grimaced. "I ain't never get that problem from sleeping on couches. Guess its cause you're old, Nick."

Rochelle sighed and put her head in her hand.

Nick sighed. "Probably kid."

"Hey, hey, just cause I'm younger than you don't mean you can call me kid"

"Whatever."

Coach walked into the now quiet room. "Mornin'!"

Nick nodded.

"Morning Coach" Rochelle smiled. "Good news is, the kitchen has food, bad news is, there was only that one can of beans last night and the rest of the food is out of date. I checked it on watch last night."

"That doesn't even count as good news" Nick explained, exasperated. His stomach groaned loudly to reinforce his point.

"We will have a look for food on our way to the next stop today" Coach said.

"Sounds a plan Coach" Ellis said.

Nick felt like whining, but his stomach would do that for him, so he kept his mouth shut. For once.

…

It felt like they had travelled for hours since their last safe room.

Nick groaned loudly. "My feet are killing me!"

"Can you die quietly then?" Rochelle sighted, irritated that Nick might summon a horde with his bitching.

"Whatever."

Ellis chuckled. Their bickering always amused him.

Nick smiled at Ellis.

Ellis could feel his cheeks heat up, and it wasn't from the weather.

"Safe room ahead!" Coach hollered, his optimism contagious.

"Whoo! Great spottin' Coach" ginned Ellis.

They ran to the safe room, glad about the lack of infected they had seen.

"This is nice" said Rochelle, sitting on the lounge.

Nick nodded and sat next to her, putting his feet on the coffee table. "Nothing like having somewhere to relax in a time like this."

Rochelle couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, so she said nothing.

Coach went straight to the kitchen. "Damn, no food."

"What?!" Nick gasped, horrified.

"Just kiddin' Nick."

Nick shook his head. "Dammit Coach." He stood up and walked over to the kitchen. "Nice" he said, eyeing off the bottled water and packets of chips and peanuts.

Coach chuckled. "Eat up guys and we shall rest well."

"Amen" ginned Ellis, bounding over to the kitchen.

Rochelle nodded, smiling at Ellis.

…

Ellis sat on the bed, stretching his arms above his head. "Y'know, Nick, today ended up being great."

Nick looked at Ellis, almost leering. "You think?"

"Yep. Hardly any zombies, and we find a safe house with food." He lay down on the bed. "It's been good, don't you think?"

"It would be even better if we did something to commemorate it."

Ellis frowned. "What? What do you mean?"

"What if we had sex?" Nick said so casually that Ellis would have compared it to saying 'hi, how are you?'.

But Ellis had no time for regrets and immediately he agreed.

"We just have to keep quiet so Ro and Coach don't hear us" Nick said.

Ellis nodded in total agreement and understanding. "Okay" he smiled.

Nick took his time undressing Ellis, taking in all the details of his body. That great body. Holy shit it was amazing. And Ellis looked so damn innocent! Nick licked his lips. "Holy shit I am turned on."

Ellis blushed.

Before he knew it he was down on his hands and knees, nervous and excited. He never thought he would be doing anything like this with Nick.

Nick kissed between his shoulder blades. "I'm gonna prep you, ok?" he murmured, kissing Ellis' neck.

Ellis just nodded.

"Ok, sorry if it hurts."

"Wait-"

"You will be fine."

"Ok." He didn't want to admit to Nick that he was afraid. He spread his knees further apart and hoped that it would help.

Nick took in the sight before him, feeling his cock twitch awkwardly inside his pants. Ellis' body was amazing. He was expecting great things. And he was right to do so. He just wanted to run his hands all over Ellis' body. Kiss every inch. He ran his hands softly over Ellis' ass. He smiled to himself. He couldn't believe Ellis was naked in front of him.

Ellis looked over his shoulder at Nick. "Uh… Nick?"

"Yeah?" he breathed.

He sat on the ground in front of Nick. "Uh… I… um… you know what you are doing, yeah?"

"Of course I do. Don't you?"

Ellis blushed and looked away.

Nick froze. "Shit… Ellis… be honest with me… are… are you a virgin?"

Ellis bit his lip. "Uh… maybe? I have done things but never made it-"

"Shit. You are. If you are I don't… I do care, but… you are… fuck it, you are ok with me… being the one-?"

"Course I am Nick."

"Okay." Nick felt a little cautious with proceeding, but shit he was feeling aroused, he really needed this.

Ellis kissed Nick. "It's okay. I want to do this with you."

Nick nodded. "I'm… I'm glad. Anyway, we better-"

"-don't wanna wake Ro and Coach" Ellis said at the same time. He chuckled.

Nick smiled and kissed Ellis quickly. "You are right."

Ellis unbuttoned Nick's shirt and pulled it off, running his fingers through Nick's chest hair. "I love this." He chuckled. "Hope you don't mind Nick."

Nick quirked a brow. "Not at all. I find it amusing" he admitted, watching his lover playing with it.

Ellis blushed. "Uh…"

"You're ok Ellis" he chuckled.

Ellis blushed. "Okay."

Nick kissed him, just a quick kiss to get back on track.

Ellis lay back on the floor. Nick ran his hand down Ellis' chest and stomach.

"Okay." He reached and grabbed the moisturizer he had found. Hope to hell this works. He looked at Ellis and smiled. This was it. This was gonna tell him that he loved him without using the words, right?

Ellis looked up at him. "Nick-"

"Yeah, sorry… you look… amazing."

Ellis smiled, pink dusting his cheeks.

"Okay, ready?" Nick asked, rubbing the moisturizer between his fingers.

"Yeah, yeah, let's do this."

Nick grinned. "Let me know if it's uncomfortable."

Ellis nodded.

Nick inserted a finger inside Ellis. He could feel the mechanic clamp down on his finger. "Relax" he cooed. "It's okay."

Ellis nodded, his breathing steadied and the blush spread across his face.

Nick smiled. He inserted a second finger. "Okay…"

Ellis managed to stay relaxed, although he found it a little uncomfortable. He was sure that would go away soon.

Nick watched Ellis to make sure that there were no signs of discomfort. Seeing none, he added a third finger, stretching Ellis out.

Ellis felt Nick brush against something inside of him. He moaned, brows furrowed. "Whoa…"

Nick grinned, happy to have found it. It made Ellis relax a whole lot more. He decided Ellis was ready, and really, he couldn't wait longer. He removed his fingers, unzipped his pants and released his penis. He used the moisturizer to lube it up and pressed against Ellis' entrance. He was so keen, but he wanted to make sure Ellis was too. "Ellis-"

"I'm good to go" Ellis affirmed.

That was all the reassurance he needed. He slowly pressed the rest of himself into Ellis.

Ellis closed his eyes as Nick fully penetrated him. Nick waited for some time before moving again. Ellis grunted as Nick pulled out and penetrated him again. Soon they were in some kind of rhythm. Nick grasped Ellis dick and started pumping it.

"Oh yeah" Ellis murmured.

Nick tried to hold back a chuckle.

"Hey guys" Rochelle walked in. "On my god!" she turned and walked back out, blushing.

Ellis turned bright red. "Oh shit. Nick" he whined, looking up at him.

Nick was even blushing a little.

"I… I think m-maybe" Ellis stammered.

"We should stop?" Nick suggested.

Ellis nodded.

Nick carefully pulled out of Ellis. He was definitely no longer in the mood after being caught. It was just too awkward.

Ellis slowly got dressed, feeling foolish. How had he let emotions overcome him at a time like this? Well, he didn't really regret it.

Nick looked at him and he nodded. They walked out into the living area of the safe room they were currently holed up in.

Rochelle looked at Nick. "Bet you went soft pretty quick, huh?"

"Actually I didn't" Nick winked.

Rochelle shuddered and refused to look him in the eye, mostly out of pure disgust.

Nick looked at Ellis and smiled. "We will have to finish that at the end of all this" he shirked.

Ellis blushed, but nodded. Probably too eagerly.